Tilting the bottle of wine, Yuugi carefully poured the liquid into the glasses. A full one for Atemu and a half full one for himself. Yuugi didn't like the taste of alcohol very much and one glass of Chardonnay usually would floor him completely. It was however, Atemu's favorite drink to spoil himself with and after a busy workweek, both of them deserved a break. Yuugi had also prepared a small plate of snacks, mostly cut-up fruit (grapes and plums) and roasted nuts, to go with the alcohol. He took everything with him to the living room.
"It's almost time, mou hitori no boku," he said.
Atemu picked up the remote and switched channels. Of course they watched "The Story of Our Lives" every evening, the daily soup in which their daughter Akina played the role of Tanizaki Minami, the Benjamin of the TV family. A group of writers she had met through her performing arts school had translated the Western concept of a daily, twenty-five minutes soap opera to the Japanese audience. After a few weeks of atrociously low ratings, the soap was picked up by the public, mainly attracting a teenage crowd: girls between 14 to 17 years of age. As she played one of the youngest characters on the soap, Akina gained popularity rapidly. The show was recorded in Hokkaido and Akina's days were long, but she came home every weekend just like Tzuziko had done when she studied at Tokyo Medical & Dental University. The soap was about to start and Yuugi cuddled close to Atemu, handing the wine glass to him. Watching the soap had become a daily ritual, and he didn't want to miss a second. After today's episode was over, Atemu shook his head.
"I am not sure where the writers are going with this, but they really should give Guyashi a break. How can one person suffer so much misery?"
"It's just a TV show," Yuugi said. "But yeah, if I were her, I'd totally go on the anti-depressants."
"I like the storyline they have given to Akina."
Yuugi agreed. Her character had dropped out of school and was keeping her boyfriend secret from her parents. Many of the storylines were exaggerated and almost every character went through much, too much for anyone to handle, but Akina liked her role so far. However, she didn't want to be type-casted into innocent, girlish roles only. She had expressed her desire to play at least a hardcore villain - but with her extremely young and feminine looks, Yuugi doubted anyone was going to cast her like that anytime soon. He nuzzled Atemu.
"Mou hitori no boku, I've been thinking."
"Yes?"
"You know, this year is a very special year."
Atemu thought for a second and then his face lit up. "Ah yes, but of course. We have been together for thirty-five years now, aibou."
"Yes, that too is very, very special."
"'Too'?" Atemu frowned. "What other thing are you talking about?"
"The other thing is that we all turn fifty this year," Yuugi said. "Anzu, Jounouchi-kun, Honda-kun, Otogi-kun… Kaiba-kun too, of course… and you."
"You are right, but you do not have to be that happy about it."
"Fifty years, mou hitori no boku," Yuugi teased him gently. "That's a milestone! We should throw a party!"
"So that is your intention." Atemu snorted. "You just want a party!"
"A really big one," Yuugi batted his eyes at him. "A grand one. A celebration of our decades-long friendship and love. To celebrate that we have been together for so long. We can't pass this up, mou hitori no boku."
"Well, you do not have to ask my permission," Atemu said. "I think it is a very good occasion to celebrate. How are we going to do it?"
"First, we have to get all our agendas lined up," Yuugi said. "We have to think of a venue to hold it, because I want to invite friends and family, everyone of them! We're not going to pick and cull. I want everybody to celebrate along with us!"
"Aibou, we do not sit on a pot of gold," Atemu reminded him. He failed to curb Yuugi's enthusiasm, though.
"This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! We should totally get up and celebrate! We-" He was interrupted by the ringtone of his cell phone.
"Saved by the bell," Atemu said, deadpan. Yuugi stuck his tongue out at him, receiving an "Oh yes, that is really mature, aibou" before he accepted the phone call.
"Akina-chan," he said. "Yes… yes, we've just watched the show. You did amazing, dear. What? Oh… oh, I see. All right, have a good time! Yes, I'll tell him. Love you too!"
Atemu looked up at him curiously. "Akina-chan won't be home this weekend," Yuugi relayed the message. "She wants to spend quality time with Yoshitora-kun, and she felt a bit tired."
"I believe that relationship is on its last legs," Atemu said. He wasn't exactly celebrating the thought of seeing Akina suffering from a broken heart, but he was convinced Kimura Yoshitora wasn't the right partner for her. "I am not sure how much amount of quality time it would take to keep it strong and healthy."
"Speaking of quality time, this means we have the entire weekend to ourselves." Yuugi smiled at him.
"I like that thought very, very much."
"Now I can brood on my plans for our "everyone fifty" party all weekend!"
"That was not what I was thinking of, aibou…"
"Oh come on!" Yuugi tickled him. "Pervert!"
"No! No! Stop! I was not thinking of that! Aibou, I surrender! I surrender!" Atemu was extremely ticklish and slid off of the couch to avoid Yuugi's attack. Yuugi stopped and helped him back up to sit straight on the couch, using the opportunity to climb onto his lap.
"So, what were you thinking of?" he asked.
"There is an antiques market tomorrow in the center of town," Atemu said. "It might be fun to look at what is for sale and who knows, maybe I will find something really unique? We can go to the kissaten after."
Yuugi thought about it for a moment. He didn't really like strolling over an antique's market, it was so boring and tedious. However, Atemu asked him specifically and he should be able to muster some enthusiasm for a couple of hours. Visiting their favorite teahouse was always a nice thing to do. Besides, Atemu had accompanied him often enough to gaming conventions and KaibaCorp. presentations, so he should really return the favor.
"Sure," he said and proceeded to kiss him.
The antiques market was as boring as Yuugi had feared. Atemu was in his element and he knew almost everyone in the small world of antiquaries and artifacts; Yuugi patiently waited until he was done talking to this or that person while his own thoughts went to his work and what he still needed to do. He was looking forward to go to their favorite tea house. Atemu bought a couple objects of which he knew he could resell to interested clients. He didn't run a commercial store like the former Game Shop with general business hours, he imported exclusively from Egypt on special inquiry only. Yuugi was happy to see Atemu enjoying himself at the market, this was who he was; interested in history and ancient artifacts from his homeland. Yuugi would never deny his Pharaoh anything and smiled at him as he finished up his conversation with another antiques dealer.
"Are you ready to go to the teahouse?" Yuugi rubbed his hands. Mid-February was cold and he was longing for a hot drink. Atemu nodded and they went to Kyubei, their favorite tea house, to enjoy the tea ceremony. It was a cozy, wonderful afternoon and when they returned home, Yuugi felt content and happy. He took the mail out of the mailbox and sorted through it as he went upstairs. He kept the invoices apart for Atemu, not dealing with the family finances himself, and then he stumbled upon the envelope he had come to fear. With a sigh, Yuugi walked into Atemu's study and put the invoices on his desk. He opened the envelope and took out the letter. It was from the Koyanagi rehab clinic. After completing the initial program, Kazuo had been transferred to a different program in which former addicts were offered an opportunity to live and work together, while still being supervised and guided by their respective therapists. It was an experimental, expensive project to reintegrate them back into society and build up a life of their own again. Kazuo made a little money with the job he was currently holding as a mechanic; the clinic had arranged for this job, as hardly any employer was keen on hiring a former addict. Kazuo responded well at the start, enjoying being on his own and his new-found independency. However, after a while, he started to rebuke help again and Yuugi and Atemu had been receiving notifications that Kazuo was shirking his responsibilities. This particular letter was even an official warning, stating that Kazuo would be expelled from the program if he didn't improve. Yuugi heaved a sigh.
"What is wrong, aibou?"
Yuugi almost jumped out of his skin and dropped the letter. Atemu was startled because of his reaction and they gawked at each other for a moment, before they both started apologizing.
"It's my fault," Yuugi said. "I was reading this letter and… well…" He picked it up and handed it to Atemu. He waited until he had finished reading it. "You're so silent around the house, mou hitori no boku! You should go into the spy business. No one ever hears you coming!"
"I will make a lot of noise the next time," Atemu said dryly as he finished reading the letter. He didn't ask it out loud, but the question was written all over his face. What do we do now? They had tried everything, from therapy and medication to talking and giving second, third, fourth chances… Kazuo had been in rehab before, but this project hadn't been mandated by court. After his overdose, Kazuo had been left with very little choice. Yuugi had told him he couldn't return to his parental house and despite everything, Kazuo didn't want to live with his mother in her dilapidated house, which she shared with other junkies and where she received her 'customers'. He couldn't afford an apartment and the Koyanagi clinic wouldn't give him permission to live together with his mother while still participating in this project, knowing full well that the woman was mostly responsible for his current problems. Yuugi visited Kazuo once every two weeks. He always came back drained and feeling bad, but he didn't want to give up on his son. Atemu listened to Yuugi pouring his heart out, but as Kazuo still harbored all that resentment towards the former Pharaoh, he thought it was for the better to not come along with the visits, for both their sakes.
"Despite living in Hokkaido, he's going to spiral back to his mother," Yuugi put the letter to the side, "and her 'friends'. According to the clinic, she never visits him, but they have contact through phone and email."
"We cannot force him," Atemu said, "nor do we want to. He is at an important junction in his life, and he keeps choosing that woman over us, aibou. I am not saying we have to abandon him. He is our son and we love him. But right now, it is obvious that his choice is not meant for us."
"You're right." Yuugi looked sideways at the letter. His shoulders drooped. He wanted to leave, but Atemu put his hand on Yuugi's chest. He looked up.
"I love you, aibou," he said.
"I love you too, mou hitori no boku." Yuugi showed him a smile. His eyes slid close as Atemu leaned into him, kissing him on the lips, lovingly and gently. After that, he let him go and Yuugi went to the kitchen, trying to distract himself by preparing dinner.
"Next week, Kaiba-kun wants to test the Virtual Reality V system," Yuugi said. "The team worked really hard to fix the bugs."
"It is such complicated technology," Atemu said. He picked up rice with his chopsticks. "He always finds a way to take it up a notch."
"It's not meant to only play Duel Monsters," Yuugi said. "Imagine how every game in the world will come to life with virtual reality!"
"Does he really want to…" Atemu stopped and tilted his head. "Do I hear the front door?"
Yuugi listened as well. Someone came through the door - with his or her own key. "Akina-chan?" She should be in Hokkaido this weekend, patching things up with Yoshitora, right? Before Yuugi could get up, Akina climbed the stairs and when she appeared in the door opening of the kitchen, she looked frazzled and upset.
"Akina," Atemu greeted her, surprised at first. After one look at her face, he already knew what was going on, and so did Yuugi.
"He broke up with me," she blurted out. "The jerk! He had the nerve to say it was because of 'different artistic insights'!"
"Sit down, dear," Yuugi said. "You probably haven't eaten anything if you traveled all the way from Hokkaido."
"I don't want to eat, Hikari Papa," she said miserably. "The thought of food makes me feel sick to my stomach."
"How about ice cream?" Atemu asked. They bought the frozen treat only for her; Atemu didn't like sweets at all and even though Yuugi liked a dessert every now and then, he wasn't overly fond of ice cream in itself. Akina nodded and sat down while Atemu retrieved a tub of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, with a swirl of chocolate cookie dough in the middle. He handed Akina a spoon, not bothering to get a bowl as he knew how much she liked to scoop straight from the tub. She stuck the spoon into the ice cream and helped herself to a mouthful of vanilla.
"I should've seen it coming," she said. "Well, I did see it coming, only not like this. I've always supported Yoshitora-kun in his choices, and I've always helped him with his lines, his rehearsals, his preparations for auditions. I already thought we were moving into two different directions… artistically," she added with emphasis before sticking the spoon into her mouth again. Atemu picked up his chopsticks to continue his dinner and Yuugi followed his example. "But I didn't think it would influence our relationship that much. I mean... he has his work, I have my work. From the start though, he didn't pass up a single opportunity to proclaim that his method of drama acting was superior, and that commercials, voice-over work and 'cheap TV' was a waste of time." She snorted. "But whenever we went out for drinks or when he needed something, my 'cheap TV' money was good to pay for it. He hadn't risen above that, because his stellar job at the national theater earned him jack shit."
"Akina-chan, language," Yuugi said automatically.
"Sorry, Hikari Papa. He made me so angry! It was like he was reciting a badly written script at me, the way he was dramatically posing and telling me that we didn't connect on an emotional, spiritual, intellectual and artistic level, but that he wouldn't mind continuing on a physical level."
Atemu choked on his shrimp.
"Sorry, Yami Papa," Akina said and spooned more ice cream into her mouth. She heaved a dramatic sigh. "I told him he could… stuff it someplace where the sun doesn't shine," she chose her words carefully. "I didn't feel like spending the rest of the weekend with him, physically or not, so I decided to come back home."
"It's good that you did," Yuugi said. "You can stay here and rest a little, to get over the end of your relationship…"
"'Rest'? 'Get over'?" Akina waved her spoon around. "I called all my friends when I was traveling to Domino. I'm going to hit the town tonight! I won't be home before midnight," she added and glanced at Atemu, but he didn't comment. "I don't want to shed any tears over that guy."
"It's okay," Yuugi said. "If there's anything we can do for you, Akina-chan..."
"That's sweet of you, Hikari Papa," she said, "but all I need is an evening out with the girls. I'll be fine." She continued to eat the ice cream, looking sad nonetheless and angry at the same time. Neither Yuugi nor Atemu pried for more information; if she wanted to share something or needed their help, their daughter would come to them.
Yuugi continued with his plans for the 'everybody fifty' party. He asked for his friends' opinions and he was delighted with the enthusiasm he received in return. After extensive calling, text messages and e-mailing back and forth, he settled on a date: July 31st, which was coincidentally close to Atemu's birthday on the 26th of the same month (as best as they could convert the Ancient Egyptian calendar into the modern day calendar). He booked a venue as to accommodate the party: the Fujikawa restaurant where he so often had enjoyed lunch with his friends. The management had changed in the course of the years, but their catering was excellent and received raving reviews. The guest list increased daily and of course Yuugi invited Kaiba, receiving an unintelligible 'hn' in return. With Kaiba, that could mean anything, but Yuugi was convinced the grumpy CEO would show up. He extended the invitation to Mokuba, his wife and their two sons. Anzu, Jounouchi, Honda, Otogi… everyone said yes to their invitation. Tzuziko would come too, with her husband Isao. Akina asked if she could bring a good friend, which was no problem. Yuugi also told Kazuo about the party, but he said immediately he wouldn't come. It turned out to be the last time Yuugi spoke to him, as Kazuo didn't show up for the next visit or the visits thereafter. He was extremely saddened and Yuugi finally gave up going to the clinic, as waiting for someone who wasn't going to show up broke his heart over and over again.
"Mou hitori no boku, should we do a seafood banquet? I know you like shrimp." Yuugi lied on the bed, kicking his legs in the air. Atemu was putting the last of the clean laundry away.
"We should try to appeal to everyone's tastes, aibou," he said.
"That's such a diplomatic answer." Yuugi sighed. "Yes or no?"
"No. Not exclusively seafood."
"You're right." Yuugi chewed on his pen.
"Maybe you should take a break. You have been fussing over the catering long enough for now."
Yuugi dutifully put his notebook to the side. "Come over here, mou hitori no boku," he said, trying to be as cute as possible.
"I am busy, aibou…"
"Too busy for the other half of your soul?"
Atemu looked at him, half-amused. "What are you getting at?"
"I want you," Yuugi said in his most seductive voice, which made the former Pharaoh chuckle.
"What has gotten into you?"
"I'm stressed. The party, the launch of Virtual System V…"
"You have had many product and system launches. You should be used to it by now..?"
"It's still stressful. It takes so much time, years, to develop something new, and it's nerve-wracking to await the reactions from the public and the critics."
"KaibaCorp. has one of the world's most solid reputations," Atemu said. "So what are you really worrying about, aibou?"
Of course he would pick up on his emotions immediately, even if Yuugi couldn't name them himself.
"I don't know," he admitted truthfully. "I feel a bit restless. Despite all my experiences, I still feel insecure sometimes, and I'm afraid I'll let people down. That I disappoint them."
"That is why it is so important to properly wind down and relax. You keep telling me that as well. I will help you with the party preparations…"
"No, you have a lot to do yourself. I can handle it."
"As you wish." Atemu sat on the edge of the bed, his hand on Yuugi's hip. "But if I see you crumbling down under the pressure, I will step up."
"I know." Yuugi made a kissy-face, and Atemu reacted to it. "My strong, protective Pharaoh."
"My kind, gentle warrior."
"Who do you think Akina-chan will bring to the party? She mentioned he or she was a good friend, but she didn't say a name."
"Akina has many good friends," Atemu said. "Anyone is fine, as long as it is not that pompous windbag."
"You really didn't like him, did you?"
"Did you?" Atemu arched an eyebrow.
"Well, he wasn't unfriendly," Yuugi said good-naturedly. "Arrogant yes, but he was polite, intelligent… I wasn't overly fond of him, but I didn't think he was a bad guy."
"He broke our daughter's heart because of a 'difference in artistic insight'," Atemu snorted. "Who is he to decide what form of art is better than the other? Akina plays in a soap series and she loves it, the fans adore her; why should that be below a Shakespearian play?"
"You love all kinds of art, mou hitori no boku," Yuugi said, "but deep in your heart, wouldn't you be even more proud seeing Akina-chan as Lady MacBeth?"
"I certainly would love to see her in that role," Atemu agreed, "but I would never think any less of her or her abilities because she plays in a soap."
"That's because she's your daughter," Yuugi tapped his nose, "and fathers will always defend and protect their daughters."
"That is what parenthood is all about," Atemu said. Yuugi chuckled and they continued to kiss, enjoying their time together. After more kisses, Yuugi suddenly said:
"So, mixed buffet it is, then?"
Atemu didn't have any trouble with the change of topic. "I think that would be the best option, aibou."
"Jounouchi-kun will love it," Yuugi said.
"He loves anything when it comes to food," Atemu commented.
"And what about the music?" Yuugi shifted a little, trying to get Atemu to lie down next to him, lazy on the bed. "We have to have some kind of band to provide music in the background." He was successful in moving Atemu, now he was lying next to him indeed, cozy. "We have to find a band that can play all kinds of music. We can't hire an orchestra," he referred to Atemu's preference of classical music, "but we can't hire a hard rock band either."
"Maybe a combination of both? Does opera rock exist?"
Yuugi snickered. "I'll look into that one." He moved his arms around the other and Atemu mimicked his gesture. More kissing ensued. "Did you know that Akina-chan once asked me what the most romantic thing was you ever did for me?"
Atemu looked up, eyes half-lidded. "Of course you answered that I am the most romantic person in the entire world."
Another kiss. "I told her that you could be quite romantic…"
"Hmmm… so I am not romantic enough for you?"
"Well, I haven't found many roses on my pillow. And you always forget to light the candles when we're having dinner together. You never sang a serenade for me…"
Atemu shut him up by kissing him. Yuugi moved his hand to trail up along his spine, ending up on his neck, fingers in his hair.
"…but you always listen to me, you always support me, you always do what I ask you to, and you're always there for me. I think that's the most romantic thing you could ever do for me."
"Are you not forgetting something?" Atemu asked, pressing another kiss to his lips.
"You make me feel complete," Yuugi answered. "When you're around me, when you're next to me…" he lowered his voice to whisper in his ear, "…when you're inside me…" He couldn't even gasp because of the passionate kiss he was given, and he surrendered completely to the attention he received.
He had arranged for the venue, the music and the catering and still his checklist didn't seem to come to an end. Yuugi had never known so many things and odds and ends were involved with organizing a party! The ladies of the catering wanted to know the seating arrangements for the tables and what fabric to use for the tables: linen, cotton, silk? What kind of dinnerware and what kind of decorations on the tables? It was driving him insane! He was working on his checklist when the doorbell rang. Atemu was downstairs and Akina was at home, enjoying a week off from the recording sessions for her soap. Yuugi didn't think much of it, when the doorbell rang again. Oh yeah, right, Akina had gone shopping and Atemu was probably busy with clients in his store, unavailable to answer. Yuugi was about to go downstairs, when he heard voices. Ah, so Atemu had heard the door after all. He went back to his list, but something felt off. The voices increased in volume and Yuugi received an angry vibe from Atemu. They didn't share a 'mind link' as when Atemu still had been the Spirit of the Sennen Puzzle, but through the years, another deep connection had been established between them, allowing them to pick up on each other's emotions effortlessly. Yuugi went downstairs, only to see Atemu standing in the doorway, talking to a short, skinny woman.
"What's going on?" Yuugi asked and peeked over Atemu's shoulder. His heart sank into his boots.
"I am telling this woman to leave," Atemu said. "She claims to be Kazuo's mother."
"She is," Yuugi said, crestfallen. He recognized her immediately. "Kawagichi-san, this is my partn…"
"Introductions are not in order," Atemu rudely interrupted him. "I do not wish to make any acquaintance with this…" and with Kaiba-esque disdain, "…woman."
Kawagichi Sayoko didn't look much better than the last time Yuugi had seen her, almost three years ago. She was nothing but skin and bones and her complexion looked grayish, her teeth showing obvious signs of decay.
"Why are you here?" Yuugi asked.
"You were the one who visited me," she said, squinting at me. "I already wondered why you acted so differently."
"Leave," Atemu said again.
"Now, don't be so rude to the mother of your son," she said, grinning wildly.
"Kawagichi-san, why are you here?" Yuugi repeated. She unabashedly held up her hand.
"I was in the neighborhood," she said, "you can spare some yen, right? I want to visit my son."
"I made the mistake of giving you money once," Yuugi answered, "to buy bus fare to visit Kazuo-kun in the hospital. You never went, and instead you got your next shot."
"Kazuo loves me," she said. "He knows why I couldn't visit him. I hate hospitals. I need money. I'm hungry."
Atemu stared at her, his eyes redder and sharper than Yuugi had ever seen before. It scared him. "You will leave, now."
Yuugi put his hand on Atemu's shoulder. He didn't know how much or how little shadow magic still resided within his lover, but this was more than enough déjà vu; he didn't want the woman to end up in the same situation as Fukata Tetsuo, Akina's ex-boyfriend. "Atemu-kun, there are leftovers in the fridge. Would you mind getting them?"
Atemu turned his head towards him, very slowly. There was no kindness in his eyes; this was the stern face of a protector, shielding his loved ones from any threat. However, Atemu wasn't a mindless, amnesiac vengeful spirit anymore, and he would abide Yuugi's wishes. Without another word, he turned around and removed himself from the situation. Yuugi waited until he was up the stairs before focusing his attention on Kawagichi. Did she have any clue of the terrible danger she had escaped from?
"I need money," she said again.
"I won't give you any," Yuugi answered.
"How will KaibaCorp. react to the news of one of their employees having a son with a drug addiction?" she said smugly. Yuugi couldn't believe what he was hearing and it turned his blood ice cold.
"If you'd already make it through security to talk to Kaiba-kun in the first place," he said, his voice trembling with suppressed anger and disbelief about the woman's audacity, "then you'll find that I and Kaiba-kun go back a long, long way and that there's nothing, but absolutely nothing that he doesn't know about me. More so, he often asks how my family, and my son in particular, is doing." He stared straight into her hollow eyes. "He'll throw you out faster than you can spell your own name."
"Just give me money," she snarled at him.
He shook his head again. "We can't help you, Kawagichi-san. Whatever you try to extort or to blackmail us, it won't work. We couldn't even help our own son, we certainly can't help you."
Atemu returned with a large bento box and held it out to her. She looked at it as if it was a poisonous snake.
"Take this," he said, "and leave. Should you ever return here, then you will find that the door of darkness will open."
She glared at him before grabbing the bento. She clutched it to her chest and then walked off, audibly muttering "freaks!" under her breath. Atemu wasted no time in slamming the door close.
"I'm sorry, mou hitori no boku," Yuugi said.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"She did this because she knows who I am," Yuugi said. "We're filthy rich in her eyes, an excellent way to find a meal ticket, while using Kazuo-kun as leverage."
"Meal ticket? More like an excellent way to find a new shot," Atemu said. "How much do you want to bet that she will trade the food for drugs?"
"She's sick, mou hitori no boku. Addicted and on her last reserves." He shivered. She looked horrible, malnourished and decayed; she probably had left the prostitution now that her body was giving out on her, the addiction dragging her further and further down. He didn't know whether to feel pity or compassion for her.
"I will not hear another word about that woman," Atemu said. 'The nerve she has to come to our door and demand money!"
"It's my fault, mou hitori no boku," Yuugi said again. "If I hadn't visited her, she would never have known who I was, or figuring out where we lived…"
"She would have come to our door anyway." Atemu shook his head. "Kazuo told her about us, no matter what, and she thought she could trick us for some easy money."
Yuugi was silent. He reached for Atemu, but the other barely reacted to him, as angry as he was. "For all her talk about her son, she never even asked about how he was doing!"
"You're upset," Yuugi said, feeling the same. "Let's go to the living room. I don't think she'll be back. We made it very clear that we're not going to help her."
"If she does…" Atemu showed him an extremely wicked grin.
"You're not going to play a batsu game with her, mou hitori no boku," Yuugi said. "That wouldn't be fair. She'd lose in the very first second."
"And is it fair for us to be put into a position to give money out of fear? What if we had not been so close with Kaiba? Even if you were not fired, your reputation and your name would be tainted. These are our private affairs, and she has no business making them public."
"She's desperate," Yuugi said. "She's sick and alone. She didn't choose to be a junkie. Nobody does."
"Somebody forced her to shoot up heroin?" Atemu asked coldly.
"I don't know her specific circumstances," Yuugi admitted, "but I don't believe there's anyone who says 'hey, let's become a junkie today'. They start taking a pill to relieve anxiety. They take two pills to relieve anxiety or stress. It goes downhill from there, because of bad friends, no friends at all, an abusive family, a situation they can't deal with. Kawagichi-san got pregnant at barely fifteen with Kazuo-kun. Who knew in what kind of situation she grew up in?"
Atemu mulled over his words. "I might have been too quick with my judgment," he finally said.
"You're upset," Yuugi pointed out again. "And you want nothing but to protect your family, no matter what."
"I should be able to keep a clear mind," Atemu said. "And not allow overwhelming emotions to cloud my judgment."
"I wasn't all that calm either. I was pretty much in shock."
"Then we both are in shock." Atemu sighed. "Let us talk about something more pleasant. How are the preparations for the party going?"
Yuugi beamed, as he loved to talk about the party. "Almost done! I'm finished with the guest list, would you like to see who's coming?"
"Sure," Atemu said and they retreated into his study, where Yuugi kept the guest list.
As Yuugi had thought, Kazuo's mother didn't show up at their door again. He sometimes lingered at the front door before entering the house, thinking that the woman might approach him if he was alone. He didn't see her around and he felt relieved; he hoped that she had found another way to gather money. It stung him that he couldn't help her. Like he told her, he couldn't even help his own son; addiction was so strong, so dangerous, so destructive. He wished he had the solution to help the both of them, but he simply didn't know how. Kazuo hadn't been officially kicked out of the program yet, but Yuugi feared that it wouldn't take much longer. He was disappointed. With every passing day, regular contact with his son seemed more and more unlikely, and the pain was even more intense for Atemu. He went on with the daily grind of life. Work was hectic and demanding as always, as a critical flaw had been discovered in the Virtual Reality V system, much to Kaiba's fury. With the delay of the new system, the games were delayed and Yuugi's department was delayed, and everyone was working frantically to fix it. He put in a lot of hours and ignored the fatigue; this upcoming weekend, he could rest and take it easy. Akina would be at home and he was looking forward to spend quality time with his partner and catching up with his daughter.
Akina was alone in the living room, reading a magazine. Yuugi joined her with a cup of tea, relaxing on the couch.
"Akina-chan, where are your scripts?" he asked. She put the magazine away and heaved a sigh.
"My story line doesn't feature much this week, fortunately."
"Fortunately?"
"I really like the soap, Hikari Papa, but in less than three years I had a pregnancy scare, a brush with alcohol addiction, my boyfriend cheated on me twice, I was abducted, put into a coma, had an abusive father, discovered my long-lost twin sister and found out that my mother wasn't my real mother."
"Yes, that's true," Yuugi said.
"I think it's time to look for something else," Akina said. "A different role. Movies, doramas. The longer I wait, the more difficult it'll become. I don't want people to see me as that girl from 'The Story of Our Lives' only. I want to be a well-rounded actress, not just one character or persona."
"Nice, Akina-chan," Yuugi said. "I'd love to see you on the silver screen!"
"So you wouldn't mind if I quit the soap?" Akina smiled at him, happy with his support. She turned serious. "Hikari Papa, if I'm going to play in a movie, it could be… you know, more intense than just a soap series."
He had to think what she was referring to. "You mean violence, explosions, nudity..? I don't think your Yami Papa will agree to that…"
"I know," she said, voice soft. "But it's my life, and my career."
"You should never take off your clothes if you don't want to," Yuugi said. He knew she was playing back the whole affair with Tetsuo in her mind, and Atemu's not-so-friendly reaction.
"I might not have much of a choice," she said. "Intimacy… is a part of life, of people. I don't want to parade around naked in a movie all the time, but if the script demands to show some skin for a romantic scene, or else…" she said. "I'm just… trying to prepare the both of you."
"Speaking of 'both', we should ask him to join our conversation then, don't you think?"
"I haven't seen Yami Papa yet, I wanted to talk to you first. I figured he was in his store." Akina fidgeted.
"I don't think he has any clients today," Yuugi said. The children knew not to bother Atemu when he was receiving clients for his artifacts, so in general they steered clear of the store. After the disappearance of a statuette and a valuable necklace from his stock, Atemu had become even stricter about who entered his store. "He might be just rummaging around. Do you want me to go get him?"
She jumped up from the couch. "I'll go," she said, a bit wistful. "Better to get this over with."
"All right." He was glad that Akina felt so comfortable talking to him, and didn't shy from the more difficult topics. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation. Atemu would oppose to Akina taking off her clothes for any kind of movie or script, not enjoying the thought of his daughter exposed to the rest of the world. She wanted to become a genuine actress and she shouldn't hold herself back by playing in a soap series where she didn't feel at home anymore. Akina was really going to spread her wings, he thought proudly. She was so much more mature than a year ago. He sipped his tea and sloshed the liquid around in his cup. Akina was such a sweetheart; she was likely to be cast as the cute girl next door than a villain or a tough action babe. Or maybe a scream queen in a horror movie… he was about to take another sip, when a bloodcurdling scream pierced his ears. He dropped his cup and jumped from the couch.
"Akina-chan!" He ran downstairs and skidded to a halt in front of the door that divided the house from the store and gasped loudly. His daughter was crying, standing next to Atemu lying on the floor. "Mou hitori no boku!" Yuugi dashed forward and almost tripped over his own feet. He quickly knelt next to Atemu. He was lying on his left side, on top of his own arm. Yuugi touched his skin and was mortified about his low, cold temperature.
"Yami Papa, Yami Papa!" Akina wailed. Yuugi turned around, the calmness on his face not corresponding with the panic in his heart.
"Akina-chan," he said, tone of voice calm and commanding, "run upstairs and fetch my cell phone. It's on the coffee table. Grab an afghan and one of the cushions and get back down here!"
She nodded as she rubbed at her eyes, smearing mascara all over her cheeks. When she was gone, Yuugi leaned into Atemu. His eyes were closed, but not in a relaxed manner as if he was asleep. His face looked strained, painful, and his brow was knitted. Yuugi couldn't see if Atemu had hit his head on something, like a couple of years ago when he had found him on the floor of the store, ice cold and unresponsive. It was a bad déjà vu. He gently tugged at his shoulder.
"Atemu," he said, figuring it would reach him sooner than the longer 'mou hitori no boku', "Atemu, say something, my love. My world. My everything. Please. Please."
No answer. Yuugi wanted to say more, but Akina had already returned. He took the afghan and the cushion from her, but refused to take his cell phone.
"Call the emergency services," he said, "and tell them to send an ambulance over to this address."
"B-but…"
"You can do it, Akina-chan," Yuugi encouraged her. He couldn't use a wailing, panicking Akina right now, even though he wanted to cry as well. He covered Atemu with the afghan and very carefully propped the cushion under his head while continuously touching him; stroking and caressing as he mumbled sweet words to him, in the hope to provoke a reaction. Akina sobbed in the background, dialing for the emergency services. When she had finished, she all but threw the phone on the floor and cried again. She knelt on the floor next to her father but when she tried to touch Atemu, Yuugi stopped her.
"Don't move him," he said, figuring she was going to shake him. "Here, hold his hand. He's cold."
While tears streamed down her face, Akina took Atemu's right hand between hers and rubbed softly. "So cold," she said. "How long has he been here?"
"Hours," Yuugi said. His voice didn't break, but his heart did. Five years ago, Atemu hadn't regained consciousness quickly either, and spend a long, long time on the cold floor. He felt bad. How many hours had he lied here, all alone?
"What's taking the goddamn ambulance so goddamn long?" Akina was so upset that she was cursing. Yuugi didn't bother to correct her.
"Stay with him," he said.
"Hikari Papa! Where are you going to?" She put up wide eyes like a frightened child.
"I'm going to pack a few things." Yuugi had the sinking feeling that Atemu was going to stay a couple of nights at the hospital and he wanted him to have his safe, familiar things from home, like his reading glasses and his favorite pair of pajamas. "I'll be back soon."
She nodded but he could see the 'please don't leave me' in her eyes. Yuugi hurried upstairs and grabbed clothes, toiletries and books and put it all into a small suitcase. In the distance he could hear sirens, scarily and rapidly coming closer. Yuugi ran down the stairs again to open the front door, just as the ambulance arrived and parked sideways on the pavement. Two paramedics jumped out of the vehicle. "We're here to respond to an emergency call!"
"Yes, please, follow me," Yuugi urged them and went ahead. Akina was sitting next to Atemu, still holding his hand.
"Akina-chan, the paramedics are here." Yuugi urged the girl to move to the side. Reluctantly, she let go of her father's hand and came to stand next to Yuugi, rubbing at her tear-stricken face. The tallest paramedic removed the afghan and performed a routine check for broken bones and other injuries. His colleague checked Atemu's pupils by shining a small torchlight directly into them.
"How long has he been like this?" he asked.
"Two, three hours," Yuugi said. "Please, do something!" The tension was killing him. The paramedics mumbled to each other, exchanging terms that he didn't understand.
"I'll bring in the gurney," the tall paramedic said.
"You're taking him to the hospital?" Akina cried out.
"Yes, he needs further examination," he nodded. "We can't treat him here."
"What's wrong with him? Why won't he wake up?" Yuugi did his best to not start crying.
"We'll know once we get him to the hospital," the paramedic said and excused himself to retrieve the gurney.
"Has this happened before?" the other asked.
"Five years ago," Yuugi said. "He had hit his head."
"Has he hit his head again?"
"I don't think so," Yuugi said. He picked his cell phone up from the floor and handed it to Akina. "Call your sister," he told her, "so she can meet us at the hospital."
The paramedic leaned into Atemu. "He's saying something!"
Yuugi dropped to his knees, listening intently. "What did he say?"
"I couldn't understand it," the paramedic said, "but it's a response at least."
Yuugi hovered over Atemu, hoping that he would say something again. To his relief, Atemu parted his lips and a word escaped, a word in a language that Yuugi didn't speak, but recognized immediately. Mewet. Mother. His heart ached. "Mou hitori no boku, where are you?" Yuugi whispered to him, his hand in his hair. "Come back, my Pharaoh. I can't live without you."
A rattling sound in the background announced the arrival of the gurney. It all happened so fast. The paramedics secured Atemu on the gurney and not ten minutes after their arrival, the ambulance drove off again, back to the hospital. Yuugi was so overwhelmed and shocked that he totally forgot to ask if he could've ridden along with them.
"What do we do now?" Akina asked, unable to keep a clear, calm overview.
"We need to go to the hospital," he said in disbelief about what just had happened. "We have to go to the hospital."
He couldn't move. He couldn't think. He couldn't see. The only thing in his mind was that horrible picture of Atemu on the floor, cold and unresponsive. The front door was still open. A minute passed. Two minutes passed.
"Hikari Papa," Akina softly cried. "We should do something."
"Yes, yes, you're right." He had never learned how to drive a car, as always depending on Domino City's excellent public transportation; but right now, the last thing he wanted to do was to take the subway to the hospital. His movements strangely stiff and slow, Yuugi dialed the number for a taxi.
"The taxi will be here soon," he said mechanically after finishing his phone call. He stared at the open door dumbfounded. Atemu was gone. "It'll be here soon."
He didn't remember much of the taxi drive or arriving at the hospital. A friendly nurse directed them to a small ward where Atemu had been transferred to. He was the only patient for now in that ward, giving Yuugi and Akina the privacy to help him into a pair of warm pajamas and socks, before tucking him in. It looked like he was merely asleep, safe for the nasty IV sticking into his hand. The medication had somehow relaxed him; the frown on his face had disappeared. Yuugi sat next to the bed, holding his hand and gently stroking it. Akina was touching up her make-up, somewhat calmed down by the familiar movements, despite still being antsy.
The door to the ward went open and Yuugi looked up. When he saw who entered, he let go of Atemu's hand and bowed to the doctor.
"Watanabe-sama," he said.
"Mutou-san," he greeted him. "I heard about what happened."
"Thank you for coming so quickly," Yuugi said. Watanabe Akihisa had been the family physician for years, following into his father's footsteps. "Please, help him."
"We're doing the best we can, Mutou-san," Watanabe assured him. "We're examining his blood work and his vitals are monitored constantly. It's too early to draw a conclusion yet, but I'm thinking of a combination of low blood pressure and continuous strain."
Yuugi nodded. The doctor knew about the family's situation. "I can't tell you when he wakes up," Watanabe continued. "Rest assured that Mutou-sama is in safe and professional hands. I'm not sure when the results of the blood work will be in, but I'll let you know as soon as possible."
"Thank you very much, Watanabe-sama," Yuugi said. The door went open again and in came Tzuziko, her eyes rapidly scanning the room, not knowing on who to focus: her father in the bed, her other father next to the bed, Akina on the other side of the bed or doctor Watanabe.
"Tzuziko-chan," Yuugi said, sighing with relief.
"Ah, colleague," Watanabe said. She bowed to him and he returned the gesture. "I take it you want to be with your family?"
"Yes, thank you," she answered. "I would like to talk to you later, colleague."
"I'll be available after I've finished my rounds," Watanabe said.
"Of course."
He said his goodbyes and left. Tzuziko closed the distance with a few steps, hugging her sister first and then her father.
"What happened, otou-san?" she asked. Yuugi told her as best as he could while she kept a close eye on Atemu. After a while, he stirred and he opened his eyes, albeit with great effort.
"Yami Papa!" Akina said, with huge relief in her voice. He tilted his head into the direction of her voice, but this was too much effort. Eyes half-lidded, he just stared in front of him, at Yuugi. "Aibou," he said, voice barely audible.
"Mou hitori no boku!" Yuugi leaned into him and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "You scared me so much." He used the 'Other Me' moniker sparsely in front of the children, but now he blurted it out without second thought.
"Where are we?" Atemu asked, frowning. Despite his current condition, he quickly recognized that he wasn't at home. Yuugi was glad - not that he welcomed Atemu's confusion, but that he was perceptive enough to discern his surroundings.
"Domino City General Hospital," Yuugi said. "We found you on the floor of the store, mou hitori no boku. Do you remember what happened?"
"I feel fine," Atemu answered. "We can go home."
Yuugi showed him a tender smile. "I know you want to, but you can't, not right now. The doctors want to perform more tests."
"That is not necessary," Atemu said. "I am fine. We can go home."
Yuugi was well aware of Atemu's dislike for hospitals, even though he didn't know the specific reason. He could feel the distress coming off of him though and he tried to calm him down. "Lying on the floor for so long is not what I call 'fine', mou hitori no boku. It happened before, remember?"
It was shocking when he looked at Atemu and didn't see any recognition. "You don't remember? You dropped your keys and when you retrieved them, you hit your head on a statue."
"Ah, yes, of course." Yuugi wasn't fooled. It was obvious that Atemu didn't recall any of it. It worried him, but he chalked it up to the other's confusion. Waking up at a hospital was always stressful and he couldn't fault Atemu for not remembering... but this was the same man who could recite what he, Yuugi or the kids had for breakfast five years ago without a hitch.
"Yami Papa," Akina said again and Atemu tried to turn himself over to her side, but he didn't have the strength. Yuugi beckoned her to come over to the other side of the bed.
"Akina," Atemu smiled at her and when he noticed Tzuziko in the corner, she also received a smile. "Tzuziko."
"Otou-sama," she said, with a stern voice. "What happened?"
"Nothing much," Atemu said. "I have been very busy as of late… I am sorry, I did not mean to worry anyone. Now, would you be as kind as to get me a coat, so we can go home?"
"No otou-sama, you're not going anywhere." Tzuziko didn't allow emotions to overwhelm her, she was all strictness and practical. "Watanabe-sama is going to perform tests on you and you're going to stay here until we know what's going on."
"Even if I did fall to the floor five years ago, that was five years ago and an accident," Atemu said, getting upset. Yuugi managed to make eye contact with Tzuziko, signing at her to stop. She meant well, but she wasn't helping matters much. She caught Yuugi's look and understood; her voice had a much more pleasant, albeit slightly strained, tone when she spoke again.
"We want the best for you, otou-sama, and we're worried. You understand that, don't you?"
Atemu nodded.
"I doubt it's going to take longer than a day, so please stay here until the doctors are finished, all right?"
"I guess so," Atemu said and Yuugi couldn't help but quickly exchange a grin with Tzuziko. She knew exactly how to calm her father down and how to appeal to his conscience. She grabbed a seat and the family stayed together at Atemu's bedside, until he dozed off. It was getting late. Yuugi listened to his daughters talk softly to each other and checked his watch. It was almost dinnertime and his stomach rumbled.
"You girls can go home," he said. "I'm staying with your father."
"I'm staying too, Hikari Papa," Akina immediately stated. Tzuziko looked a bit torn.
"Go home, Tzuziko-chan," Yuugi encouraged her. "We'll hold the fort here."
"Tomorrow's Sunday," Tzuziko said. "I'll be back with Isao-kun."
"That's fine, dear." Yuugi hugged her briefly and before leaving, Tzuziko kissed Atemu goodbye by pecking him on the cheek, a rare expression of personal affection. Akina rubbed over her abdomen. "Can we get something to eat, Hikari Papa? I'm really hungry."
"Shall we go to the cafeteria downstairs?"
She looked at Atemu. "I hate to leave him alone. Maybe we should take turns."
Yuugi knew what she was talking about, but neglecting their needs and wants wouldn't be helpful to Atemu, and the former Pharaoh wouldn't want it to be that way. "We'll be back within thirty minutes," he said. "He's asleep, and in very safe hands."
"You're right. Let's go, then."
At the cafeteria, Akina chose a donburi while Yuugi got himself a simple ramen bowl, unsure if he could keep the food down. It tasted much better than he expected.
"Did you call Kazuo?" Akina asked.
"Yes, I did," he answered. "He didn't pick up the voice, so I left a message." As usual, he wanted to add, but Akina already got the gist. She didn't have any contact with Kazuo at all; he never answered the phone and it begged the question if he ever listened to his voicemail. Yuugi didn't have the hope that Kazuo would show up at the hospital, concerned. They finished their meal and went back to the ward. Atemu was still asleep and Yuugi was relieved to see his chest rise and fall in a strong, even breathing rhythm. He pulled out a stack of blankets and pillows from a nearby cupboard and Akina draped them over the chairs, turning them into makeshift beds. She tucked in Yuugi when he sat down. He wanted to protest, but when he looked at her, he could see that she needed to do this, so he allowed her to. Akina gave him a goodnight kiss and settled into the chair. They spend the night next to Atemu's bedside, cramped up in the chairs, waking up every other hour when a nurse came in to check on his vitals. Nobody said anything about them staying in the small ward, for which Yuugi was grateful; perhaps Watanabe had told the nurses that it was okay. When morning came, every muscle in Yuugi's body was cramped and tense and he felt horrible, and Akina looked even worse. She yawned.
"Good morning, Hikari Papa."
"Good morning, Akina-chan." His eyes went immediately to Atemu, still asleep. He blinked. Somehow he had missed one of the nurses taking out the IV; only the band-aid on his hand was a reminder of where it had been. Yuugi yawned too. Akina stretched and got up from the chair, stretching again.
"I'll be back in a minute," she said. Yuugi stiffly got up on his feet and walked over to the bed. He put his hand on Atemu's cheek.
"Mou hitori no boku," he said. "Please wake up." He was thrilled to receive an immediate reaction; Atemu shifted and opened his eyes.
"Aibou," he said, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, I did." He moved his hand on top of Yuugi's, feeling cold to the touch. "How about you?"
"Horrible." It was out of Yuugi's mouth before he could help it. "Chairs aren't made to sleep in."
"You should have gone home for a proper rest," Atemu said.
"And leave you alone?"
Atemu showed him a smile. "I am glad you stayed. But…"
"No buts," Yuugi said. He took Atemu's hand in his, stroking the band-aid. "I don't want to spend one night without you."
"What day is it?"
"Sunday."
"Do you think they will perform the tests today, so I can go home again?"
"I'm not sure. I'll ask, all right? I hope Watanabe-sama works today, so I can talk to him."
"Yes, all right. Did Akina leave?"
"I think she wanted to freshen up a little," Yuugi said. "How do you feel? Maybe you can take a shower. I brought enough clothes with me."
"That would be nice," Atemu said. "I would also like something to eat…" He pulled a painful face. "My stomach is eating itself."
"You haven't eaten anything since yesterday's breakfast." He brought their entwined hands up to his lips and kissed Atemu's fingers. "I hate seeing you in a hospital bed, mou hitori no boku."
"I do not like being here either." Atemu tilted his head slightly. "I really do feel a lot better, aibou. Why do we not go home together? I can return to the hospital whenever they want to perform these tests."
"I know you, my sneaky Pharaoh." Yuugi kissed him on the forehead, still holding his hand. "When we do go home, you'll conveniently 'forget' about any hospital tests, and you'll 'never get around to it'." He squeezed his hand lightly and stared the other straight into his eyes. "I want you to take these tests, mou hitori no boku. It would make me feel a whole lot better if you did. Please? Just to be sure."
Atemu stared straight back. "Your puppy-eyes have lost their effect on me a long time ago, you do know that, do you not?" He heaved a mock-dramatic sigh. "Fine, aibou. For you, I will take these tests."
"Thank you, love." Yuugi got in a quick kiss before Akina returned, who was happy to see her father awake and talkative.
After breakfast, Yuugi received a text message from Tzuziko that she and her husband would visit later today, around lunchtime. Akina bought a newspaper and read it together with Atemu, while Yuugi sat in his chair and commented every now and then. After Tzuziko and Isao's arrival, they talked and interacted. Tzuziko was happy to see Atemu much more responsive and cheerful and was even happier to hear that he had agreed to the tests. She hadn't been able to talk to Watanabe yet, but she thought that the results of the blood work wouldn't be in until Monday, Tuesday at last. Akina wiggled in her chair.
"Something wrong, Akina-chan?" Yuugi asked her.
"I need to go back to Hokkaido tonight," she said, sounding distressed. "The few scenes I have to shoot this week, are very important for the season's finale of 'The Story of our Lives'."
Yuugi grimaced. He had to be at work tomorrow too, or else Kaiba was going to kill him. The CEO was very lenient in taking time off for personal reasons, but he wouldn't appreciate Yuugi's absence during the whole Virtual System V matter.
"I understand," Atemu said. "You have work to do."
"Actually, I can't be here tomorrow either," Yuugi said, feeling sad and embarrassed. "I have very important meetings about the launch of the new system…"
Tzuziko and Isao exchanged glances. "We can ask a colleague to cover our rounds…"
"No, no, no," Atemu said, "you go to your work, I will be fine. I will be too occupied with the tests anyway," he added sarcastically. "As long as you visit me in the evening, all right?"
"Yami Papa," Akina was about to cry, "I don't want you to be alone in the hospital all day!"
"I don't like it either," Tzuziko said. "I'll ask my colleague…"
"You do not have to. I understand," Atemu said, "and the last thing I want…"
"You should think about the things you do want, mou hitori no boku," Yuugi said. "You've always looked out for us. Now it's time to look out for yourself."
"I can take care of myself, aibou," Atemu said.
"You should take better care of yourself." Yuugi was serious. "I'll stay here for the night and leave tomorrow after breakfast. I'm sure I can make it around lunchtime, and I'll get back after dinner."
"I'll be here after dinner too," Tzuziko said. "By then, I've spoken to Watanabe-sama and discussed the results of your blood work, otou-sama."
"Very well." Atemu didn't look or sound too happy about it, but he knew just as well that he couldn't keep everyone around him, not with work and other obligations. Yuugi prepared himself mentally for another broken night in the chair; it was going to harm his concentration on the important meetings tomorrow, but he gladly sacrificed it to be with his beloved Pharaoh.
Yuugi managed to get through the meetings, but he was glad when it was done for the day. His input was really necessary; as head of the Games Division he had to attend these meetings to give up-to-date notifications about the latest developments, and he had to gather knowledge from the other divisions to adjust his schedule and tasks to. The Virtual System V got everybody hyped up, its possibilities endless once the flaws were worked out of the system. Kaiba didn't seem more disgruntled than any other time and as usual, because he adhered to a very strict and tight schedule himself, the meetings were concluded within a normal timeframe. Yuugi quickly ate dinner at the KaibaCorp. restaurant before going to the hospital. Hopefully, Atemu had gotten word when he would be discharged; three days had to be more than enough? Yuugi knew his way around the hospital and hurried to the appropriate ward. Another patient was occupying the second bed; the curtain was closed. Soundlessly, Yuugi approached Atemu's bed. He was sound asleep and Yuugi hated to disturb him. On the bed was the book he'd been reading; it had apparently slipped through his fingers. Yuugi took the book and Atemu's reading glasses and put the objects on the small nightstand. He installed himself into the chair, as comfortable as possible; not much later, Tzuziko came in.
"Otou-san," she greeted him, keeping her voice low. "You look terrible," she said after one look at him. "Even your dark circles have circles."
"A couple of nights curled up in a chair will do that to you," he answered deadpan.
"I can stay with otou-sama tonight," Tzuziko offered. Yuugi shook his head.
"I appreciate it, but I want to stay with him."
She didn't protest. "Well, otou-sama's still asleep, and Watanabe-sama asked me to come see him when I got to the hospital. We should talk to him, otou-san."
"Yes, you're right." Yuugi tucked a few light-grey strands of hair between Atemu's ear and followed his daughter obediently to the doctor's office.
"I appreciate it that you could make it," doctor Watanabe said as he bowed to Yuugi and Tzuziko, who returned the gesture.
"Thank you for all your hard work, Watanabe-sama," Yuugi said.
"Please, take a seat. You'll be happy to learn that I got the results of Mutou-sama's blood work."
Yuugi sat down, feeling anxious. "And..?" he asked.
Watanabe adjusted the glasses on his nose as he picked up a stack of papers. He leafed through it and retrieved a couple of pages, clipped together with a staple. "Ah, here we are…" He tugged on his glasses some more, while Yuugi fidgeted in his chair. "I was actually quite taken aback when I got the results," the doctor finally said. "They don't really add up, I'm afraid to say. Mutou-sama is about fifty years of age, am I correct?" Not awaiting Yuugi's answer, he continued: "The test results are more what I'd expect to see from a seventy year old. Mutou-sama shows the physiology of a person much older than him." Now he looked at Yuugi over the rim of his glasses.
"What you're saying, Watanabe-sama…" Yuugi could barely speak, "is that mou… Atemu-kun is going to die?" His voice got shrill in the end. Tzuziko took a sharp breath.
"Oh no, no, that's not what I meant," Watanabe hurried to say. "He's not at any risk at all. Even though the test results aren't matching to someone his age, he's in very good condition. Judging from this," he tapped at the papers, "I'd say that these were the results of a much older person, not of someone of Mutou-sama's current age. The tests for lung and kidney functions, heart rate… they also indicate the physiology of someone older than him." Silence fell. Yuugi didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell Watanabe the truth. "Is this something that runs in his family?"
"I.. I don't know," Yuugi said. "Both his parents died at a young age, and he doesn't have any siblings."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Watanabe offered his sympathies. Yuugi didn't want to lie to the doctor, but he couldn't exactly tell him that Atemu wasn't a normal person, that his body had been granted by the grace of foreign Gods. "Mutou-san, I know your partner is a very busy man and he's been under a lot of strain considering the… issues with your son. I think that a reprioritizing of his affairs is in order, and that he should step on the brakes."
"I've been telling him that," Yuugi muttered.
"Then you should hold him to that," Watanabe continued sternly. "Don't worry Mutou-san, like I said, his health is not at risk. However, it worries me that his body seems to age faster than his natural age and that I can't find a particular reason for his fainting. He has to prioritize and watch himself. And he should drink more; he was dehydrated when he arrived here."
Yuugi blushed. "I'm sorry," he said. It felt like he was massively failing the man he loved so much.
"I'll discharge Mutou-sama tonight, so you can go home," Watanabe said. "He doesn't need any particular medication, just a stern warning to take better care of himself."
"Thank you so much, Watanabe-sama," Yuugi said. Tzuziko also expressed her gratitude and waited for the doctor to sign the official release papers, while Yuugi went back to Atemu. He waited for the elevator, his heart heavy. One day… someday that day would come, that final day, and it scared him. Was this a warning? A sign, an announcement? Atemu lived by the grace of the Gods. He had begged them on his knees, to stay with him, Yuugi. He was living on borrowed time already. The souls of the dead should not linger in the world of the living. Atemu was very much alive, but for how much longer? Yuugi shook his head. He didn't want to give into these horrible dark thoughts! Besides, Watanabe had said that Atemu's health wasn't at any risk… but what did he know about millennia old spirits who magically had acquired a body? He stared into the mirror on the wall of the elevator. From all his friends, Yuugi looked the youngest; he did have a couple of grey hairs, a few strands, hardly noticeable. The few wrinkles around his eyes were absolutely no indication of his fifty years. He felt good, physically and mentally, and he had no health problems at all. It was worrying him that Atemu's body was giving out on him… sort of. He didn't want to lose him. The though alone made him feel queasy and sick. He would die without Atemu. He couldn't live without him.
As he entered the ward, he saw that Atemu was awake. Yuugi all but dove on top of him, wrapped his arms around him and held him tight.
"Aibou…" Atemu's breathing was almost cut off from Yuugi's intense grip. He immediately sensed that Yuugi was feeling bad, but he didn't comment on it, not yet. After a couple of minutes, he softly asked: "What is wrong?"
"I love you," Yuugi said, his face smothered in the fabric of Atemu's pajamas.
"I love you too," Atemu answered without a hitch. He rubbed Yuugi's back. "Tell me what is wrong, aibou. Was it bad news…?"
"No and yes," Yuugi said and in one breath, he told him everything Watanabe had said. He had just finished when Tzuziko walked into the ward, turning off her cell phone.
"I called Akina," she said, "she'll give you a call later, otou-sama."
"That is fine." Atemu disentangled himself from Yuugi's tight grip. "I understood that I am to be discharged. I would like to dress myself."
Tzuziko nodded and gathered Atemu's clothes. She handed him the garments and told him that she would wait outside until he was finished. Both Yuugi and Atemu were silent as he dressed himself.
"I'm scared, mou hitori no boku," Yuugi said.
"I wish I could reassure you, aibou," Atemu said. "But the truth is, I do not know how long the Gods have granted me. Every day is a gift, a precious one. However, we should not lead our lives in fear. Perhaps we should consider this as some kind of warning. I am not sure."
Yuugi retrieved Atemu's coat and handed it to him. His movements were more energetic and steadfast than before; the few days of rest had really done him well. "Like Watanabe-sama said, you have to prioritize. The store takes up tremendous amounts of time. I know you like your artifacts, but perhaps it's time to focus on some else, something less stressful?"
"The store can be rather time-consuming, yes," Atemu admitted. "However, I do not think I am ready to give it up, aibou."
"I'm not asking you to give it up," Yuugi said. "Please, just consider pouring less time in it."
"I will consider it," Atemu said and buttoned up his coat. "We should leave." He kept his voice low as to not disturb the other patient. Yuugi was more than ready to leave.
The relief Yuugi felt when he stepped through the door of his home, together with Atemu, was massive. To have Atemu home again, safe, close to him like always…
"I'm going to take a shower and go to bed early," he announced. He was overwhelmed by the rollercoaster of events and emotions these past few days, and he could still feel the broken nights spend in the chair at the hospital. Atemu pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"You go ahead, I will follow shortly."
Yuugi went upstairs and discarded his clothes. He stepped into the shower and enjoyed the warm water; it relaxed him and the tension slipped away. Quite a few knots had build up between his shoulders, and he rolled them back and forth. He dried himself off and yawning, peeled back the covers of the bed and stepped into it. Before his head touched the pillow, he was asleep. A few hours later he woke up; not because Atemu made any noise, but because of his presence in the bedroom. With half-lidded eyes, Yuugi watched his lover emerge from the shower, traipsing softly through the room. He switched off the small lamp on the desk and crawled into bed next to Yuugi. As soon as he draped his arm over Yuugi, he put both his hands on it, pulling him close.
"You should really rest, aibou." His voice was low and his breathe trickled down Yuugi's neck. It was such a familiar sensation that he heaved another sigh of relief.
"I was just thinking," he said. "Maybe we should cancel the party."
"Cancel it? Why?"
"It might be too much exertion for you," Yuugi said. "You just got back from the hospital. I don't want you to get exhausted."
"You spend so much effort on the party," Atemu gave back. "No, we should not cancel it. There is some time left, and it would be a waste of your hard work."
"I don't mind," Yuugi said. "I'd do anything for you."
"I know." He nuzzled his neck. "I will be fine, aibou. Now go back to sleep." His words didn't fall on deaf ears. Reassured, Yuugi closed his eyes and he was gone within seconds.
The party was lively and exciting. Yuugi reveled in the attention of his friends, family, acquaintances and fellow employees he had invited. The band played all kinds of cover songs interspersed with original music, ranging from classical and easy listening to modern pop with an occasional rock song. The catering had done their best to execute the buffet according to Yuugi's wishes and there was a wonderful, warm and amiable atmosphere between the guests. Yuugi mingled with the crowd, basking in the attention, soaking up all the love and kindness he received. He was very happy to see his friends all together; nothing beat real life contact over text messages or e-mail. Jounouchi was at the buffet of course, teaching his children not to overstuff themselves with the delicious food (which was a feat in itself). Next to him, Anzu and her husband Warimi, accompanied by their son and daughter, Tanaka and Ishimi. Shizuka, Jounouchi's sister, had brought her husband Shinji and the twins. Otogi, who was officially divorced by now, was dating a woman he didn't call his girlfriend -not yet- as he was taking it very easy in the early stages of the relationship. Honda, as always the smooth bachelor, was talking to Mokuba and his wife Kiyomi, surrounded by their two sons. Kaiba himself hadn't shown up on the party yet, but Mokuba was confident that his elder brother could be here any minute.
Everyone was eager to learn how Atemu was doing; they had wanted to visit him in the hospital but Yuugi had kindly requested them not to; he didn't want to exhaust Atemu. His Pharaoh needed his rest, and with visits from all their friends it would be difficult enough for him to recuperate. Everyone had understood but took this opportunity with both hands to talk to him in person and ask how he was doing.
"This was such a good idea, Yuugi," Anzu said. For fifty years, she sure didn't look like it; Yuugi didn't know anyone who aged with such grace and beauty as Anzu. As head of her own ballet school and dance studio she was as busy as her husband, who managed a national chain of grocery stores. Yuugi asked about her school.
"It's doing really well," she answered. "I've got plenty of applications; so many that I had to disappoint a couple of students. I'd love to teach everyone to dance, but I simply can't accept everyone. It hurts my heart to deny someone a place at my school. Sometimes it's a tough decision to make."
It reminded Yuugi of his encounter with Masuda Kameko, the owner of the private performing arts school Akina had gone to. Just as he thought of his daughter, Anzu waved at her. "There's Akina-chan! Oh, who's that, next to her?"
Yuugi turned around. Akina had said that she'd bring a good friend over, and he was somewhat surprised when he saw it was Tsutsumi Souma, the young man who had tutored her during high school.
"Mutou-san, how nice to see you again," he said as he bowed to him.
"Souma-kun," Yuugi said warmly, "welcome, welcome! How have you been?"
"I've been doing great," Souma answered. "I'm currently teaching at Domino City University. Thank you so much for the invitation, Mutou-san."
"You're very welcome," Yuugi repeated. He noticed that Souma was holding Akina's hand and when he exchanged a brief look with her, his daughter blushed slightly. Yuugi wasn't the one to ask indiscrete questions, but he had the feeling this had been going on between them longer than he expected. Atemu would be delighted to see Souma again, and he voiced his thought out loud.
"I hope so," Souma said. "I haven't had the pleasure to talk to him yet. Akina-chan told me about his stay at the hospital. Is he all right now?"
"Yes, he is," Yuugi confirmed. After his discharge from the hospital, Atemu had kept himself strictly to doctor Watanabe's orders. He took breaks more often and even set an alarm on his cell phone to remind him to drink water regularly. He hadn't made a decision about his store and Yuugi didn't want to put any pressure on him. Who was he to force Atemu into quitting something that obviously brought him so much fulfillment and satisfaction? The store meant a lot to him, and Yuugi would never forgive himself for taking that away. It would be Atemu's own decision and he would support him, no matter what. "He drinks more water and tea, he diminished his workload and he gets plenty of rest."
"I heard the professors talk about Mutou-sama," Souma said. "They can't understand how and why he knows so much about Ancient Egypt, and they're astounded at his proficiency in the old language. Every history student considers it an honor if he helps them with their thesis!"
"I know," Yuugi said. "He really enjoys guiding students and sharing his knowledge of his homeland. But talk to him yourself, Souma-kun; he's right over there." Yuugi pointed in the direction Akina had already walked into, enthusiastically greeting her father. Souma fidgeted.
"Something the matter, Souma-kun?"
"I… eh…" he fidgeted some more. "I'm… not sure if you're going to like this, but I talked to Akina-chan about it, and she said she was going to tell Mutou-sama, as long as I would tell you."
"Tell me what?" Yuugi wasn't sure if he understood Souma well, the music was quite loud and drowned out the young man's soft, modest voice.
"We've been together for a couple of weeks now, and well… it was a very big surprise, but I… we… Akina-chan is expecting a baby," he stuttered.
"What?" Yuugi almost dropped his glass. "You... she… what?"
"That's why I don't think Mutou-sama won't be very happy to see me again," Souma said, swallowing. "I know how much he values tradition, and we're not married. I mean… we were surprised too that it happened so fast…"
Yuugi tried to process the information. Akina-chan is expecting a baby. A baby. He was going to be a grandfather! At just fifty! A baby! Akina returned, holding a glass of apple juice.
"How did he react?" Souma asked nervously. Akina patted his hand.
"I didn't tell him yet, this wasn't the right moment. I want to announce it privately to him, not in the midst of a party. I'm sure Yami Papa will be very happy for us, dear," she said.
"Congratulations, Akina-chan," Yuugi said and jerked his head towards Souma. "You know he's going to get killed, don't you?"
Akina nodded, her face devoid of any emotions. "Yes. Anyone who touches Mutou-sama's precious youngest daughter, will forfeit his life."
"I knew it!" Souma turned visibly pale.
"Don't worry about it," Yuugi winked at him. "I'll give him a couple of glasses of Chardonnay and he'll be too drowsy to start any killing. Congratulations once again, dear. It's… quite the news."
"I knew you'd be calm about this, Hikari Papa," Akina rubbed over her still flat tummy. "I'm two months along now. Yes, I know it's very early at this stage, but I just couldn't wait to tell you."
"So you were already pregnant when your Yami Papa was in the hospital?" Yuugi asked.
"I didn't know, back then," she said. "I noticed that I had skipped my period, but I thought it was because of the tension. I was so scared seeing him in that bed, in the hospital… but when I skipped my period again, I decided to take a test."
"You're not nauseous?"
"Not at all! I feel perfectly fine!" She raised her glass of apple juice. "Next week, I'm going to tell the producers of 'The Story of Our Lives'."
"They might not be happy," Yuugi said.
"Then I quit." Akina shrugged. "I'm pretty much done with the soap anyway." She leaned into Yuugi to kiss him on the cheek. "Please keep the news to yourself for now? I want to tell Yami Papa myself."
"All right, dear," Yuugi said. "I have to get used to the idea… I don't think it has sunk in yet."
She smiled at him and grabbed Souma's hand. "Come on, let's dance!"
Anzu, who had stepped to the side to allow Yuugi and Akina a little privacy, immediately returned to him, cheerful.
"Why didn't you tell me Akina-chan is pregnant?" she asked.
Yuugi was baffled. "How do you know? She just told me!"
"Female intuition," Anzu tapped her nose, "we just know. That special glow, that ethereal look in the eyes…"
"Please keep the news to yourself for now, Anzu," Yuugi repeated Akina's words back to her. "She doesn't want Atemu to know yet… I mean, she wants to tell him herself."
"Of course," she said, and mischievously added: "Congrats, Yuugi. She's going to be a wonderful mother, and you two are going to be great grandfathers!"
He cringed nonetheless. Grandfather, it suddenly made him feel… so old!
The evening ended way, way too late. Most of the guests had left and the tight circle of friends was the last to remain. One after another they said their goodbyes, far after midnight. Yuugi and Atemu were the last ones to leave; they all but clung to each other after such an exhausting, long event.
"Let's go home," Yuugi said.
"Yes," Atemu said. He could barely stand on his feet after drinking too much - not only water. He always got as weak as a kitten from alcohol and Yuugi supported him to the exit, where the taxi was waiting.
"I'm so glad I don't have to do the dishes and clean up this mess," Yuugi said as they walked past the empty buffet and dirty tables.
"Hm-m," Atemu made a non-committal sound.
"Mou hitori no boku, did you talk to Akina-chan and Souma-kun?"
He had to think for a moment. "Yes, yes I did. I said that it was good to see him at my daughter's side, because I know he is a decent, polite young man."
Yuugi pulled him a little closer. He had promised Akina to keep it to himself, but he was just as weak, he couldn't help it.
"We're going to be grandfathers," Yuugi said with a big smile. "Souma-kun told me."
"I am going to kill him!" Atemu said. He tried to wrestle himself free from Yuugi's grip, but he didn't need much strength to keep the former Pharaoh in place.
"No killing and no batsu games, mou hitori no boku," he said. "You're going to be a very happy and a very doting grandfather, mark my words. Akina asked me to not tell you yet, and it's not very classy of me to spill the beans, but I figured it was better to sort of prepare you."
"Grandfather," Atemu said, grumbling. "She is far too young! They are not married! When I get my hands on him…"
"Get into the taxi," Yuugi gave him a gentle push. "We'll talk about it in the morning."
"Morning is too late," Atemu gave back, but he curled up against Yuugi on the backseat and was almost asleep when they arrived home.
They slept in, of course. It was Sunday and they had no other obligations than to relax. It was late in the afternoon when Yuugi woke up, disorientated. Once he got his bearings, he turned around to face Atemu, still asleep. He gently caressed his face, his fingers tracing the grey hairs. Atemu stirred a little and opened his eyes.
"Good morning, aibou."
"Good morning, mou hitori no boku. You look really cute when you're asleep."
"Not as cute as you do."
"Do you still have plans to kill someone?"
Atemu looked a bit confused, but then it dawned to him again. "Do not get me started, aibou. Her acting career is about to take off to great heights. She should focus on that, instead of becoming a mother."
"She always wanted to be a young mother," Yuugi said.
Atemu grumbled something in return. "And I was so impressed with Souma…"
"He's a good kid, don't get all sour on him," Yuugi warned him. He pressed a kiss on the tip of Atemu's nose. "Grandfathers, mou hitori no boku. You can tell your stories all over again and be the voice of reason… somehow."
"Are you mocking me?" Atemu scrunched up his nose and his hands went to Yuugi's side, but not to caress him. Yuugi realized it when it was too late; he couldn't withstand an old-fashioned tickle attack and he almost fell out of bed, yelling and crying as Atemu mercilessly worked him all over. Panting heavily, Yuugi rolled back to Atemu and yielded. They exchanged a few lazy kisses, then Yuugi moved away to retrieve something from the upper drawer of the nightstand.
"It's almost your birthday, mou hitori no boku," he said as he held a flat, square box. Atemu was surprised.
"What is this, aibou? We agreed on no gifts as we considered the party our birthday gift to each other."
"I know. I still wanted to give you this." He gave the box to Atemu.
"I cannot accept this," Atemu said, flustered. "I… I have nothing for you in return."
"It's all right," Yuugi said and put Atemu's hands on top of the box. "It's for you. I don't need anything in return. I don't want anything in return."
Atemu's curiosity got the better of him and he lifted the top of the box up. "Jewelry," he said, pleased. He separated the blotting paper sheets and took a sharp breath. "Aibou…"
"I figured it was the last piece missing from your set," Yuugi said. He knew how Atemu had pieced together his jewelry, mimicking what he used to wear as a Pharaoh. Throughout the years, he had saved up diligently for his rings, the group of friends had pooled money together to buy the large earrings for his 40th birthday and when Malik and Bakura had visited, Malik had gifted him with original bracers, as guarded by the Tomb Keepers. Now he was staring at a golden necklace, thin and flat, marvelous in all its simple beauty. "It's not a broad collar like you used to wear," Yuugi added a little sheepishly. "That would be too conspicuous, don't you think? This model will look so much better on you."
"It is absolutely stunning," Atemu said, his fingers reverently touching the jewelry. "Will you put it on me?"
"Of course." Yuugi took the necklace from the box and carefully put it around Atemu's neck, clasping it tight. Atemu used the opportunity to kiss him and wrap his arms around him. Yuugi mimicked the movement, holding him. "Now all we need, is your crown."
"Thank you so much." They kissed and cuddled; every touch and caress a sign of love, respect and fondness of each other. Yuugi adored moments like this: no obligations, no worries, just kissing and cuddling. He didn't want this to end, but suddenly Atemu broke up their embrace and got out of bed rather unexpectedly. Yuugi rolled over on his side, watching how his lover frantically dug through the drawers of the desk.
"What are you looking for?" he couldn't help but ask.
'This," Atemu said and retrieved a very small box. He went back to the bed and sat on it, next to Yuugi who looked up at him quizzically. Atemu opened the box and showed its contents to Yuugi.
"That's your silver cartouche," Yuugi said, puzzled. He didn't know why Atemu was showing him this. He could very well recall the moment when Anzu had bought the blank cartouche at the airport, on their way to Egypt. In the Memory World, they had retrieved Atemu's real name and engraved it with their minds on the cartouche, helping him to defeat Zorc. Atemu had worn the cartouche during their Ceremonial Duel, but Yuugi had noticed he stopped wearing it soon after. He had never asked about it. As Atemu was very reserved with sharing his first name, only allowing the most intimate of friends to use it, Yuugi figured it was just too personal. Even their friends were hesitant to refer to him by his first name; only Jounouchi and Anzu used it freely, the rest used the more common "Pharaoh" instead.
"I want you to have it, if you would take it," Atemu said. "I… it is such a precious gift, but I cannot wear it. You all went through so much trouble, and I… it is my name, but I know it now. I do not have… a need to wear this."
"I'll wear your name," Yuugi said, understanding how difficult it was. "If you don't mind seeing it on me, that is."
"I would be very happy to see you wear it," Atemu said. "It is what you worked so hard for, and I think it should find its destination with you."
"Then so it is," Yuugi said and inclined his head so Atemu could put the cartouche around him. He fastened it with slightly trembling fingers. Yuugi was rewarded with another kiss, intense and passionate.
"How would I ever live without you," Atemu said.
"How would I ever live without you," Yuugi repeated and kissed him again. The cartouche felt cold to the touch, the silver metal took a little time to warm up as it rested against his chest; but it felt at home there, not a familiar weight as the golden Puzzle used to be, but a comfortable, constant reassuring that Atemu was with him, all the way, all the time.
Everything was set in order for Akina's and Souma's visit. Akina had called beforehand to ask if her fathers could receive her; she wanted to tell Atemu about her pregnancy, even though Yuugi was sure his daughter knew he hadn't been able to keep his big mouth shut. He was bad at keeping secrets anyway. He was slightly nervous, though. Atemu hadn't touched the subject all week and whenever Yuugi steered the conversation into that direction, Atemu just frowned. He wasn't used to the news either, though. Grandfather! He was just fifty! He wasn't ready for this at all! He waited for Akina and Souma to arrive and jumped up at hearing sounds at the front door; Akina used her key to get in and called out for her fathers.
"Yami Papa! Hikari Papa! We're here!"
"Come upstairs, Akina-chan!" Yuugi rushed to get the tea ready. He put everything on a tray and hollered towards the attic: "Mou hitori no boku!"
"Yes, I will be there," Atemu said, not hollering as the depth of his voice was loud enough to be overheard. Yuugi piled everything on the serving tray and took it to the living room.
"Akina-chan, Souma-kun," Yuugi greeted his guests. His eyes went immediately to Akina's belly, but nothing had changed since the last few days, of course.
Souma looked a bit nervous, but did his best to appear as relaxed and composed as possible. "Thank you for receiving us, Mutou-san."
"Yuugi," Yuugi said. Souma looked slightly flustered at the permission to address him with such familiarity.
Atemu came into the living room. "Akina, Souma," he greeted them.
"Mutou-sama," Souma said and Akina smiled exuberantly. "Yami Papa!"
Yuugi served the tea and sakuramochi, a slice of rice cake filled with anko. As soon as everyone held their cup, Akina said: "I'm fairly sure that Hikari Papa already told you, but I wanted to tell you in person: I'm pregnant!" She beamed at him.
Yuugi blushed deeply, as Akina had infallibly seen through him. He made a mental note to apologize to her, sooner or later. Atemu sipped his tea.
"Yes dear, I know. Congratulations."
"You don't sound very happy…" she said.
"You cannot deny it is overwhelming news. I have to get used to the idea, still," Atemu said. "You are so young…"
"You also became a parent at a young age, Yami Papa," Akina pointed out.
"Yes, but both me and your father had a stable income, a house and family and friends for support," Atemu said. "I am sure you have lots of friends and you will always have your family for support, but I am a bit worried about the stability of your life."
Akina's happy smile turned into a frown. "Souma-kun has a steady job at the university and I make a decent wage out of the soap."
"Which you want to quit," Yuugi said and it was out of his mouth before he realized that Akina hadn't told Atemu about her intentions, the discussion was cut short when she had found him on the floor of the store and both she and Yuugi had totally forgotten about it.
"Is that true?" Atemu asked.
"I don't like it anymore," Akina said. "I've been there for three years, my character has been through everything that could've happened to her, and I want to broaden my horizon!"
"With a baby on the way, the last thing you need is financial uncertainty," Atemu said. Akina slammed her tea cup on the table.
"I wish for once that you could be happy for me!" she blurted out. "Just because I don't have everything taken care of like you have, doesn't mean I'm an incompetent slob!"
"Akina…" Atemu was flabbergasted at her outburst.
"I know you don't think very highly of me," she went on, "that I'm not the brightest crayon in the box!"
"That's not really fair, Akina-chan," Souma said. "Your fathers have shown nothing but support…"
"Don't you start on me too!" She yelled. "And don't even think of blaming this on pregnancy hormones!" She got up from the sofa and stormed out of the living room, leaving everyone behind, baffled.
"I'm sorry, Mutou-sama," Souma apologized. "I… it's been a big change for the both of us. We're very happy with the baby, but it adds a different dimension to our relationship."
Atemu said nothing. He caught Yuugi's glare and inclined his head. He put his tea cup on the table as well and got up, leaving the living room in search for Akina. Souma wanted to say something more, but decided against it; he didn't dare to protest.
Akina was in her bedroom, sitting on the bed and cradling a huge stuffed animal, crying. She muttered something every now and then, before the tears welled up again. Atemu knocked on the doorpost.
"Go away, Yami Papa," she said.
"If you truly wish me to leave, I will abide your wish," Atemu said. Akina snorted and sniffled simultaneously.
"You know I can't refuse you. This is your house."
"This is your room," Atemu replied. "Your safe place. If you do not want me to enter, I will leave."
She made a non-committal sound, but shifted to make more room on the bed. He took it as an invitation and went over to Akina, sitting down next to her.
"My little princess," he said, "did you really mean what you said?"
"Yes," she said without hesitation. She had always been honest, despite everything. "I didn't mane to fly off the handle like that, but I did mean everything I said. Things have changed. I'm going to become a mother. I'm not a baby anymore. I'm your daughter, Yami Papa, nothing will change that… but when you started on financial stability and a house… those aren't the most important things in the world to me. I'm sorry that I don't have everything perfectly in order, like you do. I'm sorry I'm not more like you. But this baby is wanted, and it is loved."
"I do not doubt that for a second." Atemu put his hand on her back for a subtle rub, and she allowed it. "You do not have to apologize. I am the one who was at fault. I want the best for my little princess, and yes, I sometimes… perhaps all the time, go overboard. As you see, I am not as perfect as you might think I am."
"Everybody talks about you with so much awe and respect," Akina said, tears welling up in her eyes again. "Everybody admires Hikari Papa for his work at KaibaCorp.. Everybody thinks the world of Tzuziko-chan because she's a honored physician at such a young age."
"And what does everyone think of you?"
"The stupid, silly wanna-be actress who can't get much better than a daytime soap," she said.
"A soap that brings joy to millions and millions of viewers," Atemu reminded her. "You receive the most fan mail, you are an inspiration to many young girls and people love you for the way you bring life to your character. They all recognize your talent, Akina."
"You only say that because I'm your daughter," she said. "I know what other people think about me. I hear the gossip that I have the intelligence of a cardboard box and that I only got my part because of my good looks. And you're right, you're always right. I'm not financially stable. I have some savings, but if I quit the soap, I'm out of a steady paycheck and I don't know when I'll get another acting job."
"This is what Masuda trained you for," Atemu reminded her. "To deal with the negative side of fame. It is a lot of jealousy, and your art can be a very insecure business. You have to believe in yourself, just like we believe in you. We never thought any less of you, no matter what. You are our daughter, and we are proud of you."
Akina hung her head. "Yeah, that wasn't nice of me to say that. I'm sorry, Yami Papa. I was very frustrated because you doubted me, and it got to me. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones after all. It's just that… I want to be a good person, to be good at something, to be a good mother."
"You are a good person." Atemu pulled her closer for a father-daughter embrace. "You are good at acting, and you are going to be a great mother."
She returned the embrace and sighed. "There's something else on my mind, Yami Papa. Something that hasn't been… bothering me, but it has come up as of late."
"Speak, my princess."
"Now that I'm going to be a mother… I want to get to know my biological mother," she said. "I don't want her to be a part of my life… I mean… how to say it… women, you know? I want to ask her some questions. I want to get to know her. I just… I just don't know what I'm saying."
"We have never shied away from that subject," Atemu said, "and you have our full support, as you know. You can always contact the adoption agency."
"I don't want it to turn out like Kazuo and his mother." Akina lowered her voice to a whisper. "What if my mother's a junkie, or a criminal?"
"I do not remember the specifics, it was so long ago," Atemu said. "If you want me to, we can come along with you if you are going to visit your biological mother."
"That would be great," she said, but she didn't sound all that enthusiastic. She cradled the stuffed animal and looked at plush object, a bit forlorn.
"Becoming a mother at your age also means that you are going to leave your youth behind," Atemu said. "You are going to take care of a new life. You have to take your responsibilities seriously."
"I know," she said. "That's a transition I need to deal with."
"Will you promise me one thing?"
"Anything, Yami Papa."
"If you ever feel like this again, please talk to me or your Hikari Papa? I hate to see you feel bad or troubled. I rather have you speak up to us, negative or positive, instead of bottling all up."
Akina craned her neck to look up to him. "I promise, as long as you do the same. You don't always speak up either; otherwise you would never have ended up at the hospital, exhausted by stress."
"You are a wise woman," Atemu agreed. "I promise, Akina."
"I promise, Pharaoh."
Atemu arched an eyebrow, but Akina giggled and tightened her embrace. They sat together for a while until she suggested returning to the living room. There, they found an anxious Souma and a slightly concerned Yuugi.
"Everything all right?" Souma asked.
"Yes, everything's all right," Akina answered happily and kissed him on the cheek. "My tea has gotten cold…"
"I'll get you a new one," Yuugi said, relieved that the tension had dissolved. Souma hugged his girlfriend, sharing the relief. He put his hand on her belly and she covered his hand with her own.
"They look just like us, mou hitori no boku," Yuugi said.
"Weird, I do not remember you ever being pregnant," Atemu answered deadpan.
"Oh, you asshole!" Yuugi kept his voice low, though. "I meant…"
"I know what you meant," Atemu smirked. "And might I point out that this is the first time you ever called me 'asshole'? You have shocked me, aibou."
"You're unbelievable," Yuugi said, shaking his head. "Cute, that is. Stubborn. Strong. Sweet."
Atemu kissed him on the lips, as the other lovey-dovey couple was too occupied to notice. "I love you very much, aibou."
"I love you too." Yuugi said and grinned into the kiss: "Grandfather. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go get fresh, hot tea."
Akina and Souma stayed for the rest of the afternoon, reminiscing about the wonderful 'everybody fifty' party and with lots of talk about the baby. She was supposed to deliver mid-January, leaving the couple plenty of time to get their affairs in order. Akina said that she was going to move in with Souma, sharing his small apartment in the Karube district. Yuugi pouted. That meant that Akina wasn't coming home for the weekends anymore… and it also meant that the third bird had left the nest. It stemmed him sad, but Yuugi was careful not to show. It had been inevitable all along… children grew up, starting their own family, maturing, leaving the parental house… he searched out Atemu's hand and curled his fingers around his. So much wonderful news about the baby and Akina's ambitious plans, yet it felt fragile to him, with Atemu's weakened health and them being 'alone' in the house again. Just like Akina and Souma, they were going into a new phase of their lives. Another transition, exciting and new, vulnerable and unfathomable.
The rest of the year flew by. The holidays were celebrated with friends and family, this time at Anzu's place. The launch of Virtual System V was extremely successful and when not busy with his work for KaibaCorp., Yuugi helped Atemu to transform Akina's previous bedroom into a nursery.
"Good thing we saved everything from when the children were little," Yuugi said as he assembled the crib. Atemu agreed; of course the grandfathers-to-be hadn't been able to resist buying a lot of new things to make the nursery a lovely place to be for a baby. Akina hadn't asked them yet, but Yuugi and Atemu counted on babysitting their grandchild, so they did their best to prepare. The news had been shared with all of their friends and family by now. Kazuo's reaction was unknown, but Tzuziko was honored to become an aunt. It was pretty clear that she didn't care for children of her own, she and her husband Isao happy with their lives as it was. Tzuziko offered to baby-sit too, always ready to help her youngster out. When mid-January rolled around, Yuugi got very nervous. He was glued to his cell phone, too afraid to miss 'the call'… and when it came, it was in the middle of the night, and he fumbled to retrieve his cell phone from the nightstand.
"Congratulations, Hikari jii-chan," Souma announced cheerfully. "It's a girl!"
"A girl! Wonderful! Oh, oh! Congratulations!" Yuugi was wide awake and bumped Atemu in the shoulder, eliciting a low grunt. "Everything went well?"
"Yes, the baby's healthy and drinking already! Akina is exhausted…I'll spare you the details. Forgive me, but I have to call the rest of the family…"
"Yes, sure, of course," Yuugi said. "Wait, wait, Souma-kun! When can we see her?"
"Soon, very soon," Souma said. "We're both extremely overwhelmed. Give us a little time, please? I'll call you as soon as we leave the hospital."
"Sure, sure! Do you need anything? Groceries? Cleaning?"
"Perhaps some groceries are in order," Souma said. "I'll ask Akina-chan and I'll get back to you, all right?"
"Yes, fine, excellent," Yuugi said and the connection was severed. He tossed the phone on the nightstand and turned towards a half-awake Atemu. "We're grandfathers!"
"A girl, right?"
"Yes! Yes! Oh, how stupid of me! I totally forgot to ask her name!"
"We will know soon enough," Atemu said, processing the news. Yuugi threw himself on top of him and cuddled him. "Aibou, I am not the one who gave birth…"
"We have to buy flowers! And a large stuffed animal! And balloons! And…"
"We will buy something that is appropriate yet fun," Atemu replied. "I have the feeling they are going to be overwhelmed with gifts."
Yuugi's enthusiasm dwindled down, his face turning sad. He put his head on Atemu's shoulder, a soft sigh escaping him. Atemu raked his hand through his hair. "Aibou, I know. She would have been so happy."
"Kaa-san," Yuugi said. His mother had died far too young from a sudden brain hemorrhage; Yuugi was convinced she could've lived long enough to meet her great-grandchild.
"She is still here with us, no matter what." Atemu pressed a kiss on top of his head. "She knows about her great-grandchild, and she is smiling at her. Now go back to sleep, grandfather. You are going to need your energy tomorrow."
Souma received them in his small apartment. A bit disheveled and haggard from the broken night of sleep, but he radiated almost a blinding sensation of happiness and joy.
"Yuugi, Pharaoh," he greeted them familiarly and hugged them both.
"Souma-kun, you're a father now," Yuugi said. "Congratulations!" He pressed a large bear with a pink ribbon into the young man's hands. Souma laughed.
"Thank you! Come, Akina-chan is in the bedroom with the baby." He led the way and opened the door. "Dear?"
"I'm decent," she quipped. "Come in, Hikari Papa, Yami Papa!" She didn't need to tell Yuugi twice, he rushed over to her side and gave her a quick kiss to greet her, his eyes immediately dropping to the baby, safely tucked away in the arms of her mother.
"Congratulations! Ooh, she's so small and cute!"
Akina looked different. The childishness in her face had disappeared, replaced by the maturity of motherhood; she looked just as radiant as her boyfriend. "Do you want to hold the baby, Hikari Papa?"
"Yes!" Yuugi took the baby from her and sat down next to the bed. Souma busied himself with the refreshments and Atemu waited his turn to greet Akina properly, meanwhile watching the entire scene with mild amusement. "Such a cute baby! So beautiful!" He cuddled her. "What's her name, Akina-chan?"
Akina exchanged a loving look with Souma who entered the bedroom with a tray. "Yusuke," she said. At hearing his late mother's name, Yuugi fell silent.
"A-are you sure? Really?"
"Yes, Hikari Papa," she said fondly. "Yusuke."
"Yusuke," Yuugi repeated, stroking the baby's soft cheek. His voice hitched. "You have the prettiest name in the world." He didn't want to cry in front of the others, he was so moved by Akina's gesture. He was completely in love with his grandchild. "Dibs on spoiling her rotten!"
"Let's take pictures," Souma said and held up a digital camera. "With both grandfathers?"
Yuugi tugged at Atemu's elbow. "Come sit next to me, mou hitori no boku." He smiled apologetically. "I promise you'll get to hold the baby soon."
"Take your time," Atemu said, knowing that Yuugi needed this moment. While Souma snapped the pictures, Akina told about the birth and how everything had went smoothly. She praised the nurses and doctor at the hospital, and Souma for his continuous support when she was in labor. Yuugi was listening even though most of his attention was for his granddaughter.
"I want to take her home with me," he said.
"I think it's time for Pharaoh-sama to hold Yusuke-chan," Souma said. He lifted the baby from Yuugi's arms to put her carefully and gently into Atemu's arms.
"Have the in-laws visited?" Yuugi asked, picking up his cup of tea.
"They come over tomorrow," Akina answered. "I'm not in the mood for too many people visiting all at once."
"You're right. As new parents, so you get to decide who you want to see and when. It's going to be a very busy time nonetheless, Akina-chan."
"Yea, everybody wants to see Yusuke-chan," Souma said. "We have posted some pictures on social media for the fans to see. This way, we can control what the world gets to see of our child. I have blurred her face, as I don't want half of Domino City looking at her publicly like that."
Akina had a disagreeing frown on her face, she knew that Souma wasn't really happy with her status as a soap celebrity, and the involvement of her many fans. However, she had agreed to not put pictures of her newborn all over the Internet; she wanted to keep some of her privacy.
"We don't want to exhaust you," Yuugi said, "so if you want us to leave…"
"Not before you finish your tea," Souma said. He snickered at Atemu cooing with the baby just like he had done when he and Yuugi had picked up Akina from the adoption agency.
"She is beautiful," Atemu said.
"Thank you, Yami Papa." Akina drank greedily from a bottle of water. "I don't like tea at the moment," she said, half-surprised. "Must be the last of my pregnancy hormones."
"Water is good for you," Yuugi said, but his mind wasn't into it. He was too busy looking at the baby. Atemu handed the baby to Yuugi again and watched as his beloved partner interacted with Yusuke, making soft sounds and tickling her nose. He folded his hands in his lap and contently, he took the entire moment in, absorbing it like a sponge. This was such a beautiful moment. Grandfathers… he never thought he would live to see the day. He had begged the Gods to stay, and he would gladly do so again. This was his family, this was his Kingdom, and he would do anything to protect and cherish it.