"This one." Atem said, "She'd like a gold band for sure. She doesn't wear silver, Seto." He murmured discreetly, pushing Kaiba's fingers away from the large tablet.

Kaiba scoffed and readjusted himself, "Do you have to sit on my lap during this process? It's already frustrating enough that we can't agree on a ring. I shouldn't have to deal with a boner as well."

The two rivals were laying on the long white couch in the entertainment room, away from any prying eyes or ears that lurked in the old mansion. They had been planning and scheming for almost six months but had yet to come to any sort of agreement.

Atem chuckled and rolled his eyes, "You'd be turned on no matter how we sit. And, if you're the one who gets to marry her, I get to be involved in how we pop the question...and all aspects of the wedding in general." He finished with a twirl of his wrist.

Kaiba sighed in exasperation, "I'm beginning to regret giving you that power in the first place." He said, reaching around Atem's middle to tap the screen.

"So, we agree on the gold set?" Kaiba asked, hoping they could finally place an order.

Atem rolled his eyes, "No, not that one! She deserves something bigger!" He said, smacking Kaiba's hand away once more.

"Salem's going to want something that compliments her other gold pieces, Atem. A huge gem doesn't suit her." Kaiba groaned. He could feel his zipper scraping against his hardened member.

Torture.

This was torture.

Atem scrolled more, pausing when he had found the perfect option, "Look, we can customize all of it! The yellow gold with white diamonds in the engagement and matching wedding band..." He tapped the screen, having too much of a knack for high-end jewelry shopping.

"Cushion cut." Kaiba added, watching in awe as Atem remembered every detail that they had discussed over the last few months.

Atem nodded, "Cushion cut, Marseille halo...and I think we should go with the 4 carat fancy pink diamond." He finished, tapping the final option and freezing when the total didn't show up.

Kaiba gently pushed Atem off of him and tried to meet the ex-pharaoh's gaze, "Let me see the total, Atem." He said patiently, trying to take the tablet.

Atem shook his head as Kaiba snatched it out of his hands, "It says 'please call merchant'. Apparently, the certified fancy pink diamond can only be purchased in person…"

Kaiba shrugged, "There are already rumors and racism concerning the three of us. We can go with the proper security-"

"Seto. These are in high demand and they're incredibly rare. There's a chance that there aren't any available." Atem explained.

Kaiba stood up and stretched lightly,

"Take a screenshot of all of the customizations and send it to me. I'll make a few phone calls. While I do that, and while Salem's still out, you get on the phone with the contractor and get an update." He said, adjusting his white linen button down shirt before walking into the kitchen.

Atem sent Kaiba the picture and locked the tablet, getting up with a defeated sigh. He followed Kaiba into the kitchen and leaned on the island, "Do you ever feel like we're robbing the world of someone special?" He asked, holding his chin in his palms dreamily.

So in love.

Kaiba breathed out through his nose in frustration as he took out a bowl of beautifully sliced fruit from the fridge, "We've been over this, Atem. Ambassadors normally only serve for two years. It's been two years. It was time for her to resign." He explained, placing the bowl in front of his pining boyfriend.

Atem slumped over sadly,

"I can't handle her being gone for months and then coming back...I'm always worried that-"

"That she won't come back one day and we'll never see her again?" Kaiba interrupted, having the same thought.

Atem nodded, "I'm happy that she's coming home today, but I just wish we could get the house done immediately." He complained, taking out his phone.

"A custom home takes months, Atem. Our house is going to 20,000 sq ft when it's finished. Be patient." Kaiba said, taking a slice of fruit and biting into it, enjoying the satisfying crunch!

Atem perked up and smiled playfully at his lover, "So since it's going to be so big...we can finally get PETS!" He squealed.

"NO." Kaiba barked, taking another slice of melon and walking out into the foyer.

Atem caught up with his long-legged lover and pulled on his shirt sleeve, "Cats are amazing, Seto! Please!" He begged.

Kaiba kept his pace brisk as he walked through the lower level of the mansion, "No. I'm allergic." He said, finishing his fruit, "Good evening, Anansi." He greeted as they walked into the stuffy security office.

Anansi stood up from his desk chair and bowed graciously, "Good evening, Mr. Kaiba. Lady Sala has alerted me that she will be traveling via portal and will not need transportation from the airport." He informed, returning to an upright position.

Kaiba nodded, "Thank you, Anansi. Where is Isono? It's not like him to leave you alone."

Atem huffed and crossed his arms as the two men ignored him. He knew not to interrupt important security updates.

And, Kaiba knew that Atem wouldn't interrupt, making it the perfect way to dodge any conversation.

Anansi nervously adjusted his tie and averted his green eyes to one of the monitors.

Kaiba gazed in the direction of Anansi's attention and saw Isono on the screen.

The graying chief of security was in the garden, picking an array of flowers for Salem's return.

Kaiba chuckled to himself and Atem rolled his eyes.

"He's really taken a liking to her highness." Anansi said, sitting back down and filtering through his work emails.

"Pretty easy to do when he hates my guts and would rather me not be alive." Atem muttered under his breath.

Anansi pretended not to hear Atem's remark and cleared his throat, "Pharaoh, I have the list of dinner venues you had requested." The young guard stated, trying to change the subject.

Kaiba turned to look at Atem inquisitively, "Dinner venues?"

Atem smiled sheepishly, "For the-" He stopped himself when he heard familiar clicking of stilettos on the marble floors.

"Shh." Atem said, putting his index finger to his lips.

Kaiba nodded at Anansi and walked out of the security office, Atem on his heels.

The two guiltily rushed into the foyer, trying to act as if everything were normal.

Kaiba and Atem held hands innocently as they simultaneously gushed over the curly haired woman standing in front of them.

Salem smiled, "You two are looking...mischievous…" she said, flipping her ringlets over her shoulder.

Anansi hurried out of the office and kneeled in front of Salem,"Welcome home, My Lady. I've already had your things transported upstairs."

"Thank y-" She started, pausing when Isono walked in with a vase full of pink and white flowers.

"Welcome home, Your Excellency." Isono greeted, taking a pink flower out of the vase and handing it to Salem before placing the vase on the center table. He bowed, "It's wonderful to have you back."

Salem blinked at the flower, puzzled. Her face then softened into a smile, "My, how charming...thank you, Isono." She said with a chuckle.

"Watch out, you two…" Salem walked up to Kaiba and Atem and gave them each a chaste kiss on the lips, "I think Isono is trying to woo me." She ran her left and right hands down the middle of either of their chests, furrowing her brow when she felt their hearts beating rapidly.

She took a step back and narrowed her eyes at the two duelists, "Is there something going on?" She questioned, feeling more uneasy when Anansi and Isono tiptoed out of the foyer without another word.

Kaiba cleared his throat and wrapped his ams around her waist, kissing her passionately before pulling away to look into her golden eyes, "We're very happy to have you home…" He purred, nuzzling his nose against hers.

Salem couldn't help but return the kiss, giggling lightly when Atem wrapped his arms around her from behind and smelled her hair, "We've missed you, Shibo…"

Atem kissed her neck softly and playfully nibbled on her earlobe, suddenly remembering that he still had to contact the housing contractor.

He quickly let go of Salem and ran into the kitchen, hoping Kaiba would be enough to keep her distracted.

Salem raised an eyebrow and gazed at Kaiba,

"Seriously, what's going on?" She asked, crossing her arms as Kaiba tried to lead her upstairs.

Kaiba chuckled nervously, "Nothing. You know how strange Atem can be. Let's go upstairs. I'm sure you'd like to get changed..."

Salem stood her ground, "I got here by portal, I don't need to change my clothes." She narrowed her eyes, making a move toward the kitchen.

Kaiba grabbed her arm and pulled her flush against his body, flinching at the force of the gesture. He felt worse when he heard her yelp in pain.

"Seto that's my bad shoulder!" She whined, trying her hardest to pull away.

"I'm sorry, Goddess." He said, leaning down and kissing her shoulder through her pink tweed skirt-suit, "I just...wanted you all to myself…" He lied, hearing Atem talking on the phone.

He couldn't have gone outside?! She'll hear him! Kaiba thought, trailing his kisses up her neck and to her cheek.

Salem sighed, "We've had this talk, Tanin. You are not to be rough with me." She glared up at him, making another attempt to pull away.

"It was an accident, Goddess. I'm sorry." Kaiba said genuinely.

"If you're sorry than tell me why you and Atem are acting strange. Are you two planning something?" She asked.

Kaiba thought quickly as Salem successfully shook him off and walked toward the kitchen,

"Wait!" He called after her, stopping her in her tracks before she got very far, "I'll tell you. But, I need you to promise that you won't be mad," he said, knowing Atem wouldn't like the lie that he was about to tell.

Salem turned toward him and crossed her arms, waiting patiently for Kaiba to explain.

Kaiba sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "The five of us have reservations for dinner tonight." He said slowly, feeling relief wash over him when he heard Atem ending his conversation.

Salem narrowed her eyes at Kaiba, "The 'five' of us?"

Atem happily walked back into the foyer, pausing when he felt the tension between Kaiba and Salem.

"What's going on?" Atem asked, walking up to Salem's side.

Salem didn't break eye contact with Kaiba, "Seto was just telling me about our dinner reservations tonight. Do you know what he's talking about, Atem?" She asked, knowing Atem couldn't tell a lie to save his own life.

Atem's stomach flipped and he looked at Kaiba for help, "I-"

"Look at me, Atem." Salem commanded, gazing intensely into Atem's frightened crimson orbs.

Atem feigned a smile, "Oh. Right. I-We are having dinner with Aibou and Te'a this evening…"

It wasn't a complete lie. He was supposed to have dinner with Te'a and Yugi this evening. But, now Kaiba and Salem were tagging along to give truth to a lie.

He gulped nervously as Salem read his expression carefully.

"Why is this dinner such a secret, habibi? Or is it a cover for something else that you're planning?" She asked, her voice low and sultry, almost a purr. She ran her finger down the exposed skin on Atem's chest.

Atem suppressed a shudder.

Maybe the house and proposal didn't have to be a surprise.

Atem opened his mouth to speak the entire truth before being interrupted by Kaiba.

"Salem, there's no cover. We just know that you and Te'a have yet to your settle differences since New Years." Kaiba said, walking over to Atem and pulling the ex-king into his arms.

Salem narrowed her eyes at the two duelists and clicked her tongue, "Fine. I'll get changed…" She said, making her way toward the staircase, "Are you two coming?" She asked, pointing out that both men were under dressed.

"We'll be up in a minute." Kaiba said, smiling handsomely at the curly haired ex-royal.

Salem rolled her eyes and walked up the stairs, still feeling left out of some huge plot.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Atem released a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

When he had fully recovered from his interrogation, he punched Kaiba in the upper arm, "Now I have to call, Aibou." He whispered harshly.

"Do what you have to but just don't tell him about our plans." Kaiba whispered back, "Hurry up. Salem's too smart for her own good." He ran up the stairs two to three stairs at a time, leaving Atem to make the call.

He groaned and pulled out his cellphone, hoping Yugi wouldn't ask questions.

Yugi cleared his throat awkwardly as he sat across the table from Atem, Kaiba and Salem.

A night that was supposed to be relaxing and fun had turned into a staring contest between Atem and Te'a.

Yugi knew that Atem became protective of Salem where Te'a was concerned. Which was why he hadn't invited Kaiba and Salem along in the first place.

He sipped his soda and gazed at Salem, who was peacefully eating her mixed greens. Minding her own business. He wished he could be blissfully unaware of the tension.

Or maybe it wasn't that.

No.

He guessed that Salem could feel the tension between Te'a, Atem and even Kaiba. And, he also guessed that Salem probably didn't care.

Te'a took the chance to make conversation,

"So. I'm sure the three of you are happy to be together again." She said robotically.

"Oh, yes." Atem said, cheekily, "The Kaiba mansion feels more like a home."

Salem smiled at Atem but remained silent as she sipped her red wine.

Kaiba nudged Atem under the table. The last thing the tall brunette wanted was for their secret to slip all because Atem got too drunk to keep his mouth shut.

Te'a nodded slowly, "I bet it's so much work having a house full of male energy, Salem. I can give you some tips off of my homemaker blog if you're looking for a way to spruce the mansion up for the rest of the summer." She said.

For the first time ever, Te'a was being genuine toward Salem.

Salem gazed at Te'a, expressionless, before turning to Kaiba to speak, "Excuse me." She said, standing up.

Kaiba and Atem stood out of respect and watched her walked to the back of the restaurant.

As they sat down, Yugi chuckled, "What's that about?"

Kaiba adjusted his silk tie, "Salem's royalty regardless of her previous reality being nonexistent. Atem and I will treat her as such."

Atem nodded, "It's also polite to stand up when a lady leaves the room," he said, finishing his large plate of mushroom risotto.

Yugi tilted his head, "But, Atem is royalty too. Why would you treat Salem with more respect than Atem?" He asked, confused.

"Are you saying that Salem deserves less respect?" Kaiba asked, his deep voice threatening.

Yugi shook his head, "No, no! Of course, not! I'm just trying to understand."

"Salem is an ex-politician, Aibou. No one will think otherwise if we give her the respect she deserves. Whether it be as a princess or not…" Atem said, taking a small sip of his wine, "I was a pharaoh thousands of years ago. The world sees me as what I am now. A student. It would be strange to do that for me in public." He explained, raising his eyebrows when Te'a stood up suddenly.

"I'll be right back." She said, pausing to see if Yugi would stand.

"Okay." Yugi mumbled moodily, staying in his seat.

Te'a rolled her eyes as Kaiba laughed blatantly at her expense. She walked to the back of the restaurant and into the women's restroom, finding Salem leaning against the counter. On her phone.

Te'a composed herself and smiled, "Are you doing okay? You were gone for a while so I came to check on you."

"Mhm." Was all Salem said as she continued rapidly tapping on her phone.

Te'a sighed and gathered her courage, "Hey, um, since it's just us in here, could we talk?" She asked, her voice wavering slightly.

Salem picked up on Te'a's shift in energy and looked up from her phone, nodding slightly.

Te'a nodded and took a deep breath, "I know that we've never been on the best of terms and that things really got out of hand last year," Te'a paused when Salem put her phone in her clutch purse.

When Salem said nothing, she continued, "I feel really bad about what happened and I just want all of us to be friends. And, well, I'm willing to move past our ups and downs if you are…" Te'a trailed off, sticking out her hand, waiting for Salem to shake it.

Seconds felt like hours as Salem gazed at Te'a and then down at her outstretched hand.

Te'a swallowed the lump in her throat as Salem finally spoke.

"No." The curly haired beauty said simply.

Te'a's hand fell to her side, "Wh-What?"

"My answer is no. You don't get to decide that it's time to move on and then leave the next step up to me. You were hoping I wouldn't want to look like an asshole for not forgiving you right?" Salem said, putting her hands on her hips.

Te'a was becoming nervous, "No! I-Listen, if you just accept the apology-"

"What apology? Saying 'I feel really bad' is not an apology. If you really want me to forgive you, then you need to give me a proper apology because last I checked, I didn't do anything to deserve your scorn." Salem spat.

Te'a's heart was thudding rapidly in her chest. She knew she wouldn't be able to stand up to Salem without anyone around but she stupidly waltzed into the bathroom anyway. Relying on the hope that Salem had calmed down since New Years.

She took a deep breath, "I...apologize."

"For what?" Salem pressed further.

Te'a thought back to when she had first met Salem and every encounter after that. She hated herself for the way she had treated Salem and she knew that the curly haired woman did nothing to deserve the treatment Te'a had given her.

Or rather, she hated the way her friends reacted to her treatment of Salem.

"For being…" Te'a started, "...mean...to...you?"

Salem glared at Te'a ferociously, "Is that all?"

Te'a sighed in frustration, "Look, can we just agree that I was being petty and move on?"

"I can agree that you've been petty, mean-spirited, and spiteful." Salem said simply.

Te'a smiled, "Well good then"

"But that doesn't mean I forgive you." Salem spat.

"Why not?!" Te'a said, trying not to raise her voice.

"Because I know that you're not actually sorry. You just want your friends to forgive you. And, the only way for them to do that, is if you tell them I've accepted your apology." Salem said turning on the faucet and using tap water to revive a few stray curls that had frizzed,

"Why would I do you that favor when you couldn't have been bothered to treat me like a human? No, Te'a. You get to live with the fact that you messed up and try as you might to change their minds, now your friends know who you really are." Salem finished, punctuating the end of her sentence by turning off the tap.

Te'a stood there in shock. Unable to move or speak.

Salem sauntered up to Te'a, not caring that the former dancer stood a full five inches taller than her, "And a piece of advice...from me to you...Try actually pulling your weight in your relationship. Even if it is difficult to pull that extra thirty pounds you're carrying."

With that, Salem flipped her hair and brushed past Te'a roughly, leaving the former dancer alone in the bathroom.

Te'a felt her face flush with anger as the instinct to chase after Salem and scream in the ex-politician's face came over her. She took a deep breath and released it slowly,

"No. That'll make Yugi and me look bad...I can't embarrass him again." She said to herself.

She checked her makeup in the mirror, making sure she didn't look upset and walked back out to the table.

She was pleasantly surprised when she saw Yugi waiting for her by himself.

"Where did they go?" She asked innocently, following Yugi through the restaurant and outside.

Yugi ignored her question as he escorted her to their car. He was uncharacteristically cold as he got into the driver's seat.

Te'a climbed in next to Yugi, buckling herself up before trying to speak to him again.

"I tried to apologize to Salem. Of course, she didn't forgive me. It just like her to-"

"Please stop talking." Yugi said softly, starting the car.

Te'a blinked at her husband in confusion, "Excuse me?"

Yugi sighed and peeled off, "Salem's entitled to her feelings, Te'a. If she's not ready to forgive you then she's not going to." He said.

Te'a scoffed, "So you're not on my side? I thought we'd always be there for each other, Yugi?"

"Not when you're wrong." He answered simply, keeping his eyes on the road.

Te'a crossed her arms and stared out the window, "Is this about you not being ready for another child?"

"You know my conditions, Te'a. Those haven't changed." Yugi said calmly.

"We don't need counseling! Especially not a whole year of it." Te'a argued. She knew her and Yugi were a strong unit and she wouldn't be convinced otherwise.

Yugi shook his head, "The sooner you realize we have issues the sooner we can work on them. Having another baby is the worst thing we can do right now." He explained.

"I think you didn't want to have Yuna in the first place…" Te'a murmured, defensively.

"Te'a, don't go there please. I love our daughter but she was unplanned and even though she was a happy surprise, she was still a surprise. You told me you were on the pill and I trusted you." Yugi loosened his tie slightly, "You made the decision to stop taking contraception without me-"

"It's my body, Yugi." Te'a grumbled.

"Yes, but your decision affected both of us. Of course I've always wanted to have kids with you but I didn't want it to happen so early. If you had just talked to me about it before you did it, you would have known that…" He explained, beginning to lose his patience.

"Whatever, Yugi."

Yugi sighed in exasperation, "I haven't been happy in our relationship since I've started making more money. I told you that months ago and you're still treating it like it's only my problem."

Te'a glared at her husband, "Maybe you'd be happier if you didn't withhold sex."

"I withhold sex because I'm scared you'll pull another stunt like you did the first time." Yugi said, gripping the steering wheel tightly, "Don't you think it's a problem that I can't even trust my own wife?"

Te'a was silent.

Deep down, she wanted to tell Yugi that she didn't want to argue anymore. And that, regardless of how rocky they were, she still loved him.

But…

"If you can't trust me then why are you still married to me?" She challenged, knowing the King of Games would never think of divorce.

"Because I love you. I believe you deserve a chance to try and help me fix our issues before I decide that it's not worth it…" Yugi said, his eyes watering and his voice shaking.

Te'a sat up in her seat, "What are you saying, Yugi? Do you...want to leave me?" She asked, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Of course I don't, Te'a. But I also don't want to be miserable all the time… I'm not happy and you're refusing the listen to my feelings. What else am I supposed to do?" He pulled over on the side of the road and parked the car.

Tears were streaming down his cheeks and his shoulders were shaking.

"All I'm asking for is a little effort and you don't even want to do that for me… If you don't want to do counseling then we should consider a legal separation…" He powered through his sentence, feeling sick to his stomach.

He felt as though he were giving his wife an ultimatum but he didn't know how else to proceed.

He was at a loss.

Atem sighed and yawned sleepily when he was woken up by the sound of his phone buzzing. He took the phone off of his nightstand and crawled out of bed slowly.

He walked out of the bedroom as to not wake Salem and Kaiba, who were sleeping soundly.

"Aibou? It's late, is everything okay?"

Atem! I followed your advice and it worked! Te'a agreed to go to counseling! Yugi's voice was excited and his words were slurring.

"I haven't seen you for weeks, Aibou. You never texted me after you spoke with Te'a and you weren't answering my messages." Atem scolded, not appreciating the late night call.

I know, I know...I'm a bad boy...that's why after today's counseling session, Te'a decided to take Yuna and stay at her parents' house! Yugi hiccuped and groaned.

"What?!" Atem said in a hushed whispered, walking down the large staircase and into the kitchen, "What happened in counseling?" He asked, his hands shaking.

Well...you know Te'a and I haven't really been having sex….

"Unfortunate. But yes, I remember." Atem answering, hoping Yugi didn't stray outside of the marriage.

Because I don't want anymore babies...at least not yet...So, one day, I finally have the house to myself. I mean I thought I did. And, I decided to relieve a little stress…

Atem sighed, "Masterbation is healthy, Aibou. She's overreacting…"

It wasn't the masterbation she was mad about...And, I need you to not be mad at me…

"Why would I be mad at you?" Atem asked, getting himself a glass of water.

Becaaauuuuseeee...I was masterbating to Salem's instagram… And the counselor said we had to get rid of anything we were keeping from each other and...yeah…

Atem leaned against the counter and thought to himself. He for some reason, couldn't bring himself to be upset with Yugi. After all, those pictures are posted publicly for the world to see. People can do whatever they want with those photos.

And, Atem knew that Yugi and Joey had an innocent crush on the curly haired politician.

Atem? Hello? You know I'd never do anything to Salem and I felt guilty about it… but Salem's account is full of pictures of her working out and...holyshit those little gym shorts? You know the ones that ride up-

"Aibou, enough. You're clearly not in your right mind and you need to rest. I won't tell anyone because what you do in your private time is your private business." Atem said, placing his empty glass on the counter.

That's what the counselor said… I should have just kept my stupid mouth shut.

"I'm going to text Joey to come stay with you so you aren't alone tonight. Head straight to bed, Aibou." Atem commanded.

Okay, dad.

Atem hung up and shook his head.

What a mess.

"Are you okay?" Salem's voice sounded from the entrance to the kitchen.

Atem turned toward Salem and smiled, "I'm fine. Just getting some water." He said turning on the faucet and filling up his glass.

"Was that Yugi?" She asked, walking into the kitchen and leaning against the island.

Atem nodded, "He was drunk and rambling." He put the glass on the counter and sent a quick message to Joey..

"Him and Te'a are still having issues?" She was barely asking as she rolled her eyes.

Atem sighed and gazed at Salem lovingly. He was happy that the three of them were able to communicate effectively enough to where everyone felt heard.

"Hey, Salem?" Atem asked.

"Yes, habibi?"

"You would tell Kaiba and me if you weren't happy right?" He asked, walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Of course, Atem. Believe me, if I'm not happy you'll know." She said with a chuckle.

Atem kissed her forehead and rested his head against hers,

"I think us and our group of friends need to go to therapy…" He said jokingly.

"Why don't we then?" She said.

Atem pulled away slightly, "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," She said, cupping Atem's cheek,

"Let's go to therapy."

Thank you for reading! I'm sorry this chapter took so long to put out!

As some of you who have been reading my stories for while know, I was terminated from my full time job the week of my birthday (May). As of last week, I have finally been offered a full time position at a large company that pays more than my last job and has more benefits.

I am slowly but surely getting my life together!

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