Note: God... I just realized how many unfinished stories I have. And yet here I am starting more of them! Pht, you guys must hate me. I know I can't stand when people do that... damn, I'm a hypocrite.

Disclaimer: I own hardly anything that is used in this story. Sorry.

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"So," Yami started, awkwardly, "is your life always so... dramatic?" Yugi blushed. "Not really. I guess they're just... having some little bumps in their relationship." "So early? That says something for them..."

Yugi whimpered and dug his chin into his chest. "I suppose. I really hope those two end up okay, though. I know Malik would make Ryou really happy, and Ryou will make Malik happy, too."

'Good God, someone needs to beam this kid a clue,' Yami thought to himself, knowing it was mean but not liking the others... naïvity. "If you want my opinion, Marik would click better with Malik than Bunny-Butt." Yugi blushed. "Really? Marik seems a little... mean for Malik."

Yami gave him a light glare with his crimson eyes. "Marik isn't mean. He's just a little bold. Nothing bad. Hell, your friend might like that!"

"He's really mean to Malik, sometimes. I don't think Malik likes him." The taller spiky laughed. "Oh, I doubt that. You are far too innocent, little one. Malik likes that Marik is mean to him. Not like he'd ever admit it. But Marik's being mean to him is like... the equivalent of a guy and chick groping."

"Wow!" Yugi gasped. "That can't be right!" Yami only laughed. "You're too sweet. God, I bet you don't even think Bakura and Ryou would be good together!" Yugi chuckled into his chest. "They wouldn't. Bakura is mean, too."

"I'm their friend. Am I mean?" Yami asked, hoping Yugi wouldn't say yes. "No! You're a lot nicer than everyone says!"

Yami looked over at him. "People say I'm mean?" 'Oops.' "Um... a little, I guess... They say you're... a play-boy, kinda'."

"Hmph! Go figure. And I haven't even had a girlfriend!" "You haven't?" Yami blushed. 'Did I say that out loud?' "Um, nope. Never had the time. School, sports, and all..."

"Color me shocked." Yami puffed up. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you always have girls around you. I just thought you might be going out with some of them." Yami chuckled, turning onto Yugi's street. "Kame Game Store, right?" "Mmhmm. Ah, Motou-san? Why don't you go out with any of those girls? I know lots of them like you..."

"Really?" "Like that cheerleader... Mazaki. She only hangs out with Bakura to be close to you. Every one knows it." "I didn't." Yugi glued his eyes to the floor. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything."

Yami reached out an arm and placed it over Yugi's shoulders. "So cute." "Yami?" The jockish one chuckled. "Or maybe I've never had a girlfriend... because I prefer little boys."

Yugi felt the wall next to the door of his grandfather's game shop press against his back. "Y-Yami-san!" "Shh. Allow me to kiss my pretty girl goodnight?"

The smaller pushed against the other's chest, trying to get him away. "Yami-san, no!" "Mm, as you wish then. I'll back off. But... you owe me." Yami lifted Yugi's chin and pressed his lips against Yugi's neck.

"Yugi? What are you doing out here?" "Grandfather!" Yugi shoved Yami, roughly, getting the other away from him. "Mr. Motoh. Uh, hi. We weren't... doing anything, you see..." "I don't know who you are, but you had best leave now."

"Yes, sir... Bye, Yugi." Yami trudged off, not looking back to meet the glare of the chibi's grandfather.

"Yugi, what were you doing with that boy?" Solomon asked, grabbing his grandson lightly by the wrist. "We really weren't doing anything, Grandpa. Yami was just leaving, that's all."

"Yami? That boy that is always being mean to you?" the elder asked, sharply. Oh, he knew of poor Yugi's troubles at school. But the fact remained; the child would always be scrawny. Yugi had to put up with so much during the day, Solomon would not have people coming around to bother him at home.

Yugi blushed. "He isn't mean. Really. It's just his friends..." "Oh?" "Yeah... but maybe they aren't so mean, either..."

"What makes you say that, Yugi?" The boy blushed. "Well... see, Ryou and Malik started dating last night, but tonight they broke up and Marik went off with Malik and Bakura was flirting with Ryou, and... Yami says they aren't so bad."

Solomon sighed. "Well, I'm not going to lecture you, Yugi. I think you're responsible enough to know who you trust, but do be careful, child. I don't want you getting hurt by this boy."

"I won't, Grandpa, I promise." "Good boy."

The two hugged on the Kame Game Shop's front porch until they heard a car pulling up to the sidewalk. "Yug! Hey, man!" "Joey!"

The Brooklyn blonde stepped out of a long, black limo, standing to his full height, twice Yugi's own. He grudgingly turned back to the person in the car. "Danks for da ride... you sayin' o' goin'?" "I'm getting out, dog. Once you move your paws."

Yugi flushed, hearing the voice he hadn't heard in months and still recalled. "Seto? Seto Kaiba?" The billion-dollar brunette head poked out beside Joey. "Motoh? You own this game shop?" "My grandfather does! Wow, it's been a long time!"

"Wai' a minute, you two know each otha'?" Seto stepped out of the limo, stretching. "Yes. Yugi was my main competitor at a gaming competition last summer." "How do you know Joey, Seto?"

Joey actually laughed at that. "We', I wa' foolin' 'round in da parkin' lot with Tris and Tog when dey dared me to key a car. His car." "You still owe me that money, doggie."

"I told ya', I dun' have it ye'!" Seto held up a hand to halt Joey's comments. "Don't care. Anyway, Yugi, while I was playing taxi to your pet, I decided to check out the game shop he was headed to. You still open?"

"Twenty-four/seven!" Yugi said with a smile. "Wonderful. Maybe now I can get some worthy cards." "Cards?" Joey asked, turning to face his friend and enemy.

"Yeah. It's a card game that Kaiba and I play. It's really complicated at first, but it's easy once you know what you're doing." Seto chuckled darkly. "Like a dog could ever play a man's game."

Solomon chuckled, walking back out with a few packs of cards. "If I remember correctly, Mai Kujaku is one of the best players around with her aromatics." "Too true," Seto said with a tut, picking up the packs as if trying to judge their hidden insides.

Joey plucked a pack from his hand. "Are da cards in hea?" "No, dog, they're in your shoe. Yes, they're in there!" "Do you want some, Joey?" Yugi asked his friend, curiously.

"Yeah, sure! Oh, but I dun have 'ny money. Sorry." The little chibi laughed at his friend. "Go ahead, Joey. On the house. After all, you're my friend, so you can take some!"

"Really! Danks, Yug!" "Do you even know how to play the game?" Seto asked, rudely. "No, I dunt. But you and Yug can teach meh!" "Like I have nothing better to do than teach an old dog new tricks..."

"Come on, Seto. We can compare ideals while we teach Joey." Seto paused. "Well, that is a good idea. Fine. Elder, can we use the shop or do we need to bunk down on the cement?"

Solomon got a thoughtful look. "No, all of you come on in."

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"So," Marik started awkwardly, sitting at a picnic table licking at a raspberry cone. Malik didn't even look up from staring at his melting vanilla. "What is it?" "Are we just going to sit here all night, or are we actually going to talk?"

"You're the one who wanted to talk. Not me." Marik sighed, wrapping his ice cream in a napkin then setting it in a hole in the table. He walked up behind his look-alike and wrapped his arms around him.

"Very, very cold, Little Lotus. Why, some people would be out of themselves sick if I looked their ways!" Malik glared at him, cooly. "Do you mind? I just broke up with my boyfriend, got groped by the world's biggest pervert, and you aren't helping!"

Marik looked as if though Malik had smacked him. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Guess I'm a being a bit of an asshole." "You think?" "Pht. Anyway, I just wanted to spend some time with you. After all," Marik pressed close to Malik, "you're very, very cute."

"Wow, that's the second most narcissistic thing I've ever heard said." "Thanks, I try." Marik took the shell of Malik's ear into his mouth, tugging on the earring with his teeth. "Anyway, I think it's about time you heard me out."

"Must I?" "Yep. Malik... Little Lotus Flower, you have no idea... how much I love you. So very much... And knowing that I can't date down to have you. It totally sucks."

Lavender eyes averted from their twins as Malik looked away. "Marik, why are you doing this to me? I'm vulnerable from breaking up with Ryou right now, I know that. But I never pegged you as the type to use that to take advantage of me."

"I'm not trying to do that, I'm really not. I want you... I want you a lot. The problem is going to be getting you. You don't want me to have you, they don't want me to have you. Damn it!"

Malik raised his hands just slightly, knowing Marik was well-known for getting violent when he was angry, stressed... sad, happy, stoic...

A tanned hand reached out and pulled Malik close, forcing him into Marik's lap. "I don't care what they think. You're so beautiful. I have to have you. And I could give you so much, too."

"You think I want popularity? Please. I couldn't care less about fitting in." "Malik... please give me a chance. Go out with me... for a week! Just a week! After that, you can decide whether or not to keep going out with me."

"That would be a wasted week out of my life. I would never go out with you!" Every eye in the area turned to face them, figuring there would be a scene. "Malik..." "But! I will agree to go out with you, for one week only, and after than, we'll break up."

"You sound so certain." "I am," Malik said, flippantly, leaning up to place a chaste kiss on his new boyfriend's lips. "School will be hell if anyone finds out, though." Marik laughed. "Let me take care of them."

Having achieved exactly what he wanted the night to yield, Marik wanted to get Malik home before the littler got the chance to change his mind.

"Come on. It's getting rather late. I probably shouldn't have you out much longer." "Excuse me, but we took my bike. I'll head home and see you in the morning."

"Well what kind of boyfriend would I be if I did that?" Marik teased. "You don't live too far away from me. I can take you home then walk the rest of the way." "...How do you know where I live?"

"Uh... I plead the 5th. Anyway, let's go. Mom is probably going to murder me for being out so late." Malik looked up at this, giving Marik an appraising look. "Doubt that. Come on."

The two were silent on the whole ride home, their only contact being Malik pressed up against Marik, intimately. Every time they came across a red light or a stop sign, Marik would reach down and entwine one of the hands rested on his stomach with his own.

Finally pulling on to Malik's street, the bike slowed to the stop in his drive. "So... am I picking you up tomorrow morning?" "...Do you want to?" Marik nodded against Malik's neck. "Yeah, I do want to. And then we'll have tomorrow's school to look forward to..."

"Don't remind me." Marik leaned Malik back against the streetlight and slid his hand up into Malik's shirt, lolling his tongue about Malik's ear. "Night night, baby." Malik blushed. "Goodnight, Marik."

Looking back, cheeks pink, Malik softly padded up to his door and opened the door, slipping inside. However, he paused in closing the door and mouthed, "goodnight... Mari."

Marik stood outside a second longer, pulling his cape a little tighter to block the chilly night air on his bare arms. As he walked off, though, he turned his head sharply and let a sad look cross his face at the muffled sounds of yelling and flesh meeting flesh coming from his new boyfriend's house.

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Ryou sat dejectedly on the edge of the back of the U-haul. His notebook was open across his lap as he wrote with vigor. Kamoru wrapped an arm around him from behind. "So... the other albino boy told me what happened. Sorry, Bunny-butt. That must suck."

"Very much. I'm really not feeling all that sociable right now." Kamoru ignored him, shaking his head and letting the metal charms in his hair jingle. "Calm down, Fuzzy. No point hiding it from Kam-Kam."

The white-haired teen lightly flipped his hair over his shoulder. "I don't really want to talk about it... It wasn't really my fault, you know?" He sank his teeth into his eraser, trying not to think about what had happened between himself and Malik.

Trying not to think about how Malik had immediately replaced him with Marik.

"It wouldn't hurt so bad if he hadn't found someone else right away. Until that point, I was the only person besides him that was ever allowed on his bike. It just feels wrong that Malik would let Marik after having fought forever.

"Kamoru, do you think that he might have loved him... before we even ended up together?" "I dunno. He might have. Maybe he did and didn't know it?"

"How can you not know you love someone?" Ryou asked with a scoff. "Ryou! Bunny! C'mon, damn it! I'm trying to talk to you!"

"Oh, that almost makes me feel so bad about ignoring you," Ryou told him blandly. Bakura glared at him. "Little bitch. Who was it that, less than an hour ago, asked me not to leave him alone?"

"Yami?" "Don't get cute with me!" "I can't help it," Ryou stated easily, "I'm just naturally that adorable. Didn't you know?"

"Of course I did. Why do you think I planted one on you? I want you to be mine." "Why bother? I'm not popular like all of your friends. Would you really want to be seen with me? You probably had to murder to get where you stand. But even the top can be taken down by an underside revolution."

"How political," Bakura said, crinkling his nose. "It makes since. If everyone below you doesn't want you to be popular anymore, they just have to not be around you. Suddenly, no more popularity."

Bakura huffed, crossing his arms, angrily. "Whatever. Anyway, at best, it could make you more... socially influential. That wouldn't be a bad thing." "To who? I would loose myself if I gained anything like what you have."

"You don't like me, do you?" Ryou looked at him softly. "I like you. Too much. I'm not willing to put my own self on the line for you, either. So many of your fan girls would try and kill me for 'turning you gay'."

"Turning me gay? I'm not gay!" "You like me. A guy! What does this tell us?" "That you need to gain some testosterone?"

Ryou stomped off, pissed at that last statement. "Oi, wait up, dang it!"

Kamoru watched all of this with a laugh. "'How can you not know you love someone?' Look at yourself, Bunny. Don't act so surprised when you end up in love with Bakura."

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"I dun get it," Joey complained, placing his hand over his deck in surrender. Seto sighed, slightly annoyed. "Look," he reached over and drew a card from Joey's deck.

"Here we have a monster card. If your card's power is better than the other monsters, then you win. Okay?"

"What's it's powa?" "It'll say on the bottom of the card," Yugi chirped. "What's the strongest monster you have?" "Um..." Joey started flipping through his cards, "probably Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

"Cut the deck and draw it from the top," Seto challenged. "Wha?" "I can draw my Blue-Eyes," he stated easily, slicing the deck in half and pulling it off the top.

"'Ow do ya do dat?" "It's a sign of mastery we use to show off and intimidate our opponents. The masters, that is, players with at least five prized cards, are expected to be able to do this."

"Oh man!" Yugi laughed. "Don't worry, Joey. You haven't even had a duel, yet. Don't try to walk before you can crawl." The blonde frowned. "I guess. Heh, if I practice with combos at home, do you think I could get better?"

"Well, you're not going to get that way by doing nothing. Anything can help, very little can hurt." "Wow, dat was almos' philosophical."

"I can't believe you know that word." "I dun. Was jus quotin Bunny." "Who?" "My friend, Ryou," Yugi piped up. "He's really smart and talks like a college student."

"Oh... I really should swing by this school of yours someday." "I dink you'd stick ou' a bit." Seto nodded. "Duh."

"Well," Yugi cut in before a fight could start, "it's kind of late, and I'm getting pretty tired. Would you be insulted if we decided to boot you two out?" "No' at all," Joey told his pal. "We'll ge' outa' your 'air. G'nigh', Yug!" "Sleep well."

Seto and Joey both walked out of Yugi's house. "Does the puppy want a ride home?" Seto asked, holding the door of his limo open. "I mean, we wouldn't want the pound to catch you."

'Close save,' Seto thought to himself with a breath, hoping that Joey had missed the hopeful tone in his voice when he had asked to give the blonde a ride home. What would anyone, anyone, think to find out that Seto Kaiba liked some street-trash teen?

"No danks. I'd ratha walk da who' way home dan listen to you call me a dog ana longa." "Your loss," Seto said with a light shrug, climbing into the limo. However, before closing the door, he tossed an umbrella out towards Joey.

"It's supposed to rain a bit. We wouldn't want you to smell like wet dog." Even though Joey shook his fist after the car that pulled away, he smiled at the umbrella and griped it, tightly. "I' jus' give dis back to 'im, lata."

Joey started walking down the street, knowing that it would take a good long walk before he'd be home, again. And that was how he liked it. Long walks always seemed to make everything better.

'Seto... damn, 'm so in love wit im,' Joey thought to himself, sadly. 'Why's'it my cursed luck to fall in love wit da one guy dat can' stan' me?' A drop of water found itself landed upon Joey's head.

"Oh, grea, now it's rainin. Wonderfu'." He opened up the navy-blue umbrella of Seto's and blocked any further water to come. "Didn' Ryou once say dat rain is like da sky cry'n? Wat do you have ta cry 'bout?" he asked the dark gray clouds.

But they didn't answer.

Joey sighed and walked the seven miles to his run-down apartment in silence, listening to the rain on the umbrella and the occasional car rushing by. When he got back to his place, he opened the door, quietly, shaking out the umbrella before bringing it inside.

"I'm home," he stated simply, not even sure if his old man was still conscious. Crash! A bottle flew towards him and shattered against the wall to his left. "Where in the hell have you been, you no good bastard?"

Joey glared at the back of his father's chair. "Out." The drunken male glared over his shoulder at Joey. "Don't you be cute with me, boy, I'm your father!"

"And wha a wandaful one ya are," Joey grumbled, ignoring the shouts that followed him and locking himself in his room.