Title: Springtime for Kaiba
Rating: PG
Pairing: Yu-Gi-Oh! Seto/Atem
Disclaimer: Yu-gi-Oh! is the sole property of Kazuki Takahashi. This story neither reflects the manga or anime in any sense and no disrespect intended. It is all done for pure enjoyment and no money is being made from this. Only Sophie and Louie are mine
Warnings: None for this chapter

NOTES: Story begins near the end of the DSOD with an alternative ending so everything from here on out is made up. Set in the Sophie/Louie Universe

FULL SUMMARY: For most people, spring means blooming flowers, gentle rains, and the raising of temperatures. Winter was gone and life could begin again in earnest! But for some... spring was hell. It didn't bother Atem much, but the same could not be said for his CEO of a boyfriend.

Ah, March.

A time in Japan where the weather begins to warm up from frigid temperatures, the plum blossoms start to bloom, and people emerge from their winter cocoons to embrace the sun. Domino City was quite beautiful during the spring, at least for the ancient pharaoh. He enjoyed the fresh flowers, the gentle rain, and although summer was his preferred season, he could appreciate its beauty. For Atem, it meant resuming his morning jogs with Jounouchi and Honda. Oh sure he could run on the treadmill in the mansion's private gym, or lift weights like Seto does, but the young man's preferred exercises occurred outdoors. He liked lacing up his shoes and hitting the pavement with his friends. They challenged each other to run faster and farther, and it allows his mind to go blank as the adrenaline rushes through his system, cleansing him. He felt refreshed. He felt alive, and he could always outrun his friends, even with their longer legs.

As they rounded the corner leading back to the mansion, Jounouchi stumbled to a stop and gasped for breath, hands on his knees as he glared at Atem from under sweat soaked, blonde bangs. "Seriously, Atem, you sure you ain't using some sort of magic to run faster?" he complained; the ex-spirit's breath was labored but he stood straight and proud, grinning.

Atem laughed and pushed his own blonde bangs out of his face and then grabbed his phone to stop the mile tracker app. "I used to run farther back in Egypt, Jou," he said, "there was a ceremony all kings had to perform which involved a lot of running so needless to say I practiced hard," he tapped his phone and frowned, "although I'm ten seconds slower than last time."

"Ten seconds," Honda's chest heaved and he looked ready to fall over, "he's… worried about… ten seconds," he inhaled and exhaled deeply, "Oh god I can't feel my legs. He's like a damn gazelle!"

"Your legs, I can't feel any part of my body," Jounouchi whined but finally straightened, watching Atem stretch his arms and then legs. "Not that I don't enjoy our runs, Bud," he began, grabbing his towel tucked in his runner's belt and quickly dried his forehead, "I'm curious why you don't do this sort of thing with Kaiba."

"Seto isn't a runner," Atem replied, doing the same and tossing the towel around his neck, taking his hair out of its hair tie to spring free. He shrugged. "He's a strength trainer, not a runner. Even if he does cardio, it's only ten minutes."

Jounouchi snorted, "Makes total sense. Guy loves to prove how much more strength he has over everyone."

"It has its advantages," Atem reasoned, rolling his eyes. He then smirked, "such as lifting things up and tossing them on beds."

Jounouchi blinked, he winked, and Honda just groaned. "Oh come on, Atem! Too much!"

Atem tossed his head back and laughed, the three of them walking up the long driveway to where Jounouchi's car was. Halfway there, he frowned and noticed Seto's sleek, silver Porsche parked just a few feet away and quickly checked his watch. It was a Thursday, and not even nine in the morning.

"What's Rich Boy doin' home?" Jounouchi asked and Atem glared.

"Jou."

"Sorry, sorry, habit," Jounouchi held up his hands, "but honestly, why is he home?"

"I don't know," Atem shook his head. He checked his phone for any type of message from Seto, but there was nothing. Perhaps he forgot something? That wasn't like Seto at all. "You guys head home, I'm sure it's nothing. Are we still getting together Saturday?"

"As far as I know," Honda answered, already changing out of his running shoes and into his normal sneakers he carried in his running bag. "Is Kaiba joining?"

"It's game night," Jou reminded his friend, "Of course he's gonna be here. He's probably gonna make us play Monopoly again 'cuz he always kicks our asses in it," he made a face and whined. "Jerk. The only good thing about that is Sophie and Louie."

Atem snickered. It was fun to notice that his new pets could entice even Jounouchi over for a long night of games with Seto. Sophie and Louie charmed the entirety of Yugi-tachi when they arrived that weekend; even Honda, who was incredibly allergic to cats. He doted on the bengal cat, bringing over some new toy or cat treat which made him the feline's favorite person outside of Atem. It amused Atem to no end, but he had to ask Honda to stop; he didn't need another night of Seto cursing out another mouse toy he'd stepped on. When it came to Sophie, everyone instantly fell in love and wanted to be around her, yet it was obvious who her favorite person was.

Sophie would bark quietly and wag her tail in excitement as the gang filtered through the door, staying around just long enough for the appropriate amounts of pets before she went looking for Seto. She'd find him in the game room, waiting expectantly for the others, and then jump up next to him on the couch, head in his lap, and he would immediately start petting her. Atem was quite shocked at how quickly Seto adjusted going from having no dog to taking full responsibility. Oh sure, he had no doubt his lover could take care of the pup; he had been raising Mokuba since the age of ten, so responsibility wasn't difficult. A dog's needs were different than a human, and Atem was a little concerned that it would take a long adjustment period for them both.

It was the complete opposite, in fact. Louie was very easy to take care of. He was affectionate, well behaved, and could perform little tricks as long as food was present. Something Atem did find out was the bengal cat loved walks so they bought him a leash to take him out on little adventures every now and then. Other than that, cat maintenance was easy. A dog was different. They needed more care, more love and attention and sometimes dogs had a hard time adapting. However, in Sophie's case, Seto fell into the role of pet owner on the very first day. He made sure Sophie had food and water, brushed her once a week, took her out for a walk every evening after work, and sometimes took her to work! Atem was even more surprised when Seto encouraged her so sleep in their bed or jump on the couch, being convinced the CEO would make it a rule of no jumping on the furniture. The only thing that Sophie had a hard time adapting to was being allowed to do so. It took a few weeks for Sophie to feel comfortable enough to do it but now, it was always him, Seto, and Sophie on the couch with Louie lying along the back.

It wasn't just their lifestyle that changed. Seto's mood also lightened. It was easier to make him smile now. He didn't hold as much stress in his body and whenever he did become agitated or upset, Sophie was right there to comfort him. It was most likely the reason he would bring her to work sometimes. Atem equated it to her being a former service dog, but whatever she did helped and he was grateful for it.

Atem wished she was here right now as his own anxiety levels were starting to peak, seeing his boyfriend's car home early. After waving goodbye to Honda and Jounouchi, he walked up the steps and unlocked the door. He toed out of his shoes and placed them on the rack before calling out, "Seto? Baby?"

Meow!

Atem smiled as Louie came running down the stairs and leapt into his arms, rubbing up against him and purring away. Where Sophie was Seto's, Louie was definitely his. "Hello, Baby. I'm looking for my big baby." The cat continued to purr and made himself comfortable in Atem's arms, searching for his lover.

So far, he'd come up empty. Seto was not in the kitchen, living room, game room, or his office, and Atem started getting worried. He then heard a whine coming from the top of the stairs, spotting Sophie. "Sophie, where's Daddy?" he asked, making her whine again and walk backwards a bit, wanting him to follow.

Atem adjusted Louie in his arms, taking a deep breath so he wouldn't run up the stairs. He couldn't help but be worried; Seto was a creature of habit when it came to working. Reaching the second floor, the golden finally turned and trotted to their bedroom, wiggling through the crack in the door. He pushed it open and bypassed the sitting area and went over to the large bed. Seto was still dressed in his suit, minus the jacket, and had thrown himself over the covers on his side. Sophie jumped up next to him and squirmed her way under his arm, the brunette tugging her close. He opened his eyes just as Atem sat on the edge of the bed, setting Louie down.

"Hey, Baby," Atem said softly, reaching out to brush Seto's hair away from his forehead, blue eyes darkened with agitation and tiredness. "Why are you home?"

Seto shrugged and laid his head back down, sniffling. "Couldn't concentrate," he muttered, although Atem had to lean in to hear it. His lover sounded incredibly stuffy and his voice was muffled from where he had pressed his face into Sophie's fur.

Atem felt his forehead again. The CEO wasn't running a fever but his nose was red and his eyes were irritated and slightly runny. The pharaoh sighed and shook his head. "You forgot to take your allergy medicine didn't you?" he said.

Seto grumbled and glared at his boyfriend, only to turn his head and sneeze loudly. Well… that explained it. To others, Seto Kaiba was strong, confident, and a shrewd businessman, someone who could accomplish anything and could not be beaten. Social media outlets sometimes called him superhuman in his actions and ability to withstand the pressures of everyday life. For most of it, Atem agreed. However, he knew better. His lover was not superhuman, and in fact, could become the biggest baby when he got sick which, fortunately for the residence in the mansion, was not very often. But there were some periods every year when his virile lover was reduced to a sniffling, grumpy, and all around child.

Allergies.

Seto had three bad breakouts. During the summer Japan suffered from extreme heat and humidity, and although it didn't bother Atem much, it caused a lot of discomfort for his lover. Domino City sat within a mountain valley that trapped in moisture. The humidity, in turn, creates changes in air pressure, making Seto incredibly uncomfortable and making his sinuses run rampant. In the fall he gets one major cold for about a week and then things calm down during the winter.

Spring was the worst. Seto would sneeze, cough, whine, and grumble, but if caught early it could be managed with relative ease. However, this year was warmer and wetter than usual with little to no winter, many plants have begun to spring up earlier and earlier. Spring was storming in with a vengeance, flowers blooming and releasing their pollen eagerly into the air. This, combined with the drastic rise and fall in temperature, was making Seto absolutely miserable. Atem thought they had been doing well, remembering the allergy medicine. Guess they forgot today.

Another shake of his head and Atem leaned over Sophie to kiss Seto's temple. "I'll get your pills. You should change or you'll get upset when your pants wrinkle."

"Will not." he grumbled.

"Oh no?"

"... no…" this grumble came with less certainty and Atem had to fight a snort. If only people could see the Great and Almighty Seto Kaiba brought down by flower pollen.

Seto snorted - or attempted to with his congested nose - and then winced when his head. Atem frowned and smoothed the brown tresses away from his forehead again. "Headache, too?"

A nod.

"You should have just stayed home, Baby," Atem murmured. He grabbed the bedside remote and hit a button to draw the curtains down, blocking out the sun's rays, while Seto begrudgingly sat up to strip down. "Just relax, I'll be back in a second," Standing, he walked to the door and tapped his leg with a small whistle. "Let's go, Louie. C'mon, Sophie, let Daddy rest."

Sophie lifted her head and whined, looking from Atem to Seto. Seto had laid back down on his side, arm around her middle, giving his boyfriend a tired glare. She settled back down.

Atem rolled his eyes but his smile was soft and warm. "Want anything, Baby?"

"Tea."

"Already planning on it. Anything else?"

"Just come back," Seto muttered, his head flopping against the pillows, tugging Sophie closer.

Atem chuckled and exited the room, waiting for his cat to follow him before closing the door with a gentle click.

Springtime for Kaiba in Japan was not a pleasant experience. At least, this time, he had someone to take care of him. Two in fact. Atem just hoped the dog fur would be worth it.

Louie meowed in agreement.

END