An early night they'd called it. It didn't really bother either of them. The streets had been sparse with duelists today anyway. So it wasn't really a problem for the both of them to grin at each other, set their Duel Disks back in and walk home together. Not their own home, the two didn't strictly live together- yet. But they often found one another in each other's apartments. It was a growing affection and neither wanted to deny it.

Today they'd walked back to Atem's apartment. He'd never admit it, but he liked being there a little better. While being slowly let into Jounouchi's personal life was exactly what he wanted, he often had the urge to clean the blond's messes. In his own apartment it was excusable. But Jounouchi's apartment was littered with clutter, clothes and trash from time to time. It was understandable, to be sure. The duelist was just that and also worked a job. Things were bound to get messy.

Atem knew though that it wasn't really time getting the better of the other. Jounouchi probably didn't like doing chores.

Now they were safely back inside the cleaner apartment. The shorter man opened a bag of chips and poured a glass of soda for the other before sitting next to him on the couch. The TV was turned on as Atem's deck was produced from the confines of the box on his belt. A book of cards was pulled from underneath the couch. Jounouchi stole glances every now and again as the King of Games retooled his deck and strategies. He did so every now and again, as a good duelist should. Though his regular cards always stayed, his signature moves never left, but he still added and removed lesser known monsters and things that hadn't worked from last time.

It was amazing to see the other work, Jounouchi wouldn't deny it. Even as bright and colorful images flashed across the TV screen, he found himself drawn to the soft sighs and clicks of Atem's tongue as he thought. Maybe it was just that he wanted to get a look at the new deck before inevitably facing off against it. Maybe he really was just extremely attracted to Atem, every part, and this was one of the more intriguing moments.

He was getting used to thinking thoughts like that. At first it had really bothered him, but now not so much. He didn't mind letting his eyes wander, or his mind either. Atem was beautiful. While Jounouchi would never admit it, the shorter's nearly feminine structure helped just a little. He liked to run his hands over those hips and see those shimmering eyes look up from beneath those long lashes. Those lips curving up in a soft smile directed at only him- it was enough for a daydream now and again.

Brown eyes were caught staring as Atem looked over at him- but there was upset in those eyes. He finally allowed the world to pour back in, he'd been so out of it just staring. "Huh?" Atem was saying something.

"Turn that up!"

He fumbled with the remote, not used to being yelled at like that before the volume appeared on the screen, lines filling up across the right.

"-the discovery shocked many archaeologists who had long since thought this area to be barren. The tomb was well hidden and well trapped as well. It had taken a numerous team to move in and back out of the dank man-made cavern carrying the coveted prizes."

A news report? Jounouchi was instantly not very interested. He stole another glance to Atem. His Duel Monster cards had been dropped along the couch and table. This must have been bad. A pang of hurt resonated in the blond's chest as he watched his friend and lover's saddened expression.

"A sarcophagus was presented, one Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen, the men were saying. His name was etched all over the tomb as well as warnings of disturbing his body. Among him one more sarcophagus was produced. Upon further viewing, it was revealed to be a no-named female. Being tucked so close and in the tomb with the Pharaoh, one can only guess it was his wife."

The name didn't immediately ring any bells for Jounouchi. But the way Atem was looking at the screen, the way his smaller hands were curled together-

"Is that your family?" His mother and father?

Atem didn't hear him, too trained on the images the TV was showing. It was just the caskets. It was okay. They could put them back. He could-

"And here we see the bodies our scientists are examining,"

The world went white around him for a moment, the soft and faint sound of ringing in his ears. A warmth coiled around him, protecting him for the moment. But he would never get those old, broken faces out of his mind. The empty eye sockets peering endlessly into his soul. He didn't want to come back. He didn't want to see them again, not like that. It wasn't right.

"-tem! Atem! Come on! Snap out of it!" Jounouchi's voice drizzled over him. He realized he was being shaken lightly.

His eyes regained coherency. "Wh-what happened?" He raised a hand to his head.

"They showed those mummies on the screen and you passed out for a second there. Are you alright?"

The images flashed back in his mind. His own mother and father, and people were poking at their corpses. People were intruding into their lives, their bodies. They'd find the canopic jars and touch everything in there too. He was sure of it. Slowly he stood. "I-I'm fine." A throw away gesture as he moved from the couch and back to the kitchen. His hand came to brace his stance, his legs feeling weak.

"Atem," The soft voice appeared behind him, a hand going to his shoulder.

It was in that moment he snapped. He turned, embracing Jounouchi tightly, hands grabbing in the back of his shirt and clinging as hard as he could. His face hid against the taller's chest, just trying to hide whatever expression he was wearing.

Jounouchi was stunned for a moment, being held that hard so quickly. But faster than he thought he would, his arms came down around Atem, holding him gently. The other was hurting, and that didn't sit right with the blond. Thoughts of breaking into whatever lab that was and kicking some ass made themselves proudly known. He'd do it. He just needed permission from Atem. But talking about it right now probably wasn't the best idea.

He just stood there, holding Atem for a long while, trying to encourage him to cheer back up. He couldn't really understand what the other was feeling. He'd never been particularly close with either parental figure in his family. But he could still understand seeing their dead bodies would be damaging, much more so when one considered they were being flashed to the entire world. Egyptian studies seemed so normal, excavating tombs and going through their things, looking at their dead bodies.

Now that he had Atem he had to wonder just how bad it all was. It seemed... wrong. Disturbing the dead like that, taking their things, moving their bodies. He'd never really realized before. But now that he was holding a shaking and upset impossible man from the past in his arms, he realized how terrible it all really was.

"We can call Ishizu." Jounouchi surprised himself with such a calm and genuinely smart rebuttal to the situation (even if his first thought had been to kick some ass instead). In times of need, it seemed, he was capable of being rational and understanding.

Atem wordlessly nodded, still clinging tightly. It was a good idea. She held weight over that community. She could do something.

But the initial damage had already been done. "Don't-" The words didn't want to come out right for so many reasons. He never had intended to look so weak in front of this man.

"I'm not going anywhere. Don't worry about it." A weak smile as he leaned his head on top of Atem's, embracing him fully.

"Thank you, Jounouchi..."