Warnings: Puzzleshipping, hints of AtemuxHeba

Five months of bills: Yuugi

'Damn it, how could I have been so careless?!' Yuugi, who was walking through the Domino Downtown with a lot of full shopping bags in his hands and arms. He had just been doing his Christmas shopping, buying gifts for his friends and family. He'd taken a short part-time job in a small grocery store in order to have enough money to buy presents for everyone. Everything seemed to have been just fine, he had got a lot of money that he'd believed to be enough, but it turned out not to be after all.

The problem was that Heba had come to the picture. Yuugi had thought that in order to make his tanned look-alike feel welcome, he should get him a present as well. Heba seemed all in all quite nice, but was still rather quiet, at vary and very formal towards everyone but Atemu. But then again that was to expected from everything Atemu had told about him. But still, Yuugi hoped Heba would become his friend before he would have to leave, so he thought a present would be a good way of showing he wanted to be friends. He had believed he'd have enough money to still buy presents to everyone else as well.

How wrong he'd been.

He had managed to get everyone else a present but Yami. He had so much wanted to give him something the older boy would love this Christmas, to answer the favour of how happy Yami had made him in June during his own birthday. Yami's birthday was in March, when he'd turn 17, so Christmas was in-between here. But he only had a couple more hundred yen left, he couldn't buy anything special with that. And the owner of the store he had worked had already left overseas for Christmas to visit his relatives, so he couldn't work there anymore either. Besides, if he didn't buy things now, there probably wouldn't be anything left in the stores when he'd have the money he needed.

"Thank you very much!" He heard a woman's voice speak, and saw a woman with a short brown hair hand another woman a bouquet of flowers across the street in front of a flower store. He remembered the flowers Yami had given him with the small notes with them, and smiled softly at the memory. He'd stored the flowers in boxes after drying them between book pages, and the notes he kept in his desk drawer so he could always look at them when he was doing something unpleasant, like math homework. The jigsaw puzzle Yami had given him with the flowers was hung on his room's wall, just above his bed (something Jou and Anzu had always found it fun to tease him and Yami about, so he took it away when neither of them was visiting). The stuffed Silent Swordsman he slept with every night.

It felt as if a light bulb had been lit inside his brain. That was it! And the money was just enough too…

-

About a week later, Yuugi was visiting Yami, and the two were kissing while sitting on Yami's bed.

Yami pulled back from Yuugi, his cheeks slightly flushed from the loss of air and panting as he gently stroked Yuugi's cheek lovingly with a tender look in his eyes. "I've missed you so much. It's like we've barely seen each other this week." He murmured, leaning to kiss Yuugi's neck.

Yuugi moaned slightly, blushing as he brought his hands up to Yami's hair, knowing that was one of the older boy's favourite places to be touched. But just when his left hand touched those spiky yet soft locks, it stung and he exclaimed: "Ow!"

Yami quickly pulled back. "What's wrong, Aibou? Did I hurt you?" He asked extremely worriedly.

"N-no, it wasn't you. My hand just…" Before Yuugi had time to finish that sentence, Yami had taken his wrist into a tight grip and was staring down at it. Yuugi's fingers were full of cuts and small twinge-marks.

"Aibou…what happened? Who did this to you?" Though it was kind of weird. Why would someone try and harm just his fingers? And with such small cuts, too?

"No one did this to me, Yami. I kind of did it to myself. Accidentally!" He added hastily after seeing the look on Yami's face. "I've been sewing something lately and I'm not very good at it, so…I tend to sting myself with the needles." He left unmentioned he was sewing that something for Yami. That would cause the taller boy to tell him to stop doing that this minute if it caused him to get hurt, and he couldn't let that happen. He was going to finish what he had started! He could listen to Yami's lectures about it when he had given him the thing he was sewing.

Yami smiled softly. "Is that what you've been doing lately? Is that what has kept you so busy?" Yuugi nodded. "But why didn't you ask for anyone's help if you knew you're not good at sewing? I know certain someone living under this very same room who could help you…"

Yuugi frowned, blushing. "I just…I don't want to bother him. I mean, Heba has just come back and I'm sure Atemu wants to be with him as much as possible right now…"

"Still, you could've asked. I won't mind helping you at all." They heard a deep voice from the door, and looked up to see Atemu and Heba standing there. "We're back." Atemu had been taking Heba out a lot to see the modern world. This time they'd been to have some ice cream, if Yami recalled correctly. There had been a bit of explaining in the Amun household when Akunamkanon had found out they'd be storing another should-be-dead person at their house for the rest of the December, but after it was made clear Heba would be staying with Atemu in the guest room – and had even made Atemu's bed larger with magic so they both could sleep in it – he had accepted it. After all, he probably knew what it was like to want to be with your spouse on Christmas. Atemu then looked down at Heba. "You won't mind either, will you?"

Heba shook his head. "Of course not. In fact, I can come too. That is, if Yuugi-san doesn't mind." He said in a completely understandable Japanese.

"Of course I won't." Yuugi smiled at him. "So will you help me, Atemu?"

"Wasn't that already agreed or what?" Atemu chuckled. "Say, is it okay if I come over to your house tomorrow, then? I'm not working then."

-

And so it was agreed. Yuugi suspected Atemu had somehow guessed he was making this for Yami, as Yami was working today in the Game Shop and therefore wouldn't be able to see what they were doing.

But either way, like agreed, Yuugi led Atemu and Heba up to his room, and took a box from under his bed, taking his current progress out.

"A doll?" Atemu asked, stating the obvious. In the box was a half-arm sized beginning of a doll. The form was already becoming nicely, but there were still a few places unsewed. Under it were many cloths in many different shades of purple.

Yuugi nodded. "Yeah. Yami gave me this-" he motioned to the Silent Swordsman doll. "for my last birthday, so I'm making him his favourite Duel Monster, the Black Magician."

"Why didn't you just buy one?"

"I didn't have enough money for more than the sewing materials. Besides, it'll be more meaningful if I've made it myself, don't you think? Even though Yami will probably say I should've left him without a gift if giving him one meant hurting myself…"

Atemu laughed. Heba for his matter sat down on Yuugi's bed and reached to take the Silent Swordsman plushie into his lap. He stared down at it fondly but still somehow sorrowfully. But why was that, was his own business, so Yuugi didn't ask.

"Well, let us begin then, shall we?" Atemu said, clapping his hands together with a grin on his face. "First, when you begin sewing, put a thimble on your fingers…"

-

A few hours later, they'd made quite a progress together. They'd even moved on to the clothes for the doll. Atemu had now went downstairs to prepare them some tea, and left Heba and Yuugi by themselves. The ancient boy was still holding the Silent Swordsman in his hands with a sorrowful look in his eyes. The silence in the room was awkward, at least for Yuugi. Heba seemed content enough, though.

"Hey…" Yuugi decided to break it.

"Did Yami-san make that for you?" Heba interrupted him, pointing at the wall where the jigsaw puzzle was hanging.

"Huh? Oh, yeah he did. It was a birthday present last summer for me, too."

Heba smiled a bit. "He had a sweet way of confessing to you." He said as he gazed up to the puzzle.

"You…can read it?"

"I can because you can." Heba answered simply.

"Ah…how did Atemu confess to you? Or did you confess to him?" Yuugi asked, trying to make a conversation.

Heba snorted somewhat dryly. "Not in my wildest dreams that time. I was only a servant, Atemu was the crown prince. I didn't think I stood even a chance. Even if Atemu would've liked guys, why would he have gone for me? There were so many better ones to choose from…" he trailed off for a moment. "But to answer to your question, he confessed to me on my birthday too. He had prepared me a small party, just us and our friends. Later that night, he took me to his private gardens and that's where he confessed to me, at sunset. I couldn't believe my ears, I can tell you that." He shook his head as if to confirm his point. "His love also woke my magic powers, so I was able to move into a higher rank as a magician student. I became a prince a year later when we married…"

Yuugi didn't comment on the fact Atemu had told him Heba had come into his powers when he'd been 12. After all 13 had been a very normal age for Ancient Egyptians to marry.

Heba then suddenly chuckled. "I'm sorry. You only asked me a simple question, not my life-story. I must be boring you."

"Not at all. I'm…honoured you would tell me such things." He paused. "I'd also like to thank you…in hard times you've always made me believe in myself again…"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"What? That wasn't you who spoke me through my head? But I'm positive it was your voice…"

Heba smiled softly, closing his eyes. "It must have been the last part of my soul that you've been hearing."

"The last part? You mean…there is one more than you and me?"

Heba nodded. "It is tied into Atemu's tomb, and he guards it. I never trusted that Atemu would be guarded for all eternity very well, until his return – which I by the way saw in a vision and predicted – so I put a part of myself into the tomb where the Millennium Puzzle was to be kept in. It would guard that place from robbers, curse them if needed. People have always eventually forgotten the great kings and their protection, and I knew Atemu wouldn't be an exception. That's why I did what I did. That soul has been stuck there for the past 3000 years. He can't leave the tomb until Atemu moves to the afterlife. Then he'll find peace and we'll become one once more."

"You speak of that part like a whole other person."

Heba frowned. "We've, how do you say it…'grown apart from each other' during these past 3000 years. When I was still alive we were able to exchange and therefore share our memories, but that connection broke when this part of my soul died. When we'll join again, I'll probably get his memories again and he'll get mine…"

"Then how could you be sure that part of your soul wouldn't be bitter to be stuck in a tomb for so long?"

Heba shook his head. "If there is one thing for sure, it's that all parts of my soul love some part of Atemu. You too, who love the half of Atemu's soul that has become Yami-san. We love him, more than anything or anyone else in this world. Also, my soul is lonely. We've always been lonely, except with him. All the sacrifices I did for him were because I didn't want him to be alone wherever he went. I know what loneliness is like, after all. I was that all of my life except with him…" he paused. "But I must ask you not to tell Atemu about this. Parting your soul is under any circumstances a very dangerous and difficult magic and I was still just a student back when I did it…if I had failed, it might've meant something even worse than death for me. Not that death is very bad, far from it actually. But still, I don't want him to feel guilty about the fact I put myself into such a severe danger just for him."

"I understand. I won't say anything." Yuugi vowed, knowing exactly how Heba felt. If it had been him and Yami, he would've done the same. In both splitting his soul to be with him and not telling him it had all been for his sake.

Just then, they heard steps walking up the stairs and soon saw Atemu coming back to the room with the tea tray.

-

Another week later, the Black Magician doll was finished. It looked pretty good, for a hand-made one. Yuugi stared down at it with a proud smile.

Heba walked to him. "Can I have it for a moment?" He asked softly, his voice sounding a bit cracking.

Yuugi nodded, though confused, and gave the doll to Heba. The tanned boy hugged it to his chest, and to Yuugi's big surprise, fell onto his knees in tears, murmuring: "I'm so sorry, Teacher…so very sorry." shakily.

Atemu sat down on his knees as well and pulled Heba into his arms as he cried, and Yuugi could do nothing but stare in wonder and confusion. But as he watched Heba cry, it felt as if this was first time the tanned boy had showed him his true face.

He'd give the plushie to Yami at the Amun Christmas Party.

Errr…This chapter was a bit besides its point, but you don't mind, do you? ^^;.

I know giving Yami a doll is a bit girly, but let's just say he likes everything related to Black Magician and leave it like that XD. And everything Yuugi does for him as well.

Next is Facing my in-laws.