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The sun’s rays beat down mercilessly from the vault of blue sky as Atem made his way through Domino Park.
‘Ra’s chariot! Why is it so hot?’ he wondered as sweat beaded on his forehead and temples.
Not that Atem was any stranger to the heat, but this was a sticky, oppressive heat completely unlike the dry heat of Kemet. With each step he took, Atem was more and more certain that he was about to melt.
These thoughts were put aside when he saw in the distance, his good friends: Jou, Anzu, Honda and of course, his Partner, Yugi, standing on the green grass in the inviting shade of a large maple. Heart gladdening at the sight of them, Atem increased his pace and walked over to them.
"Guys!" he called, raising his hand in greeting as a smile crossed his features.
Upon hearing the greeting, Jou, Anzu and Honda turned to look, but when they saw the Pharaoh, instead of smiling and returning his greeting, they frowned and narrowed their eyes at him, glaring at him as though he were some interloper, instead of their friend of many years.
"What do you want?" Anzu spat out.
Atem stopped short at the open hostility they were displaying. What was going on here?
"Guys? It's me, Atem," Atem said, blinking at them with wide eyes.
"We know who you are," returned Honda. "You heard Anzu's question: What do you want?"
"I just wanted to hang out, like always," Atem answered, turning his questioning to gaze to Jou.
Instead of standing by him as he always did, Jou glared at him.
"Wuddya lookin' at?!" the blond growled.
Atem recoiled from his friends as though they had tossed acid into his face.
"What's wrong with you guys? You're acting like I'm some stranger!" he protested.
"Maybe that's because you are," returned Anzu, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You have some nerve just walking up to us like you actually belong here!"
"She's right. After all the shit we went through to get you to the afterlife, putting our lives on hold for you and Yugi's sake, why the hell did you have to make it all for nothing by showing up again?" asked Honda.
Anzu and Honda's words sliced at Atem's heart like a sharp knife. Swallowing around the lump that suddenly appeared in his throat, Atem turned desperately to Jou.
"Do you feel this way too, Jou?" he asked quietly.
"Course I do! Whydja hafta come into our lives in da first place? Ya t'ink Yugi eva neededja at all? He coulda won all dem duels without ya! All ya eva did was put'm in danger 'n steal away all his opportunities! Ya neva cared nothin' 'bout Yugi or da rest a us! All ya did was use us to gitcher precious memories back! Den when ya was done, ya jus' took off fer da aftalife! Now ya come back 'n expect us to welcome ya wit' open arms? Ain't happenin', pal!" snapped Jou.
"Why don't you just go back where you came from?!" agreed Honda, crossing his arms.
"We don't like you. It's Yugi we love!" said Anzu, hands akimbo.
"Guys... I... I'm sorry..." said Atem, feeling the wet prickling in the corners of his eyes. "Partner?"
This to Yugi, who had been standing behind the others the entire time, staring blankly. Even after Atem called to him, Yugi just continued to stare blankly.
"Don't you even talk to him!" Anzu almost screamed. "You've done enough damage!"
"Get out of here! You have no place with us!" Honda spat.
"Hit da road, Jack! 'N dontcha come back no more!" growled Jou, pulling back his right fist to take a swing at Atem.
"I'm sorry!" Atem cried as Jou's fist came screaming at his jaw.
"Atem!"
Atem's eyes flew open and he sat up quickly as he gasped for breath, beads of sweat trickling down his brow and temples, blond bangs plastered to his skin. He vaguely registered something wet and cool slipping from his brow and landing on his sheet-covered legs with a plop.
"Woah woah! Easy there," the familiar voice soothed.
Still gasping, Atem looked into the gently smiling face of Yugi, who gazed at him with worried violet eyes.
"Partner..." Atem breathed.
"I heard you talking in your sleep, so I came in. Sounded like you were having a pretty nasty dream," explained Yugi as he picked up the cool, moist cloth and began dabbing at the sweat on Atem's brow and temples.
"You might say that," Atem agreed, taking deep breaths to try to slow his heart rate down.
"Wanna talk about it? It'll help," offered Yugi as he continued his work.
Atem looked into Yugi's eyes again and beheld all the worry and love swirling in their violet depths, quite the opposite of the blank, indifferent stare of the Yugi in his dream. This was the real Yugi, his Partner in all things. Yugi's friendly, encouraging smile and the deliciously cool feeling of the cloth against his fevered brow and face further calmed him. Taking a deep, cleansing breath and closing his eyes for a second, Atem began.
"It was... Jou, Anzu and Honda looking at me with such disgust and hatred in their eyes. They told me that I had no right to be here and you would've been better off had you never solved the Puzzle. They... accused me of stealing your life from you and... using you..."
Atem trailed off, lowering his head so that his long blond bangs concealed his now watery eyes.
Yugi looked at the beautiful pharaoh sitting so dejectedly, head down, shoulders slumped. He longed to reach out and pull Atem into his arms to comfort him. However, right now, what Atem needed was not physical comfort.
"You know what they really were?" Yugi asked.
"What?" Atem asked without looking up.
"They were your own self-doubt attacking you," Yugi explained. "You haven't been feeling good the past few days and those little doubts swimming in your brain took that chance to disguise themselves as our friends and attack you in your dream."
This caused Atem to look up, meeting Yugi's steady gaze.
"Tricky little bastards," Atem said at length, managing a weak smile.
"Yeah and totally wrong," said Yugi, turning serious again. "Atem, you've never stolen anything from me. If anything, I've stolen from you."
"Yugi!" Atem cried.
"You fought all the hardest duels in Duelist Kingdom and Battle City, but you let me take credit for them without complaining," said Yugi, staring down at the cloth clutched in his hands.
"We worked together!" Atem protested, grasping Yugi's shoulder.
"I know, but you always shielded me and the others and bore the brunt of everything," Yugi said. "And in the end, no one even knows except me and our closest friends."
"That's fine. I was never after glory or accolades," assured Atem.
"I know. But the point is, you don't ever need to believe what those nasty little doubts tell you, even if they dress up as our friends, who love you very much by the way," explained Yugi, reaching over and beginning to slowly and gently rub soothing circles in the small of Atem's back.
Atem closed his eyes and smiled, relief and tiredness washing over him like a tidal wave.
"Mmmm..." he murmured even as he felt his eyelids turning into lead weights.
After a few more rubs, Yugi gently helped Atem to lie back down, pulled the sheet up to his chest and replaced the cloth on his brow.
"Get some more rest so you can shake off this fever, OK?" Yugi asked, stroking his fingers through the long blond bangs that framed Atem's face.
Too tired to speak by this time, Atem only manged to smile and nod before a tidal wave of exhaustion swept him out to the depths of Sleep's Ocean. He thought he felt the wet warmth of Yugi's lips pressed against his temple, but could no longer be certain.
As he slept, only sweet dreams rose up to greet him: dreams of Yugi and the others smiling and laughing with him, welcoming him with open arms as part of their group. Atem's lips quirked up in a contented smile. He was home. He was where he belonged.
~Owari~