[He leaves behind weird images of people wiggling their back halves into his old skin to pretend they're snakes and get freaky, because the kiss to his cheek brings him back to the present, and Atem relaxes again.

(Ryou is also a little freaky, but in a respectful way, so Atem doesn't mind it at all. Ryou's type of fascination doesn't make him feel like all Ryou sees is the type of monster Atem is at the time, which is how it is with humans -- instead, Ryou liking the weird stuff about him makes Atem feel more comfortable with it, with himself.)

How does he feel? He runs a clawed hand over one arm.]

I feel good. Better than I have in a week! The new skin's a little raw, but it's like I've just come out of a really hot shower...

I'm glad it's gone, too. Thank you for looking after me!

[Because, really, Ryou had been a saint through the whole process. Patient with Atem's whining, attentive, doing research into what Atem needed, willing to put up with uncomfortable heat and damp...man, Atem's lucky to have him.

He leans in to put a brief but warm kiss on Ryou's mouth, one clawed hand coming up to hold Ryou's jaw. He's missed that, too, all this week.]

I don't know how this would've gone without you.

[But he knows it'd have been worse. Way worse. He'd have been blind, alone, anxious, with no idea how to care for himself or when it would stop.]