NOTE: There is a short, minor explicit scene in this chapter involving Akefia (solo shower scene) - read at your own discretion.

Akefia watched rainwater stream down the window in torrents as it beat a mind- numbing rhythm on the glass.

In the wee hours of the morning, he had felt a tingling in his mind, a sensation he could not describe or begin to analyze, but it had woken him from a deep slumber. He had not been able to sleep since though sleep now tugged at his tired mind, which he tried to will away with a weak bribe: Yugi was on his way.

Akefia had been given his discharge instructions at noon, which he listened to in and out of focus as the cheery voice carried through one ear and out of the other. Do light exercise, drink plenty of fluids, get enough sleep, and the rest droned on as his focus shifted from the pretty nurse to the rain in the window. She had frowned, taking the hint, and walked stiffly out of the hospital room.

It was now a quarter past three in the afternoon, and still he waited for Yugi's arrival. Since he had been discharged, he could leave anytime he wanted to. But he wanted to give Yugi the benefit of his doubt, trusting he would be true to his word.

He dozed in and out as he laid on his hospital bed of white linen. The room was as he preferred, overhead fluorescents switched off and no television. It was dark and peaceful; the sound of the rain lulled him to precious sleep.

He awoke abruptly to Yugi's two-finger prodding of his shoulder.

"Hey. " Yugi looked troubled.

"Yugi? It's about time." Akefia raised himself on one arm and studied Yugi's rigid features.

"Sorry, the rain held me up." He raised his hand to halt Akefia's question. "It's nothing, I can explain on the way home. Let's get you out of here. " Yugi helped Akefia to sit and gently bring him to his feet.

The black duffle bag had returned as well, which Yugi had already taken the liberty of packing with Akefia's meager belongings - the few clothes Yugi had brought him and a last minute gift a nurse had bought from the gift shop - a teddy bear wearing generic white scrubs.

Together they left the hospital room behind.

"I've talked to your nurse, she's worried about you. I've told her you will be staying with me for a while. It seemed to satisfy her but I think she would like to hear from you herself." They stood at the elevators and Yugi pushed the down arrow. "You're right, she's into you," He continued, grinning. Akefia cringed at the jest but did not respond.

The short elevator ride was spent in silence. When the doors opened, Yugi stepped out, then Akefia.

Yugi led the way, stopping at the large automatic doors to open a black umbrella. "Wait here, I'm going to drive to the front."

He waited, watching as Yugi ran out into the rain, umbrella bouncing above his head. He drove up in a small white car, parked it at the front of the automatic sliding doors and gestured from the vehicle for Akefia to hurry.

Rain fell into the open car, wetting the fabric interior in an increasing stain as he hesitated on the sidewalk, looking at Yugi uncomfortably.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" Yugi said, impatience bleeding into his tone of forced calm. "Do you mean you don't remember what a car is?" Yugi deadpanned.

Instead of answering, Akefia cautiously gripped the frame and stepped one foot into the car. Yugi held a hand out for Akefia to grab and when he was finally seated, Yugi instructed him on how to buckle up. He had an idea of the workings from eyeing Yugi in his seat with the strap over his chest, but Yugi, who had watched Akefia's fumbling with growing impatience, removed his own safety belt to help him. He leaned over Akefia, who sat back awkwardly in the seat, to fish for the latch that had fallen between the seat and the door. Once in hand, he pulled it over and clicked it into the buckle.

As he sat back in his own seat, he cleared his throat and placed a hand solidly on the gearshift. Akefia observed him closely, watching as he expertly placed the shift in drive without looking down at it. Yugi's eyes were focused at the road ahead as he drove slowly out of the hospital parking lot.

The car slowed to a stop at the intersection and Yugi finally spoke. "Are you okay, Akefia? You've been silent since we left your hospital room."

Akefia's gaze had drifted to the windshield, watching the cars speed by in streaks of color and rain. He was knuckle white gripping the seat belt. He could only shake his head in reply.

The light changed and the car lurched forward. Yugi smoothly turned the car to the left in a wide arc. As the speed increased, Akefia's face turned to a painful grimace.

"Relax, it's a short ride. Close your eyes, it will help." The rest of the ride was spent in silence.

They left the busy highway and pulled up a long, quiet stretch of a one-lane road. Yugi parked on the side of the road and walked around to help Akefia out of the vehicle. He squeezed Yugi's hand as he stumbled out, one wobbly foot after the other.

"I never... want to do that again..." Akefia wheezed.

"You should try to get used to it. I don't drive much, but it is necessary sometimes. Lean on me if you need to, let's get out of this rain." Yugi left him to return to the car and came back with the duffle bag over his shoulder. He took Akefia by the hand and led him toward the concrete building.

They stopped at the entrance as Yugi pushed some numbers in a keypad. When the lock audibly clicked, Yugi opened the door and led Akefia inside. An odor of strong chemicals hung on the air and lasted all four flights of stairs. Akefia clung to the rail despite the strength returning to his limbs and when they reached the fourth floor landing he was winded.

Yugi fished his keys out if his pants pocket and turned the knob. They stepped into the darkened apartment.

"There are some things we need to discuss. But first, please relax. I'm going to give you the grand tour. I'll show you where the bathroom is, where you will sleep. That sort of thing. You can even shower before we start on the serious stuff." He flicked a switch and light flooded the room. "Would you like a glass of water?"

"Yes, that would be great."

Yugi placed an empty glass in front of him. It clinked on the synthetic marble. He looked at Yugi incredulously who could only smile back, amused. "Get your own. You'll have to be fine with tap water, that's all we have." He gestured to the kitchenette sink.

Akefia saved the retort before it could leave his tongue, knowing it would be unwise to bicker. He wasn't angry or upset, just flustered. And maybe they're was a hint of irritation there - the car ride had greatly upset his nerves - but that didn't mean he could speak ill of his host.

He turned the faucet on and let the water fill to the brim, then gulped heavily until the glass was drained and filled it again. It tasted crystal clear and was quite possibly the best water he had ever drank. He drained the second then set the empty glass back on the counter top.

"If you're done, follow me. " Yugi removed himself from the tall chair he had sat on and walked over to the refrigerator. "There is not much food here, we will have to go to the store later to buy more. I didn't have any time to prepare. I'll make a small dinner tonight and we can go tomorrow, if that's alright with you."

"Of course. "

Yugi then led him to the opposite end of the room, where the large window overlooked the city. A chair sat on either side with a short table between them. "So, this is the sitting area. I don't have a television yet, it has never been a priority for me. I do read sometimes and have a few books that you are welcome to if you are into that."

He then led them towards the back, opposite the entrance, down a small hall with two rooms to either side and a bathroom at the end. Yugi gestured to one door without opening it. "This room is mine. I like my privacy, so please don't go in unless I invite you." He didn't make a move to enter, though his hand remained on the doorknob. After a moment of awkward silence that seemed to stretch on forever, he stepped aside and gestured to the opposite door.

Inside were twelve boxes. Three were open, it's contents, what was visible from the door, appeared to be clothing. The rest were haphazardly stacked along one wall to clear a space in the center of the floor.

"And here is where I must apologize, Akefia." He bowed his head in Akefia's direction. "I never expected to have to make accommodations for a second person. I never planned on having a room mate... So I don't have a bed for you to sleep on yet." He looked up to meet the other man's gaze. "I've been browsing online for mattress options but I wanted your approval before purchasing."

"Tonight, I was going to set up the chairs in the sitting room for you to sleep on. It isn't too bad if they are pushed together. I had to do it my first night here. But you are considerably taller, so I'm not sure how comfortable that will be for you. If all else fails, I can probably find enough blankets to make you a pallet on the floor." Yugi looked sheepish as he admitted the poor options to his first guest.

"Yugi, I've slept peacefully on the ground with nothing but leaves and twigs under me. I can survive on your floor."

"Well it still makes me a bad host. Anyway we can figure that out later. Here's the bathroom. "

He opened the door to a small bathroom containing a single sink, toilet, and standing shower. A shelf to one side of the sink held a few toiletries but was otherwise bare, as were the walls and floor.

It was clear from the minimal furnishings and complete lack of touch that Yugi lived alone and never took the time to make the place his own. Even to Akefia, who had nothing to compare Yugi's bachelor lifestyle to, it felt lonely and cold.

"How long have you lived here?"

"Oh, well.. not long. Almost a year. " The fact meant nothing to Akefia, but he had felt compelled to ask.

"If you would like to take a shower now, you're welcome to. In fact, I highly suggest it. Make the temperature as hot as you can stand it. Stay in for a bit. The hot water will keep your body temperature up for a while. You'll see what I mean later. Oh, and you're welcome to use my soaps, we can get you your own when we go out tomorrow."

"Thanks, I think I will use your shower."

"It's yours now too, Akefia. Don't be a stranger."

Akefia didn't know what that meant but took it in stride as he watched Yugi pull a towel and a wash cloth from a cabinet tucked into the wall. After Yugi left the room, Akefia fiddled with the water faucet, turning both knobs until water poured out of the head in a steady flow. Then he remembered from the hospital shower that the left handle adjusted hot water, right adjusted cold. He knew his memory was correct when he closed the right valve and steam began to rise.

He stepped away to shed his wet clothes and then stepped into the steaming waterfall. Relief washed over him instantly as the hot water chased away a chill that he hadn't even realized was there. At that moment, it was the best feeling in the world.

He revelled in the heat, grinning as it washed over his tangle of thick hair and streamed down his face. It was a welcome escape from the well of misery he had awoken to that morning.

He didn't know what had made him so gloomy. Could have started from the lack of sleep he had the night before, made worse by Yugi's lateness. But he had a feeling it was deeper than that. A dream he couldn't recall or a premonition; a scent in the air, something unseen and foreboding. It caused his throat to tighten until it hurt. Made words die at pressed lips.

The hot shower cleared the fog from his mind and lifted his mood. He reached for the soap, opened the tab and sniffed. It was unscented. He poured a large dab onto his washcloth and lathered the soap until the cloth was covered in white suds. He ran it along his neck, shoulders, chest. The suds ran off his body in soapy streams and into the drain at his feet. He scrubbed his armpits, dragged the cloth along his muscular midriff and stopped at the navel. It ticked, made his stomach ripple. He repeated the motions at a slower, sensual pace, paying detail to his abdomen, his chest, one nipple, then the other, pinching the sensitive nubs with the cloth. The roughness of the fabric felt godlike to his overheated skin. With a certain boldness he didn't know he had in him, he grabbed his forming erection with the sudsy cloth and stroked himself under the hot water. In four good pumps he came, spilling hot seed that instantly washed away in the stream. When he came down from his post-orgasm high, his knees were weak and unsteady. He remained under the water, propped up by his shoulders against the shower wall. When he could breathe in a steady rhythm he shut the water off and stumbled out.

He quickly dried with the towel Yugi put out for him and redressed in his sweatpants and hooded sweatshirt, forgoing underwear entirely. He entered the kitchenette where Yugi was cooking.

Yugi startled at the fresh sight of Akefia standing silhouetted against the dying sunlight. He let loose a nervous chuckle.

"Deep in thought?" Akefia asked. He moved to sit on the tall chair Yugi had occupied earlier.

"Yes, actually. How do you feel?"

"A million times better. Thank you."

"Use it any time. Maybe you are a two-showers a day kind of guy, and that's okay too. The water bill is cheap here." Yugi flashed him a genuine grin and Akefia couldn't stop the smile that graced his lips in return.

"I'm not sure about two a day but the gesture is nice. I really do appreciate your hospitality, Yugi. Your generosity will not go unthanked."

"I saw no other option."

They fell into silence as Yugi returned to cooking. After a while, he said "Get two bowls out of the cabinet and two forks from this drawer." He pointed to the cabinet and the drawer in question. Akefia shot him a puzzled look but turned to the cabinet to rummage through the dishware. A set of four bowls sat atop two small plates that were nestled inside a set of four large plates. He picked the two bowls from the top and placed them on each side of the tall two person table.

"Which ones?" The silverware drawer was full of cheap metal utensils and wooden chopsticks. Yugi stepped up next to him and picked two sets of chopsticks.

"This is all we need tonight. Dinner is ready." He took a pot of rice from the stove top, scooped a large amount into each bowl, then brought a plate of small porkchops and placed one each on top of the rice in the bowls.

Akefia sat at one end of the table and eyed the food. The meat inside the bowl looked juicy and tender, a pretty pink on top of white rice.

Yugi placed a bottle of soy sauce on the table before taking the empty seat across from Akefia. He watched Yugi splash some into his bowl, so he did the same. Gripping the chopsticks proved to be more difficult to learn. He tried to mimic the way Yugi held his but was getting frustrated, his fingers could not form the proper grip so they kept falling though.

"Here, a fork might be easier." He took a fork from the silverware drawer, stabbed the slab of pork and placed the utensil into Akefia's hand. "Tell me how you like it. "

"Thank you, this is much easier. And the food could not be better."

"Sure, anything is better than hospital food. " Yugi retorted. An amused smile spread over Akefia's face. Yugi returned the smile.

"I'm going to teach you how to use Hashi sometime but tonight we have other things we need to talk about. Let's eat. "

The meal was consumed in a comfortable quiet as they focused on finishing their bowls. Then Yugi showed Akefia how to wash, dry and put away they dishes they used. When the kitchenette was as clean as Yugi liked to keep it, they sat on the floor at the short table by the large window.

The sky was turning a pretty shade of purple as the sun sank lower on the horizon. Akefia analyzed the transparent reflection of them in the window as Yugi began to make a speech.

"I've put a lot of thought into this, Akefia. Please pay attention. "

"I'm listening."

"I want to start off by saying this. I'm sorry I was late today. I didn't mean to put you in a foul mood. And I lied about it being the rain. I woke up this morning and had an existential crisis. I couldn't get out of bed for the longest time even though I knew I had to make preparations before I could bring you here. I didn't end up doing any of it, the longer I put it off the more difficult it was to begin. Before I knew it, it was well past the time I promised to get you." Yugi paused for Akefia's response.

"I understand." And he did. He knew Yugi didn't make the decision lightly. The fact that he still struggled with that decision but remained firm on his choice spoke a lot of his character. It only earned his respect more.

Yugi sighed. "Thank you, that's a weight lifted. If you haven't noticed, I'm a little out of touch with modern comforts. I don't make a lot of money so I haven't felt the desire to spend it on trivial things. I've even made a few sacrifices so I can live here. These sacrifices will affect you as well. One, I don't pay a gas bill to heat my apartment. I have been getting by with a small space heater in my room, but it stays cold up here without it."

"I can feel the cold now, yes, but it's not so bad."

"Its not bad during the day because the sun shines through that picture window and heats it naturally but in January and February it will be much colder. I will have to either pay more for electricity or turn on the gas services. I haven't sat down to look at numbers yet. "

"Don't stress so much over it for my sake."

Yugi rolled his eyes, knowing it would do no good to argue.

"Two, because I don't make much money working at my grandpa's shop, I take up other odd jobs throughout the week to pay for my car, fuel, rent, utilities and groceries. I'm not home a lot, which is another reason I chose to give up the gas bill."

"Three, I don't have much of a personal life. I don't get to see my friends, do fun things, or indulge in hobbies. I sleep a lot when I'm not working."

"Yugi, we just met but I feel confident in assuming that you stress entirely too much. I'll be willing to bet that its the stress, not a money issue, that is robbing you of a personal life. You're a compassionate and empathetic individual and you need hobbies and friends to thrive. I can look around this room and see not a single piece of individuality. You're unhappy and it pains me to see that. You deserve better. "

"I… " Yugi stumbled. "You are very observing... and you aren't wrong, exactly... I didn't realize it was that obvious. I don't know about being deserving of better. I'm not unhappy, despite what it looks like. I do miss my friends, though. "

"I'm sure of that. But for now, you will have me."

"That's true!" Yugi brightened. "I have enjoyed your company this evening."

Akefia smiled softly but it failed to reflect happiness in his cloudy eyes.