AN: Hello potential readers! Thanx for clicking on my story...

This story's already finished, so if anybody actually likes this story than I'll post the rest.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh! or any of its characters. This disclaimer goes for the whole story.

Pinecones

CHAPTER 1

Bakura peered out from behind the huge oak tree towards the flower beds. There Ryou was sitting there, looking nothing less than angelic, Bakura thought. It was mid day, so Ryou's skin was glowing pale as ever. He was sitting there in a patch of grass with his knees near his chest. He was leaning on his knees. Ryou was sitting near an oak tree near the one Bakura was standing behind. Ryou seemed to be staring either at the people around him or at the different plants and animals that inhabited the park. He seemed relaxed and happy.

Bakura felt his face become heated. Hopefully it wasn't a blush, he thought. Ryou was beautiful. He quickly brought himself behind the tree again, completely hidden from Ryou. He thought he saw him look in his direction. Bakura didn't know what he would do if Ryou ever saw him spying on him, if that's what his behavior would be called. That would be so awkward, not to mention embarrassing. Ryou would probably be freaked out by him- not that Bakura himself wasn't freaked out by his behavior. Bakura was manly, tough, and he was well known for it! What would everybody think of him if they knew he was so shy as to resort to spying and stalking his crush?

He had no idea whether Ryou felt the same way. Ryou was so peculiar and odd. He was so polite and kind, and somehow just not normal. Sometimes on the rare occasions when he and Ryou talked he felt maybe Ryou could be interested in him, but what were the chances of that? He was still a little hopeful thought. Rumors around school were saying that Ryou was liked men. He didn't like the rumors too much though, because the rumors were that Ryou and Marik were dating. That couldn't be true. Marik was his friend. But Marik didn't know Bakura loved Ryou so much. Nobody did.

"Hey Bakura!" he heard Marik's voice and he whirled around to see him right behind him. His body froze. This was awkward.

"Uh-Marik! What's up?"

"I'm here to meet Ryou at the park. What's up with you? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were spying on Ryou!" he laughed, but Bakura had never felt less like laughing. They were meeting at the park?

"Oh…good for you. I just…oh wow I didn't even notice Ryou was there! I was looking at those birds in that oak tree! Aren't they cool?" he hoped that would work. Marik looked at him strangely.

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Hey…can I ask you something?" Marik nodded. "Are the rumors that you and Ryou are going out true?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Uh…just wondering."

"If you want the truth, I'll tell you, but only because I consider you my one of my best friends," Bakura nodded. "They're not true," Bakura sighed in relief, "but I want them to be."

"What?!"

"I really like Ryou, and I think he might like me back. I'm going to ask him out today…I hope that doesn't make you hate me or him." Malik's hope wouldn't be granted, but not for the reason he thought. He had to think…he couldn't let this happen.

"…Yeah, um…that's cool…" he had to think of something fast! Maybe if he just punched Marik in the face, and then threatened him…no! He couldn't get into anymore trouble with the law or else he'd be thrown in jail. There was nothing he could say or do. Malik had beaten him. Before he could think of another thought, Marik sealed the deal.

"Well, I'll see you later," Marik said with a smile and walked past the oak tree.

Bakura fumed. Now Marik was going to ask out Ryou, Ryou would most likely say yes, and then his chance would be lost! Not that he would've had much of a chance anyway. With great regret, he turned around and walked away, hoping Ryou would be too preoccupied with Marik to see him across the field.

Damn it! Bakura cursed to himself. He was angry. He couldn't let beautiful Ryou go to someone else…unless that's what Ryou wanted. Then he would have no choice but to accept. He was still angry though. He needed to go someplace to cool off. Being in his lonely apartment would only make him more angry. He needed to go to Domino City's other park, where his friends sometimes hung out on the weekends. If they were there, cool, if they weren't, cool. It didn't matter.

At the edge of the oak tree park, he took one last look at Ryou, who he could see in the distance talking to Marik. Well, if he couldn't have Ryou, then at least it's Marik, who he knew was a good person. Bakura looked to the side…must've been a bird. He thought he saw something moving by one of the nearby trees.

He walked down the sidewalk towards the other park. Maybe he could get all of this off of his mind. He saw a store up on his right. He could buy some soda and candy…yay candy! Bakura loved candy. He turned into the store, and in the corner of his eye, he saw something jolt into an alleyway ten feet away. It reminded him of what he saw in the park. Right when he turned around, he saw something move and hide. Was all of his stalking Ryou making him paranoid? Or else was there somebody following him? He went into the store, occasionally looking over his shoulder to look for this possible stalker, but he saw nothing. When he walked out of the store, hands full with pepsi and skittles, he looked towards the alleyway and saw nothing.

He kept walking towards the park and thinking about Ryou. He was angry with himself for not having made a move to get to know Ryou before Marik had.

He reached the edge of the park where his friends might be at. He couldn't see anybody in the park but maybe his imaginary stalker would keep him company, he laughed to himself. He could check for his 

stalker one last time. He spun around quickly and scanned the area. Sure enough, he saw someone jolt behind a tree, except this was a maple tree. So there was somebody following him. But who?

Bakura walked quickly to the tree where his stalker was at. He walked around to the other side, but there was nobody there. He walked back around to the other side, and there was nobody again. He kept walking around because he kept hearing footsteps, and even breathing. He ran around the tree hoping to catch the person, but the person was too fast. Suddenly, Bakura turned around and stopped, waiting for his stalker to run straight into him.

Bakura stared in shock. His follower ran straight into him, knocking him to the ground. He felt a body on top of him. When he moved his head and looked in front of him, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Yugi?!" Yugi stared a moment, then hastily sat up off of Bakura.

"Bakura! Hello…" he blushed and scratched his head awkwardly.

"Yugi! What on earth are you doing here? Have you been following me?"

"What?! Of course not! I was just walking to the park."

"Then why were you hiding from me?"

"I'm…uh…I was just playing with you," but the response came way too late. Bakura knew he was lying. How peculiar. He laughed. Yugi looked awfully funny sitting there, blushing and looking at his chest, not able to look him in the eye.

"Whatever you say, Yugi." Yugi just sat there not saying anything for a moment.

"So Bakura! How are you?"

"Fine…"

"Nice weather, hah?"

"Yep…"

"So you like the park a lot? You sure come here a lot!"

"And how would you know that?"

"What?! I was just guessing…I meant to ask IF you like the park…" his voice trailed off. How long had Yugi been following him? How had he not noticed this before? Also, he wondered, did Yugi know that he was following Ryou around? Yugi answered this for him.

"You sure seem to like Ryou a lot…You've been following him around all day," he pouted. Bakura thought it was funny, partly because of the look on his face and partly because he didn't deny he'd been following him.

"So, you've been following me around all day!"

"You've been following Ryou around all day!"

"Yeah well Ryou's…peculiar! Why on earth anybody follow me around all day? I'm boring as hell."

"I don't think so," Yugi bowed his head. Ugh, compliments. Bakura hated those, he never knew how to respond to those.

"I won't tell if you won't."

"Deal."

He looked at Yugi, How weird and peculiar he was! In a totally opposite way from Ryou. Ryou was peculiar in an odd, graceful, beautiful kind of way. Yugi was peculiar in a overly cheery, excited, dorky kind of way. He was looking at Yugi, but Yugi didn't look at him. He was shy, how funny. Bakura was quite comfortable in the grass in the shade. He didn't mind Yugi being there. He didn't really like Yugi all that much, but he served well as a distraction to his disappointment with Ryou.

He laid down and closed his eyes.

"I come here to either hang out with my friends or just clear my mind. It calms me." There was a silence. Bakura peaked one eye open and found Yugi staring at him. He immediately muttered "sorry" and looked away, his cheeks red. How funny, Bakura thought. He realized Yugi must've had a crush on him. He didn't know Yugi would ever feel that way about him. He thought Yugi liked Yami.

"So…um…are you having a good day?" Yugi asked brightly.

"Yes."

"What did you do today?"

"You should already know."

"Oh yeah…" Yugi laughed weakly, "so uh…you got a lot homework this weekend?"

'Oh no' Bakura thought. Yugi was one of THOSE people. One of those people who can't stand silence and talk incessantly to avoid it. How annoying…

"No."

"Oh that's cool…what are you doing the rest of the weekend?"

"Yugi! Shut up!"

"Sorry!" he squeaked. Bakura almost felt bad for yelling, but the silence that followed made it worth it. He could finally close his eyes and think about Ryou…in his own little fantasy world where he and Ryou lived together, made love together, made more love together, and even more…

A rustling sound woke him. He opened his eyes. Yugi was sitting there. He was restless, moving either his fingers or his feet, making annoying sounds.

"Can't you shut up?"

"I wasn't saying anything!"

"And yet you still manage to make a whole bunch of noise!"

"Eeek! I'm sorry I'll stop!"

Bakura closed his eyes and began to daydream about Ryou again…immediately he was woken back to reality. But there was no noise. Everything was quiet, but he couldn't help but open his eyes.

"I was quiet!"

"I know!"

"Then what's wrong?"

"What? I can't open my eyes?"

"But…ok." Bakura didn't close his eyes again. He just stared at the leaves above him, and occasionally glanced at Yugi, who was looking around nervously. There was no help for him, Bakura laughed to himself. After that he drifted off into a daydream about Ryou. It went uninterrupted.

Bakura came back to earth a while later. He opened his eyes to see Yugi in the same position he was earlier, but he noticed the sky looked different. The sun had moved.

"How long was I out?" Yugi looked at him, apparently startled.

"Oh I don't know…"

"You've been so quiet! I'm surprised."

"Oh really?! Wow cool! So how was your sleep?"

"Ugh…spoke too soon."

"Sorry!"

"Quit saying sorry."

"Sorry!...I mean ok!" Bakura got up.

"C'mon, let's go."

"Hey I'll walk you home!" Yugi jumped up. Bakura laughed.

"Actually, since you're the one that gets beat up 3 times a week, why don't I walk you home." Yugi looked as if he'd just won a million dollars.

"Alright!"

Bakura tried his best to ignore Yugi as he chatted nonstop the way to his house. He sounded as if he'd just won a million dollars.

Bakura finally arrived at his apartment late that afternoon. Not only did Yugi live far away from the park, but in completely the opposite direction of this apartment. He sighed. What a day! He'd definitely had enough of Yugi for a lifetime. His incessant cheeriness and chattering drove him crazy.

Bakura laughed. He couldn't believe he'd actually spent all that time with Yugi. Very weird, he thought.

AN: review plz..(smiles)