Dance with Me
By: Starian Princess

Chapter 2

Quickly jutting down notes as the teacher explained the lesson, Tea couldn't help but let her mind wander. She frowned as she remembered that she had simply run away from the spirit and did not even try to bring up the topic about the dance.

'It's only proper that he asks me, but at the rate things are going some other girl might make the first move. And I'd be damned before I let some other girl be his partner at the dance.' She let her eyes skim through the room and noticed that several other eyes had been trained on the boy at the farthest left of the classroom.

'My gosh, they're like vultures leering down on their prey!' She inwardly laughed, but her musings stopped as a disturbing thought occurred in her mind.

'I don't really think that he'd say "yes" to any of them but what if he gets cornered and-'

"Miss Gardner?" Returning from her inner ramblings, she looked up questioningly as the teacher walked over to her desk.

"Umm… Yes ma'am?" She stood up just as the teacher reached her desk, silently wondering if she'd been caught daydreaming.

"Could you kindly read the dialogue on page 62? Please remember to speak clearly."

"Yes ma'am." She answered, silently thanking the heavens that that was all she was required to do.

"And… Would Mister Bakura accompany her? Mister Bakura, you are John and Miss Gardner, you are Patricia."

She smiled. Ryou was excellent with English and she always loved hearing him participate in class. She glanced down at the page and her eyes widened in alarm.

'Does it have to be this topic?'

"Miss Gardner? Please start."

"A-Alright. John, what was it that you needed to discuss with me?"

"Ah, Patricia. Well, have you heard about the ball tonight?" She gulped before continuing.

"Yes, I have. But what about it?"

"I was wondering if I could invite you to go… with me."

"I would love to."

Ryou stared up at the banner hanging on the wall for the umpteenth time that day. He silently wondered if he'd made the right choice by having his yami confront the pharaoh.

'Wouldn't it break Tea's heart if she knew that Yami had been forced to ask her?'

"I see your decision is faltering, little hikari." He didn't need to turn as a gruff voice approached him.

"I would be lying if I said otherwise. But what do you think? Was it right for us to step in?" His hazel eyes met his yami's hardened ones.

"Do you think that useless pharaoh would have asked her had we not interfered?" The question thrown back at him mildly surprised him. As far as he knew, it was only Yugi who had a thing for her and although he and Bakura had a link when it came to the brunette, that didn't necessarily mean that Yami and Yugi had one too. Was he even sure that Yugi still liked Tea? And more importantly, was he even sure that Yami liked Tea that way?

"Little by little, I'm beginning to think that we may have made the biggest mistake ever." Was the reply Bakura caught before his hikari took off into a dash, no doubt in search of the girl who had caught his heart and who had very much interested the former tomb robber.

It wasn't long until Ryou had found her. After all, she seemed to stand out quite a bit. Those brunette tresses, those cerulean pools, and that radiant smile. No one was more beautiful than she was to him.

"Tea!" He called, waving at the girl.

For a moment he forgot about the reason why he had been searching for her as he watched her wave back and walk briskly towards him, but the moment he felt her slender arms encircle his waist the whole mission came crashing down on him as he listened to her ecstatic tone.

"Ryou, I can't begin to tell you how happy I am! Yami asked me to the dance! He asked right after English class!" She was more than happy. It was as if Yami had asked her to marry him even.

Pulling away from her, Ryou took in her overjoyed gaze. She'd never looked so contented and he sighed.

"Ryou? What's wrong?" Shaking his head, he pulled her back in as he embraced her this time.

"I'm so glad you got what you wished for Tea."

Tea watched as her ivory-haired friend made his way through the crowd. Ever since she had told him that Yami had asked her to the dance, he seemed a bit distant. Not only had he been avoiding eye contact, but the way he seemed to even ignore Yami was puzzling her to no end. Wasn't he happy for her? The sudden thought of losing one of her best friends came to mind and before she knew it, her feet had started moving on their own.

She knew that it would be trouble if a teacher caught her running in the hall but she just had to find him.

Catching a glimpse of a recognizable head of white, she changed the direction she was running in and prayed that he would hear her.

"Ryou!"

Bakura's head shot up as he heard a familiar voice call out his hikari's name. He stopped mid-stride as he felt a pair of arms wrapped around his waist.

"Tea…" He pried her arms off as he turned to face her. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked like she was about to cry.

"What-" As he was about to ask what was wrong, he found the dancer clutching him tightly; pulling at his shirt and crying on his chest.

"Ryou, please tell me what's wrong..." She sounded so lost. Had his hikari done something to her? No, of course not. Even he knew that Ryou would never do anything to hurt the girl. But hadn't she asked him to tell her what was wrong? That meant that he must've done something unintentional then.

Preparing to make up for whatever his lighter half may have done (although he wondered why he'd even bother), he ran his hands soothingly through her hair and rubbed her back. He wasn't very good with women, that was for sure but if it was Tea then he didn't mind at least trying. And anyways, it seemed that she didn't even know it was him.

"Calm down, Tea." He whispered in her ear, trying very much to sound like Ryou.

Tea looked up, the last few tears sliding down the side of her face.

"Ryou, did I do anything to make you mad?" Her voice trembled. He'd always heard that she would do anything for her friends, and it pained her when something was wrong and she was the cause. But only now did he truly witness and understand it.

"No, of course not. You could never make me mad." Answering her, he watched as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"But then why were you acting so distant? Was it because Yami asked me to the dance? Does it have anything to do with that? Or are you worried about not having anyone to take to the dance? Maybe I can set you up." And then she was going on and on about who was probably the perfect person for him to take. But he wasn't listening anymore.

How could she even begin to think that he or his hikari would want to take anyone else? The thought sickened him. There was only one person they were both interested in. And that particular girl was ranting about him and not even paying heed to herself. She was so selfless that Bakura could do nothing but be captivated by the way her lips moved and how her eyes were a vibrant azure as she spoke of pairing him up with some other random girl. No, he absolutely did not like the idea at all.

Tea was silenced as she found herself in a lip lock with the boy she had been seeking out to help. Her mind went blank as her eyes closed. She couldn't help it. In that kiss, she could feel the one emotion that Yami never seemed to show her. Raw desire. It should have troubled her knowing that her friend actually wanted her, and yet it didn't. For also in that kiss, she could feel the one thing she'd been seeking out from the pharaoh that did show but it wasn't quite what she expected. Complete love. Yes, that's what it was.

Gasping for air, she broke the kiss and stared up at the albino. Her eyes were still in a haze and her breathing had quickened ten paces.

"Ryou, what-what does this mean?"

"Tea, don't you understand yet? I'm in love with you. And it pains me to know that you chose Yami instead. Does he even like you that way?"

Before he could continue, the girl had taken off into a run. She was running away, away from him and away from his true feelings. Not just Ryou's, these were Bakura's feelings. And this was the first time in the tomb robber's life that his heart had started to tear up.

-TBC-

Starian Princess