Wow, it's been almost two months since the last update. My fault. I'm really sorry. I hope you guys didn't think I was thru with this fic. Heck no! Not with this being the second to last chapter! Thanks for sticking with it!

Chapter 8

"I'm here," Bakura said, tossing his keys on the counter. "You said you needed to talk Yami…" he paused. "Malik... so this is where you were."

"I was just dropping by," Malik said, standing from his seat.

Jounouchi rushed into the room at this time, calming his frazzled hair. "I'm here. So what gives?"

"I'll go change and leave you guys alone to talk," said Yuugi, exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

Malik sighed. "I'd better go as well."

"Go sit in the car," Bakura stated. "I'll be out in a moment."

"Talk about leaving in a hurry," Jounouchi commented, noticing how the two had left.

Bakura shrugged. "They were probably horrified by your face, Jou. You look like hell."

"What?!" he exclaimed, running to the nearest mirror, only then realizing that it was a joke. "Dang it, Bakura!" He faced him. "Wait, I owe you an ass-kicking!"

"If you wanted to touch my ass that badly-"

"Shut up!" Jounouchi yelled, though starting to laugh. "You are impossible."

Pretending to file his nails, Bakura smirked. "I know."

Yami suddenly cleared his throat somewhat loudly and the other two occupants turned quickly to face him.

"Sorry Yams," the blonde said sheepishly.

Yami smiled ignoring the nickname, but it quickly faded as he remembered why he had asked them there in the first place. "I'm sorry you had to come so early... It's just that I really wanted to get this over with as soon as possible."

"What is it?" questioned Bakura, now serious.

The drummer lowered his gaze, as if contemplating something confusing, then spoke. "Bakura... do you like Malik?"

For a moment Bakura looked shocked, as though he hadn't expected the question at all. "As a friend."

"A friend," Yami repeated. "Do you remember when we first met a long time ago? When we were kids?"

"Of course. You were always hanging out with Ryou."

"-And you were always alone. I used to always wonder why you stayed away from us. I thought you hated me because whenever I asked you to play with us, you always walked away angry... It wasn't until later, actually a couple years later that I truly understood the kind of person you were. You wanted to be alone; it was the kind of person you were."

"Oh yeah!" Jounouchi cut in, snapping his fingers. "I remember! When we were in junior high together, all three of us, we finally became friends during the talent show when we noticed that we all loved music and had a talent for it! That was how the band started."

"Exactly," Yami said succinctly.

"Yes," said Bakura, "But what exactly is your point?"

He sighed. "My point is, it took you years to finally open up to me, and I had to work hard for you to even see me... And yet," he smiled sadly, "I think you befriended Malik the moment you met him…"

Bakura went to say something, but stopped. It was true. At the club the first night they saw each other, they had acted something akin to friends.

"Hey, you're right," Jounouchi commented.

Bakura crossed his arms. "...I still fail to see your point."

"You like Malik," Yami simply said. "And when I say like, I mean more than a friend."

"More than a-"…Oh… He suddenly felt like getting angry. "What the hell, Yami? Is this about last night with the truth or dare game, because if it is-"

"It's not."

"Then why does everyone insist that there's more than friendship between us? If I'm so fond of being alone, then why would I go and get myself attracted to bean, er, Malik? Or anyone for that matter. I'm single and I like it that way. I'd reject any girl or even guy no matter who they were. The only queer ones here are you and Jou!"

"Hey!" Jounouchi felt offended by that. "Speak for yourself! At least I haven't slept with the blondy."

"I haven't-" He paused, "Well, I haven't slept with him in that sense."

"You brought it up, not me."

Bakura glowered. "No wonder Kaiba kicked you out. I couldn't stand to live with you either if I were you!"

That comment really angered Jounouchi. "How dare you bring that up! I'm sick and tired of you always making fun of me. Do you ever take into consideration how I feel?"

"No."

"Guys, please," Yami started.

Bakura shook his head. "I've had it. With you too, Yami. You know, you bring up all this shit from the past and talk to me about my problems when you can't even get over your own!"

Jounouchi walked over to Yami's side. "Just stop right now, Bakura. You're treading on thin ice."

"No," Yami said, putting a hand up, but still facing Bakura. "He's right. I must really be an idiot if I was stupid enough to fall for you."

Freeze. Two Three. "What?" Bakura wasn't sure if he had understood him correctly. "You... like me?… Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because," Jounouchi took over, "By the time he realized it, it was too late. You had already fallen for Malik."

"Screw you," he said in regards to Jounouchi. "And I did not-" he glared balling his hands into fists. "Okay, I'm through here. I don't have to take this anymore."

"Just go then. We don't need you."

Bakura picked up his keys and turned slightly to face him. "Oh really? Well if you don't need me, then you don't a vocalist either."

"That's right!"

"Then I'm quitting the band!" He grabbed his car keys and left slamming the door.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The light drizzle of rain that started was what shook Bakura from his thoughts as he sat quietly in the car. He had told Malik quite bitterly actually to just go in the house because he wanted to be alone.

"Maybe Yami really was right," he pondered quietly, thinking about his constant wish to be solitary.

Everything was finally sinking in and it all summed up to one thing. Bakura was an ass. Scratch that, ass royale. Yami had confessed his feelings, something that was not an easy chore. It took guts and bravery and Bakura had practically shot him down. And then there was Jou... who just wanted him to listen. He really shouldn't have said that comment about Kaiba... It was out of line.

Hey, why end the list there? Who else had Bakura practically shoved away? Ryou, his own brother, who just wanted to help him if anything. And then there was Malik, a complete enigma to him, who seemed to just want him to understand.

Yami's words suddenly seemed to sting.

"You wanted to be alone; it was the kind of person you were."

"It's the kind of person I am," he said solemnly.

Sometimes he hated how Yami was always right, but not this time. Getting out of the car, he locked it and headed inside the house. Turning on the hall light, he was surprised to see Ryou sitting on the steps holding the phone. As soon as Ryou noticed him, their eyes locked and Ryou broke their gaze and let out a sigh.

"…I just got off the phone with Jou," he said quietly.

"Oh really?" Bakura said, trying to sound uncaring.

"Please don't do this Bakura. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about."

Bakura hung his coat on the coat rack. "So he told you then?"

"...Yes."

"And you expect me to…?"

"Apologize of course," Ryou said, standing up. "Jounouchi is really upset."

Bakura sighed tiredly. "Let him go cry to Honda then.

His brother gave him a dangerous look. "Don't do it, Bakura. Do you really not care if the band exists or not?"

"I guess so," he mumbled.

"You don't?"

Bakura scratched his cheek. "I do."

Ryou looked hopeless for a moment before he lightened up. "Go talk to Malik. He'll probably advise you better than I."

"Malik?" Bakura said, skeptical.

"Yes. Just tell him how you feel."

"How I feel?" Bakura was gawking.

This caused Ryou to smile. "About the situation of course."

"Oh. Right." He ran a hand over his face. "I highly doubt that beanpole could be of any help, but whatever."

He trudged up the steps and to his room, but he didn't walk in right away. This time facing Malik felt strange and somehow awkward. Maybe it had to do with what Yami had said. Still it's not like what he said changed anything. Maybe...

Walking inside he actually ran right into Malik.

"Watch it-" Malik said, then blinked. "Bakura... you're back?"

"That's what it looks like," he answered.

"Hm." He looked away. "I just got off the phone with Yami..."

Bakura raised a brow. "He called too?"

"No. I called him."

"…Oh."

Great. He knew about Yami's crazy presumption.

"Why couldn't you have just told me?" Malik asked. "I wouldn't have thought differently about you."

"I don't know. I guess I just wasn't thinking."

"Yeah... I guess. You know that this will change everything."

"It will?" What did that mean?

"Yes. How could things possibly stay the same?"

"So I suppose you'll want to move out of my room then...?"

Malik looked at him like he was insane. "I'm talking about you and Yami..."

...Oh...

"Why, what did you think I was talking about?" he then inquired.

Bakura breathed a heavy sigh of relief and ran a hand through his hair. "Nothing. Thank god…"

"Bakura! You have to stay focused... First off, did you need something?"

"Other than access to my room?" Ryou's face flashed in his head. "Yes."

"Well?"

"Well... I was wondering if you could advise me on this whole situation..."

Malik raised his brows, but shook his head and took a seat on the edge of the bed. "I'm not sure if I'd be much help... but sure. I'll just give you my insights."

Bakura stood there for a moment, waiting for Malik to start, but then he noticed him motioning to the spot beside him on the bed. AKA sit. After doing so, and still slightly uncomfortably, he motioned for Malik to start.

"Well it seems to me," Malik began, "That you've got a typical unrequited-love deal on your hands. Yami has feelings for you and you have feelings... for somebody else." For a moment he had forgotten that Bakura didn't know about Yami's insights on who Bakura liked. "If I were Yami, I'd be devastated. The first thing you need to do is call him and apologize. Yami's the kind of person to forgive and forget... though, forgetting his feelings might take a little longer. Be patient though. Then you need to say your sorrys to Jounouchi. Despite his tough demeanor and generally outgoing personality, underneath he's just a person who wants you to listen. And, don't forget the other people you're mean to. A simple sorry works miracles."

Bakura waited for him to say more, but Malik nodded issuing that he was finished. "For someone who hasn't really been here that long, you sure do know a lot about us."

Malik waved it off. "Not really. I just told you what anyone should do. You just happened to be the person I was talking to."

"Right. Well, how should I word it?"

Malik shrugged. "It'll come to you. If you want, I'll pretend to be Yami so you can have a practice trial- no feelings hurt."

"Sure."

"Ok," he sat up straight and faced him. "So," he deepened his voice. "You wanted to see me."

Bakura almost cracked a smile and Malik's attempt to impersonate the drummer, but resisted the urge. "Yes... I came about what happened earlier."

"Oh really," he faked a hurt look; very impressive. "And?"

"I just wanted to say... I'm sorry about what I said."

"Yeah, well, I've forgiven you already-"

"You can't," he said out of nowhere, taking ahold of Malik's hand. "First hear me out. We've been friends for a long time... we can't let this ruin our friendship."

"Why would it?"

"Well, usually when someone in a friendship likes someone and the other person doesn't... it creates problems."

Malik lost the Yami enunciation. "It does?"

"Yeah."

"But I don't want... our relationship to change."

"Well I do."

Malik threw him a confused look. "What?"

"I don't want us to just be friends anymore. I happen to like you, more than a friend. I was stupid not to realize it before. I suppose it's just that so much has been happening lately and I couldn't see clearly, er something."

"Wait," Malik said, motioning for Bakura to stop. "You actually like Yami?"

"No, idiot. I like you."

"Oh," he sighed relief. "OH!" His eyes went wide. "You like me?" For a moment he had to think about that. Carefully.

"So I suppose this is the part where you storm out slamming the door and begin to hate the whole world," he said, in regards to his earlier actions. "Yep. I'm most definitely feeling like grade-A idiot right now."

Turning, Malik noticed how close they were again. Why did that have to keep happening? It didn't help his situation much. At all. Bakura had just... why, he had just admitted to liking him! What was he supposed to say? At the moment, words wouldn't come out of his mouth and he was left just staring, so he did the only thing he could.

He kissed Bakura.

His fingers laced around Bakura's neck as their lips met softly, but Bakura easily turned the contact fierce with his skilled mouth easily working wonders. Malik felt so compliant to his every touch and soon all of his assumptions about hormones went out the window.

Just as Bakura pushed him flat on the bed, as all good things soon come to an end, so did this, because the doorbell rang sending them both sitting up straight and breathless.

"Okay..." Malik said slowly. "What just happened?"

Bakura threw him a skeptical gaze. "You tell me."

Ryou suddenly rushed into the room, slightly out of breath. "Sorry to interrupt. Jou and Yami are here. They said you wanted to speak with them?"

Bakura shook his head. "I never said that."

Malik avoided his eyes. "Well, earlier on the phone, I kind of told them that you would."

"...I should have known."

"Well, they're waiting downstairs." Ryou motioned towards the stairs. "Hurry up and come and speak to them so you can finish whatever you're doing up here."

Neither Bakura nor Malik liked the supposedly innocent smile that followed. Standing up, they walked with Ryou downstairs to where Yami and Jounouchi were waiting.

Bakura nodded his head courteously at the two and everyone took a seat on one of the couches in the living room.

"Thanks for coming," Bakura said calmly.

"I hope we didn't disturb you two," Jounouchi said, almost bitterly, in reference to Malik and Bakura.

Bakura shrugged. "Well actually-"

"You didn't," Malik cut in.

Bakura threw him a what-in-hell-are-you-talking-about look. "Excuse me-?"

"We were simply chatting about the weather."

"The weather?" Yami asked, clearly suspicious.

And Jounouchi clearly voiced his suspicions. "There's no way Bakura would ever talk about-"

"Hey Ryou, is that tea ready?" Malik said, standing up.

Bakura couldn't believe it! Malik was actually trying to pretend like nothing happened?! He was the one who had made the first move!

"Tea?" Ryou asked. "What t-"

"The tea we were making!" Malik said quickly. "Remember?"

Ryou finally got the hint. "Oh. Right. That tea. Um... maybe I'd better help you with it..." He stood up and joined Malik at the door. "We'll leave you three to work things out."

"Trust me," Bakura said, smiling bitterly, and quite chillingly. "This will be cake compared to the problems that will be faced later. I can assure you."

Malik swallowed hard and quickly left the room.

What on earth had he gotten himself into...?

---TBC---

Lol. Of course there wasn't really any tea. That was Malik bailing out. One chapter left seems a bit weird. There actually might be two. Either that or a long final one. We'll see. The next update will not take as long as before. Give me two weeks and you'll have yourself a chapter! - Thanks

AmethystRoze