Disclaimer: They're not mine...I'm writing at 10:30 P.M. I'm not clever with disclaimers past nine...if I am ever clever with them at all...I just don't own YGO or the concept of vampires...or seashells...

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000

Seashells…?

"A bad night, I wager?" Yami looked up from the battered couch he was inspecting to the bedraggled, sour-looking Anzu that climbed through the window. Demonic form shaking itself like a dog, she began to rid her skin of all excess water.

He raised his dark eyebrows at her growl. All thoughts of asking about the even-more-viciously ripped couch faded from his immediate train of thinking. A human, dripping Anzu now stood before him, black clothing soaked. She shuddered, flaring her wings in an attempt to dry them. They vanished into her shoulder blades. "What happened to you?" He sniffed the water tentatively. "Ocean water?" he inquired.

She spat a little on the floor, nodding. "Yeah. Wasn't sure how long it'd take to get to the shore."

He looked her over. "Uh...did you visit Yuugi?"

"Yeah. And he was fine, I might add." She shook herself, rubbing her hands up and down her upper arms, wet fabric rubbing irritatingly across her skin. Goose-bumps covered her.

She was used to the cold, but this was really going too far.

Yami appeared at a loss for words. While Anzu focused on wringing out her hair and clothes, he tapped one foot against the ground. "...Is now a bad time to ask how-?"

"He's fine! He's expecting me to visit tomorrow, something I am not certain I'm doing," she snapped. Like a cobra shooting unwarranted venom, she spat out in a vicious snarl. "And don't ask about the seawater!"

He gazed at her quietly.

"Poor, poor Khonsu! The moon longs to shine as the sun!"

Anzu lowered her eyes. Yami didn't look hurt, so much as...as though he'd expected her agitation. He often did receive the end of one of her sudden angry surges, didn't he? Although I suppose...I've done the same for him, haven't I?

Not as often as he does for you...

"What's wrong?"

She mumbled something, giving him a look. Still, she refrained from biting his head off again. Rummaging around in her pocket, she withdrew several, small, hard, shiny objects. Dumping them on the table, she sat down on the ripped up couch, sopping wet clothes and all. "I found a couple of those...what d'you call them...seashells. They're yours, if you want them."(1)

Expression unfathomable, he turned one over with a gentle hand. It was a slender little spiral, a creamy ivory color. Brown swirls colored the spiral. His red eyes softened...just a bit.

"What did Bakura say?" he asked finally. Anzu shrugged. Not bothering to look up through the damp curtain of dark brown hair, she felt his hand on her back.

He liked the seashells. They reminded him of salt, sand...and sun. Licking her lips to rid them of moisture, she found the salty tang clinging to her smooth, clammy skin.

She knew he'd been at the coast when he'd been 'busy.' He just didn't like to say it. Yami was very personal; he kept secrets, unalienable, unreachable secrets that she would never dream of trying to comprehend.

"Who said he said anything? Who said I didn't just decide to visit the beach and take a swim?" she asked dully, knowing full well he already knew the answer.

He adopted a thoughtful pose, eyes upwards. "Hm. Well, let' see...you go to the beach-which you hate-and you dive into the cold water-which you hate-and swim around to find seashells. Which you hate. No one else infuriates you so much that you would dive into the ocean." Yami's arms crossed, as they always did when he knew he was right and wasn't backing down.

"Huh. Doesn't mean it was Bakura."

His hard glare softened a little more. "No one else has the guts-or stupidity, depending on how you look at it-to insult me in front of you, nor the ability to insult me so accurately that you would go diving headlong into the sea because of it, to deny the honesty in the insult. What did he say?"

"You need to quit being so intelligent. The usual. What else? He's lucky I don't stake him on sight." He honestly was...psycho little...

"He mocked my interest in humanity?"

"...Sort of." She couldn't say what Bakura had...

Yami seemed to understand despite her lack of explanation. Without her verbal consent, he folded one arm over her shoulders. She leaned on him, expression weary. His white skin made hers seem ruddy.

"I do like seashells. Thank you."

She shrugged, shoulder rubbing against his arm. "Wasn't too far from Yuugi's."

"Only a couple of cities."

There was silence.

"...Anytime, Khonsu. Anytime."

000

"...And Yuugi is expecting you to return?" Yami kicked the couch, encouraging the foot rest to jut out alarmingly. Anzu nodded, wrapping her wings around her a little tighter. Both seated themselves on the same half of the couch, stretched out wearily.

"Uh-huh. Still, I don't know if I'll visit...I'm tired." She didn't blink when Khonsu's white wing draped over them. She did, however, notice with mild interest-and slight envy-that his wing emanated warmth; unlike hers.

"Are you sure it isn't something else?"

"Hm?"

Yami shifted on the couch. "It sounds as though you spoke very openly with this boy. Even as much as you do with me. Does that frighten you?"

He got a blank stare. "And I thought I over-think things? Cripes, Kh-Yami, no."

Yami continued with his original stream of questions. "Why wouldn't you be afraid? You don't want to be friends with this boy because he is human. We are shunned by humanity and in their foolishness they would kill all of us, regardless of our plight."

"Well, Sunny Jim, aren't you chipper? (2) Heck, no, I just don't want to spend time with the kid. Nothing wrong with him or anything, but still..." Anzu trailed off tiredly, leaning her head against his shoulder, aware Yami's collarbone was poking her left temple. He moved a little. They spent a few minutes this way, his chin resting atop her head.

She sat up again, moving away. "I told him to expect me around midnight."

Yami's eyebrows raised a bit. "Sounds like you wanted to visit."

"Oh, I don't know!" Shoving his wing aside, Anzu got up, moodily gazing her shoes. The peaceful moment had vanished. "Look; all I know is that when I'm away from the kid, I could care less about what happens to him. But when I visited him, I felt...bad…for leaving. He seemed so glad I had shown up..."

"And you do not want to betray his trust." She glanced up from her rough, muddy shoes to Yami's eyes. His elbow rested against his knee, eyes absolutely focused. It was that look that no one dared look away from when he spoke. "You feel trusted by him, like there is at least one human that does not hate us for what we are." At this, he got up, shifting his slight weight to his feet.

Anzu gazed at the floor again, quietly. "I don't need any friends other than you. Besides, they aren't as strong as us."

He stepped closer. "You know that's not true. You know they are as-"

"You can't say 'as human as us,'" she said sharply. He fell silent. "But...they do feel like we do. But that doesn't mean I care about any human as much as anyone else I know."

Yami's wing brushed hers. "You cared enough to take him home."

Yes. Yes, she had...

She looked up at him, glare lacking conviction. "Alright. I'll visit him, I know that's what you want. I have no idea why I'm doing it, but I will."

Yami smiled. "Good. It's only fair to him."

"I'd say unfair; he puts up with something that would go feeding-frenzy on him over a cut," Anzu muttered. "Speaking of which, I'm hungry. In related news, did you go hunting or what?"

He glanced aside. "Sorry. I caught nothing appetizing."

She gave him a pitying, if affectionate glance. "Another little girl?"

"Yes, yes, in bed with her teddy...she was four! Who lets a four-year-old walk around at night?" he asked impatiently. "Well, actually, I know another vampire took her in the night..." he trailed off thoughtfully.

Anzu stared. "You didn't."

Yami gave the ceiling an innocent look. "I didn't knock him out if that's what you're thinking..."

Uh-huh. Right.

Anzu snorted, though with contempt or amusement was debatable. "Are we going blood bank tonight, or what? Or we could fly out to the country, find some livestock, if you're in the mood."

Yami's eyes grew tired. It was such a quick, drastic change that Anzu stared openly. "To be honest, I just don't feel like going out again tonight. I fed a few nights ago...I really don't want to."

Anzu slowly raised her eyebrows. More concern than anything radiated from her features. "Are you sick? Do you feel bad?"

"Just tired..."

"Might be lack of food. We're not meant to go for nights without."

Yami shrugged. He seated himself on the couch again, head against the armrest. "No...I don't feel like going anywhere...that's all..." His eyes softened even more as they half-closed. His wings draped over his form like blankets.

Anzu very carefully laid one hand against his back. He didn't twitch in response, nor sit up. She kneeled next to him, crouching on the floor, so that they were at eye level. "Are you sure?" she asked quietly, eyes focusing on his softly sad features.

"I'm certain." He closed his eyes.

"I'll bring something back, okay?" He didn't answer. Anzu cautiously waved one hand in front of his face. No response, save the soft breaths of sleep. Giving him one more anxious glance, Anzu opened the windows. It was about three at night, brisk and chilly as wind wrapped around her, swirling into the room behind her, buildings boxed together beneath the spacious stars.

Inhaling deeply, Anzu glanced up at the curtains that billowed by the window. She'd never been certain why they'd never thrown out the curtains; neither of them really cared enough. Looking from the curtain to the couch and back again, she slid her claws through the fabric.

If Bakura saw this, he'd laugh me out of the vampire regions. Ah, what do I care...?

Pulling down the white, slightly ancient curtain, she dropped it over the sleeping form on the couch. He barely twitched in response. Brushing the golden bangs out of his face, Anzu shook her head.

"What am I going to do with you, Yami?" She sighed, one hand against her hip. Anzu turned back to the window with a grim resignation. Another night out alone...

Anzu climbed out the window and vanished, leaving him alone in the dark, window clattering shut like a jail cell's door.

000

Author's note: So, is this going alright? Remember, comments boost confidence...yes, this was a bit shorter.

(1) This was inspired by Harry Potter, Amos Diggory saying, "What d'you call them, please-men," or something similar. Not mine. I guess it could also have been inspired by Ariel off "The Little Mermaid"…another thing I do not own.

2) "Sunny Jim" is something Phineas called Harry in Harry Potter. Not mine again...cripes; I need to stop reading so much Harry Potter, don't I?