Shadows That Bleed

by YamiYugiPuzzleshipper

Pure-Bloods are said to be myths, not even well-known within stories. "A specialized genetic coding of the moon and the dire," their spoken lore proclaims. They are creatures beyond the power of mortality, gifted by the gods themselves. Known as the Eternal Ones, their existence once extinguished, resurrection foretells a powerful omen.

42. Anxiety

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Every other day

Chapter Warnings: Mentions of Death, Mentions of Killing/Death, Mentions of Sex, Jokes about Sex, Jokes about STD, Implied Celesteshipping [Anzu x Valon], Night Terrors, COPIOUS Amounts of Blood, Anxiety Attack

Okay, so Yugi makes a joke about going bareback with Yami doggy style in a hotel room. Just saying. And about hot tub sex. Take that however you'd like. He also says he probably got AIDS. Yeah, not so funny. But Yugi is being sassy so I'm REALLY hoping doesn't come off as offensive to anyone.

Wish hounds (Wisht hounds) are actually British hellhounds, ones that are said to be headless and appear in the moors, from what I remember. They were created from unbaptized babies who died young. I think they were also rumored to chase after and steal little kids as well? But they hunt by howling loudly and then chasing their prey and if you hear the howls about three times, it means that you're marked to die? I believe that's how it goes. I really need to look back at my notes again.

Anyways, so wish hounds are a subspecies of the hellhound, but they do not interact beyond dreams and little deals with humans who are smart enough to find them. They're not directly in the story beyond mention, but they have the ability to give a human what they wish for in ways of things such as visions (Espa) and extremely good luck (Fuwa).

But they cannot reverse death, help to heal the human in question, and they have no physical forms and act as phantoms. They also cannot interact with living wolves and they bow to the gods as well, which is why Espa could not see Yami or Yugi but could hunt other wolves with that ability. The wish hounds are THE black dogs/hellhounds that chase the humans down for their souls when their time is up.

The wish hounds won't come up again until later, but they will get another mention as the story goes along. But I didn't want anyone to think that Espa's words from last chapter were random, or that Yami mentioning the supernatural luck thing is a gimmick.

Okay, so, from what I've been reading, the way to calm someone's breathing is exactly how it's done here. Four second inhale, four second exhale. Beyond that, I've never experienced a panic attack. I've never witnessed one. A friend did call me on the phone in the midst of one but I got her thinking about other things and talking until she calmed down again. But yeah, beyond what I was researching, I have no idea. If there are other techniques, feel free to tell me. I'd love to know. And, if this is a bad representation, tell me that too! I want to know.

Also, guys, I have not played Reversi in so many years that I've forgotten altogether how to play it. And I can't really find much time to actually research around trying to keep up with posting and working on editing other stories (not limited to Sky Dance's sequel cause apparently that just took priority for the gods know how long). I don't remember if you can even tie in that game, or how you win or lose anymore. It's kind of sad, but meh.

And totally sorry for how long it took for me to get this up! I have the next chapter set up for its next round of edits as well as the one after that. So they MIGHT be posted on time?PLEASE don't quote me on that.

Chapter XLII: Anxiety

Work Log Entry XLII: December, 2003

December 1

The boss has grown impatient with "Atem" once more. He wishes for us to push his growth rate, but the Pure-Blood still refuses to change forms despite the numerous drugs and testing.

December 8

It is the full moon tonight and most of the wolves have changed due to the draw of the wolf and the ancient event known as the "lunar ascension".

But "Atem" has not and the boss is far from pleased.

December 16

"Atem" has recovered his voice.

He spoke long enough to say he wanted more food.

December 20

The Pure-Blood looks outwardly healthy and his vitals are all extraordinary.

No one can understand why it is that he cannot change.

"Okay, so, I told my mom that you—"

Yami shook his head, eyes full of laughter. "Yugi, there's no need to worry so much. I can hear through the walls. Relax. And, even if I couldn't, we've rehearsed most of it. And I've got brilliant recollection. So, breathe, okay?"

He opened and closed his mouth, cheeks slightly dusted with pink, and then nodded. "Yeah, I…I kind of forgot about that," he admitted before sighing softly. "Not that we had rehearsed and all that, but I…I guess I got excited for a second there."

He smirked and shook his head slightly in amusement. "I can tell," he teased easily, eyes brightening further as he noticed the fine tremble of excitement which came over his frame. "She wishes to meet me so soon?"

"Yep, they want to meet Kobayashi Yami soon," Yugi said with audible elation. His eyes were bright with excitement and he looked incredibly relieved as well. "The homeschooled sixteen-year-old who's beginning to run out of money and doesn't have a job and whose parents are going to be coming to Japan soon but not soon enough. And you plan to go to Domino High after you finish your semester online. We did agree that you're Italian, right?"

"My skin tone only matched Italian girls so…yes?"

Yugi snorted so loudly he was amazed that none of his family heard it. He covered his mouth and shook his head at him, eyes bright with laughter. "Shut up," he teased before shaking his head again and rolling his eyes. "Anyways, okay so you're actually from Italy, lived there for a while, came here for educational purposes. That works for me."

"I am Japanese, though, yes? My last name…"

He nodded almost immediately, flustered for a split second, then smiled a little more. "Right, Japanese last name. Your parents raised you in Italy but you came here for education that you wouldn't get elsewhere."

"Yes," Yami agreed with a somewhat undone expression. "I do recall us agreeing to that story. That is the most acceptable to your mother, is it not? That's why we came up with it…?"

"Right. Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm just so excited that I guess I forgot." He shrugged in such a childlike manner that Yami had to smile faintly. "It just… It's kind of amazing, I guess. I mean, I was expecting it to take a bit longer and it didn't and I'm just super relieved. I mean, considering how long I thought it was going to take and she's already cracked and this is awesome, Yami."

The taller lycanthrope smiled in amusement and shook his head. "I had no doubt that you would eventually make her curious enough to invite me over." He watched him with that same usual patience that he always exuded and Yugi couldn't help but smile at him more. "And I believe that we have rehearsed well enough to put this plan fully in motion. Do you believe she'll truly let me stay here?"

Yugi nodded. "I do. I think we just have to be careful about we do and don't say to her as far as everything else goes. I know for a fact that she's not going to let you sleep in my room with me. She'll probably have you go out to the living room and rest on the couch the entire time you're here."

He frowned, his own amusement draining away in an instant now. "Yugi, what happens when your mom realizes that my parents are not coming anytime soon? She will not be pleased when she realizes that I have been here for longer than a week or two at maximum. We need to think of something else as well. She is going to be suspicious when I have no news of my parents' return and remain here…"

And, just like that, Yugi felt as if his world were crashing down around him. His breath caught and he stared at him, eyes wide and stomach twisting painfully. Oh gods, had he really not thought that through? He swallowed hard, shaking his head faintly.

"Well, I guess… When that day comes, you'll have to go back into hiding in my room again…"

And, oh, how temporary and nearsighted this plan seemed to him now.

Yugi bit his lip. Rather than finding a solution he'd found a momentary compromise. It stung to realize how naive he'd been in not realizing this ahead of time. He swallowed hard and choked on his tongue as he considered it all.

How many times had he mistakenly assumed that it would be okay, easy, to balance things? School, a pack he was now leader of, friends who now knew his secret, his lycanthropy, hunters, hellhounds, and the tensions which had sprung up now that he could truly sense the wolves in the school.

He swallowed hard and then bit his lip again.

"I suppose for the time that you are relieved of having to hide me in your room, it will be easier for us both. It doesn't matter to me, I have always adapted when it has become necessary."

Yugi didn't bother to tell him how much that statement made his heart ache for him. Instead he gave him a smile that should have been megawatts brighter than it actually was.

The look did not mollify Yami who blinked wide eyes and said, in a low, cautious tone, "It will all work out okay, Yugi. It might not be easy, but it will be okay."

---

Yugi hummed as he pushed his books into his locker and shut the door slowly. Anzu was the only one with him at the moment, while Honda and Jonouchi were back still grabbing things from their own lockers. The smaller teen turned to her with a small grin.

"How is dance class going?" he asked, eyes bright and curious as he picked at the end of his spiral notebook. He wondered if she would notice his anticipation and comment on it but she seemed to be somewhat surprised by his excitement. He was okay with that. If she didn't know about his plan with Yami it was all the better. She already knew that he was keeping Yami at his house without anyone else's knowledge. It seemed like saying more would be potentially harmful towards Yami himself.

"I'm learning hip hop moves now. It helps me be more versatile when I go to the states," she admitted with a small shrug. "No dancer can really just focus and stick to one style if they want to make it somewhere. Or at least that's what my instructor keeps saying anyways."

"Hip hop is fun," he said, but his tone was clearly distracted. He graced her with another wide grin, glanced over his shoulder towards the other two of their group, and then looked back to her. "You aren't going to give up on other styles for just that though, right?"

"No, I'm going to just learn as much as I can before the end of high school. My scholarship is going to be top notch." Anzu was watching him with a determined expression, one which he had always known when they were growing up together. He smiled a little more, paying her more attention than he had before. The brunette watched him for a moment, then tilted her head slightly. "You look…a lot happier."

Yugi faltered for a moment, eyes wide and startled. He blinked a few times, watching her, and then shook his head. "What do you mean?" he asked, frowning at her minutely now.

How did he seem happier? Yugi couldn't remember doing anything to make it seem like he was. He was still excited about his mom wanting to meet Yami but he did not think it remained so apparent on his face. He had all but forgotten about it during class as it was.

Now he only remembered it because of the fact that she had said that. And it was the only thing he could think of that would lead to him seeming happier than usual.

"Did Yami"—His eyes grew wider than she had ever seen them—"do something to make you smile like that?"

He blinked again, then furrowed his brows. "Yami?" he echoed, surprised by the casual note in her voice, though not oblivious to that small brief flicker of pain at the use of his name. "Um, no, not at all. He hasn't done anything differently at all. I…I mean, he's probably asleep by now or reading or something. But no, he didn't do anything differently to make me happy. Why do you ask…?"

Anzu smiled, but the edges seemed sad. "I just haven't seen you this happy in a pretty long time," she admitted with a small shrug. "Actually, there's something different about it… I don't think I've ever seen you smile like that before. I figured it had to be because of Yami…"

Yugi blinked a few times, shaking his head slowly in puzzlement. "I didn't even realize I seemed happier than usual." He tilted his head. He had the smallest, slightest impulse to apologize but it seemed ridiculous to bother. Why should he apologize for seeming a little happier than usual? He didn't want to make her think that he didn't care about her and flaunt whatever it was he had with Yami, but to apologize for it seemed almost stupid to him. "But nothing is different."

That wasn't entirely true. Before she had mentioned his name, his eyes had been bright, but when his name came up, his entire face had lit up like a megawatt bulb. She didn't think she had ever seen his face so open, so happy and beautiful. A twinge formed in her chest. Then it became a pulsing ache which made her nearly flinch.

Anzu wished, not for the first time since their conversation, that she could have made him just as happy as he seemed now.

"Okay." It wasn't worth arguing over. It just hurt more to think that someone else could make him so happy when they couldn't last more than what seemed like thirty seconds. She drew in a breath, then exhaled softly in discomfort. It was painful, but at least she could say it. "Well, I'm glad that he can make you this happy. I can see why you would like him back."

The words startled him so much that he dropped his notebook and stared at her as if she had grown a second head. Yugi shook his head, expression somewhat bewildered, then crouched down to snatch it back up again. His eyes were slightly narrow and he frowned at her noticeably for a moment before shaking his head.

"I don't think that Yami has any feelings towards me like that."

He could have flinched from the fresh pain that came with that admission. But he had promised himself that he would not push him into anything. Yami was still mourning his mate, his best friend, the others who had died in the lab.

He didn't want to force him to have to mourn him as well.

Anzu shook her head. "Why do you say that?"

Yugi blinked at her and then tilted his head. "Because I don't know if he does and I don't think he has any feelings towards me," he said with a shake of his head. "I'm pretty sure he's not interested in me in any way besides friendship."

The brunette froze, standing on a precipice where she either gave him something of a misleading opinion or crushed him there with confirmation. But she couldn't help but think of the way they had seemed to know each other so exactly in the warehouse. Anzu couldn't stop herself from thinking about the way Yugi had leaped at the opportunity to protect him from the conversation Jonouchi and Honda had attempted to have. The way he had flared up when Yami had gotten even the slightest touch uncomfortable had been stunning to her.

"Maybe you're just thinking too hard."

Yugi shook his head, watching her closely. "Maybe," he said, voice slightly dismissive, but his eyes were still cautious, curious about her words. He blinked a few times, then shook his head again and looked his notebook over to busy himself.

"I'm sure you're looking too hard."

He blinked, then glanced at her sideways, and the two of them were frozen for a moment as he considered her. Had he been looking too hard? Yugi could see that being one of his many faults. But it wasn't as if he had a reason to beyond his misplaced hope. And that made his skin crawl as he considered it.

"I guess so."

Anzu didn't answer him now, unable to meet his eyes and say anything further. She had probably overdone it as it was and she should never have opened her mouth to begin with. She lowered her eyes first to the floor and then looked towards where Jonouchi and Honda were coming over to them. Yugi looked up at them, grinning, but there was a soft strain in his eyes.

He wasn't ready then to go to the arcade, just as he wasn't ready a couple of hours later to make his way to the house. His hands were tucked in his pockets, his shoulders hunched, his backpack on his shoulders feeling overwhelming in its weight. Yugi glanced around him twice, crossed the street, and began to slow his pace further as he kept moving. Yami was probably wide awake, waiting on his mom and grandpa to settle down from whatever they were doing. And Yugi wished he could have said he hadn't expected them to be home yet, but he could see his mom's car.

The knot in his stomach pulled tighter.

Yugi glanced over his shoulder. The neighbors still seemed absent for the moment, but as he turned his head away, he wondered who might be lurking in the woods. His eyes shot uncomfortably towards them and his stomach lurched.

How many hunters could be lurking around the trees, watching and aiming to pull him away from the public?

How many of them were like Pegasus, brave enough to stalk him and set Bakura on him?

His heart lurched. Oh gods, Bakura…

He still felt numb considering the truth of the matter. He had killed him. He'd ripped his head off in a fight. It had been a bid of his life or Yami's and it was horrifying to think that he could commit murder for him like that. He'd killed him and attacked Pegasus and then he'd turned and killed Ryota as well.

He'd killed them.

He'd killed Bakura in the heat of the moment, under the rush of adrenaline.

He had turned on Ryota knowing that there was no chance that he would be able to leave the situation with him still alive.

Yugi was shaking when he made his way to the door. Maybe he should have doubled back a couple of times, taken completely different routes to keep someone watching from realizing where he lived. But part of him was too shaken to want to turn back and another part reminded him that curfew was in effect in only a few more minutes.

The small teen opened the door, stepped inside, and locked the door behind him. His mom had said that businesses were being forced to close an hour before curfew in order to make sure workers got home. It explained the mild darkness he was thrown into upon stepping inside. Yugi turned to the staircase, glancing over his shoulder once more towards the woods.

Were any of the wolves nearby?

Did they know where he lived?

He shook his head and threw the door open, locking it after him before trotting up the stairs. His mom and grandpa were laughing about something, oddly relaxed with each other. Since he had been born and his grandpa had begun his tests, they had been rather strained. He supposed his lack of initiating them now had done well to calm his daughter's anger towards him.

Yugi stepped into the hallway, locked the door behind him, and headed for his room.

"Yugi," Kasumi called after him, making him pause and spin around with curious eyes. She was leaning back in her chair, so far from the table she almost toppled to the floor, in order to look at him. "Why don't you come join us? We were about to start making dinner and playing some board games."

The small teen smiled and raised a brow. "You must be extremely bored if you're considering playing games with me and Grandpa," he teased before turning away. "Give me a minute."

"I won't say I'm not bored out of my mind."

"Do you hear that, Yugi? She doesn't want to spend time with us!" Sugoroku cried loudly, making Yugi snort as he kicked his shoes off and stepped into his room.

Yami was nowhere to be seen. Yugi cursed, immediately looking towards the window, but the pane was shut tightly. It was even locked. Yami might have been smart and resourceful, but he doubted even he knew how to make the locks turn when he was outside.

"Yami?" he called quietly, feeling breathless for a moment. Usually he was there to greet him with that silent manner he always possessed. He would look up and regard him for a moment, maybe nod. Now he couldn't see him anywhere and the only place Yugi could consider would be the bathroom. But he would not try knocking on or opening the door if the other was using the toilet.

That just seemed incredibly rude to him…

The door of his closet creaked open and he startled.

Yami wrinkled his nose as he stepped out of the small space, rolling his shoulders and yawning. He rubbed at his left arm and Yugi could see the imprint of clothing in red along his elbow and cheek. He snorted, then smiled and shook his head, eyes soft as he looked at him.

"You were sleeping in my closet?"

"I did not want to be asleep in plain sight had they decided to come into the room," Yami said somewhat dismissively. "I figured the closet was safer than the bathroom."

Yugi smiled a little more, watching him with his head tilted. Yami's hair was ruffled and in clear disarray, his eyes were hooded, his lashes oddly clumped on his left eyelid, his cheek colored pink from clothing wrinkles. He shook his head slightly, then hummed as he dropped his backpack aside and sighed softly.

"You're okay though?"

This caught his attention.

He blinked and his red eyes flickered with something cautious and powerful. "Yes. Is there a reason I might not be?" he asked in a more demanding tone. The tired look had left him completely and his alarm made his eyes darker than ever.

"Not that I know of. I just… I've never come home and had you come out of the closet like that. It worried me, I guess." He paused and bit his lip. "Did I give you meds this morning or did you get some yourself? Were you just tired or…?"

Yami blinked, caught off guard for only a moment. Then he shook his head, murmuring, "I wanted sleep and I didn't want to dream. I grabbed the medicine myself."

Yugi nodded and relaxed visibly. "Good. I didn't remember giving you anything. I was kind of freaked out for a second there."

He shook his head again. "No, I did it myself." He faltered, then looked him up and down and furrowed his brows. "Are you all right? You look a little…flustered, I suppose?"

His eyes widened. "Flustered?" he echoed in surprise. Was he flustered? He didn't see why he might be. Although, then he considered his conversation with Anzu and his impulse was immediately to flinch. Had he been thinking about that at any point? Yugi wasn't stupid. He knew he had at some point. But he hadn't when he had stepped into the room…

"Yes, I believe that's the word…"

Yugi shook his head. "I was just worried about you, that's all," he murmured softly, offering him a gentle smile. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Yami was not looking at him in any manner differently from how he normally did. How was it that Anzu had any idea that he might like him back? It was insane. And I need to stop thinking about this before it gets worse, he decided immediately. "Anyways, go back to sleep, okay, Yami? I'm going to go play some games with my mom and grandpa."

Yami nodded slightly, but his eyes had grown narrow. "Very well," he commented softly, tilting his head towards the door and listening for a moment. He could hear a collective shifting of game pieces, all plastic and loud where they touched their boards, and his head scrambled for an exact number of how many there might be. But they all sounded the same and it was hard to determine. He had not even tried to count by sound alone in a while. He almost wondered if he had lost the ability as it was…

His red eyes flickered to Yugi solely again, attention focused completely on the small teen once more. "I am going to go back and sleep some more. Enjoy your time with your family." The words were stale in his mouth, though it was not by any lack of care. In fact, Yami thought with startling clarity, he almost wished for the ability to do the same. But his own family was long gone; sixteen years was a long gap to attempt to fill. He shivered, then shook himself out and yawned to cover for the momentary spike of disgust in his veins.

They shouldn't have died like that.

None of them should have died like that.

"You okay? You look upset. I can tell them no—"

Yami shook his head. "No, it is nothing to do with that, Yugi. Besides, enjoy some time with them. You never seem to outside of dinner," the taller lycanthrope commented with a simple shake of his head and a wide smile. "I am perfectly capable of sleeping without someone else in the room."

"Well that's good," Yugi laughed softly. "Means you're not terribly codependent."

Yami blinked and his eyes widened slightly. The color seemed to drain from his face before he shook it off and yawned again. He rubbed at his face to keep from staring at the other boy again.

Wasn't he? Wasn't he terribly codependent, however? He could not think of anyone in a more accurate depiction of the word.

He was hiding in his room, he had to take medication to sleep properly at times, and he could rarely keep from curling up on the bed with him. He waited anxiously at times for him to come home from school. He couldn't keep track of his own meals half of the time and Yugi was the one to bring him food.

What part of that was not hideously codependent?

"You're sure you're okay?"

"Absolutely, Yugi. Go and have fun with your family. I'll probably be awake when you come back."

Yugi hesitated for a long second, then he nodded with a small sigh. "Okay, sure. But, just…tell me if anything goes wrong? I mean, if you decide you have to go hunting or something, can you warn me? I don't want to come in here and not be able to find you…"

He wondered if Yami thought he sounded as much like a helpless child as he did. But the other boy merely smiled at him, nodded, and turned away with a yawn.

Maybe they were both a little codependent.

Yugi turned on his heel and headed out into the kitchen to see what game had been selected for the first round. Then he felt his lips pull into a slight frown. Reversi… How wonderful. The one game he and his grandfather always tied at.

"I'm going to sit this game out," he announced, taking a seat immediately and watching his mom as she shot him a flustered look. She hated the game. Sugoroku loved to practically lead her around in circles and tease her about her inability to win most games. She was much better with games that did not involve strategies of any kind. She was always better with luck-based games than anything else.

"All right," his grandpa agreed, grinning at his daughter who rolled her eyes and glared at her son. Yugi grinned and winked at her and Sugoroku snorted with amusement. "So, how was school?"

"Fine." He sat back in his chair and his mom sighed as Sugoroku began to make a play. She rolled her eyes again, then mimicked him lazily. Her strategy had always been to copy him because it made it easier when she lost. Yugi smiled faintly and shook his head. "I spent most of the day with Yami after school. Jonouchi, Honda and Anzu were kind of busy so we decided to hang out."

His mom looked at him sideways, her eyes light with curiosity. "Yami, hmm?" The way she said it almost made him wonder if she knew about his crush on the other boy. But he also realized she was more caught up in the idea of what Yami might know rather than anything else. She was curious about the murders and Yami seemed to have small, mild answers if any at all. "How is he doing?"

"He's good. He was pretty bored so we started playing checkers to pass the time." He shrugged. "Turns out he was raised in Italy and his parents are actually Japanese. I didn't know that until today. He was home-schooled before last year."

Sugoroku moved a piece, grinning. He was so focused on his play that he seemingly missed the invitation for more questions. His mom, however, immediately launched into another. Yugi prepared himself for the possibility of more questions than he had answers for.

"So then how long has he been here in Japan?"

"Apparently he came just this year. He was in Italy until now and he just started school this semester. His parents are still in Italy for the time being."

"He's here alone?" She paused, staring at him, her piece still hovering over the board, eyes wide. Yugi couldn't stand the way she was looking at him, so he reached over to place the piece for her, a completely different direction than she had been attempting. She glanced at it, surprised, and Yugi drew in a deep breath.

"Yeah, for right now."

"Why? Why aren't his parents with him?"

"I don't know. He seemed a little upset so I decided not to ask," he lied with a shrug. "I just figured I might as well leave well enough alone. I didn't want to upset him."

She nodded and let out a sigh as her father moved a piece. Somewhere in the back of her mind Kasumi had truly been hoping that the game would stop. She hated Reversi. "Okay." She mimicked his play and didn't bother to look at her son as Sugoroku moved again. She rolled her eyes. "I'm guessing he has a good relationship with them then?"

"I think so, yeah. But I'm not sure. He doesn't really talk about them. I think he's sad that they aren't here yet."

Kasumi nodded and again copied his piece on the board. She almost sighed out loud when her father immediately launched himself into the next play. "Well, that makes sense. I would probably be upset too."

"Probably?" Sugoroku huffed. "You wouldn't miss me if you were away?"

"Depends on if you would insist on a game of Reversi," she sniped in response.

Yugi snorted and then shook his head, smiling widely. "Of course a game would decide that for you," he laughed, rolling his own eyes now. "Anyways, so yeah, I don't know about his parents or anything. I just know that he's here in Japan on his own for the time being."

"Is he staying with a friend of some kind?"

Yugi frowned, wondering at the answer he could give. He'd set up the game of checkers already. There was no way they had gone somewhere besides Yami's place to do that…

"He's staying in a hotel room."

She paused, looking at him in surprise. "He's staying in a hotel room?" Then she pursed her lips. "You were in a hotel room with a boy?"

Yugi huffed. "Yes, and around the checkers game we had wild sex doggy style and ran off to play in an extravagant hot tub where we screwed around some more." He rolled his eyes twice, then made sure she was watching him just as keenly when he did it a third time. "No condoms, no lube, bareback. I think I probably got AIDS from it all and I totally consider it worth it."

Sugoroku choked, laughing so hard that he dropped his piece and had to close his eyes. He covered his face with his hand and shook his head, laughing harder. Yugi grinned at him, unable to stop himself, and then shook his head, snorting. And, if he was listening hard enough, he thought he heard the softest trace of a baritone chuckle around the rest of the noise.

"You go and get it, Yugi," his grandfather snorted loudly, shaking his head. He was red in the face and Yugi grinned a little more. "We've got a wild child here, Kasumi."

"Oh, well, forgive me for not finding it funny," she snapped, startling them both. Yugi felt his head jerk towards her in surprise, grin falling away instantly. His grandpa blinked and frowned at her. "I don't think that unsafe sex is anything to laugh about."

Yugi gave her a flustered look. "But we all know I didn't do that," he said slowly. "The point is, Yami isn't going to just bend me over and screw my brains out, okay? We were in his hotel room together, yes, but all we did was play checkers and a couple of video games that I lent him. It's not like we both went and stole alcohol and just drank our inhibitions away. I'd like to point out how sober I am right now. Thank you for noticing."

"That's not the point—"

"Okay, well, if I remember right, you used to say you'd support me whether I was with a girl or not."

"And I will!"

He shrugged at her and moved to place another piece when his grandfather took the opportunity to do the same. This one was almost a mimic as his mom had been doing the entire time. When he sat back again, Yugi turned and tilted his head as he considered her annoyed look.

"The point is, I know that. But you also know that I wouldn't just follow someone into their hotel room and have sex with them like that. So maybe you could wipe that look off your face and then we'll talk some more about this."

Sugoroku stopped short, startled by his annoyed, darkened tone. He did not think he had ever heard him use it before. It was amazing to see how frosty his eyes were, how little humor he possessed now. He swallowed hard, eyes flickering between the two of them. His daughter was glaring but his grandson was simply staring, eyes sharp and boring into hers.

"No one really thinks that you would do that," he attempted to mollify them both. But his daughter bristled further and Yugi merely blinked, begging her to challenge him. Sugoroku sighed softly. "All I want to know is if he could hold his own against you in checkers."

"He won in a few moves actually. He reversed his strategy on me and managed to get almost all of my pieces in about ten turns."

He blinked, plum purple eyes widening. "I have to see that some time."

"I could invite him over for dinner sometime, I guess." It was honestly one of the perfect openings, especially now that his mom was so defensive of what he might say and do. If she refused him, they might argue further, and that was something he knew she didn't want. His grandpa had unconsciously just given him the perfect opportunity. "Although, if Mom is going to look at him like that, I don't think I should."

Kasumi pressed her lips into a thin line, scowling at him. "I'm not going to scare him off," she said in an annoyed tone. "But, I want to know more about him before you invite him."

"Like?"

"Last name?"

"Kobayashi."

"Age?"

"Sixteen."

"Do you have classes together?"

"No, he's getting some special arrangements to help him catch up with the curriculum."

"What does he look like?"

Yugi bit his lip, then snorted and shook his head. "You'll see when you meet him. It's a surprise."

She rolled her eyes and looked at the board. Then she moved a piece to copy her father again. "Birthplace?"

"Honshu. But he only stayed there for a year or two. Then his parents moved to Italy." He hummed low in his throat. Hopefully Yami was still wide awake and listening. He didn't think he'd decided to go back to sleep after all of the tension he'd surely sensed.

"History of partners?"

Yugi blinked, then gaped at her. "Huh?"

"Who has he dated?"

His cheeks flushed. "I think he was with one girl for a little while but I doubt they were serious. Then again, for all I know, he might not even want a relationship with anyone. He could be an asexual for all I know. I didn't try to ask him for details."

"So he's quiet about it. That's good."

He blinked, about to ask what that meant. And then he remembered Jonouchi. Yugi rubbed at the back of his head. He had never really gotten over the way his mom seemed to hate when the blond was alone with him. Because she knew what they would talk about, because she had walked in on Jonouchi offering him a tape more than once. He could have groaned with despair and embarrassment.

Oh gods, he'd never hear the end of it.

"Yes, he's very quiet about that kind of thing." That's why I have no idea if he could ever like me back. Don't you just love my one-sided affections, Mom? I have no idea if the guy I have a thing for might like me. "He never even says anything about girls or guys so he could be asexual for all I know. Anyways, that's not the point."

She rolled her eyes. "Does he get along with your friends?"

"Yes. We all get along pretty well."

"Good." She followed her father's lead again. Yugi knew she was hoping that he would call it quits considering how little fun she was as an opponent. He also knew his grandpa was hoping that he might take over if he got frustrated enough. The three of them were running circles around each other, planning for things that they each knew likely wouldn't happen. "What about his grades? Are they better than yours?"

Yugi cringed. "Probably."

He wasn't stupid, but he also didn't apply himself as much as he should have. Tutoring Jonouchi on certain days didn't change his reluctance to do homework or class work all of the time. He just got restless and it was more fun to ignore most of his work than have to do it all at once as they so often asked of them. But Yugi had always tested well and his grades were almost always in the higher range of B's and A's. He didn't think he had gotten a C in a long time.

"Maybe he can tutor you then."

"My grades are okay!"

"Yes, they're okay. If you want to make it into a good college, you need excellent grades."

Yugi barely refrained from saying he most likely would never see the inside of a college of any kind. The thought made his chest ache. This entire thing, being bitten, being Atem, it had ruined all of the choices he should have had after high school…

"I'll ask him but I wouldn't put any faith in it. He's super smart but I don't pay well enough attention." He raised a brow when she gave him an annoyed look. "What? You know that just as well I do. I've always had trouble concentrating on schoolwork for more than thirty minutes at a time."

"Yes, well, if you're willing to have little fantasies about having wild sex doggy style with him in his hotel room, I think you might have the ability to pay him a bit more attention."

And I am never going to hear the end of that one either, am I? he thought with a roll of his eyes. That was just great. She was going to hold that over his head for the rest of his life as well, wasn't she?

"You're forgetting the sex in the hot tub," he said cheekily, smirking at her frustrated expression. "What? If you're going to talk about my fantasies, you might as well do it right. You can't forget the most fun one."

"I knew I should have had a girl."

Yugi burst out laughing. "I wasn't aware you could choose what gender your babies are," he snickered, tilting his head and raising a brow. "In that case, if I ever knock someone up, I'll have to choose a girl. Then I won't have to worry about them being stupid obsessed with sex like all us teenage boys."

Sugoroku snorted loudly, shaking his head. "You say that like your mother wasn't a teenager when she got pregnant," he laughed. Kasumi turned bright red, shooting him an angry glare. "Or how they conceived you in a hotel room."

He blinked and ran a hand through his hair. "Actually, I thought it was my dad's dorm room, but okay, either way." He shrugged. "I'm here so it's all good for me."

His grandfather laughed softly, then shook his head. "I could see how that would be good for you," he snorted, watching him with bright purple eyes. "Either way, though, your mom just doesn't want anything to happen to you because you were being reckless like she was."

"I know that. That's why I haven't done anything stupid." Yet. "Besides, I don't think she has to worry about that anymore anyways. Anzu and I decided we didn't feel anything for each other after all."

Both of them sat up slightly straighter, eyes wide. "Really?" they asked in unison.

He shrugged. "It happens like that sometimes," Yugi said with a shake of his head. "We tried it out a couple of times and it just didn't work. In retrospect, I guess after we realized the first date was a bust, we really shouldn't have bothered for a second."

"Well, I'm sorry. I thought you two would work out…"

"Wasn't meant to be, I guess. It doesn't really matter, though," he muttered, shaking his head and looking at the board in front of him with a shrug. "I think she has a thing for Valon, too. Maybe they would work out better."

Aside from him being a sociopath. I don't think he would ever be able to date her. Then again, he supposed it was none of his business if they got somewhere in a relationship. Anzu and Valon had every right to try whatever they wanted to. Yugi put his elbow on the table and propped his chin in his palm.

"I guess it really doesn't matter." He wanted to get up, maybe to check on Yami or perhaps to just pace around. Instead he kept himself still, eyes on his mom for a moment. "Who she dates is her own business. And the same goes for Yami. But, if you put that piece down right there, you'll win, Mom."

She blinked, eyes wide as he pointed to a single empty spot. When she put it down, Sugoroku huffed in disbelief, leaning forward, and began to count the pieces she could claim before freezing. His head turned to Yugi and his mom did the same, both of them blinking curiously at him.

"You both never really noticed that I put that piece there, did you?" he commented lightly, smiling in amusement. "You should have paid more attention, Grandpa."

---

"Yami…" He reached over to tap on his shoulder lightly and the other boy blinked, eyes flashing open in the dark. He let out a low noise in the back of his throat, something like a snarl and a hum mixed together. Then he shifted a little away from him in order to blink and sit up, yawning.

"What's going on?" He palmed both eyes and shook his head as another long yawn left him. He ruffled his hair, running his hands through it, and then stretched his arms out in front of him. He blinked, looking to him with a small, confused shake of his head. "Are you okay? Did I kick you or something?"

Yugi blinked at him, sitting up now as well. "You've never kicked me in your sleep," he pointed out, frowning in puzzlement. Why would he have thought that he had done that of all things?

"I know I haven't. But you didn't answer."

Yugi blinked again. "Oh." He bit his lip, then ran a hand through his hair unhappily. "I just… I needed to know something. Um… W-when you killed Espa… What about Panik?"

Yami blinked, then ran his palms over his eyes again. He shook his head, flexing his jaws so wide that Yugi almost thought he could stuff his own head in. Then he remembered the terror of his dream, the alligator and Fuwa's voice, and it made him shiver. The other wolf snapped his jaws so hard that the air seemed to shudder with the wave of sound from the enamel chomping together. He shook his head rapidly, ran a hand through his hair, and turned to him.

"I ran across Panik before I did Espa," he said slowly. "They had separated and Espa had gone after you and Panik went to see if he could set a perimeter to find out if there were other wolves around. I snapped his neck when he had turned his back on me for a second. It wasn't hard hiding when he couldn't see as well as me in the dark as it was…"

Yugi felt his body quake once before relaxing. He drew in a deep breath, then exhaled loudly. "So then both of them are dead," he commented, flustered and nodding. "That's…that's really good."

Yami blinked, then shook his head. "Why are you even asking me this now? It's"—he paused, tilting his head and considering—"almost four in the morning. Why would you wish to have this conversation now?"

He flushed, then gave him an incredulous look. "How the hell do you know what time it is? You didn't even look at the clock or check my phone…"

The taller teen snorted and pulled his blanket a little higher on his shoulders, draping it there as if it were a backwards cloak. "When you become more used to the Change, your body begins to adapt to the cycles. Due to this, you're able to easily tell the time by how much you can sense of the moon overhead. It's a neat instinct."

Yugi huffed, knowing that he was both mocking and teasing him by saying that. But at least the difference between him and his bullies was that he was merciful in not digging the knife any deeper. Besides, Yami had never been openly malicious when it came to teasing him.

He was more anxious about other things, however, ignoring his light teasing and bulldozing into another question altogether.

"Do you think Fuwa could still be alive?"

His friend stopped short. His eyes widened, his head tilted, and he blinked slowly. "Fuwa?" he commented softly, echoing Yugi in a wary tone. The red-eyed wolf shook his head, narrowing his gaze, and furrowed his brows. "What does he have to do with anything?"

The smaller teen blushed, realizing how incredibly disconnected his conversational skills were at the moment. He sighed softly, then shook his head. "I just… I was having a bad dream and I recognized his voice and I… And then I started thinking about Espa and Panik and it's just…kind of throwing me off, I guess."

Yami blinked at him, eyes clear and awake now, and then shook his head. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. He frowned at him, moving to settle back into the pillow. It was hard to keep his eyes open any longer despite his attempts to remain fully aware. But he kept his focus on the smaller boy, frowning. "I would not imagine that he was capable of getting away. But I could be wrong, I suppose. If he was endowed with supernatural luck, I would assume so, but I…"

He couldn't say for sure. Yugi sighed and moved to lie comfortably beside him again. It was odd to him how much he wished Yami would get under the covers with him again. But asking him to do so meant explaining how much just his presence and natural scent did for him. And that…

Yugi couldn't find it in himself to say that he kept the nightmares and terrors at bay.

"Is there a way he could have gotten lucky like that?"

"He could have made a deal."

"A deal?" He turned his head, eyes wide, and stared at the other teen. In the dark his red gaze looked black and silver until he rolled away from the window to face him more directly. Then they glowed, a dark and off-colored shade of amber. It was strange, the way his eyes looked almost rustic. But then…

That was what happened when predators ran around at night, right? Their eyes often looked a different shade than they actually were, with a uniform color that glowed from inside the pupils?

"With a wish hound, I would think." He blinked and his eyes were hooded. Yugi blinked at him, startled, then frowned. Maybe asking him and keeping him awake like this was unfair. Yami was visibly tired. He was so clearly exhausted. And the medication he'd taken only seemed to make it worse. He waited a few seconds, debating it, and then sighed softly. Yami was breathing evenly again and his heart was slower than it seemed when he was awake.

He was fast asleep again.

Yugi ran a hand through his hair. That was okay. Yami needed sleep. Something was going on in his head and messing with his sleep patterns if he was so desperate for medicine. He had only wanted them before because they needed his metabolism to slow down and sleep was the sole way to force his body to do so. Now he was taking them on his own, not even bothering to ask him about it any longer. He was simply doing as he saw necessary in order to sleep now.

The smaller teen sighed again, running his hands through his hair, and shook his head in frustration. Yugi laid more comfortably back into the pillow. What the fuck was a wish hound though? Was it a werewolf too?

Yugi blinked.

Hound…wish hound—hellhound.

Fuck, what else kind of wolves were there? What the hell kind of craziness was that? How many hellhounds—classes or subtypes or species or whatever it was—were there?

He hesitated, but Yami seemed to be sleeping like the dead as Yugi leaned over. He pulled the fleece blanket a bit higher on the other teen, then moved to tuck it more tightly around his lithe frame. It occurred to him how ridiculous it was that he was tucking him in, but it felt good to be doing something. He licked his lips, then closed his eyes to settle next to him.

His sleep was of nothing but darkness. And then he heard the faintest noise in his ears. It was a whispering hiss, soft and dangerous. And it was becoming louder, frantic. Yugi felt something jerk beneath him. His immediate thought was that he was falling off his bed. His second was that something hot was touching his skin.

And it was spreading outwards.

It encompassed his wrist towards his elbow.

He jerked away from it. His eyes snapped open as he flinched. He blinked, startled into awareness. His arm was still burning. He hissed and started to sit up. In the dark, dazed, the small teen could not understand what the hell was going on. He was still exhausted. The darkness he'd been encompassed by had not given him even a hint of energy.

What did give him the faintest spark of energy was the horror of the scene in front of him.

Yami was writhing on the mattress next to him. His nails were cutting into his wrists again. And the blood was spilling in waves. Sinew and muscle were cut through with slick, sharp slapping noises. Yugi gaped, at first too shocked to move.

But the taller teen was still thrashing. The blood looked like oil in the sheets. It horrified him further. The sky blue of the cotton was eagerly drinking away the blood, soaking in it hungrily. Yugi felt dizzy for a moment. And for a split second he wondered what was happening.

His mouth opened and closed again, eyes wider than ever. Yami's jaws were open. The snarling was escalating and dropping in rapid crests of noise. His nails were growing darker. His fingers were splintering viciously in the air. And, when his mouth opened further, it made Yugi's heart stop.

His gums were bright white. Along his teeth, they were beginning to bleed. The bright red against his enamel was terrible. He couldn't move. The teeth began to fall away. Long, sharp canines began to push upwards. He snarled louder and the noise was pushed into a hideous gargling.

Oh gods…

"Fuck," Yugi breathed out. But he couldn't move for a long moment. Yami was thrashing again, harder than before. He kicked his legs from beneath the fleece blanket. His back arched upwards. The vertebrae began to pop beneath his skin. His fingers were beginning to fold and snap loudly. His nails were split and sharper, buried to the knuckles in his own skin.

Yugi launched him forward. He caught the wrist closest. Yami snarled and spat. His gargling grew louder. His back arched off the bed. Then he jerked harder. And Yugi couldn't stop himself from flinching slightly. Yami's jaw was becoming elongated. His lips were pulling further back. His gums were bleeding heavily. The cords in his neck thrashed and pulled taut.

Yugi squeezed on his wrists and tugged him slightly forward. The other boy thrashed and snarled. The smaller teen couldn't think straight for a moment. The wolf snarled and his mouth stretched even further. He snapped his teeth. The enamel clicked too loudly. Yugi flinched, releasing him.

He could only gape for a moment.

He opened and closed his mouth.

And then it occurred to him.

Yami was thrashing.

Yami was snarling.

Yami was changing.

He blinked.

Yugi launched himself forward. His arms wrapped tightly around Yami's torso. He forced his arms to his sides. He pulled him tightly to his chest. His fingers dug into his spine. Yami tried to twist and thrash. But the lack of space made him snarl louder. He threw his head back as if he might howl. But then his jaws snapped shut again. For a moment he was frozen. Then his eyes seemed to roll up into his head. His eyelids fluttered and twitched, then began part. At first all Yugi saw was white. Then they rolled downwards again.

Yami blinked slowly, gaze sharp and glittering in the dark. His mouth was bleeding still. His lips were colored bright red. His eyes were glowing. His mouth opened and closed. Yami's countenance was almost more wolf than human. His eyelids were black around the corners. His gaze had become almond in shape.

His mouth opened and closed again. His teeth clicked. Then he snarled louder. And Yugi swore he looked so much more wolf than human. His spine was harsh and taut like a bow. He could feel each of his vertebrae like knives. His hands twitched and his claws flexed. And when he tilted his head, he looked vicious and dangerous.

Yugi was frozen.

Yami's jaws flashed open.

And he lunged at him.

The smaller teen released him with a yelp. But the other boy merely threw him backwards. Yugi landed hard on the mattress, winded and shocked. The mattress was suddenly light, Yami's weight gone.

Yugi drew in a long breath, then forced himself to sit up. He searched the darkness for a moment. Then he looked to the window. Yami didn't seem to be anywhere in sight. And the window was still completely latched. The locks were in place. He would have heard him had he fled out the window, wouldn't he?

Yugi blinked, then looked towards the sheets.

He hadn't noticed when Yami had begun thrashing.

He hadn't heard him before then.

He hadn't realized this was going on. He had not felt it when his distress had peaked. He had not woken from the kicking or snarling. He had woken because he'd felt his blood on his arm. And because the mattress had jerked when the other lycanthrope had thrashed too hard.

He closed his eyes for a split second. Then he let out a deep breath.

"Yami?" he whispered.

It seemed ridiculous to speak into the dark room. He shivered, then got up.

Had he gone to the bathroom? Was he hiding in there?

Or had he gone into his closet as he had earlier that day to rest?

Yugi pulled the door open to his closet first, whispering his name again. But there was no answer and his heart had begun to skip beats. Fuck, where could he have gone?

He turned to the bathroom, opening the door now. When he peeked inside, the darkness came in splotches and shades. It was amazing to him how brilliantly his new eyes adapted to it. He could make out the toilet in a shade of silver, dark but not quite gray. The mirror showed his own face in gray and black and a streak of his bangs in soft gold. The wastebasket was completely black, an abyss, the bag dark gray. And the shower curtain was still pulled open to see into the tub.

And the red-eyed teen was not there either.

"Shit," he whispered, stomach dropping. Fuck, where had he gone? Yugi drew in a deep breath, trying to scent him. But the room stank too deeply of blood. The metallic aroma was harsh and burned his nose. And the air was laden with the warmth of it, pressing hard on his skin like a blanket.

"Yami, please come out…"

He had no idea where he could be. The thought was alarming to him. There were only so many places he could hide as it was. He could list them off the top of his head. But then, what did he know about Yami hiding? He'd proven himself capable of stealth on more than one occasion.

Yugi felt sick.

"Please? I didn't mean to freak you out," he pleaded, swallowing hard. The small teen looked around again, heart pounding. "I'm sorry…"

There was the softest shift of noise. His head snapped around. He couldn't pinpoint it. And it lasted only a second. There was the softest, most uncomfortable noise.

"Are you mad?"

Yugi blinked.

Where the fuck was his voice even coming from?

He looked around himself for a moment. "No," he muttered softly, shaking his head. He faltered, eyes widening. His mouth opened and closed and his eyes grew wider than ever.

The bed…?

Was Yami…?

"Why would I be mad?"

He tilted his head towards the ground, listening hard. He blinked, because Yami didn't respond for what felt like hours. He couldn't hear his heart or his breathing. He shifted closer to the bed, then glanced over his shoulder. For a split second he expected him to be behind him. He would be standing there, watching him.

But he wasn't.

Yugi turned back, frowning. The bed…? Was Yami really over there…? He strained his eyes, but he could not see any blood anywhere. Surely if he was…but he'd been on the other side of it. He would see the blood smeared on the other side if he was right…

"Come out, okay? I'm not mad. I just want to know if you're okay, Yami. Please…?" He faltered for a moment. How was he so quiet? He wished he had Yami's capabilities and trust of his senses. Then maybe he would be able to pinpoint his exact location… "I'm sorry for scaring you."

The shuffling noise returned. Yugi immediately stiffened, then started forward. It was the bed. Yami was either hiding beneath it or behind it. He had to be…

Yugi crept towards it. "Are you okay, Yami?" he whispered, moving to crouch in front of the bed. He licked his lips and went to pull up the blankets that had fallen over the edge of the mattress, pooling on the floor. "Please, just come out."

When he pulled the blankets away, he yelped and stumbled back. He fell on his ass, legs spread out in front of him. A small curse left his lips. Yami paused in pulling himself out of the gap between the bed and the floor. Then he shifted away from him and took a seat a couple of feet away. His legs were drawn up and his arms wrapped around them. He kept his eyes on the carpet.

Yugi breathed in deeply, struggling to remember how to steady himself. Then he let out a small sigh and shifted closer. The other boy snarled when he got too close. The noise was distress more than aggression, but he still heeded it. Letting out a small sigh, the teen licked his lips and sat back on his haunches.

Yami blinked, then raised his eyes slightly. Yugi's position was maintained for only a moment. Then he moved his legs and folded them beneath him. The crisscrossed position made him frown. Why wasn't he mad? He couldn't sense anything but concern and bewilderment. But he didn't want to look up at his face. What if he was reading it wrong and Yugi had finally gotten so fed up that he was glaring?

"I'm sorry for scaring you."

Yami cringed. Scaring him? He hadn't scared him. He'd been too angry and scared to face him, yes, but it was not fear of Yugi. Yami swallowed hard, then moved his head to bury his face in his jeans. His fingers flexed and his nails felt laden with blood. Were his fingers sticky? They clung tightly to his jeans, he knew that much. But he was not sure they felt as they should have…

"We need to look at your wrists."

Yami flinched. "No."

Yugi blinked. "No? You don't want me to bandage them again?" he inquired. He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. "Are you sure? I'm going to have to change the sheets and everything anyways. I figured I would look at them around doing that."

He shook his head rapidly.

Why couldn't he just…?

Why the hell was he so…?

He blinked and hissed, "You should be pissed."

"Because you had a night terror and the medication didn't keep it away?" Yugi asked in an incredulous voice. "I should be pissed at you because you might need a higher dose than I do? Because you panicked and clawed at your arms? Or that you started to change when you couldn't wake yourself up? Which one am I supposed to be so pissed off about, Yami?"

The red-eyed teen raised his head just enough to peer at him from the very edge of his peripheral. Yugi was watching him with an anxious, miserable expression. He wondered if he could tell just how stupid he felt. Or if he was simply trying to sympathize with him when there was no reason to.

"I ruined your bed."

"Ruined my…? Oh please, I needed a new mattress anyways. When I get the laundry done in the morning, I'll tell my mom that I puked on the mattress or something. I'll say I didn't wake up and it soaked through. She wouldn't want me sleeping on a soiled mattress." He flashed him a grin, eyes bright and kind. He was notably worried and it made his body slightly stiff, but Yami could see it more in the set of his shoulders than his expression. "And if there's anything on the carpet, it spilled over. I just didn't wake up when it was still wet and there's nothing she can do about it."

"You shouldn't have to lie so much…"

"I don't consider it lying if it's to protect someone. To me lying is something that you do for personal gain. But it's more complex than that when someone else is involved," he answered, shaking his head. "And it's not as if I had done this in your place, I wouldn't come up with the same kind of story. Because I would."

"Why aren't you mad? Anyone else would be."

"How am I going to be mad about you getting hurt or having night terrors, Yami? The only thing I'm upset about is that you don't want me to bandage your wrists. And you need them done. And that you even think for one second that I would be upset with you over this. That's upsetting. You shouldn't be scared that I would be mad at you over that."

Yami felt small and childish, like he had gotten chastised by a concerned bystander or a loving family member. He faltered, staring at him, then looked away again. How stupid of him. He should have known.

Yugi wasn't…

He just…

He wasn't that kind of person…

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Upsetting you… I… Do you want help with the sheets?" He blinked when Yugi immediately shook his head and sighed softly. The smaller teen got to his feet and for a moment Yami thought of executioners towering over their targets. And he wondered about how the gods looked when they retrieved souls to drag to Paradise and his heart ached and his chest grew tight. He looked immediately away again, struggling to breathe in. His words came out in a tight, choked tone. "We can bandage my wrists after—"

Yugi was silent when he crouched next to him. But he was sighing when he drew him closer and hugged him tightly for a second. "Why do you always do this? You're hurt. Stop trying to look for things to do. You could end up hurting yourself even more and you don't even consider that, do you?" He pulled away after a moment, afraid of pushing too far into his personal space, and stepped back. "We can do your wrists now."

Yami blinked, then looked up at him. His body was too stiff for a moment to even fully perform the action. His bones popped with the movement. Then he shook his head and the noise sounded like gunfire to him.

"Let's get the bed first. Then we can do my wrists."

In what world did that make sense? Yugi supposed he could just be too self-conscious to want him to pay him so much attention. Or it could be that he was simply too freaked out. Either way, he was reluctant to acquiesce. But then, Yami would heal soon, wouldn't he? Or at least enough to stop the bleeding. He was not sure, but perhaps then he would be more comfortable with the idea of letting him stitch his wrists again.

"Okay, sure. We'll do the bed first."

It took what felt like hours. Yami helped him awkwardly, occasionally wincing and hissing when the fabric brushed too hard against his skin. The aching wounds were too raw and fresh and Yugi flinched upon seeing them. With the lights on, Yami looked pale. Blood loss would do that to anyone, he supposed. But it hurt to see him with such an ashen color to his face.

He threw the sheets to the floor, dug under the bed for the first aid kit, and threw it onto the mattress. The bright blue fibers were soaked completely, and the sound of it hitting that spot let out a squelching noise. He thought of boots sinking into mud and rain-laden straw and nearly hurled.

Yami glanced at the box, frowned, and then sighed as he moved to expose his wrists to him. Yugi squeezed his eyes shut the moment he got a glance at them. Yami had torn to the bone. He could see it, pale and shiny, against the grizzle of torn flesh. The red edges were layer upon layer of gouged muscle and sinew and veins that were rapidly repairing themselves. His hands were shaky, the blue and purple of his veins along his fingers sharply outlined.

Yugi drew in a deep breath, opened his eyes again, and began to dig into the first aid kit. He would patch his arms up. Then he would go to the washer and see about what he could use to get the blood out. Then, later, when everyone was awake, he would tell his mom he'd puked and the mattress was soaked.

And he'd have to hope that she would buy it.

---

Yugi drew him a little closer. Yami squirmed now, slightly uncomfortable, and glanced over his shoulder at him. The smaller teen shook his head and moved the comforter to drape more notably around the other teen. Yami blinked and frowned at him and Yugi sighed softly as he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "Just relax, okay? I just don't want you to have another night terror. And you snapped out of it when I was closer to you."

Yami blinked and then turned away. "I'm sorry," he repeated softly. He closed his eyes again and his breathing began to even out slightly. But his body was still tense and Yugi was well aware that he was not going to fall asleep as quickly as he had before. He'd barely convinced him to lie down under the comforter instead of on top of it and then he'd pulled him closer to him when he'd hovered at the edge.

They weren't spooning but Yugi kind of had half the mind to for a split second. Then he rolled over. The movement made Yami look over his shoulder but the smaller teen yawned, ignoring him. "Go back to sleep, okay? You're okay. Your wrists are clean. You shouldn't have any issue sleeping now, okay? I'll get you some more medicine if you're worried, Yami. But I don't think you'll have any problem."

Yami stared at him for a long minute, then turned away and faced the window. Maybe he should go running for a little while instead. Maybe he should go hunting. Maybe then he would be exhausted before he passed out.

Behind him, facing the wall, the small teen found his eyelids fluttering shut. He'd planned originally to stay awake until Yami fell asleep. He'd meant to monitor him for a few minutes, see that the dream didn't come back.

Instead his body felt weighted and heavy and when he breathed in, he smelled aspen trees and snow as it drifted in small flakes of white. Moonlight was cold and soft, drifting through the shadows of branches and drizzling onto his skin. The air touched through his flesh, shifting through his hair. And, abruptly, softly, with cold breezes, the blue-violet-eyed wolf was coaxed forward. He flicked his ears and looked about himself.

The snow crunched beneath his paws. The trees were golden towards their cores, soft and glistening. The branches were all thin and layered in inches of ice. The silver of moonlight made it seemingly glow and the shadows which draped across the snow were gorgeous cobalt blue. It shimmered where the light was more direct upon the crystals. And when he glanced up the moon seemed to be draped in ribbons of gold and dark violet, splotches of dark blue like the specks in his eyes, and layered with the softest twinge of silver around the edges. The sky was black, but all around the trees there were long, beautiful smears and touches of silver where the stars mottled together. The tips of the branches around the darkness were like sharp teeth and hideous claws. He stared up at the soft tendrils of violet and royal blue and silver and white.

Atem.

Yugi blinked and turned his head. There was a river nearby. He could hear the water. It was soft and trickling, the stones within the currents of its gentle touch glittering, the tops covered in inches of snow. He flicked his ears towards the river and back, then turned his head. Immediately his eyes sought the shape of a form approaching him.

The wolf was immense in size, almost as big as Yami. But it lacked the larger chest and its shoulders were not as broad. He was slender, with long legs and a large head. The ears were soft, the cheeks broad and fluffy. He trotted with grace that Yugi wondered if he'd possessed when he was alive as well.

He was dark brown along the face, with a deeply set cinnamon around the center of the forehead. His ears were red-tipped, his eyes circled with soft smears of white. His brows were somewhere between tan and tawny in shade and the gray came further along his neck when he navigated the dune between them. He was tall, legs firm and body relaxed. When he stopped a few feet away, Yugi could see that he had a good inch over him in height, that his white legs were the tiniest hint thicker than his own as well.

The wolf's eyes were a brilliant shade of green. Yugi was reminded of emeralds and sea water and fresh leaves. But mostly he thought of teal, because the very slightest hint of blue encircled his irises at the edges.

Hello.

The wolf cocked his head. Then his tail wagged, long and bushy, tipped with black but mostly colored bright cinnamon red and dark gray. Yugi could see the touches of brown and tawny in the undercoat. How are you, Atem? the wolf asked, wagging his tail more now. His eyes were bright and beautiful as they bore into Yugi's.

I'm good, he said absently, though he was staring at this newcomer with darkened eyes. He knew this wolf. He had seen his eyes before. He had met him before. He blinked and flicked his ears forward, eyes caught on his face. He knew him. He did. He… You helped me the night I changed.

The wolf wagged his tail harder. Yes, he admitted, watching him. I did. I tried to help you heal enough to recover. It helped that Yami was doing the same.

Yugi blinked. You know Yami?

I do. I know him very well, the other stated simply before glancing over his shoulder. His neck was dark, with ringlets of glossy gray and black and brown which faded to white on his chest. His red ears pricked forward before his head swung back to face him. Come with me. I was sent to summon you to meet Ra.

Yugi blinked, eyes widening. Ra? She's never sent someone to fetch me before, he commented, tilting his head. Is everything okay?

I don't doubt things go wrong for gods occasionally as well, the gray wolf replied, giving him a small, playful glance. He began to walk in a slow pace, allowing Yugi to get to his side. They were trotting within seconds. Yugi looked at him, eyes wide as he considered.

He was strong, muscular, with large jaws and wide cheeks. His eyes were intelligent and secretive and his lashes were an odd gray-silver color. He held his head up, his ears pricked forward, and moved gracefully. He looked incredibly capable of taking on any possible threat, both by strength and strategy.

So why was he dead?

Had he been experimented on?

Had he gotten killed in the—?

Yugi found himself stumbling, eyes wide and horrified. His mouth opened and closed twice and he stared stupidly at the other wolf. The gray canine turned around with a startled expression, brows raised, ears flicking, head tilted. Yugi felt a hideous cry welling from inside of his throat. His eyes were dilated, but the whites were unusually visible.

You—you were his cell mate!

The wolf blinked. Clever Yugi. He tilted his head. Yes, I was his cell mate. I came to know him very well. He is a very beautiful soul, don't you think? I miss him a lot. He was the one bright spot within that diseased shit hole of a place. And he is so troubled now.

Yugi bristled faintly, more with fear than aggression. He wasn't troubled then? he asked, ears flattening against his skull. He felt his skin shudder, fur rising and falling in jerks. He wasn't troubled when he was in the labs?

I didn't let him dwell on such things.

His heart felt weak in his chest. Did he let Yami dwell on those things? He had asked him on numerous occasions to talk about it when he did not want to. That definitely gave reason to believe he was doing such a thing. He felt small, reprimanded by the simplicity of his realization.

W-who…? What's your…?

The wolf gave him a somewhat amused look. His eyes were glowing now, glittering with laughter, and then turned away. I am not allowed to tell you my name. Yami would not do well to know I am doing this now, he replied gently, shaking his head. He turned away again, trotting forward as Yugi stumbled a step behind him.

The seconds passed before the wolf turned to him, spinning around to acknowledge him more fully. He shifted his shoulders, then shook himself out lazily as he considered him. His ears flicked about and his eyes looked towards the small dip of the hill down the dune rising before the white canine.

Ra is waiting towards the banks, he murmured softly. His ears pricked forward again and then he glanced over his shoulder once more before turning to him. His nose brushed his cheek, then his tongue ran over his muzzle to his forehead. Yugi shuddered, eyes wide and startled. I will be here whenever you or Yami should need me.

He stared back at him, fur twitching along his shoulders. When he tipped his head up the slightest bit more, the gray wolf watched him with bright eyes. He was friendly, not the least bit angered by his stubborn stare. Finally Yugi moved forward to press their shoulders together, brushing against him as he began to move forward. Thank you, he replied, glancing over at him again one last time. Those green eyes were glittering, something that Yugi did not fully understand shining there.

Thank you for helping him, the gray wolf answered with a look away. He turned and began to move away into the blue shadows tossed about by the crowded trees. Yugi watched him, fur shuddering along his spine once more, and turned back to the dune. He trotted quickly to leap over the pile of snow and barely caught himself as his paws slipped briefly. He flicked his ears again.

Welcome, Atem, a husky voice called. He thought of smokers for a moment, then looked over. The she-wolf, golden and seemingly glowing even in the darkness of the eternal night his dreams seemed to possess, was seated feet away. Her tail flicked and her ears pricked forward further to stare at him coldly.

Did you summon me here?

The goddess narrowed dark blue eyes, then growled softly, her voice embittered. I did not. You found your way here of your own volition. I simply thought it wise to bring you to me in order to speak to you before you began to seek answers from unreliable sources.

He bristled. You think he's unreliable? he demanded. The green-eyed wolf seemed the most reliable of the ones which haunted his dreams. It was Ra who seemed to play games with him, or mock as if he was nothing but a foolish child. Slifer seemed to watch him, guide only when pressed upon for information, and simply evade the answers he might wish to have given him. And Yami fed him half-truths because, Yugi realized, he was too fearful of facing his past to give him all of the answers he sought. He was too busy running from the things that upset him to find the strength to speak of the things Yugi wanted him to.

Him? No. He is one of the most dependable wolves to grace life or death, she answered somewhat ruefully. Her ears flicked about. But his motives are not as straightforward as you might believe. You yourself are not the most important person to him.

Yugi blinked. No, because Yami is. His fur lifted along his shoulders and bristled harshly within the dark blue of shadows draped across his pelt. He blinked, then curled his lips back uncomfortably. What is your point?

You are Atem, are you not? she drawled. And yet he chooses to care for another.

What's your point? he repeated. I have no problem with him caring more for someone else than me. It is not my right to demand he care more for me than them.

You are oddly demure about this fact.

Yami is important to me. And he's important to this other wolf. Why should I attempt to smother whatever connection they might have had together?

But was it one-sided? Yugi had to wonder, confused. Had Yami felt something in return for him? But Yugi was not sure that he truly wished to know. Perhaps it was too much to expect the possibility that Yami had only felt something towards his mate. He blinked. His mate had been female. Why would he have felt anything for his cell mate, however?

And why should he feel anything for him?

How did he survive the experiments?

He could not bring himself to speak of Atem in the first person. It seemed too all-encompassing to him and so he shied away entirely. Perhaps Yami was not the only one too afraid to face realities he did not like.

Ra blinked at him. Must you always ask such frivolous questions, Atem? You survived because the wolf is born of resilience and strength, the power to overcome and be born anew. That is how you came to survive. And you…you cannot die. The wolf cannot die.

He stared at her, lips curling slightly. The wolf could not die? Did she mean that she would not allow him to die? Or did she mean that his death meant the fall of the lycanthropes and thus she would never have allowed it?

The power to overcome and be born anew…

Did that truly mean he would come back from the dead? That he would be revived into a body that was already healed or still healing? Was that the truth of what Yami had told him of the Pure-Bloods? Was that the real gift of the immortality he might possess?

Yugi…

The word drifted softly through his ear, his head swimming with the noise. He blinked and turned his head, glancing around. But he could tell already that they were not there. He blinked again and looked towards Ra.

Is he okay?

Ra stared at him with something almost frustrated. He is, but you respond to his call like a dog, so why not return to your master? she sneered. Yugi bristled but the idea of being capable of relieving whatever worry Yami had seemed to push away the sting of the insult. Ra was too arrogant and proud, clearly still ruffled by the last of their conversations.

At least I have someone to return to, he replied coldly. The response startled the she-wolf, though he did not think it was with anger. He thought, oddly, that really she looked as if she were more surprised and maybe somewhat pleased. He wondered if it was the fact that he and Yami were so close. She had claimed that Atem was meant to be self-reliant, however.

So, why should she be proud to see him so dependent upon Yami or vice versa?

His name came to his ears again. He tipped his head back, ears flicking back and forth. Where was he? Yami wasn't in his dream. He must have been awake. Was he hurt again? Yugi blinked towards Ra. And the she-wolf offered him only a cynical look. Her head tilted, her eyes narrowing.

Yugi blinked again and Yami's face was in the center of his sight. The red eyes were wide, head tilted, and mouth set in a thin line. He looked worried, but also somewhat sick. The small teen blinked, then swallowed hard. He felt exhausted, and for the smallest moment he wondered about bright green eyes and dark gray and brown and white fur.

"What's wrong?" he asked before stopping short. His eyes widened drastically again. What was that smell? He blinked, then started to sit up. Yami moved a couple of inches back from him. Yugi rubbed his hands over his face and then turned his head.

Oh…

"I'm sorry," Yami said immediately. He looked almost scared, somewhat submissive and awkward as he fidgeted unhappily. Yugi swallowed hard. The taller teen looked absolutely miserable, actually.

"It's okay," he promised, giving him another kind smile. He rolled his shoulders and looked at the other side of the mattress. The smell was acrid and keen and Yugi pursed his lips. Yami had vomited on the mattress, but he wondered if he'd also hit the floor beneath it as well.

"I didn't—"

He turned his head, tilting it towards the taller boy. "I know you didn't mean to. And it's okay, Yami. It's fine. You got sick. It happens." He yawned. "Give me a minute and I can clean it up."

Yami frowned, red eyes widening. He should have cleaned it himself. He shouldn't have woken him like this. The taller teen felt stung by his own thoughts now. It was stupid of him to do this. He should never have woken him like this…

"I can clean it," he answered in a weak voice, eyes widening further. He tilted his head and looked at Yugi. Why had he not thought to do this himself? He felt sick. Why had he not bothered to do so himself? He could have cleaned it himself without waking Yugi up in the first place.

"No, I'll get it," Yugi argued, shaking his head and starting to get up. The comforter was covered in it too. Oh gods, poor Yami; what had caused him to vomit?

Had he gotten scared?

Had he…?

"Yami, how much medicine did you end up taking?"

He froze, eyes widening, and then looked towards him with a somewhat startled expression. He swallowed hard, then mumbled in a self-conscious tone, "I took a few more when I still couldn't sleep. You were fast asleep and I decided to get up and get some more medicine. But I ended up…" He gestured vaguely at the mess on the mattress and looked awkwardly down at the mattress. "I'm sorry. I should have just cleaned it myself instead…"

Yugi blinked and shook his head. "You shouldn't take too much medicine at one time," he said, rather than answering his slightly sardonic scornful comment about himself. "You can either end up vomiting or passing out. You don't want to overdo it with this stuff."

Yami glanced at him sideways and found his stomach tossing. Yugi had said his mom had found him passed out on the floor after taking all of his medication before. Had he been almost comatose? Had he simply lay there unreceptive until she had managed to wake him?

Yugi stretched his arms over his head, then jumped to his feet and padded towards the bathroom. Yami watched him go, then looked at the mess he'd made. His stomach knotted and his mouth was dry, cottony from the plaster of spit holding his tongue to the roof there. Why had he woken him?

Yami blinked and shame crawled up the curve of his spine. Because he had gotten scared. Because he had thought, for a single second, that he was going to be attacked for the weakness. And, for some reason, he'd thought that admitting to it would somehow lessen the pain.

He looked away and then twisted around as Yugi returned to his side. The small teen was humming as he crouched down. His blue-violet eyes widened for a moment and Yami looked downwards to see what he was staring at.

Yugi was frozen now, startled, slightly horrified.

The red-eyed wolf felt sick.

Yugi was staring at the blood smears across the carpet, the indigo fibers stained dark brown, almost black. He could see them from the position Yami had dropped to the ground to the exact spot he'd crawled under the bed and hidden there. He imagined more of the floor was stained like this.

"How are your wrists?" Yugi couldn't remember how far he'd had to bandage them, if he'd dug deeper than before rather than clawed them open to his elbows. He blinked and raised his head, risking a glance. He'd dug to the bone of his wrists and he'd gotten halfway to his elbows. The entire length of his upper forearms was covered in tight white tape. "Do they hurt?"

Yami had the impulse to hide them behind his back but shrugged it off. "No, they feel okay," he muttered, voice sounding moments away from a croak. The edges were cut and ragged. He thought of shards of glass and shattering stones. The red-eyed teen wondered if Yugi thought it as weak and raw as he did. But he couldn't raise his eyes to his again. "I think they are all right."

"I can clean them again before I go to school," he offered, turning back to the blood on the floor.

Maybe he should get some more of that cleaner from the operating room again. Since he'd been bullied, Yugi had been stealing small quantities of it, diluting it just enough so that it did not seem to mess up the carpet and its color. He had only ever grabbed it from older supplies, more often used spray bottles rather than new shipments. If he'd opened new ones it would look more suspicious than anything.

Yami blinked. "No, that's not necessary."

The smaller teen hesitated, then looked up at him. It was a low blow, and he knew that, but he had to at least see if they were healing even slightly. Yugi cleared his throat and tilted his head. "I know it's not necessary, but it would help a lot to put my mind at ease," he said quietly, waiting as the seconds ticked by in near silence.

The red-eyed boy faltered for a moment, silently looking over his wrists. Then he let out a long, cold breath, and turned to him. He really did not want Yugi to see them. But he also didn't want to burden him any more than he already had.

"Okay."

He blinked, heart breaking at the shattered tone of the word. Yami looked completely miserable and the smaller teen wanted for a moment to pull him close, maybe whisper in his ear to reassure him. Instead, knowing well that Yami would flinch away from any touch he might offer, he grinned childishly as if it might ease his tension.

"I'll check them before I leave for school," he repeated himself, feeling slightly stupid for doing so. He'd already said that and now it made his stomach turn as he looked at Yami. Then he glanced down at the mattress again and wondered. Wouldn't it be wiser of him to just go ahead and skip school that day and talk to his mom about getting a new mattress? He sighed and stood up. "School is going to have to wait, actually."

Yami blinked and his eyes grew large with disbelief. Had he caused him to change his mind and skip for the day? He truly should have just let him sleep at this rate. He was so stupid to have done this. Why had he opened his mouth and done this? He could have cleaned it himself. And Yugi would have been upset but he wouldn't be awake an hour earlier than necessary and he wouldn't have to worry about cleaning. And he wouldn't be considering skipping school.

"I need to see about getting a waterproof cover too, just in case—and new sheets and a comforter." He hummed, tilting his head to the side and wondering at the thought. Why hadn't he considered a waterproof cover before then? It would have been a lifesaver right about now. "Maybe I should get a couple more pillows too…"

Yami cringed visibly. "Maybe I shouldn't…"

Yugi blinked and looked up. "Shouldn't what?" he asked, tilting his head. His brain was still rolling around with the idea of what sheets and comforter he should get. And, subconsciously, he had begun to wonder if perhaps getting an entirely new bed would be a better idea. Then again, if he was going to do that, he would have to find a way to hide the blood he knew was beneath the bed frame. He could pull it out of place, clean and then move it back. But that seemed like a lot more work than he cared to commit to. He looked around the room for a split second and the relief of his gaze removing itself from Yami's face allowed the other boy to speak again.

"Maybe I shouldn't sleep on the bed anymore."

Yugi blinked and his head snapped around. His eyes were wide, his breath catching for a moment. Yami was staring down at the mattress, but Yugi knew he could see his expression from the corner of his eye.

He frowned. Saying the wrong thing would be catastrophic to their relationship. He knew that without thought. Yugi considered, staring at him, and tilted his head as he tried to find words. Yami was staring at him from his peripheral. He wondered how keen his vision truly was from that single point. As a wolf, they were capable of catching even a mosquito in flight. As a human, he did not know what limitations it possessed.

"Do you not want to sleep on the bed anymore?"

Yami blinked, then turned to him and searched his face for a moment. "No," he muttered, swallowing hard. "I do, I just… This always seems to happen. If I vomit on the floor, that's…less distressing than destroying your bed like this…"

Yugi shook his head and sighed softly. "Yami, I promise you, I'm not mad at you. I've never been mad at you over this. You took too much medicine and you puked. I'm not going to turn around and blame you for that. You reacted badly when you took too much." He swallowed hard and closed his eyes. "But if you don't want to sleep on the bed anymore, that's okay, but at least let me get you a futon or something. I don't… Oh, wait, I've got a sleep mat in the closet that you can use instead. Jonouchi, Honda or Tomoya used to use it whenever they would spend the night."

Yami pursed his lips. "A mat?" he murmured softly, blinking. Some part of him felt cold and etched with pain, hollowed out. He didn't want to move away from Yugi but sleeping on the bed seemed like a bad idea in every sense now. He was and always would be haunted by nightmares and terrors. And each time he had cut into his own flesh with his nails and bled everywhere. And he'd puked on the floor when he'd gotten distressed formerly. Now he'd done the same on the bed and that just seemed ridiculous to disregard. But did he really want to sleep on a mat?

Could he sleep on a mat?

A cold shiver spread up his spine and his eyes narrowed into slits. His lips threatened to curl back as a harsh wave of fear gripped him. He'd slept on mats before. There had been metal doors and glass cases and long periods of being dragged out and brought back without enough of a memory of what had happened from leaving to returning. There had been shocks and volts of lightning through his skin and metal cutting into flesh and—

"No…"

Yugi froze in place. His alpha's eyes were far away and he was croaking in a hoarse voice. He looked shaken, horrified, as if some distant thought had crossed into his consciousness and it was burning him. He swallowed hard but Yami looked dead, his eyes hollowed out. The life seemed to have been dissipated from him completely.

"Yami, hey, I didn't mean any…" He stared at him, unable to think of what more he could say. Then he wondered if talking was even a good idea. Yami had begun to quiver and his entire body was wracked with fine tremors. The smaller boy swallowed hard, looking at him. He couldn't remember if he'd dealt with anyone when they'd had an emotional breakdown.

He'd held him earlier that morning in order to stop him from thrashing and changing. It had seemed stupid, but somehow correct all the same. Yugi shivered and shook his head. Was he okay? Was he going to be sick? What if he started puking or vomiting or something? He had taken care of his grandpa when he had gotten sick, had helped him nurse his grandma, and assisted his mom with surgeries.

But this was different.

He'd never had someone do this before. Yami had done it once or twice but he'd seemed to snap out of it. Now he hardly seemed able. He looked sick and deathly, as if he might vomit again. And the trembling hadn't ceased.

Was he supposed to talk?

Yugi wasn't foolish enough to think touching him might do him any good. To do that made it more likely Yami would lash out. And then, if he hurt him, he could not see Yami recovering well from the shock of it. He drew in a deep breath.

Touching him and speaking were out.

But what of his other senses?

Yugi blinked and shifted his weight. Yami tracked his movement with a turn of his head but did not raise his eyes. He didn't think sight was the best cue to rely on to help him, either, however. He had simply meant to sit back on his heels some.

He blinked again, then looked at him more fully. Yami wasn't breathing regularly. He was shaking and his breaths were erratic, short and shallow and so swift they made his head spin. Yugi blinked, then drew in a long, deep breath himself. What was the timeframe for breathing when someone was panicking? How many seconds?

His mind was racing.

Yugi struggled for a moment to comprehend half of the thoughts in his head. Instinct said to try to reassure him. Knowledge said to not startle him. Instinct said to offer comfort. Knowledge said Yami might lash out in his disoriented fear. Instinct offered guidance to speak to him. Knowledge offered the idea that he might grow further overwhelmed.

And then, as he forced the myriad of thoughts away, another came to him.

It was like a burst of knowledge, trickling and surging upwards from the recesses of his mind.

Four seconds.

It was four seconds, in and out.

Yugi blinked, then began to inhale for four seconds, following it when an exact exhale. He did it easily, gently, knowing that somewhere in his subconscious Yami was listening to it. It took Yugi a few minutes, sitting there, moving only to cross his legs and settle, for the other wolf to really respond. His red eyes flickered and then caught on his face for a brief second. But his breathing had begun to unconsciously mirror his. He was drawing in steady, calm breaths, and the shaking was beginning to stop. It took another few minutes. Then the taller werewolf looked away and let out a long, distressed breath which echoed in Yugi's ears.

"I'm sorry."

"You apologize for such stupid things," he admonished gently. "Do I seem upset?"

Yami eyed him for a moment, then shivered. "You're very patient and kind," he muttered, shaking his head. "You must have strength in spades because I don't think anyone else would have done that."

"I feel really stupid for not realizing you'd pick up on my breathing patterns sooner than I did. I was trying to think of how to reach out and make you calm down and I didn't even think of hearing beyond talking." Yugi fell silent for a second, then smiled at him widely. "But you're okay now, and that's all I care about. So…don't apologize…please? I don't want you to feel bad for that. Anxiety isn't something you need to apologize for."

Yami frowned and tilted his head. He wondered vaguely if Yugi even understood how much of a coward he truly was. The half of him which responded to his kind words wanted to find relief in the statement. But the other half was bitter. He should have been able to deal with things on his own. He should not have to constantly rely on someone else. It had gotten his friend killed before.

What if Yugi was up next because of him?

He closed his eyes tightly.

"You can do whatever you want, Yami. You can sleep on the bed or wherever you'd like," Yugi said softly after a moment, licking his lips. "I didn't mean to upset you or anything. Just… You're free to do whatever you want. And I don't want you to feel pressured to do anything. If you want to leave and run or anything, you can do that too. I won't hold it against you. You're free to leave too. If you ever think that would be the better choice for you, then do it. You don't even have to offer me an explanation."

Yami opened his eyes again, looking at him sideways. His head tilted as their gazes locked and the way his red eyes bore into his made Yugi anxious for a moment. Then the other boy exhaled long and loud and shook his head.

"I don't want to leave here." I don't want to leave you. He shook his head again. I don't want to be alone. "And, if I ever need to, I'll tell you first."

The promise made Yugi's stomach ache.

Yami wouldn't abandon him.

Yami's reaction of hiding under the bed has a purpose by the way. It wasn't just for comical effect. It's been hinted at in chapter forty. When Anzu asked Yugi if she thought Yami was afraid of hurting him, it was a hint towards this. Yami tends to try his hardest NOT to lash out at Yugi but he ends up doing so at times. And so, this time, when he nearly attacked Yugi, he hid under the bed to help himself calm down. He also hid in the closet earlier in the chapter because he was afraid of waking up in such a state and attacking Yugi's family if they were to hear him.