A/N: The chapter after this one is the last chapter. Yes, Shattered Crescent is coming to a close. I thought I'd give you a heads up so you wouldn't be taken by surprise and want my head. Enjoy! (while it lasts)

Shattered Crescent

Part Fifteen

As he sat on a spot on the couch he had cleared up, Ryou noticed that Bakura wasn't concentrating on his work. He was fidgety and on edge, tense. The lines he made seemed to lead nowhere. Ryou wanted to ask if there was something wrong but didn't think it would be a good idea to distract the other.

The balcony door was open, the breeze blowing in fresh and cool. Ryou kept watching Bakura, not paying attention to what the other was doing anymore, what the painting was about. Maybe Bakura was cold.

"Bakura?" Ryou tried to get the other's attention. Bakura spun around surprising Ryou with the swift movement.

"Yes?"

"Should I close the balcony door?"

"No, don't bother."

Ryou smiled a little. Despite the casual delivery, the reply had been too quick. If there was some ulterior motive for the door, Bakura could keep it to himself for now. Ryou was distracted by the red stain still on Bakura's cheek. He pulled out a tissue paper from his pocket and approached.

"Let me get that for you," he explained at Bakura's raised eyebrow, stopping centimeters from him. Bakura closed his other eye when the tissue touched his cheek but stayed still and let Ryou continue, even as the wiping turned more into caressing through the tissue.

Getting this close didn't feel like such a great idea. Ryou lowered his hand and eyes. He hadn't wanted Bakura to kiss him earlier and had fought it but…

It hadn't been so bad and that scared him. He shouldn't have enjoyed it the least bit.

"Um…"

A key turned in the lock. They both shifted to face the living room doorway, Ryou with a frown. Who had the key to Bakura's apartment? He glanced the other's way but didn't see anything to either alert or comfort him.

Kaiba Seto stopped at the doorway. His eyes travelled between the two still standing so close. "Did I interrupt something?"

Ryou took a step away from Bakura. It wasn't the silent accusation in Kaiba's eyes that made him move, but the near nonexistent change in Bakura. At Kaiba's arrival he had stuffed his hands in his pockets and lent back in a manner that could be relaxed but to Ryou, it looked too relaxed to be genuine.

Bakura had put his mask back on.

The realization made Ryou blink, wondering if he was learning to read the other or if he was just getting paranoid.

"Why are you here?" Bakura asked.

"I couldn't reach you by phone."

"Aw, you were worried, Seto? I'm touched." The previous, serious, if not suspicious, tone had bailed out and left playfulness on its wake. Ryou thought it was overdone but left it alone, moving to clear out a spot for Kaiba on the couch as it looked like he was staying.

"Sit, sit, I'll make us some coffee." Bakura turned to Ryou. "You'll keep him company, won't you?"

Ryou smiled, unsure of himself. "Of course."

After sitting down next to Ryou, with a frown that told he wasn't happy about the arrangement, Kaiba didn't look at him. It made Ryou remember the last time they had met all too well. He would have to try and make amends but there wasn't much they could talk about.

"So, um, how long have you known Bakura?" The silence after the question made Ryou think he wasn't going to get an answer.

"Since childhood."

Pleasantly surprised when he did get one, Ryou pushed on. His will to have a nice conversation was mixed with curiosity. "What was he like as a child?"

Kaiba glanced his way. "Angry."

Despite the glance he had taken as a good sign, Ryou thought that the conversation had died. But before he could think of another approach, Kaiba continued.

"He didn't talk much when he first came to the orphanage but when he did start talking, he always knew just what to say to make the grownups cry or pull out their hair. He ran off whenever he felt like it and oppressed the other children." Kaiba was looking at Ryou from the corner of his eye. "He's calmed down. I think he found an outlet."

Ryou listened, his eyes glued on the blue one. "Bakura's an orphan?"

"You didn't know."

He shook his head. "I didn't."

The blue eye turned to look at something ahead. "Perhaps it wasn't my place to tell you."

"It wasn't." Bakura stood near the end of the couch. Ryou hadn't heard him coming. "Seto, come give Me a hand with the coffee." He turned to leave and Kaiba followed soon after, leaving Ryou with his thoughts in the living room.

"Why didn't you give him My whole life story while you were at it," Mikazuki hissed once they made it to the kitchen. Seto remained unfazed.

"He asked, I felt strangely compelled to give him a decent answer." As suspected, the other didn't need help with the coffee.

"Whatever." Bakura poured himself a mug-full. "I wasn't keeping it from him, it just never came up."

Seto took the pot from his 'friend'. "Leave some for your sweetheart." He took the mug the other offered and filled it halfway. Bakura grinned over the rim of his mug.

"On the subject of sweethearts, how did things go with Malik?"

A well timed glare showed that the way the subject change was handled wasn't appreciated. "I'd hardly call him that and it's none of your business."

They had an understanding. Seto wouldn't call it friendship and knew Malik didn't consider it anything more than an agreement. What made Mikazuki choose the word 'sweetheart' was lost to him. No surprise there.

He admitted, though, that Mikazuki's taste in partners had improved. Bakura Ryou was polite without being a doormat and there was nothing about him that screamed 'slut'. Mokuba would like him.

Seto almost snorted in his coffee. Here he was thinking that this Ryou could be a more permanent addition to their circle. Knowing Bakura, the chance of Ryou sticking around was close to zero. It wasn't his concern either way.

Malik didn't know how he should feel about Seto now that he no longer wanted to take his life. A part of him went on degrading rants about how he had missed his chance, how the similarities of their pasts shouldn't have changed anything. But nothing could change how the image of Seto he had created in his mind and hated, had shattered.

If hate was what he felt, he wouldn't be carrying Seto's personal e-mail address in his pants pocket. Nor would he finger the slip of paper it was written on as he and his sister walked across the airport like it was some sort of an amulet.

Rishid was waiting for them somewhere within the crowd. Malik's palms sweated. Ishizu was walking too fast; people were letting her through when they shouldn't.

He saw Rishid's head above the crowd before they could reach him. Ishizu spotted him too and as they approached, Malik made sure to look little to the left of his brother. Ishizu watched him from the corner of her eye but he ignored her for the most part.

Rishid had always respected Malik's choices, only offering advice when he was asked for it. He wouldn't disapprove this time either, Malik knew, but that was why facing him was so difficult. Malik wished Rishid would scold him. He would deserve it.

They stopped in front of Rishid who nodded at Ishizu and tried to search Malik's eyes. "Welcome back."

"It's good to be back." Malik was looking at his brother's left ear. It would take some time before he could look either of his siblings straight in the eye.

Ryou had wondered why they couldn't drink their coffee in the kitchen. As he watched and listened the other two exchange remarks, it became clear to him: A room as small as the kitchen wouldn't have had any chance of containing both of their egos.

Kaiba had told him that they had known each other most of their lives. They both had a good grasp of how to get under the other's skin but they weren't close. Bakura acted different around Kaiba than he had just moments ago with Ryou. It made him happy to know the other was letting his guard down around him but that it had taken this long for Bakura to start opening up…

"I think your witty remarks about Me and Ryou here would work better if the other party was paying attention too."

Bakura spoke to Kaiba but when Ryou focused his gaze on him, it wasn't Kaiba Bakura was looking at.

"Oh." Ryou gripped his mug tighter and looked down at it. "I wasn't listening that carefully, sorry." During the past few minutes, he had been more focused on how things were said than what was said.

"I noticed. What's going through that head of yours?" Bakura, who sat between him and Kaiba, poked Ryou's temple.

Ryou leaned away from the finger but didn't look up. "Um, just things…" Now that he had been spotted and caught, he felt embarrassed. It was a different matter to try and figure someone out based on documents than for the person to be there and know about it. He had a feeling that Bakura, if not Kaiba too, knew that he hadn't been spacing out.

He found it in him to face them and smile. "I was just thinking. It's nothing important."

Kaiba sipped his coffee, expressionless, and glanced over at Bakura who raised his brows. Ryou knew his half truth had been detected. "Uh…"

"If you say so."

Much to Ryou's surprise, it was Kaiba to the rescue. The comment prevented Bakura from tossing in his input and cleared away most of the awkward air Ryou felt surrounded with. He stared at the taller man over Bakura's head for a moment before his smile came back, genuine. Kaiba didn't grant it any special attention but Bakura noticed.

"Looks like you're officially a human being now," he told Ryou. "Congratulations."

Ryou laughed. "Um, thank you, I guess." Should he be flattered? "I didn't realize I wasn't one before." Something flashed on Bakura's face. It was gone once it appeared and Ryou felt inclined to think it was his imagination. He took a second to study the other but the smirk didn't waver again.

"Seto here didn't think so."

The man in question snorted. "You forget who the root of all evil is, Mikazuki. Why don't you tell him about your relationship status before he came along."

Ryou frowned a touch and noticed Bakura do the same. He hadn't been told anything and hadn't felt the need to ask. Though, from the way Bakura had acted towards him in the beginning, he had concluded that the other wasn't one for long-term relationships.

Bakura recovered much faster than Ryou did. "You're right, I should." He stood up, claiming Ryou's mug on his way up. "Walk us to the door, Seto?"

"We are not done here," Kaiba told, facing Bakura and standing up as well. Ryou felt small sitting on the couch so he followed suit, fiddling with his mug-less hands. He hadn't had the chance to finish his coffee.

"We are for now. In case you haven't noticed, Ryou here isn't in his best shape. I need to take him home."

"I'm fi-," Ryou started but didn't get the words out before Bakura overrode him.

"I'll switch My phone on so you can call Me later."

The disapproval radiating off Kaiba was lost to Ryou. He was too busy staring after Bakura who disappeared into the kitchen with their mugs. Bakura's phone had been turned off. It wasn't new information but it reminded him about having been avoided without an explanation. He had turned his phone off, during 'the avoidance'. That had been to escape Honda and his worry. Bakura hadn't returned Kaiba's calls either.

It didn't make sense. Hadn't Ryou been the only one Bakura had avoided?

Before Ryou could drown himself too deep into his thoughts, he was guided through Bakura's apartment door. Bakura had a hand between his shoulder plates but it moved higher once they entered the elevator. Kaiba was looking more grumpy than usual. Ryou decided he wanted answers.

The elevator ride was long, as if the transport wanted to prolong their suffering. Kaiba had parked his car in front of the building. Bakura grinned and waved as the other unlocked the vehicle without looking back. It was sunny out, a fact that Ryou hadn't paid attention to earlier. How long had he stayed indoors? He studied the outside world while Kaiba started his engine. The building across the street was an exact replica of the one behind him.

After Kaiba's car pulled out, Ryou dared a peek at Bakura. He wasn't grinning anymore.

"Hey," Ryou tried. Bakura was staring straight ahead. "I hope you're not mad at Kaiba for telling me."

"I'm not mad."

Ryou sighed. This new less suave side of Bakura wasn't any easier to understand. It made him reachable.

"I wish it would've been you who told me."

"I wasn't keeping it from you."

A smile tugged at Ryou's lips. The other kept looking at the building across from them. So defensive. "It just never came up, right?"

Bakura faced him, and bit by bit, his grin came back. "Exactly. That is what I told dear Seto but he just shrugged it off, being his charming self."

Ryou's face lit up and he had to hide his mouth to keep his laughter at bay. "He's not so bad, once he lets you past the exterior." The amusement was still evident in his eyes. "A bit like you."

"The difference between us is that Seto has a heart of gold under all those layers of bastard."

"I don't care much for gold."

Bakura reacted to the confession like Ryou had just struck him with a verbal sledgehammer. "Huh..?"

Ryou glanced at his shoes. What was he saying? "You heard me."

"Yes, well, I… Shit Ryou, don't say things like that!"

Ryou blinked up at Bakura. Somehow 'Bakura' and 'in a loss for words' didn't fit together well in Ryou's head. Though, what he had blurted out wasn't what he had meant to say. It was too close to "I love you so please love me back." That wasn't something he wanted to say at all. So Ryou let his head drop and got ready to apologize. "I-"

"I keep things from you and I sleep around. I'm pretty sure those are not qualities you're looking for in a partner."

The apology turned into a question. "Have you during the past few weeks?" It was a good thing Bakura understood without Ryou having to make sense.

"Kept things from you, yes. Slept around, no."

One could wonder if someone who admitted to keeping secrets, told that he hadn't done something, was just keeping a secret. Ryou decided to take a leap of faith and see where he landed. "I thought you were going to take me home," he smiled, taking hold of Bakura's hand.

Bakura arched a brow at the paper stack fortress in Ryou's living room. Piles of paper rose form the coffee table and the couch, crumbled balls littered the entrance. The living room was a white minefield.

"Er…" The bridge of Ryou's nose turned pink as he beheld the mess. "I forgot how horrible it is."

"I've seen worse." Bakura put a consoling hand on Ryou's shoulder while hiding his smirk with the other. He could make organized-Ryou make such a mess, and he could make Ryou a mess. He wasn't sure if he felt satisfied or guilty.

Ryou seemed to snap out of his shock and started to clear out the room, kicking the paper balls into a pile. "I worked nonstop a few days," he told while moving the piles from the couch. "It paid off, somewhat." Done with the couch, he rose to face Bakura. "I know why he takes limbs."

Bakura had to be careful not to show how intrigued he was. "Oh?" It didn't feel safe to say anything more.

"I thought something was off with that, especially since he suddenly stopped." Ryou sat down and motioned Bakura to do the same. "Then there's that missing mug from the reporter's place…" he mused more to himself before remembering Bakura was there, too. "So, it's not really the limb he wants, he probably gets rid of it somehow."

While sitting next to Ryou, Bakura had, without realizing it, leaned closer, waiting for the climax. "What does he want?"

Ryou met his eye, shrinking a little under his gaze. Bakura eased back, remembering to breathe.

"Blood," Ryou stated. "I don't know why but that's what he's after."

"You think the knowledge will help you catch him?" Bakura found his more casual tone, berating himself for losing control. His façade had picked the oddest time to shatter. He blamed it on Ryou.

The other took his time thinking the question through. Bakura wanted to play with his hands but deemed it stupid. He had been spending too much time with Ryou. No, they had been spending too much time together. Ryou raised eyebrows and Bakura fiddled with his hands. Next, their little cop and robber game would get turned upside-down. Bakura rolled his eyes at that.

"Well," Ryou started. "It does give me some pointers… I mean, it'll give some pointers to the police." He looked down to his hands. "Er, once I've figured out what it means and told them about it so-"

"Ryou," Bakura smiled halfway at Ryou's baffled expression. "Cut the crap."

"What-? I'm not-"

"Give yourself some credit. Everyone knows it's you who does all the work."

"No, it's not like that at al-," Ryou tried to protest. Annoyance flashed on his face when he got interrupted again.

"They might do something once in a while but it's you who points them to the right direction. And you're always right." Ryou looked ready to throw something in so Bakura pushed on before he could. "In the end, you are. But you're still… humble," he spat the word out, "because you are blind to your own greatness."

All fight left Ryou and he just opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what he could say. He stared at Bakura like he had, once.

The eyes were aimed at Bakura, flickering to the rain-beaten window behind him, without looking at Bakura but rather somewhere beyond him.

Then, Ryou had thought he had seen an angel.

Bakura worked to ignore it. "Unlike Me. I know I'm greatness given flesh." He wasn't aware that he had started to babble, to say more than he had meant to. Had Bakura stopped to think, he would have realized what Ryou already had. All that praise sounded like the start to a love confession.

He wasn't allowed to realize, and perhaps that was a good thing. Ryou kissed him. There was nothing innocent about how Ryou pushed him back by the shoulders and bit his lip.

The surprise faded away. Bakura decided he rather liked the position as it gave him free access to Ryou's ass. For the first time, he wished there was nothing Ryou needed to find out. That they could be Us without him getting the feeling that he was leading Ryou on. Was this what regret felt like?

"Bakura?" Ryou's voice broke through. His eyes were concerned. Bakura moved his hands to rest on Ryou's head and a glint caught his eye. The ring on his right middle finger flickered in the light of the living room overhead lamp. One of the points was missing.

"…Um, Bakura? Is there… Are you alright?" Ryou hesitated with his words. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have just…"

Bakura grasped too late what stopping must have seemed like. "No, Ryou, it's not that." He smirked, slipping back in-character. "I most certainly enjoyed it. Feel free to jump Me anytime." Ryou blushed. "As sad as I am to admit it, I remembered an issue I must deal with before I can…" He added teeth to the smirk, tracing a finger down Ryou's cheek, "Hm, thoroughly enjoy you."

Ryou's "Oh" was something between eager and disappointed. "An issue." He got off Bakura, flicking away some imaginary dust after standing up. For a moment, he looked suspicious but didn't voice it. "I should finish cleaning in here, since you're leaving."

Bakura was better at hiding his emotions about Ryou's dismissal. "I agree." He got up, moving to the doorway. Before he could walk through it, he stopped but didn't turn to face the other. "Ryou. It's not because I don't want to."

"I know."

This chapter has been Beta-read (gasp!). Does it show?