It has been a long time since I've come back to Yu-Gi-Oh!, one of my favourite series when I was younger, and the one that catapulted me into yaoi fangirl territory. I am so incredibly embarrassed about the previous YGO works I wrote as a teenager that it's likely I will delete them from the site entirely; they're pure crap, seriously.

So, with a little inspiration from the wonderful Sitabethel (I can't recommend their works enough!), I'm having another go at delving into this world.

PS - I am now also on Archive of our Own under the name RoseOfWutai, though of course I will upload any previous works from here under the relevant pseud.

16th September 2017 - Edited - I observed the manga timeline and found that the events of the series concluded in March 1999. I've yet to watch Dark Side of Dimensions, but this takes place within the same month of the year, and I've seen a screenshot of a duel in the movie that shows Yugi to be 18 years old during this time. That suggests that the events of the manga took place over the course of around 2 years.

What I've written here is set four years after the ceremonial duel, so I have had to age the characters up as appropriate.

Time elapsed since that fateful day: four years.

And life had at long last begun to feel normal.

Hmmm...this is a pain in the neck. Ah, dammit!

A slew of rather uncharacteristic curses flew from the mouth of the slim young man sat hunched over a disassembled computer, as he wrestled with the tangled wires within to reach the inner components. The whole inside was sticky and corroded, since an unsuspecting lecturer had decided to perch a cup of coffee atop it, and inevitably knocked it over.

"Nope...this is beyond saving," a soft, well-spoken voice sighed.

This is twenty-two year old Ryou Bakura, an IT technician at the University of Domino City. After graduating from high school, he had gone on to study the finer details of the craft at the university, and accepted a job within their ranks soon after obtaining his degree. He had been in the job for around six months now and felt reasonably settled in.

"Any luck?" Ryou's supervisor, a middle-aged man with glasses named Taro, poked his head around the door. Ryou liked him; he was easy to get along with and he approved of the huge variety of nerdy t-shirts he owned. Taro took one look into the corroded interior of the computer and groaned. "Great. I swear this lot have no sense."

"It would seem so," Ryou grimaced, wiping his hands on his jeans. "It will be costly to replace."

"Oh, no doubt. Don't you worry about that though, I'll handle it. What do you have left to do?"

"I just have to write up about the damage and then I'm free. Why?" Ryou pushed his thick white hair out of his eyes with a smile.

Taro grinned at his colleague. "Take the rest of the day off after you've done that. You've worked hard today, and the rest of the afternoon's going to be quiet."

"Oh! Are you sure?" Ryou looked surprised. "I suppose I do have some cleaning to catch up on at home...thanks, Taro."

"No problem, kid. Get that write-up done and stick it on my desk, then you're free to go." Taro gave Ryou a quick thumbs-up and left the room. Smiling and still a little surprised, Ryou pushed the computer away and grabbed his file from under his feet, starting to make a log of the damage. I should call Yugi and see if he's free. The cleaning can wait...I haven't seen him in some time.

Writing away steadily with one hand, he dug his mobile out of his jeans pocket and dialled Yugi's number.

The phone rang a few times before it connected with a burst of static. "Ryou!" Yugi's cheery voice rang out. "Great to hear from you! What's up?"

Ryou chuckled at his friend's bubbly demeanour. "Hey, Yugi. I have the rest of the day off work, and wondered if you're available?"

"Hmm...if you give me an hour, I can meet up with you. I'll just have to let Otogi know so someone can watch the place." Yugi and their friend from Domino High, Dungeon Dice Monsters creator Ryuji Otogi, had collaborated in the last two years to open a gaming arcade together, and it had kept them both very busy due to its popularity. "Pub? I could use a drink."

"Sounds good," Ryou replied, pressing his phone to his shoulder and tilting his head to hold it in place. "The Maiden?"

"Yeah, awesome. I'll meet you there. See you soon!"

"See you, Yugi!" With a happy sigh, Ryou put his mobile down and finished writing up his log. I hope he's doing okay.

After the events of four years ago, relations between Ryou and Yugi had initially been rather strained, to say the least. Neither had adjusted well to the loss of their darker halves, and began avoiding each other, as meeting only served to stir up painful memories for them. It was only recently that they had begun speaking again.

It was still hard on Ryou, though he would never tell anybody. His other self had carried little that his friends could have seen as a positive, but Ryou missed him all the same, his mind feeling strangely empty, his heart lonely.

Dammit, it's been four years. Get over it already. Ryou picked up his finished paperwork and stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Dropping the log onto Taro's desk, he strolled from the department with a cheery whistle that could have fooled everyone but himself.

The Silver Maiden was a small tavern situated on the corner of the university street, frequented by students in the evening, but at present it was quiet, just how Ryou liked it. It would be some time before Yugi arrived, so he made himself comfortable in a corner of the tavern by the window and pulled a book out of his bag, flicking through it absent-mindedly.

Ryou appeared not to have aged a day in the last four years. His face bore the youthful glow of his teens, though his hair was shorter now, just grazing his shoulders and cut into wild layers, framing his twinkling brown eyes. Clad in loose black jeans and a checked blue shirt over a comic book t-shirt, reading glasses perched on his slim nose, he looked every inch the typical computer whizz, nerdy and a little rough around the edges. His new darker style was a stark contrast to the muted pastels he preferred as a teenager, but he liked it that way.

A familiar voice floated through the tavern, causing Ryou to look up, his ears pricking. He smiled gently, recognising it as that of Yugi. His friend strolled into the centre of the room, deep in conversation on his mobile, a frown crinkling his brow. He was much taller now, having gone through a serious growth spurt, and in his usual attire of tight trousers and blue jacket, he could have been mistaken for his other half at the drop of a hat. Only the softer voice and large, innocent eyes marked him as being the host. Still, every time Ryou saw him, his heart skipped a beat, wondering, hoping, that just maybe…maybe it could have been him. Because if it was…then he could be…no…don't be silly.

"…Alright then," Yugi murmured into his phone, "we'll do a full count tomorrow...yeah, that's fine. I'll see you in the morning...thanks, Otogi...bye now."

Yugi's eyes fell on Ryou, curled up in the corner with his book, and his face split into a wide smile. "Hey, you! You got a haircut!"

"Yeah," Ryou chuckled, running his hand through his white locks. "Figured it was time for a change." He hauled himself up and approached Yugi, finding himself pulled into a friendly hug. "You look well," he remarked, eyeing Yugi up and down. His friend flashed a broad grin, nodding. "I'm glad, Yugi. Shall we get the drinks in? First round is on me."

"You're the best, Ryou! The usual will do me."

Ryou tried to rack his brains at the bar, hoping he'd remembered Yugi's drink of choice. His tri-colour haired friend seemed pleased with the tumbler of golden whiskey that was handed to him, taking a sip with a low noise of appreciation. "Ah, that's the one. Brilliant stuff." He set the glass down and eyed Ryou with his curious gaze. "So, how have you been? Work treating you alright?"

"Oh yes, I'm very much enjoying it there," replied Ryou with a nod as he removed his glasses. "It's nice to have some responsibility...though I suppose you know all about that, what with the arcade and all. Looks like you're doing very well with it, Yugi!"

Yugi scratched his head meekly. "It can get a little overwhelming at times! I love being in this business though. It's so rewarding! Tiring and oh so busy, but I'm like you these days, the responsibility is nice...keeps me on my toes." He took another sip of whiskey. "You've lost weight. Are you eating right?"

"Hm? Oh…I'm fine, Yugi." Ryou raised his own glass to his lips, letting the sweet headiness of rum and cola wash over his tongue. "Must admit I drink more tea than eat these days, but, you know…working with computers all day leaves little break time for meals."

"Make sure you're looking after yourself, alright?" Yugi sounded concerned. "Are you…do you still…?"

"Mm."

"…Ah." Yugi's lips twisted in a grimace. "I guess time heals us all differently."

"I…" Ryou pressed his hand to his chest, splaying his fingers out over the five circular scars that adorned his skin, "I just wish I could have my questions answered, you know? So many of them…and I never got to ask him. You were so lucky, Yugi…to have such a strong bond with Yami. I bet you could have asked him anything."

"…You miss him, huh?"

"Yeah. Do you still miss Yami?"

"I'll always miss him." Yugi sighed heavily. "It's been a few years now though, and my head is occupied elsewhere. He…needed to rest. It would have been cruel to keep him in this world."

Ryou remembered how Yugi had bitterly sobbed that day, his heart broken by the passing over of Yami, or Pharaoh Atem, as his true name was revealed to be. Ryou had never seen Yugi break down like that before, and hadn't since. It was as if stone walls had been erected around him, protecting him from any further distress. All Yugi could do was throw himself into anything else he could find to take his mind off his pain.

But as for me…I never really got out of the spiral of depression. Ryou sipped his drink thoughtfully as he regarded Yugi's wistful, nostalgic expression. "He loved you, you know," he said softly. "And I think you loved him."

Yugi shook his head. "No…don't be silly."

"Yugi…all those times you retreated into his soul room, whenever you needed to be away from us…I could tell. Sometimes I did the same."

"Oh?" Deep purple eyes widened. "You never told me…you and Bakura, did you…?"

"Mm. A few times."

And that's why it hurts so much, now he isn't here. Ryou felt his scars tingle as he remembered. The teasing, the cruelty…but he always protected me from others. He was always there for me, if I needed him…and yet he couldn't protect me from himself.

Dammit, Bakura. You made me fall for you, despite everything you did.

I wish you were here.

But you needed to rest too.

I'll never see you again.

…We're going to need more drinks.