And this is the end! I'd like to thank all my followers and friends for their support throughout, as this really hasn't been an easy story to write. It's required a lot of research, careful thought, and sensitive approach, but I've had some amazing people who have been there for me the whole time, guiding me, making sure I did justice to the issues herein. Eli, Joanna…I don't know if you're reading this, but I want you both to know that you have been such a massive help to me, and I couldn't have written any of this without you.

Have some proper Deathshipping smut now. Thanks for your patience and see you all again soon!

PS: Sorry not sorry for ending this on a songfic, and the proper formatting for said songfic works like garbage on this site, so if you want to see it a bit more spaced out, read this over at Archive of our Own.

Ryou was discharged from hospital after a week. The official diagnosis was sepsis, not from the actual reassignment surgery as Ryou had suspected, but from the insertion of his catheter, something he was told was more common than usually imagined. The catheter was changed, the insertion area well cleaned, and once sent home with additional oral antibiotics to stave off the infection, everything cleared up nicely.

He was left exhausted by the illness, however, and unable to complete even the most menial tasks around his apartment without wanting to curl up on the sofa and sleep for hours. His very bones ached, and everything felt like a painful chore. The doctors had warned him that this might be the case for a long time, though they couldn't say for sure how long it would last. One thing was for sure: Ryou wasn't going back to work anytime soon. The early wake-up was too much, and he physically couldn't handle it without bursting into tears.

Ryou resisted the urge to ask for help for as long as he could, but eventually it got too much, and Kek began staying over for days at a time, helping him as he'd helped immediately following the surgery. Bakura came by often, as did Marik, neither wanting to leave everything up to Kek. Together, they made Ryou's life a little easier, and gradually, his strength began to return, but it would be a long time until he felt like he was getting back to normal.

Over the next few months, Kek stopped returning home. His space was left vacant for a while, but eventually, Bakura moved in with Marik, once they'd all figured Kek wasn't going to leave Ryou's side anytime soon. And that was fine with Ryou. Having his boyfriend nearby did more for his recovery than any medication could have done, or so he felt.

Before any of them realised it, a year had passed since the surgery, and their story had come full circle; back to Egypt, where they had all met. Marik and Kek wanted to fly out to visit their siblings, and Ryou and Bakura's visit to their father was well overdue. Bakura had no more leave to use at work, having used most of it on caring for Ryou, but he'd pretty much told Kaiba to go fuck himself, he was going whether he liked it or not. What was Seto-sama going to do, fire him? Bakura was their best damn tech diagnostician; there was no way Kaiba would let that happen. He sent a few grouchy texts afterwards, sure, but apart from that, he had little else to say, and Yugi had just waved cheerfully, laughing behind Kaiba's back the whole time.

As it turned out, Dr Bakura was too busy and buried in his work to be able to make time for his children, but that was something they were more than used to by now. It was a shame, really, but it couldn't be helped. Instead, they all piled into Isis and Rishid's house, which was looking rather empty and filled with boxes. "We are moving to Domino!" Isis said brightly over dinner. "We wanted to surprise you all when you arrived."

"Al-Okhti Al-Kubra! That's amazing!" Marik exclaimed, reaching over the table to squeeze Isis' hands. "Oh, it will be so good to have you both near us again!"

"It was long overdue," Rishid murmured, smiling faintly over the rim of his wine glass.

Ryou feigned a look of mock annoyance. "I'm offended, dear Isis!" he proclaimed. "No excitable Twitter messages about this? I thought you loved me!"

"Oh, I do, sweetheart, but I know you well," Isis laughed. "You would have run straight to Kek and ruined the secret."

"Okay, you've got me there."

Kek ruffled Ryou's hair, grinning. "She isn't wrong, huh?"

"Be quiet, you."

"I thought you loved me!"

Bakura rolled his eyes. "You two are so sickly, you might just put me off my food."

"Don't be stupid," Marik cut in. "Nothing puts you off your food."

"Your adding chickpeas to everything does."

"Hey, you chose to move in with me, so you can either suck up the fact I love chickpeas or starve. You're a useless cook."

"I thought you loved me, Marik!"

"You're an ass."

"You love my ass."

Isis and Rishid eyed each other and smiled knowingly. For all the back-and-forth banter their brothers dealt with their significant others, they knew it would be odd to have it any other way.

Afterwards, Rishid cleared away the dishes, and Marik, Kek, and Bakura headed off to play video games. Ryou made himself comfortable on the sofa in the living room, closing his eyes and sighing. He was very much enjoying being back in Egypt, but the flight had knocked him for six and he felt ready to pass out any moment.

"Can I do anything for you, Ryou?" Isis asked gently, perching herself on the seat beside Ryou. "You seem very tired. I can kick the boys out of the bedroom if you want to go and nap for a while."

Ryou opened his eyes and shook his head. "I'm fine, Isis, but thank you. I just never thought I would be this exhausted all the time."

"Was it worth it?" Isis' own eyes were wide and curious.

"The sepsis? No, not at all. But everything else…yeah. Honestly, everything has been so amazing since we met you all, I sometimes have to pinch myself to believe it!" Ryou gave his arm a pinch to demonstrate. "You're a wonderful family and I can't tell you how grateful Tou and I are to have you in our lives."

Isis blushed, a faint pink tinge darkening her cheekbones, and she leaned in and pecked Ryou on the cheek. "You are a darling," she smiled. "You have looked after Kek so well; I have never seen him happier than when he is with you. Marik, too, with Bakura. It is as if Rishid and I have gained two more brothers, and it truly is wonderful."

"Well, we've all been together long enough for you to call Tou and I brothers-in-law, I suppose," Ryou smirked.

"And you may call me sister-in-law, if you wish."

"I'd love that."

Isis hugged Ryou, kissing his cheek again. "We are going to have to spend much more time together once Rishid and I have settled down in Domino. I believe you promised me in our last conversation that you would teach me how to apply that wonderful makeup of yours."

"Isis, you're the girlfriend I never knew I needed."

When night fell, Ryou and Kek drove to a hotel. Isis and Rishid were happy for them all to stay the night, but with much of their possessions packed away now, nobody wanted to inconvenience them by adding to the clutter, so Marik and Bakura were the only ones who stayed. In any case, Kek at least was happy to get away from the possibility of spending the night near his brother and his boyfriend, knowing how much they had a tendency to argue well into the night. Instead, he got to look forward to a quiet night snuggled up with Ryou.

When they got to their hotel room, Kek took a shower, then slipped into his boxers and traded places with Ryou so he could put their luggage away. As he sorted through their clothes, putting them into little piles to deposit into drawers, his eyes fell on the smaller of the two opaque bottles that had fallen out from inside one of his t-shirts. Frowning, Kek picked up the smaller bottle, wondering whether he should have even packed it. The lube had been more of a "just in case" throw-in, and he and Ryou hadn't been intimate at all since the night before Ryou's surgery, so he wasn't expecting much tonight.

The lack of said intimacy hadn't bothered Kek at all; he couldn't really blame Ryou for not wanting to, since he was constantly exhausted, and still adjusting to his new body. It hadn't made their relationship strained or difficult, rather, Kek had relished it. They'd been able to get to know each other without carnal desires distracting them.

Smiling at the happy memories they shared together, Kek put the lube aside and picked up the larger bottle, sloshing the liquid inside back and forth. Massage oil, at least, was a little more innocuous. It was a blend of almond and lavender, the latter a scent that Kek knew Ryou adored.

"I hear oil!" Ryou poked his head round the ensuite door, clad just in boxers and with his hair wrapped in a towel.

Kek jumped in surprise, being so deep in thought he hadn't heard the shower switch off. He gave an amused chuckle and set the bottle on the bed. "You're like a cat hearing the opening of food, snowflake. Except with oil."

"I like back rubs," Ryou winked. Looking a little stiff and sore, he tossed the towel containing his hair aside, and flopped down on the bed, rubbing his eyes. "Thanks for putting all that away," he murmured, curling onto his side. "I could have done my own stuff, though."

"Don't be silly. I might as well have done it while I was already here." Kek pulled himself up onto the bed behind Ryou, kissing the side of his neck gently. "Speaking of back rubs…would you like one?"

Ryou giggled, nodding in assent as he turned over onto his front. Kek snatched up the oil and swung a leg over Ryou to straddle him, resting his weight on the back of Ryou's thighs. With one hand he uncapped the oil, and with the other he brushed Ryou's hair away from his shoulders. "Comfortable?" Kek asked, and Ryou nodded again. Satisfied, Kek poured a little oil into his palm and rubbed his hands together, warming the oil, before sweeping his hands up Ryou's back, over his shoulders and down his arms.

Kek was gentle, not working in too deep at this point, but Ryou still sighed happily and practically melted into the bed at Kek's soothing touch. "Mmm…you're so good at this…" he whispered.

Kek smiled, pleased by his lover's reaction. With Ryou's upper body now shimmering with the light coat of oil, he began working into the muscles. He started at Ryou's shoulder blades, circling round them, then worked down his arms and back up to smooth across his lats. He knew Ryou was a little sensitive here, so he pressed a little harder to prevent it from tickling him. He was rewarded with a deep, throaty groan of pleasure. Moving downwards, into Ryou's lower back, he ran his thumbs up either side of Ryou's spine, watching the way he squirmed and cooed in his enjoyment.

"Gods…I could just lie here all night and let you rub me all over…" Ryou sighed.

Kek glanced up, smirking. "I can give you an all-over massage, if you like."

"You had me at "I can.""

"Turn over," Kek instructed, sliding off Ryou's thighs. Ryou flipped onto his back and pushed himself upwards a little, nestling his head further into the pillows. Kek grinned to see Ryou's cheeks flushed from enjoyment and anticipation as he sat cross-legged by Ryou's feet and dripped a little more oil into his hands. He pulled one of Ryou's feet into his lap and began working his fingers carefully up his sensitive sole and around his heel and ankle. Ryou giggled a little, but soon relaxed into the massage and closed his eyes, no longer finding it ticklish. Kek switched to the other foot, giving it the same treatment, then adjusted his position so he knelt with his knees either side of Ryou's legs as he began working on his calves, and upwards to his thighs.

Ryou's breathing sped up, becoming shallower, the further Kek's hands moved towards his hips. An involuntary tremor ran through him, and he felt his cheeks flushing once more. "U-Um…Kek, I…"

"Should I stop?" Kek asked. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten Ryou into pushing him away.

Ryou shook his head. "N-No. Don't stop…please. I…" Ryou closed his eyes and turned his head away a moment. When he looked back, he appeared more confident, smiling warmly. "Kek, I think it's time."

Kek's heart thumped rapidly in his chest. "You're not too tired?"

"A little, but…we can go gentle, can't we?"

"Of course."

The trust that Ryou was putting in him now…Kek knew the responsibility was immense. Ryou was still recovering, still unfamiliar with his new body, and Kek hadn't explored him any more than Ryou himself had. Kek had to make this special for Ryou…for them both. He felt the weight of it heavy on his shoulders as he tucked his fingers into the waistband of Ryou's boxers, looking up to him with questioning eyes. Ryou nodded and lifted his hips ever so slightly. Slowly, carefully, Kek slid the fabric away from Ryou's slender body.

He'd seen Ryou naked before, of course. After his surgery, Ryou had needed help with changing the dressings, and once he'd healed, they had taken the odd shower or bath together. So Ryou's body, the way it was always meant to be, wasn't anything new to Kek. He'd seen it through bad times and good; the immense swelling and bruising in the week following the surgery; the discomfort of having a catheter sticking out of his abdomen for months; the jubilation when Ryou became aware that he'd retained all previous sensation; the sheer infectious joy when every last bit of swelling had gone down and Ryou was finally able to see the man he'd always been. Kek had been there for it all.

And now…this was all that was left. To see Ryou's body through physical conjoining, the coupling both had held back on for so long. Ryou had summed it up better than Kek ever could have done…it was time.

Ryou gazed up at Kek, smiling gently. That adorable pink flush still darkened his cheeks. "What are you thinking, love?" he whispered.

"That you're beautiful…" Kek ran a hand over Ryou's stomach, pausing briefly over the small scar the catheter had left behind, "…and that I'm over-dressed for the occasion."

"Mmm…yes, I think you are." Ryou giggled. Lifting a leg, he hooked his big toe into the waistband of Kek's boxers and slowly pulled them down. They ended up tangled somewhat around Kek's knees, and he made an awkward show of falling backwards so he could remove them fully, causing Ryou to laugh in merriment. "You're such a dork," he grinned, leaning over the side of the bed, to where Kek had fallen with an unceremonious thump.

"Hush, you," Kek muttered, but the expression on his face was good-natured. Well, at least his boxers were off now, tossed to some corner of the room where he wouldn't be needing them again.

"While you're down there…could you get the speaker out of my suitcase, please?"

Kek unzipped said suitcase and stuck his hand into it. "The Bluetooth one?"

"Yes, please."

You romantic piece of ass, you want music playing while we fuck. God, I love you, Kek thought to himself. He located the speaker and handed it over, pulling himself back onto the bed while Ryou connected his phone to the speaker and found the music he wanted. The soft strains of piano and electric guitar began to play, and Kek snorted, amused. "Lady Antebellum? Really, snowflake?"

Oh, who am I kidding. It's perfect.

Their lips met then, and they sank as one into the bed. Their hands roamed each other's' bodies, unsure and nervous at first, growing more confident as they continued to kiss and touch.

Everybody keeps tellin' me I'm such a lucky man

Lookin' at you standin' there, I know I am

"I want you…" Ryou whispered against Kek's lips, "my love…"

"Ryou…yes…I want you, too…"

Barefooted beauty with eyes that blue

The sunshine sure looks good on you, I swear

Ryou's thighs parted, allowing Kek to settle between them. Kek's kisses trailed to Ryou's ear, suckling teasingly on the lobe before drifting downwards, brushing over his neck. Ryou moaned softly, arching up. Kek responded in kind with a roll of his hips, encouraging Ryou with the sweet, intoxicating pressure against the searing desire in their loins.

"Please tell me you brought lube," Ryou panted urgently.

Kek laughed against Ryou's collarbone. "As if I'd chance not bringing it."

"Oh, Kek, please…I c-can't wait…"

Kek's lips began to trail downwards as he reached over the side of the bed for the discarded opaque bottle.

Oh, I can't believe I finally found you, baby

Happy ever after, after all this time

Soft cries filled the dimly lit room. As Kek prepped Ryou with two well-slicked fingers, he took Ryou's cock into his mouth. He flicked his tongue over the slit, and bobbed his head back and forth, savouring the taste of his beloved.

Ryou was in mind-numbing heaven, sparks of ecstasy exploding in the pit of his stomach. Kek's unflinching eagerness to pleasure him really drove home that Kek had truly never cared for what had lain between his legs. So long as they could find love and solace in one another…that was all that had ever mattered.

Oh, there's gonna be some ups and downs

But with you to wrap my arms around, I'm fine

"I'm ready," Ryou smiled, brushing Kek's hair back from his eyes.

Kek looked up then, deep amethyst locking onto soft brown, and he nodded, pulling back from Ryou. He reached for the lube, never taking his eyes from Ryou as he coated himself. "How do you want this?" he asked quietly.

"Oh, um…how about…" Ryou rolled onto his side, as he had done when he'd first flopped down on the bed. "How about this?" he asked.

Kek nodded, approving. Ryou could control the intensity that way, and move closer or further as he needed. He slipped behind Ryou, kissing along his shoulders as he lifted Ryou's top leg, spreading him open. With his free hand, he guided himself inside.

So baby, hold on tight

Don't let go

He expected immediate resistance, but Ryou's body was pliant and willing, and he slid in with little difficulty. He could feel tightness clamping down on him from all angles, and Ryou quivered as he breathed heavily, adjusting to the feeling of Kek buried so deep inside him. Kek nestled his face into the damp, sweet-smelling locks of Ryou's hair, and waited for Ryou to feel comfortable.

"It's…a little odd," Ryou laughed nervously. "It honestly feels like I need the bathroom…urgently."

"I know," Kek grinned. "Give it a minute. It'll subside."

After several moments, Ryou gave an experimental roll of his hips, and gasped at the sudden fire in his gut. It was good. Better than good. He really had no words. He still felt like he might split open any second, but he could push that aside and focus on the fact that Kek was inside him. Oh gods, Kek was inside him…they were really doing this. "Okay," Ryou whispered, "you can go now."

"Mmm…gladly." Kek nipped Ryou's ear playfully, then drew his hips back, sinking back in with just the right amount of pressure to make Ryou throw his head back and sigh with pleasure.

Hold on to the love we're makin'

'Cause baby, when the ground starts shakin', you gotta know

They moved together, Ryou rocking his hips into Kek's gentle thrusts and bowing his body back to press them as flush as he could. He twisted his neck to capture Kek's lips in a deep, passionate kiss, gasping and moaning into his mouth even as Kek uttered his own growls and grunts, swept up in the heat of their coupling. As their pleasure built to a fever pitch, Ryou felt the heat in his belly spread downwards, growing ever hotter, more urgent. He couldn't hold back anymore, and grabbed himself.

"Oh, yes," Kek moaned. "Come for me, Ryou. Come for me."

Acting on pure instinct, Ryou's wrist flicked in quick jerks, catapulting him towards climax. When it hit him, he pressed himself back against Kek and screamed, feeling his heart rioting in chest from the sheer intensity of the orgasm. Barely a minute later, Kek followed him over the edge, and Ryou closed his eyes and sighed at the feeling of liquid warmth spilling inside him.

Kek released Ryou's leg and dropped his head to Ryou's shoulder, whispering under his breath in soft, shaky Arabic. Ryou's own head jerked up, wondering if Kek had switched at the very last moment, but then he felt the low rumble of laughter in Kek's chest, and he knew he was still there. "What are you laughing about?" he asked.

"I just…I feel awesome," Kek grinned against Ryou's shoulder, his voice steady now, back to its usual gruff self. "I can't remember the last time I felt this damn good!" He stroked Ryou's arm, nestling closer. "How about you?"

"I feel…tired. So, nothing new. But…oh, Kek…" Ryou rocked his hips forward, Kek's softening length slipping out of him with a slight twitch before he rolled over to face his lover, "that was wonderful. Thank you for making this special."

Kek blushed, his nose scrunched up bashfully. "Well, there's plenty more where that came from, snowflake…if you don't get sick of me before that, anyway." He flashed Ryou a wink and stuck his tongue out before heaving himself up off the bed, stretching. "But I know I'm utterly irresistible to you, so no point in worrying about that, am I right?"

Ryou giggled and held out his arms; Kek swept him up against his chest, bridal-style. "You got it!" He kissed Kek's nose, nuzzling it afterwards. "I love you, you big hunk of muscle. I'd never, ever get sick of you."

"I love you too, hayati." Kek started towards the bathroom, cradling Ryou close. "Now, let's get cleaned up and sleep."

"Sounds perfect."

"You're perfect."

"Oh, hush."

"Never. I'm going to shower you with compliments for as long as we live."

Well, Ryou thought to himself, I'd be more than up for that.

When you got a good thing…