Chapter Text
Atem looked up from his computer when he heard the sound of wings. Slifer landed on the table next to him and purred happily. Atem chuckled and reached out to pat Slifer’s head. The little dragon seemed to take this as an invite to lay down on Atem’s keyboard. The screen was immediately filled with a bunch of symbols and runes. He desperately tried to move the hatchling away from the device, but Slifer rolled over, purred louder and fell asleep. The screen turned black.
At least he had saved his work. Kaiba would kill him if he came to work next Tuesday telling him that those new spells he had worked on for a month disappeared by the claws of a lively dragon hatchling. His cousin had many times asked him why he bothered with the number of pets he had and told him that they would interfere with his job as an illusion developer sooner or later. Atem always made sure to have his progress saved many times over for this particular reason.
He couldn’t keep working with Slifer on his keyboard. He stretched and looked at the clock. It was time for a break either way.
Slifer’s wing was completely restored now, at least from what Atem could see. He had kept the little dragon in his bedroom, away from the other hatchlings, almost during the entire week and made sure that he took the medicine Yugi had given him. In accordance with the healer’s instructions, he had let Slifer roam the house again once he had managed to lift into the air, and Slifer was now back to playing with his siblings whenever he wasn’t trying to stop Atem from working.
Atem mindlessly drifted towards one of the windows through which he could see the street. It was empty. The street had been empty every time he had looked out said window thus far, but he drifted back every hour or so to look out at the small street below.
He didn’t know what was so special about this day, why he kept coming back to this window but... Scratch that, he knew exactly why he couldn’t leave the empty street alone to be just that, an empty street. Sometime soon someone would walk down that street, someone with sparkling amethyst eyes. The thought of those eyes caused the sleeping butterflies to stir in his stomach, and he forced himself to turn away from the window. Yugi would be there sooner or later, and he would come to check up on Slifer. As soon as he understood that the dragon was fully restored, he would leave and unless Atem went out of his way to meet up with him, they wouldn’t see each other again. Not ever.
Atem closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could always visit the shop again, to buy medicine or dragon’s root, or Duel Monster cards. He chuckled as he imagined Yugi pointing towards the booster packs. It was a curious shop indeed. However, he wasn’t in need of healing potions or vets too often, and to visit regularly to buy Duel Monster cards when there were a thousand shops closer to him with more cards in stock would seem suspicious. The last thing he wanted was to make Yugi doubt his intentions by coming to the shop for no reason. Furthermore, Kaiba would be suspicious if he stopped visiting his usual card shops.
He groaned and put his head in his hands. He was overthinking this way too much.
Claws prickled his skin through the shirt, and he looked down to see Slifer glaring up at him. He opened his arms for the hatchling, who immediately draped himself over Atem’s shoulders.
“Back to work, I guess,” Atem said with a chuckle as he got back to his computer, prepared to fix whatever mess Slifer had created. He wasn’t able to be mad at the dragon, not when he was purring and wanted cuddles.
“Lucky you, right?” Atem muttered as the Kaiba Corp logo lit up on the screen.
Atem managed to reopen the lost files and found the spell he had been working on. He quietly murmured it and watched as the room around him transformed into an ancient castle, complete with gems in the walls and ivy climbing from the windows. He got up from his chair as he finished the spell. The illusion seemed to work fine. There were still some minor things in need of work, he could for example see the lamp hanging from his ceiling through the blue sky, but the spell was working. He spun around as he watched his craft.
A gentle knock reached his ears. He froze. There was someone at the door.
Yugi.
In his haste to the door, he forgot how the spell was built and promptly ran into the wall. With one hand over his forehead, he muttered a few words that made the illusion disappear before he got out into the living room. As he made his way to the front door, a pain started to bloom from his shoulder, and he remembered Slifer. The dragon had surely been startled by his sudden movements and accidentally scratched him.
He didn’t have time for that now. He took a deep breath and opened the door.
The moment his eyes met Yugi’s he realized that he had been hopelessly unprepared for this meeting. The other man’s eyes sparkled just as they had done when Atem accidentally surprised him by the door back at the shop. Back when every nerve in Atem’s body had begged him to kiss Yugi. He had been terrified. He should not want to kiss a man he had just met so badly. They didn’t even know each other. He only knew that Yugi was beautiful when he blushed, that Atem could listen to his laugh all day, and that those amethyst eyes had captured him.
He was in too deep. Way too deep.
His cheeks started to heat up.
Not again.
He quickly stepped aside to let Yugi in.
“You managed to find your way here, I see,” he said jokingly, while trying to avoid making eye contact by closing the door after the healer. He had never before thought about how dirty the doorknob was. He discretely tried to polish it with his sleeve but gave up when he couldn’t see a difference.
“It wasn’t very difficult,” came Yugi’s voice and the fluttering in Atem’s stomach began anew. “There’s an old lady living right down the street that I usually visit to check up on. She lived together with an old tree spirit a couple of years ago, but now that she’s dead, the poor lady is all alone.”
Even though Yugi’s voice was light, Atem could hear traces of sadness. Off course Yugi would go out of his way to look after old people and patients and creatures. He was a pure soul, a beautiful soul. And he was here because of the baby dragon. He really needed to remind himself of that.
Yugi lifted the bag he had brought onto a nearby table and started to search for something inside. As he took out a couple of vials, he asked Atem to fetch him Slifer. Grateful for an excuse to leave, Atem went back into his study where he after a quick search spotted the hatchling sleeping on top of the books of a bookshelf. Atem reached up to grab him and gently managed to get the dragon into his arms. He chuckled when Slifer yawned.
“The keyboard is only good enough for you when I’m working, isn’t that right?” He looked into the dragon’s eyes and took a deep breath. “Yugi is here to make sure your wing is fine. You liked Yugi, didn’t you? Will you try to be a good dragon? For me?” Slifer nuzzled into the crook of his neck and started to purr. Atem took a second to calm his beating heart before going back into the living room with Slifer.
There was Yugi, sitting on the floor with crossed legs. In his lap was a tiny black dragon. Gandora. Yugi carefully stroked the hatchling with one hand, while the other was playing with a second black dragon. Atem hadn’t figured out a name for that particular hatchling yet, but its red eyes were beautiful.
Atem froze. Warmth spread from his chest through his body and drew a smile on his face. Yugi looked like he belonged right there, in his apartment, surrounded by the dragons. Yugi looked up at him, his face lit up with joy and adoration.
“They’re adorable,” Yugi whispered, as if to not scare the hatchlings. Atem chuckled and sank down on the floor next to him. Slifer slid out of his arms and tried to sneak up on Gandora who opened an eye to glare at the red dragon.
“They like you,” Atem whispered back. Yugi’s face flushed red, and he turned his head towards Atem. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words seemed to get stuck in his throat. As Atem watched, the smile fell from Yugi’s lips and his eyes widened by an emotion Atem couldn’t quite figure out.
“You’re bleeding.”
The words came fast enough that Atem almost missed them. He gave Yugi a questioning look and the other shook his head as if to clear it from thoughts. He lifted his hand towards Atem’s shoulder, but his arm froze halfway.
“Your shoulder. It’s bleeding. Maybe your neck too. What happened?”
Atem put his hand over his shoulder and winced at the stinging pain that suddenly seemed to bloom down his arm and neck. His fingers were coloured by blood when he looked at them again.
“I... I don’t know,” he stammered. When did he...? The realization struck him immediately. “I... ran into a wall and Slifer scratched me.”
Yugi just stared at him blankly. Atem couldn’t blame him. It sounded really stupid saying it out loud.
“It’s fine,” he continued. “It barely hurts.”
Those words made Yugi react.
“Those wounds can get infected, and they evidently do hurt. Will you let me look over them? I’ll get them healed in no time.”
“I can’t ask you to-”
Yugi reached over and grabbed his hands. Gandora crawled off his lap and ran over to the feeding bowls followed by the red eyed dragon. Amethyst eyes stared straight into his and it got difficult to breath. Atem suddenly became very aware of just how close Yugi was, holding his hands, his knee touching Atem’s thigh.
“You’re not asking me.” Yugi’s voice was dead serious. “I’m asking you to let me take a look at that wound.”
Atem could do nothing but nod. He did not trust his voice not to betray him. However, he could not stop his heart from beating like crazy as Yugi drew him up on his feet and over towards one of his kitchen chairs. Yugi made him sit down and then his hands were on Atem’s neck, carefully guiding his head out of the way so that he could get a closer look. In this position, Atem’s eyes were in height with Yugi’s chest as he tried his hardest not to stare as Yugi got closer, carefully placing himself between his legs to get a clearer view of the wound. He couldn’t breathe. Yugi’s soft fingers carefully slid over his shoulder and neck.
“It doesn’t seem to be serious.” Yugi’s voice was as soft as his fingers when he spoke, as if Atem was a hurt animal. “I’ll cast a quick spell and it will be gone in a minute.”
Atem could only hum in agreement before Yugi laid his palm over the wound. It stung, but only for a second before a soothing light sprung from him. The golden light fell from his neck and hovered in the air around Yugi’s head like a halo.
He is beautiful.
Atem could almost feel the wound closing under the pressure of Yugi’s palm, and when the light fell, his shoulders felt as good as new. There had been a tension in them he hadn’t noticed until it was gone.
“Thank you,” Atem said and looked up at Yugi.
“Hold on.” Yugi’s eyes were fixed on his face. “You have a bump on your forehead.”
“Oh, right,” Atem said and coughed. Embarrassment burned on his cheeks. “That’s also from when I ran into a wall.”
Yugi only chuckled and put two fingers on his forehead. Atem didn’t know if Yugi had gotten closer, or if he had accidentally scooted forward in his seat, but the other man’s chest was close enough that Atem could feel his warmth through his clothes.
The blood rushed through his head. He had not been prepared for this closeness. Not with Yugi. He tilted his head back and looked straight into Yugi’s eyes. Yugi still had his hand on Atem’s forehead and when he moved his head, the hand followed the movement and fell to his hair. Atem felt how the hand grabbed his hair, tangled with his locks, but it seemed almost subconscious. Yugi stared at him, his amethyst eyes wide open, almost terrified.
Atem felt his breath on his face. His own breathing felt unstable, as if the air didn’t contain enough oxygen. His eyes once again fell to Yugi’s lips, that opened in a silent gasp. He forced his eyes back to meet Yugi’s, guilt and insecurity gnawing at his insides. He’s making Yugi uncomfortable, just as he had done in the shop.
Yugi’s nice and caring, that’s his job. They play Duel Monsters, that doesn’t mean anything. Who doesn’t play Duel Monsters?
He pulled his head away, but the hand in his hair tightened his grip and pulled him back. Every thought he had disappeared when soft lips crashed into his. Atem’s eyes fluttered shut as he tilted his head, slotting their lips together at a better angle. He pressed closer and Yugi hummed into the kiss, grabbing his head with his other hand as well. Atem reached out to bring him closer and suddenly, Yugi was gone.
Those lips were gone. The soft noises were gone. The warmth of Yugi’s body was gone.
Atem opened his eyes.
Yugi had stepped away and stared at him with his hand over his mouth.
“I’m sorry.” The words came in a broken whisper. Tears started to pour down Yugi’s face and he took another couple of steps back, away from Atem.
He was on his feet in less than a second. He couldn’t go towards Yugi, right? Not when the other had just stepped away from him. But how?
“Why are you apologizing?”
“I should never have come here.” Yugi almost seemed to be talking to himself, voice stressed and quiet.
“No, no, hey?” Atem took a couple of steps towards Yugi, reaching for him, longing to take him in his arms and embrace him, make the tears go away. “You came for Slifer, remember? He broke his wing, and you came to make sure it was healed again.”
“Slifer is okay,” Yugi said and looked over at him. “Slifer was fine already when he left the shop and we both know that. I should have let you go right there and then, and I couldn’t and now I’m here and I've messed everything up, and I'm sorry .”
Atem came closer until he was just a couple of steps away from the crying Yugi.
“Then why did you come?”
“I thought I already said that,” Yugi responded quietly. “I couldn’t let you go. I wanted to see you again, and I...” His voice broke. “I’m sorry I kissed you.”
“I’m not.” Atem’s voice was louder than he had expected, and he almost surprised himself. “I’m not sorry, not about the kiss.” He carefully inched towards Yugi, not wanting to scare him. When he only was a couple of steps away, he reached out and grabbed Yugi’s hand. Their eyes met as he pulled Yugi towards him. He came closer without any resistance and Atem gently grabbed his other hand as well.
“That kiss made me very happy,” he whispered and felt a weight fall from his shoulders when Yugi gave him a careful smile. He took a deep breath before he had any time to regret his words. “And if you don’t mind, I would like to try again. To kiss you, I mean.”
Something unnameable flicked in Yugi’s eyes and his cheeks flushed with that red colour that Atem so quickly had become so fond of. His lips curved in a faint smile as he squeezed Atem’s hands in his own.
“Really?”
“Really.”
Atem brought his hand to cup Yugi’s cheek, searching in his eyes for any discomfort. Yugi grabbed his hand to keep it on his cheek and brought their faces closer together. Atem’s heart fluttered when Yugi gave him a smile and closed his eyes, his face relaxed, full of expectation. All Atem had to do was to kiss him. His heart beat so strongly he was afraid it would tear itself out of his chest. The smile still lingered in the corners of Yugi’s lips. He leaned forward.
Yugi practically melted into the kiss, his arms wrapping around his neck, hands tangling in his hair, pulling him closer, closer . Atem could feel him smile as he grabbed Yugi by the waist, partially to have something to hold on to.
When Yugi’s tongue teased the seam of his lips, Atem almost exploded. He sighed when the kiss deepened, dragging Yugi impossibly close. Their bodies swayed with each drag and pull of their lips, all he could hear was the blood rushing through his ears.
Atem had never before cursed the fact that he needed to breathe. Yugi moaned weakly when they separated, barely standing by his own. Atem drew a shaky breath, trying to restore the blood to his head. He wasn’t prepared when Yugi slumped forward, his head landing on Atem’s shoulder, and they fell to the ground in a heap of arms and legs.
He barely felt conscious as Yugi nuzzled into his chest, a laughter erupting from somewhere deep in his stomach.
“Wow.” Yugi’s whisper was partially muffled by Atem’s shirt. “I could get used to that.”
Atem only laughed and pulled him closer for another kiss, just a soft touch of lips.
“Yugi, I...”
A loud crash almost scared the life straight out of him.
Slifer and the red eyed dragon were rolling around in the rests of a porcelain vase. Atem and Yugi carefully sat up and Atem sighed. As soon as the dragons noticed the look he was sending them they flew away to mess with something else.
“I got that vase as a housewarming gift from my best friends.” Atem got up to fetch a broom.
If Mana and Mahad ever found out that their gift had been destroyed, he would never hear the end of it.
“Are you going to tell them?”
“Not if I can help it,” Atem muttered in response and mumbled a quick spell. His illusion built quickly and soon, an exact copy of the vase had taken its place. Yugi whistled low.
“Impressive. Illusionist?”
“Yeah, I work in the VR department of Kaiba Corp. My friends won’t notice any difference unless I want them to. I’m a professional after all.”
Yugi reached out to touch the vase.
“It even feels real.”
Atem snorted.
“Unless you try to actually use it as a vase and end up with water all over the floor.”
Yugi laughed. A beautiful, full laugh that left Atem smiling like he had seen an angel. Yugi’s eyes sparkled with joy once they found Atem’s again. He left the vase and playfully got closer to Atem, a bright flush on his cheeks.
“Maybe you can tell me all about this, you, your magic, your friends, over dinner some time? Tomorrow?”
“Yes!” Atem blurted out his answer and froze. He quickly gathered his composure and added, “I would love to, when do I pick you up?”
“I’m off at seven.”
“Great! I... Yugi, I...”
Yugi silenced him with a kiss.
“I need to check up on Slifer, that’s what I came here for, you know.” He winked at Atem before leaving him for the red dragon. Slifer had re-entered the living room as soon as the vase was cleared out of the way. Yugi squatted down and held out his hand towards the dragon. Slifer curiously sniffed it, and Yugi took his chance to grab the dragon and hold his palm against the scales. The light was soft and quick this time, and soon, Yugi let Slifer fly away to play with his siblings.
“As I said, fully restored.” Yugi turned towards Atem, a soft smile on his face. “I need to leave. Grandpa will worry if I take too much time, but I’ll see you tomorrow.” He grabbed his bag and made sure everything still was in it. Atem followed him to the door, his heart aching with every step. He opened the door and Yugi stepped out into the staircase.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Yugi repeated softly. He looked like wanted to say something else but ultimately decided against it. He turned around and turned back again, took a step towards Atem, backed off. Laughed. “I really need to leave.”
Atem grabbed his arm and pulled him towards him. He cupped Yugi’s face as he pressed one final kiss to his lips.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he murmured. “I can’t wait.”