Author: Junko the Lost

Title: Rising From the Ash

Chapter Title: So it begins . . .

Summary: After the events of Yu-Gi-Oh! have come to pass, Atem finds himself sinking into depression. Who can save him from his self-enforced despair?

Warnings: Shounen-Ai

AN: Hello readers and welcome again to the Mad House! I welcome old fans and newcomers with open arms. School has once again begun for the year, but all is right in the world, for I, Junko-chan, have been cultivating my lovely pets, the ever violent plot bunnies. So sit back, relax, and have a wonderful experience in the realm of fangirl-created shounen-ai!

Yuugi frowned as he watched Seto walk into the classroom. The tall CEO looked more pissy than usual and that was saying something. His ice blue eyes were narrowed in anger and he slumped into his seat with a sigh before pulling out a book and beginning to read. However, he seemed unable to concentrate, and before Yuugi could react, he was standing in front of the much shorter boy's desk.

"Hey, Kaiba-san," he greeted cheerfully, all the while fearful of Seto's wrath.

"Mouto-san," Seto acknowledged, inclining his head ever so slightly, "I was wondering if you're free at all after school during the week." Yuugi was startled.

"Why," he questioned inquisitively as to Seto's intentions.

"Mokuba's babysitter quit and since I can't leave him at home alone, I need to find a new one," he explained, sighing in frustration.

"Oh," Yuugi said in understanding, "I'm sorry, but I have to help my Grandpa in the shop everyday after school."

"Do you know anyone else who might be free?" Seto asked, obviously getting desperate.

Yuugi frowned, "I'm sorry Kaiba-san, but I don't know. Jounouchi-san and Honda-san have soccer practice, and Mizaki-san has dance lessons. Bakura-san is starting Mathletes and Ryuuji-san has his own company to run." Yuugi paused for a moment and his eyes got a glazed look. "Wait," he said, holding out a hand to silence Seto.

/Mou hitori no boku?/ he called into Atem's soul room.

Yes, aibou?came the response from the shadows within.

/I was wondering. Since you have your own body now, and you're not going to school or even doing much these days, would you mind watching Mokuba-kun for Kaiba-san?/ Atem grinned.

No, aibou, I would not mind watching the young Kaiba,he said with a small chuckle. Please tell him that I would be happy to oblige to his request.Yuugi giggled at the Pharaoh's fancy language and came back to himself, looking up at a very ticked looking Seto.

"Mou hitori no boku would be happy to watch Mokuba-kun for you," Yuugi said happily. Seto's face eased slightly, as if a great tension had been dropped. Yuugi couldn't help but notice how much older he looked when he worried like he tended to do.

"Arigato, Mouto-san. Please tell mou hitori no Mouto-san that I'll pick him up from the Game Shop after school, and he'll baby-sit every weekday from 3 o'clock to anywhere from 6 to 9 o' clock." Yuugi smiled, and Seto returned to his seat, able to pursue his reading in comfort.

/Mou hitori no boku,/ Yuugi called, entering Atem's soul room. The pharaoh was sitting on the floor, playing what looked like an ancient form of checkers 1.

Yes, aibou,he responded, looking up at Yuugi.

/Kaiba-san says he'll pick you up after school,/ Yuugi informed Atem. He nodded and returned to his game. Yuugi couldn't help but be saddened by Atem's recent detachment from the rest of the world.

Atem opened his actual eyes as if awakening from a dream. He sat in the room Yuugi and his Grandfather had given him. The room was scantly furnished and the only thing that looked used was the bed. He could never be able to express his gratitude toward the two people who had shown him the most hospitality he had ever known.

Yuugi was probably the sweetest young man there ever was, and Atem knew that the looks many of Yuugi's friends gave him bordered on the edge of friendship and were tilting dangerously into unknown territory. Not that he could blame them; Yuugi was as lovable and adorable as a boy was able to be, so it was no surprise that even his friends were drawn to him with intentions of more than just friendship; Jounouchi-san in particular. The blonde boy had been crushing on Yuugi for some months now from what Atem could tell, but was too cautious to reveal his feelings. Atem however, felt nothing but an overwhelming brotherly love for his smaller counterpart.

It had been a shock when he had first received his own body. For the first time in over three thousand years, he experienced life as his now-regained memories couldn't even come close to matching. In his first few weeks, he'd reveled in the new foods, new music, new everything, and yet the sheer wonderment had worn off. He was left with the knowledge that without a proper education of the times, he would never be more than a drain on society's resources, for all his power in his past life.

With this in mind, he had withdrawn inside himself, not even taking joy in dueling with Yuugi. Yuugi's emotions were the only thing that sustained him. Yuugi's joy managed only slightly to lighten his spirits, but it was always enough to lift, even if only a little, Atem from his self-hatred before he sank back into the murky pit. No one knew of his decline, Yuugi least of all, though they had noticed his reserved appearance over the past weeks.

Then, he had seen Seto again. Though the two had not dueled recently, Atem still revered the young ambitious CEO with even more fervor since receiving his own body. He could now fully understand the hardships Seto must have gone through to succeed in the world Atem was so new to. With this reverence came something completely unexpected.

Love.

Just the word made Atem flinch with a tsunami of emotions. Seto haunted his dreams (the first he'd had in so long) and his life. Yuugi was constantly informing Atem of the brunette's moods, as it seemed the only thing that could bring him out of his depression.

And now, he would probably see more of the CEO than he needed to, though something inside of him would die for the chance, another part of him was pushing him to play it safe. He chuckled at that thought. He had no need to play it safe. He had already died once, and certainly nothing was worse than what he'd experienced the first time around.

Atem got dressed in a tight tee-shirt that read 'This is the shirt I wear when I don't give a crap' and a pair of baggy black pants that displayed a few wallet chains.

Before he knew it, it was three o'clock and Seto was waiting outside in his silvery-blue convertible for Atem. He headed out the door and got in the car, briefly marveling at the magnificent design on the automobile. A Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon curled around the vehicle and on the engine hood the center head opened its mouth to reveal SK done in curly-cue letters.

"Wow, nice car," he said, blushing as Seto looked at him with those ice-blue eyes that so matched the color of his automobile.

"Thanks," Seto responded, waiting for Atem to get buckled before driving off. "I've got to go pick up Mokuba from school. He'll be so excited it's you babysitting him." Seto laughed softly, and Atem's ears perked at the noise. True, he hadn't spoken to Seto in some time, but something seemed different about him. A tension that had always been present in his demeanor seemed to have been thrown off entirely, and the worry lines the boy usually wore had disappeared, leaving an utterly good-natured appearance.

"Why's that," he asked inquisitively.

"Well, you're like his role model, or at least someone he respects," he commented as he pulled up in front of Mokuba's school. The black-haired boy pelted into the car faster than Atem's eye could track and Mokuba was latched around Seto, hugging his brother excitedly.

"Howwasyourday?Minewasgreat!TodayduringartmeandmyfriendsdidthisreallycoolprojectIhavetoshowyou!" and the boy went on so fast Atem got a headache just trying to follow the stream of communication. Seto rolled his eyes at Atem and while Mokuba was drawing breath, he directed his attention to the Pharoah.

"Mokuba, you remembering mou hitori no Mouto-san?" he asked. Mokuba nodded enthusiastically.

"Call me Atem, please," Atem insisted, something akin to a blush staining his cheeks.

"Well, Atem," Seto said, putting particular emphasis on his name, "will be your new babysitter." Almost before Seto had even finished, Mokuba was latched onto Atem, once again blabbering on about this, that, or the other thing too fast for him to track.

They arrived at an apartment complex and parked in the reserved parking lot.

"You live here?" Atem asked, vaguely confused. He always saw Seto as living in a huge mansion with maids and butlers and chefs.

"Yeah, the mansion got too big for just me and Mokuba," Seto said, patting Mokuba on the head and grinning, "so we moved here."

"Oh," Atem said, even though he wasn't quite sure he understood.

Once inside the apartment though, it could not be mistaken for anyone else's. It was a suite and was plenty large enough to house two or three people. The living room was done in fashionable shades of red. The couch was comfy dark brown leather and there were two matching recliner chairs about the room. Deep red throw pillows accented the red in the curtains and in a tapestry done all in red of a phoenix hanging on the wall.

The kitchen was small, but Atem supposed Seto would need to do little cooking. It was furnished in deep chic greens with a wallpaper border with olive leaves highlighting the emerald of the counters and the small kitchen table and chairs.

"Wow, Kaiba-san, I didn't know you had such fabulous designer tastes," Atem commented, grinning. Seto pouted playfully.

"Well, I had some help," he admitted. Mokuba giggled.

"Yeah, some of our old maids helped him design it," the black-haired boy informed the Pharaoh.

"Well, I have to get to work," Seto regretfully said. Turning to Atem, he informed the Pharaoh, "There's some food in the fridge and snacks in the cupboards. I'll be back as soon as I can. If I'm not back by eight you can have Mokuba start getting ready for bed." Atem nodded and Mokuba gave his brother a hug before he headed out.

"Well, Mokuba, what do you want to do now," Atem asked, turning to the smaller boy.

"Video games!" he called, and turned on the large flat-screen TV before grabbing a controller and switching the PlayStation 2 on. Atem chuckled and sat down on the couch.

For the next hour, Mokuba taught Atem nearly everything there was to know about video games. From the basic kinds of games to how to play them, Atem was sent reeling by the sheer amount of complex information there was to know. But before long, he was dueling against Mokuba in a video game and able to hold his own against the smaller boy. He eventually lost, though, but felt proud that he finally understood what Jounouchi and Yuugi were chatting about when they spoke of Halo or Soul Caliber II.

Mokuba switched off the game station and came to sit on the couch.

"My brother's making a video game, you know?" he asked.

"Really?" Atem asked, surprised (even though nothing about Seto should surprise him by now) that Seto was creating a video game.

"Yeah, since actual live-action games such as Trading Card Games and Table-Top RPG's are falling out of popularity, he's decided to create a video game," Mokuba spoke softly. "I forgot to say thank you, you know?"

"For what?" Atem asked, confused.

"If it weren't for you, he probably would never have been like this. You probably noticed, didn't you? He's kinder, sweeter. He tries not to work such long hours and every weekend he makes sure that he doesn't work, at least not away from home. He dedicates that time to spending time with me. Before you came along, he never would have done that," Mokuba smiled then. Atem was shocked. He had done all that?

"W-well, you're welcome, Mokuba-kun," he said, blushing. "But I really didn't do that much," he insisted.

"You did more, actually," Mokuba said, grinning, "You gave me my big brother back."

End Chapter 1

Well, as you are exiting the Mad House, please help yourself to a cookie. Be careful, my Yami made them. Outside (in my profile) you can find entrances to other Mad House's of my creation (my stories) and some info about me. If you have made it this far and would like to leave a review, please feel encouraged to do so by clicking on the small button in the lower left of your screen. I hope you have enjoyed your stay here and hope that you will return again. Rising From the Ash will with any luck be updated soon, and we will be awaiting your return.