Tearing Down Souls

*peeks around corner* Hi. Thought I'd finally finish this thing. Yeah I know it's been a while. Sorry. I've been on a FF7 kick lately and you know how these things go.This is the last chapter. *pouts* And since no said how they'd like to see this end except read_right-time...I'm going to make everyone suffer some more. Mainly because I tried a happy ending and well no dice.

I do not own Poison as sung by Groove Coverage. Lyrics in **


WARNING: TEARS AND SMUT (just a little) AHEAD! Watch your step, slippery when wet.

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*Your cruel devise
your blood, like ice
One look, could kill
My pain, your thrill...*

Sometimes he dreamed of piercing brown eyes. So close to Ryou's but harder. Colder. Haunted by different memories than the ones that plagued his lover. Sometimes in the middle of the night he'd wake up with a name on his lips that never quite became actual words. And sometimes when Ryou held him he could almost feel a phantom touch a little harsher. A lot more controlling.

When he mentioned it to Yami, his lover called Malik to yell.

Ryou's reaction hadn't been much better. The boy had gone as white as his hair and promptly locked himself in the bedroom. When Malik finally managed to convince the other to come out it was to discover the tremor that Ryou had finally managed to rid himself of had come back.The blonde had gone silent but Yugi saw the icy glare he leveled at the Pharaoh before taking Ryou to the backyard to get some fresh air. Malik blamed the older boy for everything that caused Ryou distress. It was an unspoken rift that seemed to cause more problems than could be fixed by pretty words and a loving touch.

So Yugi quit mentioning it.

He always felt as though his lovers were in a constant dance. Trying to be close to each other while at the same time avoiding anything more than what was necessary to stay together.

Ryou even had his own room.

Oh they had said it was because he was a restless sleeper. And Yugi had been woken enough by a sharp jab to the ribs or, once, to the head that he believed it. Even in his sleep Ryou seemed to be waging a war against his demons. One he was constantly losing if the soft sobs were any indication. But Yugi always wondered if Ryou had his own room because Yami was tired of hearing him cry in his sleep.

Sometimes Ryou would talk. Well, not so much talk as mumble. A word here. A name there.

A name that Yugi found himself wanting to repeat. He could almost taste it. So close to the surface. Something familiar. Someone he needed.

Maybe even more than he needed Yami.

The thought terrified him.

*I wanna love you but I better not touch
I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna kiss you but I want it too much
I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison
Your poison running through my veins
Your poison
I don't wanna break these chains.*

Sometimes Ryou hated him and sometimes he loved him so much it was like a physical pain in his chest. Once he even thought he felt the burn of jealousy. Then Yugi had turned those beautiful jewel like eyes in his direction and he was suddenly able to breathe again.

Yami raised so many emotions that sometimes Ryou wondered if he was going insane. It would certainly explain the dreams that had gotten him banished to his own room.

"You could find out. You could tell me."

Malik worried at his lower lip with his teeth. A habit Ryou had repeatedly tried to break the Egyptian of to no avail. "I don't know Ry. I mean what if I mess up? What if you lose something you...need?"

"I need you to do this for me. Just once. I need to know if it's real."

"Ry..." Lips parted in a deep sigh and Ryou licked his own in response. "I told you before that this guy you keep dreaming of isn't anything more than guilt manifested."

Gathering his long hair into a sloppy ponytail Ryou moved away for the bathroom mirror. "Something isn't right. Yugi's having the same dreams but I'm the one getting punished for it."

"He's not punishing you Angel." Malik wandered over and pulled the band out of his hair to try to tame the thick white mass into something more presentable. It was an age old gesture of comfort between the two. Neither could get their own hair to do anything but the other always could. "You move at night. You nailed Yugi pretty hard that time. Remember?"

Of course he remembered. That was the night Yami had drug him from the room he had shared with the two of them as long as he remembered and declared the guest room his new sleeping place. The crimson eyed one had held firm to that too. Even in the sleepy afterglow of sex Yami would wordlessly usher him out of the room. It hurt at first but he was used to it now. "It was an accident. Even Yugi doesn't hold it against me."

Warm hands drifted from the finished ponytail to his shoulders. "Yami knows too. We all do. But Angel there are something's that shouldn't be pushed against too hard. You never know if the wall you're leaning against is stable or if you're going to go tumbling into a bottomless pit."

"If I fell...if I fall will you come with me? Will you hold me on the way down?" Ryou leaned back against the body behind him. A hard shudder was the only answer he needed.

"Ryou. Angel don't do this to me. Please. You don't understand how much it hurts."

The hands on his shoulders drifted down his chest. "You need to go back to Yami now."

Ryou ducked away from his friend. "Yeah. I know."

Same old song and dance.

*Your mouth, so hot
Your web, I'm caught
Your skin, so wet
Black lace, on sweat*

"I want...I need...Oh gods please." Yugi arched under the gentle fingers gliding across his body.

"What do you need Little One?" Hot open mouth kisses were rained down his chest and stomach.

"Both of you. Need to feel you both."

Yami paused in his attention and sent a dark look at the white haired one sitting at the top of the bed. Every day the other looked more like his yami and every day Atemu resented him a little more for it. "You heard him."

Ryou merely shrugged and shifted so he could caress the other without accidentally touching his guardian. He hadn't expected Yugi to suddenly sit up and latch his arms around his neck. Nor had he been prepared for the crush of lips against his demanding entry. He fell forward barely managing to catch his weight on one arm to keep from falling onto the one below him who was so greedily plundering his mouth. He was vaguely aware of the growl coming from Yami and some small unnamed part of his mind laughed at the angry sound.

Having had enough of Ryou's distraction and Yami's overzealous protectiveness Yugi decided to take matter into his own hands. Literally. He shifted toward where he assumed Yami would be and was rewarded with those long fingers brushing against him again. He pulled away from Ryou long enough to manage a breathy demand. "Don't think just feel."

Yami pressed into the tight heat offered to him and lost himself in the rhythm.

Warm lips traced their way across Ryou's cheek to his ear. "Need you both so much. You and him. The three of us. Just like it used to be."

Ryou nodded as best he could with Yugi holding him like he was. "Need you too."

Yugi cried out as he hit his peak. "Ryou! Bakura!"

*I hear you calling and it's needles and pins
I wanna hurt you just to hear you screaming my name
Don't wanna touch you but you're under my skin
I wanna kiss you but your lips are venomous poison
Your poison running through my veins
Your poison
I don't wanna break these chains.*

Ryou was shaking. Any minute now Yami was going to come through that door and beat the life out of him. He had seen the fury in the others eyes moments before he bolted from the room.

Grabbing the bag he had already packed and shoved into the back of his closet Ryou turned only to slam into the one person he didn't want to.

A small panicked noise escaped him as he backpedaled. "I didn't do it."

"I know. Yugi's going to stay in our room. It's time we talked."

As Yami moved back Ryou made a desperate lunge towards the window. Even if he made it by some miracle it was still a good twenty foot drop to the sidewalk below. Not that it mattered. Better to splatter on the concrete than be beat to death.

Yami growled again and Ryou's world spun. He hit the bed hard enough that the whole frame rocked back to hit the wall. Seeing the other move towards him spawned another attempt at escape. He rolled off the bed and bolted for the door. This time he was stopped by Yami shoving him face first into the wall "I don't want to hurt you Ryou but if that's the only way to make you stop I will."

"I didn't. I didn't." Ryou pressed his forearms against the wall trying to use his height advantage to throw the other off balance.

"Stop it." Yami pressed him against the wall harder. When Ryou tried to rear back again he threw his weight forward knocking the others head against the door frame. "Are you trying to get hurt?"

"Let me go!" Ryou was dimly aware of his arm being twisted behind his back almost to his shoulder blade. He knew what Yami was trying to do. If he could get his arm twisted just right the only way to get loose would be to cause himself more pain than would be worth the escape. He had his arm dislocated once. The pain of having it popped back was worse than any he had ever felt before. The familiar pin and needle sensation started in his fingers.

"Ryou stop it. It's not worth getting hurt over. Just listen to me." He was getting stronger. Harder to control. One more way he was like Bakura. One more thing Yami worried about. "You need to go. Just not like this."

His struggles slowed. Something was sinking into his terror filled mind. "Go where? You took it all."

"I didn't mean to." Yami pressed gentle kisses against Ryou's bared shoulders. The first show of kindness in months. Since Yugi had woken crying out Bakura's name in fear and Ryou had woken up swinging at an unseen enemy. "I truly thought it was for the best."

"I don't want to do this anymore."

"Neither do I Angel." He moved far enough away that Ryou could stand on his own. After a moment Yami turned to leave the room. "Some sins can't be forgiven can they?"

*Running deep inside my veins
Poison burning deep inside my veins*


"Yugi?" A sleepy groan was his only reply. Ryou smiled gently and ran his hand over the sweat damp brow of the smaller. "Yugi, are you listening?"

"Yeah." It was mumbled. Not awake but not quite dreaming.

"I have to go Yugi." Ryou glanced up at where Yami had propped himself up with one leg against the wall. "I'll miss you."

"Be okay," came the tired reply. "We all do."

Yami smiled gently and shook his head. "Sorry Angel. I don't think he understands."

Pressing a soft kiss to blonde bangs Ryou stood to leave.

"You'll call?" Yami straightened up. "Let us know you're okay?"

A brief nod. "Yeah. As soon as I can."

Lifting the backpack off the floor he helped the other shrug into the straps. "I didn't want it to end this way."

"I know. Make sure he knows it was my decision."

Yami ignored the instinct to stop the younger boy as he left the room. Instead he contented himself to smoothing the blankets covering his one true love. The tri colored hair was spread over the pillow in organized chaos. His Little One would be upset but once he explained things he would understand. Sometimes people grew apart, fell out of love and moved on.

If only he didn't look so much like the other. Maybe they could have worked something out.

*One look, could kill
My pain, your thrill...*

'You knew it was coming.'

'Shut up.'

'Everyone betrays in the end. It's human nature. We're designed for self preservation. It's engraved in our bones, runs through our blood and eats away at our souls. It's just the way we are.'

'You loved him.'

'I desired him. And sometimes that can be mistaken for something more than lust. A cruel trick of the gods.'

'Lie all you want. I know the truth.'

'Perhaps.'

'So was it the gods who fated us to be together?'

'No. That was punishment. For my past sins. And your future ones. We are together in our evils.'

'I'm not you.'

'Close enough. Everyone sees it. Yami looks at you and sees the things I did to him in his previous reign and in this life. Yugi sees the only lover he had who would let him be himself even if he doesn't remember me as more than the one who broke him. Even Malik's commented on the resemblance.'

'We don't even look alike. No more than Yami and Yugi do.'

'More alike every day.'

'What do you mean?'

'All of us. Yugi looks more like Yami. You look more like me. It's only natural.'

'We're all mirrors of each other. Reflecting the worst of ourselves.'

'Now you understand.'


*I wanna love you but I better not touch
I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna kiss you but I want it too much
I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison
Your poison running through my veins
Your poison
I don't wanna break these chains.
Poison...*


"Is he coming back?"

"I don't think so Little One."

Yugi swiped at the condensation gathering on the window in the cold morning air. He wanted to be able to see out. Just in case. "Why did he leave?"

"It was time I guess."

That didn't make any sense. Ryou promised he would never leave him. Not unless he wanted him to. "I didn't want him to leave without me."

"You still have me."

Warmth against his back. Cold against his chest. Or maybe it was in his chest. He felt so empty. "I'm always empty without him."

"You put much of yourself in his hands. You can be whole without him. You still have me."

"If I still have you then who does Ryou have?" He leaned his forehead against the window trying to will the glass to clear. He wanted to be able to see the white haired one when he came back for him. He should have been watching for him the first time but mistakes weren't to be repeated.

"Why am I never enough for you Little One?"

Yugi blinked rapidly. Something about his others voice sounded so...sad. It was true though. Yami had never been enough. That's why he had went out looking for Bakura. No. Not Bakura. Ryou. Yugi had sought out Ryou to..."To what exactly?"

"Aibou?"

"Why did I bring Ryou home? What would make me choose him? Bakura hurt me. So why seek out someone who was so much like him?" Questions that had been tumbling around in his head for months spilled from his mouth before he could stop them. "Why can't I remember before?"

The arms around his waist tightened briefly. "We told you Yugi. Seto and Jou explained."

"Trauma. The same reason I can't remember anything before seven months is for the same reason Ryou can't manage to even hold a brush without giving away those damn tremors. What was it that happened to us Yami?"

"We told you," the answer was weak. Unsure. "You were hurt. There was an accident."

"Bakura caused it. Because I broke up with him after he hurt me." His recent dreams rose in his mind. Of Bakura holding him. Telling him how good he was. How he needed to stay hidden because if he didn't he would be hurt again. "He wasn't talking about hurting me himself. Who was he talking about Yami?"

Yami moved away from the other. Crossing his arms across his chest he kept his back to Yugi as he spoke. "I don't know what happened between the two of you Little One. You wouldn't tell me. You would only tell Jou. The same as Ryou would only talk to that bleach-blonde abomination."

Yami was angry. He could make it better. Certain things would always put the other in a good mood. Yugi knew all the tricks. All the right moves. It just wasn't worth it anymore. "I don't think he hurt me Yami."

Turning on his heel Yami stalked over to Yugi. Pushing golden bangs away from Yugi's forehead he ran his finger across the scar on his temple. "He did this to you."

Yugi tried to turn back to the comfort of his lookout but to no avail. Strong fingers kept him from his goal.

Pushing the others shirt sleeve up to his elbow Yami pointed out another scar. This one smaller and lighter but still visible. "He did this to you."

"To teach him a lesson. Not to hurt me. Just to remind Ryou."

"Remind him of what?" Yugi dropped his head to stare at the floor. "No. You're going to talk to me about this. Stop hiding things from me."

He lashed out at his yami. "Quit trying to control me. You're always trying to decide how things are going to be. What we're going to eat. Where we're going to go. Where Ryou's going to sleep. Who I have to let into my bed."

"Ryou again. It always comes back to him. He's the reason we're in this mess in the first place. I never should have let him stay. I should have left him with his gods damned yami."

Any warmth that Yugi may have felt fled from him with that comment. Left him with Bakura. The place he was supposed to be. The reason his thoughts weren't so fuzzy. The three of them needed each other. Without Ryou around Bakura wasn't himself. "The dark can't survive without the light."


*I wanna love you but I better not touch
I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna kiss you but I want it too much
I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison
You're poison running through my veins
You're poison
I don't wanna break these chains.*


"Seto took him back today."

The rhythmic tapping hands paused for a moment before restarting a little slower. It was a ploy to try to hide the shaking that never really went away anymore. "To the same place as before?"

"Yep." Blonde hair was tossed carelessly back as Malik leaned over the table to push a letter towards his friend. He would have been surprised if Ryou actually read the note. "Apparently it took the Priest and the Dog to get him restrained enough to get him in the limo. Figures."

Ryou reached out like he was going to push the letter away but instead curled his hand around a cigarette pack. Flipping the cheap paper lid open he wrinkled his nose to find it empty. There was another pack on top of the fridge if he could get to it. Malik didn't approve of his new habit and had taken to shoving the small boxes in places Ryou could see but not quite reach. He claimed it was an accident that just occurred as he was cleaning but Ryou didn't believe it.

"Come on Angel. I'm not in the mood to smell that damn thing all night."

"I'll go outside with it." Stretching up he could just brush the box with his fingertips.

Malik pulled the offending object down and handed it to Ryou. "Smell clings to your hair. I can always tell how many you've had."

Ryou considered the thin white tube, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger. "I didn't realize."

Slim shoulder shrugged beneath a button down shirt. "It usually doesn't bother me. Just a bad day at work."

A flush of guilt crawled over the pale mans face. Malik hated his job. It paid the bills with money left over but it wasn't exactly the most rewarding line of work. Ryou couldn't seem to hold a job down for more than a couple months at a time. Too much contact with people made him edgy and too little would lead to uncontrollable panic attacks. So Malik got up and went to work. He was only supposed to be part time but someone was always calling in. Still it was money. "How bad?"

"Don't worry about it." Malik flipped the radio on as he started getting things together to make supper. He opened the fridge to shuffle through the few products they kept on hand. "What do you want to eat?"

"Nothing."

Malik started to argue when he was snagged by the back of his belt and yanked backwards. "Holy fuck!"

"Plan on it." Ryou kicked the fridge door shut. Using his weight he managed to get Malik seated on the floor. Violet eyes were wide with the shock of having a lapful of the other.

"No." He moaned as Ryou's hand slid across the zipper of his dress pants. He leaned against Ryou's chest as his zipper was lowered. He raised his hips as two sets of hands pushed his slacks down. He hissed when his efforts to help earned him a slap on his arm. Fine if Ryou wanted to be that way he had his own rules. "Not in the kitchen. It's not sanitary."

Malik knew he was in trouble when Ryou stopped what he was doing to glare at him with dark brown eyes. "I'm not moving from this spot."

"I'm not sitting on my bare ass on cold tile floors."

"Yes, you are." That was all the warning Malik got before Ryou dipped his head to take his length in his mouth. He laughed around his prize as Malik bucked up in surprise. The vibrations earned him another upward thrust. It was a stress reliever for both of them and Ryou know it. He switched between hard sucks and gentle licks until Malik went stiffened and came with something that was almost a word but not really understandable.

Malik managed to snag his boxers and pull them on with only a little complaining as the fabric grazed his sensitive skin. "What the hell was that about?"

Ryou smirked. "A celebration. After all with Yami back in lock up on the forth floor of the mental hospital it means Yugi's free to come for a visit."

Malik shook his head as he was pulled to his feet by an overzealous lover. "Yeah I'm sure Bakura will be thrilled to hear it."

"Hear what?" Ryou turned as his yami wandered into the room. Tanner and taller than he had been before Bakura was a splitting image of his self from millennia ago. At least the Pharaoh playing with items that didn't belong to him had a few good side effects.

A bright sunny smile lit up delicate features. "Yugi's coming home to us. We'll all be together again. Just like we're supposed to be.


*Poison.*

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The End. No. I mean it. That's the end of this whole mess hehe. At least someone got a happy ending right. Sorry if I made Yami come off as a bastard but really he's the one who got away with the least amount of angst through this whole thing. *wanders away to find more Reno/Cloud action*
Ja ne