Sorry for the delay with this chapter guys, I've been reeeally sick the past five days now with congestion and coughing and other crud. Had to stay out of school, even, for a few days. Not fun. But on the other hand, it gives me an opportunity to start writing chapters for this story. Chapter three is already currently in the making =) I hope this one was worth the wait!
Reunions are very lovely, aren't they? Unless it's with insane relatives...
"Ah, has anyone seen His Majesty today? I'm afraid he's not in his quarters, nor is he in the throne room." Baniti said to a fellow guard, who was completely decked out with jewelry and fine silk wrappings, a golden staff in a tight grip and a dagger attached to the cloth at his hip.
"Last I saw His Majesty today was at the spring behind the palace, Lord Baniti." The guard answered.
"Ah," Baniti raised his brows with delight at the information. "Very good. Come, Yugi. Your long-lost friend awaits you out back."
Long-lost friend. For some reason it caused butterflies to be let loose in the pit of Yugi's stomach. It was a much more relaxing term for Atemu—he had to admit, the whole "His Majesty" and "M'Lord" and other such formal addressing was causing him some frustration.
As Baniti and Yugi walked side by side thorugh the sunlit halls of the palace, Yugi bit his lip with a question occupying his thoughts.
"Em, Baniti… are you… well acquainted with," Yugi struggled to form the words, "His Majesty?"
"Firstly, seeing as how it feels unnatural to you to call His Majesty as such, and you are a close friend of his anyway, I'll allow you the exception of calling him whatever you wish."
"Oh, well, the Pharaoh." Yugi had restrained himself from settling with "Atemu." Baniti probably wouldn't appreciate the informality, even with the consent. 'His Majesty' was a little much, but just plain "Atemu" in front of a High Priest seemed out of the question.
"But yes, to answer your question, I am very well acquainted. I've known him since his infancy. You see, I am a great friend of his father. And his father allowed me to teach his son the ways of how to be a successful and beloved ruler to his people."
"A teacher?" Yugi smiled. Baniti nodded, and Yugi waited, expecting him to add on, but he never did. They soon stopped at a glorious door, a little smaller than the entrance to the palace, but still equally quite beautiful, bathed in Egyptian scriptures. Yugi wished he had taken Egyptian language lessons at one time or another before all this happened, and he would be able to read what the inscriptions foretold. Oh, the stories these walls could tell if they spoke.
Little pots of flowers hung to the sides in front of the open windows to allow photosynthesis. They must have someone to come and water them each day, Yugi presumed. It looked like the golden doors would lead to a grand garden, but Yugi had to remind himself that Egypt and the deserts were not the kind of environment to sustain such a thing, with the exception of various, scattered palm trees and ponds. His visualizations were proven to be accurate when Baniti shoved the double-doors open in a swift and easy motion. It revealed a nice, spacious area that Yugi had never known existed. It was still very obviously desert, but it also held a strange feel of lush. Palm trees surrounded the perimeter of the spring, which was spread out in the center. The trees provided not only some pleasant shade, but a nice hideaway from the public eye.
Yugi was forced to remind himself to breathe when Atemu was spotted in a glance, his sun-kissed legs and feet dipped into the pond, and the rest of him lying back in the shaded sand. His arms were crossed behind his head, and his eyes were peacefully closed. He wore barely any jewelry as all the other members of the palace did. His was clothed with a light green-tinted wrapping and a golden sash to hold it in place, much like a tunic. His crown and sennen puzzle were set off to the left side of him. Yugi shyly ducked himself behind Baniti's long, white robes.
"M'Lord, you have a very special guest here to greet you."
Atemu's form remained unmoved, though. His eyes didn't even open. He hummed in reply, a low, uninterested sound. Yugi smiled a little, emerging from behind Baniti, who nudged him silently and reassured him that Atemu would be most overjoyed when he saw it was him. To avoid Yugi feeling uncomfortable or awkward, Baniti bowed slightly to them both, and reentered the palace without a word. The doors shut gently behind him. The Pharaoh and his partner deserved a happy reunion, only together.
Yugi stared at where Baniti stood moments ago, feeling his lingering presence beginning to fade. Licking his dry lips and tucking a stray lock of blonde behind his ear, he turned his gaze to Atemu's still form. The Pharaoh still had yet to notice just who stood in his presence. Yugi smiled, deciding that a surprise entrance would be fun. He approached the Egyptian, kneeling down just above his head, which was planted restfully on the surface of the sand. The boy leaned down close until the tips of their noses touched. Atemu's brows visibly furrowed at the strange contact, feeling Yugi's breath warm on his skin.
"Do you really want to turn down saying hello again to your own Aibou?" Yugi murmured playfully.
"Aibou—agh!" As soon as Yugi's last word had escaped, Atemu's startling crimson eyes had shot open and he had moved to jerk up in his excitement, only to result in their foreheads coming together for an unpleasant collision. Both teens jumped back, groaning in pain, holding their heads for a split moment. The soreness from the impact, however, became non-existent when Atemu raised his fists to rub his eyes and said: "Holy Ra, Aibou, is it really you?" He lowered his hands and stared ahead, finding his vision had not deceived him.
"Atemu." Yugi breathed with a tearful smile. He couldn't seem to bring himself to stop smiling.
"Oh my… God, it is you!" Atemu suddenly cried, rushing forward to first bring up a hand to his cheek, caressing the milky-smooth skin against his palm, checking this wasn't one of those situations where his head would pop off his pillow and his heart would grow heavy upon realizing it was only but a dream. But it was real, as real as his memories of their shared adventures together.
Yugi laughed as he was then engulfed into the tightest hug he'd ever experienced. Their bodies rocked from side to side to maintain balance in the embrace, so as not to fall over; their arms wrapped around the other's neck so tight, it was almost painful. But they bypassed this and continued the air-squeezing hug for a minute long; Yugi felt he might burst of happiness.
Finally when they parted, Atemu was smiling wide, and it was the most contagious thing Yugi had seen. His eyes expressed lightness and overwhelming emotions of joy crashing at him at the speed of light. Yugi hadn't seen him look so happy before, and he savored every moment of it.
"Why did you… how did you…?" Atemu breathed, reaching up his tan, slender hand a second time to rake his fingers through the smaller's spiked hair. Yugi could only shurg.
"I… have no idea! I time traveled suddenly, and… here I am!"
"How could this happen?" Atemu repeated with a barely audible gasp.
"I don't know." Yugi laughed. "But yes, what are the odds! I guess I just happened to be at the right place at the right time."
"Well… where were you? What were you doing when it happened?" Atemu inquired.
"I…" Yugi's cheeks burned with shame. His other self would definitely disapprove what was occurring in the moment he had time traveled. But what good use was lying, either? "I was being chased by some kids at school. They cornered me into an alley… one of them kicked me in the back, and when I came in contact with the wall, I disappeared."
"You were being bullied again." Atemu frowned, his fingers still playing with Yugi's hair, but in gentler, sympathetic motions. He sighed. "Aibou… we've talked about this, surely you remember."
"I do," Yugi said quietly, turning away with a solemn sigh in return. "But Atemu, I'm stronger only in confidence and maturity. That doesn't mean I got physically stronger in the process. Not like I can throw a good punch at anyone, even at this point."
"Well, and I don't want you to. Just do what I do. Mind crush them. Challenge them to a shadow game, they deserve something far more severe."
"You and your bad reputation!" Yugi laughed, shoving him playfully. "Anyway, not everyone can be as skilled with dark magic as you, Atemu."
Atemu gazed endearingly with a gentle smile at his partner a few moments more in silence, crimson eyes searching his violet ones for something Yugi wasn't sure of. The smaller was then brought into another embrace, but this one lasted longer and was more intimate. "I missed you." The Egyptian whispered in his ear.
"I missed you, too… mou hitori no boku."
I'm sorry this chapter is especially short ;u; I promise the next one will be longer!
Reviews are especially appreciated~!