Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh

XXVII: Share

"Are you going to try to sleep again?"

Atem huffed and shot him an annoyed look. "I don't know," he snapped. He instantly flinched at his own tone, but didn't apologize as he circled about the den and laid down again. It lasted only a moment before he got up, visibly anguished, and began circling all over again. He ignored Yugi when the Gandora sighed softly and considered him curiously. He looked flustered and exhausted and Yugi felt his hearts break as he considered him.

He hadn't cried out in his sleep again. Instead he'd jumped and his claw had snagged on Yugi's beak. The Gandora had jolted awake, blinking awkwardly as Atem whispered an apology and tried to force himself to lay beside him again. He'd gotten quickly to his paws again, however, and begun pacing.

It had been over an hour. Atem paced, settled only a moment, then paced some more. He bristled and growled and tucked his wings into his sides. He hunched his spine and shivered and stared at the ground and he occasionally looked at his paws and flexed his toes.

Yugi had a feeling he knew which nightmare he'd relived. The way he looked so often at his paws made him sure he knew.

"You don't have to." Yugi watched him take a seat and stare and then get up again. He paced again, though now he looked over. "I mean, sleep is kind of overrated, you know? But talking is always fun! You want to talk?"

Atem let out a sharp bark of laughter. "What? Why would I want to talk?"

Yugi smiled, too happy he was focused on him to care about his derisive tone. "Because talking helps every now and then. Talking kind of makes it feel like you're not alone in everything, Atem."

He huffed. "I'm a God Dragon, Yugi. I'm always alone."

He blinked, smile falling. Did he still feel like that? He knew he had when he was younger and before Yugi had come to challenge him. But then, he supposed he wasn't wrong. Atem was a step above the rest because of his divinity. His status as a deity made him a thousand times more isolated and revered for just his existence. He knew his situation as a hatchling had not helped in the slightest, however. His brothers' jealousy had turned them violent and Atem still suffered from it even now.

If Yugi was right in his thought of what nightmare ate at Atem's heart today, then he was remembering Bakura knocking him about snarling and spitting at him to get up when he'd nearly bled him to death. He'd torn every claw from his paws and knocked him around and left him laying there bleeding and too exhausted to move.

"It's no fun if you don't get up."

Yugi shook his head sharply to scatter the thought. He blinked and found Atem staring at him, eyes wide and concerned. Had he spoken aloud? Yugi opened his mouth and Atem visibly relaxed. Yugi blinked and tilted his head.

"Atem?"

"You didn't answer me when I apologized. I thought something was wrong."

"Oh." Yugi laughed softly. "No, no, not at all. I just…was thinking about things."

Atem opened his mouth and Yugi gestured with his paw for him to take the spot next to him. The God Dragon hesitated a long minute, then slowly picked his way over. He circled twice, then lay down stiffly beside him. Yugi smiled and leaned forward, grooming his cheek immediately. The God Dragon snorted, a sound derisive yet affectionate all at once.

"If I tell you something, I need you to promise to listen and not interrupt."

Atem stiffened beneath his tongue and Yugi ignored it to continue his affectionate grooming. "Yugi?" he mumbled, and he sounded shaky and maybe even scared. Yugi wasn't sure he'd ever heard his voice so distraught before.

"It's nothing bad." Yugi tasted something like mint and pine needles and ice across his tongue. He blinked, pulled back slightly, and sniffed the spot he'd licked. He laughed softly. He'd gotten Atem's scent gland. He grinned and licked again and the God Dragon squirmed as if he'd bitten him. Yugi reveled in the taste a moment, then butted his shoulder and closed his eyes. "Jonouchi used to get so angry with me when we were younger. I had a habit of talking about you every night when I couldn't sleep. Jonouchi would glare at me until I would shut up."

Atem shifted awkwardly beside him, but didn't speak.

"I… There was one night…where I fell asleep thinking about you. And I woke up wondering if you were dead. I woke up terrified. I laid there just whimpering for a few hours. Jonouchi couldn't get me to talk and I was so convinced one of your brothers had…" He opened his eyes. Atem was staring at him, golden eyes huge with shock and head tilted slightly. Yugi tried to force the lump from his belly and the sting from his throat, turning away. "Anyways, I was…depressed for moons after. I wouldn't explain to Jonouchi what had happened. And I refused to acknowledge it, even when the dreams got worse a few times. I stopped eating and Jonouchi was freaking out. I couldn't stomach anything for a long time."

Atem butted his shoulder in a comforting manner, but Yugi ignored it.

"It was a while after that Shizuka came to ask me what was going on. She'd woken up one morning to me wandering around so she came to see if she could help." Yugi tilted his head, flexing his claws. "She was super sweet. I was so beside myself wondering. But I wasn't…mature yet. So I didn't want to go flying off to find you if we couldn't even consummate the courtship if I won. I was…really depressed and we just sat around talking until sunset. Jonouchi got up a while later. Shizuka went back to sleep and we went running around playing with some of the nocturnal life. Cats are mean, by the way. They're super pretty, but they're mean. I got bit once and it slapped me so hard after that I thought my eyes might pop from my head. It was crazy. Cats are crazy."

Atem burst out laughing and shook his head. Yugi grinned at him, then butted his shoulder and yawned. The God Dragon watched him closely for a moment, then lay his head across Yugi's paws.

"Anyways, so that's… I don't think I can stress enough how scary that was for me. I was so afraid you were dead because I… You hadn't taken your spot here yet and I wasn't asking about whether anyone had seen you. I didn't want to send someone out to find you and you get hurt. So I…" He stopped and licked his neck. "Anyways, it was—is—my biggest fear. And I only overcame it because I was talking to Shizuka about it. So, I… If you ever want to talk about anything, I'm here."

Atem remained quiet for a long time. Then he sighed softly. "My brothers are dung heads."

Yugi laughed and lay his chin on his neck. "That's so true."