A/N: Yeah, I know, this came out a couple days later than I was expecting it to... Oh, wait, you guys wouldn't have known that. Eh, oh well. I thank everyone for all of those wonderful reviews that I've been getting. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters, plot, anything like that. Please review.

Oh, and to meow (), thanks a lot for the review. And for the compliments =).

Reflection

Chapter 6: Disastrous Start

"What the hell do you want me to do about that, Mother? Track all three of them down, and then demand that they come over here for dinner, right this very instant?" someone yelled from inside the small, two story house.

Yugi stood outside of the house on the front porch, with his hand frozen only centimeters in front of the doorbell.

Assuming that the person inside the house yelling was Atemu, he could only begin to imagine what state his mother was in. After all, she had always been the more… overdramatic one of the family. And even that was a bit of an understatement, seeming he was only about 5 minutes late to the dinner. Finally, he recovered from the shock, and rang the doorbell, now anxiously waiting for whatever wrath that his mother was about to put him through. Considering that, it was a great relief to him when his older brother was the one to answer the door.

"Good evening, Aibou. I guess that I should assume by the terrified look on your face that you heard at least some of that just now, shouldn't I?" the crimson eyed twin asked, a slight grimace covering his face.

He hesitantly nodded and mentioned, "I only heard you demanding to know what you were supposed to do about everyone not being here yet. However, it makes me a bit worried about whether or not I should fear for my life or at least my sanity when I go in there."

Atemu let out a harsh laugh at his lame attempt at a joke.

"No, I don't think that you need to worry too much. Once you rang the doorbell, I was able to calm her down and convince her to finish making dinner. I just hope that she doesn't have another similar freak out before Mokuba and Seto show up. If that happens, then you might just have to fear for your sanity."

Yugi laughed nervously, and stepped inside the house, glad to be away from the hot evening sun. He slowly started to wonder how Atemu was able to handle their mother without losing his own sanity. Or even how their now dead father was ever able to love someone like her, when his father had been the complete opposite of their mother before they divorced. It could not have been easy for either of them that was for sure.

It was a disappointingly short walk from the front door to the kitchen, where his mother would definitely be working on the dinner for that evening. She would most likely be trying to distract herself from any thoughts that might suggest that she was a bad parent, aunt, or person. But despite any actual reality, she still thought that she was a better person than anyone else ever could be.

"Good evening, mother. I'm sorry about being a few minutes late. My roommate, Jono had been asking me a few questions about the place that I got a job at a few days ago. Plus, I kind of lost track of time," he told her, trying to tread carefully.

Unfortunately, the effort was wasted because the effect that had on his mother was extremely surprising. "You're talking about Jonouchi, the filthy little brat from the other day? That shit had the nerve to show up here on Thursday afternoon, and not only did he show up here uninvited, he also actually tried to tell me that I should have a serious talk with you of all people. As if someone like him actually has the authority to try and tell me what's best for my children!" Suzuki ranted, not noticing the effect that it had on either of the twins.

"Jono came here the other day?" Yugi forced out, amazingly confused with this turn of events.

"What do you think that I'd lie to my son for no reason, Yugi?" he shook his head, "See? I wouldn't do something as delusional as that. I have no reason to do that either. Now, would the two of you be a dear and set the table for me? It would be a major help."

The twins shared a look, but both of them quickly decided that it would be for the absolute best if they just followed their mother's orders for the time being. While Yugi didn't exactly have a clear memory of the fits that his mother tended to have when he was younger, he had a pretty good idea of what they were like, between his vague memory, the stories that Atemu had told him in the last couple weeks, and what he had heard just a few minutes ago, outside of the house. However, what he was able to piece together wasn't pretty, not in the slightest.

"You aren't too worried about what's going to happen tonight, are you, Yugi? Because if we aren't extremely careful about what we say and do around her tonight then the whole thing could end up turning into a huge mess," Atemu whispered, after quickly making sure that their mother couldn't hear.

"I am a bit, but I know that there's not really anything that can stop her once she gets in one of her moods. Well, at least from what you've been telling me," he whispered back.

The two of them shared yet another look; this one resulting in an agreement that no matter what was said or done at this dinner tonight, neither of them would think any differently of the other. Without another word, they returned to setting the table, and every once in a while they ventured back into the kitchen to grab more of the food that was quickly being finished. It didn't take long at all for all of the food to be finished and the table completely set with plates, silverware, condiments, and their dinner.

"Boys, oh, where are my boys? I can't believe that this entire dinner is going to be a failure! Yugi was the only one that even showed up," their mother started to sob from the kitchen.

Atemu was the one that immediately strolled into the kitchen with complete confidence in what he was doing. Yugi, on the other hand, followed cautiously behind him, after all, he had never witnessed one of her fits in person, at least not since he was 5 or 6 years old. When they got into the kitchen, their mother was sitting on the kitchen floor, with her legs pressed up against her chest, and sobs were shaking her whole body. It was an oddly terrifying sight to see. His mother was having a complete break down over something as simple as someone showing up a bit late to dinner. But the concept that anyone had a life that didn't completely revolve around her was one that was entirely foreign to her.

"Mother, you need to get a hold of yourself, we have company here. Besides, Seto probably just got held up at his office or an emergency came up, and you know that Mokuba would never show up without him," Atemu scolded her.

She completely ignored what he eldest son was trying to tell her, and continued to mutter to herself about how everyone had abandoned her. Atemu held no sympathy for her, much to Yugi's surprise, and instead of trying to comfort her and ease her worries, he walked up to where she was sitting and slapped her across the face. Had these fits actually gotten so frequent that his brother didn't even have any pity for the woman that they called their mother? From what he had heard from his father before he had become a drunk, his mother only used to have one of these fits every couple of months or so.

"Why should I, you bastard? It's not like you or your brother actually cares about stupid old me. I bet that the two of you just think that you would be much better off without me in your lives," Suzuki whined, glaring at her eldest son.

"And why should we care about someone lie you when you act like a spoiled little brat whenever any little thing in your life doesn't go exactly as you planned it to? All you actually care about it yourself, anyways," Atemu yelled at her.

Finally, the doorbell rang for the second time that evening, setting off a small series of events. Atemu started to calm but he still anxiously waited for his mother's response. Suzuki's sobs started to slow down, and she blinked her red, puffy eyes, trying to figure out in her mind just who was at the door. And Yugi almost ran to the door, where Seto and Mokuba were most definitely waiting for someone to welcome them inside.

"Hey Seto, it's been such a long time since I last saw you. And Mokuba, it can't believe just how much you've grown, though it was about 13 years ago since I've seen either of you," he exclaimed, the moment that he was able to take in the appearances of both of his cousins.

"It's nice to see you again too, Yugi. Is Aunt Suzuki doing all right so far this evening?" the tall brunet asked, in his usual calm manner.

The amethyst eyed man shook his head, and it was rather obvious that Seto was rather disappointed at this revelation. Mokuba on the other hand, didn't seem to understand just what the two of them were talking about. Yugi stepped back a bit, and let the two brother step out of the warm sun of the summer evening. The younger Kaiba brother was staring at him in wonder and amazement as they walked to the dining room, where Atemu and his mother were hopefully waiting for them. Just what had his cousin and Atemu been telling the teenager?

"Both of you are late! You two are a whole half an hour late to dinner, even when you had promised me that you would be on time today, Seto," his mother screamed as they walked into the room.

It was rather obvious that Mokuba had never seen his Aunt Suzuki like this before, but telling by the glare on Seto's face, he had almost as much experience with her as Atemu did. "It was an emergency at one of the restaurants downtown. A young couple were there claiming that they had gotten food poisoning last night at the restaurant. As if I would let something like improper food safe happen at one of my restaurants, the fools," he explained.

"That is nothing but a bad excuse. Be glad that I'm in a good enough mood to forgive you for this inconvenience this time, but don't count yourself as lucky if this happens again."

All four of them ignored the woman's warning though, as they sat down and started to fill up their plates. Not a single word was said about how the twin's mother's eyes were still red and puffy, and how her clothes and hair were all out of place. Nor was anything said about how Atemu refused to even take a single glance at her. The silence lasted for another 5 minutes or so, before Yugi started to get uncomfortable and decided to attempt to start a conversation.

"So, Mokuba, the other day I heard that you've been helping Seto out at his restaurants lately with the hiring and such," the teenager nodded happily, "You wouldn't happen to remember hiring a certain blond man last Tuesday morning at the Blue Eyes White Dragon, would you? His name is Katsuya Jonouichi," he asked, purposely ignoring the harsh glare that his mother was giving him at the mention of his best friend's name.

The younger Kaiba brother brightened at the mention of his name, and nodded for a second time. "Yeah, I remember him. He seemed like he was a bit on the dumb side but he was really kind, and honest too. For some reason, I got the feeling that Seto would really like him, because he was really stubborn and we all know that Seto enjoys arguing with people. How do you know the guy?" Mokuba asked him, eager to know the details.

"Well, it just so happens that he's been my best friend for years now, and he actually moved here with me. We're currently sharing an apartment downtown too. You know, maybe I should introduce him to you sometime, Seto. Mokuba seems to think that you'd like him, and I doubt that he would be wrong about such a thing."

He gave a small laugh as the older Kaiba brother gave him an odd look, almost as if he didn't think that he would like absolutely anyone that wasn't a part of his close family. Not that Seto was known for being kind to anyone, or even known as anything other than stubborn for that matter. And the more that Yugi thought about it, the more he thought that introducing the two stubborn men would be a great idea.

His mother stayed extremely quiet throughout the whole conversation, not daring to say a single word against his best friend in front of all of these people.

"Speaking about Jono, did you happen to find out about the outcome of the bet that Jono and Ryou made on Monday morning? Ryou had seemed so confident about the outcome of the bet when they made it that it would be a shame if he lost it," his older brother commented.

"Yeah, Bakura asked him out on Thursday or Friday afternoon. They had a nice dinner that night too. Ryou was so happy about all of it that Jono actually seemed like he was happy that he lost a bet for once in his whole life," he answered, not thinking about whom exactly was listening.

It seemed odd at first how that was the comment to finally set his mother off but when he would think about it later, he could tell what exactly it was that had set her off. It was what got rid of any illusions that this dinner might actually turn out well.

"Yugi, dear, could you please tell me exactly what the conditions of this bet were?" his mother asked, in a dangerous voice.

Without a second though, Yugi answered, "Well, about a week ago my friend Ryou, and Jono made a bet on whether or not Bakura would ask Ryou out by the end of today or if it would be sometime after today. The wager that they set was $20, I think."

The entire room went tense, and the younger twin just then realized how bad of an idea it had been to tell his mother that. She had always been very opinionated, and clung to how things had been a good 20 or 24 years ago. It was now also obvious that Atemu had never told their mother about his preferences and by the look on Seto's face, he was in the exact same situation.

"Yugi, Atemu, why on earth do you insist on being friends with such horrible people? It's truly disgusting how some idiotic men and women choose to have relationships with people of their own gender, but I never thought that either of you would choose to even talk to those faggots. Not that I think about it, Yugi, I bet that roommate of yours is nothing but a dirty fag! Oh, there's no way that you could have known that your best friend and roommate was one of those people, sweetie," his mother deluded herself.

That was about all it took for Yugi to completely snap at his mother. The woman may have given birth to him but that did not give her any right to judge his friends because of their sexual preferences, and in turn, judging him. Although, it was doubtful that she had any idea about that. "Yes, Mother, Bakura and Ryou are actually gay but Jono is not, and you had no right to assume that he was. You probably haven't heard of this word before, but he's a bisexual, and that means that he is attracted to both men and women. And so what if he is?" he stood up, slamming his hands onto the table, "No matter what you try to tell me, I don't care about their sexual preferences, and I will continue to be friends with them either way!"

"And what if I told you that I you continue to be friends with those fags then you are no longer welcome in this house. This goes to you too, Atemu. You must have known about Bakura being a fag, you're his best friend, after all!"

The elder twin started to stand up himself, trying to fight the rage that was desperately trying to overcome him. Seto wasn't doing much better on his end, but he stayed sitting, and closed his eyes in a last attempt to keep his temper in check.

"Mother, you need to calm down, you're going to end up hurting not just yourself but everyone else here too. Besides, nothing that you try to say will end up making a difference," Atemu tried to say.

"No, mou hitori no boku, don't even bother to try and fix this mess right now, she really needs to hear all of this. Who knows, maybe it will even be for the better in the long run," Yugi demanded, "Now, Mother, what if I told you that it wasn't just my close friends that are gay? Did you even bother to pay attention and notice that your youngest son is also what you call a 'fag'? You know what I'm talking about, someone who is into men, and not into women, someone who apparently defies all laws of nature in your mind."

It only took about 5 seconds for Suzuki to fall out of the shock she went into at that comment. "Get out, you traitor! How dare you call yourself my son, you little fag! I don't want to see your dirty fucking face here ever again!" she screamed at him.

"Fuck you" was the only response that Yugi gave. He stormed out of the room without another thought, leaving a full plate of food on the table. Moments later, the front door slammed closed, and the only people left in the house were the four in the dining room. However, Yugi leaving didn't make everything calm again, if fact it had made Seto finally lose his patience with his 'beloved' aunt.

"I never thought that you would be someone who was so horrible, Aunt Suzuki. You just kicked out your youngest son even when these past couple of weeks has been the only time that you've seen him in the past 13 years, and just because his sexual preferences aren't what you'd like them to be. And you've also made it clear that anyone who shares these preferences is no longer welcome in this house. So, I shall be leaving now, you horrible woman. Come on, Mokuba, it's obvious that we're no longer welcome in this house," Seto sneered, before heading out of the house himself.

Mokuba followed closely behind him, but not before giving his own dirty look to his aunt. How dare she insult someone who was obviously extremely kind and who didn't look like they could even harm a single fly? Not to mention how she even dared to insult his older brother at the same too. The only one left in the house were now just Atemu, and the horrible woman herself, with a tense silence in the air once more.

"You aren't like them, are you, Atemu? Please don't tell me that you're going to leave me like the rest of those fags just did!" she screamed, tears running down her face for the second time that night.

His eyes narrowed dangerously, and his lips were pursed together. His anger seemed to be almost completely controlling him as he walked over to where his mother was sitting and once again slapped the woman right across the face, no sympathy or pity in his eyes. Nothing but anger.

"Of course I'm going to leave, you bitch. Why in hell would I stay in a place where, like Seto just said, I am obviously not welcome to? You need to go take a nice good look at yourself and then, who know, maybe you'll actually see just how wrong you really were this evening," he hissed, before storming out of the house himself.

It wasn't that much of a surprise when he walked outside to find that Yugi was waiting anxiously outside for him, while quietly saying goodbye to their cousin. If he had done something incredibly stupid, like staying at that house, he knew that he probably wouldn't even get the chance to talk to his other half again, no matter what they had agreed on earlier. This was one of those times that he wished that they had been born into a different, more accepting family than this one was.

"Hey Aibou, you wouldn't mind if I spent the next few days or so at yours and Jono's apartment? You did say something about having an extra bedroom, after all," he asked, wearily.

"Of course, mou hitori no boku. Jono sent me a text just now saying that Bakura, Ryou, and some guy Malik were coming over tonight at 8, so that we can have a chance to forget about all this. So, as long as you don't mind that. Oh, and Seto, you're welcome to come too," Yugi answered, with a small, tired smile.

"Thank you so much."