Hello all! This idea for a story refused to leave my mind after a very handsome mechanic fixed my car. So, here it goes! I hope you all enjoy and feel free to tell me what you think! :)

On a warm summer day, a man was driving his beloved car down a tree-lined road. Pockets of shade mingled with streams of sunlight. A heated breeze danced along his skin as he stuck a caramel-colored hand out of the window. He closed his scarlet eyes in bliss; just a man and his machine on a beautiful summer afternoon – this was paradise.

BUFFFF…CHNK…SSSSSSTTTT…

"No, no, no, baby, no! That doesn't sound good!" Atem's eyes popped open in shock – the engine of his old Mercedes was making odd noises again, and now it was even leaking smoke. In his blissful daydream, he hadn't noticed that his car had been seriously overheating. As his car collapsed on the side of the road, he wearily tried to remember when his last tune-up was…

Last…winter? Maybe? Who the hell keeps track of that sort of thing anyway?

Atem got out of his now immobile vehicle to survey the damage, keeping his fingers crossed for an easy fix. This car meant a lot to him and it was always dependable, until lately it started having issues as older cars tend to. His cousin had been teasing him about his car, telling him he should just junk it and get a brand new one – something sleek and sharp. A Lexus. Or perhaps an Audi. Anything would be better than that beat-up old Mercedes. It was scratched, faded, and dinged everywhere and definitely way out of style; it made him look like a poverty-stricken old geezer.

It wasn't as if Atem couldn't afford a new car, certainly he could, but this car held more sentimental value than his cousin or anyone else could understand. He'd rather stick with it and fix it as best he could than get some gaudy, new piece of junk. His cousin once joked that the only thing Atem ever loved in this lifetime was his car…and it was true.

The sun burned down on his back, but he welcomed the heat. His white silk shirt flapped loosely in the summer breeze. As he opened the car's hood, he was greeted with a cloud of foul, burnt air. Choking and gagging, he tried to see behind the constant outpour of smoke.

"I have no fucking clue what I'm even looking at." He angrily confronted his own ignorance of the situation.

Atem didn't understand engines, cars, or machines in general. Why do they have to be so damned complicated, with their wires and their gears and what-have-you's? They were tools that should simply work and bend to his will; he hits the gas pedal, they should go faster, not break down and strand him on the side of the road.

Inwardly, he groaned as he confronted yet another dilemma – he had no choice but to call his cousin Seto for help. Not that Seto knew any more about cars than he did, but maybe he knew where to find a decent mechanic and not some scumbag Joe-Shmoe who would rip him off. Atem wasn't stupid; he had heard a thing or two about grease-monkey types.

"I'm sure they'll charge me triple simply because the parts are for a Mercedes; they'll see it and think I'm some kind of magical money tree with an endless cash flow. Damned low-lifes, you just can't trust anyone these days." His deep voice rumbled in anger. He hated wasting money on account of someone else's ignorance.

Atem dialed Seto's number on his cell phone and barely had to wait before a familiar, raspy voice answered on the other end.

"This had better be important, Atem. If you're calling to ask if I can be your wingman again, the answer is 'no fucking way,' especially after what happened last time – !"

"Shut up, cousin!" Atem closed his eyes in frustration and braced himself for his next words. "I need your help."

Silence. That was Seto's cue for him to proceed.

"I'm stranded on the side of the road – "

"Call a taxi."

"No, my car broke down."

"Call a tow truck."

"I don't know any tow guys; I'll be the next disappearance story on Dateline! No thanks. Just come pick me up, would you? I just drove by the ice cream shop on Coconut Drive. And get me the number to your most trusted mechanic." The call suddenly ended, but Atem was sure that Seto had gone to do his bidding.

After about thirty minutes, Seto finally pulled his shiny, silver Porsche behind Atem's Mercedes, followed by a flatbed truck with a blonde, shaggy-haired driver. The driver parked his truck in front of the Mercedes and got out, wearing a green jacket and a chipper smile. His eyes looked golden in the sunshine.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" The mechanic bent down over the defeated engine to take a look. "Mercedes, huh? Nice choice. Older model too, I see. Even better."

With practiced hands, he began fiddling with some of the tubes. He sniffed the burnt air surrounding the engine. "Smells like you're burning coolant to me. Must be leaking from somewhere. You might need a new water pump."

Atem was very educated, but he had no idea what the mechanic had just said. Damn mechanical jargon.

As the blonde continued to tinker, Seto's tall frame made an appearance, his arms crossed over his chest in their usual pose. Ice-blue eyes were clouded in annoyance.

"Joey here is an excellent mechanic."

The blonde feigned blushing, but kept his puppy dog eyes on his work. "Awww, you're just saying that."

"He will load up your car and tow it to his shop. You and I will follow in my Porsche." He swiftly turned back towards his car, expecting Atem to follow him.

There goes Seto – keeping things to the point, as always. Atem turned to Joey, as if a loved one's life was in desperate need of saving. Joey was the doctor and his Mercedes was the dying patient.

"This car means a lot to me. Please, do whatever you can…"

Joey had heard this story before and could relate to it himself. He didn't become a mechanic for the thrill, or lack thereof. He genuinely loved cars. "Say no more, your car is in great hands. I'll get her hooked up on the flatbed and we'll head over to my shop. My buddy is all set and waiting for us."

He saw the doubt reflect in Atem's crimson eyes. "Don't worry, my buddy is a great mechanic too. Taught him everything I know."

Joey winked a golden eye before setting to work hooking up the car with locks and heavy chains.

Atem turned back towards Seto's Porsche and climbed into the pristine leather seat. "Where did you find this guy?"

His cousin snorted. "Bakura recommended him to me."

"Bakura, the limo driver?" Now Atem was even more nervous. Joey seemed nice, but what kind of trustworthy mechanic deals with Bakura, of all people?

"When I ask for the best, I get the best." Seto was too smug for his own good.

Joey waved his hand, signaling they were all set to head over to his shop. As the vehicles pulled away from the side of the road, Atem got a sinking feeling.

…What if they can't fix my baby?

The tow truck screeched to a halt in an old, unpaved parking lot in front of a shabby building. A crud-covered sign that hung crookedly on the outside read: "Joey's Garage."

Joey backed the flatbed up to the garage door. He hit a small button inside the truck and the garage door suddenly lifted.

Sunlight poured inside the dim garage and Atem peered inside. Rust clung to the metal walls. Dirt, grime, and oil stains covered the floors. What windows were in the place had long-since clouded over with who-knows-what, blocking out any natural light. It looked like a place cars go to die. Or to be stripped of parts and sold on the underground market.

This was the place where they were going to take his Mercedes?

"Hey, Yug! I'm backing in the Mercedes now!" Joey yelled into the wild darkness. A radio blasting hair metal music hits of the 80's was the only answer he received…until the volume was turned down.

"Sure thing, Joe!" A bright voice answered back from the void.

Atem and Seto watched from outside as the flatbed tilted back like a dump truck. Joey began unhooking the locks he had placed to secure the car for the drive and used a thick chain pulley to slowly and gently unload the precious cargo.

When the car was completely unloaded and unhooked, Joey drove the truck forward and parked it outside the garage. He got out and walked towards the two men, who stood frozen as if the garage would swallow them whole if they stepped inside.

"Come on in, guys! Welcome to Joey's Garage, at your service! Where are ya, Yug?"

As Atem walked inside, he saw a petite figure bent over the open hood of a purple Pontiac. Crimson eyes traced the supple frame; tight jeans showcased slender legs, narrow hips, and clung to a tantalizingly firm backside. Beautifully pale shoulders contrasted against a black muscle shirt.

"Over here, Joe! Just replacing a cracked serpentine belt for Mai."

The sweet, cheery voice certainly matched the individual…from behind, anyway. Now, if only the face was as stunning as the rest…

The diminutive stranger turned towards the three men and successfully rendered Atem breathless. Round cheeks flushed from his hard labor. Beads of sweat graced his delicate eyebrows. Vivid amethyst eyes sparkled from behind a mask of engine oil and grease, dirtying the lily-white skin underneath. Soft, rosy lips framed the brightest smile Atem had ever seen.

"Hey I'm Yugi," the grease-covered angel piped up, wiping his dirty hands on a rag and gesturing towards the newly arrived car. "Is this the Mercedes 9-1-1 job? She sure is a beauty."

She's not the only beauty here, Atem thought as the young one padded over to the car and opened the hood to assess the problem.

"Alright, let's take a look here." He used a flashlight to see deeper into the engine and began to touch its various components. "So talk to me Joe – what do we know so far?"

"Well I just took a quick look but she's definitely burning engine coolant somewhere, I saw it leaking out when I hooked her up to the flatbed. I'm thinking maybe the water pump." Joey joined his younger buddy under the popped hood.

"Hmmmm maybe, but the coolant is leaking from below the exhaust manifold. Sounds like a blown head gasket to me. Typical with older cars."

"Ahhhh, a head gasket job?"

"Yup, 'fraid so."

Yugi turned back to the two cousins, focusing his dazzling eyes on Atem. "Well, we'll have to take her apart a bit to get an accurate diagnosis, but then we'll be a hundred percent sure if it really is the head gasket or not. It'll take about an hour and then we'll go from there."

Atem's tongue felt five times its normal size inside his mouth, temporarily stunning his voice into submission. All that came out in reply to Yugi's statement was a series of mumbles and jibberish.

Seto smirked at his cousin's unnatural silence. Since when had Atem gotten shy in the face of a challenge? He must really be into this one, which could be even more interesting. For him.

"That will be fine," Seto came to his cousin's rescue. "We'll be back in an hour. Come along, Atem."

Reluctant to leave, Atem walked silently after his cousin. His heart was pounding in his chest. His head was spinning, as if the last few minutes had been in slow motion and his body was now adjusting back to real-world speed.

Atem sank into the plush leather seat of Seto's Porsche and released the breath he had been holding in. After all, not every day did he meet someone so heart-stopping.

"Alright spill," Seto teased as they pulled out of the parking lot. "You have a crush on him, don't you?"

Atem just continued his silence and stared dumbly back at his cousin, not computing the question in his overworked mind. Had he just said something?

"Come on, I think a change of scenery is in order." Seto's devious smirk continued to pull at his lips. His cousin had it even worse than he previously thought. "You could use a coffee. You know, to clear your head."