At Their Feet

Rated: PG-13?

Disclaimer: The Yu-Gi-Oh cast does not belong to me. The poetry, however is mine!

Warnings: Shonen-ai, mild violence, lime-ish.

Here we have an alternate Universe, Seto/Jounouchi/Otogi (and Yugi gets someone later on, but it's a secret for now) fanfiction in the setting of Egypt with a Yu-Gi-Oh style version of the tale of Moses going on in the background. This was originally planned to be a long one-shot story, but it has far too much plot. Yes, I know I shouldn't be starting another story, but this one is a gift! It is for Renee who much to my surprise actually guessed close to the game for the chapter titles in "White Padded Room" are from. Not to mention she's a loyal reviewer (I think she's reviewed every last one of my Yu-Gi-Oh stories!), so I thought it would be a nice thank you!

So Renee, here is the kick off chapter to your story! I do hope you enjoy! Well, I hope anyone else who might be reading this enjoys too.

~*~*~

Act One:

Inside ourselves we are often lost

Blinding by what could be

Mind's eye sees what is not real

And we loose ourselves in the blasphemy.

Nights in his room where often colder then any other spot in the palace. That is what he had come to find, or in any case believe. A room of its size was not meant to hold only one person, but two perhaps even more. Where as it was filled with treasures, and the bed was large to make the space seem not as large, it was still too large for him to rest comfortably. He looked over the gold sheets of silk that covered his bed, the frown that appeared on his face inevitable. His bed was too big too.

With an intense groan he laid himself upon it. A lecture from the Pharaoh on how he should sleep more would indeed be in order if he didn't do just that; sleep. Not even bothering to get himself out of his robes, or under the covers he rested where he was and closed his emerald eyes. It wasn't long afterwards he discovered something. He wasn't even the least bit tired.

He sat up from his spot on his bed, and again he frowned. He didn't enjoy sleeping much anyways, and it was easy to lie. So that is what he was going to do in the morning, given that his Pharaoh or one of the more blabber mouth of guards didn't catch him awake and outside of his room because outside was where he would be. 'This room is much too great for one person,' he thought to himself them promptly exited.

Somehow he managed to get outdoors without being noticed by a single person. Being caught outdoors this late at night wasn't very likely to happen either. The Hebrew slaves had gone to sleep for the night, hours ago most likely. He figured it was only a few hours away from daybreak meaning anyone up this late had most likely lost his mind. Him being up at that time further proved that statement.

The nighttimes of Egypt, he had always found them curiously alluring. On nights of a full moon, such as that very night, the small amount of light was reflect off the sand making it look as if it where glowing. 

The hills of sand seemed to be endless, aside from the pause of where the slave's houses stood. He could see a great distances from atop one of them, yet the only view provided where more of the glistening hills of sand. He drew a deep breath into his lungs, holding it there before letting it out in a soft heave of a sigh.

There are all of those people who inhabit these areas of Egypt, and not one of them was in sight. Nighttime in Egypt was beautiful to look at but even better to look at with someone beside you. Egypt was too big of a continent for a person to spend their time alone.

As he turned to head back into the palace, more likely then not to wallow in his own loneliness, he caught a dot of a person out of the corner of his eye. They where sitting, or rather, laying on one of the hills. Perhaps this person wouldn't mind his company.

A faint sound of humming began to fill his ears as he took the steps towards the relaxing person. It was sweet, soft song that he often heard the Hebrew slaves humming as they worked. Try as he might, he himself could never hum the tune quite right. He stepped up behind the person, a rather dull, emotionless look on his face and spoke, "One such as you should not be out this late." His voice was cold, hard even. It sounded cruel, like that of, well, guards. That was not how he originally had intended the words to sound.

The person stood up, with rather goofy smile on his face. The moonlight made it so he was able to make out the persons features. It was a boy, with soft white skin, sun brightened blonde hair, and deep honey eyes from what he could tell. You didn't find many people with white skin in Egypt, least of all, a color as pale as his. "You're late," He said as he turned to fully face the person that had addressed him. Indeed his eyes where a deep honey color. They blinked open and closed a few times before the blonde chuckled and spoke again. "I thought you where someone else, sorry."

"Are you waiting for someone?" The Egyptian asked, a soft glimmer of curiosity in his emerald eyes.

"In a way, yes," The blonde replied, "but that's not important." He extended his hand, smiling faintly, "I'm Jounouchi Katsuya."

"Ryuuji Otogi," the raven haired man gave a hint of a smile before taking the other's hand, shaking it accordingly as he introduced himself.

"Since we've established our names, and that I'm supposedly waiting for someone," Katsuya turned as he spoke, looking back at the Hebrew city. He had a distant look on his face, but aside from that it was if he was looking for something inside of the mess buildings, "why don't you tell me what you're doing out here this late at night? Your clothing tells me you're a high priest for the Pharaoh." He said the last part with a hint of a know-it-all tone of voice.

"What does my clothing have to do with why I may or may not be out here?" He asked, crinkling his forehead at the statement, in turn causing the other to chuckle again.

"Your kind isn't exactly the likeliest of people to roam this late at night," Katsuya pointed out, poking Ryuuji's shoulder as if to help prove his point, "at least not unless it's inside the palace itself."

The Egyptian priest quirked a fine ebony eyebrow upwards at the other, offering politely, "You seem to know a lot."

"Maybe I do, but that still doesn't answer my question of why you are out here this late," The blonde smirked slightly, playing with the other's mind a bit. He may seem a bit on the inane side sometimes, but indeed even he enjoyed messing with people sometimes. Actually, he did it quite often. The aloof act he normally put on was just another way to trick people.

"The palace is too big," Otogi spoke sadly, his emerald eyes slipping closed thoughtfully.

"I suppose it is, but that has nothing to do with the question," Jounouchi noted. He let his eyes scan of the Hebrew 'city' again.

"It has everything to do with me being out here," he stated in a factual tone of voice, "It's too big, I get lonely."

This made Katsuya turned too look at him; his lips tugged down into a small frown and a confused look on his face. "So you come out here, in the middle of the night looking for someone to keep you company? That's real logical," He teased the other, silently pleased with himself with the emerald eyed Egyptian opened his eyes to glare at him.

"I found you to talk to didn't I?" Ryuuji noted, giving him a small smile.

Jounouchi smiled back at him, though not quite sure why he did it exactly. This man seemed nice enough, he supposed. "That you did, but it's not like you'll find me every night," He stuck the tip of his tongue out jokingly.

"I don't come out here every night," Otogi said simply, still smiling sweetly at the other.

"I know," Katsuya stated proudly, as if him knowing where some grave accomplishment, "I do come out here every night, and this is the first time I've seen you."

The other scrunched his nose, a little bit confused, "You just said-"

"Forget what I say," He said, cutting the Egyptian off. He turned his head to look back at the city.  "They're just words after all."

"You're not going to report me, are you?" Katsuya asked Otogi before he could speak again. His eyes glimmered softly, when he saw a figure moving within the arrangement out houses. This, however, went unnoticed.

"What do you mean?" Ryuuji blinked at the words, looking at him with his head tilted to the side.

"Slaves aren't allowed out here at night, you are a high-ranked palace official, you do the math," Jounouchi replied simply. He fidgeted slightly, feeling suddenly restless as he looked on into the city.

"I won't report you," He spoke in a soft whisper, almost inaudible.

"If?"

Otogi blinked at the single word. "If? What do you mean 'if'?" He questioned, giving the other an odd look.

"There's always an 'if'," Katsuya stated softly.

For a moment, Ryuuji looked off, loosing himself in thought. "I don't have one," He replied looking back at the other giving him a half-smile.

"You mean you can't think of any," The blonde said, once again in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. He seemed to use that tone of voice a lot, though some of the statements he never was quite sure about.

"I suppose," his eyes blinked open and closed at the other. "Will I see you again?" He asked, though there was an unsure ring to his voice.

"Most likely. If you come out here, that is," Katsuya turned to the Otogi, giving a small wink. He smiled inwardly when he saw a faint red hue make it's way on the raven-haired Egyptian's cheeks.

Suddenly he stretched his arms out, giving a loud fake, but believable yawn. "I'm getting kind of tired," He said with a sleep tone of voice. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure," Ryuuji said, blinking for the umpteenth time that night. Jounouchi smiled at him, before running off into the small collection of houses where he, and many other Hebrew slaves lived.

With a watchful eye, the blonde Hebrew made his way through the so-called city. He'd stop whenever he saw a dark or large shadow in an alleyway or if he thought he heard the sound of footsteps. Every time, however, it was nothing but his imagination.

Forceful hands reached out of an over looked gap between the houses. Moments later Katsuya found himself pressed painfully into a wall. He blinked his honey eyes, feeling a dizzy wave flow over him from the suddenness of the action. Soon he found himself looking into azure eyes that where as cold as death. He smiled.

"What took you so long?" He heard the impatient cold voice that he had grown so used to and fond of said.

"I could ask you the same," Katsuya mock glared at the other, "I was a little preoccupied," He emphasized the last word with a quirk of a smile as he said it.

"By what?" The azure-eyed man asked rather brutally.

"Quite the nosy one aren't we?" Jounouchi asked teasingly, squirming slightly as he felt his arms beginning to tingle, threatening to go numb. He smirked to himself when he felt the hands that where holding him down leave his arms.

"By what?" Again the question was spoken in a forcefully, possessive tone.

"Don't you mean 'by who'?" As before he used a childish tone to question the other, the one that was his 'lover', or really his secret. He heard a growl deep within the other's throat. Naturally, he could not help the small smirk that spread across his face. He leant forward just a little bit putting a fraction of a kiss on the other's lips. "Jealous are we?"

"I just don't like people touching what is mine," The possessiveness in his voice was evident. With a soft sparkle of mischief in his eyes, the blue-eyed man took a step forward, in turn ending up with his body pressed fully against that of Katsuya's. 

The blonde gasped at the motion, but still wrapped his arms around the man in front of him. "Ah," he said simply, frowning mentally as he noted his slightly uneven breaths. Somehow his lover always seemed to gain control over any situation, it was the one thing about him he didn't like at times.

"Would you stop playing games?" It was more of a statement then an actually question.

"Ryuuji Otogi," Jounouchi answered, for a second time, he could not stop the smirk that played itself on his lips. There was another growl heard from his 'lover'.

"What?" He snapped the word.

"That's why I was late," Katsuya replied as if it was nothing. The angry look on the other's normally emotionless, but smug nonetheless, face showed otherwise.

"I don't want you to talk to him again," He commanded firmly, his azure eyes narrowing significantly.

"Who are you to tell me who I can and can not talk to?" Jounouchi spoke quietly, rubbing the side of his nose against his lover's face.

"I'm the keeper of your life, that's who," The blue-eyed man replied, not even a little fazed by the act of the affection.

"Too bad, I already promised him I'd see him tomorrow," Now the blonde had his ocher eyes narrowed right back the other, "he'll report me if I'm not there."

Upon spotting the frown he earned from that comment, Katsuya let out a soft sigh. "It looks like you're not the only one in charge of whither I live or die anymore, Seto," He muttered the half-hearted insult before kissing the other softly. He ran his hands through the soft brown locks of hair, not surprised at all when his kiss was not returned. He pulled away slowly, a sad smile upon his lips. "Goodnight," He whispered before retreating out of the small space and heading back to his house without even giving the other a glance as he left.

The palace seemed even bigger now. Otogi furrowed his brows as he walked down the corridor, which he also noted seem to go on twice as long as it had previously. Each step he forward felt like a step backwards, and it was starting to unnerve him. It did not help matters that the walkway was exceedingly quiet that night. The silence made him shiver in its uncomfortable hold.

The late hour of night is what made it so silent. Everyone had long since gone to bed, and the rooms where too hefty to hear any snoring, among other sounds, unless you where right outside their door. He could see doors pass by him, even though it seemed to take a minute. His own room was drawing near.

First he had to pass by that of the Pharaoh's; a task in which he must do with the utmost of silence. He placed two careful footsteps outside of the door, but froze on his third one. From inside there was the faint sound of giggling, a giggling in which Otogi knew quite well. It was that of the Pharaoh's.

Not being able to resist the curiosity, Otogi poked his head inside of the room. It was just inside so he could barely see the two figures out of the corner of his eye. Atop the bed was the Pharaoh, Yugi, pinned by his longhaired lover (1) who had his head titled in, whisper softly into the small ruler's ear.

"Yami's left the palace," he heard the lover whisper, though speaking such serious, unromantic matters his voice was still nothing less then a coo,  "And yesterday, he killed a slave worker for beating an disobedient slave."

"Do we have to talk of such things now?" Yugi whispered back, a flicker of insistence in his eyes. He raised his hand, letting it cup the chin of his lovers after running his fingers frivolously over the skin. 

"I'm afraid, my Pharaoh, that some matters are better to be spoken of then ignored," He placed a kiss on the tip of the multi-colored haired ruler's nose, giving him a roguish grin as he pulled away.

"I'm not suggesting ignoring them," Yugi replied contently, letting his violet eyes slip closed, "on the contrary, I'm just suggesting we put them off until morning."

"And in the morning you will want to put them off until night," The long-haired commented moving one of his hands from the side of the Pharaoh's body to brush it against he cheek.

"I believe I have you to blame for that," He shuttered at the touches as he spoke, letting his eyes lazily half open.

"Is it my fault that I'm irresistible?" He nipped Yugi's lips, letting his teeth roll of the smooth skin of it before releasing it.

"No but it is your fault I'm in love with you," A small smile placed itself on Yugi's lips as he said the statement.

"Believe what you want Pharaoh," His lover purposely said the last word in a mocking tone of voice.

"It makes me uncomfortable when you call me Pharaoh," The words where whispered slowly, set off by a soft pout.  

"Think of it as a pet name," He poked the tip of Yugi's nose, causing the other to giggle softly.

"I think if it as a title, for that is what it is. Couldn't you call me by another pet name?" The Pharaoh said in-between small bouts of his tiny laughter.

"Like what?" A light colored eyebrow quirked itself upwards, grinning devilishly as he asked the question.

"Anything. Perhaps your slave," A suggestive glint was found in Yugi's eye.   

"And here I thought I was the slave and you where my ruler," Yugi's lover teased, chuckling deep within his throat.

"But you are the ruler of my heart, and my bed."

"Slave it is then," He mumbled closing the small amount of space between them with a chaste kiss completely forgetting that he had been trying to convince the small Pharaoh that discussion of Yami was in order.

Emerald eyes tore themselves away from the scene, not willing to see any more. Otogi made his way back to his room, a journey to him that seemed longer then any other.

~*~*~

(1) Oh guess what? That's all you get to know about Yugi's lover until the next chapter. Well, that and it's not Pegasus!

Was it good? Was it bad? Did anyone know it sucks to put that much dialogue in one chapter? Please review! ^_~