yayyyyyyyyy update. y'all should be proud of how quickly i was able to get this update done, compared to past chapters lol. anyways, enjoy my loves.

Can I?

By: Xhibit B

Chapter Ten – The Start of Something New

.i do not own yu-gi-oh!.

The sound of her phone's ringer blaring in her ear roused Yūgi from her sleep, a small hand feeling around for it as she lay face first in her pillow. When she finally found the offending object, she picked it up, sliding the answer button across the screen before it was to her ear, "Hello?"

"Did I wake ya up," Joey asked, chuckling into the phone. "I thought you'd have been awake by now, have a long night last night?"

"Joey, it's way too early for your sexually suggestive jokes," Yūgi huffed, sitting up from her pillow. She sat on her knees, her hand brushing her tousled tri-coloured hair from her face as amethyst eyes adjusted to the natural light that filtered into her bedroom. "I didn't go to bed until late last night. Wound up staying up watching recent episodes of Grey's Anatomy that I missed. But anyway, what did you need, Joey?"

"Did ya forget that we were supposed ta be havin' breakfast together today," Joey asked. Yūgi assumed she'd irked a brow along with the question. "Yer supposed to tell me all about yer date with ol' Yam last night. So, get yer ass up, shower, get dressed and be ready to go in thirty minutes. I'll be there to pick ya up in a bit."

Yūgi did forget that she'd promised Joey she would have breakfast with her the next morning after her date with Yami. Flipping the blanket back, the tri-colour haired woman stood from her bed. "I totally forgot, but, I'll see you in half an hour. I'm going to go jump in the shower."

"See ya in a bit," Joey chuckled before the line went dead.

Yūgi couldn't believe that she actually had forgotten that she was supposed to go have breakfast with Joey. The sandy blonde even reminded her about it before she'd gone on her date and she still forgot. "This is what I get for staying up until three in the morning watching TV."

She quickly made her way over to her closet, pulling out a pair of snug fit, dark-wash skinny jeans, an off shoulder, mid-thigh length cream coloured sweater and a thick, tan waist belt. Throwing the clothes on her bed, she made her way to the bathroom and turned on the shower, stripping down and stepping in a moment later.

She returned to her bedroom fifteen minutes later, drying off and lotioning up before getting dressed. Her long, tri-coloured hair was pulled into a bun atop her head before she was grabbing her tan, knee high flat boots, cellphone, keys, and wallet, walking out of her bedroom as she closed the door behind her. Joey was due to arrive any moment now and she wanted to be outside by the time the sandy blonde pulled up.

Her boots were quickly dawned before she was arming her security system and walking out the front door, locking it behind her. Joey pulled up as she checked to make sure the lock was secured, honking the horn to gain Yūgi's attention. The tri-colour haired woman waved, making her way down the porch steps before heading to the passenger's side of Joey's SUV and stepping into the vehicle. Joey grinned as she looked over at her best friend, putting the SUV in reverse. She slowly began backing out of the driveway before turning to head to the restaurant. "You look like you had fun last night with Ol' Yam. I can't wait to hear all about this date."

"Of course, you can't wait," Yūgi laughed as she clipped on her seatbelt. "You're too nosy for your own good sometimes, you know."

"Can't help it," Joey chuckled. "Ya should know this by now, it's been over twenty years, Yūg."

"You're right, I shouldn't be surprised by anything you do at this point," Yūgi hummed, pulling her phone from her pocket when it buzzed. The corner of her mouth curved upwards when she saw that it was a text from Yami. "You haven't changed in over twenty years, and you never will."

"Glad yer finally catchin' on," Joey laughed, not missing the way Yūgi was smiling at her phone. She smirked as she glanced at her from the corner of her eye. "Let me guess, Yami just text ya?"

"Joey, your business, mind it," Yūgi laughed as she answered the text before slipping the phone back into her pocket again. "But if you must know, yes, it was Yami. We're planning a second date."

"Oh? I really want to hear how this date went now," Joey said grinning. "Let's hurry up and get to the restaurant so I can get all the deets."

Yūgi rolled her eyes again, her best friend was impossible.

.cani.

Yami smiled at the text message he'd received from Yūgi, unaware of the look his brother was giving him over the lip of his coffee cup. He'd met Yami for breakfast after the younger Sennen had extended the invitation to him, intent on finding out how his brother's date with Yūgi had gone the evening before.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that, that was Yūgi you were just texting if the look on your face was anything to go by," Atem said, lofting a quizzical brow at his brother. "I assume the date went well and you're already planning the second date, Yami?"

"Does no one know how to mind their own business these days," Yami asked, irking a brow as he dumped a Splenda packet into his coffee, followed by cream.

"Generally, I do mind my own business," Atem pointed out matter-of-factly. "However, you've just gone on a date with a woman you've been in love with for over twenty years even though you tried to deny it. Curiosity outweighs the need to mind my own business in this case, little brother."

"Curiosity also killed the cat," Yami rebutted. "You should be careful about what business you stick your nose into, Atem."

"Perhaps," Atem shrugged before taking another sip of his coffee. He swallowed before speaking again. "But, you're evading my question, Yami. Are you planning a second date?"

"If you absolutely must know, yes, we are," Yami answered.

Atem couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips, hidden by his coffee cup. It was about time Yami finally decided to try for his own happiness again. Not to mention, Hikari would need a mother more than she ever had in years past. After Nguyen left seven years back, his brother hadn't so much as thought of going on a date with anyone to his knowledge. Yūgi had been the first date he'd been aware of in all that time. It was about time he'd asked the woman out. It had only taken twenty-two years, a failed marriage, and a kid to do so.

"Wonderful," Atem said smiling brightly. "I hope that everything works out in your favour. You've been in love with the woman for over twenty years. Now that you've gotten over your fear of asking her out, you must work to make the relationship last."

Yami hadn't been expecting that, "Thank you."

"Of course, Yami," Atem hummed. "As an elder brother, I want nothing more than to see you happy, you should know that by now. You've been alone for years since your divorce. And Yūgi is clearly the one that you've been missing your entire life. If only you'd worked up the courage to ask her out sooner."

"I can only imagine how different my life would be," Yami said, glancing down at his phone when it buzzed again. Yūgi had just confirmed that she would be available on Wednesday for a coffee date. "I might not have had Hikari, and she may not have had the twins, but we would have been happy. I wouldn't have gone through anything I went through with Nguyen… I probably never would have met her, honestly."

Atem nodded his head in agreement. It was true. If he had asked the woman out over two decades ago, both of their lives would have been completely different. Yūgi wouldn't have had to deal with her deadbeat ex-fiancée. And Yami wouldn't have had his heart ripped out by Nguyen, nor would Hikari have ever been taken out of his custody, even if it had only been temporary. But, things happened the way that they did for a reason. He was just glad that he was making the right things happen now. Hikari needed a mother and the twins needed a father.

The rest of their breakfast was spent talking and making plans for a family gathering for that weekend. Their parents would be coming down to visit from clear across town and wanted to see their children and grandchildren. Atem had inquired if he would be inviting Yūgi and the twins to come along for the gathering, to which Yami immediately shot the suggestion down. He wanted to keep her away from his parents for as long as possible, just long enough to make sure that the relationship worked out before she really got to know his parents. Atem didn't blame him in the least. Their father wouldn't really be the problem, their mother, however, was. She was known to let the first thing that came to mind out like she had at the exhibit opening without thinking about what she was saying. And the last thing Yami needed was her spilling anymore secrets.

.cani.

"So, what happened," Joey demanded as she and Yūgi sat down at one of the restaurant's tables. "How did everything go last night? Where'd he take ya? What'd y'all talk about?"

"Joey, one question at a time please," Yūgi laughed as she opened her menu, her cheek resting against her fist as she propped her arm up by her elbow. "I don't understand why you're so excited about this. It wasn't you that went out with him last night."

"Because it's been sixteen freakin' years since you even bothered to go out on a date, Yūg," Joey pointed out. "Last time you did anything resembling a date was when yourself and Hiro went out and the bastard proposed to you. Then he walks out six months later. You closed yourself off after that. And now, here we are today, and you're finally deciding to take the leap and go out with someone again. So yes, I want to know everything that happened. Where he took ya. How ya enjoyed yerself. What ya talked about. Everything, and don't you dare think about leaving anything out. I know you."

Yūgi laughed, smiling at her best friend. She understood why Joey was reacting the way that she was to this whole ordeal. She honestly hadn't done anything like that since Hiro. She'd spent all her time working and taking care of her children. She hadn't even let the thought of dating someone so much as cross her mind in all that time. But then Yami came into the picture. And now here she was, post first date, getting questioned about what happened by her oldest friend.

"Well, to answer your first question," Yūgi said, flipping a page of the menu, "The date actually went very well last night. He was a perfect gentleman. Showed up to my house ten minutes early, actually. Which tells me that he's prompt when time is involved. And he was patient while he waited for me to finish getting ready for the evening."

"That's a good thing, I didn't wanna have to bust him in the head," Joey laughed jokingly, causing the tri-colour haired woman to laugh as well. "So, where'd he take ya? Somewhere fancy I bet."

"We went to a restaurant called Ototo Den," Yūgi answered. "The food was wonderful, actually. We should go some time soon for lunch or something."

"I've heard about that place," Joey said with a nod. "Maybe we can invite Malik, Ishizu, Mana and Ryo to go some day. But anyways, what'd ya talk about?"

"We'll make plans," Yūgi promised before answering her question. "He asked me about the twins' father and why he wasn't present. He'd seen all the photos that are in my living room and noticed that Hiro wasn't part of any of them. And I explained what happened, why he wasn't there throughout their lives. I did ask him about Hikari's mother, and he told me about her leaving. Oh, I did meet one of his ex-girlfriends. He didn't seem too happy to see her again, however."

"Who was it," Joey asked, irking a brow. It couldn't have been Nguyen. Yami would've flipped his shit if she had been there. "It wasn't the baby momma from hell, was it?"

"From the way he reacted when I asked him about her, I highly doubt that was Hikari's mother," Yūgi answered, amethyst eyes gazing at a page in the menu. "I'm pretty sure she introduced herself as Rebecca? At least I think that's what she said her name was."

Joey's mouth formed an "o" as she nodded in understanding. She knew who Rebecca was. Seto had told her all about that relationship. "Ah, that's the one that only lasted like three months. Seto told me all about her, she wasn't supposed to happen if I remember correctly. He met her shortly before meeting his ex-wife, damn harpy."

Yūgi laughed lightly behind her hand. "Well, the way that he reacted to her definitely told me that much. She seemed to be awful fond of him, but he didn't seem to be too fond of her. He called her a mistake."

"He didn't lie," Joey said laughing. "So, are you going to see him again sometime soon?"

"We confirmed a coffee date for Wednesday morning after dropping the twins and Hikari off at school," Yūgi answered, smiling softly. "I'm actually looking forward to it, honestly."

"This sounds like the start of somethin' new," Joey chuckled.

.cani.

Wednesday Morning

"Come along Yuki, Hiyori," Yūgi called to her children as she grabbed the keys to her car. She and Yami had a date planned after she'd dropped the twins off, and she wanted to get there as soon as possible. "If you don't hurry up, you're going to be late for school. You remember what happened the last time you were late."

"Coming Mom," Hiyori said as she and her brother came bounding down the stairs. Hiyori grinned at the tri-colour haired woman. When she got home Sunday night, she'd asked her mother about how her date with Yami had gone and Yūgi had happily divulged the information that she had been seeking. "We're all ready to go. And you look ready for your coffee date with Yami."

Yūgi had the decency to blush as she glanced down at her choice of attire. A pink, sheer blouse with a white camisole underneath, black bootcut slacks and a black waist belt around her tiny waist, complimented by black heeled sandals. Her hair had been pulled into a neat bun atop her head, her wayward fringe left alone, complimented by a pair of dangling earrings.

"We're just going to have coffee together," Yūgi said as they left the house, locking the door behind them. They made their way to the BMW, Yuki joining his mother in the front while Hiyori sat in the back. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Uh huh," Yuki laughed, glancing over at his mother. "It's not that big of a deal, but you wore your special perfume? You don't ever wear that except on special occasions, Mom. It's a big deal."

"I don't appreciate this double teaming from the two of you," Yūgi huffed, starting the engine before backing out of the driveway and taking off towards Domino High School.

The twins laughed, sharing a knowing glance with one another. Their mother liked this guy more than she wanted to let on. And they were happy that she was finally reaching out to snatch her own bit of happiness. She deserved it, after all.

Yūgi pulled to a stop in front of the school twenty minutes later, waving goodbye to the twins before she drove off again. Yuki and Hiyori shared a glance, the elder Mutou twin speaking, "How much you wanna bet this becomes a normal thing?"

"I already know it's going to be a constant thing for a while to come," Hiyori said; her left hand grasping the strap of her bag tighter as they turned and headed inside. "She likes Yami a lot, clearly. And he definitely likes her. I think this little arrangement will be good for them. For playing match maker for the first time ever, I think we did pretty good bringing them together."

Yuki chuckled, "The first and last time we have to do this, I hope."

"I'm sure everything'll work out in the end," Hiyori said as they made their way to their homeroom class.

Meanwhile, Yūgi arrived at the coffee shop she and Yami had decided to meet at shortly after dropping the twins off. When she pulled up, she noticed that Yami's Mercedes was already there, the Sennen man sitting in the driver's seat waiting for her. Grabbing her purse and phone, the small woman stepped out of the SUV and made her way over to the Mercedes. Using her nail, she tapped upon the glass, startling the man. She laughed behind her hand when he jumped and dropped his cellphone, startled by her sudden appearance. He reached, opening the door as Yūgi took a step back to allow him space.

"Did I startle you," Yūgi asked, irking a brow.

"Just a bit," Yami answered as he stepped out of vehicle, reaching down to grab his fallen phone. "I wasn't expecting you to tap on my window."

"I had to get your attention somehow," Yūgi shrugged, motioning for him to lead the way to the entrance.

"Fair enough," Yami laughed as he grasped the door handle, pulling the door opened and allowing Yūgi in first before he followed. They approached the counter, Yami pausing to grab his wallet from his pocket. "Order whatever you want, Yūgi. It's on me, today."

"You're such a gentleman," Yūgi laughed lightly as she turned to the café worker who approached when she noticed the couple walk in.

They both ordered, Yūgi a medium latte with two pumps of hazelnut flavouring and Yami a large, blonde flat white with four pumps of vanilla. After placing their orders, they went to sit at one of the open tables, Yami pulling Yūgi's chair out for her to sit. She thanked him before sitting down, setting her purse to the side as he joined her.

"Thank you for joining me this morning," Yami commented, gazing at the tri-colour haired woman that sat across from him.

"It was my pleasure," Yūgi hummed softly. "Though Joey was being quite nosy when I was accepting your request. She's quite the nosy one."

"My brother was the same way," Yami chuckled. "He's usually not so nosy, but when it came to how our first date went… well, he let his curiosity get the better of him."

Yūgi laughed lightly, moving her hands back when the café waitress came and placed their coffees and food in front of them. Yami thanked the girl, who bowed her head lightly before walking away again. She picked up the mug, blowing over the liquid lightly before she took a small sip.

"It would seem the both of us have some rather nosy individuals in our lives," Yūgi said after another slow sip of her coffee.

"I believe I'm inclined to agree," Yami hummed.

They finished their breakfast date, promising to catch up with one another again at some point in the next week or so before they separated. Yūgi went through her workday with a smile on her face the entire day. And Yami, he'd managed to avoid having to tell his cousin about how either of the dates had gone.