Bakura shuffled tiredly into the classroom, dropping tiredly onto his seat. His feat and legs still ached from the seemingly endless miles he had walked to get home and it had been well past sundown. He'd barely managed to make himself a late dinner before collapsing in bed.

"Ya look like shit," Jounouchi greeted, causing the paler boy to give a small rueful smile.

"Jounouchi!" Anzu exclaimed, scowling at the blond.

"What?! He does!"

"What happened?" Yuugi asked. "Were you really sick yesterday?"

Bakura hesitated a moment, then gave a small nod. "Un. But I'm mostly better now," he assured.

"Kaiba didn't take you home?" Honda asked carefully.

"No, he did," Bakura lied.

"Then you must be really bad," Yuugi concluded. "You shouldn't have come to school today."

"As long as I can sit out gym, I'll be fine," Bakura assured with a smile.

"Bah, c'mon, I'll take ya home," Jounouchi smiled, putting an arm around the small boy in a friendly way.

"I'm fine, Jounouchi-kun," Bakura smiled, the thought of walking anywhere making him feel as if he'd pass out.

"You shouldn't push yourself so had, Bakura-kun," Anzu said compassionately. "You should have had one of us bring you your work and rested more."

"I'm fine yo," Bakura assured again. It wasn't that he didn't appreciated his friends concern, but... He caught himself before sighing again. It was his own fault and he really didn't feel like talking about it to anyone. Jounouchi would be enraged and go after Kaiba and he didn't wish that on either of them.

As if Bakura's thoughts of him were a cue, Kaiba entered the class and took a seat, opening his book.

Bakura looked down at his desk and reached for his briefcase. "Ne, Yuugi-kun? Can I borrow your notes?" he asked, trying hard to keep his attention away from the young CEO.

"Un," Yuugi answer.

Bakura focused his attention on the notes, copying them swiftly. "Thanks," he smiled as the teacher entered the room.

Thankfully, he was able to keep his mind focus on classwork and the period progressed swiftly.

He smiled Jounouchi's exuberant expression as the class broke for lunch. "Finally!" The blond exclaimed. "I swear, if my stomach was growling any louder I wouldn't be able to hear Honda's snoring."

"Hey!" the brunet protested. "I don't snore!"

Jounouchi grinned, but his retort was cut off by his stomach growing. "Ah, I'll prove it later, c'mon, it's eatin' time!" he exclaimed, heading for the door.

Bakura laughed behind his hand at the boy before moving to stand. He nearly cried out as pain shot up though his feet, informing him that the painkiller he had taken to be able to walk to school had worn off. He covered it with a sigh, reaching for his books. "You go ahead, Yuugi-kun, Anzu-chan. I have to catch up on yesterday's work," he said with a forced smile.

Yuugi looked worried but followed Jounouchi. Honda leaned over Bakura's desk. "You sure?"

Bakura nodded. "Besides, I forgot to bring a lunch and it's mystery meat day," he joked.

"I can bring you something."

Bakura nodded. "Thanks, Honda-kun," he said appreciatively.

The brunet looked at Kaiba on his way out.

Bakura gave a small sigh, pulling out the small bottle of pain killers in his bag and swiftly taking a pair. With luck, they'd start working swiftly and he could go to lunch with everyone and not be stuck in a room with Kaiba...

Forcing his mind away from the other boy in the room, he began reading.

Kaiba ignored Bakura and continued reading his book, as he had all through class.

Bakura found it increasingly harder and harder to pay attention to his work. It was almost as if he could hear the other boy's breath in the silent classroom.

Finally, he closed the book, unable to take it anymore and slowly rose to his feet, trying to ignore the pain. He gave a small cry as his legs gave out and he collapsed onto the floor. Silently, he cursed the now ruined shoes he had been wearing the previous day. If only he had worn his sneakers to school... Gritting his teeth, he reached up to the closest desk to pull himself up.

Hands grabbed him under the armpits and hauled him to his feet.

Bakura trembled slightly at the contact, heart racing. He carefully got his feet solidly under him and put a hand on the desk to steady himself. "Th--thank you," he stammered.

"If you can't walk you shouldn't try," Kaiba said, turning away.

Bakura looked at the boy as he sat down, wanting to ask why he had bothered or yell at him for dropping him off a good five miles from town, but knowing neither would get a good response. "Kaiba-kun..." he began, but paused, unsure what to say.

Kaiba glanced at him, raising a brow.

"I-- I'm sorry about yesterday," the paler boy finally said. "But what you said hurt... more then the walk home did."

The brow twitched. "What I said? You expect me to be happy that you've decided I'm your soulmate? Should I jump for joy?"

"I never decided that!" Bakura exclaimed defensively. "Why are you acting like I'm trying to use you or-- or blackmail your or something?"

"Isn't that what 'love' is? Using someone else to fill an inner need in yourself?"

Bakura stared, almost horrified. "No!" he exclaimed. "It's not something that cold and calculated!"

"Isn't it? You want to be near someone, you said. So you want someone else to fill your emotional and social void. 'Love' exists to make people feel better about having sexual needs."

"That isn't true!" Bakura insisted. "It doesn't have to have anything to do with sex! It's about wanting to make the person you love happy and to be happy with them."

"So you admit its about a sense of emotional need," Kaiba said flatly, crossing his arms.

Bakura hesitated, then nodded.

"I'm not sympathetic to the emotions of others."

"Don't you have any emotional need, Kaiba-kun?" the paler boy asked softly.

"Emotions are for the weak." Kaiba reached down to pick up his book.

"That isn't true," Bakura countered strongly. "Emotions can be strength. You've even said it yourself. It's because you were trying to save Mokuba that let you beat Yuugi."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "Leave him out of this."

"Sorry...." Bakura looked down. "But it is true."

"Having something to protect doesn't negate what I've said. People obsess over possessions as well." Kaiba's expression dared Bakura to challenge him.

"But if you didn't have the emotions, you wouldn't want to protect anything because you wouldn't care," Bakura pointed out.

"You may need to justify yourself through convincing yourself of 'love,' but I do not."

"I'm not justifying anything. If I were doing this just out of the need to fill a void, I would be doing it with Yuugi-kun or Honda-kun or someone I was already closed to."

"Good. Then do so."

"I can't just choose who I fall in love with!" Bakura exclaimed.

"Why not? It would seem irrational to place your emotions on someone you haven't chosen."

"Emotions aren't rational..." Bakura pointed out with a sigh.

Kaiba snorted and opened his book.

The paler boy sighed again and looked at his desk. It wasn't any use, was it? 'I shouldn't have challenged him,' he thought glumly. With Kaiba's attention came his crushing pessimism, disdain and coldness. 'It would have been better to have never done anything. Then at least I could have had my dreams,' Bakura decided. And not the taunting ones either, where he relived the taller boy's kiss and touch.

He put a hand of his forehead as if trying to push back the memories. How Kaiba could be so warm and sexual one moment and then cold and business the next--

'Stop thinking of him,' he reprimanded himself. 'With my luck, he can probably hear it...'

"Weren't you going to lunch?"

Bakura looked over. "The painkillers haven't started working yet," he explained. "If I can't walk, I shouldn't try." He repeated the taller boy's words as almost a reminder.

Kaiba snorted. "Lunch is half over already. You're not going to eat?"

"Honda-kun said he'd bring me something back," Bakura answered.

Kaiba snorted again. After a few more minutes of silence he put his book down and approached Bakura.

The paler boy looked up at him, unsure and slightly wary.

The brunet pulled him out of his chair and picked him up, carrying him to the cafeteria and leaving him in front of the lunch line. Without a word he returned to the classroom.

Face utterly red, Bakura limped over to the table his friends were at and collapsed into a chair, burying his face in his hands.

Yuugi's eyes were wide. "Bakura-kun... are you okay?"

"No..." Bakura nearly moaned into his hands, trying hard to keep from either breaking down or snapping at his friend.

"I can't believe that bastard just did that!" Jounouchi exclaimed, still scowling at the spot Kaiba had last been.

"Why did he?" Honda asked.

"He didn't want me in the same room as him, apparently," Bakura mumbled.

"Asshole..." Jounouchi seethed. "He doesn't own the school, he can't just eject you from the room like that! You had work you were doing!"

"Yeah!" Anzu agreed. "You should report that to the teacher!"

Bakura shook his head.

"What?" Honda said. "We're going to report that since Bakura was having trouble walking, Kaiba carried him to the cafeteria?"

Jounouchi blinked. "You were having trouble walking, Bakura?" he asked. "You okay?"

"I stepped on something yesterday," the paler boy lied, still not looking up.

"That still doesn't give him an excuse to humiliate Bakura-kun like that," Anzu pointed out. "But, Bakura-kun, you should have said something, we would have helped to you lunch," she added, voice concerned.

"I DID say I'd bring you something," Honda reminded.

"It wasn't my idea to have him carry me into lunch!" Bakura nearly snapped. He grimaced. "Sorry..." he apologized, looking up. "It's been stressful for me, the last few days... sorry..."

"You want me to take you home?" Honda asked.

Bakura hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Thank you, Honda-kun," he smiled slightly.