A/N: So I'm not even going to try to explain the hectic last few days I've been having but I did tell you guys I'd be back last weekend and for that I'm sorry! Other than my other story that will get an update between today or tomorrow, regular updating days are going to start back up again next week. Here's a long one for you.

When he next opens his eyes, he's surprised by the morning light. His sheets are white in the streaming day light, and a black rabbit is close to his face, staring at him with beady black eyes. Cautiously, Yugi lifts his arm –it comes easily, now – and pets the rabbit behind its ears.

The rabbit blinks at him, and he hesitates to sit up. He does so, and finds it surprisingly easy, although his sides hurt a little, and his elbow joint aches. The seat Yami had occupied is emptied, looking different in the light; brighter and softer, perhaps.

There's noise about the house; distant but there, and he pulls the rabbit into his lap, stroking its soft fur. He wonders where it came from. One of the children's pets? A friend of Téa? He thinks about moving out of the bed, but a slight movement of his legs shows that's not about to happen.

"Where'd you come from?" Yugi asks the little rabbit, and it makes a tittering noise back at him. He smiles, without really meaning to. He had missed animals, a lot. He used to have a dog, back before. He can't even remember what breed it was, but it was warm and had a black patch over its left eye.

He looks over to the corner, and the dustpan is no longer there. He feels a twinge of guilt, but composes himself as the door opens. Bakura slips inside, smiling broadly.

"How's the invalid?" He grins.

Yugi slants his mouth. "Still lame."

"It'll pass. Moving will speed it up. The acid in your muscles just need circulation."

Yugi looks at him dubiously. "How do I move them?"

He feels a sudden pushing and pulling on his legs, and they slide off the bed. He grabs his bed sheets as a force tugs his legs forward a bit. "Stop it!"

"I won't let you fall."

"Like I'd trust you!"

"Looks like you have no choice." Bakura looks unrepentant as he watches Yugi stumble forward.

Yugi realizes his weight isn't exactly held by his legs, but more an invisible energy, holding him upright and moving his limbs. It's sore, like Bakura said, and the acids make his muscles unresponsive and tender. His left foot takes a lurching step forward, and Yugi shoots Bakura a glare. His legs protest as they stretch out, and Yugi holds out his arms for balance, just in case.

"You're a horrible doctor."

"And you're a shitty patient," Bakura returns, his arms crossed with a look of slight satisfaction. The rabbit on the bed looks on, occasionally moving closer to the edge of the bed in a hobbling fashion.

Yugi finds himself lurching forward again, but a gentle pressure keeps him from falling, and he swallows. His legs feel better, a little wobbly still, but not straining so much.

"How did Tristan know what was wrong with me?" Yugi gets it out through clenched teeth.

"Technology," Bakura shrugs. "He's good at this. He knows about molecular biology."

"And this was the only way?"

Bakura leans against the bedpost. "You'd rather die?"

"I'm just asking a question."

"A wise man would accept a miracle."

Yugi snorts.

"I hear you gave Yami trouble."

Yugi purses his lips, and a little of the pressure evaporates, and more weight is out on his legs; they shake slightly, but don't give way. "Not purposely."

"You should be thankful Yami volunteered to watch you."

"He volunteered?"

"He's a giving person." Bakura looks protective and guarded. "It would have been unfortunate waking up alone and immobile."

Yugi tightens his lips further, and takes a step forward by himself. It works, and he allows himself a little smile. He looks up to see Bakura smile back and quickly returns to a neutral mask.

"I was under the impression Yami didn't enjoy my company."

"Well, you assumed wrong. Yami doesn't just dislike people. You have to give him a reason." Bakura lifts both eyebrows. "Although he does think you hate him."

"Smart kid."

All the forces leave him suddenly, and he falls forward, flailing, before stopping an inch from the ground. His eyes stare at the floorboards, and his held breath comes out in a rush. Bakura slowly lifts him, and says, "I suggest you watch yourself. Yami's a good guy, and if you keep being inconsiderate towards him, this isn't going to be a pleasant stay."

"That was a dirty trick," Yugi hisses, testily. Once he can walk properly again, he vows to blast Bakura's bed with ice. Or his clothes. Or something.

Bakura nods, allowing. "It was." His eyes glance to Yugi's bed, and he frowns. "Marik, Téa's been looking for you."

Yugi's eyes widen, and the black rabbit morphs into the tall man, perched contently on Yugi's bed. "But it's more interesting here. I get to see all the arguments."

"You-! You were-!" Yugi splutters, and Marik tilts his head, uncomprehending.

"What?"

"I thought you were a rabbit!"

"I was."

"A real one!"

"I wa-"

"No you weren't!"

Bakura snorts, and Marik seems discouraged, unable to fathom why Yugi seems so mortified.

"Your hands are really soft, by the way. Cold, but soft."

Yugi blushes deeply, and Bakura chuckles. "I think you should leave now, Marik, Yugi and I need to talk in private."

Marik gives a small pout, but gets up anyway, bidding them farewell before closing the door behind him.

"This place is confusing," Yugi broods.

"Unlike the S-CORP?"

Yugi takes three steps forward, and doesn't overbalance. "I can stand on my own," he says quietly.

Bakura nods, releasing him, and Yugi tips for a moment, but keeps his balance.

"I meant what I said," Bakura tells him. "Yami's my friend, and he can be easily hurt if by the right people. He's taken a liking to you. Don't hurt him."

"He's the one who called me cold, and whiny," Yugi defends, trying to keep the sulky tone out of his voice.

"I don't doubt you deserved it," Bakura replies ruthlessly.

"Thanks," Yugi replies, frostily.

"Ryou's waiting for you in the kitchen," Bakura deflects. "I think you should go see him now."

Yugi takes ungainly steps forward, pausing next to Bakura. "You taught him how to fish, huh?"

Bakura's eyes brighten a little, and his mouth softens. "Yeah."

Yugi nods, and the corner of his mouth quirks up. "Thanks. He would've liked that."

A look of astonishment and bewilderment enters Bakura's eyes, and he says, "You're welcome?"

Yugi just nods, and sets out down the hallway. He outstretches his arms so his hands touch each wall, helping him to support himself. He comes to the mouth of the hallway quickly enough, turning into the kitchen.

Five kids are all gathered around the table; some are doing homework, others are drawing, with a jar of pens and crayons in the middle. Ryou's sitting down with the youngest, helping her with her scribbled drawing, although when she sets her hand on the paper, the scribbles come to life, wiggling and oozing around the paper.

Yugi leans against the wall and watches; Ryou senses his eyes soon enough, looking up distractedly. He smiles wide at the sight of Yugi, excusing himself from the busy girl to cross the room and pull Yugi into a hug.

"You're awake."

"I am."

Ryou's brown eyes look bright and hopeful. "I'm glad."

Yugi smirks sarcastically. "So am I."

Ryou lowers his voice, quieter with more seriousness. "If we were still at the S-CORP, I'd... I'd kill them, really."

Yugi smiles, "I know you would." Ryou wouldn't really, but the intention is clear, and Yugi tugs him forward for another hug.

Ryou steps back, and assesses Yugi, looking him up and down. "Not too shabby."

Yugi sneers. "I've been out for three days."

"You only smell a little."

The same little girl that Ryou had been helping looks over, and shouts, "He's alive!"

On cue, the other children whip around, the older ones doing so more subtly, and there's a jabber of talking as they all ask where he's been and what was wrong. Bakura laughs mercilessly as he walks past, amused.

Mai comes to the table with a jug of juice and plastic cups, smiling at Yugi warmly.

"How're you feeling? You've gotten your strength back, I see."

"Yeah," Yugi says, splaying his hand and curling it into a fist, "I feel better, thank you."

She sweeps her hair over her shoulder and bows her head, welcoming his thanks. The children are still watching him, some seeming a little disenchanted now he's walking fine.

A gust of wind blows into the house, although they're not near a door, and it's accompanied by a pissed off Joey with feathers in his hair, stalking through the room and up the stairs. The children's' papers flutter, with little hands thudding them to the table out of practice.

Téa comes running past, calling out Joey's name, and also disappears from sight as she bounds up the stairs. A teenage boy pokes his head into the kitchen, and Yugi recognizes him as one of the Alexes, the one they nicknamed Singer.

"What happened?" Mai says, exasperated.

"Well," Singer hedges, and he steps in to view, toeing the ground. "We thought it would be funny to throw the pigeons into the wind, and-"

"Are you talking about Téa's pigeons, and Joey's sphere?" Mai stands straighter, sterner.

Singer seems to shrink, remorse written all over his face as he hangs his head. "It was just a joke! We didn't know the wind went that fast. And then Joey thought Téa did it, and she got angry and rounded on us, and now Joey's really mad."

Mai seems to tense for a moment, before rubbing her temple and shaking her head. "You and Alex and Alex are in big trouble mister. Are the pigeons all right?"

He scuffs his shoe on the ground.

"Once Joey has calmed down, the three of you are going to march up there and apologize. Where are they?"

"Um," Singer says, obviously picturing the yard and how many places his friends could hide.

"We're all going to have a long discussion," Mai says, "now go wait in the living room for me."

He nods, scurrying off, and Yugi looks at Mai wordlessly.

"Bloody kids, I swear," she says.

"Did I mishear, or does Joey have a sphere?" Yugi asks.

"Yeah," Ryou says, animatedly, "it's really awesome to see in action. It's like a wind cocoon."

"I'm sure we'll be seeing some tornados tonight," Mai forecasts, and one of the older girls at the table snickers.

"Is it always like this?" Yugi questions.

"Hectic," Ryou reasons, "but not to this degree."

"You haven't missed out on much," Mai assures him, scooping up the little girl as she starts making all the animals on the photo gallop around.

"'Tem!" the little girl cheers, hands outstretched towards the doorway.

Yugi turns, but the archway is empty. A voice around the corner says, "Did I hear a little angel call my name?" Yami walks in, grinning, and the little girl claps her hands.

"Her foresight is getting better," Mai comments, as Yami comes and sweeps the girl out of Mai hands, and whirls her around.

"Of course it is, she's a talented little girl," Yami grinned, rubbing noses with the child and eventually settling her on his hip.

"'Tem?" Yugi questions the odd name, lifting his eyebrows and Yami explains curtly. "Becca here doesn't call me Yami, said it was depressing. She started calling me Atem, which soon just turned into 'Tem. Weird name, I know. We still don't know where she got it from and she won't tell. Kind of just a norm now, I guess." He turns back to the young girl in his arms to rub their noses together while she giggled.

"Rebecca is my youngest cousin," Mai says, formally, to Yugi, "she's able to make animation out of two-dimensional objects, and has recently been able to predict certain things a few seconds before they happen."

"Haven't had anyone with two powers before," Yami adds, and the little girl latches her arms tighter around Yami's throat.

"What about her parents?" Yugi asks, as Ryou sits back down at the table, obviously already having heard the story before.

Mai looks sadly at the little girl. "Dead. They say it was a car accident, but you never know... Although the S-CORP isn't known to kill children's parents, it's a possibility. As soon as she appeared on the S-CORP's radar, we picked her up."

The little girl tugs on her blonde plaits, talking to Yami excitedly about all the animals in the pictures and all the things they're going to do. Yami just smiles back, hefting her higher on his hip.

"What are the chances, having two in the same family?" Yugi asks, leaning back against the wall.

"Pretty common, actually," Yami tells him, knowingly. "It runs in the blood line, not the mutation specifically, but the genes that are able to mutate. We know of brothers and sisters in various families across the globe that were both gifted, but that was before us; they're either very old or passed away by now."

"Except for the Kaiba brothers," Mai injects. "But they don't live here anymore."

Yugi ponders on this, and wondering where the gene was passed down; his mother's side, or his fathers. He hopes it was his mother's.

"So I heard some stomping upstairs," Yami comments to Mai, setting Rebecca down, and she promptly goes back to her seat, and back to drawing.

"Joey," Mai remarks, offhand. "He'll be fine by lunch."

Yami nods, and sticks his hands in his pockets. "Have you seen Bakura?"

Mai flaps her hands noncommittally. "I think he was outside somewhere."

Yami moves to the side, and Mai snags his shirt.

"Oh, no you don't. You can stay here and keep an eye on the kids. I'm taking a break."

Yami groans, flopping down over the bench. "Whyyyy?"

Mai just rolls her eyes, and flicks his ears. "Because I asked you to."

"They don't like me; they'll disobey me and make a mess. You're putting their lives in danger."

"Shush, they love you, and Ryou and Yugi are here if anything happens."

Yami looks sidelong at Ryou and makes a pained look; Ryou laughs. Mai pokes Yami's side once, before taking her glass of lemonade with her as she exits, either to go upstairs or outside. Yami sighs and props up on his elbows, surveying the kids.

"Don't supposed you'll cover for me?" Yami tries hopefully to Ryou.

"And face her wrath?" Ryou asks rhetorically.

Yami groans again, pulling up a stool to the bench and sitting down, pouring himself a glass of lemonade. "Come keep me company, then."

Ryou moves from the kitchen table to the kitchen bench, a few feet from the kids, and Yugi follows. He sits on the black stool with a little difficulty, still not having control of all his balance. His stomach tumbles slightly with hunger.

"You're looking better," Yami tells him, appraisingly, although there's a guarded look about his eyes.

"I am," Yugi says, perching his elbows up on the counter. He hesitates before adding, "Thank you."

Yami gives him a polite but pained smile in return. Ryou gives Yugi a funny look, but Yugi just picks at the fake limestone of the bench. A minute passes, with Yami drinking from his glass as the children play loudly, comparing pictures and squabbling over pencils. Yugi digs his nail into the bench, and Ryou clears his throat.

"Do you think you'll be sleeping upstairs now?" Ryou asks.

Yugi shrugs, and Yami answers cautiously, glancing at Yugi, "I think Bakura wants him to stay downstairs for a bit."

"I can handle stairs."

"Humor him."

Yugi looks away, over towards the fridge were the multicolored magnets hold drawings and reports. The clatter of the back door echoes, and catches Yugi's attention.

Bakura steps in to the kitchen, searching. His eyes land on Yami, then glance back at the kids. A grin comes over his face, and he taunts, "You're stuck with babysitting."

Yami frowns and glares. "Jerk. You want to take over?"

"Uh-uh," Bakura refuses. "I have work to do, and I wanted to see if you'd help. Joey was supposed to...but he's gone." Bakura looks over Ryou and Yugi, pausing on Yugi. "I doubt you're up to manual labor just yet. What about you Ry? Any problems with cutting up wood?"

Ryou seems excited at the prospect, smiling wide. "No, I'll help." Yugi gives a quizzical once-over of his friend's appearance, not sure how cutting wood could be that great.

"This isn't fair," Yami whines, sighing and throwing the children a helpless glance. Bakura pokes out his tongue as Ry pushes his chair our, standing up.

"Next time, dude," Bakura tells him, beckoning for Ryou to follow him outside.

"Like I'd want to help you anyway," Yami mumbles as they leave, with narrowed eyes.
"Ateeeeeem," Rebecca complains, "Jake won't stop hogging the colors."

Yami gives Yugi an exasperated look before moving over to the table, settling the dispute between the children and giving them a talk on sharing. Yugi watches and listens, secretly amused, as he talks to them in serious tones, and they all look up at him with big eyes and craned necks. The older children ignore them, quietly finishing their homework.

Yami sits back down on Ryou's abandoned stool, turning so his back rests against the bench and he can see the kids. Yugi remains how he is, angled both towards Yami and the kitchen bench. Yami has a concerned look on his face, one Yugi's come to recognize.

"These kids," he says quietly, soft enough they won't overhear, "they don't have much. We try to get the parents to take them back, but you'll be surprised how many won't. They're scared or detached, trying to forget about the whole thing. And the parents that do take them back, that are actually thankful; they're back here in a week, begging us to tell them how to raise their kid. You don't realize how different we are until we're put in that kind of environment."

Yami shakes his head, wistfully, and Yugi chews on his fingernail. He's not sure what to say, having never been in the situation. He doesn't know what it's like to return only to be rejected.

"And it's hard to raise them all. I mean, we're almost like an orphanage, and Mai has a big heart but she doesn't have a hundred hands, and we don't have enough funding. The government throws money at us to keep us quiet, and to keep our program going, but we don't really exist." Yami just breathes, obviously having thought this over a lot.

"My parents hated me," Yami volunteers, coldly. "They were- they were religious fanatics, and when you're like that, and have a child who handles fire, the first assumption you make is that they're a demon." He laughs humorlessly.

Yugi stares hard at Yami. "They thought you were a demon?"

Yami sighs, shrugs as if subdued by now. "It was a long time ago."

"How old were you when S-CORP got you?"

"Nine. The priests told them all about me, and my family was only too happy to give me away." Yami bites his bottom lip compulsively.

Yugi keeps watching Yami's face, his darting eyes and biting teeth, dragging over his soft lip. Eventually he tilts his head to Yugi, and asks, "What?"

Yugi chews the inside of his cheek. "You confuse me."

Yami's brow deepens, and his lips part slightly. "How?"

Yugi rolls his shoulders, and rests his chin on his palm, continuing to pick at the bench with his other hand. "I never know how to read you."

"Maybe you're looking at the world too black and white."

"Maybe I'm just seeing color for the first time," Yugi tries, and smiles. He remembers walking out of the manor his first day, and seeing the tall, green trees, and hearing the melodious chirping of birds.

A spark comes to life in Yami's eyes. "Maybe." Then, "Eleven years is a long time."

Yugi just nods, wanting to change the subject. "What do you usually have for breakfast around here?"

Yami snaps his fingers. "Shit, sorry, I forgot you were asleep. Well, lunch is in another hour or so, but if you're really hungry, there's yogurt in the fridge, fruit over in the bowl, and you can make toast if you can find where the toaster's been hidden."

Yugi recognizes fruit, a dozen apples and half a dozen oranges filling up a blue, glazed bowl on the other end of the counter, with some bananas hanging over the edge, still green around the ends.

"What's yogurt?" Yugi asks.

Yami gaps at him for approximately two seconds before composing himself. "You've never had yogurt?"

Yugi shakes his head. "Our diet wasn't very flexible."

"Well, it's a cold food," Yami says, pushing back his chair, "so you'll probably like it." He opens the refrigerator, and reaches in, snapping off a small tub. He closes the door and jerks open a drawer, pulling out a spoon. "Here," he says, thrusting the white container at Yugi, "try it, see if you like it."

Yugi takes it warily, and peels back the top in an experimental fashion. He scoops some into his mouth, and makes a face. "Yuck."

"Yuck?" Yami repeats. "How do you not like yogurt?"

"It's really... bleh," Yugi pokes out his tongue at the strong taste. Yami laughs gently, pulling the tub towards himself and taking the spoon.

"Maybe you've had too many bland foods." Yami slurps a spoonful, licking the spoon clean. "I can't believe you've never had it before."

Yugi rests his chin on his hand again as Yami eats the vanilla yogurt. "So what happens to the people who don't live here?" Yugi asks, curiously.

Yami answers, staring into the bottom of the tub as he scrapes it, "Well, some try to go about their lives, and keep it a secret. I mean, you have to respect that, because who doesn't want to live a normal life? The others who choose not to stay here or start a new life, or help the CIA, they... well."

"Well?" Yugi looks skeptical.

"It's just, not everyone who happens to have gifts like ours wants to just sit back. Some want to show that they're... superior." He says it like it's a dirty word, even lowering his voice. "They're like villains in comic books, except with fewer monologues. There's a group of us that protect our secrecy and everyone's safety by making sure nothing happens."

Yugi's eyes widen. "People actually do that? The whole 'world domination' thing?"

"Yeah," Yami says, and shrugs. "Nothing corrupts quite like power."

He licks the yogurt from his lips; Yugi notices they match his skin tone nicely, and wonders if Yami knows. Yugi notices Yami, a lot, even in a room full of people. He notices Yami's presence and smile and touch. It's all very clouding.

"But don't worry," Yami says, misreading Yugi's silence, "they won't hurt you, or anything. They like to play with powerless people. The CIA has formed a whole squad against it, and the Kaiba brothers are even in there."

"Would you ever do it?" Yugi ventures, pressing his fingers into the bench. He's chewed his nails too far down, and the skin is red and puffy. "Be in that squad I mean, not..."

Yami shakes his head. "Too much risk and violence. I want to help, but madness is too much. I've had enough of that in my life."

"There's a lot I have to learn, huh?" Yugi asks, reluctant.

"Well, you've already been through a lot as well," Yami says, and smiles. "I doubt anyone's going to blame you if you're a little slow."

Yugi tastes blood on the inside of his cheek, and a small echo of a headache, as he says, "Thank you for being nice to me. I know it's not easy, as Bakura pointed out."

Yami refocuses. "Bakura talked to you?"

"Yeah," Yugi says, chuckling helplessly, "he reminded me to play nice. And he was right."

"He shouldn't have."

"Yes he should have," Yugi objects. "Without you, I'd still be back in some white room."

"Bakura was there as well."

"Yeah, but you were the one who made sure I was okay," Yugi confirms, smiling slightly.

"You know, we can set up some kind of therapy, if you and Ryou feel you need it," Yami says seriously. "Most of us go through it, it makes moving on easier."

Yugi chews on the skin around his nail. "I don't know."

"That's what Ryou said," Yami admits. "You know, he refused to leave your bedside for hours. Bakura had to bribe him with fishing to get him away from that room."

"We've been friends for a long time."

Yami nods. "I understand. So have Bakura and I. And I know you probably feel like everything has to be a joint decision, right now, but you'll learn that you're both very different people, and deal with things differently. So if you need to talk, you should."

Yugi feels the pressure of Yami's gaze, and evades it. "I'll think about it."

Yami looks back at all the children, smiling. "I should probably get a game out for them, or something. Most of the older ones have finished their homework."

"Do they go to school?"

"Yeah, but it's hard. We have to home school some of the rowdier ones with more prominent powers, but some are able to go by unnoticed. That makes it easier during the weekdays."

Yugi nods; he can see what Yami means. It would be hard to explain to a teacher why their student can warp solid ground or levitate in the air.

"Come on," Yami says, "we'll get them to play a game outside."

"Like what?" Yugi says, standing up; his legs ache as if he just ran a few miles instead of sitting down.

"Football, or something," Yami says, "You can just watch, if you want."

Yugi nods, and Yami smiles, fleetingly, at him.

"You seem to be making a good recovery," Tristan notes, placing gauze over Yugi's inner elbow. "Seems everything worked."

"How did you know?" Yugi questions. "How did you know what was wrong?"

"You're not the first one to face this kind of issue," Tristan tells him.

They're in the same room as before, this time without any needles.

"The mutations cause susceptibility to infections and diseases, causing a high death rate," Tristan continues.

"You expected this?"

"No," Tristan disagrees, slowly. "But it wasn't surprising."

Tristan sits down across from Yugi, and leans in. It's only the two of them, and Tristan's glasses catch the glare from the light bulb.

"We should talk about where you're going from here," Tristan tells him. "If you do want to start a new life, we can help you with that. We can get you the documents you need, and fund you part of the way. You can stay here if you want, to help or not to help. Consider this a safe haven, but remember that means all the newly rescued or ones that have nowhere else to go are here as well. Ryou's already chosen to stay, although you should think solely about your own future."

Yugi nods as he talks, and tugs on his hair; his hair is getting long, the black brushing down his neck and his front bangs starting to tickle his cheeks. "I'd like to stay here, for now."

"Okay," Tristan answers. "Once you get full mobility back, you'll have to continue rooming with Ryou, because that extra bedroom is needed for emergencies. Is that alright?"

Yugi smiles bleakly. "Ry and I are used to sharing small spaces."

"Of course," Tristan murmurs, tugging his hood down farther. "Well, I think we're about done here. Bakura can help you with anything if I'm not around. You might experience headaches, but any really painful ones should be reported, okay?" He looks stern, but Yugi just cocks an eyebrow.

"Sure."

When he leaves, Yugi looks back down at his arm. He can't see the marks because of the gauze, but when he had – in between Tristan taking off the dressings and humming and hawing over them – he'd been surprised. His arm looked more like a pincushion than before. For every pin mark there was one more, the scars like constellations. Some had already faded to white, and the older ones were no longer puffy or swollen or discolored, which was comforting.

Tristan had explained more about what different pains signified, and what exactly was injected into him. Yugi still can't fully grasp the significance of each chemical, but Tristan explained the desired effect. He also elaborated that the scientists were probably trying to see if they could use his power in a human with a normal body temperature, or whether they'd have to alter that as well. Most humans would die at the temperature Yugi's exists at.

Yugi wants to ask Tristan why he'd want to be an agent for a department like this. He wants to ask if the wonder of the supernatural is worth the pain and uncertainty, and if he ever worries about being merely human. He wonders who is really superior; with their high death rate and weak immune system, all for one extra ability.

Yugi wakes up in the middle of the night, feeling restless. He watches the shadows in the room, as they hover around the corners. He shifts to lay on his back, his muscles putting up a weary protest, and his mouth feels dry. The old manor is quiet at this time of night, with only the wind whispering and floorboards groaning quietly. He sits up, and waits for his eyes to adjust to the dark, before stepping off the bed.

The floorboards are blissfully cold against his feet, and he doesn't stumble as he makes his way out of the room, and down the hall. His fingers graze the walls, and he walks to the kitchen out of memory. He passes the backdoor, and pauses. The orange glow that caught his attention is situated in the middle of the yard, obscured partly by the large trees of the forest. He frowns, resting his hand over the door handle, looking from the clear glass back to the hallway. He decides, and pushes the handle down, walking outside.

The wind is surprisingly cool and strong, tossing his hair out of its usual place. He squints, and walks over the wet grass; the dew clings to his feet. He walks to the edge of the light, focusing on the glow in the distance. He steps over the threshold, into the darkness, with a deep breath and a determined mind. He continues slower now, testing the ground before resting his weight, mentally cursing every time a stick cuts into his foot.

The forest is further than he thought, and he starts to wonder if he should turn back. His curiosity wins out as his feet carry him forward, and the wind grazes his bare chest. The bottoms of his flannel pants are wet, sticking to his ankles as he gets closer to the trees that trap the glow, and he walks a little faster. He passes the first cluster of trees, with leaves crunching underfoot, and branches tapping his shoulders ominously.

When he stops before the large orb of orange, his breath leaves him all at once. Sitting upon the large, fire-eaten logs is Yami, his eyes closed peacefully and his legs crossed loosely. Flames lick and consume his whole body, as if nothing but air; not even his hair is disturbed.

He can feel the heat from where he stands, and sweat start to trickle down his cold skin. The cracking echoes off the trunks of the trees, and Yugi takes a step back, trying to get back from the heat but not out of the light. He watches in awe, as the wood burns and hisses, like an empire of chaos. Yami's naked apart from a pair of silver shorts perched on his hips. They don't seem to burn or disintegrate in the slightest, only glisten. The logs crumble, and Yami lowers a few inches abruptly; Yugi gasps in surprise. Yami's eyes open.

They stay locked, staring at each other wordlessly. Yami blinks, slowly, and the fire dissipates until he's just sitting on smouldering logs.

"You're out of bed," he comments.

"I saw the... you know."

Yami tilts his head. "Sorry. I didn't think it would disturb you."

Ignoring his apology, Yugi continues, "What is this?"

"Just basking in my element," Yami responds wryly. "I can usually only do it when the little ones are in bed."

Yugi nods, considering all the times he'd sit inside his ice walls to concentrate or clear his head.

"Is this why you collect wood?"

Yami nods. "It helps expel my energy."

"Doesn't anyone smell the smoke?"

"There's no-one around for miles. This is government owned land."

Yugi looks around the darkened forest, and the trees seem taller and gloomier, with twisted branches and rotten bark. Yami stands, his feet falling through a burnt out, hollow log, and embers and ash fly up into the air. He steps out, his ankles stained black, and runs a hand through his hair, making it stick up in all directions. His skin is a luminescent white, with deep color to his lips.

"You do this every night?" Yugi asks.

Yami shakes his head. "No, only when I'm feeling frustrated."

"What were you feeling frustrated about tonight?" Yugi asks, daringly, wondering if Yami would answer him at all.

"Lot of things. Nothing. I don't know."

Yugi wipes the sweat from the back of his neck as Yami steps closer, and all around Yami smells like wood smoke. A smear of ash over Yami's chest stands out against his skin, and Yugi tries not to look.

"Do I frustrate you?" The wind breathes around them, and Yugi squints against the gale of smoke, unsure whether his question was heard.

"Sometimes, not really," Yami answers, his lashes batting away the breeze. "I don't know."

Yugi cups his hands over his mouth, and breathes out icy water, ice particles clinging to the pads of his fingers before melting away. Yami radiates stronger heat, and Yugi can feel it more now that he's only standing a couple of feet away.

"You make me anxious, maybe, is the better way of saying it," Yami continues. "Because you call me confusing, and no-one's ever called me that before. I'm afraid of what you think. It's a new and different feeling."

"Confusing doesn't mean bad."

"It doesn't mean good either." He breathes out. "We're opposites in the most obvious ways. I like the heat, you like the cold."

"And yet we exist in the same climate; not so opposite," Yugi adds. Yugi makes a gesture over his own chest, before saying, "You have a bit of..."

Yami looks down, and absentmindedly wipes the smudge of ash off his toned chest. "I probably need a shower."

"I should go back to bed."

They stand, unmoving.

"Stay out here a while? With me?" Yami asks, red eyes blinking.

"Okay," Yugi agrees, shyly.