Work Text:
The studio runner was the unsung hero of the games industry. At least, according to Mutou Yugi, KaibaCorp’s resident studio runner.
From greeting clients to processing new hires, all the way down to ordering stationary and emptying the dishwasher, a runner was the industry’s jack-of-all-trades. He was the ever smiling face of KaibaCorp, even if he had to deal with his fair share of grievances.
One such grievance came in the form of a blonde haired artist named Rebecca.
The artist in question leaned on the reception desk, elbow propped up on the counter as she peered down at him. She cleared her throat and Yugi’s hands froze over his keyboard. Apparently, his email would have to wait.
“Heeey Yugi!” she chirped. “Do you know what day it is?”
He only barely suppressed a sigh. “Thursday?” he offered.
She giggled. “Well, duh! But more importantly, it’s a new day and a new opportunity.” She paused for effect, angling her glasses down her nose. “So, Yugi, will you go out with me?”
He offered her a patient smile. “I’m sorry, but my answer is no.” For the 50th time, he didn’t add.
She sighed forlornly. “You’re no fun.” She rested both elbows on the counter then, angling further into his personal space. “Whatcha working on?”
Yugi fixed his eyes back on his computer, silently communicating how busy he was. “Oh, I’m following up on the paperwork for one of the animators starting Monday, plus I’ve got a bunch of emails from facilities and finance, then there’s catering issues for the wrap party next month—”
“Yeesh, boring. Forget I asked,” she said airily. She pushed off the counter and gave him a wave as she retreated. “I’ll be back tomorrow, Yugi!”
“Right,” he muttered. For another day of not taking a hint.
It has been a routine of theirs ever since he started. Two weeks into his new job, she approached him in the kitchen while he was cleaning out the staff fridge. She seemed friendly enough, if a tad overzealous. It was clear from the get-go that she was some sort of a genius, having climbed her way to a technical role even though she was three years his junior.
During their second meeting, she’d asked him out without a hint of trepidation, oozing confidence like she was a relative of the Kaiba brothers. Maybe she was, Yugi couldn’t say for sure. What he did say was that he wasn’t looking to date right now; that he was focused on his career and couldn’t handle any distractions.
It seemed that he had unwittingly issued a personal challenge. Rebecca had made it her mission to ask him out each day, waiting for the day that he’d finally say yes.
He supposed some people might find it endearing. Yugi, however, found it exhausting. He was already overworked and underpaid, and Rebecca was just one more problem on his plate.
By the time six o’clock rolled around, he was just about ready to collapse. As he was gathering up his belongings, he heard the familiar voices of his two closest friends. He glanced up at their arrival, smiling at Atem and Jounouchi.
The three of them had met during university, all studying game design. Atem and Jounouchi had been in the year above and were long-time friends from their high school days. Yugi and Atem had bonded during several late nights in the computer lab, which prompted an easy friendship.
At some point, Atem had indoctrinated Yugi into his friendship circle, and the rest was history.
“Yo! Ready to go?” Jounouchi asked. He jingled his car keys invitingly.
“Just about,” Yugi said.
“Great! I’m starvin’.”
Yugi paused, frowning. “Wait, are we going for burgers tonight?” He sighed, shoulders slumping. “Sorry, but I don’t think I can go. I’m pretty strapped for cash.”
“Nonsense,” Atem said smoothly. “My treat.”
“You always pay for me!” Yugi protested. “Seriously, I’m out this time.”
But Atem was already steering him towards the elevator. “I’m afraid you have no choice in the matter.”
Yugi couldn’t help but smile, even as guilt bubbled in his gut. Jounouchi leapt into the elevator and slapped the button for the parking lot. Next thing Yugi knew, he was in the backseat of Jounouchi’s car, being chauffeured through the Burger World drive-thru.
Yugi insisted on nothing but a small pack of fries, yet Atem handed him his usual burger meal, complete with a side of onion rings.
Jounouchi drove them towards the pier, scoring a park just in front of the water. Dusk wouldn’t come for another hour, allowing them to enjoy the warm shades of sunlight reflected on the waves. Yugi rolled down his window and inhaled the seabreeze, tasting the salt on his tongue.
They ate in silence for a while, listening to the lo-fi tunes playing through the car. Jounouchi glanced at Yugi in the rearview mirror and asked, “Did you get another visit from Brainiac today?”
“Sure did,” Yugi grumbled. He finished off another bite of his burger, chewing aggressively, before continuing, “She’s been doing it for nearly two months now.”
“You gotta tell HR, man,” Jounouchi said. “It ain’t right what she’s doing.”
“I don’t know…” Yugi sighed. “I don’t want her to get in trouble.”
Atem, who was riding shotgun, swivelled in his seat to face him. His bronze skin was almost golden in the afternoon light. “Yugi, you’ve asked her to stop many times now.”
“Well, not really,” he grimaced. “I mean, sure, I’ve turned her down dozens of times, but I’ve never actually told her to back off.”
“Shouldn’t it be obvious by now?” Jounouchi snorted.
Yugi shrugged helplessly. “You’d think so…”
Atem, meanwhile, fixed Yugi with one of his painfully sincere expressions. “She should know better.”
“She’s young,” Yugi said. “Immature.”
“She’s gotta learn sometime,” Jounouchi said.
“It could mess up her career!” Yugi protested. “Sure, I don’t like it, but it’s all pretty harmless.”
“It’s harassment,” Atem said pointedly.
Yugi couldn’t exactly counter that argument. “I’ll try and talk to her. I’ll just be blunt about it.” He took a long sip of his cola, brow pinched as he stared out the window. “I’d hate to involve HR. Besides, I don’t want to jeopardise my own career, let alone hers.”
He could feel Atem’s crimson gaze on the side of his face. Jounouchi hummed, tossing a nugget into his mouth and chewing pensively.
“Just tell her you’re gay, Yug’.”
Yugi almost choked on his drink. “What?!”
“You heard me.” Jounouchi grinned mischievously. “It gives you the perfect excuse. You let her down, no feelings hurt, easy peasy.”
“That’s not easy peasy!” Yugi exclaimed. “I’m not gay!”
Jounouchi lifted an eyebrow in the mirror. “That’s not what I heard…”
Yugi’s face burned bright red. “Jounouchi…”
Jounouchi grinned and stuffed another nugget in his mouth. Atem glanced between the two of them in puzzlement.
“Am I missing something?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Yugi muttered, refusing to meet his eyes.
He and Jounouchi had gotten spectacularly drunk at a house party a few months back. They’d talked a lot, most of it completely nonsensical, but there was one thing neither of them forgot —
Yugi had a big, embarrassing crush on the man in the passenger seat.
After a moment of strained silence, Atem said, “Let’s try another tactic — you could tell Rebecca you’re in a relationship.”
“But what if she wants more details?” Yugi asked.
Atem shrugged. “Improvise.”
“Impro—do you even know who I am?” Yugi laughed. “I can’t improvise! I’ll totally panic!”
“You have a good poker face,” Atem offered.
Yugi shook his head, unimpressed. “So, between the two of you, this is your advice: lie about my sexuality, or lie about my relationship status.” They both had the decency to look sheepish. “You guys suck.”
“Fine, don’t listen to us!” Jounouchi said, throwing his hands up. “As you said, just be blunt with her, Yug’. You’re real good at being blunt.”
Yugi scowled at the back of his head. “Oh, I can be blunt. I’ll show you!”
But, when Rebecca came by the very next day, Yugi let her down with as much polite consideration as he could muster.
Maybe being blunt wasn’t the right way to go about this.
He groaned, letting his head fall against the desk in despair.
Another week passed in much the same fashion. Yugi was constantly on his feet, making phone calls, answering emails, or a combination of all three.
Without fail, Rebecca would come by after lunch. She’d swagger up to the reception desk, flash him a coy smile, and ask him the same old question.
It was really starting to bother him.
One day, before her designated arrival time, Yugi took the opportunity to head for the kitchens. The dishwasher needed to be stacked and the fridge was running low on milk, so he at least had a decent excuse to be away from reception.
After those tasks were completed, he eagerly found more reasons to stay there, silently praying that Rebecca wouldn’t find him.
He was giving the coffee machine a thorough clean when someone sidled up beside him, bumping their shoulders together. Yugi’s chest constricted in panic, then immediately relaxed.
“What’s wrong?” Atem asked, concerned.
“I thought you were Reb—” Yugi caught himself. “—Brainiac.”
Atem scowled at the mention. “Is she still harassing you?”
“Shush!” Yugi glanced over his shoulder, ensuring they were very much alone before he quietly admitted, “Yeah.”
Atem’s frown eased into something sympathetic. He squeezed Yugi’s upper arm, and his heart gave a weak flutter in response.
“Do you want me to talk to her?” Atem offered.
Yugi shook his head, but smiled gratefully. “No, it’s okay. I’ll handle it.”
Atem’s hand lingered on his arm for a while longer before slowly retreating. Yugi tried not to miss it too much.
A weighted silence settled between them. Yugi would much rather talk about literally anything else, and fortunately, Atem seemed to read his mind.
“Busy today?” Atem asked.
Yugi sighed dramatically. “Always is, especially on Mondays. What about you? How’s everything going in QA land?”
“It’s been painful, actually,” Atem admitted. “One of the junior riggers broke two of our hero assets, so animators have been, ah…unhappy, shall we say. I’ve had a headache for hours.” He eyed the coffee machine. “When you’re done, I’ll take a flat white.”
Yugi raised a brow. “What, you want me to make it for you?”
Atem grinned, his gaze teasing. “Well, you are the coffee runner.”
“Excuse me, that’s one thing I don’t do,” Yugi laughed.
“It’s in your title, Yugi.”
Yugi hip checked him in reprimand. “You artists are all so entitled.” He turned back to the coffee machine, a smile blooming on his face. “But sure, I’ll make you one.”
Atem’s answering smile seemed to light up the entire room. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”
It wasn’t the first time he’d made that joke, but it still made Yugi’s insides flip-flop.
“Knock it off,” he said, trying to swallow down the giggle on his lips. “Go sit down. I’ll bring it over.”
“Come join me when you’re done.”
“Oh, I can’t, I have a million things to do.”
“So do I. Just ten minutes?” Atem cocked his head playfully. “For me?”
Yugi gave another loud sigh. “Fiiine.”
Atem clapped him on the back as he went in search of a table. Yugi’s heart was all aflutter, his movements almost feverish as he worked. Atem never failed to add a little excitement to Yugi’s workdays. He was a wonderful distraction.
He was so distracting, in fact, that Yugi failed to notice Rebecca sneaking up behind him.
“So this is where you’ve been hiding!” she said, causing Yugi to jump in shock. “Jeez, you’re on edge today, huh?”
“Y—yeah,” Yugi said, taking a steady breath.
She leaned into his field of vision. Yugi angled himself away. “What’s got you all flustered?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Yugi said quickly. “What’s up?”
“Well, it’s a new day,” she said mischievously. “Which means—”
“A new opportunity,” Yugi finished tiredly. “I’m sorry, but my answer is still no.”
“Aw, come on! You didn’t even let me ask the question! You’re such a meanie,” she said, pouting. Yugi immediately felt guilty, but she recovered quickly enough. “Whatever, I’m gonna ask you anyway. Will you go out with me?”
Yugi’s good mood was rapidly dissipating. “No, Rebecca. I’m sorry.”
She moved closer then, and Yugi suddenly missed the protective barrier of the reception desk. She narrowed her eyes at him, green irises consuming his field of vision.
“Why not?”
Yugi stared at her. “What?”
“Why won’t you give me a chance?”
Yugi spluttered, suddenly thrown off. “I—well, it’s—I mean—”
“I’m successful, super smart and a total cutie,” she declared. “So what’s the problem?”
“I…I don’t know how to answer that.”
She looked annoyed then, her lips pressing into a thin line. She set her hands on her hips, completely unyielding. “Give me one good reason.”
A thousand excuses flooded his mind but none of them took hold. He should just tell her the truth — he wasn’t interested.
However, what would happen if he really, truly hurt her feelings? Rebecca was extremely tenacious. What if she was vindictive as well?
If Yugi let her down too harshly, would she sabotage his career? It would be easy enough to do, and he’d barely gotten his foot in the door.
Foolishly, he circled back to his conversation with Atem and Jounouchi, their ridiculous suggestions clouding the forefront of his mind.
Tell her you’re gay.
Surely that would just make things more problematic. He was bisexual at most, and what if his colleagues found out? Would he have to maintain the lie long-term?
Tell her you have a girlfriend.
But Rebecca would surely demand more details — she was just that type of person. If he did have a girlfriend, what would her name be? How did they meet? Should he just say it was Anzu? But what if—
“Yugi,” she said heatedly. “Stop stalling and answer me.”
Somehow, his friends’ suggestions conformed into a single, panicked answer:
“I—I have a boyfriend!”
Yugi clamped his mouth shut, his eyes wide with shock, because what the hell did he just say?
She stared at him for half a minute, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Yugi was sweating beneath her glare. His mind was consumed with a single phrase: oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my—
“I don’t believe you.”
“Wh—what?” Fear climbed into Yugi’s throat then. “It’s true!”
“Oh, please. Your face is bright red.” Rebecca smirked, folding her arms across her chest. “But okay, I’ll bite. Who is he? Why didn’t you mention him before?”
“He—well, he works here!” Yugi’s mind was screaming at him to stop talking. “And, uh—he doesn’t want anyone to know about us yet. We’re trying to keep a low profile.”
“Right, right, you just have to conceal his identity,” she said, lifting her brow.
“Of course I do!” Yugi was truly floundering now. “And you, uh, probably shouldn’t ask me out anymore. I don’t think he’d like that.” He nodded jerkily. “Nope, he wouldn’t like that at all.”
“Oooooh,” she cooed, almost mocking. “He’s just so protective, isn’t he?”
“Why yes, I am.”
Yugi’s mind screeched to a halt.
No.
No, surely that wasn’t Atem who just—
A warm hand brushed Yugi’s elbow, gripping it in steady reassurance. Yugi turned woodenly to the man beside him, taking in his familiar profile.
“Rebecca, you’re making my boyfriend uncomfortable,” Atem said calmly.
A dumbfounded expression crossed Rebecca’s face. “Is this a joke?”
“I would never joke about this,” Atem said, as if he wasn’t lying through his perfect white teeth. “Yugi and I have been together for a few weeks now. It’s still very new to us.”
He finally met Yugi’s gaze, his expression one of complete composure. Yugi could only stare back at him in awed silence.
There was a squeeze on his elbow, prompting him. Yugi swallowed down his nerves and faced Rebecca.
“Please keep this to yourself,” Yugi said shakily. “We aren’t out yet, so…we’re trusting you to do the right thing, okay?”
She remained silent for a long moment. Scepticism lingered in her gaze, but eventually, she raised her hands in surrender. “Okay, fine. I’m not going to out you, even if your relationship is super suspect.” She grinned wolfishly. “I’ll be keeping my eye on you two.”
She waltzed away then, leaving them in peace. It was only once she was gone that Yugi leaned onto the counter, supporting himself with both arms.
“What the hell?” Yugi whined.
Atem patted his back consolingly.
If Jounouchi laughed any harder, he would surely go into cardiac arrest.
“You—you both—I can’t—”
For the last ten minutes, they’d been sitting in a booth at a sushi train. Jounouchi still hadn’t managed to complete a full sentence.
Yugi slurped his iced tea in stony silence. His cheeks were permanently stained pink by this point. Atem, meanwhile, was perfectly serene beside him.
“I just…how did you manage this?” Jounouchi rubbed the tears from his eyes. “How?”
“Look, I dug a really big hole for myself, okay?” Yugi muttered. “And as for Atem, he just…decided to play along.”
“Why didn’t you just tell her the truth, man? Now you guys gotta be all—” Jounouchi made some very embarrassing kissing noises, and Yugi wished with all his heart that the floor would open up and devour him whole.
“Jounouchi, this isn’t a complicated issue,” Atem said solemnly. “Yugi and I are co-workers first, partners second.” Yugi’s face burned hotter than before. “PDA in the workplace isn’t appropriate, so we don’t need to, ah…well, do whatever that was. It’ll be much more subtle.”
“Wait, what’s subtle?” Yugi stared at him in alarm. “What exactly do you have in mind, Atem?”
Atem stretched his arms high above his head, and then allowed one to fall comfortably around Yugi’s shoulders. He wrapped his hand around his bicep and pulled him snug to his side, offering him a pleasant smile.
“This is innocent enough,” Atem informed him.
“Right,” Yugi said, trying not to die.
“You should start blowing kisses at him from across the room, too,” Jounouchi added helpfully.
Atem hummed in thought. “I have been told I do a good smoulder. Perhaps I can do that if the occasion calls for it.”
“Oh yeah, now that would be dreamy,” Jounouchi said with a wide smirk — and then he yelped loudly when Yugi kicked him under the table. “Or, you know, keep the smoulders to a minimum. Don’t wanna flaunt your sex appeal too much.”
Atem’s thumb rubbed idly on Yugi’s shoulder as he contemplated their situation. Yugi, meanwhile, was doing everything in his power to not have a different kind of situation.
“I suppose we wouldn’t have to continue this charade for long. Once Brainiac has lost interest in pursuing you, we can break up without arousing suspicion.” Atem angled his head, trying to catch Yugi’s eye. “Is this all agreeable to you, Yugi?”
“Yep,” Yugi said, his voice an octave higher than normal. “That sounds…fine. Yeah. Totally fine.”
Completely, catastrophically fine.
The next day, they fell into a brand new routine.
Atem made a point to meet Yugi at the entrance to KaibaCorp, hanging just outside the automatic doors. Yugi was baffled at first, because Atem typically arrived earlier than him, but today, he was waiting with two coffees in hand. He offered one to Yugi — a vanilla latte, his favourite — and then escorted him to reception before heading off to his own desk.
An hour later, Yugi received a message from Atem through their work chat.
What time are you taking lunch?
They’d never coordinated lunches before; their schedules were too at odds with one another. Usually, they’d just go on lunch and hope to bump into each other.
1:30, Yugi replied.
I’ll see you then.
Yugi rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a heated flush creep up his skin. He distracted himself with the papers on his desk, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to his work until, many hours later, Atem appeared at his side. He placed a delicate hand between his shoulder blades.
“Ready to go?” Atem asked.
Yugi could only nod, and when he got to his feet, Atem’s hand fell briefly to his lower back to guide him along.
When they entered the kitchen, they discovered Rebecca sitting with Vivian at one of the corner tables. Her eyes snapped to them, her glasses glinting ominously.
When Yugi stiffened with nerves, Atem leaned in close and said, “Just follow my lead.”
His hand returned to Yugi’s lower back, directing him towards the fridge. Yugi located his food on autopilot, completely distracted by Atem’s casual touch.
Yugi turned to ask him a question — something benign, like, did you pack lunch today? — but couldn’t get the words out. Atem’s face was a scant few inches from his own; a proximity so intimate that Yugi almost swallowed his own tongue.
By the time they found a seat on the balcony, Yugi’s heart was beating so fast it could have been physically visible. He felt like a cartoon character, with a heart-shaped lump pounding in and out of his rib cage.
Once out of earshot from anyone else, Atem asked softly, “I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?”
Yugi inhaled, all too aware that Rebecca's eyes were trained on the two of them, spying through the balcony doors.
In that moment, the first flickers of courage burned in Yugi’s chest. He reached forward to brush strands of hair from Atem’s cheek, catching him off-guard.
“Not at all,” Yugi answered with a shy smile.
Perhaps Yugi’s eyes were deceiving him, but Atem’s cheeks seemed to turn a shade darker.
Their routine continued in much the same manner for several weeks. Atem brought coffee for him in the morning, they coordinated their lunches, and whenever Rebecca graced Yugi with her presence, Atem made sure to come by reception.
When appropriate, they would share small, simple affections with one another. Atem often looped an arm around Yugi’s waist, pressing comforting warmth into his skin. Over lunch, Yugi had taken to reaching for Atem’s hand across the table, their fingers loosely clinging together.
After the first week, Rebecca stopped visiting Yugi, but she looked out for any slip ups.
After two weeks, she merely rolled her eyes at their behaviour.
After a month, if Yugi caught her gazing in his direction, she seemed genuinely disheartened.
Meanwhile, Yugi and Atem’s charade became more and more natural. Yugi started to forget that this was meant to be pretend, because whenever Atem stepped comfortably into Yugi’s orbit, he felt nothing but contentment.
Their affections didn’t quite dissipate outside of work hours. They’d go out for meals with their friends and squish next to each other in the booth, their legs and shoulders pressed flush together; or they’d go for strolls down by the pier, walking close enough for their hands to brush.
Jounouchi confronted Yugi about it eventually, once he managed to catch him alone. As Yugi typed away at his computer, Jounouchi towered over the counter to better scrutinise him.
“So, are youse…you know, actually dating?”
“What?” Yugi stared up in surprise. “No, of course not.”
Jounouchi raised a brow. “Coulda fooled me.”
And sure, Jounouchi was coming from a certain point of view; he knew that Yugi was completely smitten with Atem. Still, he hadn’t thought that their charade was that convincing.
Then again, whenever Yugi looked at Atem, there were literal stars in his eyes. He couldn’t fake that.
“Just…be careful,” Jounouchi said after a moment. “The lines are getting real blurry between you two. I don’t want either of you gettin’ hurt.”
Yugi smiled earnestly. “I appreciate that, Jou.”
Jounouchi left him to it then, giving him a two finger salute as he ambled away. Yugi shook his head to clear his mind, refocusing on his emails.
“Hello, darling,” came Atem’s honeyed voice. He drifted behind the reception desk, trailing fingers along Yugi’s shoulder.
Yugi snorted, covering his face to mask his embarrassment. When he met Atem’s eyes, he spotted a mischievous smile on his lips.
Yugi mirrored his smile and said, “Hey, lover boy.”
“Oh, I like that one,” Atem said, his smile widening. “I definitely prefer that over pumpkin pie.”
“Hey, that one was cute!” Yugi protested.
“It’s absolutely unacceptable,” Atem said dismissively. He then peered over his shoulder at the computer monitor. “What are you up to?”
“Just finalising everything for the wrap party,” he said, pulling up the flyer that would soon be emailed out to the masses. “What do you think?”
Atem’s eyes shifted back and forth, silently assessing his work. “The design looks great. Oh, is it a costume party?”
“Yeah,” Yugi said with a small groan. “Since it was a Marvel project, the production team wants everyone to come as superheroes.”
Atem hummed, tapping his chin in thought. “What are you going to wear?”
“I’ve got a Spider-Man costume in my wardrobe,” Yugi chuckled. “I’ll probably just go with that.”
“Shall I dress up as Mary Jane then?” Atem asked teasingly.
Yugi rolled his eyes. “I mean, I’d prefer if you didn’t.” Which was a complete lie, but Atem didn’t need to know that.
“You’re wearing the Peter Parker costume, right?” At Yugi’s nod, Atem brightened. “Perfect. I’ll be Miles Morales.”
“You don’t have to match me, you know,” Yugi said, rubbing a hand through his hair. Atem’s enthusiasm was rather endearing.
“Nonsense,” Atem declared. “As your boyfriend, it’s my duty.”
Yugi’s face was burning yet again. “Atem, you—”
Atem silenced him with a finger to Yugi’s lips. He smiled down at him coyly.
“My mind’s made up, dear.” He straightened up and offered him a wink. “Anyway, I better get back to work.”
And as he sauntered away, all Yugi could think about was the lingering burn of that finger on his skin.
“Aaaaand that’s a wrap on Project Dream!” Mokuba said proudly.
The youngest Kaiba had found a rather large podium to ensure everyone could see him, and his youthful voice carried over the crowd thanks to the earpiece attached to his head.
“Marvel are absolutely stoked with our work. I know it took a lot of blood, sweat and tears—”
“And a whole lotta overtime,” Jounouchi muttered.
“The project turned out great though, right?” Yugi whispered back, adjusting the tight spandex around his neck. It kept pulling at his skin; it was driving him nuts.
Jounouchi was dressed as Doctor Strange, and he turned his head to hide his words in the cape’s large collar. “Yeah, but everyone was over it by the end,” he huffed. “Great project, bad time management. The usual.”
Yugi hummed, plucking one of the canapés off the tray that went past. It was rare that he got to sit back and enjoy these social events, given he was usually the one running them. However, thanks to the army of waitstaff he’d recruited for the night, he finally got to take a step back.
“Atem’s still upstairs helping out the lighting team with one of the cutscenes,” Jounouchi said with a quiet laugh. “You should see it! It’s meant to be the Avengers complex, but the lights are flashin’ like it’s a rave party.”
Yugi chuckled at that. “Man, I hope I get to move into QA next year.” He sighed, glancing at the stairwell. “Do you think Atem will be coming down anytime soon?”
“Don’t worry, Yug’. Your man will be here before you know it.”
Yugi gave him a side-long glare. “Jou…”
Before he could finish his reprimand, Mokuba concluded his speech and a round of applause drowned out all else. Yugi clapped along while Jounouchi cheered loudly.
Suddenly, someone appeared at Yugi’s side, an arm looping around his waist. Yugi recognised the faint, familiar traces of cologne. He smiled fondly and said, “Nice of you to j—”
Atem gazed at him with a twinkle in his eye. He was adorned in the darker Spider-Man suit, and the elastic mesh was so very flattering on his chest and biceps. Yugi forced himself to keep his head up, lest his eyes stray too far south.
“Enjoying yourself?” Atem asked, his lips curved in a mischievous grin. He ran a finger along Yugi’s cheek. “That’s a nice touch.”
Yes, a very…nice touch…
Yugi’s brain came back online. He brushed his hand over the fake tattoo on his cheek. “Yeah, I didn’t want to wear the mask, so I just…stuck a spider on my face.”
“Great choice. I tried to put the mask on but, ah, my hair had other ideas.”
“I can relate,” Yugi chuckled. “Oh! Want me to grab you a drink?”
“Have I told you how much I love you lately?” Atem asked, squeezing him flush against his side.
“Yesterday, I think,” Yugi laughed, his cheeks turning pink. He turned towards Jounouchi. “Hey, do you want me to—?”
But Jounouchi was already gone. Yugi spotted him on the other side of the room, chatting animatedly with Mai.
“Rude,” Yugi grumbled.
“Hey Atem!” greeted Otogi, one of the senior artists. He offered Yugi a friendly wave as well. “Thanks for organising all this, Yugi. You did a great job!” He returned his focus to Atem. “I wanted to chat to you about something real quick.”
“By all means,” Atem answered, releasing his hold on Yugi’s waist.
Yugi took the opportunity to slip through the crowd towards the kitchen counter, which was lined up with a wide array of beer, wine and cider. Yugi assessed the wine selection, trying to find the particular brand that Atem preferred. He’d ordered it specifically when sorting out catering, but the name inexplicably escaped him.
“Hey, Yugi.”
His entire body immediately locked up with anxiety. Yugi turned robotically to Rebecca, who was adorned in a Captain Marvel outfit. Her hair, normally pulled up into pigtails, hung loose around her shoulders.
“Hey!” he managed. “What’s up? Having a good time?”
She folded her arms across her chest, her shoulders rolled forward into a defensive hunch. “I need to talk to you about something.” She headed away from the kitchens then, beckoning him with her fingers.
“Right.” Yugi swallowed. He followed her without further protest.
They were standing in reception, the space completely vacated but for the two of them. She spun on her heel to face him, eyes narrowed with determination. Yugi opened his mouth to say something, anything, but there was a lump in his throat.
When she finally broke the silence, she said, “I’m sorry.”
Yugi stared at her, his lips parted in surprise. “What?”
“Yugi, I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I know I can be—pushy, and, well…” Her arms folded tighter against her torso. “What I did was immature and super inappropriate. So, I’m sorry.”
Yugi’s chest unknotted slowly, his lungs finally able to draw in some deeper breaths. “Thank you.”
“I should have taken the hint weeks ago,” she added. “Like, before you and Atem started dating.”
Hesitantly, Yugi nodded. “Yeah…you should have. I, uh—”
“I shouldn’t have made you uncomfortable.” Despite her brave face, her eyes glimmered with guilt. “Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry, and…yeah. That’s all.”
Yugi nodded, smiling solemnly. “I really appreciate that, Rebecca.”
She released a mighty exhale. “Phew, okay. That was really eating at me.” She unfolded her arms then, placing her hands on her hips in her usual confident stance. “I’m going to head back now. Have fun tonight, okay?”
She left before he could say anything else. He watched her hurry off with a skip in her step, prancing back in the direction of the kitchen. A moment later, Atem appeared in the doorway, his sculpted body silhouetted by the bright lights behind him.
“What was that about?” Atem asked.
Yugi sighed shakily. He was, ultimately, relieved by Rebecca’s words, but he was still dealing with the remnants of adrenaline.
“She…apologised,” he told him. He jerked his head in the direction of the balcony. “Let’s go outside.”
Atem dutifully followed him as they slipped out to the balcony, taking one of the quieter exits. The balcony hugged the building all the way back towards the wrap party, but they were far enough away that no one could overhear them.
Once Yugi filled him in, Atem folded his arms over the railing, staring out at the skyline. His gaze was pensive.
“I didn’t think she’d say anything, to be honest,” Yugi added, gazing at Atem’s elegant profile.
Atem shrugged. “It’s the least she could do,” he said evenly.
“I feel a lot better,” Yugi said, a small smile lifting his cheeks. “Some days, coming to work just made me so stressed out, you know? A huge part of that was her…persistence.” Yugi leaned forward then, angling into Atem’s eyeline. “Anyway, I…I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Atem. This was the weirdest solution ever, but it worked!”
“It was no trouble,” Atem said with a grin. “Dating you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”
Yugi rubbed a hand over his face, trying in vain to hide his blush. Yugi paused for a while, and then said, "I guess we should… break up soon. You know, in a few weeks.”
Atem hummed, inclining his head thoughtfully. He returned his gaze to the skyline. “Yes, I suppose we should.”
Yugi’s hands knitted together, his shoulders rising with tension. As foolish as it was, ending this charade left him deeply unhappy. Over the last few weeks, he’d had the opportunity to be so wonderfully close to Atem; to share touches and secret smiles with a man he ardently adored.
Yugi swallowed down the panic climbing up his throat, releasing a harsh exhale. “Atem,” he began, with no idea where to go next. “We, uh…”
“Yugi.” Atem rubbed a hand distractedly through his hair. “I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”
“I—okay.”
“Given our relationship has been a farce, you…” His brow pinched. “You wouldn’t believe me if I said I loved you, right?”
Yugi had misheard him.
Surely.
Atem still wasn’t looking at him, his eyes as bright as fire beneath the rays of the evening sun. Yugi could only stare in shocked silence, his heart thundering beneath his ribs.
“What?” Yugi said weakly.
When Atem finally faced him, he folded his arms across his chest. He offered Yugi a small smile. “I know I say it all the time,” he said quietly. “And it’s all in good fun, of course.”
Atem paused, waiting for him to interject, but Yugi couldn’t speak.
“Truthfully, I…” Atem drew in a steadying breath. “I do love you. Very much.”
It was rather fortunate that the railing was beside him, because in that moment, Yugi had to cling to it to stay upright.
“That’s why I…volunteered to date you,” Atem said lightly, his cheeks turning rosy. “To back you up, of course, but also to…know what it’s like.” He smiled shyly. “To be with you.”
“Atem…”
“Yugi, I apologise if I deceived you in any way,” he said, guilt clinging to his words, which would simply not do. “I hope that we—”
“Atem.”
“—can still be good friends, even if—”
“I love you, too.”
“Oh.” Atem was stunned for a solid few seconds, but then his expression shifted from one of contrition to overwhelming happiness. “You do?”
“I’m crazy about you,” Yugi said, even as the flush on his face began to descend down his neck. “Do you know how difficult this last month has been? You weren’t exactly making it easy for me!”
“My apologies.”
“I don’t want your apologies, Atem!” Yugi said, as giddiness settled in his chest. “I want you to kiss me.”
“Ah.” Atem’s smile was beyond gorgeous. “I can do that.”
And despite the absurdity of the situation — a pair of pretend lovers standing outside in matching spandex — the kiss they shared was one of utter sincerity. Atem cupped the back of Yugi’s head, angling their mouths together at a tantalising angle. Yugi embraced him with all the love in his heart, and then some.
A sharp wolf whistle rang out nearby. They hurriedly broke apart, discovering Jounouchi standing some distance away. He wore the biggest grin Yugi had ever seen.
“Yo! The party’s heating up!” he called. “Come dance, gentlemen! Save the canoodling for later!”
They shared an embarrassed laugh. Atem placed another kiss to Yugi’s cheek before finally stepping back. He held out his arm, and Yugi linked them together.
“Shall we?” Atem asked.
Yugi grinned. “Lead the way, lover boy.”