Yugi led Kaiba along by the hand. "My father wants to see you."
Kaiba bent in and picked up Yugi. "Come along."
Yugi pouted. "I'm not a little kid anymore, Kaiba."
Kaiba stopped, setting him down. "I'm sorry," he said softly. He began walking past him.
Yugi ran after him. "Kaiba, are you--"
"Fine. Just fine, Prince."
~~~
The two multi-colored haired men walked together on part of the royal beach.
"How may I help you?" Shiai asked softly, trailing a few steps behind the royal son.
"How could he lie to me?" Yami asked angrily. "If he claims to love me so damn much, how could he keep this from me?"
"I believe he wanted you to love him back, Prince Yami."
"If I really am your son, then don't call me that."
Shiai rested his hand on Yami's arm, stopping him. "Yami, please don't jump down my throat. I was uncomfortable about the whole situation myself. But I loved your mother, and so, yes, I was being selfish in one form or another and didn't worry about how it was going to affect things."
"You're an asshole!" Yami shrieked, pushing against Shiai. "You only care about yourself!"
Shiai pushed him back. "And what about *you,* Prince?" He leaned in close. "Poor little prince. He's had it so rough. You're mad at Kaitio because he's not your father. You're mad at me because you think I'm something I'm not. I was a twelve-year-old in love with a girl. I'm sorry you had to learn about this, because you certainly seemed a lot happier without having even seen me." Shiai began walking away.
"Do you even care?!" Yami yelled after him.
"You're my son, Yami! I'd loved to be a part of your life! But Kaitio had more for you than I could ever get you. He had money and status and-- Can you be any better than where you're at? You're the eldest prince for god's sake!"
"I'm not his son!"
"YES YOU ARE! Just because he didn't have sex with your mother doesn't mean he doesn't love you any less. He probably loves you more than I ever could because he KNOWS you! I'm sorry, Yami." He walked up to Yami, trailing his fingers over Yami's face. "There's no denying the resemblance, is there?" He let out a deep breath. "What do you want from me, Yami?"
"Kaitio's dying."
"I know."
"I don't think I can handle being Emperor."
"I think you can. Any *real* concerns, Yami?"
Yami smiled. "I think I'm going to miss him."
"Of course you will. Maybe you should tell him that."
Yami nodded, beginning to walk across the beach back home.
Shiai called after him, "If you ever need anything, Yami, I'll be there for you."
"I know."
~~~
Ryou sat under the tree in the shade, trying to avoid the sun.
Marik walked by him, then stopped suddenly stop, back tracking. "Can I sit here?"
"I rather you didn't," Ryou said softly. "I don't think Bakura would like that."
"Bakura isn't my boss, Ryou."
Ryou looked down. "He'd like to hurt me, Marik. He wants an excuse. So if you want to mess with me, you might as well just kill me."
Marik grabbed him, stood him up, and stuck his tongue down his throat.
~~~
Kaiba sucked in his breath. He had only seen the king a day ago, and here he was, already pale and sunken in. "Hello Kaiba," he said dryly.
Kaiba fell to his knees on the side of Kaitio's bed. "I know I've failed you."
Kaitio shook his hand. "No, no, no." His shaking, unsteady hand took Kaiba's hand in his. "You don't love him, do you?"
Kaiba shook his head. "No."
"I'm sorry."
Kaiba sighed, burying his head into the blankets. "You can't leave me with Yami."
Kaitio gave a short laugh. "Someone said the same thing about me to my father as he died. Yami just needs his pride broken." He trailed his fingers through Kaiba's hair. "Silly elf."
~~~
Bakura watched Marik take the boy and stick his tongue down his throat. Master tightened a hand on his shoulder. "Jealous?"
Bakura turned away from them. "No, of course not. It was just sex, right?"
Master began sucking on his earlobe. His teeth clenched down on the lobe. He grabbed onto his shoulders and began pulling down his shirt. He ran his tongue down Bakura's spine. "What do you want me to do, Bakura? Kill my new little toy?"
Bakura turned around suddenly and grabbed Master into a kiss.
Kaiba bent in and picked up Yugi. "Come along."
Yugi pouted. "I'm not a little kid anymore, Kaiba."
Kaiba stopped, setting him down. "I'm sorry," he said softly. He began walking past him.
Yugi ran after him. "Kaiba, are you--"
"Fine. Just fine, Prince."
~~~
The two multi-colored haired men walked together on part of the royal beach.
"How may I help you?" Shiai asked softly, trailing a few steps behind the royal son.
"How could he lie to me?" Yami asked angrily. "If he claims to love me so damn much, how could he keep this from me?"
"I believe he wanted you to love him back, Prince Yami."
"If I really am your son, then don't call me that."
Shiai rested his hand on Yami's arm, stopping him. "Yami, please don't jump down my throat. I was uncomfortable about the whole situation myself. But I loved your mother, and so, yes, I was being selfish in one form or another and didn't worry about how it was going to affect things."
"You're an asshole!" Yami shrieked, pushing against Shiai. "You only care about yourself!"
Shiai pushed him back. "And what about *you,* Prince?" He leaned in close. "Poor little prince. He's had it so rough. You're mad at Kaitio because he's not your father. You're mad at me because you think I'm something I'm not. I was a twelve-year-old in love with a girl. I'm sorry you had to learn about this, because you certainly seemed a lot happier without having even seen me." Shiai began walking away.
"Do you even care?!" Yami yelled after him.
"You're my son, Yami! I'd loved to be a part of your life! But Kaitio had more for you than I could ever get you. He had money and status and-- Can you be any better than where you're at? You're the eldest prince for god's sake!"
"I'm not his son!"
"YES YOU ARE! Just because he didn't have sex with your mother doesn't mean he doesn't love you any less. He probably loves you more than I ever could because he KNOWS you! I'm sorry, Yami." He walked up to Yami, trailing his fingers over Yami's face. "There's no denying the resemblance, is there?" He let out a deep breath. "What do you want from me, Yami?"
"Kaitio's dying."
"I know."
"I don't think I can handle being Emperor."
"I think you can. Any *real* concerns, Yami?"
Yami smiled. "I think I'm going to miss him."
"Of course you will. Maybe you should tell him that."
Yami nodded, beginning to walk across the beach back home.
Shiai called after him, "If you ever need anything, Yami, I'll be there for you."
"I know."
~~~
Ryou sat under the tree in the shade, trying to avoid the sun.
Marik walked by him, then stopped suddenly stop, back tracking. "Can I sit here?"
"I rather you didn't," Ryou said softly. "I don't think Bakura would like that."
"Bakura isn't my boss, Ryou."
Ryou looked down. "He'd like to hurt me, Marik. He wants an excuse. So if you want to mess with me, you might as well just kill me."
Marik grabbed him, stood him up, and stuck his tongue down his throat.
~~~
Kaiba sucked in his breath. He had only seen the king a day ago, and here he was, already pale and sunken in. "Hello Kaiba," he said dryly.
Kaiba fell to his knees on the side of Kaitio's bed. "I know I've failed you."
Kaitio shook his hand. "No, no, no." His shaking, unsteady hand took Kaiba's hand in his. "You don't love him, do you?"
Kaiba shook his head. "No."
"I'm sorry."
Kaiba sighed, burying his head into the blankets. "You can't leave me with Yami."
Kaitio gave a short laugh. "Someone said the same thing about me to my father as he died. Yami just needs his pride broken." He trailed his fingers through Kaiba's hair. "Silly elf."
~~~
Bakura watched Marik take the boy and stick his tongue down his throat. Master tightened a hand on his shoulder. "Jealous?"
Bakura turned away from them. "No, of course not. It was just sex, right?"
Master began sucking on his earlobe. His teeth clenched down on the lobe. He grabbed onto his shoulders and began pulling down his shirt. He ran his tongue down Bakura's spine. "What do you want me to do, Bakura? Kill my new little toy?"
Bakura turned around suddenly and grabbed Master into a kiss.