-1Lily: Ok I know I've just done oneshots so far, but I think it's because I like writing them, and enjoy reading them. I find them easier, rather than updating a story every now and then with another chapter and- being a lazy-ass myself- getting people mad at having to wait for updates for ages. I will do a story- in fact I'm working on one now- and I've also got a poem I'll publish, that has nothing to do with… actually I could relate it back to Bakura and Ryou.

Ryou: What about Malik and Marik?

Lily: Don't worry I'm not forgetting them! My story has them in, both as main characters. I think.

Marik: You think?

Lily: Yeah, if the story goes to plan :

Disclaimer: YuGiOh is not mine. The characters are not mine. #bursts to tears# O-ownership is not m-mine!

"You don't know anything!" screamed Bakura, turning around to face his look-alike, thus abandoning his angry retreat to the bedroom. They both stood in the four-roomed apartment's lounge they shared, the small boy backing away from Bakura quickly, but reluctantly. Bakura's face held a glare and was as pale as ever, whereas his eyes that were naturally chocolate-brown had converted to scarlet and hurled daggers at the younger boy.

"B-but Bakura… I-I-I was-" Ryou's thin, delicate body and limbs were trembling, his big russet eyes like saucers. He slowly backed away from Bakura, but was agonizingly aware that he was between Bakura and the door out of the apartment. To Bakura, he stood as a threat.

"I don't care what you were doing, Ryou! Keep your god damn nose out!" Bakura advanced forward, walking out of the lounge and into the kitchen, shoving Ryou sideways harshly. He was out of the door too fast to see Ryou collapse upon the floor and weep. He didn't know why he was crying. Bakura was just in a bad mood that was all. He didn't know his own strength when he was in moods like that, but it wasn't his fault. Ryou wiped his cheeks with his sleeve, sitting up. His long, silver-like locks felt limp against the sides of his face, the tears that had escaped soaking into them. He knew Bakura had had a hard life- he had been strained to the brink of sanity- but why couldn't he move on? Take part in the new life he was granted, to find new memories and not linger on the past. The only answer Ryou had gotten, which was when Bakura was half asleep- the only time Ryou had dared- apart from now- to ask Bakura about his past, was: 'You don't understand. I can't forget.' But Ryou wasn't asking him to forget! Ryou pondered for a long while. His mind felt mushed, his body still trembled. The flat felt lonely and Ryou began to get cold. He and Bakura couldn't afford the heating bill, but it was ok as it was summer. Well, it was reaching the end of summer now. The sky began to get dark at nine, it was eight now. He was chilly, but too frozen in thoughts and doubts and regrets to move a muscle, excluding his eyes that darted everywhere.

They settled on everything, and to his irritation every item in the room made him think more. Maybe he had pushed Bakura too far this time? Maybe he should just have kept his nose out. What if… what if he wasn't coming back? These thoughts triggered a frosty feeling in his stomach, increasing to his heart. His eyes welled up again and he let the tears flow without a care.

The telephone began to ring in Ryou's ears, the stony silence splintering and plummeting like rain. Ryou was slow getting to his feet, his mind and body still hazy, but reached the phone on the lounge coffee table before the ringer hung up. He pulled the transportable phone with him to sit by the simmering fire- the only source of heat in the flat- on the newly-bought rug. The fire gave the lounge a warm and fuzzy glow, even Ryou's soft skin shone, but his face still remained solemn, his eyes were glazed, hiding the ice behind them.

"Hello?" Ryou attempted to banish the wobble off his voice, just in case Yugi happened to call. He could not let Yugi think Bakura was hurting him in any way, or the Pharaoh was sure to annihilate Bakura.

"Hey Ryou," Malik's voice buzzed through the line, on the verge of concern.

"Ah… hi, Malik." The wobbliness continued despite Ryou's best efforts.

"A-are you ok? Bakura was just round here. Talking to Marik-" Should have guessed, thought Ryou. Marik might as well be Bakura's play toy "- he was saying some stuff."

"Like?" The wobbles had subsided, now replaced by a hint of bitterness. Great. Bakura was talking to Marik about him. Ryou's imagination escalated and seemed to hint at bad thoughts. Bakura was sure to leave him now.

"Well I only heard bits of their conversation, Marik locks me out of his room-" Oh that's just fantastic. Bakura was in Marik's room! Ryou had an overwhelming desire to correct Malik that it wasn't talking he heard, it was moaning and groaning "- but I heard him say that he shouldn't have reacted that way. A-and that he was sorry and he should go back but he was scared-"

"You're sure he hasn't put you up to this?"

"Wha-? Of course he hasn't! He left about five minutes ago and Marik hopped in the shower, so I thought I'd ring you and see what he was on about. If you were alright,"

Ryou sighed, "I guess I'm ok. What happened was… well I was talking to him about his past again and one thing lead to another and then we had a fight. He was screaming at me, pushed me then l-left. I-I don't think he's coming back. I-I've pestered him t-too much!" Tears streamed from Ryou's eyes once more, his voice now a fit of tremors, "I-It's a-all my f-fault. I-I shouldn't h-have been s-such a nuisance! H-he's g-g-g-gone!" Ryou was barely able to get his last word out, the meaning dawning on him.

"Don't cry, Ryou! He'll be running back to you right now! It must have been what he was talking about, it-" Ryou flinched as gentle hands came from nowhere and picked the phone from his tightened fingers. A hand leant on his shoulder as Bakura slid down into place behind him, legs around his waist.

"We'll see you later, Malik." said Bakura softly, placing the phone onto the rug beside him. Ryou looked down at one of his feet, his eyes closed and his body still shaking with every release of breath. He wiped his nose on his sleeve, not daring to look sideways into Bakura's eyes. Bakura sighed behind him, a faint, regretful sigh. His arms slid around Ryou's waist and squeezed him lightly, his chin on Ryou's shoulder. Ryou felt Bakura's identical hair weave between his own, the only difference in cleanliness.

"I… I'm… I'm sorry, Ryou. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so sorry." Bakura's voice breathed into Ryou's ear and the trembles began to cease. More tears, less shaking. More tears, less hate.

"I'm sorry too Bakura!" Ryou's voice was unusually high pitched, even for him, his tears falling radically.

"Hush, hush now," Bakura stroked Ryou's hair and caressed his cheek, so as to quieten him, "It's ok. I… I promise to… try and move on…it's for the best…"

No words needed to be spoken that night. They curled up together in front of the fire, soaking in each other's companionship, before dozing off into- for once- a serene sleep.

Lily: It's a bit OOC, but oh well. Even the evil can change, right? Right?

Bakura: You don't want me to be evil?

Lily: I did NOT say that. Am I allowed to put links here? Because I have a link to a YouTube video that I think is great! Anyway, review please and I'll love you forever! Flames accepted, apart from the complaint of yaoi ones. Thank you