This chapter is dedicated to Atemu Yugi Lover34 for giving me the push I needed to actually write this, and gave me an idea for a new (hopefully better) title. Thank you so much!

Disclaimer: I don't own them, but if I did the show would be yaoi, and possibly have guest stars from other animes.

Warning: yaoi, might be swearing…I think that's it. don't flame, flames are immediately deleted as they serve no purpose whatsoever. Constructive criticism is welcome.

Without a doubt Malik had to be the cutest thing Marik had ever seen.

The two were walking down the street hand in hand towards Malik's house. People on the avenue either stopped and stared or gave them a wide berth when they recognized Malik. (he was pretty notorious in this town) Marik hardly noticed, he was keeping an eye on his soon to be mate incase he was still feeling the effects of the second bite. Malik noticed Marik looking at him and smiled reassuringly though it would have looked more like an insane grin to those who didn't know him.

"I'm fine, you don't have to act like I'm going to fall over all the time," he said. Of course right after he said it he tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and only Marik's super human reflexes kept him from falling flat on his face.

"Okay, that wasn't fair," he laughed as Marik gave him a look. They took hands again and continued walking in silence.

"So how are you going to explain this to your family?" Marik asked after a while.

"Simple, I'm going to tell them the absolute truth and it's their own damn fault if they don't believe me," Malik answered shrugging.

Marik blinked at him then laughed.

"What?" Malik asked indignantly.

"Just you," Marik said once he'd calmed down. If that were even possible for the slightly less than sane vampire.

"We can make this go faster," Marik suggested.

"How-" Malik started but didn't even get to the next word. Marik picked him up bridal style and they were flying down the street. Or at least that's what if felt like to Malik. Marik was actually running but that word didn't seem to categorize the graceful movement. Flying fit better but wasn't as accurate since flying was usually associated with being in the air.

Malik finally decided that there was no word to describe what was going on so he stopped trying. Then another thought occurred to him.

"What if someone sees us?" Sure there'd been no on the street when they'd started but now he couldn't tell. Everything was going by in one big blur.

"No one can see us," Marik assured him.

"Oh," Malik said. He wondered briefly how fast Marik was going.

All too soon they stopped and Marik set him down gently. Actually he sort dropped him in the front yard but it was gentle for Marik.

"Hey!" Malik explained in surprise.

"What?"

"Nothing, just caught me off guard there," he said bouncing back up immediately. Not missing a beat he continued to the house. As soon as they walked in Malik yelled, "I'm home!"

There was the sound of heavy footfalls rushing towards them and Malik was swept into a great bear hug by his older brother, Rishid.

"Can't…breathe," Malik gasped.

"How was your sleepover?"

"Good. Is Isis home?"

"Malik H. Ishtar? What took you so long?!" yelled a new voice definitely a woman's. She came into view grounded young man! I told you to be home at ten!"

"Isis, Rishid, I need to talk to you." At the tone of his voice she calmed down.

"What's the matter?" Rishid asked, "Did you get arrested?"

"No!" he said quickly, "I just, oh crap this is going to be tougher than I thought. First, this is Marik, he's a vampire. I'm going to be his mate."

"Are you on drugs?" Isis said.

"No! He's really a vampire! Marik show them!" Malik said.

"What do you mean?"

"Do something vampire-ish!" Malik nearly yelled.

"Like what?" the undead man asked stupidly.

"Malik, I think you need to lie down. Rishid, go call the doctor," Isis interrupted.

"I can't handle this right now. Everybody just stop!" Malik yelled waving both his hands. Isis and Rishid froze instantly; their eyes seemed to be the only thing capable of movement as they looked at him wildly. Malik looked back with the same expression then down at his hands.

"What just happened?" he asked turning to Marik. Marik shrugged.

"Don't look at me," he grinned in amusement at the human's plight.

"How do I fix it?" Malik asked. Now he was panicking a little. Was this permanent?

"I don't think so, just tell them to unfreeze," Marik answered his unspoken thought. Malik nodded, it was worth a shot.

"Unfreeze!" he commanded. A sort of ripple went through Isis and Rishid and they could suddenly move again. Isis collapsed on the couch gasping, Rishid following after her.

"Malik, what just happened?" she asked shakily.

"I don't know…I think I'll go upstairs now," he said a little numb. Marik followed the shorter teen up the stairs to a really messy room. Without a word he shut and locked the door behind them. Malik silently thanked him since he couldn't seem to do it out loud. He sat on the edge of his bed staring blankly at the wall. Marik frowned. Malik seemed like the most mentally stable and flexible of the human boys but even he had a breaking point, obviously his family, and Marik feared he was close to it. Too much had happened in too short a period of time.

Soundlessly Marik crossed the room and sat next to Malik on the bed, pulling the boy into his lap. He felt the waves of negative energy rolling off his mate and his instinct said 'make it all better.' He pulled Malik's hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it gently pushing his own energy into Malik's to lift his mood.

"All better," he informed the boy. Malik smiled at him.

"Thanks," he whispered.

Yami was waiting in Yugi's room as the teen tried to explain over the phone to his grandfather what was going on. The old man had stayed over with a friend and wouldn't be home until that afternoon.

"No grandpa, I said vampire. Yes. I know I'm a boy! Grandpa…you've known since the seventh grade I liked guys. Yes I know. No, I'm not on drugs. No! Grandpa!" Yugi glanced at Yami blushing. "Look, once you get home I'll prove what I'm telling you is true, okay? Yes, I'll be at Ryou's so just call and I'll come home. Okay? Alright, fine. I love you too. Hanging up now!" Yugi said blushing again. He clicked the phone off. The room was audibly silent for a long moment.

"So…" Yami said, "your grandfather knew you're gay?"

Yugi nodded absently. "And he's okay with that? I remember the era he grew up in and I'm surprised he's so…tolerant," Yami said grimacing.

"He likes guys too," Yugi said.

"That must have been hard on him."

"Yeah, that's why he's so supportive of me. He didn't want me to go through what he did."

"Ah. What are we doing now?" Yami said. He could sense that Yugi didn't want to talk any more about it so changed the subject.

"Back to Ryou's, after I take a shower," he said.

"Why? You smell fine."

Yugi lifted the back of his hand to his nose and made a face. "I smell like sweat," he said. Before he could even blink Yami had crossed the room and stood in front of him his face just inches from Yugi's own.

"Geez, do you ever move at a normal speed?" Yugi asked trying to calm his pulse. Yami grinned at that.

"I like the way you smell," he informed the shorter boy. Yugi flushed under his gaze and stumbled back from the vampire.

"I'm still taking a shower," he retorted. He walked purposefully over to his dresser and pulled out a change of clothes then hurried down the hall to the bathroom.

The hot water did little to sooth him, his thoughts were just too jumbled. Just thinking of his grandfather sent his stomach into knots, what would he think? Yugi hadn't told him everything, he wanted to do that in person. How was he going to explain in a way that would make his guardian believe him but not worry? He went through half a dozen different conversations in his mind as he lathered his hair with shampoo, nothing ended well.

The only way to help would be to make his grandpa believe he wasn't worried. That seemed near impossible. Firstly, while Yami was attractive and they seemed to share a strange bond since the bite, he'd only known the vampire for, what, a night? And a morning? So a day at best. And what about the bite? Was he entirely comfortable with being bitten by a vampire twice with the only reason being to unlock some secret powers he supposedly had and save a race he hadn't even known existed up till now from some great evil?

Yugi rinsed his hair slowly, taking deep even breaths to calm himself down. He had reason to be worried surely, but worrying didn't solve any problems. He needed time to digest this, think it over.

Yugi finished in his shower and pulled the curtain aside to step out. Yami was standing just inside the door watching him. Yugi gasped blushing and pulled the shower curtain back to cover himself so only his face was showing. He glared at the vampire who was smiling.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Yugi demanded. He didn't dwell on the fact that just seeing Yami calmed his nerves, made him feel safer.

"Guarding you," the ex-pharaoh answered nonchalantly.

"Well I need to get dressed so guard me from outside the door!"

"Sorry but no, I like it better when you're within sight," he said. Yugi calculated the odds of A talking Yami into leaving the bathroom while he got dressed or B forcing him out physically. They were not good.

"Fine, but turn around at least," he sighed. Still smiling like a cat that got the canary Yami turned to face the wall. Yugi made a dash to the sink where he'd set his clothes and slipped on his pants as fast as he could.

"You can turn around now," he informed Yami as he slipped on his shirt. He fought down another blush as Yami looked him up and down appreciatively. The ex-pharaoh approached him, deliberately slowly for the smaller one's benefit, and got just as close as he had earlier. He inhaled the scent of Yugi's hair deeply, closing his eyes contently. Yugi would have moved away but he was right up against the sink, and as much as he probably should have been protesting the position he was in, he found himself oddly…content. Yami moved back after a moment shaking his head.

"You smelled better before," he said. Yugi glared cutely. He didn't think his shampoo smelled that bad.

"It doesn't," Yami assured him, "I just like your smell better." Yugi tried to figure out if he'd said something out loud, much to Yami's amusement. He gave up after a moment and walked past the vampire and out the door muttering something along the lines of 'Stupid mind reading vampires.' Yami couldn't help but laugh.