#sleep Masumi joke used two more times REALLY

[jjuzoir]

Random Kageyama Tobio HCS

Word Count: 1851

Warnings: just... me being in love with a m*n other than masumi 😔 also! these are my headcanons as in,,, what i personally i think he’d be like ‼️ also me projecting my ideal man into him (as if he wasn’t it already 😋)

A/N: i... i love tobio so much it’s literally unreal... i couldn’t wait for a request (i’m still working on the remaining 4 too lolol) so take me projecting my love for tobio >:(

— Kageyama normally wears loose fitting clothes or athletic-style clothing. His favorite go to outfits tends to be a loose tee, some loose pants with an obnoxious Nike logo he swears are super cool but look like two garbage bags sewed together, and running shoes. Throw a hoodie in there for colder weather, even then he still manages to look good.

— He takes very good care of his hair, like freaky good care, because of Miwa. Once she enrolled in cosmetology school and she saw Kageyama use the same baby shampoo from when they were kids she freaked out (if she’d been any later he’d start using 3-in-1) and chewed his ear off about hair care. His hair is super shiny and there’s literally no freeze, he uses nice smelling shampoo and conditioner too. Ugh, I love him.

— He has a very sensitive nose but it gets clogged easily so he doesn’t notice much unless it miraculously unclogs itself and he’s complaining about everything.

— “Eh! Hinata, why’d you smell like a fucking axe bottle?!” “Why does no one say anything about Tsukishima smelling like strawberries?” “Yamaguchi smells like... milk.” “Hah?! Sugawara smells bad-?!”

— He says he’s a picky eater to appear cool but as long as you don’t say what’s in the food he’ll down it. He’ll say he doesn’t like carrots but if you give him a salad with carrots he might even say “it’s the best salad he’s ever had”.

— He’s a hot sleeper, and not in the “oh he’s sexy” type of way. I’m talking, he’ll sweat buckets if he sleeps with anything other than a flimsy white t-shirt and his underwear.

— Might be me projecting my love for bunny teeth but he has bunny teeth, his front teeth are a bit bigger than average (not to the point it’s super noticeable but it’s still something Miwa teased him about), his aunties probably squeezed his cheeks and called him “baby bunny” when he was younger.

— He doesn’t go to sleep later than 9PM, he thinks if he does it’ll ruin his schedule (which it will) and fuck up his body - he’s seen Miwa screw up hers after she pulled a bunch of all nighters in her third year in high school and has been afraid since.

— The type to forget people were coming over and come out of his room shirtless asking for his clean underwear.

— His sister forced him to let her cut and style his hair which led to many questionable hairstyles. Tsukishima is genuinely so grateful to Miwa, especially when she was first starting - he’s got some pictures of Tobio with the shortest most embarrassing bangs ever saved in his phone in a file for blackmail if the need for it ever presented itself.

— Likes pissing people off on purpose sometimes, during one of the training camps he probably walked into the bath with socks on and was made fun of but out of spite he just… never took them off. Said he’d done it on purpose and all too. Tanaka cried out of fear for like a hot minute when he saw him standing under the shower with Iron Man socks on.

— He’s so petty too, if you make fun of him for messing up he’ll remember until you embarrass yourself to make fun of you. And when I say he remembers, I mean it - he can’t for his life remember when to use make and do in english but he remembers when Hinata made fun of him for wearing different socks back on their first year and yes he will bring it up on their second year when he did the same thing what are you going to do about it?

— Probably got scouted for a modeling agency once and began running away because he thought they were trying to kidnap him.

— If he had Tiktok… he would’ve gone viral after posting a video of him practicing, he posted for a while for fun and to flex on people that he was hot but then he saw a comment saying they wanted to drink his milk under a video of him drinking milk and he deleted his account, he can’t buy from that brand for a while.

— He’s got a video of a gorilla walking in two legs saved on his phone for when he’s feeling down and watches it whenever he’s not going well. People think he’s texting his S/O but no, he’s just watching a gorilla walk like minecraft Steve.

— He can’t pose for pictures to save his life, his default pose is an NPC stance with his arms stiffly hanging down and his eyes wide in surprise, don’t ask him to smile or else he will look like a serial killer.

— He’s got a bit of baby fat on his cheeks that won’t disappear no matter what. It’s become a pre-game ritual to pinch his cheeks. He’s also got dimples you can really only see when he smiles naturally but he doesn’t know and he’d get shy if he knew and try covering his face so don’t tell him, that’s a fact he told me so himself.

— Cannot dance to save his life. He’s so long (?) his limb control is non-existent, it appears in game and vanishes when he steps out of the court. He really just bounces on his heels and moves his arms like a t-rex, don’t ask more of him.

— Buys his clothes one size bigger just in case and Miwa teases him saying he’ll need them when he gets old and fat.

— Gets asked out often but always rejects, then has the audacity to complain he’s never dated anyone like he hasn’t turned down half of the school's population.

— Can’t sing. He’s got a nice speaking voice but ask him to sing and he’s out of tone, out of sync, out of breath, and out of the room in 5 seconds.

— Sugawara joked about having him singing as his alarm clock and Kageyama actually believed him, probably sent him a new recording as a gift after he annoyed him during practice.

— Surprisingly funny when he wants to but most jokes fly over people’s heads since he seems so serious most of the time, it annoys him to no end. Yachi still struggles differentiating when he is and isn’t joking because his tone literally doesn’t change at all and she doesn’t want to offend him.

— When he was younger he liked to collect rocks, not even the pretty ones he’d pick the most average, raggedy rocks off the ground and clean them up and tuck them to bed because he saw Miwa play with her barbies like that. Still owns his first rock, he named it “Johnson” after Dwayne Johnson, aka the rock (he’s had to explain it so many times he’s exhausted).

— Accidentally drank expired milk once and didn’t notice until his stomach began hurting and he thought he became lactose intolerant and he was inconsolable for days until he realized it had expired like a month ago - he went on a milk shopping spree and the milk sales that week saw a 20% rise from the last few months.

— Tobio had bad handwriting until he was in Junior High because his teachers couldn’t understand him and had him practice calligraphy, his handwriting is now one of the prettiest ones in the team and he’s the official inker of the VBC posters (as designated by Goddess Yachi Hitoka herself).

— His biggest fear for a long time was getting eaten by piranhas because he saw it happen so often in cartoon shows he genuinely thought it was going to be a bigger deal than it turned out to be but for like a solid 6 years of his life he avoided suspicions puddles just in case.

— Kageyama has a habit of rolling and unrolling his sleeves when he’s deep in thought, it soon made way to a habit of checking his wrist watch (he absolutely has a wrist watch, you cannot change my mind on that) but not actually reading it.

— His nails are very pretty, like most setters, he takes very good care of them. They’re filed down to a perfect length and he puts oils and creams, his hands in general are so nice. He takes a lot of pride in them, you know his cuticles are pushed back and trimmed and he could absolutely be a hand model. Kags’ hands are calloused, he’s a volleyball player of course they are, but it’s not to the extent of Ushijima or Daichi’s hands.

— Talking about hands, it’s probably one of his favorite features on people. He loves holding hands with his S/O and tracing the wrinkles in their palm, being able to interlock fingers with them and feel the bumps in them.

— Mumbles to himself when in thought too! Very nonsensical if you’re not informed on what he’s thinking about, if he’s thinking about you he’ll mumble your name or something like “pretty eyes”.

— Has a very healthy diet, like extremely healthy and thought out. He won’t eat anything too sugary or that could throw off his body, but he does have cheat days (which are rare but exist). He also doesn’t drink much soda or alcohol (once he’s of age).

— Things like smoking are a big no, he takes so much care of his body he wouldn’t even touch a cigarette or be near a smoking area, lowkey paranoid of ingesting the smoke too.

— When he’s older I can see him having a dog and a cat, the dog would be a big dog; if they stood on two paws it’d be the same height as you, he’d name or something like Tobias and think he was super clever and funny, the cat would probably a small cat he’d name Milk (it probably would be a black cat too but he does not care).

— Probably tried baby formula because he heard it was a substitute for breast milk. No further comments on this.

— I feel like he doesn’t listen to music, but if he had to choose something he’d pick instrumental music - not orchestral music or anything like that - but more of a chill, no deep meaning just guitar and piano track. I could see him listening to Shego Sekito or Joe Hisashi on occasion, he might even listen to some 2000’s pop if he wants something to pump him up during training (he works out to Brittney Spears’ “Womanizer”).

— A cuddle-bug when he’s sleepy, he’ll throw himself across his S/O and not move at all, he just wants to stay there and not move ever again (or at least until he’s not feeling like passing out). He’ll like to wrap himself around them and cuddle their neck, he’ll attach himself to their arm like it’s a lifeline.

— In other words, Kageyama Tobio… b-boyfriend material.

[emilycollins00]

A3! Holding your hand. 🌸 Spring and Summer 🔆 Edition

Honestly this is just pure sugar and diabetes I’m throwing out here simply because I miss contact therefore I project hoho.

Enjoy! 💕

-

🌸 Sakuya always holds your hand tenderly with the utmost fascination- like a child holding onto their loved ones before walking on their own onto the world. The touch of his hand fitting in yours make his heart jump every time. It feels like a greeting after being away for a long time, even though he saw you this morning. A squeeze that says welcome home, I’ve missed you. One that makes his chest practically burst from inside. Sakuya could stay by your side forever, so long he could hold onto your hand. Because it really is his favorite place to be, and he can’t be more grateful you offered it to him.

🌸 Tsuzuru’s hand holds yours unconsciously while deep in thought, eyes lost staring at the computer screen. He hums and rubs his thumb softly over your knuckles, letting go embarrassed when he notices. Not much time passes before he usually feels an unexpected touch again, the warmth he has come to distinguish, tenderly interlocking hands with his. He sighs and looks down smiling. It feels like an undeserved reward -yet there you are, next to him. I support you. Lean on me. He proceeds to squeeze back tight. Because there's just so much comfort and strength in your hold, and who is Tsuzuru to deny that.

🌸 Citron’s fingers intertwine with yours with the greatest devotion, welcoming you to his side no matter where you two are. He likes to make you spin, face ending inches away from his while he caresses the back of your palm ever so slightly. He then grips the hold a little tighter, gaining your attention once again. His eyes soften when you look at them, a fullness of soul and serenity staring back. A silence that conveys thank you. Citron lifts your hold, lips kissing and tickling the back of your hand, mentally thanking you for bringing him such happiness and joy, wishing for it to stay as long as forever allows him to.

🌸 Masumi now understands- oh how he does- why people hold hands. He had always thought it might be due to some kind of possessiveness, a physical way to say mine, but it’s much more. It’s about approaching someone with your heart. About speaking without words. An I want you with me and don’t go. His firm yet gentle grip cups your hand everytime he can, dreading the moment he won’t be able to feel you anymore. And always, always at the last moments there’s this last squeeze, brush of lips on your knuckles before he really does let go.

🌸 Itaru’s hold is usually vague and loose- maybe two or three fingers out of all five- yet he doesn’t let go. Even when it’s late into the night and playing one-handed makes it more difficult to rank, the fear that you will ever let him go makes him squeeze from time to time. I’m thinking about you. Because there’s this strange feeling that makes him want to throw away his freedom and tie himself to you, starting with those two fingers in the darkness of the room. He jokes about it in his head, about commitment, still everything disappears when the warmth that comes from you makes him glance your way again. I’m thinking about you.

🌸 It’s not usual for Chikage to hold your hand. He stares and studies in silence your peaceful sleeping expression, sitting carefully next to you, brushing your palm with the tip of his fingertips. He doesn’t know what he’s doing if he’s honest, why something pulls him to take your hand into his. You mumble and shuffle. Chikage’s body somehow relaxes, and a corner of his mouth lifts. Trust in me. Let me be your strength. He stares again. It feels surprisingly warm and a tide familiar. And as he caresses you back with his thumb, he’s never been more sure he’s where he’s supposed to be.

🔆 The way Kumon holds your hand is like an anchor. Your touch helps him feel at ease, releasing his nerves just by knowing you are beside him. A firm message of how hope and joy are possible within one’s reach, because you prove him every day after all. He rubs affectionately his thumb on your knuckles and fingers to call for your attention as he talks, his grip surprisingly bigger and rougher than one might expect. And when you respond back, he involuntarily laughs- adoration filling the air at the closeness, cheeks flushed out of pure adoration. Perhaps it is you that performs the miracles.

🔆Tenma tends to throw a few quick glances before he tries to hold your hand, the unexpected intimacy that comes with such a trivial gesture making him an easy target for you to tease. He grumbles, but never lets go- not really. Because everything stops the moment space closes and your hands fit in his, palm against palm. This sense of belonging, an awkward I’m grateful you found me feeling of fondness that comes with a fast thud of his heart through your touch. Tenma will keep trying to hold your hand next time, and next time too- grumpy and flustered even. He’s not about to let you go.

🔆 Yuki has gotten used to it, to expect your hand always near him. And when he doesn’t find it he frowns looking for it, silently grabbing it while intertwining his fingers with yours, not before pinching your palm or knuckles slightly- a soft scolding so you don’t get used to it. He then drags you along the shop. It never seems like he’s paying much attention, but everytime you try squeezing it, it only takes a few seconds -as if he’s not sure what to do- before he squeezes back. He hides his smile from you, because he knows what that means, No matter what, I’m bringing you along with me.

🔆 Muku loves to lock and curl his pinkie around yours, hanging on it while talking about anything and everything on walks around town -your very own little adventure. It feels safe, nevertheless. You both giggle, a feeling of innocence, wide-eyed wonder, and even more affection when you both meet each other’s hands at the same time. A shared I found you! that’s warm and fuzzy, enveloping his chest. He feels peaceful and quietly wishes for the walk back home to not come too soon.

🔆 Kazunari will happily do everything with just one hand if he gets to hold you with the other. He doesn’t really go for subtle displays of affection when it comes to having you cupped inside his grasp. Your touch feels like fuel, as if the mere contact powered him up, stronger and brighter than anything he has ever felt before. And so he brings you along everywhere. Your hold allows him to be real, and he will do the same for you, I am your spark and you are mine, he says with his fingers intertwined with yours while joking and laughing together. He holds your hand and thinks how right it feels, pulling you once more to try and feel every ounce of you

🔆 Misumi cherishes the feel of your hand into his. His hold is all over the place yet his grip never loses strength, tracing small triangles shapes at the back of your palm with his thumb. Your touch makes him remember what love feels like. What belonging and feel connected to someone is like. He swings your hand along rhythmically on the streets, humming a melody while you two walk together, always securely clasped into his. Your body moves along as he stands in front of you, moving your hand in different directions excitedly, not letting go despite how much you laugh and ask him to slow down. You make me happy. He hopes you know.

___________________________________________________

Hope you all have a wonderful day! 💕

Autumn and Winter Edition! 🍁❄

[kaweeella]

The April Fools

I spent too much time on this.

Word count- 2177

Tsuzuru says pog, also some swearing

It had started out a normal day. Well, relatively normal, as it was April fools day and of course, pranks were on the rise.

Izumi stood in the kitchen, drinking coffee, hoping that mischief would wait a little while longer.

She could hear the door open and the person make their way to the kitchen. Izumi doesn’t look up though, she could hardly even keep her eyes open. The night before she helped at a nearby theater, which went longer than expected.

“Good morning, Director.”

“Morning…”

“Are you okay? You seem tired.”

“I had a long night last night.” She rubbed her eyes. Looking up she saw that she was talking to… “Kazunari?”

“Yeah?” He looked a little confused.

She thought for a moment. “Oh I get it.”

“Get what?”

“The joke. It’s funny, you got me.”

“I’m not joking though?”

“Come on, the bit’s over.”

“What bit?” He grew exasperated.

Before the back and forth could continue, Masumi entered the kitchen.

“Izumi, he’s acting weird.”

“Who?”

“Tsuzuru. He’s even more annoying.”

As if on cue, Tsuzuru stepped in.

“Hey, Zumi!”

Kazunari sighed. “Good morning, Minagi.”

Masumi looked between the two. 

Izumi began laughing, catching all three of them off guard.

“Oh, okay. That was good. Great dedication.”

“She’s doing it again…” Kazunari said.

“I’m not really getting it…”

“Come on, Usu,” Tsuzuru gave him a light punch on the arm. “She’s having a good time. That’s pogs, right?”

“Stop calling me that.”

“It’s pogs.” He said quietly.

“What’s with all the noise in here?!” Sakyo yelled.

“I’m not entirely sure.” Kazunari answered.

“Kazunari and Tsuzuru are giving a great April fools performance.”

“Huh? I haven’t even gotten to my jokes yet.” Tsuzuru said.

“It has been fun, boys, but you’re not tricking me.” She walked out of the room, still laughing.

“Right, well, if you’re going to be pranking or whatever, do it quietly.”

“Got it, Saki!” Tsuzuru gave double finger gun.

“... what?”

“I’ll be quiet. No cap.” He gave a goofy grin

“What does that mean?”

“It means he’s not lying.” Kazunari translated. “You could’ve just said that.”

“Come on, Kinari-iro.”

Sakyo sighed and left, feeling the oncoming migraine.

Citron and Sakuya passed him, talking about something or another.

“Good morning, guys!” Sakuya greeted.

“Hello! Sweep well?”

“Sleep, Citron.” Kazunari corrected.

“Good morning, Sakun! Hey Kankitsu, do you think we could do a Citrun act today?”

“That would be fun, yes!”

“Stop encouraging him.” Masumi said.

“Well, this has been weird, but I’ve got homework to do.” Kazunari excused himself from the kitchen.

“Seeya, Kinari-iro!”

Citron pulled the other two to the side. “Somethings going on with them.”

“What gave you that idea?”

“What do you think’s going on?”

“Izumi said that it’s just a prank.”

“What’re you guys talking about?” Chikage startled the three of them.

“Tsuzuru’s been more annoying than usual.”

They looked over at him, taking selfies.

“He does seem to be acting strangely.”

“He didn’t even correct me when I messed up earlier.”

“Yeah, Kazunari did.”

“Kage!” Tsuzuru walked up to him and gave him a strong pat on the back. “Didn’t even see you come in! What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing much. Itaru said he wanted to see you.”

“Really? What for?”

“Something about that isekai harem what's-it you guys talked about during the KotR play, I think.”

Tsuzuru laughed. “Right, that. Brb!”

“He did?” Sakuya asked.

“No, it would just be a little hard to talk about him behind his back if he’s in the room. So did he hit his head or something?”

“I don’t think so. He just started saying weird things when he woke up.” Masumi looked at the door leading out to the dorms. “Izumi said it’s a prank,”

“I’m not sure, though,” Sakuya interjected. “He was keeping it up even when we weren’t looking.”

“Maybe it’s a long con.” Chikage suggested.

“Tsuzuru can’t keep a straight face on something like this to save his life.” Masumi said. “Have you seen him off-stage?”

Chikage thought for a moment. “I have an idea.”

~~~

Kazunari had just left the kitchen and headed straight up to his room.

“Good morning, Kazunari.” Muku greeted.

“Good morning, Muku.”

“W-what?”

“I said good morning.”

“Are you mad at me? Did I upset you? I’m sorry if I did.”

“What? No, I’m not mad at all, let alone at you.”

“A pathetic piece of dirt like me doesn’t have the right to put emotional strain on anyone!”

“Whoa, Muku, calm down.” He placed his hand on the quivering boy’s shoulder. “I’m not mad, why would you think that?”

“Because you always call me Mukkun, and I don’t know why you’d stop unless you’re mad at me!”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, I’ll just go so I don’t upset you with my crummy presence.” He quickly left the room, Kazunari watched.

“People are acting so weird today.”

Muku ran out to the courtyard and bumped into Kumon and Juza.

“Muku, what happened?!” Kumon asked as Juza rubbed his back.

“K-kazunari he-” He can hardly form a sentence.

“Kazunari?”

“Did he hurt you?” Juza asked, looking a little angry.

“No, no… it’s my fault. He’s mad at me!”

“What for?”

“I don’t know…”

“How do you know it’s your fault?”

“Why wouldn’t it be my fault?”

“Hey, Uku, what’s wrong?” Tsuzuru knelt down to the crying boy.

“Kazunari’s mad at me…”

“I’m sure he’s not mad at you, he may just be having an… off day.”

“Wait Tsuzuru, what was that?” Kumon asked.

“He’s having an off day...?”

“No, before that, what’d you call Muku?”

“Uku.” He said with a smile.

Muku’s tears grew in intensity. “It’s really cute. Thank you.”

Tsuzuru didn’t entirely understand, but he sounded happier, so he didn’t say anything.

“How ‘bout we get something to eat.” Juza suggested.

Muku nodded and the three of them stood up and slowly walked to the kitchen, comforting Muku the whole time.

Tsuzuru got up and knocked on Itaru’s door.

“I’m busy!” He yelled. A few minutes passed before anything else. “Damn.” He opened the door. “What is it?”

“Kage said you wanted to talk to me.”

“Ka… what?”

“Yeah, about the script you wanted.”

“Well, I didn’t.”

“Oh.”

“Is that all?”

“Yeah.”

“Well then,” Itaru closed the door.

“Seeya, Takai!”

After a moment, Itaru opened the door. “What?”

“I said seeya! Maybe you and Kumo need to get your hearing checked.”

“... give me a minute.”

Itaru looked up to the sky.

“What’re you doing?”

“I’m trying to see if there’s an apocalypse.”

“No, but it has been a little strange today.”

“You’re telling me.” He thought for a moment. “I see what’s happening here.”

“What?”

“You’re fucking with me.”

“No, I-”

“It’s April first. You’re just messing with me. Good job, I will be getting back at you though.”

“Zumi said something like that, too. Is this some big prank you guys orchestrated and me and Kinari-iro are the targets?”

Itaru took in a deep breath.

“Fuck it.” Itaru marched to the kitchen, where he saw the rest of the spring troupe, Muku, Kumon, and Juza.

“Hello, Itaru.” Chikage greeted. “I take it you’ve spoken with Tsuzuru?”

“Yeah, what the hell’s up with him?”

“We aren’t sure yet.” Sakuya said.

“He and Kazunari are acting wired.”

“Weird.” Masumi corrected.

“Kazunari?”

“Yeah,”

Itaru paused, as he had a realization.

“Personality swap.”

“What?”

“They swapped personalities or whatever.”

“So that’s why Tsuzuru’s giving everyone nicknames?” Chikage asked

“And Kazunari has been using our names?” Sakuya continued.

“Seems like it.”

“So Kazunari’s not mad at me?”

“Uh probably not, no.”

“Whatever it is, they’ve gone too far.” Juza said. “He hurt Muku, they shoulda dropped it when they saw that.”

“I’m not sure this is a prank.” Itaru thought out loud. “Like you said, it hurt someone but also, Tsuzuru seemed way too adamant for it to be a prank.”

“There’s one way to find out.” Chikage walked to the door and saw Tsuzuru, taking more selfies by the flowers. “Tsuzuru, could you come here for a minute?”

“What’s up, Kage?” He asked as he strolled up to the door.

“I just wanted to see how things were going.” He gives him a strong pat on the back.

“The lighting’s sups good rn, so I thought I could get some pics.”

“That’s good. Sorry to interrupt that, I just wanted to chat.”

“Cool, I’ve gotta go now! Bye!”

They said their goodbyes and Sakuya moved to Chikage’s side.

“What’s the plan?”

“I planted a bug on him. If he talks like that when he’s alone, we’ll know it isn’t a joke.”

“What do you mean?” Kumon asked this time.

“We act for an audience,” Chikage took out a strange device and started messing with it. “If there’s no audience, there’s no need to act. There.” He set it on the table.

“Kuru!” Tsuzuru greeted Yuki. 

“What is it, Villager C?” He said, not noticing the nickname.

“I wanted to see how you’re doing, Kuru!”

“What?”

“Well, you’re here, so I thought I’d ask.”

“What’re you doing? What’s your game here?”

“No game, dude, just wanted to say hey.”

“Give me a minute.” Yuki entered the common area. “The fucks up with Villager C?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.” Chikage stared at the device.

“Hey Kinari-iro, whassup?” Rang out from the speaker.

“I’m a little busy right now.”

“Uku was kinda really sad earlier. He said you’re upset with him.”

“Oh, really? I should apologize then, huh?”

“Are you?”

“No, I don’t know why he thought that.”

Their talk went on for a little while before it was interrupted by Misumi and Hisoka breaking in through the windows and Chikage at the door. They grabbed the confused men.

“Hey!” Tsuzuru yelped.

“Alright, now it’s time to find out what the hell’s up with them.” Chikage said to Itaru.

“Us?!” Kazunari yelled.

“Yeah, you were acting really weird.” Masumi said.

Kazunari looked flabbergasted, he attempted to gesture around the room to the people who just burst in and grabbed them. There was some struggle on account of the fact that Hisoka had him by the wrists.

“Yeah, not to be judgy, but you guys are the ones being weird if anyone is.” Tsuzuru said, encaptured in what could only be described as a bear hug by Misumi.

“God that’s weird.” Banri muttered from the door.

Izumi walked into the room, sighing.

“You two have been acting atypical all morning.”

“No… I’d say this is pretty standard.” Kazunari said.

“I’d have to disagree…” Tasuku commented.

“So, what, are you saying me and Minagi suddenly became different people?”

“Stranger things have happened!” Misumi said, lifting Tsuzuru a little.

“And we’re supposed to just believe that? It’s absurd!”

“I never thought I’d see the day Kazunari called something absurd.” Tenma said.

“I can’t believe it.” Kazunari looked at his troupemates. “I can see them trying to pull this weird- whatever this is- but you guys?”

“Listen Friendly McExtravert, we’re all as confused as you.”

“I don’t mind it all that much. Mitsu is a really good hugger.”

“Thank you! I love the nickname!”

“I thought you would. You’re so based.”

“Based?” Tsumugi mumbled.

“Please make him stop using internet lingo.” Yuki said.

“And could we do it quickly? I’m tired.” Hisoka said.

“You’re always tired.” Tasuku shot back.

“If you wait a little while longer, I’ll get you some fancy marshmallows.” Homare offered.

“So how do we get them back to normal?” Muku asked. “Or is it impossible, and we’ll have to continue our lives with what are strangers in friends’ faces? How much will change?”

“Muku, you’re spiraling.” Juza said.

“But how do we go about this?” Azuma asked.

“It’s likely that whatever method was used to make them this way, we can work backwards to put them back to normal.” Guy suggested.

“But what made them like this?” Izumi asked. “Masumi, did Tsuzuru do something weird yesterday?”

“No. He went to bed and when I woke up he was talking like that.”

“Anyone else?”

It was the same story, nothing unusual happened the prior day. Izumi thought for a moment.

“What if it happened in their sleep or something?”

“Like what?”

“I dunno. Magic or something. Stranger things have happened.”

“You’re so smart…”

“Magic? Director, I think your imagination is getting a little too wild.”

“I mean, it’s not the first time someone temporarily changed into a completely different person for a strange reason. Remember when Banri put that talisman on Taichi?” Omi said.

“I don’t…” Taichi muttered.

“What happened?” Azami asked. Taichi wasn’t the only one not there for it.

“He was possessed or some shit.” Banri answered. “He was kinda a dick.”

“Sakyo beat him up afterwards.” Juza said.

“That part I remember…”

“Anyway!” Izumi clapped her hands together. “Maybe they’ll be back to normal tomorrow.”

“Well, what do we do until then?” Kazunari asked, finally getting his arms back from Hisoka.

“I don’t know about them, but I’m getting as much footage of Tsuzuru like this as possible.” Itaru whispered.

“Great for blackmail.” Chikage responded.

“Yep.”

[jumukus]

A3! Translation: Spring Troupe’s Interview From Documentary Book’s “Moment of Spring”

Translation under the cut.

First of all, while looking at the photos on the cover, please tell us what happened on the day you took them.

Sakuya: It was a frame of the Spring Troupe's spring!

Chikage: I wonder if Sakuya was holding Hina dolls in his photo.

Citron: Oh, I know that! Isn't that the thing that was born while chirping after you kept it warm for three days and three nights?

Tsuzuru: It's not that "Hina."

Itaru: It's a different Hina.

Masumi: ...These ugly Hina dolls are put in the theater lobby.

Sakuya: Wow, Masumi-kun! You sure have a sharp eye.

Masumi: It’s because Director and I helped decorate them there.

Sakuya: Oh, I see. To tell you the truth, it was all due to Manager saying that the theater lobby felt kind of empty. And given that it's March, we decided to decorate the lobby with Hina Festival-themed items.

Tsuzuru: Not to mention that a lot of the audience members are girls.

Chikage: The Masumi in this photo… Was he about to give a present to Director?

Itaru: That expression is exclusive for Director only. He's so easy to read.

Tsuzuru: If I remember correctly, this was taken during White Day. I remember seeing him grinning ear to ear while staring at the present in our room.

Masumi: I was imagining Director's reaction after I gave her that present. I was sure she'd be surprised but at the same time so happy she couldn't stop laughing… Then, she'd blissfully say, "Thank you. I'll treasure it."

Itaru: Surprised but so happy she couldn't stop laughing?

Citron: Now I'm curious about what your present is!

Sakuya: So was she happy about the present?

Masumi: Not telling. It was a memory that only me and Director share.

Citron: Aw, Masumi is a cheapskate~.

Sakuya: Meanwhile… things seemed to be lively in Tsuzuru-kun's photo!

Tsuzuru: My brothers started fighting when I was making sakura mochi for our cherry blossom viewing. I know I should've just left them be since they're always fighting, but… I couldn't help but speak out.

Chikage: You're truly a natural born big brother, handling this kind of thing by reflexes.

Citron: Is that a carnation you were holding, Itaru?

Masumi: For mother's day?

Itaru: Yep. I was planning to buy flowers and stop by my home. My sister apparently predicted this and asked me to buy her sweets. I was talking to her in the photo. They're all very popular stores that can have people waiting in line. But well, they have pretty tolerable prices…

Masumi: Looking at your expression, you should have found some excuses to refuse her.

Itaru: You could say that because you don't how my sister is when she's mad…

Citron: I want to meet Itaru's rumored sister one day!

Masumi: ...Citron's pose looked weird in this one.

Sakuya: Whoa, the bamboo shoots are big!

Citron: I call it, "ever-growing bamboo shoots" pose~. The greengrocer uncle from the shopping district gave those fine bamboo shoots to me!

Tsuzuru: You really are the idol of the shopping district… As long as Citron-san is here, looks like we don't need to worry about hunger issue. It's already been taken care of without us knowing.

Itaru: Last one is senpai… Huh? Is it really okay to have your photo like this? You were in the middle of doing some dangerous side jobs in this one, right?

Chikage: What do you take me for? As you can see, I was making a helmet with origami.

Masumi: I saw this helmet in the theater lobby. It was so symmetrical and terrifyingly well-made.

Tsuzuru: It felt like that helmet brought out Chikage-san's personality.

Citron: We all were enjoying spring and taking a very blissful shot!

Sakuya: That's right! Spring is indeed such a lovely season!

Then, as we looked back at your plays up until the sixth one, please tell us an event that left the most impression on you.

Citron: It would take forever, you know! We have a loooot of memories together, though I think the turning point of Spring Troupe was during our debut and fourth play.

Tsuzuru: During our debut play, we were all still beginners in theater and were still figuring out everything. Chikage-san joined us during our fourth play and we became a six-member group… I've gotta admit we underwent a major change as a troupe that time.

Sakuya: In addition, it was during the preparation for these two plays that we slept on the stage together!

Tsuzuru: The first time we did it was because Yuzo-san roasted us so bad, so we decided to sleep onstage to understand the play better. During our fourth play, we already invited Chikage-san but since he had work to do, we couldn't do it...

Masumi: But when we headed to the theater for our morning practice, these two were sleeping. Thus, I slept too.

Itaru: We were so noisy at that time so I figured you'd wake up soon, but… you sure slept like a log, huh, senpai?

Chikage: I still woke up in the end since your snoring was too loud, though.

Itaru: Seriously?

Masumi: You do look like the type who snores loudly.

Chikage: Joking aside… back then, I was surprised when I woke up and found you all there.

Citron: Oh, so our prank was a big success in the end! I wanna throw another slumber party with you all~.

Sakuya: Me too! I want to chat about a lot of things with you all!

Masumi: About love?

Itaru: I have a feeling Masumi's gonna monopolize that talk.

Tsuzuru: Heck yeah…

Chikage: That sounds fun. Why not?

Now that all of you have experienced becoming the leading actors, please tell us what kind of roles or performance you want to have.

Chikage: Since we have Tsuzuru here, it wouldn't hurt to say whatever we want, right?

Tsuzuru: You have a point, and it can also be a motivation to act. For the time being, I'd like to hear what you want to do...

Citron: In that case, I wanna appear in a Japanese style play!

Itaru: ...Ah, in that case, don't you think adding fantasy element to the play will be cool? Like a youkai-themed play.

Tsuzuru: Some amazing suggestions came right at the very beginning… But well, given that we rarely deliver a Japanese style play, I think it may turn good.

Masumi: Then, I want to take on a knight role. Obviously, the one playing the princess will be--.

Tsuzuru: Since we already have KniRoun that had similar sense, I don't think we'll do that now.

Masumi: If so--.

Tsuzuru: Not a bridegroom role. If we're going to do a play set at a wedding hall, then we'll also have one of Spring Troupe members crossdress to play the bride.

Chikage: Tsuzuru crossdressing, huh… That's kind of new.

Sakuya: It may fit him, surprisingly.

Tsuzuru: Why me!? I'm banning you all from raising random flags!

Citron: Do you have any roles you want to play, Chikage?

Chikage: A role I want to play, huh… Since I've only performed three plays at the moment, there's nothing in particular.

Itaru: How about taking a non-glasses character once more? All of your characters are wearing glasses except Gawain.

Masumi: Playing a glasses character once per two plays?

Sakuya: But I feel like Chikage-san can pull of any kind of characters!

Tsuzuru: Well, yeah. Since you're good at stage combat… I think giving you another role with lots of action will be a great idea.

Chikage: Exercising is one of my fortes, so I'll do my best if you give me one. How about you, Sakuya?

Sakuya: ...It's not really a role, but I want to deliver a play with everyone in the theater troupe someday!

Itaru: That means the main cast will consist of 24 people.

Citron: Oh, it sounds very fun! I want to do it too!

Masumi: I support that idea. That way, we'll have less lines. Tsuzuru will probably die, though.

Itaru: That'll be Tsuzuru's posthumous work…

Tsuzuru: Please stop saying things that will bring bad luck like that! I do admit I feel like the Sanzu River comes into view, though! ...But well, I want to do that too one day. I have a feeling I can write a piece that I've never written until this day.

Sakuya: Whoa… I'm already looking forward to see what kind of characters and story that you'll come up with!

Chikage: So can I expect this piece to be your masterpiece?

Itaru: This'll be a piece that continues to be handed down in Japan's theater industry.

Citron: Non, non! It'll be a piece that easily sweeps the top categories at International Theater Awards.

Tsuzuru: H-Hey, I haven't even started writing it! Please stop raising the bar!

I'd also like to ask about your personal stories. Given that this book is dedicated to "Moments of Spring Troupe", can you tell us what kind of thing that is currently popular within your troupe?

Itaru: If I have to choose, I think it's Zahra's board game--the one that Prince Tangerine gave us as a souvenir during the sixth play.

Masumi: The game requires each of us to cultivate the uninhabited islands in Zahra, develop it and do some tradings.

Sakuya: The player with the most territories will be declared the winner at the end of the game! The game is so interesting that it has become our daily routine to play it once we're done with rehearsals!

Citron: I'm glad that everyone is enjoying the game! I also have a game that I'd like to recommend to you all, you see! I'll have Guy get it next time!

Chikage: Last time I checked there's also a game in which you become a spices merchant and get rich, right? I'm a little bit curious about that one.

Tsuzuru: No, I don't think the Zahra Kingdom has that kind of ga--.

Citron: I expected no less from Chikage! You even know that game! OK, I'll have them send that too!

Itaru: Wow, it does exist…

Last but not least, please send a message to the fans who are always supporting Spring Troupe.

Sakuya: On behalf of Spring Troupe… I'd like to thank you all for always supporting us! Before we knew it, we already held six plays. It was all thanks to your support that we were able to deliver this number of plays. Even if it's only one, we'll be happy if you have scenes or lines from our plays that are unforgettable to you. For our next play, we promise to give everything we can to deliver a beautiful performance to you all. Therefore--

Spring Troupe: Thank you for your continuous support!

T/N:

*Hina doll shares the same kanji as chick (雛) hence the misunderstanding.

**For those who don't know, Hina Festival is usually held on March 3.

***In Japanese myths, the Sanzu River is a river that people are said to cross on the seventh day after their death.

[derireo]

Okay hear me out, Izumi was a babysitter for Masumi when he was young and one day she tells him how lonely she is too due to her dad leaving and her mom working constantly. So lil Masumi then promises to marry her so they can no longer be lonely anymore. Cue Act 1 where he finally meets her again but she doesn’t remember him. Masumi then promises himself to make sure she’s never lonely, even if it means hooking her up with another guy (whoever you want it to be) and losing his first love/crush.

the inevitable

"Then let's get married when we're older." Masumi said, serious. He was sitting across from Izumi on the large sofa in his living room, both of them on either side.

Izumi was quietly explaining to Masumi how she enjoyed his company, despite their eight year age gap; him being eight while she was sixteen.

She spent most of her days taking care of Masumi in his home. It would be school and then babysitting, school, babysitting, school, babysitting—you get the gist.

It's not that Izumi had to do it. She could have easily said no. Even now, she could just stand up and leave if she wanted to, just as long as she called an assistant or a maid or another worker who would watch over Masumi until they found someone new.

But Izumi liked it here. The silence in her own home was far too quiet and she didn't really mind filling in the empty space at a lonelier kid's house.

He was easy to take care of, a quiet child who liked to do things on his own which allowed Izumi to do her school work. She'd play music for the both of them to relax to as they did their own things, Masumi more often than not asking her who the artist was or what the song was called.

Masumi was a cute one, too. Izumi liked to pinch his chubby cheeks whenever it was time for Masumi to eat his lunch or his dinner for the day and he let her, when normally he didn't like it when others approached him this way.

She'd been taking care of this kid for a while, and she saw him like a little brother.

"I– what? Why?" Izumi laughed in surprise and leaned back into her corner of the sofa with a smile. To receive such a sudden proposal from a kid was amusing, but what was funnier to her was that Masumi didn't look like he was joking.

There was an indignant frown on his face as he crawled across the sofa to sit closer to Izumi.

"I don't want you to feel lonely anymore." He murmured shyly, reaching out with his small hands to envelope one of Izumi's own. She smiled at his sincerity and ruffled his hair with her unoccupied hand, offering up the empty space in her arms for the child to crawl into to comfort him.

It looked like he had accidentally brought his own mood down.

"I'm used to it, Masumi-kun." She soothed, gently petting his hair.

"I, for one, don't want you to feel lonely. That's why I always pick you up from school and stay with you in your house until you go to sleep."

"I don't feel lonely. I don't care." Masumi grouched unhappily at Izumi's words and sulked into her side, his rest resting on her shoulder while she cradled him in one arm, a manuscript balancing itself on her thighs.

"That's not something you should say." She scolded him, looking away from the child's grumpy face to skim over the text on her lap.

"Whatever. I'm going to marry you once I'm old enough, and I'm going to always be by your side." He vowed for the both of them and dug his face into the crook of Izumi's neck while she let out another laugh, flipping through the pages to her book.

"Okay, kiddo."

After that day, Izumi continued to take care of him for a few months until the devastating news that Masumi was going to be living abroad for the next few years surfaced. Even worse was that, Izumi's mother was set on moving away too as they had found a new home to live in; a home for just two people.

Masumi was in tears when Izumi decided to say goodbye to him at the airport before he and his small family left, and he clung onto her desperately when he was told that they needed to head to terminal.

"Izumi, I don't want to go." He sobbed into her chest and clutched at her as she was the only thing that tied him down to this world. It broke Izumi's heart.

"I don't want you to either, but it'll be hard for me to convince your parents to stay." She explained to him; trying to avoid words like 'can't'. If she used a word that had negative connotations like that, it would only hurt Masumi more and make him confused.

'Why can't you?' She could hear him ask.

Before the two could say anything else, Masumi was pried away from Izumi by his father, the young child letting out another sob that nearly ripped Izumi's heart out.

And that was the last time they saw each other until another eight years had passed.

God, when Masumi saw her again.. it felt like he had ascended to Heaven.

He moved back to Japan once his parents deemed him old enough to live on his own in their old house, sending him home at the age of fourteen.

It had been two years since he came back and not once did he see her until today.

He was walking around Veludo Station when he saw Izumi and Sakuya performing a street act; and when he saw her all grown up and pretty, it felt like a truck had hit him.

His heart was stuck in his throat when she noticed him staring, and he quickly hopped down to where she stood with Sakuya, effectively startling the two.

"If you're a part of the troupe.. I'll join." He muttered, much to the joy of Izumi, Sakuya, and that old looking dude.

He smiled a little when he saw how her eyes sparkled with relief, but wasn't sure what to make of it when she gave him another glance and didn't seem to recognise the little boy she used to care for.

So it was a bitter feeling as time dredged on at Mankai with Izumi still not realising that he was Masumi Usui, the Masumi Usui that she babysat when they were younger.

That bitter feeling would turn impossibly more acrid when he'd watch her interact with the other men in the company, but it was even worse when he would notice her working alone in the dining area or the lounge room; piles of papers seemingly neverending as she silently worked into the night.

It was an image he never wanted to see.

She worked tirelessly to keep this company afloat and on top of that travelled around the city to help with other theatres, never giving herself a break nor the time to just eat and recharge, let alone spare any time for anyone to have a conversation with.

Watching her from areas she wouldn't figure out he was hiding in, Masumi would feel his heart sink whenever she finished for the night, picking up her materials to leave for her room.

There was no one to sit beside her or come and fetch her. No one to kiss her head and tell her that she did well. No one to hold her hand and tell her that she shouldn't be working so hard when there are others that she can rely on.

Masumi wanted to be the person to do that; wanted to be the person who took hold of that special finger on her left hand to be able to do all of those things.

But how could he when their promise to marry was left in the dust? Her memories of him forgotten and pushed all the way to the back of her mind?

...and then there was Sakyo.

That good for nothing Yakuza piece of crap who dared to even insinuate that he would use Izumi's body to pay off the debt.

Masumi was seething in his bed when he found out that that man would be joining their company.

"I don't like him." Masumi said one morning while eating his breakfast with Sakuya and Itaru, scooping a spoonful of fried rice into his mouth with a glare.

"What, 'cause it's obvious he likes the Director?" Itaru chuckled and took a sip of his coffee, tapping away at something on his screen while Sakuya looked over to see Izumi and Sakyo discussing something important in the lounge area.

"Well– yeah. But he's mean to her too." Masumi muttered glumly, poking at his egg with his spoon. Sakyo would always be caught glaring or staring at Izumi, as if waiting for her to do something wrong so that he could clean it up right away.

Masumi didn't like how Sakyo did that, but Izumi never seemed to mind.

"'Cause he cares?" Itaru scoffed, coffee spoon hanging from his mouth while he let a grumpy Masumi steal some of his breakfast.

"You ever experience tough love, kid?"

"Only Izumi's." Masumi sighed, resting a hand on his chest to calm his running heart. Then Masumi paused. “Wait. Does that mean Izumi loves me?”

“Uh.” Itaru tapped his spoon against his tongue. “Yes and no.”

Sakuya smiled at the gentle answer Itaru gave and looked at Masumi with a gentle look in his eyes, reaching out to pat his junior on the shoulder. “I’m sure Izumi���s in good hands with Sakyo, Masumi. I think...he has all the things that the director needs.”

“What do you mean?” The young boy frowned, to which both Sakuya and Itaru shared a brief glance.

“Well. He’s mature.” Itaru listed off.

“I’m mature for my age.” Masumi argued back.

Itaru ignored it. “He’s responsible.”

“Me too.” Masumi gritted.

“And he’ll always be there for Izumi. Right by her side.” Itaru finished off, talking as if he knew what he was talking about as he took the last sip of his coffee and stood up from the dinner table to put his cup in the sink.

“There’ll come a day when you leave with everyone else, Masumi.” The adult warned gently, patting the kid’s hair while lazily shrugging his business coat on. “But it’s quite obvious that Sakyo has his reasons for being here.”

And it was then, that Masumi felt his heart drop. Because Itaru was right. He could very much well be taken back overseas by his father again if he so choose to; reminded of the time when he had to part with Izumi when they were younger.

Would she forget him again if he had to go? Would he be removed from her memories again? Would he have to experience meeting her for the first time all over again if he came back?

Masumi wasn’t sure if he wanted to go through that again. If Masumi had to leave; he wasn’t sure if he wanted to come back at all.

The pain he felt when she looked at him with no sign of recognition was almost unbearable.

He didn’t have a viable enough reason to stay here. He knew his father would drag him back to his own home anytime, and Masumi wouldn’t have a good enough reason to keep him from doing that.

But Sakyo did. Sakyo was here because he was indebted to someone, and because he held a history in this very theatre.

What did Masumi have?

Nothing.

“Don’t think too hard about it.” Itaru consoled the silent child who sat with Sakuya and left the pair with a solemn bow. He saw how the light slowly left Masumi’s eyes and heard how loud the cogs in his head were turning.

Itaru was sorry.

“Hey.” Sakuya prodded, lightly patting Masumi on the back to make him snap out of it. “You can stay home today. I’ll ask the director if she can call the principal to report your absence.”

“Okay.” Masumi murmured, picking at his egg once more before eating whatever was left on his plate. Izumi always told him never to waste his food.

He hated how Itaru was right, but he didn’t have the power to do anything about it.

But just because he’s leaving Izumi in Sakyo’s hands doesn’t mean that he’s going to leave her be. He’ll still be there for her when he sees that nobody else is. He’ll still stay by her side until he has to be ripped away from her.

He knew he wasn’t going to be here for long, so could you really blame him?

She was just going to forget about him when he left anyways.

But at least he’ll leave knowing that she isn’t alone anymore.

[bbnibini]

Progression (Masumi Usui x Izumi Tachibana/Reader)

(ao3 vers.)

He was 16 and a boy in love.

There didn't seem to be a limit to his forwardness. He was honest and affectionate, and while flattering to your self-esteem, you knew he was young and this was a phase he would eventually get over from. A part of you wished he had that much passion in his performances.

As you saw him grow as an actor and witnessed he was starting to sprout buds of what you hoped was that passion he was lacking, you realized you may have judged him too quickly. He was rather cute(in a brotherly kind of way) when he wasn't being so...upfront. There were times when you catch yourself looking over at the other actors getting close to him and secretly wished he would find more people he can feel like he belonged to.

Because for all the abundant love and obsessive affection he had for you, you knew there was a part of him, more likely unnoticed even by himself, that craved the love he had been openly offering to you.

If only he knew he didn't need to seek for it anymore; that he had already found a place to return to that was waiting for him to say  "I'm home,"

Perhaps...that really was what he needed then.

He was 17 and had a dream.

It shocked you. You swore you saw him grin like a fool when you almost locked him in an embrace. When you came to your senses, you finally began having suspicions he was doing this for attention.

But you were wrong.

There was sincerity, perhaps even bashfulness in his expressions. It was at that moment did you notice his hair was softer than you thought. His eyes also weren't entirely purple, and he smelled like bergamots---

The force in which you pushed him away caused you to fall flat on your butt.

"What are you doing, Masumi? Don't lean into me like that!"

"But I wanted to kiss you-"

You didn't even need to say anything else. Tsuzuru efficiently pried the teenager off your arms and gave you his usual look of apology.

"I guess there are some things that never do change," you mutter softly to yourself, a fond look was seen on your face; hiding a tenderness Tsuzuru noticed and kept to himself for both his and yours' sakes.

He was 18 and vulnerable.

The amount of growth he had on the two years you have known him was...needless to say, dramatic. Unlike before, there was passion in his eyes and gentleness in his interactions with others. There were times when his cheesy lines get to you, knowing full well you were getting more aware of him but you steeled them, thinking the idea ridiculous.

There were also times when Tsuzuru would look at you with a shaking head, but you pretended not to know why.

He was 19 and a growing boy.

"What? But Masumi just fitted this costume last week!"

"And he doesn't fit in it anymore. Seriously. If you want to put the tabs on someone, do it with this lovestruck Godzilla over here!"

"Here", was Yuki pertaining to the boy standing beside him. Masumi had been sleeping more than usual. If not for being constantly scolded by Sakyo or Tsuzuru, you could swear that the boy would be imprinted on his bed eventually. It was a "necessary sacrifice" on your part (as Itaru would like to call it to tease you), but you promised to wake him up every morning if he would stop sleeping at random places. The last thing the troupe needed was a Hisoka 2.0.

"I can never get tired of being greeted by you every morning.♡"

You never noticed it before but, you had been straining your neck more than usual when you talk to him, and as you wanted to point it out to him to air out your complaints, a more attentive Tsuzuru would tease you about disagreeing with Itaru's plan a lot less vehemently than before--and you would find yourself holding back your words out of an awareness that it would affect you more than he.

"A woman pretending to be dense would tire even the most devoted man eventually."

"If it's you who's doing it, I will count it as being tsundere. And a tsundere director is always cute.♡"

You settled on looking over at Tsuzuru with a glare, convincing yourself that doing so would strain your neck less. Tsuzuru muttered, "Let's go with that", with a knowing smirk and you vaguely "wondered" why it had been so warm that particular winter night.

He was 20 and "bachelor material".

Or so he told you in his DMs after his coming-of-age ceremony. You got to hand it to him for not giving up on texting you despite the absence of your replies.

"Oh, what a hottie! Your boyfriend?"

Huh. Now that he was older, even your friends are being deceived.

"Hey? You okay?".

There was a tender ache in your heart as you realised how much he had changed. He had been such an unsociable boy before, but now he had friends, and he had been smiling more.

"Mhmmm..." The drawl in your reply felt like it was holding back a sigh. "It's nothing. What were we having again? Caprese salad?"

The you a few months from then wished you were more discreet in saving his picture, for you had endured plenty of teasing from a scheming Tsuzuru for the rest of the year.

He was 21 and a professional.

"Masumi?! In a drama?"

The way Tenma looked at you, seemingly insulted made you tone down your voice a bit. "I-I'm not saying I'm doubting your choice on asking him to act with you, it's just...Masumi? Really? Did he agree with you?"

It was Masumi they were talking about! Didn't he hate stuff like this?

Tenma's sigh made you snap out from your many, confused thoughts. "Director, he agreed immediately. Besides, why wouldn't I ask him?" The confidence Tenma had, you surmised didn't only come from his skills as an actor, but also the trust he had for the other Mankai members.

This made you look back on what Mankai had achieved so far, and you felt a gentle ache. Oh.

"Sorry, I just...it's hard to believe he changed so much."

You were mixing up the past from the present. You find yourself doing that often.

If Tenma noticed anything else, you didn't know. But the awkward way he stroked your head made you calm down a lot. Unfortunately, it didn't stop the melancholy in your heart.

He was 22 and a tease.

"You haven't been making eye contact lately. Are you finally seeing me as a man?"

If he had said that a few years ago, you would have brushed it off as a joke and laughed with him. But Masumi stopped saying such embarrassing things at some point, and you eventually got used to it as well.

...only you didn't and you actually felt more conscious since he rarely flirted with you anymore. A part of you kept wondering if he eventually grew out of it like any other teenage crush, but the intensity of his gaze said otherwise.

"Just kidding. Quit spacing out, director."

Oh. You were holding your breath. Oh, there were other people in the room practicing with you.

"What's wrong? Is the director not feeling well?" Sakuya looked over to you in concern.

Oh. You were actually disappointed.

"I-I'm fine! Let's get back to practice!"

You pushed away the first words that popped in your head once Masumi pulled away from you:

"Too bad."

After practice, Tsuzuru cornered you and gave your forehead a flick. "You're dragging it on for far too long. Everyone has noticed now and it's rather pitiful. What are you going to do?"

You swallowed. "W-what are you talking about?"

Tsuzuru shook his head and sighed. "Sakyo-san was right, you really ARE a bad actor."

Screw Sakyo. You wished his blond mop of a head would grow bald! But screw yourself even more.

Of course it had been obvious and was probably obvious to everyone else for even longer than you had assumed.

But perhaps the absence of his receptions was a sign that you were only making a fool of yourself. A frustrated groan and a fews swigs of liquid courage later, you opened your eyes to see a worried Masumi stroking your head as you lied on his lap.

"My head aches..."

"It's called a hangover, Director."

You realized a lot later, after absorbing the fact that he and you aren't actor and director anymore, that you made an even bigger fool of yourself earlier and that it didn't matter anymore...

"Masumi?"

"Hm?"

To: Masumi Usui

I like you, don't you like me anymore?

                  message seen 5 hours ago

"Happy birthday."

...because he was 23 and yours.

[currywaifu]

𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: barbie movies as troupe plays part 1 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: sfw

𝐚𝐧: if you think i won’t do all 36 barbie movies, you’re wrong. regardless of whether people want this or not. i have barbie brainrot 24/7. i’m just separating it into parts so it’s not too long *this isn’t meant to be that serious y’all my reasons vary from legit to just jokes

𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥: i won’t go in-depth with any plot differences from movie to play, or how the characters would work out... for now *chuckles in future ppt*

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏: nutcracker, rapunzel, swan lake, princess and the pauper, fairytopia series, magic of pegasus, barbie diaries, island princess, three musketeers 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐: coming soon 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟑: coming soon

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: mixed troupe! spring x autumn. one of the seasonal events/scouts for A3! has a nutcracker theme, and to avoid spoilers that’s all i will say :3

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: since this is based on barbie’s take on the nutcracker, changing up the cast from what tsuzuru had in plan:

clara/sugarplum fairy: sakuya. i want to see him go through a costume & hair transformation sequence, not gonna lie. 

nutcracker/prince eric: juza. obviously he has to be the ruler of the land of sweets.

mouse king: sakyo or chikage. i want one of them to wave around a sceptre and say quotes like “i’ll reduce the Nutcracker to a pile of splinters"

pimm: taichi... pimm is a spy :O who has to do dirty work :O but the real reason is i just want taichi to follow around sakyo again or maybe even chikage this time lol

major mint & captain candy: tsuzuru and citron respectively. mint is pretty serious and awkward, candy is a lot friendlier- i just think it’ll be a good way to insert some humor in the play

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: mixed troupe! summer x autumn.

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: rapunzel in this one actually is the “servant” of gothel. also, rapunzel has a magical paint brush and also there’s dragons. who are purple. 

rapunzel: kazunari. obviously. actually, kazu has a lot of similarities with her: a good artist, patient, adventurous, quick thinking, hardly ever complains- also he’d look good with long hair i think ><

gothel: omi. there is an action fighto scene + also just the theme of omi playing villains lol... also THERE’S A SCENE WHERE GOTHEL PRETENDS TO BE RAPUNZEL BY WEARING A LONG WIG AND BOI- KAZU AND OMI’S BODY BUILDS ARE SO DIFFERENT BUT IT’D BE FUNNY IF THE PRINCE FALLS FOR THE TRAP ANYWAY

penelope: kumon. a PURPLE funny and clumsy dragon- fight me, the only answer is kumon especially once you see who’s next.

hugo: juza. a PURPLE dragon who’s penelope’s dad but he’s gonna be the older bro in this one (i wonder why...) 

hobie: a passive and worrisome rabbit... Tenma.

prince stefan: he also has a couple fight scenes... ngl bc stefan has blue eyes, light brown hair + described by the wiki as “fierce”, he’s banri. 

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: winter troupe. i will stand by this forever. 

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: this is like one of the ones i’ve had figured out for a while already...

odette & odile: tsumugi. i’m just saying, tsumugi’s duality- he can do both the white and black swan because he has power. impact.

prince daniel: not tasuku bc spare him the prince roles he’s sick of it. guy. why guy? because he obviously has a good idea of how to act like a prince :3 

rothbart: HOMARE! I WANT! THIS MAN! TO PLAY THE ANTOGONIST! GO OFF ABOUT DARK ARTS! TRANSFORM EVERYONE TO ANIMALS LIKE THE EXTRA BEING YOU ARE.

fairy queen: azuma. ugh just- imagining how ethereal he’d look.

erasmus: tasuku. he’s a troll that can act mean, but is genuinely kind and helpful... also, the VA of erasumus is also the VA for “unnamed burly villager” and i’m just saying-

kelly the cygnet: hisoka. there’s too many animal children, so hisoka is gonna be the baby swan. uwu. also, kelly has a quote, “I can't sleep.” and wOW THE IRONY

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: WE’RE GOING FOR THE COMEDIC ROUTE WHAT’S UP SUMMER. reason: i went “wait... no actor really looks super alike though.”

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: tafahfuoahoaf it’s my favourite barbie movie... OKAY SO THE RUNNING GAG OF THIS IS THAT THE PRINCESS & PAUPER DON’T LOOK ALIKE, BUT EVERYONE KEEPS GOING “Wow! you two look so identical!” no they don’t

anneliese: muku. first of all please look at the sprite i used in the header. anneliese = pink = muku. she’s the sweet princess archetype... but in this version she also goes on tangents about rocks and mineraLS AND HOW THE MINING INDUSTRY SUX AND THE ABSOLUTE AUDACITY OF-

erika: kumon. first of all, the sprite in the header again. erika = blue like ugh this is perfect. ALSO erika has a cat who BARKS and i just imagine kumon talking to her cat like: WOOF WOOF WOOF GRRR GRRR and the dog responding and everyone in the palace going wtf

king dominick: i had such a crush on him anyway he’s tenma. rich, young, talented king who disguises himself as a page so he can find love for realsies. im just saying. he won’t be tenma’s only role tho ><

julian: kazunari. the wiki went “he’s the only bestfriend a barbie MC ever married” really shook me like ugh friendship dynamic between muku and kazu roles??? also kazu’s genuinely smart so him as the tutor was just gucci in my eyes

preminger: misumi. FIRST OF ALL PREMINGER IS ICONIC? WHEN HE SANG HOW CAN I REFUSE I WAS LIKE UGH KING. i just wanna hear misumi play an antagonist that’s also funny and do things with his voice.

madame carp: yuki. a bossy and rich woman who owns a dress emporium. pretty much it.

nick & nack: YUKI AND TENMA. THEY WILL DOUBLE ROLE FOR THE SAKE OF BEING MISUMI’S DUMB UNDERLING DUO

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: spring troupe. i wanna see them have wings uwu.

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: just gonna combine the whole fairytopia series into one 

elina: itaru. first of all, pink motif. also i just like the idea of itaru being this recurring protagonist.

bibble the puffball played by kamekichi

laverna: recurring villain citron. for no reason other than i think it’s cool when he plays power hungry villains

enchantress: i just want sakuya to play a role that’s more of a “powerful character” but still really kind uwu. another recurring good guy.

azura & glee: tsuzuru. elina is azura’s apprentice, and glee is a friend who’s generally really happy... ngl, i wanna see tsuzuru play someone more energetic for funsies

nori: masumi. nori is kind of a stubborn and jealous person at first, him and elina won’t get along right away BUT DAMMIT THE ENEMIES? TO FRIENDS IS GUCCI!!! 

merman prince nalu & linden: chikage... yeah i just gave chikage the guy roles ngl... but i wanna see chikage as a handsome merman AND handsome fairy so *shrugs*

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: cross troupe. spring x winter.

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: partially based on the ice-skating cards (i have yet to read the event story, unfortunately).

annika: tsuzuru. i thought it’d be fun to cast tsuzuru as a more sheltered character due to annika’s parents’ protectiveness. the contrast y’all.

shiver: sakuya. shiver is a polar bear cub sidekick who’s friendly and likes shiny things and that’s just... really cute... put bear ears on sakuya...

brietta: guy. brietta is annika’s older sister... who got transformed into a pegasus by the villain... i wonder how they’d change the pegasus thing lol

wenlock: tasuku. NOT GONNA LIE- i want tasuku to play the villain for all these wonderful one-liners: "Oh, smile! You didn't lose a daughter; you've gained a pet!", and "I thank my lucky stars I didn't marry you!"

prince aidan: masumi bc i want more roomie interaction on stage i mean their friendship keeps getting cuter and cuter.

cloud queen: azuma... that’s all. i just remembered her bc her hair has a braided crown, and i went “azuma braided hair brainrot”

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: mixed troupe! summer x autumn.

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: i was gonna make it full autumn, but then the age casting felt awkward since they’re in high school...

barbie: taichi. barbie here is shy but wants to stop blending in the background! i just went “damn that do be resonating”. also i wanna hear taichi sing more y’all and barbie is a singer/guitarist here

courtney: azami. i like the idea of azami playing a spunky character who’s more of a tomboy, but still does like fashion and accessorising and... lip gloss?

tia: misumi? tenma? idk the intelligent and passionate archetype is very broad... especially in a high school setting

kevin: kazunari. just the whole best friend thing + kevin being a goofy person who loves to make ppl laugh ugh

racquelle: yuki. i know racquelle’s a bully here and say not to bullying... but sharp tongue.

todd: honestly? todd was so boring in the moving. we need someone like banri to give him CHARACTER!... yes that’s my reasoning ugh

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: sUMMER SUMMER SUMMER-

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: AHAHAHA WHAT IS THIS CASTING? MY REASONINGS FOR THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR ARE SO SHALLOW LMAO

ro/rosella: “a 16 year old girl who can talk to animals! adventurous and brave” me: *gasps* mISUMI-

prince antonio: “prince antonio loves travelling and exploring-” okay yeah it’s kazu...

queen ariana: i just want yuki to sing to me “love is for peasants which we’re obviously not” and i’d go :O also ngl... i wanna see yuki in like darker palettes and plotting to poison all the royals

princess luciana: queen ariana’s daughter... played by muku. because i wanna hear muku counter yuki with “all the shoujo mangas books i’ve read, all the poems always said, that the heart is made to share...”

sagi the red panda & azul the peacock: honestly, just basing it off of colour matching but tenma is sagi and kumon is azul lol

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: AUTUMN x SPRING

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: AHAHAHA WHAT IS THIS CASTING? pt 2 

corrine: i keep wanting to put sakuya in these roles oops. i just... let him sword fight on stage again :>

viveca: purple musketeer, artistic, designs clothes... fights with ribbons... you know, for the sake of banri being a fAshIoNisTa... it has to be banri y’all "Don't mess with the animal print dress!"

aramina: green musketeer, fights with fans, romantic and loves ballet... pfft, for the sake of “wouldn’t it be funny-” it has to be azami. poor bby, having to swoon over romance on stage- he can’t relate

renee: chikage. purely because of that scene where she threw a feather duster (?) at a flying shard of glass and perfectly hit it. yeah.

helene: the old and strict instructor that teaches them how to be musketeers... sakyo.. duh.

philippe: the main antagonist... it has to be omi again. and since philippe has a goatee, we’re bringing back facial hair omi~

prince louis: itaru, lol. he’s like the one significant non-action oriented character in the film. he has just enough moments where itaru still looks princely, but mostly? he just wants humans to fly y’all.

want to order again?

[agirlinjapan]

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars (Week 2)

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation

Miss the last piece? Read it here!

Check out the RDG Translation twitter!

Help me pay for my next translation project on Ko-fi.

It’s hard to believe that the summer is almost over. While admittedly, I can’t say that it feels like it just started, it definitely doesn’t feel like we’re so close to the end. Where I work, the teachers’ first day is September 4th, and the students return on the 6th. That means I have just over a week left of summer. Wow... It’s been a great one though! I’ve focused on my translating this August, and have translated over 100 pages in less than a month. By the time school begins again, I expect to be about 60% finished with the RDG 6 translation. Isn’t that crazy?!

Translation note: In Japan, students stay in their classrooms while teachers travel from room to room to teach classes. Without a “designated classroom” which “belongs” to each teacher, teachers instead have all their desks together in the teacher’s room. Generally, teachers return to this room to collect what they’ll need for the next lesson in the 5-10 minute break that occurs between each class. Students often use this time to visit the teacher’s room and ask their teachers questions or help bring materials up to the classroom.

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 1: Disappearance Part 1 (2 of 2)

The next morning, many students, unprepared for returning to the normal school schedule, barely made it to their classrooms on time.

Izumiko, her hair back in its usual tight braids, was later than usual as well. She had stayed up late the night before, finally feeling awake after sleeping the morning away.

As she flew into 1-C, Miyuu Hatano called out from a group of girls directly behind her.

“Good morning, Izu! We haven’t seen you in a day or two.”

“Good morning—huh? Izu?”

“You’re Izumiko, so ‘Izu.’ It’s okay if we call you that from now on, right? You’re one of the girls, after all.”

What’s going on? It sounds like they’re trying to say Isolde, like that girl from Tristan and Isolde…

Izumiko was reminded of the heroine from the world famous legend. This was what happened when you were raised by your grandfather on a mountain and only read classics. Still, it made her happy that her classmates had a nickname for her. She responded, saying that she didn’t mind the name at all.

“Is it okay if I call you Myu from now on?”

“Of course!”

After everything 1-C had been able to put together and accomplish together for the school festival, they seemed to be closer than ever. Karin Hasegawa and Mako Sagawa, who were standing next to Miyuu, also asked to call Izumiko by her nickname. They chatted for a bit, but the conversation never touched upon her dance or the ghosts.

Relieved, Izumiko headed towards her desk. Only then did she see Manatsu Souda just ahead of her. He was seated at his desk, currently in the middle of a large stretch.

I wonder if Manatsu slept completely through the days off, too…

Izumiko gave an absent smile as they noticed each other.

“Ah, morning. I thought I’d ask you something if I saw you. Do you know where Shinko went over our days off?”

Izumiko’s eyes went wide. “Huh? Sagara went somewhere?”

“I haven’t seen him around the dorm at all. I tried asking his roommate, and he said Shinko’s been off campus. People are saying he’s at the hospital.”

“What? I didn’t know… I didn’t hear.”

She stood there, staring at nothing. This was unexpected. She knew she had gone pale. Manatsu, who was always so carefree, didn’t look so happy at the moment either.

“I’m sorry. I thought he would have said something to you. Let’s not worry too much until we know exactly what’s going on. Going to the hospital could just be a story he’s using to cover up something else.”

Their conversation ended for the time being as their homeroom teacher, Mr. Sasamoto, came into the room. Still, Izumiko couldn’t concentrate on the homeroom discussion or the class that came after it. She began to shake more and more as she thought about how she had slept for so long, doing nothing.

He didn’t tell me anything…Something serious happened, and I didn’t even have the slightest idea…

When first period ended, Izumiko hurried to 1-A. Worried about how flustered she was, Manatsu followed after her. When they peered inside 1-A’s classroom, Miyuki, as suspected, was nowhere in sight. Mayura, however, was there, a frown on her face. When she noticed Izumiko and Manatsu, she joined them out in the hallway.

“Yeah, Sagara’s absent. But he must have given some notice about it because our teacher didn’t seem particularly surprised. It is a little strange that Takayanagi’s absent too, though.”

“Takayanagi, too?”

“Claus as well.”

Izumiko’s worry grew larger and larger. She put a hand over her mouth. “What if Sagara and the others never woke up in the nurse’s office?...”

“That didn’t happen,” Manatsu quickly put in. “If that was the case, I would have heard more about it in the boy’s dorm. Shinko went back to the dorm. But his roommate, Hiraoka, doesn’t know when he left campus either. I was sleeping yesterday and the day before that, too, so I didn’t look for him.”

“When did you know that Sagara wasn’t in the dorm?” Mayura asked her brother. “Did you try texting him?”

“I heard it from Hiraoka this morning at breakfast. I tried calling him, but his phone seemed to be dead. I haven’t gotten an email or text from him, either.”

“…If he’s really at the hospital, we’d know that too, though.”

“What about Takayanagi? Did you ask about him?””

“Ask about him? How could I ask about a guy in a white yukata?”

“You live in the boys’ dorm. Keep a better eye on our opponent!”

After the exchange between the two siblings, Mayura said it Izumiko, “I don’t think we have to worry right now. Sagara and Takayanagi probably have completely different reasons for being absent. They’ll probably be back this afternoon. If they don’t come back to school today, I’ll start asking around quietly. Let’s just keep our eyes out until then. You can do that, right?”

Izumiko had intended to nod her agreement. However, she found that she couldn’t.

“…This has to be my fault…”

“This is exactly why I said we were going to wait before jumping to conclusions,” Mayura said worriedly. “Hang in there, Izumiko.”

As hard as Izumiko tried, she couldn’t wait quietly by for something to happen. She couldn’t sit still.

That’s right. Mr. Sagara will definitely know if something happened…

Izumiko rushed away without taking the time to respond.

After watching her go, Mayura turned to her brother. “It must have been hard for her to hear this so early in the morning. First Masumi and now this. Do you think Izumiko can handle it?”

“I can’t say. But I know how you feel,” Manatsu replied.

They both turned back to watch Izumiko go.

Arriving at the teacher’s room in the administrative building, Izumiko took a deep breath and peered in from the door. However, beyond that, she didn’t know where to look or where Yukimasa Sagara’s desk was. They were currently in the short interval of time between first and second period, and people were hurrying in and out of the room.

Izumiko watched a number of people come and go, and then finally worked up the courage to ask one of them.

“Um, Ms. Miyamoto. Excuse me. Is Mr. Sagara here?”

Ms. Miyamoto was an English teacher in her twenties who was quick to raise her voice. She looked at Izumiko’s demure expression before frowning.

“Too many girls have asked me that this morning. It’s getting exhausting. Maybe I should put a sign on the door. Mr. Sagara’s out today. Visiting teachers don’t have classes every day, alright?”

Her tone was cranky enough that Izumiko couldn’t bring herself to ask if Yukimasa’s day off had been unexpected. Izumiko watched Ms. Miyamoto go, thinking she should get back to class, but she had absolutely no interest in sitting through more lessons.

Maybe I’ll go to the nurse’s office. I doubt Mr. Sagara’s volunteering there today, but maybe I should check…

Heading back towards the stairs, Izumiko noticed for the first time that Manatsu was standing nearby. The expression on his face was less serious than it had been before.

“Where are you going?” he asked. “Are planning on skipping class?”

“I’m going to the nurse’s office for a bit. You don’t have to go with me though.”

“That’s okay. I’ll join you.”

Cheerfully catching up to Izumiko’s quick steps so that they were walking side by side, Manatsu asked, “Can I ask you something? Why did you go looking for an English teacher because Shinko isn’t here?”

Realizing she had made a mistake with her immediate reaction to Mayura’s words, Izumiko remained quiet for a few seconds. But then, she soon began to feel badly about the secret she had been keeping from the Souda siblings up until now. She knew there was nothing left to do but tell Manatsu.

“Because he’s Sagara’s father.”

Manatsu laughed. “So even you tell jokes.”

“I know it sounds like a joke. He doesn’t want anyone to know, so please don’t tell anyone, even Mayura,” Izumiko said then hurriedly added, “It’s on the same level as how no one knows Hayakawa’s from Togakushi. You get it now, right?”

“Wha….. What?”

Manatsu flung both arms over his head and jumped back as if a horse had made a leap for him. The action conveyed his true astonishment.

“How is he Shinko’s father? That English teacher Mr. Sagara is so young! Is he like a stepdad or Shinko adopted or something like that?”

“No. He’s his real dad.”

“…I feel like I just heard this century’s greatest mystery.”

Manatsu was always so indifferent to the things happening around him. What he was saying now though made Izumiko rethink a few things. If a run in with ghosts hadn’t fazed Manatsu, then the identity of Miyuki’s father very well could have been the more unbelievable phenomenon in his mind. The only reason Izumiko wasn’t so surprised by the news along with him was because she had already known.

“Manatsu, the problem isn’t that they don’t look like father and son. It’s that talking about his dad makes him angry. Please understand that.”

“When you say angry, you’re talking about him releasing a total waterfall of rage, aren’t you? He really would be pissed off...”

Izumiko arrived at the first floor nurse’s office with Manatsu walking at her side, grumbling his thoughts. She knocked on the door, and Ms. Sakakiba appeared from the other side.

Before Izumiko or Manatsu could open their mouths, the nurse said, “Mr. Sagara isn’t here. He was only here for the school festival, so go right on back to your classroom… Oh, You’re Izumiko from 1-C, aren’t you?”

Izumiko lowered her head into a small bow so quickly her braids swung back and forth. “Thank you for helping us on the day of the school festival.”

Ms. Sakakiba’s expression softened immediately. She usually was an easy going woman.

“Well. You didn’t come all this way just to say that, did you?”

“No, we didn’t…”

Seeing whether or not Yukimasa was there was only half of why she had come to the office.

“Ms. Sakakiba, you know how Miyuki Sagara and Ichijo Takayanagi were sleeping here after the festival?” Izumiko asked before she could change her mind. “Do you remember how much longer they stayed here after I left?”

“I woke those two up before dinner. They were just snoozing, and they didn’t have fevers. Nothing else seemed to be wrong with them either. It was just sleep deprivation. First years aren’t used to the big events here, and they overexerted themselves.”

“Both of them are absent today though. Did you hear anything about that?”

Ms. Sakakiba looked surprised at Izumiko’s insistence. “Huh? Are they absent? I haven’t had a chance to look at the morning health check list yet. The attendance just arrived.”

She returned to her desk, flipped through the papers on it, and then said, “There certainly are a number of students out sick in 1-A. But I don’t know any details yet. However, the health office is only given names when a student has an excused absence.”

Izumiko was disappointed. She hadn’t learned any more than what she had already heard from Mayura.

“Thank you very much. Everything’s fine then, I guess…”

“Wait a second.”

Ms. Sakakiba’s worried voice stopped them as they were about to walk back out into the hallway. “Izumiko, I’m curious about something. You and those two disappeared in the middle of the festival, and then you showed up here all together. That’s been bothering me.”

It was natural that she would be suspicious. As Izumiko fumbled over how she could possibly respond, the nurse continued. “If you’re worried over something you can’t say to your friends, would you consider speaking to a counselor? Do you want me to make you an appointment? Do need to talk to someone?”  

…Ms. Sakakiba definitely lives in this reality, Izumiko thought. Knowing this made her feel an emotion that was something like a mix of relief and loneliness. The school wasn’t only populated by teachers and students with connections to sacred spirits and ghosts. She felt that fact quite vividly just then.

“I’m okay for now.”

As Izumiko left the nurse’s office, Manatsu gave a quick bow to Ms. Sakakiba, and then followed after his friend.

Izumiko walked out the building’s front door, and did not stop until she had reached the small stone bridge further down the path. There, she looked up at the autumn sky dotted far above with little white clouds. The day was peaceful and bright, but that light did not reach all the way to Izumiko’s heart.

Something’s definitely going on… But even so, Sagara hasn’t necessarily disappeared from the school.

“Izumiko, you should just wait patiently for now. That’s what Mayura said,” Manatsu stated from behind her. He was still a few yards down the path. “If you don’t want to sit around in the classroom, how about going to the barn? Taking care of horses calms people down.”

“Thanks, but I think I’d rather go back to my own room,” Izumiko replied without turning to look at him. “Don’t worry about me. I won’t leave the school or anything. They’ll notice if there are two people missing from the classroom, so you should go back to class.”

For a moment, Manatsu stood there, reluctant to leave Izumiko on her own. However, he didn’t have the time to walk her back to the girl’s dorm, and so he grudgingly gave up his objections to the situation.

“If you’re going back, promise that you won’t leave the room. Mayura can look in on you there, so don’t move.”

Keep reading!

[act-addict-actors-blog]

Act 1 Chapter 11 - Separate Houses

Tsuzuru: “’Romeo - in the future, you will be the man responsible for this house.’“

Masumi: “’This city’”.

Tsuzuru: “Huh?”

Masumi: “It’s not ‘this house’, it’s ‘this city’”.

Tsuzuru: “Ah, my bad......”

Masumi: “It’s not there, see? Didn’t you write this script yourself?”

Tsuzuru: “You can even remember everyone else’s lines perfectly!?”

Masumi: “That’s only because I’ve been hearing your lines recited every day - even an idiot can remember them.”

Tsuzuru: “Are you trying to insult me?”

Masumi: “You’re just paranoid.”

Tsuzuru: “What?”

You: “OK, stop! Tsuzuru-kun, continue from the top.”

Tsuzuru: “......k.”

You: (It’s been several days since we started reading the script, but we won’t be able to perform at this rate.)

(I want to continue regular training soon, but if this keeps on happening, we may not have enough time to practice.)

Masumi: “It’s your line next.”

Tsuzuru: “I know.”

You: (It’s just like last time - the atmosphere between them is horrible......)

Sakuya: “Ah, I-I’m sorry. That last line was mine, wasn’t it...”

You: (Having such a tense atmosphere is making it difficult to act, so everyone is making a ton of mistakes.)

“Alright, let’s stop here for today. We haven’t advanced much, so I hope everyone will do some more training on their own time.”

Masumi: “If by everyone, you mean two people.”

Tsuzuru: “Just who are you referring to!?”

Masumi: “Who knows.”

Tsuzuru: “You really are an unpleasant guy, huh.”

Sakuya: “I’m sorry. You’re saying that I need more practice.”

Masumi: *sigh*

You: (I have no complaints about Masumi-kun’s acting ability, but his behavior is troubling......)

Sakuya: “Citron-san, I’ll be turning off the light soon.”

Citron: “OK!”

Tsuzuru: “Yo, you guys awake?”

Sakuya: “Tsuzuru-kun? We’re awake.”

Citron: “It is strange seeing you at this hour!”

Sakuya: “You’re holding your pillow - is something wrong?”

Tsuzuru: “I don’t want to be with him anymore, so let me sleep in your room. The floor is fine.”

Sakuya: “Huh? By him, do you mean Masumi-kun?”

Tsuzuru: “Just hearing his name disgusts me. He’s the worst! Even when I’m practicing on my own, he criticizes everything I do bit by bit.”

Sakuya: “Really? That’s strange.”

Tsuzuru: “Strange? That’s how he always is.”

Sakuya: “No, it’s not. Masumi-kun always seems to be by himself at school.”

“He stands out a lot because of his looks, so he’s very popular with girls. But he’s famous for never getting along with anybody he speaks to.”

“I was surprised that he became so attached to the coach. To us at school, he came off as a guy who didn’t react or take an interest in anything......”

Tsuzuru: “Speaking of - when we started training for Romeo and Juliet was he began to criticize everything, wasn’t it?”

Citron: “I see! He is a Tsundere!”*

Tsuzuru: “Minus the lovey dovey part.”**

Sakuya: “Masumi-kun’s parents are usually overseas, so it seems like he is almost always alone at home. He may not be used to interacting with people very often......”

Tsuzuru: “He lives alone? He doesn’t have any siblings?”

Sakuya: “I think he is an only child.”

Tsuzuru: “I see......I can’t imagine living in a house all by myself. I have so many siblings.”

Sakuya: “Um, what Masumi-kun is saying is definitely harsh, but I think he’s right.”

“No matter what, I start to panic when my turn comes. It makes me wonder if practice won’t be enough......”

Citron: “Do not wooooorry! When I say my lines, I do not worry!”

Tsuzuru: “It’d be nice f’you cared just a little bit, Citron-san.”

“Hmm. You could be right. Alright, then shall we start morning training?”

Sakuya: “Ah, good idea! I’ll do it too!”

Citron: “I will join toooo! The one who wakes up early will be at the three gates of Toku-san!”

Tsuzuru: “Who on earth is Toku-san? You want to say the early bird gets the worm.” ***

“Alright, then let’s meet at 6am to practice tomorrow.”

Sakuya: “Yes! We should hurry to bed, then. You can sleep in my bed, Tsuzuru-kun.”

Tsuzuru: “Aaaah, n-nevermind! I think I’ll go back to my own room.”

Sakuya: “Really?”

Tsuzuru: “I should tell him about the morning practice at some point.”

Sakuya: “I see! I think Masumi-kun will definitely want to join us!”

Tsuzuru: “I guess so.”

Citron: “Then let us dial a message to Coach and Itaru, yes?”

Sakuya: “Let’s do it!”

“Itaru-san, are you there?”

“......huh?”

“It looks like he’s already asleep.”

Tsuzuru: “No, I can hear some kind of clacking noise coming from inside.”

Citron: “It is a cockroach, yes?”

Sakuya: “What!?”

Tsuzuru: “It’s probably not a cockroach. It sounds more like a controller.”

Sakuya: “If it is a cockroach, then we have to exterminate it! We’re coming in, Itaru-san!”

Itaru: “YEAH! 10 kills. Hmph. They can try challengin’ me again in 100 years or so.”

Sakuya: “Itaru...san......?”

Tsuzuru: “Ah, so he was playing a game!”

Itaru: “Hmm......?”

Citron: “Itaru, you are in relax mode, yes? A Japanese dried fish!” ****

Itaru: “Ah......Need somethin?”

Sakuya: “U-ummm, we all were talking about getting together for morning practice tomorrow. Would you be interested in joining us, Itaru-san?”

Itaru: “What time?”

Tsuzuru: “We’ve scheduled practice for 6 am.”

Itaru: “6 am, huh? Lemme think about it.”

Sakuya: “Ah, ok. Well then, excuse us.”

Itaru: “See ya-.”

Sakuya: ......

Tsuzuru: ......

Sakuya: “He was a bit different from his usual self, wasn’t he?”

Tsuzuru: “More than just a little, I would say.”

“I was only able to catch a glimpse of what he Itaru-san was doing, but it was a popular online game. It’s known throughout the world for causing people to disappear.”

Citron: “Ultimate Weapon 4. It’s a war-themed online FPS game. To have that equipment at only level 124, he must have paid his way through the game. ***** He is a completely lost cause!”

Tsuzuru: “It can’t be a good sign that you so much about that game, either!”

Citron: “In my country, it is integrated into core education system!”

Sakuya: “Are you serious!?”

Tsuzuru: “That’s a lie!”

Citron: “It’s joke!”

Sakuya: “For a second there, I thought you were telling the truth......”

“At any rate, do you think Itaru-san will come to our morning training?”

Tsuzuru: “Hmmmm. I wonder. He might be too busy playing video games. In the meantime, let’s go talk to the coach.”

To be continued......

*A Tsundere is a character trope (usually for a woman but not necessarily) describing a character who starts out hostile towards someone else before eventually loving them.

**The “Tsun” means disgust and the “dere” means affectionate love. Tsuzuru is joking here that Masumi is all “Tsun” but no “dere”.

*** Citron is trying to say “Hayaoki wa sanmonn no toku”. The literal meaning is very hard to translate to English, but the meaning behind the phrase roughly translates to “the early bird gets the worm.” However, he accidentally says “san mon no toku san”, which ends up being complete nonsense.

**** They don’t clarify what Citron truly means to say here, but I’m 99.9% sure that Citron means to say “honmono”, which means “the genuine article or the real deal” but instead accidentally says “himono”, meaning dried fish.

***** Japan actually has a word to describe video game players so spend a lot of money on a game so that they are overpowered early on - a “Kakinhei”, which literally means “Accounting soldier”. Citron uses this word to describe Itaru-san’s play style. We don’t have a word for it as far as I know, so I thought this was a cool fun fact for everyone. And also I spent hours reading up on it- fascinating stuff. 

[novocaine-sea]

Chulacometti Head Canons

I have.... a lot of feelings about Phichit x Christophe. I want them to have some love and appreciation so here goes nothing. 

So obviously they meet at the Cup of China in canon time, instant friends since they’re the best friends of the increasing dynamic duo (Victor and Yuuri)

They exchange numbers and text until they meet again at the GPF

It’s a lot of pictures of Christophe’s cat and Masumi as well as Phichit’s hamsters

At the GPF Christophe invites Phichit to come swimming with him (which is originally why he had the two champagne glasses) but Phichit said he was going to wait for Yuuri

After the GPF when they fall at the bottom of the tier they bond over the fact that they were on the bottom 

Christophe makes a lot of self depricating jokes to mask his sadness and disappointment

Phichit does everything he can to cheer him up (sending memes, making silly faces) and then is eventually whisked away at the banquet

Long story short, they get a bit tipsy there and end up sleeping together (I wrote a fic about it)

It’s awkward at first but then Phichit cracks a joke and suddenly everything is okay

Christophe ends up catching feelings first as he watches Phichit shameless prance around naked trying to get ready

He invites Phichit to breakfast and they end up ordering room service, sitting in bed giggling between themselves like high schoolers

Phichit has to leave but he leaves with the promise that he’ll message Christophe as soon as he’s back in Thailand

They text all the time, more than they did before

They text about their pets, the latest celebrity gossip, pictures of Thailand/Switzerland 

These pictures lead to Christophe inviting Phichit to stay with him in the off season for about a week (Phichit immediately agrees because he’s never been to Switzerland before)

Christophe tries to tone down the flirting but then picks up on Phichit being flirty towards him then all bets are off

The first night Christophe takes Phichit to a super nice restaurant where they dress up and have expensive wine

Phichit almost can’t believe it and is amazed the whole time, a smile on his face. He’s still in the college kid mindset where he needs to be cheap with every

After that they take a stroll back to Christophe’s apartment and they end up having sex again, the wine making them feel real good

The second day Christophe takes him all around the area in which he lives him and a little ways away.

Phichit takes pictures of everything and lots of selfies of Christophe, making use of the instagram feature that lets you post moments

They sit and watch the sunset near Christophe’s apartment that night

The third day Christophe confesses to him, telling him that he wanted Phichit to come down so that he could woo him properly and he hasn’t felt this way about anybody since Victor

Phichit was shocked and thought that the flirting was something that Christophe did with everybody, honestly not even picking up the fact that it was romantic

Christophe thinks he ruined Phichit’s vacation and they dont speak for the rest of the day even if they’re in the same house

The next morning Christophre makes him breakfast in bed

Christophe is an amazing cook, makes most things from scratch. He has a strict diet for skating so he got good at making his own meals

Phichit dodges the food and just straight up kisses Christophe, telling him he thought about it and returns his feelings

So then they’re dating and they’re really lowkey about their relationship, not even telling Yuuri or Victor or Guang Hong or any of their friends

They figured the tabloids wouldn’t care anyway so they just made it seem like they were really close friends

It’s Christophe’s last skating season and he doesn’t want anything to come in between him and gold this time

Except then he injures himself and Phichit flies out to Switzerland to take care of him, officially outing their relationship

Phichit relocates to Switzerland, training under Christophe’s coach and taking care of Christophe at the same time

Christophe becomes depressed and the only light in his life is Phichit

He’s not that bitter about being injured but now he puts all his aspirations onto Phichit and wills him to skate and get gold for the both of them

Christophe comes with him to competitions and now that they’re open about their relationship they’re very much about PDA

They cuddle and kiss and hold hands all the time

Christophe taught him how to be tantalizing on the ice and to interviews

Yuuri and Victor are horrified but honestly Phichit was just waiting for his spicy side to be unleashed

Phichit and Christophe are the perfect combination of spicy and sweet and they become a very popular instagram couple ;)

[gupdoo3]

Alright so I’m FINALLY doing a write-up about my second major group of OCs

some background: once upon a time my friend @voteplant2040/@popelickva was doing a livestream of him trying to figure out a TF2 Newgrounds dating sim and someone in the chat (I believe it was @milesdafoo) said something to the effect of “I’d have more fun playing a dating sim where you dated a golf ball and a golf club”. I looked at that, said “challenge accepted”, and hashed out a few characters. I don’t know if I’ll ever turn this into an actual game because that’s hard work, but at the very least I’m proud of myself for having come up with somewhat interesting characters based on such a weird prompt. (Note: Technically Miles came up with two of these characters. Well, it was originally one character, but then it became two characters who share a hive mind because of weird sci-fi bullcrap. But I’m not telling which ones they are.)

Disclaimer: these characters haven’t been bouncing around in my head for a very long time, so they’re not as developed as I’d like, but here they are nonetheless.

(note: all Japanese names are in surname given name order)

Hajikano Masumi (gender and pronouns decided by the player, 17, japanese) is the (canonically autistic) protagonist with a vested interest in science and not a lot of social graces who occasionally forgets things like “eating”, “sleeping”, and “showering”. During the game they have the option to become an intern at the research wing of Iwadate Industries. They used to be really engaged in anime, manga, and visual novels, but that phase is mostly passed. Their way of calming down is to play golf, which is how they meet...

The Baishō siblings are the two love interest of this hypothetical game. They  serve as a deconstruction of the Stereotypical Anime Personification Of Inanimate Objects Who Are Also Your Love Interests, because, dude, what do you do with two humans who have spontaneously popped into existence, have no knowledge of the outside world, and don’t legally exist? And isn’t the concept of being an object and then suddenly becoming a sentient being a bit horrifying? (And as such, even if they act like they have it all together, they’re both scared of the new world they find themselves in and saddened because they don’t see themselves as truly human.)

(note: I’m not trying to do any faux-deep navel-gazing “i read an intro to psychology/philosophy textbook” type stuff, i just don’t want my hypothetical video game to be the same cliche drivel as everything else that stars personified anything.)

They came to life one day while Masumi was playing golf and later enrolled at his school under false names.

Baishō Kyō (gender and pronouns decided by the player, 17, japanese) is an innocent, naïve, wide-eyed idealist. They’re the golf ball. Kyo is short, stout, and albino, and those last two things make them a bit self concious about their appearance (once they learns that most people consider those things flaws).

Baishō Michi (gender and pronouns decided by the player, 17, japanese) is quiet, aloof, and calculating. They’re the golf club. No-one knows what they’re thinking.

Maruo Ryuta (male, 17, japanese) is Masumi’s hot-blooded, somewhat ditzy, nerdy best friend. Despite his nerdiness he’s definitely not the brains of the bunch; his flavor of nerdiness is more along the lines of visual novels (and the occasional English-language adventure game). 100% probability of giving too many fucks about any minor inconvenience. Has always wanted the chance to shout “OBJECTION!”

Monty and Molly Forrester (male/female respectively, 12, canadian) are two of Masumi’s next door neighbors. Their mom works as an engineer at Iwadate Industries as part of the Exercise project (essentially it’s an endeavor to make a robot who can play sports) and their dad is Masumi’s science teacher. Monty is a weird nerd kid (who eventually ends up bonding with Ryuta over their shared love of Monkey Island) and Molly is an outgoing girly girl. (I know which other twins these two might remind you of please don’t bother pointing it out)

Isoarashi Lydia (female, 11, canadian-born japanese) is Molly’s precocious best friend. She’s extremely stoic and laconic-- until you get her talking about Sherlock Holmes. Since she’s a little bit weird (and a whole year younger than her classmates), she had trouble making friends when her family moved to japan until she met Molly. The two initially bonded over being Canadian, but they quickly started partaking in each other’s interests. She’s a lesbian with a crush on Molly, and later on the two share a bit of a puppy love.

Dr. Scott Calvin (male, late 20s, british) is a computer scientist who works at Iwadate Industries on the Exercise project (but I’m not sure if computer science is what his phd is in?). He’s one of the youngest researchers on the team and certainly the youngest one with a PhD (he’s pretty much directly out of grad school; though he’s been working at Iwadate in some capacity since before he got his PhD). Although he’s not intended to be an example of “young wunderkid immediately beats all the seasoned adults at their own game” he’s certainly proven himself worthy of his position depsite his age. He’s pretty much always frustrated/disgruntled in some capacity, though his is a more subdued frustration than Ryuta’s (or, to quote John Mulaney “Adult life is already so goddamn weird, this might as well happen”). Will talk for hours about computers. He’s named after both Tom Scott and Marty McFly’s alter-ego “Calvin Klein”.

Dr. Bulan “Becky” Buanaputri (female, 30, indonesian) is Masmui’s step-aunt (ie his mom’s stepsister) and a kinesiologist who works on the Exercise project (her job partially consists of analyzing movement data from human test subjects but her exact duties are very hush-hush). Born in Indonesia, but her family moved to America when she was a kid. Went by Becky as a kid to avoid jokes about how much Bulan sounds like Mulan, and the name stuck. She’s very cheerful and loves cats. Never seen without a bag of microwave popcorn that she’s eating from, and she also has a bit of a sweet tooth.

Fritz Möller (male, late 20s, german-swiss) actually started out as an Ace Attorney OC in a fanfic which I started writing but don’t know if I’ll ever return to. Fritz is a meteorologist who works at the research wing of Iwadate in some capacity, and he trains dogs in his spare time. He’s involved with the mysterious Sector 22 project. Drunk a lot (obviously not part of his AA characterization). Usually not drunk at work. He’s best friends with Scott-- they were dormmates together and shared an apartment for a while. He now lives in a house with his grandmother (in light of her husband’s passing), right next door to Masumi.

Toshiyuki Harvard (male, late 20s, japanese-british) and “Hatch” (male, 30s, german-american) are two childhood friends of Fritz. Toshiyuki is introverted, stoic, and no-nonsense, while Hatch is generally more upbeat, and a bit of a klutz. These characters don’t get as much screentime as most of the others so I haven’t fleshed them out very much LOL

Agari Shirō (male, 60s, japanese) is Masumi and Ryuta’s homeroom/P.E. teacher. He looks like he could probably bench-press you, but is actually a jolly, amicable man. Is gay.

Exercise (???) is a robot being developed by Iwadate Industries but he might be gaining sentience DUN DUN DUUUUUUN

[pyrachan]

Fear/Huntshipping Police AU Part 26

Look this is still alive it just takes a while to individually torture everyone

Part 23: [x] Part 24: [x] Part 25: [x]

--

The doctor that Raphael had called to the house had arrived about half an hour after Yami had fallen asleep. Raphael had kept his "no hospital" promise but still was very concerned about his young charge.

"So, Raphael-sama, tell me what sort of symptoms is this young boy portraying?" The doctor asked as Raphael led him to the room where Yami was sleeping in bed.

“He’s… in a bad state, honestly.” The man gave a long sigh and rubbed his temples, closing his eyes. “He seems very confused, like he has a split personality. He’s thoroughly paranoid and terrified of hospitals, but he blacks out and has memory loss constantly. I don’t know what to do, doctor.”

The doctor looked surprised at that.

"Split personality and memory loss...well that could be a sign of mental illness, certainly. Although, there are other causes for amnesia that I can check for...and how old did you say this boy was?" The doctor asked.

“He claimed he was ten. I believed it last night, apparently, but I doubt he actually is that age now,” Raphael said, looking at Yami with a clear head.

The doctor observed Yami's sleeping form with a frown.

"Well he is certainly a small boy...but his body itself seems too developed to be a ten year old. Plus, it is highly unusual for a ten year old to have such prominent signs of mental illness." The doctor slid on some gloves.

"I'm going to check for any signs of external head trauma, since that would be a simple explanation for the memory loss." The doctor said, carefully feeling Yami's skull gently for any bumps or other signs of damage. He frowned.

"Good news is that there is no signs of prior injuries on the outside." He said once he's finished his check.

“…” Raphael wasn’t sure if it was good news. “I went to check my medicine cabinet while I was waiting for you, doctor. He’s got some knowledge of pharmacy. He’s managed to ingest a lot of chemicals without killing himself… I’m hoping it’s luck but…” He sighed. “Never mind. I’m rambling, doctor.”

The doctor frowned.

"He ingested drugs..." He quickly checked Yami's vitals. All were normal for someone who was unconscious.

"...well it sure doesn't seem like it on the outside, but usually when someone ingests drugs like that, it's meant as a suicide attempt. Perhaps it was just luck that he took the right drugs to survive. Does he seem mentally unstable, as if he might hurt himself, or depressed?"

“Yeah… I suppose so…” Raphael said. He somehow doubted that, even though what the doctor was saying was more logical. “… He was upset about his grandfather, but he seemed happy enough. Enthusiastic to play games and all..."

"Ah yes, the death of loved ones can be difficult to deal with. I would keep an eye on him...try to get him to talk about things that bother him. And it may be beneficial to keep track of his mental state...if it's as serious as you suggest, he should be looked at. We can perform painless scans and such if that's what scares him so much about hospitals." The doctor suggested.

"Oh and speaking of his family....you mentioned he had a baby sister. I should probably take a look at her as well...if they were in the streets especially."

“Yeah, this way, doctor. I have her in the living room.” He showed the doctor to where Masumi was, lying on a baby rug, sound asleep. “She’s been an angel, all things considering."

The doctor followed and smiled as he saw the baby.

"Well I'm glad one of them seems alright." He said, picking up the baby gently and looking her over.

"She seems very young...I would say a couple months at most. But, she seems healthy....no signs of rashes or any illness...she seems to be a healthy weight as well."

“Really? Well, he must have been taking good care of her. That’s a relief.” Raphael sighed.

"Yes, she seems to be well looked after. Whether it was her parents or her little brother, is unclear. Do the two get along well?" The doctor asked.

“He made it seem like they didn’t really get along well with their parents but… Atemu and Masumi seem good together. Masumi likes him well enough.” Raphael said. Maybe he was being paranoid and that it was because he couldn’t remember what he did last night to adopt the kids was why he was so worried. “Is there anything I can do?’

"I see. That's good that they have each other then." He said before smiling.

"I see you bought baby formula for her, which is good. Don't feel too pressured to give her more than normal, since her weight is healthy. As for the boy...keep an eye on him. If his symptoms persist, talk to him about painless hospital tests we can do to see what the problem is. We don't want to scare him further."

“Alright… I’ll make sure he’s alright. He doesn’t like hospitals because his grandfather died in one, but… I’ll see what I can do. I’ll contact you soon, doctor. Thank you.” Raphael said

“Ah, I see then.  Work with him on trust...reassure him that you'll be there the whole time, since he seems to trust you enough to live in your house.  I'm sure it'll all work out.”  The doctor said.  

Raphael smiled and bowed, seeing the man out before returning to get Masumi and to check on Atemu. No… not Atemu… it was Yuugi, wasn’t it? He was worried about the boy, and prayed that he would be okay. He promised himself to figure out the mystery behind him, and help him no matter what it took, no matter what.

Yami opened his eyes, feeling a slight headache from having to battle Yuugi for his consciousness. But, aside from the aftereffects of the drugs and battling with his other half, there was another cause for his pain.  He could hear soft crying coming from a nearby room.  Masumi had woken up and began to fuss a little when she realized she was all alone.  She wasn't used to being left alone like that, since her parents had always been around her.  Raphael hadn't initially heard her, since he was talking to the doctor.  Yami sighed and got up shakily, rubbing his temples as he walked over to Masumi.  There was no Raphael around...he wondered where he'd gone.  

“Hey, sweetheart...you alright?”  He asked softly, sitting down and cradling her gently in his lap.  He wiggled his fingers in front of her face to draw her attention and calm her down again.  Masumi had really just wanted attention.  Meanwhile, Yami tried to get his bearings a little, still a little worn out from the drugs.

“Ah… you got here first” Raphael smiled as he peeked in. “How is she?"

Yami glanced up in surprise and was relieved to see it was just Raphael.

"Yeah...she woke me up." He said softly, continuing to play with a gurgling Masumi.

"I think she just wants to play..."

“I don’t mind playing with her. You’re exhausted, after all.” Raphael came over and sat down next to the two. “You gave me quite the scare in the bathroom, you know.”

Yami couldn't deny that he was tired, but he didn't want to sleep. He had drawn out this job too much already.

"I'm okay...I don't want to sleep anymore...I feel like I slept for hours..." Yami said. He sighed.

"...I'm just...really scared of hospitals...I don't wanna go to one ever again..."

“… That’s fine. They can be scary, but they do help people. Just remember that, okay?” He said kindly. “I can still take Masumi off your hands if you want. You can do something else to make yourself feel better."

Yami nodded reluctantly. He was tired of interacting with this guy...he should just kill him already.

"...sure...I guess." Yami said, passing Masumi off to Raphael. Now he could go back to his room and prepare his drugs.

"I won the black jack right...so that means I get to make you food. Is it lunch time soon?"

“Well, if you want to eat, sure,” Raphael smiled. “I’ll watch you. I don’t want you hurting yourself in the kitchen. I have a lot of high tech appliances that you might not know how to use.”

Yami was about to mentally cheer until he heard the second half of Raphael's sentence.  No, he couldn't be watched!  How the heck would he slip drugs in the food if Raphael was leaning over his shoulder?  He shook his head.

“No, it's okay, you don't have to worry about me!  I don't...I don't know how to use anything fancy...I just...make sandwiches and stuff...easy things...”  Yami said.

“Well the bread is on the high shelf. At least let me get it for you. I don’t expect you to master where all my stuff is without actually being in my kitchen before.” Raphael said, getting up.

Yami mentally sighed. He supposed he could have help with ingredients...

“Okay...that sounds good...you can show me where things are.”  He said.

“Sure thing.” Raphael stroked Masumi’s head and held her gently before he slowly walked them to the kitchen, grabbing the bread, a butter knife and a board for Yami.

“Anything else you need is probably in the fridge.”

Yami nodded.

“Alright...sounds good. You go play with Masumi...I'll make sandwiches.  I promise I won't touch anything other than the fridge and the microwave...I know how to use that one!”  Yami said, smiling innocently like the good little ten-year old he was supposed to be.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Yami and to Raphael, Ukyou, Gauche and Droite were in a squad car heading towards Raphael's mansion.

“I can't believe Kaito got a source that said Mutou's going after Raphael-sama next...where on Earth does he get this stuff?  We've had no leads in forever!”  Gauche said.

“You’re questioning this case of all ones? The Vector case was way more out of the ordinary, with the way he figured it out. At this point, he just… has his sources.” Ukyou shrugged.

“One day thats going to bite us, like if Kaito became a criminal,” Droite joked darkly under her breath.

Gauche frowned.

“Well...I guess.  But it's even worse since Kaito's not even on an officer anymore.  He should tell us these things...that way he can actually retire in peace.”  Gauche said.  He sighed, secretly agreeing with Droite.  

“We're here...his staff said he hadn't been at the office for the last few days...so he must be home. That, or he's dead already.” Gauche said as the cop car pulled into the driveway of Raphael's mansion.

“I know, but Kaito still wants to work, despite saying he’s retired. He has a right to privacy, as long as it’s not actually withholding information,” Ukyou said.

Droite opened the car door and stepped out. “Well… Let’s hope it’s not that,” the woman said, stretching before knocking

“Yeah yeah.  But still, it can't be good for his health to work like this...”  Gauche said, before schooling his features into his business face when Droite knocked.

Yami looked up from his sandwich making as he heard a knock, suddenly tense.  

“...Were you expecting someone?”  He asked Raphael softly as the man got up to answer the door.

“Kaito… We really need him to have a doctor take him away from work.” Ukyou said, rubbing his temples. Droite paid them no mind, waiting for two of them.

“No, but it could be work. Give me a moment,” Raphael said, walking away, appearing to give the man the opportunity to drug him. He answered the door and his eyes widened, seeing three officers.

“Hello there..."

Yami kept his face neutral while Raphael was watching, but as soon as his back was turned, he frowned. Even if it was work, he didn't want to draw attention to himself.  He carefully slipped the drugs into the almost finished sandwiches he'd been preparing on the counter, before ducking out of sight of the door.  He paused in the hallway to listen in on the conversation, just in case.

All three officers were relieved to see Raphael was clearly alive and well enough to be answering a door.

“Good afternoon, Raphael-sama.  I'm Superintendent Ukyou with the Heartland Police Department, and these are my colleagues Officers Gauche and Droite.”  Ukyou said, introducing his two colleagues.  Droite frowned at the baby in the man's arms for a moment, before pulling out the photograph Kotori had given her of their missing baby.  Her eyes widened as she realized they did look the same...

“Raphael-sama, may I ask about that baby?  I understand you do charitable work for orphans, but I was not aware you had adopted any children...we are searching for a missing baby right now...and she looks very similar to the one you are holding...”  Droite said, showing Raphael the picture of Masumi she had.

Yami immediately stiffened when he heard that.  Police officers?  And they were already asking about Masumi...oh shit.  He began to make his way back through the maze of hallways, but had to pause when a throb of pain cut through his head.

“Yuugi...not now...please not now...”  He whispered, knowing the other could feel his anxiety over this situation and was reacting to it.

“Well, good afternoon, all of you.” Raphael smiled. He was about to ask what he could do when Droite pulled her photo out. He frowned.

“This baby? Well, I only took her in yesterday, so I’m not surprised you don’t know. She and her brother came under my care yesterday. Her name is Masumi."

All three officers' eyes widened at the name.

“...That... is the same name as the baby who disappeared.  She was kidnapped yesterday from her home...”  Gauche said, comparing the pictures.  “No doubt about it...it's definitely her.”

“...And did you say 'brother'?  There is another child at this house?”  Ukyou asked, suddenly a bit weary.  The kidnapped baby was here, whose kidnapper was suspected of having connections with Mutou Yuugi...could it be that Mutou Yuugi was here too?

Yami pressed his head against the wall and took deep breaths, trying to push Yuugi back and calm down so he'd stop reacting.  He needed a plan...he needed to get away...

“Yesterday? Really?” Raphael frowned. That… was too much of a coincidence. For a second, he thought this may have been a prank, but instead he continued.

“Yes… Atemu. Her older brother. He came with her yesterday to the orphanage and he convinced me to take them back here. Why? Is… there a problem?”

“Well, yes...you see, we came over because we believe there is a serial killer after you.  We wanted to make sure you were okay.”  Droite explained.  Ukyou pulled out a picture of Mutou Yuugi and showed it to Raphael.

“Does this 'Atemu' boy look like this?  This is a photograph of the killer.”  He asked.

“. . .” Raphael stared. He stared very long and very hard at the photo. The boy in the picture had different skin and eye colour, but there was no mistaking that hair, that physique. As he held Masumi, he remembered about the other recent CEO murders- he himself even had extra security in his office- and he balled his free hand.

“Excuse me, let me go get Atemu. There… may be something we all need to discuss,” he said, walking off.

The cops saw the look on Raphael's face and figured he was here.  

“Droite, watch the door in case he makes a run for it...Gauche, you and I are following. Have your weapon ready.”  Ukyou instructed, following Raphael as he headed into the house to look for this 'Atemu', whom Ukyou was quite sure was actually Mutou Yuugi.  He kept a hand on his gun just in case...he and Gauche both knew what Mutou was capable of.

Meanwhile, Yami had finally managed to stumble into his room.  He'd gone right for his bag, even though his headaches were starting to make him see stars.  Yuugi was right on the brink of taking over his consciousness, and he couldn't let that happen.  Yami pulled out a vial of drugs and his knife and waited, hearing footsteps approaching down the hall.  He exited the room discreetly and pressed his back against the corner, waiting for whoever was coming to turn it.  He would stab them, whoever it was.  He needed to get out of here...

“Atemu? … Yuugi? Are you there? I need to talk to you.” He said, looking in the kitchen. He frowned at the empty room first before he headed upstairs, looking for the boy. “Hey… where did you go? Atemu?”

Yami closed his eyes and waited, hearing Raphael approach.  This was his chance...it sounded like he was alone.  Maybe he'd sent the cops away?  That would be perfect...Yami slipped away from his hiding place and approached Raphael.  He pulled on his best innocent little boy expression, knife hidden behind his back. He could still feel a pounding headache, which he was almost certain showed on his face.

“I just went to the bathroom...Is something wrong?”  He asked softly as he approached the man.  As soon as he got close enough...he would plunge the knife in his gut.

Masumi cooed in his arms as she saw her friend and Raphael sighed in relief. Good. He was alright.

“I just wanted to see where you were. Are you okay?”

Yami saw them both and steeled his nerves. Raphael was close enough...he'd stab him...

"I...I've been better...usually things are...well, less messy...but, I guess that's my fault...I waited too long." Yami murmured. He took a step forward, meaning to thrust the knife towards Raphael. But then an extremely sharp pain took over and the knife stopped halfway as Yuugi resumed consciousness with a cry. Raphael had the appropriate angle to see how the boy's face had gone from determined to horrified in the blink of an eye. The police however, only saw the knife.

"Mutou Yuugi, drop that weapon!" Ukyou called from the bottom of the stairs. Yuugi immediately dropped it in fright and took off up the stairs. He was scared. He had no idea what had just happened...had he really just tried to stab Raphael and his baby? What happened?! He reached the washroom and burst inside, closing the door and locking it before curling up in a shaking ball trying not to cry.

Raphael knew that something was wrong as soon as the man started talking, but only after one step back, he stared at him, shocked at the sudden change of expression. It was one thing to meet the two sides, but see them swap?

“Yuugi!” He exclaimed. Holding Masumi protectively, he hurried to the bathroom after him, acting only on paternal instinct and not common sense to run away from his would-be assassin.

“Yuugi? Are you okay? Yuugi?” Raphael called, knocking on the door.

Ukyou and Gauche frowned.

“Raphael-sama!  Please let us handle this!  He's very dangerous!”  Ukyou called, he and Gauche following.

Meanwhile, Yuugi was shaking and crying in the bathroom, curled up in a ball.  What was wrong with him?  Why did this happen?  

“...Don't come in...I don't...I don't wanna hurt you!  I'm sorry! I don't know what happened!” Yuugi cried when he heard Raphael.

“Hey… Hey… It’s alright, Yuugi. It’s okay…” Raphael shushed the man gently, doing his best to seem like he didn’t hear the officers and didn’t outright ignore them. Masumi gurgled obliviously and he knocked on the door again.

“Yuugi… I know you didn’t mean for that… It’s okay. Take deep breaths, please."

Yuugi struggled to take deep breaths but he was obviously still crying.

Ukyou and Gauche reached the door.

"Back away from the door please, Raphael-sama. He could be preparing a drug...he's known for attacking with them." Ukyou warned.

"You got to the count of three to open or I'm breaking in the door." Gauche threatened. Yuugi shook even harder at that idea. These cops were scaring him.

“Please stop it, both of you,” Raphael frowned, looking at the two. To stop Gauche from doing anything, Raphael passed the muscular man the baby and then knelt back down without another word about it.

“Yuugi… Yuugi… You need to come out. These men aren’t going to hurt you. They just want to help. Remember? You don’t know what happened with the knife, right? Don’t you want to know what’s wrong?”

Ukyou stopped easier, since he could tell something was strange. Based on Mai's profile of Mutou Yuugi, he wasn't really a crier like this. Running away was natural, but the fearful crying was off.  He motioned for Gauche to stand down and waited for a moment, waiting to see what Raphael would do. Gauche huffed and accepted the baby.

"I don't know...I don't wanna hurt anybody...I don't know why I...tried to..." Yuugi couldn't even say it. He did want help, but he was afraid that if he opened the door, he'd suddenly black out and wake up trying to kill someone again.

"Mutou-san, we promise that if you come out quietly, we won't hurt you. You'll be okay." Ukyou added. He was listening and trying to decide whether Yuugi was just acting or if he really didn't know what he had just tried to do or why.

"...okay...just hold on a second..." Yuugi said softly. He dug through his pockets, looking for anything that he could potentially use to harm someone. He only found a small vial of powder that he didn't recognize. He lay it gently on the bathroom counter by the sink. Once he confirmed he had nothing else on him that could harm someone, he took a deep breath and unlocked the door. He opened it with a shaky hand and kept his head bowed, still trying to hold in tears.

Raphael was ready for Yuugi. As soon as the door opened, he smiled at the man and offered his hand, still treating Yuugi as if he was a scared child instead of a scared man. He practically shielded Yugi with his size, and he hoped that it seemed comforting.

“Thank you, Yuugi. I really do appreciate it. Let’s go get you the help you need, alright? I told you I was going to support you…” He thought about the murder attempt… but he thought also what happened earlier in the day and kindness took his heart. “And that hasn’t changed. I’ll make sure to help you through this, alright?”

Yuugi didn't look at Raphael at first, ashamed and scared of what he'd tried to do. But, when he saw the hand and heard what the man said to him, he felt a bit relieved. He accepted the hand that Raphael gave him.

"Okay...thank you." He said softly.

Ukyou and Gauche watched the scene in disbelief. Gauche was appalled whereas Ukyou was more concerned. Something was strange about Mutou Yuugi. It was hard to believe just by looking at him and seeing his mannerisms that this young man had killed some 30 cops and other CEOs. But, the fact was that he'd done it...

"Mutou-san, I am Superintendent Ukyou and this is Officer Gauche. I'm afraid we're going to have to take you back to the police station with us." Ukyou said. Yuugi's eyes widened.

"...What? But...but I didn't actually...hurt him..." Yuugi said, thinking they meant regarding Raphael. Ukyou shook his head.

"No, no you didn't. But, we have eyewitness testimony that says you have hurt people before, Mutou-san." Yuugi looked horrified.

"But I..." He started to deny it, but suddenly he remembered a brief memory of him bathed in a man's blood while the dying man was still screaming. He recalled crying out at the top of his lungs...then nothing.

"...so...that wasn't a...dream..." He said softly, starting to cry again.

“… We’re going to figure this out, Yuugi. I promise. But one step at a time. Let’s get you to the station first. I’ll meet you there after…” He looked up towards Gauche and gave him a small nod.

“I think I need to get Masumi back to her real parents first. Then I’ll go and be there for you. Is that alright?”

Yuugi sniffled and nodded.

"Okay..." He said softly, feeling both scared and sick. While Gauche handed off the baby to Raphael, Ukyou gently put handcuffs on Yuugi.

"Gauche, take Raphael to the Barians, then come back to the station, alright?" Ukyou said.

"Yes sir. Follow me, Raphael-sama. Her parents have been extremely worried."

“Alright… did you take one car or two? We can use one of mine if you need to, officer.” Raphael said, taking the baby back into his strong arms, rocking her gently to calm her down.

“I’ll be there soon, okay? I’ll see you later, Yuugi."

"We only took one...if we could use one of yours that would be great." Gauche said.

"Okay....bye Masumi. It was nice meeting you." Yuugi said softly with a small smile for the gurgling happy baby.

Masumi cooed and smiled at Yuugi as she was taken away by Raphael. Raphael led Gauche to his garage, reminding everyone he was a millionaire again by opening it up to reveal a sportscar.

“You can drive if you’d like, Officer. I don’t know where the Barian family lives, and I’d like to hold Masumi some more, if it’s alright.”

Meanwhile, Droite raised an eyebrow, seeing the garage open and Yuugi in cuffs with Ukyou.

“That was… surprisingly quick. Where’s his Devil’s Breath?”

Gauche didn't even attempt to hide his awe at the sight of the sports car, nor did he hide his ecstatic grin at the opportunity to drive such a sweet car.

"Sure! They're actually at the hospital right now. Her father was injured trying to protect her from her kidnapper." Gauche explained.

"I'm sorry for all this craziness...she's a very sweet girl it looks like." Gauche said sympathetically, knowing Raphael probably meant to keep her.

"There's none on his person..." Ukyou said, noting Yuugi's look of confusion and understanding he didn't know what they meant.

"We can come back and do a more thorough search later. For now, we should get Mutou-san to the station." Ukyou said.

“Alright, I’ll trust you, officer,” The man said, getting into the passenger seat. He stroked the girl’s hair and gave a small sigh but Raphael smiled at Gauche. “Sounds like she has a family meant to love her. With any luck, we’ll be able to catch them before visiting hours end.”

Droite frowned. “I’ll drive, Ukyou. You wouldn’t know if you were dosed with Devil’s Breath and this is part of his plan. Get him into the back seat."

Gauche nodded.

“Yes...her family is very loving.  And I'm sure you'll be able to give another child a good home who needs one.”  Gauche said, pulling the car out of the driveway and heading towards the hospital as fast as he could.  He wanted to get Masumi back to her family as well if only to relieve their worries.

Ukyou blinked and Yuugi suddenly felt himself fall into black.  Yami reappeared with a small laugh.

“I like her already...can she be the one who interrogates me?”  He asked with a chuckle.  Ukyou glanced at Yuugi, surprised by his sudden shift in demeanour.  Gone was the shy and scared boy...this one seemed much more confident, and that was disturbing.  

“...We'll see.”  He finally said with a frown.  He let Yami into the back of the car, and thankfully he went without a fuss.  Ukyou got into the passenger's seat.

“Don’t get a ticket, officer,” Raphael joked, though he was still concerned about Masumi in his arms since he didn’t have a car seat still. He looked off to the little girl, hoping that Gauche was right. It was time for him to settle down… He was getting older, after all.

“. . .” Droite stared at the man, looking calm despite the change. “So this is our murderer. Come on.” She hopped in, put the aircon on and the barrier between cops and prisoners up before she drove off.

Gauche chuckled.

“I'll try not to.”  He mused.  He was careful despite his speed, not wanting to harm himself or his passengers. Soon, they pulled into the parking lot of the hospital where the Alit Barian was still admitted.  Gauche knew his wife would probably be around as always.

“Looks like we made it in time for visiting hours...come on.  I'll show you where their room is.”  Gauche said, heading inside with Raphael.  The nurses let him in once he flashed his badge, and a few of them had recognized him from earlier trips.  They headed up to the room where the Barian family was waiting.  Ponta was there, along with Kotori and a sleeping Alit. Gilag had gone to work, since there were only so many days he could get off in construction.  Gauche knocked on the door.

“Mrs. Barian, there's someone here for you.”  He said gently to get Kotori's attention.

Ukyou nodded with a frown.

“He wasn't like this a few minutes ago...”  He murmured. Was it because Raphael was gone? Had Mutou just dropped his little act? He glanced in the rearview mirror to see Mutou had his eyes closed, sitting in the edge seat by the window with his forehead against the glass.  Yami still had a headache from switching so often, but he couldn't let Yuugi screw this up.  Interrogation was a delicate thing, and he had to make sure the story was set straight, and not flip-flopping all over the place.

“Thank you.” The time Raphael had left with Masumi was sweet, but short, and for that he was thankful. Hopefully, the girl would be given to real parents and a family. Many kids didn’t have that opportunity… and neither did Yuugi. He hoped the young man would be okay, and he was ready to be good to his word and go offer support after this.

He walked after Gauche and headed up. Kotori was half asleep, shaking quietly until she heard the officer.

“Someone? Who is it?” Raphael looked at the young mother and the huge man emerged into the room from the hallway, holding a small bundle. Kotori stopped in her tracks, covering her mouth, staring at Raphael in disbelief.

“M-masumi… Oh… oh my god…” She said, walking towards her.

Meanwhile, Droite drove to the station. On the way there, she nudged Ukyou. “Call Professor Arclight. Tell him that I’d like to have some of his remedy available… just as a precaution.”

Ponta glanced up when he saw someone enter, eyes widening as he spotted the bundle.

“It's Masumi, pon? Masumi!”  He called, rushing over with Kotori.  Raphael smiled at the family.  He could clearly see the resemblance between Masumi and her mother, mostly in their face structure and smile.  He could also see Alit sleeping in the bed behind them, and his skin tone as well as the little boy who ran up to greet him were like Masumi's.  This was truly her family.  Masumi cooed as she was passed to her mother's waiting arms, smiling and gurgling as Kotori held her.  Ponta peered into the blanket, then back up at Raphael.

“...Did you look after my baby sister, pon?  Where did you find her?”  Ponta asked.

Ukyou nodded.

“Sure thing.”  He said, dialling Chris' number as she drove.

Kotori picked up her baby girl and held her close to her chest, tight and hard. She kissed her forehead, tears in her eyes. Then, she looked up at Raphael, shaking still.

“Thank you…”

“It was my pleasure,” Raphael said. Raphael looked down at the boy and knelt down to Ponta’s height, smiling a kind smile that somehow matched and contrasted his muscly form. “Well, someone brought her to my house. The police came to me, and they saw her, so we immediately took her here.”

Kotori looked at Gauche, hoping to press him for details when Ponta wasn’t around.

Chris was at work, examining the latest batch of results he had gotten, when he got the call. He picked up without thinking, typing away.

“Hello?”

Masumi cooed happily when her mother kissed her head.  Ponta blinked when the tall man got down to his level.  He seemed nice and reminded him of Gilag!  He smiled and hugged Raphael, trusting him even though he'd just met him.

“Thank you for bringing her back pon!  Alit and Kotori were very worried about Masumi, pon...so was I.”  He said, going over to give Masumi a small kiss on the cheek too, making her giggle.  He let her grab his finger with a smile.  Gauche sighed.

“It's very complicated right now Mrs. Barian.  We're still sorting out exactly how Masumi came to be in Raphael-sama's possession. I can give you a phone call for details later, but Raphael-sama and I have to get back to the station to interrogate a suspect.”  He said.

“Chris, we've got Mutou in custody...I was wondering if you were ready with your remedy.  We wanted to have it on hand just as a precaution.” Ukyou said.

Raphael blinked in surprise but he smiled and patted the small boy on the back.

“I would imagine so. Take good care of her, alright?” Raphael said before he stood back up. Kotori looked a little surprised but she nodded.

“Alright. Thank you officer. Thank you both.”

Chris raised an eyebrow. He thought the police were going to keep it on them before they went and arrested Mutou, not after. “Already? Really? Well, I can be right over with it”

“I will!  I promise, pon!”  Ponta exclaimed with a grin.  Gauche nodded.

“Good man.  We won't take up any more of your time. Raphael-sama, let's head back to the station.  I'm sure the others have almost gotten there by now.”  Gauche said, leading the man out.

“Yeah, we didn't really expect to run into him when we went to investigate a small lead.  Thankfully, everything has gone smoothly so far, but we wanted to take precautions regardless.  We're taking him to the station now, so could you meet us there?”

“Yes, of course.” Raphael waved at them and followed. Kotori smiled back before hurrying to Alit’s bedside to show them who had come back. She didn’t want to wake him, but she couldn’t help it.

“Alright. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Stay safe.” Chris said, getting up and collecting his work before hurrying off.

Gauche and Raphael got back in the car, with Gauche driving, to head back to the station.  Meanwhile, Ponta also bounded over to Alit's bedside with Kotori.

“Alit, wake up!  Wake up, pon!”  He called excitedly.  Alit groaned slightly as he was pulled out of sleep.  He was still on heavy morphine to help with the pain in his abdomen, and as a result, spent most of his time sleeping.  Ponta waking him up made him think something was wrong for a moment, but when he saw how big Ponta's grin was, he relaxed slightly.

“What is it Ponta?” He asked softly.  

“I will.  I'll see you soon then.”  Ukyou said, before hanging up.  He and Droite pulled into the station.  Ukyou got out to go get Mutou from the back, Droite accompanying him. Yami got up calmly, without saying a word or trying to fight.  He doubted he would win, since he was shorter than both these officers, and they both had guns and could shoot him if he tried to run.  

“Let's put him in the interrogation room and wait for Raphael-sama and Gauche.”  Ukyou suggested, also wanting to wait for Chris and to get the rest of the team together to plan their questioning.  He knew Mutou was an experienced criminal and so they would have to be thoroughly prepared for this.

Kotori smiled and came closer. “Officer Gauche was just here…” She pulled back the blanket so more of Masumi’s little head could be seen. The girl herself was blinking, looking around the hospital, wondering what her mother was talking about. “Alit, they found her. They found Masumi.”

Droite didn’t make any smart remarks about Professor Arclight and Ukyou. She just drove and then escorted in silence, her eyes trained on Yami.

“Agreed.” She only grunted, before doing just that. “I’ll go find Mai… Kukaju-san. She’ll want to be here."

Alit glanced over at his wife, eyes immediately locking onto the bundle in her arms.  His eyes widened.  Was it really her...Masumi was back?  

“...Masumi...”  He said softly, reaching over weakly to gently touch her hair, trying to prove to himself that this was real and not a morphine induced hallucination or something.  Masumi looked over towards Alit when he touched her hair and cooed, smiling at him once she recognized him.  Alit smiled back slightly with tears in his eyes.

“Thank God...she seems to be okay...”  He said.

Yami let himself be led out, surprised when he heard the name Mai.  He smirked.

“You got Mai to help huh? Yeah, she'll wanna be here.”  He said casually, excited now to see her again. He went into the interrogation room without a fuss, sitting down and relaxing, trying to focus on his story. He knew the cops would want time to organize themselves...so that just gave him more time to get his story straight. It was a win-win scenario for him.

“You do that.  Grab Anna too, if you see her.”  Ukyou called as Droite headed off to grab the PI.  He glanced over at the door to see Gauche and Raphael entering.  He smiled.

“Just in time. Mutou's in interrogation and we're grabbing the rest of the team to prepare to talk to him...I was wondering if it was alright to ask you a few questions first, Raphael-sama?”  Ukyou asked.

“Yeah… She is. She’s alright and safe and healthy…” Kotori smiled, helping Alit to get close to their daughter. “It’s a miracle.”

Droite ignored Yami completely and walked off, going to look for the younger officer and the older PI. As she did so, she had a strange feeling that she was being watched. Droite stopped and looked up at the security cameras… before shrugging and heading off. She was being paranoid… Damn it.

“Of course,” Raphael said, smile gone and looking like the serious business man he was. “What can I help with?”

"Yea...it is." Alit said, letting Masumi grab his finger and murmuring to her in Italian. He was so relieved.

"I'll tell Gilag, pon!" Ponta called, grabbing his phone and calling his other big brother.

Mai and Anna were working downstairs, unaware for the moment that their suspect was in custody.

"Ah, Droite, honey! Come to join us? How'd the house search go?" She asked with a smile as Droite arrived.

"Well...I was wondering a few things. Firstly, when did Mutou-san first meet you? How long was he at your house?"

Unfortunately, no call would go through. Gilag was at work, after all, but it would be a nice surprise at least when he got home.

“No, I came to get the two of you.” Droite said, trying not to flinch at the endearing term tagged at the end of her name. “We have Mutou in custody. We’re having someone search him again and waiting in the interrogation room.”

“Mutou? What? You seriously got him?” Anna gawked. “No way.”

Raphael sighed. That was an easy question at least. “Last night. We met last night and he’s been at my house since last night. One of the workers at my orphanage ignored protocol and called me over to go look at Yuugi and Masumi, and then somehow I ended up taking them home. I don’t remember that bit though, honestly. It’s a blank..."

Ponta pouted when he kept getting voicemail. He settled for a text message instead before returning to his newly reunited family.

Mai's eyes widened.

"Well then! Let's go up and meet Yuugi shall we?" She said, looking very pleased with this development. She and Anna got up and followed Droite upstairs.

Ukyou frowned as he listened.  

"If you have no memory of the event, it's possible he drugged you. He has access to a drug that erases free will and makes victims susceptible to any suggestions he makes. That may also explain why your worker broke protocol." Ukyou said. Unfortunately that was he only part that made sense in this explanation.

"It's odd that he took so long to strike...usually he is faster than that. He can kill people within an hour or so. Can you describe his behaviour? Anything unusual?" Ukyou asked, recalling how Mutou seemed to change personality for a moment. He wanted to know if Raphael had seen it too.

Droite nodded and headed up. “Oh, and someone go to the entrance. Professor Arclight is bringing over something to help with Devil’s breath immunity.”

“I’ll get it.” Anna said, jumping over a coworker’s desk to take a shortcut to the entrance. She didn’t really want to grab it- she’d rather seen Mutou- but she was restless and needed to stretch her legs.

Raphael listened, arms crossed. Drugged? He didn’t remember it, but he supposed that would explain a few things like his empty head. Still, he felt unsure with the whole situation.

“Unusual? Yes, of course. He introduced himself to me as Atemu, but at times, he didn’t seem to have his story straight. Sometimes he was childish but serious, but there were times when he was Yuugi… and Yuugi seemed confused. He broke down and cried to me, and he just… was lost. I’m no doctor, but he seemed like he had… a split personality or something. He seemed like two different people.”

Mai and Droite entered to hear Ukyou talking to Raphael. Ukyou was surprised.

"He actually told you his name? That is odd for someone who is a fugitive...but I think I know what you mean...I saw a weepy scared man turn into one who had done this before when he got into the cop car...and even now..." Ukyou said, glancing at the two way mirror where they could see Yami calmly waiting to be spoken to. He wasn't scared, nor did he look uncomfortable like he had earlier when he'd been told he had murdered someone.

"...so what story did he tell you? Did he tell you where he found Masumi or how he knew her name?" Ukyou asked.

“He said that they were siblings, like I said. He said they ran away from home and he went straight to the orphanage.” Raphael said. “You can see now still, he’s wearing dark makeup. It looked better earlier this morning, but he used that to look like Masumi. He’s very skilled, I must say."

"Yuugi has always been pretty good at makeup. I want his eyeliner tips." Mai mused with a chuckle. Ukyou sighed.

"Last thing...did he bring anything to your house? We'd like to send a team back to your mansion to see if he brought any drugs with him to make sure it's safe to return there for you. Anything they should look for?" Ukyou asked.

“No, he didn’t. He had his arms full with Masumi. I didn’t check his pockets though.” Raphael said. “… He did go through my medicine cabinet so he could knock himself out to avoid the doctor. You might find something there.”

Ukyou nodded.

"Thank you. I'll pass that on the drug team." He said.

"Alright, we'll wait for Dr. Arclight just in case, but I have a few questions ready for Mutou...Droite, do you think you can set up a video feed for the interrogation? I want to be able to review things..." Ukyou said. Especially if Yuugi seemed to swap personalities. He wanted to be able to see if there was a pattern or any signs that he was faking it.

“Of course, I’ll go get that ready. I’ll observe from there too, just to make sure it all records.” Droite nodded and she headed off. She wasn’t even gone five minutes before Anna walked down with Chris.

“His timing is really good, ain't it?” Anna asked.

“Hey there…” Chris said, already getting his bag out.

"Sounds good. Mai, you can come in the interrogation room with me, since you've dealt with him before. Gauche, you watch from outside with Raphael-sama to start." Ukyou said. He smiled at Chris as the man entered.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Dr. Arclight. We appreciate it." Ukyou said.

Unbeknownst to the police and their guests, Astral was watching the police station. He had been ever since they had listened to Kaito's tip about Raphael. His eyes widened as he spotted Yami in the interrogation room.

"Kaito, they have arrested him! It looks like your guess was right...and I see Raphael so it seems you were in time." Astral said with a smile.

Chris smiled back. “Make sure you still wear protective gear, but ingest this syrup. It should help you keeping peace of mind.” He said, handing a small bottle over. “Also I picked some cream up. Smear this around your nose to stop it from entering. It should help.”

Kaito sighed in relief. “That’s good. I knew the others would work quickly. Orbital, send a text to Kotori but sound casual. See if Masumi is back with her or still missing.”

Ukyou smiled.

“Thank you so much, Dr. Arclight.”  He said, accepting the syrup and the cream from Chris.

“Mai, you and I will have some.  Anyone who goes in that room with Mutou has to have some before entering, alright?” He said to everyone, not wanting any of his staff or guests to be tricked somehow by Mutou.

Astral smiled.

“I will continue to watch...it looks as though they might be going into interrogation with him soon.” Astral said.  Orbital sent a text to Kotori as casually as he could, and soon got a happy response saying that Masumi was safe and sound.

“Kaito-sama, Masumi-chan has been returned!”  He announced.

“May I stay here and watch? I don’t want to watch the investigation, but I want to make sure my formula works.” Chris said. “Just give it a moment to get into your blood, alright?”

“We know, we know.” Mai dismissed him, taking her teaspoon and smearing the clear cream. She shuddered at the sensation, but soon she was on her feet, stretching. “I’ve been waiting on this for a while.”

“Ah… good. Send something with congratulations on it and best wishes. Ask her if she wants to spread the news. Then finish cleaning up,” Kaito said, sitting next to Astral to listen to the investigation.

“Of course you may. Just wait outside here with Raphael and Gauche.”  Ukyou said with a smile to Chris.  He did the same as Mai, tagging the syrup and smearing the cream on his nose as instructed. He tried not to scrunch up his face at the weird sensation but he was getting used to it.

“Alright, we'll wait until you say it's alright before entering.”  Ukyou said, although he was also curious about what this interrogation would reveal.

“Yes, Kaito-sama!” Orbital said, sending the texts as he was asked to.  Astral smiled as Kaito sat next to him.

“It looks like they're filming the interrogation...all the easier for me to watch.”  He mused.

“Let’s do it.” Mai said, stretching once more before she opened the door and walked in. “Long time no see, Yuugi-boy."

“It’s not actually our concern to follow this case,” Kaito murmured, though he sat down and began writing, evidently more interested and involved than Astral was. Keeping up with work he was retired from was a bad habit of his.

Ukyou nodded, entering alongside Mai.  Yami glanced up when the door opened, smiling when he saw Mai and Superintendent Ukyou.

“Long time indeed, Mai. How've you been?  Are you not a Private Investigator anymore?”  He asked.  Ukyou frowned.

“Mutou, we're the ones asking the questions here.”  He said. Yami rolled his eyes.

“Just making conversation. It's more fun that way.”  He said with a shrug.

Mai didn’t have to answer. She just gestured her clothes and smirked arrogant.

“Heard you slipped up, Mutou… I mean… the way you got arrested? Shame"

Yami sighed.

“I haven't been feeling at the top of my game lately, to be honest.  There's always room for a comeback though.”  He mused.  Ukyou frowned.

“You tried to kill Raphael-sama, Mutou, and you used an innocent baby to do it.  Just how did you come across little Masumi anyway?”  He asked.  Yami blinked.

“Oh starting with that? Easy.  I found her in a dumpster.  Had no idea where she came from, but had the sense to realize whoever had her probably didn't plan to retrieve her later.”  He lied with a shrug.

“Not this time, Mutou. Unfortunately, you have a date with a cell and I see a life sentence written on it.” Mai said. She rolled her eyes when she heard Yami explain.

“Oh? And how did you know that was who we were referring to?  You knew her real name, didn’t you?”

Yami smiled.  He had planned for this.

“I didn't know for sure if that was her real name, but it was the name that was written on the tag of her little onesie.  I couldn't think of a better one, so I used that.  If it was her real name, that's a coincidence.”  Yami replied.  Ukyou glanced discreetly at the two way mirror where Gauche and Raphael were watching. Gauche got the message.

“Raphael-sama, did you notice Masumi's name written like he says it was?”  He asked the man.

“Of course not. Her onesie was unmarked. Very few parents mark PJs. Besides, she wasn’t covered in dumpster trash when I found her.” Raphael said.

“He said it was unmarked.” Gauche replied through Ukyou's headset. Ukyou looked back at Yami, who looked very confident of his answer.  So he was a good liar, it seemed.  Perhaps it was time for a slightly different tactic.

“Do you know this person?” He said, pulling out a picture of Koutei.  Yami blinked and looked over a picture he did recognize, but didn't let it show on his face.

“Do you think I should?” He replied smartly with a smirk.

“Yes, because he identified you,” Mai said, pulling a gambit and a scare tactic. She had been chasing him for a long time. She knew how the drug worked almost as well as he did. “Devil’s Breath isn’t a potion. It can’t erase memories. If you’ve been seeing him for a while he’d remember you regardless of how drugged he is, Mutou.”

Yami felt a tiny jolt of fear go through him, but he kept his features perfectly schooled.  Unfortunately, the little bit of anxiety he felt made Yuugi stir.  He closed his eyes and stifled a groan as best he could.

“I don't know him.” Yami replied.  Ukyou could note the slight change in Mutou's demeanour. He looked almost as if he was in pain. Did that mean he was lying?  

“This person kidnapped Masumi.  If you knew her name, you must have known him.  He gave her to you directly.”  Ukyou said. Yami shook his head.

“No.  I told you.  I don't know where she came from before I found her in a dumpster.  No one gave her to me.”  He was trying to hold onto consciousness at this point, because Yuugi wanted to break free.  

“Why did you take her from the dumpster? You know… It’s kind of odd that someone would leave her there, and odder that you came to find her.” Mai said. “Are you sure Koutei here didn’t take her?”

“...What, are you saying I should've left her there to die?  She's a lucky baby if you ask me.  I just happened to be wandering by and I spotted her there.  She would've eventually starved to death if I left her. I never intended to hurt her.” Yami said, speaking the truth. Yuugi gave another push in his head, making Yami groan a bit.

“There are plenty of reasons why people in the worse neighbourhoods would leave babies in dumpsters...as a fugitive, I live in those areas and see that kind of thing all the time. And I told you, I don't know this guy. I don't know what he did, if he even did anything...”  Yami repeated.  Ukyou frowned, noticing how Mutou seemed to pale, shake, and groan lately.  Was something wrong?

“Did he act like this with you before, Mai?  He looks like he's in pain...is it faked, do you think?”  Ukyou asked softly to Mai, too quietly for Yami to hear.

“He���s not lying. He really is in pain.” Mai said. “Guess that means we push harder.”

“You’re slipping, Mutou. You have to stop with the lies, hon. It’s getting to you."

Part of Ukyou was opposed to that plan, but he knew that a hardened criminal like Mutou wouldn't crack easily. If this was how to do it...it may be worthwhile.

Yami frowned at Mai.

"I'm not lying." 'And it's not the lying that's getting to me' he added silently. He could feel Yuugi right there...he couldn't hold on anymore.

"We know you have a connection to Koutei, Mutou. We found traces of your drugs in his system. We know  you two interacted." Ukyou said sternly. Yami had closed his eyes and groaned all throughout Ukyou's words, then suddenly his features calmed as Yuugi opened his eyes.

"Mutou, tell us about Koutei. How long have you been drugging him?" Ukyou asked. Yuugi blinked. He didn't remember coming here.

"...um...I'm sorry, sir...but I don't know what you're talking about..." He said timidly.

“Cut the innocent act, Mutou. You know what we’re talking about. Where did you find the baby? How did you get her? Why was she found with you at Raphael-san’s home?”

Yuugi leaned back in surprise from the stern voiced woman that he didn't recognize.

"...I...I don't know...I really don't know...." He said, mind blanking under the pressure. Ukyou frowned.

"You were just talking about her a couple minutes ago Mutou." Ukyou said. Yuugi looked surprised at this too.

"I was?"

“. . . Are you playing dumb with us, Mutou-san? Really?” Mai scowled.

"No...I really don't know what's going on..." Yuugi said softly.

"Um...is Raphael here? He said he'd help..." Yuugi asked. Ukyou frowned.

"I don't think it's safe for you to see him...you did try to kill him." Ukyou said. Yuugi bit his lip and lowered his head.

"I'm sorry...I really don't know what came over me...I was just...holding the knife...that's it...that's all I remember..." Yuugi said, curling in on himself in fear.  

“Hon… Yami dear… What’s wrong?” Mai said, now concerned with the man’s sudden change. She looked at Ukyou, confused.

"I...its Yuugi...I just...I don't know what's going on..." Yuugi said softly, still looking scared and sad and about to cry. Ukyou frowned.

"Mai, stay here for a moment." He said, getting out of the room and going out to Gauche and Raphael.

"Is this the split personality you were talking about, Raphael-sama?"

“… So you don’t know who I am? I’ve been chasing you for three years, hon,” Mai said, frowning.

“That’s what I think… Yuugi and that… Atemu. Or Yami, or whatever you want to call the murderer,” Raphael said, crossing his arms.

Yuugi glanced at Mai in genuine surprise.

"...I don't remember you...I'm sorry. I don't remember a lot of things." Yuugi said.

"He did the same thing with you then, Raphael-sama? Switching sporadically? He looked a little sick before this...did that happen with you too?" Ukyou asked.

“… How long have you been forgetting things, Yuugi?” Mai said. She had no idea what was wrong here. In all her years, she had never seen Yami behave like this or exhibit any symptoms.

“Yes… that's right. This happened a lot.” Raphael said.

"Um...well...one of the last things I can remember is...Jii-san dying..." Yuugi said softly, upset by that memory. But, it was the latest thing he remembered before Raphael.

"Do you think it's drugs?" Gauche asked.

"I doubt it...but it wouldn't hurt to test it." Ukyou said.

“… What year did your grandfather die, Yuugi?” Mai said. “Because our files say it’s close to seven years ago.”

“Hopefully not…” The man muttered.

"...it's really been that long?" Yuugi murmured, shocked. How could he forget 7 years? He glanced up when Ukyou came back in.

"Mutou-san, with your permission, we'd like to test your blood for any substances that may have affected your memory." Ukyou said. Yuugi blinked.

"...I don't do drugs." Or at least he didn't think he did.

"Raphael-sama said you did drug yourself to go to sleep...and we have evidence that you do have knowledge of these things. So, we just wanna be sure." He said. Yuugi swallowed and sighed.

"...okay..." He said softly.

“…’ Mai bit her lip. “We’ll take a sample and then… keep trying at him or just not. I don’t think we’ll get any information about the murders from this.”

Ukyou sighed.

"Indeed..." He grabbed the tools that he needed to do the blood test and approached Yuugi. He helped him roll up his sleeve, since he couldn't do it on his own with handcuffs on. Yuugi was still and let him do it without resistance. Suddenly, Ukyou's hand brushed a small band under Yuugi's shirt, and a puff of white powder blew out. Yami took over and immediately turned his head away from the Devil's Breath, holding his breath. Ukyou wasn't so lucky, since the drug blew up in his face. He had no choice but to inhale.

“Ukyou!” Mai exclaimed. She immediately covered her mouth and nose with her jackets, eyes wide open. She coughed and grabbed Ukyou, trying to yank him before Yami said anything and did something disastrous

Ukyou felt himself being grabbed and fell back with a cough, making it clear to everyone that he had indeed inhaled the drug. Yami glanced over at Ukyou with a small smirk.

"Looks like I still have a small ace up my sleeve." Yami mused.

"Superintendent, you should just forget about that blood test and unlock these cuffs instead." Yami ordered.

“You filthy liar…” Mai hissed. Ukyou coughed a few times and clutched his head. The blonde woman next to him went to grab at him again, but Ukyou waved her off and sneezed.

“Unfortunately, Mutou-san, I don’t think I’ll be doing that.” Ukyou said, looking towards the fake mirror where he knew Chris and the others were probably sighing in relief. “We had a little ace of our own. You’re not able to use Devil’s Breath to your advantage anymore, understand?”

Mai sighed in relief and took her jacket down, as Ukyou picked the blood test back up.

Yami only smiled at Mai, until Ukyou answered him. His eyes widened.

"...how the hell did you take a face full of that drug and not be affected?" He asked, honestly surprised. Ukyou approached him and went for his bare arm.

"We know you used it, so we took precautions. Thank you for confirming you do actually still have possession of Devil's Breath." Ukyou said. Yami glared at Ukyou as the other drew his blood.

"You're wasting your time. I don't use drugs." Yami hissed. Ukyou ignored him as he finished up.

"Mai, let's get him back to a cell for now while we test this." Ukyou said.

“Right.” Mai dug her nails into Yami’s shoulder and hoisted the man up, dragging him away. The door opened and Gauche went to help the woman take him away, leaving behind a concerned Raphael and a relieved Chris with Anna.

“I want him completely searched for hidden drugs by our drug team while they're all wearing masks, just in case.”  Ukyou ordered.  He sighed as he came out and joined the others.

“Are you alright, Ukyou?” Anna asked in concern.  Ukyou nodded.

“I feel fine.”  He smiled at Chris.

“I suppose I have you to thank for that.  It looks like your counter-drug worked.”  He said.

Chris was relieved that it worked but he could only offer a weak smile to Ukyou.

“Well, so far. I didn’t expect you to be exposed to so much of it at once. I’m worried that it may come and affect you later. I didn’t experiment the performance that intensely.”

“Eh? So what you’re saying is that Ukyou could be affected later?” Anna gaped.

“I’m hoping that’s not the case, but there is a risk…”

Ukyou frowned a bit.

“That is a bit disturbing...but on the other hand, I think I can afford to take the rest of the day off just in case.  We have caught our perp and found the missing baby after all.”  Ukyou said.  Anna frowned.

“But if you go home alone, what if someone suggests you do something?  You shouldn't be alone, Ukyou.”  Anna said.  Ukyou nodded.

“...Chris, did you plan to go back to work after this?  I could come with you...that way, you can observe whether your drug works for extended periods of time.”

“Yes, I did actually. Even if I didn’t, I’m obligated to make sure my formula works and Ukyou is alright. Leave it to me, everyone. I’ll take care of him.” Chris said smoothly.

“Alright. Make sure he gets better, Professor Arclight. Don’t worry, superintendent. We’ll get to work on investigating Mr. Raphael’s house.”

“I’ll be happy to let you in…” Raphael muttered absent-mindedly, looking to where Yuugi had been taken off.

“Well, let’s get going then.” The man said, “See you."

Ukyou nodded.

“Thank you Chris. Call me if you guys need anything, alright?”  Ukyou said, heading out with Chris.  He let the other drive, settling in with a sigh.

“Sorry to inconvenience you, Chris.”  

Gauche re-emerged from the direction where they'd taken Yuugi.  

“Where did Ukyou-san go?” He asked Anna.  Anna smiled.

“Ukyou needs to take the day off...the drugs Mutou gave him could still affect him.  What's up?”  Anna asked. Gauche sighed.

“We found a couple more vials on Mutou's person and removed them, so he's officially clean now. But...the problem is after we locked him in a cell...well, he did that weird change again, and now he's crying and lost...”  Gauche said with a sigh.

“He's asking for Raphael-sama, but if you don't wanna see him, it's okay.  I just...ugh, I know he's probably faking it but I hate seeing little guys like him cry.”  Gauche said with a frown.  

“It’s alright,” Chris smiled to him as he got inside. “None of us expected the suspect to do that sort of stunt. You handled it very well.” He said, driving off.

Raphael frowned again. “Well, I’ll go see him. You guys said he’s clean, so I’ll have a look. Please show him to me.”

“… I’m gonna go see Droite. Don’t let Mutou sucker him in, big guy,” Mai said, patting Gauche’s shoulder and walking off.

Ukyou smiled.

"I didn't expect it either. It was a clever little trick. I was relived your antidote worked." He said.

"Alright, follow me then." Gauche said, leading Raphael back to the holding cells.

Yuugi had woken up again in a dark and cold cell all alone and had freaked out a little. He was curled up in the corner in a ball, wondering what he had missed this time and why he hadn't seen Raphael. He'd said he'd help didn't he? Or was he another person who broke promises?

The door swung open and Gauche sighed as he let the other man in. The blonde was tired after a long day, but he offered a smile to Yuugi when he saw him. He was kind of relieved he could see Yuugi, and at least be in touching range.

“Hey..."

Yuugi glanced up when he heard the door open, frantically rubbing at his eyes to wipe away any tears. When he saw Raphael, he sniffled a little.

"...You came back..." He said softly, smiling a bit.

"Part of me thought you wouldn't...I'm glad you did...even though...I...somethings wrong with me..." He said, looking down.

“I said I would, didn’t I?” Raphael smiled. “What kind of business man would I be if I didn’t keep my promises.” He knelt down to Yuugi and his smile faded to something still kind, but more serious.

“You lost consciousness just then, didn’t you?” He asked gently.

Yuugi smiled a bit more.

"I guess a bad one..." He said softly, sobering up a little as Raphael looked at him more seriously.

"Yeah...one second I was with the Superintendent and that other lady who seemed to know me...and then I was here. Did I...did I do something bad?" Yuugi asked fearfully.

“… You tried to drug the superintendent, Yuugi… Do you really not remember? It was a few minutes ago. Fifteen minutes at most.” Raphael frowned.

Yuugi's eyes widened.

"I...I...No, I...thought I left all the drugs behind...I remember finding a small vial of powder...I left it in the bathroom. I didn't want to hurt anyone..." Yuugi said.

"Is he okay?"

“He’ll be fine. There’s someone checking on him now, but it looks like he’ll be okay.” Raphael reassured him. “But it’s not looking good for you. They don’t think that you’re innocent and don’t have control. They think you’re pretending."

Yuugi breathed a sigh of relief at that. He didn't like the idea of hurting someone. But he looked fearful at the second point.

"But I'm not...I really don't remember things..." He murmured.

"...is there...any way to prove it? Like...a test or something? I do wanna know what's wrong...can't they test for that?" He asked.

“They’re giving you a drug test… but I’m going to suggest to them getting you to a psychiatrist and seeing if you have a split personality disorder before your hearing. That way, you won’t go to jail, on murder charges, and maybe you can get some help.” Raphael said.

"Yeah I remember the drug test..." Yuugi said. He listened and nodded.

"I don't mind that...but...did you say split personality? So...there's another me who wants to kill people and lives in my head?" Yuugi asked, looking scared by that idea.

“… I’m not sure, Yuugi. I really can’t say for sure… But if you’re not doing this consciously, it’s a logical explanation.” Raphael said.

Yuugi gulped a bit.

"...Yeah, I guess so." He said. He sure didn't have an explanation for it.

"...will you help me get a psychiatrist? I don't think I'll be allowed to do much...especially if they think I'll hurt someone if they let me out of here..." Yuugi said.

"And I don't wanna hurt anyone anyway..."

“… I promised I would help you, Yuugi… And I will. We’re friends, aren’t we?” Raphael smiled. “I don’t know much about you, but I want to help, really."

Yuugi smiled and nodded.

"Yeah...we can be friends. Thank you so much!" He said, feeling truly happy for the first time in awhile. But then he started to feel a headache coming on as Raphael started to talk again. Yuugi opened his mouth to warn him, but it was too late. Yami had taken over and grabbed Raphael's arm through the bars.

"Raphael...don't eat the sandwiches I made." Yami said sternly. He didn't want to kill Raphael anymore, especially if he was going to help him stay out of jail. Yami hadn't liked it there and knew Yuugi probably couldn't handle it there.

“. . .’ Raphael paused as he was suddenly grabbed. He was going to try cheer him up, talk about themselves and get to know each other when Yuugi’s entire disposition changed. He stared at Yami for a moment, then his eyes narrowed.

“So are you Atemu? Or do you have another name?"

"Well that is what you called me. But, the name I gave myself is Yami Yuugi, or "Yami" for short." Yami said simply. Gauche was watching this in surprise and caution. Yami released Raphael's arm and put his hands up nonchalantly.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to kill him. It wasn't anything personal, and now that he wants to help, why would I do anything?" Yami said to Gauche.

"I'm watching you." He warned.

"Noted." Yami replied.

"I wanted to thank you though, Raphael. Thank you for helping Yuugi. He likes you a lot."

“Dark Yuugi… appropriate.” Raphael frowned again and pulled his arm away. A split personality? Yeah… that seemed about right but... “. . . So why are you aware what he does when he’s in control, but he isn’t when you are?”

"Well, because it's always been that way. Yuugi was never aware of me. And I like it that way. It preserves his innocence." Yami replied.

“. . . So it’s just because?”  Raphael said in disbelief.  

“… You’re ruining his life. You know that, right?” Raphael said, glaring at him.

Yami pondered this with a shrug.

"It's kinda complicated, but it feels more like...Yuugi doesn't want to know. He doesn't want to hurt anyone, but he also wishes he could do something to change things for himself and for others. I'm the one who makes those difficult changes and decisions for him, since he doesn't want to do it on his own." Yami reasoned. He frowned.

"The way I see it, Yuugi wouldn't be around without me. I'll admit that recently I've probably been going too far...but Yuugi was asleep for so long that I had no way of predicting that he'd come back. I couldn't have known I would be putting him through this if he hadn't come out in seven years." Yami argued with a frown.

Raphael listened quietly, drinking the information in. The first part was fair enough reasoning, and he could understand how the split personality could develop, but then the second bit made his frown deepen.

“. . . Why did you start murdering people anyway? It seems like a pretty big jump from what you were doing before."

Yami chuckled a bit.

"That's the thing...it wasn't that big a leap at all. There was always a thin line between living and dying during my games, because otherwise people wouldn't learn to change. Even early on, there were deaths. The difference is someone out there recognized my skills and paid me to push the games a bit further so that nobody survived anymore." Yami said.

“So Yuugi has always been killing? Or was it just you?” He says, crossing his arms. He raises his eyebrow and tilts his head. “Someone hired you? You had no vendetta against who you killed?"

“Yuugi never killed anyone and he doesn't know about me or what I've done.”  Yami said firmly.  

“Recently, yes, I was hired, so I don't have any personal vendetta against you for instance.  But, in the past, I have gone after people for personal reasons...or really, Yuugi's sake.  He was bullied pretty badly all throughout his school years...so someone had to teach his bullies a lesson.”  Yami replied.  

“… I wish you had help… both of you. Then maybe it wouldn't have ended you in this position.” He gestured the cell and he sighed. “… I’m going to help Yuugi, understand? He’s had seven years of his life robbed, regardless of your reasoning. He deserves to live."

Yami listened calmly.

“I agree...he does deserve to live.  But, it's not completely my fault he lost seven years...after Jii-san died he kinda...broke.  He was so upset he just...disappeared.”  Yami said solemnly.  

“Again...thank you for helping him.”

“. . . He’s still in here for murders he didn’t commit.” Raphael said firmly. Yami may have been right, but so was he.

“. . . Get some rest. The police will have an intense investigation on you and several companies will have prosecutors on you for the death penalty. I’m going to see if I can have anyone build a case for you."

Yami nodded.

“I know.”  He said solemnly.  

“Alright...thank you. You take care too...remember, I was hired to kill you, so whoever really wants you dead is still out there.”  He said, sitting back in his cell.

“… You’re not going to share the name? It might help shift the blame.” The man asked.

“I can't, cause I don't know.  I was paid by an anonymous benefactor.”  Yami lied. He knew better than to tell on Kaiba. He'd be dead right away if that happened.

“Just be careful.”

“Right… same to you. Write a note to Yuugi… Tell him it’ll be okay.” Raphael stood up and stretched. “I’ll be off now."

“Sure.  See you.”  Yami said softly.  Gauche led Raphael off.

“Raphael-sama, the drug team is ready to search your house for any drugs he might have left there, if that's alright with you.”  Gauche said.

“Yes, I’ll go open the door for them.” Raphael said. “It’s fine. Whatever I can do to help.”

Gauche nodded.

“Thank you, Raphael-sama. And I heard what Mutou said...we're prepared to help protect you if there really is still someone out there who wants you dead, if you need it.”  Gauche affirmed.

-x-

Ukyou was still feeling fine as Chris finally pulled into Heartland Industries.  Despite the setback of having been drugged, Ukyou had to admit he was happy to be spending time with Chris.

“Are we going up to your lab?”  He asked, getting out of the car.

“No, the lab there is used for those in my faculty and my assistants, so it’s a little risky. I’ll have you in my office, bring the equipment to the room and tell the reception I’m not to be disturbed under any circumstances, just so there’s just the two of us. I hope you don’t mind.” Chris said, parking and getting his bag before stepping out.

Ukyou was thrilled at the idea of spending some alone time with Chris, and nodded.

“Sure...whatever you think is best.”  He said.

“What sort of equipment did you need?  Is it for testing?”  Ukyou asked. He wasn't too worried, because he trusted Chris, only curious of how Chris was going to examine the affects of his counter-drug.

“Non-invasive tests for most part. Blood pressure, pupil dilation… things like that. I just need a couple of things from the medical lab a few floors down, that’s all. I can’t really examine the usage of Devil’s Breath due to it’s properties, so I need to look at the other physiological effects over a period of time.�� Chris shrugged, leading the way in doors before stopping to tell the receptionist about his plans.

“Alright.  Sounds fine to me.”  Ukyou said, following Chris into the building.  He had been there before a couple times, but didn't want to wander off either way.

The message was quick and soon Chris was already heading to the elevator. “You’ll also need to tell me how you’re feeling, Ukyou. Just for the record.” He said, clicking the button for the medical floor.

“Oh, sure.  I feel fine for now...nothing abnormal.”  Ukyou said, getting into the elevator with Chris.

“You can try and order me to do something if you want.  I trust you not to ask anything that would get me into trouble.”  He said with a smile.

“Ah… Well, I suppose if it comes down to that, I will.” Chris smiled back at him before looking away, trying to absent-mindedly pull his hair back. Thankfully, the elevator stopped when Chris felt a blush come on and he stepped out. “Hold the elevator for me. It’ll just be a minute.” He said, hurrying down the corridor.

Ukyou smiled, seeing Chris' blush and looking away to try and conceal his own.  He blinked when Chris asked him to hold the elevator.

“Alright.”  He said, holding the button and waiting for Chris to return.

One of the guys who knew Chris asked if he was okay, but Chris dismissed their worry and claimed he was just warm from running all over the place. He did take a minute to compose himself though. What was he thinking? Honestly… He was a man, damn it, not a blushing school girl. He could do this… Even though Ukyou just came along with his good looks and his trust…

“Here you go, Professor Arclight”

Chris snapped out of his thoughts and gave a polite smile, thanking the man before heading back. Thankfully, he didn’t take too long and he was back in the elevator with Ukyou.

“Thank you.”

Ukyou smiled.

“No problem.  And, just for the record...that wasn't the drug that made me obey the order.”  Ukyou said with a chuckle.

Chris gave a small smile back and nodded. “Good, we’re already getting into it.” He said as they headed up. When they were at the right floor, Chris got off first, walking to his office and opening the door.

“Feel free to sit anywhere. Make yourself comfortable.”

Ukyou smiled and followed, sitting down in a chair next to Chris' desk when asked.  He glanced around a little, taking in the new room.

“I haven't been to your office before...it's nicer than mine.”  Ukyou mused with a smile.

“I like it… It reminds me of home. I was fortunate the board so generously gave it to me,” The man said, putting the equipment on the big, wooden desk. The room seemed to be coloured with soft blues and browns and whites, an old english look that gave a very different feel to the rest of the tower.

“Well, let’s just see your eyes first,” He said, getting the small torch out. “I’ll need to hold it open so… glasses please.”

“I like it.  It feels very lived in.”  Ukyou said with a smile.  He wasn't really allowed to personalize his own office as much at the police station, so this was refreshing to him.  

“Sure.”  He said, taking them off and holding onto them so he wouldn't lose them.  

“What degree are your glasses? High powered?” Chris asked for conversation’s sake as he knelt down to Ukyou and held his left eye open, switching the light on and seeing how it reacted.

“I'm near-sighted, so I can't see much without them...I can see you clearer the closer you come to me, for instance.”  Ukyou admitted.  He kept as still as possible when the light was shined into his eye.

It dilated as any eye would. He tested it twice before he went to swap eyes. “Ever considered lasik? Or not really your thing?”

“Not really my thing...I don't mind the glasses.”  Ukyou admitted, blinking rapidly once Chris was done.

“Nothing’s out of the ordinary here.” Chris said, putting the flashlight back on the table and setting up the blood pressure monitor

“That's really good to hear.”  Ukyou said with a smile.  He predicted the next test and started rolling up his sleeve to show off his surprisingly muscular arm.

“… Do you work out?” Chris asked, doing his best to be nonchalant as he checked out the arm.

Ukyou blinked, then chuckled a bit.

“Well yes.  Police officers have to pass physical examinations to stay on the force.  We can't let ourselves lose our touch.”  He said with a smile.

Chris squeezed the arm and pulled the band over, squeezing him. Ukyou had a nice body… he didn’t realise it before.

That was probably because Ukyou's uniform didn't reveal that much detail of his figure.  Ukyou remained calm as his arm was squeezed so tightly it began to hurt, letting Chris take the blood pressure reading.  

“Still normal, Chris?” He asked.

“… mmm.” Chris kept his head down, counting on his long hair to not give his blushing face away. He kept it on for a few more minutes, pumping the machine as far as necessary, until he calmed down. “As expected. Still normal."

Ukyou drew his attention to Chris' beautiful long hair. Part of him wanted to touch it to see if it was as soft and silky as it looked, but he refrained.

"I'm glad." He said, holding his own blush in at his own thoughts.

Chris turned his back on Ukyou for a moment so he could put the blood pressure monitor back on his table. He paused, seeing what small test was left, and he wondered just what he could get away with.

“I need to listen to you breathe, Ukyou,” He said, showing the stethoscope. “If you could take your shirt off, I’d appreciate it."

Ukyou waited patiently for the next test. He fought down a blush when he heard the request.  Calm down...this was strictly professional, he thought to himself.

"Sure." He said as casually as he could. He unbuttoned his uniform top and slid it off slowly, shivering slightly as his skin was exposed to the air.

“Is it that cold? I can turn the air conditioner off,” Chris said, watching the clothes being removed perhaps way too closely. While Chris was all thin lines and smooth curves, Ukyou had a good, muscular body. It was masculine, but not overly so, and the sharp angles made the professor’s cheeks turn scarlet. The romantic in Chris wanted to touch his body, wanted those strong arms to caress him, but the realist in him told him to do the examination.

So Chris hurried along and placed the cold stethoscope on his back.

“Breathe normally…” Chris said, despite his breaths being not so much.

“No, that's alright...I'm sure I'll warm up soon.”  Ukyou said, already feeling warmer just by Chris' proximity.  He was glad that Chris couldn't see that his face was turning a bit pink from behind him, and struggled to breath normally and calm his mind. It's just a small examination...by the hottest doctor Ukyou had ever seen, true, but it was still strictly professional, he told himself.  He wondered if Chris could hear how his heart was beating through the stethoscope and tried to calm it.

From the back, Chris couldn’t. Perhaps there was a slight hitch in his breath, but it wasn’t the exaggerated breaths caused by the drug, so he didn’t pay it any mind. Chris moved to the front, placing a hand on Ukyou’s warm chest with his pale hands, pushing him back a little.

Chris gave him a small smile, but he wasn’t sure if the other man saw it. He listened to the other’s breathing and then heartbeat, one after the other. Breathing was normal… but the heart…

“Well… I’m pretty sure it’s nothing, but I’m not completely.” He couldn’t assume that Ukyou was really into him, perhaps nerves- simply not wanting to see if something was wrong? The Drug? “We’ll have to see…"

Ukyou tried not to look at Chris too directly, tried not to react when the man placed his hands on his chest, but it felt like he was fighting a losing battle. Either way, he felt his heart rate was giving him away.

"If you're not sure...maybe you should test it directly? Give me an order or something? I don't mind." Ukyou managed to say.

“An order? … Alright. I…” Chris should have said something stupid, but something innocent, like jump in place three times or do some pushups. Something they could get a laugh out of. A part of him kicked himself as he thought of something stupid, and kicked again when he realised that he was saying it out loud.

“I want you to kiss me, now.”

… maybe they could laugh about that?

Ukyou waited patiently, more than anything wanting to get his mind off of his feelings.  Chris was helping him...he shouldn't be reacting this way.  This was all strictly professional.  Ukyou would never do something Chris didn't want.  

But then the order came, and Chris sounded so serious when he said it.  He'd seemed unsure of what to think about, but then had come up with the idea of kissing Ukyou.  Ukyou hesitated only half a second before giving in, not because of the drug, but because he had desperately wanted to kiss this man since they'd started the examinations alone together.  Ukyou was gentle, kissing Chris' lips with purpose but not too much to alarm Chris if he really had been joking or something.  He could always use the drug as an excuse for his selfish desires if Chris pushed him away and said he was kidding or something, even though it was irresponsible and he knew it.

Chris was almost certain Ukyou wasn’t under the influence of the drug, but when he found the man stepping towards him, he found himself unsure. Never the less, Ukyou had take his shoulders and Chris found himself powerless to resist the touch of the older man’s lips.

He closed his eyes, wondering if it was wrong to take advantage of Ukyou like this. He knew he should stop, but his hands took the man’s face and he kissed him harder, as if he wouldn’t get the chance to do it again.

Ukyou had been starting to scold himself for doing this when suddenly he felt Chris' hands on his face as the other man deepened their kiss.  With that acceptance of his advances, logical thought left his brain. Ukyou pulled Chris closer to him, sliding his fingers through the man's long silvery hair that was somehow even softer and silkier than he'd ever imagined.  He responded in kind, pushing back against Chris' lips, kissing him fiercely with a passion he hadn't felt in a long time.  By the time they both had to pull away to breathe, both men were breathless, and Ukyou wanted more.  But, he refrained for now, because he had to make sure Chris was clear about how he felt first.  

“...Chris...”  He said softly, looking into the man's beautiful blue eyes with a small smile.

“...I just wanted you to know...it wasn't the drug that made me obey that order...I'm still not feeling its effects.  I've just wanted to do that for awhile...”  He admitted.

Chris blinked as their lips parted and looked at Ukyou through his glasses. His mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out. His hands were trembling a little as he held the man’s shoulder’s, but with his words, Chris smiled.

“. . . Ah… Thank… Thank goodness. For a second, I thought I was going to do something I regretted.”

Ukyou kept holding onto Chris as well, but he was a bit nervous with the lack of response for a moment. He was a little more hopeful when Chris smiled.  Ukyou shook his head.

“No, I would never let you do that.”  He assured Chris, brushing a stray hair out of his face with a small smile.

“...Can I kiss you again?” He asked softly, eyes continually being drawn to Chris' lips.

Chris found his face red and he nodded. There was no reason not to… in fact, everything was in place for perfect one-on-one action. They were close to one another, the door was locked, Chris said he wasn’t to be disturbed… Ukyou wanted to. Who was Chris to refuse?

“Only… If I can too…” He said, trying to sound witty but absolutely flustered as he kissed him again.

Ukyou smiled, blushing a bit himself.  The situation seemed ideal for him as well.  He had been drugged, but Chris' antidote seemed to be working, and his squad wouldn't interrupt him since they knew he was on leave for the rest of the day. He nodded.

“Yes.”  He said softly, before meeting Chris half-way and kissing him again.  He was a bit braver this time, since they were both definitely on the same page. He kissed Chris firmly, free hand finding the small of his back to hold Chris against him, while the other gently went to the back of his neck, still admiring the man's gorgeous hair while keeping him close.

Chris smiled and tried to find a place for his hands, squeezing Ukyou’s shoulders before moving up to his neck, then playing with the ends of the man’s red hair. It was coarse and rough, unlike his own, but it was enticing in a way. Chris kept kissing Ukyou, being daring enough to press his tongue forward to deepen it further.

The man nudged them closer to his desk, get them both more comfortable, but he only expected kisses, for now at least.

Ukyou kept exploring a bit with his hands, letting Chris' long hair thread between his fingers as he moved his hand up the man's back, getting a feel for his body-structure through his clothes.  He opened his mouth wider in invitation when he felt Chris' tongue poking out.  He moved slightly when Chris nudged him, separating only for a moment to sit on the edge of the desk.  It gave him a little bit more height to match Chris' so the other man wasn't bending down to meet him quite as much.  He smiled and kissed Chris again, inviting him to come closer if he wanted.

Chris had some experience. Not a lot, so his making out skills were considerably more rustier than either of his brother’s. Chris smiled against the other’s lips after Ukyou sat down and loomed over him, his hands going to the desk and holding him up so they could kiss each other on more level grounds.

“I’ve liked you for a while,” Chris muttered, getting caught in the atmosphere as he kissed him again.

Ukyou smiled, liking the new angle better. He smiled down at Chris, continuing to play with his hair a little.

"I have too...you're beautiful." He said softly, returning the kiss.

“A-ah… Really?” He said, parting. “I’m glad… you don’t just like women…” He chuckled as he practically shoved his mouth against the older man’s, feeling warm and hormones that hadn’t bothered him since his high school years.

Ukyou blushed a bit.

"I usually do...but I am bisexual, so I like both. I like you." He said, kissing Chris back equally passionately. He hadn't felt this way in a long time either and was only now realizing how much he'd missed it.

“I know…” He remembered the wife thing, which is why he never made a move. He pulled his hands away from the desk and moved them to rest on Ukyou’s lap.

“I-if you want..."

Ukyou bit his lip a bit when Chris put his hands on his lap.  He did want to do something...but felt a bit out of practice.  Kissing was one thing, sex was another.  It had been especially long since he'd ever been with a man: that had been partially experimenting back in college when he'd been trying to accept that he could love both genders.  But he definitely wanted Chris more than he'd wanted any other man before, and even more than most women he'd met, with the only possible exception being his wife.  

“...I do want but...is this really a good place?  It's your office...”  Ukyou murmured, blushing a bit as reason was taking over.  They were in Chris' office and talking about sex.  It seemed like they were both college kids instead of men well into their respective careers.

“It’s fine. No one is supposed to come into here… and no one’s going to know but me. The walls are thick too,” Chris said. He did think of going home, but he wasn’t the only guy who lived in his house, and a part of him was far too excited to wait a long drive home. He didn’t want to kill the mood.

“If it’s okay with you…” he said, beginning to unbutton himself, revealing his slender body.

Ukyou smiled a bit.  

“Alright.  It's your office.”  He said.  He could've offered his own house, he supposed, since nobody lived there, but, he was hesitant to kill the mood with a drive anywhere.  He blushed a bit as Chris unbuttoned his top, allowing Ukyou a look at his slender, pale body.  He wasn't as muscular as Ukyou, but his figure was still toned enough to be considered masculine.  Ukyou felt a part of his brain suggest that he leave his marks on Chris' flawless skin so that everyone would know this beautiful creature was his and blushed harder at that idea.  

“It is more than okay with me.”  He said softly, unable to resist kissing the shirtless man again from his seated position on the desk, but this time, he pulled the man closer by parting his legs and wrapping them around his waist, pressing Chris against him.

Chris was more than happy to lean over and kiss the man back. He gripped him tightly and deeply moved against the other, their cocks brushing against one another as Chris kissed him, his hands going and gripping Ukyou’s thighs tightly.

Ukyou moaned softly through the kiss as Chris rubbed against him slightly, pressing Chris closer in retaliation by squeezing his legs.  He used one hand to cup Chris' face and continue kissing him while the other dragged itself down over one of Chris' exposed nipples, his thumb rubbing it gently, wanting Chris to feel good as well.

“Ahh~” The man blushed, a little surprised that Ukyou’s rough, callous hands went there but enjoying it all the same. As one hand squeezed Ukyou’s thigh, the other slowly and messily began play the other’s belt, failing clumsily as Chris was immersed in the kiss.

Ukyou released his hold on Chris' mouth in favor of the side of his neck, licking and biting gently, but hard enough to leave a mark.  Following Chris' example, he went for the other man's belt as well, not doing much better at undoing the buckle because of his focus on the man's beautiful skin and neck.

Chris moaned quietly into the air, tossing his head back and making his hair ripple like a river. He was quick to realise the belt problem though and while he was moaning away, holding the other’s leg, his hand moved to his own belt to help Ukyou, making it somewhat easier to work with.

Ukyou smiled against Chris' skin when he heard him moan.  He wanted to make that happen again, and so continued kissing and biting the man's neck and moving down to his collarbone as well.  He was also thankful that Chris helped him with the belt, undoing it and then going for the buttons and zipper on the pants, undoing those on Chris quickly before working on his own.  He knew he couldn't take his pants off with the way his legs were at the moment, so settled for grinding a bit against Chris' own erection.

Chris groaned quietly as their bodies rubbed together and he leaned over, kissing Ukyou. His boner rubbed against Ukyou’s, and the man so desperately wanted to rip his pants off. He settled with starting to tug Ukyou’s, eager to have the man writhing under him on his desk.

Ukyou moaned softly as well from the grinding, kissing Chris back fiercely.  He felt the other's hands on his pants, trying to pull them down, so he temporarily drew back, placing his hands on the desk so he could lift up his butt and allow Chris to pull his pants down.

Chris was sure that he would feel bruises the next day, but he didn’t care. He kissed the man again and parted, taking his cue and pulling down Ukyou’s pants altogether, placing them off to the side where they wouldn’t get in the way. He’s about to go get his own pants down when he pauses.

“Lube…” He muttered, quickly parting from Ukyou so he could get to the other side of his desk and rummage through the drawers for lotion and disinfectant.

Ukyou unwound his legs from their position around Chris to make it easier for the other man to remove them.  He was about to kiss Chris again when the man backed off to get lube.  He chuckled a bit.

“Right...”  He said softly, watching Chris run around the desk. He took the opportunity to move any equipment or papers off the desk.  He didn't want to ruin anything accidentally.  

Neither the cleaning nor the searching took long and soon Chris was back between Ukyou’s legs, his pants off. Chris undid the top button of his shirt and looking down at the older man, his cheeks pink.

“Ready?"

Ukyou smiled at Chris, finding it oddly adorable when he blushed.  He nodded, gently wrapping his legs around Chris' waist again.

“Yeah...you lead.  I haven't done this in awhile.”  He admitted.

Chris really wanted to blurt out that he hadnt either, but he swallowed thickly and gave a nod. He coated his hand thick with the lubricant before he slowly took a firm grasp of the man’s dick.

Ukyou also swallowed a little. They were really doing this. He moaned softly as Chris took ahold of his length, letting the other man coat it.

Chris gave Ukyou a small smile, both from nerves and trying to reassure his partner that he could do it. His hands slicked over the top of the cock and slid down Ukyou’s shaft, Chris teasing him. Delicate, slender fingers smoothed down the man’s balls, Chris moving slowly so he could play with the rim of Ukyou’s ass.

Ukyou smiled slightly at Chris to reassure him at well, before closing his eyes and groaning as Chris teased him. He tried to buck slightly into Chris' hand, wanting more of that pleasure. He moved to the edge of the table, allowing Chris better access.

“I’ve thought about this before,” Chris muttered, his face flushed as he slowly pushed in one of his lubricated fingers in and moved it around. “I’m sorry… I’ve dreamt about how I’m going to ravage you… How I want you to call my name…” Chris said, slipping a second finger in.

Ukyou gasped slightly as Chris pushed a finger in.  He clung to the other man, breathing deeply and smiling.

“Have you?”  He said softly between his small groans as Chris moved and stretched him.  It had been a long time since someone had stretched him like that.  

“I don't mind...if you do that...but that means that next time...I get to do the same to you...” Ukyou replied, kissing and nibbling at Chris' neck.

“Yeah…” Chris kissed him quietly and grinned as he continued fingering him. He enjoyed the idea of doing this again in the future, and he felt more eager to get into it. He pushed his fingers deeper into his partner, moaning quietly as he worked.

Ukyou smiled, feeling a similar effect to Chris when the other affirmed they could do this again. He definitely wanted to get going. Ukyou groaned when Chris' fingers went deeper and brushed his prostate.

"Chris..." He moaned softly. In order to not leave Chris out, he brought a free hand down and started to stroke the other man's length.

“Mmmm~ Ah~” Chris had to pull his hair back quickly so his hair wouldn’t be caught in an place inconvenient, and when he was doing that, Ukyou grabbed his penis and made him moan. Chris was rather noisy, and he groaned to the room as he added a third finger, and began pumping Ukyou more and more, wanting him to be ready as soon as he was.

Ukyou helped Chris move his hair, enjoying the feel of it.  He didn't want it to get in the way, but also couldn't stop picturing it pooled around Chris' head over silky sheets.  For next time, that was what he wanted to see, he decided.  He moaned as he felt Chris add a third finger, continuing to squeeze and pump Chris' cock.  

“I think...that's good...” Ukyou said once he felt like Chris had stretched him enough.

“Y-yeah… I think so too.” Chris muttered, pulling his fingers out. He wiped them on his own thigh before he grabbed a plentiful helping of lube, coating his dick as extra insurance. He was nervous, but after a moment, he summoned his courage and held Ukyou’s thighs tight.

“Ready?” He asked, looking at the other man, adoring his auburn curls, foggy glasses and red face.

Ukyou groaned softly when he felt Chris' warm fingers exit him.  

“One second...”  He said, taking off his glasses for a moment so he could wipe them off as well.  He wanted to be able to see this, and reminded himself that next time contacts might be a better idea for sex.  

“Okay.”  Ukyou breathed, wrapping his arms around Chris' neck and kissing him gently.  He spread his legs and let the other man grip his thighs.

“Can still see my face?” Chris teased as he kissed him back. Making sure Ukyou wouldn’t fall off the desk, Chris pushed his cock into the man, going in all the way first and letting Ukyou get used to the feel before he did anything. The man’s tight walls slid past easily but hugged his member, making Chris bite his lip in pleasure.

"I can if you stay close." Ukyou murmured, kissing him. He groaned and tried not to tense too much as Chris penetrated him. He wasn't used to it, but thanks to Chris' stretching he could take it mostly. He took deep breaths and clung to Chris as he waited to get adjusted.

"Don't bite your lip...I wanna hear you." He said softly, kissing Chris.

The bite slackened until the younger man was just sucking on his lip, his tongue twisting in his mouth as he felt the other man’s encouragement. He let Ukyou kiss him and he moaned, trying to let his breath out before he slowly began fucking the superintendent, his movements slow and careful, but controlled all the same.

Ukyou let out a small groan as Chris finally moved, trying to remain relaxed.  He held Chris close, continuing to kiss his neck and moan against his skin.  He squeezed his calves against Chris' back to encourage him.

Chris groaned as Ukyou clung to him, the man hanging on to him so tightly and closely that it was difficult to move. Not because his limbs were restricted, but because Ukyou was so warm, so handsome that it was difficult not to just freeze up and just stare at him. He continued to thrust into Ukyou’s body, hearing thick, wet sounds from the genitals as he thrusted harder, the squelches becoming some sort of lust-driven rhythm that made Chris dig his nails into the red-head, unable to contain himself and how much faster he wanted to go. He was speeding up and pushing harder. He wanted to see the man unwind beneath him.

Ukyou's moans increased in volume and in frequency as Chris sped up his thrusts.  He continued holding onto Chris, partially to reassure himself that this was real, and actually happening, and also because Chris' body was warmer than the desk he was on.  He threw his head back after one particularly good thrust.

“Aah~  Chris~”  Ukyou cried out in pleasure when Chris pounded into his prostate dead on.  

Chris gasped himself when he felt that sweet spot and the way Ukyou keened, curling up tightly against him. He pushed into him hard, the sweat dripping down from his body and mixing with Ukyou’s. As he moved, he was barely aware what part of him was Ukyou’s and what part was his… all he could feel was pleasure and it was amazing.

“Ukyou~"

“AH!”  Ukyou cried out again as Chris pushed into him again.  He subconsciously tried to buck back against Chris' cock, wanting more of that pleasure.  It had been a long time since he'd had sex, and it felt so good and so right to be with Chris that Ukyou definitely wanted more.  He continued to moan loudly, his body sweating and shaking in pleasure.  He wouldn't last much longer, he knew, but he wanted to hold on.

“God...Chris~”  He moaned.

“Grhhkk… Ukyou~” Chris groaned, his voice low and husky. His cock slid in and out of Ukyou roughly, but not painfully, and Chris felt like he was going to give in first. “Ahhh~” He wasn’t sure if it was okay to cum against Ukyou, so he pulled out, barely in time when his orgasm hit and he released on the the edge of the desk, shuddering as he did so.

“Ah...~”  Ukyou moaned, trying very hard to hold on. But, in the end he barely outlasted Chris, cumming around the same time against both their stomachs with a loud groan. His body felt shaky from his orgasm and he had a feeling he'd be a little sore if he tried to move, but for now all he could feel was the aftershocks of sex.  He breathed shakily, sitting up a bit more to lean his head against Chris' shoulder.

“...That was...amazing...” He said softly.

The waves of pleasure were euphoric, sending light sparks down Chris’ back. The man smiled at Ukyou and felt weak at the knees, but he pulled Ukyou up so the smaller man could lean and cling to him more. He liked the sensation.

“It was… Thank you..."

Ukyou smiled in return, kissing Chris' cheek.  He knew where they were and that they would have to clean up the mess they'd made and get dressed soon, but for now, he just wanted to rest a bit.

“Thank you as well.” He replied.

Chris gave a small smile and lead Ukyou to one of the spare chairs, sitting himself down and pulling Ukyou on top of him to rest. “. . . Can… It may be late and… inappropriate to ask but. . . After this case when we don’t have to be professional, can we start… going out?"

Ukyou followed Chris, feeling a bit sore from the sex but managing to move regardless.  He sat down when Chris did, smiling at him and chuckling a bit.

“That sounds perfect...after Mutou's trial, we can start going out.  That way, the lawyers can't say that our work on the case was influenced by our relationship...”  Ukyou said.

“I hope it's soon.” He added, closing his eyes in content.

“I do too,” Chris said, closing his eyes and leaning forward. That would be nice… It was nice to have love reciprocated for once.

-x-

The day Masumi had been returned had been a good one for the Barian family.  Alit had been looked over by the doctors and it was determined that he was well enough to leave, but he was to take it easy and if anything seemed off, to return immediately.  Alit was glad to be leaving, since he'd had enough of staying in bed all day.  He was never one for sitting still.  He still had some pain medications to take, but they weren't as strong as the morphine, which had knocked him out and left him constantly drowsy.  Pretty soon, the only physical reminder of the incident would be the permanent scar on his stomach where the knife had gone in.  Alit wasn't sure he liked it, knowing who had caused it, but he would live with it.  He really didn't have a choice.  

“Gilag's here!  We can go home now, right pon?”  Ponta said excitedly, spotting the large man pulling up in their car.  Gilag had come to pick them up after work, and so they had been waiting for him in the lobby.  Alit nodded.

“We can as long as everyone's ready.”  He said, getting up slowly.  Working his abdominal muscles caused him the most pain from his injury, which made things like standing and twisting difficult for the time being.  He hadn't wanted a wheelchair though, since his legs were fine.  

"Don’t stress yourself too much or you’re going to have another accident,” Kotori laughed, patting her husband’s shoulder. Kotori waved at Gilag and opened the car door, sliding in quickly behind the driver’s seat.

“‘Bout time we all get to go home,” He said.

Alit smiled.

“I'll try not to.”  He promised, managing okay as soon as he was standing.  Ponta bounded out to see Gilag too.

“Yes, pon!  Everyone's going home now, right Masumi?”  He said, peeking over the seat to see Masumi in her car-seat.  Masumi gurgled and wiggled as much as she could while strapped in.  Alit got in the car as well with a chuckle.

“Yeah, about time.” He agreed.

“What’s the first thing you’re gonna do when you go back, Alit? Gotta take it easy, after all.” Gilag asked, a large grin on his face.

“I think he really should rest, but I suppose you boys can go out if you want. I haven’t finished dinner yet.” Kotori said.

Alit pondered this. There was really only one thing he really felt he needed to do to get this all behind him...and it wasn't something he could do at home.  Kotori hadn't been able to tell him much about what had happened, and the police themselves were also lost.  There was really only one place to go for answers...and that was Koutei.  He'd heard he was in the Correctional Facility now awaiting trial.

“Well...I know I have to rest more, but I've already had enough of just lying around.  I'd rather go out and get some fresh air.  I'll take it easy though, don't worry!”  Alit promised, mostly to reassure everyone.  

“Well, when we get home, you can go out for a couple hours but don’t be too long. Yuma is hosting a party at his house welcoming you home.” Kotori said.

“He actually waited to throw a party? It’s not a surprise?” Gilag snorted, driving off.

Ponta perked up.

“Party, pon?  I wanna have a party!”  He cheered.  Alit smiled despite himself.

“I shouldn't be too long. I just wanna stretch my legs a little. I'll be home for Yuuma's party.” He mused.

“How about you help me, Ponta? We need to make a dish for the party.” Kotori smiled.

“It’s at six. So don’t wait to the last minute to come home,” Gilag added

“Yay!”  Ponta cheered, excited to be helping.

“I'll remember.  I'll have my phone so you guys can call me if I lose track of time.”  Alit said, waving off Gilag's concern.    

As soon as they got home, Ponta was out of the car in a flash, excitedly waiting for the others to get out and unlock the door so they could get ready for the party!  

“Masumi, we're gonna have a party!  It's gonna be so much fun!”  Ponta cheered to his baby sister, who only gurgled in response as her mother picked her up out of the car-seat.  Alit got out of the car much more slowly, trying not to wince or show he was in pain too much.  

“You guys have fun, Ponta. I'll see you later.”  He said, making sure he had enough money for the bus and his phone with him before heading out towards the bus stop that would take him close to the Correctional Facility.

Gilag frowned and when Kotori had her back turned, he stopped Alit and took him aside. He waited for the woman to be inside the house before he turned Alit around.

“… Do you need a ride to the police station?”

Alit sighed slightly as he was stopped by Gilag.  He should've known that he couldn't hide from his older brother.  He let himself be turned.

“No...”  He started, before looking at Gilag's face and giving up.

“...I could use one to the Correctional Facility though.  The cops said that's where he is now.”  He finished.

“Ah, so he’s been moved.” Gilag sighed. “. . . You might not like what you see, you know. Koutei isn’t the same guy you sparred with years ago now.”

Alit bit his lip.

“...I know that.  The guy I sparred with before would never have done anything like...well, you know.  But...I still wanna see him.  I want to know what the fuck happened...”  Alit said.

“. . . Kotori, I’m gonna go get petrol.” Gilag called from where he was.

“Alright!” Kotori called back. “Make sure you’re back when Alit is,”

Gilag smiled and quickly went to shut the door before he gestured to the car.

“Get in. Let’s go..."

Alit smiled at his brother.

“Thanks.”  He said, getting into the car next to Gilag.  They drove to the Correctional Facility, and Alit tried to think over what he was going to say and what to expect.  

“. . . Be honest with him.” Gilag said, not turning to look at Alit as he talked. “Don’t beat around the bush. Just ask and persist."

Alit nodded.

“Yeah.  I want it to be direct...no funny business.”  He said.  He just wanted to get answers.  That would help him get closure, he figured.  

Gilag sighed, hoping his brother would be okay. The rest of the car ride was in silence until he parked the car. “I’ll wait outside for you, okay? Just so you have a ride back.”

Alit continued staring out the window, barely noticing when they finally parked.  He smiled at Gilag.

“Thanks.  I'll try not to be too long.”  Alit promised, getting out of the car and approaching the Correctional Facility.  He asked the visitation guard if he could see Ouji Koutei, and then was escorted to a visiting room to wait for him to be brought out.  

The guards opened Koutei's cell door.

“Oy, Koutei, get up. You've got a visitor.”  The guards said.

“Don’t stress yourself out too much,” Gilag muttered, going to the glove compartment and getting himself one of Kotori’s books to read while he waited.

Meanwhile, Koutei looked up at the guards and sighed. He figured it was probably one of the police officers again, maybe with a report of what they found in his house again. He got up and rubbed his temples, the tired man trudging after them. He sat down in one of the chairs and was cuffed to it, making him roll his eyes.

“Is this to help my mental health?” He joked before he ducked the guard’s slap.

Alit took a moment to watch through the door.  Koutei did look very similar to the Koutei he knew...but he seemed to have messier hair, and a somewhat sickly appearance.  Well, Alit didn't really look his best either, considering he had just gotten out of hospital, but he looked better than Koutei.  The orange prison uniform revealed bandages on his arms and Alit briefly wondered what had happened.  But he shook his head.  He wasn't here for a casual visit.  He needed answers.  

The guards opened the door for Alit, letting him enter the room with Koutei.  

Koutei looked up, expecting Droite and Ukyou, and then he just stopped. Upon seeing Alit, he gaped… and then tried to bolt. He couldn’t let Alit see him… hell he couldn’t talk to Alit and let him see how far he fell. Despite the handcuffs, the man tried to get up and leg it, doing actually rather well considering he was connected to the table.

Alit just stared at Koutei, trying to keep his expression neutral at first.  There were plenty of things he wanted to say and do, but first, he should at least try to be civil, he figured.  Unfortunately, most of that flew out the window when Koutei tried to run. Alit suddenly recalled the last time they'd met...Koutei had tried to run then too.  Now he was just annoyed and a little angry.

“Oh no you don't.”  He said, and he moved before he could register that since Koutei was cuffed to the table, there was no way he could leave this room.  He also moved forgetting that he had a severe injury, and he made it only a couple steps around the table, managing to grab Koutei's arm before he doubled over with a small cry of pain, clutching his abdomen that was seizing up in protest to his sudden movements.  Thankfully he hadn't torn anything, but god did it feel like it for a second.

Koutei was all but ready to throw Alit off when Alit suddenly doubled over. His eyes widened and instinct took over, immediately changing his position to support Alit. He frowned, immensely worried for his friend and a bit confused.

“Oy, oy. Take it easy. What’s wrong with you?” He asked, trying to get Alit back in his seat before the guards came to tell them to stop it with the physical contact.

His mind clouded by the pain, Alit clung to Koutei to ride out its final waves when the other supported him.  But, as the pain faded, common sense returned to Alit.  Although Koutei was acting like his old self again for a moment, his words were not making any sense.  Alit immediately shoved Koutei off with his free hand, his other till rested over his stomach where he'd been stabbed.  He frowned at Koutei.

“What the hell are you talking about?  You know what's wrong with me!  I just got out of fucking hospital after you put me there!”  He exclaimed, both angered and confused at Koutei's behaviour.

“I-“ Thankfully, Koutei wasn’t stupid, and he was quick to realise what Alit was thinking as soon as his hand was slapped away. He tried to fathom what to say- that he would never do that and there was some kind of mistake- but he knew that the reply would be the same as the police. So instead, he balled his fist and stared straight at Alit.

“… I actually did that. Fuck. How could I… Shit. What’s wrong with me? Why don’t I fucking remember?"

Alit frowned and waited for Koutei to formulate a response, all the while trying to read the expressions on his face.  He saw confusion, then guilt and frustration.  He slowly sat down, trying to calm himself.  He had experience with friends of his in jail, and he knew that getting mad didn't really help.  He couldn't quite wipe the frown off his face though.

“You're asking me? All I know is that you stopped talking to me.  I kept trying to reach out to you, but you never met me halfway.  And the one time you do come see me and my family, you almost tore it apart.”  Alit said as evenly as he could, though some of his frustrations were undoubtedly expressed in his tone.

“I stopped talking to you because apparently, everyone keeps telling me I’ve been fucking doing drugs with a guy I don’t even remember,” Koutei muttered, unable to bring himself to look at Alit. He wasn’t sure what to say? That he had been lovesick over him and that he couldn’t bare to watch Alit live a happily ever after after he was disowned? Koutei wasn’t even sure if either of those were the answers. Despite all the time he had been given to think, the blonde still was lost, unsure of what was going on, and it was driving him crazy.

“I don’t even remember the last time I damned visited. I know what goddamned happened, but I don’t know anything.”

Alit sighed.

"That's what the cops told me too and I couldn't believe it." He murmured. This visit was just turning into frustration.

"The last time I saw you we sparred. You were kinda having an off day. Remember that?" Alit asked but he had a feeling he knew the answer.

“. . . That was like… what… months ago? Weeks? I kind of remember it. My memories aren’t exactly good as of late.” Koutei muttered.

Alit nodded.

"Yeah it was awhile..." He said, with a sigh.

"I...look, I'm as lost as you are. It's hard to stay mad when...you...you're still you." He said, burying his face in his hands.

"I just don't get this. I want to know why, but you can't tell me a damn thing."

“Look… we jumped into this way too fast. … How much time do you have? I can… make some guesses for you, but that’s it. They’ll only be guesses on what happened.” His guesses… which counted, he hoped.

"Not much time...Kotori doesn't know I'm here." Alit said. He sighed.

"I just want to know why. Look at me and tell me what you're thinking." Alit said firmly. He had noticed how Koutei was avoiding his gaze. He didn't like that. Koutei had hid from him long enough.

“. . . Look… the last thing I remember clearly is going to the bar… a lot. I felt lonely. I must have mixed with a bad crowd there… because I haven’t really felt lonely since. Yeah, ashamed to let you see me but… I dunno. Really.”

“I understand the loneliness...but...you were ashamed to see me?  Really?”  Alit said in disbelief.  He couldn't imagine why Koutei would be ashamed to see him.  

“I'd never be ashamed to see you!  I wanted to see you...that's why I kept inviting you out!”  Alit exclaimed.

Koutei was trying to think the reasoning for his emotions. He was perfectly aware of what he was thinking, but he had no idea why. Or he had some semblance of an idea, but his thoughts were jumbled and clattered, as they always have been since he had been arrested. Still, he owed Alit a decent explanation.

“Yeah. I was. I was lonely, I started drinking and I did drugs. I looked and felt awful.” He muttered. “I didn’t want you to see what I looked like after I stopped seeing you, so I tried avoiding you. I’m a mess, Alit. Fucking hell… I’m even worse now."

Alit sighed in frustration.

“If you had seen me, yeah, I might've been disappointed, but I also could've helped you!  That's what friends do...they help each other!”  He shook his head.

“And now you're in jail, where it's pretty damn hard for me to help you.”  He said.

“Yeah, you're a mess...I just hope this place can help you, since apparently I couldn't.”  He said, feeling a bit hurt that he was going through this again.

Ouch. That stung. Really badly. Koutei looked further away from Alit, not wanting the other to look at him. He wanted to say he wanted Alit to help, but he was too scared. He wanted to say that he was sorry again, but he couldn’t.

He could feel a familiar voice that had been lingering around since his father’s death and his own exile amidst the frustration and the sadness. It laughed at him. He fucked up too badly. He wanted…

“Then don’t. Don’t bother. Just leave me alone.” It was too late for him, but he’d… fix things.

Alit was looking at Koutei, and every time he did all he could see was the other running away. Koutei was acting like a coward, not at all like the man he'd fought and considered his rival.  Gilag had been right...this man was not like the Koutei he had known.  The one he knew would have met his challenges head on, and never would've allowed himself to fall like this.  

“Fine.”  He said at last, getting up.  It was clear that Koutei didn't want him around anyway.

“I got what I came for anyway.  See you in court.”  He said simply, heading towards the door where the guards would let him out.

Koutei didn’t respond. He was more than ready to take the death penalty if it came to that. The blonde was tired. He didn’t want to fight or run anymore. He just wanted to stop feeling miserable every waking moment he wasn’t on drugs or drinking. He wanted that person back… that person at the bar he couldn’t remember.

Koutei continued to look away from Alit, even after the man walked out and was long gone. All he could do was silence himself and stop screaming after him.

Gilag was ready for Alit when he got back, and he already knew that the meeting had ended up horribly. The only thing that was surprising was that Alit wasn’t escorted out. He half expected the two men to be punching each other senseless as they argued. Still… Alit’s expression…

“. . . We can skip the party. You’re not in the mood."

Alit left the room without looking back.  He barely registered the direction he was going, thankful that he was escorted to the door by guards, who wanted to make sure he left safely.  He wandered out into the parking lot in a slight daze. He got into the car slowly, not looking at Gilag.

“...Just take the long way home.  I'll be okay by then...”  He said softly, his head leaning against the window.  Now that he was out of that room and away from Koutei, the impact of his decision was hitting him.  He and Koutei were really done now, weren't they?  Koutei was done with him, after everything they'd been through and all the fun they'd had...it hurt.  It hurt so, so badly...

“I doubt it… but you’re the boss.” He wanted to ask Alit what had happened but he simply was quiet, doing what his brother asked. He let the man think. This wasn’t like when he had betrayed Alit… Koutei had gone beyond that. The muscly man didn’t want to do much more than hug Alit really…

Alit didn't answer, letting Gilag drive off.  He kept one hand on his head, trying to hide how much he wanted to cry, and the other stayed rested on his wound almost subconsciously.  The stab wound was symbolic of how he felt right now...he wanted the pain to go away, but knew it would take time...it always did.

-x-

Back at the house, Kotori and Ponta were almost finished their party preparations and were expecting the first guests anytime now.  

“Kotori!  The cookies are almost ready, pon!”  Ponta said, watching the cookies rising in the oven intently, not wanting any of them to burn.  

Kotori smiled as she pulled the salad out into a proper bowl and looked back. “I’ll be just a second, Ponta. Tell me when they’re absolutely done.”

The woman’s pink phone buzzed on the table and Kotori swiped it quickly so she could still use her hands to cook as she skimmed the message. She looked at it and then sighed.

“I knew I shouldn’t have let him go… They would obviously do this.” Kotori shook her head and turned. She would speak to Alit about going for ‘walks’ later. “Ponta, can you go watch Masumi when you’re done? Gilag was supposed to pick Alit up but they got caught up in traffic.”

“Okay!”  Ponta called, watching the cookies while Kotori checked her phone.  He rushed over to check on his sister quickly, always trying to make sure she was still here and okay.  He'd been doing that ever since she was brought back.  He grinned as he saw her smile up at him from her baby rug.

“Hey, Masumi!  We're making cookies...Kotori said you're not old enough for them, pon, but when you are I'll make cookies for you!”  He promised happily.  Masumi wiggled a bit in a response that Ponta took as excitement, so he cheered.

“Kotori, when can Masumi have cookies?  She wants them now, pon!”  Ponta said.

“She can have milk, but she’ll need teeth before she can have cookies.” Kotori laughed as she prepared some snacks and an assortment of dip. “Give it some time, Ponta. She can’t want what she doesn’t know exists.”

The oven went off and Kotori went to get it. However, as she passed, she saw Akari and her husband through the window, a bundle in Akari’s arms.

“Ponta, Akari and Charlie are here. Could you answer the door for me?”

Ponta pouted a bit.

“Masumi, you need teeth fast!  You don't know what you're missing, pon!”  Ponta exclaimed to the baby.  She simply smiled a toothless grin in response.  Ponta smiled and shook his head, tickling his silly sister for a minute before going to get the door.

“Hi Akari-san and Charlie!” Ponta exclaimed happily.  His eyes widened when he saw the bundle.

“Oh!  You have a baby pon!  Who's that?”  He asked, wanting to get a closer look.

Akari laughed as she saw the small child and she ruffled Ponta’s hair, keeping her baby safe in one arm.

“Hi Ponta. Goodness, you’ve grown.” She moved out of the doorway and knelt down. “This here is Yuzu. She’s my little girl.”

Ponta grinned, standing up tall as his hair was ruffled.  He liked being told he was growing.

“Yep!  I wanna be big and strong like my brothers!”  Ponta exclaimed, before looking over Yuzu.  He beamed.

“She's really pretty, pon! She and Masumi should be friends! Come see, come see!”  Ponta said, taking Akari's free hand and leading the woman inside, excited to introduce his sister to Yuzu.

“You’re definitely gonna get there, kid,” Charlie laughed, “There’s something about the Barian household that has all you boys walking out pretty buff.”

“And the girls. ‘Tori has some muscles herself.” Akari joked as she looked over at Ponta. “Careful there though. Don’t want to pull Yuzu and me over.” She said, as her small child cooed.

Ponta nodded with a grin.

“Alit and Gilag are super strong and I wanna be just like them!”  He said happily.  He yelped a bit and eased up, leading Akari into the living room where Masumi was waiting.

“Masumi, this is Akari-san and Charlie, and your new friend, Yuzu, pon!”  Ponta said happily to his baby sister.

Yuzu was a noisy baby and she gurgled happily as she was held in front of her mother’s arms, next to the other small child. Charlie chuckled and waved.

“Gonna help Kotori out in the kitchen. Can’t let her do it on her own.” He said, walking off.

“On her own? Are Yuma and Shark not here yet?” Akari asked, knowing Yuma planned this party. “Is he seriously late?"

Masumi glanced over at Yuzu much more quietly, but still with some obvious interest. She cooed a little in greeting. Ponta shook his head.

"Akari-san and Charlie and Yuzu are the first ones here!" He said. He heard a knock on the door and rushed to get it.

"Tetsuo and Shark's Sis are here, pon!" Ponta cheered, clearly having spent too much time around Yuuma to have picked up his nickname for Rio.

“I have a name!” Rio yelled from behind the door. Akari gave a loud snort and she shook her head.

“You may not want to open that door, Ponta,” Akari joked, getting comfy.

Tetsuo chuckled.

“The name's spreading...Yuuma's gonna get punched.”  He mused. Ponta opened the door happily regardless of Akari's warning.  He put on his most innocent and adorable face, mostly to try not to get punched.  

“Of course!  I know Rio-san's name, pon.”  He said happily.  “Come in guys!”  

“How are you, Ponta?” Rio said, her mood immediately lifting as soon as she heard her name. ‘Keeping well? How’s your sister?” She smiled

Tetsuo smiled and shook his head, ruffling Ponta's hair.

"Smart kid." He mused. Ponta beamed.

"Masumi's got a new friend! Akari-san's baby Yuzu is with her! Come see come see!" He said, leading them inside.

“I kinda wanted to see Alit first. Is he here?” Rio asked, as she and her partner followed. She sighed as she realised her brother or his husband wasn’t around but she smiled and sat down.

“Looking good, Akari-san. I see the girls have already flocked together, huh?” She smirked.

"Alit? No he's not home yet, pon! I'll go ask when he's gonna be here!" Ponta said, leaving Tetsuo and Rio in the living room and going to see Kotori.

"When are Alit and Gilag coming home, pon? They're missing the party!" He asked his guardian.

"Congrats. So this is little Yuzu. She looks like she has eyes like yours, Akari." Tetsuo said with a smile, leaning over to get a closer look at the two babies on the rug.

“Yeah, the colour is more like Charlie’s but the eyes are mine.” Akari said proudly, giving a nod as if she needed to confirm these things. “Good someone noticed, especially since someone’s uncle is hopeless.”

“Relax, Ponta. Yuma and Shark aren’t here yet. We’ll worry when they’re later than those two. They’re still stuck in traffic, probably. We’ve barely started.”

Tetsuo chuckled.

“Yuuma is definitely hopeless.”  He said. Ponta pouted, but accepted it.

“Who else is coming, pon? Yuuma's coming right?  And Shark?”  He asked.

“Well, I’m happy to start the Yuma trash train if you are,” Akari teased. “Seems like every time we start a conversation, it starts with my dumb brother.”

“Because there’s a lot to talk about. He’s always getting involved in some trouble.”

“Yuma is hosting it, he invited Inchou and Ena but I don’t know if they’re coming, Tokunosuke will appear at some point, and I think Cathy will appear later tonight or tomorrow because she has work… so most of the usual gang. I asked Kaito to come too, but he’s sounding sick, so I doubt he’ll come. He’s always concerned with passing it on to the baby.”

Tetsuo nodded.

“That's Yuuma for you.” He mused with a smirk.  The doorbell rang a few seconds later.

“Oh okay!  That's a lot!  I'll go see who's here now, pon!”  Ponta said.  He rushed to the door excitedly.  

“Yuuma, pon!  You made it!”  Ponta said happily.  Yuuma grinned back.

“Hey Ponta!  Yeah, we made it!  We were just a little delayed cause Shark's rollers got tangled in his hair! He's trying to grow it out and curl it up again like he used to.”  He said happily.  

“Oy, shut up. I wasn’t doing that…” Shark muttered, his cheeks red. He shoved past his husband and headed straight for the kitchen, grunting to the others in the living room as he passed.

“About time!” Akari yelled, laughing.

Yuuma pouted as Shark shoved him aside.  Ponta grinned.

“Your hair looks pretty Shark!”  He called happily.  Yuuma grinned and bounded into the room to greet his sister and his friends.

“Nee-chan!  How're you doing?  Oh, and Yuzu too how's my favorite niece?”  He said, smiling at Yuzu and Masumi, who gurgled happily up at him.

“Yeah yeah. Thanks.” Shark muttered. He glared at Kotori as she took the dessert off of Shark and laughed at him, before Shark quietly began assisting her. “Sorry we’re late.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Don’t worry.” She said.

“Hi Yuuma. We’re both fine, thanks. Alit’s not here yet, but we’re doing fine."

“Oh?  Alit's not here?  Where is he?  I thought he was out of hospital today?”  Yuuma asked, surprised.  Ponta sat down next to his sister and Yuzu.

“Alit and Gilag are out! Kotori says they're stuck in traffic, pon!”  Ponta said.

“Yeah, so they may be a while.” Akari said, passing her daughter to Rio so she could hold the baby.

“Strange, it didn’t seem so bad on the way here.” Rio muttered.

"Yeah it wasn't that bad...wonder if there was an accident or something." Tetsuo mused. He smiled and leaned over to get another look at Yuzu while she was in Rio's arms.

"Well how's Alit doing? Last I saw him, he couldn't get out of bed! Now at least he's out and about....does that mean he's completely recovered?" Yuuma asked Kotori as she and Shark came back in with some food and snacks for their guests.

Yuzu giggled as Rio tickled her with her finger and reached out to grab Rio’s bracelet, wanting to jingle it.

“Good taste, huh?” Rio teased, making the baby squeal and laugh.

“Yeah, he has,” Kotori smiled, thankful Charlie was minding the oven so she could talk to her friends. “He wanted to get some exercise and go out with Gilag, so… well… you know Alit. He’s probably already training"

Tetsuo chuckled.

"Yeah. We should get her one when she's old enough for it not to be a choking hazard." He said.

Masumi squirmed a little, wanting attention. Ponta smiled and started to play with her a little, keeping her entertained as well.

"Working out already? Well that's Alit for ya! He must be just fine then." Yuuma chuckled.

“You gotta keep a leash on him, Kotori. I mean, some people could use a bit of working out,” Rio said, playfully bumping Tetsuo with her shoulder, “But there’s a limit to how much is good for you.”

“Oh he’s fine. Alit is sensible. He knows when to give up.”

“No he doesn’t.” Shark scoffed.

Tetsuo pouted a bit when Rio bumped him.  Yuuma laughed.

“I don't think Alit knows that either...but if Gilag is with him, he'll probably be able to hold him back.” Yuuma said with a grin.

“You’re allowed to correct me when I’m wrong,” Rio said, smirking up at Tetsuo.

“Or just… you know… Pick him up and carry him off. That works.” Shark said, miming it awkwardly. Some of their friends still laughed but Shark blushed and looked away, grumbling.

“I'm plenty in shape...” Tetsuo pouted.  

Yuuma laughed, hugging Shark as the other started grumbling.

“He would do that! You're so funny!”  He said, nuzzling his cheek happily.

“I forgot round is a shape,” Rio teased, even though she knew that Tetsuo was quite the muscular man. She squeezed his bicep and kissed his cheek, just so Tetsuo knew she was kidding.

“Oy, no need to force it,” Shark muttered, feeling even more embarrassed. He hated parties, but someone had to watch Yuma.

Tetsuo blushed a bit when Rio kissed his cheek.  Even after being with her for years, he never quite got over how beautiful she was and how much he loved it when she gave him her attention.  

Yuuma grinned, cuddling Shark anyway.  Suddenly they heard the door opening, and then Alit entered the room, closely followed by Gilag.  Yuuma beamed.

“You guys finally showed up!”  He said excitedly.

“Look at you two, coming back to your own home to your friends making out and eating your food,” Charlie mused, the man lingering in the doorway since he didn’t really want to join in the conversation.

“Hey guys,” Rio waved, loping away from Tetsuo. “How was the workout?”

“You know… the one you just did,” Kotori said, offering them a sympathetic smile with the cover.

Alit managed a small smile at Charlie's comment.  It was nice to see his friends again, but he couldn't help but feel the smallest pain return when he remembered that one particular friend wasn't with them anymore.

“Sorry we're late.” He said.  He blinked at Rio's comment.  Workout?  He wasn't allowed to do those yet...but then he realized that it gave him an easy out for explaining where he'd been.  He smiled a bit sheepishly.

“You got me.  I couldn't resist getting back to the gym...but it didn't go very well.  I'm not quite healed enough for much.”  He said.

“Did Gilag drag you out before you hurt yourself again?”  Yuuma asked, half concerned and half amused.

“Yes.” Gilag said before Alit could answer. “I had to literally carry him out before he issued himself a way back to the hospital.” At that, Rio and Akari burst out laughing, and Shark just groaned, putting his face in his hands, feeling embarrassed yet slightly proud of his guess.

Alit glanced at Gilag, chuckling a bit.

“Yeah...that was kind of embarrassing.”  He mused. Ponta laughed too, which in turn made Masumi giggle.  Yuuma chuckled, clapping Shark on the back.

“Looks like you were right!” He said, before glancing back at Alit.

“You look like you're doing okay though, since you're on your own two feet now!”  He said happily.  Alit nodded.

“Yeah, I'm doing much better now.”  He said, glancing over at Rio, spotting the baby in her arms.  It clearly wasn't Masumi because she was with Ponta a few feet away.  So who was it?

“Rio-san, since when did you have a baby?”  He asked, surprised and confused.

“Please don’t remind me,” Shark muttered, waving Yuma off.

“… Hehhhh… Me with a baby? Ah come off it.” Rio said, looking at Alit. “I don’t like children unless I can give them back. This is Akari’s baby.”

“Remember, I told you about her. You’ve must have forgotten because of the medicine. The doctor did say some bits would be fuzzy.” Kotori said, smiling.

Yuuma chuckled, backing off a bit when Shark waved him off.

“Oh!  That's right, Akari-san was pregnant...I think I did forget. Sorry...I was on some pretty powerful medication.”  He said.

“Congrats, Akari-san! What's your baby's name?”  He asked, coming over for a look at the baby in Rio's arms.  Now that he was closer he could see the baby didn't look at all like Rio.

“It’s Yuzu. McCoy Yuzu.” Akari smiled. “She’s got my good looks, heh.” The woman said.

“What good looks?” Yuma asked before he realised what he said. He tried to bolt but not before his sister knocked him on the head.

“Oyyyy!”

“You’re a moron.” The Kamishio twins said in unison.

Alit chuckled at the exchange.

"I think she's adorable and she'll grow up to be as beautiful as her mother." He said, smiling at Yuzu and sitting next to Rio to get a closer look. Yuzu cooed at Alit in greeting.

"Masumi will too, pon!" Ponta said happily, still playing with his baby sister.

“Thank you, Alit.” Akari said, pretending she couldn’t hear her husband and her brother’s friends laugh.

“They’ll both be little ladies.” Rio laughed. “So how was the hospital, Alit? I’m glad you’re looking better."

“Well...I don't remember being awake too often, since I was on heavy drugs.  I guess because of that, it was both the best and worst trip to the hospital I've had so far?  It was bad because obviously this injury was the most serious and life-threatening I've ever had...but I didn't feel much pain due to the meds, so I guess that was good?”  Alit said, placing his hand over his stomach where he was still a little bandaged under his clothes.

“I am doing better...but it still hurts if I move wrong or too quickly, so I figure I've got a ways to go before I'm 100% again.  I don't wanna rest anymore though.”  He said with a sigh.  Yuuma nodded.

“I was like that too when I hurt my leg!  I hate sitting still!”  He whined, practically bouncing in place where he sat next to Shark.  

“I guess your family's gonna have to keep tabs on you so you don't overwork yourself and end up back in hospital!”  

“Yes, and that’s why he kept getting injured and kept going back to hospital.” Shark muttered under his breath.

“Didn’t you go to hospital eight more times than my brother?” Akari asked.

Yuuma pouted.

“It's hard to take it easy!” He complained, before grinning as his sister defended him.  

“Yeah that's true! You've definitely been there more!” He said with a chuckle.  Tetsuo rolled his eyes.

“I feel like lately you two have been a package deal for hospital admittance.”  He mused.

“Maybe we should hound on you two before we go for Alit.” Kotori said, bopping Yuma’s head with a plate of snacks before she walked off.

“Before one of us catches something really stupid,” Shark muttered.

Yuuma pouted and whined as his head was bopped again.  He got his vengeance by snatching a cookie off the plate before Kotori got too far away from him, shoving it in his mouth gleefully.

“Didn't you already try and catch something stupid, Shark?  You fell into a ditch!”  Tetsuo asked, then roared with laughter as Yuuma just looked oblivious.  

“Oy, go fuck yourself,” Shark scowled. “I was distracted by other things. How was I supposed to know that construction was there? I’m lucky I didn’t plough head first into hell.”

Alit was smiling and laughing a bit at his friend's antics, but he also felt sad.  They were reminiscing on happy times with each other, and he couldn't help but let his mind drift back to Koutei.  They had had some fun times...and now they were over. There wouldn't be a chance to do this with Koutei...to look back and laugh...slowly his smile was fading, but nobody seemed to notice, too wrapped up in their own discussions.  

Kotori did. Since she was flitting in and out to serve food for her guests and mind the baby, she had nothing to fully take her attention off Alit. Throughout the night, she saw him get more and more sombre, and while people did mention it, they didn’t notice it like Kotori did. So as the attention began drawing around Ponta and the kids, Kotori got up and she nudged Alit.

“I need your help in the kitchen,” She said as her excuse, looking at the man and expecting him to come.

Alit didn't mind that nobody noticed. He didn't want to bring the whole party mood down after all. Everyone had shifted to doting on the babies and Ponta, which meant no one was paying attention to him.

Well, almost no one. Alit was jolted out of his thoughts when Kotori nudged him. He blinked, recognizing that look in his wife's eyes. She had noticed something was up and he was about to get grilled. He got up obediently and followed her to the kitchen, their absence unnoticed by the others.

“… Where did you go on your walk, Alit?” Kotori asked, shutting the kitchen door and looking at her husband. “… You weren’t like this before."

Alit glanced up at Kotori, then sighed and lowered his head sadly.

"...I went to see Koutei. There was...something I had to figure out." He confessed.

“… Why Alit? Why on your first day out? What possibly couldn’t have waited for tomorrow?” Kotori asked. “Today is supposed to be rest… where you spend time with Masumi. What did Koutei have to say?”

Alit sighed, wincing slightly at Kotori's words.

"I know, but I just...I couldn't rest without knowing why he did all this. I wanted to know why so I could put it behind me...so I could know where we stood with each other. Cause I had no idea...why he'd hurt me or my family..." Alit said, clenching his fist.

"...He doesn't remember though. He was drugged...and he doesn't want to see me anymore. He's done with us...all he wants is to run away and hide...that's what upsets me."

“. . . Alit…” Kotori frowned. She put her arms around him and held him close to her, forcing him into a gentle hug.

“. . . Properly. Explain… why he was drugged? Why is he scared?”

Alit accepted the hug, gently returning it. He was careful not to let Kotori lean too much against his injury and cause him pain.

"He wasn't able to tell me completely...just guess. He has really bad memory loss it seems..." Alit started with a sigh.

"He said...he thinks he was lonely. And...got into the wrong crowd, that gave him drugs...I don't get why he felt a need to make new friends though. I did try to contact him...I invited him out...but apparently those bad influence people were more worth his time....they were able to help him more..." Alit said sadly, hating the pain it caused him to think about that.

"...So that's why he wants to hide. He doesn't want to see me anymore...he doesn't care anymore about any of us..."

Kotori made sure it was mostly her arms doing her hugging, supporting Alit from his shoulders. She wanted nothing more than to take away his pain.

“… Well… There was us getting married, and with Ponta and Gilag. You are his only friend, Alit. Maybe he thought you were overstepping his boundaries? You couldn’t be with him all the time… especially with Masumi being born.” Kotori didn’t want to put the blame on Alit- far from it- but it pained her to hear Alit talking so negatively about the blonde he prided so much in. She felt like she needed to speak in his defence somehow. “Maybe he thought he was more deserving of their time… not yours. It sounds like he was very depressed.”

It sounded to her that Koutei cared too much, honestly.

Alit sighed softly, considering Kotori's words.  She had always been smarter than him when it came to things like this.

“I guess that's true...but...I was reaching out to him, wasn't I?  Did I just...not do it enough?  Cause...surely seeing him part of the time is better than never...” Alit asked softly.  He wondered if he had reached out more or been more insistent with Koutei, he never would've been depressed in the first place.

“I don’t know. I don’t think anyone can say that, honestly. Not Koutei, not you. That sort of thing… is difficult.” Kotori sighed. It wasn’t a matter of Alit doing enough anyway.

“. . . Just… You can worry. I can’t stop you… but don’t get consumed by this. We’ll see Koutei in court. You’ll get to talk to him too. You just need to focus on recovering first"

Alit nodded.

"I don't know either." He said softly. He was kinda sad and lost. He smiled a bit and kissed Kotori's cheek.

"I'll try not to worry too much...Ill focus on resting and see how things go." He promised.

Kotori leaned into it before she lightly whacked his shoulder.

“I mean it, though. Rest. Make sure you get better. Otherwise I’ll have one of our guests tie you down from now on."

Alit yelped a bit when he was smacked, even though it didn't really hurt him, and immediately nodded repeatedly.

“Yes ma'am.  I'll take it easy.”  He promised.

“Good.” Kotori shook her head before she leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.”I love you. So does your kid and brothers. Alright?"

Alit smiled as his cheek was kissed.  

“Yeah, I know.  I love you and my family too.  Thanks.”  He replied.

“Now… back to the party with you. Tire yourself there so you can sleep more.” Kotori said, taking his hand.

“Okay...I'm pretty sure Ponta will bug me to eat some of the cookies he made.”  Alit said with a chuckle, letting her take his hand and guide him back into the living room where their guests were still chatting happily.

Ponta looked up when Alit and Kotori entered, grinning at them.

"You didn't try my cookies...we made so many pon! I want more people to come!" Ponta declared. Alit tried one obediently with a smile for his little brother.

"Yeah, we're missing some people...like Takashi and Ena!" Yuuma recalled.

"Ena hasn't been feeling well lately. Takashi said they couldn't make it today because he has to stay home and look after her." Kotori said sombrely.

"And what about Kaito? I hope he's not home all alone missing his brother..." Rio mused sadly. Yuuma and Shark shared a secret smile, knowing from communication with Astral that Kaito was probably with him. They'd been spending lots of time together lately, since Astral wanted to help Kaito through his mourning process and because they could again safely.

"Wonder what they're up to..." Yuuma asked Shark softly, snuggling against him on the floor.

"I worry about him… he said he was sick but… Kaito doesn’t really share what’s going on with him.” Rio sighed. For all they knew, he could be crying on the floor.

—

Which he was.

Well, not exactly the floor, but laying back on the bed, sobbing as loudly as he dared. Kaito gasped as he gripped the bed, feeling both warm and cold shivers run up his body. His toes curled and he could only scream.

“Ahhh! AHhhhh! Astral…"

And Astral was on top of him, riding his dick as hard as he could, determined to make Kaito feel good. He had been away from his boyfriend for so long that they had both desperately wanted this.  It seemed that without his vision, Kaito's other senses were even more sensitive.  Astral moaned in pleasure.

“Ngh...Kaito~”  He said.

Kaito winced and he tried to grab Astral’s legs, to cup them, to feel his partner’s body, but his hands kept slipping off. He thrashed his head back, unable to stop the courses of pleasure shooting through as Astral worked his worn down body. He grimaced, digging his nails into the bed before moaning out Astral’s name and cumming into his partner.

When Kaito's hot seed brushed his prostate, Astral couldn't hold on anymore, cumming hard against both of their stomachs, Kaito's name on his lips.  He lifted himself off of Kaito, lying down next to him and cuddling him close with a smile.

“I love you.”  He said softly, feeling as though he hadn't said it enough.

Kaito gave a small groan as Astral moved, far to quick for his liking, but rolled with him. He immediately embraced the man and held him, sighing quietly as he just enjoyed the euphoria that danced around in his beings still, and the embrace of Astral.

“I love you"

Astral smiled wider when Kaito embraced him, closing his eyes and resting.  He gave him a small kiss on the cheek before resting his head in the crook of Kaito's neck.  He was warm and relaxed and he had missed this desperately, especially while in prison.

“I missed this...”  He said softly.

Kaito pulled his arms around Astral and sighed into the man’s shoulder. He was tired. He was very, very tired. Everything was taxing these days. He was beginning to feel like Haruto did, or how he guessed it would feel. However, he kept the worry and sadness from creeping into their moment.

“… I missed it too.”

Astral understood that Kaito was tired and sad still, but he kept quiet about it, not wanting to spoil the moment either.  He gently stroked Kaito's hair, wanting to soothe him and let him rest.  

“We can stay here as long as we want then...to make up for the missed times.”  

“Well… Until Chris gets back…” Kaito muttered. “He’s late today. He might have been called into the police office to help Ukyou.” It was nice that he could have Astral to himself and call him by his name, but he still worried for his mentor.

“Feels like a long time ago when we first met, huh?” Kaito said, not even sure himself where his words were coming from.

“We did see him there when they were interrogating Yami...then he left with Ukyou.  Perhaps they wanted to make sure that the Superintendent was alright.”  Astral said softly, recalling how they'd watched the interrogation from his hack. Now that Yami was behind bars, they could breathe easier.  Astral smiled.

“Yes.  It was a long time ago...we've both grown and changed quite a bit since then.”  Astral replied.

Kaito shrugged. He figured that Chris was alright and tests were just taking longer than either of them hoped. He figured nothing romantic was on the table, since Chris was near useless at human interaction.

“We’re only just in our thirties and I feel awful.” Kaito muttered, absentmindedly twirling Astral’s hair. “And kind of like a kid, considering you keep taking care of me as you do."

Astral held Kaito close.

"The bad feeling will not last...you are still in mourning." Astral said softly, leaning into his touch.

"Perhaps we are both childish, because I am always excited and impatient to see you." He mused.

“Not one of my kinks Astral. You just got me off. I thought you’d know that,” The man joked, blank eyes staring at the ceiling. Astral was right. He was still upset about Haruto. It had been… he couldn’t remember, honestly. It felt painfully long.

Astral smiled and chuckled a little.

"You suggested it to begin with." He mused. He leaned his head on Kaito's chest gently in comfort.

"One day you will feel better, and I will help you get there, Kaito." He said softly.

“Hopefully it’s before I die. It’s honestly a legitimate race,” Kaito muttered darkly, continuing to pet Astral’s hair.

Astral frowned.

"Do not say that. I will not let you go so easy." He said, holding Kaito closer as if he was about to slip away.

“… I’m going to say something really stupid, Astral… But it’s legitimately the truth.” Kaito didn’t bother pretending to look at Astral. His voice was calm and level, and he continued stroking Astral’s hair, just as he had been when he was joking. “You’re really the only reason why I’m bothering to stay alive.”

Astral listened patiently and sadly. He sighed.

"...then I will not leave you, because I do not want you to die." He replied softly.

“I know. I know… I guess that’s a messed up way of saying I love you and don’t want you to leave me, huh…” Kaito muttered. He reached for Astral’s hand so he could feel the difference between them, wanting to memorize every bit of Astral’s skin.

"I suppose so." Astral said. He met Kaito's hand, letting him link them together. He knew Kaito's eyes were now his hands, so he allowed them to roam as much as they needed to for Kaito to take him in.

“… Will you stay with Chris after I’m gone? Move out to Yuma’s? Get your own place?” Kaito was admittedly curious, and he wanted to know if Astral had a plan for after he passed. They had to talk about it some time… so why not now when neither was willing to leave.

"I do not know." Astral said softly.

"I do not really want to think about your death that much...but I suppose I will survive. I do not think moving in with Chris or Yuuma would be good...perhaps I will go back to living alone." He said. That was what he'd always done before Kaito.

“… I see.” Kaito frowned. “… You’re allowed to move on, you know. Just… saying.”

Astral frowned.

"You are my first. I also like to think of you as my only. I am not sure if I ever would." He said softly.

“I’m not saying you have to, I’m saying if it happens, it’s alright. I won’t blame you.” Kaito said, feeling oddly pleased to hear that Astral would be his and his alone. “I just worry…"

"If you are truly that worried about me, then you should focus on living as long as you can. Then I will never be alone." Astral countered, hugging Kaito.

“… You’re devious, you know that?” Kaito muttered, hugging him back.

Astral smiled.  

“You love me anyway.” He replied, kissing Kaito's cheek.

“Yeah… Yeah I do…” Kaito smiled and kissed him.

Astral smiled as he was kissed, cuddling up against Kaito to rest.

Kaito closed his eyes and dozed off again with Astral, not waking up until his alarm went off. Usually this was to remind Kaito he was supposed to have his meals and meds, but right now it was just an annoyance.

“Ughhh… Orbital…” Kaito glowered, not wanting to wake up.

"Kaito-sama, Chris-sama has still not returned home!" Orbital said, sounding a little anxious because Chris was never not home at this hour without leaving a message. Astral groaned a little as he was woken up. He glanced at the clock.

"...it is late...your mentor does not usually stay out this long." He noted.

Kaito groaned and rubbed his temples. “I should call him… Orbital, get Obomi to make dinner and call Chris.”

"Yes Kaito-sama!" Orbital said, sending a message to Obomi to make supper and then dialling Chris' personal phone.

Meanwhile, Chris and Ukyou were still in Chris' office. The two had eventually dozed off like how Astral and Kaito had. They had not been disturbed for several hours, as per Chris' request, but Chris had not shut off his personal phone. Very few people had this number. He heard it vibrating across the room from within the pile of clothes on the floor.

"Ugh..." Chris groaned, getting up and digging for it. He picked up when he saw his own home number, knowing it must be Kaito.

"Kaito? What's wrong?" He asked, not realizing the time.

“Chris, it’s already seven in the evening. Where are you?” Kaito asked. “You didn’t say you were coming home late today,” He said, rubbing his eyes, not hearing Ukyou groan awake in the background.

Chris blinked in surprise, checking the clock.

"Oh...I didn't even notice." He mused, knowing it was unlike him to miss being home on time. He smiled at Ukyou when the other man stirred, reminded of what they'd just done and secretly ecstatic that it hadn't been a dream.

"Something came up...sorry for forgetting to call. I'll be home soon..." He said, knowing that was also very unusual. But it had been worth it.

“Alright… if you’re sure… See you then,” Kaito said, hanging up. He rubbed his temples. “Asshole probably got caught up with work.”

“Morning..” Ukyou smiled at the younger man.

Astral nodded.

"I can sympathize. Yuuma constantly had to tear me away from my computers when I hacked, else I forgot to eat or sleep." Astral mused, sitting up and stretching a little. He knew he would have to leave soon if Chris was coming home at last.

Chris hung up after saying goodbye to Kaito. He smiled at Ukyou.

"Good evening." He corrected lightly, coming back to sit with Ukyou.

"That was Kaito...I'm usually home by now and he called to check up on me."

That bit of information wasn’t comforting to Kaito, who was concerned about Astral’s life after he died. He just shook his head and got up. “You want the shower first?”

Ukyou chuckled and smiled up at the older man. It was strange to think he was talking to his former boss’ teacher.

“Ah… It is a bit late. I guess we did get carried away"

"Sure." Astral said, getting up and stretching.

Chris nodded.

"Yeah...did you want me to drive you home? You should be alright now that we know the drug didn't affect you."

“Ah… Yes.” Ukyou finally remembered why they were here to begin with. “Well… Unless you want me to take the bus, a lift home would be appreciated,” Ukyou said.

Chris smiled.

“What kind of future partner would I be if I didn't help you get home?”  Chris said.

Ukyou kind of liked that, even if the term ‘future partner’ really sounded lame. The man kissed the strands of V’s hair he could reach and went to retrieve his clothes, groaning as he felt the ache in his body.

Chris smiled and blushed a little as his hair was kissed.  He joined Ukyou in grabbing his clothes and cleaning up as best he could.

“You ready?”  He asked once he had put his clothes on.

Ukyou adjusted his uniform and nodded once he was done. “As well as I can be. Thank you…"

Chris smiled.  

“Alright.  I think I'm good too.”  He grabbed his bag, his phone and his keys and made sure his office looked at least presentable for tomorrow.

“Let's go then.”  He said, leading Ukyou out to the car.

Ukyou smiled and followed after him. The receptionist downstairs sighed in relief as she saw Chris, knowing she could pack up and go home, and waved the two happily goodbye.

“Next time, I might invite you over,” Ukyou said. “We could have dinner first"

Chris waved goodbye to her as well, glad nothing seemed off about his appearance or Ukyou's.

"That sounds lovely...id like that." Chris said with a smile. They reached his car and he unlocked it.

"You'll have to direct me. I'm not sure where you live." He admitted.

“I’ll direct you now so you know where to go next time,” Ukyou said, getting in the passenger’s seat. He enjoyed his time with Chris… he hoped this would be a regular thing soon.

Chris followed Ukyou's directions, making sure to remember the route so he could return here one day. He wanted to see Ukyou regularly too.

"Ah, is this your house? It looks nice." Chris said, pulling up in front of the house Ukyou indicated.

Ukyou smiled and nodded. “Yeah. I’ve lived in it for almost twenty years. I try keep it all nice and together.” He was glad it showed, even a little bit. He unbuckled his seatbelt and looked at Chris.

“I’ll see you soon, Chris… Take care…” he said, wondering if it was too… childish to kiss him in the car before he left.

Chris smiled.

"I can see why. It's beautiful." He said happily. He looked at Ukyou, smiling at him.

"Yeah...you too..." He said, unable to resist moving forward to peck him on the lips.

Ukyou blinked as he was kissed but he covered his mouth when he parted and hid his laugh.

“Thanks. See you, Professor.” He said, heading inside straight for the shower.

Chris smiled.

“See you, Officer Ukyou.” He said softly, watching him go until he disappeared inside the house.  He sighed happily to himself, before heading out reluctantly to go back home.

Astral was out of the shower and cleaned up, approaching Kaito.

“I will take my leave now...since Chris gets home soon.”  He said softly to Kaito.

“We should just damned introduce you to Chris so you can stay a night for once,” Kaito sighed, getting up for the shower. “Get home safe okay?"

Astral smiled.

“Perhaps one day.”  He gave Kaito a hug and a kiss.

“I will.  You take care of yourself too.”  He said softly.

Kaito smiled faintly and kissed him back. “See you.”

“…. Orbital clean the sheets and heat up dinner. I’ll be out soon.” He said, letting Astral see himself out.

Astral smiled back, giving Kaito's hand a quick squeeze before heading out.  

“Yes, Kaito-sama!” Orbital said, heading down to make sure the dinner was prepared for Chris and Kaito.

About half an hour later, Chris walked in the door, still in bliss after his time with Ukyou.  He was so happy that things were looking up in his love life, and he felt that now that he was home, he could finally show it. Kaito couldn't see anyway...and it wasn't like the robots would tell him anything.

In half an hour, Kaito was able to bathe, get changed and be seated for dinner. Thankfully, he hadn’t been waiting long, but he was frowning and staring straight at the door, approximately where he thought Chris would be.

“… You’re back late”

Chris sighed.

“I'm sorry, Kaito.  I lost track of time.”  He said honestly, but still sounding more cheery as he recalled exactly what he'd been doing while he was losing track of time.

“… Having sex with Ukyou now, really? That’s unprofessional.” Kaito said, as if commenting on the weather. He turned away, wrinkling his nose a bit in disgust. Chris must have been really messy with his former coworker...

Chris' face went red despite himself.  He supposed he really shouldn't have been surprised that Kaito figured it out, as observant as his student was.  

“...How did you even-?!” He exclaimed, turning away in surprise.

“Get changed, Chris. Have a shower. I can wait five more minutes for you to come down” Kaito said, rolling his eyes, imagining Chris’ face. He got his phone out and began to use it, switching the voice command features on. He had messages to send.

Chris sighed.  

“Alright...”  He said, making his way upstairs.

Thomas was at home when his phone buzzed.  The notification told him it was Kaito posting to their group chat that Miheal was also in, where they communicated their mutual frustration over Chris' lack of a love life.  Thomas opened the message, wondering what had happened this time, before nearly dropping the phone in shock.

“WHAT?”  He exclaimed out loud, immediately typing into the chat demanding details.  Seconds later, Miheal chimed in, acting just as surprised and demanding to know just how Kaito had guessed that Chris had sex with Ukyou.

Kaito rolled his eyes as he heard the electronic voice read out the crude remarks from the other Arclights. Still, he obeyed, and texted back the bits he knew.

Kaito Tenjo > He came home back late today. He was very happy, tired and he smelt of cum.

Dr. M Arclight > ew gross

Kaito Tenjo > I know who he was doing as well.

Thomas scrunched his nose as he read Katio's first message before immediately typing furiously, demanding details.

NumberIVisMineBITCH > who??? was it that hot cop guy?  U know the 1 baby bro

Dr. M Arclight > oh yeah that cop...with the maroon hair and glasses right?  

Kaito Tenjo > Thomas, stop making my phone say your stupid user name out loud.

Kaito Tenjo > Yes, that’s him. Kitano Ukyou. He’s a good man. I’m surprised he and Chris actually did get together. It’s sooner than I thought.

NumberIVisMineBITCH > stfu Kaito my username rocks!!

Dr. M Arclight > wow that's awesome! I'm glad for Nii-san! :D  

NumberIVisMineBITCH > yeaaaaaaaaaa earlier than u thought but not earlier than I did I win the bet pool pay upppppp!

Kaito Tenjo > It’s painful to hear every single time you open your mouth.

Kaito Tenjo > I thought you were joking with the bets. Who bets on someone else’s sex life.

Kaito Tenjo > … Never mind. I remembered who I was talking to/

Dr. M Arclight > Nii-san never jokes on betting unfortunately...

NumberIVisMineBITCH > wtf is that supposed to mean Kaito?  I am so calling chris for details...

Dr. M Arclight > leave him alone for now, Nii-san!  He doesnt know we know he should tell us himself!

Kaito Tenjo > Are you that broke, Thomas?

Kaito Tenjo > He’s in the shower now. I told him to clean up.

NumberIVisMineBITCH > shut up Kaito

Dr. M Arclight > we'll call him when he gets out maybe?  I definitely wanna hear more about this.

NumberIVisMineBITCH > well duh!  I wanna know how it went too!

Kaito Tenjo > Don’t. Then he’ll know I’ve been texting you and technically that’s an ‘invasion of privacy’

Dr. M Arclight > hes got a point...but I can call him for other reasons.  I gotta talk 2 him about a case

NumberIVisMineBITCH > u better call him soon and grill him!!!

Kaito Tenjo > He’s very easy to call out though. Just mention he sounds happy, ask him if he’s had sex, act surprise when he gets flustered.

NumberIVisMineBITCH > yeaaaaaaaa now your talkin!  I'm calling him!

Dr. M Arclight > you're insufferable, Nii-san.

Kaito Tenjo > Call him in an hour. I want to eat, damn it, and Chris and I have made it a point to eat together.

NumberIVisMineBITCH > alright alright ill wait!

Dr. M Arclight > enjoy your meal!  Thanks for letting us know our brother is in good hands! :D

Chris came downstairs, hair tied up and a bit damp from his shower.  He was dressed in fresh clothes.

“Kaito?   We can eat now if you want.”  He said.

Kaito left the messages and muted his phone as Chris came down. He gave a small smile and shrugged. “It’s fine. Let’s eat. I’m sure you have a lot to talk about the case."

Chris smiled and nodded, filling his plate and sitting down.

“Yeah...it's been a long day.  Ukyou and his team ended up catching their guy...and Ukyou got drugged by him.  My formula works, thankfully, so he wasn't affected by it.  That was a relief.”  He admitted, speaking warmly of Ukyou.

“I see… so you caught Mutou then. I’m glad everyone is alright…”  Kaito muttered.

“I'm glad too.  I suppose the next step is the trial...I'm not sure if I'll be too involved in that, but we'll see.”  Either way, the trial was an important date for Chris, because it was after that when he could officially start going out with Ukyou. He was excited for it.

“You probably will be. Ukyou was attacked, right? You’ll still have to submit a report,” Kaito said, beginning to eat. “It’ll probably be a public case, if I’m not mistaken… It might take a while to resolve… especially if Mutou is pleading mental disorders over being guilty."

Chris sighed.

“Yeah probably.”  He said.  He frowned.

“...I don't know. He's clearly very smart...I went over the drugs he came up with and found them quite ingenious, even though they're diabolical in nature.  But at the same time, I saw the interrogation...and there seemed to be something wrong with him.  He kept...changing from hardened confident criminal to scared weak little boy in the blink of an eye.”  Chris mused.

“Split personality disorder then. Interesting… we’ll see what the trial pulls up,” Kaito said.

“Yeah...I wonder if it'll get Miheal involved...he does deal with criminals who are mentally ill.” Chris mused.

“I bet he is. He tends to be involved with cases the police department does. He is the head psychiatrist of the institution,” Kaito shrugged. “You’ll probably see him pleading Mutou’s case, like he did Vector's."

“Yeah...Miheal will be hopefully be able to tell if he's faking or not.  There are some tests he can do, if Mutou allows it.”  Chris said.  

“It'll be interesting for Miheal and I to be working the same case.”  

“On opposite sides, no less. He’d be in the defendants, and the lawyers will be using you to defend him.” Kaito paused. “… I bet Thomas will make bets on one of you two."

"Yeah that's right...that will be interesting." Chris said. He chuckled a bit.

"Thomas makes bets on everything. I wouldn't be surprised if he somehow bet with Miheal on how quickly I get together with Ukyou...they saw us together before and I'm pretty sure they spied on us while we went out for lunch." He mused, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Oh...um...you don't mind, do you? Me and Ukyou?" Chris asked with a small blush.

“…” Kaito wisely decided to remain quiet until Chris asked the question. Then he shrugged.

“No, it’s not my concern, honestly. I just thought you’d be sick of having police over you by now"

Chris smiled a bit.

“Well...if it's Ukyou I don't mind.”  Chris mused.

“You really like him, huh?” Kaito said, sipping his water. On one hand, he was happy for Chris. On the other hand, it was really increasing the risk for Astral. As much as Ukyou was a good friend, he was a better police officer. He’d be screwed if Astral was caught.

Chris blushed.

“Yeah...I do.  But, we can't really start going out yet...I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone, because I don't want it to be brought up at Mutou's trial.  We've agreed to wait until after to officially get together.”  

“Of course.” Kaito shrugged again, but he was… actually really glad that Chris found someone. He was a good man, and having someone that made him happy was good. “And maybe some weeks after that in case there’s loose ends."

Chris sighed.

“Yeah...we'll have to play it by ear.  I really hope this all gets done with fast, but I doubt it.  I'm pretty sure the remaining CEOs and the companies whose CEOs Mutou killed will want him dead.  That could drag out the trial.”  Chris mused.

“Their money and influence may make it a problem. Even if he does have legitimate mental illnesses. Not to mention his track record isn’t clean… it’s not a one of incident, after all. If he doesn’t get a death sentence, it’ll cause one hell of a problem for the many victims of him” Kaito said.

“Yeah...this isn't a first time job.  He's a fugitive too...never actually served his full sentence.  That might affect things as well.”  Chris said with a sigh.  This was all shaping up to be complicated and he knew that the longer the case went on, the longer it would take before he could officially be with Ukyou.

“The way it looks, unless Miheal has a convincing argument and there’s a good lawyer. Mutou may die regardless.” Kaito muttered.

“Yeah...that's true...” Chris said.  He didn't really feel that bad for Mutou...he had hurt so many people that his death might help keep the world safer.  But at the same time, if there were really two of them, and one had committed the crimes, it didn't seem fair for the innocent half to die.

“We'll have to wait and see...”  

-x-

Ukyou slept very well that night, dreaming of Chris and sharing more special moments with him in the future. He was almost sad to wake up from his dreams that morning, but he had to get back to work and finish this case so he and Chris could officially be together again. He got dressed and had some coffee in a happy daze, glad he wasn't too sore from yesterday. He headed out to the station, greeting Droite and Gauche, who were the first to arrive.

"Morning, Droite, Gauche." He said, not realizing that his collar didn't quite hide a telltale bruise on his neck.

Droite looked up and raised an eyebrow when she looked at Ukyou, but as soon as Gauche got a double take at him, he slammed his papers down on the desk and slapped Droite’s back.

“Ow! Hey!”

“I told ya, huh! Holy Shit! Anna! Anna! Oy! Where’s Anna?” Gauche grabbed the next person he found and grinned. “Tell her it happened! Go!”

The stunned officer nodded and rushed off to find Anna. Ukyou stared at his teammates in confusion.

"Am I missing something here?" He asked.

Anna came bounding back into the room.

"Gauche are you serious?" She exclaimed, before looking at Ukyou and grinning widely.

"It did oh my god!" She cheered.

“They’re children. Ignore them.” Droite muttered. “They’re also gambling addicts.”

“Hey, a betting pool is fine in good fun,” Gauche said. “Congrats sir."

Ukyou blinked, smiling a bit at the ridiculousness of this situation.

"Betting pool? What for?" He asked, confused as well by the congratulations.

"You and Chris hooked up right?" Anna said bluntly with a grin. Ukyou flushed a bit and gaped in surprise.

"...How did you guys...?" He murmured.

“Hickey.” Droite and Gauche said together. Droite looked disgusted at speaking in unison but Gauche just grinned happily.

“Pay up Anna. I told ya they wouldn’t wait long.” Gauche said.

“Or get to work. We have a court case to be ready for.” Droite groaned.

Ukyou glanced down at his neck and sighed, flushing a bit in embarrassment.

"Unbelievable." He mused, fixing his collar to hide it. Anna pouted and handed Gauche his money with a groan.

"Droite is right, which is why nobody is going to share this information with anyone else. We don't want my relationship with Chris to jeopardize the case." Ukyou said sternly.

"Did we get the results back from Mutou's blood test?" He asked, wanting to get to work.

“They are.” She said quietly. Gauche groaned but he put his money in his pockets.

“Well, we did. They’re not all back but a good chunk are,” Gauche said, going to Ukyou his papers.

Ukyou took them and looked them over.

"Everything here says he's clean. No traces of anything unusual in his system." Ukyou said with a frown. It wasn't too unexpected, since he hadn't heard of a drug that could cause the strange personality shift and partial memory loss that Mutou had demonstrated.

"Mai and I watched the footage from last night...Mutou was up almost all night, alternating between fearful crying and what looked like grim acceptance. It's weird...Mai said he didn't do that last time, and I haven't seen anything like it." Anna said with a frown.

“Mai hasn’t seen him besides when she confronted him in the past. This is her first time seeing him during the night. He may be like this usually… or not.” Droite said, as she typed on her computer. “We’re hoping that over the next few months before the court case, we can get some specialists to have a look at him and confirm our suspicions that he has a split personality and isn’t aware of his actions.”

“I really hope not. Mutou has done too much shit to get away with an excuse like that.” Mai said, walking in, a look of disgust twisted on her pretty face. “You haven’t seen the lives he’s destroyed first hand like I have,”

Ukyou nodded.

"I think we should try to talk to him more...I want to know exactly how aware he is about what he's doing before we call in a specialist. In the last interrogation, he seemed to know what we were asking for awhile, then suddenly changed to being oblivious." Ukyou said.

"Maybe one half knows everything? If he has split personality I mean..." Anna suggested. Ukyou nodded.

"Maybe. We'll see. Gauche, can you go get Mutou and see if he's able to talk?"

“Alright… I’ll get him. I don’t know what we’re going to get out of him, but that's the fun…” Gauche muttered walking off to go and get Yuugi.

Yuugi was in his cell. He wanted to scream, but he was very tired, and he felt like he had gotten no sleep the night before. The man sat up when he saw Gauche and, without any argument, he followed him along to the interrogation room.

“We know he has no drugs this time, so we should be okay to go in.  Gauche and I will question him again, but if you guys see anything, feel free to come in as well.”  Ukyou said to his team before entering with Gauche.  Upon seeing Yuugi this morning, Ukyou could tell that he hadn't slept very well.  He looked tired, his eyes a little bit red from crying, and there was still an underlying look of fear and worry in them.  Ukyou could understand pretty easily how Mutou could have passed as a younger boy during his stay with Raphael with that look, but he couldn't let it get to him.  Even if this man was mentally ill, he was still a very intelligent serial killer.

“Good morning, Mutou-san. We didn't quite get all that we wanted out of our questioning yesterday, so we were hoping to clear a few things up this morning.”  Ukyou said, sitting down.  Yuugi stared at these two familiar officers, not remembering what was asked of him yesterday aside from whether or not he had taken drugs, but he was too tired to complain.  Plus, his head hurt...he felt like he was burning up with fever and he didn't quite know why.

“Okay...I'll answer as best I can...”  He said softly.  

“...But...before that...can you...can you please tell me whether or not I...did this to myself? You did a drug test right?  Is it back yet?”  He asked tentatively.  He had spent the night thinking as best he could about explanations for this strange memory loss of his.  The last thing he could definitively remember was his grandfather's death, and he knew that people dealt with grief with drugs and alcohol sometimes.  And, even though he hadn't figured himself that type of person, he had wondered if he had somehow fallen into them.  It would explain his memory loss...that was the only thing that vaguely made sense...

Gauche frowned and gave a so-so gesture. “Well, we did a drug test and most of it is processing now. However, we did get some immediate tests back already. It’s too early to really say, but it so far looks like you haven’t been under any sort of external influence, bar what you used to knock yourself out in Kawahara-san… Raphael’s house.”

Droite frowned as she looked at Yuugi and then at Mai. Mai was drumming her fingers, looking irritated. It was clear she was as eager to wrap this case up as the CEOs were, but Droite knew that they had to do this properly.

Yuugi listened as intently as he could while exhausted and feverish.  He frowned a little, not recalling trying to knock himself out at Raphael's house...

“Okay...I don't quite remember all of it...but...okay...”  Yuugi said, lowering his head slightly.  Ukyou frowned.

“...Alright, Mutou-san. Tell us about Masumi...do you remember her?”  Ukyou asked, starting to try and see if he remembered what had happened yesterday.

“Oh...the baby, right?” Yuugi asked.  Ukyou nodded.  Yuugi pondered this.

“Um...I remember seeing her at Raphael's house.  She was in the same room as me...she was on the bed, alone, while Raphael had stepped out. That's the first time I saw her...”

“Are you sure? Raphael said that you brought Masumi to him at the orphanage. Can you recall that?” Gauche asked

Yuugi blinked, frowning as he tried to remember.  His head hurt from trying, and he groaned softly.

“...I...I remember Raphael said...he adopted me and Masumi together...but I don't remember it.  I really don't.”  He said softly.  

“Would you like something to jog your memory?” Gauche asked, looking at Ukyou. “I’m thinking of showing him the video from yesterday"

Yuugi blinked.

"Um...sure, I guess." He said, wondering what the officer had in mind. Ukyou nodded.

"Ah yes, we were recording the interrogation. Sure, get Droite to set it up so we can see it." Ukyou said.

Droite got up and headed to get the laptop from Anna’s desk, making a note to someone to get the video. Within ten minutes, Droite was back. Gauche got the laptop off of her, and plugged in the thumb drive.

“Here… see if this rings a bell”

Yuugi waited patiently, fighting off waves of headaches that he remembered having last night and trying not to doze off. He let the officers put the laptop in front of him and start the video. His eyes went wide at what he saw.

The figure in the room was clearly him, seated in the chair he remembered sitting in and talking to Ukyou and the woman officer he didn't seem to remember, but to his surprise, he saw himself talking. He saw himself greeting the officers in a voice that was familiar and his....but at the same time, different somehow. This voice was calm, cool, collected...Yuugi was pretty sure he had never sounded like that.

"...Is that really me?" He whispered, still not able to remember ever saying anything like that. Once the tape got to parts he remembered, he saw himself looking confused and a little scared. The transition happened literally in a second, and it stunned Yuugi.

“… He really seems legitimate, Mai-san.” Droite said, staring at him through the glass. She didn’t have to look at Mai to know the woman was pissed off as hell. She was having her doubts, and while Gauche was still frowning, it was clear he was thinking the same of Yuugi.

“… It is Mutou. We did this yesterday."

“I...yeah, I know that...I remember this part...”  Yuugi said, motioning to the part where he was still lost and confused and speaking to Mai alone in the interrogation room.  Ukyou looked at the part, taking note of it.  Apparently this version of Yuugi was the one who didn't know anything about what had happened then.  That only left him with the question...where had the other version gone?  Was he still there, just hidden?  

Yuugi continued watching, reviewing the part that he did remember.  He saw Ukyou ask to take a blood test, and he remembered agreeing, despite his thoughts that he hadn't been doing drugs.  He gasped in alarm w hen he saw the powder shoot up on the footage and blast Ukyou in the face.

“What was that?!  What did I do there?”  He exclaimed in shock and fear, suddenly seeing himself smirk confidently.  Now, he couldn't remember this part again.  Ukyou frowned.

“You don't remember?” He asked.  Yuugi shook his head, looking at Ukyou in concern.  

“No!  I didn't do that, I swear!”  He said.

“You did. And you tried to order him for your escape.” Gauche frowned, his expression hardening once again. “Do you understand why there are so many charges against you, Mutou-san? If we weren’t prepared, you would have robbed him of his free will.” Gauche frowned.

Yuugi's expression kept shaping into a look of horror as Gauche talked, and he leaned back a bit in his seat to get away from him.

“I...I didn't...I don't remembering doing that...I see the video but I don't remember saying any of it!” Yuugi exclaimed.  His headache was getting worse as he got more scared, and he groaned a bit, holding his head.

“...I hurt people didn't I...or...this other me did...”  He said, remembering what Raphael had said about a possible split-personality.  Did he really have that?  Was that why there seemed to be a more confident version of him there?  

Ukyou nodded seriously.

“You have been charged before on accounts of gambling, attempted murder, and a few cases of murder itself, but those are old...the more important thing is the new case.” He showed Yuugi the photographs of the three CEOs he had killed.

“These three men are dead, Mutou-san.  Do any of them look familiar to you?”  Ukyou asked. Yuugi looked over the photographs cautiously, not recognizing any of them, until his eyes rested on the third one. He remembered briefly screaming in that man's presence.

“...I...saw him before...” Yuugi said softly, pointing at Amelda's picture.  

“He was...screaming...crying...covered in blood...and reaching for me.  I don't remember how he got that way...but...I just...I screamed. I didn't know what to do...” Yuugi said, looking a bit sick as he recalled it.

“… The witness. If the door was locked and there was no one inside the room but the victim and the murderer… then the murderer was the one who screamed. He’s the one who alerted the neighbours to call the police,” Anna muttered to herself. It was clear the others were thinking the same thing.

“… So why now? Out of all the murders, why is it only now this ‘innocent Yuugi’ is showing up?” Mai muttered. She was frustrated, mostly because a lot of this didn’t match what she had been researching about Yuugi, but at the same time… “It doesn’t make any sense.” It did. A lot of sense.

“So none of the others are familiar.” Gauche repeated

Ukyou was both intrigued and shocked.  The murderer had screamed, but that didn't fit the profile of an experienced killer like Mutou Yuugi.  Suddenly, the idea of a split personality was making sense.  But, like Mai, he was wondering why it was only now that this was noticeable.  

Yuugi shook his head sadly in response to Gauche's statement.

“No.  I've never seen them before.  I don't even know how I met this one that I did remember...there was nothing, then there was him...dying...”  He said shakily.  Ukyou sighed.

“Then I want to talk to the one who does know them.  We know it was you who killed them, Mutou-san.  Their deaths match your...style, shall we say.  You claimed yesterday to have no memory of the past seven years, but your body couldn't have been walking around doing this blindly. Someone else was in control, and that someone is still here, because we spoke to him yesterday.  You saw that on the tape just now.”  Yuugi listened, frowning.

“...I see that now...but...I didn't know there was another me...before today...so I don't...I don't know how to...switch?”  He said, his head hurting.  He was so tired...and felt sick...

“… Mai?” Droite looked up as Mai got up suddenly and got up to the door. The blonde was about to enter the room but stopped, looking up and staring at the door. She could see that the blonde was tense, angry even.

“Listen… you guys don’t know Mutou. I don’t know Mutou completely… but I do know that some part of him is aware of what’s going on. And I do know one other thing; he does have answers. I’m going to get them out of him.”

“Torture is illegal.” Anna said quickly. Mai didn’t even laugh. She just took a deep breath and composed herself. “You’re also not allowed in there!”

Mai didn’t care. She threw the door open and stomped in. Droite gaped as the woman slammed her hands on the desk and pointed at Yuugi.

“Mutou! I know you’re there, you rat bastard. I challenge you to a game! If you won’t tell us yourself, I’ll win some answers out of you!”

Ukyou and Gauche spun around in surprise when the door burst open and Mai strode in.  Yuugi flinched back in shock as Mai slammed her palms down on the table, surprised by her entrance.  But, that was the last thing he remembered, suddenly falling into black as Yami took over with a smile.

“Now that sounds much more appealing...I accept your challenge, Mai.”  The confident voiced version of Yuugi was back, it was clear to everyone.  Ukyou stared in surprise, before sighing and sitting down in the chair next to Mai.

“...I'll stay and supervise.���  He said, mostly for the sake of both parties.  Mai was clearly riled up, and the other Yuugi was dangerous.  Leaving them alone in a room together sounded like an all around bad idea.

“I’m out.” Gauche said immediately, shrugging and walking out. Once the door was shut, Mai closed the laptop and smirked.

“Rules are simple… Ukyou here goes and thinks of a number between one and ten. We have to guess that number. Whoever is closer gets to ask a question and answer honestly. Don’t answer honestly, and you get punished. It goes on until Ukyou here accidentally repeats three numbers in a row. Deal?"

“What if we both don't guess it, but we're both equally close to it?”  Yami asked immediately, clearly interested and immersed in the game. Ukyou decided to cut in.

“Then you both ask and answer a question.”  He said quickly, wanting this to work out in Mai's favour.  Yami smirked.

“Alright.  That's okay with me.  My first guess is number 7 then.”  Yami said.

“2.” Mai said, not looking at Ukyou. She had every intention to be true to her word and be fair.

Ukyou was impressed with Mai most of all.  Not only had she dragged the other Yuugi out, but she was also staying true to her word and not cheating, when she could have done so easily and gotten more questions out of him.  Thankfully this time, she had guessed closer.

“The number was 4.” Ukyou said, showing his fingers. Yami groaned a bit.

“Damn.  Alrighty then, Mai.  What do you want to know?”  

“Who hired you to kill these CEOs?” Mai said immediately, pointing down to the photos.

Yami smirked.

“It was someone rich, obviously.  They sent me envelopes with the payment in cash, and a folder of information about my next target.  I'm pretty sure whoever they are, they're also the ones who got me out of jail in the first place...but I never saw their face to thank them personally.”  Yami replied.  He was only partially lying here, and it was for self-defence more than anything.

“You don't have their name?” Ukyou asked.  Yami shook his head.

“Never knew who they were.” Yami mused.

“Next number I pick is 3.” He said, moving on.

“8.” Mai responded, feeling very unsatisfied with the answer. She crossed her arms and waited for Ukyou to announce what he had.

“2. Sorry Mai.”

Yami grinned when he was told he won that round, then pondered what sort of question he should ask Mai.

“How's your love life going, Mai?  Find anyone new and interesting?”  He finally decided on, knowing that Mai had been fending off advances from people for ages. Ukyou looked at Mutou in surprise.

“Ask something else...that's too personal.”  Yami shook his head.

“Mai didn't say that any topics are off limits, so the question is perfectly legal.  She can ask the same of me, if she wants, so it's perfectly fair.”  He argued, before looking at Mai expectantly.

“It’s fine, Ukyou. I have to give a little to get a lot,” Mai said. She smirked as she sat on the table and stretched. “Of course I did. I find lots of hot people. This one isn’t interested in me yet though, but I’ll get ‘em.”

“Droite, you’re blushing really hard.”

“Shut up, Gauche."

"Oh so you're chasing huh? Nice! Go for it Mai." Yami said with a grin.

"Alright next number you two." Ukyou said. Yami sighed.

"5"

Mai rolled her eyes and pouted. “Hmm… I like seven.”

“It was eight. Good job, Mai. You get another question,” Ukyou said.

“Okay, this is an easy one. What the hell is going on with this split personality bullshit? In our entire professional career, it’s never come up once. So why now?"

"Damn." Yami cursed, before he sighed.

"Wow that's a complicated question...alright I'll try to explain." Yami said, pausing to collect his thoughts.

"The innocent face you were talking to before the game is the true face of Mutou Yuugi. I only came out since Jr. High in fact....mostly as a response to bullying. Yuugi was scared, so I came out and dealt with those who scared him. Nobody noticed then because the switches didn't occur very often or for very long and Yuugi didn't have any friends who looked out for him."

"The bullying got worse in high school, so I came out more often to deal with it. But then, after high school, our grandfather got sick and died. Yuugi was devastated, because he had lost his only family, and essentially hid himself in our mind due to his grief for 7 years, leaving me to do as I pleased uninterrupted. I wasn't even sure if he'd ever come back. But, recently I guess Yuugi recovered and started coming out again...mostly as a response to...my emotions, probably. Raphael and other people were being nice to me for the first time, and I guess those nice feelings woke Yuugi up. That's my best guess for the "why now". This thing has never been diagnosed but I suppose "split personality" is as good a description as any." Yami said.

“I see…” Mai glanced back at Ukyou who was only frowning, processing the information. “So why crime? You don’t seem crazy or the type to just get into the criminal life. You like games after all. Normal games as well as your crazy stuff, wrong crowd?” Mai asked.

Outside, Droite was already scrambling with the others, trying to piece together Mutou’s history to make sure what he said was matching up. He had been known to be an amazing liar, so this could all be a rouse, even if all of them were having doubts abut that.

Yami smirked.

"That's two questions, Mai. You're breaking the rules...so if I answer this, you have to answer two for me next time." He mused.

"The reason is probably emotional. The way I see it, I was born of Yuugi's anger and frustration with those who hurt him and others just for fun. During those brief moments when I came out in school, all I ever did was punish those who hurt Yuugi. Sometimes they even died back then, but the cops dismissed it as gang fights because most of those guys were with the wrong crowd." He mused, knowing that his confession didn't really matter for his sentence at this point.

"After Jii-san got sick, I used my gaming skill to get into gambling. Yuugi needed money to pay for treatments. We had to sell the game shop, and drop out of college, and get a job to pay the bills but it wasn't enough. So, I came out at night to gamble and of course I was good and won a lot from those rich scumbags. That drew the wrong crowd to me, wanting to beat me up and intimidate me." Yami snickered.

"It gives you a rush you know? Outwitting some scumbag and punishing him...that's why I started learning about and making drugs, because they made the games more fun and also kept me safer. I'm not a big guy who can defend himself physically. All I got is my brain. Of course I do play friendly games too, but I had to earn a living somehow. I was broke after Jii-san died and had nowhere to live really."

“Yeah yeah,” Mai said, waving her hand. She listened to Yuugi’s long-winded explanation, having a feeling that he’d be repeating it a few times. She could practically hear that the police members were looking uncomfortable, seeing as that was identical what had happened to a few individuals.

“I see… So you became what you are, huh."

“Yeah.”  Yami replied, clutching his head a little.  Going into memory lane made Yuugi stir a little, and it didn't help that he still had a bit of a fever, he could tell.  

“Can we pick another number already?  6.”  He said with a small groan.

“… 2.” Mai muttered. “Good enough right?"

“It was 5.”  Ukyou said, showing his hand.  Yami was relieved.  He didn't want to answer anymore tough questions.

“Okay...so I get two questions then.”  He mused, pausing to think despite his aching head.

“...The person you like is that purple haired cop, right?  The smart but serious one?”  Yami mused with a small smirk.

Mai rolled her eyes but she flashed Yami a smile anyway and tossed her hair. “You catch on quick. She’s a super cutie that one.”

“Kill me,” Droite muttered.

Gauche chuckled.

“Come on, you like her too.” Gauche mused to his flustered friend.

Yami smirked.

“I think she does like you back...or at least she's curious.  And taking her time.  That's exactly what you like, so I figured she'd be the one.”  Yami said.

“So what're you gonna do to woo her, Mai?  Romantic dinner?  Movie? Carnival?  I know which one I'd like.”  Yami mused, thinking immediately of the carnival games.

Mai was about to tell him off for asking another question when she quickly caught herself. As Droite was muttering for Gauche to shut up, the blonde seemed to puff up proudly.

“I know she’s into me. I’m thinking dinner and a walk in the park. Something involved.”

“This is an interrogation…” Droite muttered.

Ukyou was thinking along similar lines to Droite, but allowed it because he noticed that Yuugi seemed to like the more casual setting better.  If it made him more talkative, it was probably worth it.

“Sounds nice!  She'll probably like that.  Let's hurry up and wrap up this case so you can ask her out yeah?” Yami mused winking playfully at Mai. Ukyou sighed.

“Pick another number then. Come on.”  He said.

“2.”  Yami said.

“6.” Mai said, fully aware that she and Yami had only swapped numbers.

“I picked 4...I guess that means you both ask each other a question.  Mai first.”  Ukyou cut in the last part, because he wanted to get a move on with the case.  Yami shrugged, not really caring who asked first, looking at Mai expectantly.

“So… you’re both Yuugi and yourself, correct… So Yuugi was present the night of Amelda’s murder. Tell me more about that. How did that work? You’re always aware of what happens but Yuugi always seems stunned and confused."  Mai said.

Yami listened and tried to formulate a good response.

“People call me 'Yuugi' because that's technically my legal name...but since there are two 'Yuugis', persay, I call myself 'Yami' instead.  It just makes things simpler...because we are very different in some regards.”  Yami started.

“I told you before that Yuugi was the original.  Because he was the original, I know everything he knows and feels.  From day one, I always saw what he saw, heard what he heard, etc...but the reverse was never true.  Yuugi was never aware of my existence consciously...but...he does sort of hear me, I think.  He just...forgets it.”  Yami said, feeling Yuugi probe his mind and pausing to close his eyes and clutch his head.

“...Yuugi is subconsciously trying to wake up...I can't ever completely hold him back...because I was never the original.  He could pop out any moment now...”  Yami said softly.

“...That's what happened with Amelda...Yuugi woke up for a split second...and saw him dying. Because he isn't ever aware of what I do consciously, he had no memory of Amelda, how he got the way he was, or where they were.  He screamed, and his fear was enough for me to...draw him back.  The same sort of thing happened with Raphael...but it was much more frequent.  We were switching every couple of hours...”  

“So that's why you gave Raphael your real name and dropped your act.  It wasn't really you...it was the original Yuugi saying those things.” Ukyou reasoned.  Yami nodded.

“Yuugi...never killed anyone...that was me, and me alone...”  

“You’re still both going to be going to jail, if not rehab. Even with pleads of split personality, you’ve given a lot of work for these poor police officers to get you off your death sentence. I can think of several big names and families that wants your head on a platter by the end of two months.” Mai frowned.

“So Yuugi comes out whenever he damn feels like it. You better write him a note, ‘Darkness’. It’s still his fingerprints on those knives and his hands that killed those men at the end of the day.”

Yami clutched his head.

“I'm well aware of that. Raphael already told me, and I understood the consequences if this job went bad.”

“...Yeah, and he feels like it now...”  Yami muttered, groaning.

“His hands are mine...so are his fingerprints.  But, it was my mind that thought it up, not his.  That's the difference.  If you handed me a knife, I might cut someone.  But if you gave the same knife to Yuugi, he'd never use it to hurt anyone. That's how he is.”  

“That's how you're gonna convince court.  We can't use the footage here at the trial, since what I'm doing is 'technically' outside of protocol.”  Mai frowned. “You can use this time to talk to Yuugi. Anything you want us to play back for him?”  

“She acts like she's in charge.”  Anna muttered outside.  “I bet she's just out of questions.”

Ukyou was simply watching. He didn't really have anymore questions right now.

"Okay..." Yami said.  He waited for Mai to turn on the recording device then started speaking.

“Yuugi, this is your other you.  You can call me 'Yami', if you want.   I talked to the officers and told them what they wanted to know, so hopefully, they won't ask you too many more questions about the case."  Yami said, glancing up at Ukyou slightly when he said that.

"Raphael visited us yesterday in our cell, remember?  After you talked to him, I did for awhile.  He told me that he was working on getting a psychiatrist, and a lawyer for you.  I know you wanna know what's wrong...I don't even know exactly what it is, so I'm curious too.  Please cooperate with them...they're not going to hurt you.  Everything will be okay if we both cooperate, and I plan to." Yami spoke to reassure his other half. He paused, feeling his head pulse a little, before adding in.

"Try not to worry, Yuugi.  I'm pretty sure we have a fever from switching through the night...so please try and relax.  We can probably sleep it off, and I promise I won't try and switch if you go to sleep." He said.  He hit the stop button on the record and closed his eyes.

"Can I go back to my cell and sleep now?"  He asked.

Mai smiled as she stopped the recording and looked at the head police officer. “Well Ukyou, satisfied? If we missed anything, we can get it tomorrow. Looks like these two will cooperate in the future.”

“I believe so. We have quite a bit to work with already. Thank you for being honest.”

“Thanks for the game, hon.” Mai said.

“I'm not as big a liar as people think...”  Yami mused. He smirked a bit.

“Games make everything more fun, don't they?  We should play another soon.”  He mused. He started to get up, but then immediately sat back down and clutched his head.

“...Yuugi's coming out now.” He warned seconds before the switch occurred.  Yuugi glanced up weakly, blinking in confusion, especially at Mai.

“...Oh no...I switched again, didn't I...”  He said softly, looking a little worried.

Ukyou smiled at Yuugi as Mai looked away, taking the recorder off of her.

“Yeah, you did, but it’s alright. Come on… we’ll let you go rest. I want you to listen to something while you’re in the cell.”

Yuugi blinked in surprise that suddenly these officers seemed to be acting nicer to him. He supposed that meant nothing bad happened. He got up when asked.

"What do I have to listen to?"

“This recording. It might clear things up for you. It’s a message from your alter ego.” Ukyou said, guiding him back.

Yuugi followed obediently back to his cell.

"A message...from the more confident me..." He murmured, feeling surprised and a little bit worried. This was the one that had hurt people right? What would the message say then? But, the Superintendent seemed to think it would help clear things up, so Yuugi decided he could accept it. He did want answers after all.

"Okay. I'll listen to it." He decided.

Ukyou went to put Yuugi away and make sure he knew how the recording worked before he left the boy with it. He trusted the others to do what was needed, so he figured that being there to answer questions wouldn’t hurt.

What he didn’t expect was Droite walking up to Mai back in the interrogation room and scowling at her, arms crossed.

“I have a good mind to slap you."

Yuugi accepted the device and made sure he understood how it worked before pressing play. He listened to his other half - Yami, he'd asked to be called - talk to him in a calm and collected voice. It still threw Yuugi for a loop, but it was reassuring to hear that his other half didn't seem to be aggressive.   He smiled a bit when Raphael was mentioned, glad that the man was looking out for him.  He wanted to know about his illness, and he also wanted to know more about his other self.

“Yami...”  He mused softly once the recording ended, before lying down.  He was kinda tired, and so, feeling reassured, he went to sleep.

Mai sighed.

"Sorry hon. Being honest is part of the game, and I had to tell the truth. I tried to keep it vague, but Mutou is smart." She said to the other woman.

“Being honest? Don’t take me for an idiot. As if you want to actually…” Droite shook her head and scowled. “The whole game thing was ridiculous. That was totally… argh!"

Mai smirked.

"Yes, it was ridiculous, but it worked didn't it? Mutou talked and we have things to go by now." She said, before her gaze softened.

"I meant what I said though...I would like to take you out, if you wanted." Mai said.

Droite narrowed her eyes but her cheeks blossomed a bright pink. “… No. … I… No. I absolutely refuse. We have work, Mai. This is no time for fooling around.”

Mai smiled and chuckled.

"Of course. I don't mean now. We have Mutou's case to deal with." She said confidently, not too discouraged by the rejection. Droite was cute when she blushed.

"We'll wait and see what happens when all this mess is cleared up."

“Don’t think I’ll say yes then,” Droite blushed, before turning and storming off. Gauche and Anna looked at each other and then blankly looked at Droite.

“She’s… a tsundere.”

“You two are particularly annoying this morning. First Ukyou, now me… get to work."

Mai smiled a little as Droite took off.  She enjoyed the challenge of getting Droite to admit her feelings.

“Yeah yeah.  Let's get started before Ukyou yells at us again.” She mused, joining Anna, Gauche and Droite in their effort to put together Mutou's history.  

“So far, it looks like he's telling the truth...the Mutou family game shop was losing business steadily in the years leading up to his grandfather's death.  It couldn't keep up the competition with the bigger game shops...and the grandfather had hardly any health insurance.  He gave most of it to Yuugi.”  Anna said with a frown.  

“And the rest of the story checks out,” Gauche said, pulling up some old records on the computer. ‘I need to double check with some insurance companies and land owners, but seems like he’s telling the truth. Turns out our psycho is really just some kid with head problems"

“And money problems, apparently.  The few accounts he opened to store his funds were basically empty all the time...” Anna murmured.  She wondered if he had been homeless for awhile, since there was no record of where he had stayed.

“He's a gambler, so his funds do fluctuate quite a bit.  Obviously as a fugitive, he wouldn't have used accounts, so he probably keeps his money in cash hidden somewhere.  I doubt he was as broke this time, considering he was paid for the three kills he did do.”  Mai mused.

“Better ask him where his blood money is.”Gauche muttered. “Might do the kid some good giving him a hand.”

“Yeah, we should get more details on that...maybe it will lead us to whoever hired him.  In a way, they're also the murderers.”  Anna said.

“Maybe we can get some information on that dealer too...the one who's selling Devil's Breath.  That guy needs to be stopped too.”  Droite suggested.

“Oh yeah, we forgot about him.” Gauche said. “Maybe Yami will know where he is. If he doesn’t know his employer, he may know where that guy is lurking.”

“Indeed...I guess we may have to play another game with him soon.”  Mai said, secretly a little excited.  Droite frowned.

“We can't do anything unofficial...”  She said, blushing a bit as she recalled the results of the game a few minutes ago.  

“Tsundere.” Anna said, giving Gauche a thumbs up behind Droite’s back. Gauche grinned cheekily back but put his hand on Droite’s shoulder.

“But we can legally interrogate him. He wants to work with us now. Let’s ask him.” Gauche said, trying to compromise.

Droite huffed a little, but didn't complain.  Gauche was right after all.

“We'll let him rest for now, and then ask him more questions when he wakes up.”  Anna agreed.

“For now, lets look into those records. Let’s go."

“Yes, let's.”  Droite said, immediately going with Gauche, mostly to get away from Mai.  Mai and Anna stayed behind to work with what they had.  On the way out of the station, Gauche and Droite ran into Raphael, who was just coming in.

“Raphael-sama.  You're back again?  Is something wrong?”  Gauche asked in surprise, approaching the man.

Raphael looked a little surprised being addressed but the man smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just wanted to talk to Yuugi. Is he alright to see people? Or is he having a nap?"

“I'm afraid he's sleeping right now.  He had a bit of a rough night, unfortunately.  We interrogated him not too long ago to get some details about his condition and background.  Gauche and I were about to investigate further.”  Droite said.  

“Right… Well you can answer my questions then. If I wanted to get a lawyer for Yuugi, one not issued by the state, how would I go around about it? Do I need to bring someone here?” He asked.

“We can give you recommendations of some law firms that employ quite a few skilled litigators. Usually their individual profiles will tell you their win-loss records.  Should they accept the case, the lawyer would have to meet with Mutou to discuss the case, so they will have to come here and meet privately with him.” Droite said.

“I see…” Raphael paused and frowned. “Is it possible to ask for the lawyer who worked on the Vector case? He did an astounding job turning the tables on the expected, and if Yuugi needs someone to save him from the death penalty, I think that guy would help."

“Ah yes...I remember that one.”  Gauche said with a slight scowl.

“That's Matsuda Beryl. He's brilliant, and has a very high win record from what I recall.  But, I hear he's a little picky with his cases...you have to have an in to get to him. But, it's worth a shot.  He'd be a good one for Mutou.”  Gauche said.  Droite printed off the address of Matsuda's office building and a phone number to contact him and handed it to Raphael.

“Here you go.  Let us know if you need another contact.”  

“Right… I’ll see what I can do to get him. Thank you kindly officers” Raphael bowed and took the forms, putting them in his backpack. Then the blonde headed back out to his motorcycle, putting it into the vehicle’s gps and driving to the office.

When he reached the office, the secretary named Miko was there to greet him at the front desk.

“Hello sir, how can I help you today?”  She asked Raphael politely when he entered.

Raphael smiled at the purple-haired girl. “Hi, I’d like an appointment to see a Matsuda Beryl. Is he available to speak to today?” he asked.

“Hmm...he said he wasn't to be disturbed today, but I can ask him if he has time soon.”  Miko said.  She recognized the man in front of her as a CEO, and knew he was a valuable client.  Almost anyone else, she would have denied outright.  She turned on her phone and made a call to Matsuda's office.

The reason Mist had asked not to be disturbed was because he was spending some time with Thomas. Since he technically wasn't allowed to just be absent from work, he had gotten into the habit of inviting Thomas to the workplace when he felt lonely and needed a break from his paperwork and cases.  He had been in the middle of a chat when his phone rang and he scowled.

“Miko, I said not to bug me.”  He said.

“I am aware, Matsuda-san, but Kawahara Raphael-sama is here to see you.”  Mist's eyes widened.

“The CEO?”  He exclaimed, surprised.  He had dealt with CEOs before, but it was rare.  He glanced at Thomas, considering his options.

“Alright.  Tell him I'll come get him in a few minutes.”  Mist said.  He hung up and turned to Thomas.

“Sorry love, but a high quality client requires my presence.  We'll have to take a short break.”  He purred.

Thomas had been feeling a bit bored and lonely, especially since his hours and Mist’s ones often clashed. However, he had been rather pleased that the man had been inviting him over, letting him drink his scotch and laugh. The red-head was in the middle of a rant about his brother- ‘He FINALLY gets laid and Miheal won’t pay up’ - when Mist stopped him.

The model raised his eyebrow and he frowned when the other replied to the receptionist. Great… he forgot his babe was a sell-out.

“Ugh… you’re working too hard. I thought today was our day.” Thomas muttered. “Must be some fancy big shot, right? Rude."

Mist sighed.

“I really am working too hard...I'm sorry, Thomas.  He's one of the richest men in Heartland.  I'll try to deal with this as fast as I can.  Why don't you go bug Tetsuo for awhile?  He's been pretty bored lately.”  Mist said, getting up and straightening up his appearance.  He gave Thomas a small peck on the cheek.

“We'll catch up more when I get back...do whatever you want.”  He promised with a small smirk, before heading out to greet Raphael.  He strode up to the bigger blonde man confidently, recognizing his face from television.

“Kawahara Raphael-sama, I presume?  My name is Matsuda Beryl.  Pleased to meet you.”  He said, offering a hand to shake.

“No he isn’t. He has normal cases to work with. You’re the bored one who is soooo specific,” Thomas frowned. He sighed as his boyfriend kissed him and grabbed the bottle and his cup. “Fine, but if Tetsuo and I drink all of it, you can’t charge us.” He headed out to the next hallway as his boyfriend left, muttering about not actually going out anywhere fun anymore.

“Ah, Matsuda-san. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” Raphael said, shaking the other’s hand. “I just need to ask you a few things. You’re free now right?"

Despite the fact that he really wanted to get back to Thomas, Mist nodded with a smile.

“Yes, I am for awhile. Shall we step into my office?”  He said, inviting the man back.  He knew Thomas had taken the bottle so his office had no signs of his fooling around.  He sat down at his desk and watched Raphael sat across the desk from him.

“What can I do for you?”

Raphael smiled and followed along into the large, expensive-looking office. He took a seat as requested and took out a few things from his backpack.

“You’re a defence attorney, correct? I’ve read and watched your performances many times before, and I have a favour to ask. Are you aware of Mutou Yuugi?” He asked, sliding the manilla file over to Black Mist.

Mist listened, nodding.

“I am.”  He said with a smirk.  He paused as he heard the name.  It did sound familiar...

“Mutou Yuugi...”  He mused, picking up the folder when offered and opened it.  His eyes widened slightly as he saw the mug shots.  Oh yes, he knew this man...internally he was smirking as he recalled meeting up with him several years ago a few times.

“Ah, the Shadow Gamer...yes, I have heard of this man.  He's been caught, I heard.”  He said, glancing at Raphael.

“Are you asking me to take on his case?”  He asked, connecting the dots pretty easily.

“Yes, if it’s possible. I’m willing to cover the expenses to get you on his behalf, just as long as he doesn’t get the death sentence and the help that he needs…” Raphael said.

Mist didn't respond for a moment, looking over the details of the file.  He frowned.

“This would be a tough one...he's made some very powerful enemies.  Frankly, I'm surprised that it's you who's asking me to defend him, considering he tried to kill you.”  Mist mused.

“And...this 'split-personality' note here...what exactly does that mean?  There's nothing here that solidifies it...all that 'switching' could be lying.”  Mist was speaking from experience here.  He had known Mutou Yuugi and had never seen any signs of mental illness in him.  Yes, he'd been a bit odd and definitely not in a normal mind-set, but then again, neither was Black Mist.  They were both perfectly sane, really.  

“The police know more of the specifics but I was there when he was breaking down,” Raphael said, sighing. “Mutou was pretending to be a child in order to kill me, and had me drugged so I would take him in. However, during his stay, instead of killing me, he had moments when he was very lucid and he didn’t know what he was doing. He was a child, really. A different person.”

“Mutou only was able to get arrested because of his split personality. He panicked, he was unstable. His real self hasn’t been out in years, but it’s only because of circumstances that it’s coming back out. On one level, yes, he could be lying but if you talked to him, you’d realise it.”

Mist considered Raphael's words.  He knew that Mutou was capable of pulling off facades.  He had seen him take down men twice his size by using his appearance to trick them into letting down their guard.  But...in that circumstance, Mist had to admit that changing his facade half-way through a job didn't sound like Mutou.  Maybe something was wrong.

“...Then perhaps it would be beneficial if I talked to him before I decide whether to take this case or not.  It seems that a lot of this would be riding on this 'split-personality' business...I need to know if it's something I can pitch appropriately or not.”  Mist concluded.  Seeing Mutou again made him excited anyway.

“He’s resting now at the police station. Tomorrow would be better if you’re free. The trial hasn’t been decided yet but I’d imagine it would be in a few weeks, given the other CEOs push to have him executed."

“Yes, tomorrow would work for me.”  Mist said, pleased that it meant that he would be able to get back to Thomas quickly and not have to run off to the station.  

“I'll let the officers at the station know I am interested for now, and arrange a talk with Mutou-san. The quicker we do so, the better.”

“Thank you.” Raphael said, pleased this was going really quickly. “is there anything you need to know that I can help with?"

Mist was equally pleased that things were advancing so quickly too.

“Hmm...well, not that I can think of at the moment.  I'll look over this file and bring up any questions with Mutou tomorrow.  Did he send you on his behalf?  Usually it's the client himself who calls me.”  

“No, he didn’t. Mutou assumed he wasn’t going to have any lawyer asides from one from the state one. I just wanted to help him.” Raphael said, thinking about the young man.

“That is what happened last time, according to the file.”  Mist noted.  He nodded.

“I see.  I'm very impressed by your kindness.  I will meet with Mutou-san tomorrow...will you be attending that meeting?”  

“If I’m allowed, I’d like to.” He said quietly. “I want to make sure he’s okay."

“That would be permitted if the client allows it, of course.”  Mist said.  

“Thank you, Matsuda-san. I’m glad that you’re willing to see him.”

“My pleasure, Raphael-sama. I am curious to meet the infamous Shadow Gamer that's been all over the news lately.”  Mist said, though internally he was even more excited to see his old fuck-buddy again.  It had been a long time since he'd seen Mutou, and even though he was happy with Thomas, he did still like reminiscing on the good old days.

“Is that everything you wanted to see me about?”  

“That’s all. If you need more time to think afterwards, then you can tell me tomorrow.”

“Excellent.  Here is my card...we'll be in touch if anything comes up.”  Mist said, getting up and handing Raphael his business card.  He let Raphael out of his office and saw him out.  But, before he went back to get Thomas, he took the manilla folder and looked over Mutou's picture.

“...I have missed this one too...”  He mused, remembering the fun role-play games they'd enjoyed all those nights several years ago.  He was excited to see him again, that was for sure.  He traced the picture with his finger as he dialled Tetsuo's office line, wanting to let Thomas know he was done with his client.

“You come get me yourself,” Thomas said, picking up straight away, not bothering to check if it really was Mist. “Tetsuo is more fun and at least he knows how to keep people out.”

Mist laughed as Thomas picked up the phone.  

"What would you have done if that was a client?" He mused. He lay the picture of Mutou on his desk before getting.

"Alright love. I'll be there soon...hope you didn't drink all my scotch yet." He said, before hanging up and heading to Tetsuo's office.

“Tetsuo knows how to set boundaries, like when he’s out to lunch.” Thomas huffed.

“Oy, oy… Don’t bring me into this.” Tetsuo said, sipping his drink, before moving his paper work away from Thomas, who splayed out on his desk.

Mist chuckled as he entered the office.

“I'm out to lunch now, of course.  No one else will bug me at all.”  He mused, sauntering into the office and smirking at Thomas.

“I enjoy the view of you splayed out before me...shame that it's on another man's desk.”  He purred, kissing his cheek.

“Stop bringing your boyfriend into the office.” Tetsuo said, though he knew the other wouldn’t listen to him. He didn’t mind though, since Thomas was a good friend.

“I have a good excuse. My mean boyfriend keeps rejecting my advances,” Thomas said, sitting up but staying up on the desk. “What’s your excuse? Who was that?”

“I didn't bring him. He went on his own free will.  And I doubt anything I say will change the fact that he likes to bug you.”  Mist said to his colleague with a smirk.  

“His name was Kawahara Raphael, one of the richest men in Heartland as I told you.  But, interestingly, he came to offer me a case. He wants me to defend the one who's been killing all those CEOs lately...Mutou Yuugi.”  Mist practically purred out his name.

“I'm very tempted to accept...but, I suppose having a talk with an old friend will be needed first.”

“You invited him/me” Thomas and Tetsuo said, Thomas purposely mimicking Tetsuo. Tetsuo groaned and rubbed his temples as Thomas laughed.

“Kawahara-san? … Wanting to defend Mutou Yuugi? So this guy was the one pitting Mutou on everyone and now he wants to defend him?” Tetsuo asked.

“Old friend? You know Mutou?"

Mist snickered.

“I was surprised too...apparently, Raphael likes him in a paternal-like way.  He saw something innocent and child-like in him apparently...and wants to look after that.  You know all his orphanage work...perhaps he thinks Mutou is a charity case he can invest in.  Either way, I get paid for the job, so I don't really care what the relationship is.” Mist said with a shrug.  He smirked.

“Yes, love, I know him. Or rather, I knew him.  We met several years ago, before I was practising law. I haven't seen him for awhile, but to this day, I haven't met a better gamer.  He could turn anything and everything into a game, and that made my nights with him both entertaining and exciting.”  Mist mused.

“Oooh, sounds kinky. Or really nerdy. You’re a fucking nerd, Mist.” Thomas laughed, sipping more of his drink, his dark cheeks slightly pink.

“You mean it sounds like an interesting case,” Tetsuo said. “I’m not surprised he came to you, given both Mutou’s and your reputation.”

“It's a little of both...Mutou loved history and played a Pharaoh in my games.  I called him 'Atemu' or 'Temie' for short.  We both loved to dress up in fancy jewels, and Mutou had a pendent that was actually from Ancient Egypt, so when he got dressed up, he really looked like a King.”  Mist chuckled.

“It is interesting...but it may be tough to win.  The file claims Mutou has split-personality disorder or something...I'm seeing him tomorrow to know exactly what that means, but a lot would be riding on it. If I can't prove he's mentally ill, he'll probably get the death penalty.  It's like Vector all over again.”  Mist said.

“Oh god, that’s actually disgusting.” Thomas laughed. “You’re such a nerd. I bet you were one hell of a slave.” Tetsuo gave Thomas a disgruntled look -‘please don’t say that in my office- but Thomas just kissed the younger man’s forehead and clinked their glasses together.

“Interesting… The Vector case was like that but Vector never actually outright murdered anyone i cold blood. Not confident you can do it?” Tetsuo asked, genuinely concerned.

Mist chuckled.

“Indeed...we didn't always play that though.  Temie was very good at shaking things up.”  He mused.  He laughed at Tetsuo.

“Now I'm really jealous...Tetsuo gets kisses from Thomas but not me?”  He said, with a fake pout.

“Well, like Vector's case, it will depend entirely on whether or not I can convince people he's mentally ill.  I know Mutou can put on facades...but the problem is there isn't any other way to prove it in the file right now.  People could say he's lying, especially since he's going back and forth between knowing nothing and knowing everything.  There was never any doubt that something was wrong with Vector, given the way he was known to act during his hacks.  Mutou's quieter...all we got is someone killing CEOs and cops in cold blood...with very cool, calculated and clearly intelligent moves.  They were deliberate and so there's nothing insane about that.” Mist said.

“Oh please, I kiss you all the time.” Thomas said, leaning up and kissing his partner. Tetsuo just continued as if it was nothing.

“Odd he’s going the mentally ill route. That's not exactly good for Mutou, right? I mean isn’t it better trying to appeal for a life sentence over the death penalty? He’s not exactly weak, and there’s not much he gets out of being in an asylum.”

Mist returned the kiss with a smile.  

“Somehow it's never enough.” He teased.

“I suppose it is odd...but what other option does he have?  The argument against him if he didn't go the mentally ill road would be that he's broken out from prison before.  Think about all the recent prison breaks, but in contrast, there's been only one escape from the Correctional Facility, and that was Vector years ago. He'd be more secure there.”  Mist pointed out.

“Fair enough…” Tetsuo said, thinking quietly to himself. “Sounds like you have a lot of work to do if you accept.”

“You’ll be paid handsomely if that CEO is funding it,” Thomas said, trying his best to sound sober and part of the conversation, even though he was leaning against Black Mist like some cheap hoe.

“Indeed...the CEO is part of the reason why I'm considering accepting.  The other is Mutou himself.  I liked him...in a way, he reminded me of you.”  Mist said, looking at Thomas and wrapping an arm around him.

“He has similar eyes to you, and hairstyle, colours and all, believe it or not.  He's smart like you too.  Wild and untamable.”  Mist said, smiling at his boyfriend and giving him a small peck.

“Show me a photo, and I’ll believe it.” Thomas muttered. He looked at Mist and blushed before looking away. “You’re just saying that to make me happy.”

“Oh my god, are you even listening to me telling you to stop eye-fucking each other in my office?” Tetsuo said, throwing his arms up in exasperation.

“Nothing ever satisfies you, Tetsuo.  I try to be loving here, and you yell.  I try to be loving in my own office, and you bang on my door and tell me to stop.” Mist said with a smirk.  He pulled Mutou's mug shot photos out of his pocket.

“This isn't the best shot of him, but it's all I got to show you.  See?  His hair and eyes are like yours.”  Mist said, showing Thomas, kissing his temple.

“Don’t do it at work. You live together.” Tetsuo muttered. It was really hard to work when the two were fucking each other on the couch a few rooms over.

“….. I’m prettier…” Thomas said. staring at it. “I’m also older. If that’s him now, you must have been into jailbait before, Mist.” That had Tetsuo laugh.

Mist smiled innocently at Tetsuo.

“We're hardly at home at the same time.”  He mused, and it was true.  He nodded.

“Yes, you are much prettier. Even your mug shot would be better than his.”  He agreed. He snorted.

“I did have a taste for the young ones, yes.  And Mutou looks especially young if you see him in person...he's about 150 cm tall. That's how he fools people...he looks innocent and helpless, but if you get close enough, he will take you down.”

Tetsuo sighed. It really wasn’t his problem, even if it was really, really fucking annoying when he was trying to be productive.

“Wow, he’s teeny… Teeny tiny.” Thomas muttered, pouted. “I’m sorrrrryyy..."

"Yes, he is. You sound like you've had a bit too much scotch love." Mist mused with a laugh.

“He downed half the bottle as soon as he walked in.” Tetsuo added helpfully. Thomas scowled and shook his head.

“I’m not. I’m just apologising I’m not a teenage boy. Otherwise Mist would fuck me more.” Thomas muttered, the model standing up and pretending to be steady on his feet.

Mist sighed, swooping Thomas up bridal style because despite his attempts to look steady, he really didn't look like he'd stay up for long.

"If that's what you really want, then I'll be more than happy to oblige." Mist purred into Thomas' ear.

“You can’t make me any younger.” Thomas muttered, slapping him a little on the arm. “You’re mean."

"No I can't. But I don't want you any younger. I'm not so young anymore either you know. If you were any younger, I wouldn't be able to keep up with you." Mist mused, nuzzling his cheek slightly.

“You can’t even keep up with me now,” Thomas muttered. “I’ll at least be prettier then you when I’m fired for being ugly and forced to stay at home all day.”

"Yes, you'll always be prettier than me. That's why they won't fire you for a long time, babe." Mist said.

“But I’m getting older and I’ll lose my appeal and I’ll be all gross because I can’t do anything otherwise.” Thomas said, clearly getting to the depressive drunk stage. Tetsuo grimaced, feeling a little awkward here at the sudden turnabout from the previously playful Thomas.

Mist sighed softly.

"You'll find something else if you ever get there, honey. Come on, let's go get you some water and get you home okay? I'll take the rest of the day off so well be together. Is that okay with you?" He asked.

“Fine… See you Tetsuo. Enjoy the rest of the bottle.” Thomas started. Then he stopped and got out of Mist’s arms and downed the rest of the scotch. Tetsuo stared in disbelief before Thomas handed him the empty bottle. “Enjoy the bottle.”

“See you Thomas… good to talk to you…” he muttered.

Mist was surprised when Thomas dropped out of his arms and sighed as he watched Thomas down the bottle.

"See you later, Tetsuo. Lemme know if you're interested in coming with me to meet Mutou tomorrow." He said, before helping Thomas out of the room and bringing him to the break room so he could get some water.

"Thomas, love, drink this."  He said to him, not really wanting him to be hung over and cranky later.

“Eh? I’m allowed to come?” Tetsuo was about to ask more questions to his co-worker but he figured it was probably better to wait for the evening. He’d send a text later. He could hear the duo go back to the break room, and Thomas groaned as he took the water.

“Its not that big of a deal..."

“I'm just looking out for you.  We both know you get cranky when you're hungover.”  Mist replied, giving Thomas another cup once he had finished the first one.

“We can do whatever you want now, okay?”  

Thomas stared at Mist and then slurped the drink. “Bleh… Not in the mood anymore. I’m shit like that."

“You don't wanna spend time with me anymore?  How mean...now that I want to be with you, you don't want me back.”  Mist said with a pout.

“Seems fair. What are you going to do about it? Punish me?"

Mist smirked, quick to grab Thomas in a hug.

“Yes.  I'm not going to let you leave, so you have to spend time with me.”  He mused.

Thomas gave a drunken laugh and kissed his face. “You’re an asshole.”

“I'm your asshole.” Mist countered.

“No it isn’t. You rarely let me top,” Thomas scowled, getting in his face, alcohol-laden breath curling. “I rarely show my fanservice."

“You're the only one who's never paid to top me.”  Mist said truthfully.  He kissed his cheek.  

“I adore your fanservice, and I will let you show it whenever you want, as long as you don't feel obligated.”

“Maybe later….” He muttered, nuzzling him. “I’m not coordinated enough for this.”

“Okay...did you wanna go home and snuggle for awhile then?”  He asked, nuzzling Thomas back.

Thomas sighed. “I’m fine. I’m just… god, I’m crazy about you, you know, you bastard.” Thomas muttered. “I’m too old to be coddled but I want to."

"You're not too old." Mist said with a smile, kissing Thomas' cheek and picking him up again to carry him back to his office.

"I love you too."

“Mist… what if someone sees…” Thomas muttered, though he just flopped uselessly back like the drama queen he was.

"No one will. They're all in their offices working hard." Mist mused, kissing Thomas' temple. Sure enough, nobody saw them as they headed back.

"I have to read this file on Mutou, so we can cuddle while I do?" He suggested, sitting Thomas down in his lap and hugging him.

“… Fine. That’s acceptable.” Thomas said, remaining limp.

"Good." Mist said, holding Thomas close and opening the file to read it as quickly as possible.

Thomas smirked a bit as he knew he won and cuddled into Mist’s lap, glad that he really did care. He still cared after all these years.

-x-

Chris woke up the day after his sex with Ukyou feeling happier than he'd felt in a long time. He felt light and happy and found himself smiling a lot more than usual. He braided his hair while humming happily, not noticing the hickeys on his neck because he was lost in his daydreams of him and Ukyou together. He had a text from Miheal asking to meet with him to discuss the case they were both part of. The police had contacted him about possible testing for mental illness, Chris knew. So he arranged a meeting with his brother for later that day before driving down to the Correctional Facility to meet him.

Michael had figured that Chris wanted to see him after learning he was involved in Mutou’s case, and he was given the form to start psychiatric evaluation. The man was waiting in his office- receptionist told to send Dr. C Arclight up to him- looking over Koutei’s case. He figured he’d be busy with these two for a while… and both were certainly unusual cases.

Chris was escorted up to his baby brother's office by the guards after he had introduced himself to the receptionist.

"Good afternoon, Miheal." Chris said with a smile that was brighter than usual as he was let into the office.

Miheal looked up and smiled at his brother, getting up to hug him. It was always nice to see his family. He noticed Chris looking a lot more cheery than usual, but it wasn’t until after he gave his brother a good squeeze did he see his brother’s neck, hiding behind the veil of hair.

“………. Nii-san, are you always this unprofessional? You're covered in hickeys and to go with your morning-after glow"

Chris returned the hug, but his face went red.

"...I don't know what you're taking about..." He muttered with a flush, adjusting his collar.

“I take it your time with Ukyou is going well, huh? I didn’t know you were so bad. That’s more Thomas’ deal: going to someone’s office for something cheeky like that.” Miheal said, pulling up a chair for him. “Gosh."

"How the hell did you know that?" Chris asked, sitting down.

“…” Miheal stared at him. “… I was joking. You actually did that in your office? Nii-san!"

Chris flushed.

"Ugh...never mind my love life.  We have a job to do here." He muttered.

“… Yes… Quite.” Miheal sighed and sat down at his desk. “So you wanted to see me, Nii-san?"

"Yes." Chris said, clearing his throat.

"I heard that the cops contacted you about their newest arrest, Mutou Yuugi. My Devil's Breath antidote worked after he tried to drug Ukyou, so I will have to fill out a report on that...meaning I might have to be in court to help prosecute him. But something seems to be wrong with him...I was wondering whether or not you would have the time to do some tests on him."

“I was thinking of it. I said I’d get back to them but usually I sort this out” Miheal shrugged. “What’s wrong?"

"It's very strange. I watched the interrogation the other day and it seemed to me that Mutou was experiencing head pain, then suddenly forgot everything that had just been said and had no idea what was going on. Not only that but his personality shifted from calm and confident to weary and shy in the blink of an eye. And even later during the interrogation, he switched back to the first persona again just as quickly. I've never seen anything like it, have you?"

“… I have actually. Perhaps not as dramatic as how you’re describing it, but it’s not improbable. Given he’s not faking and judging from what you said, he has - in simple terms - a split personality disorder.”

"According to what I gathered in the interrogation, one of his personalities is missing 7 years worth of memories, so it does seem dramatic."

"Would such an illness show up on a brain scan? I'm curious how one would determine the truth." Chris mused.

“If it’s impaired to that extent, it might. However, I can’t guarantee that unfortunately"

"Alright...I suppose we could do some basic lie detection tests as well. I believe the police team also did a drug test just in case." Chris said.

“Hm? Psychiatric analysis, diagnostics… The works, I suppose. Depends how deep the cops want me to examine the patient,” Miheal said, implying he was going to be spending a while on the case himself.

“I imagine they'll want to be thorough.  He faces the death penalty unless they can prove he's mentally ill.”  Chris mused.  He smiled a bit.

“It looks like you have quite a bit of work ahead of you.”  He said.

“Don’t I always, Nii-san? It’s nothing new. I’ll get to the bottom of what’s really going on in Mutou’s brain.” Miheal said, stretching.

“Yeah...you will, I know it. If you do prove he's mentally ill, we might be on opposite sides in court, since someone might argue that Mutou deliberately tried to drug the superintendent and I might have to testify what I saw.  That'll be interesting.”  Chris mused.

“Sounds interesting. I do hope you’re prepared, Nii-san. Testimony in court isn’t easy.” Miheal said, concerned for his older brother suddenly.

“I know...I do have time to prepare.  I just know that all I have to do is tell the truth...”  Chris said, waving off Miheal's concern.

“I could always ask you for pointers.  You've testified quite a bit.”  

“Not that much, but they call me in more than the others. I’m the most confident of the staff, even though I’ve been trying to encourage the others to get out there more with their patients.” Miheal shrugged.

"So I should be confident too huh? That's good for you though. You're a well known and trusted face because of it." Chris pointed out.

“Confident as in not cocky, but sure of your facts and your case. Let the lawyers get emotional. Be the level reason of the argument"

"Alright. I think I can do that." Chris said.

"Oh and um...could you not tell anyone about myself and Ukyou? We don't want it to jeopardize anything, although I doubt it would..." Chris said with a small blush.

“….. Of course, Nii-san. It’s not my place to say.” Miheal said.

Chris sighed and smiled.

"Thanks...don't tell Thomas either. You know what a gossip he is. If he found out, he'd tell half the city...and probably collect on bets..." Chris mused, rolling his eyes at his brother's antics.

Miheal laughed, doing his best to try and make his voice as level and not awkward as he could. “Knowing him, he’s probably figured it out already. You know how he is."

Chris sighed.

"Yeah...he's sneaky. I just hope he doesn't spread things too far." Chris said with a small chuckle.

“He has some standards,” Miheal said, waving him off. “he’ll be fine, really"

"I hope so. But he does have a lawyer for a partner...if he shares things too much the information could come up in court." Chris said. He shook his head.

"I hope the case gets resolved soon so I won't have to worry about it anymore."

Miheal’s face darkened. “Nii-san… he shouldn’t say anything. I’ll call him to make sure” He didn’t want anyone arrested or in trouble for some dumb prank.

“Please.  I really don't want him to say anything...”  Chris said with a sigh, a small blush on his cheeks.

“I’ll text him. Hopefully he’ll keep his mouth shut.” Miheal still looked serious “He’s still dating Matsuda… it’s likely that the police will have him defend Mutou”

“Yeah...Matsuda did Vector's case didn't he?  He'd probably be an ideal candidate for someone like Mutou.  That's assuming Mutou can afford him, but I think Raphael-sama might be helping him so that may not be an issue.”  Chris mused.

“Hm? Oh, Gilag… I haven’t seen him lately.” The man shrugged.

“Ah...you're too busy I suppose.  I hope the case gets done soon then so you can see him again.”  Chris mused.

“I guess so…” Miheal sighed. “I do miss him, but… well… you know.” The man crossed his arms and closed his eyes. “I’m worried I’m not investing enough right now. He may have already lost interest in me.”

“He was interested before right?  You should give him a call...or maybe go see him if you can.”  Chris said, trying to comfort him.

“I have work, Nii-san. These people and this facility depends on me to keep it afloat.” Miheal said, opening a drawer filled with work he had yet to do, “I don’t really have time… In all honesty, I’m wondering if it’s healthier and more fair to Gilag to break it off."

Chris listened sadly to his brother, knowing that Miheal loved his work, but he felt he also deserved to have a relationship too.

“I think you two should talk about it.  I'm sure Gilag realizes that you're busy too.  Maybe it could still work.”  Chris said.

“Maybe… Like I said, I’m just wondering. I haven’t made any decisions yet. I know myself it’s unhealthy to work all the time… something I’m glad to see you’re starting to move away from, Nii-san.” Miheal said, smiling at his older brother, looking honestly very tired and so much older than he should have looked.

Chris smiled.

“Ukyou and I are busy people too...but we're going to try.  You should with Gilag as well.”  Chris said, giving his hand a squeeze.

“Don't work too hard, okay?” He said.

“I won’t if you won’t. But don’t slack off either,” Miheal said, squeezing his brother’s hand back. “I’ll call him tonight. See how that goes."

“I'd expect nothing less from you.”  Chris said with a smile.  He nodded.

“Good, I hope it goes well. I'd better leave you to your work now. I'm sure the police or Raphael-sama will get in contact with you soon about psychiatric testing for Mutou.” Chris said, getting up so he could be escorted back out of the Correctional Facility.

“They already have,” Miheal said, holding it up. “I’m expecting them in an hour or two. Best of luck, Nii-san… with everything"

“You too, little brother. Thank you.”  Chris said with a smile, heading out.  

It wasn't too long after when Officers Ukyou and Gauche arrived, accompanied by their prisoner, Mutou Yuugi, and Raphael, who had insisted he come along for this.  Yuugi had thankfully rested quite a bit after the police talked to him yesterday, but he still experienced slight memory losses which meant that he had been switching with his other half lately.  He was anxious to know what was wrong and it probably showed a little on his face and the way he tended to stick a little bit closer to Raphael instinctively to feel safer.

“Come on, the guards will show us to Dr. Arclight's office.”  Ukyou said, getting Gauche to bring Yuugi and Raphael behind him.

“How are you feeling, Yuugi?” Raphael asked as he walked with him. Raphael had put everything off to come along today, and he was dressed casually. However he still looked fairly tough, looking more like one of the guards than a client.

“...Kinda nervous, I guess...but I do wanna know what's going on.  My other half doesn't know either...so we're both here to learn.” Yuugi said softly.  He looked up and smiled a bit at Raphael.

“Thank you for coming with me...I feel a bit better with you here.”  He admitted.  Ukyou reached Miheal's office, knocking on the door to alert the man they were here.

“No problem. I’m glad the recorder is working for you then,” Raphael said. He had heard from the officers that Yuugi was learning how to communicate that way.

The blonde wasn’t expecting Doctor Arclight to look so young and pink, but he didn’t know what to expect anyway. Miheal gave a smile as he opened the door. “Good morning. Come in."

“It is...I like it.” Yuugi said.  It was the only thing he was carrying with him and it was the only thing the officers let him bring with him.   Yuugi was also surprised that Miheal didn't look that old, and that he was also fairly short.  

“Good morning.  Thank you for seeing us on such short notice.” Ukyou said with a smile, leading the group into the office.  Yuugi sat down on the couch between Gauche and Raphael.

At least he was taller than Yuugi. Miheal went to sit at the desk and he smiled. “So… you know why you’re here, right?"

Yuugi nodded.

“Yeah...it's to find out what's wrong with me...why I keep forgetting things.  I wanna know what's going on.”  He said, shaking off his fear in exchange for a small bit of determination.

“Well usually how we start is just talking, and starting therapy, like most psychologists. However, since we’re short on time, I’d like to do some simple tests. After we do a few here, I’d like to take you to get an MRI and we’ll do more there,” Miheal said kindly. “That will take a few hours, and hopefully we’ll have time for more, but that’s the plan.”

Yuugi nodded.

“Okay...whatever works.” He conceded.  He didn't really care what sort of tests were done...as long as they weren't too painful.

“Right, now I want you to do some writing for me. Any sentence will do. I just need you to answer some sentences now, and I’ll then take it for my references.” Miheal said.

“Oh...okay.”  Yuugi said.  

“Um...can I take my handcuffs off to write?”  Yuugi asked Officer Ukyou tentatively.  He didn't really know how to write with his hands attached at the wrist like that.

Ukyou nodded and quickly unlocked it. Gauche was at the door, so he didn’t feel too worried. Miheal handed Yuugi a pen and a clipboard.”Think carefully about your answers, okay?"

Yuugi nodded, accepting the clipboard and looking over the questions.  He frowned a bit in concentration and began to write a couple of the answers.  As he started, he began to feel headaches coming on, which he'd learned meant he was probably going to be switching out soon.  His hand shook a little, and he paused in his writing to grab the side of his head.

“Ugh...”  He groaned, moments before the switch occurred.  Yami blinked for a moment, looking over the questions himself.  He considered them kind of pointless, but since he promised he'd cooperate, he moved on to the next one and answered it too.  

“Done.”  He said, a couple minutes later, holding out the clipboard to Miheal with a noticeably more confident, collected expression and posture than Yuugi.

“Are you alright, Yuugi?” Raphael asked, noticing him struggling a little bit. Miheal raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, waiting for Yuugi to return it. He smiled when he looked at the notes and skimmed over them.

“So, I’m curious. What triggered the switch between questions five and six?” Miheal asked.

“It wasn't the specific question.  It was just that Yuugi's thinking about all the questions woke me up.  I wanted to answer too.”  Yami said nonchalantly.  

“I see…” Raphael looked at Ukyou, confused, while Miheal continued on. He noticed the change in demeanour and the names. “So were you aware of what I said to Yuugi before?"

“Yes, I heard you talking to him earlier.  You asked him to answer those questions, and you said you'd do some tests...and an MRI. Never had one of those.”  Yami mused.

“So you are aware, at least this way. Interesting.” Miheal leaned forward. “So you’re the game king, aren’t you. Mutou, our murderer.”

“Yes, but you can just call me Yami, the part of Yuugi that killed those CEOs.  But Yuugi isn't aware of what I say or do...you can probably prove it by asking him about what I wrote for answers 6-12 on that sheet.” Yami mused.

“Probably. Thanks for letting me know, I’ll keep that in mind.” Miheal said, smiling. Raphael suddenly got chills down his spine, as if somehow Miheal had switched an aura on and was now somehow the most possibly horrifying creature alive. Gauche fumbled himself, somehow disarmed with Miheal’s truth-forcing smile.

Yami sensed the change in Miheal's aura too and was rather impressed with it. Miheal was kind of like him it seemed: small and innocent looking, but not to be messed with. He simply smirked in return. Maybe these tests would be fun if someone like that was running them.

Unfortunately for him, his excitement made Yuugi stir a bit and ultimately emerge once more. Miheal could see how Mutou went from excited to confused, then a bit intimidated as Yuugi took in Miheal's look. He could sense Raphael and the cops acting uneasy too and that also scared him a bit. He visibly recoiled a little bit didn't move or speak otherwise.

And as quickly as it appeared, the look disappeared and Miheal looked softer again. “Oh… Too much? Sorry, I get carried away, Yuugi-san. Forgive me. I was just interested in the answer to your questions.”

Yuugi blinked and relaxed slightly as Miheal calmed his expression.

"I...um...sure...I don't think I finished though. I didn't answer the last ones."

“Do you remember handing it back to me?” Miheal asked.

"No...I didn't finish writing everything. I think I only got about halfway done." Yuugi said.

“Well, you gave it back. You finished it… Well… Yami did"

"Oh...I guess I switched then." Yuugi said, sighing.

"I keep losing my memory like that...I never know what Yami does. I never knew he was there before I was arrested..."

“You lost the last seven years of your life, right?”

"...Yeah. That's what I was told." Yuugi said.

“So how was it? Was it just like… one moment you’re at home and the next you were here?”

Yuugi frowned.

"...yeah, more or less. But, I was really really sad cause...Jii-san had died..." Yuugi said, sniffling a little.

"One second, I was with him...then I was waking up in a room I didn't know at Raphael's house..."

“And you’re okay talking about him? It doesn’t trigger you or forces you to switch."

"...I think it does..." Yuugi said softly, biting his lip and trying not to cry.

"...it makes my head hurt..." He said, feeling pains.

“Try stay with me, okay? I know you can’t control it, but relax. Deep breaths, Yuugi. It’s alright"

Yuugi did try to breathe, but the pains continued, making him hold his head.

"...I...can't..." He managed to say before Yami took over. It was odd to see him with the reminants of Yuugi's tears in his eyes but with a straight face.

"Don't talk about Jii-san. I don't like it when Yuugi cries." He said sternly, wiping his eyes.

“No one was trying to make him cry, Yami.” Miheal said, taking the change easily. “We’re trying to get to the bottom of this. We do need to talk about it, whether it hurts or not. Don’t you want him to get better?"

"'Maybe not but he still cried. That's all that matters." Yami said. He frowned.

"I can tell you about it...but it does sometimes trigger me to switch back too."

“I’ll get whatever I need from the officers, unless you want to share anything different that you haven’t shared yet"

Yami raised an eyebrow.

"So you want to talk to Yuugi but not to me huh? That's no fun." He mused.

“No, I just want things not repeated. We’re on a short timespan, you know.” He sighed.

"Alright. Then let's move on. Wouldn't want to waste time." Yami said.

"Did we pass the writing test? What's the next one?"

“There’s no passing, Yami. You can’t pass or win,” Miheal said, amused. “Next… well more written tests unfortunately.”

"Damn. It's more fun if you make it a game someone can win." Yami said. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Where's the next writing test then?"

“This one is special. I want you to fill your alias there and then fill it in. I’ll have Yuugi do the same later. Then I compare and I can get a diagnosis for both of you."

"Okay. I'll tell Yuugi." Yami said, pulling out the little tape recorder from his pocket.

"Yuugi, the doctor wants me to fill this one questionnaire entirely, then you get your turn. So if we switch, don't keep going where I stopped." He said, then glancing at Miheal.

"Play that for him if we switch." He said, leaving the recorder out so Yuugi would likely see it and guess he'd recorded something for him.

“We’ll tell him,” Raphael said. “Hopefully we can tell when you guys do switch.” Although it was getting a bit more and more obvious.

"Good. You probably will...it's painful now." Yami mused, starting to fill out the questions with a small frown. Occasionally he had to pause when he got a bit of a headache, and like Raphael had pointed out, it was noticeable that he had constant bouts of pain trying to hold Yuugi back. Finally he couldn't do it anymore and stopped writing, dropping the clip board moments before Yuugi emerged once more. He glanced around, then spotted the recorder and the clipboard in his lap.

"Oh, I have to write more?" He asked.

“You should check your recorder,” Raphael said gently, letting Yuugi do what he needed. Gauche sighed and shook his head. He didn’t know how this was going to get Mutou arrested or not, but Miheal seemed confident in what he was doing.

Yuugi looked at Raphael when he spoke, then at the recorder. He picked it up and played back the message.

"Oh. So I guess I just have to wait until I switch again." He said, putting it back down.

“You can fill this one in while you wait. Yami will know to alternate, so here you go"

"Oh okay!" Yuugi said. He accepted the sheet and started writing his own answers until they switched and Yami went to his sheet. This pattern consisted for several minutes until finally both halves were done. Yuugi was last to finish.

"Okay it looks like we're both done." Yuugi said, noting that Yami had given his sheet to Miheal already. Yuugi passed his over with a smile.

“Thanks. And I’m happy to let you know the MRIs are ready. Come on, you two"

Yuugi nodded, letting Ukyou cuff him again for the journey just in case before following Miheal. He was a bit nervous, since he'd never had an MRI before.

Miheal lead them down into the elevator, Gauche in front and Raphael by his side. As Miheal used his keycard to get authorisation down to the new facility, Raphael smiled at Yuugi.

“So far so good, huh?"

“I guess so.  I'm not sure how I'm doing on these tests.” Yuugi admitted with a small smile.

“...But at least the other me is cooperating too, like he said he would...I'm glad.”  Yuugi added.  

“With any luck, you two can continue even after the case, huh?” He said, smiling at Yuugi. The elevator pinged to a stop and Raphael looked up as Miheal walked out first, revealing what seemed like a completely new building. It was pristine and white, with a glass observational platform. There was a man in there waiting, and past a door was a huge MRI machine, whirring quietly.

“Ready?”

Yuugi nodded happily, smiling widely at Raphael in return.  He wanted things to get better...he didn't want his other half to kill people again.  He tore his attention away from Raphael to stare in awe at the obviously new facility. It looked really nice and high tech.

“Yes.”  Yuugi said to Miheal.

Mihael smiled and opened the door to the next room. “Mutou-san only please. I’ll need those cuffs removed as well, if that’s alright.”

“Certainly.”  Ukyou said, unlocking Yuugi's cuffs.  Yuugi looked a bit nervous.

“...Raphael can't come with me?”  He asked. He knew MRIs were harmless but it was still a bit intimidating.

“Sorry, I can’t allow that.” Miheal said. Civilians weren’t allowed around the equipment. The blonde smiled though and patted Yuugi’s shoulder.

“I’ll be over here,” Raphael said. “I’ll be able to see you the entire time. Don’t worry.”

Yuugi's face fell a little but he was reassured by Raphael patting his back.

“Okay.”  He said, with a small smile.  He followed Miheal inside the room.

“So what do I have to do?” He asked.

“Well almost nothing for the first part. You relax and wait for the machine to get a read, and then I’ll start talking to you and asking questions. All you have to do is just lay back and do what we’ve been doing.” Miheal informed.

“Okay.  I think I can do that.”  Yuugi said, lying down on the table and trying to relax.  He had a headache from all the switching he'd been doing, but he kept taking deep breaths to calm down and lay still.

“Just relax.” Miheal nodded to the lab technician and let the machine activate. “You’ve been doing a good job today, Yuugi. Thank you both for cooperating so well"

Yuugi smiled.

“I'm glad my other me is cooperating...”  He said softly.  He lay still and tried to be relaxed as possible as his head throbbed a bit.  He wondered what sort of reading this was getting. He'd never seen images of his brain before.

“Good…” The metal band of the machine hummed quietly as Miheal talked and began slowly moving back and forth, rotating around Yuugi’s head. “So how are you feeling right now, Yuugi?"

Yuugi glanced around without moving his head as the band circled him.  He could hear Miheal's voice through the speaker.

“I'm...okay, I guess? My head hurts a little though...” He said, feeling another small spike of pain and trying not to cry out.  The initial images that were coming in showed a relatively healthy looking brain, but it was obvious that there was some swelling going on, which could explain the headaches.  

“Does it now? Does it usually hurt when you’re aware of yourself?” Miheal asked curiously.

"No...not always. I remember it didn't in high school and earlier....but lately...it hurts very often..." Yuugi said, feeling another small spike of pain.

“It may be from you constantly switching personalities. We may need to put you on medication to suppress it, but I want to avoid it for now.” He said. “You remember high school though? You went to Domino High, didn’t you? You’re not a Heartland local, right?”

"Maybe..." Yuugi said. He blinked.

"Yeah, I went to Domino High School. I wasn't born in Heartland...is that what this city is called? I don't remember even coming here..." He said.

The other doctors in the booth with Miheal were astonished that Yuugi's brain did not show any increase in activity in any of its memory sections when he said he wasn't sure how he came to Heartland.

"Dr. Arclight, this young man's brain is behaving strangely...it's not as active in memory as it should be."

“Keep an eye on it, Mr. Anderson,” Miheal called out to the older man. “It may change. Note the times when it does, please.” He turned back to Yuugi.

“Yeah, this is Heartland City. It’s not too far from Neo Domino and the Domino City areas. It’s quite near the coast. You’ve been here for at least two years.”

“Yes sir.”  Jesse Anderson replied, looking at the monitor and taking notes as instructed.

“Oh...that long?  I don't remember it.”  Yuugi said a bit sadly.  

“I wonder why my other me came here then...did he not like Domino?”  He mused.

“I’ll ask him but likely it’s due to his work.” He said.

“Work...so...killing?” Yuugi said softly, feeling a bit nervous about that.  From what it sounded like, his other half was a hitman or something.  In response to his fear, the pain spiked up again and he groaned a little, closing his eyes but otherwise staying mostly still.

“The emotional regions of his brain are quite lit up...in any other patient, it would look as though he's having a panic attack...but he looks too calm for that in person.”  Mr. Anderson said, looking between the scans and Yuugi's form in confusion.  Yuugi didn't look like he was panicking that much but his brain was reacting as if he was. It was clear through his voice that he was a bit nervous, but not enough to cause this reaction in his brain scan.

“...Perhaps you should calm him down, Dr. Arclight?”  Mr. Anderson suggested, unsure of what to do.

“Yuugi-san, please relax. I don’t want you stressing.” Miheal also didn’t want to have to fight to the death with Yami. He wanted to call Gilag later. “He needed money, so it’s likely he moved here for other work too. It’s alright, Yuugi.”

“...Okay...I guess that makes sense...”  Yuugi said, trying to relax.  He took deep breaths and visibly calmed quite a bit.  There was a slight decrease in the emotional responsiveness of his brain, but it wasn't that much.  To Jesse, it was even more of an indicator that there was something wrong when Yuugi was clearly calming, but there was still a high response.  It was as if it wasn't Yuugi's response...but it was his brain, so that made no sense for him.  He took note of it anyway.

“...It's calming but not that much.”  Jesse Anderson said to Dr. Arclight.  Yuugi closed his eyes.

“...I think I'll switch soon...it feels like it...”  Yuugi said, fighting waves of pain.

“Is there anything you want me to ask Yami for you? I mean I’m going to ask questions to monitor your brain response, so anything you want to know I can use."  Miheal said.

“Oh...um...well I want to know...why he left Domino, I guess.  And...what he did here.”  Yuugi said. He wanted to know if Yami had always been a killer.  He wanted to know why he did those horrible things, but part of him was also scared of the answer.  

Jesse was able to get an image of when the switch occurred and it blew him away.  Yuugi's brain seemed to light up entirely for a moment before settling into different responses than it had before.  He took notes and images on it.  

Yami opened his eyes.

“I'm amazed Yuugi wasn't claustrophobic in here geez...”  Yami muttered.  He didn't really like being confined, since it brought back bad memories.  But, he would tolerate it for now.

Miheal wasn’t bothered with the switch now, since he had seen the two go back and forth multiple times, but he could only imagine the text book readings the machine was giving, clearer than any reading they should be getting.

“Don’t like enclosed places, Yami?” Miheal asked, eyebrow raised.

“They have their uses...but generally, no.  I don't tolerate them for long.”  Yami said with a small frown.

“Curious. So you don’t share phobias with Yuugi.  Any reason why?"

“Because I've generally protected him from trauma...if he gets scared, I come out and deal with it.” Yami said simply.    

“I see…” Miheal paused, wondering if he should make Yami elaborate but he held back. “Yuugi wanted to know why you came to Heartland, as you probably know.”

Yami didn't really want to elaborate, and was glad that Miheal didn't ask.  

“Yeah.  I heard.”  He said. He sighed.

“I came to Heartland because there really wasn't anything left in Domino for me.  It's kinda dangerous for me to stay in one place for long...I also moved to Neo Domino for awhile, shortly before coming to Heartland. I mostly follow the money...or leave when the gamblers in a certain place have gotten too used to me and try to beat me up for winning.”  

“Right. I’ll let Yuugi know. I think he’s very confused of what to make of you. When we actually start real therapy sessions, I’ll start letting him know what you’re really like. You’re a gamer, not a heartless killer"

“I don't blame him. He didn't know I existed.  But you're right...I like games.  And I don't really kill that often.”  Yami said.  

“So...you're saying I'm actually going to come here huh?”  Yami mused.

“If we win, yes, you will. You’ll be put into this facility for psychiatric reformation and therapy. It is the best outcome you’re going to get to the trial"

“Anything's better than dying.”  Yami mused with a small smirk.  

“Any other questions you wanna ask me?  It's more fun to talk than to just lie here.”

“The idea is to talk, of course. But what about you? Is there anything you want to talk about yourself?"  Miheal asked.

"Hmm...well I am curious what the pictures of my brain look like. This illness that Yuugi and I have has never been diagnosed. Any ideas so far?" Yami mused.

“Dissociative Identity Disorder. I was wondering if it was schizophrenia when I first heard your case, but it’s looking more and more like that amongst another few illnesses. There’s no clear way to treat it, obviously, but since you are both aware of it, interestingly enough, you can manage it.” Miheal said. “No borderline personality disorder, but headaches are a common neurological symptom of DID, and trauma and depression walk hand in hand with it"

"Yuugi wasn't aware of it before I was arrested. I've been around since high school but he never knew I existed." Yami said.

"...I sometimes wonder if Yuugi was depressed. He hid for a long time and was always so sad when Jii-san was sick."

“I think he is. Judging by his answers from the quiz and the way he talked.”  Miheal said quietly. “He may not remember it himself, but he answered one of the questions dealing with suicide surprisingly calmly.”

Yami sighed.

"I knew it..." He mused.

"...I'd never let him do it. He's not allowed to die on my watch." Yami said firmly.

“It’s just a theory. There’s no real evidence he is” Miheal sighed.

Yami sighed.

"I don't think I'm depressed but anything you think is wrong with me at this stage?" Yami asked, partially just wanting to change the topic.

“You have absolutely no moral compass.  You base your life around how you feel and what’s best of you, and if I must hazard a guess at an early stage, you’re bordering if not actually psychopathic.” Miheal said with a flat, unamused tone.

Yami chuckled a bit at Miheal's words and tone.  He had been called that before, unsurprisingly.

"Yeah I guess so....Yuugi has a conscience but I don't.  I don't have a problem hurting people, but I don't do it too often." Yami mused.

“Well, we’ll work towards Yuugi getting better, and we’ll see if it has an effect on you"

“I suppose that works...that's all you can do really.  I want Yuugi to feel better.  You should treat him over me, cause he's the decent human being.”  Yami said.

“I have every intention to,” Miheal said. “Mutou Yuugi will be one of my patients, I’ll look after him."

"Good. You seem like a decent enough guy and interesting enough for me too." Yami mused.

"Are you gonna testify on trial too?"

“I’ll be asked to on behalf of the defendant’s lawyer, so yes. In your favour, most likely."

"That's good. I haven't met my lawyer yet but I'm due to soon." Yami mused.

“I suspect it will be today. You’re a big name, Yami. People are after your head.”

"Yeah I know. We'll see...Raphael said he would find someone." Yami said. He frowned a bit.

"It's weird having him be nice to me...I know it's for Yuugi but it's still weird."

“What do you mean by that?” Miheal asked. “Raphael is a kind man. That’s why you tried to take advantage of it when you tried to kill him. He’s renowned for his generosity"

"I know, but he's nice to people who need it and more importantly deserve his kindness. I don't deserve it cause I tried to kill him and killed others too." Yami said.

"In my experience, nobody's nice to me without ulterior motives. So I'm just not sure what Raphael's is. He doesn't gain anything if we survive...but he was also not close enough to us to lose anything if we die. I don't get it."

“Maybe he’s trying to help you for the sake of helping you…” Miheal said. “Perhaps ask him next time… I think he’s the sort who believes that everyone deserves a chance, and that means everyone"

"Help for the sake of helping hmm..." Yami mused, mulling over that thought. It made his head hurt as Yuugi stirred. He groaned. Thinking about Raphael made Yuugi want to come out again because he liked him, Yami knew.

Jesse Anderson could see a similar emotional response to before with Yuugi but Yami looked even calmer. It was like the response was not his own once more.

"This is really quite remarkable..." He mused as he took notes and images.

"Maybe I'll ask Raphael if I get the chance...not sure if he's gonna stick around..." Yami mused.

“He’s still out there now. Looks like he’s determined to see things through. Im surprised he has authorisation to be around for the police.”

Yami chuckled.

"Maybe he paid them or something. He is loaded. But maybe the cops let him because of Yuugi. He's innocent of any crimes." Yami mused. His head throbbed again.

"How much longer do we have to do this...Yuugi wants out..." Yami frowned.

“I was hoping you’d both just relax here and let us have a few more scans. Please be patient. I’ll be right back, and you’ll be out soon"

Yami frowned for a moment, before sighing and closing his eyes.

“Fine...”  He muttered, not too impressed.  He had had enough of staying still endlessly.  His head continued to throb, which made him groan occasionally.

“Dr. Arclight, I've done some side by side comparisons here.”  Mr. Anderson said as Miheal approached him.  

“If I didn't know any better, I'd say these two images belonged to two separate individuals. They react differently.  While the one called 'Yami' has a brain with perfectly normal memory function, the emotional responses are almost completely inactive.  'Yuugi' is the opposite...and both exhibit strange brain responses that seem as if they don't match their behavior.”  Jesse said, pointing out the images that he'd taken that showed a clearly excited and emotional brain with a completely straight faced, relaxed and unexcited body.

“And then there's this...the moment when they switch.”  Jesse said, showing Miheal the entirely lit up looping image that lasted less than a second as the two different brain types swapped.

“… Fascinating. I don’t think I could have faked this even if I wanted to. This is incredible.” Miheal said when he came out and had a look. “I think we have enough. Save these and send some copies to the police please."

“Yeah...I don't think it would be possible to fake such a thing.  Our machine is perfectly functional since we did a couple scans earlier...so it must be real.”  Jesse said. He nodded.

“Will do, sir.”  He said, saving the information and printing additional copies for the police.  

“Thank you. I’ll be back to talk to you about this in an hour. Figuring out what to do with these results should be our next step.” MIheal said, going to go get Yami.

“Yes sir.”  Jesse said.

Yami was relieved when he heard the machine powering down.  He quickly crawled his way out of the MRI's tube and was sitting outside it casually with both his arms and his legs crossed as Miheal came in.

“Are we done or do we have more tests to do?”  Yami asked him.

“Looks like we’ll be done for now. I need to look over your tests and all, but fortunately we’ll be ready for even a surprise trial. I’ll let Ukyou know when you need to see me again.” Miheal said. “Thank you both for your cooperation.”

"Alright. Hopefully it won't be a surprise." Yami mused.

"Until next time then, I guess." He mused, getting up and going to the door to be greeted by the cops and Raphael. Yami took particular noting that Raphael was still there, like Miheal had said he would be. He wondered if CEOs even worked at all, because Raphael always seemed to have time for him and smirked a bit to himself in amusement at the thought.

"Any other tests needed, Dr. Arclight?" Ukyou asked, cuffing Yami again.

“Nope. I’ll be in contact but we should be set. I’ll send you my findings tomorrow. All the best to all of you.” Miheal smiled.

“Thank you, Doctor Arclight. All the best.” Raphael smiled.

"We'll be in touch then. Take care." Ukyou said. He and Gauche began to escort Yami out, with Raphael following.

Miheal walked them out to the ground floor and out the door, all the way the the car. He watched the four men leave before he got his mobile phone out of his pocket. He gave a long sigh and sent Gilag a text.

‘Can you talk rn?'

Luckily Gilag was on lunch break at work when he got Miheal's text. He flushed a little as he read it, recalling the young man he'd gone out with once. With things being so hectic at home lately, he'd nearly forgotten him. He smiled and replied.

'Yeah I'm on lunch how are you?'

Miheal didn’t respond. Although he didn’t mind texting, he was outside and he kind of wanted to talk to Gilag. The man moved over to a wall and leaned against it before making the call.

“Heh… I’m alright. I just was thinking about you, that’s all. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy.” Miheal said.

Gilag happily accepted the call from Miheal, excited to hear his voice again. He moved away from his buddies who were giving him questioning looks, so he could talk to Miheal with some semblance of privacy.

"It's nice to hear from you again. I'm sorry I haven't been in touch either...I've been through a bit of a family emergency lately." Gilag admitted.

"I'm glad you're doing alright..." He said.

“Family emergency?” Miheal’s eyes widen. “Is everything alright with you? And your family? Oh gosh..."

"Yes, it was quite a situation...my brother almost died, and my niece was kidnapped...but she's been returned unharmed, and Alit is recovering steadily, so don't worry. We're doing alright." Gilag said to reassure him.

"How are you and your brothers doing? Are they the ones keeping you busy or is it work?"

“Oh my god, that sounds…” Miheal was speechless for a moment. He had read the case file the police had given him about Mutou and his crimes. It was hard to believe that it was Gilag’s family that was involved in all of this… with Raphael too. “… I’m glad everything is better now.”

“Work, mostly. I’m afraid it’s only going to get heavier. I have a big case on my hands. I just saw my patients today. They’ll be going to court soon. ”

"Yeah, I'm glad too." Gilag said with a sigh.

"Well, that's certainly a sign that you're good at your job...just try not to work too hard." Gilag said. He paused before continuing.

"...I understand if you don't have time but...I'd like to see you again sometime."  He said with a blush.

“That’s why I called… I kind of wanted to see you again too,” Miheal said, sounding confident despite the blush on his face. “I’m free Thursday afternoons. And most evenings if I leave early enough"

Gilag had been blushing too, and he felt his heart skip a beat happily when Miheal wanted to see him too.

"Thursday's probably work for me too...depends on the construction work I have, but I can work something out." He said.

“Alright… We should make it another date. I had fun last time,” Miheal smiled.

"I did too." Gilag said with a smile.

"We should definitely plan something."

“… What about dinner? Or is that too soon?" Miheal asked, wondering suddenly if he should have made a more casual offer.

“Tonight?”  Gilag said, surprised by the offer, but pleased.

“Sure...just let me clear it with the family.  Ponta especially is a little weary if I don't come home.”  Gilag said, knowing his little brother just wanted everyone to stay together and be okay.

“Tonight or Thursday. It’s no rush.” Miheal said. “Whatever works."

“Maybe Thursday then. That was Ponta can have some advanced notice.”  He knew his little brother would be excited if he went out again.  He smiled.

“If that's okay with you...you can pick a place this time, since I picked last time.”  He mused.

“I have a nice restaurant in mind,” Miheal smiled. “I’ll pick you up Thursday then. Thanks Gilag. I can’t wait"

“That sounds perfect...I can't wait either, Miheal.  Thanks for calling.”  Gilag said happily.  

“I’ll see you later, Gilag. I’d better get back to work. Thanks for giving me the chance.” He said, hanging up. He gave a small smile, thankful he hadn’t gone and relieved Gilag of dating him.

“… Fuck yes.” Miheal said, pumping his fist. He blushed, realising he did that in public and quickly headed back to Johan’s office, hiding his blush. Ugh, he wasn’t his brother. Shaking his head at himself, he put his mind back to work, read to discuss Mutou’s results with the old man for the rest of the day.

-x-

It had been several hours since the testing, and the police had been given copies of the MRI brain scans, since Mutou was supposed to be meeting with his lawyer soon and it would probably be beneficial for Matsuda to see what sort of evidence he could present to the court.  

Yuugi was seated in a small meeting room with a table and three chairs.  His wrists wore cuffs and he was visibly a little nervous, but not as much because Raphael was with him.  The police were watching through the two-way mirrors.  

“Raphael, do you know what I have to do here...I've never talked to a lawyer before.”  Yuugi said to Raphael.

Raphael smiled at him, sitting in the other chair. He was glad the tests at the psychiatric institution went well and he hoped as much that things would go as well now. He patted the other’s shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze to try reassure the other.

“We talk to him and explain your case. With any luck, we can convince him to defend you in court… we explain the truth. That’s all.” Raphael said, confident Black Mist would agree anyway.

“Ukyou, Matsuda Beryl has just arrived.” Droite said, peeking in. Ukyou looked up and nodded.

“Let him in.”

Yuugi nodded.

“Okay...I hope so.” He said.

Mist had enjoyed a lovely day yesterday with Thomas, and despite that he had thought quite a bit about what he was going to do with Mutou.  He was curious about this 'split personality' business, and had figured out a way to potentially test it.  

“Thanks.”  Mist said to Ukyou.  He was given a copy of the brain scans and had been impressed.  This didn't look like something that could be faked, but he wanted to be absolutely sure.  That meant he could have some fun.  He smirked as he spotted Mutou, noting that he hadn't changed much physically. He looked a little tired, and remarkably innocent.  Was that an act?  It wasn't going to fool Mist.

“Ah Temie, long time no see~ How have you been?”  He asked, sauntering into the room and dropping the file casually on the table.  He wanted to prompt some sort of reaction...just how good an actor was Mutou here?

Yuugi looked up when he heard the man enter the room, but he didn’t realise Mist was addressing him until the file was dropped on the table and Mist was looking at him expectantly. He blinked, looking at the equally confused Raphael before pointing to himself as best as he could with his handcuffs.

“Ummmm…Me?” Yuugi said, not remembering having seen this man at all in his life.

Mist watched Yuugi's reaction closely.  So far he was impressed.  Mutou truly looked like he had never seen him in his life, and was acting far too innocent. He smirked.

“What, don't remember me, Temie?  I'm hurt. All those wonderful nights we shared together...I still treasure them deep down~”  Mist teased, leaning forward in a low-key seductive pose, trying to get closer to Yuugi.  

“I accepted the offer to come here because I was dying to see you again...you're more adorable than I remember, honestly, but I know that's just a facade...I know what you look like when no one's watching ~  It's okay~   You can show me~”  Mist said, purring out the end.  

Yuugi’s eyes widened as suddenly his lawyer was in front of him, flashing a brilliant white smile. He looked nervously at Raphael and then at Mist. He could feel a headache coming on, but he wanted to actually do something for once and see what was going on… even if it wasn’t exactly comfortable right now.

“I…. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t even know your name.” Lawyers weren’t supposed to act like this!

“Oy… lay off.” Raphel scowled.

“Ah, yes, well that's fair. I had another name back then.  You can call me Matsuda, Temie~  Or do you not like that name anymore?  You used to love it, my little Pharaoh~”  Mist mused, using names purposely to bait Yuugi.  He knew the other had hated when people called out his height.  He glanced at Raphael.

“You told me he had a split-personality...so where's the other one?  Where's the Temie I knew, hmm?  Or are you acting?”  Mist asked, turning back to Yuugi, still very close to him.

Yuugi whimpered as suddenly the man was way too close for comfort. He could feel his breath on his skin, and he suddenly found his face really red. As soon as Mist looked away, Yuugi gasped for breath, giving Yami the chance to force himself forward.

Raising his cuffed hands, Yami lashed forwards, clubbing Mist in the chin before head butting him.

“Yuugi!”

“Other one.” Yami said, responding to Raphael almost immediately. He scowled. “Look, it’s great seeing you too, bitch, but don’t approach my other half like that or else."

Mist didn't have time to dodge the punch or the headbutt and tumbled backward.  He landed on the ground and then burst out laughing.

“Now there's the Temie I remember~  I'd forgotten what you can do with handcuffs.”  He said between chuckles, sitting up and grinning at the now familiar young man.  The look in his eye was different than before.  He got up slowly with a smirk, rubbing his jaw slightly where Yami had hit him.

“You are truly quite an actor, Temie.  That innocent-boy act was quite believable.”  Mist mused, this time keeping a more respectful distance.  He'd gotten what he'd come to see for the time being.

Raphael suddenly got up and put his hand down, glaring at Mist. He was glad that the man didn’t just storm out and leave, but he was worried for both Yuugi’s sake… and the fact Mist was trying to out Yami in front of the cops. Yami didn’t look too amused thankfully, but it was hard for him to not smirk.

“I thought you were smart and you read my file. I actually am an innocent, untouched boy… some of the time”

“… What am I watching?” Anna muttered, wanting to go in and tear the interview apart if it wasn’t for Mai, scaring everything away from the door. Mai clearly wanted to see what played out, even if the others didn’t.

Mist ignored Raphael. He wasn't really important at the moment.  He smirked at Yami, sitting on the table and scooping up the file casually.

“I did read your file actually...it's got the new addition of some brain scans from you.  They're quite impressive...this sort of evidence could hold up in court...but I wanted to see just how clear the difference is...and one other thing....”  He said, pausing before glancing at Yami.

“I wanted to know if you can control yourself...you must be able to since I baited you, and you came out, right?  And I never saw the innocent-untouched boy before...so that means you can hold him back, yes?”  Mist mused.

Raphel didn’t move and he glared continuously. Yami was a bit surprised still at how Raphael was, wondering still why Raphael was so protective of him, but he played it off and got comfortable in his seat, crossing his arms.

“… I can’t really. We come out at random… usually I’m here whenever Yuugi is sad or scared. Back when you weren’t… whatever you are now… Yuugi hadn't come out in years. This whole switching thing is a new thing. I have no idea how it works.”

Mist pondered Yami's words.

“So this is a new and random thing...that's not really a good thing for your case.  To be convincing, mental illness needs to be an ongoing thing...something that was always there.  But, this seems to have come out of nowhere in your file, since it wasn't brought up last time you were arrested.”  

“So, why now of all times? You already killed three CEOs...why is he any different?  Is it because he acts like he's your dad?”  Mist asked, nodding towards Raphael.

“Yuugi tends to push forward when he’s curious. The real Yuugi. Calling me Yami is probably easier.” Yami said, not wanting to say anything to incriminate himself further. Someone who claimed to be naive and innocent having a background in prostitution never was any good.

“Why now? Hell if I know. Yuugi started showing up around Amelda, but to be fair, I’d be shocked awake too if some asshole was grabbing me and suddenly shoving his tongue down my throat"

“Alright...that's in the file, so we can use those names for consistency's sake.”  Mist mused, looking over the brain scans and seeing the difference. He snorted at Yami's next sentence.

“He did that?  No wonder you killed him!”  He chuckled.  He glanced over the information.

“But you're not saying that this didn't exist before...surely there was some sign of it? Surely someone noticed something was wrong with you before you started killing people?”  Mist asked.  

“I don’t know… All I remember is Jii-san being admitted to hospital and Yuugi feeling a great sadness. I don’t have any memories of my own earlier than seven years ago.  I mostly just remember being picked on.,” Yami groaned.

"...So does that mean the other one does?" Mist asked, confused and a little curious.

"Can I talk to that one then?"

“… I dunno. See if you can draw him out…” Yami groaned, clutching his head. “Though get everything you want out now. Switching like this hurts"

"Hmm...alright I'll try." Mist mused, enjoying this idea. He thought about the two personalities and what made them different and then smirked as an idea came to mind.

"Raphael-sama, the more innocent Yuugi likes you doesn't he? That's why he let you in here...think you can talk him out? Or maybe a hug or something would do it." Mist mused to the CEO. Raphael frowned.

"Well...maybe. I'll try..." He said, looking at Yami. He wouldn't mind hugging him, but Yami didn't seem too inclined to physical contact like Yuugi was.  He gently put his arms around him.

"Talking about Jii-san usually does it right? He was a good parent to you, wasn't he? Surely he noticed something was off? Or someone else? A friend maybe?" Raphael prompted, trying to get Yuugi's mind thinking about his past, since that did the trick usually.

“Don’t touch me. He’s going to get thrown out like you will, in five seconds, Mist.” Yami warned. However, he was ignored and hugged by the large man, and he sighed, shaking his head. It did feel nice, but he wanted to say it wasn’t working, if only to prove Mist wrong. However, Yuugi was peeking out, if his headache was any indicator.

“Everyone lived in Domino… No one really would know. Like I said, Yuugi didn’t have any friends, even if he wished for them.” Yami frowned. However, he felt tears and soon Yuugi was back, hugging Raphael.

Mist frowned.

"Damn you were a pitiful kid weren't you, Temie?" He mused. He paused as he watched the sudden transformation, still a bit awed by it.

Raphael hugged Yami, not at all concerned about hugging a killer, and held him even tighter when Yuugi came out to comfort the crying man.

"You're okay Yuugi...it's alright. Matsuda wanted to ask you some questions...when you're ready though. Take your time."

“I… I…” Yuugi buried his face in the older man’s shoulder. “I hate feeling lonely and weak like this… I…” He wasn’t sure what he was saying. He was just blubbering pathetically, astounding the police who were watching them even further. It took him a while to calm down, and even then Yuugi wasn’t quite all there, exhausted from his switching.

Raphael gave a sad smile and continued holding Yuugi, patting his back gently to comfort him.

"You've been so strong, Yuugi...hang in there, okay? I won't let you be alone anymore." He promised. He wanted to help Yuugi however he could.

Matsuda waited for Yuugi to calm, thinking of how he could try and present his case. It was certainly an oddity.

"Yuugi...do you have any family friends or anyone you were close to when you were younger that I might be able to track down and talk to about your condition? Anyone you can think of?"

“…” Yuugi bit his lip, trying to remember. However, he shook his head. “No… Not really. I mean… I was always at the hospital or with Jii-san. I can give you the name of my high school and stuff, but I can’t remember much. I’m sorry..."

“Can you give me the names of your high school, places you stayed at with your grandfather and the name of the hospital?  I'll see what I can do with those.”  Mist said.

“Right… I went to Domino High School and I stayed at our game shop… we lived just above there. The hospital was Sacred Heart Hospital in Domino” Yuugi said

“Alright.”  Mist said, taking note of those places.  He wasn't sure if they would be useful, but he would look into it.

“The other thing is...it may be beneficial for the members of the jury in court to see how your illness works.  Would you be willing to go on the stand if needed?”  Mist asked.  If worst came to worst, he could ask about trigger topics and make Mutou shift, even if it did incur Yami's wrath.  He'd prefer that to being dead, Mist supposed.

“… Alright. I… I’ll do my best.” Yuugi said, nodding, trying to seem determined. “I don’t want to die… not when I just started being awake again.”

“You won't die, Yuugi. We won't let that happen.” Raphael said, patting Yuugi's shoulder. “Matsuda here handled the Vector case, so he'll manage yours just fine.”  

“We still have time before the trial...plenty of time to flesh out your case more.”  Mist said.

“I trust you if Raphael-san does but…… Who is Vector?” Yuugi asked, tilting his head.

Mist snickered a bit.

“A hacker criminal I represented in court who faced the death penalty on similar charges and in a similar situation.  You're not very well liked by the public, Yuugi.  The last time Heartland got this riled up was for Vector.  It'll be tough in court, but if it worked out for Vector, it'll work out for you too.”  

“Alright… I’ll take your word for it.” He smiled. “So you’ll take my case? Thank you!”

“Yes.  I'll take it, Yuugi.  I already considered it before, but I wanted to see just how your condition worked.”  He said, getting the file and putting his notes into it.

“I'll look into building up a case...we'll probably meet again before your court date.  But, until then, if you can think of anything that you think might be relevant to the case, let me know.”  He said.

“Alright, thank you Matsuda-san.” Yuugi said, nodding his head. “Thanks.”

“Thank you, Matsuda. We'll be in touch.”  Raphael said with a smile, shaking Mist's hand.  Mist nodded.

“Of course.  I'll let you know if I find something of immediate interest.”  He said, before heading out with the file.  He certainly had his work cut out for him this time...it would be a big case. But, it would be worth it for his old fuck-buddy, he supposed.  

-x-

Vector was lately spending more days in bed than not, since moving too much resulted in a shortness of breath that frankly scared him.  He knew he didn't have much time left, so he had been working very hard on his model, but found that he was probably making quite a few mistakes.  He really needed a second eye to go over it...and that meant he could only count on one other man.  The only problem was that he had no idea how to reach Astral...but he knew someone who did.

“Dammit I hope Yuuma knows where he is...”  Vector muttered as he dialled Yuuma's number.

Yuuma was waiting for his bus to arrive when he suddenly saw his phone ring. He grinned and he quickly grabbed his phone answering it and jumped on the couch. “Hello? Sup, Vector!”

"Hey Yuuma..." Vector said, pausing to cough a little before continuing.

"I was wondering if you had a way to contact Astral."

Yuuma raised an eyebrow and frowned. He knew he should have expected Vector calling for more serious reasons, but it sounded worse than he thought. He tilted his head before remembering Vector couldn’t see it. “Yeah, I do. I got his number. Why? You okay?”

"I need to ask him for some help with computer stuff...I'm making a program and I wanted him to make sure I haven't made mistakes....he's done it before." Vector said.

“Huh? Yeah sure, I can get in contact with him. I can give you his number.” Yuma said. “What’s the program for? Inchou?” Yuuma said, taking a wild guess

"Please." Vector said. He smirked.

"Of course it is. But it's also for others...you might even benefit from it Yuuma-kun~" he teased with a snicker.

“Me? Benefit from something… technicoological?” Yuuma frowned, mispronouncing the most simple of long words. “What’s that supposed to mean? Can I see it?”

Vector face palmed. Why did he even bother with Yuuma he wondered.

"No you can't see it Yuuma it's a secret." Vector mused.

"When it's done maybe you can see it but it's nowhere close yet."

“Awww come on! Astral can see it! Why can’t I?” Yuuma whined, despite not knowing the first thing about software. “It sounds cool and it sounds like something that would be super cool for Inchou. Come on Vector. Pleaseeee~?"

“Astral can see it because he'll actually understand it!  You don't know anything about computer coding!”  Vector exclaimed, coughing a bit.

“Ugh, if you really want to see it, I guess you can come.  But I'm telling you, you won't understand what it is.  It's all codes.”  

Yuuma frowned. “Okay… Oy, oy are you okay?” He muttered. “You sound awful.”

“If anything, I can distract Inchou for you."

“No, I'm not okay Yuuma. I'm dying, alright?  Of course I sound like shit.”  Vector muttered, coughing again.

“...Sure.  Takashi likes having company...can you call Astral and bring him over with you?”  

“I know but… you’re not dying now, right?” Yuuma said, sounding surprisingly small. “I’m worried, Vector…”

“Sure… I was going to go to the store but I’m gonna call Astral and head over when we can“

Vector sighed.  Here was he was being a dick again.  It was somehow just his nature.

“No, not at this second. I'm not too bad...just bedridden.” He promised.  He nodded

.

“Sure.  Text me when you're coming, alright?  I'll see you later.”  

“I’ll see you later. Should be today. See you.” Yuuma checked the time and went to lock the house. On the way to the bus stop, he called Astral.

Astral was back at the apartment complex, helping Yuuto clean out Yami's room.  Yuuto had said that since Yami had been arrested and it was highly likely he wouldn't be returning, he'd clean out things.  But, Astral and Yuuto were both wearing masks, since both knew that Yami had drugs hidden somewhere.  Yuuto had said he'd dispose of them safely, and Astral trusted him to do so.  His phone rang moments later.  Astral exited the room and pulled down his mask to answer it.

“Hello Yuuma.”  He said with a smile.

“Hey there, Kibou” Yuuma said, knowing to use the right name in public. “Are you busy right now? Or this afternoon?"

“Well...I was helping Yuuto clean out a room...but I am sure I will be available this afternoon. Why?  What is happening?”  Astral asked.

“Ena-chan wants you to come over and help them with some tech issues,” Yuuma said, sounding a bit excited that he was getting included for once. “If you have time to look over the program, I’ll come pick you up and we’ll head over to see them. I wanted to see Inchou today too"

“Oh really?  Sounds fine to me.  Where should we meet?”  He asked. Yuuto was waving him off, saying it was alright to go.  He'd loaded all of the stuff from Yami's room in a bag.

“Heartland Mall probably. Just at the entrance at like… two hours? Is that long enough?”

“Alright.  I will be there, Yuuma.”  Astral said with a smile.  He was happy for the chance to see Yuuma again.  He hung up and pulled his mask back up to help Yuuto.

"Sorry.  Yuuma wanted to see me today is all." Astral said to Yuuto, going back into the room to help him pack up Yami's stuff.

Yuuto glanced over to Astral and gave him a tired smile. “It’s fine. Can’t say I blame you for making plans to bail. This place is a mess.” He laughed quietly. “Seriously though, thanks for helping me clean Yami’s shit.”

Astral smiled.

“It is not a problem. I am glad to help.”  He said.  

“...He certainly has a lot of stuff.  What do you do with it exactly?”  

“Burn it, or loot it, or sell it. Think of the most generic, criminal thing you can do with ‘stuff’. That’s what I’m doing,” Yuuto sighed, rolling his eyes, evidently used to the whole song and dance act of this.

“I suppose that is fair.” Astral said with a nod.  He was secretly a bit surprised that there wasn't more money that they found.  Considering Yami had been killing for bounty, there should have been a hidden bundle of cash, but all they really found were a few small bills.  But he also supposed that Yami could have put it elsewhere.  

“He does not have much stuff though...most of it is drugs.”  He mused.

“It’s fair enough. Most likely he trades his services for drugs. I’ll have Yugo over to help me tear up the floorboards and the walls in a couple of months to double check, but as far as I’m concerned, this place is clean.” Yuto said, zipping up the bag with Yami’s stuff. “Annoying as well. He hasn’t paid rent for last month” The purple-haired man yawned, tired as ever

“Alright.”  Astral said with a smile.

“Perhaps his stuff will earn you enough to make it up.”  Astral mused.

“It will, probably. Yami tends to keep himself out of trouble… Well… usually.” Yuuto said, trying to smile back but failing miserably. He rubbed his temples, wishing he was able to have a vacation. “Are we expecting you for dinner tonight?”

“Not this time...I heard on the news he's facing the death penalty.”  Astral murmured.  He shrugged.

“I am not sure yet how long I will be out with Yuuma, but I will let you know.”  He said with a smile, heading back to his room to get ready to go.

“Figures…” Yuuto looked sad for a fleeting moment before he shook his head. He hated thinking about the convicts he harboured. It made him uncomfortable to no end harbouring criminals in the first place, and then being betrayed by them…

“Right. Make sure to call so you don’t worry Yuuya.”

“I will let Yuuya know.” Astral promised Yuuto before heading out.  He had packed his computer and put on a disguise so he wouldn't be caught.  He caught the bus to the mall, knowing he'd meet Yuuma there soon.

Yuuma was waiting for him there. He had just needed to pick up some shampoo and some other toiletries, so he was waiting for Astral, snacking on a couple of candies, watching some kids play card games from where he sat on the fountain.

Astral entered the mall and spotted Yuuma at the fountain relatively quickly.  He smiled and approached.

“Good afternoon, Yuuma. How are you?”  He asked.

“Hey Astral!” Yuuma hugged his best friend quickly, swamping the small man in a hug “I missed you!"

Astral smiled and returned the hug, having missed his best friend and practical brother as well.

"I missed you as well, Yuuma. How have you been?"

“I’ve been good! Keeping busy! Doing what I do.” Yuuma grinned as he picked up Astral and squeezed him happily. “How are you, Kibou?"

Astral smiled and yelped a bit when Yuuma hoisted him up.

"I have been seeing Kaito quite a bit, but other than that, I have not been too busy." He said.

“Ah, Kaito. Of course. And working out, right? You’re looking pretty buff Astral” Yuuma grinned, putting Astral down and practically bouncing on the spot. “So, ready to go?” He asked.

"Well perhaps a little...I help Yuuto and Yuuya around the house. Lifting is included so perhaps that is why." Astral mused. He smiled at his friend and nodded.

"Yes. We shall see what is going on with Ena and Takashi."

“Yeah. I haven’t seen either of them in ages, so I was happy to hear from Ena today” Yuuma said, as if he hadn’t invited himself along. He started walking to the right bus stop. “Like… wow. Ena must have been keeping busy."

Astral nodded.

“I have not seen them in awhile either.  I suppose it is good that Ena is healthy enough to have people over now.”  

“They said something about code. You know what they're working on?” Yuuma asked.

“A code...hmm...yes, I think I remember.  It was really quite impressive...but then again, it is to be expected of Ena to be extremely creative with computer software.  I have looked over it once before to correct little errors.”  Astral said.  He smiled.

“It is not complete, so I am not sure exactly what Ena intends for it...but it seems to be a very advanced version of a computer model.”  

“Ohh… like the ones you made? The one that looked like you?” Yuuma said, sticking his hand out and hailing down the bus.

“Yes.  Except, as I said, much more complex.  It is based off a model I made of him for him...so it will look like him, I imagine.”  Astral said.

“Oh… How come Ena is working on that? There’s no real reason to."

“I do not know why. But, it seems to be very important to Ena.  It has been going on for awhile.”  Astral said.

“I see… I hope they’re okay… Both of them” Yuuma muttered, swiping his bus card and sitting down

Astral did the same, sitting next to Yuuma.

“I hope so as well.” He agreed.  

“How is Shark doing? Does he work today?”

“Yeah. Shark works more than I do. I’m learning how to work with bikes but since I’m mostly clean up, I’m not needed as often.” Yuuma shrugged. “He’s alright though. Being grumpy as always but nothing new.” Yuuma smiled.

“That is good.  Surely Yusei will give you more shifts then.” Astral said.  He smiled.

“I am glad you two are both doing alright.”  He said. The bus ride was fairly short, and soon they were getting off and walking to Takashi's house.  

“Yeah, it’s nice to work. But I kinda want to just sleep and play video games, you know?” Yuuma laughed quietly.  They hopped off and Yuuma went to knock on the door. Takashi answered.

“Ah… Hi Yuuma. Hello Kibou.” The man smiled.

“Hello, Takashi-san. Ena invited us over.”  Astral said with a smile.  Vector was on the couch with Umbral and his computer, and he glanced over to the door.

“Hi guys.”  He said softly, lifting his fingers in a small wave. Umbral glanced over too and Astral's eyes immediately locked onto it.  He still didn't really like cats.  

“Yeah, Ena told me,” Takashi smiled, stepping aside. He noticed Astral’s expression and he laughed, picking Umbral up. “Come on Yuuma, help me make tea.”

“Alright. We’ll leave the smart guys to do their work.” Yuuma grinned, but not before going to Vector to hug him.

Vector snickered as well.

“Still not a fan of cats, Astral?”  Vector mused. Umbral gave a small meow in protest to being separated from his favorite human, but went without much of a fuss. Vector accepted Yuuma's hug, feeling extremely small in the huge man's arms.  It was another reminder that he'd lost a lot of weight lately.  

“Astral, can you look over this...I'm pretty sure I've made some mistakes, but I can't see them very well anymore.”  Vector said, showing his screen to the other hacker.  

“...He's not looking too good, Inchou...he's so tiny now.”  Yuuma said to Takashi once they were in the kitchen.  He was concerned, clearly.

Astral said nothing. He merely looked nervously towards the kitchen after Yuuma and Takashi went in, expecting the small, furry bullet to come charging back in. After a while though, he looked over at Vector and observed his appearance. Anyone could see he only had limited time left. Vector looked absolutely awful.

“Right… What are we doing here?” Astral said, sitting down and looking at the code, beginning to highlight the chunks of text. “… This looks… very flexible. Are you making an AI?”

“I know…His stomach isn’t taking as much as it used to, and the cancer is pretty much eating him.” Takashi sighed, getting the kettle. “I’m worried..."

Vector continued to smirk.

“Relax.  Takashi probably let Umbral outside.  He knows to stay out.”  Vector mused at Astral's worried look.  He nodded.

“Yeah...that's exactly it. I'm not sure if I'll finish in time though...”  He said, coughing at the end of his sentence as if to prove his point on how little time he had left.

Yuuma nodded sadly.  

“Is there anything we can do to help him?”  Yuuma asked. As much as he didn't like Vector before, the man had grown on him and had helped him out quite a bit recently. He would be really sad to see him go.

“I can finish it. I think I know what line of thinking you were working on. This should be easy to patch. I think your problem is making it able to fix itself so it can continually support Takashi and grow as a program.” Astral said, already swiftly writing away. “That’s what you plan to do, right?” Astral said, getting that quickly from the last time he was here.

“No… The most we can do is make sure he stays healthy but… there’s little for him left” Takashi murmured, turning away

Vector nodded.

“Yes...that's it.  I'm worried about him...so this way, I can sort of keep an eye on him.”  He said. He smiled a bit.

“Thank you for helping me with this.”  

“Yeah...”  Yuuma said, putting an arm around Takashi in comfort.

“He seems happy enough though.  We'll try and stop by to keep you guys company.”  

“What’s wrong with him? Or are you just concerned?” Astral frowned, still typing away. He stopped when he heard Vector’s words though and looked at him.

“… It’s fine. I want to help. I said I would with this, didn’t I?”

“Hey… thanks” Takashi said, looking up with teary eyes. He smiled.

“Nothing's wrong...it's just that he's very devoted to me.  The last time I left him, he was miserable for awhile...he didn't take care of himself.  If anything, I want to make sure he does take care of himself after I pass.”  Vector said.  He nodded.

“You did...but thank you anyway.”  

“It's no problem Inchou! You and Vector are our friends and we wanna be there for you!”  Yuuma said happily.

“So you are concerned… I see…” Astral murmured. It sounded frightening… that Takashi might just waste away without Vector. He hoped it wouldn’t happen. Takashi had been and still was a good man. Astral smiled gently. It was good that Vector had changed. He was a better man now too.

“You’re welcome. We’ll finish this soon. You can give me segments to work on too, if you’d like. I have the time to do this.”

Takashi smiled. “Yeah, I know you guys are. I have to remember that I can rely on you guys"

“Yes, very.  I love him and I want him to be okay.”  Vector murmured.  He coughed a bit before smiling.

“Alright.  I'll send pieces to you then.  Thanks.”  He said, watching Astral make some small changes and mentally smacking himself for not noticing such obvious mistakes.  

“Of course!  Let's go see what your husband is up to, huh?  His little 'secret' project thing!”  Yuuma said, helping Takashi carry tea into the living room for Astral and for Vector.  

Astral smiled and went back to the work. “So talk me through your idea, in full without considering the limitations. I want to know how big you’re planning for this.” Astral said, feeling a bit excited. “3d? Interact-able? Able to rewrite algorithms by itself?”

“I don’t know what it is. He refuses to tell me and when I look at the code myself, even i get lost"

Vector smirked, seeing the other man's excitement.

“All of the above, Astral. I want it to be adaptable, and as realistic as possible.  I want it to be able to interact with other servers as well as the real world to a certain degree.”  Vector said happily.

“Awww really?  Then it must be super complicated!”  Yuuma said, peeking around Vector and staring at the screen in incomprehension.  

“...Okay I don't get it. What's going on?  Astral!  What does this meaaaan!”  He exclaimed.

“Sounds like a hell of a program. Something you’ve been working on for years even,” Astral said, typing away. He made mental notes to use some of this for himself, and he glanced around different portions. He didn’t look up when Yuuma came in, followed by Takashi.

“Means that you shouldn’t try get your head around it.” Astral said flatly, causing Takashi to laugh

“It is something I've been working on for years, that's why.”  Vector said with a sigh.  He chuckled at Yuuma's antics.

“I told you when you invited yourself along didn't I?  There's no way you'd ever get this.”  Vector mused. Yuuma pouted.

“Then explain it!”  He cried.  Vector shook his head.

“Nope.  That would spoil the surprise, Yuuma-kun~”

“Told you, Yuuma. These two are stubborn with their secrets. I thought you could guess that.” Takashi said, patting his friend on the back.

“I could explain it, but you’d ask me to simplify it.” Astral said

Yuuma pouted even more when Takashi patted his back.

“No fair...”  He murmured.  

“Don't tell Yuuma.  If you tell him, the whole Numbers Club will know in less than 10 minutes.”  Vector mused with a chuckle to Astral.  

“Just be patient, Yuuma. You'll figure it out eventually...it's simpler to show you than to try to explain.”  Vector said to the other, coughing a bit at the end.

“I had no intention to.” Astral said, smirking, but still working away like a diligent machine.

“Hey… take it easy. Do you need a drink, Vector?” Takashi asked.

Vector kept coughing, which drew Yuuma's attention too.  Vector nodded to Takashi.

“Here, we brought some tea!” Yuuma said, passing Vector the cup. Vector calmed his coughing a bit and managed to take a sip.  He smiled.

“Thanks.”  He said softly.

“You did take your meds, right?” Takashi asked, not having checked earlier. He glanced at the screen but shook his head, seeing advanced code. He could decipher some of it, but once again Vector and Astral proved themselves almost supernatural working away at it. “I hope whatever you’re working on is really exciting”

“It will be.” Astral said automatically, as if he had been working on this program for all his life instead of the last ten minutes

“Yeah, I did...” Vector said, calming down with some more sips of tea.

“It is, Takashi.  It really is.  Astral here is super excited too.”  He said with a smile.  Yuuma grinned.

“I can tell Astral's excited!  Whatever it is it's gonna be cool, I'll bet!”  

“I’m fascinated. I’m not excited,” Astral lied. “One can imagine what you can do with this sort of thing”

Takashi smirks at that but said nothing, sitting down next to Vector.

“Nah you can't fool me! You really like it!”  Yuuma said with a grin, sitting down next to Astral. Vector leaned against Takashi as the other sat down next to him.  He smiled.

“We can only imagine...it'll be interesting to see what happens when it's done.”  

Astral rolled his eyes but since Yuuma didn’t disturb him, he went to continue to scan it. After a few minutes, he was done. “I want to let it run so I can see if it’s ready or not, but you probably don’t want these two to see.”

“No, I don't.”  Vector said, glancing at Yuuma.

“Time to make good on your promise to distract Takashi, Yuuma-kun.”  He cooed.  Yuuma rolled his eyes but got out.

“Come on, Takashi. They gotta test this crazy thing.” Yuuma said, getting up and pulling Takashi up with him.

“You could at least be subtle about needing me out.” Takashi said, rolling his eyes. He squeezed Vector’s hand before he allowed himself to be pulled along. “See you later. We’ll do something.”

Vector chuckled.

“That's Yuuma's job, not mine.”  He mused. Yuuma stuck his tongue out at Vector, making him chuckle.  He squeezed Takashi's hand in return before letting Yuuma drag his husband out.  

“Yeah!  We should plan something while they're testing that thing! Something fun but inclusive for everyone, considering Vector's condition!”  Yuuma agreed.

“Alright Astral.  We can test it now.”  Vector said.

“Plan what, Yuuma?” Takashi asked as he was whisked away back to the kitchen. “Okay, I’ll humour you. What do you want to do?” He asked the bigger man, crossing his arms with amusement.

Astral nodded and finished up what he was writing before he booted the program up. The screen changed and went black, before the camera attached to the laptop flickered on. The program slowly formed Vector, looking considerably healthier than the real one.

“You know, something fun! Maybe a picnic?  Oh, or we could watch a movie!  That wouldn't be too hard for Vector right?”  Yuuma asked.  

Vector watched as the model Vector blinked back at him and Astral.  Without Astral touching the keys, the model looked around, moving on its own without glitches.  

“Hey...look at it go.” Vector mused, excited.  The model looked at him and smirked immediately.

“Checking me out huh? I know I'm prettier than you've been in awhile, I imagine.”  It spoke in Vector's voice.  The real Vector rolled his eyes.  

“Heh… I guess so. Both are nice. It’s been a while since we went out to the movies… and I don’t think I’ve ever taken him out on a picnic before” Takashi said, trying to recall a time when he saw it.

“Wow, he’s as rude as you and not afraid to hide it,” Astral chuckled. “Does he have any of your… well… it’s difficult to program memories but do you have a list?”

“No picnics?  But you guys have a really pretty flower garden!” Yuuma said, noting their backyard. Takashi had been keeping up his flower planting as much as possible even while Vector was back.  

“We should totally have a picnic!  The fresh air would be good for Vector right?”  

“Yep.  Looks like it.”  Vector mused.  He frowned.

“I did write it down...but I'll try a test here.”  Vector said, pointing at Astral.

“Tell me about my history with this guy.”  He said to the model.

“I didn't like him because he hacked M.I.D.S ages ago.  His hacker name is Astral, but I'm pretty sure that's not your real name.  His aliases are Hope Ray and Kibou...he's in a relationship with Kaito.  Yuuma, Shark and Astral all went to the same orphanage.  I helped him get busted out of jail recently, and you asked him to help you work on the model project.  So I like him now.”  The Vector model said with a smirk.  

“Oh… I guess you can count that. We sit outside and have tea but that’s really the extent of it.” Takashi said. He smiled though. “We do like that park we walk around. Maybe we can just sit there and relax with food. That’s always nice.”

Astral frowned, not liking how Vector’s camera could pick up that he was Astral and not another person. He made a mental note to have Yuuto check if his scrambling chips were working before he listened.

“Fair enough… Seems functional. His mouth doesn’t move as fast as he does though."

“Yeah!  We should go there sometime!”  Yuuma said excitedly.  He liked the park too.

“True...we should fix that.” Vector noted.  

“You have scrambling chips on your face.  When did you get those done?  I had to use audio recognition to determine your identity.”  Model Vector asked Astral.  

“I haven't done much recent memory stuff yet...still working on that.”  Vector said softly to Astral in explanation for why his model didn't know about his facial chips.

“Alright… but something small, okay? Not everyone we know when we go out. I do want him to be more social, but don’t go overboard.” Takashi laughed.

Astral raised his eyebrows, surprised that the program had thought of that so fast. He rubbed his face, relieved that he didn’t have to get more tattoos, and smiled. “Pretty clever how he did that. Is he already hooked up to an audio bank of some sort? That’s pretty intense already. He seems nearly done."

“Yay!  Okay so who?  You should let Kotori come at least so you guys can meet Masumi!  She's adorable!”   Yuuma said happily.

“No...but the mic on my laptop is on.  My memory has codes of people's voices, and since I've heard you before, it recognized you.”  Vector said, excited by this too.

“Yeah, he's mostly ready. I need to add a few more memories in yet...and I guess some minor corrections like the mouth that you mentioned.”

Takashi smiled at the thought. Masumi was a darling girl and he wanted to see her again. He loved children still, they had a soft spot in his heart.

“Yeah. We can take all our kids along. Kotori and Masumi, Vector and me, Shark and you.” He teased.

“I see…” Astral said. “Fascinating. Well he knows how to take care of Takashi already, doesn’t he?"

Yuuma squawked in surprise.

“I'm not a kid!”  He exclaimed with a pout.

“Yes, he does.  He knows my schedule and Takashi's from me. He'll look after him.”  Vector said, shutting down the program for now. He was happy to see how it was going.

Takashi laughed. “I know, I know. I’m joking. You’re the biggest of us all, Yuuma. You couldn’t pass for a child no matter how hard I try.” He said, patting his shoulder.

Astral couldn’t help but smile as the program waved and let himself be switched off.

“So he just wants to help out, huh?"

Yuuma smiled a bit when Takashi complimented him.

“You got that right.” Yuuma cheered.

“That's right...he loves him like I do, so of course he'll help him.”  Vector said with a smile and a cough.

“So, any plans for the weekend, Yuuma?” Takashi asked

“And the adaptive AI won’t go rouge or do something crazy? I mean… it is you, after all that it’s based off” Astral said, showing some concern for the incredible but frightening project. AI had many implications attached to them, and one based on Vector could be unpleasant.

“Shark and I were gonna hang out at home really!  Not much planned!”  Yuuma said happily.

“Are you and Vector doing the same?”  

“Yeah...I suppose there is a risk.  But, if that does happen, then you'll have to stop it won't you Astral?”  Vector said with a smirk.

“Basically. He’ll probably work on that program more,” Takashi said, gesturing back to the living room”

Astral sighed and rolled his eyes. “Leaving me to clean up another of your messes, huh? Well, alright. I suppose I can promise that for you."

"Then we should definitely do something! Get him out of the house for awhile ya know?" Yuuma said happily.

Vector chuckled.

"This would be easier though...just shut down its main operating system. But j don't anticipate it going rouge because it has Takashi."

“Yeah, sounds like a plan. This weekend sounds great. Hopefully Kotori can make it.” Takashi sighed. “How is she? Masumi just came home, so how is she dealing with it.”

“I guess. It’s adaptive, that’s all.” Astral shrugged. No need to worry about it though, so he dismissed any further thoughts. It was just fascinating...

"I went to her house recently for the welcoming Alit home party! They seem to be doing okay. Turns out whoever took Masumi took good care of her. Alit's doing alright too! He's allowed to walk and do things as long as they aren't too hard on his injury! A picnic should be fine with him too. And of course Ponta loves the park." Yuuma said, already looping in tons of people as he spoke.

"I can tell you're curious...if you want you can have the code formula I made and make and play with one of your own." Vector mused to Astral.

“… Does Vector even get along with Alit? I’ve never seen them interact.” Takashi said, a bit nervous. He knew Gilag would recognise Vector in a heartbeat, so he was out of the question, but Kotori was good friends with Ena so…

“Oh no… I couldn’t…” Astral said, waving his hand. Then he paused and looked at Vector. “Really?"

"...I don't know." Yuuma said in shock. He also couldn't remember them interacting.

"Maybe we should just make it Kotori, Ponta and Masumi then?" He said.

Vector raised a brow with a knowing smile at Astral's initial words, saying 'I know you want to' silently. He nodded.

"Yeah of course. You need something to do other than hack right?"

“I guess… I mean… We can offer and hope he refuses, honestly. I’m not against it, unless Vector starts something.” Takashi admitted.

“I have some work.” Astral said. “But… that would be amazing. Thank you"

"Yeah I guess we can." Yuuma said.

"No problem. Do what you want with it, I don't care as long as you don't destroy the Vector model." Vector said, giving the basic code to Astral.

“Of course.” Astral smiled, letting Vector copy the file onto a thumb drive and give it to him. “I’ll look after it"

"I know you will Astral. Have fun." Vector mused with a smile.

-x-

The police had been looking around for the drug dealer who had given Yami the Devil's Breath for quite some time, but their search had continually come up short.

"I suppose we have no choice but to ask Yami of his whereabouts. Mai, you got answers out of him last time, so you can talk to him this time." Ukyou said. Gauche went and got Yuugi, leading him back into the interrogation room where Ukyou and Mai were sitting. Yuugi blinked.

"What are we doing this time?" He asked.

“We need to find out about the drug dealer you were seen with. The one that supplied you with Devil’s Breath,” Mai said, taking a seat with Yami. Today Raphael wasn’t with them, but Mai figured things would go alright, considering how both parts of Yuugi were cooperating.

“Do you know of Dennis Macfield? Yami? Can I speak to him if you don’t?"

Yuugi blinked.

"No..." He said softly, feeling his head hurting and a moment later Yami emerged.

"Of course I know Dennis. You guys saw me with him at the docks didn't you?" Yami mused.  

"But, I don't know where he is. In case you haven't noticed I've been in the slammer for a few days now. Haven't been in touch with him." Yami said.

“Don’t play games, Yami.” Mai sighed, shaking her head, taking the shift in stride now. “I didn’t expect you to be in contact, I just wanted some leads. You were always thorough with whom you dealt with and kept alive, so you must have some idea”

"But I like games." Yami mused. He nodded.

"Yeah I have some ideas. But I can't tell you Mai. Dennis has powerful guys on his side. If I talk and he gets caught, he'll know it was me. He knows me and he knows I was arrested. He'll know who blabbed." Yami said.

Mai rolled her eyes and ignored him.

“Any hints? Or anyone I can interrogate to get the heat off you?” Mai asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Police protection isn't gonna work against Dennis. Nobody knows who his guys are, because unlike other dealers, Dennis tends to talk to his clients personally. His guys are all invisible. I don't know them so I can't tell you who to look for." Yami explained.

“Damn it…” Mai frowned. “Do you at least know if he’ll stick to Heartland?"

Yami pondered this question.

“To my knowledge he has no workings outside of Heartland...and considering he does have a large clientele here, it's highly likely he would stick to Heartland.  He didn't exactly tell me all his business plans though, so it's possible he might expand too.  I'm not sure.”  Yami said. He smiled a bit.

“Sorry Mai.  Not much more I can give you...the Devil's Breath is a newer drug of his though.  It hasn't caught on that much yet.  I was one of his biggest buyers of that one, so maybe it won't grow as much.  Most people are terrified of it.”  

“I would imagine so… But knowing he’ll stay in the city is a good start. Do you know if he’s a big shot? If I can figure out how much he’s earning, we may be able to narrow our search"

Yami frowned again as he thought about what he knew about Dennis.

“I don't think he's that big.  Since he deals with all his clients personally, it's hard to be big.  Maybe his behind the scenes network is big though. He does have access to quite an impressive collection of drugs.  But, whenever I go see him, there's never that much of a crowd.”  Yami mused.

“Right…. So he’s a dealer, not a producer, and very personal.” Mai pondered, already able to see a map of the city in her mind’s eye. She could see him in the middle to lower class areas then, not some rich kid doing this for fun. It was interesting. “May be a while before we can turn him in. A man hunt is never fun or easy"

“Yeah.  Very personal.  He treats everyone like a friend, and does you favors.”  Yami said.  He chuckled.

“I don't know if I believe that Mai.  This is the second time you've been involved in hunting me down.  I'd say you like man hunts.”  Yami mused.

“I like hunting men, not man hunts. There’s a difference, Yami,” Mai winked at him, her mood elevating immediately.

Yami laughed.

"I hear you." He said, also in a good mood. Ukyou sighed.

"Guys lets get back on topic..." He said.

“So… I got a question that’s been bugging me. Where's your blood money, Mutou? You don’t have accounts on record, and you’re not exactly stellar with your knowledge on computers or tech, so where’s the cash?"

"Yeah I haven't used accounts in years...it's easier to just take your cash with you. And as a fugitive opening a bank account would alert the police that I'm still around so I never did." Yami said with a shrug.

"It's hidden of course. I left it all in cash at the place I was staying."

“And that place was…” Mai asked, as if hoping to get an answer, even if she knew it was unlikely.

"In a location that I am not about to specify." Yami finished.

"It's my money and you guy have no claim to it...you wouldn't be able to tell who gave it to me so you can't return it. Might as well just leave it there."

“And if anyone else finds it?” Mai asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They probably won't. My puzzle is there too, and you know I hide that one really well. But if they do, they'll be rich. It doesn't matter to me anymore...don't need money where I'm going." Yami said with a sigh.

"Although I was saving to get the hell out of here...it's a shame."

“Where were you heading for? America? To do the same thing you’ve been doing here?” Mai asked, getting comfortable but somehow still looking sympathetic to him.

“I was mostly concerned with just getting out of Heartland.  Maybe eventually I would have made my way there.  I was thinking of going back to college too...maybe get a real job.”  Yami said with a shrug.

“Giving up your games?” Mai asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m surprised. That really doesn’t sound like you, Yami.”

“Probably not completely. I'd still play, but it wouldn't be my means of income.  I played casual games here too you know.”  He said.  

“...Besides, now that Yuugi's back, I would probably have to do that regardless...”  He murmured, feeling a small twinge of pain and groaning.

“I know you know… But does Yuugi know you’re not getting out of the mental institution for the rest of your life? It’s there and then jail if you’re deemed sane enough… but death otherwise.” Mai muttered.

“...No.  But I'd rather just let him hope and focus on recovering.  He's depressed enough as it is...”  Yami said softly.

“Right… But some life is better than none, isn’t it hon?” Mai frowned, feeling uneasy all of a sudden. “…"

“Of course.  That's why I don't want to die.”  Yami said with a sigh.  

“Can we talk about something else?”  He said, clutching his head a little.  He didn't like feeling sad or scared because it triggered Yuugi to come out.

“Right… You have anything you want to say? Or should I just start asking more and more questions?” Mai said, looking at the man.

“Not that I can think of...ask me anything.  I don't care.”  Yami said.

“… Okay. Sure. How do you know that lawyer? He’s pretty hot, sure, but I didn’t know you were the type to befriend those kinds of people.” Mai said.

Yami groaned a bit at the question.  Ukyou glanced between the two, wondering if he should intervene or not.  But then again, he was curious what the relationship was too.

“Well I guess I did say anything...”  He muttered.

“We're not friends, exactly. I met him in Neo Domino about...hmm...5 years ago now?  Maybe a little longer...anyway, he was not a fancy lawyer back then at all.  I frequented a club where he was staying, as a gambler...eventually we got into a bit of an arrangement.  I'd...entertain him, in exchange for him letting me stay with him for the night.  I didn't have permanent lodging, and it was much cheaper and safer than a hostel or shelter...so it worked out.  But, once the gambling rings caught up with me, I had to leave for Heartland and that was it for him.  I had no idea he was here, or that he was a lawyer.”  Yami explained.

“… Wow. Small world, huh?” Mai said, tilting her head. “Well, it’s lucky you got your friend."

“He's not my friend.” Yami repeated.

“But I guess so...if he took on that Vector case and won, then I guess he's the best one for my case too. As long as he doesn't try to flirt with Yuugi again...”  Yami said with a frown at the last part.

“You really care about your other half, huh?” Mai smiled. “At least you won’t get more of that anymore."

“Yeah I do.  I didn't like that he disappeared...there was nothing I could do but still, I didn't like it.”  Yami said.

“...Don't tell Yuugi about what me and the lawyer did though...he needs to figure out his shit for himself.”

“Hopefully you didn’t leave him with too much” Mai said.

“I think he's still clueless.  Yuugi is very young and naive.”  Yami mused with a smile.

“...and somehow I feel like if Raphael is there, nothing bad will happen anyway.  He seems pretty protective, even of me.”  He said, looking contemplative and a little incredulous.

“Well, Raphael will look after you. I bet he’ll visit every weekend once you’re in the institute and make sure you’re alright. He’s a good guy. Seems like he always has been."

Yami shook his head in disbelief.

“Yeah I knew he was a good guy but...not that good.  I understand wanting to see Yuugi, but even when he knows it's me he's still nice...I tried to kill him.  He shouldn't like me that much.”  Kaiba was looking like a huge asshole for wanting him dead in Yami's mind.  

“But, since Yuugi likes him, I guess him visiting will make him happy.  I don't know how the Correctional Facility compares to prison, but if it's anything like jail, it's not the best place to make friends.”  Yami said with a frown.

“Do you know much about the Correctional Facility?”  He asked Mai. He'd been there, yes, but only for tests.  He had no idea how inmates were treated.

“Maybe you should ask him next time you see him. Who knows? You might get answers.” Mai said. She was kind of hoping Yami would tattle sooner or later on whoever hired him, and wanted to pit Yami against the man even more.

“Hm? Not really. As a PI, everyone goes to jail since their crimes are actually crimes.” Mai said. “I heard they’ve beefed up security but are encouraging a healthier environment then a prison. Probably in light of the Vector incident."

Yami would never tattle on Kaiba.  He knew that as much as Dennis had influence, Kaiba had at least 20 times that.  Yami would be dead in a heartbeat if he opened his mouth and blabbed.  

“Maybe.”  He said.  He listened and nodded.

“Yeah I heard about that...the speculation of prisoner abuse going on in there.  And that no one has ever broken out of there save for Vector, who was a suspected victim of abuse himself.  Sounds like it would be hard to get out.”  Yami mused.  

“Ah, speaking of breaking out, enlighten me, Yami.” Mai said, tapping her perfect nails on the table, looking at the man in interest.

“How did you break out of jail last time? You’ve been on the run for a while… ”

Yami raised a brow at the first part.  He snickered a little.

“I didn't do it alone. Someone came in to break me out...I found out later that it was a paid job.  Whoever gave me the bounty to kill those CEOs was apparently the same guy who broke me out.  Or at least the notes said so.”  Yami said with a shrug.

“Notes? So you’ve never met him?” Mai frowned. “Do you have those notes? Or did you destroy them?” She asked. It didn’t hurt to check.

“Never met him, no.  I knew he was rich and had a ton of money to spare because of how much he paid me, but that was kinda it.  It might not have even been a man, but considering most of the really rich people in Heartland are men, the odds are it was a man who paid me.”  Yami lied smoothly.  

“I destroyed them.  It was part of the instructions to burn the notes after I read them, so I did.”  

“Yeah… A rich guy eliminating business men or their bosses. I can see that.” Mai sighed. “Oh well, worth a shot. You really know nothing, don’t ya, Yami?

“Is there any evidence that you can provide that says that you’ve been working for someone else?”

“No, I don't really. Although if I had to guess, I'd say the same thing you just did.”  Yami said. He paused at the second question.

“...You guys took all my stuff didn't you?  I understand not wanting to go through the pockets, but you probably should.  There was a card in one of my pockets with the deadline to kill Raphael and the meeting place for collecting the bounty. The meeting place changed every time, but they would always wait a week before giving me the bounty, because they had to confirm the kill on the news.  Since they confirmed my arrest, they wouldn't have sent anyone this time. It's not much but it's all I've got aside from the fact that killing nicer people isn't really my style.  I go after scumbags, not charity workers like Raphael.”  

“Alright… We saw the card. We’ll use it to the best of our ability. Thanks for the heads up.” Mai said. “They’re thinking of pushing the trial to next week, since you’re a special case. We still have it in the bag, but it may be difficult"

Yami nodded.

“Alright...sooner rather than later I guess...”  He said, his head throbbing again.  He placed a hand on it.

“...Yuugi's coming out soon...tell him about the trial date, if he does...”  Yami groaned softly.

“Alright. Go rest. We’ll see if Dr. Arclight will prescribe medication soon.” Mai said. “Drink the water."

Yami accepted the water, his hands shaking a little as he took a sip.  

“I hope so...I can't ever remember having this many headaches in my life...”  He said.  He got up a little shakily and let Ukyou escort him back to his cell, trying to hold onto consciousness until then.  When he reached the cell he collapsed onto the cot and closed his eyes, trying to get some rest as Mai had suggested.

“… The forensics team should get on the card, make sure Yami is telling the truth.” Mai muttered. “I worry… Do you think you can win this case?”

“All we can do is try, and see what happens,” Ukyou said, putting a hand on the woman’s shoulder before walking off, leaving Mai to watch Mutou sleep.

-x-

Miheal was finally ready for his date with Gilag.  God it had been a long day in court, and he was desperate to relax a little and have fun. Ouji Kyouhei (or Koutei, as he preferred to be called) had been on trial today for attempted murder and kidnapping. He had been officially admitted to the Correctional Facility as a result, but Miheal had felt sorry for the man as he watched the horrifying testimonies of the victims.  There had been clear tension in the room between the man on the stand and Koutei, and Miheal knew the blond had taken it hard. He'd have his work cut out for him, he was sure.

He was currently waiting at a restaurant for Gilag to show up.  He'd been working all day and Miheal was sure the larger man would also be wanting to relax.  Miheal had already checked the restaurant for signs of Thomas and was glad to see that he hadn't figured out about the date.  This time, they'd be undisturbed and that was how Miheal liked it.

Although Gilag had fought tooth and nail in order to try get time off work, it was absolutely impossible for him to attend Koutei’s trial. Since he wasn’t testifying, the man wasn’t needed and he had no excuse to be there. So he had spent the entire day at the construction site, and the time he had gotten home, Alit had gotten fed up and went to vent in a public gym, while Kotori had taken Ponta out to a school friend’s house, in order to just get away from the tiring trial and rest. So Gilag was very much in the dark about Koutei’s case, and while he wanted to know, he supposed tomorrow would be better to talk. Tonight he would go and see Miheal…

So dressed in his best clothes (Which were average at best) the man walked into the quiet restaurant. He smiled, immediately spotting Miheal out of the few heads, and he waved to him.

“Hey there,” He smiled, the waiter letting him past so the man could go to where Miheal was seated. “Sorry. Were you waiting long?"

Miheal saw Gilag almost immediately too. He waved him over with a smile.

"Hey yourself. No, I wasn't waiting long don't worry!" Miheal said happily, letting Gilag sit across from him.

"I'm glad to see you again...it's been a busy day for me so it's great to relax."

“Busy day, huh? At work in the facility?” Gilag asked, sitting down. He was glad to see Miheal, he looked adorable as always.

"No not at the facility...I spent most of my day in court, actually. The police were finally ready to go ahead with one of the Facility's newer cases...so I had to testify what I'd seen in our few therapy sessions. Poor guy is going through drug withdrawal and is suffering memory loss."

“Court…” The man paused before he frowned. “…… You wouldn’t happen to be talking about Koutei, right?” He asked, wondering about what a small world this was.

Miheal blinked in surprise.

"...yes actually. That's exactly whose trial I testified at." Miheal said.

"But how would you know about that?" Miheal asked.

“My brother is Barian Alit and his wife is Barian Kotori. I live with them.” Gilag said, raising his eyebrow. “They testified today, and were the victims of what that guy did."

“Ah, so they were related to you!  I was wondering that...but I didn't see you there, so I didn't want to assume anything. Barian seems to be a popular name...there's a bar called that after all.”  Miheal said.

“So what you were saying yesterday about your brother almost being killed...that was Koutei who did it wasn't it?  God that's awful...”  He said.

“I had work. I wanted to head over there, but I couldn’t get the time off.” The man scratched the back of his head, a bit pleased Miheal remembered when they had their first date but expression sombre due to the subject.

“Yeah… Koutei nearly murdered him… the bastard.” Gilag scowled. “He hurt my family… when they trusted him. I know he was drugged, but still, he could have killed Masumi and we would have never known."

“Ah I see.  I'm sorry to hear that.  I know that when things like that happen you want to be with your family.” Miheal said.  He nodded.

“It's always terrible when people you trust betray you.  Koutei I know feels devastated over what he did...even if he doesn't remember it. I'm glad they're all safe and recovering though.”  Miheal said, putting his tiny hand over Gilag's in comfort.

Gilag felt like yelling in frustration but ultimately he was quiet, especially when he felt Miheal’s small hand over his. He gave a deep sigh, and he shook his head, trying to calm down. He was on a date… he shouldn’t get worked up.

“So you were there… Do you…. I mean… I know it’s not a date topic but can you tell me how it went?” Gilag asked. “It’s really important to me. Alit and Kotori were devastated and they didn’t tell me anything.”

“Yes, I was there.  I was testifying that Koutei needed treatment and should go to the Correctional Facility before prison.”  Miheal said.  He knew it wasn't really a date topic either, but he could see how important this was to Gilag.

“Alright...I'll tell you to the best of my ability.”  He said.

“Well, there were only a small handful of testifiers...me, your brother, and a few policemen who had worked on the case.  The cops went first, basically to clarify the facts of the case.  They confirmed through forensic evidence that Koutei had held the knife, and had definitely been around Masumi's crib.  They also said that someone else ultimately ended up with Masumi...he's another recent arrest named Mutou Yuugi, who said that he found Masumi abandoned in a dumpster.  He and Masumi were ultimately looked after by CEO Kamahara Raphael, who runs several homeless shelters across the city.  He looked after Masumi, which made sure she got back to her family safely.  Kotori seemed very grateful by that news.” Miheal said, starting with the lighter parts of the trial.

Gilag frowned and nodded. He knew those details, but he raised an eyebrow when he heard who the other person was.

“Mutou Yuugi… He was that murderer.” He growled. Why would Koutei just… just put her in the trash? It was unforgivable. “Then what?"

“Yes, he is.  But, I've met him, and he is surprisingly non-violent.  I can believe that he never intended to hurt Masumi.”  Miheal said.  He sighed.

“That's when things went downhill...everyone was generally relieved that the baby was alright.  But then your brother was asked to testify what happened to him.  I could feel a lot of tension between him and Koutei...Koutei couldn't even look at him. And your brother, whenever he did look at Koutei, just seemed to get angry.  Alit told his story of how Koutei stabbed him and took his daughter...and Koutei just seemed to shrink in on himself.  As if he wanted to disappear in Alit's presence.  It was hard to watch both of them honestly...I could feel sympathy for both sides.”  

“…” Gilag wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear. Sure, he loved hearing that Koutei was genuinely sorry, but at the same time it didn’t solve anything. It had no closure. Alit was still not happy. “Did they try to fight there? In the court room?”

"No...though Alit looked like he might have tried to fight if Koutei did something wrong. But mostly Koutei just looked like he wanted to run away."

“That probably would have pissed Alit off more,” Gilag muttered. He knew how much Alit hated cowards and traitors. “So how did it end up?"

"Well I testified next. I talked about rehabilitation for Koutei to recover his memories and get him over his drug addictions. He was on powerful stuff...he needs to be waned off it safely or he could hurt himself again. Eventually the jury agreed to send him to the Correctional Facility over jail."

“Right… I guess that’s how I expected it to go” Gilag sighed. “So the case was dealt with, just like that, huh?"

"They said they might do a re-trial if he recovers his memories that could adjust his sentence a little, but other than that it's been done with."

“Is it facility until he’s taken off the drugs or for life? Will he go to jail?” The man asked quietly.

Miheal sighed.

"He was formally sentenced to 15 years behind bars, but it's unclear how much time hell spent where. Prisoner sentences for drug addictions are different than mental illness. They often over a re-trial to determine whether it's necessary to move them to prison after they've lost their dependence on drugs. But since there are often underlying problems, like depression, that lead to drug use in the first place, we often try to keep them in the Facility for as long as possible. For Koutei there's that and additional memory problems to deal with. He could be in the Correctional Facility for the whole time if he never recovers his memories."

“I see…” Gilag frowned. “Well… it’s the best we can give him…” He sighed. “… Thanks. I appreciate you telling me this."

Miheal nodded and smiled.

"It's not a problem. I understand that it would be hard for your family to talk about with you. This way, you know."

"Oh and....I hope it doesn't bother you that I'm taking charge of his rehabilitation. The circumstances make it hard for me not to." Miheal said. Since Mutou Yuugi was probably coming to the Facility too now, it made sense for one psychologist to deal with both him and his suspected victim.

“Oh…” Gilag blinked. It really was a small world. “Really? I don’t mind. As long as you don’t get in trouble… I don’t know how this thing works, but whatever works for you.”

“… Honestly, it makes me feel better that someone Alit cares about is being taken care of someone like you"

Miheal smiled, glad that it didn't bother Gilag.

"I hope it will all work out." He said. He smiled a bit wider.

"Someone like me huh? You flatter me Gilag." He mused.

Gilag smiled back at him. “Well… How can I not? I’ve known you for a short time, but already I can tell that you’re so smart and kind"

Miheal smiled.

"Thank you. I can say the same for you. I'm really glad you wanted to meet with me again. I've made sure my idiot brother isn't around this time to bug us, so hopefully this date will go smoother." Miheal said with a chuckle.

“Yeah…” Gilag laughed. “Your brother wasn’t all that bad. I mean, on Alit’s very first date, I tagged along to keep an eye on him too.” He was thirteen at the time though, which was really different. “But yeah… I’m going to count on a good date. Lets order.” He said, beaming. “And try actually get to know each other”

"Did you? It must be an older brother instinct then!" Miheal said with a chuckle. He had never been an older brother so he didn't know for sure.

"Sure. I'd like that." Miheal said with a smile. The waitress came by to get their orders, then left them to talk.

"So aside from work and family what have you been up to Gilag?"

“Hmm… Not much, honestly. Oh, I took Ponta to the park. Oh… but that’s family. Usually what I do always revolve around them” The man laughed. “I suppose besides watch a few movies and look up concert tickets, not much."

Miheal smiled.

"I remember Ponta. He was adorable. It's so nice that your family is all so close. I'm lucky to see my brothers once a month." Miheal said.

"Oh what concert? What sort of music do you like?"

“Mmm… That bad, huh? I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t see any of my brothers for longer than a day.” Gilag sighed.

“Ah… Well… I really like pop music. My favourite artist is Chono Sanagi. She’s the absolute cutest, and I like listening to her songs.” Gilag grinned.

Miheal nodded.

"I guess it is a bit sad, but we do talk occasionally. Thomas and I talk a lot on social media. Chris is usually a lot busier so I speak with him less, but recently I've heard he's finally pursuing love, so I'm happy for him." Miheal said the last part with a smile. His eyes widened as Gilag answered him.

"You like Sanagi too? I had no idea!" Miheal said, glad that he and Gilag had something common.

“Really?” Gilag asked, surprised. He expected to be laughed at -in good fun of course- but the way Miheal’s face lit up. “Of course. You do? I try go to all her concerts, but she’s always sold out before I can nab anything.”

"Yes! I love her!" Miheal said, excited that he and Gilag had something in common.

"Yeah she's super popular...it's really hard to get tickets. I haven't been able to go to one in ages." Miheal lamented.

"I guess if I can nab some tickets we'll have a future date idea right there." Miheal mused.

“Oh man, really?” Gilag grinned. “That would be awesome. I mean… god. No I mean that it would be awesome” he laughed.

Miheal chuckled.

"It would. I guess we'll have to try and get tickets then." He said.

"Do you usually go with your family? Do your brothers like her too?"

“Ponta does. He likes the atmosphere of concerts and fast music. He usually sits on my shoulders and we’d party for as long as we can.” Gilag chuckled. “Kotori is into it too. Alit, not so much, but he’ll come if everyone else does"

"That is nice. Sometimes I can bully Thomas into coming but he's not as into it as I am. It'll be nice to go win someone else." Miheal said.

“It’s always great to meet another fan. Which song is your favourite?” Gilag asked.

"It's gotta be 'Heart Duel'. That's her big hit." Miheal said with a smile.

"And yours?"

“Cardian of my Heart’ for sure. I have this thing for super cheesy songs.” Gilag chuckled.

"I like that one too! Cheesy songs are fine with me too. That's all Thomas says I listen to." Miheal mused with a chuckle.

“Heh… It’s rare I meet anyone else who shares my interests. Like gosh…” Gilag grinned. “I didn’t expect you to like it as well. Hey, weird question, but have you ever been told you kind of look like Sanagi?”

"Same here. I'm glad that we share that interest at least!" Miheal said. He chuckled.

"Yeah...I've been told that. I guess there is a little resemblance."

Gilag grinned dumbly for a moment before he realised that it was obscenely… weird to just make the comparison out of the blue. “Ah… Not meaning you look girly. I mean you just look super cute."

Miheal chuckled a little and shook his head.

"It's alright. I've been told both....I'm glad you think it's the cute factor only." Miheal said with a small blush. Gilag had technically told him he was cute.

Gilag laughed and scratched the back of his head, grinning. “Heh… sorry.” The food arrived, but that didn’t really save him. He just really liked Miheal it was ridiculous.

Miheal smiled.

"It's alright...you're pretty cute too."  He said, giving Gilag's hand a small squeeze before pulling back to dig into his food when it arrived.  He really liked Gilag too...for a big guy, he was quite adorable.

“… What?” Gilag blinked. “… Really? I mean… Guys like you are cute? And guys like me are usually… well… most people don’t use the word cute.” He said, scratching the back of his head.

Miheal smiled at Gilag and chuckled a bit.

"I guess most people haven't gotten to know you.  I think you're adorable and you're such a nice guy."  He said, taking a bite of his food.

“Ah… Thanks.” Gilag looked calm, but he felt faint. Miheal… Miheal thought he was cute. Ahhh…” He looked up and smiled before starting to eat.

"No problem." Miheal said, smiling back before digging in.

"Mm...that's good. How's yours?"

Gilag blinked, wondering what he was talking about before he looked down at the food. “Ah!” He quickly grabbed a bite of the food and smiled. “Ah, it’s good pasta.”

Miheal giggled a bit, hiding it behind a hand.  Gilag was just so adorable right now.

"That's good.  I guess I picked a good restaurant then." He said, happy that Gilag seemed to like his food.

“Yeah, you have good taste. You want to try some?” The man offered.

"Sure.  You can try some of mine if you want too." Miheal said, scooping some of his chicken onto his fork and holding it out across the table for Gilag to eat off of with a smile.

Gilag looked at Miheal and with barely a second thought, he took the chicken off the fork. It was nice, like they were a real cutsie teenage couple. Gilag thought if he had wings, they would be fluttering now.

“Ah… It’s really good. Here. Have some of mine!” He grinned

Miheal smiled as they shared an adorable moment. It seemed pretty natural to offer Gilag a piece of his meal this way.

"I'm glad you like it! And your pasta looks good too so don't mind if I do." Miheal said, accepting a bite of Gilag's pasta in return. He smiled.

"Yours is delicious...you have great taste too."

It just felt natural. Some bits with Miheal made him stop, like slamming breaks on when you decide not to speed at a red light, but other times, movements flow, naturally and fluidly. This was one of them. The man gave a grin as he watched Miheal eat the pasta and smile back.

“Heh… Glad you think so. I love Italian food. Reminds me a lot of home.”

Miheal was glad things were progressing so smoothly on this date.  He liked Gilag a lot and wanted things to work out with him.  

"Oh yes that's right you're from Italy.  That's sweet...I like Italian too, but since I've never been to Italy, I doubt I've had as authentic as you have." Miheal said.

"You'll have to show me someday."

“Yeah… I lived there when I was a kid, but I moved because of my mum and Alit to Japan. I’ve been in this city for most of my life. I always wanted to go back, but never had the time to get around to it. I’d love to show you, but I’d be an awful guide. Still, if you would have me…” Gilag laughed.

"I would love to go to Italy!  I'm a fan of ruins and old things...so I'd love to see some of Italy's old cities." Miheal said with a chuckle.

"I'm sure you'd be a fine guide.  I'd need someone who can understand the language for sure...I don't speak a word of Italian."

“You might pick it up on our dates. I talk to my brothers in Italian all the time, so I haven’t forgotten the language or anything.” Gilag mused “I really like Japanese history. The era of the samurai and war tactics fascinate me”

"Maybe.  I heard you and Ponta talking in Italian last time, but I couldn't understand a word."  Miheal said with a chuckle.  Little did he know that Ponta had been asking Gilag to kiss him...

"Yeah, it is pretty interesting, isn't it?  I think you'd make a good daimyo, you know.  You're kind, strong and seem like a good leader."  Miheal said with a smile.

Gilag blushed and he scratched the back of his head, chuckling as he remembered what his brother had asked. The second date wouldn’t be too bad to do that. Early but not yet.

“Daimyo? Me?” Gilag laughed “You think so? I’m very much like… a follower, really. I’m not really a leader."

"I think so yeah! You're trustworthy. And as an older brother, I'm sure your younger siblings trust you and follow you." Miheal said with a smile.

“Ah… Well, when you put it that way, I guess so.” Gilag said, having more thought about the time he caught with a bad crowd and his work. “Though sometimes I think Ponta is a much better leader that me.”

Miheal smiled and chuckled.

"Maybe it seems that way because younger siblings are very good at convincing the older ones to get into mischief.  Or, at least that is what Thomas told me I did."  Miheal mused.

“Yeah, you mentioned two older brothers you don’t see too much. How are they? Thomas still being cheeky?” Gilag laughed

Miheal rolled his eyes.

"Definitely. Chris recently got a crush on someone, and Thomas dragged me to the restaurant they went to in order to spy on them.  Then Thomas immediately got me and another friend of ours into a betting pool on how long it would take for them to make things official."  He mused.

Gilag snorted. “I’m so glad I’ve never had my brothers do that. Geeze, Thomas really makes a point to get involved with you both, doesn’t he? You’d think he’s dying to keep your attention on him, even when you guys are off dating other people"

"Well he has always been an attention hog...he always wanted everyone to pay attention to him as a kid too.  That's probably why he went into modeling.  And he does have a boyfriend of his own...he's always got someone around, but apparently that's never enough."  Miheal said with a small smile and a shake of his head at Thomas' ridiculousness.

“Well,I guess it’s different with family. I mean, if my brother was off with his wife all the time, I’d be pretty bitter about it too.” Gilag shrugged. “Heh… but you know your brother better than me. If he’s not lonely, he’s not."

"I don't think it's quite that kind of bitterness...Thomas isn't really lonely. He's kinda left out though.  Chris and I both have PHDs, and Thomas didn't even go to college.  When we're all together, it's easy for him to be left out of things."

“Oh… I guess it must be tough on him then.” He could relate to a lesser degree, he supposed. “Poor guy."

"Yeah...that's why he has other friends in similar situations.  I feel bad for him and try to make him feel as included as possible, but I can't change my credentials, or Chris'."  Miheal said with a sigh.  

"But, like I said, Nii-sama is happy enough.  He just likes to pout and mope for attention."

Gilag nodded. “I guess so. I don’t really know anyone like that, so if someone seems sad I just kind of gravitate towards them. Guess that’s the big brother in me again, huh?"

"I suppose so. You're a good older brother, Gilag."  Miheal said with a smile.

“Well, I’m not good at much, so I do my best at taking care of my family. Family means everything to me, you know?” The man chuckled.

“I'm sure that's not the only thing you're good at, but the ability to take care of your family is a great one to have.”  Miheal said with a smile.

“Family means a lot to me too, even if I don't see mine as much as you do.”  

“Heh… Good to know, Miheal.” He said, grinning.

The rest of the dinner was spent in casual chatter that felt so natural to both men.  They were eventually given the bill and paid for their respective meals.  

“How are you getting home, Gilag?  I could give you a ride.”  Miheal offered with a smile.  He wasn't sure how Gilag had gotten from the construction site.

The date went well. They chatted, they laughed and somehow avoided depressing topics. Upon walking out, Gilag turned to Miheal and scratched the back of his head. “Ah… I took the bus. If you could give me a ride home, that would be really great. I can direct.”

“Sure!  I'd love to give you a ride!”  Miheal said with a smile, leading Gilag to the car. Thankfully it wasn't too small for Gilag to fit comfortably.

“Alright, lead the way.” He said once he started the car.

“Thanks.” It wasn’t too far, but having Miheal cut the time it took to get home down by half, and soon the two were pulling up to the driveway of the quaint suburban home. Gilag smiled as he looked at Miheal, and then glanced back to the house. The lights were on, so the others were home.

“I had a really good night… Thanks Miheal for asking me out."

“This is your house huh? It looks really nice.”  Miheal said, pulling up in front of it.  He smiled at Gilag when the other addressed him.

“I had a great night too, Gilag.  Thank you for accepting.”  Miheal said. He could have left it like that, but he felt like he wanted to go a bit further.  So, he leaned forward and gave Gilag a tiny kiss on the cheek before the other could get out of the car completely.

“I look forward to seeing you again soon.”  He said softly with a smile.

“Any time. I-“ Gilag started before he was kissed. He paused and the familiar pink blush made its way to his face again. “… I… Any time.” He said slowly.

“…Ah! Yeah, I hope to see you soon too. Call me.” Gilag said back, equally as softly. He smiled and slowly sauntered out of the car, waving to Miheal as he headed to the house. “Night! Drive home safely."

Miheal smiled and chuckled a little at Gilag's cute reaction.

“I will.  Goodnight, Gilag!”  He said, waving back before pulling back out into the road and heading home himself, feeling absolutely fantastic about the night.

Ponta was the first to the door when Gilag entered, wanting to see what had been keeping his big brother.

"Gilag!  How did it go?"

Gilag was practically floating as he walked back in and he rubbed his cheek, as if still in disbelief. He sighed happily and smiled as he saw Ponta, kneeling down to give the boy a hug.

“Well… Pretty well… Yeah…” He smiled goofily.

Ponta blinked in confusion at his older brother's behavior, accepting the hug.

“Are you okay, Gilag? You're acting weird, pon!”  He exclaimed, hugging Gilag and checking him over simultaneously.  Alit looked up when he saw his older brother enter and he laughed a bit at the man's behavior.

“He's fine, Ponta...that face just means he got kissed by an angel.”  Alit teased, recalling when Gilag would tease him about the same thing when he came home from dates with Kotori with similar mannerisms.  Ponta blinked in astonishment.

“You kissed him, pon? Yay!  I told you to last time, remember?  I'm glad you did this time, pon!”  He said excitedly.

Gilag blushed as Alit came in and picked up Ponta, goofily scratching the back of his head. He gave a little laugh.

“Yeah… I did get kissed by an angel. He kissed me first though.” Gilag said. “Next date, I’ll try go first.”

“Wow really?  And that's only the second date too...you guys must really be clicking well then!”  Alit said with a smile, happy for his brother.  This was better news than what had happened with Koutei this morning. Ponta grinned as he was picked up, hugging Gilag happily.

“Do it, Gilag!  Kiss him back, pon!”  Ponta cheered.

-x-

Today was the big day for Mutou Yuugi.  He was officially going on trial today facing the death penalty, although Yuugi didn't know that part.  He just knew he was going on trial to try and get put in the Correctional Facility.  He was very nervous about this whole process, but his lawyer had told him he had built up a really good case, so hopefully, he would be okay.  It also comforted him that Raphael was with him.  He'd been permitted to ride in the police armored vehicle with Yuugi, much to Yuugi's relief.  Yuugi wore an orange prisoner outfit with handcuffs and ankle cuffs, which greatly restricted his movement.  He glanced up at Raphael across from him.

“...I'm a little nervous...” He said, curling up a little on the bench.

“Have you ever been to a trial before?  I haven't...I've only seen them on television...and they seem really nerve-wracking...”  

Gilag did tell his brothers that he would, and wanted to celebrate but he wouldn’t get the chance to. Miheal had Yuugi’s case to attend, and the man was swamped with the work. Although the affair would be a private one, people crowded around the courthouse, waiting to see the killer himself and what punishment awaited him.

Raphael gave Yuugi a reassuring smile and he patted the man’s shoulder. “No, never a criminal case. Usually I’m here for financial incidents, but that’s it. This will be my first time too.” Raphael said. “All you have to do is stay calm and speak the truth. Between the two of you, you’ll prove you deserve to live, alright?”  

Yuugi nodded, trying not to panic too much.  He was nervous, and his head was starting to hurt.  But, he didn't want to switch.  He wanted to know what was happening...he didn't want to black out for the whole trial and wake up unaware of what had happened.  

“I hope so...but I also don't want to just let the other me take over.  I think he wants to, but I want to see what's happening...”  He said, putting a hand on his temple as it throbbed.  The car pulled to a stop, and Yuugi heard the engine turn off.  He swallowed.

“...I guess we're here...” He murmured, taking a deep breath to calm himself.  He wasn't sure what would be waiting for him when the door would be opened.

“Yami, you should calm down. At least you can see while Yuugi is here. It doesn’t work the other way around.” Raphael reminded him. He rubbed the man’s shoulder until they came to a stop and he looked at the door.

“Keep your head down, stay close to me and follow the police inside. It sounds like there’s a crowd outside,” The man said, standing up.

Yuugi didn't reply when Raphael addressed his other half.  He didn't think the other really cared, because the pain in his head didn't stop.  He could hear muffled noises outside and felt even more scared.

“Okay...I'll try.”  He said.  He hated suddenly that he had limited mobility due to his cuffed ankles and wrists.  Now he couldn't just run through these guys...he had to walk slowly and drag out the torture.  The doors opened and Ukyou and Gauche's faces greeted him.  Behind him, Mutou could see that the other cops were trying to clear a path through various reporters and public figures who didn't look too happy to yield.  They all wanted to see the CEO killer in person.  Seeing that was the last straw for Yuugi and he felt himself slip away as Yami took over.  His expression visibly steeled to one of neutrality.

“Come on, Mutou.  Stay close.”  Ukyou said, motioning for Yami to come out.  He obeyed, following Raphael's advice and keeping his head and eyes down to avoid camera flashes as he walked through the crowd.  Despite the fact that he was keeping his head down, Yami was alert, glancing around out of the corner of his eyes for any danger.  

“Let him swap later.” Raphael warned Yami, letting him keep covered. Between him and Gauche, it was easy to hide Yami but Raphael pulled his trench coat up to hide his face as well. The camera lights blared all the way until the courthouse, where the bailiffs were waiting.

“Straight into courtroom 2. We’ll start almost immediately.” A man said, pointing the police there.

Yami wanted to roll his eyes at Raphael's little warning, but barely refrained.  He was thankful for his size for once, since it was fairly easy to prevent him from being blinded by the photographers.  But, he could feel something...off about this situation.  He was sure that only someone with experience in dealing with killers on a daily basis would notice...but he felt like there was a gun trained on him.  Like he was in a dangerous situation.  For that reason especially, he tried to hurry into the building.  The feeling didn't go away though.  

On the way to courtroom 2, he finally realized the source of this uneasy feeling.  Standing in the hallway, in his white trench coat, stood Kaiba Seto.  He was chatting with Akaba Reiji, looking completely inconspicuous to anyone who didn't know his connection to Yami.  The man glanced at him as he passed, and their eyes briefly met.  There was a miniscule, barely noticeable smirk that graced Kaiba's lips, before their gazes broke, but it was enough that Yami understood immediately what was going on.  Win or lose, Kaiba was not going to let him leave that courtroom alive.  He probably thought that Yami would tell on him. That just made Yami even more on edge.

He entered the courtroom and was brought to the front.  There were a few people there he recognized, like his lawyer, Matsuda, and the two Arclight brothers, and of course the officers.  The other guests were all rich, Yami could tell by their suits, but he didn't know any of them.  It was a fairly small courthouse with minimal cameras, which Yami noted immediately. But, he still felt a bit weary.  

“Sit with me.  It will comfort Yuugi when he comes back.”  Yami said to Raphael as he was told to sit in the front by the bailiffs.  

Raphael did see the two familiar faces, and he did see Kaiba glance their way, but he didn’t pay it much mind, since he was busy trying to focus on the task on hand. This was their time, and if they screwed up, Yuugi was dead. A lot was riding on this case.

“Alright.” Raphael let Yami pretend like he was in charge, despite having already talked and discussed seating arrangements with Matsuda beforehand. He let himself be escorted to the desk. When they walked towards it, there was already a man with Matsuda, a short one around Yuugi’s age, accompanied by a robot.

“Kaito-sama, Mutou Yuugi and Kawahara Raphael are here.”

“Oh, yo Kaito.” Gauche grinned, coming up behind the men. “Come to watch the trial?”

“Hello.” The man said, looking politely towards the two, his gaze maybe a bit high for where he thought Yuugi’s face was. “Yes, I have authorisation to be here. I thought it would be… necessary."

Yami had been so distracted by his fear that he hadn't noticed the familiar blond man next to Matsuda, who was ignoring them all in favor of looking over a few things in his case file.  Yami's eyes immediately drifted over to Orbital 7 and smirked.  This could be helpful.

“We meet again, Kaito. It's been awhile since that chess game, right?  Shame I didn't run into you again before my arrest.”  Yami said confidently, smiling at the man.  He knew he couldn't see him very well, so he didn't blame him for not looking his way.  

“Come sit by me here. I wanna ask you something.”  Yami said, patting his other side.  He knew a cop would be there anyway, so why not Kaito?

“You know him, Kaito?” Gauche asked. Kaito looked down and stared at Yami coldly, not amused at all. He knew that voice… So it really was him again.

“We met at a bar. I was doing work.” Finding Astral, which did count. However, he was counting on Yami on keeping quiet about the details, and he went to sit down next to the man with Orbital’s help. As Gauche hung back and Ukyou went to make sure all security was in order, Kaito looked at Yami.

“Well?"

Yami let Kaito sit next to him and waited until the police officers were generally out of earshot before leaning closer to Kaito to speak softly.

“Do you feel the murderous intent in the air, Kaito?  Someone here has plans to kill.”  Yami had no doubt that an experienced cop like Kaito would sense it now that Yami had drawn his attention to it.

“I think you owe me a tiny favor...because I have kept my mouth shut regarding the whereabouts of a certain mutual acquaintance of ours.”  He said softly.  

“Plans to kill you,” Kaito responded flatly, looking forward, as if he was ignoring Yami. He drummed his fingers on the table, evidently wanting this trial over and done with. “… And you want my protection, right?"

"Yes, but since we're in a relatively public place, the killers probably aren't opposed to a little collateral damage." Yami said back, not looking directly at Kaito either.

"Your robot has cameras and sensors doesn't it? Just make sure they're capturing everything...I have a feeling the few security cameras here have been tampered with."

“My robot is of course recording everything,” Kaito scoffed, knowing Orbital was on since wanted eyes and ears on this place. Astral was probably back at his house since both he and Chris were here, watching the stream. “But you reckon that the cameras are tampered with? I doubt you can prove that.”

But Astral could, since Orbital was so close to them, he would have heard.

"You're right. I can't. But it's just a feeling...and I've learned to trust my instincts." Yami said softly.

Astral was listening to Yami talk to Kaito. He couldn't feel the murderous intent in the room like both of them could, but out of concern for Kaito, he would investigate. He tried to hack the security cameras to get a few different angles, only to find that a complicated coded network block had been put on all of them. His eyes widened.

"Only someone with advanced computer skills could have done this...so they really were tampered with." He mused. He sent a message to Kaito, which Orbital printed out in Braille so only Kaito could read it confirming Yami's suspicions and asking if Kaito wanted him to work on getting rid of it.

“… Well it’s not the worst way to go about things,” Kaito muttered, meaning he did the same. Since Yami wasn’t looking at him either, it was easy for him to take the braille and read it. Kaito flipped the paper over, frowning.

“… If there is, someone should get rid of it. The block on the cameras, I mean. Might give our assassins a nasty surprise.”

Yami was acting much more casual, having crossed his legs and arms to the best of his ability in cuffs and keeping an ear out for Kaito.  He was also fighting back headaches, since Yuugi was anxious.  He glanced over when he saw Ortibal printing out a message, but he couldn't see any print on it.  Then he saw Kaito running his fingers over it and understood.

“Braille?  That is genius...you two are quite the spy team, aren't you?”  Yami mused softly with a smirk.  He doubted anyone in this room could read it aside from Kaito, and he knew he sure as hell couldn't.  Maybe he should learn.

“They may not even notice, but it would be better to have more eyes.”  Yami agreed.  Astral agreed with both Yami and Kaito, and so sent a quick message saying he would work on deciphering it and let Kaito know once it was done.  He got to work, admiring how complex the code was. Whoever had done this was truly very skilled.  

Kaito turned to stare at Yami, staring straight at his eyes and glaring. “… Or it could be that I’m blind and this is the best way for me to receive messages without reading them out to the public.” Yami was totally right, but he wanted to ruffle the other’s feathers over.

The man read the second message and nodded to himself before he looked up to the front, hearing a door open. The bailiff entered the room, looking stern. The place went quiet

“All rise for the honourable Don Thousand, for the case pertaining Mutou Yuugi."

Yami chuckled softly, before it turned into a small groan as his head throbbed.

“Oh...one more little thing...if I say in a few minutes that I don't know who you are...then introduce yourself again.  It means my more innocent half came out, and he doesn't know anything about you.” Yami said, speaking at normal volume for that.  It didn't matter who heard him say that.  A moment later, the door opened and the court was told to stand.  Yami uncrossed his legs and was about to stand, when suddenly the switch occurred.  Yuugi blinked in confusion, seeing everyone standing up while he was still sitting. He stumbled to his feet, visibly much more clumsy and nervous than he had been seconds before.  A few of the jury members noticed this, but dismissed it as nerves.

Don Thousand entered the room and sat up on the judges platform.  

“Be seated.”  He said, and everyone in the room sat down.

“We will now hear the opening speech from the prosecution.”  The prosecuting lawyer stood up, wearing a very expensive suit. His speech basically summed up what the CEOs thought of Yuugi: that he was a cold blooded killer who if let free or imprisoned would only kill again.  He was a threat to the public that had to be sentenced to death for the safety of the people.  He reminded everyone that Yuugi had killed 30 cops in a drug raid, along with the 3 CEOs. As he spoke, Yuugi felt increasingly horrified.  He had never really heard the extent of his other half's crimes.  He could feel eyes burning holes into the back of his head and their hatred made him shiver.  His head kept throbbing the whole time, since clearly Yami wanted out again.  Yuugi consequently seemed to shrink in his chair a little.

It was then Matsuda's turn to get up and give his defence speech.  He basically said that although Mutou Yuugi had done those horrifying things, he was not completely responsible for them due to mental illness.  He had been mentally ill for quite some time and therefore needed special treatment to end his suffering.  Matsuda proposed sentencing Mutou to the Correctional Facility.

“We will now call the first witness to the stand...Dr. Christopher Arclight.”  

Raphael was thankfully nearby and he was on the other side of Yuugi now that they were seated. The man squeezed Yuugi’s shoulder, trying to get him to calm down. He knew it was stressful, but sick or not Yuugi couldn’t lose it. It would look awful.

The man stood up from his seat and Chris made his way to the stand. His hair was loose today, sweeping behind him like a cape as he walked calmly and professionally to the stand.

“State your name and occupation.”

“I am Doctor Christopher Quinton Arclight, head professor and research of the chemical department in Heartland Industries.”

Yuugi took a few deep breaths, leaning into Raphael's touch.  He didn't know the blond guy next to him, so Raphael was the obvious choice. Ukyou couldn't help but follow Chris with his eyes, knowing it was appropriate to do so at the moment.  He smiled a little as he watched Chris' hair flow, remembering how soft and silky it had been, before shaking himself out of those thoughts.  He had to listen to what was being said here by the prosecutor.

“And what is your relation to the case, Dr. Arclight?”  The prosecutor asked him.

“I’ve been involved with aiding the police in the capture of Mutou Yuugi. Over the course of the last few months, I’ve been developing a sort of tolerant for Scopolamine, more commonly known as Devil’s Breath,” Chris answered smoothly, “Although I haven’t actually played a direct role in his apprehension, I was present during an interrogation of Mutou Yuugi, where his attitude shifts came to light”

“Ah yes, Devil's Breath. This drug is known to affect people's free will, ladies and gentlemen of the jury.  I'm sure Dr. Arclight could tell you the full details...but it makes its victims completely compliant to every suggestion given to them.”  The prosecutor said, clarifying for the jury what the drug was.

“And what happened during the interrogation you saw?  I understand that Devil's Breath was involved.”  The prosecutor spoke, looking through the file to find the paper that confirmed it.

“Mutou Yuugi asked the superintendent to come closer to him, but when he did, he lifted his sleeves and threw Devil’s Breath into his face,” Chris sighed. “Thankfully, he had been treated before so he wasn’t affected, but otherwise he would have been under Mutou’s control."

Yuugi stiffened a little at the shocked and angered looks that the jury gave at Chris' testimony. He groaned a bit as his head hurt, and another switch was prompted.  Yami pulled a little away from Raphael when this happened.  He didn't need the comfort anymore.

“The way you describe that makes me think he did it on purpose.  Did Mutou give any indication that he wasn't aware of his actions when he did this?”  The prosecutor asked.  

“It looked very deliberate,” Chris said, speaking honestly. “He seemed to be acting very kind and innocent, and even after experiencing a headache, he seemed the same. However, when Ukyou-san went too close to him, Yami said he had an ‘ace up his sleeve’ and sprung the trap. He even gave the order for him to escape. As far as I could see, it seemed he was faking the innocent thing, to let Ukyou have his guard down."

“There we go, ladies and gentlemen.  Mutou Yuugi is a master of facades...the official case files show that he has even pretended to be an innocent child to get close to his targets.  Do not be fooled by it.  This is what my opponent will stress as a symptom of mental illness.” The prosecutor said.  

“No further questions, your Honor.”  The prosecutor said.

“The defence will now get a chance to question the prosecutor's witness.”  Don Thousand said.  Black Mist stood up quite confidently, which impressed a great many, and headed over to Chris Arclight.

“Dr. Arclight, how many interrogations did you attend that Mutou was involved in?”  

“Once. Like I said, It’s only what I saw, and the first incident of these switches.” Chris said, staring at Black Mist, pretending he didn’t know this man fucked his little brother.

“According to the case files, Mutou was interrogated a total of four times, and out of those four times, Dr. Arclight was only there for one time.  In addition, the first interrogation which Dr. Arclight was present at, was the shortest of these by far.  It didn't even last 15 minutes, whereas the other three spanned for an average time of 45 minutes.  That hardly seems like a good representation of my client as a whole, now does it?  15 minutes is not always enough time to ascertain whether someone is mentally ill or not!  An average medical examination goes on for longer, never mind the diagnosis.” Mist mused.  It was clear the some of the jury did agree with him.

“More importantly though...I have evidence that suggests that Dr. Chris Arclight is biased in this situation.  My opponent chose him over the police officers because he was, as he put it himself, disconnected from the case as a whole.  He was supposedly the neutral opinion...but that is not so.”  Mist said, glancing at Chris.  

“What is your relationship to the Superintendent who was drugged by Mutou in that interrogation, Dr. Arclight?”  He asked smoothly.

Chris frowned as he saw exactly what the man was doing, and while he remained calm on the outside, his face paled a little. This was exactly what he and Ukyou wanted to avoid, and he really didn’t want to go into this. He looked over to the judge to see if he could get some help, but it became apparent that he wasn’t going to get out of this.

“We met briefly before the case, but that was all. Initially, we were strangers, and we’re close to so still at present. Outside of that first encounter, I haven’t seen him at all outside the case in the few months I’ve known him.” Which was the truth.

Mist smirked a bit.

“Dr. Arclight, you're under oath not just to tell the truth, but the whole truth.  If you can't do that, your testimony will be discounted. I have a witness of my own who can prove you're wrong.”  Mist said, looking at Miheal.  The pink haired man winced a little.  He knew what was coming.

“Dr. Miheal Arclight, did your older brother meet with Superintendent Kitano Ukyou at any time outside the case?”  He asked him. Miheal looked a little uncomfortable. He gave his brother an apologetic look.

“...I'm not sure how many times they met...but, there was one time that my other brother, Thomas and I, noticed.  They went out to lunch...we followed them. They weren't just discussing the case.” Miheal confessed.  The court gasped a little.  Ukyou immediately groaned a little.  Well, so much for keeping things a secret...although he was glad Miheal wasn't telling just how far they went.  Yami looked extremely intrigued and amused by this development.

“Was this outing before or after Mutou's arrest, Dr. Arclight?”  Mist asked.  Miheal looked down slightly.

“Before...months before.” He admitted.  Mist smiled.

“Thank you, Dr. Arclight. So you see, ladies and gentlemen. Although they were working on the case, there was time for pleasure and leisure time between the two...so Dr. Chris Arclight is biased against Mutou for attacking a friend of his.  Anyone would be.  I hereby move to strike Dr. Chris Arclight's testimony from the record.” Mist said, looking at Judge Don Thousand.  The judge frowned, considering things for a moment.

“Motion approved.  Dr. Chris Arclight's testimony will be struck from the evidence for bias.”  He said, banging the gravel.  The prosecution lawyer groaned and Mist smirked wider.

“Thank you, your Honor. I have no further questions for Dr. Chris Arclight...and for my first witness, I call up his brother, Dr. Miheal Arclight to the stand.”  

Chris frowned. Technically, that was within the case parameters, since they had been talking about the cure and how to prevent Mutou from infecting the police, and tried to voice an objection but it fell to deaf ears. He couldn’t help but feel a bit betrayed when Miheal spoke, but he supposed that was just how it went. He really hoped Miheal didn’t expose too much though… with his brother’s haggling a few weeks ago, he knew they knew what had gone down between them.

However, he didn’t want to dig the grave any deeper, in case Miheal did pull the card out and he stalked away, feeling hot and embarrassed, not meeting Miheal as they passed each other. The pink-haired man looked helplessly on, but made his way to the stand.

Mist didn't seem to care too much about the potential drama he'd caused turning to Miheal.

"State your name and occupation for the record please." He told him.

“I’m Professor Miheal Trey Arclight. I am the head director and psychiatrist at Heartland Mental Institution, more commonly known as HMI.” Miheal said smoothly.

"Alright and what is your relation to the case, Dr. Arclight?" Mist asked.

“I’ve been placed in charge of investigating Mutou Yuugi’s behaviour, and giving a complete report of his current mental state. My job was to determine whether or not this man is mentally ill… and he is indeed. He should have been put on medication years ago."

Mist nodded. Yami rolled his eyes a little but it largely went unnoticed due to the sudden switch. Yuugi blinked in confusion as he saw another person on the stand than he remembered seeing. What had happened?

"What sort of illness does my client have, Dr. Arclight?"

“It’s quite fascinating, honestly. The two parts of himself are very much distinct, each with their own array of problems. Our murdering ‘Yami’ is outright psychopathic, but he’s the persona. The real Yuugi… well,” Miheal sighed. “It’s in the presented court evidence folder, but to recap for the jury, he has Dissociative Personality Disorder, depression, anxiety, and mild post-traumatic stress disorder. The first one is the most notable one. We have scans to prove this split in personality.”

Mist nodded.

"So we have two different versions. And the real Yuugi had no idea that he had done these murders, correct? Let's show everyone those scans shall we?" Mist said, showing them on the projector in the court. Yuugi stared in awe, admiring the pictures.

"So, Dr. Arclight, this is the Yami persona's brain on the left here...and then the Yuugi persona on the right. What's different about them and why is that significant?"

“The activity levels. If I didn’t tell you that this was the same individual, would you be able to tell this is the same person? Or two different people?” Miheal asked Mist back, calmly. “Yami has normal brain functions, with an impressive memory, while Yuugi’s is slightly more challenged. Yuugi displays minimal activity in his brain for memory retention, and could be mistaken to have long term memory loss.”

"No, they do look like they belong to two separate people." Mist said. It was clear the jury was in disbelief, thinking along the same lines.

"So you're saying that because Yuugi has depleted memory function, all those times in interrogation when he claimed to know nothing is genuine? It's a result of his illness, not acting?"

“Definitely. You can give him the same test twice, and he won’t remember, one after another. In the evidence file, there are a number of tests I did with him, all hinting at he doesn’t know what’s going on.

From the brain scans, you can tell that his alternate persona is always active, always awake, while Yuugi here often goes into a ‘shut down’ period, brought on by stress or fatigue."

"Here's an image of the written tests for the record." Mist said, showing Yami's and Yuugi's test side by side.

"Note that not only are their answers entirely different, but their handwriting and language use is different. Look at the difference in pronouns. These truly look like two different people wrote it, but Dr. Arclight watched Mutou write both tests twice correct?" Mist said.

"If Mutou was admitted to the HMI, then would you be able to treat this illness, do you think? Could he be cured?"

“That’s correct. That’s the most evident detail. Again, there are other tests to further back this up.” Miheal said, seeming confident the prosecutors couldn’t break their defence.

“Cure? It is doubtful. Treatment, of course. We specialise in a wide variety of patients. Heartland is on the edge of medical development. With some work, we could eventually curb and bring the proper person Yuugi out."

Mist nodded.

"Alright so to recap: Mutou has two personas, one who killed those CEOs and the other who knew nothing. Dr. Arclight has said we can bring the innocent Mutou out with medical treatment. He would not be a threat if that happened." Mist said confidently.

"No further questions, your Honor." He said, going to sit down again and let the prosecution ask Miheal questions.

"Dr. Arclight, such an illness you describe can't have happened overnight I assume. Is that true?" He asked him.

“No, definitely not overnight.” Miheal said. “The stress on his brain shows clear signs of inflammation, probably from him switching out and activating different parts of it, almost sporadically. That’s part of why I want him on medication. It’s not good for him."

"That does sound quite serious...how often did you observe these switches happening, Dr. Arclight? Were they hourly?  Daily?  Faster than that?"  The lawyer asked.

“Whenever we stressed him out. I observed them near hourly… perhaps once every 20 minutes? Far too sporadically for anything to be achieved. However, I managed to get some nice, long, hour conversations when I didn’t push them."

"So anywhere between every 20 minutes to every hour is when the switches seemed to occur then? What sort of topics triggered this switch?"

“Family for most part… anything about his past. Scaring him is another way to send Yuugi away: the murders depending on how much detail you go into. Yami comes out whenever he wants, but generally takes over when Yuugi is overwhelmed. When Yuugi is curious, he can gain control.”

"So discussing his past, or the crimes he commited, triggers a switch from the innocent persona to the killer persona.  Interesting."  The prosecutor said, looking over the case file smoothly.

"Then I have another question for you, Dr. Arclight.  If this illness is indeed not something that emerges in the short term, then why is it that when Mutou was arrested 2 years ago on drug and gambling charges, did these switches not get noted?  There is no record at all of any change in persona, even when similar topics, such as his crimes and past, were discussed in interrogations?"

“Because there was no stimulus. No one was challenging Yami or gaining Yuugi’s curiosity. Yuugi is very timid. If not being suppressed by drugs Mutou himself was taking, then being in a high stakes environment would. Perhaps the only reason why Yuugi is aware now is that he’s actively trying to participate, not shying away like he would have done.” Miheal said smoothly.

"What sparked that change then?  Mutou was interrogated by the same officer, Kujaku Mai, back then.  He was using drugs, like he was this time.  There was not much of a difference between the cases."  The lawyer said with a frown.

“He didn’t murder who he wanted to. He had someone there otherwise supporting him. You’d be surprised what having someone else support you can do. Kawahara-san has been very good with bringing Yuugi out””

"I see...but that still doesn't explain why it wasn't noticed.  If this "Yami" persona was active earlier and can still apparently emerge even when Yuugi has a supportive figure in his life, why was it not noted earlier?  How do we know this isn't just a complex ruse, or affects from long-term drug use?" The laywer argued.

Yuugi felt Yami take over and the man put on a sceptical "are you kidding me" kind of expression.  

"This guy must really be desparate..."  Yami mused softly.  He was liking how this trial was going.  But he could feel glares on him intensifying with the good case being presented.  He lowered himself slightly in his chair, wanting to keep as little of the back of his head exposed as possible.  He'd be harder to shoot that way.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t understand the question. You’re fumbling, sir.” Miheal said, smiling placidly. “When you have a disease like that, it’s a gradual development over time. Even with a supportive figure, it’s not a cure, but a trigger. Kawahara-san prompted Yuugi out. Under no circumstances does this stop. Tests in the file you should have read shows none of the drugs Yami takes recreationally would have resulted in that sort of effect, without impairing his intelligence. As we’ve seen by his work with the murders, that’s clearly not the case. He’s very delicate about this sort of thing.”

“A rouse won’t give us the brain scans we got either. Brain scans that were never processed in his presence, or he saw before today."

Yami was smirking in his seat, really enjoying the show.  He was definitely looking forward to working with this guy.  He could feel the glares intensifying.  He could practically hear the orders being passed between Kaiba and his assassins...and suddenly Yami remembered something.  He had been asked to take the stand by Matsuda before this...if he took the stand, that would make him the perfect target.  He'd be alone, out in the open...easy to shoot. There'd be nowhere to hide.  

"...well that's just great..."  He muttered, groaning a little as his head throbbed.  Yuugi wanted to see what was going on, but he was oblivious to the danger. He had to hold him back somehow...

"No further questions, your Honor."  The prosecution lawyer said.  He wanted to get this annoying pink haired bastard off the stand and move on.

Miheal smiled sweetly at the man, and looked up to the audience. Usually he would share a smile with Chris, but the man wasn’t looking at him, nor was Kaito. The smile faded and he got off the stand, heading back to his seat.

“Relax. You’ll be alright,” Raphael said, seeing the man huddle over on himself.

Yami shook his head at Raphael.

"No...you don't understand I-"  He tried to say, before suddenly Yuugi took over with difficulty.  He seemed a bit out of it when he emerged.

"...my head...really hurts..."  He said softly, feeling Yami practically screaming in his head.

"The defense may now call their next witness up to the stand."  Don Thousand said.  Mist glanced at Mutou, seeing something seemed off, but deciding to go ahead anyway.

"I would like to demonstrate to the court the true effects of my client's illness...so I call Mutou Yuugi to the stand."  He said. The crowd murmured in surprise, since it was unusual to call up the criminal in question.  One member in particular smirked.  Oh this would be easier than he thought...Yuugi was clever and was hiding in his seat.  There was no clean shot for his hired thugs that way...but if he took the stand, it would be perfect.  Kaiba murmured into his collar mircophone for the assassin to get ready to take out the target.

Yuugi felt a bit shaky as he tried to stand, but then Yami took over again.

"I'm not going." He said as firmly as he could while feeling both dizzy and as if his head was on fire.  It came out a little slurred.

“Yuugi?” Raphael frowned. “Yami, you said that you’d cooperate. Please… It’s better for everyone.” He said. However, Kaito realised quickly why he couldn’t take the stand and he started looking around for the assassin, listening carefully for movements. Orbital frowned and mimicked Kaito’s eyes, both of them trying to get a good shot.

"I can't..." Yami managed to say, but Yuugi took over again, trying to get up once more.  He stumbled a little, tears coming to his eyes at how painful every movement was. He was seeing stars and spots.  He felt as if Yami was still partially in control, keeping all his joints locked and his muscles tensed, making it very difficult to move.  

"Mutou-san?" Matsuda said again, realizing something was going on.  Neither of them got to respond, because suddenly their eyes rolled back into their head and they collapsed, body spasming.  It was clear they were having a seizure.

“Yuugi? Yuugi! Yami!!” Raphael jumped out of his seat and practically slid towards the man, making a move to pick him up. Kaito stopped him.

“You don’t pick up someone having a seizure. Move him away from the furniture now. Assume it’s his first. Someone call 911.” Kaito said, taking control. The courtroom started talking up, panicked, and Don Thousand banged his gravel to try get some control.

“Order! Order!”

“Move him on his side so he doesn’t choke on his vomit or saliva. Don’t try hold him down.” Kaito ordered. “Ride it out. It shouldn’t be longer than three minutes."

Raphael followed Kaito's instructions, and sure enough, after a couple minutes, the seizure calmed, leaving Yuugi unconscious.  Miheal, who had been close by since he had just taken the stand, was able to get through the crowd to approach Yuugi.

“It's probably the brain swelling that caused this...if it's getting this bad, we should get him to a hospital and medicate him.”  He said.

Amidst all the chaos in the crowd, with people trying to stand up and see what was going on, Kaiba's assassin couldn't get a clear shot.  Kaiba immediately ordered him to fall back, a frown on his face.  This was completely unexpected.  He had heard Mutou was going to court on charges of mental illness, but he had fully assumed it was fake.  He had met Mutou enough to know he wasn't quite in his right mind, but he wasn't sick.  A seizure suggested otherwise, unless he drugged himself beforehand.

Kaito was staring in Kaiba’s direction. He had no intention to (it’s not like he suspected him), he was just really lost at the moment. He sighed as people went to tend to Yuugi, and heard Orbital say that the paramedics were a few minutes away.

“Order! Order in the court!” Don Thousand said, needing his voice heard.

The second time the judge banged the gravel, people were beginning to calm.  Since it was clear the ones in the front were no longer panicking since Yuugi was no long seizing, they began to slowly return to their seats.

“Your Honor, perhaps we should take a brief recess until the paramedics arrive?  We can move my client to one of the backroom cells to make it easier for the paramedics to get to him.”  Mist suggested.  Don Thousand sighed.  This was turning into quite the wild case.

“Granted.  Court will resume as soon as possible.”  He said, banging the gravel.  Ukyou and Gauche approached Raphael.

“If you carry him, we'll lead you to the backroom.  There's some cells back there where he can lie down.”  Ukyou said gently.  “Dr. Arclight, you come too.  You'll know what medication to administer.”

“I’ll stay here. Make sure you care for him.” Kaito said, not wanting to look suspicious. “Orbital, follow them so you can give the paramedics instructions.” And keep an eye on Yuugi.

“Yes, Kaito-sama.” The robot saluted as Raphael slowly picked the man up, gently as if he was as small as Masumi. Miheal nodded and followed after the procession of men, heading forward. There was a small group of police, plus the powerful Raphael and the dreaded psychiatrist. Kaito was confident that Kaiba’s assassins couldn’t take them, even on a head on approach.

Kaiba was cursing. The way this trial was going, it seemed as though Yuugi would win.  The jury was clearly sympathetic, watching the group leave the courtroom with slight worry.  He knew as Kaito did that attempting a frontal assault was useless in this situation. He didn't want his assassins to get caught, because then he'd be in this situation all over again.  He had no choice but to wait and see if the opportunity arose later to take Yuugi out.

The group arrived to a larger cell in the back with a cot that was big enough for Yuugi to lie down on.

“Orbital, can you check his vitals?”  Ukyou asked the robot, wanting to make sure Yuugi was alright otherwise. He looked like he was just sleeping, but his face was scrunched in obvious pain.  

“You were next to him, Raphael.  What happened?  Was he afraid to take the stand?  He seemed a little hesitant.”  Miheal said, wanting to see if they could avoid situations like this in the future. If there was some kind of taboo topic that brought this on, it would probably be good to avoid it.

Orbital 7 began the readout, taking Yuugi’s hand and doing a proper readout. “It is mostly just fatigue, Ukyou-san. But I cannot detect any internal damage if there’s any, such as brain inflammation.” Orbital said, knowing what they really wanted to ask.

“He… Yami didn’t want to take the stand. He was afraid of something… but Yuugi did want to get up. They were fighting amongst themselves, and then they just… did that.” Raphael said, unable to offer much.

Ukyou sighed.

“Thank you Orbital. Please make sure his breathing and heart-rate are normal then.”  He said. Miheal frowned.

“So it was internal fighting...that would certainly have caused their brain to be overworked.  I wonder why Yami suddenly changed his mind, though.  He was very cooperative before.  And he didn't seem at all afraid of the court situation...I saw him smirking at me while I was on the stand.”  Miheal pondered.

“Kaito-sama was worried about assassins entering the trial. He told me. It may be that Yami felt the same way.” Orbital said, doing his best to be vague but helpful as he analysed Yuugi.

“Assassins?”  Ukyou said in shock and alarm.  It was clear everyone else was surprised by this too.

“I knew the public wanted Yuugi dead...but not so much that someone would try something at his own trial.” Miheal said.

“If that's true, that does explain why Yami would have been hesitant to take the stand.  He'd be a lone, defenceless target up there.”

Raphael frowned. “… I would know a few of the other big time CEOs who would call in an assassin if they had Yuugi on their side. It would be a quick way to make him quiet.” He ran his fingers through his hair and scowled. “Damn it..."

“So does that mean he's been lying to us?  That he does know who hired him?”  Gauche said. Ukyou frowned and shook his head.

“Not necessarily.  You saw how many wealthy people were there in the audience. Odds are, the person who hired Yami to kill the CEOs was there, and Yami, being a gambler, probably realized those odds pretty quickly.” Ukyou reasoned.  

“We'll have to be careful when the paramedics take him out then.  There's a chance someone outside might be waiting for an opportunity to kill him.”  

“I will keep a look out for them, if Kaito-sama lets me.” Orbital 7 said. “The paramedics are just arriving now. We have to wait for them to come here."

“That sounds good, Orbital...you can go out first and scan the area.”  Ukyou said with a smile.  Within a couple minutes, the paramedics entered the cell and loaded him carefully onto a stretcher.  

“We'll follow the ambulance in our squad cars.”  Ukyou said to the others.

“Will the trial continue past recess until he’s better? Or will it be postponed?” Raphael asked as he followed the paramedics.

“Seems like full postponement may occur." Orbital beeped.

"I guess that is up to the judge and the lawyers. I personally think it doesn't matter at this point that Mutou didn't testify. The evidence is overwhelming from Dr. Arclight's testimony and Mutou's seizure also provides convincing proof to support illness. You don't have seizures unless there's a legitimate medical condition that causes it." Ukyou said.

"Yeah we'll probably win regardless. Well just focus on getting Mutou better and keeping him safe in case there really are assassins after him." Gauche confirmed.

“Yeah…” Raphael looked around, as if expecting a gun before he watched Yuugi get loaded in. “Can I come with you guys?”

Thankfully, there were no attempts to shoot Yuugi as he was loaded into the ambulance. Ukyou nodded.

"Sure. Orbital, thank you for your help. You can go back to Kaito now. Please ask him to let us know if the trial is continuing and what the final verdict is if it does finish." Ukyou said to the robot.

“Yes sir.” Orbital 7 saluted and allowed the three men to go off on their own. He wheeled back to Kaito, who merely nodded when he heard the robot’s familiar whirring.

“Just in time.” He said, wanting Astral to have a look at the final verdict too.

"Court will resume session now." Don Thousand said with a bang of the gravel.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you may recall from the case files that Mutou is skilled with drug creation. He probably drugged himself to cause a seizure." The prosecutor said. Mist shook his head.

"Objection your Honor. There is no proof of that claim. Our police force has been monitoring my clients food intake for the past week and there's no drug that delays it's activation that long." Mist said.

"Sustained." Don Thousand agreed.  "The jury will now vote on the verdict."

A representative of the jury stood up and looked at the judge.

“We of the jury have decided that given evidence and present circumstances, Mutou Yuugi is a victim of circumstance and should not be given the death penalty, as he is not in control of himself at the time of the crime."

"I hereby sentence Mutou Yuugi to life in the Heartland Mental Institution. If he is deemed rehabilitated he will be moved to prison for the remainder of his sentence." Don Thousand said banging the gravel.

"Court adjourned." He said.

Kaito smirked a little.

"Orbital, send a message to the cops about Mutou's sentence."

“Yes, Kaito-sama.” The robot said, saluting. The message was relayed to Ukyou, who checked it as Gauche drove.

“Well… good news, Raphael. Mutou has avoided the death penalty.”

Raphael sighed in relief.

“That's great...”  He said.  One problem down anyway.  Now they just had to work on getting Yuugi healthy...the seizure was concerning. Miheal smiled.

“I've made all the arrangements to bring him to the Correctional Facility, so as soon as he's discharged from hospital, we can bring him there.”  

Ukyou looked back and smiled. There would be a lot of work to do, and after they secured Yuugi, he needed to go and investigate the claims of an assassination.

Gauche looked over to his boss and bit his own lip before turning to the road. Ukyou… in light of today, he may be in trouble for what happened in court. It depended on what happened, but for his sake he really hoped that very little would come from it. Otherwise the very least that could happen was demotion, if not outright expulsion

They arrived at the hospital after the ambulance and Yuugi was brought inside. Since he was a prisoner, they put him in a room alone and cuffed one of his hands to the bed frame in case he woke up. Miheal and the doctors met to discuss Mutou's symptoms and to pick some medication for him.

"It may be awhile until he wakes up...I think letting him sleep is a good thing. He's been under a lot of stress lately." Miheal told the officers and Raphael.

“Is there anything I can do to help? Call some guards? Stay?” Raphael asked, watching the man go into the room. Ukyou and Gauche looked at each other but then the superintendent sighed.

“You should just stay with Gauche for now. We’ll have some officers come and make sure he’s alright. I’m going to head back to the courthouse for damage control. I just wanted to make sure you’re alright.”

“I see. Thank you, Ukyou.’

"Officer Ukyou...can I come back with you? I need to talk to Nii-san." Miheal asked. He had talked to the doctors about administering Mutou some medication to counteract brain swelling for now. He would work on the other stuff later.

“Hm?” Ukyou looked at the man and frowned. He wanted to say something to Miheal -something about ‘spying’ and ‘invasion of privacy’- but he didn’t want to bring it up. So he just nodded. “Of course. I don’t mind.” He wanted to talk to Chris too.

Miheal smiled.

“Thank you.”  He said, following the man out.  He felt really bad about what had happened in court, but to his defense, he had not explained the worst thing that he knew Ukyou and Chris to have done.  Saying they'd had sex in Chris' office would not sound at all responsible for either of them.  Going out to lunch was not as big a deal.

“… You said the truth. That’s all there is.” Ukyou said, walking the professor out to the parking lot again, guessing what he was thinking about. “Chris… hopefully won’t hold it against you"

Miheal sighed.  Ukyou was quite sharp.  

“I really hope not...he wouldn't look at me in court after I said it, so he's probably angry.”  Miheal said.

“… I don’t know your brother as well as you do.” The man said as he got in the driver’s seat of the cop car. “Does he hold grudges?"

“He's an Arclight.  We do hold grudges, for quite awhile.” Miheal said with a frown.

“We're very stubbornly set in our beliefs too...it takes quite a lot for us to change our minds.”

“….. I see…” Ukyou glanced at the man in the passenger’s seat before he sighed and concentrated on his driving. “Has it always been like that?"

“Pretty much, yes.  I think we've gotten a little better, but we're still very much stuck in our ways.”  Miheal said.

“Sounds like a tough deal at home” Ukyou muttered

“I suppose...not so much now that we all live separately.”  Miheal said.

Ukyou nodded and they continued the journey in silence. Before long, they were back at the courthouse. Ukyou had no doubt Chris and Kaito would still be there, since Kaito would be probably looking for traces of assassins and Chris would be waiting for him.

Ukyou's guess was right. Kaito had been taking using Orbital 7 to scan for any weapons and had certainly found traces.  There were indeed people here with the means to kill...but no shots had been fired.  It was probably because their target was gone.  

“Not too much longer now, Chris.”  Kaito said softly.  He had informed Chris of the situation to get the other to wait with him.

“No, it’s fine. Take as long as you need.” Chris sighed, not seeing Ukyou or Miheal when he glanced out the window. “Honestly I’d rather go home after everyone. Today was… probably going to be a day I’ll have to avoid people"

Kaito sighed.

“It was a fairly private trial...word may not get very far.”  He said softly.  That was his hope anyway.

Miheal and Ukyou entered the courthouse.  Miheal glanced around for his brother and Kaito, finding them near the front.  

“Nii-san!”  He called, heading towards the front where he was.

“Oh…” Chris looked up and frowned, seeing Miheal. “Hey… I thought you went to go see your patient."

“I did...he's in good hands now.”  Miheal was smart enough not to tell him where Yuugi was, in case there really were assassins in the room.  He took a deep breath.

“I just...I had to come back and see you, Nii-san.  I'm sorry...” Miheal said.

“… Forget it. You did what you had to do,” Chris said, dismissing the apology. “Even though what you said was wrong.” He muttered, looking away.

Miheal frowned.

“Nii-san, I was under oath to say what I saw!  It's not my fault the judge decided it was enough to dismiss your testimony.”  He said.

“On that day, I said I was doing work for the police department, and it was. That… going to that place was a mistake. We discussed the work. We came back. We went home. That’s all that happened. I gave him results, Miheal. That’s what I was asked to do and it was related to the case.” Chris scowled. Kaito looked up from his work to look at the two brothers.

“The only reason I didn’t say anything was because that judge already dismissed me as soon as I opened my mouth"

“I'm not trying to discredit you, Nii-san!  I know your work on the case was vital!  And you're entitled to have breaks!”  Miheal exclaimed.  He frowned.

“...I know.  But again, that's not my fault.  I just said what I saw, Nii-san, and the judge interpreted it.”

“I said I understood, Miheal,” Chris snapped, doing his best trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice and yet failing to do so. He scowled and looked away, crossing his arms to stop himself from doing anything rash. “Just leave it. I know.”

Miheal frowned.

"Nii-san I'm really trying here. The least you could do is acknowledge that!"

“What do you want me to say? I did already!” Chris hissed, looking back at him. His hands twitched. “Or do you want something more? You want something else after you could have ruined Ukyou’s reputation? Or do you think that it’s justified that I wouldn’t do my job properly for his favour!”

Miheal's frown deepened. He was getting annoyed with his older brother, and was equally stubborn.

“If I really wanted to discredit both you and Ukyou, I could've told the court much worse!  I know what you two did in your office, and if I had said that, you'd both have been judged far worse!  That's what I want you to acknowledge....that I was trying to be honest while also looking out for you!  I didn't say the whole truth either!”  Miheal cried, trying not to get too loud.

“Chris-“ Kaito didn’t even need his eyes to see what was happening. He reached out to stop them but was too late.

Chris didn’t need to raise his voice to get that point. He just snapped. Before the professor knew what was going on, he turned to Miheal and nearly punched him, his hand only opening at the last possible moment, in some semblance of a slap.

“Shut up.”

He stared at his brother before storming off, leaving Kaito behind with his brother.

Miheal stumbled back a little as he was smacked, thankfully managing to stay on his feet.  He was stunned.  Chris had never hit him before, even as a kid when he misbehaved.  He bit back small amounts of tears in his eyes.

“I hate you, Nii-san!” He called after Chris, before turning the other way and storming off towards the exit of the courthouse.  He could feel eyes on him as he left but didn't pay them much mind.  He knew that he and his brother had caused a bit of a scene, so it wasn't unusual.  He didn't realize that one of them had a gun and was pissed that Miheal had effectively gotten his target locked away. Now he wouldn't get paid...but, he knew the perfect place to take out his frustrations.  He followed Miheal through the cover of the crowd, tailing the man and waiting for a clear shot.

Meanwhile, Ukyou followed Chris.

"Chris...please calm down..."

Kaito was about to go after his mentor but he knew that Chris was utterly unreasonable when he was like that, so he went for the other brother. Orbital yelped as Kaito went the other way and followed after him through the crowd.

“Miheal, wait!”

Chris was heading to his car, shaking a little and still in disbelief that he had just hit his baby brother. Thomas was one thing, and Kaito was another, but Miheal?

The professor tensed up as he heard Ukyou and he bit his lip, continuing to walk. “Just… no. Ukyou… Leave me alone.”

“Chris...”  Ukyou said, not sure what to do, but wanting to help.

“Is there anything I can do...?”  He asked softly, keeping his distance and letting some of his worry leak into his voice.

Miheal ignored Kaito and kept going.  He finally broke free of the crowd, entering the hallway and heading towards the exit of the courthouse.  He just wanted to be alone.  The gunman that was following him burst out of the crowd moments after, watching Miheal's retreating form.  The pink bastard seemed that he hadn't noticed him, and nobody was paying attention to him anymore.  He took aim with the tiny gun that could fit into his large hand without anyone noticing and fired, watching the bullet pierce the back of Miheal's leg. Miheal's eyes widened and he cried out in pain as he felt himself get shot.  He dropped to his knees, trying to glance behind him before he was shot a second time, this time through the upper body, which made him pitch forward.  

'...So there were assassins here...'  He remembering thinking before hitting the ground on his stomach.  At the sound of the gunshot, people in the courtroom were screaming and panicking a little, starting to move, giving the assailant the perfect cover to escape.  

Kaito was a few steps behind, and he couldn’t reach Miheal. He ran ahead, but only just got out of the crowd before suddenly there was the blast of the gun and Kaito heard the professor scream out.

“Miheal!” He yelled, running forward. He should have tackled the assassin but he couldn’t, especially when he heard the second gun shot. Kaito shoved his way forward as the assassin escaped, pushing past the others as he knelt down. “Shit… Shit… Orbital call the ambulance and secure him.”

“Yes, Kaito-sama.” The robot got to work and Kaito got up, looking for anyone else to help.

“No… I…” Chris started, before he looked up, hearing a gunshot, then a second.

“Superintendent Ukyou! The courthouse!” an officer screamed.

Black Mist was in the washroom out by the hall when he heard the gunshots go off and Miheal's cry.  He came out into the hall, spotting Miheal on the ground and hearing the crowd go crazy.  He saw Orbital going to treat him and Kaito.  Thankfully, Mist knew the courthouse pretty well and ducked into the small nurse's room and grabbed the first aid kit, then ran back to Kaito.

“What the hell happened?” Mist exclaimed in shock to Kaito. He had dealt with gunshot wounds before in the Underground and knelt down to help bandage Miheal's two wounds.

Ukyou's eyes widened as he heard the gunshots go off.  Did that mean there really was an assassin here?

“Chris, get out of here. Go home where it's safe.  I'll talk to you later!”  Ukyou said, before rushing back into the courthouse with his fellow officers to try and figure out what was going on.  All he could see was a crowd that was panicking...it wouldn't really be possible to sort out whoever had fired the shots from this.

Chris frowned but instead of leaving he went after Ukyou. As mad as he was, he was still worried about Miheal, and Kaito was still inside.

Kaito was never pleased to hear Mist’s voice but he was relieved someone was around to help. The man helped Mist apply pressure to Miheal.

“Didn’t see. Someone shot him. That’s it."

Mist shook his head.

“They really should have been gun screening at these trials...”  He mused, applying pressure to the wounds with Kaito.

“Damn this is a lot of blood...”  Mist said, getting some fresh gauze to put on top of the bloody ones to try and slow the bleeding.

Ukyou began radioing his fellow officers.

“All units, report! There were two gunshots heard, are there any injuries?”  He asked. The police radio frequency was hooked up to Orbital 7 as well, so Orbital relayed the message to Kaito.

“How bad does it look?” Kaito frowned, feeling over Miheal’s wounds and then feeling for his face. “He’s breathing, so that’s a relief.” He looked up and he grabbed Orbital’s communicator, pressing it down.

“Ukyou, this is Kaito. We have Professor Miheal here. He’s been shot twice through the leg and the abdomen. Paramedics are on the way. We have no idea where the assassin is."

“Well it's hard to tell with all the blood, and I'm not about to stop applying pressure to take a look.”  Mist said.

“Yeah he's breathing but he's kinda pale...I know he's pale usually but it seems worse than normal. I hope those paramedics get here soon.” Mist said with a frown.  

Ukyou's eyes widened. Miheal Arclight had been shot?

“Where are you Kaito? Did you or Orbital see who the assassin was?”  He asked.

“He was a few steps in front of us. We didn’t get a chance to.” Kaito frowned. “Secure the area, Ukyou. If we’re lucky, we can get him but I bet he’s long gone by now. We’re in the main courthouse. Hurry”

“Miheal…” Chris had overheard and he ran ahead, praying Kaito was mistaken. His brother… he… no. It couldn’t be.

“Will do.”  Ukyou said, before barking orders to secure the area.

“Chris, wait!  It might not be safe!”  Ukyou called, pulling out his gun just in case and following the white-haired man.  

The paramedics arrived shortly after Kaito called Ukyou back.  Mist stepped aside to let the professionals take over.  He whipped out his phone and dialing Thomas immediately, knowing his boyfriend would want to be there for his brother.  They gave Miheal oxygen and were loading him onto a stretcher by the time Chris got there.

“Miheal!” Chris yelled as he saw the men pick him up. The man paled and ran up to him, eyes wide with horror as he saw how bad it was. He had been shot through the chest.

“No, no, no, no… Shit.” Kaito grabbed Chris before he could do anything and held him tight.

“Chris. Let them take him. He needs to get to a hospital.”

“I… No. I didn’t mean…” Was… was this his fault? Would the assassin had shot Miheal if he didn’t go off alone. “Miheal!"

Ukyou came up behind Chris and spotted the youngest Arclight being loaded onto a stretcher and raised down the hallway to the ambulance.

"Well follow in the squad car, Chris. They'll look after him." Ukyou said, trying to be reassuring. Mist stepped away from the conversation to get on the phone with Thomas, telling him he'd come pick him up from home to get him to the hospital with Miheal.

“Chris… Chris it’s okay.” Kaito said, squeezing the other man. The paramedics shut the doors and immediately they sped off. “Come on, let’s go…”

Chris gave a choked sob, horrified upon realising the last thing he said to his brother was to shut up, and the last thing he heard Miheal say was that he hated him. He wanted to take it all back… anything for Miheal. He mindlessly followed after the others, not sure what to do but pray now.

Ukyou gave orders to the rest of his squad to investigate people as they left for weapons and to arrest anyone who had them, though he suspected the culprit was probably gone. He led Kaito and Chris to the squad car, getting in with him and driving after the ambulance.

"He'll be okay Chris."

Chris didn’t answer Ukyou. With his brother in critical condition with a bullet wound in his chest, he didn’t want to get those hopes up. Kaito helped Chris into the car and then threw Orbital into the trunk- ‘Kaito-sama, No!’- before getting in himself.

They drove to the hospital with the police sirens on so they could keep up with the ambulance. Miheal was rushed into surgery right away to close his wounds and remove the bullets, so Chris couldn't see him when they arrived. They could only go to the waiting room.

A few minutes later, Thomas stormed into the hospital, followed closely by Mist.

"What the hell is going on here? Miheal...where's Miheal Chris?" Thomas demanded, going up to his older brother, looking for reassurance. Mist had told him his brother had been shot, but this had to be a joke...it had to be.

Chris sat in the waiting room, face in his hands and elbows on in knees. Behind him, Kaito rubbed his back, wincing as he heard Thomas’ thunderous footsteps practically burst into the waiting room. Chris didn’t look up to Thomas, he just sat there.

“He’s… in the operating theatre. He was shot in the chest and the leg…” Chris whispered, his voice croaking a little.

Ukyou stayed on Chris' other side, petting his back as well. Thomas' eyes widened. Chris looked absolutely miserable.

"No...no way...this shit doesn't just happen!" He exclaimed, his voice breaking a bit as tears came to his eyes. Mist came up behind Thomas to offer him comfort and the other turned around to hug him.

Chris couldn’t say anything else, thoroughly convinced that Miheal hated him and this was all his fault. Kaito held the other man tight, knowing that he just needed the presence for now.

-x-

While the Arclights were in hospital, Yuuma and Shark were enjoying a lazy day off at home when the phone rang.  Yuuma groaned and rolled out of bed to grab his cell phone, blinking when he saw his sister's number on the screen.

“What's up, Nee-chan?” He asked sleepily.

“Yuuma, I need to get to Neo Domino City in like two hours so I’m dropping Yuzu off to you. I’m about five minutes away from your house. You’ll need to sit for her until tomorrow when Charlie gets back from his work trip.” Akari’s voice blasted out of the phone. “Be ready to take her, okay?"

“Wh...what?  You're giving us Yuzu?”  Yuuma asked, getting up in shock.  

“Shark, get up!  We have to look after Yuzu!”  He exclaimed to his snoozing husband.

“I don’t want fruit.” Shark grunted, going and pulling the blanket over his head. “What are you getting on about? It’s not even noon yet.”

“No, Shark!  Nee-chan is giving us our niece!  She's going out of town and we have to look after her for the day!”  Yuuma said, pulling the blanket down to speak to Shark.

“… Since when?” Shark growled, pulling the blanket back up.

“Since now!”  Yuuma exclaimed, yanking the blanket down again before leaping out to get the doorbell.  He assumed it was his sister.

Shark groaned and let Yuuma answer the door. Akari was standing on the other side of it and she handed Yuuma a bag quickly. “Her schedule is written on the list there, and call me if you have any problems. Make sure she’s in bed by seven but she can go down by eight. Thanks Yuuma.” Akari said, practically breathless.

Yuuma smiled and accepted the bag and his niece with a smile.

"No problem Nee-chan! Well look after Yuzu! Have fun!" Yuuma said happily.

Akari smiled and kissed Yuzu. “Be good for Uncle Yuuma. I’ll see you later. Thanks again.” And with a wave, she ran off.

Shark snored away, evidently having gone back to sleep.

Yuzu cooed as her mother gave her a kiss, seeming content in Yuuma's arms.  Yuuma waved Akari off with a grin before coming back into the house.

“Shark, wake up!  We have a visitor!”  Yuuma said, shaking him gently.

“Tell Durbe I’ll return his damned book tomorrow,” Shark grunted before he heard the baby squeal. He grimaced before he looked up and frowned. “Yuzu?”

Yuuma rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, it's Yuzu!  I tried to tell you earlier, but she's staying with us for today!”  Yuuma said.

“… I guess so.” Shark said, looking at the baby. “… So what do you do now? Play? Or what?"

“We do whatever she wants!” Yuuma said, smiling at the baby. She seemed relaxed in his arms. He carefully sat down on the bed, laying her down on a pillow and letting her grab his finger.

“She seems happy like this...”

“Guess it’s nap time.” Shark glanced at the clock. It was quarter to 12. “Good. I got this one.” Shark said, lying down again.

“Just don't roll over on her!”  Yuuma warned. “I'm gonna get a shower.”  He headed out.  After Yuuma left, and the shower started running, Yuzu began to wimper and squirm a little, grabbing some of Shark's hair.  It was clear she didn't want to nap.

Shark sighed and sat up. “Oh so now you get up.” He said, getting up and pulling Yuzu gently into his arms. “Guess you’re just spoilt, huh?"

Yuzu cooed softly and smiled up at Shark when the man held him.  She continued to play with his hair, enjoying how soft it was.

“Hi baby.” He smiled as she held him and laughed softly. “I haven’t held you in a while. You’re so big, huh?"

Yuzu giggled and continued to play with Shark's hair, swatting it around gently.  She seemed happy because Shark was happy.  She swatted at his face a little when he said she was big.

Shark laughed as she bapped him and did the same back to her. He smiled. It was a long time since he ever held something as soft and as small as Yuzu, but he kind of liked it. He kissed her forehead and smiled at his niece.

Yuzu giggled and cooed as she was kissed.  Shark was so absorbed in Yuzu that he didn't notice the shower had turned off and Yuuma was coming out.  He had been surprised to hear Shark laughing, when he expected him to be snoring.  He peaked around the corner and beamed as he saw Shark interact with Yuzu.  They were adorable.  He snuck back into the living room to grab the camera and took a picture of the cute scene.  

“Awww Shark you're a natural with her!”  Yuuma beamed.

Shark looked up and smirked, not denying the camera like he usually would. “Of course. Yuzu is a good girl, isn’t she?” He smiled, expression soft and warm.

Yuuma was happy Shark didn't deny the camera.  The photo was a good one...he loved it when he managed to capture one of Shark's genuine smiles.  

“She is!  Yes, you are~  Yes you are~”  Yuuma said, coming over to join them, cooing and tickling Yuzu's chin as he spoke to her. Yuzu laughed and pulled on Shark's hair slightly as her limbs flailed.

“My turn to shower. Your turn to baby.” Shark said, though he didn’t pass her over and just grinned as Yuuma wandered over, trying to swat Yuzu’s tiny hands away. “Hey! Careful.” He laughed.

Yuuma chuckled as Yuzu swatted around.

“You know, you could take her with you in the bath if you want.  She might like that...she seems to like spending time with you anyway.”

“Ah? You sure? I mean… a bath at day is kind of weird, isn’t it? I don’t mind,” Shark said, shrugging.

"Vector and Takashi do it all the time! Why not you? Today's a day off...you can relax however you want." Yuuma said.

“I guess so…” He smiled. “Let’s go then. Come on, Yuzu. Want to bathe? Let’s go.”

Yuzu just smiled at Shark, cooing happily as he picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.  

“I'm gonna tell Yusei that we might be a little late tomorrow, cause we'll have to wait for Nee-chan to get back and pick up Yuzu.  I don't think bringing her to the garage would be a good idea.”  Yuuma said with a grin.

“Why not? It’s not like we didn’t grow up on noxious fumes and we ended up okay.” Shark said, letting Yuuma pick up the girl and following after him, yawning. “But it doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Yusei will understand”

“She's not us though! And there's no way either of us can look after a baby and do our jobs at the same time!  If she was a toddler who could sit quietly and color in the corner or something it'd be easier.”  Yuuma said, cuddling Yuzu with a smile.

“Yeah I know he will! Yusei's awesome like that.”    

Shark sighed and began prepping the bath. He smiled, enjoying the sight of Yuuma with a baby. He expected the man to be a bit clumsy, even though he knew he loved Yuzu dearly, but it seemed so natural.

Yuuma was enjoying his time with Yuzu.  He had always loved holding his niece, but there was something remarkably different about holding Yuzu and walking around doing mundane things in his own house. It felt more like Yuzu was actually his child instead of his niece.  Yuuma liked the feeling though...it was a natural thing.  And when he recalled how Shark had been such a natural with her as well, he smiled a bit wider.  He liked having a baby in the house.

“Tub is full.” Shark said after a while before he started kicking off his boxers and his singlet. “Come on, Yuzu. Let’s get clean, right?"

“Here you go, Yuzu. Bath time.”  Yuuma said, coming into the bathroom to pass Yuzu off to Shark.

“I'll make lunch in the meantime.”  Yuuma said, giving Shark a quick kiss before heading back into the kitchen.

“Alright.” Shark sighed as he eased into the bathtub, Yuzu in his arms as he got comfortable. He sighed and closed his eyes, taking in the moment before he grabbed one of the cups on the sink and gently poured the warm water over her chest, making sure it wasn’t too hot.

Yuzu squealed a little at the water.  She liked the warmth.  She also liked how it made Shark's hair flatter and she want to grab it gently again with a giggle.

“ohh… You’re a hair grabber. All you kids these days are like that? Aren’t you? Aren’t you?” Shark laughed, nuzzling her with his nose. He gently bathed her, and gently smoothing her hair down.

Yuzu giggled as her nose was nuzzled.  She cooed in content as she was washed in the warm water, entertained by Shark's hair the whole time.

“This is the part where you act like an angel and make Yuuma and I think you’re perfect, and then you turn on us later and make things hard, huh?” Shark teased, smiling as he let her play, holding her up and smiling. “Well part one is working."

Yuzu kept smiling innocently, as if she needed any more reason for Shark to think she was an angel. She giggled as she was held up, still with a hand in Shark's hair, making it spread out in front of him, demonstrating to Shark how long it was again now.

“I know. It’s grown since prison. I bet your hair will grow to be like this, huh? Long and silky.” Shark said, almost forgetting for a moment Yuzu wasn’t even remotely blood related to him and wouldn’t have the iconic Kamishiro tresses. “At least you have good taste.”

Yuzu simply giggled in return. She liked Shark's smile and hair, continuing to coo and play with it happily.

Yuuma kept ducking between the washroom and the kitchen, listening in on Shark and Yuzu and smiling. As he had thought, Shark wasn't bad with babies.

"Shark, brunch is almost ready!" He called through the door.

Shark smiled as he finished the bath, making sure he didn’t take too long in order to make sure Yuzu didn’t get a cold. He dried them both up and headed to the bedroom.

“Yuuma? Where are her clothes?”

"Oh there's probably some in the bag Nee-chan left us!" Yuuma said, grabbing it and digging through it for some clothes for Yuzu.

"There we go. This little dress will work!" Yuuma said with a smile.

“I guess so. Easy enough.” Shark said, grabbing a clean diaper and tossing it to Yuuma, before passing him the baby. “I’ll get changed too. Has she eaten?"

Yuuma caught the diaper that Shark tossed him and carefully changed Yuzu, before putting her dress on. Yuzu looked adorable in her dress when he was done, and Yuuma smiled, kissing her forehead.

“I'm not sure...Nee-chan didn't say.  We can make her some milk formula and see if she'll take it, just in case.  Nee-chan packed it in the bag.”  Yuuma said.

“I’ll get it. You can start eating brunch. I’ll join you when I have her bottle.” Shark said, digging through the bag once he had a t-shirt and shorts on. He pulled out the formula and headed to the kitchen, glancing back at how cute those two were.

“Alright!  Let's go wait in the kitchen, Yuzu!”  Yuuma said, keeping Yuzu in his arms since they didn't have a high chair for her.  Yuzu cooed happily, reaching for the little strings dangling from Yuuma's hoodie. Yuuma chuckled and let her grab them and pull them however she wanted.  He sat down and ate his Duel Mechi with one hand while Yuzu was resting in his free arm occupied by his hoodie.  He chuckled.

“You're pretty energetic, Yuzu....that's cute.”  He mused with a chuckle.

After heating up the water and mixing the formula in, Shark was shaking the bottle and walking back into the room. He put some of the milk on his hand, testing the temperature, before he turned to them.

“Thanks Yuuma, I got her.” The man said, sitting down and reaching for her

Yuzu spotted the bottle and started to whine, reaching for it.  Yuuma chuckled.

“I guess she is hungry then! Shark will feed you, Yuzu.”  Yuuma said, passing her off to his husband with a smile.

Shark smirked as she was handed over and gently held Yuzu, letting her feed. He sighed but his eyes were loving as he looked at the girl.

“She’s cute"

Yuzu's tiny chubby hands gripped the bottle as best they could as she drank from it.  Yuuma smiled at the overall scene.

“She is...and you're a natural with her.  Not that I ever thought you wouldn't be, but it's still really nice to see.”  Yuuma beamed.

“I know you were always a hit with Yuzu, but she never was so close to me. I’m glad she likes me,” Shark said, swelling with pride a little.

“Of course she likes you! You're her other uncle!”  Yuuma said happily.  

“I think any baby would like you...when you smile like that, you look like you're the nicest guy in the world.”  Yuuma said happily, kissing Shark's cheek.

Shark rolled his eyes but he smiled. “I guess… It’s kinda nice.”

“Yeah...it is nice having a baby around, isn't it?”  Yuuma said with a smile, wrapping an arm around Shark's waist gently so as not to disturb Yuzu.  Her eyes glanced his way and he smiled at her.

“...I almost feel like...we should get one ourselves...”  Yuuma said softly.

Shark frowned and he looked back to Yuuma. It was nice to have a baby around, but that suggestion made his face fall.

“Yuuma… It’s kind of impossible… You know that, right?"

Yuuma laughed.

“I'm not saying we're gonna make one ourselves!  I'm saying...we could adopt one?  Kinda like what Alit and Kotori did with Ponta...we both know what the orphanage was like...so we could give someone a good home.”  Yuuma said.

“… I know that. You’re not that stupid.” Shark said, quickly trying to play off he honestly did think Yuma said to make one. “I mean… do you really think they’ll let us adopt? Do you think… do you think we even could?” Shark asked. “I mean… We’re doing okay now but we’ve only had Yuzu for an hour. I doubt this is a good gauge"

“Why not?  I mean, I know we have records...but what if we went to the orphanage we grew up at?  Those caretakers know us...and they know we're okay with kids!”  Yuuma said.  He smiled a bit.

“Yeah I know but...this is actually kinda an idea I had for awhile...ever since everyone started getting babies...”  Yuuma admitted sheepishly.

“Legally we shouldn’t be parents. I hardly think I’m capable of being a parent.” Shark said, pretending he wasn’t feeding a baby like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“… You have, huh? How come you didn’t mention it before?"

“What're you talking about! You're a natural with Yuzu!” Yuuma exclaimed.  He nodded.

“Yeah...but, I wasn't sure if it would really work...I mean, you kept saying that we couldn't take care of any organism, and I thought maybe that meant you didn't want one.  But, now that I see you with Yuzu...you like babies after all!”  

“Yeah, because I watch you, idiot. I’m the worst at kids. I don’t have the patience for… well anything. You get the point.”

Shark frowned “Well… I see. I’m sorry I made you feel that way but… You really think we could?"

Yuuma smirked.

“I don't really believe that.  You looked after Yuzu just fine without me!”  He said.  He nodded with a grin.

“Yeah!  Of course we could!  We can find the perfect baby and adopt them and the three of us could be a happy family!”  

“The only problem with that plan is that you have no idea where you’re gonna get us fake IDs because thats the only way the government is going to let us adopt.” Shark sighed.

“Why wouldn't they? We both served our time...and none of our crimes have anything to do with harming kids!  Maybe we could ask Astral if worst comes to worst, but I think it would be better if everything was legal...”  Yuuma said.

“… Okay, let’s see how today goes first, alright. Who knows? We still have time to fuck up with Yuzu and not want kids ever again.” Shark said. However the thought had entered his mind, and it would be a while before it left. He really liked the idea of being a dad.

“I doubt that's gonna happen but alright!  We'll use Yuzu as a test!”  Yuuma said, letting the girl grip his finger with a smile.  

“...But I think it'll be okay.  I think we'd both make good dads.  We're already the best uncles Yuzu has ever had!”  

“We’re Yuzu’s only uncles.” Shark sighed, pulling Yuma’s finger away so he could burp Yuzu properly.

Yuuma pouted.

“But that doesn't mean we're not the best!  Right, Yuzu? We're the best!”  Yuuma grinned at the baby as she burped and smiled at him over Shark's shoulder.

Shark rolled his eyes but he smiled. “Yeah yeah, keep at it."

Yuuma laughed.

“We'll both keep at it.” He mused happily, cleaning up their dishes and preparing to spend the rest of the day spoiling his niece with affection.  

-x-

It wasn't until the next day when the sedatives that Yuugi had been given finally wore off.  The doctors had been giving him medication that reduced the swelling in his brain greatly, and let him sleep soundly for the rest of the day.  Ukyou had sent a couple of officers to guard Yuugi's door, especially after Miheal Arclight had been shot at Yuugi's trial.  He hoped nobody would try to kill the young man, and was willing to take precautions.  Raphael had stayed with Yuugi most of the time, only going home when visiting hours were over to return the next day.  

Yuugi opened his eyes slowly, feeling surprisingly drowsy still, and having no memory of what had happened.  The last thing he remembered was being at the trial...and now he was in a white room. A hospital.  There was an IV in his arm and a cuff on that same wrist attaching him to the bed...and Raphael was at his other side, reading.  Most surprisingly, Yuugi's head wasn't in pain anymore.  This was the first time since he'd woken up a few weeks ago that his head seemed calm.

“...Raphael?”  He asked softly to get the man's attention, his voice a bit croaky because of his dry throat.

Raphael looked up from his book and barely managed to slip his bookmark in before he slammed it shut and chucked it onto the chair he had been sitting on, getting up and closer to the blonde.

“Yuugi! Oh thank goodness, you’re awake. I was so worried about you. How are you feeling? Do you need water?”

Yuugi gave Raphael a little smile when he came closer.

“Sorry for worrying you...” He said softly.  “I feel...a bit drowsy, but okay...my head doesn't hurt anymore.”  He nodded at the offer of water.  His throat still felt dry.

“Yes please...”  He said, working to sit up a bit so he could drink.  His limbs felt a bit shaky, but he managed to sit up a bit.

“No, it’s fine. You just collapsed, and you were having a seizure… But we were told you’d be okay.” Raphael sighed as he poured the drink and he gave it to the man.

Yuugi's eyes widened a bit.

“A seizure?  Oh wow...I don't remember that.  The last thing I remember is being in the courtroom...” Yuugi said with a frown.  He accepted the water and took a sip.

“...What happened at the trial?  Did it get finished?”

“Yeah… It did, actually” He smiled softly, making sure that the man wasn’t drinking anything before he gave him the verdict. “So you’re not meeting the death penalty. You’ll be heading to the correctional facility as soon as you’re discharged from the hospital,” Raphael said.

Yuugi put down his drink, looking a little anxious to hear how it went.  Raphael was smiling, so that was encouraging...but he was still a bit worried.  Yuugi felt a bit of a jolt in his head when he began to worry, but it wasn't a very strong one...not enough to make him swap.  He sighed in relief when Raphael said he'd been spared the death penalty.

“That's a relief...so I guess I'll be working with Dr. Arclight soon then...right?  Or...however long it takes to leave...do they know why I had a seizure?”  Yuugi asked. He knew those were serious and didn't want to have another.

“…” Raphael sighed and shook his head but passed the matter for now. He would tell Yuugi when he had less questions, it would be easier that way.

“It seemed like you and Yami were having a disagreement. Your brain was inflamed and you ended up having a seizure. The nurse is going to fill you in on what you need for medication.”

Yuugi tilted his head in confusion when the other man shook his head, seemingly exhausted and confused himself.  Something had happened...but what?  He could feel Yami's curiosity match his own.

“Oh...I don't remember that. I thought Yami was going to cooperate...”  He said with a frown, wondering why he had suddenly changed his mind.  He nodded at the medicine.  He figured the Correctional Facility would also be informed.

“Did he take over and say why he wanted to fight?”  Yuugi asked. Since he couldn't remember what happened, maybe Yami had been in control.

“No, but the police managed to figure out his reasoning. There were apparently assassins within the courthouse. They were waiting for you to take the stand so they could shoot you, in case it seemed like the trial was swinging our way,” Raphael said, “By stopping you from taking the stand, Yami saved your life.”

Yuugi's eyes widened.

“Assassins...”  He murmured.  He had been told that the public hated him by his lawyer before, but he hadn't known just how badly until now.  Now that Raphael mentioned it, Yuugi could recall being asked to take the stand...then nothing.  He felt relieved, surprised, and also confused.  How had Yami known there were going to be assassins?  

“...Did the police arrest them?  Or...” He glanced towards the door. “...are they still out there?”  He wondered if they would try again.  

“… You’re under police protection until they can catch the culprit. Anyone associated with you will also be under police protection.” Raphael sighed.

“You… won’t have sessions with Miheal for a while. Professor Arclight was shot by one of the assassins, probably because his work was a highly important factor in the case."

“You too right? You're kinda associated with me...are you going to be protected too?”  Yuugi asked, worried for Raphael.  His eyes widened.

“Oh my gosh, is he going to be okay?!”  He exclaimed. He had liked Miheal.  He seemed nice.  Yuugi could feel his head pulse with Yami's rage at the news and groaned a little, placing his free hand on his head.

“I will be, don’t worry.” Raphael frowned as he saw how quickly Yami and Yuugi both reacted. Despite being two different sides of the boy, they had the same heart and it was highly emotional and fragile. While it touched him that the man cared about him, it also worried him. What would happen if he disappeared too?

“He’ll be alright. He’s the head of the Correctional Facility. Anyone who knows his reputation for being scarily strong willed will know he’ll make it out alive.” Raphael lied. They still didn’t know how Miheal would turn out, but he was hopeful, so he wanted Yuugi to be too.

Yami would definitely deny that he cared about Raphael for his own sake.  He just didn't want Yuugi to get upset and disappear again if Raphael died or vanished.  Yuugi looked at Raphael in concern, truly wanting the other man to be alright.  

“Okay...I trust you. And I guess that's true...Dr. Arclight seems really strong and tough.”  Yuugi said, recalling their meeting and his impression of the man. He smiled.

“I guess I'll just focus on getting better myself...”  

“Don’t worry, Yuugi. I’m a tough old thing. They won’t get the best of me,” Raphael said. “They’ll be caught by the police soon enough.”

He smiled and patted the man’s shoulder. “That’s the spirit"

Yuugi smiled at Raphael, feeling his mind calm a little as Yami seemed to back off.  

“I believe you. You've got your own guards and stuff too right?”  He said. He nodded.

“Yeah...I guess I'll just rest a bit and let you read...you probably have a lot of work to do.  Sorry for taking up so much of your time...”  

“Yeah… If it makes you feel better, I’ll have someone else looking out for me. It’ll be easy.” Raphael paused the question and he shook his head.

“Hah… It’s alright. That wasn’t work anyway,” he went to ruffle the man’s head. “I want to help, Yuugi. Don’t apologise, alright?”

“That's probably a good idea.”  Yuugi said, feeling Yami's agreement with him.  He was happy that his other half seemed to like Raphael too, or at least, he was invested in Raphael's safety.  And his own, Yuugi remembered.  Raphael had said Yami had saved his life...so maybe Yami wasn't so bad after all.  He bent his head down a bit and flushed a little as his hair was ruffled.  He didn't really like it when he was reminded how short he was, but it also made him feel a bit warm inside when Raphael did it.  

“...Okay.  If you say so.  Thank you.”  He said with a smile.

“No problem. Just keep on trying to get better. You trying to stand in court was a big improvement, yesterday. I’m proud of you,” The older man grinned.

Yuugi beamed.  It felt nice to hear someone say they believed in him and that they were proud of him.

“I will...I promise.” He said happily.

“Now… you’re awake. We’ll have to wait for the nurse to check on you, but let’s play a game. I had someone bring a deck of cards. You can choose what we play.”Raphael said, pulling the food table out in front of Yuugi and placing the deck of cards in front of him.

At the mention of games, Yuugi's eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas.  

“Yes!”  He exclaimed a little loudly, before flushing a little and clamping his hand over his mouth.  He swore he heard the same excited cry echo in his head when he said it.  He coughed and nodded.

“I mean...yes.  I'd love to play a game with you.”  He said, trying to tone down his excitement in his voice even though his body language and expression were still just as hyped up as before.

Raphael covered his mouth, trying to stifle a laugh, but he couldn’t help himself. Yuugi was too cute. He really was like a little kid.

“Alright. Let’s play."

Yuugi nodded excitedly, sitting up even more so he could play cards with Raphael and enjoy his time with him.

-x-

Meanwhile, things were not so happy in another ICU hospital room, where Miheal Arclight had been placed after his surgery to remove the bullets and patch up his wounds.   Kaito, Ukyou and Black Mist had barely been able to pull the two remaining Arclight brothers away from their injured sibling last night, and now Chris and Thomas had both returned to see him.  Miheal had not woken up yet...and the doctors said it was unlikely.  He was hooked up to an ventilator and had undergone a blood transfusion to recover some of his lost blood.  Miheal was still too pale and motionless.  

Thomas had been devastated, but he could see that somehow Chris was doing worse.  He wasn't sure what the story was...but he was a little confused as to why Chris and Miheal had clearly been apart at the courthouse. He knew that usually if they attended the same events, the brothers would stick together.  Mist had told him about Chris' testimony being torn down by Miheal's, which might explain some of the tension....but in Thomas' eyes, what Miheal had said was holding back the whole truth.  Both he and Miheal knew the extent of Chris' relations with Ukyou and the sex hadn't even come out in court.  

“...Chris, what the hell even happened?  How did he get shot...when you two are usually together so often?”  Thomas said without looking at Chris, still trying to put things together.  Something was wrong between Chris and Miheal, at least on Chris' end, and he intended to find out what it was.

“… We argued. We yelled. He stormed off. He got shot.” Chris muttered. Although the story was a lot more complicated than that, he didn’t bother to explain to his younger brother. Even though the weight of Miheal’s conditions laid solely on his shoulders, even though he knew that he and he alone was in the wrong about the argument and the court case, he refused to talk about it. He didn’t want to, as if admitting what happened would sentence both Miheal and himself to die. The man didn’t look at Thomas either, staring at his brother’s form.

“You and Miheal argued and yelled at each other?”  Thomas repeated in surprise.  He and Chris fought all the time yes, but Chris and Miheal?  They never fought!  

“What the hell did you fight about?  You two never fight!”  Thomas asked, now looking at Chris in confusion as if he was suddenly a stranger that just looked an awful like his oldest brother.

“Yes, because believe it or not, we can get frustrated at each other,” Chris growled. He didn’t need Thomas questioning him. Already he was tired, having spent all of last night fretting over Miheal, he didn’t need Thomas on top of this as well.

“What do you think?” He muttered, balling a fist. “It’s so stupid. So trivial now. But what do you think made me angry enough to hit him?”

“Frustrated, yes, but not enough for you both to storm off!”  Thomas said with a frown.  He was stubborn and wanted to know what was bothering his big brother so much.  This was why they always fought...because Thomas was a pusher, where Miheal usually knew when to leave things alone.

“You HIT him?!” Thomas exclaimed.  He knew now what Chris was talking about, and was appalled that Chris had done that.  

“Why the hell did you hit him when he didn't say nearly as much as he could've!  We both knew what you and that cop did in your office, and if anything, you should've been mad at ME for the lunch date!  It was my idea to follow you, not his!”  Thomas said, getting up and facing Chris with a glare.

“You think I’m proud for hitting him?” Chris hissed, looking at Thomas, his eyes angry and filled with hate but filled with tears as well. “You think I don’t know that either? Excuse me for not being fucking grateful and being disregarded for all of my work because of something I tried to stop. I know it could have been worse. Do you think it makes it any less hard for me?” He was struggling to keep his voice level. He didn’t want to be booted out for yelling when he wanted to be here for Miheal.

“It wasn't Miheal's damn fault that the judge disregarded your work either!  You should've taken your anger out elsewhere!”  Thomas cried.  He glared harder but bit his lip in frustration to prevent further yelling. He didn't want to be booted out either.

“...I refuse to let my baby brother die thinking you hate him.  Fucking apologize.  They say people in comas can hear what's around them.”  Thomas managed to growl out, pointing to Miheal's bedside.

“You don’t think I know that? You don’t I think I hate myself for this? Miheal might die and the last thing I fucking did to him is hit him. The last thing I said to him was for him to shut up.” Chris whispered, hunching over, unable to stop himself from crying. “I did apologise. I’ve been here for an hour before you got here… begging for him to wake up. I am sorry, Thomas. And I’m damned upset if you don’t think I haven’t said it or meant it yet.”

“… I am sorry, Miheal.”

“...God fucking dammit...” Thomas said, crying again himself. He hated this.  He hated that his baby brother could fucking die before him.

“...I'm sorry too Chris...I just...I want him to wake up...that's it...”  He managed to say.

“It should have been me. I could have done something but I didn’t.” Chris muttered. He couldn’t say anything back to his brother, but he didn’t want Thomas to cry too. He shakily stood up and went to hug his younger brother, shaking and sobbing quietly himself.

Thomas accepted his older brother's hug, crying softly and holding Chris.  Despite his pride, he did need the comfort right now.  He was reminded of when he was a little kid and would occasionally go to his big brother's bed to fend off nightmares. Those had stopped after Miheal had been born, because Thomas had instead offered the comforting service to Miheal.

“Miheal was stronger than both of us… if anyone is going to pull out of this, it’s him… I really hope he does…” Chris said, his hands shaking.

“...Yeah...”  Thomas murmured, trembling a bit himself. “He'll make it...he has to...”  

-x-

While the Arclights were looking after their brother, the police were hard at work at trying to find the shooter.  As Kaito had suspected, the criminal had been long gone by the time the cops had barricaded the courthouse and began inspecting people.  Nobody with any deadly weapons had been found, and all the people involved had been let go.  

But Astral was not about to give up.  He had managed to break the hack on the security cameras and was currently scanning the footage for any good shots of the shooter.  He was at Kaito's house, wanting to spend time with him as well. It was safe now because they both knew Chris was at the hospital with his brother.

“There are not as many cameras in the hallway where Miheal was shot...that is unfortunate.”  Astral said.

“How are the exits looking?” Kaito asked, sitting down and staring at the ceiling, not bothering with the computer screen. “Can we get an estimate on how many people are around the area at the time?”

“They are looking quite flooded...it seems that many people began fleeing as soon as they heard the gunshot.  The shooter probably blended in with them on the way out.”  Astral said with a frown.  

“There were quite a few people in the hallway, because the trial had been adjured recently...looks to be about 50 people or so.”  

“The trial wasn’t open to the public, meaning all of those people had connections to the case one way or another. It means we can narrow them down” Kaito frowned.

“The ones who were coming out of the trial room, yes...but there were also reporters.  They were let into the courthouse after the trial was adjured, and they were in the hallways.”  Astral said, noting quite a few people with cameras and microphones. He sighed.

“The killer is wearing a hood...there is no clear shot of his face.  But given his build he is probably a man.”  

“Follow the footage backwards. If he was wearing a hood, he wouldn’t have been wearing it when he walked in. That would be suspicious. Reporters wouldn’t be wearing that sort of thing.” Kaito frowned.

Astral slowly worked the footage backward.  He frowned as he noticed the man making his way to a seat.  

“He did not wear his hood during the trial itself...and when the lawyer announced Mutou was to take the stand, he moved to get a closer shot.  He was intending to shoot him.”  Astral said.

“I still only have the back of his head unfortunately...”

“Follow back further. See of we can get a clear shot of him entering the courtroom.” Kaito said, spinning in his chair a bit.

“I cannot follow back further than this...I did not get the cameras online until this point.”  Astral said with a sigh.

“… Is there no way to track them?” Kaito frowned. “… We’re missing something. There’s got to be some way to get this guy."

“No.  This was highly advanced...whoever put these hacks in the cameras knew what they were doing.”  Astral said with a frown.  He shook his head.

“I do not know...” Astral said.  He frowned.

“Argh… I’ve done harder cases than this… I should know at least how to start this investigation,” Kaito scowled, balling his fist, now still in his chair. “I’ve been off the force too long. There’s something we’re missing.”

“Yami told you he suspected someone was out to shoot him.  Do you think he knows something more than he's saying?”  Astral mused, looking at the few pictures they had of the shooter.  He had heard part of Yami and Kaito's conversation through Orbital and was intrigued on how Yami had picked up on the so-called 'murderous intent' in the air in the courthouse.  

“...Kaito, I think...I think the shooter is wearing an earpiece of some sort.”  Astral murmured, enlarging the image so he could get a better look at the small, metallic object on his ear.

“… Astral, you would be able to pull out a record of the CEOs present at the courthouse, correct?” Kaito said, something dawning on him when Astral mentioned the earpiece.

“Yes, I could...what are you thinking?”  Astral asked, knowing his boyfriend was on to something.  He began looking over the images and putting up names of the CEOs at the trial.  Kaiba Seto, Reiji Akaba, Kawahara Raphael, and a few others were there.  

“It’s an assassin, and at a high profile, high risk trial, it would be very difficult and very expensive to smuggle someone in there to shoot someone, wouldn’t it? Yami knows someone wants him dead. The list you’ll make will be our main suspect list"

“I see.  That does make sense.  I also recall Yami telling me once that he was not some 'cheap hire'...that means whoever hired him to kill three CEOs must have money.  I will organize their names by pay grade but also by motive...they have to have connections to the men Yami killed as well.” Astral said, composing his list. It really was not very long...although many of the men in the room had been rich, only a select few were CEOs and were extremely wealthy enough to hire assassins that way.

Kaito frowned and tried to think of CEOs off the top of his head. “Kaiba… Akaba is new so doubtful… The groups in Neo Domino… Make sure you include foreign CEOs, just in case..."

"I will. Although, I know first hand that Akaba is skilled enough with computers to have put that hack in the cameras." Astral said.

“Ah, that’s true.” Kaito closed his eyes. “What do you think? That makes him more likely, when you think about it. New person clearing off the competition to begin with"

"Yes. He is the only one who did not have a company since he moved here...the others had some business elsewhere." Astral said. Reiji certainly seemed to fit the requirements for motive and computer skills.

“We’ll look in to him. Give me three of the most likely people, Astral.” Kaito said, glancing at the screen as if he expected that the results would be in front of him.

"Alright...I would say the most likely would be Akaba and Kaiba for sure...I do not recognize many of these men though. So I will need to do more research to see who else is likely."

“Yeah… I’ll do what I can too. I may need to find where Mutou was staying prior to his arrest. He may have left a clue to where he was meeting."

"Kaito, I helped one of our roommates clean out his room myself...his apartment is empty right now. And the things we found did not have clues." Astral said.

"But perhaps you could visit him in the hospital and see if he knows anything. Just because he didn't tell police anything doesn't mean he knows nothing."

“I’ll be the judge of that. I’m good at finding things my coworkers miss.” Kaito said

“Yeah… I’ll pay him a visit. I still owe him, but whatever."

"I will see if I can bring the things to you then...it would be dangerous to bring you to the place. People might recognize you there as the former superintendent." Astral said, making a note to ask Yuuto later.

"Alright...just be careful."

“Thanks Astral… I will be careful.” He smiled and leaned against him.

Astral smiled.

"And don't work too hard...you are supposed to be retired." He reminded him, leaning back against Kaito and holding him close.

“I know… but I’m not even forty yet. I feel like I still have a life to do… something with.” Kaito sighed quietly, letting Astral hold him. “Pisses me off when I see stuff like this”

"I know it does...Yami is not that bad a person. He does not deserve to be assassinated...but the fact that someone tried means he has gotten himself into trouble." Astral said.

"I want to help too..."

“He seems that way but… Ugh. Those murders bother me. Not all of them were bad.”Kaito sighed. “… I’m glad you do Astral… really."

"No...there were a few CEOs that were truly awful people who died." Astral said. He smiled.

"I want to help and support you. Always."

“Yes… That’s true. It was a mixed bag,” He closed his eyes. “… I’m sorry.”

“If I didn’t want to work all the time, we wouldn’t have to be involved in all of this”

Astral sighed and kissed Kaito's forehead.

"You love your work and are one of the best for the job...you could never sit on the sidelines before, so it seems unreasonable for you to do so now. I expect it if you, and I do not mind helping."

“It’s been literally years since I’ve been off the force though.” Kaito frowned. “… If anything, I should be learning to let go. No matter what I do, I’m not going to get hired again. I might get arrested as a vigilante if this keeps up"

"I think you are learning to let go...you were only involved in this case because I knew Mutou. But there are hundreds of other cases that you have not touched that you could have..." He said

"I would not let you go that far...I do not want you arrested. That is also how I try to help...by keeping you safe."

“…I love you.” Kaito said quietly.

"I love you too." Astral said softly, holding Kaito close and giving him a gentle kiss.

Kaito closed his eyes for a while and then he got up. “I should get going. I’m going take Orbital and go check on Chris in the hospital. I promised I’d be there for him. Can you see if you can get things from Yami’s room? Send Orbital photos and he’ll help you”

Astral nodded.

"I will go ask Yuuto. Good luck with Chris...I hope he and his brothers are okay." He said, giving Kaito another goodbye kiss before heading out.

“With any luck, it will be okay… It’s time to repay him for all the times he was with me when Haruto was ill.” He kissed Astral back before he equipped Orbital and flew off.

Astral nodded. He headed out to the bus, watching Kaito fly off with a smile. He would see if Yuuto had sold Yami's stuff yet or not.

Orbital was faster than any bus, and before long Kaito found himself at the hospital. He groaned, removing the robot off, finding the rush of wind harder and harder to bear these days.

“I refuse to be too sick to do that..” He muttered, walking inside. He asked the receptionist where to go and she read the instructions out. Soon, Kaito was there, heading to his friend.

“Chris? You there?"

Chris barely heard Kaito, too focused on both his brothers. Thomas and he were both on either side of Miheal, holding his hands and silently begging him to wake up. Chris knew he hadn't slept or ate since Miheal was shot but refused to sleep. He had to be there for his brother...he had to tell him he loved him and that he was sorry for what he had said.

Thomas glanced up.

"He's here..." He said softly, knowing Kaito couldn't see.

“Hey Thomas.” Kaito said, looking at them. He entered the room, hearing the heaving sobs of his mentor. His heart ached hearing him, remembering Haruto being in that spot only all too quickly. He bit his lip but went to where Orbital was guiding him.

“How is he?”

"Hey." Thomas said, his voice rough and subdued.  

"No...no change anyway..." Thomas said, squeezing his baby brother's hand.

Kaito looked at Thomas and then put a hand on Chris’ shoulder. “… Did they say when he was supposed to wake up?”

"He's on heavy sedatives...so they're not sure. But...it could be any day now." Thomas said. Chris kept his eyes on Miheal's face, seeing the small bruise on his pale cheek that he knew he caused and feeling even more miserable.

“Sedatives… within the day or tomorrow then. We’ll see then.” Kaito gave Chris a reassuring squeeze. “All you can do is be there for him. Chris… It’s not your fault"

"I should've been with him...I should've...protected him..." Chris managed to say.

“And have you both be shot? It was a hired assassin, Chris. It wouldn’t have been stopped either way” Kaito frowned

"He never would've stormed off on his own...if I hadn't yelled at him..." Chris said.

“…. I doubt it would have made a difference” Kaito muttered, rubbing Chris’ shoulders.

Chris frowned deeper and bowed his head even more. He didn't feel he deserved Kaito's comfort. In his mind, Miheal would never have been shot if he hadn't gone off alone, and Chris never would've let him go off on his own if they hadn't had that dumb fight.

"I'd rather be in his place..." Chris sighed and hung his head lower.

"....Are they gonna catch the bastard that did this?" Thomas asked Kaito. He knew Kaito had cop friends.

“At some point. It’s a work in progress.” Kaito grunted.

Thomas frowned and nodded.

"Okay...as long as they're working on it."

“They are. Don’t worry, Thomas. You’ll have justice.” Kaito said. He tightened his grip on Chris’ shoulder. “I’ll make sure of it"

"...I just want my baby brother to wake up...justice can come later..." Chris murmured. Thomas nodded. He agreed but did want justice too. He was angry at whoever did this to his baby brother.

“I know, Chris… I know…” Kaito muttered. He couldn’t help Miheal though, but he would find the man who shot him and the guy who hired him. They would pay.

But first was Chris…

-x-

Meanwhile, Astral's bus finally brought him back to his home. He headed inside and made his way to Yuuto's room, hoping the man hadn't sold anything of Mutou's yet.

"Yuuto, do you have a moment?" He asked, knocking on the door.

Yuuto had been writing some documents up, but glanced up from his desk when he heard the voice. He was about to politely greet the man when he frowned, seeing Astral’s expression.

“Sure? What do you need?”

"I was wondering if you had sold any of Yami's things yet, and if not, if I could borrow them." Astral said.

“I’ve been trying to make sure they haven’t been drugged, so I haven’t sold them yet. Why do you want them? What do you need?” Yuuto asked.

Astral nodded. He has prepared a story that he hoped was adequate for Yuuto regarding why he needed to see Yami's stuff.

"Did you hear about Yami's trial? Someone tried to assassinate him, and those same people actually did shoot someone. I am hoping that something of Yami's will help find the shooter and bring them to justice, since Yami was their original target." Astral said.

“Yeah… who hasn’t heard?” Yuuto gestured to his laptop, a browser with the news already on display. Reporters worked fast, after all. “I’m surprised. I didn’t know you were that interested in Yami’s affairs.”

"I do not particularly care, but I owe him a favour." Astral said, only partially lying. Yami had never asked him for any favours but he had helped reunite him and Kaito so Astral felt like he did owe him. It was more to keep him quiet about his whereabouts.

"May I see his stuff then?"

“Sure. Not like you didn’t see it before.” Yuto said. He opened the drawer in his desk and he put the small pack there. Yami’s belongings were  wrapped in plastic, but very visible.

"Thank you. I will bring them back later." Astral promised, taking the bag and bringing it up to his room. He went through the belongings, not noticing anything of immediate suspicion. He took pictures anyway and began sending them to Orbital 7.

Orbital scanned the photos and prepared a transcript for Kaito. He did his own check before he sent a message over to Astral, letting Kaito comfort Chris.

‘Kibou, why does Yami have a history book in his belongings?’

Astral frowned, looking at the book. It was a bit out of place he supposed...

"I'll open it." He said. He put a cloth over his mouth and nose and opened the book slowly from a distance with a stick, not wanting to spring any drug traps. Nothing happened and so Astral approached the book. His eyes widened.

"It's not a book...but a chest." He murmured, pulling out an LDS pin and a few notes and pictures on each of his targeted victims. Every man was dead except Raphael. Astral sent pictures especially of the pin.

"So it was Akaba after all."

Orbital let Astral stew over the information while Kaito visited. However, with him arriving so late, the hospital ushered him out since he wasn’t family, and soon Kaito was in the parking lot calling Astral.

Astral picked up the phone.

"Did Orbital explain the photos to you? The most notable thing is the LDS pin...but did you see something else?"

“No. I didn’t even get to speak with him. I was in the hospital. Give me a moment.” Kaito shot a glare at his robot.

Orbital scratched the back of his head sheepishly before he showed Kaito the report in braille. Kaito frowned “LDS pin… huh. … I don’t like it. Looks too convenient. Are you sure that’s all his things?”

"That is all that we found...his room is otherwise empty. These notes are also written in his handwriting...they look like general research information about each of his targets." Astral said.

"It could be convenient...but Akaba does fit the profile for the benefactor. Perhaps you should talk to Yami about it. I do not know if he had any affiliation with LDS."

“I'll have to do that tomorrow...visiting hours are over and I don't have police security clearance anymore to see Mutou.”  Kaito said.

"Alright...do you want me to hold onto anything or can I give it all back to Yuuto?"

“Take photos of all items front and back, and his room too. Make sure there is clear lighting. I want to have that documented, just in case.” Kaito said. He knew he should have taken it to the police, but at this stage he didn’t care anymore.

"Alright. Will do." Astral said. He sent the pictures to Orbital as asked. He headed to Yami's room, turned on all the lights, and took pictures. He sighed.

"I hope these help find the shooter..."

“I hope so too.” Kaito said, catching the bus. “Just keep an eye on things"

-x-

News about Mutou's trial traveled fast. The biggest headline was not that there was any scandal between the superintendent and one of the lead scientist involved in the case, but that a prominent criminal psychologist had been shot at the trial. His name was released after the second day, and there were many people who recognized it immediately.

"Miheal Arclight was shot?" Vector exclaimed from his spot resting on the couch. He recognized his old psychologist.

"Takashi, get in here!" Vector called, pointing at the TV.

Takashi frowned and he bustled out of the kitchen.  

“What is it?  Who's-” He stopped and stared at the screen and read the headline.

“Miheal?  Miheal's been shot?  The hell?”  

"Yeah...the CEO killer went on trial a couple days ago and apparently someone ended up shooting Miheal...god I hope he's okay..." Vector said, putting a hand on his shoulder where he had been shot years ago. He knew that shit hurt like hell.

Takashi frowned and and wiped his hands on his pants, crossing his arms. “Miheal…” He remembered talking to him. He was a good man. “Maybe I should call Thomas and check up on him. He’s probably taking this hard. God… I didn’t even know…”

"Yeah...and maybe Thomas has details beyond 'Miheal was shot', which is all the news is saying." Vector said. He picked up his phone and dialled Thomas' number, putting the phone on speaker so Takashi could hear whatever Thomas would say when he picked up.

Takashi frowned and sat on the couch.  However, to his surprise, Thomas didn't pick up his phone at all.

“Oh...he always answers his phone.  He must be in a real bad state.”  Takashi frowned.

"Yeah...I'll shoot him a text then." Vector said, sending condolences from him and Takashi to Thomas.

"...this might indirectly mean Miheal is in a bad state too..." He murmured.

“Probably…” Takashi frowned. He ran his hands through his hair and grabbed his phone from the table. “I’ll mass text the others. Someone needs to know what’s going on."

"Maybe someone else has answers too..." Vector said.

Yuuma and Shark had been spending the day with Yuzu, so hadn't actually seen the news. Yuuma felt his phone vibrate and pulled it out to read the message.

"Oh my gosh Shark, Miheal Arclight was shot!" He exclaimed, rushing to his husband.

Shark was holding Yuzu and was about to tell Yuuma to keep it down but he stopped, freezing up as he heard the news. “Say what? Since when?”

"Since two days ago! Takashi just texted me...and I pulled up a headline that confirms it!" Yuuma said, showing Shark the news.

Shark cursed under his breath and leaned over, trying not to jostle the tired baby as he looked. “What the fuck… Who the hell would shoot Miheal?”

"Assassins, apparently...the news says they think that criminal Mutou Yuugi was the real target though. But he apparently ended up in hospital before the end of the trial due to a medical condition...one that Miheal helped diagnose." Yuuma said, reading off the page.

"I don't even get this! Can you call Thomas? Maybe he knows more!"

Shark swore louder, not caring that he had a baby in his arms and he scowled. He snatched Yuuma’s phone out of his husband’s hand and called his former drug dealer and good friend.

“Bastard… Come on and pick up."

Yuuma took Yuzu from Shark and gently rocked her, trying to put her back to sleep. She was confused and awakened by the loud voices. He frowned when he heard the phone went to voicemail.

"No answer? But I thought you said Thomas was an attention whore and always picked up his phone!"

“Because he is is an attention whore! He always fucking picks up! I once called him at 2 in the morning and he was in the middle of a blow job! And he still picked up!” Shark growled. He was actually really worried about Thomas. He knew how much the older man cared about his family, and he knew how devastating it could be to have a sibling in hospital. He hoped Thomas hadn’t gone and done anything rash.

“Takashi sent you this? I’ll get him to call Matsuda. Ena’s lawyer is that guy, isn’t it? The famous one? I’ll check with Tetsuo and my sister. Someone’s got to know what happened to Miheal and his siblings.”

"Yeah it was Takashi...that's a good idea though! I'll text Takashi and ask him to call the lawyer. Maybe Tetsuo can find him if Vector can't!" Yuuma said, sending Takashi the message and forwarding the original message to Tetsuo and Rio to see if they knew anything.

Shark scowled. “Don’t take the baby if you want your phone back.” Shark snatched Yuzu back. “Seriously. Don’t move her so much or you’ll wake her, idiot.”

Yuuma pouted, but gently passed Shark back Yuzu.

"She's already kinda awake from all the yelling we were doing...poor baby. Sorry things got so exciting there..." He said at the end, stroking her hair gently to try and make her sleep.

Yuzu’s face scrunched up and she began to whimper. Shark sighed as he rocked her, not reacting much when she started crying. “There there… it’s okay..."

Yuuma smiled at the sight and gently rubbed her back.

"We'll see what Takashi says..." He said softly.

Back at Takashi’s place, the man frowned as he got Yuma’s text. He sighed and looked at Vector. “No good… they don’t know anything. But… they said Mist might know.”

"Oh yeah. He's dating Thomas..." Vector hesitated. He didn't really want to talk to Mist but this was an emergency...he sighed.

"I'll call him." He said, dialling Mists number and waiting.

“…” Takashi leaned over and hugged Vector, holding him as he called.

“Hello?” Black Mist said, picking up. He was back at home, waiting for Thomas to come out of the shower. Thomas took long showers when he was upset. “Vector? Is that you?"

Vector smiled at Takashi and leaned into his touch as he waited for Mist to pick up.

"Yes, it is...Takashi and I were looking for your boyfriend. We heard his brother was shot...is Thomas okay?"

Black Mist sighed. He was quiet for a moment, unusually so, before he glanced at the stairs where he hoped to see Thomas.

“He’s not. He’ll live, but he’s devastated. Miheal’s in a very risky state. His condition could swing either way."

Vector frowned. He had the phone on speaker so Takashi could hear too.

"Tell Thomas were here for him if he needs us..." Vector said.

"So what exactly happened? You were there right? The news was vague as hell."

“It’s not exactly like we know ourselves. The details I got out of Chris were vague when we saw him. Miheal and Chris got into a fight. Miheal was slapped. He stormed off and got shot. It was regarding the trial and what happened,” Black Mist said.

"Oh yeah Chris is the other brother isn't he...do you know how he's doing?" Vector asked. He frowned.

"...How's Miheal? He's in hospital I assume...but is he awake?"

Black Mist scoffed. “I’m surprised he hasn’t killed himself. He might, if Miheal doesn’t make it and Tenjo doesn’t look after him.” The man tried to smirk but he couldn’t; not when it was a matter so close to his partner.

“He’s out like a light. We’ll check on him tomorrow… Hopefully he’ll wake up"

Vector couldn't bring himself to smirk either and sighed.

"It doesn't sound good then...is he allowed visitors? Anything we can do for either Miheal or Thomas?"

“He can if he gets in a more stable position. It’s just family now.” The man sighed. “… Make sure Thomas gets whatever support he needs while I’m at work. Go over to his house. Talk to him. That stuff. He needs help. And ask Tenjo to look after Chris because I sure as hell am not going to talk to Tenjo."

"Alright...will do. Takashi and I don't work so we can have Thomas over here anytime." Vector said.

"I'm sure Kaito's already on Chris...but we can make sure of that too."

“Thanks.” Black Mist sighed. “You two are good for him. I’m doing what I can but… I don’t know. He just needs more support.”

"Yeah...I know what it feels like to have family in hospital...we'll help how we can." Vector said, before coughing.

Takashi rubbed his back as Black Mist frowned. “Help him, but don’t kill yourself. You already don’t have long to live.”

Vector managed to calm his coughing fit.

"Don't worry Misty, I won't let your precious boyfriend lose his best buddy Vector just yet. Well help him out...ill be fine."

“Of course not. He saved you from me once. You can’t just go die so easily after that.” Mist muttered, not wanting to admit his wrongdoings but feeling he had to now. “… if you’re sure"

"....no kidding..." Vector murmured, not liking that memory. He shook it off.

"I'm sure. Tell Thomas that were here for him and if he needs anything, he can call us."

“Right… I will. If there’s anything else you need to know, then tell me. Take care, Vector"

"Just let us know if Miheal's condition changes." Vector said.

"You take care too, of yourself and of Thomas." Vector said. He hung up and leaned against Takashi.

"There you have it...Doc's unconscious. He can't have any visitors...we can spread the word now."

“Great…” Takashi didn’t go for his phone though. Instead, he went to go and hug Vector tightly.

“I love you.”

Vector smiled as he was hugged and hugged Takashi back gently.  

"I love you too...I hope everything will be alright..."

“… People keep reminding me that you’re going to die soon…” Takashi muttered. “Miheal… Mist warning you like that… It’s selfish to think of that now, especially because of Miheal, but all I can think of is that I’m going to lose you”

Vector sighed softly, holding Takashi a bit tighter.

"I'm right here...I'm not going anywhere. It'll be okay..." He said, but he began to cough a bit at the end of his sentence, as if his body didn't support his words.

Takashi squeezed him back and he was shaking a little. “Vector… you know…” He couldn’t finish that thought. He shook his head and closed his eyes.

Vector calmed his coughing fit and sighed, holding Takashi and stroking his back to calm him down.

"It's okay. I'll be alright." He said to reassure him.

Takashi slackened his hold and looked up at him seriously. He didn’t say anything, but his eyes were cold, as if trying to get Vector to realise how ‘not’ okay things were.

Vector sighed at the look.

"Takashi...I know, but I don't really wanna think about it...lets just...focus on Miheal okay?" Vector said with a sad look.

“… I really don’t want to.” Takashi said, taking the phone and texting his friends instead of talking to them. “I can’t help Miheal, except for tending to Thomas. I can help you.”

Vector sighed, hugging Takashi.

"You're helping me tons, Takashi. Nobody helps me more." He said truthfully.

“I know. Still.” Takashi didn’t hug back. He just looked at the phone and sent the mass text between their friends. “If I’m helping the most, I want to help more. But it’s not changing that you’ll be gone soon.”

"You're helping enough...even just spending time with me helps. You're always here for me and I know that...that's all I need." Vector said.

Takashi rested the phone on his lap and he closed his eyes. “I know… And you keep saying that…But it’s just…hard." Vector wasn’t the one who had to live with his death.

Vector held Takashi against him and gently began petting his hair when the man closed his eyes.

"I know...it's hard for me too. I'll hang in there though...for as long as I can. I promise..." He said softly.

“No. You won’t.” Takashi didn’t even try to open his eyes. “I promised to pull the plug, remember? You’ll hang in there for as long as you don’t get to that stage. And we don’t get to decide that.” His voice shook. “If you have an attack or an episode out of nowhere…. that’s it."

Vector paused in his hair petting as he remembered that talk. He sighed.

"Then I'll try to hold off any major attacks..." He said softly, holding Takashi closer and petting his hair again when the other trembled.

Takashi would have rolled his eyes if they were opened, but he only squeezed them tighter to hold Vector. “If you can stop that… sure.”

"I'll stop it. I'll stop it for as long as I can." Vector promised softly.

-x-

Takashi's mass text went to all of the Numbers Club members, including Kotori. She was at home with Masumi when her phone chimed. Ponta bounded up to get it.

"Message for Kotori, pon!" He said, passing her the phone.

Kotori smiled as she looked up from the book she was reading with Masumi. The girl was drooling a bit, evidently pleased with her mother’s attention, and Kotori was in a good mood. She smiled and shifted her baby into her left arm.

“Thanks, Ponta. You don’t have to do that every time I get a message though. I can look at them later,” She laughed.

"But it could be important!" Ponta exclaimed.

"What does it say, what does it say, pon?" He asked.

Kotori rolled her eyes but she looked over the text. Her face fell at the lengthy message that Takashi had written before she bit her lip.

“Ah… Well… Another of Yuuma’s friend’s is in hospital now. So that’s what happened."

"Oh no! What happened? Who is it, pon!?" Ponta exclaimed in alarm. Alit came into the room with some tea for Kotori.

"Did something happen?" He asked.

“Miheal is in hospital. He was hurt.” Kotori didn’t want to talk about too many more dark subjects in front of Ponta, he had endured enough. “… Gilag… he probably doesn’t know yet"

"Oh my gosh...that's awful." Alit said. He understood that Kotori didn't elaborate in front of Ponta.

"Miheal...you mean the angel that kissed Gilag?" Ponta asked, alarmed to hear that.

“Yeah… That’s him” Kotori frowned. She passed the phone to Alit so he could get an idea of what happened. “Poor guy…”

Alit took the phone and read it over, alarmed by what he read.

"Yeah...poor guy. Gilag should know...I'll go tell him." Alit said, passing the phone back and heading over to the other room to find Gilag.

"Gilag you in here?"

Gilag was on his bed, half way to a nap. Work was a killer, and he was glad to get the day off. After doing some chores, the man was going to get some well-earned sleep when his brother walked in.

“Yo… I’m here"

"Hey...sorry to bug you but there's...something you should probably know." Alit said sombrely. He showed Kotori's message to Gilag.

"I don't think you can...he's unconscious and Takashi said it was family only that could visit..." Alit said.

“Yeah I know but… Shit. I need to see him. Miheal was just shot, Alit. And Takashi said they’re not sure about his condition"

“...Well, you can try, I guess.  Just don't be disappointed if they don't let you in.”  Alit conceded.  He knew that Gilag really did care for Miheal.

Gilag went to grab the keys. “I’m borrowing the car. I’ll be back when I see him.” The man said, not having heard Alit as he headed off.

“Gilag!”  Alit tried to stop him, since it was obvious the man had not heard him at all, before sighing and letting him go.  

“Hope you can get in and see him.”  He murmured.

“I will.” Gilag said, having heard that part. He headed for the car and drove off to the hospital, gripping the steering wheel hard. Miheal was in the hospital…. he was… shot…

Chris and Kaito were arriving at the hospital at the moment, taking a 'shift' watching Miheal while Thomas was at home having a shower.  Kaito had managed to get Chris to go home, only for a short time though, because the older man was still obviously distraught over his baby brother.  Miheal had still not woken up.  Kaito could feel the presence of someone behind them but didn't pay it much mind as they approached the front desk to sign in as visitors.  

“We're here to see Miheal Arclight.”  He said to the receptionist, because Chris was too out of it and miserable to speak.

“Ah, family, right? The two of you?” The woman asked, checking her computer.

“Ah… Three, actually. Kaito… Hey…” Gilag said, calling out to the small man. He had rarely talked to him, but he had seen him several times in passing before.

Kaito looked in Gilag's direction.  He knew that voice, and was a little surprised to hear it.

“Barian Gilag?”  Kaito said.  Chris also glanced over.  He vaguely remembered Miheal talking about him briefly...

“...Miheal's date...” He said softly, his voice barely over a whisper.  

“… I heard the news.” He looked at the other man, recognising him as Christopher Arclight. Chris looked awful right now, and Gilag’s heart sank. How bad was Miheal if his brother was like this? “Can I come with you to see him? Please?”

Kaito glanced at Chris.

“Up to you...”  He said to the other man.  Chris glanced at Gilag, remembering how much Miheal had talked about him.  He hesitated a moment, before nodding, giving Gilag permission.  The receptionist waved them through, so the three men headed up to Miheal's room.

“Thank you, Professor Arclight. I appreciate it.” Gilag said, bowing. He followed after the two, supporting Chris immediately in place of Kaito, since he was more appropriately built for it. “How long has been like this?"

Chris accepted the support from Gilag without protest.  He tried to offer up a small smile, but it died off very quickly.  Kaito sighed.

“Miheal was shot two days ago...he hasn't moved since.  Nothing's changed.”  Kaito said.

“… Did the doctors say when he was waking up? It has to be soon, right?” Gilag asked. He stayed steady, if only to take care of Chris. It was clear the older man wasn’t taking care of himself.

“It could be anytime now. The sedatives have gone down so that they're not keeping him out.”  Kaito admitted.  

“So it could be today or tomorrow… That’s good.” Gilag said, doing his best to be hopeful, even though it seemed like the two guys next to him were already defeated.

Kaito had seen people get shot before and he knew Miheal's chances weren't great, and it seemed Chris felt the same.  Neither answered Gilag, since they they arrived at the room where Miheal was still lying unconscious on the bed.  Kaito helped Gilag guide Chris to the chair closest to the bed.  Miheal hadn't moved or woken up yet, and he was still pale. Kaito stayed behind Chris with his hands on his shoulders, trying to reassure the man as he hung his head and held his brother's hand.

Miheal was like a sleeping beauty. Pale, sunken-eyed but still somehow beautiful. It was scary to see him like this, frozen in place, but it was sad to see him in this state, and Gilag wanted nothing more than to hug him.

“Miheal…” Gilag said, walking up to him and stroking Miheal’s face gently. “… Not the place I expected where I’d see you next, but I’m here..."

Miheal didn't respond. Kaito watched as best he could, along with Chris.  Chris bit his lip a little as Gilag brushed his brother's slightly bruised cheek where he had hit him.  He wanted him to wake up...he wanted so badly to say he was sorry...to hold his brother and promise to never hit him again.

Gilag sighed and continued stroking it. “People in comas can hear us out here, huh? So you can hear everything. It would be nice if I can you again. Everyone here agrees. I’m sure you have a lot to say to us,” Gilag said, going to hold Miheal’s free hand.

“That's what they say...” Kaito murmured.  Miheal still didn't move, giving no indication that he had heard or was even aware of Gilag's presence.  Chris sighed.

“...Please, Miheal...” He said softly.  He knew that they had a lot to say to each other.

Gilag squeezed his hand. “Wake up, okay? Your brothers are waiting for you… I’m waiting for you..."

Miheal first became aware of people holding his hands.  One hand was quite large, practically swamping his own.  The other, was very familiar, and slightly trembling.  He was also aware of pain...he was drowsy and sore. He slowly started to open his eyes, unsure of where he was or what had happened.

“… Miheal! You’re awake! Miheal!” Gilag yelped, seeing the young man’s eyes flutter open, and tired green eyes peer behind heavy eyelids. ‘God!"

Chris' eyes widened as well and his breath hitched in surprise when he noticed that Gilag was right. His baby brother was opening his eyes. Miheal glanced over in the direction of the sound of his name, and was surprised at what he saw.  He almost didn't believe it was real...he felt drowsy and out of it.

“...Gilag?”  Miheal murmured softly.

Gilag squeezed his hand tighter and he started to cry, tears tumbling from his face as he grinned happily. He must have had real good timing. Miheal was under in a coma for two days, and on the day he finds out, he wakes up. He was so lucky “You’re awake! Hey!"

“Gilag...why're you...what happened...?”  Miheal managed to say, confused as to why Gilag was crying.  Chris was crying too.

“Mi...Miheal...”  He managed to choke out.  Miheal glanced in his direction next.

“...Nii-san...”  

“...I'm so sorry Miheal...I...thought I'd lost you...”  Chris cried, squeezing his brother's hand.

Miheal looked at his brother and he smiled. He slowly sat up, wincing as he felt the pain shoot through his body, but forced himself to have his back straight so he could hug Chris tightly.

Chris helped his brother sit up and hugged him as tightly as he dared without hurting him.  He sobbed into his shoulder, so happy that he was awake.

“I'm so sorry...”  He said again.

“I know.” Miheal smiled and hugged his brother back, his hands shaking, “I… I don’t hate you, Nii-san. I’m sorry.” He said, hugging him back.

Chris felt utter relief at hearing that.

“I know...god, I know...” He said, smiling now for the first time in almost three days.  

“… I love you. I mean it. Don’t… You look awful, Chris.” Miheal said, pulling away from his brother and looking him over.

“I love you too...that's why I was so worried...you were shot Miheal...”  Chris said, letting Miheal look him over.  Kaito sighed from behind him.

“I tried to get him to come home...but he barely left your side.  Thomas too.”  

“…Well it’s understandable. You probably thought I wasn’t going to live.” Miheal sighed and flicked his brother on his head. “But I’m awake now… And I forgive you. Now go care for yourself."

Chris gave a small watery smile when his head was flicked. It was such a Miheal thing to do...

"I guess...but I'm not gonna let you sit alone here. I'm coming back as soon as I can."

"Come on Chris...Miheal is in good hands here. We should at least get you cleaned up before you come back." Kaito said, glancing in Gilag's direction.

“Go wash your face. Brush your teeth. You stink, Nii-san.” Miheal said. He was doing his best to play off how tired he still felt though, and doing his best to hide his pain for his worried brother.

“Yeah, go Chris. I’ll hold the fort.” Gilag said.

“Okay...you take it easy. Lay back down...rest.”  Chris said, seeing the smallest hints of his brother's pain now that his eyes were a bit more clear.  He glanced at Gilag.

“...Alright.  I'll leave it to you...don't be surprised if Thomas shows up though.  I'm gonna call him and tell him Miheal's up, and he'll come no matter who else is here.”

“… Make sure he doesn’t break the door down. Make sure Mist doesn’t die trying to restrain him either.” Kaito muttered. Gilag gave a small laugh.

“Alright. Now go relax, both of you. The nurses will be soon to check Miheal anyway. They’ll want to see him now he’s up”

Chris shook his head a little at the mental image.  If anyone could cause that much destruction, it was Thomas.  He got up.

“I'll be back soon, Miheal.” He promised, heading out with Kaito. Miheal smiled.

“Only after you rest, Nii-san.”  He warned, watching him go, before looking at Gilag.

“Thank you for coming...Nii-san probably wouldn't have left otherwise...and he needs to look after himself.”  

“Ah… well Kaito could have done it,” Gilag said, sitting down. He wiped the last tears out of his eyes and smiled, leaning over. “How are you really feeling?"

Miheal smiled.

“Probably...but it would have taken a lot more effort.”  He said, then sighed.  

“I'm a little tired...and sore.”  He said sadly.  “I was trying to hide it from Nii-san but...ugh...”

“…Look at you. You literally just woke up from a two day coma and you’re already trying to look after other people.” Gilag muttered, reaching out and squeezing Miheal’s hand. “Take it easy, okay?”

“A two day coma?” Miheal exclaimed, surprised.  He hadn't known he had been out of it for that long.

“Gosh, no wonder Nii-san was in such a depressed state...”  He murmured, before smiling sheepishly.

“It's my nature, I guess. I'll try to take it easy.”  He promised, squeezing Gilag's hand back.

“Yeah… I wasn’t told until today, honestly. Your brothers knew, obviously.” Gilag said, reassured that Miheal wanted to take it easy, but still worried. “The police say it was an assassin attacking you…”

Miheal nodded.  He frowned.

“Yeah...I assume it was. I was shot from behind, so I never saw their face.  It was at Mutou's trial...definitely one of the most eventful trials I've ever been to. I believe he was their true target, and shot me in revenge for my role in the case.  It was largely my testimony that helped Mutou escape the death penalty.”

“Mm…” Gilag wasn’t sure what to say. “… You still going to take him on as a patient? Despite what happened?"

“Of course.  Why wouldn't I?  I don't blame him for what happened...besides, the Correctional Facility is much safer than an open courtroom.  We'll both be fine in there.”  Miheal said.

“Alright… I was just wondering. There’s just going to be that kind of risk from now on. I was just wondering if you were worried."

“No.  Not particularly...I'll be careful, Gilag. I promise.”  Miheal said with a reassuring smile.

“Good… I have enough friends that are in this place too often. I don’t think I’ll be lucky to come in and see you ended up here again. I’m not family after all.” He said, scratching the back of his head. He always melted when he saw Miheal’s smile. He was glad the man was okay.

“I'm sure now that I'm awake, I'll be able to have non-family visitors.”  Miheal reassured him.  

“I know you just left this place, but I'm glad you came back to see me.  It's nice to see you again.”  

Gilag grinned and kissed Miheal’s hand before he patted it, marvelling at how small Miheal was compared to him. “I’m glad. I’m going to see you every day, you know.”

Miheal smiled and blushed a little when Gilag kissed his hand.  He was amazed at how small his hand felt in Gilag's as well.  

“Will you?  I'll be looking forward to it.”  He replied.

“I may be late some days because of work, but definitely!” Gilag smiled. “I am… um… Oh um…” His face fell a little and he blushed. “I suppose we’re not official yet but..."

Miheal smiled back.

“Don't push yourself too hard, okay?  It's alright if you have work.”  Miheal said.  He tilted his head a little when Gilag spoke again.

“...Would you like to be 'official'?”  Miheal asked gently.

“… Kinda rude of me to ask when you’re in the hospital, huh?” Gilag said. However, there was a blush on his face, and he did nod.

Miheal chuckled a little, then winced when the motion hurt him.  He smiled.

“The location doesn't matter...it's the thought that counts.”  He squeezed Gilag's hand.  

“We're officially together then.”  

Gilag was worried about Miheal’s grimace, but when he heard that, he smiled and leaned over, kissing him on the lips without thinking.

Miheal kissed Gilag back gently, feeling warm inside as he did.  He was happy to have Gilag with him.

Gilag kept the kiss short. Miheal didn’t need to be out of breath just after waking up, and he already felt dizzy from just touching him. The man smiled gently as he parted and smiled. “Thanks I… I really like you. I’m so glad you’re still here.”

Miheal smiled as they parted, unfortunately a little bit tired out even from that simple kiss.  He sighed.

“I'm glad I'm here too, if that's what I have to look forward to.  I really like you too.”  Miheal mused.

Gilag smiled. “Lie back again. Rest, alright? I don’t mind doing all the talking if you want. We’ll take it easy and make sure you’re back on your feet in no time"

“Alright.”  Miheal said, lying back down slowly and with some difficulty.  He smiled up at Gilag.

“What have you been up to?” He asked softly, content on listening if Gilag insisted on doing the talking.

“Mostly work.” The man said as he helped Miheal move his bed up and got him comfortable. “Mostly we’re getting settled again with Masumi and helping Ponta with school. It’s pretty full on…” Gilag started. He just talked and talked, glad Miheal was interested in the other parts of his life.

Miheal was content to listen to Gilag.  He smiled and commented a little when appropriate, but mostly let Gilag keep up the conversation.  He might've been lulled gently to sleep by Gilag's voice and stories when suddenly they heard the commotion in the hall outside their door.

Miheal glanced over just in time to see his brother Thomas burst into the room.  He was quite the sight.  His hair was unstyled and damp, as if he'd just jumped out of the shower. His button up shirt was only half on, his left arm free and bare along with his left breast while the right was covered.  He had only one shoe on, and his pants were also partially unbuttoned.  His face was one of shock and determination as he burst into the room, ignoring the security guards chasing him and his boyfriend calling for him.  He had to see his brother...Miheal was awake.

“Miheal!”  He cried, bursting into the room and staring at his little brother's green eyes looking at him in shock.  He dashed into the room, barely noticing Gilag before collapsing by Miheal's bedside and hugging him as gently as he could manage while excited and relieved.

Gilag frowned and stood up, tilting his head to see where the voices were coming from before the door burst open with an unceremonious slam. The man'’s eyes widened as he saw the only-too-familiar older brother of Miheal's, looking quite crazy at the moment. The man was ready to throw the model out when the man was hugging Miheal. Miheal stared in disbelief.

“… You do some crazy things when I’m not looking, Nii-san, but I didn’t know they were that crazy.” Miheal said, patting the man’s back. He wheezed a little but the tired man was relieved to see his brother too. “I can’t leave for two days without you guys worrying.” The joked died quickly though and Miheal hugged his brother. “Hey…”

“Thomas. Put your fucking shoe on and dry your hair. You’re going to get sick.” Mist said, stopping in front of the door. He gestured for the guards to chill before he hurried inside. “Geeze… have some damned self control!"

Thomas simply held his baby brother, ignoring everything else for the moment.  He was crying a bit as his brother scolded him.  It was further proof that his baby brother was alright.

“I couldn't help it...when Chris called...and said you were awake...I had to see for myself.  I had to see you...”  He murmured.  He knew he was a mess at the moment, but now he could get better.  Miheal was awake and alive...so he'd get better.  He parted from his brother when Mist spoke mostly for Miheal's sake than for his own, because he didn't want his wet hair to make his already weakened baby brother sick.  He glanced absentmindedly at his feet, spotting one socked and the other covered by a shoe.

“I didn't even notice I lost one.”  He mused.

“The security guards thought you’re some kind of drunkard, never mind it’s five in the evening.” Mist rolled his eyes and passed the shoe over to him. “Be more careful. Shouldn’t have let you take that call without pants.”

“Your brother is funny,” Gilag muttered.

“I'm not drunk!  If I was drunk, you know I'd be wearing way less...” Thomas muttered accepting the shoe and putting it on, then working to fix his appearance a little.  He didn't really want to be arrested for public indecency.  Miheal shook his head with a smile.

“He is.”  Miheal agreed softly.  

Black Mist sighed and ruffled Thomas’ hair, shaking some of the water out of it. “You’re not always drunk when you wear less. I’ve seen you in worse.”

Gilag snorted and he squeezed Miheal’s hand. He knew Thomas wasn’t really sure of him, but he hoped he’d warm up to him soon.

“Yeah that's called 'work', Mist.  Sometimes they need nude models.  I do it all.” Thomas said, whining a little when his hair was ruffled.  He glanced over at Miheal, noticing how he was holding Gilag's hand.

“How the heck did you get in here anyway?  It's supposed to be family only.”  Thomas asked Gilag.  He wasn't mad, just a little confused.

“Boyfriends count apparently.” Miheal said confidently, smiling at his big brother as he squeezed Gilag’s hand back as best as he could in his state. “Speaking of which, I see you brought yours here. Last time I checked, Beryl Matsuda wasn’t my lawyer.”

“Boyfriend?  No way!”  Thomas exclaimed.  “Haven't you only been on like, one date?”  He glanced between the two of them.

“Didn’t you announce me as your boyfriend after six fucks and one date?” Black Mist muttered, raising an eyebrow.

“Um… Two actually. I can’t count this as a third… so two.” Gilag said bashfully.

Thomas frowned at Mist.

“Just cause I can do those things doesn't mean Miheal can.”  Thomas mused.  Miheal snorted.

“Why not, Nii-san?  We both decided we want to do this, so we are calling it official.”  Miheal said.

“Hypocrite.” Black Mist held his hands up, as if offering surrender and he walked over to one of the spare chairs, sitting down so he could watch them talk.

“We both agreed to it.” Gilag said, praying that he wouldn’t be seen as lecherous after asking Miheal to be his boyfriend after literally being in a two day coma.

Thomas rolled his eyes at Mist, before smirking at Gilag and Miheal.  He wasn't bothered by their newly declared relationship at all.

“Still...this is kinda interesting.  You must really like him, Miheal, if you woke up for him.”  Thomas teased.  Miheal flushed a little.  

“Nii-san, I don't think that's how comas work...”  He muttered.

Gilag sighed in relief as he heard the teasing and smiled calmly. So Thomas kind of approved. That was a good sign.

“It’s definitely not how comas work. Do you even know what a coma is, Thomas?” Mist muttered.

“Of course I know what a coma is!  I also know that doctors say people in comas can hear things around them...so my theory can work.”  He said. Miheal shook his head.

“I don't remember anything from the past two days...so it's not a conscious thing.”

“It just happened that I was here when he woke up.” Gilag shrugged. “Chris and Kaito were here too.”

“Yeah, I saw them earlier. I’ve never seen that much emotion in that guy’s face before” Mist muttered.

“I hope Nii-san looks after himself...he said he'd be back, but he should rest.”  Miheal said sadly.  He knew it was partially his fault that this had happened.

Gilag squeezed his hand. “It’s alright. He’ll pull through. Now you’re better, he has no reason not to.” He smiled at Miheal.

Miheal smiled back at Gilag, glad for the reassurance.

“Yeah...that's true. That goes for you too, Nii-san.” Miheal said to Thomas.  Thomas smirked.

“I'm better already since you're better, Miheal.”  He mused.

“He is. He’s actually talking. I know, shocking, right? He was really quiet while you were gone,” Mist said, playing with his hair as he looked at Thomas. Gilag snorted.

“Nii-san being quiet? Wow...I can't picture that...” Miheal mused.  He took that as a sign of just how much Thomas had been upset. He took his brother's hand and squeezed it.  Thomas smiled at both his brother and Mist appreciatively.  

“Chris'll start talking more too, probably.  Oh...and we should probably tell the rest of the Numbers Club that you're okay...Shark and Takashi both texted me asking for details, so they must know what happened.”

“Yeah… I found out through Alit and he was using Kotori’s phone. News spreads fast between these guys” Gilag laughed.

“I’ll call Todoroki. I have his number. They’ll be glad to hear you’re alright” Black Mist said, getting his phone out.

Miheal smiled and chuckled.

“That's true...the Numbers Club love to gossip.”  He mused. He was a bit touched that two of his former patients (if Vector was involved at all) cared about his safety.

Takashi picked up the phone immediately when he saw that it was Mist, assuming there was something wrong with Thomas.

“Hello?”  

“I’m surprised you’re not a part of it. You said you used to hang out a lot with Yuma, right?” Gilage asked.

“He’s fine. Professor Arclight just woke up. Thought you should know.” Mist said.

“Yes, I did...but for most of high school, I was home-schooled.  So I didn't spend as much time with them.  They had already formed the Numbers Club by the time I showed up.” Miheal said.  

“He woke up?!  That's great news.  Is he okay?  Thomas must be happy...”  Takashi said, honestly relieved to hear it.

“And it’s a no membership permitted thing?” Gilag teased, petting Miheal’s shoulder.

“Thomas is ecstatic. It’s good to see. Personally, I still think you should give him a call and check on him, but he looks better like magic"

Miheal shrugged with a smile.

“I never really asked to join, and nobody offered.  But it never bothered me.  We're still friends regardless.”  He mused.

“We will, I guess after he's had a moment with his brother.”  Takashi promised with a smile.

“Yeah. Guess so.” Gilag smirked. He pulled back, letting Thomas have a turn at holding him.

“Right. Better get on that, Todoroki.” Mist smiled. “And tell Ena-chan he’s alright. I know she’s worried."

Thomas was grateful for the time with his baby brother, taking Gilag's place and sitting next to his brother.  He gently wrapped an arm around Miheal's shoulder and gave a dramatic sigh.

“Don't worry, Miheal...you don't need to join that stupid Numbers Club!  You'll still have your Oni-san as your best friend~”  He teased.  Miheal rolled his eyes and chuckled.

“I will.  Thank you for letting us know!  Mind if we spread the word to the others?  I'm sure they're worried too.”  

Mist covered his hand over the phone and stared at Thomas. “Oh my god, you’re so embarrassing.” Gilag snorted as Mist returned to the call.

“Should be fine. Just no visitors just yet. Wait until Miheal gets home"

Thomas stuck his tongue out at his boyfriend.

“Isn't that the older siblings' job?”  He teased, glancing at Gilag.  “You know, right?  You're an older brother too.”  

“Alright...I'll tell them that.  Thanks, Mist.”  

“Yep. Embarrass them at every opportunity.” Gilag snorted.

“Alright. Send my regards.” Black Mist said before he hung up.

Thomas grinned.

“If you're not doing that, then you're not being a good big brother.”  He agreed.  Miheal rolled his eyes.

“I suppose if you have to.” He mused.  

“We will!  Bye!”  Takashi said. He quickly began mass-texting the group again to share the good news.

-x-

Yuuma jumped over to his phone when he heard it vibrate on the table.  He grinned as he read the message.

“Shark!  Miheal's awake!  He woke up!”  He exclaimed, rushing into the living room.

“Oh?” Shark looked up at Yuuma and he smiled. “Oh. That’s good to hear. I’m glad that guy is alright."

“Yeah!  We should go see him at the hospital with everyone to celebrate!” Yuuma exclaimed, before his phone chimed again with a message just for him telling him not to throw any parties or visits until Miheal was out of hospital.  Yuuma pouted.

“Aww...Inchou said no parties...”  

Shark snorted loudly. “That’s good to hear. I bet Thomas and Chris would be relieved to hear that though”

Yuuma nodded.

“They both know already, according to Inchou.  Miheal said no parties until he's discharged...so we'll have to plan a huge one for when he gets out!”  Yuuma exclaimed.

“Why do I have to plan something? Just because Thomas is kinda my acquaintance, doesn’t mean i have to do nice things for him.” Shark scowled.

“You're planning because I'm planning too, then!”  Yuuma declared, hugging Shark.

“And it'll be fun, you'll see!  We haven't seen Thomas or Miheal in ages so it'll be nice to catch up!”  

Shark rolled his eyes and sighed, letting his larger boyfriend dwarf him. “I guess so… Would he even want a party?”

“Miheal's pretty easy-going and Thomas would love some attention, even if it's secondhand!” Yuuma said with a smile.

“I was asking for Miheal. I know Thomas. The bitch loves going out,” Shark said, frowning at him.

“Miheal won't mind! He'll go along with things!” Yuuma affirmed with a grin.

“Alright… Alright… I guess all we do is organise food and where to do it and we’re done, so it’s not bad.” Shark muttered.

Yuuma beamed.  

“Yeah!  It'll be super easy, you'll see!  Thanks, Shark!”  He said happily, kissing his husband's cheek.

“Nothing ever happens at these parties anyway. We eat. We talk. We move on. They’re tiring, honestly"

“But that's why they're fun! We don't see each other very often so every party is special and fun!” Yuuma insisted.

“I guess.” Shark sighed and pulled Yuuma on top of him. “You’re such a social butterfly, it’s crazy"

Yuuma smiled, letting Shark hold him.  

“And you're such a social loner that it's crazy.”  He teased.

“But I love you anyway.”

Shark rolled his eyes. “You’re a nerd. But I love you too."

Yuuma smiled and kissed Shark's cheek.

“We're both nerds.” He conceded.

Shark sighed and curled his legs around Yuma. “Stop being a bigger nerd. God. You’re not allowed to make me love you more.”

Yuuma chuckled.

“Why not?  You make me love you more all the time!”  He said honestly.

“You’re sappy.” Shark muttered, burying his face into Yuma’s neck and kissing him intently.

Yuuma smiled and moaned softly as Shark kissed his throat, tilting his head to allow Shark better access.

Shark smirked quietly and he ran his fingers through the back of Yuma’s hair. He sighed quietly and nipped the neck, lavishing the neck with lots of kisses and gentle licks.

Yuuma moaned softly, leaning into Shark's touches on his hair and letting him lick and kiss his neck.

Shark kissed him intensely and began grinding his hips against Yuuma. However, it lasted for all of two seconds before Shark groaned. “The couch sucks. Bedroom. Now"

Yuuma moaned as Shark grinded against him. He grinded back, kissing Shark.

"Okay. Let's go." He said, getting up so Shark could.

Shark grabbed his wrist and practically kicked the door open. However, as soon as he did, he froze in his place and then immediately back-pedalled it out.

“No. No. No. Change of plan. Don’t go in."

Yuuma let Shark drag him to the bedroom. He frowned as Shark started backing out.

"Huh? Why? What's wrong?" He asked. As if on cue, Yuzu, who was sleeping on the bed, began to cry. Shark kicking in the door had woken her up and scared her.

"Oh...Yuzu was there. I forgot!" Yuuma said, going into the room to pick up the baby and calm her down.

Shark groaned as he stopped fighting, letting Yuma go get the baby. The man sighed and ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head. “Incredible. How did we forget? Fuck… How did I forget? I put her down on the bed. Fuckkk..."

"I forgot too...she's just so quiet and we were so worried about Miheal that we were forgot for a second!" Yuuma exclaimed, rocking Yuzu and calming her down.

“God… Hope she’s not going to be cranky after this” Shark said, tapping Yuzu’s back lightly to try calm her down. Luckily she was just startled…

"I hope not either." Yuuma said. Thankfully, Yuzu seemed to be calming down. Yuuma smiled as Yuzu curled up against his chest cutely.

"Awww..."

“… Okay that was super quick.” Shark sighed, relieved she didn’t keep going on crying. He smiled at the two and ruffled Yuzu’s small fuzz of hair. “Well there’s one thing to watch out for if we end up having kids"

"Yeah...I guess so. I hope if we get a kid they're as sweet as Yuzu."  Yuuma said, gently laying Yuzu back down on the bed so she could rest.

“… if we get one anyway. I mean…” Shark sighed and looked at Yuzu and he smiled. “Let’s just see if we can get one from Martha’s place, huh?”

“Yeah...that sounds like a good place to start.  Martha knows us, so she knows we're good people despite our criminal records.” Yuuma agreed.

“Hopefully anyway.” He rubbed his temples. “We’ll make sure we’re actually ready to support a kid before we grab one. We might not be lucky to get a baby you know.  How do you feel about toddlers?”

“Yeah, of course!  I don't mind what age they are...toddlers are okay with me!”  Yuuma said happily.

“Yeah… I guess another brat of any kind would be nice to have around.” He said, patting Yuuma on the head.

Yuuma grinned at first before what Shark said sunk in and he pouted.

"Another? I'm not a brat, Shark!" He whined.

“You keep falling for the same joke. You’d think you’d catch on by now.” Shark smirked.

Yuuma pouted even more.

“I'll catch on eventually!” He declared.

-x-

After a few tests that confirmed that Yuugi's brain was no longer dangerously swollen, the Correctional Facility decided it was safe to bring him there.  Yuugi was relieved that things were going better, but was a bit worried about what would happen there.  He didn't know what prison was like after all.  Thankfully, Raphael was there again during the transport.  Gauche and Ukyou were along for the ride.

“Here, Mutou.  We have this prison uniform for you...get changed, and then we'll get going.”  Gauche said, giving the orange uniform to Yuugi.  Yuugi nodded.

“Okay...”  He said, ducking into his hospital room bathroom to get changed.

“I’ll come with you as far as the place will let me,” Raphael said, the blonde smiling at Yuugi. He knew he was only here because he got along well with both personalities and calmed them both down too, but he didn’t mind since he got to care for Yugi.

“Thanks for being here, Raphael.” Ukyou said, waiting for the man.

“The pleasure is mine.”

Yuugi was glad to be out of the hospital gown, but he wasn't sure he liked the idea of being in a prison uniform again.  He supposed he had to get used to it.  He put on the pants, a white tank top and the jacket.  He glanced at himself in the mirror, feeling his head pulse a little. He was a bit nervous, and it was enough to cause a switch.  Yami frowned at the orange color.  It wasn't one that looked good on him...but he could make it look a little better. He took the jacket off and draped it over his shoulders as if it were a cape.  

“Much better.”  He mused, before grabbing the hospital gown and opening the door.

“No.” Ukyou said immediately, as soon as Yami walked out. “You can wear that how you want once you’re inside, but right now, you put that on properly."

Raphael internally grimaced, less because of the style and more because Yami was out.

“Was he upset that much about wearing that?” He asked to the blonde.

Yami frowned.

“It's too...orange. At least the other prison I went to had blue ones sometimes...”  He mused, but complied anyway.  He swept the jacket off his shoulders and put his arms in the sleeves.  Yami shook his head at Raphael.

“No...although, Yuugi doesn't like orange either.  It's not a good color on us.  He was more concerned about prison.  He's never been in one after all.  He's nervous, because all he's heard are the horror stories.”  Yami said.

Raphael frowned. “I meant was he concerned about prison garb… But alright.” He sighed. “It’s a correctional facility the purpose is to get him to feel better… we’ll make sure of that.”

When Yami finished adjusting his jacket so it was on properly, Gauche cuffed him.

“Nah.  The prison outfit is the least of his worries.” Yami said.  He frowned a bit.

“I hope so anyway...I've heard mixed reviews on the Correctional Facility.  If it's anything like prison...Yuugi might not like it.” Yami mused.  He knew what he looked like: short, skinny, and most importantly, weak.  There had been prisoners that had tried to take advantage of that the last time he'd been arrested and Yami had fended them off as best he could.  It had meant he had to be constantly alert for danger, and carry himself in a way that he developed a reputation for being someone not to mess with.  He was not sure if that same approach would work at the Correctional Facility, but he knew that Yuugi could not carry himself that way at all.  He didn't want Yuugi to get hurt, but was also concerned that he might not be able to prevent it.  Hopefully the prisoners would be too drugged up to do much attacking.

“Let's head out to the car. Come on.”  Ukyou said, going out of the room first, keeping Yami and Raphael between him and Gauche.  Yami followed obediently.

“...Speaking of getting better though, is Dr. Arclight recovering?  Yuugi was worried about that too.”  Yami asked.  He refused to admit that he had also been both worried and curious.

Raphael sighed. It seemed like Yami was intent on misunderstanding him- he was worried that Yugi was scared of the prison, and the prison garb only cemented the reality of it- but he didn’t bother to correct the man.

“If it’s anything like the prison, I’ll be very surprised. The Correctional Facility does have criminal and non-criminal housing, but most are just drug addicts. You’ll be one of the only ones actually there for murder.” Gauche grunted.

“Hm? He’s doing fine.” Ukyou smiled, remembering the call from yesterday. “Kaito told me that he woke up not too long ago. He’ll be on his feet soon enough."

Yami listened and snickered a little at Gauche's explanation.

“Drug addicts can be the most dangerous of all...they may not have done bad things, but they have the potential to react violently if someone gets between them and their fix. And the Correctional Facility is probably weaning them off of their drugs...so they could snap at anyone.” Yami reasoned.  

“That's good to hear. Yuugi likes him, so he'll be pleased to hear Dr. Arclight will be coming to have sessions with him soon.”  

“And they do it properly.” Gauche frowned. “They’re not stupid and they won’t risk your safety. Anyone who gets in trouble will be reported and treated, it won’t be like whatever prison you’re used to. You’re patients before prisoners.”

Raphael could hear Gauche’s irritation but he was calm all the same. “Yeah. Dr. Arclight is a good man. He’ll keep an eye on you both.” The blonde reassured.

“Treated?  So their solution is more drugs?  I heard they put people to sleep when they start fights.” Yami mused.  Yami nodded at Raphael.

“I know he is.  I trust him too.”  Yami admitted.  Trust was easier to admit than liking.  The four of them reached the transport vehicle, and Ukyou opened the door, letting Yami and Raphael enter before closing the door.

Gauche rolled his eyes but ignored the man. Instead, he waited until they were all in before getting into the driver’s seat.

“It won’t be so bad. Just relax, alright?"

“You're telling the wrong half to relax.  I'm fine. Yuugi isn't.”  Yami mused, getting into the car obediently next to Raphael. Ukyou drove off once everyone was in, heading towards the Correctional Facility.  

“You’re stressed out for him as well.” Raphael said simply as they drove off. “You both need to ease up"

Yami sighed, and visibly tried to relax.  He supposed Raphael was right.  He was worried about how Yuugi would fare in the Correctional Facility.

“We'll try.”  He promised.

“Focus on getting better, not all the other stuff. The best way to get out of there is to balance yourself. It will take years, but starting early will help.” Raphael said.

“You sound like you’ve had experience” Gauche commented. Raphael didn’t say anything, but he smirked a little.

Yami rolled his eyes a little.

“I'm not the one who needs to get better.  That's Yuugi's job.  If he can do that, they'll let him out, not me.”  Yami mused.  He glanced at Raphael.

“Clearly you haven't read this guy's bio.  He's done a lot...and what he hasn't done, he's experienced second hand through charity cases.”  

“What can I say, I am a reformed man.” Raphael said simply as they drove along. Gauche snorted and he focused on the road. Soon they were at the Correctional Facility, a grand and old building that was kept very up to date, judging by the security and the upkeep of the garden.

“Alright… here we go"

Yami glanced at the building that was about to become his new home for possibly the rest of his life. It was definitely better looking than other places he'd slept, that was for sure.  Ukyou got out of the car.

“I'll go tell the officers we're here...they'll escort you inside. Wait here a moment.”  Ukyou said.  Gauche also got out of the car after pulling out the keys, not really wanting to stay inside with Yami in case the other started asking questions again. Yami waited, noting that the security guys were almost ready to take him away.  He glanced at Raphael.  As far as he knew, this was going to be the last time Raphael saw him.  It was definitely for the best, since Raphael associating with him would probably make Kaiba suspicious, but Yami would feel a bit odd if he left without saying goodbye.  Raphael had done a lot for him, and even if it had been just for Yuugi, he'd been a secondhand benefactor.  For Yuugi's sake, he should probably say goodbye properly.  So, he faced Raphael fully to speak.

“Raphael...before I go, I just wanted to say thank you.  If it weren't for you, Yuugi wouldn't have ended up here and wouldn't have been able to get the help he needed.”  He said.

Raphael looked at Yami and he gave him a gentle, fatherly smile. It felt odd. Even if he was going to visit him in the facility, it felt like they were going their separate ways. He sighed and offered his hand, going to shake Yami’s.

“Give Yuugi my best regards, and both of you… good luck. I’m happy I could have helped. Take care"

As far as Yami knew, they were going separate ways.  The deal in his mind between him and Raphael was that the other would help him avoid the Death Penalty and get into the Correctional Facility.  Now both had been accomplished, so just like with any other deal he'd been in, Yami and the other participant would go their separate ways.

Yami smiled a bit in return, still not used to the fatherly look that Raphael was giving him.  It must have been for Yuugi, he reasoned. It was always just for Yuugi.  He gave Raphael both his hands to shake, since they were still cuffed together.

“You too.”  He said softly, before the door was opened and Yami had to get out of the car.  The guards led him into the building, taking his cuffs off in front of what looked like a mess hall.

“You came during food hours, so everyone is here.  You get an hour to eat, and then you get your medication at the window before going back to your cell.”  The guard instructed.  Yami nodded to show he understood, and steeled himself.

“Here we go...”  He murmured as he entered the room to grab a tray. He was the last one in, so he would get whatever food was left over.  And it also made it so he could get a good idea at who was friends with who in this place and what was going on.  It seemed the guards mostly left them alone.

Raphael smiled a little as he shook the two hands and then he watched Yami walk away. He sighed and stayed there, waiting for Yami to finally be behind the doors before he sighed and closed his eyes. Gauche offered him a ride home, but Raphael shook his head and began to walk back home. He had a few things to think about, as did the police. With any luck, Gauche and Raphael would find out who tried to shoot Yami, and soon he would have someone help them too.

Back at the Correctional Facility, everything seemed more or less in order, and the atmosphere was generally more pleasant. Some prisoners were extremely loud, while others were awkwardly quiet, but that was the nature of things. Few people were actually really engaged with anything.

Except one group. In the shadows of the Facility, Koutei closed his eyes as he was being punched and kicked by the deluded patients in here. The guards didn’t notice him because he was being quiet, nor did Koutei wanted him to notice. He just let himself be bashed by the two men, tensing himself tight.

Yami took in the atmosphere. So far, it didn't look too different from prison...except maybe a little bit nicer.  Actually, the better analogy at first was that it was like a high school cafeteria, which was surprising to Yami.  A few people were looking at him curiously, but Yami couldn't sense any menacing thoughts or threats...it was just them scoping out the new kid and wondering who he was.  Yami began to make his way over to one of the emptier tables that had a few clearly awkward and silent prisoners seated at it that seemed to be spacing out and wouldn't bug him, when he noticed the scuffle.  There was the reminder that he was in prison, not high school, he thought. He was about to turn away when he saw the tuff of blond hair from the victim.

“Oh no...”  He murmured, eyes going wide and skin paling a bit as he recognized the battered face of Ouji Koutei being beaten up by those two other prisoners.  What was Koutei doing here?  Would he recognize him?  Oh god this was not good...

His shock was enough to let Yuugi take over.  The boy blinked, eyes locking on the fight first since Yami had been looking in that direction.  Yuugi's first instinct was to recoil and run...but then he remembered that was something the old him would do.  He was supposed to be learning to face things now...and clearly, this blonde man (who did seem a little familiar, now that Yuugi thought about it) was surrendering to his fate.  He needed help...so Yuugi moved.  He abandoned his tray of food on the table and walked over to the bullies, getting between them and Koutei as they pulled back to swing another punch.

“Stop it!  Leave him alone!”  Yuugi called in the bravest voice he could muster.  His head was starting to pound as he did this...clearly Yami was protesting, Yuugi thought.  But he had to stand his ground.

Koutei was surprised to not hear the yelling of a buff, security guard but a small, weedy looking young man. The blonde glanced up and felt his heart race, seeing the little man standing there, arms stretched wide and looking straight at his foes. The blonde sat up, frowning.

“Get out of the way.” One of the men grunted. Without a second thought, he near-drunkenly knocked the man aside and kicked him. “Stay out of this, kid!"

Yuugi was trying not to visibly shake in fear as he stood up to the bullies.  

“No...I won't let you hurt him anymore!”  He said. He cried out when he was knocked aside and kicked, tumbling to the ground.  The pain was familiar to him...he'd been bullied before too.  Yami managed to switch after the kick and frowned. Koutei being involved or not, he had to stand up for Yuugi.

“I said, leave him alone.” Yami growled, going back over to the guys who had turned their attention back to Koutei.  Yami kicked one of the thugs in the side of the knee, making him cry out and his legs buckle so Yami could punch him in the face.  The second guy moved to attack but Yami dropped down and tripped him, so the second guy fell on top of the first.  He got up and made a show of dusting himself off.

“Have I made myself clear now?”  He asked. But it seemed both guys were only angrier, and they got up again to face Yami this time, completely ignoring Koutei. Yami sighed.

“I guess you need another lesson.”  He prepared himself for a fight.

Despite Yami’s skill, he was still smaller and easy to overpower. Koutei frowned as he watched one of them make a grab for Yami, but the other coming up and trying to punch him, trying to make it impossible for one of them to miss. Koutei yelled as the men fought back and he scampered up to his feet, balling his fists.

“Stop it! No!” Koutei yelled. He ran up and with amazing speed and accuracy, he jabbed one in the face and then kneed him, before turning to the other one with a growl and a mighty punch to the solar plexus. The men hissed, surprised by the counterattack, and they went down easily.

“Shit, are you okay?” He asked, turning to the familiar person

Yami had been in enough fights to know how to read opponents and knew the moves the men were going to do would land no matter what. He deflected as best he could and managed a few small jabs in return before Koutei jumped in and ended it. Yami was once more reminded of Koutei's skills and was impressed but at the same time wondered why he had let him beat him up to begin with. He kept his head down a little, not wanting Koutei to recognize him as the other approached.

"...Yeah. I'm fine." And he was. He's dealt with worse.

"Are you okay?" He asked, glancing up at Koutei cautiously to see if he'd been hurt.

Koutei frowned as vague, fuzzy memories nudged him in his head, but he couldn’t quite see through the haze. He wasn’t sure why this man was familiar to him, but he felt like he had saved his life before, for some reason.

“I’m alright. They’re just guys who’ve been having a rough time. No big deal.” Koutei said, waving the worry off. “Thanks… Haven’t seen someone like you here before though. New?"

Yami was trying to appear relaxed but in reality, he was nervous. If Koutei recognized him, it would be very bad. He knew Devil's Breath didn't exactly wipe minds completely...Koutei could remember. But, so far, he seemed to be acting like they were strangers. That was good...

"They're guys having a rough time huh...is that why you just let them wail on you? Clearly, you're stronger." Yami said, gesturing to the two unconscious bodies on the floor. He was genuinely confused as to why Koutei would do such a thing.

"Yes...I'm new. Just got here a few minutes ago...my name's Mutou. What's yours?" Yami asked, purposely not giving his full name or alias. He'd delay that potential revelation as long as possible. He could feel Yuugi stirring in his mind, curious now that the danger had passed.

Koutei shrugged. “Eh… one beating won’t kill me, and better me than anyone else, huh? They’re not guys that deal with isolation very well. There are reasons for this.” Koutei said, waving his hand, trying to push it aside. He didn’t want to explain about his personal issues, how he wanted to pretend that it was Alit hitting him again and he was getting the punishment he deserved.

“Minutes and already in a fight? Nice. Must be a new record.” Koutei smiled. “My name’s Ouji Kyouhei but I prefer Koutei. Nice to meet you, Mutou.” He said, offering his hand.

“I see...”  Yami said, although he wasn't quite buying it.  If he hadn't known Koutei before meeting him here, he probably would've believed him.  But he could see how much thinner and unhealthy Koutei looked overall...like there was something else going on.  He let it drop for now though and shook the man's hand.

“Yeah, I guess.  I didn't even get to eat yet.  Nice to meet you too.”  Yami mused, before he felt his head pulse and brought his free hand up to his temple.

“Ugh...”  He groaned.  Yuugi really wanted out, it seemed.

“...I should warn you though...if I...don't remember who you are in the next couple of minutes...that's normal for me so...just re-introduce yourself, okay?”  Yami said.  He knew a switch was coming.

“Hm?” Koutei raised an eyebrow before he gave a thumbs up. “Ah… okay. Short term memory or something then. You’re here for a reason, anyway. I’ll be sure to do that.” He said pleasantly

“Yeah...you could call it that.”  Yami said, figuring that was simpler than the split personality explanation.  Maybe Koutei would figure that out on his own. He had barely finished speaking before Yuugi emerged, looking visibly surprised and weary.  The last thing he remembered was being attacked after all.  He jumped back a little from Koutei when he initially saw him, mistaking his size for being one of the bullies', but then relaxed when he recognized him as the victim, not the aggressor.

“...Oh...sorry...” Yuugi murmured, apologizing for jumping when Koutei wasn't going to hurt him.

“...I guess the other me dealt with those bullies...that's good...are you...okay?”  He asked tentatively.  Now that he saw Koutei standing up, he was quite a bit bigger than him and he was a little nervous.

Koutei blinked dumbly as suddenly Yuugi came out and flinched. However, he couldn’t help but chuckle and he put his hands on his hips.

“It’s alright. Don’t worry…” He started before he raised an eyebrow. ‘Other him?’ “Um… Yeah, I’m alright too.” The ex-boxer said. “Are you okay though, Mutou? You got hit pretty hard."

Yuugi flushed a little in embarrassment when the other chuckled but was a bit reassured by his smile. This larger man was another like Raphael, it seemed.  He was a nice person.  

“Oh...I'll be okay. I'm glad you're alright too.” Yuugi said, feeling a bit sore, but it wasn't that bad.  He'd had worse in high school as he could recall.  He was a little surprised to hear his name, but he guessed that the other him had introduced himself.

“Ah, you don't have to call me 'Mutou'...just 'Yuugi' is okay.  What's your name?”  He asked with a smile.

Not nearly as tall or as muscular as him (at least not anymore) but Koutei had a kind smile despite looking like he was worse for wear. He was thin, sullen and he was covered in more bruises than before, but he seemed a lot better than how he did when he was arrested.

“Yuugi, huh?” He smiled. “I’m Koutei. Ouji Kyouhei, actually but call me Koutei"

Yuugi smiled in return.

“Okay.  Nice to meet you Koutei!”  He said happily.  Moments later his stomach growled, and he flushed a little again.

“I guess I didn't get a chance to eat...did you?  Do you wanna come sit with me?”  Yuugi asked. He wanted to get to know him better.

Koutei smiled and nodded. “Yeah… you’re in time for lunch. I’ve already eaten but I’d like to sit with you. I don’t have any friends here anyway.”

Yuugi smiled.

“Great, then I'll be your friend!”  Yuugi said happily.  

“I think I put my tray over here...oh yeah, here it is...”  Yuugi said, smiling sheepishly.

“Sorry...I don't remember things when my other me does things.  He put the tray down...”

Koutei blinked for a moment before he smiled gently. A friend, huh? That was fast… like Alit was. Hopefully this would last though.

“So you have a split personality, huh?"

Yuugi smiled in return, sitting at the table across from Koutei with his lunch tray.  He nodded.

“Yeah...my other me has been awake for the past seven years, and when he's awake, I don't know what he does...I'm hoping that I can recover my memory while I'm here, and maybe learn to live with split personality disorder.  I didn't even know I had it before I was arrested...”  Yuugi said.

“Wow…” Koutei frowned, listening to the story. He propped his elbows on the table, leaning forward a little as he searched over the man. “Guess that’s why you were all cool and confident twenty seconds ago. But seven years? And you don’t remember anything?"

Yuugi nodded.

“Yeah...I've seen recordings of him...so I know he's very confident and cool.  He's much stronger than I am, that's for sure.”  Yuugi agreed.  

“Yeah...I really don't remember anything at all.”

“Well… you share a body so the strength is all in your mind, right?’ Koutei asked. “So don’t worry too much about that… Hopefully this place will do you some good.”

“eh… You’re probably the one I know here who remembers the least, but not the only one who can’t remember. I honestly don’t remember a lot of things I’ve done that happened in the last few months."

“I guess.  I hope so too.”  Yuugi said, smiling a bit at Koutei.  His eyes widened.

“Oh wow...I'm sorry to hear that.  Have you been here that long?”

“Nah… just got here a few weeks ago myself. I’m not the newbie anymore, thanks to you.” Koutei grinned. “Don’t worry about it. This place isn’t too bad."

Yuugi smiled back.  He was glad Koutei seemed so nice.

“So far, it doesn't seem so bad...as long as those bullies don't decide to pick on people again.”

“Well, if they have a good day, it’ll be easy. Don’t worry man. I’ll look out for you, okay?"

“Okay...if you say so. Thank you...we'll look out for each other then!”  Yuugi said.

Koutei grinned and laughed. “Do you always make friends so easily? Gosh, you’re a funny one, Yuugi But in a good way."

“No...I didn't really have any friends in school.  But, I guess recently I made some friends...”  Yuugi said, thinking of Raphael.  He chuckled a little too.

“If you say so!”  He replied, just happy to have a friend. Maybe the Correctional Facility wouldn't be so bad if he had Koutei around.

“So… did they brief you at all about like the rounds here? This is lunch and we’ll meet again for dinner, but how we get rec time and time alone in our rooms?"

Yuugi shook his head.

“No...I wasn't really told what goes on here.  Aside from talking to therapist and getting treatment, that is.  What is there to do during rec time?  Do we come back in this room, or another one?”  Yuugi asked, curious about how things went here.

“There’s an exercise room, where we can work out, a courtyard to hang out in, or we can loiter here. It’s up to us. We’re encouraged to invoke some of our freedom and we have the choice.” Koutei smiled. “It’s not bad, honestly"

Yuugi smiled.

“That does sound good...I'm glad we have options.”  Yuugi wasn't sure if working out would be a good one for him, but it would probably be nice to go outside everyone once in awhile.

“So I guess that would give us a chance to meet other people...have you talked to anyone here?”

“Eh… the company is honestly not 100%. Not that they’re bad… I mean… some aren’t bad people. It’s just that we all have a lot of baggage so some people are harder to approach than others. Not that it’s bad either! Just that the cast here is… colourful. “ Koutei smiles. “I have… not friends but some people are nice to me. There’s Shinji, he’s a bit weird pretty decent.”

“I understand...everyone's here for a reason, I guess.  But, it sounds like I'll be given time to get to know these people.  I know I'll probably be here for awhile.”  Yuugi said.  

“You'll have to introduce me to Shinji when it's rec time then.  We can do something, I guess.  What do you usually do?”  

“I try working out. I fell out of it for a while so I’m trying to get back in on it. You can’t tell now, but I used to be a boxer.” He grinned tiredly, but still brightly for Yuugi.

Yuugi's eyes widened.

“Wow you were a boxer? That's really cool!  You still look really strong to me.”  Yuugi admitted.  Koutei definitely had more muscle than he remembered having...but then he paused.  

“...I kinda wonder if my other me worked out or not.  Maybe he'd join you?  I never really did anything like that...but my arms feel more toned than I remembered them being so, I wondered if he did.  I wouldn't mind watching though.”  Yuugi said sheepishly.

Koutei gave a small laugh and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. However he knew he was disgustingly unfit in comparison to how he used to be, and he looked far from strong. Still it was nice for the young man to say. Koutei couldn’t help but think how cute Yuugi was.

“Who knows. Maybe. You’re free to hangout if you want. I can teach you, and then we’ll surprise your other half” He joked, surprising himself how quickly he accepted this.

Yuugi smiled at Koutei. His new friend was bashful too, it seemed.  To Yuugi, he looked strong.  For a moment though, when he blinked, he thought he saw an image of Koutei looking much healthier and more muscular in his mind's eye.  But a second later, it was gone, leaving Yuugi wondering if he'd just imagined things.  He shook it off in favor of answering Koutei.

“Okay!  It might be fun to learn...maybe my other me would like it too.  I don't know if it'll surprise him though...he can see what I see and remember things.  But we can try!”  Yuugi was especially glad that Koutei was so accepting of his medical condition.  He knew it must be a hard thing for people to deal with, since Yuugi only retained memory half the time.  Whoever he was with had to be patient enough to be willing to repeat things, and also deal with two completely different personalities sharing a body.  

“Huh? Really? So only one of you gets to see everything? I thought it was half and half for both… Man. That’s gotta be tiring on your brain, huh?” Koutei said. He would have found it hard to comprehend a few weeks ago, but he had always been good with rolling with the punches, so he was one of the few who adapted quickly to the situation. He grinned.

“Great. It would be nice to have a workout buddy. It’s always nice having someone push you on.” Koutei smirked. “I’ll show you around the place later, okay?"

“Yeah, it is...I'm on medication for brain swelling.  I'm not sure if it'll be possible to change it...but, my other me said it was always like that.  He always saw everything I did.”  Yuugi said, with a shrug.  He smiled.

“I'll try to work out with you then!  And okay...thank you.”  

Koutei smiled. “Now eat up. I know it’s not the best grub, but it’s alright. I mean… It tastes better than my old protein shakes,” Koutei joked.

Yuugi chuckled.

“I've never had a protein shake.  I thought they had flavors?  Wouldn't that make them taste better?”  He mused, eating some of his food.  He didn't mind the taste that much, although it did make him miss his precious hamburgers.

“I made mine. I like knowing what went in them and making sure it was really strong stuff.” Koutei grinned. “They were okay but food is food. You've got to appreciate that"

“That makes sense! You wanna know what you're eating.” Yuugi said with a smile, continuing to eat.  

“I'm not too picky...this stuff isn't too bad.  I'm glad.”

“The menu is the same every week but they try to make sure every day is different so we don’t get too bored. Apparently they spruced this place up… trying to make it more humane and stuff. Apparently that was a huge thing in the Vector case: the security and living conditions of old roommates. So we’re pretty lucky.”

Yuugi felt his head pulse a little as Koutei talked about Vector.  Yami was more familiar with him than Yuugi.

“Hmm...I don't know much about this place.  I'm glad they've improved it though, especially since I'll probably be here awhile.” Yuugi said.

“Yeah… well at least I’ll be here with you too. I’m gonna be here until they can get my head screwed back on right, so that may take a while” He laughed.

Yuugi smiled.

“If you're here too, then it won't be so bad!”  He agreed with a grin.  The guard began calling to the prisoners to put their trays away and get up.  Lunch time was over, and now it would be time to go back to the cells.  Yuugi got up obediently with his tray and smiled at Koutei.

“I guess this is goodbye for now...I'll see you later, for rec time or dinner...whichever is first.” Yuugi said to Koutei.

“Ah yeah, you were late. Damn. I thought I could show you around.” Koutei sighed. “Well, I’ll see you at Rec. Come find me, Yuugi. See you and the other guy later!"

“We can do that later! I'll definitely find you...or if not me then maybe my other me will...his name is Yami!”  Yuugi called, waving with a smile as he was led off by the guards to his new prison cell.  He reached it completely happy, curling up on his bed feeling warm and cheerful since he'd made a friend already.  Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Koutei smiled and waved him, but the smile began to fade as he mentioned his other half’s name. He stopped walking, letting other prisoners walk past him as he realised that his hands were suddenly shaking, as if he was cold.

“Yami…” The name sounded bitter on his tongue, but Koutei couldn’t help but feel that it was familiar. Before he could ask Yuugi, they were both whisked away, leaving the blonde to wonder if he had heard that name before.

-x-

Kurosaki Shun was in Miami City, hundreds of miles away from Heartland.  He was in his hotel room, which was paid for by the Leo Corporation, staring out the window.  He was expecting a video conference call from his employer anytime now about a new assignment...but he was starting to wonder if maybe he should request a vacation. As much as Shun enjoyed his work, lately he'd been feeling a physical longing that could only be calmed by one particular person.  And as long as he was working, he couldn't see him.  He closed his eyes and pictured Yuuto's face in his mind's eye, seeing his sharp silver eyes staring at him, his long, dark black and purple tresses framing his face like they did after he had a shower, and the way his lips quirked upwards adorably on those rare occasions where he smiled.  Shun longed to see him in person again.  

A ringing sound coming from his computer cut off his thoughts.  He schooled his features to their usual neutral expression before approaching the laptop to pick up the call from his employer, Akaba Reiji.  He sat down and hit the green icon to answer it.

Akaba Reiji’s face flickered on the screen. He was in his Heartland-based office overlooking the city, and purposefully giving the homesick man a view of the iconic heart-shaped tower. The man gave a nod to Shun in greeting, interlocking his fingers together.

“You’ve been busy, Kurosaki. Congratulations on finishing that last assignment early, by the way.”

Shun narrowed his eyes slightly at the backdrop, but otherwise, his expression remained the same. He didn't respond to the praise, not really caring.  He was good at his job, and Reiji knew that.  

“I don't suppose finishing early means I get a break before the next one does it.”  He mused.

“No, it doesn’t.” Reiji said. “I need you immediately on the next task. Have you been watching the news lately? Have you heard anything about the Mutou criminal case?”

Shun simply closed his eyes. Well, it was worth a shot.  If Reiji didn't give him an official break, he could just actually take his time for once.  Maybe.  It depended on where he went.  

“Mutou...you mean the punk who was killing CEOs?  I heard he was arrested.”  Shun said. He had a habit of listening in to Heartland affairs, just in case something important came up.

“Yes, that’s him. He was particularly notorious in the Neo Domino and Heartland areas for gambling, smuggling and murder. He’s just been charged and he’s been sent to The Heartland Correctional Facility, in light of his newly discovered psychological issues.” Reiji frowned.

“This hasn’t been popular with many people, and people have sent assassins after him. Normally, this wouldn’t concern me, but I have found out from a good source that someone is trying to frame me for sending these executioners out. They’ve already shot a certain Dr. Arclight, which could also be tagged to me. I don’t need my real work exposed with this nonsense, so I need you to find out the real mastermind behind these assassins. Understand?"

Shun listened silently. He hadn't really been able to judge the public's opinion and he didn't really care what it was.  But since Reiji was talking about Heartland...that must mean...

“Understood.  I'll come back to Heartland immediately.”  He said, trying not to sound too eager. But, knowing Reiji, he probably would figure it out anyway.

Reiji merely smirked behind his hands. He didn’t say anything about it though, continuing to talk about the mission. “A train ticket will be delivered for you this afternoon, and a bike will be provided. My contact, Sakaki Yuto, will be waiting for someone to get in touch with him. I trust you’ll be able to figure it out on your own."

Shun nodded, but his eyes widened in surprise when Yuuto's name was mentioned.

“Yuuto?  He's the one who told you someone's out to frame you?” Shun said, surprised, but somehow not. This must mean Yuuto missed him too. Shun wondered if Yuuto had just made the whole thing up just to get him back to Heartland.  Either way, he wasn't going to argue.

“...Of course.  I'll get in touch with him once I arrive.”  

Yuto wasn’t sentimental like that, so Reiji trusted him. The man was reliable, and tended not to take risks unless the situation was dire. Reiji knew Yuto didn’t want to talk to him, and while concern for Shun may have been a driving force, Reiji knew the claims were legitimate.

“That is all. Payment will be sent as per usual. You have until the police find the fake evidence, and try to pin it to me. We all fall if I do.”

Shun nodded.

“I understand.”  He knew this was dire, because he was one of Reiji's best.  This was something serious if he was being called, so despite the fact that he could see Yuuto, he would do his job seriously.  He might even be able to work with Yuuto, since the other seemed to know something anyway.  He was a member of Heartland's underground too, which might make his insight valuable.

Reiji pushed his glasses up, and with a simple click of the screen, the call ended. The CEO sighed and closed his eyes, preparing himself mentally for what seemed like a long road ahead.

Shun hung up as well and sighed.  He may as well get packed, even though he knew he'd pack too quickly and be waiting practically in agony for the train tickets to arrive.  He was looking forward to seeing Yuuto again, and to get to work with him potentially.  But mostly, he just missed Yuuto...he wanted to spend time with him while he had the chance. It didn't happen often after all. He tried to pack his very few belongings as slowly as possible, and then spent time trying not to think about murdering whoever was going to give him his post because they were too slow, before finally getting the tickets and boarding the long train to Heartland.  He wouldn't arrive until night at this point...but he didn't care, as long as he could see Yuuto when he got there.

Meanwhile, a few hundred kilometres away, Yuuya was just getting up out of bed. Last night, he had a show on and he had danced the night away. He liked performing, even without his clothes, but he was always tired after a show. When he saw the time and how ‘early’ it was, he groaned and rubbed his face. “Geeze, it’s too early…”

But he was up, and despite wanting to go back to bed, he wanted to do something nice for his brother; so Yuya took his medication and got up, figuring breakfast would put Yuto in a good mood. In his dull, grey pyjamas, the man walked off towards the main kitchen, passing by Yuto’s room. Yuya frowned, seeing the door open and when he glanced over, he saw Yuto was up at his desk.

“You’re already up?”

Usually when Yuuto was at his desk, he was working.  But, not this time.  This time, he was staring at an LDS pin he held between his fingers.  He had discovered it among Yami's items as Astral had before, and was concerned.  LDS was Akaba Reiji's company, and Yuuto was more familiar with the man than most people were.  He knew that he was a planner, a manipulator who was always at least ten steps ahead of the game.  And, he happened to have his best friend and lover in the palm of his hand.  Yuuto worried about what the association between LDS and Yami meant, given the CEO murders that had been going on.  He wondered if that made Reiji the target, or the instigator.  Either way, Shun was going to be thrown into this battleground on behalf of Reiji and Yuuto didn't like it.  He had confronted the man over the pin instead of trying to hide it, because he knew it was only a matter of time before the CEO found out about it himself. Yuuto knew the sooner he showed it to Reiji, the sooner Shun would come back to Heartland and the sooner Yuuto could grill him over things.  

...And also see him again. Yuuto had felt the need for a vacation for awhile now, and Shun would be the perfect little distraction, once they got all this CEO killing mess sorted out.  He heard the sounds of his bumbling little brother finally awake and hide the pin in his desk by the time Yuuya peaked into his room.

“It's almost noon.” He answered softly, mind still on Shun for the moment.

“Yeah, but the both of us were grinding on the pole until 3am. Then we don’t get home until 4:30, that’s still less than ten hours of sleep.” Yuuya said, looking at his sibling. “Breakfast… I mean… lunch should be on the agenda now.” He could always tell when Yuto was distracted by something, and the lack of papers on his desk was the obvious cue something was long.

“You okay? You look a little down, man. Did something come up?"

“You know I sleep less than you do.”  Yuuto spoke truthfully.  In reality, he hadn't slept more than a couple hours, since he had gotten up really early to meet with Reiji in private.  He'd had to catch him before he went to his office so he wouldn't be seen.

“I'm fine, Yuuya. Don't worry about it.”  Yuuto said, turning to face his brother.

“Come on, let's get food. I'll make pancakes.”  He offered, mostly in an attempt to divert Yuuya's attention.

“Pancakes can wait.” Yuuya frowned, kicking the door shut before he jumped and sat on Yuuto’s desk. “This can’t. Seriously, you look exhausted. Is this about something important? Are we in trouble?” He paused before he stared at his brother. “Or is it Kurosaki again?"

Yuuto sighed as his stubborn baby brother came in and helped himself to his desk.

"I'm fine Yuuya...just a little tired, I guess. Nothing's wrong." He said, looking away as Shun was mentioned so Yuuya wouldn't see that he was right.

Yuuya smirked. He was relieved that they weren’t in any trouble and it was his brother’s ‘boy troubles’. Yuto was always so closed off, so seeing him like that made him grin. “Eyyy… So you do miss him, don’t you, huh?"

Yuuto did miss him. He wanted to see Shun again. But his first reaction was to deny it. It didn't help him to acknowledge it.

"No. Get off my desk." Yuuto said to Yuuya.

“Sure you do.” Yuuya grinned. He laid down on the table and posed dramatically. “You’re pining for him. Oh Kurosaki~ Oh Shun~” He laughed, teasing him as he saw the blush on Yuto’s face.

Yuuto frowned despite the fact that his face was going red.

"Shut up! It's not like that at all!" He protested.

“Sure it isn’t. And you don’t write his name in the margins of our tax booklets.” Yuuya grinned, propping his chin on his hands. “It’s cute!"

"...Why the hell do you even read those?" Yuuto exclaimed, hiding his burning face in his hands.

"You didn't think it was so 'cute' when Sawatari wrote "Sawatari Yuuya" on your pay check last week." He muttered.

“… I didn’t.” Yuuya snorted, covering his mouth. “You do all the bills. I’ve never done it!” He cackled. “Oh my god, you do that?”

“I didn’t because that’s illegal! I can’t claim something that’s not under my name. We need the money.” Yuuya protested.

Yuuto flushed even more.

“No!  Shut up!”  He cried, leaning over the desk and burying his face in his arms to try and hide from Yuuya even more.

“He wrote it on the envelope, not the check itself.”  He said, voice muffled by his arms.

“No, he did it on both. He’s an idiot, remember? That’s why I had to go back and get him to write me another one. He more annoyed me than anything.” Yuuya said. However, he put his arms around his brother, not saying anything and he just grinned mischeviously.

Yuuto didn't respond, since both of them knew Sawatari was an idiot.  He didn't need to retort.  He was glad when Yuuya relented on the teasing, since it gave him time to calm down. But, he figured he wasn't out of the woods yet.  He accepted the hug for a moment, before sighing and turning his head to the side so he could see his brother.

“...You better watch out...as soon as you get a lover, I'll be doing the same teasing to you.”  He mused softly, even though they both knew he was much less likely to make fun of things like Yuuya did.

“I know… But the way you’re going at it, you and Shun are gonna be married by April.” Yuuya grinned at him, ruffling his twin’s hair. “Might be a bit harder for me to snag a partner. Most people don’t like someone who could lose it at any time.” He joked.

Yuuto frowned.  

“Married?  Hell no...”  He muttered, although the thought had crossed his mind before...but he couldn't really leave Yuuya to go off with Shun.  Shun's job moved around too much...it wouldn't work.  He frowned more at Yuuya's words, not liking the joke.

“You're more than your illness, Yuuya, and one day you'll find someone who appreciates that.” Yuuto said firmly.  

Yuuya laughed at his brother’s retort at the comment, and the smile stayed on his face when his brother talked. He waved him off with his hand dismissively, having heard Yuuto say that a dozen times.

“Yeah, but then they’ll find I bite hard and I flip my shit harder than a highschooler on her first period. Might appreciate me, but I’m a hard first package.” He winked.

Yuuto sighed, having heard Yuuya's response a million times more.  He knew his brother had self-esteem issues.  

“The way I see it, things are improving.  You've already made a new friend in Yuuma, who knows your illness and doesn't mind it...so it's only a matter of time.  Don't sell yourself so short.”  He scolded, flicking his brother's forehead.

Yuuya laughed again, despite how rotten he felt. He always felt smiling and laughing was the best way to cover up how he was feeling. The man always felt he was annoying his brother when he brought up how sad or frustrated he was, mostly because he thought he was always saying the same thing day in and day out. So he had to smile… it was easier to feel and seem normal.

“I guess so…” Yuuya snorted as he was flicked and he flicked him back. “Alright, alright, I get it. Don’t draw the attention to me."

Yuuto was never annoyed by Yuuya.  He just wished his brother could see how special he was.  He gave a small smile in return when Yuuya flicked him back.

“Only if you stop teasing me about Shun.”  He offered.

“… Okay you can lecture me. I can’t give up that.” Yuuya grinned. “But you have to invite all our family to your wedding, even if Yuuri is a dick"

Yuuto snorted.  

“I'm not getting married, but if I do, sure.”  He replied, with a shrug.  He got up and stretched.

“You still up for pancakes?”

“Yeah… first you got to actually be mushy with Kurosaki and invite him over.” Yuuya grinned. He jumped up. “I’m game for afternoon pancakes"

“That's kinda hard to do when I don't know where he is most of the time.”  Yuuto admitted.  A lot of Shun's missions were secret, even to him.  They contacted each other occasionally, but even when they did, Shun seldom said where he was.

“Good.  Let's go then.”  He said, heading out of the room and to the kitchen.

“Yeah… I guess so.” He frowned a little and he followed after him. “Well… we’ll see. When was the last time you saw him?"

Yuuto frowned as he tried to recall exactly when he had last seen Shun.

“...It's been at least a few years since I've seen him in person.  He's one of the best at his job...so he gets a lot of work.  I think I ran into him somewhere in Neo Domino last time, while I was working there.”  This had been shortly before he had moved to this new house in Heartland with Yuuya.  He sighed.

“I've chatted with him on video though, so if you count that as 'seeing him'...then last year was the most recent.”  Yuuto said.

“… That’s like… really long.” Yuuya said, his face falling. “I didn’t realise it was that long since you saw him… even last year was a while.” It wouldn’t be so bad if Yuuto didn’t care, but it was clear he was really into Shun still and he did miss him. “You text him and communicate at least, right?"

“It doesn't feel so long when I'm busy....”  Yuuto admitted, but the distance was starting to catch up with him.  He wanted to see Shun again in person.  He got out the pancake mix as he listened to Yuuya.  

“I do, when I have time. He sometimes can't contact me, and I don't want to distract him too much.”  Yuuto said, knowing if Shun was distracted he could be killed in his line of work.  

“Yeah but… man… that must suck.” Yuuya frowned. “I’m really sorry… I don’t know why it never occurred to me."

Yuuto shook his head as he mixed the batter.  

“I suppose...but Shun and I knew what we were getting into when he took the job years ago.  It's not a big deal.”  Yuuto said.  He hadn't gone with Shun because he had been the only one able to look after Yuuya, and also because he had enough of fighting.  Being a hitman was hard work, and Yuuto hadn't enjoyed it as much as Shun.

“I guess you never noticed because Shun never hung out around you much anyway.  Unlike you, he's not a social guy.”  Yuuto said with a small smile.

Probably because back then they were still trying to settle Yuuya, three big brothers trying to fight a wild, rabid child with chronic pains and a small amount of money between them. Yuuya couldn’t remember much about his life outside of Heartland, but his brother’s words made something click.

“… I… Yuto… Is it… My fault that you and Shun couldn’t be together?”

Yuuto paused.  In truth, Yuuya had been a factor in Yuuto's decision to stop being a hitman.  But, it wasn't the only thing and Yuuto never blamed Yuuya for it.  He sighed, setting the pancakes on the grill and letting them cook before facing Yuuya.

“No, Yuuya.  When Shun and I first met, we were mercenaries, or men for hire.  We were partners in that business for several years, while Mom was still around to help look after you.  I kept giving portions of  my bounties to help her look after you...but, even before she died and we all had to come back together, I was getting tired of that line of work.  The people who hired us were obsessed with violence, retaliation, vengeance...and I was stuck in the middle as the one who carried it out. I was taking fewer jobs when you got sick so I could spend time with you, and Shun was doing more solo work. I didn't mind the break...I liked spending time with my brothers again.  So, when Shun was offered a job as a personal hitman by Akaba Reiji and he offered to convince Reiji to hire me too, I turned it down.  It wasn't just because you were sick, but because I didn't want to hurt people anymore.”  Yuuto said.

“So, Shun and I went our separate ways.  He went off to be a hitman, and I moved here with you and got other work helping prisoners get a second chance at life.  That's it.”

Yuuya sat down at the counter and looked down, not meeting his brother’s gaze and instead absent-mindedly playing with his pendulum pendant. He closed his eyes, listening to Yuuto talk. It seemed strange still that Yuuto was ever a mercenary. He was good and kind, and he believed in the people he pulled out of jail. Hearing that Yuuto didn’t want to hurt anyone made sense.

“It’s been years since then… things really change, huh?” He said finally, not sure what to make of the situation. He did feel like he played a bigger part but he would accept his brother’s answer.

Yuuto didn't blame Yuuya, but he knew that the circumstances might be against him a little.  He did miss Shun, and there were times when he wished he had gone with him.  But, Yuuya was also special to him, so he wouldn't just leave him.  Especially when his two other brothers either didn't care or were incompetent when it came to caring for him.  

“Yeah...now we're actually somewhat stable.”  Yuuto mused, going back to the pancakes and pulling the cooked ones off the grill and onto a plate, staking a bunch of them up for Yuuya.

“Here.  Eat up, and take your meds.”  Yuuto reminded him, sliding the plate to Yuuya.

“Oh yeah… These other ones. Thanks. I thought I took these already but I took the blue ones only. I take so many I can’t even keep track.” He smiled. Yuuto was always there for him. Yuugo tried to be there too, but he was forgetful and clumsy, not the strong rock Yuuto was. Yuuya wanted him to be free, but at the same time, he couldn’t imagine life without Yuuto there.

“Don’t forget to eat too.” Yuya said, swallowing his pills and then shovelling pancakes down.

Yuuto smiled at Yuuya as he took his medication.  

“It certainly is a lot to keep track of.”  He mused. He knew how forgetful Yuuya could be too, and out of the three other brothers, he was the only one who cared enough and was responsible enough to monitor Yuuya.  Yuugo cared but was forgetful, and Yuuri preferred not to be around.  He was also the only one who was making the money required to pay for the expensive pills, although most of it was through illegal means.  It had been a huge factor in his decision not to go with Shun, and it was why he couldn't ever see himself leaving Yuuya.  There was no one else who could help him like he did.

“I won't forget.” Yuuto said, turning off the grill and taking off some fresh pancakes for himself to prove his point.  He took significantly fewer pancakes than Yuuya did and sat down across from him to eat.

“Any plans for today?” He asked, waiting for his brother to come up for air to answer him.

“Me? Um…” Yuya wiped his mouth and tried to think, but then he nodded. “Oh! I was going to the toy shop! I know two of the guys there and I have afternoon tea or dinner every so often. I was going to meet them after their shift, so I’ll probably be out this evening. I have no afternoon plans though, at least I don’t think so.”

“And you? Anything regarding Shun or just work?"

Yuuto nodded as he chewed, glad his brother was going to see some friends.

“Sounds good...I won't wait up for you then.”  He said.

“I'll be doing a bit of work...no Shun stuff.”  Yuuto replied.  Although, he wanted to look into Shun's potential involvement with the CEO case if he could.  But, that counted as work, since it was regarding a former tenant of his.

“As usual then,” Yuuya grinned. “You really need to go out more. Maybe head to the bar and get bevved up. Take a break and don’t work too hard, okay?”

Yuuto shook his head.

“Yuuya, nobody goes to a bar during the day.”  He said. Except when they wanted information, really.  That was the only time.

“But I promise, I won't work too hard.”  He said, getting up once he'd finished his pancakes.

“You have fun with your two toy store friends, okay?  It's Mizael and Durbe, right?”  Yuuto said, putting his dishes away.  

“I mean tonight, but now works too.” He laughed quietly. “Yeah, that’s right. They’re really good guys. I mean… Mizael can be a pain sometimes but he’s so cool. And Durbe is great to talk to. He always lends me books” Yuuya smiled. “Don’t worry about cleaning up. I’ll do it this afternoon since I won’t be home until late.”

Yuuto smiled at Yuuya as he talked about his friends.

“Since when do you read?” He mused, knowing his brother would rather be moving around than sitting with a book all day.

“Alright, if you say so. I'm going back to my office.  Have fun, okay?”  He said, ruffling his twin's hair as he left the kitchen.

“Since Durbe taught me how to pay attention.” Yuuya joked. “I don’t know. He just started sharing novels with me one day and now it’s something nice to do if I’m tired but don’t want to sleep.”

He snorted and shoved Yuuto playfully. “Okay. See ya."

“That's good, I approve!” Yuuto called as he left, smile still on his face as he entered his room.  He closed the door and sighed.  He really was glad his brother was happier nowadays, and was a little envious. He was happy with Yuuya, yes, but he wanted to see Shun too.  

Though speaking of Shun...he had research to do.  He went to his desk and opened his laptop, beginning to do some research.  He wanted to see just how much public information about the CEO deaths was out there so he had a starting point to ask about when he did go to the bar later that night to ask people in the Underground for additional information.

Yuuya did stay and he did clean up, but after a few hours he got bored. Even though he had time to kill, the man got dressed and he grabbed his bag, making sure he had his meds this time. “Okay! I’m out! See you later, Yuuto!”

Yuuto spent the time while Yuuya was cleaning up getting as much research done as possible.  He knew that the police suspected that Yami had been hired by a rich person to eliminate the competition...could it have been Akaba Reiji?  But what was more concerning was that there was an assassin out for Yami's life...which meant whoever did it wanted to cover their tracks.  They had shot Yami's psychologist already...so if that was the case, then Yuuto wondered if he could also be in trouble if anyone ever found out he had harboured Yami.  He glanced up when Yuuya called to him.

“Bye!”  He called back, listening to the outside door slam behind his baby brother.  He sighed. It was starting to get later in the afternoon...the sun was going to set soon.  That meant he could go out in his mask under cover of darkness.  He closed his computer and got up, getting his black cloak, dark goggles, and mask out.  He left his goggles on his head instead of covering his eyes, since they weren't necessary for the moment, but put on the mask and cloak before heading out. He skirted unseen down the alleyways of the city, heading towards one of the more popular bars visited by Underground members.  He entered quietly, noting that there were quite a few patrons there already, and that Yubel was bartending.  Good, he needed to talk to them.  He sat at the bar, waiting patiently for the bartender to spot him.  He and Yubel knew each other, so it was only a matter of time.

There weren’t that many patrons at the shady bar, but there were a few there. A couple of regular patrons that liked to start early and a newcomer or two. One of the newcomers glanced up from the counter where he was drinking a scotch and a frown covered his own face. The man didn’t say anything however, instead looking back to his drink as the old bartender hurried along. Yubel grinned a toothy grin as she hobbled close.

“So, what can I do for you, love? Been a while since I’ve seen you around here, Phantom” They said, pulling strands of white hair behind their ear.

Yuuto glanced up at Yubel when they approached him.  

“I suppose it has been...I guess I'll have my usual, for old times' sake.”  He mused, pulling out a napkin so Yubel could set the drink on that. He tapped his fingers absentmindedly on the bar, which was meant to draw attention to the carefully folded bill under the napkin in front of him.

“I was also wondering if you had any idea who might be behind the recent assassination attempts at the Mutou trial.”  He said casually.

Yubel raised an eyebrow but they smiled and went to fix the small gin for the man. They put three ice cubes in and placed it on the napkin, and with a mere slight of their hand, the bill was gone, now carefully folded in the long, grey sleeves of their clothing.

“Ah… the Mutou trial. Everyone seems to be talking about that these days. I remember when the guy used to come here. Always wanting to play games when he was still up and kicking.” Yubel chimed. “Ah, I don’t have anything concrete, but I’ve heard a few things from the other bars in town. Turns out one of Roger’s ‘security’ boys have been pissed off lately for making a mistake in a crucial mission. Not saying it is your guy, but maybe he’s got something to do with the reason why a psychologist ended up getting shot instead.”

Yuuto accepted the drink. He took his mask off so he could take a sip as he listened.  

“Roger...ugh, now there's a scumbag.”  He muttered. He would not be surprised if he had been the mastermind behind the whole plan...there was another man who enjoyed manipulation and planning.  

“Those security goons all have identifying numbers don't they?  Do you know which one it is?”  

“Can’t say I do. No one cares to mention that. Though they say he’s one of those big, burly guys. Bigger than the usual ones Roger takes, so maybe you can narrow down the field for that.” Yubel paused and tried to rack their brains. “I’m not sure if this is just gossip or truth, but apparently he’s missing one of his eyes.”

“Hmm...I see.  Alright then.  Thank you.”  Yuuto said, storing that information away.  It was a good starting point at least.  He swirled the ice in his glass absentmindedly.  So was Shun going to be coming back to take out this big burly security man with one eye?  Or, did Shun have other information that he didn't have.

The man at the bar with the gin glanced over and stared at Yuuto through his sunglasses, trying to figure out something about the man. Yubel noticed and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

“So… was that all? Or do you need ‘another drink’?” They asked

Yuuto glanced up at Yubel again.

“No, that was all.” He finished up the drink and left the glass on the bar.  He had the sudden feeling he was being watched.  Maybe he should leave.  He put his mask back on and got up, heading towards the door, wondering if the feeling would disappear if he left.

As Yuuto got up, Yubel walked over to the man in question. The guy hadn’t taken his eyes off Yuuto, and he still stared, even when the barkeeper walked over.

“Can I help you?”

“… I’m looking for the Dark Duelist.” Not even bothering to be subtle, he gave Yubel a huge tip. The barkeep’s eyes widened, upon realising this guy knew Yuuto’s mercenary name instead of the alias ‘Phantom’ that he used. Knowing this man meant business, they mentally apologised to Yuuto and pointed.

“You just missed them.”

Yuuto exited the bar, sliding his goggles down over his eyes immediately and placing a hand on his gun. He turned towards a darker alleyway, knowing it would be easier to shake off any potential pursuer if he had the cover of darkness.  He had been watched in the bar, but so far, there was no pursuit.  It didn't hurt to be cautious though.

The man got up and he pushed past some other people going in, silent as ever. The man glanced over to his left and lifted his own red scarf up before he followed Yuuto. He wasn’t going to do something drastic to scare him, but he wanted to avoid a scene, so he was quiet as he made his approach, using the darkness to his advantage as well.

Yuuto entered the alleyway, walking at normal pace but with senses alert.  It was only because of his mercenary work that he recognized that someone was following him, and whoever it was, they were also skilled.  They were masking their presence well, and their footsteps were inaudible.  But, Yuuto's instincts told him he was being followed.  Whoever was following him was walking like an assassin would, which did nothing to reassure Yuuto.  He kept going, making a turn and stopping lightning quick and pulling out his gun, pressed against the wall for cover in case the pursuer was armed.  He aimed around the corner at his pursuer, whom he could barely see in the dark alley.

“You've got five seconds to tell me who you are and why you're tracking me.”  Yuuto said sternly.  He'd rather not kill someone unless it was unavoidable.

The man jolted, not having realised Yuuto had heard him. Usually, he would use the man’s questions to his advantage, and would just shoot his target, but the man did nothing of the sort. Instead, he raised his arms in surrender.

However, there was an amused laugh.

“Well, you’re sharp as ever. A few years off the job, and I thought you would have gone slack.” The man took his sunglasses off and he pulled his mask down, stepping out of the dark so Yuuto could see him properly.

“Long time no see."

Yuuto kept his gun on the man as he laughed, frowning a little.  That laugh sounded familiar...and so did that voice.  But no...there was no way.  The gun faltered in his hand as the man stepped out of the shadows and dropped completely when the other removed both his sunglasses and his red scarf.  Yuuto's eyes widened as he recognized the face of the man who had been following him.

“...Shun...”  He breathed, stepping out from behind the corner and lifting his goggles and removing his mask so the other could see his face.  He couldn't believe it.  Shun was here, in Heartland, right in front of him.  He took a couple steps forwards, as if he was still unsure if it was really Shun, before finally punching his arm, as if that physical test was what he needed to make sure he was there.  And, turns out, he was real.  

“...I almost shot you, you ass!  Why didn't you call out to me?”  He cried.

Shun rolled his eyes as he was punched and put his arms down. “I didn’t want to cause a scene or scare you. Turns out, you’re paranoid as ever and I did the exact opposite.” He paused, scratching the back of his head, not sure if he should apologise or not. He usually wouldn’t, but this was Yuuto after all.

“… It’s been a while.”

“There's an assassin in these streets that tried to kill someone I know!”  Yuuto exclaimed, defending himself.  He stared at Shun as he reacted.  He was just as socially awkward as ever...and concerned for him, it seemed.  

“Come here...”  He said softly, grabbing the man's jacket collar and pulling him down for a kiss.

Shun opened his mouth to protest but then Yuuto grabbed his collar and pulled him down. He gave a smile and he held his boyfriend, kissing him back. At least he knew how to do this.

Yuuto held Shun as close as he could, kissing back as passionately as he could until he ran out of air.  He pulled back and smiled at Shun.

“...I missed you...I'm glad you're back...”  He said softly.

Shun pulled away for a moment and he smiled back at the man. “I missed you so much too. Sorry it took me so long to get back home..."

“You're not even back home yet...come on.  You're staying with me.”  Yuuto said, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.  Even if Reiji was buying Shun a fancy room, he'd force him out of it. He grabbed Shun's hand and led him down the alleyway towards the building where he lived.  

Shun rolled his eyes again but allowed Yuto to pull him along out of the alleyway. Once there, he quickened his pace, so they could walk side by side.

“… Where are you staying anyway?"

“I own a small apartment building and rent out rooms.  Yuuya stays with me too, of course.”  Yuuto said, gently leaning into Shun's arm as the man walked next to him, still in partial disbelief that he was actually here.

“...You're here on a job right?  How long are you staying?”  

“Me?” Shun shrugged, “I’m looking into the guys framing Akaba. So as long as I’m on the case, really.” Shun looked at the man and frowned down at him. “Since when were you Akaba’s contact?"

“I see.”  Yuuto frowned a bit in return.

“...Mutou was one of my tenants before he was arrested.  When I cleaned out his room, I found an LDS pin.  I showed it to Akaba because I wanted to know why he had it...whether Akaba was one of his targets or maybe the instigator.  And also, whether or not you were involved somehow...”  Yuuto said softly.  

“I see… Akaba didn’t tell me much, but you were supposed to fill me in on the situation.” The man said. “I’ve been in Maimi City for the last few months tidying up some of Akaba’s loose ends. Neither of us were focusing on Mutou until recently, because of the trials, and I’m only here because of that pin.”

Yuuto took in the information.  So that must mean that Reiji didn't really know anything about the assassins.  

“So if that's true, then your mission is to find the assassin who shot that psychologist at the trial, because they might carry on where Mutou left off trying to kill CEOs.” Yuuto concluded.

“Then I do have a bit of information for you...when I was at the bar, I asked Yubel if they knew who was behind the shooting.  Yubel has connections in the Underworld...news travels through them alot. Yubel said it may have been on of Michel Roger's security men...one who was big, burly and is missing an eye.”  

“I know. I overheard you.” Shun said, shrugging. “Didn’t know Yubel was still in the business. You’d think that old bat would be deaf by now.” He frowned, racking his brains. “I’ll see what I can do with Roger’s databases, see who purchased his services lately. That’s probably going to be the fastest way to go about it.”

“Got a place for me to stay?"

“And you overhearing was what tipped me off to your stalking.”  Yuuto mused.  He nodded.

“Since Mutou recently left, I do have a room that you can have, if you want...but if not, you can stay with me in my room.  Either way, you're staying here.”  Yuuto said, reaching the door to his apartment building.

“Well, it wasn’t like I wasn’t going to show myself,” Shun retorted. He walked up after Yuto and looked around, raising an eyebrow. “Not bad place… How many people you rooming here, ‘landlord’?”

Yuuto shook his head slightly.

“You could've approached me in the bar, you know.  In normal relationships, it's not uncommon for partners to buy each other drinks and chat at a bar.”  Yuuto mused.

“The number fluctuates, since this isn't really meant to be a long-term establishment...but I can house as many as 20 here.  Right now, we have 16, soon to be 17, with the addition of you.”  Yuuto said, opening the door and gesturing Shun inside.

“I didn’t know it was you at first. Well… I suspected but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.” He said honestly. “I… I’ve… never mind.” Shun shook his head, but he squeezed Yuto’s hand, hinting at what he was going to say.

“I see. Not bad.” He said, following after the man. “… I shouldn’t take up one of your tenant’s room. We can share if you’re offering… Like old times”

Yuuto's eyes softened and he smiled.

“You made a wise decision...there are three other men running around with my face, after all. People have jumped the gun before and called me the wrong brother.”  Yuuto mused, squeezing Shun's hand back to show he understood.  Shun usually had no trouble with words, when he did decide to use them, so for him to be having trouble...Yuuto must truly have been missed.

“I could use some 'old times' right now...come on.  My room is this way.”  Yuuto said, guiding him through the building to his door.  He unlocked the door and let Shun in.

“The bed's a little small...but I'm sure we can fit if we snuggle up close together.”  Yuuto said softly, trying not to sound too eager. He could still scarcely believe that Shun was here, in his room, within his grasp.  

Shun rolled his eyes. “Your brothers all look so different to you. Only idiots would confuse you four.” Shun said, evidently forgetting he could only tell Yuto out of the bunch and not the others.

The man followed him through the apartment, up a single flight of stairs to Yuto’s room. Only when the door was closed behind them did the tension drop from his shoulder, and a huge sigh came back from him.

He was home. He was back in Heartland, in a room that smelt so familiar to him, with a person he hasn’t seen in so long. Shun hadn’t realised how much he had missed the city and Yuto until he found himself in the bedroom.

“It’ll fit us both. That’s all that matters.” The man’s bag slumped to the floor and the gun cases were put down before he reached out to hug Yuto.

Yuuto snorted at Shun's comment.

“I assume you're counting yourself among those idiots...I seem to recall a time when you messed up Yuugo's name and he almost ran you over on his bike.”  Yuuto teased gently.  He knew Shun never mistook his face, but he also acknowledged that it was difficult to keep track of.  He took the silence as an opportunity to take off his cloak, his mask, his gun and his goggles with a sigh.  He too felt more comfortable in his room, since he knew it was safe here.  He could tell Shun was relaxed too, once he initiated a hug.  Yuuto held him back, smiling and closing his eyes, taking in Shun's familiar scent and reminding himself that he wasn't dreaming.  Shun was here.

“You're home Shun...I missed you so much...I'm so glad you're here...”  Yuuto said, holding Shun tighter.

“Yuugo’s name is stupidly confusing. How am I supposed to know him? I don’t mix you up, I just mess his name up.”

Shun leaned into Yuto’s hold, wanting to say the same but finding that it was better just to hold him and acknowledge his warmth, the feel of his hair against his face, and just everything. He didn’t know he missed or loved Yuuto so much until now, but he knew that he wasn’t going to get anything done today.

And Yuuto understood. Shun wasn't a very talkative guy, so he communicated more in gestures.  Leaning into his hug was enough of a response for Yuuto to know he'd been missed and Shun loved him too.  Yuuto pulled back enough to kiss Shun again.  Since Shun didn't feel like talking, he could communicate in actions too, he figured.  

Shun kissed him back. There was nothing gentle about it, but it was a warm and passionate kiss. One that had been held back for years, speaking of the yearning he had for the man. The mission sat in the back of Shun’s mind now, and he backed Yuto into the bed, holding him tight.

“… You’ve gotten soft.” Shun muttered, as he ran his fingers on Yuto’s lanky body. “It’s different"

Yuuto pushed back into the kiss, glad the feeling of longing was mutual.  He let Shun move him, holding onto the taller man to help with his balance as he was backed into the bed.  

“...Different, good, I hope...I don't work out as much anymore...”  Yuuto said softly, knowing that he was in no means out of shape, but since he wasn't a mercenary anymore, he had no need to be in as good as shape as Shun.  He leaned into the man's touch, also gently unzipping Shun's blue jacket so he could take it off and return the favor.

‘I said it’s different, not that it’s bad,” Shun said, not wanting to give Yuto the idea that he wanted him to be unhealthy, but meaning that a change of pace was nice. He could have explained himself better, but words were wasteful anyway.

The zips came easily off as Shun began to unbutton Yuto’s shirt, not wanting to wait any longer. He had done his time, years under Akaba’s thumb, and he didn’t want to waste a moment without his partner. The man kissed him, loosening the other’s garments off, trying to bury his face into Yuto’s skin again.

Yuuto smiled.

“Good...”  He said softly, getting Shun's jacket off once the zipper came loose.  He let out a soft moan as Shun began burrowing his face into his exposed neck, tilting his head away so Shun would get better access.  His hands went under the skin-tight shirt Shun wore underneath his coat, trying to push it up and running his hands over Shun's toned body, still strong from all the jobs he'd been doing lately.  Yuuto had missed Shun too...he didn't want to wait either.

Shun wasn’t exactly the most gentle of creatures. Even as he pulled Yuto’s clothes off, he bit hard on Yuto’s neck, licking and chewing at the skin like he used to years ago. There was little he could do besides just kiss and tear at the garments with his own clothes on, but he was fully engrossed in treating Yuto, feeling him up.

“Is there lotion in here?” He muttered, kissing another spot on his neck.

Yuuto was well aware of how rough Shun could be, and he found his body craved it now.  It had been too long since he'd been touched, kissed, felt up like this.  He was somewhat conscious of where they were, knowing that relatively thin walls separated him and Shun from the other tenants in this building, so he did try to keep his volume down, but could not stop his moans completely.  

“...Yes...left drawer...” Yuuto managed to grunt out, pointing to Shun's left.  

Shun practically had to rip himself away from the man’s body, though it was hard with Yuuto moaning and groaning under him and teasing him like that, so he could yank the last of Yuuto’s clothes off. With his partner naked, Shun quickly undressed, as if he had no time to lose. The jacket was tossed somewhere, the pants and underwear discarded on the floor in one fell swoop. He leaned over and began digging through the drawers, giving Yuuto a moment to look at his scarred frame over.

Yuuto couldn't really help the noises he was making, but was fighting to keep quiet.  He didn't want to tip the whole building off as to what was happening.  He didn't mind when Shun stripped him down, moving when necessary to speed up the process. He stayed lying on the bed while Shun dug through the drawers, allowing himself a look over his lover's body.  He was used to Shun's scarred appearance, but there seemed to be more than he remembered.  He reached out gently and traced a newer scar on Shun's exposed hip.

“...You're working too hard...”  Yuuto said softly, a little concerned by the number of scars.  He hated seeing Shun in pain.  He knew he had some too, but not nearly as many as Shun boasted, and none were new like Shun's were.

“Your drawers are messy,” Shun muttered as he rummaged through them. He was pulling stuff towards him, trying to find this lube when he suddenly felt Yuuto touch his hip. The man paused as he felt Yuuto touch what was clearly once a bullet wound before he shrugged.

“I need the money. There’s not much else I do it for. Ruri can earn her own keep but someone’s gotta help fund her overseas study.” Shun muttered. “I probably will go on after she graduates with her PhD though.”

Yuuto leaned over, reaching into the drawer to help find the lube.  He pulled out the small bottle of lube.  

“Here...”  He said softly, placing the bottle on the top of the dresser.  He continued to trace a few other scars on his lover's body gently and lovingly, trying to re-map his body with nothing but his fingertips.  

“I understand...I'm glad Ruri's doing well.  It's been ages since I've seen her too...”  Yuuto said softly.

“I almost had it,” Shun muttered, taking it and facing Yuuto, feeling the coarse hands touch him yet again. He let Yuuto do so, kneeling down so he could coat his own dick in preparation. Yuuto could feel so many new scars though, and whatever wasn’t a scar was a bruise, but those were probably from what Shun did in his downtime.

“You should call her. She’d like that. Take some heat off me. She tells me I don’t video chat her enough.”

Yuuto continued to gently trace Shun's scars, then moved his thumb over to rub one of Shun's nipples.

“I'd like that...you'll have to give me her number.”  He said with a small smile, kissing Shun's cheek as the other prepared himself.

“I swear you have it… but whatever. Later. I don’t want to be talking about my sister now.” Shun said, smirking as he felt Yuuto’s hands over his body. He kept moving his hand until he felt he was at least decently erect, and he then pushed Yuuto back onto the bed.

“Been sleeping with anyone besides me?"

“I think I lost it...but you're right.  We can deal with that later.”  Yuuto said with a smile.  He let himself be pushed back onto the bed, staring up at Shun as the man loomed over him.

“No...I haven't.”  

“Then you don’t have a fucking condom.” It was both relieving and annoying to hear. “You’re lucky I don’t have STDs or shit.” He kissed Yuuto again and he grabbed the lotion, beginning to rim his entrance.

“Then you haven't been with anyone either.”  Yuuto concluded with a smile, kissing Shun back and trying to relax as Shun prepared him. It had been awhile since he'd done this.

“When you’re constantly plotting to kill someone, sex tends to get pushed back.” Shun said, essentially confirming Yuuto's words. He fingered the rim of his partner’s body gently, and then slowly started to pump the man.

“....yeah...it does.” Yuuto said softly.  Although, he and Shun had always found time for it during their partnership before as mercenaries.  Yuuto groaned softly as he was fingered and moaned as he was pumped. He kept his body relaxed and held onto Shun, still so glad he was back with him.

One hand on Yuuto’s cock, the other slipping a second finger in. Shun was surprisingly careful, trying to remember how exactly it felt and what Yuuto liked. As he scissored the man, he stared at his face, gaze analytical yet somehow gentle.

“… I should have been back here more often"

Yuuto was appreciative of how gentle Shun was being.  He could remember the man being much rougher on him.  He moaned, trying to resist the urge to roll his hips as his erection was fondled. He gazed up at Shun in order to distract himself a bit and let the other prepare him.  He smiled.

“Yeah...ngh....you should have...but you're here now...that's what matters...”  Yuuto managed to say softly, pulling Shun down again so he could kiss him.

Shun snorted as he was kissed again and he bit down, teasingly rather than painfully. Shun stuck a third finger in and stretched as far as he could manage. “Ready?”

Yuuto groaned a little as he was bit, not from pain, but from pleasure.  He fought not to tense as he was stretched further.  It had been too long since he'd done anything and he knew he was tight at the moment, so he bore with it.  

“Yeah.”  He said softly.

“Oy.” Shun moved a hand off Yuuto’s dick to flick his head. “I said ‘are you ready?’ Not are you ready to have your ass ripped. If it’s still too much, I’m not shoving my dick into you.” Shun muttered.

Yuuto blinked as his forehead was flicked.  

“I'm not ready to have my ass ripped, Shun...but I don't think I can be stretched much more. Just...start slow, okay?  My body will adapt...”  Yuuto said, knowing the man was only concerned.  He also knew Shun would never actually hurt him for real.

Shun sighed but he pushed a rough kiss onto Yuuto’s lips. He took his hand, intertwining his fingers with his and positioned himself so the head sat already inside of Yuuto’s entrance. “Okay… Slow… Right..."

Yuuto pushed back against Shun's rough kiss.  He gave Shun's hand a squeeze when the other held his.

“You can do it...”  He said, relaxing himself as Shun got ready.

Shun nodded and he gently eased himself into Yuuto’s body. He closed his eyes, doing his best to hold back. “How’s that? More?” He asked, sliding half his dick in.

Yuuto kept his body relaxed, letting Shun push into him gently.  It was tight, but not painful at this point...thankfully Shun had stretched him enough.

“More...”  

Shun obeyed, pushing in as far as he could until their hips met with one another, and he could feel Yuuto’s cock on his abdomen. The man looked down at his partner’s expression.

“Say it again,” he muttered.

Yuuto kept himself relaxed, squeezing Shun's hand as the man pushed himself in all the way.  He took a couple deep breaths, getting used to the feeling of Shun inside him.  Once he felt he was ready, he smiled at Shun with half-lidded eyes.  

“More.”  He whispered seductively.

Shun placed one hand on Yuuto’s hip and adjusted himself. He pulled almost all the way out before he pushed his cock back into Yuuto’s body, going back as far as his thick girth would allow him, groaning slightly as he felt the younger man’s body cling around him.

Yuuto groaned as well as Shun started to move, holding Shun's free hand.  He was slowly getting used to it after Shun gave a couple of controlled and more gentle thrusts.  He moaned as the man pushed back into him.  

“Shun...a little...faster...”  He managed to say after he felt he was ready enough to take it up a notch.

Shun gave a small grunt, showing he heard Yuuto before he began quietly fucking him, moving his hips faster, changing the rhythm a little for shorter, more rough bursts. He moaned quietly, gaze set straight on his partner.

Yuuto moaned louder when Shun's rhythm changed.  This was more what he remembered from their sex years ago: short and rough, but still so pleasurable.  Eventually, one of Shun's rough ploughs slammed into Yuuto's prostate head on, and Yuuto had to bite his lip to keep from crying out too loudly.

“Shun...again!”  He moaned, clenching his legs as if he could push Shun further into him, craving more of that euphoric feeling that he had missed so much.  The face he gave Shun was one of pure bliss.

Shun moaned as he felt Yuuto’s body move against him, squeezing him, and thrashing about wildly. He couldn’t help but be swept up in the euphoria, and he could feel everything intermingle from their sweat and their warm touches. He was feeling better than ever, and he was starting to move harder.

“Yuuto… Yuuto…” Shun growled and nipped his neck, continuing his wild penetration of the smaller man. “Nghh~ Yuuto~"

Yuuto writhed beneath Shun, arching his back and trying to push his hips back in time with Shun's wild thrusts.  Shun was relentless, yet Yuuto felt he still couldn't get enough of this euphoria.  It had been far too long since he'd felt this alive and pleasured.  

“Ah~  Shun...”  He moaned, fighting very hard to keep his voice down enough so that he wouldn't wake up other tenants.   He tilted his head away from Shun to give him better access as the man continued his assault on his neck, kissing and nipping him.  With every movement, Yuuto's own cock was rubbing against Shun's abdomen, and the friction was close to pushing Yuuto over the edge.  As much as he didn't want this to end, eventually, he couldn't hold on anymore.  

“Shun!”  He cried, cumming hard against both their stomachs, and squeezing his lover's hand tightly as he did.

Shun couldn’t stop biting him. Some of his motions were dragged out, and he held a chomp down so he could focus on thrusting deep inside of his partner. It had been a long time since they had done it, and it felt like it was too soon when Yuuto released and Shun felt the warm liquid pool on his stomach.

Shun squeezed Yuuto’s hand back and he stopped thrusting after that, despite being still hard. He looked down at his partner and after a moment he shook his head.

“You really didn’t see anyone while I was gone. You weren’t always that easy to please.” He said, looking down at Yuuto, enjoying how the man looked, all sweaty and panting, covered in angry red marks from his cheek to his collarbone.

Yuuto lay on the bed, still enjoying post-orgasmic bliss as he stared up at Shun.  He knew that he and Shun used to be able to go longer, but he hadn't been with anyone in years, and lately he'd been feeling a bit needy. His neck and cheek tingled and stung slightly from the bites, but it still felt so good.  He snorted a bit when Shun spoke.

“...Shouldn't you consider that a compliment?  Nobody's as good as you...”  Yuuto mused softly.  He clenched his legs a bit, kicking a little at Shun's back with his heel.

“Come on.  Keep going...you gotta finish too.”    

Shun rolled his eyes as Yuuto ‘complimented’ him and he moved his hands so he could grope the other’s ass. The thrusts then continued, another round of short, quick bursts, making the colour rise to Shun’s face, his moans breathy and light.

“Don’t… hahhhh… get erect again…” Shun muttered, thrusting into his partner, burying his face into the other’s shoulder.

Yuuto let Shun let go of his hand in favor of groping and squeezing his ass.  He moved his arms to wrap around Shun's shoulders, holding onto Shun's body as he was thrust into once more.  He dug his fingers of one hand into the man's hair as Shun buried his face in his shoulder.  He couldn't help but moan as well as he was thrust into.

“I'll...try not to...” He managed to groan out, though his cock was twitching.  Dammit. He bit one of Shun's earlobes, tonguing the cartilage, trying to excite Shun further.

Shun had always been one for pain. He groaned out as he felt Yuuto tug his hair and rake through his back, getting more excited as he felt the nip. “You’re going to…” Shun muttered, thrusting again. “And then what am I gonna do to you?” He said, almost mocking as he continued, feeling his climax rush quickly towards him.

Yuuto bit harder on Shun's earlobe, then pulled his lover's head to the side by the hair so he could bite his neck in retaliation for all the nips he'd left on his own skin.  

“...I have to...be able to walk tomorrow...”  Yuuto muttered between bites and licks.  He knew he was fighting a losing battle, already semi-hard.  Maybe he could just take a cool shower...they both needed to get cleaned up after this.

Shun groaned as he felt the bites sink deeper, making furious red marks to company any small injury he had himself. He pretended he didn’t hear Yuuto when he spoke, instead favouring to hold his release back to continue fucking him. He could feel Yuuto’s member get harder against his stomach again and he internally smirked.

“Yuuto…” Shun groaned as he kept going. “Hahhhh! Yuuto!"

Yuuto moaned as Shun continued to thrust into him.  That, combined with the friction of his cock against Shun's abdomen, made it basically impossible for him not to get another damn erection.  Well he was thoroughly fucked, wasn't he?  He dug his nails into Shun's back, making tiny scratch marks to accompany older, deeper ones that marred the man's skin.  

“Shun...ah...”  He moaned softly around the bites he left on Shun's neck.  He was also turned on by pain, and Shun's thrusts were pounding him thoroughly.  He didn't want to stop.

But Shun wasn’t a superhuman and despite going for a few more, long minutes, he finally hit his limit. With a loud cry, the man leaned forward into Yuuto’s skin and he came, pushing deep into his body.

As Shun continued to thrust, Yuuto kept biting his neck and moaning into the man's skin.  Sensing that Shun probably couldn't go for much longer, he managed to snake one hand down to pump himself until Shun finally finished.  He groaned loudly, feeling a bit of stinging with the release, meaning he'd probably torn himself a bit.  But, overall, the warmth against his nerves felt amazing.  It was enough for him to finish again, cumming against their stomachs for a second time before stopping his biting to let his head to roll back into the pillow, against Shun's head, letting them both catch their breaths.  

Shun pretty much swept Yuuto into his arms and kissed him. He curled against him as they were brought together, and he just pulled the blanket over them, not caring how filthy they were.

“… I missed you. I said it before but…” He moved some strands of Yuuto’s hair out of his face and looked at him, drinking in his face.

Yuuto let Shun sweep him up, too tired to protest.  He put his arms around Shun as well, holding him close under the covers.  He smiled slightly as he was kissed again.

“...I know...I've missed you so much...”  Yuuto said softly, reciprocating Shun's actions by brushing his boyfriend's sweaty bangs out of his face so he could get a better look at his golden-yellow eyes.

Shun blushed a little, and not knowing what to do, he kissed Yuuto before burying his face into the other’s shoulder, quietly.

Yuuto's smile widened as he saw Shun blush.  He knew it was a sight that very few people had ever seen...in fact, he was probably the only person aside from Ruri who saw it, and it was adorable.  He also knew what it meant, gently petting Shun's hair as the other buried his head into his shoulder.

“...I love you too, Shun.” He said softly, closing his eyes and relaxing in his lover's arms.

“… It’s been a while since I slept in early…” Shun muttered as a response. He closed his eyes, finding himself relax completely for once. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Let me have this."

Yuuto continued petting Shun's hair, as if to lull him to sleep.  He was the same, barely sleeping at night.  Especially last night, since he'd been dancing with Yuuya until early morning, then had to meet Reiji a few hours later.  

“Of course...good night, Shun.”  Yuuto said gently, keeping his eyes closed and smiling.

“Night… Yuuto.” Shun said, falling asleep.

…

Only to be woken a few hours later by the sound of knocking on the door. Yuuya had slept over at Mizael’s as promised, but he had returned the next morning bright and early. He was going to ask his brother about getting more groceries for the compound when he found his brother wasn’t in his office as he usually was.

“… I wonder where he is.” Yuuya muttered, looking around. He walked around the ground floor towards Yuuto’s bedroom and raised an eyebrow when he saw the door closed. His brother didn’t usually sleep in this late- it was almost 9- but Yuuya wanted to be sure he didn’t suddenly go out. “Yuuto? You home, buddy?” He called, knocking loudly, not expecting his brother to actually be in there.

Yuuto usually didn't sleep in this long, but he'd exhausted himself the night before.  Plus, Shun was home, and falling asleep wrapped in Shun's arms made him feel safe and happy, so there was nothing worth waking up for. Or at least, that was until Yuuya knocked on the door.  He groaned as he heard knocking, then his brother's voice calling out to him.  

“Coming Yuuya....”  He managed to call, not really wanting his brother to walk in on him like this.  He reluctantly untangled himself from Shun, trying not to disturb him.  He got up stiffly, still a bit sore from last night.  He noticed the state of his room: clothes were everywhere.  Shun had torn his clothes off his body and truly chucked them all over the place.  He eventually located his boxers and put them on quickly, not really caring about the rest of his appearance as he made his way to the door.  He opened it just a bit so that Yuuya could see him, but wouldn't be able to see Shun or the rest of the room behind him.  

“Sorry, I just woke up...” He said softly, not wanting to speak too loudly and wake up Shun, if he wasn't awake yet.

Shun let go of Yuuto very hesitantly, but after being on the road for a while, he was tired, and Yuuto was able to answer the door.

Yuuya’s eyes widened as he saw his brother. His hair being messy after waking up wasn’t a surprise but the rest of him was. He had never seen his brother sleep in anything less than a singlet and sweatpants before, and he could see all sorts of marks on his neck.

“… Holy shit. Are you kidding? Kurosaki is home?”

Yuuto sighed, rubbing one eye with the heel of his hand.

“Shocking right...I do know how to sleep in...”  He muttered, before pausing as the last bit of his brother's sentence kicked in.

“...How'd you know Shun is here?”  Yuuto asked, surprised and for the moment forgetting that his neck was covered in fresh bite marks and bruises.

“You’re not the kind to pick up hookers and you’re covered in bitemarks and hickeys. Who else is going to be in your bed?” Yuuya said, trying to see around Yuuto to catch a glimpse of Yuuto’s elusive partner.

“Sawatari is going to throw a fit though. You’re dancing tonight and your bruises are just gonna darken later."

Yuuto blinked, flushing a bit and putting a hand to his neck to cover half the bites.  He'd forgotten about those.  He moved to block Yuuya's vision when the other tried to see past him, closing the door further so Yuuya couldn't see the mess.

“Shun got in last night, late, so he's still sleeping.  Leave him alone for now...”  Yuuto said, before groaning at Yuuya's second comment.

“Dammit, I forgot about that...I'll have to borrow some concealer or something.”  He muttered.

“Awww… but I wanted to see your future husband,” Yuuya gave a mock pout before he patted his brother on the back happily. “I got my makeup upstairs. You can borrow it later, alright? Don’t worry about it, alright?”

“He's not my future husband...”  Yuuto muttered.  “You can see Shun later...it sounds like he could be staying here for awhile.”  

“Thanks...I'll come get it later.  For now, I'm going back to bed.  Take your meds and don't bug me, okay?”  Yuuto said sternly to Yuuya.

“Really?” Yuuya asked. “Well he better. He hasn’t been here in a long time.” He smiled, seeing how happy Yuuto was despite how grumpy he seemed. Shun really made his brother happy, and Yuuya was glad to see that.

“Alright, alright. I’ll make you guys breakfast and leave it out for you. Go shower too, bro. You stink.” Yuuya laughed.

Yuuto smiled a bit in return.

“He is.  I'm making sure of it.”  Yuuto said.  He didn't want Shun to leave now that he had him back.  He rolled his eyes.

“Later, I will.  Good night.”  He said, flicking Yuuya's forehead with a small smile in thanks before closing the door.  He made his way back to Shun, snuggling back under the covers with him contently.

Yuuya just gave his brother a grin before he headed off upstairs to get his other pain medication. He was glad Yuuto had Shun… maybe things were going to be better for him in the future.