Love Cures All Ills

Yugi woke up with Yami next to him, stroking his soft hair gently. Yugi blushed, mumbling, “I have to get ready for hunting tonight. I just hope that Marik and Ryou didn’t get into trouble from me calling in sick today.”
“They would have been in trouble if the vampires that found them only wanted them the way I want you,” Yami said, making Yugi gasp in horror. “Don’t worry, Malik and Bakura brought them back here and Jou gave those two permission to stay. They’ve already joined the ranks of vampire hunters. I asked Jou, and he said it would be fine for me to come as well. My half-cousin Seto will be coming too.”
“Seto? Seto Kaiba? Jou’s boss?” Yugi asked in surprise. Yami nodded.
“He’s a half-human, half-vampire hybrid. He can be around humans and keep his bloodlust in check for long periods of time without being in love. Now that he’s in love, I wonder if he’ll even need to drink blood anymore. It would be a blessing if that were the case. His blood could be used to make serum for us that would make us not need blood as well. Theoretically, of course,” Yami said, but Yugi saw that Yami hoped it would be true so bad, he didn’t believe it was a theory.
Yugi sighed. “Yami, don’t get your hopes too high. I wouldn’t want to see them come crashing down,” Yugi mumbled. Yami sighed and nodded.
“I know, I’m sorry,” he replied. “It’s just... I really want to be rid of this curse.”
“I know,” Yugi said, snuggling close to his vampire lover’s chest. “I know...”
~*~*~
That night ended without a single successful hunt. It seemed the rogues were laying low for a bit since four vampires had joined a vampire hunting party. Upon reaching the base before dawn, Jou came face-to-face with Mai and her group.
“What is it, Mai?” the blond leader of the medley group asked. Mai snorted.
“You’ve got some nerve! One vamp joining a group of vampire hunters was bad enough, but three PLUS a half-breed? You’ve gone soft,” she sneered. Jou sighed.
“Mai, ya gotta learn not every vampire is evil. We’ve learned dat, and we’re tryin’ ‘a save da ones that want and possibly can be saved,” Jou replied calmly. “Listen, yer not da on’y one orphaned by vampires. Yugs here was orphaned an’ raised by Suguruko-sensei. And not on’y has Yugs fallen in love wit dis vampire, Suguruko approved of dere relationship, sayin’ he life was complete since he’d met a good vampire. He died later that night of natural causes, we can on’y guess it was ‘cause he kept himself ‘live in case he met summon like Yams.”
Mai’s eyes widened at that news. She had been trained by Suguruko as well, long before Yugi had been adopted and raised as his apprentice. She had firmly disbelieved any vampire could be good and thought that Sensei was an old fool for wanting to meet a good one. ‘But his desire to meet one kept him alive long enough to finish training the hunter that would meet the one he wanted. Yami made his final wish come true, and he’s resting in peace now,’ Mai thought. She looked into Yami’s eyes. They were gentle and full of love and compassion for Yugi and Yugi’s allies. She hung her head.
“I’m sorry, Jou. I... I want to believe you, but I can’t. Not yet. I still need more proof. The emotional scars from that night run too deep, and one of your party looks so much like that- that murderer,” she whispered. Everyone gasped at that, except Malik and Bakura. Bakura was growling.
“I should’ve known it was him!” he roared, surprising everyone. “Dorobou Bakura, my older... brother,” Bakura spat. “I happen to be one of the few purebloods who wish to be rid of the vampire’s curse. That disappointed that... swine and he goes around murdering innocent people and transforming others, all to spite me. I’ve been trying to find him to kill him for centuries, but he’s always eldued me. Damned bastard! I’ll get him, if it’s the last thing I do!”
Everyone looked at Bakura shocked, except Marik, who just looked at the ground. Jou turned to Marik. “You knew about Dorobou Bakura, didn’t you?” he asked gently. Marik nodded.
“He murdered my family before me eyes, brought me to Bakura and transformed me, calling me a ‘present’. Bakura would have torn him apart right then and there if he hadn’t been weakened by a misguided hunter who mistook him for that bastard earlier in the night,” Marik said quietly. Mai looked at him sadly. She was beginning to understand Suguruko’s point of view and the reason Jou’s party had taken in these vampires. The blonde woman sighed.
“I’m sorry to have cause you all so much trouble. We’ll be going now. Jou, I’d like to met with you later, if possible. I want to know more about seeing past my own preconceptions like you can. For once, you’ll actually be able to teach me something,” she said.
“Wazzat supposed ta mean?” Jou shouted as Mai and her followers ran off. “Hey! I asked ya a question, lady!” Mai ignored him. The blond teen huffed. “Let’s go inside, gang, ‘fore the sun rises. We need to catch some shut-eye ‘fore our shifts start dis afta’noon.”