A/N: Thank you for the reviews, everyone! I'm so glad you liked the previous chapter. Anyway, I'll try to keep this note short so you can go on with the story.

And since I don't have anything else to say but thank you, you can read on now.

Chapter 4: In the Mist

When Atemu woke up the next day, he was still having a headache. But that wasn't what surprised him. Nor was the fact that he slept through the entire morning. Nor the small ignored piece of thought that beside him was his cousin, arm draped over him protectively.

"Seth?" he asked, checking if the other was awake.

"Hmm?" his cousin answered, still in his slumber.

"Its midday already," the pharaoh pointed out. Minutes from now, he thought, someone would enter and inform him of the decisions he has to make and other things 'rulers' are supposed to do.

"Don't worry, Atemu. You're off the hook for the day," Seth assured him, however.

"I am?" he asked again. What about the stuff he missed the previous day? Who took care of them?

"Yes," Seth answered before realizing the point of their discussion, "Its midday already?"

Atemu rolled his eyes at the other in reply, "Yes. I've been telling you that earlier!" he said.

"Why didn't you remind me?" Seth asked.

"I didn't know High Priest were supposed to be reminded of the time," the tri-haired monarch replied smartly, earning a scowl at his obviously annoyed cousin.

"Preparations for the festival should be made as soon as possible, my pharaoh," Seth answered back, bowing in courtesy (even though it was only to annoy his cousin).

"Then do what you must, priest," Atemu retorted as he rose from bed.

"Umm… Seth?" he asked quietly, wondering if the other would think him as weak if he asked his question.

"Yes?" the priest, who was busy fixing his headdress, turned and looked at his cousin.

"Did I have nightmares last night?" Atemu asked, avoiding the other's gaze.

"No," Seth answered, "Besides, I was there to wake you up in case, remember?"

Atemu stuck his tongue out childishly as he unpharaoh-like smacked his cousin with his pillow, making sure to run away after.

"Look at them, playing like fools as if a country is not waiting for their decisions."

"You judge them so callously, my friend," his companion answered.

"I care not. They will pay for what they have done to my men," he said.

His companion shook his head, although the other didn't see him, as he frowned. With finality, he replied, "Do anything you want but the pharaoh is mine."

The other smirked ever so smugly, "Fine. He is yours."

"You just had to push me to the fountain!" Seth remarked as they both went to their chambers.

"And you just had to lift me unto your shoulders like a child? That's embarrassing," Atemu answered.

Seth lightly chuckled at the memory before shaking his head at their ridiculous actions, "This is highly unbecoming of our status, Atemu," he reprimanded.

"You were the one who said we should take a leave not me," was the monarch's smart reply.

"I wasn't thinking this!" Seth defended.

"Sure," Atemu drawled.

The cousins laughed together. Seth, after amusing himself, stopped and looked at Atemu, carefully taking note how the other's cheeks would redden every time he laughed.

It was as if he was finally attracted to those lips that seemed to hypnotize him into kissing the other. He was getting crazy, he realized, but then again, it seemed like it didn't matter to him anymore.

"Seth, are you all right?" Atemu asked, breaking the other from his thoughts.

The priest shook his head, ridiculing himself from his thoughts. How could he think of his cousin that way? So the pharaoh was attractive… and clever… and tolerable… and wise… and intelligent…

All right, so basically the pharaoh was the only person who had the qualities he wanted in a lover but it all seemed so wrong. Atemu was his cousin, for crying out loud!

"Seth?"

That voice, like a siren, it always intoxicated him. Why did his brain refuse to argue with him anymore? Was falling in-love with Atemu not a bad thing anymore?

"Seth, are you still alive?" Atemu asked, smacking the other's head.

"What did you do that for?" Seth countered, touching the small bump on his head.

"I was asking something and you weren't paying attention. Are you all right?" the pharaoh asked.

"If you count being smacked on the head all right, then yes, I'm alright," he said sarcastically.

Atemu rolled his eyes, "Sarcasm will lead you nowhere, dear cousin. Although I'm quite sure it would bring you closer to danger."

"Now that doesn't make sense—"

"And you do not read between the lines."

"Why must you always be annoying, Atemu?"

"I don't know. Should I ask my priest that?"

Seth rolled his eyes in reply and tickled the other mercilessly, not caring if they were practically rolling on the ground, tickling and tackling each other.

It was against their decorum, it was not the behavior of a pharaoh and a priest but did they care? Not really. All that mattered was the day was theirs to enjoy, no obligations, no problems, and definitely no arguments.

"Haha… I never knew… haha… y-you can be… such a… sore… loser… Seth…" Atemu laughed as he settled for the ground, losing the energy to fight back.

"Sure, keep taunting me. I'm not the one who's having a difficulty in breathing here," Seth countered.

"Seth's a… sore… haha… okay… okay… not a sore loser…" Atemu said despite the remark as the tickles continued to plunder him mercilessly.

"Okay Seth…I give up…you win… okay… you're not… a sore loser… anymore… okay!" he finally conceded, trying to take in deep gulps of air as he glare at his obviously amused cousin.

Seth rested his hands beside Atemu's head as he watched the other's reddened face frown slightly at his loss. The pharaoh's lips pouted as he smirked triumphantly.

"Go, laugh at your victory. See if I care," Atemu said as his pout went deeper.

Once amused cerulean eyes softened with a new display of emotion that seemed to escape the grasp of his mind's control. Suddenly, all he wanted was to kiss that pout away. But he could do it, right?

He would just have to lean and seal their lips together. But what would Atemu think? What would he think? He was a priest, Atemu was the pharaoh—

Seth's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he was broken from his thoughts again as Atemu leaned up and claimed his lips in a kiss. The priest was surprised to say the least but as the kiss lasted longer, he eventually closed his eyes and enjoyed the kiss, unconsciously taking control of it.

"Where's the pharaoh? He is not in his chambers!" one of the guard's shouts brought them back to reality as they broke apart and scrambled to their feet.

What just happened between them? Did they really—or was it just a figment of his imagination? Seth's brow furrowed. Why must his mind keep playing tricks on him? But that kiss felt so real!

"Where's High Priest Seth?" one of his co-priests asked the guards.

Atemu looked at his cousin worriedly as they both graced the others with their presence, smiling sheepishly with their disheveled clothes and messy hair.

"Where have you been—I don't think I ever want to know," Shimon, whose urge to scold the two at their immaturity suddenly disappeared, asked, "My pharaoh, please inform us the next time you would plan something else for the day?"

"Yes, Shimon, it will not happen again," Atemu promised, "I apologize," he added.

Shimon nodded, "Thank you, your majesty," he answered, "But I do believe you still have the day off. You may go if you need nothing else, my lord."

Atemu smiled at his advisor, "Thank you Shimon," he said and left.

Seth watched as his cousin walked towards the opposite direction. Should he ask if the kiss meant anything to the other? But then, what if Atemu laughs at him? And since when did Atemu's actions toward him mattered? He just wanted to make things clear.

"Atemu," he called as his cousin abruptly stopped and faced him.

"Yes?" the pharaoh asked, obviously deep in thought.

Seth stared at his cousin, the thought never occurring to him that he was doing nothing, which aggravated his cousin.

"Do you need something, Seth?" Atemu asked.

"Yes. I…" Seth faltered. What was wrong with him? He is acting like some blabbering fool; he wasn't brought up this way, definitely not. Just take a deep breath and say it, he advised himself.

"Seth?"

"Did that kiss matter to you?" Seth asked.

"What?"

"I said, if the kiss we shared earlier mattered to you?" he asked again.

Atemu frowned, apparently avoiding that point of discussion. It mattered to him. It mattered to him like his cousin was valuable to him. But what would Seth say? It was only an accident to him.

"Atemu, I need an answer."

Atemu shook his head, not knowing what to answer. Can't it wait? Please can it not wait? His mind was a mess, probably jumbled by that kiss. He needed time to sort things out.

"Atemu?"

"I don't really know, Seth. I'm confused," the pharaoh answered, not bothering to open his now closed eyes, knowing the other was annoyed at him for not giving a straight answer. Well he can't as of the moment.

"Oh," Seth managed to say. He was speechless, his mind refused to process any decent answer except 'May I kiss you again?' and 'Did you like the kiss?'.

Seriously, what is wrong with him? Why can't he stop lusting after his cousin? Why?

"I'm sorry Seth," Atemu breathed and turned away, only to cry in pain as an arrow shot pass the curtains and hit him square on his upper abdomen.

"Atemu!" Seth exclaimed in alarm as he caught his fallen cousin, watching in horror as blood stained the pharaoh's robe.

"GUARDS!" he shouted.

"Seth?" Atemu asked, his voice raspy and laced with pain.

"Shh… Atemu, everything will be alright, I promise," Seth assured him. Although he, himself, wasn't convinced with his words.

"I will, just stay with me," Atemu managed to say before he blacked out and fell limp in the other's arms.