It Wasn't That Terrible

"Hey." Bes showed up next to them as they talked to Tjenmyt. They were trying to teach them new games. "Found some luck, huh?"

"I wish we had found them earlier," Yugi said to him. "They don't want to just play, they want to learn new games. I know lots of games. For every ten games, they are offering a whole day."

"Great. Your girlfriends have news. You got that sense yet?" Bes asked. "One is so excited, the thought is permeating to everyone."

Excited? "What news?"

"She got the other girlfriend to try for a date with Atem."

Yes! "That's great progress." Yugi looked at Atem. "You got a date."

"A date." Progress. Very far away from marriage, but any amount of progress was good.

"Got some advice though," Bes warned him. "There's a lot of worry permeating through that room too. Your uh . . . you know, banishing her to the Underworld with her kid has made her real weary of you. Recommend not playing a single game on that date."

Underworld? "The Shadow Realm."

"Yeah. Whatever the mortals call it now. You know, Osiris' place of deals," Bes said.

"If we don't play games, then what would we do?" Hmm. "I went on a date once. Arcade and museum. We got drinks."

"Oh no, God's Brew shouldn't be involved in a date with people who aren't gods." Tjenmyt warned him. "Deals made over it never turn out well. Only desperate gods without friends use it like that."

"Oh, and no deals. She doesn't want any bets in any game. Sounds like an absolute deal breaker," Bes warned him. "In fact, you were probably really smart not telling her about the kids or you know, going to Bakura. She wants to see his spirit. Seriously? You have got some competition if he ever finds a way to that wedding chapel. Easy to walk down it. Make the date count."

"Damn, damn, damn." Atem looked toward Yugi. "This again?"

"Death doesn't change alliance. Add in the whole . . . she raised your kid six years without you, and you just showed up and proposed marriage? We are lucky you got her to a date."

"I have to make sure Bakura doesn't reach her." Atem looked toward Bes. "Could you keep that from happening?"

Bes didn't look as happy about that. "Honestly? I don't think I can. Once Isis hears Masika's misery, she will be there. You should probably go see her instead of trying to just block her. She's going to eventually meet him. Be prepared."

 ---

One minute Masika was resting on the chapel stairs, the next she was resting on a whole different set of stairs. There was some sort of gazebo ahead. Atem was in it.

"Really? I barely agreed to a date for Anzu. Shouldn't you be busy doing important almost a god things?"

He moved closer.

"You can't make any deal in any game, I stated that," Masika said. She went toward the gazebo area. "Fine, I am here."

"Why are you rebelling about this?" Atem asked oh so not modern man romantically. "Your afterlife if you do not come will be bleaker. You already know it wouldn't be great. I am also not there to grant any extra favor in your afterlife anymore."

Riveting. "Flowers or chocolates work better on a date." She passed him. "At least you seem more like yourself. You aren't trying to decide to grab my hand or not."

"You haven't answered the question," he pointed out.

"Well, I could ask the same thing? Yugi would of course want Anzu. How come at no point you had never decided 'hold up'? Eternity. With me. Not even a discussion to argue about it at all?"

"Forever together, and forever apart. Yugi would never leave Anzu behind, it would be pointless to have that conversation," Atem said. "She was and is his everything. Always."

"So I am just stuck as your queen to you?"

"Yes."

"Yes. I suppose you wouldn't be too disturbed about it. Who would you have married if you had survived I wonder?"

"Does this have a point?" Atem asked.

"What was with the strangeness before? Were you intoxicated like Anzu suggested?" Masika had to ask.

"It's hard to explain. I felt like I was joined with Yugi for a small lifetime. I was separating my feelings from those feelings again. Now? Will you answer?"

"My afterlife will be bitter, probably enslaved again in some other Pharaoh's afterlife kingdom. Serving them," she said. "My choices are to marry and go to the Land of the Gods, go to my terrible Egyptian aferlife, or wait here at a wedding chapel for eternity."

"Exactly, so choose the option for the best afterlife," Atem insisted. "You know which that is."

"Maybe. All I've heard so far are explanation and threats. You are terrible at dating." She was ready to walk away. That went about how she expected it to.

"What do you want?" Atem asked toward her. "I will not mistreat you. I will not be a terrible husband. I will be honorable."

"Keep going." Ah yes, that made his little Pharoah brow crease. "It's a once in a liftime, or shall I say afterlife, experience to hear a Pharaoh's words to a slave."

"I . . ." Atem tried to walk closer. "I will give you whatever is within my power, if it is for decent purpose."

"Try harder. Impress your own slave, Pharaoh." She watched him.

" . . . I would pleasure you in any fashion you wish."

Oh, so far away. "You think you could do that?"

"I'm sure I could figure it out. Plus, it is eternity," he said. "Now will you marry me?"

She tilted away, "You want to know how the date went, Téa? He was quite charming by pointing out obvious points and trying to growl as he groveled. I was swept off my feet." Ha. "Really, Atem. I think you know what I want?"

"I don't know. Respect?" Atem asked. "I already respect you."

Oh wow, terrible.

"I know that you want choice," He finally said. "That is something I wish I could grant. For now, all I can do is convince you. I am not very good at convincing you. I was hoping I would do a better job, yet I don't have the distractions of mortals. Arcades. Museums."

Masika moved toward him. "Prove that you trust me. Stay still, no matter what I do." She came toward him. He didn't move. She grabbed him by his wrists. He still didn't move. She bent toward his ear. "I want the truth," she whispered. "What are you hiding from the gods themselves?"

He looked toward her awkwardly. "I can't."

"Well, you can try. I am after all just a slave, you can't go wrong, can you Pharaoh?" She leaned closer, finally looking at him gently. Finally being more like herself without the anger again. "Try and whisper something in my ear. Depending on what you say, maybe I'll give in to another date."

He leaned toward her ear. "Still ever the actress. Using words like slave and pharaoh when you've been living six years in modern society. You are definitely putting on a show. It is a matter of gods and demons though, nothing that you can handle."

"I didn't say I could handle it, I just wanted to know about it." She was still keeping her acting up.

He whispered in her ear again. "It is a sign of trust I cannot give. Anything else in the world I can. This must be done, Masika. Anything, I never told any lies. Anything I said before still counts. I would be a decent husband."

Hmm. She leaned closer back toward his ear. "Silhouette?" Yes, he didn't look too happy at her word. It had something to do with their daughter. Something with gods and demons, that she wouldn't be able to help with. She moved even closer. If they are ours, then how did she save me when we were stuck in the cave? And the deal, with Zorc, to help. Did not all of it release? What would that do? 

"Don't say a word." Atem seemed to have figured out that she was on the right trail. He leaned closer again. "The situation does not change. The best you can do, is not put up this fight."

Hmm. She smirked and leaned back in. "I only gave this date because I wanted the truth."

He just shook his head and whispered in her ear. "I knew you were acting. You are good, Masika, but acting isn't enough. The gods themselves can feel your feelings. That's how I knew you approved of a date."

"Well? Foiled." She shrugged. "At least I tried. Weird that people can see into our minds."

"They haven't said anything about your minds. They can hear your conversations."

"Must be some perverted gods out there to want to listen so closely to all of the romantic things we whispered to each other." She wouldn't completely give in then. She moved closer to him. "Is me hanging on, helping or hurting. Think about all the facts, and then shuffle your feet."

He was confused, but as she shuffled his feet, he caught on. Yes, right, it was a date, not an interrogation. He needed to remember that. He shuffled in his dancing about as well as her.

Neither one knew how to dance. She just needed something to do that looked standard for a date while she gave him time to think hard about that answer.

He was thinking hard too. They had been shuffling a good five minutes, before he pulled her closer and whispered in her ear. "Would you marry me for Téa's happiness, no matter what?"

That was an odd response. First of all, she was looking for a straight yes or no, that would have been easy. Second of all, she never agreed to the marriage, so his words with 'no matter what' was quite curious. There was some worry in there, like there was a way she could mess up. How could she mess up? He continued shuffling feet next to her, so she could think about her words carefully.

How could she mess up? They had to both get married if Téa wanted to join Yugi. Not getting married just left them in a stalemate. Was there only so long they were allowed to wait? "Time limit?"

"No," he answered swiftly as he kept shuffling.

Hmm. No time limit to a yes. Then? If I marry someone else, would that pull her to my side of choice? Oh. It doesn't have to be them. She moved closer toward his ear again. "I won't marry anyone."

"Oh, thank goodness," he said aloud. "Except for me?"

Well? For Téa?

"If Bakura shows, he might try something. Please trust me and don't go into the chapel if he arrives here," Atem said. "Masika, I know we did not start well when we first met like this. I do know, by the end, we did finally make something akin to a friend in each other?"

"Yes, which is not the same as marriage proposal limit."

"Pharaoh never chose much anyhow. It doesn't matter to me. Friendship is better than some others received."

Better than some others received? "I seemed to burn through husbands left and right with Bakura's help." The gentleness in his eyes seemed to tighten up right there. Bakura still bothered him, even though she already confirmed she had no interest in marriage to Bakura. Hmm. He must have something to do with Silhouette as well. He wouldn't reveal more to her though.

What to choose? He still never actually said yes or no. Then it wasn't a yes, or a no. There wasn't a rush for him, just a warning. "Technically if I do, I am sure you would treat me the best of all of them."

"I would." His eyes softened again, seeing she didn't mention Bakura's name any more.

What is it that you are hiding, that concerns both Silhouette and Bakura together? "I don't like to rush decisions."

"Yes, I remember how you play Connect Four," he teased her. "You don't need to rush, just don't enter that chapel with anyone else. I should get back to Yugi."

"Yes. I'll get back to Téa. If I see Bakura, I won't go in the chapel with him. I will keep Téa out as well." There. Now he looked even better. I really shouldn't be appealing to him so much. He's holding secrets about my daughter, while expecting marriage. Still? It made her feel better to see him happy. "Go back to your light side, and I will return to mine."

She turned and walked away from the gazebo.

"How did I do on the date with you?" Atem asked.

"A lot of interrogation, but there was shuffling like dancing and ear whispering." She shrugged. "I had never been on a date, so I guess you were the best no matter what." She turned away again with a smirk.

A terrible date with Atem, wasn't that terrible at all.

 ---

 Earth

"Greetings!"

Oh dear. Masika watched Bakura come straight into the game shop. He knew to wait two days.

"Hello, Yuugi. Very sorry to interrupt?" Bakura winced. "He's over excited. We had a visit by someone who referred to themselves as Isis?"

Isis visited them? Masika came toward him. "What did she say?"

"Oh, she said-"

?! He did not just do that! He bent her over and started to kiss her!

"Knock it off!"

She felt herself getting pulled away by Atem, and back straight to Anzu.

"I am super sorry!" Bakura apologized putting his hands up. "He's very excited? Anyhow, she told him that your Pharaoh power?" He changed again. "Doesn't mean shit anymore!" He yelled at his face. "You are over 95% a god, you have no more kingdom, and no more say so over Masika! She is no longer your wife, just because you said it. Same for the other."

Atem just hit his head. "Oh no. That was covering them safely."

"Well, it doesn't work anymore." He looked towards Masika. "Looks like even you were seeing it weakening, the way you just dressed Masika like your little queen doll. Ha! Unless you physically married them here, Pharaoh, that whole shit is fucking over!"

"Will you not curse in front of my child?!" Anzu was getting upset. "Get out of here. This is not the place for you right now."

"Masika?" Bakura insisted. "Everything is fine. You can come back now."

Masika actually glared at him. "You forgot one very important thing, Bakura? In your attempt to spite Atem?" She grabbed him and threw him out of the Game Shop. "You spited me! Two days were requested by me, and you ran right through that. See. Me. Later." She closed the door and locked it. Hmph. "I am very sorry everyone."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Isis was the one who made him too excited," Anzu said out loud. "It's fine. We should probably just close for the day anyhow."

"Agreed." Still, Atem did not sound agreeable. Bakura stressed him out again.

"Yeah, that's fine. We could fix something at home," Yuugi said. "Should we go upstairs?"

"Yeah, I'm getting hungry," Hikaru admitted. "Why did Bakura-"

"Totally different version than you would know. Don't worry about him," Anzu insisted. "Let's just go upstairs and start figuring out dinner."

As they went upstairs, the women escorted the children first, while Yuugi and Atem dwelled in the shop a little longer.

///Atem: Isis made that point for a reason. Anything to make the other us' join.///

///Yuugi: It's okay, Atem. It feels better not just having it declared and made. It should be their choices.///

///Atem: Isis could be up to something. Yuugi. If she already-///

"No, no, no!" Anzu shouted.

Yuugi and Atem both headed upstairs.

Anzu and Masika just stared between them, at nothing.

Isis already took them back.