#dont worry atem will be back in person next snippet

[the-pancake-writes]

Snippet: Prince Yugi/Bodyguard Atem AU 7 - The Temptation

Sequel to “Another Ball”

For a complete overview check the contents page

If you saw this post you already know about this AU of mine. The title basically says it   all. Prince Yugi, body guard Atem, forbidden love, drama. ;D

Last time we all concluded that Atem is a frickin DUMMY for rejecting Yugi like he did. But luckily someone else is there to cheer him up...

Another alarm for @spiritualpuzzleshipper and @yamisonarbtleh!!

Yugi adjusted the sleeves of his white shirt.

“It feels so strange not wearing two undershirts after all these months”, he said. A maid helped him into a dark blue vest with floral embroidery and buttoned it up.

“If it stays this warm the snow should be melting away within a week or so. Some even say they saw the first crocuses on the palace grounds”, she said.

“Already?”, Yugi said, not sure whether to be sad or happy. While he was looking forward to spring it’d also mean that soon he’d have to leave Dareia, his home country, and travel to Kallias. No specific date had been set yet but he and his mother had agreed that he should be on his way by the beginning of spring.

While the maid tied his cravat knock sounded.

“Yes?”, Yugi said and a servant entered and bowed.

“Excuse me for interrupting, my prince. But I have a message from Royal Protector Sennen. He says he can’t come to your appointment in the library in the evening. He’s not feeling well”, the servant said and his words sent a sting through Yugi’s heart. Atem had been skipping their reading sessions and rides for over two weeks now. Yugi gulped, gritted his teeth and decided that this was the last time Atem rejected him like this.

“Well, I have a message for him too. He doesn’t need to come up with any more excuses because all our regular appointments are from now on cancelled”, he said. Both the servant’s and the maid’s eyes widened. Yugi never used such direct and harsh words, not even with people he disliked.

“I will deliver it, my prince”, the servant said and withdrew. The maid finished the knot and Yugi sat down on a chair, arms crossed, while she helped him into his shoes.

Since the last ball all Atem did was exercise at the gym. He had never been particularly sociable but he had at least spent time with Yugi and a few of the royal guards. Yugi had tried to approach him twice but Atem had mumbled things Yugi had barely understood and upon asking him to repeat himself, he had just walked away. Yugi had hoped that Atem would come around himself but if he decided not to, Yugi had no intentions to be pushed away every day over and over.

Had his request to teach him that special Kallian dance made Atem realise how little he actually cared for Yugi? Had Yugi misinterpreted how much Atem enjoyed their time together over the past three years? Had he guessed that Yugi was in love with him and now things could never return to the way they had been…? The thought gave Yugi a cold shiver.

Once the maid was finished, he checked himself in the mirror, grabbed his notepad and dictionary from a chest of drawers, and left the room. The usual morning scents of tea, bread, and marmalade were still wafting through the corridors as he walked. At least he’d get to spend the morning with Lord Otogi who was the exact opposite from Atem: welcoming, open, and charming.

While the thought of Atem made Yugi want to hide under a blanket, Lord Otogi made him laugh, sometimes even feel warm and fuzzy inside when he gave Yugi another compliment about his beauty or intelligence. He felt lighter already when he approached Lord Otogi’s chambers and saw his red-haired maid waiting for him. She curtseyed.

“Welcome, your highness”, she said with a smile that made her look even more gorgeous. “Please follow me.”

While the rest of the palace still smelled of breakfast, Lord Otogi’s chambers had the usual fresh but sweet fragrance. The maid lead Yugi into the same drawing room as always. Lord Otogi was spreading a map over the low table before the couch. When he saw Yugi he stood up and greeted him with open arms.

“My prince! So good to see you again!”

“It’s only been one day”, Yugi said with a smirk but actually happy about Lord Otogi’s enthusiasm. After placing his notepad and dictionary on the table they touched each other’s upper arms and pecked each other’s cheeks. Yugi enjoyed the Kallian greeting by now, especially the rush of excitement that came with it. The rest of the palace would no doubt be scandalized but it was their little secret…

“What’s today’s lesson?”, Yugi said as they sat down. The maid poured them cups of tea and withdrew.

“I would like to teach you about the different regional dialects of the Kallian language. It can be a rather confusing subject, even for native speakers, but there are a few things you should know”, Lord Otogi said. He began to talk while pointing at Kallias’ different islands but Yugi couldn’t concentrate.

Was Atem exercising as usual? How would he react when he received Yugi’s message? Would he be sad? Angry? Relieved? Had Yugi’s words been too harsh after all…? But if Atem cared about their appointments he’d try to talk to Yugi one of these days! Right…?

“My prince?”, Lord Otogi said and Yugi turned his head. “Is everything all right? You look worried.”

Yugi gulped. Atem always said something similar when Yugi was upset, even if the hints were so subtle no one else picked up on them…

“Yes…well…it’s something personal. I don’t want to burden you with that.”

“I wouldn’t mind. And I can assure you that everything you say will stay between us.”

Yugi chewed on his bottom lip. It would be inappropriate to talk about something private with his teacher. But weren’t they pushing the boundaries of what was appropriate for Dareian standards with every lesson already? Besides, Yugi had no one else he could tell this sort of thing…

“Well…it’s…it’s Atem”, Yugi said and played with his cravat. “He’s acting so different since I’m preparing for my mission in Kallias. He doesn’t even want to spend time with me any more. We used to be so close and all that rejection…it hurts…”

“I see”, Lord Otogi said, leaned back, and crossed his legs. “While I can’t claim to know Atem better than you he strikes me as a rather protective man, which makes him perfect for the position he’s in. But I assume that since you spend most of your time here at the palace he feels rather…useless. Maybe it bothers him so much he doesn’t feel deserving of spending any casual time with you.”

“Y-You don’t think there’s more to it…?”, Yugi said, his voice hardly louder than a whisper.

“What more could there be?”

Yugi looked to the other side.

“I…I don’t know”, he mumbled.

“In any case, I don’t think he has any bad intentions. I’m sure once we leave for Kallias and Atem can do his usual job everything will turn back to normal.”

Back to normal… Did Yugi want that? And if not, what did he want…?

“Don’t look so sad, my prince. Look, spring is almost here. Maybe we can take a ride one of these days and search for crocuses?”, Lord Otogi said.

Oh…yes, that’s a lovely idea”, Yugi said without meaning it.

“I must admit I’m not used to spring coming this early. Is it always like this on the continent?”

“Yes, this is actually pretty nor…” Yugi said but stopped when he turned back to Lord Otogi. He had rolled up his sleeves, taken off his cravat, and opened the first three buttons of his shirt.

“I didn’t know. I should have dressed differently today. But anyway, back to our lesson. About this region…”, Lord Otogi said and bent towards the map. But Yugi couldn’t stop staring. His fingers were digging into his pants, his posture perfectly erect. “Is something wrong, my prince?”

Yugi flinched.

“I…uhm…you know…men here on the continent…we usually don’t show…anything below here”, Yugi said and tapped his neck. Sure, women now and then wore ball gowns that were cut lower but men? Never!

“Really? Then what do you do in summer when it’s really hot?”

“We…uhm…sweat?”, Yugi said with an insecure laugh. His breath stopped and his temperature rose when Lord Otogi placed an arm on the backrest behind him and moved closer.

“Say, is this making you uncomfortable, my prince?”, Lord Otogi whispered and his voice danced down Yugi’s spine.

“W-Well…not uncomfortable…but this is rather…new”, Yugi said, trying to look at Lord Otogi’s face but his eyes kept darting back to the elegant arches of his collar bones.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to get used to it, my prince. When it’s warm in Kallias men wear their shirt open all the time. On particularly hot days some men might not even wear a shirt at all.”

“What?!”, Yugi said, both in shock and fascination.

“But the latter only applies to commoners who have to do hard work. You won’t see so many shirtless nobles”, Lord Otogi said.

“Oh…all right then”, Yugi said, not sure himself if he sounded relieved or disappointed.

“You know, my prince…I wouldn’t mind if you took a closer look in order to get used to the sight. After all, I can’t have you be all distracted and confused should you meet with a Kallian noble on a warm day”, Lord Otogi said and chuckled. Yugi smiled awkwardly and tried not to stare immediately at the area in question. How smooth and silky Lord Otogi’s skin looked…even a small part of his chest was revealed…and under his shirt collar a black line peeked out.

“Is that…a tattoo?”, Yugi said and pointed at it.

“Oh, yes. It is”, Lord Otogi said and tugged on the shirt collar to uncover an ancient symbol.

“Oh!”, Yugi said and added at Lord Otogi’s confused look: “I…I’m pretty sure Atem has the same tattoo at the exact same spot. What a coincidence!”

The last time Yugi had seen it had been in his office when they had talked about the blue, little book. But Yugi had seen it multiple times before when Atem had scratched his neck.

“It’s no coincidence at all, actually”, Lord Otogi said with a smirk and turned back to the map on the low table before them. “I’ll tell you another time. Now back to the lesson, yes?”

Yugi frowned at Lord Otogi’s evasive reply and decided to press for a clear answer at a later point. That idea was forgotten quickly, however.

He found himself unable to resist staring at Lord Otogi’s exposed skin. Lord Otogi didn’t seem to mind at all and just continued with the lesson. Yugi pinched his own arm for his lack of control several times. He had a mission, a mission! But what did a few looks matter…? Yugi’s inner tingled with a type of hunger he didn’t know.

That circle of fascination and restraint continued throughout the other subjects Lord Otogi talked to him about. But whatever Lord Otogi taught him about certain holidays, traditional songs, and the old temples, Yugi didn’t remember any of it. He was either memorizing every spot of Lord Otogi’s neck and chest or scolding himself for trying to do so. After a while, Yugi too felt like his clothes were too warm.

“It seems you’re not all that concentrated today”, Lord Otogi said and closed a book with illustrations of old temples. Yugi looked away and played with a strand of blond hair.

“I-I’m sorry”, he mumbled. Of course his distraction was more than obvious! It could only have been worse of he had been drooling!

“Don’t be. We all have such days. Maybe a more practical lesson would be more suitable?”, he said, stood up, and stretched a hand out to Yugi. “We could practise your dance skills.”

Yugi’s heartbeat quickened at those words. Getting even closer to that alluring body of Lord Otogi? He should decline, say he needed a moment to cool down, resist the temptation! But instead he took Lord Otogi’s hand and rose.

They walked a few steps to the area before the fireplace. Yugi had to suppress a shiver when they got into the starting position, which was almost identical to that on the continent – only much closer. Their upper bodies almost touched.

“Let’s start with the Mirage, shall we?”, Lord Otogi whispered and Yugi could only nod. Even though it was a slow dance Yugi’s breath deepened after a few minutes. He tried to focus on the steps but made many mistakes and apologised several times. His cheeks were burning with shame but Lord Otogi smiled.

“It’s no big deal, my prince. Just focus on me”, he said and Yugi bit his bottom lip to keep himself from saying:

“But that’s the problem…!”

Now the revealed parts of Lord Otogi’s chest and neck were even closer and so were the strong arms that held him. Because of their difference in height Yugi was even on eye level with the naked spots.

His hand clung to Lord Otogi’s shoulder in order not to lose his balance…but wouldn’t it be easy to let his fingers brush over the exposed areas and make it look like an accident…? Would that even be necessary? Would Lord Otogi just let him…no, what indecent thoughts!

Yugi felt dizzy and shaky but he didn’t want to sit down. He had never been this close to another person and never felt this much excitement crawl over his skin. They weren’t even doing the real dance steps any more and just swayed to the left and right.

Yugi didn’t know how but Lord Otogi made him trip but before he could fall Lord Otogi pressed his body against the wall. Yugi’s heart drummed against his chest, his fingers digging into Lord Otogi’s shirt. That helpless gesture of clinging to his only source of balance even revealed more parts of Lord Otogi’s chest and Yugi gasped at the sight.

“Goodness, how clumsy we are today”, Lord Otogi whispered. His forehead almost touched Yugi’s and his black bangs brushed his face. Yugi tried to answer but all words were stuck in his throat.

He had never been this close to that handsome face…those emerald eyes…those beautiful lips… One of them would need to move their head only a little forward…

But before Yugi could think any further, Lord Otogi glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece and said:

“Look at the time. Our lesson is over already.”

“Wh-What?”, Yugi said.

“I know. How quickly time passes when you enjoy yourself”, Lord Otogi said and gently let go of Yugi.

Yugi grabbed onto the mantelpiece in order not to fall. While Yugi was still struggling with standing straight, Lord Otogi grabbed his notepad and dictionary from the low table and handed them to Yugi. They felt a lot heavier than earlier.

“Don’t worry, my prince. We will continue right where we left off”, Lord Otogi said with a wink. “So, would you like to go search for crocuses one of these days? Maybe we could take a ride and you can show me the outer garden? I heard it’s really beautiful.”

“Y-Yes. I’d love to”, Yugi said with a nervous chuckle. “I’ll go check my schedule and tell you when I have time.”

“Wonderful”, Lord Otogi said, placed his hands on Yugi’s upper arms and pecked Yugi’s cheeks. Heat sizzled through his body yet again. Yugi’s knees wobbled when Lord Otogi whispered into his ear: “I’m really looking forward to taking a ride with you.”

Yugi somehow staggered out of Lord Otogi’s chambers, through the corridors and into the royal wing. Yugi closed the door to his bedroom behind himself. Was he having a fever dream? He was feeling hot and dizzy and what just happened couldn’t have been reality.

Maybe Yugi had misunderstood it all! Maybe none of it would be considered inappropriate in Kallias! No, not even in Kallias could it be normal to press another person against the wall and look them in the eyes like that… Unlike Yugi, Lord Otogi had been perfectly secure and relaxed, as if he had done this sort of things a dozen times already.

Yugi’s inner leapt at a realisation. Lord Otogi had done this sort of thing a dozen times already. Maybe even more! Nobles in Kallias didn’t have to wait until marriage to… Goodness, Lord Otogi had already…spent the night with someone! Several people! Lord Otogi had to be an expert on the matter! Surely a night with him would be…

Yugi turned the key behind him, placed his dictionary and notepad on a chest of drawers beside him, and dashed towards his bedside table. In the bottom drawer he found the blue little book.

He sat down on his bed and opened it with trembling fingers. He turned to the third section, which was between men only. He drew a sharp breath at the page he landed on. It showed one man on his back, his legs spread with the other one between them.

He held the book as close to his eyes as possible without the picture becoming blurred. He couldn’t help but grin as he imagined what it’d be like to be the one on the bottom. He lay back, dropped the book, and clumsily opened the buttons of his vest and shirt. His hands ran over his skin, his eyes closed.

If only someone else’s fingers could explore his skin…! His shoulders, chest, stomach… Yugi spread his legs and imagined another man right between them, just like in the illustration… Their naked bodies rubbing against one another… Waking urges in Yugi he thought he didn’t have… Making him feel so hot he believed to be melting…

Yugi’s hand slid inside his pants and he had to bite his lip to suppress a moan. He moved his hips up and down in a way that was so new but felt so natural. Waves of hot and cold swept through him as he squirmed beneath that imaginary man…

Another man…tearing Yugi’s clothes apart in his desire…kissing him everywhere…his neck, jaw, and finally his lips… Yugi would open his eyes and see…

Yugi shot up and almost fell from the bed. He was panting and believed his heart had stopped. He hadn’t seen Lord Otogi’s face in his fantasy. He had seen Atem’s.

Now that he thought about it… He had imagined the skin of other other man darker than Lord Otogi’s. The body had been slim but muscular and Yugi knew few diplomats who were well-trained.

Yugi’s bad conscience made his intestines turn into stone. How dare he include his bodyguard in his sinful dreams?! Surely Atem would be disgusted! The thought of Atem’s revolted face drove any aroused heat out of him like a sudden snowstorm.

Yugi stood up and washed his hands in a bowl of water in a corner. Now he was glad he had cancelled his and Atem’s library appointment earlier. He wouldn’t have been able to look him in the eyes anyway.

Yugi dried his hands with a towel and cursed Lord Otogi for awakening these feelings in him in the first place! But as Yugi buttoned up his shirt and vest he knew he could only blame himself for being so susceptible to Lord Otogi’s advances.

“I am the prince of Dareia”, Yugi said to himself when he was fully dressed again. “That’s the path the gods chose for me and I can’t allow myself to deviate from it. Ever.”

He walked back to the bed and took the blue, little book from a pillow. He had been in perfect control of himself before he had smuggled it into the palace. It was the source of his sinful desires and without it his mind and soul could be clear again. He should burn it or throw it away.

But instead he stuffed it back into the bottom drawer of his bedside table and shut it.

“The gods forgive me”, he mumbled with a heavy heart. “Even though I don’t deserve it…”

#snippet #prince yugi au #puzzleshipping fanfiction #blindshipping fanfiction #offershipping #dont worry atem will be back in person next snippet #oh otogi #you are teasing the prince quite a bit arent you #hes so much fun to write lol #btw yugi is washing his hands in the end #good boy!!!! lol