A/N: Welcome to chapter 2 of Overcoming Differences!

I've had some wonderful reviews to chapter 1. Thank you all! They've helped making chapter 1 even better, so check out the updated version!

Without further ado, I'll let you get to reading this new chapter. Remember that I don't own Yu-gi-oh! or any of its characters, that mobiumshipping rocks, and that I love reviews.

Enjoy!

Surprise visit

A reclined figure lay on the sofa in the small dressing room. His right arm was slung over his eyes, while his left arm drooped lazily on the floor, an elaborate headdress still held loosely in it. The wearer had taken the sweaty thing off prior to crashing down on the sofa, but had been too drained to carefully dispose it on the slightly cluttered dresser first. His manager would probably scold him for not taking better care of his costume if he saw this. After all it was thanks to his costume that he could live his artistic life in obscurity, and keep his manager from meddling with his social life. Still, at the moment he was simply too tired to care. It wasn't like the damn thing, which he always thought was too hot and heavy anyways, was going to be ruined by lying on the floor.

This figure was none other than Pharaoh, one of the most famous singers of Japan. Someone who had even managed to obtain international fame, but who in ordinary life was simply Yami Sennen. And just like any other man he would get exhausted eventually. He had been on tour for two months now with almost no break in-between. His days consisted out of long hours on a plane or bus during the night and mornings, setting up and sound-checking everything at the venues in the afternoons, and giving his show in the evenings. On top of that, whenever his schedule had even a little bit of room his manager made sure to stuff it with interviews, photo shoots and whatnot. Suffice it to say that breaks like these were rare and far in-between, and Yami savoured them even if it meant being scolded later for his apparent 'laziness'.

Feeling himself relax and nearly nod off, he was startled when there was a sudden knock on the door. He instantly opened his eyes and looked at the door, frowning slightly. The only one he expected was his manager telling him they could leave for the hotel, but he shouldn't be done finishing up after the concert for at least another half an hour. He sighed and leaned his head back on the sofa again, closing his eyes. Perhaps his manager was done early today, so much for his moment of rest. In order to avoid a scolding that he was not in the mood for he rose his left arm to place the headdress on his stomach before calling wearily, "Come in, the door is open."

The sound of the door opening told Yami that his call had been heard and answered. Still fully expecting it to be his manager he didn't even bother to look at the one coming in before asking, "Done already Dartz?"

"And here I thought our bond was deep enough in order to sense each other's presence. Well, I guess that's another corny notion down the drain."

A jolt of shock ran through Yami at hearing the playful reply. It came from a voice that was most definitely not Dartz's. This voice was low and smooth, very much unlike the much higher voice of his manager. This voice caressed his eardrums in ways only one specific person could, instantly filling the tired man with warmth, and causing him to shiver. It also caused Yami to shoot upright from his position on the couch and look at the newcomer. His eyes grew even wider when they confirmed what his ears already had. In front of him was not the lanky form of his manager, but the strong and confident form his boyfriend, Atem. Still feeling a little flabbergasted over his boyfriend's unannounced visit, he could do or say nothing but whisper his name, "Atem?"

Atem grinned, pleased that his surprise had worked. He raised his hand in greeting, "Hello darling. It's been a while."

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Yami smiled and stood up from the sofa, completely forgetting about the headdress that fell on the floor in neglect. His fatigue was forgotten upon seeing his loved one, and he swiftly crossed the distance between them. Upon arrival he grabbed him into a fierce hug. He fully expected Atem to return the gesture immediately, so he was surprised that he didn't. Before he could look up to question him however, Atem commented dryly, "Ew, you're all sweaty."

Yami snorted and looked up at Atem's face with a scowl, "Well excuse me, but I've just had a show. I'm exhausted and can't properly freshen up until I'm back at the hotel."

Atem chuckled before finally returning the hug and pressing Yami close to him, "Relax darling, I was only joking." He murmured into his ear.

The way Atem's warm breath tickled his ear while that baritone voice he loved so much graced his eardrums quickly dispelled Yami's ire. He smiled and turned his head so it rested of Atem's shoulder, his nose close to his boyfriend's neck. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, breathing in the smell of Atem's familiar cologne, and sighing happily at the warm feelings the familiar scent brought him. He felt comfortable and relaxed in Atem's strong, protective and loving arms, feeling a strong sense of safety and trust wash over him. It made him realise how much he loved his boyfriend, and of how much he had missed him while he had been on tour.

Speaking of boyfriends, after a brief moment Yami leaned back and tilted his head to glance behind Atem, "By the way Atem, is Yugi here too?"

Atem gravely shook his head, obviously disappointed with the negative answer himself, "He wanted to come, but because this was meant as a surprise we couldn't make the necessary arrangements for him. He sends you his love though."

Yami's face fell knowing that his other boyfriend wasn't here. He loved the surprise Atem had provided him with, but seeing him also made him yearn for the other. While Atem's confidence and strength gave him a physical sense of security, the man could also irritate him to no ends with his sometimes rough, yet playful demeanour. Having a good conversation with him was sometimes something of a challenge, and usually ended in a full-blown argument. That's where Yugi came in, however. With his calm and gentle demeanour, his other boyfriend was pretty much the complete opposite of Atem. He was a great listener, and always gave advise where needed. It provided Yami with a certain mental strength Atem simply could never provide him with. In essence, both men provided him with something invaluable, and in turn he provided for them what they couldn't get from each other. Only as a trio were they complete, and not having Yugi here with them tonight made him feel incomplete.

Still, he understood Atem's words. Yugi's condition restricted him in his comings and goings. It made surprise visits like these nearly impossible for him to make. Thinking about this suddenly made him realise something, and his sad face then turned into a frown as he raised his eyes to meet Atem's again, "And you've left him all alone?"

Atem snorted derisively and rolled his eyes, "You know as well as I do that Yugi is perfectly able to take care of himself, especially for one night. But if it'll soothe your conscious, he invited Joey over for tonight." He said harshly as if he was scolding a child.

Many years ago the tone would have caused Yami to rile up to defend himself, but the years he had spent with the man had taught him that this was simply the way Atem responded to such things. He didn't beat around the bush, nor did he shy away from telling you things you actually didn't want to hear. Even though this had led to a number of fights in the past, Yami had eventually come to appreciate his boyfriend's straightforwardness, because it also meant that he never had to wonder whether he was being truthful. Atem always was. So now he took the scolding gracefully, knowing that his own protectiveness of their missing lover tended to border on being over protective at times.

"I just worry about him." Yami said sheepishly, lowering his eyes and absently fingering with one of the buttons of Atem's shirt, "I would be able to help him more if I hadn't decided to become a singer."

"Don't think that way Yami." Atem scolded, but his tone was much more mild this time. He then leaned close to Yami's ear and whispered, "Go for it! Don't let me hold you back. Make sure, by every means, that you follow your dreams."

Yami smiled and couldn't suppress a chuckle, making Atem's heart melt at how beautiful it made him look even though he was sweaty and obviously tired. Those lines belonged to the song Follow Your Dreams, which was special to them for several reasons. It was the song that had kick started off Yami's career as a singer, and remained his number one song even though he had been in the business for a few years now. But the song was even more special because of what it signified. Yami had been reluctant at first to pursue his dream, knowing he would be away from both Atem and Yugi for long periods of time should he break through. But Atem wanted him to go for it, and Yugi didn't want his situation to be the cause of Yami not following his dreams as well, so together they had written the lyrics to that song. They all remembered the day they had presented the lyrics to Yami as if it was yesterday. He had been so happy, and knowing that he had his boyfriends' support, Yami had decided to give it a shot. He completed the song and used it for his demo. Now, a few years later, Yami was living his dream. It was difficult at times to be away from his loved ones for longer periods of time while on tour, but he knew Atem and Yugi would be waiting for him, and welcome him with open arms whenever he came back home.

Yami leaned slightly up and pressed his lips against Atem's cheek, "Thanks Atem. I love you too." He murmured.

Atem's hand moved from Yami's lower back to his cheek, turning his lover's head so he could meet his beautiful purple eyes, seeing the sincerity shine deep within them. Without another word he pressed his lips against Yami's. Yami closed his eyes and moaned softly, leaning in for more contact. Before their kiss could become more passionate however, they were interrupted by another knock on the door.

Yami pulled back, "That must be Dartz." He said softly.

Atem's face instantly morphed into a scowl, a reaction that made Yami frown. He knew that his boyfriend didn't really like his manager, but so far he had always been at least civil around the man. As long as he would be professional in his duties as Yami's manager, Atem had decided to tolerate Dartz's presence. It was a compromise that worked as long as Dartz didn't overstep his bounds, which luckily wasn't too often. But even during those moments Yami had never seen Atem display such obvious disgust as he was doing now. It made him wonder what had caused it. The reaction was simply too severe for Atem to be simply put off with the interruption of their intimate moment.

"What's wrong?" Yami inquired softly.

Focussing his attention back on his lover, Atem replied calmly, though his scowl continued to mar his handsome features, "I need to have a rather lengthy talk with your manager about his implementation of certain rules."

There was another knock on the door, "Yami, are you in here?" Came Dartz's rather impatient call.

But after what Atem had said Yami was still confused about his sudden anger. He didn't want to be in the middle of a confrontation without knowing what it was about, so he quickly turned to the door and called, "In a moment Dartz. I'm not decent yet."

"Well hurry up! You've got an early flight tomorrow morning, and I want you to get as much rest as possible."

"Yeah, I'll hurry. Just hold your horses." Hearing no further reply from his manager Yami turned back to Atem, "What rules?" He inquired, keeping his voice low to avoid being overheard.

Atem glared at his boyfriend, though Yami knew it was directed towards the man on the other side of the door and not him, "The one where you aren't allowed any visitors unless they've got a backstage card." He grumbled in a low voice.

Yami's eyes widened in surprise before his brows knitted in confusion, "It's meant to make sure no uninvited guests can come in here. It's just a safety measure, what's the problem with that?"

The fact that Yami knew about the rule, but obviously also didn't know that his loved ones hadn't received a backstage card only fuelled Atem's anger towards the manager even more. It just showed how childish Dartz was in not even going into full details with his charge.

"The problem is," Atem started, hissing through his teeth in an attempt to continue to keep his voice down, "That we never received a backstage card, nor were we even informed of this rule until I saw Rafael just now."

Yami felt an odd sensation creeping into his stomach. For as far as he knew Atem and Yugi were supposed to get one. Though he had to admit that he wouldn't put it past Dartz to purposely forget something like this, he also had trouble believing he had done so. When Dartz had introduced the new rule during the briefing the day before this tour started, Yami has made it explicitly clear that he wanted Atem and Yugi to get a backstage card, just to avoid this problem altogether. Dartz had seemed slightly displeased at the request, but had assured him that he would abide by the singer's wishes. Dartz, despite his problems with his charge's relationship, had never betrayed him, so why would he now? It made Yami doubt whether his boyfriend's ire was justified.

"Are you sure? You were supposed to get them shortly after I went on tour." He said carefully, hoping to dispel some of Atem's anger, but failing miserably judging from the glare he received.

"I'm very sure." Atem seethed, "So why not get this cleared up by talking to mister Orichalcos himself?"

Yami didn't like the tone his boyfriend had adopted. The use of the man's surname only added to that feeling. He knew that Atem would argue heatedly with Dartz the moment he would step into the room and Yami would be in the middle of it. He could only hope that this whole matter was a little misunderstanding, and that Atem would accept that. At least then they could go to the hotel together and continue enjoying Atem's surprise visit, which now seemed on to be on the brink of ruin.

"All right, I'll let him in." Yami conceded meekly, not looking forward to this. But before he disentangled himself from Atem's arms he placed his hand on Atem's hot cheek, "But promise me one thing Atem. Please calm down and be civil. There could be many reasons why you never received the cards. Dartz not sending them is simply one of them."

Even though Atem didn't believe it for one bit that there could be another explanation for their current predicament, he nodded anyway for Yami's sake. He came here to surprise his boyfriend after all, not to fight with his manager. He didn't want to ruin it for the both of them.

Yami smiled and granted him a quick kiss on the other cheek in gratitude before he moved out of Atem's arms to walk towards the door. He placed his hand on the handle, but didn't turn it yet. Instead, he glanced over his shoulder to see whether Atem had composed himself enough. His pose was still rigid, and his cheeks still flushed with anger, but he was taking a few deep breaths in order to dispel at least some of it. Once done he looked at Yami and nodded, silently signalling that he was calm enough to proceed. Yami nodded back and turned the handle to reveal a rather impatient manager tapping his fingers on his folded arms while leaning against the opposite wall.

Dartz looked up when he heard the door open, "Well, finally. I thought I had to come in there and-" But he didn't finish his sentence when he took in Yami's appearance, who was still fully clad in his Pharaoh outfit minus the headdress. He pushed himself off the wall and took a step towards the singer, "What in the world is going on here? Why haven't you changed yet?" He demanded to know.

Yami frowned a bit at the intensity of his manager's reaction. Sure, they were usually on a tight schedule and his manager hated it when something was delaying it, but lately he had been responding to everything with more annoyance than before. Upon realising this he started fearing the agitated states of both his boyfriend and his manager were going to hopelessly clash after all once they saw each other. Yet he also knew that it was inevitable, so he simply sighed, resigning himself to his fate. He didn't comment on what the man had said, but instead he opened the door a little bit further – not enough to reveal the other occupant of the room - and beckoned his manager to come inside, "I need to talk to you Dartz." He said in a neutral tone that revealed nothing of his reasons for not having changed out of his attire yet, or for wanting to talk to him.

Dartz grumbled a few inaudible words to himself, but made his way into the singer's dressing room without a fuss. Yami couldn't help but wonder what had gotten his manager so riled up. It caused him to unconsciously hold his breath as Dartz stepped over the threshold and his annoyed heterochromic gaze clashed with angry crimson. Unfazed with the burning intensity of Atem's gaze however, Dartz simply narrowed his eyes and proceeded to step further into the room, allowing Yami to close the door behind him so they could have some privacy in their upcoming argument.

"I suppose you are the reason for holding Yami up." Dartz sneered, obviously displeased with seeing his charge's love interest, "What are you doing here?"

Atem didn't back down from the obvious challenge Dartz was giving him, but instead crossed his arms and cocked his head before rising to the bait, "I believe you already answered your own question before even asking it Dartz. I'm obviously visiting my boyfriend and 'holding him up'. What else would I be doing here? Finding out whether stage diving without a crowd is a good idea?"

Yami, who was still standing behind Dartz, shot his boyfriend a warning look when he saw the effects of Atem's taunt on his manager. Dartz was simply bristling with indignation over the cocky comment, and with the look Yami was attempting to tell his boyfriend to tone it down and remember his promise. But Atem had his eyes solely locked onto Dartz, his attention focussed on the man like a predator challenging another over mating rights.

Luckily for Yami, Dartz, despite his rising indignation, kept a cool head and in turn didn't rise to the bait Atem provided him with with his last comment, "Don't get so cocky Atem, you know what I mean. You know that I want to have Yami focussed on the tour, and therefore do not appreciate any unannounced visits."

"Oh, is that why you never sent us those backstage cards?"Atem, seeing the clear opening, quickly retorted.

This comment actually caused Dartz to be taken aback and frown in confusion, "What are you talking about."

The reaction actually caused Atem's anger to rise even more, "Don't play dumb with me Dartz. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Apparently I don't. So perhaps you should enlighten me."

"Stop it!" Came the sudden yell from the forgotten third occupant of the room, successfully causing both quarrelling men to shut up. Yami stepped from behind his manager to stand in between the two, assuring that he had their full attention before speaking up. He first turned to his boyfriend, "Atem, you promised me that you would accept other explanations for not receiving the backstage cards instead of jumping to conclusions and blaming Dartz. You're not holding up to that." He accused, surprising Dartz with how successfully it made the confidant man back down and even look a bit sheepish. But then his charge turned to him, and from the intensity of his scolding glare he understood. If looks could kill, both he and Atem would have died a hundred times over, "As for you Dartz, I just want to know one thing. Did you, or did you not sent my two boyfriends a backstage card after I had explicitly requested it of you?"

The commanding tone Yami used reminded Dartz just how fitting Yami's stage name was for him. Being still dressed in the Pharaoh's outfit only amplified that. In general he knew Yami to be calm and rather easy to get along with, but apparently he could also be a beast when angered. Luckily it wasn't too often that he was on the wrong end of his ire, but this time it forced him to reply quickly and truthfully, "Of course I did." He said honestly, relieved to see Yami relax with the affirmation.

"Then how come we never received them, nor received a note informing us of that rule?" Atem demanded to know, though his tone and manner was much more controlled now after Yami's scolding, unwilling to receive another tongue-lashing.

Dartz turned his attention back to Atem, "I don't know. Granted, I wasn't initially planning to, because I want Yami to focus on his tour along with tightening security measures, and I felt that any visits from his…acquaintances would only distract him. You would have been informed of course, but wouldn't have received the cards." He admitted shamelessly, proving that Atem had been right about his initial ploy and that he had no qualms sharing it. They all knew how Dartz felt, so he saw no need in hiding it. But before either of the other two could comment on that Dartz turned his attention back to Yami and continued, "But as soon as you had made that request I accepted it, and had the cards made and prepared for sending along with the explanatory note. I even personally saw to it that they were posted the next d-" Dartz's eyes grew wide when a sudden realisation dawned on him, and he slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand with a groan.

Atem, feeling they were getting close to an answer, narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "The next what Dartz? Please enlighten us." He quipped, earning him a jab in the ribs from Yami's elbow.

While Atem rubbed his side and shot Yami an apologetic look, Dartz sighed and looked up again. His expression had turned from annoyed to sad with even a hint of guilt. It surprised the other two, who had never seen him like this, "Do you remember I had that phone call that day Yami?" He asked softly.

Yami frowned a bit as he searched his memory for that day. It wasn't too difficult to remember, since it was the first official day of his current tour. They had had the briefing the day before and were planning to leave to his first venue early that morning. Yami recalled that Dartz had received a phone call while they were waiting for their flight at the airport. He had excused himself and walked off a short distance to have some privacy. A little while later he came back looking pale and quite stressed, but Yami hadn't questioned it then. It wasn't the first time that some problem with Atlantis would suddenly pop up and require Dartz's attention even while he was unavailable.

Yami nodded, "Yeah, I remember. What about it?"

"That was my wife calling me that day." He said tiredly, adopting that very same stressed expression as Yami had witnessed that day, "She called me to inform that my daughter, my sweet Chris, had an accident and was severely injured."

Yami gasped at the news, and even Atem couldn't help but feel sympathy for the man in front of him, but they both remained otherwise silent to allow him to continue. They watched how Dartz's gaze turned to his feet as he clenched his fists, "She had gone out with her boyfriend Valon the night before, and apparently decided that it was a good idea to go joyriding on his motorcycle while being drunk." Dartz then raised his head and locked his gaze with the other two males again, allowing both to see just how much this situation affected him. It showed how much Dartz loved his daughter, how disappointed he was in her actions, and how angry he was at her boyfriend, "Valon lost control over his bike while taking a sharp bend. They crashed into a tree at the side of the road."

"Gosh!" Yami gasped, unable to stay quiet for much longer. He walked up to his manager with a look of concern on his face, "Is your daughter okay?" He asked with a sense of urgency.

Dartz sighed and looked away again, making Yami fear the worst. But then the man unclenched his fists, his features softening a bit along with it, but retaining the sorrow he felt, "She had quite a blow to the head and was unconscious for several hours. Other than that she had a few broken bones, and some internal bleeding. Luckily she was wearing a helmet, and there was someone nearby who witnessed the crash and called an ambulance straight away, or she would have either died on impact or bled to death. She's still recovering, but fine now." He finished.

"What a relief." Yami whispered in sympathy, reaching out his hand to place it on his manager's shoulder in comfort, "So that's what has gotten you so stressed lately."

Dartz simply nodded before looking at Atem, "I was planning to post the cards before our flight, but I hope you understand that was the last thing on my mind at that moment. After that, I simply forgot about it."

Yami turned his head to regard Atem, shooting him a pleading look to beg him to forgive Dartz. But the look wasn't really necessary. Atem could tell that the story Dartz had just told them was genuine and he could understand the manager's feelings. He would feel the same if something ever like that happened to either Yami or Yugi. So he nodded, "I'm sorry for what happened to your daughter, and I understand that you forgot. Let's just put this behind us." He offered, earning himself a smile from Yami and a look of relief from Dartz.

"There's just one thing I don't understand though." Yami said, turning the attention of both others back to him with questioning stares, asking him to elaborate, "Why didn't you cancel the tour to go see your daughter? You know I wouldn't have argued against it given the circumstan-."

"I wanted to." Dartz admitted before Yami could even finish his sentence, "And if my daughter had still been in critical danger when my wife called me I would have. But she was already stable, so my wife assured me that it was all right for me to go. It was a very difficult decision to make, but my wife can be very convincing when she wants to be."

Now that was a sentiment both Yami and Atem couldn't quite understand, and Yami couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. If it hadn't been for his tour, then Dartz could have been with his family when they needed him. Granted, he didn't know, but that didn't mean that he didn't feel that way regardless.

Atem on the other hand wondered about Dartz's wife. If something serious were to happen to Yugi while Yami was on tour, he would want Yami to join him even if Yugi was going to be fine. He also knew that Yami wouldn't even take no for an answer if he gave him that option. He had told him and Yugi time and again that his relationship with them had priority over his career as a singer. Atem respected Dartz for his devotion in his work, but felt that this went a little bit too far in his opinion. It actually made him curious as to what kind of person Dartz's wife actually was to convince her husband that his work preceded being by his recovering daughter's side.

"Anyway, now that that has been cleared up, "Dartz started, breaking the gloomy silence that had descended upon the room, "We've wasted enough time here. Yami, get changed. Atem, a quick word with you in my room while Yami gets ready."

Yami and Atem were stunned to silence at the sudden change in Dartz, and could do nothing but nod in affirmation to his commands. Yami set out to gather his stuff so he could get changed, while Atem followed Dartz out of the room and to another one a few doors down the hall. Upon entering Dartz walked up to his briefcase that was lying on the desk. He opened it and rummaged through it until he found what he was looking for. He held out a large envelope to Atem, which he gingerly took.

"That's the envelope containing the backstage cards for you and Yugi." He explained, "Make sure you'll bring them along next time. I'll make sure to instruct Rafael not to let you in next time if you don't have one."

Atem nodded, but gave no other reply, still a bit stunned over Dartz's story and his decision to go on with the tour. He simply couldn't get his head around the entire 'the show must go on' mentality.

"Just one more thing Atem." Dartz interrupted his musing, "I was serious when I said I want Yami to focus on his tour and can't use any distractions. This means that I want your visits to be kept to a bare minimum."

Atem rolled his eyes, "You make it sound like I'm trying to ruin Yami's career. Might I remind you that it were me and Yugi who actually encouraged him to give it a try in the first place? I'm here to show my support, and provide my boyfriend with a little bit of love and relaxation. I'm convinced it'll only give him even more enough energy to continue doing what he loves to do. If my actions are counterproductive, then trust me that Yami will let me know. So please refrain from trying to keep us apart."

Dartz grumbled over Atem's insubordination, knowing that he was right, but unwilling to admit it himself. And even though he couldn't stop the man from visiting his charge, he was unwilling to stop until he had at least some kind of victory over the other, "Then at least inform me beforehand, so I can see whether the visit is convenient. It would be a pity if Yami wouldn't even have the time to see you when you do come over."

Atem, who clearly heard the unspoken implication behind Dartz's words, narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "Is that a threat I hear there Dartz? Are you seriously considering making Yami is booked so fully that it wouldn't ever be convenient for us to visit him?"

Dartz smirked confidently, making Atem worry whether he had made a fatal error, "I never said that." The manager said smoothly, "My intentions are purely for the benefit of my charge's career and general wellbeing. Even you must know that Yami is a busy man, and that you got lucky to even be able to see him tonight. For all you knew he had to be on a plane right now on the way to tomorrow's venue."

Atem growled softly, knowing he had been bested, for he could find no flaws in Dartz's logic, "Fine." He conceded, "But if I even expect for one moment that you are being deceitful I'll make sure to let Yami know. Then you can deal with him."

Dartz nodded, "I can live with that."

Right at that moment there was a knock on the door and Yami walked into the room, now dressed in a casual outfit consisting of some faded blue jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt, informing them that he was ready to go. Dartz gave him an approving nod and turned his gaze back to Atem as if to silently confirm their agreement. Atem understood and gave the man a tiny nod, but also shot him a warning look that spoke volumes of his shaky trust in the man. Atem then turned to Yami and wrapped his arm around the latter's waist. Yami smiled and returned the gesture, laying his head on Atem's shoulder as they walked out of the small temporary office together with Dartz following them.

0o0o0

A/N: I'm actually amazed with how well this chapter went in terms of writing. I actually wrote over half of this chapter in one day! That's over 3000 words in one day and that's something I can't usually pull off. Usually I get to write a 1000 words a day, 2000 if I'm lucky, before hitting a snag somewhere that requires some thought before I can continue. But I was so pleased with how it was going that I actually had to stop myself and force myself to go to bed at one point. Man, that felt awesome, and I hope I can keep this up for the remainder of this story. That said, I couldn't even include everything I wanted to include in this chapter, but it would simply have become too long, so I've decided to leave that for the next chapter. It's also the chapter Yugi will finally make his appearance.

I hope I've managed to redeem Dartz a bit. I know many of you thought of him as a jerk, and even thought Yami shouldn't have signed that contract. It actually inspired me come up with a good reason as to why Atem and Yugi never received those cards, and was lucky to come across one very cute plotbunny by the name of daughterhadsevereaccidentattherighttime. XD But I also wanted to emphasize that Dartz is a little bit of a jerk no matter what. That's why I've decided to give him the heterochromic eyes (you know, while he was corrupted by the orichalcos he had one green, and one golden eye).

Enough about me rambling over my writing choices that you should be able to figure out for yourself! On to…

Next chapter: Yami and Atem make the most of their shared evening, and you get to find out what's up with Yugi. I know I've made you curious about him ;).