A Legacy Unfinished

Disclaimer: needless to say, if YGO belonged to me, this wouldn't be called a fanfic and I wouldn't be posting this on fanfiction.net

Summary: Sequel to 'Identity'. The legacy carries on in a new timeline – modern Domino. Ryou and Seto face new problems the legacy holds in store for them. Semi-AU Duellist Kingdom and Battle City S/R YY/R

Chapter Title: Disagreements

Warnings: yaoi, OOC, semi-AU, weirdness of character and DK, BC plot changing! If you don't like, DON'T READ! No one's holding a gun to your head and FORCING you to read this! And all flames will go to burning Anzu/Tea, and assisting Baku and Marik in their evil schemes.

Author's Notes: I think it would be safe to say that people were generally okay with the ending of 'Identity' . . . and I was afraid that people didn't like it.

Before I forget, when I say 'Alternate Universe', I mean that the yamis are in separate bodies from their hikaris. Yami is Yugi's older brother, Bakura is Ryou's and Marik is Malik's . . . like inside 'Identity'. The yamis are the Duellists, but they're all there, okay? I know the gang calls Ryou by either 'Bakura' or 'Bakura-kun', but in this he's still going to be Ryou and Y.B. will be called Bakura.

--------

Chapter Two: Disagreements

--------

The next morning, Ryou's ankle had not healed entirely. It was still swollen, though not as prominently as it had been the day before. Bakura hadn't come home all night, making Ryou think that he was doing something wrong again. He had to cook dinner himself and it was a pain having to do so on a badly sprained ankle.

He didn't want to miss school – they were being assigned some sort of minor assignment and one of their other assignments were due also. He had spent a lot of time on that assignment and he didn't want to lose marks for it, which he was bound to do if he missed school today.

So he was carefully putting the assignment in his school bag – precious thirty pages of graphics and information – the doorbell rang. He looked momentarily confused. Seven in the morning was not a time he had expected to have guests.

"Ee?! Kaiba-kun?"

And indeed Kaiba Seto stood at the door, eyeing him critically. Ryou gulped. The CEO's stare was like an X-ray, piercing. His features were set in an expressionless, yet hard, way. The albino stepped aside a little to let him in.

"Ohayou," he greeted weakly.

"You shouldn't be working that ankle," Kaiba said flatly.

Ryou just stared. What sort of a greeting was that? Normal people would start with a 'good morning', or a 'hi', but no, Kaiba had to be special and say 'you shouldn't be working that ankle'. He wouldn't have to work his ankle if he hadn't been alone in the house with no one to help him!

"You're early, Kaiba-kun." He decided it was best if he didn't repeat those thoughts aloud. "What brought on this visit?"

He expected the CEO would say something along the lines of 'making sure you're in one piece while you get to school so I don't get sued', but what he really did say surprised the boy.

"You're not going to school, not if I can help it."

"Nani?!"

"You heard what I said," Kaiba said impatiently. "You're going to stay here and rest that ankle of yours. I will have someone bring in your assignments and work so that you will not lose marks."

"Why do you care?"

The words slipped out so quickly, Ryou immediately wished for them back. Kaiba was looking really annoyed. The albino supposed it was because no one had ever dared question his orders or his authority. But he didn't have authority here, especially since he was in Ryou's apartment. Yet he seemed to wield a lot of it everywhere he went.

"G-Gomen nasai," Ryou mumbled.

"I'll call a doctor."

That simple sentence could have been taken a couple of different ways, Ryou noted silently. For one, it could have translated into somewhat an expression of concern for his ankle. Another way was that Kaiba had finally decided that Ryou was insane for talking back at him and was sending him to a mental asylum for treatment. Ryou silently wondered whether he would get a nice, padded room or not, should he be admitted inside.

He would certainly prefer one.

--------

Kaiba watched the other teen thanking the doctor and the said doctor being shown to the door by a bodyguard of his. He also noticed how awkward he behaved when either the CEO himself or the bodyguard came near him. Kaiba supposed it was just because he wasn't used to authority, being so quiet and shy.

"Anou . . . Kaiba-kun," Ryou now stammered. "Are you sure you're going to stay the whole day? It's very early and you must have something else to do."

"I made sure my schedule was free for today," Kaiba replied easily. "Until, of course, another member of your family – say, your mother – comes back."

"My kaasan is dead."

He had to strain his ears to hear that last sentence, whispered barely audibly from the pale boy's lips. Ryou was looking decidedly depressed, staring hard at his lap and biting his bottom lip. Guilt and, surprisingly, empathy welled up inside his chest.

"Gomen."

Ryou raised his eyes, startled, but Kaiba spoke again.

"When did it happen?"

"T-Three years ago. She was in a plane accident."

Three years . . . Kaiba had to feel sorry for him. He must still remember his mother then. For him, he didn't remember much, since his own parents had died when he was very, very young. He knew he had a younger brother somewhere, but they had been forced into separate orphanages, since he was too young to do anything about it. He had been adopted by the late CEO of Kaiba Corporation a year or two into his stay at the orphanage.

"I live with my niisan, Bakura," Ryou continued quietly. "But he's rarely ever home. Tousan is always away on digs because he is an archaeologist. The last time the three of us actually sat down together was around the same time kaasan passed away."

"It must have been hard for you then."

Ryou smiled sadly.

"I've gotten over it," he said. "I wasn't really close to her anyway."

They sat in awkward silence, before Kaiba cleared his throat and walked to the bookshelf, studying the books. He seemed particularly interested in the books on ancient history, especially the ones about Domino. Ryou limped over, earning himself a disapproving glare from the taller teen.

"Gomen," Ryou apologised.

"Never mind."

"You like history?"

"Un." Kaiba looked at the book on Domino's ancient history. "But my adoptive father didn't approve of my interest, so I haven't studied history outside of school."

Ryou saw the light in his eyes and he pulled the book out from the shelf and handed it to Kaiba, who just looked at it with a slight hint of uncertainty. The albino smiled and motioned for him to take it.

"You can borrow this," he said.

When Kaiba failed to make anything of it, Ryou took one of his hands and pressed the book into it securely. The CEO clasped it, still very quiet.

"Take your time reading it," Ryou continued, "because it's a pretty long, but very interesting read. You don't have to give it back any time soon."

No one had ever lent him anything, even if it was a book. Or at least, no one had lent it to him of free will – he always had to ask that person. And he didn't like asking. But Ryou . . . the albino just let him borrow it without him even asking, as if he had read his mind. He had gotten used to the fact that he had to work for what he wanted and if he didn't, then he wasn't getting it.

"Arigatou," he murmured, barely above a whisper.

"You're welcome."

--------

Yami looked worriedly at the empty place at the base of the tree Ryou usually sat reading. He hadn't come to school today and, frankly, the tri-colour haired teen was worried. He didn't seem to be too well yesterday, quieter than usual. Usually, the albino wouldn't pass up a chance to go to the Kame Game Shop to look at new arrivals.

"Worrying about Ryou-kun?" Yugi asked.

"Ee."

"He's okay, I bet," Jounouchi laughed, as Honda slipped on a banana peel on the way to the rubbish bin. "HAHA! HONDA YOU STACKED IT!"

"Damare," Honda growled.

As the brunette picked himself up from the ground, Yami sighed and just looked at Ryou's place with a frown. Ryou didn't miss school if he could help it, so he must have had a good reason to this morning.

"You look like a lovesick fanboy," a voice sneered.

He looked up at his fellow classmate and rival, Bakura. Ryou's older brother was smirking in a self-satisfied way, propped up against the table's edge, where Yami sat brooding. He was smoking again, he noted with disgust.

"Whatcha thinkin about?"

"That's none of your business Bakura."

Bakura looked in the direction Yami had been staring at before. A wicked grin spread across his features as he turned back to the other teen.

"You're thinking about Ryou aren't you?"

"I am not," Yami retorted vehemently.

"Ooh, touchy." Bakura's grin spread even wider. "He's okay you know. At home, resting after that road accident he got in."

"Road accident?" Yami jumped to his feet and grabbed Bakura by the collar. "Where did you here that from? You weren't home all night!"

"Heh. One of the guys heard it and told me. I figured he'd be okay, since he has survived worse. All he got was a sprained ankle." Bakura's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Did I mention that it was Kaiba Seto who was driving that damned motorbike that almost hit him? How did you know I wasn't home?"

"You never are," Yami said shortly. He shoved Bakura back and the albino grinned mockingly at him. "I'll deal with you after I check to see if Ryou is all right. It's just your luck I have a free period after lunch."

Picking up his book bag, Yami told Yugi he was going to Ryou's to check up on him, before storming out of the school grounds. The rest of the gang stared at his retreating form before turning back to their conversation. Yami would take care of Ryou, should anything be wrong. They would just swing by after school.

--------

Kaiba's going to die, Yami thought angrily.

After signing out of the school attendance record, Yami had taken the quickest route to Ryou's apartment, the way Ryou took when he wasn't walking home with them. The albino had shown him when they had ditched the gang and headed off on their own for some peace and quiet.

The road was very empty, which was what worried Yami the most. Did Ryou take this road frequently? If he did, it would be dangerous. How many times had he let Ryou just walk home by himself, without a companion? Quiet roads, streets and alleys were the most dangerous, without Bakura's gang everywhere.

The teen clenched his teeth angrily. If Kaiba had done anything to harm Ryou . . . he was going to have the CEO's head on a platter, bodyguards or no. Ryou was his closest friend aside from Yugi. They were alike in a lot of ways and they complemented each other well. He would wring the life out of anyone who dared to harm him in any way.

He reached Ryou's apartment complex and noted a sleek, black car parked outside. Not really paying attention to this point, he headed in and sprinted up the stairs two at a time. Apartment 437 came into view and he rang the doorbell.

"Yami-kun?" Ryou's surprised voice met his ears. The boy was dressed in a pale blue, button-up shirt with white jeans (A/N: I have white jeans at home, but I don't like wearing them!). "Why are you here?"

"To check up on you," Yami replied. "Bakura told me you were in an accident yesterday after school. Daijoubu ka?"

"Un, daijoubu." Ryou was blushing as he stepped aside to let Yami in.

"Ryou?" a voice asked. "Who is that?"

Yami whirled to face the speaker, who was currently sitting on the sofa, reading a book. Kaiba Seto looked up from his book and glared at Yami, who glared right back. The CEO had taken off his school jacket and was only wearing the crisp, white shirt, pants and polished black shoes. He was sitting way too comfortably on the sofa for Yami's own comfort.

"What are you doing here Kaiba?"

"I don't see why that's any of your business."

"Kisama . . ."

"Yami-kun, daijoubu," Ryou whispered. "Kaiba-kun is only making sure I don't hurt myself. He helped me home yesterday afternoon and he brought in a doctor to see me this morning."

The CEO remained expressionless at this new revelation, especially when Yami looked at him for confirmation. Kaiba didn't seem like the type to help people out to such an extent, even if Ryou was a classmate. In fact, Kaiba didn't seem the type to help people, period.

Ryou limped to the dining table and pulled out one of the chairs. Yami closed the door behind him as he entered and sat Ryou down on the chair, the albino protesting all the way. He wasn't about to have an invalid doing all the work, unlike Kaiba, who obviously thought that he was too important to answer the door. Yami growled at the back of his throat quietly.

"Shh, Yami-kun, daijoubu." Ryou tugged on his sleeve. "He didn't hurt me."

"Didn't hurt you?" Yami hissed. "That guy ran over you for pity's sake!"

"I'm fine, it's just a sprain after all."

"You should sue."

"I'm not going to, Yami-kun." Ryou was exasperated. "Kaiba-kun helped me and all, so I don't see any reason to sue. Besides, I promised."

Yami set his bag down on the dining table and sat down next to Ryou.

"Yugi's bringing your homework and assignments," he said. "The gang's coming by after school to see how you are."

"Un, arigatou."

Kaiba stood up, closing the book he was reading. He walked over to Ryou and, despite Yami's warning glare, set a hand on the other boy's shoulder.

"I'll come by tomorrow to see how you are."

"No you won't," Yami interrupted. "We're walking to school together tomorrow, so you can just forget it. Save your precious time so you don't have to worry about things that are obviously not important to you."

"Yami-kun . . ."

"Heh," Kaiba snorted disdainfully. "What if Ryou's ankle isn't any better tomorrow morning? You still going to make him walk to school? No, I'm driving him. You can just walk to school by yourself."

"Since when did you start caring anyway?" Yami asked. "You're probably in this so that Ryou-kun won't sue. He's the softest, most compassionate person in existence and you're taking this to your advantage."

"Don't talk about things you don't understand, Mutou," Kaiba spat.

"I understand this perfectly."

"Onegai, yamete," Ryou pleaded, near tears. He hated fighting, since that was all his parents did when they were together. He didn't like listening to arguments and certainly not such heated ones. "Onegai . . . yamete."

"Ryou-kun . . . gomen," Yami murmured, looking down apologetically.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, Ryou," Kaiba said firmly, clasping his shoulder.

The CEO left briskly, the bodyguard – who Yami hadn't noticed until now – following. Yami glared at his back spitefully, before turning and running fingers soothingly through Ryou's long, silky hair. The boy sniffled.

"Gomen Ryou-kun, I shouldn't have yelled like that. I know how much you hate hearing people raise their voices."

"Iie, I caused you inconvenience. Gomen nasai."

"You aren't an inconvenience," Yami said, aghast. "What makes you say that? I choose to worry over you and I think it's my duty to care about your safety."

Ryou blushed as Yami reached over and wiped his eyes carefully.

"Arigatou."

--------

End Chapter Two

--------

Author's Notes:

Yami/Ryou fluff! I like fluff.

REVIEW!

Relinquished