Inspired by a prompt (prompt in end note). Small warning for TKB having accepted his 'fate'.
Ryou stared at the message on his phone.
[Yugi]: Atem's back
Two words. It was only two words…but to Ryou it was more. It was a warning.
His body had been tense from the moment he'd read those words. He and Yugi had always felt deep down that at least Atem might come back, but they both also felt that if one came back, it might be possible for the other Spirit to return as well. They had agreed in private that should either encounter their respective ancient Spirit, to let the other know as soon as possible. That had been five years ago.
He finally managed to type back.
[Ryou]: how long?
Yugi must have been waiting for his message, because his reply was near instantaneous.
[Yugi]: about an hour
Ryou took a deep, unsteady breath. Atem had been back for nearly an hour now, yet the Spirit of the Ring had yet to show himself. That was a good thing…right?
He shakily typed his response.
[Ryou]: thanks for the heads-up
[Yugi]: i'm only a call or text away if you need me
[Ryou]: i know thnx
He placed his phone back into his pocket, then slowly made his way to his room. He could be back, and there was no way Ryou was going to risk him being free to wreak havoc. He grabbed the baseball bat he kept beside his bed, then slowly made his way back towards the front door of his apartment. He took his time putting on his boots and jacket, trying to remain as calm as possible.
He would never openly admit that he'd rehearsed this possibility over and over in his mind. That he hoped by doing so, he would be prepared. He was still numb with shock, but that didn't hide the fact that he knew he still wasn't ready to face the ancient Spirit. Just as he knew he couldn't not go searching for the Spirit, no matter how much he didn't feel like it.
He steeled himself as he passed over the apartment threshold, knowing that there was no going back until he could safely assume that Atem had returned alone.
Ryou made his way down the short flights of stairs and out the front door of the building. It was there that he found himself frozen for a second time.
He didn't have to see the face to know the body that was sitting huddled and naked on the apartment stoop in the rain. He'd never seen this version of the Spirit, but still knew it was him just the same. Dark skin pulled taut across muscle, a mess of silver-white hair on his head, and even without seeing the man's face he knew there would be a scar across his right eye. He knew these features, because they had come from the descriptions Yugi had shared of the 'Thief King'.
He poked at the shivering form with his bat. The former Spirit turned a scar-stitched eye in Ryou's direction, but said nothing.
Out of all the scenarios Ryou had envisioned of this moment, none had ever come close to the one he currently found himself in. He expected violence accompanied by harsh and bitter words. He never expected to be met with what could only be described as 'emptiness'.
The shivering form eyeballed the bat, then made a sound like he was trying to clear his throat.
"Should've gone with aluminum. It makes a nice 'p-tink' sound when you smash it across someone's skull."
Yup. That was definitely the Spirit of the Ring.
Ryou lowered the bat in his hand. The former Spirit's words might have been sarcastic, but Ryou could feel a drowning sadness behind them.
"Why are you here?" was all Ryou could manage to get out. There were a billion questions running through his mind, but this was the first he could articulate through the shock of seeing the Spirit looking so despondent and forlorn.
The former Spirit cleared his throat again.
"I don't have anywhere else to go," he said with a small shrug. He coughed a little as his body shivered some more from the cold and rain.
Ryou relaxed his shoulders, opening the door to the building while nodding towards the entrance.
"Come inside."
The former Spirit eyeballed him skeptically for a moment, then stood and did as instructed.
"Third floor, first door on the right," Ryou stated, giving the former Spirit directions to his apartment. Just because he was inviting the former Spirit in, didn't mean he trusted him to not take advantage of a turned back.
The former Spirit trudged up the stairs, stopping only once he reached Ryou's door. He stepped a good meter away, allowing Ryou to open the door without being too close. He was obviously aware of Ryou's feelings towards him.
Once they were inside, Ryou pointed down the hall.
"Go warm up with a shower. I'll see if I can find something that will fit."
The former Spirit said nothing, heading obediently in the direction he'd been pointed in. Ryou waited until the bathroom door was closed before he rushed to his room to dig through his clothes.
It wasn't an easy task, seeing as not only was he trying to search one-handed since he refused to let go of the bat, but also because he never realized how much bulkier the former Spirit's original body was than his.
His body tensed again as realization washed over him. The former Spirit's body was made up of well-toned muscle that had probably been formed from years of scaling walls, running along rooftops, hanging tightly to ceiling corners, and a myriad of other physically demanding things that came with being someone who called himself 'Thief King'. He had both strength and endurance. If he'd truly wanted to, he could have easily overpowered Ryou, or most anyone in this era for that matter…yet for some reason he hadn't. Instead he had sat shivering and naked on an apartment building stoop for nearly an hour, then obediently done everything Ryou had told him to.
The stark realization made Ryou pick up his pace, and he quickly found a loose pair of sweatpants and an oversized tee that he hoped would fit. He then went and stood outside the bathroom door, trying to mentally steel himself to be in the former Spirit's presence again.
A few more minutes passed before he heard the water shut off. He heard the former Spirit cough and clear his throat some more.
"I'm coming in," Ryou said through the door.
He waited for an answer, but none came. He turned the handle and slowly pushed the door open, cautiously looking around just in case the warmth was all it took for the former Spirit to return to his hostile ways. He spotted the former Spirit staring sadly at his own reflection in the mirror, hair still dripping wet with a towel hanging loose around his waist.
"I'm hoping these won't be too tight. I don't really have anything bigger," Ryou said awkwardly as he set down the clothes he'd brought.
The former Spirit looked down at his body, then over to Ryou.
"You always were too thin for my liking," he commented, a cough following almost immediately after.
Ryou scowled. "Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen."
He backed out of the bathroom and closed the door, breathing heavily as he tried to remain calm. He wasn't sure what kind of twisted nightmare he'd been thrown into, but he wished he'd wake up. The comments were most definitely from the Spirit of the Ring, but it was like they were coming from a poorly made puppet meant to portray him. It didn't feel like the same Spirit that used to take over his body and mind, forcing him to commit horrendous acts against any who got in the way of the Spirit's quest for vengeance.
He made his way to the kitchen, starting a kettle of water for tea and digging out some shortbread biscuits. It wasn't much, but the tea would help the former Spirit's throat so he could answer questions, and Ryou assumed something small to snack on couldn't hurt either.
Ryou heard the bathroom door open, followed by the slow shuffled pace of the former Spirit making his way down the hall to the kitchen. The former Spirit plopped exhaustively into one of the chairs.
"Still the hospitable Landlord, I see," the former Spirit commented in regards to Ryou's efforts.
Ryou pretended to ignore the comment. He needed to remain calm and in control of the situation. He couldn't afford to let the former Spirit get to him.
He placed a mug of tea in front of the former Spirit, then made his way to the opposite side of the table with his own.
"So, where would you like me to begin?" the former Spirit asked.
Ryou had managed to calm his racing thoughts enough to decide which questions he wanted to begin with.
"A name. What do I call you?"
The former Spirit looked away.
"Figures you would start with the hard one." The former Spirit's voice had already begun to take on a mucousy crackle.
"How hard is it to just give me a name?" Ryou asked in irritation.
The former Spirit cleared his throat again. "Pretty hard when I don't have one."
"How do you not have a name?"
"The Pharaoh used his own name as a key of sorts to seal away Zorc, but in the process he sealed mine away as well. While his was recovered…mine was not. Zorc took my ren with him when he was destroyed. I am now no one."
Ryou stared blankly. He wasn't certain which part he was more surprised about: The fact that the former Spirit no longer had a name, or the fact that he was so honest and casual about it.
"We'll circle back to that later."
The former Spirit nodded as if understanding.
"Why didn't you come up? I assume you saw my name and unit number outside the door."
The former Spirit nodded again.
"I had a feeling I wouldn't be welcome," he replied, coughing from the irritation caused from talking.
"Drink the tea. I added some honey to help with your throat."
The former Spirit looked down at the mug in front of him.
"You and your leaf water," he commented before taking a small sip.
Ryou scowled at the comment, but held his tongue.
"Do you at least know how or why you came back?"
The former Spirit set his mug down.
"I assume it has something to do with that self-righteous Pharaoh." He coughed some more before continuing. "He probably made some kind of deal to see his precious host again, and of course I somehow got dragged into it. I was content with wandering the Duat. I have accepted my fate. I know that when I finally make my way to the Scales, Ammit will be waiting for me."
That was not the answer Ryou had expected. No wonder the former Spirit seemed so different from the one he remembered.
"You were ready to die…permanently?" Ryou asked before he had a chance to fully think about the words.
The former Spirit coughed again, leaning forward in an effort to catch his breath.
"If you mean never having the opportunity to reincarnate, yes. I don't deserve it after the atrocities I've committed," he replied after his fit had subsided.
Ryou slammed a fist on the table in frustration.
"It wasn't your fault! What did they expect?! They butchered your village and expected you to sit by and do nothing?! You made a mistake! That doesn't mean you shouldn't be given a second chance!"
The former Spirit stared wide-eyed in shock. After a long moment, the corners of his mouth turned upward as he breathed out a small chuckle.
"Still the thoughtful Landlord," he chuckled some more, the irritation it caused with his lungs sending him into an even harsher coughing fit to the point that he was nearly doubled over trying to catch his breath.
Without thinking, Ryou rushed over to help the former Spirit before he fell out of the chair.
"Follow me," he said gently. "You've obviously caught a cold from sitting out in the rain."
The former Spirit obeyed, allowing Ryou to aid him down the hall to the only bedroom in the apartment, and into the bed within.
"I'll be back," Ryou said once the former Spirit had been tucked in with a bunch of pillows placed in a manner that kept him propped up to help prevent even more coughing.
He returned several minutes later with a small glass of water and some pills that helped ease cold and flu symptoms and offered them to the former Spirit, who hesitated for only a brief moment before taking them.
"Why are you doing this?" the former Spirit asked in a strained voice as Ryou sat on the edge of the bed and placed the back of a hand across his forehead.
Ryou hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Because I can't hate you for all you've done to me when you look so bloody miserable."
The former Spirit attempted another chuckle, only to burst into another coughing fit.
"Get some rest. We'll talk some more when you're feeling better."
Ryou hadn't even realized that he'd fallen asleep until he was woken by a finger poking repeatedly into his shoulder. It took a good half minute for his groggy brain to process the figure near his face.
"Bloody hell!" he shouted in startlement, the only thing keeping him from falling over backwards was the back of the sofa.
The former Spirit quickly pulled back, a look of confusion on his face.
"Are you trying to kill me with a bloody heart-attack?!" Ryou chastised sharply as he realized that he was clutching his chest.
The former Spirit continued to appear confused as he stood in Ryou's living room with a blanket wrapped around him.
Ryou shot him an annoyed glare, waiting to see what he wanted.
"Well? You woke me up. What did you want?" he asked irritably when the former Spirit didn't answer.
The former Spirit attempted to clear his throat, wincing in pain. He opted to just rub a couple of fingers up and down his throat in a pantomimed motion.
"You seriously woke me up because your throat is sore?" Ryou asked, his irritation growing.
The former Spirit hung his head sheepishly before nodding.
Ryou sighed heavily. "Let me guess, you want tea with honey?"
Another sheepish nod.
"Sit," Ryou demanded, pointing towards the other end of the sofa. The former Spirit once again did as he was told.
Ryou stood and stretched, then went to make the miserable looking former Spirit something to help with his throat.
He returned several minutes later, carrying everything out on a serving tray.
"Here. Chamomile this time. It will help you get over your cold quicker. I also brought something extra to help soothe your throat."
The former Spirit took the mug, then eyeballed the small bowl filled with some sort of whipped fluff.
"It's pretty much meringue without the cream of tartar. It's made by whipping together an egg white, a teaspoon of sugar, and a little bit of vanilla. It helps not only relax and slightly numb the inflammation in your throat, but it helps keep your protein and sugar levels up so your body can fight the infection better," Ryou explained.
The former Spirit furled his brow in confusion.
"You didn't understand half of what I just said, did you?"
The former Spirit shook his head.
"It will make your throat feel better and help you to get better faster."
The former Spirit took a sip of tea, swallowed hard, then gave him a small thumbs-up.
Ryou sat and leaned back into his side of the sofa, staring at the ceiling.
"You need to hurry up and get better, TK. I still have a billion questions I would like to ask."
"Tee-Kay?" the former Spirit asked in a crackled and squeakily-whispered voice.
Ryou turned his head to look at the former Spirit. "Sorry. Not sure what to call you. Going with TK for now. You know…'Thief King'?"
This prompted a weak smile from the ancient Spirit. He gave another thumbs-up to indicate that he liked it.
Ryou tried to hide his own smile. "Okay. TK it is."
'TK' set down his mug of tea, then gingerly picked up the small bowl filled with the whipped fluff and inspected it. He took a small bite with the spoon provided, his eyes lighting up almost instantly. He immediately took another spoonful and shoved it into his mouth.
"Whoa, slow down! You need to swallow it slowly so it can coat your throat. That's how it works."
TK did as instructed, slowly swallowing the sweet concoction. It wasn't long before the bowl was empty. He held it out towards Ryou as if asking for more.
"Maybe later. It's only meant to help, not become a full meal. It's one of those old-wives remedies."
TK appeared disappointed, but set the bowl down and went back to his tea.
Ryou shook his head in amusement. "The great and powerful 'Thief King' that overcame the odds of survival in order to exact his vengeance, is getting his butt kicked by the common cold."
TK scowled and made a rude gesture towards Ryou from where he sat curled up in Ryou's comforter.
Ryou waited until the following morning to contact Yugi about the fact that Atem hadn't returned alone.
"Sorry, I have a feverish and clingy Thief King attached to my side. I'll call you back once I've convinced him that a cold doesn't mean he's dying."
Yugi chuckled on the other end of the line before thanking Ryou for the update and wishing him luck with the former Spirit.
Ryou pressed the 'end call' button, then looked down at TK, who now looked even more miserable than earlier that morning…but Ryou guessed he was probably just being a bit over dramatic about it.
"You have a small fever, it's not the end of the world. It's just your body's way of fighting infection," he tried to explain.
TK groaned, wincing from the pain in his throat as he tightened his grip around Ryou's waist. Ryou couldn't even remember how or when that had happened. They had both fallen back asleep on the sofa for a bit, and when Ryou woke up again, TK's head was laying on his lap with his arms wrapped around him like he was a pillow.
Ryou had to admit that while it was obvious that TK and the Spirit of the Ring were obviously the same person…they also weren't. The Spirit was too proud and stubborn to give up. TK was ready to become a feast for Ammit, the Devourer of Souls. The Spirit had a fire in his eyes that raged like an inferno. TK seemed broken and empty.
It shook Ryou to his core to see what the former Spirit had become. He wondered if perhaps this was how he'd always been. Perhaps it was his quest for vengeance that made him into what Ryou remembered? Or perhaps that part had been the influence of Zorc?
Yugi had mentioned that the entity everyone knew as the Spirit of the Ring was actually an amalgamation of the souls of both Zorc and the Thief King. Perhaps without Zorc's influence, TK wasn't that bad of a person?
TK kept muttering something in his half-asleep feverish state. It took Ryou a moment to understand the word that he was trying to squeakily whisper out was 'mut'...the ancient Egyptian word for 'mother'.
Ryou sighed and shook his head lightly. TK was sick, and like any sick child, he wanted the comfort of his mother. The same mother he'd watched get slaughtered and thrown into a melting pot before being cast into seven cursed relics.
Ryou lightly brushed his fingers through TK's tangled hair in an attempt to bring some form of comfort to the feverish former Spirit of the Ring.
"Don't worry, TK. You'll feel better soon. I'll make sure of it."
"Landlord, she's trying to inject me with poison!"
Ryou sighed and stepped out from in front of the ancient thief that had tried to hide behind him. "It's just a few immunizations. They help prevent things like common colds from being deadly."
As TK progressively got worse, Ryou had become concerned and called Yugi. Yugi reminded him that there weren't things like immunizations in ancient times, and that it wasn't uncommon for people to die of common illnesses back then. Cue sudden realization and worry on both their parts, and Yugi making a quick call to Seto Kaiba. Of course he would see to it that nothing as simple as a cold might possibly kill Atem, even if it meant extending the same care to TK.
One of the Kaiba Corp physicians had come over and injected TK with some antibiotics, which, thankfully, helped him to quickly recover. That had been nearly two weeks ago, and now the physician's assistant was back and seeing to it that he was up-to-date on shots.
"Did you see that thing?! She is trying to stab me with FIVE sharp objects at once!"
Ryou's brow knit into a scowl. "I want you to think about what you just said, then repeat it while looking me in the eye."
TK's eyes widened. "...oh…right…my bad."
Ryou pointed to the chair in the kitchen where the physician's assistant was patiently waiting for TK. "Sit down and stop fussing like a child."
He was already over half the shit he'd had to put up with since TK had shown up. First it was TK being deathly ill and being extremely clingy because of it, then the discovery that the ancient thief had lice…which was a headache all its own to deal with…and now him acting like a child over getting a few shots. The guy had more scars than Ryou could count, yet he was scared of a few needles?
TK begrudgingly marched back over and sat back down, wincing in preparation for the impending injections.
Ryou still couldn't figure out the ancient thief. He was still being extremely cooperative and doing everything Ryou told him to do without question. That hadn't stopped Ryou from remaining firm with him though. He still couldn't bring himself to fully let his guard down around TK. At least not yet. It was going to take more than being cooperative to get back into Ryou's good graces.
"There, all done," the physician's assistant said as she removed the multi-needle injection device from TK's arm and placed a large band-aid over the injection site.
TK opened his eyes and looked at his arm in amazement. "Huh…I didn't even notice that you'd stuck me."
The physician's assistant smiled. "That's because I'm good at what I do."
She quickly packed up her things, handed Ryou a few papers about side-effects to watch out for, then was on her way.
"So what now," TK sighed unenthusiastically. "I'm no longer sick, you've de-loused me, and now I'm all up-to-date on my shots. I'm starting to feel like a stray dog that you took pity on."
"Not far off the mark in that comparison," Ryou commented without looking up from the papers in his hands.
"You should've just let me die then. I already told you that I've accepted my fate."
"And I already told you, I want answers."
"I've been better for several days now. You haven't asked a single question."
Ryou lifted his eyes from the papers and stared firmly over at the ancient thief. "Why are you being unusually cooperative? What's your angle?"
"No angle. I just don't have the energy to fight you…or anyone for that matter."
"You tried to punch me when I was combing lice out of your hair."
"You were yanking on my head…and it hurt. It was a reflex."
"A 'reflex'?" Ryou asked doubtfully.
"The guards enjoyed grabbing me by the hair when I was younger because it was the only part of me they could keep a grip on."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me."
"Any other questions? Or is it all 'Why the fuck are you not what I remember'?"
Ryou mockingly waved a finger in the air as though he'd just come to some sort of realization. "That's the question I've been trying to think of. It was right on the tip of my tongue too," he said sarcastically.
"Let me break it down for you like this: Me plus Zorc trapped for millennia in a relic, equaled more Zorc than me. Me minus a dark entity that wanted to destroy the world, equals just a pathetic thief that made a really bad choice. I saw some bad shit, didn't know how to process it, was given a tempting offer, and ended up with even worse shit."
TK's eyes looked exhausted and worn.
"I'm tired, Landlord. I have nothing left. No matter what, my village is still gone. Nothing I did in ancient times, or in this era, will ever change that. Even if I had won against the Pharaoh, then what? It wouldn't have brought my family back. There was no guarantee that the souls used to create the relics would finally be free. Win or lose…I'd have still been alone in the end."
The wave of emotions that hit Ryou compelled him to quickly rush over and place his arms around TK, embracing him tightly.
"But you weren't alone! You had me, remember?" There was a small quiver in Ryou's voice.
TK was silent for a long moment before he spoke up.
"Why?"
Ryou pulled back and held TK at arms length. "What?"
TK was looking at him in confusion. "I made your life a literal living hell…so why-"
It was obvious he was struggling to understand Ryou's motives beyond 'Hospitable Landlord'.
Ryou let go and looked away. "I wanted to hate you. I was actually afraid when Yugi sent me the text letting me know Atem was back…and that you might be too."
He paused for a long moment before continuing. "But then I saw you sitting there…and you looked so broken. You weren't the Spirit of the Ring that I remembered. You were someone else…and I can't hate you when you're not him. You might have the same memories…but you're not the Spirit of the Ring." He smiled softly. "You're just TK."
TK stared boredly for a long moment. "That has to be the most vomit-inducing thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth."
Ryou punched him in the shoulder.
"OW! Did you have to hit the arm I got stabbed in?!"
"Keep it up and I'll stab you with something worse than a needle," Ryou warned. "I may even be inclined to give you a scar to match mine."
TK pointed to a mark on his left arm. "Too late. Guards beat ya to it."
Ryou shook his head in exasperation. "What am I going to do with you?"
TK gave him a sly look. "You can let me meander on over to a certain game shop to beat the shit out of a certain Pharaoh for causing this headache for the both of us."
Ryou dropped his head into his hand. "Why do you have to make that sound so tempting?"
"Wait…would you actually let me do that?" TK asked hopefully.
Ryou groaned. "...no."
"Damn," TK muttered in disappointment.
Ryou walked over to the sofa and plopped himself down onto it. "I'll figure out something. For now it looks like I'm stuck with you…again."
TK came over to sit down on the other end. "You don't have to. You can just as easily throw me out onto the streets. Honestly, I'm still surprised you haven't."
"That's a great idea!" Ryou said in the most sarcastic manner possible. "I'll just throw the ancient thief out onto the streets where he will undoubtedly cause as much chaos and destruction as possible! No jewelry story or museum will be safe with TK on the loose! And it would all be thanks to the heartless 'Landlord' that kicked him out!"
"So the only reason you keep me locked in your room at night is so you can sleep knowing I'm here and not out there?"
Due to the 'only one bed' situation, Ryou felt it was better to keep TK in his room while he slept on the sofa.
"Gee, did you figure that out all on your own?"
TK gave him a knowing smirk. "Nah. I thought it was because you were working up the courage to play 'Dungeon Master' with me."
Ryou was certain his face had just turned as red as the shirt TK was wearing.
"Admit it, Landlord. You're not willing to kick me out because you like what you see," TK said while wiggling his brows seductively.
Ryou stood and pointed towards his room in frustration. "Go…to my room…and don't come out!" he shouted awkwardly.
"Sure," TK said, grinning devilishly. "I'll even get comfortable for ya."
"We are NOT going there! Now get out of my sight!"
TK winked and blew him a kiss before heading back to the room.
As soon as he heard the door shut, Ryou grabbed a pillow and pulled it over his face to scream while flopping forward across the length of the sofa.
TK's flirting had only gotten worse after that. By day three, Ryou was running out of ideas to avoid the former thief while simultaneously keeping him in the apartment.
"Yugi, I am about to commit murder!...What?!...NO!...well…maybe? I don't know!...It's not funny!...Have you forgotten what he did?!...I know I said he's different, but that doesn't mean-..."
Ryou placed a hand over his eyes as he leaned back into the sofa and groaned. Yugi was not helping the situation. If anything he was making it worse by suggesting that he just 'roll with it and see where it leads'. He still had a hard time admitting to himself that he actually liked when TK walked around shirtless.
"When I commit murder, just know I'm labeling you as an accomplice…Yeah, yeah. I'll keep you updated. Bye."
He ended the call, sighing heavily in exasperation. He groaned again as he heard the obvious shuffle of feet approaching.
"You heard the whole conversation…didn't you?" he asked exhaustively, keeping his hand in place.
TK had already proven on multiple occasions now that Ryou would never know how close he was unless he wanted Ryou to know.
"You're blushing, Landlord," TK said a little too close to Ryou's ear for comfort.
"Piss off."
Ryou felt the sofa sink beside him.
"How about we go out for a bit? My treat."
"With your obviously stolen money? No thanks."
"I'll have you know, I earned it."
Ryou brought his hand down to look at the ancient thief that was far too close for his liking. "When did you-"
"I go down to the docks before sunrise, then hurry back here before you get up. Let me tell ya, it's a helluva run."
"You sneak out…every day…to earn money?" Ryou asked in disbelief. "Why?"
"Isn't it obvious? I don't expect to stay here for free."
Ryou's brows knit into a scowl. "Of course…you still feel obligated to pay 'rent'."
"You won't allow me to pay you any other way," TK scoffed. "Such a prude."
"Why, you-!"
Something inside of Ryou snapped, causing him to lunge at the ancient thief, wrapping his hands around TK's neck in an attempt to strangle him.
"You were gone! I had finally moved on! Then you had to come back!"
He breathed heavily as he continued to vent.
"I wanted to hate you, because hating you was easy!" he shouted, his frustration bleeding forth in the form of tears. "But then you came back like this! You sit here and give me this small glimpse of what could have been…then you go and say things that remind me what a bloody git you are!"
TK stared emotionlessly up into his eyes. "You know, if your intention is to choke the life out of me, you have to actually apply pressure," he said earnestly.
"Shut up! Just SHUT UP!"
"If you want me gone, you just have to say so and I'll leave."
"That's just it! I don't want you to leave!"
"Then what do you want?"
Ryou hesitated, unable to believe that he was going to actually do what he was about to do.
"This!"
Ryou removed his hands from the thief's neck, placing them in TK's hair instead as he crushed their mouths together. It took only a fraction of a second for TK to recover from his shock and reciprocate the action.
They pulled back for air, both breathing heavily.
"Somebody's hungry," TK said with a playful smirk.
"Maybe I'm hungry because my 'tenant' hasn't been paying his rent," Ryou commented sharply between breaths.
"What? I haven't even been here!"
Ryou leaned his face next to TK's ear. "I always knew you would return…and I regrettably saved a small spot just for you. You owe me," he whispered.
He sat up enough to look at TK's expression, pleased with the surprised look on the ancient thief's face.
"Well…I think I have a few years to make up for then," TK chuckled. "Might take me a while to pay it all back."
Ryou leaned in close enough to taste TK's breath. "Take all the time you need. Just no 'up and leaving' without any notice like last time."
"I'll make sure to inform you at least a month in advance."
"You had better," Ryou said playfully. "I can't promise next time you'll have a place to stay. Next time I might just turn my back when I see you sitting there."
"What? No baseball bat next time?" TK chuckled, pretending to be insulted.
"I don't think it'll be necessary," Ryou said as he closed the distance between their lips again.
Prompt: "Sorry, I have a feverish and clingy assassin on my lap. I'll call you back when I've convinced him that a cold doesn't mean he's dying."