A/N: So, I have finally decided to finish all my current stories before starting a new one. I am sorry that I have kept you all waiting and am amazed that people still write the odd review now and then. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You all have permission to keep emailing me until I update again.

Warning: Foul language.

On with the show!

Tears don't fall.

And the beast appears.

Atemu.

Yugi walked me back up the path to the apartment front door, his steps light next to mine. I bit my lip to hide the grin that threatened to burst out when he took a hold of my hand. I eagerly accepted the touch and blushed when he turned to look at me and smiled with so much love I was almost overwhelmed. What was it about this man that reduced me to a quivering mess? We stopped outside the front door and awarded each other with shy but electric smiles. I reached out and scrapped a strand of hair behind Yugi's ear, caressing his cheek in the process.

"Thank you. I had a lovely evening, surely I must owe the others some money. The dinner was so expensive. I feel guilty." I confessed.

Yugi laughed and shook his head, squeezing my fingers. "I'm sure. Drop round to the hotel if you can tomorrow and thank them. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, I have a lot to make up for."

/I can't believe you've forgiven me after what I did/

He glanced down at his feet and his shoulders wilted. I cupped his chin with the palm of my hand and gently forced his face back up. His eyes were suddenly elusive and nervous, darting to the streetlight behind me before meeting mine.

"Don't think like that, Aibou. We're okay now." He wasn't convinced, the guilt shone on his face like a beacon. "Let's make a deal to live in the present and learn from the past. Stop feeling guilty."

"Only if you stop thinking of yourself as unworthy of love." He countered. "Because you are worthy."

"I think I'm starting to believe that."

"Good. That got depressing really quickly."

"Your fault." I teased.

"I know."

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, dragging me against him. I returned his embrace, careful to keep the points of the Millennium Puzzle away from his chest. His lips touched my cheek and he nuzzled into me. It had taken us four years of pain, heart ache and rage but we had finally found our way back to each other. I had never thought it would happen. My intention had been to close the door on Yugi, Jou and the gang for good but they had tendrils in me that I couldn't break.

"I love you." I murmured.

He leant back slightly, still in the circle of my arms and a joyous smile erupted onto his lips. He stroked my jawline and I couldn't stop myself from tilting my head into his touch. His lips touched mine almost timidly at first but grew in confidence when I didn't recoil. I moved my hands to rest on his hips and draw him closer to me. Our tongues danced lazily against each other, unhurried like we had all the time in the world and I suppose we did. There we no duels to win and for once the world didn't need saving. Yugi played with the hair on the nape of my neck, his other hand pressed against my sternum. I pulled back first, chest heaving for air and with the emotion of the moment, Yugi's forehead came to rest on mine.

"I love you too." He replied. "Call me later, yeah?"

"Okay." I agreed.

Reluctantly, I took a step back from him, hating the distance I forced myself to put between us. Yugi pouted slightly at the space but allowed it, his hands dropping to his sides. I smiled ruefully and dug my keys out of my pocket, Yugi soon was holding his car keys.

"Bye." He said.

"Until tomorrow."

He stood on the doorstep behind me as I pushed the key into the lock and twisted it. I glanced back at him as the front door was closing and offered him a wave. Yugi chuckled and returned the motion and turned back to his borrowed car. I watched until his headlights had disappeared around the street corner.

A smile on my lips, I shut the door softly and slid on the chain. My heart raced in my chest like a frantic hummingbird's and I indulged myself in the sensation. Because for once it wasn't the mad beat of fear or terror, it was one of excitement and romance. I stroked the sloping sides of the puzzle fondly. As I moved to walk toward my room, a hand shot out from the dark kitchen and shoved me back against the door, so hard my head bounced off it. A heavy arm pressed against the base of my neck, pinning me ruthlessly against the wood of the door, the knob digging into my back. I let out a startled yelp and clawed at the arm but my nails were ineffective against cotton.

"You whore." A silky, angry voice hissed in my ear and I froze. "You filthy, disgusting whore."

"J-Jamie! What the hell? Get off me!" I growled.

Before now, I had never been too bothered about my small stature, I was imposing simply because of what I was. I was well built for someone of my height and could put enough force behind my punches to stun. I may not have be able to do a lot of damage but I could stall an attacker. But I didn't have a hope of competing against Jamie's raw and lethal strength. I fought against the grip he had on me but it was like fighting a war with a tooth pick. Jamie leant harder on me and a bubble of panic rose up in my chest as I struggled to draw in a full breath.

"You had to go crawling back to him, didn't you? Had to ignore everything I ever offered to you. Why? What's so special about him? What does he have that I don't?" Jamie was careful to keep his voice low, so he didn't disturb anyone else in the apartment and the quiet menacing tone terrified me

"Well he's never pinned me to a wall." I retorted. "Seriously, let me go."

"There was so much I could have given you." His hand wandered down my chest. "The world! I could have stopped everything you were running from!"

I slapped away his crawling hand and cringed at the angry growl he gave. He seized my chin in a bruising grip and captured my head, I couldn't turn away.

"I never wanted you too!" I garbled through a jaw that I couldn't move properly. "I don't want you. You've lost your mind, man."

To be honest, the sudden backhand to my cheek was entirely expected and I should have braced myself for it but I didn't. The blow nearly sent my head snapping to the right but Jamie's grip on my face stopped it and all it did was give me whiplash. I lashed out with one hand to try and land a hit of my own but he swatted my fist away and leant even heavier on the arm at my neck. I chocked and recoiled as he brought his lips closer to mine, his breaths fanned against my face.

"I could make you mine, you know." He said, almost conversationally. "How hard do you think it would be?"

An icy hand of dread squeezed my insides and I prayed to every ancient God I knew, that I was just misinterpreting his words. One look in his furious black eyes had me thinking differently. There was something dark and deadly in their depths and terror was making it almost difficult to think. I fought back against him, cursing him and trying to strike his kneecaps with my expensive polished shoes. He flinched and the rage looked as though it was going to bubble over, his arm drew back for another strike. I closed my eyes and anticipated a strike that never came, a floorboard had creaked down the hall. Jamie leaped back like I had burned him and stalked into the darkness without a backward glance. I watched him go, the happy beat of my heart had morphed into the race that came with the fear for my life and sagged boneless against the door. My cheek throbbed with the force of his punch and I swallowed painfully through a bruised oesophagus. Twice now, Jamie had been able to corner me alone and I knew that the threats he made were very real. I had no idea what had happened to the charming man who had once been a lifeline to me. What do I do?

I wanted to deny that I had spent the rest of the night sat with my back against the headboard and my eyes focused entirely on the bedroom door. The only thing I could think about was protecting Scott from Jamie's insanity and by extension myself. I hated myself for reacting to Jamie like I was a scared eighteen year old, quivering underneath Jou's fist. I had it in me to retaliate, drag Jamie kicking and screaming into the shadow realm for daring to harm the King of Games. At one stage, that's exactly what I would have done, only now I had Yugi to think of and I couldn't go back on my word like that.

"Are you going to come downstairs anytime today, Atemu?" Lucy asked from behind my closed bathroom door.

"Yes, give me a moment." I answered and my voice croaked a little.

I wore the brunt of Jamie's rage on my neck like a gruesome necklace of purple pearls. They ached to the touch and I struggled to speak without a lance of pain to the abused muscles. I couldn't hide them with any of my shirts and the warm day made it impossible to wear a scarf. To my relief, my cheek hadn't bruised and there was only a slight reddening of the skin that could easily be over looked. I sighed and pressed the heels of my palms into my eye sockets. I took a deep breath and crept into my bedroom, thankful that Scott had surrendered to his never ending hunger and gone to the kitchen. As I left my room, a slow planned formed in my mind and I dashed to Lucy's bedroom. It was an unspoken rule between us, no one stepped into Lucy's room without permission and usually I obeyed. But this time I didn't have a choice. I shot across to her vanity table and snatched her makeup bag of it. I ran back down the hall, seeking sanctuary in my bathroom again and empty the contents of the bag into the sink. Staring down at the pile of lotions, powders and pencils, I realised I was entirely out of my depths. I didn't know exactly what to use and yet I had to try and cover it up. I picked up a powdered compact and experimentally dabbed the sponge against one of the circles. I almost cried out with triumph when it faded just enough to be unnoticeable and hastily covered up the other ones. I returned Lucy's bag to its exact spot and walked down the hall like I hadn't just spent the last half hour agonising over the evidence of abuse. I paused a few feet from the door and calmed my expression and smoothed back my hair and stalked into the kitchen with my head held high. Seeing Jamie chatting to Kyle like he was still our friend made me want to choke the life out of him. Instead, I caught Scott's eye and sat down in the empty seat beside him. He waggled his eyebrows at me and stabbed his slice of toast into his egg.

"So, how was last night?" He asked.

Jamie's eyes burned onto my forehead and I took a little bit of delight in rubbing it in.

"I had a lovely time. Yugi took me to the Diamond Cobra and I didn't have to pay a penny." I boasted gleefully. "Then we walked in the park. I'm going to see him again, today, I'm heading over to his soon actually."

Lucy squealed and threw her arms around my shoulders tightly. "I'm so happy for you! You're so cute together."

I coughed slightly. "Thanks, Luc."

"Did you get Jou's number?"

"No. I'll get it for you today. Promise."

"Where's he taking you tonight, then?" Kyle asked.

"Oh…I don't know. The movies?" I guessed.

"No way, dude. Hmm, it's hard to beat the Diamond Cobra…Is there another fancy restaurant in town?" Scott asked.

I shrugged. "Isn't it my turn to take him out?"

"Nope." Lucy grinned. "He's still grovelling for forgiveness- even if he's earned it. You'll get another good date out of it."

"That makes me guilty. I'll go and call him now."

I stood and ducked under the playful swipe Scott aimed at my head. I dug my phone out of my pocket, ringing a number I would soon now by heart and stepped out the front door. The late morning sun beamed down on me and I basked in the heat.

"Yami!" Yugi greeted. "Hi."

"Hello, Aibou." I smiled. "How are you?"

"Perfect. "He chirped. "You?"

"I'm fine. Can I come and see you and the gang today?"

"Of course. When will you be coming?"

"As soon as possible."

"Now?"

I laughed at his eagerness even though it made my throat ache. "I'll be there in a moment."

"Great. Love you."

He hung up before I could answer and my reply faded on my tongue. I shoved my phone back into my pocket and opened the front door to yell at my friends.

"I'm going out. See you later."

"Hang on, Atemu. I'll walk with you." Jamie grinned wolfishly. "I'm going into town anyway."

"No, that's all right." I answered a little too quickly, I saw Scott's eyebrow raise. "I'm going to get the bus."

Scott frowned. "You hate the bus."

"Well, I have to push myself, do something I don't want to. Bye!"

I shut the door and Scott's glowering face and sped down the road. Like hell I was actually going to wait at the bus stop where Jamie could find me.

….

"What is wrong with you?" Bakura asked. "I've never seen you so paranoid."

The former tomb robber had caught me glancing over my shoulder for the fifth time in ten minutes. I didn't really think Jamie had followed me here but I couldn't stop staring into the faces around us. Perhaps my suggestion of a day spent sightseeing hadn't been overly wise. I did feel safe, the entire gang had decided they wanted to see everything.

I turned back to Bakura and shook my head "I thought I saw someone I knew. False alarm."

Bakura's devious eyes narrowed and he fingered his millennium ring. "You're a terrible liar, Pharaoh."

"I'm not lying."

"Next time, look me in the eyes when you say that."

So I did just that. "I'm not lying to you."

We stopped by a stone monument and watched Ryou and Yugi gossip over the brass plaque and Jou bicker with Seto over something. Bakura crossed his arms and leant back against the statue, his face carefully neutral.

"I can't believe you did it again."

I smirked. "Careful, Bakura. You almost sound concerned."

He snorted. "As if."

We lapsed into thoughtful silence for a while. A quietness I had never shared before with my former enemy. We were both old souls who had found a place amongst a strange gaggle of people. We weren't exactly what you would call friends yet but time had allowed the hate to mellow. There was a possibility of a bond like I shared with the others in the near future.

"What's that on your neck, Yami?" Seto asked.

I jumped and glared at him, alarmed that I hadn't heard him approach me and then cringed as I finally registered his question. Bakura had wandered off to join Ryou and Yugi, Jou stood on guard beside them. I raised one hand to hide my neck from Seto's keen eyes and sent him a challenging glare.

"Nothing." I hissed. "You saw nothing."

"Let me look."

"No! I'm fine."

"Yami, I-."

"Pease, Seto."

He looked torn and worried his bottom lip with his teeth until he nodded ever so slightly.

"If you need protection you come to me. Immediately."

Yugi bounded over to me and I threw my arm around his shoulders. Seto held my eye until I nodded at him and offered him a ghost of a smile.