Malik stood quietly by the door, eyes flicking between Ryou and Kaiba.

It didn't take long for Malik to piece together what this was all about. Bakura, who knew that staying under police custody would ensure a trial not in his favor, decided to take matters into his own hands. And while Malik didn't believe Bakura was guilty, he was far from innocent on many other matters.

The fact that Ryou defended the con man to his boss did him no favors. And now that Bakura had escaped, the police had a prime suspect for the killing. Bakura had really fucked them over.

Ryou stood in front of Kaiba's desk, not breaking eye contact. Malik had to give Ryou credit where credit was due – the detective had a spine and was not a coward. He threw himself into danger without a second thought to himself and he refused to cower under the reprimanding gaze of his livid boss.

He suspected courage wasn't going to help him in this situation.

"Detective-" Kaiba snapped, temper barely kept in check.

"I know what you're thinking, commissioner. And I didn't do it. I'm not a moron," Ryou replied before the accusation could leave his lips.

"Really? You insist on his innocence and when I left the interrogation room for a few minutes only to come back to the lock having been broken, what would you have me believe?"

"Bakura isn't a murderer, but he's from less savory places. He had to have broken himself out," Ryou retorted.

"And I would agree, but the lock was broken from the outside!" Kaiba couldn't keep his voice calm, slamming his fist on the desk. Ryou stepped back, a bewildered look on his face. Malik felt equally confused. How the hell did Bakura escape if he was inside the room?

Ryou narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists as he took a step forward. "We're talking about a professional con man. He's served time for theft and we know that he has broken into facilities with tighter security than our precinct. He might know how to disable a lock and then break it from the outside so as to appear as if he had an accomplice – that would absolve him of the guilt."

"You're just postulating! That doesn't make sense!" Kaiba snapped.

"But it's the truth! Just because you don't believe it doesn't change facts!" Ryou placed a hand on the desk, leaning closer to Kaiba. "What would I have to gain by helping him? I don't benefit from helping a criminal escape! I want to catch Jack the Ripper!"

Kaiba snorted, a suspicious look in his eyes. "What would you have to gain? Do I really need to remind you of the debacle two years ago? When I found out that not only is one of my officers a homosexual, but one of the suspects was keeping your bed warm at night?"

Malik blinked, jerking his head back to Ryou. The detective grimaced, his ears burning at the accusation. Malik had suspected Ryou was queer, but… this was something entirely different. He hadn't realized Ryou had acted on these feelings prior and that he was sleeping with…

"I didn't know him well then. Had I been aware of his crimes and actions, I would have distanced myself from him. And I have – what I'm doing now is defending a man from a crime he didn't commit. Nothing more." Ryou took a breath, his eyes focused on the desk before.

Kaiba shook his head, his eyes alight. "Oh really? Then why break out a suspect? Why allow a potential witness to escape before we got his testimony? Why do you not follow any of the goddamn protocols and constantly interrupt my other officers on your wild goose chases?"

Kaiba stepped around the desk, approaching the detective. Ryou snapped his head up, taking a step back. Malik winced, his heart racing. The first sign of weakness.

"It's been five months since I've put you on the case and you have nothing to show for it. The first inkling we have had that we might have found the criminal behind all these murders and you instantly reject the possibility and ruin any chance of progress. Your constant disregard for procedures and professionalism is out of line and I've had it!"

Kaiba held out his palm, glaring down at the detective. "Hand me your badge."

Ryou froze, his eyes widened. "What?!"

"You heard me! I'm taking you off the case. I'm done with your disobedience and disrespect!"

Ryou shook his head, a desperate note leaking into his voice; "Sir, please reconsider-"

"Hand it over now! Any further insubordination and I'll have you detained for your behavior!"

Malik froze, his eyes wide as he stared at the two. Kaiba's expression was like ice, cold in his anger and rage. Ryou's face revealed his own devastation. He had always been good at masking the thoughts when he analyzed the evidence. Take that all away, and Malik could see the hurt, the disappointment, the shame of it all.

Malik felt like he was turned into stone in that moment, a statue observing all but unable to interact. It wasn't happening to him, but it was still affecting him by sheer proximity. Malik couldn't breathe, eyes wide as he watched the white-haired detective, who let his head drop down. It wasn't until his pale hand slipped into his coat pocket that Malik finally was moved to action.

"Fuck no." Malik shook his head slowly, his voice a low murmur. He stormed forward, body reacting faster than his mind. He snapped his hand around Ryou's wrist, holding it in place. Malik ignored Ryou's wide-eyed stare, placing himself in front of the detective to face off against Kaiba. "Fuck that. You'll do no such thing!"

Kaiba blinked, surprised at being spoken to that way. The momentary shock didn't last, his expression darkening as he considered the young man before him. "What?"

"You're not firing Ryou. You have nobody else willing to work the case. How the hell was he supposed to solve the case when he's had no help or assistance from anybody?" Malik growled, his lavender eyes aflame. He felt like he had nothing to lose. He didn't work for Kaiba and Ryou's job was already on the line. Worst case scenario, Ryou still didn't have his job.

But Malik was a stubborn jackass – he would make sure he got his way.

Before Kaiba could make any sort of response, Malik kept speaking, adrenaline making him reckless; "There's no way Ryou could have helped Bakura escape because I was with him the entire time. He was getting his arm treated by Namu – which you can go ask about right now if you spent more than thirty seconds trying to figure out how Bakura got away."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes but didn't speak. Perhaps it was because he was reluctant to admit that because Ryou had an alibi, he had no reason to suspect the detective. Perhaps it was because Kaiba was still pissed as hell and needed to take it out on Ryou. Malik didn't know, but the fact that Kaiba hadn't ordered for him to be detained seemed like a good sign. It wasn't like Kaiba would ever admit to being wrong.

Malik straightened himself up, forcing himself to take a slow breath. "My sister's life is at risk. Eight women are dead. People are going to keep dying unless you let Ryou do his job and find the killer. Unless you plan on hunting down Jack the Ripper yourself, let Ryou do what he does best and find you your killer. He's never let you down before and he won't now."

Kaiba blinked, considering Malik's words. He still seemed angry, but it seemed more resigned. Malik didn't know what else to say or do, but since the commissioner wasn't making any moves or orders, Malik decided to take the initiative. Still holding on to Ryou's wrist, he pulled the detective closer as he made towards the door.

"If you need us, we'll be in his office," Malik dismissed them both, starting to hate the awkward silence. He felt the cold, blue eyes watching him leave but didn't focus on that. His attention remained on the cold hand in his, Ryou following him in mute, stunned silence.

In all fairness, Malik hadn't done anything so reckless in front of Ryou thus far, so he couldn't blame him for his shock. Well, aside from slapping him for his rude remarks the other day. But that was a different matter altogether.

After they left the office, Malik noticed Yugi walking down the hallway towards Kaiba's office. Yugi raised his brows in concern, flicking back and forth between the two men. "… Is it safe to go in?"

Malik shrugged, speaking for both of them while Ryou tried to gather himself. "You can take your chances. It's not you he's angry at."

Yugi snorted, glancing away. "That hasn't stopped him before. I left the list in your office, Ryou. All the owners and proprietors of those addresses you needed. Just… don't tell anyone I gave those to you."

Malik glanced back, noticing Ryou blink as he turned his attention to the shorter man. He shook his head briefly, his expression clearing as he spoke; "I appreciate it. I'll go take a look at it now."

Yugi nodded as he returned his gaze to the closed door ahead of him. "I suppose asking Seto for a favor is out of the question?"

Malik snorted. "I wouldn't risk it. What did you need?"

Yugi sighed. "My original blueprints. They're still missing. I could have sworn I left them here at Kaiba's office the first time, but I don't remember. I suppose it doesn't matter. Surviving this meeting with him will be a bigger challenge."

"That it will. Fare thee well," Malik offered dryly, glancing at the door behind them.

Yugi inhaled deeply, signing the cross in front of him before tentatively walking forward. Malik chuckled, knowing that Yugi would need all the luck he could get trying to deal with the anal commissioner.

Malik noticed Ryou staring at him, his lavender eyes briefly meeting dark, cocoa eyes before flitting away. He pulled at Ryou's hand, dragging him through the precinct until they ended up at Ryou's office. Malik had never been inside, but he suspected that the detective's flat gave him an inkling of what to expect for his work space.

Ryou snagged the file sitting in his box outside the door, unlocking the door to lead Malik into a room that somehow managed to be even more cluttered and messy than his home. He knew that Ryou probably had some organizational method that Malik didn't know about, but the lack of tidiness was unfathomable. Maybe because he grew up with Isis and Rishid, who were very meticulous about labeling and organization, such unruly living space shocked him.

Malik sighed, wandering over to a chair that looked relatively empty compared to the other furniture. Ryou quietly walked around the room, moving files and folders to stack at one corner of his desk. The room was relatively small, only a third the size of Kaiba's office. The desk comprised most of the room, Malik's knees knocking into it when he sat down. He rubbed at his neck, trying to ignore the ache down his spine. It had been a long night.

"… Thank you."

Malik blinked, unsure if he had heard the soft words initially. He glanced up, Ryou still cleaning up so that he at least had somewhere he could write and make notes. Malik figured he imagined the words until he noticed Ryou's lips moving, the quietest and most reserved he had ever seen him.

"Back in Kaiba's office. Thank you… for standing up for me. I didn't think- He's rather stubborn and when he asked me for my badge… I didn't know what to do or how to fight for my job back. You didn't have to-"

Malik sighed, standing as he stretched. He walked around so he could lean against the desk. Ryou didn't say anything, eyes flicking over in Malik's direction as he continued to clean. Malik chuckled, looking up to stare out the window. "You're helping me find my sister. You literally chased after a murderer blindly with no thought of self-preservation. You're an idiot and the most selfless person I've ever met."

Malik snorted, a small smirk growing on his face. "Though some people would say those two are the same thing."

Ryou chuckled softly at that, a dry smile on his face. Seeing Ryou relax a bit made Malik feel better, happy to see the detective a little more cheerful. "I suppose it's a bit of a character flaw. I just sort of act before I think. There was no question about what I needed to do, I just had to- I couldn't let down a friend…"

Malik blinked, head snapping around to look at Ryou. He noticed the stare as he lifted his head, his brown eyes curiously watching his companion. Malik realized that he was mutely watching him, shaking his head as he snapped his head away. "Sorry, I just… I'm glad you think of me as a friend. It took me off guard."

Ryou's face flooded, a light pink dusting across his cheeks as he realized what he said. "Oh shit, sorry! I didn't mean to imply – we've been spending so much time together and I just thought-"

Malik shook his head, a grin growing wide on his face. He started laughing, a sense of relief and lightness hitting him after such a long night. He got the feeling that Ryou was feeling on edge after all they had been through. They were both exhausted and more emotional right now. Still, it was nice to hear that… "It's alright! I consider you a friend as well. I just never said it before."

Ryou chuckled nervously, the rose color never quite leaving his face. "I'm happy to hear that. I mean, I know… well, back in the office, when Kaiba said… It doesn't change who I am, you know. But if you're not okay with that, I'm not surprised, I just figured…"

Malik stared blankly, not really following what Ryou implied. Ryou fiddled with his hair nervously, waiting for Malik to make some sort of remark before realizing that he was going to have to be more specific. He glanced away, the blush darkening to the color of apples. "Well, I mean the whole thing about me being gay…"

The light finally went off, Malik snorting as he shrugged. "I don't care. I think there are worse crimes out in the world."

Ryou didn't respond immediately, watching with a curious gaze. "That's… very forward thinking of you. I wasn't expecting that."

"Well, I got to keep surprising you somehow."

"Apparently." Ryou laughed, looking more relaxed. He stared down at the empty space on his desk, as if debating whether to actually work. He set down the file, but he kept talking to Malik; "Kaiba has always kept a watchful eye on me."

"Because of the buggery conviction?" Malik asked, unsure of how open Ryou was about discussing these things.

Ryou snorted, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "No… well, yeah, that wasn't a scandal he wanted to grace the police department… I… Well, he suspects that I'll go crazy and commit a crime some day."

Malik frowned, looking forward. "You mentioned that last night."

Ryou nodded, raising a hand to brush away his hair. He managed to resist the urge to fiddle with the loose strands that had fallen apart. "Yeah. I didn't tell you this sooner, but… I was not always well. When I was a child, my parents and younger sister all died very suddenly."

Malik raised his head, startled by this information. "Oh god, I'm so sorry-"

Ryou shook his head, a relaxed smile on his face. "I'm okay. But back then I wasn't. I was only six and I didn't understand death and dying. Even after I was taken into an orphanage, I was obsessed with the dead. I think it's because it affected me at such a young age, I took such a keen interest. We all had fallen sick. I watched them die, and yet I lived. It did stuff to me."

Ryou leaned back against the wall, a reflective smile on his face. "I was a bright kid, too smart for my own good. But my odd behaviors unnerved the other kids and the nuns at the orphanage. I collected animal bones and shared them with everybody I had. It wasn't a surprise that I wasn't a popular kid. Still, being teased for my feminine appearance has been a staple since childhood. That one I claim no responsibility for."

Ryou sighed, finally raising his eyes to meet Malik. "But… things changed drastically when I was fourteen. I was woken up abruptly one night to find out one of the other boys had died in his sleep. One of my roommates who I shared a bunk with. No one knew how or why, but everybody suspected who."

Malik frowned, eyes locked with Ryou's. "… You didn't do it, though."

Ryou's expression didn't change for a moment. He broke eye contact, glancing away to hide his face. After a moment, Malik caught the subtle shift. The tremble in Ryou's fingers. The stiffening of his shoulders as he fought against the physiological response but to no avail. Ryou turned back, tears in his eyes but a smile on his face.

"You're the first person to ever believe me."

Malik's heart clenched at those words. He acted more on instinct than anything else. He knew perhaps he should be suspicious and guarded, but he knew without a doubt that Ryou was good and kind and wouldn't hurt anybody. He couldn't imagine everyone treating him with suspicion and wariness, as if he were a bad omen.

Malik pulled Ryou into a hug, arms tight around the thin, pale man. He could tell that Ryou had not anticipated this, freezing up in his arms. It only took a moment before he felt Ryou wrap his arms around him. Malik didn't hug people often, somewhat surprised by his own actions. Yet as he felt Ryou return the hug, Malik found himself burying his face into a sea of white hair, catching the scent of jasmine and rain.

Despite Malik's own hesitation about putting pressure on his back, the arms surrounding him felt warm and that warmth seeped into his tense muscles. Ryou always seemed a bit cold-blooded, his hands and fingers were always like ice when Malik went to touch. Yet he found his core to be warm, the shared body heat deliriously wonderful.

Ryou sighed, leaning back away from the hug. He raised his palm to rub against the trails of salt that had fallen silently down his cheeks. A weak smile grew on his face. "It wasn't for another three years that I got out of the asylum. A later autopsy showed that he had a heart condition that hadn't been detected. People still thought I did it and all I could do was just hold my head up and keep at it."

Malik resisted the urge to pull Ryou closer, surprised at himself for desiring that previous warmth and closeness he had felt. He settled for staying near Ryou, feeling himself drawn to the detective though not entirely sure why. "How did you become a cop?"

Ryou chuckled, a smirk growing on his face. "I worked as a cemetery caretaker after I got. A weird case of someone robbing graves got Kaiba in my direction. Initially I was a suspect, but I picked up the specific patterns and details that the other officers never noticed. I ended up catching the culprit and providing the evidence to convict."

Malik snorted, a grin growing on his face. "So you went from suspect to detective?"

"I'm good at what I do. Kaiba may not always trust me, but he knows I'm good at my job."

"That you are. Sometimes, your boss needs to be reminded though."

"That's why I have you around," Ryou teased, nudging him lightly. Malik smiled, staring down at the desk before him. He wasn't blushing, but he felt like his face was warm nonetheless.

"I do what I can. I'm not sure how much help I am in the field, but I know how to deal with Kaiba." Malik raised his hand, brushing his bangs back. He remembered how he struggled to follow Ryou last night when everything counted on it. He hadn't been ready. Yet for some reason, when Kaiba was ready to fire Ryou, Malik could act. He wasn't sure how or why those differed, but perhaps it was best that each of them handled different pressures better than the other.

"For what it's worth, you've helped me figure out more in the past few days than the last several weeks of research have come up with," Ryou reassured him, grabbing his file off the desk. It looked as if he had given up on researching for the moment.

Malik sighed, glancing away. "Perhaps. Still would have been nice to catch him."

Ryou's expression sank for a moment, disappointment slipping through. "Yeah… It's like you said – we just have to do better next time. And I'll make sure to bring a lantern."

Malik blinked, not sure if he heard right. He glanced over at Ryou, finished gathering the last few files to take home. Malik continued to watch Ryou, slowly following him to the door. "I'm sorry?"

Ryou glanced back, hand resting on the door handle. "Yeah. You don't like the dark much, do you?"

Malik felt his breath catch, a rush of embarrassment hitting him. He hadn't told Ryou and he hadn't meant to let him know. If Ryou had picked up on him pulling an all-nighter the night before, he should have figured Ryou would piece the other mystery together rather quickly. "I… I'm not fond of it, no. I can deal with it though. I don't want you to worry about it-"

Ryou shook his head. "Nonsense. It's not a problem at all. I didn't think that we would pursue the killer last night so the thought that we would need to bring our own light source didn't really cross my mind. It only makes practical sense that we should have one next time though."

Though Malik still felt slightly awkward over such a stupid fear, he felt less uncomfortable than before. Leave it to Ryou to adjust their proceedings to be considerate of Malik's fear in the name of their case. Even though Malik suspected Ryou did it more as a favor to his friend, the fact that he had a logical reasoning behind bringing a light next time made Malik feel less guilty somehow. As if bringing a light would somehow aid their case and not just be a hassle to their work.

"Well, I'm glad that my phobia has made us reevaluate our equipment for our next stakeout. Heading back now?" Malik asked, eyes slipping down to the file in Ryou's hands.

"Well, I want to read over Yugi's report and look into the individuals listed. Perhaps there's a pattern or correlation we're missing-"

Malik snorted, snatching the file from Ryou's hands. The detective snapped his head up, startled by the theft. He frowned, reaching to grab the file back, but Malik held it just out of reach. "You need to get some sleep. You've had a long night, you lost a lot of blood, and you won't get any work of value done with you this tired."

Ryou gave a dry laugh, a smirk on his face. "You clearly haven't seen me investigate before. I do my best work when I'm sleep deprived. And you need to get more sleep than I do – you stayed up the last two nights and you're more tired than I am!"

Malik grimaced, knowing that what Ryou said was true. But Malik usually got more sleep than Ryou probably did on a daily basis. A few nights weren't going to hurt him. He lowered his hand slightly, allowing Ryou to grab the file, but still gripping it so Ryou couldn't snatch it away.

"How about a compromise? I'm coming over with you. You get one hour of research before we have to take a nap – deal?"

Ryou tugged at the file, but Malik had a vice grip on it. He let out an exasperated sigh. "You're not giving me an option, are you?"

"You did mention that my stubbornness was one of my best redeeming qualities."

"You said that, not me. I'm always amazed by your obstinance over every petty thing you can think of." Ryou rolled his eyes, but was already conceding to Malik's demands.

Malik grinned, letting go of the file as he waived down a cab. "You flatter me."

Ryou stared at Malik, his face slipping back into the careful mask. Malik continued to smile, wanting to see if he could keep goading Ryou on. Ryou inhaled slowly, raising an eyebrow. "You do like to be praised to the point of ridicule."

"Well, there is so much to compliment about me." Malik mockingly gestured, a flair of confidence.

Ryou smiled, leaning in close for a moment. Malik blinked, suddenly taken back by the invasion of personal space. Ryou's face was only inches from his own, still pleasant and calm as always. "I wonder how you would handle sincerity."

Malik blinked, not sure what Ryou meant by that. He found it hard to think with Ryou so close and his sleep deprivation probably not helping. Before Malik could think of a response, Ryou turned, climbing into the cab. Malik shook his head, annoyed at himself for letting Ryou get the last word but not feeling any grudge. Ryou was hard to read at times.

Malik laughed to himself, climbing into the cab to head back to the flat.