***Too tired to write an AN. Hope everyone like the ending. Disclaimer - lemon***

They'd fallen asleep in a tangle, with only Ryou's thin pajama bottoms keeping their bodies separated from each other. When Ryou woke up for the second time that day, he felt groggy but well rested. Yet as he drew closer to consciousness, he realized a weight sat on his chest, an incubus waiting to tempt him, but the weight wasn't familiar. It wasn't Mariku.

Grudgingly, Ryou blinked his eyes open. A white form haunted his vision. "Ring-Spirit?"

"I knocked but there was no answer, so we let ourselves in."

Ryou turned his head and noticed Marik leaning in the doorway.

"Great," Ryou mumbled under his breath. "First my ancient Egyptian stepfather comes to lecture me, and now it's my ancient Egyptian fairy-godmother's turn."

A dry snort of laughter huffed from Bakura's throat. "Just making sure you're alive and in possession of all your limbs. I half expected to find a corpse in here when you didn't answer the door."

"Sorry. We didn't really sleep last night."

Bakura smirked. "Neither did we."

"I brought a suitcase of old clothes," Marik said from his spot at the door.

"Thanks." Ryou nodded. "Guess I should do the same."

"Oh, I already helped myself while you slept."

"Well." Ryou sighed. "It is what it is."

"So, I take it you're okay." He glanced at the sleeping Mariku. "You seemed to have tamed the beast. I wish Marik was half as easy to subdue."

Marik snorted. "You wish no such thing, Bakura."

"I know it's stupid, but have you ever fell so into place with someone from the moment you first met that you can't help but - what am I saying?" Ryou laughed. "Of course you have."

"No." Bakura crossed his arms over his chest. "I have no idea what you're rambling about."

"Bakura, we don't have long to catch our plane."

"Plane?" Ryou asked.

"Yes, Host, I'm afraid we're getting the fuck out of Domino."

"That's safer for the Pharaoh, but how did Marik bribe you into that plan?"

Bakura slicked his white hair back, the batwings popping out of place again the moment he removed his hand. "We may or may not stop by Luxor to visit Marik's sister and desecrate a certain Pharaoh's tomb."

Ryou hid his mouth behind his hand as he laughed.

Bakura stared a moment. "What? No declarations of friendship? No stern words?"

Ryou shrugged. "Nope. Have fun storming the castle."

Bakura snorted, but Ryou knew he caught the reference by the way his mouth twisted into a not-quite grin.

Ryou nodded. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, then."

Bakura shrugged, but also looked away. "Yeah, whatever."

Ryou glanced at Marik. "I know you were being selfish, but I'm glad you talked us into bringing them back."

Marik gave Ryou half of a grin.

"Actually-" Bakura began, but before he could finish, a tanned hand shoved him off of the bed.

"Don't touch Ryou. He's mine."

Bakura growled, pushing himself up to his feet. "He was mine first, and you'll never be able to change that. "

Ryou folded his hands into his lap. "If we're going to be specific, you were mine. I was the last owner of the Millennium Ring and you were part of the Ring." He smiled. "So, basically, I owned you."

"But you were my host."

"Only when I chose to wear the Ring. I could have given you away to Yugi."

"You wouldn't have dared," Bakura hissed.

Marik's laugh made Bakura's head jerk to the opposite end of the room. "Not. One. Word. Marik."

Marik's laughter settled down. Instead, he licked his lips to tease Bakura, inciting a low growl from the back of Bakura's throat. Marik grinned and Bakura glared, but after a moment, Marik flicked his eyes towards the doorway and Bakura sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Catch our plane."

After Bakura left the room, Marik turned towards Ryou. "You should probably go and check the suitcase full of clothes he stole. Make sure there's nothing in there you want to argue for."

Ryou sighed, pushing himself away from the covers. "Not that it'll do any good to ask for my own stuff back, but I guess I really should take inventory of what I'm losing."

Ryou found Bakura standing and waiting in the living room. "So." The former spirit raised a white eyebrow. "You mentioned getting a lecture from your ancient Egyptian stepfather?"

Ryou rolled his eyes a little. He answered with a high, mocking tone. "Don't let Mariku stay with you. He's dangerous. He'll kill you. Why do you have teeth marks on your neck?" Ryou's brow knitted together. "I have teeth marks on my neck because he won the initiation roll and got to attack first, not because I'm a helpless victim. There's a difference."

Bakura's eyes trailed over to the diorama still lying on the floor. "You know... I was a little freaked out last night when we left. I know I was never... pleasant, but the thought of you being dissected didn't sit well with me."

Ryou chuckled. "You looked pissed, not concerned."

"That too, but once I got to Marik's place I screamed at him for just walking away."

"Well, yes, I'm sure a good argument was a nice bit of foreplay for both of you."

Bakura gave Ryou wry look. "He set you up, you know."

Ryou tilted his head. "Who set me up for what?"

"Marik. You accused him of being selfish for bringing me back, but he knew how things would turn out between you and his other half - before he asked you and that runt to cast the spell with him."

"Bullshit."

"That's what I said." Bakura scowled. "But he insisted. He knew it was a gamble, but thought you'd win by the end of it." Bakura huffed, turning away again. "Now I owe him a blow job because he was right."

Ryou thought about what Bakura said, absentmindedly checking his suitcase full of his clothes meant for a trip he wouldn't be taking. "Do I still own anything black?"

Bakura shrugged.

Ryou sighed, stealing one of his favorite long-sleeved undershirts from the pile. "Fine. Keep everything else."

"So nice to have your permission."

At that moment, both Mariks walked into the living room. The original Marik had a secretive smirk on his face; his shadow blushed and Ryou wondered what sort of conversation they could have possibly had to leave Mariku looking so thoughtful and embarrassed.

"Mariku? Are you okay?" Ryou asked.

He turned away, unable to look in Ryou's direction. He sat in "their chair" with his arms crossed over his chest. He wore a pair of pants Ryou didn't recognize, presumably one of the second hand ones given to him by Marik.

Marik kept on as if he didn't notice Mariku's strange expression. "Ready, Bakura?"

"Yeah." Bakura nodded, chuckling to himself. "Let's go."

Ryou stared at them for a moment, feeling like he should say something. "Don't get caught defiling the Pharaoh's tomb." Ryou smirked. "Do you think his mummy will curse you for meddling?"

"Curses are nonsense." Bakura grabbed his suitcase and walked towards the door.

"Yeah, totally not real like logical things. Y'know, spirit-possessed artifacts, Shadow Games, the dead coming back to life..." Ryou smiled. "Anyway... take care."

"Get the fuck out of my apartment." Mariku curled his legs up to his chest.

Marik only grinned at his counterpart's ire. "Remember what I told you." A single laugh accompanied his words and then he added, "Have fun you two."

"Yeah." Bakura's expression was as tickled as Marik's. "Don't do anything we wouldn't."

"I told you to leave!"

They did, and Ryou stood confused in the living room. "Okay, what in the world did you two talk about?"

"I'm hungry. Feed me."

Ryou laughed. "I'm hungry too, but we're out of cereal. Let me take a quick shower, and then we can go get something to eat before we go grocery shopping."

Ryou tied his hair back as he walked to the bathroom. As he focused on untying the knot on his pajama bottoms, a pair of warm, cumin colored hands smoothed across his stomach. Ryou shouted in surprise, relaxing as soon as he registered Mariku's touch. "You scared me."

Mariku gave a single grunt for an answer, nuzzling Ryou's hair and teasing his stomach.

"I..." Ryou sighed. "Need to take a shower."

"I know."

"Um... people take showers alone, Mariku."

"Not this time."

Ryou sighed, capitulating. He slipped his pants off, gasping when Mariku's hand slid down a few inches to explore the newly exposed skin. Ryou leaned forward to turn the water on, but that made him press against Mariku's front, and Ryou realized Mariku already had his pants off. Ryou closed his eyes and swallowed.

His white feet matched the tiled floor. Thick curls of steam dressed them as they crowded close to share as much of the stream of hot water as possible. Mariku took the soap and rubbed it between his broad, wet hands until a heavy layer of lather filled his palms. Next, he grabbed Ryou and started rubbing him down with soapy hands.

Having never been naked with another person before, Ryou blushed. The cute, pink flush on his face darkened to a heavy mauve when Mariku reached between Ryou's legs. One hand slid up and down Ryou's shaft until he was hard, the other curved lower and back until Ryou felt a sud-lubed finger slip inside of him.

Ryou jerked, circling his arms around Mariku's neck to keep himself from falling to the wet tile below them.

Mariku added a second finger, letting go of Ryou's shaft and pulling their bodies closer together. Ryou moaned, closing his eyes and leaning into Mariku's shoulder. He wasn't sure what to do or how to react, so he stood there, leaning against Mariku, and waiting to see where the former alter ego would take the situation.

"Tonight," Mariku growled into Ryou's ear, emphasizing his word with a solid thrust of his fingers. "You're mine."

Ryou squeezed Mariku's neck in response, incapable of words. He didn't want to wait until that evening. He wanted to climb Mariku like a tree right then and there, but he couldn't move with his limbs trembling the way they were, so he stayed in Mariku's hold and imagined what that evening would bring.

Mariku still experimented with his fingers inside Ryou, changing the depth and angle of his movements. A wide, sinister grin illuminated his face. "There," he whispered.

He'd pressed into Ryou as he said there, and Ryou cried out a surprised shriek. Several additional whines followed as Mariku continued to press up.

Satisfied with Ryou's reaction, Mariku pulled away and started to run down his own body with soap and scrub his hair with shampoo. Ryou stood, panting and watching, desperate for more, but somehow knowing he was being forced to wait.

He rinsed off and grabbed his towel from its drying rack. Ryou opened up his linen cupboard, trying to hand a clean towel to Mariku, but before he could pass it on, Mariku shook out his wild spikes like a dog.

Ryou covered his eyes from the drops, frowning as he pushed the towel into Mariku's chest. "Really?"

"It worked."

"The mirror's spotted now."

"Who cares?"

"I do. I'm the one who cleans the bathroom."

Mariku shrugged, unremorseful. He jumped back into the olive green cargo pants he wore before, and paired it with a black tank top that looked exactly like the one he wore during Battle City. After they dressed, they went out for takoyaki and then went to the closest supermarket.

Normally, Ryou had a list, but recent events had him unprepared for a proper week's worth of meal planning. Ryou tried to stick to staples he knew he'd need. Rice, noodles, vegetables, fish, and tofu. "Mariku, do you want beef?" Ryou asked, turning around when he didn't hear an answer. "Mariku?"

He couldn't see him. Ryou spun around, searching every direction and checking the nearest isles. His heart pounded as he searched, partly because he didn't trust Mariku alone and loose in the world yet, and partly because he'd gotten use to Mariku being a clingy shadow and felt naked without him nearby. "Mariku?"

The sound of something being thrown into his basket made Ryou jerk and spin around. He saw Mariku standing near the cart, looking sheepish. "That's the kind Marik told me to buy."

Ryou blinked and checked his cart, noticing a bottle of silicone lubricant. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears as he stared at the bottle. "Oh. Yeah, I guess we do need that, don't we?"

"Apparently."

Ryou blinked. "Wait, was that what Marik talked to you about this morning?"

"Are we done? I don't like being in places with so many people. Makes me wish I'd brought my knife."

"You mean my knife," Ryou corrected, possessive of his kitchen gear.

"Mine now, creampuff."

They checked out and left the store. Mariku carried all but one of the bags, and Ryou couldn't help but smile as he thought of how nice it was to have someone to go shopping with and help carry everything. When they made it home, Ryou made shrimp spring rolls, light on the onion, heavy on the mint.

They spent the rest of the afternoon playing Monster World. The quest started with deer hunts in the forest, and sheep raids on nearby farms, but as they leveled up, Ryou started slipping in the occasional victim.

Mariku rolled a double zero on his attack.

"You leap into the air, catching her throat and ripping it wide open. Your mouth fills with the copper taste of her blood and it covers your muzzle as you begin to feed."

Mariku grabbed Ryou and sat him in his lap. He pushed Ryou's white hair over his shoulder so he could nuzzle and kiss the nape of Ryou's neck. "Really? Tell me more," he purred as he slipped his hands beneath Ryou's shirt and started caressing Ryou's stomach.

"Ah, ahhh, um, she n-never had time to scream. Her husband aims a pistol at you."

Ryou rolled the dice - 82. "His hands are shaking, so the bullet goes wide. You don't even notice as you feed because... ah, because... the... hunger... let's go to bed, Mariku."

Mariku's fingers continued to meander up Ryou's chest, teasing Ryou's nipples while Mariku continued kissing the back of Ryou's neck. "Don't you want to play for a little while longer?"

"No, not at the moment."

Mariku chuckled, twisting Ryou's nipple. "It's not even dark yet.."

"I'm tired." Ryou hitched up as Mariku bit a little harder. "Please."

"Mmmmm... beg more."

"Please," Ryou whispered again. He shifted in Mariku's lap until they sat face to face, allowing Mariku, once again, to control their kissing. "Please," Ryou gasped between breaths. "Pretty please."

"But that farmer is still alive."

"It's my attack." Ryou grabbed the dice, cheating the throw to also roll a crit. "There. I ripped his stomach out. We feast on their corpses and go back to our den in a haze of lust while drunk off of their blood."

"Were you even in wolf form?"

"Yes," Ryou hissed, surprised by the strength and impatience in his own voice.

Mariku laughed. He moved Ryou off of his lap so he could stand up, lifting Ryou up bridal style and carrying him towards the bedroom. Near the bed, Mariku set Ryou down on his feet.

"Undress for me. Slowly. Make me want you." Mariku sat down on the edge of the bed, crossing his legs and staring at Ryou.

By the heat on his cheeks, Ryou knew his complexion was a mess of coral. He took a deep inhale and exhale, calming himself, trying to think of how the Ring-Spirit would act in a similar situation as a sort of guide for his own actions.

Ryou toyed with the hem of his shirt, bring up one corner to show a peek of white skin as his other hand tousled his long hair. His right hand dropped from his milky locks and dragged down his own chest, stopping at the hem of his shirt to raise it a little higher. He pulled the shirt up over his shoulders, dropping it to the carpet below. Ryou walked forward a few paces, teasing the skin of his collarbone and sliding his slender fingers down to his waistline, toying beneath his jeans, touching areas of flesh that Mariku could not yet see.

"Good," Mariku encouraged, his voice a low purr. "Keep going."

With permission, Ryou unbuttoned his pants and lowered his zipper. He allowed them to hang loose on his waist as he swiveled his hips in a small dance. Insecure, Ryou kept moving as best he could, spurred on by the burning lavender gaze that never left Ryou's body. Ryou swung his waist in figure eights, lowering his jeans a little more with each backwards curve of his hips. He dropped them to the floor and then did the same with his boxers. Naked, Ryou stepped forward again, pausing when he reached Mariku.

Mariku stood. His eyes gave a silent command, and Ryou began pulling the shirt up over bronze shoulders, kissing the deep copper chest. Ryou looked up, staring at Mariku and dropping to his knees. A snap instead of a button held Mariku's pants together at the top, so Ryou used his teeth to pull the metal clasp apart and then used his fingers to drag the zipper down. With both hands, Ryou tugged the pants down to the floor.

Mariku stepped out of his clothes, grabbed Ryou's hair and guided Ryou's mouth towards his erection. Ryou opened his mouth wide and allowed Mariku to control the in-and-out motion as he thrusted into Ryou's mouth. With a quick jerk, Mariku pulled away, and Ryou moaned in protest, licking his wet lips. Hand still in Ryou's hair, Mariku pulled Ryou to his feet and shoved him down on the mattress, face-first.

He grabbed the new bottle of lube and spent a moment saturating Ryou and his fingers both before shoving two fingers inside. Ryou exhaled through his nose, his breath already struggling to stay calm.

Mariku spent a long time toying with Ryou, moving in and out, circling, scissoring, occasionally teasing Ryou's prostate in order to make his partner scream into his pillow.

"I'm ready."

"You're ready when I say you are." Mariku added another finger and started the process all over again.

Ryou fisted the pillow he was using to censor his noise level. He tried shifting back into Mariku's touch, desperate for more, but Mariku held Ryou's hips in place with his large, strong grip.

"Mariku!"

"Yes, my sweet?"

"I'm ready."

"Not quite."

Ryou reached for his own erection in defiance, but Mariku grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back. He hunched over Ryou, whispering in his dark, coarse voice. "Only I get to make you cum, Ryou."

His voice and his words made the muscles in Ryou's belly twist and shiver. "Then make me cum!" Ryou shouted, no longer concerned about embarrassment or noise complaints.

Mariku pulled away his fingers and Ryou moaned at the loss, afraid he was being punished somehow for his back talk, but Mariku grinned. "Yes. Now you're ready."

He let go of Ryou's wrist, placing his hand back on Ryou's hip. Mariku used his other hand to guide his long, slick shaft completely into Ryou's body. Ryou screamed again, shoving his mouth, opened wide as he screamed, against his pillow until it was damp with spit. Mariku paused, dragging out the experience, insuring Ryou adjusted to his size and girth.

Mariku began easing out a few centimeters and then easing back in. Ryou clawed at everything in reach - pillow, sheets, headboard. The sensation was expansive and completing and each slide made Ryou's body twitch in pleasure.

He rested on his forearms and knees, ass up in the air and face buried in his pillow. There were no delusions of self control - Ryou was a well-loved rag doll, a toy for Mariku to play with as he wanted. And Ryou enjoyed every second as he was reduced to a mindless, screaming plaything.

Mariku slipped his right hand along Ryou's pale thigh. "Are you ready? Is it time for me to make you cum?"

Ryou wailed yeses into his pillow, twitching and climbing at the mere thought of Mariku touching him, so much so that when it happened, it only took a moment before Ryou spilled out onto the sheets.

"Good," Mariku praised again. "Yes." He leaned closer as he moved. Mariku's lips tickled Ryou's spine as he spoke. "Now it's time for you to make me cum, Ryou."

Ryou moaned, closing his eyes as Mariku's soft, erotic words spiraled straight into his core.

Mariku sped up, pounding harder into Ryou's body. Ryou cooed, whispering endearing nonsense to Mariku as he moved. Mariku gasped, curling close and tight to Ryou's body. The burning of friction soon gave way to the warmth of seed, and then Mariku was turning Ryou over so he could hide in Ryou's white, thin chest.

Ryou hummed, and combed Mariku's hair with his fingers. Mariku reached out, face still hidden, and twined his own fingers through foam-white strands of Ryou's hair in return. They stayed like that for a while, not talking, simply lying in each other's arms as Ryou hummed music from his favorite horror flicks.

The light outside faded and the room grew dim, but before the room went fully dark, Mariku looked up at Ryou and smiled. Ryou's breath caught in his throat. Mariku's hair was in a state of pure entropy, and a few beads of sweat still clung to his temples, trapping stray gold threads against his cumin-colored skin. Mariku's eyes were wide and bright, a little sleepy, but at the same time thoughtful. The smile itself wasn't a smirk or malicious grin. It was a smile, a true one. It was the first time Ryou ever saw Mariku happy without any traces of violence or anger. Ryou suspected it was the first time Mariku had ever felt honest and true happiness. Knowing that he himself helped cause that emotion made Ryou smile as well.

And years later, when Mariku asked, Ryou would explain that it was at that precise moment that Ryou had fallen in love.