A/N: I have rid this fic and my others of the script format I know and love. From now on I'll be using Author Notes to state my own opinions of this fic. Here's my opinion of this chapter: I sucks! I despise the dullness and I want to leap at the action! But sadly, I'll have to restrain myself for a two or three chapters. Until then, you'll have to wait for the "first kiss" and such.

My updates will also get a little slower since I'm currently writing a "Kingdom Hearts" fic. Vanir has been whacking my skull to no end and promises to do so until I finish this and the "Kingdom Hearts" fic. Ah. . .I love my muse. He's so hot. . .

Also, I may start a web "writing journal".

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

For you, I would Crossdress

By Tat Claire Kokoro

Chap. 7 Truth

/Far beyond he hazy border of my heart

I could see a place that's something like this

Every now and then I don't know what to do

Still I know that I can never go back/

-Real Emotion (Final Fantasy 10:2)

Malik insisted that he drive me on his motorcycle to my job. I told him I'd be fine. It wasn't far and I wouldn't be in trouble for being late, my boss is very lenient. Both were lies.

I ended up successfully persuading Malik to not trouble himself with my small problems. I tried my best to run at a brisk pace. Unfortunately, all that time spent reading instead of participating in P.E. made me turn up an hour late.

My boss, a former (lesserknown) sumo wrestler, glared at me. "How many times are you going to be late?"

I had never been late to this job before, but the way my boss worded it made it sound like this was more than my first time. I looked at the ground, avoiding his dirty looks. One will naturally fear 'The Boss'. In my case it was worse since it didn't help that he was bigger than I. "Takahashi-san, I'm sorry for being late. It won't happen again. If I can be of any help-or if you'd like I could work extra today to make up for the hour I missed." He grunts, a sign of approval and saunters away. I bite my lip and go into the dressing room to change.

"One orange sherbert!" Yugi chirped.

I dig into the freezer box, "How did you know I work here?"

"I overheard some girls at school, squealing about the bishie who works at Baskin Robins' Ice-cream."

I sigh, "Figures."

"How was the date?" He asks, his real reason for being here.

I hand him his ice cream, "It was nice."

Yugi stares at me, a smirk on his face. "It had to be more than nice. What did you do?" I don't answer, he pouts and cocks his head to the side, "Aw, come on. It's not like you did something naughty-ah! That's it!"

A blush graces my cheeks, although nothing 'naughty' happened, I still want to change the subject. "You didn't used to talk like this. . .you've changed in the last two years."

"You think? I think you've changed! You used to be really quiet. Now, you've got the gang and me as your friends and you talk a lot more. You even have Bakura under control."

I pause at the comment about me being friends with his. He doesn't even notice how they act towards me. The real truth is, they disapprove, reject me. "I don't 'control' Bakura. We get along -sort of- these days."

Yugi opens his mouth to speak, but my boss interrupts with a loud cough. "You're not here to chatter." he growls.

I bow in apology, then turn back to Yugi. "Gomen."

Yugi shakes his head and hands me the money for his ice cream. "It's okay. I'll come by later."

"Why later?"

"We're going shopping!" He chirps.

I didn't really want to go shopping. It was easy to guess what Yugi would want me to buy. (Girl's clothes.) I closed up shop (Takahashi-san entrusted me with the keys) and waited by the shop for Yugi.

It was six p.m., not even dark yet. Children were still out, soaking up the remainder of the day before their parents beckoned them back inside the safety of their homes. At this part of the day, cars and traffic were a rare occurrence, so it wasn't uncommon to see kids playing in the middle of the street. Still, even with the lack of cars, it was dangerous. The mothers knew this and made it known to the children that it wasn't safe by occasionally coming out of the house and scolding both their own children and everyone else's.

I try to conjure up memories of my mother scolding me. But I don't remember her voice taking on a threatening tone. What I recall is a young woman's voice soaring high and low, telling me a story to lull me to The Bridge of Dreams.

The stories were mainly about the cunning fox or the heinous badger and other tricksters. The fox was the main focus of her stories.

I don't remember her face, only her hair, which I inherited from her. Except mom's was softer than mine and glistened like it really was made out of silvery threads. When I was barely two I liked to yank at it, when I was older I caressed it and hid behind her veil of hair. But the memory that means the most to me is the sound of her voice while telling me a story and the stories themselves.

A boy yelling interrupts my thoughts, "Get out of the way!" I hear the pitter-patter of a young girl's delicate steps towards me and the screech of tires. "Made it!" I hear a girl's voice cheer. I smiled at the child, then looked ahead at the accident. In the middle of the street was a limp corpse of a young girl, a car towering over her. The girl in the accident was the same girl standing right beside me.

I move away from the ghost version of the girl, watching her yell back at the boy that she's okay. When she notices him not paying attention to her but the accident she pauses, registering the fact that she's dead. She denies it and runs to her lifeless body, trying to enter it, but feels it push her way. There is already a barrier between her body and soul. She shakes her head wildly, crying and again trying to renter her body only to be rejected by it.

"What happened?" Yugi walks up to me and looks at the accident.

"A girl was run over by a car." I say and flinch when the girl cries out upon hearing my words. Nobody else hears her, because of this I frown.

"Are you all right?"

I fake smile, "yeah."

"Well . . .let's go." Yugi stares at the incident then walk in the opposite direction.

I follow, then stop and look back at the girl, who is now trying helplessly to get her parents' attention. I bite my lip, the realization of death is not a happy thing to go through.

"This, and this and. . .this!" Yugi drops a truckload of clothes (women's clothes) in my arm.

I stare at the heap, "I don't really plan on making the whole crossdress thing a permanent part of my life. . ."

"You're not serious with Malik?" A surprisedexpresion crosses his face, "You're both dating other people on the side?"

"No. It's. . .well. . .I'm going to tell him the truth tonight."

"Why?"

"I love Malik, I want nothing but to be with him. However, this whole lying for love. . .it's not what I was taught."

"Just tell him the truth after he falls for the 'female' Ryou." Yugi says.

I shake my head and follow him as he goes into another section of the store,"That's still not right. I'm telling him the truth tonight."

"And if he leaves you?"

"I let him go and live the ret of my life with a vow of chastity."

"It's not going to be the end of the world if you don't have him."

"Then you've never fallen in love."

Yugi's smile falters and he walks to the cash register and motions for me to come over there with the load of clothes.

"I guess I'm paying for this. . ." I sigh.

"No. I'm paying."

"But-." I try to talk him out of it but he pushes away and pays. "I'll have to pay you back." I start to dig into my pockets (even though I lost my wallet) again he stops me.

"The only payment you have to give me is be happy."

"Uh. . .what?"

He gives a kind smile, the one he is known for, "repay by being happy."

"But. . ."

"Don't even think about it."

I give into him, "Okay. I'll be happy."

After making a quick stop at home and saying goodbye to Yugi I head towards the museum. The night has already made its rounds, banishing the light, allowing only the moon and the city lights to shine. My legs start to ache halfway through, so I take a break and smooth down my dress. As I start to catch my breath, I recall Yugi's words: "And if he leaves you?"

The thought, or feeling that this will happen makes my eyes water. I tilt my head back to keep them from flowing down my cheeks. The result is I squeeze my eyes in pain while the salt coats my eyes. When I'm sure I've rid of the tears I force myself to smile.

"Don't worry, it'll be all right." A boy my age approaches me. I back myself away from him, for part of his ear is cut off. It's a fresh wound, I can tell from the blood pouring out. Not only that, but the rest of his body beat is up. His left hand is broken, the bone poking out of the skin and scars dot his body, along with fresh cuts, which will also become scars.

He cocks his head to the side and comes closer to me, offering his hand to comfort my fear of him. I shake me head, back away, and speed off.

I look back, to see if he's chasing me and I'm glad to know that he's still in the same spot, watching me but not following me.

The rest of the way to the museum I look at the ground or the signs leading me along. Avoiding people, dead or alive. I shut their voices from my mind, ignoring the chatter of teenage girls and the wail of one whose lost their life.

"Hey!" Malik's voice calls out to me, I watch him walk on the roof of the museum like a cat. Fearless and possessing more grace than any (other) human. He stares down at me, I'm no more than a speck of dust to him, yet he invites me to bask in his presence. It's imminent that if I tell him the truth he will strike down my heart.

"Hi." I say uneasily.

"Come up here."

"I can't. Heights . . .are not my thing."

He smiles. "You came up here last time."

"You helped me climb."

"Just don't look down." He says.

I give a defeated sigh and proceed climbing my way to the rooftops. The first two to three steps don't bother me at all, it's the one's after that that make me nervous. My heart pounds at my chest, pleading, begging for me to stop climbing up. Meanwhile curiosity tells me to look down.

I squeeze my eyes shut and despite what my senses tell me, continue. I reach my hand out for another bar to hold, except I find nothing to grasp. I helplessly look at the edge I'm supposed to heft my weight on, then stupidly look down. Down . . .

Everything feels shaky, the ground seems so far away and yet so close. My fingers loosen on the ladder and my feet go numb. Small warmth grasps my hand and pulls me up. Groggily, I snap out of my paranoia.

"Told you not to look down." Malik says with a smug expression.

"It's easy for you. You're not afraid of anything."

Malik watches me closely, and seems annoyed by my comment. "That's not true. I have just as many fears as you do. The only difference in us is, I face mine."

I'm silent, aware of the truth yet avoiding it. Why is every single thing twisting and pulling at my emotions? I have to choose the truth over my wants. It will hurt me. It will kill me. But it's the 'right thing' to do.

I open my mouth to speak, straining my voice, "Malik . . ."

His violet eyes watch me attentively, "yes?"

-No characters were harmed (physically) in this fanfiction. Tat is not responsible for any mental breakdowns-