To the people who are viewing my story, I'm glad you all like it! Please review my story if you can! I want to know your opinions on the plot! There will be fluff coming up so be prepared for it! Also, I do not own the song 'Dark Horse' since it belongs to Katy Perry. Hope you all like this chapter!
He could feel it. The tension in the room, nearly making him sweat. Before, the atmosphere did not felt heavy, but now it did. Its even worse when he's sitting next to the person who is causing the heavy atmosphere, but he couldn't move.
Why? Because Atem is still gripping his hand, and he's sitting right next to him on the bed.
Yugi could feel Atem's gaze on him, studying him. His heavy stare nearly made him squirm in discomfort, and Jaden isn't doing better. Out of the corner of his eye, Jaden is also sitting on the bed, but next to Abidos, and he had his arm around Jaden in a firm grip to prevent him from moving.
They're both mad about something, but what? Abidos mentioned that he and Atem wanted to discuss with both Yugi and Jaden about their duel spirits. Were they surprised to meet Hero Kids 1, 2, & 3, Miracle Flipper, and Card Ejector?
Suddenly, he flinched as Atem got close to his ear and whispered in a low, husky tone. "Yugi, your Ka spirit Silent Magician mentioned about Dark Magician being part of your deck. What did she mean by that?"
Yugi could feel his cheeks heating up while feeling Atem's hot breath blowing near his ear. Why won't his heart stop thumping? And why is his body telling him to get closer to Atem? More importantly, why is his mind having thoughts on touching Atem and kissing him?
"Yugi…" Atem whispered in his ear. "You also mentioned about Dark Magician Girl and the Magician of Black Chaos. Are they also part of your deck?"
Gulping, he slowly nodded while looking at his lap. "T-They are part of my deck."
"Your deck?"
Yugi turned his head to look at Atem, and felt his cheeks turning pink after realizing how close he is. "T-That's right. D-Do you want to see them?"
Atem nodded. "I do."
Picking up his bag resting on the floor, he fished through his stuff and pulled out his deck holder belt. Opening it, he pulled out his duel monster cards and gently placed them in Atem's hands. "Be very careful with them. My grandpa always told me to treat my deck with care and love."
Seeing how serious he was, Atem reassured him with a firm nod and looked through them. His eyes widened in amazement as he recognized some of the duel monster spirits. "What do you call these cards?"
"Duel monster cards," Yugi replied. "I mostly get them from my grandpa's shop, and sometimes from other stores."
"But how did your era knew about our Ka spirits, and what they looked like?"
"Pegasus was the one who created these cards. He got the idea after going to Egypt and discovering a ruin with duel monster spirits on stone tablets. We all call it Duel Monsters and it's been a popular game for everyone."
"Is this the same Pegasus you told me about? The one with the Millennium Eye?"
"The same one."
"How was he able to make them look realistic? The designs for Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, and the Magician of Black Chaos match well with the Ka spirits of them here in Khemet."
"W-Wait! Dark Magician Girl and the Magician of Black Chaos are also in this era!?"
Atem arched his eyebrow, and handed him back his deck. "That's right. Dark Magician Girl is Mana's Ka, and the Magician of Black Chaos is also one of my Ka spirits. However, I'm more surprised that your cards who held Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl have children."
Yugi's face flushed in embarrassment. "J-Jaden was the one who designed Miracle Flipper and Card Ejector. He got them made into cards by Pegasus after winning one of his contests. We thought they could be apprentices to Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, but a lot of people assume they were their children."
Atem chuckled. "They definitely resemble Mahado and Mana's Ka spirits. If their Ka spirits are able to have children, then I'm certain my friends will start a family together soon." He heard a loud scoff, turning his head to look at Abidos. "Do you wish to say something, cousin?"
Abidos rolled his eyes. "Temi, we need to get straight to the point. I'm happy they gave us an explanation, but we must discuss of their punishment."
"H-Huh!?" Jaden replied in shock. "B-But we didn't do anything!"
"Jaden," he tightened his grip on him, causing Jaden to nearly blush. "You and your friend never gave us a proper explanation on your deck. Besides letting your Ka spirits attacking Crowler, the ruckus nearly frightened everyone in the palace."
"He's correct," Atem looked back at Yugi. "Yugi, you and Jaden are grounded."
"Seriously!? They actually grounded us!?" Jaden groaned in disbelief.
"We can't leave the room unless a servant or guard is with us," Yugi sighed, hugging a pillow. "They will be the ones to escort us to the dining area for food, the bathhouses to wash up, or to the gardens outside for fresh air. We can't go anywhere by ourselves."
"This stinks!" Jaden flopped down on his bed, placing his arms behind his head. "All because of what my duel spirits did to Mr. Crowler!? We thought he was our old teacher who retired!"
"Plus, we mentioned a few other Ka spirits whom they are familiar with," Yugi pointed out. "Because of that, we're grounded for 3 days."
"Its still not fair! We're not little kids!" Jaden turned to his side, facing Yugi, with one arm propped up for his head to rest against the palm of his hand. "Just because they rule the kingdom doesn't mean we have to do what they say!"
"We had two options, Jaden. Its either getting grounded or entertain them at night."
"What did they mean by that? Like entertaining them with a duel? Or playing some sort of game?"
"… Jaden, remember when we both got the talk when we were 13?"
Jaden's cheeks turned red. "Y-Yeah, and it was horrifying."
"The talk also relates to what they mean by 'entertaining them at night'. They want us to sleep with them."
"Y-You mean like just sleeping? O-Or the other meaning of the word 'sleeping'?"
"The other meaning."
Jaden gulped, his cheeks still blushing. "B-But we're both guys, a-and they're also guys!"
"Its better if we don't think about," Yugi shook his head to get rid of his blush. "Moving on, we'll be staying in our room for 3 days until our punishment is over. Tea and Alexis will check up on us to make sure we're doing fine."
Jaden pouted, flipping over to land on his stomach with his arms dangling out. "Then what do we have to do in here? I'm already bored!"
"For starters, we can finish up our homework," Yugi replied.
Jaden stuck his tongue out. "I prefer dueling than homework. Plus, I need more information on the topic you picked out for me."
"Look it up in your textbook, Jaden. I'm sure there is information about it in there."
"I wanna see it in real life. Besides, reading is boring."
"Its also what makes us human."
"It does?"
Yugi bit his lip to refrain himself from laughing. "Yes it does. But really, we should get that homework done while we're in here alone."
"Or…"
"Or what?"
Jaden grinned, sitting up and jumping off the bed. "Or we can sneak out of here and explore the palace more!"
"Jaden, we don't know our way around the kingdom," Yugi commented. "And how are we gonna sneak out? There are guards posted everywhere, and the servants are also out there working. If they see us, they'll notify Atem and Abidos and we don't want to deal with their anger."
"Don't you worry!" Jaden pointed at himself with his thumb. "Because I got a plan!"
"Jaden."
"Yeah?"
"I believe this palace is lowering their standards for guards."
"What makes you say that?"
"They actually fell for the haunted ghost trick you pulled on them. They thought the palace is actually haunted and ran away from it."
"I'm surprised it actually worked. I was gonna distract them with a dancing frog."
"I'm not even gonna ask how you will pull that one off."
As they continued to explore around the palace, Yugi and Jaden kept themselves hidden in the shadows or behind huge statues or vases so no one would see them. They were able to sneak out of their room thanks to Jaden's ghost trick, and while everyone is distracted on why the two guards were screaming in fear, this gave Yugi and Jaden time to look around and see which parts of the castle they're at. They've already found the study room, along with the kitchen, bedrooms, and many others.
But now, they are walking down a long hallway on the bottom level of the palace. They thought this would lead them to the outside garden, but it didn't.
"Jaden, I think we're lost," Yugi said.
"We're not lost. I'm sure we'll find the exit somewhere," Jaden replied.
"You already mentioned it 15 minutes ago. We're walking in circles."
"Technically, we've been walking down this long hallway."
Yugi pinched the bridge of his nose. "We're obviously lost. We don't know where we are, and I'm pretty sure Atem and Abidos are gonna know by now that we're not in our rooms."
"Which is why if they do come into our rooms, we'll make them think we're actually sleeping under the covers, but it's not really us. Yugi-bear and Jaden-bear will distract them for us!"
"I doubt they'll fall for that trick."
As they continued walking, they spotted a door covered in transparent curtains. Their ears picked up on soft giggling coming from there. Before they could figure out who it is, two people stepped out of the room while opening the curtains and giggled with each other.
"Tea?"
"Alexis?"
Tea gasped and looked over. "Y-Yugi? J-Jaden?"
Alexis nearly frowned. "What are you two doing in the Harem Quarters?"
Their minds went blank for a minute, but her sentence caused Yugi to blush red while Jaden is confused on what she meant.
"H-Harem quarters?!" Yugi squeaked.
"What's that?" Jaden asked.
Alexis arched her eyebrow, but answered him. "This place is where the pharaoh's harem reside in. The harem consists of many young ladies who serve their pharaohs as either servants, dancers, concubines, or mistresses."
"H-Hold on!" Yugi pointed at them. "D-Does this mean-
Tea shook her head. "Oh no, Yugi! Alexis and I are only servants to the palace, and apprentices to Priestess Isis. We sometimes come here to spend time with the women here, and do fun things together like dance, sing, and other lady stuff." She folded her arms over her chest. "But enough about that, why did you two left your room? And how did you discover this place?"
Jaden sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Actually, we're sorta lost. We were trying to find the garden, but we ended up taking a wrong turn."
"The palace garden?" Alexis asked. "You two wanted to go there?"
"That's right," Yugi nodded. "If it's alright with you two, could you please show us where it is?"
Before they could open their mouth, a young Egyptian woman with long black hair and pink dress came out from the entrance. "Tea! Alexis! Thank goodness you two didn't leave yet! We need help with-
When she turned her head, her brown eyes widened at seeing Yugi and Jaden. Her expression was astonishment, but then she happily smiled wide after seeing them. "You two are perfect! You'll definitely fit into them!"
Hurrying over to them, she grabbed their arms and dragged them into the entrance with tremendous speed. Surprised at her actions, Tea and Alexis quickly followed her. Whatever their friend is planning, it can't be good. And hopefully, Yugi and Jaden are willing to handle being inside the Harem Quarters.
Atem could feel another headache coming in, but he was able to ignore it while paying attention to what Siamun is saying. Abidos had trouble keeping himself awake, but kept his eyes open while resting his cheek against the palm of his hand. Even though the meeting had only lasted for 15 minutes, it still felt like hours to them.
Their council meeting, being held in the throne room with the rest of the advisors and guardians, is discussing on the benefits for their kingdom, how to improve their economy, and to make sure its safe from invaders. Right now, Siamun is explaining to everyone about how their land can prosper by creating fields near the river, and offering them to any farmers who need to grow their food or acquire water. He even had Professor Banner assist him to persuade the council members to accept his idea.
"I'm telling you, we'll be able to acquire more greenery for our land if we expand it."
"I do agree with Priest Siamun. We must revive back more trees and plants in our kingdom. It will appease the gods and goddesses if we do something to help our land flourish."
As they went on and on of their explanation, Atem decided to drone out their voices and think of something else. An image of his little one appeared in his mind, causing his lips to twitch a bit. Yugi truly is an interesting person. Not only that, there are so many things he wished to learn more about him.
He didn't want to ground him, but it was either that or have him keep him company at night. And Atem knew Yugi would be way too shy to share a bed with the pharaoh. He could still remember Yugi's blushing face, and how he held him in a bridal position. Having Yugi in his arms felt so right, along with holding his soft, delicate hand. They were smaller than Atem's large hands, but he loved the feeling of his little one's smooth skin.
Once this council meeting is over, he'll ask Yugi to accompany him to his private garden. Abidos can do the same for Jaden, but Atem preferred to have some alone time with his little one. And he knew Abidos would be happy to be alone with Jaden.
He noticed Siamun and another council member arguing, causing him to stand up and clap his hands loudly, and gaining everyone's attention. "All right, that's quite enough. Its best to end this meeting right away. We can discuss more of it another time." Seeing Professor Banner about to open his mouth, Atem placed his hand up to silence him. "The meeting is adjourned. Dismissed!"
They all bowed to him and dispersed, leaving only his trusted guardians and scholars. Atem looked over at Mahado. "Is there any progress on finding a scroll related to time-travel?"
Mahado shook his head no. "Not yet, my lord. We are still digging through them. Our trusted scholars are helping us find anything that can help us."
"I see," Atem looked over at Isis. "Isis, has your necklace given you any visions lately?"
Isis shook her head. "I'm afraid not, my pharaoh. My necklace had been quiet for a while, and it wouldn't let me see anything."
"My pharaoh," Shada spoke up. "We could test out the powers of both the Millennium Key and Eye-
"No," Atem cut him off. "Its too risky. Our Millennium items are still a mystery to us, especially their true powers. We must be extremely careful, for experimenting on their powers can lead to consequences."
"I-I understand, my lord. Forgive me for saying something like that," Shada bowed his head in front of him.
"Don't apologize. You provided a vital point," Abidos replied. "But Atem is right. We mustn't rely on your Millennium items that much. Its best to find a second option."
"My kings, we will do everything we can to find the answer," Seth said. "And when we do, we'll make sure our guests are brought back to their era safe and sound."
"But we must be alert," Banner commented. "Time-travel is dangerous, and so is our magic. If we don't do it correctly, there's a chance we could send Yugi and Jaden to the wrong era." He then gulped. "Or worse, lead them to their doom."
His statement caused Abidos to frown. "Nothing will happen to them! We'll make sure of it!"
"Banner is right, my king. We must be cautious on how we will get them back to their era," Siamun replied. "I too want to make sure our guests get back to their loved ones safe and unharmed."
"And they will. But for now, we mustn't stop on our search until we find something that can help us," Atem stated. "Abidos and I will go check on our guests. In the meantime, the rest of you please continue your search. And Karim, inform the other advisors that Crowler will be on bed-rest until he recovers."
"As you wish, my king," Karim bowed.
They bowed to their pharaohs and left the throne room. Atem and Abidos also left and walked down the hall.
"Temi, do you think they're upset with us for grounding them?" Abidos piped up.
"Probably a little, but I'm sure they'll understand why we had to ground them. They left out important details that caught my attention, and the palace almost went amuck due to what happened to Crowler," Atem pointed out.
"I find it hilarious to see him get beaten by a bunch of children Ka spirits."
"I actually agree with you. Plus, they were protecting Yugi and Jaden from Crowler. I'm sure they'll cheer up if we take them to the private gardens."
"What a wonderful idea! I must show Jaden our beautiful lotus flowers, along with my horse Ali. I never got the chance to tell him about my horse nor show him the stables."
"You're right. I must introduce Yugi to Antar. I know they'll get along well."
As they neared the room, they noticed the guards standing near the entrance. When they saw the pharaohs, they quickly bowed down.
"My kings, we made sure the guests wouldn't leave the room without a servant. So far, they did not exit this room yet," Tristan replied.
"We got quite worried when we didn't hear them talking. We did a quick check and realized they were sleeping. We made sure to scan the perimeter and everything is in mint condition," Hassleberry saluted.
"Excellent. You two can go back to your duties now. Abidos and I will be busy showing them around," Atem replied.
"Sir!" they bowed and left their post.
Abidos pushed the door open and looked inside. They were right. Both Jaden and Yugi were sleeping. Well, he can only see their hair peeking out from the covers, but they were still there.
Atem went over to Yugi's bed and poked his slumbering form. "Yugi, are you still sleeping?" He received no answer. "Little one?"
"Jaden, time to wake up," Abidos slightly teased and gently tugged on his hairpiece. "I want to show you something~."
Hearing no answer, they both pulled the covers off. Instead of Yugi and Jaden, there were two teddy bears dressed up to resemble Yugi and Jaden by their hair and outfit.
"Temi, they are in huge trouble."
"They will definitely stay in our rooms from now on."
"Agreed."
"I feel so violated!"
"Why did they even wanted to dress us in these clothes!? We're not females!"
"And also airy! It's showing so much of my skin!"
"That's how all harem outfits are. Girls wear them to entertain people by dancing or singing."
"I think it's creepy!"
"And disturbing."
"Hey now! You two mustn't get scared at all! I think the both of you look gorgeous in those outfits! They show off your figures well!"
Yugi and Jaden could feel their faces heating up as the women in the harem quarters continued to coo and gaze at them in awe. One minute, they were talking with Tea and Alexis, and the next minute, the woman wearing the pink dress dragged them into the chambers and had them both bathed and dressed up by her harem sisters.
This was even worse when the female servants bathed them at the bathing chambers. The pharaohs' harem forced them to strip, wash them from head to toe, and then made them wear these revealing outfits. They even put kohl on them along with a bit of makeup, showing off their beauty.
Yugi hugged his arms, feeling goosebumps appear on his skin. The purple top resembled a bikini top, but with jeweled strings attached to the hem, along with a purple bikini style bottom that also has jeweled strings attached to the hem, and a long transparent light purple fabric reaching his ankles attached to the bottoms, but there were slits on either side to expose his thighs.
There were purple cuffs on his wrist and bicep, with the transparent light purple fabric attached on either end of the cuffs as the fabric hung loosely. He even had a veil covering his nose and mouth, along with a pair of flats to complete the look. Jaden had the same outfit like him, but in a red color and he also looked really embarrassed.
Jaden hugged his arms, trying to cover more of his skin. "N-Now that they fit us, can we have our old clothes back please?"
The woman in the pink dress shook her head no. "Not yet! We must teach you both how to dance!"
"D-Dance!?"
"She's right!" an Egyptian woman with short brown hair and wearing a green dress replied. "It's the best way to entertain your pharaohs. It'll make them really happy."
"We're not really sure what you ladies are talking about. Why do we need to entertain them? We're only guests to this palace," Yugi explained. "And why would it make them happy?"
Alexis was the one who answered. "Isn't it obvious? They harbor an attraction towards you two."
"She's right! Our kings had never been interested in anyone or anything at all for quite a long time. But ever since you two came to the kingdom, they look much happier and carefree," Tea smiled. "You are gifts to them from the Gods who want to fill up the holes in their hearts! Only you two can help soothe our pharaohs!"
Yugi looked at Jaden, who looked back at him. They helped Atem and Abidos become much happier? And they're interested in them? Not only that, what did Alexis meant by harboring an attraction towards them?
Jaden turned his head to look at the girls. "U-Um, Yugi and I already know how to dance."
"Can you two dance the way we do it in this era?" Tea pointed out.
He nodded. "Oh yeah! Yugi and I once did an Egyptian dance for a talent show and we won first prize because of it!"
"And I still don't get how you convinced me to enter it with you," Yugi sighed. "But yes, we already know how to dance-
"Then please show us!" another Egyptian woman with long wavy hair in a blue dress pleaded. "We want to see your dance!"
"Great idea!"
"It would suit their outfits well!"
"And we can give them pointers on it, too!"
"I wanna see their dance!"
"H-Hold on!" Yugi exclaimed. "I-I'm afraid we can't do that-
The rest of the harem gave them a pleading look, pouting their lips cutely while unleashing their sparkling puppy-dog look on them. Tea and Alexis tried not to laugh after seeing Yugi and Jaden blush from those looks, while stammering on their words. Finally, they both sighed and agreed to do a small performance for them, making all the girls squeal in delight.
Clearing the area for them to dance on without tripping, the girls placed some blankets and pillows on the ground, making themselves seats as they sat on them, like an excited audience waiting for the show to start. Tea and Alexis also sat on the pillows, eagerly awaiting for their friends' performance.
Both Yugi and Jaden whispered to one another for a minute, and then separated as they each got into position, as they stood side-to-side with their backs facing each other. Having their hands pressed together in front of them while closing their eyes, their eyes shot open as they began to dance.
Jaden:
I knew you were
Yugi:
You were gonna come to me
Jaden:
And here you are
Yugi:
But you better choose carefully
Jaden:
Cause I,
Yugi:
I'm capable of anything
Of anything, and everything
Letting their hips rock back and forth from the song, they let their hands and arms move gracefully as their bodies moved in ease with the song.
Yugi:
Make me your Aphrodite
Make me your one and only
Jaden:
But don't,
Yugi:
Make me your enemy
Your enemy, your enemy
So you wanna play with magic?
Jaden doing the background voice as Yugi continues to sing the lyrics. They each started twirling around in a circle, letting themselves get lost into the music while using their veil fabrics to entice their audience.
Yugi:
Boy you should know what you're falling for
Baby, do you dare to do this?
Cause I'm coming at you like a dark horse
Yugi & Jaden:
(Hey) Are you ready for, ready for?
(Hey) A perfect storm, perfect storm?
(Hey, Hey) 'Cause once you're mine, once you're mine
(Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey) There's no going back
Letting their veils hide their faces, they slowly got onto their knees while having their hands pressed together and did more poses, causing the girls to nearly awe at their elegance.
Jaden:
Mark my words
Yugi:
This love will make you levitate
Jaden:
Like a bird
Yugi:
Like a bird without a cage
Jaden:
We're down to earth
Yugi:
If you choose to walk away, don't walk away
Yugi brought his right hand out for the next lyric, while Jaden did the same, but with his left hand.
It's in the palm of your hand now, Baby
It's a yes or a no-no maybe
Jaden:
So just be sure,
Yugi:
Before you give it up to me
Up to me, give it up to me
So you wanna play with magic?
Jaden doing the background voices again as Yugi keeps on singing. They slowly rose up and spun around each other, stopping as Yugi pressed his right hand against Jaden's right hand, and they both walked around in a circle.
Boy you should know what you're falling for
Baby, do you dare to do this?
Cause I'm coming at you like a dark horse
Yugi & Jaden:
(Hey) Are you ready for, ready for?
(Hey) A perfect storm, perfect storm?
(Hey, Hey) 'Cause once you're mine, once you're mine
(Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey) There's no going back
Their sharp gazes caused a few of the girls to nearly squeal in delight, while many were either blushing or too entranced in their dance.
Jaden:
Uh, she's a beast, I call her Karma
She eat your heart out, like Jeffrey Dahmer
Be careful, try not to lead her on
Shawty's heart was on steroids 'cause her love was so strong
You may fall in love when you meet her (Meet her)
If you get the chance you better keep her (Keep her)
She swears by it but if you break her heart
She turn cold as a freezer (Freezer)
That fairy tale ending with a knight in shining armor
She can be my Sleeping Beauty, I'm gon put her in a coma (Whoo!)
Damn I think I love her, Shawty so bad
I'm sprung and I don't care
She got me like a roller coaster turn the bedroom into a fair (A fair)
Her love is like a drug, I was tryna hit it and quit it
But Li'l Mama so dope I messed around and got addicted
Finishing his line, both Yugi and Jaden started to move faster as they continued to spun around and dance, surprising the girls to see they didn't look tired or out-of-breath at all. Tea was surprised to see them still dancing gracefully, while Alexis is shocked that their moves make them look more beautiful.
Yugi:
So you wanna play with magic?
Boy you should know what you're falling for (You should know)
Baby, do you dare to do this?
Cause I'm coming at you like a dark horse (Like a dark horse)
Yugi & Jaden:
(Hey) Are you ready for, ready for? (Ready for?)
(Hey) A perfect storm, perfect storm? (A perfect storm?)
(Hey-Hey) 'Cause once you're mine, once you're mine (Oh, Oh-Oh)
(Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey) There's no going back
Doing one final spin, they went back to their previous position of standing side-by-side with their backs facing each other, but slowly crouched down with their hands pressed together while turning their heads to look at their audience, making the girls blush more at seeing their alluring gaze.
They hid their panting breaths behind their face veils, and sweat glistened on their foreheads and bodies as they waited for the harem girls to say something. Suddenly, Tea and Alexis both clapped, causing a few more girls to clap with them until everyone in the harem chambers clapped loudly while smiling real big. Yugi breathed out a sigh of relief. They loved their performance. It's a good thing he and Jaden learned how to belly dance along with other styles of Egyptian dancing from some videos they watched on the Internet.
"That was amazing!"
"I had no idea you two would be so good at dancing!"
"You must teach me how to dance like you!"
"Please be our teachers!"
"I'm also good with private lessons!"
Yugi and Jaden stood up as the girls started crowding around them, causing their faces to burn up. It didn't help that they're still wearing the revealing Egyptian harem outfits, but the dresses the women were wearing show off a little of their cleavage. They had to close their eyes and look away, while making sure the women aren't touching them.
Seeing how uncomfortable their friends looked, Alexis loudly clapped her hands together. "Alright, ladies. We should give them some space. I believe they would like to take a break after that wonderful performance."
Tea nodded. "She's right. Give them some room to breathe, please."
The harem girls let out huge awwws, but did what they were told and dispersed from the crowd, giving Yugi and Jaden room to breathe. Now that they can think and breathe normally, they can finally get out of these harem outfits and go back to their old ones.
More specifically, their regular Egyptian outfits.
Suddenly, they heard someone knocking on their doors. Alexis excused herself and left to see who it is. A few minutes later, she came back out. "Yugi. Jaden. You two must hide immediately. The pharaohs discovered your escape and sent all the guards to search everywhere for you two. They're bringing one guard and female servant here to inspect the room when I told them I haven't seen you two." She then looked at Tea. "Take them to the secret room now!"
"On it!" Tea replied, grabbing Yugi and Jaden's arms and dragging them over to a hidden door. She opened the door, shoved them inside, and closed it while covering the door with a vase filled with so many flowers that can conceal anything.
After doing that, she heard footsteps and quickly went to her friend's side as they both bowed to the guard and female servant who entered the chambers. As the harem women also bowed down, they made sure none of them saw what they hid behind the plant.
Meanwhile, Yugi and Jaden covered their mouths while buried in clothing. The room they were shoved in is actually a closet, filled with many belly-dancing outfits and accessories. As they pressed their ear against the door, they heard soft noises. They waited inside, making sure not to make any noise that can gain attention from the outside.
After what felt like hours, the door opened and Tea dragged them out. Then, the harem girls changed them out of their outfits and back into their original Egyptian outfits.
"They're gone for now. However, you two should quickly leave the chambers before they come back," Alexis told them. "I don't know how we can sneak you two back into your rooms, but we won't be able to assist you."
"But why not?" Jaden asked, in disbelief at what she said.
"If they suspect us of hiding you two, we'll be punished badly. We don't want to face the wrath of an angry pharaoh, let alone two," Tea sadly sighed. "All we can do is sneak you out of the chambers and to another location. But after that, we need to go back to our posts. But I'm sure our kings won't be too mad at you if you go back to your rooms and surrender yourselves."
Yugi shook his head. "Not when they're mad. Since our decoys were discovered, they're obviously not in a good mood. I think Jaden and I will hide in the garden. They'll never find us there."
"Luckily for you two, the garden is nearby. We'll guide you both there," Alexis beckoned them to follow.
Saying goodbye to the rest of the harem women, they quickly left the chambers and followed Tea and Alexis down another hallway where they found the exit. Parting the transparent curtains covering the entryway, they shielded their eyes, as everything became brighter thanks to the sun.
The garden is filled with greenery, ranging from trees, bushes, grass, and plants. A round pond resided at the center of the garden, and there were many flowers that had lotuses, roses, lilies, and so much more. As they gazed at the garden in awe, they snapped out of it when the girls tapped their shoulders.
"Alexis and I must leave now and go back to our duties. You two will be fine, right?" Tea asked, her face filled with worry.
"We will be," Yugi nodded and smiled at her. "Thank you for helping us and not telling them you saw us. If Jaden and I do get caught, we'll take whatever punishment the pharaohs will give us."
"Let us know if everything goes well. But next time, don't sneak out without having someone escort you to your destination," Alexis sighed, giving them a small smile.
"We'll remember that," Jaden replied.
The girls waved goodbye to them and quickly left, as the boys waved at them and quickly went deep inside the garden and hid from sight. It didn't look like there were any guards or servants around here. Plus, they haven't seen any of the guardians, making them sigh in relief. Avoiding them is a lot more difficult than they can imagine.
"This is definitely Yubel-nee's dream garden," Jaden looked around.
"Same with grandpa's," Yugi said. "Every palace has a private garden for their kings and queens. However, only the rulers and those they trust know of the garden's true beauty. Everyone else don't know about it since its well hidden."
"How do you know that?"
"A lot of Egyptians tend to make every garden their own dream garden."
"I can see why. This place is really cool!"
"Keep your voice down, Jaden. We don't want to get caught."
"Sorry. I forgot."
Walking on the soft grass, they heard soft meowing coming from near a tree. Getting closer to the sound, they looked behind it and Yugi's eyes lit up in excitement. "Awww, there are kittens here."
A white cat, whom they figured out is the mama cat, is laying down under the tree's shade while watching her 4 kittens play with one another. Each of the kittens resemble their mother, but a couple of them have different eye colors.
One of the kittens, who has violet eyes, mewed after seeing Yugi. Cautiously appearing from his hiding spot with Jaden, the mama cat saw him, but let him go near her kittens after sensing no hostility from the boys. Yugi smiled, sitting down on the grass cross-legged as the kitten with violet eyes trotted over to him while meowing.
Jaden sat down next to him, as another kitten with brown eyes walked over to him and touched his leg with its paws. He picked up the kitten and stroked its back, causing the kitten to let out some purrs while snuggling against him. This action caused him to smile. "I can see why in Egypt, cats are considered sacred to them."
"They are said to be the descendants of Bastet, the goddess of protection and cats. She is said to be very powerful, and its wise not to anger her," Yugi explained, while petting the violet-eyed kitten who's resting on his lap. "Plus, all animals are cute so they all relate to a powerful, ancient deity."
"That would explain Pharaoh."
"The cat?"
"Yup! He and his people are related to the cat goddess."
"You got it."
A couple more kittens got onto their laps, snuggling against them while cuddling with their siblings. Stroking their heads, they felt a breeze blow against them. To them, it felt nice since they're still not use to the Egyptian heat.
As they played with the kittens, the mother cat meowed. Soon, the kittens got off of their laps and went over to their mother, who lied down and started nursing them. Yugi and Jaden quickly got up and went over to another part of the garden, giving the mama cat and her kittens privacy.
"This place feels like paradise," Jaden commented.
"I agree. The grass feels soft, the greenery is amazing, and the atmosphere feels so light," Yugi happily sighed. "I hope we can come here more often."
"If they don't ground us again," Jaden shivered. "You think they're still looking for us?"
"I'm sure they are. I'm more scared of their wrath," Yugi gulped. "Angering a pharaoh is something no one should ever do. Its like angering one of the gods."
"I guess sneaking out of our rooms wasn't a good idea."
"You don't say?"
Suddenly, a loud rumble emitted from Jaden. Looking down at his stomach, he rubbed his belly. "Speaking of which, I need food. That performance we did made me hungry."
Yugi looked at the sky. "It should be close to lunchtime. However, our lunchboxes are in our bags, and they're in our rooms. How are we gonna sneak back in without getting caught?"
"We're not. We're gonna sneak inside the kitchen and make something."
"Pardon?"
"Well, what do you know? The kitchen is empty!"
"That's odd. Where are the cooks?"
"Maybe on vacation?"
"I doubt it. But are you sure we should come in here? Maybe we should go back to our rooms. What if someone comes and sees us?"
"Not without making something. I wanna make sure I still remember Yubel's recipe."
"You're actually gonna cook?"
"Yup! And you're gonna also cook with me!"
"Jaden, I don't think it's a good idea," Yugi replied, folding his arms over his chest. "Someone will know we're here and-
Jaden cut him off. "Remember when Atem said we can use the kitchen to cook if we want to?"
Yugi nodded. "I remember him saying that."
"He even said he'll inform the chefs that we have permission to use the kitchen," Jaden grinned, getting out some ingredients. "Since we have that permission, lets start cooking!"
Meanwhile, the guards and servants are searching everywhere for their missing guests. The guardians blocked all the exit-ways so they wouldn't leave the palace, and they even released their Ka spirits to aid them in the search.
They continued searching every room for hours, but no such luck. However, they won't give up because if they did, then they'll have to face their kings' frustration. And that is something no one wants to go through.
"Why can't that necklace tell us where they are!?" Abidos groaned in frustration. "We've been searching for hours!"
"The Millennium necklace can only give us visions when danger approaches," Atem massaged his forehead. "Overusing it is dangerous. We mustn't toy on a Millennium item."
"Then someone better give us a clue soon! I'm almost losing my patience!"
"Calm down! The guardians sent their Ka spirits to search the whole palace. They will find them."
"And when that happens, Jaden will never leave my room!"
"Neither will Yugi. However, we still need to come up with a proper punishment for them so they'll remember to never disobey our rules again!"
"I already have one in mind for Jaden. He will-
"My lords! They've been found!" a guard rushed over to them.
"Where are they?" Atem commanded.
"T-They're in the kitchen, sir!" the guard nearly trembled from his raging stare. "O-One of the cooks is also with them to keep them company."
"What are you waiting for!? Take us to them now!" Abidos shouted.
"Y-Yes sir!"
The guard guided them over to the kitchen area, where they went through the entrance and found Yugi and Jaden standing near one of their female chefs named Dorothy, who wore a long pink dress with a white apron over it, and her braided brown hair is slung over her right shoulder. She held a plate that was filled with Ta'amiya covered in sauce, which is one of Atem's favorite foods.
"My kings, before you scold them for sneaking out, they cooked these yummy Ta'amiyas and made plenty for all of us. You should at least try one," Dorothy gently smiled at them with her eyes closed.
Atem looked at the food, and then sighed. "Bring them to mine and Abidos's rooms. The first thing we need to do is bring our guests back to their rooms." He then glanced over at Yugi, who nearly flinched from his gaze. "Yugi, come over here right now."
"H-Hold on! I made Yugi sneak out of the room with me! Don't be angry with him! Be angry with me! I'll accept whatever punishment-
"Jaden!" Abidos glared at him, causing him to flinch and close his mouth. "Do not argue with a pharaoh! That's an order!"
Gulping at his furious gaze, he slowly nodded his head. Dorothy looked at him with worry. She wanted to reprimand Abidos for scaring Jaden, but she couldn't. Its wise not to talk back against the pharaoh, unless they want to have a visit with the lions or crocodiles.
"As I was saying, come over here right now, Yugi. We'll be having a long talk on why you must follow my rules," Atem ordered while frowning.
Seeing how serious he is, Yugi had no choice but to slowly go over to Atem. He noticed Jaden trying to stop him, but Abidos's glare prevented him from moving. The pharaohs are very angry, and Yugi knows why. He and Jaden were supposed to stay in their rooms, but they didn't. They snuck out, and it made them mad. And now, they must face the consequences for their actions.
As he got closer to Atem, he nearly gasped as he felt him grab his arm and pulled him closer to his body, flinching at how tight his grip is. He's definitely a strong pharaoh, and he could feel his face heating up as he felt Atem's strong muscles against his body.
"Abidos, go take Jaden to your room. I'll take Yugi to my room," Atem looked at Abidos, who nodded. He then looked at Dorothy. "Resume your duties in the kitchen, and don't forget to bring the home-cooked ta'amiyas to both of our rooms."
"As you wish, pharaoh," Dorothy bowed her head.
"Guards, go back to your post!"
"Yes sir!"
A small squeak escaped from Yugi's lips as he felt himself being dragged out of the kitchen, turning his head to look at Jaden's worried look along with Dorothy's. He was glad she didn't tell anyone about them being in the kitchen, but sadly, one of the other chefs recognized them and left to inform their kings. He and Jaden should've been more careful.
Walking down the long hallway felt like forever, but he and Atem stopped at a door. Pushing the doors open, he dragged him inside and shut the door behind them. Yugi noticed the room is a whole lot bigger, and most of the furniture looked like royalty. He's actually in Atem's room, and he could tell since he could see a huge, canopy bed in velvet sheets, pillows, blankets, and a transparent curtain to cover from all angles.
He yelped as he was dragged closer to the bed, and shoved onto it. Landing facedown on the soft mattress, he quickly turned around and trembled while crawling back on all fours. Atem's crimson eyes were burning in anger, but there were other emotions running through them: rage, aggravation, worry, disbelief, and he could see a bit of hurt as well.
Yugi knew why he's feeling this way. He broke one of his rules, and now must face the consequences. Even though Jaden said he would take the blame, it still won't work. They'll both be equally punished since they didn't listen.
Not only that, they even worried Atem and Abidos, along with everyone else.
He doesn't know what type of punishment he will receive, but he's hoping Atem would be lenient on him. After all, they didn't leave the palace walls, but stayed within. Plus, no one got hurt. However, everyone got worried for them and wanted to make sure he and Jaden didn't get hurt or kidnapped.
Before Atem could open his mouth, Yugi beat him to it. "I-I'm sorry!"
Surprised at his exclamation, Yugi continued while bowing down on his hands and knees, his head touching the mattress. "W-We broke one of your rules! We were supposed to have someone with us if we leave our rooms, but we didn't! We snuck out of there and made you think our teddy bears were us sleeping and-
He felt someone grabbing his shoulders, and pushing him back on the bed. Feeling his back hit against the mattress, he looked up and saw Atem hovering above him, his scarlet eyes boring into his violet eyes. Atem's forearms were placed on either side of Yugi's head, and his legs were lying on Yugi's legs. He shivered as he felt Atem's warm breath blew against his face.
"Yugi," Atem said in his husky, baritone voice. "Why would you even sneak out when you knew you're still grounded? I even gave you two options, and you chose to be grounded." He leaned in closer, his lips hovering near his ear. "But now, you chose to be naughty and disobey me. You do know what would happen if you disobey an order from your pharaoh, right?"
Biting his bottom lip to stop himself from moaning at Atem's breath tickling his ear, Yugi nodded and turned his head to look at the wall. Anywhere but Atem's face would be better. He doesn't want Atem to see his blushing face.
A hand gripped his chin, making him turn his head to look back at the pharaoh. He could feel his face heating up when he noticed Atem's lips were close to his. If one of them moved an inch, they would both be kissing. Would he really lose his first kiss to a man, who is also a powerful Egyptian pharaoh that is incredibly sexy and- Wait! Where did that thought come from!?
A deep chuckle escaped from Atem's lips, removing his hand from Yugi's chin as he gave him a playful smirk. "Tell me, have you ever been kissed by a pharaoh?"
"H-Huh?" Yugi squeaked out, causing Atem to chuckle more.
"Do you want me to kiss you? They say my lips are soft as the petal of a rose~," he teased, stroking his cheek with his thumb.
Yugi could swear that if steam would come out of his ears, it would definitely happen. He felt his whole face heating up, including his body. It didn't help that the pharaoh's body is laying on Yugi's, but Yugi could feel how muscular Atem is. Plus, the position they were in felt awkward. However, Atem wouldn't care and just do whatever he wants to Yugi's body. But instead, he's only laying on him.
Atem cleared his throat, breaking Yugi out of his thoughts. "To get my kiss, you'll have to wait until tonight. Because from now on, you'll be staying in my room while your friend stays in Abidos's room. But if you want more than just a kiss from us, then you can entertain us before we bed~." He winked at him, making Yugi blush more. "Also, we'll be choosing what you will wear at night~."
"… H-Heh!?"
"You heard me. Plus, you cannot say no to my orders," Atem bopped his nose, rolling over to lie next to him. "Any questions?"
"W-What do you-
"Excellent!" Atem sit up, raising one leg up to his knee and resting his forearm on it. "Since Dorothy will bring the homemade Ta'amiyas you and Jaden made, we'll eat them together. I want to taste your homemade cooking."
Yugi didn't know how much he was blushing, but he shook his head to get rid of it. "F-Forget about the falafels! I am not gonna entertain you at night! I have too much self-respect!"
Atem shrugged his shoulders. "If you say so. But pretty soon, you'll change your mind. No can resist a pharaoh's charm." He ran his hand through his spiky hair. "And I never let anyone entertain me. I only pick certain people I like to do that. Since you're resisting me, then I'll find a way to win over your heart, soul, mind, and body."
Yugi quickly sit up, scooting away from him. "Sorry Atem, but it'll be impossible. Jaden and I aren't gonna stay here for that long. He and I have to go back to the future. Our families are probably worried sick about us."
"I know, but it would be nice if you two stayed here forever. Your presence is comforting, and the atmosphere feels much lighter. You two even provided humor in the palace."
"Humor?"
"The time you two ran away from Crowler, and the children Ka spirits pummeled him. We all enjoyed seeing that scene."
"I didn't know you have a sense of humor."
"I prefer entertainment. But yes, I sometimes do have a sense of humor."
"You're an odd pharaoh, Atem."
"And you're a mystery, little one."
"Little one?"
"My nickname for you."
"Me and Jaden are the same height. We're not little."
"I can call you little one. No one else can."
Before Yugi could retort, they heard a knock at the door. Atem got up and hurried over to the door, unlocking it and leave the door ajar to see whom it is. Yugi couldn't hear what they're saying, but Atem held something in his hand and closed the door.
Atem turned around and went back to the bed, sitting down while placing the plate of Ta'amiyas on the bed. "Now then, time to eat." Picking up a piece with his finger, he placed it in his mouth and chewed on it. Atem could feel the warmth and soft taste of the Ta'amiya, along with the flavors exploding in his mouth. After he finished chewing and swallowed it, he looked at Yugi. "Yugi?"
"Y-Yes?"
"You and Jaden made them, correct?"
"W-We did. We also made sure to clean up after making them and-
Whatever he was about to say got cut off when he felt something pressed against his mouth. His eyes widened in shock, feeling Atem's lips pressed against his own. Gasping, this gave Atem a chance to deepen the kiss, placing his hands on his cheeks while moving his lips against Yugi's.
Yugi's cheeks started to turn red, and he didn't realize his hands were pressed against Atem's shoulders. But before he could push him off, Atem ended the kiss, smirking as he leaned back and licked his own lips. "However, making me yummy Ta'amiyas would also mean you'll get my kiss. I have never eaten anything so delicious like these before. You must teach me the recipe in making them."
Yugi couldn't speak, as he was still panting from the kiss. The pharaoh kissed him. Atem kissed him on the lips, and it was his first kiss. He lost it to a man: a man who is considered a god to his kingdom!
He kissed a man, and he liked it!
What did you all think? Did you like the small fluff happening between Atem and Yugi? If you want some fluff between Abidos and Jaden, wait until the next chapter! Please review this story!