Sorry this update has taken so damn long. I wrote a one-shot called If You See Him, Say Hello to make up for the delay, so read it if you haven't yet. It's a creepy puzzleshipping story. Fun stuff.

I would like to use this space to unnecessarily spamvertise the story that I will begin writing after this one. Yes, folks, that means this story will be coming to an end soon.

I'm not completely sure about the title yet, as I haven't completely figured out all the kinks, but here is a quick summary regardless:

In an attempt to prove a theory about human soulmates, a mischievous deity creates a perfect world without shadow games and two lovers are forced to meet under different circumstances.

I'm crazy excited to start writing it! But anyway, in response to my lovely reviewers:

Ten: I'm glad you gave my AU story a chance and enjoyed it! It's good to know that I'm doing an alright job rewriting characters and putting them into completely different situations.

YamiYugi4Ever: Atemu understands, better than you could imagine…hehe!

Yuugisgirl: It's kind of like how no one could recognize Clark Kent with his glasses off. Same general idea.

Kingleby: Yea, but at least he'd be a handsome waiter.

Yukiyuki: He is the way he needs to be.

Luvanime4life: Yuugi is just bitter and… Well, jealous. Hehe.

Tavia454: I'm sure you'll find this one to be even more interesting! Bwhaha!

Flying on a Broken Wing: I call Yuugi a teen because he is a teenage journalist. He only got to where he is from knowing Seto Kaiba, otherwise his age would have been an impassable road block.

SRRH: Bakura working at a restaurant is a pretty funny thought. Atemu is silly, living with a crazy guy who he doesn't keep an eye out for.

WARNING: This chapter contains some scenes of hardcore making out. A link to the lemon will be provided at the bottom.

Chapter Six

Who Needs Electricity When You Have Teenage Hormones?

The first date hadn't been the complete disaster that Yuugi had half-imagined. Atemu was gorgeous, charming and although his opinion of the Domino Hero was different than Yuugi's, he couldn't help but feel completely comfortable around the guy.

He had quickly changed from the creepy customer to Yuugi's crush in just a matter of hours.

The teen opened up the door, welcoming his guest happily. Grandfather Motou was out of the house for the evening, and Jounouchi had a tendency to not be home until the wee hours of the night, so Yuugi didn't worry much about privacy. That's right; this date was to be held at the journalist's own home! Of course this wasn't the original plan. Sadly enough, a storm outside had cancelled their plans to ride a crazy amount of roller coasters. Yuugi couldn't pretend he didn't like the idea of having a nice dinner by candle light, all alone with Atemu.

Although the home behind the game shop was small in comparison to what Yuugi was sure Atemu was used to it, it was quaint. His grandfather had given their home a very old-fashioned look, but it fit perfectly. It was tidy, free from dust and had a very welcoming atmosphere. Heck, Yuugi even thought their house smelled nice, though the candles and recently-cooked meal helped the aroma.

Smiling as he led his guest into the kitchen, Yuugi was pleased to note the look of surprise on Atemu's face. He had specially prepared a gorgeous steak meal to be topped off with a bottle of Yuugi's favorite champagne. So maybe he went a bit above and beyond for the second date, but he felt he needed to show off a little after being in Atemu's fancy car.

"Yuugi, this steak is splendid!" Atemu praised, a look of bliss on his handsome features, "I didn't realize you were multitalented."

The journalist scratched the back of his neck in a bashful manner. Even though he was well aware that Atemu was a fan before he had even met THE Yuugi Motou, it was still nice to hear a compliment every once in awhile. He had become so used to the criticism that he sort of expected it. Oddly enough, terrible reviewers seemed to help earn him a rather large gathering of readers, whether or not they read because they liked it was unknown to Yuugi.

"Well, it's kind of embarrassing, actually. I learned from my mother." He chuckled, messing with his glasses. Perhaps it had become something he did when he was embarrassed rather than a useless habit.

"That's nothing to be embarrassed of, mothers are brilliant creatures." Atemu almost looked sad for an instant. Yuugi couldn't be sure if he had imagined it or not; he ignored it, though. Nothing, not even Yami, could make this evening go awry.

It wasn't soon after those thoughts had run through his spiky-haired head that the lights had gone out. Thunder crashed violently in his ears, and all he could do was sigh in response.

Thankfully they had the candles lit, so they could finish their meal in peaceful tranquility at the very least.

"What a storm, eh?" Atemu chuckled awkwardly, cutting into his steak, "It doesn't seem to want us to finish this date." Yuugi found the smile that Atemu threw to be comforting, though he wasn't quite sure how.

"I had a movie planned for the evening," Yuugi turned his face to hide his pout, "But we'll have to find something else to do—" Immediately his mind dove into the gutter; hell, it even helped remove some leaves. "—Like play some board games."

Atemu nodded while he chewed, obviously not wanting to answer in words with a full mouth. This made them smaller of the two smile, noting that his new friend was not only charming, but a gentleman. Manners were always a plus, especially since Yuugi's life was full of people like Jounouchi. Zero manners. Ugh.

"I love games," Atemu's eyes seemed to flash, "I suppose that's why I love the Turtle Game Shop so much." He mused, taking another bite of the steak that Yuugi had put his all into preparing. Yuugi would have usually been filled with pride at words like that, knowing his grandfather had spent so much time building it, but there was something so familiar about the way Atemu said that…

"Where to?" The hero questioned his face unreasonably close to Yuugi's.

"Ugh, the Turtle Game Shop, please." It was famous in the city, being the biggest game shop around for miles. It had started out as a tiny corner store, but his grandfather had really worked wonders with it the years.

"I love that store, you own it?" The hero questioned, surprising Yuugi with the fact that he shopped there, that a hero shopped anywhere.

"My grandfather does; I live with him. I help out sometimes, but mostly him and my friend Jounouchi run it."

Yuugi quickly scratched the memory from his thoughts, plastering a smile to his face for his date's sake.

"Are you alright?" Atemu looked as disturbed as he felt for some reason. "You looked out of it for a moment there."

"Sorry, I was just thinking about this dreadful storm." He lied, his smile never wavering. Atemu seemed unconvinced, but didn't dwell on it. They sat in silence for the next few moments, finishing theirs meals in a fast pace. Yuugi wasn't sure what Atemu was thinking about, but he had this odd feeling that the other was hiding something. It unnerved him, but his thoughts were interrupted sharply by the other's voice.

"That was amazing, Yuugi." The look of pure bliss was hard to miss, but once again, it delighted Yuugi to hear it in words. "So, what games did you have in mind?"

The teen jumped out of his seat, running to a nearby drawer. He fished out a decently sized flashlight, grinning wildly at his date. "Are you ready to see my room?"

Atemu leaned back in his seat for a moment before rising, an eyebrow arched high. "I suppose I am." The amusement in his voice sent a shiver straight down Yuugi's spine, but he supposed he deserved an answer like that. He reminded himself to try and keep better control of his hormones for the remainder of the evening.

The duo, Yuugi in front and Atemu close on his heel, ran up the stairs to Yuugi's bedroom. Atemu chuckled, probably because of the mess that Yuugi left in his bedroom. "Sorry," the younger said sheepishly, "I would have cleaned if I had thought I'd have you in here."

He couldn't help it, he blushed this time. These slip-ups were too much to handle. At least this way Atemu wouldn't think that he had been purposely trying to get the other to sleep with him or something.

Atemu smirked, looking around what should have been an unfamiliar room as if he had been there many times. Yuugi remembered that Atemu had first come off as a stalker, a creepy weirdo. His date's cough interrupted his musings once again.

The teen gave a small smile before pointing the flashlight in the corner of his room. His closet door was closed to keep things from falling out. Tonight, in the complete darkness during the terror of a thunderstorm, he was going to brave the abyss. He briskly walked to the door, turning the handle rather quickly. He had been prepared for the onslaught of falling toys and board games though, jumping back instantly. Yuugi may have been overly-smug about his escape from a bumped head, but he was quickly embarrassed by Atemu's laugh as his darkened figure joined him near the closet.

"You have almost enough games in your closet to challenge your shop downstairs."

Yuugi shared a laugh with Atemu this time; he really needed to think about cleaning his room, especially now that he had a boyfriend. He blinked, trying to figure out where such a random thought came from. This was their second date. Yuugi unconsciously fiddled with his glasses again, turning to the pile of games before them; these silly thoughts were something he wanted to erase from his head.

For now at least.

"You have the Zelda board game? Wow, I'm impressed. This is nearly older than your grandfather." Atemu joked, picking up the worn box.

"Hah, yea. I ordered it off Ebay a few years ago when I was addicted to the game."

Yuugi reached for Monopoly, pushing it to the side. He didn't want to play a game that would lat for three days. Something like Chess, maybe? Or Clue!
He pulled another few boxes, making a pile beside him of game choices. The glint of gold didn't catch his eye immediately; at least, not until it was in Atemu's shaking hands.

"Yuugi," the taller man's voice was firm, unlike his hands, "Where did you get this?"

The journalist reached for the golden object, feeling peculiarly protective of a puzzle that he hadn't touched in years. Oddly enough, it looked as clean as it had been the night he finished putting it together, not a speck of dust to speak of. "My puzzle…" The teen whispered, glaring when Atemu would not let go of it.

"Where did you get this?" Atemu demanded, standing up. The gleam of the puzzle in his hands seemed to light the room, though Yuugi didn't question this.

"My grandfather spent a lot of time in Egypt, he brought the puzzle back to me and I put it together." Yuugi told him, watching his unsteady friend. Atemu's stare seemed critical and he quickly added: "Over a span of eight years, anyway."

"Wow, that is impressive." Atemu mused, looking over the object almost possessively.

"You think so? Usually people think that it took a crazy amount of time to put such a small pyramid together." Yuugi watched Atemu suspiciously. "Atemu, can I please have my puzzle back?"

Atemu looked up for a moment, searching Yuugi's eyes for something that the journalist did not understand. A moment later he handed the puzzle back to its owner, though hesitantly. "You know about the Millennium Puzzle." This was a statement from Yuugi, not a question.

"Yes."

"How?"

Atemu's gaze seemed far off for the second time that night, but he answered regardless. "I've heard stories. My father was an— Archaeologist, you see. He brought home with him many objects and plenty of stories, but I thought that the story of the Nameless Pharaoh was only that. A story."

Yuugi listened with sudden interest; He had previously only heard mention of the Nameless Pharaoh by his grandfather, who had become his obsession for awhile. It wasn't until Yuugi solved the puzzle and nothing happened that the elderly man had let the story die.

"I don't believe any of it." Yuugi said, leaning back on his palms. "I solved the puzzle and I didn't have a wish granted; I didn't suddenly become all powerful or anything. I just— Solved an unsolvable puzzle." He chuckled nervously, waiting for Atemu to answer.

"I see." Atemu seemed to ponder Yuugi's words for a moment, making the youth incredibly uncomfortable as he held the puzzle in his hands. Somehow it felt warm, though it had only been held for a minute or so. He noticed also that the gleam had died down, but it seemed odd that it had ever existed when Atemu held it. The flashlight was pointing in a completely different direction. Before he could comment, however, Atemu had sat back down, closer to Yuugi than the younger boy expected. "I believe that it may have worked better than you think, you just haven't realized it yet."

Yuugi was going to roll his eyes at Atemu's superstitions and strong beliefs in things that didn't really deserve them, but the distance between them was closed in a manner he hadn't expected.

Atemu's hand was suddenly on his cheek, gently caressing the smooth skin. Yuugi was sure that his face was redder than a tomato, though it was completely not his fault. He hadn't the slightest bit of warning!

"Yuugi, you are adorable." Atemu thought aloud, removing Yuugi's glasses to be strewn aside with all of his board games. His cheeks were positively enflamed, possibly at the thought of being adorable. He was a guy after all.

Yuugi didn't have much more time to think as Atemu's lips descended onto his own. His eyes fluttered closed, grateful that he was still good at this whole kissing back thing after being out of practice for so long.
As suddenly as they had come, Atemu's lips were gone. Yuugi wasn't shocked to see the elder licking his lips seductively. He hardly noticed when Atemu removed the puzzle from his hands and proceeded to push him to the floor.

In an instant Atemu was above him, kissing him with a sudden fervor. Yuugi couldn't help but let a small moan escape his throat, bringing his hand up to Atemu's similar hair. Finger's entangled in his locks and lips trapped in Atemu's own, Yuugi found himself thrown into heaven, unexpectedly though he completely approved.
Yuugi nipped expertly at Atemu's bottom lip, though the other quickly took advantage of his partner's open mouth. French kisses weren't usually Yuugi's favorite, but something about the way that Atemu's tongue danced against his drove him wild. He couldn't help the way his hips rose to meet Atemu's, though the slightly shocked look on Atemu's face made him blush. Shock turned into amusement, however, and within moments Atemu's lips were on Yuugi's neck, driving the teen crazy with small nips and kisses.

Atemu was ready to meet Yuugi's lust-driven hip movements with his own, causing Yuugi to moan from the double onslaught. Atemu's hand quickly found its way under the journalist's shirt, running over his slim belly. Yuugi would have laughed under different circumstances, but the sounds that spilled from his lips were very much the opposite of laughter. He could tell that they only encouraged Atemu's ministrations, but he was kind of happy for that.

Hadn't he said something earlier about not letting his hormones get out of control? This was hardly his doing, he thought, Atemu just sort of jumped him. Though it wasn't as if he had told Atemu to stop or anything, he wanted this just as badly as his date.
Okay, if they were going to go this far, though—
He was kind of a traditional sort of gir— Guy when it came to sex. You give it up, then you have to commit. He didn't want to be seen as some sort of whore or anything.

Atemu's chuckle met his ear, literally. The man nipped gently at Yuugi's earlobe, "What are you thinking about, love?" A term of endearment that only helped Yuugi's decision.

"I was just thinking," Yuugi moaned as Atemu's fingers met on of his nipples, "If we're going to do this, we should probably make it official."

"And what's that, love?" He smirked, biting down on the flesh of his ear.

"Ah—I just think that we should make us official."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, but I'm glad that you assume we're going to have sex."

Yuugi blinked through all of the feelings, raising his head to look at Atemu. "Why, are we not?"

"Now we are," Atemu's laugh was anything but innocent as he removed Yuugi's shirt completely, moving to pin the younger man's arms beneath him.

So kids, I'm going to post the lemon elsewhere since FFNET is kinda crazypsycho about these things. I hope you liked this chapter, as I finally gave you some of the romance you all desire! Bwhaha! Anyway, the lemon can be found at: www DOT geocities DOT com SLASH yumm_pop1314 SLASH herolemon DOT htm

I'm wondering if you guys are catching any of my tiny hints to things to come, or if you're all in the blue about everything. Either way I'm having fun playing with you all.

A prewarning, the next chapter will be from Atemu's point of view and will answer many of your questions.

omg kairi