[open]

[note_atem]

It had been five years since Atem was granted his own body and his own life in your time. It had been four years since something you couldn't quite place happened between you two. After some big event in both your lives- he'd looked at you differently. The problem was you hadn't understood it. Slowly you realized you'd spurned that look from him-

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[whitewizardboy]

"The same, I guess." Going to school, searching for a job, trying to rebuild his trust in people, even he had to hide the root cause of his trust problems (mainly for the fact that it involves Ancient Egyptian spirits, dark shadow magic, and just a string of events that no normal person should be subjected to.) But nothing wrong with trying to get on with life, right

[whitewizardboy]

Again? What did he mean by again?

...Was it... him?

"...What do you mean by... again?" His tone was gentler, he was concerned as to why or who would be the root cause of all of this... callousness with himself. "Was it... me?"

[note_atem]

"No, it's really my fault for taking rejection so stiffly." And it was true. It hadn't directly been Ryou's fault. The guy hadn't really been ready for anything, and Atem couldn't and wouldn't blame him for it. No matter how much it had hurt.

"It's just easier to wander than make attachments and risk it." So, so much easier.

And that is the reason this pairing is called Fragileshipping. :/

[whitewizardboy]

"Rejection is never easy to accept..." he knew that feeling too well, probably more than most people should know. "Especially if... you know that you put your all into something, and it's still not enough..."

He felt that way whenever he tried to meet new people. He wanted attachments, he wanted friendship, he wanted... he wanted to be loved and appreciated. Just like everyone else...

Well... Atem still had one connection at least. A strained one, but at least he was attempting to keep in contact with Ryou, at least. It meant he hadn't completely given up on attaching himself to another person.

"It might be easier... but wandering certainly doesn't help solve the problem."

THERE'S A REASON BEHIND THE NAMES? I JUST THOUGHT CRAZY FANS MADE THEM UP :|

[note_atem]

Another slight turn away. He was facing three-quarters towards Ryou, the rest directed off, like he was going to turn fully and leave any moment now. Who knew facing something like this would be this hard to take? He certainly hadn't expected this now. Not after four years of silence about what had happened.

"I don't stick around where I'm not wanted." A veiled statement, assuming Ryou at least wanted to see him- that's why he kept coming by. "And I'm not about to make attachments where other people are trying to live their lives." Why he hadn't pressed. He certainly wasn't going to beg for anything. It wasn't how he did things.

SOME NAMES MAKE SENSE THOUGH, LIKE PUZZLE AND ANTAGO. BUT OTHERS, THOSE ARE CRAZY FANS TALKING. :|

[whitewizardboy]

Well, after he had made that confession... he wanted Atem to stick around. He never expected that he would, or even want to stick around. But, there was always a small smidgen of hope, right?

"I'm not asking you to make commitments or anything. And I'll understand if you don't want to... but is there a chance for us... to start over? To reconcile?" It was probably too much to ask, if at all even possible. "I'm not expecting either of us to just suddenly drop our current lives to be with each other. Matter of fact, I don't want either of us to drop anything. What I want... is... I want to see you. No more of this strain between us. Even if it's nothing more than friendship, I just... I want to see you."

OH YOU CRAY CRAY FANS

[note_atem]

There was a lot to take into consideration here. Especially dealing with the fact that he thought the apology was not leading here. He thought Ryou had been apologizing to get the guilt away and let it die. Atem would have accepted that. He knew the feeling of living with guilt.

But to see that Ryou had meant quite the opposite- apologizing for letting things drift and wanting to course back; he wasn't sure what to do. And having himself at a loss was an uncommon and all too weird feeling.

He forced a light grin to his lips as his head turned to look at the other again. "Well, I'm here, aren't I?" He never ended up places he didn't want to be.

CRAY CRAY FANS, INDEED.

[whitewizardboy]

Yeah, he was here. He was here with him and there wasn't any hard feelings between them. Was this what reconciling felt like? It felt.. nice.

"And I'm here as well." Though what he wanted to do now that they were together, the answer escaped him.

"Well, with both of us here... what do we do?"

YOU KNOW HOW THEY ARE

[note_atem]

Atem had just as little knowledge of what to do with the situation as Ryou seemed to have. The more he thought about it the more he realized the only real healthy and lasting relationship he'd ever had in his life had been with Yuugi-

But really, had it? They didn't talk as much now. So maybe that didn't count. Maybe he had been distant from everyone in his entire life. A long line that had been, after three thousand and some-odd years. Clueless wasn't an easy feeling to accept.

"Move forward." But that's all he knew how to do right now. "...together." A small, awkward offering. But he was trying.

TOO WELL, SOMETIMES.

[whitewizardboy]

And trying was all he could really ask for. And moving forward was always a plus.

"We could... always call Yuugi-kun and see if he wants to come visit this summer?" Maybe even video message him and show Yuugi the face he hadn't seen in the longest time. That would probably surprise the guy out of the sleep he was no doubt previously in.

[note_atem]

If Ryou had been looking, he might have seen a very minute flicker of disappointment in Atem's eyes. He hadn't been expecting much, but immediately involving Yuugi felt like a kick to the gut. Was he just associating one with the other? Or was it that he truly didn't want to spend time with just the two of them?

Maybe it was just another mistake. He'd have to learn to not take things so hard, to not pick things apart and try to fit things together like puzzle pieces. That would prove a very big challenge.

He nodded a small grin. "Ah. Sounds good."

[whitewizardboy]

Well, he didn't mean for it to be the immediate thing they did upon reconciliation. He'd just thought that Atem would like to speak to Yuugi too, like he did. That maybe all three of them could bond together or something...

But, maybe involving a third person was moving a bit too quickly. Maybe something simpler would be better?

"We can... try for ice cream first instead? Yuugi-kun usually turns his computer off this time of day anyway. He likes to sleep sometime..." And Yuugi did love to sleep.

[note_atem]

Atem's sleeping schedule was probably one of the more erratic ones he'd known. And disturbing his partner didn't really sit well with him. So the option of doing something else in the meantime was a highly appreciated one.

Ice cream, hm?

He smiled. "Sure." He'd pay of course.

[whitewizardboy]

Ryou smiled in returned. Something as simple as ice cream can be easy to bond over. And this... moving on thing probably needed all the help it could get.

"I know a place that's not too far from here. I stop by there after school sometimes. It's a quiet sort of place, so I like studying there before I go home. And anything chocolate of theirs... it's heaven." If it was possible to fall in love with a certain kind of food, Ryou would have fallen hard for the chocolate of his favorite ice creamery. He was sure they had other things, but the chocolate had him in love in the first moment. He turned a bit, following a familiar path, already thinking of the wonderful chocolate.

[note_atem]

Chocolate?

Chocolate was the best. Atem really enjoyed it. It had been something of a weakness for him ever since he'd discovered it. So this was a very good idea. He followed close by Ryou's side quietly. There really wasn't much else to say. He'd let conversation flow where it was supposed to. Right then he was enjoying the other's companionship.

[whitewizardboy]

He was enjoying himself, at least. It was probably the longest time that he had felt completely at ease with another person in the longest time. He barely noticed he was chattering away about various topics: school, home life, the weather, whatever caught his mood at that moment, he included in conversation with Atem. It was more relaxing than he had even realized.

Reaching the ice cream parlor, he pointed out his favorite treats. He could probably recite the menu from memory, he'd been here so many times. Though the girls behind the counter were almost stunned because one, their favorite timid patron was actually with someone and chattering away, and two, the person with him was Domino's infamous playboy. It certainly wasn't a sight for the faint-hearted, considering every time Ryou had come there, he was alone and kept to himself most of the time.

And a celebrity in their humble little establishment? It was definitely a remarkable day.