The Pharaoh was already disrobed of all his clothing save his jewelry. He was standing by the table in the corner of his room, a little anxious. A little overwhelmed. The night was quiet, but cold. Not even the fires burning hotly in his room seemed to make the chill on his skin disappear. Not with what they had planned. Trying to hide his trembling fingers he reached up to remove his crown-

"Leave it on." The Priest's voice was careful, considerate. Quite in all ways and yet struck a chord deep within Atem.

He turned to look back at him. "Why?" It was an odd request, all things considered.

One of those kind yet cruel smirks developed on the taller's lips. The exact same one he'd give when deciding to kill an opponent or a doer of injustice- because it was the kind thing to do. "So that when the Gods see this they'll know my shame was caused by one of their own. Hopefully they won't look too unkindly on me."

Atem's hands clenched. He drew his lips together to keep from snapping. Set was wounding him. Even now. When they were long past the breaking point. When he had decided he couldn't hold it in any longer. Why did this have to be torture, too? The thrill had not been in the chase, in the waiting. And it certainly didn't seem present here. Was he being an unking King? Forcing Set into this, for that matter? The thought had crossed his mind before but-

"Calm. Breathe." Set had approached without his notice, his hands resting upon Atem's tense shoulders so suddenly. His tone was soft now, and truly kind. Not with the sharpened edge of his knife. For now at least.

He did as he was told, drawing as deep a breath in as he could get and exhaling it, his shoulders drooping the slightest amount. "Set if this isn't-"

"Stop." The brunet turned him, lifting him back onto the table. Those sharp blue eyes were warmer than they usually appeared. Atem was grateful for the slack being given to him. If he hadn't trusted his Priest he wouldn't have ever dared showed this face to him. "This is not your throne room." Murmured as he leaned close, Atem's hands going to his broad chest and up over his shoulders. "For the moment, if you can, just be silent."

Unwittingly Atem took it as the challenge it sounded like. Even now he had a hard time distinguishing the lines. It was more Set's fault than his. His arms and legs wound around the taller body, bringing him in close for a deep kiss. It wasn't their first, and if Atem got his way, it wouldn't be their last, either. He exhaled, trailing in a moan, sparks lighting up along his skin as Set got closer. He could feel his skin just like he so easily felt his tongue now.

It took him a long time before he was able to part, and even then Set kept his mind at bay with gentle kisses along his neck over the top of his gold band, then down along his left shoulder and to his collarbone. Atem eased back, head dipping, enticed by the simple feel of it. "I don't want to rush…" He exhaled, a little shakily as he forced himself to look at the fine work of his Priest.

He was already being gazed back at. "I know." Not an agreement, which was disappointing, but he hadn't expected Set to change much even here.

"But we don't have a lot of time." They'd had to pick a quiet time of the night, the one that came before morning. When the sun rose they would have to part. Discretion was important to Atem. His feelings weren't entirely resolved just yet and he wasn't sure where his force was being placed. He especially didn't want Set to suffer for his misdirections.

"Hmn." Was Set's answer before standing, running his hands down along that slender body to continue to chase the thoughts away. "Is that your way of telling me to get on my knees already? Or lie on my back for you?"

The color in Atem's face was hardly from feeling good any longer. Now it was edging into easy anger, worse still was uncertainty. "Set." He hated these games. He could hardly tell anymore if the other was playing or being serious and it wounded him gravely. He hated to sound like a child stomping his foot in tantrum but this was getting too much. They were edging to something much more real than stolen kisses and walks at night. And he didn't want to be part of it if-

"I said be silent only moments ago."

"I've barely said a word." Shot back quickly now in his upset. He pushed Set away from him so he could get off the table.

The Priest seemed to take no offense, stepping back and instead reaching to put his fingers through that wild hair of his Pharaoh's. "Your mind never ceases. And it's loud." At Atem's unsure look he smiled down on him. Hopefully with good fortune. "Your eyes get cloudy when you over think. It's a weakness."

That wasn't exactly helpful. "Then be direct with me."

The length of his fingers brushed down along Atem's cheek and the shorter couldn't help but lean in favor of it. "Cloudy like a storm." He continued anyway. "And those that provoke it get the rare dangerous rains of Egypt brought upon them."

Atem frowned. This wasn't entirely helpful either. For once he didn't want to meet as opponents in this way. It wasn't soothing his nerves like that kiss had only seconds ago. He'd push in any other situation but right now he felt like doing it would break this carefully crafted illusion. Though Set was not even trying to help it along any further. It's what welled that awful feeling pit in his stomach. "If you don't want-"

"I don't want to hear your doubts. How can you lead even here if you're so unsure?" As usual Set saw right through to his core, and knew exactly which strings to pluck.

It enticed his anger to the surface, enough to take charge again and shuffle Set back to the bed with a heavy push. He knew the Priest was humoring him by falling back, but that same humor was what had carried them this far. He didn't waste any time, draping himself over the other and initiating another kiss. Those so often helped to keep his mind from straying to doubt, and now this close and this bare, it made a quick shift of his hips against his Priest's all the more easier.

The surprising thing was the moan in the air this time, not from him, but from Set. He decided to cease it with a slower roll of his hips, their skin brushing; he could feel Set already hard. He was too. He sucked on the tip of his Priest's tongue while his left hand strayed to Set's cock, fingers brushing over the tip to entice another moan out of him, and then wrapping around to give a few steady strokes. In no time at all he had the other worked up, hips twitching up into his hand, begging for more. It was not a sight he ever thought he'd see on his proud Priest.

But then he learned that two could play that game, and he supposed Set was tired of being the only one manipulated. He felt a hand around his own, Set's rhythm rougher, as it always seemed to be. Here was no different. He lost focus, even abandoning the kiss for a set of heavy breathing. "Set…" And a moan.

"Like this?" The Priest slowed in his touch but Atem knew that wasn't what he was asking. He was trying to get him to listen. When Atem opened his eyes halfway to oblige him he continued. "Don't you want …" It was a rare sight indeed to see his Priest stumble for words. So unlike him that it caused Atem to smile, though hazy in attention. "More?" It had been the plan coming here tonight.

Atem leaned closer, nuzzling the side of Set's neck, in a damningly affectionate manner before nibbling at his skin. His Priest shuddered and he used the advantage to slow his strokes around that impatient cock, hips still thrusting to gain more. "Close here with you is what I wanted." A small nip to the juncture of his shoulder. "You'll have to excuse my more urgent needs. But it will save you the shame." Smiling against Set's warm skin as the Priest wrapped his arm against his back to hold him closer.

It seemed like words were unnecessary to be passed between them, and difficult besides. They only seemed interested so suddenly in the quickening paces of individual hands and the rocking of hips. The feeling of bare skin. Atem lost his clearness much quicker. He was on the verge of losing everything when Set whispered to him. "Kiss me."

A plea that did not go unheard. This one was sloppy, their tongues mirroring each stroke, more and more before Atem was caught breathing hard. Set pulled him back with a smooth of his tongue before moaning again, his hips needier than before and less in time. But Atem realized he'd be the first to fall. And it didn't take much longer, having to stifle his much louder noises by keeping the kiss for as long as he could, his hips jerking unevenly into Set's hand as he came.

It almost enticed him to stop. To be greedy. But once Set realized he wrapped his arms around his Pharaoh and Atem was helpless. He couldn't, and would not, leave his Priest in the state he'd put him in. It was incentive enough to watch through the kiss, eyes open partly. Watching Set devolve into quiet hysterics and all from a simple touch. Watching him unravel, feeling those arms winding tightly around him, pulling him closer, silently begging him not to stop. And when he'd had too much he finally came, Atem feeling the warm liquid dripping along his fingers and hitting his skin waiting still as he rested above Set.

He watched as Set's movements died, and let the kiss go as his Priest's head fell to the side. Without feeling the need for warning he laid himself down on top, resting his head against Set's chest. The Priest's arms were still around him. They couldn't be caught this way. But he was so warm and tired so suddenly. Bathing wasn't even a priority. He found he didn't mind. Not now. Not yet.

"I won't ask forgiveness." He heard Set speak, tone weak.

"I wouldn't give it to you." A soft smirk as he was pulled further down towards sleep.

"Atem…" The name alone sent sparks anew down his spine. No one said it anymore. No one knew him as a man, they knew him as a God. He missed it. And the way Set had just crooned it he nearly felt up for a second time. Nearly. He was still tired yet. A shame.

What more could he do but mirror? A weak trick but he could think of nothing more. "Set." Sighed rather than stated, weary tremors setting into his muscles. He heard the warble pitch of Set's low tone say something to him but he couldn't quite make it out. It had probably been unimportant. The only thing he cared for was the feel of their skin, of his arms around him, and the strange feeling of complacent contentedness that he hadn't felt in some time.