Original A/N: As last chapter, this has been beta-read and given the seal of approval. Please enjoy! (He gave this chapter a 9/10)
Sunlight was the first thing to tip off Atem that it was perhaps time to wake up.
The next was the realization that the sheets on his body didn't feel like his own.
He suddenly sat up, his head pounding him to keep down. His eyes darted around the room as he realized that he wasn't in his bedroom. He didn't have posters all over his walls of different nerdy hobbies like card games, characters and shows. Nor did he have figures resting on his dresser and clothes decorating the floors of his bedroom.
Wait. What?
Clothes amongst the floors? Waking up in someplace that isn't his bedroom? Throbbing headache? Crap. All the signs of a hook up. Atem lifted the cover and checked that he at least had pants on.
He had his boxers on. Atem was also quick to notice that there was no slumbering figure beside him. The bed was rather small, barely enough to fit him. Considering how small the room is already, Atem could only presume that he had slept with a college student. A bitter sigh left his lips, tossing the sheets off his legs as he sat on the edge of the bed. He tried to scan the floor for his clothes in particular but he couldn't find them.
The door opened and caught his attention. A familiar face entered, a pause in his step before continuing into the room with a cup of water in his hand.
"Good Morning." He said with a smile. Carefully avoiding stepping on the clothes on the floor, he handed Atem the cup, which appeared to be a promotional cup from some fast food place. Colorful and clearly a little cheap, it was better than nothing. "You must be really hung over, Yami… Do you need me to pick you up any aspirin?"
'He doesn't have any aspirin?' Atem thought to himself, drinking the nice cold water. It didn't help his headache but fuck, he was thirsty. He didn't flinch when called by his alias either, it only adds to the possibility that Atem had slept with this stranger. "I'll be fine, sweetheart. Just a bit of a headache."
Yugi giggled at his words. This made Atem arch an eyebrow at him, unaware what exactly he said to gain such a response. "Well, I'm glad after last night you just have a headache."
Atem pulled the cup away from his lips and furrowed his brows. "What do you mean 'after last night'? What, did I fall asleep while we were hooking up?"
A choking noise came out loud out of Yugi, who looked shocked. "W-WHAT?! No! We didn't- Oh my gosh." He covered his flustering face as he shook his head to calm himself down. "I meant that you puked on me last night when I took you out to eat."
Now it was Atem's turn to choke on air.
"WHAT?! Oh my god, I'm so sorry." He shot up from the bed, an apologetic look fresh on his face. "I caused a lot of trouble for you, shit."
Yugi sympathetically smiled, it made Atem feel worse. "Hey hey it's fine! We both drank quite a bit last night. The workers were nice about it too, considering I had to stop you from falling right onto your- yea. And my pants were totally ruined." He laughed recounting the night before, Atem wanted to sink away and disappear. "What I mean to say, despite the pretty bad ending, I don't mind if you would want to meet up again."
Oh?
That wasn't the response Atem was expecting. Yugi looked at him expectantly, awaiting an answer. His grip on the cup tightened, Atem usually didn't do second dates. But, he felt obligated indulging in the other at least for another date.
"If it's fine with you, I would be happy if you could give me another chance to make it up to you." Turning up the charm was the only response he could think of. Regaining composure, the headache didn't stop him from giving a charming smile and drinking the rest of the water. If there was ever a reason to cut back on the drinking, it was last night. "So.. about my clothes.." Atem spoke up.
Yugi grabbed the cup from Atem, looking up at him at the question. "Oh. You got a bit of vomit on them so I had to put them in a plastic bag to wash. I only had 1 shirt that fit you, as for pants, I think my best friend has a pair I can lend you."
"Oh, you have a roommate?"
Yugi shook his head, heading towards the door and motioning for Atem to follow. He did. "No, my best friend crashes often at my apartment. He stays in a dorm with another friend of ours but he has a girlfriend sooo, yea he comes here when they sleep over."
Atem learned quickly stepping out of the room that Yugi's apartment was tiny. Just right outside the room was a small living room, cramped with furniture and lack of space, through it was the kitchen and at the end the bathroom. Posters and knick knacks continue to decorate the walls and shelves of Yugi's little apartment, the sofa looks regularly slept on, with a bookshelf right beside it. Across from the sofa was a small dresser right under a mounted TV. The bookshelf itself had one shelf dedicated to cookbooks, and the rest to mangas, board games and card portfolios for all the major card games - Duel Monsters, Magic, Vanguard.
It makes Atem's personal collection feel a little lacking.
"Hm. You weren't lying about being a fan of card games." Atem commented, his eyes lingering on the multiple portfolios lining the shelves. Yugi was in the kitchen, putting the cup in the sink.
"Yea haha, I've been collecting them for years now. My Grandpa owns a game shop so a lot of my collection came from when I worked for my grandpa during the summer." He entered the living room, grabbing one of the portfolios and opening it up. Neatly organized in a way only understandable to Yugi, he thumbed through the pages, some of the cards being old and some being clearly new.
Atem let out a wolf whistle, some of his cards weren't anything to scoff at. "Did your grandfather pay you in cards?" He teased, his eyes averting to Yugi's face who appeared content as his eyes glided through all the cards so neatly displayed.
"I mean, I technically was when I was really young." He chuckled, recalling his youth. "I'm talking like 9 or 10 years old. Grandpa would give me a pack a week if I did all my chores without complaining."
"Seems like a fair trade." Atem chuckled, motioning to Yugi to ask permission to check the portfolio himself. Yugi nodded and handed it to Atem, sitting down on his couch while keeping an eye on the taller male. A quiet sigh left his mouth, he constantly watched Atem's eyes study each card, his fingers so careful with the page. It wasn't until this moment that Yugi could really understand the appeal of seeing someone else wearing your clothes.
The shirt was an old band tee that was a gift from Jonouchi, a size too big for him, but it was the thought that counted most. It was a size too small for the other, but it only gave Yugi a better view of his slight muscles. Especially with the no pants combo, Yugi was enjoying the 'view'.
"We need to meet up again when I have my collection. I would love to trade some of my cards for some of yours. You have a few that I've been hoping to get." Atem mused, looking up from the card portfolio, unaware of the lustful view the other had been displaying rather openly.
Yugi shifted in his seat, raising his arms to behind his head. "Sure! I haven't traded in a while since I don't usually feel like carrying all my cards to tournaments." He chuckled at his cheeky comment, Atem lightly shook his head rolling his eyes.
"That's completely fair. I don't trade often for the same reason." He closed the portfolio with a single hand, turning to the bookshelf to return it to its rightful place. As it slid back into its slot, Atem stood back up, moving his arms back to stretch until he heard a little pop from his back. He didn't want to be rude but the bed wasn't the most comfortable. "Also couldn't help but notice you have quite a lot of board games."
Yugi glanced to where Atem's eyes rested, the shelf that was filled with both iconic and niche board games. "Yea, I've always been a huge fan of games," He chuckled. "With how you were playing last night, I'm gonna guess you're the same?"
"Of course," Atem answered. Yugi had all the popular ones - Monopoly, Game of Life, Sorry, Mouse Trap, Operation - but even more of one's he's never heard of before. A lot of them look massive as well. "Which one's your favorite?"
The question made Yugi ecstatic, practically jumping off his seat on the coach as he pulled out a colorful box that had what appears to be comic book superheroes and villains. The box was not the biggest in his collection, but it was no scoffing matter either. "This! It's another card game," He shrugs, "Shocker, I know. But you get to play as heroes, some are based on popular guys and the rest are original. You have to defeat the villain in a certain territory and it's really fun!"
Yugi contemplated opening the box, not wanting to go on a giant spiel if the other had only wanted a short answer. However, any nervousness was immediately evaporated when he could see Atem's eyes lock with his, the ends of his lips slightly curved upwards, as his eyebrow motioned upward. He was listening and waiting for Yugi to continue. It was futile to even try and hide the sheepish smile from having a little audience so enraptured in his ramblings, but what was he, if not a good host?
"So, each hero has their own deck of powers and abilities. The villain also has their own deck of powers and abilities. Each turn has everyone perform an action or use a power. The game is all about replayability, so you can change the villain, some even having harder counterparts, you can change the setting that helps you, helps the villain or helps nobody. Some villains even have nemesis that they deal extra damage to." Yugi explained, sitting back down to the couch, with Atem sitting beside him. He opened the box, placing the lid right beside him and showing off the contents to Atem.
It was organized as the rest of Yugi's bookshelf, Yugi had even bought specific card sleeves for the decks and villain cards. Atem was firstly impressed with the care the other put into tending his collection of games, and secondly, intrigued by the game itself. He hadn't ever heard of it, nor ever saw it on store shelves.
"Maybe we can play it together," Atem noted, looking up from the box. Yugi's relaxed smile brightened.
"Well, my friends and I meet up once a week for game night. Maybe… you can join us one of those times?" His question had some uncertainty in it, Atem didn't immediately respond. A second date was already stepping a bit out of his comfort zone, meeting up with someone's friend group on top of that? Yikes.
"We'll see." Atem answered politely, he tried to ignore the little dejection Yugi felt, continuing the conversation to another topic. "Are you hungry, by any chance?"
Yugi grabbed the lid of the game, closing it as he moved to put the game away in its spot on the shelf. "I have some eggs in the fridge, I can make us some omelets." Atem wasn't usually one for eggs, but waking up on an empty stomach after emptying the contents of it last night makes one eager to eat anything.
"Sounds perfect. Do you want any help?"
"No, it's fine. My kitchen is pretty small so it would be cramped for the both of us to be in there." Understandable excuse. Atem nodded and watched as Yugi got off the couch and walked straight towards his kitchen. It gave some time for Atem to be left with his own thoughts for a bit.
His apartment was cramped but Yugi clearly made it a home. The couch was cheap, but the indents give it a story that it's been slept on quite a lot. Some of the posters lining the wall are of bands that Atem hadn't heard about, but he noticed that there were spaces on top of the bookshelf and in between some posters that are noticeably empty, like there was supposed to be something there, perhaps some photos?
The dresser was completely clear too, he got up and stepped closer, noticing a thin layer of dust on top but clear outlines within the dirt that implied something was on the dresser.
He could hear Yugi open the fridge and crack the eggs from the kitchen. Where Atem stands, he could also see into the bedroom a bit. Aside from the posters being characters from shows and illustrations, he saw a little collage of photos. Curiosity got the better of him and he entered back into the bedroom and towards the little collages of frames that hung on the wall.
Yugi, who looked much younger, was in a group hug with 4 other people in one photo. He seemed especially close with a blonde male, who wrapped his arm around Yugi's neck in a tight embrace. Besides them was a brunette girl who had her own arm around another girl with dyed hair in a tight braid. A taller male stood beside the girl, with an awkward smile.
It was clear that they were high schoolers in that photo.
The rest of the frames had similar things, Yugi slowly getting older in some of them. While the poses and scenery changes, the affectionate group remained close and always in a good mood. Yugi would be posing with the blonde alone, sometimes Yugi would be seen awkwardly beside the girl. His eternalized flustered look made Atem chuckle. It was clear that Yugi had a crush on her.
But the most peculiar thing was some of the frames didn't have photos. With where the empty frames rested, it didn't look like they had run out of photos to display, but more they were taken out. Atem bit the inside of his cheek without realizing, allowing his mind to wander as to what would've made Yugi take out said pictures. The first thought that came to mind was a bitter friend break-up.
His eyes traveled along, until he came across a photo frame on top of his desk; Textbooks piled high, sticky notes littered one side of the wooden desk reminding Yugi of exams and homework assignments, his laptop remained plugged in and closed. Yet on the corners around, had photos of an old man and a woman. One had Yugi, very young, standing beside an older man, holding his hand in front of the entrance of a gaming shop.
That had to be Yugi's grandfather.
The woman stood proudly beside Yugi who was showing off a trophy and holding up a deck of cards. Atem pulled the frame closer to inspect, barely able to read the banner behind the duo. A kid's tournament, and Yugi was the winner.
"That was the first tournament I ever won," The voice startled Atem who almost dropped the photo. He quickly turned around and noticed Yugi stepping closer until he was beside him, grabbing the photo from Atem. "I practiced with grandpa everyday after school that entire week… Mom said that I wouldn't stop smiling for the rest of the month afterwards."
"You really loved games, even as a kid." Atem commented, watching Yugi return the photo back onto his desk. The smaller male lingered for a moment, before pulling away and giving a nonchalant shrug.
"Yeup. It's what I'm studying right now."
"Oh, what's specifically your major?" Atem asked.
"Computer Science and Game Design." Yugi answered in return. "Oh by the way, I meant to tell you, the food's ready."
Atem nodded and they both made their way to the kitchen. Two plates had already been served with two empty cups. As Atem took a seat in front of one of the plates, Yugi grabbed a bottle of orange juice from the fridge and offered some to Atem.
"Got pulp?" Atem asks.
"Not in this household." Yugi answered with a confident tone, pouring himself a glass.
"Right answer. I'll take some." Atem chuckled, holding the cup as Yugi poured for him. Yugi put away the bottle and closed the fridge door, sitting down beside Atem and beginning to chow down on the breakfast. Atem took a sip, placing down the cup and looking at the omelet made for him. It was normal with a few pieces of what looked like hotdogs in it. He cut a piece with the side of his fork and ate it.
"Not bad, the hot dog is really sweet."
Yugi shook his head. "It's spam. I made it the way my Mom used to make it."
"Huh." He took another bite, now really realizing how great it feels to eat on an empty stomach. They continued to converse throughout their light meal, sharing a few jokes and a few compliments. Atem was quick to be told that Yugi had to learn to cook since moving out, considering his side gig of tournament winning wasn't always enough to pay for take-out, and getting a job wasn't the most plausible thing to do with his college schedule.
"How do you even have enough to get food then and pay rent?" Atem asked, finishing his plate of eggs. Yugi, who had long finished devouring his meal, looked dejected and explained.
"My ex was the one that helped me get this apartment and he handled rent and food costs so I could focus on my studies. But we broke up so…"
"Oh I'm sorry to hear that, how long have you been having to cover the costs?" Atem asks, placing a comforting hand on Yugi's shoulder.
"Not long, we broke up yesterday." With how deceptively casual Yugi said it, Atem almost didn't really register what he said.
Until he did.
"Oh… That's not lon- Excuse me, yesterday?" Atem's jaw dropped.
"Yea. That's why I was at the Barcade." Yugi answered, gathering the plates and standing up to place them in the sink. "I don't usually go to bars like that anyways, so yesterday was just a special exception."
Atem groaned, planting his face firmly onto his hands. It couldn't get any fucking worse can it. "Have I ever said just how sorry I am about yesterday? I'm so sorry I vomited on you while you were already having an awful day."
Yugi quickly waved his hand dismissively. "No no it's fine! I'm not beat up about it, honest! I'm just- more happy that I got to have fun with someone on a day that was definitely one of my worst days." Yugi's words weren't helping. The shame was eating Atem alive. "I like to think of it like taking the good with the bad, you know? While I didn't take the break-up well, I still got to meet you and I had a lot of fun. It made it easier for me to take it like a champ."
Oh bless this guy, Atem's hands slowly lowered from his face, watching as Yugi tried to give a cheeky smile. He really did mean putting water under the bridge. Atem was lucky that he didn't puke on someone who would've held it over his head.
But that only made the guilt so much worse.
"That's it, I'm going to treat you to dinner, when's the next time you're free?" Atem asked, a dedicated glint in his eyes that he was going to make it up to Yugi somehow, someway.
"Um, I'm free Saturday." Yugi stammered out at the determined attitude Atem had taken on. "Here, let me give you my number." Out of the kitchen he practically sprinted, ripping a piece of paper from one of his school notebooks and hastily jotting down his phone number, almost like he was afraid Atem would take back his offer.
Rushing back in, he handed it to Atem, who read it over and nodded. "I'll text you the details later today then." They gave an acknowledging nod to each other as Atem stood up. It was about time that he should head out, while he didn't exactly have anything planned for the rest of the day, he couldn't sufficiently say that for Yugi. However, there was one last thing he needed to do before he could go.
"So… about borrowing a pair of pants?" Yugi let out a quiet gasp and went to the dresser in the living room, rummaging around before pulling out a pair of gray sweatpants.
"Here! Sorry, I should've given it to you sooner. That's absolutely my bad… I already sent him a message that you were borrowing it, so just return it next time we meet. I'll return your clothes after I give them a wash."
Atem rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, taking the pair of sweats. "I could take my own clothes to wash, I've already been a hassle to you."
"Are you sure?" Yugi asks, a slight tilt of his head. Atem nodded and Yugi went to grab the soiled clothes from the bathroom. Atem used this brief moment to put on the sweats. They were not the softest kind, clearly used for a very long time and long having lost its softness. However, he couldn't complain. It was either this or nothing at all.
Yugi exited out with a plastic bag filled with his clothes. It was tied tightly so thankfully he didn't have to also smell the vomit from last night. "I put your stuff on my nightstand, your phone wallet and keys." Yugi said, Atem went to grab them, making sure he had everything before he had to head out. The only thing missing were his shoes.
"Please don't tell me I puked on my shoes." Atem muttered as he walked back to the kitchen where the front door to Yugi's apartment was.
"Nope, just mine. Your's is by the front door." Yugi pointed at it.
"Of course I did." Atem groaned, profusely apologizing to Yugi for the fifth time over the incident, and thanking him for taking care of him. "So, Saturday night. You, me, dinner and absolutely no liquor." He put on his shoes, double checking that he had everything on him and the plastic bag of clothes. Yugi giggled, tip-toeing up to plant a peck on his cheek.
"Sounds like a deal." He gave a warm smile that temporarily made Atem's cheeks feel flushed from it. His fingers ghosted the spot that he was pecked and could barely fumble out words, just giving a nod. The door was open, Atem stepped out, Yugi waved.
Out of the building he left, almost rushing down the block as he tried to orient himself, find out where exactly he was and how he was going to get home. He pulled out his phone, he saw that it was fully charged and let out a relieved sigh. That guy was a real god sent. But, as the small apartment building slowly faded from view, Atem figured out quickly he was in the part of town that was filled with college students, there was a nagging feeling at the back of his head.
He was already far away from his comfort zone. Exchanging phone numbers, a second date and the invite to join a games night between friends; Atem couldn't say he was excited about the development between the two. The guy was cute, sweet and fun to be around, Atem can't deny that. But the last thing Atem wants is to have the other catch any kinds of feelings or get expectations of them.
Atem stops at a bus stop, he checks when his bus would come and the wait was 5 minutes. He made sure he had enough for the fare and sat down on the metal bench.
After the second date, he was going to be firm and set some boundaries. He wanted nothing more than a casual relationship at best and if Yugi couldn't handle that, they would go their separate ways. Yeup. That sounds like the plan. As Atem felt sure what he was going to do, he glanced down at the outfit that was temporarily loaned to him; It absolutely was not his sense of fashion, it was embarrassing to have to walk around like he just got out of bed, but it also made him feel something akin to gratitude.
As the bus pulled up, he got on, paid the fare and sat down on the first available seat. The first thing he had to do when he got home was look up some nice restaurants that Yugi might like. There's a few that immediately pop into mind.
He feels a pit in his stomach from planning their date. Atem can't tell if it's nerves, dread or, dare he say, excitement.
Original A/N: I can't promise I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow, but with the fact I have the rest of the day to do nothing but watch Yu-Gi-Oh! (I'm on like episode 15, I'm telling you, I'm REALLY early on) I'll probably do it for my partner.
I've also been watching the 4kidz dub alongside the original dub and I can't help but find Joey really funny. I don't know how Yami can focus on dueling when he has such a kissable himbo right there lolol.
(Also if you're curious who the second girl is, it's Miho from season 0, I really really love her and I am SHAMELESS about it.)