A/N: Welcome to chapter 4 of Overcoming Differences!

Gah! My life is killing me! My job stresses me out to such an extent that I had to call in sick last week. I'm so sick and tired of disrespectful students who just won't shut up when I want to start my lesson… I'm sorry if you're still in school and my comment troubles you. I just needed to get that off my chest. I'm meeting with my supervisor tomorrow, so hopefully something positive will come out of that.

But enough depressing rambling from me! I did finally get some inspiration for this chapter and used…used…*goes to Google Translate* Pentecost (seriously? Is that how you English people call it?) to type it up.

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

Recapture what was let go

"Yami." Atem said softly to his sleeping boyfriend. Said boyfriend simply groaned softly and snuggled closer to his chest, refusing to wake up. Atem chuckled softly, "Wake up darling, it's time to get up."

"Don't wanna." Yami mumbled.

"So I've noticed." Atem replied with another chuckle, receiving an annoyed frown from Yami for being jostled around, but he still refused to open his eyes, "But you don't want Dartz to chew the both of us out, now do you?"

Yami groaned again and finally opened his eyes. He turned his head to look up at his boyfriend to see him smiling down at him affectionately. He smiled back, "I guess we shouldn't provoke him."

Atem hummed in approval and leaned slightly up so he could place a kiss on Yami's forehead, "No, we shouldn't, so as much as I would like it to sleep in with you, you should get ready."

"Yeah." Yami agreed and leaned up to place his own kiss on Atem's lips, "Wanna join me in the shower?"

Atem grinned mischievously, "Didn't you get enough already last night?"

Yami shook his head, "I need to stock up for the next two months." He declared playfully, "And besides, you would have followed me anyway even if I hadn't asked."

"That's true. I need to make sure you keep that sweat of yours where it belongs." Atem replied equally playful.

Yami burst out in laughter, and Atem felt a great wave of affection surge through him. The comment was said in jest, as he knew he wouldn't ever have to worry about Yami being with someone else. But the fact that Yami laughed so heartily at it only confirmed this feeling, and it felt good. Plus, seeing Yami laugh in such a relaxed manner also confirmed something else to him. Despite his earlier unwillingness to wake up, and last night's activities Yami looked relaxed and seemed to have a lot more energy than when Atem first saw him last night. There was an unmistakable sparkle in his eyes that caused his whole face to look that much more beautiful and bright. So there was no doubt on his mind that his surprise visit had done his boyfriend a lot more good than bad. He was sad to see it end, but at least he could go back home to Yugi knowing that Yami was fine.

Yami's lips were suddenly pressed against his own once the laughter had subsided. Yami moaned, pouring every emotion he felt for Atem into that one simple kiss before pulling back, "Then you'd better take me and my sweat to the bathroom right now." He said huskily.

Atem growled and quickly pulled the blankets away from their bodies. Yami shivered slightly as the cool air suddenly hit his warm body, but it was soon replaced by Atem's warm arms wrapped around him as he was dragged out of bed. Yami laughed again and allowed himself to be taken into the bathroom. Atem started to kiss him again after he had turned on the water and they were waiting for it to warm up. Yami wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him back with equal fervour, glad they were already naked so they didn't have to struggle with their clothes. This was going to be their final moment before not seeing one another for another two months, and Yami was going to savour it.

0o0o0

Yugi woke up to the incessant ringing of a phone. He groaned and looked at the clock, seeing that it was only seven-thirty. Who in the world would call him on a Saturday at seven-thirty? Yugi groaned again and shifted a bit, noticing how he had somehow ended up closer to the middle of the bed, Atem's spot, during the night. Thinking back about it he could vaguely remember waking up in the middle of the night, feeling a bit odd not to lie on top of Atem's warm heaving chest. Being still half asleep, he had unconsciously crept further to the middle of the bed. That is, his upper body had. His legs had stayed where they were, being unable to follow many commands, even unconscious ones. Still, as soon as he had found Atem's pillow and breathed in his scent his mind was reassured again and quickly drifted back off to sleep, sleeping through the rest of the night without any problems. That is, until the phone decided to end it.

Using his arms Yugi shifted back to his own spot and blindly grabbed for the phone that was on the nightstand. They had purposely placed it there so Yugi wouldn't have to go through too much trouble picking it up should it ring while he was in bed. He thought it was a nice consideration at the time, but right now he wondered why they had ever bothered having a phone in their bedroom in the first place.

"Hello?" He muttered sleepily once he had finally found the offending device.

There was chuckling on the other end of the line, "Good morning squirt. Did I wake you up?"

Yugi frowned. There was only one person in the world who was allowed to call him squirt. The nickname was courtesy of him not being very tall even if he wasn't in a wheelchair, but considering not many people could really judge his height there were only a select few who realised that fact. Atem was one of them, and had turned to calling him squirt. Yami had looked shocked when he first said it, and Yugi himself had also frowned, not really knowing what to think of it. But the term, which has a certain negative undertone, soon became an endearing nickname for the disabled young man. But this was only true when Atem said it, because only he could say it in such a way that was both teasing and loving. Not even Yami had that privilege.

But this soon caused Yugi's earlier question to resurface, "Atem, why in the world are you calling me at seven-thirty in the morning?"

Atem chuckled again, much to Yugi's annoyance, who would rather hang up the phone and go back to sleep, "Did you forget who I'm with, squirt? Even though you couldn't come along, I figured you could still have at least some quality time with him this way."

Upon hearing this Yugi's eyes immediately shot open, all traces of sleep gone from his mind and body, "Yami? He's still with you?" He said excitedly.

"You bet he is. Right now I've got him pinned down to the bed while he's trying to grasp the phone out of my hand."

It was then that Yugi could hear the faint sounds of struggle in the background. He heard a muffled voice trying to say something, but Yugi figured Atem had placed his hand over Yami's mouth to keep him quiet. It was something he would do.

"So," Atem continued, "What will you give me for allowing you to speak with Pharaoh? Mind you he's an international pop star, so speaking to him doesn't come cheap."

Yugi groaned once more and closed his eyes while using the hand not holding the phone to pinch the bridge of his nose. He knew of what kind of payment Atem was referring to, but he wasn't in the mood to indulge him in his silly game, "Atem, it's simply too early to play this game. Besides, it's not like you don't get enough already. Just let Yami go and let me talk to him."

Yugi could hear Atem mumble "Spoilsport" before he finally heard Yami's voice demand for the phone. Apparently his teasing boyfriend had decided to accept the request and had released the trapped singer at least partially from his hold on him.

"Yugi?" Yami's warm voice travelled to his ears a moment later, causing him to smile again.

"Hey Yami. How are you?" Yugi replied back happily.

Yugi could practically hear Yami smile at the other end of the line, "Struggling with an obnoxious boyfriend, but otherwise fine." Yami replied with a hint of exasperation, which caused Yugi to chuckle. Yami's voice turned slightly more sad, though, when he added, "Wish you were here as well though."

Yugi sighed sadly, knowing that it was due to the visit being a surprise that he wasn't able to be there. Getting to Tokyo wasn't the problem. They had a car that was specially accustomed to transporting him and his wheelchair. Finding out whether the building Yami's show was at is wheelchair friendly also wasn't a problem. The problem was that they didn't know beforehand whether the backstage area was likewise accessible, and whether the hotel Yami would stay at, if he even would, was wheelchair friendly. The only way to find out would be by contacting either Dartz or Yami himself, which would have spoiled the surprise.

"I wish I was too sweetheart." Yugi replied demurely, but then lightened up a bit when continuing, "But enough about that! Tell me, have you been to any nice places on your tour?"

"Yeah I have!" Yami said enthusiastically, obviously glad for the change of subject, "I've seen so many places I want to take you and Atem to when we get the chance Yugi. You should see some of Europe. It's amazing! I was even lucky enough to have a day off here and there, so I could go sightseeing. I saw some of Paris, Rome and Amsterdam. Did you know they eat raw herring in the Netherlands? They even have a traditional way of eating it by holding it by its tail and letting it slide inside your mouth while tipping your head back. I was a bit hesitant about trying it out at first, but then thought it wouldn't be that much different from eating sushi. It actually tasted really great!"

Yugi smiled at hearing his boyfriend retell his experiences which such enthusiasm. He was glad that Yami got the occasional day off to relax and see some of the places he went to. Yugi always loved to hear the stories, and the three of them had actually already visited some places when Yami was off tour. Despite his own impaired movement, he loved travelling. It gave him a sense of freedom. But Yami's enthusiasm also told Yugi something else. Despite being away from his loved ones for extended periods of time, he was happy with what he was doing, and that was even more important to Yugi.

"That sounds great sweetheart." Yugi said with genuine interest when Yami had finally stopped rambling. "Where will you be going next?"

"I'm leaving for Shanghai today, and from there I'm going to tour through Asia for a few weeks. I'll even be going to places such as Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore. Then we're going to dip south to perform in Australia and New Zealand before heading to the Middle East."

Yugi sighed dreamily. How wonderful must it be to be able to move around like that, seeing places you had never thought you'd visit otherwise. Sure, it was part of Yami's job and he didn't get to see much of most places, but Yugi couldn't help but be a little jealous nonetheless.

"But enough about me." Yami continued, snapping Yugi out of his thoughts, "What have you been up to aibou?"

"The usual." Yugi replied, smiling at Yami's use of his nickname, "Doctor Hawkins retired soon after you left though, so I've got a new physical therapist now. I was a bit nervous since doctor Hawkins has been my therapist since I was a kid, but doctor Valentine turned out to be really nice. She's also been doing a great job so far, so I'm satisfied with her."

"That's great to hear aibou. I would love to meet her when I get back home."

"I know you will like her. She's-" But Yugi stopped himself before continuing. He had almost spilled a secret that he had been preparing for Yami for when he got back home.

"What was that Yugi? I didn't quite catch you on that last bit." Yami suddenly said.

Yugi started to frantically search his mind for some way to save himself. He glanced at his legs, as if them being part of the secret would make him come up with the perfect safe. He didn't want to spoil the secret prematurely, especially since he knew the revelation would be a very special occasion. He was working so hard on it the last two months, and it would be such a shame if it were to be spoiled by a simple comment, "I said that she's gotten me to go swimming once a week." He eventually said. It wasn't even untrue, since she had. The fact that it wasn't a lie made Yugi feel a little bit more confident, and he continued, "She says that it's a good way to keep in shape and train my muscles without straining them too much."

"Is that even safe?" Yami wondered with a concerned tone in his voice, "I mean, what's the risk of you drowning because you can't use your legs?"

Yugi laughed, "Don't worry Yami, I know how to swim without my legs. I learned that while I was still a kid, but I've never really done anything with it. It was a bit awkward the first time, but I soon got the hang of it again. Besides, there's always someone nearby should anything go wrong, so please stop worrying. I'll be fine!"

Yugi heard Yami sigh in relief at hearing the reassurance. Yami was quick to worry about such things, and in the past he would have doubted Yugi's safety for a long time. He needed to see his boyfriend was fine before deeming something to be okay back then. Luckily he could now take Yugi's word for granted even though he would worry at first.

It was different with Atem. When Yugi had told him what doctor Valentine had suggested he had even encouraged him on rather than being worried over it. Truth be told, he had gone along on his first time back in the pool, but all that time he had just calmly sat on the bench at the side while watching Yugi with pride. Since it had been Yugi's first time swimming after many years, the instructor had stayed close to him until he got the hang of it again, giving Atem enough confidence that he was in the right hands. If Yami had been there, he would probably have been right there in the water with him, annoying the crap out of his disabled lover until said lover would probably firmly order him to get out of the water and leave him be.

"Sorry aibou." Yami apologised sheepishly, "I just don't want something bad to happen to you."

"I know sweetheart, but I'm really fine. Just think about it this way. Doctor Valentine wouldn't have recommended it if she didn't deem it safe for me. I know she'd only been my therapist for a short while when she recommended it, but I trusted her. She hasn't let me down yet."

"Okay." Yami conceded, but didn't continue. Yugi could hear some noise in the background that sounded like a knock on a door and somebody talking. He heard Yami sigh, "I'd love to talk some more Yugi, but Dartz is at my door telling me it's time to go."

"Oh." Yugi said, a bit said that their short moment on the phone had come to an end. He could talk to Yami for hours, but duty calls, "You'd better go then. Do your best sweetheart, and have fun. I'll see you again in two months. Love you."

"Love you too aibou." Yami said before hanging up.

Yugi sighed a contented smile. Even though he hadn't been able to come along with Atem he had at least been able to speak with Yami over the phone for a little while. It meant a lot to him that he could to some extend join in them being together again, and it caused a giddy feeling to well up in his stomach. It was a feeling of happiness, but also of excitement. It was as if speaking to his first love for even a short while gave him a ton of energy.

Speaking of energy, now that he was fully awake he decided he might as well get out of bed. He usually wouldn't get out until nine-thirty, which was his usual time to wake up when he didn't have to go anywhere, but the energy surging through him simply wouldn't allow him to go back to sleep again. Yugi smiled as he pushed away the blankets, thinking about how he had actually slept surprisingly well considering neither of his boyfriends had been there with him. It had been so long since he'd been alone that he'd been worried, but it appeared that his worries had been for naught. It was also reassuring that simply having his memories of them close at heart, and knowing that they were probably thinking of him as well made them connect on such a level that it was as if they were right beside him even if they weren't.

As soon as his body was free of the restraining material, Yugi manoeuvred himself to sit on the edge of the bed, using his hands to aid his legs in moving. He was actually able to move his legs a little bit, just like they weren't completely numb and he could support a little bit of his weight on them for a very short time, but using his hands was simply much faster. He supposed he could use the movement as an exercise to train them, but it would take too much time in his eyes. Now that he knew Yami was leaving for Shanghai, he expected Atem to come home soon as well. Although the man needed a few hours to travel from Tokyo back to Domino, Yugi estimated that Atem would be back home later in the morning. Due to his limited manoeuvrability it always took him a while to get through his morning routine, especially now that there was no one to help him. Not that he usually got much help from Atem to begin with, but if he did need it his second love would be there in an instant. In any case, Yugi wanted to be ready when he got home and worry about exercising his legs later.

He hoisted himself into his wheelchair like he'd done so many times before, though with each passing day it lately became a lot easier. Ever since doctor Valentine had taken over from doctor Hawkins she had been giving him exercises for his legs. She felt that, even though Yugi would never be able to walk, he could make a lot of things a lot easier for himself if he did. She even didn't exclude the possibility that Yugi might be able to stand straight without any support for a short time once his leg muscles had been sufficiently trained. It might not seem much on the outside, but it meant a lot to Yugi. It would make his life so much easier if he could use his legs a little bit more. Plus, he was also hoping to achieve something he had wanted to achieve ever since his relationship with Yami and Atem had gotten sexual. He was working hard so he would be ready when Yami got back from his tour, and surprise him. Hopefully, he wouldn't be forced to just lie on his back while they were intimate, but he could be more active.

He made his way to the closet grab some clothes. For Yugi it was important that everything was in easy reach from his wheelchair, so nothing could be either to high up to too low down. In his case all his clothes were on the shelves and in drawers that were not higher than just above his head, to no lower than just below his knees. Luckily the three of them shared a bit closet that had enough room for Yugi's clothes to fit in the space that met these requirements, while keeping enough space available for Atem and Yami's stuff. So, he fist opened one of the doors and grabbed a clean pair of sweats from the bottom shelf, along with a shirt from the one above that one. These kinds of clothes were easy to get on for him, and comfortable to wear. He had some more fashionable clothes for when he needed to go to work, but for today this would do. Placing the articles of clothing on his lap he closed the door and reached down to the drawer that was underneath it, and was around knee-height for him, to grab some socks and clean underwear. Adding those to the small pile on his lap he closed the drawer and made his way towards the bathroom.

After going through his usual routine of going to the toilet, he got ready to take a shower. He turned on the water so it could warm up before placing his clothes on top of the washing machine, where they would be in easy reach when he needed them. He then grabbed a towel and hung it on the rack next to the shower so he wouldn't have to get out of the cabin when he was done to dry himself off. By then the water had turned warm and Yugi was ready to get in. He lowered the seat that was attached to the wall and grabbed a firm hold of the handle bars on either side. He was glad for the rubber mat on the floor, because it kept him from slipping on the wet floor, something that could be a real problem for him. Once he was settled he started cleaning himself. His hair and most of his body wasn't much of a problem, but it became tricky when he came to cleaning his backside. He used one hand to grab one of the handle bars and leaned slightly towards that side, using his other hand to quickly scrub himself clean before doing the same thing on the other side.

When he was finally done he allowed himself to simply sit under the warm spray of water. It was something that he loved doing, since the warm water relaxed him and helped him think. Right now he was thinking about what he needed to do today. Since it was a Saturday, the usual weekly grocery shopping needed to be done. However, considering he couldn't take along much in his wheelchair, it would be better to wait for Atem to get home. But other than that there wasn't anything else Yugi knew that needed to be done today. He could simply get some breakfast, wait for Atem to get home, do the shopping, and then settle down to relax for the evening.

For about ten minutes Yugi simply let his thoughts wander to what usually came out of a relaxing evening with Atem. He even briefly wondered whether it would be any different tonight, since he knew for certain Atem had probably had enough last night. He immediately chuckled at the thought, knowing that Atem would probably want to make up for his absence last night, so there was actually no doubt on Yugi's mind what their evening was going to look like. He eventually turned off the water and grabbed the towel off the rack to start drying himself. Again most of it wasn't a problem until he got to his lower body. He dried off his legs and feet as best as he could before placing the towel in the seat of his wheelchair. He then carefully moved himself to sit back in his wheelchair, where the towel absorbed most of water left on him. It was a trick he had learned long ago, and was still glad he had. He finally went about the time consuming task of getting himself dressed, pulling the towel from underneath him when he was done. After more than an hour after waking up he was finally done and ready to head downstairs.

Once the stairlift had safely taken him down and he had settled into his other wheelchair again he set out for the kitchen to grab some breakfast. He didn't make anything fancy, just some sandwiches and a cup of milk. Since many things took up so much time in Yugi's life he was never one for complicated breakfasts. He enjoyed cooking, but not after he'd just spend an hour on something that would take an average person only half an hour, if not even less. So a simple peanut butter sandwich and a cheese sandwich was enough for him in the morning.

When he had finished his breakfast he rolled himself to the living room and turned on the television, deciding it would be the best way to pass the time while he waited for Atem to get back home. He pondered on whether or not to move to the couch or stay in his chair. The couch was more comfortable, but if he stayed in his chair he would be able to greet Atem as soon as he got home. Truthfully, Yugi didn't exactly know how long it would take for Atem to get from Tokyo to Domino. For all he knew he could be just around the corner right now, or still a few hours away. Hoping that it wouldn't take too long, he decided to stay in his chair.

0o0o0

Atem was relieved when he finally parked his car in front of his house. He didn't mind driving, but the trip from Tokyo to Domino took nearly three hours. That was excluding the time he needed to stop along the way to get some breakfast. Not to his surprise Dartz hadn't arranged for Atem to join them at the hotel. Although he had naturally only prearranged it for whoever was involved in the tour, Atem felt it was a bit silly of him to deny him joining them. The hotel wasn't that fancy to begin with, since they only used it to sleep there for one night and they liked to keep it as low key a possible to keep Yami's identity a secret, so it shouldn't have been that much of a problem to feed one more person. But Dartz had been adamant about Atem not being able to join them. Instead of making a fuss about it Atem had accepted the denial. He said his final goodbyes to Yami before heading off home, stopping at a local café along the way to fill his own stomach.

"I'm home!" He called out when he had opened the front door.

Atem could hear the sound of wheels rolling over the wooden floor and shortly afterwards Yugi appeared from around the corner to greet him, "Welcome home Atem." Yugi greeted him while reaching out with his arms.

Atem smiled and leaned forward to hug his disabled boyfriend. Yugi squeaked and tightened his arms around the other's neck when Atem suddenly straightened himself, lifting Yugi out of his wheelchair. Before Yugi could question it his lips were met with Atem's, "That's for coming to greet me." Atem said when he had pulled away, "And this is Yami's gift for you." He continued before placing his lips on Yugi's again, only this time making the kiss much deeper, pouring all of Yami's love for him in it.

Yugi smiled once his lips were finally relinquished, "That's a nice gift." He murmured.

Atem smiled back and carefully placed Yugi back into his wheelchair, allowing the both of them to move further into the house, "So, everything went all right here last night?" He said on the way.

"Fine. I was glad Joey came over though." Yugi admitted, still remembering how odd he felt once his best friend had left and he was all alone.

Atem nodded and grinned as he sat down on the couch, "Yami almost chewed me out when he thought I had left you all alone. Seriously, he worries about you too much."

"Well, that's Yami for you. But you know that's what I also love about him." Yugi chuckled, moving to join his boyfriend on the couch.

Atem hummed and pulled Yugi close once he had joined him. Yugi smiled again and snuggled against him, feeling the familiar warmth in his chest for being in Atem's arms. A great surge of love and safety always accompanied the simple gesture. It was slightly different than when he would be in Yami's arms. It was difficult to describe, but he guessed that it was because Yami loved and protected him differently than Atem did. He loved them both equally, but also differently. In any case, it felt good to feel that sensation again.

"So, tell me everything about your visit to Yami." Yugi said once he had settled comfortably.

Atem nodded and started telling his boyfriend all about last night. He left the part where he had argued with Dartz out of it. The issue was settled now and he didn't want to ruin the mood. Yugi wanted to know about Yami after all, not about his obnoxious manager. Yugi smiled throughout the story, asking questions here and there, roaring with laughter when Atem told him about 'the revenge of the sweat' as he referred to their foreplay. Atem was happy that Yugi took everything so well, considering he had been a bit stumped when it became obvious he couldn't come along. It made him swell with love. This was what Atem loved so much about the disabled young man. Even though he was in a wheelchair, and even though he could sometimes be sad for being limited in his comings and goings, he would always accept it soon and bounce right back. That was a strength not even Atem had, and it was a strength that had made him fall head over heels for this young man.

0o0o0

A/N: Wow! This chapter turned out longer than I thought, and I didn't even put everything in it that I had planned to! I blame the scene with Yami and Yugi talking on the phone. It wasn't planned, but in the end it just seemed so fitting and it helped giving a few more glimpses into Yugi's life. Even though I needed to rewrite some parts here and there, I'm overall satisfied with how this chapter turned out. There are some things that I've touched here that will be further explored in the next chapters. I hope I've gotten you interested.

Next chapter: We'll stick with Yugi and Atem, and explore more of Yugi's life and his relationship with Atem.