Chapter LII: Arguments

Atem took a spot beneath one of the various outcrops and peered around them. The sunlight was too strong for his comfort and his scales threatened to dry out just from exposure to the heat. He hated the Badlands. He hated them more than he cared to admit. They drove him crazy. It was too hot and the air was always far too dry. Why Yugi insisted on meeting Jonouchi here rather than letting him come to their territory as he had several times before was beyond him. Atem stretched his limbs out and lay his chin on his paws.

Seto's voice echoed in his ears again, rattling about his skull. He bristled, shifting his weight once more, and drew his paws to his chest. The sand was warm under his chin and he both savored and despised it. He wished he could have buried his face underwater and remained there instead. He had spent the night exhausted and frustrated, unable to think straight and more than slightly irate as the hours passed.

When Yugi had suggested they meet with Jonouchi, he'd given in without argument. He'd just wanted away from the den and the various panicked thoughts in his head. He was tired of hearing his brother's voice when he closed his eyes. And he was tired of hearing his own fears bark at him in the back of his mind.

He flexed his claws and watched as Yugi stood yards away speaking to the Red-Eyes. Jonouchi was staring at Atem in his peripheral, unnerved by his presence as always. It still amazed him how afraid of him the other male was. He'd never so much as snapped his teeth at him and yet Jonouchi quivered like a leaf when his name was so much as brought up in conversation.

Atem had witnessed it more times than he cared to count. It didn't matter most times. He often found it amusing. Red-Eyes were one of the toughest and nastiest Fire Dragons in existence and yet Jonouchi quaked before him as if he were a hatchling. Atem made a point of being amicable, if only to keep Yugi from puffing up and glaring and snapping at his friend. He extended the first greeting, usually picked a topic for them to discuss until the conversation could dissolve into one only Yugi and Jonouchi carried.

He knew Yugi recognized what he was doing. But he'd never argued, though Atem often saw him give Jonouchi dirty looks and occasionally whip him with his tail when he showed obvious reluctance. Yugi had made it clear if Jonouchi was unwilling to give Atem a chance and show him a modicum of respect he'd cut him entirely from his life. He'd done so before, when he'd initially come to challenge Atem for courtship, and in doing so he'd only accepted Jonouchi back when they'd crossed paths at the cliffs when Keith had come to try his paw at besting Atem once more.

Atem shifted his weight and raised his head. Yugi had frozen in place, staring at Jonouchi with the most furious look Atem had ever seen. The Gandora had half-raised a paw as if to step forward, his entire body stiff, the scales along his spine rising into a bristle. His lips drew back further to show the ridges of his teeth and he lunged. Atem rushed forward to intercept, hitting him in the side. Yugi skidded and spat at him, startled, but didn't take his eyes off Jonouchi.

Atem blinked and looked over. The Red-Eyes had lowered his head, expression ashamed. He looked as if he'd been struck far harder than Yugi could have ever managed. He turned back, puzzled, and found his mate staring at Jonouchi as if gutting him might be the only solution to whatever problem had come about.

"Yugi?"

The Gandora looked over but didn't speak.

"What's going on?"

Yugi eyed him a moment as if he wanted to box him upside the head as well, then turned his glare back to Jonouchi. His eyes narrowed sharply and he flexed his claws. "It…doesn't matter," he said finally, voice an enraged hiss. "It doesn't matter."

Atem glanced at Jonouchi and back. "Yugi—"

"It. Doesn't. Matter!" the Gandora snarled, spinning on him. "Leave it alone, Atem."

Atem flinched and backed away, too startled to consider his reaction. Yugi visibly froze as if he'd been struck, eyes widening to rival the sun. He blinked, then looked away and shifted his weight. Jonouchi stared at them as if he'd expected Atem to lash out and knock Yugi aside, tensed as if to flee. But the moment passed. The Red-Eyes turned away and took a few steps past Atem as if to put him between them.

Yugi lifted his head and stared, tracking him with that same enraged look. But he made no move to step forward and it was clear he was more concerned about Atem than he was with striking out at his friend. Atem was thankful then once more for the fact that he and Timaeus had never quite physically squabbled. Timaeus outweighed him by at least several hundred pounds. An all-out brawl between them would have likely been one of the worst battles Atem had ever endured.

Not only was Timaeus raw muscle, he knew exactly how to wield it. Between sheer size, weight, Atem's lacking jaw strength, and the Knight Dragon's five claws on each paw, he couldn't imagine it would have been easy. He might have been faster, but Timaeus could easily outdo him in endurance. And Atem had a feeling if a dragon should be capable of pinning him in a true fight, it would be Timaeus.

Atem still remembered Timaeus knocking a Red-Eyes out with one quick blow to the head, then grabbing him and making a run for it. She'd drifted too close to their den when she was starving and mating season was approaching. She'd spotted Atem, who had whipped around just as she barreled for him. Timaeus had come out of nowhere and knocked her away before they'd fled.

It had been one of the first times Atem had considered just how strong Timaeus truly was. Before he'd witnessed it in hunting prey, taking down something almost twice his size for them both, but the fight with the female had put it into perspective. Timaeus could have easily killed him at any moment, yet he'd been intrigued by a Slifer too small for his age, with a gaping wound on his side.

"Look, Yugi, I'm sorry, okay?" Jonouchi said abruptly, spinning on the Gandora. "But I told you this was a bad idea. I told you the moment you asked me, that this was going to go badly. I don't know why you didn't listen to me."

Yugi drew his lips back further, baring his teeth, and spat, "You were my best option. I should have been able to rely on you for something for once in my life."

Atem looked between them, stunned by the bitterness on both of their faces.

"I never even pretended I could do this, Yugi. I told you the moment you asked. I begged you to find someone else. You refused. As far as I'm concerned, this is on you, too."

Yugi looked as if he might spring at him, then stopped short. His eyes flickered to Atem and back and his voice lowered to a deadly hiss. "You're right. It's my fault, too. I shouldn't have trusted you to do anything. You've never managed to pull through on a single thing I've asked of you."

Atem blinked when Yugi thrust his beak in his direction.

"You can't even be kind enough to acknowledge Atem when he comes here with me. At our territory you quiver and look at him as if he's some kind of monster meant to swallow you whole. You still look to him as if you expect him to eat me alive. And every time he's interacted with you, he's been courteous. He asks how you are. He acknowledges you by name. He greets you."

Jonouchi glanced at him sideways but didn't speak.

"I should have known better. I should have expected less from you." Yugi laughed bitterly. "You've never kept a single promise you've made to me—least of all when it counted."

Atem bristled uncertainly. "Yugi…"

The Gandora looked over, furious, but seemed to rapidly lose his anger the more he studied him. His face lost its scowl and he looked away with a small nod. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt him. I'm too tired to raise a paw."

Atem looked over at Jonouchi. The Red-Eyes was staring at Yugi with a horrified expression. He risked a glance at Atem, bristled with an obvious fear-scent, and then turned away quickly. Atem blinked and looked between them. What had happened in the mere minutes they'd been there? What had been said between them? His head spun. Was it about him? Had Jonouchi said something and Yugi had taken it and run with it in his anger?

Atem didn't want to think about it, but he remembered that despondent look on Yugi's face once before. He forced the thought away, turning to Yugi again and mumbling, "I don't know what's going on, but I doubt you need to box Jonouchi over the head for it."

"Box him over the head?" Yugi grunted. "I was going to rip his wings off."

Atem jerked back, eyes stretching impossibly wide. Yugi had never been so angry as to threaten that before. He'd said he'd box someone upside the head or he'd bite them in the paw. He'd never threatened to tear wings off another dragon before.

It was considered one of the most shameful things one could do to another. It was one of the reasons his suitors had threatened him so often with it. They'd have marked a Sky Dragon as theirs by ripping his wings off. They'd have truly conquered the God Dragon of the East. Keith had especially threatened it, planning to humiliate him until he wished for death. He'd promised him that much. He'd said he'd force Atem to his belly and mount him until he was unable to move any longer, then rip his wings off and tie him to him by way of killing him and forcing his heart into his chest.

Atem had remembered that no matter how much time had passed. Keith had wanted to mutilate him to control him. He'd been a mindless threat, however, in the grand scheme of things. He'd spoken as if he had power, as if he had the right to challenge him. He'd been unable to back up a single claim of strength.

The Uria had done far more damage and had proven capable to the extent Atem had truly feared for his life. He still didn't know how a Fire Dragon of all species had managed to nearly best him so brilliantly, but from what he'd witnessed of them they were probably the strongest dragon in existence. He didn't think even he could compare in brute strength and ability. Had it not been for his ice breath, he didn't know what would have happened.

He'd never boasted of wanting to sever his wings or force his heart into his chest. The Uria had simply laughed he couldn't beat him and then gone straight to pin him. He'd refused to back down even when he was beaten, using endurance and stamina Atem had been unable to match. He'd been as lightweight as Atem—perhaps even more—and yet he'd nearly managed the one thing none of the others had even gotten close to.

Atem shuddered and forced himself not to flinch when Yugi looked over in confusion. "I'm sure whatever it is, it's not worth that."

His mate blinked and stared at him, emotionless for a split second. And then he blinked again. His expression softened as he searched Atem's face. After a moment he leaned forward to lick his beak and grumble, "It is, but I wouldn't actually do it."

"Right, because you're not Keith," he snapped before he could stop himself. Yugi startled, eyes widening for a split second before he huffed and took a seat. He looked mortified rather than annoyed, staring at Atem with an expression that rapidly turned crestfallen. He bristled slightly and shook his head. "Sorry."

"Keith?" Jonouchi muttered. Atem looked over just as Yugi snarled softly. "What does Keith have to do with anything?"

"Nothing," Yugi spat, lunging at him and barely stopping an inch away. His teeth snapped shut in Jonouchi's face and the Red-Eyes visibly startled backwards, bristling in confusion. "Leave it alone, Jonouchi."

"But he just—"

"Jonouchi, if you've never taken me seriously before, do so now. I'll rip your head off."

Atem bristled and frowned. "Yugi," he tried in a soothing tone, "it's okay."

"It's not."

"He doesn't know about—"

"He does," Yugi snarled. "He does. He does know. I've told him before! He just never listens and he disregards everyone else!"

Atem blinked and stared. "Why would you have told him about that?"

"Because he made a comment about Keith at the cliffs—when you and the others went to tour territories. He said you were lucky I was there to slow Keith down and I said you would have beaten him just like you had before, even after he threatened to strip your wings." Yugi bore down on Jonouchi for a single second longer, then whipped around. "I wasn't telling him to share. I was upset."

He blinked again. "I don't… It doesn't matter that you told him. I'm not upset about…" He turned to Jonouchi. "What did you do?"

"What?"

"What did you do to upset him this much?" he snapped, bristling and baring his teeth. "I've never seen him this scattered and irritable. What have you done?"

Jonouchi flinched when he got to his paws and flattened himself to the ground as if he were a human in prayer. He bristled fearfully, backed up several steps, and hissed, "I—I lost something of his."

Yugi rushed between them, standing to shield Jonouchi from him. Atem stared at him, unwavering as he considered the new stance he'd taken. He had just been so angry at Jonouchi he'd threaten to tear his wings off and now he stood before him protecting him from Atem.

"It's… It was something precious and I… Frankly, I'll never forgive him for it, but don't, Atem."

He tilted his head to look over Yugi's shoulder and huffed. Jonouchi was still cowered there, staring at Yugi as if he might somehow be his savior. Atem wanted to snap his teeth and snarl, but the urge died when he turned back to Yugi.

"I wasn't going to hurt him."

Yugi smiled and tilted his head. "I know. You just don't need to scare him, either."

How was this thing Jonouchi had lost so precious to him and yet Yugi had lost his anger so quickly? He almost snorted and the briefest instinct came to goad him into anger again. He didn't like confrontation, but he also didn't like secrets. If Yugi and Jonouchi had some kind of secret hidden from him…

Atem tilted his head, then glanced at Jonouchi and back slowly, narrowing his eyes. Was it an egg? Had Yugi pursued a female to lay a clutch when they'd been distant earlier in the year? Fire Dragons had heat cycles twice each year, in line with Wind Dragons. Yugi had gone away for a few days at a time once, though he'd returned each night. At one point he'd stunk of a female in heat and had claimed it was Shizuka because he'd visited Jonouchi…

"Where is your sister?"

Both Yugi and Jonouchi blinked owlishly, then glanced at each other in bewilderment. They looked at him again, puzzled.

"She…left a while ago."

"A while ago."

"A moon ago, maybe?"

Atem calculated it for a moment. Had it been a moon ago that Yugi had smelled of the female? Or had it been before then? He considered, then blinked slowly. It had been longer. He remembered now. It had been longer and if she'd left just a moon ago, it aligned well for the incubation period for Fire Dragons…

"Atem?" Yugi prodded gently. "What's going on in your head?"

The Sky Dragon glanced at him and back. "Was she going to lay a clutch?"

Jonouchi blinked, bewildered. "I don't know. I didn't keep track of that." He paused, tilting his head. "Does it matter?"

Yugi blinked, then burst out laughing. "Atem, no," he snickered. "No, that's not what happened! I didn't mate with Shizuka."

He tilted his head. "Well, then I'm out of guesses."

Yugi laughed harder and licked his beak. "I told you before I didn't want a clutch with anyone else. And since we can't produce one, what would have been the point?"

"Yes, but that was also before," he hissed, though only embarrassment remained for his assumption. "I just… The timing would have been logical."

Yugi snorted and licked him again, pouncing forward to run his tongue all over his face around his laughter. Atem shoved him away but Yugi only jumped on him again. He hissed and growled, glancing at Jonouchi as the Red-Eyes watched them curiously. He looked almost offended on Yugi's behalf, as if the accusation had been outwardly made in a much bolder manner.

"Would you have killed him if he had?" Jonouchi said abruptly.

Yugi paused and looked over, startled, and then shot him an annoyed glare. "What? Shut up, Jonouchi."

"Would you have?"

Atem blinked. "No. I gave him permission a while back."

"You…gave him permission to produce a clutch with a female?" he barked. He gaped for a second then burst out laughing as if he couldn't understand what he or Yugi had just said. "Are you kidding me?"

"No, he did. He gave me permission a while back." Yugi looked over, amusement gone from his expression. "And I've never done it, obviously. But I guess in light of things, it makes sense he'd come to that conclusion."

"Why? Because Shizuka is juvenile now?" he scoffed. "So that just means you're going to run off with a female?"

Atem snorted, shook himself out, glanced at the sky where the sun was too hot and the air seemed to quiver with warmth, and sighed softly. "I'm tired and growing bored of this argument. Can we go now?"

Yugi opened his mouth as if to argue, then exhaled slowly and nodded. "Yeah…yeah we can go, Atem." His eyes were hard as rock when he looked at Jonouchi again. Atem bristled slightly, startled by the ferocity in his expression. "You're not forgiven. And I don't care how many excuses you try to feed me. Don't visit me. Do not try to call me here. Don't even suggest we meet again. I'll tear you to pieces next time I see you. Get it?"

Atem blinked. "Yugi—"

"Yeah. That's fine." Jonouchi looked at Atem and smirked. "I guess as long as Atem gets to stay in the dark—"

Atem couldn't move fast enough to block Yugi. Jonouchi hit the ground with a yelp, jaw crunching from the force of the blow. Atem blinked wide eyes and stared in surprise. Yugi loomed over the Red-Eyes, furious.

"Keep your jaw shut, Jonouchi, or I'll remove it the next time." Yugi moved past him, glancing back at Atem, and murmured, "Come on. Let's go back. You're tired and I'm hungry."

Atem watched him a moment then glanced at Jonouchi. What had he done? He blinked a few times, then looked back to Yugi. For a split second he thought to argue, to push the matter and see if Yugi still remained so angry. But the impulse died instantly. He didn't want to see that glare directed at him. Yugi looked as if he could kill just by expression alone, and his stomach knotted as he went toward him.

It was almost impossible not to lower himself to his belly and crawl, but he wouldn't do so with an audience. He wasn't about to let Jonouchi or anyone else see him deferent to Yugi, no matter how much he wanted to simply hide.