Title: Starlight

Author: WhiteLaurel (LJ), AiVixen (FFnet)

Pairing: Atem x Yuugi

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh

Theme: 1, Starlight

Rating: PG

Warnings: Um, Pharaoh's real name? Though if you wanted to keep that unspoiled, I should have warned you sooner. ;3

Disclaimer: Yu-gi-oh belongs to its respective owners, not including me.

Word Count: 901

Summary: The Pharaoh is troubled, and his servant is eager to soothe him.

AN: Wow, these are getting pumped out fast! You probably won't see an update from me for at least a few days now -- the only reason I have so much extra time presently is because I'm at my dad's place, taking a load off. XD On the topic of this one shot, I just want to throw it out there that I am so uncomfortable writing historical fictions. I feel like this is all so inaccurate, and I'm not sure I captured it properly -- My only consolation is that canon isn't really historically accurate either, so... Whatever. o.o I'm sorry if my ignorance ruins this ficlet! I hope you enjoy! /longAN

A yawn burned Yuugi's throat, but he pressed his lips together and inwardly recited ancient texts to keep himself awake. His small hands were fisted in his lap, and he stared at them fervently.

"I would have you leave now," a quiet voice rumbled from across the room.

Against his better judgment and years of preparation for this unique servitude, his own traitorous purple eyes shot upward to regard his Pharaoh. He was unequivocally tired, it was true; but Atem had never been one to excuse him early, regardless of mood or circumstance. It was plain unheard of -- to retire when his Master still had kohl around his eyes! -- and...

It worried him.

There was no want for solitude in that regal voice, only an exhaustion that went bone deep and beyond the remedy of sleep.

Nevertheless, he teetered forward, touched his forehead to the ground in silent solute, and rose. And hesitated. While it was not in his practice to ignore the direct order of his Pharaoh, their companionship was long-standing, and were it not for the unbreakable tradition of Osiris and Isis, it probably would have been by now advanced to romance.

Still, he had been a close servant to Atem since his own childhood, and never once had he been excused before his duty was finished.

Yuugi closed his eyes, one foot forward towards his king and one foot backwards towards the door, and a gust of evening wind curled in through the open balcony and cooled his features.

"Please," he murmured, bringing his feet together so that his ankles rubbed -- forward -- his feathery lashes batted like the wings of a nervous bird, and he kept his eyes down. "My Pharaoh is unready for sleep."

Disobedience like that was just an invitation to be expelled from the palace, Yuugi thought with a cringe.

Atem, for his part, turned to face Yuugi with an openly incredulous expression on his face -- almost shocked out of his reverie. The boy had to giggle softly at that, relishing in that honest emotion that rippled within dragon-red irises, too often dark with rage, pain, anguish, malice.

"Come here," the king finally found himself, a humorous smile lifting his lips. He was so unused to being challenged, but a protest so innocent was hardly unpleasant. "My mind is as unready as my body, little one."

Yuugi obeyed happily, crossing the room and stepping into the blissfully cool nighttime air. He stopped just behind the Pharaoh's silhouette -- but far enough to the side that he could be seen in the corner of Atem's eye.

It was peaceful silence for a moment -- the capital was asleep, the time for garish parties long past. Duties would start again in a small handful of short hours. Brushing uneven tendrils of ink black hair from his eyes, Yuugi followed the king's pensive gaze -- not down towards darkened avenues, but upwards to a depthless, incomprehensible, navy velvet sky.

"Were it only that I was born a star in the heavens," Atem began, his voice drawn and unguarded, starlight softly and sharply illuminating his features, "With the certainty of one who has seen and can understand everything."

The words struck Yuugi like a slap to the face, or a knife through the heart, -- Or as if his heart was a red glass bauble, and it had been clumsily dropped a short distance -- The first cracks burst like star-stuff across the fragile surface.

If he had been worried before, he was fairly devastated now.

His Pharaoh, his God, -- Uncertain! Discouraged!

He dropped like that glass bauble to his knees, reaching forward to fold his hands around Atem's slender, darkly tanned hand. He pressed an open kiss to the king's knuckles, angry -- helpless -- frightened -- characteristically empathetic tears tingling on his lashes.

"Your wisdom is ten thousand times greater than that of any short-sighted star," he said vehemently, his shoulders and his voice shaking just slightly. "My Pharaoh does not need a billion eyes through which to see this kingdom, for he is clever and powerful and, and..." He swallowed a lump in his throat, tiredness forgotten, glaring down at the floor at his own verbal inadequacy.

But when the look of surprise for the second time left the Pharaoh's face, he laughed openly and drew Yuugi up to his feet.

"You are a silly, unorthodox servant." He claimed, his eyes the color of mischief and self-assured intellect, droll humor and private playfulness once more. It was the jibe he had been tossing at Yuugi since they were small.

It meant that the anger and stress had been completely abandoned until daylight again, and it made Yuugi sigh in relief.

"You are a distressing King," Yuugi returned shyly, never quite comfortable with verbally sparring with the elder, highly ranked male -- But knowing that it would probably always be okay.

"You may undress me now," Atem still grinned, lifting the Pyramid from around his neck as he left the starlight behind and retreated to his wayward vanity. The undercurrent of sexual innuendo made Yuugi blush, but it was the phrase Atem had been using with feigned innocence since forever, so he took its literal meaning dutifully.

He closed the doors to the balcony and locked them before following Atem, opening his mouth to return the humor with a star-bright smile.