Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and characters by Kazuki Takahashi. Concept versions by me. All original characters within belong to either me or Chan.

Bakura-Atem
Yami-Khiti

--

And so days passed. The Persians left, presumably back the way they had come, Khiti moved into the palace and was welcomed by Atem as a member of his upper staff--a fact the priests did not like, as that made Khiti's influential power equal to theirs. Days turned into weeks, which gave way to months. Khiti married Suti, moving her into his room in the palace and Tashat continued to serve Atem as his personal servant. It had been discovered that she had a weak heart and had been set exercises to strengthen it, which she dutifully did with her beloved Pharaoh's encouragement. She still slept on the floor in a blanket pile. Though Atem insisted that he could find her a better place to rest, she hadn't wanted to move under the pretense of caring for him from his very waking moment. The truth however was that as the months had passed, she had found her feelings for him growing. Often while he slept she would reach out to touch him, always feeling unworthy to do so, but unable to help herself.

During all of this time, she had never met Khiti. The encounter...would prove to leave a lasting impression on the slave girl.

It was early afternoon and Tashat was brushing blown in sand off the balcony when she heard the sound of the chamber door opening and closing, she turned and headed back into the room with a smile, expecting to find Atem returning from his duties to wait out the midday heat in comfort. Instead however she found a spiky-haired stranger standing by Atem's jewelry dresser, rifling through it.

Though frightened, Tashat raised the broom over her head. "Hey! Those belong to the Pharaoh!" She yelled at the intruder, trying to sound brave.

The intruder gave a start and turned. He stared at her in surprise for several moments, but then smirked slightly and straightened up to his full height.

"Well," He purred. "you're a new one. I've never seen you before." He took a step toward her, but Tashat stepped back and waved the broom at him threateningly.

"S-Stay back!" She panted. Her chest felt tight, but she was determined not to let him near her.

"There's no need for that..." The stranger moved closer, and caught the end of the broom when she tried to hit him with it. With a yank, he easily pulled it from her grasp and threw it aside where it fell with a clatter to the floor. He gave a smirk when her eyes widened in fear. "Lost your weapon, did you girl?" He stepped forward until he'd backed her into the wall. "Oooh. You're a cute one."

Tashat's breathing grew more labored. "L-Leave me alone!" She panted, and flinched when he chuckled.

"Oh now, that's no way to treat a handsome man--"

"Khiti."

Khiti froze when he felt the touch of a blade against his neck. "...Atem?"

"You go too far, old friend." Atem's voice was as cold as the weapon he held to his friend's flesh. "I thought you above such deplorable behavior."

Khiti turned his head slightly. "I was just--"

"Back away from her at once." Atem removed his sword, sheathing it and Khiti obediently retreated. Atem immediately moved to Tashat's side.

"Tashat, are you alri--? Tashat!" He hastily caught her when she fainted into his arms. Giving his childhood friend a venomous look that would make any asp jealous, the young Pharaoh moved to his bed and gently lay her down on it and then turned to Khiti with a withering expression. "Explain this. Now."

Khiti hastily put his hands up. He had never seen Atem so furious, and it took him off guard. "I was just playing around." He spoke quickly. "I didn't see any harm in it."

"Playing around?!" Khiti took a step back when the Puzzle around his friend's neck burst into light. "You were terrorizing her! By Amun, if you've harmed her..."

"I didn't do anything but back her into the wall, Atem! Do you think Suti would forgive me if I--" Khiti paused and shook his head. "I just wanted to scare her a little, I wasn't going to hurt her!"

"She has a weakened heart, Khiti! Your antics could have killed her!" Atem's eyes began to glow, reflecting the magic coursing from the Puzzle.

"Atem, calm down!" Khiti took another step back. "You're overreacting to all this! I didn't know anything about her heart, or I would have left her alone!"

Atem stood silently for several moments before the glow of his eyes and the Puzzle began to fade. "Why are you in here?" He asked with a barely controlled tone.

"...I was trying to play our game." Khiti motioned to the jewelry. "She interrupted me...that's all...I would never betray you, Atem..." Abruptly, for no clear reason aside from the fact that he was facing his Pharaoh, Khiti abruptly collapsed to his knees and prostrated himself before his friend. Trembles took over his body. How can I say I would never betray him when I've been keeping the secret of his father from him...when I'd once planned to kill him as well?! Khiti shut his eyes tightly. Am I really a monster like my father tried to make me to be? Aset help me, I don't want to be a bad person anymore! He gave a violent start when he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"Forgive me, my friend." Atem's voice was soft now, and kind. "Your childhood was a harsh one compared to mine, and you 'play' differently. Of course you meant no harm, and you could not possibly have known about her condition." Atem moved back, straightening up. "Rise and face me."

Still trembling a bit, Khiti moved to stand and look at his taller friend, 5'7" to 5'10". Atem smiled faintly to him and Khiti returned the expression after a moment.

"I think the time of that old game of 'steal the jewelry and make me guess' is over, old friend." Atem looked over at his bed and the young woman lying in it, his eyes unexpectedly soft. "I have new responsibilities to deal with."

Khiti stared at his friend in shock for several moments. "...You love her, don't you?" He said softly, quite surprised. He knew Atem was an only child, as his siblings had all died of a disease several years ago and rendered his father sterile. As such, the young Pharaoh had to look elsewhere for a Queen, but...

"I believe I do, Khiti..." Atem whispered, still looking at Tashat. "Is it so wrong?"

"But...she's just a servant girl! With a weak heart, she couldn't even be part of your harem!"

"Yes...you are right. She could never bear me children, and she does not understand the ways of the court, the things necessary to rule at my side...but the princesses of other kingdoms..." Atem shook his head. "They are beautiful, and they are strong of spirit...but they all have darker motives. They may be the daughters of my allies, but I cannot trust them and I cannot wed or bed them. Tashat...she...she haunts me, Khiti." Atem clenched his fist and shut his eyes, looking pained. "It is her I long for, it is...her I wish at my side. It is torture...I have never known such agony..."

Khiti observed his friend in silence while he spoke. Being a master in the way of thievery had also made him an expert with body expressions. The words were poetic, but the meaning was clear. Atem did love her, and very strongly. And knowing that he couldn't have her the way he wanted was consuming him. Khiti knew the feeling. He had felt the same way with Suti before Atem had voiced that he knew about the relationship his friend was carrying on with the woman and gave permission for it to go further.

You gave me my greatest desire...now it's time I returned the favor...

"Atem. I can help you."

Atem blinked and turned his head. The look he gave Khiti was filled almost with a desperate hope. "...What?"

"I can help you." Khiti repeated. He put a hand to his chest. "There were medicines from my village that could help with afflictions like this, I'm certain of it! I can find the information and make the medicines, to strengthen her heart."

"...Can you really do such a thing?" Atem turned to face his older friend. "Not even my personal physician knows of such a medicine as that."

"I'm certain I can, Atem. Have faith in me."

Atem smiled, looking hopeful, but then his expression sagged and he sighed heavily. "That is a wonderful thing if you can manage it...but even still, I do not know if she feels the same way I do. Please do it all the same, for I cannot bear to see her so weak, but..."

"Oh, don't be dense." Khiti snorted. "Do you know how much effort I had to go to win over Suti?! The women of your harem all adore you! Do you think this woman is any different just because she's never felt your touch?!"

"...Mayhaps, mayhaps not." Atem gave a crooked smile. "But adoration and love are different. I saved her from death in the desert, and she is grateful to me. I am her Pharaoh, a mortal God in her eyes. If love me she does, does she love me as ruler of upper and lower Egypt, or as Atem?"

Khiti's response was to tilt his head and give a sly smile. "She may have a weak heart, but I'm betting it beats for you. You should find out if she loves the man or the ruler, and there's no better way than to ask..." He smirked and gave a wink. "A shame I'm a man, considering how your harem sighs about your prowess."

"...Begone, you shameless cur!" Atem swept up the discarded broom and took a swing at Khiti, chasing the laughing ex-thief off the balcony to force him to summon his ka to catch him. With a huff, the young Pharaoh swept back into his bedchamber and shut the balcony doors behind himself, then leaned on them and began to laugh softly.

"That man...with how often he thinks of intimate union, it is a wonder he does not wear poor Suti out." Atem shook his head and calmed down, then looked over at the bed where Tashat was beginning to awaken. I believe I will indeed ask...though in a far different manner than the one suggested.

Tashat blinked awake groggily and moved to sit up, disoriented. "What...?"

"How are you feeling?" Atem stepped away from the balcony doors to move to her side and sit on the bed. "Any dizziness or tingling?"

Tashat jumped in surprise, then blushed when he sat down near her. "A-Ah...I'm alright." She looked around the room. "Where did the thief go?"

"Not to worry, I chased him off. He will not frighten you like that again." Atem smiled to her, making her blush more so her skin almost matched her hair and eyes.

"I'm...glad..." Tashat forced herself to lower her eyes, and then she moved to get out of Atem's bed, only to find a hand on her chest gently pushing her back.

"I do not believe you should move around just yet." Atem spoke gently, but firmly.

"B-But..." Tashat looked back up at him in surprise, and her eyes widened to see that he had leaned towards her lightly. "M-My Pharaoh..." She stammered. Her heart was hammering in her chest again, but this time it didn't seem to make her feel as weak.

"No." Atem moved his hand and brought both up to remove the tiara crown he normally wore. He set it down beside him and looked at her. "I do not speak to you as Pharaoh, but as the man Atem."

"A-Ah..." Tashat drew back slightly, not knowing how to react.

Atem looked at her for several moments, and then he sighed and stood. Picking up his tiara crown, he moved to his jewelry dresser and proceeded to remove the rest of his jewelry, including his armbands and the Puzzle. "Do you fear me?"

"Wh--No, my Pharaoh. I could never be afraid of you!" Tashat stayed where she was, staring at his back, not understanding.

Atem knelt to remove his leg bands. "Am I the Rising Sun? The Mortal Son of Ra?"

"O-Of course..." Her confusion grew.

"No..." Atem shook his head. "I am but a man. I was born of a man and a woman, as every person is. I am not a God."

"My Pharaoh..." Tashat whispered.

Atem stood up and placed his leg bands beside his armbands. Then, clad in nothing but his clothes, he turned to face her. "Can you see me as a man, Tashat? Flawed and imperfect as all men are?"

"I don't see any flaws..." Tashat whispered, meeting his eyes for the first time without being told to. "You saved me from death, you took me in as your personal servant...you let me sleep beside your bed at night, and care for your needs when you awaken.

Atem smiled slightly after a moment, then moved back to the bed to sit beside her. "I could have done nothing else. For them to attempt to discard you as if you were nothing more than an animal..." His voice trailed off and his eyes tightened in anger.

Tashat lowered her head, though she knew his temper was in no way directed at her. "I am only a slave, my Pharaoh..."

"Not a single person is 'just' anything. Commoners become priests and guards, and a slave too may rise above their station if they are deserving of it. I am Pharaoh only by luck of my birth and I could just as easily have been a common man myself."

"...You could never be common." Again, Tashat raised her eyes to look up at him. "You deserved to be Pharaoh...you are a good man."

Atem smiled to her, his eyes gentle. "That is a kind thing to say."

"It is the truth."

Atem inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement of the compliment, and then on a whim, he reached out to take her hand and place it on his cheek. Tashat's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't try to pull away.

"Tashat..." Atem's eyes were warm, but his tone was serious. "I speak to you as a man, and as a man I must confess of a great pain I have been keeping within myself." He looked at her intently, then let go of her hand and drew back. He looked off to the side, unable to look at her. "It...is embarrassing. Not the emotion, but my inability to speak of it clearly..."

"My Pharaoh?" Tashat looked at him in concern and half-reached out to him before stopping herself.

Atem clenched his fist and gave a hiss of frustration. He, who never had trouble speaking his mind in any other situation, was unable to confess the feelings he had for her. He found himself afraid, terrified even of what her reaction would be. Would she shy away? Reject him? Or worse, accept his feelings only because he was Pharaoh? How could he say it when he didn't know if she could possibly see him as just Atem?!

Tashat continued to look at him, her heart thundering away and making her short of breath. In the back of her mind she had a strong feeling of what he wanted to say to her, but she knew it was impossible. Though she loved him with all her heart, she knew he could never feel the same. She was but a lowly slave, and he...he was Pharaoh. He was destined to marry royalty, and she was too weak to even clean his room without having to rest.

For several moments, they sat there, so close and yet so far apart. Neither knowing how to break the silence. Finally, in a desperate wish to end the tension, Tashat did something she had not done since her nearly forgotten youth before she had been sold as a slave.

She began to sing.

The song had no words, yet it managed to convey heavy emotion. Atem turned his head to stare at her as the sound carried from her lips, speaking without words her feelings, her gratefulness, and how very happy she was. It was birdsong and more. It was beautiful, and Atem could only listen, stunned and silent while she sat there. Her hands clasped over her heart, eyes closed while she spoke with her very soul.

After several minutes, in which the sounds came from Tashat seemingly without any real control on her part, the song ended and she opened her eyes to look at him. She started in surprise when she saw tears in his eyes.

"By Isis..." Atem whispered and reached out to grab her hand, bringing it up to kiss her palm in a motion of worship. It was a gesture to be given from a commoner to one of higher station, not the other way around and Tashat gasped loudly, utterly stunned. She tried to jerk away, but he refused to let go.

"M-My Pharaoh...!" She tried to twist away, and finally he let go. She scrambled to the far side of the bed and hastily prostrated herself, face flaming. "W-Why?!"

"Why?" Atem's voice was husky with emotion. "Do you not realize the beauty you released for my ears?" He crawled up onto the bed after her and reached out to touch the side of her face. "Tashat...oh, by Isis..." He lowered himself to touch the top of his head with hers and moved his hands to cover hers, bowing as she was and making them as equals. "You sing as the Goddess Herself! Don't ever let that voice fade."

Tashat trembled, but didn't otherwise move. "N-No...no...I'm just a slave...I..."

"I beg you Tashat...I beg you...never call yourself a slave again. You deserve a much higher title. You deserve whatever you could ever desire."

Tashat finally moved, jerking up and away from him. She stumbled off the bed, eyes wide. She shook her head violently, making her ponytail swing like a horse's tail trying to rid itself of flies. "I-I'm not worthy of anything!" Her voice was almost pleading. "M-My Pharaoh..." Her breath came in gasps and she swayed, a hand coming up to flutter by her chest.

Suddenly, he was there, catching her, supporting her. She sagged against him helplessly, gasping softly and she felt his hand touch her head.

"Forgive me. I have distressed you..." He pulled her hair free of the tie which held it and her hair cascaded down to her shoulders. "I allowed my emotions to get ahead of my sense." His fingers moved gently through her hair as he spoke and she trembled and shut her eyes. She had to be dreaming...and if she was, she didn't want to wake up.

"Forgive me." He spoke again, and then he scooped her up to place her back in his bed. She gave a squeak of surprise and looked at him with wide eyes.

Atem took her hand with both of his and bowed his head so his eyes were hidden. "I...love you..." He said at last, forcing the words out in a rush. "I confess this as a man...for you have proven yourself to be a Goddess."

"I-I..." Tashat stammered, staring. She slowly pushed herself to sit up, though she left her hand in his grasp. "N-No...please...don't...my Pharaoh...I'm not worthy of this...don't call me a Goddess..."

"Please...don't..." Atem lifted his head to look at her, his expression so pleading and desperate that she was quite taken aback. "If you are not a Goddess, then see me as nothing more than a man...reject me, or accept me, but call me Atem!"

"I..." Tashat stared some more, but then all at once, the tension left her body. It was surely a dream, so what had she to fear? "I love you too...Atem." She whispered. "With all my heart and soul, I love you."

His elated look convinced her further that she was dreaming, and she didn't try to move when he moved to join her on the bed. He pulled her close and she relaxed against him, breathing deeply of his sandalwood scent.

"Sleep at my side tonight." He whispered in her ear, and she nodded. Her heart beat in time with his, but for once, it didn't cause her pain. She didn't notice when his lips touched hers, for her world was already spiraling into darkness and she slumped back, fainting as it all became too much for her to handle.

Atem gently lay her down and pressed his fingers lightly to the side of her throat the way the physician has taught him to check on her pulse. He sighed in relief when he felt her lifeblood pumping strongly beneath his fingers and he slowly moved to lie beside her. It was far from night, but it would be hours before the air would cool enough for him to begin his evening affairs, so there was nothing better to do but sleep.

Closing his eyes, he held her hand gently with his and slowly drifted off to sleep.