Yu-Gi-Oh!

The Return of a King

Chapter 5:

A new day, new threats

Waking slowly the next morning, Atem lightly opened his eyes, the comforting warmth of his love curled into his side bringing back memories of the previous night. Looking down, he smiled as he slowly stroked her cheek with his knuckles, suppressing a slight chuckle as she seemed to purr at his touch.

Slowly and carefully, Atem disentangled their bodies, so as not to disturbed her sleep before rising from the bed and making his way toward the kitchen. He felt it only right that, to repay Ishizu for her hospitality, he should at the very least make breakfast for the two of them.

Looking through her refrigerator, Atem found various cuts of meat that he could recognize from his memories of his former life, as well as more modern delicacies. And, after looking through her spices, he noticed with a smile that most of them, such as cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and dill had been available in the ancient past. 'Ever traditional, my love. Yet another detail about you that only serves to magnify my love for you.'

As he set about preparing the food, Atem decided to try and make the recipe as close to what would have been found during his reign as Pharaoh, in hopes that Ishizu would appreciate it.

As her eyes fluttered open, Ishizu could not suppress the slight groan that escaped her as she stretched her still tired body. Feeling the warmth of the bed beside her, she could not help but smile at the realization that the previous night had been real, and not some dream. Blinking her eyes in confusion as she heard light commotion from the direction of the kitchen, as well as the sounds of a deep, male voice singing what she thought to be an ancient prayer of thanks to the gods for the gift of a thing he considered precious to him.

Making her way into the kitchen, fighting the entrancing sound of Atem's voice and the heavenly smell of the food, Ishizu smiled as she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his broad shoulder as she spoke softly in the ancient language of their people, her slender fingers grazing his flesh. "Good morning, dearest."

As Atem spun to face Ishizu, he smiled as he spoke in return. "Good morning to you, beloved." Switching to the common language of the time, Atem chuckled. "Breakfast is almost ready. I hope I got the recipe right. Trying to replicate ancient dishes with modern ingredients is difficult."

Nodding as a light laugh escaped her, Ishizu reached up to rest her hand an Atem's cheek. "I'm sure it will be delicious, Atem. After all, it certainly smells delightful." As Atem plated the food, Ishizu took a seat at the table and, as the two ate, they discussed their respective days, Atem detailing how he planned to stop by Yugi's house and see how everyone was doing before work, followed by researching various universities in the area that offered degrees in Egyptology, mentioning that he'd read that the Domino museum was looking for a co-curator for their Egyptian Antiquities wing. Ishizu, mentioning that she knew the director for the museum, explained that she could vouch for his expertise personally and that they would not object as her recommendation as Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities did carry an awful lot of weight and he would be almost guaranteed the position.

Nodding lightly, Atem smiled as he took her hand once they had finished their meal. "Well, I suppose you had better be getting to the museum soon." Ishizu, an uncharacteristic sigh escaping her, nodded reluctantly. "Yes, you are right. However, I would much rather spend my time with you. Being the curator of a museum is incredibly tedious work, leaving not nearly enough time for me to enjoy myself."

Lightly caressing her hand with his thumb, Atem smiled softly. "Well, my love, you have my word that, whatever time we do get to ourselves, I will do my best to make sure that it is time well spent." With that, Atem cleaned up while Ishizu left to prepare for work, as her assistants would be arriving to pick her up shortly.

As Ishizu appeared in the hallway some time later, papers and case in hand, Atem smiled as he approached. "Have a good day, my love and try not to work too hard. You have my word that, should I have time to spare, I will stop by and pay you a visit." With that, Atem used one arm to draw her close and capture her lips.

Returning the kiss with equaled passion, Ishizu smiled as they parted. "I will hold you to that promise, my dearest." Opening the door, Ishizu stepped out into the cool morning air, greeting her assistants in Arabic before stepping into the car.

Running a hand through his hair, Atem smiled at his good fortune to have a wonderful woman like Ishizu in his life, praying to Ra that it would last. Grabbing his jacket, Atem made his way to his bike and climbed onto it, putting on his helmet and revving the engine before peeling away from Ishizu's apartment complex.

As Atem sped along the road toward Solomon's game shop, he sensed that something was not right. After a moment, his eyes fell upon the sight of a black limousine that had crashed and was currently at the side of the road, the engine compartment already beginning to catch fire. Recognizing it instantly as Ishizu's car, Atem's face went white as he nearly jumped from the still moving bike, running as fast as his body could carry him toward the wreck, ignoring the screaming crowds, yet picking up faint words such as 'explosion'. "Please, Ra, no…"

As Atem reached the car, he desperately pulled at the door handle, finding it to be locked. Pounding on the window, he called out. "Ishizu!" Peering through the glass, he found her lying on the seat, unconscious. Thinking quickly, he pulled his shirt off and wrapped it around his fist, smashing through the window with all his strength.

Once the door had been unlocked, Atem jerked it open and lifted Ishizu from the seat, carrying her to the sidewalk and gently laying her down, using his jacket to support her neck. Glancing over her body, he noted that she did not appear to have any major surface wounds. Placing a finger to her neck, he felt for a pulse before hearing her cough weakly.

"Atem…" She struggled to get out.

"No, Ishizu, do not try to speak. Save your energy, my love." Calling over a bystander, he instructed the man to watch her while he went to look for other survivors. Nearing the car, he heard muffled groans of pain from the other passengers, quickly helping them from the car as well. Once that had finished, he moved around to the front of the car, hearing strained laughter.

Pulling the grinning driver from the car, Atem growled as he pushed the man against the limo. "Was it you who has done this? Speak!"

"She was to be mine." The man spoke weakly. "But, at every turn, she refused me. And then, I saw her with you. If I cannot have her, then neither will you…" With this, the man spat in Atem's face, causing the former Pharaoh's eyes to blaze with fury. "Give me one reason why I should not kill you now." Looking back to Ishizu, who seemed to be struggling to stay awake, Atem roughly shoved the man back against the limo.

"No, your death will not occur this day, as that is not what Ishizu would want. However…" He paused to emphasize his point. "If I see you near her again, your death will not be quick, nor will it be pleasant." With that, Atem grabbed the man by the face and slammed the back of his head into the limo, rendering him unconscious.

Returning to Ishizu's side, he knelt down and took her hand. "Ishizu, can you hear me? I need you to stay awake for me, alright? I'm going to get you to a hospital." Carefully lifting Ishizu into his arms, Atem took her to the ambulance that had arrived a few moments earlier. As they loaded her into the back, Atem climbed in to sit beside her, his hand never leaving hers.

As Atem brought her hand to his lips, he swore with all his heart. 'Anubis will not have you this day, my love. He will have to go through me himself to try.'

A/N: There's the next chapter. I hope I did alright on the drama portion. I'll be the first to admit, I am not very good at writing drama. Let me know what you think.