BlackRose:  Craaaaaaaap.  I am SO sorry for taking so long to update everything.  Not just this fic, but also the other two.  Shit.  Well, don't fear, the other two shall be updated soon as well.

"I knew I should have given you a lift," Malik grumbles the next morning, after I tell him what had happened to me the night before, taking care to leave out certain details. For some reason, I don't want him to know everything, and even stranger, I don't feel guilty about it.

"I'm fine and that's all that matters," I assured him.

"What!? Ryou, if that guy hadn't come, you would've gotten you're freakin' throat slashed! That matters!" I sigh.

"I'm okay, though. That man came, and he saved me. I'm alive and perfectly well."

"You might not have been."

"I don't need you to worry about me Malik, really I don't. I'm a big boy and I can take care of myself."

"Really? If you can take such good care of yourself, then why the hell did you almost get mugged?"

"That's not the point. The point is I didn't."

"I'm not letting you walk home again. I'll drop you off once we close up. I doubt your knight in shining armor would come to rescue you again."

"You treat me like a child."

"Because you're acting like one." I scowl.

"Let's just drop this and get to work. We do have a deadline, you know."

"Fine then. But don't think this gets you off the hook yet."

I roll my eyes.

"Yes mother."

"Call me whatever you want. It doesn't bother me if you're going to tease because I'm trying to teach you how to take care of yourself."

"I thought we were going to drop the subject."

Malik opens his mouth to reply, but is interrupted as the door flew open and in comes a spiky-haired brunette, huffing as he sits and looks at us. He sends us a crooked smile.
"Eh heh. Sorry I'm late. I…er…kinda overslept…again."

"Was there ever an occasion where you were on time, Hiroto?" Malik asks. Honda flushes again.

"Nope…guess not."

"Well, now that someone else is here, we'd best get to work if we plan on having this thing done for the studio so the voice actors can begin recording next week," I say.

"Sure. Say, where's Shizuka-chan?" Honda asks.

"Didn't you hear? She eloped with that guy to America yesterday."

"No shit? Crap, I was gonna ask her out to dinner tonight."

"Needless to say, your timing sucks, man." Honda sighs.

"I'll say. And this leaves us short a hand."

"We'll get through it. We're almost done with the animation, thank Ra."

"Ugh…finally. That's the worst part of this job." I clear my throat.

"I don't know about you, but I intend on getting some work done sometime today."

"Relax. Sheesh, what are you so uptight about it for?" I glare at Honda and stand up without another word, silently walking to my table to begin working.

"Aw c'mon Ry, I was just kidding." I don't answer, but hear Honda and Malik shuffle over to their places as we got to work. I swear, if I weren't here, I think both of them would be out of a job right now.


*~*

"Whoa. Nine already? Times flies when you're having fun." Honda says the last sentence in a sarcastic tone. Malik stands and stretches. 

"Well, I say all this hard work has earned us some free time. How about we all have a bite to eat at that place down the street?"

"You guys can go. I'll just stay here for a bit longer. I want to finish this frame up."

"Oh no your not. Last time we left you here alone, you stayed all night and fell asleep," Honda says.

 
"But-"

"But nothing, you're coming with us even if we have to drag you out, Mr. Workaholic," Malik interrupts.

"I have to be when I'm working with two lazy asses," I mumble.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"C'mon." Honda and Malik each take one of my arms and tugged me away from the machine. I begin to resist, but soon realize it was pointless and let them drag me out the office.

"After all Ryou, all work and no play leads to a very dull Jack."


*~*

Honda stretches as we walk out of the curry restaurant, patting his belly.

"That was delicious." Malik looks at his watch.

"Hey, it's getting late. We were there for like, three hours."

"Aw, is it past Malik-kun's bedtime?" This earns Honda an elbow to the stomach.

"Unlike you, I don't have a bedtime, Mama's boy."

"Shut up. I don't even live with my mother."

Malik grins.

"Riiiiiiight. I bet as soon as you get home, 'Oh Hiroto dearie, where have you been? You had my old heart sick with worry. *Gasp* Is that a paper cut? Oh my, come over here and let Mummsie give you're boo boo a kiss to make it feel all better. Now, would you like a glass of warm milk before I tuck you into bed?'" He laughed.

"Oh, and I bet your pajamas have little feet on them too, huh?"

"Fuck off."

"*Gasp* Honda Hiroto, do you kiss your mother with that mouth? I'm sure you'd get a big spanking for such foul language!" Honda scowls as we walk to the parking lot.

"Cut it out." Malik's grin widens.


"You should know by now that I am the Master. You can't beat me with words. Then again, you couldn't beat me at anything."

"I could beat your ass."

"Bring it on, Mama's boy."

"Just keep it up." The argument that was sure to follow is halted as we stop at our cars.

"Who're you riding with, me or the asshole?" Honda asks.

"Well, I don't want to put you out of your way, so I guess Malik."

"'Kay, see ya tomorrow then." We go to the appropriate cars and separate.  Honda beeps the horn as he pulls out and drives away.  I sigh as Malik starts his own car and pulls out as well, driving in the opposite direction.  I turn to look at him. 

"Was that really necessary?"  Malik looks at me briefly. 

"Was what?" he asks innocently.  I roll my eyes. 

"Making an ass out of yourself by teasing Hiroto-kun?"  He grins. 

"Aw, c'mon, it's all in good fun.  We always bust on each other.  You know that." 

"Are you sure he knows your only joking?"  

"Yes.  It wouldn't be fun if he got pissed 'cause he thought I was serious."  I sigh again. 

"What am I going to do with you, Malik?" 

"Handcuff me to a bed and tame me?"  I feel the heat rush to my cheeks. 

"MALIK!"  The grin widens as he turns to look at me briefly again. 

"You walked right into that one."

"Hentai." 

"But you wouldn't have me any other way."  The conversation ends there as we pull up to my apartment complex. 

"First stop, Shitty Complex.  G'night, Ry."  Before I can stop him, he leans over and plants a kiss on my cheek, which causes me to blush.  I turn to look at him, and get a smile. 

"Just a kiss between friends.  You can close your mouth now, Ry."  I simply nod and get out, giving him a weak wave as I walk up the concrete steps.  He beeps and drives off.  My mind is still in shock as I walk up the stairs to my apartment door and unlock the  it.  My apartment is pitch black.  Funny, I could have sworn I left a lamp on before I left.  My hand fumbles for the light switch and clicks it.  I blink as my eyes adjust to the light.  The house is completely silent.  Odd, Hogo usually comes to greet me when I come home. 

"Hogo?"  I hear a meow as a reply and the white cat comes streaking into the living room.  He must have been asleep.  I shrug and walk into the kitchen, Hogo at my heals.  I set his food down on the floor and walk into the bathroom.  I didn't have time to in the morning, since my alarm clock conveniently decided it didn't want to wake me up.  I lock the door and undress, turning the water so that it's scalding, just the way I like it.  It feels good on my chilled skin.  Twenty minutes later, I step out, the small tiled room steamy and hot.  My skin is now pink, from the heat of the water.  I wrap a towel around my waist and wipe away the fog clinging to the glass of the mirror, leaving streaks of moisture behind.  A pink faced reflection stares back at me.  I stare a little harder.  The reflection's brown eyes are filled with fear and sadness.  My reflection does something that I do not.  It opens its mouth in a silent scream, eyes rolling wildly.  They come to a stop to stare at a corner of the mirror, widening even more as they spy the thin tendril of darkness crawling up towards it.  My own eyes widen in morbid fascination as more tendrils curl up out of the edges of the mirror, slowly rising towards my reflections face.  They continue to crawl up, gently caressing the reflection's cheeks.  His mouth is still open in a soundless cry as the wisps of darkness consume him.  I stand there in shock for a moment, then come to my senses and unlock the door, bolting out of the bathroom and into my bedroom.  I see Hogo sitting on the windowsill, perfectly content, as he turns to look at me.  A low growl rises from his throat.  I would think it strange if not for the little occurrence in the bathroom.  I hear something and turn my head quickly, eyes searching the darkness, fruitless as it is.  I scream as two ice blue orbs meet my gaze.  A figure steps out of the shadows, a smirk on his face.  Brown hair, blue eyes.  The man from last night!

BlackRose:  ^.^  Heh…I'm going to end it here, because if I don't, this thing could go on forever.  So, what did you think? 

Bakura: I think it needed more of me in it. 

BlackRose: -.- Anyone else? 

Malik:  *grins*  I'm happy.  I was in it.  ^.^  And I got to kiss Ryou. 

BlackRose: Heh…I thought you would like it.  YOU'RE nice to me, at least.  *glares at Bakura*  

Bakura:  -.- I'm not meant to be nice. 

BlackRose: Which is why Malik's here too!  *huggles Malik* 

Malik:  I feel loved.  REVIEW PLEASE!