A/N: Hi there! I was initially going to post this chapter this coming weekend, but honestly I just love it so much and I wanted to get it out there. I don't know if anyone is reading this fic or enjoying it or what have you aside from the one commenter who I'm eternally grateful to, but it's the first thing I've written in years and I feel like I needed to write it. This chapter is full of fluff and domesticity and just so much all around goodness that I hope whoever reads it enjoys it as much as I do.


When the alarm started blaring the next morning, Yugi found himself momentarily disoriented. He reached over and shut the offending device off, a low groan escaping him as his mind tried to piece together the last twenty-four hours. They had all sat around talking a bit, but it was clear that neither Atem, nor Mana, nor Mahad could truly keep their eyes open after all the traveling. They'd all trudged off to the guest room together and had likely passed out pretty quickly.

As Yugi opened his eyes, the smell of coffee hit his senses and he opened his eyes a slit, watching Mariah as she made her way across their bedroom, "Good morning, sleepyhead," She smiles, sitting down on the edge of their bed, offering Yugi the coffee.

"Mm, are we really certain that you're not some unknown Egyptian goddess in disguise?" Yugi asks as he stretches out before finally sitting up with a yawn, attempting to rub sleep from his eyes. Egyptian gods, goddesses, an everything in between seemed to have woven their way in and out of Yugi's dreams the night before, he realized. His dreams had seemed so vivid, and unlike most mornings, the more he thought about them, the more he seemed to remember, which he vaguely wondered if he should be concerned about.

"Would you believe that I had company this morning during my prayers?" Mariah asks with a soft laugh as she moves to snuggle up to Yugi's side, snapping him out of his thoughts. "If I didn't believe that your friends hailed from Egypt before, there wouldn't be a doubt in my mind now."

"They prayed with you?" Yugi asks, knowing that Mariah made an effort to be up with the sun, still keeping a little of the religion that she came from. He knew she found some comfort in the prayers, and always encouraged her to continue practicing as much as she wanted to.

"In a way," Mariah nods. She too had been surprised that she wasn't alone when she woke up with the sun that morning. She had expected the rest of the apartment to be silent for hours to come when she'd risen as she always did. The company was definitely welcome, though, "Except they did it in the original language. It was so beautiful, Yugi. Watching the three of them do the prayers I was taught as a child but in their original tongue was almost an ethereal experience. It was effortless for them. And I know they have magic, but I swear this was just something else."

"You know, I'm sure if they're going to stick around they'd be more than happy to help you with your Coptic, Mariah," Yugi points out, shifting slightly to find a more comfortable position, his arm going around his fiancée.

"Maybe," Mariah nods, biting her lower lip for a moment in thought. "I just… if they have other reasons for being here, I definitely don't want to intrude or anything like that. I'm sure teaching someone they barely know a language that hardly anyone speaks wouldn't be very high on their priority list."

"I think you underestimate how much my group of friends enjoys helping one another," Yugi muses. "Something tells me that Mana especially would be the first one to jump on the opportunity to help you with the old language. Just… give it some thought. I think there's still a lot of unanswered questions to figure out anyway right now."

He looks up as the sound of several people laughing reaches his ears. The king of games tilts his head slightly, listening curiously while also thinking that it was nice to have the apartment full of people once again. It had been longer than he wanted to admit since they'd had the place full of their friends. Though he was vaguely aware that would be changing soon if their old group chat was anything to go by.

"You've missed having other people around," Mariah muses, pressing a kiss to Yugi's shoulder before she put her head down on the spot.

"Maybe a little," Yugi sighs. "It just feels like we've all gone in different directions recently, y'know? And I don't blame anyone for that at all, but Atem being back here just reminds me that things are definitely different than they were when he left."

"Well, to be fair, I think it's safe to say that you're different too," Mariah points out, her fingers seeking out Yugi's to link with them. She gently squeezes their linked fingers as she speaks, "You're keeping your grandfather's passion for games going, you're working on developing your own game, on top of that you're in school finishing your own degree-"

"And I also have the most incredible woman to spend the rest of my life with," Yugi cuts in, making his fiancée's cheeks burn slightly before she laughs.

"I think I'm all right," Mariah agrees with a nod.

"No, really, Mariah," Yugi shakes his head, bringing their linked fingers to his lips and pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. "I mean it. There are some days where I truly don't know what I would do if I didn't have you to come home to."

"Well, lucky for you, you won't ever have to worry about that," Mariah winks at Yugi. She sits up on her knees before she leans over and kisses Yugi gently on the lips. "I think I'm going to take a quick shower before making breakfast. Something tells me all our guests will be hungry."

She moves to get up from the bed, when Yugi refuses to let her fingers go. A soft grunt escapes Mariah as she finds herself back on the bed, Yugi grinning at her, his amethyst eye gleaming playfully at her, "What's the rush?" He asks softly before he kisses her again, the sound of his fiancée's giggles joining the other laughter in the apartment.

"I swear to Ra in heaven above, Atem!" Mana all but growled at Atem as she sat straddling the former pharaoh's lap, Atem chuckling beneath her, ruby irises seeming to glow playfully up at her, as Mahad chuckled nearby, watching the chaos ensuing between the two. She sat poised above him with a pot of kohl in one hand which rested on his shoulder, the applicator in the other. The former pharaoh's hands, however, seemed to be unable to stay still, and had a penchant for slipping under the sundress she wore, sending chills along her bronze skin wherever they trailed. "If you keep moving I'm going to poke your eye out accidentally, and if your hands keep wandering I'm going to poke your eye out purposely."

One of Mana's favorite things to do for Atem in the morning was apply the kohl to his eyes for him, but on the mornings where he felt more mischievous, which was most mornings if she were being honest with herself, it definitely took more effort. Her irritation faltered just slightly as Atem took hold of the wrist with the applicator in it and brought it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to it, causing her resolve to weaken just slightly. She sighs deeply, resting her forehead on Atem's. At such close proximity, she could see the dark circles that had started to form under his eyes. She frowned, tilting her head slightly at him, "Did you not sleep?"

The way that Atem hesitated told her all that she needed to know. She glanced back at Mahad, who moved closer to them both, his eyes echoing her concern, "The dream again?" Mahad asks, kneeling beside the two on the chair.

Atem drew a slow breath, one hand still holding onto Mana's wrist, while the other reached out for Mahad's hand, "No, actually," He admits, his fingers linking with Mahad's. "Not the same dream as before, at least. I just… I honestly don't remember a lot of the dream. I just remember waking up frozen for a few moments. And there was just this feeling of terror that I couldn't get rid of. I knew you were both so tired though from all the travel. I didn't want to wake either of you."

"You know that we're here for you no matter what time of night it may be, Atem," Mahad says as Mana takes back her wrist long enough to close the kohl container and brush her fingers gently through the former pharaoh's hair. "You don't have to deal with anything on your own anymore, no matter how trivial it may feel to you."

"Just because I was unable to sleep, that does not mean you two need to endure that as well," Atem points out. He knew Mahad and Mana meant well. But he still had trouble sometimes allowing even the two of them to carry his burdens with him. He knew that they wouldn't hesitate; they would have stayed up as long as he asked them to, or tried to find a way to help him sleep, but why should he ask that of them? He also felt like his dreams weren't just dreams. Even thinking about them while he was awake chilled his blood slightly.

"No," Mana agrees, though Atem knew better than to trust the tone that she spoke with, nor did he miss the gleam in her deep jade eyes, "But we could have tried to help you sleep too, y'know. Whether we did it with or without magic."

A soft chuckle escapes Atem's chest before he pulls Mana down to him and kisses her gently, his fingers tangling in her wild hair for a moment before he turned to Mahad and pulled him closer for a lingering kiss as well, resting his forehead against the former high priest's, "I love both of you dearly, and you know I love how much you both care for me, but losing a little sleep isn't the end of the world. It's strange. When we were in the afterlife, things seemed so clear to me at all times. Ever since we returned, certain things seem more obscured than ever."

"Things were bound to be different," Mahad reasoned, resting a hand on one of Mana's legs, rubbing it gently with his thumb as he spoke. "Clarity is one of the main things with the afterlife, isn't it? We're not meant to understand everything while we're living."

"Very true," Atem sighs, his eyes closing for a long moment before he looked back up at Mana. "I must admit, that's probably one thing that I truly miss about the afterlife; I felt like I was so much closer to the Gods. Here… there's nothing really special about me."

Both Mana and Mahad scoff at Atem's words, their eyes rolling, "Oh please, Great Pharaoh," Mana laughs, tapping Atem's nose and making him go momentarily cross-eyed. "You are far from ordinary. Have you forgotten everything you're capable of? So you're no longer privy to knowing what the Egyptian Gods think. That doesn't mean the connection is no longer there. If anything, it's probably stronger than you realize, considering the time you've spent in the afterlife. It's just a matter of finding that connection inside of you once again. The Gods didn't turn from you just because they gave you this gift. I know they didn't."

Atem found a strange sense of comfort in Mana's words. He pulled her into another hug, his head resting on her chest as she hugged him back, "Thank you, ya helo," He murmurs softly, pulling on one of the Arabic phrases that Marik had taught him. They had all been making a conscious effort to learn the language most commonly spoken in their homeland those days, and terms of endearment had been high on Atem's list to learn.

A soft laugh escapes Mana, "You're welcome, Prince," She answers softly. Her fingers brush through his hair gently before she claims his lips in a kiss. She knew with great certainty that even if she lived several lifetimes, she would never tire of either of the men beside her. "Now, will you sit still so I can put your kohl on and the Gods can continue to smile on you?"

Atem relents and sits back obediently, giving Mana a few moments to apply the kohl to his eyes before he stood up once she was done, taking her with him and giving her another kiss as a thank you, "Good boy. Mahad, you next." In hindsight, she probably should have started with Mahad as he was far more obedient that Atem, but she was just as happy to be in his lap. She and Mahad rarely needed verbal words to communicate, often seeming to read each other's mind. They remained close for a few long moments as Atem finished dressing, their lips meeting in a gentle kiss before the sorceress rose off of her former teacher. Once her own kohl was properly applied, the three Egyptians followed their stomachs in the direction of the kitchen.

While Atem was more familiar with modern appliances from his time spent with Yugi, he knew that his two partners still sometimes needed guidance in the morning. However, once they reached the kitchen, they were hit with the combined scents of coffee and sweets.

"Morning!" An all too chipper voice greeted them, freezing Atem in his tracks. It took him a moment to process that the silver haired male in front of him was in fact not the thief who had tried to kill him several times. He definitely hadn't been expecting to see Ryou sitting at the kitchen table, nor Marik leaning back against the counter as though he belonged there. Seemed his hunch hadn't been off at all. Atem shook his head slightly, clearing his thoughts. No, the young man who sat at the table was definitely not the great Thief King of Egypt. His demeanor was kind, he seemed to exude a light of sorts. It was his eyes that seemed to catch the former pharaoh off guard the most. When he'd shared his body with the thief his eyes had been dark, but now they were much, much lighter, the shade reminding Atem almost of that of a pink rose.

"Good morning, Ryou," Atem answered finally, snapping himself out of his own thoughts. He offered the other his hand, which Ryou happily shook. Mahad and Mana watched his movements carefully, as they too could see the similarities between the Thief King and his former host. "Morning, Marik. It's nice to see you again, Ryou. What are you both doing here so early?"

"It's not that early," Marik comments, sipping from a large mug before he moves to stand behind Ryou. He puts his coffee on the table so he could rest his hands on the other's shoulders. "Some of us have been up for hours…." There's a distinct glint in his eyes that causes Ryou's cheeks to burn as he eats the pastry on the plate in front of him. "And I know that the three of you never miss morning prayers either. Or at least you didn't a single day in the three months you spent in Egypt with my family."

"He's got us there," Mahad nods, moving to get some coffee for the three of them. Maybe that would at least help with the jetlag all three of them seemed to be feeling. Aside from Atem not sleeping from his dreams, both he and Mana were feeling spectacularly drained. He was almost a little envious how Marik seemed to be able to take the time difference in stride. He pours three cups of coffee, making sure to add extra sugar and milk to Mana's, before handing them to his two partners.

"Mariah and I are in the same university classes," Ryou explains, rolling his eyes at Marik, knowing that his boyfriend's mischievous side knew no bounds. "I often come by to go with her in the morning, but we actually have a big exam coming up that we were going to study for today."

"Ryou's actually the one who introduced me to Yugi," Mariah says as she appears in the kitchen, sweeping her hair up into a high ponytail, a smile on her face. "He's over here pretty often since we have more than enough room to spread out all of our notes and things when we study. Good morning, by the way. Yugi will be out in a few, he just hopped in the shower. I hope you guys are hungry, I make an awesome breakfast, if I do say so myself."

As Mariah walks around the kitchen, Marik's gaze follows her, his brow furrowing slightly. He glanced at Mariah before his gaze shifted to Mana, clearly noticing what the others had as well, "Huh," He huffs softly. "How did you guys live with my family for three months and I never made that connection? I've known Mariah as long as she's been with Yugi…."

"We're still trying to figure out if there is a connection," Mahad answers in a similarly low tone. "It's clear they look very similar, but the same could be said of Atem and Yugi."

Atem couldn't help the smile as he watched Mariah start to move around the kitchen while he listened to Mahad and Marik with half an ear. He felt as though he still had a lot to learn about her, but there was no denying that she had a good heart, as far as he could tell, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Nah, you're our guest," Mariah answers with a shake of her head, pulling a few mixing bowls out of one of the cabinets. "Take it easy. Ryou, you brought your usual offering of sugary pastries, didn't you?"

"You really have to ask?" Ryou grinned over at Mariah, relaxing under Marik's touch as the former tombkeeper started to rub his shoulders. "The box is on the counter. Help yourselves, guys."

"Oh," Atem blinks, shaking his head. "I haven't introduced you, have I? Ryou, these Mana and Mahad, my partners. Mana, Mahad, this is Ryou Bakura—" He saw the realization spread over both of their faces and he shook his head ever so slightly, realizing what connected in their minds. Whatever the Thief King had done, this young man had done nothing wrong, and the last thing any of them needed was the mood being brought down by bringing that unfortunate possession up.

Apparently, Marik and Ryou made the connection as well, Marik's grip on the other's shoulders tightening slightly, causing the silver haired male to wince, "Ow, Marik… It's okay, really. I know what must be going through their minds and I don't blame them at all. They had to live with what happened in the past. I can't hold that against them," He turns a kind smile on Mana and Mahad, "And, for what it's worth, I'm sorry for what that spirit did to both of you. Especially you, Mahad. Yugi told me how your spirit was merged with your Ka as a result of a battle between you and the Thief King."

"It wasn't you," Mahad shakes his head, offering Ryou a kind smile. "Atem has told us all about you as well, how you had been possessed by the spirit from a young age, the things it forced you to do… I can't even imagine how difficult life has been for you. Rest assured that none of us have any ill will towards you, Ryou."

Marik released a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding as Mahad extended his hand to Ryou and the other shook it with a smile of his own. Atem shot Marik a sympathetic look, the blonde inclining his head slightly in response, "So, the two of you… how did that happen?"

"Well, it actually started after the Ceremonial Duel," Marik's demeanor seems to shift, a smile coming to his face as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of Ryou's head. "Everyone spent a few days with us before returning to Domino City. Turned out we both have issues sleeping at night. We spent most of those nights trauma bonding, I guess you would call it. At the time, though, neither of us wanted to do the whole long-distance thing, especially considering Ryou and the others still had to finish high school."

"And yet, he just couldn't stop texting me," Ryou grins up at Marik, earning a ruffle of his hair from the Egyptian. "The time difference was really the worst part of it all. Suddenly we were both not sleeping for another reason."

"I'm truly happy for both of you," Atem smiles kindly at the former hosts of two of his biggest enemies. It warmed him to know that after all the darkness that the two had endured they had somehow managed to find a deeper connection with the other. It was further proof in his mind that no matter what they had all been through in the past they could move on.

"Gooood morning, everyone!" Yugi appears in the kitchen, amethyst eyes clear and bright as he moves to wrap his arms around Mariah from behind, hugging her close and pressing a kiss to her cheek. Mariah sighed contently and leaned back into Yugi for a moment before she flipped over some of the pancakes in front of her. He turns to everyone else in the kitchen, a sense of ease washing over him. Ryou was a common fixture in their lives, but it truly made him happy to have more company. "Hey, Marik! I didn't know you were coming into town."

"You expect me to let three out of time ancient Egyptians wander between Cairo and Domino City on their own?" Marik chuckles. "Atem might have managed it on his own, but I figured I'd travel with them for everyone's peace of mind. Plus it gave me an excuse to surprise Ryou. I just couldn't turn down the opportunity, y'know?"

"Totally," Yugi nods, retrieving a second cup of coffee for himself before he moved to get a few more chairs so everyone could sit around the kitchen table. "Well, you know you're always welcome here."

Mariah carefully maneuvered around the full kitchen, putting down plates of pancakes, eggs, two different types of bacon and sausage, all while humming softly to herself, "Dig in, guys," She says brightly. "Marik, those two are vegetarian so you can have those if you like."

"You're the best, Mariah," Marik grins, lavender eyes gleaming as he helped himself to the bacon and sausage she indicated. "Yugi, in case I haven't already told you, hurry up and marry her already."

"I'm working on it," Yugi laughs, loading up his own plate with food.

Atem sat back after filling up his plate, watching the interactions between all the people around him. Part of him wondered if all of this was truly just a vision of sorts that the Egyptian Gods had decided to gift him with. He couldn't fathom that sacrificing himself would entitle him to a reward such as this; to see the people he cared about in both his lifetimes so happy. Yugi had definitely grown and changed in the time that he'd been gone, but it seemed like it had all worked out well for him. He had his friends, a woman who it was clear that he loved, and he was still doing what he loved. The former pharaoh truly couldn't have asked for more for his old partner. He drew a slow deep breath, closing his eyes and just taking in the conversations around him.

Atem, are you all right?

Mana's voice in his mind startled him for a moment, but he schooled his reaction before opening his eyes again, looking at the young woman who held his heart. She was gazing back at him with her jade eyes full of concern.

I am more than all right, Mana, Atem assures her, inclining his head slightly. I am just trying to figure out how I am so deserving of everything that I get to experience right now. And I'm coming to the realization that maybe the sacrifices I made were all truly worth it in the end.

Mana's foot nudges his gently under the table and he smiles, inhaling slowly and deeply before he starts to eat his breakfast.

"Hey, did you guys hear the rumor about an upcoming Duel Monsters tournament?" Ryou asks, snapping Atem out of his thoughts. "There was some buzz online this morning that Kaiba might be hosting a tournament really soon."

Marik pauses, his fork halfway to his mouth, his eyes locking with Atem's. The former pharaoh arches a brow, a low chuckle escaping him as Marik's cheeks heated, "You know, for a former leader of a crime organization, you have horrible control over your reactions. You know all about it, don't you, Marik?"

"Well, I didn't know when it was going to happen," Marik admits with a shake of his head, slowly lowering his fork. "But Ishizu did warn you that she called in a few favors to help get your papers in order. Favors from Seto Kaiba always come with a price, even you should know that. What better way to collect on his debt than to make a public spectacle of it?"

"If he wants to duel me, he could just ask," Atem hums with a shrug. Though truly in his mind, dueling Kaiba and picking up where their rivalry left off was one of the last things he wanted to do with his newfound freedom and his new life. It all seemed so pointless in the grand scheme of things. He loved to duel, he had even as Pharaoh, but Kaiba somehow managed to suck the joy out of it. "Erm… not that I actually have a deck anymore…."

"Oh, we gotta build you a new one right away," Yugi's excitement suddenly seems to radiate through the apartment. If there was one thing he was more than happy to do, it was help Atem duel again. "There's so many new cards and dueling strategies that have come into play the last few years. We'll catch you up to speed in no time. You always were a fast learner."

"But I liked my deck," Atem frowns. The deck he and Yugi had built together never failed him when they'd shared Yugi's body. It was weird to him to realize that Yugi's deck changing was just further evidence of how much had changed since he'd been gone. "Our deck, really."

Yugi shakes his head, "Even I don't use most of the same cards anymore," He admits. "I mean, there are a few that will always be in my deck, but the game has changed, which means I've had to as well. Trust me, it took me some time to adjust too. Even the art on a lot of the cards has changed over the last few years." He reaches to his side and pulls his deck out of the card holder on his hip, flipping over the top two cards, The Dark Magician and The Dark Magician Girl, offering them both to Atem.

"Why has his outfit changed so much?" Atem's nose wrinkles in disdain at the black outfit the Dark Magician now wore in the newest card. As he held the card, however, it seemed to emit a certain energy he'd never noticed before. That was different. Across the table, Yugi was unable to control the smile that appeared on his face. Leave it to Atem to fuss about something as trivial as the art on the card.

"He doesn't even look like himself anymore. He also looks much less like the original in general," Atem comments with a look to Mahad, who takes the card from him curiously. As the magician takes it, his brow furrows as well, sensing the same energy that Atem had.

"This doesn't look like my Ka at all anymore," Mahad agrees, turning the card over in his hand as though he were trying to gain a better understanding of what he was sensing from the card itself. "But you know, not all change is bad."

"I think he looks great," Mana comments, shaking her head. She reaches out and takes the Dark Magician Girl card, bouncing just slightly in her seat as energy crackles from the card to her as well, though her reaction went largely unnoticed, and to her credit, she didn't mention it aloud either. "For a pharaoh who's lived in several vastly different times, you are so resistant to any change, Atem. It's just art on a card. I will say, though, that my Ka still translates well into art, if I do say so myself."

"Duels also start with eight thousand life points now," Yugi explains as he takes back the cards. "And the duels themselves, well, let's just say taking damage is a little more physically painful these days. The holograms have changed immensely since our last duel."

"I think once I construct a new deck I'm going to need some practice before I even consider taking Kaiba on," Atem shakes his head. He didn't even want to consider the idea that Kaiba might be able to gain an upper hand on him.

"I know just the person who would be all too happy to help you get rid of any dueling rust you might have," Yugi hums softly as the sound of pounding footsteps reaches his ears. What he wasn't prepared for, however, was the bellow that followed.

"WHERE IS HE?!"