Tell me how bad: Chapter 1

A/N: Here's a story I'm going to attempt. As to when it is updated, I don't know. Depends on the time I get (which is scarce), and my ability to articulate my thoughts in the moment. So please don't expect fast updates; I'm just going to do this when I can. I'll make sure the story is of good quality though- no problem.

Some quick things about this fanfic. Yeah, it's Puzzleshipping, aka. Yami Yuugi x Yuugi. Yami as in pale, wears lots of leather, red eyes and red hair highlights. That Yami. For the purpose of the story's content, Yami Yuugi is the only one going to be referred to as Yami. Yami Bakura is merely Bakura, and Yami Marik will be called Marik (I was going to do Melvin, buuut…).

This is an AU though, so you know, you have to be prepared for some discrepancies. There will be no magic or Ancient Egyptian references, I can reassure, but character roles, personalities and relationships will vary greatly. Keep that in mind as I introduce the setting, please.

One last thing- this story was inspired by Let's Get It's Do Not Disturb (Tell Me How Bad). Any of the lyrics mentioned are not my own, and I will give credit to the owner in the A/N after their use. I also do not own YuGiOh! or any of the relevant characters. Nothing but the plot and articulation of the story belongs to me.

If you have any questions, do ask. Cheers.

Gleaming blue lights, flashing red orbs and the all-consuming flood of pink and yellow fluorescents surrounded him. Concrete beneath thousands of shifting feet, the bass writhing and pulsating through the medium, they seized at his body and caused his innards to jolt to the heavy, mesmerising beat. Screams and shouts, synthetic sound, arms and heads rocking… It all flashed before the contrast of black against neon, the colossal wave of bodies, the glare and blare that rebounded from the stage and stereos looming before them. The scream of the crowd was deafening, ecstatic as they were enveloped in the vibratory bliss of guitar chords, the thrum of the killer bass, the riveting beat of the drums and that one enrapturing voice-

Sharp, crimson eyes snapped open in a glint of light, a sudden deep cry was made into the microphone, and a thousand incited screams echoed in response.

A typical Shadow Games rock concert had begun.

Ears may bleed but none of this matters, for the crowd writhed with euphoria; eyes wide, mouths agape, all attention directed to the band members onstage. The screen set behind them, serving as the back wall to their stage, rippled with an amazement of colours, setting the four silhouettes alight with a most awesome glow. Each individual jerked to the music in their own tempo and form, every man to his element-

The drummer had his head cocked high, arms and drumsticks a flurry as he ground out dramatic sequences onto his set. White-blond locks and the achromatic sliver of his eyes snagged at the light, his posture rough, rigid and, unsurprisingly, with great zeal. This guy knew what he was doing, that much was clear, and his bronzed arms shone with sweat as they flexed and moved endlessly to the music. Clad in short, crude leathers and various gold bands and chains, he screamed absolutely dangerous, but that did not draw from how awesome he looked. Nothing would bring this hardcore drummer down, that was for certain.

The bassist, on the other hand, was far more lax in posture, and no where near as enthusiastic. Chin set towards his instrument of choice, he too played with clear-cut purpose, but his stance was a carefree kind, unmoving in its place. His fingers were a different circumstance- a darting array of silver rings ran tirelessly up and down the neck of his instrument, emitting unquestionably solid sound. His cerulean eyes glittered coldly under a frame of dark brown hair, his tall stature and stylish dress betraying a stern sort of dominance. Yes, this man came off as bitter, but to many, this man also came off as very, very hot.

The guitarist was no short an interesting guy either, perhaps even slightly more irregular than the other two, and he played his instrument with an almost evil approach. His body was set crookedly around his instrument, his form shuddering to the music with a fierce grin rapt across his face. A jagged shock of white hair surrounded his head and shoulders, his skewed eyes a gleaming russet, and his angular features spoke wonders about the kind of man he likely was. His attire, although also composed of leathers, was a little more ordinary, but any sane person would find his expression difficult to copy. No doubt a cool guy, but… Perhaps one you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley alone.

The last of them, the vocalist, stood closest to the front and clearest in view, the most prominent figure of all. He was slender in figure and clad from head to toe in skin-tight leather, silver chains and bronze studs, his pale, muscular arms distinct against the jacket that billowed from his shoulders. The light rippled across his multi-hued hair- an interesting array of black spikes, tinted with dark red and worked through with jagged golden locks and bangs parted on either side of his face. An atypical style, but it suited him nonetheless. His expression was similarly captivating- pointed features portrayed an attractive determination, his scarlet eyes aglow against dark, narrowed lashes. The microphone was firm in his grip, as if it always belonged there, and when he lifted it to his mouth to sing…

There could be no voice more enchanting than his. It was perfect on every account, a dark but melodious timbre that snagged at the notes he sang with an alluring purr. The words he brought alive merged splendidly with the surrounding music, an expressive arm thrown about him as he sang his heart out, and by the lyrics he crooned…

'Well-fashioned entrances tend to turn heads,
I came to break necks and get in their beds…'

He smirked knowingly, and the crowd screamed with fervour.

'They won't deny me of what I came to see,
'cause they all want to be number one on my team…'

The laser-lights dappled across his face, skewed eyes smouldering in a manner intended to melt hearts. His stature emitted confidence, a gloved hand extended towards the masses as if involving them, reaching for them, tempting them…

'Tell me how bad…

Do you want it…?'

His voice dropped lower, those eyes narrowed further, focusing on that one point, that one person, and as that sexy grin widened…

'Oh, you want it.'

"What did you want?"

Ryou lifted his gaze to glance sideways at his friend. The soft-spoken highschooler blinked twice in confusion, seeing the other boy was preoccupied, and wondered if he had actually been spoken to at all. "Yuugi?"

The classmate sitting beside him jolted slightly at the mention of his name, immediately reaching up to remove one of his earphones so he could hear and speak more clearly. Yuugi turned, his short response accompanied by just as quizzical an expression. "What's up, Ryou…?"

The white-haired student smiled apologetically at his friend. It looked like Yuugi had been quite immersed into whatever he was watching, and if Ryou really had misheard him…

"Um, were you talking to me earlier?"

There came a slow shake of the head. "No, did I say something?"

Well, this is embarrassing…

Ryou waved his hands dismissively, blurting out a quick, peppy remark. "Oh, it's nothing important then... I thought I heard you say 'I want it', so I assumed you were asking me for something. I'm sorry for bothering you." He swiftly returned his gaze to his book to save Yuugi from wasting any more time, feeling a little stupid that he had interrupted the guy for practically no reason.

Ryou quietly skimmed the open page, losing his attention to the laughing and droning of his surrounding classmates. It was lunch-break at Domino High, when students were practically allowed to do whatever they wished. The classroom they hung out in was a little more empty than usual, there being less clatter and chaos, and Ryou absently wondered where the most of his boisterous friends might have gone…

A few minutes passed before the taller boy had thought to side-glance at Yuugi again, to see if he had returned to what he had been doing. When he did look, though…

Well, the guy hadn't shifted an inch.

Ryou turned his head to look curiously at his friend, surprised to see him in a misty-eyed state, his stare lost into space. Although amusing, the stunned expression was rather puzzling too. Had something happened here? Yuugi didn't react in the least upon being stared at; in fact, he hardly registered Ryou's presence at all…

That was weird… Had the albino boy said something that made him react so oddly?

Ryou glanced from Yuugi's distracted face towards the flashing screen held loosely in his hands, an object of interest. A little more than a few seconds of observation was all that it took before Ryou began to understand this sudden bewilderment. He muffled soft laughter into the back of his hand, his expression mirthful but good-natured nevertheless. Drawing his chair closer to the other boy, he lifted the phone from his lax hands and paused the video on quite the handsome face.

"Ah… So was this what you wanted?"

The amused comment seemed to bring Yuugi back to life, and he blinked questioningly at his friend, still looking much like a deer in headlights. Ryou lightly waved the phone to gather the other's attention, a grin upon his face as amethyst eyes shifted to stare at the screen. The transition from daze to shock to embarrassment was hilarious; Ryou was too busy laughing to keep his grip on the phone, and Yuugi snatched it out of his hands, frowning and blushing furiously.

"Hey, Ryou! Do you have to wave my phone around like that?"

"What? I was just trying to get your attention."

"Yeah, along with the attention of every other girl in this classroom!"

Yuugi huffed at the other before lowering his accusatory glare to the screen, now shielded by protective hands. Upon sighting the gorgeous vocalist, he felt his expression soften almost immediately. Gleaming eyes, accentuated features, breath-taking smile…

There was no question concerning whether the man was beautiful or not. If he made Yuugi's heart flutter, he was very beautiful, and it wasn't just a case of liking him for how lovely he looked either. It was really everything about him. The confident way he carried himself, his sophisticated appearance, the depth to his smiles, his stunning voice…

He was just perfect.

But, as what occurs with most perfect people, Yuugi wasn't the only one who thought this. So did ninety percent of the women in Japan, let alone the many others that spanned the world. You could ask any girl in Domino City what their image of the perfect man was, and you'd have it without hesitation-

Yami Sennen, Lead Vocalist of Shadow Games.

And did Yuugi want him? Well…

Ryou smiled to see his friend so captivated, feeling a little sheepish but mostly content with his discovery. In truth, it wasn't much of a discovery, considering he (and practically everyone else) had been aware of Yuugi's blatant crush for two years now. What was amusing though was seeing Yuugi react to the littlest things in relation to Yami, and no one would ever tire of that.

"That's Shadow Games' latest concert, right?" Ryou leaned over, inquisitive, dropping his book and Yuugi's little blunder to see behind reluctant hands. "It's the one that was held in Tokyo. May I watch it with you?"

The shorter boy was apprehensive, his expression an offended pout.

"Why? So you can tease me about him?"

Ryou rolled his eyes, smiling. How defensive; it was almost cute.

"No, I just want to see how much uglier my brother has gotten since the last concert. Bakura ended up getting that awful lip piercing, didn't he?"

Yuugi hesitated at this notion, eyes lowering to the screen.

"I think so…"

Ryou's older brother, Bakura, was the guitarist of the band. Due to frequent touring, the boys didn't get to see each other often, so Ryou got most of the updates concerning his brother via articles, recordings or on the news. Even when the band returned to Domino City, their place of origin, it was never for long. Ryou didn't get along with Bakura very well either, mainly because their parents had always considered Bakura's 'profession' as a bad influence on their more proper son. Neither was the younger boy very much into the rock genre in the first place, so the two were almost opposites in their values, attitude and style. It could be said that while they did care for each other, there existed just as much disagreement between them as well.

Ryou grimaced then, as if predicting the worst of his older sibling. "Alright, tell me… Which lip did he ruin: top or bottom?"

Yuugi's reluctance subsided after some consideration, shifting his hands and tilting his phone at angle so Ryou too could watch the concert.

"See for yourself."

Ryou scooted over gladly, and the two friends huddled around the phone to watch Shadow Games, the band of four, perform. A good look at his brother and it didn't take long for the white-haired boy to begin complaining at all.

"Great Scott, I can't believe it," He pointed out during one of his brother's crazy guitar riffs. "He looks insane. That lip piercing looks pretty damned horrible on him too… And you can tell he hasn't been eating, I'm sure that shirt would fit you if you were to try it on-"

"Ryou!"

"Ah, sorry, sorry… I couldn't help it."

The video was resumed in a more appreciative silence, Yuugi clearly enraptured by the stunning vocalist and Ryou scrutinizing the guitarist's every move. They were so engrossed by the band that they failed to notice several other students beginning to crowd around them, peering over their backs to offer up their own say.

"That Kaiba really needsta learn how to enjoy himself. His bass isn't gettin' enough love."

"Wha-" Yuugi's shoulders jerked in surprise at a loud Brooklyn accent, turning his head to see a familiar sandy-blond standing by. The boy smiled down at Yuugi; beside him stood a tall brunet, whom reached over and poked dubiously at the colourful screen.

"Yeah, well, check the drummer out; he's the other extreme. Any harder and he'll break those sticks in half… Who is he again? I keep forgetting his name… Was it Melvin?"

"His name is Marik," Ryou corrected, his eyes still squinted at Bakura's shady figure. "And if the headlines are correct, then he's my brother's latest boyfriend. I bet they're only dating for the fan-girls."

"Nah, you know what? I reckon those two are actually real compatible. They both look so evil, I bet they even share the same interests. They probably make-out whilst blowing up cars and stuff."

Yuugi snickered at the ridiculousness of Joey's comment, but the action hardly went unnoticed. The blond leant around a gagging Ryou, playfully wrapping an arm around his friend's neck and ruffling his multi-toned hair with a feral smirk.

"Hey, like you can laugh when you constantly have Yami on your mind. So what's next, huh? Red eye-contacts?"

Yuugi blushed deeply, pushing away the arm and attempting to fix his hair. "No! I'm fine with my eye-colour, thanks… and I still have some sense of originality, you know…"

Joey and his brunet friend, Tristan, rolled their eyes simultaneously.

"Riiight..."

The thing was, Yuugi really did have his own personal preferences… It was just that he liked to emulate Yami in a lot of the things he adopted too. It of course began with Yami's punk-like attire, composed mainly of leathers, chains, metal bracelets and fitted clothing. Yuugi had always admired him for his fashion, so when the band members released their own clothing range, also labelled Shadow Games, Yuugi did not hesitate to visit the mall and buy whatever he saw fit under that tag.

That said, it wasn't as if he copied Yami's clothing style entirely, no. He never wore his jacket across his shoulders like Yami (so epically) did, and he still preferred sneakers to those fitted leather boots the other seemed to have a multitude of. So, to put it simply, Yuugi never hesitated to add some of his own touch to whatever he wore that day, and it wouldn't kill him to revert back to his old casual clothing either. He just liked the new style better, that was all…

But then the other prominent feature was his hair. That was actually something Yuugi was pretty proud of, having been able to master it. Yami had that particular haircut, black and red and shot up with gold, ever since he started gaining popularity. Not many dared attempt the difficult style, but after a lot of thought and active determination, Yuugi decided no less than a year ago that he would try the cut too. Hours spent in the bathroom at home, much frustration, guesswork and tediousness later, and what had been uniformly black hair was then spiked up, tinted purple and framed with yellow bangs- a definite success. Yuugi had chosen violet dye instead of crimson thinking it suited his eyes better, and he wasn't able to make his jagged, golden locks stand up on end like Yami's did, but he was still very satisfied with what he'd accomplished. His friends were quite amused upon sighting yet another change, but they admitted it to be very cool and to have suited Yuugi very well.

So he did share some of Yami's most apparent features, but he wasn't a complete look-alike either. He was still Yuugi Mutou; short in stature, game-loving, wide-eyed, modest, loyal, and his very own person...

His friends didn't seem to see past the hair and clothes though.

"Well, you can't really blame Yuugi for imitating Yami. Who wouldn't want to be like him?"

Yuugi glanced tiredly at the girl whom had spoken, a short classmate with half-glasses and long blond hair. She flashed a confident smile, bright against her skin, and pulled up a chair to sit opposite of Ryou.

"Besides, doesn't it show that he's just devoted to the guy? I think it's cute."

"Eh, I don't think so Rebecca. I reckon that since he can't have Yami, Yuugi resorts to doin' this instead." Joey waved vaguely towards his friend, gesturing at his appearance in general. The shorter couldn't help but feel slightly offended, his frustration piquing as he found it difficult to defend himself.

"Hey, that's not true! I actually really like this style."

"Yeah, I know you like it, but you only like it because Yami likes it, and that's why you wear it."

Yuugi crossed his arms at such relentlessness, a frown distinct upon his face. Ryou noted his change of mood cautiously.

"Oh, don't do this again Joey. You've played this game before."

The other shrugged, hoisting himself onto the table. "Must be my favourite game then. Really though, I hate to keep bringin' this up, but it's not healthy to crush on a celebrity like you have..."

"Oh, like you've never crushed on one yourself," Yuugi shot back with a roll of his eyes. "Last year you wouldn't shut up for two whole weeks as to how hot Kaiba was."

"Yeah, two weeks as opposed to your two years," Joey stressed, just as snappily, "And I have Mai now. Besides, it's not like I'm sayin' it's wrong to crush on them, it's the extent to which you're goin' that freaks me out…"

Yuugi made to oppose that statement- why should Joey care to what extent he expressed his affection- but the other shook his head, hastily forcing his own perception onward. The others watched warily and with bated breath.

"Just hear me out, Yuug'; it's been two years man. I'm surprised you've even kept up with him for so long. But really, what will all this amount to? What's the chance you'll ever even meet Yami? Followin' him this closely… There's no use. You're infatuated with a guy you can never have. Don't you think it's time to move on?"

His frank words were followed up with an apprehensive silence that hovered between the group, breached only by the idle chatter of the classmates about them. Yuugi's head dropped a little at the truth of Joey's admonition, his mood correctively forlorn, because of course he knew this…

Yuugi knew he was pursuing the impossible, that even if he loved Yami as he did, nothing would ever really come of it. He knew that he would remain a mesmerised fan lost in the shadow of his idol and his myriad of followers, he already knew that. He knew Yami would likely never even lay eyes on him, that he would never meet him nor exchange words with him. Yes, Yuugi knew Joey was absolutely right, but what he also knew was that...

He was so irrevocably in love with Yami and everything he did that he was stuck in a rut, and he couldn't escape it. Yuugi couldn't forget his crush for more than a moment, and deem him stubborn, deem him damned, but there was no way he was discarding his affections for the man. What he had was beyond logic, and yeah, the boy might come off as crazy, utterly foolish, but Yami is what made him happy, so…

Seeing that Yuugi had gone depressively quiet, his surrounding friends immediately sought to comfort him, thinking Joey had gone too far. Ryou grimaced in concern, petting his friend's shoulder to soothe him whilst Tristan whacked the blond across the back of his head in reprimand.

"Idiot!"

"Ow! What the Hell did I-"

"Rebecca stood and planted her hands on her hips, glowering menacingly at the taller boy in a manner similar to a defensive grizzly bear. "You know how much Yami means to him! Can't you just let him like the guy? What's it to you, huh? Apologise this instant!"

Joey balked, not liking the oncoming hostility. "But I didn' mean ta offend him, so why should I-"

Rebecca, Tristan and Ryou growled in unison. "Apologise!"

"Hey, hey… it's okay, guys,"

Yuugi glanced around at the frantic group, his expression unexpectedly calm. They looked to him curiously, and he rested his violet gaze on his guilty friend to speak.

"Joey, you're right. I know my affection for Yami is overwhelming and futile. I know you worry because you think I'm wasting my time and am unhappy without him… It makes sense that would try to push me away from him, because there really doesn't seem to be any point in pursuing him…"

Yuugi glanced down at his hands, towards the thick rubber-band set securely around his wrist. It was uniformly black with exception to a print of what were unmistakeably Yami's scarlet eyes, edited over the two pale, inky words, 'Shadow Games'.

"But even when you put it like that, I still like Yami. It might seem like an unrequited love or whatever, but I'm really glad to support him in the way that I do. I thank you for looking out for me but… I don't want to give up. Yami just generally makes me happy, and everyday I fall more and more in love with him. Do you get me?"

The Brooklyn blond hesitated in thought, feeling Rebecca's death stare and not wanting to incur any more wrath. Joey scratched the back of his head, slowly giving in.

"Well, if he makes you happy bud, then, uh, yeah… do as you please."

Yuugi nodded appreciatively at this resolution, entirely unperturbed. They visibly relaxed when the school bell sounded out, signalling the end of lunch, their argument and their congregation. Rebecca was the first to stand, hastily gathering her school bag from the ground.

"I have IT class now, so I can't be late. I'll talk to you all later. You guys be nice to Yuugi," She gave said boy a one-armed hug to which he lightly jolted, glaring ominously over his shoulder at an apprehensive Joey. "And when I say 'you guys' I mean especially you. See ya!" With that she let go and flitted out of the classroom; what remained of their group collectively sighed.

"I'm pretty sure it wasn't her grandpa who taught her to be so menacing…"

Their brunet friend folded his arms behind his head, glancing afar. "Well, she wouldn't come off like that if someone didn't say some stupid things sometimes…"

Joey flinched, an eyelid twitching. "Why you-"

Ryou tugged at Joey's arm, quick to deter any new quarrel. "Hey, quit fighting. The teacher's coming, so you guys better go to sit down."

"Eh, alright… See you later, Yuug'."

Yuugi waved him off with a smile. "Later, Joey." His hand dropped with the teacher's entrance, and Ryou too pulled away to seat himself properly. Yuugi found himself scrambling for his books for that period. English, was it? He glanced up at the teacher, her familiar droning confirming his thoughts, and back down again to grab his-

Shoot, he left his phone and earphones out on the desk!

"I'll be checking those passages I'd given you for homework now…"

Snatching them off of the table before his Sensei could notice, Yuugi hid the device under the plane of his desk, allowing the phone to rest upside on his lap as he brought his homework out for inspection just as she was doing her rounds. The teacher hovered over his table, gazing approvingly over the passages he had translated.

"Great work, Yuugi. Keep it up," She then gyrated sharply to berate Joey, whom was hanging back on the rear legs of his seat in an attempt to copy Tristan's homework. "I'm sure Joey's passages will be just as original and terrific. Won't they, Mr. Wheeler?"

She moved from the shorter boy to punish the taller one, and Yuugi, although feeling some pity for his friend, breathed out a sigh of relief. Ryou giggled quietly beside him, and they flashed each other a small grin before watching Joey get issued a detention.

The phone resting on Yuugi's lap began to grow heavy with its presence, and as their Sensei returned to the front of the class to begin her lesson, Yuugi thought to put it away. He scooted back in his chair a little, careful not to make noise, just enough so that he could see the screen gathered in his hands. The video was still on play, he noted, the accompanying sound quieted by the plugged-in earphones. Yuugi initially meant to just turn the phone off and tuck it away, but when he glanced down and saw Yami close-up…

Well, he couldn't help but watch for just a little while longer.

The video was at its end, with the footage being post-concert, a short interview and photo-shoot with the band on play. Amidst the flashing lights, bulky black cameras and surrounding crowd, Yami and Kaiba stood side by side, microphones thrusted towards them from every direction. Marik and Bakura stood somewhere behind them, signing hats, shirts and whatever else at the edge of the restrained mob. Kaiba looked bored with the copious attention, whilst Yami retained his suave manner and answered every question without obvious complaint. Yuugi could hardly believe how expertly the vocalist hid his exhaustion; he had, after all, just sung his way through a three-hour concert...

How was it that Yami still appeared so fine?

It was Yuugi's luck that the video had subtitled captions, and so eagerly he read each consecutive line, trying his best to sync the written word to those perfect lips. From what he could tell, the conversation between the interviewer and Yami went something like this:

'…It's great to see the fans growing in number. I thank every single one of them; after all, if it weren't for our Shadow-Gamers, we wouldn't be here today.'

'Shadow-Gamers' was the official name given to the band's fans. Yuugi was a proud Shadow-Gamer, if that wasn't obvious enough.

"That's great to hear from you, Yami. However, we must ask before you leave; is it true that you're going out with the professional dancer, Anzu Misaki?"

Yuugi felt his heart freeze, his grip on his phone tightened. Anzu Misaki… An image of a tall brunette superstar with long legs and chic style wormed its way into his head. Yes, that rumour was still circulating, wasn't it? That Yami was going out with her. It was nothing but gossip though, right? Surely Anzu wasn't his type…

Yami looked the slightest bit disgruntled, his crimson gaze averted following his noteworthy response. Did he dislike the topic at hand? Yuugi thought he would dislike it too, had such a ridiculous question been asked of him… When his idol's mouth moved, it was with a silent grimace.

"Yeah, we've been dating."

The crowd showed expressions of sudden delight and surprise, journalists frantically jotting things down. Yuugi was stunned; his stomach had dropped hard. Anzu… was going out with Yami? The video became somewhat out of focus as he thought this impossible case through…

Since when had this been? It can't have happened too long ago, as this was the first time Yuugi had officially found out, and this concert was only a recent one. It wasn't like the two stars had been sighted together more often than not either… That said, this news can't have been horribly out of the blue. Anzu was by no doubt a gorgeous, stylish and renowned celebrity, a perfect match for Yami, whom was just as gorgeous, stylish and renowned if not a multitude more, but…

This only proved what Joey had said earlier, didn't it?

At least Yami had been single before. It really set him apart from the other celebrities, the fact that he didn't choose to pursue whichever female celebrity he wished. Yuugi really respected him for that, and it gave to him a sense of hopefulness as well. But now…

Now it only seemed rude of Yuugi to fawn over a taken man. Not only so, but the young high-schooler couldn't help but feel as though something significant within him just died a little. He still admired Yami with a passion unthinkable, so that wasn't the issue, but the chances of possibly ever meaning something to his idol? Whatever wistful expectations he might have had left fled his being, and really, it was a miracle he didn't start brooding at once. He instead was restrained to a despondent sigh, an act that earned him a concerned glance from Ryou, and shortly after attempted to gather and remind himself that he had vowed to be in support of Yami, no matter what the guy did. That included going out with pretty female celebrities and crushing Yuugi's dreams of ardently hoping that his crush was gay.

Despite such a cruel reality, he had to be strong.

Yuugi swung his legs beneath his chair, shrugging those demeaning thoughts off and returning his attention to the active video. How much had he missed in all his pondering? He was unable to tell; he'd just have to catch on.

A glint of light caught Seto Kaiba rolling his eyes as he spoke, likely with the same cold tone he always used, although unheard.

"If you're done prying into his love-life, can we leave?"

"Ah, yes, but if you please, one last question- Where has Shadow Games planned to go next?"

Yami turned towards the camera that happened to be filming the video at hand. He smiled this time, a stark contrast in attitude, his eyes aglow with crimson brilliance.

"We're moving back to Domino City, our favourite place in the world-"

"Yuugi, are you paying attention?"

Yuugi glanced up, trying not to appear too startled. He nodded at his Sensei, whom stood crossly poised with a book before the blackboard, and pressed his phone into the fabric of his pants as if to appear less unobtrusive.

"Yes, Miss, of course."

"Well… I sure hope so. Now, as I was saying earlier, if you use this type of phrase in your essay, be certain to…"

Yuugi very quickly zoned out again, cautiously looking down at the video on display to see it at its end. He pouted at having missed out on all of what Yami had said, before slipping the phone into his side-pocket, making sure to stash away the earphones as well. Rid of that distraction, he tried to concentrate on what was being taught, but it proved difficult. Shadow Games was fresh on his mind, and Anzu Misaki…

Anzu Misaki. Why did she have to take his man away from him?

Yuugi resumed pouting for a short moment before movement to his right snagged at his attention. He tipped his head to glance sideways; Ryou was purposefully avoiding eye-contact with him, pretending to study a book, but was quietly nudging a small fold of white paper towards Yuugi with his elbow. Yuugi hesitated for a short moment, before reaching over and taking the message up, bringing it under the desk to subtly read its contents. What he saw scrawled in a polite cursive font made him quirk an eyebrow-

I think I know how to cheer you up… :)

Yuugi looked over to his albino friend, whose eyes then shifted over to meet his gaze. He held it a moment in question, before taking up his own pen and issuing a reply.

Cheer me up? Who said I was upset? :S

The note was passed back to Ryou, whom scoffed minutely at Yuugi's response. Yuugi waited a few moments, pretending to be copying things off the board, before he received the successive note.

Are you kidding me? I can tell when you're upset, you know. I hope what Joey said earlier isn't the problem…

Yuugi sighed, quietly this time, and made to correct that statement, deciding then to trust Ryou with his dilemma.

It's not what Joey said... It's what I've just found out in an interview. Yami's actually dating Anzu Misaki. Like, THE Anzu Misaki. A little bit heart-broken right now…

The note was folded dejectedly and passed over again; the white-haired boy hissed empathetically upon reading it.

"Is there a problem, Ryou?"

"Ah, no, teacher. I just figured out what I did wrong in the last question. My apologies for interrupting…"

Yuugi diverted his gaze, as if uninvolved with Ryou, and listened to the faint and frantic scratching of a pencil beside him before accepting the next note.

Wow. I had no idea, Yuugi. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. They're bound to break up sometime soon. Besides, she's not really Yami's type… This isn't reason yet to give up on him.

As Yuugi read Ryou's response, he felt himself relax a little. His friend had a valid point or two there, both statements dearly noted. He was right; what were the chances they would stay together for more than a few months? Heck, most stars break up within a few weeks, so it was only a matter of time before Yami was single again... Besides, the guy didn't even look happy when he spoke of Anzu. If he wasn't happy with her, then what were the chances of them being together for long?

Hardly any.

Yuugi felt his spirits lift, and he might've hugged Ryou in that moment for returning his zeal to him, except the teacher was eyeing them suspiciously from afar. He settled for expressing his euphoria through the written word.

You're right, she really isn't his type. Looks like it isn't the end of the world after all. :P Oh, I am curious though; how was it that you were going to cheer me up?

The note was handed over, and this time Yuugi kept an eye on Ryou for his response. The boy unravelled the piece of paper, glanced over the wording with appropriate expression, and began writing without hesitation. His answer was short and subtle; Yuugi blinked and seconds later took from him the creased note, returning it to his lap. Seeing the teacher was safely occupied, he swiftly unfolded the sheet and focused on what was written…

His eyes widened at the underlined response.

Yuugi stared with disbelief at the note, then at his friend, and then back again. Ryou was looking smugly towards him, his expression admittedly amused at the reaction Yuugi displayed. When their gazes met a third time, Ryou gave a confident nod to assure the other that he wasn't lying.

A great joy washed over Yuugi as he clutched onto the note excitedly.

I can get us VIP tickets to the next Shadow Games concert.

A/N: The above lyrics (in italics) belong to Let's Get It. The song is Do Not Disturb (Tell Me How Bad).

Hey now, I have a question for you guys, also set up as a poll on my profile-

What do you want Yami to be like?

I can make him one of three things, in terms of personality.

What I'm leaning towards is making him friendly and sociable, a mildly humorous, caring and naturally captivating person. This would just add to his perfection, make Yuugi fall in love with him harder and would make their ship sail smoother in the long run. I've planned out several scenes already that would work if Yami was of this kind, but I get that this would likely make him a Gary Stu and if people want him to be flawed or whatever, then I'm offering to change things now. That's why…

The other thing I could do is make him bitter and an asshole. Well, maybe not an asshole, but initially bitter and cold. Mind you, this makes things so much harder 'cause I'll have to make it so he warms up to Yuugi and that would be hard if Yuugi doesn't have that much contact with him in the first place. But if you really want that, I suppose I can figure something out…

Lastly, I can just make him as he is in the legitimate show. Reserved, composed, looks out for others but at the same time is rather passive, unless it concerns something of importance to him. Not as hard as what I described prior, but it'll take some work too.

So what do you want? I thought the first option works well, considering that kind of personality would balance out the rest of the Shadow Games members- Kaiba's the bitter asshole (lol), Bakura is actively crude and Marik is passively wicked- but if you want something else, do mention so in the poll on my profile..

Anyhow, thanks for reading the first chapter. Please FF&R. Cheers,

Sliferesque