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He wiped the potion powder from his face after yet another failed attempt at the mixture that would see to it that the well never ran dry. He sighed.
"No good deed," Yugi grumbled to himself. The wash basin was barely full today, so he settled for wiping his face with a rag from the back of his old wooden chair.
His wild black and blonde hair stuck out around his tall, pointed elf ears. He supposed there was potion residue in the creases of his ears, but he found it hard to care. How could he when he was still failing at helping his village with something so important?
He closed his book of spells with a loud thump and stomped about the tiny kitchen in a pathetic pout. No matter how much his friends told him he was smart and brave, he always felt inadequate to do anything of value in the grand scheme of things.
The curse on the village had haunted its people for eons. His grandfather had told him legends of a promised rescuer to come someday, and it broke Yugi's heart that he never got to see that savior arrive. Hell, he had all but lost hope that even he would see the legends come to pass.
In the meantime, he wanted to learn as much magic as he could to help protect what he could in his home and those of his friends.
Too bad he was failing miserably at it so far.
He swiped the list of magical items he needed from the village shop and slammed the door shut on his way out. A walk to clear his head and planning for his next bout of experiments with his spells could do him some good. Empty glass jars jingled against each other in his bag as he walked.
The forest around his village was dark, keeping him close to the road. Everyone knew the worst place for an elf was the darkness. Creatures of light did not belong anywhere in the woods that were eternally trapped in darkness.
Yet it wasn't the worst hazard of his home. Crops were destroyed at random intervals that forced his people to start all over again. Then again, maybe it was the random fly overs by dragons that breathed fire, which also led to disappearances no one wanted to mention.
"Yugi!"
Joey called to him from across the town square. Honda strummed slowly at the sitar in his lap, looking out into the crowd forming in the markets. Smoke rose from meats on the fires. Corn husks littered the dirt. It wasn't the best time to be shopping, Yugi supposed, but at least his friends could help him with a taller, more commanding presence. Besides, Joey was better at bartering than he was any day.
"What's everyone looking at?" Yugi asked, setting his satchel on the bench by Joey's side.
"Not sure," Joey answered. He took a bite of a large apple that, when Yugi caught a quick glimpse, was mostly rotted through. More of the curse's burden on those he cared about.
Joey tossed what was left into the grass. "I think I saw someone running through to the grandstand but I can't be sure. Couldn't really tell between the random fires, ogres storming the bakery, disappearing crap around the house. You know. The usual."
"Pretty sure that would definitely be something you'd notice and remember," Honda muttered, clearly annoyed.
"What's wrong?" Yugi asked.
"The well was dry again this morning."
Miho, who had been quietly sitting beside him with a needle and thread in her hand nodded. "I've been waiting for a friend to bring us some so I can make some soup in bulk so we won't have to worry about that for a few days."
As if on cue, the bell in the center of town rang loud, echoing in Yugi's head. He held his hands to his large ears to no avail. The sound was still jarring. Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to Ryou, the town crier who was typically quiet as a church mouse, who held the bell.
"My people! Please, I call you all to hear an urgent message from our once lost sister! Anzu, please tell us what you saw."
Yugi was on his feet in an instant. Anzu, his childhood friend, was indeed there, looking haggard and frazzled. Her hair was full of dead leaves and twigs. Her tall elfin ears stuck out above her familiar dark hair.
"Anzu…" he whispered to himself. So many nights had been spent stressing, worrying over her well-being. It was her idea to try and journey into the woods to seek out help. She was hoping to find anyone. A sorcerer, a witch, maybe even a fortune teller who could give any kind of answer to their plight. Desperation drove her to the woods. It was brave already, but when gremlins had stolen her shoes, it was even more impressive.
Yugi hadn't wanted her to go, but it was his grandfather's dying wish that the curse end during Yugi's lifetime, and out of desperation, he watched her leave, carrying with her a lamp that they all hoped would offer an eternal flame to guide and protect her in the darkness.
Finally, an elf had lived to tell the tale.
Her eyes were wide, yet she stood upon the pedestal in the square as sure of herself as a royal heir of the legends.
"I saw a vision in the woods in my search for help. A rescuer is certainly coming to break the curse on our people!"
The crowd murmured excitedly, with the exception of a few pessimistic grumbles. Yugi looked at his friends with his mouth agape. A savior was finally coming?
Who was it? And elf? An ogre, perhaps. One of those Cinderella stories? A warlock?
Yugi leaned in closer to listen. He should have known she would find something like this in her adventures. She had a bit of fairy in her bloodline. Perhaps some of the magic still resided within her.
"When is this rescuer coming?" Ryou asked nervously.
The entire village waited with baited breath. Every day echoed with prayers for a cure for the curse. A plentiful future for the children of the elf village could be within their reach. Miho looked the most nervous, clutching her knitting needles against her chest.
"If the ghouls chasing me in the woods were any indication, soon."
"What do you mean?" Ryou asked.
"I was being chased in the forest- the deepest, darkest part. It was darker than I had ever seen. It was almost crushing my chest." Anzu swallowed a lump in her throat, pushing herself to speak further. "Suddenly, there was a bright light, almost blinding. I couldn't see anything. I had to shield my eyes before I lost my sight! But when it went away, so were the ghouls. I knew it right away! It was most assuredly the same rescuer. They are coming and coming soon!"
Excited murmurs filled the town square.
Yugi stood in awe. Finally, his grandfather's prayers would be answered.
"Gods be good, that'll be the day," Honda mumbled.
"You don't believe her?" Joey asked.
"I'll believe it when I see it."
Miho gently smacked his arm, "My love, please. This could truly be it."
"All I'm saying is that we shouldn't make plans to count on this just yet," Honda reasoned. "Even if they are real, this rescuer may not come for a day or two or three or maybe even years."
"It's still nice to hope," Yugi pointed out. "I mean, to know that all our wishing and praying actually worked."
"What, is this guy someone from the gods or something?" Joey asked.
"Who says it's even a guy?" Miho insisted with a jut of her jaw. "You think a woman can't save the elf population from extinction?" She jutted her knitting needles at him threateningly.
"Woah!" Joey held up his hands defensively, "Hey now, it's just a guess!"
"No matter what, we need whoever it is," Yugi reminded them. "I'm going to grab a few things and head home to practice my spells."
"You think you can help the rescuer when he- they arrive?" Joey asked.
Yugi shrugged. It was possible, but on the smallest scale imaginable. His magic skills were anything but perfect. There was still a lot he had to learn. "We'll see, won't we?"
"Imagine, in our lifetime…" Miho gasped.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Joey muttered. He flipped the blade in his hand and returned to whittling on a piece of wood.
"What are you making?" Honda asked.
"Why do you wanna know?"
"Just show me."
"I'll show it to you by shoving it up your-"
"Everyone," Ryou said, sneaking up behind the bickering friends, "I was thinking of having a council to meet the rescuer. Perhaps a celebration for their arrival?"
"But we don't even know who they are?" Anzu said with wonder. "How are we supposed to welcome someone if we don't know if they're even the one?"
A breath of wind brushed through Yugi's hair, bringing a chill. It was as if someone else had approached him from behind, looking over his shoulder. He spun around on his pointy elf toes but was met with empty air.
"What if..," he said with a voice that was split between here and another realm far away, "it's someone who is already here?"
The group fell silent, exchanging looks that varied from concern to bewilderment.
"What do you mean?" Joey asked.
"What if," Yugi stepped into the center of his friends, taking one of Joey's rotting apples and turning it in his hands thoughtfully, "that person is someone in our village who is going to get some kind of calling? Or they have hidden powers they may or may not know about?"
"An elf is never the hero in any story," Honda scoffed.
"The legends never said anything about what the hero would be," Anzu reminded him.
"Could it really be?" Miho asked in awe.
Ryou looked thoughtful. "It could be possible, I suppose. But the odds are stacked against that idea."
"Not impossible," Anzu chirped. She smiled back at Yugi with a wink. "You could still be right. I'll be sure to keep an eye out."
"In any case, you should see a doctor to make sure you are well after your ordeal," Ryou reminded her.
Joey perked up at this information. "You alright?"
"I'm sure I am, but I want to be safe."
Miho jumped to her feet. "I'll come along and make any ointments you need."
Yugi looped his basket over his arm. "I'll be there, too. Just let me get some spices and ingredients for potions."
"I'll keep an eye out for the explosions," Joey teased.
"At least Yugi tries," Honda quipped, "What do you do all day, hm?"
"I'm a lumberor. When I'm not working out I'm sleeping."
"And where do you think the stereotypes about elves came from?" Honda scoffed back.
"Yugi could change that," Anzu suggested.
"What, you think I'm the chosen rescuer?" Yugi gasped, whirling around on his tiptoes and nearly tripping in the gravel pathway.
"What other clues did you get, Anzu?" Miho asked.
Joey crossed his arms over his chest. "Or was it some fever dream from the curse because you went wandering where you're not supposed to?"
Yugi gathered up a basket of spices. He still needed ingredients for potions. Maybe he needed to go frog hunting later, too.
"What else did you need, Yugi?" Anzu asked.
"Lemon balm, hibiscus, and some frogs breath."
"Can't help you with the last one, but I'll walk with you to the market," Joey offered.
"You just focus on your health, Anzu," Ryou instructed. "Come, the apothecary should be waiting for you. We wouldn't want you to fall ill or contract that hex that makes people shake so badly they can't sleep."
Yugi rushed through the marketplace with Joey in toe, going on about anything but the prophesy that could be fulfilled right in front of their eyes. Yugi's mind was a jumble of excited questions, but also worries.
Was he supposed to help the rescuer? What was the spell that cast the curse in the first place? Who put it on them? Maybe the rescuer knew who it was and they were supposed to defeat them in a duel of fates.
"I can bring by some more fruit if you like?" Joey offered when they reached the fork in the pathways to their cottages. The trees in the distance surrounded by darkness called to no one, but Yugi found himself staring longingly.
"I got some wheat that's halfway decent, but thank you," Yugi said with a smile. "I think I can make some sourdough with it."
"Okay. Still on for tomorrow night?"
Yugi nodded. "I'll be there! I'll bring a new game I made last week."
"Nice! See ya, pal!"
Yugi threw the basket over his arm and readjusted his satchel on his shoulder. The thick weeds between town and his home made him feel like he was walking in a safer version of the forest. Tall grass felt taller to an elf of his stature. He broke into a skip, relishing the feeling of the gentle branches brushing against his cheeks.
Maybe everything would be better. Maybe their food wouldn't be so dangerous or the monsters and curses lingering in the woods could disappear like smoke and he could finally see the world. No more illness or weakness. No more missing necessities or bad luck that haunted the village and prevented anyone from mastering magic like in the ancient times. Someone was coming to free the elves, at last!
He jumped for joy in the tall grass, coming to the break in the brush.
A lone figure in a long, dark purple cloak stood in the pathway, their back to him.
Yugi froze in place. His heart beat a thousand times a minute.
Was it? Could it be? Had he found…the rescuer?
The figure began to turn around, lifting bronze hands to remove their hood.
Yugi exhaled.
"Atem! You startled me!"
The small human smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, I was just on my way to your house. It's a beautiful day for a walk."
Yugi nodded. "It is. Rare that we get such nice weather."
Atem hummed in agreement. "Change in the air, perhaps."
"Maybe." Yugi motioned to the burlap bag in Atem's hands. "What's that?"
"Ah, the reason I was coming to see you," Atem said with a jubilant bounce on the balls of his feet.
Yugi couldn't help but stare as Atem searched his bag for the mystery item. He was quite handsome for a human, after all. He had gotten lost many years ago and made a home among the elves. He was strong, brave, resourceful, and was helpful in matters of trade and diplomacy, seeing as other villages didn't always take elves seriously.
He always dodged questions about his past, though. It added an even deeper layer of mystery to the man, increasing his attractiveness.
No one would question his loyalty to the elves. Except for his dark complexion, he blended in well with them due to his shorter stature.
And with his luminous ruby eyes, well, Yugi could never admit it, but he'd been crushing on Atem since he met him.
Yet, it was a known fact that elves and humans were not to mate. It wasn't the way of the world.
So Yugi dreamed silently.
Atem's hand came out of the bag with a sparkle emitting from his fingers. Yugi gasped in awe at the sight.
"Amethyst," Atem offered, opening his fist to reveal the sparkling gems. "For your magical experiments."
Slowly, Yugi took the gems in his hands, cradling them like they were the last in the Earth. Hell, they could be for all he knew.
"Thank you," he said in complete awe, "I was hoping to use this to stop severe bleeding to help the warriors when they come back from war. How could I ever repay you? This is exactly what I needed for my next potion."
"I know."
Yugi started. "Y-you know? How?"
"Oh," Atem stammered, taking a step back, "I just have my ways. You know?"
Yugi looked again at the gems in his hand and back to Atem's flickering, searching eyes that were ruby gems of their own. So perfect and revealing yet so mysterious.
"Thank you," he repeated.
"You're welcome."
Atem turned away from the path as if he was heading into the field of wheat and burned out weeds. "I'll see you around, then?"
Yugi looked at the ground to hide his blush. "Yes. I'll see you soon."
"Have a good day, Yugi," Atem said with a now confident smile and a tilt of an invisible hat.
Yugi took an extra second to watch him walk away before he turned back toward his home. The amethyst gems in his hand sparkled and he could not stop staring at them, wondering what they meant. What they could do.
What Atem was doing by giving them to him.
*****
Days passed, and Yugi was able to make potions to help the crops grow healthier, albeit only a small amount, and even practiced a spell that could possibly make it rain for the first time all summer.
It was surprising, actually. Because it all happened in the course of a day.
When he saw Joey again in the town square, he regaled him with the other strange goings-on around his cottage.
"Let me get this straight," his friend said, clearly flabbergasted, "you were out caring for your garden and…you heard a a noise? That's it?"
"I saw eyes looking at me in the forest, too," Yugi corrected him.
"Sure. And then all of a sudden there was a wind and the creature was…gone? Even though you can't prove It was even there?"
"Yeah. Like I felt a magical pulse in the air."
"You can sense that?"
"My potions may not be much, but my instincts are coming in with my magical studies."
Joey looked at him quizzically. "And this is after you say you just happened to find a bushel of fresh berries without a single rotting one?"
Yugi nodded. "As if it was planted just for me."
Joey shrugged. "Maybe it was."
"Yugi!" Miho cried as she raced across the dirt, nearly tripping over her skirt while her long hair waved freely in the wind, "Your well! You must come see!"
Yugi and Joey exchanged a strange look before they gave chase, following her down the long pathway back toward Yugi's home.
Just as Miho's excitement indicated, Yugi peered over the edge of his well wall to an extraordinary sight.
"The water," Yugi gasped, "It's like a river down there!"
"The hell is going on, here?" Joey wondered aloud.
Yugi started, his mouth agape for a moment. "Maybe it's…of course!"
"What's it?" Miho asked.
"My grandfather's breastplate…I found it. Well, it found itself maybe?"
"What?" Joey said, even more skeptical in his expressions.
"I lost it before he died and it just kind of appeared in my kitchen the other day."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
"Meaning..?"
"What if it has powers? What if it is the source of all this good fortune I've had lately?"
The elfin wars were generations ago. When the elves thought they had an actual chance of good fortune, they fought against enemies that came after them in droves. They had a true belief that their optimism and fighting spirit could outdo the curse's hold on their people.
Alas, the curse's hold on them allowed their enemies to continue to come time and time again, defeating the elves each time until the elfin population was left to this single village.
Such good luck and blessings were hard to find in their village. Yugi had come upon good crops, exceeding amounts of water, and a possible mystery rescue from uncertain fates he would rather not entertain in his mind. His ears wiggled with thought.
He stood from the old crate he sat upon with a start that made Miho clutch at her chest.
"I'm going to fight the curse," he said with all the determination he could muster. His voice was strong, taking all of his friends aback. "I'm going to go back to where Anzu was given her vision and then search for the magicians lair where the forefathers of magical skills got their start."
"You what?" Joey stammered. "You're insane."
"I can find the cause and destroy it. Or whoever is responsible. I can wear my family's breastplate and I will win. If Anzu can do it, so can I! My good fortune lately should be an indication-"
"That you should take a stupid chance on a couple good days?" Honda said, approaching from the pathway with two empty buckets in his hands. "Tell me you're joking, Yugi."
Anzu stood at Yugi's side. "I'll go with you and be your guide. Whatever powers it has, surely it will help protect us."
"No elf has ever come back after more than a few days in the woods," Miho bemoaned quietly.
"Well, we will be the first," Yugi said assuredly, "And we will come back with good news, only."
"Can't we just wait for this prophesy bullcrap?" Joey groaned. "Why do you have to be the one to go out there looking for answers?"
Anzu's hand on Yugi's shoulder squeezed him comfortingly. "Yugi, do you think you're-"
"Gods, no!" Yugi gasped. "But still. We haven't seen any sure signs that this person is coming. Maybe instead of waiting, we can change our own destiny ourselves."
The group went silent, everyone weighing the options before them. A gentle breeze rustled through the trees. A first in a long while. Yugi couldn't smell rain, but he momentarily wondered what it would be like to feel it on his face at last. Anzu wrapped herself in her old torn shawl.
Breaking the silence, Joey rolled his eyes with an exaggerated groan.
"Fine! I'll pack some food, and we'll get going."
Yugi's ears immediately stood up at his words. "Joey! Really?"
"Well, if he's going, I'm in," Honda agreed, putting his water buckets on the ground. "Can't let Joey get you both killed less than a mile in."
"Hey!"
"Honda…thank you," Yugi said, his eyes welling up with grateful tears.
"If the fates are good to us, then why not, right?" Honda said with an amused laugh.
Miho stood on shaky legs. "M-me too. I want to come."
"But you-" Honda began to protest but was stopped by her raised hand halting any further protest from him.
"I'm not a fighter, but I have trained in wound care."
Yugi nodded. "I'd be happy for you to come along, Miho."
Anzu smiled across the group. They didn't look like much, to be sure. Elves were the least intimidating creatures this side of the Western Mountains. Their clothes were all torn and tattered from the curse's touch on their mundane, simple lives, as money and material was hard to come by. Yugi had not known good grooming in so long himself.
An adventure in the woods like in the storybooks his grandfather used to read to him was never in his plans for his life.
But he just knew it was time to take this chance.
With friends by his side, what else did he need?
"I'm going to gather supplies and food," Anzu offered. "Let's meet back here in an hour?"
"Pray I change my mind," Joey joked, but the assured hand clasped onto Yugi's back promised his return was a guarantee.
Yugi watched down the dirt road while his friends rushed off to gather necessities for their journey. Before he went into his own home, however, he glanced one last time. He had no idea what he was looking for. Maybe it was who he was looking for.
His hesitation kept him in the doorway for many long minutes until he pulled his mind out of a daydream, and his feet into the house.
*****
The initial hours on the road saw trials enough for a lifetime. A hungry bear had interrupted Miho's attempt to retrieve berries from a fertile bush, and a magical haze threatened to knock them all unconscious if not for Anzu's quick thinking and Yugi's ability to hold the breastplate up to block the entire group long enough to get them out of the thicket.
At the same time, when he looked behind them, the fog was gone. As if it had never been there in the first place.
"Who the hell ever told us that the world was a beautiful, wonderful place to explore?" Joey muttered. "The entire place feels like a death trap."
"What if we come across trolls? They eat elves!" Miho whimpered.
Not a single one of them lost step.
Yugi looked over his shoulder again. He readjusted the breastplate over his chest. The bottom was digging into his side awkwardly. It wasn't impeding his ability to walk, but it was still awkward to wear. He felt so small in it. The weight on his shoulders wasn't fun by any means. And impossible to ignore. Still, he took it one step at a time.
"The bear just…turned around, though," he pondered. "Like it was…answering someone's call."
"If I were a bear tamer," Honda mused, "I'd be one of those street performers or something."
As if on cue, the sound of a branch snapping echoed loudly through the forest. Yugi's breath caught in his throat. He thrust his chest out immediately, his mind racing in a search for the perfect protective spell.
But what if this good fortune struck again and the threat disappeared like smoke in the wind?
"Yugi! What is it?" Anzu whispered while the group huddled behind her.
"I don't know," he whispered back.
The distinct sound of footsteps began to grow louder. Whatever it was grew closer with each heavy breath from Yugi's lungs.
Bushes rustled. Miho whimpered behind him.
Yugi's heartbeat steadied the moment he made out the identity of the figure within the brush.
"There you are! You thought elves wouldn't need a chaperone out in these dangerous woods?"
The group exhaled collectively as the human, Atem, emerged looking as handsome as ever with a confident smirk on his face. On his back was a quiver full of arrows. Around his shoulder was a shiny bow etched with emeralds.
Anzu was the first to speak up.
"I made it out here without anyone."
"You're skilled enough on our own, but perhaps you could use some help caring for a group?" Atem suggested with a wink in Yugi's direction.
His blush was instantaneous.
"Know any magic?" Honda asked.
"No, but I figured I could help, either way."
"A human who wants to help elves?" Joey said curiously.
"He's never been anything but kind," Miho reminded him.
Yugi stepped forward. "Y-you really want to help us?"
Atem's smile narrowed his confident red eyes. The corner of his mouth curled upwards as if in a friendly smirk. His perfect lips parted to speak, and Yugi was ready to hold onto every word.
The loudest thunder Yugi had ever heard in his life shook the forest and hurt his eardrums. Every one of the elves covered their heads immediately for fear of the worst attack to come. Atem stood tall in front of them protectively, his eyes up to the sky.
Thunder? Rain! That meant rain was coming! He'd never seen rain before. He uncovered himself after bringing his travel cloak over his face to hide himself from any incoming danger.
Dark eyes in a pitch-black cloud shone overhead.
Yugi's heart sank at the sight. He clenched his fist against his breastplate.
"The dragon…." He muttered under his breath.
"Steady," Atem whispered.
Yugi stood up straighter, knowing his friends were behind him under their hoods, quaking at the sight of the legendary, infamous dragon.
He could protect them..
Without weapons, he stood upright, his fist clenched, eyes trained upwards toward the pitch-black cloud that opened up like iron gates to reveal the dragon made of fire and flowing golden eyes.
Lightning struck the trees within a few feet of them. The thunder shook everyone to their core. Yugi heard his friends cry out in horror.
All except for Atem, who stepped up next to him, his hand on the butt of a sword at his belt.
"Where did you- "
"Come on, Yugi," Atem said with a confident smirk that in any other situation made Yugi weak in the knees. The courage and loyalty in the face of unwavering danger met against Atem's own fortitude.
The darkness consumed the group except for the light that reflected from nowhere to hit the blade of Atem's sword.
A hand gripped Yugi's and squeezed. It pulled him toward the creature, followed Atem's arm. Yugi gasped. It was-
"It's you."
The group went silent around the table scattered with trees and their wooden selves with elfin ears.
"Spoiler alert!" Jounouchi shouted with a laugh.
Ryou chuckled nervously and scribbled something on his notepad. "Well, I mean, it depends on who that was directed at?"
Yugi smirked in Atem's direction. "Other Me, you're the mystery savior, aren't you?"
Atem's chin rested on his joined fingers. "I would have thought you'd guess me sooner, Partner."
Anzu threw her hands up. "So now what? Is there a story after we're supposed to discover it?"
"Your characters don't have to know it yet, if you like," Ryou suggested gently. "You can play in ignorance just fine if that would make it more fun for you. Or if you continue with this, I do have other scenarios."
"You followed just to protect us?" Yugi asked in awe.
"No." Atem's answer was simple, surprising Yugi immediately.
Yugi tilted his head and each pair of eyes around the table were aimed at Atem now. Mouths sat agape.
"I wanted you to find out that you could be your own hero, Partner. I wanted you to find the ability within yourself to do all that you wanted to protect your people. The prophesy never said anything about one rescuer, now did it?"
"I'll have to check…" Ryou muttered, "But that does sound right."
"Some heroes are made, not born," Atem said with a velvet flair in his voice.
Yugi stood slowly, his eyes holding onto Atem's. "You sniveling little scheming- "
"Uh-oh!" Honda chuckled.
Atem's smirk never left his face as Yugi walked around their friends' chairs to approach Atem on the other side of the table.
"You came to rescue me," he repeated, "And claim you have no ulterior motive?"
"Of course."
Jounouchi snorted.
"We've been dancing around our feelings for so long," Yugi said, the awe leaving his voice and replaced with confidence in knowing. "You've been back for two years, and you think you still need to rescue me?"
"You can rescue yourself, Partner. I know it and you know it. And I cannot help it if my feelings are too much for me to handle. You are, after all, worth protecting and caring for."
Yugi leaned over Atem, his forehead nearly meeting his. "And this is how you choose to tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
Yugi took ahold of Atem's shoulders to pull him in for a kiss. He ignored the hoots and hollers of their friends. He forgot the game. He forgot he was supposed to be in mortal danger. All he could register with his senses was Atem. His warmth, his lips molding to his, his perfectly smooth skin. How perfect he was.
As long as Atem was with him, he wouldn't be harmed, he knew it. They were the best team when they fought together.
And maybe…became more than just that? Together?
Atem's hand cupped Yugi's chin as he deepened the kiss, his tongue swiping against Yugi's lips, pleading for more. Yugi groaned with his lips pressing harder to Atem's.
"Hey! Before you defile Ryou's table, can we get back to the story?" Honda interrupted.
Yugi gave Atem one last peck on the lips before he bashfully made his way back to his seat.
"We'll finish that later, hm Partner?" Atem asked.
"Guys, please!" Miho scolded.
"If we survive the dragon, that is," Yugi chuckled.
Atem rolled the dice between his fingers. "Bet on it."