Author's Note: This one snuck up on me because, honestly, it wasn't supposed to exist. But the others on the Best Puzzleshipping Contest chats were playing the new game in Gaia, Frontier Skies, and they were coming back with all the hilarious things that their characters were doing and two jumped out at me, so I linked them together to create this.
I apologize in advance for making Atemu a bit OOC. I really tried to stay true to his character, but two things may have interfered. One, he's supposed to be hysterical, so a bit of wavering back and forth could work for that. Two, I kind of like the idea of Atemu being a bit unstable without Yugi at times, so I went with that.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.
Warnings: m-preg, lemon, character death, possible OOC
Dedicated to the folks in the chats. You know who you are. Extra thanks to Tavi for betaing this.
A Moment to Be Real
Chapter One
The cart jolted to a stop, the people that had gathered in the back quickly jumping off as the engineer fiddled with the controls, cursing the entire time. Atemu waited until the crowd had cleared a bit before jumping off himself, pausing to stretch his back, his muscles cramped from the long ride from his village. He paused to glance back in the direction he had come, trying to commit the image of his home to memory in case he didn't come back again; there was always the chance of dying on a skimmer. He shook his head, adjusting the strap of his bag that was slung over his shoulder before beginning to push his way through the crowd, heading from the market to the docks, his eyes already fixed on the colorful sails that were just in his line of vision, unable to stop the smile that crossed his face.
Danysia was the largest city on the planet of Skelilia, the starships from the other planets coming here to pick up their loads of fruits and flowers, all in demand across the other planets in the system and depositing their passengers, aliens of all kinds who wanted to spend a few restful weeks in the country. Atemu was far too used to seeing them around his home and when he was working on the skimmer to stare at the wide range of life forms that were walking the streets, settling for shouldering his way through the crowd. He was also used to the sights of Danysia, he had been coming here every summer since he was old enough to work, earning more money for his family and satisfying his own need to wander.
He ducked out of the way of a group of tourists, taking a short cut through an alley before coming out into the open, taking in the bustle of the port. People were rushing around, helping lower the cargoes from the few skimmers who had dared to brave the last of the winter winds, crates piled along the edges of docks to wait for the carts to pick them up and deliver them to the spaceport. Captains talked amongst themselves in small groups, all of them walking to their homes in the city while the sailors continued to scurry around the skimmers, checking the rigging and the engines before departing to the nearest bar. Some of the crews were just loading their stuff onto the skimmers, most of the captains smart enough to wait until the unpredictable winds had stopped to make their runs.
Atemu gave a small wave to one of the captains that was walking off, Joey Wheeler enthusiastically waving back until Seto dragged him off, the blonde man protesting every step of the way. Atemu smiled to himself, moving to one side to keep out of the way of a load of crates being brought past, fighting the urge to laugh at their antics. It was only a matter of time before one of them snapped and jumped the other; that fact the basis of a popular bet that was circling around the port. He had managed to avoid placing a bet, mostly because he knew that everyone had lost. Seto and Joey had been together for three years before the bet had been made.
"Hey, looks like the pretty boy finally showed up!" Atemu glanced up, smiling as he saw Duke leaning on the rails of the Puzzle, one of the seven skimmers in the Millennium fleet. Duke gave him a smile before turning to shout back into the ship. "Hey, Yugi, your boy toy is here!"
There was no response, the smile on Duke's face fading before he scrambled below decks, Atemu watching him go before clambering onto the ship, letting his bag drop to the wooden deck with a thud, laughing as he heard Duke cursing below. He leaned back against the rail of the Puzzle, looking around at the familiar wooden deck, glancing back at the wheel in its covered house before staring at the sails, the fabric changing from white to gold about halfway up. Atemu sighed, glancing over the rail of the ship to look at the metal side, the silvery metal revealed where the golden paint had flaked off. In front of the Puzzle, the six others waited patiently for the moment when their engines would be fired up and they would be freed from their mooring. Atemu found he couldn't wait until that moment. Then he would be free of the monotonous life on the ground.
A creak from the rigging above him drew Atemu's attention up, his lips parting in a smile as he stared up at the person. "I knew you were there."
"Really?" Yugi swung down from his place in the rigging, leaning against the railing beside Atemu, careful to keep some distance between them. Everywhere but the privacy of their own homes or the ship, they were nothing more than best friends, neither of them wanting to get threatened by the gangs that roamed the streets at night. Apparently, loving another man made one weaker, somehow. Atemu sighed, glancing over his shoulder at the city, glad that he only came to Danysia twice a year; once to board and once to unload.
Yugi poked his side, Atemu blinking and turning his attention to his lover, his gaze dropping to the silver chain around Yugi's neck. He smiled at the sight of it, Yugi reaching under his shirt at the expression to pull out the small stone smoothed into a teardrop shape. Atemu reached out to touch the stone, running his fingers over the surface. "You kept it."
"Of course." Yugi tucked the stone back under his shirt, sticking his tongue out at Atemu. "Did you think that I would just throw it away? Or were you hoping that another man would catch my eye and drag me away from you?"
"Neither."
"Good, because you're stuck with me, Atemu." Yugi gave him a friendly shove before leaning over to pick up Atemu's bag, the coy look that Yugi gave over his shoulder making Atemu shiver. "Come on, let's get you settled in."
Atemu felt a spike of arousal at Yugi's statement, the look and the perfect view of Yugi's behind doing nothing to help. He felt his mouth drop open, glancing down at his things before looking up at Yugi. His lover laughed, slinging the bag over his shoulder. "Not like that, Atemu. That's for later."
Yugi gave him a little wave before disappearing into the skimmer, Atemu staring after him before forcing himself to turn around and draw in a deep breath, his hands trembling on the railing of the ship. Only Yugi could affect him like that. Some part of him wanted to go below decks and beg Yugi to take him, Atemu shakinghis head before staring up at the sails again, swallowing harshly. He couldn't do that until they were ready to settle down, Atemu hoping that the time was quickly approaching. He sighed, giving the railing of the Puzzle one last pat before jumping up, grabbing a hold of a rope and scrambling up into the rigging, going around and checking things over, pausing when he spotted the captain rushing back towards the ship, Atemu looking forward to see the first in the Millennium Fleet firing up her engines.
The Eye strained at her moorings for a moment before the lines were tossed up, the skimmer rising a bit, just far enough to not scrape against any of the trees or small buildings between Danysia and the fields, before zipping away. A cheer went up from the people watching, Atemu finding himself smiling as well. Even after nearly seven years of doing this, the excitement was still there. Atemu adjusted his stance in the rigging so he wouldn't tumble backward during take off, watching as the others of the fleet rose and then moved off.
A shout from below him drew his attention down, watching Captain Valon rush onboard before scrambling up to the wheelhouse, gesturing to the others to release the mooring lines. Atemu made his way to the edge of the skimmer, reaching out to catch the rope thrown up to him. He turned his head slightly at the pressure on the rope under him, watching as Yugi deftly caught his rope before scampering away. Atemu smiled and followed him after dropping the mooring line for another crew member to secure, settling down beside Yugi as the engines in the skimmer thrummed, the Puzzle shaking for a moment before it rose.
Atemu leaned forward a bit, the smile still on his face as the Puzzle turned slowly, listening to Valon shout at the crew that was on the deck, the men below him working to secure items on deck and check over equipment. Atemu glanced over at Yugi, the same smile on Yugi's face. They both lived for these few months of freedom from the drudgery of life, enjoying every moment before it had to end. He sobered at the thought, hating that he was taking Yugi away from something that he loved. He reached out to touch Yugi's hand, relieved when Yugi looked back at him.
The look in Yugi's eyes was enough for him; Yugi would choose him over all of this. The stone that Yugi had accepted from him was enough of an outward side of that willingness for him. And, hopefully, after this trip, Atemu would get to take Yugi home with him for good. And the change of location would help Solomon, Yugi spending most of his time worrying about his grandfather who remained behind in the city, slowly being poisoned by the fumes in his work place.
He sighed, stroking the back of Yugi's hand before turning his gaze towards the faint line of blue on the horizon. They would cross over some of the villages that they would stop by on the way back, wanting to get out to the farthest part of their loop before the summer storms hit. It would be easier to ride out the storms in the villages than out in the middle of nowhere. Soon, instead of the patchwork pattern of fields and villages, it would just be the sea and its spires of land with the hardy orchards growing from every crag. Atemu laughed to himself, looking down before dropping onto the deck, joining in the rush and following the orders bellowed by Valon as the man guided the Puzzle towards the sea. And, all the time, Yugi was by his shoulder.
The fire lit up the faces of the crew as they sat around it for warmth. Atemu leaned back against the log behind him, feeling Yugi slip his arm over his shoulder, Atemu tipping slightly to rest against Yugi. He looked around the circle, the seven men and the captain all talking and eating. Just behind him, Atemu could hear the Puzzle creaking as the skimmer settled down, moored to the ground with the engine turned off. He tipped his head back, catching a glint of metal in the night before he returned his attention to the small group, listening to the quiet sounds of conversation and the clink of forks against plates.
They had made good time, a good wind behind them. It had taken them one day to reach the limits of their run, Valon giving them the rest of the evening off before they began gathering from the trees on this spire of land. The days would follow the same pattern from then, the crew gathering the fruit into baskets and transporting it back to the skimmer only to hop to the next spire and start the process again. They would be occupied for most of the summer, spending the tumultuous months close to the villages.
Atemu raised his cup to his lips, taking a gulp of the fermented fruit drink that Valon had allowed them, already slightly tipsy; but he was willing to bet that the rest of the crew were completely drunk by now, Yugi included. He turned his head to look at his lover, smiling as he saw that Yugi had taken the stone out from under his shirt. He leanedover to nuzzle Yugi's neck in thanks. Atemu nearly purred as he felt Yugi brush his fingers over his neck, leaning into the caress before he jerked upright again, glaring at the rest of the crew as they started laughing.
"I can feel myself getting cavities from how sweet that is."
Atemu went to respond, only to be pulled into Yugi's lap, surprised when Yugi slid a hand down his chest. "Jealous Duke?"
Duke sputtered for a moment before shaking his head. "Of course not. We're all happy for you. Right guys?" There were murmurs of approval from around the circle, most of the men having known both Yugi and Atemu for years. "We're just waiting for a little Yugi Jr. to start running around here."
"Nah, you've got it out of order, Duke." Tristan elbowed his friend in the side before gesturing with his cup. "Atemu has to carry the terror first."
Atemu leaned forward, only to be pulled back by Yugi, shivering as his lover kissed his neck. "Steady on there, beloved." Then Yugi straightened up, almost absently stroking Atemu's chest as he glared at the others. "That was venturing into dangerous territory, Tristan."
The brunette nodded, glancing at his cup before spreading his arms in a shrug. "Look man, I'm sorry."
"It's still a sore spot. The female population is only now on the rise." Atemu grumbled the words more to himself than anyone else, they already knew it anyway. When the humans had first come to Skelilia, they had immediately rushed to grab the land and the natural resources, the native Skelilians fighting back. What followed had been years of bloodshed and anger, the schism between the two races just now healing, but the effects still lingered.
It had been a common genetic defect for Skelilian males to be born with the ability to bear young, something that had run in many families, much to their embarrassment. But the defect had saved their race when the humans had begun their vicious attacks on them, striking down the females who worked the fields or the town to try and eliminate any way for the Skelilians to increase in numbers. The plan had backfired against them, the genetic defect becoming the species only way to survive; still an embarrassing fact to admit. Atemu flinchedand turned his head to nuzzle Yugi's neck, wanting to get away from the uncomfortable subject, Yugi wrapping an arm around his waist as a response to the move.
"Am I the only one that thinks that a baby with Yugi and Atemu's looks would be incredibly hot?"
"Shut up, Malik." Duke shot a glare at the blonde, Malik giving him a wide smile before shrugging, the two smooth stones that he wore knocking against each other. All the crew members stared at the stones for a moment, Duke the only one willing to comment. "But you're already married to two others and expecting a kid."
Malik laughed and leaned back. "I know. Who'd have thought that 'Kura would be the one to carry that gene?"
They all stared at him for a while before Malik shrugged, getting up and stretching. "Night everyone. I actually want to function tomorrow."
He walked off, Tristan glaring after him before turning to look at Atemu and Yugi. "Don't listen to him." Tristan settled into a more comfortable position before glancing at the stone around Yugi's neck. "So, when are you leaving us?"
"As soon as possible. My parents aren't getting younger and then need me around to help, not out here. Maybe after this season." He looked up to see Yugi nod, glad that his lover was with him on this.
"Damn. I was hoping to lose you later than that." Valon shook his head, tossing the rest of the contents of his cup behind him. "You're one of the best on this team. And I was hoping to retire with you still on it."
"I'm not interested in captaining a skimmer, as much as I would love to."
"Nah, the Puzzle will be retired by the time I could afford to let go, damn pay cuts. Does the rest of the galaxy think we just do this for fun?" Valon snorted to himself and pulled his hat down over his eyes, effectively calling an end to all conversation.
The crew ignored the captain's silent order to sleep, shifting a bit further away from the fire and huddling in a smaller group, the bottle of fermented fruit juice being passed around again. Atemu hesitated for a moment before accepting another cup, gingerly sipping it. He was getting tipsier faster than normal, but it was probably just his body reacting to the presence of all the other men here. Atemu scowled at the dark liquid in his cup, cursing the gene that made him like this.
As if he could read his thoughts, Yugi held him a little tighter, Atemu turning slightly so he could curl up against Yugi. Strangely enough, despite his confidence and sometimes forceful attitude, nothing made him happier that curling up in Yugi's arms; the inherent girlishness of that statement making him wince sometimes, but it was true. He loved being held by Yugi. It was probably because they couldn't see each other for long spans of time, Atemu reluctant to go into the city and the journey to the village too far for Yugi and his ailing grandfather to take often. The reason didn't really matter to Atemu, just the feel of Yugi's arm around him.
He hummed to himself, using his free hand to trace the muscles on Yugi's arm, ignoring the other crew membersas he lost himself in Yugi. They all understood anyway, they were used to him being like this for the first day of the season. They all knew that he would be back to normal by tomorrow. Atemu smiled to himself, leaning back at an awkward angle to kiss Yugi's bicep before shifting back into his original position, closing his eyes and just listening to Yugi talk, thinking wistfully of a time when Yugi's voice hadn't been so confident.
They had met on their first day on the Puzzle, Yugi a short, skinny boy who would never look up at anyone. Atemu had been the only one to try and get him to open up, encouraging him to speak and standing up for him. Slowly, Yugi had opened up, first to him then to everyone else on the Puzzle. They had remained good friends despite the distance between them for most of the year. But that had changed when they had hit puberty; they had fallen into bed together in a drunken tangle and had woken up without any memories of the night before, but both of them sore. Atemu had lived for weeks in fear that he had somehow managed to get pregnant from that one time, unable to look Yugi in the eyes because of the mistake they had both made. Eventually, the fear had retreated, leaving only memories of warmth and awkwardness between him and Yugi.
Somehow or another, Atemu couldn't quite remember the chain of events, they had ended up together again; the pattern repeating for many nights before Atemu would even admit that he was in love. Yugi was the first one to admit it, Atemu following him in a rush of words that was only silenced by Yugi kissing him. They had been together since then, trying to spend more time with each other than the one season on the Puzzle. Before Solomon Mutou had fallen ill, Yugi would take weeks off during the hotter months in the city, escaping the bout of summer illnesses. Yugi would come down to Atemu's village and spend the lazy afternoons with him. Atemu had been more than willing to visit Yugi, but Yugi had begged him not to come, saying that the city wouldn't allow them to be together. And Atemu knew that he was right.
Skelilia was not a planet made for cities, most of it covered in forests of fast growing trees, the roads nearly impossible to keep completely clear. The few cities that were established fought hard to keep themselves clear of the trees, but that had been the invader's fault, settling where the trees grew instead of the clearings like the villages. But, because of that, they hated the natives that opposed them; and any native who lived in a village was counted as that. In the cities, the rule that no native could be married to an offworlder was enforced ruthlessly, a rule ignored in the villages outside of the petty jurisdiction of the city. Atemu shivered at the thought, remembering the screaming that could be heard from the port of the people punished for that.
He relaxed as Yugi wrapped his arms more tightly around him, whining softly and trying to wriggle closer. Atemu tensed at the laughter from the rest of the men, blushing and pressing his face into Yugi's shirt, the steadying presence of Yugi's hand on his back not encouraging him to look out.
He always got this way at the beginning of the summer season. With Yugi here again, and some of the men that he had always admired for some reason or another, he would suddenly become a mess, always cuddling up to Yugi or someone else in Yugi's absence. Thankfully, all the members of the crew understood. Atemu had heard horror stories from others like him on other skimmers, about how they had been taken advantage of in their weakness and returned to their villages in disgrace. He shivered at the memory, Yugi comforting him again.
Atemu smiled, looking up from his place at the few who were still gathered around, realizing that only a few were left, most of the crew having headed to sleep. He sat up in Yugi's lap, glancing at his cup before quickly downing the rest, placing it to one side so he wouldn't be tempted. He was drunk already; he didn't want to be so drunk that he didn't remember the night before. He glanced up at Yugi, watching the purple light from the moon play over his lover's features, feeling a bolt of arousal shoot through him. The purple light of the moon always brought out Yugi's eyes, his beautiful purple eyes; still wide and innocent, lacking any of the malice that the city dwellers usually had.
He was straddling Yugi's lap before he knew it, running a hand through Yugi's hair and nearly purring as Yugi kissed his neck. He grabbed a fistful of Yugi's shirt, pulling himself closer to his lover, smirking as he felt Yugi's breathing hitch. He turned his attention back to Yugi's neck, arching his back as Yugi continued to run his hand over it, whimpering in disappointment when Yugi tried to push him away. Atemu shifted closer, struggling against Yugi.
"Atemu," Yugi grunted with the effort of forcing him to sit up, Atemu staring at him as he was held at arms length. "Don't give me that look; I'm not rejecting you completely."
"But Yugi…"
"You'll hate yourself in the morning."
"I won't."
"You will. I know you." Yugi sighed and relaxed, Atemu taking advantage of the motion to curl up close to Yugi again. He sighed happy as Yugi went back to touching him, just running his hand down Atemu's side. He felt Yugi's breath on his neck as his lover ducked his head, Atemu closing his eyes and allowing Yugi to hold him close. "Please, don't tempt me."
Atemu turned his head, staring into Yugi's eyes, Yugi turning to look at him as well. They stared at each other for a while, Atemu seeing resignation flickering across Yugi's face. They both knew what was going to happen, especially after going so long without seeing each other; they both felt the pull towards the other, too strong to resist. Atemu shivered as Yugi's eyes darkened, shifting restlessly on his lover's lap.
Yugi tackled him to the ground, Atemu staring up at him as Yugi pinned him down, the two of them panting as they stared at each other. The tableau held for a moment before Yugi leaned down to kiss Atemu.
Atemu shivered under Yugi, his eyes rolling back as the fierce kiss continued, feeling like he was being devoured; that thought turning him on even more. Atemu moaned, trying to arch up to press against Yugi, only to have his lover move away. He opened his eyes with a whimper, Yugi drawing away from him, panting for breath. Atemu's gaze darted to Yugi's throat as the man swallowed, Yugi stalling as Atemu waited impatiently. Some part of Atemu's mind said that Yugi was right to try and encourage him to think about this. Maybe it was better to flip them over and take Yugi, but Atemu rebelled against that. He wanted to feel Yugi moving over him, in him.
That thought pushed him into motion, Atemu reaching up to pull Yugi's shirt off, his lover remaining still as he worked. Yugi ducked his head, allowing Atemu to pull the shirt over his head before letting it fall and pool around his wrists, not lifting his hands from the ground. Atemu wiggled out of Yugi's hold on him, reaching up to run his fingers over Yugi's chest, tracing the outline of the muscles there, watching Yugi shiver as he brushed over sensitive spots. Disappointed with his lover's lack of movement, Atemu sat up a bit, following the trail of his fingers with his lips, Yugi's trembling increasing until Atemu was pinned to the ground again, Yugi's lips moving hungrily over his.
Yugi's shirt was thrown to the side, Yugi taking that moment to smooth his hands over Atemu's side, reaching for the bottom of Atemu's shirt before pulling it over his head, letting it fall to the side as he returned to his work. Atemu moaned, reaching up to undo Yugi's pants, only to have his hand caught.
His lover stared at him for a moment before holding both of his wrists with one hand, keeping them steady against the ground while his free hand fumbled with the tie on his pants. Atemu tried to draw Yugi back down to him, struggling against the hold on his wrists as Yugi kicked his pants off, hesitating for a moment before undoing the tie on Atemu's pants. Atemu gave a drawn out whine of approval, trembling as Yugi's hand stroked the inside of his thigh before Yugi pulled his pants off, leaving the two of them completely bare.
Atemu looked up at Yugi, awkwardly lifting his torso up so he could kiss his lover, encouraging Yugi to rest over him. Yugi was pleasantly warm compared to the ground, despite the fact that it was the summer season. He gasped as Yugi ran a hand down his side, stopping to rest on his hips. Atemu shifted a bit at that, Yugi calming him with gentle strokes to the skin there, Atemu slowly relaxing.
It was only when Atemu was laying still that Yugi guided himself into Atemu, the two of them moaning at the feeling of being joined. Atemu's eyes fluttered shut as Yugi remained still for a moment, sure that he should be embarrassed for being so wet, so ready for Yugi despite all of his lover's protests, but that thought was forgotten as Yugi began to move. He made a high pitched sound, finally wrestling his wrists from his lover's hold to wrap his arms around Yugi's shoulders, pulling them close so he could feel the play of Yugi's muscles against his skin, feel the beat of Yugi's heart against him. He felt Yugi hum in approval, his lover increasing his pace.
He adored these brief moments when Yugi was in charge, enjoying the feeling of having someone overpower him, if only for a moment. Atemu was usually the stronger one out of the two, Yugi preferring to keep quiet and to himself than to barge into trouble. Yugi was the one who often kept him from trouble. But there were a few moments when Yugi would show his true strength and that turned Atemu on more than anything else.
He writhed under Yugi, trying to encourage his lover to speed up, getting a few quick thrusts for his efforts before Yugi slowed down, panting in his ear. Atemu tried to roll his head away from the puffs of warm air that were sending shivers down his spine, unable to do anything as Yugi finally settled on a rhythm, Atemu rolling his hips up to meet Yugi's every thrust.
Soon, everything around him became unimportant, his whole being focused on Yugi. They shared a few, fleeting kisses, neither of them able to concentrate on them. Atemu pulled back, gasping for breath and whispering endearments when he could as Yugi continued to thrust into him, Atemu wrapping his legs around Yugi's waist to encourage him to go deeper, his body shaking as his end neared. It had been too long and Yugi inside him felt too good.
"Yugi…"
"I know. Please just…please." Yugi grunted as he thrust in harder, that jolt enough to send Atemu over the edge. He bit back a scream, holding Yugi close as he came, feeling Yugi jerk as his lover reached his end as well.
Atemu shivered, nuzzling Yugi's neck as he came down from his orgasm, feeling Yugi sigh against his skin before shifting; draping himself over Atemu so that he wouldn't be crushed. He sighed at the motion, turning his head so he could whisper into Yugi's ear. "Aibou."
Yugi tensed for a moment before relaxing and nodded, one hand going to the stone around his neck. "Forever."
Atemu hummed happily, settling back down and flinching at the uneven ground under him. He opened one eye to look at Yugi, leaning up to kiss him before settling back down. "We're going to be sore tomorrow."
"Definitely." Yugi gave a sleepy chuckle. "From the drinking and this, yeah. But you got that all out of your system?"
"Probably." Atemu yawned, drifting off to sleep. "But never you."
He thought he heard Yugi laugh, raising a hand to rest on his lover's back as Yugi used him as a pillow. "I hope not."
Atemu shifted, groaning as he opened his eyes and tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down; trying to move as Yugi gently stroked a hand through his hair. Atemu thought about resisting for a moment before completely relaxing, allowing Yugi to do what he wanted. He opened one eye to look at the deck of the Puzzle, not surprised to see a few of the crew splayed out over the deck, most of them near the sides so they could just pull themselves up and vomit over the rail. He sighed and shut his eye, flipping over to his other side and wrapping an arm around Yugi's waist.
They had done well in the month that they had been out, the cargo bay almost full of fruit and goods that would be traded in the villages and sold in the city. Atemu partially lifted his head from Yugi's lap to see where they were, catching a glimpse of blue water through the gaps in the railing before lowering his head back down. They were still over the water, but he was willing to bet that they were heading inland towards the forests, which was a good thing. It would be easy to stop at a village and get something to help with the sickness that most of the crew seemed to have gotten.
Most attributed it to bad fruit or their supplies starting to go bad, neither of which was out of the ordinary on the skimmers, but the mass sickness was something new. Atemu shivered, pressing his face into Yugi's stomach. At the worst it could be a plague, but he doubted it. The summer was, after all, the season of sickness with the humidity and the blazing weather. Even the natives were prone to a few of the summer illnesses that went around. It was probably just some stomach bug that was going around, helped by the fact that it was nearly impossible to keep the skimmer and its crew completely clean.
But that still didn't explain his situation.
He would be among the ones who were throwing up along the rail in the morning, but the nausea would ease during the day. Yugi still wouldn't let him work, even though Atemu insisted that he was fine. Yugi seemed to be preoccupied with a lot of things over the last month. Atemu frowned at that, rolling away from Yugi, staring up at his lover. He reached up to touch Yugi's cheek, smiling when Yugi leaned into his hand. "Hey."
"Hey." Atemu shivered as Yugi's hand slid to rest over his stomach. "You feeling better?"
"Yeah." He went to get up again only to be pushed down, looking up at Yugi in confusion, his lover brushing his bangs out of his face.
"Don't bother, we've hit a nice wind and the Puzzle is skipping along. We'll be over the forest by nightfall. The ones that can move are sorting through the cargo and checking over the list for the first village."
"What about you?"
"I have you to take care of." Yugi smiled before turning his head to kiss Atemu's palm, the smile on his face disappearing quickly. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I've never felt better." Atemu rolled away from Yugi before sitting up, ignoring Yugi's protest to look around, smiling as he recognized the islands that they were moving past. All of the spires had already been stripped by the skimmers that had gotten a late start or those that had braved the early storms of the season. Atemu reached for Yugi's hand, holding it tightly as he stared out over the water, watching the sun sink low in the sky, lighting up the clouds and painting them in pastels, Atemu sighing happily. He never got this view of the sky if he was at home, unless he decided to climb a tree, something that he never did. Sunsets seemed to be better when viewed from the deck of a skimmer.
"Hey, oh…No, wait. Oi!" Atemu's head jerked up toward the crow's nest, watching as Marik leaned over the edge, squinting at something in the distance. He felt Yugi tense beside him, Atemu turning to look at where Marik was looking. For a moment, he didn't see anything, squinting against the glare of the sun. Faintly on the horizon, and moving closer, was a black dot. Atemu sat up straighter, barely paying attention to Marik as he scrambled out of the crow's nest, running below to find Valon.
Yugi got up from his place at his side, walking over to the rail and leaning over, staring at the approaching skimmer. Atemu shivered at the sudden tense atmosphere, even the sick members of the crew werelooking around nervously. He glanced over at all of them, flinching when he realized that they had about four men who would be ready to fight, five if they counted him; but he had a feeling that Yugi wouldn't allow him to fight. Atemu swallowed nervously, standing up slowly. He glanced to the side, his eyes widening as he picked out another one approaching, glancing at Yugi.
It wasn't unusual to spot another skimmer as they came to the forests, most of the skimmers heading towards their chain of villages around the same time. But no skimmer hurried across the water, wasting what precious fuel that they had. It was much simpler to just let the wind help the skimmer across, the engine only used to keep the skimmer afloat. And spotting two skimmers at one outside the boundaries of the forest was extremely rare, at least if you were looking to find friendly people.
Atemu tightened his grip on the rail, staring at the second skimmer that was approaching them before turning around, intending to run and tell Valon what was going on. Instead, he stumbled back, watching as a third skimmer rose out of the shelter of the spire, rushing towards them from behind. Atemu cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Raiders!"
The crew sprung into action as best as they could, the sick ones staggering around the deck and pulling out knives as well as the long, sharp poles that they used to harvest the fruit. The few healthy crew members rushed up from below, Valon bounding after them and rushing to the wheel. Atemu saw Valon take stock of the three ships, his hand hovering over the lever that would send the Puzzle forward at a greater speed, the captain's fingers twitching before his hand dropped back to his side. Atemu's heart pounded faster at the motion, they couldn't escape that, so they would have to fight.
He turned, starting when he saw that Yugi was standing in front of him. His lover started to shake his head, Atemu catching his chin and pulling Yugi into a brief kiss. "Don't ask me to stay out of this."
"Atemu…"
"Yugi, if they take us then we all die." He watched Yugi hesitate, raising his hands to rub them over Yugi's arms. "Aibou, please, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Me too, but there's always the chance…" Yugi didn't want to voice that chance anymore than Atemu did.
"Hold strong, aibou. And I'll see you at the end of this fight." That got a smile out of Yugi, his lover quickly pulling himself together before turning to look at the ship that was the closest to him; Yugi pulling his knife out of his pocket. Atemu nodded, reaching out to pull Yugi into a one-armed hug before reaching for his own knife, turning to face the oncoming ship.
Yugi stumbled backwards, wiping the sweat off of his forehead before punching the raider in the face, scurrying backwards again. He panted for breath, twisting to jump into the rigging, using his knowledge to the Puzzle to his advantage. Maybe it would be enough to keep this raider off his tail.
The ships had swarmed the small skimmer as soon as they were close enough for sailors to swing over, Yugi shuddering at the memory. What was worse was that they were careful enough not to harm the Puzzle, meaning that they wanted the skimmer as well. If the raiders won, all the crew would be slaughtered, Yugi's stomach rolling at the thought of Atemu dead.
He quickly switched his hold on a rope, swinging around to kick the raider in the face, watching as the man lost his balance and tumbled over the side, Yugi jumping at the sound of the body hitting something solid. Forgetting about the battle for a moment, he peered over the side of the Puzzle, his mouth dropping open in shock as he watched the trees pass by underneath the hull of the skimmer. The fact that they had made it over the water was good and bad, good because there was a chance that another friendly skimmer or group of villagers could help them; bad because anyone who fell over had a higher chance of being killed.
Yugi shivered and hoisted himself higher into the rigging, ducking his head as a grapple and rope sailed over his head, the metal prongs of the grapple grabbing the mast. Yugi hissed and scurried over to the rope, quickly cutting it free before moving away. He hoped that someone was guarding the engines, without those they would be dead; Valon wouldn't be able to urge the skimmer into motion to escape the raiders when a hole opened up.
He dropped back down to the deck, throwing his knife into the back of a man that was menacing Tristan, rushing by to scoop it up before hurrying to the bow where most of the crew was. Yugi got a better grip on the knife before plunging into the fight, twisting to avoid a blow and slashing across a raider's side, watching the man fall before moving onto the next one. He spared a glance toward the group fighting, tensing when he realized that Atemu was not among them. A quick glance back showed that his lover was back with Valon, helping the captain keep the raiders from doing anything to the engine. Yugi turned back to the group of fighters he was with, backing up until he was surrounded by his own crew.
Duke glanced his way, raising an arm to wipe the sweat from his forehead, pushing back his black bangs with the move. "Alright there?"
"Yeah. Fine."
Duke nodded slowly, Yugi glancing over at him, cursing the fact that there wasn't a moon out. With the moon they would be able to see where the other ships were, whether they were rescuers or more attackers. Everyone knew that raiders hunted in packs. But there was nothing but the pressing darkness and the shadows of the people around him, Yugi shifting his grip on the knife and tensing at the raiders began to make their way forward again, Yugi rushing to meet them with the rest of the crew.
He felt fabric and flesh give way beneath his knife, Yugi stumbling back as the tide of raiders became too much for them, tripping over a body splayed out on the deck of the Puzzle before finding his balance. He looked around for anyone to guard his side, surprised to see that the others were holding their own; it was only him that had gotten surrounded. Yugi gritted his teeth and lunged forward, smirking as one of his attackers fell away.
His victory was short lived, Yugi scrambling up onto the rail of the ship, keeping his balance there as the others tried to get them. He glanced up at the empty line that dangled above him. Usually a sail would be here to help them with the wind, but it had been hauled in earlier on, the fabric having a huge hole in it. If he could jump up and grab the line, then he would be able to outmaneuver his attackers. Yugi smirked, putting his knife between his teeth before he reached up for the line.
The Puzzle gave a sudden jerk, Yugi waving his arms in an attempt to keep his balance, glancing back at the engines. He didn't know if the Puzzle had been hurt or if Valon was trying to make a break, not having the time to think much on either before the skimmer jerked again, Yugi losinghis footing and falling from the rail.
He didn't have time to scream, the branches of the trees scratching against his skin as he plunged into the canopy. Yugi twisted to fall stomach first, reaching up to try and grab onto the branches with his hands, but he was falling toofast. He grunted and tried to keep a hold of a branch, only getting his hands rubbed raw for his troubles. Yugi glanced down, getting a glimpse of a thick branch before he landed across it. The impact winded him, Yugi opening his mouth and gasping for breath, dropping his knife.
Dazedly, he watched the knife spin down as long as he could before the darkness swallowed it up, Yugi coughing and slumping over the branch, turning his head at a low crack. His eyes widened as he stared at the end of the branch, noting that there had been damage done to thislimb recently, and his hard landing on the wood hadn't helped matters. Yugi gave a breathless curse, turning himself on the branch, trying to pull himself up it beyond the break so he would be safe. He started to inch forward, his limbs trembling with the effort. When he got down from this tree, he would stumble to the nearest village and sleep for a week.
Yugi smiled to himself and pulled himself forward again, his hand brushing over the break before the branch gave, Yugi gasping in shock before he was falling again. He let go of the branch, trying to curl so that he could protect his neck and eyes, peeking out of one only to see the ground coming up quickly. Yugi braced himself for impact, yelping as he landed hard on the ground, bouncing once before rolling to a stop.
He heard the shower of debris from the branch that had broken, Yugi weakly looking up to watch them fall, his whole body shaking from the effort. He coughed, tasting blood in his mouth, Yugi groaning and letting his head fall back to the ground, not sure that he could move. All he knew was that everything hurt; Yugi opening one eye and staring at the ground in front of him, moving his fingers to get a better grip on the ground. Maybe if he held on to something, he wouldn't drift off, he wouldn't just leave. Yugi shook as he coughed again, the sound ending with a sob from the pain that was radiating through his body, Yugi slumping to the ground and his fingers relaxing.
His fingers brushed over a soft cord, Yugi turning his head, trying to see what he was touching, but it was too dark. He pulled the cord closer, walking his fingers up it to try and see what was on the end, recognizing the feel of the cord a moment later. It was his necklace, the one that Atemu had given to him when they had gotten engaged. He gave a weak smile, his fingers searching for the stone at the end. He didn't need to see it anymore; he had stared at it so many times. It was red, almost the color of Atemu's eyes but, then again, nothing could match the color of Atemu's eyes, Yugi remembering the color of crimson exactly; but the stone was a good match. Red with flecks of darker red in it, smoothed by a professional in Atemu's village and by his own fingers over the countless thousands of rubs he had given the stone, exploring its teardrop shape.
Yugi gave a shuddering sigh as he reached the end of the cord, afraid for a moment that the cord had broken and the stone had fallen somewhere else entirely when his fingers encountered it. He smiled as he brushed over the cold stone with his fingers, caging it protectively with his fingers before he closed his eyes, giving one last sigh.
Atemu winced as Tristan finished applying the bandage to the cut over his eye, sitting up straight as the man stepped back. He shook his head, blowing his bangs away from his eyes with a sigh, his happiness lasting a moment before he had to run over to the rail and throw up over the side, clinging to the wood as his body expelled his dinner and what little he had eaten for breakfast, Atemu sinking back to the deck as soon as the nausea subsided, looking miserably up at the rest of the crew gathered around. He sat up as straight as he could as he noticed that one was missing. "Where's Yugi?"
The crew shifted nervously, none of them wanting to look at him, not even Duke. Atemu cursed and hauled himself to his feet, leaning heavily on the rail. "Where's Yugi?"
"He went over."
"What?" Tristan was the one to shout out the question, Atemu just making a high pitched noise and nearly falling, Tristan lunging forward to catch him. Atemu leaned against the brunette, staring at the crew and waiting for someone to tell him that this was a joke, or waiting for Yugi to stumble out of some spot that he had wedged himself in during the course of the night; but nothing happened. He just stared up at all of their serious faces, glancing over to Duke and Valon before looking at Tristan. Apparently this was news for Tristan as well, the brunette staring at the other crew members in horror.
Atemu grunted as Tristan suddenly let go of him, stumbling backward to catch himself on the rail, watching as the brunette charged forward. "This isn't funny guys. They were engaged!"
Duke glared at Tristan, shoving him away when he got too close. "We wouldn't joke about this! What makes you think that we would?"
Atemu stared at them, watching as the crew converged on the two, trying to keep them apart. He tried to understand what was going on around him, watching as his friends fought, but unable to think about anything other than the fact that they had lost Yugi. A whimper escaped him, Atemu feeling his legs give way.
Someone caught him, Atemu too busy staring at the deck of the Puzzle, not sure that he could think about anything else but his partner, staring at the horrible blood streaks on the wood, feeling his stomach roll. No one said anything about Yugi being alive. He might have been killed and then tossed over the side. Atemu reached up to hang onto the person that was keeping him up.
"Hey, easy there." He looked up at Marik, his gaze dropping to the stones that Marik wore around his neck, sure that a sob escaped him; but Marik was already pulling him back towards the crew's quarters, Atemu clinging to him. "That's it, Atemu, just stay with Marik. I'll take care of you."
He was led back to his hammock, Yugi's the one hanging right above his, but it was the one that was almost never used. Marik pushed him back into the hammock, squatting on the floor beside him and giving Atemu a soft smile. "Just hold on for a while, yeah? We're going to see if we can find another skimmer to warn off the others and then we're putting into the nearest village. The Puzzle is banged up real bad."
"Yugi?"
Marik paused before shaking his head. "We can't go back for him; we don't even know where he fell."
"He could still be alive."
"Probably not though." Marik sighed and stood up. "Do yourself a favor, Atemu, don't try and think about it too much. We can't get him back. He was a great man, but he's gone."
"No!" Atemu almost lurched out of his hammock, Marik's glare keeping him still. "If it had happened to 'Kura or Ryou, you would do something. You know you would!"
He saw Marik flinch before turning to walk out of the room, Atemu staring at his back before slumping, staring at the floor. He managed that for a few minutes before rolling onto his back and staring up at the hammock above him, his mind tormenting him and trying to tell him that Yugi would roll out of the hammock and come to cuddle with him at any moment; that this was all just a bad dream. Atemu sighed and rubbed his hands over his eyes, cursing before flipping over to his side, and shutting his eyes. If anyone wanted to come and look for him, they would have to tear him out of his sleep, he didn't want to have to face the world right now, and sleeping sounded like a better idea.
Atemu was lulled to sleep by the steady rock of the Puzzle, thankful that it was a dreamless sleep, not wanting to seem images of Yugi broken on the ground, torn and bloody. He drifted, starting slightly as a hand landed on his shoulder and shook him, Atemu snapping awake immediately and rolling out of his bunk. Out of habit, he cast a glance back at Yugi's bunk, the pain coming back fresh at the sight of the empty bunk. He turned away, trying to gather the effort to care at he stared at the captain.
Valon seemed to understand, resting a hand on his shoulder before steering him out of the room, Atemu glancing around and noting that most of the crew except for the two on night watch were asleep. He sighed and shuffled out after Valon, staring at the deck as he was led to the bow of the Puzzle. Atemu barely glanced up at Valon as the captain settled himself against the railing, not wanting to look around at anything, the effort of raising his gaze too much.
A sigh from the captain finally made him look up, Atemu watching as Valon stared at the deck of the Puzzle before shaking his head. "I can't do it Atemu." Atemu just tipped his head, waiting for Valon to continue to speak, the captain seeming surprised at his silence. He recovered a moment later. "I'm a coward, I want to turn the Puzzle back for home and keep what's left of my crew safe. The raiders are getting too bold for my tastes. We might have to ask for guards, if the ships will hold them. The smaller skimmers might just go out of business."
Valon shook his head, obviously waiting for Atemu to speak. Atemu just stared back at his captain, Valon eventually slumping. "Listen, Atemu, I know losing hit you hard, it hit all of us hard. He's been around this ship for as long as I can remember. But that doesn't mean that you have to give up…" Valon stared at him for a moment before sighing. "But I understand how you feel now. Felt that way when I lost Mai to those damn raiders."
The caption shivered for a moment before nodding to himself, looking down at the rail of the skimmer. "Listen, I'm going to drop you off at your village along with the rest of the supplies and then work to get the Puzzle back to Danysia safe with the rest of the crew alive. I'll arrange for the supplies and stuff to be sent, but I just don't trust the route anymore. Don't come to the city, Atemu, I'll swing by and ask if I can get anymore runs in with guards. Just," he reached out to touch Atemu's arm, holding it steady, "don't do anything stupid, alright?"
He nodded slowly, Valon watching him carefully before letting go of his arm and walking back to his quarters. Atemu watched him go before turning to look out at the area that the Puzzle was passing through, part of him hoping that he would just get tossed over when the Puzzle hit a patch of winds. He tightened his grip on the railing, fear making his stomach turn. He didn't want to die, not even if Yugi was dead, and that disappointed him. Shouldn't he be ready to die if his lover was dead as well? He felt as if his whole life had ended, stopping at the moment that he found out that Yugi wasn't with him anymore. The ache was still there even now.
Atemu leaned over the rail for a moment, staring at the trees as they moved quickly underneath the Puzzle; Valon must have been pushing the skimmer as fast as it could go. Atemu sighed and took a step back, glancing ahead of them before turning to walk back into his crew's quarters, just wanting to sleep for the entire journey back home.
Alright, this is going to be updated over three days, as there are three chapters to it. I hope you all enjoyed.