Pharaoh and the Thief

Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Warning: None for this chapter.
Author’s Note: Sorry this chapter took so long. I’m going home on Thursday and I’ve been scrambling to finish homework and everything else I need to do before I leave. Hopefully this will be finished in one or two more chapters and there won’t be anymore delays.

Thanks so much to all my reviewers, sorry to keep you guys waiting. :)

Chapter 16

Bakura sat on the bed and watched as Atem paced back and forth, obviously struggling between emotions.

“How could you do that?” he finally yelled, turning to face Bakura.

Bakura shrugged. “I told you I had to.”

“No you didn’t!” Atem yelled in frustration. “You, both of you,” he said, twisting around to glare at Seth who still stood, leaning against the other wall and looking a little less ill. “You could have informed me, and I could have had him punished properly! By law!”

Bakura snorted and Atem turned back to him, an indignant look on his face. “What?!”

“Punish him properly?” Bakura asked. “Like a High Priest of the Pharaoh would ever be punished properly. He would have gotten off light and we both know it,” Bakura said disdainfully.

Atem glared at him and narrowed his eyes. “He would not have gotten off lightly. I do not show favoritism when it comes to the law! Just like I won’t be able to show any with you!”

Bakura looked at him with cold eyes. “It wouldn’t have been enough. Nothing you could have done would have been enough.”

“So you decided to take the law into your own hands?” Atem asked bitterly. “Did it ever occur to you that I will have to be the one to condemn you for this?”

Bakura didn’t answer, but by the sudden hardness in his eyes, Atem realized he did.

“You did, didn’t you?” Atem asked softly. “How could you put me in this situation?”

Bakura broke his gaze and stared at his hands in his lap, not replying.

Atem’s voice hardened. “You put your revenge before me; you must realize I will have to put my duty before you.”

“I know,” Bakura said quietly, finally glancing up with unreadable eyes. “I would never ask you to do otherwise.”

Atem’s face softened in defeat. “Then why? If you knew the outcome, why did you do it?”

Bakura was quiet, back to staring at his clenched hands in his lap. Atem could tell he had an internal struggle of his own. His anger quavered, but he refused to let it go completely. He wanted to hold Bakura and assure him that it would be okay, that he could fix it. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t ignore his duties, and he couldn’t save Bakura from this. Seth hadn’t gone into detail, but from the green tinged look of him when he came through the door, Atem had some idea what became of Akhenden.

“I had to protect you,” Bakura whispered, breaking Atem’s train of thought and angrily sweeping his hand through his hair. “He was insane. I failed at protecting my family and I failed at protecting you. He’s tried to take everything from me and nearly succeeded. I had to avenge them.”

He looked mournfully at Atem. “Even if it ends in my death, at least I’ll know I finally succeeded. That you were safe.”

Atem’s heart broke at the look on Bakura’s face. He didn’t even notice the quiet click of the door shutting as Seth stepped out as he sat on the bed next to Bakura and laid his head on the other man’s shoulder.

“I don’t need you to protect me, you know,” he said.

Bakura laughed softly and snaked an arm around Atem’s waist. “I know, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do it.”

Atem hugged Bakura and buried his face in his shoulder. “I can’t make this choice,” he said in anguish, letting his anger fade.

“Sure you can,” Bakura told him with fake lightness. “Do what ever you have to.”

“I have to try you for his death,” Atem said, sounding horrified.

Bakura smiled sadly. “Then that’s what you should do.”

“You know that would result in your execution,” Atem said, sitting up to face him.

Bakura kissed him tenderly. “I know.”

Atem looked lost. “I can’t. I can’t kill you.”

“I trust you to do what you know is right,” Bakura said softly.

They sat quietly for a long time, just happy in each other’s presence and knowing this could very well be the last time they enjoyed it.

“Did it make you feel better?” Atem asked suddenly.

“Hmm,” Bakura mumbled, having fallen asleep.

“Killing him. Did it make a difference?” Atem asked lightly.

“Yes,” Bakura said, not even pausing to think about it.

Atem looked at him, a bit startled by the abrupt answer. “How do you know?”

Bakura shrugged. “I’ve done what I set out to do. I’ve avenged my village and I saved you. Why shouldn’t I be satisfied?”

Atem pondered this, “I suppose you should be.”

There was a short pause as Atem tried to decide whether or not he wanted to ask the question that he’d been wondering since Seth stumbled through the door.

“What did you do to him,” he inquired softly.

“Less than what he deserved,” Bakura whispered bitterly.

“What did he deserve?” Atem asked.

“Hours of torment, of the greatest pain he had ever known, suffering with no escape. He’ll no doubt experience that in the hell I sent him too, I just wish I could have seen it,” Bakura said, the viciousness dying out of his voice as Atem tried to figure out what he made of his lover’s statement.

There was a soft knock on the door and both men looked up as Seth entered the room.

“What would you like me to do, Pharaoh?” Seth asked. “Word has gotten around and people are becoming restless. We have to do something.”

Atem nodded in agreement. Of course they had to do something. But what?

Seth waited patiently for Atem’s answer; eyes darting between the two men, from Bakura’s worried expression to Atem’s lost one.

“I could find a decoy...?” he offered.

“No,” Atem said quickly.

Seth sighed. “I hate to say it Atem, but there is no doubt in anyone’s mind who did this and the longer it takes to produce him...well people are talking.”

Bakura stood from the bed and sighed, crossing his arms across his chest. “Oh for the love of Ra, just arrest me already!”

Both men looked at him a little surprised. “What?” Seth asked.

“Arrest me,” Bakura said simply. “Atem won’t allow someone else to take my punishment; you obviously can’t let me leave. I don’t see any other option.”

“Bakura, I’m trying to figure this out!” Atem said, feeling the anger boiling up again at Bakura’s lack of emotion towards his impending death.

“What are your other options, Pharaoh?” Bakura asked and Atem winced at the use of his title. “There aren’t any. Unless you are prepared to let me waltz out of the palace, as you made very clear you aren’t, then there aren’t a whole lot of other options, so stop bickering about it.”

“Do you have a death wish?” Atem asked viciously, clearly confused by the way Bakura was acting. “You don’t even act like you care! I’m trying to figure out away to save you and you don’t even care!” Atem screamed, frustration building up. “Do you want to leave me?” he asked quietly.

Bakura stared at him unblinkingly. “I don’t want to leave you,” he whispered. “But I can’t stay.”

“Well whose fault is that?” Atem asked viciously.

Bakura snarled at him as he got off the bed. “You know Atem, I thought you would understand, but I was obviously wrong.”

“How could I understand that you sacrificed us for some petty revenge?” the Pharaoh demanded, letting anger take over again.

Bakura’s eyes blazed. “Petty revenge?” he asked. “Was slaughtering my entire village petty?! Was attempting to poison you petty?!”

Atem looked taken aback, immediately feeling guilty about what he said. “I didn’t-”

“It doesn’t matter,” Bakura said, cutting him off. “Let’s go,” he snarled at Seth who was still standing inside the door, looking rather uncomfortable.

“Where?” he asked as Bakura wrenched the door open angrily.

“Either take me to the dungeon or watch me leave, I don’t care,” the thief snarled, stalking out in the hall as Seth followed, with a last pleading glance at Atem.

Atem watched them leave, wondering if he was doing the right thing.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bakura glared at Seth as he locked the door to his cell.

“Look, I can...” Seth began, looking unsure.

“Don’t bother,” Bakura said bitterly. “The Pharaoh wouldn’t approve of your assisting me.”

“He didn’t mean those things, Bakura,” Seth said quietly.

“Then why did he say them?” Bakura shot back.

“You just slaughtered one of his High Priests. He’s the Pharaoh of Egypt if you haven’t noticed. He took an oath when his father died to serve and protect the people of Egypt. He takes his duties seriously, you should know that. But he loves you, and you’ve put him in a terrible position.”

“I am not going to justify my actions to the likes of you,” Bakura snarled.

“I’m not asking you to,” Seth answered curtly. “I’m just asking you to look at this from Atem’s perspective.” With that, he swept down the corridor, cloak billowing behind him, and Bakura sank to the ground, burying his hands in his hair in frustration.

Seth was right. He hadn’t exactly been thinking straight when he’s killed the old man, but he didn’t regret it. He’d put his revenge first, and he expected Atem to do the same with his duty. But how could he say that this was all petty? He knew what Bakura had been through. He knew what this meant to him. And he just brushed it aside and acted like Bakura was being a spoiled child.

No, Bakura thought. Atem just overreacted, the same as him.

Bakura always assumed he would die after he found his revenge. He’d entertained ideas of living, but deep down he knew that was a slim chance. It was ironic, that the moment he found his revenge, he has also found something to live for. He just hoped Atem would forgive him before he left this world.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Atem paced back and forth in his chambers, his anger replaced by confusion. Would Bakura really just leave like that? Either by an executioner’s blow or of his own stealth? Was all this really just a facade for Bakura to get his revenge? Did he even care at all?

He’d claimed he had done it to protect Atem, but what was the point of protecting him if Bakura couldn’t be with him? He felt guilty for some of the things he’d said. He knew Bakura’s revenge wasn’t petty. He’d never experienced a loss like that. If someone took Bakura from him, he didn’t know if he would be able to restrain himself to the law either.

But they were just finally able to be together and be happy, and now it was all ruined. Whether Bakura died or left, he was never going to be able to see him again. Atem didn’t know what to do. He felt so lost. He couldn’t allow Bakura to be executed, his heart couldn’t take it, but could he really ignore his duty?

XxXxXxXxXxX

Atem followed the path Bakura and Seth had taken earlier, pausing as he reached the cells. He leaned against the bars of Bakura’s, the white haired thief with this head in his hands didn’t notice.

“Guess I can still sneak up on you,” Atem said softly, making the other man jump.

“Shit Atem,” Bakura murmured as he stood up. Atem smiled sadly, unlocking the cell and slipping inside.

“I didn’t mean what I said,” Atem told him. Bakura smiled.

“I know,” he said, pulling Atem to him and wrapping his arms around him.

“I’m sorry to put you in this situation,” Bakura murmured into the other man’s hair.

“I don’t know what to do,” Atem sighed.

“Don’t worry,” Bakura answered, “I do.”