Disclaimer: (closes eyes) I wish, I wish, upon star... that this anime would be mine....(cricket chirps) oh well...SCREW YOU THEN! (runs off crying)

Stalker's Notes: I am so glad that everyone liked the last chapter of Mentality! Yes, the kiss finally happened and now, of course here comes the confused feelings for our bad-ass editor! Read on and see what happens now!

Thank you everyone for the reviews, it makes me happy!

Extra note, the party happened Saturday, this is the next day.


Chapter 11

What We Are

Ishizu Ishtal never accepted patients on Sundays. It was her time to relax, read some older files of her patients she had dealt with in the past. But, as she was looking through one particular file, her cell phone began to ring.

"Hello, Ishizu speaking," she muttered, placing the file aside.

"Zu-Zu!"

Ishizu rolled her eyes. "Yes, Ryou what is it?"

There was shuffling on the other line before Ryou sighed. "I need to come and see you, now."

Ishizu brow raised as she sat up higher in her plush leather couch. "Did something happen Ryou? Where are you?"

The black haired woman looked up when she heard a knock on her door. Slowly, she rose up from her chair and headed for large wooden door and peeped through the eye hole and saw...

"Ryou!"

Quickly opening her door and throwing her phone aside, she ushered in her childhood friend, blue eyes looking over the other's frame.

"Heh, sorry to come here unannounced like this," Ryou said with a small smile, pushing back his hair while doing so.

"It's alright," Ishizu said with a small smile. "You are family."

Ryou couldn't help but smile at this. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said before gesturing the young white haired man to a seat besides her chair. "So, tell me what is going on Ryou?"


"What do you mean you don't have the manuscript ready?" Bakura yelled at an hungover Yami whose head was buried into his folded arms.

"Ugh, the voice Bakura! Tone it down!" he yelled, his head coming to look up at Bakura with his hazed crimson eyes before burying it right back down into his arms again. "I told you, I will have it later on today,"

"Gods," Bakura sighed while running his fingers through his hair. "Your impossible."

"Say what you want to say Bakura," Yami muttered while waving his hand.

Bakura growled before taking his hand of his hip. "Whatever, I am going to be here in the morning to pick it up. You better have it ready otherwise, I am going to beat the shit out of you,"

"It's nice to know I have an understanding editor," Yami muttered before sitting up again, a crooked smile on his face.

Bakura couldn't help but smirk at this. "I'll see you later," he said before turning to walk out of the kitchen, grabbing an apple from the black fruit bowl while doing so.

"Hey wait, Bakura there is something I need to ask you," Yami called, making the editor turn with an brow raised.

"What is it?"

"Are you dating that care nurse, Ryou?"

Bakura froze at this, making Yami smirk. "So you are,"

"We have been out three, maybe four times. I really doubt that counts as dating." Bakura said in a tone which made Yami roll his eyes.

"As I recall, you and Masika went on only one date before you guys stared dating." Yami said while he rummaged through his silver refrigerator.

"That was different. Panya said it was going to help her image if she starting dating someone and it did. Things just happened to escalate from there."

Yami made a sound from the back of his throat, making Bakura shoot a glare at the authors back. Of course, it went unnoticed.

"I am just merely saying," Yami continued. "That little kiss that you two shared at the party last night didn't go unnoticed. You two make quite the couple,"

Bakura only bit into his apple.


"What did you just say?" Ryou all but shrieked, his brown eyes wide as he stared at his psychologist who was smiling softly.

"You heard me." she said simply. "After what you told me, and with that kiss you have shared with the editor, you are falling in love,"

Ryou sighed, his hands running through his hair. "I highly doubt that is the case. I mean...come on Zu-Zu. This is me your talking about. I don't fall in love." he stated.

Ishizu rose an brow. "Listen to yourself Ryou. Listen to that last statement. Everyone falls in love, yes, people have their own ways of showing it...these feelings that you're having, thinking of Bakura constantly, thinking of what he thinks of you....those are signs to me."

Ryou bit his lip and turned away.

"Ryou, just think about it. Who are you trying to convince. Me, or yourself?"

"I- I think I should leave now," Ryou muttered as he picked up his black messenger bag before placing it over his shoulder. "Thanks Zu-Zu."

Ishizu stood before making her way over to her friend and pulled him into soft hug. "Ryou, you deserve a chance at happiness. From what I've heard, Bakura means a lot to you. Don't let him go," she whispered before pulling away and smiled when she saw tears forming in doe brow eyes.

"Now, I will see you next week, alright?" she cooed, wiping away the tears.

"Yeah." Ryou said with a smile.

After leaving Ishizu's condo, Ryou slowly made his way down to the parking lot and over to his truck. He quickly unlocked the oversized vehicle and climbed into the driver's side, throwing his bag in the back seat before leaning back in his seat and took out his cellphone and stared at it.

Was he really...

Was he really falling in love Bakura Sato?

Ryou sighed and placed his cellphone on his dashboard before starting up the truck and slowly began to pull out of the dingy parkway but paused when his phone began to ring.

He knew that ring. It was the one he had set for Bakura when he called.

Quickly, the care nurse put his car back into park before reaching for his black-silver phone. Taking a big sigh, he flipped it open.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, are you busy?"

Ryou blinked suddenly. "No, I just left a friend's house. What's the matter?"

"I need to talk to you. Can you meet me at that cafe' we went too a couple days ago?"

Ryou ignored the sudden thump in his chest. "Um, yeah sure. I am fifteen minutes from there."

"Good, I am pulling up into the parking lot now, see you in fifteen." Bakura said before he hung up, making Ryou wince when he heard the dial tone.

What did Bakura want?


Maiu's purple eyes narrowed as she looked at Seto, who tried to look everywhere but at the small five year old who was sitting from across from her.

Jou had left them alone for a couple of minutes while he attended to a phone call he had suddenly gotten from the director of the mental hospital.

"Do you like my dad?" Maiu asked suddenly, making Seto turn back to the blonde haired girl as she hugged her stuffed dragon in her arms.

"Um, yes I do. Very much..." Seto said while smiling. He didn't know why, but dealing with Maiu made him nervous. This was his boyfriend's child, the one he adored greatly. If he didn't get in with great graces with her, Seto saw no future with his Katsuya.

"I guess you do." Maiu said while tilting her head to the side. "Since I saw you give him a kiss before daddy came in last night."

Seto couldn't help it. He coughed loudly, making Maiu's eyebrows scrunch in confusion.

"Is something the matter?"

"No!" Seto said while waving his hand, the other hand on his chest. "I am fine, really."

"Oh okay!" Maiu chirped before smiling that again rivaled her fathers. "How do you feel about tea parties?"


Ryou checked his hair for the final time before he walked into the cafe, sighing when he still saw all of the chairs still up on the table which meant the cafe was nowhere near ready to open.

His brown eyes slowly scanned the room and smiled when he saw Bakura sipping on a cup of tea, talking with the owner of the cafe.

"Hi Bakura, Asuka."

"Oh hey Ryou," the cafe owner said while standing. "You two go ahead and chat it up, let me know when you guys are done so I can open up," the blonde said while winking.

"Okay, thanks."

Winking once more, the young woman went behind the counter before going through an open door before she closed it behind her.

"I already ordered for you. You said you liked chocolate-caramel cappuccinos right?" Bakura asked while pushing a black mug his way.

"I think they are the best!" Ryou said while smiling, dipping his finger in the whipped cream and licked it off. "So, what's going on? Why did you call me here?"

"It's about last night," Bakura stated.

"O-oh...well last night was fun." Ryou admitted feeling the blush creep onto his face as he looked up at the editor.

"Yeah it was." Bakura with a small smirk on his face when he noticed the blush on the others face.

"Then what's the matter? Is this about that kiss because I didn't-"

"No don't worry about that," Bakura said with a wave. "I didn't mind that at all."

"Then..."

"I wanted to know what do you think about me Ryou?"

Ryou eyes widened before he looked back down at his cup. "I, well...I do like you a lot. I mean, your so easy to get along with. No matter what those other people say about you. I enjoy all the time we spend together and when we kissed I..." Ryou stopped himself suddenly before sighing. "I just like you and I don't want to stop seeing you." he admitted before looking up at the editor.

Bakura was looking at him, his chin in his palm. "Hm, well I like you too Ryou. I just wanted to know what was going on in your head." Bakura muttered as he poked the other in the head, smirking when he saw Ryou flinch.

"It's early. How about we head down to the pier to waste the day away?"

Ryou eyes widened before smiling. "I like that idea, but I am going to have to drive my car back to my house. There is no need to drive two big trucks downtown." Ryou said as he stood.

Bakura shrugged. "You have a point."

Ryou giggled before poking out his tongue and winking. "Of course I do," Ryou then smiled when he heard the editor chuckle before he reached for his bag, only to pause when Bakura reached for his hand, making him stand and face him.

Ryou felt a shiver run down his spine as he looked up into the editor's dark brown eyes. Ryou knew he sported a dark blush when he felt himself being pulled closer.

"B-Bakura?"

With one swift movement, Bakura had captured Ryou's lips with his own. He heard Ryou whimper before arms came to wrap around his neck, pulling the editor closer.

The kiss was simple and soft. Something both Bakura and Ryou needed.

In the matter of seconds, they both pulled away but their foreheads still touched each others.

Ryou giggled softly, his fingers still laced behind the editor's neck.

Bakura only smirked when Ryou giggled.

From the sidelines, Asuka smiled before closing the kitchen door and faced all her employees.

"Ms Asuka," one whined. "Why can't we go out there? The morning rush is going to be here in thirty minutes!"

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Oh I'm sorry, I thought I was the one who was in charge of when my cafe opens,"

The girl backed down. "I-I was just--"

"Please shut up."

"We better get going," Ryou said when he finally pulled away from Bakura who only nodded.

"Yeah, I don't want to be hounded my school girls," he muttered as he reached for Ryou's bag, throwing it over his shoulder.

"Hm, I wouldn't like that either," Ryou said casually, his hands folding behind his back when he looked at the editor.

"Hm," Bakura said while shoving Ryou to the side playfully. "Jealous?"

"No, not really." Ryou said while looking up thoughtfully.

Bakura only growled as he watched the other walk out of the door. "Whatever, come on so we can get your car back to the house so we can leave."

"Alright, Alright." Ryou said while waving his hand. "So demanding."


Panya Sakmet made it to Marik and Malik's house around 12:25 in the afternoon after she had received an call from the smaller Egyptian, asking her to come over to talk about Masika. She frowned as she walked in the house, handing her pea coat to one of the workers.

"Panya!"

The publicist turned and saw her sister coming down the stairs, smiling. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she gave the other an hug.

"I don't know," Panya said while she moved away. "Where is Malik and Marik?"

"They should be in the living room. I am about to leave out, I'll see you later." she called before taking her things from the woman standing at the door before walking out, waving at her sister before she did.

"Malik? Malik where are you, I didn't come here to play find the 'uke'"

"Ha ha," Malik said dryly, coming out of the living room like Masika said. "It's about time you're here."

"I was busy, sue me." the woman said while following the other. "What's up? What did the kid to this time."

"Well," Malik said while looking to his husband before back to the girl. "Marik and I left out for Yugi's party last night and we left Masika here."

Panya rose an brow. "Yeah, I know."

"You're not letting me finish," Malik snapped.

"You're taking forever to get to the point!" Panya snapped back.

"Malik, Panya cool it," Marik said from his chair before looking at the clearly irritated girl.

"Malik is just trying to say that Masika might have a drinking problem."

Panya rose an brow. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, when we came back, we found empty bottles of champagne, and one vodka bottle empty." Malik said while sighing.

"How many champagne bottles?" Panya asked while sitting down.

"Just two, but that's too much, even for her." Marik said while waving his hand. "We thought she was sleep when we came in, but after finding the bottles she tried to hide, we now know that she was passed out."

"Has she done this before?" Malik asked when he heard Panya sigh.

"Well, yes and no. I mean, Masika is a drinker. We all know that. But, I guess she is trying to cope with the whole break-up thing, since no one is pitying her anymore."

"Then what should we do? I mean, she is going to end up hurting herself," Malik asked softly.

"No, I want you two to stay out of this. I can deal with it," Panya said while standing.

"Are you sure?" Marik asked while eying the girl.

Panya nodded before placing her hand on her chest. "Yeah I'm sure, I am her sister after all."


"Bakura, are you sure about this?" Ryou asked while he looked around, making sure no one was looking at him or Bakura and to his surprise, no one was.

"I already told you," Bakura said while rolling his eyes. "I really don't care about what any one says, I thought you liked me."

"Of course I do!" Ryou yelled, looking up at the editor and tightened his grip around the other's arm.

Bakura smirked and ruffled the smaller's hair. "Then it doesn't matter."

Ryou huffed before his eyes widened as they continued to walk down the pier and enter the indoor section of the large center.

"Hey Bakura, let's go take some pictures in that booth!"

"Wha?"

Before Bakura could even say anything else, Bakura was being pulled into the direction of the small booth and was shoved inside roughly.

"Ow, what the fuck Ryou!" the editor yelled while rubbing his head.

"Sorry," Ryou said while kissing Bakura's cheek before putting three quarters (1) inside the slot machine and grabbed the other's arm and pulled him close, a small blush on his face.

"Say cheese Bakura!"

Bakura couldn't help but smirk and placed two finger's behind the other's head before the flash went off.


Okay, that chapter is over. Does it seem short to you guys? Sorry if it did! I hope you all liked it!

(1) I WISH those photo booth's cost seventy-five cents. Those things are like...what...three dollars where I live.

I used Asuka from YGO GX for the cafe scene since all my other favorite girl characters are either used for something else, or their in the institute. Also, please note: my spell-grammar thing was deleted by my brother. If anything isn't right, let me know so I can beat him.

Thank you!

Be sure to send me your feedback!