"I love you, Bakura," Ryou said as Bakura pulled the sheets over him. Bakura scowled and walked away.
"Stupid child, get some sleep," he said flicking the light out. He walked out of the room. Ryou sighed and closed his eyes.
"I love you anyway," he whispered.
Bakura dropped to the floor and leaned against the wall right outside of the room, listening as Ryou's heartbeat slowed and he drifted off to sleep. Why would anyone want to hurt his little Ryou? Sure there had been times in the past where he'd hurt his own hikari but after warming up to the kid and learning that he needed him...there was no way that there was someone out there that cruel.
"It's those stupid friends of yours. If you didn't hang out with them this never would have happened." He stood up from the wall and walked back into the room. Ryou looked so peaceful lying there with a half smile on his face while he dreamed. Bakura wondered what he was dreaming about that was making him smile so. He ran a hand over a bruise on the side of Ryou's face and shook his head. Then he kissed him lightly on the lips. Ryou made a sighing sound and then snuggled into Bakura's hand. Bakura gently removed it and went to the doorway. ' His friends... He's finally happy here. I can't take that away...' He turned and walked down the hallway. "But I can find whoever did this and rip him to shreds."
At Yugi's house
"How can you say that? I don't think that just because he doesn't like me that he'd try to kill me or hurt my friends. That just too childish for him," Yugi said sitting down on the couch next to Tristan.
"I agree. He may be unstable but he's not a murderer," Yami said, appearing in front of him, sitting on the coffee table.
"Well, I'm not convinced," Tristan responded.
"Well, what makes you so sure?" Yami asked.
"Did you see him?" Yugi's eyes widened in the anticipation of knowing the truth.
"No... I just..."
"Does he even drive?" Yugi crossed his arms, his hopes of finding out if it was really him dissipating. Tristan stopped to think about it.
"Well I can so he should..."
"Joey doesn't."
"Joey failed driver's ed. Duke's different."
"Are you sayin' that Duke's smarter then me?" Joey came into the room. "I should hit you for that." He hopped over the back of the couch, landing in between Tristan and Yugi.
"He's only stating the obvious," Kaiba said from behind them.
"I thought you were supposed to defend me," Joey said giving him a halfway annoyed look.
"It's easier to tell the truth."
"Why you..." Joey jumped back over the couch and lunged at Kaiba, who just stepped out of the way, letting him crash to the floor. Tristan laughed.
"Great job. If he'd of pinned you, you'd of never gotten away alive," he said.
"Are you okay?" Yugi asked, peaking over the couch as Joey rubbed his chin and sat up.
"You see. That's what real friends do," he said indicating Yugi. Kaiba sighed and went over to help him up but Joey pushed him away and got up on his own.
"So, are you staying over tonight too, Kaiba?" Yugi asked curiously. Everyone looked to him for an answer.
"No. He'd rather spend his time alone working, then being a normal teenager without a life," Joey taunted. Kaiba scowled.
"Mokuba's home alone," he said as if that would be enough of an excuse.
"Then why don't we all just go back over there? Your security would definitely keep us safe from anyone trying to get at us," Joey said. "And you've got plenty of room."
"Having you there was bad e..." he stopped noticing the look on Joey's face. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Fine. The car is waiting outside."
"That's twice tonight," Joey rejoiced as they all got up to leave. Kaiba rolled his eyes.
"Don't get used to it."
At Kaiba mansion
"Keep your 'wows' to yourselves, I don't want to wake up Mokuba if he's sleeping," Kaiba said opening the door for them. "There's guest rooms down that hall, or if you prefer you can all sleep together out in the living room like a bunch of..."
"Watch it," Joey interrupted.
"...scared mice," Kaiba finished. "I can bring you down some blankets." He started up the stairs.
"I don't think that's necessary," Yami said.
"Yeah, we're not girls," Tristan added.
"I'll be in my room," Kaiba kept walking. The four of them looked at each other.
"The living room's that way?" Joey pointed unsure.
Once they were all settled in and joking around with each other again Joey stood up and grabbed a pillow from the couch.
"You guys try to get some sleep, I'll be right back," he said. He exited the room and went up the stairs to Kaiba's. He heard him clicking and typing away and smirked. He went into the room.
"What is it? Forget where the bathroom is?" Kaiba asked.
"I don't think I ever really knew..." Joey thought about it. Kaiba turned around. He looked from the pillow to Joey.
"A pillow? Honestly? And you're not too good at sneaking." Joey raised eye eyebrow alluringly.
"I wasn't trying to be sneaky." He pulled a knife from his pocket. "Come downstairs with us or the pillow gets it." He held the knife up to the pillow threateningly.
"That's even more pathetic then my idea," Kaiba sighed. "Such a shame." He turned back to the computer and Joey put his knife away. He tossed the pillow onto Kaiba's bed and walked over to him.
"So, how complicated is this stuff anyway?" he asked. Kaiba looked at him sideways.
"Too complicated for you." Joey glared at him.
"I'm smarter then I look."
"No. You look..." Joey put a finger to Kaiba's lips.
"You should stop before you make me mad again." Kaiba half smiled and looked up at him. He started to get up but Joey turned and walked away. "I guess I'll see you in the morning," he said grabbing the pillow and leaving the room. ' Now he's toying with me? Does he really think it'll work? I have things more important then entertaining his friends,' Kaiba thought looking back at the screen. He stared at it a few minutes and then looked toward the doorway, but just as fast as he had turned his head Joey tackled him from behind and wrestled him to the floor, straddling him and holding his arms down. Completely taken by surprise, Kaiba closed his eyes expecting to get hit. He felt Joey release his arms and opened them again. "I think that's the first time I've ever seen you afraid. What did you think I was going to do?" Joey said crossing his arms and smiling. Kaiba pushed Joey off him and shook his head angrily.
"I don't know." Joey crawled back over to him and rested his head on Kaiba's shoulder.
"Come on. Do you really think I'd hurt you?" Kaiba looked at him sideways again as Joey's arms wrapped around his chest.
"I don't think you could hurt a cardboard box," he said.
"Is that a challenge?" Joey said. He started to nibble on Kaiba's ear. Kaiba winced and the turned his head.
"Is that an acceptance?" Joey smiled slyly.
"No. I've got to get back to my friends." He stood up but Kaiba grabbed him.
"Not this time," he said and pulled him back down.
Mokuba turned away and went back to his room, knowing that his brother wasn't hurt. The noise they'd made tumbling to the floor had scared him into thinking something was wrong but now he saw that everything was fine. Everything was better then fine. His brother was happy again and things seemed to be going well with them. Mokuba looked toward his brother's bedroom before going back into his own. ' A little too well,' he thought as he heard the door close.