From cold sand to hot snow

Title:From cold sand to hot snow.
Pairing(s) :( Jou) Junius/Setau (Seto), (Otogi) Rajinipati/ Hicesius (Honda),
Atem/Yugi, Bakenmut (Bakura)/Ryota Kajiki (Mako Tsunami) and Anzu/no one
Beta: Telpei/Ashes
Spoilers: None I can think of since this fic will be in the past
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.

Summary: Caesar Pegasus, Atem emperor of the Persian Empire and Rajinipati the middle man meet to discuss an important trade agreement between their three countries...but can all parties present be trusted? Will Setau solve the mysteries of winter? And what kind of trouble can a Tomb thief wreaks?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakenmut grumbled as he came off the ship. He’d spent a damn month on the silly little boat. At lease no one here in Rome should know who he was, so long as he avoided the Emperor of Persia, Atem, and his high wizard Setau. If his sources were right those two would be around here for a trade’s deal with the Emperor of Rome, Caesar Pegasus.

The white haired thief pulled his red hood over his hair. He might not have been well-known in Rome but his hair would be conspicuous He moved off the ship and into the city. It wasn’t the first time he’d been in a new city, but it was the first time he had left his home in Egypt. He had stolen too much from the dead kings of the old country. Now his people thought of him as a petty thief, which wasn't good when a man could lose a hand or even his life for thievery.

Ryota Kajiki was one of the few people Bakenmut knew in Rome. He had found the fisherman half-dead and saved the boy. They had made a blood pact, which had grown into a passion for one another. Usually Ryota visited him in Egypt, but now Bakenmut had to make the long journey in order to see him. He hoped he could find his lover somewhere in the busy docks of Rome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had chosen to ride on horseback to Rome since they were unable to get their baggage over the Mediterranean Sea for fear of damaging it. Some of the items they carried were gifts or trade items, and they could not be damaged. In truth, the Emperor hoped to make a trade agreement with the King of Rome, Caesar Pegasus; it would bring in much needed items and more work for his people.

Caesar Pegasus and Rajinipati met Atem’s party when they arrived at the palace gates, Atem introduced himself and Setau, his master wizard.
Caesar Pegasus had his men look after Atem’s men and the gifts he had brought with; he even went as far as to show Atem and Setau the rooms they would be staying in. They were normal guest rooms with a bed, a table, a chair, and a bowl of fruit.

After leaving time for his guests to make themselves comfortable, he had approached the Emperor with a gift. Atem was startled, to say the least, when a small slave bearing a striking likeness to himself was brought forward.
Caesar Pegasus explained that he had seen their resemblance as a sign to offer the slave Yugi as a gift; Atem had accepted it with grace.

Some time later, ruby eyes looked over the city, taking in it’s strange customs and people. Of course the chill in the air was new to him; he would have to change his dress so that he wouldn’t freeze. Atem wondered if his wizard was in fact enjoying the cold weather. He shook his head, turning as he heard someone knocking on the door to his room.

Come in,” the emperor called out, and he smiled as his gift hesitantly entered the room.

“It’s all right, Yugi,” he assured the boy; his smile widened slightly as the slave approached him tentatively.

The smaller of the two joined the regal figure at the window. Yugi still felt nervous around Atem but he felt so much safer with the emperor than he had with the Caesar – he only hoped he was more satisfactory to the Emperor than he had been to the Caesar. Yugi shivered, drawing closer to Atem for warmth; when he wasn’t slapped, he relaxed. It had only been two hours since they met, but Yugi felt like he had known Atem all his life. The little slave hoped Atem felt the same as he did.

Atem may not have liked Caesar Pegasus, but he did love the gift he had given him. "I'm taking you home with me," he assured the slave.

Yugi smiled and snuggled closer. The emperor didn’t fully understand why, but Yugi completed him. He knew it was going to take time to get to know the boy. Yugi smiled at Atem and snuggled closer, making a small sound of contentment as long, slender fingers played in his hair. The boy was like a ray of light and innocence, something he had been looking for in his life. Atem hoped he had found the missing piece of the puzzle he needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Setau grumbled to himself. The trip to Rome had left him so sore that he couldn’t sleep; instead he took to wandering the halls. He stopped and looked out one of the windows that allowed sparse amounts of light in. Dark blue eyes followed the strange white flakes that fell from the sky. One landed on a windowsill; he reached out curiously to touch it, but drew back as it disappeared with the warmth of his finger. A chuckle sounded out from behind him; Setau turned, furious for whoever had the nerve to find him amusing. Blue eyes met honey eyes.

"Forgive me for the chuckling but you have never seen snow before, have you?"

Setau eyed the boy that was now standing beside him. He was wearing a green cape over a green shirt. Copper armor covered his chest, and a red kilt was wrapped around his thin waist. Finally, he wore brown sandals on his feet.

Setau arched an eyebrow. "Snow? I have heard of it but I have never seen it before. The only place in my country it has been around is the mountains." Setau looked back outside and saw more of the strange white substance falling down from the sky.

"Yes, snow. It falls during the winters here." The blond looked into his eyes once again. Both watched the snow fall for a few minutes.

"Is it always so cold when it snows?"

"Yes, and sometimes it can be colder. I’m Junius.” The blond bowed his head. Setau rubbed his arms.

"Truth be told, I’d like it to be warmer. My name is Setau." Setau frowned as he heard the blonde chuckle again, and then gasped as the green cape was placed gently on his shoulders.

"Come, I will show you a warm room and I will see if I can find you some warm clothes, too. Those you wearing are for desert life, are they not?"

Setau fought back the blush that was trying to come to his cheeks. "Yes they are for desert life; they're perfect for hot and dry weather.” The wizard pulled the cape closer to his body, carefully surveying the blond, wondering if he could be trusted.

The blond turned and waved for the brunette to follow him. Setau frowned. He didn't know this teen, but he could tell the boy was in service of Caesar Pegasus; his armor was well made. Still the body he could imagine hidden under layers of copper and clothing… Setau licked his lips unconsciously. He hadn't had a satisfying night since he had left the Persian Empire.

He hurried after the blond. He had been a bit upset when Caesar Pegasus had given Atem a slave; it meant his emperor would have a warm bed tonight and he would not.

He watched the blond's hips sway back and forth. He blinked, trying to clear his mind of such thoughts. Darn, why did he have to be a teenager with hormones that could get out of hand? He had to admit, the blond was very good looking. Setau mentally slapped himself. Was it that he wanted a warm bed or was it something else he didn’t yet understand? Setau just hoped he would not do anything rash before he learned more about the blond and the strange snow that was still falling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A pair of men ran across the snow-covered courtyard. One had a branch of wood in his hand and the other was running away. It wasn't a normal scene, but both men were laughing.

"Come on Rajinipati. There are lots of pretty girls for you to kiss." The brunette backed away from the black haired teen.

"Oh come on Hicesius. It's just a kiss." Rajinipati wiggled the branch of mistletoe in his hand.

Hicesius backed into the corner. He watched Rajinipati come closer to him, unbelieving that the trader would do something like this. His black hair and dark green eyes make Hicesius shiver. He wished it were the cold air and not the trader that had him so out of sorts. When Caesar Pegasus ordered him to guard the trader he didn’t think he would be running from the trader Rajinipati.

"But you much cuter than any girl." Rajinipati played with his black hair,
which was tied back with a red bandana.

Hicesius blushed. "Ah I didn't think you...I..."

"You have a delectable figure, more so than any other I have met in this place." Rajinipati held the branch of mistletoe above Hicesius's head and kissed him deeply, pulling away slowly and sensually. "So, do you want to keep my bed warm tonight?"

Hicesius was nervous; it was obvious in his voice. "Only for snuggling. No hard stuff...not yet."

"Fair enough," Rajinipati replied, taking the brunette's hand and leading him across the snow-covered courtyard. The branch of mistletoe slowly disappeared underneath a white blanket of snow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blonde and brunette came to a room. The blonde frowned as he spotted a box in front of the door. "Now what on earth is this?" Junius questioned softly as he bent down to pick up the parcel.

Setau bit his lip, holding back a moan at the site of that sexy ass stick up in front of him. Setau’s eyes roamed over the lovely backside presented to him or did it help that kilt didn’t hide those wonderfully toned legs either.

Junius stood up and looked back, he blinked up at the wizard and wondering what was wrong with him he looked awfully stunned. Shaking his head, he cleared the worry from his mind and broke the silence between them: “Ah, let’s get inside then...” The blond opened the door and waved the brunet into the room; Setau followed, but he barely noticed the room, instead focusing on a certain blond guide.

“What’s wrong?” he questioned, moving closer and peering down at the gift.]
Inside the box was a bottle. Apparently it had been accompanied by a note, since Junius was reading one. “What does it say,” the wizard questioned, his voice startling the blonde into dropping the box. His quick reflexes saved the contents, however, as Setau managed to catch the box.


"Oh, it's a bottle of chocolate flavored lube. From a so called secret admirer, Junius explained calmly. “It's not the first time something has been left at my door."

Junius turned to see Setau had opened the bottle. The blond took a deep breath as he watched the wizard taste the chocolate. He was entranced, unable to move as he watched the pink tongue lick dark fingers.

Junius tensed as he felt all his blood rush down to his groin. He nearly lost it when those dark blue eyes looked up at him.

Setau smirked as he licked his fingers. He could tell he was getting to the blonde.
"Mmmmm... Bitter, but I know how to make it sweeter,” he murmured, moving closer to Junius. "Would you like to know how?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What a cliff hanger eh. Well I hope people like this story until the next chapter.