Seto and his yami ended up sleeping until late in the morning, still cozied up together, and mokuba had given strict instructions for them not to be disturbed..

"myehh..." seto sighed, wonder who's hand was on his butt, the blinked, seeing the hands owner was awake, and tryign to tickle hsi side with the other hand. "kehe, yami, would ya mind.." the ahnds released him and the pair sat up "not groping me..while im -asleep-?" set laughed "sorry, you just looked so innocent i couldnt resist..." seto blsuhed "hey, i never said..i didnt mind.." he blsuhed bright scarlet at this, but yami simply kissed him..

"eiyaa!" seto saw what time it was, and bolted up onto his feet "oh shoot, im late, yami-kun-" but the spirit had already grabbed his lgiht, looking at him "i had mokuba cancel all unimportant work, YOu are goign to rest.." seto gave him a skeptical look, "im fine now yami, i had a good nights sleep.." set raised one eyebrow "riiight...and your not looking half asleep.."

Seto sighed, knowing yami, like a mother hen to its precious chick, was not going to let him overwork himself..and it felt; nice, for a change..."hmm...oh alright then.." he sighed mock-grumpily. The yami beamed, let him go, patted his butt again just so his light would go bright red then smiled "im going to drag you down to the cherry blossom gardens later...its a lovely place...and" seto blinked "i was wondering if youd want to go to the Domino Plaza resturant right nearby, together.."

Seto found himself blushing "y-yeah, id love t-to.." he finally petered out, ya mi smiled, and swopped in to kiss his love, then pulling back to survey the delicate blush "you look so sweet seto, i want to make sure your body isnt afraid of these feelings.." he kissed the edge of his lights mouth, smiling at the small bashful noise seto made as he continued "and i want to show you eevrything your hearts been denied..aibou-kun.." then he kissed him properly.

Seto found his heart was pounding, his face still red -i still..have a lot to learn..this is only the surface of these feelings..and yami..i wouldnt want anyone else to be beside me, hes unlocked so many doors already...to the life i thought id missed..- they slowly pulled apart, both smiling, seto still blushing furiously, even though he tried to control it...

----

Half an hour later, they walked out the front door, yami carrying a large basket of food he'd prepared, determined to make this day special for his love...

--

Unknown to them, a silent figure was spying on them from across the street "hehh.." a voice sneered "theres the little brat..i can finally get revenge now gozaburos out of the way...your goign to pay for what you did to the big 5..seto Kaiba.."

He raised a mobile phone to his ear, saying only two words "lets go". "roger 4" a voice crackled. the man, known as "big 4" chuckled "lets put plan: cherry blossom Firing into effect...seto's goign to be out of our way then we can claim what he took from us...Kaiba Corpration..."

---

"mhmm, this tatses lovely!" set beame dhappily at his koi, as they sat eating lunch in the empty space, yami had looked it up on the computer, and had found a relatively secluded spot, and since most people were at school or work..they wouldnt be..any of the "interruptions" he had mentioned...

He blushed, and thought about his precious ki, and the promise he had made that morning..-ill do ANYTHINg for you aibou..- eto blinked, as yami shifted his body so he was leanign back against the tree, pulling his light into his arms and watching the blossoms drifting in the breezes, he caught a single petal, and lightly brushed it over seto's cheek, siling "compared to you, these blossoms are pale things..." kaiab blsuhed, yami was a right smooh talker when he talked about...seto blsuhed "yami-kun-mm-" he was cut off by a random kiss again, feeling the still unregistered feelings raging through him -yami-kun..-

So involved in each other they didnt see the light glimmer from the barrel of a gun, nor hear the holder sneering "prepare to go byebye birdie.." the mans mind had gone almost completely mad, so intent was he on disposing of kaiba, the main enemy to what he wanted..

"ahh, my butts numb." "want me t-" "NO yami, its ok, honest" they started laughing, yami grinning at his lgihts newly appearing sense of humor..- i love you..- he took a few steps forward, gazing up at the sky, he heard seto standing up behind him..

-now!- the ahnd sqeezed on the trigger, and the shot blasted from the barrel, slicing along its targets side, blood splattering the pure pnik cherry blossoms on the ground, he grinned as seto slumped to his knees -finalyl!!!-

Set jumpe dwhen he ehard the shot, and then "yami-agh..." he whipped round, seeing bood flickering over the ground, and his koi collapsng to the ground, crying out in obvious pain and fear.."SETO-KUN!!" Set garbbe dhis light, pulling him against him as he knealt down on the ground, eyes widenign in terror as he saw the blood flowing from his lgihts side "hold on..please love.." he pressed his hand to the wound, seot gasped, shivering in his arms, making frightened hiccuping noises, coughing blood onto his robes "its Ok aibou..hold on.."

"hehe, he's going to die lover-boy...dont bother with him.." set whipped his gaze up, glaring at the man now in front of them, raising the gun again "you..." as the man pulled his finger back sneering "one more shot.." "YOU DARED TO HURT HIM, HOW DARE YOU!!" yami yelled, and the next second a blast of shadow energy fell from the sky, smashing the guy backwards as yamis fury made itself known, the gfround ripping apart around them, "you..bstard, i hope you never get free from that pain!"

Tears were falling onto his light as yami tried his best to stop his love's bleeding "please koibito..hold on.." seto looked up at him, pain clouding his eyes "yami...please dont go..stay with..me.." "i promsied didnt i.." as he heard fottsteps yami kissed his love, tasting blood -i love you..-

Then there was the sound of a ambulance siren, and starngers were vbustling around his ight, doing their best..easing his pain -i cant help here...not like they can..oh god, aibou-kun..!!-

He barely registered the ride t the hospital, nor the police's questions about the attacker, all he could think of, was his ight...he clucthed the pale, clammy hand the whole way ther,e refusing to even look up..keeping true to his promise to stay by his lover...

------

As they whsiked his love away, set tried to find out what was goign on "are you family?" oen asked, set snapped "im his boyfriend you fool, let me see him!" the doctor sighed "he'll need emergency treatment, you'll have to wait out here sir.."

As they pulled his lover away into the room, set slumped down into a chair, worried sick -aibou-kun...why did that man hate you? why did he do such a cruel thing..please ahng on..i WILL fulfil my promise t you...i will..-

In his pocket, the cell phone he'd been given by his hikari began to ring. He numbly pulled it out "h-hello?" yugi's cheerful voice answered "hey, whats up?" yami closed his eyes "something bad..seto-" he cut off, yugi's voice seemed worried the next second "whats wrong?" yamis voice shivered slightly as he managed to choke out "he was hurt..s-somebody tried to shoot him in the Cherry Blossom Park..hes in hospital.." on the other end he heard yugi gasp "oh god, what hospital?" yami named it "right, im coming right there, itll be ok yami!" and he rang off...

Yami closed his eyes, almost crushing the electronic device his grip was so tense...

------

Pain, that was all seto coudl feel, but thrugh that there was a comforting warmth, yami..."ah.." he tried to open his eyes, feelign heavily weighted down, and the pain in side..it hurt to breathe slightly...

He opened his eyes, the beeps of a hospital machine filling his hearing, as his vision metered out and finally cleared, he saw the white ceiling of a hostial, could feel the mask over his mouth and nose so he coudl breathe, feeling needles in his hands, and someone elses grip wrapped around his right hand.

-What..where is this?- he finally managed to look towards where the warm grip was situated, and felt a strange shock. Wjheras he had been expecting just the one person, Yami was sat by his side, holding his hand, with mokie on his lap and..yugi and the rest. The lot of them; joey, tristan, yami and yugi, all squidged round too. "ehh...where..?" seto managed to croak, coughin weakly at the end of the sentance. yami squeezed his hand again "you're in the domino general hospital, dotn try to talk too much, you lost a lot of blood from the attack.." yugi smiled "yeah, try and rest..i'm glad your awake now..the doctors were worried.."

"ah." seto's tired mind, still battling with the pain in his side, was slow in catching up "nn.." he weakly reached up, pulling the mask away from his face, coughing slightly "that man..where did.." yami paniced at the cough, raising on hand, two fingers raised like a salute almost, which seto recognsied meanign he wanted him to sto talking. he could only weakly obey...

"he, well, fter he fired that shot, he tried to try again..but.." he sounded angry but worried "i gave him a breif trip to the shadow realm...i couldnt let him get anyway near you again, im sorry i didnt try and stop it the first time.." his tone was paniced and worried.

"It wasnt your fault, dont keep thinking that.." joey objected, set sighed, then stopped mid attempt to speak, as seto forced himself up into a sitting position, the pain flashing over his pale features. "ah aibou-kun be careful-" seto looked at yami "i know them..these guys...arent idiots with a weapon...it wasnt your fault, he knew he could..aim at a time we werent anywhere near each other.." his voice became laboured, and the yugi grup paniced, seeing just how badly seto ahd really bene hurt "fer gods sake man, lie down!" "kaiba-kun, watch it please.." uh kaiba, i wouldnt move yet.." "aibou.." "big brother..."

Yami gently helped his light rest back against the pillow, he looked pale and drawn, the black of the uniform he usually wore under the white coa, which had since been remvoed, only made him seem even paler, strands of his soft brown hair clinging to his pale face, pain shadowing the usual spirit in those blue eyes.. "your as white as a sheet seto.." mokuba frowned "you have to get some rest, you cant keep trying to push yourself so hard working, its only making you weaker.." yami yugi nodded "its true, youll need a few weeks to fully recover from this from what i guess..."

"b-but i.." Kaiba winced, trying to object, but then felt the pain twinge, and he struggled to draw in a deep breath, closing his eyes with a wince..the next second yami carefuly moved the breathing mask back over his lgihts mouth, brushing his hair from his face "thats enough for now...youve only just woken up, the doctors can administer some painkillers.." joey and tristan stood up "we'll go get 'em..!" set nodded gratefully, mokuba still worried sick "seto-bro, please..just let go of work for now...its not important...you need time to rest, recover from this.." yugi looked pancied "your only human kaiba-kun, dont try and overdo it.." seto coughed, hands clutched at the bedlcothes, and yami's grip too "y-yeah...i kno..w..." he whispered hoarsely, dropping rapidly off to sleep.

"just rest love, itll be Ok now..." mokie hugged his brother as gently as he could, and yami gantly kissed his frehead, brushing one hand along his cheek as he dozed off "just rest, ill take care of everything.."

Yami yugi watched how saddened, yet resoruceful yami kaiba now looked -hes truly kaiba's destined partner, he loves him so much..-

---As the docotrs came in they shooed the group out, needing to examnie the patient. They gathered outside the room where a television was set up, and by some starnge chance..the news was on...

"-Our latest report: Attempted shooting of one f Domino's finest business owners, and the mysterious damage done to the attack site..." It went on to describe what had happened, and how the criminal had been aprehnded. Then it showed a glimped of the park area, the ground torn up as if in a defensive barrier, and starnge shadow marks on the trees.

The groups jaws fell open "whaag...i kno you said you losit it set, but i didnt think ya went that far!" the spirit sighed "osrry, he was gonna try fire again, i couldnt let him even try, and i just lost it at the way he did such a thing..so i had to use the shadow realm powers to stop him.."

Yami yugi cast a sidelong glance at him "thats a helluva lot of it..im surprised you werent tired after that.." the group blinked in agreemnt and yami kaiab shook his head "im fine, i was more worried about seto-kun, and about that man, then that limit..."

Jey blinked, seeing the angry yet determined spirits expression -man, how did he do that? he obviosuly loves kaiab more than we've seen s far, maybe that was it.." minutes later yami yugi coonfirmed it "well, it can happen if the possersor of shadow powers has articular reason, ro person, to protect it often goes haywire.." Set nodded, red in the face slightly, not needing to say it was his aibou-koi he had done it for, they all already seemed to know..

The door opened again and yami looked up at the doctors "is he OK?" one of them sighed "he'll be fine in a few days, thankfully it didnt go deep, whoeevr shot wasnt a good aim, and it already healed up above critical somehow, before he had arrived at the hospital.." as they walke doff they all stared at yami kaiba, who twitched "what? i didnt do anything!" yami yugi just raised an eyebrow "like i sad before, these things can happen only on rare occasions...like when its for an -urgent- reason.." set just nodded, sighing softly, thinking -its my koi, nothings more important then that...-

Eventually yugi said they had to go, but set refsued to leave his hikari, stating hed be fine staying the night here, "i said i wouldnt ever leave him on his own, and i mean it!" they nodded, seeing the spirit wasnt going to budge, he was as obstinate as kaiba in many ways, both in love and in work...

"just take care man, and look after 'im.." set blsuhed "y-yeah.." joey grinned "dotn look so surprised, we know how much ya love him, yer'd haveta be blind not to see that obviousness..." set chuckled at the odd word at the end, and finally said goodbye to all of them, asking yugi if mokie could stay over, whcih of course yugi didnt mind, eh lvoed having the little kaiba round, mokuba was a sweet kid, unfettered by business gloom as his brother was...

Sets ighed, returning to his loves room, to sit by him again, as he had promsied. He watched his precious lover breathing, brushing one ahnd along the pale, soft skin along his face "sleep my love...itll all be OK.." and he sat back to watch his light, in case he ever needed help..

as the night wore set eventually opted to sleep in a nearby bed, ignoring the doctors requests he get rest, only near morning did he eventually give in. Even then, it was reluctant, he didnt want to leave his loves side...

-ill stay here as long as it takes for you to be well love...you're all that matters to me..- he fell asleep, dreaming of the nights theyd spent together, of falling asleep with his love in his arms, listening to his gentle beathing,..

-----

For seto, the rest of the next four days seemed to pass in a haze, but through it yami never seemed to e gone, he always there, to hold his hand, brush his hair from his face, and get him water or whateevr he needed. And yugi and co seemed to often appear, though he could only stay awake at short periods of time, he always fel so drowsy..He missed sleeping in the warmth of the yami's arms, and longed for a single kiss....

"aibou.." on the fith day his mind finally cleared and he was able to think straight. Blinking in the early morning lgith he looked at al the flowers, carsd and messages by the bedside, on the window sil, and the chairs too.. "who...?" he whispered softly, set smiled "from the guys at KC, Yugi and friends, random crazed fangirls.." seto sweatdropped "crazedhwat?" set looked innocent "uh...nothing much, just a whole laod of girls who ambsuhed me on my way to the cafetria with laodsa thinsg for ya.." seto laughed "oh those..heh, i keep getting them coming up to me in the streets, all askign silly questions.." he smiled "hey, i hope you told them i already have a partner set-kun..." set blsuhed "oh, they know..most of 'em were yaoi fans.."

Seto smiled, he was feeling better with each day, and the wound seemed to be repairing itself much faster than the doctors could fathom, theyd never seen a massive gash from a bullet recver so fast...in mostr cases it took a weke or more to reach a stable state in which the victim could stand and walk..luckily they didnt knw it was all from the long hours yami spent with his love, by his bedside...

"i wish i was out of here..i want to go back to how it was...whreed id be with you when i woke up.." yami gently pressed his fingers to setos motuh again and smiled "it wont be long love...i promise.im trying to help you heal.." seto blsuhed, and as set was bout to satnd and go fetch the doctor, seto garbbed his ahnd "uhm..yami-kun.."

The spirit blinked "whats up love?" kaiba blsuhed at what he was going to say "..uhm..i..just wanted to remember, what your kiss was like, i missedbeing with you.." Set blsuhed softly, sitting on the edge of the bed "anything for my koi." he brushed seto's cheek, then kissed him slwoly..entwiing their hands togethr...pulling apart for a brief second to look at those clear blues eyes, before kissing him again...

Seto felt the lonliness seep away when the unforgettable kisses fianlly ended, he amde a sad little noise, hating for his yami to pull away like that, he wanted t stay like this forever...

Set smiled, hearing that little noise from his love "dont worry aibou...as soon as your fully recovered, im gonna take you to that place, just like i promised..and then.." he left it hanging in the air, smiling at his love..seto blushed, knowing what yami was implying..

back in the old days, he wouldve been disgusted at the very idea of such an act, espcially invovled with such a trivial emotion..but now, he found it wasnt pain that these thinsg caused...love, hope, emotion..it was..nice..to stay beside someone, falling asleep together..

With yami....

Yami pulled awya from his love at last, goign to fetch a doctors, leaving his blushing light to continue sleeping off the drugs he was on to kill the pain...Set had amde sure his light had the best treatment he could, anythign to end such a cruel pain, and a cold memory...

He was using any power he could craete to seal up the wound, so afraid of losing his light...

((-SPLATY- god, there goes me other hand XD, sorry for all these at once, i already wrote them just had to get time to put them on in college.. - hope ur all liking this so far, now onto the next chappie..ty espesh to Silver Wing Tamer for the idea for this chappie! -re-reads- think i outta up the rating? me descriptions have finally rightened up a bit..))