a better boyfriend than him
* please do not repost or claim as your own *
tags: romance, no smut, pining, onsided yearning, puzzleshipping, blindshipping, alternative universe, oneshot, angst, comfort, drinking, unresolved tension
Summary: Atem doesn't meddle with his friends' business. But when it came to Yugi, he couldn't stand to watch him burn.
Atem wasn’t the type of person to meddle in other's business. Not even his friends'. In his opinon, it was not his place to defend or condemn another's choices in life.
He’d been close with Karim ever since university and knew how he was and although he didn’t agree with how he ran his love life, Atem had other things to think about than what woman or man went home with him.
Like running the club they all frequented for example. He was also the heir to Sennen Industries. Both duties he took quite a lot of pride in.
However.
It had been a little jarring when Karim had showed up with a man one night to introduce his boyfriend, Yugi.
Karim never had actual relationships and so the entire group had been suspicious of the title amidst their collective support. Karim claimed that he’d met him at work and helplessly fell for Yugi at first sight.
Atem had been drawn to Yugi immediately. He was quiet, polite, had a lovely smile that lit up his pretty blue eyes, and seemed to be all around a good person.
It made Atem worried for him. Especially after the newness wore off and Karim’s interests began to stray as expected.
Each time Atem saw them, it was for Karim to hang around for a few minutes and then disappear into the crowd, no where to be seen again.
Night after night, Atem had to sit there and watch a sweet person such as Yugi sit in the corner with his phone, silent and waiting diligently for his boyfriend to come back.
“Do you not like dancing?” Yugi asked him once they were alone one evening, as Atem tried to ignore the fact his friend was stringing Yugi along to drink his favorite aged, red wine.
He allowed himself to glance at the beauty that was Yugi in his silver blazer and dark eyeliner. He was staring at Atem with those large, curious blue eyes framed by long lashes.
It was the first time he’d ever engaged in solo conversation with him since Yugi had begun attending the club.
Atem swirled his glass with feigned interest before resting it on his crossed knee. “What makes you say that?”
Yugi adjusted himself in the leather lounge couch that Karim had left him in. “You never go dancing with the others. You always sit here and stare out at everyone with a grumpy face.” Atem cut his eyes to Yugi then, making the boy’s cheeks transform into a bright pink. “I-I mean… uh—”
Atem nearly laughed at how flustered he became. He was endearing. “I’m the owner of the club. I like to keep an eye on things,” he explained without malice and looked away. “But no. I don’t like dancing.”
“It’s funny that someone who doesn’t like to dance owns a club.”
“Is it?”
Yugi gave him a sheepish smile when Atem looked back over at him. “A little.”
A tiny tilt of his lips risked Atem’s image. He quickly took a drink. “And you?”
“Me?”
Atem nodded. “You never join them either.”
Yugi looked over the floor of the dancing and mingling crowd with his lips pressed together. When he looked back at Atem, he shrugged a shoulder as if it did not matter. “I’m not much a dancer either. Never have been.”
“So why do you come to a club?” Atem asked with an amused quirk of his eyebrow. Yugi pursed his lips into a small pout.
“I like to spend time with Karim outside of work.”
Atem bit back a retort of how this was not spending time with Karim. He took another drink to prevent the words from becoming loose on his tongue.
There was a long drawn out silence after, where Atem assumed the conversation was over. However, Yugi surprised him yet again.
“I know how this looks.”
Atem looked over at him to see his eyes downcast and staring at his knees with a troublesome exoression. His club soda was sitting on the table in front of him untouched.
“I know he’s dancing with someone else right now and he left me up here.”
Atem was aware of it. Had been for quite some time. Had seen the way Karim held the girl’s hips lewdly as they grinded against each other.
“I am too shy. I couldn’t give that kind of thing to him,” Yugi explained lowly. “So it’s okay if he finds it from someone else.”
Atem’s frown deepened. That didn’t sound right. At least not for a monogamous relationship they claimed to have. From what he understood of it anyway.
“You believe that?” He couldn’t help but question.
He felt Yugi’s eyes on him then. “Believe what?”
“Believe that it’s okay if he is with someone else? And has left you all alone?” Atem turned to him then, eyeing the way Yugi’s mouth slowly shut down any of his arguments and his eyes grew very sad.
Atem regretted saying anything, but he didn’t want someone as wonderful as Yugi to think so badly about themself. That he didn't deserve better.
Before he could say anything further, one of his workers appeared at his side to let him know he was needed for something. He sighed and sat his glass down on the table. He glanced at Yugi as he adjusted his black blazer.
The boy was staring away with an unreadable expression.
“Get yourself something to drink besides club soda,” Atem suggested. “And some food. It’s on me. Aoi,” he looked at his waitress standing near. “Make sure he eats.”
“Yes, sir.”
He caught Yugi's gaze whirl up to him in shock before Atem left to do what he needed to do.
While he was busy, Mahad found him to let him know that he and Mana would be leaving. Karim still was on the dance floor, palms full of someone else and sending anger through Atem’s veins.
He glanced up to the VIP section. “Is Mr. Mutou still up there?” He asked his associate.
“Yes, sir.”
Atem bit back a sigh. The boy was still stubbornly waiting on Karim. “Ready my car, please.”
“Yes, sir.”
He finished what he was doing and then proceeded to wade his way through the crowd with determination to abruptly snatch Karim’s wrist. The girl looked Atem up and down with a smirk on her glossy lips, but he ignored her to look at his friend.
“Hey man! What’s up?”
Atem leveled a flat stare at him. “Forgetting something?” He asked. “Or should I say someone?”
Karim’s dark eyebrows screwed up in confusion, but then his eyes went up in the direction of the VIP section. “Oh, right. Just tell him to go home or whatever. I’ll see him tomorrow.”
Atem narrowed his gaze. “It’s your job to make sure he gets home safely,” he reminded him and then glanced at the girl who was staring at them. “Or have you forgotten the fact that you have a boyfriend?”
“Boyfriend?” The girl asked bemusedly. Karim sighed and neither men were surprised when she whirled around with a scowl and left them there.
“Really, Atem?” Karim asked with annoyance. “I was so close to going home with her.”
“You’re supposed to be going home with Yugi,” Atem retorted. “He’s been waiting for you this entire night. He’s miserable but he won’t say anything because he thinks he deserves it. If you don’t want to be in a relationship, then break it off with him. Don’t just string him along. He’s a good kid.”
Karim puffed up with anger. “If you’re so concerned about him, then you—” he poked Atem hard in the chest, “—take care of him, hm?”
Atem swatted his hand away. “You’re getting on my nerves, Karim. I have never said a word about how you do things with other people, but I can’t just stand back and watch you act this way with him.”
“Why? You fall for him or something?”
Atem tilted his head with surprise. “You say that as if you’re jealous of the idea. Perhaps I have? What’s it to you? You were just all over another woman, intending to sleep with her.”
“You can fuck off, Atem,” Karim snapped. “If you want him so bad, go get him. He’s nothing to me anyway. He wouldn’t even put out. It’s just been a waste of time trying to make him. Just shows that someone as pretty as him won’t open his legs so easily—”
Atem’s fist collided with Karim’s face before he knew what was happening. His insides shook with fury and his knuckles seared with pain when he dropped his hand to find Karim holding his mouth, eyes dark.
“Get out. And I don’t want to see you ever again.”
Karim wiped at his lip, where blood had collected. Good. He deserved it. “You must have truly lost your mind to throw our friendship away over him,” he muttered and then pushed away from Atem.
Surprisingly, Atem didn’t feel like he’d lost a friend. He didn’t feel anything except fury and the rush of adrenaline at that moment.
He left the dance floor, finding his associate standing there waiting for him near the VIP entrance. Prompt as ever, he handed over a handkerchief for Atem to wipe the blood from his hand.
“Thank you,” Atem told him, eyes straying to the stairs. “Is he still here?”
“Yes, sir. But uh…"
Atem looked up at him sharply. “What is it?”
His associate cleared his throat. “Well, it seems he is very intoxicated, sir.”
Atem nearly gained a headache at the thought. “I’ll take care of it.”
Upon returning, he saw Yugi splayed out on the couch, arm over his eyes. His mouth was moving. When Atem got closer, he realized Yugi was singing along to the song with a slur.
He admittedly didn’t have half a bad voice. He let him continue for a moment, appreciating his tone, before he finally called, “Yugi.”
“Karim?!” Yugi shot up so quickly, he nearly fell off the couch and Atem shot over to him to catch him.
Yugi stared hazily back at Atem, irises watery. “You’re not Karim.”
Atem felt Yugi’s shoulders deflate under his palms with obvious disappointment.
“No,” Atem agreed, voice deeper that he meant. “He went home. Let me take you—”
“No!” Yugi said with a rather strong push to Atem’s chest, taking him off guard. “I’m waiting for him. He’s gonna come back up here. He’ll come get me.”
“Yugi,” Atem tried again, gently. “He’s already left. He told me to take you home, alright? I have my car ready, let’s—”
“No, he’s still here!” Yugi insisted, standing on wobbly legs. “I’ll go and find him and show you—”
“Yugi!” Atem shouted, grabbing him before he could fall over. However, the sudden impact resulted in them both tumbling to the floor, with Atem breaking their fall.
In an instant, Atem’s oxygen left him as he looked up and saw Yugi above him, centimeters from his face. His breath warmed Atem’s cheeks with every pant.
They stared at each other for a long, drawn out moment and Atem’s heart pounded in his chest. Yugi was lighter than he’d expected. His breath sweeter. His eyes were far more beautiful at this proximity.
“You have kindness in your eyes,” Yugi murmured into the tiny space between them. “Do you know that?”
He lowered his head more and Atem lay there like a fool. Unable to move or say a word as Yugi nearly pressed his lips to his.
Their noses brushed and Atem’s heart did a weird flutter thing he'd never felt before. His entire body went still and hot simultaneously.
Just when he was positive he was going to allow a drunk Yugi to kiss him, Yugi slowly laid his head down on Atem’s chest instead, the boy’s sweaty forehead resting upon his collarbone.
“Am I not good enough?” Yugi’s small voice spoke upon his skin. “Everyone I’ve ever dated has cheated on me. Does that mean something is wrong with me?”
Atem’s chest constricted and his arms lifted on their own, intending to comfort him, hands wavering above Yugi, before resolutely placing them upon his back. “Nothing is wrong with you,” Atem told him softly, ignoring the fact that he was lying on his own club’s floor. “Nothing could ever be wrong with you, Yugi. You’re perfect.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he nearly swallowed his tongue. He hadn’t meant to say that. Hadn’t meant to reveal what had sat dormant within his heart.
And when Yugi didn’t respond, Atem became itchy with discomfort. It took him all of five excruciating heartbeats to realize Yugi wasn’t moving away either.
“Yugi?” He murmured, running a hand over his shoulder blades. When no response came then either, Atem frowned and gently moved Yugi’s head to see that the boy had fallen asleep. Right there on his chest.
Atem’s mouth fell open, his eyes flickering over the soft, round sleeping face of Yugi. Over the tracks of tears and the smear of light, shimmery eyeshadow. Of the remnants of red lip stain.
Yugi breathed slow against him and it was peaceful despite the thumping music surrounding them.
A clearing of throat made Atem jerk and look above him, seeing his associate awkwardly standing there.
Atem’s entire face grew red at the fact he’d been caught in such a position. “Is the car ready?” He questioned, attempting to vainly retain his dignity, and the man nodded, eyes averting.
Carefully, Atem moved Yugi to sit up, and then picked him up with all of his strength. Yugi’s arms wound around his neck as if he'd done it a thousand times over, stilling Atem’s efforts in surprise, but the boy’s eyes did not open. His head lolled to Atem’s shoulder.
A tiny smile jerked Atem’s lips, but he didn’t allow it to slip as he silently followed his associate out of the club and to his car.
He gently laid Yugi down in the passenger seat, seat belting him in and laying the chair back a little, only to be shocked by a soft hand touching his cheek.
Atem’s eyes whirled up to meet Yugi’s heavy lidded blue eyes that looked nearly black in the dark car. Their mouths hovered near each other. Far too close than appropriate.
For the second time that night, Atem could feel Yugi’s warm breath on his lips.
It would take no effort at all to just bridge the gap between them and take his plump little lips for his own—
No. Yugi was so out of it. He couldn’t do that.
He took the hand from his face, squeezing Yugi’s fingers in the process. “Rest, Yugi,” he murmured. “You’re safe.”
“My protector, hm?” Yugi asked with a silly, adorable grin turning his lips. His head fell back heavily on the chair. “My hero.”
Atem held back a smirk and closed the door. Atem had never been a hero.
But for Yugi, Atem was quickly realizing he would be or do anything Yugi asked of him.
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