A/n: This one's a little more detailed than the last and what do you know, I have a real plot this time!

Sand, Stone, and Blood

"Yugi...is it okay if I miss him?" Yugi looked at Ryou cautiously and slowly nodded. "I suppose so. I mean he was never really bad to you." Ryou shook his head. "He was good to me. I'd like to believe that somewhere in his heart he loved me." Yugi frowned. "Ryou I'm really sorry to say this but I don't think he could love. He simply realized that he needed you. I'm not surprised that he took off now that he has a body of his own." Ryou was rather upset by this remark. "But that's how he acted towards me! He saved me so many times from so many things! I didn't really mind when he cut me or hurt me. He always secretly made it up to me." Yugi stared at him like he'd lost his mind. Pharaoh had never deliberately hurt him, why would Ryou settle for anything less? "But Ryou...do you really believe he's in love with you?" He nodded a look of determination on his face. "That's why I have to go find out for sure. Maybe he thought I didn't want him around...maybe for a while I didn't but when I stood there and looked into his eyes I knew that I wanted him to stay forever." Yugi smiled slightly as Yami rested his hand on his shoulder. "I can understand that. Yami and I...well lets just say that we've come to a few agreements" Yami sighed. "Kissing is fine, no squeezing, no cutting...like I'D do that...cuddling anytime, nothing in public or in front of Grandpa. You're no fun." Ryou smiled for a moment. "I'm not going to lay any rules for him. Not like he'd listen to them anyway." Yami looked up in concern. "Ryou are you sure this is what you want? What if you find him and he turns you down? What if he hurts you?" Ryou shook his head. "Turning me down is not an option. I know how to make him give me what I want." Yugi took both of his hands and looked into his eyes. "Please be careful. Win or lose I want you to come back to us okay?" Ryou nodded and hugged Yugi. "It's good to have such caring friends. I'll be back, but I won't be alone." With that he was gone. Yami and Yugi watched after him and Yami wrapped his arms around his hikari tightly as he sighed. "I really hope he knows what he's doing Yami. He's been hurt so much in the last few weeks without Bakura." Yami nodded, kissing Yugi's hand softly. "He'll be fine. Ryou's not as weak as he may appear to be and he certainly knows what he's getting into."

Ryou walked for a while, he had no idea how long but it was a while, and sat under a tree. He was beginning to have second thoughts. Did Bakura really love him or was that his wishful thinking? "Ryou!" He looked up to see Anzu dashing across the street towards him. "Hello Anzu. How are you today?" She smiled. "Good. What are you doing all the way down here?" He smiled for a moment but then closed his eyes. "I just left Yugi's. I made a really tough choice and now I'm having second thoughts about it." She sat beside him. "So tell me. Maybe I can help?" He looked over at her, wary of telling her. She'd nearly fallen apart when Yugi told her about he and Yami. What if she was in love with Bakura now? They'd spent a lot of time together before he left. "Anzu...are you in love with Bakura?" She gave him the funniest look and then burst out laughing. "What would make you ask a question like that! Of course not!" He smiled suddenly. "I know, it was silly but I didn't want to tell you if you were. I think I am and I think he is too but...I don't want to be wrong." Anzu smiled warmly. "You have no idea why he left do you?" He shook his head. "Do you? Yugi says he's not surprised and essentially that I'm deluding myself." She huffed. "Yeah well never listen to Yugi on matters of the heart. I'm not supposed to give this to you until tomorrow but if you promise to wait I'll give it to you now." Ryou stared at her wide eyed and nodded. "Alright! I swear I'll wait till tomorrow." She giggled and pulled something out of her purse. His mouth fell open when he saw what it was. "He wants me to come to Egypt tomorrow! Why didn't he just take me with him?" Anzu patted him on the shoulder. "Calm down Ryou. He's setting things up. He knew he'd have to be on the streets for a few weeks before he was able to get a place and that if you knew you'd insist on going with him." He stood suddenly and hugged the airline tickets close. "I'm going home to pack and then to rub it in Yugi's face! I knew he loved me!" Anzu smiled softly as she stood too. "Good luck in your new life." He smiled and nodded as he started back towards his apartment.

Ryou ran into the game shop where he had left his friends only a few hours before and jumped on Yami who happened to be the first person to see what was going on. "He loves me! I told you guys! Look, I'm moving to Egypt!" He held out the tickets with a wide smile and Yugi's eyes went wide as Ryou made his next statement. "I'm all packed and I'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon. He just wanted to get a place to stay and didn't want me to stay on the street with him." He hugged the tickets tightly and spun around. "I've never been so happy in my whole life Yugi!" Yugi smiled, though worry was evident in his eyes. "As long as you're happy Ryou, I'm happy for you. But I want you to know that if things don't work out you can always come back here okay? If he starts doing things to you that you don't like than don't stay with…"Ryou cut him off angrily. "I'm not a little boy Yugi! I love him and he stopped hurting me a long time ago! Why can't you understand that! You have Yami, Anzu has Seto, and I should have Bakura." Without another word he left again.

He lay there silently in his bed, not bothering to wipe away any of his tears as he thought back on the years he'd spent with his dark. Sure there had been times he'd really hated him. He'd had his flesh sliced open more than once, he'd been hit, punched, and called names. But all that was before he'd met Yugi. The last time he'd actually harmed him was battle city and he understood that it was important to align himself with Maliku. After that he'd made up for every little scar he'd ever made. Then when they'd finally been seperated from each other he had kissed Ryou. For two whole weeks life was litterally bliss and then he'd disappeared and Ryou was afraid he'd never see him again. He finally drifted off to sleep uneasily just before dawn.

The hours had ticked by like days on the plane until it finally landed. He felt more and more nervous as he stepped off. His legs began to shake and soon everything began to blur. 'What if they're right? What if he doesn't love me but just wants to stay with me?' He suddenly felt sick. 'What if he really hates me and he's going to torture me! Or I'm just another plot to get back at the pharaoh!' Tears came to his eyes and he stumbled, nearly tripping into someone. 'I want to be right about him! I want him to love me as much as I love him! I don't want to go back to Yugi and watch him and Yami be happy forever!.' As he gave in he felt strong arms catch him and that voice call out to him. "Ryou!" He couldn't seem to catch his breath as he stared into his hikari's face. Ryou looked up into his eyes, regaining a little of his strength. "Kura…do you love me?" Bakura merely captured his soft lips with a gentle kiss before picking him up. "You close your eyes and rest. I'm taking you home now…to our home." Ryou closed his eyes, listening to the crowd and sighed happily. "Kura…I love you." Bakura smiled softly and held him just a little closer. "So do I Ryou. And I won't ever leave you again." He smiled to himself. 'I shouldn't have been worried. At least now I know I was right in the first place. That beautiful kiss didn't mean nothing. Don't let me go Bakura. Hold me all night. Lie to me if you must but just tell me you love me.' As if Bakura had read his mind he spoke quietly. "I do love you Ryou."

A/n: yeah so anyway, it's still not totally I love it but I'm getting better. Please review Ja!