Summary: Transferring to a new University was supposed to be an exciting turning point in Yugi Mutou's life. Reuniting with old friends and making new ones sounded like a huge relief for him after an exhausting summer. But meeting new people also includes the ominous student living on his dormitory floor—the infamous "Yami" Atem Sennen, whose reputation is more dark and notorious than Yugi could have ever expected. How can becoming invested with such a sadistic man completely change the course of Yugi's life? Is there an alternative?

A/N: Hello friends! Welcome to my new Puzzleshipping fic. Just wanted to say that the first couple of chapters might start off a little slow, but it will heat up within no time...I have a complex plot line in the making and it is dying to come out! Hope you enjoy, feel free to leave feedback! All my loving.

Disturbing yet admirable.

The elegant, Victorian architecture deemed as such. Beautiful paintings littered the proud walls, acting as a type of welcome to any who entered. No other person took up space in the majestic hallway. It was a little too grand of a greeting.

Room 47. That was what the nice lady at the desk had said. 5th floor. His two friends would greet them there, he supposed. It wouldn't matter much anyways, but deep inside the thought of seeing two old friends would cater a smile to his face.

"YUG! HEY YUG, OVER HERE!"

Yugi Mutou quickly flung his head around to catch the gleaming faces of his two best friends from High School. His legs kicked into action as he ran over to them, dropping his baggage and embracing them in a group hug.

"Jonouchi! Honda!" He called out with the cheesiest of grins glued to his face. "I'm so happy you're here! I was starting to think this place was haunted."

"Ah bud, I'm so happy to see you!" Jounouchi cooed while taking a moment to caress Yugi's head with a noogie. "Tomorrow marks off the beginning of 'move-in' day. Honda and I are Resident Advisors, so we had to be here a week earlier than everyone else."

"Yugi! It's been so long, how have you been?" Honda greeted once Jonouchi released his friend.

Nostalgia hit Yugi in the face harder than wind while speeding down a high way. Jonouchi's perfectly styled blonde hair and honey brown eyes seemed to have transported Yugi back in time to when they had first met. Honda's spiked brown hair with chocolate eyes to match was the perfect balance, and produced so many comforting memories at a second's notice.

"I've been alright! Glad to be here, that's for sure! It's been a long summer…a rough one at that." Yugi snaked his hand through his tri-colored hair in attempt to soothe the spot that Jonouchi had grinded into.

"Ugh, I can imagine. I can't wait to hear the whole story! Based off what you were saying over the phone, it sounded a little…exhausting. Let's throw your stuff down in our room and we can talk over some dinner, yeah?" Jonouchi suggested.

"Sounds good to me! I could go for some food," Yugi agreed with a precious smile.

The three made their way into room 47, which turned out to be a suite anyhow. It opened up into a living room, eventually pouring into a smaller hallway where three separate rooms laid.

"This is big," Yugi stated in astonishment, eyes wandering all the while.

"For sure, look! This here is my room," Jonouchi introduced while opening the door to his tiny home. The walls were already swimming in posters of super models and Duel Monsters. It had only been a week and yet junk was littered all over the floors. The realization alone made Yugi chuckle.

"Don't even give that dump a second glance, Yugi," Honda boasted. "Check out my place!" With a swing of the door, a much more organized area revealed itself. A single motorcycle poster laid above his neatly made bed. Everything else was packed away nicely and in orderly fashion.

"A real dime, Honda. Probably as clean as my mom's kitchen," Jonouchi teased.

Yugi giggled sweetly while grabbing the knob to his room. He took a peek inside, noting that it was the same size and lay out as his two friends. He tossed his luggage inside and met the guys in the living room.

"Awesome! Since you guys work for this floor, do you know who else will live here?"

"Yup! We can introduce you to them tomorrow! They're all really cool," Honda assured.

"Well, except for that one jag off," Jonouchi reasoned in tiresome. "I was rather pissed off when I realized we had to be RA's for this floor. That freak drives me crazy!"

Honda's face seeped into a frown at Jonouchi's words. He crossed his arms in doubt. "But we don't have to even waste time thinking about him."

Frustration curled onto Yugi's face. "Who are you talking about? He can't be that bad!" Yugi caught the hypocritical tone in his friends' statement, especially considering the two were bullies before they came together anyhow.

"Nah, this one is bad. He thinks he's better than everyone else—"

"And we're not even talking about Kaiba!"

"Haha, exactly!"

Yugi didn't know who Kaiba was, but so far it seemed that all this person was, was a little arrogant. It's a common flaw, isn't it?

"Is that all?" Yugi pried.

"Oh God no!" Jonouchi intervened. "He's creepy. He hides in his room and never seems to come out. Won't talk to anyone, no matter who they are."

"Throughout freshmen and sophomore year he was on the attendance list for 7 of my classes," Honda butted in, "but he didn't show up to a single one."

"He didn't show up to class? Come on, that's an exaggeration!" Yugi huffed.

"He's not lying," Jonouchi backed Honda up. "I've heard his name called out in three of mine, but never saw him throughout any semester. Occasionally he'll come in at the very end of the class to pass in whatever project that was assigned to him. I guess he always passes because he always moves on."

"He's got the Professor's wrapped around his finger. We don't know how he does it!"

"He's an intelligent introvert?" Yugi suggested peacefully.

"It's more than that," Honda denied while rolling his eyes. "Each year, everyone changes rooms. It's just what happens when you're in college. Last year I was on the 3rd floor of this building. Freshmen year I was in the Crawford Dorm."

"I was in the Crawford Dorm for the past two years," Jonouchi jumped in. "But that guy, he's been in this dorm in room 49 since he's been here. No one knows anything about him. Someone mentioned that he went to high school in America, but that's all we know."

"He's like the legendary creep of Domino University," Honda sneered.

"So maybe he isn't fluent in Japanese? Your arguments are invalid," Yugi refuted.

"Why are you protecting this guy who wouldn't even give you a second look?" Honda questioned.

"Because you guys weren't so high and mighty when I met you either, but now you're the best friends a guy could ever have! Maybe instead of judging him so quickly, we can all give him a chance."

Honda and Jonouchi exchanged glances, smiling softly as they looked back at Yugi.

"That's Yugi for yah!" Honda grinned. "You'll see him tomorrow. I dare yah to try and make conversation with him."

Yugi took into notice that Jonouchi was about to warn Yugi against Honda's request, but Honda had quickly stopped him with an intense glare.

"I'll give it a try!" Yugi beamed with hope. How bad could the guy be? Maybe he was just shy and preferred to be alone. How does that qualify as being the University creep? Whatever the case, he would find out tomorrow. "Can we get some food now?"

"You don't have to ask me twice!"

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

"Tell us all about her," Jonouchi mumbled through his aggressive munching.

Yugi's eyes widened at the bluntness, but he wasn't entirely surprised. Jonouchi was never one for small talk. If there was something he wanted to know, it was normal for him to just come out and ask. No "how do you like the food here, Yugi?" No "what do you think of the dining hall?" or "how do you like the campus so far?" He was always up front, which many times can be a blessing.

Yugi took another quick bite of his bacon cheeseburger as he mentally prepared himself to answer. It was one thing to tell someone about their love life over the phone, but it was entirely different to do it in person. Especially when you have their full attention. The awkward sensation caused his eyes to wander and slow down his chewing pace.

"Yeah! Jou was telling me about what you told him. I'd love to have the full story," Honda egged on, followed by an intense stare and stuffing a slice of pizza in his mouth.

After a quick gulp and a swig of coke, Yugi cleared his throat and decided to ask questions to help aid his 'story'. "What do you want to know?"

"How long were you dating her for?" Jonouchi pounced on the question.

"6 months," Yugi confessed while wiping a napkin over his face. "I've known her since freshmen year of college."

"And so you just started dating her this year? You had never mentioned her before March. Just…tell us the background story!"

A soft whine escaped from Yugi's lips, but he glossed it over with a cough. "I met her in my Biology lab during my first semester of college. She must have noticed my last name being called out during attendance, because once the class was over, she ran up to me and asked if I was related to a Sugoroku Mutou. Naturally I told her that was my grandfather, and she freaked out and gave me a huge hug. To be honest, I was petrified."

"Is she hot? Because if she's hot, it wouldn't have mattered," Jonouchi insisted.

Yugi shivered in disturbance. "She's…cute. I wouldn't say hot. She's younger than everyone in her class. She skipped her last two years of high school."

"That's weird," Honda pointed out.

"She's very smart," Yugi shrugged.

"So what happened?" Jonouchi pried.

"Well, she said her grandfather always mentions being close with Sugoroku through their archeology jobs. Apparently her grandfather mentioned that Sugoroku had a grandson, and she was always dying to meet him. Especially since I have a knack for Duel Monsters and my name is somewhat known around town."

"Don't remind me…I'll beat yah some day!" Jonouchi snickered.

"Not now Jou," Honda rolled his eyes. "So then what?" He redirected back to Yugi.

"Well, we became friends, but she was very clingy. She always wanted to hang out and spend time with me. Even if it was just to do homework. She tried asking me out a few times, but I claimed that she was too young. I told her that I would consider it once she turned 18."

"Ahhh, I see!" Jonouchi hummed, leaning back and putting his legs up on the booth opposite of him. "So just this year she turned 18."

"If you didn't like her, you could have just said no," Honda shrugged carelessly.

"But I couldn't!" Yugi denied, leaning forward. "Even though she was clingy, she was very sweet and a loyal friend for two years. She clearly looked up to me and made me up to be some really extravagant person. She gave me all this unnecessary attention that I never expected. After two years of being a devoted friend, I wanted to give her a chance. It was the least I could do."

"Yuugi," Jonouchi drew out his name. "You're too nice for your own good! Just because someone is nice to you doesn't mean you have to date them. As long as you were nice back, you've already paid the price of being her friend. You don't owe her anything more."

"I felt like I had to do it. She was pretty? Smart? Friends with the family. It just seemed like the right thing to do," Yugi shrugged sheepishly.

"And how did 'doing the right thing' benefit you this time?" Honda questioned.

With a deep sigh and leaning back in loss, Yugi replied "horribly."

"What happened?" Jonouchi inquired while drawing at another slice of pizza.

Yugi grabbed one of his French fries and lodged it into his mouth, reminiscing back on his summer days. "It wasn't bad at first," he admitted shyly, avoiding eye contact all the while. "But that was because classes kept us busy and maintained. But once summer came…it got bad."

"Yugi, someone is on the phone for you," Sugoroku alerted Yugi from the kitchen.

"Who is it?" Yugi groaned from the couch, shuffling his deck in boredom.

"Rebecca."

"Tell her I'm not home."

Yugi listened intently as he heard his grandfather explain that he wasn't available. After a few minutes of hearing him say "sorry," and "yes I'll tell him,", Yugi got up from the couch and entered the kitchen in exhaustion.

"Why did you make me say that? She sounded really worried about you."

"Worried? Or obsessed?" Yugi huffed while grabbing a coke from the fridge.

"Obsessed? What makes you say that?"

"Ji-Chan, school got out three weeks ago and she hasn't left me alone since!" He put the can down on the counter to free his hands to use for impersonation. "Every day its 'let's go to the beach' or 'let's go shopping' or 'let's go grab coffee'! 'Let's do this' and 'let's do that'! I'm debating on getting a job just so I can have a valid excuse of staying away for a little while."

"Sounds like normal things a girlfriend would say?" Sugoroku suggested.

"No, you don't get it. The first few days I took up her offers. But there was one day I wanted to hang out with Hanasaki and go to the movies. She called me up and told me she would come over at 2 in the afternoon so we could go bowling. She didn't even ask! I told her I had other plans and she had a fit!" He cleared his throat and improvised her voice while saying "You don't love me anymore, Yugi! You're a heartbreaker!"

Sugoroku couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "You're kidding!"

"Wish I was," Yugi rolled his eyes.

"I wonder where she gets that from. Arthur isn't like that."

"Beats me."

*Knock knock*

"Could you get that, Yugi? I'm going to finish up dinner."

"Sure, Ji-chan." Yugi scurried over to the front door, swinging it open aimlessly. His jaw dropped, "…Shit…"

"I knew you were home! I've known you were home since you GOT home!" Rebecca snarled hoarsely. "How dare you lie to me, Yugi! I've been waiting at your neighbor's house for you to get home, just to prove that you're a liar!" Her sea-green eyes began tearing up as she brushed her blonde hair out of her face.

"She did that?!" Jonouchi nearly spit out his soda. "No fucking way!"

"Yes! I was horrified! All I did was go to the arcade by myself, because being alone was more flattering than being with her at the time. Apparently she had been waiting for me the whole afternoon. There was a ten-minute span between me getting home and getting that phone call."

"So then what happened?" Honda advanced.

"Rebecca, we need to talk…NOW." Yugi demanded, leading her from the porch into the living room.

"Yugi! Is everything alright?" Sugoroku questioned anxiously while stumbling into the den.

"Everything is fine, Ji-chan. Can we have some space, please?"

With a polite nod of acceptance, he scurried out of the room.

"Why don't you love me anymore, Yugi?!" Rebecca sobbed while suffocating a pillow in her arms. "All I ever did was love you!"

"Rebecca…I…" he stumbled nervously on the right words to say. How could he explain how he felt without hurting her even more? "We've been dating for a couple of months now, and, you've always been a good friend…but sometimes I need my space. Just because we're dating doesn't mean we have to be together all the—"

"Is that all we do?!" She glared. "Date? I thought we were together!"

"Well, we are…" Though you're making that very difficult, he wanted to say. "But just because we are together doesn't mean we need to be glued to each other." In attempt to comfort her, he combed his fingers through her hair…

"Don't touch me!" She exclaimed while backing up. "You don't want to be with me! After all I've done for you, you're ASHAMED of me!"

"I never said that-"

"But you were thinking it! How dare you, Yugi Mutou! You're a liar and you are ashamed of your own girlfriend! We're over!" Fighting back her tears, Rebecca scrambled out of the house and slammed the door on her way out.

"Oh, so you broke up then? I thought you broke up, like, at the end of the summer," Honda pondered.

"That was the first of our 17 breakups, Honda," Yugi sighed regretfully.

"17?!" The two friends bellowed in shock. "Why in fucks name would you allow that, Yug?!" Jonouchi demanded.

"I just let it happen, Jou. I didn't care. The first time was when I realized that I had to transfer. Ji-Chan has a friend who works at Domino University so he was able to help me transfer smoothly. It's my fault, really. I should have never dated her out of pity."

"But what gets me is how you put up with her so long! 17 breakups? I don't believe it!" Jonouchi spat.

"Just check the tallies on my bedroom wall. After she would freak out, she would call me the next day in complete hysteria."

"Yugi, I am SO SORRY! I love you so much, honey bun. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I was in love with you before I even met you. Hearing about all of your Duel Monsters tournaments inspired me to the best person I could be. I always wanted to meet you. Before I even knew that you were Yugi Mutou, just seeing you in class that day I had feelings for you. I remember thinking…this is the one. He looks so peaceful and sweet. I remember having that irresistible need to be with you. And the moment I heard your name! I knew it was destiny. I've waited so long to be with you, and you gave me a chance! A nobody like me was given a chance by a wonderful person like you! I am so sorry for all the mean things I said. I can't live without you. Please take me back! I promise to be better! I'll do anything!"

"Humor me!" Jonouchi sneered in disgust. "And she did this 17 more times throughout the summer?"

"Yup. Each time I cared a little less," Yugi admitted.

"And under her nose that whole time you were setting up the deal to transfer here?" Honda clarified.

"Yup! I remember you guys telling me how much you loved it here! I figured things could never go back to the way it was, and Renka University was much too small, there was no way getting around seeing Rebecca again."

"So you officially broke up with her a week before leaving?"

"Yeah, she didn't take it so well. Hopefully it'll help her to understand that obsessing over someone you've already won isn't the best way to keep them happy."

Jonouchi jumped to his feet and let out a large yawn with a stretch to follow. "Tell me about it! That's the only reason why I haven't dated any of the ladies here. They love me too much."

"Or maybe it's because you're so full of yourself," Honda refuted.

"Quiet Honda!" Jonouchi curled his fists in temperamental anger, growling as Honda laughed at his sensitivity.

"Hopefully Yugi will meet someone who respects him and his boundaries at Domino, right Jou?" Honda elbowed his friend.

"Oh there's plenty to meet!" Jonouchi quickly redirected himself. "Everyone here is quite wonderful."

"I look forward to meeting them all," Yugi grinned sweetly.

And he meant it. After the summer he had, literally anyone else would do…

Even that creep they were talking about couldn't have been as bad as Rebecca.