Disclaimer: No, no I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any other already owned material. I do own the story line, but that's about it…
A/N: I apologize for the late chapter! :/ Problems in life that I won't get in to. Soooo I wasn't totally positive where to go with this, so I backtracked O_O I mean, it was intended to be a one-shot so I just kind of jumped in with the good stuff – sad, romantic and such. You know, considering this is a romance and all. So! We're starting at—
Ally: Alright, alright, that's enough babbling, Anevay. I'll explain before you go off on some more long unimportant explanation.
Anevay: -_-
*Ally: Starting point: right before, during and slightly after Atem and Mana began courting. That's pretty much all you need to know. Much better than the lengthy explanation Anevay would have given.
Anevay: But they need to know why we're starting there!
Ally: Fine! Because it makes the story more interesting/romancy (and longer). Blah, blah, blah, lengthy-Anevay-explanation.
Anevay: can I explain something please?
Ally: fine.
Anevay: Thank you. Okay, so there's a reason why I'm being vague with where this is taking place and such—I'm not totally positive where to place the setting, so I'm just going to let you make the setting. Egypt, old war times, wherever.
*Ally: Just to recap: starting right before they were dating, and important moments in the courtship. Why? It's more interesting, long and romancy (fun). Why the vague setting? Because she's not sure where to put it, so just play with it in your head. Imagine it wherever you want: Egypt, old war times, modern war times, etc, wherever. Sorry if that's annoying.
Backtracking—years earlier
Courtship
It all started back when they were just teenagers.
Mana was a beautiful young lady, just barely going in to womanhood. She was fun and exciting and entertaining—and friends with young Atem.
He had a major crush on her, understandably. His hormones were kicking in and he was beginning to like girls as more than friends, and Mana was just his type; he had never thought he would like her that way, seeing as they had been friends for years, but he did.
It was about a year into the crush—when they were seventeen—when Mana brought it up.
Mana plopped down beside him with a look of fierce concentration on her face, turning to him with eyes slitted: "Wussa matter?"
He looked to her in confusion, "Nothing, Mana. Why?"
She shrugged with her lips puckered, still looking at him with curious aquamarine eyes. "You've just been acting weird lately."
Atem turned away and blushed, hoping that she didn't see it. "No I haven't."
Mana leaned in close to him, watching the blush rise further in to his cheeks. "Yeah you have."
He glared at her, mostly playful but partially serious. "No, I don't think I have."
She nodded definitely. "Yes, yes you have. You've been acting weird lately. Different, I mean," she pondered that before elaborating, "Towards me."
"Like how?"
"Oh, you know," she said, smiling and turning away, looking over the clear blue water before them. "Blushing, stuttering, stumbling, having problems talking—etcetera, etcetera." Again, Atem's face flushed and he looked down, trying to find something interesting on the ground. Mana pointed at him: "There! Like that. That just proves my point."
He pushed her shoulder gently, "Stop that, Mana. It does not."
"Yes it does!" she laughed, "How about when I do this, then?" she questioned, and before he could ask, moved her face in close to his so that they were barely inches apart, her big eyes playful—but there was also a spark of seriousness, which was new for Mana.
The blood rose in his face and he felt new emotions rise inside him. A desire that he shouldn't feel, but he couldn't shake it off. "M-Mana," he stuttered, hating that it as he did so. "Um…"
"Yes?" she asked, eyes shining. "Hmm?"
"Um…"
"Well go on—say it."
"Say what?" he asked, trying to recover his composure. He turned away, swallowing nervously.
Mana rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Atem, I'm not blind, and you're not exactly good at hiding it."
"Hiding… what?"
"Good heavens, Atem!" she exclaimed, turning him towards her so that they both sat with legs on either side of the bench, barely apart from one another. "We're not kids anymore," she said, fingers gripping his shirt. "You can say it. It can actually amount to something now. If you like me, tell me!"
Involuntarily, he gasped in a quick breath. "Mana, I don't know how. You know I don't have any experience with this sort of thing."
"I already know," she persisted, "So just say it."
"Mana, I like you as more than a friend," he murmured, "But I'm not very good with… this… sort of thing."
"Well then, it's a good thing I am, then, isn't it?" she smiled softly, touching her face to his.
Atem's breath hitched in his throat. Desire raged inside him, finally taking hold. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close, and his lips found hers.
"Mana, where did you go?"
There was a giggle from somewhere, sort of vibrating through the air. Atem sighed. He would have to find her now—sort of a game of hide-and-seek, only a lot harder. He could hear her but he couldn't find her. That Mana.
He paced down the path, hands behind his back. Looking around, he pursed his lips. "Hm," he said, "I wonder where Mana disappeared to."
There was that giggle again.
He rolled his eyes. Mana was always playing games. He took the outdoor pathway one step at a time, glancing around in interest. There were plenty of hiding places: trees, big pots, canopies. She was sure to pick somewhere hard, which would be… anywhere.
Atem decided to quit complaining and just get searching, so that was what he did. He searched in every tree, every pot, and under every canopy in the garden. Naturally, he had to find her in one of the last places he checked. Mana could be quite good at this game when she wanted; other times she wanted him to find her.
Just as he was looking over in to the last pot, Mana popped out with a cry of delight, tackling him to the ground, where she promptly sat on him. He just laughed, "Well, I guess I found you."
"I guess you did," she agreed, grinning.
"Now, could you kindly get off of me?" he asked. Mana sitting on top of him was all-too tempting in ways that would never do. He couldn't think about Mana like that—he loved and respected her too much, and he was a gentleman; that was inappropriate, even if they were courting.
She scrambled off of him and he climbed to his feet, dusting off, but he couldn't help grinning at her. Once he was done dusting off and she was done straightening her dress, he held his hand out to her and she was quick to take it. "Tell me, Mana," he said, "What is the one thing you enjoy doing most?"
Mana cast him a curious glance as they started off down the path. "Spending time with you," she blinked, as if that were obvious.
He smiled. "I mean other than that. Something we can do together."
She tapped her cheek, something Atem found rather cute. Her lips puckered, "That's a good question." She kept thinking, aquamarine eyes concentrated on something only she could see. "That's a hard one, Atem."
"Let me elaborate," he decided, "If there was one thing in the entire world that you would enjoy most, what would it be?"
"Anything?"
"Anything."
"That, Atem, is a large request," she smirked, "Let me think a minute…"
He was content to let her do so. Whatever she said, he was determined to make it come true, along with another dream. Anything Mana said, and Atem was usually up for it. What could he say? Mana meant everything to him, as cheesy as that was.
"For how long?" she asked.
He considered. "Let's say a day."
"An entire day," she pondered, "Well that changes things."
He waited patiently, squeezing her hand. He would do just about anything for Mana. He was a patient man, and you had to be if with Mana. She was constantly changing her mind and playing long games such as hide-and-seek, albeit with a few twists here and there that she almost always failed to mention to the other members playing the game.
"Okay," she said, a definitely tone of excitement in her voice. "If you and I were to do anything alone for an entire day, I would want to go on a horseback ride, swim, play games all day, spend the evening in a boat on the water, have a picnic by the sunset, and then end it all with stargazing in a field of tall grass."
"That's specific," he chuckled.
"You asked for an entire days worth of activities," she replied, "We can't let things get boring, so there had to be a variety of things to do. Any reason for the specific question?"
He smiled. "No. Just curious."
"Right," she smirked, eyes smiling.
Atem had it all planned out, thanks, in part, to Mana—with a few added surprises of his own.
He dragged her by the hand to the horse stables, where two horses were already saddled: a broad gray one for him, and a sleek dark brown one for her. "Where are we going?" Mana asked innocently.
He smirked, "Out."
She just rolled her eyes.
The horses trotted along the road, and Mana took in the scenes. "You wanna tell me where we're going, or are you going to keep being secretive?"
He chose to be secretive.
As they road, Mana insisted on racing. Atem let her win a few, but he didn't let her get too cocky; he had his fair share of wins. He had to if he was going to keep Mana from guessing that he was letting her win, although she did legitimately win some, as he had expected her to. Mana was no daisy.
When they reached the body of water that Atem had planned for them to get to (without Mana knowing) he wasn't surprised when Mana immediately plunged in to the water, dress and all. He managed to convince her to put on something more suitable, hanging her dress out to dry, and they swam for a good portion of the day.
At lunch, they ate under the shade of a large tree on a convenient stump. Mana chatted about games they could play after they finished eating, and Atem was content to listen, laughing and contributing when he felt he needed to.
After lunch, they set to playing the games Mana had made a list of:
Hide-and-seek, Mana style
Catch the squirrel (tag)
End of the World
So What
I Spy
That was as far as her list extended—so far, although he was sure she would add more. Mana always did. It was half the fun for her.
So What was one of Mana's favorite games, and they spent hours playing it. It didn't make much sense, actually.
"Hey, Atem."
"So what?"
"So what, Atem?"
"So what, what, Mana?"
"So what, you're confusing me."
"So what, I usually do."
"So what?"
"So what, so what?"
"So what?"
"Are you confused now?"
"Yes," Mana laughed, "Start over!"
"So what, we're starting over." Atem began.
"So what, you're better at this game than I am."
"So what?"
"So what, you're old," Mana smiled, prancing backwards beside the water.
"So what, so are you."
"So what, you're mean."
"So what, I'm courting you."
"So what, I still love you."
"So what, that's a good thing."
"So what, you're saying you don't care?"
Atem laughed. "Now we're entering dangerous water, my dear."
"So what, I win!"
"So what?"
At which point she kissed his cheek, dragging him off to play the next game on her list: I Spy. After that, they had a scavenger hunt, which, to Mana, was a lot like hide-and-seek, only with objects. By the time they finished, it was nearly evening.
He intertwined their fingers, tugging her towards the water. "Let's go."
"On the water?" she perked. When he didn't respond, she beamed and moved ahead of him, pulling him after her instead. "I love being on a boat!"
"I know," he smiled, "That's why we're going on a boat."
"Smart-alike."
"I never said I wasn't," he smirked slightly, helping her in to the small boat. Settling in after her, he pushed off with an oar and settled in the rear end so that he was facing Mana, where he began rowing.
"It's so beautiful," Mana swooned, letting her fingers trail in the water.
Atem let out a satisfied breath, watching her as he rowed. Today, so far, had been one of the best days of his life, and he was hoping it would get even better later. The thought of sunset brought a knot of anticipation to his stomach, but he didn't mind. Much.
The boat ride was relaxing and romantic, much to both of their enjoyment, and just as the sun began to fall, Atem steered them back to shore. Mana was practically bouncing out of her seat, and when he hauled the boat to shore, she didn't even wait for him to help her out. She simply bolted up the hill in her flowing dress, turning to him impatiently as he washed off his hands and followed at a slower pace.
"Come on, slow-poke!" she called, plopping down on the crest of the hill to wait for him.
When he was sure she wasn't looking, he slipped the hidden picnic materials on to his arm and joined her on the hill, spreading out a soft cloth for them to sit on.
"A picnic?" she beamed, "I love it!" Her eyes sparkled with the knowledge of what he was about to do, and she didn't look nervous at all, which calmed his own knotted stomach.
They ate in relative silence, sharing smiles. He tucked the remains away when they had completed their meal, bringing out a different box: a smaller one that he gripped in a sweaty hand. Gross, he thought, wiping it on the grass and shaking it to make sure it worked. Better, he nodded to himself.
Atem rested back on his hands, while Mana sat between his legs and relaxed against his chest. Together, they watched the sun go down, breathing softly. When it was just about to disappear, Atem decided it was the right time.
Casually, he rested his hand on her thigh and opened the box with his thumb.
Mana's finger hovered over what rested inside, listening to Atem's gentle breathing and feeling the rhythmic movement of his chest against her back. She knew her answer. After all, she had known this was coming. She had known ever since he had asked her that question not a week and a half before. It had been good to have some time to prepare; for both of them.
Atem's lips pressed against her temple, silently and patiently waiting for her to answer. He didn't have to ask the question, and really, Mana didn't have to answer. She plucked the ring from the box, and Atem took if from her so that he could slip it on her left hand. Then his warm embrace wrapped around her and she felt a light feeling of happiness spread through her chest.
When night came, they laid down in the long grass, just like Mana had wanted, and held hands, staring up at the stars. They talked quietly, not wanting to disturb the natural peace that nature always seemed to bring.
Staring up at the stars, Atem's arms around her, and his lips on her cheek, Mana couldn't help but think that this was the perfect ending to a perfect day. Cheesy, yes, but still true.
Anevay: Huzzah for that!
Ally: Whatever that is.
Anevay: What, you didn't like it?
Ally: No, I did! I do enjoy romance, you know.
Anevay: Well, good. So what did everybody else think? Anyway, T&R!
Reviewers: Nick-Arach, Aqua girl 007, Velgamidragon, princess atemma, Midna Azusa, Khemet- Egyptian vampire, Chistarpax, Cometflight525, me(x2), REDxYELLOW, SerenePanic, & fan person.
Anevay: Thanks to everyone for the compliments and sentiments! I know it is depressing, and I did intend to leave it that way, but with all the people suggesting that I continue, I was really tempted and so I had to.
Ally: Babbling, Anevay.
Anevay: I know, I know, thanks for pointing that out again, Al. Anyway, you know what you gotta do now, right?
Both: REVIEW!
-Anevay & Ally
(Ally switches it)
-Ally and Anevay
Ally: much better. Shh! Don't tell Anevay!