Hello minna! I'm so very awed by the amount of reviews I have received! faints dramatically No, really, I am! I didn't expect so many of them! Anyways, I'm sorry for not updating again, but updates will definatly slow in number and quality, I'm sorry to say, but I have SAT's coming up in June and I've been having a crash tutor course in them, so I've been mounted with homework, school work, and SAT work all at the same time. Not to mention, I really have to pull my GPA and grades up this quarter. It sucks being a junior...anyways; I must thank the glorious, beautiful reviewers!

Scarlet Oasis: Aw, thank you! (blush and glomp) It's nice to know I'm on your nice list. And Pegasus? Not to worry, he's just kinda, there...yeah; I needed a weird scary guy for a customer, so yeah he's there. I bet you get enough of him in your story...which you haven't updated in awhile...although I shouldn't be one to talk...-.-;...anyways, yeah I'm gonna have fun making up Baku-chan's past, heh, I'm gonna make it angsty and not so nice, Mwahaha! Yeah, I'm sure that sounds very terrifying...anyways, (throws out plushie of hugging Bakura and Ryou with some pocky why not?)

Osiris Lee: Thank you, yes Pegasus was a freak, but not to worry, he won't show up again, he's just a random customer. Yeah, I needed to show a bit of Bakura's work anyways, so it kinda worked out.

Stephanie Zollner: Thank you

Oce: Heh, I'm guessing you liked it? By the many good's in the reviews...just a guess...

Inverse-chan: Good Gods I know the feeling! It's sorta based on me, I get insomnia once in awhile and if I go to be before 12:00 at night I can't sleep at all. It's crazy, but hey what can I do? Anyways, thank you!

December Jewel: Thank you!

Repmet: Oh, not to worry, I've got some action waiting to happen, but it's gonna take a bit, if you don't mind that is. Not to worry, I'll have the whole pain thing coming in handy soon!

Sansty-san: Heh, I got a review like this one before, except it used the word good a lot. Now it's progressed to love! !

DreamingChild: No!!! Don't shut up!! blinks at how weird that sounds I very so much value what you say, and I'm very glad, in that wonderful heart warming way, that you respect me and I'm very, very, very, (I'll say it once more just to get through) VERY awed by that fact. I value suggestions and critique a lot because I don't usually get it. I know that Ryou seems very mentally stable, but also remember he's kinda scared of Bakura. His mental unstableness will show more in his sleep (angst headings! You asked for it!) And you'll find out more of his father here, from both sides. Now Bakura's story I really can't wait to develop, it's gonna be a lot of angst and hopefully explain how he is. Important note about Bakura is that he is a very complex person and if you noticed, I said that his eyes were intellectual and in this story he is very much so. It's going to play in a lot here and possibly save his ass a couple of times. I'm glad you liked the massage thing, and yeah I agree with you, I want to keep it toned down for now. I know a lot of stories include massages and they turn into total lemon or something like that, but here's it's just a simple favor. Once more I'm very honored by the fact you enjoy my writing so much and glad to see that you like my style. (glomps and hands a basket of sweets and Ryou and Bakura plushies) Thank you so much!

Not the usual baka: Heh, you better watch out for Bakura, he's going to kill you! And yes, I do bet he does look innocent when he sleeps.

NeoChaosCrystal: You know a lot of people said that, that Pegasus was creep. Well, at least I succeeded in making him a creep! That's always a plus...I think...anyways, Ryou is always way too kind to everybody, but hey, that's why we love him!

Dreigon: Heh, a good massage is always good; I adore them and apparently give out good ones too. I swear I'm going to start a business one day in college and that's how I'm gonna pay my tuition! Anyways thanks!

Koumori wolf: I should have updated sooner, sorry about that, hope you're still alive!

Elle-FaTe2x1: Thank you! I updated!

Jou: (eye twitch) interesting...(shudders)

Once more I apologize for not updating, but I blame school and SAT's. Anyways, I will try to make this chapter nice and long just for all you people and thank you for reading and thank you for reviewing! Oh, and sorry if some of the stuff comes out weird, blame ff.net's new editing thingy, it takes out some of the stuff I mean to put in here, especially from the reviews...sorry about that.

Warning: Yaoi between Ryou and Bakura, blood, death, drug use, swearing, all of that wonderful stuff.

Candles. Little lights that flickered and wavered under the slightest hint of a breeze. Puddles of melted wax that lay in clear pools as the small flames danced on the wick. Pale slender fingers hovered over a flame, once in awhile they dipped down and rose back up, quicker than the eye could see. He savored the warmth they provided to his icy fingers, and soon he removed them returning with a cigarette in his fingers. This time he dipped down the stick and let it light before letting it rest on his lips. Drawing in a breath he savored the warmth that traveled down throat. He let the few ashes fall in the silver tray next to him, not even bothering to see if they landed in the correct spot, he returned to the book on his lap. He turned on the lamp next to him and slowly let a small sigh escape his lips as he rubbed at his tired eyes. Ignoring the need to sleep, he began to read, slowly absorbing the book.

A sudden shaft of moonlight pierced the room and slowly the spot of silvery light moved up the wood floor, making the room glow with a soft touch. It moved past the late readers still form, ghosting over the mug of cold coffee until it finally touched the sleeping body. The silvery moon touched the disheveled silvery locks, the smooth pale face until the light finally faded away and only the candles were left to illuminate the room again. A soft shift of clothes made Bakura look up. His sharp eyes skimmed over to where the younger boy laid, arm resting above his head as fingers curled up the slightest bit. The other arm lay close to his head, fingers just barely brushing against his rumpled hair. The soft cheeks tinted the barest hint of pale pink from sleep as the full cupid lips fell open to let the soft breathe of sleep pass through. The blankets draped around his waist, the too big shirt sloping down his chest to reveal soft skin that seemed to glow in the dark room.

Bakura laid down the book and slowly began to blow out the candles one by one, leaving but a few still lit. The smell of smoke, melted wax and the artificial scent of lavender filled the air. He watched the smoke slowly spiral out for a minute, letting the smoke ringlets curl around his fingers before they faded away. The glowing ember of the wick went out and finally the smoke stopped too. Just as he was about to turn away into the other side of the room, he heard a small whispered gasp escape the mouth of his companion. Turning around he walked to his bed, kneeling close to the sleeping boy. The fine silvery brows met each other as a pained frown began to contort his face, the arms coming to his side as they unconsciously fought something off. The head tossed the other direction, but Bakura firmly brought the face to his side again, watching as the small face grew frightened. Small tears escaped still closed eyes and got caught by the long sooty lashes that rested on the high cheekbones. The moonlight made them glow like crystal, and calmly Bakura wiped at them.

"Okassan..."

The soft voice issued a quiet cry, a small noise made at the back of the throat. He began to gasp out, near to the point where he was panting. Tears became more insistent, smoothing away the stray silvery hair as they trailed down the face. Before Bakura could do anything else a stream of words began to escape the other's mouth, words half coherent.

"Okassan...wake...up...Okassan..."

A small whimper came from his throat before he turned to his side, curing into a ball, fingers tightly clutching at the soft material of the blanket. More words slipped free from the mouth before a name was screamed into the night air and Ryou woke with a quick snap of his eyes.

"MANE-CHAN!"

Ryou shuddered, panting wildly, hair wet and tangled with tears as fingers were still clutching at the sheets. Bakura calmly stared at the boy, whose eyes seemed to grow too wide and skin too pale. Gasps made his thin chest heave and his dry throat rattled. With a free hand he brought a glass of his cold coffee to the other's lips, making the young boy swallow even as he choked on the bitter taste of the coffee. Then slowly he pried the small fingers from their death grip on the sheets and made the small hands curl up into fist. Bakura slowly inhaled from the cigarette before setting it down by an ash tray and sat on the floor by the bed, waiting for Ryou's gasps to come to an end.

"Gomen nasi, I didn't mean to interrupt you."

Ryou's voice was thick with tears making the honeyed sweet voice even sweeter than before. He lay on the bed, a face hidden by one of the numerous pillows. A small sniffle escaping now and then. When he had finally come up for air, the cheeks were flushed to a rosy pink as the large eyes were watery and clear. The henna brown eyes doubled in their depth and color as the darkened parts of his eyes grew larger, shadowing them and making them seem black. Tears still clung to his long lashes, waiting to drop onto the soft velvety cheeks.

"Don't cry."

The words were sincere enough but the tone of voice was cold and sharp, a command rather than an act of consolation. Abruptly the sniffling stopped and Ryou wiped his eyes hastily. Bakura stared at the glowing end of his cigarette and brought it to his lips again, inhaling softly before he let his hand rest on the knee that was raise to his chest level. Ryou stared at his hands, slowly bringing letting them uncurl. Indents of crescent moons dotted his palms, red and angry, but they would leave.

"You don't cry for your father...you cry for your mother. Why?"

Ryou looked up surprised. He paused before answering, drawing patterns on the soft material of the pillow with a finger. He slowly took in a shaky breathe, trying to avoid answering. But before he could even open his mouth to answer Bakura came up with some of his own.

"She died didn't she?"

"H-hai...how did you kno-"

"And Mane-chan...she was your sister?"

"...hai."

"They died...both of them, didn't they? And you were there..."

"It was an accident. It was dark and raining. I was nine. Mane-chan was sixteen. She was listening to her music...from her CD player...mother was laughing. I was scared, there was thunder and lightening. It was hard to see outside. She said it was okay, that we were almost home. There was a ditch...she didn't see it. We fell off the road, the windows broke, there was glass everywhere. They were screaming...so was I...and then there was black..."

Ryou's voice was quiet, eyes closed as he tried to forget the images, the ghostly screams. He huddled under the blankets; suddenly everything seemed to be cold. Bakura only sat at the floor, cigarette still in his hand, eyes staring far away, clouded over. His face blank but something on it made him seem older.

"That's where you got your scar, isn't it?"

"A piece of steel cut into my back...when I woke up I was only stomach because I had stitches on my back. I broke my wrist, dislocated a shoulder, sprained an ankle, and had been on the verge of coma from blood loss. Mother died instantly they said, she broke her neck. Mane-chan died on the table. She had too much internal bleeding and she crushed both of her legs. If she lived, she wouldn't have been able to walk ever again...I'm almost glad she died..."

"Because you didn't want her to suffer..."

"Hai"

"You don't cry for your father because he couldn't bear to look at you anymore...because you were everything that he lost...just a reminder."

"Hai...he never looked at me in the eye, he told me I had my mothers face and my sisters eyes. He didn't say it, but he was afraid to look at me in the eyes anymore. So he went to work, day and night. He crept in when it was dark, kissed me good night and pretended that life was all okay. I pretended too, because that was all I had. So you ask me why I don't cry for my father? Because I didn't know him enough to cry for him."

Bakura stood, cigarette gone from his hand as it lay crushed in a tray. He took in his hand the slim wrist of Ryou's and dragged him to the other part of the room. Silvery moonlight was the only source of light, glowing in the dark. Ryou sat in the armchair like before and draped the blanket around him. Bakura opened the cover of the piano and rested his fingers on the keys. He waited. The soft chords of Beethoven filled the air, quiet and haunting like the moonlight that filtered through the night air. That was all they needed, the quiet notes and the lingering melody that drifted through the air. Ryou just listened and Bakura just played...that was all they needed, comfort in each other's silence.

I hope that explained a bit about how Ryou felt about his father. Basically, Ryou's mother, sister and he were all in a car accident and his mother and sister died, while he lived. His father couldn't bear to look at his son for he reminded him too much of Ryou's dead mother and sister. So he says he didn't know his father, because he was never around and just wasn't able to care for him anymore, emotionally that is.

Anyways, I hope you liked that chapter. I'll try to update soon again, but we'll see. Please read and review and hopefully my other story will be updated as well. Ja ne until the next chapter minna!

I know Amane is supposed to be younger, but she's going to be older in this story.