"talking"

'thinking'

/Yugi/, //Yami//

{Ryou}, {{Bakura}}

*Tara*, **Malik**

Chapter 8

Ryou's eyes fluttered open and he sat up. 'What happened? Where am I?' He looked around the room and noticed it had Egyptian artifacts around it and the walls had hieroglyphics painted on them.

"You're awake." A silky voice startled Ryou. His eyes grew large as he saw Malik in the doorway with tight leather pant and a tight silverish, sleeveless hoddie on. Malik walked over to the bed and sat beside Ryou. He smirked when he noticed a light blush on Ryou's cheeks. "Do you remember what happened?" Malik leaned closer to Ryou. "Sorry, can't hear you," he teased.

Ryou silently cursed his voice for not working right. He went to move away from Malik only to discover that Malik had his arm around his waist and was pulling him closer. Ryou could feel himself flush at how close Malik was.

'Ra be damned! He's so fucking close I can feel his minty breath on my lips and I'll be damned if I don't do anything!' Malik leaned his face closer to Ryou and closed his eyes. He could almost feel the albino's lips when Ryou roughly pushed him away. Malik blinked at the small boy.

"Your phone." Was all he could understand before the younger boy turned away bright red. It took Malik only a minute to understand . Growling quietly he grabbed the phone and walked out of his room.

"What?!" He asked harshly.

"Damn, what crawled up your ass and died?"

"Ra! Tara what do you want?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I have an incredibly beautiful boy in my room and I was about to kiss him when you called!"

"What's Ryou at our house?"

"Long story. What do you want?"

"I just called to tell you I'm staying at Yugi's house. K? "

"Yeah sure. I'll talk to you later."

"Have fun."

Malik walked into his room to find Ryou putting on his jacket.

"I forgot that I have to meet Kaiba. Thank you for helping me," Ryou said rushing out of the house. Malik watched him leave with wide eyes.

"Damn it Tara!"

*~*~*~**~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Alright I think it's time for everyone to go to bed," Grandpa said getting up from the blue armchair.

"Aw, but Grandpa it's Friday," Yugi pouted.

"You can stay up, but stay in you room. Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning."

"I love my new room sooo much!" Yugi exclaimed jumping on the bed. Tara laughed and sat cross-legged in the corner

'He is so gorgeous Mistress. So innocent and full of life.'

'I agree with you on the innocent and full of live part.'

'I wish I could be with him. But he wouldn't want me.'

'That's not true! He doesn't know about you. He doesn't know that you protect him. That you love him.' Tara looked up at Yami when he touched her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" she answered cocking her head in confusion.

"Forget it," he whispered and stood up. Yami turned around and walked over to Yugi just in time to catch him as he fell from the bed.

'I want him. I want to be with be with him and meet him faced to face.'

'You will in time. You will in time.'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"It's so hard!" he shouted in frustration. Ryou put a soothing hand on his arm.

"I know it's hard Kaiba, but you have to tell him," Ryou said calmly.

"And have him reject me? No thank you," he replied putting his head in his hands. Ryou had come to Kaiba's after the "incident" at Malik's. He ran a hand up and down his friend's hunched back.

"He won't reject you. All you have to do is tell him." Ryou jumped off the couch as Seto slapped his hand away.

"How do you know?!" he said angrily stalking up to Ryou. With a flash of light Ryou was replaced with a furious Bakura.

"Don't get that attitude with my hikari Kaiba. You have no right to get pissed at him, he's just trying to help you!" Bakura shouted. Seto calmed down a bit. 'Bakura is right, Ryou is trying to help me and I was screaming at him.'

"I'm sorry. Tell Ryou that he can go home. I'm not in the mood to talk," Seto said walking to his room.

{Bakura! You didn't have to do that!}

{{Aibou, we're going home. I didn't want Kaiba talking his frustrations out on you. I've done that enough.}}

{Bakura! I've told you thousands of times that I forgive you.}

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

/What do you think of her?/

//She's beautiful, funny, and nice to be with.//

/Yami's got a crush! Yami's got a crush! Yami's got a crush! Yami's got a crush!/

//I do not!//

"Morning!" Tara screamed and jumped on the two tri-color haired teens.

"Morning Tara!" Yugi squealed jumping out of bed.

"Morning ," Yami chuckled. He stood up and looked at his aibou, still in his pajamas. Then he looked at Tara who had changed. She was wearing black UFO pants with a short sleeved shirt with long fishnet sleeves attached. The shirt was black and said "Protected by Vampires"(1) in purple lettering. She also had on a black leather spiked choker(2)

"Dressed already?" Yami asked.

"Yup! Joey called and asked if we could hang out at the park before everyone comes here. I told him sure, if it was all right with you guys."

"Yeah! Let me go get dressed," Yugi said going through his drawers

"Is it ok if I stop by my place before we head to the park?" Tara asked.

"Of course, no problem. Lets go!" Yugi exclaimed grabbing Yami and Tara's hands and pulling them out the door.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Malik! Hey Malik! You home?" Tara shouted as she, Yugi, and Yami walked into the house. She set her bags down on a black leather couch in the living room. "Yo Mal-"

"I'm here! Don't shout," Malik said walking down the stairs. He looked at Yugi and Yami then at Tara with an eyebrow arched.

"This is Yami, he's from Yugi's Millennium Puzzle," she explained walking into the kitchen.

"Oh ok," Malik said sitting down on a leather recliner. "You can sit down if you want." Tara came back into the living room carrying various items. She handed Malik a Cherry Coke before setting a black bookbag on the leather couch.

"You guys want anything to drink?" she asked. Tara shrugged after they shook their heads. "Malik, Joey invited us to the park. You wanna come?"

*Ryou might be there.*

"Sure, why not," he answered standing up. Tara put a bottle of Sprite in the front pocket of the bookbag. She left the room and came back a few minutes later. She was carrying two pairs of roller blades. The first pair were all black and the second pair were black and purple. She put both pair in the bag, closed it, and slung it over her shoulder.

"All right lets go!" she exclaimed walking out the door.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They only saw Joey and Tristan at the park when they got there.

"Where's everyone else?" Yugi asked as he and Yami sat down beside Joey. Malik sat across them, beside Tristan.

"Kaiba and Ryou walked off when they got here," Joey asked in annoyance. "And Tea's coming later." Tara put her bookbag down and took out the Sprite.

"Joey, can I talk to you for a few minutes?" she asked.

"Sure," he answered standing up and following her.

*Jealous?*

**Of what?**

*Kaiba and Ryou*

**Shut up!** Tara laughed silently at the anger she felt from him, signifying that he was jealous.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Why are you so upset that Kaiba and Ryou are together?" Tara asked when they stopped by a bench.

"I'm not," Joey protested sitting on the old bench. Tara opened her bottle and took a sip of the Sprite before she spoke.

"Yes you are," she replied leaning against a tree, staring at the blonde. "tell me why. I wont tell anyone. I promise." Joey sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before burying his head in his hands.

"Because…………" he trailed off.

"Because?"

"I'm in love with Seto Kaiba."