"Ryou! Wake up! Don't you have an exam?" Yugi bounced on all fours on the bed in an effort to wake his sleeping companion. Times like these made Yugi want to scream. Everyone assumed that he was late riser yet Ryou could rival a hibernating bear.

"Wake up! Wakeupwakeupwakeup!"

"Mwraaa," groaned Ryou, rolling deeper into his pillow. A few seconds later his body jerked up, his eyes full of crimson.

"Bakura," Yugi acknowledged with a grin.

"Chibi Pharaoh," Bakura sniffed with disdain. Yugi giggled.

Yami appeared on the bed in spirit form. ((I take it you will be sitting through Ryou's exam today?))

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Your genius startles me. It is no wonder they put you in charge of an entire kingdom. Now beat it so I can get dressed."

Yami gave Bakura a playful punch, his hand sinking right through Ryou's arm before he and Yugi disappeared into the kitchen. In a few seconds Bakura emerged from the bedroom, looking relatively normal in the plain long-sleeved shirt and the slacks that Ryou so favored.

Yugi frowned. "It's Ryou's turn this week?" He looked down at his own punk gothic wear. "I thought it was the yami's week to pick fashion."

Bakura shook his head. "It is. Bakura is being introduced to a new role-playing group this week and he wanted to look 'normal' so he traded me. I get to pick for the next two weeks after this."

Yami nodded his head then frowned at the clock. "I doubt Ryou will honor his end if you miss his exam."

"Fuck!" Bakura propelled himself from the chair, frantically grabbing Ryou's school things. "Stupid idiot host! Why does he always spend all night studying! Stupid fucking idi-" Bakura's lament was silenced the sound of a closing door.

Yugi giggled.

Mornings like this had become the norm in their small apartment and everyone had come to appreciate them, especially after how close they had come to losing it before they even had the chance to experience it.

It had almost been half a year since the attack in the alley. Everything had been fine after Detective Yagami had allowed Yugi to leave the police station. Everything had been fine as Yugi and Yami had sat in the hospital, a spirit Bakura keeping them company while his host slept, unaware he had yet another injury. Everything had been fine.

Then came the media.

It had been a frenzy that made sharks in bloody water look like grazing lambs. The day after the attack the front page of every newspaper proclaimed the arrest of Yugi Mutou, King of Games. Someone had even managed to get a photo of Yugi being stuffed into the back of a police cruiser, handcuffs glistening in the camera flash.

The theories had varied according to the reliability of each paper. A few had even stuck close to reality, giving a blurb on how Yugi and his friend had been accosted in Tokyo. The others grew to outrageous proportions. One claimed that Yugi had joined a gang and had used it to try and murder Ryou. Another was that Yugi and Ryou had gone out of their way to attack some teenagers for kicks. Yami's favorite had been the story about how Yugi was really alien who been planning on sacrificing his gay lover so he could return to the stars.

Ironically it was that story that held the most truth.

Yugi and Ryou had gone to great pains to keep their relationship a secret. The only person who knew about it was Sogoroku Mutou and Yugi swore it was because the man could read minds better than the Millennium Eye had ever been able to. Everyone else had been blissfully ignorant of the blooming romance between the two duelists and in the dark about Yugi's sexual orientation.

The only good news about the papers screaming Yugi's guilt was that they did ignore his relationship with Ryou. But as the weeks progressed and the story became clearer the media began to paint Yugi with a darker and darker brush. Even the detectives who were working on the case began to cast a suspicious eye at Yugi. There had been a very real possibility of him going to jail until Detective Yagami had jumped in.

The man had called a press conference on Yugi's behalf, releasing the full details of the case and Yugi and Ryou's innocence in the matter. He had answered every question the media had thrown at him with grace, effectively clearing Yugi's name.

Then another Kira killing had taken all eyes off of the gamer and on to the latest world phenomenon. Yugi and Ryou had finally been able to breathe again. And despite their bad experience their first time in the city they had still kept their plan to go to Tokyo University. Yami and Bakura had opposed the plan. It didn't take long for them to submit to their hikaris, especially when Yugi had pointed out that if one bad experience ruined something forever then with the lives they had had, he and Ryou should just spend the rest of their lives in a coma.

//Yugi?//

"Yes Yami?" Yugi answered aloud, his voice echoing through the apartment.

//Aren't you going to class?//

"Nope. We have it off today. The teacher is giving a seminar in Greece, remember?"

Yami frowned. //Then are you doing anything today?//

Yugi laughed. "No. You are. Remember? You challenged Ryuga-kun to a chess game."

Yami seemed to glow with his own darkness. //That's today? Why are you still here? Let's go! Come one!//

"Just like a little kid," Yugi mock grumbled, though truth be told he was also excited. Hideki Ryuga, who apparently shared the name of some pop idol, and Raito Yagami had been at the top of the entrance exam. Since then Yami had been itching to challenge either one of them to a game. He had picked Ryuga, deciding he was the stronger combatant, and had had tried to get Yugi to pull off scheme after scheme to meet the man. Yugi had ignored Yami's protests, and when his Yami had resorted to threats Yugi had pointed out that someone as smart as Ryuga was likely to catch them if they switched, so Yami had been forced to watch Yugi plan out a meeting.

It had taken a few weeks, just long enough for the 'smartest student' hype to die off, before Yugi had approached. His method had been sweet and simple. He had walked up to Ryuga, declared himself the King of Games and had issued his challenge, emphasizing that it was for entertainment only because there was no way Ryuga could actually win.

The strange young man had been amused by Yugi's audacity and the threat on his pride had been enough to make him accept. Yami had been ecstatic, like a child Christmas morning.

Yugi looked down at his watch. If he left now he would arrive fairly early, but if he didn't he would have to listen to Yami beg. The spirit was already trying to imitate Yugi's puppy eyes and failing miserably.

With a sigh he grabbed his bag. His chessboard made the thing much heavier. Still, it was worth it. It had been a long time since Yami had been this excited by an opponent.

YGD

Ryuzaki was squatting on the chair in the park, the wood digging pleasantly into his feet. He had left set his shoes aside, tucking them under the table where he had agreed to meet his newest opponent.

Ryuzaki had been surprised when the strange young man had first approached him, his hair of gold, black and deep purple wiggling as the boy had planted his feet. Ryuzaki had felt the boy scrutinize him before issuing his challenge. At first L had suspected a trap, some elaborate ploy by Kira get more information or even eliminate his opponent, but for some reason the boy's bright violet eyes had looked at the detective with such eagerness that he had accepted, being allowed to pick the place, time and even the game.

After that Ryuzaki had spent every waking moment he wasn't investigating Kira to researching the young man who had so boldly challenged him. What he had found had been surprising.

The boy really was the King of Games and as of yet had no losses on record. He also hadn't dedicated himself to just one game. Though his original claim to fame had been a game called Duel Monsters it hadn't taken long for Yugi to expand. The boy held titles for Dungeons and Dice, Capsule Monster Chess, regular chess, Go, Poker and even Scrabble, all of which he had earned in high school. L had tracked down every minute of footage he could find, analyzing Yugi's strategy whenever focusing on just Kira because a hassle.

He had also taken to watching Yugi at school. The boy was strange, to say the least, but not necessarily in a repulsive way. He had strange system of dressing radically for a week, then conservatively for the next. He would spend some days in a large crowd of people while others he would hide away, talking softly to himself in the back of the room.

Yugi Mutou was indeed an intriguing person.

"Ryuga-kun!"

Ryuzaki shifted his gaze, surprised to see the object of his attention materialize in real life. Still he noted the small details, the way the boy sped up when he spotted his opponent, the way the chains from his pants jangled against the dark leather, the faded backpack the boy kept hoisting. "You're early," Ryuzaki noted, genuinely surprised. If anything Yugi seemed the type to be distracted and arrive late.

Yugi just laughed, the sound ringing like bells through the park. The sound was strange in Ryuzaki's ears. It sounded clean and simple. He couldn't remember the last time anything in his life had been clean and simple.

"So are you," Yugi let out a giggle as he slid into the chair across form his opponent.

"I required nourishment before our encounter," Ryuzaki held up the remains of the cake he had purchased on the way to the park.

"Ah," Yugi winked at him, "I see. So you are here early because you need food and I am here early because I needed fresh air. Does this mean we will still wait until our appointed time, or would you prefer to start early?"

"Starting now would be acceptable."

Yugi smiled as he pulled out his chessboard. His small clever hands deftly set up the board, aligning the pieces on both sides with skill. He was proud his hands didn't shake with Yami's anticipation.

"You prefer black, Yugi-kun?"

Yugi looked up innocently. "I just thought you might prefer white."

Ryuzaki twisted his toes, rubbing them together as he tried to disassemble the comment. "Why would you think that?"

Yugi's hand wavered as he went to place another piece. "You just… seem the type." A frown clouded his face. "If you don't we can switch."

"That will not be necessary. You were quite right in your conclusion. I was just curious as to how you reached it."

Yugi smiled again. "Well," he quipped lightly, "I did have a fifty percent chance of getting it right." Ryuzaki placed another bite of cake in hi mouth, giving himself time to think. It wasn't hard to see that Yugi was being less than forthright but on the other hand was the distinct possibility that the boy was unaware of how he had reached his conclusion. It didn't necessarily mean there was anything suspicious about the boy, but it did mean that he would have to be careful while playing.

From Yugi's eyes someone saw Ryuga tense. //He is going to be a worthy opponent.// Yami sounded positively bubbly.

Yugi could only nod in agreement. He smiled at Ryuga. "Are you ready?"

Ryuzaki nodded.

He moved his first piece out to the center of the board, the white pawn shining on it's black square.

Yugi, his hand guided by Yami, moved his king's knight.

Ryuzaki frowned, surprised by the unexpected tactic. The Alekhine's Defense was aggressive and a bit radical. He hadn't expected Yugi to immediately move the game into chaos. Hadn't expected it at all.

This was going to be interesting.

AN-I can't wait until I can narrow L down to 1 name. This is too confusing.