HANI

Seto’s eyelids began to droop around midnight. Atem wasn’t sure whether he was tired, bored, or both, but he snuck his hand into Seto’s and wove their fingers together with a gentle squeeze.

“Are you alright?” he asked, keeping his voice soft and low, although it was difficult to hear him over the sound of Joey and Tristan arguing about something across the room, and Yugi’s loud, dismayed cry, ‘Joey, you were supposed to be watching the oven!’ 

“I want to go home,” Seto muttered, sounding only mildly irritated. His red plastic cup crinkled in his hand when Joey shouted again, and Atem nodded, rubbing his thumb over Seto’s knuckles reassuringly. 

“We can leave soon. I just want to say goodbye to Yugi first.” 

Atem let go off his hand to look for Yugi, but before he could take more than two steps forward, Seto reached for his hand again and gave it a tug. Atem looked over his shoulder curiously, and Seto pointed up at the low ceiling. A dusty bundle of fake mistletoe wrapped in twine dangled from the ceiling, and Atem looked at it for one long moment, remembering everything Yugi and Joey had told him about Christmas traditions, before grinning at Seto. 

“I didn’t realize you were such a traditionalist,” he teased impertinently, even as he drew closer, snaking an arm around Seto’s waist. 

“I’m not,” Seto sniffed, but in spite of his tone, Atem could see the excitement sparkling in his eyes and the smile playing at the corners of his lips, just enough for the dimple in his left cheek to reveal itself. “I just like anything that will make your friends squirm. They still don’t like me, you know.”

“I know. They’ll come around.”

Before Seto could retort that he didn’t care if they did, Atem pinched the delicate jut of his chin between his thumb and forefinger and guided him down into a kiss. Seto’s thin lips tasted faintly of honeyed port, and Atem kissed him softly three times, before deepening the kiss for just a moment, one sweet moment just between them amidst the chaos of a Christmas party with full access to Grandpa’s (mediocre, in Seto’s unkind assessment) liquor cabinet. 

Atem withdrew and splayed his fingers across Seto’s chest, drumming them over his sternum.

“I’m glad you came. You look cute in your sweater,” he said fondly, his eyes warm as he inspected Seto’s ugly Christmas sweater. Garish colors, tinkling little bells sewn over the nipples,  ‘Santa can’t afford my Christmas list’  written in a stylized font that looked like Christmas lights. He laughed and poked his finger into the dotted i in the center of Seto’s chest. “Very cute.”

“Very funny.” 

Seto rolled his eyes, but a crash in the kitchen interrupted him from any further comment. There was the distinct sound of Ryou and Yugi both shouting at Joey and Tristan now, and a moment later, the two boys darted out from the kitchen, before Otogi cried, ‘Don’t turn on me, it was all them!’

Seto gave him a pointed look, and Atem winced and made a face. “I can apologize to Yugi for leaving early another time. Let’s go home.”

_____________________

No. Don’t feel bad for having Atem as your favorite character.

Too many times I’ve seen Yu-Gi-Oh! fans get hassled because they like Yami.

“You only like him because he’s stronger and more handsome than Yuugi.”

“The story isn’t about him! It’s about Yuugi and the way that he learns to be more confident and believe in himself through his friends!”

No. No, I don’t like him because he’s attractive.

I like him because he not only IS one of the main characters, but he plays a vital role to the story, AND the character development seen in Yuugi as you just mentioned.

OK FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVEN’T FINISHED YU-GIOH! DM, MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.

PROCEED AT OWN RISK.

1. Yami (or Atem in this case) Died at the age of 16 desperately trying to protect them from Zorc. AND WHEN HE WAS KING, WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS AN ENORMOUS RESPONSIBILITY TO BE SUDDENLY DROPPED UPON A TEENAGER, HE WANTED TO MAKE EVERYONE EQUAL

He even says this directly to Mahaad after Mahaad is bitten by a snake instead of Atem because he jumped in front of him to prevent the prince form being poisoned.

2. Yami was trapped in the puzzle for 3,000 YEARS.

THREE. THOUSAND. YEARS.

I don’t know about you, but that is more than enough to drive anyone completely crazy. Which may explain his actions in Season 0.

3. When Yami realized how much he was scaring and hurting Yuugi after hi duel with Kaiba in Duelist Kingdom, he immediately apoligizes and promises him to never ho against his wishes again.

HE SHOWS THAT HE HAS RESPECT FOR HIS HOST. HE MAY BE THE ONLY SPIRIT IN THIS SHOW THAT GENUINELY CARES FOR HIS HOST AND THEIR WELL-BEING.

4. Yami teaches Yuugi to stand up for himself and to believe in his capabilities both as a duelist, and as a human being.

He teaches him that he is strong and brave. And on top of that, he teaches Yuugi that his kindness and his forgiving and trusting nature is a STRENGTH. NOT A WEAKNESS.

THAT IS EXTREMELY UNCOMMON IN PEOPLE BOTH IN ANIME, AND IN REAL LIFE, BECAUSE MEN ARE TAUGHT TO BE ROUGH AND TOUGH.

5. Yami has NO IDEA WHO HE IS OD WHERE HE CAME FROM.

Imagine a world where you have been trapped in a dark room alone for so long, that you have no idea how long you have been there, or even why.

Putting aside the fact that he had to erase his own memory to protect both his friends, and the entire world, he has no idea that he erased his own mind. Or why.

All he knows is, “I’m trapped in the puzzle.”

Then all of a sudden, you are plunged into an unfamiliar and highly advanced world that you have no knowledge of whatsoever.

That would be enough to, again, drive most people insane.

And finally, 6.

Atem not only teaches Yuugi important things that he needs in life to succeed and be a happy and healthy human being, but he also learns important things from Yuugi as well.

He learns to be forgiving, trusting, and most importantly,

Kind.

He even comforts Yuugi when he loses the ceremonial duel.

“The winner shouldn’t be on his knees. Why, if I were you, I’d be celebrating!”

“You have always had a power that I never had.

Kindness.”

I could go on and on, but I have school in the morning and I need to rest.

So yes. Yami Yuugi/Atem is my favorite  character.