Final chapter! I know this fanfic was kinda a long run considering how short it is, and that the themes in it are kinda niche, but I really hope you all enjoyed as much as I did. I'll try and do something new soon!

CW: Just pure sap and healing

Ryou glanced at the door behind him as he left his office. Where Malik Ishtar had once stained the heavy, oaken door to the corner office on the top floor, now Dr. Ryou Bakura stood in proud bold lettering. Even two years in, it was a novelty to see, after the name card he'd had on his shared office at the museum, handwritten on a legal pad and shoved into the plastic cardholder tacked to the door.

"Everything okay?" Malik asked.

Ryou turned back to him and smiled. "Of course." He took Malik's hand and squeezed. "Just feeling sentimental tonight, I guess."

Malik returned the smile. He'd always dressed well, but since he'd set up his own clothing line and, later, design business after college, he'd upped his game considerably. He'd only been at work that day, and stopped to walk Ryou home, but he was wearing a gorgeous lavender asymmetrical blazer with gold trimming of his own design paired with a Victorian-era blouse, a purple skirt so dark it almost looked black, and gold heels. The only change to Ryou's style was… the best way to describe it was fun jewellery. Malik's company paired up with small businesses that created clay, resin or metal jewellery, highlighting a new one every month based off purchases Malik himself made in order to judge quality and style. Ryou always ended up stealing them, and frequently, Malik would outright ask him if anything had caught his eye online, buy them for him, and chalk it up as a business expense. Currently, he wore a pair of Nintendo switch controller earrings with a glittering bisexual pride flag in one ear, his other bare for now.

Malik's new business catered to all genders, but specifically made alternative men's skirts and dresses designed to fit men's bodies. Although he didn't get a lot of Domino customers, word of his venture quickly spread to America and he frequently received large wholesale orders from popular stores, along with tourists from across Japan looking to buy from him. He, of course, still loved the luxurious designs most, but still made affordable designs for a small store near their apartment called Shuruq Alshams. Sunrise.

"Well, in that case, come on." Malik gave his hand a small tug. "We have a busy night."

Ryou snorted and followed him to the elevator. "We're not going to Nova until eight."

"And we have plenty to do before then." Malik leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Ryou's lips as the doors closed around them. Ryou leaned in for another kiss and Malik obliged him before pulling back. "Careful. We don't want a repeat of our first night together."

Ryou groaned, but a laugh spilled from his lips. "Definitely not. I couldn't look Mrs. Shimura in the eyes after that."

"Aren't you so glad you don't have to do that anymore?" Malik bumped him with his hip.

"Definitely," Ryou chuckled.

"Told you moving in together was the right call."

"Ah yes, Mrs. Shimura was definitely the deciding factor." Ryou shook his head. The doors dinged open, and he followed Malik out into the street. "Should we eat out tonight?"

"I already have a plan," Malik assured him, leading him down a side street. They stopped in front of a ramen restaurant. Sakura vines grew around the door, carefully sculpted, from potted plants and the open door was already allowing a glorious heat from inside to warm Ryou.

"Is this-"

"Happy second anniversary of being head translator." Malik smiled.

Ryou laughed and wrapped his arms around Malik. "You're such a sap," he said. "It's not even a proper thing!"

"It is, and we're celebrating," Malik insisted, pulling Ryou into the small ramen restaurant they'd had their first date in.

"The second anniversary of a job?"

"The second anniversary of a job you love," Malik replied as they took their usual booth. It was completely empty, after lunch rush but before the dinner rush, with only one waitress and the chefs in the kitchen. "Besides, you're the one who taught me to celebrate the little things."

"I suppose I can deal with a celebration." Ryou's smile grew as he glanced at the menu, though he already knew what he wanted.

After ordering and through the meal, they chatted about how work went, Malik's trip to Milan in two months for fashion week, and Ryou's new collaboration with the Domino Museum for a Mesopotamian exhibit.

"Don't go falling in love with the guy," Malik teased.

"As if," Ryou scoffed, taking a bite of the mochi he'd ordered for dessert. "My only type is pretty boys who wear skirts and talk shit with me after meeting a friend's new partner."

"Okay, but I really can't believe Jou's sister ended up with that dice dude," Malik scoffed. "I really hope I'm not invited to the wedding. I can't deal with seeing a dice-themed wedding. I just can't."

Ryou snorted, almost dropping the last bite of mochi. "Oh, come on, they only just started dating."

"I'm not going to a dice-themed wedding," Malik insisted.

"If it helps, I really doubt there'll be one," Ryou said, "if what she's told me about her sex life is anything to go by."

"Ryou Bakura," Malik gasped. "I am scandalised."

"What can I say?" Ryou winked. "Straight women find me approachable."

Malik gagged at that, drawing another laugh. "I've rubbed off on you too much. You're not nice anymore."

"You like when I'm not nice."

"Correction - I love when you're not nice." Malik reached across the table to take Ryou's hand and raised it to his lips.

Ryou's cheeks flushed, but he glanced up as the waitress approached.

"Champagne," she said, handing them each a glass.

Malik frowned. "We didn't order-"

"On the house." She gave him a smile and wandered off, taking a sneaky glance back at them before walking back into the kitchen.

Malik looked over at Ryou and shrugged. "I'll never say no to free champagne." He raised his glass. "To your second anniversary."

"No." Ryou tapped his glass against Malik's. "To us. I never would have applied without you."

"And I never would have left without you." Malik smiled and raised the glass to his lips.

Ryou waited.

Malik glanced down and paused. "I-" He looked up at Ryou, brows furrowing. "Are we sure this is for us?"

"Of course." Ryou tried not to show his nerves. The restaurant was empty.

"But there's a-" Realisation dawned over Malik's face. "Holy shit, Ryou, there's a ring in my glass!"

"I know."

"Is this- are you-?"

"Yes!" Ryou took the glass from Malik's hands, fishing the ring out with an unused chopstick and shook off the moisture before sliding out of his seat onto one knee. "Malik Ishtar, will you marry me?"

"Stop." Malik's hands covered his mouth. "Oh, gods, stop. Is this real?"

"Yes!" Ryou giggled. "I'm on one knee and holding a ring, of course it's real!"

Malik threw his arms around Ryou's neck, half-falling from his chair in the process. "Gods, yes!" Ryou shifted to press his lips to Malik's. "I love you," Malik breathed as he pulled back.

"I love you too." Ryou beamed and took Malik's hand, slipping the ring onto his finger.

A golden band intricately wove around the amethyst and opal stones like snakes.

"I can't believe it." Malik's hand was shaking. "Damn it, I need to cancel my order."

"Order?" Ryou tilted his head, and Malik laughed.

"I ordered a ring a few weeks ago for you," Malik admitted. "I was planning on proposing on the runway at fashion week."

"That's so sweet!" Ryou covered his own cheeks with his hands to hide his blush. "I'm sorry I messed up your idea."

"Messed it up?" Malik laughed. "Ryou, you proposed. Actually-" Malik frowned. "How-? I didn't see you give anything to the waitress."

Ryou chewed his lip. "I may or may not have heard you booking a table here last night and come in earlier to let them know."

"That's so sneaky." Malik kissed him again. "I love it."

Ryou's cheeks flushed again, but he smiled. "I love you too. And if you did want to propose at fashion week, I'll never say no to pretty things."

"I know you won't," Malik chuckled. "I probably can't if you want to tell people we're engaged – it'd come off as superfluous and stealing the show when we're already engaged, but I'm definitely getting you that ring."

"You don't have to," Ryou insisted. "I was joking."

"I know." Malik raised his hand, staring at his ring. "But I want to. I can already tell I'm going to love wearing this all the time, and I want you to have that too."

Ryou shook his head. "You're such a sap," he repeated.

Malik's gaze shifted to him and he smiled. "You love it."

"I do," Ryou sighed.

"Come on." Malik offered Ryou his hand. "Let's pay and get out of here. I don't want to be late."

Ryou frowned, though he took Malik's hand. "We've still got a few hours before Nova."

"I know." Malik winked at him. "And I plan to use every second to properly show just how much I appreciate you."

"Hey, Beetlejuice."

"Never gets old," Malik sighed as Bakura sidled up next to him at the table they'd scored towards the back of the bar.

Ryou snorted beside them. "I told you it would happen if you wore that jacket."

"Hey, this jacket is a classic, and it'll take more than a few comments to make me get rid of it." Malik took a sip of his whiskey. He'd actually leaned fully into the Beetlejuice aesthetic this time, with shimmering green gogo boots, black skater skirt and purple crop top, with bright, dramatic makeup.

Of course, as he lowered his glass, the ring reflected the neon lights and caught Bakura's attention.

He stared. And stared. "Holy shit, dude."

Malik tossed his hair over his shoulder and smiled. "Yes?"

"What's going on?" Yugi asked as he joined them. Bakura was still staring, so he followed his boyfriend's gaze. "Oh my gods, you're engaged?"

"Yep!" Ryou wrapped an arm around Malik's waist. He had gone with a distressed black crop top splattered with acrylic blood, high-waisted black shorts, net tights, and his blood-splattered coverse, and of course, glimmering red undereye makeup. He'd paired it with a set of resin razorblade earrings in silver with painted blood dripping off them from… Malik couldn't remember which shop's collection Ryou had grabbed them from in the quality check stage.

"When? How? Why didn't you tell me?" Yugi grabbed Ryou's free hand.

"Calm down," Malik laughed. "He only asked me this evening. You're both the first- well, second to know." He had, of course, immediately text Rishid a picture.

"I'm still reeling." Bakura pressed his fingers to his temples. "Malik Ishtar getting married? Wow."

"Who getting what now?" Kek dropped his biker jacket into a free chair, Atem just behind him. Malik raised his hand to flash Kek a glimpse of the ring. "Holy shit!"

"That seems to be everyone's reaction," Ryou mused as Kek lunged to grab his brother in a tight hug.

"Congratulations." Atem gave them a smile as he slid into the last chair. After the end of their first Monster World campaign, he had tentatively asked Kek out, which was a miracle in everyone's opinion, because dear gods they were both such massive bottoms. That campaign had been a year and a half of long pining and everyone begging them both, separately, to ask the other out. Three and a half years later, they were in the middle of their third campaign. Ryou had finally decided to play a character himself, and Kek was proving to be just as brutal a DM as Ryou was.

"Thank you." Malik grinned at him from Kek's arms.

"Okay. I need a drink," Bakura decided.

"You already have one." Yugi pointed to his shot, which Bakura promptly downed.

"I need another drink."

Yugi shook his head as Bakura made his way back to the bar. "Sorry," he said. "Bakura's… well, the last friends of his who got engaged moved to the UK to get married, and he's Bakura." The rest didn't need to be said. Bakura was afraid of change, of losing his new village after what had happened to his parents.

"Oh my gods." Malik's eyes widened. "Bakura has other friends?"

"Don't be mean," Atem tried, but even he was laughing.

"Okay," Bakura decided as he returned. "I'm okay with you two getting married as long as you don't move out to the suburbs. Or any further. I love getting drunk at a wedding as much as the next guy, but damn."

"I promise you, that's not going to happen," Malik assured him. "City life suits me too well."

Bakura relaxed at that. "And you better have an amazing wedding."

"Bitch, do you even know me?" Malik huffed.

"Enough wedding talk," Kek insisted. "You're engaged! Let's celebrate!"

Several drinks, and one drunk Bakura mini-meltdown insisting he didn't hate marriage – just Japan's current laws and that they'd have to leave the country to do it so he was waiting until it was legal to even consider it – later, Malik pulled Ryou to the dance floor.

"Remember our first night here?" Ryou murmured, wrapping his arms around Malik's neck.

"I remember you nearly breaking that dude's finger," Malik snorted as they swayed their hips far too slowly for the upbeat techno currently booming through the club.

Ryou rolled his eyes playfully. "Okay, our second night then."

Malik hummed and leaned in, nipping his lip. "I do. And I remember what we did after."

Ryou shook his head, smile only growing. "You're incorrigible."

"And this ring only shows me how much you love it." Malik trailed his hands down to Ryou's waist.

"All I meant was… I'm really proud of us. We've come a long way since then," Ryou explained.

Malik's smile softened. "I am too."

"Oh, fuck yes, dancing!" Kek cheered as he joined them.

"Damn it, Kek," Malik huffed. "We were having a moment!"

"You can do that in the privacy of your soundproofed apartment," Kek insisted. "We're here to have fun!" He wrapped his arms around their shoulders, his smile infectious as the others joined them.

By the time they stumbled out of Nova to go their separate ways, the sun was climbing over the skyscrapers. Ryou and Malik took a moment to watch, breathing in the early morning air as they made their way back to their apartment.

Despite all their talk and teasing earlier, they fell asleep still in their club clothes, curled up on top of the bed together. By the time Malik woke, the sun was high in the sky. He groaned and forced himself to sit up. At least he'd had the foresight to take off his shoes before climbing into bed. He grimaced at the taste of his own mouth and grabbed the bottle of water he'd pre-emptively left on his bedside table before going out that night.

The taste of death eased, and he checked his phone. Three in the afternoon. Gods, it was a good thing he and Ryou were off that weekend. He was mindlessly checking Instagram when the call came in. After a moment of thought, he answered.

"Hi, Isis."

"Hello, Malik," she greeted. "I hope I didn't catch you at work."

No, just desperately hungover. "No, I've the weekend off," Malik replied, reclining into the pillows. "It's good to hear from you."

"And you. I saw an article on Shuruq Alshams in Vogue today," she explained, "so I called to congratulate you."

Malik smiled softly. "I didn't know you subscribed to Vogue."

"I don't," she admitted, "but I have Google notifications turned on for your business. I like to know when you're doing well."

Malik raised his hand, admiring the way the mid-afternoon sun caught the gems on his ring, reflecting the light in rainbows. "I am doing well," he said. "Ryou proposed to me."

"Oh, Malik!" Isis gasped. Only two years ago, she would have been asking if he was 'really planning on doing this to her'. "I'm so happy for you. Congratulations, brother. Truly."

Malik's smile grew. "Thank you." He hesitated, glancing at the door. He could hear Ryou pottering about the kitchen, probably making something greasy and delicious to help the hangover. "You should come visit us," he decided. "It's been a while, and we'd love to have you."

"I'd love to," Isis said. "I'll have to let you go – I'm on my way to work and only rang to congratulate you about the article, but- Malik, I'm so happy for you. Please pass my regards to Ryou and tell him those new translations might be something ground-breaking."

"I will." Malik shook his head. "I'll talk to you soon, and we'll plan you coming over. Have a good day, Isis."

"And you, brother."

Just as Malik hung up, Ryou nudged open the door with his foot, a tray of food in his hands.

"Morning," he greeted. "How's your head?"

"Better now that I've seen you." Malik smiled, and once Ryou put down the tray, he pulled his fiancé down for a kiss.

"Malik," Ryou whined, "I have drunk morning breath."

"So do I," Malik laughed and kissed him again. "Isis just called. She told me to tell you those translations seem ground-breaking. I think you're right on them being a new form of storytelling in Mesopotamia. Perhaps a new dialect."

Ryou brightened but hesitated. "Did she say anything else?"

Malik's smile only grew. "She's delighted about the engagement." Ryou wrapped his arms around Malik and pulled him in for another kiss. "I thought you didn't want to with morning breath?"

"I think that news warrants a kiss, even with my mouth tasting like rot," Ryou giggled. "I'm so glad she reacted well."

"Me too." Malik glanced at the food. A full spread of tofu bacon and sausages, pancakes, potato waffles, and eggs. And, of course, coffee. "I was thinking she could come over for a few days soon, maybe use the guest room?"

"That sounds wonderful," Ryou agreed. "But let's eat before we plan. I don't know about you, but I'm starving and don't want this to go cold."

Malik hummed in agreement. "I might have the coffee first. Just to make sure my stomach won't protest after last night." He picked up his mug. Nutmeg roast, just like their first day of work together.

"What are you smiling for?" Ryou asked, through a mouthful of pancakes.

Malik chuckled and shook his head. "Just feeling nostalgic," he said.

Ryou swallowed and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "We've plenty of time for that, but it's breakfast time now."

Malik laughed. "Far be it from me to stand between you and breakfast. I don't think I'd survive." Ryou hummed happily and returned to his food, while Malik inhaled the scent of magic coffee.