Plenoptic

Only note: I am switching to the Japanese names for the YGO characters. Because this is pure crack and I can, durnit. Therefore:

Joey is Jou, Miss Gardner is Anzu, Odion is Rishid, Kujaku is Mai….etc.

Your magic white rabbit

Has left its writing on the wall.

We follow, like Alice,

and just keep diving down the hole.

We're falling and we're losing control;

you're pulling us and dragging us down this dead end road.

-Egypt Central

Kaname.

Kaname, inside him, hips rocking against him, panting against his throat, their mouths meeting intently, almost viciously. Their bed had always been stained with blood and sweat and every other hot fluid produced during their sex, and Zero loved it all—the smell of it, the taste of it, the sight of it when they looked guiltily at it in the morning before smiling knowingly at one another.

"Memories," Kaname would murmur fondly, running his fingertips over a telling bloodstain on a pillow, before pulling Zero into his lap and taking him again.

Zero had felt, frequently, that he was Kaname Kuran's possession. Both to his chagrin and surprise, he didn't mind it, not one bit. He wanted to be Kaname's. He wanted to see sides of the pureblood that no one else ever saw. He wanted to hear secrets Kaname would utter to no one else, know passion and love from the long-lived vampire that belonged to them, and to them alone.

Kaname had been his first and only lover, and Zero had never considered anyone else sharing his bed—until now. But ever since he'd spilled his secrets in the hallway, there had been a new and uncomfortable tension between him and Kaiba Corporation's young (and attractive, and available) scion, and when Zero went to sleep the night following, he dreamt of a new pair of hands teasing his trousers and body before pushing him down on the bed.

Nothing had ever disturbed him more.

He took a long, cold shower that morning, refusing the touch his body was aching for, standing still and silent while the freezing water rose bumps on his skin and chilled his hot need. He was feeling very tired and achy when he got out a half hour later, toweling himself off briskly as he descended the stairs. Contrary to its foreboding appearance, the Kaiba mansion and its inhabitants seemed to enforce a strict policy of total casualness in and about the grounds, and Zero had become accustomed to walking around in little more than a worn black tanktop and a favored pair of plaid pajama bottoms—on loan, of course, from his taller host, so they bunched around Zero's ankles and dragged when he walked.

It was in this attire, with the addition of wet and tousled hair, that Zero found himself when he walked into the kitchen and saw two people he didn't know sitting at the table. He froze—they halted their conversation and stared at him, clearly as startled as he was at seeing someone unfamiliar in the mansion.

They were an odd pair, to be sure, a woman and a young man, as different in appearance as two people could be. The woman was thirty at most, Arabic looking, with long, straight black hair that fell down over her shoulders, complimenting her dark eyes and thin shoulders. The young man sitting across from her was one of the most peculiar Zero had ever seen. Though his features suggested he was around Seto's age, he was shorter than the CEO by a head at least, though the difference was made up by a ridiculously wild head of multi-colored hair, which stuck up at various odd angles. The motif of his style seemed to be black and leather, which did nothing to tone down Zero's impression that the guy could be slightly insane—or an anarchist, at the very least.

"Uh," Zero said, thinking of nothing more intelligent to say. Mercifully, he was spared further awkwardness; a hand suddenly settled on his shoulder, and he sensed that it was none other than Seto Kaiba even before the young man drew up to his side.

"Articulate, Kiryuu," he snorted, lifting an eyebrow. Zero graced him with a scowl. "Well, you've already introduced yourself, clearly, but shall I do it again, just for kicks?"

"I didn't know you had someone living with you," the young man sitting at the table piped up, his eyebrows raised.

"I'm not living here," Zero began to protest, but Seto cut him off.

"Kiryuu—Ishizu Ishtar, director of the Domino Museum. Old acquaintance, more recently a friend. The punk is Yugi Mutou, highschool classmate and perpetual annoyance."

"Seto Kaiba, most unpleasant host on the planet," Yugi grumped, folding his arms over his chest.

"Recent friend, perpetual annoyance, meet Zero Kiryuu, shameless but occasionally entertaining leech," Kaiba went on almost cheerfully, steering Zero into a seat before crossing the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee. "My life is rich with colorful personalities."

"You're an ass," Mokuba followed up, stepping into the kitchen and waving brightly at their company. "Yugi! Been awhile, man."

"Yeah, it has. You've grown!" Yugi laughed, leaning across the table to shake the kid's hand. "You'll be as tall as your brother in another year."

"Not likely," Seto snorted, but Mokuba grinned.

"I'm gaining on you, bro."

"Your big head is weighing you down," Seto said smartly, rapping him on the forehead with his knuckles. "I'm aware it's Sunday, but couldn't you be doing something useful with your time?"

"I'm being polite to our guests, because one of us has to be," Mokuba retorted. "Zero, you want breakfast?"

"Er—I'm good. Thanks." He'd actually been thinking of waffles—since getting to enjoy them again at Hibiki's, he'd developed a near insatiable craving— but this little surprise had quite ruined Zero's appetite. Meeting strangers never failed to make him feel distinctly uncomfortable.

"Anyway," Seto said, clearly more interested in moving this little get-together forward than worrying about Zero's stomach, "what brings you two here together? Is this an intervention?"

"Something like that," the woman named Ishizu answered, smiling at Seto's immediately suspicious expression. "Relax. We just want to talk about—about the fallout."

"From what?" Seto demanded uncomfortably, taking the seat next to Zero's. Their shoulders brushed, and the hair on the back of Zero's neck stood straight up. After last night's dream, this was way more than he could handle right now.

"You know what," Yugi said pointedly, pillowing his face in his palm and frowning across the table at his old classmate and reluctant friend. "From all the craziness leading up to Atem leaving."

"You can't just let me keep on believing that someone shot me up with LSD, can you?"

"Unfortunately, no," Ishizu said, shaking her head, sending shimmering waves through her long hair. Zero imagined it must be awfully soft, to achieve visuals like that. "I've already seen fallout in Rishid, and I'm in the end stages—meaning nearly full recollection."

Seto's brow furrowed. "Yugi?"

"I'm getting there," the other boy said, nodding. "Weird dreams, weird déjà vu during the day—not like I've seen stuff before, but like I've seen stuff like it before."

Seto shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and Zero was a little surprised when sapphire eyes met his. The hunter couldn't imagine how he could possibly have anything to do with whatever the hell they were discussing.

"Okay," the CEO said at length, looking very much like he needed a drink—and not a drink like another cup of coffee. "So how do I stop it?" Ishizu and Yugi exchanged what seemed to be a long-suffering look, and Seto scowled. "And could you two please stop looking like I'm some sort of trouble child?"

"You are the epitome of troubled children," Ishizu said wearily, "and you always have been—yes, I mean even before you were you. You can't stop the recall, Seto. You can manage it, confine it to dreams so it doesn't interfere with your everyday life, but you aregoing to remember. Without the Millennium Rod and a wielder to contain Seth's memories—"

"I don't need to know the mystical specifics," Seto cut in, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Mokuba had seated himself quietly at his brother's other side, expression drawn with worry. "Just tell me how to—how to contain it, or whatever I need to do to just get this over with."

"Resisting it won't help," Yugi said, and something in his tone was almost akin to gentleness. "It's not something you can just get over with. It's a process—and a part of you."

"I'll be the judge of what's a part of me, thanks," Seto retorted dryly. "Containment. How do I do it?"

"By encouraging the memories to return at apt times," Ishizu cut in, overriding Yugi's objections to Seto's curt refusal of his advice. "Just as you're going to sleep, or whenever you're resting. I know—I can tell, I can see it in your eyes—you've already begun having dreams. Focus on them. Let your mind dwell on the memories while you sleep, and you may be able to hold them at bay during waking hours until the process is complete."

"And when it is complete," Seto said lowly, "I'm going to be stuck with a full set of memories that aren't mine."

"Maybe," Ishizu admitted. "I can recall almost all of Isis's life—but it's like the memories are locked in a corner of my mind. I can access them freely now—or choose not to, if I wish. Now that my recall is almost complete, I have more control."

"Good," Seto said grimly, "as long as I'm not mixing up my memories with someone else's thirty or forty years down the road."

"They're all yours," Yugi said hotly, sounding frustrated. "Why can't you get that?"

"Because I'm not an Arabic version of Harry Potter chasing demons across the desert?"

"Seth was a priest, and they weren't demons—"

"Enough," Ishizu cut in, before the argument could get too heated. "It is what it is, Seto. Deal with it as you will. But Yugi is right—attempting to repress the memories will only have a detrimental effect on your mind. They have always been present in you, but they were mediated by the existence of the Millennium Items. But those are lost to us now, and so you must face your past yourself."

"Not my past," Seto said glumly, "so it can't be that difficult. Is that all?"

"But—"

"Is that all?" he repeated, somewhat more loudly. "I wasn't planning on spending my day off dealing with things that are in the past. As far as I'm concerned, this was all done and over with when Atem moved on."

"This isn't just about Atem!" Yugi snapped. Anger, Zero thought, really didn't suit the kid. "This is about all of us. Atem may be gone, but you, and me, Ishizu, Rishid—"

"Can get back to being regular people, perhaps?"

"—are still here," Yugi pressed, holding up a hand to stall further protests. "As are the detached spirits who protected us—or have you forgotten Kisara already?"

Seto stood up so suddenly that Zero jumped, and Mokuba flinched away, startled.

"Go," Seto said stonily, jerking his head toward the door. "I respect you, Yugi, I do, but enough is enough. Get off my back about this. I'm tired of it."

There was a long silence, so tense Zero could have put a bullet hole in it; and then, slowly, Yugi got to his feet, stepping away from the table and pushing in his chair, as polite as could be, before heading for the door.

"Hey," Seto spoke up suddenly; the other boy paused, tilting his head over his shoulder. "Tell Jou that I said thanks. For checking up on me."

Another pause; Yugi seemed to think on it, and for a second, Zero could almost hear the words Tell him yourself hanging in the air. But the youth seemed to rise above the impulse, for he nodded and replied, "Sure thing. Take care, Kaiba."

Kaiba stuck his tongue in his cheek and didn't reply, and Yugi's footsteps trailed off, eclipsed at last by the sound of a closing door. Ishizu sighed, running a hand through her hair before getting to her feet.

"I'll be getting back to the museum, then," she announced, stepping around the table and coming to a halt in front of Seto. "I should warn you—it'll be the most emotional moments from Seth's life that you'll revisit most frequently. Try not to let them disturb you too badly, and tell me if you need help."

Zero expected Kaiba to rebuff her as cruelly as he had his other visitor, but the young CEO only dragged a hand through his untidy bangs and quirked a tired half-smile.

"I won't. But thanks, anyway. I'll manage."

She hovered for a moment, clearly picking her next words carefully. "And…I mean, what I found toward the end of Isis' memories, it…well. Don't worry about it changing anything, alright?"

He frowned, canting his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

Ishizu shook her head, smiling a little. "Worry about that bridge when you cross it. Remember—call me, if need be. I'm off." She leaned around him, waving to Zero. "It was nice meeting you, Kiryuu-kun. If you have an interest in Roman warfare, drop by the museum in the next two weeks."

"Oh—uh, sure. Thanks. Maybe I will. And, er, nice to meet you."

She smiled prettily at him and bid Mokuba farewell before taking her leave. It wasn't until the sound of the front door closing reached them that Seto exhaled loudly and dropped back into his chair, putting his face in his hands.

"…That went well," Mokuba commented dryly, getting up to put on another pot of coffee. "This about those weird dreams you've been having?"

"I really don't want to talk about this, Mokuba," Seto said, his voice muffled by his palms.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Mokuba sighed, divvying out the correct amount of coffee beans and pouring them into the grinder. There was a moment of verbal silence while he ran the grinder, tongue in cheek. "So what're you gonna do?"

"What Ishizu said to do, I suppose," his older brother replied heavily, lifting his head and running another hand through his hair. "Kiryuu—do me a favor and don't think on any of that."

"I didn't get a word of what you guys were saying," Zero assured him, shaking his head. "I don't think I'd understand even if you explained it to me."

"You don't want to understand, trust me," Seto grumbled, getting out of his chair and opening the refrigerator with an almost savage tug. "Gods, what a nightmare. I thought all of this was out of my life already."

Mokuba looked up at his brother, surprised, and then glanced at Zero, who shrugged. If Seto realized that he'd just made an appeal to multiple deities, he didn't address it.

"Well then," Mokuba said with forced cheer, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'm off to meet up with Bec. Need anything while I'm out, bro?"

"I'm fine. Drive carefully, use protection, stranger danger, wooden nickels. Other pandering brotherly things."

Mokuba pulled on his coat, rolling his eyes. "Your love is like a warm blanket."

"I do what I can."

Zero watched them, hovering awkwardly by the sink. God. What he wouldn't give to say stupid shit like that to Ichiru. Being orphaned wouldn't be so bad if they'd had each other the way the Kaiba brothers did. How long had it been since Ichiru died? Two years? That long? He ought to visit the grave again, despite having vowed not to go back…

"A weirdo says what?"

The hunter lifted his head, startled. "What?"

Seto grinned, pressing a cup of coffee into his hands. "Nothing. Plans for today?"

"Not really." Actually he'd had half a mind to see if he could go find Kaname's flask, as if there were some freak chance it would still be in the alley where and Kaiba had first met. That somehow felt like a million years ago. "So, hey. Who's Kis-?"

"Do you want a job?" Kaiba interrupted, filling up his third mug of coffee and raising his eyebrows over the rim when Zero stared at him, uncomprehending. "I have an event tonight featuring Japan's most nervous assholes. I could use the extra help. You'll be compensated, of course."

"Maybe," Zero said slowly, leaning his weight against the counter. "Don't you need to run a background check on me before you give me a gun and tell me to protect corporate douchebags?"

"I suppose you're right. When was the last time you assaulted someone in their own home? Or drank blood from their jugular? Or blew the head off a demon in a seedy back alley?"

Zero quirked a grin. "Are these standard questions, or is this a race thing?"

"Please direct all complaints of discrimination to our human resources department," Kaiba retorted, but Zero knew he saw the ghost of a smile. "Well?"

"I'll do it. Don't pay me, though. Call it my payment for letting me crash here."

"Fair enough." The young CEO put his mug in the sink, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "Hey, Kiryuu. How long do you plan on staying?"

Something sick swooped into Zero's stomach, and he swallowed, trying to respond in as neutral a tone as possible. "Um. I'm not sure. Not much longer."

Kaiba made a low noise of assent, rolling up his sleeves and starting on the dishes. "Well, look. The problem is that you've met Noah."

"Er. Yeah?"

"His existence is the strictest secret within my corporation. So I'm going to need you to stick around until I've verified that I can trust you."

Zero stared at the other man for a moment, bewilderment slowly giving way to understanding. "Man," he said at last, "you are really fucking damaged, aren't you?"

Kaiba snorted, shrugging one shoulder. He always left his shirts open at the neck, one button down from where Zero was totally comfortable. The black cord of his pendant was just visible, vibrant against the pale tones of his skin. Zero was suddenly thankful the pajama bottoms were too big on him.

"Sure, I'm damaged. If saying so makes you feel better about your unfortunate situation."

"If you want me to stay, just say so."

Kaiba turned off the water faucet, drying his hands and fixing his sleeves, as meticulous as a teenage girl would be about her clothes. That mental imagery made Zero smile, until his host turned around and looked at him directly, blue eyes watching him keenly from beneath the dark fringe of his hair.

"Stay," Kaiba said simply. And, dumbfounded, Zero only nodded. Like there was anywhere else in the world he wanted to be.

"Alright, assholes to avoid-that asshole, that asshole, that asshole and his asshole partner, that guy over there, the asshole next to him, and the conglomerate of assholes in the corner."

"Hey, Mokuba," Zero said, speaking out of the corner of his mouth, "I'm trying to work here."

Mokuba grinned flippantly, leaning against the wall. "Sure, sure. You're looking pretty fly, man. You could be a pro."

Zero sighed to himself, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling. His previous security details had never involved wearing a cut black suit, dark glasses, a black tie, and an earwig-then again, his previous security details had involved rooms full of potential killers, not a single ballroom overflowing with too-wealthy businessmen and women. Zero Kiryuu had never so sincerely thought he may die of boredom.

"How do you stand this shit?" he asked quietly, glancing over at Mokuba. "You're, what, sixteen? This has got to be murder on you."

"Nah. It's entertaining in its own way, watching all these guys try to crawl up Seto's ass. Half of them probably want to be buried there. Punch?"

"I'm good." Zero scanned the room out of habit, locating Kaiba Corp's CEO standing about a hundred feet away, surrounded by a group of people of various ages. At his left was a tall woman with a cascade of golden hair, wearing the most flattering purple dress Zero had ever seen. She was laughing, and as he watched, she placed a hand on Seto's back, grinning up at him. "Hey, Mokuba-who's that?"

"The blonde babe?"

"Yeah."

"Mai Kujaku," the teenager replied, consulting his Rolex before sticking his hands in his pockets with a sigh. "She was a duelist, but I think now she owns a fashion line or modelling agency or something. I know how it looks, but they've never been involved. They're the same kind of stubborn, so she likes to give him a hard time."

"You sure that's all it is?" Zero snorted, raising his eyebrows when Mai Kujaku laughed loudly, giving Seto's arm a squeeze. He was smirking, and grabbed her another glass of wine from a passing waiter. "She looks pretty…friendly."

"Well, I'm sure she'd tap it if she could," Mokuba responded dryly. "No worries, my man. Chicks have never done it for Seto. Besides, Mai and Jou used to have a thing. It'd just be weird. Sloppy seconds to the max."

"Seriously? He's never been with a woman?"

"Nope. Not even in high school. Jou was the first person he was ever with."

Zero frowned, scanning the room again to hide his discomfort. If Kaiba had never been with a girl, then who the hell was Kisara? Ever since Yugi Mutou had mentioned the name earlier, it had been bouncing around the hunter's head, nibbling at the edge of his consciousness and making unease settle into his stomach. He'd heard that name somewhere before, hadn't he?

Or have you forgotten Kisara already?

Was she dead, then? Someone Kaiba had been so infatuated with that her death had driven him into the arms of men, unable to bear the thought of being with another woman? Shit like that didn't happen in real life, did it? Christ, his own internal monologues were starting to sound like the ravings of a teenage girl…

"Gawd, Kaiba, I've been standing here for four whole seconds and you have the audacity to not introduce me to your new employee!"

Zero looked up, pushing his shades up onto his forehead and blinking when the buxom creature he and Mokuba had been gossiping about not a minute before bounded into his field of vision, leading a growly Seto Kaiba by the tie.

"This is Kiryuu," Kaiba grumped, rubbing a hand against his neck when the woman released him. "Kiryuu, Kujaku. There, happy?"

"Not yet I'm not-go top me off, will you?" she trilled, handing him her empty wine glass.

"Dammit, woman, that's your third tonight, and we've only been here an hour. Give it a rest." Kaiba took the glass and set it on a passing waiter's tray, ignoring the death glare she shot at him. "Kiryuu, how's it looking?"

"I've already ended four threats to your life. You owe me extra," Zero retorted, feeling that he was more than entitled to a little snark after an evening clinging to a wall.

"Fine. You can have cream in your coffee or an extra-fluffed pillow, take your pick."

"Wait, wait, what is this?" Mai demanded, ignoring Mokuba's attempts at engaging her in conversation and leaning in toward the bickering men. "Are you two living together?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Kaiba answered, scooting peevishly away from her when she pressed in closer.

"I'm just crashing," Zero said hurriedly, glaring at the CEO. "We're not, you know, living together. Just…"

"In the same house," Kaiba finished lamely, pretending to check his watch while Mai looked from one young man to the other and back again. "What?"

"You are so full of bullshit," she sighed at last, crossing her arms over her ample chest and pouting at him. "Why didn't you just say you had a boy toy? And here I thought we were friends?"

"If an annoying gnat of a woman who leeches off my social status based on our acquaintanceship while I was in highschool could possibly be misconstrued as a friend, then you'd be right."

"Well, then quit holding out on me!" she laughed, giving him a sharp jab in the shoulder before turning, beaming, to Zero. "So, Kiryuu, is it? You're cuter than a little bear, you know? Is that your natural color? Listen, have you ever considered modelling? You'd be great for it, you so have the figure, and that face, gawd, I could just die…"

"Hey, Kujaku, it's that actor who proposed to you, what, eleven times?" Kaiba said loudly, pointing at an indistinct corner of the room. "Something Magnum?"

The woman's demeanor changed at once. She went from flirtatious and care-free to damn-near combat ready the next, crouching down and slinking away into the hallway without a word for a good-bye.

"What," Zero said slowly, staring at her departing rear end, "the hell was that?"

"One of the many colorful personalities disrupting any semblance of peace I've ever had," Kaiba sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. By Zero's count, that was the seventh time all evening; the brown locks were starting to look heartily tousled. "Sorry about her."

"It's not that I really care, I just…damn, you hang around some weird people."

"I don't hang around them, they hang around me," the CEO replied, agitated. He leaned up against the wall next to Zero, blowing his fringe out of his eyes. Mokuba had disappeared in typical Mokuba fashion, leaving the two alone-or as alone as they could be in a crowded ballroom. Zero lowered his glasses again, clasping his hands behind his back and glancing around the room. Nothing more than there'd been a few moments ago. Relaxing a little, he surreptitiously glanced sideways at his companion, swallowing quietly. The dark slacks and blazer accented the tall, slender frame nicely. He was a wall of black, save for the powder-blue tie done perfectly around his neck.

"I could reference a familiar adage about taking pictures," Kaiba said at length, and Zero jumped, looking away deliberately; how long had he been staring? What was wrong with him? "Something you'd like to say?"

"No," Zero retorted flatly, though he knew it was too late to play it cool. "See anyone else who might want to aggravate you for a bit so I can work?"

"I realize this is a high-stakes gig, but I think I'll infringe upon your attention just a little longer," the older man snorted, sticking his hands in his pockets and crossing one ankle over the other. "Oh, actually-Ichijo!"

Zero stared at him, stunned beyond words, and slowly turned his head to follow the direction of Kaiba's gaze. Less than fifty feet away, a blonde head turned around, green eyes widened-

And Zero bolted, turning on one heel and taking off for the nearest exit, not thinking, not calculating, just running for all his life was worth. He heard Kaiba shouting after him, startled and confused, probably a little angry, but the hunter didn't slow. Dodging between several yelping older gentlemen, he skidded through an exit door and burst into the ornate hallway, breaking left without thinking to try and navigate. The hallway sloped downwards into a staircase, and he followed it, his shoes making thunderfalls on the wooden floor.

He saw the staircase peter out in front of him, give way to the grand entrance hall, a burst of relief in his chest-but his vision-white-

Hot, sweltering air, filling his lungs, the gritty feel of sand on his tongue. He held up a hand against the sun, wincing, pulling the cloth hood a little tighter around his head. The camel beneath him swayed gently from side to side, snorting quietly every so often, tossing its head. Something shimmered on the horizon, a broken line of small huts-a mirage, or salvation, he couldn't be sure, not yet.

He was pureblood, strong, mighty, god-like, but three months in the desert had drained him. Blood, he wanted blood so badly, but she was gone...he hadn't yet met a friendly member of his kind, only hostile beasts, things fallen from whatever grace they once had…

Not a mirage. He saw people now, walking from home to home, crossing the village's single street, lined with traders selling their wares, a woman hollering prices for a catch of fish, fresh from the Nile...the Nile...a river, close, water, he did want water...didn't need, but wanted, wanted to quench...anything…

A few young boys stopped to watch him, fascinated, as the camel sauntered toward the main road. He avoided their gaze, hiding his eyes. The camel, swaying, back and forth, back and forth...the sun...it was hot, unbearably hot...hell, this was hell...The world spun upside-down…

"...Huh. Are you alive?"

He opened his eyes, blearily, squinting at the person leaning over him, silhouetted by the sun. The boy was fourteen at the most, blue eyes blinking curiously down at him from beneath a mane of russet hair.

"Water," the boy called, addressing someone nearby, and he heard departing footsteps. Voices, murmuring voices everywhere, some anxious and scared, most curious…

"Hey," the boy said, more gently now, addressing him. "Have you got a name?"

He swallowed, once, twice, trying to relieve his parched mouth. "...Ka...name…"

"Kaname," the boy repeated, and a smile broke his tough expression. "Kaname, you need to learn how to navigate the desert. Another few minutes and you'd probably have died out there. Better men than you have, I'm sure."

Kaname swallowed again. "...Who…?"

The boy, who had been surveying the desert with a mixture of pride and distaste, looked back down at him and grinned widely, a touch of smugness on his young face. "Who, me? I'm Seth."

"Kiryuu!"

Zero blinked. His eyes were running, and his chest felt tight, his head and back aching. Seto Kaiba was leaning over him, brow furrowed, one hand on his forehead, pushing back his hair.

"Are you alright? Don't try to sit up, Mokuba went to find a doctor."

"Fine," Zero rasped out, startled to find his mouth bone-dry. Like he'd just spent three months in-no. No way. No recall was that vivid. "I'm fine. Don't call anyone."

"You had some kind of fit, took off like hell hounds were on your heels, fell down the stairs, hit your head, and passed out," Kaiba said flatly, applying pressure to Zero's forehead to keep him planted on the floor when the stubborn hunter tried to sit up.

"I passed out first," Zero corrected him, a little irked. "You think I'm stupid enough to fall down the stairs?"

"Well, you weren't exactly giving me a play-by-play while you were running from me," the CEO shot back. "What spooked you, anyway?"

"I'm not a horse, asshole."

"A donkey's asshole is probably more appropriate."

"Fuck off." Zero pushed his hand away, sitting up with difficulty and clutching at the svelte carpet when his head swam. The moment his vision straightened, he looked around, glancing up the staircase. It was just him and Kaiba. A flood of relief swept through him. "How the hell do you know Takuma Ichijo?"

"Ichijo? Christ, Zero, we're at a summit for the most influential business leaders in all of Japan, who doesn't know the Ichijo Group?" He sat back on his hands, watching Zero cautiously, wary of another escape attempt. "How do you know him?"

"He was…" Zero fumbled for words, suddenly unsure of how much he should reveal. Kaiba now knew that vampires existed, but how would he take the news that they were seamlessly integrated into his world? "I just know him."

"Don't bullshit me."

"He was a friend of Kaname's," Zero snapped, glaring sharply at his host. "Now will you shut up about it?"

"No. If he was your lover's friend, why wouldn't you want to see him? Why take off like that? You scared the shit out of me."

"Yeah, well…" Zero trailed off, struggling for words. That familiar niggling in the back of his brain poked at him. "Who's Kisara?" he queried. His blatant diversion worked; Kaiba's expression changed immediately, from aggravated to nothing short of thunderous.

"I told you to forget everything you heard this morning."

"Well, too bad. I'm not the only one keeping secrets. Who is she?"

"Shut up, Kiryuu."

"Why? Why won't you tell me who Kisara-" He broke off with a muffled grunt. Kaiba had lunged forward, clapping a hand over his mouth.

"Because I do not fucking want to deal with that shit right now," the CEO hissed, pulling urgently at his tie, loosening it, "and because talking about it always-fuck." He pulled away from Zero, pressing both hands to his head and kneading his hair between his fingers. "It always-dammit, not now-not now-"

"...Hey," Zero said slowly, cautiously, wrapping a hand around Kaiba's wrist and trying to untangle him from his tightly curled position. "What's wrong? Oy-Seto-"

"Move."

Someone settled in at Zero's side, pushing him brusquely away, and placed his hands over Kaiba's, talking to him in low tones. Zero blinked, startled at seeing the blond he'd bowled over in the hospital now kneeling beside him.

"It'll go away in a sec," the young man sighed, canting his head to the side and trying to meet Kaiba's eyes. "The recall's tough for all of them. You shoulda seen Yug when it started. Total mess." He glanced sideways, offering Zero a quirked grin. "I'm Jou, by the way. Jounouchi."

"Kiryuu," Zero said somewhat faintly, looking back and forth between this new arrival and the apparently suffering CEO. "Uh...what's…"

"Ah, it's a long story, and messed up, too," Jou replied, waving a hand dismissively at him. "Anyway, like I said, it'll be over soon. They don't last more than a minute or two."

"What's 'they'?" Zero demanded, but he didn't get a reply; Kaiba was stirring, lifting his head slowly out of his hands and blinking at the other man kneeling in front of him.

"...Jou," he groaned after a moment, giving his head a shake to clear it of the fog and wincing at the sharp pain he received for his efforts. "Ow...Christ…"

"Where was it this time?" Jou asked in low tones; Zero might not have made it out were it not for his incredibly heightened hearing.

"Before...long before...he was young…" Kaiba rubbed his forehead, brow furrowed, concentrating. "Mother...his mother was still alive. The village was still there." He blinked once, twice, and then he snapped his head to the side, glaring sharply at Zero.

"Why didn't you tell me your Kaname was Kaname fucking Kuran?!"

The plot thickens. ...Or thinnens. Depending on how you look at it.