Pharaess Cleopatra: Hey everyone! Come check out this account for some great Yu-Gi-Oh! content! All series are welcome! I'm the one and only Crimson Ice Flame, but this account is strictly Yu-Gi-Oh! related. Hope you guys will enjoy the first Yami/Yugi story on this account! Till then! Au revoir!

Chapter 1: Meet, Greet, and a Proposition?

"A glass of whiskey, please."

A short, wide glass was placed in front of a man, though it was only half full. The man seated at the bar went by the name of Yami Atem. He had outrageous jet black, spiky hair trimmed with a crimson red, sunkist blonde bangs framing his face with a few going up into the rest of his hair. But behind those golden bangs of his were deep crimson red eyes that held a certain serious to them, or was it...loneliness? You see, Yami had it all... Him and his cousin, Seto Kaiba work at a large company together, though Yami is practically the face of it since he is the King of Games. He's a master at Duel Monsters, and he works under his cousin as the Head of the Gaming Department. So whenever a new invention for the game or a new card(s) is created, Yami is always the first to test them out while Seto and his little brother supervise to ensure everything works properly. Yami had it all... Fame, practically wealth, fortune, everything. Except...one thing was missing from his life...

Someone who loved him...for who he was.

That day, after bidding a farewell to his cousins, Yami headed home. He lived in a rather fancy apartment – considering it had two floors – because he refused to live in the manor with Seto and Mokuba and wanted to be treated as an equal. After some persuading, his cousin sighed and finally agreed, but the condition was that it had to be a two story apartment. Yami seemed just fine with that all the same, just so long as it wasn't a mansion or big house. Yami had always wanted a normal life, but ever since his parents passed away, Seto offered the take him in under his company. Reluctant at first, his cousin reassured that he could still go to school if he wished, so he agreed. And it's been great. Yami had gotten everything a person could ever want. More wealth than he ever wanted, fame he didn't need, and fortune he didn't wish to have. Sure, it might seem perfect, but to Yami, it was everything but. All he truly wanted was someone to love who would love him back just the same. Was that too much to ask for? Apparently it was because here he was, age 26 in a bar, having a couple drinks...

After Yami had gotten home that evening, he let out a sigh and went to change into more edgy clothing. The Pharaoh's Pub wasn't too far from his apartment, so he decided to walk instead. For his choice of attire, Yami had chosen to wear and skintight, sleeveless crimson top that hugged his torso in all the right places; black, skintight jeans; black shoes; a black and silver belt; black leather bracelet bands around his wrists; and a black leather belt choker around his neck. The look had an overall sexy and edgy look to it, and it sure as hell made him look even more attractive than he already was. Once Yami had downed his whiskey, he motioned the bartender, asking for a beer this time. He nodded and popped the bottle cap before setting the cold beverage down in front of him. Yami thanked the man before grasping the bottle in his slightly tanned, slender fingers, taking a big gulp. However, just as he set the bottle back down, the door to the pub opened, catching his attention. The spiky haired man turned slightly, his eyes widening for a moment. He had to turn fully to get a better look and make sure he wasn't seeing things – though it felt like he was seeing double.

Five people had walked into the bar – four males and a woman – when all of them were nudging the shortest of the group, unless you count his hair. This man, Yami thought, was absolutely gorgeous! He had the same type of hair as Yami did, but was trimmed with a violet red and his golden bangs didn't go up into his hair like his own. And under those blonde bangs framing his innocent face were large, innocent looking violet eyes that seemed to hold wonder. The male, who looked to be around eighteen or nineteen, was wearing a skintight, sleeveless, violet top that also hugged his torso in all the right places; dark blue leather jeans that made him look very lean and slender; black and silver buckled shoes; a violet and silver belt around his waist; black and silver leather bands on his wrists; and a black and silver leather choker around his slim neck. Overall, the man looked not only sinful, but sexy as all hell, and his innocent demeanor added to the sexiness. He brought a hand up to his face, gracefully brushing some stray bangs away from his eyes. Yami couldn't help but stare at the man, but for a split second both him and the man met gazes before the elder male quickly looked away, turning back in his seat a bit, but not fully facing the counter.

"Remember, Yugi, you still gotta do your bet." A male with pointy dark brown hair said.

"Is this really necessary guys? I don't think we should make him do this." A man with jet black hair pulled into a ponytail tried to reason, his bangs framing his face with a red band around his forehead.

"'Ey, he said he would do it if he lost the bet, and he did. Besides, Yug doesn't seem bothered by this at all. He seems pretty pumped up about it." A blonde male stated.

The woman with shoulder length chocolate brown hair sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose for a moment. "Yes, you do have a point, Joey, but sill, this place? Why'd you have to pick here of all places?"

"Lighten up, Tea! It's not that bad in here."

"That's not the point, Tristan..." The woman known as Tea sighed again. "Duke, back me up?"

"Hey, I tried, but these two won't listen to reason. He might as well get it over with."

"I'll be fine, you guys." The male with spiky hair just like Yami's spoke up. "Joey's right, I lost the bet and he got to choose the place, so I'll do this. It can't be that bad, right?"

Yami overheard their conversation, but when the spiky haired male spoke, he had the most angelic voice if he ever heard one. It was so innocent and beautiful that he wanted to hear more of it for some reason. But it was strange... Yami had never seemed to be attracted to males before, so why the sudden interest now? It puzzled him... Must be the beer getting to him...hopefully?

The woman known as Tea looked around the pub until she laid eyes on someone, tapping the spiky haired male's shoulder. "Look over there. He looks kinda like you, so why don't you try him? He seems really calm so you should be okay."

The male followed where Tea had been indicating. He examined the man before nodding up at the brunette with a smile. "Right. Thanks, Tea."

"Good luck..." She said worriedly as the male walked off.

Yami spun in his seat again until he was facing the counter fully once more, taking another gulp from his beer. But as he set the bottle back down, someone sat down next to him, instantly recognizing that beautiful, innocent voice in a heartbeat as soon as it reached his ears. "One beer, please?" He flashed his ID to confirm his age, the bartender nodding before popping a bottle cap and setting the beverage down.

The man grasped the bottle in his pale, nimble fingers before pressing it up to his lips. Yami couldn't help but glance over as he watched the male's eyes close while he took a large sip. His eyes darted away when the male set the bottle back down and licked his lips. It was then he looked over to Yami, who was tracing the opening of the bottle with his finger absentmindedly.

"Hi there."

"Hmm?" Yami looked over, realizing that greeting was directed at him.

"Do you come here often? I think I've seen you around a few times."

"Sometimes... I wanted a break, and this was close enough from home to walk."

"That's good. It's always best to go near home." The male chuckled.

Yami just hummed in response. The man lifted his bear again to take another big sip, Yami gazing over to him. He watched the bottle press up against his small lips again, eyes fluttering closed. When he took his sip, his expression relished in the bitter taste of the beer, though he didn't seem too bothered by it as his small Adam's apple went down then up once he swallowed what he had drank. A red tongue then darted out to lick at slightly pink lips that looked so soft to the touch. Yami wondered what those would feel like against his own, until he shook his head a bit, dismissing the thought altogether. He quickly averted his eyes, but this time, the young man watched as Yami grasped his bear, taking yet another large gulp from his drink. The bottle pressed up against narrow looking, firm lips, Yami's eyes slipping closed as he tilted the bottle up. His expression remained the same as before, unchanging, which indicated the sour taste of beer didn't seem to bother him, his slightly larger Adam's apple going down then up two or three times. Yami set the empty bottle down as he let out a low sigh, lightly sliding his bottom lip out from his teeth when the top ones bit down before a red tongue barely poked out to lick his very, very slightly pink tinted lips. The smaller male couldn't help but stare, a very light rose color tinting his porcelain skin. Suddenly though, as the male opened his mouth to say something, he heard an irritating sound.

"Nugh...!" He grabbed his right ear, closing the same eye as Yami glanced over. The male suddenly pushed the small area in front of the opening to his ear really hard before sighing softly.

"Something wrong?" Yami finally asked, curious as to what he just did.

"Oh, no, it's nothing. My ear was just ringing so I pushed on it to make it stop; someone must be thinking about me..."

"Thinking about you?"

"It's kinda silly, but it's a superstition I have. If your ear starts ringing, someone unknowingly must be thinking about you, or if you sneeze three times in a row, someone's most likely talking about you." The male giggled a bit childishly. "Sorry, kind of kid-ish of me, but I think it's kinda funny when you think about it, you know?"

Yami unknowingly grinned, but only slightly. "I suppose so."

"Whatever it may be, that's what I like to think happens when your ear rings like that. I just think someone is thinking about me – kinda silly, huh?" He asked sort of rhetorically.

"Who knows? Maybe it was something good?"

"Possibly, but I can place a few people who might be thinking something right now." He seemed sly in saying this.

"Enemies or friends?"

"Maybe friends, or family. But again, who knows?" He chuckled softly and Yami could've sworn he felt his heart skip a beat.

It was strange though... Yami didn't even know this man and he was already making his heart skip a beat. What in the world was going on? That's strange... Normally anyone else I'd find attractive could never make my heart skip a beat when I don't even know this man. Could it be that I'm not fully straight, but in the middle? I mean, I find girls attractive, but I also find him stunning as well... Hang on! Pull your head out of the clouds, Yami! What are you even thinking!? You don't even know this guy! Calm down...

However, giving it a second thought, all Yami thought of this man was good thoughts. He had a sweet voice, and innocent demeanor, and he seemed like a very kind and caring person, though Yami could normally read people right away when he really wanted to, but it didn't take a genius to see how this man was. Despite his thoughts of protest, Yami somehow ignored them moments later... It was strange, because for some odd reason, he found the urge to ask this boy something he normally would ask someone he had known for a while or gotten to know first. He thought of asking this man out, on a date perhaps? It seemed harmless enough, though when it came to dates, Yami wasn't all that good at them... Regardless, this was something he wanted to try. The question was, how should he approach this question? He didn't want to flat out ask him – they don't even know each other. Yami was having an internal battle with himself, constantly going back and forth on whether or not he should or shouldn't ask this man out on a date... It seemed endless, though that was just how Yami's mind worked most times – always contemplating the best option only to never come up with his choice...

"So..." Said man cleared his throat and spoke up, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "...I've got a proposition for you."

"Hmm?" He hummed absently as he summoned for another beer, that was placed in front of him moments later. "What is it?" Yami asked as he went to take a drink from his new bear.

"To be my boyfriend for a week."

"Mmph!?"

Yami began to cough violently for what this man had said caught him off guard, causing him to choke on his beer. The smaller male panicked back began to rub and pat his back, cooing softly to try and calm him down. It took a couple minutes, but when Yami had finally coughed up the beer he had swallowed wrongly and calmed his panting, the male began apologizing.

"I'm sorry!" He said. "I didn't mean to make you choke or throw you off..."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Uhhh..."

"Can you repeat the question now that I'm not choking on beer?"

"Oh, right. As I said, my proposition is to be my boyfriend for a week."

"Excuse me?"

The male looked away sheepishly, a blush coating his cheeks, but he continued. "I'm serious... I want to try and be in a relationship, which is pretend, of course. In exchange, I can pay you, along with cook, clean, any anything else you want me to do. All I'm asking is to be my pretend boyfriend for a week."

"So let me clarify this: You are asking me to be your "boyfriend" for a week, and in exchange, I allow you into my home, just like that?" Yami asked. "We are complete strangers; you realize this, yes?"

"I know, which is why we'll use the first day to get to know each other. Think about it, it's only a week and we can go separate ways after that if you want, never bringing this up again." Yami opened his mouth to comment, but Yugi held his hand up. "Before you say anything, yes, I know it's insane to just throw myself into a pretend relationship, not knowing what to expect. My friends and I made a bet and I said that if I lost I would do this, though, honestly, I probably would've done it even if I won. Point is, I wanted to have at least what seems like a real relationship. Sure, it'll be pretend, but we can act like it's real, unlike all my other ones... We could go on dates, hold hands, cuddle on the couch or the bed, not saying anything and just enjoy the other's presence... It couldn't hurt to give it a try, right? What's there to lose? All you can do is gain from this." He lowered his gaze a bit sheepishly for a moment. "I could ask someone else, sure, but to be honest, there's just something different about you... You seem like a really nice and trustworthy person. Plus you're...really hot..." He blushed as he said this, lowering his gaze again.

Yami felt his heart jump in his chest. For some reason, whenever this man blushed any shade of pink or red, he found him, well...adorable. And not to mention, this proposal seemed very enticing, why though, he did not know. It was odd... Yami seemed to trust this person yet they had never met once in his life, that he knew of, since he thought he only had hair that outrageous. Normally, people would only gawk at Yami because of his wealth or his looks, or both, never who he really was. And here was a complete stranger, saying all these kind and sweet things about him. Yami had hoped this man didn't know who he was, and when he seemed completely oblivious, he wanted to take this chance. Sure, it seemed a little risky, but what was there to lose? All there was is gain. He could finally have the chance to find out who he really is and find someone to truly love who shares in those same feelings. The more he thought over the proposal he was offered, the more he wanted to give it a try. He could finally have his chance to make someone love him for who he really was, for his character, not his title, wealth, or fame. It all seemed kinda funny considering he was just debating on whether or not he should ask him out on a date, and yet, here this man was, asking to be his pretend boyfriend for a week. He didn't even have to ask because it was done for him practically, but his answer was different. He was leaning more and more one way, liking the idea the more he pondered over it.

"Well then, when do we start?" Yami asked in his deep, baritone voice after taking a large gulp from his beer.

The male's head darted over, surprise now dawning his beautiful face, which made Yami smirk as he set his beverage back down.

"Wha... Do...do you mean it?" His eyes lit up with hope, beaming with joy.

Yami chuckled lowly, sending a chill down the other male's spine for some unknown reason. It was like velvet; Yami's voice was just so smooth, deep, and sexy - it could drive anyone nuts. "I would not have asked if I did not mean it. So..." He turned on his stool to face the male before him. "I ask again, when do we start?"

A blush and smile grew on the man's face, as Yami secretly hoped would happen, watching as he beamed like a child before he finally spoke. "Really? Well, um...whenever you want is fine."

"Whenever, you say? Hmm..." Yami smirked, pondering that thought. "Well I would have to make a phone call, but I believe Sunday would be a good day, wouldn't you agree?"

"This Sunday?"

Yami nodded as he gestured with his hand. "Why wait? I shall just give you my address and phone number and you can come on over."

"Do you have a specific time?"

"Whenever you wish will do." He replied. "I will leave it up to you to decide on when you wish to come over."

The male nodded. "Okay. Sounds perfect to me!" That smile had remained upon his face, which made Yami glad. He enjoyed seeing that smile because it made him look so sweet and innocent, whether that be the case or not, he would find out.

The two sat and finished their drinks, often sharing glances and grins before going to head out. Yami had taken a pen out from his pocket (because you never know) and wrote both his cell number and address on the male's palm. After clicking the back, Yami stuffed the pen back into his pocket, but before the boy could leave, he pulled that hand he still had a hold on back. The male looked at him in confusion as Yami spoke up.

"Might I know your name before you make your leave?" He asked, the male suddenly blushing in embarrassment at forgetting. "It would be awfully rude of me to let you into my home without knowing your name at least." The man was blushing a positively beautiful shade of rose red, which made Yami smile again. God, how he loved seeing that blush dawn his adorable face... It made him look so innocent.

"Right, I'm sorry. It was rude of me to not have introduced myself earlier. But my name is Yugi, Yugi Moto."

"Yugi..." Yami let it dance along his tongue as he spoke the name, finding he liked the way it rolled off his tongue. "Game." He noted. "So then I would have to assume you're very good at games, yes?"

"Yup! I love games! I'm really good at them!"

"Well then, Yugi, my name is Atem, Yami Atem."

"Yami... Like "darkness"?" He asked.

Yami chuckled slyly. "Yes, darkness. Maybe you should've thought twice about who you asked to move in with for the next week." He teased, but Yugi smiled and shook his head.

"No, I trust you."

"Very well then, I shall expect to see you on Sunday?"

"Yes. I'll be there."

Another smirked played on Yami's lips as he leaned in close to Yugi, purring in his ear. "Goodnight, Yugi." He then stepped away and made his leave, leaving a flushed Yugi happy and a bit dazed. Oh, how he just loved Yami's deep, velvety, baritone voice when it purred like that in his ear. He felt his heart skip a beat when he heard him speak like that.

Finally though, things were starting to look up for Yami Atem. He was going to do any and everything to swoon Yugi and claim him as his own, if he doesn't get in his own way, that is...