Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Thoughts

"Speech"

Chapter 17

Yugi and Atem woke up at the same with the same thought, "I really promised to spend the rest of my life with him last night." And neither one regretted it. They both stared into each other's eyes and smiled.

"Good morning," Atem said as he placed a light but passionate kiss on Yugi's lips.

"Good morning," Yugi replied, stretching. His purple gaze went from Atem's eyes to something behind him. Atem rolled over and looked. Mana and Isis stood there, with Mahad standing behind them.

"Good morning sleepyheads," Mana greeted with one of her genuine I-know-something smiles. Yugi sat up and rested his head on his arms which he folded on top of Atem.

"Hello Mana," Yugi greeted back. "Isis, Mahad. What brings you three here so early in the morning?"

Isis smiled. "Well, the Pharaoh asked Mana to follow you to your rooms last night to make sure his son was alright. As it turns out, both of you were more than fine."

"I do hope you were planning on telling us sometime today," Mahad said, as he too smiled. Yugi smiled and Atem feigned innocence.

"What are you talking about," he asked. Yugi stifled a laugh.

Mana jumped onto the bed beside them and giggled. "You know exactly what we're talking about," she smirked. She hit him over the head. "Why didn't you tell us immediately afterwards that you got engaged," Mana cried.

"Because we were busy afterwards," Atem growled. Mana silently went 'oh'. Isis and Mahad exchanged a knowing glance and quietly chuckled.

"Well, anyway, the true reason is your father wants to see you. Both of you," Mana added, looking at Yugi. Atem nodded with a sigh and looked at his fiancé. Yugi shrugged and they shooed everyone out before getting up, dressed, and out of their room, on their way to the royal chambers.

When they reached the rooms, Atem hesitated. Yugi stopped beside him and took his hand. "I'm sure it's fine," he comforted him. Atem nodded, still nervous and walked into his father's rooms.

Aknamkanon greeted them with a smile. "Good morning boys. I hear last night was rather exciting," he said as they stopped in front of him. Yugi nodded slowly and Atem kept his head down, silent. The Pharaoh looked at his son. "So, did you mean it?"

Atem looked up. He glanced at Yugi, who stared right back, and then to his father. "Me," he asked. Yugi rolled his eyes and Aknamkanon held in his laugh.

"Yes, Atem. You."

"What do you mean sire," Yugi asked, speaking for Atem because the latter was still a little hesitant. Aknamkanon nodded, understanding.

"I mean, did you mean it when you asked Yugi to marry you," he specified. Atem's head quickly shot up and he stared at his father with a horrified expression.

"Did I mean- Father! Of course I did! Why would you ask something like that?" Yugi placed a hand on Atem's arm to get him to calm down. The king smiled.

"Just wanted to make sure. I guess the delegates can return home now," Aknamkanon said as he nodded to someone behind them. Yugi looked back to see Master Shimon leaving the room. The Pharaoh looked back at the "twins". He frowned a bit. "You have not eaten yet have you?" Yugi shook his head. "Good. Join me."

All through the meal, Atem kept looking at his father with glaring looks and Yugi kept slapping him lightly. When someone came in with a document for the Pharaoh to look over, Atem leaned closer to Yugi and whispered, "Why was my father so cruel? Why, in the name of Ra, would he ask such a thing?" Yugi shrugged. "I was ready to hit him for it. Ow!" Atem rubbed the spot where Yugi hit him. The paler boy raised an eyebrow. Everyone stared at him.

"Sorry," he apologized, and everyone slowly went back to what they were doing. The only one slightly smirking was the king. Yugi glared at Atem, and the elder shrank back a bit. "Your father was concerned that maybe you only asked in order to get away from the task of finding a wife," he whispered. "He was just making sure we weren't engaged for the wrong reasons." Yugi looked at Atem's father with a faintly sad expression. "He's taken it upon himself to make sure I don't get hurt. I think he talked to my mother, sometime before she died." Atem's hand found its way to Yugi's. "So that means you have to be less suspicious. He's just checking, alright?" Atem nodded. "Good. Now finish eating."

A few minutes after they finished, Aknamkanon sat back and gazed at the two boys. "So," he started, "Have you started thinking about details at all?" Yugi sputtered his drink and it took Atem a while to figure out what his father meant.

"Um, no father, we haven't," Atem replied.

"It's still early in the morning sire. We only got engaged last night," Yugi stated, dabbing his face. Aknamkanon "ah"ed.

"Well, wanted to ask anyway," he said. Atem and Yugi glanced at each other and Atem shrugged.

"What is he playing at," Atem asked as he and Yugi were walking to the courtyard. Yugi shrugged.

"I have no idea, but I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation," he replied. Atem rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure."

Days flew by, and about three months after that morning, Pharaoh Aknamkanon fell gravely ill. There was nothing Isis could do. So it was then, a month away from Atem's seventeenth birthday, that the Pharaoh died in his sleep. Atem never left his side for the week he was sick, and Yugi never left his.

Once the entrance to the tomb fell closed, Atem's hand grasped Yugi's tighter. Yugi understood. The sealing of the door was the reality hitting Atem. His father was gone forever.

Hours later, Atem stood in the balcony, looking down at his town. A pair of arms slid around his waist and a head sat on his shoulder. Atem leaned into his lover's embrace.

"Wanna talk about it," Yugi asked. Atem nodded as the tears flowed down his cheek. He turned around and gazed at his counterpart.

"I still don't understand why my father took me down to the underground temple or why he cried there, but I don't want to know anymore. I'd let go of so many questions if it meant he could come back." Atem broke down and cried on Yugi's shoulder. The latter held him and stroked his hair.

"I understand," Yugi whispered. "But, you understand your father is probably happy where he is. To bring him back would be selfish." The arms around his shoulders tightened, but Atem didn't do anything more. Yugi grabbed his shoulders and pulled him away so he could look him in the eye. "He's with your mother now. He's up there with your mother, my mother, and with Grandmother. I think he would rather be with them, with his loved ones and family, don't you?" Atem wiped his face and nodded. Yugi smiled. "Good, now come. I know where we should be."

Mana looked up from her spot on the ground when she heard footsteps behind her. Yugi sat down beside her and took her hand. She smiled weakly at him and leaned her head on his shoulder. Atem sat down on the other side of Yugi and did the same. A few minutes later, Mahad and Isis walked into the courtyard, followed by Seto and Kisara. The group sat there, reunited once again through tragedy, for the rest of the day. When night came, no one moved, except Kisara, who went to fetch blankets for the group. The next morning, the servants walking by left them, and fetched them food when they started waking up. Everyone knew this was hard times, but life had to go on, no matter what. First order was to start the preparations for Atem's rise to power, to the throne his father just left.

But as the days went on, Atem never let Yugi nor anyone else believe he was going to fail or break down, nor did he let talk of a bride come to anything more than whispers and speculations. This is what made Yugi proud, and as they lay in each others' arms, Yugi couldn't help but watch Atem sleep. That day, Atem took him by the hand and promised him his heart would only be his. Yugi smiled at the memory and Atem shifted in his slumber.

Yugi sighed and looked at the dark sky. It was quiet, and beautiful. He looked back at Atem and smiled. Maybe we're meant to be after all. But I know, whatever happens, we'll get through it. We'll always be together.