Atem was sitting at the kitchen counter, poking his chopsticks at the array of fried fish that had been set in front of him. It smelled…heavenly.
He stabbed the stick into the meaty center of a flat fish and struggled to eat it. The fish was too hot to touch, and these two sticks were extremely hard to use. The man who had cooked the food was staring at him, but Atem ignored him, spearing the other stick into the fish and trying to lift it to his mouth.
Kaiba stood in the doorway of the kitchen with a laptop tucked under his arm, smirking. Watching Atem struggle was kind of cute.
He sat beside the king and set the laptop down on the counter, flipping it open and catching a cold glare from Atem in the reflection of the screen.
"What?" Kaiba said defensively, tapping the spacebar gently with his thumb to wake the computer up. "Don't look at me like that."
Atem chewed silently and Kaiba turned the screen towards him, showing him a colorful page for children's toys, books, and puzzles. Atem's eyes widened with interest, and he tilted his head curiously, pointing at an illustrated book being advertised at the top.
"There are books on these screens? This must be why humans are always looking at them."
"More than just books," Kaiba said seriously, wondering how much of the internet Atem knew about. "You can do anything you want. Go ahead. Think of something you want, and I can do it with this screen."
"Really?" Atem raised his eyebrows and shrugged gracefully. "Very well then. I would like a bunch of flowers, and a stuffed toy I saw when I was here with Joey."
"Done," Kaiba closed his laptop and stuck his hand into his pocket for his phone. He slipped it out and sent Kemo a short text before sticking it back into his pocket. Atem's eyes followed his every move like a hawk.
"I see. They're all connected," Atem said perceptively, and he received a nod from Kaiba.
"What do you want to do in the meantime?" Kaiba asked, resting an elbow onto the counter and leaning his cheek across the tops of his knuckles. "Anything you want."
He raked his gaze intrusively down Atem's front and was disappointed when the king hastily got up and walked away, behaving strangely—almost fearfully.
Biting the inside of his cheek, Kaiba got up and followed Atem out to the veranda and watched him poke at a flower blooming on the nearest bush.
"What's wrong?" Kaiba asked perceptively. He noticed how Atem would shy away from him every time they touched, and it was unnerving to experience. Had he done something to make the king angry?
"Nothing is wrong," Atem replied carefully, unable to bring himself to even look Kaiba in the eye lest he accidentally got his mind read. If he was being truthful with himself, the thought of mating with Kaiba in their human forms was mildly terrifying.
"Okay," Kaiba said simply, trying to keep the crushing waves of disappointment from choking him. Maybe Atem was feeling the same way he did about his own fish tail. Patience was key.
He sat down on the plush sofa and crossed his arms and legs tightly, watching Atem walk along the garden path and sniff every flower he could get his hands on. Tapping his foot impatiently, Kaiba's mind raced with ideas on how to coax Atem into bed with him.
Perhaps they could start outside of the bed.
He would've pounced on the mer-king in the shower if they'd been properly fed beforehand, and Kaiba was sorely beginning to regret his own eating habits.
"Can I have this flower?" Atem called from across the garden, pointing at a large, white rose sticking out from the bush. "Will it hurt me? It won't, right?" The plant looked harmless enough, but Atem couldn't remember if the spikes were poisonous or not.
Kaiba nodded silently and rose out of his seat to stride over the grass towards Atem, who was still staring happily at the flower's white petals. He reached out to carefully pick off the thorns before twisting the flower off bush and handing the blossom to Atem, who accepted it with both hands, beaming.
"Put it in your hair," Kaiba suggested before he could stop himself, and Atem gave him a surprised look.
"How?" Atem wondered, remembering photos of a flower crown, but wouldn't they need multiple flowers for that?
"Just…tuck it behind your ear," Kaiba smiled, taking the flower from Atem and sticking the stem through his spiky bangs, making sure the flower sat nicely above his ear. The white petals complimented his dark complexion and Kaiba leaned back to admire how nice it looked.
"Thank you," Atem grinned handsomely and gently touched the flower with the tips of his fingers, enjoying the softness. "I really like it."
"I like it too," Kaiba said quietly, his heart soaring enormously as he leaned forward to bury his nose in Atem's bangs, inhaling the wonderfully exotic scent mixed in with the light sweetness of the roses around them.
Atem blinked nervously and didn't lean away, letting Kaiba trail his lips down the side of his temple to land a soft kiss on his cheek before pulling away to gaze lovingly into his eyes.
"Come sit with me," Kaiba said seriously, grabbing Atem by the hand and leading him back over to the outdoor sofas.
Atem sank down into the cushions and Kaiba immediately dove at him, pressing a tight kiss to his lips and snaking his hands around his slender hips, enjoying the refreshing tang of his breath. Closing his eyes, Atem draped his arms around Kaiba's shoulders and kissed him back with equal fervor, enjoying the soft tongue that slipped playfully in and out past his lower lip. His heart thudded loudly in his own ears, and Atem opened his eyes slowly, staring at the top of Kaiba's head while hot lips trailed down his neck, and a teasing bite stung his collarbone.
Everything Kaiba did made him feel oddly hot, and the air around him was getting thicker the more Kaiba continued to kiss his way down his chest. The heat from Kaiba's lips was seeping rapidly in through his shirt, sending wild shivers down his body, and Atem leaned away uncertainly. The center of his pants was uncomfortably tight, so he shifted, and felt an odd swelling sensation in his groin
"We don't have to go all the way," Kaiba said quickly, slipping one finger in through the top of Atem's waistband and giving it a tug. "Can I see it?"
Atem shook his head nervously, staring at Kaiba's pale hand resting over his clothed bulge and hated how his stomach kept doing nervous flips.
What if it was ugly?
Or worse, what if it was…small?
"Relax, it's not small," Kaiba laughed, his lips curving upwards into a handsome smile. "Let me see it? I've already seen it all before."
Atem held his breath and contemplated shaking his head again, but before he could make up his mind, Kaiba leaned forward and kissed him passionately again. It sent a hot stream of fire searing down his front and caused his arousal to throb curiously. Atem shivered, feeling an odd pressure building underneath his navel, and he pulled away from the kiss to glance down. It was Kaiba's knee, pressed tightly between his legs, bunching the fabric of his pants uncomfortably underneath his balls. His ears were now ringing strangely, and he could hear his heartbeat in them. The tightness remained stubbornly between his legs and began to ache.
"If it starts to hurt, its unhealthy," Kaiba smirked, resting a hand atop Atem's erection and giving it a rough grab through the fabric. "Take it out. It needs to breathe."
"It... does?" Atem wondered if he was being tricked, but part of him no longer cared.
Pale hands slid up his thighs and rested briefly on the buttons on his front before undoing them swiftly, followed by the zipper, and his pants were inched down his waist.
"Does it look small now?" Kaiba asked gleefully, tugging Atem's underwear down to free his erection and giving the tip a gentle rub with his palm.
Atem's voice died in his throat when he stared down at himself, his own chest heaving up and down with emotion while Kaiba stroked the stiffness between his legs, sending hot and cold shivers down his spine.
"Wait, let me see it properly," Atem breathed, reaching down to pry Kaiba's fingers away from his dick, and his stomach clenched with turmoil at the sudden loss of contact. His legs tensed pleasurably, and he stared his own erection, taking in the fresh pinkness of the tip and the…odd scent.
Two eggs sagged underneath the stiffness, and Atem had to look away, his chest tightening with emotion. Ah…it was strange! What about this appendage was attractive to Kaiba?
"Don't hate it yet," Kaiba said dryly, hearing Atem's thoughts loud and clear. "Let me show you something first…"
A hot tightness swallowed him whole without warning, and Atem gasped, whipping his head around just in time to see Kaiba's head between his legs, and a warm tongue was flicking in and out over his slit, wrenching happy shudders from his body almost against his will.
"Th-That—that feels strange," Atem whispered, and Kaiba ignored him, continuing to enjoy himself.
He buried his nose into the crook of Atem's thigh and grinned to himself, giving it a playful bite and suck, earning a panicked shout from the king.
Atem's head spun as he was leaned further back into the cushions. Kaiba got up on his knees and grabbed one leg by the ankle, and raised it up high and staring wickedly down at his crotch, his blue eyes dark with lust.
"This…is a good look for you," Kaiba said quietly before he wrapped his arms around Atem's waist and pulled him forward so he could bury his nose underneath his balls and give the space above his ass a fiery lick.
Frozen with disbelief, Atem tensed and tried to shrink his knees back into his chest, but his heels were caught behind Kaiba's back, and the only thing he managed to do was pull Kaiba closer into him, seemingly encouraging the hot tongue to continue it's agonizing journey up and down his crack before stopping at the base of his dick again. His body felt like it was fire. Everything Kaiba did with his mouth made him want to scream, but every time he opened his mouth, it was to gasp for air because he forgot he'd been holding it in.
Panting, breathless, and barely able to keep his eyes open, Atem watched through a hot haze as Kaiba slammed his head down onto his erection and gave him a long, slow suck, causing his stomach to churn and flip with excitement.
"…Finally," Kaiba breathed, speaking more into Atem's balls than anything else. He flicked his tongue out playfully to taste the softness, and he shut his eyes, losing himself in the wonderful headrush he got every time Atem's tanned thighs tightened around his head.
"It feels strange…! Why?" Atem gasped, wishing the curling feeling in his stomach would give way to completion, but for some reason, he was stuck in agonizing limbo.
"Does 'strange' mean 'good'?" Kaiba asked, reaching up to give Atem's dick a few rhythmic strokes, making sure to bunch the foreskin playfully under his palm and roll it wetly around the tip, earning a pleasurable hiss and a sharp glare.
"Do it all the way," Atem demanded, giving his legs a kick and seeing Kaiba nearly lose his footing and slip off the edge of the cushions. "I want to get to the end."
"You can't go again if you get to the end," Kaiba responded seriously, his chin hovering centimeters from the tip of Atem's dick. "It's not the same. You can cum once, that's it. You'll have to wait a few minutes, or it'll start to hurt."
"What?" Atem hissed, his stomach curling with displeasure at this news. "But I've seen you go more than once. Human women can go more than once! It's a matter of willpower!"
"Sure, of course," Kaiba replied, thinking it was pointless to explain it when Atem would soon experience it for himself. He ducked his head down and gave Atem a nice long suck before moving his mouth lower to kiss between his thighs again, and he felt a harsh thump from Atem's heels on his back, nearly crushing the air from his lungs.
"Stop… playing…!" Atem grimaced, and decided he'd had enough waiting. He reached down to touch himself, so Kaiba hastily lowered his ass back down onto the cushions and began undoing his own belt.
Numb with excitement, Kaiba shoved his pants and underwear down to his knees and grabbed his own arousal, jutting himself up closer to Atem's erection and stroking himself steadily in sync with Atem's movements.
The king's eyes were half-lidded with lust the more he continued to give himself vicious up and down rubs, and Kaiba reached forward to help, palming both of their members together and enjoying the hot threads of pleasure snaking down his chest and legs every time he met Atem's eyes.
Atem wrapped his legs around Kaiba's waist and inched himself up on his elbows to let Kaiba stroke them both at an impressive pace, sending shocks of wonderful electricity down his body with every upward stroke, and he threw his head back to enjoy the heated sensations.
"Look at me," Kaiba demanded breathlessly, and Atem lifted his head up heavily, prying his eyes open slightly, only to close them again when Kaiba kissed him tenderly. His silky tongue shoved into his mouth lewdly at the same pace of his hands moving down on his arousal, causing his mind to hum happily and shut off when a large wave of pleasure rose up from deep within and crashed over him. Atem shuddered and curled forward into Kaiba's shoulder, catching a whiff of Kaiba's sweet breath when he landed a firm bite on his earlobe, and rush of hot semen coated his stomach and hand.
Shivering and clenching happily, Kaiba gave himself a few more energetic rubs, enjoying the way Atem's dick felt in his hand. He orgasmed heavily before he slowly let go and sat back on his heels to survey the mess they had made.
Atem thunked his head back on the pillows and bumped it against the hard, wooden armrest of the couch. He winced, hearing Kaiba laugh heartily above him.
"How was that?" Kaiba asked knowingly, watching Atem rub his head angrily and wrinkle his nose at the musky scent of their combined fluids.
"Dis…gusting…but, good." Atem said, feeling conflicted. The white liquid was also drying alarmingly fast, and his heart wouldn't calm down.
"Now tell me how you feel, and if you can go again after that, I'll be amazed," Kaiba said with a smirk, easing off the couch and making his way back into the house for tissues. "Stay there."
Atem nodded weakly and leaned his head back carefully, making sure to avoid the wooden armrest and pressed his cheek onto the soft cushion, still breathing heavily.
That…had been a bit too short and felt completely different from having fins. It was intense and loving—not as rough as he thought Kaiba would be, but nothing had gone into his hole, so maybe that was why….
Footsteps echoed behind his head and Atem didn't move, hearing a startled shout in his mind from a stranger.
AH! HE'S A PERVERT!
And the footsteps dashed away.
Kaiba was just making his way back out to the veranda when he ran shoulder-first into Kemo, who stumbled past him with his ears bright red.
Kaiba turned to call out to him, "Hey! Where's my shit? And did you do the thing I asked you to do?"
"Yes, the toys are at the beach property, and yes it's all ready," Kemo ranted back at him without a bow, unable to look him in the eye before he turned and hurried away, clearly eager to be out of sight.
Kaiba rolled his eyes and stepped out onto the veranda. He approached the couch and realized Atem had not moved from his earlier position and was still lying on his back with his semi-hard dick out in the open and the dried semen on his stomach.
Ah…okay. That explained Kemo's reaction.
"Atem…" Kaiba bit back a sigh and handed the king a box of tissues and a damp towel. "The manservant saw you. Sit up and get dressed."
"I heard him," Atem replied mildly, not understanding that nakedness was startling to humans. "He called me a pervert. Perhaps you should fire him."
Biting back a smile, Kaiba watched Atem wipe his hands and stomach thoroughly before tossing the towel aside with a huff and yanking his pants back up with effort.
"Hey, since we were busy doing that, I had time to get a surprise in order for you," Kaiba said fluidly, offering Atem his hand. "Want to see?"
Atem nodded eagerly and took Kaiba's hand, following him through the house and arriving at the entryway of the house, realizing it had been transformed into an enormous field of flowers.
Shocked to the core, Atem stood very still, staring at the flowers blanketing the floors, the stairway, and the hallway leading out the door, his heart climbing into his throat, making it hard to breathe.
The colorful blossoms were artfully bunched in large, glass buckets, and the sweet scent in the air was almost overwhelming.
"H-How did…" Atem's voice died in his chest, and Kaiba let out a laugh that echoed through the spacious house.
"The lugs brought them in and set it up. Not hard," the former CEO said, his blue eyes sparkling with mirth. "Like it?"
Atem bit the inside of his cheek and stared so hard, his eyes watered.
I love it, he answered in his mind, unable to find his voice, and Kaiba's laugh rang pleasantly in his ears again.
Kaiba bent down and pressed a quick kiss to Atem's cheek and gave him a soft push towards the door.
"There's more surprises waiting for us at the beach house," Kaiba said wickedly, seeing Atem give him an alarmed look over his shoulder.
"I can't take another surprise," Atem replied seriously, his heart thudding loudly in his chest, and Kaiba gave him a beaming smile.
"You'll like this one even better, I swear," Kaiba said warmly, and Atem nodded uncertainly, following him out the enormous front doors and down the white marble steps where a long black car was waiting for them with the door open.
His heart swelled with happiness when Kaiba stepped aside and let him climb inside first, and he couldn't help but secretly love the way Kaiba treated him like royalty in and out of the water.
He couldn't ask for a better mate.
Underwater, in the throne room in the Kingdom of Muran, Seth was at war with Solomon and Isis, both who were insisting they wouldn't allow him to take Adina up to the surface to see her parents with legs.
"It doesn't matter! It won't traumatize or bother her in the slightest!" Seth raged, wishing Mahad was here to back him up, but some distance had grown between since their last misunderstanding.
"She has already seen her father with legs, I don't need her to see Atem with legs too!" Solomon swelled with frustration; his cheeks tinged red with effort. "She is barely weaned, and you and your brother are out here exposing her to everything…too early! We must protect her!"
Isis nodded vehemently in agreement, her eyes glowing strangely in the semi-darkness while her curtains of dark hair hung straight down the sides of her face where a pretty frown sat between her brows.
"What's more traumatizing? Missing out on a bonding session with her family or seeing both her parents with legs?" Seth asked icily, clenching and unclenching his fists behind his back, still trying to sound respectful, but Solomon was making it hard.
"It's bonding over a fire. That's dangerous," Isis added unhelpfully, and Seth decided he was fighting a losing war. This was why Atem always had to act in secrecy around his staff and family. They were all against humans and their customs at the very core.
"Then I suppose this is a horrible time to mention that you have a great grandson-in-law who is the same age as her," Seth said loftily, knowing that mentioning children was the way into Solomon's heart.
Solomon said nothing and glared icily at Seth as the merman swam out of the throne room, leaving a trail of thin bubbles behind him.
Seth grit his teeth and decided he would sneak the princess out of the palace, rules be damned. Just because Solomon was her blood didn't mean that old man should dictate everything that went on in her little life.
A warm hand clapped down on his shoulder, and Seth whirled around frantically. Mahad was floating behind him with a kind smile on his face and a wrinkle in his brow.
"I can hear you from all the way over there," the warrior said, pointing at several pillars in the distance leading to the dining hall. "And the shouting echoed down the hall. I will help escort her to the surface. It is my duty."
"Well, thank you," Seth muttered, wondering if they were going to be punished for going against an elder court member's requests, but then he realized he cared more about Seto's disappointment in him than anything else.
"She deserves to see both her parents together regardless of their forms," Mahad mused, swimming towards the women's wing and feeling Seth follow him glumly at his side. "Don't listen to Solomon. He's been through too many wars with humans. It's a different era now. The humans who could've known about us have died out. We can start a new generation of humans who adore us."
Seth said nothing and merely nodded. The issue wasn't with humans, it was with Solomon and the rest of Atem's staff. They were picked by Solomon, weren't they?
"Let's not talk about it here," Mahad said darkly, floating to a stop by a set of mirrored pillars and raising his voice to call out, "Princess? Princess Adina?"
And almost as if she had been waiting to be called, the tiny mermaid came zooming out of her room with her hair flying messily behind her. Her cheeks were pink with excitement and the diamond chain she usually wore in her hair had been looped around her neck.
"Look at that! You took out your hair!" Seth cried, dismayed, and the air was nearly crushed from his lungs when she dove forward to give him a tight hug.
"Uncle Seth!" She cried, gazing up at him with large, adoring eyes. "You can do my hair again! I accidentally messed it."
Seth patted her gently on the head and nodded, his chest tight with emotion when Mahad threw him a grave look coupled with a private thought.
Time to go. I'll lead the way.
"Let's be very quiet, okay?" Seth said anxiously to Adina, pressing a finger to his lips. "It's a game, okay? Let's talk inside our heads."
OKAY! She shouted inside his mind, and Seth winced, managing a smile before he reached out for her hand and led her out of the hall, following Mahad's glittering violet fins in front of them.
Atem kept his eyes nailed to the window as the car pulled into a shaded structure attached to the beach home, which Kaiba had informed him was called "the Garage." Several other shiny cars were parked in the spaces beside him, and Atem marveled at the odd shapes and colors of these cars.
Kaiba watched Atem's excited movements, keeping his arms crossed while in deep thought. He'd been contemplating how to run both his empires, on land and underwater at the same time.
The family manservant, Kemo, was a large puzzle piece he had to consider, and the more Kaiba thought about it, the more he realized he needed to avoid another Isono fiasco.
Atem climbed out of the car and he followed quickly, giving Kemo a steely look as the man bowed to him and pointed at the door leading into the house, "Master Mokuba has left the door unlocked for you.
Kaiba narrowed his eyes and said, "Atem, go ahead without me. I need to speak with Kemo."
Kemo froze, not straightening out of his bow as his blood ran cold. That was the first time Master Kaiba had ever referred to him by name. Oh shit. He was losing his job today.
Did Master Mokuba approve this?
"Well, I was joking about firing him," Atem said carefully, hearing the manservant's frantic thoughts. "I will see you inside. Don't be long."
Sweating profusely, Kemo stayed bowed and listened to the foreigner's steps disappear into the house before Kaiba addressed him coldly.
"Stand up and look me in the eye," Kaiba said irritably, realizing he'd never properly seen Kemo's face without the dark glasses.
Kemo straightened up out of the bow and squared his shoulders back, respectfully removing his sunglasses and tucking them into the pocket of his blazer, making sure to keep his hands clasped in front of him and his feet planted apart, at attention.
Their eyes met, and a ringing silence followed. Kaiba took note of every feature on Kemo's face, from his strong forehead to his light facial hair, and the way his thin, slanted eyes had only a shadow of tiredness and not a trace of lines underneath. Youthful. Maybe late twenties.
Kemo met Kaiba's piercing blue-eyed gaze and had to hastily look away, his heart leaping into his throat with anxiety as he wondered what was going to happen to him next.
"Do you like working this job? Answer truthfully," Kaiba said, hearing his own voice echo around in the spacious garage, and Kemo's thoughts in his mind were loud and clear.
Of course, otherwise I would've left a long time ago, but what came out of his mouth was, "Yes. Master Mokuba and his family are always my first priority."
"What would need to happen for you to consider leaving this position?" Kaiba asked, and the garage fell deathly silent as Kemo lowered his head in deep thought.
Perhaps… witnessing violence in the family. No, murder? No. I've seen it all before. I'm paid to stay, regardless of my moral stance. It would have to be a personal betrayal. Now how do I say that politely?
"What happened if the family were to run out of money and stop paying you?" Kaiba prodded, wondering if Mokuba ever grilled this man with questions like this, and he was answered in his mind.
Master Mokuba has asked me this question, so I'll give the same answer.
"I will stay if I am needed," Kemo said monotonously, and Kaiba eyed the man headily. That was such a vague answer. Maybe he needed more pushing.
"So, what matters to you is money?" Kaiba folded his arms and planted his feet apart to mimic Kemo's stance. "Nothing else?"
"Well, I value…children, and their lives," Kemo replied quietly, and Kaiba grit his teeth, wondering if the man was playing him. Whatever. Time to make his proposal and find out.
"Sure. I do too," Kaiba said plainly. "Now I have new stipulations to add to your contract. It's verbal. Open your ears and listen. Ready?"
Kemo blinked once and gave him a stiff nod.
Kaiba held his breath and waited for a stray thought to come floating from the manservant, but all remained quiet. This guy was nothing if not good at his job. This was an admirable trait.
"You will live to serve this family through several generations," Kaiba said carefully, looking at Kemo's face for any change in his reaction. "In return for that longevity, I expect loyalty and integrity from you. You will see things you can't explain, and you won't be able to discuss it with anyone. When you've decided you've had enough, you can quit whenever you want, age normally, and die peacefully. Think about it, and I'll check back in with you in a few days."
Kemo's eyes widened, and Kaiba held his gaze for a moment longer before sweeping past him and entering the house, hearing his stunned thoughts.
Wh-What? Longevity? What did I sign up for? Certainly not this! That Kaiba is a madman to the highest degree. I really should stop reading those articles….
Biting back a sigh, Kaiba stood against the garage door and wondered if he'd fucked up. Binding a human to their family with service was useful, but was it considered moral to keep them alive for longer than their intended lifespan? Time to discuss it with Seth.
He strode through the hall and entered the main living room, surprised to see Mokuba, Ayame and Atem pouring over stacks of photo albums with excited smiles while Noah sat on the floor, playing with his toy robots.
"Seto!" Noah leapt to his feet, sending his toys flying every which way as he ran forward to give his uncle a hug. "I missed you!"
"Me too, kid," Kaiba replied simply, bending down to give the child and hug and feeling all eyes on him when he straightened up.
Mokuba rose from the plush lounge and strode over to give him a hug too. Kaiba wrapped his arms around his brother's shoulders and secretly marveled at their lack of height difference.
"Did you—?" Mokuba pulled away to crane his neck around his older brother's shoulders. "Hey! You stole my hair tie!"
"I needed one," Kaiba said, smiling, and Mokuba gave him an exasperated glare.
"Get your own."
"I will make my own," Kaiba promised, feeling Noah cling harder to his leg, nearly cutting off circulation. "Ow, kid. Let up. That hurts."
"But you had fish tail here before!" Noah cried, his eyes shining with curiosity. "Was that an illusion? A magic trick?"
Atem felt Mokuba's wife tense beside him, and he wondered how Kaiba would begin to break the news to his family about his new life, or rather, a return to his old life.
"I want to know too," Mokuba added, giving his brother a steely look. "Care to tell us?"
Kaiba bit his tongue, wondering if he needed to bind Noah to a pact too. Shit. There was too much to consider. And almost as if on cue, Kemo emerged from behind him. Noah made a face at the manservant and dashed away back to his mother.
"I will tell you, but first, I need to figure out…how," Kaiba said quietly, looking out past the large windows towards the foamy beach. "Give me some time to think."
"What's there to think about? Just tell us how it's done!" Mokuba raged, and Kaiba shook his head silently, catching a worried glance from Atem as he made his way to the front door. The king rose hastily to join him, and Kaiba could hear Mokuba's disgruntled thoughts following him down the sandy ramp.
Selfish Seto. Always doing cool shit and won't even tell me how. I cried for three solid weeks before finding out he's not actually dead. How many more heart attacks does he wanna give me? I even left work early to intercept him here because Kemo texted me about the sex toy shopping spree, ugh.
Atem stuck closely by Kaiba's side as they walked across the wet sand, and he reached out to grab his hand. Kaiba turned to give Atem a strained smile, appreciating how the sun bounced off his tanned cheeks when their eyes met.
"I need to make a few pacts with them before I tell them anything," Kaiba said bluntly, and predictably, he saw Atem's eyes widen with dread.
"Well, don't make them the way you did with me," Atem said with a playful nudge, and Kaiba spared the king a wry smile.
"Yeah, I'm doing my research this time," Kaiba titled his head towards the water, wondering how he could call for Seth, or hell, even Mahad.
Atem nodded and moved to sit on a dry log, sticking his feet in the sand and wiggling his toes, enjoying the cool sensation.
Kaiba climbed the large rock with ease, privately marveling at how his situation had changed the last time he sat atop this rock, waiting for Atem to show his face for months, that quickly melted into years. Now, he was on this rock again, but this time, with Atem behind him for comfort and support while waiting for his twin brother and his child to surface.
He'd just folded his legs underneath him when he heard a telltale splash, and he heard Adina's happy cry echoing through his head.
DADDY?! PAPA!
Atem gasped and leapt to his feet, stumbling across the sand clumsily when he lost momentum, and Kaiba bit back a laugh.
Seth's head emerged from underneath a wave, his long sheets of brown hair clinging to his shoulders while Adina's chubby arms were locked in a death grip around his neck.
"We need to talk about Solomon," Seth said instantly, not bothering with a greeting. "That old man is—uff!"
Adina kicked Seth in the chest and propelled herself forward, her eyes glued to her spiky-haired father, who was knee-deep in ocean water with his arms outstretched.
Seth doubled over coughing, his eyes watering as his twin laughed heartily above him.
Mahad rose out of the water beside Seth and gave Kaiba a half-hearted salute, "My prince."
Kaiba's stomach clenched strangely after being addressed so formally, so he turned away hastily, his ears burning.
"You've managed to embarrass him. I'm amazed," Seth muttered, and Mahad said nothing, anxiously swimming to shallow water just in time to see Atem kneel in the water to scoop Adina up into a tight embrace.
Adina laughed happily and clung onto Atem's neck, gazing adoringly into her father's eyes.
"You got legs!" She cried, and Atem beamed.
"Yes, indeed I do."
Kaiba climbed nimbly off the rock and landed softly in the sand, seeing Noah racing down the boardwalk with his mother in tow, his excited thoughts filling the air.
Oh gosh, yay! It's Adina! Adinaaaaa! My baby sis!
"Hi Noaaaaaah!" Adina shrieked happily, with her fists full of Atem's spiky bangs as she waved.
Mahad swallowed thinly and stayed submerged, keeping his tail tucked underneath a shallow wave as he kept his distance, once again feeling out of place at a large family reunion.
Kaiba brushed past Atem, gave Adina a quick pat on her head before wading into the water towards Mahad, and he saw the warrior purposely avoid eye contact.
I need to discuss pact-making with you, Kaiba thought to him firmly, and he saw Mahad visibly stiffen.
A cold rush of water swirled around his waist and Kaiba grit his teeth, bearing through the shards of ice seeping into his skin as he waded deeper to get closer to Mahad. They would have this conversation out of earshot from his family. This was serious business.
Mahad, unsure of what to do, merely sat in the shallow water and let Kaiba approach him, telling himself to maintain a pleasant expression. He had to see the situation through impartial eyes. Prince Seto was coming to him to discuss pact-making.
A royal was coming to him for advice.
It was his duty to respond honestly and wholeheartedly.
Kaiba stood awkwardly beside Mahad, hating how the warrior's head only reached his waist, but this would have to do.
"I need to make several pacts," Kaiba said quickly. "First, I want to ensure my manservant will be alive to serve Noah, and Adina. I have the words. I need you to hear them and think of ways it could be amended, if ever."
Mahad nodded solemnly and watched the human woman on shore gently pat Adina's cheeks and tentatively touch her unformed ears. Their thoughts were very clear, echoing across the water despite their distance.
My goodness! She's soooo cuuute! She looks like mini-Mokuba! Why doesn't Noah look more like his father?! He doesn't look anything like me!
Wow, Seto's kid is cute. No wonder Noah can't shut up about her.
"Second pact," Kaiba continued, aware that Mahad was slightly distracted by the scenes on the beach. "…Is for future generations of Noah's family. We need to come up with something that will help preserve the family secret."
Mahad nodded again, his heart thundering with emotion inside his chest.
On the beach, Seth threw Mahad and his brother a nervous look over his shoulder, wondering if he ought to swim over there and interrupt whatever serious meeting they were having. The two were shrouded in a dark aura, and he didn't want to miss out on the happy introductions surrounding Adina.
"What are those two doing?" Ayame mused, echoing everyone's thoughts, and Seth shook his head.
"Something for work, undoubtedly," he replied darkly, and he caught a worried look from Atem before it morphed into a happy smile for Adina, who insisted on being put down.
"Can I touch your toys, Noah?" Adina asked boldly, her fin landing on the sand with a wet slap as Atem set her down on the ground.
"Yeah! Sure! This one even transforms!" Noah cried excitedly, plopping himself down beside her and handing her a toy car. "You flip open the doors, like this…and…"
Adina squealed and clapped when Noah expertly twisted and maneuvered the toy car into a burly robot with wings.
"Does she want some toys of her own?" Ayame whispered to Mokuba, and he nodded, giving Atem and Seth a light wave.
"Be right back. We have some stuff prepared for her."
"Presents?! For me?" Adina perked up, and after catching a nod from Mokuba, she cheered happily, her cheeks tinged a light pink.
"Thank you, Mokuba." Atem said gratefully, also blushing slightly, and Seth's heart swelled.
Mahad and Kaiba watched all of this in amicable silence after having worked through the pact and reached a satisfying conclusion.
"Thank you for your help," Kaiba said, giving Mahad a genuine smile. Then he stepped over an oncoming wave to make his way back to the beach, leaving the warrior stunned by the sudden radiance.
Prince Seto was an enigma.
Gathering his bearings, Mahad swam powerfully towards the beach and rolled onto the wet sand. No one paid him any attention. They were all fixated on a piece of paper in Mokuba's hands, and the silence in the air was thick.
Princess, what's that they're looking at? Mahad asked Adina privately. She shrugged, tossing a lock of her damp hair over her shoulder and waved an armless toy man at him.
Dunno. Something called 'lab results,' she replied, uninterested, and she turned back to help Noah continue burying his toys in the sand.
Kaiba sat down heavily in the sand and felt a headache wrapping around his temple. Seth looked equally as shocked, and Atem seemed generally unfazed.
Ayame was the first to speak up shakily, "So…Moku, are you upset that…you and Seto are half-brothers?"
"What's shocking is that we all share the same mother," Seth said faintly, turning to look out over the horizon as tears began to build annoyingly behind his eyes.
"The test proved that you and I are genetically identical, and that's what you're shocked about?" Kaiba demanded, taking a seat beside his twin and watching Adina and Noah crash the toy cars violently together while screeching with laughter.
"I'm shocked he is my half-brother!" Seth cried, unable to turn around to look at Mokuba, and Mokuba's chest tightened with emotion.
Well, of course Seto's freaky fish clone was related to him! He looked exactly like Seto! What were the chances?
"Well, I'm happy for you all," Atem declared, his eyes misty with happiness. "You've found your family at last."
"Does that mean Noah is part fish?" Mokuba asked shrilly, gripping his hair in distress, and accidentally wrinkling the paper in his grasp.
"I'm what?!" Noah cried, lifting his head after hearing his name being called. "What'd you say, dad?"
There was a heavy silence, and Adina piped up perceptively, "yah he is. But only if he purposely changes into one. Right, Papa?"
"R-Right…" Atem answered uncertainly, looking to Kaiba for help.
"I don't want that to happen," Ayame said seriously, turning white as a sheet, and she sank into the sand on her knees to sit down as the shock began to set in.
"It won't happen…if he doesn't…touch the water that changes him," Kaiba said through gritted teeth, trying to avoid saying the words 'chrysalis' and 'pod'.
"The water will change him?!" Ayame cried, completely misunderstanding, and Mokuba shook his head at her fervently, giving her a quick hug.
"No, no. Seto will explain it better, right? Seto?" Mokuba threw his brother a nasty look, and Kaiba blinked rapidly, deciding to look away, and he caught Mahad's listless stare.
Feeling like a spotlight had been shone into his face, Mahad froze and nodded, unsure of what to do next. This was why Kaiba wanted to make pacts. The moment was approaching faster than they'd both planned. They'd anticipated the questions would come up after the fire bonding, but the lab results had everyone on edge. The silence was growing heavier by the minute.
"Warrior Mahad will tell us a story to explain it," Atem announced, giving Kaiba a confident smile. "After we gather wood to roast a marsh-mallow, everyone will then be on the same page of the book."
Kaiba bit the inside of his cheek so hard, his eyes watered, and Mokuba let out a bark of laughter.
"Yay! Warrior Story Time!" Adina cheered, and Noah cheered along with her, not really understanding what that meant, but she was happy, so he was happy.
Plus, story time over a fire sounded awesome!
Author's note:land developments. Atem keeps getting nice surprises from kaiba!
lab test results finally came in *years later lmao
