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Darkness Before Dawn	By : SangoHuntress1977 Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 3356 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: YuGiOh and the characters thereof are the sole domain of Kazuki Takahashi and all rightsholders. I'm only borrowing them for entertainment purposes and am deriving no profit.

Chapter List
- 11
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- 13
Sunday, May 8, 2005…
Yugi’s eyes flew open even as a sob was ripped from his chest, telling him that he had been crying in his sleep. Not even a second later, the sensation of long fingers combing through his thick, tumbled hair stilled him. Feeling his heart freezing in his chest, Yugi slowly rolled over and looked up into the dark, stormy eyes of Atem, who gazed somberly back down at him.
Yugi closed his eyes as the tears coursed from them. He was supposed to be strong, supposed to be Atem’s rock! Oh, what was the point? He had already screwed that up! He opened his mouth to try to speak, but a sob was all he could manage. Closing his eyes and inhaling sharply, he tried again.
“Please don’t hate me!” he pleaded.
“I don’t hate you,” came the quiet answer.
“Oh, gods. You weren’t supposed to see that,” Yugi blubbered.
“Obviously,” Atem’s voice rumbled.
“I’m so d-damn sorry,” Yugi bawled.
“Don’t apologize, Yugi. It happened; it’s done…” Atem began.
“It’ll never happen again. I’ll get rid of… that thing. I’ll do anything you want, just please...” Yugi choked out as the tears coursed freely from his large eyes.
Atem shushed Yugi with a finger to the younger man’s lips, then took Yugi’s face between his palms.
“You should let people finish their thoughts,” Atem admonished, touching his forehead to Yugi's.
Trying to stifle his sobs, Yugi forced himself to fall silent, absently enjoying this rare close proximity to his dark twin.
“Do you really feel that way about me?” Atem asked in a hushed tone.
Yugi looked down, wondering how he should answer. He quickly decided the truth was the best option.
“Yeah…” he faltered forth. “But don’t worry about it! It’s my problem and I’ll deal with it without ever putting you in that spot again. Your happiness comes before my horniness!”
Atem closed his eyes and took the time he needed to gather his thoughts. The tricolors stayed as they were, foreheads touching, while Atem gently caressed Yugi’s face in his hands. At length, he took a deep, cleansing breath, opened his eyes, and spoke.
“I can’t right now, but someday, I would like to be with you in that way,” he spoke gravely.
“Really?” squeaked Yugi, staring into smouldering sunset eyes.
“Yes, really,” purred Atem, a smile slowly spreading across his lips.
“I’ll wait forever!” Yugi exclaimed, burying his face in Atem’s chest and trying to choke back his sobs.
Atem wrapped his arms around Yugi’s form, hugging the smaller man to him and rubbing his back.
“Please don’t cry, habibi. It’s alright now. I’m glad we talked,” he murmured into Yugi’s spiky hair.
“M-me too,” murmured Yugi, pulling back to reveal his tearstained face. “What’s habibi?”
Atem smiled at the younger man and began to gently dry the tears from his face with his thumbs.
“It’s Arabic for beloved,” he explained.
At this declaration, Yugi’s eyes widened and he abruptly buried his face in Atem’s chest again.
Atem hugged Yugi close, eyes traveling to his computer desk and noting the half eaten bag of Doritos.
“Doritos for dinner? I thought I’d broken you of that habit,” he teased.
“Oh, yeah,” sniffled Yugi, looking back over his shoulder. “I… I wasn’t sure if there’d be breakfast this morning so…”
“Come down and help me make it?” Atem asked, picking up Yugi’s hands and squeezing them.
“I dunno how,” Yugi answered in a small voice, staring down at their intertwined hands.
“I’ll teach you,” offered Atem with a sincere smile.
Yugi looked up into the rose petal eyes.
“OK…” he faltered forth, permitting Atem to lead him downstairs to begin his culinary training.
Yugi did his best to help Atem make breakfast from an Indian recipe he had printed up from the Internet. However, Yugi’s inability to focus on mundane tasks left him good for little more than chopping up vegetables and dumping them into the pot under Atem’s close supervision.
At his earliest convenience, Yugi sealed the vibrator back in its box and threw it in the garbage.
Later…
“Atem…” Yugi began, cutting himself off abruptly.
“Yugi, if you’ve something to say, you should just say it,” Atem admonished with a gentle smile.
“Well, I was wondering… since we both sorta said we like each other… d-does that make us a… couple?” Yugi asked.
Atem sat back and considered a bit.
“I can live with that arrangement if you can,” he replied with a smirk.
Yugi’s little face lit like an andon at these words.
“I sure can. So since we are… like that, I was wondering if you’d like to…” he gulped, trailing off again.
Atem couldn’t help but smile at how adorable his habibi looked just now.
“Go out somewhere with me…” Yugi forced himself to finish.
An elegant eyebrow arched up.
“Are you asking me on a date?” the Egyptian asked in mild amusement.
“Yes! No! I mean… you can call it a date if you want. I was thinking maybe we could just go to Domino Park for a while and then eat somewhere, anywhere you like… as long as it’s not expensive,” Yugi babbled. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’d love to take you anywhere you wanted, but I’m just a poor college student and can barely afford my textbooks, much less eating in fancy restaurants and…”
“Yugi,” Atem’s voice cut in.
“Huh?” said Yugi.
“I would love to,” Atem continued.
“Really?” asked Yugi, looking up into Atem’s face.
“Really,” Atem smiled.
“Yes!” Yugi cried jumping up and throwing his arms into the air.
Atem flinched and bristled at the sudden, loud movement.
“Sorry!” Yugi yelped. “I was excited.”
A relieved smile crossed Atem’s face as he took a deep breath to relax himself, reaching out to grasp Yugi’s hands gently.
“As am I,” he said softly, squeezing Yugi’s hands.
That afternoon…
Domino Park
Yugi and Atem stepped into the park, which as always, was populated by many happy families, couples of all ages and their dogs. Children ran pell mell in the sunlight, slid down slides, swung on swings and dangled from monkey bars.
“What a lively place,” observed Atem.
“Yeah. C’mon this way. I’ll show you my favorite spot,” said Yugi, gently leading Atem along by the hand.
Atem allowed Yugi to lead him through some bushes and trees until they came to a large pond with still water of the deepest blue. The sun’s light danced happily on the gently lapping waves. A few ducks and geese swam about, their motion cutting small swathes through the placid water.
“Yugi, it’s so beautiful,” Atem gasped as he looked about.
“Yeah. I come here when I wanna get away from the pressures of school,” Yugi explained even as he led Atem over to a large maple tree and sat down. “This is my favorite tree.”
“I can see why,” agreed Atem as he sat down next to Yugi. “Thank you for bringing me here, habibi.”
“You’re welcome, Até. And remember, this place is a secret. Even Jou and Grandpa don’t know about it,” admonished Yugi.
“It will be as secret as the dead,” asseverated Atem.
With no further need for words, the tricolors looked out upon the beautiful, blue pool and let their minds wander. During the entire time, they had never disengaged their hands from each other.
Burger World
This restaurant definitely wasn’t first on Atem’s fine dining list, but as Yugi’s funds were limited and his own were non-existent, they would make do. Yugi led Atem over to his and Jou’s usual booth and the two sat down.
Anzu walked up and flashed her trademark smile at the tricolors.
“Hi, Yugi. Two days in a row?” she chirped, her blue eyes twinkling merrily. “I didn’t think our stuff was that good.”
“It’s good for my wallet,” Yugi returned.
“Ha ha ha!” Anzu laughed as her gaze fell upon Atem. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Ishutaru Atemu,” Yugi said with a smile.
“Pleased to meet you, Ishutaru-san,” said Anzu with a wide, friendly smile.
“Likewise,” Atem returned with a polite smile.
“What can I get you guys to drink?” Anzu inquired, taking up her pencil and notepad.
“Coke!” declared Yugi.
“Iced tea, please,” requested Atem.
“I’ll be right back,” said Anzu after jotting down their orders.
Yugi and Atem smiled at each other across the table.
“Enjoying yourself so far, Até?” Yugi asked.
“Immensely,” returned Atem with a warm smile.
Just then, Anzu returned with their drinks, which she set down before them.
“So, Atem. I’ve never seen you around here before. Are you a foreigner?” she inquired.
“I’m from Egypt,” Atem answered as he reached for his iced tea.
“Egypt! So, are you a pharaoh?” Anzu asked, eyes brightening as she leaned in toward Atem.
Yugi felt his heart skip a beat at these words as flashes of his Ancient Egyptian dreams played out before his eyes.
“No. The last pharaonic line died out during the Ancient Roman era,” Atem answered as he began to tense up.
“Oh, OK. So, do you have a girlfriend?” asked Anzu, laying a hand on Atem’s shoulder.
Atem jolted, eyes widening as his breath hitched.
“No! He has a boyfriend! Me!” Yugi suddenly piped up, glaring at the waitress.
Anzu immediately pulled back.
“Oh, that’s great. You two make a cute couple,” she smiled brightly. “What can I get for you?”
“Cheeseburger and large fries,” Yugi answered promptly.
“A hamburger,” Atem ordered after having taken several deep breaths to regain his composure.
“Gotcha. Be right back with your food,” said Anzu after she had written everything down.
“Sorry about Anzu. She’s a good person, but she can come on too strong sometimes,” soothed Yugi after the waitress’ departure.
Atem nodded, looking into Yugi’s face for reassurance.
“You ok?” Yugi asked softly.
“Yes. Thank you for coming to my rescue,” answered Atem, managing a small smile.
“Well, I just don’t want anyone putting their hands on you, except me! Er… at the right time… Oh, gods… I can’t believe I just said that!”
A mortified Yugi lowered his head into his hands. Could he never stop sticking his foot in his mouth? He looked up again when he felt a warm, strong hand gently squeezing his. His gaze met with Atem’s gentle rose petal irises.
Atem smiled tenderly at Yugi as his thumb stroked the skin of Yugi’s hand.
Yugi could only gaze back breathlessly. A smile emerged on his features as a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning.
‘He’s doing so much better. Last month, he probably would’ve decked Anzu!’ he thought.
After dinner, Yugi led Atem through the growing darkness until they reached Yugi’s old high school. With the front gate locked, it was necessary to climb over the wall in back.
“Is this legal?” Atem asked.
“No, but me and Jou did it all the time when we went here,” explained Yugi as he opened the unlocked rear door.
“The security is rather lax,” commented Atem as they entered.
“I don’t think anyone even remembers this door is here,” replied Yugi.
The tricolors made their way up three flights of stairs, Yugi breathing heavily over the last one. Finally, they reached a door, which Yugi opened, admitting them to the rooftop.
“Ra’s chariot!” exclaimed Atem at the sight of the whole city skyline below and the navy blue sky, dotted with many diamond like stars above them.
“Pretty cool, huh? Me and Jou used to skip class and hang out up here. In three years doing it, we were never caught,” Yugi bragged.
“Hn,” said Atem as he went to the fence and looked out at the sea of city lights beneath them that seemed to stretch into infinity until it collided with the star dotted navy sky.
Yugi stood beside him and the two gazed in silence and awe.
“It’s like you can see forever up here,” he murmured at length.
Atem let out a sigh that seemed to be drawn from the core of his being.
“When I was young, my father told me that if I ever felt sad, to look up at the stars and remember that each one was the soul of a departed person. Sometimes, when things are particularly unbearable for me, I’ll open my curtains and stare at the night sky until I nod off,” he confessed.
“Atem… Wh... What happened to your parents?" Yugi faltered forth before he could lose his resolve.
His heart felt like lead when he heard Atem take in a shuddering breath. He remembered Atem reacting similarly when asked about his cartouche.
“A car accident… claimed their lives,” Atem answered, choking on his grief.
“Aw. I’m sorry! Mine died in a car accident too,” Yugi quickly replied.
This caused Atem to look down at him, tears shining over the grief swirling in his ruby depths.
“Truly?” he asked.
“Yeah. It’ll have been ten years this July,” Yugi answered softly.
“That’s right. You told me you’ve lived with your grandfather for ten years,” replied Atem with a sniffle. “This July will mark the sixth anniversary of my parents’ passing.”
“It’s just like you told me when we talked the first time,” Yugi piped up suddenly.
“Pardon?” asked Atem, looking down at him.
“About things that don’t seem connected being all tangled together when we pull back and look at the big picture. Our parents both died the same way, the same month,” Yugi explained.
“Mmmm. That’s a very good point you make, habibi. Perhaps our meeting under the tree that day was kismet,” Atem mused, “which is Arabic for fate.”
“Yeah. It’s like we were meant to find each other and… help each other,” agreed Yugi.
“You are helping me, Yugi. Each day is a bit easier to deal with than the one prior. I know there have been setbacks along the way, but I truly feel like I’ve turned a corner in my life, and I’ve you to thank for it,” said Atem with a smile as he turned to fully face Yugi and took the younger man’s hands in his own, squeezing gently.
“Até,” Yugi whispered back, smiling openly up at Atem. “I really, really like you. I… I just wanna be with you like this forever!”
“As do I,” murmured Atem, releasing one of Yugi’s hands to gently caress a cherubic cheek.
Hand in hand they looked out to where the star spangled sky met the cityscape.
Later
At home…
Yugi and Atem sat on the couch, inches between them. Yugi started a bit when he felt Atem’s left arm snake around his shoulders and pull him to his body.
He looked up into a pair of dark, smouldering eyes and the small smile on Atem’s face. Yugi quickly returned the smile, then snuggled up against Atem’s side and closed his eyes. Not a second later, he felt fingers combing through his hair, lightly massaging his scalp.
“My Desert Rose,” Yugi murmured, hearing Atem’s deep chuckle in response.
Later still…
Jou tripped up to the front door, fumbling with his keys in the darkness. He finally found the correct key and let himself in.
The moonlight shone through the window onto the gravity defying hair of the two tricolors asleep on the couch, arms wrapped around each other.
‘Well, ain’t dat a sight!’ Jou thought happily, slipping away on silent feet.

/
c 1270 BC
Waset, Kemet

Ra’s white light shone on the Nile’s placid surface like thousands of tiny twinkling diamonds even as a bark cut smartly through the waters. All along the river’s shore, throngs of people stood, some waving, some craning their heads in order to catch a glimpse of the Pharaoh to whom the ship belonged.

Turning his face away from all the people, Hebai looked at his Pharaoh, who seemed to be contriving to enjoy the day, even though he would rather be out on his chariot or simply holed up in his chambers with the smaller version of himself.

Feeling Hebai’s stare, Pharaoh Atem looked at him and fixed him with a warm smile, before reaching into a bowl of grapes at his side, picking up a fat, juicy one and holding it up before Hebai’s mouth. Leaning forward, Hebai took the grape in his mouth, tongue almost rolling up on itself as the sour sweetness exploded in his mouth when he bit down.

Sighing in contentment, Hebai carefully pushed the large golden pyramid aside and laid his head against Atem’s chest, listening to the strong heartbeat beneath.
/
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Darkness Before Dawn