Chapter three: cold feet.
The next morning hit the formally hammered pharaoh like a train, despite sleeping peacefully the light from the window next to their bed felt a million times brighter than it actually was.
"uuhg…. Never again." he groaned sleepily.
Tea was in the mirror brushing hair and washing her face when she heard him rustle "so, I'm guessing from all that groaning just now, you probably aren't going to be partying that hard again anytime soon?" she asked mockingly, atem let out a light laugh as he sat up, a hand to his pained forehead.
"heh…. You guessed right, uhg…. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I even agreed to having the damn thing" he yawned and stretched his strong slightly muscled arms as he got up and headed to the bath-room, he came up behind tea who was getting ready for the morning, and hugged her from behind, kissing up her neck.
"good morning lovely" he said softly into her ear.
"good morning baby" she replied, kissing him back, "are you ready for today?" she asked turning around and looking into his eyes.
"absolutely, I've been waiting for this day ever since I met you….maybe even before" he said, the last part seemed to drift as when he said it his gaze wondered into his memories.
"before?" asked tea curiously, "what do you mean ?"
He snapped out of it and looked back into her sparkling eyes, filled with love and a bit of curiosity and concern.
Atem blinked and answered, "oh! Nothing! I just….. You just remind me greatly of a dancer I used to know back in ancient Egypt." he explained as he caressed her face.
Tea's eyes widened "really?" she exclaimed.
Atem nodded.
"what did she look like?" she asked now intrigued.
"well…. " he started as he got his hot morning shower going. " aside from her beautiful caramel colored skin,…she.. Looked like you, she had your beautiful face, your bright cheerful eyes, your short chocolate brown hair, your body shape ….. She, was you. "
Tea slowed her hair brushing as she listened to him describing her…. As if he had taken in every little detail of this dancer when he had known her…. Which got her wondering.
"so… what happened to her?" she asked as the thought of him dumping someone exactly like her began to pester.
There was no response from the other side of the shower curtain , but she could feel an intense wave of grief wash over him as the seconds of him being silent passed , dear gods! What happened to that girl?
"ate- …?" she was about to ask him again but then the phone began to ring. She went to answer it holding it on her shoulder as she brushed her teeth, "hello?" she answered.
The other end of the line was silent, but she could tell someone was holding the phone even if she didn't hear anything..
She tried again, a little nervous now the blank ominous silence was intimidating "h-hello? Who is this? Please answer." .
There was no sound for what seemed llike forever as she waited, when she heard what sounded like a soft smug laugh , followed by a click….. The person hung up. Tea took the phone from her ear and stared at it , what the hell had just happened? Who was that and how did they know her number? All these thoughts swirled in her head as she stared at the phone, when her thoughts were cut off by its ringing again. She answered thinking it was the same creepy person and yelled,
"hey! Whoever you are ! Tell me who this is or else I,ll trace the this and call the cops wack job!" she yelled, trying to get at least a bit of recognition from the anonymous caller, she then heard a reply.
"uuuhh…. Tea? You okay? What 'a ya' talkin' about?" it was joey.
Tea let out a sigh of relief "oh, it's only you"
Joey, who , on the other end of the line was in bed ,eating cereal in his boxers while serenity got his suit ready and mai applied her make up, was a little concerned. "hey, are you okay? Ya sound a
Little shaken up?"
'"uh, no, no… I'm okay really! Im just tense because of the wedding and all…. Um so why did you call joe?" she said getting rid of his suspitions.
"oh yeah! Mai told me to call cuz we gonna be a little late today … eh heh"
Tea blinked "wait what!?" she exclaimed
"hey don't get all angry! Its not much we just gotta get a new suit"
"well what happened to the old one!?"
" I goff somphin onf it affph off immph mmummph! …" joey replied with his mouth full
Tea blinked "what?"
He swallowed "heh.. Sorry, I said I got somthin on it and its ripped up the side….. Musta tried it on last night …." suddenly there was a loud and very clear yell as someone shouted wheeler in the background.
"sorry gotta go" he hung up.
Tea just stood confused then hung up herself, "damn it joey!" she face palmed and layed down on the bed .
"are you alright tea?" asked atem in his soothing voice as he walked out the shower hot and dripping wet, abs showing.
Tea sighed "yeah I guess just…. This is a big day, and you know"
Atem sat down next to her wrapping an arm around her slender waist "I do…. You want everything to be perfect right?"
Tea shrugged "yeah I guess"
"well I'm sorry to put you down like this, but knowing our friends, that's probably not going to happen" atem smiled
Tea giggled " yeah your right….. But I think everything should go fine as long as its not a huge disaster"
Atem smiled wider as she looked into his eyes "lets hope so" he kissed her softly
"mmm…. " she placed a hand on his cheek as he pulled away slowly "I love you"
"I love you too"
Oooooooooooooooooooooo
Later that day Mai, Tea, Serenity ,Rebecca and the guys showed up at the place where the wedding would be held, atem was standing in a mirror adjusting his suit and tie , his tailor making sure everything fit right, as he tried to keep his composure. just calm down,you'll do fine he told himself as he closed his eyes. Someone was beginning to doubt himself.
Just then there was a knock on the door. "come in." he said
The door opened revealing a mop of dirty blonde hair, joey grinned " hows it goin, pharoah!"
Atem calmed and smiled "hey joey, I'm fine"
Joey sat down on a chair in the room "ya sure? Not nervous or somethin,?"
"no… no of course not….. " he said with an unsure tone as yugi also walked into the room, the shorter one raised an eyebrow at their conversation.
Atem smiled at the boy as joey continued to pester "are you sure that your sure?" he asked again
Atem turned to face him "definitely" he assured, though his eyes were strong when he looked back at joey, he shot yugi a quick look that said otherwise.
Joey gave him a skeptical look as he got up and went out the door, "alright pharaoh, I believe ya, just don't go getting' cold feet or else I'll knock you out of it!" he made a fist with his closed the door behind him
As soon as joey left atems face went from sure and confident to anxious and tense as he looked back to yugi.
"are you okay?" asked the violet eyed boy,
Atem sighed as he sat down heavily on a chair, head in his hands… "no"
Yugi smiled, "come on, don't tell me your nervous king of games"
The pharoah smirked "well I'm sorry to have to admit this but yes, the king has cold feet." he leaned back in his chair with his hands on his face,
"the last time I felt this way was when I was on that date with her a few years ago… except this time it feels even worse"
Yugi looked at atem worriedly and put a hand on his shoulder "it's okay….. you've been in tighter situations, if you love her you have no reason to worry"
Yugi looked atem in the eyes as the darker ones expression softened.
"but that's just it' said the pharaoh
"what do you mean?" asked yugi
atem sighed as he explained "its just that,…." he stood up and paced "what if….. What if I cant keep her safe? I know that we have defeated many of our enemies but…. If I marry her I know that anyone who may want to kill me or take away my powers will use her as a way to get to me….. She'll become more vulnerable ….. It just… reminds me all too well of when…..when… " he stopped
Yugi listened intently to him "of what?" he asked
Atem looked to yugi with a shade of guilt "uh…. Nothing…" he answered quietly
Yugi pushed "come on you can tell me, whatever it is, you can always tell me"
Atem smiled lightly, then took a deep breath "it reminds me of when dartz was organizing his plans using the orchalchoas, …. After I had …selfishly used the ra damned card we took a train heading to a destination I can no longer remember…. During the ride all of the passengers seemed to disappear , they turned out to be illusions … once the rest of the guys noticed they came looking for me"
he had a flash back of when he was grieving over the severe loss of his aibou, he shook his head and continued
"anyways, I suggested that we look for the emergency brakes so we could stop the train since it was going too fast but …. The carts came apart, but just before they did, I reached out to her , I told her to take my hand and I didn't know why I did that when I had , there was no reason for her to come with me, all I was doing was putting her in more danger and slowing myself down….. But… I knew that I needed her, at that time I was fighting the demons within me…. trying to control my anger, and I was losing.. Then the train went over a cliff and I immediately regretted my decision "
Atem turned to yugi tearful…. "yugi…. She could have died! …. What if, what if this is the same As that rash decision … what if this is the same as what happened 5000 years ago!…. What if…"
Atem felt a tug on his sleeve and he turned to look down at yugi, who was smiling warmly then hugged him around the waist, he squeezed tightly "yami…. don't worry… please… this isn't the same and everything … . Will be fine…. I promise … "
Atem stood slightly surprised at the sudden affection and caring love from the small boy, then kneeled and hugged back "thank you… aibou"
OOOOOOOOOOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOO OOO
In the other room tea held a bundle of flowers her face covered with a silky white veil, thinking about her future, feeling more sure than ever.
"wow" said serenity amazed as she looked at the beautiful dress that tea was wearing.
She was in a silky, creamy white dress with Egyptian designs trailing up the side, lotus flowers and petals covering the skirt of the dress, It was sleek and flowing, she looked gorgeous.
"you look good hun." said mai as she zipped up the back of the dress.
"you look amazing!" added serenity enthusiastically.
Tea blushed lightly from all the attention "thanks guys….. I just… I just can't believe that its finally happening…. I never thought I would get to be with him, and I never knew that he felt the same way I did, I feel so sure right now…. Like everything is right"
"you don't have to tell me hun," said mai " I was just as surprised as you were when the pharaoh walked back through that door…. And even more surprised when he actually proposed to you, your one lucky gal you know that?" she placed a hand on her shoulder
Tea turned around and smiled. "yeah, …. I know."
Just then there was some muffled talking from behind the door
"are you sure this is it joey?" said a deeper voice coming closer
"sure im sure!" said a voice with a michevious Brooklyn accent.
Then the door knob turned and yugi's voice was heard sounding frantic. "wait atem! You're not allowed to see her yet!"
"oh..? " ….But it was too late, atem opened the door and froze as his gaze fell upon tea in her dress,
"heh…wow" his eyes and smile widened at the sight of her.
But before he could actually take it all in mai threw a sheet over the bride and yelled at him "what are you doing! You cant look at her yet! It's bad luck !"
He panicked, covering his eyes and blushing a bit "ahh! Uh…. My apologies!"
Tea couldn't help but giggle sweetly at him as she peeked from beneath the sheet.
As mai shooed him out and hysterical laughing was heard from outside of the room, atem somewhat clumsily made his way out of the room, blushing a deep shade of red from embarrassment
Tea, laughing now pulled the sheet from herself as mai closed the door , all the girls laughed as they heard atem obviously scolding joey who was still laughing.
"DAMNIT JOEY! THAT WASN'T THE MENS ROOM!" there was an audible punch followed by a pained groan, the laughing stopped, replaced by crying
"whaddya do dat for huh!? "
OOOOOooooooOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooOOOOOOooooo
Yatemugirl: oh joey, joey, joey…. You should know better than to mess with the pharaoh.. Anyways.. New chapter, and more soon to come, and the new ones will be a bit longer ^ ^ .. But don't get too comfortable now… after this chapter… things are about to get very dark. Hope you're a fan of angst. Please review, I like reviews.