Ryou: My back still hurts...
Tea: Aww...I'm sorry.
Simple Songwriter: Ooo...I think the pie is done!
Bakura: YAY! More pie for me!
Simple Songwriter: No more pie for you.
Bakura: No fair...(pouts)
Simple Songwriter: Sorry to keep y'all waiting. Here's chapter 4 for you!
Disclaimer: Simple Songwriter doesn't own Yu-gi-Oh! However, she does own a new video game...
Chapter 4: Softening Up
Tea was in shock. Ryou's back was covered with large streaks of semi-dry blood. The blood had stained his white undershirt that he was wearing, but didn't really stain his black T-shirt.
"What happened?" Tea asked worriedly.
"I—I was jumped…" Ryou replied.
"By whom?"
"M—Marik and his gang. I—" He started coughing violently. Tea's eyes widened in fear.
"I'll go get Bakura!" She ran over to Bakura's room and heaved the door open. Bakura was busy sharpening his knife and didn't take too kindly to the intrusion.
"What is it now…?" Bakura snarled.
"I—It's Ryou…Please…I don't know what to do."
"What's wrong with him? Did he drop the groceries on his foot or something?"
"No. He was jumped." Bakura sat up straight.
"By whom?"
"He said by Marik and his gang."
"Marik!" Bakura's face turned deep red. "That dirty, good for nothing son of a—" He swore colorfully in both English and Egyptian. Tea was very intimidated by him, but dragged him into Ryou's room. Ryou had turned pale from coughing. Bakura went back into his room and when he returned, was carrying a glass of water. He gave it to his Light, who drank it gratefully. "What happened Ryou?"
"Before I answer anything, what time is it?"
"It's 12:00 now." said Tea looking at her watching.
"No way!" Ryou protested. "I couldn't have been gone for three and a half hours!"
"But you said yourself that you'd be gone for three hours or so."
"I was exaggerating…"
"ENOUGH!" Bakura yelled. He glared at Tea. "Not another word out of you until I speak to you. Understood?" She gulped and then nodded. He then turned back to Ryou. "Explain. And spare NO detail. I want the full truth."
"Okay. I had walked to the grocery store in downtown Domino and picked up about a hundred dollars worth of food. I had a couple of dollars left in my pocket, and I was gonna head over to the arcade. But someone came up behind me and hit my head. The next thing I knew, my hands and feet were tied onto a table in which I was lying face-down on. I looked up and saw Marik, Seto, Rafael, Alister, and Valon standing in front of me. Marik kept asking about the money. All I could say was that I didn't have it. They had taken the chains that were on my pants and tied it around my neck. Then Rafael and Alister took some bullwhips and started whipping my back. After about an hour or so of them beating me, Marik untied me and he told me to meet him in the alley at the stroke of midnight with the money, or he'd take away the thing that I love the most. So after he took me out of his hideout, I struggled to find my way back here. I was almost too weak to walk. It was only when I got to the door that I realized my groceries were missing… I'm s—sorry K—Kura…" Without warning, Ryou burst into tears and buried his head into Bakura's chest.
"Shhh…" Bakura said soothingly. "It's alright. I won't let 'em hurt you."
"(Wow…)" Tea thought. "(I never knew Bakura had a sensitive side to him…Hmm…What I would do for one of HIS hugs…)" She blushed furiously at the thought.
"Where are we supposed to find fifty thousand dollars by tonight!" Ryou cried.
"(Who do we have to murder to get out of this stupid deal?)" Bakura thought.
"/Hey! I heard that/"
"/So what? It's not like I'm gonna kill anyone in the near future…/" Bakura closed the mind link. "Shadow Magic won't help us this time."
"Then what do we do?"
"I—I think I can help…" Tea stuttered. Both white-haired teens turned and stared at her for a minute before—
"REALLY!" Bakura exclaimed.
"Huh?" Ryou quirked an eyebrow. "No…I don't want you to get involved. It could be—"
"Quiet Light. Now, how would you be able to do this? Are you gonna be some rich guy's sex slave for tonight?" Bakura earned a smack on the head from Tea. "Oww…I was only joking…"
"I would need your help. Both of you. At my house, my dad stored our family's life savings in a hidden safe.
"Hmm…Interesting. But where do we come in?"
"I don't know whether my dad is dead or alive, but if he's alive, I need someone to hold him off while I look for the safe."
"Piece of pie!" Bakura grinned.
"D—Don't you mean 'piece of cake' Kura?" Ryou asked.
"I like pie…"
Both Ryou and Tea sweatdropped. "Anyways…While Bakura is holding off my father, you and I will look for the safe. After we've found it, if possible Ryou, could you maybe use your Millennium Ring to decipher the combination."
"Uh. I guess so…?" Ryou replied.
"When should we do this?" Bakura asked eagerly.
"Later tonight. Let's say…10:30." Tea said. "Ryou…You need your rest. But I need someone to be my backup when I go check my place out again. Y'know…Just to make sure everything is set up for tonight."
"N—Nonsense Tea…" Ryou started. "I—I'll come with you." He collapsed on the spot.
"RYOU!" Tea knelt next to him again. "You really need your rest… I—I'll go alone… I guess…"
"Please Tea… I'm f—fine," he protested.
"The girl's right. You need to stay put."
"But…"
"No buts Light." Ryou put on his little puppy-dog-face and glassy eyes. "Nope. It ain't working on me this time." A tear dropped from his face. "Grrr…You know how much I hate it when you do that…" Another tear dropped from his face. Bakura clenched his fists in hopes to suppress his anger. "If it'll make you feel any better, I'll tag along with your girlfriend."
Instantly, Ryou's eyes lit up. "Thank you Kura!"
"Yeah…Don't mention it…" Bakura muttered under his breath.
"I think it'd be best if we went now." Tea said.
"Fine." Bakura walked back into his room. He grabbed a black hoodie and put it on. Then he walked over to his bedside table, picked up his knife, and put it in his pocket. Then with a deep sigh, he walked back into Ryou's room. He looked up at Tea. "Well? Are we gonna go? Or will we wait a millennium or so?"
"Uh—Let's go." Tea declared. Bakura climbed up the ladder first. Tea immediately followed.
"Hey Tea?" Ryou called out.
"Yeah Ryou?"
"B—Be careful…Alright?"
She smiled. "I will be. Don't worry." And with one last glance, she climbed out of the hideout. Bakura knelt on the grass and closed the entrance to their 'home.'
"Where do we go?"
"This way. Just follow me." Tea started walking. Bakura followed closely. "(Well, this is nice. Some alone time with the darker half. It's what I've wanted for a long time. Sigh…Even though there is not much of a chance for him and I to be together, I can at least try to soften him up. After the way I saw him act with Ryou when he found out about Marik and his gang…Wow…It almost makes me want to get hurt on p—)"
"Watch out!" Bakura yelled. Tea snapped out of her thoughts and turned to see a semi-truck barreling down on her. The truck honked at her several times, but Tea couldn't move. She was completely stupefied. Then suddenly, out of pure impulse, Bakura rushed into the traffic and pulled both himself and Tea to safety. "You idiot! Didn't your mother ever teach you to look both ways before crossing the street?"
"I—Uh…Th—Thank you Bakura…" Tea said as she broke into tears. Quickly, she turned so Bakura couldn't see her crying.
"(Quit your blubbering kid!)" and other remarks flew through his mind.
"/What did you do Kura…/" Ryou asked through the mind link.
"/Your puny girlfriend doesn't know when to cross the street/"
"/What do you mean?/"
"/She almost got ran over by a truck./"
"/WHAT?/"
"/What part about 'almost roadkill' didn't you understand?/"
"/Is she alright?/"
"/Yeah. I snatched her out of the street before she could get clobbered./"
"/Phew… Huh…/"
"/What is it?/"
"/Do you realize what you did?/"
"/Yeah, I seem to have scared her. She's crying…and stuff./"
"/You saved her life! You did good to someone other than me!/"
"/Eh…/" Bakura sweatdropped. "/So? Just because I'm a Tomb Robber doesn't mean I'm completely heartless…/"
"/Yeah it does./"
"/Grrr…Shut up before I decide to throw her back into the street./"
"/Okay fine…You win./"
"/ACK! Why won't she stop bawling?/"
"/Why don't you try comforting her./"
"/Err…come again?/"
"/Comfort her./"
"/I—don't—do—that…/"
"/Sigh… Completely heartless…/"
Bakura's eyebrow twitched. "/I'M NOT COMPLETELY HEARTLESS! Damn it… What do I have to do?/"
"/Heh…I knew you'd see it my way. Just do what you do to me. Hold her close to you. Put your hand on her shoulder. Just—work your magic. N—not your dark magic./"
"/Fine…/" Bakura took a deep breath. Then he put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. "It's okay. You're alright." She wiped her tear-stained face. He gave her a warm, comforting smile. She smiled back. "/I can't believe you made me do that Light…/"
"/That's my job Kura./" Ryou grinned mischievously.
Tea: (blushes) Wow...Bakura...I never knew you had it in you.
Bakura: THAT WAS BLACKMAIL! BLACKMAIL I TELL YOU! (Ryou sniggers in the background)
Simple Songwriter: YAY! PIE! (opens oven; takes out pie; puts it on the windowsill)
Ryou: I must admit Kura...You can be real sweet when you wanna be. (Everyone stares at Ryou) What?
Bakura: That...came...out...weird... (Everyone stares at Bakura)
Simple Songwriter: STARING CONTEST! I got Bakura! (Everyone stares at Simple Songwriter) Okay...This is getting pretty old.
Ryou: Yeah...(Doorbell rings) Huh? Wonder who that could be...(Opens door)
Postman: Package for Mister Bakura Bakura!
Bakura: That'll be me! (Takes package)
Tea: Who's it from?
Bakura: I dunno. It just says 'Have fun.' Oh. It's from someone named T.I. (opens package) PIE! (Everyone sweatdrops) YAY! THANK YOU! I LOVE PIE! (cuddles pie)
Simple Songwriter: Goody...Well, I hope everyone liked this chapter! Please read and review!
Bakura: This pie and I shall take over the story! (Sticks tongue out at Simple Songwriter)
Simple Songwriter: Oh yeah? (grabs her pie) Well, I declare an official PIE FIGHT! (Bakura and Simple Songwriter start chasing after eachother)
Tea & Ryou: Sigh...Here we go again...