Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The chill breeze bit straight through the skin, signaling that November had arrived in Domino City. Clutching his scarf and jacket closer to his body, Ryou strolled through the crisp evening air, steaming cup of mocha in hand, on his way home from work.

10 years had passed since Yugi and Atem’s ceremonial duel. In that time, Ryou worked his way from Mailroom Assistant to Junior Editor for KaibaCorp Magazine. Specializing in tabletop RPGs, he spent each day writing and editing work about new releases, updates, and industry news. As much as the long hours exhausted him, he felt fulfilled in his career.

Changes to his personal life hadn’t been so fortunate. Along with adulthood came waning opportunities to make real connections with new people. Although he kept up his friendship with Yugi, Honda, Jounouchi, and Anzu, they were lucky to meet up once a month for Monster World sessions. Those were the highlights of his social life.

Relationships came and went. Attracted to his delicate and ethereal appearance, finding new boyfriends was easy. The challenge came when new relationships began to lose their luster, when the masks came off and he got to truly know people behind their best faces.

He dated closeted men who expected him to be a substitute for a subservient wife and insecure men who loved his outer appearance and politeness, but rejected him once they learned more about his deep love for the occult and horror. The worst were men who tried to project their idea of what they thought Ryou should be and failed every time.

Sometimes months would go by before Ryou saw his boyfriends’ true faces. And after years being controlled by the spirit of the Ring, he no longer accepted anyone who tried to treat him like their personal doormat. Tired of people who expected him to be something he wasn’t, Ryou dropped off Domino’s dating scene.

Fumbling for his keys, he unlocked the door to his apartment. Turning on the light and taking off his shoes, he was greeted with the trill of a chirping cat — his best friend, Björn.

“I’m home,” he said, feeling the softness of the cat’s jet black fur brush his calves and reaching down to scratch behind his ears.

Björn blinked up at his owner with the one eye he had, meowing softly. If nothing else, the past decade had brought Ryou what felt like the sweetest cat in the world.

On a cold December morning two years ago, Ryou startled at the sound of yowling on a lonely street corner. He turned to find a kitten clinging to life, breathing heavily with blood marring his left side. Shocked by the scene, Ryou scooped the cat’s injured body into his arms and gazed into his face. Warm in his embrace, Björn looked at him with hope in his eye before breaking out into soft purrs. Ryou fell in love at that moment, deciding immediately to help heal him and take him home.

After rushing Björn to the vet, he was told that they could save his injured legs, but not his eye. His back leg never fully healed and he walked with a permanent limp. Seeing the way that the cat loped around reminded Ryou of soft, round bears. He decided to name his new pet Björn, the Norwegian word for bear. True to his name, the kitten grew strong, healthy, and enormous for a housecat. Deeply scarred, but resilient, positive, and determined, the two made the perfect pair.

Sighing, Ryou walked into the kitchen to fix dinner for himself and Björn. After chopping vegetables and filling his rice cooker and pan with ingredients, he looked into the empty living room. He longed for companionship, to share his time with someone who accepted him for who he was — every side, from his polite outer shell to his mischievous inner self who loved the macabre, occult, and intriguing, dark stories.

November had just begun and the veil connecting the world to the realm of spirits was thin. And in two days, a lunar eclipse would blanket the night sky in total darkness. What a perfect night for a ritual.

***

Anointing a circle of white candles with scented oil, Ryou began to chant softly. He beckoned the gods to listen as he decorated his altar with crystals — clear quartz for balance, rose quartz for love, then black tourmaline for inner power, protection, and strength. The stones shone in the bright moonlight which faded each passing moment as the eclipse progressed.

He spoke purposefully of what he wanted to beckon into his life — of attracting a connection with someone who would accept and love him for who he was. Someone he could watch horror movies with into the wee hours of the morning, someone who would show him emotional support on his best and worst days, someone who wouldn’t flinch when he told him his deepest desires. He spoke of the man who would never keep Ryou in a box, who would whisper bone-chilling stories into his ear until gooseflesh spread over his skin, who would sling his strong arms around him and kiss him until he was breathless.

Darkness set in from the window, the only light in the room coming from warm, flickering candlelight. As he reached the final part of the ritual, Ryou unsheathed a lacquered, white-hilted steel dagger. Holding out his left hand over his altar, he sliced lightly into the scar tissue on his palm, letting a single drop of blood drip down onto the surface as he willed the spirits to listen to his pleas.

“So it shall be,” he whispered as he brought the spell to a close. Getting up onto shaky legs, he snuffed out each candle and tiptoed into the bathroom to clean and bandage his wound.

***

The full shadow of the eclipse plunged the rain-slick streets of Domino into darkness. For a moment, the amber streetlamps flickered. On a street which had been empty mere moments before, a man with a deep skin tone and wild, flaxen hair lay hunched over against the side of a brick building.

Opening his eyes, he barely registered where he was. He had been living in inky blackness that enveloped everything it touched to the point for untold years. At this point, light had become unfamiliar to him. With blurry eyes, chilled bones, and aching muscles, he rose to greet the night.

Brushing his cold fingers through his voluminous, spiked hair, he began to recognize the skyline of Domino City. Clutching his stomach, he laughed bitterly at the situation he was thrust into.

Malik Ishtar’s dark personality had emerged from the shadow realm and into all-engulfing, terrifying freedom.

Chapter Text

Drip, drip, drip.

Malik’s dark personality awoke with a start as cold raindrops fell through the aging beams of the abandoned row house where he had taken refuge. A week had passed since he found himself lying on the street and in that time, he couldn’t shake the confusion of what happened to him.

He shook with bitter laughter at the thought. Why was he brought back? Was this a trick from the shadows? Were they giving him the illusion of safety before dragging him back to the nightmare world where he spent what felt like infinite amounts of time?

The frigid droplets shook him from his thoughts. With a low growl, he moved his worn futon to a dry corner of the room and slid a bowl to catch the water before it spilled onto the decaying floor. Knowing he wouldn’t get any more rest until the rain stopped, he grabbed a half broken umbrella he had found days earlier and stepped out into the night.

He mulled over his thoughts as a chill breeze caressed his cheek and carried stray rain onto the sides of his body. Despite his discomfort, he paused, in awe of what he was experiencing. In the Shadow Realm, there was no rain. No cold wind. No warm sun. There was only infinite stagnation and a deep blackness that threatened to close in on the body and choke the soul. Occasionally, he would see the shades of ragged beasts and lost, terrified spirits pass by. At first, he made a hobby out of fighting the shambling horrors that lunged at him in the darkness, satisfying his thirst for aggression.

Hatred, violence, and fighting for survival were all he knew. He was born of Malik’s rage, resentment, and desperation to protect himself. But as time went by, he grew weary. He lost track of the weeks, months, and years that passed. With no sun to rise in the morning, no silver moonlight at night, and no seasons that gradually changed, he had zero awareness of how long he spent in the shadows. In the end, he was left with a vast emptiness in his heart and endless time to think.

Aside from the occasional singing drunk stumbling down shadowy alleys as he passed, the streets were nearly empty. He considered picking a fight with one of them for the rush before sighing and wondering at the point of it all. His body still rushed with adrenaline when he thought of the thrill of chasing down any who threatened him, to feel the rush of the power he was denied from having as a child. But he knew that as he walked down the road at this late hour, he was the one who posed the greatest danger. An odd comfort filled him at the thought that nobody held a candle at being able to hurt him here.

Dropping his umbrella, he let the rain pelt his skin, drenching the ragged black tank top, cargo pants, and golden jewelry he wore when he entered the Shadow Realm, and watched as the steam left his mouth in thin, fleeting clouds with each breath. Although shivering and uncomfortable, he felt alive.

During Battle City, Malik wanted to conquer the pharaoh, the one who he thought had been keeping him held down all his life. But his darker personality yearned to gain control over his own body — to be a whole person, rather than a defense mechanism who only lived for fleeting moments. If his return to Domino City wasn’t a trick, did he get his wish? Was this the opportunity to live that he longed for?

He picked up his umbrella and, laughing at the futility of it since he was already sopping wet from the rain, held it above his head as he continued to walk.

All of a sudden, he felt a strong pull toward an apartment complex in the distance and he decided to follow it. A single light shone from the sheer curtains of a window on the top floor, but he couldn’t make out what was inside. He felt an inner sense of warmth from there that he couldn’t explain, a feeling of peace and safety that he never felt before. He didn’t know why he had been brought back, but he felt in that moment that he’d find answers as long as he followed that inner pull. His limbs began to feel heavy as weariness crept over him. He realized he wouldn’t find the information he needed yet, so he turned and walked back to his makeshift home.

Dry at last, he peeled off his wet clothes as he walked through the broken door and hung them on the back of the kitchen’s decaying wooden chairs. He settled under the frayed but warm covers and fell into a deep sleep.

***

Ryou walked home from work the next afternoon with the setting sun gleaming on his face. Tugging his warm, espresso-toned scarf closer, he thought over the ritual and smiled thinking of the ways it could eventually play out. It had only been a little over a week since then and he didn’t expect results right away — whereas minor spells often worked immediately, attracting a whole human being was a longer game.

What he didn’t see was a block away, from around the corner, he was being watched.

***

It must’ve been a ghost that Malik’s dark personality saw. He knew he had woken up in Domino, full of people that he had met under the worst circumstances. Led by the same pull that drew him to the apartment building the night before, he wandered toward KaibaCorp headquarters that day, a massive skyscraper that cut straight through the city. What he wasn’t expecting was the way his eyes locked onto the shock of white hair, the willowy frame wrapped in brown woolen clothes as he strolled out of the building.

“Bakura?” he gasped in disbelief as he watched Ryou unknowingly head in his direction. The last time he saw him, his body was slowly being swallowed by the shadows. His head burned with unanswered questions — how did they both return from the Shadow Realm? Was this the spirit of the Millennium Ring or the host? Malik’s dark personality figured that if anybody had answers, it would be him.

But it wasn’t as if he could calmly flag Ryou down and ask him polite questions after what he put him through. Adrenaline coursed through his body. He couldn’t fathom how to approach the situation, but he knew he needed to act, and quickly.

He ducked into the nearest alley and watched as Ryou approached. When he came close enough, he reached out, grabbed Ryou by his collar, and yanked him onto the wall just out of sight from onlookers.

Ryou squeaked as his back hit the wall, his eyes widening as he made out the gold halo of hair and intense, lavender stare looking back at him. After a moment of shock, he recognized exactly who it was he was dealing with. He took a ragged breath, but kept an even expression as they locked eyes.

“How did you get out of the Shadow Realm?” Ryou asked.

“I should be asking you the same question.”

“I came back immediately after Malik forfeited his match.” Despite being held down, Ryou kept eerily calm. “When you defeat an opponent in a shadow duel, their penalty games become null and void. What do you want from me?” He raised an eyebrow.

“I —” Malik’s dark personality started, holding Ryou firmly. He felt intimidated by how cool and collected he remained in spite of the situation.

Ryou looked almost the same as he did when they last saw each other, although he wore a gentler gaze than the Spirit of the Ring. In the time since he had been sent to the Shadow Realm, Ryou carried a little more healthy weight on his body, still lithe as he was, and he showed a hint more darkness under his eyes.

Malik’s dark personality spoke in a low growl, “last week, I woke up on the street alone. I thought it was a trick of the shadows, but I’m still here.”

Ryou’s eyes widened as something seemed to click in his mind, but he was too flabbergasted to speak.

“What is it? Spit it out before I tie you up right here in this alley and make you talk,” Malik’s dark personality purred against Ryou’s ear. To his surprise, a hint of pink spread across Ryou’s face. “You almost look like you’d like that, little mouse. You’re not scared of me?”

“I’ve been possessed by the angry spirit of an ancient thief, a demon set on coating the world in darkness, and I’ve been sent to the Shadow Realm multiple times,” Ryou hissed, his gaze intense. “This isn’t even in my list of top three scariest threats.”

“I’ve seen that sharp look on your face once before, but you weren’t the one wearing it.” Malik’s dark personality loosened his grip on Ryou’s clothing, impressed. “Your other self gave me that same stare when I sent him into the shadows. He seems to have picked his host well.”

“He’s gone now, and so is the Ring.” Ryou admitted, looking away. “Why don’t we continue this conversation at my place? It’s warmer there.”

“You’re trusting me in your home?”

“You won’t hurt me.”

“You’re taking a big gamble on someone who enjoyed toying with your friends so much,” Malik’s dark personality purred as he released his hold on Ryou, letting him lead both of them back to his apartment.

“I don’t have anything better to do, and I don’t mind the suspense,” Ryou replied with a wink.

“You’re an odd one, but I think I like you. Imagine what we could’ve accomplished if we were on the same side.”

Ryou giggled. “You know I’d never let anyone come between me and my friends, but imagine it? We’d blanket the world in shadows and rule as vampire lords.”

“You’re twisted. I like the way you think.”

Ryou’s blush deepened.

“This is it,” he said as he turned his keys and opened the door.

That’s when Malik’s dark personality saw it. A single, bright gold eye piercing through the darkness and fixing directly on him.

“What the hell is that?” He stammered, wondering whether Ryou somehow led him directly into a trap set by the shadows.

Ryou flicked on the lightswitch to reveal Björn sitting majestically in all his pudgy feline glory.

“That’s my cat, Björn. I’ll warn you right now,” Ryou started as the cat limped closer, “He’ll demand tribute from you in the form of scritches or else he’ll get offended.”

As if on cue, Björn began to headbutt and rub softly against the other Malik’s legs. He was shocked at the velvety brush of his fur and didn’t move at first. After many long years living in darkness, he could barely fathom feeling something so soft.

After a moment, the cat’s gaze snapped upward and he hissed.

“There it is,” Ryou sighed. “In his mind, he greeted you so well and you’re not showering him with the love and affection that he deserves.”

“How do I…?”

“Here, let me show you. He loves scratches right behind the ears and under the chin, like this,” Ryou knelt down to demonstrate. “You can also stroke down his back or even scratch right before the base of his tail. See how his skin scrunches up when I do this? That means he likes it. His legs and stomach are off limits though. He’ll maul you if you try touching them.”

Malik’s dark personality bent toward the cat and gave him a tentative scratch on the chin. He raised his head up, scrunched his nose, and purred in response. The sound and vibration of Björn’s purrs on his fingers immediately took the edge off as he found himself relaxing.

“See? You have pleased the deadly guard cat and now you may enter,” Ryou said with a wink.

“What happened to his eye?”

“When I found him, he was already injured,” Ryou replied. “It looked like he had been attacked and his entire left side was an open wound. I rushed him to the vet for help, but they couldn’t save his eye. The rest of him healed up well though, except for his back leg. He walks with a little limp and he has trouble jumping up on the furniture. When I found him, I scooped him up and felt him purr and purr in my arms. He turned up to me and gave me the sweetest look. Needless to say, I couldn’t bear going home without him after that.”

“You like broken things, don’t you?”

“I think it’s more like I know how it feels to be broken.” Ryou paused, sucking in a deep breath. He shot the other Malik his signature smile, one that lit up the room, but covered all the pain he felt. “Why don’t you sit down on the couch so that we can talk?”

They removed their shoes at the threshold and Ryou led him into the living room. The open-layout apartment was cozy, neat, but lived-in. Along the walls were floating shelves featuring an array of different collectibles, from Monster World sculptures to figures from his favorite movies. Glancing at a row of DVDs in the bookshelf along the corner, the other Malik’s face lit up.

“Look at your horror movie collection!” He yelled with excitement. “I watched a few while I still piggybacked in Malik’s mind. Out of everything he watched, horror movies and shows were my favorite.”

Ryou’s ear-to-ear grin made the other Malik’s heart nearly stop. “I’ve never met anyone else who was so excited about my collection. I love the macabre and grotesque, but people usually just think I’m weird and write me off.”

“If anything, you’re the best kind of weird. Look, I—” Malik’s dark personality stammered, feeling surprisingly bashful. It was an unfamiliar feeling after living on adrenaline and fumes for nearly two decades. “I’m sorry I grabbed you out there.”

Ryou sat down on the plush, tan sofa and patted the cushion next to him. “Of all the things I’ve been through, I could probably count the times people said they were sorry to me on one hand. I certainly didn’t expect an apology from you.”

“The Shadow Realm changes a person,” Malik’s dark personality leaned forward with an unreadable expression. “You remember it, don’t you? The darkness is palpable to the point where you can almost feel it closing in on you. You don’t need to eat or drink, but you’re hungry and thirsty all the time. I got into fight after fight with creatures that come straight out of people’s nightmares, and all to the soundtrack of the screams of other people trapped there. I used to follow the noise, but I never found anyone other than monsters. I don’t know how much time I spent there, but it was long enough to make me tired, Bakura. I’m not the same as I was when I went in.”

“Please call me Ryou,” he replied, gently placing their hands together. “I don’t imagine you’d want to be called Malik anymore… what should I call you?”

“Amir.”

“That’s a beautiful name.”

“If there was one thing I had plenty of in the shadows, it was time to think,” Amir shot a pensive gaze into Ryou’s chestnut eyes. “Malik’s name means king, right? He created me. I was born of his hate and anger. I wondered if I could’ve been a whole person, who would I be? So I chose Amir, which means prince. The prince to Malik’s king.”

“I’m so sorry, Amir. If I had known what you had been through, I would’ve…” Ryou’s eyes welled up as he sucked in a deep breath. “I think I know what brought you back from that awful place.”

Amir gasped as he felt Ryou’s arms coil around him in a tight embrace. In spite of the cool temperature of the apartment, his body warmed all over.

“It’s… it’s been 10 years since the ceremonial duel. Even longer since Battle City,” Ryou admitted.

“I… I lost over 10 years?” Amir looked down at his feet, reality not quite sinking in yet. Ryou’s arms still enveloped him and he felt safe. That was enough for him. “To be honest, I thought I’d be trapped there forever in my own personal hell. How did I get out?”

“I did something,” he held back a sob. “You remember how the Spirit of the Ring was into the occult, right?”

Amir nodded, dumbfounded at what he was hearing.

“Well, it wasn’t just him. I’ve been practicing magic since I was little. There was an eclipse about a week ago full of powerful, but chaotic energy. Amir... I’m so sorry. I did something stupid.”

Ryou lifted his face up to look into Amir’s amethyst eyes before continuing. “ I live alone. I barely see my friends anymore and I hardly ever see my dad, even after the Ring was sealed away. I was lonely, so I performed a ritual to bring someone to me. I thought I’d be attracting a companion, but…” Ryou’s face turned a deep poppy red.

“You got me instead?”

Ryou buried his face into Amir’s chest, tears streaming down his face. Amir paused for a moment before wrapping his arms around him.

“Don’t apologize for bringing me back, no matter what the reason,” Amir lifted Ryou’s chin. “Don’t you dare. I may not know who I am anymore, but you granted my wish that night. I always wanted… to be my own person. I was born of violence. I’ve done terrible things. I’ve hurt and I’ve killed anyone who came between me and living my own life. I deserved the Shadow Realm. I earned my punishment, but Ryou… you gave me a second chance to figure out who I want to be.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Ryou sniffled. “Do you want to hang out for a little longer?”

“I’d like that.”

Chapter Text

“What’s this?” Amir asked, eying a pile of cards resting on Ryou’s altar.

“It’s a tarot deck my dad bought me while he was in America called Tarot of the Divine — that’s why it’s written in English,” Ryou said.

“You know English too?”

“Yes, but it’s no more impressive than you being able to speak both Japanese and Arabic. My dad is Japanese and my mum was from England. I grew up speaking both languages at home.” Ryou paused, not wanting to continue on with the subject. “Even after all that’s happened, I still love collecting occult cards. The deck the Spirit used during Battle City was actually mine.”

“I should’ve known,” Amir responded with a chuckle. “I learned that deck in and out back then. I wonder what would’ve happened if I challenged you to a duel instead?”

“I would’ve never been sent to the Shadow Realm,” Ryou replied with a wink. “I assure you I knew that deck better than the Spirit did, even though I could sense deep down that he was proud of it and couldn’t wait to show it off. We weren’t able to communicate much, but it even felt like he helped me pick a few of the cards alongside me. We… had more in common than we realized,” he felt his face heating up. “Would you like a reading?”

“Me? I — I don’t know how it works,” Amir stammered, feeling unexpectedly bashful.

“You don’t have to,” Ryou reassured him. He reached out to lay his hand on Amir’s shoulder, making him shiver at the contact. “I can do a simple past, present, future spread on you. When I read for myself, it usually makes me feel relieved. I know more of what to expect ahead of me, like I just took a peek at the strategy guide to life.”

“Okay, I’m curious now. It can’t be any worse than what I’ve been through before,” Amir mused.

Ryou shuffled the deck, letting stray cards fall out of his hands until he picked up a total of six.

“Here are the cards that represent your past,” Ryou said as he flipped two over. “We start with the five of swords.”

The first card showed imagery that was all too familiar to Amir — at the center was the Egyptian god Set, four swords resting on his left hand and one black and red sword held in triumph on his right. In the forefront was Isis, doubled over and sobbing at the loss of her beloved husband. In the distance, Horus soared into the sky in a desperate escape. Although Amir was unfamiliar with tarot, the symbolism struck him immediately.

“The five of swords signifies when you’ve won the battle, but not the war,” Ryou remarked. “It’s when the fight is over and you come out on top, but you may have done damage by way of words or actions that you can’t take back.”

“Sounds familiar,” Amir remarked with a bitter smirk. He thought of Ishizu in that moment with a pang of guilt at the way he once toyed with her emotions.

“The second card is death,” Ryou continued. The illustration featured a girl drawing a curtain to spy limp limbs hanging off the edge of a bed and the silhouette of a skull looming in the background. “It looks scary, but death isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Death comes around when something in your life, whether it’s a thought pattern, way of living, or people, is cleared away in an inevitable way. You can think of it as a loss, but this card also represents clearing the way for a harvest.”

Amir hummed in acknowledgment.

“You need to reap the old crops in order to plant new ones, right?” Ryou continued. “You could easily interpret this as being sent to the Shadow Realm years ago, but I think this could also be more recent. This could mark the moment you came here and left the life you used to know behind. It may be painful and confusing now, but don’t forget that you’re getting yourself ready for a new cycle.”

Amir’s eyes widened. Without him saying anything at all, Ryou read exactly how events had panned out for him. He slid the cards to the left and revealed two more.

“Let’s move onto the present.” He gave Amir a reassuring glance. “Ah, The two of cups!”

“Are those two men on the card holding each other? They’re kind of hot.”

“They are, aren’t they? And so beefy too! I’m grateful my dad didn’t exactly know the contents of this deck when he gave it to me,” he said. “It’s Gilgamesh and Enkidu from the Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is the ruler of an ancient city-state. Enkidu is also a king in his own right, but he’s shown with horns on his head, representing the wildness of the natural world.”

“Oh? I studied Gilgamesh in the tombs. I’m sure my father would never have taught about Gilgamesh and Enkidu being together. Can you imagine the pandemonium that would’ve happened if Malik even suggested it? I would’ve had to come out sooner than I did to protect his ass!” Amir threw back his head and laughed before looking back down at Ryou, who giggled into his hand. He was struck by the comfort he felt in that moment, from seeing a familiar legend and the tenderness of what it depicted to hearing the ring of Ryou’s laughter.

“Does your dad know you like men?” Amir asked, raising his eyebrow.

“He does,” Ryou replied, cheeks flushing to a hue that reminded Amir of sakura blossoms in the spring. “But he doesn’t exactly embrace it either. I’ve never been the type of son he expected to have.”

“If it makes you feel better, I’m literally not the son mine expected to have,” Amir laughed darkly and Ryou couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“See how gently their hands are joined and how their foreheads are pressed together on the two of cups?” Ryou shifted close to Amir, brushing their arms together. Amir felt heat creeping across his cheeks and focused down at the illustration. “This card represents unity, usually between two people. It could be a business partnership, a good friend, or a brand new relationship. They fill each other’s emotional cups, so to speak. This card pops up when people come together and get weak at the knees for each other.”

Amir raised an eyebrow.

“The second card is the ace of wands” Ryou’s blush deepened as he pointed to it. “It represents the spark of brand new passions.”

The card showed a burning orange flame in the background and a hand grasping a long paintbrush in the front.

“This card comes out when you’re creating a new project. You have this whole new life ahead of you to do with what you want, right? But also…” Ryou shifted against Amir’s side and let out a ragged breath. “See the way the hand is holding the shaft here? It’s also a phallic symbol. Coming out alongside the two of cups could mean physical passion is coming into your life as well.”

Ryou bit his lip. Amir’s heart nearly stopped at Ryou’s explanation. He was entertained and intrigued, but he also could barely believe what he was hearing. Could he, a personality born of rage and running on pure survival instinct, invite something in his life as peaceful as a romance, to hold someone tenderly like the men in the illustration?

Shaking his head out of his daze, he raised his arm and hesitated, wondering whether he was capable of even being gentle, before gently dragging his knuckle along the side of Ryou’s cheek.

“You look warm — your face is all red. Do you need me to move over?” Amir asked in a velvety tone, tempted to tilt his chin closer. His breath ghosted by Ryou’s ear, making him shiver.

“N-no, thank you. I sometimes get flustered while reading cards,” Ryou half-lied. He wanted nothing more than to be even closer to Amir, to move on top of him and be enveloped by his warmth. Instead, he cleared his throat and unveiled the last two cards.

“The first card that signifies your future is temperance, which talks about achieving balance,” Ryou said as a smile crept over his face. “The woman here is practicing the Buddhist concept of Bodhisattva, which is when an enlightened being puts off going to the afterlife in favor of helping others.”

“It’s hard to imagine being that calm. Who am I without my beloved violence?” Amir quipped.

“Maybe that can be channeled in a different way,” Ryou cleared his throat, his eyes growing unfocused while controlling the urge to pull him closer.

“What’s this last one?” Amir asked, shaking Ryou from his thoughts.

“Would you look at that? It’s the sun!” He exclaimed with excitement. “And who do we see on the card? It’s Ra, crossing the blue sky.”

Amir threw his head back and cackled. His laughter was infectious and Ryou beamed at the sight. Ra was his card, he thought, the one only he could use to its fullest abilities. And who decided to show up in Ryou’s tarot deck at the very end? Ra himself.

“I’m glad to be the one holding the Ra card this time around! There’s no Monster Reborn in tarot, so you can’t take it from me so I can get roasted,” Ryou joked. “The sun comes out to spread joy and optimism. It’s a time where you can feel an unashamed, almost childlike sense of happiness. Amir… I’m relieved to see this coming up for you.”

“I can barely imagine what that might feel like,” Amir admitted, beginning to feel overwhelmed. He rose to his feet. “The thought of contentment and happiness are foreign to me. I — I think I have to go now.”

“Wait,” Ryou replied, raising his arm as he stood. “Even though the ritual didn’t go as planned, I don’t regret doing it.” Ryou gazed into Amir’s eyes, which widened at the sudden contact. “I’m glad you got a second chance.”

“I… don’t know what to do,” Amir said, looking down at the floor and shuffling his feet on the carpet as his heart raced. “I need some time to think.”

“You don’t have to know what you want to do with your life right away. You have time — that’s the beauty of it. It’s okay to take baby steps for now.” Ryou paused. “There’s a show I want to watch, it’s a supernatural horror miniseries called Midnight Mass. How about you come visit me after I get back from work to watch with me? We can do an episode a night over the next week until it’s finished. You can figure out what you want to do from there.”

“I’d like that,” Amir replied, hiding a faint smile.

“I can’t wait,” Ryou shot him a warm smile and Amir could swear it brightened up the cobalt blue twilight outside the window. “Amir?”

“Yeah?”

“Wait one second,” Ryou dashed into his bedroom and Amir could hear a door opening and the faint sound of rummaging. Ryou returned a moment later with a black, woolen coat — the largest one he had. “Wear this on your way back, okay? It’s cold outside and I don’t want to think of you walking around out there with only a tank top.”

Amir nearly short circuited. Never in his life had someone cared enough for him to think of his comfort. He said nothing, completely tongue-tied. He accepted the garment, slipping the soft fabric around him. It was tight on the arms, but it more or less fit.

“It looks good on you,” Ryou said, shaking Amir from his thoughts.

“Thank you,” Amir remarked in awe. “You don’t know what this means to me.”

“You don’t even have to say it, Amir. You deserve warm clothes. I wish I had more to offer. See you tomorrow? How does eight o’clock sound?”

“I’ll be here.”

Amir nearly stumbled out the door. Holding the soft fabric of the lapel to his face, he breathed deeply and caught Ryou’s scent still clinging to the coat.

Chapter Text

The first night watching their show had arrived and Ryou’s stomach was a rollercoaster. He paced throughout his apartment, giddy with anticipation. He couldn’t wait to settle down with Amir — and he had a few surprises planned when he came.

He nearly leaped 10 feet in the air when he heard a knock. He took his time crossing the entrance to let him in, not wanting to show that he had been standing by the door.

The sight of Amir’s beaming face at the entrance was almost too much for Ryou, who found himself staring at the way his lips curved into a toothy, mischievous grin.

“Come in! I have something for you,” Ryou took his hand and led him into the kitchen. Fresh groceries lined the counters and on the small, round table in the middle was a stack of garment boxes.

“When you appeared in Domino, you returned with the clothes you were sent in, right?” Ryou asked.

“Yeah,” Amir responded with a chuckle, looking down at his worn tank top and signature gold bangles. “There are no malls in the Shadow Realm.”

“I did a little shopping after work and decided to get you a few things. Open them up! I had to guess your size, so if anything doesn’t fit, we can return it.”

Amir paused, taken aback as he rifled through the boxes. The first contained three neatly folded tank tops, one in black, one in marigold, and the last in a deep eggplant shade. A second layer revealed a plum button-up shirt and a cornflower yellow hoodie. The next box featured black ripped jeans, and khaki cargo joggers.

Amir beamed as he opened a box full of boxer briefs and indigo, satin pajamas. The next box featured gold high top sneakers tucked next to a pair of black combat boots. He lifted the final lid to reveal a belted black leather jacket accented with brass studs around the hem, lapels, and front closures.

“I — I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Instead, consider it your ‘coming out of the Shadow Realm’ present,” Ryou said with a wide smile.

Ryou squeaked as Amir pulled him into a warm embrace. He wrapped his arms around the taller man as he began to feel wet droplets hit his cheek.

“It’s okay now,” Ryou whispered. “Cry it out. You don’t have to hide how you feel anymore.”

Amir squeezed Ryou even tighter, as if that his new reality might disappear if he dared loosen his grip. Not one to be left out, Björn began walking circles around their legs, rubbing and headbutting their calves affectionately before flopping on the floor belly-up.

Amir laughed and wiped his face. “Ryou, is this real? I keep feeling like this room’s a trick of my mind and that you’ll explode into a nightmare tentacle monster at any moment.”

“I mean, I DID house Zorc Necrophades in my body for a decade, so you’d never know,” Ryou’s laugh hid a hint of coldness. “The good news is that he’s gone now. Me, the cat, and this apartment are all that’s left.”

“Of course you’d say that,” Amir cracked a charming smile, wiping his face with the back of his wrist.

“I didn’t know what you’d want to eat, so I went out and got all kinds of ingredients and snacks for us. I felt like making tonkotsu ramen, but I didn’t know if you were a vegetarian like Malik.”

“After spending so long in the Shadow Realm, I’m happy to eat anything, especially if you make it. How did you know Malik doesn’t eat meat?”

“We text sometimes.” Ryou’s cheeks darkened.

Amir raised an eyebrow before tapping his temple pensively. “I’m not surprised. You have a lot in common, I think.”

“We do. He’s one of the only people who apologized to me after everything that happened. It took time, but we really connected after. It’s a shame we live so far away.”

“Not for me it isn’t,” Amir purred while Ryou’s face lit up like a fire engine.

“Let me get started making the food. Do you want anything to drink?”

“I used to have black coffee when I piggybacked in Malik’s body, so I’ll have a cup.”

“It’ll be ready in a bit, so you’ll have time to try on your new clothes,” Ryou said as he filled the coffee maker with enough grinds and water for himself and Amir.

Without warning, Amir slipped off his coat and peeled the frayed tank from his body, revealing his muscular chest and arms. He had leaned out over the years, but kept his strong, robust frame. Ryou caught a glimpse and froze in his tracks, completely awestruck. To him, Amir looked like a sculpted, bronze statue of a warrior god, and he stood shirtless in his kitchen.

“I — I didn’t mean here!” Ryou stammered.

Amir crossed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Ryou from behind.

“Does it bother you?” Amir whispered, making Ryou shudder as hot breath caressed his ear.

“It’s — mmmm — a little distracting.”

“I wanted to make you squirm,” Amir replied in a velvety tone.

A whine escaped from Ryou’s throat as Amir drew back and took the garment boxes into the living room. Flustered, Ryou continued to prepare the meal. Once all the ingredients simmered in the pot, he peeked his head around the corner to see Amir seated on the couch, dressed in his gold hoodie and ripped jeans.

“Ah, that outfit looks good on you!” Ryou exclaimed, proud of his choice to find a few pieces of clothes that matched his wild, flaxen hair.

“All of them do, and they fit! I’m a little shocked at your taste. How did you know what I’d like?” Amir asked.

“You can’t always expect someone to choose the same type of clothes they did in high school,” Ryou chuckled. “I picked pieces that made me think of you, ones I thought you’d probably choose yourself, but with a few upgrades and in colors that I thought would suit you.”

“They do,” Amir smiled.

“How do you like the jacket? I saw it on the rack and couldn’t wait to see how it looked on you.”

“You’re not going to see it just yet,” Amir said with a wink. “I like to keep people in suspense. I want you to keep thinking about it when I’m gone.”

“You’re diabolical,” Ryou replied with a huff.

“I may be free from the Shadow Realm, and I may be tired, but I’m not completely reformed, little mouse,” Amir winked.

Ryou stomped back into the kitchen in mock frustration. In reality, he was excited to draw out the experience longer, to see Amir come to his door every night wearing something new. Ryou approached the stove and lifted the lid on his pot to see that dinner was ready. He ladled a portion into two decorative bowls, taking care to give Amir an extra large helping before taking them into the living room to set them on the table.

“This smells delicious, Ryou.”

Ryou blushed at the compliment. “Thank you. I figured we can get started watching our show faster if we ate here.”

Ryou set the TV to play the beginning of Midnight Mass. Aside from the background noise from the show, they ate in comfortable silence.

“I’m stuffed. I haven’t had a meal like that in… I don’t remember how long. Since I came back, I’ve been living off bento boxes from convenience stores,” Amir said.

“I’ll have to keep cooking for you when you come over! We need to fatten you up a bit,” Ryou shot Amir a wide grin and tapped his stomach lightly.

“Oh? Showing me your teeth, are we?”

“All the better to eat you with, my dear,” Ryou quipped, making Amir laugh heartily.

“It’s a bit cold in here," Amir remarked after a few minutes.

“Yeah, even with the heat on, this apartment doesn’t warm up as much as I’d like it to this close to winter. Hold on a second.”

Ryou paused the show to duck into his bedroom and grab a blue fleece throw. Before setting it down, he poured two cups of steaming coffee from the kitchen. He added sugar, cream, and cocoa powder to his while leaving Amir’s black. After setting down the mugs onto the table, he gently fluffed the blanket over Amir first before sitting down and tucking himself against Amir’s arm before hitting play.

Amir shivered at the contact. He wasn’t used to the feeling and was unfamiliar with the warmth that spread all over his body. Had he ever been close to anyone? Had he even had the chance? As unfamiliar as this was to him, he couldn’t help but feel safe with Ryou, just like this, wrapped up in a big blanket on his plush couch and watching horror series. He almost felt as if, for once in his life, he could consider letting his guard down. He looked at Ryou, the lights from the TV dancing off his pale face and hair, and his heart rioted against his chest. He wanted to reach out and caress his sharp cheekbones, to cup his delicate chin, and learn how his lips felt against his.

Breaking Amir from his reverie, Björn loped over to the couch as if summoned at the sight of Ryou bringing out the soft blanket. He gently bumped into the coffee table and gave both of them a quizzical look before Ryou patted his lap. The cat looked tentatively for a moment before jumping as far as he could with his injured back leg, and climbing the rest of the way up. Ryou winced as Björn kneaded his paws, claws out, on his thighs before settling up into his lap.

“How do you like the show so far?” Ryou asked about halfway through the episode, stroking the cat’s sleek fur.

“It’s good, but there’s a lot of monologuing. I haven’t seen anything scary yet.”

“I think they’re setting it all up. I hear that the scarier parts come later in the series. It’s a slow burn horror in that way.”

Amir chuckled at the thought, “Slow burn? We’ll just have to stick with it then.”

“Guess so,” Ryou beamed.

Amir shot a glance at Björn, all curled up and content, and felt a pang of envy. He shook his head. He couldn’t possibly be jealous of a cat, could he? His face flushed. He wondered what it would be like to lay his head down on Ryou’s thighs, his slender fingers running through Amir’s hair.

“Don’t look, Björn,” Ryou placed his hands over the feline’s eye as the scene on the screen panned to a beach filled with hundreds of dead cats. “Something foul is afoot on Crockett Island.”

“That was a good setup! I’m excited to see more tomorrow,” Amir said as he pushed the blanket aside and rose to his feet.

“Do you want to stay a little longer?”

“It’s getting late, so I really should get going,” Amir replied. In reality, he needed time alone to process his feelings. He hadn’t had much human contact since he was sent to the Shadow Realm and even the simplest emotions overwhelmed him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Ryou spoke in a gentle voice as he lifted the blanket on either side of Björn and set him gingerly aside on the couch.

“Hey, Ryou?” Amir asked, his face beginning to fill with color.

“Yeah?”

“Was this… a date?”

The way Ryou’s face went from pale to bright red in zero seconds flat was fetching to Amir and he couldn’t help but shoot him a toothy grin.

“If you want to think of it that way, I wouldn’t mind. I — I guess it is a date, isn’t it?” Ryou replied with a nervous giggle.

“Then I look forward to our seven dates.”

Amir closed the distance between them and tilted Ryou’s face up. Slowly and with intent, he planted a chaste kiss on the other man’s lips.

“I’ve been wanting to do this all night,” Amir whispered, caressing the soft skin of Ryou’s cheeks.

“I’ll miss you when you’re gone.” Ryou’s face heated up like a supernova as his heart hammered in his chest.

“It’ll be alright. I’ll be back before you know it.” Without another word, Amir picked up his garment boxes, put his shoes on, and slipped out the front door.

Chapter Text

Three days had passed since their first date and, as always, Ryou hovered by the door waiting for Amir to arrive. Each night flowed about the same. They’d eat, enjoy an episode of Midnight Mass, and Amir would head home with a kiss. As much as Ryou was sent to heaven by the softness of Amir’s lips against his, he was eager to move further. Every day at work, Ryou would feel anticipation course up and down his body like electricity, making his mind wander as he ticked off the hours at his desk.

A knock interrupted his thoughts and he walked slowly to the door. He turned the knob and opened it with a gasp. That night, Amir decided to wear the leather jacket. The garment clung perfectly to his muscular frame, accenting his broad shoulders and chest before sloping inward to compliment his trim waist. He left the top unzipped to reveal the smooth, dark skin on his pectorals and the eggplant tank top he wore underneath. A bright pink flush crept across Ryou’s face as Amir entered and he licked his lips subconsciously.

“You look incredible,” Ryou said in barely more than a whisper.

“You look delicious as always,” Amir replied smoothly and leaned forward to whisper in Ryou’s ear. “Be careful or I'll eat you up right here.”

Ryou couldn’t hold it in any longer. He leaned up to kiss Amir, kneading their lips together while slinging his arms around Amir’s upper back. He began licking the Egyptian’s lower lip until he opened his mouth to let Ryou explore further. They stayed that way for a while, kissing hungrily before breaking off, giving them a moment to catch their breaths.

“I needed that,” Ryou said bashfully, reaching up to cup Amir’s sharp features.

“I couldn’t stop thinking of you today.” Amir kissed the ivory skin on Ryou’s palm.

“Come into the kitchen. I have a surprise for you,” Ryou said, grabbing Amir’s arm and leading him.

“It smells amazing in here.”

“It should! Look what I made.”

Ryou lifted a lid to reveal a cake sculpted in the shape of a wheel within a wheel surrounded by wings, iced in red buttercream, and accented in the motifs of gold eyes. Written in the center in the most cursed lettering imaginable was the phrase, “B̷͇͙͚̙͊̍̇E̵̳̖͎̐͘ ̵̨̩̉̃Ņ̶̬̩̈́Ȍ̶͚̩̩̅͘T̵̰̪̗̿͌ ̸̗͗̊A̷̹͐̄̆̇F̸̥͍̙̲͋̔̍͘R̸̘̀Ḁ̷̿́̍ͅͅI̷̧̊̓̊D̸̬̓̓.”

“What the hell is that?” Amir threw back his head and cackled.

“An angel food cake! Remember how Father Paul saw what he thought was an angel in the last episode of Midnight Mass? I love biblically-accurate angel designs because they’re so out there and would be terrifying to see in real life. To commemorate Father Paul’s discovery, I figured I’d make a cake that’s equal parts blessed and cursed.”

Amir couldn’t stop giggling. “The blood red icing is a nice touch. I can’t wait to dig in.”

“And for dinner, I made tempura donburi with shrimp and vegetables.”

“Angel food cake and now this? Did I die and go to heaven?”

“Let me get these over to the table and then we—” Ryou yelped as Amir scooped him up and carried him bridal-style to the couch.

“Don’t you dare. You went through all this effort to make the food. Let me bring it to you.” Amir kissed him on the cheek and headed back into the kitchen.

“Oh, and there’s a pot of green tea with two cups for us next to the stove!”

“Got it!”

Amir brought out the food and tea to the coffee table in front of Ryou. Tucking both of them into the blanket, he pressed play on the remote.

“Ryou?” Amir asked between bites.

“Yeah?”

“Of all the characters in Midnight Mass, who would you date?”

Ryou blushed. “I have two choices.”

“Me too!” Amir exclaimed.

“Okay. On three, let’s say who they are.”

“One… two… three!”

“Father Paul and Sheriff Hassan!” They both shouted in unison before breaking out into a fit of laughter.

“Father Paul looks so lost, like he was splashed with a bucket of cold water and he has no idea who did it,” Ryou said. “I want to cover him in a warm blanket.”

“I want to rip him apart with my teeth,” Amir replied.

“Judging by what we saw in the last episode, I think he’d like that!” Ryou laughed before adding, “I could fix him, but whatever the hell is wrong with him is way funnier.”

They laughed for a good minute before catching their breaths.

“And Sheriff Hassan?” Amir asked, cocking his eyes in Ryou’s direction.

“I want him to grip me like his coffee cup.”

“Like this?” Amir lunged for Ryou’s hips, pinning him to the couch cushions.

Ryou’s eyes went half-lidded and unfocused, “Yeah, exactly like that.”

Amir brushed their lips together, but pulled back instead of indulging Ryou with a kiss.

“Unfair,” Ryou whined.

“I have to learn what you like somehow,” Amir winked. “As for me, I’d commit petty crimes every night just to wake up in the sheriff’s jail cell in the morning.”

You know what time it is, don’t you?” Ryou asked.

Amir shot him a confused glance.

“Time for dessert!” Ryou exclaimed as he grabbed the empty dishes and dashed into the kitchen. Amir followed, resolved to help Ryou.

Ryou sliced the cake and poured two steaming mugs of hot chocolate before handing the dishes to Amir to bring into the next room. They settled in together and ate as the show played out in front of them. Unlike the previous nights, Björn had settled in a cat bed on the opposite side of the room, napping and snoring faintly. The screen darkened as the episode drew to a close.

“Well that was an unexpected turn of events,” Ryou commented.

“I figured something like that would happen, just not so early.” Amir chuckled.

“The plot, like my hot chocolate, thickens,” Ryou laughed as he stirred the contents of his mug.

“I think your sweet tooth is starting to rub off on me,” Amir remarked as his body filled with warmth from the drink.

“When you hang around me enough, it’s bound to happen.”

“Ryou, can I… can I lie down on you?”

“Of course you can. Come here.”

Ryou took Amir’s hand as he stretched out along the couch, laying his head on Ryou’s lap. Amir took a deep breath, letting himself fully relax. He could see why Björn monopolized the real estate so much as Ryou’s free hand instinctively wove into Amir’s hair and he began to massage his scalp.

“You don’t have to—” Amir started.

“Shh. I want to,” Ryou replied gently.

Amir felt himself melt into Ryou’s touch, surrendering to the sensation of total comfort. Never in his wildest dreams did he believe he’d have to do anything but fight to protect Malik or to preserve his own life.

He was born surrounded by a pool of his adoptive brother’s blood. His first memory was grabbing his father’s whip as it snapped at his face. And in the Shadow Realm, there was no rest, no respite from the constant threat of attack. But now, he willed himself to live in the moment, to feel the stress drain away as Ryou’s slender fingers kneaded into his scalp and brushed gently through his wild hair.

“Why are you so good to me after all I put you and your friends through?” Amir let the question slip.

“I’ll answer with another question. Do you think I’m weird?” Ryou countered.

“You’re hard to pin down,” Amir mused. “You come off as delicate, like a gust of wind would tear you apart. But when I caught you on the street that day that we met, I looked into your eyes and saw no fear. Only you and your other self have shown me that level of courage. You’d take on the world and face the worst that it has to offer without so much as flinching. You watch horror shows and laugh at the gore. If that’s weird, you are, but… you make me feel things I never have before. You accept me even after all I’ve done. When I’m with you, I drop my guard and I’m defenseless, yet you never take advantage of that. I wonder if this is what home feels like.”

“I’m glad I can give that to you. I… I’ve been through hell, Amir.” Ryou began to shake as he gripped Amir’s calloused hand harder. “From when I was little, I had my body autonomy robbed from me. But the Spirit and I ended up having a complicated relationship. I realized that we suited each other more than most of the people around me. Deep down, I loathed myself for it. He sent my childhood friends into comas and used my hands to kill. I have no idea how many people he harmed while wearing my skin. I have scars all over my body because of him. But still, I reached for the Ring when Yugi hid it from me in the battle ship. I helped the Spirit create his Egypt diorama for his Dark RPG. I… I was desperate to learn more about him, and the meaning behind the Millennium Items.”

“Did you have feelings for him?” Amir asked point-blank.

“I… I think I did. I feared the parts of him that were Zorc, but I could feel the parts of him that were the Thief King. The part that craved justice and would throw himself in front of a god to protect me. It makes my heart skip a beat to think of it.”

Amir hummed, not particularly surprised but also not judgmental. He could understand why Ryou felt the way he did, especially after seeing the way the Spirit faced Ra head-on to save his other self, feet planted in the ground and shooting him a defiant stare until the moment the darkness swallowed him whole. If anything, Amir admired his courage and surprising levels of protectiveness. For all the Spirit’s big words about wanting nothing but the Millennium Items, he had a way of showing with actions that there was much more to him.

“After he left, even my close friends still gave me the side eye,” Ryou continued. “And the men I’ve dated loved the part of me that I like to show to strangers, but they would chew me out when I told them about my other interests, like the occult and horror movies. They would almost make a show of being repulsed by it.”

“Because they have to make what you like their business,” Amir rolled his eyes.

“In more than one relationship, I’ve had to sneak away in the bedroom to watch the types of shows I liked because I’d get a nasty face if something scary popped up on the big screen in the living room.” Ryou said. “But you? You didn’t even bat an eyelash when I suggested we watch a horror series together. And it took you less than a second to see that I had strength in me. You’ve accepted me for who I am in less than a week, which is more than many people have done even after knowing me for years.”

“I like every part of you I’ve seen. It makes me itch to learn more about you, Ryou,” Amir replied. “I like that you’re into the supernatural and that you’re kind of a witch. That’s what brought me back from the shadows after all. I… I can’t say that I’m fully reformed, but I can tell you I’ll never be a threat to the people you care about again.”

“I didn’t expect you to become a saint, but I’ve seen over these past few days that you’ve grown as a person. I want to give you the chance to see what life can be for you.”

With that, Amir leaned up to plant a sweet kiss on Ryou’s lips. “You’ve already given me more than I’ve thought to ask for.” He cupped Ryou’s face and gazed into his dark eyes, the whites surrounding them reddening from holding back tears.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you, but didn’t want to pry,” Ryou said softly. “Where have you been going every night after you leave here?”

“I found an old row house a few blocks from here,” Amir admitted. “I get a little wet when it rains, but it has a warm futon and plenty of space for me to think.”

Ryou chewed on his lip. “Would you like to stay here with me?”

“I didn’t want to at first. The last thing I wanted to do was take advantage of your kindness, but… can I? It’s warm here, and I don’t feel stifled being around you or the damn cat.”

Ryou threw his arms around Amir and dragged his mouth against his upper lip. “You wouldn’t be taking advantage. I asked you, after all.”

“On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“I’m taking the couch.”

Ryou wore a look of disappointment on his face, but he nodded. “You’re welcome in my room if you change your mind. Tomorrow is Saturday and I don’t have to work, so we can spend the whole day together. Let me make this space a little more comfortable for you in the meantime. You can bring your things back here later.” Ryou smoothed out his hair before shifting him up to fetch an extra pillow. “You can take the first shower and I’ll hop in after you.”

***

When Amir emerged from the bathroom, steam escaping from the door and wearing a towel slung along his hips, he noticed that Ryou had left an oversized pair of shorts folded on the coffee table for him to sleep in. The couch had been made into a temporary bed for Amir, their warm blanket laid out neatly with a plush pillow resting near the sofa’s arm. He smiled to himself as he dressed before sinking back into the plush cushions and into his thoughts. If he stayed longer in Ryou’s apartment, would he become overwhelmed again and want to run back to the row house to process? He’d only been back a week-and-a-half and the reality that he no longer needed to rely on constant fight or flight feelings was still new. Emotions flowed through him in intimidating waves, and he wondered if he’d find a healthy outlet.

Before, he would hurt, toy with, and threaten anyone who crossed his path, but none of those options were viable for him anymore if he wanted to truly turn his life into something meaningful.

Years ago, enveloped to the core in shadow, he wondered what it might be like to return to the world, and what he would do with his freedom. He grew tired over time of living every moment in survival mode. As necessary as his coping mechanisms were while he still struggled to live, the thought of letting them go challenged him. What would life be without his violent impulses? Who was he without them? He let his mind drift, feeling dread rising in his stomach at all the unknowns he faced, until Ryou shook him from his thoughts.

“Here you go. Welcome home, Amir.” Ryou laid his hand on Amir’s upper back and fluffed a second pillow under him as he sank into the warm blanket. Ryou pressed his lips into Amir’s forehead before stepping quietly into the bedroom.

Chapter Text

The darkness washed over Amir, closing in as if trying to move through his body. In the Shadow Realm, it was almost a living entity unto itself. He rubbed his arms, sick with hunger, thirst, and a constant, grating chill that sank into his bones. Goosebumps marred his otherwise smooth flesh, but he still moved forward, dragging his feet through a world of inky blackness.

Agonized wailing echoed in the distance, but he knew better than to follow it. At one time, he relished the cries of pain emanating from his victims, filled with confidence as their expressions contorted in confusion and betrayal. But now, the only sights that cut through the shadows were the occasional passing of nightmarish creatures, some covered in innumerable clawed limbs while others were slimy, tentacle-clad abominations marred with scars and dozens of eyes crawling from the center of their heads and into the insides of their mouths. He was plagued with the constant, unnerving feeling that he was being hunted, but the Shadow Realm was an open plane of darkness with nowhere to duck into to gain a sense of temporary safety.

Without warning, a hideous creature glistening with a slimy membrane over its translucent skin lunged at him with sharp, yellow teeth bared and snapping with two mouths. Amir wrestled the beast to the ground, but couldn’t hold it for long as its jaws clamped into his arm. His stomach lurched as he was thrown onto his back, teeth gnashing at his chest, his neck, his belly. He watched in horror as his body was ripped apart, his own blood dripping through the floor and into the endless abyss below him. Helpless and immobilized, his world slowly faded to white…

A feeling resembling warm, fine-grit sandpaper brushed Amir’s long fingers as he rose with a jolt. He looked to his side to see a single, glowing gold eye gaze up at him innocently before feeling the softest headbutt against his forearm.

Amir lifted his arms and let Björn limp onto his lap, where he sank down and kneaded into the top of his thighs with his tiny black paws.

“Ow, that’s sharp,” Amir remarked as he stroked down the cat’s velvety back.

“Amir?” Ryou peeked his head around the hallway corner with bleary eyes and sleep-mussed hair, his periwinkle robe slipping off his bare shoulder.

“I’m awake,” Amir replied in a raspy voice.

“I thought I heard you from the other room. It sounded like you were in pain. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just having a nightmare is all.”

“Looks like Björn came to the rescue,” Ryou cracked a smile at the sight of the ebony ball of fluff curled up in Amr’s lap. “He’s very good at knowing when you need comfort. Whenever I’m sad, I look down and he’s right there as if he could read my mind.”

“Ryou?”

“Hm?”

“Can I come join you?” Amir sucked in a deep breath, struggling to admit his vulnerabilities, but giving into his growing trust for the other man. “I don’t want to be alone right now.”

Ryou crossed the distance between them and grabbed his hand. “Come on. We’ll set Björn down on the couch since he’s already so cozy.” Ryou gingerly lifted the blanket, Björn tucked into it, and set it back into the cushions beside Amir.

Ryou pulled Amir into the bedroom. It was the first time he’d set foot there. Fairy lights dangled down like icicles from a deep teal accent wall where the espresso-hued headboard of his queen bed rested. In the corner was a table strewn with crystals, art supplies, and a warm, lit salt lamp sitting in the corner. The edges of the ceiling were lined in green vine garlands with white paper flowers dripping down. Amir imagined this would be the type of bedroom where a woodland elf prince would sleep.

Ryou shut off the lights behind his bed and let his robe slip onto the back of his chair, revealing his bare, slender back and the loose, navy blue shorts he slept in. His pale skin glowed like moonlight and Amir found his breath catching in his throat at the sight.

Ryou smoothed out the covers and turned them down, “There, come in and get comfortable.”

Amir sank into the soft cotton sheets which were still warm from Ryou’s body heat. Taking a deep breath, Amir took in Ryou’s scent, which clung to the covers. Being enveloped in it comforted him and he felt his tense muscles relax at the sensation. Ryou nestled in behind him and trailed his fingers along his intricate scars. Amir let out a pleasured sigh at the soft touches.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Ryou asked.

“I was back in the Shadow Realm. When I was there for real, there were monsters prowling around who would attack sometimes, but I could always hold my own against them. In the dream, they got to me and I couldn’t do anything to fight back. I was powerless.”

Ryou hummed in understanding, kissing the sun disc in the center of Amir’s shoulder blades and sending a shiver down his spine.

“I understand that after what you’ve been through, powerlessness is the last thing you’d want to feel. Even though it may not feel like it yet, you’re safe now. Does your back hurt?” Ryou asked, looking at the worn scar tissue lining Amir’s skin.

“It’s… searing, but I can deal with it,” Amir admitted.

“Wait there.” Ryou turned over and reached for a bottle on his nightstand, where he pumped lotion onto his hands. “I don’t have massage oil, but this should help.”

Ryou rubbed his hands to warm the lotion before spreading it evenly along his back. The aroma of fir trees wafted through the air and Amir felt immediate relief. Ryou moved to knead up between his shoulders and into the base of his neck. Amir sighed and sank into the relaxation of Ryou’s deft hands working out the knots in his muscles.

“When I was little, my mum and sister died in a terrible car accident. I… I was there with them, but I was the only survivor,” Ryou confessed.

“I never knew. I’m so sorry.”

“After they passed, I had nightmares every time I slept,” Ryou mused as he continued his ministrations. “Shadowy figures with no faces would chase me through a maze with thick concrete barriers. I could go invisible, float off the ground, and walk through walls, but they could sense my presence. I was never able to fully escape them.”

“How did you deal with it?” Amir asked.

“It’s the weirdest thing, but horror games.”

“How did that work?”

“I started really getting into the genre after all that happened. There was something about that slightly ‘off,’ unsettling feeling that made me feel less alone,” Ryou remarked. “And when I played these types of games, I was equipped with weapons that could fight off the worst, most vile creatures you could imagine, and then survive in the end.”

“That’s the same reason why I like horror movies. It’s comforting to see the lone survivor overcome the most impossible odds.”

“Right?” Ryou continued. “Something must’ve snapped in my subconsciousness over time because one night, in the middle of a chase dream, a serrated blade appeared in my hand. I knew from that moment on that I had everything I needed to fight off what was chasing me. I still have bad dreams sometimes, but I barely ever had those types of nightmares after that. It gave me the confidence that I could fight off anything, which made a real difference when the Spirit still lived in my body. I felt like if I tried hard enough, I could keep him at bay. I stopped him from killing Yugi and our friends during our first shadow RPG together, you know.”

“I’m not at all surprised.” Amir chuckled.

“That’s how I got this,” Ryou raised his left hand to reveal a stark white, knotted scar cutting through the center of his palm.

“RPG-related incident?”

“I fought off the Spirit, who I could sense was strongly influenced by Zorc at the time,” Ryou replied. “As punishment, he plunged my hand straight through a castle spire on my diorama.”

“Holy shit.”

“I was lucky I only suffered minor damage. My hand doesn’t work exactly the same and it aches when it rains, but it still allows me to do all the work and art projects I want.” Ryou paused, his expression darkening. “After that, the Spirit was more careful to subdue my consciousness completely when he took over.”

“Yeah. I didn’t see a hint of you when I dueled your other self back then. It’s funny to think that Zorc Necrophades was so scared of you that he had to put security measures in place,” Amir remarked. “It really goes to show how strong you have to be to be a Millennium Item holder. Ryou… thank you. It’s good to feel like I’m not all alone in this.”

He turned over and took Ryou’s hand, kissing his knuckle before caressing his fingers. Ryou let out a contented sigh, his warm breath floating through Amir’s hand and across his cheeks.

“I feel the same way. It’s refreshing to talk with someone who can relate,” Ryou whispered. “How are you now?”

“Much better. I think I could try to sleep, but could you stay close to me?”

“I’d be happy to.”

Ryou wrapped his arm around Amir’s waist and spooned him against his back before they both fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Chapter Text

Sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains of the bedroom window as Amir awoke in the warmth of Ryou’s arms. Last night, something clicked within Amir’s heart. Knowing that he had someone he could be vulnerable with without judgment and talk into the wee hours of the morning solidified his feelings. Today, he wanted to take their relationship to the next step. He shifted so that he faced Ryou and planted a soft kiss on his sternum, just above the five conical scars that spread across his chest.

“Five more minutes,” Ryou groaned before his eyes quickly fluttered open, remembering he wasn’t alone. “Oh! Good morning, Amir.”

“How did you sleep?”

“Perfectly after you came to join me,” Ryou tucked a lock of silver hair behind his ear. “What do you want to do today?”

“Well, there is one thing.”

Ryou raised his eyebrow. “And that is—?”

Ryou’s question died on his lips as Amir flipped him on his back and kissed him breathless. Rising up for air, he felt Ryou caress his cheeks as they locked eyes.

“I'm ready to take this further. Is that something you want?” Amir asked, knowing in his heart for the first time that he was prepared to share this level of intimacy with Ryou.

“I’ve wanted this since our first date, from the time I saw your face light up while digging into your new clothes. I’d never seen you happy before and it’s a sight I want to catch every day. Yes, Amir. I want you.”

“Good. Do you… do you have any lube?”

“Top drawer on the nightstand,” Ryou’s face flushed a deep, fetching shade of pink. Amir opened the drawer, saw the bottle tucked into the corner, and placed it on the wooden surface.

Amir settled onto his side and turned Ryou again so that his back spooned against Amir’s chest. He reached around to caress Ryou’s pale chest and covered his neck in kisses. Ryou moaned as Amir tentatively squeezed his hardened nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

“Y—you don’t have to be gentle,” Ryou stammered between hitched breaths.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Amir purred, hot breath caressing Ryou’s ear and going straight to his cock. “When you’re alone, what do you fantasize about?”

“Mmm, Amir,” Ryou whispered as Amir’s hands slid across his chest. “You. The taste of your cock as you fuck my mouth.”

Amir licked the shell of Ryou’s ear before sucking on his lobe. “Go on.”

“I like… Amir… I want you to bite me.”

Amir slid his chin back to Ryou's neck and clamped his teeth down.

“Ahh!” Ryou began to buck his hips, the curve of his ass brushing against Amir’s dick as it hardened under his boxer briefs.

“You feel so good like this,” Amir whispered in a husky tone.

“Don’t stop.”

“Tell me more.” Amir’s hand dipped down to tease the waistband of Ryou’s boxers.

“I… I want to be tied down and blindfolded. S—so you can do whatever you want with me.”

Amir slid Ryou’s boxers down his thighs and Ryou shimmied them down the rest of the way, still laying on his side. Amir tugged off his shorts completely. Amir poured lube onto his palm and rested his hard cock between Ryou’s ass cheeks before grabbing Ryou’s shaft from behind.

Ryou gasped at the contact, panting as he felt Amir’s slick hand stroke him up and down, twisting slightly at the head. Amir held Ryou tight to him, licking his ear before leaving a trail of wet kisses along his pale neck, his shoulders, and along the center of his back.

Ryou gripped the sheets and moaned as Amir sank his teeth into the crook between his neck and shoulder.

“Fuck!” Ryou cried at the sensation, the sound sending shockwaves up Amir’s body as he frotted against Ryou’s backside.

“What else do you think about?” Amir whispered in a velvety tone.

“I… I think about you. Pounding hard into me. Cumming deep inside me,” Ryou moaned as Amir ran his thumb along Ryou’s slit as it wept with precum.

He thrust his hips into Amir’s hand as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through him. Soon, Amir felt Ryou’s dick grow fat and twitch as he stroked him up and down.

“I’m not gonna last like this,” Ryou whined.

“Then cum for me,” Amir purred as he picked up the pace, grinding his hips against him.

Ryou screamed as his cock fountained, shooting cum all over the sheets.

They flopped down on their backs as Ryou caught his breath, his body convulsing with the aftershocks of his orgasm. They took a moment to recover before Ryou turned and slung his arm around Amir’s broad chest.

“That was amazing, Amir.” Ryou purred, looking into his deep amethyst eyes as Amir smiled deeply. “When did you learn to do this?”

Amir’s cheeks flushed to a deep coral shade. “Malik, ah… fooled around a few times while we were still sharing the same body.”

“I see. Good for him.”

Amir chuckled, slinging his arms up and holding the back of his head against the pillow.

“You took care of me so well, Amir,” Ryou purred. “Let me do the same for you.”

Ryou bent down and kneaded his lips against Amir’s. Amir slid his hand along Ryou’s back and held him tightly, opening his mouth to let them slide their tongues together before gently breaking off.

“Gonna do one of those sexy things you fantasize about?”

Ryou blushed furiously. “I’ll show you.”

Ryou trailed kisses along Amir’s cheek and down his neck, sucking hard on his pulse point. Amir hummed and let out a low chuckle as Ryou moved down his body, kissing his sternum and stopping to lap and at his taught nipple.

Amir caressed Ryou’s hair as he moved to the other side, nipping against his sensitive skin. Ryou continued downward, nuzzling Amir’s abdominal muscles and licking a trail down his lower belly.

“Ryou, don’t make me wait,” Amir groaned as he spread his legs wide, his cock aching for Ryou’s touch.

Ryou shot him a devious smirk that nearly reminded him of the spirit. Ignoring Amir’s request for the moment, he kissed the dark, sensitive skin along his inner thighs. He lifted Amir’s knee to kiss the underside before setting it to rest on his pale shoulder. Moving up further, Ryou finally gave Amir what he wanted, bowing his head down and pulling Amir’s balls into his mouth.

“Fuck!” Amir cried, feeling shockwaves of pleasure up and down his body.

Ryou released Amir with before licking a long, wet stripe up his thick shaft. He swirled his tongue around the head, lapping up a bead of precum as Amir let out a low moan.

“Amir?” Ryou whispered, eyes full of want.

“Yeah?” Amir replied, his gaze unfocused.

“Pull my hair as I suck you off.”

Without further instruction, Amir grabbed Ryou’s silky white strands as he took his long, thick cock into his mouth.

Ryou kept a grip on Amir’s base and bobbed up and down, cheeks hollowing as he sucked. Amir’s grasp tightened and he yanked on Ryou’s hair hard as he came up. His cock fell out of Ryou’s mouth and he let out a desperate cry of pleasure.

“Just like that, Amir,” he let out a breathless whisper as he dropped his lips back down, enveloping Amir’s shaft in the heavenly feeling of Ryou’s warm, wet mouth.

Amir’s cock twitched as he felt Ryou’s tongue glide up and down. Growing desperate, he kept a firm grip on Ryou’s hair and began to thrust his hips harder. Taking the hint, Ryou relaxed his throat and took him all the way to the base. Amir let out a wail of ecstasy as his cockhead entered the tight space.

“I love seeing you like this,” Amir spoke in a low tone, “Your mouth is where it belongs, right here on my cock.”

Ryou lifted his head up and hummed along his skin before letting Amir’s dick out to catch his breath, a deep shade of mauve coloring his entire face at Amir’s filthy, delicious words. He licked languidly along his shaft, gliding his tongue along the head each time he rose up. When Ryou took Amir's shaft back between his lips, Amir yanked his hair again before thrusting into Ryou’s throat with abandon. Throwing his head back, Amir moaned loudly, breathing heavily as pounded hard into Ryou’s mouth.

“Shit Ryou, I’m gonna cum!”

Ryou lifted his head halfway up Amir’s shaft before he felt him pouring hot and thick into his mouth. Letting his cock out with a pop, Ryou brought his hand up to his chin gingerly before swallowing all Amir had to give him.

Amir panted hard, his body covered in sweat as Ryou moved up enough to sling an arm around his chest, locking them together in the afterglow. Amir wrapped his arms around Ryou’s slender shoulders and kissed the crown of his snowy head. Ryou traced his finger along Amir’s pectorals and began to hum softly. He willed time to freeze so that he could relish this moment forever, golden sunlight beaming in from the windows, warm and safe in his lover’s embrace.

Chapter Text

Ryou heard the door shut from across the apartment, but his hands were glued to the controller and his eyes were locked onto the screen. After taking off his shoes, Amir rolled the borrowed suitcases filled with the possessions he moved from the row house toward the living room, smiling at the focused look on Ryou’s face. Knowing better than to break Ryou’s concentration, Amir gently sat down on the couch next to him.

“Did a giant centipede just burst from that headless beast’s neck?”

“Sure did.”

Amir watched with fascination as Ryou’s character, clad in a long, brown coat, tricorn hat, and leather mask that sat from his collar to the top of his nose darted around an enormous monster’s gray-blue, hairy legs. It thrashed its grotesquely long arms around a dimly lit, overgrown underground chamber. In place of its head was a bloody stump with a thick, sickly white-pink centipede that pierced through the middle.

“What are you playing?” Amir asked.

“Bloodborne,” Ryou replied quickly as his character clove his serrated weapon into the creature’s underside.

“This looks hard! Why are you playing this one?”

“Some people like games to relax. Some like to solve puzzles and go on adventures. Others, like me, like games that aren’t afraid —” all of a sudden, the hulking beast reached across the arena to deal a deadly blow onto Ryou’s character. “— to fuck them until they love it.”

Amir couldn’t help but let out a roaring laugh from deep within his gut at what he just witnessed. An overlay with the phrase “YOU DIED” faded in and out of the screen in prominent red letters.

Ryou sucked in a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest from the challenging fight, palms sweating against the hard plastic of his gold controller.

“I admire your patience. I’d be throwing the whole console across the room after that,” Amir remarked, a smirk still spread widely across his face.

“Oh don’t worry, I must’ve lost to the Headless Bloodletting Beast a dozen times by now. You end up getting used to it, but there’s nothing like the relief you feel after defeating a difficult boss like this one.”

Amir hummed in acknowledgment. “What’s the game about?”

“It’s hard to explain. At the beginning, it looks like a straightforward, gothic horror werewolf hunting game before it transforms into something completely different halfway through. Something cosmic,” Ryou explained. “Even in the genre, there isn’t much like it. The game doesn’t even tell you the full story. You have to look for clues in short dialogue and item descriptions, then piece together what you know. No single person understands every detail. That's a part of why I love playing it.”

Amir slung his arm around Ryou, “I admire that about you. You’d really go to the ends of the Earth for the knowledge you want.”

Ryou blushed. “That’s gotten me into trouble more than once, but at least it’s safe to do in a game. Can I show you something?”

“Sure.”

Ryou teleported into an underground hellscape. Heaps of old, blood-spattered skeletons piled from the ground in a vast, decaying stone chamber. He ran up the stairs in the back corner into a pitch-black hallway, past a giant in a monk’s hood and an elderly, deranged man in a wheelchair who sprayed bullets at Ryou’s character from a gatling gun as he sprinted past.

He emerged into an open-air cathedral lined with four-poster hospital beds adorned with teal, sheer fabric. He ran forward toward a grand altar lined with grotesque, twisted marble statues. Triggering a mechanism, he rolled back to reveal that the entire platform was an elevator that lifted up, but he darted off of it as it rose. Another platform took its place and he rode it down to reveal a massive treasure chest in a subterranean chamber. He opened it to reveal an item labeled Laurence’s Skull.

“Let me read the description to you. It says, ‘Skull of Laurence, first vicar of the Healing Church. In reality he became the first cleric beast, and his human skull only exists within the Nightmare. ’ This is a nightmare world,” he added. “‘The skull is a symbol of Laurence's past, and what he failed to protect. He is destined to seek his skull, but even if he found it, it could never restore his memories.’”

“That’s fucking cool,” Amir remarked.

Ryou giggled. “You know that giant beast with the centipede head that you saw a moment ago? A lot of players think that’s Laurence in the real world. You see, Laurence and his associates discovered ancient blood from an underground tomb.”

“Typical horror game scenario that’s likely to end in disaster.”

“Right? Well, his mentor told him to fear it. Instead of heeding his master’s words, Laurence left the institution he was in and spread the blood all around the city, telling the people that it heals illnesses.” Ryou continued. “You see, the more of what they call, ‘The Old Blood’ you take in, the more gigantic and hideous of a monster you become in the end.”

Ryou’s character teleported to a different area. Running past an enormous tentacle-faced monster crowned with stars on the top of its head and weilding a massive hammer, he entered another vast cathedral where, seated at the altar, was a gigantic, hairy beast with antlers adorning its head and enveloped in fire.

“And this is Laurence as he exists in this nightmare world.”

The giant beast clutched the side of its face, crying out in pain while extending its other arm toward Ryou’s character. The screen faded to black before initiating a battle sequence.

“You see how he reached for my character there? That’s him sensing that I have his skull,” Ryou explained. “He genuinely thinks that having his old remains will make him human again. But he’s too far gone and he’ll never return to his former self.”

“He sounds like a jackass, that’s a pretty deep backstory. The music’s really sad too,” Amir replied.

“What I love about this game is that, no matter how bizarre and terrifying an enemy looks, it makes you stop to think about the steps they took to get to where they are.” Ryou said. “You feel sympathy for them. Laurence did awful things and he deserved his fate, but it’s sad to know he’ll never get the one thing he really wants, which is to be human again.”

Amir hummed, starting to understand where the conversation was going, and looked down at his hands. “I’ve done terrible things that I can’t take back, haven’t I?”

Ryou nudged toward Amir as he continued the boss battle. “Take comfort in knowing that no matter how many mistakes you made in the past, you’ll never be as bad or as far gone as Laurence here. In the end, it’s a cautionary tale.”

The beast crawled along the arena, bereft of the lower half of its body and splitting hot magma all over the cathedral floor. Ryou’s character avoided the red-hot liquid by darting to the side. With a massive swing of his serrated cleaver, Laurence was defeated, bursting into a spray of lava and embers.

Amir cracked a smile at the scene. “Thank you, Ryou, for taking a chance on my humanity.”

Ryou set down his controller and threw his arms around Amir. “It’s not too late for you. You’ve been a light to me and even in this small amount of time you’ve been with me, I can’t imagine going back.” His voice wavered as he sniffled back tears.

“When I lived in the darkness, I couldn’t imagine ever returning to the world. It still feels like a dream, to feel the warmth of the sun again and to get to see your smiling face at the end of the day,” Amir said gently, lifting Ryou’s chin to meet his gaze and wiping the droplets from his chestnut eyes. “I’m glad it was you who brought me back. I don’t think anyone else would’ve taken the gamble.”

“I was so lonely before, and even when I was around people, I felt alienated. But you don’t just fill up the loneliness. With you, I’m happier than I’ve ever been. You accept me, and I belong.”

Amir laid a chaste kiss on Ryou’s forehead before pulling him closer. They stayed there for a moment, locked together in a warm embrace.

“I’ve been thinking,” Ryou said in a shaky voice as he wiped his cheeks with the back of his wrist. “Do you want to go out with me?”

Amir’s cheeks flooded with heat, turning a coral shade. Besting foes and covering the world with darkness was thought he was used to, but taking a man on a date?

“I… I’d love that. But what if one of your friends sees you?”

Ryou pondered for a moment. “I’ve been thinking of what I’m going to say to them. I’m going to have to tell them eventually, but I’ve been enjoying this time where it’s just us without anyone else’s judgment. I guess I’ll have to be honest if it comes up. I’m not about to lie and throw you under the bus.”

Amir hummed in acknowledgment, leaning back against the plush cushions. “When would you want to go?”

“Tomorrow. There’s a massive greenhouse downtown where they’re having a flower show. It’s cold outside, but being under the glass will feel like summer in December.” Ryou beamed, making Amir’s heart nearly stop at the beautiful sight. “I figured we can walk around there and then swing by the park after.”

“You had it all planned out, didn’t you?” Amir smirked.

“I saw an article about the show and the thought of taking you there may have crossed my mind.”

Amir leaned forward and set his hands on his knees. “You know… I’ve never done this. We’ve had our Midnight Mass nights here, but I’ve haven’t actually taken someone out before.”

“We’ll take it easy then,” Ryou stroked along Amir’s back reassuringly. “And in the end, our reward will be coming back here to watch our show together.”

“Our show,” Amir repeated, a warm smile spreading across his face. “I like the sound of that.”

“Are we on for tomorrow then?”

“It’s a date.”

Chapter Text

Amir’s vision was awash with red, blue, yellow, pink, and purple flowers as far as the eye could see. He marveled at them, sneaking touches along their soft petals when nobody else was looking. He leaned in close and relished in their strong, fragrant scent. He thought he had never seen anything so breathtaking… except for Ryou.

“Look at these blue orchids!” Ryou exclaimed. “The plant I have on the window is the same type, but it hasn’t bloomed in years. Now, it just looks like a leafy plant with roots popping out of the soil like it's about to crawl out for revenge.”

Amir couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle. He badly wanted to sling his arm around Ryou’s back as they walked through the greenhouse, but he restrained himself since this was a public space. Ryou wore a navy blue turtleneck, keeping him warm while hiding Amir’s love marks from the other night while Amir was dressed in his plum button-up. He left the top of his shirt open and his cuffs rolled up just enough to display his signature gold jewelry.

Sunlight poured in from the glass walls and ceiling from all directions and, despite the chill outside, the air within the greenhouse was pleasantly warm. When they arrived, Amir snuck his name onto a raffle ticket while Ryou’s back was turned. The prize was to win a bouquet of any color and type of flower.

Amir slung his leather jacket over his forearm as he walked alongside Ryou, their arms brushing together as he sank into his thoughts. Amir grew up sharing Malik’s memories. Spending his childhood locked away in a tomb, he thought he’d never see the sunlight, plants, or flowers. The thought of being in a place like this was beyond his wildest imagination. Whether intentionally or not, Ryou had picked the perfect spot for their date.

Amir was shaken from his memories by a voice booming the loudspeaker announcing the raffle winners — and a wide, crocodile-like grin spread over his face as his name was called.

“Amir! I didn’t even know you entered!” Ryou shouted excitedly, clapping his hands. “Go and pick up your prize.”

Amir beamed as he walked to the back toward a small booth, where he gazed at the selection. His sight panned across yellow-orange marigolds, lavender Peruvian lilies, and roses in every color. He remembered that cats absolutely cannot be anywhere near lilies, so he steered clear of them. In the end, he chose a bouquet of blue roses with purple foxgloves and yellow sunflowers. Thanking the woman who handed him the arrangement, he headed toward Ryou with the flowers hidden behind his back.

“So? What did you get?” Ryou inquired.

Amir revealed the stunning flowers and presented them to Ryou. “The blue roses made me think of you. If I had a choice, I’d buy you the whole greenhouse.”

Tears lined Ryou’s sable eyes as he accepted the flowers. “The sunflowers and purple foxgloves remind me of you. We look good together, don’t we?” Forgetting decorum for the moment, Ryou threw his arms around Amir. “Thank you.”

They laughed and chatted as they exited the venue, Amir pulling his black leather jacket and matching gloves on while Ryou rustled into his espresso peacoat and scarf as they were met with a wave of icy air.

“Let’s get something warm to drink before we hit the park,” Ryou remarked, shivering.

They ducked into a coffee shop, where Ryou bought them a pair of peppermint mochas. They headed off into a nearby park, where they were met with a shock of yellow-orange foliage. Leaves wafted gently in the breeze as they strolled along a narrow path. After a long, leisurely walk, they sank down onto a bench to watch the world go by.

“Thank you for thinking of this,” Amir said, his head bowing down to hide the coral growing across his cheeks.

“If anything, I’m sad I didn’t take you out before! Thanks again for the flowers. You really know how to treat a guy, don’t you?” Ryou replied with a wink before drinking deeply from his lidded paper cup.

“In all these years, I never thought I’d be sitting in such a beautiful spot, spending time with someone as special as you.”

“I never thought I’d get to spend time with someone so unique, so full of mysteries, yet simple and wonderful to get to know.” Ryou replied, twining their hands together.

Their eyes locked and Amir fought the urge to smash their mouths together, public space be damned. Instead, he sipped his mocha and smiled, letting the warmth of the liquid fill him. “I swear Ryou, the more you let me have these sweet drinks, the less I’ll be able to resist them.”

“That’s what happens when you let yourself indulge,” Ryou elbowed Amir’s ribs playfully.

They sat in peaceful silence until late into the afternoon, draining the rest of their drinks before walking back to Ryou’s apartment. As soon as they entered, Ryou’s phone began to ring. He looked at the screen and froze as “Dad” flashed across the LCD.

“I have to take this.” Ryou sighed. “Hi dad, how have you been? We haven’t talked in a while.”

Amir shot Ryou a worried look as he spoke, his body language immediately tensing. “Yes, my job is going well. I am going outside once in a while… No, you don’t need to connect me with anyone. And what if I am seeing someone? No, he’s not some criminal—”

Amir dreaded this moment when Ryou would be faced with revealing his identity to those around him. He already knew his friends would be concerned even in the absolute best-case scenario. Some, Jounouchi in particular, was sure to start a spat. Ryou already struggled with others’ judgment and Amir didn’t want to contribute to that any further. The truth was that Amir had already caused Ryou’s friends an incredible amount of pain and anguish, both physical and mental. He panicked as he wondered whether he deserved to be redeemed in their eyes.

He watched as Ryou fidgeted while his father continued his interrogation. At that moment, Amir had a decision to make. His feelings for the other man couldn’t be denied. Ryou had given him the only semblance of happiness he had ever felt. He had opened his home and his heart without asking for anything in return. And what did Amir have to offer? Throwing more challenges into his life and the need to explain his decisions?

“I’m sorry about that.” Ryou shook his head as he tapped his phone. “My dad is—”

Amir was already at the door, throwing his jacket back over his shoulders. “I’m sorry Ryou. I won’t stay here to make your life any harder.”

“Wait!” Ryou yelled, but it was already too late. Amir shut the door and tore full-speed down the hall. He wanted to get as far away from Ryou’s apartment as he could before he changed his mind. He wanted Ryou to be free and happy, not tied down by a man with a history of ruining everything he touched.

He made it as far as the entrance of the park before he slowed down. He dropped down on his knees on a bed of golden leaves to catch his breath. After a moment, he turned his head toward the sky. Purple clouds filled his view as they floated along the blazing scarlet and orange horizon. It was an incredible sight, but as he knelt there, all he wanted to do was to crawl back into the tombs deep underground and close the door above him. How could he, after sending Jounouchi into a coma, after trying time and time again to kill Rishid, sending Ryou’s body to the Shadow Realm, and stabbing his own father to death, be worthy of a good life with someone he loved?

Defeated, he dragged his feet back to the bench where, just over an hour before, he and Ryou sat together with their hands locked. He lay his head in his hands while he wondered what to do next.

“Hey? You feeling okay?” A voice speaking in accented Japanese shook him from his thoughts.

“To be honest, I’m, ah… I’m having a hard day,” Amir replied. He looked up to see a woman in her mid-40s with dark skin and brown eyes, her hair neatly arranged into braids, gazing at him with concern.

“Yeah, I’ve been there,” she sighed. “I’m Tamika Knight. What’s your name?”

“Amir. Amir Ishtar,” he replied, trying as hard as he could not to choke up as he spoke.

“It’s nice to meet you. What brings you out here today?”

“I… I messed up.”

“How so?”

“I arrived here in Domino. I was… stuck in a dark place for a while, but I’ve been spending time with someone really special lately. I have a past,” Amir sniffled, fighting back tears, “where I caused his friends a lot of pain. I think it’s better off if I don’t see him anymore. I wish I could just disappear.”

He didn’t know why he let it slip that he was seeing a man, but keeping up a front in an unaccepting world was the last thought on his mind at the moment.

“You’re giving up, just like that?” Tamika asked, taking the information in stride.

“You don’t know what I did! If you did, you wouldn’t be so kind to me.”

“You’d be surprised,” she mused. “Would you do what you did now, after all you’ve been through?”

“Never. In the end, I only wanted a fighting chance at life,” Amir looked back down at his hands.

“Did he kick you out or did you leave?”

“I ran. He told me to wait though.”

“Do you have somewhere to go or a job?”

“No, I—” Amir looked into her eyes and saw no judgment in her gaze. “I’m undocumented.”

Tamika hummed. “I know where you’re coming from, trust me.”

“You do?”

“I’m from New York. I moved to Domino after my husband retired from the Marines. He was stationed in Okinawa for a while,” she explained. “But my dad, you see… he came to the United States from Nigeria. Like you, he was undocumented. I grew up watching him struggle just to be treated like a person. He had a hard time finding work and when he did, they took advantage of him just because they could. They knew he’d have nowhere to turn if he tried to speak out.”

“That sounds awful. I’m sorry your family went through that.”

“But it made me think of others just like him. I want to change their lives for the better,” she continued. “That’s why I started Second Chances.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s an animal shelter two blocks down. We rehabilitate and adopt out injured animals, strays, surrendered pets, you name it. And we won’t hesitate to hire undocumented people and those like you with pasts they prefer not to talk about.”

“Really?”

“It’s the least I can do after all I’ve seen,” Tamika said. “We give employees a 90 day probationary period where we work closely with them. As long as they show up on time, stay reliable, and are good with the animals, we get their papers and work visas before hiring them officially. Do you like animals?”

“Yeah,” Amir admitted. “Recently, I’ve gotten to know a cat. He’s got one eye, he’s clumsy and bumps into everything, but he loves everyone. I wish more of the world could be like that.”

Would you be interested in working a few days a week with us at the shelter?”

Amir sniffled and managed a weak smile. “I’d like that.”

“Then it’s settled.” She reached out her hand and Amir took it, giving her a firm and friendly handshake. “You’ll clean out kennels, walk dogs, and read to the animals to start. I’ll have you start next week to work on on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for now. We open at 10.”

“I… don’t know how to thank you.”

“Instead of thanking me, go back to your man and make it up to him for running out.” She fixed her gaze upon his amethyst eyes. “You’re worthy of love, even if you may not see it now.”

Chapter Text

Tightness stretched across Ryou’s chest as he slid along the wall and onto the floor. Hugging his knees, he let the wave of emotions crash over him as he began to sob. The beginning of the day felt like a dream — along with the entire past week. In that moment, Ryou wondered bitterly whether he was cursed to have the best periods of his life end too soon.

An array of different scenarios rushed through his mind. Should he go out and find Amir? Stay home and wait up? Lose hope altogether and pick up the pieces?

Only a few days had passed, but he didn’t want to go back to the way life was before. He knew he was a whole person on his own without needing someone else to make him complete, but Amir supported him emotionally in a way that he’d never found in another person before. As much as he was capable of living without Amir, he wanted him there.

Ryou cupped his face in his hands when he heard a little trill. Björn hobbled over to him and sat so that he brushed against Ryou’s hip.

“Oh Björn, we’re really in it now,” Ryou managed a giggle between sobs, laying his hands to scratch the cat’s impossibly soft fur.

Sinking back into his mind, he thought of the way the lines around Amir’s eyes creased handsomely as he smiled and the way his nose wrinkled when he laughed. As he grew older, he had become even more fetching.

Even after 10 years of hell in the Shadow Realm, he came out with a will to survive and the desire to figure out what he wanted life to look like. It was an inner strength Ryou didn’t expect to see in someone who had been born from sheer anger, hatred, and basic survival instinct. He admired Amir and above that, he knew he was beginning to fall for him.

He wanted to spend countless nights in bed, talking about everything and nothing until the silver glint of the early morning gave way to the crack of golden sunlight on the horizon. On vulnerable nights, Ryou wanted to hold Amir until he felt strong again. He wanted to explore every inch of his body with his hands and lips. And now, the opportunity to be with someone who he couldn’t wait to spend more time with, who truly saw Ryou for who he was, felt like it slipped through his fingers.

The room was dark by the time he rose his head from his knees. Sighing, he wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve. He decided not to go out searching for Amir in favor of waiting to see if he would return. Amir knew where home was, after all, and it would be ready for him if he had a change of heart.

Shakily, he rose to his feet and laid his hand on the wall as the blood rushed to his head. Not knowing what else to do, he set a kettle of hot water on the stove and pulled out his favorite strawberry rose tea. On instinct, he pulled out two teacups, wondering whether the second would remain empty.

He busied himself spooning loose tea into a strainer and inserting it into a glass teapot. As he waited for the water to boil, his thoughts wandered back to Amir, who had left after he heard him defend his choices to his dad. Amir had already shown concern with the thought of Ryou revealing who he was seeing to his friends. Ryou’s loved ones were everything to him, but in the years since his high school graduation, he began to see his friendships with a more realistic lens.

His father was the type to check in on Ryou and show support when needed, but he would just as easily throw his son under the bus for the sake of his work. As soon as it was apparent that Ryou became the rightful holder of the Millennium Ring — along with the complex and threatening nature of the spirits it housed — he didn’t bat an eyelash when Ryou volunteered to isolate himself in an apartment. He lost his mum and sister when he was little to a horrible accident, one that he narrowly survived. The last thing his father would’ve wanted was to spend less time with the only family he had left, right?

But he was wrong, and he went into relative isolation, floating from school to school. As soon as he made friends, they fell into comas — the Ring spirit was the jealous type. He felt unable to grow close to anyone. As much as he loved spending time with Yugi and his group, they were still the type to forget Ryou existed all too often. When chatting about what they would do after graduating high school years ago, they didn’t think to ask him about his future. He’d get invited to their get togethers on occasion, but it often felt like his invitation was an afterthought. And even after the Spirit was sent back into the shadows, Ryou entered into relationships that reflected his own fears and struggling self worth back at him.

But Amir was different. He knew what it was like to grow up in what felt like impossible odds and as a result, he gravitated toward the darkness and macabre. They could watch the most grotesque sights from the safe format of a horror film and laugh. His acceptance of Ryou was automatic. When Ryou went through hard times, he hid behind a sweet smile, but with Amir, he didn’t have to. They shared a common ground, and the thought of losing such a deep connection threatened to break Ryou.

A high-pitched shriek left the kettle, shaking Ryou from his reflections. Carefully, he poured the scalding water over the strainer and into his glass teapot until he heard a knock, nearly making him drop the handle. He set the kettle back down carefully and raced to the door. Opening it, he saw Amir, his eyes watering and gripping the hem of the plum button-up shirt he wore on their date.

“Ryou, I— I’m sorry.” Amir whispered as Ryou held onto the door to let him in. “For walking out on you. I thought of what your father must’ve said and I—”

His words died in his mouth as Ryou slammed him up against the wall and kissed him. “Fuck what my dad thinks.”

Amir flushed. “I like the way you look when you say fuck.”

Amir bent down and smashed their lips together again before twisting them around to pin Ryou against the wall. Amir licked along Ryou’s lower lip until he opened his mouth to let Amir dart his tongue inside. They kneaded their lips together gently and languidly before breaking off to catch their breath.

“We should talk,” Amir regretted the words as they came out, wanting nothing more than to carry Ryou to the bed and ravish him until they both ran out of words.

“We can talk over tea. We must’ve kissed long enough for it to steep,” Ryou giggled and Amir’s breath caught in his throat over the sight. Amir found Ryou breathtaking, even when he smiled on the verge of tears.

Ryou served them both in twin, black-and-white striped teacups with gold rims and sat beside Amir on the couch.

“Ryou,” Amir began. “You took me in and gave me a chance that I doubt anybody else would. Being with you, no matter where we are, makes me feel at home for the first time in my life. But I’m afraid that I can’t give you that in return. I feel like as soon as you tell your friends and family about me, you’ll never be able to be at peace with them.

“My friends and family already have a way of making me feel like I’m hovering on the outside.” Ryou cupped Amir’s face and looked deep into his lilac eyes as he spoke. “Like they’re on the same planet but I’m the satellite orbiting around them, never finding a spot to land. But my bond with you is different… I feel peace when we’re together, do you understand?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t trust your judgment.” Tears threatened to break through Amir’s eyes again. “I ran away thinking that was best for you, but I didn’t stop to think of how you might feel about it.”

“You panicked. I can’t say I’ve never done the same,” Ryou shot him a sheepish half-smile. “There’s no need to apologize. You’re still new to being back in the world and having relationships with people, after all.”

“Oh! Speaking of that, I got a job while I was out,” Amir remarked, a wide grin spreading over his face.

“How did you manage that?”

“I met a woman who helped me snap out of the funk I was in. She owns an animal shelter a few blocks down called Second Chances.”

“I know about them! I brought Björn to their vet center while he was hurt. I didn’t think any other shelter or animal hospital would’ve bothered with him being so far gone.”

“She gave me a pep talk and offered to have me come in and work. I start next week. If I do well during the first three months, she’ll even help me get papers and a work visa.”

“That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you.” Ryou threw his arms around Amir and squeezed him tightly.

“I’m glad I’ll be able to support you better. We should celebrate,” Amir broke off to shoot Ryou a hungry gaze.

“Of course!” Ryou exclaimed and clapped his hands together. “But what should we do? I don’t have any food prepared, but—”

“Ryou.” Amir interrupted and tucked a lock of silver hair behind his lover’s ear. “There’s only one thing I want right now.”

He covered Ryou’s face in kisses, moving from his lips to the adorable dimple on the side of his mouth to his cheeks before settling between his eyes. With surprising ease, he scooped the smaller man up and carried him bridal-style to the bed.

Ryou landed with a soft bounce on the mattress and tried hard to stifle his giddy laughter. Reaching up, he pulled Amir by his collar and crushed their lips together. They set a languid pace as Ryou used deft fingers to unbutton Amir’s shirt one by one. He raised a hand to explore his pectorals before dipping down to his abdomen, then rose back up to tease his nipples.

Amir broke off their kiss to slide Ryou’s shirt off his shoulders. Leaning forward, he purred in Ryou’s ear. “You’ve taken care of me so well. Let me take care of you. Tell me what you want. I’ll do anything for you.”

Ryou cupped Amir’s face in his hands and shot him a deliberate, half-lidded stare. “Fuck me. Please... I want you inside me.”

Amir sighed, pulling Ryou back into a rough kiss. They stayed there for a moment, hands and arms exploring each other’s bodies. Growing impatient, Ryou popped the button on Amir’s khakis and slid the zipper down before cupping the growing bulge in his boxers. Amir smiled as he pulled his pants off, letting them slide off the edge of the bed. Ryou’s jeans growing uncomfortably tight, he unbuttoned his fly and kicked them all the way off.

With a throaty chuckle, Amir grabbed the lube from the nightstand and doused his fingers. Ryou blushed from his face to his chest at the sight. Settling further into the pillows at the head of his bed, he lifted up his knees to allow Amir easier access. The first finger slid inside, swirling around to relax Ryou’s tight opening before adding a second. Ryou moaned at the sensation of being filled by Amir’s thick, calloused fingers. Amir swirled his digits around before hooking them up to brush against his prostate. Clutching the sheets, Ryou writhed his hips to the rhythm that Amir set.

“I’m ready,” Ryou sighed, his dick weeping with precum.

“That’s what I want to hear,” Amir whispered

He coated his and Ryou’s cocks with lube. He grabbed his base, then slid slowly into Ryou’s entrance. He pressed in until he filled Ryou completely before giving him a moment to adjust. Deliberately, he rocked his hips back and forth, keeping his thrusts slow and gentle at first.

“Mmmm… Don’t hold back,” Ryou moaned, his chestnut eyes gazing up eagerly as he enjoyed the feeling of being stuffed.

Amir began thrusting in earnest, pumping into Ryou quick and hard. He dropped his head down to nip and suck at Ryou’s neck, making him cry out in pleasure. Ryou grabbed Amir’s hips to encourage him to go deeper as his muscles clenched greedily around Amir’s thick girth.

“Oh Ryou,” Amir moaned as he crooked his head between Ryou’s neck and shoulders. Ryou took the opportunity to grab Amir’s hair, pulling his head up before and sucking hard on Amir’s neck to encourage him.

“That’s right. Fuck me hard,” Ryou purred in a sultry voice, groaning as Amir pounded into him with more intensity.

“You’re so good at taking cock, aren’t you?” Amir replied with a low chuckle, relishing the feeling of being inside Ryou.

Ryou wailed in response. Sweat coated their bodies as they moved, Ryou hitching his hips to match Amir thrust for thrust. Ryou’s cock ached to be touched. He moved his arm toward his dick, but Amir caught it and held both of his wrists above his head in a tight grip. Ryou cried out louder, loving the feeling of being held down but aching for release.

“Please… touch me.” Ryou gasped, voice needy and full of want.

Amir slowed down enough to place his hand between them and curled his hand around Ryou’s aching shaft. He picked up the pace again to match his strokes, making Ryou cry out. Nearly overcome with pleasure, Ryou’s muscles clenched around Amir’s dick.

“Amir, just like that! FUCK!” Ryou arched his back and screamed as he came, spurting over his and Amir’s chests.

“Fuck Ryou, you look so good like that,” Amir panted, pleasure rising in him.

Amir hummed and pounded into Ryou while he rode out his orgasm. He had been close himself and sending his partner over the edge urged him on, slamming into him balls deep. Amir let out a deep moan as he came, spilling deep inside Ryou.

Amir collapsed on top of Ryou, ignoring the mess for the moment as he pulled out and caught his breath. Ryou reached up to curl his arms around Amir, relishing the warmth of his body as they pressed together.

After a few minutes, he lifted his arm to stroke Amir’s flaxen hair, smoothing out strands from his sweat-mussed forehead. Ryou’s lips spread into a wide smile before planting a kiss on Amir’s temple. As much as Ryou loved the type of rough play that made him scream out as pain gave way to pleasure, he relished quiet moments like this, too spent to think clearly, wrapped in his lover’s arms.

“Ryou!” Amir cut through the silence, his voice raspy from his earlier moans.

“What is it?”

“We forgot to watch our show tonight!”

“We can watch the last few episodes tomorrow,” Ryou sighed with relief, his fingers still carding through Amir’s hair. “We have plenty of time ahead of us.”

Chapter Text

“This was a good idea,” Ryou said, chest-deep in soothing water as he gently washed Amir’s scarred back.

As soon as he came home from work, Amir whisked him to the bath, which was already filled. The lights were off, but candles bathed the room in a wam, flickering glow. He squeaked with delight as Amir undressed him slowly. He was then ushered into the shower for a quick rinse before they both sank into the warmth of the tub.

They pressed against each other, Ryou seated against the back with Amir reclining between his legs. Ryou dipped his loofah into the water before squeezing it over the muscles between Amir’s neck and shoulders, relaxing the area.

“I figured you might be a little sore from yesterday and wanted to treat you,” Amir remarked, smiling at the pleasant memory.

Ryou felt his face heat up at the thought, “Yeah… I am a little, but it’s nothing I didn’t look forward to.”

Ryou set the loofah aside to massage Amir’s back, kneading his soap-slick thumbs into the crook between his shoulder blades. Amir sighed deeply at his touch, leaning back to give Ryou more leverage. After a moment, Ryou let his hand slip from Amir’s shoulders and down his chest. Dipping his head down, he peppered Amir’s neck with kisses as he explored his body.

“Ryou,” Amir purred, tilting his head to give Ryou more room. He sucked on Amir’s sensitive skin as he plunged his hand under the water and curled his hand around his growing erection.

Amir leaned back as Ryou began with languid strokes, his breath hitching as Ryou reached his other arm around to tease his nipples, which hardened at his ministrations. Ryou cooed as Amir began to writhe against his fist, causing droplets to spill over the edge of the tub.

Amir tilted his head to the side to look at Ryou, his amethyst eyes unfocused. Ryou cupped his chin and pulled them into a passionate kiss. Their tongues danced together as Ryou moved up to rub his thumb along Amir’s slit. Amir moaned into Ryou’s mouth, his cock twitching.

“Ryou, I’m gonna…”

All of a sudden, Ryou removed his hand from Amir’s dick, making him whine at the loss of contact. Ryou shifted so that he sat along the back edge of the tub and beckoned Amir with his finger.

“Stand up,” Ryou instructed.

Amir stood up and turned around, his thick shaft bobbing in front of Ryou’s flushed face. Ryou ran the tap and dripped warm, clean water over his length before leaning forward to run his cheek along his erection. He stayed there for a moment, running his fingers along the shaft before gripping the base and kissing the tip tenderly.

“Cum in my mouth,” Ryou whispered as he slid Amir’s dick between his friction-red lips.

Amir screamed as Ryou bobbed his head, his warm mouth enveloping his sensitive length. He was already close and pleasure hit him like lightning as he came undone, shooting into the back of Ryou’s throat.

Spent, Amir eased back down into the warm water to catch his breath. He sat for a moment before looking up at Ryou, still seated and wearing a wide smile. With the warm candlelight flickering across his silver hair, he looked like an angel to Amir.

“Ryou… let me worship you.” Amir purred as he planted a kiss on the top of Ryou’s foot, making his breath hitch. He moved upwards to caress Ryou’s calf, gently kneading his flesh. He rose up to his knees and planted his lips there before spreading his thighs open wider.

Ryou’s hard cock rested against his stomach as he leaned back, his breath beginning to come out in pants at Amir’s soft touch. Amir licked and sucked along Ryou’s soft inner thighs until he reached the center. Cupping hot, clean water from the tap, Amir rinsed the soap off Ryou’s skin.

Reaching his head closer, he let out hot breath along Ryou’s length. Ryou shuddered in response. Amir dropped back down and licked his balls before flattening his tongue and moving languidly up his shaft.

“Mmmm, just like that,” Ryou groaned as Amir enveloped his lips around his head and ran his tongue along the slit. Already satisfied, Amir decided to take his time pleasuring Ryou. He swirled his tongue around Ryou’s pink head until Ryou whined with need.

With a chuckle, Amir grabbed the base and plunged his mouth down Ryou’s aching cock. Ryou reached down to grip Amir’s wild hair and thrusted into his mouth, relishing the wet heat as it sent shockwaves up his body.

Amir hummed around Ryou’s shaft, loving the feeling of Ryou tightening his grip into his locks and using him as an instrument for his pleasure. He shifted up further and slid his hand onto Ryou’s thigh before taking his shaft all the way down to the base, his head hitting the back of his tight throat.

“Fuck, Amir!” Ryou screamed as he pounded hard, tension building all over his body and converging around his cock. Knowing he was close, he drew back and moaned as he poured hot and thick into Amir’s mouth.

Amir pulled back to swallow, grinning wide as he licked his swollen lips. Ryou panted, legs spread over the rim of the tub, flushed from his chest to his forehead, and utterly debauched.

Amir stood to scoop Ryou underneath the arms and pull him gently back into the tepid water. Ryou curled his arms around Amir’s back as their heads tilted forward and met in a gentle kiss, tasting each other on their tongues as they swirled together.

Ryou sank his head down into the crook between Amir’s neck and shoulder and let his breath slowly. They held each other like that for a moment, Amir rubbing soothing circles into Ryou’s back and shoulders.

“We’re going to need food, aren’t we?” Ryou broke the silence first.

“Yeah,” Amir chuckled. “I’m starving.”

***

The door clicked open as Ryou and Amir trailed in, MOS Burger bags in tow. As they kicked off their shoes, they were greeted by an expectant, one-eyed cat, who sat up a short distance from the entranceway and chirped brightly at the smell of grilled meat.

“Okay fine, you can have a little bit of my burger,” Ryou sighed, unable to say no to Björn’s adorably hard bargain.

They set dishes and cups of water on the coffee table before unwrapping their food and setting up the final two episodes of Midnight Mass.

“I expect to see some carnage today,” Amir said, taking a hefty bite of his Yasai burger.

“The way that the last credit roll was screams instead of music? I think a dark night is about to descend upon Crockett Island,” Ryou replied, throwing a morsel of chicken from the middle of his teriyaki burger to the impatient cat, who waited at his feet.

After they finished eating, Amir lay his head down on Ryou’s lap while Björn hopped onto the couch to curl next to Amir’s feet. He let his eyes close as Ryou massaged his scalp and ran his fingers through his wild hair. In all his most grandiose dreams, from killing the Pharaoh to destroying every obstacle that faced him, he never expected to be living in the world at peace like this.

The life he had created turned out to be the total opposite of his adrenaline-fueled birth, where he fought to survive from childhood that spread into years of torment in the Shadow Realm. Before, he never would’ve fathomed the feeling of safety that he was sure many took for granted, but he was beginning to settle into it like his head into Ryou’s warm lap. His eyelids fluttered open as the sound of screeching radiated from the TV as utter pandemonium spread across the screen.

“See? You got exactly what you asked for. Look at the chaos,” Ryou said, looking down at Amir with a wide smile.

“You were right. It really was a slow burn.”

Despite their comfortable positions, they remained on the edge of their seats for the rest of the time their show played out. Ryou found himself accidentally digging his fingernails into Amir’s scalp at some of the more intense parts.

“Oh! I’m so sorry. I got distracted,” Ryou exclaimed, loosening his grip.

Coral spread across Amir’s cheeks. “You can… pull my hair too, you know.”

Ryou gave it a firm tug, making Amir groan in response. He wasn’t expecting the pleasure that surged through his body at the hint of pain.

“That’s new,” Ryou remarked.

“I’m, ah… still figuring out what I like.”

Ryou dipped his head to whisper in Amir’s ear. “We’ll have to experiment more, then.”

Amir turned his gaze toward his partner’s almond-colored eyes, making Ryou’s breath catch in his throat at the intensity. “Ryou, I’m falling for you. When I’m with you, I’ve never been happier.”

“I know it’s too early to say more, but I feel the same,” Ryou replied as tears began to fall. After years of being misunderstood, he finally found someone who truly accepted and supported him. He realized in that moment that his ritual had turned out exactly as planned.

“I could stay here forever, you know, right here with you,” Amir whispered, reaching up to wipe Ryou’s eyes. He planted a warm, lingering kiss on Ryou’s cheek.

They giggled as inhuman screeching mixed with the sound of burning embers echoed from the television, snapping them back to reality.

“Now that the show’s almost over, what do you want to do tomorrow?” Amir asked, looking forward to the endless opportunities ahead.

“How about we watch something new every night?”

“Horror movies and chill?” Amir replied with a smirk.

“Yeah. Something like that.”