....it happened again D:

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Nothing you hear!? RAWGH! -sobsniff-


It was strange; not that it was an unusual thing, considering everything about his yami was 'strange', but this was certainly one of the more peculiar things about him.

Ryou remembered all to well how hard he had tried, for years and years, to make Bakura laugh. Hell, even making him smile took a whole lot of effort, and usually when he did manage to make him smile, it was by offhandedly saying something Yugi had done that 'put the Pharaoh in his place'. Because everyone knew nothing made Bakura happier then knowing Yami had been embarrassed.

Or, so Ryou had originally thought. It always seemed to work before, anyway's, but even then he could only say it when it actually happened, because the thief was really good at picking out when he was making things up just to get a rile out of him.

But all that aside, Ryou had always tried. Rarely he could get those lips usually set in a scowl to curve into a small smile, though maybe smirk was a better term for it. Yes, definitely smirk. Now that he thought about it, perhaps he'd never been able to make his yami truly smile. Smirks, sneers, chuckles, cackles; those were common enough reactions that just about anyone could pull out of Bakura.

Smiles and laughter were impossible...at least, that's what he used to think. Suddenly, he finds himself watching from a distance as the other sitting with his yami whispers something into his ear, and then Bakura's laughing and his eyes are sparkling.

And it's real. Not a snicker or a cackle, but the very laugh Ryou had worked so hard but never succeeded in drawing from the thief, which now his yami's companion could draw so easily from him with barely even a thought.

Bakura stopped laughing and for a moment Ryou watched as the two sat in silence, Bakura settled between the other's legs, back pressed to the chest of the blond demon, who's deep purple eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

Again Marik murmured something Ryou couldn't hear from where he stood, but whatever it was it's end result was the same. Soft, melodious laughter breezed from the blue-haired yami's throat, smoothing down into a smile that wasn't caused by the Pharaoh's discomfort or was more smirk then smile. And it was beautiful.

Just as Ryou had always imagined it would, the smile lit up his yami's entire face, only perfected by the gentle love that could be seen in Bakura's eyes even all the way over there, a look he now knew only able to be drawn out by the darkness known as Marik, who's arms hung loosely around Bakura's waist.

Jealousy was unbecoming of him, but it was there anyway's, leaving a bitter taste in the back of his mouth and a painful burn in his chest. Desperately, he wished he could say Marik was undeserving of such beauty. That Bakura was worth more then him, that the blond had no right to draw the smile Ryou had always worked so hard to achieve.

Sadly, he knew there was no truth to those words. After all, Marik had worked even harder then he. For, though drawing a smile from the spirit of the ring was difficult in itself, Marik had gone a step further, into boundaries not even Ryou could have ever dreamed of trying to achieve.

He had drawn from Bakura loyalty, devotion, and above all...Love.

For Ryou knew, without a doubt, that Bakura loved Marik. Which was why he let the blond see his true smile, and hear the laugh no one had believed him capable to make, and even more then that, why he let Marik love him in return.

So though the jealousy stung and the bitter tang brushed his tongue, Ryou couldn't say Marik was undeserving. For he was more deserving then anyone else in the world, and anyone who doubted that only need to watch as Marik spoke seemingly nothing into Bakura's ear, and listen to the pure laughter that was always his answer.


Phycoshipping..you know you love it. Admit it! Grr!

R&R?