A/N: Welcome to chapter 8 of Overcoming Differences!

I've got an extra early and a long chapter lined up for you guys and girls! I got really inspired and writing went like a breeze. Everything just seemed to click and new idea spewed while I was writing it. Man, I love it when that happens :D. I even think I have an idea for Yugi's nickname for Atem, but suggestions are still welcome!

This will probably be the final chapter before I'll be going on holiday. I'm not sure whether I'll be able to squeeze the next one out before I'll be going away coming Thursday, but I'll see. I'll be gone throughout the rest of August and will be back in September. I'll continue updating then. Hopefully I get to write lots over the holidays.

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

Reassurance

Atem was not amused when he saw his cousin leaning on the corner of his desk while waiting for him in his office that Monday morning. It was the day after his fateful date with Joey, a week after Seto had first confessed his attraction for the blonde. He had hoped that Seto would have kept his failed date to himself instead of bugging him with it, but apparently that wasn't going to happen. So he took a deep breath and steeled himself while he closed the door to his office behind him before moving towards his desk, "Cousin, to what do I owe your company this morning?" He said jovially.

Seto scowled back at his cousin, unappreciative of his witty greeting, but Atem was undeterred by it. In fact he didn't even see it, for he could well imagine the look Seto was shooting him and didn't want to ruin his mood any further by actually looking at it. Instead he started powering up his computer and getting everything ready for his workday.

Annoyed by being partially ignored by his cousin, Seto huffed and stood up straight, standing right in front of Atem's desk so that he couldn't ignore his looming presence that easily. But when Atem gave nary a response he decided to just bring up the matter for which he had come without further comment, "I want you to arrange a consecutive meeting with Wheeler."

Atem's eyes grew big and he lifted his head to stare at his cousin in disbelief, "Why?" He managed to get out.

Seto frowned and cocked his head in confusion over his cousin's reaction, but responded nonetheless, "I was unable to arrange one with him myself, but I wish to get to know him further."

"Seto." Atem's tone turned grave while he wished he wasn't in this position. He just hoped he could talk some sense into his cousin's head, "You do realise that Joey walked out on you, right?"

"I must admit that I was surprised that he did not return , but I'm sure he had some sort of reason to. Perhaps he was being called away and didn't have the opportunity to tell me." He replied, looking a little thoughtful before he continued, "If he thinks he has offended me then he need not worry. The same thing could have happened to me."

Atem sighed deeply and smacked his palm against his forehead as he sank down into his chair, "You know Seto? For someone as smart as you, you are incredibly dense socially." He accused, seeing that he once more got a confused expression from Seto. Apparently he just didn't get it, and needed Atem to spell it out for him, "Joey walked out on you because he would have punched you in the face if he had stayed. He was pissed, because he felt like you were insulting him the entire time."

Seto blinked and crossed one arm across his chest, supporting his other arm as it pinched his chin in thought. Atem sincerely hoped that Seto would get it now, and that he wouldn't have to explain it to him any further. But his prayers went unheard as Seto questioned, "When have I insulted him? I've told him about myself, and allowed him to talk about himself. I even came up with a term of endearment that fits him very well."

Atem sighed again and leaned forward onto his desk with his head propped up on one of his hands, "I heard you have called him mutt because he reminds you of a scurvy dog."

"But that's exactly what he reminds me of!" Seto defended himself.

"Really Seto? A scurvy dog?" Atem stressed, hoping it would make his cousin see the obvious insult.

But Seto just seemed to stubborn to understand, and continued to defend himself further by explaining his reasoning behind the nickname, "Well he's not as…as…" Seto waved his hand as he was trying to come up with the correct way to voice his thoughts, "Well…'clean' and decadent as I am."

Atem threw his hands up in the air, "Him and like ninety-nine percent of the world's population Seto!"

"I was just trying to fondly address the contrast between us. Don't you do the same thing when you call Yugi a squirt?"

"Seto." Atem moaned in exasperation, becoming more irritated by the second, "It took a long while before I even dared calling Yugi a squirt, and even then it was a risky move. Luckily Yugi knew me well enough by then to know that I wasn't insulting him and was merely joking around. The term grew to have a new meaning for us over time. You can't just call people names out of the blue and expect them to accept it. Certainly not on a first date and most certainly not when a term has a negative connotation."

Seto reluctantly nodded, a hint of understanding finally readable on his expression, "I think I can understand his reasoning now. If that was the problem then I wish to rectify it. I will do so first thing when I see him again."

"I don't think he wants to see you again cousin. He made it perfectly clear that you have left a very bad impression on him. It wasn't just the bad choice of a nickname, but he was also greatly offended by how you were comparing him to you all the time."

"I was just stating fact. I am smarter, higher educated, and richer than he is." Seto once again defended himself.

"That doesn't mean that you have to spell it out all the time Seto." Atem stressed, "You have no idea how arrogant you sound by putting yourself on a pedestal like that. How is anyone ever going to feel like they are worth anything if they can never compare to you?"

Seto fell silent after that, giving his cousin's words some more thought. He started to pace in front of the desk, realising just how much of a fool he had been. He was so used to acting superior all the time that he had no idea that it could offend anyone to such extend. Well…he guessed he did know somewhere deep inside. For some reason he had to think about his younger brother. Mokuba had always admired his older brother for his intellect, but now that he thought about it his younger brother would also sometimes withdraw into himself. He remembered one particular instant in which Mokuba had proudly shown him his science project. He had worked on it for so long, and had received top marks for it in school. But the look on his face when Seto commented that it was too simple was something he would never forget. Back then he hadn't really understood his brother's reaction. Once again he felt like he was merely stating a fact, since his own science project back when he was Mokuba's age had been far more advanced than Mokuba's 'simple' contraption.

But he and Mokuba were related, so asides from moping in his room for a little while his little brother would always come back to him at some point; once again trying hard to impress his older brother. Joey didn't have that kind of obligation to him. Instead the roles were actually reversed. Now it was Seto's turn to try hard to impress. He could only hope that he would be given another chance, "So…are my chances with Wheeler completely ruined then?" He eventually asked his cousin, who was looking at him with a mix of relief and concern.

Atem sighed again, "I don't know. You've messed up pretty bad, and it's up to Joey to decide whether he is willing to accept your apology and give it another try."

"Will you help me?"

Atem blinked at the question. Seto sounded so small and vulnerable while saying it. It was so unreal that Atem doubted whether he had even heard it right, but one look at his cousin granted him a sight that confirmed what his ears had detected. The man stood slightly slumped, looking at him with hope glimmering in his otherwise steely eyes. Atem simply couldn't ignore his cousin's plea like that. He was obviously sincere and willing to try. If anyone could help him with his social skills, it would be Joey no doubt.

After a short moment of intense silence, in which Seto was practically begging his cousin with his eyes, Atem caved in, "I can give you no assurance Seto, but I will try. I will talk to Joey and see whether he's willing to give it a second try, but I can give you no guarantees."

Seto shot Atem one of his rare smiles. It was filled with gratitude and appreciation. He nodded, "Thank you Atem. I really appreciate that."

0o0o0

"You're amazing Yug'! I love you so much right now!" Joey exclaimed as he dug into his macaroni and cheese lunch that Yugi had brought along with him.

Yugi chuckled as he fondly watched his best friend enjoy the humble meal. As they ate they talked about Joey's date with Seto the previous night. Yugi patiently listened while the blonde ranted about every single detail, simply letting him vent his emotions and get the issue off his chest. Together with the food he would soon be back to his old self.

The question was how long this was going to stay this way. Atem had called him that morning about his meeting with Seto. His boyfriend had sounded tired and strained, which was understandable considering what he had faced. What Yugi didn't understand though, was how Seto had failed to see that his date had gone terribly wrong. He also didn't understand how his own boyfriend could have agreed in getting Joey to give Seto another try. Yugi had been against the idea from the start, and even Atem had his doubts. But as Yugi had voiced this on the phone Atem had told him about Seto's reaction when his faults finally got through his thick skull. After he had received that information Yugi just hadn't been able to say no to his boyfriend's pleas to talk to Joey about giving Seto a second chance.

"Joey." Yugi gently interrupted his raving best friend, "If Seto came up to you and apologised, would you be willing to give him another chance?"

Joey stopped eating to frown at his best friend in disbelief, "And risk being denigrated even more? No thank you Yug'. He can apologise all he wants, but that guy is simply too snobbish and socially inapt for me to deal with." He angrily took a large bite and chewed in silence before swallowing, allowing him to continue, "Why do you even ask anyway? I thought you were convinced we weren't going to work out."

Yugi sighed, "Atem called me this morning." He then proceeded telling Joey about what Atem had told him, watching his friend's reaction throughout the story switch from anger, to frustration, to sadness. He stressed that Seto could really use someone who could help him with his social skills, and that Joey had the power to do just that.

Once Yugi was done Joey thought over what he had said for a while, while slowly finishing up his lunch. Yugi watched with tense anticipation, unsure of how the blonde was going to react. He hoped he would get a reply soon. In just a few minutes he had to leave for his appointment with doctor Valentine. He was relieved when Joey finally focussed his attention back on him, but became worried when his mouth suddenly creased into a wicked grin, "He'd better be willing to beg for my forgiveness. If he's serious about this he should be willing to do whatever it takes to get back into my favour."

"What are you saying Joey?" Yugi asked worriedly.

"That he'd better have a steep learning curve. If he's serious about changing then he needs to prove it to me. I'll go on another date with him when I feel that he has apologised sufficiently for me to forgive and tolerate him."

Even though the blonde's words made sense to him, Yugi was still worried about what his best friend had in mind, "How do you want him to do that Joey? What are you planning?"

Joey grinned again and leaned back, "That's for him to decide. See it as a lesson for him. He won't learn unless challenged, and I'm giving him just that. I don't mean to extort him in any way if that's what you're worried about. I won't ask for anything, just humbly receive what he gives me."

Yugi, reassured by Joey's words, smiled a small smile. Though he had been worried about Joey taking advantage of the situation, he could now see how this could actually work out. Indeed, Seto loved a challenge. He would probably stumble and fall along the way, but if he was sincere he would keep on trying.

0o0o0

"But what's wrong with me calling you honey?" Yugi asked Atem.

They had once more settled down in the living room that evening with Atem helping his disabled boyfriend with his exercises as the latter lay on his back on the couch. Yugi had taken this opportunity to bring up the subject of finding a nickname for Atem.

"It's too girly." Atem replied.

"Nonsense. There are tons of girls calling their boyfriend honey."

"My point exactly squirt, you are not a girl."

Yugi sighed as he drew a hand over his face in exasperation. Atem simply looked at him with an amused expression, almost challenging him to debate this nickname even further, but Yugi wasn't going to fall for that trap, an decided to move on, "What about pumpkin then?"

"You're getting worse squirt." Atem replied with obvious distaste. This one was no good as well then.

"Babe then?" Yugi said hopefully, but the look of distaste didn't leave his boyfriend's features.

"That's too girly the other way around."

"The other way around?" Yugi wondered in confusion, not understanding what his difficult boyfriend was hinting at.

Atem shrugged, "There are tons of guys calling their girlfriend babe, and I'm not a girl."

This time Yugi groaned in frustration, almost wishing he could move his legs and kick in obnoxious boyfriend. He slung an arm over his head in an effort to think. So far Atem had rejected every single endearing nickname Yugi had suggested, always finding one reason or the other why it didn't fit. Perhaps he should take another route, "What do you think of mou hitoru no boku?"

"That's quite a mouthful, isn't it?"

This time Yugi nearly growled, so fed up was he with Atem's insistence of rejected every proposal, "Well, you're not being very helpful Temmy!" He said accusingly.

Atem's eyes suddenly turned dark as he looked Yugi straight in the eyes. He squeezed Yugi's ankles, which had still been in his grasp. Both the look and the grip, which he did actually feel a little bit, caused Yugi to flinch a little bit. He knew Atem would never hurt him, but he knew that he had truly offended him when he gave him that look, "Call me that again and I'll disassemble your stairlift so you'll be forced to sleep on the couch."

Yugi's eyes grew big and he leaned up on his arms in shock, "You wouldn't."

Atem leaned in a bit closer, abandoning his activity with his boyfriend's legs. The smirk he had been wearing, but which had gone unnoticed by Yugi before now clearly visible, "Try me."

Yugi swallowed. The stairlift was a necessity in his life. Without it, his movements throughout the house would be severely inhibited. He was on one end certain that Atem was joking, for he wasn't the kind of guy who would stoop so low to do such a thing - not even as a joke or when he was particularly angry – but the look Atem had shot him just moments before made doubt creep into his mind. He wasn't willing to test it out and lay back down with a sigh of defeat, "What's wrong with Temmy, anyway?" He wondered out loud.

"It sounds like something my mother would call me." Atem muttered as he leaned back as well and resumed what he had been doing, "Like I'm some little kid."

Yugi sighed, "I guess you're right. I can't even take myself seriously calling you that. It would probably crack me up all the time."

"Glad you agree. Now, anything else you'd like to suggest?"

" No, I give up." Yugi moaned with a huge sigh of defeat, "Why are you being so difficult about this, anyway?"

This one comment caused Atem to go back to his conversation with his cousin this morning, where he had to explain why Joey had been so offended by being called a mutt. It reminded him of how special a nickname was. Nicknames could be common or uncommon words, but in the end it didn't matter as long as it meant something special to those involved. To himself he wasn't so much being difficult as that those words just didn't mean anything to him. There was no feeling to them; at least not the same feeling he felt as when both his lovers simply called out his name, "I'm not." He replied seriously, "You're the one who keeps pressing this issue. I'm perfectly happy with you just calling me Atem."

"But I'm not!" Yugi exclaimed.

Atem flinched a little bit. He wasn't used to Yugi responding like this. He was usually so calm and collected that it was rare to see him really angry or upset unless he had one of his bad days concerning his disability. So to see him respond like this to such a simple matter like a nickname came as a complete surprise to him. Somewhere down the line the simple teasing about Yugi finding a nickname for him had apparently become a larger issue to the former.

Atem was shocked even further when Yugi moved to sit up and reached for his wheelchair. His boyfriend was obviously becoming really upset about the entire matter and tried to get away. Even though he could easily stop him, Atem didn't. He knew that if he prevented the disabled young man from doing so it would only upset him further. He needed to have at least some sense of being able to 'walk' away in order to calm down. But that didn't prevent him from prying into what was bothering him, "Yugi, please talk to me. Why is it so important for you to have a nickname for me?"

"You wouldn't understand." Yugi said with a voice that clearly indicated that he was near tears, and didn't stop his movement to get away. He was simply too upset right now.

As soon as he had settled into his wheelchair he turned around and moved to the extra room their house had on the ground floor. It was often also the place Yugi would go to whenever he was upset and didn't want to deal with either of his boyfriends right now. He couldn't just storm up the stairs and lock himself up in the bedroom, so this room had become the place where he would go to.

"Then help me understand." Atem pleaded, following his boyfriend, but again not making a move to stop his retreat to make sure he wouldn't upset him any further.

But Yugi didn't respond. He just roughly turned the wheels of his chair until he had finally reached the room. He entered it and closed and locked the door behind him. Atem stayed outside with one of his hands and his forehead pressed against the wooden barrier separating himself from his upset boyfriend. He wished Yami was here. Yami knew how to deal with these kinds of outbursts better than Atem did. Yami would have been able to stop Yugi's retreat, hug him comfortingly and coax him to talk. For some reason Atem just didn't, and how he hated it.

Atem could hear Yugi's quiet sobs on the other end of the door, and his heart ached. He wanted to know how their simple discussion and their light teasing had suddenly taken an entire new turn. He wanted to hold Yugi and comfort him, but was now denied of that gesture, "Yugi please." He pleaded just loud enough for Yugi to hear, "Tell me what's wrong. I love you, please let me help."

But no response came. Atem sighed and moved away. He knew he would have to wait until Yugi had calmed down enough to come out of the room and talk. He sat back down on the couch with a groan, and rubbed his face with his hands. Even from there he could hear his boyfriend's soft crying, and his heart ached some more. The feeling of helplessness was agonising, and kept his minds going back to their earlier conversation. What had he said that had triggered this? Yugi had lashed out at him the moment he had told him that he didn't mind having no nickname, so apparently the issue was more important to the younger one than he had led on initially. But why would that be? What was so important about a stupid nickname? No matter how much Atem thought about it, he couldn't come up with a answer, so he was forced to wait until Yugi would enlighten him. Sighing again he got up from the couch, unable to sit still as long as Yugi was sad. He decided that he would make some tea. Yugi would probably like some as soon as he finally came out of that room.

Meanwhile, Yugi was feeling slightly guilty while he cried in the room. He knew that he was being unfair to Atem by running away from him without any explanation. The look on his boyfriend's face and the sound of his pleading voice had made it clear to him that Atem was sincerely confused, and Yugi couldn't blame him. He himself hadn't expected to get so upset over such a silly matter. Frankly, until just a moment before he hadn't known how big the issue was to himself either. But that didn't take away the fact that he was pretty upset right now, and that he just needed a moment for himself. A moment to calm down and think about why he was reacting this way. Deep down he knew the answer, but he just had to admit the truth of it to himself.

He took a glance around the room he was in. In one corner there was a small desk with a microphone and a small mixing table Yami used whenever he was writing new songs. Next to it was a desk with their shared laptop. On the other side of the room there were a few items Yugi used for some of his exercises. Everything in this room reminded Yugi of how he shared everything with the two men he loved so dearly, and how their presence in his life were so important to him. He didn't want to lose them. Even though there was no indication that he was going to, he felt that fear nonetheless. The recent issue with Joey and Seto merely strengthened this feeling. Now that he was faced with how it could also go wrong he wished to cherish what he had even more. Thus his sudden need to find a nickname for Atem.

After a few minutes he had calmed down considerably, and rubbed his tears away with the end of his sleeve. He glanced back to the door behind which Atem was waiting for an answer. He was ready now, so took a deep breath and unlocked the door so he could rejoin him.

Atem, who was by now shifting uncomfortably on the couch, looked up when he heard the lock of the door click and saw his calmed down boyfriend emerge from the room, "Yugi?" He said softly, not wanting to upset him again.

Yugi rolled his wheelchair to Atem, and positioned himself right in front of him. He didn't look at him, but stretched out his arms and let himself fall forward on top of him. Atem quickly held on to Yugi to avoid him from sliding right off his lap. Feeling warm and protected now, Yugi buried his face into Atem's shoulder as he hugged him tightly around his neck. They sat in silence for a short while, Atem both relieved Yugi had come out of the room, but also unsure of how to proceed. Instead, he simply waited until Yugi had found the courage to speak up.

"I'm just so happy to be with you." Yugi eventually whispered against his boyfriend's shoulder. Atem frown in confusion, but didn't say anything to allow Yugi to continue, "I want the whole world to know that we are together. I love it when you call me squirt in public. I love it when Yami does the same by calling me aibou. I love it when I can call him sweetheart, and I love it when I hear you call him darling. I'm so happy and proud to be with you, but if I just call you Atem all the time no one will know that we are together. We could just be normal friends to those who don't know us. But I want them to know that we are together, and that we are happy."

Atem sighed with a sad smile. He could understand what Yugi was trying to tell him. He too was proud to be both Yugi's and Yami's boyfriend, and wanted the entire world to know. For all he cared people could even know that Yami was Pharaoh. They were together and they were very happy. They complemented and completed each other in ways that was for some difficult to understand, but that didn't make it any less true. Even though he loved how his boyfriends would single out his name in a crowd and call him just that, he guessed he could to some extend understand Yugi's need to in a way seal the deal. Simply 'Atem' wasn't special enough for him. He needed more.

"But that's not all." Yugi interrupted his thoughts, turning his head around to talk more comfortably, "When I was young I never expected to be in a romantic relationship because of my disability. I didn't know how that would ever be possible. But then I met Yami, and later I met you, and now I don't have one, but two people in my life whom I love and who love me back. Two people to call my own, but now I can't even show that for one of them."

"Is that why it's so important to you?" Atem murmured softly, "Are you afraid that I'll think you don't love me enough because you have no nickname for me, and that I might leave you because of your handicap?"

Yugi's hold on his boyfriend's neck became a little bit more tight, "I know it's silly."

"It's not squirt." Atem said reassuringly, placing a small kiss on top of Yugi's head, "We all get afraid sometimes. And when we do, even the smallest thing can become big. It's okay if you just need that little bit of reassurance for yourself."

Yugi finally lifted his head to smile at Atem. His eyes were still a bit glossy and red from his earlier crying, but Atem could see the he had managed to reassure and cheer up his boyfriends, and it caused a huge wave of relief to course through him. Things were going in the right direction again, "Thanks Atem. I love you."

"I love you too squirt, and I'm sure that one day you'll find the perfect nickname for me." Atem replied and captured Yugi's lips in a gentle kiss before tucking Yugi's head in the crook of his neck again, where it remained for the remainder of the evening.

0o0o0

A/N: It's amazing how easy it was to write this chapter. I love all the scenes and have got a great idea for the pupyshipping. I miss Yami though. I need to come up with something to give him a cameo before he comes back home. Not sure what I'm going to do though. Maybe I can come up with something that has the same theme as the rest of the chapter.

Next chapter: Seto will try to apologise to Joey, Yugi will continue his quest for a nickname, and hopefully Yami will do…something XD.