Chapter Text
“You didn't punish me,” Yugi murmured against Atem’s neck, reveling in the feel of the man’s warm hands upon his thighs as they rubbed absently while they sat on the sofa.
The burn from where Yugi had cut himself was soothed by the warmth the man provided.
“I figured what you had been through was enough. And sometimes, in these instances, just talking is all that’s needed,” Atem explained gently.
Yugi wrinkled his nose without meeting the man’s eyes. “But what about my homework?”
“What about your homework, darling?”
“I didn’t do it,” Yugi admitted, lifting his head to look at Atem from under his lashes. His cheeks felt like they were on fire. “I didn’t do it yesterday or today.”
Atem's hands slid to his waist and rose his eyebrows. “Is that so?”
Yugi nodded slowly with intent, relieved when the man seemingly understood what he was asking for so he didn’t have to outright say it.
Atem gripped his hips, accented voice dipping lower. “And what do you have to say for yourself, hm?”
Yugi shuddered at the deep rumble and shrugged a shoulder to feign nonchalance. “I didn’t feel like it.”
Atem leveled his dark gaze on him. “Didn’t feel like it? Do you think that’s a good enough excuse to not do your homework, little game? You’ve fallen behind now, haven’t you? You should have asked me to help you.”
“I’m sorry,” Yugi said, apology genuine, and dropped his eyes to Atem’s collarbone guiltily. “I should have said something sooner.”
“Yes, you should have,” Atem replied and then took his chin with a gentle hand, lifting his face until they met eyes. “You’re right though. You should be punished for this.”
Yugi’s throat bobbed. “What will you do?” He asked in a small voice and Atem raised an eyebrow.
“I think that’s quite obvious, darling,” he murmured, “We have talked about proper punishments before and there were a couple that you agreed to, didn’t you?”
Yugi’s face burned with realization. “Mhm.”
Atem dropped his hands from Yugi completely.
“Over my knee then.”
Yugi’s heart jumped and his embarrassment spiked. “O-Over your knee?”
Atem gave him an intentional look. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Yugi chewed on the inside of his cheek as he scrambled off of Atem, only to awkwardly put himself over his thighs with Atem’s help.
Atem’s hand went right to Yugi’s rear, rubbing it gently. Yugi’s heart quickened.
“You broke a very important rule, little game,” the deep voice told him, sending a shiver down his spine. Atem’s hand gave one of Yugi’s cheeks a light tap over his jeans, making him jolt. “You will take your punishment and you will tell me thank you, do you understand?”
Yugi whispered over his shaky breaths. “Y-Yes.”
The next time a hand came down, it was harder and it made his skin tingle painfully. A broken gasp came from Yugi’s throat.
“What do you say, darling? ” Atem reminded him and Yugi’s fingers gripped Atem’s pant leg in a tight fist.
“Thank you.”
“That’s my good boy,” Atem hummed warmly before his hand came down again on the other cheek, burning the sensitive skin underneath.
Yugi gritted his teeth, his whole body on fire. “Thank you.”
When Atem gave him a couple of smacks to each cheek, it made Yugi squirm relentlessly against his legs.
“You like it, do you? You like it when I punish your little behind this way?” Came the sultry voice in Yugi’s ears.
A hand ran up and down his back warmly, drawing a shaky breath from Yugi’s lungs, until his jeans and underwear was forcibly pulled down toward his thighs.
“Ah, look at that beautiful red skin,” Atem murmured, pleased. “Mithl alkarz.”
A quiet moan left Yugi’s throat without his permission as his arousal pressed unbidden against Atem’s thigh.
“What do you say, little game?”
“Thank you.”
“Very good,” Atem said gruffly before slapping his hand down again, this time onto Yugi’s bare skin, making Yugi cry out from the sharp pain.
Chest heaving, he only barely remembered to say his appreciation. “T-Thank you.”
Atem massaged the deep ache into Yugi’s skin, drawing out more blood to the surface. “Mmm, that’s it, take your punishment like a big boy.”
Yugi whimpered and moaned mindlessly as Atem gave him another series of smacks, his hand scalding Yugi’s sensitive skin and making him squirm helplessly in a useless attempt to get away.
Atem’s free arm held him still, pinning him to his thighs without letting up.
Yugi gripped Atem’s legs, the couch, the floor, anything he could reach as blow after blow came down upon his skin until it was no longer sharp stinging pain, but deep and bruising, numbing and swelling, and tears leaked furiously from his eyes.
Until everything out of his mouth was gibberish and broken sobs, until he didn’t know anything, until he was nothing but in a state of peace and calm and nothing.
He didn’t know how many more smacks to his rear there were, if he said thank you, if Atem’s arm was still pinning him down or if Atem said anything at all.
The next thing Yugi knew, he was carefully pulled up right and into warm arms. He barely registered his own whimpers as the pain from his skin burned and ached against Atem’s strong thighs.
When Yugi’s mind became clearer, he could hear the low comforting voice speaking to him, and could feel the soothing hands upon his back and hair.
It was only then that he realized he was still crying and his body was shaking.
But his brain... his brain was silent. He couldn’t feel that deep hurt that had suffocated him for so long.
He clung to Atem like a child, sobbing into his hair.
A blanket was thrown over him and a warm kiss was pressed to his forehead.
“Oh, little game, the hurt inside of you is so strong,” Atem murmured mournfully, holding him closely so there was no room between them. “Listen to my voice, my sweet boy. Just focus on me.”
And Yugi did.
He closed his eyes and bonelessly listened to Atem speak to him, giving him praise and care until his body settled and he could hear his own heartbeat again.
“There you go,” he whispered as Yugi melted into him. “There you go, darling.”
Yugi couldn’t talk, but he at least wasn’t crying anymore. He was safe and peaceful. The pain in his lower body overpowered the pain on his thigh or his heavy heart.
The new warmth inside of him was boundless.
“Thank you, Daddy,” he whispered after what could have been an eternity.
The title, it felt right. Like he had always called Atem that his whole life.
Arms tightened around him and Yugi felt him shudder, the man’s lips finding Yugi’s ear.
“You’re so very welcome, Maliki,” Atem said softly into his ear. “I’ll always take care of you. That’s what you do when you love someone.”