Alia: So this chapter ended longer than I planned, but Bell assures me that's a good thing (for the reader anyway). I may not publish again for a while because I NEED to get that next chapter for HHR up. It's driving me insane. I'm struggling with my solution but we'll all have to live with it.
Reviewers: Thank you all for reviewing. You guys encourage me to do my best on this story.
POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING: In this chapter, there is a natural disaster aka an EARTHQUAKE. You will also see additional information about how Japan handles earthquakes and they do preparations well. Hopefully, I did them justice.
Please Note: The warnings for the story, especially this chapter, have changed. Please observe them.
Enjoy.
Title: Shadow Illusions
Author: Alia D
Part: 10/?
Rating: R
Pairing: Yami (Atem)/ ?, eventual Puzzleshipping
Spoilers: YGO series
Warnings: Yaoi, Sexual Content, Language, Violence, Minor Characters Death, Egyptian mythology, Dubious Consent, Natural Disaster (Earthquake)
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh anime series, or the game or anything else that I might mention. I am making no money with this.
Summary: Love should be easy, but between Yami's reluctance, Yugi's persistence, former lovers, and a shadowy intruder, it's anything but.
Author's notes: I am so sorry. Please don't hurt me.
Shadow Illusions 10
Pressing the younger man down into the mattress, the Egyptian nuzzled the soft, exposed skin of his throat. He brushed his lips across the sweat damp skin; his tongue flickered out to tease. Amused, he brushed aside the hand clutching his shoulder to pull back. His eyes took in the sight beneath him slowly.
His lover was utterly beautful. Heated skin glowed under the poor lighting in the room while the strong body lay sprawled out over soiled sheets. Unfortunately, the older Egyptian couldn't see his beloved's face. The younger man was turned away, one hand raising to press against the kneeling man's chest while the other hand hid his face from view.
The stronger man didn't appreciate that. Shifting better on his knees, a quick glance toward the silent couch nearby, he slid a hand to the end of his lover's spine and lifted. He smirked at the whimper from the prone man just before he shoved forward.
A choked sob escaped, nearly eclipsing the muffled slap of skin, and echoed through the room.
Thrusting forward again, he watched hungrily as his lover's legs spread a little more, revealing more sensitive skin. He chuckled softly, but not unkindly, as the younger man released a strangled groan. He leaned forward, continuing his smooth movements, and whispered, "Silence or you will wake the little one."
At the small whine of shame, he kissed the neck of his sad love and said nothing of the man's tears.
Closing the carton of orange juice and sitting it aside, Joey picked up the glass of juice and headed into the living area of his apartment. "Okay, buddy. You need to drink all of this. Every drip drop. Got it? You need every bit of sugar you can get."
A heavy, disgusted sigh was his response.
Yugi and Joey exchanged a long silent look before turning to the exhausted figure spread across the couch. Yugi frowned. "Ryou. You need something on your stomach. You need energy. You didn't want the soup," Yugi pointed to the warm bowl of miso on the coffee table. "Please, drink the orange juice."
"I'm fine!" He tried to sit up only for Joey to shove him back down into the couch. "Joey, Yugi, there is nothing wrong!"
The two men sported incredulous looks. Joey snorted and ran a hand over his face. "Oh, that's right. You're fine! Nothing wrong with a friend finding you unconscious in the school labs!"
Ryou blushed, a little ashamed. He turned his gaze to the floor so he didn't have to see his angry friends. It was obvious that he wasn't in his best health. When Joey had tried to wake him on the cold laboratory floor, Ryou had been feverish and nonsensical. Ryou had snapped back to his own mind after a while, during which Joey had called Yugi over for assistance taking Ryou home.
None of this meant that Ryou actually had to admit the truth though.
"I'm sorry!" Sitting up slowly, Ryou rubbed the back of his head. It was sore from hitting the floor, but there was no damage. "You know I had a big project. I've been working on it nonstop. I didn't pay attention to anything else."
Yugi nodded, but the smile he gave Ryou was more reminiscent of Yami than his hikari. "Oh! I remember our conversation about that project, Ryou. You said even your teacher was excited about the resulting chemical reaction. I also remember you saying that you finished it three days ago."
Joey shot his white-haired friend a flat stare. "Wow. Now, that's what I call dedication."
Ryou coughed. "I… Um… I'm just a little tired and didn't feel like eating."
Yugi frowned. He didn't want to bring it up, but he had to know what was going on. Ryou honestly was not the type to bury himself so deeply in his work. Because his coursework was so stressful, Ryou made certain that he could do things to relax. Even just watching a movie at home worked for him. So for Ryou to pull something like this…
The worried man asked, "Ryou, is this about Bakura?" There was a silent 'again' tacked on the question.
Joey raised an eyebrow a bit in surprise. He hadn't expected Bakura's name to have that reaction. Sure the guy had tried to kill them once upon a time, but so had Kaiba, Pegasus, Malik, and a number of others. Their group tended to get over things like that quickly. Yami was even best friends with Bakura in a weird, hostile way. However, from the sneer that flashed over Ryou's face, someone was holding a grudge.
Yugi closed his eyes and fought not to yell. Yami had been right. Two years! This was ridiculous. Bakura hadn't even done anything bad since his return! Well, he may have stolen the deed to the dojo and terrorized the staff, and drove Atem and everyone else up the wall, but that was Bakura for you.
"No!" Ryou managed not to his the denial. "It has nothing to do with him. I haven't even seen him since his return home."
Joey paused. "How do you know he's back in town? None of us have heard anything." He glanced at Yugi and received a nod of agreement. The expert duelist hadn't been alerted of Bakura's return either.
Ryou blinked in surprise then shrugged silently. The man tried not to look as guilty as he was. Yugi could already see that this unhealthy relationship, if it could be called that, wasn't any better on Ryou's end. Bad enough that Ryou had fits about Bakura stalking him, Yugi refused to acknowledge Ryou was doing the same. "That doesn't matter. Anyway, my life doesn't circle around Bakura." He ran his fingers through his disheveled hair. "I…I just…"
Yugi stepped forward and dropped a hand to his friend's shoulder. Joey took a seat on the coffee table as Yugi spoke to their distraught friend. "Ryou?"
"N-nightmares." Ryou dropped his head. "I've been having nightmares lately. I know it's stupid. I'm a grown man. I shouldn't be afraid of a bad dream, but…" Ryou's words trailed for a minute. Joey felt conflicted as he watched his friend struggle. He needed to know how he and Yugi could help, but he didn't want to see Ryou so tormented. That was what Joey could see clearly in his friend's face.
"They're…They're just too much!" Ryou barely stifled the shout as his hands shook. "Every single night! It happens every time I sleep. I can't lay in bed or nap. I can't even rest my eyes anymore! It happens every single time. They're too strong, too vivid, and you don't understand how horrifying it is to see so many people being-." The man stopped abruptly, dropping his head into his hands.
Visibly stunned at how shaken Ryou was, Joey asked, "How long has this been goin' on?"
Ryou dropped his hidden face further. "Nearly a month now."
"A month?" Yugi's eyes were wide. He never would have guessed. Of course, Ryou appeared stressed, but Yugi gleaned that it was from college and Bakura. "Have you been avoiding sleep for that long?"
The exhausted man shook his head. "No." Ryou dropped his hands to look at Joey and Yugi. "Just this past two weeks. I stopped sleeping three days ago."
"Shit." Joey swore with anger and concern. "Ryou, have you taken anything? Did you see a doc?"
"I didn't want to see a doctor, Joey. I tried different home remedies and sleeping pills." He visibly shivered. "But the remedies had no influence." Ryou choked a little. "And the pills made it worse. It was much harder to wake up and realize none of it was real." More than once had Ryou wakened in the night to find his bedroom floor covered in mutilated, half eaten corpses. After the last time, he'd started sleeping with the lights on.
"I've been getting bits and pieces of sleep here and there. Nothing more. I-I can't stand seeing anymore."
"Ryou," Yugi and Joey exchanged a worried look. "You have to eat and sleep."
"I can't." The suggestion sent a crawling shiver through Ryou's body. The idea of sleep instantly shifted his body into 'fight or flight' mode.
Joey frowned. "Ryou, man, I know it sucks, but Yugi's right. You gotta eat." He picked up the abandoned bowl of soup. "If nothing else, you have to keep your energy up."
Yugi smiled when Ryou reluctantly took the cooling soup. "And you need proper rest to stay healthy." While Ryou had been compliant about food, the glare he shot Yugi stated that sleep was a different sort of monster. "How about if Joey and I stay with you while you nap on the couch? We'll wake you up before your nightmare starts and you can go right back to sleep after."
Ryou took a sip of soup, bringing smiles to his friends' faces. "I don't think it'll work that well, Yugi, but…" Ryou was desperate. He was so tired. Even while he sipped more miso soup, he wanted to fall head first into the bowl and oblivion. At the same time, Ryou couldn't stand those nightmares anymore.
And he couldn't take the ones with Bakura anymore.
Joey stood from the table and pat Ryou's shoulder. "Come on, Ryou. Trust us. You need some serious sleep, pal."
Throwing back more of the soup, Ryou nodded hesitantly, earning large smiles from Yugi and Joey. "I guess we can try." Ryou dropped the nearly empty bowl on the table and stretched back across the couch. Too weary to even speak anymore, Ryou closed his eyes and drifted off easily.
He hoped he didn't see that monster hurt Bakura again.
"Don't be ridiculous. You expect me to actually tell Bakura this? Ryou is stressed enough. I'm not stupid enough to tell Bakura. Though, when he does find out, and he will, I will avow no knowledge of any of this." Speaking to Tristan over the phone, Yami smiled down at Hayato, who sat next to him in bed. The child held tightly onto the gift Bakura had given him while visiting the new apartment. Atem was grateful (a rare occurrence) for such a friend.
Hayato remained despondent after having his rock broken. The little boy had spent the rest of the evening holding on to his broken rock, refusing to release it. That same night, Yugi had promised to give Hayato the Anubis rock he had, but Hayato had thanked him politely before trying to fit his broken rock back together.
Yami knew it probably didn't help that it had been Kenzaburo who had broken the rock. Kumiko had offered Yami some surprising history on the child.
Apparently, Kenzaburo had been the first person Hayato had met when the toddler arrived to the orphanage. Kumiko said that the two had taken to each other instantly and Hayato had followed Kenzaburo around like a lost duckling. The older woman had called it adorable how Kenzaburo was equally enamored with Hayato and always went out of his way for the little boy. In fact, they cared for each other so much that it was Hayato who informed Kumiko of how Kenzaburo was always ill. The older boy had been hiding his symptoms.
It was when they learned of the cancer, lately upgraded to Stage III, that Kenzaburo started distancing himself from Hayato. And according to Kumiko, the distance slowly became hostile, though not on Hayato's part.
The knowledge didn't make Yami any less pissed at the child, but he tried to understand a little better.
"Hopefully, he won't find out until we get Ryou back on his feet. Can you imagine how pissed he'll be when he finds out? I think he's still stalking Ryou." Atem could hear Tristan's shudder over the line.
Yami chuckled. "I wouldn't exactly call it 'stalking'."
"Yes, you would."
"You're right. I really would."
Hayato curled up next to his father in bed, holding his book steady in his lap. He was tired after the long day he'd had. After kindergarten, his father had taken him over to their new home to fix things up. Hayato had drawn pictures and helped Miss James and Mademoiselle Vaughn fix up the kitchen. His daddy and Uncle Kura were building things in his room the entire time. Hayato hadn't been allowed inside since it was a secret.
The kindergartener was excited about having his own bedroom. He wouldn't have to share it with anyone and could keep all his toys and things safe inside. He would have his own bed and everything soon, but Hayato had to admit, he'd miss sleeping with his daddy.
He always felt safest with his father nearby. If Hayato had a bad dream, he would snuggle up against his daddy and fall right back to sleep. If the dream was really bad, Atem would wake up and sooth Hayato back to sleep. It just wouldn't be the same when Hayato had his own room.
"Don't worry. I'll keep my promise and try to keep him off the scent. I'll talk to you later." Yami smiled at the little boy as he ended his call with Tristan. He nudged his pajama clad leg against Hayato's. "How far are you?"
Hayato held his book up for display. It was a book on Ancient Egyptian Myths. Bakura demanded the child read and learn properly from the book. The child may be Japanese, but his father was Egyptian royalty. The gift said a lot to Yami about Bakura's acceptance of his son. Especially since he now faked exasperation at Hayato's 'Uncle Kura.'
"I'm confused, Daddy." Hayato looked at the picture. "Why did Set lock Osiris away?"
"It didn't quite happen that way, Hayato." Atem glowered at the book, suddenly finding himself a bit annoyed with Bakura for giving it to him. It displeased the father to see the lies painted into the story only to confuse his son. At the same time, Atem surmised that Bakura believed the same nonsense. Few knew the truth behind the tales. Poor interpretation by humans and lies from the gods didn't help. "Mortals - uh - People had a tendency to get things wrong."
Hayato frowned. "So… The book is wrong? Set didn't hurt Osiris?" The child sounded hopeful, bringing a smile to his father's face.
Yami carefully plucked the book out of Hayato's hands and sat it on the shoe cabinet behind the bed. Raising the same arm, he wordlessly invited Hayato to curl up with him. The child was more than happy to oblige, resting his head on his father's chest. "How about I tell you how it all happened. But you'll need to pay close attention okay?"
"Okay!" Hayato wiggled his feet in excitement.
Yami smiled. He began slowly and with care on his words. This did after all need to remain PG rated at best. "Years ago, the world was only covered in water. There was no land or air. Just water. The water was powerful though, and it was named Nun. Say the name for me?"
"Nun." Hayato stated obediently.
"Good. But one day, from Nun came an egg."
"Like the ones at the store?" Hayato was confused. How could water have an egg? Was the water boiling the egg?
Atem chuckled. "Not quite. This egg was special. Because out of the egg came a god of creation named Atum. The Complete One."
"Atum." Hayato frowned. The name sounded like his dad's.
"Yes. Now Atum was lonely for a time until one day he met his shadow." Yami smiled at Hayato's furrowed brow. "Atum loved his shadow and together, they spilled a seed that grew into three godly children: Ra of the Sun, Shu of the Air, and Tefnut of the Rain."
"They planted a seed? Like the seeds you plant for flowers and beans?" Recently, Yami had his students plant little beans in cups. The children were excited to see the little beans sprout; even if Hayato was annoyed they grew so slowly.
Yami nodded. "Sort of." There was no way he was having that talk with Hayato. He still had ten years grace period before that happened. The actual truth was that Atum's Shadow fell in love with him and the affection was returned. A sexual encounter ended in spilt seed and eventually three children. It wasn't a total shock. Atum was a hermaphrodite. For that very reason, he was called the Complete One.
Of course it didn't help that Atem's name was derived from the same. He got a bit of teasing about that as a child.
"Because Ra was the eldest, he became the king of the Egyptian gods. Shu and Tefnut fell in love." Yami continued quickly to avoid the 'sibling' landmine, "And Ra found a wife named Ret. Each of them had children. Shu and Tefnut had Geb of the Earth and Nut of the Sky. Ra would later create Sekhmet the Goddess of Destruction and Hathor the Goddess of Love. Sekhmet would later become Bastet the Goddess of War. Don't worry about the names too much. I'll explain later." The father smiled at Hayato's total confusion. "Just listen to the story for now.
"Though Ra was married, he was in love with Nut. But she in turn loved Geb. Because he was angry, Ra commanded Shu to separate them. But Shu only separated them during the day. When night came, Nut met Geb, causing darkness." Yami pointed to the small dark windows of the studio apartment. "Ra did not know this at first. He found out after a prophecy said that a child of Nut would replace him on the throne. Because of the prophecy, Ra cursed Nut. Ra told her she could not bear a child in the 360 days of the year. This made Nut sad. So she went to her friend, Thoth, the God of Wisdom. Thoth sought to make the year not 360 days, but 365 days."
"How? What did he do? Did he draw on a calendar?" Hayato asked, drawing a warm laugh from his father.
"No, but that would have been easier. Thoth went to see his brother, Khonsu, on the moon. Thoth wanted moonlight in order to create extra days. So he challenged Khonsu to a game of Senet. If Thoth won a game, he would receive an hour of moonlight. So they played a game and Thoth won. Then another and another. Each time, Thoth won a game until he had enough hours of light for five days. Unfortunately, the loss of light made Khonsu weak. He would no longer be able to shine a full moon each night. So each month, the moon starts full, then shrinks to half then to a new moon, where the is no light."
Hayato's eyes were wide as he shifted to stare at his father. "Wow. So that's why the moon always looks different! It shrinks!"
Atem bounced his head slightly. "Not exactly. More like the moon loses light every night before getting it back. Shall I continue?"
"Yes!" Hayato blushed at the inadvertent yell, but Yami didn't chastise him.
"Now, to skip the curse, Thoth placed his extra days after the last day of the year but before the first day of the next year. And since these were not part of the year, Nut could have her children. She had one child for each day. Osiris was the first-born and he would become king. Set was born on the second day, followed by Isis, Nephthys, and Horus."
Hayato grimaced. "That's a lot of babies."
Atem laughed. "I don't think Nut minded much. She was happy to have them." Yami certainly knew the feeling. "Now listen closely because this is where things change from your book. Ra forbid Nut from having children because of the prophecy. But now that Nut had five children, three of which were sons, Ra's time on the throne was at an end. Or it should have been."
Yami thought on the history and couldn't help feeling sad because of it. "Osiris was the god of fertility and agriculture, which was why he had green skin." Hayato giggled at that, earning a squeeze from his father. "Set was the god of chaos and desert, while Horus was the god of order and truth. Each had the power and strength to be king, but Osiris was the eldest and most loved of the three. So he would take Ra's throne. Set and Horus had no need for the throne." Atem's eyes turned sad as he continued, "But they did have need of each other. Chaos and order can balance each other. This is what Set and Horus did."
"So what happened?" Hayato whined eagerly. He rubbed his eyes a bit and stifled a yawn.
A little heart heavy, Yami said, "Ra still wanted to keep his throne. In order to do so, he had to upset the balance. So with help from someone that didn't like Set, Ra took Horus away from him. Then, in order to get Horus back, Ra told Set to make a grand sarcophagus. Do you remember what that looked like? The empty one at the museum?"
"It was really big," Hayato mumbled a bit. "And really gold."
"It was! Set wanted Horus back. So he created the sarcophagus with fine rare wood and gold. Ra and Set then presented the wonderful gift to Osiris. The future king did not realize he was being tricked. Neither did Set. Ra pushed Osiris into the sarcophagus and locked it away. He then threw the coffin into the Nile River."
"That's bad." Hayato decided he didn't like Ra at all.
"It was. Set could do nothing to help his dying older brother. Ra still had Horus locked away. When Ra blamed Set for Osiris' death, he could still say nothing. Isis was furious but loved Osiris. So she searched for him and found him with the help of an Egyptian Pharaoh. Soon after, they had a child and named him Horus, after their missing brother. Unfortunately, because he had died, Osiris could not take Ra's throne. He would become King of the Underworld. Instead the first throne would either remain with Ra or pass over to his brothers."
"What happened to Set and the Big Horus, Daddy?"
"Set was relieved at his sister's success, but neither he nor Osiris could speak the truth. Set and Osiris were under Ra's command. So with all the others against him, Set began to search for Horus." Atem rubbed his drowsy child's back.
"Did he find him?"
"Sadly no. After becoming King of the Underworld, Osiris learned what happened. Ra had…" Yami paused but decided to complete the story. "Ra had killed Horus and destroyed his body, leaving little behind. Set went insane because of it."
No shock really. Yami didn't know how he'd react if he'd learned he'd been played so badly and his lover had been killed beforehand. Horus the Elder had been torn into 14 pieces and scattered into a fire leaving nothing. Atem deeply pitied Set and Osiris. He also wondered if Horus the Elder had ever known about Set's tragic pregnancy that would inspire another 'myth.' Yami planned to mention nothing of it to Hayato.
"In desperation, Set begged Osiris for Horus the Elder to be returned. But there was nothing to be done without a body. And because many blamed Set for Osiris's death, no one would place him on the throne. Without the throne, Set would never have enough power to resurrect Horus the Elder. So Ra kept his throne and prevented the prophecy."
Hayato, whose eyes drifted shut, frowned. The child slurred, "Dat's not fair. Ra's mean."
"Yes, he was." Especially when he took Set as a servant on his daily journey across Nut's territory. For greed and hatred to be so strong that you would utterly destroy someone… Set had lost his lover, had miscarried his child, and been forced into service at Ra's feet.
It sickened Atem as to how few knew the true story even among the gods. Misinterpretations and lies did it all. Yami could only make sure his child knew the real story.
"I wish dey were 'appy." Hayato muttered. His eyes were firmly closed and his breathing slowed even more.
"I suppose they were eventually." Atem hoped so.
How pathetic was it when you were lying on your best friends' couch with your head in one's lap complaining about your sex life while she was reading an explicit Yaoi manga?
Fuck Yami's life. His first life, his afterlife, and his second one.
Exasperated, Yami continued his narrative. "So, I stop and pull away confused. I figure he's not ready or he doesn't like it. Can you believe he looks up at me like I'm the one doing something wrong?"
Trudy paused, shifted her book to one hand, and absently pat Atem's belly like she would a pet. It was oddly comforting and just what the frustrated former Pharaoh needed. "Poor baby."
Yami could have done without the patronizing tone of voice though, and he bit back an angry retort. His sex life was falling down the drain, and Trudy couldn't even have any sympathy. This was the very reason the girl couldn't get a date to save her life.
Evangeline was a little more empathetic to Atem's plight after she'd snorted milk out of her nose from her breakfast. As she finished cleaning up the mess from the table, the woman sighed. "Atem, it couldn't be that bad-,"
"It's like trying to fuck a corpse. A warm one anyway." Trudy cackled, never taking her eyes from her manga, as Evangeline chastised him. Atem gave her a flat stare. "Don't give me that look, Evangeline! Yugi just… laid there." Atem's moved his arms halfheartedly in disgust. "I can understand doing a bit of the work, but don't lay there like a drugged rape victim."
In truth, the situation wasn't exactly the same. At the same point, Yami had given a fairly accurate analogy.
In an attempt to better Hayato's mood, Atem decided to visit the Kame Game Shop to pick up Yugi's Anubis stone. The two were welcomed in by the Mutos, especially Solomon. The older man called Hayato his little apprentice and then proceeded to tell the little boy all about an old expedition he'd been on. With Hayato asking a million questions, and Grandpa becoming more fantastic in his storytelling, Yugi and Yami ventured upstairs to find the Anubis seal for Hayato.
Finding the stone was easy. Finding their way out of Yugi's bedroom afterward was difficult.
Honestly, it started as a little peck on the lips. Neither man could help it. With Hayato at the studio apartment, Solomon at the Game Shop, Yami working, and Yugi taking classes, it was near impossible for the two men to get privacy. Though it had only been a few days since their feelings were revealed.
Still, all it took was a kiss before the two men were stretched across Yugi's bed making out behind a locked door. Both were enthusiastic and more than happy for time alone. Yami knew Yugi wanted him if the hand groping his ass said anything.
Both men were stretched out on the bed side by side. Yami was leaving a visible red mark on Yugi's neck while the hikari's hands roamed beneath Atem's shirt. Both were struggling to keep quiet among aroused sighs and the occasional laugh. The last thing they wanted was Grandpa or Hayato coming upstairs.
Yami never had any intention of going further. His relationship with Yugi was too important and the men had agreed to move slowly. Sure, Yami would love to screw Yugi into the mattress, but he didn't want to rush it. That resolve didn't stop Yami from straddling his love, sliding his hands under Yugi's shirt, and kissing him deeper than before.
Where things went wrong, Yami still wasn't sure.
Slowly, Yugi started shutting down. His earlier grabby hands fell next to Yami's knees; he relaxed completely into the mattress, and where the kissing was almost desperate before, it suddenly lost passion. Of course, Yami pulled back seeing the reaction. He asked Yugi what was wrong as he worried that he'd gone too far.
Yugi blinked before staring at Atem in confusion. According to him, nothing was wrong. After a minute of coaxing from the younger man, Yami had resumed kissing Yugi only to pull away a second time.
Regardless of what anyone thought, Atem was not an overly experienced lover. It wasn't that Yami didn't like sex. Yami loved sex. It had never mattered if he was feet or on his back. Atem wasn't afraid to try new things in bed with a caring lover. He enjoyed sex and missed it a lot. But in his lifetime, the number of people that touched him intimately could be counted on one hand.
The former Pharaoh did know one thing from his experiences though. If you had a lover, you should make them feel wanted. Atem had never made Akhenatem feel unwanted, even on their worst days. No one wanted a partner to just lay there like sex was a chore. Which was exactly what Yugi did and why Yami stood up and walked from the bedroom.
Atem felt horrible about the stunned look on Yugi's face, but he hadn't been ready to face that look. The Egyptian felt even worse later. Thinking back, Yami realized his first thought after leaving Yugi was that Akhen would never have done that. The man had immediately felt guilty and angry.
The teacher really hated his life at the moment.
Shit. Yami knew he should have just slept with Kaiba.
"Men," Trudy muttered. She blinked at an image on her page and tilted the book slightly. "Why don't you just explain to Yugi about your concerns? You know since the two of you are in a relationship! And considering relationships need communication…"
"I'd like to see you tell your brand new boyfriend, 'I want to fuck you, not a blow up doll.'"
Trudy snickered as Evangeline sighed. "Atem, she does not mean for you to use that exact expression."
Yami shrugged against Trudy's thigh. "What can I say? This is so new, I'm afraid to bring it up. I don't want him to think that all I want is sex and that isn't true at all. Besides, if I explain this, Yugi won't take it well. I know he won't. He'll be second guessing himself forever."
"So, what'll you do? You're going to wait until Yugi tries to go all the way?" At Atem's shrug, Trudy asked, "Maybe he wants to be seme instead of uke?"
"I'd have no issue with that. At least, he'd act involved."
Evangeline smiled as Trudy pat Atem's abs again. Atem was taking the situation with a dark amusement, but the teacher could see that he was hurt by Yugi's actions, no matter how inadvertent. "Maybe he is unsure of himself? Does Yugi even have any experience?"
Yami shook his head. Besides a drunken encounter with some girl behind a club that led to a blowjob, and Yugi making Atem swear never to tell a soul, Yugi was a virgin.
Eva nodded. "Then perhaps, he believed you should take the lead completely. Give it time, Atem."
"Or you can tease him until he ties you down and has his wicked way." Trudy smirked and flashed Atem the current two pages of her manga.
Yami tilted his head slightly as he took the book. "How does that position work exactly?"
Evangeline threw up her hands and walked toward the kitchen. "Perverted imbeciles."
Hayato frowned down at his hands while his American friend, Violet, peered over his shoulder. "You can't fix it that way," Violet declared.
Hayato sighed and nodded. It didn't stop him from pushing the two broken pieces of his Horus seal together. The smooth river rock had always had a home in Hayato's pockets since he'd first received the gift from his father. Hayato still carried the now broken rock everywhere. Often he would shove the pieces together in a poor hope that the broken seal would fuse.
It never did. And Yugi's rock never felt the same.
Kuro played with the sticky pieces of tape Hayato had just pulled off his rock. The kindergartener's friends had decided to help Hayato fix his special rock. They could see how sad their friend was about the broken gift. "Why couldn't sensei fix it? Isn't he your daddy now?"
Violet scowled at him and shushed Kuro. "You're too loud. You're not supposed to tell it!"
Hayato nodded. Not that it was a secret anymore. Hayato had called the teacher daddy once too often in class. He'd told his friends it was a secret, but it was a very open one.
Kuro blushed. "Sorry."
Misha walked back over to the table. The little Russian sat a bottle of glue beside Hayato. "You should glue it. The glue will make 'em stick together."
Hayato frowned at the white bottle. "No! Daddy wanted to glue it, too. It'll mess it up."
"Why?" Misha asked. He was sure that glue could fix anything.
"You'll see the white stuff. Like when Kuro glued all the alphabet blocks." Hayato, Misha, and Violet all glanced at a grinning Kuro. Hayato continued. "I don't want to mess up my rock."
Violet bluntly stated, "It's broke. It's already messed up."
Hayato glared at her with a pout. "It'll mess it up worse."
Misha turned and walked over to the small cupboard by Atem's desk. He picked up a small brown bottle and brought it back to his friends. "Use sensei's funny cement stuff. Papa said that cement is rock."
"We're not s'posed to use that!" said Kuro. He didn't want to get another time out. "It's sensei's stuff."
"He won't know." Violet looked around the classroom. The door was open so that one of the teacher assistants could peek in on their class, but no adult was around. Most of their classmates had gone home for the day and the janitor had walked out during their argument. "Sensei is helping Mira cause she wet herself again."
Misha nodded. He struggled with opening the bottle to pull out the top and brush. He showed Hayato the smelly, goopy cement glue. "And it's not white. It doesn't have a color so it won't mess up your rock."
Hayato stared for a minute before nodding. It would be wonderful if the kindergartener's rock was repaired. He'd told his daddy that he didn't Atem to repair his rock, but Hayato wanted it fixed. He just didn't want to seem like a baby over a rock. He was supposed to be a big boy after all. "Okay. Don't put a lot though."
Misha pulled out the brush and promptly wasted a large lump of rubber cement on their table. Kuro whined and ran for a paper towel.
Violet huffed. "You gotta brush it on!" The dark-skinned little American girl carefully took the little brush from Misha. "It's like sticky paint." She ran the end of the brush across the top, removing excess, before running the glue covered bristles over the broken area of Hayato's rock.
"Stick the pieces together!" Kuro urged as he returned with a paper towel. He scooped up most of the mess, but some remained smeared on the table.
Biting his lips, Hayato properly pushed the two pieces together. He slowly sat the rock on the table and grinned brightly when the pieces remained together. He crowed excitedly. "It worked!"
As Violet put away the brush and Kuro continued cleaning away the evidence, Misha watched Hayato gently touch his repaired rock. "That's cool. You can barely see the line."
"It's perfect! I can give Uncle Yugi his rock back!" Hayato ran a finger over the seal. He promptly ripped his hand away. "Ow!"
Misha, Kuro and Violet crowded around their friend to see that he'd cut his finger on the sharp line of the river rock. Kuro wrinkled his nose. "It cut you! Maybe we fixed it wrong."
Seeing the blood drop from Hayato's finger, Violet frowned. She tugged Hayato's sleeve when the boy tried to put his finger in his mouth. "You need a band-aid. Momma said you'll get germs if you lick it!"
Misha turned and headed for Atem's cabinet again with Violet pulling Hayato along behind her. Kuro tossed the ruined towels into a trash can before looking at Hayato's rock himself. He leaned over to peer close with his shadow covering a portion of the table. The kindergartener had to admit that it was a cool rock with the weird design in the middle.
Straightening, Kuro frowned at Hayato as Atem entered the classroom to see Violet and Misha choosing band-aids from the first aid kit. Kuro crossed his arms and wondered why Hayato never said his cool rock glowed in the dark.
Yami just wanted the day to be over. Glancing at the watching on his wrist, he realized he had at least a half hour to go.
Sighing, the weary teacher watched his pouting son play a game with his friends while the two remaining students waited for their parents. After Atem discovered the little mischief makers were playing with no-touch objects (i.e. rubber cement), he'd taken Hayato's rock and put them all in a short time-out. Though their punishment was over and Kuro had left for the day, Hayato's rock remained on the tall bookshelf and out of the owner's hands.
Stretching in his chair, Yami stifled a yawn. It had been a long day and an even longer week for the Egyptian. The father was worn to the bone from too much stress and being pulled in a bunch of different directions. It was Hayato's distress, mixed signals from Yugi, Bakura's insanity, the girls becoming psychotic decorators, or working to finish the apartment.
Atem was thankful the weekend would remove half of his problems. Hayato's rock was fixed, though Yami wouldn't return the rock until later. The apartment was mostly complete. Hayato's room was finished, but Yami needed to move his bed, couch, and a few essentials. He'd be moved in by Saturday evening, tomorrow.
Yami eyed his smiling students and son. He raised a hand and rubbed his forehead. "I need to go home and relax. Why do I feel so off?"
After coming into the classroom, Atem felt unwell. It wasn't a headache, but Yami did feel rather disoriented. After taking a seat, he expected a small rest would ease his symptoms. Unfortunately, it was only getting stronger. There was a hint of nausea with the disorientation. To Yami, he almost felt seasick.
The once great Pharaoh paused at the implication. Yami didn't get seasick. He'd had his number of trips on boats and his stomach was rather steady. In Egypt, the only time he'd gotten seasick… The Egyptian picked up his phone. "Hayato. Violet. Misha. Come here. Quickly."
The three kindergarteners put away their crayons and papers, not exactly rushing but not wasting time. Meanwhile, Yami messaged Eva's and Kimura-sensei's phones. Yami quickly sent similar messages to his friends before grabbing a large, white plastic suitcase from under his desk.
Standing, the teacher motioned his students over to a large wooden table next to a bookcase. The table was covered with small paper cups filled with tiny bean plants. The bookcase was filled with photos, ugly clay statues, and children's books. Both the bookcase and the table were bolted to the wall. Atem couldn't help but be grateful for it.
The ground slowly began to tremble.
"Come on guys." He gave the three students a warm smile as Violet looked to the ground oddly. "I want you to crawl under and stay."
"Sensei, what's wrong with the floor?" Violet whimpered. Hayato and Misha hadn't felt the tremors yet. Perhaps it was desensitization. The boys had lived in Japan for years, while Violet and her parents arrived a few months ago.
Again motioning the students under the table, Yami crawled under with them. He pressed the white earthquake kit for his class between his body and the wall. He clenched his teeth as the shaking became more noticeable. A child's frightened cry and worried voices could be heard down the hall through the open classroom door. Yami pulled his students close as Violet looked ready to cry in confusion. The little girl practically crawled into his lap while the boys curled up to his sides.
Kimura-sensei's voice sounded over the intercom. "May I have your attention? May I have your attention, please? All faculty and staff please proceed with code Red. Code Red. This is not a drill. Students remain with your teachers. Please clear the hallways. Drop and Cover. Code Red. This is not a drill."
"It's an earthquake." Misha whispered, clutching Atem's shirt with one hand.
Yami didn't even bother lying. Now was the time to prepare his students. "Yes, it is an earthquake, but," Yami continued as Violent quivered, "We all know what to do. We'll be safe here under the table."
"Daddy!" Hayato watched nervously as few items begin rattling off Atem's desk. A few of the plastic cups on the table could be heard tipping over. One rolled off and to the floor. The children's backpacks tumbled out of the chairs. Atem pulled the three kindergarteners closer as the earthquake began to grow.
"No. No!" Gripping his chest and stifling a scream, Toshiyuki stumbled out of the bathroom toward his new office across the hall. The hurt engineer knew he had to take cover under his desk, but with the pain spreading from his chest and his brain throbbing, the former professor found the strengthening earthquake a secondary priority.
Toshiyuki's feet began losing purchase on the tile floors of the hall and the man found himself clutching the wall with a free hand. Feeling another wave of pain blow through him, Khmun curled into a ball with a broken shout. "What...What is happening?"
"Help! Someone get us out! Please! Help!"
Considering his current circumstances, had it not been a child's voice crying out from the elevator nearby, Toshiyuki would have continued shuffling down the hall. But he couldn't turn his back on a child. Years later, and he still felt the sting from losing his own children. So while his heart was ripping out of his chest and his eyes blurred from his growing headache, he paused, swore, and turned for the nearby elevators.
"Help! Someone please help!"
The elevator was only steps away, which was a blessing as Khmun never would have made it farther. As the Egyptian arrived at the elevator, he could definitely hear why the child was concerned. The metal of the elevator could be hear straining even from where Toshiyuki stood. He needed to open the doors imeeidately. The earthquake hadn't eased at all and continued to slowly gain strength.
Taking a deep breath, Khmun raised a hand and slammed it repeatedly on the elevator button next to the doors. The doors sprung open, much to his relief, but the disoriented man's eyes widened when he realized the elevator had risen only half way. As the tremors continued, Toshiyuki could see that the elevator was being shaken lose. The occupants would fall to their death. Leaning over, Khmun's eyes searched for his caller and found it was Mokuba Kaiba cradling his unconscious, injured older brother close to him inside the damaged elevator. From the damage inside the elevator, the brothers must have been inside the elevator when the earthquake hit.
"Kaiba-san?"
Mokuba grinned up, recognizing Khmun from his picture. "Khmun-sensei! The controls won't work inside! We need to get out."
Dazed, Toshiyuki nodded. "You need to get your brother up. I can pull the two of you up before this thing sinks lower." The pre-teen lost a startled noise as Khmun rose to his hands and knees and began coughing up blood.
"Khmun-sensei!" Frowning as the older man ignored him, Mokuba leaned over Seto. Apparently, the older Kaiba wasn't the only one in trouble. His brother had been knocked unconscious trying to protect Mokuba. Their elevator had actually fallen two floors before the emergency brakes kicked in. A long bloody smear ran along the side of Kaiba's forehead. Mokuba gently pat his brother's face. "Seto! Wake up, Seto!"
Khmun curled up into a ball and swallowed the piercing scream that nearly escaped. "Please," He growled around a mouth full of blood. "Please. Not now!"
Biting her lips, Mai found herself pacing as she kept her eyes on the newscast. She redialed another number on her cell phone, desperate to get in contact with someone in Domino, Japan.
"Currently there have been no tsunami warnings, but emergency crews are swiftly moving through cities in Japan and preparing for aftershocks. The US Geological Survey has recorded the earthquake as a 6.6 on the Richter scale."
"Come on!" Mai snapped at her phone. Once again, she was trying to get in contact with one of her friends. She'd tried Joey repeatedly until she gave up and called Yugi instead. There was no contact from either man, and Mai, who was currently stuck in the United States, was incredibly worried for her friends. "Yugi, pick up! Just let me know you guys are alive."
"From aerial views, the damage was widespread as some older structures collapsed during the quake. You can see citizens and emergency officials are searching for survivors. The death toll is unofficial, but currently there have been twenty confirmed deaths."
Swearing, Mai pulled up another contact. She'd been trying to call her friends for the three and a half hours but hadn't connected with anyone. The blonde could only hope that the cell towers were damaged.
"The USGS is also investigating these simultaneous earthquakes that occurred an hour ago. This is the first time in known history that two earthquakes of this magnitude have occurred at the same time. How close were they, Stephanie?"
"Chris, according to the Geological Survey, the quakes were technically not simultaneous, but the earthquakes were amazingly close. The 6.6 quake in Japan and the 6.9 quake in Egypt both occurred within seconds of each other. Approximately five seconds in fact."
"Is there any significance there? Could the earthquakes be connected?"
"According to seismologists, this is a coincidence and it's impossible that the two quakes are connected."
"Hello?"
Mai slumped with relief. She dropped into a leather armchair as she heard the weary voice on the other line. "Oh, thank God. Yami! I heard about the quake! Where are you? Are you guys alright?"
A deep, exhausted sigh could be heard on the other end. "As well as we can be, Mai. It hit us rather hard. I'm at the kindergarten with Hayato."
The blonde bit her lip. "Is he okay? No injuries?" She had never met Hayato, Yami's newly adopted son, but she had spoken to the sweet child over the phone. Mai had a bag of fashionable clothes to present to the little boy. It wasn't that she didn't trust Yami to dress his son, but come on! No one had Mai's fashion sense.
"He's a little shaken, but he's fine. He's curled up with his classmates while they wait for their parents. I haven't heard from any of the guys. I sent some messages out with the DVMS." (Disaster Voice Message System) "I should be hearing from them soon though. You are still in the States, right?"
"Yes. I'm here. I'm just glad I managed to get through to someone. How'd the kindergarten fare? I'm watching the news broadcast. It looks like the damage is pretty bad." Mai caught a view of a street sent from an amateur reporter. She could see a couple of collapsed buildings in the background.
"Not as bad as you would think, but they'll definitely be rebuilding for a while. I stepped out onto the street earlier and the sidewalks are covered with debris. I think the warning system went out just in time though."
Mai said nothing about the confirmed deaths. "Okay. I'll let you go. If you can, call me if the Joey or the gang is in contact."
"Sure thing." Both duelists hung up the phone. Mai stood and headed toward the kitchenette in her hotel. Yami ran a hand through his hair as he peered into the teachers' lounge. As there were so few students left, all the children left before the quake were resting inside the lounge. Most were sitting on blanket pallets over the carpeted floor eating snacks. There were seventeen children in the beginning. Parents had arrived quickly and dropped the number to eleven.
The parents of Atem's students had messaged that they'd arrive soon. Hayato, Misha and Violet were curled up in a corner by the couch sharing a blanket. Misha was his usual nonchalant self, but the little boy was a source of comfort for Violet, who tried wiping the dry tear tracks from her face. Hayato sat quietly next to his friends, looking around at the other stranded students, but the little boy constantly checked for Atem's location.
Catching Hayato's gaze, Yami smiled reassuringly at his son before backing out of the room. He glanced around the hallway.
Kimura-sensei was fiddling with a radio in his lap. The principal was looking for any news of aftershocks or, worse, tsunamis. Standing near the shattered playground doors, Evangeline was cradling a sobbing student in her arms. The French woman slowly walked back and forth trying to comfort the hysterical four-year-old. His tears would only make the other children upset. Trudy and Daisuki stood nearby going through the supply closet in case the students had to stay overnight. Ume-sensei sat next to the principal carefully wrapping a gash in her arm. She'd been protecting a student from breaking glass.
Glancing at his watch, Atem counted ten minutes since Violet and Misha's parents messaged. Only teachers with remaining students would stay behind, and Yami wanted to know if his apartment was safe for return. The teacher was waiting for his landlord to send a voice message. If the studio hadn't held up, he and Hayato would have to check the apartment. Yami hoped his bike escaped damage. It would make it easier for him and Hayato to get around.
Walking over to Evangeline and the crying child, Yami pat the little boy gently on the back and looked out the broken glass doors. He could see a serious amount of damage. Even the kindergarten was damaged, though it was minor. The building inspectors were swiftly doing their rounds. Not long ago, the group gave the kindergarten a green inspection notice.
Trudy pulled out her phone as Misha and Violet's fathers entered the kindergarten with a couple young mothers following. They were welcomed by Kimura, who directed the worried parents to the teachers' lounge. Atem nodded to the two men as they passed him. Everyone was too exhausted for extended greetings. "Eva, we received a green light. We can't use the elevators though."
Yami's phone beeped as Evangline responded. "As long as our apartment is standing." The teacher carefully passed the sniffling child over to his grateful mother. "Hopefully, no roads are blocked."
Yami smiled as he received a voice message from Anzu and Tristan.
"Yami! Glad to know that you and Hayato-kun are safe! I am okay. Just a few bumps and bruises. I'm at home with my parents. We've got some broken windows and some wall cracks, but we got the green light to stay. Oh! I saw Joey down the street with an ambulance! He probably won't send you a message. Apparently he and his classmates are working with the local emergency crews! His group was doing great! I'll send another message later to check on you."
"Hey, Yami. I got your message. I'm glad you and the little guy are okay. I was at the library when it hit and the place is a mess. Books and papers everywhere! I'm fine. The tables are pretty sturdy here. I am passing on a message from Duke too. His phone battery was dying but he's fine and at work. I'll call you later."
"Bye, Sensei." Atem watched Misha wave goodbye as he walked out of the lounge and down the hall with his father. Violet's father carried his scared daughter out behind them. Violet kept her face buried in the man's shoulder as she vaguely waved at her teacher. Amused, Atem waved the children goodbye and hoped they'd stay safe.
Hayato walked over to his father wrapped up in the dark blue emergency blanket the school stocked. He frowned and rubbed his aching eyes. One hand tightly clutched his fallen rock. "Daddy, can we go home?"
"Atem," Kimura-sensei called. He smiled. "All of your students are gone and we only have a few left. Go ahead and rest for the evening. Remember, I'll contact you for a return."
Yami was hesitant, but one look from Evangeline had him moving. Trudy and Evangeline would be right behind him. "Get two flashlights and our bags, Hayato."
By the time father and son arrived to the studio, both were exhausted. Hayato succumbed to sleep as Yami carried his son home. The walk home had been a little longer as one street was blocked with the remains of a collapsed building and the sidewalk was littered with tons of bricks, metal, and glass debris. People were also all over Domino preparing for potential aftershocks, checking buildings, and assisting those injured.
On the way home, Atem received a message from his landlord saying the building was clear with a little damage. He'd also heard from his new apartment building. There didn't seem to be much damage except for broken glass.
Atem received two more messages on the walk home. One was from Trudy and Eva, who demanded a message after he arrived home safely. The other was from Bakura. His message turned into a reassurance of his safety, an acknowledgement of his lack of sanity, and a lot of worry because Bakura was headed to the university to check on Ryou. Yami could only hope that worked out.
Shifting Hayato, who slept deeply in his arms, Yami opened the door to the apartment with barely a glance at the green letter taped to the cracked glass doors. The building was pitch black thanks to the lack of electricity. He threw a wistful look at the taped off elevators before heading for the stairs.
Yami moved cautiously up the stairs with his flashlight held tight. His thoughts remained worried as he'd received no messages from Yugi. Yugi had been the first one Atem had voice messaged and he'd expected a response by now. The lack of communication concerned Yami. Yugi and Grandpa, who Yami had also contacted, should have replied some time ago.
Had Yami not had Hayato, he would have rushed toward the Kame Game Shop. But Atem and his son were worn out and needed rest.
Reaching his floor, Yami walked down the hall, passing his neighbors' candlelight open door as he went. It was a bit of a struggle for the young father to juggle his child, their bags, a flashlight and his keys, but like any working parent, he managed. Atem dropped their bags at the door but kept his shoes. He could see through the dim light from outside that one of his small windows was cracked. It gave Yami a headache when he realized he couldn't relax just yet.
Atem walked over to his bed, and after a quick look with the flashlight, he carefully laid Hayato on the covers. Tossing his keys on the bottom of the bed, Yami glanced around his apartment with the flashlight.
As their final moving day was tomorrow, everything was gone from the studio. The only things remaining were personal items in the bathroom, a box of clothes, the couch, and the bed. Weary, Yami rubbed a hand over his face before grabbing an old towel to cover the window. He also pulled a pair of Hayato's pajamas from the box. As the boy could sleep through anything, Atem would just dress his son for bed.
It did take a few minutes to situate the two flashlights and get the towel to cover the window, but soon Hayato was curled up asleep and Yami finished changing into his own bed clothes. The father was thankful for the summer months. Had the quake occurred during the winter, they would be battling the elements along with the dark. He really regretted sending his home earthquake kit to the apartment.
Turning off all the flashlights, Yami crawled into bed next to Hayato. It only took a few minutes for the former Pharaoh to fall asleep, curling up around his child. The father and son had a long day. So, it was no surprise that he didn't notice his supposedly locked studio door opening, or the figure that walked in. Neither saw their unknown guest walk to stand by the bed. Atem missed the small smile as he watched the peaceful family. The Egyptian didn't even twitch when the man carefully pulled Hayato's sleeping body from his father.
He cradled the little boy gently before slowly placing Hayato on the couch. Silently, he covered Hayato with his dark blue blanket and ran a loving hand through the child's hair. Hayato muttered softly in his sleep and curled up into a ball. Making sure the child was comfortable and safe, he turned and walked back over to the reason for his visit. Almost reverently, he knelt down next to the bed.
Gods, it had been so long since he'd truly laid eyes on his beautiful Pharaoh. Hesitantly, he let his fingers drift over Atem's wild hair and bangs. His chest ached with longing. Thousands of years had passed, but he was back again.
And he was never letting Pharaoh Atem leave his side again.
A choked sob escaped, nearly eclipsing the muffled slap of skin, and echoed through the room.
Thrusting forward again, he watched hungrily as his lover's legs spread a little more, revealing more sensitive skin. He chuckled softly, but not unkindly, as the younger man released a strangled groan. He leaned forward, continuing his smooth movements, and whispered, "Silence or you will wake the little one."
At the small whine of shame, he kissed the neck of his sad love and said nothing of the Atem's tears. He rolled his hips a little faster, earning another whine of pleasure from his Pharaoh. Atem pressed both his hands against his lover's chest. Atem feebly tried pushing the man away, but one strong leg involuntarily wrapped around the older man's waist.
His lover chuckled with a wicked warmth. Pressing down over his Pharaoh and capturing the resisting hands between them, the former slave kissed Atem. He gathered the Egyptian into his arms and fucked into him a little harder. Atem sobbed loudly before biting his lip for silence.
Akhen leaned into Atem's ear. "Be well, my little Pharaoh. I will never let you go again."
TBC
Alia: Yeah. That's how it's going down. Y/Y issues, Ryou's nightmares, and everything going to shit. Let me know what you think about that.
REVIEW.
June 7, 2013