"Looks like it's going to rain." Atem looked up, and shoved his hands in his jacket's pockets. "We should've taken an umbrella."
"We'll borrow one from Mai. And if a storm comes up -or we just feel lazy- we can always crash there." added Joey.
Atem tsked. "Mai doesn't live alone anymore. You can't do whatever you want while someone else also lives there."
The blond walking next to him snickered. "Right. Mana lives there now. You excited to see her?"
"Are you even asking?" His amethyst eyes shone remembering the maiden that stole his heart. It had been a challenge, asking Mai and her new friend if they would like to join him and Joey at lunch, and not sound like he specifically wanted Mana to join them.
After a short bus ride, they were at Mai and Mana's apartment, ready to pick them up.
"Mai... I swear, you and your crazy makeup obsession..." Joey muttered, seeing the young woman open the door with her brushes in her hand, her makeup halfway done. "It's just lunch."
Mai didn't respond, and went back to her room, while Atem's eyes searched for Mana as he walked in the living room.
"Give her a rest, Joey; you do this every time we come here." Atem threw himself on the couch, and got comfortable. This was a second home to them, after all.
The girl he was looking for came out of the kitchen, and Atem sat up properly. The shuffling sounds caused Mana to notice him.
"Um... Hi." she stammered, and averted her eyes shyly.
It took Atem a minute to respond to her greeting. His eyes took notice that she was wearing glasses. Suddenly, captivated by her eyes, his throat dried.
"Uh..." he gazed into her eyes. Intimated by his weird and long stare, Mana's hand found her cheek.
"Is there something on my face?" she asked hesitantly.
Atem blinked upon realizing he had been staring so openly. "No, I'm sorry. I was just... Do you use contacts lenses?"
The brunette looked like she was almost going to laugh. Atem just knew that look. "I do."
He let out a forced laugh to ease the tension he caused. "Oh, okay... Because your eyes were a different color the last time I saw you, if I recall correctly." Gray with aquamarine undertones, thought Atem but didn't say it aloud.
"You would be right, I use black lenses." she touched her black glasses.
Atem only nodded and kept his opinion to himself. "Why colored?"
Mana fiddled with her fingers. "I... wanted to try it out." She decided not to explain that her dead boyfriend was haunting her and she was punishing him by not letting him admire her emerald eyes.
They were his favorite thing to look at, he would say back then. And now he taunted her for this silly restriction.
After Mai was done with her makeup, and Mana had put on her contacts on; they left the house to go to one of the restaurants nearby. It wasn't necessarily fancy, but good, still.
"So, what do you think? We come here quite often." asked Mai and elbowed Mana from her chair.
"The food aren't pricey." she mumbled and continued to choose a meal for herself.
Joey yawned and leaned back. "You don't talk much, do you Mana?"
Mai stumped her high heeled foot into Joey's leg, making him jump and yelp. "Shut it you loudmouth!" The way he talked without thinking drove Mai mad. He was going to make someone really upset someday.
"Sorry - I'm sorry!" the blond tried to keep his cool and rubbed his leg. "Mai..."
Mana looked up at Joey, but didn't say anything. As her protective friend defended Mana, she felt a chill up her spine.
"My, my... he has no manners." he said appearing just behind her.
The brunette frowned, and stared at the menu in front of her. The best way to get rid of him was to ignore him.
"You have to excuse him, Mana." said Atem apologetically and threw a look at Joey.
"Your standards for friends got lower and lower after me, I see." Bakura mused. "The blonde next to you. You met her when I was still around, right?"
Mana furrowed her eyebrows and her eyes narrowed. Her grip on the menu was getting stronger.
"Until you can manage to say something appropriate keep that mouth shut." Mai narrowed her eyes at the blond.
"Mai. Yes. She hasn't changed. Still has your back. Good."
Hearing his words, her eyes softened. Bakura used
to got along with Mai as well, when he would visit Mana at her work. It wasn't what Mana would call a friendship but Mai still remembered him, and he remembered her.
Well, of course he would. He was something Mana had created with her own mind.
"Oh, do my eyes deceive me or is he checking you out?"
Mana looked up and saw Bakura walk and stand next to Atem, who was just in time to rip his eyes off of the girl sitting in front of her. He had a pinkish blush on his cheeks.
"Excuse me." Mana stood up and sprinted to the restrooms. When there, she walked in one of the stalls.
The worst part of having him around was not being able to talk to him with others around. She had no intentions of being labeled as a lunatic.
"Where are you?" she called out for Bakura.
"Right here, love." he tapped on her shoulder to turn her around.
Mana sighed. "Can't you at least... not come out while I'm outside?" She rubbed her temples.
The ghost put his hands on his hips. "I try to. But I sensed that you were feeling down." Bakura frowned. "That idiot just ruined your day, didn't he?"
"He didn't do it on purpose." said Mana, but more to herself.
It was true that she didn't talk much. She didn't wake up energetic any longer. Not starting the day with someone waiting for you, was something that she still didn't get use to.
It was as if when her Ryou left, he had taken her with him, and left a soulless body behind.
His pale face got closer. "But he hurt you."
Mana rolled her eyes, she chuckled out of self-pity. "I'm used it by now."
"You're such a bummer, my fragile flower." Bakura sang, grinning. He used to say it to mock her, copying her words.
She couldn't help but smile at that. "You stole my line."
"But it put a smile on your pretty face."
Then he left, the joy he caused still prominent on Mana's face.
She returned to their table short after. Joey was the one to talk first. "Mana, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it, I was just-"
"It's alright, Joey. We're good." She reassured and mustered the most genuine smile she could.