Calai'di– Okay, I know the Japanese have six day school weeks, but I'm changing that in this story (I've noticed many people do). A five-day week just fits better with the story line right now.

And Ryou's not in this chap, sorry, but he'll be in the next one…

Note: Sorry for any grammer/spelling miskakes. My beta-er's computer can't open attatchments right now, so she could beta it for me. I'll probably re-post this later with everything fixed. Goes for next chap too.

Lines of Pain: Chapter Six

Yugi moaned softly as he woke up, feeling oddly warm and content where he lay. Had the last day and a half been just a wonderful dream? There was no way Yami would agree to a week away from his hikari to be with Ryou instead; it was about as inconceivable that Malik would have a crush on him. That's right, it had all just been a dream, and when he opened his eyes he'd see the floor and walls of his room and Yami would be sleeping in his bed nearby.

So why was it so warm and the floor so soft?

He opened his eyes hesitantly and had to force himself not to yelp in surprise. Well, it wasn't a dream and it was clear as to why he was so warm; he and Malik were curled up on the bed in Ryou's guest-room, and the other boy's arms were wrapped protectively around him. Yugi carefully lifted himself up on his elbow the see the rest of the room and noticed that Bakura was sleeping peacefully in an over-stuffed chair by the door.

Yugi smiled to himself as he lay down again and nestled further into Malik's warmth. His friends were so good to him. And it all hadn't just been a dream. Maybe he really had a chance to get away from Yami…Malik would help him….

"Hey, Bakura, do you think we should wake him up?" Malik asked later that morning, glancing over his shoulder and into the hallway. He and the white-haired yami were currently in the kitchen making breakfast, which at the moment consisted of coffee and a sticky pancake-batter mess.

Bakura wiped a bit of pancake-mix off his nose as he shook his head and dropped a glob of the batter on a griddle. "No, let him sleep. One, 'cause he needs it, and two, 'cause he's too cute to wake up right now."

"You think Yugi is cute, Bakura?"

"Maybe just a bit." Bakura blushed slightly and sat down across from Malik at the kitchen table.

"So, the great Thief King actually thinks someone other than his 'precious, darling, beloved' hikari is cute?" Malik taunted as he took the cup of coffee said Thief King offered him.

"Shut up."

"Just as long as we're clear that he's mine."

"…Whatever. But you'll have to ask him or the Pharaoh about that. I bet that son-of-a-bitch still wants him back. Speaking of which–" Bakura paused, seemingly listening to something, before continuing on a little quieter, "What are we going to do about the Pharaoh? I mean, if he's hurting his own hikari, who knows who else he might harm?"

"Like Ryou?" Malik asked knowingly. When he didn't get a response, he added, "Listen, Ryou can take care of himself. He deals with you twenty-four-seven after all." Bakura growled at this but didn't interrupt. "As to the Pharaoh…if we kill him, he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone anymore."

"How you could be a hikari…" Bakura muttered, shaking his head. "We can't kill him, you dolt! He's a spirit, just like me. And even if we could, do you honestly want Yugi to die as well? 'Cause that's what'd happen."

"Then we kick his bastard ass from here to Timbuktu! Then he'll know he's unwanted and he won't come back."

"Yeah, right, as if that's ever worked before."

"Hey, you wanted a solution, so stop–"

He was interrupted by a small groan from down the hall, followed by a sleepy sounding, "Wh-why is it so cold? Wh-where'd you g-go, Malik?"

Malik giggled a little as Bakura sighed exasperatedly, deciding to stand up and make sure his pancakes wouldn't burn. Yugi appeared in the doorway, still wearing his two-day old clothes and rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Why'd you leave me, Malik? You're really warm," Yugi muttered. Malik noticed that the smaller boy looked as though he was about to fall asleep on his feet, so he jumped up and pulled Yugi into a close embrace.

"I'm sorry, Yugi. I won't leave you again if that's what you want."

Bakura snorted softly behind them, and they heard metal and china clanking together.

"That's okay," Yugi murmured, and he allowed Malik to pick him up and set him on his lap.

"Better, Yugi?" Malik asked quietly. The smaller hikari mumbled something incoherent, but appreciative, as he dozed off with his head against the bigger boy's shoulder.

"Hey, you can't sleep all day," Bakura said as he placed three plates of food down on the table. "You need to eat for one thing. You haven't had anything since yesterday afternoon, and you're too scrawny anyway."

"I guess," Yugi mumbled. He turned slightly on Malik's lap and began to pick at the food on his plate.

After everyone finished eating, Yugi was a lot more awake and especially hyper, courtesy of pancake syrup and a cup of coffee. Bakura turned his own cup in his hands as watched the hyper hikari talking avidly to Malik, and he realized something–

"Yugi, you don't have any clean clothes with you."

Yugi and Malik stopped talking and stared at him for a few moments before the smaller hikari gasped and buried his face in Malik's chest.

"But then I'd have to go back home!" Yugi exclaimed into Malik's chest. "I can't go back there…."

The platinum-haired boy glared at the yami. "Good going, Bakura! Everything was fine 'till you said that!"

"Yami'll kill me if I go back there! Please don't make me go back! I'll borrow Ryou's clothes or something–"

"No, you won't," Bakura growled. "Besides, his clothes are too big for you."

"Malik, you'll help me, right?" Yugi asked, staring up at his friend with pleading eyes. "I can't go back home; it's not safe!"

Malik thought for a few minutes before standing up quickly with Yugi in his arms. "How about we go to the mall and buy you all new clothes?"

"Really?"

"Sure, we can take my motorcycle and make a day of it. Like…I dunno, a date, I guess."

"A date?"

Malik blushed and put Yugi down gently. "Why not? I doubt you've been on any dates with Yami, and you don't seem to like Bakura very much. No offense," he added to the yami that was standing nearby.

Bakura shrugged. "I have my own hikari, remember?"

"So Yugi…will you go out with me?" Malik asked hopefully.

"If you don't call it a 'date'," Yugi answered, crossing his arms.

"Okay, a…uh…an 'intimate outing' it is then!" Malik seized one of Yugi's arms and pulled him toward the door. Then he stopped and called back to Bakura, "Hey, I'm gonna borrow your motorcycle for a little while, all right, Bakura?"

"Whatever, just bring it back. You don't know how much Ryou spent on that to get it for me."

"I'll have Merik bring it back. See ya!" And with that, the door slammed shut behind them.

About a half an hour later, the door of the apartment banged open and shut again, and heavy footsteps made their way to the living room where Bakura was currently watching TV. Merik leaned over him and kissed him lightly on the forehead.

"Good morning, 'Kura-chan."

"Your hair is in my way," Bakura greeted, pushing Merik out of the way. The psychotic yami jumped over the back of the sofa and landed next to his friend.

"So, Malik and Yugi went out for the day?" he asked, leaning his head on the other yami's shoulder.

"Yeah, not that I really care. I don't like Yugi or Malik like that. Though–" Bakura regarded his friend curiously– "I'm surprised you're handling it so well."

"Well, Malik and Isis always say 'if you really love someone, let them do what they want' or something. So that's what I'm doing. And besides, I still have you and Ryou."

Bakura glared at him and scooted away towards the other end of the couch. "You won't have me for long if you stay horny like that."

"Sorry…. So why are you so bent out of shape? And where is Ryou anyway?"

The white-haired yami stared forlornly at the TV again. "He's off at Pharaoh's house."

"What?! Why?!"

"Because Pharaoh's been beating Yugi nearly to death and Ryou wanted to relieve him of it for a week–"

"A week! Ryou-kun's going to be gone for a week?!"

"Yeah, and Yugi's going to be here."

"Nope, that is unacceptable!" Merik suddenly jumped to his feet and pulled Bakura up as well. "We cannot leave our koi in the hands of that lunatic!"

"Merik…not again…."

But Merik was too far-gone to really hear him. "We must mount a rescue mission!"

"Merik, listen to me!" Bakura demanded with enough force to get Merik to look at him. "Ryou went on his own! No one forced him! In fact, I was against it."

"All the more reason to go rescue him! He can't go thinking he has to stay with the Pharaoh!" Merik began tugging his fellow yami toward the door. "Come on, Bakura, don't you want to make sure he's all right?"

"Ryou wouldn't like it if we did that…."

"Well, no, but knowing him, he'd get killed before he'd utter a word of protest. Come on, 'Kura-chan!"

Bakura sighed, knowing well that the other yami was right about his hikari's psychological tendencies, and he allowed himself to be dragged out of the apartment.