Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters presented here and am not making any profit off of this whatsoever.
Title: Fashion Sense
Word Count: 4,574
Rated: PG-13
Romance: Ryou x Yuugi, Yami no Bakura x Bakura Ryou
Notes: This was inspired by my friend Artist Josie and was originally her idea, I just ran with it. Comments and criticism gratefully accepted.
Summary: A bully gives Bakura Ryou a slight change of outfit, and it's one that both Yuugi and the Spirit of the Ring might find interesting.

Some days it just didn't pay to bother getting out of bed, much less gnawing through the straps, or whatever cute expression one wanted to use. Bakura Ryou had his fair share of those days. Someone else might've thought he had more than his fair share, but he wasn't one of them. He just took whatever came, with perfect acceptance and perfect calm.

To be perfectly truthful, he didn't get beaten up and bullied that much anymore. That had mainly been a feature of his life before the Ring. Ever since then, people had been too scared of winding up in comas to bother him. Even though it had been a good four years since they'd all woken up in the first place, stories and fears had a way of lasting.

Not that it really bothered him that much. He'd heard enough things about the bullies that had once infested Domino High, and with his own experiences before coming there, he was quite happy that there didn't seem to be anyone willing to bother him. He had enough leftover Monster World figures, thanks all the same.

It's not as if I do that anymore, host. The sly, amused voice slid through his mind as he walked down the street. He winced slightly, feeling the Ring's presence on his chest a little more strongly as he did so. He wasn't entirely certain on why the Spirit and the Ring were still around, but he didn't question it. Questioning things just led to trouble, in his opinion. Just accepting worked out so much better in the long run.

He didn't bother responding to his tenant as he turned down a pathway that would lead him to school more swiftly. It was true, though. No souls had been sealed into anything for years, even those who had the occasional bad taste to bother him. They did wind up in the hospital, but it was more for broken bones and bruises of various types than anything else.

It had affected his reputation, of course. He wasn't always known as just the shy quiet kid who liked board games and the occult and generally when he played Duel Monsters, transformed into a demonic beast that could destroy you beyond the ability of anyone to repair. He was also that kid who could break your spine in four places before you realized he'd even gotten angry. There were multiple reasons he didn't date around school these days.

You mean more than just me? He was even more amused this time, and Bakura did what he could to ignore it. He'd probably pay a nice price for it later, such as having to spend a few days trapped in the Change of Heart, but it would be worth it. Having a conversation with the Dark Spirit was just as maddening in its own way. If not more.

"Hey, Bakura!" He looked up at the sound of his name, smiling at the sight of Yugi, Jonouchi, Honda, and Anzu. The blond that had called out to him waved enthusiastically, a broad grin on his face that could mean only one thing: he'd had a date the previous night. One that had gone very well. There were rules against dating for students, but Bakura was of the opinion that Jonouchi went out of his way to break the rules.

And you go out of your way to enforce them. Now who has more fun? Bakura continued paying no mind to the Spirit. He had a lot of practice with that.

"Hello, everyone," Bakura murmured, bowing his head slightly to them as he came up. "How are things going?"

As he had expected, Jonouchi was full of stories about what he and Mai had done the night before. He kept his voice down whenever any of the teachers looked as if they might be coming in their direction as the quintet headed for the classroom, but from the way his arms were flailing about and the look in his eyes, anyone who knew the blond could figure out what he was talking about.

"Look out!" The voice came from the far side of the hall moments before something white and gooey splattered against Bakura's face and down the front of his shirt. There was something quite familiar about the fragrance, but he couldn't place it right away. He stopped in his tracks, blinking as he tried to figure out what had just happened.

"Bakura!" Anzu had popped up in front of him and was wiping at whatever it was with a handkerchief. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He took the handkerchief from her gently and started to wipe at his own face. "I think I should go clean up in the bathroom. I'll be along shortly."

"Want any company?" Yugi asked, concern filling his expressive violet eyes. Bakura refrained from blushing by force of will. That sort of thing, the reaction to being alone with Yugi, had been cropping up more and more lately. The Spirit had slyly hinted quite a few times that he knew exactly why Bakura was reacting like that, but he had never said anything in particular. That, more than anything, led to Bakura wanting to ignore the feelings.

"No, I can manage." He dabbed at the mess again, and frowned for a moment before chuckling. "It's just cream puff filling. I've done this kind of thing before." Though what in the world a cream puff would be doing flying through the hallway on just the perfect kind of angle to splatter all over him, he had no idea.

Really, host, how silly can you be? Someone threw it on purpose.

Bakura couldn't ignore that, much as he wanted to. Not everyone is out to get me, you know. Stop being paranoid.

Is it paranoia when everyone truly is after one's blood?

That, he could ignore. Or at least not answer. Bakura headed into the nearby bathroom, checking his watch briefly to see how much time he had left until class began. He could probably afford to be a little late, depending on how difficult the cream wanted to be. Part of him felt just a little disappointed. He was half-covered in cream puff innards, but he hadn't had any of the joy that usually came from such a thing. Was this a sign of how the day was going to be going?

The door banged quietly shut behind him as he entered the bathroom, and for a moment he was reminded of the first time he'd come into this room. It had been here that he'd first heard the Spirit's voice, laughing wickedly at something or other. He hadn't really spoken to him until that night at home, but it had kind of been here that they'd met.

I suppose that makes this special or something. The voice hadn't lost a touch of the amusement. Get cleaned up, host. The stench of that stuff is annoying.

"I like it," Bakura muttered under his breath as he headed over to the sink. "Maybe I'll get some after school." The only response this got was the sensation of eyes being rolled in amusement. The spirit definitely did not share his taste in desserts.

He ran the water and dabbed even more at the stains on his jacket, frowning. At least the Ring had been out of sight and hadn't gotten anything on it. The Spirit could be quite sharp-tongued if that happened.

With several other young males of varying ages who might possibly come in the bathroom while he was there, Bakura didn't really think anything of hearing the door open and what sounded like three sets of footsteps coming in. He did think something of it when a mocking laugh echoed all throughout the room.

"Aw, did someone get a little dirty?" Bakura whirled around at the sound of the voice, staring at the three burly seniors who had come up behind him. Each one looked taller and more menacing than the one before him.

"Is there something I can do for you, Goto?" Bakura eyed the oldest of them a bit warily. Goto Yuji was not really the kind of person that one wanted to get on the bad side of. There were rumors even some of the teachers were scared of him. Bakura had never been, but then he'd never been this close to him before, and certainly not in a confined area, when he was outnumbered.

Outnumbered? Perhaps. But never outclassed while I'm around.

Was that supposed to be reassuring?

"Maybe." Goto stepped closer, smirking as he eyed the pale-haired teen. "You look like you could use a new uniform. That one's kind of messed up."

Bakura shook his head quickly. "No, it just needs to be washed. It's nothing." A thin thread of fear made its way up his spine as he started to step to one side. One of Goto's companions, Kinjo Aki, was there suddenly, blocking off that avenue of escape. The other one, Kuroki Yoshiro, was on the other side. Bakura had never been so boxed in before.

"I think you need a new uniform, and I just so happen to have one on me that will fit you perfectly." Goto smirked as he held up something that didn't do a single thing to ease Bakura's nervousness: a Domino High School girl's uniform.

I told you that someone did it on purpose. Do you believe me now? It didn't look as if Bakura had a choice on that now. He even knew who it had to be, now that he'd seen Goto. There were advantages to dating the star of the girl's baseball team, he guessed, and it had been a female voice that had yelled for him to look out. Fukazawa Junko had the same kind of sense of humor that Goto did: one that made him the butt of their jokes.

You know, you could help a little here! Bakura shouted to the inner spirit as Kinjo and Kuroki seized hold of his arms and started to yank on his jacket. This is the body you have to use about to be beaten on, if you didn't notice!

Somehow, I don't think that's what they have in mind, host. If you really need the help, you'll get it. Smugness had overwhelmed amusement this time, and Bakura wished the Spirit had his own body for the thousandth time. It would make strangling him that much easier.

Bakura directed the best glare he could muster inwardly, but wasn't at all surprised to find out that it wasn't any more effective on the Spirit than it ever had been on anyone else. There was just something about him that meant he couldn't glare effectively. It was quite annoying.

With the futile internal struggle going on, it was no surprise that he lost the outward one as well. Inside of five minutes, instead of the slightly stained blue uniform, Bakura had on the same outfit that his female classmates wore. This had to be one of Fukazawa's uniforms, since she tended to cut hers just a little shorter than was regulation. She'd been cited for it a few times, but she cared for that no more than Jonouchi did for the rules about dating. And now one of her specially modified skirts was just barely hiding his legs from view. And not doing a very good job of it, either.

"He does make a really pretty girl!" Kinjo declared, eyeing him up and down as Kuroki held Bakura's arms behind his back. "Guess you were right, Goto."

The lead thug smirked, arms folded as his eyes skimmed up and down the duelist. "Guess I was. I didn't think he'd look this good, though. Almost puts Fukazawa to shame." He licked his lips reflectively, his eyes never leaving the body outlined in ways it had never been meant to be by that uniform. "Maybe I should get some pictures, just so she believes us."

"No!" Bakura shouted, shaking his head as hard as he could. He could already see it coming: pictures, put in places he'd rather not have them, being blackmailed, teased, students and teachers alike sniggering behind his back. His life had enough problems in it. The worst thing he could imagine was something like that!

Goto's smirk only increased, and Bakura felt his stomach dripping into a pit of despair. Are you ready to help me now? He's kind of looking at me like you look at the steak display at the supermarket!

Which reminds me, you're stopping there on the way home today. I think I want dinner.

You're no help.

"Hold him still, boys, I think I want to see just how girly this guy can actually be." The leer spoke volumes of exactly what it was he had in mind, and Bakura groaned to himself. Why couldn't these guys have been some of those who had heard about his 'reputation' and were still scared of it, and him? Why did he have to run into the only group of thugs who were too stupid to remember what happened to people who upset him, or rather the Spirit, somehow?

Perhaps I should take a hand in this. For one of the few times in his life, Bakura felt grateful to hear that dark voice, then he was tugged out of control of his body. As his soul room formed around him, he sighed a little. He'd forgotten just how much he hated being out of control like this. At least the Spirit didn't put him to sleep now, as he had way back then. He had the chance to watch. And this once, he was going to take it.

The Spirit straightened up casually as he took control, tossing Kinjo and Kuroki to the side as easily as if they were made out of bamboo instead of muscle and bone. "Really, did you think I was just going to let you keep on doing this?" The normally quiet and restrained voice now dripped with confidence and power as he stared down at the three of them. He held himself with more dignity, and his eyes gleamed faintly in a twisted amusement.

"What's your problem, Bakura?" Goto sneered, reaching for him suddenly. "Don't you like being a pretty little gi-ack!!" He stared down at the suddenly broken wrist and the hand that dangled limply from it. "You bastard! You broke my wrist!"

"So glad you were able to notice. With the way you were focusing on my legs, I thought I'd have to kick you to get your attention away from them." Fitting actions to words, a powerful kick, fuelled by what felt like more than mortal strength, made its way into Goto's side, with the satisfying sound of a rib snapping. "The joke was amusing, but there are certain limits I don't permit to be crossed when it comes to this body. You tried to cross them."

Goto stared as the person who could not possibly be Bakura finished off his two friends with just a few quick kicks and punches. Bones had to have been broken on them as well, probably quite a few important ones, and then the pale haired demon was standing over him again, staring down with red-flecked eyes.

"Wh..what are you?" Goto had heard stories about things that happened to those who crossed either Bakura Ryou or Mutou Yugi. He hadn't believed any of them, either. These were two of the softest, squishiest kids that had ever went to this high school. He had no idea how they'd even survived like that. Sure, both of them were into games and things like that, and were good at them, but could they really be dangerous? The answer had always been no in his mind.

His mind had just gotten a major change.

"If I said I was your worst nightmare, I'd be insulting myself by thinking so low. Let's just say I'm whom you'll have to deal with if you ever bother Bakura again. Understood?"

Goto nodded quickly, wanting nothing more than to get out of here and find his way to a doctor. Everything hurt, no matter which way he moved, and he was certain he could hear bone grinding against bone. That really couldn't be good. He didn't deserve to die just for putting a girl's uniform on a boy who looked more like a girl than anything else, did he? "I won't mess with you again! With him! Whatever!"

"I know you won't." That was the last thing Goto saw or heard before a hand came down and a blinding flash of pain blocked out everything, followed by darkness.

The Spirit of the Ring straightened up calmly, ignoring the three thugs. They were all still breathing, since he had no intentions of Bakura being put in jail or having to go on the run from these idiots. He doubted they would do anything as silly as 'press charges' either. The fear he'd just put into Goto would take care of that. He glanced towards the mirror, slightly curious now as to just what his host looked like in this outfit. That had been the main reason he'd let it go on as long as it did. Bakura was somewhat feminine in features, and the thought of him dressing like this was more enticing than he'd thought it would be at first.

He grinned slowly as he took in the whole reflection, then nodded a touch. "You really do look good like this, host. Much better than I'd thought you would."

What?! It was amusing when he could get rage like this out of Bakura. Maybe he could think of a few other ways to get him to react similarly. It was simply fun.

But for now, he was done. He could also sense the approach of another Item, and that could mean only one thing while they were here. This was going to be just as much fun as what he'd finished doing. Time for Bakura to finish things.

With a jerk, the Spirit and his host exchanged places, just as the door opened, and Yugi stepped inside. "Bakura? Are you all right? You've been gone so long, the teacher asked me...to...check...on you..." His voice trailed off as he stared at the three unconscious bodies and Bakura standing there in a girl's uniform. "Bakura?"

"Yugi...I can explain." Bakura blinked slowly, wishing he knew how to explain, and tugged at the hem of the skirt, trying to get it to cover a little bit more of himself. "This isn't what it looks like." Well, that was stupid. "I'm not really sure what it is, but it's not what it looks like."

Yugi looked around a little, then picked up Bakura's uniform and handed it back to him. "You should probably put this on and we can get to class." His cheeks were tinged with just the faintest hint of pink and he found anything more interesting to look at than Bakura just then.

"Right." Bakura grabbed the uniform from him and worked on getting out of the pink and blue clothes. He could hear the occasional snicker from the Spirit, and ignored it with practiced ease. It was bad enough that his tenant had thought he looked good like that. But then Yugi had to see him like that!

Do you have any idea why that bothers you so much, host? The Spirit said suddenly, a kind of seriousness to his tone that Bakura couldn't recall ever having heard before. Of course you don't. You're bothered by him seeing you in this rather nice looking outfit, by just spending time around him, because you like him!

Now, that was silly. Of course he liked Yugi! There were very few people who didn't. Why would that be why he felt like blushing every time Yugi was near, why the diminutive duellist kept showing up in his dreams, why just being near him made Bakura feel as if he were going to simply slip away on clouds of pure bliss?

Idiot. You don't just like him as a friend. Why did I have to be cursed with a reincarnate who is so dense? The frustration and anger was thick enough to cut with a knife. You care about him as a lover. Someone you want to be in a relationship with. Do I have to be more graphic?

Bakura flushed a deep red, glad he'd turned away from Yugi as he put his regular uniform back on. You're joking. I know you are. You're just trying to tease me.

Host, I have no reason to joke about this. Keeping you from experiencing first heartbreak when he dumps you for someone else is nothing I would turn down. You know that. There was a definitely twisted smirk in his mind. In fact, it would give me the perfect chance to challenge him and the Pharoah to a Game of Darkness and take all their Items. At last.

I thought you got over that.

You thought wrong. Now watch this, and learn a little. And you will owe me for this.

Bakura eeped a little as he was shoved out of control of his body, then his attention fastened at once on what was going on outside of it. The Spirit hadn't altered his voice or hair the way he usually did when he was in control. He was pretending to be him! With Yugi right there!

"Yugi, can I talk to you for a second?" The Spirit turned back to face the smaller boy with the characteristic nervous look in his brown eyes that always preceded an important question. "It's something kind of personal."

Yugi tilted his head slightly to the side, then nodded. "Of course, Bakura. What is it?"

"If you're not that busy this weekend, I was wondering..." Bakura flinched to feel the blush on his cheeks, because he knew that was how he would have been reacting if it had been him in control of things. The Spirit's imitation was flawless. It always had been. "Would you like to go on a date...with me?"

Words were utterly incapable of describing the shock that went through Bakura at the tentative question spoke in his voice. Yugi blinked a little, then smiled.

"Well, if Jonouchi can get away with it, I don't see why we can't. Sure." He looked up at the clock on the wall, then back to Bakura. "We can talk about it after school, I guess? We should really be getting back to class."

"Right." The Spirit casually shoved Bakura back into place as they headed for the door, both ignoring the thugs that were just beginning to come around. "What should we do about them?" Bakura asked, for lack of anything else that sounded halfway intelligent once he'd gotten his bearings.

Yugi glanced back, and for a moment, a hint of red flashed through his eyes. "I suppose I can tell a hall monitor about them. We don't know what happened, though, do we?"

"Not a thing." Bakura's lips curved slightly in a smile, but as they headed back to class, something else nagged at him. What kind of a price was the Spirit going to demand of him for asking Yugi on the date? For that matter, could he really believe that he had a date with Yugi, and that this wasn't some kind of dream or nightmare or something else conjured up by his not always there mind?

When he got to class and opened his satchel to see the girl's uniform neatly folded up and tucked into an empty spot, Bakura knew two things: it wasn't a dream, and there was no way he was going to give this back to Fukazawa.

Keep it. The Spirit commanded lazily. I might have a use for it sometime for something.

Bakura had no intentions of asking just what he was going to use it for, and made certain no one else saw it as he pulled out his books. At least he wouldn't ever have to wear it again, while he was conscious. If the Spirit wanted to cross-dress while he was in control, there wasn't much else that could be done to his reputation as it was.

If only the Spirit didn't feel so damned smug in the back of his mind, he'd feel as if he actually believed that.

He was in his soul room again. The place had a slightly different feel to it now than it usually did, one he knew well. He was asleep, but the Spirit wasn't in control of his body. In fact, from the way that familiar 'I'm being watched' feeling was crawling all over him, he was quite certain that the Spirit was somewhere very close by.

"Stand up." The voice was a lot like his own, but held the darker edge he had heard too many times. He was on his feet before he really realized anything else, though. In fact, it wasn't until he was on his feet that he noticed he wasn't wearing the nightclothes he had been when he had lain down.

He was wearing the schoolgirl uniform that was still in his satchel, in the waking world.

"What in the...why am I wearing this?!" He started to yank on it, trying to get it off, when a hand closed on his wrist and he looked up into cold eyes.

"Because I want you to." The Spirit looked him up and down, his expression eerily reminiscent of the one Goto had worn, but much, much worse at such close range, and quarters that were impossible to get out of. "I was right. You do look quite good like that. And I'm quite certain the Pharoah's brat enjoyed the view. Perhaps you should try a skirt for your date."

The look on Bakura's face at that was as close as the gentle boy could come to pure venom.

The Spirit smirked a little as his eyes travelled down Bakura's torso and farther south. "Nice legs, by the way."

"Stop that!" Bakura flushed; this was not at all how he was used to being looked at by the Spirit. "Stop looking at me like that!"

"Quiet, host." The Spirit ordered again, and Bakura was quiet, shivering. "Tell me, my dear host, are you feeling in the mood for a little role-playing? Something in the style of helpless little school girl and her pursuer?"

Bakura had experienced many roles in the years he'd played Monster World. This one sounded like the worst of them all. "I'd really rather not."

"Interesting. That's a first." The Spirit chuckled softly, pushing him back some. "But I suppose this just might be a day of firsts." He leaned in more closely, staring into Bakura's eyes fiercely. "I said you were going to owe me for getting you what you wanted with Mutou, my host. For getting what you want, I will get what I want. That was the bargain, remember?"

Bakura wanted to say that there hadn't been any bargain, but the Spirit wouldn't care one way or the other. He'd take what he wanted from Bakura, the way he always did.

"Don't be scared, host." The Spirit never let Bakura look away for so much as a second. "You'll need all of this experience one day. You wouldn't want to make a fool of yourself with Mutou, now would you?"

The dark spirit smirked softly as Bakura's resistance began to melt away at that. He wasn't very surprised that had been what had done it. He pressed closer to Bakura, kissing him softly. Let him have a little tenderness, before the Pharoah's pet broke his heart forever. It might be a long time, it might be a short, but when it was done, he would still be there to take Bakura back into his arms where he belonged.

The End