HIDE AND SEEK
By Starflower Sakura

DISCLAIMER: Ryou and Bakura don't belong to me!

To readers/reviewers: I was watching these really cute kids playing hide and seek and I just had this idea for a one-shot. I hope it's going to be as cute as I imagined it to be. You know how it goes, things never turn out as good as you plan it most of the time... I hope you'll enjoy it!

DEDICATION: I'm dedicating it to Bakura Ryou-chan because it was his birthday yesterday. I feel horrible that I didn't post anything yesterday, but I only post on Fridays so I couldn't.

Hide and Seek

Sunlight barely drifted through the windows of the Bakura household, and already Ryou was up and getting ready to go. He was making himself a big breakfast for he was sure to need it later on. Babysitting isn't the most relaxing job ever as Ryou had noticed well enough over the past few weeks. It was actually quite the opposite.

/Would you like some breakfast, Yami?/ Ryou asked.

Bakura didn't answer, but simply materialized besides Ryou. Ryou secretly smiled for it was times like these that he enjoyed the best with his yami. The times where they can both have a comfortable silence settle between them and when the world is usually still asleep.

"What are you making?" Bakura asked.

"Pancakes. Is that okay with you?"

Bakura nodded.

"I have to hurry up. I have to go baby sit Minako again."

Bakura snorted, but quickly finished up his breakfast all the same.

"You didn't sleep until really late yesterday. Are you sure you want to go babysitting that little brat again?" Bakura asked.

"Minako-chan is not a brat, Yami! And I'm sure that I can handle it. I'll sleep early tonight."

Bakura didn't say anything after that, but watched in amusement as Ryou tried to hold back a yawn. Ryou smiled sheepishly at him.

"I'm going to get my coat. Why don't you go back into the ring?"

"You mean I'm going?!"

"Of course."

-------

Ryou was seen sitting on a wooden bench, his eyes gazing over the simplicity of nature. A small smile graced his lips as a contented feeling spread over him. He felt a small tug on his sleeve as he looked down. A child barely eight looked up at him with innocent blue eyes.

"Yes, Minako-chan?"

"Ryou-san, are you going to play with us?"

"What are you playing?"

"Hide and seek."

/What the hell is hide and seek?/

/Yami? You don't know what hide and seek is?/

/Why do you think I asked?!/

Another tug, "Are you okay, Ryou-san? You looked so far away just now."

"I'm okay, Minako-chan."

"So are you going to play? Please!" the child begged, giving him the puppy dog eyes.

A soft laugh came from Ryou as he took the child's hand, "Of course I'll play."

/You still didn't answer me!/

/You'll see, Yami./

He heard a grunt from Bakura as he turned to walk towards the group of small children that was gathered together.

/I still don't know why we have to be here./

/I'm babysitting Minako, remember?/

/Then why am I here?/

/Because you need to get out more./

/Oh?/

Suddenly, Ryou found himself standing next to Bakura who was smirking at him. To Ryou's relief, nobody noticed the sudden appearance of what people would think as his "evil twin." Ryou was about to question Bakura for his sudden appearance when Minako came up.

"Who's that, Ryou-san?"

"He's err... my... friend?"

That came out more like a question than a statement, but the girl didn't notice. She only smiled widely as she went to hug Bakura around the waist since she was too short.

"Hello! I'm Minako! Who are you?"

Bakura was much too stunned to remember that whoever dared hugged him would suddenly find themselves in the presence of death or the Shadow Realm, but it was the same difference anyways.

"Bakura."

"Bakura-san, do you want to play with Ryou-kun and the rest of us?"

"He'll play!" Ryou answered, standing in front of Bakura.

"Who's going to be 'it'?" a small boy asked.

Ryou's smile once again rested on his face, "I will, how about that?"

The children nodded happily as they ran off the hide. Ryou covered his eyes and started the counting.

"What are you doing?"

Ryou looked up and saw that Bakura was still standing there, confused of why all the other children ran off. Ryou smiled.

"You're suppose to go hide and I'm suppose to try and find you."

Bakura stood his ground, a confused look still apparent in his yes.

"Just go!" Ryou exclaimed, pushing Bakura away from him.

Ryou heard, "I still don't get the point of this pathetic game," and stifled a giggle.

Ryou turned his face towards the trunk of a tree and started the counting.

"1... 2... 3... 4... 5..."

Sounds of giggling reached his ears and he can't help but smile.

"6... 7... 8... 9... 10! Ready or not! Here I come!"

He looked around and saw some rustling behinds some bushes. He went over there, and quietly parted the bushes.

"Found you!" he exclaimed. "Now, you have to come and help me find the others!"

"Hai!"

The child ran off finding other people and making them join the seeking. Bakura was quite easy to find also for he was only sitting on a bench watching the merriment of the game take place. The last one to be found was Minako. Minako became 'it' and Ryou went off to hide.

Where to hide... where to hide... he pondered.

He spotted a tree not so far away, and took to climbing it. He made sure the green leaves covered him from view as he looked down and watched Minako find everyone else.

-------

"Bakura-san! Do you know where Ryou-san is?!" Minako asked.

"No."

"Can you help me find him, please?"

"Why?"

"Because it's been a long time already and my mother has came to pick me up!"

Bakura looked at the child and sighed, "How about this? You go home now and when I find him, I'll tell him to give you a call."

He watched as Minako run off and he closed his eyes, trying to talk to Ryou through their mind link.

/Where you are? The brat is trying to find you./

No answer.

/Can you hear me?/

Still no answer.

"Stupid idiot," Bakura mumbled. "Where the hell are you?"

Since he can't connect to him through their mind link, he decided to go search for him instead. There's nothing else for him to do besides that anyways. So he began searching every nook and cranny of the park. Getting annoyed that he can't find Ryou, he took a small rest at the base of the same tree that Ryou was in.

With his keen hearing, he hears soft breathing above him. He looks up and spots a sliver of silver. Taking to climbing the tree, he can't help but smile at the sight that was bestowed upon him. Ryou was leaning against the trunk of the tree, sleeping peacefully, a few stray leaves hung in his hair.

He can't help but think of how... well... cute he looked. He shook Ryou a little more roughly than he wanted. Ryou blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes a bit. He spotted Bakura and smiled sleepily.

The sun was setting and the park was emptying quickly. Bakura expected Ryou to wake up, but instead he shifted his position and rested his head on Bakura's shoulder and resumed sleeping blissfully. Bakura blushed and tried to wake him up again. When he wouldn't budge, he sighed and carefully wrapped his arm around Ryou's shoulder. With Ryou's soft breathing in tune with the beating of his own heart, he watched the beauty of the setting sun.

OWARI

Did you enjoy this absolutely fluffy piece of fic? I found it oh-so-cute!! On the other hand... I find practically everything cute... well... mostly... except bugs... especially bugs! I'm absolutely terrified of them... I'm not sure if the story made sense. I don't think it made sense to me even when I wrote it, but at least I thought it was cute! Well... please look forward to more fics from yours truly because I can assure you that there are going to be more updates and stories on the way...

- Starflower Sakura