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I remember, very clearly, the first time I saw Atem Pharos. It was also my first visit to the Shadow Realm. The club was a night club and high end brothel. Mai Valentine ran the club with a tight hand. She wouldn’t hesitate to have any patron thrown out for any reason. She never made her employees work the brothel, unless they were willing and did not have a lover.
I remember the bright colors of the costumes. The air held the aura of joy and the scent revelry, if it had one. It felt like a party without end. The dancers were weaving through each other. They pulled patrons into the dancing throng with them at random. Above them sat three thrones. All three were empty at the time.
My new friends-also my new neighbors-shuffled me along to a booth sat inside an alcove. There were several dotted about the hall. They had brought me to cheer me up. This was the first time I had been away from my home completely on my own.
I had been forced into hiding. I was using a fake last name at the time, going by Yugi Sennen instead of Yugi Moutu. Somehow, I had gotten caught up in a scandal I had never participated in. It was the perfect excuse to explore life outside of my family’s wealth and privilege. I had always held a great dislike of the world I was born in.
My companions and I settled into our booth. We fit into the alcove snugly. Scantily clad servers, both male and female, passed by us. I remember blushing severely at seeing so much skin exposed on a person. Many of them winked at my blushing face.
The lights dimmed as the dancers raced away from the floor. A spot light hit the polished wood before lifting into the air. It illuminated a lithe male figure. This was my first time watching Atem preform. He was as beautiful then as he is now. He was dressed in fitted, pressed, black slacks, a white shirt, a rhinestone studded vest, and top hat.
“The French are glad to die for love.” He sang out into the silence. His deep voice flowed over my skin. I had moaned softly to myself. I had not realized at that exact moment, but I had lost my heart to Atem Pharos.
A dusky tanned hand plucked Yugi’s pen out of his fingers. An arm slid around his shoulder to trail into the opening of his robe. Warm breath curled around the opposite ear as the person behind him tapped the pen against his cheek. He turned, greeted by his beloved’s smile. Atem returned the gesture before relinquishing the pen.
“Our sun and moon are tucked away in bed. …I thought we agreed long ago about there being no work brought into the bedroom?” He trailed his nails up Yugi’s chest lightly, showing he wasn’t mad. His husband sighed blissfully.
“It’s not work.” He replied. “I’m writing a memoir about how we met and our first year or so together. I thought the children might like to read it when they’re older. How much trouble did they give you?” Yugi tilted his head to the side, allowing Atem to trail kisses there.
“Not too much.” He said softly into his ear. “Khonsu wanted to know why you weren’t helping me. I told him Papa was very tired tonight. You’re not too tired for me to make love to you, are you, Habibi?” He nibbled on the ear lobe before him. A little moan left his lover this time. He smiled as he kissed the bite.
“Never, but you might have to do most of the work yourself, Koibito. Let me finish this part first?”
“Go ahead. I’m going to take a shower first. Come join me if you finish before I get out.” Atem kissed him softly, one of those that lingered. He drew away slowly, winking as he turned away. Yugi watched him enter their en suite bathroom. He loved watching him. Atem had this way of walking when it was just them, a certain sway to his hips. He tore his eyes away to return to his notebook.
I was saddened to see Atem leave the room, more so after his fall. I applauded his performance enthusiastically. I had enjoyed it. I couldn’t help hoping it was I he had locked eyes with. I had shaken my head to loosen that foolish hope.
I rose from my seat. When asked, I made an excuse of being thirsty. I wanted to get up, walk around. My eyes wondered about the hall. A hand grabbed my wrist. I was pulled behind a dark curtain. My surprised yelp was muffled by another mouth meeting mine.
I was pushed up against the wall hidden behind the thick cloth. Hips ground into mine pleasurably. After releasing a moan, I pushed the person away to see who was kissing me. Atem watched me with desperate, needy eyes. His hands tightened on my sides.
“Please.” He pleaded softly.
“I’m not-“
“It’s alright. I’ll take care of you, Handsome. Just let me be yours tonight.”
“O.K, but shouldn’t we go somewhere more private?” He pulled a pyramid pendant from beneath his shirt. He placed it around my neck.
“Come to the pyramid at midnight. Show this to the twins by the door. They’ll let you in. You should go back to your friends. I have to work the floor.”
“Wait!” I held to his forearm. “I didn’t catch your name. I’m Yugi Sennen.”
“I am Atem Pharos.” We gravitated back toward each other. I reached for his other arm. His lips glided over mine like he had been kissing me for years. The kiss wasn’t long, and trailed off into a string of quick pecks.
“I don’t want to leave you.”
“Then don’t.” I said between more pecks. It was like we couldn’t get enough kisses. “We could sneak away to your pyramid. A private dinner for two sounds lovely, doesn’t it?”
“True, mon lion, but I have to go. Mai will have my hide, if I don’t. Until our midnight meal?”
“Until midnight.” I watched him leave, following after minutes later. My friends asked what had taken me, and I shared my lucky story. They all looked rather impressed, knowing Atem far better than I had at the time. He never invited just anyone back to his pyramid, much less gave them the ‘key to the pyramid’ as the pendant was called.
I sighed in the few remaining hours before my midnight rendezvous. My eyes watched Atem as he floated about, working the floor. I knew he was aware of my stare, often shooting glances to me over others’ backs. It seemed an eternity until I was before the twins.