A/N: Okay, so I know I probably shouldn't be posting another story right now, and I should be working on Circling, but this thing seriously wouldn't leave me alone. It's going to be a fic based off of the manga Video Girl Ai, and it's going to be as long as hell. Guesstimating around a hundred or so chapters, though I'm trying to shorten it.

In those chapters, expect to see romance, drama, angst, and a bit of humor whirling around. Oh, and lots of flings and love triangles. Here's the whole list:

Puzzleshipping, Fragileshipping, Tendershipping, Shadowshipping, Offershipping, Ardentshipping, HondaxVivian, Brief Mention of Revolutionshipping, Azureshipping, Arrogantshipping.

So...yeah. Let's get on with it, shall we?

Warning: Slight sexual content in the beginning (though not quite a lemon) & OOCness.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, Video Girl Ai, or any of the characters mentioned. Written for entertainment purposes only.

Enjoy~

They parted, faces flushed and breathing harsh from the lack of air. Dark violet eyes slowly blinked open to connect with soft doe brown. He moved to brush past a lock of soft, snow white hair from the other's pale face, his own sharp, golden bangs hanging low. Dark tresses of black locks reached up to the sky, a few bangs following their lead in jagged lines. When positioned correctly under the sunlight, unusual crimson tinted the edges. The pale boy's skin was the softest he'd ever felt, contrasting greatly against his own even though their pigments were not far off.

The taller, though only by a few inches, had the paler pressed against the classroom's heater. The room remained dark despite the sunny day outside that should've made it bright and cheerful. They were alone save for the few desks and tables arranged neatly in rows of five to six. The whiteboard was blank, though faint writings could be seen if squinted upon. Textbooks lay haphazardly atop each other on the bookcase to their left, motivational posters littering the walls.

It was the perfect setting for this private moment.

Plump, kiss bruised lips curled in a cute smile that took whatever breath the taller had away. Even in such a passionate moment, the pale boy still managed to keep that innocent aura he loved so much.

"It's hot, huh?" The hushed whisper sent chills down the tri-colored haired teen's spine. The pale boy leaned closer so his breath wafted across the other's lips. "Shall we take off our clothes?"

An inquiry like that demanded attention. Snapping his previously half lidded eyes open, that taller took a step back to fully access the situation.

"Ryou…"

Said teen's confidence flustered, his soft gaze turning to the ground as an embarrassed flush dusted his nose. "Can…" his throat bobbed up and down in a thick swallow. "Can you turn around?" He fingered the collar of his own light blue jacket.

"Uh…" The dumb sound left his mouth before he could stop it. In any other case, he would've laughed at how modest Ryou was being, but the weight of what it really meant laid heavily on his shoulders. "S-sure." Rigidly, he switched their positions so the other would have room to…undress.

He faced the windows, trying to focus on the drifting clouds that contrasted against the bright blue sky as the sound of rustling clothes came from behind him. A cold sweat began to form on his brow, heart beating rapidly against his rib cage. What was he thinking? Was he forcing Ryou to do this? Why was the pale boy being so…forward? A pang of guilt and slight apprehension echoed from his heart, though it was natural for him to feel this way. It was going to be, after all, his first time.

"You can look now…" Too caught up in his thoughts, the taller teen almost didn't catch the whispered voice coming from…the floor?

Indeed, Ryou had slowly migrated himself to the ground, legs bent so he was resting on his shins. Thin arms wrapped themselves around his chest in a futile way of covering up, his blush increasing by the second. The only articles of clothing left on him were his bleached white socks, the rest pooling around his faintly shivering form. His gaze was still trained on a spot on carpet some feet away.

The darker haired teen would've seen this, had it not been for a sight outside that made his heart momentarily leap into his throat.

Just on the crest of the hill stood another teen. This one held eerily similar features to the one staring back at him from the classroom window. Tresses of black hair, sharp golden bangs, the faintest tint of color on the edges. Though that's when the likeliness ended. Instead of slanted, dark violet eyes the teen in the classroom had, this boy had wide, amethyst colored eyes, soft features, and no extra blond streaks running up the body of his hair. He wore a loose soccer jersey, the black and white ball laying obediently underneath his foot.

And he was staring straight at them.

Sensing the unspoken question, the taller simply said, "There's someone outside." No hint of emotion dripped into his voice, surprising even himself. Shouldn't he be disappointed? Obviously they weren't going to continue, as the sounds of clothes slipping back on skin reached his ear.

No, he wasn't disappointed. In fact, he hardly felt anything except a strange fascination of this newcomer on the hill. Dark violet eyes narrowed. He had to find out who this boy was.

"Yami!" Ryou cried as he watched the other fling open the window and jump onto the awaiting grass. He wasn't listening, though. As soon as he had moved, the boy with the soccer ball had bolted, running over the crest so he could be hidden from view.

"Hey, wait!" The dark haired teen, now identified as Yami, called out, giving chase after this mysterious boy. He reached forward, hand splayed out as he tried to grab the other's wrist to pull them back when-

A pale hand clamped firmly onto the top, removable shelf of its owner's bookcase. Attached to the hand was a long arm, which connected to a shoulder, which was apart of the human body named Yami. Currently, the teen was half asleep, the covers of his bed thrown at awkward angles from the restlessness of the night's rest. His upper body was hanging off the side of the bed, head drooped in a way so the tips of his spiky black hair brushed against the hardwood flooring of his small bedroom.

Muttering incoherence, Yami gave a harsh tug of the wrist, triggering a series of unfortunate events. Firstly, the extra pull was enough force to drag enough of the rest of his body off the bed so gravity had no other choice but to remove him from his position and onto the floor in a tangle of limbs. However, Yami was not the only thing that fell from its perch. The shelf he had been clinging to moved forward at a rapid pace, and, since Yami's grip had not lessened one bit, was also forced to follow his path downward. The content on that particular shelf was just one VCR, an old thing Yami refused to give up, despite what his friend Bakura constantly told him to do.

Unfortunately, Yami was unlucky enough to have this VCR fall directly on top of his head, effectively waking him, and then some. A resounding shout echoed throughout the empty household where he lived, quickly followed by a string of curses.

"Damn it." Yami muttered, rubbing his sore head after managing to sit up through the mess. Blowing through his nose against the pain, he ran over the fleeting images of the latest dream, sighing once he came to the conclusion.

The dream, which had the eerie sense of being very real, was just another in a long series of ones just like it, the first one occurring the day after winter break began. It was also the day after he last saw Ryou Mizumori, the classmate he had been crushing over since the moment he laid eyes on him back in elementary school. But who wouldn't be able to resist him? With his long, soft white hair, beautiful chocolate eyes, and smooth pale skin…

Yami sighed dreamily and with longing, glancing at a small framed photo of the one in his dreams. It was a bit blurry, having been taken at a strange angle so Ryou wouldn't see. Thankfully, he had managed to capture that perfect smile just before he had to duck fully under the bush he was hiding behind as a teacher passed by, inspecting the grounds for any wrongdoing. The picture had easily became one of the most treasured of Yami's possessions.

A sudden frown marred the teen's happy demeanor as his thoughts strayed to the mysterious boy. Out of all the dreams he had, that boy had not been in one of them. The same curiosity he felt in the dream ignited deep in his heart. Something told him that this dream was important, more so than all the others combined.

Something twitched in Yami's mind, an image of how he was awoken coming back to him at an increased speed. Sucking in a harsh breath, he turned to his beloved VCR, only to find it laying damaged on the hard flooring. Hands flew up to tug at his hair as another scream echoed through his house's hallways. Once smoothing over his initial shock, Yami was at its side in a flash, gingerly picking up the beaten technology to examine the extent of the damage.

"Ooh," Yami moaned, slowly flipping it around to get a better view, "Please don't tell me it's broken!" No matter what others said about keeping the VCR, he would simply not get rid of it. Fond memories of watching movies with his mother in his young, tender years filled his mind whenever he looked at it. Though his mother had now been deceased for almost a decade and his father was always either stuck at the office or on private business trips, Yami still believed the old player would bring new and less bittersweet events that would make him smile.

Another sharp pain from his head and Yami came to the reasonable conclusion that today was not going to be a good day.

Gently setting the VCR down, Yami ran over the plans he had for the day. One stood out above the rest and caused him to smile nervously and in excitement. Despite the rough start and the slight pang of pain in his head, Yami wasn't going to let anything happen that would discourage him from asking Ryou out. The pale teen was set to work at his half time job as waiter at the local cafe, a fact that was learned after months spying.

Taking a deep breath, Yami edged towards what was left of his bookcase and flipped through the many magazines he kept on the lower shelves. Each flashy plastic paged book contained a how-to-guide on different topics about dating, since he was probably the most inexperienced person out there, if his dubbed name "Dateless" meant anything. Most of the guides were on what to do with girls since the world was still a bit uncomfortable with homosexuals.

Yami had always had an open mind. Back in kindergarten, he had a small crush on a girl who'd help him get up after riding the slide at the playground, someone who had also moved away sometime after the first grade. It wasn't until he was almost in middle school and a new student from England named Ryou entered his class did he fathom the idea of being gay. Denial was the first step, as his mind kept telling him he still stared at some of the girls' breasts like all the other boys. Last year Yami had finally accepted that he was bisexual, though only confiding in his friend Bakura, who told him he couldn't have cared less (which was his way of saying he wouldn't abandon Yami just because he liked both genders).

Unfortunately, one of Bakura's fangirls had overheard the conversation and the next day everyone knew Yami swung both ways. He received daily shoves and stares, but overall the treatment was bearable. At least Ryou was blissfully unaware of his crush on him.

Though, Yami nearly had a heart attack when the pale boy had come out that he himself was into the same sex.

He spread out a few magazines he thought would be helpful and flicked on his iPod to drown out the silence in his house. A My Chemical Romance song came on and he hummed to the tune, digging through his clothes to find a suitable outfit.

Since it was the last day of winter break before school started up again, Yami figured now was the best time to do it. Enjoy freedom while it lasted, right?

…Who was he kidding? He was as nervous as an inexperienced bomb defuser who didn't work well under pressure. Trying to keep his hands from shaking, he fumbled with the clothes on the bed and began thinking of possible incomes to his asking. He held one up to the tall mirror leaning against one of the walls.

"I heard he doesn't like this color…" Yami murmured before tossing the red cotton shirt to the growing pile of rejects. A breath puffed out his cheeks before he let it all out. He really was acting like a girl, wasn't he…?

Growling as Bakura's taunting voice entered his mind, Yami continued his search to find the perfect outfit as time ticked away towards the date he had been dreaming of for a while.

That is, if Ryou accepted the offer or not.

Yami stood outside of Maser's Cafe, a small bouquet of flowers somewhat hidden behind his back, containing such plants as red roses and a combination of both yellow and red tulips, each declaring a form of his love for Ryou.

He felt cheesy and hot, even in the chilled day of early January. The outfit had taken a little over an hour, but he eventually settled for a sleek black leather jacket, pluming dark blue jeans, and a spiked choker curled around his neck. A touch of kohl his father had given him after one of his many trips to Egypt made his dark violet eyes stand out more, or at least, that was what he was aiming for.

A cold sweat was forming just above his brow, his nerves making it appear like there was a pole running straight through his spine. His gaze was locked onto the entrance, a mix of determination and fear battling in his eyes. Slowly, his lifted one boot, as if to take the first step, but automatically slammed it back down to its original spot on the pavement as his nerves won out. This process repeated a few more times, drawing strange glances from the passerby's.

Inwardly, he was chiding himself. What was he doing? He knew there was going to be some hesitation, but this? Pathetic…

Deciding to distract himself, he went over everything he needed in a mental checklist.

Fresh breath. Yami reached into his pocket and fumbled with an Icebreaker container, popping the minty solvent into his mouth to suck on vigorously. Check. Flowers. He stole a glance behind him and watched the wind gently blow the bouquet back and forth. Check. Fashion statement. A faint blush covered the bride of his nose as he shuffled his feet. His attire wasn't something he would wear in any other situation and in truth he felt a bit uncomfortable in all that leather, but it was for Ryou, so he would gladly bare it. Check.

Now all he had to do was ask him out.

"Alright…" he muttered, fists tightening in a sudden burst of confidence. "Let's do this." He put one foot forward again, this time allowing it to take the full step, then another, until he was striding towards the glass doors. Determined dark violet focused on the inside, not deteriorating until-

A sudden flash of white hair came into view, slightly formal clothes covering an almost deathly pale body. In his arms was a thin tray that held several used drinks. A dark flush flamed across Yami's face at the sight. Ryou…

Almost immediately, his legs switched positions and swung themselves around. Yami suddenly found himself walking in the opposite way he was supposed to, all confidence and determination depleted at the mere sight of his crush. Pathetic.

He was about to make a break for his house so he could sulk for the rest of the day when a hand suddenly clasped itself onto Yami's wrist - the one holding the flowers - catching him off guard with a startled intake of breath. The hand tugged with enough strength to begin dragging the startled teen away, forcing him to stumble backwards as the person holding him ran a few blocks down the road.

"Hey!" Yami cried, managing to overcome his shock to tear his wrist from the other's grasp. "What's your problem, you-" All words other words died before reaching his throat as he turned towards his attacker. Wild white hair that stuck out at weird angles, sharp russet eyes that glinted red when under the sun, deathly pale pigment that looked as though the owner would die of blood loss at any second…

"Bakura?"

Bakura Tozoku, Yami's longtime friend and the only other person who knew of his crush on Ryou. Despite the albino's very similar appearance to the one he was crushing over, Yami held no feelings of attraction for the taller teen. He was far too annoying and selfish to deserve such a thing. Besides, as far as he knew, Bakura was straight.

"What'cha got there, Dateless?" Bakura taunted, crossing his arms while glaring down at the bouquet still clamped tightly in Yami's hands.

Yami scowled at the name. Ever since one of the class clowns had begun calling him by that name back in middle school, Bakura had made it a daily habit of also calling him it, especially since knowing of his problems with Ryou. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" He huffed, smoothing out the plastic wrap holding the bouquet together.

Being the oh so smart one he was, Bakura easily figured out what was going on without the nonexistent help Yami was providing. "Gonna finally ask him out, huh?" He snorted, shaking his head in fake disappointment. "In front of all those people? Where's your head, man?"

"But the latest issues said that this is what girls like!" Yami protested weakly.

"Pfft, yeah, exactly. Girls love that stuff. But, if you hadn't noticed, Ryou's a boy." His arms gestured wildly around him to emphasize his point. "Besides, he's working right now. Too busy to go out with you." His mouth twitched in want of making another snide comment about his magazine readings, but Yami seemed put down enough…at least for now. His hand reached out and snatched up the battered bouquet, bringing out more protests. "I'll take these so they don't go to waste." Russet eyes scanned over Yami's attire, and couldn't help but comment. "And what's with the outfit? Decided to go emo?"

Frustration at Bakura's antics had Yami's face turn a slight red. "This is what's hot today! It's not emo, as you so kindly put it. Now give me back those flowers and leave me alone!" He grabbed at the desired object, though failing to grab it as Bakura lifted it up above his reaching zone with a playful 'tsk.'

"Yeah, yeah. Anywho…" The albino grabbed at Yami's collar dragging him back towards the cafe. "Let's go in and say a little greeting to your crush, shall we?"

"Wait!" Yami cried out, desperately trying to break free from his friend's grasp. "I-I'm not ready yet!" He was silenced by a rough knock to the back of the head.

They took a seat at one of the booths in the back, Yami sitting rigidly as his mind kept flashing the danger sign. Ryou was somewhere in there, working from table to table as the waiter. Soon, he would be popping up to take their order and…

Focusing on his breathing, Yami distracted himself by glancing at the other people. It was past the usual rush hour time, so there weren't as many as he had originally thought there would be, but enough to create a soft lulling sound of voices to add into the white noise. He diverted his attention to the table so he wouldn't accidentally spot Ryou and begin to freak out, something that he was certain would stain himself in the eyes of his crush for eternity.

"Bakura!" A light, airy voice broke into Yami's musings, freezing him solid. "What are you doing here?" He watched as his friend lifted one hand in greeting, getting out a slight smirk of friendliness. The newcomer hadn't seen Yami yet.

Steeling himself for the inevitable, the tri-colored haired teen slowly, ever so slowly, turned his head to see soft white hair, doe brown eyes, and a light green cafe uniform that suited the user perfectly.

If it was even possible, Ryou was even more beautiful - a word he uses lightly, since he was sure the pale boy wouldn't appreciate being called such a thing - than when Yami saw him last. His gaze was drawn immediately to those plump lips, slightly wet with moisture as if Ryou had just ran his tongue along them only a few seconds ago. An image of himself kissing those lips from his dream entered Yami's mind, causing the blood to rush to his face rapidly.

No. He can't be thinking of that. Ryou was here and his mind was elsewhere, something that would surely lead to bad consequences.

"Hi, Dateless."

Yami blinked, startled to hear such a sweet voice actually say a greeting to him. Though, of course he had to use the nickname he now currently loathed even more. A stifled snigger came from his right, and he promptly kicked Bakura from under the table. He smiled up at Ryou. "H-hello…?" It ended up more as a question, making himself cringe in horror.

Ryou giggled before turning to Bakura, the sound music to Yami's ears. The pale boy talked to Bakura for a while, the wilder teen listening politely - something very usual for him. Yami didn't particularly mind, since it allowed him to observe his crush from close up instead of the usual far away outlook.

Funny, now that he was close enough, he could see how far apart their hearts really were…

Yami bit his lip. He shouldn't be so pessimistic, after all, Bakura had dragged him there just so he could ask Ryou out, so no use wasting this time, right? Yes, he'll ask Ryou out as soon as his courage builds itself up enough.

"What are those flowers for, Bakura?" Ryou's voice yet again cut into Yami's thoughts, though this time made him stiffen in alarm. The flowers Yami had originally brought for Ryou sat innocently between Yami and Bakura, leaning against the latter's shoulder. Curses towards his friend for leaving it in such a visible place rang through Yami's head.

Bakura blinked before putting on a smile to hide his scrambling thoughts. "Oh, these? Ah, well, a girl gave them to me." He said, picking up the bouquet to let Ryou see them better. Of course, Bakura was referring to the large fangirl group that always followed him around at school. They often gave him gifts to show their affection, all of which he rejects, some more harshly than others, depending on his mood.

Something flashed in Ryou's expression, tracing a rose petal absentmindedly, not seeming to notice that Bakura was beginning to get uncomfortable. "Hmm…" the hum vibrating in Ryou's throat before his soft voice took over. "The girls adore you, huh?"

Yami saw his chance. He reached out and pulled one of the tulips out, thrusting it in Ryou's direction. "T-this is for you…" He mumbled under his breath, barely audible.

Everything was still for a few moments as Ryou blinked blankly at the wilting flower. "Ah, no, thank you. That's Bakura's flower…I wouldn't want to take it." Yami wanted to laugh at the idea of Bakura wanting a flower, but the feeling of rejection made his lips twitch.

Bakura tugged harshly on the edge of Yami's coat, forcing the other to fall back down into his seat with a small grunt. The teen was undeterred, however, and tried once more.

"You get off at one, right?" His mouth was set at an awkward angle due to the nerves he was feeling.

Ryou frowned in suspicion. "Well, yeah…But how do you know that?"

"Great, then we can do something afterwards, yeah?" Yami rushed into the question, not even bothering to answer the prior responding inquiry from the other.

Bakura blinked, mouth slightly agape. Did Yami just…ask someone out? And Ryou no less, someone he knew to hold mass affections from the tri-colored haired teen. His russet eyes narrowed on Ryou, automatically knowing what the answer would be. He had to step in.

"Yeah, we could all go together someplace! It's the last day of vacation, after all." Bakura was no fool. He could see that Ryou had paid little to no attention to Yami, and mostly had tried to coerce Bakura into talking. There was also a certain shine in those doe brown eyes that the wilder teen recognized from all the girls who followed him constantly.

He was sure that it wasn't Yami who held the adoration of Ryou Mizumori.

"S-sure. We should go swimming!" Ryou smiled brightly, with the hint of a blush forming on his cheeks.

Yami sat bemused. Swimming in winter? Strange, though they could go to an indoor one. Plus, it would give him the chance to secretly leer at more of Ryou's perfect skin. No, what was really bothering him was why Bakura was coming with. The wild teen knew how much Yami wanted to go on a date with Ryou, so why come along?

He caught the other's gaze and Bakura winked once Ryou wasn't looking. Yami gave a faint smile in return, relief causing his muscles to finally relax.

Looks like Bakura was more of a helper than he had thought.

The local amusement park, having been looking for a way for people to enjoy it all year round, had decided to open up its heated, indoor swimming pool to the public. So far, they had attracted most of the town's population, especially with winter break still being in effect.

This was the place the trio had decided to go once the clock had struck one. They met up with swim bags in hand and entered the locker room to get changed. Once putting on his baggy black swim trunks, Yami was almost blown away when he saw Ryou's clinging and short - oh, so short - light blue swim trunks. He eyeballed the pale boy for a few moments before Bakura, with his flame red trunks, came out and knocked him on the back of the head to help him regain his senses.

Fighting off the deep blush on his cheeks, Yami followed his friend and crush over to the large pool, slipping into the lukewarm water. Bakura went in next, though staying by the ledge so he could rest without having to kick his legs. Ryou just sat down next to his wilder look-a-like, kicking his thin legs back and forth as his mind wandered.

They were granted a few minutes of peacefulness before a squeal sounded from their right. Turning to see what was happening, they were met with the unpleasing sight of a group of high school girls, all of them giggling and gushing loudly about Bakura.

Seems as though someone's fangirls had decided to take a little dip as well…

Bakura scowled, making sure his back was to the annoying girls. Ryou's mouth twitched before he let out an exhausted sigh. "They sure are persistent, aren't they?" The inquiry wasn't aimed at anyone, nor did it require an answer, so the other two teens ignored it.

After a few more minutes of having to listen to their obnoxious chittering, the girls finally decided to approach them. "Hello, Bakura-kun~!" One of the girls sang out, leaning over said teen, almost exposing her large breasts in the process. Her eyes strayed to Ryou, then finally rested onto Yami, causing an intake of breath.

"You brought Dateless with you?!" She cried, pointing rudely at the lanky teen. Several snickers came from the other girls, their hushed voices exchanging the daily gossip surrounding him.

Yami growled lowly, but didn't say anything. Everything he could say would just be used against him, so he took the liberty to remain silent. In reality, he wanted to shove his middle finger in the air and wag it in front of their faces as insults poured from his mouth like a waterfall, but he couldn't do that with Ryou watching.

A loud sigh drew Ryou and Yami's attention to Bakura, who had turned to face the ledge of the pool. "I'd better go and deal with these nuisances." He spoke like the fangirls weren't just a foot away from him. "You two behave while I'm gone." Yami fought back a flush when his friend shot him a sultry wink, an insane smirk going ever so kindly along with it.

The wild albino teen pulled himself from the pool and walked towards the restroom, the girls eagerly floating behind him.

Yami stole a glance at his crush, who watched Bakura leave with guarded eyes. Perhaps he was disappointed that Bakura was gone? It seemed that way until he turned and gave his shy smile, speaking, "Then I guess it's just us, then?"

Dark violet eyes grew wide and beamed, his heart giving a happy skip. Finally, he was going to receive the attention he had been obsessing over.

Ryou drew up his legs and shook off the straying water droplets. "Let's go to the diving board, yeah?" He asked, offering his hand to help Yami out.

Staring at the hand, Yami momentarily wondered what it would feel like. Would it be soft? Firm? Callused? Rough? There were so many possibilities that he almost forgot to actually grab ahold of it to find out, but once he did, all other thoughts besides how warm and smooth it felt promptly left his mind.

Oh, yes, life was good at that very moment.

The moment right after…Not so much.

As Yami's second foot reached up to rest on the ledge, having already brought up one, the pool water coating the tile surface caused him to lose traction and slip back towards the water. With his grip still clamped tightly in Ryou's hands and even tightening it as he felt the sensation of free fall, poor Ryou could do nothing but follow the path downwards.

Just before he hit the surface, Yami couldn't help but wonder what it was with him and falling today.

Ryou's body crashed into Yami's as the impact of his back against the water slowed his descent, a large splash of water suddenly surrounding them before the feeling of liquid splashed their bare skin. Soon enough, they were both completely under.

The loudness of the sound of skin smacking against water attracted most of the attention of the other pool users, watching carefully as the duo broke the surface to take a collective gasp of welcomed air. Upon seeing that they were alright, the audience went back to their own fun and games.

"Are you alright?" Ryou asked once his breath had returned, rubbing a sore spot she had bumped when connecting with Yami's sharp features. "I'm sorry…"

"No, no!" Yami quickly interrupted, his voice a bit breathless. "It was my fault…"

He trailed as a soft, airy giggle came from Ryou's lips, the sweet voice sounding shortly after. "Sorry…"

For around the hundredth time that day, Yami's cheeks adapted the color akin to a cherry. Everything that had been happening, just in that hour suddenly caught up with him, and he felt the air leave his lungs once more. And as they stared at each other for a few more heartbeats, Yami couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, Ryou did indeed like him.

After a few rounds of jumping off the ten foot diving board, Ryou and Yami eventually decided to call it a day and go find Bakura. Though the idea wasn't so appealing to Yami, since he still craved for more time to spend with his crush, he soon brightened when they found out that his friend couldn't shake off those pesky fangirls, having instead relented to their pleads and agreed to let them hang out with him. And because Ryou refused to leave Bakura alone in the grabby hands of his fans, they all decided to hang out together.

Since the pool idea had been a success, the amusement park had came to the decision to open it and some of the stands for people to hang out in, though keeping most of the rides closed and only allowing this if the temperature was above or around freezing. So far, the idea was playing out well with the guests.

Currently, the group of around five fangirls were crowded around Bakura, babbling about something they probably thought was important, but what the wild teen thought has annoying noise while Yami and Ryou lingering behind. The softer albino was gushing about how the idea of swimming was a great one, one that they should do again sometime. Yami chuckled, but agreed nonetheless. All the while he was thinking about how well they got along, secretly wishing it could be more.

A sudden thought entered his head and wouldn't leave him be. Bakura and his mooning fangirls were getting farther and farther away, now so that they were out of earshot. Now would be the perfect time to tell Ryou about how he felt…

Yami took a deep breath, tightening his hands into fists as he steeled himself up once more. He could do this, he could do this, he could do this.

"Ryou, I-"

"Hey, Ryou!" The universe seemed to hate him, as seeing that he was interrupted by one of the fangirls. "Come on, we're going to see the fortuneteller!"

Ryou smiled apologetically at Yami before pulling him towards the small and decorative building that housed the amusement park's infamous fortuneteller. The girls instantly swallowed Ryou into their conversation, surprising Yami, since he had thought they weren't friendly towards each other at all. Bakura fell back and joined Yami, not saying a word, as the other could plainly see the extreme annoyance radiating off of him.

They entered the building, instantly noticing the dark contrast to the bright outside world. The only light was being emitted from the middle of the room, where a crystal ball was placed on a small circular table. Behind it sat a cloaked figure, his features masked by the black silk and shadows. His voice rasped, though held a sense of wisdom when he spoke.

"Welcome to the House of Fortune," his head tilted so only his mouth was shone. "Whose fortune shall I tell first?"

One of the girls sniggered, then shoved Yami's back hard enough for the mysterious man to see him. "Dateless should go first!"

"Me?" Yami asked dumbly, unable to move backwards once the fangirls blocked his way, each wearing devious grins. All further objections left once the man motioned him to sit on the chair opposite of himself.

After taking a seat, the man waved his hands just an inch off of the crystal ball's surface, humming softly in his concentration. Yami barely contained the sigh he wished to let out. Of course, this guy probably wasn't even real. He was just a scam, really, as was the whole magic business.

Though, he began to second guess his opinion when the man finally spoke. "Ah, I see great troubles in your love life." The man ignored the blush on Yami's cheeks and the snort coming from somewhere in the group. The tri-colored haired teen stiffened, suddenly worrying about what this guy had to say next.

"Oh, and the person of your desires is here with us as well..."

As the building filled with disgusted screeches and horrified squeals, Yami seriously began to rethink his previous thoughts about this fortuneteller.

Alright, so there's Chapter 1. Not sure when the next one will be up, though. Just have to play it by ear, I guess.

Yuugi will be in the next chapter, for all who are wondering.

Now if you excuse me, I have to go write the next chapter of Circling.

R&R~