Well, here it is everyone! Chapter three!
As for the many wonderful reviews I recieved... thankyou everyone! There;s a hug for everyone who wants it, and a special huggle to Karen and ObiWanGirl coz I love you both so much!
Now, everyone except ObiWanGirl asked me to continue... and Obi didn't review until after I'd written this chapter... I do agree, that would have been a great place to leave off, but I've got much more angst to come yet!

*looks at fic*

Man, I am gonna get so much hate mail this weekend... there's this chapter... and what happens to Yugi in 'Forbidden Love of a Pharaoh'... Oh kamisama, I'm a dead man.
Anyway, enjoy!

*~*~*~*~*~*

A week had passed since everyone had paid their last respects to Serenity, and as the days had ground on Jou had slowly lifted himself from his depressive stupor. It was as if had could finally bring himself to let go and move on, to continue with his life. He'd started smiling and joking again, and had regained his former appetite - much to the concern of Seto's head chef.

"Sir, if he keeps on like this he'll eat you out of house and home!"

Seto smiled. "Granted, he has quite an appetite, but if that puppy can eat more than KaibaCorp can pay for, he's got an interesting career ahead of him."

Seto had also gotten a lot happier over the last week. He'd even begun to make friends with Yugi and co - the "Puppy's Playmates" as he affectionately referred to them. Maybe it was because Jou was happier - or maybe Jou was cracking the cold shell Seto had always hidden behind to protect himself and Mokuba.

Jou had settled in properly at Kaiba Mansion now - he knew where everything was, who all the servants were and which of them he could tease without being assaulted by a cold, wet tea towel the next morning. Of course, all this didn't mean that Jou had stopped going to Seto's room every night - that was one of the things he loved about living with Seto. Being able to wake in Seto's arms every morning and feel like the world was all right.

Mokuba was also more comfortable around Jou, frequently taking the time to pull a face as he walked past, or to fire paper pellets from a rubber band when Jou wasn't looking. The two spent hours playing computer games together - or, to be more exact, Mokuba spent hours beating Jou hollow at whatever game they were playing. Mokuba was quite the little expert.

It was during one of their frequent gaming sessions that Seto poked his head round the door. "Jou, Yugi just called. They're all off to the arcade if we want to meet them there."

Jou and Mokuba both punched the air together. "Alright!"

Seto smiled. "Sorry Mokuba, but a little birdie told me you have an important exam tomorrow."

Mokuba's face fell, and he pouted. "Aww, no fair Onisama!"

Jou laughed and ruffled Mokuba's hair. "Hey, I'll whoop ya there another time, ok?"

Mokuba was about to respond, but Seto cut him off. "Well if we're going, it'd best be now. After all, we don't want to keep them waiting."

Jou nodded, and the two headed off to get ready.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Courtesy of Seto's limo, he and Jou arrived at the arcade at almost the exact same time as the rest, who had come on foot. Yugi and Yami were hand in hand, and Malik had an arm around Ryou, who was resting against his koibito, a content smile on his face. The two pairs were the picture of happiness. The boys hadn't had to worry about people picking on them since Yami had Mindcrushed a couple of men who'd tried to mug Yugi. That, and Malik had circulated some very unsavoury rumours about the Shadow Realm. The overall result of this was that people knew which little group of friends not to cause trouble with.

Accompanying the two partnerships were Bakura and Anzu, who were also regulars at the arcade. Seto and Jou hurried over to greet them all, and then they walked in together.

As they opened the glass doors, the atmosphere from the arcade spilled out into the street. Flashing lights, machines roaring and bleeping and playing music, the hum of the crowd - the arcade was always busy - and…

"Oh look! They laid a new carpet!" Ryou cried, inhaling deeply. "Don't you just love that smell?"

The others all agreed, except Bakura who muttered something about a can of petrol and matches. As they entered the gang were finally able to hear the arcade's in-house radio station, which caused Yugi to emit a shriek of delight as he recognised the song and joined in.

"You got me turning up and turning down, I'm turning in and turning round, I'm turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so," he sang along happily, a huge smile adorning his innocent features.

Jou turned to face the others. "Alright! Who wants to be the first person to lose to me?"

"For three months," Seto added.

Yami - king of games - raised his eyebrows. "You still haven't beaten Mokuba?"
Jou faltered. "Yeah, well, I'm working on it!"
"Jou, he's eleven! How hard can it be?"
"Well, the kid's gifted!"
"Or maybe you're losing it…"
"Maybe you wanna lose one of your spikes!"
"Now now Jou, my hair isn't the problem here. The lack of ability on your part is the problem."

Before it could continue any further, Yugi placed a finger on Yami's lips and slipped an arm round his waist. He pulled the puppy-dog eyes and pretended to pout slightly, standing on tiptoe so he was nearly Yami's height. "Yamiii…" he whined. "I'm thirsty…"

Yami desperately tried to resist, but it was a futile battle. Yugi knew *exactly* how to be both cute and seductive at the same time, and used it to his advantage whenever he could. Yami dug into his pocket with a sigh and pulled out some change for the vending machine. Yugi smiled, took the money, gave Yami a quick peck on the lips and skipped off happily.

Anzu giggled at the two. "He's got you round his little finger, Yami."

Yami was staring distractedly after Yugi, only half paying attention to Anzu. "Actually it's not that little… about six and…" Yami suddenly understood what Anzu meant and what he was saying, and a horrified look crossed his face. "Oh kamisama! Please say you didn't hear that!" Six smirks told him otherwise.

Yugi skipped back, drink in hand, and Yami went bright red, much to Yugi's confusion. "So… what are we playing first?"

*~*~*~*~*~*

Malik and Bakura had rushed off to play House of the Dead - a typical zombie-based shooting game - while Yugi, Yami and Anzu were playing the three-way basketball-shoot game beside it. Ryou was watching his partner and his Yami, shrieking every time a zombie leapt out of the shadows, making Bakura and Malik jump too. Seto and Jou were watching the basketball. The huge smirk on Yami's face suggested he was well in the lead. Anzu wasn't doing too badly - Seto reckoned she was making six in ten shots. As for poor Yugi… well, the silent snarl and the occasional low growl of frustration said it all. Two points.

Jou snuggled up to Seto while they were waiting for their turn. "Thanks," he whispered, holding tightly to Seto's arm and resting his head on his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Thanks," Jou repeated. "For everything." He gave Seto a little kiss on the neck causing him to squirm, a smile on his face. His neck was very ticklish and sensitive.

"Anything for you," Seto whispered, before nipping Jou's ear. As Jou pulled his head away, laughing, he felt it hit something soft. He turned round and saw, in Seto's hand, a little dog teddy. He didn't know whether to laugh or feel insulted. "A puppy for my puppy," Seto whispered, before blowing a raspberry against Jou's neck, causing HIM to squirm so hard he fell off his chair. Seto wasn't the only one with a ticklish neck.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Many hours later, even Seto had run out of change. The gang were all stood by the doors.

"Hey, where's Bakura and Malik?"

Ryou looked up. "Oh, they went off to get a burger. The queue was quite long, so they'll probably be a while yet." Ryou shuddered. "How they can eat after some of *those* games is beyond me."

*~*~*~*~*~*

It was true that Bakura and Malik were going to be a while. It was also true that the queue for a burger was long. That, however, was of no consequence to them.

The two had found a dark space between two machines awaiting repairs. As soon as they had got there, Bakura had sunk both his hands into Malik's hair, pulling him close and crushing their lips together. Malik had pressed back, small groans running through his body. When Bakura released Malik, panting slightly, he growled "I thought they were never going to eave us alone."

Malik nodded and kissed Bakura again, running both his hands down Bakura's body as he did so, hitching him closer.

Malik didn't know why he did this. He didn't know why he couldn't stop himself. He didn't understand why he loved it and hated it together. He loved Ryou, and would die protecting him - on one occasion he'd had a very close call. He hated his unfaithfulness, and it haunted him frequently. All the time that he wasn't in Ryou's arms, when he forgot about everything else anyway.

But there was something about Bakura, something delicious that he couldn't resist. He looked so much like Ryou - gorgeous, in other words - but he was so different. So much coarser, rougher, more dominant. He did things Ryou wouldn't dream of, and it left Malik more satisfied than Ryou did.

Fuelled by nothing more than animalistic lust, Malik continued his assault on Bakura, who returned it with equal venom. Feral moans escaping their lips, the two pleasured eachother, kissing and fondling and grinding, as long as they dared before returning to the group, the others none the wiser of their discrete antics. Ryou greeted Malik with adoring eyes and a gentle kiss, and it tore through Malik's heart like a dagger. Taking Ryou's hand and kissing him gently, he followed everyone out of the arcade.

*~*~*~*~*~*

*hides* Now, I know it's not nice of me to do that to Ryou, but it's very important for later in the fic! *dodges various bits of crockery flying towards him* Oh come on, I love that dude as much as you do! If not more!
*sprays an instant 5-minute Glandular Fever barrier into his mouth and grabs Ryou* I wanted this for so long... *spends 4 and a half minutes kissing him*
What? Like none of you wanna? Feh, anyways, please review? Onegai? And I don't mean about the kissing!