Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: None; This story is COMPLETE!

Edit Schedule: Sporadic due to limited time

Chapter Warnings: Mild Violence and Blood, More DETAILED Information on Experiments and Torture, Aftermath of Torture and Experiments, Referenced Death, Referenced Depression, Referenced Killing/Murder, Referenced Forced Breeding, (Mild) Emotional Breakdown

Happy New Year! This story is finally over! I do have a six-chapter story in the works to wrap up what little wasn't. It'll be called After the Bleeding, and will definitely focus mostly on Puzzleshipping, although I do have a small subplot that suddenly came to mind during the final edits for this and chapter 95. In the meantime, I'll be working on Of Land and Sky, After the Bleeding, and reworking the structure and plot for Shadows That Bleed to become an original story/manuscript.

I'm also wondering if anyone would like to be beta/pre-readers for the manuscript. I will be remaking the story almost from scratch, with a much more up to date aspect to the wolves and writing styles as well as the research I've done in the meantime. A lot of it was cut for the sake of the manuscript being different from the fanfic. A lot of the subplots and plot twists will remain the same, but there will be a deeper and somewhat darker layer to some of them, and a lot of the characters will be more important than they were in the fanfic.

If you're interested, email me. It's my username at gmail. If I don't answer immediately, it's because I'm busy and didn't have the time. I check my email everyday so I'll see it and respond as soon as I have the chance. Thanks for anyone interested!

Chapter XCVI: Timaeus

Work Log Entry LXXXVI: July, 2012

July 26

The wolves have escaped. The cage mate must have been the leader of the attacks. My look alike aided him for some reason.

His cage mate—Timaeus, as Atem has called him once in my presence—has been disemboweled and his neck snapped. The boss did it himself, in front of Atem before he ran.

Atem is gone.

He escaped with over a hundred other wolves.

He'll be on his own when he reaches the surface.

I hope he can survive.

He deserves to survive.

Chazz turned his head, freezing in place. His eyes grew wide and his fur rose into a startled bristle. Then he sprang forward, limping and almost collapsing over himself in his haste. Y-you're alive!

Yugi blinked, wagging his tail. I am. He snorted and glanced sideways at Yami. The black wolf had lowered his head, licking at his shoulder where his leg connected. He was visibly trying not to catch any attention, though Yugi saw Chazz staring at him with something of a stunned expression. The beta looked as if he'd been struck, though Yugi didn't know if it was with shock or realization or something else entirely.

He turned back, demanding his attention when he raised his tail high into the air. The gray wolf immediately turned to him, flattening his ears and ducked his head slightly in deference. Who else is okay?

Zane is shaken up, but he's alive. Aki is cleaning some wounds. Shay…was around here somewhere but I think he's not really… A couple of hellhounds escaped when we weren't looking, but I doubt they'll really be a problem. Other than that, I think it's really just…us and you guys. His eyes shot to Yami again. Atem.

Yami's head snapped up, eyes trained and focused on him. The light in his gaze was cold and shining and Yugi found himself almost mesmerized by it. His entire stance had changed, body alert and stiff and regard unwavering as his eyes bore into Chazz's. Yugi wondered then if he'd always been so keen. It wasn't that Yami had ever truly been so relaxed that he was not seconds from being able to lunge and end someone's life. It was simply that now, with the association of his original name, Yami's entire demeanor seemed to change for a single second. And Yugi had the abrupt and startling feeling that Yami had always had this reaction. He had just never truly shown it before then. Atem had been buried somewhere beneath all his fear and memories. And now he was at the surface. Now he was living and breathing again, fierce and terrible and some small unshakeable part of the wolf next to him.

I, uh… Chazz wagged his tail nervously. You…uh… Fuck, never mind.

Yami stared at him for a long time. Then he sniffed and looked away. The light in his eyes became tired again and his posture smaller and less demanding of attention. Yugi studied him a moment, then turned back.

When did you find out?

The beta blinked and raised his head to look at Yugi, expression not unkind but rimmed with frustration as well. He told us when you…you know. He told us we kept fighting or he'd kill us if we fled.

Yugi shot him a sidelong glance. Yami had raised his head now, voice cold and quiet when he turned to face him. You were dead. And I had no reason to be kind. I could not go after Gozaburo and Akunadin if there were hounds stalking me. Chazz alerted the others that you were dead. I told them the truth of it. He looked away and raised his head. Oh…

Yugi blinked and followed his gaze. His ears flattened against his head as he considered the two broken bodies as well. He protected me from Yubel and she killed one of the humans who shot at me, he mumbled, sighing and shaking himself out. When he turned back, Yami was staring at him. I'm going to come back later for their bodies. They deserve a proper burial.

The red-eyed wolf studied him only a moment longer. Then he turned to Chazz. Aki and Zane are alive then?

Zane is… Chazz opened and closed his mouth once, then twice, and let out a slow and heavy sigh. He's sitting with Syrus's body further in the room. Aki was nursing her wounds in the hallway adjacent him. D-did you want to see them?

Yami nodded slightly. For a moment, yes.

Yugi watched Chazz turn to lead him off, but the black wolf didn't move but for a few steps. His head snapped around and his eyes narrowed as he looked at Yugi. The white wolf blinked, tilting his head, and snorted when Yami licked his face and then turned to follow the other male. Yugi wagged his tail when Yami glanced back at him a few times over his shoulder, then turned to look at Jonouchi and Mai again.

There were a million and one things he wished he could say to them. But the impulse to speak died again seconds later. He shook himself out and wandered after Chazz and Yami instead. The two of them did not look toward him in the slightest now, and Yugi could hear Chazz as he asked, So, uh…s-should I call you Yami or A-Atem?

The words were met with silence for a long handful of seconds. Then Yami's head snapped around. His eyes fell on Yugi for a single moment, as if he were trying to make sure he was still there. Then he turned back to the beta with narrowed eyes.

Yugi named me Yami. He huffed and turned away, looking down at Jonouchi and Mai with his head tilted. I do not care what you call me now. I do not believe it matters anymore, right? You know who I am. Yugi is no longer pretending to be a wolf he isn't.

The gray wolf turned his head and looked at him with his ears flattened. So, were you ever…?

I was just the backup, Yugi said with a shake of his head. I wasn't born in the labs. I remember my childhood as it was. My mom gave birth to me, I had night terrors when I was extremely young—about Yami being tortured. The gods went along with me because one of us was embracing their fate. I was the sacrificial lamb and that's all there was to it.

Chazz looked as if he were trying to suppress a tremor. Oh. So then… He turned to Yami and let out a noise of pure mortification. Holy shit; I fought you. I fought you. You handed me my ass when I first came to Japan and talked shit at Yugi. Oh, wow. And I talked down at you and…oh.

Yami looked at him with an expression far from amused or mildly impressed, sighing loudly and turning away with a shake of his head. It doesn't matter.

I kind of… I kind of feel like I talked down at a celebrity without knowing.

It's not that amazing an incident, Yami dismissed. He had lowered his eyes to Jonouchi and Mai once more, his ears pricked forward. His gaze glittered faintly with something Yugi couldn't quite read. He came to his side and leaned forward, searching his face and tilting his head. The black wolf blinked and abruptly shifted his weight, shuffling slightly to press his side into Yugi's as if to reassure himself he was really there.

The physical contact made Yugi feel warm and soft all over, and his heart was fuzzy with the comfort of the security blanket it offered him as well. He flicked his ears and watched Yami in his peripheral.

Did he know she came back?

She told me he saw her when he stopped Yubel from breaking my neck during our fight, he admitted, searching his face and sighing. Yami hadn't looked up, studying the two corpses more intently than ever. They made eye contact, I think is what she said. I…

She had a chance to leave and yet she came back.

You had every chance to flee, too. You just never took it.

Yes, but I wasn't likely at the ferry by the time I realized myself and came back. I was…preoccupied, he said almost mechanically. His eyes narrowed and sharpened as he glanced at Yugi in his peripheral, but he did not turn on him. He shook himself out and looked to Chazz then, mumbling, Are there any others beyond yourself, Zane, and Aki?

He flattened his ears. I don't…I don't think so. I mean, Yubel killed all of the yearlings in one shot. And I think…I don't know. I think we're all that's left. I think Shay went after the last of the hounds, if there are any…

Yami didn't answer him for a long moment and then looked over, tilting his head and pricking his ears forward. He raised his chin and narrowed his eyes, focusing in on something that Yugi didn't quite notice at first. When he lifted his eyes, he froze for a single second upon seeing the gray wolf over at the far end of the hall. And then he relaxed, tension draining from his like water.

You're alive.

He sounded stunned, but not to the point of absolute shock. He merely seemed bewildered, as if the concept was not too hard to wrap his head around but he couldn't understand why it had happened. Yugi wondered if he would have reacted the same in his place. And then he wondered what it was he must have looked like at the moment. He could still feel his wound as if it were freshly bleeding, though he knew it had sewn itself together prior to the jump down from the catwalk.

Yami would have panicked if he'd started bleeding again. As it was, he'd freaked out when Yugi had stumbled and struggled to catch his footing upon landing.

Yeah, he agreed, wagging his tail. I'm alive…again.

Yami looked over at him from his peripheral, as if checking and trying to confirm it was his voice saying the words. It was almost as if he were afraid to take his eyes off him whenever he so much as moved. He realized it, even as he tried to argue otherwise. Yami was scared and traumatized. He would do anything to make sure Yugi was within his sight at all times, to be able to ensure the white wolf did not disappear.

I had been under the impression you couldn't.

Yugi nodded. So was I.

What changed?

The white wolf paused, faltering as Yami turned his head and stared at him intently. Yugi flicked his ears and looked toward Chazz, Zane, and then Aki as the she-wolf drifted closer from a hallway adjacent them.

That's kind of a long and complicated story, he said awkwardly, shifting his weight uncomfortably. But basically Lupa gave me her blessing.

And that means what exactly? Aki asked, limping forward and staring at him with narrowed eyes. Is it permanent or was it just for now?

Yugi shook his head. It's permanent. He glanced at Yami sideways now. I…struck a deal with Lupa when she came to receive me.

Yami tilted his head with a look that said he wasn't quite convinced and didn't truly understand what he meant. The red-eyed wolf searched his face for a long moment, then flicked an ear and looked back to Aki.

I'll…explain further, later, aibou, Yugi promised when he saw the tension along Yami's shoulders. I'll tell you everything later.

Yami blinked and flicked his ears, then nodded slowly. I owe you an explanation of everything as well, he said quietly. And if you wish to tell me about the deal you made with Lupa, I owe you the same regarding…everything.

The white wolf froze in place, eyes widening in shock. He pricked his ears forward more pointedly, the prospect of everything making his entire body feel warm and somehow cold at the same time. He blinked again, belly twisting and churning as he considered what everything entailed. He knew the bare minimum, the extent of the experiments done to the wolf beside him. He knew about Timaeus, when he'd told him his name; it had been as if his head had burst like a dam. He'd seen memories, conversations, a million and one different concepts and thoughts that Timaeus and Yami had shared together. He remembered it all in a singular, devouring flash that had eaten him into nothingness.

It had come with the sudden pain and unexpected sensation of breathing again. He'd felt Lupa's blessing in its entirety, pain that had come in vicious waves and almost smothered him. He had felt as if he'd died a million times and more in that single moment he'd come back to life. He had felt each and every time Yami had died in the labs, the sensation of being eaten alive by the boars or poisoned when Yubel had attacked him in the woods during the raid on the camp.

And between the onslaught of pain had been the memories.

It hadn't been enough to give him everything of Yami's life, but it had granted him the perspective he'd been missing formerly. Timaeus had loved him with every fiber of his being and would have done as Yugi had, given the chance. He would have pretended to be Atem for him as Yugi had. Because he'd adored him, almost as keenly as Yugi himself did. And he had wanted nothing more than to see Yami safe, even though he'd been unable to ensure it as Yugi had.

He'd finally understood what it had felt like to force the mating bond to make himself the sacrificial lamb he'd so desperately needed to become. He'd felt it, when Timaeus had finally spoken his name and given him the proof of his identity.

If you think you can, he answered gently. I don't want you to feel like you have to. You know that…right?

Yami nodded minutely. I know.

He wanted to say more, for a moment smothered by the impulse to speak again. But it passed. Realization slammed into him. Yami was uncomfortable. Yami was exhausted. Yami was…barely holding on any longer.

Yugi nudged his shoulder with his nose, then licked his cheek. When he looked up again, Aki was staring at Yami, her expression riddled with disbelief and cunning all the same. She was weighing her next statement, he realized, and he knew then that she wasn't sure what she actually wanted to say. Perhaps she was worried about phrasing. Maybe it was just that she didn't know what to think at the moment.

So, I was right all along then.

Yami flicked an ear. Yeah, he said quietly. You were right the entire time. I am Atem.

Zane wrinkled his nose. It's a name or a title. It's not really an identity.

No, the black wolf agreed. And he moved away from Yugi, stepping around Mai's body to continue further into the room and along the halls. Yugi hurried after him, startled as Yami began to pick his way around some of the bodies littering the room. He nudged each of them with his nose, no doubt praying for Lupa to guide them. And then, to his sheer amazement, Yami stopped in front of a hound. He nudged it as well, and Yugi heard him this time.

May Fenrir guide your paws.

The prayer was simple enough. And Yugi was filled with warmth, odd and soft and intent as it threatened to make his heart burst. But the others blinked and bristled, staring at him in surprise as if he had just cursed them.

They all died in a fight that they shouldn't have been forced into, Yami said without lifting his head. He nudged another hound and whispered a prayer before shaking himself out. They deserve to be received just as much as the rest of them.

They've been dead for a while now, Yami. I don't think there's a reason to give them blessings, Chazz mumbled uncertainly. He flattened his ears when Yugi glanced at him sidelong. They've already gone to Paradise by now. You don't need to—

I owe everyone in this building their lives. I owe two hundred more for the escape when it happened. I owe them this, if nothing else. I can't change that they're dead now. But I'm the reason this fight happened. And I owe them at least a prayer, even if it's after the fact.

Zane gave his beta a scathing look and shook his head. Chazz cringed. Aki sighed softly and turned to Yugi, murmuring, And how long have you known?

Honestly? Jonouchi's little sister Shizuka told me about Atem the one day I got to speak to her. And I realized, judging by the timeframe she mentioned for the escape from the labs, Yami's behavior towards certain things, and the way Yami just seemed so capable of turning situations on their heads that he had to be Atem.

That wasn't it, truly. He'd known from how desperate Yami was to stick around him that he'd been hiding. He'd known before then because of the power Yami had exuded in the mountains. He'd known from Yami's mannerisms and the way he hid that he'd been in some kind of trouble. And it had taken almost no effort whatsoever to understand upon hearing Shizuka talk just who and what Yami truly was. Yami had hidden in plain sight, as if he were merely there and trying to get to know him as a friend rather than anything else. But Yugi had understood and known.

He'd put it together easily, without a doubt in his mind.

And Yami had needed to remain hidden, so he'd stayed with him.

He'd used Sugoroku and Kasumi and Yugi's scents to further smother any hint of his presence there. He'd used Yugi as a secondary camouflage in the fact that they looked alike. He'd used Jonouchi and Honda and Anzu as a third layer of security, a smothering of scents as Yugi's family was. He'd used the entirety of Domino City in a similar manner, keeping himself in the shadows and holding his head down where he could.

Yugi didn't blame him in the slightest for it. He understood all too well why he'd needed to do it. And it wasn't as if Yami had simply used them and refused to do anything else. It wasn't as if he'd hidden away and failed to so much as help Yugi or try to protect his friends and family.

And it wasn't as if Yami had not willingly thrown himself into danger during the time he'd been hiding. It wasn't as if he hadn't cared enough to save Yugi several times, when his obligation was minimal and he could have simply left him to die and fled entirely.

Yugi flicked an ear. I knew the entire time. He never had to actually tell me.

Yami looked over his shoulder at him for a moment, ears pricked as he considered him before he turned away again. He looked tired and sad, and Yugi could see the faintest hint of guilt in his eyes. It was a single glance, but it was there all the same.

If you knew the entire time, then why did you…?

Because you do stupid stuff when you're in love, Yugi snorted. Chazz wagged his tail hesitantly at the words, tilting his head. Zane narrowed his eyes, and Aki merely watched Yami as the black wolf continued moving about the bodies to give blessings. No, it's because, honestly, I knew he needed help and I knew I could do it. So, I helped him. I did everything I could in all the power I could exercise. Because I…I've needed help before and it was never offered and I just kind of made it a point in life to always offer, even if it's not taken. But I couldn't offer it to Yami, so I did it on my own, without giving him a hint about what I was planning.

Aki huffed. And did he ever show you gratitude for the measures you went to?

He looked at her and tilted his head. I didn't need him to spread his legs to understand he was grateful, he growled. He flicked an ear as Yami paused to look over in surprise at his words. He was always there to help me, no matter what. And it would have been extremely easy for him to up and disappear if he'd needed at anytime.

It wasn't as if Yami had tried to use them as meat shields. And, honestly, Yugi had been unable to stop himself wanting to help him. Yami had just been lost and scared and so small despite the fact he should have been large and imposing and demanding of attention. His presence should have been strong enough to make everyone take a second look. He'd been reduced to nothing, then slowly dug his way back out as Yugi offered him the help he'd been so desperate for.

He'd really just needed someone to be there so that he could do the rest. Yami had only needed a pillar and he'd done the rest. He'd clawed his way up from the hole he'd dug himself. And he'd been fine from there.

Yugi wagged his tail when he saw Yami still watching him. The black wolf stared in bewilderment but didn't argue, instead mimicking him before turning away again. The white wolf studied him as he continued making rounds for a few moments. But he didn't drift far enough not to be able to see Yugi and he realized he wouldn't leave him there. He'd only progress when Yugi joined him.

He padded over, searching his face. You okay?

I'm not in pain.

You know what I meant.

I'm aware. Yami wagged his tail slightly. He looked as if he would rather lay down and curl up at any moment rather than stand there any longer. And I'm okay. I… I just… I want to rest.

Yugi paused in front of him. We can.

No. No, we can't. I won't… I won't talk to you about all of this if we rest. I… I'll get scared again. And I'll start avoiding. And I don't want to do that. I… I owe you answers, if nothing else.

He froze for a second, then dipped his head. Yami was tired and struggling to keep his head on straight. He would be in too much pain to explain further. And he'd be too tired to work up the nerve to try again. He might have felt he owed him an explanation and he wanted to tell him, but he'd run from it again if he got the chance.

Yugi wanted to say it was okay and he didn't need to, but he knew it was false. Yami would recede again, bury his head in the snow as he had the entire time to this point. He'd hide as much as he could again. He wouldn't mean it maliciously. He'd simply do it to be able to keep his head above water again..

Okay.

Yami turned back to his task of saying blessings, though he abruptly ceased movement a few moments later. His ears pricked forward. His eyes rose and narrowed as they focused on the catwalks. His lips drew back slightly and his nose wriggled once. He tilted his head, then hummed as he began moving forward. He made his way toward the platforms and bristled faintly along his scruff. Yugi moved to his side and listened, straining his ears to catch whatever had gained the other wolf's attention.

Yami was silent, not the least bit deterred by Yugi's presence, listening for a few minutes more. Then he looked over, considering him. Stay here. Yugi tilted his head, about to object, when the other wolf wandered forward and sprang. He landed heavily atop the catwalk, the railing vibrating from impact. His paws were unnaturally silent as he padded forward, and even his claws seemed stunted as if they'd somehow retracted into his skin.

But he faltered, slowing, and tilted his head once more. His ears remained pricked forward. His fur rose and fell slowly along his scruff. And his nose wriggled as he continued forward a few more steps.

Aibou? Yugi prompted. He stepped forward and tilted his head further to the side with his ears pricked and pointed them strictly at him. Yami didn't slow his movements, and for a moment Yugi thought he might ignore him. And then he stopped. His ears flicked rapidly once more before he turned to Chazz.

You didn't take care of the humans.

We were more focused on teeth and not bleeding to death, sorry, a new voice snarled. Yugi turned his head and bristled slightly with momentary surprise. Relief made his belly warm for a single second. Shay was standing feet away, staring at Yami with something of an agitated expression. Humans were a little low on our priority list. Your little bitch over here was the one focusing on them.

Yugi ignored the jab. I'm glad you're alive, Shay.

It takes more than just a few hounds to kill me.

Yami landed in front of them almost like a cat, all but silent aside from his weight. He was watching Shay but his main attention was on Yugi all the same. The other wolf shook himself out and took a seat, glaring at Yami as if he were nothing more than an insubordinate omega. Yami eyed him almost as if he might lunge, even tensing his shoulders in imaginary preparation. But he didn't move beyond that.

His eyes shot to Yugi then. Stay here with them.

He bristled uneasily. Yami, wait—

I'll be fine.

Yugi stepped in front of him when he tried to move aside. The black wolf stopped and stared, ears pricked and eyes glittering. He didn't tense and he didn't snarl. But his lip curled faintly and his eyes narrowed the smallest degree. The tiniest bit of hair along his scruff rose in a bristle and his tail moved in something almost akin a shudder. Yugi took all of this in within a millisecond. Yami would not lash out at him. Atem would not lash out at him.

Relax for a second, aibou. He was relieved when Yami didn't respond, though he wished he hadn't narrowed his eyes even further. It's okay. We don't need to rush off and find trouble.

If they escape, how long will it be before one of them tries to do what Akunadin did? How many Atem's do you think should be running around?

Yugi felt his stomach churn. I don't think any of them are stupid enough to try to take up the mantle, he said gently, although a small part of him wondered now. His fur rose and fell in a brief, uncontrollable shudder, as he shook his head slowly. I think we can take a moment to breathe.

The black wolf eyed him for a moment, staring until Yugi almost felt his legs shake from the strain of standing beneath the pressure. And then he blinked once, long and slow, and lowered his head with his eyes focused on the catwalk again. Yugi fought a shiver, relieved that Yami had not argued further. The wolf shot him a sidelong glance, flattening his eyes when Yugi leaned forward to lick his cheek.

We'll go look in a second, okay?

Yami pricked his ears forward and bore his teeth. We?

The white wolf snorted. Did you think I'd let you go alone?

It doesn't require both of us. And you would be better tending to their wounds than I. He shook himself out and Yugi watched the way his fur rippled as if he were made of liquid. He thought again of ink pools, with depths too dark to see the bottom. Do you really think I'd stay stable if you were to be hurt in the meantime?

He hadn't considered it. But now that he puzzled over the words, he knew otherwise. Yami would snap again. If Yugi got hurt, he'd lose it. And wouldn't that be more of a problem even than just a couple of humans escaping? He frowned and glanced at the others. Aki was watching them in her peripheral, studying but trying all the same to offer some semblance of privacy. Shay was staring blatantly at the two of them, without a single care as to their moment. Zane and Chazz were pretending to be talking, feigning a conversation as their ears flicked back and forth and they glanced around as if to survey their surroundings.

Stunning display, Yami remarked wryly, and Chazz ducked his head and wagged his tail awkwardly. Zane snickered and looked away entirely as Yugi shook his head. The black wolf shook himself out again. His eyes focused on Yugi once more. Stay here with them.

He faltered for a moment, then nodded and shifted his weight. Okay, but you know if I hear anything I'm going to come running.

Yami tilted his head, staring at him for a moment. He looked as if he might argue, then nodded and dismissed, I'd expect nothing less before trotting off. Yugi watched him go, ears pricked forward and listening as he padded along.

Aki was staring at him when he finally turned away. About time the two of you finally worked to consummate your bond.

Yugi blinked, then stared with wide eyes. Consummate? He almost squeaked when he sputtered, W-what? No, we—I mean, eventually, yes, but—

She scoffed loudly. If you both eye fuck a little harder, you won't need the physical aspect.

Shay guffawed, throwing his head back and almost howling. Chazz and Zane laughed so hard Chazz fell and Zane had to sit down from his legs shaking too much to keep his balance. Yugi flattened his ears and glared at her, about to respond when a gunshot rang out.

He had a single second where his brain tried to process the noise. And then he felt as if a sheet had been pulled over him. His mind fell blank and his eyes lost vision for a single second, as if he had blinked too quickly for his brain to process. His legs wobbled and almost collapsed beneath him. His mouth opened and closed, chomping as if he'd meant to lunge forward. His skull felt as if it had been struck and cleaved in half, but it was gone again immediately. His nerves were still tingling and his skin itched and burned. He shivered as the others stared at him in bewilderment.

Are you okay? Chazz asked uncertainly.

Atem?

Yugi shook himself out. Yami just got shot.

Shay scoffed, I didn't think they were shooting for the fun of it.

He shot him an annoyed look, straining his focus to listen for Yami's heartbeat again. He felt as if something had struck his skin then, like ants eating at his flesh. He blinked and bristled, fur rising and falling in a shudder. And then he felt it.

I'm fine. Yami's voice was cold, low and snarling. It just grazed me.

Through the head.

There was a wry laugh from the other wolf. Yeah, grazed me through the head.

And then the ants crawling across his skin faded. It was as if a curtain had come up to cut away a section of his thoughts. He tilted his head and pricked his ears, listening as Yami's heartbeat sounded readily in his ears. It was soft and steady and warm.

You good? You look like someone just pulled the plug on your brain or something.

Kind of feels like that, he admitted before shaking himself out. He'd forgotten for a moment, in his relief to see Yami. Lupa had bound their lives together. He was Yami's anchor and vice versa. Death for him meant Yugi experienced the same, no matter how brief. This was his wish and her blessing, twisted and twined together. He shivered and pricked his ears forward, offering an awkward smile. Anyways, I told him I'd help with some wound cleaning. So—

The second gunshot was followed by a rapid popping of them seconds later. Yugi couldn't keep track of how many of them went off. But they apparently didn't faze Yami in the slightest. He could hear the screaming now, as the humans realized what was happening. Yugi ignored the urge to panic and simply took off running in the direction of the noise.

The others hesitated and then limped after him as quickly as they could. Yugi ignored them and stopped when a bullet shot through the doorway almost a mere inch from his nose. The disturbed air made his muzzle itch and he crouched down, crawling forward slowly on his stomach. When he peeked around the corner, Yami was standing in the center of the room staring at one of the humans with a dismissive expression. His frame seemed to swallow the air around him and his ears pricked forward pointedly, expression sharp and cold and terrible.

Holy shit, Chazz mumbled. Yugi blinked and turned his head. The beta was standing over him, staring as Yugi was. Zane shoved him slightly aside to see as well and Shay and Aki stood a few feet away, listening intently.

The human was shaking and looked as if he'd pissed himself. Yami was staring at them, standing unruffled despite the obvious blood that smelled of him. The black wolf took a step forward, didn't flinch when the shot hit him between the eyes, and wagged his tail. His mouth opened wide and drool dripped from his teeth, tongue slavering as it fell over the side of his bottom molars.

Chazz was shaking. Zane was frozen. Yugi blinked the smallest bit to suppress the pain in his head and shuffled forward slightly. Yami looked immediately toward him, but his malicious expression didn't change. His tail wagged in a friendly gesture even as he wandered forward a step again. He didn't flinch as another shot was fired in what should have been a point blank kill once more.

Yugi felt each little flash of death, quick and almost painless but for the initial stab. His skin crawled as if there ants beneath his fur and his body ached for a moment as he straightened. The black wolf leaped and chomped his jaws over his adversary's head, snapping his neck when he twisted. The body slumped to the floor even as the gun went off again. The shot to his chest made Yami shake himself out as if with discomfort but he did not respond outwardly to it otherwise.

When he turned his head to stare at them, Chazz was shaking harder and crouched low to the ground as if he expected him to lunge. Yami stared as if he were a bug before him, then visibly relaxed and shook himself out.

Good job helping them with their wounds.

Yugi wagged his tail sheepishly. I think I did amazingly, for sure.

Yami shifted his weight, studying the area around them for a few long moments. Then he straightened, shook himself out once more, and began walking toward them. He was slow and predatory in stance, stopping inches from Yugi and looking him over intently. Yugi wagged his tail again and ducked his head, heart pounding in his chest as the other wolf considered him. He realized a moment later Yami was searching for wounds and not initiating a dominance display. He pricked his ears forward and tilted his head, wagging his tail more quickly and flicking his tongue to lick his nose.

I'm okay.

Yami eyed him a moment longer, expression skeptical, but nodded all the same. He wandered past him with his ears pricked forward and the fur along his shoulders raised. I don't believe there are anymore, but for a few of the external hunters hired to help catch subjects when the numbers had thinned. Pegasus' sons are in Europe still, I believe, and Panik's brother Paradox should be with them if nothing has changed as of late.

Zane stiffened. External hunters?

You didn't expect them all to be here, surely, Yami mused, staring at the gray wolf with a tilted head. He paused and then looked over his shoulder to face Yugi again with an expression he couldn't quite read. Then he nodded slowly with his lips drawn into a mild snarl. Akunadin was going to have to contain me for a few days in the time for Pegasus' sons to come and perform the transplant. The oldest, Yako, is an extremely experienced heart surgeon and his twin brother, Gekko, is one of the most experienced hunters and is the best at torture. The two of them are amazing and terrible together. And they would have needed to be here for the transplant; no one else would have been able to do it. Akunadin knew that for sure.

Yugi took a step forward, watching his face and searching his eyes intently. I never considered who he would enlist to actually do it. I'd been so freaked out that I never even thought about it. He blinked. Of course, I guess seeing you in that state didn't really help me consider that either.

No, I wouldn't think it would.

He shivered and shook himself out, stepping closer once more. Why were they in Europe instead of here? I would have thought they'd want all hands on board for your…return.

Yami didn't move but for breathing for a long time. Then he abruptly turned away, padding ahead without a second glance. Regardless of reasoning, they would be the ones to do it. They are the most skilled in their fields and Yako has made leaps and bounds in his studies, especially in the last year. Akunadin told me so before the escape happened, maybe a month or two prior in fact. What they were doing in Europe was a mystery to me. They were spoken of only a few times and never in a true conversation, but rather always passing. I don't think I was meant to know much about them to further isolate me should something happen.

Yugi bristled faintly. Should something happen, he repeated with a growl. What more could have happened?

He paused a step.

I could hunt them all down.

Yugi faltered, eyes stretching wide. Yami began walking again without a second glance and the others swapped looks before following faithfully behind him.


"Here."

Yugi glanced away from Yami to grab the phone offered him. He typed in his contact info and then added Yami's a moment later, flustered for a single moment. His eyes narrowed when he saw the other boy staring at the tile patterns on the floor under his feet. He was looking at the spot he'd drugged him, which Yugi noticed was covered in bile and blood in streaks where Yami had struggled to force an adrenaline rush and only suffered for it. He'd tried to get to his feet more than once if the smears were anything to go by, but he'd been unable to manage it the first time. It had been the second where he'd yielded results and made a run for it, though he'd mostly staggered from what Yugi could tell.

He swallowed hard and didn't miss it when Yami gave him a fierce sideways glance that spoke of disdain. He almost flinched but the other boy turned away again almost immediately.

He passed the phone back to Chazz who was looking between them nervously, as if he expected Yami to lash out at any moment. His skin crawled the more he studied his expression. The beta genuinely looked as if he feared for his life for whatever reason.

"Don't worry about time zones. If it's important, contact us."

Yami turned his head, voice low. "I assume he gave you my number as well, seeing as he just said 'us'." His eyes narrowed. "But, truthfully, my phone likely won't be used often and Yugi will be better at answering than I will, I'm sure."

Chazz nodded and refused to glance at the other boy. His eyes were firmly glued to his phone screen even though it'd long since gone black. "Right. Okay."

"I don't really know what help we'll be when you're in Europe again, but if you need us just call."

He nodded again. Yami turned away and stared at the spot Yugi had held him as he'd forced his heart to stop. The small teen shivered and chewed the inside of his cheek. Zane was standing close by, watching them with a puzzled and tired look. Aki had gone back to the camp, exhausted and wishing to be alone again. Yugi had told the other two wolves to come to the house with him to exchange contact information, while Shay had decided to take some time to make sure there were no hounds left. Where he'd gone was a question Yugi hadn't bothered trying to find the answer to. He didn't think it mattered as long as no one else died.

"Atem"—Zane said, visibly failing to suppress a flinch when Yami's head snapped around at the sound of his name—"knows about the twins. Even if you aren't there, it's enough to have an idea about what to do with them."

Yami let out a small disgusted noise. "Yako and Gekko are mere pains in the ass rather than true threats. It's their hound you have to worry about, if Paradox is not dead yet."

"Who is Paradox? Ryou and Panik mentioned the name when he and Espa were hunting us. But who is he?"

"He's Panik's older brother and he made him look like an amateur when it came to torture and hunting and things of that manner." Yami fell silent for a moment. "He was a sick shit before he was infected. He became much worse after. If he's still alive, I'd abandon any hope of killing the twins and just run for it."

Zane narrowed his eyes. "You sound afraid of him."

"I fear no one alive," he snarled in answer. "Death stalks my paws and whispers to any near me. I do not fear a hellhound, not mortal or godly. I am warning you to watch yourself if he is alive. If you get the chance to see him, then he's already aware of you. He was the best ambush killer and most violent and successful hunter beforehand for a reason. He's usually three steps ahead of his query."

Chazz looked at Yugi and stiffened. "Then maybe we shouldn't try to—"

"I can handle a hellhound," Zane answered dismissively. But he didn't meet Yami's eyes nor did he raise his head even as his voice grew sharper. "I haven't gotten this far because I couldn't."

Yami snorted and turned away. "I wish you luck if you pursue him. The odds are not in your favor."

Yugi raised a brow and glanced at him sideways. Yami was staring at Zane now, eyes glittering with something he couldn't quite read. The only thing that mattered, however, was that he wasn't posed to strike and not a single muscle in his body was tensed. But then, he'd seemed so relaxed during their training sessions too; it had been entirely impossible to predict but for the fact that he was asking him to help. By the time he'd moved Yugi had been unaware and unprepared again.

He supposed that was the gift that came with being Atem.

Both of them were capable of it. He'd seen Yami struggle to track him in turn at times as well.

"And what of you?" Zane said sharply, turning and facing Yami head on now. "If we went after him, wouldn't you be the ideal candidate?"

"Unless they come here for some reason I have yet to determine, I don't see any reason I'd have to cross paths with them."

"How nice of you to hide behind Yugi yet again."

"If that's how you wish to see it."

It felt like a live storm was forming behind him. Yugi bristled and looked at Yami with a slightly horrified expression. He hoped to the gods he wouldn't lose his temper and lash out. He didn't think he had the energy to fight him, especially with the weight of his decisions finally landing upon his shoulders. He wanted to laugh at himself but also to sob with disbelief.

They'd made it.

Both of them were alive right now.

"I don't see how it can be labeled as anything else."

Yami slowly raised his head and stared at Zane headlong, but Yugi didn't remember when the other boy had turned away again. His heart pounded as they stared at each other and Yugi unconsciously took a step to get between them. The movement was instantly tracked by Yami, who countered with a backwards pacing of a few steps. The tension dissolved as if it had never existed.

"I never claimed to call it anything else."

Yugi frowned slightly. "It's not cowardly to want to survive, Zane. If that's the way you see it, then you've got issues. Not every fight means charging in blindly and without reason."

The other alpha shot him an annoyed look but didn't respond beyond the venomous glance. He huffed and turned to his beta and Chazz stared at Yami as if he was expecting something else entirely. Yugi wondered how disappointed he was that Yami hadn't stepped up to fight. It had to have looked as if he might and his reluctance now had to be something that Chazz hadn't been prepared for. He'd probably hoped for a fight just for the fun of it, because he was excitable and just a yearling.

Yugi looked at Yami but the other boy was staring at the mess of blood and vomit again, eyes glazing over. He swallowed hard and fought the urge to flinch away from the fact that he'd done such a thing yet again. But Yami was alive. And he'd…done it. He'd faced his past and he'd killed his uncle as if he were nothing more than a doll.

And he was there. He was there. He was standing in front of him. He was staring at the floor and he was angry, but he was there.

He swallowed hard again, focusing more pointedly on Chazz. "I don't want unnecessary conflict. If there's no reason for Yami or I to intervene, I'd rather not be told about any incident relating to them."

Chazz turned his head then and offered him an awkward, tight-lipped smile. "I get it."

Do you? Yugi wondered but shoved the impulse to ask aside. "Thanks."

Chazz nodded slightly and then looked at Zane. "We're ready to go, right? I mean…"

"There's nothing left for us here," the other wolf scoffed, staring at Yami as if he couldn't understand how or why he was acting like this. Yami didn't so much as turn his head. "If you need us, just text or call or email or whatever."

Yugi nodded and tried not to grimace. He was just happy his own charger had worked on Chazz's phone. It had seemed a miracle, in truth. He wondered how likely it was that they could even help each other now that the two of them were going to head back to Europe when the storm passed and Hokkaido was listed as habitable again. He didn't think it would be more than a week or two, in truth, but he didn't know how soon the airports would open again. In the meantime, they'd be living with Aki and Shay in the mountains until they all inevitably drove each other crazy.

"I mean…uh, after we get back to Europe anyways. Obviously you wouldn't need to do that while we're here." Chazz rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and refused to look over even when Yugi heard Yami turn to face him. "Anyways, though, I'm glad you guys are okay."

"I'm glad you guys are, too."

Yami didn't answer but for a grunt. Yugi ignored the urge to laugh at the noncommittal noise and Chazz rubbed his arm self-consciously. Zane rolled his eyes and huffed a breath but didn't speak.

The beta awkwardly looked at Yugi after a moment, blurring, "I'm not going to lie, I admire you a lot for what you did. I don't think I ever could have done it. Pretending to be some huge legend just to protect someone else? I know for a fact I couldn't do it. That's…that's amazing."

Zane looked over as well then, narrowing his eyes and staring at Yugi as if he were sizing him up. And then he mumbled, "He's right. It was an admirable act."

Yami looked over at them sidelong. "Quite," he said quietly, but his voice was a snarl. Yugi nearly flinched at the tone, stomach churning with unease. Of course he was still mad. He was getting the chance to actually think more of what Yugi had done to him. He'd killed him, after all, just to slow him down and keep him from following him to the labs. He had every right to be furious.

Zane and Chazz both cast him uncertain looks. Yugi offered them an awkward smile and glanced over his shoulder. Yami had moved at some point, leaning against the counter and looking at the floor. He was no longer fixated with the puddle of vomit, however, which was somewhat encouraging.

"Although it shouldn't have happened the way it did."

The words were scathing and cold and Yugi swallowed hard. Yami wasn't talking about him, however, and his stomach lurched as he realized.

"I chose to do it this way."

He didn't want to have this argument in front of visitors. His mouth grew dry just at the thought, but Yami raised and turned his head to stare at him for a moment. He looked as if he might say something, but instead turned away again and crossed his arms in an outwardly opposing but extremely self-conscious manner. Yugi felt his heart threaten to break in his chest once more.

"We'll leave you two to sort out whatever it is you need sorted," Zane said abruptly. He grabbed Chazz's arm and dragged him toward the door. Yugi awkwardly waved after them and pressed his lips into a thin line. He watched until they disappeared out the door and then turned his head.

Yami had crossed room at some point, though Yugi hadn't heard him move. He watched as he moved to the exam table furthest him and grabbed at the clothes atop it. He shivered when Yami yanked his bloodied hoodie and shirt off to toss aside. He'd used the jacket to staunch the bleeding along Chazz's shoulder, the Change having caused excess blood loss rather than triggering it to heal.

It had only been after Yami had soaked the piece of clothing that Yugi had realized the Change was attempting to push the hound toxins out. Yami had simply covered the wound, holding it and applying as much pressure as possible without hurting him. And Yugi had watched, startled by how easily Yami had fallen into this action rather than being encouraged to do so. He had put the jacket on afterward, as if it weren't soaked in blood, and he'd gotten his shirt stained for the efforts. But he'd never said a word of disgust or uttered a noise of protest or anything of that matter. He'd wordlessly slipped the jacket back on, as if he hadn't had to go back to the house and find clothing and then return with some for them as well.

When Yugi had changed, however, Yami had merely stared at him. He'd been crouched beside Chazz, unblinking as he watched. Yugi had thought for a moment he was making sure he was still there, but the angle of his eyes had been lower…

"Can I look at your stomach?"

Yami blinked where he'd tugged the clean shirt over his head, the hem halfway pulled to cover his abdomen. He hesitated, frowning in puzzlement, but lifted the bottom of his shirt enough for him to see. Yugi leaned forward, relieved to see that the skin had no sign of a wound whatsoever. He would never have known he'd gotten himself gutted so violently atop that sheet of glass had it not been for witnessing it. He reached out to touch the soft flesh there and Yami shivered under his fingertips, but didn't try to push him away.

"Did you expect the wound to still be there?"

Yugi looked at a small trail of hair that led from his bellybutton to the v of his pelvis and his mouth watered for a second. He lifted his eyes. "No, I just…" He pressed his lips into a thin line. "You were caught on that huge piece of glass and I thought maybe you'd have something like a scar from that. I don't know why I did. It was kind of stupid of me to think that would be the case."

Yami shook his head. "No, I…I heal instantly when I'm…" He picked at the front of his shirt uncomfortably. "Atem heals instantly. I used to heal immediately no matter what the wound when I was angry in the labs. I could heal from anything, no matter how terrible. I still can, as you saw. But it's only when I…fully embrace being Atem."

Yugi searched his face. "You mean when you're not treating him as some kind of alter."

He blinked. "Alter?"

"Like a second person. At the labs, you said Yami died with me and you were just Atem."

Yami nodded. "Yes. When I…escaped the labs, I…" He shook his head. "Never mind. I'll tell you about it when we get to the rendezvous point I wanted to speak to you at."

Yugi smiled. "Okay, aibou."

"I'll…lead the way there. And then we can take a few minutes to talk and relax. If that's…okay?"

"I'm all yours. Lead the way."

Yami considered him for a moment, let out a deep breath that bordered a sigh, and moved around him for the doorway. He abruptly stopped, however, and Yugi was about to ask what was wrong but the other boy merely reached his hand back and grabbed his. He didn't twine their fingers together, just ran his thumb over his palm a few times before starting to walk again. Yugi snorted and wove their fingers together, reveling in how warm his hand was in his.

Yugi squeezed his hand after a moment as Yami began to lead them out the door. It was nice, but he swore it didn't feel as it should have. His grip was wrong, to the point of being painful when he moved his wrist a certain way, and his steps were stiff and awkward.

And despite wanting to tell him he didn't have to do this, Yugi found himself biting his tongue and smothering his words. He didn't have the strength to tell him that, and he knew Yami would flee again. As much as he wished otherwise, this was his only chance. Yami would not try again if he spooked him now. He'd simply turn tail again. And if Yugi pushed hard enough, the wolf might damn well disappear on him altogether.

They continued through the snow for several long minutes. Yami just led him straight from the yard down the road and into the trees past it. It was only as they passed that Yugi noted there was no snow falling any longer. The sun even seemed to be peeking out from behind some clouds that looked thick and fluffy overhead. He wondered at it for a moment, then snorted as a small flurry began again.

Yami never made a noise, until about ten minutes later. He noticeably slowed down, and Yugi found himself crashing into his back by accident. He expected him to at least grunt, but whatever Yami had on his mind had its claws in him. He was smothered under it, refusing to speak or make noise. And the seconds passed long and painfully slow, until finally they reached the cemetery.

Yugi blinked and looked around, then narrowed his eyes as he remembered the willow tree. Yami had been staring at it the entire night he'd been out to visit his grandmother's grave site. He remembered now how he had stayed so still, staring and talking to him quietly.

His eyes shot to it just as Yami disentangled their hands. The other boy walked ahead of him and Yugi gave him a few feet before following. It took a moment for Yami to acknowledge him as he got to his side once more. He shuffled forward, kicking some of the snow aside the roots, and slowly lowered himself into the spot. Yugi watched him draw his knees to his chest and wrap his arms around them.

Yugi hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly lowered himself into a seated position in front of him. He sat back slightly, leaning on his arms as he crisscrossed his legs and tipped his head up to peer at some of the treetops. A couple of branches shivered nearby as the snow slithered from the top and collapsed upon the conifers with a soft crash before it became deafening as it hit the ground entirely.

"Where…where should I start?"

Yugi didn't lower his eyes, instead smiling as he watched another tree lose its ice. "Wherever you would like, Yami. There's no order you need to go in specifically. Start with what you feel comfortable. And don't push yourself if it gets too hard. That's when you go to something else. I promise I'll keep up."

Yami was quiet for a long minute. Yugi listened to his breathing around the slow and steady snowfall that had begun again. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds for a few seconds even as the snow continued to slowly fall around them. It was almost like a sun shower, with the smallest patch of sunlight as the heavens cried.

"I… I'm sorry."

He looked over now. Yami had his face buried in his legs. He wasn't panting or shaking or crying, however, which gave him the faintest hint of hope. Yugi watched him, studying with his head tilted as the other boy tried to sort through and find the words. It took a few minutes for him to finally try again.

"I'm sorry about everything that happened before. I…I should have told you at least…at least about my eyes. If nothing else, that was something super simple that I could have…" Yugi watched him shake his head. "Let me restart. I… There's a lot that I need to…cover, for you to understand all of it."

"Take your time," he encouraged, smiling when Yami risked a glance at him from above his right knee. Yugi felt warm and soft all over again, heart skipping a beat when Yami held his gaze and nodded slightly.

"My…father and Akunadin…were born four years apart. Akunadin was…premature. He was sickly and weak from the day he was born. He was diagnosed at a young age with cancer—I don't…I don't remember what kind. He told me once, but I was so mad and I hated him so much that I didn't even want to remember it when he said the name. But… I suppose cancer is mostly the same at the base, is it not? It eats and ravages healthy cells and mutates the good ones until it's multiplied to an unstoppable force."

Yugi nodded, both in encouragement and to confirm his statement.

"He was twelve when the lycanthropy became active in his blood. Problems grew from there. The disease made the cancer worse. The cells were already unstable and the sudden addition of a much deadlier, more aggressive disease caused him to age more than he should have at sixteen and he looked forty at twenty. His death was slowed for an indefinite amount of time. His parents tried to find a way to make the lycanthropy more prominent. They tried every trick they knew to make him change. And he couldn't. His body was too…broken and destroyed. He couldn't change."

He smiled a little when Yami blinked at him. The other boy snorted, as if he had told him a joke of some kind. And he guessed Yami might see it that way. He was tired and anxious and digging through problems he'd been trying to escape for months now. Pulling it all from the shadows like this was no doubt overwhelming.

He couldn't blame him for being skeptical of his patience. He was still in shock, even if he was holding it together extremely well for the moment.

"But my dad could. He was able to change younger than he should have been. He was able to change faster than usual. And he was easily stronger and faster and just…better than Akunadin. His health was amazing. He was never in a position that compromised it." Yami was quiet for a moment and Yugi watched his eyes as they glazed over for a long minute. When he blinked, they focused abruptly on him again, burning into his. "Akunadin was bitter and angry. He wanted to survive. He wanted to change. He didn't want to rot to death when he was a wolf just like my dad was. So, he…tried to find the gods."

Yugi blinked, mouth almost opening with the urge to clarify.

"But he didn't know where to find them. They were dormant. There were no longer rumors or trails to follow. He was never touched by them in dreams and they ignored his existence. So, he found the wish hounds instead." Yami snorted. "But wolves cannot influence each other like that. He tried to make a wish and they laughed in his face for it. So he tried again and again. He followed leads, he found other hellhounds. He tried to make deals. He tried to find the gods again. It brought him nothing."

Yugi nodded again, studying him as Yami pressed his cheek into his knee and lowered his eyes. He was staring at his stomach now, as if he were looking for blood. And then he closed his eyes. Yugi could tell by the way he relaxed that he was listening to his heartbeat.

"So, eventually, he wound up trying to contact Black Shuck."

Yugi froze, eyes stretching wide with shock. Black Shuck was real? He'd heard of the hellhound before, an immense black dog with or without a head that carried chains or didn't. It had glowing red eyes like headlights or bright green like freshly grown grass. His stomach lurched and rolled as he considered.

"It's an ancient spirit, one of the first hellhounds. It's almost a deity, and it knows almost every single thing to do with the werewolves. It holds almost all knowledge of omens and death portents, which is why making eye contact with it once can kill." Yami opened his eyes. "It spoke of Atem. It told him all about the beast that would be born, immortal and infallible when the time came. And it…told him it would be from his blood."

Yugi blinked and shook his head. "That's so fucked up."

Yami looked at him, then snickered and raised his head slightly. "Yeah. It's fucked up. But it…gave Akunadin hope. And he realized if he could truly breed the creature Atem was supposed to be, he would be able to beat his sickness. He'd be able to heal and become powerful and live the life he was denied so far." He paused and looked at him for a few seconds. "It failed to tell him it would only heal him temporarily. Akunadin planned to do transfusions of Atem's blood, in smaller increments to make sure it was working. It would have kept him alive long enough to do the heart transplant he was going to train his son to do."

His son? Yugi tilted his head but resisted the urge to ask. He didn't want to distract him, and Yami was struggling now to find words again. He could see the thoughts behind his eyes, swirling and churning as he worked to find the phrases and the order for the story to go in.

"He had been traveling for years looking for answers. He spent most of that time attempting to breed me into existence with one night stands or date rapes. But his children rotted in the womb, no matter how he doted on the mothers. He became furious and tracked down my father, who had just met his mate. They rekindled their relationship, but it was always with ulterior motives."

Yugi's stomach churned. Yami paused speaking now, eyes glazing over as he picked at his words again. Yugi imagined him in his mind, sitting in a similar position to him, watching words float in front of his face before slowly reaching forward and plucking them. He wouldn't speak them until he'd formed a sentence, holding them close and rereading until his eyes were sore and his mind tired.

"Their parents gave him the option of living in the little house in the woods, the tourist attraction that you almost rented. He took residency there and secluded himself for the most part. He refused to see their parents, but he spent lots of time with my father. And, the longer they spent, the less suspicious he seemed." Yami watched a snowflake drift past his nose and Yugi watched the white puff of air that came with his frustrated exhale. "I'm…jumping again."

Yugi smiled faintly. "It's okay. Fill in the gaps where you need to."

He shook his head. "It's… I don't know how."

"Then don't worry about it."

Yami locked eyes with him now, furrowing his brows. "But there's…so much. It's just… There's so much just to explain how he got so far with everything." Yugi watched him reach up and run his hands through his hair, then sigh roughly.

"Aibou, it's okay. It's okay if you don't give me all the details."

He shook his head. "It's not okay. There's…" He huffed loudly, narrowing his eyes. He drummed his fingers against his scalp for a moment. "Akunadin met Gozaburo during some travels in Europe. Around this time, their parents had moved into Japan. They'd decided they wanted to settle here because it would be the safest place, because werewolf myths were running rampant in the states again. The Beast of Bray Road is what it was called. There were rumors upon rumors about there being a huge pack of werewolves so they moved to a place they knew there weren't any…existing legends."

Yugi tilted his head, searching his face. Yami didn't look as stressed as he had formerly, more just as if he were thinking frantically to fix the problem of miscommunication he'd caused.

"Gozaburo had a wife who was gravely ill. Akunadin told him he knew of a way to heal her, but he'd need to fund a project for him. Since Kaiba Corp was a booming industry, especially because of the second World War, he… had money in the millions; Gozaburo didn't care. He'd inherited the company from his father and they'd allied with the states to produce weaponry in secret. So, he had money coming in waves from the most powerful militia in the world, while Japan began to shut down armories and weaponry." Yami fell quiet again. Then he looked at Yugi, blinking once and staring as if for a single second he didn't quite recognize him. His eyes lowered again and he exhaled slowly. "Gozaburo's wife had pancreatic cancer. And she was pregnant. The problem was… Well, the problem that occurred was that Akunadin healed her fine. But she lost the baby. The depression hit and she…eventually killed herself."

Yugi blinked and shivered. He couldn't imagine the turmoil it took to end one's own life. He had feared Yami would never dig himself out of his pit of despair, but he'd been able to reassure himself he wouldn't die. So, despite the macabre thought, he'd kept his head on straight and never had to fear it.

"Gozaburo was furious and sad…for a while. But he threw himself into making a base then, in Japan. He moved secretly from Europe to Japan, and he funded my uncle to create a company that boasted as the leading cancer research facility in the world." He narrowed his eyes. "I suppose it wasn't a lie. Akunadin was always looking for a medical solution around trying to find a way to create Atem."

His stomach churned. "Were his clients…?"

"A number of them, yes."

Yugi looked down, swallowing back a mouthful of bile. Yami stayed quiet for a few minutes. Yugi finally raised his eyes, confused as to why he hadn't continued. The red-eyed teen was watching him, searching his face.

"Too much?"

He realized immediately if he said yes, Yami would stop talking. And he would not answer him again. He would not try to explain again. He would not try to tell him the rest of his story. He didn't want to upset him; he didn't want him uncomfortable. It was as sweet as it was selfish, because Yami could then use that as his escape from retelling his circumstances. And he might not have been fishing for a reason, but he was actively ready to find one.

Yugi's heart hurt to consider it.

"No, of course not, aibou. I just… That's disgusting."

Yami nodded after a moment. He was quiet for another long minute, then closed his eyes halfway and peeked at him from beneath his thick lashes. "At the time that Akunadin met my mother, he had set up the majority of the lab underground. He'd found the abandoned sewer tunnel wing and the hydroelectric plant from the dam. Gozaburo reached out to his contacts and in came Yoshimori and Kanekura. They…began hunting and catching wolves. Akunadin didn't turn on his brother until after he visited Black Shuck again. He went to a conference for cancer treatments in Europe and when there were no answers, he turned to Black Shuck again."

Black Shuck really fucking sucks, Yugi thought with a huff. He nearly snarled with frustration.

"Don't be upset with it. It has no loyalties to anyone and it's ancient enough it doesn't have bonds the gods can control any longer. It's…aged beyond their control, and it sees more than it should. It…just exists at this point, Yugi, with no beginning and no end. It's…everything Atem was supposed to turn into after the war."

He blinked, eyes stretching wide. Was that it? Atem was supposed to become some beast with no memories of the beginning and no hope of an end? He was supposed to wander the earth endlessly and hold no loyalty for any living creature or god?

"Black Shuck is…the hellhound version of what Atem was supposed to be. He holds portents and knows the world and what will happen, maybe even as far as the world might end. Atem was meant to devour the world when the time came, to bring destruction and chaos and destroy everything. I was supposed to be the monster. It was supposed to be…more or less my keeper."

Yugi shivered. "That sounds horrifying."

"I was supposed to kill you, then feel the snap of my brain as it began to rot and deteriorate. Fenrir and Lupa didn't let you know the rest of it. You died, I slaughtered the labs and then I traveled and never stopped. I ran and ran and ran. And eventually I would cross paths with it. From there we would become companions, with it…masquerading…as you."

He bristled, eyes stretching far wider than he'd ever considered possible. He felt as if they might pop out of his head. His mouth was dry and pasty, and his throat felt slightly tight. He twitched his fingers and fought a tremor. No wonder Yami had assumed he was losing his mind. All he'd known for sure was that he'd held him there as he'd died and that the future was meant to be Yugi's face haunting him endlessly.

"The end…sounds lonely."

Yami nodded and looked away then, smiling tightly. "Yeah. The end…is sad and lonely."

He swallowed hard. "Why did they tell you about this…and not me?"

"Because, you…you were the variable they couldn't quite account for. My path was always set. No matter how much I suppressed Atem, or hid away, or tried my hardest to simply pretend and support you, I was always set. I was the…necessary sacrifice. My life was always meant to end in the most destructive means possible—or at least the life I led before I became only Atem." He blinked once, long and slow, and finally exhaled a soft sigh. "When you and I crossed paths and you let me…exist with you, it changed everything. Fate tried to rectify itself, by separating us through Fuwa. And it tried again in sending Sartorius after you in the woods, and later when Yubel broke into your home. Every other time something happened, it was…my fault. I told you each time. And I know you thought it was just guilt that made me say it. But…"

Yugi shook his head slightly. "It wasn't your fault. You can argue with me until our faces turn blue, and I still won't accept that."

Yami fell quiet for a long moment then. He seemed to swallow his response after a few seconds. And then he lowered his eyes once more.

"Black Shuck told Akunadin that he couldn't produce me himself. His bloodline was unstable from the disease and cancer that ravaged it. So the children he tried to produce died after two weeks. The mothers never even experienced morning sickness, their deaths came so quickly. None of them even realized they were pregnant. Akunadin knew, because he could smell it. But…they died all the same sooner rather than later. And they never got pregnant again after. The bodies created an antibody of some kind which destroyed any possibility of a second conception."

He nodded, encouraging him to continue. He shifted his weight and pulled his hands to drop into his lap. He leaned forward slightly.

"So, he realized his brother was the key to this. He…kidnapped my parents. And he made them the main guinea pigs of the experiments. Gozaburo…began fucking the females in order to produce more hostages. From there, Akunadin forced breeding between random pairs and worked on de-evolving them, to make them more like dire wolves rather than gray. It took months, maybe years. But it…took eventually."

Yugi shivered. Yami sounded desolate and hollow now. His eyes had glazed over again and he wasn't focused at all as he continued.

"I met Akunadin soon after I was born. He was the one who took me from my mother when she tried to kill me."

"Your mom tried to kill you?"

"She killed my siblings before Akunadin separated me from her. I…I didn't see it, because of how young I was. But… he told me about it once, when he was discussing how he'd need my blood later. He had to kill her to get her away from me before she could rip me to pieces." He blinked. His eyes were cloudy with weariness. "It was…an extreme bloodbath from what he explained of it. And she'd mutilated my siblings. She'd been planning to swallow my head when she severed it. Or so he told me."

He flinched. "Aibou…"

He blinked and looked up, confused. "What?"

"…I'm not comfortable with this. Can we change the subject slightly?"

Yami furrowed his brows and Yugi could see the focus returning to his eyes the longer he tossed the question around in his head. "Okay," he whispered. And Yugi saw him tighten his arms around his legs as if to hug himself. He hadn't seen him move his hands before then but it was obvious he was becoming increasingly uncomfortable now, though he'd tried to push past it all the same.

Yugi exhaled a sigh of relief, heart swelling with warmth. "How about, um… Tell me about Timaeus instead."

"Timaeus…" Yami was quiet for a long moment. Then he looked up and studied him, frowning minutely. "Timaeus was the only comfort I had in the labs. Ryou put him in my cage when we were overpopulated. He'd gotten caught on the outskirts of the little home Akunadin had set up for the tourists. And he was beaten senseless when he fought back. I heard a rumor he tore one of the hunters in half when they first grabbed him, and the second one he mauled before they tranquilized him."

"He was a scrapper, huh?"

The other boy blinked and smiled faintly at the teasing. "Yeah, and he was thrown in my cage after I'd been starved relentlessly to try to coax me to change. He tried to rip my face off and we made friends after I gave him blood to help heal his worst wounds." He snorted. "He was pretty horrified when he woke up and saw me sitting in one corner of the room while he was in the other. And he was grossed out when he remembered what had happened. He, uh, was really squeamish for a couple of hours."

"A germophobe for a werewolf," Yugi laughed, and Yami's entire face lit up as if Yugi had offered him praise. He realized then just how nervous Yami had been to truly talk about Timaeus with him. Had he been afraid he'd disapprove? Or was it because he had said he loved him and now they were talking about someone else who'd loved him just as much? Did he see it as awkward, maybe as disloyal for talking about someone else who'd had feelings for him before Yugi had even known he existed?

"He wasn't quite a germophobe," he answered with a small smile. Yugi admired the curve of his lips when it became lopsided as he lowered his eyes again. "But he was definitely not happy he'd drank someone else's blood, werewolf or not."

He could understand that. And the circumstances they'd been under had to have been a million times worse than just mild embarrassment. Yami had been ill and starved and Timaeus had woken to a tiny, malnourished fifteen-year-old likely covered in a mixture of their blood and possibly asking if he was okay. Yugi couldn't imagine how terrible the shock had to have been.

"Akunadin…came back from a trip a couple of days after Timaeus had been placed in my cage. He lost his mind when he found out Ryou had done that. He'd been in the states, discussing more treatment options, and he'd come back pissed and expectant. He'd wanted me to change in the time he'd been gone. They'd been experimenting on me relentlessly since he'd left because the hope was that the trauma would trigger it." He closed his eyes and shivered. "He demanded he was removed, but Ryou just kept telling him we were overpopulated and there was no room. The experiments got worse from there, because Akunadin was livid. He wanted Timaeus to be eaten alive for daring to be in the same cage as me. There were constant experiments, I was starved as often as possible, and they…"

Yugi watched him press his cheek more firmly into his knee. He was struggling to speak, he realized, and the smaller teen couldn't offer him help of any kind, because he would scare him. So he watched, digging his fingers into his legs to keep from jumping forward, and waited as Yami tried to sort through the various thoughts and images.

"I don't…" He shook his head rapidly. "I can't…"

"Okay, aibou. Then, tell me about something else."

"Like what? Ask me. I can't… I don't know what information I should share."

Yugi swallowed hard. It was almost impossible not to want to grab him in his arms and hold him until the fine tremors stopped. But he forced himself not to, smothering the impulse to whisper it would be okay, and instead nodded once more.

"Okay, um… Then tell me about Seto."

"Seto?" Yami mumbled. "Who cares about Seto?"

He laughed before he could stop himself, then rolled his eyes. "Oh, wow. Okay then." He tilted his head as Yami peaked at him again from beneath his lashes. "I mean, I can understand why you're saying that, because he's an absolute dick, but he still cared enough to…harass you in Paradise."

Yami burst out laughing at the response, entire face splitting with a grin that made his eyes glitter. "Wow, Yugi."

He grinned back, chest warm. "What? I can't say that? My mate's cousin is a dick—a dead dick, but still a dick."

The other boy rolled his eyes and smiled. "My cousin…right. Seto and Mokuba were both…artificially conceived, I believe is the term? They managed to stabilize Akunadin's sperm using gene splicing and impregnated one of the wolves. He…did this before Black Shuck told him his brother was the one who would father me. So, he stabilized his sperm, found a…suitable mother, and artificially inseminated her. Seto was born healthy but he clearly wasn't some all-powerful creature and Akunadin wasn't impressed. He did it again and got Mokuba. And Mokuba was far from what he wanted. He wasn't powerful and he didn't have an aggressive bone in his body for the most part."

Yugi remembered him flinching back when he'd snapped at Seto and said he'd tear his head off if he ever went after Yami again. He'd sneered at him that his little brother hadn't even wanted to protect him from him. He supposed it made sense now, but he hadn't thought about what might have caused him to simply cower.

"Akunadin hated them both, and Seto took the worst of the punishments to protect Mokuba. It was a little while after they caught Kisara that Akunadin went back to Black Shuck. Kisara was Seto's mate and they bonded pretty quickly, which made it relatively obvious. The problem, however, was that they were too young to breed so Akunadin didn't care for it. When he came back, he determined to kill Kisara, to be able to break Seto. They were both useless as far as he was concerned. But she…survived a lot longer than any of them were expecting. She was…really strong, in a quiet way."

He snorted, smiling when Yami shot him a puzzled look. "Just…pot calling the kettle black."

He tilted his head. "Huh?"

"You're saying that about her, but you're like that too. You exude strength just by being in the same room, but you're so quiet you almost wouldn't know you're there. Why do you think the pack listened to you before they did to me? You have a far stronger presence, and it's because you'd only speak to them when you had to." He snickered. "Not to mention, you were just quietly defiant the entire time. You turned on Yubel and Sartorius despite knowing you couldn't win and they saw it. They thought you were the best thing since sliced bread."

"Amazing the amount of good that did them."

He shook his head, sighing softly. "You had nothing to do with me leading them into that fight like that. I chose to do that without you. And they…they chose to follow me."

"Did they?" Yami mumbled, furrowing his brows. "Why?"

Yugi was quiet for a moment, then looked away. "Honestly? I think it was because they believed in you. I think they knew you'd come at some point, even though I told them you'd run."

He frowned. "You told them that?"

"I always wished you would."

Yami stayed quiet for a long handful of seconds. Then he shifted his weight, dropping his knees so that his position mirrored his almost exactly. He put his hands in his lap and lowered his eyes. "Right," he whispered, tapping his fingers, "because you were always watching out for me and never for yourself."

Yugi blinked. The words in any other tone would have made him bristle, as if he'd been accused of not truly caring. But Yami was admitting it to himself, as if he'd been trying to hide it the entire time. "Yeah, you were always my top priority."

He nodded slightly. "That…happens sometimes."

He furrowed his brows. "What?"

"With the mating bond, I mean." He shook his head and drummed his fingers again. "Never mind."

Yugi frowned. "Aibou, that's not entirely fair. Timaeus did it because he knew it was necessary. And he always knew he had to be the one to do it. He couldn't go back on that. He was having dreams from Slifer and his mom and Ra. You can't just…ignore that kind of thing."

He huffed. "I did. I did it plenty."

"Don't be petulant," Yugi teased, rolling his eyes and sitting back on his hands again. "You don't need to be upset. Timaeus certainly didn't mind losing his life over the cutest little werewolf ever."

Yami snorted and Yugi saw his lips quirk up. "You're stupid." He shook his head with a sigh. "I don't think having white hair and black eyes is the definition of cute, Yugi. I think it's probably more the definition of fuck no."

Yugi burst out laughing. "Wow."

He shifted his weight again. "No, I know Timaeus doesn't regret doing it. He's…told me that plenty of times. I just… He didn't deserve any of it. And if he'd just gotten taken out of my cage—"

"He would have died earlier." Yugi narrowed his eyes. "Timaeus told me you were his focal point the entire time he was there. He focused so much on you that he managed to ignore half of the things that were happening. He managed to sit through it and wait it out because he had a reason. There was a little boy named Atem who needed him and he put his all into protecting him."

He huffed. "Again. What good it did him."

Yugi raised a brow, fighting back a scowl, and shook his head. "Look, wishing that things could have gone differently won't make you feel better. Playing 'what if' just makes everyone involved miserable. And, honestly, I have a feeling Timaeus would have figured out a way to make it happen exactly the same way no matter what. He needed you as much we you did him. And who can really fault him for loving you so much?"

Yami shook his head harshly but didn't respond.

"Shizuka"—Yami's head snapped up at the sound of her name—"told you he loved you, didn't she? That's what made you attack her."

He froze for a long minute, breathing tight and constricted. "Yes. She…she said my cage mate loved me a lot to sacrifice himself to get me out of the labs. I…I told her to stop but she wouldn't. And then she said his name and I just… I couldn't stomach it."

Yugi nodded. Timaeus had made sure Yugi didn't know his name until the end, when he was sure it wouldn't send Yami into such a terrible spiral. He'd held it out of his reach until the moment he knew it would do better for Yami than it would have damaged him. He'd only told him as he was going through that infinite loop of life and death, exhausted as his name slipped into his ear. Using it to subdue Atem had been something of luck. But he realized now as well that Timaeus had kept him from knowing for the sole sake of stopping him when he said it. It had given Atem pause, had snapped Yami out of his destructive phase. It had been just enough to make him halt.

"Yugi?"

He blinked and raised his head. He didn't remember looking down at the snow and it made his belly churn. Yami looked distressed now, as if he expected him to lash out.

"Sorry. I was just… I was thinking about something else, aibou."

"You know I didn't mean to do that, right?"

Yugi smiled faintly. "I know." He halted for a second, then shifted his weight to lean forward. "Can I ask you something? I don't want you to be upset, so if it upsets you, don't answer, okay?"

Yami tilted his head in silent beckoning he continue.

"Was Timaeus…? Shizuka was pregnant before she died. So, was he the dad?"

Yami stared at him for a long handful of seconds. His eyes had stretched wide at one point, staring at him in absolute shock. And then his lips twitched. His mouth pulled and quirked and he snorted before he caught himself. He looked away, chuckling, and then exhaled loudly.

"No, no, definitely not," he snickered. He exhaled a chuckle and peeked at him in his peripheral. "Shizuka was carrying Bakura's pups."

He froze in place, tilting his head and staring. And then he snorted, shaking his head. "No, no way. What?"

Yami smiled a little wider. "I'm serious. Bakura was the father."

Yugi opened and closed his mouth, staring at him in shock before he shook his head slowly. "What? No. No, seriously, Yami."

"I am being serious. Pegasus was forcing Bakura to breed with Shizuka."

His stomach churned. "But he… What?"

Yami tilted his head, studying him as his laughter slowly dissipated. He frowned and furrowed his brows, tilting his head impossibly further. "What? What's wrong?"

He blinked. "I… I thought he was boning Ryou."

It wasn't the politest way to say it and his mouth felt slightly dry saying the words. His stomach churned again as he considered the phrasing. But he didn't know their relationship, either. Had Ryou simply been there and Bakura had gone for it? Or had there been something else? The implications made his palms itchy and warm with sweat. He would have lunged at someone if they'd ever referred to his relationship with Yami that way. They weren't to that point yet, of course, but if someone had assumed that their relationship and its extent, he would have lost his temper.

Although, considering, he supposed it didn't matter anymore. They were both dead, one by his own teeth and the other by Akunadin's hunters.

He wondered then if Ryou had missed Bakura when he hadn't come back that night. When Pegasus had returned without him, had he even bothered to ask? Or had he simply stood aside and waited to find out later?

"It was…out of convenience, if I remember right. Bakura was being treated for something, though I don't really remember what. But he…wound up just kind of…forcing himself on him. Ryou didn't really object to it though. They were using each other and I remember Ryou saying he enjoyed it even if it was awkward and rushed." Yami shrugged. "It wasn't a secret. Yoshimori smelled it on them one day and told everyone. He found it hilarious. Ryou just kind of shrugged and Bakura never said a word about it. Pegasus tried to use Ryou as leverage once and I think Bakura laughed in his face. There wasn't… I don't remember there being any emotion behind it."

Yugi frowned slightly. No wonder Yami had such a fear of anything to do with sex. He'd seen Bakura and Ryou using each other and he'd been surrounded by wolves forced to breed. He had never seen a relationship that wasn't brought about by desperation or a need to survive long enough to try to escape. And the few relationships he'd seen within the pack had been mostly sexual for the escape aspect or someone had just died and the survivor was losing their mind trying to hold on.

"So, then…?"

Yami looked around after a moment, shifting his weight. He bunched his shoulders and then relaxed, exhaling long and slow as he considered his words. He hummed once, then slowly narrowed his eyes and turned back. "Bakura…was one of the only wolves not left sterile from the constant abuse. The disease has to destroy something to heal as completely as it does. Most of the males lost their ability to reproduce. Bakura was an exception to that. He was usually drugged and forced on a female and it would happen every other day, if not more. I think… I think that was one of the main reasons he so often sought Ryou out. At least that way, when he got hurt and messed around with him, he was awake and aware of what he was doing."

"Jesus," he mumbled. "That's…horrible. He had no idea what he was doing half the time, then used for kidnapping and experiments the rest of it."

He nodded. "Bakura was the only viable male left and they were running out of tourist season. So he was constantly put in cages with females. He was drugged because he'd killed one of them for sniffing him. They were drugged to keep from panicking and lashing out. They were lightly sedated, but he was heavily drugged to keep docile. They remembered everything. He could barely remember he'd been removed from his cage all those times." He frowned. "He was…really messed up from it. It made him far nastier every time it happened. He was…actually there when Shizuka was kidnapped that day. I remember Pegasus sneering at him for trying to show mercy to a little girl. And then he forced him on her repeatedly for months. It was…every day. And Shizuka was just…reduced to nothing from it. I was never allowed near her, for whatever reason, but she was specifically kept away from me. Everyone else I was isolated from for the sake of keeping me contained mentally, but…she was never allowed near my cage even."

Yugi shivered. Was it her age? Had they been afraid her younger age might trigger something in him?

"But she was so stressed and physically and mentally beaten that the breeding never took. They began forcing Bakura on her for the fun of it. And they would…place bets on how soon it would take for him to finish or for her to start crying. It was always the biggest game for him. Gozaburo delighted in it. He used to love to make bets on it. His second favorite was to place bets on whether that day he could sever my head properly."

He stiffened and swallowed hard. Yami's eyes had a faraway look to them again and his voice had grown dull and soft, like he was reciting something from a script rather than actively remembering. But his eyes weren't dull and brick colored yet and when Yugi shifted his weight, they focused on him again.

He was still with him.

"She must have gotten pregnant right before I escaped. I remember Akunadin threatening to just kill her because she was taking up food and space and he wanted Timaeus out of my cage. So he was—he'd planned to kill her to make room for him. He wanted him out of my cage immediately."

Yugi exhaled slowly, swallowing hard again before closing his eyes. "Ryou did it, didn't he? He got her pregnant to stop her being killed?"

"That's the rumor," Yami confirmed. "I think… I… Bakura didn't want to do those things to her. And I know he wouldn't have wanted kids with her. He didn't want to produce any of the pups they were trying to raise. I think he had Ryou in on it. Bakura wasn't sterile, but he was making the females barren using mild drugs. And then, when it was threatened that Timaeus was taken from my cage and Shizuka killed, he…stopped. And she got pregnant. And that's why Timaeus wasn't removed and she got spared. And then, right after that announcement, Timaeus and his brothers managed to set off the lab codes to throw a number of cages open. Critias and Hermos managed to get quite a few of the others out before Gozaburo got to them, and Akunadin disemboweled Timaeus in front of me before snapping his neck. Bakura interfered to keep Akunadin from getting to me. He kept him occupied long enough for me to run before he got knocked out. They kept him alive because he could keep producing puppies. But Shizuka had escaped and I… I don't know where she went or how she survived on her own like that."

Yugi wondered as well, but the thought occurred to him then. "Could someone have sheltered her?"

Yami blinked and focused on him for a moment. His eyes narrowed and his mouth twitched as he puzzled over the question. He realized it had occurred to him at some point as well, that he'd asked himself that same question more than once.

"…If Ryou did that," he said slowly, "it would explain how she was in good shape besides being starved. Her pregnancy was…unusually healthy for her malnutrition according to the nurses. So, it's possible. But I don't know how likely it is."

He nodded slightly, frowning as he tried to weigh the odds. "Did they not keep tabs on him?"

"They did in the lab, and especially after Timaeus was put in my cage. But they didn't care so much about his life outside, as long as he returned to torture us he was considered golden."

Yugi chewed his lip and looked away. "Okay."

But he felt a little warmer; Yami was acknowledging that what had been done in the labs was torture and not just scientific studies or experiments. He'd even used the word. He'd used the phrase and acknowledged that it was torture. He hadn't said it angrily. And he hadn't lashed out when he said it. He'd just…spoken it.

That was progress, even if he didn't consider it as such.

And progress, Yugi thought, was absolutely gorgeous.

Yugi smiled faintly and turned back. Yami was watching him intently, curious. "Sorry. I just…" He shook his head and shrugged slightly, smiling wider. "Never mind. Uh, anyways, how hard would it have been for her to survive on her own without help?"

"It wouldn't have been impossible. It'd be rather trying at the very least." Yami was quiet for a long handful of seconds. "But the disease would have remapped her senses to get a better understanding of the things going on around her. And she wouldn't be left wanting in that aspect. She'd still be able to hunt and everything, even if it was only by scent and hearing."

"But she could have done it all the same, then."

"Werewolves are resilient. Of course the disease would rework and remap to ensure their survival."

Yugi nodded slightly. But he remembered, and his heart clenched as he swallowed hard. He shivered. "You, uh, panicked…when Yubel blinded you at the parking deck. If the disease would have fixed it, why did you freak out like that? I barely stopped you clawing your eyes out."

Yami hesitated for a moment, shifting his weight and putting his hands in his lap once more. He swallowed hard and lowered his eyes again. He nodded slowly. "I…I've never been blind. It's one of the few things I haven't lost. I wasn't blind during the experiments and I was never unable to see during fights. So, when she clawed my eyes open and I could feel my senses trying to compensate…I panicked. I tried to tear my eyes out because I knew they would heal quickly after."

"You said something about how blinking sometimes hurts your eyes?"

He was silent for a long handful of seconds. His eyes lowered again and his mouth set into a thin line, jaw twitching. "They're my illness. I did inherit something from Akunarin. I inherited his illness, but only in the thinness of my corneas. His…eyes were red because of the cancer. But I…I was sick and half-dead every other day of my life when I was younger. The vessels are…too close to the surface and sometimes blinking causes pain. It's why I try so hard not to."

"So that's why you always hated them."

"Yes." Yami sighed. "And then you used to say they were pretty and… I'm sure you hate them just as much as I do now, huh?"

Yugi snorted loudly. "Hate them? Yami, they're still the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen," he argued with a shake of his head. He smiled and leaned forward. He wanted to grab one of his hands, to hold it and trace his fingers along his palm. But he stopped short, knowing he'd scare him despite everything. "And, honestly, I have to say, I like your eyes now more than when you had black ones."

Yami snorted, then chuckled and raised his eyes to his. He smiled slightly, tilting his head as his gaze grew warm and bright. "I think having eyes like inkwells was nice."

He laughed aloud, then rolled his eyes. "You're ridiculous, aibou."

His entire face lit up as he grinned at him. "Yeah, maybe just a little." He paused to take a moment to search his face with glittering eyes. "But… Do you want me to continue? I can stop…"

Yugi shook his head. "No, aibou, don't stop. I want to hear more."

Yami nodded after a moment, then closed his eyes and tilted his head. He seed to debate for a long time what he was going to say. Then, softly, he said, "I…I don't remember exact times while we were down there. I think… I think Timaeus was there for at least a year. I want to say it was a year, but…for all I know it could have been nothing but a handful of months. It's not…as if it is all-important to know, but it's hard sometimes to truly recall everything accurately enough to give the right frame of time. So, I…I'm sorry for everything I can't explain properly for you. My time in the underground was…secluded and isolated and time was impossible to tell. I didn't know night from day most times. I was usually taken back and forth from the cages so often I couldn't keep time."

Yugi swallowed hard. "It's okay, aibou. Don't worry about it. You don't need to keep time. I wouldn't have expected you to know each and every minute down to the millisecond or anything. I forgive you any errors in time telling."

Yami snorted. "Well, aren't you sweet?" he teased, but he sounded grateful all the same. He leaned back into the tree trunk behind him and craned his neck as if he might be trying to look into the branches over his head. "I just… I feel bad for being unable to properly describe and explain all the things necessary."

Yugi swallowed hard again. In truth, he couldn't imagine how terrible and estranged it had to make him feel. Yami couldn't accurately tell him if something had happened in a day or two, or whether it had taken weeks or months or even years. Events for him had to be scattered when they were new and exciting, but monotonous and dull and terrible when they were average.

He wondered if he'd even been able to appreciate his reprieves from experiments because he'd likely simply processed them as the same day, most likely almost at the same time.

"When Timaeus was brought into my cage, things got much, much worse after Akunadin returned. It was…already bad before he had left for his trip, though. I was…most often beaten senseless and my blood drawn almost constantly. He had gotten…worse. He had gotten extremely sick, was coughing up blood and puking and infuriated. He wanted me to change. He was convinced that when I changed, my lycanthropy would be strong enough to completely destroy his cancer." He drew his knees to his chest again, wrapping his arms around his legs once more. He exhaled slowly, long and awkward, and continued softly. "He left me starved and emaciated and just…aching. And I…I was so hungry at times that I began chewing on my cot's legs. It was the only bed they provided us, but mine was extremely rough and harder to rest on. Timaeus used to say he'd found rocks more comfortable to sleep on."

He remembered him panicking, hyperventilating when Yugi had suggested he sleep on the cot in his room. He remembered helping him out of that state. And then he wondered briefly if he should mention it. But it died again immediately.

"I was being punished more than ever. I wasn't changing. He saw it as a sickness and a weakness. The idea was to beat and starve me into changing. But it never worked and he became more and more aggressive about it. He couldn't control me. And my genetics were too messed up to let me change. It was impossible."

Yugi nodded slightly. He wondered if Yami's inability to change formerly had anything to do with his diluted bloodline. He had not even mildly assumed to think so before, but with how intertwined their lives truly had been, was it possible? Being unable to change shouldn't have been something Atem suffered from. It seemed almost impossible to dismiss the idea now that he had considered it, however. Yami had bitten him, the only reason he'd been able to change. And if that was the case…

"Timaeus was thrown into the cage when he was caught, because Akunadin couldn't have cared less and thought I'd eat him. He was so mad about my inability to change that he no longer gave a shit. As long as I was still alive at the end of the week, the state I was in didn't matter. I had been chewing on my cot legs for over a week, because I could shave little bits of metal off and at least when they settled in my stomach they made me feel somewhat full. I licked the walls and clawed to get stones off, and I swallowed them whole. I was living off sand and dust and scrapings of metal. It was…horrifying and amazing what I could survive on."

Yugi watched him shift his weight and bring his head down. Yami's eyes opened into narrow slits and then slowly stretched wider. His mouth twitched and a grimace crossed his features for a moment. He opened and closed his mouth twice before turning away again.

"I went over to investigate, because I'd never had another wolf in my cage before. And he was bleeding. And I was so hungry. I was starving. And there was blood in my cage and he was unconscious and I… I went over to investigate. Timaeus woke up when I got within an inch of him. He attacked me pretty violently. He tore my face up and mauled my shoulder when he lunged at me. I had to shove him down and away, and I knocked him across the head until he passed out."

Yugi searched his face. "Do you want to stop?"

"No, no. I'm okay." He didn't sound it, but he looked okay for the moment. Yami blinked once, then mumbled, "Although, if we take a break from this for a few seconds, I won't be offended."

Yugi chuckled and smiled warmly. "Of course, aibou. Don't worry about it, okay?" he said gently. "Take as much time as you need to tell me. I don't mind it."

He nodded slowly again, exhaling through his nose and swallowing hard. His mouth twitched and he shivered as he looked away. He exhaled roughly twice and then a third time. And then he tightened his arms around his legs and closed his eyes.

"So, how do you know all of this anyways? Did the gods tell you?"

Yami frowned and blinked wide eyes. "Akunadin told me the majority of it, though I knew a bit from Timaeus and Seto and others when they passed. Paradise is…full of wolves who want to just talk about themselves or drama about others."

Yugi nodded slightly. "Makes sense."

"It was…painful, sometimes, to listen to. I…I hate it, but I used to feel bad for Akunadin. He just wanted to survive."

He shook his head then, but his voice didn't turn harsh as he continued. "And that's okay, too. It's… You're so sweet. And maybe that's a form of survivor's guilt, or maybe it's not. I don't know. I'm not a psychiatrist or…whatever. I just… I can't blame you for feeling bad about someone being ill and wanting to save themselves. I can sympathize, even if I can't agree with the steps he took to try to survive."

Yami shook his head and lowered his eyes. "It's disgusting. I feel disgusting every time I feel sorry for him."

I don't know how to help you with that, he thought, feeling hopeless and small. He looked so impossibly tiny and weak and like the world had swallowed him. Yugi turned his head to face away from him and closed his eyes. "I know. I…I understand that."

"Is that normal?"

"For survivors and trauma victims, yeah." Yugi wanted to grab him into his arms and hold him close. He wanted to hold him until he stopped shaking so finely. He wanted to hold him until he lost his guilt and allowed him to offer the support he knew he needed. "It's…it's normal."

Yami was quiet for a second. "I feel like I should be stronger than this," he said quietly, voice low and distant. "I'm Atem."

"You're also only sixteen," Yugi replied more sharply than he meant to. "You're just sixteen. You've had the world on your shoulders basically since the moment you were born—even if it was only for one person. You've been suffering since you were born and you've been holding yourself apart from everyone else because of it. And you… Yami, you can't think of yourself like that. You're not weak. You're not damaged. You're not broken. You're just…a little lost right now, aibou. You're tired and lost and you just now got your newest chance at life. You…you know that, right? You've got a new chance at life. Everything… You've got choices. The world is your oyster."

Yami blinked and peered at him in open confusion. "The world is my…oyster?"

Yugi grinned at him, delighted by his puzzled expression. "It's another way of saying you can do anything you want, go anywhere you want, because you have the opportunity and ability to." He felt warm all over as Yami's eyes stretched even wider with surprise. "Basically it just means life is hard, but rewarding and you have every chance now to live how you want and reap your rewards."

"Do I have rewards to reap?" Yami said quietly, but he smiled all the same. "I don't think Atem really deserves rewards."

"Then maybe Yami does."

The words were met with a slight frown and flustered expression. And then he looked away and whispered, "I don't think so."

"Well, then you will soon enough, when you actually start living your life."

"And where do we go from here? Is it still…us?"

Yugi blinked, puzzled for a moment before he smiled. "It's always going to be us, as long as you'll have me. So, I guess it becomes more a question of what you want, Yami." He exhaled slowly, and his face fell as he considered him more pointedly. "We're not…stuck together like we were before. We don't have to hide like we did anymore. No one is following us and we're not being hunted. We can do whatever we want. That means moving in and remaking the house, maybe reopening the clinic, or…moving on altogether. Or just…"

"Is that really a question?"

"I just… It's not all life and death anymore. We can move. We can restart. We could run off into the mountains together forever. You can do what you always wanted, if you have an idea about dreams you want to chase. And…" Yugi shrugged and looked away, embarrassed now. "I don't doubt you. I just… I need to ask, aibou. I don't want to assume anything. And it was always a question of how and when and where we'd have the next problem. Now, though…that's over."

Yami tilted his head. "I told you I would stay with you until you no longer wanted my presence. So, really, Yugi, it's up to you. It's your decision. It's what you want and what you imagine doing from here on out."

He snorted and smiled. "Then, be sure. I love you. I want to be with you—you and me. Forever." Yami opened his mouth but Yugi shook his head, cutting him off. "I want to see it, Yami. What you'll end up doing, who you'll become, how far you'll end up going and the person you choose to be now."

"Can you say that…when you don't entirely know who I am?" Yami asked slowly, eyes narrowing the most miniscule fraction. "You know me when I escaped. But I… My past goes beyond what you know of it."

Yugi nodded again. "I know. But I also know who you've been for the last few months. And that is someone I adore."

Yami searched his face for a long handful of minutes, then nodded slowly. "Right. So let me continue then." He lowered his eyes again, narrowing his gaze slightly. "Timaeus…um… After I knocked him unconscious, I gave him my blood. He woke up a little while later, after I had crawled to the opposite corner and curled up to sleep. He panicked. He told me about it later, when he managed to wake me up. Ryou told me that Akunadin had ordered Timaeus removed from my cage since I hadn't killed him. But… Ryou chose otherwise. He cited the overpopulation as the reasoning, and Gozaburo did actually back him up on this. He agreed and Timaeus was left in my cage."

Well, he supposed Gozaburo had done something just the slightest bit good at that point. He'd more or less secured Timaeus's place there. No one had gone against him when it came to the declaration. And Yami had had someone. He'd had a best friend where he'd been isolated and forced into a tiny box formerly.

"Akunadin…didn't come back for a while. It was…a long while. It was long enough that Timaeus and I got close. We were left to our own devices for the most part, because Akunadin wasn't there. Gozaburo had fun making much more extravagant bets on whether he could chop my head off. They became constant because he was bored. Timaeus was usually sedated and beaten senseless. We were usually separated throughout the…day, I guess, and experimented on for hours on end. I know Gozaburo was keen on seeing what effects my blood had in a normal Half-Blood."

Yugi nodded, frowning slightly. Yami's voice was cracking. He was getting distressed again. He leaned forward and forced himself to smile. "Were Hermos and Critias like Timaeus?"

Yami halted, confused and startled, furrowing his brows. "What?"

"I mean…did you meet them?"

"Not until they died. I was always too isolated."

"Timaeus told you stories about them, though, didn't he?"

Yami frowned slightly, puzzled, but it took only a moment for him to understand what he was doing. A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips and he shivered as he looked at him. "He did, once or twice. It wasn't…something that we discussed a lot. He was…always a little reserved about his family or his pack. It wasn't because he didn't want me to know. He just… I know it depressed him. They'd been inseparable, especially because Timaeus was the youngest and relied on them so much."

"Oh."

Yami looked away, smile growing slightly tighter. "He told me that he and Critias one time went fishing as wolves and a fish leaped out of the water and soaked him. When it landed on the bank, Timaeus yelped because it was jumping so much that it slapped him in the nose. Critias laughed so hard the salmon got away because Timaeus was too embarrassed to keep it from escaping."

"I—"

"I don't think Timaeus wanted to talk about them often, either, because he… He brought them to the labs and he… I know he knew they were going to die for what they were going to try to do. So, I think he just…felt too guilty to want to talk about them with me. I think he wanted to…pretend he didn't know how it would all end. And he didn't want me to realize just how sad he was."

Yugi could understand that. He would have likely done the same thing. Why talk about it when the inevitable was barreling forward and about to knock someone off their feet?

"But, I do remember seeing them once. Critias and Hermos were in neighboring cages when Ryou and a few guards were taking me back. Timaeus was…elsewhere at the time, I think. But they were at the cage doors as I walked by. We made eye contact for a few seconds." Yami blinked and looked sick. The blood had left his face and his eyes dilated for a long moment. He closed his eyes again, and a small noise almost akin a groan left him.

"Yami, hey, don't push yourself—"

"We made eye contact, and I think that was it. I think that's when they understood exactly what Timaeus was going to do. I think that's when they realized and just…decided they had to help him get it done. Because, I know, originally, they weren't…on board. They'd come to Japan to help him escape and they'd gotten caught to ensure they could get him out. They weren't going to help him help me escape. But, after they saw me, they…agreed. I don't know what changed their minds. I just know that after that, Timaeus didn't have his head down nearly as much. And he didn't hide…as much."

He could imagine what might have triggered their change of heart. Atem was a small, malnourished boy, paraded in front of them. He was skin and bones, unusually small, with hair of pale white from lack of pigmentation, and eyes the color of an abyss. And they'd realized just how terrible and awful the fate was of the creature they'd all been captured for. They'd seen him, a poor and pitiful little boy who was all but dead, without hope and rotting from isolation and depression.

Yami was silent for a while. He shifted his weight and wrapped his arms around his knees tighter. Yugi watched him lower his head and bury his face between his legs.

He wanted so badly to reach out and touch him, but instead he murmured, "When I spoke to Lupa alone that day, she showed me what had happened to you. It wasn't…everything. I didn't know about Timaeus besides him being so kind to you and how he was your only bright spot in that entire toxic situation. I saw the experiments mostly, especially where you were paralyzed with aconite and forced to sit against the wall while Gozaburo tried to decapitate you with an axe."

Yami let out a sharp laugh. "Oh, how good of her."

"I even saw Gozaburo and Ryou trying to drill into your head. Your skull healed so fast the drill broke every time."

"The axe head would snap in my neck," Yami growled, but he sounded as if he were trying not to laugh. "And even when they were made of silver, it couldn't slow down the healing process. Gozaburo tried everything. He drugged me. He paralyzed me. He kept me emaciated. He would dose me up to twenty times with aconite to keep me docile. He would suffocate me. He would keep me awake for weeks and then try again. He was obsessed with trying. He knew he couldn't kill me. But he wanted to see how close he could get."

Yugi chewed the inside of his cheek. "But it took you so long to heal sometimes. And then in the labs…"

"I didn't always heal immediately in the labs. I was just more likely because of how constant the abuse was. But I was also so set on pretending I wasn't Atem that I conditioned myself to the point of appearing more normal among other wolves." Yami shook his head. "It was mostly refusal to admit I was this stupid beast everyone was looking for. But when I saw you die and Akunadin managed to subdue me, there wasn't much reason to deny it anymore. Besides, Atem was the one I needed to be, not Yami. Yami was weak in comparison. So Atem…is who I became."

Yugi tilted his head. "And when you realized I was back?"

Yami blinked and suddenly raised his head. He stared at him for a moment and Yugi could see it then. His eyes were wild and sparkling and his pupils were slightly dilated.

"I'm still Atem. I'm more Atem than I am anything else. What's the point in denying it? But I'm…Yami, too, if that makes sense. I prefer Yami. But I'm Atem, too."

"What would you prefer being called?"

"Yami; it's only two letters from yours."

Yugi couldn't help the grin that spread over his face. "That's true."

Yami smiled in turn, but it didn't last for long. He turned away and buried his face in his legs again, sighing loudly. "I guess it doesn't matter how I'm spoken of. I'm Atem. I'm Yami. I'll respond to both, if it comes to it." He shrugged. "But to answer your question, I was always capable of healing faster. I was always able to force it. It just had…ramifications on my mental health. And I didn't know if I would hurt you. So I didn't do it. I would do it in fights with Yubel, and I constantly felt like I was losing my mind whenever I did. So that's why I…refused for so long. But when you died, I had no reason to stay stable. So I embraced it. I… It felt like I was splitting in half and having some kind of state of disconnect every time I so much as breathed. And that's why I wasn't fazed when I would get shot. Even a shot to the head was nothing to me. A shot to the chest used to just make my heart burst and reform immediately after. Nothing really ever…"

"But you died a few times in the labs, too."

"I did. But it was from Akunadin's genetics. I wasn't entirely free of it. The cancer was genetic, from his mother. She carried it but never showed symptoms. Akunadin wasn't so lucky and I wasn't so fortunate that being related to him didn't cause its fair amount of issues." Yami frowned and grew quiet for a long minute. Then he sighed. "I couldn't heal properly for a while. Experiments were halted for a day when that would happen, but they'd resume immediately after. Things got harder during those weeks. It was constantly back and forth for the majority of it. I'd heal or I wouldn't and even when I knew the phases, it didn't help. Recognizing symptoms did nothing for me."

Yugi suppressed a flinch. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter. It's over. I survived and…you're here." He said it like it was a miracle and Yugi's heart swelled with warmth. Yami looked at him almost as if he were the most precious thing he'd ever seen, eyes warm and relieved and full of excitement. "I consider it a fair trade."

It's not, Yugi thought scathingly, but he didn't want to say so. And as he looked at him, he realized Yami would always say the same when he said he thought Yami was worth his life. Maybe they were just as screwed up when it came to that, or maybe it was the mating bond. He didn't know. He didn't think it truly mattered. He just…loved him.

"Hey, so," he said slowly, smiling faintly, "I think I'm going to reopen the clinic."

Yami blinked and stared, losing his warmth for open bewilderment as he tilted his head. "What?"

"Well, I mean, my mom trained me on how to do everything. I would need to get a degree and everything, but I think it would work out easily enough. I mean, I'll have my super mega smart werewolf brain if nothing else," he said, grinning. "I think I could make it work, you know? It'll be the easiest way to slip under the radar again and it would pay well."

Yami frowned, looking oddly self-conscious. "What would you have me do?"

"You? Well, you're going to live with me and make me feel all warm and fuzzy when I get discouraged," he announced. He reached over to poke his arm. "And you're going to tell me I'm good at stuff even when I'm not. And then I'm going to just be amazed every time I see your face. How does that sound?"

Yami snorted. "Ludicrous."

"Good. As long as we're on the same page." He grinned wider and rubbed his arm gently. "You're my aibou. You can do exactly as you always have, except this time you don't have to hide. You can do whatever you want, within reason…considering."

"Considering?"

"Your lack of papers and identity." Yugi flushed and looked away, distinctly mortified by his own words. "Sorry. I just… I mean… Sorry. I don't know how I would get you papers and everything. As far as Japan and the rest of the world are concerned, you…don't exist, you know?"

Yami nodded slowly, eyes narrowing. "And that doesn't upset you?"

He flushed harder again, until his ears were burning as well. "Not…not like that, no. I know what you're hinting at, but I don't care if I support both of us. You're a wolf. I'm a wolf. We can still hunt and hide around in the woods. The mountains are basically our playground. Aki isn't going to come after us over deer or boar or anything else we gorge ourselves on. And, honestly, maybe one day we'll just run away forever and live in the woods and never give a shit about any of it again. I mean…humans have a shelf life and werewolves don't. So what then? Eventually they'll notice I never age. And they'll chase me for it. And you'll be safe because who would know you even exist? Me, Aki, Chazz, Zane. And which one of us would be the one to rat you out? Not a single one of us would ever say a word. Your lack of papers might actually be one of the best things to come out of it."

The other boy frowned. "What if I want to help?"

"Then you help me at the clinic. If you want money, then I pay. If you don't, then you're an extra set of hands volunteering and costing nothing. One way or another, I… I just want you there." Yugi looked up now, flushed again but searching his face and finding his entire body warm with satisfaction. "I want you happy."

Yami blinked and exhaled slowly, then shifted his weight again as he moved to press himself into the tree trunk behind him. "What did you…bargain with Lupa? What was your price?"

Yugi froze for a second, startled, then snorted. "I'm immortal, aren't I?"

He grimaced. "Right."

The other boy raised a brow. "If you want a play by play, I saw Valon come rushing over to her and say that he couldn't fight you or control you. I'm assuming that means he was the original failsafe when you lost control. I guess they thought he'd be powerful enough to fight and subdue you when you became Atem again. But he said he couldn't and told her to fix her mess. She…basically said she and Fenrir were powerless and would have had to remake the world but even that wouldn't stop you. And then she asked me what I would give to see you safe and happy." He faltered, looking him over. "I don't think giving up my spot in Paradise compares to what else I would have done. If she'd wiped me from existence to save you, I would have gone along with it."

Yami curled his lip slightly. "I had expected worse."

"Well, I mean, it's oversimplified. She also said that if you die, I will with you. Basically we share one life, so if you die and come back, I experience the same no matter what I'm doing. She also said that you and I are…mostly inseparable, that long times apart will cause damage until we reunite again. And I…I'm the key to your stability, which I guess we already knew considering you snapped when I died in every iteration of our fate."

He huffed. "Can you blame me?"

"Never. I understand." Yugi leaned back on his hands again and smiled at him warmly. "I'd lose it, too, if I thought you wouldn't come back."

He looked away. "So, if…or rather, when you attend college, what does that mean?"

"I have two choices. I can take internet courses or I can attend a physical building. The online courses would be ideal in making my own schedule. But if I don't attend classes in the building, it's a possibility I will be assumed less knowledgeable, even with my history helping my mom." He frowned. "I think…for the sake of getting my degree, I'll have to attend in person. I'll need to see if I can do a cram school to skip the last two years of high school so that I can get the clinic open as soon as possible."

Yami searched his face with an unsure expression. "I'm sorry…I've made it harder than necessary again."

Yugi blinked and shook his head roughly. "What? No. This would be my choice even if you weren't here. I'd have to make the same choices I am now. I can't run the clinic legally without the degrees necessary. And I can't take on a job in high school because it could get me expelled. One way or another, I'd have to figure it out. And the way I figure, unless I were to move to the states with my father, I'd have only one choice."

"What of that choice?" Yami scratched at his arm and frowned. "You do not wish to live with your father?"

"I wouldn't mind it if I were to do it, but it's not my first choice. I don't want to have to worry about looking over my shoulder in more dangerous areas. And…honestly, considering, I'm sure I'd probably get killed if I moved there. It's not a very…friendly country, from what I understand. And maybe that's a stereotype, but it's there all the same."

He frowned. "Oh."

"Besides, even if you weren't involved and my mom and grandpa passed away prematurely, I would do it all the same. I'd figure out how to open the clinic again. And it would be more or less the same in necessity." He smiled. "Just, this way, I'm not alone and I get to make sure the most important person to me is safe and hopefully happy."

"You make me happy."

Yugi felt his insides melt at the declaration, smiling as his heart raced. "You make me happy, too, Yami."

His eyes sparkled for a moment before he looked away again. Yugi watched the light leave them as he mumbled, "I need…I need to finish this story, before I lose my courage and try to shut it out again."

Yugi opened and closed his mouth, offering a tight smile. "Okay, aibou."

"Akunadin was following a lead about a wolf that seemed to have the purest blood in existence. I don't know where the rumor came from. I don't even know how he found out about it. Maybe it was just a random person who had used the blood for something mediocre and small, like…like blindness or paralysis. I don't know. But it happened all the same. Word spread. He got hold of the rumors and chased them."

He frowned, swallowing hard as Yami fell silent for a moment. Then he snorted and his voice turned bitter.

"I don't even know what happened after Akunadin realized it was a lie. He probably slaughtered everyone involved. I wouldn't know. But he came back the day before my—our—birthday. And Timaeus sensed it. He knew I'd change again. I don't know how or why he knew that. Maybe he got a portent from the gods in his dreams. Maybe he truly just…sensed it. I don't know. But he became more determined that night than ever to set the plan into motion."

Yugi was sure it wouldn't have been hard to sense it when Yami would change. He'd felt Atem from Paradise. He'd felt as if the entire world had inverted itself and begun to decay. No doubt Timaeus had sensed it as well, especially while in captivity with him.

"Akunadin took me aside that day and told me he would need my blood again. And I just…agreed, because there wasn't a reason to argue. I didn't want to see Timaeus hurt again so I just nodded at him and didn't argue. He just…put me back in the cage and Timaeus kept checking on me to make sure he hadn't done anything to me." Yami shook his head and frowned. "By this point, Timaeus had everything basically in line."

And then he stopped again. Yugi heard him groan as if he were trying to force himself to breathe. The smaller teen faltered, hesitating, and almost thought better of it. Then he shuffled closer, pausing for a moment in front of him, and reached out. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders and nearly yelped when Yami abruptly threw himself forward. Yugi barely moved in time to avoid Yami's knee colliding with his groin as he burrowed into his arms.

"It's okay. I promise. It's past. Everything is okay."

Yami scoffed at him but didn't speak.

Yugi rubbed his back. "I've got you."

The words made Yami pause. He seemed to choke on his breath, then laughed softly. He seemed amazed, perhaps in disbelief. The sound sputtered into nothingness after a handful of seconds. And then he sighed, shuddering softly as he settled more comfortably into his arms.

"If you'd like, we can take a few minutes. You don't have to force yourself to do this right now. Just…take a few minutes to breathe if you need to."

Yami grunted and seemed almost to collapse against him. He was warm and all but boneless, as if he'd turned into liquid and had found himself far more comfortable that way. His breathing was softer and relaxed and he remained in his arms as if his life depended on it. Yugi rubbed his back and suppressed a whimper when Yami dug his nails into his skin.

A few long minutes passed. Yami had begun shaking and breathing harder, fingers sinking further into his flesh as he gasped. Yugi flinched but kept his grip, rubbing as gently as he could and whispering encouragement where he could. The words hardly seemed to help in any manner. And it was clear Yami was struggling harder than ever to remember how to breathe and keep himself from simply sobbing and suppressing.

His face buried itself in the curve of his neck, breathing rough and shaky against his skin. He exhaled harder, shaking in his arms. It took a minute for him to breathe normally, or to keep himself there in his grasp rather than flee. Yugi could feel every muscle in his body tensed and rigid against him.

"Timaeus… He…"

Yugi opened his mouth to remind him that it was okay, that he could take a minute to rally himself again. But the words caught in his throat and threatened to suffocate him entirely.

"He had to come back to the cage to get to me." He panted and trembled but didn't stop for more than a second. The words were blurted and rushed, hard to understand at first because he'd buried his face in his shoulder. "The release mechanisms worked for all the other cells. But ours didn't have an emergency command. Because Akunadin was afraid of me getting loose. And because I was immortal. If something happened, I'd come back. So it wasn't important that I had an escape command."

Yugi froze, eyes wide and horrified. His mouth opened and closed, lungs tight and painful in his chest. "W-what?" he managed to croak. He felt as if the world had just fallen away beneath him, that the ground meant to swallow him whole. "He…"

Yami was quiet for a long moment. His fingers cut more forcefully into his back. Yugi felt it when his eyes closed, lashes fluttering against his skin. He exhaled long and slow, struggling for a few seconds to speak before trying again. He was almost breathless, weak and detached and lost.

"There was…a wolf Timaeus convinced…to tunnel from their cell to ours. It was…beneath my cot. I didn't realize it was there. He crawled through and grabbed me and pulled me along behind me. I…I was in shock. And I didn't think much of it. I just…followed him because I knew he wouldn't hurt me."

Yugi had the overwhelming urge to apologize. He didn't know what for. Some part of him wondered if it was because of his own inability to refrain doing so to him. Some part of him wondered if it was simply pity and remorse. And the rest of him just wished he could have taken the pain away and given Yami the life he truly deserved.

"Akunadin came for me immediately. The fighting had already started and…" Yami fell silent. His fingers ran along Yugi's spine, tracing the knobs there. He was tickled and his stomach lurched as he attempted to swallow his split second impulse to laugh. Yami was silent again for a long handful of minutes then. And finally, almost breathless, he whispered, "What else do you plan to do?"

It took him a moment to understand what he was asking of him. He rubbed his back and closed his eyes. "Once I get the house back up to shape and the clinic in commission, I was thinking I'd invite Rebecca and Arthur to the house."

Yami hummed. "Who?"

"Rebecca is a friend from the states, a couple of years younger than me. She and I bonded over her grandfather Arthur's dog, Sesame. Sesame is supposed to be her dog, but Arthur keeps her because he bought her. Arthur is a family friend through my grandpa. He left Hokkaido earlier than most because of the influx of weather and having family in the states…or so I'm hoping anyways. I don't know entirely."

"He…is the one who helped your mom when I was still healing, yes?" Yami hesitated. "When she was distressed upon realizing what you and I were… We both walked her there, to his home, right?"

Yugi blinked and rubbed his back again. "Yeah, yeah, we did."

"Do you trust them…? I mean, enough to tell them what happened?"

He faltered. Rebecca would lose her mind. Arthur would have a stroke. He snorted and shook his head. "I don't think Grandpa told Arthur so I don't think it'll ever come up in conversation," he teased. "And Rebecca would probably lose her mind if she found out werewolves were real."

"As in…?"

"Well, she's not dangerous. So, I don't mean she'd hurt you or me or anything. I just mean that she'd probably be crazy about it for a while. She'd probably want to know every little thing and whether one of us would bite her. She'd turn into a total fanatic over it."

Yami shivered. "That's…horrifying."

"Yami, humans have always had dreams about stupid stuff like that. Someone hears about fairies and travels to Ireland to see them. Someone hears about Black Shuck and travels to England. Someone hears about werewolves and travels to Wisconsin. Someone hears about vampires and takes a trip to Transylvania." He rubbed his shoulders and placed his chin on his head as Yami grunted in acknowledgment. "It's human nature. We're a stupid, curious bunch."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"But satisfaction brought it back."

Yami shifted his weight slightly. "Is that it? I've never heard that ending." He sighed. "And I always figured it was a violent, bloody death. I'd assumed it wouldn't be able to come back."

"I don't know. They never tell you how the cat died." He snorted when Yami huffed at his teasing. "All I know is that it comes back when you give it a satisfactory answer."

"You're annoying."

"Thanks. It's what I'm good at."

He chuckled and sighed. "As long as you have something you're good at." He shifted his weight again and hummed. "I guess that can be put along your other talents."

"My other talents?"

"Lying, drugging, leading people to their deaths, dying, being a dick—"

He grunted. "Jesus. Okay, thanks, Yami."

"It is not my fault you suck at everything else."

He burst out laughing. "Wow. Thank you so much."

Yami was quiet for a moment. "I haven't forgiven you for that stunt. You're an asshole. I can't believe you did that to me again."

"I know." He snorted. "I also don't apologize for doing it. You didn't need to follow me into that fight. And I didn't want you to."

He snarled but didn't pull away. Instead he burrowed impossibly further into his arms. He sounded tired again when he muttered, "You were right though. If I'd understood what you were planning and I were in your place, I would done the same. I would have thought you were worth it, too."

Yugi froze for a second, warmth soaking through him enough it took his breath away. Then he snorted, almost laughing at himself for his own reaction. "Well, let's just hope this never happens again, okay? I don't want to have to do this ever again."

"You're a fucking idiot if you think you'll ever get that chance again."

He burst out laughing and nodded. "True. You'd flay me alive before I got another chance like that."

"As long as you know," he sneered. He was quiet for a long minute, waiting until Yugi had run out of laughter. He shifted his weight and pulled away slightly, blinking once long and slow as he looked toward the grave markers around them. "When he got me out of the cell, Timaeus begged me to run. I was in enough shock that I couldn't move. And Akunadin came after me the moment the fighting started. I don't know how he… I guess he had cameras. Or sensors…or something. But he came after me."

Yugi blinked, studying his face as his eyes glazed over and his jaw twitched. He smelled blood from the nick in his cheek when he continued.

"He found me in the hallways adjacent the exit, the one I showed you when we originally went through to find a tunnel to enter for the ambush. Timaeus was frantic that I had to run and Akunadin started talking to me…" Yami trailed off for a single second, eyes glazing over until Yugi almost thought he had lost him entirely in his head. But then he blinked and shook his head as if to scatter the abyss his thoughts had fallen into. Yugi barely suppressed a flinch when Yami looked over in his peripheral, eyes sharpening for a single second as they bore into his. And then he abruptly turned away again. "Akunadin started talking to me…and I wasn't exactly in the best place. He was telling me that it would all end if I went with him. I got reminded that I was supposed to be his life support and once I gave him my heart, it would be over. I…"

Yugi swallowed hard, raising his shoulders toward his neck to suppress the tremor that threatened to go through him. "You almost listened."

"Mm. Timaeus panicked. He was screaming at me to run for it. And I was just standing there listening to the biggest pile of bullshit I could have ever heard in my life. I was…" He looked over. "Was it so bad that I just wanted it to end? I've been so tired of all of it for so long. And Timaeus was just…so scared sometimes. It just seemed like it would have been easier. I couldn't have hurt him or anyone else after that. My existence wiped from the earth would make everything easier for everyone else and I just…"

Yugi shook his head then. "It wouldn't have ended there. He… If you'd given up then, it wouldn't have changed anything. Eventually there would just be another, and another, until things righted themselves."

Yami nodded slightly and looked away. "I know. But at the time…it just seemed so easy. If I was gone…" He fell silent. "Timaeus snapped me out of it. I guess that's…needless to say. He clearly got through to me…or else I wouldn't be here…now…with you."

He shivered. "Remind me to thank him again for that."

His eyes flickered and shifted slowly to take him in from his peripheral. Yugi was amazed by how much they'd darkened in that single second. His pupils had dilated slightly and his mouth seemed to twitch for a moment as he considered him. Then he turned away and collapsed backwards into the snow.

"Fuck."

Yugi tilted his head and smiled slightly. "Feels good to get it off your chest, huh?"

"A little. But it's exhausting, too." Yami was quiet for a long moment, then tipped his head to look at him before falling back again. "I keep wondering if maybe I'm hallucinating. Like…maybe this is Paradise and the gods are humoring me while I slow decay into nothingness. But then I remember things and you don't…remember like this when you're in Paradise. Pain is almost a distant figment of imagination. And this is raw and fresh and it's…oozing again."

He wished he could have helped more than just saying, "I know" but there wasn't much else. Yami knew he'd do anything for him. He'd proven that already. He knew for a fact he'd do anything and everything for him he could. He knew he wouldn't let him fall or break or suffer meaninglessly. So Yugi mumbled, "I know" and hated himself for having nothing else to offer him.

Yami was quiet for a moment. "You know, I was running for so long…that this makes me physically ill to remember." He snorted. "Have you ever run that hard from something before?"

He frowned, chewing the inside of his cheek until he almost thought he'd gnawed a hole through it. "Yeah, I…I was running from the idea of failing you. And now that it's all…okay, it's kind of…amazing and terrifying, you know?"

"I'm scared. Is that normal?"

"Of what?"

"Everything."

Yugi frowned and sighed softly. "I mean, everything is a lot to be afraid of. But you know, I'm scared, too. So maybe it's normal? I'm sure you don't go through things like this and just wake up the next day fine and dandy, right?"

Yami wrinkled his nose. "Fine and dandy," he repeated in a mumble. He did it twice more before snorting. "I don't like being afraid. It's…hard to live like this."

"You won't be forever. It'll go away, along with all of the shock and the paranoia. You just have to wait for it to happen." He fell quiet for a moment, smiling when Yami looked over at him with an unsure expression. "It'll be hard, but eventually it'll go away and you'll be okay. We'll be okay."

"Isn't that rather burdensome?"

"What? Helping you?" Yugi snorted. "Fuck no! Helping you now is easier than half of the stunts I pulled before just to make sure you were okay."

"Why did you do all those things? You knew who I was the entire time and yet you never stopped and reconsidered. Why?"

He raised a brow. "You needed help."

"And you just had to be the one to do it?"

"Probably not. But I did it anyways." He grinned at Yami's baffled expression. "I mean, come on. If I hadn't, you wouldn't know you had such a badass mate, either, though, you know?"

Yami blinked, startled, then guffawed and glared at him. "You're so stupid."

Yugi grinned. "I'm the smartest wolf around, and the most adorable. And you know it." He felt warm and soft when Yami smiled and closed his eyes with a brief shake of his head. "You know why I did it, just like I know why you bit me that night in the alley."

Yami sat up, eyes wide as he stared at him with a mixture of shock and melancholy. "I—"

"It's okay. I'm not mad. I never was." He tilted his head. "You were scared. I could never fault you for being scared. I mean, considering how fucked up everything was before you hit the city anyways, I would have understood immediately even if I'd gotten upset over it before."

He drew his legs up to wrap his arms around his knees again. "I'm sorry for everything that happened… It ruined a lot of things for you."

"Not enough to matter." He tilted his head. "So it was harder to help my mom in the clinic. So my friends and I didn't see eye to eye as much anymore. So my grandpa and I were fighting a little more. So I turn into a fluffy little canine during the full moon. So what?"

"Your mother was upset with you. Your grandfather was somewhat wary. Your friends lost trust. Yubel killed everyone you cared about. I caused an avalanche of problems from day one." He shook his head. "Were you afraid to throw me out? I don't understand."

Yugi snorted. "Oh, yeah, I was totally afraid of this little malnourished werewolf in my room who was too scared to talk half the time or breathe the wrong way. I was terrified of this wolf who was scared of his own shadow and reacted like a timid, abused dog when I startled him. Yeah, totally, Yami. I was definitely too afraid to kick you out."

"You say that like I didn't kill people."

"No. I know you did. You've done some really messed up things in a really fucked up situation. But you did it in self-defense. And you did it to save yourself when the worst of it overflowed. You never did anything to hurt me or my friends or family. So, why would I be so afraid of you?"

"Caution is always a good idea to exercise."

"I don't think that applies when the person in question is too terrified to even breathe the wrong way." Yugi shook his head. "Look, I knew. I knew. All of it. I realized it before I told Mai and Otogi I was Atem. I understood all of it when I spoke to Shizuka. And I especially realized when you told me that you bit me because you saw 'potential'."

Yami flinched. "I did. It just wasn't for anything…good."

"Surviving and having a chance is a good thing."

He buried his face in his knees. "Maybe."

"You deserve every chance to live as much as the next person," he said more firmly, though as gently as he could. Yami didn't respond but for a small shake of his head. Yugi chewed the inside of his cheek and closed his eyes. "You're as entitled to a chance at life just as much as the rest of us. The fact that you never got that chance and weren't even going to be offered one is disgusting. Lupa and Fenrir suck dick and they deserve any problems they get later. I hate them. I firmly hate them and everything they stand for."

"Brave words for someone who traded his place in Paradise for her blessing."

Yugi snorted. "Okay, true, but still. It still stands."

It shouldn't have ever been a question to begin with. What had been the point of planning for one immortal rather than two? And the fact that they had thought for even a second that Valon could contain Yami when he snapped was almost laughable. Atem couldn't be contained. He was a goddamn beast. He was too powerful and unchained, he'd eat the world like Fenrir was supposed to in the Norse mythology. If he had truly meant to lash out and make the world suffer, Lupa and Fenrir would have been entirely too helpless to his whims.

Yami may as well have been a god for all the fear he bestowed in them.

And the fact that he'd be there to watch the world rot and further its suffering at Black Shuck's side was far more disturbing than Yugi wanted to imagine. The most powerful werewolves together, dangerous and immortal and beyond control; that was truly setting the world's balance to be restored and maintained. He could have snarled with rage at the thought.

Black Shuck would wear his face and Atem would—

I stopped them. I changed that.

Lupa had surrendered. He didn't know entirely why. Maybe she had realized just how ridiculous it was the prophecy they'd created. Maybe she'd simply understood then just how powerful a beast the two of them were, even separated as they were between life and death.

Or perhaps it had been laziness. Perhaps she and Fenrir had not wanted to fix it all when the world imploded upon itself.

He didn't know anymore.

It didn't matter.

I'm alive. I'm here. Yami is okay. Yami is alive.

"Yugi?"

He hadn't realized he was staring into the distance until then. When his eyes shot to Yami's, the other boy looked concerned and almost distraught, as if he'd been trying to reach him for a while. Yugi wondered if this was how it always felt in his head, if maybe this was why Yami so often remained unresponsive when he spoke his name. Lupa had tied them so completely; perhaps this was part of his bargain as well. He didn't know any longer. The details seemed so hard to comprehend, yet simple as well. And, in truth, he didn't believe she'd told him the half of it.

He thought she'd given him the bare minimum to understand what he was abandoning in doing this. She'd meant to test his commitment. And he'd won. He'd gotten her favor, but the cost was likely far higher than he'd been told.

Yugi smiled and tilted his head. "Sorry. I just got a little lost in my head, aibou."

"Thinking about what?"

He shook his head and looked at Yami's tense shoulders. "It's not about you, aibou. Don't worry. My opinion hasn't just suddenly changed," he teased. He wanted to hug him again, but the other boy was watching him with an expression that said he wasn't sure he believed him. His heart hurt to consider it, but the thought faded again. "I was thinking about Lupa and Fenrir. Their idea for balance is…really fucked up."

He blinked and frowned. "In five hundred years, the humans and the wolves will likely go to war again. Eradication will happen. Mass extinction will come about. The world will rot from imbalance when its two most powerful apex predators drop. By that point, what will there be left? Atem will die with the rest, as Lupa and Fenrir will cease. Black Shuck will vanish with him. Their line of thinking is to prevent one mass casualty but allow the next when the time finally came. Because, honestly, what would be the point in Atem lasting beyond then? If I were to live until the end, what would there be for me?"

"Me. You'd still have me."

Yami blinked, furrowing his brows, and then smiled and looked away. "Maybe now, but not originally."

"True. Black Shuck would suck at impersonating me. I'm too amazing."

He chuckled and glanced at him in his peripheral. "True enough." He paused and stared at him, considering more pointedly as if he were unsure of himself or his words. And then he looked away again. "Ra used to try to use your shape to impersonate you when she needed to speak to me in dreams. She could never make her eyes the same color. Shuck managed it from what little I saw of it when…I stopped suppressing. When I…merged—for lack of a better word—with Atem, it came to me in this huge flash of images and noise and blood. I'd forgotten. I'd forgotten that I've met Hati before. He…sat with me once, when I died and came back to life. And he laughed and laughed and told me what would become of me when the world began to rot. That's why he was so interested in me, because I killed Obelisk and I was proving too wild to follow their course. He was delighted. Fenrir even found it amusing, from what I understand. And becoming Atem again just pushed everything back to the surface. In the midst of all the bloodshed and carnage and pain and screaming, I only ever saw you. Like you always were as a wolf. Black Shuck would manage what Ra couldn't. And I'd follow him because I'd pretend it was you."

Yugi grimaced. "Even in those iterations you didn't know me? Did it always end up like that?"

He nodded slightly. "Yes, because the mating bond is unavoidable when you encounter it the first time. There's a change in the air and you smell it. There's a draw to each sense. I would have felt it. I would have known. And, after you'd died, I would have wanted to see you again even if it was only to apologize for what I did."

He swallowed hard. "Wow. They always determined to make your life a disaster, huh?"

"Yes." He was quiet for a moment. "I guess they always planned for Timaeus to sacrifice himself and you to play the catalyst to my decline."

Yugi opened his mouth but faltered when he saw Yami raise his fingers from his knee where he'd dug them so forcefully into the dark material. He didn't want him to respond. He swallowed hard again and looked away, shifting his weight to lean back on his hands again.

"'I love you. You have to remember that. That's why I'm freeing you. Now go.'"

Yugi stiffened. He remembered the words. Timaeus had said them, right before Yami had escaped, when Akunadin had spoken to him. When he'd tried to talk Yami into staying, and Timaeus had panicked and begged. He remembered the words well. He'd watched him as he was eviscerated, bleeding out before his neck was violently snapped.

And yet he'd only wanted to tell him to run. He'd only wanted to see Yami flee and save himself.

When Yami didn't continue, eyes glazed over and head tilted slightly as if he were considering, Yugi breathed in deep and exhaled, "And that's why you have a horrible association with the words."

The other wolf blinked once, then twice, and slowly raised his eyes to look to Yugi again. He focused after a handful of seconds, then blinked and looked away.

"Yes."

He had meant to make him smile or laugh, but the words had clearly ceased to amuse him. Yami frowned slightly, lowered his eyes to the snow, and let out a long yawn. He hunched his shoulders and tightened his arms around his knees, seeming for a moment to tremble before he lost his tension. Yugi swallowed hard and looked away.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. It's okay. I'm not upset."

"You have to be tired of me starting and restarting like this."

"No, I'm actually really proud of you for finally talking about it."

Yami didn't respond to the words. His eyes closed tightly, breathing slightly faster for a few seconds. And then he blinked, eyes sharpening as if he were listening for something. It faded a second later, but Yugi had to wonder what was going on in his head. The abrupt change and intensity made his stomach churn.

"By the time he dropped Timaeus I had already gotten out of the labs and was gone. I don't remember what happened beyond that. The entire thing is a blur whenever I think back to it. All I remember is I waited and waited and waited until the sun went down." He furrowed his brows. "And I don't even remember how I knew that was my cue to go back and get his body. I don't even remember how I knew to find the incinerator over the main entrance I escaped from. I just chose a tunnel and smelled the ashes and knew where I was supposed to go."

Yugi blinked. He'd been in shock. Of course he wouldn't remember what happened in the time before he started moving again. The lycanthrope brain was still partially human, even with all of its enhancements. Yami had been scared and too stunned to know what he was doing.

"Yami?"

He blinked and focused on his face, eyes sharp and cold and glittering. But Yugi could see the fear leaking into his irises, making them brighter and shinier, like little embers against the constricted shape of his pupils.

"Why didn't he chase you?"

Yami blinked, then snorted and grinned at him. It was feral and sharp, his canines glinting from exposure. "He was scared of me. If he'd sent someone after me or chased, I would have killed them all. He was afraid of that." He looked away. "He was also tired. He'd been extremely sick before that. And he wasn't going to risk what little health he still had chasing after the most destructive creature in the world. So he held off."

Akunadin hadn't come after them personally at all in the time that he'd been sending others to find and capture Atem. Yugi furrowed his brows and then shivered.

Yami looked at him in his peripheral. "Yes. He was still looking for a medical treatment at the same time. Being the face of the world's leading cancer research program kept him preoccupied and away from hunting me himself. He couldn't afford to. His presence was too iconic and he had to keep the business running as much as he needed the experiments to continue. That's why the lesser partners were sent to deal with me."

"That's horrifying."

The red-eyed teen shook his head slightly and looked away. "I'm so tired. This should be easier. He's dead. I killed him. I tore his head off and ripped his heart from his chest. I crushed his spine. I severed his arms from digging so hard. I don't understand."

"That's not how recovery works, Yami."

"It fucking should be."

He smiled despite himself. "No argument there, but I don't make the rules," he teased. Yami rolled his eyes but smiled all the same. He nibbled his lip and shifted his weight. "It's kind of like mourning. Remember? Six months, twenty years; it's okay if everything still hurts for a while."

He shivered and turned his head, staring as if he'd been burned. And then he lowered his eyes and began to mess with the snow in his reach, grabbing small handfuls and tossing the crystals back and forth between his palms. He nodded slowly, opening and closing his mouth twice before exhaling shakily.

"Right."

Yugi opened his mouth to speak but shut it again. Yami was processing, so maybe it would be better he didn't interrupt. He lowered his eyes and tried not to sigh, the feeling of being useless creeping through him slowly but surely. He couldn't help him aside from being there. Everything else relied on Yami finally sitting and thinking about it all long enough to understand what had happened to him and everyone else.

It all relied on him accepting it.

He shuffled closer, comforted when Yami did not pull away. The other boy raised and turned his head to look at him when he got within arm's length. Yugi hesitated a moment, then reached a hand out for him. Yami stared at it, studying his fingers as if he expected him to be holding something. And then he reached out as well.

Yugi shivered with excitement, twining their fingers together and squeezing gently. Yami watched their fingers for a moment, then smiled as he turned away with a small shake of his head.

"I hope you know, I tend to be a hand-holder. So, now that you've given me this little bit of permission, you're forever going to be forced to hold hands with me."

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "You're a dork."

"I'm serious. I'll just sneak into it, too. You won't have any idea I've done it until you're already holding my hand." Yugi grinned. "I'm a handholding ninja, Yami. You have no idea."

The other boy burst out laughing. "Oh, is that so?"

"Absolutely!"

Yami rolled his eyes and shook his head, smiling. He squeezed his hand after a moment, sighing. "Makes me wonder who you practiced that with."

Yugi snorted. "You just never noticed when I did it to you. I'm a ninja."

"Amazing thing to not notice my hand being held. You have quite the skill."

There was an unsteady silence that settled between them. Yami had begun staring at the spot he'd buried Timaeus. And Yugi was listening to his heartbeat as it thumped unevenly in his chest.

"So…who do you want to be?"

Yami blinked once, long and slow, staring at the trunk where it faded into roots beneath the ice. He slowly raised and turned his head, breath unusually tight in his chest as he considered the other boy. "What do you mean?" he mumbled, amazed he managed to breathe the words. Everything felt cold and heavy and his stomach was churning as he tossed the words about in his head once more.

Who do I want to be?

Yugi tilted his head, watching him with brilliant eyes. His face softened from curious to warm affection in a single second. "You're Yami."

He nodded, perplexed. "Yes. I'm Yami."

The other boy grinned. "No, aibou, you don't get it," he laughed. "You're Yami. You're Atem. You're both. But you're still unequivocally you. You're Atem and you're Yami. You're still you."

"You're not…making sense."

"It's something I figured out when I was pretending to be Atem," Yugi mumbled, squeezing his hand and looking down at their fingers again. He drew in a deep breath, then slowly exhaled and closed his eyes. "When I pretended to be Atem, everyone wanted to tell me who I was and what my purpose was. I asked and asked and asked and I hated all the answers. Atem was supposed to lead the wolves to their deaths, like a mass suicide for his purpose. His entire purpose was to bring the wolves back from the brink and make them stronger, while also cutting their numbers to a more manageable amount. The war did that. It cut numbers but also gave the wolves the necessary means to come out of the shadows again and remember just who and what they are. Despite everything, Atem is technically a force for the good of two species even when the most obvious path didn't make that clear."

"I don't think that's true."

Yugi shook his head and opened his eyes again. "I'll explain that another time. It's not…quite the point I wanted to make. It won't entirely help the discussion, so give me a minute to backtrack." He sighed again and Yami tilted his head, bewildered by the words. What did he mean it wouldn't help? Where was this discussion meant to go? Yugi licked his lips, squeezed his hand again, and grinned as he reached for his other as well. "Atem is a title. Atem is nothing more than a title, a myth, a legend. You played the part and got to hide from it. I played the part and died as Atem. You took on the title after. And I came back, the secondary one as I was always suppose to be. We both came back, but not as Atem."

Yami blinked and stared, unable to process the words for a moment. Yugi was never supposed to have been Atem. It was always him. His words made little sense—

"I'm not Atem anymore. I'm Yugi. The world doesn't need Atem anymore." He paused for a moment. "Atem was a plaything for the gods. We both played that role. We did what we were expected to. We stopped Akunadin. The humans are back in the dark about werewolves. The species won't be eradicated just because of superstition and hysteria as it was years ago. We are not under obligation of any god anymore, Yami."

He furrowed his brows. "You say that like Lupa and Fenrir do not govern every wolf as it is."

He rolled his eyes and smiled. "Their jurisdiction isn't what matters. I made the choice to return to life as Yugi. You chose me when you could have followed the path they set you on when I was allowed to die. You have the right to follow any path from here on out that you decide worth taking."

He blinked and nodded slightly. He had chosen Yugi when he'd realized he'd said Timaeus's name. That single split second had been enough to choose not to end his life by his teeth. He'd chosen Yugi over the original predetermined path he had been selected for.

"That doesn't mean we turn our backs on them or anything. And if the wolves need us, well I guess there's a reason Lupa and Fenrir let us survive, right?" Yugi paused. "But, this means we make our own decisions about just what our destinies entail. You're not destined to spend your days rotting to nonexistence with a hellhound anymore. And I'm not destined to die pretending I'm the primary Atem. I already did that. I ended a war that cost thousands of lives. I'm just Yugi again, the secondary Atem, and I have a life to lead that doesn't involve death and destruction and terror and bloodlust anymore."

Yami nodded slowly. "I see."

"So, now, what about you? Who do you want to be now, Yami? Life is a blank slate for you now."

"With nightmares as the backdrop," he snorted, smiling when Yugi gave him a dirty look. But he stopped, considering the words and wondering for a long moment. The answer never came to him. He smiled awkwardly and shrugged his shoulders, sheepish as Yugi laughed. "I don't know. Sorry."

"That's okay. We have time."

He nodded, comforted. They had time.

He almost choked, amazed.

We. Have. Time.

It seemed impossible.

And then something else occurred to him. His eyes dropped to Yugi's hands where they encompassed his and his lips twitched slightly. When he looked up again, Yugi was giving him the opportunity to process everything. He'd turned away to watch the new snowflakes as they drifted and his eyes were entirely focused on them. He was barely watching him in his peripheral, though Yami knew he'd instinctively noticed him moving. He wasn't actively staring anymore, however. He was trying to give him some kind of privacy without letting go of his hands or moving away or—

"Yugi."

His head turned and his eyes lit up. "Yami."

He didn't think his name had ever sounded that pleasant before in his life. His heart skipped a beat and his breath caught and his stomach fluttered. His blood felt warm in his veins and his skin tingled. Every part of his body felt alight with anticipation.

He opened and closed his mouth twice, unable to force the words out for a moment. Yugi tilted his head and raised a brow but didn't push, smiling a little wider when Yami failed the third time to manage to speak. He drew a deep breath and looked away, glancing at him from his peripheral beneath his lashes. He opened and closed his mouth again, then snorted.

"Aibou?"

He shook his head. "I…"

"You…"

"I…"

"You…?" Yugi stressed the word, leaning forward slightly. "Are adorable when you're flustered? Yes, why yes you are."

Yami scowled. "You're not funny."

"Yeah, my mom told me I should never become a comedian."

He snorted and glared and Yugi grinned before starting to pull back. Yami faltered but managed a breathy, "Don't". He wasn't sure how the other boy knew what he meant, but Yugi stopped pulling away altogether. His eyes searched Yami's and his head tilted in puzzlement.

Yami exhaled raggedly once, palms itching as he tried to think.

Yugi was quiet and watching, patient and studious as usual.

"Do you…?" He bit his lip and backtracked, trying to find the words. But his head felt light and almost dizzy and his stomach was doing cartwheels and his mouth was suddenly dry and— "Do you…s-still…?"

Yugi smiled slightly. "It's okay. Choose your words. I'm not going anywhere."

No, but they'd probably be twenty years older by the time he managed to force the question out.

And yet it tasted so awkward and terrible on his tongue.

Maybe he shouldn't ask it.

But when he looked over again, Yugi was watching him so patiently, with that kind little smile he always wore. His stomach tumbled and knotted and his lungs felt oddly tight. His palms itched even more. But his mouth wasn't as dry anymore and his heart was racing now.

Yugi raised a brow. "You good over there, Yami?" he teased. "You kind of seem like you're having a panic attack?"

Adrenaline rush, he wanted to correct him. And then he snorted, because this was stupid and he was so idiotic for making Yugi wait on him like this. He probably thought he was acting like some kind of scared child.

"Do you still want to kiss me?"

Yugi stared at him, smiling patiently for a moment. Then he blinked. His eyes stretched three times wider than usual, owlish and comical. His mouth opened and closed twice as he processed what Yami had asked. The red-eyed boy was both elated by his stunned reaction and devastated by how long it seemed to take Yugi to understand.

And then Yugi laughed, a startled and amazed noise. He was trembling when he licked his lips and squeezed his hands and wriggled in his spot as if he were wagging a phantom tail.

"When don't I?"

Yami chuckled and Yugi leaned forward, checking his face and then looking at his lips and then his eyes again. When he didn't back away, Yugi trembled more noticeably with anticipation and finally leaned forward to press his lips to his.