We have an update! Sorry this took so long, there were just a million interruptions. If I wasn't busy then FanGirl16's internet wasn't working, and when it was I was busy, and when she wasn't busy my internet/laptop broke ... it was just a general nightmare haha. But it is written, and it is here! Thank you for your patience, and hope you enjoy! XD

Yugi sat at his laptop happily, the Millennium Puzzle in its usual place around his neck as he logged into Skype. He was quite excited about today, because he knew that Joey was going to introduce him to the new Egyptian. Kiram had seemed very friendly on Skype, and Yugi had to admit that he was looking forward to meeting him, especially as he had said that he had rare Duel Monsters' cards. An orange screen suddenly blinked at the bottom of his desktop, and Yugi pulled up Skype, smiling when he saw that Joey had messaged him. His expression drooped a bit, however, when he saw what Joey had typed. 'Hey Yuge, I can't go with you and Kiram today, Tristan's tryin' ta see Serenity again.'

Yugi read the message a few times with sad, purple eyes. He had been looking forward to seeing everyone there, present. Unfortunately it seemed that he would have to go alone when meeting Kiram and Ryou. He couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed at Tristan for being so forward. It was clear he had a crush on Serenity, but even he had to admit that Tristan was trying too hard. Because of his actions it ultimately led to angering Joey and irritating Yugi. Of course, the small boy was too kind to show his irritation, but this time there was no one there to see his annoyance. Yugi let his frustration show clearly as a dark frown and quickly placed his pale fingers to the keyboard where he typed a reply. 'That's perfectly fine Joey. I hope to see you soon.' The boy's index finger slid from the 'n' button and pushed on enter. With a disappointed sigh, Yugi placed his laptop on the floor by his feet. He had lost interest in it now.

The Puzzle lightly glowed, and that comforting shadow that Yugi had come to trust so much appeared by his side. Yami looked with an almost sad expression down at Yugi, who sighed loudly and rested his head in his hands. "I'm fine, Yami. Honestly."

"I didn't say you weren't, Yugi," Yami responded softly. "But you're clearly upset about something."

"It's Joey," Yugi said a little sadly. "I just wish he was coming, too. Ryou will be there with Kiram, but I just wish I had more of a familiar face with me. I mean, sure, I know Ryou, but not as well as Joey."

A frown briefly creased Yami's translucent brow as he hovered by Yugi's side. He placed one insubstantial hand on Yugi's shoulder, knowing that the small teen couldn't feel the touch, but that it would be appreciated anyway. It was certainly strange that Joey would so quickly pull out of the meeting. "Ryou? Ryou Bakura?"

Yugi looked up with shining purple eyes, his expression downcast. "Yeah, Ryou Bakura. Why?"

The shadowy Yami stared at his companion with a rather glazed look in his eyes. His eyebrows furrowed in thought, but his eyes remained far away. Yugi watched his Yami in confusion, becoming more worried the longer Yami stayed quiet. Why was the name Ryou Bakura such a trigger to his ghostly friend? Sure, the name Bakura still sent shivers up his spine but the spirit had gone now. Ryou had come to him in a panic and had reassured Yugi that the dark spirit's presence had vanished. Of course, he had been sceptical at first but even he could no longer feel Bakura's aura. However Ryou had wanted to keep the Ring despite everything. It still seemed to bother the pale boy at times and Yugi had seen pained expressions on Ryou's face at school. Maybe he could finally get Ryou to part with the Ring today, though he had told Kiram to keep the Ring away from Ryou.

"Yami?" Yugi asked hesitantly as he waved a hand in front of his blank face. Yami didn't move which made the other even more concerned. "Yami!"

"Huh?" Yami said as his eyes came back into focus after a couple of blinks. Yugi gave Yami a smile.

"Welcome back. You okay?" Yami's eyes narrowed as his previous thoughts rushed back to him. He gripped Yugi's other shoulder although, if Yugi wanted to move, Yami couldn't keep him planted.

"Does Ryou still have the Ring?" Yami asked, his tone determined.

"Yes, you knew this. We let him keep it, remember?"

Yami shook his head, his eyes widening in something akin to fear. "Is he wearing it? Will he be wearing it today?"

Yugi frowned, standing to be better able to trace the spirit's expression. "Yes, he will have it today; why? What's the problem?"

Yami was looking out into the distance, his expression glazed over and his eyes seeming to pass straight through his young partner. Yugi watched with worry growing in his gut. "Yami? What is it? What's wrong?"

Yami's only response was a whispered, "Kiram ... an Egyptian called Kiram ... Gods, how stupid do they think we are? He even mentioned being a great duellist and knowing a white spirit!"

As Yugi stared up at his partner, his jaw suddenly dropped in shock as he realised just exactly what Yami was getting at. Yugi jumped back, his hands automatically flying to his Puzzle as if to make sure it still hung in its proper place, safe around his neck. "You don't think - Marik? Marik wouldn't dare to come back here, would he?"

Yami looked down at Yugi, trying to seem comforting although his eyes betrayed his inner worry. "I think we must be very cautious. If Ryou has his Ring, bad things tend to happen, and now we suspect Marik ... We must take great care here, Yugi."

Yugi nodded up at Yami, his face was still betraying his slight fear. He wasn't sure what to think of this. Marik had moved away after Duellist Kingdom presumably with Ishizu and Odion. Yugi had been sure that Marik would stay with them and not bother with his silly plans. Of course, Yugi had to be naive and believe everything 'Kiram' had said. The pale boy sighed in frustration and released a hand on the puzzle to rub his face. How could he have been so stupid! But...

Yugi turned to Yami with a quizzical purple gaze. "So, Kiram is Marik." Yami nodded "But what about Bakura? Surely Marik wouldn't be working alone." Yami regarded his partner carefully before speaking.

"I think that 'Joey' is Bakura, aibou," Yami replied with a frown.

Yugi's eyes widened in shock. "Joey?! No! You don't think Joey's been captured?"

"No, I don't." A gentle smile tugged at Yami's lips as he gazed down at Yugi, his insubstantial hands still placed lightly on his shoulders. His young partner could still be so innocent at times. "I suspect Bakura hacked Joey's Skype account. That would explain his sudden refusal to come to the meeting today – Bakura will be posing as Ryou, and he and Marik wouldn't want you to get suspicious when Joey doesn't show up."

Yugi thought it over, his violet eyes narrowing with each consecutive idea. "Of course. It would be just like Bakura to try something as devious as that." A small part of Yugi still rejected the thought, though; he had always trusted Joey implicitly, and the idea that he had been tricked into thinking he was talking to Joey made Yugi's skin crawl. He felt even worse when he realised that he'd really been talking to the Spirit of the Ring, and not his amiable friend. Yugi couldn't hold back a shudder.

Yami's eyes softened as he stared down at Yugi, his fingers tightening on the shoulders. He knew that Marik and Bakura weren't complete idiots. For once it seemed they knew what they were doing, or at least Bakura did. Still, Yami knew that both fools could be sorted out, but he and Yugi had to be smart about this. It was just lucky they had both figured out Marik's and Bakura's plan.

"Yugi, like I said, we have to be careful," Yami started. Yugi's face had seemed to calm slightly so Yami continued. "We have to outsmart them somehow."

Yugi watched as his friend's expression turned thoughtful, a slight glint to the spirit's eye. "Do you have a plan, Yami?"

"I just might," The other answered mysteriously.

Yami beckoned Yugi closer, lowering his head so that his lips just brushed his ear. When Yugi heard the plan a wide grin stretched across his face, and he turned with a laugh to the phone.

...

"Marik!" Bakura called as he darted along the street, racing to catch up with the stupid Egyptian. He knew Marik had some reason to be mad at him – that hug had been decidedly weird – but really, this was taking things too far. If they were to stand any chance at all of succeeding in this plan, they would need to work together. Marik's back remained stiff, his head turned firmly forwards down the street, and so Bakura was forced to run after him, feeling decidedly stupid. He cursed under his breath when Marik turned a corner. "Marik, stop! Don't be such a fool."

Marik growled to himself when he heard Bakura's voice even closer than it was five minutes ago. Bakura was a quick runner so it surprised the Egyptian that Bakura hadn't caught up with him yet. Still, Marik was grateful for the space he had now. He was able to think straight and calm the burning in his cheeks. He told himself it was just anger, but deep down he knew it was something else. Why had Bakura had to act all ... fluffy? It seemed even his rare personality matched his nickname. Bakura was strange, but he had never been so soft before. It was scary and so out of character for him. Sure, it was a hug but Bakura never touched him like that. Marik could tell it wasn't teasing either.

The Egyptian sighed and wrapped his arms around his torso. Why was he even thinking into this? It was a one time thing, it wasn't like Bakura would hug him again. It just felt strange. Marik listened again to the progressively loud voice of his friend, and his footsteps slapping off the pavement. Marik decided stretching was a good idea at that moment. He might as well enjoy the amount of space he had until Bakura caught up.

Bakura watched sullenly, his eyes narrowed at his Egyptian companion as Marik stretched. The gesture seemed nonchalant, and Bakura for some inexplicable reason felt irritated – he had just been forced to run half-way round the block to catch up with him, and Marik didn't look fazed at all. Growling deep in his throat, Bakura pushed the last few steps forward and caught Marik's arm, spinning the blond Egyptian round. "Marik. What the hell is wrong with you? Why didn't you wait for me?"

Marik stiffened in Bakura's grip, instinctively pulling away from the hand on his arm. After the hug back at the flat, he was still definitely jumpy and extremely wary of any move Bakura might make. Bakura noticed his preoccupation and rolled his eyes, but he didn't release Marik. "I'm not going to jump you, if that's what you're worried about. I just want to know what your problem is. We need to focus on defeating Yugi, and I can't be dealing with you having a hissy fit over something as ridiculous as this."

Marik stayed silent, his lips set in a firm line. He didn't know what to say to Bakura. What could he say? Bakura was his best friend so saying something like 'Oh, Bakura. It just felt so friggin awkward when you hugged me. Never do it again because it makes me blush' would definitely end that friendship in a heartbeat. It would probably end with some violence too knowing Bakura. Staying quiet was the best thing besides, if things did get bad, he could just use his puppy eyes and act cute. That always seemed to work with Bakura.

The pale boy's grip tightened on the tanned arm, nails digging painfully into the flesh when he received no answer. The brown eyes regarded Marik in annoyance before he became extremely impatient with the silence.

"Bloody answer me!" Bakura hissed, not even realising his sudden temper or how tight his grip was. A small cry of pain pulled him back through the haze to be met with a fearful, violet stare.

Marik gazed up at Bakura, his slim form shaking slightly. The creases around his eyes betrayed his pain. Bakura felt a sudden rush of remorse pool in his gut, and he grimaced at the unfamiliar feeling. He never felt remorse. This stupid Egyptian was ruining him. With a low growl, Bakura violently shoved Marik away from him and crossed his arms, tilting his chin upwards. "Fine. You just carry on with whatever strop you're in now, and I'll go and defeat the Pharaoh on my own. I'll let you know how I get on." Bakura pushed passed Marik without another word, his arms curled angrily into fists and his feet slapping loudly on the pavement. He had had enough of Marik's games.

Marik watched with wide eyes as Bakura stormed away. He hadn't wanted to drive him away, but if he told Bakura the truth then things would only get more awkward between them, and he couldn't afford to ruin this friendship. Bakura was everything to him – a companion, a friend, a partner in crime. Marik hated seeing him walk away. With a frustrated snarl, Marik jogged after Bakura and fell into step beside him, tucking his hands into his pockets and deciding to pretend as if nothing had happened. "So, nice weather today, huh?"

Bakura's eyes glanced to the boy beside him, still narrowed in an irritated glare. He stayed silent, not at all in the mood to bother with Marik anymore. The boy was a mystery, an annoying one at that. The more Bakura stayed to discover everything about Marik, the boy had suddenly decided to confuse Bakura more. Though now, the spirit decided to just let this mystery reveal itself. Marik was obviously worried about that hug, and tried to avoid him as much as possible. Unfortunately, Marik's loyalty kept him by Bakura's side. He just wished to know what the bloody hell was wrong with it.

Marik was clearly gay, but too damn stubborn to accept it. But, Bakura could tell how uncomfortable the Egyptian was in his arms. He felt a pull in his chest, but thought to ignore it. Marik would eventually figure everything out including his sexuality. Bakura had nothing to worry about, not that he felt worried in the first place.

Marik grew more worried every moment of Bakura's silence. Clearly, he was still mad. Marik shifted nervously, his fingers looping together and his bottom lip catching between his teeth as he cast around desperately for something to say to cheer Bakura up. He hated to see his partner cross, especially with him. Marik coughed, his mind finally turning to where they were going. A smile pulled at his lips as he thought of something Bakura would most certainly be interested in. "So, what's the plan, Bakura? What are we going to do once we get to the Game Shop?"

Bakura stayed silent for another moment, casting Marik a final suspicious look before he settled into a familiar smirk. Marik felt warmth spread through his body when he saw the familiar devilish expression. Bakura's eyes gleamed as he spoke. "We need Yugi to believe that we are perfectly innocent. I can easily pretend to be Ryou, and you look ridiculous enough to pass as some dumb Egyptian. I don't think Yugi will suspect anything."

Marik's lips curved into a smirk of his own, mirroring his partner's. That was until he realised what Bakura had just said. "Hey!" Marik cried, spinning slightly to glare up at Bakura. "Kiram isn't dumb."

Brown eyes rolled. "He is looking like that." Marik's face showed his annoyance as he huffed whilst crossing his arms, ignoring the loud guffaws of Bakura. Their laughs and bickering drowned the awkwardness between them considerably as they turned another corner. Both boys immediately clamped their mouths shut when they spotted the game shop a few metres away.

Bakura's eyes gleamed as Marik stiffened beside him, his lips twisting back into a grin. They both just stared for a moment, identical evil grins spreading across their faces as they started walking forwards. Marik caught Bakura's arm as they moved, turning his face up to his partner in crime, all awkwardness lost in his wide violet eyes. "Fluffy? This will work, won't it?"

Bakura looked at him, captured in his violet gaze, and something fluttered in his chest. His brows lowered as his grin stretched, his expression downright devilish as he responded. "Of course it will, Marik. What could possibly go wrong?"

It didn't take the two boys long to get to the building. Marik still held onto Bakura's arm for support. He hadn't even thought of their closeness or his feelings for personal space. Marik was too preoccupied staring at the small door in front of him. A friendly sign hung in his face, making him aware that the shop was open. He could hear shuffling of feet on the other side of the door which made him grin. Yugi must seem very impatient at the moment as he was kept waiting. Marik felt like laughing, but managed to keep his mouth shut. Instead the Egyptian turned his excited gaze to Bakura. When the violet eyes set on his partner, Marik couldn't help but gasp quietly. Bakura's pink lips were curved into a handsome smirk revealing his sharp canines. The brown eyes were dancing as they stared at the sign on the door. His white hair swung around his shoulders, framing his face beautifully in the light. Though most of his pale skin was shadowed by the locks of hair. In Marik's opinion, Bakura looked very intimidating with such a sly expression gracing his face. The tanned boy didn't even realise he had been staring until Bakura turned to look at him. The smirk widened.

"Are you going to knock?" The spirit asked, his tone amused.

Marik coughed and turned his head away. "Of course. You better hurry up and get into character, and act nice."

Bakura's smirk suddenly turned into a kind smile, his brown eyes softening until he no longer looked like himself. "Aren't I always?" the voice was still clearly Bakura's and Marik couldn't help but chuckle as his fist connected with the door.

The door was opened within seconds of Marik's knock, revealing a very agitated-looking Yugi. Wide eyes took in Marik's rather odd attire, eyes raking over his ill-fitting outfit, strange hat and the sunglasses that covered his eyes. With a small gulp, Yugi's gaze slid over to Bakura, his expression momentarily wilting before a bright smile covered his features. "Ryou! It's so great to see you again. And this must be Kiram?"

Bakura forced himself to keep the kind smile on his lips, his features soft and gentle as he responded. "Hello, Yugi. Yes, this is Kiram; he's new here."

Marik, bored of simply listening to the others' speech, cut in quickly with a wide grin. "Hey, Yugi! I was talking to you on Skype, and now I'm meeting you in person! This is so cool!"

Bakura's smile became fixed.

Yugi, however, simply laughed, sticking his hand out in Marik's direction. "Hello, Kiram. It's great to finally see you. You're very..." Yugi's wide eyes slid over his strange outfit once more, smile tugging at his lips. "...Exotic."

Marik happily gripped onto Yugi's hand, a bit too violently. The smaller of the two tried not to wince at the strong grip, his smile wilting slightly.

"It is nice to meet you too, Yugi." Marik replied with a grin. Bakura almost face palmed at the friendliness going on beside him. It was almost sickening. Yugi seemed to notice Bakura's small frown and turned to him, slipping his hand from Marik's death grip.

"Is everything okay, Ryou?" Yugi asked politely. If it had really been Ryou, Yugi would have at least rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. However, the boy decided to keep his distance just this once. Bakura didn't seem to notice as he widened his eyes in an innocent expression.

"Oh. Everything is fine, Yugi," Bakura answered immediately. To make the act more believable, Bakura wrapped his arms around his torso and shook his body in a shiver. "It's just a little chilly out today." Yugi's eyes widened in realisation and stepped back in order to let the guests in.

"Of course. I'm sorry, please come in."

Bakura held the door for his odd Egyptian companion, allowing him to enter the shop first. Marik happily bounded in, looking around with an eager expression at all the stalls. "Ooh! You have a lot of rare cards. Mine are rarer, of course, because I am an extremely amazing duellist, but you have some pretty good ones here."

Bakura quickly retreated into a shadowy corner, burying his head in his hands. Marik was so dense at times. Yugi seemed to lap it up, though, heading over to the Egyptian's side with a happy smile. "Yes, my grandfather loves to collect rare cards."

"I can see that!" Marik laughed. "But mine are better. When I was in Egypt I made a point of collecting the best. I even had a group working for me – we were called the Rare Hu-"

Bakura leaped across the shop, his hand slamming over Marik's mouth before the idiot could give anything more away. Turning with a soft smile back to Yugi, Bakura chirruped, "Yes, we like to look at cards. Would your grandfather mind awfully if we had a look at his rarest?"

Yugi looked a little questioning at their odd behaviour, but he turned happily enough to the back of the shop. As soon as his back was turned Marik sent a death glare to his pale partner, attempting to speak around his hand, but all that came out were muffled noises.

Bakura glared right back, his hand tightening around Marik's lips. Bakura glanced over his shoulder quickly to see if Yugi was nearby. When he noticed the midget over by the front counter away from them Bakura turned back to his idiotic partner with a hiss.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're playing at?" Bakura snarled, throwing his hand away from the boy when Marik tried to talk again.

"What do you think? I'm blending in," Marik stated with a huff, his chin rising as he glared at his partner.

"Like hell you are!" Bakura replied "You can't even say a sentence without slipping up."

"I can too!" Marik cried as his hands came to rest against his hips. Bakura was about to argue when Yugi's small voice sounded from behind him.

"My grandfather's rare cards are over here." Bakura clamped his mouth shut and twisted his arm around Marik in order to shove him forwards. The Egyptian growled under his breath before eventually making his way over to the counter where several cards lay. Of course, these cards were nowhere near as rare as his, he showed his pride through a large, toothy grin.

"Well these are pretty good, Yugi, but mine are much better!" Marik boasted loudly, his chin tilting upwards. Bakura wanted to slap him. Marik was insufferable at the best of times, but he was taking it to a whole new level. They were supposed to be staying low profile, only that seemed to have gone completely over the stupid Egyptian's head.

Yugi didn't seem fazed by Marik's odd behaviour, however. He smiled widely, turning to the Egyptian with a gentle laugh. "Wow, Kiram, yours must be really good. I'd love to see them."

Marik positively exploded with pride. "Well, I don't know, you have to be pretty special to even be in the presence of my cards. They're, like, really dangerous. When my group and I were practising with them there were even a couple of fatalities. Nothing serious or anything, just a couple of people, but it worked because now I have lots of really pale cards!"

Bakura clamped down on his lower lip. Even Yugi took a step back at that, his expression drooping slightly as he stared at Marik, swallowing carefully. "R-really? What happened?"

Marik, of course, was completely oblivious. He opened his mouth, his chest puffing out as he drew in a breath, but Bakura was back by his side in seconds. Nails digging into Marik's arm, Bakura strove to keep his voice light and innocent as he turned to Yugi. "Enough talk of rare cards – I don't have any, after all. I'm sure you wouldn't want to leave me out, right, Yugi?"

Yugi seemed grateful for the change of subject and turned to Bakura with a shaky smile. "Of course, Ryou. I'm sorry, we haven't been talking to you much."

Bakura waved a pale hand. "It's perfectly fine, Yugi. Could we perhaps go somewhere more comfortable?" The sharp nails dug further into Marik's arm as a warning to keep his mouth closed. Marik's face turned into a grimace as his arm stung even worse. Bakura had decided to stab the marks that were left there earlier. The spirit didn't notice.

"Yes, of course. This way." Yugi turned, gulping as he led the two villains further into his home. Steep stairs climbed up through a small door behind the counter. Yugi waited by it and pushed the door open allowing Bakura and Marik through. When the boy was sure they weren't in earshot, Yugi placed his hands on either side of the Millennium Puzzle. His fingers gripped the gold in a tight grip as he let out a breath.

"Yami, when do we tell them?" Yugi whispered down to the jewellery. The gold seemed to shimmer slightly, letting out a low hum.

"Soon, Aibou. I'm still here with you" Yami's deep voice echoed through the boy's mind. It was so calming to hear that voice. Yugi wasn't used to spending so much time without Yami's spirit beside him. Nevertheless, Yugi knew he was with him. He let out another breath before stepping back and heading through the door.

Bakura and Marik were stood by the window, Marik angrily pulling his arm out of his pale partner's grip. "Ouch, fluffy! That hurts!"

"Shut up," Bakura growled. "You're ruining everything."

Marik sniffed, his lips pursing into a petulant pout, but Bakura sent him a warning glare. Marik glared right back.

Yugi watched them, fear still clenching in his gut although he couldn't quite hold back a smile at their antics. He released a small cough and Bakura instantly jumped away from Marik, his features softening once again into a perfect mimicry of Ryou. Yugi briefly wondered where his classmate actually was; he worried for him, trapped by that evil spirit. Bakura smiled softly. "So, Yugi, this is your room?"

Yugi swallowed as he replied. "Yes, yes, this is my room."

"Well, it's really small," Marik cut in, still seething from Bakura's rough treatment. "Although not as small as Ryou's. His is tiny. Like, there isn't even enough room to walk from side to side in. Mine is much nicer."

Bakura heaved a sigh at his companion's childishness, attempting to keep his tone light and only half-succeeding. "I'm sure Yugi doesn't care about our comparative room sizes, Kiram."

Yugi forced a bigger smile onto his face, his nails scraping silently down the side of the puzzle. "Oh, no. It is interesting to hear different points of views," he tried to sound as enthusiastic as he could. Bakura stared at Yugi, unable to hide his raised eyebrow. Well, he hadn't been expecting that.

Marik seemed ecstatic at the reply though. His body leapt forward excitedly, though he stayed away from Yugi for the moment. "Really?!" Marik asked. His hands clasping together by his chest. "Are you a fan of arranging furniture like me, Yugi?"

Bakura blinked.

"Well, I do enjoy tidying and rearranging," Yugi replied with a smile. Bakura blinked again. Had Marik actually found something he and Yugi had in common, besides trading cards? Marik did, as he put it, like to arrange furniture. He often spent most of the day tidying each room ... if he wasn't annoying Bakura. Though, arranging the furniture was annoying too. Bakura had wanted the house in a certain way so he could do things to his advantage. He had the television placed in the living room, but facing slightly in the direction to his bedroom doorway in order to watch it wherever he liked. The sofa was placed in the dark corner of the room but facing the window, so he could look out if he wanted. Of course, Marik had the habit of changing the layout of the rooms however he wanted only to change his mind again. At the end of every day, Bakura often set the television and sofa back in their original position. It was more than irritating waking up with the house changed again.

So Yugi did this, too? Bakura blinked thrice.

Marik's grin almost bounced off his face. "That's brilliant! I adore moving things around, I mean it just keeps everything fresh and exciting! If you leave things in one place for too long then things will get boring. Mr Grumpy-Pants over there always disagrees with me, though, he gets so mad whenever I move things around the apartment."

Bakura resisted the urge to scream. Could Marik be any more obvious? He may as well have just announced to Yugi their true identities upon arrival! Unable to hold back a low growl, Bakura stalked up behind Marik and caught his arm, hard. His nails dug in to scratches he had left there earlier, and Marik instantly winced. "Ouch! What are you doing?!"

"I think," Bakura stated through gritted teeth, "That Yugi has heard enough about our home lives for one day."

Yugi's wide eyes were surprisingly unfazed as he looked at Bakura, though. "Oh, no, don't worry about that, Ryou." He stepped a little further into his room, his hands curling slightly around the Puzzle. "It's a shame that Joey couldn't be here today. I'm sure he would have loved to hear this."

Bakura lifted a brow, frown creasing his forehead before he remembered that he was supposed to be acting like Ryou, and forced a vacuous smile back onto his features. "Oh, that's true. It is a shame he couldn't come."

"Of course it is!" Marik announced loudly, wrenching his arm away from Bakura's with a pointed glare. "He is missing out on the amazing powers of my company."

Yugi stared at Marik for a moment, but blinked in surprise when a ghostly voice whispered in his mind. "Alright. I think it is time to show our secret weapon." Yugi almost laughed at the phrasing. It was hardly a weapon at all. Still, Yugi did as he was instructed and released the Puzzle, letting it swing against his chest. The boy coughed into a fist to get the other's attentions. They had seemed to have started arguing quietly again. Marik's head shot up at the noise and forced a smile.

"Would you like to help me in deciding where my furniture would go, Kiram?" Yugi asked shyly. Marik's eyes almost popped out his head, luckily they were hidden by the dark glasses. However a bright smile adorned his childish face as he bounded over to the smaller boy.

"Oh, yes. How were you thinking of arranging it? Did you want your desk so close to the window? Urgh, that curtain does not go with the wallpaper!" Bakura felt like bursting into fits of laughter at how womanly Marik sounded. He had run off straight to the curtains to inspect their horrid texture. Yugi was blushing lightly at having his room looked through, but calmed himself as Marik skipped back over.

"Um ... Kiram? I was actually struggling with the wardrobe. It will be nice to have your opinion on it," Yugi said when Marik was close enough to him. Bakura stayed in the dark corner with his arms crossed. This situation was clearly more amusing than he had thought. He was going to surprisingly enjoy this ridiculous predicament. He watched as Marik's smile widened and he turned towards the large wooden wardrobe by the bed. Yugi stayed back, a genuine cheeky grin curving his features. It was missed by the two other boys in the room.

"This one?" Marik asked, placing his fingers on the doors.

"Yes. Could you look inside? I find it helps finding the width," Yugi smiled, his head cocking to the side. From within his mind he could hear deep chuckling echoing in his subconscious. Marik nodded.

"I'll see what I can find. I just hope you have good clothes in here, not as good as mine obviously," Marik replied arrogantly, sticking his chin in the air.

"I'm sure you'll find something" Yugi answered as Marik's nails scratched the wood. The Egyptian's smile never left his face as he wrenched open the doors. A loud screech echoed throughout the room as the doors smacked against the wall. Marik's lips parted as a deafening scream escaped him followed by a startled, uncharacteristic yelp from the boy in the corner. Neither one was prepared for what was waiting for them in that dark wardrobe.

Ahh, cliffhanger! Haha. Hopefully the next update will be out soon. Thanks a lot to everyone reading/reviewing/favouriting/following, we are extremely grateful. See you next chapter! – Jem and FanGirl16