Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh

XXVIII: Melody

Atem breached the surface, blinking wide eyes and swallowing his bottom mouthful of fish. The top he opened and dumped onto the bank when he got closer to the Gandora. He stepped around the shimmering bodies, shaking himself out, and looked over. Yugi sprang to his paws and rushed over, grabbing a few in his mouth and humming happily. He swallowed a couple, then chewed another and glanced at him with glowing eyes.

The God Dragon took a seat and studied him, wrapping his tail around his paws and considering. He looked him over for a long moment, curious as Yugi swallowed another fish whole but chewed the next.

"You switch eating habits."

Yugi blinked as he swallowed another fish whole and blinked. He licked his lips and smiled. "Yeah, it depends on the fish. If it's the bright pink ones, I like to chew them because they taste the best. The silver ones over here are yummy too, but the black and gray ones are kind of…slimier when you bite into them. So I just tend to swallow them whole."

Atem blinked and tilted his head. "I can't say I knew that," he muttered. He glanced at the pile and hoped he had a variety rather than just a pile of mostly the slimier fish. Maybe next time he'd only look for the pink ones for Yugi. "I've never…actually chewed them as I would red meat. I know peacock tastes better than hawk when I hunt birds, but fish I usually just…swallow whole."

Yugi nodded slightly, expression thoughtful. "I used to swallow desert deer whole. Or, you know, huge chunks of it. I don't entirely like them as much as the forest deer. The forest deer taste better. But I do like the little bird that sprints across the sand. They're delicious!"

Atem snorted. "A bird that runs?"

"It's weird. They're usually the only ones—or at least the only small ones."

The Sky Dragon nodded slightly and tilted his head with a frown. "I couldn't imagine more species would see it valuable to run rather than fly."

Yugi smiled, eyes alight with warmth. "I wanted to tease you about how most dragon species would rather travel by paw than fly at times, but then I realized it's the opposite with birds."

Atem chuckled and shook his head. "I would be much more confused by birds taking flight than running otherwise," he teased. He faltered, eyes widening as he considered. The world was so utterly strange and interesting. "Although, I've heard rumors of… about four or five types of birds which run rather than fly. And there's one rumored in the northern region to swim or slide on their bellies rather than fly or run."

Yugi blinked huge eyes. "What? No way!"

"I don't know if it's true. I heard it when I was younger. But… I have to wonder." His mother had claimed to see them when he was younger, spinning a tale about how they were all black and white but one had huge tufts upon its brows and it clearly acted as their leader. She'd said something large and black and white, with huge gaping teeth had burst from the water and stolen one in its mouth. It had withdrawn with the water bird and come again, trying to beach itself upon the ice for more food. He didn't know how true any of it was. She'd told many stories in an effort to help him sleep. "The two birds that run that I know of are huge and have long claws and huge eyes."

The Gandora furrowed his brows. "Oh, is it the big black and white one? They're so much fun to chase around!"

"And then there's a blue one—kind of like a peacock but without the pleasant tail. It's just large and…angry."

Yugi blinked. "Oh, oh, I know both of them! I just can't think of their names." He shook his head and shivered. "Jonouchi ate one of the angry blue ones once. He got fed up and killed it and then ate it."

"He's a Fire Dragon. Nothing he does surprises me."

His mate burst into laughter and butted his shoulder. Then he turned back and began munching on his fish once more. He was clearly still struggling for the names of the two species, but he seemed to be enjoying his meal as well. His blue-violet eyes flickered to his and back to his pile as he debated. He swallowed another one whole, blinked, and began to dig through the pile once more for a pink one which he happily crunched between his teeth.

Atem tilted his head. "What is the song you keep humming?"

Yugi blinked and raised his head. "Huh?"

"You have been humming all day."

"Oh." Yugi grinned sheepishly. "Sorry! It's a human song. I don't remember the words. But I remember the tune because it was a lullaby. The melody was very catchy."

"Ah, okay." Atem hesitated. "It is a lovely tune."

"I used to hum it to myself whenever I was too excited to sleep at the village."

The God Dragon smiled faintly. "You're so excitable."

Yugi looked at him, wiggled in place, and then sprang forward. Atem barely had time to prepare himself for the onslaught of his tongue against his face. He snickered as Yugi nuzzled him, proudly exclaiming, "It's because you're the best and I love you!" and then finally returned to his food when Atem nudged him back toward it. He put up a small fight, twisting around and licking him more vigorously before his hunger got the better of him. He sprang away with flourish, smacking his lips with a pleasant hum.

Yugi was almost through with the remainder of his fish when he dropped half of a pink one in his mouth and blurted, "Ostrich and cassowary! Jonouchi ate a cassowary! It was at the border between the western and southern territories, where the oasis turns into this huge rainy forest-jungle climate."

Atem snorted. "Is that where you encountered more big cats?"

Yugi bristled, eyes wide. "Cats are crazy!" he blurted. "I watched one kill a cassowary and another one eat a turtle. A turtle, Atem. Even my teeth hurt when I break their shells. The cats don't care."

Atem burst into laughter and shook his head, delighted by Yugi's absolute amazement.

The turtle Yugi says he ate was actually a tortoise, so the shell is much harder than a turtle's, which is what he saw the jaguar eating. He was also a lot younger when he decided to eat it, which is why it hurt his teeth. If he did it again as an adult, he wouldn't feel any pain/discomfort at all.