"Do you want to come inside to check it first?" Seto asked, trying to mask any sarcasm. Ryou's apartment was obviously the pinnacle of risk, requiring two of Pegasus's best men to search before Seto and Mokuba could visit for tea.

"No, Kaiba-sama. That won't be necessary," Youta said. He glanced in the rear view mirror, as if he picked up on Seto's true meaning. "We'll take our post outside the door."

It wasn't much consolation, and when Seto checked on Mokuba beside him, found him wringing his hands. He hadn't said much since Seto told him about Gozaburo's arrest, and that while Mokuba wouldn't be shipped to the US, he also wasn't going into Seto's custody.

Youta parked on the street in front of Ryou's apartment, and Haruhi got out to walk them to the front door. Seto checked the street to make sure there weren't any unwanted eyes on them, knowing the media would harass Ryou if given the chance. They surrounded the lab and sneaked over the fence at home, and everywhere Seto went, they seemed to follow.

Ryou answered the knock, and bowed awkwardly to Haruhi.

"He'll be staying outside," Seto said, and let Mokuba walk in first.

"It's cold," Ryou said, but didn't argue more than that when Seto nodded for him to close the door behind them. They took off their shoes and Seto started to go sit down, but froze at the sight of Bakura on the couch.

Putting a finger to his lips, Seto went to the only window facing the street and shut the blinds. No one on street level should have an angle to see Bakura across the room, but he couldn't take the chance.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered sharply. "He'll kill you."

"They aren't watching Ryou's place. Got here last night."

"He knows about Finland."

Seto went to the living room and stood by the coffee table, arms crossed. Mokuba mimicked his pose, but more defensively, like he expected someone to lash out at him.

Bakura shook his head. "That isn't possible."

"He knows. And you're here, where he has men stationed."

"Does he know I'm here?"

"He knew about Finland."

Cursing under his breath, Bakura took out his phone and started to message someone. Seto put his arm around Mokuba, as much to comfort Seto as Mokuba. They'd gone through too much this week to have this thrown into their face, and there was no way to figure out what exactly Pegasus knew.

Ryou came over with careful steps, easing forward to meet Seto's gaze. "What does this mean?"

"He's scheduled the wedding for Saturday," Seto said. "He isn't going to wait to let anyone slip away."

"Saturday?" Ryou asked. "Isn't that...?"

"The execution day. He's already had one wedding. I guess he doesn't need anything super elaborate."

The only planning Seto had been a part of was having a suit fitted. Pegasus wanted him to wear white, and what Seto wanted didn't matter much anymore. Getting married on the day his father was set to be killed had been scandal enough to mask much talk of what the abuse might have entailed. Pegasus bore the heat of the decision and made sure Seto didn't need to answer any invasive questions.

"He expected you to agree to that?"

"To agree to a faster way out of his house and custody of Mokuba?"

"To agree at all."

There wasn't any reason to linger in self-pity. It had been four days since Pegasus's announcement and nothing Seto said could change his mind. He didn't feel he could ask outright, not without reminding Pegasus about the now-shredded tickets. Seto's best protest, that this was happening too soon, was easily countered with a simple reminder that marrying would give Seto custody of Mokuba.

There wasn't a choice.

"What will you do?"

"Repeat the vows and wear the ring," Seto said. "It isn't like he's bad to me."

"And you wanted to stay anyway," Bakura pointed out, without looking up from his phone.

"The plan was to go."

"After Ryou talked you into it."

Before Seto could start arguing, Ryou shook his head. "I'm putting on the kettle. There's no reason to raise our voices."

Seto took the armchair, and Mokuba the extra seat on the couch by Bakura. Ryou had a point about keeping tempers down to prevent drawing unnecessary attention from outside. The door hadn't been locked, and Haruhi could walk in at any moment.

"You should move into the bedroom," Seto told Bakura.

"They don't respect your privacy?"

"Do you want to take the risk on that?"

"How many did you bring with you?"

"Just two."

And Youta had stayed with the car. Would Pegasus have let Seto come in if he knew Bakura was waiting? He'd never asked where the tickets came from, or who arranged Seto's travel. He should have pressed and found out more. Why hadn't he pressed?

"Then I can handle myself."

"What are we going to do?" Mokuba asked. His voice stayed soft, almost so soft the questioning tone drifted. He swung his legs slightly, ankles knocking back against the couch and setting off a dull echo. Listening to it gave Seto a distraction, and he took the moment of quiet to really think.

"We'll keep Bakura out of sight, and he'll go back where he came from."

"That doesn't solve your issue," Bakura said. "You're getting married day after tomorrow."

"You joining the execution doesn't change that."

Seto hadn't been allowed to see Gozaburo. Pegasus essentially scoffed when Seto asked for it, and played off the request as if Seto had been conditioned to defend Gozaburo. Seto didn't ask to commute the sentence. But this ending had come abruptly, and despite all the circumstances adding stress, Seto wanted to gloat.

"This isn't okay," Mokuba said, more firmly than he'd spoken all week.

"I don't think much will change," Seto said. "We'll move, but you won't change schools. I'll keep my schedule."

"Living in his house."

"I know," Seto said. It was all there was to say. He had done this to them when he accepted the tickets, and could only assume that Pegasus knew before. Pegasus waited for proof, whether in Seto's favor or against, and Seto nearly lost his trust.

Ryou brought Mokuba his tea first, saying easily, "Two scoops of sugar."

Mokuba took it, cupping it in his palms. He watched the steam swirl and rise, and his legs stopped swinging. Sitting across the room from each other felt too far, and there wasn't space for Seto to move beside him. As much as this was for Seto to accept, it was much harder on Mokuba.

Comfort wouldn't help. Comfort was vain and hollow in the face of a second life sentence.

"If he knows who bought the tickets, you'll be at risk," Seto said to Ryou.

"I'm sure I was always at risk."

"He's only said he wants to get to know you better."

"If he knows about Bakura, I can't get out."

Seto shook his head. "I wouldn't go along with all of this if he threatened you. He knows that."

"And he has custody of Mokuba."

"He won't hurt you."

Pegasus had only once given any inclination toward hurting Seto, and that had been when he assumed Seto was a traitor. But Pegasus couldn't believe that anymore, not when he planned to marry him. And Pegasus couldn't expect to be married to Seto and do anything to harm his only friend.

"I'm not invited to the wedding," Ryou said.

"No one is invited except for the formality. It's small so he didn't need to prepare as much."

"He's spun the story so much people are hardly asking why this is all happening the way it is. They're focusing on the wrong things."

"You don't get to be in his position by letting the world believe the truth," Seto said. "He'd probably just tell them it's the wedding I wanted if pressed. Play up the engineer who doesn't like the spotlight angle."

Ryou went back to the kitchen for two more cups of tea, giving one to Seto and putting one on the coffee table in front of Bakura. "Even I think you're being too calm."

Bakura was still typing on his phone, and his thumb tapping too quickly while he sent whatever messages he felt were essential in the moment. The wind outside galed against the windows, and Seto felt the cold seeping through the glass. He was out of time to fight or flee.

"If he was going to hurt me, he would have in Beijing."

Seto believed that much, at least. But Beijing also had proved that Pegasus wasn't above killing Seto to prevent an inside threat. Gozaburo inadvertently saved Seto's life through the scars, and Seto wasn't going to risk another death sentence. He could get along with Pegasus and enjoy his company. He just had to overlook the near execution, like Pegasus overlooked Seto's espionage.

"How can you be sure?"

"His public reputation matters to him, like it's important to live in an empty mansion. He can't let them know what I did."

"Barely did," Bakura said.

"You'd better hope whoever you're messaging gets you a secure flight out."

"They will."

"You said that about my flight too."

Bakura glanced up bitterly, but aside from a brief glare, said nothing. He resumed messaging quickly, which Seto took to mean he would at least take the advise to leave as soon as possible. If he got out quietly, then they could lean into the story that Ryou and Bakura hadn't been talking for years, and that they fell out when Bakura left at eighteen.

Even Bakura wouldn't risk putting Ryou under threat.

"What are we going to do?" Mokuba asked.

"Have tea," Seto said. "And make this work. I've already skirted consequences once, and won't be so lucky a second time."

Spending the afternoon together wasn't so enjoyable with the weight of the wedding and execution looming over them. But Seto and Mokuba stayed a few hours to catch up with Ryou, to talk about his thesis and his applications for job opportunities around the city.

An alarm on Seto's phone went off at half-after four, and he pushed himself up. "I'm meeting with Pegasus in half an hour."

"Are you going to be honeymooning?" Ryou asked.

"He has travel plans next week for business."

And having the first week married alone was preferable. It gave Seto time to adjust to the new house, and get Mokuba into the new routine. They would need the space to come around to the sudden change.

"Are you taking me home first?" Mokuba asked, getting up.

"Fuguta is going to meet us at Pegasus's house."

Pegasus hadn't said what they were doing tonight. Originally, he had wanted to meet Ryou, but then he announced the execution and plans changed. Seto guessed they were going to go over some aspect of the wedding planning. Maybe the schedule or the guest list. Seto would need to know their names, considering they would be local political figures.

"Hide in the bedroom," Seto told Bakura. "I don't want to risk them glancing you inside."

It was the first time today Bakura actually seemed to be listening to him, and Seto waited until the door was closed before leaving. Ryou walked him to the door, once again bowing to Haruhi when they glanced at each other. Aside from a slight flush in his cheeks, there was no indication Haruhi had spent any time outside.

He vaguely acknowledged Ryou, and didn't so much as glance inside.

How could they know about Finland, but not know where Bakura was hiding, ten meters away?

He wouldn't press his luck. Bakura did have a knack for staying hidden, and the security agency backing him very likely had men working for Pegasus.

Once in the car, Mokuba took out his phone and hid behind it. He and Seto were used to having Isono and Fuguta escort them places, allowing for unstilted conversation. But the engagement made the feigned threat real, and Seto needed trained security now, not what Pegasus dubbed, "Security Theater."

Apparently security theater was enough for Mokuba.

When they pulled out, another car took their parking space. Traffic on Ryou's street rarely picked up this time of day, and Seto kept his attention out the window, counting the cars while they headed to Pegasus's.

Eventually, he would come to think of it as his home too.

After fifteen minutes, they turned onto the long drive, and Seto spotted a beat-up car parked at the end. It stood out boldly out of place in front of Pegasus's stark mansion. Seto didn't recognize it, and didn't know what possibly could have been the reason for it being there. A wedding planner would drive something without rust spots.

Fuguta's SUV idled beside it, and he waited in the front seat.

"I guess you're heading straight home," Seto said to Mokuba. "I should be back in time for dinner."

Mokuba nodded, and grabbed his book bag. "Text on your way?"

Seto agreed that he would, and they parted, Mokuba to Fuguta and Seto to the front door. This would be his house in two days, so Seto braced himself to open the door without knocking.

He almost expected someone to be in the entryway waiting, but it was empty. Youta came inside with him, but took his place standing at attention by the front door.

"Pegasus?" Seto called out, walking back toward his office.

"In here," Pegasus said. He came out from the living room, past where Seto had just walked. He turned around to meet him.

"Who's here?"

"We have a series of guests today. Our first came in a bit early."

"Guests for what?"

Rather than answer, Pegasus gestured back to the living room, and guided Seto in. Unlike the sitting rooms they had been in before, this room was three times the size, with the seats spaced out for less intimate conversation.

Joey sat on one of the armchairs, across from the couch Pegasus led Seto to. The shock kept Seto from asking what his ex was doing here, or how Pegasus even knew about Joey. From the expression Seto received as he sat beside Pegasus, neither of them knew what was about to happen.

Pegasus put his arm around Seto.

"Thank you for joining us here today," Pegasus said. "It's good you could come on short notice."

"Of course, Master Crawford."

"You and my fiancé dated."

"Two years ago," Seto said on Joey's behalf.

"How long did you date?" Pegasus went on, not looking at Seto. Despite not looking at him, Pegasus held onto him firmly. The air in the room felt as cold as it had been outside, and Seto was sure his cheeks were as flushed as Haruhi's had been.

Joey glanced at Seto, as if for guidance on how to answer. But Seto didn't know where the conversation would lead.

"Couple months," Joey said.

"So you two weren't serious?"

"Didn't get to that point, sir."

"Pegasus," Seto said, turning to him to try figuring this out. He didn't want to ask outright, which would draw attention to a divide between them. Weren't relationships meant to be some semblance of equal?

Pegasus only responded to Seto by giving him a decorous smile.

"Did you sleep together?" he asked Joey.

Seto rolled his eyes to the ceiling, humiliated at the prospect of where the conversation would end. He understood it now and knew why Pegasus hadn't told him about bringing Joey here. He had to get Joey out of here before he gave away any information Pegasus didn't need to know.

He'll be your husband soon.

"We did, sir," Joey said, drawing out the word like he expected to be punished for it.

"Then you saw his scars."

"Pegasus."

Pegasus took his arm from Seto's shoulders, and leaned forward, putting his full attention on Joey. "You saw his scars. What did you do about it?"

"I didn't," Joey said. "He didn't want me to."

"You saw the extent of them and did nothing."

"Yes sir."

"I'd like to know why."

Joey glanced at Seto again, but held up better than Seto expected him to.

"I've got a sister. I get it."

"I could have told you this," Seto said to Pegasus, quietly. He didn't want word getting around of him arguing, but Joey didn't need to be here. Pegasus had anger to work out, and questioning Joey was pointless.

"You have no sense of self preservation," Pegasus said. "You needed someone to stand up for you."

With that, Pegasus turned away from Seto again, clearly ending the conversation before it could begin. They shouldn't have it in public—Seto agreed with that—but it should have been a discussion before Joey was ever invited to the house.

"He didn't like me pressing it," Joey said.

"I broke up with him because he wouldn't let it go. Because he wanted to make too big a deal out of it."

"It deserved a big deal."

"Could we talk about this?" Seto asked, but Pegasus stopped him with a hand on his knee.

Seto wasn't there to join in the conversation as much as to allow Pegasus to make his point. There was nothing to do but to wait for Pegasus to make his point, whatever that might end up being, and get Joey out with as little personal information given as possible. It was no wonder Pegasus wanted Mokuba to leave with Isono before this discussion.

"So you forgot about it once he ended things?"

"He ended things so I would forget them," Joey said. "I wasn't going to be the reason he was separated from Mokuba."

"What sort of person sees that sort of abuse and does nothing?"

Joey's jaw tightened. "One who doesn't have a thing to offer the likes of Kaiba Seto."

"Did you try to be enough for him?" Pegasus pressed, so fixated on Joey that Seto thought he could get up to leave unnoticed. The lack of warmth in the room made Seto's skin prickle. He pulled on the hems of his sleeves although it would offer him to help or comfort.

"To the point he dumped me for it. A street dog couldn't possibly understand what it takes to be with someone of his standing."

That really hadn't been Seto's best breakup.

That brought Pegasus's attention back to Seto. It was the first Pegasus would have heard of Seto's more negative personality traits. They were getting married in two days and Pegasus just found out Seto ended a relationship by calling his boyfriend a dog.

"I think that's enough questions for now," Pegasus said, gaze on Seto.

Joey didn't ask permission before standing. "Congrats on your engagement," he said to Seto, and Seto turned to him. "I'm glad things are working out for you."

"Thank you."

They gave each other a moment's appraisal. The best Seto could offer him was a vague bow, and Joey did the same to Pegasus before leaving. He went out the way they'd come in.

"What did that accomplish?" Seto asked.

"No one in your life reported what he did to you."

"I told them not to."

"You were a child."

"Not when I was dating Joey."

Pegasus finally leaned back as if he was going to relax. He crossed his legs and still managed to make his posture big enough to take up that half of the couch.

"Seto, you've surrounded yourself with people who don't put your well-being first."

"I broke up with Joey because he tried to put my well-being ahead of my needs. I kept people around who respect that decision."

"I need to trust that people will put your safety first."

"Joey isn't a part of my life."

"Neither is Kisara."

"Tell me you don't have Kisara coming in next."

She and Seto dated six years ago. They had been eighteen, young and stupid, and to Pegasus's end, only slept together once, despite dating as long as they had. It ended essentially the same way the relationship with Joey had, without the insults.

"She was your first relationship."

"And just as much of a child as you're claiming I was."

"What are you trying to convince me of here?" Pegasus asked. "To not take your health seriously?"

Seto crossed his legs to face Pegasus, and propped his elbow on the back of the couch. He wanted to remain in a casual posture, one that gave no indication of argument. The room was strikingly lonely now with Joey gone.

"Can't you do that while respecting the fact I didn't have a choice?"

"You didn't. They did."

"Their choice would have lost Mokuba to the US."

"There were avenues that could have been taken."

"You have the most influence of anyone on the planet. I couldn't do anything. They couldn't. It had to be someone more influential than him."

"If you found out someone was hurting Mokuba, would you respect his decision to do nothing?" Pegasus asked. "Can you actually stand behind that?"

He couldn't. Seto sacrificed himself time and again to take the scars for Mokuba. He wanted to go into hiding for Mokuba's sake, knowing there was a chance Pegasus would kill him for it.

"It's different."

"Not to me, Seto. That's the point."

"But what does bringing in an ex from six years ago fix?" I think she has a kid."

Pegasus fidgeted a hand, rolling out his fingers. "Eventually, you'll accept that you're worth something, and that the people around you should treat you as such."

Pegasus smiled a bit. "You were never meant to be small."

The meeting with Kisara went only slightly better than the meeting with Joey. She started it apologizing for having her daughter with her, unable to find a sitter. Her daughter was one, and fussed in her lap while she tried to explain why she didn't run to the police when she saw the scars.

"The burns?" she asked. "He said he pulled a coffee pot on himself when he was three."

"And you believed it? I'd imagine there were some relatively new ones."

"If there were, I couldn't pick them out."

"There are more than burns," Pegasus said, and Seto cut in to say, "Now."

After fifteen minutes of questioning, all Kisara had managed to say was that she believed Seto. She hadn't realized the scars were fresh.

Seto noted Pegasus gave most of his focus to the little girl in Kisara's arms. When he spoke to Kisara, his gaze drifted to her daughter. If Kisara had come alone, he might have pressed her harder.

Pegasus thanked her for coming in, and let her go with a reminder to take people's injuries more seriously.

"Can I assume we're done?" Seto asked.

"Not quite. Croquet?" Pegasus called out. "Have Isono and Fuguta arrived?"

Seto thought his heart might stop. He thought Mokuba had left with Fuguta before, but Pegasus must have stopped them. And of everyone, they knew second most about what he'd been through. They were in the best position to have done something about it.

"I'll bring them in, sir."

"Where's Mokuba?" Seto asked.

"Haruhi took him home. Would you want to check in or do you trust me to have seen him home safely?"

"I trust you," Seto said. "but I'm sure you see how having my past dredged up has me on edge."

Pegasus stood when Isono and Fuguta entered.

"I promised I'd look after you, Seto. You have to let me do that."

"You wanted to see us, Master Crawford?" Isono said.

"Have a seat, you two."

They did, Isono taking the armchair Joey and Kisara had sat in, and Fuguta took the one nearer to the cold fireplace. They both kept their posture rigid, always on duty.

"How long have you two been under the employ of Kaiba?"

"Fifteen years," Isono answered for the both of them.

"And how long did you know Seto was being abused?"

Isono's hands clenched, laced together in his lap, and Fuguta closed his eyes. The question shrouded the room in silence for a full minute, and Seto caught himself mimicking their positions. He cared about getting Joey and Kisara out, but not nearly as much as the men across from him.

He had so few people he could trust. Half of them were in this room.

"Almost from the start."

"And the two of you, assigned to look after him, allowed it to happen? For a decade?"

"Not for lack of effort," Fuguta said.

Pegasus remained standing. "Describe me these efforts."

"We did research on what resources it would take to get somewhere safe. We had a lawyer look into the terms of Mokuba's custody. We encouraged him to go meet with a social services counselor."

"Isono tried repeatedly to convince me just to take Mokuba and go," Seto said. "I said no."

"One week and Youta and Haruhi managed to keep Seto away from him. Is that such a burden?" Pegasus said, as though Seto had never spoken.

"They have your backing," Fuguta said. "We couldn't let ourselves be fired."

"Oh? Because then Seto would have two new drivers who did nothing for him?"

Isono looked to Seto, and Seto shook his head. They had done more for him than anyone ever had. They were as much Seto's parents as his biological ones. They kept Mokuba safe and gave Seto the piece of mind whenever they were apart. They put Seto first when no one else would, including Seto.

"Every avenue we tried led to Mokuba being sent away," Isono said. "He was two when it began."

"He would have forgotten me," Seto said. "And likely grown up abused and alone."

"I don't know if I trust his safety to you. In two days, Seto and I will be married, and Kaiba will be dead. Tell me why I should hire you."

"Because it's what Seto-sama wants," Isono said, not needing to check with Seto to confirm it. What other reason did he need to give?

"You allowed him to be tortured for a decade."

Isono held Pegasus's gaze without backing down. "I would have offered my life if it meant getting him out of there. But Mokuba is his life."

Seto caught himself nodding, even though Pegasus didn't look at him. If Pegasus learned anything from today, Seto hoped it was that the only people Seto let close were the people he trusted to respect his choices. They knew about the scars only because they wouldn't tell anyone.

"Seto's safety is my priority," Pegasus said.

"Then you agree Mokuba's well-being is paramount."

"You could have done more."

Taking Pegasus's hand, Seto guided him back down to sit beside him. "Your assumption is false," he said, speaking slowly and evenly. "You have no idea how much they prevented. You're only looking at what slipped through."

"How could he possibly have done any worse?"

"After I took Isono's advice and tried to run, Gozaburo tried to kill me," Seto said, ignoring Pegasus's shocked expression. "When I came out of surgery, Isono and Fuguta were standing guard. They talked him out of crippling me."

"I thought you were asleep," Fuguta said.

"Letting him know I was awake would have made your job more difficult."

Pegasus shook his head, and when he tried to let go of Seto's hand, Seto held on more tightly.

"What would crippling you accomplish?"

"Keep me from running."

This was all new to Pegasus, and Seto had to give him time to accept it. Not everyone could conquer the world when faced with injustice. They lived in Gozaburo's reality for ten years, and surface scars were the price paid to make it through.

"You shouldn't be okay with this," Pegasus said.

"It's over now. I'd rather just move forward."

When Pegasus closed his eyes, Seto knew the arguing was done. There was still the feeling of distance between them, but Pegasus no longer tried to drop Seto's hand.

"Do you have more questions for them?"

"Go meet with Croquet," he told them, and didn't watch them go.

"I know you don't think I've done enough to protect myself," Seto said, "But every time I aimed for something drastic, it backfired. They all let me choose."

"Are you angry I'm not?"

Seto hadn't realized that was Pegasus's intention.

"I'm mostly confused by all this."

"I've made my position on this extremely clear."

"By threatening people I let know me?" Seto asked.

"It's less threatening than reinforcing new priorities."

Seto tilted his head, fast growing tired of this possessive streak. At this rate, Pegasus would become the inverse of Gozaburo, over-coddling Seto to the point no one could ever come close.

"Hopefully, we're done worrying about anything like this. Unless you intended to question the orphanage director for letting me be adopted."

"No, we're almost done," Pegasus said.

"Almost?"

"Just one meeting to go."

He was about to ask who when the doorbell rang. The timing caught him off guard more than the sound. He turned on the couch to face the doorway, waiting to see who would come through.

But he already knew.

Still, he hoped to see anyone else walk in. Pegasus had offered up Thursday before, and a black car had taken their place out in front of the apartment.

Ryou came around the corner cautiously, meeting Seto's gaze with terrified trepidation. He rubbed his arm, halfway to crossing them defensively, and bowed, shoulders raised, when Pegasus looked at him.

"Master Crawford."

"Ryou. Come sit."

Seto rotated to follow Ryou's movement as he walked across the room. He did his best to mask his horror, and the burning question of Bakura. Had they found him inside the apartment?

"How long have you two known each other?" Pegasus asked as Ryou sat down.

"Since we were twelve, sir."

"And do you know what all he was put through with the adoption?"

Ryou's posture was small. "Yes sir."

"How can you call him your best friend?"

"Because it's mutual, sir. We all need someone there for us, no matter what."

"It sounds like you two have an incredibly intimate relationship," Pegasus said, and from how tense the question made his shoulders, Seto knew it was the real reason Pegasus brought him reason was only slightly better than if he had been brought in to discuss Bakura.

"We're close," Ryou said, as if it was that simple.

"He's told me you have no romantic interest in him."

"That's true."

Pegasus clasped his hands together between his knees. His hair fell over his shoulder, blocking his face from Seto. It opened Seto to give his attention to Ryou. For as anxious as he certainly was, he kept himself collected.

"You recently applied for an updated passport."

"I moved to Japan when I was eleven," Ryou said. "I should have updated it a few years ago."

"You're telling me it has nothing to do with Seto's plan to escape to Europe?"

Ryou's blink lasted a little too long. "They've been my only family for a long time."

"Isono and Fuguta didn't have tickets."

"Seto's like my brother," Ryou said. "I love him and Mokuba as much as I loved my mother and sister."

Pegasus relaxed his posture only to put a hand on Seto's knee. It didn't rest there, but gripped.

"If he were gay, would you have pursued a relationship?" Pegasus asked Seto.

Yes.

"No. He's always been like a brother."

But Pegasus knew how Seto regarded his relationship with Mokuba, and the weight that statement carried. He wouldn't realize that Ryou's relationship with Amane had been equally strong.

"Another brother you wanted to disappear with?"

"I promised him years ago that if I ever moved, he would come too."

"Seto and I will be married Saturday," Pegasus said. "If you are going to continue to have a place in his life, then we need to get on the same page."

"Of course he'll be in my life," Seto said.

"What page do you expect me on?" Ryou asked.

"One of mutual understanding. The intimacy you two have may well be misinterpreted."

Seto very nearly rolled his eyes. No one had ever questioned it before, and what did it matter if people talked? They would never find any evidence to support their theory.

"Would you like the two of us to take media training?" Ryou asked. Seto thought the offer was reasonable to address what sounded like the issue, but assumed Pegasus cared more about what they did in private.

"For a start. Let's start with how you would address the rumors that your cousin is a spy?"

Ryou went even paler, and Seto knew Pegasus felt him twitch. Hearing it said so plainly made his heart race, and it picked up speed the longer no one spoke. Had he known Bakura was at the apartment?

"Bakura disappeared when he was eighteen," Ryou said, but his voice was thick.

"And reemerged at the end of last year. There are plenty of photographs of him with the both of you."

There were?

As if hearing Seto's thoughts, Pegasus tilted his head back to meet Seto's gaze. He knew. He had known.

How much of this was to help Seto, and how much to prove a point?

"I don't know what work he found. He never had much drive."

"You must realize I can't let my husband have known ties to a foreign agent."

"Bakura ran out on us," Ryou said. "Whatever he came for, I'm sure he's gone now."

The grip on Seto's knee tensed.

"Is that right?"

"I can only give you assumptions."

"If either of you know where he is, I expect you to tell me now."

Either he knew and was testing them, or he really didn't know Bakura spent the morning at Ryou's apartment.

To keep Ryou from having to lie further, Seto said, "All he ever said was that he had a hotel room somewhere locally."

"Which of you has a way to contact him?"

"I do," Ryou said. "I can give you his number."

"You don't have it?" Pegasus asked Seto.

"I haven't had his number since grade school, before he left."

If Pegasus even moderately believed Seto, he hid it well. Seto felt his anger and wanted to pull away. He wanted to be angry about all of this. He wanted to protest, to defend his right to make his own choices, to argue that Pegasus couldn't prove he had done anything wrong.

Even speaking seemed useless at this point.

"Neither of you will be safe until he's dead."

"That would help with PR's handling of me," Ryou said softly. "Who would question Seto and I being close when every other member of my family is gone?"

That hit Pegasus more harshly than anything Seto had managed to make him hear before, and he released his grip on Seto's knee. He didn't stand, but also remained quiet long enough for Seto's heart rate to level out.

"Both of you will immediately report any contact he attempts to make with you," Pegasus said at length. "Any unreported contact will be considered treason."

Ryou and Bakura were just beginning to reconnect. Forcing them apart now wasn't fair, especially not when Pegasus wanted to drive a wedge between Seto and Ryou.

Ryou nodded. "I understand, sir. I want to see Seto succeed in all he does, and will do anything I can to ensure it."

"I'm glad to hear it. I'm sure you and I will be in touch again soon."

When Ryou got up to leave, Seto wanted to walk him out. But having any time alone with Ryou while Pegasus's jealousy raged was a surefire method to condemn them both. Ryou left Seto alone with Pegasus.

Come Saturday, the majority of Seto's free time would be spent like this.

"Would Bakura have gone with you three?" Pegasus asked, staring at the empty chair across from them.

"Only Ryou."

"What did he say? What made you decide to inform on me?"

There was no reason to say he never did much. No reason to point out the information he'd managed to give to Bakura amounted to nothing. Lying now only dug his hole deeper.

"He promised he could get me away from Gozaburo, where he wouldn't be able to follow."

"At my expense."

"I didn't expect you would like me for long."

"Why's that?"

Seto stared at the chair too.

"Your relationships before me didn't last long, and I'm not exactly without baggage."

"Then your plan was to spy on me, then run away...when? At what point would you leave?"

"Six months."

Pegasus let out a breath nearly like a laugh. "So now. You would have run out around the time we decided to move things forward?"

"I hoped you wouldn't find out about the scars. I didn't want us to get close."

"Then I bought you the lab."

Seto nodded although Pegasus wasn't looking. He drummed a leg and wished he had done a lot of things different. "I went to him almost immediately and backed out."

"But you got the tickets for Finland."

"He said it was selfish to stay."

Pegasus turned to look at Seto. He tucked his hair behind his ear and sat up straight. "Did you agree?"

"I thought Mokuba would be better off out of the public eye."

"But you did want to stay?" Pegasus asked. "You want to be with me?"

"I could do without this display of your possessive streak," Seto said. "But yes."

"You must understand the implications of being with me. There's a different standard."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it."

Pegasus slid over until their thighs pressed together. He took Seto's hand, finally feeling genuine.

"Do you love me?" Pegasus asked.

"Ask me after Gozaburo is dead."

Until that happened, Seto couldn't think of anything as being real. He was getting married in two days. Gozaburo would be executed immediately following.

Sunday would open an entirely new world.


Thanks for reading and reviewing!

You can expect the final update the last weekend of January.