Author's Note:

Hey all. I decided to take a mini break from Lapis Luzali as I have hit a block, and I am currently drafting the final chappy. (The next chappy is not the final, I occasionally write stories backwards... go figure.) I was at my mother's last weekend and apparently my older brother grew frustrated with my stepfathers game console and apparently did something, which his son, (my four year old nephew) then tattled on him for and it made me think of a possible Ryo/Bakura incident. So, here goes...

Disclaimer:

I do not own Ryo, nor do I own Bakura... But, God willing, someday...

Something Sweet.

A fighter knows instinctively when there is no chance. But, Bukura planned to fight anyway. Shoving his bangs of gleaming white from his eyes in a futile attempt to compose himself, he growled a frustrated breath. Those dark orbs narrowed at his opponent in cold seething. "This battle is not yet over..." His eyes never wavered or lost their focus as he reached a hand out...

... and snatched up the control pad of Ryo's old computer console.

With nothing to do with himself during the day, save for getting into trouble. And to prevent Ryo's last frazzled nerve from finally snapping as he came home to yet another message on the machine, informing him of another disturbance caused by his thief, the light side had dug out the little box and a few game cartridges for said thief to entertain himself with during his absence as he completed the daily ritual of work.

Right now though, Bakura was glaring at the poorly pixellated characters that dominated the television screen and violently mashing his palm against the control's buttons. A malicious smirk spread on his lips as, at last, he was overpowering the stage boss. "Aha! Bow before the might of Bakura... Tremble at my feet and sacrifice your..." His gloat died in his throat and his eyes widened. "No! No no no no no! Where the fuck did those things come from..?"

His frantic poundings increased and now his desperation showed as he raised the control pad to his eye level and swung it in the direction he was trying to move the character in. "Nooo!" he howled at the creatures as they swarmed over his guy and effectively began tearing flesh and limbs from his character in an amazingly gruesome display. "Leave me alone... No I need th..." The 'Game Over' theme began. "Fuckers!"

"Language Bakura."

"Do not start with me, Rabbit." The former Spirit of the Ring snarled, his glare fixed upon the controller in his hands as he willed it to shatter into a million God forsaken pieces. "I am in no mood for you right now."

Ryo's chuckle floated from the kitchenette. "Don't tell me the Hell Spawn killed you again."

No answer. Just silence... Then a loud crash of plastic upon plastic.

Running to the kittenette's doorway, Ryo leaned into the lounge to see Bakura was no longer sprawled on his belly on the floor, but now sitting upon the couch, arms folded and scowl firmly in place as he glared in the direction of the console. The main body of the games system was dented and the control pad sat in a pitiful mangled mess on top. "Bakura... What on earth did you do?"

His glare still focussed upon the mangled hunk of plastic. "I turned it off." he said.

"You turned it off?"

"The controller slipped."

"You threw it!"

Bakura lifted his glare. "I dropped it." he corrected.

"You dropped it..? Through the top of the console?"

"Your repetitiveness is beginning to irritate me." The thief huffed and watched as Ryo moved to the console. "It was a stupid game anyway."

Ryo pressed the power button. It lit up and the younger boy breathed a sigh of relief. Then, with a sputter, the light winked out. "You broke it."

"I did?" Bakura's voice took on a shocked tone. He almost sounded guilty. Then he grinned. "What a pity."

Ryo shook his head and growled in frustration as he began un-plugging the wires. "Well, now what do we do with you? This was supposed to keep you entertained-"

"And it did. I especially liked when I broke the damned thing."

Ryo scrubbed his hand through his hair and sighed. Sometimes he wished Bakura would be a little more considerate. He stared at the thief as he swung his legs up onto the couch and folded his arms behind his head to serve as a pillow, shutting his eyes slowly. His lean body was long and lithe, not overly muscled but when Bakura held him, he was aware of the strength he possessed. The light side just sat and gazed...

"Stop drooling Rabbit." The voice floated easily and softly from his lips, his eyes still closed. "It is not terribly attractive."

Ryo shook himself from his reverie. 'What to do with the thief? He can't remain home alone while I work.' Then he snapped his fingers and smiled. Grabbing the phone and disappearing into the kitchenette out of earshot, he dialed. "Hello. Ms Izuatakinouie-san? It's Ryo-kun." he paused and leaned to peer through the doorway at Bakura still laying upon the couch. "No, no. I'm fine. I just wanted to ask you a favor..."

Bakura didn't bother eaves-dropping. Ryo didn't have much of a social circle right this moment with his friends all off pursuing different interests. Most of the time he was the boy's sole companion and he demanded almost Ryo's full attention, so when he phoned someone, Bakura allowed him some privacy... He might be a self absorbed bastard, but he wasn't completely heartless...

He cracked an eye when Ryo returned to the lounge and decided he didn't like that grin upon the youngers face.

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The seldom used alarm clock shrieked. Ryo, as usual, had awoken a few minutes before the un-holy din but had allowed it to go off for Bakura's benefit. The thief was an unnaturally heavy sleeper, able to block out all sound, for a while anyway.

Finally the shrill sound cut through his defenses and he rolled over, proceeding to pull his pillow over his head as he pressed his face into the mattress. "Ryo..." he complained, his voice muffled through the mattress. "Turn that thing off! It's disturbing my sleeping."

Ryo rolled his eyes. "That's the idea, genius." The boy turned to face the other, who buried himself deeper beneath the pillow. "You destroyed the games console and I can't leave you unsupervised, so I spoke to Izuatakinouie-san and she agreed to you joining me at work today. Now get up. We have to leave soon."

Bakura lifted the pillow and peered from beneath it with sleep dimmed eyes, he scanned for the clock. Found it. And snarled. "It's five in the bloody morning!"

"I know."

"You usually leave at seven. You never get up at five."

"I do, once a month."

"And, of course, that day just so happens to be today."

Ryo nodded. "It's my turn to take the delivery."

Bakura snarled and sat up, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let me see if I understand what you're saying. You are forcing me to get up at an ungodly hour, so I can go to work with you. I cannot possibly be trusted to stay home alone because of some moody old cow downstairs doesn't like me..."

"You were climbing up the building. She thought you were a prowler."

"I locked myself out."

"So climbing the side of an apartment building seemed like the only logical solution? You didn't think to come and borrow my keys? You just thought 'Hmmm. I'm locked out. Whatever shall I do? I know. I'll climb the walls. No one will notice that.'?"

"It seemed like fun."

Ryo groaned. "So that's it? That's your reason. You climbed the building because it seemed like fun?"

Bakura smirked and shrugged. "Now where's the harm that?"

"The harm, Bakura, is when a certain ex-thief decides that, upon being seen by a single, terrified, middle-aged woman, it's a good idea to then grab himself and thrust his hips toward her. She thinks you're a sexual predator!"

Bakura sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine! I'll give you that one. It was not one of my better ideas. But does that warrant this punishment? 5a.m should not exist."

"Yes. Now get up! It's five thirty. No time for breakfast now."

Within thirty minutes the pair left the apartment. Bakura tugged his jacket tighter around his shoulders and scowled, digging in his pocket for the ever present box of cigarettes. Pulling one out, he placed it between his lips and proceeded to search for a lighter. Closing his eyes as it spluttered into life, he could feel Ryo's disapproving gaze settle on him. Filling his lungs with the drug, he swung to face the boy, exhaling a stream of blueish-grey smoke as he opened his eyes. "What?"

"I thought you'd quit."

Bakura shrugged and glanced at the little white stick in his fingers. "Evidently not."

Ryo shook his head and began the walk to work, with Bakura grumbling beside him. The thief swiftly finished his cigarette and flicked the end into the road. He slid his eyes to Ryo, who looked a little down-trodden. He growled a sigh. "Ryo, I..." He felt the apology in his throat, but the moment Ryo's eyes meet his, the words faltered and died."So, this delivery? What time does it arrive?"

"Seven."

"SEVEN?" Bakura almost roared. "You got me up at five in the bloody morning to help you take a delivery scheduled for seven?"

"We need to get there early."

"Why? If it turns up before we do, then tough. The guy will just have to wait. I want breakfast first!"

Ryo scowled. He swung his own glare at the other. "Which is why we have to be there early. I managed to persuade Izuatakinouie-san to run out get something in for us for when we get there, I know you well enough by now to know that, lack of sleep or lack of food and you're the biggest pain in the ass ever. I am not prepared to see what your temper is like when you are lacking both at once. And I certainly don't want you picking at the goods we sell."

Bakura opened his mouth to retort, but shut it swiftly. The words he had been about to say were not pleasant and, as it seemed, Ryo was not in the most forgiving of moods. So he mentally reworded his insult aimed at the boy and settled for a general insult at the potential customers. "I still don't see why five though. So what if you open a little later. Is it that much of a problem for the fat bastards to wait an extra five minutes for their cholesterol induced fixes while you finish bringing in the stock? I mean, who the hell wants cake at nine in the morning anyway?"

Ryo bit his bottom lip, trying not to laugh. Composing himself so that his voice was flat and emotionless he replied. "I recall asking you what you wanted for breakfast one day and you replied 'Steak' without even hesitating. Steak is not breakfast food."

Bakura shrugged. "You said whatever I wanted, and I wanted steak." He grinned coyly. "It was my birthday breakfast, so it doesn't count."

A soft burst of laughter burst from Ryo's lips "You are a Spirit of over five thousand years old..."

"And I look damned good for my age."

The younger ignored the vain comment. "You mean to tell me that you can remember when your birthday is?" He fixed Bakura with a keen searching look and placed his fists on his hips.

The ex-spirit rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, no. I don't recall exactly, persay. I know it was in either April or November... or any of the other ten months."

Ryo's lips twitched. "And the date?"

"It was definitely between the first and the... thirty first."

He laughed. He couldn't help it. Bakura looked so flustered as he tried to remember. Throwing his hands up into the air, he huffed. "Fine. I have no idea. I'm over five thousand years old, I'd like to see you remember your birthday when you reach my age."

Ryo grinned and turned into a door. Pushing it open, he held it for the thief.

"Good morning Ryo-kun." A sweet lilting female voice called from behind the counter. A slightly greying woman smiled as she cleaned the display shelves behind the glass counter, her pale blue eyes twinkled as she looked over to Bakura. "Ah this must be your other half, Bakura, isn't it?"

Ryo smiled and shrugged his jacket from his shoulders, then hung it up on a peg behind the door. "Good morning Izuatakinouie-san." He reaced for Bakura's leather jacket and hung it up alongside his.

"My what a handsome young man you have yourself there." The woman peered over her small spectacles at the thief, who narrowed his eyes back at her. "He looks a little like you, save for the build, those eyes and that dashing scar."

"We like to keep it in the family." Bakura purred suggestively.

Ryo's jaw dropped. Did Bakura just suggest to his manager that they were related? "Bakura that's not funny!"

"Really? I think it is."

He turned to face the woman, his cheeks burning. "I'm so sorry Ms Izuatakinouie, I'll make sure he behaves."

But the woman just smiled. "Ryo-kun, you worry too much." she then turned to the thief. "So, you're a 'bad-boy' then? Well, you can't be so bad if Ryo is to your tastes."

Bakura narrowed his eyes at the woman, he didn't like her. "Perhaps I just like corrupting his innocent mind."

She nodded in agreement, then caught his gaze and held it. "Perhaps. Or perhaps you're not the big bad wolf that you make yourself out to be. Perhaps beneath all your huffing and puffing you're actually a little kitten."

Bakura scowled and glared harder, his lip curling. His fists balled against his sides and he willed his temper back into check. He broke the eye contact and leaned back, hands on hips and snorted. "We'll see."

"Indeed we shall."

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Bakura settled behind the counter, his arms folded over his chest and his eyes closed. Today wasn't so bad. The delivery was small and easy to complete. The breakfast was okay. Even serving the customers hadn't daunted him. The two things he wasn't happy with were, Ms Izuatakinouie constantly calling him kitten every time she walked past him. And the hair nets.

When Ryo had appeared with what looked to be part of a stocking upon his head, Bakura had laughed himself right out of the funk that he had been in since the Izuatakinouie incident.

"You look like a hookers crotch!"

Ryo just grinned and pulled a second hair net from behind his back. "Well, now you can look like one too."

His face fell. "You want me to put one on?"

The younger nodded. "Health and Safety."

Several customers and one icy glare later, Bakura had finally accepted the thing that now encased his unruly hair. And now, he even seemed to be enjoying himself.

"I want that one, mommy." A small dumpling of what appeared to be a child, pointed to a sticky bun with an excessive amount of icing on it and ladened with cream, and dragged his mother over to the counter. "That one!"

Busy with his own customer, Bakura slid an eye over to keep an eye on his light-side. He had the distinct feeling that this particular customer may cause a problem for the boy. He picked up a cream puff with the tongs and placed it into the cake box in his hand, before reaching for a second.

"I'm sorry ma'm. That bun has been ordered especially by a customer." Ryo was saying as he served another person.

The woman glared at him and snorted. She had forced her way past other waiting customers and was demanding service. And, by the looks of things as she shouldered aside the man being served, she would not leave until she was served and sold the special ordered bun. "My son wants that cake!" She snapped as Ryo took the mans money.

"I am sorry, but it's an ordered item." he sighed.

"Surely you have another out in the store-room." She growled.

"They are expensive. We only order the amount requested. If they are not collected by four, then they go on public sale."

Bakura growled lightly under his breath. This woman was harassing and upsetting his Ryo. He shoved the last, slightly mangled, cream puff into the box and walked toward the other boy. Pushing the box into his hands and gently shoving Ryo toward his customer, he murmured softly. "I'll take over here, Rabbit. You serve those."

Ryo nodded and scurried off to the other side of the counter. Confident he was now busy with more civilized members of the public, Bakura turned on the woman, his cold eyes lightened as he met her glare. "May I help you?"

"I want to buy that bun for my son."

Bakura shook his head. "I'm very sorry but that's a reserved bun." His voice was too soft and polite for his liking, but he continued. "May I interest you in another?"

The woman glared. "What is with the simpleton's in this place!?" she snarled. "I want to buy that one. My son wants..."

"Your son wants a swift kick up the ass!"

The woman blanched. Startled by the harsh tone and sudden glare she received. "E... excuse me?"

"Your son wants a swift kick up the ass, and so do you. Look at him! That is a spoiled little brat!" Bakura stabbed a finger at the boy. "Everything he wants, he gets, right? Mother's precious little angel?" He felt a spiteful smirk spread across his lips. "I don't see Daddy anywhere, so I'm guessing his slut of a mother couldn't keep her legs together and now she feels guilty because she put it around and doesn't know who he is. Correct me if I'm wrong in any of this, I wouldn't want to jump to any conclusions about you. After all, I am a 'simpleton' and therefore am quite possibly way off the mark here."

The woman bit her lip and remained silent.

"Gone very quiet now haven't you? Am I right in guessing that I hit the nail on the head here?"

"How dare you!" she hissed, her cheeks burning. "I don't have to stand here and listen to this from a high-school drop-out, working in a patisserie for minimum wage. I'll take my business elsewhere." She smirked in triumph. She had just issued the ultimate threat to a small business and awaited her apology.

"Ahh. The overinflated sense of self importance of the secret underachiever." Bakura sneered. "You expect me to fall over myself to apologize to you as a last attempt to maintain your custom? You are more deluded that I had first thought." He grinned nastily. "Go ahead, take your business elsewhere. Try and find some other poor bastard to listen to your shit. It makes my life a whole lot easier."

With that, he spun on his heel and strode back toward Ryo, catching sight of Ms Izuatakinouie who had observed the whole confrontation from her position by her office. With a triumphant smirk, he mouthed. "Kitten, my ass."

And the greying woman laughed.

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"Just try it, Bakura." Ryo pestered and offered the bun to Bakura. The same bun that had caused all the fuss earlier that day. Bakura scowled at the item, the customer who had ordered it had been Ryo all along...

Bakura wrinkled his nose in distaste, before turning it up at the cream bun. "No." he said firmly as Ryo offered the thief the first bite. "I can't believe it was yours all along. I defended your stupid bloody cake!"

The light-side chuckled and took a bite. Chewing slowly he smiled. "You really should try this. I know it cost 800 yen but it is so good."

"I don't like sweet things."

"Liar." Ryo smiled gently and placed the bun back onto the plate and slipped it onto the coffee table. He swung his legs up onto the couch he was sitting on with Bakura and leaned forward. "You like honey. You like fruits." he swept his hand over the selection of berries sitting in front of the thief and laughed softly. "They're sweet."

"They are naturally sweet. Not packed full of the artificial rubbish you're eating." Bakura snorted and snatched a handful of blueberries the punnet that sat of the coffee table beside Ryo's glutinous mess that passed as food.

"You like me."

He rolled his russet eyes down at his better half. "That's different." he said blandly, neither denying nor admitting Ryo's statement.

"How is it different?"

A soft growl of frustration rumbled from deep within the thief's throat. "Because it is." He pushed the berries into his mouth and chewed. "Besides, I wouldn't say you were always sweet. Depends on what you've been eating." He lifted a brow cyly at the other as Ryo's cheeks heated.

Then Bakura pounced, pinning the boy beneath him and swiftly claimed his lips in a bruising kiss, slipping his tongue through as he felt Ryo moan and shudder beneath him. He could taste the bun on the boys tongue as it shyly lifted to meet his. Pulling away, Bakura licked his lips. Sampling the taste.

"It's alright." he admitted quietly and slowly lay back down on top of Ryo, his eyes half closed. "But you taste so much better."

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Yay. A Ryo/Bakura one-shot. I dunno why but a patisserie seemed ideal for Ryo's job. And thanks to my brother and nephew for the computer sceene.

As always R&R.

Saty Smexy.

xXx