Disclaimer: Right now, I want ownership of Harry Potter to rewrite certain part. shifty eyes

Look the Other Way

Yuki: (Translation: Hiya mina-sama!)

Yuki: (Translation: PM-sama is temporarily unavailable, so I get to do author notes again since she feels guilty for not putting me in the story more!)

Black Magician: (Translation: Stupid seal.)

Yuki: (Translation: That's mean.)

Black Magician: (Translation: I can go get a shredder?)

Yuki: shudder

(Translation: Um the chapter itself takes place on Sunday night (in America), while the beginning flashbacks of the chapter take place on Sunday night (in Japan). Supposedly it has something to do with the international date line so it's perfectly reasonable that Seto-sama would be in America before he ever left Japan. PM-sama finds it very annoying.)

Black Magician: (Translation: I find you annoying too. Am I allowed to put you through the shredder yet?)

Yuki: OO

(Translation: HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!)

Many thanks to the ever-wonderful rayemars-san, who I worship. Thanks to the readers as well: Bronze Eagle (hides behind Blue-chan EEP), Shamanic Guardian Lena (tries to revive you NOOO! I didn't mean to kill you! fret), Ninetails (Don't worry Seto isn't the one who hit him! And it's okay if you want to call me Pika-chan. mutters It's better than PMS anyway), Sad Andy (glomps I'm glad to see you're around!), Wildwolf ( I like your advice and I'm sorry I haven't e-mailed you back --;; I'll do that soon, promise), iloveanime456 (eeps I'm updating!), Fate (XD Well, Fluffy, I kinda wish that I coud have written this scene a bit worse so my life wouldn't be threatened), Mokuba Kaiba (Seto: I'm nervous too --;;), loanshark (Don't pull your hair out it might look ugly. Just imagine if Yami had a hair pulling out problem. Or RYUUJI. looks VERY scared), fani90 (Sorry Seto was not involved in this sceen at all. :p Have fun in Mexico!), yukoma (Well I started typing it and gets knocked out by mallet-wielding Yami), Steph-hime (Don't worry PM is also trying to figure out why Yami no Bakura didn't take over control. --), The Evil Laugh (How is Barrel Fever? I tried reading that but I didn't like it but I was in a hurry), Blondie the Black Sheep (Nobody will die! Promise! tries to hide crossed fingers), Angel-Belle (XD What sound advice!), Shenya (Me? Cruel? innocent look), TidBits (If you kill me, I can't write.), phwee? yami hobo (Ryou was happy! For about two chapters I think?), Beverly (smiles and nods happily I thought so too!), Tigress Ronin (But it's fun to torture Ryou), Chibizoo (XD glomps), treana (Seto did not hit him! REALLY!) Dreaming Dragon (tries to pet the cat and nearly gets her hand clawed off), Erfaciel (Well, at least you weren't chasing me :p And you were right about the BriscoNLogan. Although luckily no, not as a coupling. XD), Rydia Paige (Meeeee? Evil? Just because I'm the secretary of Evil and Sadistic People of America doesn't mean I'm evil), birch (It wasn't Seto's car:p), Q and A (Oooh I'm like Yami no Bakura? feels very proud), JudyNFran (well, I assure you that if you feel it becomes too cliché, you may lecture me), Shetan (whistles Veryyyy long review. has no idea what to reply too XD), Dani (Gomen:p), Mayhem-chan (O.O I don't think your parents will like me giving you drugs), ChildofMidnight (It wasn't Seto! I promise! even PM is not that cruel for now), Lady Shriannan of Santrea (XD I'm glad I can educate you then! I got sick from watching the dub shivers), and Tuulikki (innocent I just got him hit by a car and thanks for the info on 'yadonushi'. :p I'll go smack my friend around a bit more threatens Kei-kun with a big mallet). You've all been wonderful!

Shatter

My nails tap impatiently on the countertop, and I am becoming a little bit less than impatient. She is taking more time than I can afford to give, but I cannot think of any polite way of explaining this to her. I could explain it to her in a less than polite way, but if you should ever find out.

Well, it's doubtful that you should ever find out anyway.

However, before I can open my mouth to say anything, her rapid typing suddenly stops and she looks up at me. Her soft blue eyes remind me of yours, but it's not as comforting, I suppose. I don't know what it is about your eyes that always lets me feel calm and relaxed. Perhaps it is just your personality?

"Gomen nasai, Kaiba-sama." As she speaks these words, I feel a flare of anger. If there are no more available seats, why did she have to waste my time so long? "Demo, the only seat left is in the economy class."

Immediately, I reach into my pocket to get my wallet as I reply simply, "Fine."

She blinks, as if she thinks I am deaf, "Kaiba-sama?"

"When does the flight leave?"

"But there's only one seat left. In economy class. There aren't any left in first class."

My eyebrow twitches slightly as I try to figure out exactly what she is trying to tell me. Unfortunately, I cannot figure it out, and this is causing me to lose my temper very quickly. "Yes?"

She blinks again, the same expression on her face. I have this inexplicable urge to question her mental ability, but I keep a hold on my tongue. "There aren't any seats left in business class either. Only economy."

I repeat, slowly so that she can hear me, "Yes?"

"There's only seats left in economy."

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you want it?"

I take in a deep breath as I try to get through to her so that she can hear me. "Ojousan (2), I have been standing here for twenty minutes. I have told you, repeatedly, that I want this seat. Do you think you could do me a favor and just let me have it rather than asking me all of these silly questions? I have some place very important to go to, and I do not have time to waste telling you again that I am fine with what you can give me."

She looks shocked, but I feel rather pleased. It's about time I was able to get on somebody's nerves today, rather than it always being the other way around.

If you saw this, you'd be shaking your head. You'd be more than a little exasperated, as you're always trying to make me more polite to others. I don't know why you insist on that I'm reasonably polite to people when I feel them worthy of it. According to you, I always have to be polite no matter the situation. And I really don't want to. It's not in my personality, and I'm glad you try to accept that even though it goes against everything you believe in. I can't change to what you want me to be, just as you can't really do it either. Even though we always get annoyed by each other's faults, we learn to live with them. It's part of who we are, and I would find it difficult to believe you to be my Ryou if you suddenly lost that need of yours to be kind to every person you met no matter what they have done to you.

I don't know how you manage it, but I am indebted to it. If you did not have that quality, would it ever have been possible for us to get together in the first place?

By the end of the twelve-hour flight, I am beginning to understand why the receptionist was so hesitant to give me the seat. I do believe that was the most uncomfortable twelve hours of my life the only exception to that being the time I spent lounging about in Pegasus's dungeon. But even then, at least I had leg space. In the airplane, I learned the meaning to the concept of being stuck in a can of sardines.

It didn't help that I got on the wrong side of the people who were sitting around me. The man sitting in the aisle immediately recognized me, and somehow got the impression that I wanted people to speak to me. This led to an extremely long, largely one-sided conversation about I don't know what he was talking about. For the sake of my eardrums, I chose to tune him out until his inane babbling finally caused me to tell him to shut up.

As politely as I could, of course.

For some strange reason, he didn't appreciate my politeness. Still, at least I tried and although effort doesn't count for much, it's more than I usually offer.

The other person sitting beside me didn't last much longer, despite the demonstration that I had offered only minutes before. About half an hour after the plane had taken off, I took out a certain photograph which I had kindly removed from Meimi's presence (3). I hadn't really meant to bring it, but I did and I'm not going to complain.

Approximately two seconds after I had taken the picture out, I heard a soft sigh as the woman (who had figured out who I was due to the giddy conversation of the idiot sitting next to me) touched my arm lightly.

"Is that your girlfriend? She's really pretty."

It took me a moment to realize that she was talking to me, and a moment more to completely understand what she had just said. I couldn't help but smirk as I replied, without ever bothering to look up at her, "Yes, he is."

Needless to say, neither person bothered to speak to me for the rest of the trip. She never even said 'excuse me' when she had to get by me to go the restroom.

Well, I don't either. But that is a completely different story, Ryou. See, it's in my personality to be rude and impolite and no matter how much you try to change me to be otherwise, I'll probably always be the same. Well, with the exception of when I'm around you or Meimi, since she is still young and needs to be polite.

It's almost as if you're my drug. You change me so much for better, of course and it seems that I can never be the same without you. That is why I am spending so much effort to get you back; I need you to make me the person I want to be. Meimi she really is like you. And she has the same effect on me this need to be the best that I can be. I've always striven for the best, but my goals were more materialistic. The two of you have made me idealistic, although I'm unsure of the benefits of that. There might not be any, but I am sure there is.

After all, this is you and Meimi I am talking about.

The flight was a stop-over in San Francisco, and I do believe that somebody is full of spite because the plane we were supposed to take ended up with some type of malfunction. It appears that the person who wished so hastily for me to get you back is suddenly interested in making this as painful as possible. As soon as I resolve this whole mess, I am going to take some time off to hunt whoever is doing this to us. And hurt them.

A lot.

So after cursing the previously friendly car renter clerk due to discovering that driving to Los Angeles would take about eight hours, I paced around the airport until around 4:00. I could have tried to find a different flight, but knowing my luck that plane would probably end up crashing into the Pacific Ocean, and I have had enough troubles for one day. At least in America, I am not as well-known so nobody came up to harass me. If they had, I cannot assure their survival once I got through with them.

I know you dislike it when I act like this, I really do. You would say that it isn't anybody's fault, and that I shouldn't try to blame people for things they cannot control. But do you know what this is like, Ryou? Being incapable of doing anything being powerless? I want so much to make things the way they were, and when I finally get the chance I keep getting blocked by the most ridiculous things. No matter how hard I try, it always seems as if somebody is trying to stop me from meeting my ultimate goal. It's rare that I feel this frustrated because when it comes to KaibaCorp, I can usually get my way without much trouble. But now, when it comes to something important to me I can't do anything.

Finally, we were allowed to reboard a new plane (a replacement for the other that had malfunctioned), and I tried to relax. The people next to me were good enough to keep to themselves, which meant that there were no more uncomfortable moments on our way to Los Angeles.

To you.

I have been to Los Angeles several times before in order to work. They were all before you were there though. Which was a good thing, since even now I do not know if I would have visited you. I would like to think that yes, of course I would have visited you but what is the point of lying now?

There is a certain fear involved when traveling to a destination that is bound to have a profound influence on my life. It's usually minimal, and thus easily contained but this time, I am worried.

You see, even though I am pretty much convinced that you will not slam the door in my face when I show up on your front steps I can't be sure that I can convince you of my intentions. You seemed so definite when we last talked about the impossibility of our relationship ever working and I cannot be sure that I will change your mind.

But you never answered my question.

I need an answer, Ryou. We both do. How can either of us go through life without having an answer to that single question? You tell me that we cannot work, but I say that we cannot work without each other. It hurt me so much when I left, and I often wonder how I was able to do it.

According to Jyounouchi, you feel that pain too.

"We will be landing in Los Angeles in approximately twenty minutes. The captain has turned on the seat-belt light, so please return to your seats," an annoyingly chirpy voice informs us. It sounds so bright while I feel unusually tense. What would you say if you saw me now? Even though I try not to show my nervousness, I am only human. I get worried and frightened too. It's almost as if people think that I don't retain all the emotions humans have because I try my best not to show them.

You cracked my armor.

You make me smile.

I don't know how you do it, but there's just something about you. You can make me smile without even meaning to, and as I sit there grinning away like a complete idiot, you will flush and try to figure out what you did that is making me act like that. And if you happened to ask me what that thing is, I wouldn't be able to tell you anything more than you already know. You make me smile. That's all I have ever known; that is all I have ever needed to know.

During that week the start of what was never meant to be but happened anyway I told you things that I would never tell anybody else. I couldn't help it. Your eyes are just so big and innocent, and you take in everything while doing your best to care even though you sometimes couldn't understand a word I said. I confided in you because I trusted you. And I trusted you even though I barely knew you.

There are many reasons why I love you, and it would take me some time to list them all off. What I couldn't figure out though was why you loved me.

Everyone thinks of this, sooner or later, but I thought of this too often to be ignored. We didn't really seem compatible you were simply too different from me. Yet it worked out, in the end, and I no longer question why it did. Instead, I question why it ever ended, and I know that there really is nobody to blame but myself.

I tried to blame other people, just as Mami said. But I am the one who is guilty, and I no longer try to deny it. There is no point in denying it, anyway.

Right now though I'm frightened.

I'm frightened that all my efforts will go to waste, and that no matter what I do nothing will happen. That we will go back to our lives without each other, and spend the rest of our lives wondering why we couldn't it make it work when we both wanted it to. I'm scared that the only thing I will end up doing is hurting you more than you already have been hurt. I have many fears, but there is one thought that overwhelms all my fears.

I am doing something.

I'm not waiting for something to happen. I'm not waiting for you to come to me again, like Jyounouchi said. I'm going to you, and I'll be damned if I let you escape again because of my stupidity.

Looking out the window, I can see the bright lights of LA beneath the airplane. There are many cars just as there are many cars in Japan. But in America, people tend to drive a lot more. I'm sure that drives you absolutely crazy, Ryou. You never bothered to learn how to drive, protesting that it was hazardous to the environment.

I cannot look away from the lights for there, hidden among the mass you are waiting for me. Well, not really waiting for me since you don't know that I am coming. But you're there. You're there somewhere. And with that knowledge, the night lights seem to be exceptionally beautiful today.

The streets are very crowded, and although I should be used to this from Japan, I still have this insistent urge to hit my head against the steering wheel repeatedly. I am in a hurry, and this is not making me feel any better. Not that anything but being in front of you would make me feel better right now anyway. This is simply worsening my already dark mood, and now I am absolutely sure there is some type of conspiracy going on.

The radio is on, turned to an English news channel. I tried looking for a Japanese station but the only one I could find was playing love songs and the last thing I want to hear now is a love song.

"And in other news, a young woman today claims that she saw Mutou Yuugi necking with a see-through Black Magician while a stuffed seal looked on. Police are looking into the possibility of drug abuse."

In case nobody has noticed yes, I'm kidding. Although the possibility of such a situation amuses me greatly; the high and mighty king of games getting caught with his lovely inanimate objects. It would be a great thing to taunt him about, although lately he doesn't really care anymore. Still, such news is much more interesting then what is being said right now, and I always have been prone to amusing myself in the most unusual ways.

As the reporter's voice drones off, I tap my fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. When I get bored, I tend to find myself drifting off which isn't always a good thing since people often bore me. Like the make inu. People wonder how I am able to endure his attempts at insults but it's really quite simple.

I'm not listening to him.

I tend to drift off when I'm talking to you too but it's not boredom. It's almost as if I'm paying too much attention to every detail so that I will never forget it.

Although it worked, didn't it? I do remember you, and I always will.

It surprises people that I can be so utterly (and pathetically) romantic, but it's just another aspect of me that surprises people. I don't bother to question it. There are too many other things for me to deal without worrying about why parts of me don't seem to fit with the rest. We can't all be puzzles and have our pieces perfectly with each other. There will always be the awkward parts that we just don't know what to do with.

When I first had attractions toward you, I thought it was a mistake. Well, mistake was putting it lightly. I thought I was hallucinating, and more than once entertained the possibility that you had done something to me. Not something innocent something along the lines of putting drugs in my food.

I tried to hide the feelings that I was having. I pretended that it was nothing, but just the result of a misplaced sense of deprivation from Mokuba. Except the problem was that these feelings had started sooner, and there was only so much I could blame on separation.

I told you, that night when I finally confessed my love, that the week was my attempt to put my feelings at rest. And it was true; getting together with you was my way of proving to myself that the feelings were not real. And if you ended up hating me as well so much for the better. I needed to get you out of my thoughts, and so I went through with my 'experiment'.

I never told you this though I tried so hard not to love you.

You have many flaws, Ryou. Flaws that I seized and tried to make more than they really were. But even with those flaws, I couldn't change my feelings. You were just too sad, I guess. Hating somebody as sad as you didn't do anything except make me feel guilty, and so I had to stop doing that. I tried to tell myself that the feelings were not love, but something else. Anything else.

And then you kissed me.

I had been doing a good job of denying my feelings until you kissed me. It was before the auction house incident, and it really wasn't much. You just kissed my cheek before scampering out of the car like a frightened bunny.

What prompted you to give me that kiss, Ryou? There wasn't anybody really watching us; there wasn't any need. But you did it anyway, and for who's benefit? Yours or mine?

Both of us, perhaps?

After that, I couldn't deny my feelings for you anymore. Even when you slapped me and told me that I was selfish. It just wasn't something that I expected out of you, and so I found myself listening to your words more carefully than I ever have for anyone else.

You're so shy and sincere, and because of those two qualities I can't ignore what you have to say. You're more careful with words, so it's rare that you say something without really meaning it. Especially around the people you don't know very well like me.

And that night we first made love (4), I hadn't really meant to. I don't think you did either but I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was a mistake because it certainly wasn't that. It was a happy accident that I cannot and will not regret. And I knew afterwards that I was more than eager to spend the rest of my life with you.

Well, I knew it all along.

"And in other news, environmentalist writer Ryou Bakura was hit by a drunk driver at about 6:00. Mr. Bakura is the writer of several books detailing the plight of the environment. Medics arrived at the scene quickly and transferred to the UCLA medical facilities"

The car comes to a screeching halt as I narrowly manage to stop rather than running a red light. Several drivers feel it necessary to remind me of my narrow escape, some by honking and some by rather colorful language.

I sit there, in shock. My hands are clenched tightly around the steering wheel, and my breathing is heavy.

Ryou?

Hit by a car?

It feels like I can't breath. How can this have happened and to you? You're such a careful person. I don't want to believe this, and I barely can. It's Ryou. It's you.

Why you?

When the light turns green, I immediately slam my foot on the gas and make a U-turn, making my way towards the nearest gas station. Hopefully, somebody in there will be able to give me the quickest directions to where they have taken you.

And the only thing that runs through my mind is a continued denial that this could have happened.

There was a time you were sitting on a wall when I came up to you from behind. I put my hand on your shoulder and you were so shocked that you fell backwards. I was able to catch you but we both ended up falling, and you hit your head on my shoulder, causing you to be woozy for a while.

I don't know why I am thinking about this suddenly, but it doesn't matter. The point is that I was there to catch you. When you were in trouble, at least I could help you. But now it seems like I've allowed you to go through something horrible on your own. Without me to help you.

If only I was there for you, Ryou. Would any of this have happened then?

Mokuba once got a fever that was bad enough to send him to the hospital emergency ward. I will never forget that experience; it was when I had first started taking care of Mokuba on my own, and I was terrified. I know now that it probably wasn't anything life-threatening with proper treatment, but at the time I didn't know that and was truly worried that I would lose Mokuba.

Perhaps it was this fear that caused me to hate hospitals so much, even though I am grateful to them for helping take care of my brother. But despite that, the overwhelming fear of losing somebody I cared for was too much to bear.

These memories come back as I walk into the hospital, wincing as the familiar smell overwhelms my senses. The bright white of the walls, floors, and people seem to be a starking contrast to the red that paints the operating tables.

I can't help but feel awkward as I walk into the area. My English is good but it's still strange to hear everyone speaking that as they scurry about their duties.

Feeling braver than I really am, I walk up to the nurse's desk. She is bent over somebody's files, and I wonder fleetingly if it's yours. Still, there's no point in musing over such things and I prepare to ask her where you are when she suddenly looks up at me, her brown eyes stoic.

"Yes?" she asks curtly.

"I'm looking for someone."

"Name?"

"Bakura Ryou."

She doesn't reply for a moment, and I can't help but wonder if I'm even in the right place. The person who gave me the directions seemed pretty sure of himself, but what happens if I'm in the completely wrong building? It's rare that I feel this paranoid, but it is a situation that is very different from a business deal. This isn't about my company, it's about me. Trying to find somebody who I never should have let go of.

"The doctors are operating on him right now. Please take a seat," she gestures at the many chairs in the reception area. They look comfortable but when as tense as most of the occupants are, they might as well be made of wood. Most of the chairs are filled. The people sitting in them have faces that range over a variety of emotions fear, grief, anger. Some try to hide their emotions but it rarely works in this type of situation. Some try to take their minds off the grave situation by reading books or magazines. But most of those people have been on the same page since they came in, for they are still too worried to be able to read properly.

Silently, I make my way to a seat next to a couple. Both look older than me, and the woman has their daughter sitting in her lap. She's a little older than Meimi.

I don't know why I am bothering to notice this. Maybe it is because I will feel better by distracting myself. Or attempting to distract myself.

My hands are clasped together as I stare up at the ceiling. I still can't believe this has happened. It just feels so random, so impossible. I had expected, perhaps naively, that I would be able to find you without any hassles. The worst I expected was for you to slam the door in my face, but at least you would still be in good health.

I didn't expect this.

I run a hand through my hair as I close my eyes. Now my mind is filled with what ifs. What if you don't ever recover from this? What if something happens so that you never wake up again? What if somebody makes a mistake?

And would any of this have happened if I had gotten here on time? If the plane hadn't been delayed in San Francisco or if I had made more effort to find another flight? Would this still have happened? Or would we both be safe perhaps not together but at least this wouldn't have happened.

Of course, if I had never abandoned you, none of this would have happened.

If this hadn't been a hospital, I would have put my fist through a wall by now. Is this all my fault? Could I have prevented it some way? I promised to take care of you, Ryou. I promised but look at what has happened to us. Look at what has happened to you.

How could I let this happen?

Why do you people always blame yourself for things that you cannot control?> somebody asks bluntly, and with more than a little annoyance.

Surprised, I look up and find myself face to face with none other than Yami no Bakura.

Notes:

Note 1 has been removed, as song lyrics have been removed and note is no longer applicable.

(2) Younger woman. No, I don't know how Seto knows this woman is younger than him. Maybe he's psychic?

(3) This was happily inspired by a student on the Italy exchange. On the plane, he took out a framed picture of him and his girlfriend, put it on the table, and more or less stared at it for the rest of the flight.

(4) PM is, for some reason, amused with this wording but can't figure out how else to say it without being very blunt.

PM:is shoved into the author notes by a very annoyed Yami, who is now dressed up like a giant seal for no reason other than the writer felt like doing it: Only one more chapter to go, mina-san. Sorry this chapter was still pretty short but it was supposed to be combined with the last chapter. I separated them because the date line difference just seemed too confusing frankly, it's still confusing to me. --;; Oh well PM never said she had a big brain. Or any brain. :thinks about that for a moment: ANYWHO. I'm not going to be around next Sunday. I'm leaving for Europe on Friday (MORNING at 6 AM:dies:), but I'm pretty sure I should still be able to get the last chapter up on Sunday (the 13th) by bribing a friend of mine. Just telling you in case you have any questions because well, if it's too late, I won't be able to answer any of them.

Pikachumaniac