Title: King of Thieves
Summary: The title of Thief King isn't too hard to earn; not if your best friend is the Prince of Egypt.
Rating: PG
Characters: Thief Bakura, Prince Atemu
Pairings: None; Caste-shipping (T. Bakura x Atemu) if you really want it to be…
Spoilers: None
Warnings: This is my own interpretation of a slight AU where 'Kura and Atemu were childhood friends in Ancient Egypt.
Disclaimer: Yu-gi-oh! and all related characters are copyright to Kazuki Takahashi. I, the author, am making no profit or money from the posting of this fan-fiction. The plot and AU, however, are my own.
Author's Note: As a challenge, I tried to write this story just based on what an observer would see and hear. That means no going into characters heads and explaining how they feel or what they're thinking.
King of Thieves
"If you're going to steal, steal a heart."
It was a peaceful evening. Ra sat low in the sky, casting long shadows across the land. The Nile had slowed to its summer crawl and it flowed quietly, gurgling in the evening air. A warm breeze swept lazily across the sand and danced around two figures sitting on the banks of Egypt's great river.
Two boys of about sixteen summers sat side-by-side in the warm sand. Neither of them spoke, but they seemed at ease in each other's presence.
One, with skin of glittering bronze, passed a silver knife between his hands. His deep blue eyes followed the blade as it flashed in Ra's dying light. A scar beneath his right eye shone paler than the rest of his effeminate face as his shoulder-length white hair moved slowly in the wind. His clothing, a simple loin-cloth and reed sandals, claimed that he was of the lowest class; but something in his eyes and the way he held himself spoke of an intelligence not learned by common peasants.
To his right sat the other, his skin a deep tan. He was smaller than the knife bearer, but seemed to radiate just as much, if not more power and wisdom. His tri-colored hair spiked up in all directions and blonde bangs fluttered in a sudden gust of wind. He was dressed in a fine tunic and kilt, gold decorated his arms, legs and ears, and the slippers on his feet were clearly richly made. His startlingly crimson eyes stared at the knife in his companion's hands with curiosity and a strange hunger.
With seemingly much practice, the white-haired youth flipped the knife into the air and caught it without looking. He sighed and slid the weapon into a sheath on his wrist, turning his head to meet the shorter boy's gaze. He smirked and ruffled the other's wild hair.
"Stop staring," he scolded playfully. "You know how rude it is. Have those priests taught you nothing?"
The other boy scowled and swatted at the offending hand.
"Are you lecturing me on manners, thief?"
The thief grinned and turned to face the Nile.
"Only because you need reminding, little prince."
The prince scoffed. "If anyone needs reminding, it is you, oh future Thief King. Do you forget to whom you speak?"
"Easy, princeling, or you won't live to see my kingdom rise…"
The darker boy shook his head and let his gaze fall on the great river as well.
"And now you threaten the life of the Crown Prince of Egypt? You are clearly the one lacking manners here, 'Kura."
The one called Kura laughed.
"Does that title mean anything to me, princeling?"
"It ought to! You should show proper respect to those in a higher class than your own, especially the royal family!"
"And you, as Crown Prince, should not associate with lowly thieves, yet here we are…"
The prince scowled. "You dragged me out here, if I recall correctly."
"Only because you insisted we get away from the palace. I believe your reasoning had something to do with skipping a lesson with Mahaado so you could pull a prank on Seto, and you wanted to avoid both of them for a while. Or was it the other way around? I can't recall…" The thief lay back in the sand, arms beneath his head. "Besides, this is much more peaceful than the city. Much less of a chance of running into your guards or any of the shopkeepers I 'borrowed' from today. And it's not like I stole you from anything important. You wanted to come! I don't steal everything I can get my hands on!"
The prince sighed as he lay back in the sand as well. "Remind me again why I spend so much time with a petty criminal."
The thief chuckled. "Because you are jealous…"
The prince looked appalled.
"It's true! You are jealous of my free lifestyle, and hope to maybe gain more excitement in your own boring life by being around a 'petty criminal.'" The thief grinned at the expression on his companion's face. "As for why I tolerate your presence, I do not desire for your life full of studies and formalities, so it must be because I enjoy stealing you away from such a boring life and making fun of you." He finished by poking the prince hard in the ribs, causing him to squeak like a startled mouse. "Or maybe I just like doing that…"
"That hurts!" the prince snapped as he rubbed his side then poked the thief back. "Why do you do that?"
"Because it doesn't really hurt at all, but you squeak anyways. Why? Can't the future King of Thieves make the future King of Egypt squirm every now and then? It's good practice!"
In retaliation, the prince grabbed a handful of sand and threw it playfully at the thief, who laughed and tossed sand back. The two continued to throw sand at each other until both had the powder in their hair, clothes and mouths. The fight would have gone on if the thief hadn't rolled over and pinned the prince's arms beneath his own.
"Kura!" the prince whined, "get off of me!"
The thief smirked. "Are you giving me orders, Atemu?"
"YES! Now get off!"
"Patience, princeling… It's a virtue you know."
"What can you possibly gain from pinning me to the sands? It's not like anyone knows I'm missing." Comprehension dawned on the prince's face. "Or is this how you are going to earn the title of Thief King, by stealing the Prince of Egypt?"
The thief looked taken aback. "I-"
"That's it, isn't it?! You've been luring me out here so you can kidnap me and earn your pathetic title. Trying to gain my trust…"
"That's not it at all!"
"I thought we were friends!"
"We are! It's just…"
"Get off of me now, Bakura."
The thief sighed and lowered his head to the prince's ear. "You're right… The King of Thieves has to steal something no one has ever managed to steal or thought of stealing. Which is why I can't 'steal' you. Kidnapping the prince isn't very original…" He sat up so he was straddling the prince's lap. "I'm sorry you doubt me…"
The prince just glared. "Well if stealing me is out of the question, why are you still pinning me down?"
A grin twisted across the thief's face. "Why not?"
"I told you to get off!"
"In time… But first…" He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the prince's.
As quick as it occurred, the kiss –if you could call it a kiss at all– was over. The thief stood up and offered his hand to the slightly dazed prince.
"Come on princeling! If I do not return you to the palace before Ra starts his journey through the underworld I would be a bad friend."
The prince stood up and shook his head as though to clear it as the thief whistled for his horse. A grey mare looked up from where she had been grazing on river reeds and whinnied softly before trotting over. Both boys clambered onto her back, the thief in front. The prince gripped the thief's waist tightly as he kicked the horse forward.
"Kura," the prince said quietly "I think you've earned your title of Thief King…"
"Is that so, princeling?"
"Yes… You just stole my first kiss."
The thief grinned as he looked back at his blushing friend. "But that would make you a Thief King too… You just stole mine."