Ryou and his team decided to go along with their mission after all while working around the storm's destruction from the previous day. The young archaeologist was quite relieved to have such a supportive team, and had agreed to help him with the excavation despite their missing instructions. Luckily for them, the Historian among the group had a pretty good idea on what it was Yugi was searching for.

And so they agreed to work throughout the night, as the storm had caused more damage than it seemed possible. Come morning, they would have a pretty good start on their project.

By the time the sun reached mid sky the next day, the lack of sleep adding to the aching shoulders, dry throats, and just every pain possible that working in the sun can leave you with, the gang managed to uncover their equipment from the sand while setting up various dig plots as well.

Ryou knew that if he sacrificed sleep for work, that it would leave him just as frustrated as anyone would, especially without any coffee around. But it was so bad, that it got to the point where every little thing was making him jittery. Even the amount of sand he had to deal with was already making him sick of seeing it everywhere, and was amazing how it managed to get into almost everything. Well the storm's furious winds were quite strong, but that didn't explain how the sand got into his pants.

He sighed to himself as twin streams of tears waved down his face in a chibi-like manner as he worked.

It was really…really uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, wide, alert and plenty rested eyes watched the group's every move from where he sat comfortably up on his horse from afar, cool as a cucumber in his attire that shielded him from the scorching desert sun and sand. Apparently, Yugi's team must've known him quite well if they were able to work like this with him watching them closely. Ryou occasionally stopped to throw glances over at him, paranoia always being a problem for him and kicking in to add to his irritations.

Something about his presence unnerved him greatly and Ryou was already in a mood to pick a fight with anyone.

His victim just had to be the tombkeeper.

He stopped what he was doing to look around his scattered group, they were all busy! And no one seemed to notice the tombkeeper's apprehensive gaze. It was annoying! And it seemed that it was only getting to him.

Ryou shrugged his shoulders, and continued working again, thinking that maybe he too can blow him off. Just pretend that he's not there!

But so much for pretending…

Only moments later, his protractor fell with a clatter after the needle pierced through the map from his agitated grip on the utensil, and his narrowing eyes fell back on the figure in the distance. Two men nearby overlooking some documents as well, noticed the archaeologist's unease and exchanged glances.

"Alright there?"

Ryou's teeth gritted together. "Fine…" and picked up the protractor again. But this time, he only twirled it in his fingers. Once the other two men were busy again, Ryou's eyes wandered back to the horseman.

And those brown eyes narrowed again.

There he was…just sitting there like he owned the place, Ryou was almost convinced that Malik was mocking him from where he sat happily on his horse, watching over them, like a king would over his slaves, as they worked blindly without any means to guide them anymore, and because of that, had their work load double the amount more than necessary. Which involved more digging that could keep them from meeting their deadline, which meant longer stay in the desert… and it was So. Very. Hot.

And he just sat there…

Watching.

Watching.

Just watching…

Then finally, the tombkeeper looks away while combing his fingers through his horse's long locks, patting it lovingly. Oh bored now are we? Not much of a sight now, huh?

And that did it. Ryou threw the protractor down loudly, catching everyone's attention, and they all watched him march over towards the tombkeeper in wonder.

His mind had been wandering with his thoughts, wild eyes scanning the skies for anything familiar that may catch his attention. Another storm maybe, he could warn the others in advance, carrier pigeons, falcons from other tombkeepers…or maybe even hidden signs of any fortunes, good or bad, yet to come.

But there were no clouds to read, no birds with messages, only endless blue skies, a bright sun and…

Mean, clear brown eyes.

The tombkeeper blinked from under his turban. How scary…

"What! What is it? Desert not big enough for you! What the hell is your problem?"

Huh?

"Stop watching us like that its creeping us out! We're trying to work!" yelled Ryou then was able to breathe finally. When his face was relieved and opened his eyes slowly from his little tantrum, he found those exotic lavender eyes blinking in confusion at him, then narrowing to a flat expression.

"Fine…" he said, while picking up what looked like a shotgun and slinging it over his shoulder casually. Ryou's eyes widened as he eyed the gun fearfully. "Then you keep the jackals away."

Ryou's wide eyes blinked childishly, and began looking all around him nervously. "Jackals? around here? Are there really?"

The tombkeeper shrugged carelessly and tugged his horse to ride away. "We'll know when we find you torn to shreds." he simply answered and Ryou was left gawking in disbelief.

The tombkeeper disappeared out of sight, and Ryou walked back to camp with a self-assured poise, but kept an eye out for any threatening creatures as well.

He caught the bewildered gazes of his team and they all went back to work like nothing had happened.

It was late into the afternoon when the group decided to call it quits and rest up for the night. Even though they were starving by now, they mostly only reached for their drinks than to start thinking about any food. The day's workload left them quite dehydrated.

Ryou sighed to himself as one of the students among the group put down yet another empty water tank. He knew they couldn't afford working by night all the time as they would use up their water supply indefinitely and be left with nothing until their weekends off where they can restock.

But he found it working better by night, at least they wouldn't have to endure the sun's fury, but had to admit the day's light brought things into better view. Ryou frowned to himself, missing the beautiful jungles of India greatly where at least fresh water was always nearby, and he would steal himself away for a quick shower. But in this desert, nothing was as good as the jungles, and the little water they had here had to be used wisely. At least until they would get back to civilization on their days off.

Ryou unbuttoned his shirt and let it loose completely, enjoying the cooling air of the coming night enveloping his flushed body. He laid back against on one flat boulder that formed a semi-circle with a couple others where the men gathered around to build a campfire in the middle, and let his eyes wander to the skies where a few stars were starting to glitter in the myriad colors of a dying sun. Briefly picking up pieces of a frantic conversation involving one group member's choice of dinnerwhich was some unknown desert critter that Ryou certainly did not want to know aboutwhen there was plenty of normal food available. He smirked a little at this, they were quite an amusing bunch.

He let his thoughts wander until it carried him into sleep, which were mostly on a certain tombkeeper and his lifestyle after the whole Battle City incident. But Ryou knew if Malik was anything like him, then that whole tournament and all that occurred before and during the event, were long suppressed to never be discussed again.

He didn't know when he had fallen asleep, but when he had awakened the next day after a very lumpy, but fairly satisfying sleep, he yawned then stretched the kinks out of his arms and back, then opened his eyes slowly to adjust towards the brightness of the morning.

Only to find a pair of lavender eyes staring directly at him, hovering just a little above him.

There was no turban, no white cloth covering him completely, only regular clothing, and long blonde hair framing a very handsome face, and in that brief moment, Ryou thought that he was fifteen again and that awfully close face belonged to an also fifteen-year-old Malik, and was probably going to berate Ryou to win the next duels for him. But he remembered his place in the desert in thenow, Yugi's mission, and the fact that that particular event happened already, which took place ten years ago.

With that confusion straightened out, it then finally occurred to him, as his brown eyes widened, just how close the other man had been, and a blush immediatelybroke out on his face."What the hell are you looking at?"

The blonde let out a 'humph' and his eyes met with Ryou's in a scowl, only to go back to where they had been planted in first place which Ryou just noticed, weren't staring at him directly, but somewhere beyond his shoulder.

"How rude, I don't even get a good morning? From what I know, you English are quite the gentlemen, you on the other hand, are anything but…" he said dully, still fixing his gaze in that same direction as Ryou's fists bean curling at his sides.

"I'll show you gentle…" scowled Ryou, but Malik slapped one hand down at the side of his head and brought the other to hover just a little over Ryou's forehead, his gaze becoming more intense. Ryou winced, but noticed that Malik's attention was clearly trying to focus on something else.

"Don't move." warned Malik and Ryou glared.

"Why? What are you doing anyway?"

And all Malik shot back with was a 'shush', which Ryou didn't like very much judging by the way his teeth were grinding together.

"Don't you 'shush' me! What are you" hefought backthen Malik clamped his mouth shut with his hand, and held down Ryou's wrists over his head to still him. Ryou's eyes widened again frantically then struggled against his grip which was quite firm, then noticed Malik leaning in slowly, lavender eyes back on his, whispering "Just don't… move."

Ryou let out a muffled answer and watched the other slowly leaning in some more to reach into his long pale hair to pick something out. Malik's weight was subtle over him, as his chest pressed onto his slowly, but didn't help much with his nerves. He was too close for comfort, and Ryou briefly felt soft pounding of his heart against his own chest, stringing up one memory Ryou ever remembered having.

When Malik finally withdrew from him, taking his hand off from over his mouth to allow him to breathe, the blonde gave a few jerky movements, thinking it was better to get rid of the menacing thing that wanted to make a home out of the Ryou's hair before he got to see it and possibly pass out from the sight, knowing how sensitive the man could be.

Ryou let out a quiet sigh, still lying on his back, and just watched Malik with suspicious eyes as the blonde allowed the other some room upon noticing just how close he was to him as well, but didn't really think anything of it. He just smiled smugly, and Ryou propped himself on his elbows, combing his fingers through his hair where he felt Malik untangle something from it.

"What was that?" he asked upon inspecting his hair, and Malik just pointed to the ground without another word, and the expression on his face, Ryou noticed, was the liveliest he had ever seen it since he met up with him. Reminding him of Malik's fifteen year-old-self again.

The one he had put on for show to hide his evil intentions.

Ryou followed his finger to a smashed, black smudge on the ground with its curled tail still twitching in its spot.

A scorpion...just lovely… Ryou's eyes widened again horrifically.

"It wanted to make a nest in your hair." said Malik flatly, and literally didn't see what hit him when Ryou sat up so suddenly upon ruffling his hair for anything else,muttering "Ah! get it, out get it out!" frantically, slamming his elbow into the blonde's head while he was at it, and sending him tumbling to the ground.

And after making sure that there weren't any signs of 'eggs' of any kind in his hair, Ryou rubbed his elbow from the impact and noticed the tombkeeper unconscious on the ground, with swirls for eyes and a sturdylump growing out of his head. Ryou blinked, and his shoulders sagged nervously.

"Kami-sama… I killed Malik!" hebreathed and Malik barely managed to mutter back.

"Te...me…"

To be continued…

A/N: a little attempt at humor…silly me. I sort of liked Ryou /Bakura's dub voice in the U.S. version, thought it was sexy.Also, i'm not too fond of using Japanese words so much only because i don't know the language and just kinda feels wrong, i just tried to make that last part not sound so much like our favorite construction-paper toon. -laughs-

South Park rocks!

"kami" of course means God and "teme" translates to "you" but in a very rude way. Usually in the subbings, it translates to "you bastard" most of the time.

thanks for reading!