Okay, so I honestly tried to make it Malik/Bakura, but it seems like it came out tendershipping anyway. What can I say, I'm a hard-core tendershipper. :D

The kisses they shared were anything but gentle, fierce and hungry but never gentle. It was possible neither could imagine a make out session not ending with bruised and abused lips. The couple had no illusions to their relationship, it was perfectly fine that all they shared was a common desire for a good romp and then to leave the bed with no strings attached.

So when Bakura took the young Egyptian to bed in their usual routine and noticed that Malik didn't respond to his hurried advances his instincts instantly told him to be on guard. Slowing down almost painfully, Bakura lifted his head to acknowledge his lover.

Malik showed no sign of arousal; he simply stared at the ceiling with blank eyes. Growling, the white hair teen sank against his friend with a sigh. Bakura was willing himself to calm down so that he could grab his stuff and get the hell out of here, least Malik try to converse him into some "deep, meaningful" discussion.

Malik blinked out of his daze in that moment and grabbed Bakura's forearms, pulling his "boyfriend" closer, kissing that smirk with a tenderness the older teen had never experienced before. Bakura adopted a look of confusion on his face and he willed the bulge in his pants to disappear so he could escape before-

"Run away with me?" Malik whispered against his lips.

-something like that happened.

Dread…

Utterly and completely dreadful…

How could this situation get any worse?

"Yes."

Ryou was waiting at the park, school had been out for several hours and the sun was even starting to dip into the horizon by now. He had waited patiently on the bench until the younger children left before situating himself in his favorite spot in the park. Scrolling through the songs on his iPod, he scooted towards the center of the merry-go-round and laid himself down, humming to the tune blaring through his ear buds.

After nearly an hour of sitting rigidly until he could have the park to himself, Ryou was now relieved enough into the quiet that had fallen over the disserted park that it was no surprise he had fallen asleep. He had his arm thrown over his head, the hood of his jacket falling out of place to show off his fluffy white hair, his mouth slightly opened and his tongue just barely visible. He was the picture of perfection, sleeping so innocently out in the open like that.

That was how Bakura found him.

"Oi, Ryou," the older teen nudged his brother's foot lightly before climbing onto the play equipment alongside his look alike sibling.

Ryou blinked awake and stretched, Bakura reached an arm over Ryou to grab an ear bud and put it in his ear. Ryou smiled, but didn't speak until the song playing on the iPod finished.

"You keep skipping school like this; Mum and Dad are eventually going to get wind of it."

Bakura choose to ignore this and just stared at the changing sky above them both.

"I was with Malik."

"I know," Ryou said with a grumble. That was usually where Bakura spent the whole day when he didn't go to school with his brother. He tried real hard not to frown at the number of times both boys hadn't shown up at class just in the past month. Ryou didn't want to admit that he was jealous, Malik was his best friend and Bakura was his older brother, he loved both of them respectively and wanted them to be happy. For two years, the three of them had been inseparable but when Bakura and Malik had become lovers, it seemed like they spent all their time with each other and Ryou felt very left out.

"So…what do you think?"

"Eh?" Ryou blinked, "Sorry I wasn't listening." Bakura turned on his side and pinched his brother's cheek, the younger teen yelp and slapped Bakura's hand away from his face.

"I said that…Malik asked me to run away with him." Bakura nearly choked having to say it for a second time, it was still an absurd concept for him to even process. Ryou gasped and turned on his side as well to face his brother.

"You're kidding?"

Bakura found he couldn't look into those doe brown eyes; he shyly traced the metal panels between them. He felt he would crumble under that constant stare, he'd never admit it to anyone but as Ryou held him in high regards Bakura too thought very highly of his younger brother. Ryou was his best friend.

"And?" Bakura winced hearing the wounded tone.

"And…I said yes."

There was a jerk and Bakura had to grab the bars of the merry-go-round to keep himself from falling off as Ryou's hurried exit rocketed the wheel into motion. The older teen frowned as he watched his brother grab his back pack from the park bench and take off running. With a sigh Bakura laid himself back down and stared up at the now spinning sky,

"Dammit," he mused aloud, "that could have gone better."

Ryou knew the instant Bakura had returned home because his parents' voices had erupted in a volume contest that could only be provoked by their rebellious older son. 'Shoo'ing ten year old Amane to her own room where she could block their parents' arguments out with her cartoons, Ryou sat patiently in his room.

He didn't have to wait long.

Apparently Bakura hadn't even wasted time listening to his parents; simply bypassing them to get to the person he really wanted to settle scores with. The older teen burst into the room, shut and locked the door before promptly tacking his brother to the bed. Ryou squeaked and squirmed but Bakura was taller and more muscular, he held Ryou done with one arm and tickled his brother's sides with his free hand.

"Why you gotta ditch me during our 'special time', huh?" Bakura was of course referring to the quality time they spent in the park.

"Aheh, don't make it…ahahaha, sound so dirty…perv!" Ryou was breathless when Bakura finally relented. They laid there for several minutes as the younger of the two caught his breath.

"So, why do you really not want me to go?"

Ryou frowned, "I'm gonna miss you and Malik. I don't really have any other friends ya know." Bakura saw what was coming and grabbed his brother's hand.

"You can't come with us."

Ryou suddenly felt angry once again, not only because Bakura refused him when he was so obviously lonely but because even after so long his brother could still read him like a book.

"It's not even like you two are in a serious relationship, it's just a meaningless fling!" The younger said in a huff. Bakura gave a sad smile and rubbed his thumb over his brother's hand.

"Is that what you've been telling yourself," Bakura teased. Ryou cringed, was it that obvious that he was jealous? "It's ok, that's what I've been telling myself too."

Ryou raised a questioning eyebrow towards his brother but kept quiet. He glanced at their hands and carefully intertwined their fingers. He remember when they were younger, how close they were. They didn't need anyone. Bakura bloomed in high school; his dark personality attracting attention while Ryou was left in the shadows. But Bakura only had eyes for him. But now…because of Malik Bakura was going to leave him behind. How could they be laying together as they were at this moment and feel so far away from each other?

"I don't want to be alone, 'Kura." Bakura rolled over and pulled Ryou to him, hugging him tightly.

"I think…I might love him, Ryou." Bakura felt his younger brother stiffen, he sighed and pulled away to look him in the face. "You know I'll always love you Ryou, you and Amane both." He rubbed his thumb across Ryou's cheek, silently glad there were no tears there. "But whatever I might have with Malik…whatever it could be…well, I need to be absolutely sure."

"Do you really think you might be in love with him?" Ryou nuzzled up to his brother sleepily, somewhere deep down past all the sorrow and jealousy at the thought of those two running away together, he felt a spark of happiness for his friend. Malik deserved happiness with the life he lived, Bakura had always been there for Ryou and he knew that Bakura would look after Malik properly despite his rumored reputation.

Bakura smiled as his sleepy brother and started to close his eyes as well, he hoped for peaceful dreams tonight. He honestly wasn't sure why he had said yes to Malik, it had to be something for Bakura to agree with no hesitation. People went on and on about 'love' being the most powerful force there was on this planet, maybe it was resposible. Bakura wasn't sure. He whispered the only response he could give to a question like that.

"I wouldn't leave you for just anyone."

OWARI