DISCLAIMER! I do not own the Yugioh anime, characters, manga or anything else you may recognize.
A/N: I apologize beforehand about the OOCness that you might find. Now, for more important stuff. Yes, I used Azumano as a city, like in D.. In case you think her name sounds funny, I'll explain why I chose it. Kimi means "she who is without equal" and Tatsuhiro (yes, I know it's a boy's name), her surname, means "dragon, immense power". To Ryou, of course, she'll be the best person ever and for her to put up with Bakura without fearing 24/7 for her life… well, that took some courage. Hope you see it my way, and now, I hope you enjoy the story! Happy Valentine's Day peeps!
WARNING! EXPLICIT LEMON! Rated M for a reason!
~.~.~.
Riiiing!
Kimi wanted to ignore it, she had just walked in from work and it was almost dark. She sighed.
Riiiing!
She wished she could throw something at the phone. But then she frowned. The house was too quiet.
Riiiing!
She ignored the ring once again and peeked into the kitchen. There wasn't anyone home? Her frown deepened. Where was-
Riiiing! Then the answering machine: Hello, you have reached the Bakura residence. I can't come to the phone now, so please leave your message after the tone and I will try to get to you as soon as I am able. After a pause there was a beep and then, "Kimi, it's me, Ryou. Can you-"
She picked up the phone. "Ryou? Where are you? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine but… could you come pick me up? I… I had detention today," came the meek response.
Kimi paused at this. Detention? Over the phone was not the time. "Are you alone?" she asked him.
A pause. "No… Yugi, Jounouchi-kun, and Honda-kun are here too," he replied.
She paused at this once again. Yugi was in detention too? She shook her head. "It's quite late and it's getting dark outside. Ask them if they want a ride home or if someone's picking them up," she said firmly.
There was a pause, rustling, voices that sounded far and then, "They say it's fine and that they can get home just fine."
Kimi scowled. "Tell them that if they even dare move from where they are I will find them and make them sorry," she threatened.
She heard a smile when he said, "Okay." There was more rustling, and far away voices. "We'll wait for you at the front of the school," he said to her.
She smiled. "Will do, be right there," and with that she hung up the phone. She sighed and picked her coat back up and put it on. She took her bag and left the apartment and went back to her car.
She eased her way and parked at the front of the school waiting for the boys to get in. "Thank you, Kimi," Yugi said shyly, sitting between Honda and Jounouchi. Ryou took the seat on the front since they lived in the same place.
"Yeah… but we could have made it home just fine," Jounouchi said.
She gave an exaggerated sigh and pulled out. She knew where they lived of course, she had known them for some time. She headed toward the Game Shop first, it was closer. "You're welcome. And if you think I was going to let you walk home at this time, you must be crazy," she said. "Better safe than sorry, yeah?"
"Sure… mom," Honda said but it held amusement and wasn't said meanly.
She chuckled. "If only you'd listen to me like one," she said.
"Mom just 'cause you have a job and all," Jounouchi said with a roll of his eyes.
"What can I say? I'm too good for school," she answered with a shrug. "Well, there we are Yugi. Hope you're all right," she told him with a smile.
"Thank you, Kimi," Yugi said with a smile and a farewell wave. She waited for Honda to get back in the car before driving off. Next stop: Honda's place.
"You must be glad it's the weekend," Kimi commented as something to say.
"You bet! I'm going to go visit my sister, so I'll be out of town," Jounouchi answered.
"What? You are? Why didn't you tell me? I'll go with you!" Honda said and Kimi suppressed a smile. She hadn't met Shizuka, she had met them shortly after Battle City had ended, when his sister had already left. She had been new to the city of Domino, had arrived shortly after her parent's death. She decided to speak when, through the rearview mirror, she saw Jounouchi bristle.
"She doesn't know me, but send her my regards," she said all the same, smiling at Honda's antics. She'd been told Honda had a crush on Shizuka, and Jounouchi wasn't happy about it.
"You want to come?" Jounouchi asked her.
"I would, but I still have a bit of paperwork to get to, and my boss wants me to double check a new program before I send it to him," she said.
"But it's the weekend!" Honda complained.
She nodded. "Yes, but just like you have homework over the weekend, I have a bit of things to get to and finish," she said and shrugged. She parked into the driveway of Honda's home.
"I guess," was all he said before thanking her and getting out of the car. She waved and then eased out of the driveway and headed toward Jounouchi's home.
"Maybe some other time then," he told her.
She smiled. "Sure thing, or maybe when she comes around here I'll get to meet her."
"It's a deal," Jounouchi said with a grin. From Honda to Jounouchi's home it was closer and in a short time they were there.
"Here we are you, hope you don't get a hard time," she said worriedly.
"Nah, don't worry about it," the blond replied.
"If you're sure," she said uncertainly.
"Sure I'm sure," he replied with a smile. He waved and she watched him go inside.
"Hope he'll be alright," she muttered before turning and then parking some ways away from Jounouchi's home. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Ryou… this isn't you. Why were you in detention?" she asked patiently.
Ryou looked meekly at her before looking out the window. "I didn't do it… it was Bakura."
She shook her head. "Why am I not surprised?" she said and went back on the road. As she drove along she said, "So, I had just gotten home from work when you called so I didn't have time to make anything. Let's go eat out?" she suggested.
"I get in trouble and you're treating me to dinner?" he asked guiltily and quietly.
"Well, it's not like it's your fault. And if it had been, I'm sure there would have been a reason for it," she answered. "So, you want to go or not?"
"Yes, thank you," he said meekly.
The rest of the ride was done in silence. Ryou discreetly glanced at her as she drove along. She was so responsible… and to think they were the same age. They had known her for a couple of years now, had met her shortly after Battle City. A couple of months later she had told them her story. She had been wealthy and so had been privately tutored and so, like Kaiba, she didn't need to go to school. She had lived in the city of Azumano. When her parents had died, the family had stolen the money that pertained to her and giving her a limited amount, told her to leave the city. She had wanted out and wanted to be as far away as she could from them so she had moved here to Domino. And had met them. She had gone from work to work, mostly because she was a minor (she still was a minor. She was their same age) and had rented an apartment where it hadn't gone well. After six months of knowing her Ryou had timidly offered his place. She had deliberated but had accepted in the end (by that time she'd already had the stable job she had now). After all, she knew what she was getting into by that time, she knew about Bakura and had seen him a couple of times. She had also witnessed Shadow Games, and still she had accepted (and she hadn't asked about leaving even after being in Yami's Memory World or the Ceremonial Duel where both yami's ended up staying). She was reserved, he found, spending a lot of time in her room, if not doing work, then reading a book or playing her keyboard. She usually played her keyboard when he wasn't around and had only heard her scarcely, when she thought he wasn't home or when he'd come from outside. They had an untold agreement. She paid of course half the rent (and bills) and she bought the groceries. Whoever got home first cooked, and they both did the cleaning of the living room, kitchen, and bathroom.
There was something he hadn't told anyone. He liked her… a lot. It had only gotten worse over time, and not just because she lived with him. Although they were the same age, her responsibility and worrying nature made her seem older, but her speech and gestures gave how young she was away. Of course, he was sure she wasn't like that at work, but with them she was. And with Ryou? She knew his story too, and she, in a sense, took care of him. She was always there for him. She was kind and caring… and she was so pretty. He was taken out of his thoughts when she parked the car.
Once inside the restaurant, after making their orders and receiving their drinks she spoke. "Mind telling me what happened?" she asked. It wasn't said demandingly, it was only a question of whether he wanted to tell her or not.
He sighed. "I was heading back toward the classroom during lunch when these three boys came at me. They made fun of me but I didn't really pay them any attention. It hasn't happened in a long time, but it has happened before. Well, Bakura didn't take it very well, after all, me being his host, it was like they were insulting him. So, he took control of my body. I threw the first punch, or rather, Bakura did. The commotion made Jounouchi, Honda, and Yugi come out. Anzu was in the bathroom. We didn't get hit because a professor walked by. Yugi got detention because he was there. We were all taken to the office and because Bakura made the first hit, I got in trouble," he explained.
She nodded and thanked the waiter for bringing their food without looking at him. "He's gotten you into plenty of trouble, even now. Neither have their shadow powers anymore and…" she trailed and shook her head. "He's like a troublesome older brother, huh?" she asked with an amused smile.
"He always gets me into trouble," Ryou said looking down at his food and picking at it.
"I know Ryou, but at least it's not always that people make fun of you. Whoever does it's because they're jealous," she said in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Ryou wasn't cheered up at all, but he decided to humor her. He gave her a weak smile. "If you say so."
She took a bite from her dish and shook her head. She knew he was faking it. She fancied that she knew him well. "Look Ryou, whether either of you admit it or not, you've both lived with each other long enough that if one of you left you would miss them. You've become close… even if you don't want to admit it… and yes, that goes for Bakura too," she said and this time, Ryou's weak smile was genuine.
"I guess you're right about that. Even if he does get me in trouble, he's gotten me out of it several times," he admitted. He took a bite out his dish and found it was quite good. This was rare, spending time together like this. He couldn't say he didn't like it, he did, it's just that sometimes it was a bit awkward. He decided he didn't want to talk about him anymore and he steered the conversation away. "So, you're going to be busy over the weekend?" he asked her.
She gave him a knowing look before taking a bite of her food and nodding. "Yes, I'm hoping to finish the paperwork tonight so that I can take more time to examine that program," she replied.
"What kind of program?" he asked curiously.
She smirked. "It's a new program, can't talk about it," she said.
The rest of the meal followed the same fashion until they finished. When their dishes were taken away, Ryou paid as much attention to the girl as Kimi had the waiter. Then, their check was brought. She paid and then they were ready to head home. They got into the car. "What are your plans for the weekend? You can't spend all your time on the computer," he told her.
She smiled and shrugged. "Hm, if I get too bored, I might go to an internet café and work on it there on my laptop. Or maybe the park. I don't really have any plans," she said to him. "What about you?"
He glanced at her before looking out his window. "I might go with Yugi and Anzu to the arcade," he said. She nodded at this.
"I wonder when Kaiba-sama will prepare a new tournament. It'd be fun," she said with a smile.
He smiled. "Yeah… it feels like it's been a long time."
"It really has been," she said pulling into a parking space. They went into their apartment and each went to their respective rooms.
~.~.~.
Kimi closed and locked the door and leaned against the door. What a horrible day! She bit her lip and fought back the tears. She listened intently and didn't hear any noise in the kitchen or living room. She suspected Ryou was in his room. He hadn't had detention in two months, which was good, it meant Bakura hadn't done anything. She decided to run to her room as the tears continued to build up in her eyes. She made a mad dash to her room, blinded by tears. She didn't make it and instead collided with something, making her fall back and on her bottom. She gave a yelp, her surprise clearing her tears. She looked at the cause of her collision. It hadn't been a something, it had been a someone. It was Ryou, coming out of the bathroom… in nothing but a towel. His hair was damp and his eyes huge, and his face was flushed… she didn't think anyone could ever turn so red, not even Yugi.
Ryou couldn't move. He was on his bottom, in nothing but a towel, in front of Kimi. The only way this could have been worse is if she had fallen on top of him, or visa verse. They both rose slowly, and they each bolted to their respective rooms. Oh freak! She had seen him practically naked! He felt so embarrassed! How was he supposed to look at her and talk to her like always? He put his head in his hands and groaned. Now what was he supposed to do?
Stop brooding! Bakura ordered.
Bakura! I-I'm not brooding, Ryou countered.
How blind you are, Bakura told him with disapproval.
What do you mean?
Did you see she was crying? Bakura asked sounding irritated.
No she wasn't, Ryou argued and frowned. Bakura only snorted. No, Kimi hadn't been crying, she had only looked surprised. Amazingly surprised, but not crying… right? But… wait. She hadn't been crying when they had looked at each other, but she had been crying before, there had been tears caught in her eyelashes… maybe? The embarrassment forgotten for the moment as he thought, he got dressed in plain jeans and shirt. He sat at the edge of his bed and looked down at his feet, contemplating if he should go ask her if she was all right, and not wanting to leave his room.
Ultimately, he was left with no choice when the phone rang. He hesitated a moment before he left his room to answer the phone. Another nonverbal agreement. Whenever they were home, Ryou would always answer the phone. He reached it as it rang once more and almost reluctantly picked up the receiver. "Bakura residence," he answered.
"It's Kaiba, I need to speak to Tatsuhiro," came the response.
Ryou blinked and paused for a moment before saying slowly, "Um, wait a moment please." He walked in a daze-like state toward her room, feeling quite reluctant to see her right now but having no choice. He knocked softly and waited. She soon opened the door and blinked at him. "Um… Kaiba-kun… wants to t-talk to y-you," he managed and he held back a flinch at Bakura's amused chuckle.
"Oh… thank you," she said with a small smile, though she was blushing. Bakura had been right too, her eyes were red and overly bright. Curious, he followed her toward the living room. She didn't say anything to him being there, she never did, not that she got many calls. "Hello, Kaiba-sama?" she asked sounding unsure. There was a pause and she blinked seeming surprised. "Oh… you didn't have to do that…" she trailed off and gave a little frown. Ryou wondered what she was talking about. Another pause, this one longer. "Well, I'm glad I could serve as the excuse then," she said and though still frowning she gave a small smile. It was a strange expression to Ryou. Here was another pause, and while she listened her eyes went wider and she looked very surprised. "What? You… I… are you serious? You don't have to do that, I don't expect you to," she answered looking something between shaken and… was that excitement? He spoke, or so Ryou assumed as she had gone silent again. She broke out into a grin before it settled into a serene smile. "Oh, thank you so much! Yes, I accept, I do! I won't have to deal with so many people… thank you," she told him over the phone, her excitement more subdued. Ryou wanted to know what was going on. He was a naturally curious person, and the fact she was reacting that way with Kaiba of all people… he was sure their friends would have been curious too. Her next words brought him out of his trance. "Oh… I-I suppose… yes, okay. When?" she asked and listened intently. "Will we meet there then?" Another pause. "Oh, alright… thank you… bye," she said the last part more quietly and hung up the phone, looking at it as if it were some foreign object.
"Are you all right?" Ryou asked quietly.
She blinked and then looked at him a moment. She looked down at her watch before looking up at him again. "I'm fine… I need to get ready. Kaiba-sama will come pick me up in half an hour," she announced.
Ryou didn't like the sinking feeling he felt. From the way she said it, she sounded like she was going on a date with him. "Oh… okay," he said quietly.
She smiled and went to him. She placed her hand on his shoulders. "Do you know why he called me?" she asked. If he hadn't seen her before he would have never guessed she had been crying.
"To ask you on a date?" he reasoned. He didn't like how that sounded, but it wasn't his place to say it. She could make her own decisions, he didn't own her. He was only her friend.
She bit her bottom lip and looked as if she was trying to suppress a smile. "No, silly. It's not a date at all. It's an 'informal interview' as he put it," she said and now she smiled.
Ryou frowned. "An informal interview? Why an interview?" he questioned.
Her smile grew slightly. "I'm getting a new position," she said.
He blinked. "I don't understand," he said.
She tugged on his sleeve. "Come on, I'll explain. I'm already dressed," she said. He followed her to the couch and sat next to her. It felt nice to sit next to her. "Today at work, Kaiba-sama told me not to let anyone see him because he was going to be having an important conference. Well, someone from the Research and Development department wanting to see him. I told him Kaiba-sama couldn't see him because he was in an important conference meeting. He yelled at me and called me names, he insulted me, but I told him I couldn't. When Kaiba-sama found out… he just called me to tell me that he fired him and… he offered me a new position. The position of Personal Assistant. That way, I'll be able to attend conferences with him, help him with paperwork, and help fix glitches and run programs. Of course, I have to stay in my position until he can find a replacement though," she said with a smile.
Ryou bit the inside of cheek as he processed this. "It sounds like more work… but you sound happy," he said confused.
She smiled. "Well, it will get me better pay and there's less chance of me dealing with unkind people. And… if I help him… he'll be able to spend more time with Mokuba. And goodness knows Kaiba-sama needs to learn how to sleep," she said with a grin.
Ryou smiled a little. She was always worrying about other people. Well, granted, Ryou thought she was right, Kaiba needed a rest, and Mokuba needed to spend time with his only relative. So, Kimi would be able to help if she accepted the job. Plus, it sounded like they were splitting the work, so they'd both get a rest. And since she'd be Kaiba's personal assistant, she'd have more time to do paperwork, and have less to bring home. He wasn't sure if it'd work out but she seemed happy. "Congratulations," he said and placed a hand on hers. He couldn't help the blush.
She smiled and looked down at his hand. He took it away and his blushed deepened. She blinked and then looked up at him. She seem to deliberate about something. But then she said, "Thank you," and leaned forward and hugged him.
Ryou stilled a moment. Talk about clueless, came Bakura's amused statement. This snapped him out of his trance and he hugged her back. It made his belly do flip flops. He wished he could just hold her for a long time. He didn't think it had been long before she pulled back.
She blinked and looked at her watch. "Oh, I think I still have time to change. Guess I better take the chance," she said stood.
He stood up also. "I really am happy for you," he said softly.
She smiled. "Thank you. I look forward to it," she said and then went to her room.
Ryou stood up. He felt relieved, it's like that event before hadn't happened at all. That she hadn't seen him practically naked. It was as if she'd forgotten about it. He went into the kitchen. Well, he supposed he was going to dine alone then. Oh, well. He still felt a little better knowing it wasn't a date… or at least, it wasn't flat out a date. He sighed and took out various things from the cupboards and the refrigerator. He didn't feel like making anything fancy so he went about.
He set his plate on the table and went about finding something to drink. Just as he was about to serve some apple juice there was a knock at the door. He placed the juice down and went to the door. "Kaiba-kun," he said surprised. "Mokuba-kun," he added sounding confused.
"Hi," Mokuba said.
"I'm surprised to see you here," Ryou said sincerely to Mokuba.
"Well," said Mokuba with a smile, "I am vice president of Kaiba Corp. I should be there for the interview, right?"
Ryou smiled. "Oh, well, I guess you're right," she said.
"Is she ready?" Kaiba asked sounding exasperated.
"Oh… let me go get her," Ryou said and invited them in before going to Kimi's room. He knocked.
She came out looking really pretty. She was wearing a simple dove gray dress with a black sash around the waist, accentuating her waist nicely. Her hair was put up partially, the rest tumbling over her shoulders nicely. She gave him a sheepish smile. "I got caught up in the book I was reading…" she trailed off.
He usually didn't, but this time he couldn't help the giggle. It was so like her. "Kaiba-kun and Mokuba-kun are here," Ryou told her.
She blinked and raised an eyebrow. "Mokuba?"
"He is the vice president of Kaiba Corp."
She gave a little laugh at that. "Yes, that's true," she said. She went with him to the living room, where the other two were. "Hello Kaiba-sama, Mokuba. I'm sorry for making you wait," she said and took her bag and coat.
"No problem. Let's go now," Mokuba said with a smile.
"Yes, let's go," Kaiba said.
"Okay," she said and Ryou saw her draw herself straighter. She put on her coat and Ryou walked them all to the door. She took his hand and gave it a nervous squeeze and she smiled at him.
He blushed but managed to smile back. "Good luck," he whispered and she nodded and left. Ryou closed the door and sighed. He wondered what she would have looked like if she had had more time to get ready. Perhaps she wouldn't have taken so much time. She wasn't one to take forever to get ready. He went back to the kitchen and served himself that juice. He sat down to eat. He'd wait for her, and he'd ask her how it went. She had been nervous he could tell. Well, after all, not only was she dining with the president and vice president of Kaiba Corp, but even if they were friends, Kaiba wasn't the huggiest of people. Plus, Kaiba wasn't just her friend, but also her boss, and she had a new job up ahead. As much as this was a casual dinner they were having, he was sure there was some truth about the 'informal interview'.
~.~.~.
It had been three months since Kimi had been offered the new position. She was so happy! She was a computer whiz, such a nerd, who knew it'd come in so handy! She had a bit more free time and Kaiba did too! Mokuba seemed happier about it too, and… dare she say it? They spent more time with the others! She and Ryou had grown quite close. He'd tell her about his day and she'd tell him about hers during dinner. She'd tried to get the image of Ryou in nothing but a towel out of her head, but she often found herself thinking about it anyway. But that was something she'd rather not dwell on when she could.
Right now it was the weekend and she was going to go grocery shopping. She decided to go to ask Ryou if he wanted anything specific from the store while she was there. He usually gave her a list, mostly of snacks, or to make some kind of special dish he felt like having. She left her room after a glance at the mirror and went toward Ryou's. She was about to knock when something stopped her. Was that a groan? A gasp? Oh, dear! Was he all right? She forgot about knocking and burst through the door. "Are you all-" she froze at the sight.
For once Ryou wished Bakura had had his shadow magic to wipe her memory of this incident. He had been in his room, pleasuring himself. His eyes closed, imagining her… and she'd just come in. But… she never did that! Why out of all days did it have to be today?
Way to be quiet, Bakura told him sarcastically and he sounded maliciously amused.
There Ryou was, naked with his hand on his… he scrambled to sit up, drawing his knees up trying to cover as much as he could of himself, feeling completely humiliated. Had she heard him moan her name? What exactly had she seen… and heard? B-Bakura… w-w-will you…
Bakura laughed mockingly in his head. You think I'm going to get you out of this? Yeah, right. Good luck with that, he said and then he felt him go into his soul room. Crap! He looked at Kimi with wide eyes and he was sure his face was a shade of red not even Yugi could match. His heart thumped faster in his chest when she began walking toward him slowly.
She stood over him and he looked up at her, tucking his legs tighter against his chest. His heart felt like it was going to jump its way out of his chest. His eyes widened when she leaned down and after hesitating a moment, she pressed her lips to his. Her lips were warm and soft, and they were moving against his. He was confused and surprised and he didn't know what to do! And Bakura was in his soul room… he gasped when he felt her tongue touch his bottom lip, and she took the chance to slip it into his mouth, tasting him and exploring his mouth for the first time. He tried breathing through his nose, but quickly found he was too short of breath to do so. This is what he had secretly wanted for a long time! He'd often wondered what it was like to kiss her, or have her kiss him, this is what it felt like! His imagination didn't do it any justice. She touched her tongue playfully to his and he couldn't help but moan at the feeling. He felt his body tingling and felt something like butterflies flying up to his chest and down to his stomach. He hesitantly responded, not sure of what to do. Her sigh made him feel more encouraged. When the need of oxygen was too much, she pressed kisses on the corner of his mouth to let him breathe. He gave a squeak when he felt her hand on his shoulder.
He gave short pants as he felt her hand slide from his shoulder to the side of his neck and slowly down to his chest. Then, her hand began sliding down his side, so unbearably slow he couldn't help but wiggle a bit. She nipped at his bottom lip and his lips parted slightly. She began giving him slow, open-mouthed kisses, her hand at his thigh, slowly easing his legs from their position, slowly easing him to lie down again. When he realized this she was already over him and straddling him. Shyly, he placed his hands on her hips, his fingers inching toward the hem of her shirt. She didn't allow this; instead, she held his wrists and pinned them on either side of his head as she moved down to kiss and nip at his neck. He gave a whimper at the loss of her hand on his thigh.
She licked a trail from his neck down to his collarbone. He moaned at the feeling combined with her knee pressed between his legs. He shivered and gave a loud gasp as she nipped at his pale skin. She made her way down to his chest, experimentally letting go of his wrists. He immediately went to fist his hands in the sheets. Her hands, now free, wandered down his body. He moaned at the sensations. He had never ever felt like this before, this was all new for him. He couldn't do any of this on his own after all. She nipped and licked at his nipple, not waiting for it to get hard and moved to the other one.
Her hand trailed lightly up the inside of his leg as she moved down to lick at his navel. He squirmed as her hand slid to his hip, the other hand roaming his body. He moaned before continuing to pant. It hurt to be this hard, but he didn't want it to end, wouldn't have it any other way because it felt so good and it was her. He was mostly innocent, but his hormones were those of a teenager. His thoughts were scattered as he felt her kiss his thigh softly, butterfly kisses and he shivered once again. "K-Kimi… please," he managed to say, not sure how. She seemed to hesitate but she complied. Her lips touched the tip of his member and he whimpered at the feeling. She drew back and his lust-filled eyes watched as she ran her tongue over her lips with an almost contemplative expression, tasting the precum on her lips. He bit his lip as he watched her lean toward his member again.
She ran her tongue over the tip and then his length to the base. Ryou threw his head back and panted loudly feeling something like a tight coil in his stomach, a warmth filling him. Her tongue pressed to the underside of his member and slowly slid up, toward the tip. He moaned loudly at the feeling and let out an audible gasp when his tip was engulfed in her mouth. His back arced, his hips tilting upward, and felt a certain kind of submissive pleasure when she placed her hands on his hips, restraining him from thrusting up. He squirmed under her restraint, only causing her to tighten her grip on him. She suckled him gently, running her tongue over the tip before she slid the whole of him into her mouth. She bobbed her head up and down as her tongue caressed him. Ryou wasn't aware of anything else at that time except her hands on his hips and what she was making him feel. She began sucking him hard as she bobbed her head faster and he squirmed with renewed strength trying to thrust himself deeper into her mouth. She began humming then, the vibrations causing him to escalate from moans to loud whimpers. He was close… so close. Finally, she gave a particularily hard suck, causing to coil in his stomach to unwind, and he released into her mouth, fast and hard. And as he did so her name found its way out past his lips.
She swallowed his seed, before peppering his member with kisses and then taking him into her mouth once again, sucking gently once again as he came down from his high. She finally pulled away and then she kissed him slowly, as if savoring the moment. "Well," she said quietly in his ear, "I was on my way to go grocery shopping… did you want anything?"
"N-no…" was the stuttered and breathless reply.
She gave him a kiss on his jaw before she got off of him and stood. She walked toward the door. "All right then. I'll be going now," she said and then left the room, closing the door behind her.
Ryou stared at the door dumbfounded. Huh? She'd just given him a blow job and then left? And she had done it so casually! What… what did that mean? She just made him feel like he was on cloud nine and then… she'd just left! After a bit of the flabbergasted feeling had eased, he realized that she never once had taken a single article of clothing off, and that she hadn't let him touch her. And this made him more confused, he didn't know what that meant. He sighed. Why did his life have to be so complicated?
~.~.~.
It had been two weeks since that incident in Ryou's room, and if there could ever be anyone as confused as him, it'd be something really. She had been kept to her room, he rarely saw, and when he did it was usually her entering or leaving the apartment. It had been awkward whenever they had spoken (which hadn't been much). Ryou wasn't sure if he should talk to her about it or not but… well, no, he knew he had to talk to her about it but he couldn't! He wasn't good with that kind of stuff but… he didn't know what to do!
I thought you knew but didn't want to, came Bakura's taunting voice.
Ryou jumped a little. Bakura! You don't even know!
Bakura laughed. You're not very good at screening your thoughts, he told him and he sounded amused but… there was something else Ryou couldn't identify.
Ryou blushed fiercely knowing Bakura knew what had happened. It was bad enough him and Kimi weren't talking to each other because of it, but now Bakura knew too! Who knew what Bakura would do with that information! Bakura- he was interrupted when he heard her the door open and he stiffened. Oh no!
"Welcome home," Ryou said softly when she walked past.
She stopped walking but she didn't look at him. "Thank you," was all she said and she sounded strained. She was blushing profusely.
They were silent a moment where they just stood there awkwardly before speaking. "I need to talk to you," he said quickly but very quietly when she was about to walk away. She stopped again and she looked everywhere except him until she closed her eyes, sighed, and nodded. She sat as far away as possible from him on the couch. He sat down and shifted uncomfortably and looked down at his hands. Now how was he supposed to start? "Um… that day…" he trailed off and wished he knew what he was supposed to say. There was a long silence as Ryou attempted to organize his thoughts.
"I'm so sorry," she finally said in almost a whisper but due to the silence he was able to catch every word. She wasn't looking at him and so missed the look he gave her. "I'm sorry. I didn't… I-I wasn't thinking… I just… I saw you and… oh, gods! You must think I'm some kind of a fucking whore who can't control herself and who'll go for the first guy she sees," she said and she hid her face in her hands.
Ryou blinked. Well, it was true he hadn't been able to figure out what to think of that day, but the rest was most certainly not it. Was she trying to say she didn't want him but that she'd seen him and hadn't been able to stop herself? Or was she saying she liked him and she hadn't been able to stop herself when she saw him? He wasn't conceited but he was hopeful, and he hoped it was the second option, though he couldn't be too sure. She could have a thing for Kaiba for all he knew.
"I don't think that at all," he tried to reassure quietly.
She didn't say anything to that, didn't even lift her head. "I think it'd be best if I left. It'd be for the best I think… for both of us," she said very quietly.
Ryou blinked at her unable to speak for a while. "W-where will you go?" was all he could manage to say.
She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe stays at Yugi's for a bit before I found somewhere to stay. I'm getting better pay now and my job is stable… maybe I could even get my own apartment," she replied slowly.
"You don't have to go," he said and after a very long pause added, "I don't want you to."
Her head rose to look at the opposite wall and she shook her head. "You say it like you like being sexually molested," she told him.
He blushed at the comment. "It… wasn't," he said softly.
"What would you have called it then?" she asked and her head turned away from him to look at the kitchen blankly.
He didn't answer right away. How would he go about saying it? He bit his lower lip. If only things had gone differently. Now she wanted to leave! She wanted to leave him! She felt guilty he knew, she most likely felt like she had taken advantage of him. Even if that had been the case, he really didn't mind it at all. "I'd call it… um, consensual," he said in a tiny voice. He saw her go rigid before her head swung to look at him directly. Her eyes were wide and staring right into his.
She blinked at him. "You can't mean that. You… you don't mean it," she said and she frowned. "Look, you're a good person Ryou, you prefer to appease people's feelings, it's what you do. But… this shouldn't be one of those times Ryou," she told him almost as if she were lecturing him. Even now, she felt increasingly embarrassed for what she'd done, and yet she was giving him a lesson. If he appeased people, then she cared for people a lot. She stood and he did too.
"I'm not trying to," he assured.
She gave a shake of her head and sighed. "This is embarrassing enough as it is Ryou… I think I would prefer it if you shouted at me and told me what you really thought," she told him and then added, "Just give me a month and I'll be out." She began walking toward her room.
Ha! If you don't grow a pair you'll end up watching her walk away, Bakura told him. Ryou wasn't sure why Bakura cared. He lived to make Ryou miserable, wouldn't he have fun reminding him of this? Of course I would, but then you'll annoy me just as much as I'll laugh at you about it, Bakura said and Ryou could practically feel him roll his eyes. "Wait!" Ryou said louder than was necessary. She stopped and turned to look at him but she wouldn't meet his gaze.
Ryou gulped and shifted awkwardly. "What do you want me to say?" he finally blurted out. No, that wasn't what he was supposed to say.
She looked momentarily confused, only a flicker of it on her features, before she sighed and said, "I don't know. What you're really thinking. That you don't ever want to see me again, that you don't want me anywhere near you… to leave you the heck alone. I don't know, whatever's running through your head about it I suppose."
"I'm not a liar," he said and was surprised at how blunt that had sounded.
Kimi was apparently as surprised as he was. "What?" she asked and sounded slightly disoriented.
Ryou sighed. Well, he'd blab as much, he might as well go ahead and tell her. "Well… I do want to see you again, and I want to be near you and I don't want you to me leave me alone… I don't want you to leave. Kimi… I-I… I-I like you… a lot. I… I thought about you often… l-l-like that too, s-s-so… it was consensual," he told her in a voice that sounded like he was scared to death. He could swear he was either deathly pale or incredibly flushed. He lowered his gaze.
He didn't hear her move at all for a very long time. Finally, she slowly went toward him until she was standing right in front of him. "Ryou," she said quietly.
He meekly rose his head to look at her and blinked. "I mean it… what I said," he said timidly. They stared at each other for a long moment, coming to terms what he had told her.
She seemed unsure when she said, "I don't appreciate people lying to me, not even my friends…"
He sighed. "I'm not lying. I already told you I'm not a liar," he answered but it wasn't said meanly. He bit his lip and they were silent yet another moment. In a surge of bravery he was sure Bakura would laugh at later, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers before once again pulling away.
She blinked at him and didn't say anything, simply watched as his face flushed. Finally, she gave a weak smile and said, "I guess you really did mean it." Then she sighed and took his hands in hers and stared down at them. "You know… I've liked you… for a very long time now. Then that day we collided, the day Kaiba called… it was hard to get you out of my head. You have that effect on me." She sighed. "I tried acting normally, I mean, you're my friend and you had been so nice as to give me a place to stay… and then that day. I wouldn't have burst into your room like that… but I heard you and I thought something had happened. I swear I don't know what happened to me…" she trailed off and shook her head.
He couldn't help the images in his head of that day, the one she was talking about. "I-I-I… wanted that," he all but whispered.
Bakura made a disgusted sound. I get it, I get it, I'm leaving now, he said and then Ryou felt alone. He was glad about this. His eyes snapped to hers when she placed her hand on his cheek and gave him a soft smile.
He took a step closer and wished she would hold him. Ryou didn't want to say anything, however, because it wasn't normal, was it? Guys were the ones that held the girls, not the other way around. With Yugi it was different. He was shorter than Anzu and it looked cute when she held him. But Ryou and Kimi were almost the same height. Did it matter what he wanted as long as he did what he was supposed to? Well, he supposed he wouldn't care what the other people thought as long as Kimi didn't have a problem with it. If they were both comfortable with it then it didn't matter. Wait a minute. They hadn't established whether they would engage in a relationship or not. Sure, she had admitted she liked him, and he'd told her he liked her, but… that didn't mean much unless they came to some decision. "What happens now?" he asked and he sounded as nervous as he felt.
She seemed to think about this a moment before she gave yet another sigh before letting her hand fall to her side. She looked past him. "I don't know… whatever you want I guess," she said giving a half-hearted shrug.
"Why whatever I want and not what you want?" he asked curiously.
"Well," she reasoned, "we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place if I hadn't been some… well, you know what I mean. It's only fair I let you decide this, that you have a say about this. It doesn't matter what you decide, so no pressure."
"I can't decide for you," he told her.
She smiled slightly. "Tell me what you want."
"You know… I think," he answered shyly.
"No Ryou, I don't. If I did I wouldn't have asked," she rejoined.
He looked away from her. "I want… us to…" he trailed off biting his lower lip. He then took a deep breath and rushed out, "I want you to be my girlfriend." He waited in nervous silence for what felt like a long time.
He sucked in a surprised breath when she wrapped her arms around him and held him. How did she know that's what he wanted? He broke into a relieved smile when she whispered, "Well, it's a good thing we want the same thing then," in his ear. She held him close to her and stroked his hair. "I hope you don't mind," she mumbled. He only shook his head slightly. They were like that a while before she pulled back and kissed his cheek. "You know, I'm glad my first boyfriend is so shy and cute," she told him with a playful smile and he blushed.
"Do you want dinner?" he asked trying to divert attention from him.
She seemed to be suppressing a smile. "I'm not hungry right now, but thanks. You have homework to get to?" she asked.
He looked down at his feet, digging the toe of his foot into the carpet. "Not much… I wasn't planning to work on it tonight though," he told her.
Now she smiled and pulled him down on the couch with her. "Hm, well, I guess you won't mind too much if I ask you to watch TV with me for a bit?" she asked and he smiled and shook his head. She held him to her again and he snuggled against her. She ran her hand through his hair, her fingers brushing at times against his temple. It felt so nice and he felt so at ease he sighed and relaxed against her as they watched TV. Her other hand was firmly around his waist, keeping him close to her.
Later that night, they were in his bedroom. They accorded (through much blushing and stuttering) that they'd sleep in Ryou's room. Now she snuggled against him and she wiggled downward until he could rest his chin on the top of her head. "Night," he said softly.
"Night, Ryou," she replied and nestled a bit closer before letting her eyes close, feeling warm and safe.
~.~.~.
It had been three months that Ryou and Kimi had been together. She was happy with their relationship status, and all the teasing from their friends was all in good fun (plus, she liked watching her boyfriend blush). At the moment, she was sitting on the couch waiting for him to come home. It was late, very late, so it wouldn't be long now. She was attempting to read a book but she couldn't concentrate on it. She sighed and stood. She began pacing. Ugh, she knew Bakura could take care of himself, but poor Ryou.
Finally the door opened and Kimi sighed. Bakura looked at her and grinned. "Aw, look who's worried about me," he cooed mockingly.
She rolled her eyes at him. "You're drunk," she said. The only people Bakura willingly hung out with was Marik and his yami. And when he did… they most often than not got drunk. Tonight was no different. Bakura was drunk. "Sit down and don't you dare go and puke your guts out, it's not healthy," she said and almost dragged Bakura to the couch. He pulled his arm free roughly from her grasp and sat heavily on the couch. He glowered at her and watched her disappear from the living room. She came back living room holding a glass. "You know the drill. Drink it," she said handing him the glass. As he did he left for the kitchen and shortly after came back with two pieces of toast and placed them on the coffee table. He placed the empty glass on the table and shoved a piece of toast almost whole into his mouth and then the other. When he had finished she took the plate and glass to the kitchen. Gosh, she was glad he only got sick at the same time Ryou did. She sighed and turned to head back to the living room but found Bakura at the entrance of the kitchen. She blinked, she forgot he was so silent and stealthy. "How do you feel?" she asked him.
He rolled his eyes at her. "Drunk," he answered and she gave an amused smile and shook her head.
"Well, you sound well enough to go get changed and head off to bed. If you need anything I'll be in my room," she answered and went past him. She wasn't expecting him to grab her wrist in a painful grip and almost slam her against the wall. "Bakura! What the hell?" she exclaimed.
"Why do you always do that. I'm not a child, I don't need you to put up with me, I can take care of myself," he told her.
She gave him a bored look. "Just because you can take care of yourself doesn't mean it's the best way. This isn't just your body, Bakura, it's primarily Ryou's body and it's enough you get drunk without having to do the other stuff," she told him.
He glowered. "It's always about Ryou, isn't it?" he queried.
She blinked at him. "Well, he's my boyfriend, it's only fair, right?" she questioned.
Bakura sneered at her but didn't say anything for a long time. Finally, with a painful squeeze he let her go and turned his back on her. What he said next surprised her. "Why do you like him anyway? He's so weak and dull," he said a trace of curiosity in his voice. After a pause he turned around to look at her with his arms crossed over his chest.
She blinked. She shook her head and sighed. "Ryou isn't weak, he puts up with you, doesn't he? That takes guts, boy if I know," she said and grinned. He rolled his eyes and glowered but his glower didn't have a real threat behind it… for now. "He isn't weak either. If he was, you would have lost your host long ago, before we even met," she answered.
He shrugged and said, "That doesn't answer my question."
She blushed and looked away from him. He was sharing a body with Ryou which meant he looked like him. "Well," she said sounding thoughtful, "I like that he's sweet and cute and funny. You could just hug him for a long time and he doesn't complain. He likes the fact we're able to hold each other and I like that too. I like that I can tell him anything and that he'll listen. I like that I can cuddle with him and that he's patient with me. I like that he stays up and waits for me when I have to stay late at work. I like that he'll be there for me but at the same time, I feel needed. I like that he's thoughtful and the little notes we leave each other sometimes in the morning on the bathroom mirror for no apparent reason. That on the weekend he'll make breakfast when he gets up before I do. I like how gentle he is when we…" she trailed off and her face flushed.
She didn't understand why he looked so angry or why he said, "Everything I'm not." And with a 'hmph' he turned around again.
Kimi blinked not understanding what that meant. She tentatively touched his shoulder and said, "I didn't say that," in a soft voice.
His response was immediate. He whirled around and pushed her against the wall, bracing his hands on the wall on either side of her head. Her eyes went wide. "You didn't have to say it, it's obvious," he almost snarled. She bit her bottom lip and looked at him silently. "You just described everything I'm not."
"I just described what I like about Ryou," she answered softly. She'd never thought of the possibility of Bakura physically harming her, but that option seemed pretty present now.
His eyes narrowed and he leaned toward her. "Everything I'm not," he assured. "I'm neither cute nor sweet nor funny. I've never held anyone and it's been years since I've been held. I don't do cuddling and if I'm tired hell if I'll wait for anyone. I'm not reliable nor thoughtful… and I'm most definitely not gentle," he added.
They were silent as they stared at each other. Bakura with a glare and Kimi with a frightened and confused look. She finally found her voice and asked, "But why does it matter? I know you're not those things. Why does it matter?"
He scowled at her, his position never relaxing. "Are you stupid?"
"What do you mean?" she asked confused.
He sneered. "I guess you are. Then again, it took your guilt at sucking Ryou off for you two to get together. Of course you wouldn't-"
He had not seen her hand shoot out and slap him. It was so unexpected he stumbled back, because it was definitely surprise and not that she was strong enough, right? "What the hell do you know?" she asked and now her face flushed in both anger and embarrassed and took a step forward. "What? Are you jealous innocent Ryou got some before you did?" she shouted at him.
He sneered at her and it almost looked as if he wanted to hit her but he didn't. "Of course not. You're there, I can just ask you, right?" he retorted meanly.
Her eyes widened and filled with tears but she refused to let them fall, not in front of Bakura. She didn't recognize the expression on his face when this happened, but she wasn't in a state to care. "If you want to think I'm a whore, fine! But I'm a whore for Ryou, not you!" she hollered. She turned and began walking toward her room.
He grabbed her and spun around to face him. "Where the hell do you think you're going? We're not finished here," he informed her with narrowed eyes and a scowl.
She pulled free from him. "Oh yes we are! There is nothing to talk about!" she exclaimed and made an attempt to turn but was stopped.
He had once again spun her around and he'd trapped her between him and the wall, holding her arms in a painful grip. She struggled and he waited until she stopped, realizing she wouldn't be able to free herself. He leaned toward her again, this time so close he was invading her personal space. "Oh, there's a lot to talk about, and it's over when I say it's over, not when you say so," he said with a low voice. Her eyes narrowed but she remained silent. "And since you're too stupid to figure it out… is it so hard to believe that I like you as well?" he said and didn't look the least embarrassed about it.
She rolled her eyes. "With the way you're treating me yes," she said and looked away from him as she felt the tears begin to well in her eyes again.
"I told you, didn't I? I'm not gentle or thoughtful or sweet, but I do like you," he said and somehow even the tone he used to say it sounded mean.
She didn't know how to react to that when she remembered a vital point. "You're drunk. You don't know what you're saying," she said dully.
He smirked at her. "Isn't this the time we say the truth? When we're drunk, when our judgment about what we say at its lowest?" he countered.
"You could be lying or you could be confusing 'like' with 'lust'. There's a difference, but it doesn't matter. I'm not going to cheat on Ryou," she said.
His eyes narrowed, the smirk gone, his features dangerous. "I'm not lying and that's not all I want!" he told her and then roughly pressed his lips to hers. It didn't last long, but it was enough to stun her. He pulled away and stepped back from her. She walked passed him and walked toward her room.
She paused though and without turning around said, "You're drunk and you won't even remember this tomorrow."
As she walked away she heard him chuckle and say, "I have an uncanny ability to remember what I do and say when I'm drunk," before she shut the door of her room and locked it. She laid down and cried feeling confused, upset, hurt, and guilty.
~.~.~.
The next day during dinner she had told Ryou what happened. They had a long and very strange conversation about the ordeal, Ryou telling her that he viewed Bakura as a part of him and that if she felt attracted to Bakura he didn't mind because it was as if she were accepting all of him. She hadn't understood and so had told him that it was as if she were cheating on him because it was a different person, even if they were sharing a body. Toward the end he'd tell her that it was her choice and he'd support it no matter what, but to please think about it seriously.
It was now a month after that awkward conversation, and Kimi had made up her mind. Bakura had been right too, he did have the uncanny ability to remember what he did and said. Kimi wouldn't deny she was attracted to Bakura, nor that she liked him, but being with Ryou, being in love with Ryou she didn't want and was determined to not set her sight on anyone else that wasn't him. If she wanted him all to herself, then she had to be only for him, that's how a relationship worked, right? She reasoned that under normal circumstances yes, that's how it was supposed to be done, unfortunately, these weren't normal circumstances. She had weighed her options and done research. Yes, done research… she'd gone to talk to the only person who would understand her predicament… one Anzu Masaki. She'd been in a relationship with both Yugi and Yami for about a year and a half, and going strong at that. Kimi had spoken with her, and that combined with her own thoughts had led her to her decision.
"So, you're going to be staring at me forever or are you actually going to speak?" Bakura asked her brusquely.
She flushed at this. She looked away. "I spoke to Ryou about what you said that night," she began.
He snorted. "Of course you did," was all he answered to that.
"He said it was my choice what I chose to do," she told him.
"And what? You want to tell me you chose him? Whatever. I'm not stupid, I could have told you that," he said with disgust.
"You don't understand what I mean. He said that if I chose you… him and I could still… be together…" she trailed off.
He was silent a moment before he gave a mocking laugh. "A three-way? You mean like that annoying girl, the Pharaoh, and the container? Ha! And of course, Ra forbid you consult me about it," he said.
She shrugged, still not looking at him. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. To see what you thought. This is new to me," she said as if thinking her words.
"What did you choose?" he asked instead of addressing the matter.
Her lips quirked. "Why should I tell you now if you haven't told me what you think of all this?" she queried.
"Well, I asked first, and I can't tell you what I think of this if you don't tell me," he answered.
"Of course you can. All you have to say is 'yes, it's fine' or 'no, it isn't'," she said with a slight frown.
He stepped closer to her and the movement caused her to look at him. He raised an eyebrow. "And what if I don't want to share you with anyone?" he tested.
"Then it wouldn't work. It's all or nothing, Bakura. I won't leave Ryou," she said.
His eyes narrowed. "Then why are you doing this? Is it because Ryou prefers it or because you're afraid I'll do something to him?" he queried sounding rather angry.
"Neither," she answered simply. He looked at her blankly. She sighed. "Yes, Ryou gave me the benefit of a choice. But the thing is, I liked both you and Ryou for a very long time. I gave up on you because I was sure you'd never look at me that way. Also, I had a chance with Ryou first. I love him too much to do something to displease and hurt him, but he gave me this chance, and I want to give you a chance to decide what you want, but I won't leave Ryou, whether you decide to accept or not," she told him truthfully.
He seemed slightly surprised at something before he stared at her as he seemed to be thinking. "You'd slight me, if I were to accept." It was a statement, not a question.
"And you thought I was stupid," she commented dully and before he could speak she said, "Look, if I did that it would be because I don't like you very much, but I do like you very much, so it'd be stupid of me to slight you. I wouldn't do that, and I'm sure Ryou wouldn't let it happen either."
It was reasonable enough in theory. "I'm not Ryou. He's everything I'm not, remember? You can't say you like me if what you like about him is everything I'm not," he reasoned.
"I know you're not," she rejoined.
He again stared at her blankly. "Then why do you say you like me?" he asked.
She scowled but didn't look at him. "I don't just say it Bakura, I mean it too. I like you for everything Ryou's not," she answered. He was still looking at her blankly and his silence told her he didn't understand what she meant. She sighed. "I like Ryou for all those things I said before, but not just because he does them, it's because it's part of who he is. I like you for everything Ryou's not… for your inability of being sweet or kind. For being wild and outspoken… for being Ryou's opposite. I like it because together you both provide a balance, a description of what a good lover should be. I like you both for who you are. And, if you truly like me like you say you do, then you'll learn the other stuff. You'll learn to hold someone just because, you'll learn to cuddle, you'll learn to be thoughtful and dependable because you're doing it for that person you care about. And I'm not saying you'll learn them right away… it'll just happen with time," she told him.
He didn't say anything for a long time, and she hesitantly shifted her gaze to look at him. He took yet another step closer, they were almost touching. "Don't expect it to happen any time soon. Ryou seems to like you because you're patient, let's hope he's right," he said.
"Is that a yes or no?" she asked wanting to make sure.
"I can't believe I have to say yes when I gave you a response before," he said with a roll of his eyes.
She smiled. "Just making sure Bakura, just making sure," she assured him.
"By the way, I'm not a very gentle person," he reminded her.
"I know. But really, we can't have everything being tame in our life, yes?" she asked blinking up at him.
He smirked. "Really? Well, then, why don't you show me?" He raised an eyebrow.
She blushed at the meaning behind his words. She decided for a kiss. Except, she was only used to kissing Ryou, and it was always in a tender manner, even their heated kisses were like that. She wondered how she'd do. She was brought out of her thoughts when he chuckled. Without stopping to think twice (afraid that if she did she'd lose her nerve) she pressed her lips to his in a wild manner, her hands gripping his shirt to pull him closer.
Bakura smirked against her lips as he sat on the couch pulling her to sit on top of him, her legs on either side of him. She bit his lower lip harshly, enough for it to hurt but not make him bleed. Surprised but curious at her reaction he opened his mouth. She shoved her tongue into his mouth and intrusively explored his mouth. His hands went to her hips and he decided he wouldn't let her control the kiss. He took control, her putting up resistance shortly, before his own tongue was inside her mouth and exploring it, taking his time to do so, though it wasn't any less heated then how she'd been kissing him. He ran his tongue over hers and she moaned, arching her back and pressing her hips to his. This caused her to make a kind of muffled sort of sound and he gave a growl at the sensation. She began to move her hips against his slowly, both enjoying the friction of her motions. He began kissing her neck when the lack of oxygen made him pull away. As he continued to kiss her neck, her movements became more frantic, until it was hard for him not to do anything about it. He gripped her hips tightly to stop her movements and pulled back from her. She seemed momentarily dazed before she looked at him confused most likely wondering why he stopped. "I thought you said you wouldn't be a whore for me," he reminded raising an eyebrow. He immediately regretted what he said when he saw the hurt in her eyes, but he'd never been one to apologize.
Her gaze shifted away from him. "That wasn't a very nice thing to say," she admonished softly before she shrugged and said, "I said that before this recent development anyway."
He accommodated her in his lap so that she was sitting sideways on his lap. He placed his arms around her waist and pulled her toward him. It was done kind of hesitantly, but his hold on her became firmer when she snuggled closer to him. He wasn't sure if this was the right way, but she seemed to like it well enough. "I told you before, that's not all I want," he told her.
"I know," she said softly and they stayed like that for a long time, except they weren't sure how long because they lost track of time.
~.~.~.
Kimi was sleeping in Ryou's room and she was subconsciously aware that the place next to her was empty. Still, she muttered incoherently and snuggled deeper into the bed sheets. She was brought from her light slumber by the smell of something… strange. She groaned and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She found her bearings and sighed, reluctantly getting out of bed. She donned on her robe and went downstairs. Here, the smell became more distinguishable, it smelled like burning toast. That was strange, Ryou never burnt toast. She walked into the kitchen sleepily.
Kimi suddenly felt wide awake and she blinked. "Bakura?" she asked and composing she said, "What are you doing?"
He held a black piece of toast as he cursed under his breath, passing it from hand to hand until he threw it in the sink and turned on the faucet for cool water for a moment before shutting it. Kimi couldn't help it, she giggled. He sent a glare in her direction. "I'm making breakfast," he told her.
Again she giggled. "Aw, thanks love," she said going to him and kissing him on the cheek.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he said but she could tell he was embarrassed.
"Let me help you, please?" she said giving him wide, innocent eyes.
One glance at her and he gave an irritated sigh. "Make the pancakes then," he ordered.
She giggled softly. "Will do," she chirped and went to the ingredients. "If you don't turn off the burners those eggs and bacon are going to burn," she added and went about placing her ingredients on the counter away from Bakura (who happened to be accident-prone in the kitchen). He went toward the burner from his place in front of the fridge. In his haste he stumbled slightly before reaching and turning the burners off. She looked down at the bowl as she added the milk and giggled quietly to herself. Sometimes Bakura could be very endearing.
"It wasn't funny," he said though to Kimi he sounded more like a sulky little kid.
She didn't answer right away. "Of course it wasn't 'Kura, it was cute," she said as she cracked the last egg. She cleared everything away, putting things where they belonged before she mixed the ingredients she'd placed in the bowl.
"Hmph," was all he said and the rest of the time was spent with Bakura watching Kimi make the pancakes.
When she had finished she served their breakfasts. "What brought this on?" she asked as she took a bite of her almost-burnt bacon.
He rolled his eyes at her and shoved a large pieces of pancake in his mouth. She suppressed a smile. After chewing, he swallowed and said, "Thought you'd remember," he muttered and took a bite from his eggs and muttered something else.
She frowned. "What was that last part?" she asked not having made sense of his muttering.
"One year anniversary," he mumbled and took yet another big bite of his pancakes. She stopped and stared at him, a forkful of eggs suspended midway through its journey. He noticed this. "What?" he asked and to Kimi he seemed self-conscious.
She giggled. "You remembered," she said.
"Yeah, and you forgot," he said in an almost accusing manner.
She smiled. "No I didn't. I just didn't know why you'd suddenly decided to make breakfast," she said and then shrugged, resuming her eating.
"Sure," he said.
"Well," she said, "if you don't believe me, then I'll prove it to you… after breakfast." He glanced at her but didn't say anything and they ate in silence.
Once Kimi and Bakura had cleared the table she left to her room and came back holding something behind her back. He stared at her curiously but didn't move. She took him into a short kiss before she pulled away and held the small box to him. "Happy one year anniversary Bakura," she said with a smile.
He took the box and examined it. He glanced at her before he snapped the box open. Inside was a golden ring studded with black stones. "A ring," he said and took it out of the box and held it out before he looked at her.
She looked nervous. "I-I hope you like it. I didn't know what to get you, and… I realized that even though you've spent some time in this world, it still must feel weird not to wear any jewelry. When I saw it I thought of you… and I thought you might like it," she said and looked away and out the window.
He stared at the ring a moment, watching it glint in the morning sun. He placed it on his middle finger finding it fit nicely (Ryou had probably volunteered for ring-fitting) and examined it. He snapped the box shut and placed it in the counter. He placed his arms around her and pulled her toward him. She seemed to relax at this. "I do like it by the way, you were right. And hey, I'll be able to flip people off with class," he said and she laughed.
She smiled. "I'm glad you liked it," she said and leaned against him.
He shrugged. "You must have been sleepy to have missed my present, it's on the coffee table," he said and led her to the living room.
They sat on the couch and she carefully took off the wrapping paper on her present. She stared at the smooth, polished redwood box. She lightly touched the box for a moment before she opened it. Inside was a little dove-shaped figurine and it slowly spun to the tone of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. "A… music box?" she managed, her eyes transfixed by the tiny rose the little dove carried in its beak.
He shrugged. "Yeah. I thought you might like it, I've heard you play that before," he commented as he watched her.
She nodded in a seemingly distracted manner before she closed the lid and faced him. Then she broke out into a wide smile. "Thank you!" she exclaimed and flung herself at him.
He stilled for a moment not really knowing what to do when caught off guard like this. But he put his arms around her and held her. "Sure," he said.
After giving him a big 'thank you' kiss, she said, "It's cute, you guys have the cutest ideas."
Bakura tilted his head to the side at 'you guys'. "Ryou gave a present already?" he asked.
She giggled at him. "Our anniversary was four months ago. He got me a silk-covered bookmark with my name engraved in gold thread," she explained with a smile.
Bakura lifted an eyebrow at this and queried, "What did you get him?"
She smiled sheepishly. "I got him one of his favorite books with an author's dedication and signature, with the help of Kaiba-sama. Then I had it bound in a black leather cover," she said and shrugged.
Bakura chuckled and shook his head. "What bookworm nerds you two are," he said.
"Hey! You happen to like the bookworm nerd sitting next to you," she answered.
He grinned. "You bet I do."
"Besides, you say bookworm nerd like it's a bad thing," she commented.
"Isn't it?"
She grinned. "It's as bad as being the King of Thieves," she replied.
He seemed to ponder this before he smirked and rolled his eyes at her. "Well, I guess it isn't bad at all then," he told her and she laughed. Then they fell silent a moment, and she leaned against him and he placed his arm around her. They continued to sit in silence, enjoying their time together. He sighed and said, "You should wake up Ryou or he'll sleep the day away."
Kimi was surprised at this. Bakura cared? Well, she wasn't complaining. "Okay… but I'll see you again today, I have to, it's our special day together," she reminded him.
"Yeah, yeah, just make sure he's up," he said before he kissed her deeply.
"Bakura?" she asked hesitantly.
He raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"I love you 'Kura," she said and gave him a cute smile.
He looked uncomfortable and he shifted once. "Love you too," he said rather lowly and he wouldn't look at her. She smiled and kissed him lightly. When they pulled away they stood and he led her to his room. They laid on the bed and then Ryou was lying next to her, fast asleep.
Kimi watched him a moment with a little smile. This was a weird development, and it was weirder how it had come about, but in the end, it was worth it. She leaned down and kissed Ryou softly. "Ryou, come on love, it's morning. Ryou, good morning Ryou," she said her hand stroking his brow and then his hair.
He sighed before giving a little groan. He opened his eyes and looked at her, giving her a sleepy smile. "Morning," he muttered.
Kimi wanted to give a fan girl type of squeal but she held it in, instead opting to give him a very heated good morning kiss. By the time she pulled away he was more than just a little awake. "Today's my one year anniversary with Bakura," she commented.
He blinked. "You're right. Have you spoken with him?" he asked.
She smiled. "Yes, he attempted to make breakfast, and burned the toast, tossed it in the sink, and cooled it down with cold water," she explained. Ryou giggled and she joined him. "My reaction exactly," she said and added, "And then we exchanged presents."
Ryou bit his lower lip. "Did he like his present?" he asked.
"Yes, he told me he did and he said, and I quote, 'I'll be able to flip people off with class'," she said and Ryou laughed.
"Sounds like something Bakura would say," Ryou admitted and then frowned. "What did he get you? He wouldn't tell me."
She blushed. "A music box. Inside it has the figurine of a dove holding a rose in its beak… it plays the Moonlight Sonata," here her blush deepened, "he says he's heard me playing it before."
Ryou nodded slowly. "It's so…"
"Romantic and not something you would associate with Bakura?" she asked and raised an eyebrow. He nodded. "That's exactly what I thought too. But it was cute," she said with a little smile.
"It is," Ryou agreed.
After a moment of silence Kimi asked, "How about breakfast? I made the pancakes I'll have you know."
He laughed and reached up to kiss her, a kiss that soon turned into a very passionate one. When they pulled back they were both breathing quite heavily. He bit his lower lip and blushed but he tugged at her robe and said, "Later? I-I mean… you spent most of the night with Bakura…" his blush deepened.
She smiled down at him. Sometimes he was just too bashfully endearing for his own good! She leaned down to whisper in his ear. "How about a preview of your birthday present?" He blushed brightly at this before he nodded. "I love you," she said between kisses.
"Love you too Kimi," he said before gently rolling them to have her lie on her back and show her how much he really did love her.
= Finis=
Crap ending, I know, I'm not very good at those. Oh, and sorry for any grammar/spelling errors you find. Um… please review and tell me if you liked. Happy V-day to you all!