***I probably lost all my formatting on this section because I was on mobile when I posted it. It's on ao3 as well and should have all the proper italics, et cetra over on that page***

I threw my hair up in a bun that morning, and it felt like half of it was down around my face by the time I got off work. I offered Kek a faint smile when I saw him waiting for me at the end of my shift.

"How was your day?" I asked.

"Not bad. Come on." He grabbed my hand and lead me in the opposite direction of home.

"Where are we going?" All I wanted to do was curl up on the sofa much as I had for the last few days.

"We're going to visit Yugi."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." I stopped, pulling my hand away from his. "I don't feel like faking happy today."

"Then don't." Kek turned to look at me.

"I shouldn't." I sighed. "But I always do. I don't like when people worry about me."

"I texted him. We talked a little."

I lifted up my eyebrows in question. I couldn't imagine Kek having a text conversation with Yugi.

He scratched the back of his head. "I… well, I wanted to talk about some things, so he knows, about Bakura and Marik, and he said we should come visit him." Kek dropped his hand away from his hair and grabbed mine again. "And honestly? I think it's a good idea. I hate seeing you so depressed, and I'm sure Yugi will be able to cheer you up."

"What about you? You're sad too."

"I know. That's why I texted Yugi, so I could talk to someone."

"You could have talked to me." I frowned.

"Ryou." Kek used his free hand to cup my cheek. "I know, and we have been talking, but I needed outside advice and…" his face glowed with what would have been a blush on a paler complexion. "All my gym friends are, uh…"

"Straight?" I suggested.

"And monogamous." He nodded. "I don't like to talk about that stuff at work, so I kinda borrowed your friend instead."

I laughed. It was cute how he said it, and amazing to see how much he'd grown over the last six months. I sighed. "Okay. Let's go visit Yugi then."

"Maybe you could slap the Pharaoh again." Kek snickered.

"I keep forgetting I did that." I hid my face in my hands.

"Had I known what was going to happen, I would have recorded the moment. It could have been the crowning jewel in our video collection."

"The first one will always be my favorite." I stared at the sidewalk as we strolled down the concrete, but a smile was on my face as I remembered they way Kek and Bakura had cuddled together on the carpet.

Kek bumped me with his hip, and my smile widened. I gave his hand an extra squeeze as we continued to walk. A few minutes later, we were standing in front of the Game Shop and we circled around to the back to the area where Yugi lived. He opened the door for us right away and let us inside. Kek greeted Yugi with a quick wave and then walked into the living room, shouting.

"Hey, you bastard! Get your deck and duel me!"

On instinct, I stepped towards the living room, ready to pull Kek back if he started a fight with Atem, but Yugi spoke up behind me.

"They'll be okay."

I blinked for a moment, realizing Yugi was right. It was a great and strange relief, so much different from that first day when Yugi and Atem didn't even want Kek and Bakura walking out the door with me for fear of my eminent murder by their hands.

"Look." Yugi attacked me from the side with a hug, squeezing tightly. "I heard, and I'm really sorry."

And oh my goodness, I didn't realize how hurt I was until that moment. The second Yugi's arms wrapped around me the tears spilled over my cheeks and a little sob escaped my mouth. I knew I was sad, of course I was sad, but I guess I'd been trying to put on a brave face for Kek's sake at the same time. I ended up burying my face against Yugi's shoulder and allowing some of the grief to drain out of my system. He stroked my hair and waited until the tears ran their course before pulling back.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." I rubbed at my face with my sleeve.

"But do you need to talk about it?" Yugi went for the kettle.

I plopped in the chair beside me. "I don't see what good it will do."

"Make you feel better." Yugi gathered four cups.

He put the right amount of sugar in mine, and I was kind of mad that he remembered now. He never would have paid attention to that kind of detail when we were dating. I wonder when he did start paying attention to all the things he used to ignore?

"Well, if you don't to talk to me, I think you should at least talk to him," Yugi said after I didn't answer.

"Who?"

"Marik."

"Gods no. I already feel stupid, the last thing I need to do is make it worse by being annoying."

"I understand how hard it is when you've had an Item, and unlike the others, we're the only two that had proper spirits inhabiting ours."

"I remember we used to talk about it all the time."

"Yeah, and the moment we stopped talking about things wasn't too long before you broke up with me."

That's because I didn't want to explain how lonely I felt, how I needed more attention. I felt selfish and thought I could just get by on the time we did have, but that only made me feel worse. I exhaled. I didn't want to think about that anymore than I wanted to think about Marik. Yugi disappeared to pass out cups of tea, but then returned and continued where he left off.

"It's so easy when you share a mind link with someone. You just have to think something- not even full thoughts all the time- sometimes you can just feel it, and the spirit can react, and there's nothing quite like it, but Ryou. We don't have Items anymore."

"I know."

I clinked my spoon along the inside of my cup. Five spots, like I was connecting dots to make a pentagram. Clink-clink-clink-clink-clink, a protection spell to ward off the uncomfortable conversation Yugi was trying to make me have. It didn't work; he kept talking.

"I tried to get better at talking to people, to remember that people couldn't simply feel what I was feeling, that I had to tell them." He shook his head, sitting across from me. "But when Atem came back, it's like I forgot everything I learned. I guess because it was him, my other me. It should be like old times, right? But it wasn't. He wasn't a Pharaoh in the Puzzle. He's Atem now, and neither of us talking to the other just made it worse."

"I know. I remember. He made you cry and then he had the nerve to act like he was better than Bakura, so I slapped him."

"Atem tells the story like the three of you were heros, swooping in a rescuing him from his own self pity."

"I wouldn't call it a rescue. We just gave him a lecture, but I'm glad you two are doing better now." I shook my head.

"He needed a lecture. It helped." Yugi shrugged.

"Are you saying I need one now?" I looked up with him, not particularly happy at the moment, although I knew Yugi meant well.

"More like advice. After the three of you left, Atem and I had a long talk, and we've kept on talking since then. There were a lot of things we thought the other knew, but didn't. How could we have known? We didn't have a way to share our thoughts anymore."

"Bakura was always good at reading mine, even after." I looked away. "Until Marik came back. It's like he went stupid."

"He's probably overwhelmed. You should have explained to him that you were interested in Marik."

I shook my head, disagreeing. "We didn't want him to be sad if Marik didn't share the same interest- and he's doesn't, so it's better that we never got his hopes up."

"Do you know for sure Marik isn't interested?"

"He slapped me after I kissed him. I'd say that's a strong indicator."

"Marik doesn't have the Rod anymore, Ryou. He can't read your mind. How was he supposed to know what you meant by kissing him? Kek said he'd just got done seeing a racey video. Maybe he thought the kiss was you trying to make another video. Why wouldn't he slap you under those circumstances?"

"I'd never do anything like that!" I shouted.

I mean, how dare Yugi even say that. He knew me better than that!

"I know that." Yugi gave me a sympathetic look. "But does Marik?"

"He should know me better than that." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Why would he? You haven't seen each other in years."

"I-" I paused, because what Yugi was saying was starting to sink in.

What would have Marik thought about the kiss? I knew, when Bakura kissed me, that he was giving me permission- permission I had wanted but didn't know how to ask for. But hadn't Kek gotten upset at Bakura for doing it without asking me first? Bakura had to explain to Kek that I had wanted to be kissed.

And Marik had just watched that video, and he was clearly flustered afterward. Of course he was going to interpret the action as a purely physical come on. And knowing how much we cared for Bakura- it probably looked like I was trying to get him into bed just so we could keep Bakura around for a little longer-

Oh no.

I hadn't even realized.

I just thought he had slapped me for being rude.

But I didn't think about how it might have seemed like I was using him as a chess piece on top of that.

It's true we were first drawn to the idea because adding Marik sounded much more fun than losing Bakura, but it wasn't because we thought of Marik as an accessory. It's because we liked the idea of everyone together.

But Yugi was right. How was Marik supposed to know that? Bakura might not even know. He'd been acting so oddly, the way he'd stopped Kek from tickling me by defusing the situation instead of instigating it. It was so unlike Bakura, but Bakura wasn't there after the Ceremonial Duel when Marik had apologized to me, after I'd officially forgiven him, as far as Bakura knew, I could have been bitter at Marik for Battle City. And Kek always acted like he hated Marik. Bakura probably never even considered the possibility of us having more complex feelings towards Marik…

"Ryou? Are you okay?"

"I don't think explaining things to Marik will fix anything. The damage has been done." I spoke to my tea instead of Yugi, half lost in thought. "But I suppose he really does deserve to hear the entire story." I looked up at Yugi. "Thank you, for talking to me. It's helped me sort out my own thoughts."

"What are friends for?" Yugi smiled. "Besides, I owe you. Atem makes great hamburgers now!"

I laughed a little at that. "I'm really glad. Speaking of which, we should probably check on them. I'm sure no one's dead- there would have been screaming- but this much silence is a little suspicious."

They were in the living room, sitting on Yugi's sofa. Kek had his cell phone out and was thumbing at the screen.

"What happened to the card game?" Yugi asked.

"You know what happened to the damn card game. I got sent the to fucking Shadow Realm again." Kek grit his teeth, the trace of a vein swelling on his forehead. "Swapped to something that makes me feel less homicidal."

"They have four kittens." Atem took the phone and turned it around so Yugi could see the picture Kek was showing. It was all four of them sleeping in the basket I kept scraps of fabric in for crafts. Their fur was ruining all the scraps, but we didn't have the heart to take their bed away.

"Look at them." Yugi took the phone and started swiping through all of Kek's photos.

I calmly took the phone away after a moment before any questionable pictures could pop up.

"Oh, sorry." Yugi laughed, understanding right away. "Did you guys want to stay for dinner? We could play games afterward."

I glanced at Kek, trying to read how he felt. He took his phone back. A wicked grin flashed across his face. "There's got to be some sort of game you assholes can't win. Let's try Uno."