Hello eveyrone! Happy New Year! I'm sure you all hate me properly at this point.

I'm so incredibly sorry. I never intended to go on a year long hiatus. A lot of good and bad shit happened this past year, so I was very preoccupied. But now I'm back, and my resolution is to work harder and procrastinate less. And don't be mistaken; this is not a New Years Resolution. This is a New Semester Resolution. My first semester at college I learned come finals time that all the revisions and redos I had put off would come to bite me in the butt. (Slash, I actually broke down crying and a few points, so I've learned my lesson.)

I feel like all of you are going to unfollow me though, 'cause this chapter is absolute doo-doo. I actually finished this chapter last night (and I'm so proud of myself *shot*) but my internet was down, so enjoy this mid-morning update. (Well, it's midmorning where I am right now, but I know I've got readers and followers in the UK and Singapore, and my friend in Israel reads my story to, so whatever.)

Okay, I'm just rambling again by now. Just, I'm sorry I'm such a shit updater, I will try harder. Enjoy the story.

I am not affiliated with Yugioh in any way, shape, or form. It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

Atemu sat in the darkness of the livingroom, legs dangling over one cushioned arm of the chair he was perched in, with his head cradled by the other arm. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't find rest. The discussion he had with Yugi not and hour earlier plagued his mind.

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"I... I'm sorry Atemu, but... I- I know you loved Heba, and that I'm his reincarnation and everything, but..."

"But what?" Atemu almost pleaded.

Yugi returned his gaze to those beautiful crimson eyes, and with his sad violet ones he replied:

"But I'm not Heba."

Atemu was taken aback by the words. "What are you talking about? Of course you're Heba. Your name may have changed, and your skin is paler, but you are still my Heba, my akhu, my beloved. Those physical differences mean nothing to me, your pure and beautiful soul is the same."

Yugi sighed. He was tired. Too tired to fully delve into a matter of such importance and apparent disparity between their opinions. "Atemu, we really need to talk about this, but not now. Tomorrow. But please, think about it this way: my name is Yugi Mutou, I was born in Domino, Japan to a middle class family. I work in a game shop, not in a palace, not as a servant. And this is the first time I've met you in my life."

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Atemu groaned. This was not going as he had expected at all. He hadn't really thought about what to expect in the first place, but certainly not this vast distance his beloved's reincarnation would put between them. And what for? Atemu simply could not understand...

A noise from the couch alerted Atemu to his cousin's waking up. He glanced over to Seth as the brunette sat himself up while clutching his head.

Seth looked around bleary-eyed, taking in his surroundings. "Ugh..what...?" He looked to his cousin, who wore a worried, pensive expression. "Atemu, what going on...? Ow, my head..." Then it came back to him. His eyes widened and he tried to stand, but his head still ached too much and hus vision was starting to swim. "Atemu! It was him! Duke! That bastard was here. He's here!" Seth ranted, all the while holding his head, his stress making the pain worse.

Atemu went over to Seth and gently pushed him back lying down, instructing him to lie and rest, for his head had sustained injury. "Calm yourself cousin. You mustn't stress your mind too much. Ra knows it's already quite messed up in there as it is." This earned him a half-hearted glare from the priest, but he complied and laid back.

"It was him Atemu." Seth began again, trying to keep calm, but finding no real way to. "Why is he here. Isis made no mention of bringing his soul back, so why?"

"I don't know" was Atemu's reply. "There are many things about this place tha-"

"And why was the mutt with him?" Seth growled out, interrupting. "Why were they- Why was my- Why... Jōno..." Atemu could've sworn he heard Seth's voice crack.

Atemu sighed. "I do not know."

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When Yugi woke up the next morning, he lied in his bed a bit longer staring into space, considering whether he should risk going downstairs. He glanced over at the digital clock. 7:05. He usually opened up shop around 8:00, but due of the arrival of the unexpected guests, the shop would probably remain closed until a later date. At least until everything was sorted out.

Yugi hopped out of bed and headed over to the bathroom to brush his teeth, and plan out his day. He would go downstairs, prepare breakfast for him, the Pharaoh and the priest, chat a bit, go shopping-

Yugi slammed his hand on the counter. This is crazy. He pulled his hand back then spat in the sink. Honestly, this so beyond normal I can't even wrap my head around all this. He rinsed his mouth out and left the bathroom. If only this were all just a dream.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he glanced at the men draped across his living room furniture. They were both still wearing the clothes they'd...uh...appeared in, which wasn't much in the first place. Off-white shentis wrapped around the waist, flowing down to just above the knees, which hiked up with the position each male slept in. But it seemed at some point in the night the two had taken off their various pieces of jewelry, what with the pile of golden articles on the living room table.

Yugi sighed. Not a dream. Not some stupid, ridiculous, impossible, tanned, gorgeous, delicious-looking, sexy- Yugi mentally slapped himself. Now was not the time to let his mind run wild. "It really has been a long time..." He mused aloud as he made his way to the kitchen.

"A long time since what?" A voice asked, startling Yugi. He looked back to see that it was Atemu, who was just stirring from his slumber. Said Pharaoh proceeded to stretch his back and arms, giving Yugi a bit too much of a view or him to handle. Tanned muscles turning and coiling and rolling and god I just want to lick his abs.

"Ugh" This was going to be a long morning if it continued in this manner. "How about I get you guys some proper clothes, and we all have some breakfast, yeah?" Yugi offered, trying to control his blush as Atemu walked toward him.

Atemu smirked and shrugged, "I see nothing wrong with our attire," he gestured to himself and his cousin, who was waking up as well. "Let's eat."

"Oh, but I insist" Yugi persisted, starting to back up as the tanned male continued his approach. "You'd be much more comfortable. And, uh, warmer." He was just pulling excuses out of thin air now. But with Atemu slowly but surely backing him up against the kitchen counter, could you really blame him for his inability to think clearly?

Leaning forward to rest his palms on the counter on either side of Yugi, successfully trapping him between himself and the counter, Atemu replied breathily, "I'm sure whatever you can serve will be hot enough to warm me up."

Flustered little Yugi gave a shiver before squirming his way out of Atemu's hold, but made no more comment on the attire of the men in his house. Instead he tried to focus on making pancakes. Yes, think about pancakes! Not about the problem you've now got in your pants, or how much the man standing not 5 feet away arouses you to no end. Just think about yummy, delicious Ate- PANCAKES!

Look how much sexual frustration we've got, and it's only 8:15 in the morning.

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As Yugi concentrated on making breakfast, Atemu took a seat at the kitchen table. From his vantage point he watched as the smaller male flitted about the kitchen, picking up containers and bowls and pans. (Atemu may or may not have flinched when he saw the pan being taken out) He rested his head in his hands and smiled as he heard Yugi start to hum as he mixed ingredients in a bowl. Too cute. He was just too cute for words. Atemu was taken out of his musings when he noticed hi cousin take a seet across from him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Seth questioned with a stern expression.

Atemu brushed off his question. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"You know what I'm talking about. What are you doing trying to entice this new Heba? He has already proven to not have previous knowledge of your existence or affairs together, and he's already rejected you once before." Seth recounted flatly.

"And your point, cousin?" Atemu replied irritatedly.

"My point, my stubborn Pharaoh, is that you are beating a dead horse. He has told you he doesn't want you, and yet you continue to pursue him. Why are you wasting your efforts as such?" Seth nearly growled out, his gaze now lowed and longer focussed.

Atemu's eyes widened in understanding. Ah, I see what this is really about. A small pitying smile settled on his face. "Dear cousin, you cannot truly believe that." Atemu said softly. Seth looked back up at him confused. Atemu sat up straight and spoke with determination. "I shall not so easily admit defeat. Sure, at first he may not accept my advances, but that does not mean I shall give up all hope. I will continue to pursue him, I will not give up on this love." Atemu's eyes strayed back to Yugi's form. "True, I am a stranger in his eyes even though he is so familiar in mine, but that only means I will have to win him over again. I will have to make him fall in love with me all over again. While the times may have changed, I am certain that this love we shared is stilled stitched into his soul."

Seth snorted in response. "And so you will try to seduce him into your bed, and then your heart?"

Atemu smirked. "No, I do not simply want his body. Though making him desire me first couldn't possibly hurt my cause." Atemu finished, his expression turning pensive. No...I would not dare indulge in his body before I have his heart.

Seth leaned back in his seat and said with a bitter voice, "Well, good for you my cousin. I wish you luck in your endeavors."

"Oh, don't be like this, Seth."

"Like what?" Seth replied flatly, taking from Atemu's previous example.

"You too should work on winning Jounouchi's heart. Isn't that why you came in the first place?"

Seth gave a humorless laugh. "You are forgetting, Atemu, that I am not in the same situation as you. Jōno never loved me. His soul was never bound to mine. His heart was never mine to come and claim." The truth hurt to say, but Seth couldn't seem to stop. "And here I am, a fool who arrogantly followed you to this strange place, hoping...thinking... I don't even know what I'd been thinking! Even if he did remember his old life, he would not welcome me with open arms, let alone want me. If anything he would probably mourn that he was not finally rid of me."

"Well, now you're just being overdramatic." Atemu stated. But still his heart went out for the disheartened priest. Seth was very reserved in nature, but he was also very passionate about the things he cared about. And apparently that passion also translated when it came to people, to his love ones, to Jōno. "Seth don't you see? We are in the same situation, you and I. We both need to start over with wooing our our beloveds. I with Yugi, and you with-"

"Ahem." Yugi cleared his throat, interrupting Atemu, and both Egyptians turned to him. His face was beet-red and his expression was fighting to stay neutral. "While I'm sure whatever your talking about is...important," he started as he placed two plates stacked high with pancakes and a jar of syrup on the table, "I'm sure it can wait until after we've eaten breakfast." He then set off to another part of the kitchen in search of utensils and whatnot. "I hope you guys like pancakes, 'cause I definitely made way more than I can eat by myself." Yugi came back with forks and knives and his own plate of breakfast, and took a seat at the table.

The two formerly talkative men sat in silence now, awkwardly shifting their eyes between Yugi, their food, and each other. Meanwhile Yugi had started on his plate of pancakes, and occasionally glanced at his guests in annoyance at their sudden quietness. This continued for a few tense minutes until Yugi broke the silence. "Well, go on. You can continue your conversation." Atemu and Seth looked at him with unsure expressions. Yugi sighed. "It's not as if you guys were trying very hard to keep your conversation a secret. And I don't exactly have the word's largest, noisiest kitchen. I could hear most every word you guys were saying."

Atemu had the decency to look sheepish at that, while Seth just crossed his arms and glared. "He is cheeky, this one." Seth spat. "At least as a servant, your Heba held his tongue."

Yugi bristled with anger. "Hey! I'm-"

"You will not speak to him in such a manner." Atemu's voice boomed. He and Seth locked angry eyes for a minute before Seth got up and left the kitchen in favor of the livingroom, leaving his breakfast untouched.

Yugi's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed, then he shook his head in effort to calm himself. "Um, thank you Atemu." He said bashfully. "I don't mean to pit you and your cousin against each other though. Maybe you should go after him."

"No." Atemu sighed, and matched Yugi with his calm gaze. "He is not upset at you or me. His heart is heavy, which makes his speech bitter. Please forgive his rude behavior."

Yugi found himself mesmerized for a moment, until he looked down at his plate and mumbled, "It's alright," then went back to stuffing his face with syrup-drenched pancakes. Atemu's eyes were so soft and inviting when he looked into them, that he feared if he didn't look away he'd lose himself in them. Yugi then noticed Atemu hadn't even touched his breakfast. "Do you not like pancakes?"

"Oh, um," Atemu looked down at his full plate then back to Yugi. "Actually I've never eaten flat pastries like these before, so I am not really sure."

"Hmm, no pancakes in Ancient Egypt. I guess I should have realized that from the start. So what do you normally have at meals?

"Fruits and vegetables, bread, animal meats and spices. And for drink mostly wine, fruit juices and sometimes milk." Atemu recounted.

Yugi hummed in response. "Well, now you'll get your first taste of 'future food'" he joked. "Just try some, maybe you'll find you like them. Here, put some maple syrup on top." Yugi offered the syrup jar for Atemu to take, then got up and headed to the fridge. "I can get you a glass of milk if you want too."

Atemu had just taken a bite from his plate, when he suddenly swallowed a bit to fast at Yugi's words. "You have a cow hidden somewhere in this house?!" He exclaimed

Yugi couldn't help laughing aloud at Atemu's reaction. "Ha ha ha, no, no. Nowadays we don't hoard cows in our basements to have milk. We put it in cartons," he took out a carton of milk from his fridge to show, "and keep them in refrigerators, which keep the milk cool and fresh for longer."

"Wow, this age is certainly very advanced!" Atemu ogled as Yugi pour him a glass of milk. He took a gulp, then sat back and sighed. "Delicious and refreshing. I could get used to this."

Yugi couldn't help chuckling more at Atemu's reactions to modern innovations. It somehow made him feel very pleased to see the man before him content. He would even dare to say that it made him happy just to see Atemu happy.

After the two of them finished their food in comfortable silence, Yugi began taking the dishes to the sink. He plugged the drain and turned on the water, letting the dishes soak so he could tend to them later. He put the milk back in the fridge just as Atemu turned to him in his seat and spoke. "Thank you for the food Yugi. It was delicious. I look forward to many more meals and new dishes to try."

Yugi giggled. " Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much my Phara- Oh!" Yugi brought his hand to his mouth, both embarrassed and shocked at the words he himself spoke. "Atemu. I'm glad you liked it Atemu," He said correctly. But the damage was already done. The look on the former Pharaoh's face confirmed that.

To say that Atemu had been surprised at Yugi's words would be and understatement of epic proportions. "Y-Yugi..."

"Oh, look at the time!" Yugi chirped shrilly. "We have so much we need to do today! Um, I'll just go find those clothes I was talking about before, and, um, yeah." With the the small flustered made sped out of the kitchen and up the stairs so fast you would think hell was chasing after him.

But no, no one was chasing after him. But there was a one Atemu, former Pharaoh of the Kingdom of Egypt, still sitting at the kitchen table, eyes wide and mouth agape, struggling to hold back tears of either joy or longing, he did not know.

So, yay! Development!

Please review, it really helps me feel inspired to write. On that note, while I was on my hiatus I received 2 particular PMs of interest. I shall keep the senders anonymous, but they were very colorfully worded complaints on my lack of update, and bashing entirely on my writing style. While I do not pretend that it's okay for me to have left you all handing for 12 months, I don't appreciate being told so in such a rude manner. Nor do I pretend I'm a good writer. Believe me, every time I open a word document I basically ask myself, "Okay, how much of a mockery of the English language are we going to attempt today?" :,D

In conclusion, I love reviews, but keep them civil please

Until next time ~3