Archive of Our Own

Downtown Domino was nothing like the place where Atem grew up. For one, it had a busy nightlife. Neon lights acted as a second sun, illuminating the path towards boisterous bars and sold-out shows. A random person shoulder-checked Atem and he glared at the retreating back. Readjusting his fake glasses, Atem recalled that there weren't this many people back home either. Not including tourists on their way to Luxor or the Valley of the Kings, Qena's population could be easily swallowed into one of Tokyo’s many wards. Honestly, the ability to cram this many people into such a small space still amazed him, even after living in Domino for 10 years.

Although Atem hated feeling like he fighting against a sea of people as soon as he left his apartment, it wasn't all terrible. He was able to create a strong career here because of how many people were willing to pay to watch him duel. On top of that, the giant crowds helped him find the love of his life. 

Two years ago as Atem was waiting for his train, the wind knocked off his hat and a little boy pushed his way through the densely packed platform to take ahold of Atem's hand. Evidently, the kid had gotten separated from his mom when he was tripped and shoved forward by hordes of people trying to catch their train, and he mistook Atem for his relative. Atem ran the toddler over to the nearby police station and found his mom already there. Her panic quickly smoothed into relief as she scooped her son into a hug. Stricken by her kind voice and subtle beauty, Atem was unable to do anything but nod when she quickly bowed and thanked him in English before rushing off. Fortunately, he met her again at a card shop he happened to pass by and he didn't leave the shop without her name, number, and plans to take her out to dinner the following week.

Now, he was on his way back to the Kame Game to pick her up for another date. Masami stepped out of the house looking amazing in a dark lacy dress, but she became stunning after he kissed her on the cheek and her stress melted away. As usual, he said his goodbyes to her father and Yugi, promising to come back soon for a playdate. Then the couple was off towards downtown. On the way to the concert hall, Masami excitedly filled him in on the night's main piece—it was her favorite and inspired her to pick up the piano back in middle school.

It sounded all the same to Atem, and he zoned out after a few seconds of listening. He kept himself entertained by stealing glances at his date, loving how she let herself be carried away by the tune. The first time she caught him staring, Masami pinched him and tried to direct his attention back to the orchestra. She rolled her eyes the second time, leaned against him, and watched the pianist play. Content, he sank into his seat and wrapped an arm around her for the rest of the performance. It might not have been Atem's ideal choice for a date, but seeing Masami peaceful and upbeat afterward was well worth buying them season tickets. 

As they left the hall, Atem noticed Masami acting off, and it gave him the same sense of foreboding that he got when his opponent in the arena didn’t put up much of a fight. Masami didn't say a word as he took them on a detour. Instead, she repeatedly hummed part of a melody, but cut herself off and looked up at the bright neon signs. 

"Is there something on your mind, ya amar? You've been distracted." Atem asked after they turned off a busy street towards a residential area. The night air was refreshing and the cicadas serenaded them as they went down their normal route back to her place. He wanted to savor it with her, but she'd only look at him for a few moments before looking away.

Masami hummed again and eventually asked, "Do you ever see yourself getting married?"

Atem chuckled as he kicked a pebble off the sidewalk. "So, your father has gotten to you, too?" 

"He asked me about it. I brushed him off at first, but the more I think about it, the more I like it. What about you?"

"I don't know, I haven't thought much about it." He lied and they were silent for a few moments. 

They walked down the darkened pathway with only the street lights to intermittently show them the way. Their silence loomed over them like a storm cloud and the damned humidity made the awkward atmosphere cling to their skin. Masami tried again as they cut through a park.

"I don't like sneaking around." She said to the hydrangeas, "I love our time together, but I hate that you're so afraid of someone seeing us together that we need to take the back way home and you're wearing a hat or sunglasses whenever we’re in public. I know you said it's so we can enjoy ourselves in peace, but it makes me feel like I'm in high school again. Like we're sneaking around because you're ashamed of me. I don't have the energy for this anymore." 

"What are you saying?" Atem felt a lump in his throat growing, "Do you want to stop seeing each other?"

Masami whipped around, the lace layer of her dark blue dress billowed out, and her earrings hit the sides of her neck, "No!" 

"Then what do you want, love?"

"I want to stop hiding. If you told them you were married, wouldn't that stop reporters from at least asking about your love life?"

"That wouldn't—" Atem stepped on a discarded magazine. Masami picked it up and read the front cover. It had a blown-up picture of Atem, holding the door open at a cafe for a blonde woman with thin glasses and a smart business suit. It was an appointment to go over the terms of the new contract he was signing with Kaiba Corp, but the headline read, Domino's Top Duelist on the Prowl: Casual Fling or Secret Girlfriend? Masami crinkled her nose and slammed the thing into a nearby trash can. 

He continued, "That wouldn't stop them. They'd start harassing you the moment they knew about us. I'm doing this to protect you and your family, not because I'm ashamed of you."

"I know." She said as she slumped onto a swing, "I try to talk myself out of it, but the feeling keeps coming up. I thought that, maybe, if we're officially together, then the feeling would finally stop. And those stories would too." She glowered at the trash can.

Atem sat in the empty swing next to hers and faced her, "This can't be the only reason you want to get married. Tell me what’s going through your head."

"It’s not the only reason. I want to get married because I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Atem. You make me feel like I didn't ruin my life by dropping out of school and having Yugi. When you come over to be with all of us, I see the family that I was hoping I'd have. More than that, I feel like I'm allowed to have my own happiness with you." She twisted to look at him, "I'm not making this decision lightly. I've been thinking about it for months. Every time I ask myself if I should do this, my heart tells me 'yes.'"

Atem knew that she deserved the truth. "I admit, I've imagined you in a white dress,” he put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, “and where we'd be when I took that dress off of you."

"Stop that!" Masami laughed and slapped him away. She managed to escape, but he still caught her hand. "Sweetheart, I'm being serious."

"Oh, I am, too. We’d be at a beach somewhere and have a whole week of fun for the two of us. No worries, no responsibilities. After we came back, we'd be ready to support each other through the bad days and we'd share each other's joy. I would like that very much." Atem rubbed her ring finger with his thumb, smiling as he pictured one of those moments. 

Masami took her hand back, "There's only one problem I haven't been able to figure out."

"What's that?"

"You're gone so much. If we want to do this, then I need someone who isn't going to be here one day and then leave for who knows how long." Masami said the last part with aged bitterness. "At the same time, I'd feel awful if I took you from your career, especially after all of the hard work you've put into it. You deserve to retire when you're ready." 

"I won't disappear on you, you know that." Atem reassured her. "And this isn't as black-and-white as you're thinking it is, amar. We could find a way to make it work… If you don't want us to be separated, then you should come with me."

"I can't leave! I need to stay here to take care of Yugi and help Dad with the shop."

He shrugged. "Then they could come too. We can set them up in a hotel room near ours. I'm sure that Yugi would be excited to travel with us."

"We can't. The game shop would lose all of our business if we shut it down for that long." 

"Hire another person? I'm sure your father would be grateful for the extra help."

She shook her head, "I'm being ridiculous, it's not you going away that's the problem. I don't want to worry about you not coming back home."

Atem gave her a sympathetic look, "You aren't being ridiculous, darling, just cautious. I understand. What if I called you every night I was away? Made sure you knew that you weren't alone and that I'd return as soon as I could?"

"That sounds wonderful." After a little hesitation, she continued. "A-alf Shukr. Thank you for being patient with me. I want to trust you, I hope you know that. I love you. I just need a little more reassurance, is all." 

Hearing her use one of the few phrases of Arabic she knew made his heart soar. "I'll give you everything that you need. Have I told you that I adore you?"

"Only a dozen times." She smirked and gave him a quick kiss. "Well, that settles it for me." 

Atem looked at her, surprised, "Just like that?"

"Yep. That was the only thing holding me back and you got me through it." She got out of the swing and held out her hand. When Atem didn't take it, she asked, "what's wrong?" 

"Nothing, everything, no. I don't know how to explain. I haven't thought about this as much as you have. But, to start, what if I say yes and it's the wrong choice? Or if there's something else we never considered?"

Masami leaned against the swing set frame. It was her turn to reassure him. "It's not about how long you consider it, it's about whether the time you took helped move you towards a decision. I took so long because I kept getting distracted with one chore or another, but I found my answer eventually. If you want me to, I'll be here to listen to whatever doubts you have. I'm not asking you for a yes or no tonight, I only wanted to know if you ever saw us becoming something more."

Atem looked down, but nodded. He didn't want the night to end like this, but there was no way he could spin this back into the lighthearted mood the evening started with. He needed to say something, but his thoughts were as loud and as numerous as the cicadas buzzing in the trees. Finally catching one, "What about Yugi?"

"What about him?" 

"You said that he likes me, and I'm glad, but what if he doesn't want me in his life like this? What if he likes me more as a friend, or an uncle?"

The sparkle in Masami's eyes returned, "Atem, Yugi's real father left us when he was almost 18 months old. The only thing he knows about that man is that he was 'Papa.' You, on the other hand, have been here for a little over 2 years and have gotten so involved in Yugi's life. He asks for you constantly and when people ask him about his dad, he tells them about you. Not to mention he's five and doesn't get the final say in family decisions." 

Atem didn't even notice the grin spreading across his face until Masami was smiling back. "Thank goodness for that, or else you'd all be on a rocket ship to Mars right now. Or would you be living in Kaibaland now?"

"Actually, we'd be monster farmers. I'd have a flock of marshmallons while you, Dad, and Yugi would have dragons." 

"Would we be raising the monsters, or are they there to help us grow things?"

"I'm not sure. You can ask him if he remembers." She shrugged and they both snickered. That was their Yugi alright.

He hated to bring down the mood again, but more questions kept nagging at him. "What if he changes his mind or if he hates me when he gets older?" 

Masami held out her hand again, "Come on, let's go." 

He took it and was hauled out of his swing. "Where?" 

"Home. I want to show you something." 

"Shouldn't it wait until tomorrow?" Atem said, trying to keep up. How was she able to walk so fast? He felt like he was swimming through layers of water to move an inch. At this point, his button-down shirt was like a second skin on him, while she looked like she had just walked out of her house.

"It will only take a minute, stop stalling." Masami pulled him forward until they reached her home. He wordlessly followed her up the stairs and to the end of the hall. Masami softly pushed open Yugi's door and his nightlight cast a faint light across the room, which made it easier to see the outline of the little boy sleeping in his bed. Yugi had pushed off most of the covers and was curled up around the kuriboh plush Atem bought him on their latest outing. 

When Hakuhinkan Toy Park announced a collaboration with Industrial Illusions a few weeks ago, Atem brought Yugi on opening day. Trying to tame their hair under baseball caps had been difficult, but Yugi was thrilled to play spies and go undercover with Atem. They toured every floor in the store to check out the Duel Monsters-themed toys and raced slot-cars on their giant slot-car race track. In the end, Atem picked up a Dark Magician figure for himself and got Yugi the plush. All Yugi talked about on their way home were their prizes and the deck he'd started to make, and Atem felt himself catching his enthusiasm. He started making a list of cards he could bring to Yugi and what strategies he could show the kid. Maybe he could even help teach Yugi how to read a little bit with the cards. Atem had planned on going to the toy store alone, but was glad he took Yugi with him instead.

Yugi squeezed Kuriboh as his mom carded her hand through his hair. He wrapped his arms around Masami's neck as she pulled him into her lap and rubbed his back. "Mama?" Yugi asked in such a tired voice that Atem doubted he was really awake. 

"Mmhm, it's me. Yugi, what do you think about Atem?" Masami quietly asked. Atem knew she was trying to make a point, so he stayed silent and leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed.

"'Tem? I like him lots. He plays with me and he knows everything, he even knew why the sky is blue. And, he lets me go with him on adventures. That means Atem's my friend, right?" Yugi rambled into his mom's shoulder. 

Masami smiled at Atem while rocking her son, waiting for something. Unsure of what, Atem nodded. 

"Of course Atem's your friend, he loves you very much."

"I love him too."

"That makes me very happy, baby. Would you like it if Atem lived here with us?"

"How come you're asking again? You asked a million times already." 

"One more time, then I'm done. I promise."

Yugi nodded and tried to burrow deeper into Masami, "I want him to. Then we'll be like Anzu's family and play every day, right?"

Yugi's answers melted Atem's heart and he was thankful for all the work he'd put into creating the perfect poker face. It was taking a lot of his willpower to keep his composure in the hallway. 

"That's right, sweetheart. Why don't you go back to sleep? You can tell me all about your night with Grandpa in the morning." She tucked him back into the covers and gave him another kiss goodnight. With practiced grace, she danced around the scattered toys and creaky floorboards back to Atem. 

After closing the door and leading them towards the living room, she flicked on the light and said, "I don't know about the future, but Yugi wanting you here, now, has to count for something. I understand if you need more time, but I don't want you doubting us when we say we want you here."

They quietly moved to the couch, where Atem took off his watch and unbuttoned some of his shirt. As they sank into the cool cushions and gave their sore feet a chance to recover from their formal shoes, Atem took the opportunity to mull over what had happened tonight. Masami was ready to take the next step in their relationship, but was he?

His knee-jerk reaction was to say yes, but there were still so many doubts eating away at him. Masami told him that she was done hiding, but that's all Atem did. When he lived in Qena, he feigned interest in the family business and pretended to be what his father wanted. After that failed, his pride kept him incredibly busy with work so he didn't have to face the damage he'd done to his family's image by running away.

It wasn’t until after they’d been dating for a while that he realized he was doing the same thing with Masami. She was his first serious relationship and he changed into someone he believed she wanted, all because he was afraid that she wouldn't like the real him. After he upset her by showing up late for their first date—it was only half an hour, in his defense, and he was used to casual meet-up times being more of a suggestion than a deadline—he quickly added "dates with Masami" to the list of things he had to be on time for. He took her to places he knew he'd loathe because she would enjoy them, and tried to ease her stress by running errands for her or watching Yugi. Hell, even though he'd been told that it was completely inappropriate growing up, Atem forced himself to flirt and touch Masami in public because, according to the dating advice his dueling friends and Google gave him, that's what was expected in relationships here. 

As soon as she found out what he was doing, they had a giant fight. Masami didn't talk to him for weeks and only agreed to keep seeing him if he told her more about Egypt's dating culture, what he expected their relationship to look like, and to take things at a more comfortable pace for them. She insisted that he remain punctual, though, much to his chagrin.

That was in the past, and things had been easier after they talked and made compromises, but the root cause persisted. He still didn't feel like he was enough for her, and he pushed himself to make her happy. She was a gentle and warm-hearted person, devoted to her family, and made him feel like he was worth something. He was a nerdy card-game player who could temporarily charm crowds by saying the right thing at the right time. She was far better than he was, in his opinion, and she'd leave him as soon as she realized it. 

Looking over to her, Atem watched Masami take her earrings out and begin fiddling with the pearls dangling from the end. He realized that he wasn't the only nervous one. Masami had told him about the man who ran out on her under the pretext of a company trip and how she was afraid it would happen again. She'd lost confidence in herself. Atem saw how she minimized herself in her relationships, making sure that everyone else's wants were catered to before she met her needs. It had taken Atem months of coaxing for her to start telling him what she wanted and, in that regard, they were similar to each other.

They both had insecurities they needed to work on, but he wanted to do it with Masami by his side. He needed her strength and her faith in him. The same way, he hoped, she took comfort in him being there as a helping hand and as someone who loved her unconditionally. Being in love was a choice and he wanted to choose her. 

His hand trembled as he reached across the couch, but steadied when it met hers. He took the earrings from her, setting them near his watch, and interlaced their fingers. Without any information, he couldn't strategize or make his next move. "If we were to get married, what do you think it would be like?" 

"The wedding or life after?" She refused to look up from her lap, apparently trusting her poker face as much as he did at the moment. 

"Either one, both."

"I imagine our lives wouldn't change in a bad way. We'd wake up together, go to work, and then see each other in the evenings. I still want to go on dates with you and mess around on occasion. Yugi would like being a big brother." She gave him a sly smile, "The biggest difference would be you living here."

"You don't like my place?"

She snorted, "There's no way we could fit all of us into that apartment. Especially if you insist on dedicating a whole room to your card collection." 

"I'd do anything for you, love. I'd move mountains, rearrange the stars in the sky, anything except getting rid of my collection. It's a good thing I like it here."

"How about you, how do you picture it?" Masami shifted from her spot on the couch and rested her head against the backrest to face him. 

"I want the same, hayati," Atem said as he watched the digital clock read 11:23. It was late. 

"Come on, I can't be the only one who pours their heart out tonight." 

Atem sighed, "Truly, I was thinking something similar. I hadn't planned on living here. I thought that we could buy a house near a large park for Yugi to play in with all of his friends. Hopefully somewhere close by, so it would be easy to get home from work. Here would be…cozy, but we could make it work." 

"How about a compromise? We'll look for a place close by, but talk about making room for you here if we can't find one. We could always finish the basement into an office or a bedroom for us. Maybe build a shed to store all of your and Dad's cards."

"I'm afraid that shed will have to be as big as another house once Yugi starts collecting too."

She gave him a playful punch, "Don't you dare put that curse on my son. He's going to grow up as a normal, well-adjusted boy!" 

Dodging it easily, Atem teased, "He's already got a taste for it, you should see he way he watches your father and me play. He's going to be the one to take my crown from me, I know it."

"At least you'll be ready for retirement by then." 

"Only if you're there with me." She pulled him close and Atem eagerly closed the gap. She kissed him, he kissed her, their embrace getting deeper and more passionate with every break for air. He started moving his hands from her face to her back and then up her thighs. Perhaps it wasn't too late in the evening after all. They should take this to her bedroom. He stood up to whisk her away when Yugi spoke out.

"Mama?"

"In the living room," Masami called out as she let go and gave Atem a rueful shrug, whispering, "later." 

Yugi padded into the room, a little too quickly, holding Kuriboh by the paw and rubbing his eye. "Mama, Atem? How come you're up?" 

Atem put a hand on Masami's shoulder as she got off the couch, "I'll put him to bed. We can finish our conversation when I get back," he said with a wink.

"Let's go, little star," Atem said to Yugi, putting his hand on the boy's back and leading him to his room. "It's past your bedtime."

He held the blankets back as Yugi crawled back onto his mattress, covered him up, and was about to leave when Yugi stopped him. 

"Wait!" Yugi sat up in bed and held out a hand, suddenly more awake. Atem had suspected that the sleepy act was fake. Still, it seemed to be night for talks. If Yugi wanted one too, Atem would oblige. He sat at the foot of the small bed and waited.

"Are you and Mama really going to get married?" Yugi asked while petting his toy's fur. 

"You shouldn't eavesdrop on other people, it's not nice."

"I'm sorry." Yugi at least knew to look remorseful. "But are you?"

"We are considering it. Do you like the idea? I'd be around more often to play with you if we were, and we could have a lot of fun adventures together." He recounted Yugi's earlier reasoning. 

"No!" Yugi said sharply to Atem's surprise, and pouted up at him. 

He refused to let it be seen, but Atem felt disappointment settle in his gut, "Why not? Do you not like it when your mother and I are together, or do you not like me?"

Yugi whined and buried his head in his hands, "No!" 

"Then why don't you want us to get married?"

"Because then you'll be Papa, and papas have to go away." Atem could hear him starting to cry and sadly watched as Yugi's tiny hands scrubbed his tears. 

"Oh, Yugi. Come here," Atem scooted over and pulled the boy into his lap. Yugi immediately latched on, squeezing Atem's neck and wailing on his shoulder while Atem patted his back. "Even if I became your papa, I wouldn't leave. I'd get so lonely. Who would tell me all about the things they did at school or show me all the fun games they found, hmm?" 

"No, if you're a papa, you leave. That's the rule! My first one did, and a bunch of other kids said theirs left too!"

"What if you didn't call me that, then? I could still be Atem." 

Yugi shook his head, his small gasps sounding close to hiccups, "It's different, you can't be Atem after!"

"It doesn't have to be different."

"No, I don't want you to get married!"

Atem crumbled inwardly while Yugi cried into his shirt. It seemed Masami was wrong, not everyone in her family was eager to claim Atem as their own. Atem held Yugi tighter. He had one last play he could try. If it failed, he'd tell Masami that he couldn't go through with it after all.

"I know that it's scary, but I love you all so much. I would never leave, I promise. Have I broken a promise to you yet?"

"No, but you could!" 

"Hmm," Atem took a tissue from Yugi's nightstand and cleaned the kid's face. "Can I tell you a story?" 

"What?" Yugi asked, confused. 

"I want to tell you a story, do you think you can listen?"

Yugi nodded, so he continued on, "Before I came here, I lived in...?" 

"Egypt?"

"Yes, good job remembering. I lived in Egypt and I was really good at playing Duel Monsters. When I was old enough, I wanted to move here and play professionally. But, my father told me that I couldn't. He wanted me to work for him instead. I thought my cousin was better at the job than I was, and I knew that I would be happier dueling, so I did something very naughty. Can you guess what it was?"

"You came here?" Yugi's crying subsided as he became more interested in what Atem had to say. 

"That's right, katkoot, I told my parents that I was going to be a duelist and left. I didn't know any Japanese and it was so different from home. There were many times I almost went back to Qena, but I never did. I told myself that even though it was scary and different, this was something I wanted. So, I worked very hard to make a life here. Now, I'm happy I stayed because I got to meet you, your mother, and your grandpa." Something clicked inside Atem's mind while he tickled Yugi's side to get a giggle out of him. 

"If I married your mother, it would be scary and different at first, like it was when I first arrived here, but that's only for a little while. What's lying ahead will be worth the fear, I promise, and we'll all be right here to help you through it. Does that sound alright?" 

Yugi nodded as he snuggled closer. "But I still don't want you to be Papa. What do you call your daddy?"

"Hmm? Abi, but he was Baba when I was your age."

Considering the option, the kid hummed and yawned. He was going to be a little monster tomorrow if he didn't go to sleep now, so Atem put Yugi back down on the bed and tucked his stuffed animal into bed with him. 

"Baba, Daddy, Atem, you can call me whatever you'd like, little star. All that matters is we'll be together as a family."

Yugi smiled and hugged Kuriboh tightly. "Together."

"Yes, together," Atem murmured. He left and joined Masami back in the living room.

She passed him a mug of tea before sipping on hers. "Everything alright?"

"We had a talk. He assumed that I would run away as soon as we were married," he said, setting his drink down. 

"Yugi's not the only one worried, darling." She sighed into her mug.

"No, he's not," Atem said, sitting on the other side of the couch. "I know you are, I am too. The smallest troubles seem earth-shattering right now, but if this is something that we believe will make us happier in the future, then the details shouldn't matter. We'll make it through, together." 

Masami laughed humorlessly, "I'm the one that brought it up, why are you trying to persuade me into doing this?"

"What can I say? Your intuition was right, as always. Trying to explain it to Yugi made me realize that I want this for us, too. If you need more time, then I can wait." Atem took her hand away from the loose thread she was pulling at. 

Masami sighed and laced her fingers with his. "No, I spent a good while thinking about it already, I want to live my life with you and grow old together."

"Then we will, until we're dust in the ground." Atem squeezed her hand. 

"Happy dust?" She looked up at Atem.

He was beaming so brightly, "The happiest."

Helplessly mirroring his grin, she said, "Then it's settled. All that's left is to make it official... or should we elope?" 

The suggestion was so unexpected that Atem's eyes widened and his jaw dropped open, which tickled Masami. She flat-out laughed at him as he whispered, "And leave your father and Yugi behind? You told me you didn't want that!"

"No, no. It's not like on TV. There's no running away involved. We'd skip the big parties and traditions, that's all."

Atem tried to be upset at his lover. Most of what he knew about this part of the Japanese language and culture had come from those TV dramas and manga, but his glare lacked any real heat. "Very funny. Perhaps we should call this off so you can find a person who understands all of your jokes, hmm?" 

He pushed himself off the couch and turned towards the door, but their hands were still interlocked, and Masami pulled him back down. She laid her head in his lap to prevent any further escapes.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. The opportunity to pull a little trick on you doesn't come often." Masami laughed.

"It comes often enough between you and your father," Atem lightly admonished. 

"No eloping then. If you're sure about this, then we should tell our parents."

"Right. We will need to get them together for a formal engagement. I know my mother is going to insist on helping me pick out el shabka, and she'll want your father setting a mahr. I can't say I disagree. You deserve the best that I can offer. Then there's the rings, the engagement party, and the wedding ceremony. Fih kitir 'uwy naemaluh!"

Masami lifted her free hand and placed it on the side of Atem's face. "Slow down, love. I'm glad you're as excited as I am, but I don't understand some of the words you're saying. Let's start at the beginning. What do you want to do for our wedding?"

Atem leaned into her touch and gave her an apologetic grin, "Sorry, I got a little carried away and forgot that we have different cultures. There are more customs in Egypt, but these are what are important to me. When we're ready, me and my family will meet with yours to ask for your hand in marriage. We give you gifts, and an engagement contract is signed. The bride usually has a henna party that's supposed to be for her girlfriends and family, but I'm sure Mana would love to throw one for you if you wanted it. During the wedding ceremony, we switch our rings from our right hand to our left and then we end it with a large party."

"Okay, I like all of that too. Our parents should meet, this is about tying both of our families together after all, but we both give gifts. Ours might be more symbolic than practical. Unlike, I'm guessing a, a, sha-shaka is?" She said, unsure. 

"Shabka, it's jewelry for you." Atem smiled at her pronunciation. Her attempts to understand his language were endearing to him and he looked forward to when they could have a conversation in Arabic.

"Shabka, right. Also, it does sound fun, but I don't want to put Mana out if she doesn't want to do a henna party. I suppose a white wedding is more appropriate for us. I have a few requests, too."

"Tell me, ayouni. I'll make them happen."

"I want to hire a photographer. It might not be my first wedding, but I want to be a good one, with pictures that I can remember it by. Then, I want to do a sansankudo ceremony."

"What would that be like?"

"We each drink sake three times from three different-sized cups. It's supposed to bring us good luck. I didn't do it at my first wedding, but it's what my parents did at theirs, and I want to do it with you."

"Then we'll do it! It will be nice to have a welcomed photographer." Atem chuckled. "Also, Mana would be delighted to be included. It's going to be difficult stopping her and Mother from booking the next flight to Domino after I tell them about us." 

They continued dreaming and creating their wedding, meshing together their dreams and traditions, similar to what they've done with their relationship. They chatted about the smallest details, like what their rings should be made of and what dress Masami wanted to wear, and glossed over the more pressing ones. They could figure out those things later. It was well past two in the morning when they passed out in the Mutou's living room. 

In the morning, Atem naturally awoke with the sun. With only four hours of rest on an old couch, he wasn't particularly pleased to see his bright friend. There was no point trying to go back to sleep, so he maneuvered himself out from under Masami to shower and changed into the spare set of clothes he kept there. 

The kitchen's white walls were painted a cheerful yellow when Atem rummaged through the cabinets and fridge. Soon, he had the rice cooker going and set to work on chopping vegetables. The sizzling and the smell of onions caramelizing brought Sugoroku into the kitchen. "Atem, what a pleasant surprise."

Atem had a feeling it wasn't that much of a surprise and ducked his head as he sautéed the other vegetables and herbs, "I'm making breakfast, would you like some?"

"That sounds wonderful." The old man said as he set out three plates. "Staying was a good choice, my boy. Masami's room would have probably been more comfortable than the living room, but I guess it doesn't hurt to sleep there once in a while. Especially if you talk the night away." Sugoroku said cheekily. 

"I hope we weren't too loud."

Mr. Mutou laughed, "Not at all, I had the best sleep I've had in a while." 

Atem had a feeling Mr. Mutou was teasing him again, but he wasn't going to ask. Soon, Yugi stumbled into the kitchen as well. He collided with his grandpa, counted it as their good morning hug, and slammed into Atem. Atem quickly steered him away from the hot stove and into his spot at the table. Yugi looked around and asked, "Where's Mama?"

"She's on the couch, little star." Atem replied, "Let her sleep, she had a long night too."

"But I wanted to tell her about the game I made up with Grandpa last night," Yugi grumped.

"Why don't you tell me over breakfast, then you can tell her when she wakes up?" Atem said, adding eggs to the pan. The smell of spices cooking filled the room, and, if there had been music playing, Atem could've closed his eyes and swore that he was home. 

"Okay. What were you and Grandpa talking about?"

"Nothing," Atem said. He wasn't going to let himself walk into the old man's trap. 

Sugoroku wasn't going to give up, it seemed. "Mmhm, nothing important. I was about to ask if there was something Atem wanted to ask me." He craned his neck to look at Atem, "Perhaps having to do with making my daughter the happiest dust?"

Atem was thankful he put the hot pan down, or else he would have dropped it on his feet. "Ah-" Atem stopped himself, but couldn't hold back everything. "I thought you couldn't hear us!"

"I never said that. It was such a relief to hear you two talking that I was able to sleep soundly for the rest of the night."

At the same time, Yugi looked terrified until Atem assured him, "It was a figure of speech, katkoot, I'm not going to hurt your mother." 

With Sugoroku laughing and Yugi looking uneasy, Atem cut the finished omelette and served the three of them. He wished he had pita bread to go with it, but rice would do. Instead of digging in like the other two, Atem cleared his throat and turned to Sugoroku.

"I wanted to tell you, Mr. Mutou, how much your daughter means to me. Ever since I met Masami, I've felt more alive. It's because of her that I've found my joy and been able to put my heart into my work again. When she introduced me to both you and Yugi, she made me feel accepted and gave me a place to belong. I can't tell you what that did to me. I was happy and weightless, no, that doesn't describe it. I felt like I could do anything if she cheered me on.

"Now that I have this feeling, I want to protect it with all that I have. I want to cherish her and give her all that I can. I know I don't have much outside of dueling experience, but I'll work hard to save up what I can so we can live a comfortable life. I can't give her much in the way of family, but I talk about her so much to my parents and friends that they already adore her. Most of all, I want to support her and be the person she can rely on when she needs help." Atem looked away to watch the five-year-old attack his piece of omelette with vegetables decorating his face. He passed Yugi a napkin and said, "The same goes for Yugi. He's stolen my heart like his mother has. I want to watch him grow and know that, in some way, I helped shape him for the better. I want to provide a better future for him. Please, let me become a part of your family by marrying Masami. I am devoted to her until the day I die." 

Bowing his head for what seemed like hours, Atem found every cut and dent on the Mutous’ table. The longer the pause went, the more he dreaded looking back up. Atem couldn't sit there forever, though, and when he righted himself, Sugoroku had his arms folded across his chest and was nodding. 

"I give that speech an eight out of ten. Make sure you practice more before proposing to Masami. Like you said, she deserves the best you can give her." Sugoroku's old eyes crinkled with joy, and he gave Atem a gleeful smirk. "I give you my blessing to marry my daughter, but there's no need to ask to be a part of this family. You've had a place here for quite some time." 

Coughing and looking at the clock, Mr. Mutou grumbled, "Look at the time, I've got to open the shop. Yugi, finish up and go get ready for school."

This was met with a whine. Yugi moaned, "The clock hand isn't even pointing at the eight yet!"

"Don't complain. Atem will walk you to kindergarten and, if you're good, maybe he'll take you to the park beforehand. Right, Atem?" 

The question pulled Atem's head down from in the clouds, but his heart hadn't joined him back on Earth yet. "Of course, I'll take him. Thank you, for—" 

But Mr. Mutou waved him off, making a hasty getaway downstairs. Soon, Yugi begrudgingly left to change as well. This left Atem to absently clean up. Before he knew it, he was back in the living room, sitting against the couch and smiling up at the woman who'd changed his life. The sunlight came through the window and radiated warmth and light into the room, no electricity needed. It was a comfortable heat, unlike the humid one outside. It settled into Atem's bones and energized him from within. Looking up, he knew that Masami had stolen all of the sun's light. She was the brightest thing in the room. 

He truly was the luckiest man in the world. He wanted to stay like this and bask in the sun and his lover's light all day, but knew it was impossible as tiny footsteps ran towards him. He got up, planted a kiss on the top of Masami's hair, hoping to impart all of his gratitude in those few seconds, and checked the charge on his phone's battery. He had a few calls to make after dropping Yugi off at school.