A/N: Sorry for the slow updates. Between RL and Faithful I've been a bit caught up. The next chapter might take a hot minute too but I appreciate your patience :D

"Tell me a bit more about yourself." Atem chirps behind me happily. He's been so affectionate this morning it's been difficult to get us breakfast, but it's so cute though. He's like a young kitten or something starving for attention. But I know for a fact he's not hungry because his eyes are glowing so brightly they could be fluorescent.

"What do you want to know?" I ask, laughing as he swings around to kiss my cheek. I place down our plates of pancakes and take a seat. He happily sits across from me, chin in his hands and a great big smile over his handsome face. He's adopted his human form again and dressed into most of his suit, though the buttons are done up low to reveal the hint of the splendor beneath…

"Everything." He hums happily.

My cheeks flush and I busy myself with breakfast while he speaks.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions still but for now, it's my turn. I want to know everything there is about my little cupid."

"Please don't call me that." I laugh.

"My angel?"

"Or that."

"My darling, brightest star that shines brighter than the Gods?"

"I'm pretty sure you're going to offend them saying that." I laugh again.

"Let them be offended." He shrugs easily.

I watch him as I take my first bite. His bright blood red eyes are sparkling with so much life.

"You're in a good mood." I note, amused and he shrugs it off with a coy smile before tending to his own meal.

"For the first time in a long while I feel alive and I have you to thank for that."

Hmmm…my heart is dancing to the tune of those words, and to hide my smile I help myself some more.

It's crazy. How much my life has changed in just a day. Yesterday, last night, this morning… This has been the best time of my life. I've longed for exactly this my entire life and now I am living it, it feels… unreal.

Especially the sex! I'm not a virgin anymore! I can't wait to tell Ryou! I never thought this day would come if I'm honest. It was a milestone just to have him hold my hand ask me out twice, but then yesterday he asked me to be his boyfriend and then … God everything after! This might actually be the best day of my life.

I knock rasps at my door and curiously we both look. It knocks again, quickly and impatiently. Atem moves to stand but I place a hand near him. "I've got this." I say warmly.

It might actually be Ryou, or a neighbour perhaps. Whoever it is can't wait. "I'm coming." I call out, unlocking it.

My mind and soul pause in sheer surprise and disbelief when I see her smiling at me. My childhood friend who I haven't seen since I left Falls Creek. She… she looks beautiful and so grown, but that smile, those deep blue eyes are so lovely… I forgot how beautiful she is.

"T-Tea?" I stammer, looking her up and down. She stands at my height still, she's just as slim as before but … boy has she grown… she wears her new look well in those tight jeans and white crop top. Her hair is tied back but she looks just as spunky as I remember.

"Yugi!" Her voice is just as sweet as I remember.

We come together for a big warm hug and the embrace feels so nice! I missed her so much.

"I didn't think I'd see you again." I breathe. She smells like lilacs and she's so warm!

"Well you should come home more often." She says, squeezing me tightly before she let's me go and smacks my arm surprisingly hard. "You never told me you were leaving and then you never said where you went."

"I'm sorry. I know I should have."

"Its been over 10 years. You're just lucky I still talk to your mother and father and help them out."

She's right to be mad with me. I should have told her. I should have told her years ago at least where I lived.

"Thank you. They tell me how you're doing I just didn't know how to apologise."

"Well you could start with inviting me in, noob."

"Right of course. Come in." I laugh, allowing her to pass. "Actually I'd like to introduce you to my boyfriend." I say this smoothly but inside I'm screaming because he's my boyfriend! That's the first time I've said it!

"Oh boyfriend?" She sounds pleasantly surprised and curious and it fills me with giddy glee.

"Mhm! Atem!" I pass her and eagerly bounce towards him. "This is Tea. She's a childhood friend of mine. Tea this… is …"

I trail off because the energy in the room just became chilled. Like electrifyingly cold.

Atem's beaming aura from before is gone and his eyes burn now with a ferocity I've never seen. He pushes out from his chair so quickly it falls back with a scrape but never mind that; he's baring his fangs and a low, guttural hiss not unlike a large cat comes from his throat.

A moment later the air around me whooshes and I almost get pushed into the wall because of it. Before I can blink both Atem and Tea are in a tangle of mangled bodies. Black and… white wings flapping and pounding against one another.

Tea has launched herself onto Atem with such force that they land on my coffee table it breaks under them. But Atem somehow manages to throw her off him and out through the balcony door, smashing and shattering the glass. He stands victorious in my living room, his wings fanned out from wall to wall and his claws spread, but then a moment later Tea soars back into the room, grabbing Atem in one fell swoop and pushing him hard against my dining table, knocking everything off it and it against the wall.

When I see she's strangling him I try to get close to pull her off but their wings are more of a hazard than anything with their flapping.

"STOP! STOP FIGHTING! DON'T HURT HIM!" I shout and cry, trying to pick my moment to get between them but then Atem manages to swipes his claws at her face and she lets him go with a shriek. He grabs at his throat and sets himself right as she examines the blood across her face. I watch her wound heal before my eyes as she glares at him dangerously, and he returns by hissing at her, baring the extent of his fangs at her.

I'm shaking. I'm so scared he'll get hurt. But what do I do? Can I even stop them?

Tea pounces again and manages to grab Atem's throat and throws him to the wall, shaking the house with its force. He shakes himself free of the stun and kicks her hard in the stomach when she tries to grab him once more. She falls back into my TV, knocking it over and it regretfully smashes. They look poised to come together again but now there's distance, I take my chance.

I race to get in between them before they can clash again and keep them both at arms length. I feel Atem's chest against my hand but I'm staring, wide eyed and terrified, at the person I thought was Tea as she glares daggers at Atem. She's blood thirsty, she's ravenous, she's not my friend… at least… I don't think so… I don't know.

"STOP. BOTH OF YOU!" I shout at them, mostly at Tea. She glances at me ever so briefly but she's flexing her fingers like she really wants to rip into my demon. "Tea?"

"Move out of the way, Yugi." Her voice is low and threatening and I can barely hear it over the sound of my own heart pounding behind my ears.

"I won't let you hurt him." I warn her, but I'm afraid my own voice is failing me. What can I honestly do against her? What can I do to stop him? He's gone full demon right now, black claws and horns to boot… but look at her! She looks no different really except for her large white feathered wings that have spanned out threateningly behind her.

"Do you see what it is?" She spits angrily.

"I do. And I see what you are too…" I say and now she looks at me angrily. But I don't think I pissed her off… I think she's realising what she's showing me.

"I will not hurt you." She says, her voice still dripping with a desire to kill but there's a touch of softness to it.

"Nor will he."

"That is a demon, Yugi!" She growls, her wings flap in … annoyance maybe.

"He is my boyfriend, and you will not touch him." I say firmly, standing tall against her and praying that she can't sense how fucking terrified I am.

She folds her wings with a huff, glaring at me now but saying nothing. I feel Atem behind me shift but I don't dare take my eyes off of her. His wings are still spread… that's all I know.

"Yugi. I know you don't know a lot about this world, but demons are not toys. You cannot trust them."

"I trust him." I say firmly, tough as steel. At least I hope she hears that. "For that matter I trusted you too… but look at you. What are you? My friend or something else?"

She looks cut by that but so be it. I need her to calm down and not try to kill my boyfriend.

"I am your friend, of course." She says finally, relaxing her hands and her eyes softening. Her whole demeanor loses the aggression she had before and she looks at me sadly, as if Atem isn't right behind me at all.

Slowly I relax and take the chance to look at Atem. He's still seething and leering at her, but his fangs are no longer bared. His posture is still threatened though, but he's not angry - he's afraid. I can see it in his eyes; that terror and ferocity is fear.

She managed to scratch him though. His cheek is bleeding as is his lip. I reach to touch his cheek and he flinches but his gaze turns to me. "It's alright." I say softly, though honestly if he doesn't relax I don't blame him. I can't promise him I can stop her again.

He breathes deeply several times before finally he begins to relax his wings. He watches her closely though and wraps his arm around my waist to keep me close to him… like a dragon protecting his hoard.

I see her glare though, but I want her to see how protective he is. "He won't hurt me."

"How do you know that?" She spits.

"Because he loves me… and I love him."

She blinks in surprise and then huffs in irritation, folding her arms and even looking away. I hear Atem make a strange noise by my ear, almost like a grunt of satisfaction perhaps but when I look at him he shows none of it. This won't do. If I'm going to figure this out I can't have him so tense.

"Atem." I whisper to him and he nudges the side of my face gently. He won't speak I guess, or look away from her. "Why don't you wait in my room?"

"I will not leave you here with her." He growls low, barely audible.

"I won't hurt him. I've known him since he was a baby." Tea snaps at him.

"Forgive me for my insolence but you have lied to him since he was a baby." Atem spit at her, standing just a little taller as if against her.

"I have protected him his whole -"

"If you're about to claim protecting him his whole life then where have you been the last decade?"

"The charm on him protected him from me as well! What interest is he to you anyway? Sensed he was a little tastier than most, incubus?" She slurs that last word like an insult and a low rumble vibrates in Atem's chest, right under my hand. I try to calm him but I'm afraid I'm forgotten between them.

"I do not need to explain myself to you." He threatens.

"And I do not need to explain myself to waste like you." She growls.

"Stop it! Both of you." I snap at them, eying them both until they both look away. Okay. I need to settle this down.

I stand between them with as much bravery as I can muster and swallow my fear, taking a deep breath too and try to ignore the screaming in my head. "Tea. Atem taught me how to banish him and Angels… so both of you, right now, turn back into humans, sit down and don't talk unless I tell you to." I say strongly and try to mask how proud of myself I am for managing that without wavering.

They hesitate but once she makes her feathers burn away and she takes a slow, tense seat on the nearby armchair, Atem relaxes. Not fully, but enough.

His turn. I watch him expectedly and he begrudgingly lets his features melt away as he dons his human form. He takes a seat on the couch, pulling me to sit with him. He wants me closer than beside him but he has to deal with only holding my waist and hand instead of having me on his lap like I know he wants.

Good. She bought my bluff. Now what do I do?!

Look at my living room. My landlord is going to kill me! My entire balcony window and door is gone leaving behind a carpet of glass. There's a hole in the wall where Atem crashed into it, my floors are scratched up and my furniture is destroyed… so much for a good morning…

Now there's an agitated demon and angel in my living room and I'm the only thing keeping them from spilling each other's guts out by a thread. I have a headache…Atem told me an angels instinct is to kill a demon but I didn't think one look would set them off like ravenous dogs.

"Okay." I say to break this horrible silence, but my mind has left me. What the fuck do I say? Where do I start?

"Why have you allowed that into your home?" Tea starts for me, spitting the word 'that' as she looks upon Atem in disgust.

"Atem is my partner. He has done nothing but love and protect me. In fact he's the reason I know what you are. Of course that doesn't stop me from being surprised. How long have you been an angel for?" I ask her, letting the irritation through in my voice now. I've known her all my life, we were kids together… now she shows up 10 years later with full knowledge of what's going on?

"A very long time. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I was trying to protect you." She sounds sad enough to be sorry…

"Your presence in his life could have endangered him further. It was your kind that killed his parents." Atem hisses angrily behind me. I understand where he's coming from, and he has a really good point, but I'd like to know everything before I get too angry here. I squeeze his hand to let him know he needs to calm down and he takes in a long, deep breath for me.

"Believe me, I understand the risk I took. His parents were my friends, wretch. Though I don't expect you would understand what that means."

I lean into him quickly to halt his rise and he responds with an agitated hiss. I see him slightly bare his fangs but then he licks his lips, as if tempering his anger perhaps. Just like a cat.

"If I'm going to understand anything that is happening here I need the both of you to ignore one another, okay? Do not make me interview you in turn." I say sharply to both of them, though mostly to Tea. Her insults aren't something I'm going to tolerate much longer.

They huff but otherwise remain silent. "Good. Tea." She folds her arms and legs and waits. Where do I start? "Tell me everything. Why didn't you tell me you were an angel? Why didn't you tell me I was? Why are you here now?"

"The start?" She asks and I nod. "Must I explain in its -"

"His." I correct her quickly. She doesn't look impressed but frankly I don't care. "He is a he and you will respect him."

I can see her jaw clench and her eye twitch but she otherwise looks away from him.

"Your father and I are cupids. Do you know what that is?" She asks.

I feel sick in my stomach from all this anxiety but I nod anyway. "It is a type of angel. An angel of love." I say stiffly and she nods.

"Your father, Solomon, fell in love with a human. Her name was Yui. It is against our laws to interbreed with humans. To become involved with their natural lives is against our fathers will. But he loved her with a love so strong he could not ignore it and let her fall to despair. It is not within a cupid's makeup to ignore love so true. The love he brought others… and he could not deny happiness to the one he cherished most. So he fled to Earth to be with her and together they sired you. Your birth was an outrage among the angels of heaven. Angels are born from the purity of a human soul, they are not born from us mating. But your father loved your mother very much and they loved you more."

So my mother is human… so I'm a half angel then?

"Yugi is an angel. He is a cupid. There's nothing human about him save for the charm protecting him." Atem brings up, rather politely I might add but no less angry.

Tea shoots him a wicked glare but takes a big breath before continuing. "Yes. He is. An angel born from an angelic father and a human mother. He is a half breed, an abomination some would call him, but no less an angel than his father or myself. In fact, all his time on Earth has made him quite strong but for the charm on him repressing his genetics."

"What is this charm and what does it do?" I ask before they can argue more.

"When you were born your father trusted me with this knowledge. I actually was looking after you the day they were killed."

"The reports said I was with a family friend." I say quietly to Atem and he holds me closer.

"Yes. I took you away for the day so they might have some alone time. I did not know they had been found until after they were killed. I felt your father's loss and you did too. You were too young though and only cried. I knew then the only thing that mattered was to protect you. It was that or turn you in to be killed, and having lost my dearest friend who was more brother than anything, I couldn't allow that. He gave his existence to be with her and to bring you into this world, I could not let anything happen to his son. So I placed a protective charm on your soul so that no angel could detect you no matter their strength. After that I handed you to the orphanage and I watched from afar. I threw off their scent whenever their attention was brought back to Falls Creek and I kept you safe."

"And when I left you didn't follow me?" I ask her. Things aren't adding up here.

"I couldn't. Your charm also protects you from me. I cannot sense you."

"How did you find me?"

"Your parents. After you left I had realised you were gone, I could do nothing but look after them. I asked how you were doing and where you were but they never told me. They said you were fine but that you didn't want to be found."

That's weird… why would they say that? "I never told them that." I say quietly.

"Is it true?" She asks me.

Good question. At the time, yes I didn't want them to know necessarily where I was going. Partially because I didn't know myself but also… if those murderers had found me I didn't want anything linking me to them. I cut my contact with everyone in Falls Creek after I left and only used a cheap burner phone for a while. It wasn't for like a year when I started relaxing and saved their number on a real phone and longer than that before I visited.

"Partially true but I never told them."

"Yugi. The charm on you protects you from being sensed by other angels, and it also represses much of your abilities and physical traits. But there are some that are not repressed. The power of suggestion is one of them. You might have accidentally given them the impression you did not want to be found and thus incidentally made them swear not to tell anyone." She explains and it just… makes me angry.

"I did not hypnotise my parents!"

"I did not say that. But your abilities are untrained and you don't have any control over them."

"I don't have abilities. I can't mind read, I can't persuade someone of something without saying. The only thing that's absurd about me is my love life but that's fixed now. I have found someone who loves me. End of story."

"Yugi." Atem behind me says quietly and it makes me feel hollow inside. I turn to him and I see sadness, regret… why? "I hate to ask help from an angel but I do not know much about Cupids. She is what you are, I advise you to listen to her."

No.

"I didn't expect wisdom from - … a demon, but you should listen to him." Tea says. I don't believe this. They were at each others throats and now they're ganging up on me.

I sigh in frustration though. What else can I do if not continue to deny this or listen…

"I found you by chance." Tea continues and I gladly listen to this. "I came to check on your parents last month when I noticed a filthy little animal welcomed into their home. I was ready to kill the beast but instead, against my own judgment… I waited. When he left without hurting them or charming them in any way, shape or form, I followed him."

I hear Atem take a somewhat strained breath and his hands tighten on me. He seems nervous though. He feels nervous.

"I don't know why I didn't kill him but after a while I grew bored following him and returned to your parents. They told me he was looking for you but otherwise seemed nice. They told him where you lived and then they told me where you lived. So I came here only I felt the magic on this house… a protective ward to keep out angels… however it only works when we drop in, not if we are invited. You need to work on your angelic charms." She directed that last part to Atem, which is good because I have no idea what she's talking about.

I look at him and he looks as if he's chewing his tongue.

"Atem?"

He glances at me but only briefly.

"You didn't tell him you protected his house against intruders?" She asks him.

"What is she talking about?" I ask.

He shifts and then sighs and clicks his fingers. The moment he does I notice markings appear all over my walls and ceiling. Along the skirting of the roof is carved into golden intricate symbols that make no sense to me at all, but they burn brightly like a river of sunlight. The ceiling has the same symbols but larger and in circles that barely connect with one another. Across the walls are painted red symbols but these are harsher, with aggressive strokes and broken curves. These appear to be painted with blood though and pulse with a black shadow. An occult marking if I ever did see one. I don't know what they are though. What does this mean?

"You protected him against your own kind too. Very vigilant. You must be considered a truly sick individual to have developed such a possessive taste for an angel." Tea muses but I don't like her tone, and nor does Atem if his growl is anything to go by. He snaps his fingers once more and the markings fade into nothingness again.

"They are still here, protecting you from any that would hunt us down." Atem explains.

"What are they?" I ask him pointedly. It's not enough they trashed my apartment but now he's vandalising it as well?

"The gold on the ceiling is to protect you from any angel that finds you and makes them unable to enter your home without invitation. The red markings deny any demon that isn't me into your home without yours or my invitation." He explains. I see… I don't know when he did this but it sounds like he went to great lengths to protect us.

"You marked your territory." Tea notes. Territory… something about that just makes me feel… kind of honoured actually.

"What of it?" Atem asks, not denying it at all. Okay. Contain yourself, Yugi. Now is not the time to be flattered.

"It is unusual. In my years I have never come across a demon, an incubus no less, that has developed such an attachment to any one human before, let alone an angel."

"Just because we are sinners does not mean we are void of love." Atem shoots back, raising a cocky brow at her for good measure. I expected her anger to flare but instead she smirks.

"What would you know about love? Your sin is lust. They are two very different things."

"Yes they are but it is amazing how much stronger they are together." Atem's temper is cooling at least but he's playing with fire. This feels like a dangerous game between them.

"Tea." I say with a warning to my tone. "I know he loves me. I have felt it. Like I have never known love before. I see it all the time and never knew what it felt like until him. What I feel for him is love too. I'm asking you, as my friend, please respect that."

"As your friend I cannot condone this kind of relationship Yugi." She says matter of factly. I can't say I'm not disappointed but I'm not surprised. "But as a cupid… I can feel the love inside you is strong. You have felt love from another very recently and I hate to admit this but were it anyone else it would be them with you and not him."

Now that surprised me… "Well… good." What else can I say?

"Actually it sickens me that I can see the bond between you is very clear… but I do not know if I would call what he has as love for you, or love for the power you can provide him. I guess I'll have to wait and see."

"So you won't try to kill him if I let either of you out of my sight?" I ask her.

She looks stiff and she's fighting to disagree… but she eventually sighs in defeat.

"Not unless provoked."

"Atem?" I turn to him and it's like looking into a mirror. He's just as reserved and stubborn as she is.

"Unless provoked."

"Good. We're friends then."

"I would not go that far." They both say at the same time, glare and huff again. Yeah. They're gonna be great friends…

"So Tea. You found me. I'm guessing you came here then to see if I was safe?" I ask.

"A demon was tracking you down. I finally learned where you live. Of course I came to see if you were safe. But also to ask, what the fuck? Why did you leave?"

…right…

"I found out my biological parents were murdered. I didn't want them coming after me and by extent my adoptive parents. So I left. I'm sorry I didn't tell you but you were never easy to contact. Which reminds me… if you've been an angel this whole time why do I remember you growing up with me?"

She smiles warmly at me and it feels nice honestly after all this tension. "Love isn't the only thing cupids have power over. We can appear as any age as we please."

"So you kept yourself at his age to make him trust you?" Atem asks, more curious than anything.

"Correct. And it was easier to slip any other angels' notice if I did not appear as myself." She answers simply.

Atem sniffs and looks away once more. God only knows what he's thinking though.

"May I ask some questions now?" She asks us. I nod and she smiles but it's a wicked smile.

"How long have you been dating a demon?"

"Since yesterday technically… but I've known him longer." I feel kind of weird answering that. It feels like a trap that might land Atem in trouble, but I'll defend him. It doesn't matter what has happened before today, all that matters is that he loves me.

"I see. What did you want with Yugi's parents."

"It does not concern you." Atem says grumpily. I elbow him in the ribs and he looks at me sharply.

"She answered our questions." I say quietly and he sighs.

"I was looking into what Yugi was. I knew he wasn't human but I did not know he was an angel. When I found out I tried to flee, but found I couldn't and returned."

"Had you already tasted him before you left?" She asks him. Tasted me?

"No."

"Is she talking about how you feed?" I ask him and he nods.

"I see. Have you fed on him since?"

"That's private!" I yelp and don't miss her curiosity turn to disapproval. Still she sighs.

"I see. It should be impossible for an angel to fall for an incubus' charm. I can guess it might have something to do with the charm on you that suppresses this protection…"

"If you're suggesting I only fell for him because of this charm on me, you're wrong. I love him. He's the only one in my entire life that has ever looked at me and only me. He came back for me even knowing the danger I present to him. He passed every one of my tests which no one has ever done."

"Maybe. I'm yet to be convinced. In any case, that can wait. Someone is coming."

No sooner had she said that was there a sharp knock on the door. Oh no. That might be my landlord or the police coming to investigate the racket from earlier. I'm fucked now!

"Relax." Tea's voice sang sweetly and in just a short moment there was a buzz of hot energy filling the room and everything just… fixed itself. The furniture, my TV, my door, the walls and floors… everything appeared as it did before their fight. Oh thank fuck for that!

Another sharp rasp at the door followed by the angry hollering of my landlord. I spare them each one last look, warning them not to start fighting before I sprint to the door.

My landlord: Mr. Hiroshi, is a stout, grumpy man. Many of my neighbours think so. But his rent is cheap and he cares little what we do so long as we pay on time and don't disturb anyone. He's known me for a very long time and has never had an issue with me - until now.

"Mr. Moto." He breathes and I can practically feel the ice coming from him.

"Mr. Hiroshi. Good morning. What can I do for you?"

"I've had several complaints about an awful lot of racket from your apartment, not to mention yesterday I believe you distressed my receptionist and cleaning staff with flower carts?" He asks me but it's not for clarification. He knows I know he has security footage of that. He's offering me a chance to explain.

"Um, yes. Sorry about that. See I didn't actually anticipate those things either and -"

"May I see inside?" He cuts in, clearly disinterested in anything I have to say. I know why he wants in; the noise they made earlier definitely would warrant concern…but I have an angry demon and angel in there and they may not appear it but if they lash out again …

"S-sure." I step aside and he walks in gruffly.

I follow close on his heel and he's quick to spy both beings sat where I left them. Nothing amiss though, unless you count the big flower cart in the corner. Nothing is messy, nothing is broken and I stand nervously still as he wonders the rest of the house, glaring at them both for landing me in this trouble.

When he comes back I smile and pray and wonder if it would be rude if I hurried him along.

"Keep the noise down, Moto." He says as he walks himself out.

"Of course, sir. Thank you. Have a great day -" The door closes behind him sharply and I breathe out his name in relief.

Then I turn to them sharply. "That was my landlord. If he had found this place as it was -"

"I would not allow you to be thrown out on his account." Tea snarls at Atem who bares his fangs at her threateningly.

"I did not barge in here wings blazing." He retorts.

"You should not be here in the first place, demon."

"I am his mate, I have every right to be here."

Tea scoffs at that. "I am his guardian angel, my right overpowers yours."

"You have been absent!"

"ENOUGH!" I shout at them and then slap my mouth closed. I promised I'd keep it down. "Enough. Both of you."

They're quiet. Finally! But I can feel the headache coming on. I take a seat at the dining table and rest my head in my hands. This is too much. It is one thing to find out your really hot love interest is a demon, then to find out you yourself are an angel, then to have said demon confess his love to you. I got that. I'm down. But to then add on top of that my childhood friend is another bloody angel? What else don't I know about my life that I should?

"There is another reason why I am here." Tea pipes up and tiredly I look at her. "Have you seen the news recently?"

I shake my head because I have no idea what she's talking about. "Sure I watch it occasionally. Is someone else an angel I should know about?" I ask dryly. She laughs and a moment later the TV switches on, conveniently on a news channel. I can't see well from here so with a sigh I get up and come back to sit by Atem.

On it is conveniently a news conference, muted behind the reporter who is talking about Kaiba and Kaiba Corp. I remember this broadcast. It was on last week - or so I thought.

"This was last weeks broadcast. I'm showing it to you now because it's important." Tea explains.

"How are you doing that?" I ask and she smiles at me.

"It is quite easy, but not why I'm showing you this."

According to reports Kaiba has been somewhat absent for a while. His younger brother Mokuba and his associates have been taking over for the CEO. I would think he's probably on some holiday but apparently it's enough to warrant concern. He's alive, but he's just not talking to anyone.

"Here." The footage pauses on a still of Seto Kaiba, his hand to the paparazzi to hide himself as he steps into his white limo. I don't get it though.

"Why are we looking at this?" I ask boredly.

"You do not see the aura?" She asks.

"Aura?" I'm getting impatient now. I don't doubt their claims but all I see is Kaiba avoiding the press. Nothin freaky at all.

She sighs though and looks back at the TV. "He's blue."

"Blue?"

"I've heard of that term." Atem mentions quietly.

"That doesn't surprise me. If I'm correct a similar condition can occur in humans who have experienced a Cubi one too many times." Tea muses.

"Can you guys explain this to me like I'm not an angel?" I ask, intentionally showing my irritation.

Atem shifts so I look at Tea for an explanation.

"Humans who have been touched by a cupid has attached to their soul a colour. It's harmless, it is merely a visual affect other angel and in some cases, demons, can see. It helps us determine if they have crossed paths with the above."

Atem scoffs at that this time and I push his knee with my own to make him behave. She caught this but otherwise ignored it. "Most humans find love within days of crossing paths with a cupid, but those rare few who are denied or unfortunate enough to miss their chance experience an effect not unlike withdrawal. The experience normally manifests itself as depression which in most cases subside over time but in more serious cases can lead to death. The colour associated with this is blue, hence the name. Cupids can see it clearly and Mr. Seto Kaiba is blue."

"What does this have to do with me? Maybe some other Cupid failed." I suggest but she shakes her head no.

"There's also a marker, or a scent left behind on a human who has come into contact with an angel and I see that his matches the ones on your parents."

I don't understand this. There's too much markers and colours and god knows what attached to souls that they can apparently see. I see nothing though. No bright light, no little orb, no aura, no colours - just Kaiba.

"So - why are you telling me this? Do you want me to fix it? Cause I hardly see why it's my fault he didn't find love. Every other person in my life has always found love. Are you telling me now not only have I attracted Atem who is supposed to be immune to me, but now there's a second person who has come into contact with me who also hasn't found love?" I ask incredulously but there's no joke in the way she nods.

"In extreme cases such as Seto Kaiba's there is something we can do to prevent an untimely end. This is why I'm here. To correct his aura - and seeing as you know about angels now, I'd like to prove to you that all of this is real."

"How?" I ask impatiently.

"There's a few methods. The most common is to determine who the missed encounter was and to either remove the memory or try again."

This is too much. I've been saying that alot this morning.

I look at Atem who has been awfully quiet through all this but he doesn't appear to have much to say about this. "What do you think?"

"I can see she's telling you the truth. I also see blue around the edges of his soul and when I met him that day I did smell something familiar about him. I just assumed it was because you had been all over him before."

"You what?!" Tea exclaimed and Atem smirked at her and I sighed.

"I went on a date with him, but it didn't work out. I got drunk, and might have made a fool of myself." I say simply and return back to him. "What should I do? Surely I can't be the reason he didn't find love that night, right? I mean if he was in love with me he wasn't giving me any signs."

"He invited you back to duel him that day. Are you sure you didn't misread him?" Atem asks me and I roll my eyes.

"How would you read complete indifference?"

"It's possible to love someone without being sexually attracted to them." Tea points out and I sigh heavily. I know she's right - but still how is this my fault?

"Okay, then what do we do? Cause I have a boyfriend now. I really don't want to be the reason for his depression."

"You might not be. It could just be that whoever was compatible with him wasn't near him within the days he was affected by you." She suggested. Why is this so complicated?

Because it's love. That's why. Love isn't as easy as I've witnessed. Boy have I learned that the hard way this past month.

"So what do we do?" I ask again and she smiles.

"Come visit him with me. I'll show you what you can do and maybe then you'll believe."

I look at Atem and he's eyeing her carefully, scowling but saying nothing. "Atem?"

"I would like to accompany you. If anything should happen to Yugi -"

"Nothing will happen to him, and I am a much more fitting protector than you." Tea sneered at him. He shot daggers at her and I can hear him huffing.

"I was not asking." He growls.

"Are you two going to fight like this the whole time?"

"Most likely, yes." They said together and I sigh deeply again.

This is too much.

A/N: Tell me what you think of Tea? I fear I haven't captured her personality well, but at the same time she's an angel and is very on edge in Atem's presence. I do intend to soften her demeanor later and make her more like she is, but I'm also taking some solace in the fact that this is not even remotely canon at all - like in the slightest! XD Thoughts?