Yes. I do realize the story is moving fast. Sorry!

xxxxxxxxx

"Yugi!"

Yugi turned around. Yami was running after him. He wanted to come with him?

"Hey! You decided to leave the arcade too?" Yugi asked Yami once he had caught up.

"Yeah… I…thought you… would like…me to walk…with you," Yami said between pants.

Yugi smiled. "Yeah!"

As they resumed walking, Yugi glanced at the taller boy. He really seemed like a genuine friend.

"So… um- how long have you known Ryou?"

"Well…" Yugi trailed off, pondering why Yami wanted to know. "Since first grade."

"Oh… That's cool."

A silence formed and Yugi didn't think he wanted another like this one in the near future.

"So, do you like him?" Yugi stopped walking.

xxx

Yugi sighed as he closed the door. Why had Yami asked that? Well it was obvious that he wasn't going to answer. But it had been pretty awkward….

"Hey did you see that jet pass by?"

"No… I didn't… Are you okay, Yugi?"

"Yeah! Of course!"

A jet? Was that the best he could do?

He snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the phone ring.

"Hello? Ryou…?"

On the other line, Ryou responded, "Hello, Yugi. I… wanted to say sorry for not showing up today."

Yugi breathed. "I'm just glad you're okay. What happened?"

"Well, me and Bakura-"

"Bakura?"

"Yes, well, you see…" Yugi could tell that Ryou was hiding something. "I ran into Bakura on my way home and I invited him to come with me to the arcade."

"Yes?"

"And we ran into a couple of guys who attacked me." Ryou paused once he heard Yugi gasp. "I'm okay since Bakura, well… Not to sound mushy or anything, but he saved me."

"Oh really?"

Ryou was about to respond when he noticed that Yugi's tome wasn't one that was worried or surprised, but it sounded different. Like he was accusing him of something.

"Yes…" Ryou said hesitantly.

"And you like this 'Bakura'?"

When Yugi didn't hear a reply, he hastily said, " I'm only joking, Ryou!" Still the other side of the line was quiet. "Ryou? Are you there?"

"I guess I do…" Ryou said softly, as though he finally made up his mind.

xxx

"Yugi," Yami swallowed nervously, "I was wondering if you'd like to go see a movie this weekend?"

Yugi was taken by surprised. Thankful that Yami forgot all about that incident the other day, Yugi missed the fact that Yami could have been asking him out.

"Sure!" Yugi grinned.

"Really?" Yami blinked.

"Yeah!" Yugi couldn't believe his luck. He would finally get to spend some time with Yami outside of school! But he had agreed to hang out with Ryou over the weekend as well. Yugi had been so happy about Yami's offer, he had forgotten about his promise to Ryou. He cringed, feeling guilty.

Yami watched Yugi with concern. "Is there something wrong, Yugi?"

Yugi paused, looking down at the ground. "Well..."

An expression of complete guilt crossed his face, making Yami nervous. What was wrong with Yugi? Did he want to back out on the movie plans? But hadn't he sounded exited about it just a few moments ago? Calm down, Yami, he told himself. Maybe he was just stressing over nothing. Nothing prepared him for what Yugi was about to say next.

Yami snapped out of his thoughts just in time to hear Yugi.

"Would it be okay if Ryou came along too?" the younger boy asked.

Yami blinked in surprise. "Ryou…?"

"He's a good friend of mine!" Yugi replied. (Yugi forgot that Yami had never formally been introduced to Ryou, so he had never actually seen him before.)

Come to think of it, Yami had seen a white-haired boy hanging around with Yugi, who bore a striking resemblance to Bakura.

"He looks like Bakura, right?" Yami quipped curiously.

Yugi smiled and nodded. "That's Ryou!"

Something about the way Yugi had said Ryou's name made Yami a bit tense. No need to get jealous. He was sure that Yugi and Ryou were just…friends. But why would Yugi want to bring him?

"Yami?" Yugi blinked. The other teen turned to look at him.

"Oh, sorry. Of course Ryou can come." Yami smiled. Yugi had a distinct feeling that Yami was hiding something, but he had agreed, hadn't he? After all, why would Yami mind Ryou coming along? Yugi blushed. It wasn't like a date or anything. Right?

Maybe he should explain.

"Are you sure you're okay with this? I wanted to bring Ryou because-" Yugi started to say.

"It's okay Yugi. You don't have to explain. I'm fine with it, really," Yami interrupted.

He saw the look of relief that crossed Yugi's face, and began to worry again. But Yami didn't want to upset Yugi.

"Any friend of yours is a friend of mine, Yugi," Yami added, smiling and ruffling the younger boy's hair affectionately.

The bell rang, slightly startling the two boys. "I'll see you later, then?" Yugi grinned.

Yami nodded. "Of course."

Yugi waved, and then disappeared into the next classroom. Yami waved back, but sighed as soon as Yugi entered his class. He didn't feel like going to class anymore. Yami walked to the front doors of the high school to the outdoors. A serene breeze drifted past him, and he shut his eyes, taken in by the calm.

"Finally taking a break from trailing your little friend, I see," someone sneered behind him.

"What do you want, Bakura?" Yami asked without opening his eyes.

"To know when you'll stop following that other boy like some lovesick fool." Bakura smirked.

Yami opened his eyes, turning to face Bakura.

The white-haired teen was leaning against the brick wall of the school, his arms crossed smugly over his chest.

"I can't help it. Yugi and I have a connection, we look the same- but there's so much I want to learn about him. I feel as if we're part of one person- as if Yugi is my lighter half."

Bakura snorted.

"You've noticed that with Ryou, haven't you, Bakura?" Yami asked. Clearly, he had hit a touchy subject. Bakura tensed visibly.

"Ryou has nothing to do with this," he snapped.

"Fine. I won't pry," Yami replied.

"You won't pry," Bakura shot him a glare, "because there's nothing to pry into. The only thing that I know about that fool is that he looks like me."

Yami smirked in amusement. "I think you're getting a bit defensive."

The bell rang, and Yugi was the first to leave the classroom. He stood outside, waiting patiently for Ryou. "You were certainly eager for class to end, Yugi," Ryou commented thoughtfully as he exited the room.

Yugi smiled. "Yeah, I know.

Ryou smiled knowingly. "Couldn't wait to see Yami?"

The other boy blushed. Ryou chuckled softly.

Yugi suddenly brightened. "Oh, I almost forgot!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Ryou blinked. "What is it, Yugi?"

"Would it be okay if we went to the movies this weekend?" Yugi asked, a pleading sort of look coming in to light his features.

"Of course!" Ryou smiled. Then a mischievous sparkle entered his eyes. "Is there someone else you wanted to bring?" he teased. Yugi's blush deepened. Ryou laughed. "It's all right, Yugi. I was only teasing. But you can bring someone else, if you'd like."

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

Ryou nodded. Truthfully, he had already known that he was the one Yugi was bringing along, not Yami. He had overheard Yugi and Yami discussing their movie plans. He really had felt bad, feeling that it would only be a burden for Yugi to bring him along. But since the teen truly appeared sincere about wanting him to come, who was he to decline his best friend's invitation?

"Okay!" Yugi replied brightly.

"Yugi… Don't happen to likeYami too, do you?"

"He's just a good friend," Yugi countered, but he hadn't looked up when he said that.

Please review with Questions or Comments! Thanks!