A broom made of twigs and dried straw was shoved into his hands as the spiky-haired man deposited him inside his hut, pointing at the floor and instructing him to sweep.

I got it, Kaiba thought darkly, getting to work quickly. He couldn't help but draw similarities between the tones in their language to Japanese. Their questions ended with vowels like 'ah' and 'ka' the way it did in Japanese, so maybe he could learn their language slowly, by listening intently.

Footsteps pattered past his door, and Kaiba looked up to see a family standing in his doorway. A man, a woman, and a little boy.

Nervous, Kaiba set the broom aside and bowed stiffly, wondering if this would do anything.

He raised his head and was met with shocked looks.

I'm fucked, Kaiba said nervously to himself. The little boy laughed at him and tugged on his mom's skirt, saying something. She replied gently and stepped into the hut first, reaching her hand out in a friendly gesture.

Unsure of what to do, Kaiba stood there and let her grab his hand with both of hers, the way Mana had done and placed his hand directly on her right breast.

Swallowing his fear, Kaiba hoped his expression remained pleasant when he could feel a soft nipple protruding under his palm, and it took all his willpower not to pull away. Pulling away was offensive. Touching…was…supposed to be a nice greeting….

"Nice to meet you," she said warmly, and Kaiba was holding his breath in so tightly, his chest ached.

"MY TURN!" The boy shouted, dashing forward and grabbing Kaiba's other hand, placing it on his head and jutting up on his tip toes.

"My name is Rex!" he said, gazing hopefully into the pale stranger's face, and he received a shaky smile.

"He's scared of me," Rex commented, and Kaiba wondered if he could withdraw either of his hands. One was trapped on a boob and the other was stuck on top of a kid's head.

The man was just standing in the doorway, watching them like they were an entertaining show.

"Yes, this man is scared of the sun…and snakes," the mother said, finally releasing Kaiba's hand and seeing him jerk it back so fast, it was a pale blur. "And seems he is also afraid of women's breasts too. Mana was correct. Now let's go, Rex."

"But he gets fed from one too, doesn't he?" the boy asked, holding his mother's hand and walking out of the hut.

Kaiba watched them go, his face burning with a mixture of fear and humiliation.

The man stepped forward and Kaiba didn't have the energy left to react. He let the man grab his hand to quickly place it on his chest.

"Kalim," the stranger said gruffly, before dropping Kaiba's hand and walking away.

Sighing heavily, Kaiba leaned against the nearest wall, reeling. Holy shit. He was going to have to touch everyone in the village this way. He was going to touch every woman's boob, every man's chest, and every child's head.

I can't do it! Kaiba balked, wishing there was somewhere he could sit down and process this horrific information. I'm being integrated! Fuck!

He glanced at the broom in his hand, at the shoes he was wearing, and at the grass loincloth around his waist.

They're…making me live here with them, Kaiba realized slowly, and he looked up when he heard more footsteps at his door. A group of men stood apprehensively before him, each holding something in their hands which Kaiba understood to be a housewarming gift of sorts.

A man stepped forward with a pitcher, set it down at his feet, stood to grab his hand, placing it on his chest, repeated his name, and then stepped away to let the next man approach.

H-Help! Kaiba grit his teeth and forced a smile on his face, his hand burning from all the skin he was touching. He couldn't possibly remember all their damn names. Even their tattoos were starting to blend together, looking almost the same. Some men had it on their shoulders and chests, others on their faces and backs.

The men filed out of the hut, leaving Kaiba stuck with the pile of gifts at his feet, and he wondered what he ought to do with it all. They were daily life items…maybe? He recognized the pitcher, the crudely made cups and plates, an empty basket, and…some moss? Was it edible? It was wrapped neatly layered in a roll inside a leaf.

Kaiba unrolled it and gave it a sniff.
It had a strangely minty scent, and he decided to peel a piece off and stick it in his mouth.

The texture was springy, almost like gum, but not quite. It was cleaning his teeth effectively, which was amazing until it started to disintegrate. Kaiba pressed a hand frantically over his mouth, wondering where he could spit it out.

His mind raced as he dashed out of the hut to find a place to spit, away from the dwellings.
It suddenly struck him that everyone here had nice teeth.
The man with spiky hair had very nice teeth.
They were straight and sparkled when he smiled. Mana had a pretty smile too.

Kaiba bent forward against a tree and gingerly spat out the moss, running his tongue along his teeth, relieved that it was no longer horribly fuzzy, and there was a nice, minty aftertaste. Thank…fuck.

Gazing upwards through the leaves, Kaiba found himself nose-to-nose with a freakishly furry face. A monkey.

It opened its mouth to let out an ear-splitting screech while displaying rows of sharp fangs, and Kaiba let out a terrified shout, turning to sprint away from it at full speed, his body shaking with adrenaline. Holy fuck. Holy FUCK it was a killer monkey!

He heard it chasing after him, chittering wildly, and Kaiba panicked, trying to lose it by circling around several trees. Fuck. He was going to die like this. At least his shoes were staying on tight, because he was doing a lot of leaping over low-hanging branches.

Gasping for breath and sweating, Kaiba pinned himself flat against the nearest tree trunk and glanced above him fearfully to see if the monkey had followed him.

All was quiet except for the wind rustling through the tops of the trees and the soft chirping of birds.

Sagging against the trunk, Kaiba buried his head in his knees and took deep breaths, willing his pounding heart to calm down.

I'm too young to die like this, Kaiba cried silently to himself, realizing that he was now officially lost, and that unless someone managed to find him, he was going to die painfully of thirst or of hunger, or as a meal to some other predator.

Back at the village, Marik ran into Atem's hut and handed him a spear, trying to talk through his frantic pants, "Your…bedwarmer…. was chased off by a…fanged monkey."

"What?!" Atem cried, leaping to his feet and grabbing the spear. "You saw this happen?"

"I saw him running away from it," Marik replied, hefting the other two spears on his shoulder. "Let's go kill that monster once and for all. It's getting on my last nerve."

"Well, I hope he got away," Atem said anxiously, running out of the hut and seeing Mahad and Shadi already waiting for him outside.

Marik handed them the spears and the men solemnly set off through the village and into the jungle.

"Yes, please go kill that irritating thing!" Mana called, waving happily at their backs. "I'll prepare a spice for when you get back!"

Atem turned to give Mana a wave in return, his stomach churning at the thought of finding his handsome bedwarmer bloodied and mangled by the monkey.
No, he wouldn't think about that. Fear made humans versatile.
Hopefully that man was resilient enough to survive, even if he didn't have any muscles.

It was getting dark, and Kaiba wondered if he should start seeking shelter.

Today was his first day out of the hut, and of course he had to get himself lost. The only productive thing he'd done was weave half of a mat and get himself groped.

Oh, and he had touched several breasts.

Maybe I can die, Kaiba thought glumly, keeping his knees tucked towards his chest. He'd been sitting in one spot, hoping that someone from the tribe or maybe even a friendly tour guide would walk by, but he'd heard nothing and no one pass by.

He'd contemplated looking for a trail, but the thought of meeting another fanged animal or the tribe that carried machine guns made him stay stuck to the tree.
The jungle was a hellish landscape.
Why did people even live here?
Cities existed for a reason!

"Ugh," Kaiba muttered, keeping himself perched on the soft moss growing from the root he was sitting on. He was also extremely paranoid of something crawling on his skin, because he wasn't wearing any clothes.

Everything sucked.
He was useless like this.
Being left out in the wild really showed him how much he couldn't manage to survive on his own. He didn't even know what plants to eat when in a pinch. There were some illustrations detailed in the tour brochure, but he hadn't bothered to read it because he'd always figured he'd somehow always be lost with a cell phone that could connect to the internet.
That was stupid now that he thought about it.

I'm useless, Kaiba pressed his cheek on his knee and tried not to let despair overwhelm him. He couldn't throw a fucking self-pity tantrum now when he was so dehydrated, but tears flowed out of his eyes against his will.

Somewhere in the distance, a branch snapped, and Kaiba froze, trying to make himself as small as possible.

It sounded like a big animal. Possibly one that ate meat.

Atem stepped over a large branch and pushed the damp, wide leaves out of the way, relieved to see a pale figure huddled against a tree truck, safe and sound.

"I found him!" Atem called, stabbing his spear into the tree beside him to mark it, and he ran forward excitedly. "Seto!"

Kaiba lifted his head when he heard a familiar deep voice calling out to him, and thought he'd never been happier to see the spiky-haired man's handsome face.

"Holy fuck," Kaiba chanted, his back scraping painfully against the tree when the man threw himself down to hug him tightly, and Kaiba reached up to hug him back ferociously, filled with relief.

"Holy…fuck," Atem repeated teasingly, brushing the matted bangs off of Seto's damp forehead.

The corners of his Kaiba's mouth tugged upwards and he smiled.

Atem beamed and appreciated the pretty smile. He leaned forward and pressed his lips onto the man's cheek, pausing for a second before deciding to kiss him on the mouth.

Kaiba's eyes widened, and he kept them open to stare at the dark lashes impossibly close to his face while warm lips grazed over his own, and a soft, silky tongue roamed boldly along his front teeth.

His stomach twisted strangely as he registered he was being kissed, very expertly and with tongue.

Cool hands came up to cup the sides of his face, and Kaiba stiffened, daring himself to enjoy the sensation as the man continued to kiss him enthusiastically, sending a happy shiver down his spine. This man tasted very…sweet. And his lips were soft….

"So he's alive," Marik said dryly, appearing through the trees to watch the scene with a touch of envy, and Mahad had to look away, his ears bright red.

Atem jerked away nervously and his lips stung at the sudden loss of contact. Kaiba blinked and stared, his chest swirling with a series of strange emotions. He didn't hate that. It had felt good.

He turned to see who else was here to save him and was met with the sight of a headless monkey tied horizontally onto two spears, being carried by a white-blond man and the tall, muscular one.

It was swinging grotesquely back and forth when they walked forward, and Kaiba pressed a hand to his mouth, feeling vomit climbing its way up his throat. Oh fuck. No. He couldn't throw up after kissing. It would totally give the spiky-haired man the wrong idea, but it was too late.

All the stress from earlier piled on and turned into a solid rock at the base of Kaiba's stomach as he turned to the side to heave into the dirt.

"He cannot stand the sight of this monkey?" Marik cried, shaking his head in exasperation, and Kaiba grit his teeth, trying to stop himself from heaving again, but his body was clearly in control. He emptied his stomach at the base of the tree, his eyes watering and his cheeks burning with humiliation.

A gentle hand rested on his back and gave him a soft rub.

Taking slow, deep breaths, Kaiba turned his head to see the spiky haired man smiling kindly at him, his beautiful eyes softening at the corners as he gave him another reassuring pat.

"This can't keep happening," Mahad muttered, sighing. "If Marik hadn't seen him run off, he'd be dead."

"I know…" Atem lamented, giving Seto's back another rub. "I'll think of a solution. Maybe I'll have Likka follow him around."

"He won't like that," Marik said playfully, giving Atem a wink. "Let's head back. I want to show everyone this beast is dead."

Kaiba tried to focus on what the others were saying, but his ears were ringing tinny and his vision was fading in and out.

"He's weak," Mahad said, sounding disgusted, and Atem was quick to defend Seto.

"He's frightened! As anyone would be after being chased by that monkey," Atem said, helping Kaiba to his feet and feeling him sway slightly. "Go ahead. We'll be right behind you."

Kaiba appreciated the support and dared to lean a little harder onto the slender shoulder beside him, realizing he didn't know this man's name. That was something he needed to take care of, but right now, putting one foot in front of the other was the most he could do.

After walking for an eternity, they finally made it back to the huts where they were welcomed with cheers and flower petals.

Kaiba couldn't help but feel like he'd just gone to war and survived.

The monkey was somehow still bleeding, and the other men rushed forward with buckets to help drain the blood. Kaiba had to look away, and he heard the spiky haired man chuckle kindly beside him.

Yes, his aversion to blood and all things with fangs was very funny.

He was helped into his hut, where the ground was freshly laid with the mats he'd made earlier, and Kaiba marveled at the sight. The new pattern made it look neater. It was refreshing.

The man at his side seemed to agree and said something that sounded like praise.

"Your new design looks very nice, and it feels quite supple," Atem said, easing Kaiba onto the bed and seeing him shake his head vehemently. "What is it?"

Kaiba pointed at the door leading to the hot spring, and the man nodded.

"Yes, I need to wash the blood off my feet," Atem said hastily, walking into the bath first, wondering if the man hated him for the kissing earlier. That had been uncalled for. It was a stressful moment, and the kiss was badly timed.

Unfazed by Atem's sudden change in behavior, Kaiba followed him into the hot spring and sank gratefully into the water, making sure to wet his hair and brush his bangs out of his eyes. He'd been sweating so much his bangs were matted.

Atem watched the man slick his hair back and he his breath caught in his throat. Very beautiful. The action looked much prettier than when most women did it.

Kaiba leaned against the rock and let the water sink up to his chest, wondering why the man wasn't getting in. He was only soaking his feet, and his tanned knees were sticking out right beside his ear. Kaiba leaned his head playfully on the man's legs and felt a soft hand caress him gently down the side of his face. It sent a warm shiver down his spine, and Kaiba turned his head to look up at the man, wanting to ask his name, but instead, lips came pressing down onto his, and they were kissing passionately.

Atem couldn't help himself. The man had looked at him so lovingly. His eyes were so bright and clear, it made his heart clench and his stomach turn with excitement. He clamped his hands down harder on the sides of Seto's face and shoved his tongue insistently through the tops of his teeth, teasingly licking the roof of his mouth, tasting his wonderful breath. Now this was a good mood. He could suck Seto's nipples like this now if he wanted….

Kaiba pulled out of the kiss with effort and felt a hand roaming down his chest to palm his nipple and give it a suggestive rub. He didn't react, grappling with his thoughts.
Maybe this man was initiating because he expected to be paid back for saving him back, or maybe because there was not much else to do here, might as well have sex, right?
Wasn't that why everyone was coming onto him earlier? They were bored?
But was he about to fuck with a man he didn't know the name of?

"Wait…" Kaiba protested, but Atem was already hopping in the water to drape his arms around his shoulders.

Their lips met softly again, and Kaiba grit his teeth, trying to angle his head away, but hands came up to keep him in place, and a hot tongue once again found its way into his mouth, wrenching an excited shiver from him.

"Wait…wait!" Kaiba cried, jerking his head back and leaning away frantically.

Atem paused and wondered why Seto sounded so frightened now. Was there a snake in the leaves behind them? He turned to look around and saw no threats.

Then what?

Kaiba rested his hand on Atem's chest and said his own name slowly, "Seto."

Atem tilted his head in confusion before he nodded and understood quickly.

"Atem," Atem said, resting his hand on Seto's chest and feeling his heart race enticingly underneath his palm.

"Atem," Kaiba repeated happily, extremely pleased with the name.

Atem smiled and gazed deeply into Seto's clear blue eyes, his body tingling with excitement. This man was beautiful, more so than any woman he'd ever encountered….

"Oi…" A lazy drawl came from the doorway and Kaiba whipped his head around, horrified to see the blond-haired man standing there watching them. Great. Privacy was nonexistent in this world too.

"Marik, please leave us," Atem said irritably, feeling Seto tense fearfully underneath him, and he realized that this was the problem.
Seto was pretty like a woman, so men constantly preyed on him.
It wasn't safe to let him be alone with Rishid, Mahad, or the others.

"Do you want the first bite out of the monkey?" Marik asked casually, walking away with a wave. "Everyone is waiting."

Atem bit back a sigh and eased himself off of Seto and gave him an apologetic look.

"Come. We'll eat now," Atem stepped out of the bath and handed Seto his loincloth, pointing at the door before rising to leave as well. He needed to call a meeting with all the men to explicitly forbid them from touching Seto at all.

Kaiba sat awkwardly in the bath with his erection jutting solidly upwards, and he grit his teeth, willing it to go down. If the blond man hadn't interrupted…the kissing might've escalated.

So maybe he saved me, Kaiba thought darkly, rising out of the hot water and trying not to look at his own boner. Only so he can have his chance at me later.

Sitting on the edge of the bath, Kaiba pressed a hand to his face and felt the skin along his back and shoulders sting. Fucking great. He was sunburned again. As expected, after spending the entire day evading a monkey.

He bit back a sigh and got out the bath, hastily getting dressed and lacing on his shoes with effort. Each strap had to wind around his calf, spaced apart just right otherwise it would slip. Irritating!

But at least the water felt nice and cool drying off his skin.

He walked to the door of the hut and his stomach churned at the sight of all the tribespeople gathered around the fire, roasting the monkey over it with excited faces. Holy shit. They were going to eat it.

I can't…! Kaiba thought wildly, leaning against the doorframe and feeling faint.

Mahad gave Rishid a nudge, and Rishid looked up to see Seto bent over on the front step of his hut, the skin on his shoulders a dark red color.

"I see, he got roasted by the sun again," Rishid commented, and Mahad shook his head, deciding to tell Atem instead.

"My king, your Seto is becoming sick at the sight of this monkey," Mahad announced, and everyone turned to look at the pale stranger who had his hand clapped over his mouth while bent over on the steps of his hut.

"…He behaves like a pregnant woman," Marik muttered, rolling his eyes. "Fetch him something else to eat. What do women eat? Mana?"

"What! Don't lump me in with him!" Mana protested angrily, eyeing Seto with pity, watching him pick up his door and lodge it firmly back into place. "Looks like he's done for the day."

Atem sighed and rose to his feet, walking towards the hut with a heavy heart.

"You're not eating with us?" Isis called, picking up Atem's untouched bowl and setting it in her lap. Atem gave her a half-hearted wave over his shoulder and approached Seto's door, wondering how he could start the conversation about the types of food he would eat.

Kaiba sat stiffly on the bed, resolving to starve for the day until something edible came up again. What about the odd assortment of mushrooms, nuts, and fruit that had been offered to him earlier? Hell, even an insect would be better than that monkey.
They were too closely related to monkeys!
This was one step away from cannibalism!

I kissed a guy who eats monkeys! Kaiba reeled, gripping his head and having an internal crisis. Who knows what else he eats!

His door was slid open and Atem stepped inside, looking at him kindly.

"This isn't going to work out," Kaiba said stiffly, eyeing the spiky-haired man cautiously, his heart leaping into his throat the closer he got.

Atem moved to sit beside Seto on the bed, and Kaiba edged away, to stand by the window, intent on keeping distance between them.

"I can't do it," Kaiba repeated, more to himself than to Atem. "Take me back to the tourist camp, please. I have a little brother waiting for me. I can't live like this."

Atem listened carefully, trying to understand the sounds dropping from Kaiba's mouth. The man was scared, which was understandable.

Kaiba grit his teeth and kept himself pinned to the farthest wall, tentatively eyeing the firepit outside his door where everyone was carving up the monkey and serving it in bowls.
He had to turn away.
This was insanity.
A weird, surreal dream.
Was he really stuck in the middle of the jungle with a primitive tribe or did he trap himself in one of his own VR worlds on accident?
Then why hadn't anyone come to wake him up yet?

Atem followed Kaiba's gaze to the door and nodded. He got up and slid the plank over the opening. Even the sight of food made Seto sick. How did this man even survive this long to begin with? The skin on his shoulders were once again a deep, angry red color, and Atem bit back another sigh.

This man needed all kinds of protection. It was a pitiful sight to see.

Standing slowly, Atem made his way out of the hut to grab medicine, thinking he had a penchant for saving small, weak animals. Maybe that was why he picked this man out of the many others in the tent. Even though his face never showed it, his actions were loudly screaming for help.

Kaiba let his breath out slowly and inched his way back to the bed, hating everything. Atem kept sitting on his bed because there was no other furniture in the hut. He knew it wasn't a malicious action, but he couldn't help but feel tense every time. Why had he come in briefly just to leave?

To coax me to eat? Kaiba wondered, staring out through his open door and wishing it had a hinge.

People were ignoring him and were going about their business. It felt strange to sit on the bed alone, inside, watching the scenes outside. The lack of boundaries between these people made him uncomfortable. They touched each other so casually, and he swore he saw a woman grope another woman's ass playfully as she walked by.
What the hell was that?!
And both women had children in tow.

I don't understand anything, Kaiba thought glumly, seeing Atem making his way back towards his hut, carrying a familiar bowl of medicine for his sunburns.

"Because I'm going to have skin cancer after this, if I make it out here alive," Kaiba muttered to himself, shoving the pillow away angrily for lack of something to do.

He's angry about his skin being hurt again, Atem concluded, stepping into the hut and offering him the bowl. Kaiba stared hollowly at it and nodded in thanks.

Atem set the bowl down on the nightstand and peeled the leaf back to dip his fingers into the liquid, gesturing for Seto to turn around.

Kaiba stared at him for a long moment before agreeing, and he begrudgingly moved to the edge of the bed to let Atem touch his back.

A cool sensation slid over his skin and Kaiba bit his tongue when the medicine stung slightly, but he didn't move or speak. Atem's hands were nice and soft. He methodically layered the ointment starting from the nape of his neck all the way down to his lower back, even going as far to slide the medicine down his shoulders and arms for him.

I'm not burnt there, but fine, Kaiba grumbled, letting Atem pick up his hand and slowly inspect it up close.

Atem smeared what was left of the medicine over the backs of Seto's hands, marveling at how long and slender his fingers were. They looked very delicate and beautiful. Even Mana didn't have fingers as dainty as these.

"Do you live like a woman back where you're from?" Atem asked vaguely, knowing he would never receive an answer he could understand. There was not a callous or rough patch on this man's hands. He'd clearly never seen a day's hard work in his life but yet had somehow managed to weave mats better than anyone in the village.

Kaiba tensed and wondered if he should pull his hand back. Atem was holding his hand openly now, lacing his fingers in through the tops of his and hanging onto him tightly, asking him a question.

Does he think I'm still scared of that shitty monkey? Kaiba wondered, because Atem's other hand had come up to give his arm a reassuring squeeze.

"I'll sleep in here with you tonight," Atem decided, giving Seto a soft smile. "We'll also burn some incense because it seems the mosquitoes enjoy eating you alive." He brushed the pads of his fingers over the bites on Seto's upper arm and saw Seto's adam's apple jump in his throat. Fear? Or something else?

He was too tired to figure it out. The entire afternoon had been spent hunting the monkey.

He got up to leave again and could feel Seto's gaze following him as he went.

Kaiba curled his fingers into a fist as his skin tingled strangely.
That was weird. Atem had been holding his hand in a reassuring way and touched each of the mosquito bites on his arm. What did that mean?! He was being treated delicately now, and Kaiba understood this was because he'd shown everyone he was the world's largest coward, first by screaming at the sight of a snake and then being hunted by an animal which they easily killed.

But monkeys are fucking scary! Kaiba glowered, throwing himself facedown on the bed and chinning the pillow, noting that it was extra crunchy now because it had been re-stuffed.
He sighed and bit back angry tears of frustration.
Hopefully Mokuba was faring better than he was.

The medicine was drying nicely off his skin and Kaiba closed his eyes, ignoring the curl of hunger in his stomach. If he slept, it would go away.
Sleeping was the answer.
Sleep…. Sleep….

Atem entered the hut with a bundle of incense and froze when he saw that Seto had fallen asleep waiting for him.

It appeared the monkey was an exhausting ordeal for him too.

Setting the incense down on the nightstand, he climbed into bed beside Seto and laid his head down on the pillow, staring intently into the man's face, taking in his every feature. The man had beautiful lips and a wonderfully slender nose. Atem traced the man's lips with the pad of his finger, entranced by their softness. Breathtaking.

Closing his eyes with a happy sigh, Atem snuggled his head down into Seto's chest and drifted off quickly, enjoying the way his steady breathing lulled him to sleep.

Author's note:

lmao this monkey got seto wildin

(tho it's a fair reaction)