Chapter 2! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! hope you like the new chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.
Chapter 2
I sat beside the window staring at the sidewalk outside the game shop until I saw Kaiba's sleek black Ferrari pull away from the curb. Then, taking a deep, shuddering breath, I rose and began frantically pacing the floor. What was going on? First, I was attracted to Kaiba, and now… Now I was apparently having flashbacks of my past life - of him.
I suddenly felt rather queasy.
As I continued pacing, a hesitant knock sounded at the door to my room. "Yami? Are you alright?" Yugi called worriedly. "What happened to you downstairs? You spaced out and I thought you were having some kind of fit; then you ran up here all of a sudden."
Taking another deep breath, I paused and answered in my most neutral voice, "I'm fine. I just don't feel well. I think I'll stay home - you all go eat without me."
"I don't know; if you're sick maybe I should stay. You did look really pale," Yugi said doubtfully.
I opened the door and gave him a strained smile. "No, I'm fine. Go on," I assured him. He furrowed his brow and I watched indecision flash through his wide violet eyes before he finally nodded.
"Okay, if you're sure. I'll bring you back some soup or something," Yugi told me as Jou's impatient voice floated up the stairs.
"Hey, Yug, what's takin' so long? I'm hungry!" he grumbled.
"What else is new?" Honda quipped.
"Why, you…" Jounouchi threatened, and the sounds of scuffling echoed through the game shop. Yugi and I grinned and he waved briefly before running off to join his friends.
Smiling softly after Yugi's departing form, I shut the door once more and stretched out on my back across the bed, closing my eyes and trying not to think of Kaiba. That first flashback…it had felt so painful, for some reason, and my chest ached just remembering it. But the second…The second was different. It was much more…peaceful. Comforting.
With that thought, I relaxed completely and drifted into a light doze.
"Yami?" he questioned simply.
I raised an eyebrow. Ever since my father died, no one had ever dared to call me by my first name; but now this impertinent new priest addressed me as an equal. I should have been outraged, but for some reason I found that I didn't mind. In fact, I rather liked it. As I continued to regard him, the young priest realized his error and blanched - his tanned skin paling to an almost ghostly white.
"Pharaoh. Pharaoh Yami. Forgive me, Your Majesty; it was a slip of the tongue."
I waved it off and gestured for him to sit in the chair opposite me; and he obeyed silently, lowering his proud gaze ever-so-slightly so that he no longer met my eyes. The color came back to his face, but now his cheeks were tinged slightly pink in his embarrassment over his mistake.
"Seto, is it? What brings you here?" I asked, still observing him curiously. A thick lock of brown hair slipped from under his priestly headdress, falling into his eyes, and he adjusted it before replying.
"Pharaoh, as you know I am the new priest of the Sennen Rod, but you might not have been aware of the fact that the gods have also granted me the gift of seeing the future; and whenever they will it I have… visions. I am a Seer," Seto told me proudly, lifting his cerulean eyes to meet mine once more.
"A Seer? Like Isis, with the Sennen Tauk?" I questioned eagerly. This was incredible news - another priest with fortune-telling powers could be a great asset to the kingdom.
Seto smiled a little at my enthusiastic response, his lips parting ever-so-slightly to reveal even, white teeth before his expression sank once more into seriousness. "Yes, Your Majesty. That is why I came to speak with you; but I'm afraid that what I have foreseen is not good news… Last night, I had a dream. In it, you and I stood atop one of the palace battlements, watching the sky. It had turned to darkness; and all around us strange, crackling shadows - like a stormy night but with a heat and overwhelming intensity that I've never seen – crept around us, trapping us on the tower until the only light that remained shone from the patch of sky directly above us. Then that too disappeared, and all that remained was the darkness."
"What does this mean?" I breathed.
He glanced out the window at the twilight sky, the first stars of night beginning to appear as the sun sank lower on the horizon. I followed his gaze. "I don't know," Seto finally answered. "But I think it means that you are in danger."
"No," I murmured, still staring out the window, "I think it means we all are."
When I eventually turned back to face him, I found Seto scanning the papers scattered across my desk. I cleared my throat meaningfully and he jumped, but I grinned at him. "So," I said, smirking at his sheepish expression, "See anything interesting?"
Seto boldly met my eyes once more and nodded. "According to these reports, the farmers in the northeast region don't know how to conserve their resources. If you want things to run more efficiently, you need to assign someone to collect their crops and store them, then redistribute everything to the farmers as needed."
I gaped at him in awe- I'd been worrying about that issue for weeks. Shaking my head in wonder, I dug out some more reports that I'd shoved to the bottom of my stack in frustration. "What do you think about this?" I asked, handing them to Seto.
Seto smiled broadly at me. My heart gave a tiny flutter.
I opened my eyes to the light of the midafternoon sun slanting across my face through my bedroom window. A quick glance at the clock beside my bed told me I'd been asleep for a couple of hours; so I ran a palm over my face to rid the drowsiness from my eyes and headed downstairs to see if Yugi had returned. As it turned out, the only other person around was Jiichan (who was outside busily sweeping the sidewalk) so I trudged into the living room and sank wearily into the sofa cushions to think about my dream.
So Seto and I had been friends, then, back in Egypt. And I had been attracted to him then, as well, judging from my reaction to his smile. I wondered if there had been anything more between us.
A dreamy smile crept across my face as I imagined this- what would it have been like to kiss that tanned skin? To fall asleep in his arms? Had I known this feeling once, only to lose Seto along with my memories, when I had sealed myself away for the good of my people?
Closing my eyes, I summoned the image of those crystal-blue eyes and that glorious smile. How could I have ever given up something like him?
The game shop door opened; but, assuming it was only Jiichan, I kept my eyes closed, reveling in the memory of my former priest and current object of my desire, until the air beside me shifted and I lazily slid my eyes open, sensing someone watching me. Kaiba stood beside the couch, smirking at me, his arms crossed across his chest. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" he drawled sarcastically.
My face burned with the unreasonable worry that he somehow knew what I was thinking and I shook my head quickly. "No. Are you here to pick up Mokuba? He's not back yet."
Kaiba rolled his eyes and plopped in the chair next to the sofa. "I assumed that," he retorted dryly.
We sat for a moment in silence until I began to feel awkward, torn between the longing to be near him and the desire to run away. I vaguely considered starting a conversation, but I couldn't think of anything to say, so I contented myself with watching him from the corner of my eye, gauging the differences between Kaiba and the priest from my dream.
There weren't many.
They had the same dark hair, the same eyes, and the same slim, tall frame - even similar personalities. My Seto had apparently been as brilliant a businessman as Kaiba. The thought made me smile proudly, and Kaiba raised an eyebrow questioningly at my expression. "What?" he droned.
The smile dropped from my face. "Nothing. I was just thinking of someone," I mumbled.
His other eyebrow joined the first and he scrutinized me seriously. "Really now?" Kaiba drawled, almost sounding surprised. "Who…?"
The loud chattering of teens announced the arrival of Yugi-tachi, interrupting Kaiba's question, and I breathed a silent sigh of relief. As the rambunctious teenagers piled in the doorway and into the living room, Kaiba regarded me silently for a moment longer; then, with one last glimpse over his shoulder in my direction, rose and glided silently out the door, gesturing to Mokuba to follow. The younger Kaiba cheerily waved to his friends before running after his brother, and a few seconds later the sound of a Ferrari engine faded into the distance.
I still stared at the door.
"Have a nice chat with the priest?" a voice murmured in my ear. I jumped in shock, my heart thudding and all the blood draining from my face.
"Wh-what?" I gasped, whipping my head around to see Bakura sitting beside me on the couch, smirking vindictively. "S-Seto's not a priest," I added, stuttering pathetically.
The Tomb Robber's narrow eyes squinted even more in suspicion- and then, to my surprise, the smirk disappeared from his face and he frowned seriously. "Yami…" he began, and my eyes widened in shock. He was actually using my name?
"Hey Bakura, it's time to go," Ryou called, interrupting him. Immediately the smirk spread across Bakura's face again and he ambled over to Ryou, dropping a quick kiss on the boy's lips, without giving me a second glance. Then the two strode from the game shop (Ryou giggling as Bakura murmured something in his ear), leaving me pale and wide-eyed on the sofa.
"Yami, you look terrible!" Anzu suddenly cried, tearing me from my thoughts. I scowled (I was getting really tired of everyone saying that) but she immediately began fussing over me, forcing me to lie down on the couch and resting the back of her hand across my forehead, clucking disapprovingly. "Oh, you're so clammy! Yugi, go get a thermometer! I'll make Yami some chicken soup. Jou, you and Honda…" But they had already disappeared, leaving me at Anzu's mercy.
I groaned loudly.
I finally convinced Anzu to leave around ten o'clock that night after I promised her (while Yugi snickered behind Anzu's back) that I would 'get my rest.' Keeping true to my word, I immediately went upstairs and lay down, closing my eyes and listening to the house settling around me as Yugi and Jiichan prepared for bed as well. But sleep evaded me, perhaps because every time I nearly drifted off I remembered my dream from that afternoon; so eventually I gave up and trudged downstairs to watch television.
Stretching out across the sofa, I turned on the most boring show I could find (an infomercial about bagless vacuum cleaners) in the hopes that the steady drone would lull me to sleep. Still, however, my mind refused to shut down, so I decided to go for a walk.
That was quickly becoming a habit of mine.
I didn't bother getting dressed, instead throwing on a jacket over my T-shirt and slipping on boots under my navy blue pajama pants; and, grabbing my keys, I stepped out into the dark, quiet street. The sudden overwhelming silence unnerved me a little (I had left the television on and its drone followed me out the door) but I kept walking along the deserted sidewalk, breathing in the chill air and trying to force my body to relax.
After I had walked two or three blocks along the sidewalk, I paused at a street corner, resting briefly against a fizzling sodium street lamp. I closed my eyes, finally beginning to feel tired, and listened to the sizzle and pop of the sodium lamp, the only sound on the empty streets. A wash of weariness settled through my arms and legs, causing me to lean more heavily on the lamp. "I really should head home," I murmured. But I didn't move.
Just then the roaring sound of a car engine going at full speed echoed through the streets and I opened my eyes in slight surprise. The car skidded to a halt beside me, sending up fumes of exhaust and the smell of burning rubber as the driver rolled down his window.
It was Kaiba.
"Get in the car now," he snapped.
"What? Kaiba, what's going on?" I protested, taking a step backward in surprise.
"Just do what I say!"
I narrowed my eyes- I may have been attracted to Kaiba but that didn't mean I would put up with that. So I started walking again, away from the game shop, without bothering to answer him. Kaiba swore under his breath and kept up with me in his car for another block or so before he eventually muttered, "Yugi. Please."
At that, I finally paused and looked at him. A vertical line creased between his eyebrows, the only sign of worry on his impassive face- but it was enough. I nodded and walked to the passenger's side of the black Ferrari, and when Kaiba opened the door I climbed in and sat in the seat beside him, pulling on my seatbelt as he drove away. Kaiba turned around at the next corner while I watched him from the corner of my eye. This was the closest I'd been to him since I got my own body - his hand was barely six inches away, resting on the gear shift between our seats. So close…
The car pulled to a stop, jerking me from my thoughts even as my hand started twitching closer to Seto's. "Goodbye," Kaiba said shortly, not looking at me. I furrowed my brow in confusion before glancing out the window. We had stopped back in front of the game shop.
"Kaiba, what was the point of this?" I groaned, disappointment sinking into my chest. I had hoped…well, I don't know what I had hoped for; but usually people don't pick you up from the side of the road in the middle of the night only to drive you two blocks and leave. I think.
He didn't answer (or look at me), so after a moment I sighed and began to climb from the car; but as soon as I opened the door he grabbed my hand. We both froze - and I gradually turned my head and stared at the warm, slender fingers desperately gripping mine. That staticky tingle spread through me once again, this time starting with my fingers, until my entire body felt like it was buzzing with electricity.
Kaiba slowly let go of my hand and I met his eyes, which now held an expression I couldn't name. My breath hitched. "Just stay inside," he muttered.
I nodded rather dazedly and climbed from the car, my legs wobbling shakily as I unlocked the game shop door. Kaiba waited until I was inside and had hung my jacket on the coat rack by the door before he drove away, and as I watched his black car merge with the inky sky, I vaguely registered the words coming from the television across the room.
"…Breaking news… A drive-by shooting has just occurred in downtown Domino, not three blocks from a local children's game store, leaving three dead and several wounded. Police are investigating…"
My heart gave a great, loud thump and I barely made it to the sofa before my trembling limbs collapsed beneath me.
Dawn crept over the palace walls, shining into my eyes and waking me from my ungraceful sprawl across my desk. I yawned widely as I lifted my head and pried a sticky sheet of papyrus from my cheek. "Not the best choice for a pillow," I muttered, and shaking the sleep from my eyes, I focused once again on the legal documents I'd spent all night poring over.
I sighed. Even now, with Seto to help me, I still got bogged down with paperwork - between my lessons and sessions at court, there was little time for me to attend to the other duties of a proper Pharaoh, let alone enjoy myself. Of course, I did enjoy my work more when Seto was working with me…
My newest priest and I had become fast friends, spending hours together in court and going through the tedious business reports of my scribes (well, at least I thought they were tedious. Seto seemed to love poring over the meticulous hieroglyphs); and though we both had other responsibilities, we still managed to find a spare moment here and there to relax and merely enjoy each other's company.
I idly ran my fingers along the grooves of the heavy Sennen Puzzle around my neck as I thought of Seto. He was unlike any of the other priests- or anyone I had ever known, for that matter. Seto came from a small country village, though he was the son of nobles, and after his father's death he had been raised among poor, simple villagers until his brilliance and magical abilities were discovered and he was brought to the palace. Every day I thanked Ra for bringing him to me - it was as if I'd discovered a lost piece of my soul the first time I looked into his eyes; when he said my name that first day…
My cheeks heated and I quickly returned my attention to the papers. Perhaps I was a little too attached to my friend; I seemed to think about his brilliant smile and lean yet muscular figure more than I should… But, I successfully hid my growing attraction, since I knew Seto didn't return my feelings, and I could never bear to lose the chance to be near him, even if just as a friend.
But I still longed to hold him; to kiss him just once…
I frowned, glaring at the papers. "It'll never happen, Yami. Don't waste your time wishing for it," I muttered to myself, fighting the prickling at the backs of my eyes.
The door burst open with a resounding bang and I nearly fell out of my chair in shock. Seto stood hunched over in the doorway, holding his chest and gasping for air. His robes hung askew, revealing one bare, tanned shoulder; and he was missing his purple sash and matching headdress. The thick brown hair that I had only caught mere glimpses of over the past few weeks stuck up all over his head and hung in his eyes.
"Yami…" he panted, still gasping for air. He must have run all the way across the palace.
"Seto? What's wrong?" I asked worriedly, rising from my seat, though my heart leapt at the use of my name- he hadn't dared to use it since his slip that first day, though I had often asked him to.
"Get out," he snapped.
"What!" I cried, my Pharaoh's pride bubbling to the surface. How dare a subordinate speak to me in such a manner! "Seto, I demand that you…" I began furiously, but broke off when he stalked across the room and grabbed me harshly by the upper arm, dragging me toward the door.
"Get out, get out!" he snapped again, his bright eyes flashing dangerously. In my utter shock and disbelief, I let Seto drag me from the room as I stared at him in wonder. He hurriedly slammed the door shut behind us and attempted to drag me further away, but this time I stood my ground, planting my feet firmly on the floor.
"Seto, you WILL tell me what you're doing, right now!" I ordered, straightening to my full height and giving him my most menacing crimson glare. He frowned worriedly and opened his mouth to explain, but just then a resounding crash sounded from the room behind us. "What was…mmph!"
Seto put his hand over my mouth to silence me, and when I tried to pull away he grabbed me tighter and yanked me close against him, drawing me close to his chest so that his back was to the door. He slipped one hand around my back and slid the other into my spiky hair, pressing my face close against his robes. Crashes and thuds continued emanating from the room behind us, but all I could hear was the frantic thumping of Seto's heart directly beneath my ear.
I hesitantly wrapped my arms around his waist.
Eventually the crashes stopped, but Seto held me for a minute or so longer- not that I minded. Just as I was memorizing the warmth of his body against mine, he let go and gently pushed me an arm's length away. "I had a vision," he murmured softly.
Not meeting his eyes, I nodded silently and pushed open the door behind him. A deadly sharp knife jutted from the table where my head had rested minutes before.