21-Combined

Wow...that fall wasn't as long as he thought. In fact, it didn't even hurt. His butt and his side hurt a bit from landing on whatever he landed on. It didn't feel like concrete...Odd. He was sure his bones would be destroyed from the fall. Okay, so he might not be dead. After all, he felt his heart pound against his chest still. His eyes were closed tight. He was scared of what he'd see if he opened them. He was on something that wasn't warm. Rather cold, and he felt the cold surface of leather texture. He was on something sturdy and strong.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. And as he did, he realized something he saw just before he shut his eyes closed before landing.

He saw Yami.

Amethyst eyes revealed themselves to see an all too familiar face. He was breathing, and he felt Yami breathing by his ear. He felt strong arms tightly clutched around him. He felt the chilling cold of his body. He felt something. He was truly alive. He was really here. And he was with Yami.

He slowly turned his eyes up, glancing at his boyfriend. The dark one's tight grip began to ease as he too glanced back at his companion. His inhuman red eyes stared at the boy with so much passion, Yugi couldn't help but feel his face heat up. Yami gently placed a hand on his cheek, rubbing it slightly.

Yugi felt himself smile at seeing his face.

Slowly, Yami stood up from the concrete and helped Yugi up. Making sure the smaller one didn't have any injuries, he gently patted his shoulders and sides. Almost like a cop. Yugi slightly chuckles from this. Yami stopped his motions and gave the boy a good stare. Yugi slightly opened his mouth, as if he was about to say something. However...the words never left his mouth.

Because Yami slapped the absolute taste out of his mouth before he could even get a single syllable out.

The force of the slap was so strong, blood flew from Yugi's mouth onto the ground. He was knocked back off of his feet, and landed on his butt. A red mark began to swell on his cheek, and it was starting to be very visible in only seconds. The pain came fast, however, Yugi's only reaction was to stare at Yami with a bewildered expression. In the corners of his eyes, tears threatened to fall. All the boy could do was hold his face in pain as he stared at the one he loved who just randomly struck him.

Yami's face was twisted with anger and disgust. His brows scrunched up, and it almost seemed like his nostrils were flaring. His eyes were eerily glowing scarlet, and he almost saw one of his fangs poke out from his mouth from his enraged scowl. His hands were closed up in tight fists and they shook violently.

"Why the hell would you put yourself in danger like that!?" He yelled. Yugi flinched at the volume of hid voice. "Huh!? Answer me!" He yelled once more. Yugi's lip quivered a bit, trying to say something but not knowing what. Yami marched over to the boy, and bent down to grasp the collar of his shirt and grips it tightly. He lifted Yugi up like nothing off of his feet. Wow. How many times has he been in this situation in highschool. "You God damn imbecile!" He tossed Yugi onto the ground with one swing of his arm like a rag doll.

"Do you have any idea how fucking stupid that was!? What the hell is wrong with you!?"

Yugi couldn't hold his tears anymore. He gritted his teeth and yelled back. "I wanted you to come back!" Yami paused at his outburst. "You were going to leave and never come back again! You broken your promise!" He made a small sniffle. "I knew that if I put myself in intense danger, you'd come." The dark one watched as fresh tears fell to the concrete. "Jii-chan is dead...My parents are dead! I don't have anyone! No family, so siblings, uncles, aunts-Nothing! I don't want you gone too...And I don't want to give up on Atem!"

And right after he mentioned his name, Yami swore he saw Yugi's eyes lit up in flames. Passionately, a huge courageous aura shrouded him. His eyes glistened with tears, but shined with power. This impressed the shadow-walker even more.

"So I forbid you!"

Forbid him...? Yami blinked.

"I forbid you to leave me! You can never leave! Ever!" He shouted. Yami realized the little's pain, and why he was demanding this. By leaving him just now, he put his life through even more hell. He could have died if he wasn't fast enough to catch him. Once again, he screwed up. He couldn't leave him again, knowing it would emotionally destroy him. But...

That also made Yami realize...This boy must really love him. Maybe that was the intense aura he felt in his eyes. Passionate..love...

Yugi began to rub his eyes to try and stop his tears. But he stopped mid-motion, and covered his face, dropping to his knees. "I-I like you. Like...really, really like, Yami. And Atem does too." A sniff. "S-So...Why can't we all be together? Why can't we just stop all of this pain and compromise? No one would be alone, no one would be hurt. We would have each other." He began to once again wipe his salty tears.

Yugi wanted Atem...That way?

Yami almost stuttered. "You want Atem?"

Yugi nods. "I like you both. I mean, I still barely know him but, it couldn't hurt..Right?" He tugged his arm pleadingly. "Yami, please." He looked up at Yami's face, giving him what almost looked like puppy eyes if not for his serious sorrow. "We love you."

Yami just stood there, staring into his eyes. What could he say? Be together...The three of them? Well, that's how he truly felt. And inside of him, he knew that was what he wanted. But was he ready?

They loved him...

Yugi moved his hands from his arm to his collar. Yami slowly followed his delicate fingers that lightly gripped the collar of his leather jacket. He pulled himself closer to the shadow-walker, and stared deep into his red menacing eyes. He felt the boy's soft skin gently touch his face, the palms of his hands caressing his gently. He felt his head being pulled closer to the boy's face. The little one's eyes began to lower, and his lips slightly twitched.

And he kissed him. Just like that.

Yami didn't blink, he only stared as the smaller one kissed him with his eyes closed. He couldn't lie. It felt good, to feel his soft lips press against his so deliciously. He hesitantly kissed back, grasping the smaller's ones arms to keep him close, and to deepen the kiss. He felt a low vibration, Yugi just moaned. Yami felt himself lowly moaning as well. The kiss was heated, once again despite the fact that Yami could not produce warmth. This boy makes him do such amazing things that he himself never realized he can do. But this kiss was ten times more heated than the last.

Yami was going to graze his mouth with his tongue, but the little one broke it apart before he could get the chance. At this moment, Yami wanted nothing more than to just throw the boy on the concrete and have his way with him, right then and there. Not caring if more authorities came to gun them down. Because, once Yugi broke the kiss, he gave Yami the most lustful look he's ever seen from someone so pure. His eyes glazed with innocent oblivious sin, while his expression seemed rather timid and a little flustered.

Its about time you let your walls down, Yami.

Yami then realized, the reason why the kiss was so heated this time, was because Atem was kissing him too.

The dark one blinked, stopping himself from staring even more at his beloved. "We're ready."

The little one tilted his head, lost by the question. "Huh?"

Yami smirked. "I have all three keys."

Yugi's eyes widened at that. "We..." Yami must have gotten him while he was gone. He swallowed, realizing they have the power to actually open the gates. The ungodly power, to open up an entire different world other than earth, now rested in their hands. Yugi's mouth stretched into a big smile. They could finally do it. They could finally get Atem back!

He didn't know what to say, he didn't have any words. What could he say? He was up on that roof about to jump, while Yami was making some actual progress. A part of him felt guilty, but that guilt was greatly overwhelmed by happiness, hope and excitement.

So instead of squealing in happiness, Yugi threw his small arms around Yami's neck and tightly embraced him. The dark one was a bit caught off guard, making a small yelp. He then sighed and held the smaller one close. He was so relieved that he was alive, he was relieved that he came in time. If he wasn't as fast as he was, he wouldn't have been able to hug Yugi. He was glad he was scolded by Atem. Yugi was right. They couldn't separate, it just couldn't work like that. It wouldn't...

Besides, he loved the small human too much to just abandon him. He thought he was doing him a favor, but he now realized that leaving him after so long of being together was just stupid and dangerous.

He slowly closed his eyes, feeling the warm embrace of his little one.

"Now that we have them all, what should we do now?" The boy of light asked, looking upwards at his savior.

Yami cocked his head to the side. He felt a bothersome crook in his neck from that rough fall off the roof. "We go back to the house. Talk this over with Atem. We need to form some kind of plan."

The two were walking towards Yami's house through the woods like last time. Only this time, they're not being chased by some idiot human SWAT soldiers.

They discussed what were they to do once entering the house. Consulting with Atem was first and foremost. He was the wisest of them all, he would know what to do. Yami thought about trying to find Seto, but God knows where he went...He definitely wasn't in the city anymore.

However, something else was bugging him that he wanted to speak with Atem about.

A few things that involved...Yugi Muto.

One: He promised never to leave Yugi's side, and agreed to try to make everyone happy. Meaning, to try and build a romantic relationship with Atem also. A three sided relationship? Yami's never heard of such a thing. How would that even work, and would it truly work out?

Two: What was Yugi becoming? More and more, he's been displaying amazing sights of power. But why and why so suddenly? For Yami, he thinks its the tiny, slow but efficiently growing darkness he senses in Yugi's heart. He can literally sense shadows attaching onto him. Partially, its Yami's fault. If one is being around a shadow-walker, their darkness and shadows can rub off. Yet, Yugi's pure and powerful enough to burn them out. So why...?

Three: And if Yugi's light magic is being a bit altered by this hidden darkness, would they be able to open the portal? In order to open the portal, two powers of the complete opposite must join together to create Twilight. If Yugi's light is being altered, that means he might not be able to open it.

Four: The only one not involving Yugi. Was Yami truly ready to be with Atem again? And how could he face him with this question?

Yami pushed open the front door, allowing the smaller one inside first. So many questions, so little time, and much progress to be made.

Yugi slowly stepped into the house, making his way to a sofa in the living room and sitting down. Yami closed and locked the door extra tight. He also made a few shadows morph themselves into magic locks. Making it impossible for a human to come in, not matter how much force they gave it. A normal shadow-walker would have a tough time too...Once again, a normal one, mind you.

The boy relaxed against the soft cushions of the couch, and slowly closed his eyes. Allowing his mind and body to be vulnerable. Yami almost smiled at the sight of that. He looked...Beautiful. So peaceful. As if embracing an easy death in slumber. Well, in the dark one's eyes, Yugi was overall a beautiful person inside and out. He just had that loving presence.

Yami sat down next to him, and slowly reached his hand toward the boy's. He lightly grasped it, feeling his soft warm human skin. It was smooth...Much like his baby cheeks. He gently squeezed his hand, joining the fingers together, interlocking with each other. He sighed and leaned back. He relaxed his body some how, and looked towards the ceiling.

Praying to the Gods for nothing horrible to happen to them while being unconscious, he closed his eyes and allowed Atem to take them both away.

Laughing...

That's what he heard. Cheerful laughter. One had a deep voice, while the other was higher and very upbeat.

Slowly, he opened his eyes to see a familiar beautiful looking garden. He was lying on soft, almost feather-like grass. He sat up, feeling a familiar crook in his neck. He slowly stood up and looked towards the direction of the laughter. That familiar big tree...It was standing beside the ones he loved, hovering them like a guardian angel.

His beloved boy of light halted his laughter and turned his head towards Yami. Making a small smile, he shifted his gaze to the other person next to him. Making a gesture to greet them, showing Yami that they were truly here.

Yami shifted his gaze towards the other person and almost lost all the wind inside of him. His breath hitched and almost stopped completely.

Atem.

The sun-kissed man was leaning against the tree, gripping a thin white sheet that covered his lower torso. The man was nude, his beautiful body shining beautifully in the non-existent sun. Yami has not seen Atem naked in person in such a long time. He felt a bothersome, arousing tension growing inside of his stomach already.

Yami sighed. He had to talk to him. No hiding now. Making his way over to the two, he hissed at the small animals he almost stepped on. Why the hell did Atem have these things? Yami hated inferior creatures, but Atem always had a soft side. A soft side that sickened him.

Geez...There he went, finding excuses to hate him rather than to love him.

He stood beside Yugi, not looking at his former lover. Yugi looked at Yami and gave him a look. while Atem only played with the soft grass. Caressing some between his fingers. While Atem wasn't looking, Yugi gave Yami a good swat to the head, making him hiss even louder. He glared at Yugi, and Yugi glared back. Of course he'd yell at Yami through mind-link, but Atem would be able to hear everything since they were in his sanctuary. So instead, Yugi gave a vicious expression, a warning and another gesture for Yami to confront the other man. Yami internally groaned. Yami stepped to Atem's side and sat down next to him. Yugi took this as a sign to leave them alone. He walked away from the area to another.

The man had his eyes closed, but he knew Yami was beside him.

"Yami."

"..." The dark one hesitated. "Atem..." He still didn't dare look at him.

"Tell yourself the truth. What do you want Yami?" He opened his dark red eyes and looked at Yami. "You cannot lie to me again. If you will not admit it, I will say it for you."

The dark one cursed to himself, to which Atem could hear, so he gave a small chuckle. A heavy sigh left the shadow-walker's lips. He met Atem's gaze and shrugged. "Alright. Fine, you win..." He almost felt as if his face began to heat up again. Almost. "I never wanted to separate from you. I feared you...and I didn't want the past to repeat itself. If we are going to rescue you, then we should mend this back the way it should." He looked towards the ground. "I still have feelings for you. I was scared and mad at you."

Atem blinked. Words like this coming from Yami, it was pretty much rare. "Scared?"

"I was angry and scared when you snapped on me centuries ago in the palace." He admitted.

"But Yami, that was so long ago-"

"Not for me. That was literally the worse day of my life. The day you snap on me and the day you die." He bit his lip, his expression looked hurt yet furious. "For the love of Ra, you almost killed me. How the hell would you feel!?"

The former pharaoh lowered his gaze. "Yami, I can only apologize. I love you, and I know you feel the same way." He tried getting closer, putting arm around Yami's shoulders. Thankfully, the shadow-walker didn't flinch.

"Yugi wants us all to be together. "

"Well I do not see why not." Atem hugged Yami closer to his body. Yami felt a bit weird but, good too. He slowly looked at Atem's eyes. They had passion and a little sorrow with a hint of guilt. "I am very willing to try..." Yami just realized, they were actually really close. Their faces were getting closer, too close. And before he knew it, Atem was pressing his lips against his. Yami's eyes dilated a bit. He flinched, but reluctantly pressed his lips back.

It felt good...But it was nothing but a quick peck. It wasn't nearly as heated and delicious as Yugi's. However, if he truly complied to this whole...Three-sided relationship thing, he would get a lot more than what he bargained for. When they broke apart, they stared at each other again. Directly in the eyes.

Once Yami realized he was kissing Atem, he quickly shoved him away. "For the love of God, why are you not wearing clothes!?" He yelled. Atem only laughed as he picked himself up off the ground from the shove.

"I did not feel a need to wear them for the moment-"

"You fucking pervert."

"You damn potty mouth."

"Toilets weren't even invented when you were alive, and you shouldn't even know what they are! Much less plumbing!"

After some settling down, in the next few minutes, Yugi proceeded to play with the animals. Yami however, wanted to confront Atem about something. Standing underneath the tree, and with Yugi a good distance away, he was positive he couldn't hear them.

"I am worried."

Atem narrowed his eyes.

"Worried?"

Yami sighed heavily. "About everything..." His answer was a bit vague, so Atem took matters into his own hands. He placed a hand on his former lover's head and closed his eyes. Yami watched him in confusion. He then noticed sand like gold dust drift in the air. The swirled around them both, and around Atem's arm. A familiar eye of horus glowed onto his forehead.

"What are you-"

Atem retracted his hand. The eye disappearing.

"I saw everything. You are worried about quite a lot. I can answer most of your questions." He explained. Yami 'tched'. He forgot he could do that. "I sense the darkness in Yugi's mind and body. And you are right, he is becoming the opposite of a light user." He frowned. "This is not good. I am not sure if he will turn completely dark, or morph to twilight. However, as long as Yugi does not completely turn, you will still be able to open the gates. As long as long as there is some light within him left, you both will be fine." The man began to smirk. "As for your other questions, that is up to you. I would like for all of us to share each other's affections, but only if you are true to yourself and comply. And to let go of that fear."

Yami flinched and looked away. Atem chuckled in return.

"Still..." Atem continued. "That boy worries me greatly. His power might become unstable."

"What if he turns completely dark?" Yami asked. In return, Atem made a concerned expression.

"..." He hesitated. Yami gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Answer me!" He demanded. Atem didn't know too sure himself. And that worried him even more. All he knew was that none of this could go well. Atem now truly realized Yami's worries. They didn't want anything bad to happen to Yugi, but this is starting to turn into something they can't control. No...this isn't something they could control at all.

"...I do not know, but the result will be...less from good."

END 22