[open]

[note_atem]

Busy, busy, busy. You'd warned Atem he wouldn't be able to see you for the weekend due to some work that had piled up on you. He'd accepted, of course, with a grin nonetheless. Work\school\whatever is important so he knows to stay out of the way. It was late into Sunday. You had made so much progress. Almost finished. Almost done...

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[whitewizardboy]

He had a job now creating figurines for a small company display, so it really wasn't his fault that he didn't have much time for much else lately. He was up painting it into the late hours, not really realizing what time it really was.

When he heard the door buzz, he wiped his forehead and headed to the door, only to see it already opened and Atem standing there in the rain. He wiped his hands on his work apron, taking in the sight of Atem soaked. He gave a half smile and led him inside.

"Looking like that, I think you'd better stay the night so you don't catch your death out here..." He closed the door behind Atem.

[note_atem]

Walking seemed to be a chore for him. The pain that was radiating from his back he was trying so hard to hide but it resulted in awkward half-steps with every one normal step forward. Not much was going on in his mind for once other than trying to think of .... the reason he'd come there at all.

The rain. Right.

"I don't mean to bother you I know you're busy. But there was nowhere else."

[whitewizardboy]

"It really is all right, Atem-san. I probably needed a break from the paint fumes anyway." He put Atem's arm around his shoulder to help him walk into the main living area. It didn't really matter to him at the moment that Atem had his shoes on at the moment. Some things were more important. He then helped him ease into a chair, not really caring if it got wet.

"Mind telling me what happened, or am I going to have to guess?"

[note_atem]

He shied away from that touch immediately, eyes closing tightly in a sure sign of quiet pain. Trying to get past it, he didn't say much else while he was guided and sitting seemed to be a chore as well.

"Happened?" His question seemed legitimate. Almost as if he really wasn't sure why he was there at all. What could have happened?

[whitewizardboy]

"Well, pain usually doesn't appear on its own without a reason." Or scratches for that matter, he thought to himself as he pulled a blanket off the couch for him.

"So... what happened? ...Before you came here, at least."

[note_atem]

Pain? Sure his back hurt but... was his facade really that weak that it was so easily seen past? The thought bothered him, but the stinging on his face reminded him that it was probably the more obvious. His hand raised the the offending mark, a light touch that only caused a more resounding sting.

"I must have fallen outside." It made sense. Slip in the rain, scrape your face against the sidewalk. Sure. Sense enough. "It's nothing."

The house phone seemed to disagree with him as it suddenly rang in the background.

[whitewizardboy]

He looked up with the blanket in hand when the phone started ringing.

"Hmm? Wonder who could be calling at this hour?" He mumbled before turning back to Atem.

"I'll make some tea here in a second. Just stay here and rest, okay?" He opened the blanket and put it around him before going to answer the phone.

[note_atem]

The sound of the phone filled him with an unparalleled sense of apprehension so suddenly. He watched the other disappear, clutching the blanket to him for a moment. Perhaps it was best to pretend like he was trying to dry off, and listen in at the same time.

A tired sounding formal voice filtered in over the phone. "Bakura-san, this is the Domino City Police Department. I need to know if you've seen or had any contact with Mutou Atem over the last hour and a half."

[whitewizardboy]

Ryou froze. The... Domino City Police Department? Why would they be calling him about Atem?

He took a breath before answering. "Yes, I have seen him. Is.. there anything I can help you with, sir?"

[note_atem]

Oh good. A willing participant. For once. This was good. If he could scare the kid enough he wouldn't have to go about this all nice like.

"I need to bring him into the station for questioning. Immediately. Is he there with you?" All he needed was a yes...

[whitewizardboy]

Ryou was unsure about how he could answer that. Sure, it was a police officer asking him about Atem, but wouldn't it make more sense for him to take Atem to the police if need be? No sense in making two trips...

"Well, it is sort of late. Maybe I can bring him by in the morning when it's stopped raining? It isn't really that much trouble..."

[note_atem]

There was a small pause and hesitation on the detective's part before he heaved a massive sigh. "Listen." One could almost hear the head rubbing he was doing at the moment. "We think he was targeted in an arson. His apartment building has been completely decimated." It wasn't good to release all these details but ...

Did it really matter? It would be in all the morning papers and on the news shortly. They weren't hidden by any stretch of the imagination. "The Fire Department has warned us that he is probably badly injured as well. They had to pull him out from underneath a fallen rafter." That was something he wasn't supposed to be released, but in someone else's care, it was important.

"His neighbor made remarks that he seemed ... not completely there, the last they saw him outside." Another long sigh. "Watch him. Make sure he's alright. Losing everything to a fire can send a person into shock." Yet another sigh. "Yes. Fine. Bring him in in the morning." With that the phone just suddenly cut. The man had too much work to do at the

[whitewizardboy]

It didn't matter how the detective had ended the conversation, Ryou felt he was in shock himself. Arson? Atem had been attacked and he didn't have a home anymore?

Hearing the detective had hung up, he hung up his own phone back in its cradle and started to make tea for both of them. Some sort of familiarity would be good for him.

He headed back into the living room with two steaming cups.

"I... think it's probably better if you stay the night. Who knows when this storm will be over.."

[note_atem]

When Ryou returned Atem was bent over, still sitting, head in his hands. The position hurt quite a lot to maintain but he didn't feel like doing anything else. One hand slicked back through his drenched hair.

"I know you're busy..." He said softly. "Don't worry about me."

[whitewizardboy]

"Hey," he said gently, though he dared not to touch him like before. Who knew what injuries he had, not to mention taking him to the police station in the morning. "It really is okay. No job or amount of money is enough to keep me from helping a friend in need." He set the two mugs on the table, then sat on the couch next to the chair that Atem was sitting in.

"Matter of fact... I should probably apologize for taking on so many jobs at once and ignoring you like this. It was my own fault, really." He took a sip of tea and held the other cup closer to Atem, hoping he would drink it. Maybe it will help him feel a little better, at least?

[note_atem]

His eyes raised just slightly at that offered cup of tea. It was taken from the other's hands only to be placed on the table nearby. He seemed to reflect on Ryou's words before speaking again.

It was complimented with a shake of his head. "You have things to attend to. I'm not ... I'm not supposed to be getting in the way of anyone's life anymore." Someone had tried to fix that- obviously. If what his neighbors had said was true, if he was the cause...

"I shouldn't stay here."