A/N: Welcome to chapter 3 of Overcoming Differences!

It took a week longer than I expected, but I got it out in the end! I was suddenly hit with inspiration for another story (FF7 Clack for those who are interested), and took some time to start on that one. Hence why this one came out later than expected. I've decided to post that one after I finish this one.

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!

0o0o0

Reminiscing

It had been a while since Yami had been as comfortable as he was that night. He was lying on his side with his head on Atem's firm chest. His lover's beating heart and the steady rise and fall of his chest soothed him as he drowsed. He had awoken a couple of minutes ago, noting that it was the middle of the night. But instead of going back to sleep Yami decided to savour the warm, contented and safe feeling he had while having Atem at his side. He was a bit sad when he realised that the picture was incomplete. He was used to seeing Yugi being in a similar position, only then on Atem's other side. Yet, even though the thought of not having Yugi here saddened him, he couldn't help but chuckle, since the realisation also triggered a fond memory.

It was during the early days of their relationship as a threesome, when Atem had just moved in to live with Yami and Yugi. They had gotten into a rather silly argument over who would sleep in the middle. This argument was mainly between Yami and Atem, since Yugi preferred to sleep on the side anyway for several reasons. First they had stood in the middle of the room while starting throwing arguments at one another. When that didn't solve the issue they decided to turn more physical. Yugi had watched them with quiet amusement as both tried to claim the spot while keeping the other away. The scuffle, which could have been serious, soon turned into a rather playful ruff which Atem eventually won. He was lying on his back while pinning Yami's head to his chest. With the other subdued he had motioned for Yugi to join them, which he gladly did. Meanwhile Yami conceited his defeat and relaxed. Atem had wrapped his arms around both of them, holding them close. But the thing that Yami remembered most, were the words he had spoken.

"How else can I protect the both of you if I can't keep you both close to me? This way I can watch over the both of you, and keep you safe."

Yami smiled at the memory. The serious way in which Atem had spoken those words had given them that much more impact. Ever since Atem had claimed the middle spot and had spoken those words Yami had never felt more safe than when he was nestled onto his chest.

The singer opened his eyes and glanced at his boyfriend's sleeping face with fondness. His tousled hair stuck to his forehead, which reminded Yami of their night together. The trip back to the hotel hadn't been long, but for Yami it had seemed like hours as he desperately wanted to be alone with Atem. He was sure Atem had felt the same way. They had even been delayed when Dartz had decided to give them a lecture on how Yami had to get up at seven in the morning in order to be ready in time to travel to his next venue in Shanghai, and how Atem had better make sure not to delay him. Atem had simply rolled his eyes, pointedly telling the manager that he would make sure that Yami would be ready in time before practically dragging the singer into his hotel room and closing the door behind them.

"Finally, I've got you all to myself." Atem had whispered lovingly while moving in to claim Yami's lips in a hungry kiss.

Yami kissed back with vigour, but soon turned away, "I'd like to take a shower first."

Yami started to move towards the bathroom, but Atem grabbed his arm to prevent him from getting too far away, "You seriously want to clean yourself up before getting down and dirty with me?" He asked humorously.

Yami blinked and blushed. He was so used to taking a shower after his show that it had become a routine. He hadn't actually thought about how it was pretty useless with what they both had in mind, and it was quite embarrassing. Atem chuckled, which only caused Yami's embarrassment to turn into anger.

"I believe you were to one who was complaining about me being sweaty earlier." He shot back while ripping his arm from Atem's grip.

Atem looked at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He knew exactly where this conversation was going and he knew he was going to love it. He held out his arms and looked at his shirt, "Well your first hug and you cuddling up to me in the limo on the way here has already drenched this shirt with your sweat, so I guess it's already beyond repair. And I've gotten used to the smell by now."

"So you're telling me that my sweat ruins your clothes and that I stink." Yami pointed out angrily, but Atem could tell from his manner that he was only pretending to be so, "If I didn't know any better by now I would have thought you were trying to keep me away from your bed."

Atem laughed and embraced his boyfriend. Yami made some show of resisting, though light squirming wasn't heartfelt, and Atem had no trouble keeping him pressed to his chest, "No." He whispered sensually after his laughter had died down, "You and Yugi are the only ones who are allowed to ruin my clothes and stink."

Yami stopped struggling and smiled. Then an idea suddenly sprung into his head and he grinned mischievously against Atem's chest, who didn't see it, "Well, I guess that you won't mind me doing this then."

Yami suddenly looped one arm around Atem's chest and started rubbing his armpit against it, while his other arm moved and stretched up, practically shoving the other armpit in his nose. Atem laughed at his lover's playful assault, and tried to get way. But Yami was relentless and followed him through the hotel room while brandishing his sweaty armpits, jokingly saying how Atem should smell the lovely aroma.

Yami chuckled again. Somewhere in the middle of their playful chase around the hotel room they had wound up on the bed. Things had turned passionately fairly quickly at that point, but their playful mood had remained during most of their foreplay. Yami remembered how Atem had at some point stuck his nose into Yami's armpit and took a big whiff. After briefly analysing the smell he had playfully claimed that Yami wasn't sweaty enough yet, and that he had to do something to change it. Well…he was certainly successful at accomplishing that.

Another wave of fondness washed over the young singer. He loved the playful banter he was able to share with Atem when they were together. Considering that Atem could be rather rough around the edges and had a bit of a possessive streak, it was nice to know that he wasn't the lustful beast people expected him to be. Sure, once he was in the mood there was pretty much no stopping him from getting what he craved, but he also became very playful. It always made their intimacy fun asides from pleasurable.

Yami failed to notice how his hand had started to absentmindedly stroke the surface of Atem's chest and stomach while he was lost in his thoughts and memories, until Atem started to stir a bit. The sleeping man groaned softly and opened his eyes, "Yami?" He said sleepily.

Yami shifted his head so he could look at him, "I'm awake." He said softly.

"Why? Can't sleep?"

Yami shook his head without lifting it from his boyfriend's chest, causing his hair to deliberately tickle a rather sensitive area he knew about, "No, just thinking about how much I love you."

"Well, keep this up and you'll have to love Atem Junior as well."

Yami barked a laugh and glided his roaming hand downwards, stopping on Atem's lower stomach, "Only if you'll love mine as well."

"Haven't sweated enough, eh?" Atem grunted before pulling his lover further on top of him, their lips only inches apart, "Well, I think I can oblige."

Their lips clashed; a prelude to the start of another round of fun filled passion.

0o0o0

The blonde young man stretched his arms above his head and yawned before relaxing back into couch he was sitting on.

"You tired Joey?" The smaller young man sitting next to him inquired with a soft chuckle.

"A bit. You've chosen a great day as your day off Yug'. Work was simply hectic." Joey replied tiredly, but then a smile formed on his face as he added, "And eating your wonderful cooking and crashing down on the couch in front of the television isn't really helping."

Yugi chuckled again while shaking his head in amusement. He enjoyed spending the evening with his colleague and best friend Joey. He had even made sure to do some extra grocery shopping after Atem had left for Tokyo that day, since he knew his friend pretty much had a bottomless pit for a stomach. Even more so after a hard day of work at the administrative office they both worked at. It amused him to no end how the cheerful and energetic young man, who always brought a positive atmosphere at the workplace, could become as lazy as a contented cat when he had a full stomach and a television to stare at.

He was glad that Atem had suggested inviting him over while he was visiting Yami in Tokyo. He had been a bit disappointed at first when he couldn't come along to visit his other boyfriend. It caused one of the rare occasions that he hated not being able to go anywhere on a whim. He had accepted his situation a long time ago, but that didn't mean it never bothered him, and things like this usually triggered them. But luckily for Yugi he was surrounded by friends such as Joey who could provide him with the company and distraction he needed to make him forget such destructive thoughts.

Besides, he had known beforehand that it wouldn't be that easy for him to visit his boyfriend while he was on tour. It was difficult even without the special arrangements that needed to be made especially for him. While on tour Yami was constantly on the move, from being in western Europe for two weeks to travelling to all corners of the United States within a month, and so on. It was his job as much as Yugi had his own. It was only a stroke of luck that Yami was performing so close to home halfway through his tour. It hadn't been a planned venue originally, so the announcement came quite late, and Yugi didn't blame Atem for taking this opportunity to visit him, even if he couldn't come along. If only they had known a little bit sooner, then they could have made the proper arrangements.

Yugi shook his head at his thoughts, 'No use crying over spilled milk.' He mused. He had long since decided that he would accept their situation, and allow Yami to do what he dreamt of doing. He was nevertheless jealous that Atem was being with Yami now, but the thought that he had Atem all to himself while Yami was away soothed the green monster. He was lucky that he wasn't alone; that his relationship with Atem besides the one he had with Yami actually allowed the singer to pursue his dreams without having to worry about him. Not that Yugi couldn't take care of himself. On the contrary, he was more than able to live independently, but this way he didn't need to be lonely during Yami's long absences, and Yami could rest easily knowing that his first boyfriend was taken care of.

Yugi suddenly chuckled, causing Joey to look at him and raise his eyebrows in question, "Yug', I know you're in a wheelchair and all, but I didn't think you would think it's funny when someone hears he will never walk again."

"Huh?" Yugi said in confusion, not understanding what his friend was talking about.

Joey motioned towards the television, on which they had been watching a silly soap series that had been on, but Yugi hadn't really been paying attention as he was lost in thought. He now saw how the man on the hospital bed was trying to stay strong as his girlfriend was crying on his chest for his fate, and understood what Joey was talking about. He chuckled again, realising that it must have seemed quite stupid to be mirthful at such a moment.

"I wasn't really paying attention, but thinking about something else." Yugi explained when Joey shot him another questioning look.

Joey grinned, always in for a good laugh, "Care to share?"

"I was just imagining Yami being angry at Atem for supposedly leaving me alone tonight." Yugi replied.

Joey frowned in confusion, "I fail to see how that's funny." He confessed.

Yugi shook his head with a smile, unable to get the thought out of his head now, "It's just that it's only because of Atem staying with me that Yami agreed to give his dreams a shot in the first place. It stops him from worrying about me. So the thought of Yami chewing him out over leaving me alone for a single night in order to see him is actually rather funny."

"Oh, I see. I guess when you look at it that way it kinda is." Joey chuckled softly, but then turned more serious, "But seriously though, doesn't it bother you that Yami worries about you that much?"

Yugi shrugged, "It does sometimes. We even get into arguments about it occasionally, and sometimes even Yami and Atem fight over it when Atem feels I should be able to do something, while Yami thinks I shouldn't. It's annoying at times, but I know he means well. And as long as he realises when he has crossed the line and apologises before backing off I can deal with it. So far, we've always made up in the end. I'm actually comforted in knowing that Yami cares about me so much that he wants to protect me so badly. It's a rather endearing quality in him that I don't get from Atem, you know?"

Joey thought about those last words for a while, but soon understood their meaning. Ever since he had met and befriended Yugi five years ago when he was instructed to show Yugi the ropes around the workplace, he had been a frequent and welcome visitor. He knew all three of them well, along with their differences and similarities. Though he wasn't privy to many details about their unique relationship, he did know that both Yami and Atem were fiercely protective over his best friend, but were very different in how to express that at the same time.

Atem was a strong man who could be rather intimidating despite not being very tall. In fact, even though Joey was taller than him and surely not a pushover he wouldn't want to get into any physical fight with the man. Just having his dominating presence near Yugi kept his colleague safe from harm. But that's where Atem's protection basically ended. He wasn't one to baby Yugi, or treat him like an invalid. He knew Yugi could do a lot on his own without any help, so he rarely offered it. It was something Yugi appreciated, since it caused him to feel like he wasn't worthless; that despite being in a wheelchair he could still live a relatively normal life. Yet at the same time Atem's disposition could also cause him to try to do something he simply couldn't do, and the fact that he simply couldn't do everything he wanted then came as a hard slap to face.

Yami certainly was different in both aspects. First of all, though he wasn't weak in any sense of the word, he bore a much more gentle aura with him. He was the kind of guy you would probably trust asking for help if you encountered him on the street. But instead of having that strong physical presence, Yami tried to protect Yugi in different ways. He would offer his help, or even do something just so Yugi wouldn't have to. In general it wasn't much of a problem, but Yami had the tendency to be a bit extreme, making Yugi feel like he wasn't good for anything. This way, Yami's disposition was as much as a double-edged sword as Atem's. Only this time Yugi could get really tired of being mothered by his boyfriend, while at other times he enjoyed being able to be lazy.

So Joey understood how both Atem and Yami provided Yugi with a different kind of protection. There was a balance that was undeniable despite the relationship to be a bit controversial. Where Atem lacked, Yami provided and vice versa.

"Yeah, I get you." Joey replied, and glanced to the clock to check the time. Seeing that it was already growing late, he stretched again and made to stand up, "Well, I guess I should get back home."

Yugi also glanced to the clock and nodded, "Yeah. Thanks for coming over tonight Joey. I enjoyed your company."

"No thanks bud. You know I like your cooking too much to say no to an invite." He replied while patting his stomach to emphasise his point, causing Yugi to laugh, "By the way, need any help with that before I go?" He asked, indicating the glasses and dirty plates that were stacked on the coffee table.

With any other friend Joey wouldn't be concerned over them, and simply would leave them for the host to clean and put away. But it was different with Yugi. Because of the latter's disability it would take him considerably longer to clean them up than it would Joey. Simply getting the dishes from the living room to the kitchen could prove to be quite challenging for the simple fact that he would have to balance them on his legs while using his arms to move the wheelchair. The task generally required multiple trips back and forth between both rooms in order to get all the plates and glasses there safely. A task that would take Joey only a few seconds to accomplish, and yet he knew it was best to not appear to be too helpful by cleaning up without asking. Yugi always appreciated it when someone would inquire first.

"Well, it would make my life easier if you could take them to the kitchen. Don't worry about cleaning them though. That's no problem for me."

"Sure thing." Joey smiled and started gathering the dishes before bringing them to the kitchen.

Meanwhile Yugi took the remote and turned off the television before shifting his weight on the couch, and reaching for his wheelchair that he had parked nearby. He quickly checked whether it was still on the brake. Ever since he had forgotten to put it on the brake when he was younger, and wound up in a rather awkward position on the floor with nobody around to help him up, he had developed the habit to always double check it before lifting himself in and out of it. Seeing that it was still secure, he reached over with his arms to firmly grab the armrests. He lifted himself off the couch - his strong arms and years of practice making the task easy - and gently settled into the seat. He lifted the brake and was rolling himself towards the kitchen when Joey exited it. He thanked his best friend before letting him out and saying goodbye.

Yugi then sighed, noticing how quiet the house had suddenly become. It had been a long while since he had been alone at night. As a matter of fact, now that he thought about it, he had actually never been alone ever since his college years. Him and Yami had bought this house soon after graduating and getting a job, and they had always been at home at night. Atem was no difference once he moved in with them about a year later. This thought actually caused an odd feeling to form in Yugi's stomach. He was so used to at least one of them being there, of using Atem's warm chest as a pillow, that he was a little bit unsure of being able to sleep at all tonight.

Deciding to worry about that later Yugi turned his wheelchair around and went back to the kitchen to clean up the dishes. This wasn't a hard task for him, since the kitchen had been modified especially for him. The counters were lower than usual and there was some space underneath some of them to allow him to access them comfortably. Asides from that most of the cupboards were within arm reach as well. Only those holding items he wouldn't generally need were out of his reach. For now he settled himself in front of the sink and opened the low cupboard to his right to grab what he needed and started working. Asides from the two plates and glasses from before, there really wasn't much else. Just a few mugs and some pots and pans, nothing he couldn't handle, and the task was soon finished.

While drying his hands Yugi wondered what to do next. He could either stay downstairs and watch some more television, or head upstairs to get ready for bed. The uneasy feeling from before returned. Tonight Atem wouldn't be waiting for him to hold him close and neither would Yami. He would be completely alone in their big bed, while Yami would actually have a night with one of his lovers for a change. This thought caused even more emotions to well up inside of him. Jealousy for not being able to be there and see Yami himself, happiness for allowing Yami the chance to not be alone for a night. The conflicting nature of these emotions only made him feel worse. He thought it was weird how he could be both negative and positive about the situation. He guessed he just didn't want either of them to be lonely. It wasn't like he wanted to keep Atem all to himself, as he was more than willing to share him with Yami, just as much as he was willing to share Yami with Atem, but at the same time he wanted to be a part of it. They were only complete when they were with the three of them.

Yugi smiled sadly at the realisation. He knew he always missed Yami while he was on tour, and how happy he was when he was at home. He was always the happiest when all three of them were together, but it wasn't until now, when he would be spending the night alone for a change, that he truly understood what they both meant to him.

He decided that he was too distracted to focus on anything on the television, so decided to head upstairs and face his first night alone in many years. He headed to the staircase, which was equipped with a stairlift. He positioned his wheelchair in front of the lift, made sure it was on the brake, and lifted himself from the seat of the wheelchair to the chair of the lift. He supported himself mostly with his arms, but was able to support himself a little bit on his weakened legs. It was quite helpful, since it made turning his body around a lot easier. Once he was securely settled on the seat of the lift, it slowly started to move up along the rail.

That was actually the only thing Yugi didn't like about the thing. He loved how it made it possible for him to live and move around their home, but the thing was so damned slow. It literally took him a full minute to reach the top of the stairs, a task that would take a walking person only five seconds if it wasn't even less. The tediousness of the ordeal always made Yugi consider his actions carefully. He didn't want to move up or down the stairs only to move back a second later because he forgot something or didn't really need to be there for long. So even though the stairlift was very helpful, it was still also a little bit restrictive in its usage.

Once it finally reached the top of the stairs Yugi hoisted himself into his other wheelchair that was waiting there. From there on he started his usual routine before getting to bed, which also took quite a while due to his limited mobility. He first brushed his teeth, and then made sure to use the toilet, so he was sure he wouldn't have to get out at night. He undid the cord on his sweatpants and allowed it to fall to his ankles a he lifted himself from the wheelchair and onto the toilet seat. Using the handle on the wall he lifted himself up a bit with one arm and two shaky legs while his other arm swiftly tugged down his underwear. This actually took a few times before the piece of clothing was down far enough. While he emptied his bladder he removed his t-shirt and bend forward to remove his socks and grab his pants from the floor. He bundled them up and threw them in the hamper with a well-aimed throw. Once he was done he hoisted his underwear back up while lifting himself up a couple of times again before getting back into his wheelchair and finishing the task by flushing the toilet and washing his hands. Then he was finally ready to move to the bedroom. He rolled himself to his side of the bed and grabbed his sleeping shirt and put it on.

He usually didn't wear any pants to bed, since they were simply such a hassle to get on and off for him. Only if it was really cold did he wear some. Atem certainly didn't mind, and sometimes even teased him that if he thought it was such a hassle then he shouldn't even wear any underwear either. Yugi was used to his teasing by now and would take it as an incentive to tease along, which generally led to a night of passion. Yami had been different at first by offering Yugi to help him get his pants on and off if it would make things easier for him, but Yugi had always declined, claiming that he was perfectly able to do it himself, but was perfectly comfortable in sleeping in his underwear and shirt alone.

The memory made Yugi smile in fondness as he lifted himself onto the bed and settled beneath the sheets. He even remembered how Atem had been in stitches over Yami's offer when he innocently made it one night when Atem was around. That was before he had even moved in with them yet. Both Yami and Yugi had been a bit confused about this at first, until Atem had made them aware of the sexual innuendo that went with the offer. Both had blushed so profusely after that, especially since they actually hadn't taken that step yet despite having been together for years already at that point. Yugi had been very scared and insecure because of his disability, fearing that he wouldn't be able to feel enough due to being partially paralysed from the waist down. Atem was actually the one who had eventually managed to coax and convince Yugi that everything would be all right. If it wasn't for him, then he probably would still have been a virgin. Atem had brought so much into his life next to Yami.

The contend smile remained on Yugi's face as he closed his eyes and slowly started to drift off to sleep. He found out that thinking about his boyfriends and how much he loved them actually diminished the odd feeling he'd had before. It was almost like they were right there; Atem in the middle with both Yugi and Yami resting comfortably on his chest. Before he knew it, he was asleep and dreaming of good times.

0o0o0

A/N: Alright, first off, I love how the beginning of this chapter worked out. I think it's because I'm starting to love my Atem more and more with each chapter. He's such an enigma and yet fairly easy to write. Much easier than Yugi…

I struggled a lot with the Yugi and Joey scene. I've changed Joey's character like five times before I was even remotely satisfied. He's gone from being clueless about understanding the relationship to being fully understanding. I'm still not completely happy with it, since I feel like I'm explaining too much, plus the explanation essentially comes from Joey's perspective, which makes it doubly odd. I could use some tips on that.

I know the last part mat be a bit boring with me just basically describing how Yugi goes about his routines, but I thought it essential to have this in to show how he deals with being in a wheelchair. It's a new concept that I felt I needed to explore. Everything I know about it comes from what I know about a teacher of mine from back when I was still in school. Besides being the best teacher ever (even though Latin wasn't my favourite subject), she was also in a wheelchair. I remember how she always chose her moments to go to the toilet carefully, since it could take her up to half an hour to go. We had a nice group during my fourth till sixth year, so she didn't mind leaving us with an assignment while she went, knowing that we would work on it while she was gone. She couldn't so that with a bunch of hyperactive second years… So yeah, I'm not an expert on the subject, but I do know some details and I'm looking up a lot to make everything more credible. First hand experiences are welcome though.

That said, I will go into more detail about Yugi's disability, but I didn't want to explain too much after the 'Joey explanation'… Yep…that's how much it bothers me…

Next chapter: Yami and Atem have to say goodbye again, and we get to see more of Yugi as he goes about his day.