Chapter Five: Game Start

"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." -Albert Einstein

"I need you to discuss with Mokuba what designs he wants for his office, then I need you to stop by the manor and talk with Atemu. If I remember correctly he wants to re-do his rooms, Mokuba's, the living room, ball room and our room."

"Atemu, sir?"

"My lover, not that it's your concern."

"Of course, sir. What about Kaibaland?"

"The offices are under Roland's preview, just discuss things with him, as for the lounges and general design, the head of park affairs would have the ideas for that from the design team."

"Kaiba-sama, Atemu also wanted to re-do the apartments downtown for for his friend." Roland said from his notes.

"Right, so after you get the Kaibaland designs, head downtown for measurements. I have no idea what they're doing with the apartment, so I'll have to get back to you for sketches."

The designer nodded, mind whirling at all the work her firm had to perform in the next month, but this was Kaiba Corporation and having their name on their portfolio would boost further sales. "Anything else?"

Seto shook his head, dismissing the woman as he turned back to the outlines for his new console game, hitting the side of his headset. "Mokuba, I need those character stats by five, the R&D team wants a wire run-through of level five."

"It'll be faxed over by four, nii-sama."

--

"Master Atemu will see you in the blue lounge," the butler said, gesturing to the door that was emblazoned with an inlaid silver dragon. "Feel free to have a drink while you wait,"

"Thank you," the woman said, glancing around the very blue room she had been left in, stopping by the wet bar to pour herself a glass of scotch before examining some of the paintings on the wall, particularly liking one of a storm swept sea.

"You are the designer, correct?" a voice asked behind her and she turned to find a gorgeous white haired man leaning against the doorway, his white cotton kilt revealing long flashes of tanned leg.

"Yes, and you are...Atemu?"

"Not quite," answered a voice behind the man and he shifted to reveal another drop dead gorgeous man.

The designer had to wonder where Kaiba Seto ventured to find such creatures before she bowed to both. "Koizumi Yumi." she said by way of introduction. "Kaiba-sama sent me over to discuss the rooms in this mansion as well as a downtown apartment?"

Atemu nodded, pouring both himself and Bakura glasses of beer, waving the woman to a seat. "The apartment is for Bakura, so you will take direction from him," Atemu said, gesturing to Bakura so the woman would know who he was. "As for the mansion, I was hoping for a middle eastern theme for my rooms, preferably Egyptian, some modern, some ancient, no revival. I want an English Victorian romance theme for the ballrooms, though a more masculine lean for the smaller ballroom as it's also used as a conference room.

"Alright, and for Mokuba-sama's rooms?"

"Italian contemporary."

"Right," she said, already getting some ideas, sketching randoms designs on the side of her notes as they spoke. "Well, shall we head downtown and discuss what will be going on there?"

"I'm free," Bakura said, standing, his long red leather coat swirling around his legs.

Atemu nodded, standing as well, pressing on the Eye of Ra shaped communicator attached to his necklace. "I need a limo out front," he ordered, gesturing for the woman to precede him. She gave a bow before grabbing her things and heading for the door.

"Right away, sir." the driver answered, sighing off just before Bakura reached over, pinching Atemu's ass, causing the other man to yelp. Atemu glared at Bakura over his shoulder before following the decorator, keeping a fair distance between himself and the thief.

--

"Stupid key," Bakura muttered, fumbling with the door to the apartment, attempting to swipe the keycard through the electronic lock Seto had attached to the apartment in place of a normal, metal key and lock. "Atemu, you really need to talk with the priest about his fetish of technology, this thing never works right."

"Here, let me try," The decorator said, taking the key card from Bakura and edging in front of the grumpy thief, wiggling the card a bit as she slid it through the lock. "My offices are secured with a Kaiba Corp lock of the same generation and they all have these issues." She gave the two men a grin as she managed to get the lock to dis-engage, she turned the handle of the door, pushing it open.

There was a split second of normalcy, before all hell broke loose. Three short beeps sounded in the door lock, followed by a click and then the apartment exploded, debris and fire shooting out towards those in the doorway, the bomb aimed for raining the most destruction it could towards the doorway and whomever had opened it.

Bakura moved at the same time the beeping started, using his own body as a shield for Atemu, shoving the former pharaoh onto the ground, covering him as bits of cement and shrapnel rained down over him. He chanced a glance to his side, the sight meeting his eyes making even the hardened thief and murder wince, a rather insane part of him wondering what the hell had hit the decorator hard enough to rip half her face off.

The dust had started to settle around them and Bakura slid off of Atemu, helping the younger man up as they turned to stare at the ruins that had been Bakura's apartment. Bakura glanced down at the hand still in his, watching as it started a fine trembling as Atemu stared at the wreckage, before traveling up to Atemu's face, studying his best friend's profile.

Atemu's eyes were emotionally blank, flat, as he stared at the wreckage, his lower lip caught between his teeth, absently worried under the flat edges, almost as if Atemu would rather damage his lip then his own teeth as his jaw clenched and relaxed on it's own. The trembling that started in Atemu's hands had traveled up the man's arms and shoulder, until his whole body was almost vibrating.

Bakura opened his mouth, closing it, before opening it again. "Are you alright?" he asked, rather stupidly, reaching out for Atemu, clasping the man's shoulder.

"I'm fine," Atemu said, his voice a faint growl, before he jerked out of Bakura's grasp, backing away from the decorator's body and the ruined apartment, body trembling harder. "I can't believe they attacked me..." Atemu whispered.

Bakura stared, watching the trembling in Atemu's arms and hands. This...was so many levels past 'not good' there wasn't a word for it yet.

"They attacked me, ME!" Atemu raged, repeating what he had already stated, storming down the sidewalk before suddenly turning around and stomping back to his lover, stepping over the debris of what used to be Bakura's apartment as if it were no more then cotton fluff. "They will NOT get away with this, I will crush them, I will burn them...I will...fuck!" Atemu clenched his hands together, trying to stop them from shaking. "I will watch their blood colour the ground," he whispered, shaking harder. Atemu started to cry, clinging to himself, arms wrapped around his chest, nails digging into his arms. "Why can't I stop shaking?!"

As the sirens grew closer, Bakura wrapped his arms around the trembling man, holding him tightly. "It's alright, I promise, it's alright."

"Nothing is alright, nothing will be alright."

"Shh.." Bakura whispered, only to be interrupted by a call from across the street.

"Pharaoh?" Yugi said, staring in open mouthed shock at the pair.

--

Note: Yes, I know that's short but I have a block on the next part and can't hold it off any more as some readers are getting snippy edges away from reviewers