Atem gazed up at the high ceiling as the morning light peeked in through the large windows.

He sighed heavily and turned onto his side, smiling slightly when he came face to face with Kaiba.

Atem chuckled quietly as he brushed Kaiba's messy bangs out of his face.

Kaiba was out cold.

Atem smirked and pushed his hand through Kaiba's soft locks, enjoying the way the silky strands slipped through his fingers. He sighed again, rolling over onto his back.

Normally, he would get out of bed, shower, get dressed and start his school work but today was different.

Today, he just wanted to lay in bed and sulk.

He felt guilty.

It had been a little over a year since him and Kaiba had gone public and their relationship was stronger than ever.

He was happy that they had made it to the end of 2018 without any problems, arguments, or even…

"Salem…" Atem thought, turning over on his side to face away from his lover.

He thought back to last night when he found himself alone in the Kaiba mansion.

He had been drinking wine while binging an array of different shows on the entertainment room's many streaming devices. After his binge fest, he had wandered through the mansion and up to the guest room he once inhabited before he and Kaiba had decided to put the past behind them.

When he went into the bedroom, it was cold. No one had slept there for over a year and any coziness that once inhabited the space was now gone.

Except.

A small piece of fabric that stuck out from underneath the bed caught his eye. He drunkenly got on all fours and crawled toward the pink fabric.

He pulled it out from under the bed and clumsily put what he now realized was a scarf to his nose and inhaled deeply.

"Mmmmnnn…Roses..." He wriggled his way onto the large cold bed. The long, soft pink scarf covered his entire face.

The rest of the fabric was snaked around his torso. Almost protectively.

He inhaled deeply once more while he slipped his hand into his pants, using his other hand to keep the scarf against his nose.

"Ugh!" Atem kicked himself.

He had spent so long trying not to think of her. Of course in his drunken idiot state the first thing he does is find her scarf and…

And…

He felt incredibly guilty.

He couldn't believe he had masterbated while smelling her old scarf.

What was worse was that he came.

Hard.

So hard that he fell asleep with his shame still hanging out of his pants.

So hard that he didn't wake up when Kaiba called his name.

So hard that when Kaiba was finally able to wake him up, he could have sworn that his blue eyed lover had been understanding and kind instead of what Atem had expected him to be.

He had expected Kaiba to be furious.

But the brunette had just smiled gently and helped get the ex pharaoh to bed in their shared room.

Atem turned back onto his other side to face his lover.

He didn't understand.

It wasn't like Kaiba to be so understanding.

Especially concerning that woman.

Unless…

Unless Kaiba had something he was hiding too!

Atem sat up slowly, eyeing the smartphone on Kaiba's nightstand. He tiptoed out and bed and around the large frame to Kaiba's side, unplugging the phone and silently shuffling over to his side of the bed.

He gently sat in his spot and took Kaiba's right thumb and placed it on the home screen.

Atem guiltily placed Kaiba's hand back against the sleeping CEO's chest. He thumbed through emails, sent messages, and even checked Kaiba's social media.

Nothing.

Just before the guilt completely set in, Atem looked through Kaiba's recently accessed photos.

He felt his heart pound in his chest as he realized the pictures Kaiba had last accessed were naked pictures of Atem!

"Thank goodness...but now I feel worse…"

He scrolled more and bit back a gasp.

Oh no.

He had found what he was looking for…

Kaiba had recently accessed nude photos of..her..

There were so many!

Pictures in lingerie, robes, and nothing but a pair of sparkly heels.

He calmed down when he saw that the date taken was well before he was brought back to this world.

But…

Now he knew why Kaiba had been so understanding…

"Atem?" Kaiba groaned sleepily.

Atem froze.

Oh no.

Think fast.

Atem quickly closed all of the applications and opened the camera, holding the phone up to take a morning selfie.

Kaiba blinked the grogginess out of his eyes and chuckled when he saw Atem taking a picture of himself,

"You're adorable…" He said with a yawn, stretching lightly and giving Atem a handsome smile.

Atem smiled back and turned the screen toward Kaiba,

"What do you think? I think I look pretty good for it being 7am." He said, trying to mask his rage, jealousy, and guilt.

Kaiba took his phone and barely looked at the picture before setting it back on his nightstand,

"You always look good. I'm the one who can't seem to get rid of my dark circles no matter how much sleep I get.." He gingerly got out of bed and yawned loudly.

Kaiba knew it was strange for Atem to want to touch his phone. But, given what state he had found Atem in the night before, he had realized that the ex pharaoh was in a strange mental place.

He turned toward the bed and gazed at Atem intently,

"Hey. Are you okay?" He asked, seeing guilt flash across Atem's face.

Atem laughed robotically and rubbed the back of his head,

"Of course I am!" He said, so sweetly that it made himself sick.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat,

"You know, we've been really great. Our relationship, I mean." He started.

Atem nodded, his smile plastered on his face and obviously insincere.

"So, you can tell me anything, pharaoh. Whatever you need, I'll be here for you." Kaiba finished, hoping the ex king was willing to talk about what happened last night.

Atem sighed and smiled weakly,

"You've been so supportive. Especially when I decided that I wanted to go to university. I just…" He contemplated his next words carefully.

No.

He couldn't be the one to bring her up.

Not after everything.

Not after everything he said.

Not after everything he told the others.

His entire group of friends knew of that murderous woman's true colors including Kaiba.

He wasn't going to be the one to bring her up after a year of bliss.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow,

"Atem?"

Atem snapped out of his thoughts and smiled,

"I just think I'm tired. I was going to meet Aibou for coffee on his lunch break later today. Maybe he can show me some pictures of Yuna. His little girl always makes me want to work harder." He said hopping out of bed.

Kaiba crossed his arms and sighed. He hated this. He knew something was going on with his lover.

It was obvious.

Atem was a bad liar.

"Fine, pharaoh. Bundle up. I don't want you getting a cold before our group New Years vacation." Kaiba said, shuddering at the thought of spending a whole week with Yugi and his friends at an isolated onsen.

He had said no to the idea at first, but Atem wanted to be there for Yugi and Te'a's wedding anniversary.

Of course the ex king had bribed him with the thought of a private bedroom and champagne…

He shook his head and went into the bathroom to get ready for his day.

Atem released a breath he didn't know he had been holding and got dressed. He didn't like lying to Kaiba but he didn't want to ruin things before a trip.

Talking to Yugi always helped. He had hoped that his former twin could help him work through his emotions.

He smiled innocently as Kaiba sauntered out of the bathroom,

"I'm going to workout before breakfast." He tied his hair back into a bun on the top of his head and walked up to the tall brunette.

He was happy that his spiky hair had reverted to a more natural wave. It made him feel more like his own person.

Not that there was anything wrong with Yugi's hair. He had just preferred a more subtle hairstyle.

Kaiba cupped Atem's cheek and kissed his forehead,

"You need to take a rest day. You've worked out everyday for a year. You look amazing. One day off won't kill you." He said, pulling Atem's toned body close.

Atem chuckled,

"I'm just doing cardio. That's what I do for rest." He said, snaking his hands around Kaiba's taute waist, relishing the warm skin beneath his touch.

Kaiba laughed deeply, licking his lips before planting a passionate kiss on Atem's lips,

"Mn." He broke the kiss and nuzzled his nose against his lover's,

"I love you, Atem." He mumbled against Atem's forehead.

"I love you too, Seto." Atem hummed, relaxed in his lover's grasp.

"Make sure to text Isono after your coffee date with Yugi. If you aren't going to come to Kaiba corp after I'd prefer you come straight home. The paparazzi have been insatiable lately." Kaiba said, reluctantly releasing Atem.

Atem nodded,

"I promise I'll come straight home. I want to do some research on the villa we're staying at. I know the trip isn't for another week but I'm so excited!" He said tucking a loose wave behind his ear.

Kaiba smiled weakly,

"I want to be excited, Atem. But, even with everything we've all been through, they're still your friends. They don't exactly approve of us." He said walking to the closet and stepping inside.

Atem sighed and shook his head,

"Even if they don't want to admit it, they love you." He grabbed his water bottle, phone and wireless earbuds.

"Sure, Atem." Kaiba said from the closet, not bothering to press the matter further.

"I'm going." Atem called, leaving the bedroom when he saw Kaiba's hand wave from the closet.

He gave Isono a curt nod as they passed in the hallway, sighing internally when the graying Chief of Security ignored the ex king and went about his morning rounds.

"I guess some things never change."

"She's gotten so big!" Atem squealed loudly, handing Yugi back his phone.

Yugi chuckled and smiled,

"She's already stumbling around the house and demanding "boobies". Haha. That's her word for food. Even if it's not Te'a breastmilk."

Atem shuddered,

"Gross. How did she even learn that word?" He and Te'a had a strained friendship. He didn't understand the idea of a stay-at-home mother and believed that Te'a should help Yugi build their family finances.

Yugi shook his head,

"Joey, of course. Yuna said "Milk" and pointed to Te'a chest. And Joey went, "Oooohhh, you want BOOBIES". Needless to say, it always get a laugh." He explained, reminiscing.

Atem laughed heartily and sipped his macchiato,

"I wish Kaiba wanted children…" He sighed.

Yugi's face became serious as he put his phone into his jacket pocket,

"Kaiba's told me on more than one occasion that he can't wait to have his own. He gets especially excited when Te'a brings Yuna by the office." He had hoped that Kaiba wasn't back to his manipulative behavior.

Atem shook his head,

"I misspoke. I wish he wanted to have children with me."

Yugi tilted his head,

"I don't understand. I'm sure he does, pharaoh."

"Aibou...There's actually something I wanted to talk to you about…" Atem started.

Yugi sighed,

"If this is about you getting liposuction, I can't. All of us have told you, you look amazing. I can tell you worked out this morning and Kaiba said you never skip a day. You need to stop comparing yourself to him and-"

"I found naked pictures of Salem on Kaiba's phone." Atem interrupted, the words falling from his mouth like vomit.

Yugi froze.

"W-what?" He had heard what Atem had said but he couldn't believe that he would ever hear her name again.

He also found it strange that Atem snoop through Kaiba's belongings.

Atem nodded slowly, unsure of how to continue or even explain why he had gone through Kaiba's phone in the first place.

"I have to ask, Atem. How did you find the pictures?" Yugi proceeded with caution. He knew that woman was touchy subject for Kaiba and Atem, but he found himself more careful around the ex king and last year's events.

Atem crossed his arms and leaned back in the plush chair,

"I felt as if something was off and I figured if he was hiding anything, it would be on his phone. And I was right." He said simply, trying to mask his guilt and jealousy.

Yugi let out a frustrated groan and rubbed his temples,

"Atem, I'm sure those pictures were old. He probably just forgot they were there. It's not okay for you to go through his phone!"

Atem rolled his eyes,

"They were under his recently accessed photos, Aibou! Within the last day or two! Does this mean I'm not enough?" He said, beginning to spiral.

Yugi held his hand up,

"Atem. I know when you're bullshitting me. I know you're studying psychology but you can't just go through Kaiba's phone because "something's off". That's not like you. You're hiding something from me." He said sternly.

Atem gazed into Yugi's eyes intently, hating what he was about to divulge. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes,

"Last night, I got drunk and stumbled into my old room. I found her scarf. It smelled so good. Like her."

"Atem. You didn't."

"It brought back so many memories. Memories ofmy first time...and.. I couldn't help myself…"

Kaiba rubbed at his eyes as he explained to Mokuba what he had seen the night before,

"I thought we had thrown everything that had belonged to her away. I guess the light fabric blended into the carpet and Isono didn't see it."

He heard his brother sigh over the phone line,

"I hate to say it, Seto. But, Isono is looking for any reason for you and Atem to split. Maybe he left it there on purpose."

Kaiba shook his head before realizing his brother couldn't see him,

"It was still shocking to see Atem covered in his own ejaculate with her scarf basically suffocating him."

"That's understandable. You handled it really well though. I'm surprised you didn't lose your mind." Mokuba said with a chuckle.

"Well… There's a reason…" Kaiba started.

He listened for his brother to respond and cleared his throat when Mokuba stayed silent,

"I found some old pictures of her on my phone a couple of days ago…"

"Oh?" Mokuba questioned, almost knowingly.

"Yes. I had forgotten how beautiful she was… Seeing her, in the pictures. Brought back so many memories…" Kaiba trailed off, closing his eyes and picturing Salem's bright honey colored eyes filled with lust.

"You jacked off to her nudes didn't you." Mokuba spat, the question sounding more like an accusation.

Kaiba sighed roughly,

"I couldn't help myself! And seeing Atem with her scarf… I couldn't get mad at him. I actually… I don't know.. Have you spoken to her?" He asked, remembering suddenly that she was Mokuba's shareholder.

Mokuba scoffed,

"Oh so now we can talk about how you let her bend me over and fuck me? If you must know right after Atem told us about her hobby she transferred Kaiba Corp US ownership back to me. Free of charge. I guess it was tough getting rejected by Atem and dealing with her grandmother's funeral." He explained, his voice was bored and uncaring.

Kaiba's heart dropped.

What?

"Her grandmother?" He asked, hoping his brother had more information.

"Yeah. I guess her grandmother got sick around the time you punched Trudeau in the face and then kicked the bucket around Salem's birthday." Mokuba explained.

"Don't say her name." Kaiba scolded, deeply terrified that she would be called into existence at the sound of her name.

Mokuba sighed,

"Whatever, Seto. You and Atem definitely have some issues to work out concerning her. Not talking about it is obviously causing both of you stress. Maybe you should call her-"

"No! Atem and I have worked too hard to build the life we have. We don't need her ruining things…" He said, not believing his own words.

"Sure, Seto. She'd be the one to ruin things…" His younger brother hung up without so much as a goodbye.

Kaiba breathed in through his nose and put his face in his hands.

What a mess.

Yugi pinched the bridge of his nose and glared at Atem,

"So you masterbated to her. Then, because Kaiba was so nice you assumed that he was hiding something. And he was. That's fucked Atem. I don't see why you both can't just talk about your feelings. You can't just pretend those feelings you both obviously have aren't there."

"No, Aibou. I know what's best for Kaiba and me. That woman killed her alternates and ruined people's lives. I hope she gets her just desserts." Atem spat, stomping his foot.

Yugi stared at Atem, studying the ex king's face carefully,

"So she's a bad person because she's killed people and ruined people's lives?" He asked, using Atem's words against him.

Atem nodded decisively,

"Yes. She's a monster."

"Do you remember Ushio?" Yugi asked, his question seemingly unrelated to their conversation.

Atem furrowed his brow,

"Who?"

"He was my bully. He was everyone's bully. He beat up Joey and Tristan and then told me that I owed him money for his services." Yugi explained, feeling as if he had told this story a million times.

Atem shook his head and shrugged,

"And what happened to him?"

"He went insane the night I tried to talk some sense into him. I thought it was strange that I didn't remember anything the next morning. And I thought it was strange that he was laying in garbage, rolling around in dirty leaves saying that he was rich."

Atem's eyes slowly turned from confused to angry,

"Aibou-"

"Do you remember the man who tried to sell the puzzle? He went crazy too."

"Yugi-"

"What about Kaiba?" Yugi said, his normally soft voice now serious and deep,

"How many times did he experience death in that coma you put him in? How many times has he had to put the pieces of his mind back together after dueling you?" He accused.

"That's different! I was protecting you and our friends!" Atem didn't care that the other people in the coffee shop were starting to stare.

"Is it?! Let's talk more about Kaiba. He's killed people. Stolen. Lied. And I can guarantee that he's still ruining people's lives everyday. He's done all of that, and you still spread your legs for him every night." Yugi growled, his anger uncharacteristic.

"He's redeemed himself and so have I! She was supposed to be different!" Atem argued back.

He had never fought with Yugi like this before. It was as if he were watching himself say all of the wrong things, not being able to shout over his louder, angier thoughts.

"Why?! Did she at any point tell you to put her on that pedestal? She wanted to protect you the only way she knew how-"

"Protect me from what?! There was never any danger. I was never in danger! Until I let myself fall in love with a complete sociopath." Atem interrupted, no longer sure if he was talking about her or Kaiba.

Yugi shook his head,

"You did love her and I think you still do. She's a powerful woman and one can only assume she has powerful enemies. Just like Kaiba would kill for you, She would too. She did. And you rejected her."

"No, Aibou. You're wrong. Kaiba was right about her and I won't let you try to convince me to let her back in." Atem said through clenched teeth.

Yugi stood up and adjusted his blazer,

"Fine. But when this blows up in your face, don't say I didn't try and warn you."

"Don't you have games to develop?" Atem spat, averting his gaze from Yugi's hardened expression to his coffee.

He had never congratulated Yugi on the success of the new Duel Monsters platform. It was difficult to be happy for his ex twin when he was still hurt about not knowing about Te'a's pregnancy. Their child being born the same month the game was launched had only brought up confusing feelings for the ex pharaoh. So he did the only thing he knew how when he was overwhelmed. He had shut off.

Yugi scoffed and shook his head,

"Wow, Atem. I'm really disappointed in you." With that, Yugi stormed out of the restaurant, leaving Atem to sit alone with his thoughts.

He let out a shaky sigh and tried to take a sip of his coffee, his hand trembling as he brought the porcelain cup to his lips.

"Excuse me, are you alright?" A deep voice said in perfect English.

Atem's head shot up and his eyes meet with a pair a beautiful green ones.

The green orbs belonged to an equally beautiful young man who had skin like his, and thick dark wavy hair.

Atem nodded slowly, not knowing what to say to the handsome stranger.

"Are you from Egypt? I've just moved from the Middle East myself and I feel so lost here. I've actually been trying to decipher how to get to Kaiba Corp Stadium. I can't speak or read Japanese so...it's difficult." The stranger continued, flashing a set of pearly whites at Atem.

Atem realized he hadn't yet spoken and cleared his throat,

"I was born there, yes. But, Japan is my home." He stammered, not minding the company when the young man took the vacant seat in front of him.

"Ah! So you speak Japanese? I know this might be too much to ask but could you show me they way to the stadium?"

Atem gazed at the man in front of him. Something about the young man seemed familiar. He pushed the thought out of his mind.

"I'll show you the way." Atem said emotionlessly, not wanting to be alone with his own thoughts any longer.

The young man stood up excitedly and bowed,

"Thank you so much!"

Atem stood up and took a step back, realizing that the handsome stranger was incredibly tall.

"He's taller than Kaiba!"

He lead the young man out of the coffee shop and shuffled through the snow on the sidewalk,

"It's about a twenty minute walk from here. A lot of tourists take the main route so if you're sightseeing we should go that way. There's a ton of shops and-"

"I'm actually hoping to get there as fast as possible. Do you know a shortcut you could teach me?" The young man said, his deep voice almost seductive.

Atem blushed deeply. He had never seen another Arab in Japan besides Salem. And, he had never seen an Arab man in person.

Although, something about the young man bothered him. He couldn't get over the familiarity of his face.

He shook his head, coming back to the task at hand,

"Um, yeah. There are some side streets we could take that'll spit us out close to the stadium." He said, walking toward a nearby alleyway.

"Perfect." The young man purred, following behind Atem too closely.

Atem fell into silence as he lead the stranger through the empty side streets and alleyways. He felt a hand on shoulder causing him to come to a halt. He turned to the young man,

"Is something wrong?" Atem asked, trying to gently pry himself out of the bigger man's grasp.

When he couldn't get the young man's hand off his shoulder, he struggled harder,

"What are you doing? Let go of me." He said slowly, thinking that the young man had gotten the wrong idea.

The handsome stranger chuckled evilly as he took out his smartphone,

"You should really be more careful, pharaoh." He said in perfect Japanese.

Atem's heart dipped into his stomach and backflipped violently.

"I thought he couldn't speak Japanese!"

He struggled harder as the stranger pulled Atem closer covering the ex king's mouth.

"You never once asked me my name." The handsome stranger said, tapping the smartphone.

Atem's eyes widened as the brickwall of the building in front of them began to distort. The image of the wall swirled and began to spin, the color of the brick turning bright green.

The green swirling mass warbled and whirred as the stranger pushed Atem toward it,

"Since you didn't ask, pharaoh. My name is Anansi and we're going to take a little trip."

Kaiba paced back and forth, calling Atem's phone and receiving no answer. He let out a breath of frustration and left his bedroom, speeding down the grand staircase and into the kitchen.

"Isono." Kaiba barked, frowning at his Chief of Security.

Isono respectfully stopped chopping vegetables and turned his full attention toward Kaiba,

"Yes, sir."

"Did you pick Atem up from his coffee date with Yugi?" He asked, his face and voice stern.

He knew Isono didn't approve of his male lover but that was no excuse for the Chief to shirk in his duties.

"No, Sir. I never received a message or phone call from Atem. I assume he-"

"You assumed? It's been hours, Isono. You didn't think the contact me and alert me that Atem never called you? He doesn't drive and it's too cold for him to walk home!" Kaiba yelled, his deep voice wavering.

"He's disappeared before. Twice. Both times he left of his own accord." Isono said, his voice was tired of the subject of Atem's disrespect.

Kaiba growled and slammed his fists on the kitchen island,

"He wouldn't leave again! It's your job to protect him-"

"It is my job to protect the Kaiba name." Isono interrupted, his words sharp,

"Atem is a disgrace to your legacy and he's a spoiled brat. He's disregarded his privilege of living in the Kaiba mansion more than once. I will not lower myself to babysitting a man who is clearly taking advantage of you." Isono adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat,

"You are my superior, Mr. Kaiba but I am your elder and protector. I will not look for that disgusting little boy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have real work to do." The chief scraped the chopped vegetables into a bowl and left the kitchen as quickly as he could.

Kaiba's jaw dropped and his anger was at an all time high. He would have to deal with Isono after he found Atem.

He took out his phone and dialed Yugi's number,

"Hello?" The familiar voice on the other line said.

"Is Atem with you? He hasn't come home yet and he said he would be home after your coffee date." Kaiba explained, speaking too quickly as he stormed up the stairs.

"...No. No he isn't with me. He didn't come home?"

Kaiba sighed,

"No, that's why I'm calling you. Did he say that he was going somewhere after?" He asked, feeling as though the King of Games was withholding information.

"Kaiba-kun...Atem and I got into a pretty big argument. I feel really bad about it. I left the shop before he did so I'm not sure where he could have gone."

Kaiba gripped the phone tightly in his hand,

"You two fought?"

"Yes, Kaiba-kun."

"Which coffee shop." Kaiba demanded.

Kaiba charged into the coffee shop, the employees confused at the blue eyed celebrity's bold entrance.

"I'm looking for Atem." He said, knowing that Atem had become famous just by being on his arm at every party and event.

The young woman at the counter smiled sadly,

"I was here when him and his friend were fighting. It was hard to watch."

Kaiba rolled his eyes,

"Where did he go after? Did you see where he went?" He asked, hating that he had to elaborate.

The young woman nodded,

"He left with a very handsome Arab man."

Kaiba's heart fell into the pit of his stomach,

"An Arab man? What did he look like?"

"Oooooohh he was soo dreamy. He had such thick black hair. It was like he had styled it with a curling iron. Ugh, I wish I had wavy hair." The young woman fantasized.

"What else. What color were his eyes?" Kaiba was fed up, he needed to know if what he thought was true.

The young woman blushed,

"They were green. I assumed they knew each other." She said, calling after Kaiba who was already running out of the restaurant.

Kaiba rushed through the neighboring streets and alleys. He had never hoped that Atem would be having an affair but that would have been better than what he knew was happening.

He felt his eyes grow hot and his tears stung his face.

Green eyes.

Wavy black hair.

Anansi.

He sped home and ran into the mansion, tearing through each room looking for a special item.

"It has to be here somewhere." He grumbled to himself, stomping into Atem's old room and pulling the mattress off of the frame.

He let out a frustrated growl and he left the guest room and hurried into the master bedroom and into the walk in closet. He pulled Atem's clothes off their hangers, going the pockets of each article of clothing before throwing it on the floor.

He opened Atem's drawers and pulled out the ex kings boxers, clearing out the entire top drawer.

Kaiba's eyes widened when the last thing left in the drawer was a small, sleek silver remote.

"I knew he didn't throw it away…" He said to himself, carefully picking up the remote.

He stood, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

He took a deep breath, hovering his thumb over the button in the center of the remote.

He pressed, closing his eyes tightly. He hoped that we he opened them he would see his lover standing in front of him. Safe and sound.

Kaiba felt the wind knocked out of his lungs as he heaved onto the stark white floor, emptying his stomach.

He groaned, blinking slowly as he tried to steadily bring himself to his feet.

"Ah, memories." He heard Salem's velvety voice hum.

He stood up, immediately on guard. He swayed dangerously. Before he could get his bearings, he was doused with ice cold water.

He gasped and blinked, glaring at the figure in front of him,

"Stay back" He said, his voice shaking.

His vision became clearer. He gazed at the honey eyed woman in front of him.

"Tanin… What are you doing here?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Kaiba ignored her question, taken aback by her appearance.

She was dressed in her black turtleneck and black pants. Her grey trench coat was darker and gold lines ran through the fabric in symmetrical patterns and shapes.

He noticed that she had become more muscular and her eyes..

Those eyes..

The light was gone.

He studied her longer, staying silent. He gazed at her long eyelashes and high cheekbones, memorizing every detail of her face all over again.

He looked into her eyes again.

Nothing.

No emotion.

No light.

Only a wall.

He realized that it had been so long since he had seen her in person. And from what he had learned from Mokuba, she had been through so much...Alone.

He shook his head, bringing himself back to the present situation,

"Atem. He's gone."

Salem narrowed her eyes,

"And why is that my problem? You and Atem haven't spoken to me for a long time. If you're having relationship issues-"

"Anansi took him." Kaiba stated, knowing that Salem would know exactly where Atem would be.

Salem's eyes widened before she composed herself,

"Are you sure it was him." She wasn't asking. She knew what it meant to have Anansi show up in Kaiba's reality once more.

Kaiba nodded,

"Why? Why would he take Atem?" He asked, finally able to move again, he put his hands on Salem's shoulders,

"I need you to tell me!"

Salem shrugged Kaiba's hands off of her and sighed,

"It's a trap. Your alternate. He's trying to get us-Well, me back home. He wouldn't want any other Atem but his own."

Kaiba ran his fingers through his wet hair,

"How would he have known about Atem? How would Anansi have known?" He asked.

Salem chuckled sardonically,

"I guess I didn't murder enough Salas. They were his spies." She walked past Kaiba and down a long corridor.

Kaiba growled and ran after her,

"My double's spies? That's why you were killing them?"

Salem rolled her eyes,

"Of course that's why. I wouldn't kill someone without reason or cause." She said, her eyes focused forward.

"But. Why would the Salas want to help him?" Kaiba asked, following her into a large bedroom.

"My guess is that he promised them power, sex, money. Anything really. Do you remember when we met the Sala who was a sex slave to her reality's Kaiba and Atem?" She asked, tapping a code on her watch.

Kaiba recalled that first awful misadventure into the multiverse. He remembered that Sala and the cold way she killed her former owners.

He nodded slowly.

"She was able to regain control of her territories after we helped her. But, she found that although she could build weapons and cities, she was broke. My reality's Kaiba came to her and offered her money in exchange for weapons. She accepted." Salem explained as a large white wardrobe rose slowly from the floor.

"So you killed her." Kaiba said simply.

"Yes. She was his supplier. So, I cut off his supply. And do you remember the reality we went to where the Sala was having sex with Atem and Kaiba while they threw a party downstairs?"

Kaiba had barely recalled that reality's Kaiba pinning him to the bed and grinding against him.

He shuddered and nodded again.

"Well, she was the one who seduced Anansi into taking those pictures of us. She wanted to have my reality's Kaiba expand his growing "empire" to that reality first. She wanted to be in charge of the "new world order"." Salem adjusted her turtleneck and tied her long curly hair into a high ponytail.

"And so you killed her." Kaiba repeated.

"Right. No expansion. At least not there." She said, opening the large wardrobe.

Kaiba thought back to when Atem had cried in his arms after leaning of Salem's true nature,

"Atem mentioned something about a green leather jacket?"

Salem scoffed and shook her head,

"Oh. Her. She was unstable. A war criminal looking to get her hands on whatever she could. My reality's Kaiba promised to make her the new Queen. I don't feel great about this but, she was pregnant. With his heir. An heir to spread the hatred and the pain…"

Kaiba's stomach lurched and flipped,

"...So you killed her…"

Salem nodded,

"And so I killed her. But, all I did was cut him off from resources and allies. Him and Anansi were most likely watching and waiting for Atem to be alone…" She trailed off, staring at Kaiba for a moment,

"Why was he alone?"

Kaiba glared as hard as he could,

"Don't you dare look at me like that. He was my lover before he was yours." He growled.

Salem crossed her arms and gave Kaiba a tired look,

"I know I mean nothing to both of you." Her voice was monotone.

Kaiba opened his mouth to speak. He tried to find his words, searching his brain for a what to say.

He gazed at her stupidly.

He knew what she said wasn't true. But, he couldn't very well tell her that him and Atem separately…

Missed her.

And were in love with her.

After all, he and Atem pushed her out. Not once reaching out to ask her how she was or even…

"Your birthday…" Kaiba murmured.

"What?" Salem asked, bored of the interaction.

"After everything we went through, I still don't know when your birthday is…" He said, feeling guilt and shame wash over him.

Salem sighed in frustration,

"Atem has been kidnapped and that's what's on your mind?"

Kaiba shook his head,

"Right. How are we going to do this?" He said, ready to follow Salem into another adventure.

"You can start by putting that on." She said dryly, pointing to a dark blue trench coat inside the wardrobe.

Kaiba walked up to the large closet, studying the coat carefully.

It reminded him of his very first trench coat. The collar was high and the sleeves were long. The coat itself was long and flowing. The billowing fabric contradicting the thickness of the layers and lining.

He reached out to touch it and paused.

There was tech inside.

He should have been scared to put the coat on but he found himself excited as he slipped his arms into the holes.

It fit him perfectly.

"Did you make this? When could you have possibly-"

"I made it before you broke up with me. I made Atem one as well." She said taking out a small cube.

Kaiba furrowed his brow.

Was Atem's coat in that cube?

"How?!"

"He'll need it once we've retrieved him. Tanin, it's very important that you listen to everything I say once we're through that portal. That Kaiba is murderous and he won't hesitate to kill you or Atem." She explained.

She tapped her watch and the wardrobe disappeared into the floor.

Kaiba's heart was beating in his ears,

"What about you? What will he do to you?" He asked, not wanting to think about the answer.

He looked at Salem, watching her eyes turn even darker.

She turned away from him,

"We should get going."

"Wakey wakey…"

Atem groaned when he heard a voice calling to him. He yelled when he felt currents of electricity surge through his entire body. He struggled to move, realizing he was restrained by his wrists and ankles.

His body shook even after the shocks had dimmed, the pain and trauma ever present in his muscles.

He kept his eyes closed, terrified.

"Look at me…"

Atem shivered and sobbed.

It was Kaiba's voice but it wasn't him…

"Look at me!"

A fist crashed down against the back of his neck, leaving a throbbing, aching redness behind.

Atem opened his eyes slowly, blinking the tears away. His stomach lurched when his gaze met with a pair of all too familiar blue orbs.

"Hello, pharaoh…" The black haired Kaiba grinned wildly, tangling his fingers in the hair just above Atem's forehead.

Atem grunted, glaring at the man before him.

The black haired Kaiba laughed maniacally at Atem's challenging face,

"Awww, not happy to see me? Don't I look just like him? How about you give me a kiss?" He purred, leaning in too closely to Atem.

Atem conjured all of the saliva he could and spat in the black haired Kaiba's face.

The man grunted and wiped the spit from under his eye, glaring at the crimson eyed king. He smacked Atem forcefully using the back of his hand, growling as he administered two more blows to Atem's tender face.

"Pig." Atem wheezed, not giving his enemy the satisfaction of his inner wails.

The black haired Kaiba scoffed, and moved away from Atem. He walked through what Atem could now see was a spacious throne room.

He sat down gracefully on the large arm chair, flapping his long open robe out of the way of his seat.

Atem studied the man that resembled his lover carefully. After what seemed like ages, the doppelganger spoke again,

"I assumed you'd be more talkative. I guess every Atem is different." He said with a bored yawn.

Atem swallowed thickly,

"What do you want with me?" His face and jaw ached.

The black haired man smirked and tilted his head,

"It's not you I want."

Atem furrowed his brow, not able to understand his attacker,

"Then why am I here? There's nothing that I have that you could possibly want."

The black haired man's face contorted into a cheshire cat-like smile,

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that. You may have moved on with my alternate, but your ex lover will come running as soon as she knows where you're being kept." He stretched out his legs, spreading them wide to take up as much space as he could.

Atem bit back a gag as he saw that his kidnapper was wearing only a pair of silk boxers under the long robe,

"My ex lover?"

It was becoming difficult for Atem to concentrate as his head began throbbing mercilessly.

He shivered when the black haired man let out a chuckle that sounded similar to Kaiba's,

"My, my...You really have moved on from her haven't you? Well then it should be easy to convince her to do for my Atem what she did for you.."

Atem's eyes widened.

Salem.

This dangerous, insane man wanted Salem to come back to what he could only assume was her original reality.

"She won't come. Kaiba will find you and kill you himself." Atem threatened emptily. He didn't know if anyone knew he was missing yet.

Even if Kaiba knew he was missing, there was no way Atem's lover would be able to find him.

Shit.

"I'm going to die here…"

Things are going sideways! What's going to happen to our Atem?!

I was originally going to make this one long chapter (almost 14,000 words) but I've decided to split it as it's already pretty long.

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Like my work? Follow me on Batreon- QueenBEWD