A/N: I think it's safe to say that I threw everyone for a loop. I'm sorry, I'm still cackling madly over that. I so didn't want this story to end up being a cliché, and I'm pretty sure I've avoided that so far. My apologies to anyone who might have felt that that revelation came out of left field. I don't really plan my stories ahead of time, so I couldn't have even given you a hint because I didn't know it was going to happen, either. Now, I do give you a bit of a warning for this chapter... Bakura got a little carried away. Oh, that Bakura. Enjoy!

Important Note: Since I'm working now, updates may not always be on Friday. Occasionally they may be on Saturday instead, depending on how busy I am. As always, check my profile for updates, because I do post there regularly, and you will see information there if an update is late/cancelled for the week.

Ryou chased his yami back out onto the deck. An upset Bakura had proved to be a very bad thing, but he wasn't sure what to do to calm Bakura down. Nervous, he hung back near the door, watching in dismay as Bakura strode over to the still-bound Bandit Keith. From the look of it, the man had been working on a way to escape the ropes that were so firmly tied around his wrists and ankles, but he hadn't been able to do more than rub his wrists raw before Bakura came up to him. Without saying a word, the white-haired boy drew his hand back and punched Keith across the face. The blond toppled over, landing on the deck of the ship with a loud yelp and several curses. Instantly, Bakura reached out, curling his fingers into the shirt that Keith was wearing and hauling the taller man up until their faces were only inches apart.

"Where is she?" he demanded in a low voice. His words were carried back to Ryou by the strong wind that had sprung up. He shivered at the dark, menacing tone, noticing that Keith's face had paled dramatically. "Where is Mai Kujaku? What do you know of her?"

"I dunno who yer talkin about," Keith retorted, glaring up into Bakura's eyes. Aside from the look on his face, he didn't seem to be overly affected by the yami's presence or temper. Which was stupid, really, but then again, Bandit Keith had never been known for being the most intelligent of people. "Let go of me, man. I can't help ya."

Bakura actually growled low in his throat, eyes flashing pure ruby for a moment. Seemingly from nowhere, he produced a knife, which he pressed against the smooth skin of Keith's cheek. A feral smile lit his face as he gently pressed the razor sharp edge to the soft skin, which split easily. Keith cried out and thrashed, struggling to get free as Bakura slowly and calmly drew the knife down his face. Blood ran freely down his cheek and dribbled onto his shirt as Bakura pulled the knife away and held it to the other side of his face.

"Where is Mai Kujaku?" he repeated, the smile never leaving.

"I told you, I don't - "

The knife pressed in again with cruel accuracy. Ryou's stomach rebelled and he gagged, his hand flying to his mouth in an effort to keep from throwing up. What truly sickened him wasn't the fact that Bakura had cut Keith, but the sadistic pleasure that he could see in the older boy's eyes. It made him feel lightheaded and sick at the same time. His legs finally gave out on him and he slipped silently to the floor, his eyes locked on the gruesome scene playing out before him. Keith was openly weeping from the pain, his head rolling back against his shoulders. Both cheeks sported identical gashes that were freely spilling blood. Bakura was looming over him with a cold, dispassionate gaze, seemingly enjoying Keith's pain. When he raised the knife for a third time, Keith snapped.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you!" he cried, raising his bound hands as high as he could in a ploy for mercy. "I'll tell you. Just please, stop."

"Where. Is. She."

"Pegasus's castle," Keith said, shaking hard. His wild eyes tracked the progress of the knife as Bakura lightly, teasingly, drew it across his skin, threatening to cut at any moment. "He was tryin to get rid of your guards... Kujaku couldn't be killed so he asked me 'n' my crew to bring her in... She's been there all a-" His words stopped suddenly, descending into a wail of pure pain as Bakura thrust the knife deeply into his shoulder and then allowed him to drop to the ground. Keith curled up around the wounded limb, whimpering piteously. Bakura looked down at him with disgust.

"If she has been harmed, I will take it out of your ass," he said ominously. The words were not a threat, but a promise, and Keith cringed in reply as Bakura whirled, walking back towards Ryou. Without saying a word, the hikari looked up at his yami. He was shivering, though whether it was from the cold or what he had just witnessed, he wasn't sure. Bakura reached down, grabbed his wrist, and yanked him to his feet, pulling him back into the main part of the boat. Ryou went willingly on legs that didn't seem to want to work properly anymore.

"You... you..." he stammered, wondering if it was really safe to be blithely following around behind someone who could do that. "Would you... have really killed him, Bakura?"

Whether it was from Ryou's voice or the sound of his name, Bakura seemed to come back to reality with a start. He stopped walking so abruptly that Ryou nearly banged into him. When he turned, his gaze was distant, so that even though he was looking down at Ryou, he didn't appear to be seeing him. "Mai Kujaku is my cousin," he said coldly. "She was kidnapped exactly three years ago, and no word of her fate has been known in all this time."

Understanding rolled over Ryou in a rush that was almost dizzying. Bakura seemed to hate getting close to people, but if Mai was his cousin, then there must have at least been a friendship between them. Maybe even a relationship of the brother-sister variety. His yami must have been worried when she'd disappeared. Probably he had even tried to search for her. And now he had found out that the whole reason Mai had been taken in the first place was because she had been guarding him. He tried to imagine spending three years without knowing what had happened to Amane, only to find out that she was in trouble for his sake, and couldn't. It would have been unbearable. Sympathy warred with the lingering fear and he threw caution to the wind when he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Bakura's waist.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into Bakura's shoulder. The older boy was frozen against him, his arms slack by his sides. "I'm so sorry, Bakura, but thank you for not killing him." Because Bakura had stopped - for Ryou. He knew that as surely as he knew that somewhere inside, Bakura was dying. "I'll help you get her back. Kujaku-san, I mean. We'll all help you. You're not alone."

It took a moment before Bakura moved. His hands rose and rested briefly on Ryou's hips in what might have been the world's shortest hug before he none-too-gently pushed the hikari away. "Just make sure you keep the Millennium Ring on," he muttered, purposely not looking down into Ryou's wide brown eyes. "As long as you wear it, we could find you."

Oh. Something softened in Ryou's chest. A knot that he hadn't realized had been there since the day that Bakura had yelled at him up on the roof dissolved. Unconsciously, his hand went to the Ring, stroking the heated gold with a gentle motion. "I will. I'm sorry I ever took it off in the first place. I guess..." He paused and took a deep breath. "I guess I was looking for the best way to hurt you after you hurt me. I knew that you wanted power and that you needed the Millennium Ring to get it. I promise I won't take it off again, and I won't let anyone take it from me, either."

Bakura nodded without saying anything and continued walking. Ryou watched him go, feeling curiously content. Somehow, he felt like he understood Bakura a lot better. Everything about their relationship went unspoken. Actions seemed to mean a lot more than words. With that thought in mind, he darted forward and caught Bakura's arm just before his yami could disappear back inside. He swallowed nervously as Bakura turned to look down at him with a raised eyebrow, like he couldn't quite believe that his hikari had had the nerve to do something like that, and stepped closer. Almost imperceptibly, Bakura's body stiffened at the contact.

"You're not alone," Ryou whispered again. To prove it, he leaned up and brushed his lips against Bakura's. It was the first kiss he'd ever initiated in his life. There was a breathless pause before Bakura responded. Warm hands slipped into Ryou's hair, pulling him more firmly against the taller body. He shivered as Bakura kissed him harder and wound his arms around Bakura's neck, holding on for dear life.

A door opening and the sound of a strangled gasp made him jerk away. Or at least, he tried to. Bakura's right hand remained tangled in his hair, and his left hand was pressed against the small of Ryou's back, preventing him from going too far. Ryou blushed, the pink color staining his otherwise pale cheeks as he craned his head just far enough to see that an undeniably amused Mariku and a shocked Malik were staring at the two of them. Bakura just glared at the two intruders, clearly unimpressed by their presence, and made no move to release his entirely possessive grip, like he was holding onto something precious that he didn't want to share. Like a little kid, Ryou realized, and had to press his face against Bakura's chest to hide the laughter that wanted to escape.

"We just wanted to tell you that we can head back to the mansion now," said Mariku, moving past amused and onto smug. He smirked. "Unless the two of you need a bed immediately, in which case I'm sure we could oblige."

Ryou turned an impressive shade of red.

"Mariku!" Malik snapped.

"Fuck off, Mariku," Bakura growled at the same time.

"We'll see you later, Ryou," Malik said, glaring up at his yami. He grabbed Mariku's arm and forcibly pulled him down the hallway. "What is the matter with you? Honestly, Mariku..."

"God..." Ryou muttered, leaning his burning face against Bakura's chest and shaking his head slowly. "I'm starting to wonder if it's a good thing or a bad thing that I can no longer remember what it's like to have a peaceful life."

Bakura snorted, and finally allowed his hands to drop, releasing Ryou. "Peace is overrated," he said with the faintest hint of a dangerous smirk. Ryou blinked up at him, suddenly realizing what Bakura must have been like as a Tomb Robber. As he watched his yami head back up onto the deck, he had new appreciation for the guards who'd had to deal with them... and a new curiosity about the future in which Bakura would be all his problem. Somehow, that was no longer as concerning as it used to be.

GMA

Jou didn't stop moving until he was off the ship and the docks entirely. It felt good to have solid dirt back under his feet. Like Yami, he didn't exactly enjoy being on a boat or near the ocean, though he'd often suffered through visits as a child because Shizuka adored the water. He grimaced at the thought of his sister, not wanting to think about the innocent child that she had been. Not when he had to confront her and demand to know what she thought she was doing, and why she'd been hiding something so important from him. Running a hand through slightly frizzy blond hair, he jogged up the path and scaled the fence, since it would've taken an extra three minutes to walk all the way over to where the gate was located. As he dropped down to the ground, he became aware of the person behind him.

"Figured you'd follow me," he mumbled, rising from his crouched position. Seto landed neatly beside him with a careless kind of grace that Jou would never even hope to be able to emulate. He watched, feeling a little envious, as Seto stood and turned to him. Piercing blue eyes grabbed and held onto his soul, making whatever else he had been about to say completely flee his mind. His mouth went dry and his lips parted slightly, barely allowing a gasp to escape before Seto seized the front of his shirt and dragged him into the kind of kiss that made his toes curl. By the time he was released a good minute later, he could barely remember why he'd been so angry - and judging by the smug look on his boyfriend's face, that had been the intention.

"Slow down, pup," Seto said then, his long fingers gently smoothing out the blond curls. "There's no need to speak to her when you're still angry. Yelling and causing a fight is not going to help anyone."

"I can't believe you're the one telling me that," Jou said, more than a little amused. Seto had always reacted differently when he was angry – well, unless it was Jou that he was angry at, since he could recall more than a few times before they had started dating when the brunette had clocked him one. But for the most part, when Seto was angry, he grew even colder and more frozen than before. His anger was icy to the point of burning, and a terrifying thing to behold. "Aren't you angry at Mokuba for having kept this from us?"

Seto gave him a smirk. "Of course. But then again, I'm not entirely surprised that he did, either. Nor am I shocked that Shizuka-chan didn't tell you. You're her older brother and you feel like it's your duty to protect her from everything, not the other way around. If she had told you, you and I both know that you would have forbidden her to help."

He pouted. "Of course. Both of them are way too young to be caught up in this."

"Now that we can agree on," his lover replied. "I might not be surprised, but that doesn't mean I'm happy. We're going to be having a very long, detailed talk with those two as soon as you've calmed down enough to talk without yelling."

"And just how do you propose to – mmph!" Whatever else he had been about to say was cut off when Seto yanked him back into one of those kisses. The kind that he couldn't even begin to fight against, the kind where all thought fled his mind until there was only him and Seto and nothing else except the extremely talented set of lips and tongue that his lover possessed. Something that may have been a whimper escaped his throat when Seto pulled away, breathing raggedly. He curled his hands into Seto's silk shirt and clung to him, gasping, and could tell from the way their bodies were pressed together that Seto was similarly affected.

"I... I think I might need more convincing not to yell," he breathed out at last, amber eyes twinkling. "We had about a fifteen minute drive here, you know."

Icy blue eyes gleamed with interest. "What about your friends?"

"You can send another limo for them, right? I know you have more than one." Just to provide additional leverage, he purposely ground against Seto, shoving their hips together. There was a sharp hiss, and then a feral smile spread across Seto's face, matching the mischievous smirk on Jou's.

"Fortunately, I have several," was the only reply he gave. It was accompanied by a sexy smirk that nearly made Jou stumble in his haste to get to the limo.

GMA

Not long after Mariku and Malik walked in on them to say that Rishid and Shadi had left and the others were returning to the mansion, Yuugi and Yami were walking through the front doors of the Domino City Hospital. Yami hadn't been very receptive to the idea of Yuugi going to visit his grandfather, but Yuugi had been insistent, and eventually, he'd won. It didn't seem right to allow his only relative, the man who had taken him in and cared for him for so many years, to be alone in the hospital, particularly when no one was sure that he would ever leave. He needed to see his grandfather if only to be certain that the man was still alive, and no one was going to keep him away, not even a well-meaning yami. Once Yami became aware of the fact that Yuugi was going whether he went along or not, the matter was cleared up pretty quickly.

The hospital was bustling even though it was after dark. Visiting hours would last until 9:00PM, and since it was just after seven, no one approached the two of them as they made their way to the elevators and went up to the correct floor. Yuugi went to visit his grandfather alone, while Yami stopped to speak with Isis, who was going to be released the next morning. Though he was grateful for the privacy, part of him wished that Yami would have come along as he walked down the hall by himself. His heart was beating very quickly, and he couldn't help feeling nervous as he paused in front of his grandfather's door. The memory of Anzu saying Sugoroku's name, citing him as one of the guardians, made him wince. Was it really true?

"Jii-chan?" Hesitantly, he reached out and knocked on the door. It opened fully, allowing him to see into the room. His grandfather was still sleeping and didn't move as he walked inside and stepped closer to the bed. Yuugi slowly reached out and brushed a few strands of greying hair out of Sugoroku's weathered face. The urge to cry was getting stronger, and he had to swallow several times before he could speak. "Hi, Jii-chan. I came to see visit you. Well, I guess that's pretty obvious, since I'm here. I'm sorry I didn't come before. I wanted to, but I was sick. Don't worry about me, though. Yami is taking good care of me. You remember Yami, right? Though in light of what happened tonight, I suppose that's probably a pretty stupid question."

He paused and sat down on the chair that had been left next to the bed, studying the silent form. All those times that his grandfather had complained about feeling tired or weary after doing next to nothing... or made a comment about how his heart had skipped a beat or fluttered... why hadn't he pushed the man to go get things checked out? Sugoroku could be stubborn, but Yuugi was one of the few people in the world who could make Mutou Sugoroku do anything, though even he had to be careful when it came to picking his battles. This was one fight that he truly regretted not pushing.

"I've been staying with Jou and Seto," he went on, after the oppressive silence of the room became too much to bear. "They've both been quite kind to me. I really like it there. I haven't been home to check on the shop, but I'll do that tomorrow." Gingerly, he rubbed his forehead, wincing at the slight headache that had formed there. "Well, I'll try," he amended. "I'm not sure Yami will let me out of bed after what happened tonight. But I have to go to school, so..."

Yuugi paused again and chewed nervously on his lip, wishing that his grandfather was awake to respond. "Jii-chan... Shadi-san and Rishid-san said that you had been a guardian. That you were protecting us from Pegasus all of those years. Is that why you took me in? Did you know who I was?" he whispered, eyes searching the man's silent form almost desperately. There were so many questions spinning through his head, and yet no way to get answers. "Is that why you didn't protest when I went upstairs and left you alone with Tsuki? Did she attack you because you were trying to protect me? Did you know what she could do to you?"

Finally, the tears came, sliding silently down his cheeks. Yuugi clenched his teeth, refusing to let even the slightest sound of a sob escape through his mouth. His shoulders shook with the effort it took to remain quiet. Through it all, his grandfather never moved. "Please get better," he whispered. "Please. I d-don't want to be alone."

As though in answer, a hand landed on his shoulder. Yuugi jumped and his head snapped around. Yami was standing right behind him, his crimson gaze locked on Sugoroku. Without looking at his hikari, he said, "When I met your grandfather for the first time, he acted strangely, like he was both surprised and pleased to see me. At first, I thought that he was just acting the way most parents do when their kids bring home a new friend. But now I wonder if it was something more. If he knew that I was the reincarnation of the Pharaoh, and what it meant that I was there to see you." There was a very slight hint of bitterness to his voice. "I didn't think anything of it at the time. I'm sorry. I should have questioned it more."

"It's not your fault," Yuugi mumbled, glancing back at Sugoroku. "I haven't talked to him very much since all of this began. He knew that I'd put the Millennium Puzzle together, but I didn't tell him anything else. Maybe if I had..." He trailed off, and the implication behind his words was clear: perhaps if he had, then Sugoroku might have shared some of his secrets as well.

Yami sighed. "You don't know that, Little One. This has all been happening very quickly, and he likely had his reasons for staying quiet on the matter. Besides, you couldn't have known."

"No, but that doesn't stop me from feeling guilty," he pointed out. "I just wish that I could talk to him and find out what happened. I... I just wish that he would wake up." His voice came out embarrassingly small, and cracked on the last two words as more tears welled up in his eyes. "I don't want to be alone again. Everyone I care about either leaves me or dies, and I don't want... I want..." He trailed off, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly.

"You are not alone," Yami repeated. "I'm here. I won't leave you, I swear it."

There it was. The one thing that he had been yearning for someone – anyone – to say. Yuugi gave a muffled sob as he twisted, throwing himself into the arms of his other half. Despite his surprise, Yami caught him and cradled him, deep voice murmuring endless reassurances as his hikari clung to him and wept. He gently rubbed Yuugi's back, thinking to himself that someday soon, he would ask his little light what had happened to him, that he believed everyone he loved would either leave or die. In the meantime, Yuugi was far too upset to answer such questions. The night had been full of revelations for both of them, and not all of them had been pleasant.

"Come on, Little One," he said at last. The hour was growing late, and it was more dangerous for them to be out at night alone then it was during the day. "Visiting hours are almost over."

"But what if something happens?" Yuugi rubbed at swollen eyes, clutching Yami's shirt tightly with his free hand.

"Isis is just down the hall. She'll know and notify us," he said reassuringly. "We'll come right away."

Yuugi nodded hesitantly and turned back to his grandfather. Stepping forward, he leaned down and kissed the man's forehead before backing away and allowing Yami to lead him out of the room. He was utterly terrified that it would be the last time he ever saw Sugoroku alive, but the hospital wouldn't allow them to stay much longer, and he was getting very tired. It was no wonder that neither of them were terribly impressed to see, when they emerged into the main floor, that Rebecca, Anzu and Professor Hawkins were sitting in the waiting room. Yami's face darkened into a scowl at the sight of Anzu, and Yuugi stifled a groan as Rebecca's eyes lit up at the sight of him.

"Darling!" she squealed, so loud that several patients, nurses, and doctors turned to give her dirty looks. "We heard about Mutou-san. How terrible. You must need someone to stay with you. I'd be happy to volunteer for that service."

"Thanks, but I'm okay," Yuugi said, unable to keep himself from inching closer to Yami. For the first time, Rebecca's eyes flickered over to Yami and she pouted, looking less than impressed to see that the boy was still around. "Hawkins-san, I wish you had called first. Visiting hours are ending."

"That's quite alright, Yuugi-kun. I just wanted to make sure you and your grandfather were doing okay," Arthur said. He looked worried, and no wonder; he and Sugoroku had been friends since they were young. "Are you all alone at the shop? Rebecca and I would be happy to have you stay with us. I'm sure your grandfather wouldn't want you staying by yourself."

"He's not. He's staying with me," said Yami, taking a cruel joy out of dashing Rebecca's hopes. "I'm one of his friends from school. We were just leaving," he added, shooting Anzu a pointed look. She refused to back down and came a couple of steps closer.

"It's not safe for you two to be out on your own," she said admonishingly. "What if another one of Pegasus's minions attacked? Let Rebecca-chan and I stay with you until you get to Kaiba's."

"Like hell." Yami glowered at the little blonde and then directed his glare towards Anzu. "You lied to me, Anzu-san. Every time we spoke and you didn't tell me the truth, you lied. I felt guilty for not returning your feelings, but now I'm glad that I never felt that way about you. Our relationship would have been over the moment I learned that you had been keeping the truth from me, regardless of whether Isis, Rishid and Shadi asked you to." His eyes flashed with something that may have been pain. "I believe you once asked me why I insisted on having people like Bakura and Mariku in my life. It's because I can trust them."

The implication of that statement appeared to hit her like a slap in the face. Her cheeks went pale and she staggered back a step, speechless. Yami swept by her, looking every inch the regal Pharaoh, and led Yuugi out of the hospital. A very familiar black limo was idling at the curb. Silently blessing his cousin, he ushered Yuugi into the vehicle and then climbed in after him, slamming the door before Anzu could snap out of her shocked daze and try to come after them again. Yuugi glanced up at him but seemed to know better than to say anything. Instead, he curled up against his yami's side and went to sleep, leaving the darkness to stare out the window and fume at the turn of events. One thing was for certain: he had no interest in speaking to Anzu or any of the others who had consistently kept the truth from him anytime soon.

GMA

It wasn't a motorcycle, but riding in a limo was pretty sweet. Malik leaned back against the plush seat and drew a thoughtful finger across the material - as he'd guessed, it was real leather, and no doubt cost a fortune. Everything that Seto Kaiba owned was a subtle reminder that the man was in possession of more money than most people could ever dream of. And yet... his life was every bit as fucked up as the rest of them. A wry smirk crossed his face at that thought before he sighed, leaning his head against the cool glass. None of their friends had chosen to come back in the limo with them, but then again, he and Mariku hadn't exactly waited for anyone. He was pretty sure he'd seen Seto and Jou stumbling over to the limo just as he and Mariku directed the driver to pull away. The look on Seto's face had been priceless, and had amused him for about five minutes until reality set in.

Out of everyone, Malik was probably the only person who could say that he wasn't shocked, hurt, or disappointed by the events of the night. Isis had made it abundantly clear several days ago that there was nothing she would stop at when it came to his protection. So to hear that she had approached the reincarnations of the other members of the Pharaoh's court wasn't exactly surprising, at least to him. Malik was just counting himself lucky that there was no one else in his life that had been lying to him. No, apparently it was just his sister. He smiled bitterly, gazing beyond his reflection at the night sky. Now they all knew what that taste of betrayal felt like, but it didn't make him feel any better.

Warm arms that were gradually becoming familiar slipped around his waist. A head of blond hair appeared on his lap. Malik arched an eyebrow. "Comfortable?"

"Extremely," Mariku purred cheerfully, deliberately wiggling until his head was directly over an important part of Malik's anatomy. The hikari flushed, but failed to push him away. Instead, he turned back to the window. Mariku watched him for a long moment before he spoke. "Kiss for your thoughts?"

"What?" Lavender eyes widened as a flush spread across Malik's cheeks. He huffed and folded his arms. "Stop saying things like that, you pervert."

Mariku grinned. "Are you holding out on me? Because I could offer you a lot more than just a kiss – "

"Shut up!" Malik growled, his face nearly on fire. "I'm not – I don't..." He let his voice trail off and, instead, allowed his head to drop back against the seat cushion with a low groan of frustration. It was impossible to stop thinking about his – no, their friends. All of them had been hurt and upset to some degree, but there was nothing he could do about it.

There was another moment of silence before Mariku said, "Did I ever tell you that I was alive in Ancient Egypt as well?"

Malik blinked and furrowed his eyebrows. "No... I got that impression, but you never mentioned it specifically."

"I was an assassin," his yami said with a hint of pride. "The best in the land. Bakura and I were good friends, you know. I'd go in and kill the guards, he'd plunder the place, and then we'd split the riches." There was a silly smile on his face.

"Are you lying to me?" Malik asked warily.

"No. I'm being honest. I remember everything about that life. I always have, just like Bakura. We didn't really want to do the ritual. Not like the Pharaoh," Mariku smirked. "When I was younger, my parents thought I was crazy, you know. They couldn't understand why I kept talking about Ancient Egypt and were ready to toss me in an asylum and throw away the key. That's why the second Rishid turned eighteen, he took me, and we left. I haven't seen them since. Aniki has taken care of me for over ten years."

Understanding was kind of slow in coming. "Is that why you don't seem to be very angry at him?"

The yami sat up, swinging his legs back down onto the floor. He reached out and hooked an arm around Malik's shoulders, pulling his other half closer. "If Aniki feels even a fraction towards me of what I feel for you, then I can understand his desire to protect me," he said quietly, sounding unusually serious. "I'm pissed about the fact that he hid things from me, but that's always the way he's been. He thinks I'm too rash and impetuous sometimes. I'll get over it – and so will your friends. Don't worry yourself into a state over them, Kitten."

"K-Kitten?" Malik swallowed hard. His heart was being very fast.

"You didn't seem to mind the name at the hospital," he fairly purred. Malik just stared up at him with wide eyes as Mariku began to lean down...

The car stopped.

The door opened.

Malik jerked away and hastily made his escape.

Mariku sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Then he turned to scowl at the rather surprised chauffer. "You're fired," he said petulantly, sulking. "You let my prey escape."

"My apologies, good sir," the chauffer said, seemingly unfazed by his dismissal. "I hope you have a good evening."

"I would have, until you stopped the fucking car," he muttered, climbing out of the limo. Mariku eyed the mansion speculatively. The night was young. Seto and Jou would no doubt be distracting Mokuba and Shizuka when they returned. A feral smile spread across his face as a gleam entered his eyes. Perhaps the night would be fun after all.

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