Oooh, it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry.


I woke up before my hikari did. Heh. Not that I'm surprised. Besides, Ry needs his "beauty sleep." Not that he needs it, of course.

I sat up and picked up my sketchpad. The Pharaoh might laugh if he knew my passion for art, but since when did I care about what the Pharaoh thought?

I flipped to a blank page and started sketching. After about twenty minutes or so I got out of bed and dressed. Suddenly I had an urge to go over to the Tomb Keeper's house. Scribbling a quick note to Ryou, I left the building.

I cheerfully strolled down the streets, whistling. Now, I know how uncharacteristic this is for me, The King of Thieves, but hey, I was in a good mood. (an: Can you say OOC?? OO) After an ACHING LONG TIME OF WALKING AND FOR THIS I SHALL KILL THE TOMB ROBBER (!!!) (an: MUCH better) I reached his house. I knocked and who should open the door but everyone's least favorite once-Pharaoh hater.

"Hello Malik," I said, entering without his given permission, of course.

He blinked. "Bakura…? Since when did you skip down the streets, whistle, and greet someone?"

"I DID NOT SKIP DOWN THE STREETS AND WHISTLE!!!!!"

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't."

"Yeah-huh."

"Nu-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Nu-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Nu-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Nu-uh."

"HA! SUCKER! You said that I DIDN'T!!!!" I was triumphant.

(an: WOAH… (or as Tim likes to say, Wa-oh, because everyone has to talk like Tim Kasher in Red Handed SLEIGHT of Hand by Cursive)… BAKURA AND MALIK WENT WAAAAAY OOC HERE!!!! Sorry.)

Malik grinned. "So what brings you here Soul Stealer?"

"I was bored." I shrugged. "I needed to talk to my best… associate." I HATED the f-word. The Ra-damned "f" word that Anzu sometimes likes to harp about…

(an: However, if she was Tea… SHE WOULD NEVER STOP!!!!! Don't get me wrong, Anzu's cool, but Tea… well, to put it mildly, SHE SUCKS!!!!)

Malik threw me a beer and sat down, opening one himself. "Isis just left of a business trip with Rishid…"

"You mean Fake Malik?"

"…and so they won't be here. So shoot."

"Okay…" I took a deep breath. "If you say ANYTHING about what I'm telling you to ANYONE, ESPECIALLY the Pharaoh, his hikari and my hikari, I WILL FIND YOU, HUNT YOU DOWN AND I WILL CUT YOU UP SO BAD YOU'D WISH I DIDN'T CUT YOU UP SO BAD!!!!!!!!!"

(an: My friends and I happen to say that quote a lot. One quote to describe this: "What? You nerd." Thank you Joey and Tristan.)

Malik grinned.

So I told him.

"IlikemyhikarialotImeanreallyreallylikeandIreallyreallywanthimtogooutwithmebutIdontthinkRyoulikesmeverymuchbecauseyouknowIdidbeathiminthepastbutnowIlikehimalotandIthinkIevenlovehimandreallytheresnothingwrongwiththatsincethePharaohandtheShrimparetogetheraswellastheformerHighPriestandhisinfamousmutt."

Malik blinked. "Will you believe me if I said that I actually UNDERSTOOD what you just said?"

It was my turn to blink.

Malik and I talked some more, and, surprisingly, he agreed that Ryou and I should go out. "Are you kidding? I've been waiting for this for years."

And then I remembered.

(an: Now I could be evil and make a cliffy right here, but I won't. I HAVE A MISSION IN THIS CHAPTER!!!)

"HOLY SHITAKE MUSHROOMS OH SWEET MOTHER OF RA NO!!!" I screamed, leaping to my feet. Malik jumped up too.

"What happened?" he said, alarmed.

"I left my sketchbook open! Right to the page where I was sketching Ryou! I DIDN'T PUT ANY SPELL ON IT OR ANYTHING!!! NOW HE'S GOING TO KNOW…!"

I ran.


I woke up and the first thing I realized was that Bakura was gone.

I sat up. His bedclothes were dumped on the floor (typical) and there was a note sloppily dumped on it. It said, "Going to Malik's, be back ASAP."

At Malik's place, then? Okay, I'll just clean up.

But before I did that, I saw something… Bakura's sketchbook, the book he NEVER just LEAVES unguarded was lying open on my bed next to where I had been sleeping. It was open to a page where the picture looked recent…

I couldn't help it. I picked it up and looked at the picture. I gasped. No way…

I flipped through the rest and saw that they were all pictures of the same thing… or, more accurately, same person

I had no more doubt in me that he would go back to his old ways. I had no more fears of Bakura hating me. When I looked through that book, I knew.

I was running, Malik trailing after me. I reached the apartment and flung open the door. I rushed into my room to see…

Ryou was looking at the sketchbook, his eyes wide. He looked up, at me. "Ryou… Ryou, I can explain."

"You don't need to." His voice was quite, emotionless. I felt my heart sink into my stomach. No… no… this couldn't be…

He walked up to me. I was expecting a slap in the face. Instead, his arms circled around my waist and he buried his face inside my shirt.

"Bakura…"

"Ryou…?"

"Bakura… Bakura, I'm so sorry… Bakura, I LOVE YOU."

It was more awakening than a slap in the face. Those three words have made the strongest men weak, the weakest men strong. Those three words have made a gay man straight and a straight man gay. Actually, at that moment, that latter is exactly what happened to me.

But why should I care? I was in love.


I'd never thought of Bakura as a sentimental person. O.O I've slightly scared myself. He's a bit too OOC… ah well! It's for the sake of fan fiction!