Disclaimer: I own some manga, paying $5.10 for the majority of them. No wonder I'm broke. And hopefully soon I'll get the subbed DVDs… *pray, pray, pray*

Fairydust

PM: New chapter! Poor Ryou…

Lance: You don't feel sorry for him.

PM: You're right, I don't.

~ Tea for Two… or More ~

"O… otousan?" I clench the phone as if it is a poisonous snake ready to bite me, "Dou… doushite? It's… a little late to be calling… isn't it?"

"Well, I thought that to. But imagine my surprise when I turned on the television to watch a program on dental floss…" Dental floss?! "… only to discover that the news stations have all been infected with some virus that makes them show the same news over and over again."

"The dental floss was on the news?" Ignore the stares from your friends…

"No."

I sigh in relief. Maybe he's just calling at random… you know, to surprise me…

"But you were."

So much for surprises.

"Along with that Kaiba character," otousan continues, "I thought you didn't know him very well, but apparently you two have been dating for… what did they say, a year? Now, neither of us are stupid enough to believe that, are we? I know I'm not home that often, Ryou, but I'm sure that if you were dating some millionaire, you would have at least given your old man a head's up. Or I would have found out whether you liked it or not."

Unfortunately very true.

"O… otousan… I can explain…" Well, that's not exactly true, but what else am I supposed to say? Gomen, but I can't tell you? Most definitely not. Besides, I couldn't lie to save my soul, let alone lie to otousan.

"Is this going to be a long story?"

"… Are you mad?"

"Depends on what you have to tell me. But before you tell me your story, which I do not doubt will be extremely fascinating… Ryou, are you listening?"

"Yes otousan," I answer meekly.

"Ryou… you know I trust you…" guilt is currently eating up my insides, if that makes you feel any better, "Have you two… you know…"

"Huh?" I reply intelligently. What is he talking about?

There is a long sigh from the other end, I seem to be getting that a lot more often as of late.

"Ryou… you're a good kid. And you know I'm doing this because I don't want you to get hurt. But you and this Kaiba…" there is a pause, and then the next words come out in a sudden rush, like a waterfall threatening to sweep the entire world away in its maddening rush.

"You two haven't been having sex, have you?"

"Gah!" Jyounouchi-kun yells and falls on the ground, laughing hysterically. Remind me to put the volume down on the cell next time, but I don't suppose that would have prevented Jyounouchi-kun from listening since he practically had his ear pressed to the phone.

"NO!" I scream into the phone, flushed, as the others try to hush Jyounouchi-kun. After having a hyperventilation attack, I manage to calm myself down and answer more calmly, "No otousan… we haven't been doing anything like that." And we better not too! I don't care if Kaiba-kun begs me on his knees (although that would look interesting on tape), I don't think any amount of convincing will ever prove to me that he needs to have sex with his 'boyfriend' for the sake of his business.

"Doing what?" Yuugi-kun asks innocently, obviously as clueless as I was when otousan started to bring up the question. The others look confused as well, although I can see a hint of suspicion dawning in Honda-kun's eyes… humph, he would know, wouldn't he?

Luckily for me (note the sarcasm), Jyounouchi-kun decides to happily fill them in, saving me the effort but not sparing me of the humiliation which could have been avoided if they hadn't known in the first place.

"Having sex!" Jyounouchi-kun starts laughing again. That is, until I ask otousan to wait for a moment in order to dish out some much needed punishment when I whack the laughing blonde on the head with a very heavy textbook.

~ * ~

"Sleep well, Ryou?" Kaiba-kun greets me as I stumble out of his expensive car after catching some shut-eye in the dark confines. He eyes my disheveled appearance a bit apprehensively, no doubt wondering if maybe it would be a better idea to have asked Jyounouchi-kun to play loving boyfriend. At least he has the excuse of always looking a bit untidy. Anyhow, all I know at the current moment is that Kaiba-kun is going to be the death of me, he and his 'few' activities for the next week.

"Drop dead," I manage to happily croak back, feeling like a pathetic reject (oh wait, that's exactly what I am!). He doesn't seem to be listening because there is no response, not even his typical glare.

My temper is severely shortened by the fact that Kaiba-kun looks refreshed and relaxed, most likely helped by the wonders of a good night's rest. I, on the other hand, look as if I have just been tortured in all seven circles of Dante's hell at the same time. I could probably fit the description of a ghoul, a specter, or a fallen angel, something that looks like it came out of Yami Bakura's okaruto [1] deck. It seems impossible that I could look anymore pathetic than I did last night, but I have managed to do it quite nicely (no, that is not my idea of an accomplishment). It is good that I don't have any classes today… well, I don't think I do anyway. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. That schedule Kaiba-kun sent me is going to keep me on my toes for the rest of the week, I don't even know how I will have time to go to classes.

Luckily, I didn't mention that to otousan. Frankly, he was rather amused by the fact that I'm gay. He probably knew all along, but never said anything. Just like him to do that. But he wasn't that amused when I blurted out the whole story about Kaiba-kun wanting to get rid of Emi-san. After a long rant where I didn't do anything except meekly agree… after all, everything he said was indeed true… he started acting suspiciously like Jyounouchi-kun and demanded to know if I knew what I was doing because if I didn't, I should back out right then and there. Well, I personally thought it was a little too late to back out (didn't he think if I could that I would have as soon as I had gotten out of Emi-san and Yoshizawa-san's hearing range?), so I just said that I did indeed know what I was doing (as long as that was getting myself into a lot of crap).

Then, much to my embarrassment, he actually told me to put Jyounouchi-kun on the phone. Now Jyounouchi-kun is keeping an eye out on me as much as possible, and it had taken me nearly an hour to persuade him not to come to any of Kaiba-kun's events. I personally think that the only reason why he agreed was because he didn't want to see Kaiba-kun, but as long as he agreed, I don't really care why. Anyhow, that hour was another hour of lost sleep, hence my bad mood. And Kaiba-kun has the nerve to ask me if I slept well? If he doesn't watch it, I'm going to start mimicking my Yami and figure out how to trap his soul in a Magic and Wizards card.

I'm too tired to care as he takes my hand gently, leading me into the apartment building. Kaiba-kun, going to Tokyo University along with the rest of us, has had to make several new arrangements for the move. Although Mokuba remains in Domino (under the careful eye of several sitters and Yuugi's very pleasant ji-san, who was always fond of Kaiba-kun's otouto), Kaiba-kun has moved his headquarters to Tokyo. He goes home as often as possible though, to see to Mokuba. Personally, I don't think the move has done him too well, seeing how he has grown more distant than ever, but who am I to judge?

Kaiba-kun is silent as he half drags half carries me to the elevator, where a surprised bellman looks at me with a funny look on his face. I am getting really sick of these strange looks, but at the same time I am very tired so I just ignore it. Kaiba-kun actually notices my fatigue (gasp!), prompting him to allow me to lean against him in a very comfortable and familiar fashion. I can't help but smile sheepishly; it's like hugging a rumpled, oversized teddy bear. Even the knowledge that the only reason why he is doing this is for looks (after all, he can't play loving koi if he ignores his exhausted boyfriend) is not sufficient enough to wipe the complacent smile off my face.

Lucky for me, Kaiba-kun's apartment is at one of the highest levels of the building, and it isn't until he softly shakes me from my light doze that I realize we have arrived. Unsurprisingly, his is the only home on this level, so I'm guessing that he owns this entire level and perhaps more (I certainly wouldn't be surprised if that should be the case).

"Tea will just be for the two of us," Kaiba-kun says coolly as he types in the security code and opens the door. The light in his current home is blinding compared to the dim light of the elevator and hallway, and it takes me a while to blink away the bright pixies that were crowding my vision to see several very familiar faces, and I'm certainly not talking about servants (most of them stayed behind to take care of Mokuba). There is Yoshizawa-san, Emi-san, and several other huge names in the technology industry, as well as their husbands, wives, and kids.

"… and company," Kaiba-kun finishes.

I resist the temptation to slap him.

"Ah, Kaiba! Bakura-kun!" Yoshizawa-san is no longer dressed in his casual-yet-extremely-expensive clothes. He, like everybody else, is dressed in the standard three-piece suit. I finally realize that Kaiba-kun is as well (well, my observation skills have gone to hell). Emi-san and the other women are wearing business suits as well, in a variety of styles, and once again I feel very incongruous and absurdly out of place. The polite chatter and conversation that had drifted around the room like a gentle rain cloud when we had first entered the room immediately stops, eyes traveling to the two of us. I feel like I'm being put on display in an alien zoo.

"This is Bakura Ryou," Kaiba-kun again introduces quickly, before waving them off like a king, "He will be joining us for morning tea. I'm sure you already know of him."

There is a general muttering of agreement, although there are some murmured questions and doubts. Kaiba-kun just ignores it all as gestures for me to sit on one of the ludicrously expensive couches, which I obey as if I was a lowly servant (hmm, then again…) and he my master. I start to panic as he seats himself dangerously close to me, his arm wrapped almost protectively around my shoulder. Honestly, can this get any worse? I have a feeling that it can, and that it will be getting worse as each day passes, and we're only starting on the first (I discovered that apparently, Kaiba-kun didn't count yesterday as part of the week)!

Handing me a cup of tea and a small plate with a variety of cookies and cakes on it (sure beats cafeteria food, I have to admit), Kaiba-kun proceeds to ignore me as he did last night. And he likes to silently accuse me of giving us away? To keep myself from shaking my head darkly and to wake myself up, I take a small sip of the tea, and nearly jump off the couch from the taste.

Distracted by my sudden jolt, Kaiba-kun frowns at me, "Is there something wrong with it?"

I blush and quickly shake my head, declining to comment further. I don't know how to explain my shock, but instead of the usual teas that we drink in Japan, I was met with the sweet taste of raspberry. I know it sounds weird, but I didn't think Kaiba-kun could possibly know that raspberry is my favorite tea. I never really liked tea in general, to be truthful. But I discovered my liking for this particular type when we had a foreign exchange student from England (PM: *screeching at top of lungs* RYOU! IS! NOT! ENGLISH!). Among the many gifts he had brought for Otousan and I was a variety of tea, which is where I discovered my liking. Unfortunately, I don't get to drink it that often, but it's not that much of a loss or anything.

Anyhow, I highly doubt that he does know what my favorite tea is. That would be egocentric of me… imagining that the world revolved around me. What is more likely is that since Kaiba-kun sometimes needs to deal with international customers, he would have a supply of probably every conceivable type of tea somewhere in the kitchen. That sounds a bit more probable, rather than me believing that he somehow went through the effort to figure out what Ryou's favorite tea is, as if it was some type of unsolved mystery. Anyway, it's not like he would have been able to find out, unless he called otousan and asked him if I had any type of addiction when it came to those pestering tea leaves.

Why do I doubt that?

He gives me an appraising look with those turquoise eyes of his, as if to figure out whether or not I'm lying to him. Which I'm not, of course. The look lasts a lot longer than I would have liked, and I fidget restlessly. Kaiba-kun's conversation partners are also watching, although it's easier to figure out what they are thinking.

Kaiba-kun has returned to his conversation, now that he is sure that there is no need for him to pamper me. Everybody is talking to somebody, big groups or small twosomes talking about everything from money to lipstick to stocks to the infamous question of tampons versus tampax (okay, so I might be kidding about the last one there). Kaiba-kun's arm has entrapped me next to him, and I can't think of any polite way of asking him to remove it. Besides, it's not like that would accomplish anything. I don't exactly have anybody to talk to. Heck, I don't even personally know anybody, except Yoshizawa-kun, who is across the room and speaking to some very important-looking men; Emi-san, who is talking to some older women about an upcoming party (and shooting me glares when she thinks I am not looking); Kaiba-kun, who is engrossed his own conversation and completely ignoring me; and Yami Bakura, who wouldn't talk to me unless his life depended on it (and I mean that too!).

For a moment… or maybe much, much more than that, I really do wish that Jyounouchi-kun had come. Even if he and Kaiba-kun ended up fighting as badly as he and Honda-kun does, I would have welcomed the conversation. Hesitantly taking another sip of tea and staring blankly at the carpet, I wonder what Jyounouchi-kun would do if he was here. Well, knowing him, he would probably yell at Kaiba-kun for ignoring me. That accomplished, he would start a conversation with just about anybody. Although Jyounouchi-kun can be rash and short-tempered, he has a very good heart and I think people realize that quite quickly.

However, Jyounouchi-kun isn't here. He's probably snoozing away, using my pillow. I don't know why, but he likes to steal it. Kind of makes me regret ever sharing a dorm room with him, but at the moment, I would gladly give him the pillow, my blankets, and my soul for the rest of eternity if he could just be here.

To distract myself, I try to figure out what the others would do if they were here. Yuugi-kun would probably charm his way into everybody's hearts (he has a way of doing that), and everything would be fine. Yami-kun wouldn't give Kaiba-kun any reason to be annoyed or ignored, and everything would be fine. Honda-kun would probably find some way to weasel into the conversations, considering how knowledgeable he is in business, as that is what he plans to major in, and everything would be fine. Anzu would fit in nicely with the other women, and everything would be fine. Otogi-kun would definitely impress the ladies, even if he isn't interested in them romantically, and everything would be fine.

As for me, all I can do is sit here, staring blankly at the carpet as if it is the most fascinating thing on the planet, wishing that anybody but myself was here.

And everything would be fine.

~ * ~

I end up falling asleep and dreaming about dancing pink elephants who dance to the sound of walruses singing theme songs from animes, most specifically Cardcaptor Sakura. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with those songs, but when large, aquatic sea mammals are doing the singing… well, I'm sure you can fill in the rest of the picture. The dream was made worse when Jyounouchi-kun suddenly appeared wearing a puppy costume, only to be joined by Kaiba-kun dressed like a giant teddy bear, both of which started singing terribly off-tune to the opening song of Love Hina. Before Yuugi-kun, Yami-kun, Honda-kun, Anzu, Otogi-kun, and Mai-san could join them to do a can-can (no doubt wearing Las Vegas showgirl costumes, I am sure), I had the very happy experience of waking up to spare myself of the agony of figuring out exactly what was the point of the dream. I am, though, very happy to report that there was not a single news camera. Not one.

As expected, nobody has noticed that I have dozed off. It is my good fortune that I don't snore, unlike Jyounouchi-kun who can be more distracting than a herd of those dancing pink elephants running around our dorm room, so I have not caused myself too much embarrassment (I hope). But if anybody should ever find out about that interesting dream, I'm sure that I will never be able to live with the humiliation.

That's when I notice that I fell asleep leaning against Kaiba-kun, my head (and not to mention the rest of my body!) leaning against him. His arm is relaxed around my formerly comatose body and… oh Kami-sama, why didn't I just wrap my arms around him in the process?! (Yes, I am being extremely sarcastic so don't say anything!)

I immediately gasp and sit up straight. Apparently, I wasn't as inconspicuous as I thought I was, as the half-drunk cup of tea and the untouched plate of cakes and the such have been whisked away, probably by some thoughtful servant who didn't want to have to vacuum and clean off tea stains. I hope Kaiba-kun pays these people a bit more than what he tipped the waiters, or I'll be hanging myself tonight when it makes the six o' clock news.

"Awake already?" Kaiba-kun asks softly, if a bit cynically. Normally, my hair would prevent me from feeling his breath, but for some reason, he has discovered some inexplicable need to play with it, exposing enough of my ear to feel its tickling sensation. That, of course, causes the blush to come back full force. I feel (and probably look) like a tomato.

"I thought you would sleep longer, considering how you told me to 'Drop dead' when I asked you how you slept last night," he's probably smirking, but I stare at a fascinating spot (that is also fascinatingly imaginary) on the wall in an attempt to ignore it, although my flaming cheeks probably give it all away.

"I… I… gomen…" I finally manage to get out, being very careful not to look at him still. Somebody hates me, somebody really hates me. That can be the only explanation for this… this… mess!!

"Feeling better?" his voice seems to have some gentle concern in it, causing me to finally look at him.

"Ye… ye… yeah…"

"Good," he replies cryptically.

If I was ever granted the knowledge of one mystery, I would want to know why Kaiba-kun acts the way he does. Why he's so confusing, one second distant and constantly annoyed, the next… caring. Sure, it's never that much, not the consistency of love he gives to his otouto, but every time it seems to be growing. But then he shuts the lid again, as if to care about somebody other than his brother is to open a Pandora's box of misery that will cause him a great deal of pain.

Is that what he thinks of me? That if he's careless, if he shows me a little more than what he was planning to show, he'll lose a part of himself? It's almost as if he is the one taken by surprise at how this ploy is turning out, that it's going to take a little more than what he is willing to show the world to successfully pretend he has a lover.

I can't really tell, nor am I of the ability to judge. This is his life, and I am merely a temporary intruder that is a current necessary evil. It's depressing if you ask me, but I doubt that it makes much of a difference. Frankly, I don't think I ever make much of a difference when it comes to these types of things. The most I've done was save my friends from getting killed by Yami Bakura, intelligently getting me killed in the process as well…

I'm digressing.

I'm brought back to reality mainly because he's still playing with my hair, something that makes me incredibly uncomfortable in that it feels rather pleasant. Demo, I'm probably just getting a little too into this. In a week, it will be over, and we'll go back to our own lives, for better or for worse. My heart is beating frantically as he runs his hand through my hair; is this really necessary to his plan? The conversations seem so distant now, mainly due to the beating drum in my chest and a distant roaring in my head that can't be anything but the blood rushing to my cheeks.

"It's almost eleven," he suddenly murmurs. It takes a wild minute of wracking my brains to figure out exactly what he is implying. Eleven is when the tea 'for two' ends, and Jyounouchi-kun has sternly ordered the driver that he bring me back by eleven-fifteen on the dot or he'll be doing some butt kicking. Even after I silently congratulate myself for figuring out what the significance of eleven o' clock is, I have yet to figure out what Kaiba-kun is trying to say, which is definitely more important than what Jyounouchi-kun threatened (kinda). And since I haven't figured it out, there is no way in heaven or hell that I can come up with a vaguely intelligent answer.

"Um…"

He rolls his eyes, suddenly becoming a lot more like the Kaiba-kun that I have known since I first transferred to Domino High School. Which is not necessarily a good thing, mind you, but at least it does make him a little bit more predictable. I have had enough of impredictability (is that a word?) with Yami Bakura.

Kaiba-kun shakes his head, obviously frustrated and unwilling to explain what he was talking about to my tiny brain. He turns away to call for some of the hired help while I look ashamedly at my shoes.

What I wouldn't give for some fairydust right now. And no, I'm not talking about that sparkly stuff that Yami Bakura used to tick off Honda-kun. Anyhow, that damned stuff was so expensive, as shown by my credit card bill. What do people see in that kind of stuff anyway? Then again, what does anybody see in anything? There is so much in this world that seems pointless, yet it is always important to somebody in some way.

"Seto-kun…" I note with interest that Emi-san no longer calls Kaiba-kun without any honorific or the such, "Seto-kun, why don't you and Bakura-kun talk to anybody? You two didn't even talk to each other, and breakfast is almost over."

Kaiba-kun raises an eyebrow, probably trying to decipher what she is trying to say. As for me, I have no idea what she is trying to say. Currently, it just sounds like… gibberish. Even Honda-kun makes more sense when he's ranting… although that might be because we have all learned to cope with his insanity.

"What are you trying to say, Emi-chan?"

She fiddles with her necklace, which is rather pretty. There are two different sized stars dangling from the delicate silver chain, and she's holding it as if her life is at stake. Although when talking to Kaiba-kun, I noticed that your life being silently threatened is exactly the sensation that I get.

"Aren't you two ever going to kiss?" she asks bluntly.

I resist the urge to mimic Jyounouchi-kun by yelling "gah!" and collapsing on the ground. Instead, I do something equally impressive.

I choke.

That, of course, only causes me to have a coughing fit. Kaiba-kun rolls his eyes and starts rubbing my back as my eyes water and I keep coughing. Emi-san has run off, probably to call 9-1-1 or a florist, I'm not exactly sure which, and everybody else just stares as Kaiba-kun tries to keep me from dying. Well, that would look beautiful on the headlines. Seto Kaiba's koibito dies from coughing fit in front of company, details on page B13. That wouldn't really look too good for Kaiba-kun, which might be why he's being gentle in his attempts to cure me before I pass out. Oh god, why me? Why, why, why, WHY?! What an embarrassing and humiliating way to die, does somebody just hate me or something? That must be the explanation.

I'm certainly not hanging for dear life off the cliff of life overlooking the pit of death, but I certainly do feel like it! Sooner or later, if I don't stop, I'm sure I'll be coughing up blood, wouldn't that be great?

Sooner then later, thankfully, Kaiba-kun's efforts are starting to take some effect as I feel the need to hack up my lungs slowly quell. The feeling is still there, an itch in my throat, but I no longer am coughing every second. No, it's been lessened to once every thirty seconds, my aren't I lucky?

Then Kaiba-kun comes up with a brilliant, sure-fire way to cure the coughing. I just wish he could have run it by me before he decided to do so, but I guess we can't have everything we want in life, even if it means preventing heart-wrenching humiliation. Or maybe he just figured that all the crap that has happened to me in the past twenty-four hours is enough humiliation to keep me occupied for a lifetime, so he couldn't possibly be adding that much more.

As soon as my coughing subsides slightly, and I'm not coughing like a maniac or wannabe drowning victim, Kaiba-kun takes me by the chin, peering down at me as if I am his worst nightmares come true. In response, I stare back into his eyes and cough softly, pain clearly evident in my own eyes.

Later, I told myself that I would give up my soul to the devil if I could have known what Kaiba-kun's thoughts were right before he administered his remedy.

But at that moment, I had no warning as I looked into his eyes. And it wasn't until after he had leaned closer and pressed his lips against mine, hands no longer supporting my back but now gripping my shoulders as if he was the one hanging on for dear life that I realized what he was doing.

He's kissing me.

I gasp into his mouth but somehow retain enough of my intelligence not to struggle against his kiss, but it takes a great deal of self-control to do just that. My mind's screaming (not to mention the fact that I want to start screaming too), and I don't know if I should listen to that or the relentless pounding of my heart as Kaiba-kun somehow manages to deepen the kiss.

I'm not the only one gasping. As if she is in the distant, I hear the drop of fine china onto the ground and a soft gasp from Emi-san (I think… I couldn't really turn around to confirm).

This is my first kiss, and I never expected it to feel so… weird. It's not bad, but it's just… weird. Maybe it would have been different if it was somebody who actually loved me, not play-acting, but still. Kaiba-kun's lips are soft, and he manages to be gentle while dominant, making sure I know exactly who is in charge. Which is fine because obviously, I have had no experience in this whatsoever. Kaiba-kun, on the other hand, seems to know exactly what he's doing… but the way his grip tightens on my shoulders until the pressure is almost unbearable makes me want to rethink that statement. It has never occurred to me that Kaiba-kun might be just as nervous as I am, considering how he always seems to be relaxed and in control of his emotions. While as for me, I'm always being the one controlled, so now it appears that I have trouble thinking for myself when it comes down to it. Okay, so maybe I'm being a bit harsh on myself, but…

My thought process is sharply cut short when Kaiba-kun pulls away, staring at me. I just stare back, although thankful I don't feel like coughing anymore.

I feel something almost like regret.

Somebody coughs, throwing the two of us back to bittersweet reality. I don't know who coughed, but the first person who catches my attention is Emi-san, who is standing behind a dropped cup, its liquid contents already starting to stain the carpet. Every single person in the room is staring at us as if there is no tomorrow, and if somebody doesn't do something, they'll be frozen in this position until next Thursday.

Kaiba-kun clears his throat, and everybody jumps back to reality. It's kind like pressing the play button a screen that has been paused… hmm, giving a new definition to real-life TV at the same time. He looks at me, then, probably horrified by my appearance, turns back to the rest of the company.

"Ryou, isn't it time for you to go?"

It's 10:45, but I don't think neither of us care anymore. I nod as quickly as possible, probably as eager as him to get out of this place.

"But Kaiba, it's only 10:45. Some reason you're rushing him of like that?" Yoshizawa-san asks in a booming voice, although nobody else speaks or seems to care.

"I have class." My lie escapes my lips quite easily. Otousan will scream when he finds out (note the 'when', not 'if' because I know that somehow, he will manage to find out… he always does), but as for me, myself, and I, I would like nothing more than to escape.

He nods in grudging acceptance, making this basically my one and only believable lie that didn't involve Yami Bakura taking over my body. Congratulations to me, let's throw a party. No, wait, that's not until Sunday. It doesn't matter though, Kaiba-kun is already getting up, and I mechanically do the same. With a polite farewell, he makes his way for the front door, me following him like a puppy.

Maybe Kaiba-kun should rethink calling Jyounouchi-kun a make inu because it seems to me that if there is anybody who fits the description of pathetic, it's the person who's following him.

Me.

Translations:

[1] The theme of Yami Bakura's deck. It isn't exactly ghosts, like Ghost Kotsuzuka's (Bonez in dub) cards. I guess it's like the darker aspects of the spiritual world… fate and destiny and the such. It's not a very pretty deck, so let's just leave it at that.

PM: Eep! The first kiss! *fidgits* So what's going to happen now with the two cuties? *wrings hands* Aiya… getting nervous here!

Ryuuji: But you're the one writing the fic!!

PM: Um… is that supposed to mean something?

Yami: We're screwed.

PM: Anyhow, on to the more intelligent ending notes! (No, I'm not talking about the end of the story author notes, although that is tempting since I think this story is the result of too many sodas, I'm talking about the end of the chapter notes!) Originally, this chapter was longer, but I later read it over again and decided that the last scene ending wasn't as good as the scene before, so I moved that scene to the beginning of the next chapter *shrugs*. I know it's weird that I'm telling you this, since I guess it wouldn't make a difference, but I just wanted to tell you… it's about time these author notes had some time of substance in them. Oh, and I wanted to point out that I don't call Mokuba or Ryou's father right. He actually calls them 'Mokuba-kun' and 'tousan'. -_-;;; I didn't figure this out until I was well into this fic, and a hissy fit resulted in my deciding (rather arrogantly, perhaps), that if I could live with these mistakes, everybody else should. *sulks* Also, I realize that Ryou isn't going to be calling Yami no Yuugi 'Yami-kun', but just work with me on this fic… I didn't want to confuse people, and besides, this is a future fic so who knows what could have happened! ^_^

Pikachumaniac