Just Let Me Burn

Chapter 4

And to sing when you die~

"-I just don't understand him, is all," Bakura groaned. He walked down the street with Mariku and Malik. He didn't see Ryou leave, waking in an empty house but he guessed the younger had gone to see his new friends.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Mariku said. "Sure he's cute but don't get your panties in a knot, he's human."

"And so are we, partly," Bakura scorned.

Malik shrugged casually. "Maybe you have to be blunt and tell him how you feel. It worked on Mariku." He smiled lazily. Mariku frowned and wrapped his arm around Maliks shoulders.

"I thought I was being obvious."

"Not enough."

Mariku and Malik spoke to each other in Egyptian, it was easier for them than Japanese, of course Bakura understood them. He and his brother were from Egypt as well. They walked in silence other than the Egyptian comments here and there.

Bakura really did wonder if Ryou was that dense, but his actions did prove that he was…

"Malik, lets have another challenge," Mariku grinned.

"Okay," Malik nodded enthusiastically, "pick up girls one?"

"Sure, you first," Mariku said, he looked around before spotting a girl around their age. She had long blonde hair and looked like the popular type. "Her, tell her you're a man whore and you're giving her a free-be."

Malik looked with hesitation before nodding and walk towards the girl and her friends.

"He's going to fail isn't he?" Bakura said.

Mariku nodded and grinned evily. "Yes, yes he is."

"What's his punishment?"

"When dose Akefia have his lunch break?"

Bakura frown but looked at his watch. "In about 15 minutes, why?"

"Oh you'll see," he chuckled to himself.

There was the sound of a gasp and a loud slap followed by a cry of pain, Malik quickly walked back over holding his left cheek in painful shame.

"She slapped me," Malik whined.

"We could tell," Bakura said.

Ryou sighed; he and his friends sat in the Games shop, which Yugi had closed for the day. He flicked through the deck he'd make for himself, wondering what this said about him. All the cards had something to do with ghosts or the dead. Why had he chosen such depressing cards? Everyone else's had nice things in their decks like Kuriboh and magicians and sheep like things…

The only nice looking card Ryou had was Change of Heart, which he liked very much.

"Man Ryou, you made such a emo deck," Jounouchi said, he sat next to Ryou on the ground. They all sat on the floor in between the card aisle.

"I wonder why you chose them," Yugi mused. Yami nodded vacantly, Ryou guessed he was elsewhere.

"I don't know… they just spoke out to me I guess," he though that sounded dumb but it was true, they did seem like the only cards he would want.

"No that's good," Yugi smiled. He and Yami shared the same deck; their favourite was the dark magician and the dark magician girl. Joey had baby dragon and the sheep thing, Anzu; he didn't want to think about her deck…

"Yami-san?" Ryou called.

Yami flinched turning to Ryou with an expression of just waking. "What is it Ryou-kun?" he smiled.

"I couldn't help but…" He trailed off.

"What is it Ryou-kun?" Yami repeated concerned. "It's okay."

"Well," Ryou faltered. "I couldn't help but notice that you are all… spirits."

Everything went quiet, everything stopped moving except to turn and look at Ryou. Not the sound of breathing or shifting. Ryou wanted to leave now, he'd screwed up and said that to them and now they wouldn't want him in fear of exposure. He'd met several spirits that shouted at him for even telling them he knew.

"I'm sorry," Ryou whispered breaking the silence.

"Why?" Yugi asked in a small voice.

"…" Ryou stared at his knees like they were the most interesting things in the world.

"Ryou-kun how do you know?" Yami asked.

"I don't know," Ryou answered.

"Interesting," Yami smiled. "You can look up, it doesn't bother us that you know. Right?"

There was a collected chorus of 'yes' and Ryou lifted his head. "Really?"

"Yeah, doesn't bother us Ryou," Jounouchi grinned, he slung his arm around Ryous shoulder. "Are you?"

"No."

"Huh."

Yugi smiled and grasped Ryous hand. "It doesn't matter to us, Ryou-kun. We still like you."

"That's right," said Mai, she sat between Anzu and Duke. Honda was next to Duke and grinned just as much as Jounouchi did. Ryou was happy, he needed friends like these.

"All right Malik, you know what to do," Mariku whispered into Maliks ear.

Malik twitched, nodding and walked towards his target. He held a cup of coffee in his hand as he moseyed up to Akefia, who was oblivious to him.

"Here is your coffee," he said placing it on the table. Quickly sitting n his lap before he could make sense of what was happening.

"I am your good little coffee boy and I do as I am told," He said shitting himself inside. He quickly kissed Akefia on the cheek and ran away.

Bakura and Mariku doubled over in laughter as Malik was chased by a murderess white haired demon.

Malik whined again. His hand on his left cheek hiding the large purple bruise proudly painted on his face. Akefia had been ruthless and smack Malik across his face in his anger, he always seemed over the top. But that's why Mariku liked him as the punishment for their challenges. If only Bakura would play… he'd love to see pretty boy with that bruise.

"I wish you'd stop involving Akefia," Malik sniffed.

"Sorry love, but that's the rules. If you lose the penalty is anything the winner chooses." Mariku laughed, arm around his smaller waist.

Bakura rolled his eyes, such childish ways…he never understood why the two did this to each other, but it was funny to see one other them get smacked up.

"I want to get smashed…" Bakura mumbled.

Malik raised an eyebrow, "Don't think Ryou would be pleased about that. You shouldn't get drunk so much."

"Its been a month, lay off okay?" Bakura barked. He did agree that Ryou would probably freak out, but if he got drunk enough he wouldn't be able to move, so he wouldn't be able to do anything to Ryou in his intoxicated state.

"Yeah, lay off Malik," Mariku grinned. "He knows what he's doing."

"Mai-Chan?" Ryou called.

"Yes? What is it sweetie?" Mai smiled at the small albino.

"Do you think its weird for a human to be friends with a spirit?" Ryou asked. He and Mai stood in the kitchen as Mai was washing up.

Mai paused and glanced at Ryou, "Of course not, honey. We're practically human too, have you ever watched Xmen?"

Ryou shook his head.

"Well if you ever do that's how you can describe us, sort of." She frowned, "Yes we're different, but we are like humans with powers really, like witches, you know?"

"I think I get it," Ryou said with a small smile. He like Mai, she had a way of making him calm, almost as much as Bakura.

She closed the distance between them and hugged him. "Don't ever think you don't belong with us, because we will always see you as one of us."

"Thank you Mai," Ryou hugged back.

They stayed like that for a couple of minutes in silence before Mai said, "and what do you think Bakura would do if he found you alone with some woman?" she joked.

Ryou giggled, "He'd probably roll his eyes and tell me not to drown in your boobs." He gasped, "Oh my god I'm so sorry!"

Mai let out a laugh, detaching herself from Ryou, "Its fine. The breasts are gigantic, I know. But what's this about drowning in them?"

Ryou blushed, "He keeps thinking I want to drown myself in the bath, it's not my fault I like water. Now that I think about it he's seen me naked so many times…"

"I see," Mai smirked.

"It's not like that!" he squeaked. "It's the meeting incident and the many bath incidents and… uh." He made a face.

There was another pregnant silence. Ryou wondered about nothing in paticular.

"Mai, do you have a partner?"

"No, I've had many but I'm not a whore. I just never found the right woman."

This made Ryou recoil. "WOMAN?"

"Yes," she laughed. "You didn't know?"

"Uh, I thought maybe you had a thing for me…" Ryou mumbled embarrassed.

"Sorry honey, I would be dry humping you right now if you had a V were there's a P. It like Jounouchi, I tried with him and he tried with Kaiba but we both realised it wouldn't work out and Jounouchi is chasing after some dumb hoe called Miho," She grimaced. "Yeah but you get the gist. And now Yugi and Yami are having a three way with Kaiba, but I think it's cute."

"There a three way relationship?"

"Yep!" she beamed, "Kaiba is so emotionless bastard but when he's with them its so cute. You'll meet him some day."

"I hope so, I want to meet everyone."