A/N: Sorry for the delay! My excuses are rather pathetic. See, a couple weeks ago 'Supernatural' ended for the summer and the withdrawal made it impossible to think of other fandoms. So pathetic...

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh. Be glad for that.

Chapter 7

Malik wasn't in the best of moods.

Aside from the nightmare that was working with Marik, the report he'd given to his sister and the queen hadn't gone as smoothly as he would have liked. Mai kept teasing him that his face was flushed, which he'd denied only to find true after letting the mirror return to normalcy for a moment. Then Isis had started a rather motherly spiel about how she wasn't going to scold him about who he chose to be with, but sincerely hoped he'd be careful in navigating his relationship with Marik. She'd said she believed him when he insisted that relationship did not exist, but it was fairly obvious she didn't. Mai either. At least they'd agreed to the plan, though they'd told him to make sure Marik didn't go overboard and irreparably insult Yami's advisor. As if Malik could really stop him.

Having had enough headaches for the day, Malik decided to take a break. 'Namu' would be expected to either return to the ambassador to see if he needed anything, or help with banquet preparation. Malik wasn't inclined to do either at the moment. Instead, he was off for a visit with the king's captive. He probably wouldn't see much of Ryou again so he wanted to make time to say goodbye. He'd only known him a few days, but he found himself quite fond of the human.

He slipped inside the guest room Ryou was being kept in quietly, just in case the white haired human had fallen asleep; there wasn't much else for him to do. Malik was disappointed to find his caution well-placed, Ryou seemed to be asleep. The cat considered waking him up, but thought better of it and turned to leave. He was about to close the door behind him when he felt a sudden, rather chilly, breeze – Ryou must have left his window open. Not wanting the other to wake up freezing (because Malik could be very thoughtful and considerate when he wanted to be – it was part of what made him a good spy – he just didn't usually care enough), he went back in to close the window. He didn't get half way across the room before he noticed something out of the corner of his eye, something green...

"Gah, did I wake you up? Sorry, I'll be out of here in just a second and you can go back to your nap." Malik scrambled to close the window and retreat to the doorway. "Anything you want me to grab for you?"

"No, I'm fine." Ryou sat up, green eyes focused on a spot on the wall opposite him. He seemed to be in a rather glum mood. Then again, he had recently been kidnapped by creatures he hadn't believed existed. Why wouldn't he be in a bad mood? He'd seemed to be coping so much better earlier in the day though...perhaps it was just post-nap sleepiness? Malik studied Ryou's face and could find no trace of drowsiness. He was rather annoyed that the human wouldn't meet his eyes.

A rather confusing thought entered Malik's mind, a thought he could find no justification for. Something – probably the times he had done so himself combined with the paranoia his job required – told him that Ryou had been faking sleep, but he could think of no reason for him to do so.

"So, did you have good dreams?" Malik took a step back into the room and put on a smile.

"I don't really remember." Ryou swung his legs off the bed and folded his hands in his lap.

"Really? Usually when you first wake up is the time it's easiest to remember." He closed the door behind him and walked towards where Ryou sat on the bed.

"Well, I don't. Sorry." Why wouldn't Ryou look at him? And what was he so upset about? Malik could tell by the white haired boy's posture and tone that he was troubled about something. That was understandable, he had a lot to be troubled about.

"Heh, it's ok Ryou. I don't mind if you were dreaming about me." Malik joked as he plopped down next to the human. Reaching out a bronzed hand he turned Ryou's chin so he was looking at him and gave a mock-flirty wink. "Was it hot?"

He wasn't prepared for the anger in those green eyes and was more than a little shocked when his hand was aggressively slapped away.

"Whoa, easy! I'm sorry, ok? I was just trying to ease the tension...You seem upset." The concern in Malik's voice was not entirely false. "You can talk to me, you know."

A rather bitter laugh bubbled out of Ryou's throat, one that didn't suit him at all. It didn't last long, and then the 'guest' averted his eyes once more. "I'm fine, Namu, and I wouldn't want to keep you from your work. Please, just go."

Confused, Malik stood to do as instructed. Then, very suddenly, he stopped being confused. The way the other avoided looking at him, the sudden bitterness, the way he spat his alias and the contempt with which he spoke of 'his work'...Malik's mauve eyes narrowed and he whipped back around to face the still sitting Ryou.

"You know."

"I do."

"How?"

"Does it matter?"

"What will you do?"

No reply. Ryou just glared down at the hands folded in his lap.

Malik took the moment to analyze his situation. On one hand, if someone had to find out about his deception at least it wasn't a fox. Ryou wasn't really invested in the situation and judging by what he'd said of his meeting with the monarch he was no fan of Yami's. What motivation did he have to help his kidnappers? On the other hand, however, Ryou was clearly very bothered by what Malik had done. Why was that? He'd grilled him for information a bit, but not all that much. It wasn't Ryou who he was spying on and the human had no real connection to the people he was.

"Listen, it's a complicated situation, ok? I –"

"I'm aware that this is bigger than personal betrayal. I'm aware that your falsities don't make the entire process of negotiation false. I'm aware of what could happen to that process if you are revealed. I'll consider it. Now, please go. I can't look at you."

What else was there for Malik to do? He couldn't attack the human without risking exposure and it seemed trying to make any kind of case to Ryou at the moment would only deepen the human's resentment. The spy turned and headed for the exit.

"Jou's friends with a lie, I'm sure he's not the only one. He'll be so hurt if he finds out..."

Malik ignored Ryou's whisper as he closed the door.

Yugi had thought he knew how to deal with Yami.

Jou and his other friends had been something of an unknown. Yugi had been afraid of how he was going to face them again after having run away, he'd been afraid of what they might think of him now. Navigating the visit, collecting Ryou, and leaving again without hurting them further had been a task he barely knew how to begin. He wasn't sure if the last part was even possible.

Dealing with the monarch wasn't supposed to be half as complicated. Yami had butted into his life uninvited and presumed to have some say in where and how he lived it, taking a dear friend of his hostage in the process of convincing Yugi he was right. All the runaway fox had to do was act how he felt – angry and fed up. It should have been easy to look scornfully on the king and demand Ryou's freedom.

Yugi hadn't accounted for the way Yami's ruby eyes lit up when they caught his for the first time in two years, nor for the fragile smile gracing his usually proud face. The childlike eagerness in his steps as he rose from his throne and approached was entirely unexpected. The soft, regretful, tone to his voice when he spoke his name and told him he'd missed him had caught Yugi completely off guard.

He caught himself before he uttered those same words in response.

"Why?" He asked instead, voice far quieter than he'd intended.

Yami's expression became confused. He looked as if he were about to say something and Yugi knew by the way the corners of his mouth curled up that it wasn't on topic. Yami was just pleased that he'd gotten him here, he wasn't even thinking about how.

"Not 'why did you miss me', why are you doing this?" Yugi cut in before Yami could start trying to flatter him. He managed a normal speaking volume this time.

"You don't belong among the humans, Yugi." The king sighed as if explaining himself was quite the annoyance. "I gave you two years to figure that out for yourself."

"Is that really all?" The runaway's purple eyes darkened.

"Of course. What else would it be?" Yami met Yugi's cold look with one of his own.

"I don't know. For a second there I was entertaining the notion that you might have a better reason for disrupting the lives of Ryou and myself than your own opinion about where I belong. My mistake, obviously."

"Listen, Yugi, I –" It seemed like Yami was getting ready to backtrack and say exactly what he'd already said in far prettier words that would make it sound as if it were all right and good. Yugi would have none of that.

"I want to see Ryou."

"Not yet. I –"

"I'll get Jou to show me then." Yugi turned to leave, but a hand latched on to his shoulder.

"Would you just listen for a moment?" Yami didn't seem to realize how harsh his grip was until Yugi turned back to him, large eyes hurt. He let go.

"No, because I know what you're going to say. You're going to twist this around somehow, make it sound logical. Kind, even. But it doesn't matter how you dress it up, Yami. It's ugly. It's...It's something I'd thought was beneath you." Yugi's voice cracked and he looked away, embarrassed at the display of weakness. "You've made a lot of choices I haven't agreed with, but I never thought you'd try to control me like this. It's been two years, I thought maybe you even respected that it was my choice to leave."

"I did." Yami's voice lost any authoritativeness it had previously had.

"You wouldn't be putting me through this if you did." Yugi whipped away the tears before they could even think about falling.

"I wasn't going to, I was going to let you live your life away from here. I thought it was ridiculous that you wanted to, yes, and I've thought about dragging you back a million times. Do you have any idea what that felt like, having you leave right after I –" Yami stopped himself that time and paused before continuing, probably to rid his voice of the rant-like quality it was gaining. "But I didn't. This is where you belong, but I know it's not my right to enforce that."

"Then why, Yami?" Yugi desperately wanted to believe that there was a good reason for everything that was happening and the king's words allowed him a small amount of hope.

"It's for your own good."

"No, Yami, you don't get to play the mysterious ruler right now. Not with me." Yugi felt the spark of hope fading. They were silent for what felt like an eternity to Yugi and after a while he sighed, disappointed, and turned again to leave.

"That village isn't safe anymore, he found you."

"Who?" Yugi turned back to Yami once more, puzzled.

"The Wolf."

"Start at the beginning."

Yami hadn't wanted to tell anyone about his recent encounter with the wolf, not even Yugi. He really felt the initial reason he'd given was enough on its own. However, it had been made apparent that unless he was given a good reason not to Yugi was going to take his human friend and leave as soon as possible. And then he'd be in danger.

Yami would never let anything hurt Yugi. Not ever.

Shaking his head at having been cornered into the admission, Yami went to sit at the long dining table the throne room contained. He gestured for Yugi to do the same and was relieved when he did.

"Bakura was here. The day before I sent Jou and Kaiba to where you've been staying I entered my study and he was just standing there in the middle of the room, looking like he was getting ready to vandalize my furniture with his knife."

"How did he get in?" Yugi looked worried and Yami couldn't help but hope that it was for him and not just The Den in general.

"You know there's no hiding this place from him. The wolves never had magic of their own, but they could always smell it. The enchantments that keep us safe from the cats and hidden from the humans make us a beacon to Bakura."

"Yes, I know, but how did he get inside the castle itself?"

"Our defences are lacking, apparently, and he always was a sneaky one." Yami felt his mouth twist into a sort of sneer as he spoke of the wolf Bakura, an enemy of his for as long as he'd been king. "Anyways he didn't attack me, although I'm sure it was tempting for him. He said he knew he wouldn't get away with it in the castle, and he was right. He also said he'd found a way to hurt me without having to make a scene in enemy territory. He said he'd found you."

"But then, why didn't he come after me? If he knew where I was he could have struck any time."

"Because it's not really you he wants, it's me. He said to meet him out in the woods in a week or it would be you that paid."

"That's...not the smartest plot in the world, is it?" Yugi seemed confused and Yami understood why. He'd always thought Bakura and intelligent foe. Perhaps he'd been overestimating him for years, or maybe the wolf had just gotten desperate and sloppy? Both seemed unlikely.

"No, it's not. He gave me ample time to get you out of harm's way and, even if I wasn't able to, there'd be absolutely nothing stopping me from sending guards to ambush him at our meeting time. I believe there is more to it."

"There must be, but there's really no way to find out what is there?"

"No. I used the cat's successful delivery of a letter as an excuse to boost security the other day, all we can do is wait and be ready."

"Right, I understand, but Yami..." The king didn't like the way the other trailed off. "Why didn't you just tell me, and Kaiba and Jou and everyone else for that matter, the truth from the beginning?"

"It would only over-complicate the matter."

"That's probably become and automatic response for you, hasn't it?" Yugi smiled at him in a rather sad manner. "You can't handle everything yourself, Yami. Your pride is going to get you, and probably a lot of other foxes, hurt some day."

There was something wonderfully nostalgic about being scolded by Yugi about his pride. It had been the shorter fox's favourite pass time two short years ago. He knew that, just as he had been then, Yugi was making a serious critique, but...He couldn't help but smile at it. This apparently caused Yugi some variety of disappointment by the look that took over his face.

"Yami, after this thing with Bakura is done, I'll be returning to the human village with Ryou. Please don't let yourself believe otherwise – I don't want to hurt you again." And then he was gone, probably to visit his kidnapped friend.

Yami wasn't really sure why he'd been expecting anything else, or why – despite Yugi's claim of not wanting to hurt him – the other's parting words felt like a rusted blade in his chest.

A/N: Were Yugi and Ryou too OOC this chapter?