So, I still updated today. I consider that to be an achievement. Right, I do not own Yugioh, enjoy. [YUGI, YAMI, and ATEM]

Chapter 32

"So, why have we been kicked out of the Palace on feeding day exactly?" Yugi asked Yami as they strolled down the sidewalk into town. Well, Yami was walking on the sidewalk; Yugi was walking on the short wall next to it.

"Would you please come down from there?" Yami asked.

"I'm fine, just answer my question."

"What? You don't want to spend a day with me?" Yami asked in a mock offended voice. Yugi sighed before purposefully falling to his right off the wall. Yami caught him of course, but the look Yami was giving him was unpleased.

"Of course I do. I just want to know why Atem isn't joining us." Yugi said cupping a hand to his cheek.

"Because I wanted you all to myself." Yami responded kissing his forehead before setting him down upon his feet.

"Fine, keep your secrets. Kami knows I have plenty of my own." Yugi grumbled hopping back up onto the wall.

"Indeed you do. So, what do you want to do today, Dear?" Yami said rolling his eyes.

"Do you want to meet Odion?" Yugi asked looking down at him.

"Odion?"

"Come on!" Yugi jumped down and grabbed Yami's hand running across the street.

BEEP! BEEP! HONK! SCREECH!

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

"Every day!"

"Well, I would appreciate it if you tried a little less. Atem and I still need to eat today. Something we can't do if you're lying in a Hospital bed."

"You'll survive, I have faith in you." Yugi said turning back to him with a grin as he stopped in front of a door. Yugi raised his fist and knocked three times.

"I don't care what your excuses are! I expect him home next time by no later by nine a.m., you hear me? Nine a.m.!" Ishizu yelled opening the door and tossing Marik out.

"Yes, ma'am!" he said mock saluting her. He nodded to Yami and Yugi before strutting down the street.

"What can I do for you, Yugi?" Ishizu asked looking down at him.

"Uh, Odion here?" Yugi asked focusing his attention back on her.

"No, his plane was delayed again. He won't be here by three a.m. at the earliest." Ishizu said looking sad.

"Oh, okay, well then enjoy your day!" Yugi said grabbing Yami and attempting to drag him away.

"Wait a second, Yugi. While I'm here, here, for the Ishtar family." Yami said handing her a thick envelope that appeared so fast in his hand Yugi didn't even see where it came from.

"Uh, thank you?" Ishizu asked more than said.

"You're welcome. We hope to see you there." Yami said allowing Yugi to pull him away.

"What did you give her?"

"An invitation to our Christmas Eve Ball."

"Oh, so what do you want to do next?"

"I don't know, what there to do around here?"

"Do you want to see a movie?"

"No popcorn." Yami said sternly.

"No popcorn." Yugi sighed.

"Okay, let's go." Yami said smiling and picking him up bridal style.

"I can walk."

"Let me carry you, please?" Yami asked trying to puppy pout.

"Let me walk, please?" Yugi asked mimicking him, only better.

"Fine." Yami said setting him on the ground.

"Yes." Yugi cheered and took two steps before he was picked up again.

"Hey!"

"What? I let you walk. I let you take two steps, now I shall carry you my little Prince."

"Whatever, let's just go."

[Time skip]

"It was so sad." Yugi cried, no bawled, into Yami's shirt.

"There, there." Yami said patting him on the back.

"You have a heart of ice! You didn't even shed one tear for them!"

"Yugi, need I remind you that I'm only half Uke? Seme's don't cry over something like a movie with nonfiction origins, but fiction intentions." Yami sighed.

"Cold hearted bastard." Yugi muttered. Yami just sighed rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant sight?" a voice spoke up. Yami looked around, before turning around and facing Heba who was sitting on a low wall, smirking.

"Tell me, when you get tired of the crybaby, come and find me, a real man." he said hopping off the wall and walking towards them.

"You guys are the same age right?" Yami asked.

"Yeah? So?"

"That makes you a child."

"And you're fucking a child. That makes you a pedophile." Heba said stopping right in front of him, arms crossed, legs spread apart.

"You know, there's already enough masculinity in this relationship, anymore would just throw us off." Yami said taking a step back and taking Yugi with him, ushering him more behind him.

"So you chose a baby to fool around with."

"I'm not a baby!" Yugi said wiping his face of any last traces of tears.

"Quiet Yugi, the adults are talking." Heba said waving him off with his hand.

"That's it!" Yugi shouted darting out behind Yami and lunging at his cousin, knocking them both to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Yami just stood there in half amazement and shock.

"What is your problem!?" Yugi shouted at his cousin as he was finally able to pin him to the ground.

Thank you, Atem and Yami, for teaching me how to do this.

When did we teach you how to do this exactly?

Do what?

All the times you did it to me.

Ah. I'll explain later, Pharaoh.

It's Atem.

"I don't have a problem!" Heba shouted back getting the upper hand during Yugi's distraction and flipping them. Yugi struggled, but couldn't flip his cousin back over.

"You have to! I know you hate me at the very least!" Yugi shouted in aggravation.

"You don't know anything." Heba spat out before punching him in the face. Then he was gone. Yami had lifted him by his throat and was slowly choking the life out of him with a cold, expressionless look on his face.

"Put him down, Yami!" Yugi ordered. Yami looked at him in a downward side-glance, but didn't release his cousin. If anything he tightened his grip on the boy.

NOW!

Yami dropped Heba who crumpled onto the pavement, coughing and hacking on the ground. Yugi rushed to his side, his hands hovering over him, not sure where to touch, in case it made things worse. Oh, Grandpa was going to be so angry when he heard about this. Not to mention what Sakura was going to do to Heba when she found out he had laid a hand on her precious baby brother. Oh, shoot, he forgot to put up a mind barrier which meant that Atem just heard that last thought and was going to be pissed. This day was only going to get worse, he just knew it.

"Why do you hate me so much, Heba?" Yugi asked quietly.

"Why do you care?" he asked in a nasty hoarse voice before getting up and running off.

"Because we're family." Yugi said sadly.

"Some family. Look at me." Yami muttered tilting his head up to look at his cheek. Yami examined it, before sighing and releasing his chin.

"It'll bruise for sure, but Isis will be able to heal it easily enough." Yami said sitting down next to him.

"Don't you ever try to choke the life out of my cousin again. He may be an ass, and violent at times too, but he's still blood. He's still family." Yugi said harshly.

"He hit you."

"Wouldn't be the first, and most certainly won't be the last. What you need to understand Yami, is that I've thrown my fair amount of punches right back at him."

"Really?" Yami asked in a surprised voice.

"Yeah, but he deserved it. Ha ha, I still remember the first time like it was yesterday. I was eight, and at my parent's funeral. Heba had said that Sakura and I were like him now, except he still had his Dad, and we had no one. So I guess we weren't like him at all. We were less than him. I lunged at him, punching any part of him I could reach. It took all of Sakura's, Mira's, and Marchelle's strength to pull me off of him. We were kept separated from each other for the rest of the day. Heba with his many bruises, and me with a busted lip. I should show you the pictures sometime, because there are pictures." Yugi confessed with a half hearted grin.

"I'm sorry, Yugi, but I just can't imagine you being violent, in any way." Yami said shaking his head. Yugi simply shrugged standing up.

"I'm hungry, wanna go get something to eat?"

"I'm already looking at my food." Yami said staring up at him.

"Funny, but seriously, I'm hungry." Yugi said as Yami stood.

"Then let's go get you a snack." Yami said grabbing his hand and lacing his fingers with his.

"Sounds good to me." Yugi said smiling back at him.

"Where's the nearest gas station?"

"This way." Yugi said tugging him in the right direction.

[Time skip]

"Seriously though, I think it would be very good for you to put the Shockers candy down." Yami said worriedly not look at Yugi, but more above him at his hair.

"Why? It's not doing anything to me." Yugi shrugged off Yami's concern popping the last four pieces into his mouth.

"It's making little zigzags of electricity running through your hair. I can see them Yugi. They're blue, and running through your hair like Frankenstein." Yami said approaching him cautiously.

"Oh bug off Mr. Paranoia. I feel fine." Yugi said turning away and barely touching Yami's chest with the tips of his fingers. Yugi heard a grunt, and a large clang and crash. He whipped around to see Yami lying across a lamp pole in a way that suggested that a great force had put him there. The lamp pole was, thankfully, not lying across the road but the sidewalk. Yugi looked down at his hand before back up at Yami.

"Uh, are you okay?" Yugi asked shoving his hands behind his back. Yami's face was one of excruciating pain as he held his chest.

"Yami?" Yugi asked worriedly leaning over him.

"Oh Ra, I haven't been in this much pain since I thought I was completely human." Yami groaned out rolling off the pole and onto his side in a fetal position.

"Uh, I'm calling Atem." Yugi said taking out his phone only to have it explode on him when he tried to punch in the numbers. That wasn't good. He stared for perhaps a second more before throwing his phone over his shoulder. It was no good anyway.

"That was stupid." Yugi muttered.

Atem…?

Don't bother. Yami's already told me everything. Next time he tells you to put something down, do it.

Don't get mad at me! He bought them!

You should have put them down!

I feel fine! I don't feel like I have like…10,000 volts running through me.

Ten what?

I'm guesstimating here.

Just don't touch him anymore, I'm almost there.

That I can do.

"Tattle tale." Yugi muttered.

"I'm in excruciating pain and you're calling me a tattle tale?" Yami asked in disbelief as tears were starting to form at the corner of his eyes.

"You're right. I'm sorry I flung you across the sidewalk with my electric touch. Hey! Electric Touch, that's what I'm calling this side effect." Yugi said snapping his fingers. A rush of wind brushed past him, and Atem was there kneeling at Yami's side.

"Okay, what's wrong, pacifically?" Atem asked tilting Yami into an upright position.

"My chest hurts." Yami said pointing to it. Atem placed his hand on his chest and gasped yanking it back.

"Yami, your heart is beating."

"Thank you Captain Obvious."

"It is?" Yugi asked moving closer in curiosity.

"This is your fault." Atem said looking up at him.

"Hey, don't glare at me! I'm not the one who gave the human the candy, and then tried to take it away." Yugi said throwing his hands up in an 'I meant no harm' gesture. He glanced down and noticed a couple of shopping bags.

"Hey, where you doing Christmas shopping?" Yugi asked a grin growing on his face as he nudged the bags with his foot.

"I need to get him to Isis, she'll know what to do about this." Atem said hooking his arms under Yami's knees and back and lifting him up effortlessly. Reaching down he grabbed the bags and then vanished. Yugi blinked, he didn't see them anywhere.

"Uh, yeah, you go ahead! I'll catch up!" He shouted grinning in the direction that he would have to walk to get to the Palace. Letting out a heavy sigh he shoved his hands in his pockets and started off in that direction.

By the time Yugi made it to the Palace he found Mahad pacing back and forth in front of the door. Heat and light descended down the stairs as Yugi climbed them. Mahad stopped pacing when he saw him and his face took on one that said he was relieved to see him. Which he supposed was the truth since it had grown dark long ago.

"Hey, Mahad, look at this." Yugi held his two pointer fingers close together, his thumbs touching, and a blue light raced back and forth between them. It wasn't as bright as when he first discovered that he could do this, but it was still there which amused Yugi greatly.

"Uh…" Mahad seemed at a loss for words.

"Isn't that cool?" he asked.

"Not exactly the word I would use." He said grimacing.

"How's Yami?"

"Well, his heart has finally stopped beating again."

"That's good."

"I'm not to touch you, but I am to escort you to Isis."

"Yeah, I figured as much."

"Well, come on." Mahad motioned for him to hurry up inside. Yugi bounded up the steps and into the building. He was lead to the infirmary, and Isis immediately had him sit on one of the beds, and asked him a thousand and one questions about his side effect. Yugi came to the quick conclusion that a side effect like this had never been recorded before, so they needed to know everything they could about it. By the time that he was done, he was all talked out and just wanted to go to his room.

"Are we done now?" Yugi asked.

"Almost, I just have one more question. When did the side effect wear off?" Isis asked.

"Does this look like it's worn off to you?" Yugi asked holding up his fingers and touching his thumbs together to show a thin blue line running between them.

"Uh, no, alright, you may go. But Yugi?"

"Yes?"

"I expect to know exactly when that side effect of yours wears off."

"Fine, where are my mates?" Yugi asked standing up and the scuffing the floor with his foot.

"I believe they're in their room." She said off handedly.

"Their room?" Yugi asked his head snapping up.

"Yes, now off with you. They're probably starving since it's now going on 8:47 pm."

"Oh, right, yeah they probably are." Yugi said in a distracted voice. Isis's words kept running through his head though. They're in their room. Their room. Their room. Their room.

"Well, go on!" Isis encouraged when Yugi failed to move.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going." Yugi said turning and leaving.

He walked through the halls. He had really messed up. He hadn't meant to hurt Yami though, it had been an accident. He would never intentionally hurt one of them, well, not anymore. Atem was bound to keep them separated now. He would never get a real chance to apologize to the vampire. Oh Kami, he was such a fool. He slid down against a random wall to sit on the floor, and place his head on his knees. Even if he had given Yami the Shockers candy their hands probably would have touched and he still would have been hurt.

He makes a fair point.

Yugi brought a steel wall crashing down around his mind at the thought intruding in on his own. He was beating himself up inside and, they weren't allowed to hear his rant. They weren't allowed to comment either. Still it would only be a matter of time until they found him, so he might as well as meet them in the middle.

Getting up off the floor, he saw that he had gathered a rather large crowd of small kids. They were looking at him with sad eyes so he gave them a big grin and they grinned back. He started to walk away and heard them following him. He sighed and led them towards the nursery which he had probably already walked past. Once he had dropped them off he made his way to his room, slowly peeling away his walls on his way there.

He walked into his room and saw neither of his mates, but saw that tier door was closed. He brought down his barriers and flopped down onto the bed staring up at his Amethyst canopy. The silence that was stretching on grew unbearable, and Yugi spoke up to break it.

Hey, I thought of something as I was walking home.

What?

Sarugaki…how was he able to kiss me without burning himself? Better yet, how were you guys able to?

We were able to because we were looking at you like a potential mate. Sarugaki was probably able to because he was used to the pain. Most rogues are masochists though, so it's to be expected.

Hmm, interesting.

Yugi got up and went to the bathroom. He looked in the mirror to see zigzags of blue light passing through his hair. He couldn't help it, he squealed, and forgot all about wanting to take a bath. Bounding out of the room he burst into theirs, and hugged a surprised Atem around the middle.

"It's gone, the side effect is gone!"

"That's good, we're starving." Yami said sliding up behind him.

"Uh, but I was going to take a bath." Yugi said looking up at him with a slight pout.

"You can worry about that tomorrow." Yami said back leaning down and biting him on the left side of his neck.

"Alright." Yugi muttered as Yami swung him up into his arms.

Yami placed him on the bed, pulling out and sealing him up. Atem took his place, biting him on the right side. When he was done drinking, he just lay there, playing with Yugi's hair.

What's wrong, 'Tem?

Nothing, just thinking.

I don't hear anything.

That's because I know how to not broadcast my thoughts without needing a big huge wall to cover all the sides of my mind.

Can you show me how to do that?

That's the last thing you need, more ways to keep secrets.

Here, food.

Yugi looked down to see a tray of food placed in front of him. He sat up and started eating, he was hungry anyway. When he was finished he pushed the tray away, and lay down falling asleep almost instantly. He enjoyed his dreams of his mates dressed like panda bears, or at least until Atem shook him awake from them. He dreamed only memories after that, and for once, they weren't his mates.

"I don't care my little man, you're going to dance classes." Sarah said.

"But Momma, I'm the shortest one there. The girls laugh at me." Yugi whined.

"Well, once they see how well you dance, they'll be begging to be your partner, I'm sure of it." Sarah gushed.

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Okay, I'll go to one more lesson, but if they make fun of me again, I'm never going back." Yugi said determinedly as he marched off.

"Yes, he will, because we paid for these classes." Takeshi muttered to his wife.

"Don't tell him that." Sarah whispered to him.

"I already heard." He shouted back to them. Sarah and Takeshi burst out laughing as they followed their son to dance class, ushering their daughter along with them. Sakura ran on ahead, grabbed Yugi's hand and the two skipped their way to dance class.

Once they arrived though, Sakura ditched her brother to go stand by her friends. One his mates would probably recognize as Mira, the other they wouldn't, because they had never met her. Marchelle had long curly red hair that was put up into pigtails, hazel eyes and an oval face with skin the color of a porcelain doll. Yugi stood over by a wall by himself.

Soon the teacher arrived and it was time to pick partners for dancing. As Yugi expected he was the last one left to be chosen and was taken by the same girl from last time, Anzu. They danced the whole class together, and their parents set up a play date, since they seemed to be getting along so well. That was the start of their friendship. Who knew it would be over in just seven short years?

Yugi shot up in bed, it was a nightmare that he had just had, but it might as well as been for the content that it held. Dreaming about Anzu? His brain must have been addled by those electric currents running through his body. Climbing carefully over Yami's sleeping form, Yugi made a beeline for the balcony and fresh air.

He leaned out over the railing taking deep breaths. His brain had to be addled to be dreaming about that, it had to be. Yugi didn't even hear him come up behind him until he spoke up.

"Quite the memory that was."

"Ah! Don't do that! You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days." Yugi said clutching his chest and spinning around to face Atem.

"Sorry. I wanted to apologize for the way I reacted yesterday. You were right, it wasn't your fault. It was a side effect, and side effects happen." Atem said looking over his head at the horizon.

"Uh, um, apology accepted." Yugi said back awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, and Yami's going shopping to today, so you're stuck with me."

"Uh, actually, Sakura and I have plans for today so I'm going to hang out with her." Yugi said avoiding eye contact.

"That's fine, I have paperwork I need to catch up on anyway." He said turning back into the room.

"Uh, are feeling alright?" Yugi asked suspiciously.

"Do you want me to kick up a fuss?"

"No, mm-mm."

"Then, yeah, I'm perfectly fine."

"Okay, if you say so."

"I do."

"I'm just going to go get ready then, and head out."

"Here, take this with you." Atem said walking over to the bedside table and taking something out. He turned around and tossed it to Yugi who fumbled it slightly, but still caught it. It was his collar.

"Alright." Yugi said grinning before heading to the bathroom and getting ready for his long day with Sakura.

[Time skip]

"Wait, wait, wait, so let me get this straight. You want to switch places with me on the day of the Christmas Eve Ball, to prove that they really can't tell the difference between us?" Yugi clarified.

"That's right." Heba nodded.

"Don't you think our skin color will give it away?"

"Not if we use this." Heba said pulling out bottles of spray on skin. There were at least twenty of both colors. Yugi looked down at the bottles, a grin making its way onto his face.

"Deal." Yugi said grasping Heba's hand.

"You'll do it?" he asked surprised.

"Yeah, but no going back on this deal, got it? Especially when you discover what being in my shoes really means. No kissing either, that'll be game over right away. Let's see what else, oh, don't take the drug FBR-18; I don't want to know how it would affect your system. And don't worry about the girls, I'll take care of them."

"Girls?"

"Yeah, the ones that gets you ready for the Ball."

"Tch, I can get myself ready."

"But they'll be so disappointed if you don't allow them to put you in the outfit that they made for you. I mean I would feel guilty, so therefore so do you."

"Whatever, anything else?"

"We need some form or communication so I can take care of the mind link. Like a wire and earpiece of some kind."

"Easy, I'll take care of that."

"I'll let you know if I think of anything else, but that's it for now."

"This is going to be fun."

"I'll say." Yugi said walking away laughing to himself. He turned the corner and said out loud what he didn't dare to say in front of his cousin.

"It'll be fun to see you in that dress."

Alright, you shouldn't expect updates for this story for the next two weeks. I need to focus on my other stories, and the only way I can do that is if I ignore this one. Don't hate me. This is something that needs to be done. Right, thank you to everyone who are/have following/favorited this story. Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. Please review. Midnight ;p