Author's Note: This was written for the weekly challenge topic for the LJ group YGODRABBLE. This week's topic was support.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Yu-gi-oh!

Milkshakes

By Citrus Luver

Once a month, Atemu missed school. The homeroom teacher would shake her head when she reached his name during roll call, and there was silence. There was an unspoken agreement between Yuugi and the teacher for such an occasion. At the end of the day, Yuugi would take Atemu's homework and bring it to his house.

Atemu lived in the rich and glamorous part of Domino. Atemu's bedroom was at the end of long hallway lined with large portraits of wealthy and important ancestors. Yuugi hated walking down the hallway, but he knew Atemu hated it more. It always felt like they were staring into his soul. Yuugi wondered if they blamed him for Atemu's life choices.

After all it was partially Yuugi's fault. It was summer they had turned ten…

The sweltering summer heat had forced the boys indoors. They were sucking on identical blue popsicles with their feet propped up against the air conditioning box.

That was how Yuugi's grandfather found them. There was an overly large smile on his face. He was fanning three tickets. "I see the heat has kept you boys indoors."

"It's hot." Atemu grumbled.

Yuugi nodded.

"Then how about accompanying me to a tournament?"

"Tournament?" Atemu and Yuugi exchanged glances. They remembered the last tournament and wondered how they didn't die of boredom. However neither knew how to decline.

Yuugi shifted a glance between his grandfather and best friend. He mouthed a 'maybe it won't be so bad'. Atemu glared before returning a 'you owe me'. That was how they found themselves in the front and center of their first Duel Monsters Tournament.

During the whole tournament, Yuugi thought he would die of boredom and wondered how to ask Atemu for forgiveness. When the tournament ended, to Yuugi's astonishment Atemu exclaimed "that was so cool! I'm going to play and beat them all!"

Yuugi laughed. "Okay, I'll buy you a milkshake afterwards."

Atemu loved milkshakes. "I'll hold you to it."

Atemu lost his first official match. Walking away from the table, he looked ready to burst into tears. He almost did had he not seen Yuugi's face in the crowd. The boy was holding two large milkshakes. They sat on the curb under the night sky drinking them. "I'll show them. I'll win the next tournament."

And thus Atemu's obsession with Duel Monsters began. It was the only thing the boys didn't have in common. At first Yuugi tried to learn to play to help Atemu prepare. However it soon became apparent a large cataclysm had formed between their skill levels, and Yuugi stopped trying. Atemu didn't need another training buddy.

What he needed was a supporter. Someone to lean on after the long grueling fights he had with his parents. Yuugi knew about the shouting matches. He knew Atemu still didn't have a normal relationship with his father. He knew his mother still burst into tears about her son's chosen career path "professional duel monster player".

Yuugi opened Atemu's door. He found him deeply engrossed at his desk. There was a pile of cards at his side. He was furiously clicking the mouse. Yuugi could see the rapid flicker of the pages reflected in the boy's crimson eyes. Yuugi placed the papers on Atemu's desk.

"Ready?"

Atemu whipped around and nodded. He grabbed his deck and his iconic cloak. Together the boys left the mansion. They parted at the stadium entrance. Atemu went right where the other duelists were gathered while Yuugi went left.

Like all the other times, win or lose Atemu always found Yuugi in the crowd with two milkshakes.

OWARI

A/N: R&R please!