Title: Millennium Vessels

Rating: M

Warnings: WIP, M/M, Yaoi, Shonen ai, Anal, Oral, Rape in a later chapter.

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Chapter Six: A Change in Routine

Ryou scrubbed his face as he wandered toward the kitchen. Passing his computer, he turned it on and went to make his breakfast as the system booted up.

After almost two week in Japan, Ryou found himself beginning to fall into a regular routine. Since it was easier for Malik to get online late in the evening his time, they now had a set chat time before Ryou had to leave for school. It meant he was getting up earlier than he need to get to class, and it pretty much killed any night life he might have wanted, but it was helping him deal with the confusion that now existed between himself and Atemu.

It wasn't as if there was anyone else he could talk to about it.

Since Atemu's confession a week ago, their relationship had begun to shift. It was not an uncomfortable change; it had actually drawn them closer together. But at the same time Atemu's feelings for his High Priest had only grown as more of his past opened up to him. The fact Seto Kaiba seemed to ignore them, or anyone else for that matter, was not helping Atemu's straighten out his emotions.

They still did not know if Seth shared Kaiba's body or not, or if Kaiba actually had the Rod. And that uncertainty was beginning to affect Atemu.

Digging out some fruit and yogurt to munch on as he talked to Malik, he then grabbed a knife to cut the fruit with and wandered back to the computer. Quickly getting online, he discovered Malik was already waiting for him.

Hey Whitey!

Ryou shook his head, smiling at Malik's greeting. For some reason his white hair was a source of constant fascination for the energetic blond. Leaning forward he typed in his set response to that greeting.

Hey, Sunny side up!

Imagining the Egyptian rolling his eyes at that, he wasn't surprised when to words, I see we're awake this morning, flashed up. Before he could respond though, Malik wrote, Look, I haven't much time, sister needs the computer, but we had a visit from Shadi this morning.

I assume it has something to do with me? Ryou typed back nervously. Feeling the spirit stir, Ryou asked Atemu if he could come out. As the spirit shifted into being, a curious look on his face, Malik's response appeared.

Sorta. He confirmed Kaiba has the Rod and that he has used it at least once. He also said it meant the spirit of the High Priest was now awake.

Ryou glanced at Atemu as he felt the spirit tense slightly, a look of confusion momentarily flashing across his features. Typing quickly, Ryou asked, Did you ask him if the High Priest's memories would be intact?

Yes. According to him there is no reason why the High Priest would have forgotten them. There was a pause before Malik added, I didn't want to ask anything else. Shadi wanted to know why I was asking, sorry.

That's alright. Thanks for getting that much out of him.

Look, I gotta go, sister's glaring daggers at me. Talk tomorrow?

I'll be here, night Malik. Signing out, Ryou looked up at Atemu and quickly realized the spirit was not going to talk about this right now. Atemu simple looked calmly at him and said evenly, "I'll be in the Puzzle. Let me know when you are ready to leave for school. I'll join you then."

Not waiting for an answer, Atemu faded away, leaving Ryou to stare blankly at the screen as he tried to figure out what to do next.

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It was the sudden inability to swallow that startled Yugi out of a sound sleep. Choking slightly he instinctively sat up, only to have the world tilt crazily, his brain rattling in his head and his stomach pitching everything in it out.

Yugi blindly grabbed for the wastebasket beside the bed and threw up violently, the movement causing pain to spike through his head and nail him behind his eyes. Gasping once he stopped retching, his throat burning and raw, Yugi tried to find a position that would stop the sensation his brain was rolling around inside his skull, only to have Bakura's voice burst through his head.

"Are you all right, Yugi?"

The sound reverberated against Yugi's skull, causing him to instantly vomit once again into the basket. Breathing hard, his rapid heartbeat throbbing through his head, Yugi couldn't bring himself to answer as his vision began to swim.

"Yugi?" Bakura said, a little more loudly and insistently.

"Don't..!" Yugi managed to send down the link, his head feeling as if he had just forced it to squeeze tighter to think the words at the spirit.

"Hm, not feeling well?" Bakura commented.

All Yugi wanted was Bakura to shut up but replied, shutting his eyes tight as his head continued to throb, "No." Pausing a moment, clutching the bed for balance as the world decided to tilt in a new direction, Yugi finally added weakly, "I think you should stay in the Ring today."

"Well, if you think that's best." the spirit answered calmly. "Just let me know when you think it's safe."

Yugi almost wept with relief as the spirit's presence faded out of his head.

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Solomon Motou glanced at the clock and frowned when he realized Yugi was going to be late for school. He tried remembering the last time that happened but came up with nothing. Usually the spirit of the Ring was in control and out of the house long before school started.

However, Solomon realized Yugi had returned home unusually late last night. He wondered what trouble the spirit might have gotten his grandson into.

Climbing the stairs to Yugi's room to investigate, Solomon was about to call out his grandson's name when he heard the distinct sound of Yugi getting sick. He threw the door open and Yugi whimpered in pain as the light from the hall hit him in the face.

Quickly closing the door Solomon dropped down to a kneeling position beside the bed and was about to ask what was wrong when the stench of alcohol hit him in the face. Pushing down his anger at the spirit of the Ring, Solomon reached out to touch Yugi gently on the forehead. The skin beneath his hand was hot and clammy but he was sure it was nothing more than the fallout of a seriously bad hangover.

At least he hoped that was all it was.

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Ryou walked slowly to school, his mind a little confused by an odd change in Atemu. He had managed to get the spirit to relax slightly by not asking about what he might want to do next about Kaiba and Seth, something they had discussed each morning on the way to school since Atemu explained his feelings. However Atemu's actions this morning were unusual enough to concern Ryou.

"I don't feel good." Atemu complained.

"You don't feel good? Is that even possible?" Ryou asked softly. The spirit had suddenly reacted badly a few moments earlier to his voice and then had dropped back into the link when they reached an open space and the early morning sunlight had washed over them.

The spirit had actually flinched when the light hit him.

"I don't know." Atemu grumbled irritably. "I just…damn. Feel like shit."

Ryou raised an eyebrow at that comment even as a stab of worry ran through him. Stopping, he asked, "Should I get home and call Malik? He might still be up."

"No, I don't think that will be necessary, Ryou." Atemu paused a moment before grumbling, "I'm just going to sleep this off. I'll talk to you later."

Ryou waited until he felt Atemu retreat into the Puzzle before continuing on to school. Deep in thought he only gave a passing glance to the now familiar Kame Game shop as he walked on.

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Yugi rested his forehead against the cool porcelain of the toilet, his eyes tightly shut and his arms resting on the rim. He had finally found a position that kept his head from spinning in hollow circles and was now wishing desperately for his mind to stop thinking about whatever it was trying to think about.

All he wanted was peace and quiet, within and without.

Knowing there was relief within his reach was not helping to quiet the words banging around his head. All he had to do was drop into his soul room to escape the pain in his head and body. Yugi assumed whatever was wrong was not life threatening since Jii-chan would have taken him straight to the hospital instead of helping him into the bathroom and forcing aspirin and juice down his throat before leaving him in peace. There was no reason for him to be conscious and suffering right now.

Yugi admitted to himself the aspirin had helped, the pain in his head was no longer triggered by every little breath he took but the temptation to just leave continued to pull at him. Yet, he hesitated, leaving his brain to continue to puzzle out why.

Bakura would certainly be able to make him feel better or at least distract him from the pain, why was he still sitting here hugging the toilet?

He refused to listen to the little voice in his head that answered it was Bakura's fault he was there in the first place.

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Kaiba watched the cityscape roll by, instinctively noting any tiny changes in the view as his mind considered the state of the spirit of the Rod. Already forced to put up with Seth getting in a lather over Yugi missing a day- and forcing Kaiba to actually call the Kame Game shop to check on him- he was finding the silence that had followed the call, a silence that had become Seth's normal routine during school hours, almost unnerving.

He wondered how much of Seth's silence an attempt not to watch his Pharaoh. Not that the spirit of the Rod would admit that was what he was doing.

A frustrated sigh slipped out of Kaiba as he turned away from the view and let his head fall back. Staring at the limo's ceiling, Kaiba found his own thoughts turning to the Pharaoh's vessel. For some reason, he had caught himself staring at his white haired classmate today completely oblivious to the rest of the room. Not that he ever had a reason to pay attention to the lessons being taught, there were days he could run the class himself and his teachers were more than aware of that fact. Still, if he tuned out a class he worked on business not sit and watch a fellow student.

He almost wished Seth had been out to distract him. He wasn't sure he was willing to accept the fact he might just be physically attracted to his white-haired classmate. And he could not blame Seth for that. He knew the spirit was still annoyed that this Ryou looked like the thief in the Ring and was completely appalled his Pharaoh's spirit was forced to exist, as he had put it over the last week, in such a flawed vessel.

Forcing his thoughts back to the moment as he stepped out of the limo at Kaiba Corp., Kaiba felt Seth stirring. Immediately reaching out to the spirit Kaiba asked, "You've been quiet. Are you all right?"

It was easy to sense the spirit's surprise, which was no less than his own at the comment.

"I thought you would prefer me back in the Rod considering my actions earlier." Seth answered plainly.

Making his way to the private elevator, Kaiba asked, "Since when have you been sensitive to what I want?" Stepping in, he waited until the doors had closed before commenting, "And why haven't you spoken to your precious Pharaoh yet?"

Seth appeared next to him, a slight scowl on his face. "I've explained my actions already. Speaking to him will only open old wounds."

"You can't keep this façade up, Seth." Kaiba replied and he strode across the lobby and into his office. Setting his briefcase next to his desk, he settled into his chair and began reviewing the day's reports.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Seth cross his arms and glare. "What façade?" the spirit snarled.

Feeling some satisfaction at finally pushing Seth's buttons enough to get a reaction, Kaiba answered, "The righteous martyr one. It doesn't fit."

Seth stared at him a moment before asking irritably, "Why do you keep going on about this?"

Rubbing his forehead, feeling a now familiar frustration at Seth growing inside him, Kaiba answered, "Because if you don't do something soon, this is all going to blow up in our face."

"I'm trying to protect you…"

"I don't need your protection, Seth!" Kaiba suddenly yelled. Pushing himself to his feet he stalked over to Seth and angrily pointed out, "You can't hide what you feel from me! And all it's showing me is what I've never had! And all you do is try to suppress it! Well, it's not working, Seth, it's only making things worse."

"And what do you want me to do! Throw his vessel to the ground and take him? What will that solve?" Seth shouted back.

"Just talk to him!"

They stood glaring at one another for several minutes before Seth turned away to mutter angrily, "I cannot offer you any guaranties this will make things easier, Seto."

Kaiba sighed and returned to his chair. "I've dealt with worse." he answered truthfully.

He was not surprised when Seth disappeared without another word, leaving Kaiba alone to consider how much worse it could get.