THIS IS THE LAST LAST LAST CHAPTER!!! It's been a good run but this isn't the first last chapter I've ever had and it… might not be the last…?

Its been like... 60 days since my last update... ff . net can tell. Oops. Man, this has been gestating for a while. This needed to go up a while ago but it didn't because of technical difficulties. Seriously. My computer was possessed by Satan (A.K.A. super-monster-virus-that-eats-my-laptop). It still a little possessed but thanks to some very helpful friends I managed to get rid of most of the demons.

Reminder: Ni-sama=older brother

Ok. It's been good. I love you guys. (TEARS) God, I said I wouldn't cry…

Chyaputa 30: Absolution

1. The act of absolving; a freeing from blame or guilt; release from consequences, obligations, or penalties

2. A remission of sin or of the punishment for sin, made by a priest in the sacrament of penance on the ground of authority received from Christ.

3. A declaration or assurance of divine forgiveness to penitent believers, made after confession

"I cannot reason why you would want me here," said Ishizu. Her modest human form sat as formally as ever, although her ankles were now crossed in a weak way. Atemu, Kaiba, and Ryou had met her in a café a block away from her human shelter. It was the perhaps the first time she had left her house since the incident. Why Ryou had chosen to attend this meeting Kaiba neither knew nor cared. It was most likely due to Atemu's inappropriate heart.

The solemn woman who they had all come to see had lost most of her previous pride. Kaiba had predicted that she might be less enthusiastic about meeting them after her brother died, if dying was the most accurate term for the disassembly of a power source.

"I do not know what I can do for your group now that we are all fugitives of our respectful realms. I do not have the strength nor, I must admit, the will to fight anymore battles. I don't have much to live for," the woman announced without even a prompt; she was certainly less impressive now than she had been when Kaiba had first evaluated her.

"You cannot give up so easily, Ishizu-san. There are many things that you can achieve. That is why we're here." Atemu turned to Kaiba with ill-placed authority, signaling him to speak. Kaiba, obviously, did not, nor did he ever, need Atemu's permission to speak.

"We have a business proposition for you," Kaiba broached.

Ishizu was startled, like a witless female, which she was. "I do not understand."

Atemu leaned forward; he was going to address her weak points first, then Kaiba would come in with the details of the plan. "If you help us, we can save many more souls from persecution."

Ishizu, once a Virtue of the State of Heaven and now a lost, will-less pretend-human figure, was unmoved. "How do you mean?"

Atemu had enough determination to fill the room. "By letting more angels and demons live in the human world, where they can be free to live out their lives, away from that idiotic war and corrupt oppression."

The woman seemed appalled for a moment. "You are not serious. You're planning to open an illegal railway, two illegal railways, so that demons can escape from hell and angels can escape from heaven and they can all live in harmony, with humans? And you think you can manage it?"

It was Kaiba's turn. "It's simple enough. I have the resources to develop new identities for all of our travelers, and Atemu has several underground contacts in Hell that will spread the word."

"The only problem," Atemu added, in his eagerness stepping on Kaiba's toes, "Is that we have no contacts in Heaven as of yet. Kaiba has spent most of his years in the human world and has very little contact with Dirty Organizations. However you must have used those resources when you moved down here with…" Atemu hesitated; the rest of the sentence was obvious.

"My brother," Ishizu finished, with an obvious edge.

"Imagine it, Ishizu-san," Atemu continued, in that hopeful pathetic way. "A whole society of angels and demons, protecting each other. This is the start of the peace we're creating."

The woman, however, was not impressed; her depression had sunk to impossible levels. "Communities like these have been attempted before. The State and the Kingdom found them and slaughtered the lot of them. I know. I've been a part of that hunting party."

"As have I," Atemu argued.

Kaiba smirked, now that they had the woman stunned.

"Ishizu, do you not want others to have what you and Malik had, no matter how short it was?" Kaiba demanded.

"And why did you, a man who does not care much for others, agree to this scheme, Kaiba?" Ishizu asked.

"I do not appreciate being used," Kaiba answered; he attempted not to let his thirst for vengeance reveal itself through his words.

Ishizu was fixated on the table; her hands in tight fists at her sides.

Ryou spoke, which was unexpected. "I think it's a good plan."

Of course Ryou would like the plan, he was soft. Like Atemu and Yugi were soft. Like Jounouchi was soft, but he was an idiot so he had an excuse.

Ishizu reacted to Ryou, as Kaiba had expected. She was becoming emotional for a woman who was prone to show none.

Ryou looked up at the ceiling, a normal mannerism for him. "I think Malik would like it."

"Are you invested in this plot as well?" Ishizu asked.

"No," Ryou replied. "I was not invited."

Atemu was immovable. Kaiba smirked at the kid's daring, to slight Atemu so effectively.

"I have come to deliver a message to you," Ryou explained and handed Ishizu a plain envelope. When she took it, Ryou added, "Don't ask where it came from."

Apprehensive, Ishizu opened the envelope. As she read the letter a look of panic affected her features. After several moments she stood. "Where- where did you get this?" Ishizu was not angry, but scared.

Ryou gazed at the ceiling, then, as calmly as possible, rose from his chair as well. "I couldn't say." He bowed his head. "If you would excuse me, I think it would be best if I left now." And then without another word, Ryou departed from the restaurant.

Atemu watched him leave, Kaiba noticed. When the door had closed, Atemu's attention was back on Ishizu.

"Will you help us, Ishizu?" Atemu asked, returning to the necessary material.

The woman was still standing but after a moment she lowered herself again, as delicately as possible. The paper in her clenched hand was wrinkled.

She cleared her throat. "I suppose I could assist you."

Ryou had convinced her, Kaiba was certain. He did not complain, this meant he could fully exercise his revenge on the Council and the State, after centuries of oppression; Kaiba burned with anticipation.

Before the three of them began to discuss details of the plan, Kaiba saw Ishizu fold up the letter Ryou had given her precisely on the corners and tuck it into her inner pocket, the one closest to her heart. It was disgustingly sentimental.

…)(-)-(Absolution)-(-)(…

"Hey!" Jounouchi cried, slamming the door open. "What you doing in here? This is my room, kid!"

Mokuba, flapping his wings inexpertly, jumped on the bed. "As if. This has always been my room whenever I visit ni-sama in the human world."

Jounouchi dove over the bed at the child and missed him by inches. "Yeah, but now I'm here and I'm bigger so what I say goes, runt-Mc-runt."

Mokuba stuck out his tongue. "I'll tell my brother you hit me. He'll kick you out for that!"

Brat. Where had he learned to disrespect his elders like this? Oh yeah, that pretentious brother of his. So Jounouchi picked the little demon-angel up by the joint of his wings, dangling the boy in the air. "Too bad for you, Kaiba likes me better."

"Does not!"

"Oh yeah?" Jounouchi barred his teeth in a crooked smile. "When you can provide all the services that I do for Kaiba, then we'll talk."

"What services?" Mokuba pouted.

If Kaiba's story of his childhood was true, then Mokuba was as old as his "brother". Perhaps the experiments in Mokuba's early Turning had stunted his growth… Mokuba was a child, in mind as well as body. Did Kaiba teach this guy anything?

"What twisted thoughts are you putting into my little brother's mind?"

Jounouchi dropped the kid. "Ah, you're back."

"Does Jounouchi do your laundry?" Mokuba asked, picking himself off the floor.

Kaiba, in a blue human business suit, ignored the question. "Unfortunately, you're going to have to leave for a moment, Mokuba."

Shit. Jounouchi was in trouble now. Kaiba's blue eyes told him that.

"He better not be getting my room," Mokuba said.

"He won't," Kaiba assured his charge. "Out. And practice your human form."

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "More grown-up talk." He leapt from the bed and by the time he got to the doorway his wings had shrunk into his back. "I don't even wanna know."

Jounouchi coughed. Yeah right.

Kaiba snapped the door shut, then for extra measure wrapped his knuckles on the wall so black sparks danced in the corners of the room.

"Sound-blocking spell?" Jounouchi asked. "What do you expect to happen in this room? Something you don't want your brother to hear, eh, Kaiba?"

"The meeting went well," Kaiba said, skipping over Jounouchi's sexy talk. "She agreed."

"Really? I seem to remember you saying she wouldn't. That this was all a futile bother or something." Jounouchi lay back on the bed, maybe Kaiba would get the hint… "Doesn't that make the mighty Kaiba wrong?"

"Ryou came," Kaiba answered.

Jounouchi felt his jaw drop. He sat up. "Wha- how was he? Bakura wasn't… right?"

"If your rambling translates to the question as to whether Bakura was present, the answer is no," Kaiba said smoothly. "I don't know how Ryou knew about the meeting. Atemu certainly didn't contact him."

"Bet it was Yugi," Jounouchi suggested. The guys shared a sentimental bond. "Hell, how long's it been? Six human months since we've heard from either of those two? I thought Bakura would have killed Ryou by now, or maybe the whole State of Heaven fleet or something."

"Ryou appeared in good health," Kaiba answered. "Bakura's too cowardly to show his face in public again."

Jounouchi shrugged. "Shouldn't we be too afraid to face him?"

Kaiba grunted in an uninterested way.

"So…" Jounouchi bit his lip. "Do I get this room?"

"No," Kaiba asked.

Jounouchi stuck his tongue out. He had learned that from the kid. "Why?"

"It's Mokuba's," Kaiba answered simply.

"Yeah…" Jounouchi said, "But it's the second biggest room in the house and I thought maybe… well…"

Kaiba looked at his blond boyfriend. "Relax, I have situated your living arrangements to a more proper location."

Jounouchi had no clue what that meant, only… "So… you want me to live here?"

"As you may recall, you have been living here for the last couple of months."

"Yeah, but, I didn't…" Jounouchi twiddled his thumbs. "You know, I didn't want to assume it was permanent or anything."

"And why not?" Kaiba asked. Oh what a clever guy, face turned away as though Jounouchi wasn't freaking himself out enough.

"Didn't want to…" Hell, he was going to have to say it, wasn't he? "You know, get my hopes up…"

Kaiba stopped. Jounouchi didn't turn to look at the expression on his face. But he heard the snort of laughter. "Have you been worried that you might be abandoned this whole time, idiot?"

"Fuck you," Jounouchi mumbled. Now he was a little pissed…

Kaiba grinned, a demonic grin. "I didn't know I made you so nervous."

"You certainly never told me to stay," Jounouchi snapped, shifting away.

"Stay."

Jounouchi choked.

That bastard had a way with words.

Kaiba waited for his answer.

Jounouchi swallowed. "Duh. Of course I'm staying."

The mattress of the bed bent. Jounouchi was facing away from his lover so he didn't know how Kaiba had advanced toward him.

"Not like I have anywhere else to go," Jounouchi added.

And a cool hand scooped Jounouchi's head right around and Kaiba, in a strange fit of non-Kaiba-ness, placed a soft kiss on his mouth as though to seal the deal.

Jounouchi fought to pull himself away. "What are you doing, bastard?"

Passionate kisses were good, all focused on the feeling and the sex to come. When Kaiba kissed him like that… just to be sweet, for some reason it was just felt so embarrassing.

Kaiba, being the evil mastermind that he was, knew what he was doing to Jounouchi and graciously changed the subject. "How did the Kingdom take your abandonment?"

"I don't know. Haven't exactly been back there, have I?" Jounouchi felt it was safe to face Kaiba now that the heat in his face had gone down. "You?"

"As you can see by our relocation, I've had to abandon my castle in Heaven, and my human company entirely," Kaiba explained practically. "This place is only safe because I purchased it without the State of Heaven's knowledge."

"But we can still get to Heaven right?" Jounouchi asked. "We'll need to for the railroad."

"If I had relied solely on the State for everything, I would have truly been a dog," Kaiba said. His expression went blank but his eyes… Jounouchi was probably the only one who would have noticed.

"Come on, you were never that bad," Jounouchi said. "You're fighting them now, aren't you?"

"Obviously," Kaiba grunted, trying his best to brush off his weakness.

Embarrassment jumped back into Jounouchi's gut. He knew what it was now. It was when Kaiba was being… human that made Jounouchi uncomfortable. Weak, unprideful, if that was a word. Kaiba wasn't like that with anyone else. Only Jounouchi.

"Being Turned's hard, ain't it?" Jounouchi said. And he scooted closer to Kaiba to put an arm across the Tainted angel's back. "And you had it better than I did. Your government wanted you for your smarts at least. The Kingdom never had much to do with me."

Kaiba said nothing, but he leaned into Jounouchi arm.

Jounouchi took that as a sign of encouragement. "You didn't accept mediocre existence. Cause you had Mokuba to protect."

"Yes," Kaiba bit his words. "Because I had Mokuba, I did whatever they told me without question so I could gather the resources to hide him."

Jounouchi perched his chin on Kaiba's shoulder. "That's another thing. Mokuba's your age right? I mean, if what you told me is true."

"What about it?"

"Well, I'm just saying if Mokuba's going to live here, in the human world, you'd better let him know what you're getting him into."

Kaiba's mouth tightened. "And what exactly am I getting him into?"

Jounouchi shrugged. "Human stuff. Like… you know, how human cities work, systems, human body stuff..."

"Human body stuff?" Kaiba turned so swiftly he dislodged the blond from his shoulder. "What do you expect Mokuba to be doing?"

"Um… I don't know, maybe living," Jounouchi suggested. "Come on, you can't expect him to stay in this house all day can you? He doesn't want this room that much."

"And you expect him to be like you? Go to human parties, drink mortal drugs, and sex up?" Kaiba questioned.

"Woah!" Jounouchi cried. "First off, you were there right along with me. Secondly, you could tell him about those things before he goes out and does them!"

"Mokuba can't even hold his human skin properly," Kaiba said.

"Give him a break," Jounouchi snapped. "Mokuba's smart. He'll learn. I'm not talking about bringing him to a bar tonight or anything. But… don't you think he should go to school at least?"

Kaiba's expression went grim. "Mokuba's not like other Higher Being's. His body is not as stable. He wouldn't survive school."

"And so you would have him survive in an enclosed space? Just as Hell does to Bleached persons? Just as Heaven did to you-"

Jounouchi choked when Kaiba grabbed his jaw with an open hand, his palm over the blond's mouth. "That's enough. I get the point." But he did not release Jounouchi's face. "You never stop do you?"

Jounouchi tried to grin but his muscles were constricted by Kaiba's fingers.

"You think you know how to raise my brother?" Kaiba asked, leaning in. Their bodies were close. "Who do you think you are?"

Jounouchi worked his mouth open. "Your most precious person in the entire cosmos."

Kaiba scoffed. "Perhaps."

And he did one of those slow soft kisses again. Jounouchi tried to stay as still as stone, but didn't last long as he crumbled into Kaiba's arms. Hell, this was nothing like their usual nights, all biting and squeezing. No, this time Jounouchi could breathe, smell. Heat climbed from Kaiba's human shell onto Jounouchi's mortal skin. Tiny movements. Kaiba had found his hands. So warm. No blood now. Just human sensations…

"What are you two doing?"

Their gentle moment broke. Kaiba shoved Jounouchi away so hard that he was knocked to the floor.

Mokuba had stuck his head into the room, wild black hair tumbling passed his shoulders.

"Every time…" Jounouchi grumbled.

"How did you get the door open?" Kaiba asked crossing his arms into his big-papa-Kaiba-mode.

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Please, ni-sama, I figured out that sound-blocking spell like six months ago."

"Told you he was smart," Jounouchi hummed, getting back on his feet.

"Is that a human thing?" Mokuba asked, eyes squinting in disgust. "Mouth-touching and stuff? Doesn't seem like much fun. Wouldn't it be hard to talk?"

Jounouchi couldn't help it. He broke out in laughter.

Kaiba's back got stiff. "Later, Mokuba."

The kid leaned against the wall. "Do all humans have to do that? Cause that's gross."

"Good." Kaiba stood up from the bed. "Keep that train of thought."

Jounouchi ruffled Mokuba's hair. "By the way, you got a horn sticking out."

"Oops." Mokuba pushed the demon horn back into his skull.

"Come with me," Kaiba tugged Jounouchi's arm. "I'll show you to your room."

"Ooo, bet it's got a pool," Jounouchi teased at the kid.

Mokuba responded by sticking his tongue out again. Weren't children wonderful?

And at that moment, Jounouchi realized that with him, Kaiba, and the kid living together in this big house in the human world, they was kinda like a mortal family. Mokuba was their child. Then… if Kaiba was the dad… did that mean Jounouchi was the…?

"So where are you taking me?" Jounouchi asked as he was lead down the fancy mansion corridor.

"To your new room," Kaiba answered. "I'm sure you'll like it."

Jounouchi grinned. "Why is that?"

Kaiba ran a hand up Jounouchi neck. "It's connected to mine."

Jounouchi swallowed. "Ah."

The soft kisses were over. Time for daddy and mommy to get dirty.

…)(-)-(Absolution)-(-)(…

"Have you settled yet?" The image of Kaiba on the screen flickered.

Atemu looked out the window of his mothy carriage. "Almost." The slums of Hell's second largest city rattled by. The carriage had a sound spell for the rider's privacy, so the goblin driver could not eavesdrop on Atemu's communication with his trans-world device. Kaiba had made it so they could keep track of each other while Yugi and Atemu made plans in Hell. While Atemu had gone back to the human world to talk with Ishizu, Yugi had stayed behind. It wasn't good for him to move around, especially being a high powered Hashmallim hiding out in Hell. It was better for him to stay put. Even if that meant they had to be separated for a time.

"Atemu," Kaiba was serious as always. How Jounouchi, being such a cheerful person, could live with him, Atmeu had no idea. "We still need more conductors if we are going to fashion this railroad. You can direct them, but we'll need more demons if we're going to protect the passengers properly. Jounouchi would draw too much attention."

"What are you trying to say?" Jounouchi's voice sounded somewhere over Kaiba's shoulder.

Kaiba didn't even turn around to respond. "I was referring to your Bleached state."

"Oh." The screen shook before Jounouchi's beaming face appeared upside-down in its frame. "Hey Atemu!"

Atemu waved half-heartedly. "Hello."

"You seen Yugi yet?"

Atemu's stomach jumped. "Not yet." But he would soon…

The screen shook again. Kaiba came into focus. "It's your job to find other demons that will join our cause."

"I have some people in mind," Atemu said. He was almost home now. Almost to…

"Atemu," Kaiba said his name again. Even across space and time, Kaiba's eyes grabbed his. "We have Ishizu now, but we'll still need a bodyguard for the angels."

Atemu's jaw tightened. "I understand, Kaiba."

"We need un-Tainted angels that can hold off the State of Heaven's fleet," Kaiba continued.

"Kaiba," and this time Atemu's voice broke beyond his control. "I understand."

"Leave him alone," Jounouchi urged somewhere in the background. "Atemu's not stupid."

That's right… Atemu wasn't stupid.

Kaiba frowned, folding his arms. "Right. We will talk later."

Atemu nodded. His jaw was too tight for speech.

The screen in his hands flickered and went blank.

Atemu couldn't think about that now, although he knew he should. All he could think about was Yugi. Yugi. How Yugi had been by himself with no one to talk to for two human weeks while Atemu traveled between worlds. Going to and from Hell, especially using the shady roots was a long and tiring process. How close was Yugi now? Was he ok? Had he been discovered by the Kingdom of Hell's forces?

The carriage couldn't stop fast enough. If Atemu had had a heart at that moment it would have been pounding. He leapt from his seat, grabbed his bag, and paid the driver in a single motion. Then he rapped on the door of the hellish apartment. Two taps, pause three taps, pause, repeat the pattern. Atemu had cycled through it three times.

"Yugi?" he called out, straining to keep his voice low. He must not panic and draw attention to himself. "Yug-"

The door burst open, and Atemu plunged himself inside.

Cream-colored arms were around his neck within seconds. Falling back on the door was all Atemu could do to close it; his hands were too busy catching the angel that had flung itself at him. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Atemu breathed Yugi's kisses in like oxygen to human lungs.

Their mouths broke apart in the fumble. Somehow, Yugi gasped, "T-the protection spells."

Atemu was too flustered. He couldn't believe he had forgot. "R-right." It took all his will to turn away from Yugi and reset the protection spells so Yugi's angelic signature would not be discovered. He forced his fingers to slow down; they couldn't afford to make a mistake now. On either side of his vision, Yugi's enormous glowing angel wings were sprawled out on too narrow sides of the entryway. The white feathers were shivering. From lack of use? From limited space? From anticipation?

The spells flashed into place, locked and ready. Atemu wasn't sure who had spun him around but Yugi was there and in his arms, or it was better to say he was in Yugi's arms, for Yugi's feathers surrounded them in that cramped space.

Atemu and Yugi kissed like they were one Being. It was so unpolite and sloppy, Atemu was sure later he would feel the embarrassment. But not now. He had missed Yugi too much. And this was his way of communicating the sorrow he had felt during these past two weeks.

Yugi broke their mouths apart again. "Let's get somewhere we can move a little at least…"

Atemu couldn't find the words. He simply let Yugi carry him into the main room, and place him on the couch. Their movements slowed. Yugi's eyes lit his round face, his tiny mouth… Atemu took that mouth, tasted it. Yugi's fingertips rolled up Atemu's chest. Atemu was so distracted by Yugi's hands that he lost his grip of his boyfriend's lips. And their eyes swam with each other has Yugi's fingers reached Atemu's neck…

For a demon, a blood sucking creature, this was…

Atemu rolled back without even thinking about it. And Yugi was shining so bright that objects around the room were starting to float on there own. Atemu was hypnotized by Yugi's small fingers, making paths across his skin. Atemu's mouth stretched open. No! No. This was not safe…

"Yugi…" Atemu's eyes were rolling back in his head. "You… we shouldn't…"

Yugi leaned down in response and he released a puff of angelic breath that encircled Atemu's defenseless throat… veins, blood, millimeters beneath a shred of skin. Atemu's was shocked with anticipation.

"Sorry…" Yugi laid himself on top Atemu, giant wings and all, enclosing the demon, his feet with human world sneakers wavering in the air. His face in the soft tissues of Atemu's neck. "I just… missed you."

Atemu couldn't take it. He was no Ryou, someone who easily lost control of their senses, but with Yugi twisting on top of him…

Atemu found Yugi's shoulders, the back of his neck. "Missed wouldn't cover it."

Mouth parted, Yugi's lips tickled Atemu's neck. Atemu's limbs spasmed, his demonic self was rising, his skin hot. His claws and fangs grew. Atemu's brain was burning with the chemicals. Until Yugi planted a kiss on Atemu's throat…

Snap. Then, and Atemu wasn't exactly sure how, with a fury of heat and toxic emotions, Atemu had Yugi beneath him. And even though the boy was far stronger than him Yugi's body was limp, his wings splattered to either side, loose feather scattering. With Yugi's mouth still parted, his appearance tumbled, and so so submissive…

Atemu was already at his lover's throat. "Yugi…" Such a tiny tiny, thin throat. And when Atemu squeezed Yugi's neck, holding the skin, he felt the blood pulsing beneath his palm, hot, moving. "This could be bad."

Atemu felt Yugi swallow in response. "I'm not afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Atemu asked. Though they knew. And Atemu's jaw unhooked itself in readiness.

Yugi tensed. "I don't mind…"

"It's going to hurt," Atemu said. "A lot." Soft soft neck…

Yugi bit his lip. "If it's for you…"

Heat shuddered in Atemu's mind. Demon, demon heat and core with beating hurt. God, who was he? What was this? Atemu really was getting carried away now. This wasn't like him at all. He didn't like this, who he was now…

"I want to taste you," Atemu growled grasping at Yugi's shoulders, jaw, vertebra, "I want to…"

Yugi was so supportive. "I know."

Atemu's limbs spasmed again. "I don't think I can control it anymore, Yugi."

Yugi braced himself. "I know. I want you too, Atemu."

That was it that was all he needed. There was an explosion of sadistic lust, he could see Yugi's blood…

And then the spasm was all over. And Yugi's neck was left flawless and untouched. Atemu had not given into his desires. And Atemu felt his fangs shrinking.

Yugi relaxed. His pink cheeks puffed. "I really thought it was going to happen that time."

Atemu couldn't take it, he rolled off Yugi onto the floor. Dejected. "It almost did." And HELL how he wished it had. His system was still pumping the demonic chemicals. His mouth hurt, it ached with lack of moisture.

Yugi flopped down beside him, though his giant wings made for an awkward sitting arrangement. Unlike in the human world, there was no way for Yugi to conceal his wings or trap them within a disguise shell, which was why it was important that Yugi was kept in hiding.

Atemu leaned in as Yugi wrapped his arms around his lover's neck. "I lost control."

"I don't see any blood," Yugi pointed out. "I think you kept your control quite well."

Atemu buried himself in Yugi's chest, but that wouldn't help ease his urges. Smelling Yugi… "Kaiba even talked to me about it today."

Yugi teased the ends of Atemu's hair. "Kaiba would. We just got a little excited that's all. We'll be alright."

No, that wasn't true.

Yugi squeezed his shoulders. "Atemu? Talk to me, ok?"

Atemu was lying in Yugi's arms now, surrounded by the white feathers. There were so many feathers here. If only one escaped into the outside world then Yugi's cover would be blown. "Did you mean what you said?"

"What? That I wasn't afraid?"

Atemu nodded.

Yugi's round face peered over at him, smiling. "Of course."

"I mean, regardless, if we didn't have duties to do," Atemu said. "If it was just us." But it was never just them was it? There was always a Ryou or a Kaiba or someone to save. And there always would be. "If we were alone and we both had clear heads, would you want to become Tainted, for me?"

Yugi smiled and kissed him on the nose. "If it's your blood I drink."

Atemu shuddered. An angel drinking blood… did he really want to turn Yugi into that?

"Don't you want mine?" Yugi asked, blinking with curiosity.

Atemu choked and laughed all at the same time. "Oh, I want it." He wanted it so bad it hurt. "You've never drawn another's blood, have you?"

"No… angels don't that sort of thing to each other."

Then he wouldn't know, the attack of the first taste of the foreign liquid, the senses that boil. The oddness of having another life essence inside you. Like burying your face in their hair, only a thousand times better and more dangerous. To have another's essences colliding with ones own… Now Atemu was getting thirsty again.

"I think I should move now," Atemu said, pulling himself away from Yugi. "Just to be safe."

Yugi nodded. "You know I trust you."

Somehow, Atemu got his luggage from the hallway that he had dropped in his fury. He checked the protection spells again, just in case his fingers had slipped during their reapplying. When he was satisfied that everything was locked in tight, he returned to the kitchen area, where Yugi was making some kind of hot liquid reminiscent of human world tea. Not that Higher Beings needed food. But they enjoyed the nostalgia.

Atemu took the cup that Yugi offered him. "Thanks."

Yugi settled himself, wings curled over his head so Atemu would have room to sit at the table as well. "I miss it, Atemu…"

Atemu knew what his lover was talking about. "The Human world or tea?"

Yugi sighed, stirring the mixture with his finger. "Both. And it's not only because I haven't left his house in six human months."

Atemu's gut pained. What he wouldn't give to get Yugi out of here, to show him around Hell's cities. Not that there was much to see, but then Yugi would know where Atemu had lived these long… how many years?

According to Bakura it was over five thousand.

And he had almost forgot about that guy. If Ryou hadn't shown up…

"Atemu?" Yugi had noticed his fallen expression. "What are you thinking of?"

Atemu refocused. "Ryou appeared at our meeting."

Yugi offered a soft, "Oh." And then looked down at his fake-tea.

"Somehow he knew the exact place and time of the meeting," Atemu continued.

Yugi's shoulders scrunched. "Well…"

Atemu set down his mug. "How long have you been talking to him, Yugi?"

Yugi scratched an ear. "I don't know… a human month maybe…"

"Why did you keep it a secret?" Atemu asked, reaching across the table to touch his lover's hand.

"Ryou…" Yugi held Atemu's palm in his. "Asked me to."

The guilt was back. Atemu hadn't said anything to Ryou at their departure. He had tried to. But it was hard, with Ryou holding up a silver-sobbing Bakura. Ryou had said he'd be in touch… but he did have other things to deal with at that moment. As did Atemu…

"He misses you," Yugi said urgently. "He told me that he misses you a lot. But he's trying to help Bakura settle and he didn't know if you would want to see him."

"Who? Ryou or Bakura?" Atemu asked.

Yugi bit his lip. "Either."

"He didn't look like he wanted to see me at the meeting," Atemu said. "He left as soon as he gave Ishizu a letter. I didn't even get to talk to him."

"He was probably worried about getting back to Bakura." Yugi ran a nervous finger up and down the joint of Atemu's thumb. "He said Bakura doesn't do well without him for long periods of time."

A jealous beast like that, Atemu bet he didn't.

"Don't worry." Yugi's eyes shown. "Ryou's fine. He's happy that he can take care of someone else now. And Bakura has someone he can trust completely…" Yugi's smile was tight as he looked down at their clasped hands.

Yes, Ryou was proud that he didn't need to be taken care of. Maybe that's why he and Atemu didn't connect anymore, because Atemu was still always trying to help him while Ryou didn't need it. While Yugi only wanted to be important to someone else.

It wasn't because of his demonic drugged system this time that Atemu pulled Yugi into his arms this time. It was a fully conscious action. And he squeezed the angel. And he said like a chant to his lover, "I love you, Yugi Hashmallim. I, a lowly soldier demon, love you, love you."

Yugi wrapped his arms around Atemu's neck, scooting himself higher onto Atemu's lap. And their faces were so close that Atemu could see nothing but Yugi's eyes. "I love you so much, I'd defy the wrath of Kaiba's OCD planning to have your blood inside me."

Atemu grinned. "Now that is love."

Yugi giggled. "Though, I suppose we have eternity."

Atemu laughed. "We can handle a few more human years, right?"

"Maybe," Yugi touched the tip of his nose to Atemu's. "We'll see, won't we?"

…)(-)-(Absolution)-(-)(…

There was no need to announce that he had arrived. Ryou knew, because he could sense the dark angel's presence, that Bakura had been following him since the gates of the gray world. These lands were sometimes called the Dregs, the Gray Lands. A space that wasn't Hell or Heaven or the human world. It was the outskirts of Purgatory. In truth it was hard for Higher Beings to exist there because the gray skies and gray ground and gray air were irritating and dangerously seducing; it made Higher Beings hypnotically lazier, as though the grey infected their very souls. But that made it all the more perfect place for Bakura to hide. After the events in the human world neither Bakura nor Ryou were going to be seduced by anything as trivial as laziness now.

But Bakura hated this world. It reminded him of his days in purgatory. Still… it was the only place for them.

Ryou tucked his white leather wings in behind him as he closed the door to their tiny hut, shutting the grey world out.

Instantaneously, Ryou heard cursing from the kitchen.

Bakura was calling his attention, as though he hadn't been tracking Ryou's every step.

So Ryou set down the little stuff he had brought with him on his journey and followed the angel's subliminal instructions.

Bakura was in their "kitchen". Bakura had collected/made a set of pots and pans, objects completely obsolete in a normal Higher Beings world. He had even constructed an "oven" out of a chuck of rock, molding it into a morphed cube-like shape and even carving out small holes where the "buttons" should be. Stone, and almost all other materials, snapped like toothpicks in Bakura's hands nowadays; rock was no harder to shape than cookie dough.

"What's for dinner?" Ryou asked, sitting down at the table.

He saw Bakura's shoulders twitch. And then the angel turned. Making the twin oozing stumps on his back visible.

Ryou held back a scream.

He never should have left.

The stumps from where Bakura's wings had once stood on his back were dripping some kinda substance, turning the gray floor pink with their chemicals. This was the third time he had torn his own wings off. They grew back, unlike other Higher Being's when they lost their wings. They grew back just enough so that when he entered another one of his fits they were ready to be ripped off again. Ryou hadn't thought that since he left… guilt washed through him.

"Hamburgers," Bakura grunted, taking a tray of various gray lumped rocks out of the "oven". "What does it look like I'm making, idiot?"

Ryou ran a hand over his hair. Bakura hadn't looked at him yet. Was he mad? The calm before the…

A plate with a lump of "hamburger" was dropped in front of him.

Bakura's black eyes were on him. "Eat it."

Ryou peered at the thing. "Can you cut it up for me?"

"No. Eat it."

"Ok." Ryou lifted the thing to his mouth but before he could take a bite the rockburger was snatched out of his hands.

"Fool." Bakura slammed the hamburger on the table and then cut it into smaller cubes with a sweep of his pinky. "You'll choke."

"Sorry." He must not have been too mad then, Ryou thought.

When the cubes of rockburger were properly arranged, Bakura stepped back again. "There. Better?" he snapped.

Ryou felt himself smile. Bakura tried so hard. "Thanks." And picked up a cube and put it on his lips…

And Bakura smacked the thing out of his hands. "What in Hell do you think you're doing?"

But before Ryou could respond the table in front of him flew sideways and smashed into the line of fake pots and pans.

And Bakura stood there, haunted. Eyes mad. "You were going to eat that rock, weren't you? You're a fool! Higher Beings don't eat!"

Ryou stared back at the angel. "Yes."

Bakura trembled, from his toes to this self-mutilated back. "You are impossible!" And with that Bakura flitted across the room and his mighty arms swung, ripping his stone "kitchen" into rumble. The pots squished like bread and crumbled to the floor. His treasured "oven" split under his foot. Even the walls fell apart like bad cheese in Bakura's claws. Ryou sat as still as possible. He knew in a few hours Bakura would just rebuild it again.

At last, there was nothing left to destroy, except maybe the roof, which quivered having lost half of its foundations. They had a nice gray view outside now…

"Fool…" Bakura grabbed the side of his head. "Yes, yes… it's all very sad but truly we don't need to eat. We are not human…" And then he slumped against the floor.

Ryou thought it was safe to approach now, so he pulled himself to the spot next to Bakura on the floor. "I think a refrigerator would be nice," the demon said. "You could keep your creations in there until we eat them."

Bakura lifted a suspicious brow at Ryou. "Don't patronize me. Why are you still here? Get out."

But he didn't mean it. Ryou couldn't leave. "I like it here,"

Bakura spat. "Liar."

"I am not."

Bakura picked up a hand-sized rock and bit into it. Ryou heard the crunch crunch of Bakura's teeth chewing on the material.

"Ishizu got your letter," Ryou said.

Bakura swallowed the rubble in his mouth and took another bite. "Yay." He pretended to be barely paying attention.

"I saw Kaiba and Atemu too."

"I bet Kaiba and that blond fellow are doing it, don't you?" Bakura observed.

"They looked like they were all doing fine."

"Sure they're all skipping through fields of poppies."

"They're building a secret route so that more angels and demons can escape the oppression of Hell and Heaven and live in the human world."

Bakura spat the already chewed rock out on the floor. "That's a fucking stupid idea."

"They seemed really excited about it. I think its going to be—"

Bakura chucked his half eaten rock across the room. It smashed into the wall and cracked its surface. "Do you really want to talk about those guys?"

Ryou was pushed against the wall. And Bakura was leaning over him. This was not uncommon.

"What is it about them that you find so fascinating?"

They had had this conversation before. "They are our friends."

"HA!" Bakura barked. His hand was on Ryou's neck. Perhaps to choke him? "You love them?"

He had never asked Ryou that before. This was new… "Yes."

A beat, then Bakura's expression twisted. And the wall behind Ryou's head crumbled under Bakura's fist. "Do you love them more than me?"

"No."

Bakura scoffed. "That's a lie."

"No, its not," Ryou said.

"You suck at lying!" Bakura cried. "Fuck you!" And he squeezed Ryou neck hard, breaking the Higher Being skin. Ryou could not speak for his throat was entirely compressed. Bakura could easily rip off his head…

Ryou missed it. Bakura hadn't shown any physical inclinations, romantic or otherwise, for Ryou since… since Malik. But Bakura had gone through so much trauma since then. He was damaged. Of course he didn't want to be touched. They weren't human anymore. Higher Beings did not live off the collision of mortal fleshes. Then why did Ryou leap inside when Bakura brushed his shoulder as he ran by, or when Bakura leaned over him, like he was doing now, all close. Ryou ached. They weren't human anymore, so why did the attraction linger?

"You hate it here!" Bakura screamed.

Ryou was unable to respond because there was no air in his vocal cords.

Bakura's body rippled with the roar. And he threw himself off of Ryou, onto the floor. And he pounded tiny craters in the ground with his fists. He was entering another fit.

"Bakura…" but calling out to him would do no good. He was like a toddler again with new limbs, new powers. He needed to release his anger.

But Bakura was on in his feet and the madness was in his eyes again. "Everytime!" He arched his back and Ryou saw him reach for the stumps on his back, the ones that since Ryou had entered the house had sprouted little black feathers, so new they were still glistening.

And Bakura scratched at his own back. "Buggers."

"Stop it!" Ryou threw himself at Bakura's arms. He had nothing near to Bakura's strength, though he clung to the angel's arms, feathers continued to drop to the floor. "Please! Bakura, stop! Don't do this to yourself!" But he might have been a fly for all the difference he was making.

"Shut it," Bakura said all too calmly as he pulled out another fist full.

Ryou ended up pressing himself up against Bakura's back, the ruined stumps stuck into his chest. "Please, please, Bakura…" Didn't he understand? If he kept pulling them out, one day, they wouldn't grow back…

But Ryou had now made himself an annoyance. And Bakura in his fury to get to his own back grabbed Ryou by the joint of his wing and yanked the guy off. He wasn't even bothered by Ryou's yelp of pain. And the dark angel dangled Ryou in front of him, still by that single wing. "Pest." And he chucked Ryou across the room too.

Ryou was flattened to the floor and a pain sprung from his back. His left wing was twisted around, shivering in revulsion. Pain sent Ryou's body into tension. For a few moments Ryou's mind spasmed. Besides a few squeezes, Bakura had never actually hurt him, he had broken his own arms before, for about three minutes before they healed themselves. Apparently Bakura was now the unstoppable force.

Pain made it hard for Ryou to see. He would just lay for a few seconds… but Bakura still needed him… so Ryou defied the screams of his body and pulled himself up on his hands.

And then he was being supported by another. Arms around him…

Ryou blinked and blinked as Bakura's face, downcast, finally came in view.

"Fool, you know I get like this."

Ryou was still trembling. "I shouldn't have left."

"I asked you to, remember?" Bakura said, as he cradled Ryou in his lap. And his hands spread warmth as he traced Ryou's twisted white wing. Ryou bit the inside of his cheek, holding back the pain, and those inclinations he had picked up in the human world. Bakura circled the joint with claw. "This is nothing, stop whining." And then it was nothing. Truly. The pain was gone.

Ryou was so surprised he sat up. "You… healed me."

Bakura crossed his legs, head turned aside. "Obviously."

"I didn't know you could do that."

"Neither did I," Bakura said as a few more feathers poked themselves out of the fresh wounds on Bakura's back.

Ryou couldn't help it. Maybe it was because they were both sitting on the floor, barely a foot away, and Bakura was being so different today… But Ryou leaned forward and touched his lips to Bakura's cheek, before jumping away again.

"Sorry…" Ryou didn't know how Bakura would react after all.

But as Ryou was pushed to the floor he could figure out how. Ryou watched as Bakura placed himself above him. And his eyes were black next to his white hair. And he pulled himself down onto Ryou, faces close together.

"Don't apologize," Bakura ordered.

Ryou nodded, nose brushing against Bakura's.

Lips to lips… finally, a kiss after— how long had it been?

Bakura shuddered, Ryou felt it through their touch. He was pulling away. "I can't promise how long this will last…" he admitted.

Ryou grabbed his head and pulled him down again. No. Not yet. It had been so long since they had done this. Ryou sucked the kiss out of Bakura's mouth. And though at first the angel was hesitant, Bakura soon took over and Ryou enjoyed the nostalgia of the human world, though Higher Beings had no sex drives, the touch was divinely stimulating. Ryou was warm, the friction of their Bleached and Tainted skins vibrated through his being. Bakura was fiery as usual, though Ryou knew how much control it took not to break through his skin. How easily Bakura could have Ryou torn into ribbons.

Bakura pulled his claws up Ryou's arm, the Higher Being's skin was pink but unbroken. His shoulder… up to his neck. Ryou did not ignore the urge. He broke his kiss with Bakura to gasp at the claws on his neck. And his brain was dripping with images of blood and blood…

Fuck.

"Want it?" Bakura hissed. Ryou didn't need him to clarify. The angel's eyes were on his own powerful claws, Ryou's exposed neck…

Ryou wanted it. And to prove this, Ryou leaned upward so that the claws pricked Ryou's skin. He could feel the droplets of blood forming.

Bakura jerked his hand away. But the tips of his claws still had a crimson drop on each point. Bakura looked at his own hand like it was going to explode.

Ryou pulled himself up. And closed his mouth over own of Bakura's blood dripping claws, licking it clean.

Bakura twitched, his eyes got wide again.

And then he flitted across the room, so fast that the house shook.

"Don't—" Bakura raked his claws in the ground, carving deep rivulets in the floor. He was cleaning off the blood. "Don't."

Ryou gulped. He was embarrassed, but eternally disappointed.

"It's—" Bakura said.

"Fine," Ryou reassured.

Bakura tore up more floor. "Clean yourself up. I want your blood too much."

Ryou understood. He too had, at one time because of the Master, been addicted to blood. "I shouldn't have pushed." And he wiped the blood from his neck. Bakura had so much power now. Power needed to be fed. That's why Bakura had been eating so many rocks. Not that they did much to quench his hunger.

"How's Malik?" Ryou asked.

Bakura's whole body froze. "Malik's dead."

Ryou brushed his hair back.

"Don't give me that look. I don't care if you don't believe me," Bakura snapped.

Ryou hesitated. But he had to know. "I read it, the letter you gave me to give to Ishizu. It was signed by Malik..."

"Yes, but I wrote it," Bakura said.

"Ishizu believed it was from her brother. I think it gave her hope."

Bakura frowned. "That was the point."

Ryou was confused. "But… you keep on building human kitchens and tearing off your wings…"

"And you keep forgetting that we no longer need to breathe," Bakura scolded. "Natural side effect from living with humans too long. You start thinking like one."

But Bakura hadn't just lived with them. He had absorbed one.

"What did you think?" Bakura asked flatly. "That Malik was somehow living on inside of me? That I could hear him in my head? That even though he was an inanimate power source that some part of him was still alive? Was that what you thought?"

"Yes," Ryou admitted.

"You're wrong."

"Am I?"

Bakura jumped, he was next to Ryou within a second. "What? What do you think?"

"He wasn't just a power source," Ryou argued.

"He was a sentimental freak," Bakura growled.

"He had memories, feelings that would have remained even after his shell disappeared. Pure energy is easy to imprint."

Bakura's mouth tightened.

"You have all of Malik's memories, don't you?" Ryou guessed, and from the look on Bakura's face, that he was right. "You know everything he ever thought. Your thoughts and Malik's are conflicting. That's why you wrote that letter to Ishizu, using Malik's memories. Because you were trying to let Malik free."

"Now you're getting sentimental," Bakura spat.

Ryou thought he was right. Bakura's dodging the question only confirmed his guess. "I'm sorry." Bakura was having a hard time, after Turning with Ryou's blood, Bakura had absorbed the Master's chemicals, dangerous chemicals that now conflicted with Malik's human morals. Bakura's brain was a battle ground. The Berserker Throne of the Early Wars was being beaten back by Malik's humanity.

Had that been what Malik had meant when he said he was going to help Bakura?

"I know what you're thinking too," Bakura said. "You're worried I can't love you anymore because I absorbed Malik's love for me."

Ryou said nothing. He had thought of that possibility before.

"Well, shut it," Bakura snapped. And he grabbed Ryou's shoulders. "Malik didn't love me. He wanted to be complete. It was his nature as an unstable power source. He couldn't love."

Ryou flinched. "Don't say that."

But Bakura was serious. "No. This is the truth. Don't you think I would know?"

Ryou gulped.

"Malik's jealousy is not stopping me from touching you," Bakura explained. "Malik's…" Bakura pulled away.

But Ryou grabbed his hand. "Tell me."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Where he is now… let's just say Malik couldn't be happier."

Ryou felt his whole head sting. Yes, Malik had spent his life as an incomplete person. Loose energy looking for a proper host, someone to draw him out of his human shell. Bakura was the only one strong enough to do it. If Bakura hadn't come along Malik would have been searching forever. That's when Ryou start to cry.

"Oh stop it," Bakura growled. But he sat close to Ryou anyway. And his hands clasped Ryou's head, bringing them closer. "You hear me?"

Ryou heard. But he could not stop the tears. Now that he realized what Malik really was. He hadn't understood before. Now, he was happy for his friend.

"I couldn't have done it, you know."

Ryou blinked the milky tears from his eyes. "What?"

Bakura was still holding his head but it was in a gentle way now. "Before Malik sacrificed himself, I was never going to kill you. I couldn't have."

Ryou choked. A smile crept onto his lips. And he broke Bakura's grip on his head and leaned in, pressing another kiss onto Bakura's mouth. He didn't care if it made Bakura's bloodlust rocket out of control. So be it.

Bakura restrained himself. "I need you to be alive."

Ryou nodded, pulling himself into Bakura's arms whether he would handle it or not. But the angel's arms supported him, though somewhat rigidly. "I won't leave ever again."

"You'll have to, once in a while," Bakura said.

"No," Ryou promised. And he tucked his head into Bakura's shoulder. "Do you still want to kill the Seraphim and Cherubim?"

"Yes… You still want to kill the Master?"

Ryou nodded. "But that will never happen, will it?"

Bakura snorted. "Have you seen how much power I have?"

"True." Ryou pulled Bakura's arm across his body like a blanket. "If you get yourself killed, I won't forgive you."

"Yeah, yeah." And Bakura let Ryou pulled their bodies together.

Ryou didn't mind the awkwardness. He knew, Bakura was trying to hold off the madness in his mind long enough so the two of them could have their moment. And it was enough. They were enough.

THE END

Hope you all liked it!!

IN CONCLUSION:

Yugi/Atemu: (ARES CUTE!!)

Jounouchi: Let's have baby!

Kaiba: In what? A box? Are we going to grow sea monkeys?

Mokuba: where do babies come from?

Malik: (RAINBOWS)

Ryou: I'm still quirky and awkward! YAY!

Bakrua: I'm insane! (eats rocks) OMNOMNOMNOMNOM!

I got one more story planned after this one. Unfortunately, it doesn't actually have a title yet but I hope you like the sound of it anyway. Here's the summery I have planned:

"We're here to make sure you don't screw up your destiny, thief.""And what is my destiny?" the Thief King snarled. Bakura smirked."To collect all of the Sennen Items.""All of the Egyptian Sennen Items. Not ours,"Malik added. YAOI BxRxTxMxYM MahaadoxPxYxYY KxJxS

Interesting, right?

NOW YOU BETTER FREAKING REVIEW OR I'LL HAVE YOU… you… tap-dance with spiders…? YES! NOW, REVIEW!