Yu-Gi-Oh!
The Return of a King
Chapter 10:
Past plans and new opportunities
As Atem awoke the next morning, his vision caught sight of a peacefully sleeping Ishizu, her body still coated in a light sheen of sweat from their activities the previous night. Smiling, Atem slowly ran his fingers through her soft hair, the action causing her to stir lightly. As her eyes fluttered open, Ishizu smiled up at her King and lover before pressing a kiss to his chest.
"Mm, good morning, my King." Ishizu spoke softly, her hips wiggling lightly as she noticed with barely hidden playfulness that he was still inside her.
At her actions, Atem moaned lightly before warning her jokingly. "Good morning, my Queen. And be careful, unless you'd like a repeat of last night?" At this, Atem smirked, a brow raised questioningly.
"Well, how could I say no to that, dearest? However, I'm afraid that I must, as I can still barely feel the lower half of my body. And yes, before you ask, I do consider that a very good thing given the circumstances of last night." As Ishizu slid off of her lover, she could not help but feel as if part of her was missing.
"Forgive me, my love, but I think we both could use a shower, don't you?" Nodding, Atem smiled as they made their way to the bathroom, Ishizu turning on the shower and letting the water warm up. After the water had reached her preferred temperature, the two of them stepping under the spray, Atem heaving a sigh as the water began to relax his tired and sore muscles.
"Do you feel you're ready to return to work, my love?" Atem asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist, lightly pulling her back against his chest as he pressed a kiss to her shoulder. Nodding in the affirmative, Ishizu smiled as she leaned back into his strong embrace. "It will be nice to get back into things after being gone for so long."
Wrapping his arms around her stomach, Atem smiled against her skin. "In that case, do you mind if I join you? After all, if we are going to be working together eventually, it would be nice to get a feel for how the museum itself works."
Thinking that was a brilliant idea, Ishizu nodded, placing her hands on top of Atem's. "That would be acceptable, I believe. The Egyptian wing of the museum is relatively straightforward, so I am certain that you will pick up on things fairly quickly, my love."
After their shower, Atem dressed in a suit that he had purchased a few days ago, tying his hair back in a low ponytail once more. Looking over his appearance, Ishizu nodded, smiling. "That hairstyle truly suits you, my love." Nodding in agreement, Atem returned her smile. "I think so, too. It certainly does help differentiate between myself and Yugi at times."
As they walked out to Atem's bike, he handed Ishizu his helmet. After she'd slipped it on and climbed behind him, her arms wrapped securely around his waist, Atem revved the engine, peeling off toward the museum.
Arriving at the museum a short time later, Atem quickly located a parking space and turned to help Ishizu pull the helmet off, due to some lingering discomfort in her neck from the crash. Smiling, Ishizu laughed softly as she spoke. "Now I can see why Marik is so infatuated with motorcycles. They certainly are a thrill."
Nodding with a small smile, Atem took Ishizu's hand as they made their way into the building, almost immediately met by the director of the museum, who bowed his head politely in greeting. "It is truly wonderful to see you again, Ishizu. I do hope you are feeling better." Turning to Atem, the man smiled. "And you, as well."
Inclining his head in a polite greeting, Atem smiled as Ishizu moved to speak with the man. "Sir, I am aware that the museum is currently searching for a co-curator of the Egyptian Antiquities wing. Might I respectfully submit my personal and professional recommendation that my…" Thinking for a moment, Ishizu cleared her throat before continuing. "Friend and colleague here, Atem, be considered as a candidate for the position? He comes highly recommended out of Cairo, and I will happily vouch for his expertise in the field."
Looking to Atem, the director smiled. "Well, if Ishizu, as Secretary General, vouches for you, I suppose that's good enough for me, as I have no reason to question her judgement. I trust that Ishizu will give you the rundown of how the day-to-day operations here play out?"
Nodding, Ishizu gave her word that things would run as smoothly as ever and, after bidding farewell to the director, Ishizu led Atem to the wing that housed the Egyptian exhibit, immediately tugging him into a dark alcove as they rounded the corner. "Ishizu, wha-"
Feeling his back pressed into the wall, Atem looked down to find Ishizu grinning up at him, her arms wrapped around his neck as she stood on her toes to kiss him. "We did it, my dearest." Grinning in response, Atem's own arms encircled Ishizu's waist. "Though am I correct in assuming that, at least in public, we will have to keep our behavior with each other strictly professional?"
Nodding in confirmation, Ishizu smiled. "Though that shouldn't be too difficult, should it?" Still grinning lightly, Atem put on an expression of mock thought, lightly rubbing his chin. "Well, I don't know, my love. Just being around you sends my mind racing with ideas." To illustrate his point, Atem reached down, playfully swatting Ishizu's backside, earning a muffled squeak of surprise from the beautiful woman.
"Well then, my King, we will just have to fix that, won't we? How does… No sex for a month sound?" At her words, Atem paled slightly. "You wouldn't…" Laughing softly, Ishizu reached up to cup his cheek. "No, I wouldn't. I'll admit, I love it just as much as you, dearest. But, we should really be going. I still need to give you the tour."
As Yugi sat in the living room of his grandfather's shop, flipping through the TV channels, his eyes caught a flash of the Domino Museum with a tagline that stated a new co-curator of the Egyptian wing of the museum had been hired that day. As they showed a picture of the man in question, Yugi had to check twice, as he almost couldn't believe it the first time.
"That's amazing!" Pausing the program, Yugi called for Solomon. "Grandpa, come here, you have to see this!" As Solomon rounded the corner, he asked, "What is it, my boy?" As his eyes fell on the picture of Atem dominating the TV screen, Solomon could hardly believe it. "Well, I'm glad to see that his knowledge of ancient Egypt will be put to good use, and I'm sure he'll do wonderfully. And, he'll be working with Ishizu, so that has to be a plus, as well."
Pulling out his cell phone, Yugi immediately dialed Téa's number, grinning as she picked up. "Téa, did you hear the news? Atem has apparently been hired as the co-curator of the Egyptian wing of the museum!" A shocked Téa answered that she had not heard, but was excited for this new opportunity for Atem. "So, do you think Atem and Ishizu make a good couple, Yugi? I sure as hell do."
Chuckling, Yugi nodded as he spoke. "So do I. From what I remember after Atem regained his memories as Pharaoh and he and I still shared a body, all Atem would think about was Ishizu. Or, rather, her previous life. And, from what I've seen, love does indeed transcend lifetimes. Atem and Ishizu seem to be living proof that, if you love someone with everything you are, that love will always find a way."
After Atem had been given a tour of the wing, as well as a general outline of his duties as co-curator by Ishizu, which seemed to consist largely of keeping track of the artifacts that the museum had, as well as cataloguing and figuring out the logistics of where to display any new items that arrived, either from archaeological excavations, or had been on loan from other museums, such as Cairo, he and Ishizu sat down for lunch in the museum's café.
"So, Netjret-i, what caused your interest in the field of archaeology? I must admit, I've always been curious as to why you chose this profession, though it certainly does suit you and even serves to highlight your intellect." Atem asked after taking a bite of his falafel.
Blushing lightly at her love's chosen reference to her, Ishizu smiled. "Well, to be honest, Neb-i, my interest in the history of our homeland began at a young age. If memory serves me, just after I inherited the Millennium Necklace and began remembering details of my past life. I wanted to learn all I could of that period. Now, I understand, that I was trying to find a way to be closer to you." Chuckling softly, Ishizu shook her head. "You must think me childish for saying such things."
Shaking his head in the negative, Atem smiled, resting his hand atop hers for a moment. "Not at all, Ishizu. It is only natural to want to learn all you can about your past life. You know firsthand that I was the same way once you'd helped me regain my memories."
After they had finished their meals, the two decided to return to work and, after making sure that there were no prying eyes, Atem quickly stole a kiss before they separated as he made his way back to his office.
Currently sitting at his desk, Atem ran a hand through his hair, sipping from the cup of coffee beside him as he looked through a report of new artifacts that had been transferred from a private collection. There were reports that these items had been stolen by grave robbers and sold on the black market before being recovered by the Egyptian authorities. That anyone would make a living plundering the graves of his homeland in this day and age simply made Atem's blood boil.
"How can people be so thoughtless? It is as if they have no respect for the dead." Atem mused to himself, shaking his head. As he glanced through the list of item, his eyes widened as they fell upon a particular part of the list. Quickly grabbing a pen, Atem wrote down the number of the item, as well as its location in the store room before making his way there.
Pushing open the door of the storeroom, Atem quickly located the box that the item was kept in. Opening the lid, he grabbed a pair of white gloves before sifting through the straw that served as padding and, as his fingers grazed the small object, he carefully lifted it from the box to inspect it.
Sure enough, in his hand sat an ornate, jeweled ring. Upon first inspection, it seemed to be just a simple ring worn by a high ranking member of the Ancient Egyptian nobility. However, after examining the ring further, Atem found that it was, indeed, a ring that he had possessed during his time as Pharaoh.
The ring itself was a band of gold, however the focal point of the ring was a vibrant green Demantoid Garnet bead set within a sunburst center and flanked by two cobras amidst feathered wings. The Winged Solar Disk being the ancient symbol of the god Horus who has taken the form of the sun-disk with outstretched wings. The two cobras symbolize the goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet. Opposite the solar disk was an engraved motif of the Eye of Udjat, meant to protect one in the afterlife and also to ward off evil. Beside the eye was an engraved Scarab Beetle which signified rebirth, renewal and resurrection. From his memories, Atem realized that he had intended to give this ring to his Queen. But, as he knew, any dreams of marriage had been forgotten after Bakura had invaded his palace and the following battle with Zorc.
Now, however, he did not need to worry about things like that. After inspecting the ring once again, Atem found that the ring was just as vibrant and lustrous as ever, as though it had been crafted only the day before. Locating a protective case for the ring, he set the ring inside and pocketed it, hoping against hope that he would find a way to regain possession of it. After all, he felt it was perfect for Ishizu.
As his day concluded, Atem regretfully took the ring from the drawer in his desk and, making his way back to the storeroom, he placed the item back in the box where he had originally found it. Closing his eyes, Atem silently prayed that the Gods would show him the path to regaining it. Leaving the room, he locked the door and made his way back to the lobby to meet with Ishizu. Once there, Atem smiled as he beheld the form of his love across the room. Moving to stand beside her, Atem took her hand as the two of them left the building, heading back to Ishizu's apartment.
Once they had arrived, Atem pushed open the door, allowing Ishizu to enter first. "So, my love, how was your day?" Atem asked, loosening his tie and pulling the band from his hair, causing it to drape across his shoulders.
"About as eventful as usual, dearest. And yours?" Smiling, Ishizu set her case on the table before removing her coat and hanging it in the closet.
"I suppose the same could be said. Though I did find something interesting in the latest report of items coming in from Cairo." Chuckling at her curious expression, Atem shook his head. "No, my love, I'm not going to tell you what it is just yet. That will be a surprise."
"Well, it's a good thing that I'm such a patient woman, then, isn't it?" Ishizu could only laugh as she felt herself being drawn into the arms of her lover.
"I don't recall you being very 'patient' last night, my love." Atem spoke softly as he lowered his head, pressing a kiss to her shoulder, an involuntary shiver running down Ishizu's spine at the contact. Spinning gracefully in his arms, Ishizu locked her lips with his for a brief moment before pulling away. "We need to change, dearest. After all, these clothes are not the most comfortable, are they?"
Nodding in affirmation, Atem loosened his grip as Ishizu slipped from his embrace to head to what had now become their bedroom to change, Atem himself following behind her.
Minutes later, the two found themselves relaxing on the sofa in the apartment's living room, Ishizu reclined back into Atem's embrace, using his strong chest as a pillow as she flipped through her daily reports, the TV displaying the evening news as Atem absentmindedly rubbed her arm. "Oh, Atem, I'd almost forgotten. There is something I'd been wanting to discuss with you."
Looking toward her, Atem nodded in a gesture telling her to continue. "Well, I'd been wondering if you'd given any thought to the two of us purchasing either a slightly larger apartment, or perhaps a small house?"
"I think that's a wonderful idea, Ishizu. What sort of apartment or house did you have in mind?" Pulling her laptop from it's bag, Izhizu turned it on and, after it was fully booted up, began to show Atem some of the most recent listings she had seen. "I was thinking perhaps an apartment here in Domino would be nice. And, if we ever decided to take a vacation when we have time off, maybe a small home in Cairo?"
Smiling, Atem pressed a kiss to her cheek as he entwined his fingers with hers. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, my love." Looking over her shoulder, the two continued looking through the various listings, saving the ones that they thought would be the most practical for their needs and budget.
Soon enough, they had compiled a list of apartments in Domino and homes in Cairo, their must-haves for the apartment being that it needed to be spacious enough to entertain and accommodate guests if Yugi and the gang or Marik and Odion decided to visit. As for the house in Cairo, the two agreed that it should have a swimming pool to combat the desert heat during the summers. After narrowing their list of choices further, the two decided to relax, Ishizu soon falling asleep in the arms of her King.
A/N: I found the ring after searching for wedding bands online once I'd had the idea that Atem would propose to Ishizu and the idea that he would use a ring that belonged to him as Pharaoh came along with that idea. If anyone has suggestions for how Atem could get the ring from the museum, I'd like to hear them. Atem modifying the list to omit the ring basically goes completely against his character, so that's out of the question. And yes, sadly, grave robbing in Egypt and selling stolen treasure on the black market is still a thing from what I've read.
A note on Egyptian words used in this chapter:
Netjret-i - Means "My Goddess". Atem used this term in reference to Ishizu's name, as 'Ishizu' is the Japanese pronunciation of the name Isis, Isis also being a major Goddess in the Egyptian pantheon.
Neb-i - Means "My Lord"or "My King".