[Ryou feels even more like an idiot when Atem says that, but...that's his fault. He's overblown it, hasn't he? He's...punishing himself for something that he shouldn't, but it still feels like he should. So when Atem pulls back and says that, his tail starts wagging in that awkward, placating manner as if he's just been told off.]

I'm sorry, I didn't...I don't do the sort of thing I did at Yugi's...never. Never ever! I didn't want you to think I was some kind of...

[Idiot.]

...It doesn't matter. It's...just me. H-haha, I'm being dramatic, aren't I?

[He smiles, a small, wry old thing, before he leans in close, kisses Atem very briefly.]

I'm okay.

[He's not. He can still see everyone's responses in his head, he can still hear Elias in his head, he can feel him, touching Ryou but not actually being there, the feeling of fingers settling on his shoulders, the sound of comforting words in his head that were not comforting at all, they were wrong, wrong, W R O N G--

Ryou doesn't realize, but his clawed fingertips are digging into Atem's back harder than he means to.