Hello everyone! So this originally started out as chapter 3 of "Ryou & Bakura: A Series", but in the end it was too much humor and no angst (haha Ryou might disagree with me on this one about half-way thru the story), so I couldn't properly classify it as appropriate for that fic. That being said, this is being posted as a one-shot! Another attempt (although it didn't start out that way on purpose) at humor...as I seemed to be deemed successful enough regarding "A Day at the Zoo", apparently I can write humor, much to my surprise. O.o Hopefully you guys think this fic is good too. Drop a review and let me know!

BTW, this is Ryou-POV. Never wrote his POV before, so let me know if I'm successful. Also I'm mostly a Bakura girl, so Ryou has a few swearwords in here, but I think they're funny and aren't OOC.

The Best Day

Geez, what a day.

I look around, sighing softly to myself. My hair is plastered to the sides of my face, I'm slightly limping, the books and papers I am carrying are muddy and torn, and my body is getting more and more chilled every second, especially since I happen to be without shoes.

Splash

I give up. This day has been too bad for me to even begin to have the energy to go around that puddle. I continue to stomp through it, aware of the eyes of other passerby's around me that are watching my peculiar trek.

And today had actually started out well. How did it end up like this? Today was the first day of community college, and I had been prepared. Excited even. The teachers seemed nice and the students mostly left me alone, which I can't blame them for, I am a quiet person by nature. But still, no one treated me poorly. Throughout the day, I noticed the rainclouds begin to gather, as the sky grew a darker gray and cast deep shadows on the buildings. But it was warm inside. I didn't even notice that the afternoon flew by until it was time for me to go home. I gathered my class syllabi and my books and headed out to my car – so far so good. That's when it had started.

I was in a hurry since the sun had completely disappeared and the wind was starting to blow. I began to feel light droplets of rain on my face, so I ran the rest of the way to my car. I set my books on top of the roof of my car as I fumbled in my pockets for the keys. Just as I had grasped them, some guy on a motorcycle comes screeching all of a sudden into the parking space next to me, scaring me to death and making me drop my keys. After my heart starts beating normally again, I turn around to (admittedly, try to) give that guy a piece of my mind, or at least a glare (*sigh* I know myself too well), but he's already gone, all but running towards the main building of the campus.

Hey! I recognize him! "Marik! You almost killed me!" I yell.

He doesn't even turn, but yells back, "Sorry Ryou, I'm late!"

I grumble to myself, then reach down to pick up my keys.

You know those storm drains that you sometimes see in parking lots, gutters, etc.?

You know how you sometimes see in the movies silly things being lost down them in some unpredictable yet mildly hilarious fashion?

Silly things like keys?

I think by now you have the picture. How in the world it would happen to me, when it's about to start pouring rain, when I just happened to have parked right beside a storm grate that was now just starting to have a pretty good flow of water – or soon would be.

Thunder

As if on cue with my thoughts, enter the downpour.

I'm not sure whether I should laugh or cry. It's funny, right? Besides, crying isn't manly, so I try not to do it very much. Or at least when I'm out in public. It's a work in progress. Don't you judge me!

Now back to the storm drain and my key predicament. The drain looks about a foot or two deep (hey I'm not that good with depth), and my keys are winking cheekily at me from the bottom. I try to push my fingers through the grate, but they won't even fit. What I need is a long hook. Like a clothes hanger. Which I'm fresh out of. Ok then…I try to pull the grate up, hoping it will pop off, but it's welded or sealed or whatever they do to make these grates un-pop-off-able.

By this time I'm drenched, as the floodgates really decided to open up. I sigh to myself and grab my books, trying to decide what to do. Thinking is more difficult when you're soaked, cold, had a near-death experience by a crazy Egyptian motorcyclist, and have lost your keys to the inner workings of the parking lot. Eventually I come up with it. I'll just go to the administrative office and call Yugi…or Joey…or…anyone but Bakura. Because he'll laugh at me, then tell me his favorite show just came on so I better find someone else. Ungrateful couch potato bastard.

Apparently being nice is also difficult when you're soaked, cold, had a near-death experience by a crazy Egyptian motorcyclist, and have lost your keys to the inner workings of the parking lot.

Whatever.

I make my way to the main office to be greeted by a sign in the window that says, of course, closed for the day.

I look around, and there is no one else around me. It's not like I'm gonna go interrupt a class to ask for a phone. If only I could find someone around here…

But there is no one, by the looks of how deserted this place is you'd think it was the apocolypse and I'm the only human being left on earth...and besides I'm only getting more soaked (if that's possible) and in a fouler mood by the minute.

I resign myself to the fact that I'm probably going to have to walk the 10 or so blocks home to where my wire hangers reside (also my spare set of keys if worse comes to worse), and really, it could be worse, because at least my apartment is within walking distance.

I begin my trek and I think I'm making pretty good time despite my shivering. I hear what sounds like a dog barking in the distance. Seriously, if I were that dog, I'd be cozying up in my dog house right about now, or better yet inside by a fireplace, chewing on a nice juicy bone.

I get shaken out of my thoughts by the fact that the barking is getting louder, and it sounds like it's…right the fuck behind me!

First off, let me get this straight. I never, like ever, use swear words. I'm a nice person. Seriously. But all that goes out the window when the primal urge to stay alive and not be eaten by that big-ass dog chasing you kicks in.

I cling to my books and run for my life. The dog is right behind me now, and barking like crazy. Do rainstorms make dogs crazy? I have the presence of mind to tell myself to remember to google it later.

Of course at this point I trip. Of course.

Because the concrete sidewalk just happens to be uneven at this point of my running quest to stay alive, and I just happen to trip over the part where the lazy concrete guy didn't bother to smooth it out. The dog's on me in a second, he's got my foot in his mouth, I'm screaming like crazy (hopefully manly-sounding), I hear a tear, the dog's got my white sneaker in his mouth and is shaking it back and forth like a piece of me is still in it, and all this happens in about 5.2 seconds.

My brain blanks out but my body doesn't, and within another 2.3 seconds I'm up and running, most of my books in hand, and I run down the block and see a small alleyway to my left with a high chain-link fence at the end, so I hurdle myself in that direction, all too aware that the dog has dropped my shoe and has resumed his chase.

I'm in good shape though, confident enough in my terror, so as I near the fence I throw my books over the top and take a flying leap which I hope will give me enough momentum to shimmy over the top real quick-like.

I made one mistake though.

I forgot I'm about as weak (or as strong, if I look on the bright side) as an 8 year-old girl.

So instead I find myself hanging from the top of the fence, and the dog has caught up to me and is proceeding to yank on the only shoe I have left on (hey at least it was the shoe and not my other shoe-less foot, there's that much to be grateful for).

I try to wiggle my foot out of the shoe while still holding on to the top of the fence, and the dog cheerfully helps by furiously jerking his head back and forth in an attempt to leave me rid of the shoe (and possibly other body parts). My foot slips out and I'm finally able to get a purchase on the fence as my wet toes in their little soaked white socks can grip the chain link quite nicely with no shoes on. I just stick my feet through the holes in the fence, and proceed with the intended shimmying.

Once over, I briefly pause to stick my tongue out at Cujo, then gather my books (again) and limp away at my own pace. I may be soaked, but the sense of pride and accomplishment is there. I tell myself that's all that matters and hold my head up high.

That lasts for about half a block before I'm back to realizing I'm soaked, cold, had a near-death experience by a crazy Egyptian motorcyclist, have lost my keys to the inner workings of the school parking lot, then had another near-death experience with an obviously rabid dog. I'm beat. I'm exhausted. I give up. I see a huge puddle in front of me but this day has been too bad for me to even begin to have the energy to go around it. I continue to stomp through it, aware of the eyes of other passerby's around me that are watching my peculiar trek.

Yup, it's official, I'm the town weirdo. I've joined the ranks of the guy you sometimes see around town that always, rain or shine, only wears half of his jacket, and leaves the other half hanging. Or the guy you see with a 90's walkman (do they even still make those?) be-boppin on the street corner, dancing for the cars and waving a white rag up and down. Is this how they got to that point in their life? The point where they were like, screw it, I'm gonna only wear half my jacket, goddammit! Am I that guy, only I don't wear shoes?

This realization only makes me sadder.

I must really look pathetic. Head hanging, hair soaked, clothes soaked. I'll be home soon though. Nice, warm home. I can change into something dry, towel off my hair, drink some hot tea…even Bakura's usual complaining won't ruin that. Hopefully.

I turn the corner to the block where my apartment complex is located.

Do I smell smoke?

I stop in my tracks as I see a fire truck…police cars…my beautiful little second-floor apartment balcony pouring out smoke from the inside…

I don't even feel surprised. I actually feel kind of numb. Like I could just all of a sudden decide to sit down, in the rain, on the dirty sidewalk, for the rest of the day. Or the rest of my life. Let the bad things come, I'll be sitting right here. Ryou Bakura says hello from the corner of Cherrygrove and Birch. Forward all mail here.

As good an idea as that sounds, I know it's not realistic (and that's just the beginning of what's wrong with that plan), so I heave a heavy sigh, and continue forward. I see Bakura wrapped in a blanket beside one of the firefighters, watching them work. Oh look, they even gave him an umbrella.

I come up from behind him, and am vaguely pleased when he jumps after I (try to) menacingly say "Bakura".

He whips around, eyes blazing, which also pleases me because you know how hard it is to sneak up on a thief? I'll have to remember to never let him live this down for the rest of his life.

"What!" He growls loudly. "It wasn't me!"

A fireman comes up behind him and I'm even more pleased when he jumps again.

"Here's the culprit." The fireman says, holding out a scorched baking pan with some semblance of black burned residue on the bottom.

Bakura looks at me again, trying to gauge my reaction.

I say nothing, just nod my thanks at the fireman as he hands me the burnt pan.

Automatically Bakura starts in – "I don't know what happened, I was just sitting there, watching my favorite show, and smoke came out of your contraption, I didn't do anything, it musta been you, you forgot before-"

He goes on and on and I don't even hear him. I feel like laughing, and a small chuckle escapes my lips. Once that one started, I found I wanted to laugh some more. Pretty soon I was doubled over in the rain, holding this burnt pan, my face inches away from my soaked socks and laughing my butt off. I mean, I laughed so hard that there was a point where no sound was coming out. How does that even happen? I don't know, but I was howling.

Bakura was looking at me like I was crazy, which, admittedly, I couldn't blame him for that.

Eventually I got myself mostly under control, and I stood up, wiping the tears out of my eyes.

"What?" Bakura bluntly asked, eyes challenging me.

"You…" I was laughing again, "You we-were t-trying to cook!" I howl in laughter again and Bakura huffs in anger and turns his back to me again. I go on anyway, cause it's just so darn funny.

I almost don't hear him as he says lowly "it was going to be a surprise for you."

I know it's not nice, but this makes me laugh harder. "Y-You surprised me alright!" I have to bend over again because the laughing is hurting my stomach. I know I'm making Bakura mad, and I know I should be mad at him for burning our apartment, but it's just so darn cute of a mental image…Bakura in a ruffly pink apron, putting cupcakes in the over for his boyfriend when he comes home…

That's what I imagine anyway, because it's funny and I can. Although the ruffly pink apron actually belongs to me. Marik gave it to me last Christmas.

I'm just about over my latest laughing fit, so I straighten up and try to get Bakura to turn around and talk to me again. He's so cute when he's angry.

"Bakura…come on…I've just had the craziest day…please don't be mad at me…this pretty much made my day."

"Getting your kitchen burned up made your day?" He looks at me like I'm crazy. Again.

I just nod, trying to hold the chuckles in.

"You're crazy." He says bluntly. "Well I'm sorry…or whatever…I saw it on the food network…they make it look a lot easier than it actually is." He grumbles.

"What were you trying to make?"

"…cupcakes."

I swear I tried to hold it in. I mean I really tried. Like really really hard. But I couldn't. The image of Bakura popped into my mind again and I let it all out…needless to say, Bakura was not pleased that I gave him an additional "shower" along with my newest bout of laughing. Gods, this was really what it felt like to rotflol. I always wondered how that felt.

Well Bakura was having none of it, and left me looking like an idiot, laughing like a loon, in the pouring rain.

Two hours later and I'm dry, warm, sipping on tea, and sitting in my favorite coffee shop. The fire only did minor damage to the kitchen; most of the smoke had been from the burning cupcakes apparently. I did indeed find a wire hanger and was competent enough to fish my keys out of the storm drain. Besides one missing book and two missing shoes, I was doing pretty good.

I look over my cup and catch Bakura's eye.

"What's with this place? No TV in here." he grumbles.

I just smile. And gleefully note to myself the pink frosting he has smeared on the side of his mouth from his coffee-shop cupcake.

This has turned out to be the best day ever.

~fin~

So, I hope you guys enjoyed. I certainly thought it was funny while I was writing it, but then some would say I'm a little crazy myself. So who knows? Also, there was some real-life inspiration for this story...those two crazy guys I put in here (with the half-on half-off jacket & the crazy old singing dude waving the white rag)...yeah, those are ACTUAL people I see in my hometown. O.o

YEY OMG! BakuBakuRemix drew me fanart for this fic! Go check it out! The link is in my profile/their profile since I can't post it here. Let me just say ~ AMAZING! Love them!

~Seren147