Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh
Yami was once again lounging in the garden only this time the tutors wouldn't be grumbling because Yami had ditched them. Given as stressed as Yami has been Atemu talked to the tutors and told them that Yami's lessons would be put on hold and would resume once he came back from his trip, which meant Yami was going to have almost a full month break to destress. The only drawback Yami saw to that was that would mean there would be nothing to distract him from Yugi visiting.
Don't get him wrong he was very much looking forward to Yugi's visit but a part of him worried about how easy it would be to just fall back into the old ways. Seeing Yugi but not being able to hug him or hold his hand was going to take all of his self-discipline.
"You know hiding in the gardens isn't going to magically solve all of your problems?" Atemu said suddenly drawing Yami's attention onto him.
Yami smiled, "Should I be wondering why you are here now? It's not even lunch time yet Ate." Yami said.
Atemu chuckled before he sat down on the ground beside Yami, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Well, today I'm not holding court. Instead I've been making sure that all of my preparations are set for my trip tomorrow. I also just wanted to take it easy before I made my trip. Why, are you trying to get rid of me?" Atemu asked.
Yami stuck his tongue out. Atemu smirked before he leaned forward and drew Yami's tongue into his own mouth. Yami groaned at the unexpected deep kiss. Atemu normally wasn't that forward however he was getting more bold in their romantic relations.
Atemu broke the kiss after about a minute, "You shouldn't stick out your tongue beloved unless you plan to use it." Atemu teased.
Yami wrapped his arms around Atemu's shoulders and pulled him in for another kiss. Part of the reason that Yami had been so affectionate over the last few days was because he knew that Atemu was going to be leaving soon. And a tiny part of Yami felt guilty because he was actually looking forward to Atemu leaving. Then again there was a part of Yami that was going to miss spending time with Atemu. He was going to miss their nightly talks where Atemu would tell him about his day and they would just cuddle together in bed. He may not be in love with Atemu, Yami could admit that. However, at the same time there were moments where Yami could honestly say that he loved the man. At the very least he was a good friend and an amazing man. He knew it was a huge confusing mess but that was where he and Atemu were at.
"As much fun as messing about with you here amongst the flowers would be." Atemu said to which Yami replied by playfully nipping Atemu's collarbone which made Atemu groan.
"There are a couple of things that I think we need to take care of first." Atemu said, his voice taking on a slightly breathless tone since Yami had continued to suck on his collarbone in that one spot. That was definitely going to leave a mark.
"And what would that be Ate? Other than you having me laying under you screaming?" Yami teased as he playfully ground his hips against Atemu, brushing their two hardening members together. Atemu groaned once again before demonstrating that when he wanted to he had the self-discipline of a saint.
"As pleasant an experience as that would be now is not the time. For starters I want to take you to see Isis." Atemu said.
This time it was Yami who groaned, "Ate, I'm fine. I don't want to go and see her." Yami whined.
Atemu sighed, "I know you said that your nausea is due to stress however given that I am going to be away for so long I really would feel better knowing that there was not something else wrong. Please, just to put my mind at ease." Atemu said, pressing a kiss to Yami's pouting lips.
Yami sighed, "Fine, fine Ate you win. For you I will go and see that devil woman." Yami conceded.
Atemu slowly disentangled himself from Yami and rose to his feet, "Come on then. The sooner we get this over with the sooner we could move on to other things." Atemu said.
Yami rose to his feet and took Atemu's hand allowing him to lead him out of the garden. "Why are you so worried something is wrong with me Atemu?" Yami asked as they made their way down the corridor.
Atemu shrugged, "I don't know that something is wrong with you, just another possible cause occurred to me earlier today. I just want to have Isis check." Atemu said.
Yami just shook his head fondly as Atemu led Yami into Isis's healing chambers. Isis had been reading over a scroll beside what worked like a workstation of some kind. Atemu cleared his throat to get Isis's attention.
"Priestess Isis, I would like you to perform an exam on my God Chosen. He has been complaining of nausea for some time now. He thinks it's just stress however I would like to be sure." Atemu said.
Isis nodded, "Of course my Pharaoh. God Chosen of Pharaoh, please have a seat so that I may examine you." Isis said.
Yami reluctantly climbed up on the table, he still remembered the agony he experienced in this very room when Isis the devil woman tortured him before Atemu numbed the area. No matter what Atemu said about what a great healer she was Yami was convinced that she was a sadist.
Isis began with a precursory exam before turning to Atemu, "You God Chosen appears to be in good health." Isis said.
Atemu glanced at Yami briefly before he whispered something in Isis's ear. Her eyes widened slightly before she nodded, "You are right, that is a possibly that I hadn't thought of. God Chosen of Pharaoh, there are just a couple of other tests that I need to run. One I need to take a sample of your blood. This will only hurt for a moment. I will also need a sample of your hair, only a couple of strands." Isis said.
Yami nodded and let Isis draw a vial of his blood and pull out a couple strands of his hair. "I will have the results by this evening Pharaoh. I will let you know what the tests conclude." Isis said.
Atemu nodded, "Thank you very much Isis." Atemu said before he turned to Yami and helped him off the table and led him out of the healing chambers.
"Mind telling me what that was about Ate?" Yami asked.
Atemu shook his head, "It's probably nothing. I'll let you know if what I suspected was correct. If I'm wrong than there is no reason to mention it." Atemu cryptically replied.
Yami shook his head, "You and your secrets." Yami mumbled.
Atemu playfully knocked his shoulder against Yami's, "However, since we got that out of the way you and I have some time to ourselves before our guests arrive. Yugi and his God Chosen will be joining us for dinner tonight." Atemu said.
Yami nodded, "I know Ate and I can't wait to see Yugi. The letter he sent me was nice but seeing him face to face is another thing entirely." Yami said.
"I know that. To be honest I am also looking forward to having a chance to get to know the boy who stole your heart." Atemu said.
Yami gave Atemu a look. He really felt like he needed to say something about that to reassure Atemu about their own relationship however none of the words that Yami could think of seemed to be the right ones to say. "Atemu." Yami said, resting his hand lightly on Atemu's shoulder.
Atemu shook his head, "Don't worry about it Yami. Now, I believe earlier I said was not the proper time. However now we do have some time on our hands if you're still interested." Atemu said.
Yami grinned before he started jog down the corridor dragging a chuckling Atemu behind him. "Then what are we waiting for Ate? Let's go." Yami said.
A couple of hours later a very sated Atemu was in his study sorting through some paperwork. Yami had decided to take a quick bath before dinner so Atemu had seized the opportunity to come to his study for a moment.
He glanced up from the documents on his desk when he heard a light knock on his door. "Enter." Atemu said.
The door opened and Isis walked inside. "Pharaoh." Isis said, bowing her head respectfully.
"Priestess Isis." Atemu acknowledged, "I trust that you have the results of the tests." Atemu prompted.
"I do my Pharaoh." Isis said, "However before we go over those results allow me to apologize. I should have thought of testing for that myself without you having to prompt me." Isis said.
Atemu waved his hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it. It was a long shot. The ritual Yami performed before coming to the palace would have granted him the ability to carry a child however we both know that the ritual was not completed without complication. There is a good chance that the ritual did not take effect so of course you would not have thought to check. I had thought the same. However, when Yami persisted to be ill it occurred to me that there was a chance that the ritual had been effective. The chance was small, but it was there." Atemu said.
Isis nodded, "Thank you for that Pharaoh, however I still feel that I should have thought of it. Especially since it turns out that you are correct."
For a moment Atemu froze, "Are you telling me that Yami is expecting?" Atemu asked to make sure that he did not misunderstand what Isis was saying.
Isis nodded, "As I said, you are indeed correct my Pharaoh. Allow me to be the first to congratulate you." Isis said.
Atemu nodded however at the moment words left him. He was going to be a father. He couldn't believe it. He had to tell Yami. For a moment Atemu considered delaying his trip before he immediately dismissed the idea, if anything this development made his trip even more important. Yami would be fine while he was away. He would have Yugi here to keep him company and Priest Seth would make sure that everything ran smoothly.
But still, he was going to be a father. Him? By the gods he hoped that he was going to be a good father. He had been blessed by the gods by a wonderful set of parents. He just hoped that he would be able to live up to their example.
Priestess Isis smiled before she rose back to her feet, "If that will be all Pharaoh, I shall take my leave." Isis said.
That drew Atemu's attention back to the present, "I apologize Isis. My thoughts got away from me for a moment. That is indeed wonderful news. Let the gods be praised. However, can you promise me that while you are aware you keep a watch on my God Chosen? Don't be overbearing or anything like that, just make sure that he is eating and appears to be getting enough sleep." Atemu said.
Priestess Isis smiled, "Of course I will my Pharaoh. Now, I shall leave you to your work." She said. This time Atemu nodded and while a final inclination of her head she left the room. Atemu turned his attention back onto the documents on his desk. A child. He couldn't help but smile at the thought. If his trip proved fruitful he and Yami would definitely be talking about getting married upon his return.
He was drawn from his musing once again by another knock on the door, "Enter." Atemu called out. The door opened and in walked Yami.
Atemu was mildly surprised since this was the first time Yami had ever come to his study. "Yami, what can I help you with?" Atemu asked.
Yami smiled as he sat down lightly on the edge of Atemu's desk instead of sitting down in one of the stiff chairs in front of the desk. "I was beginning to wonder if you forgot about dinner tonight. The servants told me that dinner was ready and that our guests have arrived. I waited a couple of more minutes in our room and when you didn't come and join me I came to find you." Yami said.
Atemu sighed, "I am so sorry about that Yami, I completely lost track of time." Atemu apologized. This was definitely something he was going to have to be more mindful of once he became a father.
Yami chuckled, "Ate, its fine. I know that you're busy. That was why I came to get you." Yami said.
Atemu nodded and rose to his feet. Yami got up as well before Atemu thought that this would probably be a conversation best held now, before he ended up pushing it off and not telling Yami at all. "Yami, wait before we go to dinner. There is something that I want to tell you." Atemu said.
Yami rose a brow questioningly, "Are you finally going to tell me what your super-secret project is about?" Yami asked.
Atemu shook his head, "No, that isn't what I am going to tell you. However, I do want to talk to you about your exam earlier today." Atemu said.
Yami nodded, "Ah, that's right. The devil woman did say she was going to come to you with the results of whatever tests she ran earlier." Yami said.
Atemu snorted when Yami called Isis a devil woman. "She did come by a short while ago and go over your results. What I had suspected was going on was correct." Atemu said.
Yami rolled his eyes, "And you still haven't told me what that is Ate. Stop dragging it out. At this rate we'll never get to dinner." Yami said.
Atemu chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Yami's torso, his palm resting on Yami's still flat stomach. "Isis told me that we are actually expecting. You're pregnant Yami." Atemu said.
Yami just gaped at Atemu for a moment, "P-p-pregnant? Atemu, how is that possible?" Yami asked.
Atemu smirked, "Well, Yami when two people love each other very much they…" Atemu started to teasingly explain. Yami smacked him.
"That is not what I meant and you know that fully well. I am fully aware sex can result in a child that isn't what I was questioning. I was questioning how that happening between us was possible?" Yami asked.
Atemu smiled knowingly, "Do you not remember the ritual you performed back in the oasis where you carved a hole in your stomach before molding clay, wrapping it in a palm frond and pressing that into the hole you had carved?" Atemu asked.
Yami rolled his eyes, "Of course I remember that. Kind of hard to forget the ritual that almost killed me because it went wrong. But, I didn't finish the ritual." Yami pointed out.
"You finished the majority of the ritual Yami. And the part that you did finish was the important part. What I mentioned to Isis earlier was that even though the ritual wasn't finished there was still a chance that the ritual would have taken effect. When she ran the tests both came back positive that you are pregnant. We are going to be parents." Atemu said.
"Wow." Yami said as his mind tried to grapple with the idea. This was certainly the last thing he had expected. He figured it was one of those would happen at some time down the road after he had redone the ritual. But maybe the gods had a plan for them that meant they needed to have a child now. It would certainly give a lot more weight to any conversations of marriage when he and Atemu finally had that discussion.
Atemu nodded, "Yes, wow indeed." Atemu whispered.
Yami however decided that no matter how shocking, or unexpected that news was it was still not a reason to not meet their guests for dinner. Yami bit his lip before saying, "Can we talk about this more later Ate? We need to get to dinner. Our guests are waiting for us." Yami said.
Atemu nodded, "We can discuss this some more tonight after dinner." Atemu said before he released his hold around Yami and opened the door, "After you beloved." Atemu said.
Yami smiled before he strode through the door waiting for Atemu outside. Atemu didn't keep him waiting for long and Yami immediately grabbed Atemu's hand. The two made their way to the banquet hall. The two guards posted at either side of the banquet doors opened them for the two revealing the large banquet hall. From what Yami could see Atemu's entire council were seated at the table as well as Yugi and beside Yugi was seated a boy with long white hair. The seat at the head of the table and to the right had been left empty.
Atemu strode confidently into the room and paused briefly at the chair to the right and pulled the chair out for Yami before he took his own seat.
"I apologize for the delay. My God Chosen and I merely forgot the time." Atemu said as an explanation. For a second Yami thought that Atemu was going to announce their news but he did not. Atemu had instead turned his attention to the servants who had been waiting to serve dinner, which a wave of his hand the servants came in droves carrying out tray upon tray of various dishes.
Yami ignored that Seth was seated across from him since he did not want to look at the arrogant smug bastard. However, Yami was pleasants surprised to see that Yugi was actually seated directly beside him.
"Hello Yugi. You certainly look good." Yami whispered.
Yugi smiled brightly, "You do too Yami. You look great." Yugi said.
The two both sate back and allowed the servants to pile their plates up with succulent meats and fruits and vegetables and breads. Once the servants had finished serving everyone Atemu took the first bite of his meal which allowed everyone else to begin eating.
"So, do you like living here in the palace Yami?" Yugi asked.
Yami nodded, "It is definitely different. My favorite place here in the palace is the gardens. They are truly beautiful. I'll have to show you." Yami said.
"That sounds amazing Yami, I can't wait." Yugi said.
Yami nodded again. "So, what's new with you?" Yami asked. In the back of his mind the news Atemu had shared with him was buzzing around. Was he even ready to be a parent? What if he was a horrible parent?
Yugi shrugged, "Not much really. Things have just kind of dragged by. I just need to find my groove again. Oh and Yami this," Yugi paused briefly to nod his head at the white haired boy sitting beside him, "is Ryou. My god chosen." Yugi said his voice taking a slight sarcastic tone when mentioning Ryou's role.
Yami snorted, "Behave Little One." Yami chided.
Yugi smiled brightly, "I know, I know, Other Me." Yugi said. Yugi paused briefly before he whispered to Yami, "So, what do you really think of the Pharaoh? You can be honest Yami." Yugi said.
Yami snorted, "Atemu, is well he's definitely different from everyone else I've ever met. He's kind. Smart. Respectful." Yami said.
Yugi elbowed Yami in the side, "Hey, I'm kind, smart and respectful." Yugi interjected.
Yami gave Yugi a rather pointed look. "Respectful, huh? Not a word I would typically use to describe you Little One." Yami said.
Yugi stuck his tongue out, "Okay, fine. Maybe you have a point with the whole respectful thing." Yugi conceded.
"Now, as I was saying for I was so rudely interrupted." Yami said before continuing, "Atemu is sweet, loving. All in all Yugi he is a great man. I may not be madly in love with him right now but I am definitely falling. He's very easy to fall in love with." Yami said. He probably should have lied to Yugi and said that he was madly in love with Atemu but he couldn't bring himself to lie to Yugi. And he didn't Atemu was an amazing man and he was really starting to fall in love with him.
Yugi's smile briefly slipped from his face before it was once again plastered back on. If Yami hadn't have been watching so closely he would have missed the slip. Yugi reached out and placed a hand on top of Yamis, "I still love you Yami." Yugi whispered.
Yami briefly squeezed Yugi's hand before he pulled his hand away, "Atemu, I haven't had the chance to introduce you to Yugi. Yugi, this is Atemu." Yami said.
Yugi nodded and smiled brightly at Atemu, "Pleasure to meet Pharaoh." Yugi said brightly.
Atemu nodded, "Pleasure to meet you as well Yugi. I have been looking forward to meeting someone who was such a big part of my God Chosen's life." Atemu said.
Yugi shot Yami a funny look at Atemu's comment. To him it almost sounded like Atemu was aware that the two had not been just friends. "Yeah, Yami's a great guy. I'm lucky to have found such a great friend. You are lucky the gods chose him for you." Yugi said.
Atemu gave Yugi a small smile, "I am indeed." Atemu said.
"Do you love him?" Yugi asked suddenly. He knew Yami was being really squirmy on the subject but he had a feeling that Atemu was going to be perfectly honest with him.
Atemu did not disappoint nor did he hesitate with his answer, "I do. Very much." Atemu said simply.
With that being said Atemu rose to his feet, "I would like to thank everyone for coming. Please, continue to enjoy the meal and each other's company. However, it is beginning to get late so I am going to be retiring. As you are all aware I will be leaving early in the morning for a long trip." Atemu said.
Priest Seth immediately rose as well, raising a goblet in the air as well, "Pharaoh, I merely wish to offer a prayer that the gods protect you on your journey and that they allow you to ride both swiftly and safely to your destination. I also pray that you find the answers that you are seeking." Priest Seth said.
Everyone else rose their glasses in echo of the prayer. Atemu nodded his head in acknowledgement. Atemu then walked away from the table, Yami rose to his feet as well.
"Yami, where are you going?" Yugi asked.
Yami gave Yugi a smile, "As nice as it has been catching up with you tonight Little One Atemu is leaving in the morning. Tonight I really need to spend time with him. You and I will have plenty of time over the next month to reconnect." Yami said.
Yugi sighed but nodded, "Alright, go have fun." Yugi said.
Yami playfully ruffled Yugi's hair, "Once you are done here ask one of the servants to show you and Ryou to your room." Yami said.
Yugi nodded, "I will. Thanks." Yugi said.
Yami nodded once more before he headed out of the hall. He jogged a few paces once he was outside the banquet hall and was able to catch up to Atemu a short distance later.
"Yami, what are you doing here?" Atemu asked.
"You promised that you and I would talk after the banquet." Yami said.
Atemu smiled, "Yes, I remember that. However, you didn't need to stop visiting with Yugi. I would have understood Yami." Atemu said.
"And you are leaving early in the morning and are going to be gone for a whole month. Yugi will be here. I can visit with him anytime over the next month. Besides, what you and I need to talk about is kind of important." Yami said.
Atemu wrapped his arms around Yami and pulled him into a kiss. This time it was a surprised Yami who pulled away, "What was that for Ate?" Yami asked.
Atemu lightly stroked the side of Yami's face, "For you being the sweet, wonderful man that has been making me fall in love with him a little bit more every day." Atemu whispered.
Yami snorted, "I didn't really do anything. Just kept our appointment to talk." Yami said.
Atemu rolled his eyes, "You know full well what you did and why I reacted the way I did to it." Atemu said.
Yami sighed, "So?" Yami said. He really didn't want to get on the topic of him and Yugi. With Atemu's impending trip and Yugi now a guest in the palace talking about his feelings felt even more wrong than before.
Atemu however seemed to sense Yami's discomfort with the topic before he lightly tugged on Yami's hand leading him down the corridor.
Once Yami had pulled the door shut on his and Atemu's room Atemu immediately headed over to the vanity and started stripping off his jewelry in what Yami had come to understand as part of Atemu's nightly ritual. Yami sank down on the bed undoing his tunic and tossing it to the floor. He slipped off his sandals and crawled up the bed. Finally, he said the armbands that he wore, his only sign of rank at this time, on the end table before he pulled the covers up over his nude form.
Atemu blew out the lantern and stripped off his own tunic before he joined Yami in bed. Yami immediately snuggled up close to him, resting his head on his chest.
"So, what do you think about us being parents?" Yami asked.
Atemu chuckled, "That I'm both excited and scared at the same time. I know you will be a wonderful mother Yami. I just hope that I am a decent father to our son or daughter." Atemu said.
Yami rolled his eyes, "You will be a great father Atemu. I don't doubt that. But, Ate do you think we are ready for this? I mean you and I have barely begun to figure out our own relationship and now we're going to be adding a child into the mix." Yami said.
Atemu sighed, "The gods wouldn't have blessed us with a child if they didn't think we were ready to care for one. We will find our way together." Atemu said.
Yami nodded. He really hoped Atemu was right. "Will you tell me where you're going now Ate? You leave in the morning. I at least want to know where you'll be traveling to. And that you'll be safe." Yami said.
Atemu sighed once again, "The gods while keep me safe while I am away from home Yami." Atemu soothed.
"The fact that you don't want to tell me where you are going does not reassure me in the slightest." Yami interjected.
"I'm traveling to Trahesle." Atemu said.
"Trahesle? Why would you go there?" Yami asked. Trahesle used to be the capital about 700 years ago when the kingdom was still growing. Today is was considered sacred ground and there was hardly anything out there other than temples.
"There was a problem that a priest wrote to me about that he thought I should investigate. I've been working on it for a couple of months now. And now the only thing left for me to do is to go to the main temple complex.
"And this is going to take you a whole month to figure out?" Yami asked.
Atemu held Yami closer to him, "Let's just say this issue is highly complex. It will take me quite a while to get everything sorted out and resolved." Atemu said.
Yami rolled his eyes at the cryptic answer before he crawled so his hands were braced on either side of Atemu's face. "I am really going to miss you Atemu." Yami whispered before he leaned down and pressed his lips firmly to Atemu's.
Atemu immediately responded to the kiss before he gently rolled, pinning Yami's body beneath him. Once the kiss broke Atemu whispered, "Are you sure beloved? We don't have to tonight." Atemu said.
Yami smirked, "Read my lips Ate." Yami replied before pulling Atemu down for another kiss and the two were lost to the passion.
Much later that night after the two had finally fallen asleep, the blankets pooled around their waists and limbs entangled the door creeped open and Yugi peeked his head inside. The servant had shone him and Ryou into the room across the hall apparently because that was the room that was closet the Yami's which would make it easy for them to spend time together while the Pharaoh was away.
Yugi didn't know what he expected to see when he peeked his head inside but seeing Yami naked and cuddled up with the Pharaoh like that was not what he was expecting.
Yugi knew he shouldn't but he couldn't help it he carefully crept into the room and around to Yami's side of the bed. The room stank of sweat and sex and the way the blankets were twisted around the pair left no doubt about what had happened in here. Yugi once he was close enough to Yami was able to see what looked like hickey's on his throat and even a couple on his chest. He also saw there were a couple on Pharaoh's body as well. Yami's head was resting on Pharaoh's chest and Pharaoh had his arms wrapped around Yami, holding him close.
Yugi snorted, he and Ryou drew straws to see who got the bed. They had only ever kissed the once and Yugi had no desire at all to even do that again.
But seeing Yami like this. Seeing that Yami had no such qualms when it came to his relationship with Atemu was a hard pill to swallow. Yami had told Yugi that he was falling in love with the man. Yugi hadn't been sure if he should believe Yami however the scene before him certainly backed that claim up.
Yugi had said that if Yami had fallen in love with Atemu he would support him in that. But Yugi had really underestimated how much seeing Yami like this would hurt. He and Yami who loved each other had only ever kissed one time. And that one time still resonated in his mind. He could still vividly remember the feel of Yami's lips on his own.
It wasn't even just that that Yugi missed about Yami. Yugi missed just being able to talk to Yami about his day. He missed cuddling up with him under the tree and just spending time with him. He missed seeing Yami smile. The sound of his laugh. The way his brow furrowed when he was thinking about something.
But seeing him like this with Pharaoh really hurt. Yugi knew that he really should be leaving. The last thing he wanted was to risk getting caught sneaking into Pharaohs room. Yugi carefully crawled onto Yami's bed before he pressed a light kiss to Yami's cheek.
"I love you Yami. Good night." Yugi whispered before he slowly crawled back off the bed and headed back to his own room. Maybe the gods were right after all and he needed to give Ryou a chance. To be perfectly honest Yugi had been so closed off to the idea he had hardly bothered to find out anything about Ryou. Maybe he should give Ryou a chance? Yugi's mind immediately dismissed the idea. His heart wouldn't be in it. He would always be comparing Ryou to Yami and Ryou was always going to come up short which wasn't fair to Ryou as all.
Yugi walked out of the room and pulled the door closed behind him never seening the eyes that had opened and watched him leave.