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.

78. Trust

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Hopefully biweekly

Chapter Warnings: Implied/Referenced Abuse, Discussion about Sexuality, Mentioned/Implied Puzzleshipping, Mentioned Murder/Death, References to Sex, Derogatory Sexual Terms, Distress/Anxiety, Slight Self-Harm, MILD Reference to Self-Sacrifice

Okay so the derogatory sexual terms are going to be "whore" and "slut". They're applied to two different people, but they're in there anyways. I figured I would put a warning in there for it.

Yami's dysfunctional traits are kind of more on display in this chapter. From his stress of not wanting to meet with the group, to his night terrors, to his reactions to conversation with Jonouchi and his loss of temper. That's why he snaps out of it after Yugi stops him when he and Jonouchi are arguing. He's getting more unstable, which is why he's becoming more dysfunctional. That's why he also kind of whips back and forth between things when it's his point of view. A small component of this is explained in the next chapter.

Just a reminder, but the chapters are still meant to represent the passage of a day unless otherwise stated. So Yugi has only known about Shizuka for three days in total now, which is why he's still freaking out about it. It'll become more background later on. But for now he's still pretty horrified by it.

Yami is the one who self-harms. It's extremely small but he cuts his palms when his nails when he's about to suffer an anxiety attack. He panics over one of his triggers (sex as he still sees it as forced breeding due to the labs) and uses it to ground himself to keep from getting worse. It's a quick scene, but it's in there.

Chapter LXXVIII: Trust

Work Log Entry LXIX: November, 2008

November 1

Atem has gone into a form of cardiac arrest.

It's strange enough that we are taking blood samples, tissue samples, bone marrow, and things of this nature. We have multiplied them using some of the animals here in the labs. The boss plans to have a pig born with Atem's blood and organs.

It is doubtful that the heart will still respond as necessary for the Pure-Blood to come back to life should he suffer death at any rate. We do not believe that the immortality will be granted to him again should a transplant become necessary.

November 11

The pig has been conceived.

Atem is not recovering.

It will be another 114 days for the pig to be born.

Whether this procedure will be necessary or not is the ultimate question.

November 20

Atem's heart rate has sky rocketed to over 300 beats per minute. We cannot figure out what has triggered this response, as he is still unable to change in the slightest.

He is ashen in color, his face is sunken and hollow looking, and he trembles uncontrollably half of the time. When he is still, anyone who looks at him can physically see his heart pumping in his chest.

Yugi felt as if he had not truly been on his own like this in a matter of years. He knew it wasn't true. But between the amount of time he'd spent with Yami and how close he felt to the other boy now, it all seemed to say differently. His heart hammered as he took to closing the door behind him. He locked it, dusted some imaginary lint from his jeans, and watched as his hands continued to shake. They'd been like this for hours now, ever since they had gotten home and he had decided to do this. Part of it was from the shock of Valon's appearance earlier, but the other was the fact that he was afraid of what might happen if he left Yami alone like that.

He's alone in my room, he reminded himself, promising himself that the other boy would be okay. Something about the entire situation earlier had made him want to remain as close to him as he possibly could. But he couldn't do it. He kept thinking of Shizuka, of Yami's face when he had helped Obelisk to drag Kris into their camp. His heart ached as he considered it and he shook his head quickly. He's alone in my room and he'll be okay. He's passed out from the pain meds. And he is okay.

Yugi drew in a deep breath, shaking his head. It would be okay. He wouldn't be gone that long. He was just going to get out, get some fresh air, and try to walk off some of his disgust and anger. Hearing that Yami had killed Shizuka and his agreement to help Obelisk kidnap Kris had not done him well. It did not do well for Yugi to even consider that Yami had chosen to aid in what could have become a massacre. And all he could think about was whether Yami might turn on him, if he would one day betray him.

What if Aki wasn't wrong and Yami truly was the traitor that the prophecy might have mentioned? What if the second Atem wasn't meant be more than a catalyst that pushed forth devastation rather than helping him to stop it?

He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. Finding Zuzu's body had not been fun either. All he had been able to think about after that had been the twelve names, how Mai and Otogi and Yusei had been listed among them. His heart hurt at the thought. And he wondered how long any of the three of them had before death claimed them as well.

He shivered. Aki had been planning to kill Kris in the exact same way. She'd planned to decapitate her and leave her for Valon to find. And how long would it have taken for her to do so? Would Yami have even stopped her if he had not objected before that? Surely Yami was not so terribly stupid that he would have allowed her to get hurt for the sake of bringing Valon there? Surely he'd understood that Valon would have killed them all had they not left her unharmed.

When Yami had stepped forward to protect her, it had seemed half-hearted. It had seemed more like he'd been willing to just step back and see what transpired after. He had not seemed loyal to the cause of saving her. He had seemed more inclined only when Yugi had tried to do so himself. And even then he had seemed reluctant.

The admittance that he'd killed Shizuka still shook him to the core. It was true that he cared more for Yami than to turn his back on him over this. But it was another thing to lie and say that it did not bother him in the slightest. And he was not so stupid as to bother to say so. He knew Yami would simply grow spiteful towards the lie. But his heart hurt with the weight of this burden of secrecy.

Yami had truly done that. He had truly turned on her and cut her head from her body. He'd done it when she'd hurt him, but he'd done it all the same regardless. Emotional pain or not, Yami had decapitated her and Yugi was queasy just thinking about it. But he couldn't stop himself thinking about it and wanting to sob brokenly over it.

He shook his head as he kicked at the snow. Crystals flew up into the air but collapsed back just as quickly. He frowned, wishing more than ever that the snow wasn't so deep. He wanted a pebble to kick across the sidewalk, to follow and take his frustrations out as he went along. He didn't have that now and his brain just kept circulating back and forth, from Zuzu's broken body to Shizuka's.

He closed his eyes again, exhaling sharply. A car was warming itself somewhere further into the city, though the roads were still mostly blocked. Perhaps someone was trying to use it to heat themselves up. Maybe it was just easier and faster to do it that way. After all, the snowfall was too thick and frequent this season to bother to shovel it away for more than a few minutes at the most. The longest it had lasted without snowfall was two days. And salting the roads had done nothing to keep them from being overrun with ice again.

A dog whined and pawed at a door. He supposed it was inside, asking to go outside to use the bathroom. Someone was calling for their cat. Anther person seemed to be measuring the depth of the snowfall. A couple of kids were laughing and having a snowball fight. Someone else was making angels in the snow.

Yugi opened his eyes again.

They were a few block away. All of them were too far away to see him at any point unless he ventured too far. And he had no plans to do so. But if he continued forward, he'd end up at the library. And then, a few doors down would be the dog. If he turned right from there, the park would be on his right. The child was making a snow angel there, their friends having a snowball war near them. He could hear a ruler sinking into the snow as the girl muttered and checked the measurements and the frantic cat owner had only gotten louder where they were further down the street from them.

Yugi looked around. It would be safest to pick his way towards the park, then circle around to make his way further into the city. But he wasn't sure where he was going, in truth and so that made it much harder to judge. But the dog, he knew, would be a problem if it was not on a leash or in a fenced yard. It could easily turn into an issue should he cross paths with it.

Dogs and werewolves—or animals in general—did not mix, after all.

He grimaced at the thought, sighing softly.

The closest he would ever be able to get to owning a dog would be the visits to the main clinic, which he had not gone to in a long while. He couldn't remember when exactly the last time had been, in truth. His stomach churned for a moment. It'd been before he'd come across Yami. It'd been before they had ever truly crossed paths and made contact and all that.

Perhaps the closest would always be when Yami had gone into his feral state after the hellhound attack. No dog—or animal in general, besides a fish, he supposed—would be okay around him any longer. It was just a matter of how long it took them to maul him to pieces.

He huffed after a moment.

It was not as if the world had ever relied on him having a dog. It didn't even rely on him winning this war. In truth, he didn't know what relied on that. Was it the lycanthropes as a whole? Or was it just those ensnared in this mess? Was it the hellhounds in that elimination of their threat and most powerful in rank might save them in some manner? Was it the humans in killing their chance of infection later as well or cutting off their knowledge and ability to choose against their own mortality?

Yugi sighed softly.

Did it honestly matter anymore? At the end of it all was bloodshed. All he had to do was lead these wolves into a war that could destroy anything and everything. And he was expected to do without outside support.

Slifer and Ra and Obelisk had all made statements regarding this as their absolute truth.

And yet…

There was Yami.

There was the pack.

There was interference from the gods themselves, though not for the good.

There was Valon.

There was…Valon.

Yugi felt his insides grow cold. Obelisk had convinced Yami to help him kidnap Kris in an attempt to lure Valon to them. If that were the truth of it, then it was something that they must have planned for ahead of time. Yami had said he knew what Obelisk meant to ask of him. If that were true, did it mean the god had visited him before? Or did it mean something else? Did it mean that he had explained as he'd approached them?

But Yami had gone along with it, regardless of circumstance.

He had not even paused or shown doubt.

And it had been clear that he'd done it for the aspect of bringing Valon to the camp. He'd made it clear to him more than once. Even the way he'd looked at the hybrid when he'd entered the camp had made it abundantly clear that had been his purpose behind helping the god of war.

But…why?

Why would Yami possibly care so much about it? He felt sick to his stomach, shaking his head slowly. Yami didn't know much about Valon. Had it been simple curiosity? Or had he truly felt it was best to pull that stunt? Had he believed in the cause of getting Valon's attention so that the pack could see the differences between a Pure-Blood and a Harbinger? Was that possible? Could that even remotely explain it? Had Yami felt pressured to do that for his own sake?

But he had not been prepared when Obelisk had pointed out that Yami was a Pure-Blood. He had not been ready for that display in front of the camp. He hadn't been ready for the outbursts from the pack.

But he also hadn't tried to argue when Valon had addressed him as such. They hybrid hadn't recognized him in his small state. He'd only realized who it was when he had seen his eyes. He'd called him "Yami, the Pure-Blood". He'd said it without hesitation, announcing him as such before the entire pack.

And Yugi could not imagine that Yami could be so easily intimidated. It was hard to picture him in any way intimidated by the idea of the wolves considering him a hellhound. He had dealt with it before. And he hardly seemed to care then. So why might he now? Yugi could not accept that explanation, no matter if Yami had truly spoken it to him himself.

There had to have been something else…

Yugi fought away a shiver, reaching up as if to dust his shirt off. Then he shrugged it off and shook his head. He frowned, considering it all, and swallowed hard. Yami might not have been so desperate for his own sake. He might have simply done it just to put Yugi's own mind at ease, he realized now.

That was far more akin Yami than anything else. It made the most sense. Yami was not one to care when it impacted only himself. He would shrug it off, caring only when absolutely necessary. Things had to be forced upon him for him to truly mind. He only seemed to become bothered when it came to Yugi. And he didn't know if that was because Yami was afraid he might react in a way that might hurt them both, or if he simply sometimes worried.

Perhaps it was simply an instinct within the wolf. Maybe it was a sense of loyalty, which made Yami consider him before himself.

It didn't matter, however. It didn't matter at all whether it was the wolf or if it was simply Yami. The problem still remained. He'd helped the deity do it. He'd helped instill fear in the pack like that. And Yugi needed more than ever for this to stop.

He needed to find some kind of common denominator in order to fix this. He needed to find a way to perhaps force Yami to reconsider something as reckless as what he'd done the day before.

Yugi didn't look up from the snow. But he did narrow his eyes and peel his lips back, annoyed and furious. He shook his head, scowling as he had before. It made his stomach lurch as he continued forward.

He swallowed hard.

What would he do if Yami did something so stupid again at some point? What if he got too far ahead of himself with something so foolish and got hurt for it? What if he had overstepped to the point that Valon sought revenge on him? Yugi was not sure he could protect him. He'd try his damnedest, but he did not know that it would truly work in his favor. If Yami had made an enemy of the Harbinger…

"Shit."

He jerked to a halt, freezing in place. At first he almost could not find the strength to so much as turn his head. The thought was almost overwhelming. His lungs felt tight and his mouth had grown dry. But then he blinked and turned his head slowly to glance down the darkly lit alleyway.

The shadows seemed to stretch for an eternity for a moment. He narrowed his eyes, straining his vision. He stared forward, then faltered as he considered the shape that stood before him. He narrowed his eyes a fraction further. Then he grimaced slightly, shaking his head.

"Jonouchi?" he called quietly, tilting his head and furrowing his brows slightly. He wondered at the sight of him in front of him. "What are you doing out here? You okay? Where are you headed?"

If it hadn't been near midnight and several blocks the opposite direction, Yugi might have asked if he was returning to his apartment. But the woods seemed to be more likely where he was headed, regardless. Jonouchi hardly spent time at the apartment anymore, he knew; and he was sure he only ever went back there to get changed for school and then sneak out through the window again.

Something must have happened again if he was headed back for the camp.

"I'm fine," the blond snapped. His voice sounded oddly strained for a moment. Yugi hesitated, then moved forward into the shadows of the alleyway. He hovered a few feet away, then grimaced and licked his lips. Jonouchi turned to him after a moment, opening and closing his mouth once before staring blankly. It took him a full minute before he relaxed and seemed to lose the tension in his body entirely. "We just got into a fight."

Yugi felt his lips twist into a more pronounced grimace, disdain coursing through him for a single moment. He drew in a deep breath, looking briefly over his shoulder and then back to his friend. His heart was in his throat as he considered him for a moment. "Are you hurt?" he asked uncertainly, voice quiet and gentle.

"I'm fine," he snapped again, though now he deflated visibly despite his irritation. "I actually had to leave the apartment to keep from attacking him. He threw a bottle at my head and I swear I almost ripped his throat out. It was…horrifying."

Yugi nodded, looking away. "Yeah, it, um, comes with the territory. Apparently wolves feel a lot stronger than humans do when it comes to emotions, especially with something like anger. So, if we lose our tempers…it can be kind of catastrophic." He grimaced, turning back to him again. "I punched a hole in my wall at one point. And Yami sometimes has to hide in order to keep from attacking me."

The blond blinked, brown eyes wide. "Seriously? He's that unstable?"

"All of us become unstable when we get upset," Yugi corrected him in something of a cold tone. He tried to keep from sneering at him, swallowing hard, and let his eyes close halfway. "It's just how well you can handle it that counts. Yami doesn't handle stress very well. I don't handle it well. And you just had a close call with your dad. I don't think any of us can judge each other for failing with that."

Jonouchi rolled his eyes. "Why do you constantly defend him like this? He's old enough to take care of himself. And we all know he's incredibly capable of doing it. So why the hell do you keep doing it? I don't think he needs that kind of help at all. It's as simple as that. He doesn't need your help to defend himself."

Yugi tilted his head and narrowed his eyes into slits. "Because, Jonouchi, he doesn't deserve to be so constantly ridiculed like he has been." He grimaced, biting the inside of his cheek. "And it's not like he'll do it for himself. He doesn't think it's a big deal. But it is. It's getting worse and he's not making it any easier to deflect it. It's frustrating. Besides that, you'd be a hypocrite if you said you were capable of maintaining your temper when you just admitted otherwise a second ago. I can't block my temper and neither can Yami. And you can't exactly say otherwise, so…"

"Does he know how often you jump to his defense like this?" Jonouchi scoffed in a scornful tone. The blond was staring at him with a flustered expression. "I don't get why you do that. If he won't even help himself, why should you do it for him? It's not like it's actually necessary for you to do that."

"He's my friend. I would defend you or Honda or Anzu the exact same way. You know that."

He grunted as if Yugi had tried to hit him. His lips pulled back into a grimace and he shook his head after a long moment. Then he sighed loudly and frowned at him, brown eyes mildly frustrated. "Okay, but…seriously? I don't understand your fascination with him. I don't get why you want to waste your time with him like that. He's okay. He knows how to defend himself and you know that he can. I don't understand why you like him. There are plenty of other guys to be head over heels for."

Yugi barely resisted the urge to flinch. He looked away quickly, swallowing hard once more. "I'm not attracted to every guy out there, Jonouchi. I'm just attracted to Yami. And it's not like I asked for it to happen either." He hesitated. "I mean, I don't regret it at all, but it's not like I drool over guys every time I see one."

"I honestly never pictured you being gay before."

Yugi huffed, bristling as he turned back to him. "I'm not gay. Stop saying that," he snapped. Then he frowned, faltering, and forced himself to relax again. "But, I mean, that's probably the easiest way to label it. And it'd probably be a thousand times easier to deal with than this is. At least then I would know what the hell was going on."

"Back to the point, I really don't get why you, of all people, are attracted to him," Jonouchi mumbled, shaking his head and eyeing him skeptically. "It doesn't make any sense, Yug. What's so great about him?"

"My mom used to ask me why I was friends with you. And she used to phrase it that exact same way," he commented in a quiet voice. Jonouchi blinked in surprise, but Yugi didn't give him room to say anything else for a moment. "I told her that I thought you were a good person, but that I thought you had gotten caught up in a couple of things that you couldn't completely get out of. And she was really pissed at me for saying that, honestly. She tried for months to warn me away from you even more after that. But she eventually gave you a chance because of how insistent I was about it."

The blond furrowed his brows, opening his mouth, and Yugi shook his head, eyeing him harshly. If he interrupted him now, Yugi was not sure he would ever be able to get the words out again. So he continued on.

"I took a chance on Yami because he reminds me a lot of you, but he's…extremely lost, too. And he knows that just as much as I do. We basically came together because he's just as lonely as I am and he's so damaged it's like a balm when I think of how screwed up things have become. Or at least it started that way. I couldn't tell you when it became…this."

Jonouchi eyed him for a moment, almost as if he expected him to lunge at him if he didn't pick his words carefully enough. His shoulders were tight, as if he were preparing himself to dodge back. Yugi tilted his head and frowned, studying the way he was holding himself. He was so tense that the small teen could see almost every muscle in his body bunched together. He must have truly thought Yugi was going to lash out at him if he said something wrong.

The thought hurt; when had they become so estranged?

When I started lying, he realized, and almost burst out laughing at his own stupidity. He wondered, now more than ever, if all of those lies had been the wrong choice in the end. Would things have played out differently? But then, Yami would have remained a sore spot in their friendship regardless. No doubt Jonouchi had seen more of the fallout involving him and Anzu than Yugi himself had. And no doubt he was still somewhat thrown off by the direction their lives had taken now. And no doubt Yami would not have been too great a friend towards them regardless of whether Yugi had tried to integrate him further into the group. The problem was that he was so dysfunctional that Yugi was still sometimes amazed that Yami had not lashed out at himself or his family. He was sometimes amazed that he could even stand to be around him for more than a few small minutes.

His heart hurt again and he drew in a deep breath. The silence became taut between them, like a rubber band that had been stretched too far. Yugi was waiting for the recoil more than anything, for something violent and nasty to come of it all.

But Jonouchi finally just mumbled, "And does he feel the same way?"

Yugi hesitated, considering the question. "I don't know." He shrugged, trying for nonchalant but feeling exhausted just thinking about it. He wanted to lie down now, burned out from the idea of even thinking about it any longer. How many nights could he stay awake considering it with Yami mere inches away, facing the other wall and sleeping easily at his side? He wasn't losing any sleep over it, and Yugi was doubtful that he had any feelings for him that didn't revolve around keeping him happy for the sake of his own survival.

He almost flinched. It was an unfair thought.

Yami was just afraid. And he didn't know what else to do.

"But, even if he doesn't, the fact remains," he finally continued, forcing himself to keep talking. It was just enough to keep the sting of guilt manageable. "I do. I love him. And he'll either eventually find out and reciprocate, or he's going to tell me he doesn't feel the same and…probably leave."

"You know, normally when someone says something like that, they don't sound so calm about it," Jonouchi snorted. "I'm used to people being spiteful about that kind of thing."

Yugi turned away, frowning and scratching his arm. "Your parents were a mess. And they probably should never have gotten married in the first place."

"She got pregnant." He was quiet for a second. "It's not like they didn't at least try."

But sometimes trying didn't equate to enough. It was sad, but it was a truth that Yugi was becoming all too well aware of. He'd tried so hard so often with things. He could hardly make heads or tails of his decisions anymore. And he was frustrated as he considered it. He was desperate, a part of him aching, to tell Jonouchi that trying to reconnect with his sister hadn't been a lost cause. And he wanted to tell him that the only reason his own parents had stayed together was the fact that his father had been influenced by superstition and status quo. He, like so many others in Japan, had been fearful of bringing shame to his family name.

From what he had understood of his friend's parents, their relationship had been high school sweethearts. Things had fallen apart only when she'd gotten pregnant and his dad had forced them into marriage soon after to save face. When Jonouchi had been born, they'd been on the rocks again, worse than ever, with divorce imminent. And then they'd worked it out, but she'd gotten pregnant again and having four mouths to feed instead of three had been a burden for Jonouchi's father when he'd gotten in trouble at work and nearly fired. And things had just grown more and more frayed from there.

Yugi pressed his lips into a thin line. All he could think now was that Yami had killed Shizuka. He'd literally ripped her head off her shoulders. He'd lashed out and torn her head off. He claimed she'd hurt him, that she'd broken his heart with whatever it was she'd said to him before he'd lashed out. And how much of that was true? Could Yugi trust him when he said that or was he foolish for even considering? And, if that were the truth of the situation, what kept Yami from doing the same to him?

He felt dizzy. What if Yami was just a ticking time bomb? What if he did something stupid enough that triggered him and Yami turned around and killed him for it? And they still did not know if he would come back to life should he be killed. Although, considering he'd decapitated Shizuka, Yugi didn't know that a Pure-Blood could come back from something like that.

He dug his teeth into his cheek. Blood soaked his tongue a moment later, salty and thick. He swallowed hard, barely resisting the urge to simply sit down and wait the dizziness out. He was exhausted, overcome by it. And he wondered, stomach lurching, if Yami might have come close to lashing out at him in such a traumatic manner before. He hid beneath his bed when he was angry. And if he did that for Yugi, did that mean that he'd thought about lashing out beforehand? Had he thought to lash out violently and harm him as he had her? Or had it truly been an accident and a lapse of judgment?

But Yami had insisted that wasn't what it was…

He'd said he'd known what he was doing.

Yugi drew in a deep breath, shrugging again. His shoulders twitched and he wanted to tug his choker until he was choked unconscious. "My mom and dad barely got married. It was supposed to be a one night stand, but she got pregnant. And it took a week for her to even tell him after she'd figured it out. Then another two months passed before they even got into regular contact. Then it took another for them to meet each other's parents and my dad's parents were really hard on my mom because they saw her as a whore for sleeping with him out of wedlock." He looked down the alleyway but the streets were pristine, and so he had nothing else to truly focus on. He finally turned back to his friend. "She said it put a definitive strain on their relationship for a while before my dad stepped up to the plate and basically told them to fuck off with their opinions of her."

"Wasn't there something about Anzu's dad being in love with your mom at some point, too?"

Yugi frowned, for a moment wondering if there was a way to sidestep this conversation. But a part of him was too tired to try and so he simply nodded. "Yeah. He was head over heels for her since middle school. And she was too independent to care for it. And then she decided to rebel and got pregnant. And I guess she realized she'd need help. I think at one point she almost went to him for help because telling my dad went so badly at first. And then he came around a week or two later, had to get her best friend to tell her to meet him at a café for them to discuss everything. She turned around and forced him to help her make it work. And, I guess, somewhere along the way they fell in love."

The blond stared at him blankly for a long moment. "I heard he was planning to stick you in jail," he commented, raising a brow. And Yugi could see the question in his eyes about that, about his targeting Yugi for the crime.

Yugi grimaced. He didn't want to even think about that at the moment. But he wasn't sure what else there was to do at the moment. So he nodded, watching him closely. "Anzu told me about your plan, you know."

"Oh," Jonouchi mumbled, reaching up to rub at the back of his head, "yeah…"

"I love that you care about me enough to even consider it, Katsuya, but I don't think it's worth it. I honestly just…" He drew in a deep breath, struggling to maintain eye contact. "Honestly, by the time this war ends, I probably won't even be alive. Otogi wasn't wrong. Even Slifer has said she doesn't know if I'd come back to life if I got killed. I'm not…like Yami. He's a real Pure-Blood. But my bloodline is diluted and the experiments probably caused a lot more damage than anyone could be certain of."

"Wait," Jonouchi snorted, holding his hands up and laughing at him with a shake of his head. "You actually believe in that crap? That someone can actually come back to life after they've been killed? Are you kidding me right now?"

Yugi furrowed his brow, considering him in surprise. "It's true, Jonouchi. I've watched Yami do it. And I've seen Obelisk do it, too. Both of them have done it right in front of me." He fell silent for a long handful of seconds, then looked away and forced himself to smile briefly. He thought of Obelisk's neck as it snapped, how easily Yami had turned to do the same to him. "I mean, honestly, it's really not something you want to see. It's actually really gross. And horrifying. But it happens. I've seen it. Yami has done it and I've seen Obelsik do it too."

"It sounds like some kind of myth, Yugi. It sounds insane. I don't…"

Yugi scoffed. "And you always believed in werewolves?" He raised a brow when Jonouchi snorted and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Exactly. None of it makes sense. You know that just as well as I do! None of it makes any sense. Wolves and humans shouldn't be able to change back and forth between each other. It should cause something like crippling deformity or some kind of brain damage, at the very least."

The blond sighed, rolling his eyes. "Spare me the science, Yug. You know it'll just go over my head."

"I don't know if that's so true anymore. Your grades have picked up, remember? And you're learning and paying more attention in school." Yugi fell quiet after a moment, then smiled at him slightly. His stomach was churning once more. All he could think of was Shizuka, how she had looked on the bed, how her head had been on the sheets in front of her still body, the bright red of the blood across the walls and along the window and bed. He drew in a deep breath, forcing himself not to tremble. "I think you'd be able to understand it pretty easily."

But he wasn't even sure what they were talking about anymore, not completely anyways. He felt like maybe he was trying to convince himself of Yami's motivation or if perhaps it was something more innocent. Did he mean schoolwork or was it something else entirely now? He almost burst out laughing, lightheaded and shaky for a moment.

"Nah, science goes over my head, Yug. It'd be a waste of time and energy trying to explain it to me."

Yugi shrugged, realizing that Jonouchi looked extremely uncomfortable at the moment. "If you say so," he answered after a second. He felt better like this, as if he might somehow be able to block away the urge to blurt out the truth of what had happened to Shizuka. It felt as if he were somehow cushioning the blow of the truth, holding it close to his chest rather than anything else. But he still wished to blurt it out, to have that come between them and further devastate them. And he wondered, briefly, if that might make Jonouchi leave him and the pack altogether. Would it save him? Yugi's heart was racing in his chest now. "The whole thing should be impossible for us to change forms to begin with. How it is that one of them comes to life again after death is beyond me. But I don't know anyways. I would think it would have to do with the constant cell regeneration from changing so often. But it is what it is, Jonouchi. The point is that both of them have come back and forth from life and death at one point or another. So, I mean…"

His friend shook his head the smallest bit. "Well, I guess that would make more sense with the discussion from earlier today. Valon and Yami and Obelisk…" He shook his head again, opening his mouth to say something more. And then he bristled, stopping short, and turned his head, eyes widening. "Shit, do you hear that?"

Yugi blinked. "Hear what?"

"I thought I heard someone nearby."

Yugi blinked, turning his head as well. He strained his ears, listening desperately for anything he could catch in the dark. Had someone followed him there? Was it another wolf? Was it a hunter? Fuck, was it a hellhound? Had it followed him or had it come after Jonouchi? What if it was because one of the humans from the hospital who had likely seen his image on camera? What if they had finally chosen to try their hands at getting to either of them?

Yugi wasn't sure he was in the right state to try to fight someone off. He was so tired. And he wasn't exactly capable of fighting as a human. At least as a wolf he had sharp teeth and a more muscular body. Like this he was rather…impotent towards any threat to come for them. He'd never even physically fought someone when he was human. The most he'd done was punch Jonouchi in the face that day when he'd followed him to the hospital and met Shizuka.

What was he supposed to do if his instincts and reflexes failed him? Yugi wasn't sure that the lycanthropy would let them fail him—it ruled his instincts, after all—but he couldn't be sure either that it would save him. His heart hammered, jumping into his throat now.

He shivered, tilting his head, and waited then to hear a sound of some kind which might lead to his understanding of who it was. If he could understand their footsteps he could decide if they were human or wolf or—

There was a low, small shuffling noise. And at first it masked the other completely. Yugi faltered, blinking, and finally caught the sound of someone's weight pressing into the soles of their shoes. He could not recognize it at first. The snow crunching beneath their feet made him anxious. He bristled, wondering immediately if he should simply try to grab Jonouchi's arm and drag him along so that they might both flee. But he was held in place as well, wondering, and narrowed his eyes as he strained his hearing once more.

His heart slowed, relaxing somewhat. The tension in his bones was soon lost. He exhaled long and slow, shaking his head the smallest degree. Then he smiled faintly, considering the sound of the snow as it crunched beneath their weight once more. He cast Jonouchi a tight smile, anxious as he understood who it was. Wasn't it just perfect?

Yugi almost wanted to scream.

"Yami?"

A minute of silence passed. The boy had stopped and was not moving. Yugi could not tell where exactly he was. He couldn't hear him at all, from heartbeat to breathing to anything. But he was watching Jonouchi's face, studying his expression, and his stomach rolled again. The blond was not impressed with the interruption, a suspicious gleam entering his eyes as he glanced away towards the end of the alley.

Another few seconds passed.

And then finally Yami began to move. He shifted back and forth, then picked his way around the corner. He came to the end of the alleyway, looking towards them. His eyes were dark like crushed rubies and his lashes made half of his irises black with shadows. His face was expressionless, his body oddly relaxed. And, when he tilted his head the smallest degree, the dim light made his eyes glow like embers, half of his face blanketed in darkness from the angle.

"What are you doing out?" Why are you here? was what he actually meant. But Yugi had no plans to phrase it like that. The last thing he needed to do was add more problems to the mix of steadily growing issues between them all. Discomfort crashed through him. He had not thought it through when he'd chosen to greet him. But Yami could have gone the other way if he'd truly wanted to. He hadn't had to come over to him. It wasn't like he didn't know how to choose for himself whether to walk somewhere else.

Yugi swallowed hard. His heart raced again. His breathing became tight, lungs constricting painfully. He could feel his hands shaking as he considered him for a moment. Had he overstepped in saying his name? What had he even come out like this for? Why was he even nearby? Had he been spying on them? Would he make a move against Jonouchi? Would he make a move against Yugi? Had he followed him in order to lash out? What if Yami decided to attack them both as he had Shizuka?

What if something simply triggered him and—?

Yugi flinched. Jonouchi's eyes were on him immediately. Yami simply leveled him with a mild stare. Yugi swallowed hard, nearly trembling.

Yami wasn't a mindless killer.

He knew that.

He knew this.

He knew it damn well!

But he could not shake it. His heart was stuttering. His fingers were shaking. His mouth was dry. His skin was crawling. He felt as if he might puke at any second. It was hard to breathe.

"What are you doing here?" Jonouchi asked. His tone was annoyed, nastier than Yugi was used to hearing it. Yugi kept his eyes glued to his alpha but Yami had turned away, listening for something further away. "Were you spying on us or something?"

Yugi couldn't tell if he was joking or not. He forced himself to swallow hard, to press his tongue into the roof of his mouth and breathe in as deeply as he could. He clenched his hands, digging them into his jacket pockets. "I highly doubt anything like that was what was happening, Jonouchi," he finally managed to breathe out. He narrowed his eyes, forcing his voice to come out even and steady. And it amazed him that he was still standing up to begin with. "Why would he even want to listen to something like that? It's not like there was anything all that impressive being said."

Abruptly Yami turned his head, facing Jonouchi. His red eyes were too dark and shadowed for Yugi to read. But he seemed hardly to care either. There was not a single ounce of tension in him in any manner. "I came to stretch my legs," was all he offered in explanation. He turned away again, wrinkling his nose. Yugi could see his fingers twitch as the red-eyed boy straightened slightly and put his hands in his pockets as well. He did not look comfortable.

"Oh, okay. When did you wake up?"

"A few minutes after you left, I'd assume. I don't know exactly."

Yugi couldn't tell, but the way he phrased his response sounded as if he were ready to snarl at him. It was a bold-faced lie, however; he knew that much. He'd said it in order to deter him from asking further details. The realization made him bristle for a split second. Something was not adding up in the slightest. Yugi narrowed his eyes further, studying him, but Yami steadily refused to make eye contact with him in any manner.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry if I woke you."

It was the best he could offer. His voice came out too tight, his lungs constricting painfully. But he did not have enough air to say anything further. He swallowed hard and pressed his lips into a thin line.

"It wasn't you." That sounded more truthful than Yugi thought he had been before. The red-eyed teen looked away entirely after a moment. His nose wrinkled and his shoulders rose in a harsh shrug. "I got restless."

He'd gotten restless? He'd been asleep when—oh.

He'd had a night terror, Yugi realized. He'd had a night terror, woken up to the room empty, and decided to leave as well. He'd needed to get out and try to escape the impressions it had left in his thoughts. But…had he followed him? Or had he simply wandered? Yugi didn't know. But Yami had come the opposite direction he himself had. But then, that could have explained why neither of them had heard him before. He could have used Yugi's footprints to track him, stepped inside of them in order to minimize the sounds of his steps.

Yugi swallowed hard. Had he followed him for a reason? Had he wanted to talk to him about something? Had he been scared and wanted to see him and make sure he was okay? He wasn't unfamiliar with the feeling himself, so it would stand to consider that Yami himself might feel similarly at times. He'd never truly seemed to want to talk to him after he'd woken from one. But he did wonder if perhaps Yami drew comfort in just seeing he was still there.

He drew in a deep breath again, forcing himself to stop before he got too frustrated with his own inability to understand what was going on. "Oh, okay. Did you want to stay out for a while longer? I mean, if you were going to go hunting or something, I could come with if you want?"

And then Yugi felt his stomach churn again. Haga and Ryota and Ryuzaki had hunted down their classmate the same day he'd found Shizuka's headless corpse. If Shizuka had died the night before, Yami hadn't truly been hungry when he'd gone into the woods like that. He'd been frantic and panicked about what he'd done, when Yugi had come home late and found him and Valon nearly snarling at each other in the emergency clinic…

"Or we could go home or something… No big deal; either way."

"I think I'm going to go back to the camp," Jonouchi said, voice strained with awkwardness. He was staring at Yugi, his expression bewildered and confused by his sudden change of pace. He almost seemed not to recognize him. "I was going to hang out with Mai for a little while."

Abruptly Yami focused. His head turned, raised slightly, and he blinked as he narrowed his eyes. His expression was sharp, curious, and he peered at him for a long moment. "Mai?" he said softly, slowly. "Are you both together already?"

"Already?" Yugi muttered, just as Jonouchi turned red, sputtering, "W-what? No!"

Yami stared at him for a moment. He looked as if he did not understand his response, as if the words themselves confused him. He furrowed his brows, then smirked lopsidedly and considered him. "Oh? That's disappointing. I would have thought you would have made your move by now. I'm sure she's just waiting for you to."

Jonouchi looked shocked and embarrassed and frustrated. He bristled, eyes widening and then narrowing, and he glared at him as his jaw set firmly in annoyance. Yugi felt sick, nervous as he looked between them. Yami's playful tone had seemed more snide than he'd probably meant for it to be. But then, Yami looked as if he were itching for something. Maybe he knew that Jonouchi was an easy target to rile up, knew that it would be simple enough to get him to turn on him and lash out.

Yugi didn't know if he was meant to step between them. He didn't know if he should. But he couldn't see aggression in Yami's smile, his stance was too loose, and his eyes had grown blank and almost dull in the dim lighting. Yugi could see the wall behind the surface of them, glittering and sharp like blocks of ice, and he knew more than ever that he was simply protecting himself. He may have been teasing, but he was also studying Jonouchi for a negative reaction. He was watching to see if Jonouchi would lose his temper.

Yami hadn't meant to antagonize him, he realized. His heart ached again. Yami was just giving an admission of his surprise. He hadn't meant to be snide; his voice had just come out that way due to his inability to deal with stress. And Yugi wished for a second that he could have reassured Jonouchi of that, or told Yami that the blond wouldn't lash out at him. But he couldn't. He couldn't find the words to say them to either of them.

"She and Otogi are together," Jonouchi said slowly, as if he were talking to a small child. His voice was annoyed and cold. He seemed more upset about that fact than that Yami had even implied otherwise, but it was clear he'd irritated him regardless. "So, no, I haven't tried making a move on her."

Yami tilted his head. "Their relationship is purely sexual from what I understand of it. I do not think that Mai is in love with him in any manner, if that is what you are worried about. She's not likely to be at any rate, at least."

Yugi hummed and smiled at him faintly. He hoped the tension would ease if he tried to be somewhat friendlier. "She doesn't seem like a girl who wants to settle down, more like she wants to have fun," he finally said. "And lots of it."

Jonouchi blinked wide eyes, then spun on him with a shocked look. "Wait, did you just call her a slut?"

He flinched. "No! Of course not!" he blurted out. He frowned and shook his head, flushed as he noticed the way Yami was staring at him in surprise as well. "If she wants to be in a sexual relationship with someone instead of something committed past friends with benefits then that's her choice. I don't have anything against her or anyone else who wants that kind of no strings relationship."

Yami was looking between them both curiously now. His eyes were narrowed, but he did not look upset or anything of that manner. "Most wolves have relationships like that. It's perfectly normal and healthy." He was quiet when Jonouchi turned to him with a startled expression. Then he hesitantly glanced at Yugi when the smaller boy furrowed his brows and watched him closely. "I mean, most wolves enter sexual relationships before they become committed to anyone."

"Why?" Jonouchi huffed. He shot Yami an annoyed look, and Yugi felt for a moment as if the blond might lunge at him… "Why would they do that? I thought wolves mated for life and all that fun stuff."

Yami opened his mouth, then pressed his lips into a thin line when he shut it again. Then he drew his lips back into something of a grimace, shaking his head. "It's getting late," he said instead, looking away now with a small frown. "I don't think the wolves are going to be very happy with you if you show up at the camp too much later from now. Tell Mai I said hello."

"Wait, what? No way. You can't just dismiss me like that." The blond was clearly startled, frustrated, and his cheeks had turned slightly red with irritation. "The wolves don't even care when I show up there. They know who I am! Why would they give a crap how late it is when I show up?"

Yugi frowned, looking at Yami with a tilted head. The statement really hadn't made any sense, he realized now as well. Jonouchi was right. It didn't make sense that the pack would care in the slightest when it was that Jonouchi showed up at the camp. But the longer he looked at Yami, the more apparent it became.

Yami was not happy.

He was not calm.

He had begun to veer rapidly towards anxiety. Something in the conversation had set him off. Something about the exchange they'd been having had scared him in some manner or other. Yugi shivered, swallowing hard.

"Actually, I just realized something," he announced. His voice cut the tension in half just enough to jar them away from their ensuing argument. Their heads turned and he swallowed hard again. Yugi kept his eyes solely on his blond friend now. It was easier this way to pretend that Yami wasn't there. And right now, he needed that more than anything. "We haven't really hung out in a while, you know—just the group of us. You and me and Anzu and Honda…"

He noticed it in the corner of his eye. Yami's mouth had tugged downward into a grimace. And Yugi almost buckled beneath the shame that came through him. But he doubted Yami would want to come anywhere near the four of them like that. He doubted he wanted to be in a group. Their initial conversations had been overshadowed as it was, by Yami killing that shapeshifter and even just his existence in general. Being a werewolf had forced him to be judged regardless, ostracizing him in a way, and the conversation had been full of distress.

Jonouchi had even accused them both of having something to do with—

Yugi nearly vomited. His hands were shaking again.

But Yami had killed Shizuka. And he'd stood there and lied about it. He'd acted as if he had never even known of her or her existence and, yet, he'd been the one who had ended her life.

Jonouchi had been snapping at them, furious, lashing out. And he'd done it just to get some frustration out, Yugi knew. Because Yami being a werewolf would have been the perfect excuse to blame it all on. And the problem was—Jonouchi had been entirely right. He'd confronted them and not even truly known that Yami was the one to have done it.

But no…

Yugi blinked. Yami had said he did not know her in any manner. He had even said he didn't know what might have happened to her. He had stood there and threatened Jonouchi instead, lashing out when he'd demanded to know if they'd known anything about it. He'd said they had just watched him gut that tigress and so he could not understand why he thought it okay to be so foolish as to aggravate him.

There had been no assurance from him.

Yugi had been the one to apologize and attempt to reassure him. Not once had Yami said a word about it. He had only said afterwards to let the dead sleep when Yugi had tried to convince him…

How had he failed to notice before?

How had he overlooked it like that?

What kind of stupidity had caused him to do that? Why had he not asked when they'd gotten back home? Why had he never even bothered to question it?

He drew in a small breath. "We should do that again sometime soon. Maybe we could do that tomorrow? I don't want to go to school. And I'm sure Honda and Anzu won't mind missing a day to hang out with us if we asked them to," he continued in a softer voice. He hoped to the gods that he did not sound as strangled as he felt. His mouth was dry and his stomach was throbbing with mounting panic. "Not a big deal if we don't either, I guess. I was just thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to do that, you know? I mean… We haven't spent much time together at all for the last couple of weeks and…"

He wondered if he was grasping at broken straws now. It seemed so odd to say this and feel less than enthusiastic about it. He frowned and tilted his head the smallest degree. When had he begun to get to this point?

Jonouchi was staring at him with something almost like amazement on his face. He didn't look certain in any manner. In fact, for a moment, Yugi thought he almost looked absolutely terrified. Then he shook his head and looked away, glancing at Yami with an unreadable expression. For a long moment the three of them stood silently.

"Did…did you want to come, too?"

Yugi blinked. Yami stared at Jonouchi in surprise for a long moment. He didn't sound aggressive at any rate. And he was almost absolutely sure that his answer did not matter in any way. And his first instinct was to shake his head firmly and deny it as quickly as possible. His first instinct was to reiterate that he was not a part of their group in any way, shape, or form.

And then he had the spiteful urge to turn to Yugi and spit that fact at him as well. He wanted more than ever to bite at someone in his mounting frustration. But then he fell abruptly silent when he thought to answer. His voice was dead in his lungs, throat burning as he considered the words for a long moment. He puzzled over them, then shrugged and looked away. It was as much of a declination as he could manage, he felt.

"I wasn't thinking he would come," Yugi admitted. His voice was quiet and small, unsure. And Yami almost laughed at him spitefully. He shot him a look from the corner of his eye, studying. "I figured he would want to stay home or go out hunting or something. But, I mean, if he wants to come, then sure. He can come, too."

Yugi truly didn't want him to come. Yami blinked, surprised at the thought. He tried to recall at any moment that Yugi might have denied him even an invitation to join him in any manner. And this time, it was deliberate that he'd refused to invite him.

"Yami?" Jonouchi asked, voice puzzled. He was staring at him in bewilderment, but Yami couldn't find the words to explain how hateful he felt at the moment. Instead the red-eyed teen turned to him after a moment.

"I do not think so," he answered. He frowned, watching him in turn, and ignored the way Yugi shifted his weight uncomfortably in his peripheral. The blond did not seem upset in the slightest, however, just perplexed by his silence. "It isn't necessary that I join you. It is not as if we are all friends. Yugi is your friend, not me. And I am sure Honda and Anzu would feel the same."

"Wait, what?" Yugi blurted out, clearly startled by the declaration. Yami ignored him. He kept his eyes locked on Jonouchi as the blond blinked wide eyes and stared at him in surprise. Yami wondered why he seemed so startled; had his voice come out harsher than he'd thought? "You can't be serious. Yami, you're as much a friend to me as they are. Why don't you go ahead and come to meet up with us? We can…actually try again with introductions. The last two times weren't really the best."

"They've met me," Yami said, turning to him. He hated the way the smaller teen watched him with keen eyes now. And he curled his lip faintly, wishing for a moment to sneer at him. "So, then what more is there for them to do? There is no reason for us to all make acquaintances again. That's a waste of time for all of us."

Jonouchi looked between them awkwardly now. Yami was clearly annoyed. But Yugi looked hurt and startled. He looked as if he understood why he would say that, but also offended that Yami would even suggest refusing the offer. But Jonouchi wondered if Yugi even understood that he'd excluded him in the first place. He'd even admitted that he didn't want him to come, in not so direct a way. And no doubt Yami was pissed and hurt in his own right due to it.

Jonouchi couldn't stand it, however. Yugi was staring at Yami with a slightly distressed expression. He could see the disappointment and frustration, but more clearly the confusion and growing hurt. And he hated it. Yami, however, seemed not to care that Yugi was staring at him like that. His expression was cool and calm, as if he were not pissed as he had been a few minutes ago.

"You know, it might not be a bad idea for Honda and Anzu to meet you again," he said after a moment. Uncertainty came through him the moment Yugi looked at him with a surprised expression and Yami shot him a skeptical glance. His mouth was pulled downward in a grimace, his eyes sharper than ever, and Jonouchi drew in a deep breath. Offering an olive branch was harder than he'd assumed it would be. "I mean, Yugi is right? The last two times you've met, it was kind of messy. And it's not like they dislike you, so I mean…"

He pressed his lips into a tight line. But Yugi looked slightly uncomfortable now that he'd said that. And Yami had simply tilted his head with a slightly curl of his lip. A few long seconds passed and Yami exhaled a small breath. "Is there a reason for me to meet them a third time?" he said slowly, narrowing his red eyes slowly. Jonouchi felt as if he were staring at a predatory animal hoping to flee at any second. He looked as if he wanted to run for it. "Honestly?"

Jonouchi drew in a sharp breath, forcing himself not to react to the iciness in his tone. Yami looked as if he wanted nothing more than to snarl at them both. He looked as if his patience were being tested. And Jonouchi felt fear rush through him for a single moment. And he wondered if Yami would lash out at him.

Yugi so owed him for even trying to be the mediator between them at this point.

"You're important to Yugi. And they're his best friends." He shot Yugi a sidelong glance, finding the smaller teen staring at him in surprise. Jonouchi forced his voice to remain light and friendly. When he turned back, Yami looked as if he might flinch. Something he'd said had clearly settled him, he realized. So he forced himself to smile, voice light and friendly despite the feelings of distress that came through him. "You can't go wrong meeting the best friends and all that, you know?"

"It'll be fun. We'll go get hot chocolate again or something! Maybe go see a movie or something," Yugi said, voice coming out high and squeaky for a single moment. His smile was extremely strained and small. Jonouchi had never seen him so uncomfortable before, aside from during school when he realized he'd failed a test and had no idea how to fix it but to force his way through. "And if you get uncomfortable, we can just go back."

Yami stared at him blankly. Jonouchi could see the look on his face as it became frustrated. Then he grimaced and looked away, narrowing his red eyes into slits. He pressed his lips into a thin line and closed his eyes.

"We don't have to," he said slowly, in a strained and cold voice. He didn't look pleased in any manner. Instead he looked pissed and flustered, as if he wanted nothing more than to punch his hand through a wall. "Whatever they want to do is fine."

Jonouchi almost sputtered.

His head snapped towards Yugi and his eyes grew wide.

Yami had given up so easily? He'd assumed the other boy would stay quiet and fiercely despondent towards the idea for as long as possible. But he'd shrunk away beneath the pressure, as if they'd forced him physically to agree. Yugi looked at him as if he were studying Yami now, as if he were suspicious of the agreement as well.

"Well, I mean, I don't think any of us are all that picky," Jonouchi managed, turning to him with a small, puzzled frown. He was met with open silence, one so cold it put the winter air to shame. Yami refused to look over, jaw locked firmly in place. The muscles bounced beneath his cheeks for a moment. The blond swallowed hard. "If you have something in mind that you want to do, then let's do that. I wouldn't mind getting a sandwich from that café again. Plus, I love their hot chocolate. We should go there again."

He swore he almost got whiplash when Yami turned to him abruptly.

His eyes were cold and shallow, but his lips had pulled into a strange, almost warm smile. "Sure, sure," he dismissed him, voice placating more than anything else, "we'll do that."

---

"You sure you want to come?"

Truthfully, Yami would have rather cut off his right leg. At this point, he'd rather have been experimented on than anything else. He didn't want to meet up with their little group of four. But he could see the way Yugi was watching him so closely. And he recognized the little shadows that graced his face.

"Yes, I'm sure." It was a fluid lie, one which he spoke as simply as if he were only breathing. He did not smile at him, however, as he did not care for making show of such falsity for the moment; he would have to do that enough later when they all got together. And it was not as if he could usually pull off such a thing flawlessly. His face usually disobeyed him when it came down to it. Something would always be far too strained and dishonest and one could read him like a book in that state of denial. So he simply looked over at him again from where he'd been peering out the window. "We can do whatever it is that they wish to do. It is not as if we have to go to the café or anything like that. It was nice of you and Jonouchi to try to make me feel included, however."

Yugi's lips twisted downward faintly. "I just don't know what you'd like to do," he admitted, tilting his head. "I know you like hot chocolate, so I figured that was something I could fall back on."

"I am open to new things. You know this."

"Yeah, but I also know that you're uncomfortable with my friends and I thought a more familiar background would be better for you. I mean…" Yugi's cheeks had turned red and his eyes were frustrated. "I just… I don't want you to be unhappy when you're with us."

"Has anyone ever told you that you worry far too much about things?" he asked softly. Yami shook his head and looked down at the carpet, resisting the urge to sigh. "It will be fine. I am okay even if I am somewhat uncomfortable, Yugi. I adapt well. You know this about me."

"Okay, but it shouldn't be some kind of uncomfortable trial for you guys to be able to coexist and interact." Yugi paused after a long moment. Then he huffed and shook his head. "And it's not like they haven't asked about you before. So, I mean… I don't think it's going to be as awkward as you or Jonouchi might be thinking."

"I do not expect it to be awkward." Or at least he did not expect it to be awkward concerning them. Yugi was another story. He had seen the way the smaller teen had looked at him when he'd woken and gotten up to pee. He'd seen it again when he'd turned around after grabbing their breakfast plates, looking at him as if he was surprised he was still there. And he did not like the expression in his eyes.

Clearly he'd done wrong.

Clearly he should never have opened his mouth.

Yugi looked at him as if he did not recognized him, as if he did not know why he was there, as if he were somehow confused about what it was that made him stay. Sometimes it was layered with guilt. Other times it was frustration. The last two times they'd locked eyes, it had been suspicion and betrayal to color his eyes.

Clearly Yugi blamed him for it.

He thought him a monster for having harmed Shizuka. No amount of explanation would put that aside for him. No amount of friendship would cast doubt on that.

Although…

Yami studied him for a moment, lifting his head and locking eyes with him.

Were they friends?

Were they still evenly mildly friends?

Yami was not sure he could tell any longer.

Yugi had changed his attitude towards him in what seemed the blink of an eye. Now he looked at him as if he were a stranger that had invaded his home. Now he stared at him as if he were a monster that might lash out. He studied him as if he were a wild animal that might corner him and try to rip his throat out at any moment.

But that thought made him wonder about something else.

Had they ever been friends? If it had taken only one confession for Yugi to turn on him, was it right to consider that they were friends at all?

Maybe Yugi had been lying when he'd claimed they were so close. Maybe it had all been a way of making sure he stayed close by in order to help him. Maybe he had not thought much of them as friends at all. Maybe that attachment he had to him had been misread entirely and Yugi simply thought it easier to keep him around so that he could keep an eye on him.

Or, maybe, a spiteful voice in the back of his head snarled, it was so that he could have me nearby when he fantasized about fucking me. A wave of shame and panic crashed through him. He nearly reached up to tear at his hair, his fingers shaking at the very thought. No, Yugi wouldn't have done that, right? If he'd really wanted to do that to him, he could have made a move at any time. He could have forced him if he'd really wanted to. It wasn't like he was at his healthiest and—

No, no, no. He clamped down the rising snarl in his throat. His fingers dug forcefully into his palms, cutting through the flesh. Blood burned his fingertips for a moment. And it felt amazing. It was a focal point to keep his mind on, to concentrate on so that he could force the thought away. Yugi would never have done that. He knew that. He knew that. He…

But why not? Yami could feel his fingers sinking in deeper. Why wouldn't Yugi have done that? Was it truly because of friendship? Or was it fear? Yugi knew he wasn't stable. He knew damn well that he was dysfunctional and could barely think straight half the time anymore. So, why would he have stopped for the sake of friendship? That wasn't even what they were, was it? Was there a name beyond alpha and beta at this point? And if it was friendship…

Helping to kidnap Kris had done damage to their friendship, should that truly be something that existed between them. If Yugi were so honest about how he thought the world of him, that he was his best friend and he deserved the various things he so often offered him, then where was that trust he'd always spoken of? Yami didn't believe in unconditional trust; he would be the first to say that kind of thing. But Yugi had toted the idea that if he could explain it, he would trust his decisions. Not that it mattered; he would never tell him what Shizuka had said that night. The very thought hurt too much to even think about.

But where was that blind faith he'd claimed he so often put in him? The division was only proving to him more than ever that Yugi was too human. Humans didn't work on bridging gaps between each other, not often enough to make it count. Or, if they did, Yami had no experience with it. He'd never seen it in the labs. Backstabbing had happened constantly. People had killed each other for the fun of it down there.

Wolves didn't often give up on trusting each other. That was why the pack, as divided as it was about Atem, still remained together. They trusted each other. And, when the two of them were not there, they trusted the former alphas to lead them to safety should it be necessary. They trusted them to lead them through a fight, to attempt to minimize the bloodshed and body count should it be a truly terrible battle.

And Yami had the feeling that should push come to shove, he could not expect Yugi to listen to and aid him. If they were to fight, if an ambush happened that was too much for Yugi, he had the abrupt and clear feeling that he would leave him to suffer his fate. Maybe it was the fear of death. Maybe it was simply that Yugi would not trust him to help protect him. Perhaps, now, after all of this, he finally saw Yami as expendable, as he should have from the beginning.

All of them were expendable.

In truth, Yami was perhaps the most.

He could come back from the dead. He could pick himself up after he was struck down. He could be gutted and his body would pull itself back together. He could be decapitated and the cells would mend halfway through the process. He could not lose his head in any manner such as a hellhound or a Full-Blood or Half-Blood could. He, in all respects, was expendable because he could come back from the dead immediately after. Sure, it was painful, and the ordeal was dangerous in every sense of the word, but it was the truth. Yami came back. He could get killed a million times and his body would still somehow find the ability to come back.

It was the Blessing Lupa had given them. Yami would come back no matter what happened to his physical body. It was his mentality that would suffer permanently. He could not expect himself to come back without issues. He could not expect to recover fully.

Yugi was staring at him with a somewhat confused, alarmed expression. Yami saw his mouth moving, even heard his name coming from his lips, his voice somewhat high pitched with confusion. But it did nothing for him. Yami pulled his lips down the smallest fraction, wondering and puzzling over it all. And then he tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

Was that how simple it truly was?

Yami had always wanted to believe that others took more effort to sway in one direction over the other. He had always wanted to think that it took much more than that to do it. He always thought that wolves and humans alike thought of each other in very particular ways, that bonds were hard to truly sever. But then, hadn't his cage mate admitted to struggling more than once with forgiveness? Hadn't he told him that trust was something that was worked for and when it was severed, that it would never be the same again after it was damaged? Hadn't he told him that it was hard to regain it?

But he'd never claimed that he trusted him more than anyone else.

His cage mate had trusted himself more than he did anyone else. He'd known what he was doing, what he had set out to do. He'd known that he was going to die in that damn lab. He'd known the underground was the last place he'd ever see.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, cutting Yugi off as he began to try to speak again. He held a hand up, curling his lip as he looked away. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"But…you look really upset right now."

"I'm tired. But it's fine." He snarled the word, narrowing his eyes into slits. And he knew Yugi would get suspicious of the answer. But he didn't care any longer. Yugi could look at him and think he was a monster all he wanted. It did not change a damn thing. It just meant, of course, that he had made a mistake in thinking that Yugi's offers should have been accepted. He should have left him a long time ago, left before all of this shit could happen and before anything could become worse and— "It does not matter. When are we meeting up with them?"

"Whenever you want, I guess?"

Never, he wanted to spit at him. "An hour then?"

"Sure, that works. I'll text them in a minute and then we can head out. Where do you want to go?"

Yami opened his eyes again, leaning back against the windowsill. "It does not matter to me. Let them pick where they wish to go." I could not care less. "Wherever they want to go, I will be fine with."

Yugi was silent for a long minute and a half. Then he sighed softly, sounding somewhere between exasperated and something akin regret. "Well, that's not…" He fell silent for another long handful of seconds. "I'll ask them where they want to go then, I guess."

Yami nodded dismissively. A long silence fell over the room, heavy and suffocating and terrible in the small space. Yugi seemed to grow miserable as time passed. Yami could sense it like a thick blanket, coming over him slowly but surely. And when he looked up, the small teen had his shoulders hunched and his mouth pressed into a thin line. He didn't respond, however, and he wondered if the other boy understood that he had felt this same way since the moment he'd seen him staring earlier that morning.

He shrugged the anger away and shifted his weight, turning his head to look over his shoulder. The house next door would have seemed entirely vacant had it not been for the small bed and the desk in the corner he could see through the window. He could see someone seated there, writing and ignoring them as if they'd never existed to begin with. Yami wondered if they knew there were two people in Yugi's room, if they even recognized the differences between them.

But then he turned away again. His eyes fell on Yugi for a single second, then onto the carpet. He wanted to apologize. Part of him was desperate to do so. But another part of him nearly sneered at the thought. Yugi did not deserve an apology from him. That was ridiculous. He hardly deserved such a thing from him. If anything, perhaps Yami was owed one.

The thought nearly made him burst out laughing.

How often did a human apologize for lying?

He did not think it was often by any means.

"Anzu said we should go to the arcade. Honda suggested the movies. And Jonouchi just said the arcade. So…I guess the arcade…right?" Yugi said softly. He was hesitant and quiet. And he turned to Yami immediately when he spoke, blue-violet eyes trying desperately to catch his. Yami raised his eyes to his from beneath his lashes. Yugi sat up straighter, eyes boring into his. "But the arcade is really loud and it's usually packed with people. And, with all the snow, it's probably even worse than usual. No one can really do what they want outside so…"

Yami snorted. "The arcade sounds like a joy," he said dryly, fighting the urge to sneer at him. Was he afraid he would lash out if they were in a larger group of people? Was he afraid he'd kill someone in front of him again? "If two of them voted for the arcade, then we will go to the arcade."

Yugi stared at him as if he'd just punched him in the gut. He looked winded, the smallest touch of color gracing his cheeks. Yami almost thought he looked sick for a moment. Then he sighed, shook his head, and Yami presumed he turned back to his phone in order to text his friends a response.

In the hour it took for them to leave the house, Yugi had tried and failed on numerous occasions to get Yami to talk to him again. The taller teen had taken to seating himself in the corner and ignoring him when he spoke. Occasionally he would answer a question when Yugi prompted him if he was okay. He would answer, sometimes even looking over to show his distaste for his fretting. And then he would go back to pretending to read, sometimes flipping pages instead of responding, ignoring him as if he had never spoken should he try more than once.

When they had left the house Yami had gotten dressed in a warmer coat without argument. He was ignoring him altogether again. And, so, giving up, Yugi had finally led them to the arcade. The conversation had been just short enough that he had managed to tell him that they wouldn't all come together at the same time. Yugi was so crestfallen by his stubborn silence that he was almost tempted to simply go home and lay back down in bed with the blankets pulled over his head. He didn't want to deal with it.

But he picked a booth seat. And Yami slid into the spot nearest the window, across from him rather than beside him like Yugi had been hoping against everything he would do. Yami did not so much as look towards him even when Honda and Anzu came in together, chatting quietly. They hushed the moment they got closer and saw the seating arrangement, with a strange glance of bewilderment cast in his direction from Anzu. The brunette raised a brow in surprise but Honda simply moved and took the spot next to Yami across from her when she finally sat down as well.

"How long have you guys been waiting? Hopefully not too long," she said after a moment of silence. She had her hands between her thighs, uncomfortable and unhappy. She was trying to make her smaller, Yugi knew. He blinked and Yami looked away from his window for a second to address her in his usual quiet tone.

"No, not at all. We only just got here a minute or so ago." It was a downright lie, but Yami still managed to smile at her politely, red eyes mild and friendly. But Yugi could see the budding tension in his gaze as well. He was already uncomfortable. All the noises from nearby—laughter, coins jingling, ice cubs scraping against each other, soda bubbling—was grating at his nerves. And they'd only been there for about ten minutes at the most. He was uncomfortable. He was incredibly uncomfortable, actually. But, if he was so upset with Yugi, then surely swapping seats with Honda and trying to help him by close proximity would do nothing for his benefit.

"Did you order food yet?" Honda asked after a moment. He seemed uncomfortable now as well, but he did a far better job of hiding it than Yugi felt he ever could. He glanced at Yami again in his peripheral but the red-eyed teen ignored him in favor of watching Honda. "I mean, if we're sitting in a booth, I've got to assume that food has already been ordered… Right?"

"No, we haven't ordered anything yet. I didn't know what we would all want this time around." Yugi hesitated. Yami had turned to the window and refused to pay him any attention. It was a relief but it was also frustrating. "I was planning on a pizza but I didn't know if you guys would want that or not."

"I'm always down for pizza," Honda snorted, just as Jonouchi rounded the corner with a loud, "Hell yeah, pizza! Yum!"

The blond happily threw himself into the booth beside Honda. He cast a small, awkward glance towards Yami, but the red-eyed teen was studiously taking note of their arrangement by way of their reflections in the window. "Okay then," he announced. "Which pizza did we order?"

"We haven't yet, actually. Yugi didn't know what we wanted so he hasn't ordered anything," Anzu answered. She looked increasingly uncertain, glancing at Yami awkwardly and then turning to face Jonouchi almost solely. The blond swore she looked as if she might get up and run for it at any moment. He glanced back and forth between Yugi and Yami, wondering at the way the red-eyed teen was ignoring him, and then hummed as he turned away again. "But I was thinking cheese?"

"We could get the meat lovers."

Yugi snorted. "The last time we had that one, it gave you the runs," he snickered. He grinned at him, shaking his head. "Why would you want it again?"

"No, no. It was a one time ordeal. I'm sure that they've fixed it by now. Besides!" He patted and rubbed his stomach, smirking. "I have an iron stomach now, remember?"

"Oh, yes, excuse me for ever thinking otherwise," Yugi laughed. He shook his head and his eyes looked brighter than he'd seen them in a while. "I forgot you magically have an iron stomach now. No runs for you."

"Damn straight, I'll never get the runs again!" he crowed. He glanced around to see if anyone had heard them talking, but the game music alone seemed loud enough to drown them out entirely. He turned to the window. "Yami, you don't want a certain topping?"

The other boy was silent for a moment. Then he blinked. In the reflection, his eyes darkened and dilated before they focused abruptly on Jonouchi's there in the glass. "I am not hungry," he answered after a long beat, voice a mere hiss of noise against the background cacophony. "I already ate."

Anzu frowned slightly. "Oh, uh, okay then. Well, that's fine, too, I guess. What about you, Yugi? You're hungry, right?"

"Yeah, I'm starved!" He smiled at her, then turned to stare at Yami with a harder, narrow-eyed glance. He exhaled loudly, turning abruptly to Jonouchi again. "Meat lovers or cheese? We could do half and half? Or we could just get two. I'll buy."

Honda raised a brow. "You have cash on you?" he asked in surprise. "You don't normally carry cash anymore."

Yugi shrugged. "I need it for the games."

"Oh, yeah."

Jonouchi looked at Yami again. The boy was watching them in the window now. His focus was clearly on them. He was not interested in engaging them in any manner, but he was staring at them all the same. And, the longer Jonouchi watched him, the more focused his red eyes became on him. He could feel him staring into his eyes through them.

"Is he okay?" he mouthed, turning to Yugi. The smaller teen blinked, then shrugged lazily. He didn't look as if he didn't know, though. He looked as if he understood all too well what had caused Yami's change in behavior. Jonouchi wondered what the hell had happened between the two of them so recently. Yugi looked fed up. Yami looked tense and annoyed.

He raised a brow, shook his head, and turned away.

He wasn't going to get between the two of them. He didn't want to see the damage the two of them could do to each other if they only set their minds on it. They had too much power over each other. They had too much strength between the two of them. They could easily tear each other to pieces if they were to try. And Jonouchi wanted nothing to do with any of it.

Besides, Yugi had chosen Yami over them several times already. If there was truly a problem between the two of them, then he could sort it out on his own. The fact was that Jonouchi had overstepped more than once in the last twelve hours just to get them together in this one place. He didn't want or need to meddle any further.

"Okay, so, we'll just do two pizzas then." He turned to Anzu and ignored the feeling of Yami's eyes on him. "Do you want one of the small deep dish ones? Or do you want something else? I mean, we could do any of them…"

"Deep dish is always good."

"You sure you're not hungry, Yami? Like…at all?"

"Yes. Thank you, though."

Jonouchi raised a brow again. Yugi was grimacing, his blue-violet eyes unreadable. But he was no longer angry, which was a relief. He looked flustered, perhaps miserable, but he was no longer mad. And that was enough to help him relax somewhat. He turned away, getting up. "I'll be back then."

Honda turned back to Yugi the moment Jonouchi headed off to order their food. "So, what's new then?" he asked. He leaned forward, shifting his weight uncomfortably. Anzu had pressed her lips into a thin, tight line. And Yugi glanced briefly towards Yami and back quickly.

"Nothing, honestly. I just thought we should all hang out again, you know? I mean, I haven't spent any time with you guys in a while. So I figured it would be a good time to do it. I figured it would give you guys a chance to maybe spend a little time with Yami, too. I mean…" He shrugged, eyes falling to the table. "Oh, well, whatever. Anyways, so, what's new for you guys?"

Honda nodded slightly. At least he was trying. "Not much. I just thought something was going on with you guys."

If Yugi and Yami took the opening to discuss their grievance, he would be amazed.

"No, not that I know of," Yugi answered immediately. He looked up, locking eyes with him. There was gratitude but the smallest hint of warning there as well. Honda arched a brow. Yami kept staring out the window. When he glanced sideways towards him, he found the red-eyed teen staring straight ahead. The only indicator he was listening and watching was the way his irises occasionally shifted to regard them more fully. "I just figured we could all hang out."

"Well…" Anzu was quiet for a long minute. "My dad is being forced to look into other suspects for the fire. His supervisor is pretty mad about him wasting time investigating you and not getting anywhere with it. So, he's going to be looking into more suspects now."

"Oh…there were other suspects?"

She cringed slightly. Yami's head turned a millimeter, interest making his eyes sparkle in the window. "Well, if Fuwa was still alive, he'd be the main suspect now. Apparently someone at school heard him mention the restaurant and my dad chose to follow that lead. Someone else is pointing the finger at Chono because she takes most of her dates there, but I'm pretty sure that was just them being spiteful." She shook her head, glancing sideways towards Yami for a split second. "The list of suspects is really only, like…five people long, if even that, honestly. No one can really say who did it and the employees there are really upset about the loss of their jobs. So, they're working at new restaurants and tend to be super upset when they talk about it, so they're really not helping out much."

"Really? It's as simple as that? He's going to get off my ass now because of that?" Yugi snorted. He looked skeptical, eyes darkening briefly as he considered her. Then his brows furrowed and he shook his head slowly. "There's no way."

"Yeah, I don't think that means he'll give up on pinning it on you, honestly. I just think that means he'll be less likely to be able to ask one of his coworkers to help him when he does keep investigating."

Yami turned to them now, red eyes sharp and glinting like a knife. The movement was jarring enough that all of them turned to him in surprise. "So, in other words, only he will be unable to investigate Yugi? And no one else would be likely to bother?"

Anzu faltered briefly, surprised by the abrupt tone of his voice, how cold he seemed at the moment. Honda shifted his weight in his seat and struggled not to simply stare at Yami in bewilderment. "That's basically what that means. The supervisor is pretty pissed about how much time he's wasted looking into Yugi without results, so…"

"But there was never any evidence to begin with, yes? The fire burned up the majority of it, correct?" Yami pressed. The intensity in his eyes was enough to make Honda stiffen. "I know he bled, but I highly doubt they found viable samples to manage a match to him. Is that the correct assumption?"

Honda blinked. Jonouchi slid back into his seat next to him. Yami was staring so intently at Anzu that Honda was amazed she was not shaking. She was staring at him as if she were a deer in headlights, however. Honda shivered and struggled not to flinch away when Yami glanced at him in his peripheral.

"No, that's basically it. They can't find any actual DNA proof. And they can't ask Yugi for a sample without probable cause. Although…" She looked to him now, blue eyes slightly crinkled in the corners. It was a sign that she was annoyed, that she was struggling not to snap. Yami had made her so nervous that she was flustered and usually when she was flustered, she would get annoyed. "If he ever bothers asking you to go with him for coffee or something like that, I think you need to know if you leave your cup or anything like that, he's technically allowed to use it as evidence."

Yugi frowned, nodding after a long moment. "I don't think I'll ever want to have coffee with him anyways." He cast a brief glance towards Yami, drawing in a deep breath, and turned back. "But he still doesn't know anything about Yami…right?"

"If he does, he hasn't said anything."

"So, then there's no risk that he might try to corner him and find out if he's the one I based my alibi on?"

"Not that I know of…"

"Good." Honda grimaced when Yugi relaxed and settled back more comfortably in his seat. That hardly seemed like good news to him, in truth. The problem was that Yugi and Yami looked far too similar from a distance. If Mazaki ever proved to want to hunt Yugi down on his own at some point, Yami could easily be caught between them. "That's great."

"Unless he is ever to notice my likeness to you," Yami scoffed. He was staring out the window again. Honda watched Yugi's eyes snap open, head turning to face the other werewolf with a confused expression. "If he should mistake me for you at some point…"

"When are you ever likely to wander around as a human?" Yugi snorted, voice skeptical and somewhat cold. "You might go running off as a wolf, but as a human? How unlikely is that?"

Yami's shoulders rose the smallest degree. His eyes flashed, darkening. Then he huffed, eyes still trained on the outside. Honda could see him tracing the fall of each newly falling snowflake outside. He put his hands on the table, drumming his fingers, and looked away from the red-eyed boy.

"Well, you know…he's not necessarily wrong. Even if he doesn't ever really wander around on his own that often as a human, on the off chance that it happens…"

Yugi was bristling now, nearly snarling when he spoke. "Okay, and what the fuck am I supposed to do about that? Am I supposed to buy him colored contacts so that his eyes look similar to mine? Buy hair dye and color in his streaks until the coast is clear? His eyes are differently shaped than mine; I don't have any way to fix that. There's really no way to miss how different we actually are. So, what am I supposed to do about it? He can't exactly change his appearance enough, and—"

"My dad would love to get the chance to get you alone, Yugi. So, I mean, if it happens and he finds Yami instead…"

"Then I guess…" Yugi looked over at Yami after a moment. Yami was staring at him from the reflection, head turned slightly and angled as if he were offering him his ear. "Okay, so then … Do you, uh, do you remember what I told you my alibi was before?"

Yami blinked once. Then he turned to him, looking slowly at the other boy. His brows furrowed for a moment and he blinked at him again. "Your alibi?" he repeated, as if tasting the words rather than trying to remember. His eyes narrowed a moment later and he curled his lip. "Right. You were on a school chat room about homework when someone sent a message saying that they had been hurt and needed help. You asked for the address and went to help. It turned out to be someone you had met during an orientation walk at your school. You went to help them, found them wounded and bleeding badly, and stayed with them throughout the night at their motel room. Then they fled Japan. A week or so later, the motel closed and you have not been in contact with them since."

Yugi nodded, humming softly. "Good. You remembered all of that." He smiled at him, eyes brightening with satisfaction, but Yami granted him nothing more than a blank stare. Honda shifted uncomfortably in his seat again. Yugi's smile fell away, replaced by a frustrated glare as he continued in a colder tone. "Well, anyways, I said that I thought you were fleeing from an abusive partner. So, I guess if it ever comes down to it, we'll just tell that story."

"Yes." Yami turned away again, voice curt. "Understood."

Honda was staring at Yugi when the small teen turned away with a huff. The brunet raised a brow, a small frown crossing his face, and Yugi furrowed his brows at him in bewilderment. But the brunet didn't try to mouth anything to ask him a question of any kind. And Yugi was acutely aware that Honda knew Yami was still watching them as keenly as he had been before. And Yugi wasn't stupid enough to think that Yami didn't have practice reading lips. He was sure he'd done so in the labs, if not while they were out and about at some point.

His phone vibrated and Yugi blinked, pulling it out of his pocket. He half-expected it to be his mom asking him if he had any idea when he would be coming home. Instead, only mildly surprised, he found a text of Is he okay? He seems really…distant? Is he sick or something?

Yugi huffed, shaking his head. He's in a bad mood, I guess, he sent back, glancing sideways at Yami once more. He pocketed his phone again, wondering for a moment what the other boy would do if he kicked at him from beneath the table. "So, it'll be ten minutes or something before food, right? We can all sit around and swap stories or something like that."

"I, uh, actually…wanted to ask you something, Yami." The red-eyed teen blinked. Then his head snapped around, eyes wide in bewilderment. Yugi nearly shivered at the look on his face, how lost he appeared in that single moment. Anzu was folding the napkin in front of her, ignoring those brilliant red eyes on her face. But Yugi was also relieved for a split second. Yami did not appear angered in any manner. He seemed more relaxed at this point, rather than furious as he would have assumed. "I just…I wanted to know a little about your lifespans… Are you…immortal or just…semi-immortal?"

She was struggling for the proper words, Yugi realized. And he almost sneered, "If you want to know if you could kill one of us, just ask". Some part of him almost wanted nothing more than to see Yami's horrified and startled reaction to that statement. But he swallowed it away.

Yami looked amazed, confused, as if the phrasing had startled him into a state of dissociation. His brows knotted together and his eyes narrowed briefly. Yugi could not tell if he was tense or struggling not to make his own snide remark in turn. He couldn't tell with the red-eyed boy's face growing expressionless the longer he considered his answer, his gaze glassy in appearance. And then, finally, he began to mumble an answer.

"It depends on the grade of the wolf that bites you, if their bloodline is at its strongest or weakness or middle ground. And then it depends on how often you choose to change. If you change a lot, then you are not going to age at all. Your body is constantly regenerating cells to keep you healthy enough to do so." He trailed off for a second, glancing around once, and then sighed. Yugi wondered if he had been hoping someone was trying to listen in so that he might be able to hide away from finishing his answer. "But if you change once every month at bare minimum, I would expect that your lifespan would be significantly longer than that of the average human's, but extremely short compared to the average wolf's."

"Sweet! I'm going to live forever then!" Jonouchi announced, grinning widely. But he faltered when Yami turned to look at him. Yugi saw his eyes flash, something cold and dangerous passing through them, but whatever thoughts he'd had, he did not share and he made no move to react negatively beyond his cold stare. Jonouchi lost his smirk immediately after and Yami turned away again almost instantly.

"Living forever…is likely not as much fun as you might expect it to be," Yami muttered. He sounded exhausted and small, as if he were nothing more than a shadow. Yugi almost could not hear him over the noise of the arcade around them. "It's probably very depressing, if you were to consider it. Your friends and family all pass away and you are stuck living the same as you always have."

"Okay, but you can always just stop changing, right?" Jonouchi sounded nonplussed and perhaps flustered. "You just said, if you are not changing much, you aren't like to live for too long."

Yami was still for a long moment. Then he smirked wryly, teeth showing in a hideous expression. "True," he relented. But he did not turn back. And his smirk faded a few moments later. He shifted his weight, pressing almost completely into the wall as if he wished he could pass through the window. Yugi found himself twitching, somehow more unnerved now than he could ever recall being before. The others turned to him collectively, bewildered.

He shrugged, glancing at his alpha for a split second before turning away again. And he hated himself for a moment as his thought became one of, Jonouchi no longer has family he wants to stay with. And part of that is your fault. He wanted to see Shizuka again. He wanted his family back.

And you destroyed that, Yami.

But then he wondered—it was partially his fault as well, right? He had sheltered and helped Yami to a healthy enough state to cause such destruction. He could have kicked him out at any time, sent him off to survive on his own again. He could have stepped back and let him self-destruct as Yami seemed so intent upon doing now. If Yami were to blame for Shizuka, did that not mean he was to blame for the fact that he had even grown strong enough to do such a thing?

He had nursed him back to health. He had healed him when he'd come to him for help with his wrists. He had done it again and again, helping him regardless of the threat Yami had truly posed. He'd brought him back again and again. He'd…

I gave him the strength to do that.

Yami had torn his best friend's little sister's head off. Sure, Yami had said that it was a trigger response. But what did that mean exactly? What did it mean for Yami to say that and Yugi to believe it? He nearly snorted with disgust. Did he even believe him anymore? How was he meant to do that? How was he supposed to trust him when he had admitted that Shizuka's death had not been a lapse in judgment of some kind, nor a complicated accident?

Yugi ignored the urge to sneer at him. He ignored the urge to bitterly snarl at him for his actions. He ignored the urge to look over and stare in his eyes and beg for him to explain it somehow. He wanted so badly for it to make sense. He wanted to understand. He wanted to be able to trust him again.

"I don't think being immortal is all that fun. I mean, never aging or dying? How would life still be worth living if there aren't any consequences or an end in sight? Most people start living when they know they might die sooner rather than later." Yugi considered his friend for a moment, wondering what Jonouchi would have done in different circumstances. If he had known that Marik had planned to kill him that night, would he have tried to live his life to its fullest beforehand? Or would he have simply trudged towards that fate? "If you were immortal, it wouldn't spur much reaction, you know? And then wouldn't you kind of lose your sympathy for others and your excitement for things?"

"You make it sound like I'd become some kind of psychopath or something," Jonouchi snorted. "Have a little more faith in me, geez, Yug."

Yugi laughed, shaking his head. "You know that isn't what I meant at all! But seriously? I can't really see immortality being all that much fun."

"Pfft, being immortal gives you time to become perfect," Honda snickered, rolling his eyes. Jonouchi huffed and pushed his shoulder, opening his mouth to make what was no doubt a stupid joke. But Honda accidentally touched Yami. And Yami spun around with wide, startled eyes. He was stiff and pressed against the wall so completely he looked like a trapped animal before its hunters. He stared at them, unblinking and wild-eyed, as if he expected them to lash out at him at any moment. "Oh, shit, sorry, dude. You okay?"

Yugi almost trembled. Yami looked as if he didn't understand what he had asked him. He looked as if he were drowning, his red eyes almost vibrating in their sockets. And then he blinked. His shoulders dropped, his mouth fixed itself into something of a strained and pathetically small smile, and he nodded before turning away again.

"It's okay."

Yugi was hit with the reality that the window seat was hardly a suitable spot for Yami. The thought was enough to wind him. Yami was pressed into the wall because he'd been afraid to be so close to them. Yami could not get up and move away without asking permission. And Yugi knew for a fact that Yami was too afraid to ask for such a thing at the moment.

He was too afraid of showing weakness. He was too afraid of making them all more uncomfortable. So he was suffering alone, forcing himself to endure it as if he thought it might make them somehow happy.

"Do you want to swap seats?" he asked under his breath. And for a moment he thought Yami would take him up on the offer. Or maybe he simply hoped the red-eyed boy would turn his head and look at him. Instead he found him stiffening before exhaling.

"No, I am fine."

"You sure? I don't want to make you too uncomfortable, Yami."

"Why? Are you afraid that I'll tear off their heads too?"

Yugi flinched, spinning on him. "That's uncalled for," he spat. "Knock it off."

Yami snorted. When he turned back to him, his eyes were dark, voice haughty and cold. "You are the one who keeps acting as if I will. So why am I the one who needs to stop?"

The others had frozen in place, confused and alarmed by their change of attitude. The irritation that charged the air was like lightning and all of them were tensed. Yugi went to snarl at him, mouth opening and closing twice, and then faltered. He couldn't say anything without potentially telling them about what had happened. So he settled for scowling at him, hissing, "Fine. Do whatever the fuck you want to, you piece of shit."

Yami scoffed loudly. He turned away again and refused to look at any of them.

Honda shifted his weight awkwardly. Jonouchi rubbed his arm. Anzu looked as if she wanted to flee. Yugi glanced at each of them for a single moment, then looked quickly away to focus on the table with a frustrated feeling.

"Triple cheese deep dish pizza and one extra large meat lovers," the waitress interrupted. She came over, setting a rack for the pizza sheet to rest on, and smiled at them when they thanked her. She was gone immediately after and Yugi bit the inside of his cheek for a moment. He was too infuriated to eat any longer.

"You're sure you aren't hungry, Yami?" Honda asked. He gestured at the pizza when Yami glanced over at him in surprise. "It's pretty loaded with meat. And it looks pretty good, right?"

Yami looked at it as if he were offended for a brief second. He sniffed once, curling his lip, and shook his head slowly. "It's, um, far too processed for me. It would not end well for me if I were to eat it."

"Wait, what?" Jonouchi asked, turning on him. His eyes were thrice their usual size and he was looking at Yami as if he were speaking a foreign language and breathing fire. "You think you'd get the runs or something?"

Anzu groaned, pausing in grabbing a slice. "Really? You have to ask that now?"

"I'd most likely vomit the moment I even swallowed a bite," Yami answered reluctantly. He refused to look at them again. But all of them were staring.

"Oh…well, that…sucks. Is that…permanent or something?"

"No," Yugi snapped before Yami could breathe a word in answer, "it's not permanent. He's just not at his best health wise right now."

Jonouchi looked puzzled. "Um…okay…?"

Yugi narrowed his eyes, voice sharp and cold. "Can you at least drink a soda?"

"I doubt it."

"Carbonated water?"

"A what?"

"Water with bubbles," Honda interrupted them. He looked extremely uncomfortable, but his tone was far friendlier than Yugi's had been when he'd nearly snarled at him a second before. Yami didn't look away from Yugi, stiff and narrow-eyed, as if he expected Yugi to lunge forward at him at any moment. "It's just carbonated for people who like the bubbles from soda but want a healthy alternative. And other times it's flavored for those who want a little bit more to it. Most of the time it helps with stomachaches, though."

"My stomach does not ache."

"I wasn't asking about that."

Yami turned on him with a snarl in his throat. He clenched his fingers into fists, narrowed his eyes further, curled his lip briefly, and said brusquely, "I do not know. Why not try it and find out? As long as it is unflavored, I do not think it would pose an issue."

Yugi eyed him for a long minute. He looked as if he wanted to snarl at him, but nodded instead. "Then I'll be right back with a sparkling water," he bit out. Yami opened his mouth to object, wanting nothing more than to sneer at him that he did not need his help. But he could not get the words out fast enough. Anzu had jumped up and out of her seat and Yugi was walking away before he could even think to articulate his denial. So Yami simply sat back in his seat and huffed, watching him go.

"Are you guys still fighting?" Jonouchi asked abruptly.

"Still?" Yami echoed, furrowing his brows. Had they been fighting before? He snorted in amusement the moment he considered. Oh, yes, when Yugi had hurt him. Now he remembered. "No, not about that. It is not about that anymore at all. I said something that upset him this time."

I killed your little sister. You're sitting near your little sister's murderer and you don't even know it, he thought. He wanted to sneer it at him, but it was not malice which made it so hard to ignore such an urge. He wanted to spit it at him so that when Jonouchi attacked him, it would be with intent. Maybe Jonouchi could put him down for longer. He'd heard rage did amazing things for wolves and humans alike.

"Great," Jonouchi said slowly. He was staring at him intently. "But you guys are okay past that?"

"I do not recall anything else that might have happened. So, I must assume so."

"I'm sure he'll be over it again by the end of the day," Anzu attempted to reassure him. She gave him a smile, trying her hardest to be friendly, but Yami could find nothing placating in her tense stance. She was scared. She was unsure. She seemed to be struggling. And he wondered if part of that was jealousy. Yugi had chosen him over her. He wondered if that still stung. "He's not really one to hold grudges and he's extremely forgiving. I don't think it'll be too long before he's past this."

"It has been two days now," he answered. He was almost happy when he saw her nearly flinch. Her eyes lost their friendliness, replaced by frustration and mild surprise, and he almost smiled at her in a mockingly placating gesture. "And he has not changed his attitude in the slightest. I went too far this time."

And he had, hadn't he?

Admitting to killing Shizuka like that had been a blow he didn't think they'd truly recover from. Yugi could claim otherwise all he would like, but in truth, if he were willing to admit it to himself, he knew better. Yugi would not forgive him this. The burden of secrecy alone was enough to exhaust him, he knew.

"Too far? What did you do?" Jonouchi snorted. He sounded so amazingly skeptical that Yami almost laughed. A part of him wondered what it was that Jonouchi himself had done to Yugi. There had to be a reason he was so sure of Yugi's ability to forgive and forget like that. "Did you tell him his hair was ugly or something?"

"Our hair is too similar. If I were to do that, I would be insulting my own," Yami said, rolling his eyes. "And it does not matter what it is that I said."

"Said about what?" Yugi asked. He had a small plate with several drinks on it, three sodas and two bottles of sparkling water. A plain water sat in between them, a relief to Yami for a split second. But then he wondered why. Did Yugi think he would be sick if he drank the sparkling ones? He nearly snarled at him; he was not that weak.

But Yugi didn't say anything as he took his seat again. He passed a sparkling water to him, then handed the sodas to the others and put the other two bottles next to his own plate. He made no effort to hide his curiosity now. "What were we talking about?"

"Nothing," Yami answered dismissively. He didn't bother to reach for his bottle yet, tilting his head as the plastic beaded with perspiration. Was it truly so cold? "We were not talking about anything."

Yugi scoffed softly, but it did not sound antagonizing. "If you say so," he answered mildly. He selected a piece of pizza that did not seem to have too many toppings on it, then grabbed a second. "So, what did I miss? Anything?"

"Not really," Jonouchi answered. He had eaten his first slice and was working on his second already. Honda was awkwardly nibbling on his, as if he were too nervous to eat. Yami wondered how much of that was due to exposure to him. No doubt Honda felt the pressure of being around him, a werewolf that the three of them knew little about and had no experience with beyond a few small exchanges. "But I do want to ask you something about Mai."

Yami tried not to gag as the smell of grease and melted cheese hit his nose. His stomach churned and he squeezed his eyes shut. Pain made his belly twist viciously for a moment and he shook his head slowly.

"Mai?" Yugi asked softly. He tilted his head in bewilderment. Yami looked between them, then away again. "What about her exactly?"

"Well, you and Yami have known her longer than me. I was wondering what you know about her? Likes and dislikes…things like that?"

Yugi snorted, then covered his mouth with a hand, looking away. He waved the response off with a flick of his wrist, but Yami stared at him in surprise. Had he almost burst out laughing at his best friend? The thought made him almost laugh aloud in turn. And now Yugi simply looked conflicted, as if he wanted to laugh but also to reassure him but had no words to do so.

"Let me, uh, get this straight for a second," he choked out. His lips twitched with the beginnings of a huge grin. "You're actually asking me this? You're really asking me for help with how to make a move on Mai?"

"I know. I'm desperate."

Yugi rolled his eyes. "Seriously? You're going to ask me for help and then you're going to make fun of me?" he grumbled. He glared at him for a brief second, then smirked and shook his head. "What do you know about her?"

"Little next to nothing. That's why I'm asking you."

"Okay… And you never considered just asking her these things?"

"She's hot and I get nervous! You know that." He rolled his eyes and turned to Yami. "What do you think? What do you know about her? Any advice?"

Yami almost burst out laughing. Advice? He wanted advice from him? Yami could barely function from day to day and Jonouchi wished to ask him for advice? The thought made him almost double over guffawing. But the amusement died just as fast. He didn't know what he was meant to say. He didn't know how he was supposed to respond. Jonouchi was reaching out to him. He meant to ask him for help. And what was Yami meant to offer him in turn?

"What do I know about Mai?" he clarified. Jonouchi nodded and Yami furrowed his brows. He struggled for a moment to think straight, thoughts churning to speed to a conclusive answer. "I know that she is in a sexual relationship with Otogi, who also seems to be her best friend from what I understand of it. She and Aki are half-sisters, but they are not close. She likes Otogi because he is very relaxed and secure and does not often anger. He is also rather friendly and kind to strangers so he is very unlike Marik was in that regard, which is what I believe led her to choose him."

Jonouchi groaned, shaking his head.

Yami fell quiet. When he spoke again, his voice came out quiet. "I do not understand what you are asking of me," he admitted. What did Jonouchi think that he knew that he didn't? What did he think he could provide him that he could not get from her herself? Yami didn't understand in the slightest.

"Favorite color? Favorite flower? Favorite season? Anything?"

Yami bristled, opening his mouth to snap at him, but Yugi snorted. "I don't even know those things about Yami," the smallest teen in their group grunted. He was smiling good-naturedly but it was clear he sensed Yami's tension. "I certainly don't know any of Mai's."

"Wow. You really stepped your game down, huh?" Jonouchi snorted, voice condescending and annoyed. "You know all those things about Anzu."

"Well, yeah, but…" Yugi trailed off after a moment. Then he snarled low in his throat, shrugged in annoyance, and spat, "Whatever, Jonouchi. Just because I know them about her doesn't mean I like her anymore than I like Yami, all right? Fuck off."

"Oh shit. You never told—?"

"No, and I don't really plan to right now," Yugi cut Honda off forcefully. He refused to look in Yami's direction, but the red-eyed teen could feel how acutely aware Yugi was of him at the moment. And he was just as aware now that this conversation was something that Yugi did not want to have in any capacity. A part of him almost panicked, realizing stupidly that this was the one subject he'd been prepared to beg Yugi not to bring up between them. His friends knew about it as well, but none of them were pushing. And he wondered abruptly if they didn't realize he knew. Maybe Yugi had been disappointed with his reaction and so he had never told them about the conversation they'd had. Then again, was it their business to begin with? Yami could not imagine Yugi would want to share such details with them… "But I don't know anything about Mai, okay? She's always been friendly but really diplomatic about it since I'm Atem."

"Atem?" Honda repeated. His brows furrowed and he tilted his head. "Who the hell is Atem? Is that some kind of kinky role-playing or something you're into?"

Yugi burst out laughing and shook his head. "No, you asshole. I'll explain later. It's a long story and I really don't want to have to get into it right about now. Maybe we could do that later or something." Yugi munched distractedly on his piece of pizza, refusing to look towards Yami for a long minute. When he finally did, he looked uncertain but offered him a small, strained smile. "I don't know the small things about Mai, Jonouchi. I honestly don't know anything about her. I probably know less than Yami does at this point. And he hasn't even scraped the surface of who she is."

Yami twisted the lid from his bottle, taking a small sip. The sound of the bubbles popping and bursting upwards to splatter slightly on his skin was soft in his ears. He frowned as he watched it for a moment. The feeling of carbonation on his tongue was an odd one, unnatural enough that he almost bristled and snarled. He shivered, putting the cap back on immediately. It did not taste bad, nor did he have a true complaint of any kind. But it felt strange against his tongue.

"You don't like it?" Yugi asked. He had his hand on the plain water bottle when Yami glanced over. And he felt stupid for not realizing that the smaller teen would be watching him. "Want this one?"

"No, it is fine. I was just surprised. I had forgotten how carbonated drinks feel. I have not had a soda in a while. It surprised me."

"If you say so." Yugi went back to chewing on his pizza. He was facing Jonouchi again. "Actually, you know? Mai loves to run. She and Otogi usually go on a lot of runs together. So, it'd probably be a really good idea to ask her to go with you on one. And if you're comfortable enough, you could go hunting too. Not to mention, it should be super easy to do that. I mean, hunting usually coincides with running, right?"

Jonouchi scrunched his nose. "You think so?"

"She does love to run," Yami agreed. He tapped his nails against his bottle of water, refusing to look over at him. His head was beginning to hurt. His stomach churned. "I would expect her to agree easily if you suggested it. I do not know if you would truly want to go hunting, though. I don't know how well you would do. I don't think you've ever gone hunting on your own, right?"

"Uh, no…not really."

"But it's really easy to learn. And I'm sure she'd be happy to teach you!" Yugi rushed to reassure him. His beta shot him a slightly flustered look but Yami hardly cared for it. Had he given him time, Yami would have claimed similarly. It was not as if he were trying to make Jonouchi feel bad for his inexperience. "Actually, I bet she would be super happy to show you. She's always willing to help out when someone asks. That might be your best bet!"

Jonouchi tilted his head. The way his shaggy hair fell into his eyes reminded Yami of a golden-furred dog with long floppy ears that kept falling into its face. He wanted to laugh, but somehow the image hurt. He clenched his fingers around the top of his bottle, breathing deeply and narrowing his eyes.

"If you would rather sidestep the stress of that—since you are so clearly sweating at the mere thought of doing so—all you really have to do is unzip your pants. She'll come running." It was a vindictive statement. And Yami regretted it the moment it was out in the open. His eyes widened in surprise and his mouth opened and shut before he truly considered. And then he almost laughed.

Anzu and Honda were gaping at him. Yugi looked as if his eyes might pop out of his head. Jonouchi was shaking, flushed bright red with anger.

"What the fuck is your problem?"

He blinked. "I don't have a problem." But clearly he did. Yami wondered if it was something in his bloodstream that made him so reckless and stupid sometimes. Then he wondered if it was the many times he'd been killed and come back. The thought almost made him breathless, a hideous laugh forming in his lungs.

But it was gone again immediately.

He shouldn't have said that. And he understood that. A part of him burned with shame at the very idea. His heart hammered in his chest. His lungs strained and twisted in his chest. He narrowed his eyes and swallowed hard.

He was irate, however. And everything seemed to be closing in on him. Everything seemed to be pressing forward and into him. And the air was heavy. The sounds of the arcade around them were suffocating. He felt like he could drown beneath it all. His senses were burning, tingling. Instinct said to run for it. Something about this small space made his entire body itch with desperation.

And, abruptly, the rage simmered. He turned on Jonouchi much more pointedly now. His lips peeled back and he spoke through his teeth, snarling at him. "Just last night I told you exactly what her relationship with Otogi was. And you apparently did not care to hear it and so you ignored it. And you still refuse to listen now. Take it as offensively as you might like, Katsuya, but Mai is not some chaste girl looking for Mr. Right and planning to save herself for marriage. She is a wolf. Wolves like sex. Wolves have copious sex. Whether or not you want to hear that is not my problem."

Yugi gaped at him. Jonouchi was shaking, infuriated and snarling. Honda had pressed himself completely against the back of the booth. He looked as if he wished the floor would open up beneath him. Anzu looked horrified and stunned.

"If you plan to fight me over this, that is one of the saddest reasons I might have to beat someone into submission," Yami continued, sneering the words. He peeled his lips further back, baring his teeth more forcefully. "Listen, Jonouchi. She is not a virgin. And she does not care what it is that you might think of that fact. I am certain if you were to ask any of them, they would look at you as if you were stupid."

"Enough," Yugi snarled. He shoved his plate forward. It hit Yami's bottle so that it slammed into his chest. Yami startled out of his aggressive stance. It had not hurt, landing in his lap almost gently, but it was enough to shock him. He breathed in heavily, looking at it, wondering at how cold it was. He refused to look up again. "Look, I know he's being a dick with his phrasing right now, but he's not just being an asshole. He's just telling you the truth about it. Mai is extremely promiscuous. She's made that pretty clear. The first time she met us, she teased about having a foursome with her and Otogi, okay? She's not shy about it at all. So, Yami doesn't really have a reason to be chaste about it."

But he still spun on Yami, infuriated.

"That doesn't give him the right to be such a bastard about it either, though."

Yami snorted and kept his eyes on the beads of condensation. They made the most sense to him at the moment. The chill against his fingers was the most comforting thing he'd felt in what seemed like months. "Why is it such a big deal to say something like that?" he asked quietly, voice calm despite the numbness spreading through him. "If one were to ask her, she would say the same damn thing."

"You really are just some overgrown mutt, aren't you?" Jonouchi snarled at him. "You really have no idea how humans interact at all, do you?"

"Should I?" he wanted to spit back. Instead he lifted his head, considering him for a moment. Jonouchi was still shaking, furious, face red and eyes flashing hatefully. Yami watched him, then snorted. "I know how humans interact with one another. And I do not care for it. Why should such a topic be so sordid and exaggerated? It is stupid. Everyone does it."

"It's just…not something that people talk about. No one really talks about their sex life freely like that," Yugi finally answered when no one else responded for a moment. He was chewing on his pizza again. But he was definitely not enjoying it any longer. And he looked as if he wanted to simply lay down rather than deal with them at all. "It's considered dirty. It's not reputable to say that. It makes people think of you as loose and…uh…slutty."

Yami puzzled over his choice of words for a moment. Then he shrugged it off. It wasn't a word he truly recognized, but he'd heard it in television shows more than once. But he hardly cared to ask at the moment as to what it truly meant.

"Humans are so strange." He turned away again. His eyes fell on the bottle in his lap. He clenched his fingers around the lid. His nails crunched against it, pushing furiously into the plastic. "You make videos about it, you make manga with it, you make movie scenes about it, you make magazines with explicit detail. And yet speaking of it is what makes your species so uncomfortable?"

"What can we say? We're a special kind of species. None of it makes any sense." Yugi hesitated. "But we can go ahead and stop talking about it now. It's not like it's necessary to continue on with—?"

"Are werewolves born in litters?"

The question came out so abruptly that Yami jerked. He startled hard enough to hit the wall and flinch. Yugi's head snapped around, eyes wide. Jonouchi blinked huge eyes, startled. Anzu was staring at Honda with a shocked expression. Honda was red in the face, awkwardly staring at the table and scratching the back of his neck with an embarrassed expression.

Yugi burst out laughing a second or two later, unable to stop himself. He grinned widely, shaking his head. "That's the best question I've ever heard in my entire life," he teased.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The brunet huffed, relaxing a second later. "As long as we—"

"It depends on how the pups were conceived." Yugi jerked, startled, and looked over. Honda blinked, turning his head in surprise to stare at him. Yami was looking at the bottle again, having moved it to the table at some point. "If they were human then the mother would likely only have one or two children although it is not unheard of having up to four at a time."

Honda blinked. His eyes were glowing with curiosity now. "Really?"

"It is not impossible for it to happen." Yami kept staring at the bottle. A bead of perspiration fell along the side. His eyes traced its path. He drew in a breath that sounded exhausted when he spoke with it. "And it depends on how the mother gives birth as well. They have to give birth in the same form as they were conceived or else there can be complications. The…offspring can't trigger the Change on their own, so they have to be in the same form as the mother for the process to go smoothly. Otherwise the mother as a human could give birth to puppies or…vice versa."

"That would make for some really awkward ultrasound results."

The group snickered at Yugi's quiet joke. The small teen sat back against the booth once more. Yami leaned forward to undo the cap of his water bottle again. His fingers were oddly white, as if he were gripping the bottle too tightly.

"Were you born as a wolf?"

There was a long minute of silence. The red-eyed wolf looked away, to the window, voice distant and cold.

"Yes. My parents conceived and…my mother gave birth as a wolf."

---

Can I ask you something?

He was sitting a few feet away from the she-wolf. Mai was picking happily at the shin bone of a serow, eyes sparkling. She pricked her ears at his question, turning her head, and looked at him in bewilderment. The bone poked upwards from the corner of her jaws as if she were holding a large stick. The movement made Yugi smile faintly even as he watched her and moved closer.

If all of you are sexually active, why are there no pups here? He said it as delicately as he could. But he remembered Brooke after the words left him. She'd been killed by Amelda, but she'd been pregnant when it had happened. He shivered, bristling, and shook himself out quickly as he looked at her. He had not paid much attention to her former mate, however, for fear that he might lash out at him. And so Yugi had kept his silence in regards to condolences. No doubt that had done more damage than good with the pack, however. But he would do it another day, he promised himself. He'd do it when things were not so terrible and bleak—if he survived that long. You and Otogi are together a lot. And I know a lot of you guys used to mate with Marik too, right? So…

Mai blinked at him as if she were mystified as to who he was or why he might be there. She seemed skeptical for a long time, then looked away to gnaw on her bone. Annie was the only one of us permitted to have pups, she finally answered. Her violet eyes had dimmed slightly and she looked melancholic when she turned to him again. All of us here were born barren. It was to ensure that we could not become overpopulated. And all of Annie's children were female. It cut off all possibility of inbreeding. It was unnecessary, of course, as none of us would ever want to have sex with each other, but whatever.

Yugi flattened his ears against his head. That's disgusting, Mai. You're talking about incest, he grumbled. His stomach rolled and he curled his lip briefly.

Wolves don't participate in incest, she dismissed him. She wagged her tail at him, showing that his response had not upset her, and looked away again. But your expression was worth it. But, regardless, wolves in the wild will not perform in incest unless absolutely necessary. And werewolves hardly want to do such a thing either. It is humans that sometimes…

Yugi bit back a disgusted snarl. She wasn't wrong about that, however. But he didn't want to think about that for more than an instant. He'd heard of it several times. He'd seen it in TV shows. He'd been hopeful they'd been exaggerated and built for drama and views, but the truth of it was different. He knew that.

Why are you asking me this?

He hesitated. I was just curious. Yami and I went out with o—my friends. Honda asked if werewolves came in litters or not. And then Yami was answering it and he explained it and I just… I wanted to ask.

But now he wondered. And his heart hammered in chest, then slowed to a hideous crawl. He wanted to sob as the thought crossed his mind.

How many innocent lives had Yami taken that day in the hospital?

Had Shizuka been pregnant with a single child or a litter of pups?

Had he killed a single fetus or multiple?

Had he killed a niece or nephew or multiple?

He nearly shivered, horrified and disgusted. His heart hurt, feeling heavy in his chest. He glanced at her and then away again.

I just… I know that a lot of your siblings were sleeping with Marik so… He trailed off, wondering if he sounded as stupid as he felt at the moment. Oh well. I guess it's a good thing you guys can't have pups. You'd be bringing them into this fight and that would be terrible.

Mai studied him with something almost hideous and hateful. But it passed a moment later and she blinked as she looked past him and into the woods. Yugi spun around, expecting for a moment to see that Yami might have followed him despite his insistence that he wanted to stay home. Instead he found Jonouchi a few yards away, making his way quickly towards him.

Oh, hey, Jonouchi, he greeted him. He wagged his tail slightly and for a moment Jonouchi eyed him almost suspiciously. Then he mirrored the action, moved around him, and greeted Mai before turning back.

Can we talk about something?

He sounded annoyed. He sounded frantic. Yugi considered him closely for a moment. Then he got to his paws. Mai looked between them, then began to gnaw on her prize again. Yugi wondered briefly if she was upset by the short greeting or if she was simply frustrated with the conversation they'd been having formerly. He wondered if she'd once wanted to have kids and he looked awkwardly at the snow.

What's up? He picked his way after Jonouchi when his friend paused a few yards ahead of him. When he lifted his eyes, it seemed like his best friend had thought he'd been behind him, visibly surprised to find him so far behind. Is something wrong?

For a long minute the golden-furred wolf didn't respond. He yawned, flicking his ears rapidly back and forth, glanced around twice, and then finally turned back to him. His voice was hesitant and low and he looked uncertain as he mumbled, You really aren't going to be happy when I explain…

Yugi watched him circle around twice, then take a seat.

I, uh, wanted to talk to you about Yami.

Yugi blinked now, pricking his ears forward. If this has to do with earlier today—

No, it doesn't have anything to do with that, Jonouchi cut him off quickly. He shook his head and looked away, huffing out a breath. It's more serious than that.

Yugi sat up a little taller, peering at him. Okay, he said slowly. Then what's up?

Jonouchi refused to look at him now. Are you, uh, sure that he should stay here…you know…with us?

Wait…what? Yugi snorted. He almost laughed aloud but he noticed as well that Jonouchi was so nervous he was almost shaking. What the hell does that mean? I'm confused right now. What are you asking me right now?

I mean that… Jonouchi glanced at him in his peripheral. Have you ever considered that maybe Aki is right? That maybe he really is a hellhound?

Yugi stared at him blankly for a moment. Had he truly just asked him that? He wanted to laugh at him again. But he couldn't find the breath to do so with. Jonouchi had just suggested that Yami was a hellhound? And he had meant it when he said it? Was that truly what had just happened?

The thought was bizarre enough that Yugi struggled to think straight.

Did you really just ask me that?

And then he was laughing. He couldn't help it. He burst out laughing at him.

Jonouchi startled visibly. His head snapped up, his eyes grew wide, and he blinked in shock. He pricked his ears forward, startled, and Yugi laughed harder. He'd really just asked him. He'd actually just—

Look, I mean… I get that you love this guy and everything, okay? But let's face the facts, Yugi. He acts suspiciously half the time. He runs off for long periods of time. He doesn't pay you any mind. He challenges things constantly. He brought that hellhound here!

Who? Valon? Yugi snorted in amusement. He shook his head and laughed harder. Seriously? Valon probably already knew where the camp was way before now. Honestly, he probably knows the entire length of the territory. If I asked him, he could probably describe the borders to me in detail. He's not stupid. He's survived alongside them for a while without it ever being a problem.

You say that but why wouldn't he have come to the camp before now if he knew where it was?

Probably because he didn't want to deal with it. He probably didn't want to have to fight anyone just for wandering around in the woods. And I don't think he would want to bother with the possibility of an ambush like that. He's the son of two hellhound gods. He could kill any of us here if he wanted to. But he's neutral in this war. He doesn't want anything to do with it. And if he wanted to fight us, he'd have done it by now and devastated each and every one of us.

Okay, but he shows up here and attacks and kills someone. And you act like it's okay. You're acting like Yami doesn't even look like a hellhound. If you think about it, going on appearances alone, he's definitely one of them. And you're being stupid about this right now. You know he's dangerous. You know he's killed before. What's to keep him from turning on you and the rest of us? He could lead them to us!

Yugi looked at him for a long moment. Then he blinked. His next bark of laughter was hideous and scathing. What's to keep him from doing that? He echoed the words in a sneer, baring his teeth. What's to keep you from doing that? Or Mai or Otogi or Chazz or Zane? You're seriously asking me this right now? I don't care what you think you know about him. Yami is not some mindless killer, okay? He's extremely smart and capable and he's not going to turn on anyone else. He has no reason to. Besides that, he's the one who bit me. And I'm one hundred percent a lycanthrope, damn it. Hellhounds can't infect someone and make a lycanthrope!

That's a weak argument. That's a really weak argument. You do realize that, right?

So is judging him by the color of his fur or eyes. That's just as stupid.

Jonouchi shook his head sharply. His lips peeled back and he snarled low in his throat.

How about this, Katsuya? Yugi snapped, cutting him off before he could reply. How about the fact that if Yami is not loyal to the rest of you, he is to me? He's loyal to me. If I told him I needed him to turn around and kill Valon, I know he'd do it. If I told him to turn around and kill Aki, he would. Regardless of whether or not you think he's a traitor, I'll tell you something you don't know about this entire situation.

He leaned forward, teeth mere inches from his skull as he growled. Jonouchi had lowered and turned his head, lips peeled back into a vicious snarl. But he was looking at him sideways, the whites of his eyes showing in his increasing distress.

Yami is and always has been with me.

Jonouchi blinked.

Even when he disappeared from camp for a while. He was. With. Me.

Jonouchi looked at him with a bitter gleam in his eyes. You lied to us.

I did what was necessary to protect him.

He means that much to you?

Yes. Yugi fell silent for a moment. It was not a revelation to him by any means, but it still rattled him at times to say it with such certainty and understand the extent of it. He knew for sure that if things came down to their worst—when they came to that—he would do anything and everything for the other boy. He'd do it and he'd be…glad to. I would do anything to protect you or Anzu or Honda, too, if it was necessary. But you have no idea what's happened. You have no idea the things we've—

Okay, but whose fault is that? It's not mine! You blocked us out, Yugi! You're the one who chose not to tell us anything—

Yugi nodded. I had to protect him. I couldn't… I can't tell you what happened. It's too… I can't tell you. And I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry for what it's done to us. But I can't. I won't. I can't afford to explain. I…

You're choosing him over your friends.

If that's how you choose to see it.

There's no "choosing to see it" this way. It's what you're doing.

Yugi stared at him, then got up to shake himself out. He stretched, watching him a moment. The thought of turning his back on Jonouchi for Yami's sake made him almost tremble, but he would choose him. And Jonouchi knew that. He could see it in his eyes. He understood that Yugi would do it if he were to push hard enough. He was going to always choose Yami over them when it came down to it. He had done it a thousand times before and he would do it a million times more before it was all said and done.

Okay.

The word made Jonouchi snarl. Okay? That's all you have to say about this?

What else can I say about it, Katsuya? You're right. I'm choosing him over you. I have for a while now. And I can't just say I haven't. That wouldn't be right for either of us. He paused, pricking his ears forward, and slowly tilted his head. I'm not going to lie like that. You know me. I don't want to make this worse. And I'm sorry that I've been doing this to you guys. But I…I love him. That's the long and short of it. And I will choose him over anyone else.

If I had known he would turn you into such a piece of shit, I would have tried to stop you from ever meeting him, Jonouchi said quietly. The words held no merit, considering, but Yugi felt that had it been another lifetime or another series of events that had played out, he would have kept that promise. He would have done everything in his power to keep them apart. As it was now, however, they were too tightly intertwined and he had no space with which to separate them. Yugi knew that. And so did Jonouchi. I never imagined you would change so damn much just because of someone you wanted to bone, Yugi. I thought you would always be a good guy.

He shook his head slowly. I'm still me. I'm just not… I have different priorities now, Jonouchi. I have different obligations. And I'm sorry that everything has turned out this way. But I can't pretend otherwise. He paused. And for a split second Shizuka's name rested on the tip of his tongue. But now wasn't the time. And he didn't know if there ever would be a proper time to tell him. I wish I could explain half of this to you. I wish I knew how to do it. But I don't know how to without telling you the million and one things that I can't. And I refuse to change my mind. I won't back down on this. It's too important. I'm not going to turn back on something I decided from the moment this all started.

And how long ago was that?

He blinked. Only a couple of nights after the festival. It's been at least two months now.

Goddamn it, Yugi.

The white wolf looked away. It's been a while. It feels like a lifetime.

I can't believe you threw us aside like that over some guy you want to bone.

It's not that simple.

Yeah, yeah, whatever, Yugi.

You know what, Jonouchi? You can be upset with me all you would like. But the truth is, at the end of the day, if you're going to be upset with me, don't bring that shit to Yami. You might be mad at me. You can hate me if you'd like, even. But the truth is, at the end of the day, if you plan to be so hateful, you need to show it to me. If you're smart, you'll take me seriously right now, Katsuya. You'll take me at my word. I will choose Yami over anyone and everyone, in this pack or outside of it. I love him enough that I will always make that choice. So I would increasingly careful about what it is you say and do around the camp where it involves him.

The golden-furred wolf was frozen, stunned. You're threatening me?

No, I'm making you a promise. I'll take whatever measures necessary to protect him. And if that means I have to beat you bloody until you submit, I will. If you start rumors, if you start to show him aggression, I'll knock you down until you don't get up again. Yugi rose to his feet. He wagged his tail, fur bristling as he turned away. I'll do it to anyone who sets a paw out of line. I don't care who it is. If it could hurt him, I'll put an end to it. I'm not having another Joy. I'm not having more bullshit. Aki is bad enough. And he won't deal with it himself.

You don't think he'd turn on you? He could barely stand you earlier when we were at the arcade! Jonouchi was snarling, puffed up in a bristle with each tooth showing. You're seriously going to tell me that you don't think he'd be willing to ever turn on you or any of us?

I'm telling you that while we get upset and fight with each other every now and then, I know Yami would never once turn on me or the pack in any way. Not in a way that matters. I know for a fact that he'd protect me against anything if I were ever to ask him for aid. I know for a fact that he'd do anything and everything for me if I requested it of him.

Jonouchi shook his head sharply. And the fact that he looks like a hellhound? Or the fact that he brought Valon here? Zuzu was killed because of him!

The reality of this situation is this. Yami would do anything for me if I asked it of him. If he was going to turn on me and go to the hellhounds, he would do it most likely for information he couldn't get otherwise. I don't know what he and Obelisk wanted Valon here for. But I do know it was not Yami's idea. So knock it off.

Knock it off? You're the one chasing some tail and thinking that he's loyal to you because he bit you. He fucking hit you in the woods a few days ago. Do you even remember that? Some loyalty there!

I wasn't exactly blameless in that situation. Yugi paused and shook his head. And if Yami were to turn on me, I guess that would be the day that I turn my teeth on him.

Jonouchi shook his head violently. You're joking, right?

Yugi didn't so much as blink.

You think that this is okay? You think that he's okay to do whatever he wants and you'll defend him until the moment that he steps too far over the line? Jonouchi sneered, bristling. That's ridiculous! You do realize that, don't you? What the fuck is wrong with you?

If you turn around and tell anyone about any of this, there will be hell to pay. Understand? Yugi said, ignoring his comment and looking him over. Don't breathe a word of this discussion to anyone. You don't say a damn word. I won't have it spread any further. I won't have Yami become further ostracized. The wolves are too restless as it is. And if you, as my beta, turned around and said that…

What do I care if it upsets them?

Yugi leveled him with a cold stare. They turn on me, and they'll kill you with me. I infected you. They'll think you're ruined for it. They'll kill you with me, do you understand? For right now, I need the pack to at least resemble something of a united front. Even if they are upset and hateful and cruel to one another most often, I need them to pretend.

He stayed quiet for a long minute. Then he scoffed, shaking his head, got up, and moved away. Yugi watched him go and finally followed him. He didn't know whether he should address this or not, and at the last moment chose to keep quiet. He didn't want to set Jonouchi off; the golden-furred wolf had a temper. And he didn't know if he would be able to stop him before he said something that got out of hand.

When they made it back to the main clearing, the other wolves looked over as if he was a creature they did not recognize. They were eying Jonouchi, but Yugi felt as if they might as well have been staring into his eyes and demanding answers. He wanted to flatten his ears and snarl at them, but his most prominent thought was to ignore them.

It was hardly a solution. Even in his most desperate state, Yugi knew that. But he still wanted it. So he did. He ignored them, disregarded the tension springing up in the gathering of wolves nearby. He would need to fix it sooner rather than later, but for now he had other things to do. Later he would perform proper introductions, acknowledge each of them by name rather than ignore them as he had been.

Ute, Yusei, Chazz, Jonouchi, Mai, Otogi, he called loudly, demanding their attention. The wolves all looked up, whether they had been named or not. Their heads snapped up and around and their eyes grew wide, puzzled. The mentioned wolves sprang to their paws as if they'd been bitten. Jonouchi had stopped a few steps away, turning around with a bewildered expression. You're coming with me. We're going hunting.

Hunting? Chazz echoed. His tail wagged slightly. He rushed over with an excited tremble. Yusei was at his side almost instantly. He looked just as confused as he was exuberant. That's awesome. I've been dying to go hunting!

Yusei, you're with Ute. Chazz, you're with Jonouchi. Mai, you're with Otogi and me. Yugi paused, looking at them before huffing as he began walking away. Make friends. They're going to be your buddies for this. This way you can all learn about each other. We all need to start working together better. And this should help some.

At least with Yusei and Chazz, the two yearlings were friendly enough. Chazz was rougher around the edges and could be irritable, but he was not aggressive towards others too often. And Ute did not seem to mind Yusei in the slightest. He could hear a couple of small snippets of conversation as they all exchanged greetings and names. Chazz launched into an animated exchange about how he wanted to hunt a boar. Yusei politely asked Ute what he would have hunted in the states. Jonouchi was laughing at Chazz's exaggerated hunting story a few seconds later. Ute was explaining that his pack usually survived off whitetail deer. Mai and Otogi finally came quietly to his side as Yugi began to move a little faster through the trees.