A New-Found Secret

As Yuugi gently lathered his pharaoh's backside, he could feel a shiver run down the Egyptian ruler's spine. Leaning forward slightly, Yuugi's heart raced as he saw a line of blush along his pharaoh's cheekbones. Making sure to remain gentle, Yuugi dipped the soft cloth into the water and started rinsing off Atemu's back.

"Have you ever done this before?" Atemu asked. Taken off-guard, Yuugi jumped slightly.

"I... I don't think so..." he stammered. "Why?"

"Because you're stopping too soon." Atemu growled. "I am hardly clean enough to stop being bathed. Clean me again." Yuugi was a bit confused at his pharaoh's request. Was he flirting, or simply commanding him around as custom for a master? Regardless of the answer, Yuugi shrugged and proceeded with washing his pharaoh again.

Wetting the cloth in a little more lotion, and dipping it into the water once more, Yuugi rose it to wash Atemu's shoulder blades. Yet before the bathing could commence, Yuugi froze. Staring horrified at his master's backside, he could not bring himself out from his unexpected state. Noticing that he was being disobeyed again, Atemu turned back to look at Yuugi in annoyance. Eyebrows narrowed, Atemu snapped, "What is holding you up, cretin? I told you to wash me!"

Yuugi's voice was quiet as he asked, "What are those scars on your back, pharaoh?" Atemu's pupils dialated as horror overtook him.

"What did you say?" he breathed.

"Those scars. I did not notice them before. I mean, they are healed over, but still noticable. Were you hurt?" At this point, the small slave suddenly realized his king's shock. Taking it as malace, Yuugi stepped back instinctively. "I'm sorry." He apologized quickly. "I did not mean to intrude. It's none of my business. Forgive me." Falling to his knees, he bowed low to his ruler and master. "Please forgive me." Unfortunately for the little one however, Atemu's fear blended into an emotion he knew and showed well: rage.

"How DARE you bring up something like that!" Atemu spat at his minion. "To think that a little ingrate like you would know anything about me and feel himself my equal in order to ask? You deserve to be punished."

"I'm sorry, pharaoh." Was all Yuugi could say. "I'm really sorry."

"Apology is futile!" Atemu cried. Stepping dangerously up to his toy, Atemu's crimson orbs blazed like fire as he watched Yuugi's cowering person. "Don't you EVER think you can be my equal! Do you understand me!? You know nothing about my past, and you have no right to ask!" Grabbing the smaller boy by the arm, he yanked him up from his safety spot on the floor. Raising his other free hand, he made to slap Yuugi across the face, but he suddenly stopped himself. Dropping Yuugi, Atemu swiftly turned his back and made his way to the large doors. Calling forth a replacement guard, Atemu demanded the guard fetch him dry clothing. Yuugi sat, crumpled on the floor once again, looking at his pharaoh's back in surprised silence. What was he doing? Why was Atemu acting like that? He could be so ferocious and on-the-kill like a lioness hunting, and the next he would show mercy and walk off. Was Atemu really a good person, or was he stringing Yuugi along? Yuugi was so caught up in his thoughts that he was shocked when Atemu stood over him. Reaching out his tanned arm, Atemu held out his palm for Yuugi to accept. Confused, Yuugi's big amethyst orbs looked up at his pharaoh's.

"What do you expect me to do?" The slave voiced silently.

"I'm going to give you a bath now."

Yuugi's heart skipped a beat. "Bu...but..." He stammered. "But I haven't finished giving you your bath yet..."

Atemu chuckled. "That's alright. I'll be fine. But you were too busy trying to teach yourself how to swim, that I don't think you bathed at all, did you?" Yuugi shook his head in response. Smiling, Atemu grabbed Yuugi's hand and led him into the bath. Atemu sat behind him, and Yuugi rested his body anxiously against his pharaoh's knees. Every muscle in his body was tense, because he was terrified of what was to transpire. He was not so much scared of his king, as he was scared that he would do something to get punished again. "Now, first thing you have to do," Atemu instructed. "Is to remove your clothes."

"My clothes are off, pharaoh." Yuugi replied, confused.

"Yes, but you have a towel around your waist, right?"

"...yes."

"Take it off." Yuugi's entire face burned as bright as a hot poker.

"What!?" He cried, shocked.

"Take it off. You have to remove all clothing if you want to get clean."

"But YOU'RE wearing a towel."

"But I'm washing you, not getting washed. C'mon, slave. Just do it."

"...I can't." Yuugi whined. This was true. Yuugi was so shaken and stunned that he could not even move to allow the towel to slide off. Recognizing this, Atemu placed his hands around the boy's waist and loosened the tie for him. Yuugi freaked when he felt the fabric slide from his hips. Splashing the water around him, he made a frantic motion to cover himself between his legs. He was scared his pharaoh would see something that would embarrass Yuugi; something that would undoubtedly show his attraction to the man behind him. Atemu was not about to make his slave reveal himself, so he simply laughed at the smaller boy's strange antics.

"Don't be afraid, little one." He spoke quietly in Yuugi's ear. "I'm not going to hurt you." Taking up the cloth from his lap, Atemu brought it over Yuugi's back. Despite himself, Yuugi's muscles relaxed at his king's touch, melting under his surreal movements. Closing his eyes, Yuugi took in every moment of it. He could feel Atemu gently rubbing and massaging his back. Leaning closer to his pharaoh, Yuugi longed to stay in that moment. Atemu's fingers worked magic on every aching pain Yuugi had secured over so many years of labor.

"These are... interesting scars." Atemu muttered, noticing that the sores became a bit more obvious with the heated water. Perhaps that was how Yuugi had discovered his own wounds.

"I was whipped." Yuugi replied. Atemu sat, shocked. There had been a reason those scars had looked so familiar. Now he knew why.

"Whipped? Why?"

Yuugi's voice echoed the confusion on his face. "I'm a slave. If I do something wrong, or not fast enough, or not perfetly the way my master wants it, I get punished."

"...does is hurt?"

"Not anymore." Yuugi replied. "At least, my back does not hurt, but I cringe whenever I hear a whip being slashed. I suppose the wounds of it occurring never go away, do they?" Realizing then that he was rambling, Yuugi fumbled for his words. "I'm sorry." He apologized quickly. "I did not mean to speak out of turn like that." Yet he did not get revoked. Instead, Atemu leaned closer to him and, upon closing his eyes, kissed Yuugi's visible wounds softly. The slave's heart leaped into his throat. "A...Atemu?" He choked out. Once more, Yuugi did not receive a harsh threat because he had disobeyed his master's demand not to call him by his true name.

"This shouldn't have happened." Atemu whispered. Yuugi was speechless. "Not to you. You shoudn't have this constant reminder of your beatings." Flushed and amazed, Yuugi stuttered,

"Well... it was a while ago... And I am not happy it happened, but I can't change that."

"Don't be so optimistic." Atemu growled. "How can you be when you have gone through so much pain? How can you still smile and laugh when so much has been done to you?" Yuugi glanced over his shoulder to see fury in his master's eyes; but fury at himself and the rest of the world. Not to Yuugi. The younger boy could not respond with anything but a shrug.

"I don't know, pharaoh. I just figure, if I focus on everything that has gone wrong, I'll go mad."

Atemu sighed. "You're so naive." Yet the way he said it, Yuugi was not sure it was an insult. Pulling himself closer, Atemu kissed a few more of Yuugi's scars delicately. It was almost as if he was trying to steal the pain away from the slave in its entirety.

Deciding to be brave one more time, Yuugi asked, "Atemu... those scars on your back. You were whipped too, weren't you?" Atemu froze, his eyes opening wide. "Who whipped you?" Pulling away, Atemu said nothing, but stepped out of the bath. Watching him go, Yuugi's eyes swam with concern for his pharaoh. Still receiving no reply to his inquiry, Atemu only said one thing before leaving:

"Finish washing up yourself. I'm going to my chambers." And with that, he left Yuugi with nothing else.