A/N: Hello all! This is my entry for Unattainable Dreams' first kiss prompt exchange challenge! Basically I was given a prompt, and had to write a story about a first kiss, so this is what I came up with :)
Prompt: "I will casually recall and imagine from looking at my cup of black tea our crimson kiss and rosy secret"—(Kill in the Heaven by Jun Fukuyama)
A Boy And His Servant
With a heavy sigh, Yugi pulled himself out of the back of his father's limousine. It had taken a few weeks, but he had convinced his driver to not get out and open the door for him, that was really too much. He reminded himself that many children his age would envy him for the life he had, though he wasn't so fond of it. Being the son of one of the wealthiest men in Domino sure had its quirks, but there were a lot of things about this high life that he wasn't so fond of. Yugi's father was Benedict Mutou, CEO of a multi-million dollar company that rivaled Kaiba Corp in status, though Yugi's father didn't care for games, and thus wasn't interested in competing for that market. Instead, Benedict's company was targeted towards Marketing and Sales, and had gained him much success in this part of the Business industry. Why do your own Marketing when there was an extremely successful business to do it for you at a reasonable price? Well, that's what Benedict convinced his clients of.
Yugi turned around to close the door, but before doing so he poked his head back inside the vehicle to speak to the driver. "Thanks James," he said with a smile, and receiving a nod in return, he closed the door, and watched the limousine drive off around the horse shoe drive way, to be stored in the garage around the side of the mansion. Yugi looked across at his friend who had exited the limo also, and gave her a smile. She returned the smile and followed him up the grand stone steps to the entrance of Yugi's mansion. She commented on how even though she had been there numerous times, it seemed bigger every visit. Yugi simply laughed as he opened the front door, revealing the grand entrance hall, lined with beautiful paintings and pots of extravagant plants that breathed life into the halls of the large house. After nodding to the servant at the door, Yugi proceeded down the hall and entered the main part of the mansion, his friend in toe.
"Anzu," Yugi began as they made their way through the large, empty halls, "What are we going to do about this group assignment?" he asked, looking over his shoulder to the brunette.
Anzu furrowed her eyebrows as she walked, thinking about the assessment piece they had been given that day. "Well, it shouldn't be that hard to write the report if we split it up between us and Jonouchi," she commented. The three friends attended one of the most prestigious private schools in the whole area, but it didn't mean the workload was any easier or harder. All of the kids there had something to boast about. Anzu's father was the founder of 'What's On' Magazine, the most popular magazine published in Domino, and Jonouchi's mother was an actress while his father was a well-known musician. While everyone had something to boast about in a normal sense, in the environment they were in at the school, nothing really had such a 'wow' factor as Benedict's company. Sometimes Yugi wished that his father hadn't have been so successful with his business.
Just before they reached Yugi's room, Anzu announced that she needed to go to the bathroom, and already knowing where the closest one was, she split off while Yugi continued to his room. After such an exhausting day trying out for the school's soccer team, Yugi wanted nothing more than to sleep, but Anzu had offered to help him with his Chemistry assignment, and today was the only day she was free, so he had no choice but to accept. He wasn't really in the position to decline her offer, considering Chemistry was one of the subjects he had not done so well in last term. Although Yugi seemed to have the perfect life, it didn't not come with a price. Being the son of Benedict Mutou was quite the pressure for Yugi, meaning that the man expected him to excel in his studies, and whenever he received any lower than an A for a subject, he was severely punished. In Benedict's words, he had a reputation to uphold, and he couldn't have a 'slacker' for a son.
Yugi finally reached his room and collapsed on the large, lush bed, not bothering to move the countless pillows that one of the servants had placed on top of it after making it that morning. Benedict's mansion had many servants to keep the place running. From making meals, to cleaning, to general household duties, there was a servant for them all. Yugi even had his own personal servant, one he had basically grown up with. The two boys were about the same age, and this attendant of Yugi's was the son of one of the Maid's in the mansion, and had taken on the duty of being Yugi's personal servant at an early age, needing the money for his own schooling as his mother could not pay it by herself. It had simply started with the boy just keeping Yugi company, as he was quite lonely in the huge mansion, and as they both grew older a close friendship was developed, though Benedict was certainly not in favor of it. The first time the man had discovered that Yugi was fond of the boy, he had smacked the servant across the face and told Yugi it was useless caring for someone who was below him and that it would get him nowhere in life. Still, Yugi had not cut ties with his friend, and he had simply needed to hide their friendship from his father, though at the present moment there was a lot more that they were hiding other than friendship.
Yugi heard a light few taps on his door, and knowing that Anzu would have just walked in instead of knocking, he assumed it was a servant, and he didn't move from his place sprawled on the bed as he drawled, "Come in." He couldn't see who it was who had entered, as his face was stuffed in the pile of pillows on his bed. He was filled with a wonderful warmth however, when his visitor spoke, surprisingly close to his ear.
"That exhausted, are we?" the deep baritone voice mused, before Yugi heard the sound of a metal tray being placed on his bedside table. The boy instantly lifted himself up off of the pillows, and a wide smile spread across his face as he looked up at the servant standing next to the bed.
"Atem," he said softly, his eyes shining with delight at seeing his personal servant. He jumped up off of the bed and wrapped his arms around the other, receiving a chuckle from the man. "I missed you," he whispered, sighing against the other's shoulder. The two had not seen each other for a number of days, after Atem had forgotten an order he had been given, and Benedict forced him to sleep in the horse stables for a few nights, and that he would have to stay there during the day until told to return. Benedict was always over the top with his punishments, but he believed the more strict you are, the more your workers will obey.
"I missed you, too," Atem replied, and Yugi pulled back out of the hug to look the man up and down.
"Are you alright? Did he-" Yugi's eyes were filled with worry as he looked Atem over, seeing nothing but dirt covering his clothes and dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep.
"I'm fine," he replied, stroking a hand softly across the boy's cheek. "You don't have to worry about me so much."
Yugi looked unsure, "You know I don't like the way father punishes you-and the other servants!" Atem placed his hands on the boy's shoulders to try and calm him down.
"Yugi, don't worry about it, I've been living with this for half of my life, as long as I'm with you nothing can bother me," he said with a warm smile. Although Yugi didn't look convinced, he dropped the subject, and sat back down on his bed, grabbing Atem's hands in his as he looked up at the man, who was dressed in clothes much less extravagant to his own, the way it had always been.
"Sit with me," Yugi said, tugging on Atem's hands.
The man chuckled and shook his head, "I'm sorry, I have work to do. Besides, aren't you supposed to be having a friend over?"
Yugi's eyes shot wide as he remembered Anzu would probably be returning from the bathroom any moment. "I forgot about that," he admitted. "Will you come visit me later tonight, then?" he asked hopefully.
Atem smiled and leaned in to kiss the boy on the cheek, "Of course." He then stood back up and pointed towards the metal tray he had placed on Yugi's bedside table. "I brought some afternoon tea for you and your friend," he added with a smile. He turned towards the door, but before he could get very far Yugi grabbed the man's arm, causing him to turn back and face the boy questionably. Yugi quickly stood back up and smiled at the man, before planting his lips on Atem's, having not been satisfied with just a kiss on the cheek. It was only a short, sweet kiss, but made Atem's cheeks flush easily. Yugi chuckled and jumped back down onto the bed, grinning. Atem simply glared at him playfully, before he turned and headed for the door. "Have fun studying," he sang over his shoulder with a teasing smile, and Yugi poked his tongue out at the man. The last Yugi heard was Atem's musical laughter as he walked out the door, leaving the boy with a goofy smile on his face. He and Atem had been trying to uphold a secret relationship for a few months now, and though it was difficult, it was definitely worth the sneaking around. Yugi hadn't been happier since they got together, considering how much stress he had been under just before they did.
He was interrupted from his thoughts by Anzu poking her head in through the door, a cheeky smile on her face. "What was that all about?" she asked, smirking at him playfully.
Yugi's cheeks suddenly turned red, and he turned to the tray Atem had brought to try and hide it. "I-um, don't know what you're talking about." He looked down at what Atem had brought, and spied a pot of tea with some shortbread fingers. "Tea?" he asked over his shoulder, hoping she would drop whatever it was she had noticed. Perhaps she had seen the blush on Atem's face when he left Yugi's room. Anzu accepted the tea and Yugi bit his lip as he poured the two cups, hoping she didn't say anything else. He turned back to her, his poker face back on as he handed her the delicate china cup.
"Come on, Yugi," she urged, taking the cup from him. "There's something going on between you two, don't think I haven't noticed," she smiled mischievously over her cup of tea and Yugi paled, forcing some of his own down his throat as he thought of something to say. "Come on," Anzu nudged him, eager for details. "Spill, you know I won't tell your father anything," she reminded him.
Yugi sighed, dropping his hand holding the cup into his lap. "Promise you won't tell anyone?" he asked, looking at her expectantly.
Anzu's smile widened, "I promise! I won't tell a soul!" she said, scooting closer to him on the bed, "So, what's the go?" she asked eagerly.
Yugi sighed and bit his lip, but spoke quietly in case there was anybody walking past his room. "Atem and I are...together," he said, looking to the side, before slowly moving his eyes back to Anzu's face to see her reaction.
She was grinning. Grinning as stupidly as Yugi had been just moments before. "That. Is. Adorable!" she exclaimed, causing Yugi to panic and cover her mouth with his hand as she giggled.
"Shh!" he pleaded, "Nobody can know about this, alright? Keep your voice down," he hissed. Anzu nodded and he moved his hand back, but she still had that stupid grin on her face.
"Okay, you have to tell me how this all started!" she said as quietly as she could, unable to contain her excitement. Yugi looked away, unsure, and she practically begged him to tell the story. After about 30 seconds of her please's and why not's, Yugi gave in with a sigh.
"Alright, but try not to do that squealing thing, alright?" he asked. She nodded eagerly, and Yugi began the story. "Well, as you know Atem is meant to be my personal servant, to look after my whims and what not. It's been like that for almost as long as I can remember..."
Yugi carefully nudged the front door open, being careful not to make much noise. He shifted his back pack quickly before tip toeing inside, hoping that he didn't run into his father. He'd miserably failed the man and couldn't dare face his father after this disgrace, so he made a bee-line for his room, hoping he could find a way out of this. Before he could reach his room however, the familiar suited figure emerged from nowhere, stopping the boy in his tracks. Yugi gulped as he looked up at his father, knowing the first thing that would come out of his mouth.
"Yugi my dear boy!" the man clapped his hands together, "I believe you received your report card today, am I correct?" By now, Yugi had learnt that lying to his father about such information only put him in a worse position, so he tried to keep his poker face on as he answered.
"Y-yes father," he said, putting on a fake smile. He timidly pulled the folder out of his bag and handed it to Benedict, before swiftly turning to walk past the man, hoping he could make it to his room so that he wasn't there when Benedict caught sight of his terrible grades.
"Hold on a second, Yugi," the man said, and the boy stopped dead in his tracks. Too late. Yugi gulped and turned around, and caught the intense stare his father was giving him. This was his scary calm state, not good. "Would you mind telling me what this is?" he asked in his strained voice, turning the report for him to see. Yugi looked up at the report, where the sheet was covered in A's, apart from two subjects, Chemistry and Physics, of which next to them were B's.
...
"You are my son, there is no room in this family for failure!" Benedict boomed, just as Yugi ran to his room and slammed the door. He hated when he made his father angry, and right now the man was fuming. Yugi had tried so hard to get those grades in Physics and Chemistry, but he just couldn't fully understand what he was supposed to do in those subjects, it stressed him out more than anything. He sat against the door as his father's cruel words sunk in, and he pulled his legs up to his chest, before burying his head in his knees.
"I'm a failure..." he muttered, fighting off tears. Sure, he was used to his father's harsh words, but it didn't mean it never hurt. Benedict was the only family Yugi had left, but it didn't feel like it a lot of the time. The only person who seemed to care about him was...well, Atem. But he was Yugi's servant, and they had practically grown up together, he had a duty to care for the boy. Although Yugi had developed feelings for the man, he was sure the care Atem showed him was merely platonic. Besides, if his father were to hear how he felt about the servant he would get a much greater punishment than a confinement to his room and no dinner for the night.
A minute or so passed, and Yugi stayed where he was, wrapped up in a ball against his bedroom door. How could he take over his father's company when he couldn't even hold up good grades in school? Benedict had said that if you don't achieve from an early age, you never will. Yugi's mind was filled with self hating thoughts, swirling around in his head as he sulked against the door. The amount of stress he had been in lately didn't help either, and he felt if this kept up he was sure to have a mental breakdown. He was interrupted from his thoughts however, when there was a timid knock on the door.
"Go away!" he demanded, burying his head in his knees once more. He could feel the burn in his throat as he tried to hold back tears, and his voice would have completely given that away to whoever was on the other side of the door.
"Yugi, it's me," the voice replied softly. Yugi's heart suddenly sped up, and he lifted his head from his knees at hearing the comforting voice. He always felt butterflies in the pit of his stomach at that voice, and he thought that perhaps having Atem's company would put him at ease. He was the boy's best friend, after all. After a moment, Yugi scooted away from the door, and it soon opened, revealing the caramel skinned man with a soft smile on his face. He carefully closed the door behind him to try and make sure nobody knew he was in Yugi's room, before kneeling down in front of the boy.
"What's the matter?" he asked gently. Yugi had always appreciated Atem's concern for him, but at the same time he wished it was because the man's care for him stemmed from more than that of a friendship.
Yugi sniffed, though he hadn't shed a tear yet (though it was very difficult not to do so), and he looked up at the man who held his affections. For almost as long as he could remember, Atem had been there for him. Yugi had been told that the servant would do whatever he told him to, and when he was younger all Yugi had wanted was a play friend. He had countless memories of them running around the mansion together with Nerf guns shooting each other. Of course it would always be ruined by his father, saying that Atem was not his equal and Yugi should treat him that way. Yugi could never do that, though. Atem's kind nature and irreplaceable loyalty had found a place in Yugi's heart, and that's where it was going to stay.
"I..." Yugi wiped his sleeve across his eyes, realising that now there were tears forming in his eyes, and he tried to continue, "I failed my father," he mumbled miserably, dropping his head back down to his knees.
Atem looked quite surprised, "Failed him? How on earth did you do that?" he asked.
Yugi didn't lift his head up as he replied, "You know how he believes that I must get top grades in school to be a valuable part of this family..." he mumbled into his knees.
Atem understood that Yugi mustn't have received a straight A average on his report card, and having dropped out of school a year ago, Atem found keeping a B average was hard enough. He couldn't imagine the amount of stress Yugi was in at the moment. He placed his hands on the boy's shoulders to try and comfort him.
"Yugi, you have a lot on your plate, being Benedict's son," he said softly, "It is incredibly hard to gain a straight A average, even if you were born with natural intelligence." Yugi lifted his head up as Atem spoke, and tried to focus on the man's words instead of his lips. "I believe your father is much too strict on his expectations for you," he said. "You are an incredibly gifted boy, and you are very smart, try not to let him get to you, alright?" Yugi hadn't realised he had been staring at the servant the whole time, unable to tear his eyes away from those gorgeous crimson orbs, and he shook his head, looking away. This only made him feel worse. Atem's kindness only made Yugi want to tackle him to the ground and kiss him, it was almost unbearable. Although Yugi was his 'master' of sorts, he would never force such a thing on anyone who didn't want it, and he was afraid that Atem didn't return his affections. Still, he could feel Atem's body heat radiating off of him as he kneeled in front of the boy, his hands still resting on Yugi's shoulders.
Yugi couldn't bear such close contact with the man, for it was incredibly hard to think with such a distraction right in front of him. First he was upset about his report card, and now he was stressed about his feelings for Atem, this was one wonderful afternoon. Yugi finally decided he needed space, and he tried to move away from Atem. The servant thought Yugi was trying to avoid facing his problem however, and so Atem kept a firm grip on Yugi's shoulders, so he was unable to move away. Yugi suddenly felt very hot and confined, and he could feel the sweat on his forehead. He needed to get away from Atem before he did something he would regret amidst all of his stress, though it appeared the man wasn't letting him go.
Yugi squeezed his eyes shut, very aware that Atem was not letting him go at this point, and blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "Please Atem, I can't stand being around you!" Yugi instantly regretted his choice of words however, for it could go two ways, and it seemed that Atem guessed the opposite to it's true meaning, for when Yugi opened his eyes, he saw nothing but hurt on the man's face. Atem opened his mouth as if he were to say something, but just looked at the ground, dropping his hands.
"I..." Atem chocked out, his voice strained. He took a deep breath, his eyes cast down to the floor. "I'm sorry, I'll leave..."
Now Yugi felt even more terrible, and the tears he'd been holding back ran down his face freely as he realised what a mistake he had made. He suddenly scrambled to his feet as Atem reached for the door. "No! Wait!" he pleaded, grabbing onto the man's arm. Atem turned around and was surprised to see Yugi looking so upset. Didn't he want Atem to leave him alone? "I didn't mean it like that! I mean, I just feel so stressed and then having you around-" he sighed in aggravation as he realised that didn't help explain either. Yugi felt like a woman on her period with all these stupid emotions running rampant in his mind. He turned and punched the wall beside him, as more tears flowed down his face, and Atem cautiously reached out to him, hoping the boy wouldn't pull away like he expected him to. Instead, Yugi turned and wrapped his arms around the man's waist. Atem was beyond confused at this point, just before he had said he couldn't stand having him around, and now he was hugging him. Atem could feel a wet patch on his shirt from where Yugi was crying into, and rubbed the boy's back soothingly, waiting for him to start making sense.
"I'm sorry," Yugi said, stepping back to look up at the man. "You're just so..." Atem tried to finish the sentence in his mind: annoying? unbearable? stupid?
The word that died in Yugi's throat however was 'irresistible'. "Forgive me," Yugi finally said, before he did the last thing that the man ever expected. The next thing Atem knew he was pressed against the door and Yugi was kissing him.
"Wow," Anzu said, sitting on the bed beside Yugi, "Bold move."
Yugi shrugged, trying to ward off the blush on his cheeks as he looked away, "I don't really know what possessed me," he admitted with a nervous laugh.
"Still," Anzu argued, "That's adorable. And that was your first kiss?" she asked. Yugi nodded sheepishly. "Ever?"
"Yes!" Yugi answered, tired of her questioning. "And I'm pretty sure it was his, too," he added, looking down into his cup of tea that was probably cold by now. "But nobody can know about us, okay? My father would have my head for sure."
Anzu nodded enthusiastically, making a signal with her hand that looked like she was zipped her lips and throwing away the key. "Don't worry," she said with a wink, "my lips are sealed."
So I was dying to write a sort of role reversal story where Yugi was the more powerful entity, but instead of adding it to the long list of story ideas, i decided with this instead. So yeah, there may be an actual story with that sort of idea surface later on, but for now, it's on the list :P
(Also, I'd just like to point out that Yugi's father isn't being unrealistic with the whole obsessing over grades, I went to school with a girl whose parents were really strict on her grades, so much that she would cry if she got anything less than an A because they would get angry at her. Needless to say, she didn't have much of a social life.)
Hope you liked it!
PharaohsThrone :)