There is no paradise without you.

"No-no it's okay, I'm okay." He assured him and cupped his cheek, offering a soft smile despite the sting. It was really his fault, he should have told him before hand that he thought icing it was a better idea. But the massaging had just felt so nice. Once Atem moved his hands back up his back, he settled again against him.

This time, when those cool fingers touched his scars he let out a soft groan, relaxing into him as the pain began to numb and fade. His eyes slipped closed and he nodded with a sigh. "Much better," he said, melting into him as his back eased. "Thank you."

Atem still felt bad for even the momentary discomfort he'd brought to the hikari. But he tilted his head into the gentle touch even as his fingers began to slowly and carefully massage that area as well. He didn't even pause to shift into a more comfortable position when Yugi leaned on him again.

Instead he softly chuckled and leaned his head against the other man's while his aibou melted like butter once again. It would do no good to keep dogging on himself for hurting him. The pain had passed, he'd made it right again and his partner was well and truly relaxed again. Still though, he continued to massage, wanting to keep the pain from returning.

"Hm.. You're welcome," he softly answered, watching his hands underneath the shirt. It made him curious about what those wings of his must have once looked like. It also had him wondering if the hikari would want them back or not. But he didn't ask, not yet. He'd only just relaxed him again. No need for him to potentially be tense again. "Make sure you tell me when you need another massage like this, aibou. I'll be more than happy to help."

"It isn't..." He agreed. Especially when he was the heart of the group. How often he was the one being positive and keeping people calm or being the listener. It was one of the reasons he pushed his own problems down.

He was going to say more but feeling the warm hands at his scars, he lifted his head suddenly, inhaling sharply. "Wait wait," he said. "Sorry-" His skin was sensitive normally but right now he let out a soft breath. "Can you do cold?" He asked. It was a struggle, the warmth for his muscles, but the scars were already angry and heated.

The moment Yugi tensed, he didn't have to say anything, Atem slid his hands back down in a hurry. That answered that question and he winced in sympathy as he softly apologized and nodded. He could indeed make them colder. As cold as the grave in fact, but he doubted that aibou wanted them that cold.

He lowered the heat of his hands to what a person's temperature would be in the autumn first as his fingers found the scars again. Though gradually they grew colder still to what hands would feel like after spending too long on a winter day.

"I'm sorry, Yugi.." he said again, running his, now cold fingers over the length of the scars first. "Is that better?" He wanted to calm the angriness of the scars first before he started working to relax them again. He felt really bad for that moment though, the tell he was talking about earlier had been there. With his partner jerking up and the subtle little twitches that Yugi himself didn't seem to notice he made.

"I…" But what could he say? He knew Atem was right. Especially when he had said he had learned such things from Yugi himself. After all, while he had learned to be brave and stand on his own, he had taught Atem to let people in, to care for their friends, to be cared for.

He let out another soft sigh. "You're right. I'm sorry. It's just…Hard to remember sometimes. Especially with something like this." Yugi admitted softly, though his eyelids fluttered as his back continued to relax, tension melting out of him bit by bit.

"Its not easy to find that midway point. The place between standing proud and strong on your own and relying on those around you," he conceded, it was something he had struggled with himself during their journey.

It was something he still struggled with truth be told, even now as a God. So he couldn't fault Yugi for it. But even now, even though it took some soft coaxing, the hikari was showing even now he could rely on others. Showing how much he trusted others to look after him if he needed it. Even while Atem's hands finally reached the scars and he heated his hands just a little more.

"Tell me if this hurts you. I'm not sure if heat or cold will be what's best here."

"But isn't that why we dueled in the first place?" His question was soft and his heart squeezed. He didn't mean for it to sound the way it did and he continued. "To show I can do things on my own? Be strong..."

Those fingers against his back made him inhale a bit sharply, taught muscles slowly relaxing under the coaxing and warmth. Slowly he relaxed against him with a soft groan.

He knew that Yugi didn't mean it the way that it sounded, but his hands still paused for a second, showing his surprise. He could tell from the way his aibou slightly tensed against him that he hadn't meant it to be as harsh as it came out though. So he softly sighed as his hands began their work again.

"Strength isn't always in facing these things alone. You taught me that. Real strength comes in fighting your battles, true. But its also in knowing you can count on others to be there with you," he softly replied. "You still have our friends. Our friends who I'm sure would rather have you lean on them when you need it rather than keep it to yourself. And you still have me."

He smiled to himself, feeling Yugi practically melt against him as his fingers and hands worked their magic on his back. He could feel knots working loose beneath his hands as he made his way upward. How long had he been this tense?