Author's Note: This is a fic done in response to an author's challenge, issued by ChibiBoko. For those not familiar with this challenge, it was to write a slash between at least two people on a long list, which I have since forgotten. Anyways, I picked Yugi/Yami, since it's my favorite pairing. If you're uncomfortable with that, don't read it! Another part of the challenge was to include the following things:

- handcuffs or sunscreen (or both, if you want)

- a bright pink shirt

- earplugs

Anyways, here's my attempt at the challenge, and let's all see how it goes!

"Speech"

'Thought speech'

Thoughts

****

In the early hours of the morning, all was silent. The first feeble rays of the sun did little to warm the day, though from the weather forecasts, things were about to heat up.

A shrill scream rang through the otherwise calm morning, incoherent, except to the people within the Turtle Game Shop, where the cry was coming from. "I'm going to get you!" The enraged cry was high and feminine, with quite a bit of rage, which was unusual for the peaceful neighborhood.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know!" A masculine voice called out. "Ah!!"

Tristan, Bakura, Yami Bakura, and Tea were standing to the side of the hallway, staring at the spectacle before them. Or rather, Bakura and Tea were standing there; Tristan and Yami Bakura were literally rolling on the ground with laughter. Heavy footsteps sounded as Joey ran, screaming his head off. "I'm sorry! I didn't know you were in there! I thought it was empty!!"

Mai ran after him, yelling death threats. Suddenly, Yugi stepped into the hallway, and pulled something out of his ears with a yawn. "What's going on here? I could hear you through my earplugs." He murmured sleepily. His sleepy expression left, however, to be replaced by a pair of wide eyes, as Joey ran past him, an enraged Mai hot in pursuit, and threateningly brandishing a rolled up magazine.

Joey reached the end of the hallway, and screeching to a stop, he made a U- turn, barely managing to get past the startled Mai. She was soon back on his tail again, this time with absolutely no mercy. She got closer, and closer, and...

"ALL RIGHT. WHAT IN RA'S NAME IS GOING ON HERE?" Everybody froze, and fell silent, including the two teens rolling on the floor. Joey paused mid- stride, and Mai stopped as well, mouth freezing in the middle of forming a word that looked suspiciously like "Dead". Yami, who had just come out of the puzzle, looked so dangerous that nobody dared argue with him, everything from glowing third eye to messy bed-head. Satisfied that everybody was quiet, the former pharaoh left.

Taking advantage of the moment, while everybody remained frozen, Mai tackled Joey and began beating him on the head with the rolled up magazine. Joey's shouts could be heard throughout the shop, "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop it, Mai! I said I was sorry!"

Suddenly, Joey reached out one hand and expertly ripped the magazine out of Mai's hand. Mai paused for a moment in surprise, and Joey pulled Mai down into a kiss. "Joseph Wheeler!" Mai yelled.

"What, you didn't like it?" He asked. Mai gasped in indignation. Joey merely gave her an obnoxious grin, and pulled her down again.

Yugi hastily turned away. "So... what are you guys doing here?" He asked.

Tristan smiled sheepishly. "We wanted to surprise you two by all going to the beach. We were bored!" He explained.

Yugi feigned a hurt look, though his wide smile told them otherwise. "You didn't tell us about it? Okay. Yami and I'll be down in about ten minutes." He frowned. "Better make that twenty: Yami just fell asleep again."

****

Yugi hummed cheerfully to himself as he changed into his clothes. School was finally out, and he could wear whatever he wanted, instead of being forced into his school uniform. He began to rummage about in his drawers to find some casual clothes. Unbeknownst (I can't believe that's an actual word! I hope it means what I'm trying to get it to mean, though, which is unknown, I guess...) to him, his Yami was watching his every move from the doorway. (No, he's not a hentai!)

Yugi carefully slipped his selected outfit, swim trunks and a t-shirt, over his petit body. Yami shivered slightly, from merely watching his light's movements. The humid day was already causing beads of sweat to form the back of his neck, though it might not have been merely the heat. Yugi...

As if hearing his Yami's thoughts, Yugi turned around, to see his Yami standing at the doorway. They both blushed, both knowing that Yugi knew that his Yami was watching. He looks cute when he's blushing.

"Yami. You're awake." Yugi stated the obvious. Yami nodded. "Uh... let's go downstairs now." Yugi muttered, having finally finished changing.

****

As the group of eight teens arrived at the beach, they knew it was a mistake to not bring sunscreen. The sun's rays baked the people on the beach. The only person who didn't mind was Mai, who came for a tan, anyways. Luckily, Bakura managed to remember some, which probably saved them from major sunburn.

Everybody set up his or her blankets, and most ran down to the water, with the exception of Mai, obviously getting a tan, and the two ancient spirits, staring dubiously at the water. Well, Yami Bakura was staring dubiously at the water. Yami was staring at his Hikari.

"Yami?" Both Yugi and Bakura called out. Yami shook himself out of it, and headed down after them. The former tomb robber hesitated, but decided to join them anyways.

Joey and Tristan had started a water fight, and were currently getting clobbered by the two Yamis, who had teamed up against them. Yugi, wisely staying far away, found his gaze drawn to his Yami's strong, and half-nude body. (He _is_ wearing nothing but swim trunks, after all.) Bakura, taking advantage of his out-of-it-ness, splashed him.

A startled Yugi turned around to see more water flying at him. "Bakura!" He began splashing back, somehow managing to dip the white-haired teen underwater, before getting pulled down himself. A few minutes later, the other five joined the splashing spree, and when they finally decided to take a break, they were... wet, to say the least.

Drying off in the sand, Joey suddenly had a brilliant idea. He "borrowed" a bucket from the nearby children, and filled it with water. Moments later, the others could see a replay of the scene in the game shop: Joey running by, empty bucket still in hand, and a soaking Mai chasing after him, screaming in outrage.

The wild chase once again ended with Joey and Mai making up with a kiss. or in this case, six kisses. Yami couldn't help but watch jealously, remembering just a month ago when the two had announced their love for each other.

Those two... always fighting, but loving each other through it all. I wish I had that kind of love. Actually, I wish I had Yugi's love- He shook his head, knowing that it was impossible. How could he ever love me? I'm dark, and he is light. He's so innocent. I can't ruin that by telling him I love him. What if he rejects me? Maybe I should admit it anyways, maybe...

He didn't realize that Yugi was thinking similar thoughts. I'm happy for those two. They're so lucky to have each other. I wish I had... No. I'm such a hentai! Yami is my friend, and my protector, not to mention he's of the same gender as me.

"Yugi..."

Yugi practically jumped out of his skin. "Yami Bakura!"

"Shush, Yugi. Listen... ah..." Yami Bakura stammered. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said the words. "I... need your help."

Yugi stared incredulously. "You need my help?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, then. What do you need my help for?"

"I figured that you know my Hikari well..." He blushed.

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering... ah..."

"Yami, Yugi! The others and I were going to play a game of water polo. Want to join us?" Bakura asked.

"Sure!" Yugi said. He glanced back at Yami Bakura. "Unless you..."

"NO! No, that's ok. Never mind. It was nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes."

****

After a game of water polo, in which Tristan almost managed to poke Joey's eyes out, Yugi sat under the shade of a tree, quite a distance away from the water edge. It was quiet there, and Yugi closed his eyes and relaxed.

"Aibou?" A familiar voice asked, sounding almost tentative. "Can we talk?"

Yugi's eyes snapped open. Since when did his Yami sound tentative? "Sure! What is it?"

"Um... Well, I was just thinking, and I came to the conclusion that. well, you don't have to agree if you don't want to, I mean, I'd understand, but I just wanted to get this off my chest, and I wanted to tell you. well, it's going to sound a bit strange, but I really thought that you should know. it's pretty important, so I-" Yami said, starting out slowly, then quickly blurted out a bunch of rambling statements that never went anywhere.

"Yami? What's wrong?"

Yami took one look at the concerned violet eyes, and he turned away. It's now or never... "Yugi... I... I love you!" He blurted out.

Yugi stared, dumbfounded, as crazy thoughts ran through his head. "What... what did you say?" He asked slowly. He couldn't believe that his Yami loved him, too. He had been so worried that he was strange, that it seemed impossible that his Yami could love him.

Yami felt like his heart was being shattered by a hammer. He knew that there was no way that his Aibou, his sweet, innocent Hikari, would love him back, but he'd allowed himself to hope. He hadn't thought that rejection would be this painful, though. He felt like such a jerk for even mentioning it. His Aibou would probably hate him now, and that's all he could think of. At least before, we were friends... That was why it was such a huge surprise when his Aibou sat next to him.

"Yami?" Yugi carefully turned his Yami's head around, and nearly jumped when he saw the pain in his crimson orbs. He had caused this pain, and he somehow had to make it right. So, he did the only thing that came to his mind. He pressed his lips to his Yami's.

Yami almost died of shock when he realized what was happening. Yugi was kissing him. When they pulled away, Yami stared at his light in shock. "You... you... kissed me..." He put his fingers up to his lips, tracing the tingly area that his Aibou's lips had just graced.

Yugi almost laughed at the startled look on his Yami's face. "I love you, too, Yami." He whispered, leaning against his Yami's chest. "I love you so much..."

****

A while later, the two lovers headed back to the rest of the gang. "Hey! They're back!" Tristan called. "What were you two doing up there?" Both blushed the same shade as Mai's bright pink shirt.

****

Author's Notes: Yes! I included everything except for the handcuffs! Oh well, at least I had most of the things. I just read the author's challenge again, and it says that I need to pick out of these people for the couple(s): Kaiba, Yugi, Yami, Bakura, Yami Bakura, and Joey. Well, I included everybody except for Kaiba. Joey wasn't in a slash relationship, and the Bakura and Yami Bakura thing was only hinted, but whatever. I hope it's not too bad!

Oh yeah, if anybody can guess what the first chase scene was above... then they're really smart. LOL. No prizes, sorry! But, just guess! Please?