@lokelios Puzzleshipping headcanons Yugi and Atem live in Egypt and Kanon is born in domino. They move back to domino a little bit after he's born Yugi and Atem are at first told they can't have children by doctors, but they keep trying anyways. Turns out, the doctors were wrong, and then they have Kanon. This makes the surprise that Yugi is pregnant all the more special When atem first sees Yugi naked, all he can think is 'he's so beautiful'
Headcanon Time: Atem managed to get all besotted with Yuugi by the Dragon Cards arc (i.e. the one where Atem straight up cuddles Yuugi’s soul when it returns to his heart) even though they hadn’t met yet because Yuugi took to having one-way conversations with the Puzzle after Death-T.
And while Yuugi’s thinking ‘pfft, if you can even hear me, you must think I’m silly,’ the unseen spirit’s all ‘omg, you are wonderful, please continue you precious soul.’ 💕
Yugi is the kinky one. He's the one who introduces new ideas to their love life. In the beginning Atem is very innocent and is all flustered and blushy when Yugi talks about new stuff but he gets into it eventually.
Yugi is a bottom but that doesn't mean he's always submissive. He likes to be a power bottom as well. (And no, it's not because of some bullshit yaoi stereotypes. Yugi is kinky af and likes getting f***** in the a**!)
One of their biggest turn ons is roleplay. Introduced by Yugi (of course), Atem needs some time to get used to it and understanding that things like "oh no, please stop!" don't always mean Atem is going too far. Don't worry, Yugi teaches him all about safe words!
Atem is super gentle and cuddly. It takes some time for Yugi to actually get him horny enough to get to the hot stuff. It can be frustrating at times but Yugi also enjoys the challenge!
Yugi likes p0rn to get into the mood, Atem not so much.
In an "Atem stays" AU they'd eventually go to a love hotel. (Which many young people do in Japan because as far as I know walls in Japan are paper thin and you have NO privacy, so what can you do but go to a love hotel?)
Both are clumsy in the beginning (none of them had sex before) but Yugi is more straightforward because as we established the boy is kinky!! Atem is a little intimidated by that...
And also by the fact that Yugi has a really high libido. He could go to the love hotel every day in the beginning! But with time and experience and satisfaction it lowers a bit and they find a good balance!
That doesn't mean it's kinky time all year. Sometimes they also like some very vanilla and super tender love making. Usually that's when Yugi lets Atem take the lead.
Yugi gives absolutely amazing bjs. That mouth alone can give Atem absolute heaven!
Gonna fast track this because I’m at a gas station but aaaa this post hit me with the most random need of Atem developing a crush on Jou due to his humor (and general awesomeness) and the resulting hilarious awkwardness.
That is, Yuugi catching on from some passing look or comment and.
omg.
He knows, and Atem knows HE knows within five seconds, and he’s spazztically trying to dismiss it while Yuugi proceeds to NOT drop it and finds it ADORABLE and haha omg you like Jou!
Because their trust levels are off the chart and Yuugi knows it doesn’t mean anything and proceeds to reassure Atem, because he’s probably never liked ANYONE beyond Yuugi & Anzu and doesn’t know how to process those feelings as just a thing in its own right, but YUUGI does, he probably has crushes left and right on people (and if you think Bakura wasn’t one of them MY FRIEND), and he’s happy to reassure his boyfriend it’s okay, it doesn’t have to mean anything when you don’t want it to...
...but OMG ATEM THAT’S SO CUTE. 😂
(and Atem just screams AIBOU as he combusts with confusion and embarassment)
Aaaand my current favorite late life puzzleshipping fix-it headcanon?
Their version of retiring is quitting their jobs, dropping any remaining champ titles, and spending the rest of their lives murdering everyone at Bridge.
I try to keep it in mind that, culturally and personality wise, Atem & Yuugi wouldn't be prone to PDA. That said, that doesn't mean being a couple has no effect on their manner! Here's a few things that strike me...
…okay, so this ended up being long than some FICS I’VE WRITTEN?? LIKE WHAT?? Someone needs to slap my hands because GOSH THE DARN… Well uh, enjoy my wall of Puzzleshipping love?
– One place that holds special meaning for them
I’m going to go with… Yuugi’s bedroom in the Kame Shop. Yeah, it’s simple and pretty obvious, but just think about it! The boys probably made most of their fondest memories in that room… They formed their bond there, talking and playing games and passing the time… and it was like the only place they could probably talk and not be disturbed while Atem was still a spirit. And, at least in my headcanon world, they hit a lot of milestones within those four walls… both platonically and romantically. :)
– Two arguments they just can’t ever seem to resolve
Well, number one would definitely be a painfully mutual YOU HAVE TO STOP PRETENDING YOU’RE OKAY WITH THINGS YOU’RE NOT OKAY WITH FOR MY SAKE. Like, seriously… Atem and Yuugi both have a bad case of relationship martyrdom. And while it might make for some delicious angst and be its own proof of the love between them, they can’t keep giving into that and maintain a lifetime partnership. Compromise is all well and good, of course, but if you never acknowledge your own happiness as a factor when Big Decisions come up in a relationship… that’s just not going to end well. Even if someone doesn’t get resentful or eventually crack and realize they’re miserable in the situation they’ve gone along with, they will inevitably end up sacrificing too much for what they think the other person needs. I imagine they would both realize this intellectually, and emphatically call out the other when the situation calls for it… but it just comes so naturally to them that neither is good at stifling the sacrificing urge in themself. So, it’s a constant reoccurring issue, and even on the lighter side, they’re both always wary about how much time or effort or money the other is investing into the bond… But thankfully, they are one another’s ever alert watchdog. Yuugi won’t let Atem pull that shit, and Atem won’t let Yuugi.
But uh, for a less serious second argument? Yuugi is never good about his health, and while Atem is no mother hen, he is NOT cool with Yuugi putting himself into an early grave on a diet of 80% meat. Yuugi naturally tries to deflect by pointing out that a chronic lack of sleep is far less healthy, but then the darn man takes the challenge and listens to Yuugi’s encouragement to do better about sleep, so… no leg to stand on there.
On the plus side, Atem gets more Zzzs, Yuugi eats more veggies, and everyone lives a little longer.
– Three skills they tackle learning or mastering together
One, run a house together… Seriously, these two boys are LOST when it comes to maintaining a household. You know, cleaning, cooking, shopping, expenses… None of these things have the appeal of games, like what? Thankfully, Mama Mutou is pretty young (she was only 18 when she had Yuugi in my headcanon) so she’s gonna be around for quite a while to drag both of their reluctant butts into functional adulthood. And they do pretty well about dividing and conquering, as Yuugi masters the cleaning side, Atem the cooking, and they share the shopping, bills, and shop work pretty evenly. :) It’s more fun to tackle that stuff as a pair.
But uh, number two? Exercising. I am not really for the idea of GIANT BUFF YUUGI or abs for miles Atem (I personally imagine he has nice arms and legs from sword practice and horseback riding, but he’s more lean than muscled for sure). Plus, I don’t see them as the HIKE THE ALPS or LET’S EXPLORE THIS ENTIRE FOREST type of couple. But, I do know that it is a pain to stay thin when you’re that short, so I could see them developing a nice cardio routine, with some weightlifting now and then to counter it (and maintain those arms ;) ). It would probably be rather erratic in the school years, but once Yuugi graduates and they both travel, they’d take advantage of the hotel gyms… Race each other on the bikes while playing handheld games. xD Oh, and then buy stationary bikes for home, too… Mama Mutou thinks they’re huge ugly space stealers.
But, number three? Driving. Once they’re out in the world more, and visiting the states or other countries with cities with no good transit system, it would probably come up that licenses would be handy. And my gosh is the idea of Atem spazzing behind the wheel hilarious.
– Four meals or places they tend to eat
1) PIZZA. Seriously. Weekend pizza game parties with friends. They’re a blast. Atem likes pineapple, and Yuugi goes for the sausage of course. Cx Or rather, fights over it with Jounouchi.
2) Burgers, of course. And general fast food… See the second argument above for how this might get out of hand at times, but the fact remains that fast food chains are easy food when you’re traveling a lot or slammed with college homework.
3) To counter some of this junk, miso soup and rice for breakfast. Mama Mutou cooks a pretty traditional table, and they at least pick up that easy basic as a stable.
4) As mentioned above, Atem handles more of the cooking… But that’s really all relative, as he’s never going to love it the way some people do. Between that and the need to watch the shop, he goes for slow cooker recipes a lot. You know, stews and soups and baked pastas that he can throw together before work, stop in to check on now and then, and then easily serve when Yuugi comes home from school/comes up for air from game programming.
– Five dates or events they’ll never forget
1) The Puzzle solving, of course… which would be sometime September 1996, by my own headcanon. Basically two-three weeks into the second term of Yuugi’s 1st year of high school. But anyways, it may not have had a lot of direct importance in their relationship, but Yuugi would certainly appreciate the date in retrospect, and only more so with time. :)
2) The ‘Forever’ vow… you know the one… Do I even need to explain this one?
3) If Atem stays, the day he, you know, stays… and I’m choking up just thinking about it so MOVING ON.
4) The first time Atem and Yuugi go out, publically, as a couple… And I don’t really mean their first date, per se, because outside people might not recognize that’s what it is. What I mean is the first time the two go out and do overt, openly date activities in front of people they know, or at least who would know them. Because I imagine them as a very private sort of couple, and very slow about sharing their romance with even those close to them, so going purposely and knowingly public in anyway would be a Big Deal. That would be a day to remember.
5) The day Spherium II launches… I know that’s not really about them, but do you have any idea how happy Atem would be? How openly proud and admiring and in love and ‘goddamnit how did he get this lucky’ and ugh
And uh, there are countless other days I could mention… Especially more traditional events, like Valentine’s Days or White Days or their first kiss or first date or first time or a proposal or marriage or anniversaries or maybe getting their own house or kid or- yeah. But these five are definitely the most unique events in their bond.
– Six friends they share and love to hang out with together
Ohgod, this ship is a pain to narrow down friends with… I need like twenty options! But, how about the six that they spend the most time with after they are a couple? Because they mutually love Anzu and Otogi and Mai and Seto and Mokuba and the Ishtars… and we’re already over capacity. But the point is, all of these people are unlikely to see Yuugi or Atem on a day-to-day basis. Either they never did, or they’re leaving to do their own thing by the end of school… The only one of these guys I see potentially remaining in active contact is Otogi, and I really imagine him leaving the Domino area of expand his game shop/ideas.
The three that I see actually staying physically close to Yuugi and Atem into adulthood are Jounouchi, Bakura, and to a degree Honda. Jounouchi because of course, best friend, plus he’ll be in dueling circuits with Atem. And Bakura’s the only one I see attending college besides Yuugi, so I like to imagine them both at Domino U. :) Honda has less of a direct excuse, but these are his buds, and he and his family factory are in town, so why would he lose touch?
But uh, for three more… I could go on way too long about some fully realized OCs I have of Yuugi’s college friends and Atem’s dueling/game competition buddies, but I’ll leave it on the three they like best.
Naki- A computer programmer in Yuugi’s class that he picks up a lot from. She’s beyond tech savvy, and agrees to help him out when he proves to be smart and creative, on the promise he’ll be her partner in a class project… and it turns out she doesn’t just leave him with all of the work. She just wanted the certainty of a good grade that a good partner provided. ^_^ Her wry humor and grumbly but kind nature earn the friendship of both Yuugi and Atem… and she ends up staying pretty tied to the pair because she takes a liking to Honda! She isn’t exactly the kind of girl Honda’s parents would like, being a snarky career gal, but they still end up hitched. :) Have one little girl… seriously, don’t make me start. I’ve a barely suppressed love for creating ship babies, even OC pairings are not exempt.
Ruka- Naki’s college roommate, and a journalist (student). She’s a real party gal and she and Naki butt heads a lot, but she earns Yuugi & Atem’s approval because she loves board games, and more than that is great at throwing together impromptu gaming groups. She and Yuugi combine their powers to create some pretty awesome weekend get togethers that involve far more dice than booze… and yeah, there’s booze, too. Just more dice. When school’s over, these parties get lowkey, but they still remain a staple for all involved. :)
Chie- She is one of many duelist friends Atem and Yuugi make over the years… but this one is special. Chie befriended Atem first, facing him in a tournament, whereas most of the other friends meet Yuugi first, and Atem second. The other thing is Chie is the one who prompts Atem, and by effect Yuugi, to compete in games besides Duel Monsters, as she prompts him to face her in a shogi tournament… and it snowballed from there. I see Chie as being this mid-twenties girl from a traditional family who wears kimonos and plays a hanafuda deck- Because I love that deck from Arc-V. She’s a generally composed, elegant, serious gal who goes BADASS when she’s frustrated, but is very respectful of a good challenge despite that. So, she naturally gets along well with Atem, and then later Yuugi.
…pardon me for my random OC ladies download. xD There are also a couple of guys I thought up, but these three are my favs of the lot, and I have now hit six friends.
– Seven activities or hobbies they like to share
1) Uh, GAMES? I mean really… Duel Monsters, card games, board games, video games, puzzles, competitions… give them a game and they are happy. But they are even happier together. :)
2) Working in the shop together. Opportunities are rare due to scheduling/other things to do, but gosh is the experience twenty times more pleasant with the other there.
3) Shopping, and errands in general. Again, just more fun when they’re together, and plus the flow of the walk and activity takes them back to those early days when Atem ‘walked’ Yuugi to and from school.
4) Buying their friends/family members gifts on holidays or special occasions. They’ll each get their own gift most of the time, but their powers combined are powerful, as Atem brings the extreme consideration and determination, while Yuugi brings the raw inspiration and insight.
5) Traveling. I mean, that’s better shared with anyone, but as a traveler I can tell you, people have different priorities on trips- Seeing everything, people watching, sampling stuff, food, etc… And I think Yuugi & Atem would be a good match as travel buddies, as they would prioritize unique experiences that they can share, like climb the Eiffel, scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef, ride every roller coaster in a park, have a beer at Oktoberfest… etc.
6) Reading. This is a far rarer activity, but I think from manga hints that Yuugi likes history readings, and maybe general fiction, and I hopped on the idea that Atem does, too. I also imagine Mama Mutou as a major reader, so it’s a nice bonding thing with her for both of them. But, as a couple, they prefer curling up on a couch or bed and reading out loud to one another… Though Atem does most of the narrating. :)
7) Just watching anything. It’s a nice lazy activity, good for cuddling, and Yuugi ends up laughing a lot because Atem is surprisingly droll with his commentary and observations.
– Eight non-sexual things one does that the other finds attractiveI’m gonna do 4 each for this. cx So, let’s see…
Things Atem does:
1) The way he just moves when he’s really focused on something, particularly with his hands. This comes out most when he’s crafting something, but it’s also there when he’s working a physical puzzle, or holding a game controller, or heck- even when he’s just doing the shop accounts. There’s just something about the unconscious nimbleness of his movements and intensity of his focus that just hypnotizes Yuugi.
2) His voice, specifically when he’s relaxed. Like, when he’s reading out loud… Yup, this is totally why Yuugi pushes him to do most of the out loud reading. cx The sessions are often… cut short.
3) The way Atem just naturally seeks contact with him. Like yeah, that was true even before they were a couple, but after? There’s just something so shivery about the way ‘relax’ in Atem’s brain instantly translates to ‘wrap myself around my partner and cling like a koala on a branch’. And having your significant other sigh and breathe on your neck and turn to jelly from just touching you is… yeah.
4) The way Atem looks at him like he’s the most amazing thing in the world. And yeah, it’s flattering in its own right… but it’s not about the praise. It’s about how Atem looks in those moments, smiling so warm and loving, face rarely relaxed of any furrow, eyes just fixed on him all bright and warm and… Yeah.
Things Yuugi Does:
1) When he’s laughing, full and long and utterly delighted. Yuugi happy and flushed and delighted is just… I honestly think Atem would say ‘died and gone to heaven’ unironically when he sees that.
2) The way Yuugi goes so still and to-the-point with his movements and furrows his brow when he’s really, really concentrating… To Atem, it’s like watching a genius at work, even when Yuugi’s just struggling over a homework reading he’s going to get a low mark on the next day. And one idea I like about Yuugi working from home is just the image of Atem quietly lingering in Yuugi’s office door and watching his partner work for a few minutes… and walking away again without disturbing him. Just, every couple of hours or so. He’d claim he was checking on him if caught, but, he’s honestly just standing there thinking ‘…damn…’
3) In a mirror of Atem’s cuddliness, there’s something… There’s just something about the way Yuugi holds Atem. It makes Atem wonder if he doesn’t have some latent memories from the Puzzle itself, specifically Yuugi holding it constantly. Because from the first there’s just something so natural and reassuring about the way Yuugi cradles Atem, when he’s spooning him or hugging him or just puts an arm around his back. ‘Possessive’ really isn’t a word for how either treats the other… but Atem feels right and happily claimed when Yuugi has his hands on him, in any context.
4) That. Smirk. ….if you don’t know the one I mean, rewatch Yuugi’s duel with Yami no Bakura. Or with Kaiba in DSOD. There’s apparently just something about summoning Gandora that brings out THAT SMIRK. And I like to think it comes out anytime he’s in the middle of a difficult duel or game, and an ace pops up in his hand… And you’re lying to yourself if you think Atem doesn’t see That Smirk in the middle of some board game, and completely misses how he just lost the upper hand because he’s too dizzy from blood rushing places.
– Nine shows/books/games/any media they both love
1) Any of the Mario titles, really. They’re pretty casual plays but they have just enough challenge to be fun, and the humor and heart to earn the gamer devotion. (They have a particular love for Super Mario Bros 3, though… and Super Mario 64. As I’ve featured already.)
2) Tetris. Especially variations that allow for racing.
3) I continue to say it, and I will always say it… Portal/Portal 2. It’s not out yet by my headcanon, but they, will love, Portal. SO MUCH.
4) ZELDA… If I had to pick one, I’d say a Link to the Past. Ocarina of Time is special, too, but Link to the Past would probably be more attractive for its challenge. (At least until Breath of the Wild~)
5) Civilization games. I think they’d LOVE this series, since it’s not just a strategy game you can play with others… It’s a strategy game that let’s you choose your method to win and makes that another factor in your plan to win. There’s a lot of replayability here, and so much to consider turn-to-turn, and both boys could play it in their own way for a unique experience. But can’t you just imagine them playing together, planning out their joint method for world domination? Man… the world is lucky they’re the good guys with no political ambitions.
6) Leaving video games behind for a bit, I really think Yuugi & Atem would develop a love for more traditional strategy games, like Chess and Shogi and Hanafuda… but especially Go. Like gosh, they could get lost for decades trying to master that game together on a global level… and they’d love every minute of it.
7) Risk. It’s a nice board game for when they want to draw in their friends for some insane fun and still have a crazy strategy challenge.
8) I hear a lot of people make comments about how Atem could not handle The Lion King… and while it might indeed be almost painfully emotional for him, I like to think it’d be cathartic, and honestly a positive thing for him. Because, what happens to Simba? He goes through this horrid event… And then is helped through it by his friends and his love, and returns to defeat the evil of his childhood and do right by his father. :) That’s a great outcome for that scenario!
9) I don’t have a name of a likely book (it’s a PAIN trying to locate details on Japanese publications) but I would like to think they’d have a favorite volume on Egyptian history… post-Atem’s time. It’s just sweet to me to imagine Atem wanting to understand the link between the world of his lifetime and the country as it is now, to help ground him in reality and better understand the fate and path of his people… and Yuugi would be very much for participating in this endeavor, since it would likely give Atem some peace of mind and help him understand himself a little more. If they find a good book for that, they’d love it.
– Ten ways they say “I love you”
Atem
1) Starting with canon- When he just right up states stuff like ‘being with you > my own memories and destiny’ like gdi he just SAYS HE WANTS TO BE WITH HIM. That might not be “I love you” directly but it’s sure as damn the substance of the thought. And he says that ‘substance’ kind of stuff a LOT when they’re a couple.
2) Relaxing around Yuugi. Which may not seem like much on its own, but even when he’s happy with his friends or others, there’s always a stiffness about him coming from his need to be strong, and confident, and in control (even if he sometimes fails in the effort)… He does that with Yuugi, too, sometimes, but where other people get a little peek behind the veil now and then, Yuugi gets the full curtain pulled back for him. Gets to see the Atem who stops thinking how he comes off to others, and just IS. And that trust is… well… its own form of love.
3) Painstakingly considerate care in getting Yuugi not just the right gifts, but the right surprises and trinkets and parties and look, he just wants to make him smile the biggest smile he can prompt gdi.
4) The touches. Little head taps and hands clutching and arms clutching and shoulder clutching and hugs and eventually knee clutching and long lingering embraces… It’s like the guy is trying to say I love you by grasp alone.
5) The praising. Like, seriously, the constant praise and idolizing, and saying how amazing Yuugi is to him. And when they’re dating, that expands into more romantic aspects, too, and gah.
Yuugi
1) Where with Atem love is like something to proclaim, to be stated in action and gifts and praise, with Yuugi it’s more… it’s more something to confess. A secret to be shared and displayed only in complete trust. It’s a quiet thing to utter or whisper between sheets or into Atem’s shoulder when they’re nodding off in the dead of night…
2) Either that, or it’s the rare situation where it needs to be said point-blank, eye-to-eye in a do or die, all or nothing scenario… You know, like to your best friend on a pier just as you’re about to die? xD
3) But then there’s the version of not even saying it at all, or even expressing it directly… It’s more an unsaid intention, like when Yuugi sees Atem wants to get him a gift or do something for him, so Yuugi covertly helps him along so that Atem will enjoy the rush of pleasing him. :)
4) But in a more day-to-day situation, it’s said in how this boy with his constantly roving interests and huge circle of friends always openly chooses to set that all aside every night to cuddle and chat and maybe play a game, just the two of them.
5) And, at the end of the day, it’s when Atem makes one of his big statements or displays of affection… and Yuugi just, wells up and embraces his affections every time… And every time Atem says “I love you” with or without the words, Yuugi is always there with an emotional, sincere “Me too.”
purple! omg, i saw this video and it immediately made me think of your puzzlecanon about atem making stuff for yuugi: go to youtube, click on random video, replace everything after the "=" with Srw9gXDa24g
THIS IS ADORABLE MY GOSH
For anyone who hasn’t yet, plug in that youtube link and watch.
…
I’ll give you a minute.
…
You good?
Okay, good.
OH MY GOSH CAN YOU BELIEVE?!
Thank you, Purple! That was lovely.
And man, are you right… I mean, I stick pretty hard to my already written lowkey puzzleproposal, but this is SO up Atem’s alley it hurts. I mean really, I AIM to portray him as that intricate and obsessive with his partner doting!
But gosh… I don’t want to say too much, since I should reaaaaally wait until after two or three more TDWC releases to go into it, but I just love the idea of Atem striving to be flawless, fine-point, and articulate in his affections. Constantly searching for that perfect way to express his feelings.
And poor Yuugi just can’t with it. It bowls him over every time.
