Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Gi Oh … if I did I would never have let 4Kids do such horrible things to the dub. Poor Bakura and his British accent.

City Lights
SidewalkChalk2718

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For those of you who read Shojo Beat or the manga series Nana you'll recognize BLAST as the Black Stones from that series. It's just a small crossover; I don't plan on involving any of the Nana characters in this story. I just preferred to use that band instead of a real one because they struck me as a band that Bakura would be interested in.

Poor Bakura, it seems like every time I see an AMV tribute to him when I'm looking for episodes it's to some song by Evanescence. My Immortal, in particular. I agree that Bakura's character is quite depressing at times, but I feel like he also has a happier side too. Maybe it's just me and my distaste for excessive angst.

Anyways I'm rambling. Thanks again to Jessy-chan!

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Awww...I only got one review. Good thing I have friends forcing me to finish this fic or I would lose my motivation. So, thanks to FlyingShadow666 for being my #1 reviewer, in more ways than one! I hope you enjoy chapter two as well.

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Juxtaposition

n. The act of juxtaposing or condition of being juxtaposed: placed together for comparison or contrast.

.--Bakura--.

"Woah, Kaiba-kun, your apartment is huge!" Otogi exclaimed as we entered. I looked down at the floor, trying to hide my embarrassment at Otogi's outburst. The apartment was rather large, though. Of course, we should have expected that, knowing Kaiba.

From behind Otogi I could see a large, open room with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city. The view was spectacular, as Kaiba's apartment was on the top floor, seventeen stories above the street. The kitchen was to the right with a counter dividing the tile and the polished wood floor, and the living room spread out from it in a large semi-circle that formed the window-wall. "How the heck did you find a place like this?"

Kaiba, who was politely holding the door open, ignored Otogi's comments, but I could see him twitch when Otogi ran over to the other side of the room to lean against the windows, leaving two large handprints.

"Otogi-kun…" I mumbled. Otogi ignored me and continued to stare, amazed, at the cityscape beyond.

"Are you coming in?" I looked up and realized that Kaiba was still holding the door open for me. His eyes were focused down at me expectantly, and I gazed back down at the floor, embarrassed even more.

"Gomenasai," I squeaked and stepped inside so Kaiba could shut the door.

"Your room is this way, Bakura. You can leave your belongings in there." Kaiba looked over at Otogi, crossing his arms and waiting for the excited inventor to get the hint. Otogi looked over, confused.

"Oh, let me get your stuff Bakura." He darted back and picked up the small box that constituted my "stuff". Basically it was just a bunch of things Yugi and the others had thought I might need, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, etc… They hadn't been able to salvage anything from my apartment except a small photo album I kept in the corner of my room. The firemen had managed to put the fire out shortly after I was taken to the hospital, but by then most of the building had collapsed.

Jonouchi had found the album under the remains of a large dresser. I had held the book protectively as he retold his heroic tale for what had to be the fourteenth time as we headed out of the hospital towards Otogi's car. Judging from the others' expressions it had grown grander and farther from the truth with each telling.

"And then I got this feeling. I couldn't describe it; I just knew something was under that pile of wood. So I made my way through the extremely dangerous, smoking heaps of burning stuff towards the stack. Then, after three hours of blood, sweat, and tears, I finally managed to move all the junk aside, saving a little kid in the process, and found this!" He pointed at the album.

"Of course, I knew it was Bakura's because of the messy handwriting inside. I couldn't read a word of it. But I could feel Bakura's soul in the pages, so I carefully wrapped the album in my jacket and brought it to safety!"

"Jonouchi!" Mai groaned. "You tripped over a dresser, you big idiot, and Yugi found the album while trying to help you get your foot out of a drawer!"

I smiled as Jonouchi accused Mai of lying, and as Mai yelled at him for being a hypocrite. The couple was amusing, although I had no clue how they managed to stay together, what with their constant bickering.

"Bakura, you believe me, don't you?" Jonouchi looked at me eagerly and I suddenly found myself in an awkward position.

"Umm – that is, of course I trust you Jonouchi-kun, but it doesn't really matter who found it. I'm just relieved to have it back." Jonouchi looked disappointed and I sighed. Jonouchi was always so eager to be appreciated.

"Arigatou, Jonouchi-kun. Without your help I would have been devastated by its loss." Okay, I only exaggerated a little…just a little. I couldn't help but smile as Jonouchi announced my words to the rest, quite proud of his accomplishment.

The album truly was important to me, though. In it were various letters I'd received from my family over the years, and a few I'd written myself, but never sent. There was also a collection of photos from my childhood that were, to me, irreplaceable. Especially the ones of my sister.

These were my thoughts as Kaiba led Otogi and I around the kitchen, to the right, and through a door into the bedroom.

"This is the spare room. The bathroom is through that door," he looked to his left beyond the bed and stepped inside further so we could come in. "There's only one, it's connected to both this and my room. Just be sure to lock both doors if you'll be using it." I nodded, absently, and looked around at the room.

It struck me as almost feminine, as compared to what I'd already seen of the apartment, which was mostly modern and well furnished. The walls were a mint green, and the off white carpet felt soft under my feet. Sheer white curtains hung over the windows, including a bay window at the far end of the room, and brushed against the white crown molding. The room was very European in appearance, with a four-post bed, a small bedside table, and a painted wood dresser serving to break the monotony of the walls.

If I ignored the view of Osaka through the window I could almost picture myself in a small, English cottage. Yet the room seemed empty, with little but the furniture and a radio clock serving as decorations. There was none of the comfortable clutter that comes with occupation, no photos tucked into the mirror, no papers lying about, no misplaced pen on the top of the dresser. It appeared as though the previous owner had packed up everything that made the room a room and left behind an impersonal mint green hole.

I could see that Kaiba certainly hadn't changed anything during his stay. The room, though clean, looked untouched.

"Feel free to settle in, I'll be at my desk." Kaiba left Otogi and I, heading out the door back into the kitchen-living room.

"Well, it's a nice place. What do you think Bakura-kun?" I looked over at Otogi, who was setting the "box of stuff" on the bed.

"It's nice." I replied, distracted.

"That's what I just said Bakura. What do you think?"

I looked back at Otogi and smiled. "It's great, I'll be fine here. Besides, it's just for a week." Otogi rolled his eyes then flopped down on the bed.

"Well at least the bed is comfortable." He put his arms behind his head and I walked over to the window, wondering if Otogi planned on spending the week here too. He certainly was making himself comfortable.

"I put a few changes of clothes in with your other things." I looked over at Otogi, unable to conceal the apprehensive look on my face. Otogi's definition of clothing sometimes scared me.

The flamboyant game inventor certainly had his own style, which I didn't mind. But when it came to Otogi choosing outfits for me, which he had attempted to do many times during the two years we spent dorming together, I was steadfastly opposed to his opinions.

"Don't worry, Bakura, it's just some t-shirts and jeans." Otogi sat up and slid off the bed, much to my relief. "Anyways, I better head off. My assistant will stop by sometime tomorrow with your clothes. I have to go give her a call and make sure she found your house okay and give her directions to here. Then I have to get back to work. I'll try to call you sometime this evening to check up, okay?"

I nodded then tried to smile when I could see Otogi wasn't quite convinced. "Why do you have to work so late in the evening?" I asked to distract him. Looking at the clock I could see that it was already past seven.

We both started off towards the front door, Otogi walking slightly ahead, and clearly forgetting his previous concern as his frustration with his employees mounted.

"There are some issues with my new product's release in the States. It's probably nothing, but you know how worked up people can get when we have problems on an international level."

I nodded and Otogi sighed. "Then again, you probably have no idea." I was only slightly offended. "Oh, don't pout Bakura, be glad you don't have to deal with these idiots. I'm sure Kaiba-kun understands what I mean."

Otogi looked over at Kaiba, who was busy typing on his laptop. Kaiba didn't pause for one moment, but he did frown as Otogi added "right, Kaiba-kun?"

"I didn't know you were producing your game in America, yet." Was his only response.

"And I thought you knew everything about the gaming industry." Otogi looked at Kaiba, proud of his little triumph over the billionaire.

"I only follow the major players." Kaiba did pause this time to give Otogi an arrogant smirk. Otogi glared. "I'm surprised your game has been as successful as it is."

"Kaiba…" Otogi was about to shout something but Kaiba leaned back and interrupted the rant before it could begin.

"Take that as a compliment, Otogi. There's no need to be like that bonkotsu duelist and overreact." (1)

"Kaiba-kun, only you could make a compliment sound like an insult." And with that Otogi turned away and walked towards the door. "See you later, Bakura-kun. Don't let this jerk get to you." He nearly slammed the door as he left. I winced as it banged shut with a loud thud.

"Gomen, Kaiba-kun. Otogi-kun can get mad easily sometimes, but it'll pass, he…" I trailed off as I realized that Kaiba wasn't listening. He had already returned to his computer, typing rapidly once more with a slight frown that I hoped was from concentration.

"I'll just be taking a shower then." I spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb Kaiba once again, then slowly walked off to the spare room.

"You don't need to apologize for your friend's behavior. Otogi is perfectly capable of controlling himself, or he wouldn't have gotten this far with his game." Kaiba didn't turn away from his computer as he spoke, but I could feel the tension lift, just a little.

.------.

If I had been less than impressed by the bedroom, Kaiba's bathroom more than made up for it.

Slate blue stone tiles with a granite pattern covered the floor and walls, and as I walked over to the tempered glass sink, framed with stainless steel and oak, I felt a soothing heat rising from the floor and realized that Kaiba must have installed a heated floor system when he moved in. The actual sink was a very deep blue that almost appeared black. Polished glass reflected the warm orange lights in a distorted swirl and cast little beams of blue and gold down onto the floor.

However it was the walk in shower that caught my attention as I looked at its image in the mirror over the counter. It was huge! A clear glass pane separated it from the rest of the bathroom, and only a slender light blue-green line showed where the shower door met the encasement.

As for the shower itself, the tiles sloped downward very slightly towards the center where a small drain interrupted the sleek flooring. Two knobs controlled the water temperature, and a third adjusted the water pressure, and also turned on the overhead faucet allowing water to fall from a circular showerhead embedded in the ceiling.

The shower alone was bigger, I suspected, than the whole bathroom I'd had in my own apartment. I looked at the knobs apprehensively, but everything seemed fairly obvious. Turning the knob with a small cursive "h" engraved on the handle, I let the hot water pour over me from the ceiling, relaxing under the mini-waterfall.

I had to be careful to keep my right arm out of the spray so that the bandages would stay dry. The doctors had said I'd been lucky that I hadn't broken my arm along with burning it. As it was, I could change the bandages myself (I'd had practice while healing after battle city).

I took my time washing the shampoo from my hair, watching the bubbles slowly whirl and congregate around the drain. Fortunately along with the shampoo and soap, someone had included conditioner as well. I had a feeling it was Otogi, as he would be the only one who knew how tangled my hair could get without it.

Tangled is actually an understatement. My hair is a disaster if I don't use conditioner. Otogi loved to tease me about it when we were still living in the dorms. He said I made the bathroom smell girly every time I took a shower. Unfortunately this was true; I always had a difficult time finding conditioner that didn't smell like flowers or fruit and wasn't an over-priced "salon-quality" brand.

Whatever kind it was that Yugi and the others had bought wasn't too bad, though. At least it didn't smell like the girl's locker room, which was a step up from what I'd been used to.

Something about leaving Kaiba's bathroom smelling like peaches and cinnamon struck me as a potentially embarrassing situation. It had been hard enough to deal with Otogi commenting on my "silky locks" every morning. Of course it didn't occur to him that he spent a full half hour every morning arranging his own hair, no that was completely normal.

As the last of the soap washed away I walked hesitantly out of the shower, looking around for a towel. Luckily Kaiba had thought to set out an extra one before I arrived – or at least there was an extra one on the rack. As I pulled it off I realized that the rack was also heated, and the warm fluffy towel radiated comfortable warmth as I held it bunched up in my hands.

I was soon dry except for my hair, which continued to drip down my shoulders and onto the floor. I quickly changed back into my now wrinkled clothes and threw the towel over my shoulders to prevent the water from soaking into my shirt.

As I walked out into the living room I saw Kaiba look around at me then stand up and grab something from under his desk. "I take it you figured out how to use the shower." I nodded and he continued. "I forgot to give you these earlier, you left them in my car when I dropped you off." He handed me my laptop and notebooks, "and here's a spare key to the apartment. You'll probably need it while you're staying here." He waited for me to take them before he returned to his own desk.

The key was actually a card – the kind you swipe instead of an actual key. I put it in my pockets and turned my attention to my notes. I sighed with relief as I looked through the pages and realized that they were all still there. "I guess it was lucky that I forgot them. Otherwise I'd have lost all my notes."

"Yeah," was Kaiba's distracted reply. I could see that he was anxious to continue working so I set the pile on the kitchen counter and pulled up a stool, turning away from his gaze. Behind me I could hear the keys on Kaiba's computer clicking rapidly. He's an awfully fast typist, I thought distractedly.

My laptop came on with a quiet chime and I opened up the folder with my research inside, hoping to finally get some work done on my paper.

But as I started to read through the notes I'd written back at the library my cell phone proceeded to ring, and I answered it quickly, not wanting Kaiba to notice the absurd ringtone Otogi had programmed into my phone. Really, why on earth would I want Superstar as my ring?

"But I love that song!" Otogi had exclaimed when I voiced my distaste for the music. The lyrics were actually quite appropriate for the flamboyant businessman (2). I could just imagine him singing it, a karaoke microphone in one hand and the other hand gesturing excitedly. The image would have been hilarious if it had been real.

"Moshi moshi," (3) I answered my cell phone, walking towards the spare bedroom in the process.

"Hey, Bakura-kun. It's Yugi. How are you doing?"

Before I could answer I heard a loud yelp then a crackling noise as someone grabbed the phone from Yugi.

"Bakura!" Jonouchi yelled excitedly into the mouthpiece. I held the phone away from my ear as he continued to speak. "Listen, if that sleeze," (he obviously meant Kaiba) "makes you upset at all, you just let me know, okay? I'll come over and kick his ass into the next century for you, Bakura? You there?"

"Hai, Jonouchi-kun." I smiled as the phone was once again seized from its possessor, and fortunately it was Yugi's voice that came out this time.

"Jonouchi-kun, let go!" I blinked as I realized that it was actually the spirit of the sennen puzzle that was now speaking. "Anyways Bakura, we're serious. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything, alright? Now I have to go deal with this idiot hanging on my leg." I laughed as I heard Honda yelling at Jonouchi to release Yugi's leg, Jonouchi replying with a loud "let me talk to Bakura!" and Yami no Yugi threatening to send Jonouchi to the shadow realm if he kept molesting his aibou.

The noises ended with an abrupt dial tone and I closed my cell phone, slipping it back into my pocket.

When I returned to the kitchen Kaiba switched his attention from his computer to his own cell phone, from which came the vague noises of an obviously distressed employee. Kaiba, to his credit, managed to look only slightly ticked off before he alerted the man of his incompetence then barked out a series of orders, hanging up before the subordinate could apologize further.

I attempted to return to my work, but soon I found myself staring absently out the window, watching the sun's last rays of light fade into a murky purple-blue. My thoughts began to return to the emptiness of the lights beyond the glass far below, but before I could fall into these depressing musings I forced myself on to a new subject.

Noticing Kaiba's reflection in the window, I watched as he stared, focused, at the computer screen. The bright white light emanating from the machine only made the slight frown between his eyes more intense. Kaiba always seemed to be so busy with work; I wondered what he did besides that.

It seemed unhealthy to me to spend so much time on one subject. Surely at some point he had to take a break, if only to spend some time with Mokuba.

I wondered what Mokuba thought about this. I knew that the brothers were close back in Domino, but now that Kaiba was living in Osaka, and still as busy as ever with his company, it was likely they hardly saw each other anymore. Mokuba could not have been happy with this, but as far as I knew he had never come to Osaka to see his older brother.

Sometimes, while we were working together in class, I had asked Kaiba how Mokuba was doing. He would almost always say fine, but once he didn't answer at all and I had thought I'd seen regret in his eyes for a brief moment. Perhaps they weren't as close as they used to be.

I realized that I'd closed my eyes somewhere between thoughts, and as I wearily blinked them open I saw that Kaiba had walked over into the kitchen and was now looking at me from across the counter.

Startled, I jumped up, knocking some of my notes to the floor. "Ah, shoot." I bent over to pick up the papers.

"You should get some sleep, Bakura." Kaiba's voice was almost emotionless but I could hear a tinge of amusement in it as well. Blushing I stood back up and laid the papers neatly in a stack on the counter. "Otherwise Yugi and the others will be on my case. Especially that blonde idiot, Jonouchi."

I noticed that he rarely referred to Jonouchi without some insult attached or implied. It was odd that he should be concerned about my health, though, now that I was out of the hospital.

I was about to reply that I was okay when I was suddenly overcome by the urge to yawn. My words came out stretched and jumbled, and I could tell that Kaiba was hardly convinced.

"Fine, okay, I'm going to bed now." I muttered as I piled my notebooks and shut my laptop. Kaiba shrugged and I dragged myself off to the bedroom, admitting to myself that Kaiba was probably right about me being tired. Exhausted was more like it.

Falling onto the bed, I lay back into the soft pillows and curled up in the thick comforter. The bed was extremely comfortable; although my arm made it difficult to find a position I could lay in. Soon I could feel my mind slipping into unconsciousness. And as I drifted off I thought that this would now be the third time I had gone to sleep dead tired in the past three days.

.--Kaiba--.

I picked up a page of the notes you had left on the counter. They were written in a very messy kanji, which struck me as odd. You seemed like the type to have neat handwriting. However, you were more artistically minded than analytical, unlike myself. I guess I had never really paid attention to your writing before, when we worked together in class.

Feeling the effects of my own exhaustion, I laid your work aside, carefully placing the papers back into the neat little stack you had them in, then nearly collapsed into the chair at my desk.

The past few days had been hard on me too. My hand still throbbed a little where I had grabbed the hot metal trying to open your apartment door, and things at work hadn't slowed down in weeks. Missing a whole evening of work had put me greatly behind, not that I'd tell you that. You'd just go and blame yourself; you have a tendency of doing that.

I'd had to work the whole night through after I left the hospital, and even then I was hardly productive as I was too busy thinking about what had happened. You're face, when I found you on the floor, was even paler than usual. It reminded me of how you looked at battle city in your duel with Yugi, and of when you found us in Egypt. You scared the living daylights out of the idiot duelist before falling down the stairs.

I had been equally surprised to see you there, but it was fairly obvious that it wasn't the evil spirit who had approached us. Anyone with half a brain could tell it was you, despite the empty look in your eyes. Of course Yugi's cheerleaders only have half a brain between all of them, so I'm not surprised they were confused.

I used to group you with them, actually. It really wasn't until you kidnapped Mokuba and threatened me into a duel that I really thought of you as someone separate from the group. Although, in all fairness, that wasn't you. Nonetheless, I began to notice that you were always just a little different from everyone else in Yugi's group.

It made sense that I never really noticed you, though. You don't like to be noticed do you? You're very good at fading into the background, and you never make a fuss or cause any problems. Ironic considering the spirit of the ring… Unlike him you were content to let the world pass by, and if anyone ever asked, you just said you were fine and we all moved along.

I didn't understand that. Why wouldn't you stand up for yourself? Then again, I've never had a problem expressing my opinions, so I guess I couldn't understand. But there were times, mostly after high school ended and we met again in college, when I wanted to reach out and…

My cell phone started to ring again and I looked down at the device, already feeling a headache mounting.

"What is it this time?" I answered, not in the mood to be polite now after having tried to deal with this issue three times already today.

"G-gomenasai, Kaiba-sama. It seems that the product shipment hasn't yet arrived at the Tokyo building. We haven't been able to track the truck down yet, and we can't seem to get a hold of the transport service."

I mentally groaned, wondering in how many ways these idiots could manage to mess up a simple procedure like shipping a few thousand duel disks within the same country.

"Did you use the satellite system to track down the truck?"

"Yes, sir, we tried that."

"Did you try to track down the registration number of one of the disks?"

"…No, not yet."

"Well then do it!" I growled into the phone, unable to believe the incompetence of my supposedly qualified staff.

Just then a knock sounded at the door and I wondered who the heck would be at my apartment this late. I was not in the mood to deal with another distraction, especially seeing as I was so close to catching up on the work I'd missed and all I wanted was to get that over with so I could sleep.

"Kaiba-kun? It's Megan." A familiar voice sounded from behind the door, and I quickly shut my cell phone, not bothering to say goodbye, before I opened the door.

"Still busy with work?" The young woman asked as she stepped inside, heaving a large box past the threshold. I quickly grabbed the package and helped her set it down on a chair before she fell over.

"What's all that?" I asked, ignoring her previous question. She knew just as well as anyone how busy I was with my company's various issues and idiots.

"These are Bakura-kun's clothes. Otogi-san told me he was staying with you. Isn't that ironic, I had no idea you and Otogi-san knew each other."

"We're just acquaintances. I'd forgotten that Otogi Ryuuji was your boss." Megan paused a moment to stretch her arms (the box was surprisingly heavy for just containing clothes), before she gave me a reprimanding look.

"You haven't eaten dinner yet, have you?" I sighed and shrugged, knowing she meant that rhetorically. "Kaiba-kun, how many times do I need to come up here and feed you before you start taking care of yourself? I guess I'll have to stop by tomorrow with some food."

"I'll be out tomorrow evening."

"Yes, I figured. I meant I'd bring food over for Bakura-kun. You have a guest now, Kaiba-kun, and he's supposed to be here to recover from his injuries. You can starve yourself all you want but I'm going to make sure Bakura-kun is well fed. Speaking of which, when do I get to meet him?"

I was almost tempted to laugh as she crossed her arms and looked up at me defiantly. Her attempts were in vain though as she was a full thirty centimeters shorter than I.

"Don't worry, Otogi took Bakura out for dinner before he dropped him off. He's asleep now anyway, so you'll have to wait till tomorrow."

"Well then, I will definitely be bringing dinner over tomorrow. I hope he's feeling better by then. Otogi-san said he was still very quiet when he left. I think he's worried about Bakura-kun. He talks about Bakura-kun a lot whenever we are traveling. I'm surprised I never put two and two together, after all isn't this the guy that you-"

She was cut off as my cell phone started ringing again. "Is it work?"

I looked down at the screen and grumbled a bit. She chuckled and headed towards the door. "I'll just be leaving then. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow, depending on when you get home. Bye bye!" She smiled cheerily then shut the door.

I flipped the phone open and snarled, "what now?"

.--Bakura--.

I glared at my laptop, hoping for some reason that this would make the infernal device start doing my work for me…somehow.

It didn't, which didn't surprise me. And as if to mock my efforts the screen saver popped up with a plain black background and an annoying bouncing ball that changed colors every few seconds.

No matter how hard or long I worked on this darn paper, it just seemed like nothing was coming out right. The examples didn't fit together in any sort of logical order, and the thesis statement was flat out pathetic.

I just couldn't seem to start. I knew what I wanted to say, but the actual process of saying it eluded me. Overall the entire process was extremely frustrating.

Just as I was about to slam the laptop shut and give up entirely a knock sounded at the door, and I looked over wondering whether or not I should answer it.

It couldn't have been Kaiba, he had his own key, of course. And Otogi hadn't said he would be stopping by. Actually, when he'd called earlier he'd mentioned how crazy things were getting at work and apologized for not being able to spend more time with me.

After a second series of knocks I stood up and hesitantly pulled the door open. I was met by a young woman with a large grin on her face. "You must be Bakura-kun!" She extended a hand from beneath a large covered dish and I shook it, confused. "I've brought you some dinner, since Kaiba-kun is out. Here, can you hold the door open while I set this down?"

I quickly moved aside as she walked in and placed the dish down on the counter. She was short, only slightly taller than Yugi, and her hair was very light brown. I could tell from her accent and her greeting that she was foreign, although hand shaking was becoming more popular in Japan, what with all the international businesses popping up.

I realized, as she headed straight for the cupboards, pulling out two plates and a pair of forks, that she obviously knew Kaiba well. She seemed pretty familiar with his kitchen.

Suddenly a thought I'd never considered struck me; was she, perhaps, Kaiba's girlfriend? It seemed odd to think of Kaiba with someone – he wasn't exactly the romantic type – but I began to suspect this was the case as the young woman pulled a stool around the counter and motioned for me to sit down.

"I'll just heat this up a bit before we start. It took me longer than I thought to get up here with this in tow." She smiled and opened up the oven, setting the dish inside and rotating the dial to start it up. "So how are you feeling? I heard you were pretty tired yesterday."

I blinked, still a little confused and overwhelmed. "I'm fine, but… I'm sorry, what's your name again?"

"Oh! Jeez, I apologize. I completely forgot to introduce myself didn't I? My name is Megan Sumiyoshi, er – Sumiyoshi Megan. I live a few floors down. Kaiba told me you were asleep when I dropped your clothes off yesterday. How much did you have in that box anyway? It was heavy!"

Somehow this only made me more confused and she must have seen this as she sighed and shook her hands in the air, exasperated. "Here I go again. I'm sorry, Bakura-kun, but I have a tendency of rambling on sometimes. I'm Otogi-san's assistant, he told me what happened to you, what with the apartment burning down and your arm…

Anyways, Otogi-san told me you were staying here, and I explained that I, coincidentally, happened to live in this apartment building too. I've known Kaiba-kun for a while now, but I never knew he and Otogi-san knew each other. So I stopped by yesterday after I got home from my business trip and brought your spare clothes over. But Kaiba said you were asleep, so I said I'd bring some dinner over tonight and say hello."

"Oh, okay." I smiled, understanding what she meant when she apologized for rambling. But in a way it was cute when she did it. I could tell from her expression that she was a genuinely thoughtful person, and I wondered how she and Kaiba managed to get along. "Thank you for dinner, I'd completely forgotten about it."

She sighed and looked at me exasperated. "You're just like Kaiba-kun. I swear, if I didn't bring him dinner every once in a while I think he'd forget to eat entirely. He gets so involved with his work that he doesn't even notice when it's time to eat! My husband laughs and says I worry too much, but I can't help it. Kaiba-kun is just so hopeless!"

"Your husband?" I blinked, surprised.

"Yeah, we live down on the fifth floor. Our son is about the same age as Kaiba's little brother, Mokuba. We met once, when he was visiting, about two years ago." I looked down at my plate awkwardly when I realized that Megan was, in fact, already married. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how obvious it was. She was wearing a ring, after all, and now that I looked closer she was about ten years older than him.

She was a very pretty woman, though, and I found myself feeling a bit more relaxed as she smiled and continued to talk about how she met Kaiba. "Oh, I should probably grab the food now." She hopped up and grabbed a pair of oven mitts before removing the dish and setting it down on the counter. As she lifted the lid off I could suddenly smell a very appetizing aroma coming from the plate.

"It's chicken alfredo. I haven't quite mastered Japanese cooking yet, and I didn't want to show up with something inedible. I hope you like Italian food."

"This is fine, I don't get to eat food this good that often." She smiled as I piled some of the creamy noodles onto my plate.

"Itadakimasu (4)," I picked up the fork she'd set by my plate and began to spin it around the noodles, lifting some up to my mouth carefully. My injuries, luckily, had not prevented me from using my right hand.

I am most definitely not ambidextrous.

She scooped out some for herself. "Do you like it?"

"It's delicious," I managed to say, despite half a mouth full of noodles.

"I'm glad you like it. Kaiba, fortunately, isn't too picky of an eater himself. Normally I just bring up a plate of whatever I've made for my family. He really is hopeless though, you know? He's not a bad person, just hopeless. I'd heard rumors at work that he was real bastard (pardon my language), but he's always been nice to my family and me. He's a tough businessman from all accounts, but if you ask me I think he's really a softie. You can see it when he thinks about Mokuba and – er, well, he could use a koibito (5)." She grinned.

The time flew by rather quickly as we talked between mouthfuls of food. By the time I looked over at the clock half an hour had already past.

"I see you're familiar with using forks. I didn't think of putting out chopsticks. Sorry about that." She finished off the last of her noodles and pushed her plate away, sighing. "Ugh, I'm full."

"Actually, I'm majoring in cultural studies, so I'm fairly familiar with a few European customs. How did you end up in Japan, by the way?"

"Oh, well, I was born in the United States, in Washington actually. But I moved to California when I went to college in San Francisco to study business. I ended up finding a job with Industrial Illusions a few years ago, which is how I met Otogi. When he began to produce his game in the states we ended up working together a lot and he offered me a better position as his personal assistant here in Japan.

At the time I was already married to my husband, Seki, who was originally from Japan himself, so we decided to move. And that's how we ended up here. Luckily Seki was able to help me with my Japanese, and was fluent himself. But you say you're in cultural studies, does that mean you speak another language too?"

"Yes, I can speak English pretty well, and I'm currently studying German and Spanish as well."

"Wow, that's quite a lot to handle."

"Well it is my major. I don't really know what I want to do with the degree after I graduate, though. I suppose I could work as a translator, there are a lot of companies that are looking for people who can speak multiple languages. But I think I want to travel a bit before I settle into a job."

"I see; that's very interesting. So what other classes are you taking?"

I explained my curriculum to her, and she listened intently as I told her about CCS and how Kaiba and I worked together often in that class. She remembered him mentioning it a few times and asked how I was enjoying my life as a student.

"I think I like it a little too much. I could go on learning forever, I don't know if I want to graduate." She laughed and I joined her, somewhat embarrassed.

Just then we heard a key slide through the slot by the door and Kaiba walked in looking a little tired.

"Konbanwa (6), Kaiba-kun," Megan greeted him cheerily. He glanced over and a little of the tension faded from his expression.

"Hello, Megan-san, I see you've met Bakura." She nodded enthusiastically.

"Would you like some dinner?"

"No, thank you, I had dinner at work." Kaiba dropped his briefcase on his desk with a rather loud thump. I could tell he wasn't in the best of moods, though he was acting rather agreeable towards Megan.

"Great, dessert then!" She exclaimed, and Kaiba shrugged as she walked over to the fridge and pulled out another plate I hadn't seen her come in with. Kaiba slipped off his overcoat and draped it neatly over his desk chair.

"How was your day, Bakura?" He turned to look at me as I coughed and swallowed the mouthful of food I'd just eaten, making a fool of myself in the process.

"It was fine," I answered, grabbing my glass of water and taking a long sip.

"Good." He replied, and then he leaned back against the counter and looked off at the wall distantly. "I'm going to get changed."

"Make sure you get back before the ice cream melts!" Megan called out, and I could see her piling a scoop of chocolate ice cream over a large slice of brown cake.

"Have you ever had a brownie sundae before, Bakura-kun?" I shook my head and she set the plate before me eagerly. "Well, you'll love it."

I took a small bite of the concoction and was amazed at how the chocolate cake melted, deliciously, in my mouth. It was much more sugary than the deserts I was used to, but I'd always had a sweet tooth.

"I told you!" Megan gleamed and I found myself grinning with her.

"This is great. I've always liked desserts from other countries, but most of my friends think they're too sweet. Cream puffs are my favorite."

"Oh, I don't know how to make those, sorry. They're a bit too difficult for me. Well, I have to go now. It's time for me to put my son to bed, and Seki will be wondering where I've gone off to. It was nice to finally meet you, Bakura-kun." She quickly packed up her plates and scribbled something on a piece of paper, leaving it on the counter.

"That's for Kaiba, when he comes back. I'll see you later!" I held the door open for her as she walked out.

"It was very nice to meet you too, Sumiyoshi-san. Thank you very much for dinner." I spoke in English this time and she giggled. I blushed a little wondering if I'd made a mistake.

"You're so polite, Bakura-kun. At least call me Megan!" She smiled again and closed the door. I stood there a few moments, feeling a little overwhelmed by the silence left by her departure, then I sat back down to enjoy the dessert. It really was fantastic.

After I finished the sundae I carried the dishes over to the counter and began to wash them off in the sink. I heard the door to Kaiba's room open and looked up to see him walking out, his hair still slightly wet from the shower and his black collared shirt half unbuttoned.

A small V of skin showed behind the dark fabric of his shirt, and I found it strange to see Kaiba dressed so casually. Actually, it looked rather nice.

I realized that I'd been staring at him and I shook my head, looking down at the plates, hoping Kaiba hadn't noticed my ogling. Not that I was ogling.

He walked over to the kitchen and looked at the note Megan had left for him, his expression looking oddly surprised for a moment. "You like creampuffs?" Kaiba asked, slightly confused.

I blinked, equally puzzled. Kaiba held up the note Megan had left but I couldn't see the writing. "That's what she wrote."

Kaiba shrugged and set the note aside; and for a second I thought he was embarrassed again. But before I could be sure about that he turned around and sat down at his desk. He swirled the mouse around to bring the screen back up, and I was beginning to think this was a force of habit for him. If he wasn't working I don't think he'd know what to do with himself.

I couldn't help but look again as he ran his hand through his hair, watching the screen turn from black to blue as the screensaver dissolved. His hair fell messily around his eyes and the wet strands clung to the back of his neck where his shoulders began. I blushed again and looked out the window telling myself to stop being so weird.

I decided to try to work on my paper some more, hoping that the break had cleared my mind enough for me to focus again.

I picked up my notepad and moved from the counter to one of the large sofa-chairs in the far corner of the room, by the windows, telling myself that maybe if I just started writing about my subject, something would come to me.

It was actually a very interesting topic. I had chosen language as my subject, specifically as it related to images and actions. My general idea was to focus on how language affected people and cultures, and how it formed their cultural identity. I also wanted to focus on the importance language had on people, beyond communication. I felt, very strongly, that people were beginning to lose their ability to use language fully, and that it was being lost to chat speak and expletives in today's busier, faster society.

Jonouchi was a good example of this, with his at times fluent and colorful cursing and his inability to form grammatically correct sentences when he got riled up. Then again, I seemed to have lost my control over language as well, as I was finding it impossible to put all these ideas down on paper in a cohesive manner.

I continued to scribble my thoughts down on the paper, not bothering to write legibly, or to even use correct punctuation. Maybe by deliberately practicing what I was opposed to I would find some inspiration. However, it didn't seem to be working, as all I came up with was a series of unreadable and unrelated words.

I heard Kaiba's computer click shut and looked up to see him leaning back in his chair, his hands on either side of his head as though he was trying to block out the entire world.

"Have you ever wanted to find the nearest large cliff and just jump off it?" I looked at Kaiba, shocked to hear these words coming out of his mouth. "Hm?" He looked back at me, leaning farther back in his chair in the process.

"Actually, I was just considering that." I threw my notepad onto the couch next to me and closed my eyes, as outwardly frustrated as Kaiba seemed to be on the inside. "You should take a break, Kaiba-kun, for once. You can afford it." I opened one eye and looked back at him.

He sat up in his chair then leaned his arm against the desk, propping his head up with the heel of his hand. "Would you like some help with your essay?" He looked at me sideways, and I felt like he was carefully assessing my reaction.

Instead of replying "I'm fine," as I always did, I sighed and said "I just can't think of a thesis. If I had a central idea I might be able to make some progress."

"What's the general premise of your paper?"

"Well, language, I guess. More in the sense of how we use words to communicate and less about any specific language."

"I see."

"I figured I would be able to write a lot about this subject seeing as I'm so interested in languages. You see, language has so much power, but I think it is being lost in today's society. People no longer take the time to think about what they're saying, what with all these acronyms and such on the internet. People are beginning to accept cookie cutter responses like 'lol' and 'omg' instead of forming their own responses.

And then people are always devaluing the power language actually has. If actions are more powerful than words, and pictures are worth a thousand, then why do we have language at all?

But you see, it is language that gives these things their power, because they force you to rethink your ideas. If you were trying to describe a flower, you could use such general terms as pretty, or red. But when you actually see or smell that flower you are presented with the real nature of it. The flower isn't pretty, it's exquisite, and it's not red, but rather deep, velvety crimson.

If we didn't have those words, the flower really would just be red and pretty, so even seeing it would be ordinary. But since we have different words to describe the flower and the level of it's beauty, our perception of it can be deeper and more meaningful, because these deeper and more meaningful concepts are a part of our consciousness."

I paused, suddenly, realizing that Kaiba was looking at me strangely, most likely shocked at how incredibly random my musings had become. "Sorry, I just…tend to be a little passionate about this."

"I think your premise is good; you just need to tighten it up a little. Focus more on either how people are mistreating language or on language's power."

I realized he was right, and I looked back down at my examples, crossing out some and drawing huge circles around some others. This is what I had meant when I thought Kaiba and I worked well together. He always seemed to take my large, abstract ideas and find a way to focus them.

Kaiba turned back around, and I spent the next few minutes reevaluating my notes, excited as the examples began to sound more and more related.

"Thanks Kaiba-kun, I think I finally have something. If I concentrate on the power of language instead of how society has misused it I think I can narrow it down." I reread the sentence that I'd underlined twice on my paper and circled once for good measure. Then I blinked, surprised, as I realized that Kaiba was leaning over the back of the couch, looking over my left shoulder at the notebook.

"I like it." He reached over and gently removed the pen from my hands and began to make a few notes of his own. His face was now very close to my own, and I could faintly smell his cologne as he continued to mark up the paper. The scent was very nice, actually, and somehow it made him seem very masculine. I felt his shirt collar brush slightly against my shoulder, and I looked at his eyes, startlingly blue as they read over my notes. They were focused and intense.

Feeling self-conscious now, I scooted away just a bit; he didn't seem to notice. "Here, these words are very good, make sure you reuse them when you write your topic sentences." He stood up and I felt like I could breathe again. "The thesis isn't perfect, but I think you've narrowed down your idea now. It's an interesting argument."

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks a little as I looked up to see Kaiba still staring down, but this time at me. He looked a little surprised to see me returning his gaze, and he crossed his arms over his chest, looking out the window returning to his normal, noncommittal expression. But something about his posture struck me as odd, and I had a vague notion that Kaiba was also feeling a little awkward.

"Would you be interested in going to the BLAST concert tomorrow?" He asked, out of nowhere.

"You got tickets!" I blurted out, that being the first thing I could think of to say in response. The fact that Kaiba had offered me the tickets hadn't quite sunk in yet. The whole notion was a little shocking.

"A supplier gave me two free tickets. I heard Yugi and the others talking about going, I figured you could take one of them if you were interested."

"Are you sure, Kaiba-kun?" I was beginning to get excited. Though I had been less than enthused about waiting in line on Monday to get the tickets, I was actually hoping that Jonouchi and Honda would get some. The band was just beginning to grow in popularity, and I'd borrowed Yugi's CD a few weeks ago. They were pretty good.

"Just think of them as an early Christmas present." Kaiba shrugged his shoulders a little and I found myself hesitating.

"Why don't you want to go, Kaiba-kun?"

"I'm too busy. I'll print the tickets off my computer tomorrow. The concert's in Tokyo, if you need a ride I could get you some tickets for the bullet train, too." And with that Kaiba walked back to his computer.

"Oh, well, thank you…" I stretched a little, realizing that I was sore from sitting in the same position for so long, then stood up, laying my notebook aside.

"I'm going to take a shower then go to bed. I think I've done everything I can with my essay tonight." Kaiba just said okay and I realized that he was engrossed in his work.

I shook my head, sighing a little. Kaiba obviously didn't know when to call it quits.

As I carefully rewrapped the bandages around my blistered arm, still a little wet from the shower, I noticed a familiar smell in the bathroom.

It was Kaiba's cologne, still lingering from when he'd showered earlier. My stomach gave a strange twist and I walked out of the room, pulling on my pajama pants and an old t-shirt before falling onto the bed, my arms and legs spread wide over the sheets.

I must have jinxed myself yesterday when I thought about how I kept going to bed exhausted. Now I could barley keep my eyes closed, there were so many thoughts bouncing around my head.

I thought about my paper and all the new ideas I had, and how everything was finally starting to fit. Then I thought about the concert and wondered whom I should invite, seeing as there was only one other ticket.

I couldn't invite Honda or Jonouchi because the other one would then kill me. Yugi would be nice, but he would probably refuse because the others couldn't go.

Eventually I decided to ask Otogi. I had no idea if he was interested in the band, but I knew he liked to go to these things, and of all of my friends I was most comfortable around him.

I opened my eyes and looked over at the small, digital clock on the bedside table. It was already close to midnight, and I sighed, wondering how long I'd been lying there thinking. But despite this I still couldn't get myself to fall asleep, so I stood up and decided to get a glass of water.

When I opened my door and rounded the corner of the kitchen I saw Kaiba, his arms folded over his desk and his head tucked into them. When he didn't move I figured he was asleep, though the lamp was still lit and his computer was still on, the screen saver shooting stars into a digital universe.

I quietly filled a glass with water and sipped it slowly, letting the cold water flow down my throat and trying to calm my mind. This is when he must sleep, I thought vaguely, as I looked back at Kaiba.

It didn't seem very comfortable to me, but then again I suppose Kaiba was too tired to think about that. Why else would he have fallen asleep in the middle of his work?

I paused as I walked back to my room and turned around, walking over to Kaiba's desk instead. Moving around his chair quietly so as not to wake him up I carefully closed the laptop and turned off the lamp. The darkness swallowed the room and outside the traffic lights continued to flash.

.------.

Notes…

(1) One of Kaiba's favorite nicknames for Jounouchi. It means "mediocre"

(2) This is actually inspired by something I found on while searching for an episode. It's an AMV tribute to Otogi and Kaiba created by MiuTinichi to the song Superstar (by Toybox). I would highly suggest watching it. They reuse the images a lot and it could be better, but it's still hilarious, and it has some nice shots of Seto (what can I say, I'm still a fangirl no matter how sane I try to be). Anyways here are some of the better lyrics...

I am a superstar, with a big big house and a big big car
I am a superstar and I don't care who you are

(repeat)

I got a plane (got a plane)
I love the fame (love the fame)
You know my name (know my name)
And I just want you to know...

Chorus

I got fortune, I got fame
Love it when you say my name.

Love to party, I am naughty
prettier than everbody

Yeah, like I said, very appropriate for Otogi.

(3) This is how one answers the phone. In English we would just say hello.

(4) Japanese people tend to say this before eating; it's equivalent to saying grace in English.

(5) Lover, as in girlfriend or boyfriend, but gender neutral.

(6) Good evening

-

Ooooh, look, I made it through chapter two! Let's celebrate, only six more to go. I'm a quarter of the way done! I hope I can finish before August…

Bakura: Why do you always end the chapters with me sleeping?

SC: Ummm… Be quiet! Go to sleep!

Bakura: You're just being lazy, couldn't you think of a better way to end this? How many chapters do you end like this, anyway?

SC: …Only chapters 1-4

Bakura: That's half the fic!

SC: Okay, fine, I'll change it…

You'll notice that the chapter now ends after Bakura turns off the light. Blame Bakura, originally there were a grand three sentences after that in which Bakura fell asleep. Rather cutely in my opinion.

Bakura: -.-

Otogi: Okay, you're done now.

SC: Hey since when do you guys get to appear in my comments?

Otogi: Since you started getting all serious and contemplative at the beginning of this chapter. Nobody wants to listen to you're crazy, abstract ideas about the universe.

SC: Heh, you used a homonym wrong

Otogi: Nope, no more talking for you.

Bakura: I hope you all enjoyed chapter two. SC-san is now being strapped to her chair and forced to watch emo BakuraxYamiBakura AMVs.

SC: The agony!

--SC