We Found Love
(signing)
It was a beautiful summer day, in late August, and Yugi Muto was outside with the children of Sunshine Daycare in Domino City, Japan. He was pushing one of the children on the swing, when he saw that one of the other teachers at the daycare was walking over to him. He waved to her and she waved back.
"Hey, Yugi, there's a man at the front desk. He says he wants to register his daughter for preschool," Serenity Wheeler, his best friend's little sister, informed him.
Serenity had long auburn hair with dark green eyes, was about 5'6, and was wearing a pink tank top with light-wash jean shorts and yellow and white sneakers. She was another teacher for the daycare. Serenity taught the 4- and 5-year-olds, and Yugi taught the 3-year-olds, and Ryou, another teacher, taught the 1- and 2-year-olds.
They were a small place, He had about 16 kids in his class. The other teachers had at least 10 kids in their class, sometimes more, not often, though. Since Yugi had the largest class, he only taught one age group, but was qualified to teach up to 5-years-old.
"Where's Stacy?" He asked Serenity, frowning.
"She left early again," Serenity replied, rolling her eyes.
"Ra dammit! Mr. Yamaguchi really needs to fire that woman." Yugi sighed, exasperated. "Yeah, I'll go take care of him. Can you watch the children for me please?" Yugi asked her.
"Of course I can." She smiled warmly. "All my students left already."
"Thank you," Yugi replied to her as he handed her the clipboard with all the kids' names on it and went inside and to the front desk. The daycare was small, but he loved working with the children. He didn't care for some of the parents, though. Even though they were a small building, it was mostly rich families that brought their kids here.
"Hello, I'm Yugi Muto," he said to the man that was crouched down and was re-buckling his daughter's shoe. From what Yugi could see with the man's back turned toward him, they had similar hair styles. Where Yugi's hair was all over the place, however, the tanned man seemed to have styled his into a neat ponytail.
When the man stood up and turned around, Yugi's heart almost stopped. This is the most gorgeous looking man I've ever seen, Yugi thought to himself.
The taller man was about 5 '5, with beautiful copper skin, a strong, sharp, angular jaw with a 5 o'clock shadow and beautiful, bright, vermilion eyes. He was wearing a black business suit with a crimson red tie to match his eyes. The man towered over him a good bit. Yugi wished he were just a little bit taller instead of being stuck at 5'0
Yugi felt a bit plain in front of this man. He felt like he was in the presence of royalty. While this man was dressed very nicely in his suit, Yugi was dressed in a button down lilac shirt with the sleeves cuffed at his wrists, with a violet vest over it that matches his eyes, dark wash skinny jeans and black leather boots that had silver studs going across the top of them, wrist cuffs on both wrists and a leather collar.
"Hello, my name is Atem and this is my daughter, Layla," he said, sticking out his hand for Yugi to shake. Yugi nearly melted when Atem spoke. His deep baritone voice was like melted chocolate.
"I'm a teacher here. I was told you wanted to register Layla for preschool?" Yugi asked him.
"Uh. Yes, that's right," Atem confirmed.
"Okay, well, Layla can play with the toys in that box over there and you can sit in this chair in front of my desk, and we can get started with these questions," Yugi informed him, pointing out the toy box as he fired up the old Dell desktop sitting on the desk.
"Alright, thank you," Atem replied as he took Layla's hand and led her over to the toy box. He gently tapped her on the shoulder. "Alright sweetie daddy is going to be right over there with talking to him. Can you do daddy a favor and play with these toys here?" Atem asked her.
Layla smiled and nodded her head yes excitedly in response, sitting down on the floor to play.
Atem's daughter was the cutest little girl Yugi had ever seen. She was about 2-feet-tall, dressed in an adorable dark navy blue sundress with little red cherries all over it, and a pair of light tan closed-toe gladiator sandals to match.
Her curly, tri-colored hair that matched his and Atem's was pulled into two pigtails on top of her head and tied up with two bright red bows. Her hair was onyx at the base, crimson at the tips and she had golden blonde bangs framing her small face. Layla looked exactly like a miniature, female Atem. She even had his eyes, except hers were more of a candy apple red, Yugi thought to himself.
"I-It's nice to meet you." Yugi cursed himself for stuttering. "Your daughter is beautiful. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but are you Egyptian?"
Yugi asked the older man.
Atem looked surprised at Yugi's question. "Yes, we are. My name, Atem, is a play off of Atum, who was a solar deity who came to be associated with the evening or with the setting sun, and my daughter's name, Layla, means like night or one who was born at night. Which she was. On Halloween night, no less."
"Oh, wow, I bet you loved that." Yugi giggled.
Atem's expression saddened. "I didn't know. The woman I slept with in college left her in the hospital. I got a call on my cell the next day from the hospital saying to come pick my daughter up. I was a very confused man that day. I remember arguing with the woman on the other end of the phone.
"I kept saying I didn't have a daughter. But something compelled me to go to that hospital. When I got there, a nurse took me to see her. Something in me just melted when I saw her. When I held her, I knew she was my daughter. Then, I signed some papers and I took her home."
Hearing that, Yugi's heart broke for Atem and Layla.
"She never even told me she was pregnant." Atem sighed.
"I'm so sorry, Atem," Yugi said gently.
"Thank you, Yugi. It's okay, really, it is. I'm sorry I burden you with my sob story."
"It's alright, I don't mind. I'm going to have to ask you a few questions, and then, once I fill this out, I'll have you sign it. Any questions before we begin Mr.… I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught your last name."
"It's Sennen," Atem replied with a dazzling smile that almost had Yugi melting on the spot.
"Alright, Mr. Sennen, I'm going to need your date of birth, and Layla's, too."
"June 4th, 1995, and Layla's is October 31st, 2020. And please, call me Atem," the tanned man responded as he looked over his shoulder at Layla, who was playing quietly on the floor with some blocks, and he smiled at her.
Yugi giggled to himself as the taller man rattled off his birthday. Atem was exactly a year older than he was.
Atem noticed Yugi laughing and was confused. "What's so funny?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
Yugi smiled at Atem. "I'm sorry. I laughed because you are exactly one year older than me."
"I still don't see what's funny."
Yugi giggled again. "I was also born on June 4th, but in 1996."
Atem laughed loudly. "That's awesome, I've never met anyone with the same birthday as me!" He then turned around to check on Layla. "Are you having fun, pumpkin?" Atem asked her.
"Yes, have nice toys." She smiled as she signed back.
As Yugi watched Atem and his daughter interact, he saw the taller man sign I love you to her. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but I noticed you using sign language to speak to Layla. Is she deaf?"
"Yes, she is. She was born deaf, I'm afraid. We found out at the hospital. Layla's nurse told me she most likely has hearing loss and set me up with an appointment to have her hearing checked. We found out when Layla was almost 2 months old that she was deaf.
"The doctor gave me some information about a parenting class for parents with deaf children so we could learn to sign, and once she was old enough to understand numbers and letters, I started teaching her how to spell my name and her name, and how old we are," Atem said, smiling proudly at Layla.
"What's her vocabulary like? I noticed she signs back pretty quick. Does she have any trouble communicating?" Yugi asked him.
"I'm not really sure. She knows some signs, and I also taught her baby signs. She can sign pretty quickly. It gets faster, and sometimes it might not make any sense, especially if she's excited or upset. I was wondering, do you offer a speech program here? She can read a little. Not a lot, but enough to read lips . I want to try and get her the best help I can," Atem asked him.
"Darn it- Hold on, Mr. Sennen, I'm sorry, I 'll be right back, my contact just ripped," Yugi apologized to Atem.
"No need to apologize. I understand all too well the pain of a ripped contact. And please, call me Atem." The older man smiled at him.
"Okay, well, I'll be right back." Yugi smiled as he walked to the bathroom. He took out the ripped lenses and threw them out. He then took a pair of purple, with blue, pearlescent brow line glasses out of their case and he sighed. He would have to deal with the glasses for now until he got home. He had practically emptied out his bag in search of a spare pair of contacts when he couldn't find them he pulled out his glasses.
"I'm sorry about that," Yugi apologized after coming back into the room.
"No need to apologize, it happens sometimes." Atem smiled brightly at him.
"Okay, let's continue. I hate these." Yugi mumbled as he pushed the glasses up his face and sat back down at the desk.
Atem nodded his head staring at Yugi with a soft smile on his face. "You look great." Atem thought the glasses brought out Yugi's beautiful, gem-like eyes.
"What?" Yugi asked, tilting his head.
"I-I-I mean you look like a grape," Atem said without thinking.
Yugi blinked. "What? That makes no sense," he said, extremely confused.
Atem cheeks heated up and he covered his face with his hands, completely embarrassed. "I am so sorry. Can we please continue the questions? Before I say something else stupid." He mumbled behind his hands.
Yugi humored him and continued. "How old is Layla?"
"She will turn 3 on Halloween this year." Atem smiled.
"Is there anything she has trouble with?"
"She has trouble speaking and reading lips, and she gets very frustrated and has a tantrum when she can't get it," Atem replied, a little frustrated. Other than when she has a tantrum she's usually very well behaved. I know you are probably thinking that I'm just saying this because I'm her father. But it's true I've had sitters tell me that she's the most well behaved child they have ever met.
"Are you the one who taught her to sign?" Yugi asked him.
"It was hard, but yes, I was the one who taught her. She knows some signs like please, thank you, I love you, potty, yes, no, eat, hungry, full. All the important ones," Atem explained.
"Can she spell any words?" Yugi asked him.
"Some, I taught her to spell her first and last name just in case she ever got lost or if something happened. She also knows how to spell my name, grandma and grandpa, and a few others that I can't recall off the top of my head. "
"I just wish I could find somebody who can help her. "I've had her in several daycare's since I found out I had to raise her myself. So, once she was old enough, I put her in daycare. They all claimed to be able to help Layla. I was told they had teachers that would help her talk."
"I took Layla to her pediatrician because she wasn't talking and I was afraid she was mute as well. She told me that, if they are taught early on and that with the addition of hearing aids, she will have the same capabilities as a child that can hear.
"I thought I would see results. Even if it was only a few words, it would have been okay. But to see that she is the same now as she was when she went in. I asked what was going on and they said she was slow and she disrupted the other children.
"So I pulled her out. By the time she turned two I had her in five different centers. So when I got the call my father wanted to retire and he wanted me to take over the business here in Japan, I jumped at the chance. So me and Layla hopped on my family's plane and I bought a house on Millennium Street here in Domino," Atem explained to him.
"Well, you're in luck because I specialize with deaf children, and I set up a program that will boost their socialization skills and verbal communication skills as well as teach them new signs."
"Really? That's great!" Atem exclaimed.
Yugi smiled sweetly. "I love kids, what can I say? I heard something about how the owner of Sennen Toys is going to retire and that his son is taking his place. Are you the new owner or am I mistaken?" The smaller man asked Atem.
Atem smiled sheepishly "Yeah, I originally didn't want to until I was a little bit older, but then that call from the hospital changed everything. I'm just glad Serena put my name on her birth certificate. I'm sorry for rambling on so much. It's just that I want to get the best help I can for her."
Yugi smiled sweetly. "Atem, I completely understand. From how I saw her interact with you, I can see the potential in her. Some preschoolers who are deaf can barely sign or read lips."
"Just out of curiosity, why did you want to know if I was the one taking over Sennen Toys?
My grandpa buys from your company. He owns a game shop on South Street, Kame Game shop is the name of it. Your company makes the figures for the Skylander games and we sell them at our store for cheaper than the normal price. I work there on the weekends to help my grandpa out. And you have done an amazing job with her. I'm sure I can help. Can she hear at all?"
"Thank you, Yugi, you are very kind. She can hear somewhat with the hearing aids, but without them she can't hear anything at all," Atem replied laying his hand on top of Yugi's
"It just helps to know these things. Just in case something happens , like she loses a hearing aid. Is there anyone other than you who will be picking up or bringing Layla to school?"
"Seto Kaiba or his husband Joey Wheeler." Atem said simply.
"Wait wait wait back up. Seto Kaiba? How do you know Seto and Joey?" Yugi asks him.
Atem blinked, confused. "Well Seto is my cousin and Joey is his husband. I've known Joey for a few years now." When I called Seto and told him that I was coming to Domino to live, he told me he would have everything ready for me and he was the one who told me about this preschool."
"He failed to mention that to me." Yugi mumbled. His friends meant well. Yugi knows that, he just wishes they would back off a little. He didn't think they would try and set him up like this. Why can't they just let him be. Sure it's been a while. His last long term relationship was two years ago when his ex boyfriend Chris, was put in jail for trying to kill him. Yugi shuddered when he thought back to that horrible night when he called off his relationship with Chris.
As of lately Chris had been very nasty to him. Always yelling at him telling him he was no good. The last straw had been when Chris slapped him across the face. Yugi thought about it all night and decided that the next morning he was breaking up with him. He went over to his soon to be ex boyfriend's house. He opened the door to find him on the couch with another woman on top of him.
They got into an argument and the last thing Yugi remembers him saying to Chris was, "I'm breaking up with you." Then everything went black. He woke up later in the hospital. Yugi found out after he broke up with Chris that he flew off the handle and beat Yugi severely. He was lucky the woman whom Chris was cheating on him with called the police. If she didn't, Yugi wouldn't be here.
After that Yugi didn't date for a whole year. His friends understood but after that year that started dragging him out to bars and clubs. He wishes his friends would back off a little. After four shitty dates, he wanted to take a break from dating for a while.
Atem smiled at Yugi. "You talk like you know my cousin very well."
"Yugi smiled back at Atem. "I should. I was at their wedding. Joey has been my best friend since freshman year of high school. So he asked me to be his best man.
"We probably would have met sooner then but Layla got sick so we couldn't go. Layla was supposed to be the flower girl and I was supposed to be Seto's best man." Atem explained.
"Aw that really sucks I'm sorry."
"It's alright." Atem replied.
Yugi continued typing on the computer for a few more minutes before he spoke. "Ok that part of registration is over. Would you like a tour of the facility?" Yugi asked Atem.
"Sure that would be great." Atem smiled. The taller man got up from the chair and walked over to Layla. He tapped her on the shoulder and signed "Let's go sweetie Mr. Muto is going to show us your new school."
A bright smile lit up her face and she took her father's outstretched hand. Her eyes were wide with wonder as they explored the school.
As they walked through the school Atem couldn't help but notice how cheerful looking it was. The walls were painted in bright colors and children's art work and various posters were hung up all around . He is glad he chose this school for Layla. He has a feeling she will really like it here.
The little girl got really excited when she saw the playground through the big glass window in the hallway. She tugged on the bottom of Atem's shirt. "Daddy ,daddy, look, look, big toy big toy!" She signed rapidly.
Atem knelt down in front of her. "Slow down pumpkin you're signing too fast for daddy to keep up. Can you slow down and try again please?"
She pouted then nodded her head. "Daddy, look at big toy outside." Can I play outside?"
"I see it honey. Look, they even have a big pirate ship too. Maybe after we are done looking around we can go play, but not right now, ok pumpkin? Daddy still has some stuff to do. But I have good news. This is going to be your new school and you will get to play on the big toy all the time." Atem told her.
Layla's little face lit up in a bright smile as she jumped up and down excitedly. "When, when, when,?" she asked Atem rapidly.
"Monday is your first day." He told her, chuckling at her excitement as they continued to explore the rest of the school with Yugi.
Once they were done with the tour Yugi knelt down in front of Layla. "I was talking with your daddy and he said that you really liked the jungle gym outside. Would you like to go play for a while?" Yugi asked her.
Layla's face broke into a bright smile and she bounced up and down excitedly. "Yes yes let's play!" She signed excitedly. Yugi smiled at her and took her hand as they walked outside with Atem trailing behind them.
Atem took a seat on one of the benches outside and watched as Yugi and Layla played. She seemed to like Yugi and so did he. Atem hoped she liked school as well.
"Hey Yugi, could I speak to you for a moment?" Atem asked him as he was walking up to the pirate ship where the smaller man and his daughter were playing.
Yugi smiled brightly and Atem felt himself smiling back. "Of course."
He tapped Layla on her shoulder "I'll be right back ok? Then we will play more. Your daddy wants to talk to me."
"Ok I wait here." she replied.
"Good idea, keep watch over the ship and make sure not to crash." Yugi smiled at her and walked back over to where Atem was seated on the bench in front of the playground.
"So you had told me that you work with deaf children?" Atem asked Yugi.
"Yes that's right I have my bachelors degree in early childhood education and childhood development and if you want I can tutor Layla one on one I also have my associates in speech therapy too I'm working on getting my masters for everything as well.""
"She will also be in my class. I teach the 3 year olds and you said her birthday is on Halloween. It will be easier on her not to have to switch classes in the middle of the year. We usually do this if the child's birthday is close.
Atem beamed at Yugi. "I swear it's like you can read my mind. I was going to ask you if you would mind coming over to my place to tutor Layla."
Yugi laughed out loud at that then smiled warmly. "I'd be happy to." When would you like me to come over?" We are closed on weekends and I have off this Friday if that's ok with you?".
"That's fine I wouldn't want to take your weekends away from you."
Yugi giggled, "It's fine, all I do is play video games with my friends on weekends." It will be nice to do something constructive for a change."
Atem smiled back, "what about after work every Friday?" He questions the smaller man.
Yugi's rounded cheeks darkened with a soft blush. "Um yea that would be ok and if she needs more help then I'm happy to come over any other time as well. " He replied softly.
"Are you sure? We can set up another time if that doesn't work for you. I'm not taking you away from your lover or anything like that am I ?" Atem asked the smaller man quickly.
Yugi's eyes went wide and his blush deepened. "What ? No, no nothing like that. I'm single. The only one I share my home with is my cat Yami."
"Well then I'll see you every Friday after school and every school day too. Atem laughed boisterously making Yugi's blush deepen even more so that it now rivaled a tomato's.
Yugi laughed as well. I will see you and Layla Monday morning at 8 am. I will email you a list of everything she will need." The shorter man told him.
"Thank you Yugi, you have no idea how much I appreciate this." Atem said to him.
Yugi smiled warmly, "I'm just doing my job." He shrugged.
Atem smiled back at him. "Well, we better be heading home. I still have a few errands to run." He explained as he tried to find his daughter, who was now playing a game of hide and seek with him.
"Alright I will see you and Layla Monday and I will email you that list shortly." Yugi smiled.
"Can you say goodbye to Mr. Muto?" Atem asked her once he found her. She shook her head yes and ran over to Yugi and threw her tiny arms around his waist.
Layla looked up at him and smiled. "Bye Bye Mr. Mr…" She looked up at Yugi confused.
Yugi knelt down and wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug. "It's ok you can call me Mr. Yugi." he said to her.
"Bye bye Mr. Yugi!" Layla smiled brightly and waved bye to Yugi and tore off across the playground making Atem chase her.
"Thank you Yugi!" Atem shouted to Yugi over his daughter's playful screams as he tossed her over his shoulder.
"You're welcome! Yugi shouted back laughing at the father, daughter duo as they walked to their car. The smaller man walked back inside to send that list to Atem. Once that was done he went back to find Serenity and she informed him that all the kids went home as it was well past 3 pm. Yugi thanked her and then went about getting his stuff together and headed home.