A/N: I've had the idea of this story floating around my head for quite some time and finally decided to give it a shot. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: The sun set in the western sky, throwing streaks of orange and pink across the evening world. The light reflected in his eyes, intensifying their amethyst glow. He placed a hand on her tanned cheek, marveling at the angelic aura the sunset cast upon her now glittering skin. She took his pail hand into her smooth palm and turned it over, running the backs of his fingers across side of her face, brown eyes sparkling golden in the light. A whisper of longing escaped his lips as his eyes fluttered so that only half of his violet irises could be seen. He took a step closer to the girl and moved his free hand into her silky brown hair as she mimicked his action and buried her palm in his wild spiky locks. "I am yours forever." He whispered, eyes closing completely as he learned into her warm body. He was stopped, however, by a small pressure on his face and opened his eyes to see the girl shaking her head delicately, a single finger placed lightly to his lips. "Alas my love," she murmured, low and sweet and sad. "I do not own you nor the ideas of which have brought you to life."

What it Means to Love

Chapter One: Loveless

Your voice echoes in my mind

A reminder of what once was, what could have been

Yesterday your heart was mine

Now it's gone, forever, to another's hands you fly

Your laughter follows your hurried flight

Like a longing call to which I am forbidden to answer

Your bright eyes are now a tarnished picture

My mind's eye can no longer recall their sparkling gaze

The now faded photos and desecrated dreams

Are all that remains of your god given light, my sanity

And I ask myself if it was worth it

For after all the pain and sorrow I am still left broken, I remain

-Me

The school stood, gray and ominous, at the end of the lane. Its hulking body cast a deep shadow across the courtyard as it drew its victims into its prison like depths. A crowd of people stood before the foreboding building, their raucous laughter and loud irritable chatter completely at odds with its menacing air.

A lone figure stood separate from the crowd, kneeling clumsily in the shadow of the small hedges that outlined the courtyard. The top of his white head would immerge from its sanctity every few minutes, browns eyes frantically clawing through the obnoxious crowd before diving back to the safety of cover. "He's not here." The boy would whisper agitatedly to himself after each scan. "Just go out there, he's not here, he won't see you." And yet he remained, rooted to the spot, his entire length trembling with nerves. It was so silly for him to sit, crouched in these bushes, and waiting for the inevitable moment when he would find him. And yet, he could not bring himself to break free of his sanctuary and expose himself to the onlookers beyond. He mentally smacked himself for his cowardice and berated himself before peeking quickly over the hedge once more. What he saw made his heart plummet to the deepest reaches of his chest.

There, standing amongst the myriad students of the school was a figure he knew all too well. The teen was of middling height with pail milky skin and a blue uniform to match those of his fellows surrounding him. His hair stood a good six inches from the top of his head in giant prickly spikes that were dangerous if they got close to the eyes. The spikes were ebony black, outlined in red-violet and three lightening like bangs shot directly up into the wild mess, the rest falling perfectly around his sharp, chiseled face. A black collar was fastened just bellow his chin and his sleeves had been pushed up to the elbows to reveal similar bracelets tided securely around his wrists. Bright crimson eyes swept the crowd hungrily as the teen pushed through the surrounding students, muttering apologies whenever he accidentally trod upon someone's foot.

The crouching boy gasped and quickly disappeared behind the bush, praying that the other teen had not seen him. "If he finds me he'll…" the white haired teen shuddered at the thought and pulled his backpack tightly to his chest, searching frantically for some sign of protection. His brown eyes ravaged the scene about him as he desperately sought an escape route. He gaze landed upon a door that stood slightly to the side of the building, not entirely visible to those standing in the middle of the courtyard. If he could just reach it then maybe…

His thought was disrupted as a figure came hurtling from his right and smacked directly into him. Both fell over in a heap on the ground, and, spotting the runners wild tri-colored hair, the white haired boy felt his heart sink even deeper into his chest. He'd found him. He was doomed. The brown eyed boy scrambled quickly away from the now rising body, heart pounding a frantic rhythm in his chest. But as the boy lifted his spiky head, the white haired teen felt the rest of the world fall away into oblivion. The boy that stood before him was much shorter than the one he hid from, though wearing a similar garb. The bright eyes that gazed back at him from the pail, cherubic face wear not sharp and crimson, but soft, round and sparkling amethyst. "Yugi…" the white haired boy whispered in a voice full of admiration.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry Ryou!" the amethyst eyed boy cried, and Ryou felt his heart swell within his chest at the sound of the angel's voice. Brushing off his now dirtied knees, Yugi rushed over to his friend's side and help gather the books that had been dislodged from his backpack during the collision, all the while repeating his apology for his clumsiness. Ryou just nodded mutely as the smaller teen continued his apologies, letting his sweet voice wash over him in a wave of warmth.

"Here." Yugi said, placing the books in Ryou's lap, who in turn, slid them quickly into his bag. "I'm really sorry Ryou. I didn't mean…" "Don't mention it." The white haired boy said, waving an airy hand and flashing Yugi a smile. The amethyst eyed teen grinned back and Ryou melted from the perfection of the gesture. Noticing that he was starring, Ryou shook his head quickly and muttered "So…umm…why wear you running." He looked over at Yugi who had his eyes cast down at the ground guiltily. "I was…uh…looking for my homework. Yeah…I think it flew out of my bag and landed somewhere over here. Why were you sitting here?"

"Oh…" Ryou murmured, blushing scarlet and lowering his gaze to the ground. "I…thought…umm…I saw my pen roll over into these blushes and I've been looking all over for it." He shot Yugi a nervous smile and the smaller teen smiled shakily back. Both knew that the other was lying, but neither desired to broach the subject further.

The two teens sat in awkward silence for a moment, both letting their gazes sift anywhere, but to the person opposite them. Finally Ryou took a deep breath and, mustering up his courage, raised his eyes to Yugi's face an opened his mouth to speak. His sentence died in his throat, however, as he noticed for the first time a dark blotchy patch of skin on the side of his companion's face. "What happened?!" Ryou cried, bringing his pail hand up to touch the spot. Yugi winced at the contact and moved away, slightly, from Ryou's touch. "Nothing." He murmured, eyes clouded and downcast. "I'm fine."

"No your not!" the white haired teen cried, gazing down at his hand and noticing a powdery substance now coated his fingers. He looked at the powder, then at Yugi face and back again, before bringing his hand up to the other teen's cheek an rubbing the dark patch gently with his thumb. Yugi winced once more but did not stop him as Ryou's fingers grazed lightly over his skin. With each swipe Ryou's thumb was coated with more and more of the glittering powder until… "Oh my God…" Ryou whispered quietly as the final sweep of his thumb revealed a large, mottled patch of purple and black skin that covered the entire side of Yugi's face. "What happened Yugi?" Ryou whispered, feeling tears well up in the corners of his eyes. "Who did this to you?"

"No one." Yugi said quickly turning away from Ryou so he could not see the crystals that now slid from his watery eyes. "I fell that's all." He murmured quietly rummaging through his bag until fingers found the little compact he was looking for.

Yugi sat with his back to Ryou for a few minutes, dabbing the black expanse with something he'd extracted from his bag. When he finally turned around the gigantic bruise looked like no more than a slightly darker patch of skin on his face. He shot Ryou a nervous smile which the white haired teen did not return, his brown eyes still filled with emotion from the pain someone had inflicted his friend. "I should go." Yugi whispered quietly, swinging his bag over his shoulder and rising from his crouching position.

"Wait!" Ryou cried, latching on to the teen's arm and pulling him back downwards. "Please Yugi." He implored tears now slipping from his eyes. "Please tell me what happ-"

His voice trailed away as a familiar, sinister voice "Well well, this is where my little pet's been hiding."

"B-Bakura!" Yugi stuttered, whirling around to face the newcomer, his entire body shaking with fright.

The taller teen grinned evilly, tossing his long white mane over his shoulder and folding his pail arms over his chest. "The one and only." He sneered, leaning over and wrapping his long fingers around the crook of Yugi's arm. "It's time to go lovely." He whispered, before yanking the teen upright and causing him to cry out slightly in pain.

"Bakura stop!" Ryou shouted, standing up and glaring fiercely at the one with which he had once shared a soul.

"Stay out of it hikari." Bakura leered before yanking the helpless Yugi around and stomping off. The moment his back was turned, unseen by either Ryou or Yugi, his hard, cruel expression fell to be replaced by a look of utmost despair. "Hikari…my hikari…" he said in a whisper to soft for anyone else to hear.

Ryou watched the two go, his blood boiling savagely. He felt like kicking something until his foot fell off, which was definitely not like him at all.

Suddenly he felt a pair of arms snake around his waist and mentally groaned. "Hi Yami." Ryou said in a defeated tone. The former pharaoh spun him around and smiled brightly, before forcing his mouth against his own. Ryou did not fight the kiss that was forced upon him. He was used to such things by now. Instead he tried to imagine a very different set of arms wrapped securely around his shoulders, a very different pair of lips gently massaging his own. The name that rang through his mind as he slowly endured the former monarch's torture filled him with warmth and light and he clung to it desperately as he felt his jaws being pried open by Yami's exploring tongue. 'Yugi…'

A/N: I hope this chappie made since to you all! I thought it was a little boring but whatever…I promise it gets better! I still hope you liked it though! If you have any questions, comments, ideas, or concerns just write me a review! Please! I love reviews of all kinds! Till next chapter!

-YG