About two hours later Marik came back into his look-alike's flat, Ryou being dragged behind him, not that the small boy was really protesting much. He was just trailing along, his head down. But Malik knew that was to hide the tears that undoubtedly streaked his gentle face. Ryou wasn't made for this business.

"Here he is then Malik. Get going."

"Ok. Will you be back tomorrow?"

"No, I'll be staying the night and making sure you take him. I know you might still try to get him out of this. I don't want to present you with the opportunity to do that."

"I wasn't going to try. I know there's no way out, and if I didn't take him it would only be worse when he had his first customer. Don't you think this is humiliating enough for him without someone watching?" Malik said reasonably, looking honestly into Marik's eyes, pleading with him to do him this small favour.

"Oh ok, I suppose. I'll trust you. But if you screw this up..." Marik didn't need to finish the sentence. Malik knew full well what would happen to him. Marik turned and walked out then, and Malik headed to the door after him, slipping the bolt across, then turning back to his charge for the evening, only to see a pair of puffy, red, doe-brown eyes looking pleadingly into his.

"Malik." Ryou said uncertainly, making Malik wonder if he'd actually been told what was to happen to him.

"What's happening to me? What was Marik talking about?"

Malik sighed, walking to his friend and taking him in a tight, protective hug.

"Bakura sold you to Marik, only he can't have virgins working for him. Marik was gonna do you over quick, but, I got him to let me do it, he was gonna really hurt you." Malik explained, his grip on the albino tightening as he felt the other stiffen in his grasp and begin to shake.

"But, I don't want such a life. I don't want this! Don't I get a say! Isn't this illegal!"

Malik shushed the boy now sobbing into his arms, rocking him back and forth slightly before picking him up and carrying him into his room, marvelling at how little the boy weighed, how fragile he was.

"Malik, please, please don't do this to me." Ryou sobbed, turning away from his friend and curling up tightly on himself.

"Ryou, believe me, if it was in your best interest, I wouldn't, but it is, trust me. Customers don't like messing about with preparing you, so think, if it's your first time, you don't want to be almost passing out in agony. Please Ryou, trust me, you'll like it." Malik said gently, rubbing the side of one of the albino's thighs. Ryou shuddered, relaxing slightly.

"I do trust you Malik; I just don't want you to do this to me. Please! I'm begging you Malik! Please!"

Malik shushed the smaller boy with a gentle kiss, softly pressing against his lips and asking for entrance. Ryou froze in shock as the kiss began, but as he felt Malik's lips pressed against his, he came back to his senses and turned his head away, burying his face in his knees which were pulled tightly up to his chest.

"Ryou, come on. I won't hurt you. We've got all night, so calm down, 'k?" Malik said, but he soon realised that as long as he had to take the smaller boy, he wouldn't calm down, relax at all, or trust Malik in the slightest. It was then Malik realised what he would have to do. Taking Ryou's wrists firmly in his hands he pulled the boy onto his back and pinned him with his wrists either side of his shoulders.

"Ryou! I don't have a choice! I'm trying to make this easier on you!" He exclaimed, Ryou turning his head away again and continuing to cry and shake.

"But I don't want this." He murmured weakly, knowing he didn't have a real say.

"I know you don't." Malik replied, nuzzling the quiet boy softly and almost crying himself. He didn't want to do this. He wasn't sure now he could. Malik decided that he had to get on with this before he lost his nerve. He couldn't believe he was doing this.

Slowly, Malik slipped his hands up Ryou's top, marvelling at his soft skin, and giving a minuscule smile as he observed to other shudder as he flicked his thumbs over Ryou's nipples, both boys beginning to relax slightly. The Egyptian thrust his hips gently against his partner's, letting out a small moan to mix with Ryou's as the tenshi felt himself harden, much against his current will.

"Malik. Stop this, please." Ryou sobbed, shuddering again as Malik nipped carefully at his nipple, twisting at the other, before trailing light kisses down to the other boy's navel. Ryou squeaked in surprise as Malik dipped his tongue into his belly button, swirling it around and suckling lightly on the surrounding skin.

The Egyptian then slipped his hands down to Ryou's waist band, and began to softly ease the zipper down, making the tenshi whimper and tense up again, clamping his thighs firmly together.

"No." He whimpered weakly, fear consuming him fully again. Malik felt his heart almost tear in two as he looked at the boy beneath him, lying on his back, tense and shaking, tears streaking his gentle face as he cried with fright and humiliation.

A knock at the door broke the tension in the room, both boys looking to the door, relief flooding their features at the, at least temporary, relief from what was to come.

Malik got up to answer, Ryou pulling his boxers back on and wiping his eyes, trying to control his rapidly shaking form to the point where he looked half normal. He really didn't want to get Malik in more trouble with whoever this was on top of everything else.

"Yugi? Yami?" Ryou heard Malik say, confusion evident in his voice as Ryou walked carefully out into the living area to see what was about to undoubtedly happen.

"Ryou!" The two in the doorway exclaimed as they saw him. The albino looked at the carpet by his feet, noting that the person who lived here before Malik was a smoker and didn't care where he spat out his chewing gum or left his cigarette butts.

"What are you doing here!" Yugi exclaimed, Yami settling his piercing stare on him.

"We weren't interrupting anything, were we?" Yami said carefully, looking between the two; neither made eye contact with the former pharaoh.

"Wha...? Ryou, I thought you and Bakura...?"

That was the last thing Ryou needed to hear. He felt his legs go weak beneath him as the whole reason he was stood in Malik's shabby apartment wearing nothing but his boxers flooded back into his mind and his legs gave way, leaving him shaking in a heap on the floor.

"Ryou! Are you ok!" Yugi exclaimed, running to his friend and grabbing his shoulders, trying to make the other look at him.

"Hikari. Leave him. Malik, you'd better have a good reason for all this." Yami growled, fixing the Egyptian boy with a fierce glare, making Malik unconsciously shudder.

"I... I..." Malik stuttered. He knew there was nothing he could tell Yami that wouldn't get him sent to the Shadow Realm.

"Yami. Who said it was anything Malik did that's made Ryou so upset?" Yugi said, hugging the other small boy close to him and frowning at his yami. He'd have hated for Malik to get hurt for something he didn't do.

"Bakura sold me." Ryou whispered, trying to tell the truth, but keep Malik out of it. No such luck though.

"So Marik decided to give you some practise by forcing you and Malik together! And Malik was actually going to...!" Yami yelled, trailing off, disgust in his voice as he glared at Malik.

Ryou only shook harder.

"Please don't hurt Malik. He didn't want..."

"He's the one that got himself into the whore trade! Of cource he wanted...!"

"He doesn't want to take me!" Ryou exclaimed, tears streaking his face again as he looked pleadingly at Yami.

"Yami, calm down. I believe Ryou. I don't think Malik would want to take his best friend against his will, even if he is a prostitute." Yugi said carefully, sadness coating his words again.

"So how do you explain the fact I'm pretty sure we just walked in on them!" Yami shouted, the millennium eye beginning to glow dangerously on his forehead.

"Yami! Calm down! We don't know anything for sure!" Yugi yelled, dreading that his dark would do some serious damage if he didn't cool down now.

"Fine then. You let them do whatever, and if anything happens to Ryou, on your head be it!" Yami exclaimed, storming out.

"So; what's all this about? What happened?" Yugi said, once Yami'd gone.

"Bakura sold Ryou to Marik, who won't have virgins. Marik was gonna take Ryou dry without any preparation, so I said as I didn't have any appointments I'd do it so he didn't get hurt." Malik explained, watching as Yugi's eyes went wide with shock and he turned back to Ryou for conformation. The albino simply turned his head away again.

"I know Bakura's low, but I never thought he'd..." Yugi said his voice quiet with shock.

"Yugi, just go so Malik can finish. I don't want Marik mad at us when he comes to check tomorrow." Ryou said quietly, his voice empty and monotone.

Yugi could just stare as Malik felt his jaw drop to the floor. Ryou wanted this!

"Ryou...?"

"Just go damnit! You heard me right Yugi, I want him to do this, now get out!" Ryou exclaimed; fire in his eyes as he glared at the small boy beside him. He had no idea why he felt like he did, but suddenly he wanted Malik inside of him, no, needed him. He saw Malik watching him out of the corner of his eye, and as Ryou's eyes locked with the Egyptian's, Malik was surprised to say the least at the amount of lust he saw shining in the gentle boy's eyes.

Yugi carefully got up, looking back at Ryou once before turning and finally leaving the room, Malik bolted the door after the small boy, and turned round, only to feel Ryou's lips pressed forcefully to his. Malik could only wonder if Bakura had anything to do with the way Ryou was now feeling and acting, he was sure Ryou would never act so, forceful, in this situation, so sure of himself.

"I though you needed to take me Malik! Get the on with it!" Ryou glared, fixing Malik with a stare that scared the Egyptian, hell, it wasn't just his friend's stare that frightened him, the whole situation did now.

Ryou suddenly thrust his hips hard into Malik's, making both boys moan in a blissful heaven.

"Ryou... Why are you acting like this?" Malik exclaimed breathily as the albino slipped his small hands down Malik trousers, forcing them off, even with the zipper done up. Malik at this point made a small mental note that he needed new cloths, before letting out another moan as the smaller boy massaged his new arousal.

"Please Malik. I can't keep this up much longer." Ryou suddenly whispered in the Egyptian's ear. These words confused Malik momentarily, but he soon realised what Ryou meant. He was only acting. This was how the smaller boy dealt with situations he didn't like but he was forced into. No doubt it was something Bakura had said or done that gave Ryou the frame of mind that if he couldn't leave, he would just get on with it, whatever 'it' was.

Malik didn't know why, but this new attitude of Ryou's, even though he knew it was an act, made Malik feel tones more comfortable with the situation; it made him able to do what he had to. Picking Ryou up again he dumped him back on his bed and straddled him, pulling his boxers off again, and tossing them to the floor, along with what remained of his own clothing.

Nestling between his partner's legs, Malik ran his tongue over the underside of Ryou's new erection, cleaning the small amount of pre-cum off the tip, savouring the taste, before suckling on three of his fingers, returning his mouth to Ryou's manhood to distract him, before slipping the first finger gently in, sucking harshly to distract the albino.

Ryou moaned and writhed as Malik talented tongue sent his senses into overdrive. He didn't really notice as the first finger pushed past the ring of muscles, but he certainly felt the second.

Ryou cried out slightly, he whole body tensing as he whimpered in pain at the intrusion.

Malik paused, holding perfectly still, but refusing to let his fingers be dislodged. He knew Ryou would get used to the sensation after a while, but at the moment he knew how much pain the tenshi was in. He also knew he had to be careful and also that he was doing the best thing. That was the thought he had to hold onto, he was doing the right thing. Ryou wouldn't have been thanking him if he'd been any rougher, or left him to Marik. Even though his first time was years ago now, he still remembered how stupid he'd been...

Flashback

"You sure you're gonna be ok, squirt?" The figure said, kneeling above Malik, both panting harshly from their activities, the older boy's silver-blue hair curtaining his face as he looked down at his lover. His yellow left eye and blue right clouded with lust and some admiration for his young lover.

Malik nodded, need overtaking his reason,

"Just fuck me damnit! I don't care how much it hurts, I don't need preparing!" Malik yelled, glaring defiantly at the seventeen-year-old boy kneeling above him.

"Fine then kid, but don't you think you'd better watch your mouth in future? You shouldn't know those words when you're only twelve." Dartz had smirked, before thrusting roughly into Malik's tender passage, ignoring pained yells and concentrating on his own pleasure; Malik had asked for it after all, he'd get used to the feeling.

End Flashback

Dartz... Malik wondered where his icy lover was now. He had enjoyed that night immensely, but that pain would be something that would never leave him; even though it had lessened to a painful pleasure, bringing forth his masochistic tendencies. The day after that event, he'd left Malik a note saying he hoped to see him again some day, and had vanished. Malik's parents had also found that note, and had figured out what had happened, resulting in them throwing Malik out; instantly disowning their son. They didn't want the repercussions of their son being gay and tainted at the age of twelve. He hadn't even been a teenager when that had happened...

Shaking old memories out of his mind and blinking back small tears, Malik noted that Ryou had relaxed, and quickly, but carefully, added his third and final finger, holding still after that to, waiting for Ryou to relax again.

As soon as the albino did, Malik began to gently thrust his fingers in and out, pulling them apart slightly to gradually stretch Ryou while being careful not to hurt the beauty beneath him. Once Malik was sure Ryou was fully prepared and receiving nothing but pleasure from the penetration, Malik removed his fingers. Amazingly, Ryou stayed relaxed, all of Malik's other lovers, and partners, had tensed instantly as his fingers had left.

The truth was, Malik had vowed to keep himself for his first, icy lover, and had consequently not let himself be taken. Not by anybody. That was, until he'd met Marik. He guessed that five years was a bit too long to wait for someone anyway. Dartz probably had a new lover by now, a new life. He'd never want Malik back.

The Egyptian once again shook the memories from his mind and turned back to his current partner. Malik gently pushed himself past the guardian ring of muscles, watching Ryou's face intently for any signs of pain.

Ryou gasped. The whole experience was so new for him, well obviously it was, he was, until a few seconds ago, a virgin. Although he wasn't in pain, he could see how this could easily be agony, and was now thanking Malik silently for doing him the small favour of being his first. When the Egyptian above him began moving in and out of his passage however, he moaned thickly, all other thoughts pushed from his mind to be replaced by this feeling that was currently consuming him. It felt so right to be here with Malik, that Ryou couldn't help but wonder if he'd started to fall for him slightly. The revelation shocked him to say the least.

Malik moaned thickly at the tight, searing heat that surrounded him, but once again reminded himself to go slow. Carefully beginning to thrust in and out of the tight passage, Malik's entire being was consumed by the pleasure, while the small amount of un-fogged thought space was used entirely for self control, keeping himself from hurting the tenshi.

Release soon came over the two, reason and thought left behind as need fully over took them, making the extra pleasure to help them reach that immense high.

Once they'd come down, Ryou murmured something completely indecipherable to the Egyptian, before flopping tiredly onto the bed and falling asleep.

"Looks like I'm on the couch." Malik murmured, pulling the covers over Ryou before grabbing a blanket and curling up on the settee and drifting off to sleep, where, for the first time in just under five years, he dreamt of Dartz, of his Dartz, and the love they had shared.