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Atem glanced out his bedroom window at the darkening sky, watching storm clouds gather. The air smelled thick with rain, and before the first drops could fall, he reached for the white frame and pulled the window shut.
“I think it’s going to rain soon. Probably thunder, too,” he remarked, turning toward his boyfriend, who sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by scattered cards.
Yami tensed for a brief moment, his muscles tightening before he exhaled and reached for a card. His hand hesitated, fingers hovering before continuing the motion. Atem raised an eyebrow but said nothing, stepping carefully around the mess toward his own much more organized pile.
Atem sat down, picking up his open binder and sorting through newly acquired cards. After buying a full box recently, they had more than enough to organize. Every so often, Atem glanced up, noticing how Yami’s face had grown pale. He was staring at his cards, but it was clear his thoughts were elsewhere.
The rain began, a steady pitter-patter filling the room like white noise. Atem turned toward the window, watching droplets streak the glass. Yami, however, seemed determined to ignore it entirely.
“Atemu,” Yami said quietly. “Between these two, which card do you think I should add to my deck?”
He slid two cards forward across the carpeted floor - one spell, one trap. Atem barely recognized them. Yami’s archetype wasn’t exactly his style. Glancing down halfheartedly, he pointed at the spell card.
Returning his attention back to his organization, Atem put the next card in as he heard Yami sighed audibly, crossing his arms. “You picked this one because you like the design more.” His tone wasn’t accusatory - just certain.
Atem grinned, unapologetic. “Yep. If you were really torn between them, they’re probably equally good. So I picked the cooler-looking one.”
Yami narrowed his eyes, lips forming a small pout, one that Atem always found ridiculously cute. “Flair isn’t always going to win me matches. I need strategy. I need good cards.”
Atem chuckled. “Sure. Or you could just do what Kaiba does, buy the best meta cards with cold, hard cash and brute-force your way to victory.”
The displeasure on Yami’s face was immediate. He rolled his eyes, scowling as Atem burst into laughter. Huffing, Yami grabbed the spell card and placed it on a neat pile by his right leg, while the trap card was shoved unceremoniously into the mess on his left.
“Don’t even get me started on that guy,” Yami muttered. “I can’t stand his haughty attitude, like he’s better than everyone.”
Atem hummed, slipping another card into his binder. “Oh, he’s not so bad. Rough around the edges, sure, but he’s dedicated. Kaiba just has a… peculiar way of showing it.”
Yami froze mid-movement, eyes flickering with betrayal. The only sound was rain tapping against the window before he finally grabbed a small handful of cards and spread them out in front of him.
“I can’t believe you just admitted that so casually.” Yami paused, muttering the next part under his breath. “At least he wasn’t here to hear that.”
Atem raised a brow. “Would it be a problem if he heard me say it?”
“Yea. It would. It’s pretty obvious that Kaiba likes you.”
That got a confused reaction out of Atem, properly looking at his partner with a gentle tilt of his head. Kaiba? Liking him? No. That doesn’t make much sense, the guy doesn’t particularly treat Atem any better than how he treats anyone else. Especially not any better than how he treats Yami and Yugi.
“I don’t think Kaiba likes anyone at all.” Atem said.
Through narrowed, studious eyes, Yami tapped a thoughtful finger against his chin, debating which cards would stay in his deck and which would go to the discard pile. He pressed his finger onto a monster card that fit well with the engine he was building, pulling it closer while sweeping the rest aside.
Clicking his tongue, Yami finally spoke. “He follows you around all the time, always making everything a competition.” He glanced up at Atem. “So, he definitely likes you enough to see you as an equal.”
Atem chuckled, placing a hand over his chest in mock flattery. “How touching. I always thought Yugi was a better rival for him. Or maybe Jonouchi?”
Yami snorted. “He would actually kill you if he heard that. Kaiba and Jonouchi hate each other. Yugi’s a good friend, but I don’t think even he could handle how intense Kaiba can be.”
“Yugi can handle Kaiba, Yami. You have to learn to trus-”
A flash of lightning lit up the room, cutting Atem off. His gaze flickered to the window, where the sky had turned completely gray with thunderclouds. But before he could comment on it, his eyes drifted back to Yami.
Yami had frozen, eyes wide, his hand hovering over the pile he had been reaching for. His face had gone noticeably pale.
“Yami?” Atem asked.
No response.
A deep, rolling crack of thunder followed the light, shaking the air. Yami’s hands flew to his ears as he squeezed his eyes shut, shoulders tensed like a wound-up spring. When the sound finally faded, he hesitantly lowered his hands, peeking at Atem with a face flushed in embarrassment, like a child caught doing something he wanted to hide.
Atem pressed a hand over his mouth, stifling an amused smile. “Are you… scared of thunder?”
Yami averted his gaze, lips pressed into a tight frown. The way he sat, scrunched up like a startled cat, bracing for another strike, was adorable. Too adorable for Atem to ignore.
His boyfriend kept glancing over his shoulder towards the window, the anxiety of another lightening already taking a hold on him. Admittedly the slightly pitiful sight made Atem’s heart flutter for his partner. So, a little plan formed in his mind.
Rising from the floor, he stretched lazily before sauntering over to his bed. He could feel Yami’s curious stare following him. With a dramatic flourish, he grabbed his favorite quilt - its fabric slightly worn, embroidered with small mythical creatures by his childhood friend back in Egypt, one of his most cherished gifts. He lifted one side, leaving just enough room for someone else to slip under, then patted the empty space beside him.
Yami hesitated, brow furrowed in mild confusion. But after a moment, he got up and shuffled over, slipping beneath the warm quilt. Atem pulled it snug around them both, wrapping his arms around Yami’s waist and pressing close.
The warmth of Atem’s body seeped into him, soothing and grounding. Yami let himself relax, resting his head lightly against Atem’s. But then, another flash.
Yami flinched, his body tensing again.
The rumbles began but before Yami could react, he felt hands grab his face and pull it down towards Atem’s face beside him in a kiss. The hold on his face was quickly let go, the thunderous noise passed and Yami blinked, slightly dazed from the sudden motion.
Atem grinned at him, head resting against his shoulder, arms still wrapped snugly around him. He rubbed his cheek against Yami’s shoulder affectionately, the sweet scent of honey wafted in the air, as Atem’s unruly hair tickled right beneath Yami’s chin. His lips trailed absentmindedly to Yami’s shoulder, leaving small kisses along the mole that adorned it there.
Yami had to admit - it was difficult to stay scared when his boyfriend was practically curled around him, nuzzling into him like an oversized cat under a thick, cozy blanket.
A minute of quiet bliss passed. Then, another flash.
This time, before panic could settle in, the thunder cracked, and suddenly, Yami felt an arm go across his chest and push him down onto the bed.
He yelped in surprise as Atem pinned him down, capturing his lips in another kiss. Then another. And one more pressed against his cheek.
Heat rushed to Yami’s face as Atem rested his head on Yami’s chest, his fingers idly tracing circles over his clothed nipple. Staring up at the ceiling, where a Dark Magician poster was (somehow) taped, Yami had never felt so utterly flustered. His mind blanked, his heartbeat hammering in his chest, no doubt loud enough for Atem to hear. Especially with the way Atem was half-draped over him, his leg hooked lazily over Yami’s.
Atem finally lifted his head, smirking. “So… is it helping?”
“Huh?” Yami blinked, still reeling and trying to ignore the teenage hormones going crazy below the waist.
Atem’s smirk widened. “Your fear, scaredy-cat. Is it helping?”
Yami swallowed, his lips curving into a small, shy smile. “Yeah… actually, it is.”
“Mm. Good.” Atem hummed contentedly, nuzzling into Yami’s chest again and reveling in the comforting scent of his partner. Yami raised his hand onto Atem’s arm, pulling him close and continuing to stare back up.
Then, another flash.
Before Atem could react, Yami moved fast - cupping Atem’s chin and tilting his face up just enough to press a firm kiss against his lips, right as the thunder rolled once more.