Atem and Kaiba dove off the beach after saying their heartfelt goodbyes to Mokuba and Noah who both stood ankle-deep in the water, waving energetically at them until their splashes disappeared.
Hand in hand, Atem threw Kaiba a seductive smile and bumped his nose playfully into his partner's cheek, earning a look of pleasant surprise.
"Why are you so happy?" Kaiba asked gruffly, daring himself to enjoy the way his hair flowed behind him in the water. He could get used to it…maybe.
"Because it all worked out," Atem said simply, his heart pounding with happiness as they passed the marker indicating they were near Seth's hemisphere. "And I get to see your colony with you for the first time since its destruction."
Kaiba remained silent and prayed that it would meet Atem's grand expectations. He'd only seen his own colony through Seth's brief visions and the blueprints he'd drawn up ages ago.
This would be his first time seeing it too.
They passed a floating kelp forest and a voice called out to them in Japanese, "Halt!"
Freezing on the spot, Kaiba glanced around the empty waters, wondering who the hell it was.
A young merman swam down from above, his bronzed skin sparkling in the sunlight as he bowed deeply in apology, "Prince Seth! I didn't realize you had gone out!"
"Yeah, I am him, now let me in," Kaiba said brashly, knowing this would give him away in an instant, and he regretted it immediately when the man paled significantly.
Atem held his hand defensively in front of Kaiba and spoke for them both. "We…come in peace and would like to see Seth. Don't mind this…silly merman. He's ill."
"Say that to my face," Kaiba snapped, and Atem shot him a playful glare. "I just did."
The guard's eyes darted between the two royals and broke out into a cold sweat, gesturing for them to follow.
"T-This way…" he murmured, while Atem and Kaiba continued to playfully bicker behind him.
"Marshmallows are a type of candy," Kaiba explained, and Atem wasn't hearing any of it.
"Then why do you need to roast them if they're all-ready to eat?" The merking asked haughtily. His breath caught in his chest when they swam over several beautiful, glass rooftops of dwellings glittering under the sun. He stared so hard his eyes watered.
This was a far cry from the dark, stony homes covered with black kelp.
The entire colony had been transformed.
White sand had somehow been transported here and spread in front of each home, indicating where the front entrances were.
It was…incredible.
"Wow," Kaiba said appreciatively, wondering if the library turned out this nice too. "It looked iffy on paper, but I guess they made it work."
"You…drew these up?" Atem cried incredulously, and the guard whipped his head around to stare as well, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.
"Well I didn't build it. I planned it. Don't look at me like that," Kaiba grumbled, rolling his eyes. "I want to see the library. Take us there."
The guard nodded hesitantly and gestured them towards a towering, cathedral-like structure.
Stained glass was fitted magnificently into the domed ceiling, and Atem's chest tightened with jealousy at the sheer beauty of it all. Thin, golden struts were barely visible as the dome's patterned skeleton, and Atem could see a wonderful lounge inside, coupled with towering shelves of books arranged in a spiraling circle.
Gods.
Seto could really do it all, even underwater.
"Did they add the play area?" Kaiba asked curiously, and they swam down towards the entryway. Atem gaped at the arching pillars flanking the doors, and after swimming through it, he realized that the inside was even more beautiful than the outside.
Rainbow shards of light sprinkled the ground and walls, all reflecting off each other with every angle of the sun. Breathless, Atem blinked rapidly, trying to process it all.
He couldn't, and gave up, resigning himself to admiring every new sight.
Small groups of merpeople were lounging on large, sponge chaises that had been dyed white, and Atem ached to throw himself into one so he could read a book under the sun as well.
It was no wonder Adina preferred it here.
It was a tiny slice of heaven.
The ground had been laid with mirrors, giving the entire room a dizzying effect of an infinite cavern, and Kaiba beamed, extremely proud of himself.
I fucking did this, Kaiba congratulated himself quickly, and felt a strong hand clap down on his shoulder.
He whirled around to see Seth smiling happily at him.
"Seto!" Seth threw an arm around his shoulders in a friendly greeting, and Kaiba winced, giving his twin a rough shove in response.
"It looks breathtaking, doesn't it?" Seth said, looking up over their heads where a tiny school of fish was swimming by, casting pretty shadows into the rainbows around them. "Come see your handiwork in the dining hall. Greetings, Majesty."
Atem nodded his head stiffly at Seth, his cheeks burning.
Oh, how he envied these brothers and their minds!
It was artful engineering!
He swam after the twins, admiring the way their hair flowed over their shoulders while they discussed something privately, and his heart soared, thinking he had really had done well for himself. He'd scored the most handsome, intelligent mate, who bore the most insightful and beautiful baby girl for them.
He couldn't ask for anything more.
Following Seth and Seto down a white hallway, they approached a set of thick, glass doors, and Atem held his breath, waiting for the next stunning piece of architecture.
The dining hall was…normal enough. Three, enormously long tables sat neatly spaced apart in the rectangular space, but the table's surfaces were dotted with the sparkle of…diamonds.
Atem tilted his head up and saw Seth's hand pointing at each chandelier.
"Shed by our parents…when they believed you to be dead," Seth said to his twin brother stiffly, frowning. "I should add mine up there. You really enjoy scaring people, Seto."
"I thought I was dead," Kaiba said irritably, crossing his arms and letting the sparkle of the tear-shaped diamonds blind him every time a gentle wave passed through the hall. They even tinkled with wonderful music, and Kaiba's chest constricted with emotion the longer he stared.
These had been gathered in dusty jars left to die. He'd given them new life, and now, people could appreciate them because…they were historic. He snuck a glance at Atem and was mildly shocked to see the king was moved to tears.
His tanned face was glowing beautifully, freckled with specks of rainbow light, and it made his stomach clench strangely. Fucking beautiful. A sight he'd never get tired of.
"I'm sorry," Atem hastily apologized, palming his tears in his fists. "I won't litter."
"Oh no, please, litter your pure tears all over my floors," Seth encouraged, and he kicked himself for sounding like a miser. "Joking."
"No, you meant that," Kaiba grinned boyishly, flashing his fangs. "What are you doing two days from now?"
"I'm organizing training routines for the new recruits," Seth said, listing his duties out on one hand. "Then I need to make sure the shipment of food arrives on time, or no one gets fed. I need to check each dwelling to see if they've been cleaned after the guests leave—"
"Don't you have people for that?" Kaiba interrupted, realizing his brother really needed a helping hand in management. "Your job should only be making sure other people do everything you just said."
"I don't understand," Seth said dully, rubbing his brow tiredly with one slender hand. "I don't run corporate companies like you. Just draft up a plan and I'll follow it."
Kaiba bit back a sigh and resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"Well don't get too fucking busy," Kaiba said shortly. "You have to come roast marshmallows with us on shore if you want your shipment of spears."
"There's a condition?" Seth cried, misunderstanding completely. "What must I kill and roast for those spears?"
"A sweet treat," Atem explained unhelpfully, further adding to Seth's rising confusion.
"It's…" Kaiba bit the inside of his cheek and palmed his face, searching for the closest mer-definition of it, and the best he could come up with was, "…A bonding session. You stick candy in the fire and eat it when it melts. Humans love that shit. Noah loves it. Adina will love it."
"Well as long as it's not screaming in pain while it burns," Seth said seriously, and Kaiba shook his head, biting back a laugh.
"Show us to our rooms," Kaiba changed the subject, floating forward to grab Atem's hand in his and giving it a happy squeeze. "We're staying two nights. Send a Messenger to Mahad. Tell him to bring my kid."
"Yes, yes, so many things I need to do," Seth muttered, swimming out of the dining hall. "Follow me! You'll enjoy this, King Atem. It was made just for you."
Atem brightened up at this and followed Seth eagerly, giving Kaiba's hand a grateful squeeze in return as he tried to contain his excitement.
Did Kaiba build him a library as he'd done for Adina? A colony with two libraries?
"It's not a library," Kaiba said quietly, enjoying Atem's excitement. "Guess again."
"A garden," Atem said instantly, thinking he hadn't seen any gardens in the colony yet, but then again…the entire colony was a relaxation resort.
"No, definitely not," Seth chuckled, and Atem set his jaw tightly, his heart thudding with anticipation. It wasn't a garden and it wasn't a library. What else could it be?
"A meeting hall. A private treasury. A secluded wading pool," Atem listed, hoping it wasn't any of those while they swam past more glittering homes, and he felt another pang of envy. "A sculpture."
"He's quite bad at this game," Seth commented, and Kaiba nodded in agreement. It was pretty obvious what it was…so maybe Atem was missing it on purpose.
"We're almost there," Seth said, turning a corner and leading them through a thriving marketplace. Many merchants called out to him in greeting, while other people bowed as they swam past.
"Prince Seth!" A man with a sack full of lipstick waved energetically, and Seth held his hand up regally, smiling kindly in return.
"Majesties!" A little boy cried, tugging on his mother's hand, and the woman blushed, bowing.
Royals! My goodness. If I'd known, I'd have fixed my hair today!
Kaiba set his mouth in a tight line, feeling Atem curl his hand around his own, and he squeezed back reassuringly. He hated publicity, and it seemed Atem was used to it, but it made him a little anxious too.
The crowd parted respectfully to let them through, and Kaiba had a sneaking suspicion that Seth had led them down this busy marketplace on purpose…to show them that business was booming.
Well, he didn't need to be paraded through a crowded area to know that!
That was what the financial reports were for, fuck.
They were reaching the end of the pebbled path, and Kaiba winced when too many thoughts from other people jumbled together in his mind, bringing on a headache.
Prince Seto?! The rumors were true! He is alive!
Where is the princess? I wonder when the procession will be. I mean, that's why I moved here….
Their status is showing! Wowow Wow! A king! Three kings! Mommy, look!
My goodness, all three at once! What a day!
Holy Suijin's Staff! Prince Seto and King Atem. I must remember this closely.
Gritting his teeth, Kaiba tightened his grip around Atem's hand and felt his partner pat him reassuringly on the shoulder. This was the fucking worst. He was going to kill Seth.
Also, why was Atem's title a king?
He had to remind himself to ask Atem later.
He was pretty damn sure 'prince' was an entire rank below 'king'.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of swimming through the marketplace, they reached the end of the path and turned another corner, floating through a deserted space between glass dwellings, so Kaiba took this chance to round on Seth.
"Why the hell did you take us down that road?" He raged, and Seth spun around to glare at him.
"Because it's polite, and customary!" Seth hissed, and Atem watched this argument with rising trepidation. "I'm trying to reclaim our titles in a respectful way!"
"Please, don't fight," Atem said, placing a hand on Seto's chest to restrain him from lunging at his twin again. "I don't want these beautiful waters clouded by your blood. You've already fought once. Wasn't that enough?"
"No, it's never enough for him," Seth fumed, still glaring at Kaiba. "I forget how insufferable you are now that we're breathing the same air. Show him the dwelling yourself. I'm busy."
"You wouldn't be so damn busy if you delegated!" Kaiba cried, calling after Seth's fins which had already disappeared with a flash around another glass home.
"It's a dwelling!" Atem exclaimed happily, and Kaiba rolled his eyes angrily.
Surprise ruined.
Atem threw Kaiba an exasperated look and smiled.
"I will still be pleasantly surprised," the king said warmly, recognizing that this was a form of pouting.
Kaiba said nothing and reached to undo the bow in his hair, and he held it out Atem in the palm of his hand.
"What?" Atem stared at it strangely, his curiosity rising.
"This goes around your eyes," Kaiba said stiffly, still wanting to surprise Atem in his own way.
Atem hesitated for a moment before he nodded and looped the kelp around his eyes and tied it firmly behind his spiky head, smiling. It wasn't an effective blindfold because he could still see bits of light coming through it, but it worked well enough.
He waited for Kaiba to grab him by the hand and lead him forward, but instead, a pair of soft lips came crashing down over his, and he gasped in surprise.
Kaiba took this chance to slide his tongue suggestively into Atem's mouth to taste him, and Atem relaxed alarmingly fast, draping his arms lovingly over his shoulders and kissing him back with passion, flitting his tongue across his lower lip, drawing a wonderful shiver from within.
Nice.
Kinky.
Did Atem like this kind of thing?
"Enough playing," Atem leaned back breathlessly, his fangs glinting in the sun as he smiled. "Show it to me."
Kaiba held himself back enormously and nodded. He looped his arm through Atem's tanned and muscular one and pulled the king forward through the water.
Atem held his breath excitedly when they floated to a stop, and Kaiba rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Ready?" Kaiba asked, and without waiting for an answer, he looped the piece of kelp off Atem's face and watched his angular eyes widen so much, he could see the whites all around his irises.
"It's—" Atem's breath constricted in his throat as he gazed at the glittering glass pyramid towering before him.
It was taller than any of the curved dwellings around them, and Atem realized Kaiba had made this contrast on purpose. The only other sharp structure was the library, and instead of colored panes, it was made entirely of frosted glass, giving it a formidable but mysterious look.
"Well?" Kaiba asked nervously, wondering if it was overkill. Subtlety was not one of his strengths, and Seth had nagged him about the height of this thing from day one, but looking at it now, he thought it was worth it…only if Atem liked it.
"I can't…comprehend…. how we'd…how do you get in?!" Atem cried, feeling faint. The pointed tip of the structure seemed to almost graze the surface! How did humans not notice this monstrosity when swimming by?!
"I bought the rights to land here," Kaiba answered the king's questions with ease and led him around one of the sharp, golden corners and pointed at the ground where two rocks sat unassumingly beside each other, surrounded by beautiful bunches of coral.
"The entrance is here." Kaiba frowned, sifting his hand through the sand as he tried to recall the blueprints in his mind. Damn. It had been a while ago…
His knuckles grazed across a metal handle, and he celebrated silently while he gave it a strong tug upwards, and sand cascaded down from it in a long waterfall, revealing a dimly lit tunnel.
"Is this…a fortress?!" Atem cried, thoroughly intimidated now. He followed Kaiba down the sloping passage and emerged from the other side, first taking in the flat expanse of white sand decorating the floor, giving the entire area an airy feel.
Glancing directly upwards, Atem marveled at the interesting pattern at the pointed top, and he swam directly up to touch it.
He doesn't care about anything else? Kaiba wondered nervously, sweeping his gaze over the plush, white bed and the sponge lounges set artfully apart from each other. A kelp-woven rug decorated a spacious reading corner, and several human screens sat atop mer-made shelves and tables.
My tech! Kaiba cried, and he dove towards the nearest one to snatch it up, tapping excitedly at it and wondering if he'd done his calculations right according to the coordinates Seth had given him. Would it work at this depth?
If it did, he'd bury some routers in the sand and bounce a signal off the nearest one of his satellites…but to finish setting that up, he'd need his legs back.
"What are you doing?" Atem asked, floating excitingly over Kaiba's shoulder and pulling him to the bed. "That bed is beautiful!"
Kaiba blinked and nodded, holding the two buttons down on the edge of the tablet and praying while he counted to five.
He held his breath when the screen remained dark for a couple more heartbeats before it flashed to life and asked for a password.
SUCCESS! Mer-tech was within reach. Holy fuck. Thank god.
"What is that? What is that?!" Atem asked excitedly, trying to snatch the pad from Kaiba, who kept angling it out of his reach, typing in the password with quick fingers. "Moving pictures?"
"Better," Kaiba said with a devilish grin. "It's internet."
Atem stared blankly at Kaiba.
"Say goodbye to those irritating octopi we use for messages," Kaiba explained patiently, showing Atem the screensaver of a bright green meadow. "No need to preserve books and worry about disposing the old ones on land. No need to fear human technology. We will surpass them quickly."
"But…how does it work?" Atem asked, wondering if this was all really possible.
"…Magnetic waves…maybe, might interfere…I'll have to…" Kaiba muttered to himself, swimming over to another tablet and also powering that on.
Atem watched Kaiba play with his toys, growing impatient.
"Stop working," he commanded, swimming anxiously over Kaiba's head and giving his hair a playful tug. "Come try the bed with me."
"This isn't work," Kaiba protested, but a bubble of guilt rose up in his chest when he realized that this was considered work.
Damn. Even underwater, he couldn't stop working.
Sighing, he set the tablets down and let Atem tug him excitedly to the bed, holding the piece of kelp between his hands teasingly.
"Cover my eyes again," Atem smirked, draping the blindfold over his shoulder seductively. "It felt nice."
"If you like that kind of shit, they have toys for this on land," Kaiba said quietly, slipping the kelp off Atem's shoulder and grazing his knuckles gently over the king's tanned cheek. He briefly entertained the thought of showing Atem what a vibrator was, and he bit his tongue, feeling himself grow aroused as he imagined Atem's lewd expressions.
Bad idea? Or good idea?
"Toys…for mating?" Atem asked incredulously, his cheeks turning pink as he tried to imagine it. He couldn't.
Humans were dirty creatures!
"Yes," Kaiba replied, grinning, and he tackled Atem down on the bed, enjoying the king's laughs ringing in his ears as he wrestled with him playfully, finally managing to slip the long piece of kelp over his eyes.
Leaning back to admire his handiwork, Kaia smirked, enjoying the way Atem's lips were half-parted as he panted excitedly for air.
Kaiba pressed himself forward for a kiss and felt Atem's arms locking around his neck in a tight embrace while their tongues slid sensually against each other, fighting for dominance.
Atem's stomach swooped mightily with happiness when he felt Kaiba's bare chest slide wonderfully up across his own, and he reached his hands down blindly to touch, enjoying every stiff dip and curve of muscle. His arousal curled heatedly out from underneath his navel, and Kaiba smiled into the kiss, daring himself to enjoy the strange but wonderful shocks of pleasure that streamed down his body when Atem's arousal gave him a fiery lick.
Sliding his hands down the sides of Atem's toned body, he snuck his hand suggestively around his hips to where he thought Atem's ass would be, his finger prodding curiously for…his hole.
Atem let out a quiet laugh and let Kaiba feel him up, wondering how long it would take him before a finger pressed into him a bit too hard and too fast. Gasping, he bit the inside of his cheek, protesting in his head.
Kaiba! Be more gentle!
I don't know what I'm doing! Kaiba raged back at the blindfolded Atem underneath him, and he ignored the swirl of uncertainty in his chest while he slowly slid his finger up and down the smooth scales of Atem's fin.
Fucking…how the fuck…
Kaiba, I don't…enjoy your cursing, Atem breathed, the corners of his lips curving into a pretty smile. A little higher…no, to the left—
Kaiba let his breath out in a slow hiss when he finally found the soft spot underneath a flap of scales, and he gently prodded it with his finger, feeling a strange heat sucking him in. He tucked his chin over Atem's tanned shoulder and curled himself forward excitedly, knowing that his dick self-lubricated, so it should be fine, right? Atem had fucked him senseless like this too, so….
Writhing uncomfortably underneath Kaiba, Atem briefly considered lifting the blindfold when a delicious, soft heat crept up inside him. Kaiba's strong hands came down around his fins, bending him at an angle with almost too much ease, and begin to fuck him in earnest. The tentacle would extend stiffly inside him for a moment before curling back out just as fast to give the surrounding area a teasing lick before shoving itself back inside him while Kaiba's light breaths rang in his ears.
Being entered…felt so good, Atem never wanted it to end.
It was heavenly, and it made him feel so treasured and loved while he was pleasured in the dark safety of the blindfold.
Long hair tickled his cheek while Kaiba hovered over him, lost in the remarkable new sensations racking his body while he thrust into Atem with a heated frenzy, letting wave after wave of pleasurable ecstasy trickle through him, numbing his mind and causing his heart to soar.
It was different every time. How?
Atem's arms came up around his shoulders and pulled him into a tight embrace, his lewd pants grazing his ear, causing Kaiba's stomach to clench with arousal, pushing him over the edge into a rough orgasm that was mirrored by Atem when he felt Kaiba give his insides a mischievous swirl, wrenching a shuddering climax from his already pleasure-torn body.
Panting and leaking wetly, Kaiba nuzzled his nose into his favorite spot, behind the crook of Atem's ear, and inhaled, letting his mind spin with ecstasy and drowsiness. He could go again….
"Yes…" Atem breathed, still blindfolded and quiet enjoying the darkness.
Kaiba surged forward with enthusiasm, and Atem let out a happy shout as he was stretched wonderfully, filled to the brim with Kaiba's lust, and he came again unexpectedly, his chest heaving with excitement as his body was rocked with a heavy orgasm.
The blindfold was lifted gently from his eyes, and Kaiba's handsome face swam blurrily into view.
Closing his eyes happily again, Atem relished in the slow, languid kiss Kaiba gave him, and their tongues tangled lovingly again, and again, slipping in and out between their fangs.
"Again?" Kaiba asked weakly, wondering if he could take anymore. His dick was fucking sore! Another new sensation. One he didn't know was possible.
"Let's wait. I might die," Atem smiled, tucking his cheek against Kaiba's sloping, muscular chest and palming his nipple playfully. "I like you here."
Kaiba swallowed thinly and accepted the compliment in silence.
He shut his eyes and rested his head back on the pillow, letting Atem fondle him as he pleased while his heart thudded painfully in his chest. Sex while in mer-form was somehow very fast, intense, but slow, and loving at the same time. He could see why his lovemaking techniques as a human could be considered rough.
They laid together in warm silence before Atem spoke up quietly, "I want to have a boy."
"What?" Kaiba snapped, lifting his head up from the pillow and shooting his partner a glare. "For what? Why?"
"A baby boy!" Atem protested, patting Kaiba on his toned stomach, encouraging him to lay back down. "Please, Kaiba. You have to admit…Adina is quite terrifying because you carried her."
"Yeah…well," Kaiba palmed his face tiredly, his fins aching from the sex. "How does it work? Do you want to tell me now?"
"The egg chooses you," Atem said slowly, closing his eyes and beginning to drift off comfortably. "But it will go to whoever wants it more. In this case, it's definitely me. It's my turn after all. I want to enjoy a bond like the one you share with Adina."
"If you wanted her so much, why did she come out of me?" Kaiba asked ruefully, feeling another headache coming on at these horrible explanations. "I wasn't even thinking about that shit."
"You say that," Atem protested, propping himself up on his elbow to gaze down at Kaiba's handsome face, illuminated by thin streams of sunlight coming through the frosted glass. "But you desperately wanted to be in the water with me, right? So she helped us grow closer."
"Sure, whatever," Kaiba answered lazily, waving away a stray scale that was floating in the water left over from their love making. "Knock yourself out. I don't care as long as I don't have to deal with it."
"Good," Atem beamed, and he laid back down beside Kaiba and snuggled up closer. "My grandfather might kill me if you bear the next few children anyway."
"How many do you want?" Kaiba asked incredulously, biting back a laugh.
"Other colonies have at least eight children in their families!" Atem said anxiously, brushing a strand of long brown hair away from Kaiba's cheek. "The more children we have, the stronger our kingdoms—the both of them! We'd be wasting our good genes if we don't have more than one child, don't you think? My temperament mixed with your intelligence, wouldn't that make for a great pod of children?"
"Got it, got it," Kaiba rolled his eyes, and draped his arm lazily over Atem's chest, enjoying the way his jewelry pressed back into his skin, and he dozed off gently.
Atem sighed happily and sifted a strand of Kaiba's hair through his tanned fingers, enjoying the silky smoothness of it. He felt like he was on top of the world. In fact, he was.
If this kept up, he'd rule the entire ocean with Kaiba at his side.
Author's note:
Is atem baby crazy or what tf man
it must be the culture difference
