Forbidden Sands, Book One of the Through Time Saga

Chapter 3

Atem awoke the next morning. Yawning, he started to stand and then winced in pain. Trying to walk, his backside screamed in protest. Limping, he went to his bathing chamber. Servants were there, drawing his bath. As he limped in, one of the servants raised his eyebrow at the Pharaoh. The servant nodded to a younger woman and she ran out. Moments later, as Atem started to step into the water, Seto's voice rang out. "My Pharaoh, stop."

Atem turned, a violet eye over his left shoulder. Seto walked up. Nodding a dismissal to the servants, they quickly left. Seto sat down. "What happened to you, cousin? What ails you?"

Atem frowned as he slid into the water. Sighing slightly in pleasure, he closed his eyes. He was not sure what to feel about last night. He could not deny that he enjoyed the experience. Did that make him homosexual? But, he enjoyed sex with Serenity, too. Sighing, he looked up at Seto.

"I paid for the pyramid's return." Atem stated simply.

Seto looked over Atem's body with a practiced eye. "I see no injuries, cousin." He stared at Atem silently.

Atem looked down. "The thief required...intimate payment last night."

Seto straightened, eyes narrowing dangerously. "He will pay with his life." Seto started to stand as Atem opened his eyes.

"Stop. He didn't rape me. He stated his payment was..." Atem's eyes narrowed as his mouth pursed into a line. With a big sigh he gritted out, "to pound my royal ass. Or the pyramid was back with him."

Seto glared. "The same as rape. "

"No. I had a choice. He could have taken the pyramid and I could have hired a different thief." Atem sighed. "Besides, that is not the most disturbing thing of last night."

Seto raised an eyebrow, silent. Waiting.

Keeping his eyes closed, Atem forced the thoughts out of his mouth. "I think I liked it."

***********

Joey woke up to something tickling his nose. Wiping his nose with his hand, he opened one honey eye. Crimson eyes were above him. Yawning and stretching he sat up...and saw amethyst eyes peek around his nephew. Smiling at the two, he swung his legs over the bed. "What ya up to?"

Yami grinned. "Ima take Yugi around the palace and show him around! Find us!" Yami giggled as Yugi grinned and grabbed Yami, jumping out the window and flying away.

"Hey...c'mere!" Joey yelled, just missing grabbing a foot. Joey groaned and flopped on the bed, angry blue eyes invading his thoughts. Yami was going to get him killed...literally.

***********

Seto sat at his desk, scribing some spells. A knock interrupted his thoughts. "Come in." He stated, eyes still on the papyru as he continued scribing. He heard the door open. Never stopping, he queried, "Yes?"

A throat was cleared. Seto stopped writing, pen poised above the hieroglyphics. He knew the sound of that throat clearing anywhere. Silently he sat, pen poised over the paper, waiting.

An aggravating silence followed. Seto looked up, glaring. Joey stood there looking very, very uncomfortable. "What?" Seto demanded, eyes cold.

"Well, uh...ya see...Yami kinda...well...flew out the window." Joey blushed.

Seto stood quickly and strode to Joey. "What. Did. You. Say?" Seto growled through gritted teeth as he kept his fists at his sides for fear of punching Joey.

"Well...uh...I...Yugi...da angel...he grabbed Yami and flew out the window...they were both laughing..." Joey gulped nervously. He remembered the strength from yesterday. Looking in the frigid blue eyes, his heart sank. He disappointed Seto. Again. Looking down, he blinked the moisture out of his eyes. It didn't matter. He loves Serenity. I can't compete with a ghost.

"I cannot believe that you cannot keep track of the heir!" Seto hissed. "You are demoted. Immediately! You will serve under Ryou in the garden. Get your stuff and Get. Out."

"Seto. Yami isn't in danger. Yugi has him. Yugi is an angel for Ra's sake...Yami couldn't be safer. Let's talk about dis. This isn't about Yami, is it?" Joey's honey eyes glimmered with hurt and sadness.

Seto glared at Joey. "Of course it is. You are irresponsible and cannot keep track of your sister's child. This is completely about Ya..."

"Seto...I'm not her...nuttin' will bring her back." Joey murmured, looking down at his feet.

"I never said you were her." Seto responded, indignantly.

"Seto...we all loved Ser..."

Seto glared. He huffed, emotions snapping at the false accusation dripping from Joey's explanation combined with the frustration running through his veins and emotions. "I do not love Serenity!" Seto erupted, tired of this foolish notion.

Joey looked at Seto in confusion. "Well, if you didn't love her...then why?"

Seto just looked at Joey. Grabbing Joey's head, he crushed his lips against Joey's. Joey had started to pull away, thinking Seto was going to head butt him, but upon realizing that Seto was kissing him, Joey growled low in his throat, kissing back passionately, arms around Seto's neck, fighting to kiss back, fighting for dominance. Pulling back after a few moments, when the need for oxygen became annoyingly important, dark cobalt clashed with dark honey. "Because I love you, Joey. I always have...but a High Priest has to be celibate." Seto rasped.

Joey's mouth fell open slightly. "Y...you love me?" He whispered.

Seto closed his eyes. "Yes, but I cannot do anything with you. Please leave before I do something we cannot return from. As of right now, you can still go and have a plentiful life...if I have you, I don't think I could let you go. And I cannot have you." Seto turned back around, going and sitting down at his desk. "Of course you are not demoted. But try to keep my baby cousin safe." Seto picked up the pen, eyes fixated on the papyrus he was writing on.

Joey had been dismissed.

*****************

Ryou went about work that day, an endless smile on his face. Humming as he tended the gardens, he didn't notice the eyes watching him. "Princess...you need to be more observant. Someone could sneak up on you and hurt you." Bakura walked out then, holding a spear. Ryou smiled up at him, tucking a piece of wayward white hair behind his ear, smudging some dirt on his sunburnt cheek.

Bakura walked up to Ryou. "I'll pick you up at the front at eight."

Ryou smiled up at Bakura. "Okay." He smiled, nodding.

Bakura smirked. "Don't look at me like that. Don't make me out to be a fucking angel. I'm far from it, dove." He winked and walked off. Ryou blushed and kept smiling. Tonight was going to be...Wait...did he just call me dove?

*************

Yami giggled, the wind blowing through his hair as Yugi held him securely, flying above Egypt. "This is amazing!" He looked back at Yugi. Yugi grinned back at Yami. Swooping down, Yugi landed gently by a small lake. Yami's mouth opened in surprise. "This is beautiful, Yugi! How didja know about it?" He turned around and smiled at his angel.

Yugi shrugged. "I just saw it when we were flying over. Wanna go swimming?" Yugi asked.

"Sure!" Yami stated and stripped down naked as Yugi did as well. Jumping in the water, the two boys played long into the afternoon, not a care in the world. When hunger pains reminded the boys that they needed to eat, Yami and Yugi crawled out of the water. Searching around, they found some coconuts, wild berries, and a few bananas. Setting out a picnic lunch, the boys ate, exchanging stories of their lives.

Yugi loved to hear about Yami's exploits around the palace and his relationship with his father, uncle, and cousin. Yami liked to hear...really anything that Yugi had to say. He loved to hear the sound of Yugi's voice. It was so peaceful and calming. Happier than either had been in a long time, Yami and Yugi fell asleep under a tree as the hot sun beat down on the island.

After waking, Yugi and Yami got dressed. Flying back to the palace, Yugi flew into Yami's room and gently deposited Yami on his feet. Giggling, Yami grinned. "Whatcha wanna do now?"

Yugi smiled. "I don't care...as long as we do it together."