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.

43. Ice

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Every other day

Chapter Warnings: Mentions of Vomit/Blood, Cleaning of Blood/Vomit, Slight Flashbacks/Mentions of Disturbing Memories, Yugi is Slightly Perverted, Mentions of Sex, Mentions of STDs, Slight Puzzleshipping, Dead Animal

The price for the mattress is actually the result of about an hour's worth of research on Japanese beds and price points. It was kind of ridiculous how anal I was about this entire thing, especially when it was like two in the morning and I'd just woken up from a rather deep nap. It was insane. Anyways, so yeah, that's the price point for the average Japanese bed.

The mythology in the chapter is what I know of the legends/lore.

The Anui people DID worship Ooguchi no Magami and believed themselves to be descended from wolves, the Inuit people believed in a great white/silver wolf named Amaroq, the Romans believed in Lupa/Luperca nursing their founders Remus and Romulus, the Turkish people believed they were descended from wolves. And, if I remember right, it was said that Fenrir formed rivers because of his drool from his mouth being propped open with a sword while he was imprisoned.

Anubis being a jackal is being debated or it was, as I was reading on multiple sites, and might be a wolf instead, but Wepwawet was a wolf and a god of war and the house of the pharaoh when he went into battle. Morrigan in Irish mythology often changed into a wolf and aided one army over the other in war by way of changing into a woman warrior (if I remember correctly). King Lycaon was changed into a wolf for eating human flesh when he angered Zeus in Greek mythology and Gilgamesh spoke to a god about how fickle a lover she was when she turned the human into a wolf to be chased by his own sheepdogs.

The way Kasumi makes the tea is what I could find of the traditional way it's made in Japan. On the subject of Yugi's mom, she's not as blind as she pretends to be. Just remember that.

Chapter XLIII: Ice

Work Log Entry XLIII: February, 2004

February 11

"Atem" has yet to change. We have exposed him to silver, wolfsbane and even injected him with both, pushed two million volts of electricity through him in one shot, nearly bled him to death, and yet it has done nothing but make him horribly sick.

February 19

"Atem" was speculated to have died today. A guard passing his cell had assumed that he was dead. But upon trying to find his way inside to check on him, "Atem" went into a rage and nearly killed him.

We have yet to teach "Atem" the proper usage of his own voice. He only says "Food" when he is hungry enough.

February 28

The guard "Atem" attacked days ago has passed away. He was thrown into a violent seizure when he was exposed to "Atem" again in passing. When he died, the boss was amazed.

I am wondering if perhaps A.T.E.M. truly is an omen of death.

"Well, I have to make sure my lover likes it too," Yugi snorted loudly as he looked over his shoulder at her. His mom shot him an annoyed look and rolled her eyes again. He grinned widely, then turned away and played with the doorknob for a moment, waiting for her to catch up with him. He opened the door only when she got to his side and both of them stepped back into the house.

"I wanted to ask you something," his mom said quietly, making Yugi pause as she started to make her way towards the staircase with him. Upstairs he could hear his grandpa moving about and he strained his ears for Yami. The only sound of his existence was the soft, familiar beat of the other boy's heart. It was easy and warm and beautiful in his ears, as usual to him as his own thoughts in his head. It made Yugi relax as he turned his head to look at his mom again. "Do you remember the conversation we were having yesterday?"

Yugi blinked; they'd really only had one conversation all day yesterday. "Yeah, of course. We were talking about Yami. And then you won Reversi against Grandpa. Why, what's wrong?" he asked softly, frowning.

"I was wondering if you would like to invite Yami over for dinner sometime this week," she admitted quietly, blue eyes studying his. Yugi blinked, then raised his head and felt a grin crossing his face. "I thought it might be good thing to meet him if you guys are actually…"

Yugi blinked and that grin fell immediately before it could even form. He frowned, puzzled, and then shook his head slightly. "Yami and I aren't dating," he muttered quietly.

"Oh." Kasumi blinked stupidly and then reached up to rub at the back of her head. Her cheeks were faintly dusted with pink and Yugi frowned a bit more. "I just assumed that… I mean, you talk about him a bit differently than you do your other friends. And I thought you sounded more…affectionate than you did even when you used to talk about Anzu."

His eyes stretched wide and his mouth opened and closed. Shit, could Yami hear them from upstairs? He felt his cheeks turning bright red and he scowled faintly as he reached up and covered his face with his hand. No doubt Yami could. If he could hear his heart from downstairs, then there was no way that Yami could possibly be deaf to their conversation.

Yugi shook his head and closed his eyes. "I, um, no, we're not together. I just… I like him a lot. He's really cool," he answered, lips pressed tightly together for a brief moment. Then he flashed her a wide grin and tilted his head. "I don't think I've ever seen him attracted to anyone. I still think he's kind of asexual."

His mom's lips quirked up slightly in amusement. "Well, I guess we'll see about that when he comes to the house for dinner," she murmured, smiling widely and shaking her head. The smile fell away after a moment and tilted her head towards Yugi more pointedly. "They should be here to drop off the new mattress and sheets in an hour."

Yugi nodded and opened the bottom door to enter the staircase. He still didn't know if he was going to use the excuse that he might start studying or say that he was going out to the cafe again. If he did that, he could spend more time with Yami over there. If he decided to just sit around and study, Yami would most likely have to run off to hunt.

"I'm trying to figure out if I want to study here or at the café," Yugi admitted with a distracted glance at her. He opened the second door and she followed him a few steps behind. "That way I can stay out of the house while they do that and don't end up getting in their way."

"Well, I'm sure if you decided to stay in your room, they could always work around you if you stayed at the desk."

Yugi shook his head. "I'm not going to do that. I don't want to have to deal with them walking around me. I feel like I'll end up puking on them from nerves alone," he answered, mind immediately turning away. He'd have to set up the day for them to meet, one that worked later into the week so that everything was comfortable for him. Yami would have a better warning and be able to more steadily work against embarrassment.

He didn't think they needed to go over anymore questions, though. He was pretty sure Yami was becoming slightly exasperated with it by now. "But, anyways, I think it'll turn out okay for the most part."

Kasumi shrugged, heading towards the kitchen. Yugi would do what he wanted. If there was anything she had learned about her son, it was that while he would concede easily with a lot of things, he was unrelenting and impossibly stubborn with others. The small teen would fight her tooth and nail on some things. And she knew by the way he had raised his voice just the slightest bit more that he would argue until she was unwilling to any longer.

She wanted to say it was from his father, because she really hated that fact about herself, but it came from her side of the family. Her father did the same. She did the same. Her husband simply argued until either there was a form of compromise given or he finally just didn't care enough to continue. His parents had done the same the few times they'd met and disapproved of her.

Kasumi sighed softly. "Well, just let me know if you decide to leave the house. Text me," she called after him as the door of his room opened.

Yugi turned around, eyes wide. "Of course," he promised, blinking. "I'll text you when I leave too."

She nodded, watching him for a moment. Something was different in his face, even with the last few minutes that had passed since they'd locked eyes. Something was entirely estranged in his face, undetectable at first glance but harsh as it burned at her subconscious.

He didn't look sick.

And he appeared to be more or less at ease at the moment.

Was he nervous about her going into his room when he left? She had plans to. He had seemed perfectly happy and healthy all day. Yet he had puked all over the mattress and sheets, the comforter and the floor? She didn't see how that was possible when he had been so blasé and easygoing since the moment he'd told her.

When he was sick, he normally looked incredibly nervous or guilty. So, no, she didn't buy his excuse at all. But she had smelled the vomit the moment she'd walked in, along with the cleaner he'd been using to try to get it up. And he'd looked distressed but not sick.

She had raised him.

She would know if he was sick.

Just like she knew at that moment that Yugi was well aware of her intentions. She didn't bother to hide it, smiling at him in that way that said he was absolutely right, and his cheeks flushed, then paled as he looked at her. They considered each other, then Yugi turned and headed into his room and locked the door behind him.

"And we're screwed," he announced, stepping around the side of the bed. Yami looked up from where he had been messing with his small television around reading another of the books on his shelves.

The red eyes were impassive. "You seem to have a liking for vampires rather than werewolves," he commented in a dismissive fashion.

Yugi rolled his eyes. "I like Dracula. The others were gifts and presents that my friends got me for my birthday or whatever holiday because they had no idea what I would like. Considering I was completely enamored with Dracula for a whole year, they took that as me apparently liking everything vampire." He paused, then huffed. "Which I don't. I don't like vampires. Werewolves were always more interesting to me anyways."

"And now you are one."

Yugi snorted. "Yes, and now I am one." He raised a brow and crossed his arms. "Were you even listening before?"

Yami blinked. "You said we are screwed. I assume that has something to do with your mother being disbelieving of your lie?" he inquired with a wrinkle of his nose.

The small teen blinked, then smiled slightly in amusement. "You're so relaxed right now," he said in a somewhat awed tone, remembering for a moment the distress Yami had displayed earlier. The sight of him so at ease now made him feel slightly warm with relief. "Normally you're so much more…petulant about things like this."

The other wolf shook his head. "I am not petulant when it comes to problems arising. I am petulant when I cannot understand or feel the emotional attachment shared by someone else regarding certain things. That is what makes me petulant." He paused, then tilted his head as he looked him over. "I simply meant that, yes, she plans to examine the room the moment you leave. So why don't you and I clean under the bed so that she cannot find the blood?"

Yugi groaned. "I really don't want to."

The other wolf smiled slightly, then closed the book and got to his feet. He stretched himself out, admiring the way his bandages made his skin red for the briefest of moments. Then he yawned and said, "I'll do it. It's the least I can do, yes?"

The smaller teen frowned and shook his head. "I don't…I don't want you thinking you have to repay me all of the time, Yami. I promise you that you don't. I don't want you to. Besides, you've done a lot for me…"

Yami wrinkled his nose. "Not in the way of cleaning. Unless I am wrong, you are the one who cleans up after me." He took a small step towards the bathroom, looking at him as he shifted his weight awkwardly. Would he object to him trying again? Yami narrowed his eyes. "Fine, then do not consider it repayment. Consider it me…doing something to ease your fatigue."

Yugi rolled his eyes, smiling in amusement. "I'm not fatigued."

He snorted. "Then why not clean your floor?"

The smaller teen felt sick to his stomach as, from the very back of his mind, a thought began to slither forward. Because I'm tired of lying to her, he realized with a frown. He was exhausted and worn out doing it. Each time became easier, yes, but it also became more complex and uncertain. His mother picked up on him as she always did. She might not push, but she knew. She was well aware. She had every lie in her head somewhere, stored and waiting for him to slip up.

And his friends knew. So, why couldn't she?

Because you never told your friends, a voice sneered in his head. Your involvement in their lives made Fuwa turn on them too. And the least you owed was an explanation for nearly getting them killed.

Yugi bristled slightly and the way he raised his shoulders caused Yami to step back with a startled expression. The smaller teen blushed, ducking his head. "I'll help," he announced with a sigh.

And Yami wondered at the idea of forcing him into another argument. To push him backwards into one seemed entirely too stupid to him. So the taller wolf nodded dismissively and trotted off for the bathroom without a second glance.

Yugi smiled faintly, then followed dutifully a step or two behind. Yami grabbed the chemicals from beneath the sink, handed them to him, snatched up the same bucket he'd used a few days back to gather the bloodied bandages in, and pulled out a small yellow sponge. He hesitated, looking it over, then considered the small tool, turning to him with furrowed brows.

"Do you mind using this?"

He furrowed his brows, at first confused, and then smiled and shook his head. He was asking because he didn't know what it was used for otherwise. "It's one I haven't bothered to use yet. So, yeah, let's go ahead and do that. It'll help get it off the wood if there is any."

Yami frowned. "There's some on the frame," he said softly, getting up again and following him out towards his bed again. The red-eyed teen paused only for a moment, considering it, and moved to the side of the bed. Yugi was just putting the cleaners down when Yami grabbed the end from beneath and began to pull. It budged easily, then slid on the carpet almost as if it were on wet tile. The smaller teen cursed, snapping, "I could have helped you with that!" in an annoyed tone.

The other boy glanced at him, turned away, and pulled harder until he'd tugged it towards the center of the room. Yugi sighed, moving the bottles and supplies away. A glance at where the bed's legs left indentations in the carpet made his skin crawl for a moment. The carpet was smeared with dark red turned brown against the indigo shade. It was hideous, drawn in a large pool towards the middle. The fibers looked weighted down, as if he had just moved from the spot after having lain there for hours. Yugi swallowed hard.

He'd bled so fucking much…

The smaller teen shook it off. He'd expected to be the one to make the first move, but a single glance told him that Yami had gotten there already. The other boy was busily studying the large stain in the center and watching it with dark eyes. When he reached out, Yugi wordlessly handed him the spray bottle.

For over an hour the two of them picked apart each stain, scrubbing with floor brushes and treating the carpet twice to get the color back to a more uniform shade. Then Yami wiped away the blood from the bed frame without a second glance and both of them pushed the piece of furniture back into place again.

Yugi dropped the sponge into the water he'd poured into the bucket sometime during the cleaning. Then he yawned, sighed, and stretched his arms over his head. "Naptime!" he announced, grinning at him playfully.

Yami dropped the brush into the bucket and wrinkled his nose when a droplet of reddened water touched his skin. It was so cold he thought it could freeze his nerves. He looked to the other boy, smiling faintly. "No, now is when we decide if you're staying here to study or if I'm going hunting alone."

The smaller boy stiffened. "Hunting? Is that what you wanted to do?" he asked in comfortably. The thought of eating as a wolf…

He still shuddered at the idea.

The taller teen tilted his head, then cleared his throat awkwardly. His voice was soft, questioning and uncertain, as he admitted, "I would rather go back the café again. I would like to sit and talk if you'd be willing…"

Yami felt immediately foolish and stupid for the request. Yugi had better things to do. He had a million different things he could participate in besides idle conversation…

Yet Yugi merely blinked, then beamed. His entire face lit like a megawatt bulb and Yami felt his stomach twist. "I'd love to go with you to the café instead," he agreed, his teeth bright and beautiful as his face seemed to somehow brighten further. His eyes were soft, glittering, and he watched his startled face with amusement. "Give me a minute to get my backpack so I can get my study guide and pretend to do that while we're there, okay?"

He nodded, though he was unsure what more to do than stare at him at his easy acceptance of the suggestion. How was he so content to spend time with him like this? It was so strange to him that he would desire that of all things.

Shouldn't he rather want to spend time with his friends? Yami frowned faintly. His friends… He shivered as Yugi began to pack his bag again and sort through it more happily.

His stomach was twisting and his heart was in his throat.

Why was he considered one of them?

Yami nearly flinched. In his place he'd deny him that spot in a heartbeat.

But Yugi was too gentle and beautiful a person. He would not turn away from someone in need. And he cared beyond what Yami had originally assumed humans capable of.

His mouth was filled with blood.

Yugi needed to choose better friends, ones that had things to actually offer him.

Yami looked away immediately when the other boy turned to him.

---

Yugi hesitated for a long moment. Then he dug through his bag for the smallest pocket and pulled out a single coin. He placed it on the table in front of him, then scooted it forward on the wooden table. The movement caught the other lycanthrope's attention immediately, as he had known it would. His red eyes flickered away from the cup in front of him to peer curiously at his finger. The smaller teen licked his lips, then grinned as he said, "Penny for your thoughts?"

Yami blinked wide eyes. His expression was owlish and childlike as Yugi pulled his hand back and the copper coin glittered in the lighting from overhead. The taller teen tilted his head, blinking again, and then looked up.

Yugi felt his cheeks heat faintly. "I mean, I know they're worth more than that, but I've always wanted to ask that and I had an American coin in my bag and I thought it was kind of clever, I guess?" He swallowed hard. "Sorry, I'm just… I'm a dork."

His smile was warm and bright, friendly and beautiful. "No, that was honestly kind of funny," he replied softly, raising a brow, and searched his face for a moment. "I just… I didn't expect you to say that. Or have American currency in your bag…"

Yugi smiled a little warmer. "My dad works in the states. He always brings me some coins and bills when he comes back." He searched his face for a moment. "I'm glad you think it was funny."

Yami tilted his head slightly. "How much do you think my thoughts are worth, Yugi?" he asked softly, interested and curious.

The smaller teen hesitated, then opened and closed his mouth twice. His thoughts were worth so much. Yugi was unsure what to say now. His mouth tugged slightly downwards and he drew in a deep breath. "Millions," he whispered with a look at the papers he'd lain to the side in order to push the penny towards him.

Yami hummed. "I believe them worth less than even this," he stated calmly, sliding the penny back to him. Yugi stared at him, incredulous. "But, I'll tell you what I was thinking about if you'll tell me what you are."

Yugi nodded immediately, though some part of him realized how ridiculous that was. He shouldn't agree so easily. It made him look overeager, maybe even immature. He frowned slightly as the other boy settled into his seat. He seemed to be debating how to phrase the words.

"I was imagining how your mom and the two workers are doing with the bed," he lied slowly, eyes narrowing. Yami tilted his head and watched him for a moment. "Do you think we got it all?"

Yugi had a slightly disappointed look in his eyes. "I hope so," he admitted softly. "There doesn't seem to be anything else that we'd have been able to do."

He nodded and closed his eyes. "What were you thinking about?"

Boning you, the small teen almost blurted out. Instead he rolled his eyes at himself and sighed loudly. Why couldn't he keep that kind of idea out of his head? Yami was not ready. He might never even be ready. He knew that. So why did he keep…?

"That my homework sucks and my friend looked troubled even when he's been happily drinking hot chocolate and eating a Samoa. So then I figured I'd ask what was on his mind and here we are."

"Do you think that the bed will do well as a replacement?"

Yugi smiled wryly. "Well for thirty-three thousand and eight hundred and twenty-five yen, I would hope so," he snorted shortly, tilting his head. When Yami stared at him with a somewhat horrified expression, he quickly added, "I'm sure it's fine. I was just kidding."

"That's…so much money. Why would you…?"

He shook his head slowly. "It's fine. I promise. I needed a new mattress anyways, so I figured I'd get a larger bed altogether. And it's not a big deal at all." He opened and closed his mouth a few times, then looked down at his papers. "Besides, Yami, I don't like the idea that if I'd cleaned it you'd still be sleeping on that side. It's…gross."

No more gross than choking on vomit and having a seizure due to it. He could not think to put that into words, however. He didn't remember it beyond his cage mate's actions. He'd grabbed him, thrown him onto his side, and kept him there until he'd stopped his violent convulsions. He still remembered the smell and the suffocating effects of it. But he could not recall further than that. He thought they'd taken the cots apart and cleaned them both—possibly even replaced them. Other times he wondered if they simply wiped them down and his cage mate had swapped them around so that Yami would not have to lie in his ruined bedding.

He shivered, the tremor violent and swift.

So many times his cage mate had helped him in ways he had not understood back then. He had not known what to do when he'd been there for so long. And his cage mate had come only about two months before they'd all escaped…

Yami bit the inside of his cheek hard.

Yugi was watching him intently. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing," he answered curtly, narrowing his eyes into slits. "Nothing that…matters. What matters now is that I am here, with you. That is what truly matters."

If it had been another time, perhaps another place, and the circumstances different, Yugi might have felt his entire body warm with the statement. Now it made him feel cold, as if ice were crawling upwards through his marrow. He fought away a shiver, then licked his lips and took another small sip of his cocoa.

It bought him just enough time to think.

"You're still looking at the pictures on the walls," Yugi commented with a sideways glance towards one of them. He smiled lopsidedly, ignoring his impulsive thought to ask him for further explanation. The red eyes flickered upwards towards the paintings, his head tipped slightly upwards as he considered them again. Yugi looked back at one of the wolf paintings and smiled brightly. "That's Ooguchi no Magami. He's the Large-Mouthed Pure God. The Anui people used to worship him. But when Japan became more modernized, he began to lose meaning."

Yami frowned slightly and looked towards him again. "He looks much like Fenrir," he said quietly. "Except he does not have a sword keeping his mouth open because of a self-fulfilling prophecy. And there are no chains to bind him to the earth. There are no rivers forming from his drool."

Yugi tilted his head, frowning. "He also never bit a god's hand off while being chained to the earth." The smaller teen bit his lip as Yami stared at him curiously. "Ooguchi no Magami was more of a benign, benevolent god. He helped travelers who had lost their way. He helped those who were confused and lost in the mountains or who needed guidance in life choices. They considered him a really pure god because the humans descended from the wolves."

His head tipped up, eyes wide. "Descended from the wolves?" he inquired curiously.

"The Anui people believed so, yeah. So did Native American tribes. I think most of Alaska's Inuit people believed that too? And I think the Roman people believed that some of their own were born from them too. I know Romulus and Remus were raised by a she-wolf named Lupa…or Luperca by others. The Turkish people also believed something similar."

Yami blinked. "You know a lot of mythology," he said with a slight frown. "Why?"

He remembered that Yugi had mentioned he and his mom had swapped stories on mythology, though he had implied it was mostly towards creation myths. But Fenrir's binding was not considered a story of creation, was it? But Yugi had known of it and Ragnarok, the complete antithesis of this assumption.

And, surely, Yugi and his mother had not gone over so much mythology while he was growing up? It was possible, but for some reason Yami had doubts that such a thing had been how Yugi had come to know of such things…

His grin was cheeky, his eyes shining brightly. "I read a lot of books on wolves in order to try to understand some of what was happening before you came to the house." He paused and looked over his shoulder. "I also grew up with some mythology about wolves. My grandpa often told me stories to help me fall asleep at night."

The other boy nodded slightly, tapping his fingers and then putting his chin in his right hand. His eyes glittered as he looked towards the pictures again. He tilted his head slightly and his chin touched his knuckles as he closed his eyes.

"Anubis was a jackal but there's debate that he's actually a wolf. Then the Egyptian jackal was identified as a subspecies of gray wolf. So I guess that doesn't matter. Wepwawet, the war god, was also a wolf. Then Morrigan in Irish mythology changes mostly into a wolf or a raven." Yugi shuddered as he turned back. He was grateful that Yami did not see the unnerved reaction. He licked his lips. "King Lycoan was changed into a wolf by Zeus in Greek mythology. He's considered one of the first werewolves. But there's actually an older account in the Epic of Gilgamesh where a herdsman was turned into a wolf that hunted his own sheep and his dogs attacked and hunted him. There are actually a lot of people who think they descended from wolves…"

Yami opened his eyes into slits and stared curiously. His gaze was darker, the shadows of his lashes long and sharp against his red irises. "And yet more than half of them are fearful of them."

"I know. Humans are kind of…stupid about certain things."

"I do not understand how you can say it with such fondness." Yami smiled when Yugi shrugged awkwardly, unable to argue with him. The red-eyed wolf tilted his head and studied him for a moment. "Humans are…foolish and self-righteous. And too empowered to know when to stop themselves from further damaging themselves or another."

"I know."

He shook his head, pulling his right hand away to reach out for his cup of cocoa. He gripped it lightly in his hand, twisting it around several times with lazy flicks of his wrist. His nails were darker than Yugi ever thought he'd seen them before, though he realized now that it was merely because the white of the cup contrasted them harshly.

"The mythology humans came up with is beautiful, however," he commented in a somewhat wistful tone. Yugi blinked and sat up slightly straighter, confused. "All of them teach morals whether through animals or lessons of one direction or another. It is somewhat shocking to me at times, I suppose."

"In a bad way?"

"Not at all." He fell silent for a long moment. "I just find it kind of odd, truthfully. So many people hate wolves and fear the dark or the unknown. Werewolves are considered a combination of all three. Being descended from wolves seems like it would be an impossibility for any group of humans to grasp as their beliefs."

Yugi swallowed hard. "Do you think maybe the reason they think that is because they are descended from them? Like…the werewolves became permanently human and passed along the stories in ways that changed the truth of it?"

Yami blinked. "I had never considered it before but it's possible, yes." He fell silent again. Then he ran a hand through his hair, looking away and dropping his other hand from the cup to lie on the table. Yugi could not stop staring at those long almond-shaped nails. They were so dark red, like the beds were lying on a pool of blood that was pressed hard against the skin beneath.

He thought of the way his hands had looked only the night before. He pictured the way his first knuckles had buckled downwards and outwards, snapping loudly as the joints broke and reformed. He remembered the way his second knuckles had folded inwards and cracked, splintering, and his palms elongated. He remembered those claws, sharpening and expanding, hardening layer upon layer as it darkened with the rush of blood surging to the surface. He shivered.

Yami did not seem to notice, or, had he, he did not bother to comment. Nor did he look at his fingers. "Slifer is here, in Hokkaido, Japan of all of the places in the world she might exist. Ra is reaching out to you in your dreams, meaning she dwells close to here as well. A Harbinger is here. Morrigan has contacted you within your dreams. Obelisk, Hati and Skoll must be nearby as well."

The musings were private ramblings, merely spoken out loud. Yugi tilted his head, ignoring the urge to ask for further explanation. The movement made Yami blink and the red eyes glittered faintly.

"All six of the gods among werewolves existing in one place?" he said softly, smiling faintly. "It should make sense that they would dwell where their lineage would remain the most."

It took him a moment. Then he blinked wide, shocked eyes. "You think they're here because the Anui people were truly descended from the wolves? That they actually did come from werewolves?"

Yami shrugged. "It is a theory. But it would make sense, especially when your classmates are taken into account. I have never known wolves to live so close within proximity like this without reason, whether it is or isn't known to them."

He considered it. But how many of them could truly be descended from the Anui people as well? He supposed when they'd all procreated, the lycanthropy survived beyond all of the watering down of blood lines. Yugi tilted his head again. It made sense. It made a lot of sense.

"You think Obelisk, Hati and Skoll are here?"

Yami blinked. "A Harbinger is running about in Japan. The hellhound deities will most certainly be here as well. And with Slifer and Ra here? Obelisk must be."

"Why are they all here? Is it really because of possible lineage?"

He shook his head. "The war," he answered simply. "They are here not because of familial ties, but because of the war coming to pass soon."

Yugi felt sick to his stomach. The war… How could he have forgotten? He drew in a deep breath, feeling almost dizzy for a moment, then blinked. Yami was scratching lightly at his arm. It made his hoodie sleeve ride up slightly.

"Pull your sleeve back down," he muttered without thought. The other wolf blinked, startled. "Your bandages are going to show otherwise."

He looked chastised as he followed his advice. Yugi felt his cheeks heat. Had he made him feel stupid? He hadn't meant to by any means. He nearly sighed, then leaned forward, licking his lips.

"Do you ever wonder if Atem is a force for good or evil?" he asked suddenly, quietly, unable to help himself. His mind was racing again. The war was prominent in his head, far more focal than even his embarrassment of surprising Yami in such a way. "I mean…"

Yami shook his head. "Atem is not a force of some moral power. He's a wolf meant to lead a war. Whether he leads the right side into battle is just a consequence of which I have no answers. But I also do not believe in the innate idea of evil and justice. One is able to rationalize the worst of choices even when it harms multiple outside parties. Remember that, Yugi. No matter what choices you make as Atem, there will be someone who believes it to be wrong or perhaps evil, even. But circumstances are what make the decisions important."

Yugi shivered.

His red eyes hardened. "But I will also say that as long as your goal is not ultimately simply to further yourself at the expense of others, you are as best a leader as you can be."

---

"I think that's probably him now," Yugi announced, leaping up from the couch and heading for the staircase. His mom muttered something to his grandpa that Yugi knew he could have heard but didn't care to. He hurried down the stairs, then jumped the last few as he threw open the bottom door. He trotted to the entrance, opening it, and laughed as Yami glanced over his shoulder uncertainly towards the woods.

"Nervous already? You haven't even met them yet."

Yami wrinkled his nose at him. "It's healthy to be a little cautious. Especially when the woman I am meeting tonight uses a metal ladle as her choice of weaponry when angered," he scoffed dismissively. He turned away, closing his eyes, and then looked towards Yugi again. But his gaze seemed to shift to a point over his shoulder a split second later.

He almost glanced over. But an instinct said not to, as Yami was too tense. He might turn and flee at any given moment. Yugi was aware that taking his eyes off of him was a genuinely terrible idea.

"She won't use it against you. I promise. I won't let her do that." He smiled when his eyes flickered to his slowly for a second. "Besides, as long as we both know our answers, she won't have any reason to knock you around with it."

He nearly groaned. They had memorized them the first time they'd discussed it. Now it was simply overkill and beyond annoying to go over it numerous times like this. So instead he nodded, hoping that Yugi would not force them to go over every answer as they had before.

"Okay, come on, let's get upstairs," he announced. For the briefest of seconds he almost grabbed his hand. There was a strange instinctive need to grasp his hand in his, to twine their fingers and pull him along. Instead he caught the sleeve of his jacket and tugged gently. He stepped back and Yami followed, eyes sharp as they flickered about.

He had not been in the house by way of the front door in what felt like years. He bristled faintly at the chemical aroma and the scent reminded him so hideously of his nights formerly that it made his jaw clench. Yugi touched his arm and the other boy jerked, turning to him with wide eyes.

"Hey, nothing is going to happen here," he said gently and Yami hated himself for his transparency. But Yugi smiled at him softly and his eyes were kind, as benevolent as ever. "I know the clinic level freaks you out, but we're going to go back upstairs. And when we do that, it'll be without having to hide you in my room. Remember? That's why we're doing this, Yami."

He nodded stiffly but his eyes flickered towards the kennels and the corridors marked by the swinging doors. And he smelled those harsh chemicals so bitterly in his nose that he bristled despite himself.

"How do your wrists feel?"

Yami blinked, startled from his thoughts. His first instinct was to turn on his heel and bolt. The second was to snap that he already knew they'd healed over. The third was to simply stare at him and hope to the gods that Yugi somehow found a way to drag him up the stairs with him because his feet surely would not work.

"You looked at them earlier," he said in a thin, croaking voice. His eyes widened. Would his mom and grandpa be able to tell that his voice was damaged? Yami nearly flinched at the thought.

Damn it, maybe this was a bad idea…

"Yeah, and they seemed mostly healed. That's why I let you take the bandages off," he agreed softly. His distraction was working, though. Yami was staring at him in puzzlement towards his question. "You can still see a little pink, though, which is why you're wearing the jacket."

"Yes."

He smiled and then gestured with his free hand for Yami to take the lead. He hesitated, watching the smaller teen, realizing he'd said it to reassure him. If he could heal within the safety of the house, he could meet his family as well.

Yami reluctantly began to tread up the stairs. Yugi had explained he would have to kick his shoes off in the hallway, that he'd move them towards the entrance of his bedroom with his own. He had felt stupid and intimidated upon practicing walking without his sneakers formerly.

That did not change now.

Kasumi found her mouth dropping open. Yugi was laughing behind his hand, face covered by his palm. His fingers were spread just enough to allow him to see through them. Her father choked on whatever snack he'd been stealing from one of the plates she'd begun to set on the table. If she had been holding one any longer, she was sure it would have shattered by now. Her fingers were nerveless, she felt.

Yami turned around after a moment, then froze. Kasumi still had not gained control of her mouth. Her jaw was still unhinged, eyes comically wide. Beside her, Sugoroku was still sputtering with a similar size to his plum purple gaze. Both of them stared blatantly, while Yugi snickered and shook his head, laughing out loud a moment later.

The noise made Yami jump. He spun on him immediately, eyes growing larger than Yugi had ever seen them before. The small teen snorted and shook his head again, swallowing hard to suppress further guffaws. Then he looked at his two guardians and smirked in amusement, pulling his hand from his face.

"Surprise," he teased, laughing at their stunned expressions. In unison the two of them seemed to regain some composure. His mom's mouth closed and pressed into a thin line, borne more from embarrassment than disapproval. His grandpa let out a hardy laugh of amusement and tilted his head. Yami frowned and pulled on the sleeves of the black hoodie he'd zipped up halfway over the white button-up shirt Yugi had loaned him.

"Mom, Grandpa, meet Kobayashi Yami. Kobayashi Yami, meet my mom and grandpa." He gestured slightly, then rolled his eyes as he turned to the other teen. "I'm sure you can figure out who's who."

This made his lips quirk. "I'm not sure I can. The family resemblance is uncanny."

His resemblance to her family was uncanny. Kasumi shook it off, then swallowed hard. Her mouth was dry as she looked between them. There was something in Yugi's eyes, warm and glowing. And the expression was somewhat morphed, more easily hidden away, but it existed in Yami's as well. "Please, call me Kasumi," she muttered before she realized Yami had not bothered to call her "Mrs. Motou" yet.

He blinked, then dipped his head and offered her a rather stiff bow. It was nerves, she realized, which made him look so uptight at the moment. She saw it when his eyes frantically flickered to Yugi's. And her stomach dropped as the other boy relaxed when her son smiled and tilted his head slightly. It was odd, seeing this stranger who looked so much like her own son, standing a few feet away and mere inches from Yugi's side.

When his eyes shot to hers again, unnerved, her stomach felt as if a lump of ice had formed in its pit. His irises were so unusual. Was it natural? Perhaps he was wearing contacts.

But why should anyone want eyes such a demonic shade?

Was he simply attempting to play at a role such as that of a teenage outcast?

Was it for a gaming trend?

Yugi had said he loved games…

Sugoroku smiled in amusement beside her. The movement immediately made Yami turn to him. His gaze had sharpened, flickering with trepidation. His irises glittered and his pupils dilated faintly, as if with fear. But his body was stiff and the elderly Motou realized instinctively that his more patient aggression was animalistic rather than truly fearful. His smile wavered slightly.

Yami knew he saw it. He could sense it. Sugoroku could damn well truly sense it. He saw it in the way his eyes glittered again. The lighting of the chandelier was pale in his eyes and it made his pupils golden around the edges from the pale yellow glow the bulbs emitted. He was dangerous. He was cunning. And he was in their house.

His eyes shot to Yugi. The smaller boy had lost his amusement. In his gaze was a very clear, powerful warning. Should he say something to allude to his infection, there would be hell to pay.

Exhilaration shot through his wizened frame. He turned to Yami again. Those red eyes peered at him with secret cunning and ferocity. He smiled a bit more, forcing the waver to leave his lips. "Feel free to call me Sugoroku," he announced, tone somewhat giddy. It was enough to make his daughter furrow her brows and glance at him sideways.

Yami frowned and bit the inside of his cheek. Was this where he told them to call him by his first name rather than his last? The idea made his stomach toss. He'd only ever introduced himself as Yami. The lack of a last name had seemed to make everything so much easier.

"So, Kobayashi—"

"Yami, please…"

It was so quiet that both of them nearly missed it. He sounded unsure, slightly breathless, maybe a miniscule strangled. Yugi looked towards him in alarm. Would he throw up again?

Kasumi picked up where she had left off, showing grace in the manner of flicking her wrist so that her palm was in the air. Yami felt a small twinge of tension leave his shoulders. She had no weapon. She had no knife. She had no ladle. She had nothing.

"Feel free to pick a seat, Yami," she said gently. Something about the way he held himself seemed unnaturally curious and yet withdrawn all at once. She glanced at Yugi from the corner of her eye. He had a mirroring posture, but the slouch was still evident. He'd gotten it into a more acceptable hunch in terms of degree, but it was still there. Somehow that was more relieving than anything else.

Yami looked at Yugi. Would they sit as they had the multiple times they'd eaten in the kitchen instead of his room? They'd seated themselves across from each other, Yami closer to the wall, Yugi towards the center of the small room. The other teen moved past the two of them, made his way to the seat Yami normally took, and plopped down.

Kasumi was so unnerved by the way Yami seemed to defer to her son that she failed to reprimand him. Instead she watched the other boy uncomfortably shift past her and take the seat across from him. His eyes were on the table, staring at the food in the center, rather than watching as she and her father swapped looks.

I don't like this, she tried to convey with a rather long stare and furrowed brows. He grimaced, then shrugged the shoulder which would be out of view of both boys. She sighed softly, but the noise made Yugi look up with wide eyes even as it seemed to cause Yami to bunch in on himself. Kasumi swallowed hard. He looked small, thin, as if his clothes had more weight and volume than his own lithe frame.

"I hope you like salmon," Sugoroku announced. He jovially moved to the other side of the table, furthest from the hallway, and took a seat. Yami blinked, glancing at him now, finding it impossible to ignore the stare he gave him. Why did he have to look so ludicrously ecstatic to see him there?

He nearly bristled. Did he want to run tests?

Yugi moved a little. The subtle shift made Yami turn back to him. He had slouched considerably for the briefest of moments. Then the taller teen stiffened. Something had just touched his foot.

He blinked.

It came again.

This time he could differentiate the soft manner from his initial thought of a bug or some kind of weapon beneath the table. Yugi was touching his foot with his own. He recognized the body heat and the gentleness, the vaguest structure of his warm toes.

The physical contact relaxed him slightly. He forgot his initial concern.

Yugi would not allow his grandpa to perform tests on him.

He would not let him bully him into such a thing.

There would be no games where Yami was concerned.

"I love salmon."

Kasumi took her spot at the head of the table. Both Yugi and Yami sat at her sides, the guest to the left, her son to the right. She felt oddly out of sync, as if her place had been lost.

Yugi normally sat to the left of her during dinners. Guests normally sat to the right.

Had Yugi chosen that position to throw her off? Had he meant to keep her from inquiring too much?

A few minutes of silence passed as they began to eat. Yami picked awkwardly at his food and Yugi practically seemed to stuff the entire filet into his mouth in seconds. Kasumi shot him an annoyed look that he gladly ignored. Sugoroku blinked and stared at his grandson in amusement.

"So, Yami"—she tried her hardest to ignore the way his eyes flickered immediately to her, darker than they had been moments before—"tell us about yourself."

He found it hard to keep the chopsticks in his hand. So he put them on the edge of the plate and blinked as he tried to think of something to say. Finally, unnerved, Yugi touching his foot again beneath the table, he drew in just enough breath to ask, "What would you like to know?"

Kasumi smiled at him, but it was so forced it seemed to hurt her jaw. "Anything you would like to share," she answered. She hoped that it might put him even remotely at ease but it seemed to abruptly make him more anxious. She wondered if perhaps he was one of those people who could not handle full reign when given in terms of conversation.

"How about a favorite color?" Sugoroku asked suddenly. His addition to the conversation caused Yami's eyes to dart immediately to him. If her father was unnerved, he did well not to show it. Kasumi did not understand how he could meet those red eyes and not feel as if the blood were slowing in his veins.

Yami hesitated. "I like teal," he admitted quietly, "but also blue and purple. Blue-violet, sometimes dark green."

It was an awkward answer but Yugi felt a small burst of pride in his veins. Yami was not fleeing. He had plenty of room to do so, sitting there where he could leap to his feet and run into the hall any moment. But he was holding his ground.

"Good choices," the elderly Motou commented, smiling widely. Yami thought of sharks with wide, jagged teeth. He thought of crocodiles and teeth that lined large, elongated jaws. "What about games? Do you enjoy games?"

Yami blinked. "Yes," he said quietly. "I do enjoy games."

"What's your favorite?"

He tilted his head slightly, spurring Yugi to sit up a bit more. The movement was reassuring, if only because his peripheral could focus entirely on him. "Chess, I think," he mumbled, clearing his throat after a long moment. "I like the strategy involved in it."

"Ah, a worthy challenger, I hope," Sugoroku teased, smiling widely. His grin was still so shark-like. Yami thought of needles in his skin and very nearly snarled. It was only Yugi touching his foot again which calmed him.

"He beat me the second time we played," Yugi said with a grin. Yami blinked and looked at him, surprised by how proud the smaller teen seemed. "I taught him how to play and the second game he won using the king's gambit play."

His grandfather smirked. "Is that so?"

"He'd probably best you in a few minutes flat."

Yami blinked wide eyes. "Huh?"

Yugi laughed out loud at his startled expression. "What? You could totally beat him at chess. He can never win against me. And if you can beat me, then you're already better than him."

He blinked again, then blushed slightly. Kasumi studied the brightness in his eyes and it unnerved her further. She looked towards her father, but he seemed enthralled by the idea of having another opponent in a game. She nearly rolled her eyes.

Why couldn't he be serious for even a moment? Was she just paranoid and seeing things where there wasn't anything, or was he deliberately ignoring some of what seemed to be staring her in the face?

"I wouldn't go that far. It was luck."

"Luck?" Sugoroku scoffed. "Luck doesn't exist in chess!"

His cheeks heated further. Yugi smiled at him, a kind gesture which he drew strength from. Facing Sugoroku, Yami murmured, "I will gladly play against you at some point."

Kasumi rolled her eyes. "Don't encourage him." Her dry comment made Yami turn to her with widened eyes. They were so much darker than they had been the moment before. Her heart seemed to be skipping beats. Her stomach knotted. "Are your eyes naturally that color?"

Yami blinked wide, startled eyes. Yugi flinched in his seat. "Jesus, Mom," the smaller teen hissed, shaking his head at her. Something flashed in his eyes, sharp and dangerous. She thought of knives and sharp teeth bared against someone's throat. It was horrifying to think such a thing upon looking at her own son.

How had she gotten so far removed from him like this?

"I, um…y-yes?" Yami said awkwardly. The tension was wearing on his skin. Part of him wanted to flee. But another half said to stand his ground. If one of them moved suddenly, he'd end them. The fight-or-flight instinct was burning, raging beneath his skin. He was fierce, he was deadly. He was also scared and incredibly confused. "My eyes are…this color naturally."

"I've never seen that color before," she muttered in way of apology. She shot her son an annoyed look towards his pissed expression. "I've never seen or heard of anyone with red eyes like that."

Yugi huffed. "Albinos have that color—"

"I'm not albino," Yami cut in, voice flustered. His tone caught the other boy's attention. His head turned instantly towards him. They both blinked at one another. "But this is my eyes' natural color."

Should he apologize? It seemed only right to do so.

Yugi shook his head as if he could sense his train of thought. He touched his foot again and it made Yami glance at him in bewilderment.

"Yugi said that you were staying in a hotel room?"

His head turned, eyes widening again. "Um, yes…I am," he murmured, barely resisting a stutter. He blinked at her again, tilting his head slightly to the side. She looked undone by his eyes on hers directly so he turned to snatch at the cup of water beside his plate. He took a small sip and the iciness soothed at some ache in his throat.

"That can't be cheap."

Yugi sat up a little more. A thrum of excitement coursed through him. Was she about to suggest what he thought she was? He could feel the hope swelling up inside of him. And then bitterness came at the very edges of it. What if he was getting so excited all for nothing?

Yami bid his time for a moment. When he realized that she was still watching him, could probably tell he was merely nibbling on the glass out of growing discomfort, he finally lowered the cup to the table. "Yes." What else was he meant to say? Truly, what else was there to say?

She hesitated. Her eyes flickered to Yugi and then her father. Both of them seemed to be watching her, waiting to see which direction she went. She wished Yugi would be the one to extend the invitation. It would surely be easier coming from him than it was her. Yami was so in tune with him already…

Kasumi nearly choked. A thought occurred to her. What if Yugi had not been joking when he'd said that Yami was his lover? He might have been teasing about sex in his hotel room or in a hot tub, but what of that had not been a joke? He'd denied it outright just hours earlier that evening.

But, what if…?

It would explain the way Yami looked to him for guidance. It would explain the light in his eyes when they looked at each other. It could explain almost everything about the nerves he exhibited now as well.

By the gods, how had she failed to consider it before that moment…?

She almost wished she could retract the entire statement. What if she was giving them a reason to break the rules? What if Yugi snuck out of his room and they consummated their relationship? Yami was sixteen and so was Yugi. Truthfully, it was their own right to do that should they want to.

But did Yugi even have condoms? What if he caught something?

But Yami was staring at her. His expression was unsure, confused, and something in his eyes made her resolve strengthen. She'd have to trust Yugi not to be stupid. And, should he abuse this, then it gave her reason not to allow him such leniency all of the time. Not that she wanted to know every minute detail of his life, but she did have to wonder about the things that didn't quite match up any longer.

Kasumi drew in a breath. "Would you like to stay here for a few days?" she finally asked. "I'm sure your parents have to worry sometimes with you being in a hotel all of the time without them there…"

Yami blinked wide eyes. Yugi nearly leaped to his feet, a triumphant cry dying on his lips. Sugoroku considered his daughter, then looked at Yami closely. What if he proved to be dangerous? What if she was making a grave mistake? What if he decided to kill them both in the middle of the night? What if he attacked Yugi?

And yet, for the life of him, he could not take these concerns seriously.

Yami looked too startled and nervous, like a deer caught in headlights. It was true that the most beautiful and innocent creatures were often the most deadly. But he did not think Yami would truly do them any harm.

And his daughter would laugh or cut him off at the knees the moment he began to warn her.

"I, um… Y-yes, I would…if it's not an inconvenience to you…"

"It's not an inconvenience at all," she assured him instantly, waving her hand somewhat dismissively at his bashful acceptance. He blinked at her, eyes brightening the smallest touch, and his lips tugged into the slightest of smiles. He looked like an innocent teenager, with bright eyes and a handsome face. But his gaze was worn around the edges and he looked raw, the edges of him frayed with experiences she could not begin to imagine. "I would not have offered if it was."

Yami accepted this with a nod. "Thank you."

"There are going to be rules to you staying over, however," she announced dryly. Yugi rolled his eyes and she gave him a frigid look of warning. Sugoroku smirked in amusement; the two of them always seemed to butt heads when it came to honest rules. Kasumi turned back to her houseguest. "Now, normally when a guest spends the night, Yugi will pull out a mat for them and they'll sleep in his room. It's normally Jonouchi, Honda or Anzu. But, this is the first time I've ever met you. And I've known those three for years. So, you can see why this is going to be different, right?"

Yami nodded. "Yes."

"Good. I can get some clean pillows and a couple of blankets for you to spend the night on the couch. Or, if you'd like, you can use the mat that Yugi has in his room out here. You can watch the TV for as long as you want, just make sure that the volume is lowered. I have a surgery to do in the morning and my father needs his sleep."

He nodded again. He was paying her such rapt attention that her tongue seemed to stick to the roof of her mouth.

"Yugi will sleep in his room. If you're hungry, go ahead and feel free to find some kind of snack. Please do not make too much noise." She paused. "We have a spare toothbrush and toiletries in the bathroom. Feel free to take a shower before you go to bed or when you wake up or whenever you'd like to. Do not go into Yugi's room."

The smaller teen blinked, eyes wide, then blushed furiously at the insinuation. Yami blinked and looked at the smaller boy for a split second before turning back. Kasumi swallowed hard.

"If there's anything wrong, feel free to wake us up." She shot her father a look when he furrowed his brows. She wondered if he understood the distance she was attempting to create between the two teenagers now. "Should you leave the house tomorrow, please remember to tell one of us, especially if you decide to return to staying at your hotel."

He nodded again, but this time his eyes had grown slightly wide. There was something feverish in his gaze, strong and dancing like flames. She stiffened slightly, unnerved.

"I think that sums it up for now…"

Yami blinked. "Okay."

Kasumi sighed softly. Then she turned to Yugi. It was hard to look at him now as well. Was she seeing things or was that same fire in her son's bright eyes now as well? Her stomach churned.

"Finish up dinner and get ready for bed. You have school in the morning, remember?" she directed. Yugi blinked at her, startled, then nodded and turned back to his plate. His grandpa began to hurriedly finish his own food and Yugi followed suit after a moment. Yami was studious in the way he picked at his salmon, slowly eating and chewing with what seemed a contemplative look on his face. Kasumi herself finished her plate and began to collect the other two dishes that were cleaned of food.

"I'll do the dishes, Mom. Don't worry about it."

She blinked, looking at him in surprise. He smiled brightly up at her, as if the very thought made him giddy. But he hated dishes and she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps she was doing this because it would give him a reason to stay in the kitchen longer. Kasumi felt a small, shameful wave of curiosity come over her. She could wait until they were talking, Yugi doing the dishes and Yami finishing his food, and eavesdrop.

But that was childish and so impolite that it stung at her insides.

"Are you sure?"

Yugi stretched his hands out for the plates. "Absolutely." He drew them back onto the table in front of him when she handed them over. Then he waited patiently until Yami silently finished the last of his salmon and rice. He reached for the plate and Yami slid it towards him with wide eyes. The small teen got to his feet just as his mom and grandpa left the room to head down the hallway.

"You did pretty well," Yugi commented in a soft voice, turning on the water to keep his words from being overheard.

Yami gave him a somewhat bitter look. "I sounded like an absolute moron," he hissed, eyes narrowing with disdain. "And I feel as if your grandfather was expecting me to change at any moment."

The smaller teen huffed. "You did not sound like a moron," he argued with a roll of his eyes. "And, yeah, he probably did."

He shivered, falling silent for a long minute. Yugi had assumed the conversation done and his mouth felt dry at the prospect. Then, very quietly, came the question, "Does he test you often?"

Yugi dropped the plate so hard that the sink rattled. The crashing noise of china made him flinch. His ears rang with the sound, echoing in his skull. He ground his teeth together, eyes wide and stunned. His head snapped around, mouth opening and closing. Yami was staring at him with a horrified expression, concerned but rooted to the spot.

"Yugi, are you okay?" his mom called immediately. He could hear her coming and it made his skin crawl for a brief second.

"I'm fine, Mom. One of the dishes fell out of my hand," he replied loudly, the echo still prominent in his head. His eyes were still glued to Yami. The other boy shifted his weight awkwardly, watching him stupidly. "Oh, Yami…"

He bristled, his startled reaction drifting away instantly. "Do not pity me," he spat in a low tone. The words were like a slap in the face to Yugi but he did not flinch. "I…"

"I don't pity you. I just…I'm not going to let him do anything to make you uncomfortable. He's not going to do anything with you like that, okay?" Yugi said gently, sighing when he saw the hard clench of the other's jaw. "I promise you that I won't let that happen, okay?"

Yami licked his lips. His eyes were slightly dilated. "What does he do when he tests you?" he asked softly. It was puzzled, shaken and bewildered.

He shook his head. "Nothing like the lab experiments," he answered, eyes on the dishes in the sink and mind running a million miles an hour. "He likes to see if I can track him through the house. He'll see if I can tell smells apart, movements or things he's touched. Sometimes he'll flick a coin to see if I react to the reflection of the light when it hits the wall in my periphery. Every now and then he'll say something under his breath, like my name or a certain phrase, so that I'll turn around. He's never hurt me and he doesn't have a malevolent bone in his body, Yami. I wouldn't have asked you to do this if I thought he would do anything to you. Trust me."

Yami blinked. Trust him? Yes, surely he did, right?

But something inside of him hesitated. Something inside of him whispered that something was terribly wrong. But he had no idea what to say. He had no idea how he was meant to respond. So he merely nodded, because being mute was something he could fall back on. When he did not have words, he had silence. And the silence had never betrayed him as words had.

Yugi could see something drifting in his eyes. It was dark and harsh, insidious. He turned away, back to the dishes. He wiped them down, rinsed them off, and stuck them into the dishwasher. Then he turned around again. That darkness had not passed from Yami's eyes. Something was haunting him.

He licked his lips. "I'll go ahead and get you a set of sheets and a couple of blankets okay?"

Yami blinked. "Can I have the fleece…?" He trailed off and he felt stupid again, childish and too young. Yugi frowned, puzzled. Then he nodded, his smile soft and gentle but strained at the edges. He saw it, the distance…

"Of course. Give me a minute."

Yami nodded and got to his feet. He was tempted to follow, but if he was nothing else, he was obedient. So he padded to the living room instead. Had he followed Yugi, he might have heard the conversation. But, as it was, he turned on the television, lowering the volume, and stretched upon the cushions of the couch.

Yugi, gathering a pillow from the closet and moving almost silently, heard the softly spoken words. It came from behind a closed door, but his hearing caught them and nurtured them into meaning inside of his racing mind.

"I'm not sure I like the way he looked at Yugi."

He would have instinctively responded to his name. But now he stood frozen and curious. His head snapped in the direction of his mother's bedroom. His eyes glittered faintly. He wondered at it all. The way Yami looked at him?

"The way he looked at him?" his grandpa murmured in a quiet voice, echoing his thoughts. Yugi wondered if they were attempting to make sure he could not hear them. It would make sense but he could not determine the truth behind this thought.

"He looked at him like…" His mom sighed in obvious frustration. Yugi pulled the pillows down and clenched them in his hands. "I don't know how to explain it. But I don't like it. It was…too…intimate."

His grandfather usually would have laughed at that kind of statement. This time he was oddly silent. The seconds passed. Yugi could hear the clock ticking in the bathroom. He could hear the air currents as the heat trailed through the vents. He could hear the steady static of soft voices from the television, the volume so low as to be almost mute.

"They did seem…oddly close."

She was quiet for a moment. "I knew I wasn't imagining it."

"No, you weren't." He wondered if Sugoroku would have the audacity to attempt to tell her his secret now. He wondered if he truly understood the immensity of what he and Yami were. "They do seem very close for how long he's claimed they have known each other."

"I can't help but wonder if he is simply going to use him as a rebound now that he and Anzu have called it off. Or if maybe he's confused. Maybe he just feels strong friendship towards him and he's misread it…"

"Yugi has always been a smart kid. He gets it from you. I don't believe for a second that he would ever use someone else like that." He hesitated. "But I don't know what they have together. I'm not sure that he's in love with him or not. But I don't… Yugi is smart, Kasumi. I don't think he'd ever be foolish or callous towards someone else like that."

"He might not mean to. He might think it's a fun fling or something and Yami might see it as a serious relationship! And then what?"

Sugoroku was silent. Yugi was clenching the pillow so tightly he thought the threads might burst beneath his fingers.

"I don't know, Kasumi."

She sighed and his grandpa started for the door. Yugi turned on his heel, headed into his room, grabbed the fleece off of the bed, and headed back to the living area. Yami was seated in the center of the couch, eyes on the television. He looked incredibly troubled again, but he was not as haunted. He could see the difference in the two expressions and it seemed to relax his anxiety.

But what had his mom seen?

What had his grandpa seen?

He smiled as Yami looked up. He stretched the bundle to the other boy who blinked and reached out. "Thank you," Yami murmured softly, taking it from him and sorting through the materials for a moment. When he saw the fleece he seemed to visibly relax.

Yugi smiled a little more. "Do you want some help making the bed?"

He shook his head. "I think I have it."

Yami still had not fully made the bed for himself in the middle of the night. He'd dropped the two pillows against the armrest, draped the fleece over himself, and snuggled into a ball. The television had been playing for hours so he'd turned it off. But in the dark the shadows were stretched for what seemed like infinity. And his skin crawled as he thought of what lurked in the darkness.

There was so much pain to be found there.

He swallowed away a whimper.

His mind scrambled.

Why were things happening now?

Why were so many things coming to the surface?

Yami bristled in the darkness. His shoulders rose and a snarl threatened to creep out of his throat. He would not sleep. His body was weighted and fatigued. But he had not taken medication and his current failure to respond beforehand did nothing to calm him. His heart was in his throat and his tongue tasted of metal and copper.

He could not risk tearing his wrists open again.

He would not risk it.

Yami drew in a long, sharp breath.

Then his ears caught a noise. Immediately he sat up. A snarl snapped forth from his jaws. His shoulders rose. Had someone gotten inside? He could not tell where they were for a moment. Then he looked towards the entrance of the living room.

Something flashed in his mind.

It was brilliant, hideous, terrifying.

He saw a tall frame, willowy and lanky.

It was wasted muscle, disease wreathed upon a body.

They were dressed in white.

The shoes were black, dressy.

The edges of their outline were baggy.

Their legs were too thin beneath their clothes.

He could see where the pants legs cushioned the fragile knees.

His mind scrambled and raced.

His head snapped up a bit more.

Their eyes were glittering in the dark.

Or perhaps it was one eye.

But it glittered and glowed and it made him sick.

For against what should have been skin, was plastic.

It reflected the bulk of the illumination.

And it stretched downwards.

It distorted their face hideously.

The mask stretched outwards on both sides.

And he prayed it was never removed.

For the skin beneath it was terrible.

And he was terrified.

And, oh gods no—

It happened in a flash. Yami backed up an inch on the couch. The snarl grew lower. Then it stopped trickling from his throat. The shape in the doorway was short and nimble in frame. They were dressed in baggy, light clothing. And their eyes glowed brilliantly in the dark.

Yami could not help the way his heart skipped and raced. His panic decreased, then ceased entirely. He closed his eyes, exhaling in relief. "Yugi," he whispered softly. He smiled in the dark and the other teen offered him a mirroring expression.

He could not read his features entirely due to the lack of lighting and his body trying to relax. But he could see the shadows more prominently on the right side of Yugi's face. And he saw his hair layered in the dark, gray and silver against deep, glossy black. He could see the small curve of his lips in the dark, though his eyes were too uniform to read for emotion in the dark.

"Hey, sorry. Did I wake you?"

Yami shook his head. "I've been awake. What's wrong?" he asked, demanding an explanation now as he finally seemed to fully relax. He licked his lips. "Are you all right?"

Yugi padded into the room, circled the coffee table, and then took a seat on the side. "Yeah, Yami, I'm fine. I'm just… I guess I'm so used to sleeping with you there that I couldn't sleep now. It's…too lonely, I guess…"

He blinked and tilted his head. "Oh," he said quietly, because he did not know what else to say. Impulsively he moved to make room for him on the couch. In a split second decision, he even extended his arm where the fleece was draped more heavily over his shoulder. Yugi blinked in shock, then smiled in amusement, and came to take the space beside him.

Yugi sat so close that their body heat mingled in the mere inches between them. Yami draped the blanket over his shoulders as far as it would go without removing it from his own body. He was surprised how peaceful it was to have the small teen so close to him. How strange to assume that he might even consider the proximity comforting.

They looked at each other in the dark.

Yugi wondered if companionship came easily to the other boy. It seemed hard for him when his friend and cage mate had died. He did not even want to consider the female who had formerly stolen his heart and returned it shattered and broken. It was by no fault of her own, but it still hurt him to consider.

He closed his eyes for a moment. Then he turned his face away. He looked oddly fatigued, weighed down by something Yugi himself had no experience with. It hurt to see him in such a way.

"Why are you still awake?"

"The same reason as you, I suppose."

But was he lonely? Yami considered. There was an aching pit in his chest, a void of some kind which smothered him. Yes, he was lonely. But it was not in the same sense as Yugi felt. His loneliness was borne of misplaced kindness and deaths which still choked his insides. His was of a greater suffering than being merely thrown out of routine by the lack of a physical body beside him.

And yet, something about the way that Yugi so simply accepted his lack of response made him feel much better. And the companionship he offered him made his heart feel a little less strangled. Every part of him seemed to push back on the gaping wound, attempting to close it if only slightly along the edges. And he wished he could ask Yugi to further his commitment to it. He wished he could ask Yugi how to heal it.

But it hurt just to consider and it left him breathless. So Yami pushed it aside and he pressed a little closer, until their sides were flush together and the warmth came in pulsating waves. And he wondered how Yugi might be able to heal him—if only slightly—without even trying.

He was trembling before he could stop himself. Yugi looked toward him, smiling gently, and moved to draw him closer. He held him until the trembling subsided, arms loose around him. The gentle touch made Yami think of warm pelts pressed against his side and the soft kiss of a canine's tongue upon his skin.

Yami pulled away a few minutes after he'd stilled. His eyes were on the carpet, his sight not truly focused within the dark. He ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes again. "Thank you," he muttered.

"For what?"

"Putting up with me."

Yugi laughed softly. "My pleasure," he teased, though the promise of his words served to underline the soft statement. He beamed at Yami in the dark and the other boy couldn't help but smile in return, shaking his head.

He hadn't been wrong to bite him. He'd been exactly right when he'd chosen to do so. Against everything Yami had told himself when it came to such action, against every instinct in his body, he'd decided to save Yugi that night. And he was so happy to have done so.

He was the gentlest soul that Yami had ever come to know. Beyond his cage mate formerly, Yugi had to be the kindest person who had ever come to cross paths with him.

Yugi reached out abruptly. The action made Yami look up with wide eyes. His fingertips grazed his cheek. The touch was soft and gentle. And his skin was warm and beautiful upon his eyes locking with Yugi. Their gazes locked and his fingertips trailed down the length of his face. Then he closed his eyes and pulled his hand away.

"Are you okay?"

"Tired." Yami watched him as he put his hands in his lap and shifted his shoulders slightly. Yugi licked his lips. His fingers were still tingling, the softest, gentlest warmth along the ends of his digits. He opened his eyes again, continuing with, "What do you want for breakfast?"

Yami tilted his head. "You still have several hours before your alarm goes off," he objected.

"I know, but I figured I would ask so that when I bother to get up and make breakfast, I make the right thing," he teased softly, smiling at him. Now his eyes glittered with amusement, the close proximity giving Yami just the slightest bit more definition to read his emotions.

"Ah, I see." He smiled slightly. "What do you want for breakfast, Yugi?"

He tilted his head. "Fine, pancakes it is," he snorted, smiling wider. Yami rolled his eyes but could not help the small bit of warmth which filled his stomach. Yugi leaned forward and bumped their shoulders, eyes bright and beautiful in his own. "Extra syrup and maybe some berries? Mom got blueberries. I don't remember if you've ever had blueberries?"

"No I don't think I have…"

"Would you like to try some then?"

Yami blinked, nodding slightly. "Yes, please," he agreed, licking his lips again. "I think I would like to try that…"

He smiled and shook his head. "Then that's what we'll do." He leaned a little closer, then yawned. His forehead fell against his shoulder and he sighed softly. "I don't want to go back to bed yet."

"I could wake you in a couple of hours, maybe before your alarm goes off?" Yami offered softly, looking at him. Yugi blinked, eyes wide, and stared at him in shock for a moment. Then he smiled and shook his head.

"You don't mind?"

"Not at all."

---

Yugi blinked his eyes open and stretched. It took him only a moment to realize he was not in his bed. Nor was he completely resting on the couch. He blinked, then shifted his weight to sit up. His scalp tingled faintly where his hair brushed against Yami's chin. The other wolf did not respond, however, and Yugi yawned again, covering his mouth and stretching his arms out once more. He took a small glance at what position he knew he'd been lying in and found his cheeks heating slightly.

He'd fallen asleep with his head in Yami's lap. And the other wolf had let him. He'd even put a blanket over him in the meantime. Yugi ran a hand through his hair and looked over at him. Yami was watching him, eyes keen and wide awake. He hadn't slept any, Yugi knew, but he was still seated there all the same.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think I'd fall asleep on you like this…" He snorted, his mind foggy with the slight pun, and then rolled his eyes at himself. He glanced around for a clock of some kind, then looked into the kitchen. He could see the red print of the numbers, but the angle was all wrong to read them. He turned back. "You could have woken me up. I would have moved for you."

Yami shook his head. "I didn't want to. And you were comfortable. I wasn't willing to wake you," he said dismissively. He looked at him for a moment. "You still have an hour before your alarm goes off."

"Which means thirty minutes before my mom's does." He stretched and got to his feet. He felt the loss instantly, but shrugged it off. Yami wasn't truly going anywhere. He'd see him in a little while as it was. He would make breakfast and everything would be fine. Yami wasn't leaving him and running off into the mountains. He watched him for a moment. "Thank you…for not waking me then."

"You needed your sleep."

"But you need sleep too."

Yami shook his head. "Not tonight," he said quietly, shaking his head. "Definitely not tonight. Perhaps later."

Yugi nodded and turned away. "I'll see you in a little while." Thirty minutes before his mom's alarm went off…

It might be a smart idea for him to get up and start on breakfast then. She wouldn't be able to start a conversation with Yami and possibly trigger a reaction without meaning to. That would solve a lot of the potential issues. He would play the buffer and they'd have to work around him. She couldn't question him as he knew she wanted to. There would be no comments about his lacking an Italian accent or if his eyes were truly that color. He could even make her bypass the possibility of asking him to speak in Italian.

Yami's similarities to Yugi in appearance had done well to startle her enough not to ask. But he knew she had been wondering. It was impossible for her not to have. And he did not know that Yami could actually speak Italian—perhaps he could. It was close to Latin and, from what he had read on mythology for werewolves, they could all basically read and speak in it. So maybe…

He shrugged it off and took a seat on the bed. He would have turned on the light had he not known that the neighbors were home. They might have told his mom later about this and she would get the rightful idea that he had been with Yami instead of asleep in his room…

When her alarm went off Yami jumped and looked over his shoulder. It was a lot softer than the one which always woke Yugi. He blinked and looked towards the kitchen curiously. The alarm might actually be preferable to the quiet that pressed so hard on his form. The alarm would mean Yugi would come out again, as well, and that made him feel better. He liked the idea of his beta coming back. They could sit together again before he had to go to school.

He always woke up earlier than necessary, took a shower and settled somewhere in the room to talk for a little while. Then he'd sit alone while Yugi made him some breakfast, ate his own seconds later, and eventually raced off for school.

The red-eyed teen looked up with a startled expression moments later. His stomach knotted briefly. He recognized the soft footsteps coming into the kitchen and it made his eyes wide. He blinked and tilted his head, sitting up completely again.

"Why are you up so soon?" he asked in confusion. "Your alarm has not even gone off yet."

Yugi grinned at him playfully. "I didn't fall back asleep," he admitted lazily, tilting his head at him. "You look happier than you did when I left."

"I am grateful for a friendly face."

He raised a brow, smiling warmly. "Well I'm glad I could deliver," he announced. His face seemed to light up a bit more and Yami rolled his shoulders as he shrugged the fleece away and got up to take a seat at the table. It was amazing how easily Yugi seemed to accept things like that. He'd probably still have been incredibly suspicious of the statement. "Do you want to learn to make pancakes?"

"Are you going to attempt to make me prepare them each time now?"

Yugi smirked at his amused, raised eyebrow. "Yes, you jackass. Then you'll make breakfast the rest of the time you're here," he snickered. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, turning away to head for the pantry. Yami put his hand in his chin and glanced around the room. Had there always been little charms hanging from the chandelier? He'd never noticed before. It threw him off slightly.

The red-eyed lycanthrope got to his feet and moved to his side. Yugi was pushing the metal bowl aside and picking out the box mix of the pancake batter. He glanced sideways at the taller teen, smiling faintly, and looked back at the bowl again. When he dumped it in, Yami remembered vaguely that he'd burned his hand trying to make this same food. It was a small hint bewildering to him that he had even done that to begin with. Common sense should have told him not to try.

But he'd been hungry.

And he had never had difficulty learning from visual experience. He had simply done things in the wrong order. Yet, when Yugi turned on the stove, his skin flashed with pain and he jerked back with a wary expression.

Yugi looked at him and then back towards the stove. Then he shook his head and smiled at him warmly. "You're not going to get hurt, okay? I won't let anything happen to you." He turned away and poured some water into the bowl with the mix. Yami watched him stir for a few long seconds and the other boy turned around to reach into the fridge for a small container of berries. The soft blue shade of them reminded him of nighttime, the outsides of each traced with something like silver clouds as if the moon were hidden behind them.

"You're making pancakes?" his mom asked, walking into the room. She noticed that both of them nodded but didn't turn around. Their shoulders were close to each other. They were very nearly touching. Kasumi had never seen Yugi so passive about his own personal space. Even if it had been Anzu, she thought he would have attempted to put more room between them. Her lips thinned and she narrowed her eyes slightly. "Whose idea was this?"

Yugi blinked and now he looked over his shoulder. The disapproval on her face confused him. "Mine," he answered slowly, glancing sideways. Yami was picking at the berries. He saw one of them puncture beneath his nail and the index finger holding it was colored slightly violet and blue. The small crescent shape was almost undetectable at first glance and, had Yugi not had such keen eyesight, he thought for sure he would have missed it. But the small, warm scent of blueberry made his nose tickle slightly. And he could faintly hear it when Yami drew in a deep breath to sample the smell more thoroughly. He resisted the urge to burst out laughing.

"Did you ask Yami first?"

The boy turned at the sound of his name. His eyes were wide and startled. "Ask me what?" he requested in confusion, eyes flickering to Yugi and his mother uncertainly. When had he needed to ask him something?

"Pancakes are one of Yugi's favorite breakfasts. I was simply wondered if he had asked you before he began making them."

Yugi blinked. "Yami loves pancakes."

Yami nodded slightly. "I do, yes. I love pancakes."

His mom stared at Yugi for a moment. Then her eyes flickered to Yami. The boy looked confused still, more like a deer caught in headlights. Did being the focus of attention make him nervous? She nearly snorted loudly. There was no way that this boy could be rendered nervous by that of all things.

There was something else going on.

"Besides, I decided I would let Yami try blueberries in his pancakes. He told me a while back that he's never had blueberries."

Kasumi narrowed her eyes, voice tight. "The ones that were frozen and you said you would use for smoothies?"

Yugi didn't bother to grace her with a curt reply in return. Instead he turned around, voice bright and cheerful. "Yep! That would be them!" He was speaking a bit loudly and Yami nearly flinched at the octave. He looked at Yugi and back, then turned to the plastic container in his hand where he'd been picking at the berries.

His mother sighed. "Well, at least you're eating them," she said dryly, rolling her eyes. Yami watched her shuffle towards the corner of the kitchen and grab what looked to be a metal dish with a long spout. The handle was long and smooth, elegantly done, and sturdy enough that she could hold it comfortably in her fingers.

She pulled it towards the sink, stepping around Yami who awkwardly pressed further into Yugi's space in order to avoid brushing against her. She noticed with a small hint of amusement that Yugi nearly knocked the bowl of batter over from the unexpected touch. The glare he shot Yami was playful. Kasumi filled the kettle with water, then turned on another part of the stove. The bright blue flames made his skin crawl for a brief moment. His lips threatened to tug downwards and his teeth ground slightly together.

"Do you like tea, Yami?"

Yugi blinked and poured some batter into the skillet. He reached up into the cabinets to grab a couple of plates, then moved to pull out a spatula from the holder. There were a few whisks, a couple of other spatulas, a few large metal spoons.

"I prefer water," he said quietly, unsure what more to do. He could not think of what else there was to say and it made his stomach churn harshly. Yugi glanced sideways at Yami for a split second and then away again. "But thank you for the offer."

Kasumi raised a brow curiously. "Were you raised to be so polite or did you learn that yourself?" she asked with her head tilted.

Yami felt his lips twitch downwards. "My parents raised me to be," he answered slowly, remembering abruptly the culture within Japan. They were raised to be polite, and businessmen were respected almost more than anyone else. He stared at her, realizing with harsh clarity the meaning behind this question. "But I do not think I wouldn't have wound up polite anyways. I… Politeness is a good virtue to have. I don't like the idea of not being polite."

Yugi flipped a pancake. His eyes narrowed.

Had Yami taught himself or had his cage mate? Or was it just something ingrained in him? Did wolves instinctively show respect to one another? He supposed they had to. The hierarchy hung in the balance, did it not? And Yami was in a territory he did not consider his, even after all of that time he'd spent there with him.

Kasumi nodded and leaned against the counter. Yugi was watching her. She could tell, even though his head never turned and his eyes never truly focused on her. It was clear despite everything. Somehow he was studying her, watching everything without so much as a tilt of his head.

He, like Yami, was measuring her words. She had seen the dawning of realization come through those red eyes, brightening the ring of his irises nearest his pupils. The surprise and then mild disappointment within his gaze was blatant. She would have smiled if she had not known it would have looked like she was the cat that had caught the canary.

Yugi put a pancake on the plate. Yami shifted his weight. Kasumi looked at the kettle. The minutes passed. The kettle began to whistle. Yami turned his head with curious eyes. Yugi wondered vaguely if he should ask for a cup.

She poured the water into the cup to nearly an inch below the rim. She let it sit there, reaching into the cabinet overhead again to pull out a small, clay pot. The spout was short, narrow, and came only a couple inches from the small frame of its base. The color was deep red, the shape of it so smooth Yami almost thought of glass. The lid was small, short, and when she opened it, he knew that the basin could not be very large. Regardless, she pulled out a bag which he could hear crinkling softly as she put it aside and reached to where Yugi was holding a spoon out without prompt. She thanked him but neither of the two boys was listening; Yugi was still completely focused on his breakfast meal and Yami was too shocked by the sight of the tea to bother.

The smell which came to him was soft but spicy, lingering between earthy and mint-like in scent. Yugi felt queasy, thinking briefly of wolfsbane, but Yami thought it smelled almost like summer sunlight too deeply absorbed in greenery. He drew in another breath and ignored the way Yugi snickered under his breath at him.

She poured a small spoonful of the dried leaves into the clay teapot. Then she waited another minute before pouring the cup of hot water in as well. The cup was warm, but not too hot, and Yami watched her put the lid on top. A small pinprick of a hole allowed steam to escape from the lid, though it was already drifting from the spout. The handle was only an inch longer, Yami noticed with wide eyes, studying the small clay device.

Kasumi was watching him in turn. And Yugi was officially studying them both now. She had no doubt that he had gotten up earlier than usual in order to see to it that Yami wasn't interrogated. She nearly rolled her eyes. Yami seemed capable of handling his own, even if he was a little closed off and more confused and cautious than anything.

She turned away again, gripping the handle tightly and pressing the lid firmly down on the pot. Yami looked at her, entranced by the movements, and his red eyes glittered with perplexity. She nearly smiled, but ignored it in order to begin pouring. The teapot was tipped sideways and he thought the liquid was a deep yellow color. She waited a moment, poured some more, and the color became greener. When the last drop was inside of the cup, she set the kettle and teapot aside, though she did not drift towards where Yugi was still working on pancakes.

Kasumi smiled faintly at Yami. The other boy blinked in confusion, then turned away and looked at the plate of breakfast pastries. Yugi had drenched each of them in syrup and rubbed butter into the pancakes before adding the next. He had not even noticed he was doing that before now.

Yugi grinned at him sideways. "Did you enjoy watching tea being made?" he snorted.

Yami blushed slightly. He'd never seen that before. It was so strange and different to see it being done in front of him. He looked between Yugi and his mom for a moment. Then he looked down at the plate. Yugi drenched the top of the last pancake with syrup and butter and handed it off to him.

"Thank you…"

Yugi nodded, humming, and began to work on his own plate of pancakes. He narrowed his eyes and considered for a moment. Did he want blueberries? He didn't even know if Yami would have liked them as much as he did the plain ones he usually made for him. Maybe chocolate chips would be better. He did want something sweet…

Then again, he'd had hot chocolate and a Samoa the day before. Why should he eat any more sweets? But he did think that sweets might taste nice. Yugi put the rest of the blueberries back, then searched through the pantry for some chips to put into the pancake batter. He brought out a small bag of semisweet and began to mix them into the metal bowl.

Yugi glanced at his mom and the way she was staring at Yami at the table made him wonder. What had she seen between them? Why had she looked at them like that when she'd walked into the kitchen? She'd seen them in the kitchen and her expression had been disapproving. And he knew for a fact that she had not been upset by only his decision to make pancakes.

"How do you think your midterms will turn out?"

Yami blinked and looked at them with a startled expression. The fork was stuck in his mouth now, his eyes on Yugi more than Kasumi. The small teen was staring at his skillet, flipping a pancake skillfully.

"I think I'll definitely pass. I don't think I'll get all A's, but I know I will pass." He shrugged. How he was even concentrating enough to talk to her was bewildering to him. His mind was still on what it was that she had apparently seen between them. She said she didn't like what she'd seen during dinner…

Kasumi watched Yami as the boy went hack to nervously eating his food. He would cut small pieces and self-consciously shift his weight with each bite. He would lick his lips and ignore the way that she was staring at him. Then she could see him hesitate, his eyes flickering about their faces before he'd tuck back into his food. He'd narrow his eyes and lick his lips and awkwardly shift his weight again.

But every time he got unnerved like that, his eyes shot to Yugi. She imagined that when Yugi took a seat in front of him, he would still assume such flighty actions. She shook her head slightly and took a sip of her tea.

"Do you need any help studying further?"

"No." Yugi dropped the last pancake onto his plate. "I'm exhausted from studying too much. Besides, I can always ask Anzu or Honda or Jonouchi for help too if I really need it. Besides, I don't think I can cram anymore in my brain right now."

Especially when he couldn't even shake off one thought.

He nearly scowled, but instead dropped gracefully into his seat and put his plate on the table in front of him. He ignored his mother's stare and took a large bite of pancake to keep from having to speak any longer.

Kasumi watched the way Yami did exactly as she had expected. His eyes flickered up, locked on Yugi, then fell back to his plate. Her son glanced at him as well, then went back to wolfing his pancakes down. Yami fidgeted. Yugi licked his lips. It was only after a long moment that they both locked eyes. They smiled faintly at each other, then immediately looked down again.

---

Yugi shivered. Yami, a step behind him, glanced around them. The smell of blood was harsh, swamping their senses. Yugi felt sick as he crept over the small bend of a hill and peered further into the icy forest. He cursed and Yami looked at him sideways before craning his neck and tilting his head. His eyes flickered only once in search of the disruption, then found the shape in front of them as well.

The deer had been ripped almost completely through. Blood flecked the ground in waves of bright red. The snow seemed to be steaming from its touch even now. The head was snapped and lay upside down. The head of antlers were shoved almost into the bark of the tree neighboring the body. The bone of its throat jutted through soft brown fur in a peak of hideous white and red strands of bloodied sinew. The skull was concaved along the ears, the flesh of them torn away to red stumps.

The legs were shattered in half, sticking prominently outwards in awkward positions. The blood of them was dark and dried against the legs. The hooves were all but hanging by muscle, dark and hideous in the shadows. The organs had been drawn out, scattered upon the snow in heaps of muscle and blood. The back legs were splayed upwards, as if it had been attempting to kick away the threat. The body was frozen, stiff among the shadows.

"What…?"

Yami tilted his head. "Definitely werewolf." He padded forward, lazy in his stride, and wrinkled his nose as he came along its side. The carcass was huge, the buck extremely healthy and well-maintained, and he furrowed his brows. It smelled keenly of wolf, but the undertones were that of ivy and nightshade and his stomach churned. "Hellhound…"

Yugi blinked. "Valon, maybe?"

He shook his head. "I don't think he kills for sport, do you? He would have been caught by now and experimented on if he was that foolish." He looked at Yugi with a frown and narrowed his eyes. "No one would consider this a normal animal attack. Especially since the neck is broken in half like that. Don't you think that's a little too much to be an average predator?"

Yugi huffed. "Well, yeah, but…" He fell silent for a long minute and a half. Then he shook his head. "That's insane. Why would they want to leave evidence behind like that?"

Yami shook his head. "They probably didn't." He opened his mouth but Yugi was moving forward again. He got to the other side of the deer and yelped. The air rushed beneath him. The snow shot into the air. Yami gaped. A snapping noise made them both flinch. The smaller teen cried out. He was suspended in the air, eyes wide.

Yami blinked, frozen in place. Then he blinked again. He exhaled and the snow drifted from where the air was still disturbed. Then he blinked again. His mouth opened and closed. His lips twitched awkwardly. Then he snickered, unable to stop himself.

"This is not funny," Yugi spat. The net was tight where it held him. It seemed to embrace his skin like a second layer of clothing. He ground his teeth together. His leg ached from where it had initially sprung underfoot. He snarled loudly in anger.

"Hey, relax," Yami chuckled. "It's just a net. I'll get you out in a second."

In his rage, the smaller teen ignored him. He clawed at the rope. Then he chomped his jaws. None of it did a thing. He bore his teeth and snarled again. He lashed out but the net simply jostled. He could have screamed.

The net jerked. Yugi spun on him. Yami had jostled it again. But he hadn't managed to tear it. He frowned and craned his neck. He wondered at its strength. Were there metal fibers? He wouldn't have been surprised. They had set the trap right next to the carcass. They had to be aware it was not a natural predatory kill.

It only surprised him that it was not silver.

"Stop squirming."

Yugi bore his teeth. "Oh, fuck off, Yami."

The embittered note in his voice made Yami freeze. His eyes grew immensely round. He froze in place, startled. Then he bit his lip and shrugged it off. He leaped again. His nails snagged one of the finer threads. It tore with an audible ripping. Yugi looked towards the possible opening with wide eyes.

Yami swiped again. This time he nicked his skin as well. Yugi hissed and the other boy ignored him. Another leap and the threads tore again. Then he repeated the gesture a fourth time. Now the net weakened from the jostling. The metal fibers wore from the movement. He lashed out again. His nail cut through another large square of rope. And Yugi yelped as the net folded beneath him.

He hit the ground with a cry. The snow softened the blow. But his ears were ringing. His tongue was swollen. His mouth tasted of blood. He blinked away the dots behind his eyes. He shivered. Then he looked towards Yami. The other wolf was frozen, listening. His eyes were narrowed and his head tilted.

Yugi felt sick. They were close by, weren't they?

And he'd just foolishly alerted them to their presence there…

Yami bristled, drawing in a deep breath. "I smell burned flesh," he said softly, snarling. His head turned. His eyes shot quickly back and forth in the shadows.

Yugi drew in a deep breath, stiffening. His heart rocketed in his chest. He trembled harshly, then opened and closed his mouth. His eyes shot into the shadows as well.

No…

No, there was just no way.

There was absolutely no way.

It couldn't be Fuwa.

Fuwa was dead.

Fuwa had to be dead.

The snow exploded next to him. Yugi jumped to his feet, horrified. Yami snatched his wrist. Yugi stumbled after him. The other boy was tugging him rapidly along. Their feet were moving too quickly. Yugi could barely even keep up. His eyes were burning from the speed. The cold air cut through his skin.

They slipped across the downhill lurch of the incline. And then they both slid. Yugi gaped and slammed into the ground. Yami grunted as he landed on his ass. His mouth opened and closed. His breathing came in ragged gasps. A harsh, hideous crackling noise burst forth. Yugi felt his head spin. He could barely catch it around his heart in his throat. He gaped and panted. His body was shaking.

The snow came in flurries. Rushes of white began to blind him. The clumps of ice swirled beautifully. Yugi felt sick. Yami struggled to get up. But the ground was too coarse. It was jagged, bumpy. He opened and closed his mouth. He gasped outwards. Then he scrambled for a grip on the ice. The snow was thick lying upon the layer of ice.

The ice was…

He looked frantically towards Yugi. The small teen was scrambling for his feet. "No, Yugi, stop—" The other boy heard him too late. His feet moved, scrabbling. The snow flew into the air. And the ice shattered. Yami lunged for him. The water burst upwards. The red-eyed teen felt it beneath him now. The roar of noise burst through him. He cried out.

A bullet shot through the air. It exploded into the snow right where Yami had been moments before. The icy current caught him terribly. It threw itself through his skin. It surged into his blood and lashed through him. His lungs ached and burst in his chest. His heart was too fast.

The darkness lapped at his senses. And it roared in his ears. Ice shards cut into his skin. He tried to lash out. And the current threw him harder. Yami gargled. The bubble of his breath barely touched the ice above his head.

The blackness choked him.

It was endless.

It was hideous.

It consumed him wholly.

It embraced him beautifully.

And then, with wispy touches, it began to recede.

The ice of the winter air burst through him.

His lungs rebelled.

He choked and expelled water.

The cold air bit into his skin.

His breath came in a raspy burst.

He croaked.

His eyelids fluttered.

The darkness was uniform at first. Then it began to differentiate in shades. Dark black encroached upon territories of gray. Dark cobalt layered itself throughout dunes of white and silver. He gasped and croaked again.

He was twitching. His fingers shook. His body was stiff and cold. He gasped harder. Then he looked about himself. He didn't recognize the trees. They all loomed over his head in uniform towers of bare bark. He drew in an aching lung of breath. Then he blinked again, eyes wide.

The snow was cold against his cheek. He felt numb. His lashes were frozen. His skin was covered in ice. He shivered. His entire body was wracked with pain. He gasped and blinked. Then he shivered harder. Finally the boy dragged his leg closer to him. They were sprawled apart, legs bent and covered by inches of snow.

He drew his legs closer. Then he clawed at the ground. It was a heavy burst of pain to greet him. He was still numb. But his flesh burned. And he was exhausted. He drew in a deep breath. His shoulders hurt. He could feel the muscles beneath his skin bruised and crushed. He drew in a large breath, then exhaled.

He watched his breath puff out in white swirls. He growled softly under his breath. He closed his eyes. The cold bit at his insides. Every part of him was in agony. He was bruised. He was exhausted. He was numb and cold. And his breath was too tight and terrible. He gasped inwards, choking harder. Then he exhaled hard and closed his eyes.

His body was shaking. The cold chilled him more. He shook harder. The noise in his lungs was broken. His ribs felt achingly shattered. He opened and closed his mouth. The air was frigid in front of his nose.

He closed his eyes. The snow fell from part of his clothing. Then he staggered to his feet. His legs were broken, gelatin. He felt shaky as he nearly fell over. Water shot through his open jaws. He stumbled again, only moving a small step forward. He opened his eyes and wiped at his mouth.

"Yami?" he whispered.

The forest seemed to swallow his name. Yugi looked around. His eyes were still adjusting. And his ears ached hideously. His blood was rushing in his veins. It was attempting to warm him. But he felt it weakly. It would not manage such a feat. He was too cold. He was frozen and tired.

Yet he stumbled again, forward and awkwardly. He nearly fell on his face, then shook it off. He gasped, eyes staring bleakly into the darkness. The snow looked too deep to traverse. He closed his eyes and angled his head lower.

He looked over. His body was imprinted there in a long line of broken, cold earth. The snow seemed feet deep. His eyes were burning still. The air had rendered them dry. He drew in a long breath and narrowed his eyes. Then he groaned out a rattling exhale. His eyes flickered away.

He could see the large boulder upon the bank which had caught him. A knot of branches were tangled where the ice of the river was weak. He shivered and breathed harder. The debris had saved him somehow. It had managed to hold him from the current. It had saved him…

Yugi breathed out and stumbled again. This time he forced his voice to come out louder. "Yami?" he called with the slightest bit more volume. But the reality was that he was the only one there. He knew it somewhere in the back of his mind. His heart was shaking and his lungs were too tight in his chest. His stomach hurt viciously.

He had woken alone. Which meant Yami—if he was not still somehow trapped under the surface—was further down the river. Unless…

Yugi couldn't think straight.

Could he have wound further upstream? Had there been another break further upstream? Or was it only possible he might be further downstream? If he tracked the course of the river, which direction made more sense?

Logically he was smaller than Yami. That meant he was easier to carry downstream. That also meant, however, that it would be easier for him to get caught in a tangle of branches and stone and get out of the river. Yami weighed more, so his journey could have meant more velocity from the current. Or it might have meant that he was somewhere farther upstream, the ice having broken and his body expelled…

Yugi choked on a breath. He had no idea which way to go…

His mind told him to simply follow the river. He turned around and stumbled along the bank. He'd search downstream first. Then he would double back and try for the course of the river upwards. He shivered and trudged along.

His plan was cut short when his body locked into place. He'd been out for hours. He'd traversed the length of the river for miles. He'd moved for hours on end. And he was still exhausted. His stomach knotted. His blood had slowed. He'd ignored the first warning his body had offered him hours back.

His heart had slowed and his body had shaken rapidly. He'd gone through convulsions, vomiting in immense waves of yellow and green bile. Blood had scraped up the back of his throat with terrible pain. The blood had slowed almost completely in his veins now.

And he was exhausted again.

So he stood frozen now, staring into the darkness. The snow was up to a foot high. The icy river roared with noise in his ears. His stomach jerked. He convulsed once more. Then he vomited heavily and shook hideously. His body trembled and heat burst through his deadened limbs.

His body felt too cold and numb. And the fire within his veins writhed and jerked. Yugi would not be able to move for much longer. His body was hideously attempting to repel the pain and cold. He was frozen and terrible and he needed to leave. He had to go.

His heart hurt in his chest, however.

His mouth opened and closed. He swallowed thickly. His mouth tasted hideous. The acrid tang of bile made him shiver again. He gasped and choked again. Then he closed his eyes and his body quaked once more.

"I'm sorry," he croaked softly, shaking his head. He was still whispering under his breath when he stumbled towards his house. He was covered in snow which he shed with awkward jerks. He shrugged the ice from his limbs. Then he ruffled it away from his hair. His strands were frozen in the cold air. The small teen wiped his face.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Yami," he choked out. Then he dusted his legs off and even kicked his shoes away. He forced the door open with a shaky hand. Thankfully it had not been locked. Yugi shook his head and locked it behind him.

Then he trudged up the stairs and to his room. The warm air made his entire body ache. The numbness receded, then came in hideous bursts. It clawed at him, tearing through his senses. He wiped at his nose where it burned. And he rubbed his eyes where he could feel fire trailing his cheeks.

He choked and sputtered and gasped for air.

And then he locked the door behind him. The bathroom…

Maybe if he got into some warm water…

It might be painful, but it would be just deserved.

He shouldn't have panicked.

He'd possibly gotten Yami killed…

It was almost four in the morning. He could see it when he glanced at the ticking clock on the wall. Then he dropped his clothes away and turned the water onto its hottest setting. He plugged the drain only when he saw steam rising in silver and white ribbons. He leaned over the surface of the water and the harsh touch of it made him hiss. His other hand reached out and turned the knob for cold water. The warmest temperature he could get it seemed to still be too hot or perhaps too lacking.

Yugi turned the knobs, then forced himself to get up and take a seat under the water. The initial touch scolded him. Then his body rapidly tingled. He jerked in a shiver, then relaxed. And he forced himself to lay there. His legs were outstretched and his eyes were on the tile in front of him. He tipped his head back. The steam rose in soft licks to caress his face.

He did not know how long he remained in there. But the water was lukewarm by then. And he could feel the wrinkles more than see them. He did not want to move but he could hear his mom and grandpa now. They were talking in low voices. His mom demanded to know if he had come back. His grandpa tried to keep her from calling the cops.

When had they gotten up?

Had he dozed at some point?

Yugi pulled the plug, got to his feet, and forced himself to step out and head towards the towels hanging on the rack. He rubbed himself dry, glanced disdainfully towards his clothes, and headed into his room.

He headed into the kitchen a few minutes later, dressed in pajamas. But he didn't look like he'd slept at all and it occurred to him that he could not pretend to be tired. Some part of him was screaming for him to go back. He'd search upstream when he got back outside. Then he'd find him and things would be okay.

But reality bit at his insides.

By now someone else had found him. It could have been the pack or a hunter. It might have simply been scavengers. But someone or something out there had to have found him by now. And that made his skin crawl with his anxiety.

What if he came across nothing more than a hollowed out husk of what had once been Yami?

His heart shuddered in his chest.

I'm not entirely sure I'm too pleased with the way this chapter plays out as a whole, but the events have to happen because otherwise the character development for Yugi won't come about as properly as it needs to! SO! Bear with me and trust that everything will be okay in the end.

Also, the net that is used for werewolves is one that has small fibers of metal mixed in with the rope in order to strengthen the bindings. Usually it is silver used for these purposes but this net did not have silver, but rather basic metal. I don't think that nets actually have any metal fibers in them so that's why I'm putting a note about it being used for the werewolves.