I would just like to say Happy Pride Month! Seeing as the Yugioh fandom is fairly LGBTQIA+ friendly, in the post notes I have added something fun.

Yugi stood before the empty game shop for a few moments before entering. He had asked Imhotep to drop him off there after they had taken his friends back to their respective homes. A gust of wind reminded him that it was far colder this time of year in Domino than it was in Egypt, and that perhaps he should have asked Imhotep to change him back into his school uniform. The linen schenti did little to protect him from the fall temperatures, forcing him indoors. As he entered, he contemplated switching on a few lights, but didn't really feel up to it. The silence of the empty shop and apartment was deafening, and he wanted to hurry up to the comfort of his bed. After the day he'd had, compiled with all the revelations about the family he'd longed for in his youth, Yugi was finding his mind a bit overwhelmed. Imhotep had offered for him to stay in his room in Egypt, but Yugi had declined. He wanted the familiarity of his own room.

He had planned on heading straight upstairs, but for some unknown reason he found himself just standing there in the darkness of the living area. Yugi had come home to an empty shop and home several times over the past few years, but he now realized that even then he hadn't ever been alone upon entering. There had always been someone else. He found himself instinctively reaching upwards to grasp at the chain that used to be around his neck for comfort. The loneliness he was feeling intensified. Atem wasn't here with him. The weight and warmth of the Puzzle was gone. For the first time ever, Yugi felt truly alone, and that fact was overwhelming. He fell to his knees, trying his best to hold back the tears that threatened to betray how he felt.

Yugi looked down in the darkness at the palm of his hand. Earlier it had been wrapped in Marik's school shirt to help cover the wound that had been made during the resurrection spell. Imhotep had recited some sort of incantation that had healed it afterwards. There was no scar or any other proof that what had happened today had actually been real, and not just some wild figment of his imagination.

This was about the time he would normally feel the warmth of a comforting ethereal hand on his shoulder, and the doubting part of his mind relaxing, but this time neither sensation greeted him. Instead he found himself shrinking more and more into himself.

"Do you ever regret it? Completing the Puzzle that is."

Marik's words from the previous week rang loudly through Yugi's mind. At the time, he had thought that he and the Spirit of the Puzzle would be together for at least another several months. They hadn't even discovered Atem's name yet, let alone how or why he had forgotten everything in the first place. Yet here it was only a week later and Atem had not only regained his name and memories, but he was also walking around in his own body back in Egypt.

Yugi thought back to his musings from the day Marik had asked him that question. He had wondered what life would be like after Atem regained his memories. One thing he hadn't counted on was trying to look at Atem as a paternal figure, instead of his closest friend. That part was still a bit weird for him. He imagined Atem was probably going to have a similar issue, though recalling his reaction towards Imhotep about taking the three of them to the chamber and triggering the ritual, Yugi realized Atem might not have as hard of a time adjusting to his new role.

Dark thoughts began to creep into the back of Yugi's mind. Before the Puzzle, he had been alone. His closest friends had only become such after he had completed the Millennium Puzzle. What if they had only become his friends because of the magic associated with the relic? What if Atem's resurrection broke whatever spell had been cast? Sure, his friends appeared to still be the same, but they had spent most of their time focused on Atem. Discovering that they were the reincarnations of Atem's friends, made Yugi wonder if the only reason they had become his friends was because of this fact. Atem had, after all, said that the reincarnations of his friends always found their way to him.

Yugi shook his head, trying to dismiss his doubts. 'No, that can't be it! Everyone I have met, they have become friends to the both of us. They only focused on Atem at the gathering because he was the guest of honor and they had questions.'

Another thought raced into his mind, casting new doubts. His grandfather...who wasn't actually his grandfather. How was that supposed to work between them now? Did he just keep pretending Solomon was as he had always been? Was he going to be forced to call him by name? Or Mr. Muto like everyone else? What about himself? He wasn't actually Yugi Muto...he was...someone else.

'Who am I?'

The question was loud in his head, and it hit him hard. A few tears broke free from where Yugi was forcefully holding them at bay. He loved his grandfather. Solomon was the one that had been there all along. But was the old man simply following orders, or were his feelings towards Yugi genuine? Did Solomon actually think of him as his own flesh and blood? The idea of the one constant in his life no longer being just that was the thing that broke Yugi. Tears flowed freely as he doubled over and began to sob uncontrollably into his palms.

"Hey, you okay?" the darkness around him questioned.

Yugi startled and looked around. "Imhotep?"

The light to the living area flicked on. "Who else? Little early in the year for Saint Nick." Imhotep replied with a smirk. He stood not far away, changed back into his jeans and tee-shirt. "Seriously though, you okay?" he asked in concern.

Yugi hung his head while wiping away his tears. "I don't know. I don't know if my friends are really my friends, or if they're actually just his. And Grandpa…" His tears started back up again, trickling slowly down his cheeks. "It's just….I don't know who I am anymore."

Imhotep stared blankly at his twin. "Oh." He fidgeted, looking around uncomfortably. "Sorry, I don't know how to help in that area. At least not with the friends part...or the 'who you are' part. I struggle with that last bit myself some days. As far as Gramps goes, he seems pretty cool and all. I've only met him face-to-face a few times...but he's always gotten me something for my birthday and special holidays!" he stated the last part excitedly. "I know he's not really our Gramps, but it's always been cool to think of him that way. I mean, his former incarnation did raise and mentor our old man and Shae, so I guess that kind of counts...right?"

"Wait, Grandpa gave you stuff? When?" Yugi asked, fairly surprised.

"Well yeah. Mostly he would leave the gifts by the tree out front for Shae to bring to me, but he hand delivered the one for my last birthday. He was in Egypt at the time and stopped by. That's where I got my Dybbuk Box from. He said he happened across it in some old antique store and knew I would like it." Imhotep began to grin as the memory of receiving the gift played out in his head. "I still remember how irritated Shae looked when he gave it to me. She was already a bit pissed off that I let the possessed doll out of the sealed room the month before. We spent hours hunting it down as it moved around the palace. She really hates that thing now. Apparently it pulled her tail when she was transfigured. Word of warning: Never pull a cat's tail."

Now it was Yugi's turn to stare blankly at his sibling.

"What?" Imhotep asked in confusion.

"You make possessed dolls running around and people turning into animals sound like it's something 'normal'," Yugi replied in slight disbelief. His tears had stopped, and he had raised himself from the floor while listening to his twin's reminiscence.

"Oh." Imhotep looked away in embarrassment. "I guess for me it kind of is…"

"I don't mean it in a bad way!" Yugi tried to state in reassurance. "I just didn't think things could get weirder than Shadow Duels and ancient spirits trapped in relics."

"Uhhh…you saw our old man get resurrected, Shae turned into a 10-foot tall flying cat, Anubis tried to grab you and use you as a hostage, a giant lion appeared, the pale guy turned into a bipedal wolf-dog thing….yet the idea of a possessed doll running loose is where you draw the line?"

"Okay, you have a point," Yugi stated dryly. He then walked past his twin and headed for his room. "I need to get some sleep if this is going to become the new norm for me…"

"Good idea," Imhotep chuckled. He then paused for a moment while watching his twin ascend the stairs. "Um...can I stay here for the night? I promise you won't even know I'm here."

Yugi stopped his ascent and looked back over his shoulder. "I don't see why not? I think Marik is staying back in Egypt, so you can sleep in his bed."

"Oh, I don't need to sleep. I mean, I do...but it's still early for me."

"Oh, right. Still, you can stay here if you want."

"Thanks. Really not too keen on going back home right now. There are things happening there that I find very...disturbing…"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Yugi questioned curiously.

"After I took the other two Tomb Keepers home, I came back to a sight that is worse than anything I've seen in our old man's memories...and that's saying something."

Yugi's face became distorted in confusion. "What could you have seen that was bad in Atem's memories?"

"Dude...I've seen his sex life. Do I have to say more?"

"Oh...OH!" Yugi blushed at the idea. That would be something that even he wouldn't want to see.

"Yeah…" Imhotep said in reply to Yugi's wide-eyed expression of embarrassing realization.

Yugi slowly turned and resumed the ascent to his room. He now had a very disturbing mental image of Atem and Kat doing the horizontal tango, and it made him feel a bit sick. Those were his parents. Another unwanted mental image appeared. This time of Marik and Kat. His roommate was dating his mom...and doing...that.

He trudged into his room and flopped face first onto his bed. "Imhotep...is there a spell to get rid of disturbing mental images?"

Imhotep stepped in the room just behind him. "I wish," he scoffed. "Bad thing is you're only imagining those things. They'll change and eventually go away. I've actually seen them and they are forever burned into my mind."

"Ugh. I never thought I would picture Atem as...I don't know...a person that does stuff like that."

Imhotep snorted as he tried to hold back his laughter. "Dude, seriously? You do realize that in ancient times sex was a regular part of daily life? It was no different than eating, drinking, or sleeping. Hell, it wasn't that uncommon to walk down the street and see it happening. Courtesans like Shae's mother were fairly common."

Yugi lifted his head and looked curiously towards his twin. "Courtesan? Isn't that another word for…"

"Hooker. Prostitute. Whore. Take your pick," Imhotep replied casually.

Yugi stared blankly at the empty space beside his sibling. "Just when I think my family tree can't get any more messed up, I find out my ancient grandmother was a sex worker…"

"Who slept with a jackal god, in case you've forgotten that little detail. Yeah. Pretty messed up. Could be worse though."

"How could it be worse?"

"You could be descended from Osiris and Isis."

Yugi had to think for a quick second on that one. "Wait, weren't they…"

"Twin siblings that fucked...because incest was fairly common back then. Like I said, it could be worse."

"I'm starting to be grateful I was born in this era. The more I learn about ancient Egypt, the more messed up it sounds," Yugi stated dryly.

Imhotep grinned. "I can mess it up even more if you want. I've seen enough to accurately describe it as if I had actually been there."

"No thanks. I would rather not hear more about sex and incestuous gods."

Imhotep shrugged then laid on the other bed on his back with his arms behind his head, one knee propped up, with the other crossed and hanging lazily in the air. "This is where the Tomb Keeper usually sleeps, right?"

"Yeah? Why?"

"Just curious," Imhotep stated in slight bitterness.

"You don't like Marik, do you?"

"Nope. Honestly, he pisses me off. He should know his place. His purpose is to serve the royal family, not fuck it," he growled.

Yugi was a bit surprised to hear such hatred coming from Imhotep. For the most part his twin appeared to have a bubbly personality.

Imhotep noticed his sibling's shocked expression. He suddenly felt ashamed. "Sorry. I know he's a friend of yours. I waited so long for our old man to come back, and about the time it actually happens, Shae finds herself someone new," he said, his voice full of sadness. "I guess I just always hoped for something different when this day came."

"You're not the only one."

Imhotep turned his head to see Yugi sitting upright, his head hanging forward in a dejected fashion.

"I remember after Grandpa told me that my dad had died and that my mom left me to keep me safe, I used to imagine that my parents were secret agents or something along those lines. Never in a million years would I have guessed they were an ancient pharaoh and the immortal daughter of a god," Yugi said quietly.

Imhotep also sat up. "If it makes you feel any better, you ended up with the better deal in life. You got to live with Gramps. I was practically imprisoned and got stuck with a drill sergeant as my warden."

Yugi raised his head up slightly and glanced off to the side to see Imhotep looking at him as though trying to study him. He'd seen a look similar to that before, but was having a hard time placing it. After a moment of no answer his twin looked away.

"I guess that didn't help. Shae was right...talking to someone face-to-face is a lot different than over a mic. You can actually see their reactions," Imhotep said dejectedly.

After a few more moments of silence, Yugi spoke up. "I'm sorry you had to live like that because of me."

Imhotep perked up a bit. "Oh...it wasn't because of you specifically. It was more…I had difficulties when I was younger controlling both my magae and my Isfet. I was a danger to those around me. Even after I learned control, Shae was still worried that interacting with the outside world might cause me to end up like her and have lapses in control. It wasn't until after the Duelist Kingdom tournament that I had to stay hidden because of you."

Yugi felt slightly relieved to learn that his sibling hadn't been forced to live a life of isolation entirely because of him. He rubbed at his eyes, feeling the exhaustion of the day's events starting to replace the adrenaline from earlier. When he pulled his hands away, he noticed the smeared kohl on his fingers.

"I would wash that off if I were you," Imhotep stated.

"Oh, right. Last time I left liner on overnight I woke up with puffy eyes."

"That's not quite why I mentioned it. The kohl you're currently wearing is made the same way it was five-thousand years ago. That means it's made from galena. You know...lead sulfide."

Yugi's eyes widened as he quickly bolted out of bed and ran to the bathroom to wash off the ancient makeup. He returned several minutes later, sans kohl and changed into his pajamas, and flopped down once again on his bed. "No wonder life-spans were so short in ancient times…" he muttered.

"Now you know why ancient Egyptians were a bit crazy. They enjoyed painting themselves with materials that contained mercury, arsenic, and various types of lead." Imhotep cocked his head to the side as though he just thought of something. "Actually, that explains a lot. No wonder Shae is a bit mental. She used to paint herself head to toe on a regular basis."

Yugi chuckled. "She can't be that crazy."

Imhotep looked over towards his sibling with a dull expression on his face. "You didn't have to wake up each day and learn things like meditation, self-control, spell-casting, strategy, how to manipulate your magae, and battle and weapon techniques; along with combining all of it and showing your mastery over all of it in sparring matches."

"That doesn't sound crazy. That sounds like she was trying to teach you things that she felt were important to know."

"I think I would rather have learned physics and algebra...not that Mkhai doesn't make sure I learned those things. Physics is actually a hard one. They don't apply in the immortal world."

"I imagine they don't!" Yugi commented with a small chuckle. He rolled over onto his side, adjusting his pillow to fit more comfortably beneath his neck and head. "Can I ask you something I've been wondering about?"

Imhotep gave him that studying glance again. "Yeah, sure."

"Did you ever hate me?"

Imhotep stared blankly. "Why would I have hated you?"

"Because I was the one destined to complete the Puzzle and become Atem's host…and because Kat put a lot of her focus on me to keep me safe."

There was a brief pause before Imhotep spoke. "Is that what was brought up in the Black Flame?"

Yugi nodded sleepily.

"Did I ever hate you? No. Was I jealous? At times. But Shae helped remind me that we each had our parts to play. She put it as we are each pieces on a chess board, and that even those who think themselves as nothing more than worthless pawns, are placed where they are for a reason." Imhotep smiled as he recalled something. "You should see this weird 3D chess setup she has sitting in her room. There are multiple powerful pieces, and only a few pawns on the board. She once told me that as important as pawns are, she hates viewing them as just that, so she replaced them with what she feels they are meant to be. I don't know how she can play a game with two kings to protect, especially with only a single queen, one bishop, and one knight. I watched her move the pieces around once, and it was weird. It was like she was trying to protect all the pieces from her imaginary opponent. That part's weird too. The opponent has these weird pieces that look like a combination of a king and several other pieces, along with another couple that look like a combination of a rook and a knight. Then there's dozens of pawns."

Imhotep paused, hearing the faint sounds of snoring coming from across the room. He laid back down like he had been earlier with his hands behind his head and one knee crossed over the other. He snapped his fingers and the lights that had been on went dark. He chuckled quietly. "Who knew my first time staying anywhere outside of the palace would be my first sleepover, and that it would be with my brother?" He glanced over towards Yugi one last time for the night. "nefer gerah, sen," he said quietly, wishing his sibling a good night in the old tongue.

I will be listing each character in alphabetical order, along with their response when asked to 'boink'.

Atem: "I am Pharaoh, you should consider it an honor."

Bakura: "If you have my not-so-little Thief King's attention, then absolutely!"

Imhotep: "I've seen too much of my old man's sex life. Not interested at this point. Maybe someday?"

Kat: "Only if I find myself aroused by you...then as much as possible!"

Malik: "No."

Marik: "Sure, but only if you submit yourself to me...in bed of course..."

Mkhai: "I'm Batman!"

Yugi: *blushes and runs away*