A/N: Sorry for not updating immediately. I had important matters to tend to. Thank you for the reviews!

I feel so dumb... I forgot to dedicate this fan fic to the person of the Falls on Me contest. I'm sorry, I so blanked out.

This Fan fic, Take Me Away, is dedicated to Sierra's Darkness. You wrote me some nice reviews.

Disclaimer: ............I own nothing!!!!

Take Me Away

Chapter Two: Damn Obligations

Bakura sipped his drink quietly. The rest of the small group were going around the room, talking and laughing with each other. The white haired yami was content in lingering in the background since he had no interest in mingling with them. The only reason he was there was because he was obligated to Ryou.

That didn't stop the hikari though. He was being the best host he could be, getting drinks and food for everyone, managing the stereo and making sure he had enough time to chat with everyone. For that Bakura was grateful. It meant he wouldn't be pestered all night to socialize.

When the doorbell rang Ryou rushed to the entrance hall. The group fell silent as they waited to hear who was at the door. They weren't expecting anyone else.

"Oh my gosh, hello!" they heard Ryou say and he sounded quite happy.

"Sorry we didn't call ahead," a familiar voice replied cheerfully. "Are we interrupting something?"

"Not at all, come on in!"

Bakura smiled and stood from his position on the couch. He'd recognize that voice anywhere.

Sure enough, when Ryou entered he was leading the Egyptian teen Malik Ishtal by the hand and right behind them was his darker half, Mariku.

The others all smiled and went to greet them. (Mariku had simmered down quite a bit, by the way...)

"So where have you been Malik?" Yugi asked and handed him a drink.

The other hikari drank and then replied, "Well, Isis, Rishid, Mariku and I went around Japan for a while trying to find a good museum location. We all decided that Domino City was the best place for us."

Anzu clapped her hands together and said, "That's wonderful! Now we can all remain the best of friends!"

Everyone agreed with nods and smiles.

"Where's the tomb robber?" Mariku asked in an amused and friendly tone, looking around the room. "Getting drunk at some bar without me?"

Bakura stood and coughed loudly. The dark skinned hikari and yami looked over in his direction, looking very surprised. They hadn't expected him to be there since the last time the saw him he would have never shown his face at a friendly get together.

Ryou saw the expressions and was quick to explain. "Oh, I would have contacted you to tell you, but I didn't have your number. Me and Bakura are together!"

Bakura nodded to confirm it.

The two looked back and forth from the white haired hikari and yami for a moment, letting the news sink in. At last Malik gave big smile of congratulations and then held a hand out to Mariku, saying, "Pay up."

The group blinked at the two as Mariku grudgingly dug into his pocket, pulled out some money, counted it, and then handed the proper amount to Malik, who happily pocketed the change.

"You betted on our relationship?" Bakura asked in slight amazement.

Mariku nodded and honestly answered, "Yup."

"Don't be offended or anything," Malik said quickly to the look on Bakura's face. "We just always thought you two would wind up together, like Yugi and Yami or me and Mariku. It was a gut feeling."

While Ryou looked somewhat flattered Bakura looked somewhat annoyed. Malik quickly asked, "So, how'd it happen?"

Ryou immediately began to tell the story, starting from where he had come home from shopping and Bakura was drunk. The white haired yami shifted slightly and sat back down on the couch. He did not like hearing those bits of the story, nor did he enjoy the fact that his hikari would actually share stuff like that.

The former tomb robber would have liked to be left alone in the back of the room on the couch, but Mariku had come over and sat down beside him. A good thing for he was a close friend that he could talk to later, but a bad thing for he was listening to the story and would often say a comment of two.

"Hah, even I wouldn't kill the bathroom mirror, drunk or not," he said in obvious amusement and prodded his friend's side, who simply kept silent.

Later...

"That sounds too much like that horrible romance movie with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal," Mariku commented when Ryou told of the part when Bakura had ran to the party to tell him his feelings. The yami shifted as Ryou told Malik some of the sweet words that followed and the passionate kisses they shared.

Malik smiled and said, "Wow, that's pretty neat. One of the most sweetest things I've ever heard of."

Ryou blushed slightly and said thank you. Honda suggested that they get the parted started again and they all agreed. Bakura was grateful that they had stopped discussing the story.

A few moments later, while Mariku was talking to Bakura about the trip around Japan, a slow romance song had started playing. Yami was quick to ask Yugi to dance, and soon enough the two were doing a slow dance in the middle of the room.

Mariku frowned deeply as he watched the two dance. He got up from the couch, saying, "There is no way I'm letting that damn pharaoh outdo me."

Sure enough he had dragged Malik away from Ryou, who were in the middle of talking, and began to dance with him. It took the Egyptian teen a moment to recover but soon they were dancing.

Ryou looked about for a few moments. Bakura wasn't going to worry about the obligation to dance with him at the moment. He still had the other three to talk to. Well, that is until the two started to take turns in dancing with Anzu.

Damn.

Now he was obligated.

Bakura sighed and got up from the couch and walked to Ryou. He held out a hand and softly asked, "Would you like to dance?"

Ryou took his yami's hand and nodded happily. Soon the two were dancing with others, though Bakura kept his eyes lowered and would occasionally stumble a little. His grip on Ryou was very loose, almost as if he wasn't even touching him.

The hikari took quick notice of these things. When the two were alone and they danced, Bakura would get them as close as they could and lovingly kiss his neck in between spins and dips. Ryou brought his yami closer and frowned slightly as he tensed. He leaned up and gave him a gently kiss, and the nuzzled the skin on his neck with his nose.

Bakura got tenser and pulled away. Ryou was confused. Anytime he did that they would end up sharing loving kisses.

"Kura?" Ryou asked quietly and stopped dancing for a moment.

"Yes?"

Ryou hesitated before asking if there was anything wrong. Instead, he said, "I love you."

Bakura only gave a smile and nodded. Then he continued dancing, still a little awkward. Ryou placed his head on Bakura's shoulder, eyes sad and lowered.