Queer As Tachi – Chapter 50
The private KaibaCorp jet landed without fuss at the Domino City airport, depositing the company president, his staff, and his lone guest back into the wintry chill that seemed such a slap in the face after spending several lovely days in Hong Kong. With his briefcase at his side and his coat collar turned up against the wind, Kaiba looked every bit the self-assured CEO he needed to be, in the face of his defeat and the secrets he had dared to spill to Yugi aboard the plane. No one looking at him would suspect him of vulnerability or failure. Yugi trailed after him until they got to the gate, where they would have to part ways. “Thanks again for letting me fly home with you,” he said to Kaiba before they split. “You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”
“Don’t worry,” Kaiba said gruffly. “I’ll call in a favor some day so you can pay me back for the privilege.”
Yugi smiled at him. “I’m sure you will. Bye, Kaiba. Good luck with your KC stores.”
Kaiba eyed him, but realized as Yugi waved and vanished through the gate into a crowd of everyday normal people, the sentiment was sincere. Yugi was up for the challenge. Some of the tension eased from Seto’s brow as turned and stalked out the gate in the other direction, where a car was waiting to take him to see Mokuba. That, at least, would restore a bit of normalcy to his life.
Yugi knew his unexpected change of flight had gotten him home early, but he didn’t realize by how much until he climbed out of the taxi he had taken home to find his grandfather outside the game shop on a ladder, trying to hang a “welcome home” banner. Yugi stopped to stare, and then laugh, and call out, “What are you doing? You’re going to fall off there and hurt yourself!”
Surprised by his grandson’s voice, Solomon flailed for a moment and nearly did fall off the ladder. Only then did Yugi read the banner: Home of the Duel Monsters World Champion. Yugi stared, touched, as his grandpa came down to street level. “Yugi! You’re home early. I thought I still had an hour before you would be back to see this…” He beamed kindly. “Congratulations.”
“Is that for me?” Yugi laughed a little. “Well, maybe not so much for me but the store…”
“Nonsense.” Grandpa set a hand on his shoulder. “I’m very proud of you, Yugi. You showed tremendous grace and heart, facing Joey like that. I watched the whole thing on TV. I’m surprised Kaiba didn’t make it that far, though. I thought for sure you’d be facing him…”
Yugi mustered a casual smile, trying not to think about the change in his dealings with Kaiba. “Well, there were a lot of tough duelists in the final rounds. I really didn’t know who was going to make it, I had three pretty tough duels myself.”
Grandpa Muto guided him to the door. “I want to hear all about it. Come, let’s put your bags down and you can sit and tell me the whole story.” He peered curiously at his grandson as he took down the ladder to bring along. “Did Joey seriously propose to Mai…on live television? They’re really getting married?”
“Yup!” Yugi giggled. “I’ll tell you all about it, Grandpa…”
The gang had already made plans, regardless of who might have gone to the finals or won the tournament, to welcome the three players home and toast Joey’s birthday together, so later that evening they all got together with even more to celebrate. They had chosen for once to go out rather than invade someone’s home, and had a good noisy time at a busy restaurant telling and re-telling stories of the rounds their friends had missed and sharing all the fun details of their time in Hong Kong. Upon meeting each other there, the first thing Tristan did was wrap Joey up in the biggest, manliest hug he could possibly give, pounding him heartily on the back. “Congratulations, man,” he murmured in his friend’s ear. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“I know. Kinda scary, isn’t it?” Joey murmured back before letting him go. “So I guess I don’t need to ask if you were watching.”
“Next best thing to being there and seeing it happen right in front of me.” Tristan smacked him hard on the shoulder. “You couldn’t wait till you got home to do it, could you?”
Joey laughed sheepishly. “I kind of promised myself I would do it at the tournament. Be all dramatic, you know?” He glanced aside as Mai came up to him, slinking an arm around his waist. “’Cause I’m all about the dramatic plot developments.”
“Is that what you call it?” Mai smirked.
“It was so cute!” Yugi gushed as he broke into the midst of the group. “I’m so proud of Joey. It was awesome. Don’t worry, we wished you guys could have been there with us, too.”
Tristan grinned at him. “You cried, didn’t you? You big softie.”
Yugi grumbled as Tristan messed up his hair affectionately. “Of course I did. It was sweet.”
Duke had been standing aside, listening, not interrupting the reunion of old friends. “So you got a ring yet, Mai?”
“Not yet,” Mai replied. “I think maybe I’ll drag Mr. Romance here out on Valentine’s Day to get one.”
“Now that I can afford one,” Joey said wryly. “A good one, too.”
“Is that where all that second-place prize money is going?” Tristan teased.
“Not all of it,” Joey insisted. “Some of it is going away for school, and the future. Gah, and now we have to pay for a wedding! What the hell was I thinking?”
Mai smacked him in the back of the head. “We have time, dork. We can save up for that. Or maybe hit my parents up – they’re loaded.”
Joey eyed her. They had never really spoken at length about Mai’s family. “How loaded?”
“So when’s the date?” Duke wondered.
“We haven’t really talked about it,” Joey replied. “Geez, I only just proposed last night! We got a lot to talk about.” He glanced at Mai with a glowing smile. “But I think we’ve so far agreed it’s going to be a long engagement. After all, I got school on top of everything else.”
“Next year sometime is good,” Mai agreed. “We’ll talk it over. Trust me, when we know, you guys will know.”
They sat for a long time at the restaurant, sharing stories and toasting the engagement as well as Joey’s coming of age, which he was gleefully celebrating with a beer he had long denied himself since he wasn’t driving anyway. Duke and Tristan were disturbed to hear about some of the things that happened to Yugi, but all seemed to have turned out well. When he had an opportunity to pull Joey aside, Yugi begged to know whether it did, or if Eiri had caused any trouble aboard the plane. Joey grew serious for the only time that night. “Nah, not really,” he answered quietly so the others wouldn’t hear. “We swapped glares across the aisle, but he didn’t say a word to us. I think he got the hint, that I would have kicked his ass if he so much as mentioned you.”
“Thanks, Joey,” Yugi sighed. “I know you’d go to bat for me anytime, but I didn’t want to make it any worse. I just hope he doesn’t figure out my address and really start stalking me.”
“I don’t think he will,” Joey assured, clapping Yugi on the shoulder. “He’s a creep, but he’s smart enough to know that’ll just get him in more trouble. At least I hope. Yo, not for nothin’, Yug, but…” Joey made a concerned face. “…you oughta help yourself out with things like this. It’s not the first time someone’s gone after you, one of these times you’re really gonna get hurt. You should take a self-defense class or something, maybe people won’t find it so easy to pick on you.”
Yugi smiled faintly. “I appreciate that, Joey, but I’m okay. Knowing what to do with my fists isn’t going to make things any better. Besides, I know what to do as a last resort.” He winked cutely. “A man’s vulnerable spot isn’t a secret.”
Joey grinned at him. “Oh yeah? Well, what if you get attacked by a girl? Huh?” He grabbed Yugi in a headlock and mussed up his hair, laughing while Yugi squirmed and yelped and punched him back. After a bit of roughhousing, which the others snickered at, Joey let him go and merely patted him on the shoulder. “I’m just lookin’ out for you, you know. You’re my best buddy, I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I know,” Yugi smiled, shoving him. “Maybe I’ll have to hire you to be my bodyguard next time. Hmm?”
“Hey, after all that prize money you won,” Joey grinned, “you can sure afford it.”
Tristan snapped his fingers. “Damn, Joey, that’s what we should have done in high school – made Yugi pay us to protect him from bullies.”
“Oh yeah?” Yugi laughed. “I seem to remember it was me protecting you!”
“Yeah, fat lot of good you did us,” Joey snorted. “All three of us got beat up.”
They all laughed at that, and fell into a long reminiscence of days gone by that lasted them well into the night and the party’s end. At last, with shop owners needing to get sleep before a big work day and Joey having to go back to class after his vacation, they decided it was time to part ways and vanished into the crisp winter night, full and happy. Mai walked Joey back to the car with her arm in his, though he hadn’t overindulged and was more than steady on his feet. “So,” she said to him when they were alone at last. “What do you think? Should we make it a sappy Valentine’s Day by going out looking for a ring?”
“Whatever you want,” Joey said amiably, working his arm around her waist instead. She slid hers around his so they could fall comfortably into each other. “That prize money is all for you. I want you to pick out the biggest one you can find.”
Mai smiled to herself. “How about the nicest small one?” she suggested warmly. “I don’t need a big diamond. They get caught on my sweaters,” she added with a pout.
“Seriously, Mai,” Joey insisted. “We can afford it, now. I want you to have any ring you want, whatever makes you happy. Don’t skimp on my account – I can finally splurge on you.”
Mai kissed him on the cheek as they walked. “Who says I’m skimping? Maybe I don’t want a big flashy engagement ring. Maybe that’s what makes me happy.”
Joey laughed. “All right, all right, fine. Just remember, all the girls in the office are gonna want to see it after you get it.”
They walked on up the sidewalk in silence, until they reached the car, where Mai pulled Joey to a stop and kissed him deeply. “You know I love you, Jonouchi Katsuya,” she murmured into the space between them, using his full name for dramatic effect. “The size of the ring, or of the wedding, or anything else doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I’ve got you, and you’ve got me.”
Joey smiled and kissed her back. “I love you too, Mai,” he said softly. “I always have.”
Mai smiled and reached behind her to open the car door. “Get in,” she demanded. “The night’s not over yet.”
“Oo?” Joey grinned recklessly as she went around the car to get behind the wheel. “Does this mean I have a special birthday present waiting for me?”
“Only the best,” Mai smirked back, tossing back her hair. “And I am the best, you know.”
Cackling, Joey threw himself into the car and slammed the door behind him. “Damn straight you are, Mai. Let’s go!”
It took a couple days for things to settle down, but by then Yugi was back to his usual routine, leaning an elbow on the counter as he waited for the school-age kids to stop debating which card pack to buy and just come over and pay for them. While he waited, he had one eye on the tiny calendar magnetically stuck to the side of the register – it didn’t have all the special dates marked on it like the one on the wall behind him, but he knew which one he was most looking forward to, of all of those in February. “Here we go again,” he mused internally to his listening partner. “Another Valentine’s Day is going to come and go, and I won’t get to do anything with you.”
He visualized Yami appearing next to him, arms folded, an aloof smirk on his lips. “Does it really matter?” he wondered. “One day is just as good as the next, as far as I’m concerned. What…” He leaned closer, the smirk intensifying. “…coming to see me inside the Puzzle isn’t good enough for you?”
A naughty smile awakened on Yugi’s face as he leaned against the counter, daydreaming and listening to Yami. “Well, now that you mention it, that does sound like a good idea,” he admitted. “I know, it’s so dumb…all of my life I’ve always complained about how stupid Valentine’s Day is, and how it really doesn’t matter because if you can’t show your affection for your loved one on every day of the year, having a holiday to do it won’t make up for it.” He sighed. “But now that I’m in love, I can’t help it. The hearts and flowers going up in the shop windows don’t turn me off anymore, now I’m all suckered into it.”
Yami was also more than aware of the calendar. “Yet it falls a good two weeks before the next full moon. Will you at least concede that a day in late February is just as good as the fourteenth? I look forward to being able to shower you with attention and affection and celebrate in style…” He smiled as Yugi glanced his way. “Even if it isn’t on the same day as everyone else.”
“Oh, all right,” Yugi relented with a mental chuckle. “I guess you’re right. Technically, Valentine’s Day is for girls anyway, but…”
“Joey and Mai are going looking for their engagement ring that day,” Yami recalled.
“Yup. So, we can mark the occasion, or not, whatever. Since the full moon will be right between Valentine’s Day and White Day – we’ll celebrate both at once. How’s that?”
A romantic purr stole through Yugi’s mind. “I can’t wait.” Yami then chuckled. “As for the holiday, try to ignore the hearts and flowers. I wish I could be with you in person, but I’m still by your side. You have no need to feel bad if everyone else is going out that day and you’re not.”
“True.” Yugi snapped himself out of his reverie just in time to politely complete the sale of several packs of Duel Monsters cards, wishing the young customers well in their dueling ventures. Beneath the surface, however, Yami had begun to ponder the value of his own advice weighed against the feelings of sentiment he could sense in his young partner’s mind. Whatever Yugi might say about not caring about the technicality of a day on the calendar, Yami could still feel the little twinge in his heart whenever he was reminded of the romantic holiday and considered he would not be spending it walking hand-in-hand with his boyfriend. Yami didn’t know what a disembodied spirit like himself could do about it, but he passed the days laying in wait, watching for his chance, gauging every little spark of delight or interest Yugi showed in anything Valentine-related.
Grandpa Muto was vaguely aware of the social developments among Yugi’s friends, since Yugi liked to share news whenever he had it, but he decided on his own not to bring up Valentine’s Day, figuring that Yugi was already more than aware that the full moon wasn’t for another couple of weeks and therefore didn’t care. Having heard about Joey and Mai’s special plans, and aware that Tristan had already told Yugi that he had some kind of plans and wouldn’t be available to snub their collective noses at the holiday like they used to, Grandpa assumed that Yugi would be spending the night in, taking care of the usual errands and chores and not worrying about a lack of social life. As a result, he was surprised one random day earlier in the week when Yugi came downstairs on his way out to run errands, only to realize it wasn’t Yugi. “Uh, sorry Grandpa,” he said, and that was when Solomon heard the deeper tone of his voice. “It’s Yami. I…asked Yugi to let me take over for a moment. May I ask you something?”
“Of course,” Grandpa Muto replied, eyeing him curiously. “It’s not often you switch places with him on any plain old day, with not a duel in sight.”
“I know,” Yami said with a sheepish laugh. “But it’s the only way I can set up plans to do something for Yugi and keep it a surprise from him.”
“Ooo?” Grandpa’s eyebrows lifted. “Planning a surprise for my boy, are you?”
Yami nodded shyly. “It’s for Valentine’s Day. I know I won’t be here, in my body, but I’d like to show him that I’m thinking about him.”
“Doesn’t he already know you’re thinking about him? After all, you share thoughts…”
“I mean…” Yami clapped a hand over his face. “Oh, I don’t know how to do these things.”
“I’m just teasing,” Grandpa assured him. “You want to do something special for him, eh? I’d be glad to help. What did you have in mind?”
“Nothing too grand,” the pharaoh’s spirit said. “I just lack the hands to do it myself, and Valentine’s Day will have come and gone by the time I do. If you could…” He gave Grandpa a timid look that reminded him more of Yugi than Yami. “…pick something up for me? And then the night before, leave it by his bed so that he finds it when he wakes up.” He reached inside his coat and pulled a folded card out of a pocket. “I just wrote this up, for him. I don’t know what to get…maybe some chocolates? Is that what people get for each other on this holiday?”
Grandpa took the card from his slender fingers and kept it discreetly folded. “I may not be up on what the cool thing is for all the kids these days, but as far as I know, chocolates are still the treat of choice this time of year. I would be delighted to help you, Yami.”
“It doesn’t have to be much,” Yami insisted. “Just a little something to say I haven’t forgotten that it means something to him.” He smiled bashfully, averting his eyes. “Yugi is such a romantic. I don’t wish to trod on his sentimental feelings considering how practical or logical I can be sometimes.”
“Ah, yes. I know what you mean.” Grandpa Muto winked cheerily at him. “Consider me your co-conspirator, then. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you.” Yami smiled and turned to go around the counter, waving behind him. “We’re on our way out to take care of the shopping. Don’t tell him…”
“I know.” Grandpa shooed him out with a gesture. “Just get on out there so he doesn’t wake up and suspect me of anything.”
Laughing, Yami snapped his coat up tighter against the winter chill outside and breezed through the door, only then letting go of his control so that Yugi could resume normalcy. Though a bit surprised to find himself standing on the sidewalk outside the shop, Yugi realized he had no way of putting clues together to find out what Yami had wanted to do by taking control of his mind. They were simply on their way to go shopping just like he said he needed to. Shrugging, Yugi decided to let his partner have his secrets, because he knew of the good things that came when he did.
Upon returning home with his arms full of grocery bags, Yugi clattered upstairs and noticed as he passed the desk near the door that there was a message on the phone. He had to unburden himself first, setting the bags down in the kitchen, and came out tugging his coat open before going to the phone and pressing the button to play back the message. To his surprise, Ryo Bakura’s soft voice came through the machine. “Hello, Yugi,” he said with a note of hesitation behind the friendliness. “I suppose your grandfather is too busy in the shop to pick up. Um…oh, congratulations on the tournament. That was a spectacular duel. I’m calling…er, I was just wondering if maybe…this Sunday night, you didn’t have plans? I thought…it would be nice to see you, and hear about the tournament. Call me when you get this message.”
Yugi stared at the phone. Sunday night…that’s Valentine’s Day… His musing turned toward Yami. “Do you think he didn’t realize it, or…?”
“Wouldn’t he have class on Monday?” Yami reasoned. “Seems like an odd night to choose for getting together with someone.”
“Oh, like Joey and I have never done it before…” Yugi gave the phone and its blinking message light a frown. “What do you think?”
“Yugi,” Yami said patiently within his mind, “without asking him directly, you have no way of knowing whether Bakura has ulterior motives for wanting to see you. If he wants to spend time with you as a friend, I see no reason to turn him down. Especially after all the times in the past few months that you tried to include him in activities and he shied away.”
“But what if it isn’t ‘as a friend?’” Yugi needled him. “What if I was right, and he does have a little crush on me?”
“You won’t know until you ask him,” Yami said wisely. “And until you know, I have no reason to be jealous.”
Yugi snorted at him. “You can’t possibly be that perfect,” he teased. He shrugged out of his coat and went down to hang it up on the coat rack by the door, still talking to his partner spirit. “Fine. I’ll think about it. I’ll call him back later tonight and let him know what I decide. But no pressure, okay?”
Unbeknownst to Yugi, mustering the ability to call him and ask him if he had plans on Sunday had taken just about every ounce of Bakura’s courage and strength. He didn’t know which was worse, getting the machine or having to talk to Yugi directly. The latter probably would have scared him so much that he couldn’t get out the words, but now that he had left the message, waiting for a response made him a wreck. He had called on a break between classes, so he had to go through the rest of his day, come home, do homework and some research for his work-study program, and sit there waiting for Yugi to call. The longer the day wore on with no answer, the worse Bakura began to feel about having taken this chance. Alone in his silent flat, with not even the ticking of a clock to disturb him, he moped about making a scant dinner for one and then laid down on the futon in his bedroom, not tired enough to sleep but too forlorn to feel like doing anything active. All he could do was stare at the ceiling and watch the darkness deepen around him, until only the dim orange glow from the streetlamp outside filtering through the shutters gave him any light to see by. The occasional passing car trailed streaks of light silently across the ceiling from one corner of the room to the other, but nothing else disturbed the dreary stillness. Bakura lay on his back with his eyes unfocused, wishing he had the desire to get up and do something to get his mind off his loneliness – even homework! – but he just couldn’t. By that time in the evening, he had given up on hearing back from Yugi, a resolution which left him utterly alone again. He probably guessed, he lamented to himself. He knows when Valentine’s Day is, he has to. I knew he wouldn’t want to be with me. I should have known. No one wants to be with me. His lower lip began to tremble. Why should I have expected that things would be any different out of high school? Face it, Ryo… He shuddered, and tears spilled down his cheeks. No one will ever love you.
“Oh, please,” a snide voice seared through his mind. “Five thousand years of waiting for a vessel and this is what I have to put up with? Stop your sniveling and get up! What do you care whether or not anyone loves you? In the end, they’ll all be destroyed. I’ll see to that. You have no need to seek their approval, they’re worthless.” The voice hissed angrily. “Just like you.”
Ryo caught his breath. He knew that voice, but only as something from his nightmares, something he never interacted with yet seemed such a familiar part of his existence. He heard it in distant dreams, in the shadows, but it had never spoken directly to him before. “You,” he whispered, out loud, breaking the silence of his solitary room. “The dark spirit inside me…”
The voice snickered. “Brilliant of you to notice. But call me Bakura – after all, it was my name long before it was yours.”
“Leave me alone,” Ryo whimpered. “I don’t want to deal with you right now.”
“So you can lie here feeling sorry for yourself?” the spirit snorted. No phantom images materialized for Ryo to see, all he knew of the spirit’s presence was a voice in his mind and a cold, creepy feeling in the pit of his stomach. The Millennium Ring lay on a table within arm’s reach, but Bakura still managed to insinuate his ethereal presence in Ryo’s mind with startling clarity. “I’m sick of this. Night after night I’m forced to sit here and listen to your pathetic thoughts, wavering between pitiful self-delusion and wretched loathing. It’s enough to drive a soul insane.”
“I thought you already were,” Ryo whispered tearfully. “You don’t have to listen. You can leave me alone.”
The voice in his mind purred with a sort of chuckle. “Not completely,” Bakura corrected him. “Like it or not, there’s a connection between us. Maybe not as strong as some, but you allowed me into your life early on, giving me the foothold I need. You’re stuck with me.”
Ryo rolled over onto his side, curling up with his arms wrapped around himself, his eyes absently drawn to the golden gleam of the Ring nearby as it reflected the dim light from the window. “I know,” he said morosely. “Because of you, I can’t go near any of the friends I wish to keep. You’ve sabotaged my every attempt to have a normal life. If you won’t go away, then just hurry up and do what you were put here to do. Get it over with, so I can either die or be given my life back.”
“The time isn’t right,” Bakura muttered. “Believe me, if it were within the realm of my capabilities to bring about the shadow game now, I would do it in an instant, for I’m at my limit of patience when it comes to dealing with you and your depressing self-pity.” A snarl seethed across Ryo’s mind. “But first, certain game pieces need to be put in place, or replaced as the case may be.”
One by one tears continued to slowly drip down Ryo’s cheeks, across his nose, soaking the blanket beneath his head as he lay on his side. “And in order to do so,” he challenged the spirit, “you’re going to hurt my friends. I may not know your plans, but at the very least, I know you’ll have to target Yugi.” His face contorted as he tried to hold in a sob. “So if I want to protect him, I have to stay away from him.”
Bakura’s inner voice took on a mocking tone. “Oh, but you don’t want to do that, do you? You want to be close to him.” He laughed spitefully. “There are certain things about Yugi Muto that I know and you don’t. He would never get close to you. You’re chasing after a fantasy.”
“Stop it…” Ryo clutched his head in his hands, curling up even tighter. “Go away. Get out of my head! I don’t want you here.”
“That’s right, just live in denial, like with everything else in your life,” Bakura taunted him. “Rather than hear the truth, you’d just push me away. It’s a good thing I can’t go anywhere, or you would truly be alone. There, you see? There’s no need to feel sorry for yourself. You aren’t alone – you have me.”
Ryo’s hands clenched into fists in his silvery hair. “I would rather die,” he breathed.
“Oh?” The spirit’s voice became cool and smooth, but remained belligerent. “Would you, now? The ultimate escape? Ha! You haven’t the courage to it. It took you this long to work up the balls to call your little crush on the telephone – killing yourself is too far beyond your capacity.”
Ryo let go of his head and let his hand slump onto the bed beside his face, his whole body going limp as darker thoughts permeated his mind, thoughts he had often toyed with but never so seriously. A lifetime of hiding his depression from classmates and family had prepared him for this, for a sickness in his heart that sought only one solution. “It would be so easy,” he whispered, blinking away his tears. “I could just go into the bathroom, get my razor…” He rubbed one thumb across the tender skin of his opposite wrist, as they both lay in his line of sight. “Or maybe something quicker. Maybe one morning I step off the platform a moment too early, before the train comes…”
Bakura’s spirit snarled quietly, able to sense that these were no longer idle thoughts. “You just try it,” he dared Ryo. “I’ll take control of your body before you can do anything, and steer you around my way. The moment you think of doing it, I’ll know, and I’ll step in and become you. It’s so easy,” he hissed. “How often have I pretended to be you, and duped the very friends you hold so dear? All I have to do is take control, like always, and no one will be any wiser.”
“What do you care?” Ryo sighed. “You said yourself you were tired of having to be around me. If I died, everything would be over. I could even save Yugi from you.” A faint but twisted smile teased at the corner of his mouth. “And all I have to do is kill myself? What a simple plan.”
“You do realize you’re practically begging me to take over your mind and your life,” Bakura seethed at him. “And I won’t be doing your homework, either. I have more important things to do.”
Ryo laid still for a moment, his mind blank, and then suddenly pushed himself up on his hands, head hung in despair. “I’ll fight you,” he vowed in a choking whisper. “You can’t stop me. This is my life. You don’t care about me, all you care about is yourself and your plan. You don’t understand death, you cheated it in order to keep your plan alive for thousands of years. It’s up to me to end it.”
“How can you say I don’t care?” Bakura shot back at him, the tangible sensation of his spirit becoming hot like a flame in Ryo’s chest. “Haven’t I done my best to help you get near to Yugi? You would never have met him if not for me.”
“I wouldn’t be so completely devoid of friends if not for you,” Ryo argued in a trembling voice, curling one knee underneath him in order to push himself to his feet. “You ruined my life, spirit. You abandoned me and left me for dead in the shadow realm. It’s time I returned the favor.”
Before he could stand, the Ring a few feet away glowed brilliantly, and the dark spirit slipped through his mind into control of his body, paralyzing him for a second. As he opened his eyes, Bakura heaved a knowing chuckle. “You see?” he said to no one in particular, since the spirit who belonged to this body lacked the strength to fight back. “I told you it would be easy. Now, how much of your life I allow you to watch me fake is up to you.”
He got up and swept back his hair with one hand, going to turn on a few lamps and close the shutters. As he roamed through the tiny flat, the phone rang, its warbling tone shattering the silence. Bakura turned to look at it, but didn’t know whether he wanted to deal with anyone in Ryo’s guise, so he let the machine pick it up. The voice that came through made his eyes widen. “Hey, Bakura, it’s Yugi. I got your message, I hoped to catch you but I guess…maybe you’ve got a late class or something. I wanted to let you know that…yeah, I’m free on Sunday, if you want to hang out…”
The spirit’s control of his vessel slipped, and the body recoiled as Ryo mentally elbowed his parasite out of the way and lunged to pick up the phone. “Yugi? Yugi?” he asked desperately.
“Oh! Bakura!” Yugi chuckled. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were home.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear the phone ring,” Ryo sheepishly chuckled back. “I was…I was in the bathroom. I’m here, though.” He clutched the phone desperately to his ear. “You…don’t have plans for this Sunday night?”
“No…much as I would like to,” Yugi sighed, “I don’t. Joey’s doing something special with Mai, even Tristan’s got ‘obligations’ or something. I have to work in the morning, so…well, looks like I’m free. I can’t be out too late, though,” he added, beginning to sound sheepish himself. “I, uh…have to get up early again the next morning.”
“That’s all right,” Bakura assured, starting to smile. “I just wanted to hear about the tournament, you know. Maybe get something to eat?”
“Sure,” Yugi agreed. “But the restaurants might be a little busy…you know.”
“Hm, well…I’m pretty sure the little ramen shop near my flat won’t be. I can’t think of anyone who might find it a good place for a romantic Valentine’s dinner,” Ryo said dryly. “And it’s cheap.”
“That works. Okay, then!” Yugi chirped. “I’ll come by your place Sunday night, we’ll get some food and talk Duel Monsters. Say, I haven’t even seen your new place.”
“Then it’ll be the perfect time to show you,” Ryo decided. “It sounds good, Yugi. I’ll see you then.”
As he hung up the phone, Ryo took a deep breath and straightened up. His faith had been restored – Yugi called him back after all! A grim smile found its way onto his face. Take that, he mocked the dark spirit who had tried to control him. Yugi does want to be with me. No matter what you keep doing to him, he doesn’t blame me for your meddling. He’s my friend, which is more than you’ll ever be. The call had raised his spirits enough to prevent him from doing himself any harm, at least for that weekend. He moved about his flat getting ready for bed, then, steering his mind away from any ideas that the spirit of the Ring might want to overhear or intrude upon. Ryo’s life was his, and for now, he wanted to live it.
The intervening days passed quickly and uneventfully. There wasn’t much else to do on those overcast, chilly days except wait for them pass anyway, and look forward to brighter days featuring plans with friends. Being as Sundays were their busiest days in the shop during the school year, Yugi prepared to put in a full day starting with his early shift, in order to have the time off in the evening to hang out with Bakura and then come home to visit Yami inside the Puzzle, as they had planned. For once, his partner hadn’t talked over his decision to call Bakura back and say yes, he had simply let Yugi think about it and arrive at whichever conclusion seemed best all by himself. Yami was not jealous, but he also did not want Yugi to have reason to be annoyed with him for pressuring him into a decision he didn’t want to make. Hands-off was the best policy, and turned out to the best end. Yugi agreed that Bakura just needed a friend to spend time with, regardless of the day, and chose to go into it with eyes wide open, intending only to talk about the tournament and keep it friendly. He knew the pharaoh had a point – considering how many times since Bakura returned to Domino Yugi had tried to get together with him only to be turned down, he ought not squash his friend’s attempts to reach out to him. Not to mention, Ryo had risked his life for Yugi. The least he could do was spend some time buddying up to him and talking Duel Monsters over noodles.
The harsh jangling of the alarm clock pulled Yugi out of bed far too early for his liking, but he was getting used to it. He sat up to smack the alarm off, and then sat there a few minutes longer blinking himself awake, his brain slowly arousing itself enough to notice that there was something sitting on the top shelf above his bed, next to the clock, that hadn’t been there the night before. He reached for the card, first, since it was sitting propped up against the other object so he could see his name written on the blank face. He flipped it open and noted that the handwriting was strange – familiar, but neither his own nor Grandpa’s. The writer became clear immediately. Yugi, it said, I wanted you to know I’m thinking about you, and looking forward to seeing you tonight. Words fail me, so I hope when I see you, I can express to you how much I love you. – Yami A brilliant smile rushed to Yugi’s face, widening his eyes. He reached for the thing that the card had been leaning against and took down a heart-shaped metal tin that, even sealed, smelled deliciously of chocolate. He pried it open just to take a look at the wealth of foil-wrapped candies inside, grinning, and then returned to the card, reading it over again and marveling at how Yami had done it. “How do you know just what to do?” he murmured, expecting that his partner was paying keen attention.
Warmth wrapped around his soul as Yami’s presence stole into view beside him. “I listen to your heart,” he replied softly. “This was all I wanted…to bring a smile to your face.”
“You certainly did.” Yugi reached to brush his fingertips over the face of the Millennium Puzzle where it sat in the inset shelf immediately above his pillow. “You’re so sweet. But I didn’t need chocolates or anything to mark the day.”
“No, but you were thinking about it,” the pharaoh noted. “Don’t try to deny it.”
“All right,” Yugi laughed, “maybe I was feeling kind of…left out. But this is such a nice surprise, it totally makes up for it. Thank you!”
Yami chuckled deeply. “I have only request of you in return.” The phantom spirit smiled cutely as Yugi turned curious eyes to him. “Save one of the chocolates for me.”
Yugi beamed and giggled, clutching the card to his chest. “Of course!”
After that, Yugi forced himself to crawl out of the warm blankets and change for work, pausing to thank his grandfather for sneaking into his room in the middle of the night to leave the tin and card on his bedstand, before going downstairs. He had to endure his work day without hope of distraction, because he knew Joey and Mai were spending it alone together, ring-shopping and being romantic, and his other friends had other plans. Tristan had been unusually cryptic in having to turn him down, not actually coming out and saying he had a date but somewhat implying it. Yugi just laughed it off, figuring that Tristan didn’t want to jinx it by talking too hopefully about it. It was all right – he now had plans to visit with Bakura, and then come home and indulge himself with a night in the Puzzle with Yami. Having his lover embodied would have been the ultimate gift, but a night spent in the room of imagination under the most romantic setting of the pharaoh’s candlelit bedchamber was almost as perfect.
Thanks to a quirk in the schedule, Tristan had that Sunday off, which gave him plenty of time to do the one thing Duke had asked him to do in preparation for their evening together. Rather than go out, because of the special day, Duke suggested they stay in, at his place, so he could cook dinner and they could make the most of the privacy. Tristan’s part of this was to pick up dessert, anything he chose. Yet, dessert wasn’t the only thing he was thinking of buying. He spent part of the afternoon walking around downtown, looking for inspiration in any of the shop windows which proudly declared that theirs was the place to go for a Valentine’s gift. Though they hadn’t been going out long, and Duke hadn’t said anything to even acknowledge the possibility of exchanging gifts, it was Tristan’s instinct to consider getting one for him. After all the years of pining while the girls at school handed out presents to everyone but him, Tristan was finally in a position to not think of the holiday as a complete waste of time, energy, and money, and he wanted to mark the occasion. Unfortunately, he didn’t really see anything that jumped out and grabbed his attention. Everything was either too girly, too frilly, too trite, or too significant for a couple that hadn’t been together that long. Chocolate was always the fallback option, but how to distinguish it from the dessert he had already been forced to bring? Frustrated and annoyed by the packs of giggling girls roaming the streets, Tristan decided to give up and look for a bakery to get his main errand out of the way.
As he came around the corner, Tristan noticed that smack in his way stood a flower shop, which was naturally insanely busy on this particular day. He approached it with the intention of carefully navigating through the constant stream of people going in and out, but his pace began to slow the nearer he drew. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to look, he told himself. I don’t know if Duke’s the kind of guy who’ll laugh me right out the door or be impressed with flowers. They probably don’t have hardly anything left by now, anyway. But as he stopped in front of the big glass windows and glanced inside, Tristan realized that the store was well-equipped to handle the holiday. It was astonishingly crowded inside, but they had made room for the customers by setting out table displays on the sidewalk, making it easy for Tristan to glance over the possibilities. Pre-wrapped bouquets both large and small were there for the quick grab and purchase, stuffed with everything from carnations to lilies. A small hand-lettered sign propped up near the display extolled the meanings of particular flowers, guiding the wayward lover to decide whether they wanted to say “friendship,” “devotion,” “infatuation,” or “passion” with their bouquet. A large tub of roses sat nearest the door, obviously the most popular choice for the day. Considering the legend, Tristan figured he couldn’t go wrong with roses himself, but when he leaned in to investigate the price, his brown eyes shot wide open. Are you kidding me? he mentally cried. Just because it’s stupid Valentine’s Day doesn’t give you an excuse to jack up the prices on roses! There was a shopkeeper nearby watching over the flowers and potential customers, who eyed him, but Tristan straightened up and turned away quickly before he could be asked if he needed help with the roses. No way, man! I love him, but not that much!
Then, he paused. Did he just actually use that word? He stood there for a moment with his hands in his jacket pockets, glancing over his shoulder at the roses as if to replay the last few seconds in his mind to be sure. I love him…but not that much… He shook his head to snap himself out of reverie and walked away, resuming his journey to the bakery down the street. I guess it’s true, he mused. I said it, and I think I meant it. Not enough to justify the outrageous price gouging on roses, but he still meant it enough not to take it back. Down the street, Tristan found the bakery just as busy as the flower shop, but standing around breathing in the magnificent scents of chocolate and confections was exponentially more preferable to the alternative. As much as he would have liked to find something basic, something that didn’t immediately scream Valentine’s Day on sight, there was no way he was going to find anything like that. Everything was elaborately decorated with floral accents and pink frosting, whether he wanted it or not. He picked out a pair of individually-wrapped mini cakes, heavy on the chocolate, and went to go stand in line at the cashier. As he did, another strong scent cut through the aroma of cakes and breads, catching his attention. He glanced aside to see a shelf of freshly-ground, bagged coffees right behind him. He wasn’t much of a coffee drinker himself, but the powerful, bitter scent was impossible to ignore, particularly because it reminded him of something. The warmth of a shared bed, waking up hungry…. Tristan smiled to himself. Duke is a major coffee fiend, he noted. First thing he does in the morning…and how do I know that? He made a wry face. Because I’m sleeping with him. Seeing as it was going to take a few minutes for the line to move, he turned and perused the coffee shelf, discovering that a lot of them were specialty flavored coffees. Intrigued, Tristan took down one or two and sniffed at them, deciding that he liked the Irish Mint flavor’s scent better than the French Vanilla, and settled on buying a bag as a gift for Duke. Much better than flowers or jewelry, in his estimation. It would go great with dessert.
Bakura opened the door to Yugi’s smiling face, as he stood with his hands in his coat pockets. “Come in,” Ryo encouraged, stepping aside. “It’ll just be a moment, I have to get my coat.”
“It’s kind of chilly out there,” Yugi agreed as he stepped inside, glancing around Ryo’s tiny student flat. “You might want gloves or something. Depends on how far we’re walking, I guess.”
“Not all that far.” Ryo ducked into the bedroom to find a more casual pair of sneakers and came out still trying to slip one on, hopping on one foot. “The place I want to go is in this neighborhood. Well,” he added with a bashful smile. “This is my flat. There isn’t much to it…you can get the grand tour just standing in one spot.”
Yugi smiled as his gaze returned from inspecting the four walls of the living room/kitchen to his friend’s face. “Well, if it’s just you here, you don’t really need all that much, do you? I suppose you probably don’t even spend much time here, between classes and campus work.”
“More than I’d care to,” Ryo shyly admitted. “It’s all right. It’s all mine, I’m supporting myself now. I’m not taking any of my father’s money to live and go to school.” He swiped his keys off the counter and pulled on his thick wool peacoat. “Which is why a ramen shop is about all I can afford, for going out.”
“It’s okay,” Yugi assured. “I’m not a big spender either. Even with the winnings from the tournament, I still live pretty cheaply.”
Bakura escorted him out and locked the door behind him, after which they were free to go downstairs to the street and walk up the block to the ramen place. “That’s right, you came away from the tournament with a pretty big prize,” Ryo noted.
“I’m putting it all into the store,” Yugi explained. “Some of it will pay off our debts, from last year, and the rest is going to be saved for future emergencies. Though I did spend a little on Grandpa, out of gratitude,” he admitted with a grin. “He worked morning to night so I could be away for the tournament all those days.”
The little ramen shop up the street appeared to be the university students’ choice of quick, cheap food, and a bit of a dive as described, so the two boys didn’t have to worry about being annoyed by romantic couples out for Valentine’s Day as they went in, got their food, and sat down in a quiet corner to while away the evening by themselves. Harried students and dejected singles came and went while the pair sat, ate, and talked, so Yugi could tell Ryo all of his stories from Hong Kong. Bakura had naturally seen the big news, that being the final round winners and Joey’s televised proposal speech, but he wanted to hear everything, who else Yugi dueled, where certain players bowed out, that sort of thing. Yugi eagerly chatted about seeing Marik, Mako, and Rebecca again, though the unpleasant turn of events with Eiri was difficult to speak about. Ryo gazed across the table at him with wide, sympathetic eyes. “I don’t believe it,” he gasped. “He tried to…rape you?”
“Yeah,” Yugi said quietly, lowering his eyes to his half-empty bowl. “You know, now that I think about it…isn’t that the same guy who flirted with you at the nationals?”
Bakura made a face while he thought. “Tallish, blond, had earrings? Yes, I think you’re right. He’s the one who beat me and eliminated me from the tournament.” That made him give a short, dark laugh. “Well, I suppose he had a greater desire to achieve his goal than I did. No wonder he went to the top.”
“Yeah, he sure dueled his way through the tournament like that.” Yugi shook his head. “But like I said. Kaiba, of all people, rescued me. He punched the guy out, right in front of me. It was kind of awesome.”
“That is pretty unusual,” Ryo mused with a hint of a smile. “I’m glad. I’d hate to see anything happen to you, especially something so traumatic.”
Yugi rolled his eyes. “It puts all that fighting over the Millennium Items into perspective, I’ll say that much.”
He picked up his bowl to slurp down the last of his noodles, while Bakura picked idly at what was left in front of him. “But, before he turned out to be a psycho,” he murmured, remembering back to earlier parts of Yugi’s story, “you didn’t want to give him a chance? He was kind of good-looking, if you like the hot model type.”
Yugi shook his head. “No way,” he said when he finished eating. “I mean, yeah, I can see how some people might find him attractive. But…I wasn’t interested.” He looked away, beginning to blush. “I…I already like somebody else.”
Ryo sat up with a start, and also began to blush. “Oh?” he asked, trying not to sound too excited. “Really? You…haven’t told me about this before.”
“It hasn’t really come up,” Yugi said airily, studiously finding other things in the restaurant to look at. “I didn’t want to just…say something out of the blue. It’s kind of rude.”
He set his bowl back down and rested his hand on the table, only to have Ryo reach across and lay his hand over the top of it. “It’s all right,” he breathed. “You can tell me anything, Yugi. I…kind of have a crush on someone, too.” He lowered his head timidly. “I’ll tell you mine, if you tell me yours…”
Yugi caught his breath and then sighed, realizing he couldn’t go on hiding his personal life anymore. “Bakura,” he said gently, “you should know…I…I’m already seeing someone.” He worked his hand out from under Ryo’s so as not to leave him any encouragement. “I’ve been with him for a long time, we…” He decided to just hold up his left hand to show his promise ring.
Ryo stared at the ring for a moment before understanding what it meant. “But…” he stammered, his eyes saddening, “…you never mentioned it. You had someone all this time and you never bothered to tell me?”
“It’s not like that!” Yugi said quickly, seeing Ryo growing more and more upset by the second. “You’ll understand when I tell you who it is. It’s Yami! The pharaoh!” He clapped a hand to his chest and the Puzzle resting against it. “Seriously!”
“The…pharaoh?” Ryo’s grief gave way to confusion. “The spirit of the Puzzle? You’re in love with him?”
Yugi nodded, giving him a wide-eyed look of innocence. “So, you see? It’s not like I’m dating just anyone, like normal people do. I didn’t know what to say to you because…because…”
“Because of the spirit of the Ring.” Bakura hung his head, speaking in a dreary whisper. “I understand.”
“No, please. Let me explain.” Yugi leaned across the table to speak in confidence, lowing his voice to a gentle, pleading tone. “It isn’t just that Yami and I love each other. There’s another part to it, and I didn’t want to say anything in case it provoked the spirit of the Ring to try to hurt us, or you. He already knows,” he added worriedly. “And I’m never sure whether you know the same things the spirit knows, how much he lets you see and hear when he’s in control of you. I guess I was maybe hoping that you already knew, or somehow caught on…but that was wrong of me. I’m sorry if I hurt you, Bakura.”
Ryo turned away, resting his head in his hand as he leaned on the edge of the table. His brown eyes remained cast down. “The spirit…he doesn’t tell me anything. If he knew about you and the pharaoh, he kept it from me.” He looked up worriedly. “What is this other part? If you think it’s safe to tell me, that is…”
“I guess there’s no reason not to,” Yugi said reluctantly, “since the Ring spirit already knows. He…saw us together, once. You see…” He stared at the table while trying to think of how to phrase it. “We discovered…a ritual. A kind of shadow magic that works with the Puzzle. It allows Yami to have a physical body, for one day, once a month. But it’s hard. It…it really takes a lot out of me, Yami’s afraid it might be hurting me.”
Ryo stared at him a long time, barely blinking. “Oh,” he breathed at last. “I see. He can be…real, then.” He faintly nodded. “Yes, I can see why you would want to keep that from the Ring spirit.”
“We know so little about it,” Yugi said honestly, taking care not to say too much about what they did know. “I didn’t want him doing anything to you to try to make use of that knowledge. But…” He bowed his head ashamedly. “The rest, I probably could have told you. That I love Yami, and he loves me. Even without the ritual, we’ve been together inside the Puzzle, a lot. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Ryo said softly, still refusing to lift his head. “You had your reasons.”
“It’s me, isn’t it?” Yugi leaned across the table again, fixing his friend with big, sad eyes. “You have a crush on me?”
Bakura quickly opened his mouth to deny it, but then realized the futility of it and simply nodded. “And then when you told me you…you’re also…” He caught himself and looked away again.
“I’m sorry.” Yugi stared at the table again. “I didn’t mean to lead you on. I love Yami very much, he’s my…he’s my soulmate. I should have told you, so your feelings didn’t get built up like this.”
“You didn’t know,” Ryo said sadly. “Not for sure. I was afraid to tell you.”
“Is that why you didn’t want to hang out with me? Like on Christmas and stuff?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure.” Ryo sat back in his chair and clasped his hands in his lap. “I’m not blaming you, Yugi. You don’t have to apologize.”
“Yes I do,” Yugi disagreed. “I’ve been so open and honest with everyone else about Yami, I don’t know why I hesitated around you. If I’d been more open with you, I wouldn’t have hurt you.”
Bakura shook his head and tried to smile. “It’s not that bad,” he insisted in a faint voice. “I’m used to it. I just don’t have very good luck meeting people. Especially…boys.”
“It’s tough,” Yugi noted with a little nod. “You’ve hid it for so long, and even now you can never really be sure that people aren’t going to hate you or reject you just for finding out. I know how that feels, it’s awful. I worried for so long how to tell my grandpa…”
Bakura timidly lifted his head and tried to look his friend in the eye. “So, then, was it Yami who made you realize you liked…men?”
“Pretty much,” Yugi replied, relaxing a little. “I never did until he and I became so close, and now…I’ve totally changed my mind. I always thought it was okay – that you should be free to love whoever you want to love, it didn’t matter – but not that I’d ever love a guy myself.” He gazed across at Bakura with curious eyes. “Does that mean you’ve never even had a boyfriend?”
Ryo seemed to shrink further into himself and shook his head. “Neither a boyfriend or a girlfriend,” he murmured. “It’s very hard for me to get close to people. You…you’re not the only one the Ring spirit threatens.”
“Yeah, I can imagine,” Yugi said sympathetically. “It must be really lonely, huh?” He sighed softly. “You and I…we aren’t like other guys. Our Millennium Items see to that. Maybe it’s for the best – trying to explain that to some random person you meet at school or in a club or something? You’d be better off with someone who already knows about the Items, and understands.”
Bakura stared absently out the window, so as to keep from losing his composure in a public place. “There aren’t too many of those people left in the world,” he sighed. “Besides you, would any of them even want to be with another boy?”
Yugi looked sharply at him. “Yes!” he exclaimed. “I know one person who is exactly like that!” Bakura raised curious eyes to him, making Yugi beam happily. “Marik.”
“Marik!” Ryo stared fiercely. “You can’t be serious!”
“I am!” Yugi insisted. “We talked about it at the tournament, after he saw that Eiri guy try to hit on me. It’s hard for him, too, because he lives in a country where it’s downright dangerous to be gay. He’s really sweet,” he added hopefully. “Now that he’s on the pharaoh’s side, he’s a really great guy. I wish there was a way I could fix you two up, if he ever came to visit again.”
Ryo tried again to smile, and this time managed a shadow of one. “That’s kind of you, Yugi, but I don’t know how that would work. I hardly know him personally, it was the Ring spirit who dealt with him, and that was when he was still trying to destroy you.”
“That’s okay,” Yugi said. “That just means you have an opportunity to get to know him for real, and for him to get to know you. So, you only kind-of have history with him – but neither of you know the real person behind the dark spirits that controlled you.” He beamed brightly. “And he’s cute, too.”
“Yugi…” Bakura looked away shyly, laughing a little.
“I know. It’s not like I can do anything about it since he’s all the way in Egypt and you’re here,” Yugi lamented. “But if he ever comes to visit, I want to get you two together. Just to hang out, maybe with all our friends. You can meet him for real.” He raised a finger as if to punctuate the idea that just popped into his head. “And! You remember what I told you about the KaibaCorp wireless dueling network? It just so happens that I have Marik’s username…you can chat with him online if you wanted…”
Ryo pouted. “But I don’t have a wireless duel disk. I can’t afford one right now.”
“Hm, then maybe I’ll have to get you one,” Yugi threatened with a little smile. The look on Ryo’s face made him back off. “Okay, okay. Not right now. I get it. But it’s really cool, I hope you can get one someday. Maybe for your birthday or something.”
“Maybe.” Bakura looked up to see the hopeful grin on Yugi’s face. “Fine,” he sighed. “If it ever happens, I suppose I won’t be opposed to meeting Marik again. But I’m not going to sit here pining after the chance. Even though I don’t really expect to meet anyone else in the meantime,” he added morosely.
“Oh…Bakura…” Yugi reached across the table and laid a hand on his arm in sympathy. “I wish you all the happiness in the world, I really do. You and I are still friends, and will be until the end. I know I can’t give you any more than that, but I hope that’s enough. I hope you can see that I still want to hang out with you, and that sometimes…that’s the kind of love you really need the most. The love of a friend.”
Ryo glanced at the hand on his arm and smiled weakly. “I’m glad you’re my friend,” he whispered. “Even if the rest is out of my reach. You’ve always been so kind to me, Yugi.”
Yugi smiled strongly back. “Of course. I don’t care about that stupid spirit, you’re Ryo and I care about you.” He rubbed Bakura’s arm and withdrew, sitting back. “Never forget that. No matter how dark and lonely it gets, you’ll always have a friend to turn to. Okay?”
Ryo nodded, bowing his head to hide his sad eyes from his companion. “Okay, Yugi.”
“Come on. I’ll walk you home. It’s getting late…” He smiled bashfully. “I, uh…I have to get up early for work, and I promised Yami I’d…you know, sit up for a while and talk to him. Or let him talk to me. Because it’s Valentine’s Day.”
“That’s all right.” Bakura stood and pushed in his chair. “I do have to get back, too. I have an early class tomorrow.”
“And dinner’s on me,” Yugi quickly insisted as he rose and grabbed his coat. “No arguments.”
Bakura blinked at him, and then relented with a soft smile. “All right.”
They walked out together, but some distance up the street, Ryo felt Yugi’s hand on his back. “Are you going to be okay?” Yugi asked, leaning in to keep his voice gentled.
“I think so.” Ryo glanced aside at him, finding earnest eyes looking back. “I’ll get over it, like always. I suppose I should be glad you weren’t scared off by the idea of me liking you.”
“I’m flattered, actually,” Yugi chuckled. “All that time in school, never being popular or having any girls like me…all I had to do was start liking boys and all kinds of opportunities opened up.” He laughed it off, and then quieted, patting Bakura’s back once more. “Don’t worry. Your soulmate is out there, somewhere. They’re just not ready for you yet.”
Ryo had no reply to that, he just sighed and kept walking. It always sounded trite when someone said so, but somehow, hearing Yugi say it made him briefly believe that it might be true. If only, he thought. If only Yugi were the pharaoh, and had the power to make it happen just by speaking the words. He could change the world.