A/N:
HAHAHAHA
I AM DEEP IN HOMO DUELIST HELL

RIP MY LIFE

there may or may not be a second chapter for this in my drafts. but idfk you decide

also: this is meant to be puzzleshipping, not blindshipping; atem isthe name used for "yami yugi" in this fic mainly because, honestly, no one in japan would ever name their child yami. which means dark/darkness.
so i am using atem. which is an actual, honorable, egyptian name.
if atem were a pharaoh in this fic, it would be blindshipping. but he's not. so it isn't.
just to clear that up.

enjoy!

Yugi Mutou was never a particularly… rushed guy.

This was mostly due to the fact that he was cripplingly clumsy. But that's not to say he was a particularly punctual guy either (because he was quite the opposite); why be something as vague as "on time" when time was but a construct of human perception?

This was the sheepish excuse he would give his friends as they ripped into him for being late. Yet again.

Every Sunday, he and his friends - Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu and Ryou - liked to walk a few blocks out to Domino Plaza to goof off; sometimes in Yugi's grandpa's game shop, other times in their favorite cafe; most of the time, though, they could be seen in the window of the little ramen shop, cracking jokes over their bowls. He was headed there now.

Yugi was generally very respectful of these special Sundays. Although none of them said anything, it was silently recognized among them that this year - their final year in secondary school - would be their final year with each other, as well.

Naturally, he felt terrible for being late. A bit of a rush was acceptable.

Though, today, nothing seemed to be going his way.

He'd pulled an all-nighter cramming for their upcoming midterms and had consequently woken up late. He had skipped his usual morning shower in favor of scrubbing his teeth and throwing on the first articles of clothing his eyes landed on - i.e., a black tank top and dark jeans. He barely remembered to take his wallet, house keys and cell phone as he ran out the door.

In his hurry, he also seemed to forget that it was mid-December in Japan, and it was snowing. Thus, his teeth chattered as waited on the curb for the crosswalk's light to change. He was practically naked, as far as this weather was concerned.

He grew increasingly impatient with the light, jogging in place in an attempt not only to get warm, but to release his nervous energy. He could see the ramen shop from here, could practically feel the steam coming off of his first bowl.

Once the light changed, Yugi was charging across the street.

Unfortunately, he forgot to take into account the fact that the roads and sidewalks were spotted with sheets of ice and slush from the snowstorm, and he happened to step on one of said sheets in just the wrong (or right?) way.

It may sound a bit contrived, but he definitely saw his life flash before his eyes - both of which he squeezed firmly shut in preparation for impact.

But the cold, hard ground never met him. Instead, he fell rather ungracefully into the lean arms of a complete stranger.

He felt his cheeks grow warm as he sputtered an apology, entirely forgetting that his eyes were still shut, which was varying shades of rude. But, when he opened them, he found a small smile, tanned skin and amused, red-violet eyes.

The stranger chuckled. "That would've been quite the fall."

Yugi blinked owlishly, sputtering. "O-oh - yes, uh - thank you! Thank you so much for, well - saving me, I guess," he said with a nervous sort of laugh, struggling to take control of himself as he took in the man's admittedly attractive features. "I'm - I can be pretty clumsy. I'm really very sorry to trouble you."

The stranger gently set him upright, giving him a once-over before offering a warm, inviting smile. "It was no trouble at all. You really should be wearing something a bit warmer though, don't you think?" He hardly paused for an answer before he was stripping off his very warm-looking grey peacoat.

Yugi couldn't help another bout of stammering, at a loss for words. "Oh, no, I couldn't possibly - !"

"You most certainly can and you will. It's alright, I've also got on a sweater - which is a lot more than what you have."

After a moment of hesitation, during which Yugi was conflicted over whether to accept the stranger's kindness or politely refuse, Yugi gave in to the cold and allowed the coat to be draped over his shoulders, the lingering warmth of the stranger seeping into his torso. He sighed in relief. "Thank you. Really."

"You're very welcome. Oh! I really should introduce myself - how rude of me," the other said with a breathy chuckle, holding out his hand. "My name is Atem Oba. It is a pleasure to meet you, despite the strange circumstance."

Yugi inwardly floundered a moment, finding the name… unique, and charming. But he hardly missed a beat, taking the other man's hand firmly into his own. "I'm Yugi Mutou. I really can't thank you enough for all of this."

Atem grinned, all bronze dimples and white teeth. "It truly is no problem. But if you're insistent upon thanking me - allow me to treat you to a cup of coffee?"

Yugi gave a wide grin in return, ducking his head shyly before holding the other man's gaze once more. "That's the complete opposite of repaying you, but if you're "insistent upon" treating me like some kind of prince, I can't really refuse while keeping a clear conscience."

Atem laughed, a hearty, likable sound, nodding toward the cafe Yugi and his friends frequent, making a grand gesture with his hand toward it. "You first, your Majesty."

Yugi bowed his head toward the other man politely, indeed taking the first few steps toward the cafe. As he stepped onto the sidewalk, he felt a warm hand press gently on the small of his back.

He gave Atem a wide-eyed look, to which the man timidly replied, a light pink dusting his cinnamon cheeks, "I can't have you falling again."

Yugi turned away, positively beaming, a slight flush on his cheeks as well. How cute.

His friends could wait just a bit longer.