[Closed]

[note_atem]

In another one of those long stretches of Kaiba's work, Atem had turned up at the office. It hadn't been the usual show-up-out-of-nowhere, either. This surprise trip had been after a couple of weeks away in a tournament. Kaiba seemed to be a little unfazed at his arrival, however. Hours of doing puzzles had eventually taken their usual toll on his

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[shutupandduelme]

No human voice called out in reply, but a soft sound seemed to come across from the master bathroom. After a few moments, another similar sound followed. The first might have been ripping cloth, the next few a variety of human grunts and growls. It finally started to escalate into impacts against the wall.

Something was going on in there.

[note_atem]

His attention shifted upon the very first noise. It didn't startle him as much as he thought it should have. It did unnerve him, however. Noises like that in this house could never have been a good thing. Was there trouble? Was Kaiba being attacked?

It would at least explain why he wasn't in the bed.

Atem's movements were sluggish still, though, chalking it up to having just gotten up. He was too certain Seto was struggling with someone, but how was he supposed to help in that situation? His hand went for the doorknob as soon as he was able, pulling it open. "Seto!"

[shutupandduelme]

Fighting was a better word for it. The bathroom was a mess. Everything that wasn't safely in a cabinet or attacked to the wall or counter was knocked to the floor. Seto was no exception.

The brunet was pressed up against the wall, his nails digging into the arms of the darker skinned man who was currently trying to strangle him. The former priest was clad only in the gold cuffs and kohl of his office, while Kaiba's clothing was half torn. Both of them looked up at the open door, but only Seto pulled away and dropped to one knee.

"My Pharaoh," he intoned, only just finishing the comment before Kaiba seized him by the hair in an attempt to force him completely to the floor.

[note_atem]

Any normal reaction he should have had to the situation was largely delayed as he stood there with a confused (and probably stupid) look on his face. ...or perhaps that would be the normal reaction to seeing something like this. His head tipped to the side, eyebrows quirked upwards and lips parted.

The look got worse as his former Priest knelt to him, but he was jolted into action when Kaiba seized the moment.

"Stop it, the both of you!" It was very much a command as he tried to step in-between the two.

[shutupandduelme]

Both brunets got an eyeful of that maybe a little stupid look. The Priest smirked, which Kaiba seemed to take as an insult. Hair was yanked even harder and Seto was forced down with an elbow to the back of his neck. Atem's presence was ignored, beyond that.

"Don't even think about it," Kaiba hissed, all his attention focused on his 'former self'. "We're not finished yet!"

"I think we are," the Priest murmured, the smug tone in his voice still evident even while being forced down. "The Pharaoh himself wishes to preserve my life. He wouldn't bother with such a lowly servant unless.."

"Be silent!" Kaiba growled as he tightened his hold.

[note_atem]

What the two were discussing was beyond him at the moment, and he felt like he'd walked into an already ongoing discussion. He tried to ignore the fact that he was missing something, reaching for Kaiba's arms to try and push him back.

"Seto," He growled, only to realize that that name might not have been a good one to start with and corrected to- "Kaiba!" just for the moment. The pushing continued. "Why don't we start with what's going on before anyone kills anyone else?"

[shutupandduelme]

Kaiba snarled like he had just lost lifepoints in a duel. He might as well have, with the way Seto was smirking. It only encouraged the Priest to make his move.

"No one is going to kill anyone now," he said as he smoothly rose to his feet. "You just picked the winner, as you did when you first called me here."

"You will be a dead man, Priest," Kaiba swore, stepping closer with a murderous glare. He stopped short though once the Priest ran his arm up Atem's shoulder.

"He must have ignored you considerably if you were desperate enough to call me forth from his withered soul," Seto murmured warmly, tipping his head toward Atem's ear. "I'm honored you would trust me to fix this problem."

[note_atem]

"Called you?" He fell deeper into confusion, and wasn't entirely sure he liked where this was heading. Kaiba would never really forgive him if this was his fault. Just like he was sure Kaiba wouldn't forgive the shiver the crawled over his skin at that touch even as a wide-eyed look took him.

He suddenly felt glued to his spot as the Priest came that much closer. His face already felt hot as he listened to that whisper. "Ignore? Problem?" More of that rare stupidity bled out of him as he truly felt out of the game. "Kaiba wasn't ignoring me..." But whatever the hell was going on, he certainly wasn't blaming the CEO for it, nor would he let his Priest do the same. No matter how hard his heart had set to hammering with the other's close presence.

[shutupandduelme]

"Then why am I here?" The Priest murmured, absolutely sure of the reason he had come up with himself. It was written in the blush running across Atem's face.

"All I ask is your permission, my Pharaoh, and I will remind you of everything you deserve. Only someone who is truly worthy should do this for you," he practically purred, tilting his head in further to just brush Atem's lips. He might have gotten farther, if Kaiba did not seize Atem by the shoulder in an attempt to pull him away.

"You have all the time in the world and you still come up with a bullshit story," the CEO growled, trying to get Atem to his chest. "You wouldn't be asking if it was what he really wanted. Go back to your grave."

[note_atem]

Something about this situation was grabbing him in a way he was sure he'd never felt before. His eyes lowered as he stared into those old blue eyes he remembered. "Deserve?"

The question, and the feelings behind it, were cut by that strong move by his rival. His hands went to the brunet's chest, not to push away, but to keep himself from being so far pulled that he would get smothered. All this jostling around made him feel weird.

"What the hell is really going on here?" He finally asked after a deep breath to try and help clear his mind. It only half worked.

[shutupandduelme]

Something flickered coldly in Seto's eyes when Atem was pulled away. It wasn't too different from Kaiba's expression when his strategy ran sour. The gentle reach of his hand, though, was something the CEO would never try.

"You called me," the Priest tried to answer, "because no one in this time can serve you like I can. Especially not a bastard boy with commoner's blood who spends all his time chasing after a dead man who isn't even his father."

Kaiba bristled behind Atem, his grip tightening and voice growing icy. "Better that than a man who can't let go of something he already lost. Atem belongs to me, Priest. Surely you've met the others who have tried to take my things at the gates of hell."

[note_atem]

At this point Atem didn't really know who to defend. What Seto was saying was going a step too far but Kaiba didn't seem to need his help. And it finally struck him that they were fighting over him. But not even him as much as his body. And he wasn't entirely too sure how he felt about that.

Something about it was as thrilling as it was frightening. He hadn't been aware that any need of his could be so strong as to call a person back from the grave, either. He really hadn't been aware that he even had a need that strong; not until just that moment. He not only felt hot, but bothered now. It felt wrong.

"I don't belong to anyone." He said in a voice stronger than he would even give himself credit for. And the only reason he did it was to try and entice the two into challenge. It was too late that he realized this was probably a poor thing to do.

[shutupandduelme]

The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees from the icy stares alone. Seto was the one who recovered first, reaching out to guide Atem's hand toward him.

"Of course not," he murmured, "the Pharaoh is a god." He tilted his head forward to kiss Atem's fingers. "But even a god needs guidance."

There was a snort from behind the smaller duelist. It was the only warning they would get before Kaiba tightened his grip, trying to pull Atem out of reach of the Priest. His head tilted to Atem's neck, where he bit in sharply. He wasn't going to waste time arguing when a claiming mark would do.

[note_atem]

Once more he felt the heat on his face as Seto acted with such patience and love. He was sure he had a reason for never indulging in any feelings towards his Priest when they'd been alive together. Why now was he feeling so different? It made it hard to say anything at all.

As usual, Kaiba was good at breaking him out of stupors- and making bold moves. Those crimson eyes closed quickly, lips parting to give way to a sharp exhale that became a groan somewhere near the end. Despite his shameful reaction he still tried to protest, "Still don't.." but it was an unfinished thought.

[shutupandduelme]

It would have been unfinished no matter what. Seth had never been so furious in his life. No commoner had the right to look the Pharaoh in the eye, much less hurt him and draw his blood. It felt like the fake was storming right through everything he believed in...and his heart, besides.

Out came the Rod without a second thought. The blade was swung forward, and the CEO was forced to abandon Atem's shoulder to dodge. Kaiba only just managed to avoid losing an eye through reflex alone, though he did have a nice cut across his cheekbone. The Priest was satisfied with that for the moment.

"Only a guardian should even try to touch a god," he said icily, "and no one, certainly, gets to mark him."

[note_atem]

Atem found himself bracing the sink counter from the side, his own actions against that blade slightly sluggish. He'd been very lucky that wasn't aimed at him. He knew his priest would never take up action against him, but it still felt life threatening all the same.

"Both of you stop this!" He certainly wasn't looking for anyone to die today. "Seto put that away, and Kaiba stop trying to antagonize him." There had to be some sort of middle ground, he just had no idea what the hell it might be.