Adult-FanFiction.org : Yu-Gi-OH

Mistaken Assumptions	By : tavia454 Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 17844 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, I make no money off this story! Bummer!

Chapter List
- 21
- 22
- 23
Ah, I see a lot of people have taken either Atemu or Yugi's side on
this. It is definitely interesting, for me, to read these opinions.
I, myself, am feeling rather bad for both of them. Everyone does
stupid shit when they're drunk. And no one is the Amazing Kreskin, so
neither of these boys are privy to the other's feelings and thoughts.
I hope to continue to provoke reactions from you guys with the rest
of this story. (laughs) Makes good reading material for me.

Again thank you to
Renaiya88027 for being a most awesome beta. And to Spirithorse and
Hikari-and-Yami for looking it over for me – just cause I'm the
paranoid type that feels as though I'm missing out on some
plot-related element. And if I am please feel free to kick me.

Thank you for
reading! And on to the next chapter...

~
o ~ O ~ o ~

Early
the next morning, with the barest hint of Re's light peeking up over
the horizon, Atemu felt the bed shift beneath him, and he opened his
eyes to watch warily as Yugi peered around the room, his gaze
disoriented and blurry.
This is it. Atemu
thought to himself, holding his breath in case the smallest of
movements might have startled his smaller lover into flight. This was
the moment of truth, would his little love stay, safe and secure, in
his arms, or would he launch himself off the bed as he had done so
many times before, a look of horror in his eyes as he realized what
had occurred between them?

Half-lidded scarlet eyes
watched intently as the younger royal blinked the remnants of sleep
from his eyes and stretched contentedly, only to curl back around
Atemu's larger form. A wide smile then graced sun-kissed features the
moment Atemu realized that Yugi had, indeed, chosen to stay by his
side.

But, not minutes later, that
same satisfied grin disappeared as a distant almost-humming sensation
behind his eyes chose to make its presence known, giving Atemu the
subtlest of warnings that today was not going to be one of his better
ones.

Perfect...

Giving a barely audible growl
at this most inconvenient timing the Egyptian royal gently nudged his
companion. “Little one...come, 'tis time to begin our day. You
have meetings to attend.”

“No...don'
want to...” Yugi grumbled, wrapping his arms tightly around his
lover's chest, already succumbing to the call of his dreams once
again.

Although he knew that his
smaller lover had appointments this morning – and that he
would rather Yugi not be around to witness his unbearable torment –
Atemu could not stop the smile from once again slipping across his
features. Debilitating headaches and issues concerning Hyksos or not,
these few precious moments with his little one belonged to him, and
he was certainly going to take advantage of them.

Slowly, almost teasingly, he
leaned in, letting his breath flow across the younger monarch's
sensitive ear, nibbling gently on the lobe, his hands gliding over
his lover's silken skin. “Perhaps, if the idea of getting up
only to have to sit through your appointments does not appeal to
you...I could offer an alternative?” He whispered seductively.

That caught Yugi's attention as
his eyes sprang open, searching Atemu's intently, all traces of sleep
vanishing in the wake of that erotic suggestion. “Are you...”
A slender hand reached up to touch Atemu's face almost hesitantly.
“Is this real? Or am I dreaming again?”

Atemu caught that hand,
pressing a loving kiss to the back of it, running his fingers over
the bracelet that marked Yugi as his. “This is real, little
one, you need only believe. I love you with every beat of my heart,
Yugi, Grandson of Solomon, ruler of Hyksos, my consort...my little
love...Do not worry so, the rest shall come. We shall make certain of
it.”

Caught up in the powerful spell
his lover was weaving around him Yugi could only nod, a serene smile
gracing his features as the two of them wound around each other,
hands clasped together, their gazes locked together –
amethyst to scarlet. “Together...it sounds almost too good to
be true...but I like the sound of it anyways.” He murmured as
Atemu began to sample the skin that was bared to him.

“Not
too good to be true, little one.” Atemu whispered back. “Accept
this as your due...I'll not allow you to wake with a heavy heart, if
ever there is anything you desire all you need do is ask and it is
yours.”

I'll
never ask for more than this...Yugi
sighed contentedly as Atemu shifted to lie on top of him.

Nearly
an hour later the laughing Hyksos king found himself tossed rather
unceremoniously into the sunk-in pool once again, his lover's rapid
descent into the pool following shortly afterward with a splash!
As the two of them washed each other clean of their previous
activities he couldn't help but marvel at the difference one night
had made.

Granted many discoveries had
been made during that night, and he still didn't trust his lover
completely, but he now felt lighter, happier than he had in the weeks
since they had parted, and it looked to him as though the Pharaoh did
as well.

But even as they played
together in the water, splashing each other like a couple of kids
instead of the dignified rulers they should have been, Yugi got the
feeling that there was still something bothering his lover. He
couldn't put his finger on it, nothing the Pharaoh did seemed forced
or contrived, but it was there nonetheless. Almost as though the
shadows under Atemu's glorious eyes seemed to have grown instead of
lessening – and were doing so even as he watched.

He said nothing, though, not
knowing if it was only his imagination on overdrive or if he was
reading too much into this smallest of intuitions. Besides, this
would be the Pharaoh's chance to come to him if he couldn't work
through it on his own.

“Did
you want to come with me today?” Yugi queried as he slipped
into his robes after their rambunctious bath. When he made to fasten
the garment together Atemu's hands slapped his gently away from the
task, taking over in their stead.

“How
am I supposed to complete my penance if you are so independent?”
The Egyptian monarch questioned lightly, accomplishing the rest of
the task with ease. Once it was finished he leaned in to brush a
kiss across Yugi's nose. “If you do not mind I would prefer to
be lazy today, little one. There is enough in this suite to keep me
occupied for a while...and I would not wish to upset your court,
appearing out of nowhere. Perhaps you should give them advance
warning and I shall aid you on Re's next rise.”

Yugi thought on that for a
moment, studying Atemu's features attentively. The Pharaoh was hiding
something, he could tell. But what it was he had no idea. “You
do realize that you can tell me anything, right, my Pharaoh?”

Atemu nodded, swallowing
thickly. He should have known better than to attempt to keep
something – even something so small as this – from
his perceptive little consort. Especially after the disastrous
results of the last time. But he truly did not want to involve Yugi
in his troubles.

“My
name is Atemu...” He stated cautiously, not wishing to start an
argument with his hesitance. “You have permission to use it.
And I do realize that, little one. However I assure you 'tis nothing
to worry over. Merely a small detail that I must work out on my own
for the moment. I am hoping to have a solution come the descent of
Re's light and then we can both discuss it.”

After searching his eyes for
another moment Yugi nodded, brushing a gentle hand over the Pharaoh's
shadowed features. “Okay...but no more secrets...right? I mean
we all keep them..I'm guilty of it too, but I'm coming to find that
when we keep those secrets we open ourselves up to others assumptions
concerning them...and most often those assumptions are wrong. It gets
us into trouble sometimes.”

Atemu leaned into the gentle
touch, the lazy motion doing much to alleviate the growing tension
behind his eyes. “No more secrets, little one...just permit me
this time to muddle through this on my own, before I come seeking
assistance from you. I do assure you, though, that my hesitance is
not due to you but merely to a situation that I cannot control...and
I thoroughly dislike being held so powerless against it...”

“So
you're saying this has nothing to do with me...but rather something
that you can't control...” Yugi ran the words over in his mind
as he spoke them out loud. Now his lover was speaking in riddles.
What situation could he be talking about?

“Do
not concern yourself over it, Yugi.” Atemu replied as he
ushered the younger monarch towards the doors, knowing that neither
of them had much time before their obligations set upon them. “You
have enough to worry over at this moment. We shall discuss it upon
your return, and I shall come clean. 'Tis just me being overly
cautious for the moment.”

“Then
I'll hold you to that.” Yugi admonished lightly, accepting a
loving kiss from Atemu as they stood in the doorway.

A few kisses and caresses later
and the pair said their goodbyes, Yugi exiting the chamber swiftly as
he caught a glimpse of how far the sun god had risen during his
preoccupation. Once his smaller lover was gone Atemu searched the
chamber for a menial task that might take his mind off the impending
torture.

A long bronze sword lying
haphazardly in the corner of the chamber caught his attention and he
made his way over to study it, having always been fascinated by the
metal's luminous properties when it was polished to a fine luster. He
stared at his distorted reflection in the early light for a moment
before turning his attention toward the one that was sitting beside
it.

This one was less familiar to
him, with its thick copper blade and beautifully intricate designs on
the hilt, but it was severely deteriorated, as he found when he
picked it up for further examination. In fact, it was quite dull and
the edges were rounded, its color taking on a dull greenish cast. A
quick glance at the other swords in the case – the case that
he had taken one from in order to gain entry into his lover's
bedchamber on that first day in Hyksos – told him that most
were in the same state of disrepair, even as beautiful as they were.

How had he missed that? Even
going back over that day in his head he couldn't recall the weapons
being so...Atemu shook his head. He was not thinking of weaponry at
the time, of course he was going to miss a detail like that, even
though he would have had someone's head for letting his weapons at
home fall into such a state. And then he shook his head again.

Perhaps this was the
distraction he was looking for. With that notion firmly in mind he
searched the silent chamber for a stone on which to sharpen the dull
metal. He would have to discuss this with Yugi upon his return –
the younger monarch, and his court, needed to know that it wasn't
prudent to let the tools that may very well save their lives fall
into such disrepair.

But, as Atemu searched for a
stone, he came across another cache of swords – these ones a
little more modern, and a couple of bows, tucked away in an interior
closet in the antechamber, these weapons in much better condition
than the ones in the case – almost looking as though they had
been tended to by loving hands whereas the others showed only
neglect. Perhaps he was wrong and Yugi did know how to care for them.

With an awkward, self-conscious
shrug of his shoulders Atemu pulled the pieces out of the closet and
set them amongst the rest, finding the sharpening stone he had been
searching for in a satchel hanging on a hook at the back of the
closet.

And then he sat down in a
chair, picking a sword out of the ones he had brought out, and began
to sharpen it, using the method that Shadi had long ago taught him in
the keeping of his own weapons. Suddenly the notion hit him that the
state of these weapons could very well be due to the fact that they
were no longer in use, more of a treasured relic than a functional
tool that one might use if their life was in danger.

The comfortable feelings that
had surrounded Atemu when he first began his chore dissipated, and
the Pharaoh was rather bemused to realize that when he had examined
the cache his first inclination had been to vilify his smaller lover.
But quickly upon the heels of that thought came another one. One that
reminded him that his second inclination had been to talk it over
with the Hyksos monarch rather than accuse him unjustly. And he felt
marginally better for it.

He was so used to thinking the
worst of people, so used to seeing the worst, that he knew –
even if Yugi didn't – that this was going to be a drastic
change for him to make.

And perhaps they ought to touch
on that subject as well, when they had their discussion tonight.
Hopefully, if they continued with their dialogue, it wouldn't be too
long before they could both put that disastrous day behind them, but
from here on out he would forever remember that lesson. His careless
actions had nearly cost him the one person in his life that he loved.
Something he continuously vowed would never happen again.

With a nod of satisfaction for
the slow but steady way things were progressing the Egyptian monarch
turned his attention to the sword he was currently sharpening, the
buzzing in his head settling into the background, reminding him –
as always – that he was soon going to have to face his
ongoing problem once again, and without the benefit of an elixir to
aid him.

But
there was something soothing about manual labor, and as Atemu settled
into a routine the stress of the past few weeks began to melt away to
the monotonous sounds of stone on metal. Even though it didn't rid
him of his feeling of impending doom, the repetitive motions did
lessen it vastly. Before long he was finished sharpening the usable
swords. He then turned his attention to re-stringing the few bows
that he had gathered and piled up in the corner of the chamber.

Halfway into his task, his
vision darkening tremendously and reminding him again that it was
almost time, the door flew open with a resounding crash against the
wall, startling Atemu into nearly dropping the bow he had been
struggling with. But he managed to retain his grip on the weapon as
he glanced up in time to see the smaller Bakura look-alike storm
across the room and throw himself down onto one of the lounges in the
corner, his expression preoccupied, tense.

“Ryou?”
Atemu questioned, instantly apologizing when the white-haired youth
jumped, just then noticing his presence in the room. “Are you
alright?”

The Hyksos teen's attention
shot towards the Egyptian ruler with a start. “Why can't I get
away from you people?! I thought you had chores to complete?!”
He snapped with his hands fisted in his hair. “No! I'm not
alright...I can't think...I can't breathe...he's always right there,
in my face...asking the exact same question as you! Where's Yugi...I
thought he had come up here for break....I shouldn't be here...I've
got to go...”

“Ryou
wait.” Atemu called, halting the other teen's actions.
Regardless of his immediate need for quiet solitude he knew that he
was responsible for the white-haired royal's current conflict, and
that the task fell to him to set it right before the situation
spiraled out of control and one of them got hurt. “You are
speaking of Bakura?”

Ryou shifted anxiously from one
foot to the other, unsure of whether to go or stay. “Yeah...him...”

“Close
the door and come – sit, speak with me.” Atemu crossed
the room, his hands held out at his sides in a nonthreatening
gesture. He poured two chalices of water from a pitcher in the corner
of the chamber and motioned for the other to make himself
comfortable. “I would like to help if I can.”

Ryou stood, torn between the
desire to flee and the need to speak of his troubles. He knew that
Yugi had problems of his own, too many of them to count at the
moment, and that his half-brother truly didn't have the time to sort
out his as well. He glanced longingly at the offered chair for a
moment longer, before eventually wandering back into the chamber to
see what the arrogant Egyptian ruler had to say on the subject. The
Pharaoh was the only person with insight into his tormentor's
confusing actions. It might be a benefit to him to talk this over
with someone so knowledgeable.

“Why
won't he leave me alone?” Ryou queried as he perched on the
edge of the seat, ready to flee at a moment's notice. “What did
I ever do to him?”

Atemu shook his head, pressing
a glass of water into the teen's shaking hand and wandering back to
his chair. “You have done nothing wrong, Ryou...he pursues you
for the simple fact that you have his heart, and he does not wish to
leave something so precious with a person whom he does not know
intimately. 'Tis nothing you have done at all.”

“What?!”
Ryou's eyes widened. “What's that supposed to mean? I have his
heart...?! He doesn't have a heart!”

Atemu hummed thoughtfully, ever
mindful of the pain that was even now creeping up on him. It wouldn't
be long now and he would be completely incapacitated. But he had to
at least try to help this young man understand his friend –
when so many people did not.

“That
is what he would lead you to believe.” He offered. “However
I know different. He is totally enamored of you, as much as he tries
to deny it. I can see it in his expression, in his eyes as you walk
away – they follow you and you alone.”

“You're
not telling me anything I don't already know.” Ryou muttered
grumpily. “He always watches me. He watches me...taunts me...I
can't escape him...”

“The
question is – do you want to?” Atemu returned with
eyebrow raised.

“He
doesn't love me!” Ryou shouted, his hands in the air as he
jumped from his seat, water sloshing everywhere as he realized he
still held his glass. Carefully he set the glass down and shook the
water off his hands, frustrated. “Why should I stay when he
doesn't care? Am I that bad of a person that he couldn't find it
within himself to either love me or let me go?”

Drained of his burst of energy
the younger teen flopped back into his chair, leaving Atemu to decide
if he should let loose with the secrets that he had always kept for
his friend. He knew if this conversation continued for much longer
that Ryou would be privy to the reason that he had sent Yugi from the
chamber so quickly this morning. But did that really matter in the
wake of what had just been revealed? His lover's brother was hurting
– badly. Did he truly have the heart to turn him away.

“If
I...” Atemu sighed, putting a hand to his head to rub at the
bridge of his nose – a sure sign of his distress for those
who knew him well. “If I were to tell you what I know...would
you at least attempt to put things to right between the two of you.”
At Ryou's glare he held up a hand. “I am not saying that you
are at fault in this instance...'tis rather the opposite. But I need
to know – will you try?”

“C-can
I think about it?” Ryou questioned. “He has done some
horrible things...but sometimes I catch a glimpse of something...like
he's asking for forgiveness...I don't know...”

“Think
hard, Ryou, brother of Yugi. For once I tell you there is no going
back, and I am not certain I can gain Bakura's forgiveness for this
slight. He has been betrayed too many times in life.”Atemu
warned. “Do you wish to know why he does the things he does?
Why he shows affection in a way that is not truly affection at
all...”

Ryou chewed on his lower lip,
mulling over the possibility – and all of the consequences
that it held for him. Did he truly want to know about this person who
had, when they first met, raped him repeatedly, taunted him with not
only his knowledge of how to make his body respond against his will
but his words as well? Did he want to know what lay behind the mind
of the person who had willfully put an entire garden full of people
at risk with his desire to ride a half tamed horse, injuring Ryou in
the process?

What about the man who held him
when he had learned of Shizuka's death. Or the man who had given him
privileges the others hadn't had during the Egyptian occupation of
the castle. The one who had opened up to him, sharing small parts of
his fears and knowledge after Ryou had managed to halt the raging
horse with injury to himself. The one who would steady him in the
middle of a panic attack when they came upon him. Was he ready to
hear his story?

Atemu watched the other's
expression closely, understanding each feeling as it crossed through
velvet brown eyes. Fear, uncertainty, loss, need, all vying for
attention within his unexpected guest's mind. The Pharaoh's hand once
again sought out the center of his pain as he awaited the smaller
teen's answer.

If Bakura ever found out about
this conversation he was about to have he would be lucky if his
advisor didn't attempt to kill him outright. This was the first time
he had ever thought to betray his friend's confidence. But he
couldn't think of any way around it. Ryou had to know this, if he was
ready.

“Okay...I'll
listen...” Ryou relented with a sigh. “I don't know if it
will change anything...but I'm willing to try.”

Atemu gave a forceful nod,
closing his eyes as he began his story. “Very well then...I
have known Bakura since I was eight harvests old...he was...ten, I
believe. Our meeting was not a very auspicious one...he was there to
kidnap me and I was unwilling to go along with his designs.”

“Wait!
He kidnapped you?!” Ryou gaped.

Atemu
held up a hand to forestall his comments. “No...he tried
to
kidnap me...in the midst of a crowded market, at that. He and Marik
had been trailing me since I had escaped from the palace earlier in
the day. But what they didn't know was that I had escaped with Otogi
and that he was not far off. So what started out as a simple
kidnapping attempt ended with the entire marketplace chasing after
the four of us...for once my cowl had slipped those in the market
realized who I was and what was happening –”

Ryou opened his mouth at that
and Atemu nodded, giving him leave to ask his question. “Otogi...as
in Shizuka's husband? And in the middle of the market? Did your
father ever find out? What happened?”

“Yes,
yes, and yes...much to my dismay on all of those questions.”
Atemu responded with a grimace. He pinched the bridge of his nose,
determined to get through this before succumbing to what was rapidly
turning from darkened vision into an intense, throbbing pain behind
his eyes.

“As
for what happened...someone started yelling and I heard the words
'crown prince'...'thief' and 'get him' all in the same sentence...the
whole marketplace turned into a stampede and we were only out to save
ourselves from the angry villagers. But as we ran we found it easier
to stick together as a group, and I pushed away more than one person
who thought to bring Bakura down. Soon we just ran, not caring where
we went as long as we lost the crowd....”

Atemu sighed deeply, wishing
sorely for a draught of Mahaado's elixir. This was not going to be
pretty if he didn't finish soon. And so he plowed onward, intent on
reaching the end before he was overcome completely.

“We
ended up on the outskirts of the desert. And both Marik and Bakura
were more than thankful for our assistance. A wary friendship sprung
up between us, and through our first years together they would often
test me and Otogi, trying to decide if we truly were loyal to them.
We must have proven our loyalty though for somewhere between the
night of my father's passing and that first assassination attempt we
began to speak of our daily lives and even a bit of our pasts with
each other.”

“So
you know of his past? All of it?” Ryou asked, now curious.

Atemu nodded. “I know
enough of it to paint a very dismal picture of our social system and
of a few of our nobles. Bakura was born into a poor family on the
outskirts of the border village Kru Elna. He was five when it was
raided by my father's men, a massacre...for the good of the people I
was eventually told when I asked. Yeah...whatever. But that is
neither here nor there. He was the only survivor...the soldiers
killed them all, for...again, as I was told, refusing to swear
allegiance.”

At this the Egyptian monarch
stopped, his pain-filled glare cast towards the floor. “I had
the traitors castrated and impaled after I found out about their
treachery. My father never would have requested that. The man
initially responsible has also been dealt with. But again...neither
here nor there...Bakura was found wandering the desert at such a
young age, not brought into a caring family, but sold as a pleasure
slave to the highest bidder, prized for his unusual coloring. 'Tis
where he gets the notion that you show your love physically. 'Tis all
he knows...the old man who bought him and owned him for years until
he managed to free himself was not content with the knowledge that he
was defiling an innocent child...he wanted that child to think it was
love, that he was showing his affection.”

Tears shimmered in Ryou's eyes
as he was struck speechless. He couldn't even find a comment to that.
What did one say to such an atrocity? When the Pharaoh began to speak
again he hung his head, ashamed of his reaction, even though this
knowledge put yet another couple of pieces together of the puzzle
that was Bakura.

“He
was perhaps the most notorious thief in all of Egypt by the time he
had reached ten harvests, mostly due to his need for recognition. It
was thoughtful of him to leave behind a signature for his works, and
then to lead me to his humble hideout that afternoon after the
marketplace catastrophe. Once I became Pharaoh, and I had looked into
his past, I followed up on a couple of different leads...punished
those who had wronged him and his people...but that does not leave
your lips...he does not know this.”

“Why?”
Ryou queried tearfully. “Why does he not know that you tried to
help him...even if it was after the fact?”

Atemu's breathing had become
labored, his focus lacking as a streak of colors shot across his
vision. This was it, he was going down with or without a witness to
his shame. But he so wanted to get this last part out before he
collapsed. “He does not know that I have found out about the
past that he sought to keep hidden. The information I have about his
former owner...I heard from the man's dying lips...as I killed
him...I do not hold to those who would injure someone so young for
pleasure...'tis not my way...but all I know is that his skewered
version of love is the only one Bakura knows...”

Ryou burst into tears, just as
the door to the chamber flew open, revealing Bakura's enraged face.
At the same time Atemu crumpled into a heap on the floor, curling in
on himself from the sudden intensity of the pain.

The former thief stomped into
the chamber, his finger pointed at his – or what he had
thought was his – best friend. “How dare you!” He
shouted, ignoring Atemu's condition. “How dare you tell him
what I've sought for so long to keep hidden! I should curse your soul
from the afterlife...you...you...traitor!”

“Don't
you even think about it!” Ryou cried out. “He was only
trying to make me understand why you are so cold!

“You
don't need to understand anything!” Bakura shouted back,
turning his rage on his smaller double. “I don't need you! I
don't need anyone! And I shouldn't have trusted either of you! That's
it...I'm out of here!”

“That's
a load of shit and you know it!” Ryou shouted right back. He
had not seen Atemu crumple to the floor for his eyes remained glued
to the mysterious man who had both helped and hurt him on more than
one occasion.

“You
need us both more than you know!” With a determination he never
knew he possessed the smaller duplicate spun his retreating double
around and pinned him to the wall, earning a look of surprise from
the other. “Damn it! Don't you dare walk out on me after
everything I've just learned! I hate it when you do that...I hate it
when you use me for sex and walk away...when you give me those looks
that promise heaven and then just...leave me wanting...”

And then Bakura was even more
surprised when the smaller teen wrapped his arms around him and
sobbed into his chest. “I hate it when you...when you make me
smile when I'm trying to be upset...and most of all I hate it when
you expect me to love you and you can't even bring yourself to say
the words...but at least I know why...and I can't keep from...loving
you despite...your thoughtless words...and your constant need to
touch me even if I tell you not to...Oh gods, I know I'm screwed
up...but I need you...I need you to...Oh...I can't do this on my
own...”

Bakura choked, finally giving
in to the urge to wrap his arms around the person who held so tightly
to him. And, as Ryou continued to sob his troubles into the thief's
shirt their wetness began to warm him from the inside. As he stood
there, immobilized by the sounds of the smaller teens sobs, he
eventually came to the realization that it wasn't revulsion that kept
the boy from his arms, but uncertainty and the fear that he would
only cause him more pain, be it physical or mental.

And he too began to break,
realizing that what he had thought as an acceptable showing of
affection was truly nothing more than a way to forcefully bend a
person to his will.

After a while the eldest of the
two leaned forward. “Teach me...please, Ryou...I thought...this
is all I know...please teach me...I want only you...”

That only made Ryou break out
into a fresh bout of tears. “Oh gods...you have no idea how
much those words mean to me...if you are willing to learn...”

“I
am...” He pleaded, for the first time in his adult life,
something that he had sworn long ago he would never do.
“Anything...just don't leave me...”

“Just
promise me that you'll be patient..at least a little...”

Bakura laughed at that. “I
will try...for you.”

And then Ryou reached up to
plant a shy kiss on his nose. “That's all I ask for.”

Wrapping his smaller double up
in his embrace Bakura turned around to give Atemu a piece of his
mind, only to find his sovereign still curled up on the floor,
shivering fiercely. “Atemu!!” He cried, rushing to his
friend that he had forgotten about in the melee. He dropped to his
knees, pulling his Pharaoh into his arms.

“Just...leave
me...be...” Atemu panted through the pain. “I'll
be...alright...”

Bakura snorted heartily at
that, wiping the rest of his tears on his robe. “Horse-shit.”
He proclaimed loudly, flinching as Atemu shuddered in his arms. He
glanced up at Ryou. “Go and get Yugi, I'll put him to bed.”

“No!”
Atemu protested vehemently, squirming out of his friend's grasp.
“Do...not inform...Yugi...he has enough...to...deal...with...”

Ryou glanced between the two of
them before nodding at Bakura. “I'll be right back.” And
then he rushed out the door.

Bakura hefted his friend into
his arms despite his protests, carrying him gently into the
bedchamber, where he deposited him on the bed. “Do you have any
of Mahaado's potion?” He asked softly, brushing a wayward lock
of hair out of the other's face.

“No...!
No...potion...I will not...” Atemu gasped, his eyes shut
tightly against the pain.

He was dizzy and nauseous, his
stomach ready to turn itself inside out at the next tiny movement.
But he was not going to give in and take something to relieve his
suffering. Not after what had happened the last time he had done so.
He would live without it as he had done over the past weeks. It was
just too bad he hadn't been quick enough to tell his story before the
pain had overcome him. He hadn't wanted anyone to witness his shame.

A cool, wet cloth was placed
tenderly on his forehead and he groaned in appreciation at its
soothing presence. This was not how he wanted his friends to see him.
He tried so hard to keep this side of him well hidden from everyone,
but it always seemed for naught, as there was always someone around
to witness his humiliation.

“Just
hold on, my friend.” Bakura soothed, dabbing at his face with
the cloth. As pissed off as he was at Atemu for letting Ryou in on
his shameful past, and even for digging through it in the first
place, he couldn't find the will to actually care. Atemu's move may
very well have gained him a partner, and perhaps that was all that
mattered.

Just then Yugi came flying into
the chamber at full speed. “Where is he? What's wrong?”

Bakura put a finger to his
lips, moving away from the bed to reveal Atemu's shivering form.
“Shh, he's had another attack. Does anyone know if he brought
Mahaado's potion? I haven't seen any.”

And suddenly his lover's
earlier words made sense as Yugi gasped, staring down at Atemu's pain
wracked form. “Oh no!” He exclaimed, backing away from
the bed and rushing back out of the chamber, headed for the kitchens.
They should have the ingredients he needed.

The Hyksos royal flew through
the halls, down the stairs, and into the complicated maze of
corridors that made up the lower level of the palace. He reached the
kitchens in record time, sliding past to catch the side of the door
and use the momentum to catapult himself into the first room. And
then he went running to the pantry, not even polite in his haste as
he tore apart the stores of foods and spices, searching for something
that he knew just had to be there somewhere.

“Aha!”
He shouted triumphantly, snatching up a satchel of herbs. He added
another two satchels to his burden and rushed back out of the pantry,
tossing everything onto a random counter top. Fumbling through the
cupboards he snagged a water skin and tossed that up there with the
satchels and set about to mixing up the potion that he had become so
familiar with during his travels to Egypt.

Once he was finished he swept
everything to the side, knowing that someone would put it back in its
place, and that he would have to find them and thank them later for
their kindness. But this was more important than cleaning up after
himself. He beat a rapid path back through the corridors and up the
stairs, and when he reached his chamber he was out of breath, panting
with the exertion.

He paused at the doorway to
catch his breath and then crossed the chamber to sit at the side of
the bed, brushing a lock of hair out of Atemu's pale, sweat-soaked
face. “Hey.” He spoke softly. “How are you feeling?
Any change yet?”

Atemu was nearly in tears at
this point the headache was so intense. The pain was all consuming,
refusing to relinquish its hold on him even between the pulsing
waves. “Please...just...let me...be.” He gasped, rolling
over to shut out the light as well as his lover's worried face. He
truly hadn't wanted Yugi to see him in this condition, not after the
last time. He didn't want a repeat and he didn't want to bring back
bad memories when they had just started to heal.

Why did this have to happen
now? Why couldn't it just have held off a little longer? Without
comprehending what was going on Atemu found himself facing his little
one's concerned features. “Shh...come on Atemu...drink this,
please.” Yugi commanded gently.

But Atemu only turned his nose
up at the offered potion, thrusting his head away from the
temptation. “No...I will not...just leave me...”

“Stubborn.”
Yugi remarked with a roll of his eyes, pulling his lover back to face
him again. “Tell me why. It will help you with the pain, why
won't you take it?'

Atemu shook his head, nearly
crying with the pain it brought him. “No...not again...not
after...what I did...while last under...its
influence...please...leave me. I can deal...with this alone...”

“Sure
you can.” Bakura drawled sarcastically. “Cause you're
doing such a good job of it right now.” And then he turned his
attention towards Yugi. “You need some help stuffing that down
his throat?”

“No,
I got it, but thank you.” Yugi shook his head, pulling Atemu
back around to face him once again, holding the potion to his lips.
“I don't care what happened last time. Take it, love.
Please...for me?”

Atemu opened his eyes at his
lover's plea, biting down on his lip as a fresh wave of pain and
nausea washed over him. Uh-oh, he was going to... “I – ”
And he just barely managed to lean over the side of the bed before he
lost what little he had eaten for breakfast that morning.

The entire group groaned, each
in their own way feeling the physical need to sympathize with Atemu's
plight. “I'll go get something to clean that up with.”
Ryou volunteered, shooting out of the chamber as though his feet were
on fire. Which left Yugi and Bakura to move a barely responsive Atemu
to the other side of the bed, where Yugi once again pleaded with him
to take his medicine.

“You
are not going to do anything stupid this time...I swear it. I won't
let you.” Yugi scoffed. “Now take it...please.”

When his stubborn lover refused
him yet again, the younger monarch took matters into his own hands.
He straddled Atemu's shaky form, taking his head gently into his
hand. “Bakura...can I take you up on the previous offer?”

The former thief grinned
sadistically. “Sure, what you got in mind?”

Yugi slanted a glance back at
his lover's friend. “Just hold him for a minute. I'll do the
rest.” And then he turned to Atemu with a whimsical smile. “And
you...I'd tell you to cooperate, but I know that isn't going to
happen. Ready Bakura?”

“You
bet.” Was the reply.

It didn't take them more than
two tries and they finally got a good portion of the elixir down the
Pharaoh's throat. By the time Ryou had returned with a mop and a
bucket – and a couple of tag-alongs – Atemu was
resting peacefully with his head in Yugi's lap, his breathing deep
and even.

As he sat there, doing his best
to soothe his lover's torment Yugi marveled over how incredibly long
the Pharaoh's eyelashes were as they fanned out against his
abnormally pale cheeks. He ran a gentle cloth over the other's
sweat-drenched features, nodding absentmindedly every once in a while
as the others talked in hushed tones around the chamber.

Why was Atemu so adamant about
not taking a potion that would alleviate his considerable pain? Was
he truly that afraid that he would do what he had done the last time?
Did the powerful Egyptian king not trust him to understand his needs?

Yugi shook the thought away
with the remembered words that Atemu had promised earlier. His lover
had told him he would discuss this with him when he returned from his
meetings. Which he was now. With a sigh the younger monarch realized
that his questions would have to wait until Atemu was coherent enough
to answer him. Softly he shooed the others from the chamber, waiting
quietly from his peacefully slumbering lover to awaken.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

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Mistaken Assumptions