Heart of A Cheater

by Atemu's Queen

Even though they've been dating and have agreed not to see other people, one of them can't help himself. Someone will get hurt. The questions are who and why? Jou x Ryo B - Story Under ReWrite.

6. Living With Ishtar

Part 1:
Chapter 6: Living With Ishtar.

P. Q. : Wheww! Last chap was kinda long, huh? Hope ya liked it just the same though. Anyway, this is the last chapter of "Cheaters Heart" Part one. Originally, it was going to be titled, 'Kicked To The Curb'. But then I thought, well, I like this title better. Yes, I know, it sounds like a medical condition. Which is why I liked it better. I thought it was kinda funny. I mean, it is Marik we're talking about...don't worry, Mar, I still love you...here's some cookies...

Summary: Oh, no! There's going to be no summary for this chapter. I want you to just read and enjoy yourself. If you wanna know what's gonna happen, you have to read. Thought I'd try it this way, just for this chapter, and see how it works out. If it doesn't, I'll go back to writing summaries. O.k.? I can tell you that Yami has a body however...and that there is some swearing, mostly from Joey... and there is a shower scene in here...somewhere...

Disclaimer: Never owned... K. T. '96'.

...Divider Thingy...

Yugi and Yami materialized just around the corner from Ryou's house. Squish! When Yugi had materialized, he had been hovering about half a foot over a mud puddle in the edge of someone's yard. Yami, however, had remained floating in mid air. "Uhhh!" groaned Yugi, looking down at the mud that had splattered all over his navy blue jeans. "Thanks a lot Yami." he said sarcastically, trying to whipe the mud off without success. "Sorry, Yugi." Yami said, looking down at him. "Are you alright?" Yami floated down and offered Yugi his hand. "Yeah," said Yugi, reaching up, taking it. "No thanks to you. Next time you decide to cheat, leave me out of it."

Yami smiled at his light, glad that he was o.k. "All right, Yugi." he said, taking a few steps away from him. "Here, let me fix that for you." It was the least he could do, since Yugi's muddy jeans were his fault. Yami pointed a finger at Yugi's muddy jeans and said, "MUD! DISPERSE!" Then all of a sudden, the mud on Yugi's jeans dried up, cracked into billions of pieces, and disappeared into nothingness. "There, Yugi," Yami smiled happily, hugging his light. "all better." Yugi pulled away from him. "All right, Yami, you don't have to go about acting like my mother." "Your mother?" Yami gasped, jumping back.

"But-but Yugi," Yami said seriously, suddenly grabbing the small boy and craddling him. "it's so much fun!" Then Yami started kissing Yugi all over his cute, puffy, little face the way a mother would. "Yami," said Yugi, trying to squirm away. "cut it out!" But Yami continued kissing Yugi until he started giggling. "You'll never escape my wrath of kisses!" declared Yami, as he got nose to nose with Yugi. "Oh, no?" asked Yugi, just daring Yami. "No." Yami said seriously, gazing into the violet eyes of his young lover with his own fushia colored ones. For a moment, Yugi was hypnotized by those eyes, those beautiful fushia eyes that were his yami's.

'My Yami.' Yugi thought, never taking his eyes off of his yamis's. But that one moment was all Yami needed. He grabbed Yugi around his waist, and pulled him into a deep passion kiss. "Mmm." said Yugi, throwing his arm around his yamis neck and pulling him closer as he felt Yami's tongue enter his mouth. 'Yes!' Yami thought, as he flicked Yugi's tongue with his own. 'My plan worked! I win!' "Hmm?" said Yugi, pulling away. "Something wrong, Yugi?" he asked. "No." said Yugi simply, letting go of Yami and walking away. "Um, Yugi..." said Yami feeling slightly confussed. Yugi stopped a few feet away from Yami and turned around. "Yes, Yami?" he asked quietly, calmly.

'Somethings not right here..' Yami though, staring at Yugi. 'I wonder..could he be up to something?' Outloud he said, "Are you o.k., Yugi?" Yugi looked up at his yami and smiled. "Your plan worked, huh?" "Uh-oh." said Yami, taking a step back. 'He knows! He heard my thoughts!' "You thought you won, did you?" "Uhm, uh, I.." stuttered Yami, taking another step back. "You see, I.." But it was to late. Yugi charged and tackled Yami to the ground. "Ahhh!" Yami cried, as he fell. "Ha!" Yugi exclaimed, sitting on Yamis stomach, holding his shoulders. "I've won and you lost! Admit it!" Yami blinked at Yugi in surprise.

"Go on Yami, admit it! I won, and you lost!" Yami looked up at Yugi. 'He's playing with me.' Yami realized. 'Well, two can play this game.' Yami smirked. "Alright Yugi," he said, sitting up. "I'll admit..." Suddenly, Yugi found himself on the ground with Yami on top of him. "..that I won and you lost!" "Uh! YAMI!" "Gotchya, Yugi." "No fair! You're bigger than me!" "True, Yugi. But just because your opponent is bigger than you doesn't mean they can't be beaten." Then Yami got off Yugi and helped him up. "I didn't hurt you, I hope?" Yami asked concerned. "No, Yami," said Yugi, dusting himself off. "I'm fine."

Yami sighed a sigh of relief. "Good, Yugi. Because if I ever did, I-" "Shh." Yugi shushed him. "I think I hear something." Yugi peeked around a tree. It was Joey and Marik riding up on the motorcycle. "-wouldn't be able to live with myself." Yami finished to the air. "Hm? Did you say something Yami?" "Uh, no Yugi. Nothing." "Oh." said Yugi, turning his attention back to the blond due that was fast approaching Ryou's house. Yami walked over and stood behind him.

"O.k., Wheeler," said Marik, parking his motorcycle by the sidewalk. "we're here." "Yeah, thanks." said Joey, hoping out of the side car, and tossing his helmet to Marik. "You can go now." "Nah." said Marik, twirling both helmets on his index fingers. "I'll just wait here. If Ryou's as mad at you as you think he is, you might need someone to talk to afterwards." "UHHH! Fine!" Joey yelled, running up the walk way. "I don't have time to argue with him, anyway." Joey ran up the steps, in the door, and started going up the stairs two at a time. "RYOUU!"

Meanwhile, Ryou had packed 3 of Joey's suitcases and was busily working on a forth when he heard loud thumping coming up the stairs, followed by a loud, "RYYOUUUU!" "UH! It's Joey!" he gasped. Ryou dropped what he was holding, raced over to the door, and locked it. And just in time. "RYOU!" Joey yelled, slugging the door with his fist. Ryou backed away, glad that he wasn't the door. "Ryou! I wanna talk to ya! Open the door!" Ryou was silent. "Damn it, Ryou! I'm not gonna hurt ya! Just open the door!" "N-no!" came a small voice from the other side. "I don't want to talk to you right now!" Ryou could hear Joey grrr'ing on the other side of the door.

"Well, I wanna talk to you!" "Go away!" Ryou shouted, and went back to packing the fourth suitcase. "Look, Ryou! I wanna know what you're so mad at me for!" "I think you already know the answer to that!" Ryou hollered back. "No," said Joey, playing ignorant. "I don't. Why don't you open the door and tell me?" "If I open the door," said Ryou, trying to sound tough while whiping away the tears that flowed down his pink cheeks. "I'm going to hit you!" "Ryou!" Joey exclaimed. "It's not like you to talk like that!" "Well, maybe I'm not me! Maybe I'm Bakura and if I open the door I'm gonna kill you!"

"Shit." Joey mumbled under his breath, grabbing ahold of the door handle. "RYOU! LET ME IN!" "NO!" "Errrr! That's it!" Joey kicked the door with his foot, and Ryou jumped. "If you won't let me in, then I'll bust the door down and come in that way!" 'Uh-oh,' Ryou thought, panicing. 'Joey can do it to, because he's got the strength. I'd better hide.' Ryou left the suitcase half packed and hid under the bed. Not the most original place to hid, but hopefully it would do. Joeys foot slammed against the door again and Ryou jumped, almost hitting his head on the underneath part of the bed. A few more kicks, and Joey was in. He scanned the room quickly, looking for Ryou.

He didn't see him, but he did see the suitcases. "ERRGGG! RYOU! You don't have to kick me out! I can explain what you saw! She came on to me! Going to the library to make out was all her idea, not mine!" Ryou resisted the urge to yell out, "You didn't have to go along with it!" "None of this is my fault! It's all hers! She's a tramp! She's a who--! She's the one that started it! She's the one you should be angry at! Not me! I didn't do anything wrong!" 'No,' thought Ryou, holding his arms over his head to try to drown out Joeys yelling. 'you were just screwing her on top of a table in the school libray.'

Then Joey happened to look down and see his navy blue lamp all smashed to bits on the floor and a dirty footprint overtop of it. "Damn it, Ryou!" Joey yelled, kicking the bed. "You didn't have to smash my lamp! How dare you touch my stuff! How dare you!" Without thinking, Joey snatched the suitcase off the bed and tossed it against a wall. Ryou let out a startled gasp. 'So that's where you're hiding!' Joey thought, bending down and reaching under the bed. Ryou scooted away, but not far enough. Joey managed to grab him by the shirt collar and pull him out. "J-J-Joey," Ryou pleaded, lip quivering. "p-p-please! Calm down. You don't know what you're doing."

"First you blame me for what happened in the library, then you try to kick me out, then you purposely break my favorite lamp, and now you have the guts to tell me, I don't know what I'm doing?" "Joey, you don't know what you're saying-" "Now I don't know what I'm saying either?" Joey yelled at Ryou, shoving him against the wall. "Joey, please!" Joey bent down, grabbed a piece of the broken lamp, then pinned Ryou against the wall. "Ahh! Joey!" he cried, feeling Joeys body push against him. Joey grabbed Ryou's left arm and held it out. "How dare you, Ryou!" he screamed, pushing the piece of lamp into Ryou's soft, tender flesh, cutting him.

"JOEY!" Ryou cried out in pain. "STOP!" "HOW DARE YOU!" Joey yelled again, still cutting Ryou's arm. "STOP!" Ryou yelled. Joey tossed the piece of lamp to the floor, then grabbed Ryou around the neck and prepared to punch him. Joey drew back his fist. "J-Joey!" Ryou squeaked, trying to losen the grip Joey had on his neck. "Y-you promised!" "Huh?" Joey asked angrily. "YOU PROMISED!" Ryou yelled. "YOU PROMISED!" Joey blinked at him...

Flashback...

"Joey, I'm very honored that you want me for a boyfriend, but..." "You're not gay?" Joey had asked worriedly. "Uh, no. It's not that. It's, uh.." "What?" Joey had wanted to know. Ryou bit his lower lip and looked away. "Uhm, it's just that..." Ryou began. "Yeah?" "I can't." "Why not?" Joey asked sadly. Ryou looked at him and sighed. "Because..." "It's because of him isn't it? It's because of Bakura?" Ryou nodded. "I just don't want to get hurt Joey. I've been through enough. Losing part of my family, father never being there for me when I need him, Bakura showing up and taking all my friends away by trapping them in dolls and letting me get the blame for it. Then his beatings and-and-"

"And what?" Joey had asked. Ryou sighed again. "His raping sessions." He said, looking down at his feet. "His what?" Joey had gasped, alarmed. "Oh, Ryou, I-I'm sorry. I had no idea." Joey petted Ryou's face gently. "I know. I asked Yugi not to say anything, but he was so concerned about me, that he told Yami and he delt with Bakura. He made him leave town." "So that's why Bakura hasn't been around lately. I wondered why your face hasn't been black'n'blue in a while." Joey had then put his hands on Ryou's shoulders. "Ryou," he said seriously. "I promise, if you let me be your boyfriend, I'll never physically hurt ya, and I'll never sexually hurt ya either."

Ryou pulled away from him. "Thanks, Joey. That's nice of you to say. But my answer's still no." Ryou turned and started walking away. "Hey, Ryou," said Joey, grabbing Ryou's hand. "I mean it. You let me be your boyfriend, and I'll never physically or sexually abuse you." Ryou sighed, shaking his head. "No, Joey." he said, pulling his hand out of Joeys, and walking away. "My answer is no." Joey had watched Ryou walking away for a good 20 seconds before running ahead of him and stopping right in his direct path. "Ryou, I promise!" Joey exclaimed, grabbing the smaller boys shoulders. "I promise I'll never physically or sexually abuse you. I won't force ya to do anything you're uncomfortable with! Don't you understand that?

"Please, Ryou." Joey had said pleadingly. Ryou looked up into Joeys soft brown eyes and studied them. "Do you really mean that Joey? Do you really promise?" he asked softly. "YES!" Joey had yelled sharper than he had intended on. "Sorry." he appologized. "Yes, Ryou. I really, really promise. I'll never treat you the way he did." "Honestly?" "Honestly." Ryou had then smiled at Joey and wrapped his arms around Joey. "Thank you." he whispered in Joey's ear. Ryou had then stood on his tippy toes, and kissed Joey tenderly on the lips...

End flashback.

'No.' Joey thought, lowering his fist and letting go of Ryous neck. 'I promised.' Joey turned his back to Ryou, who was rubbing his neck, gasping. "Fine," he said, grabbing two of the four suitcases of his that Ryou had packed. "I'm outta here." Joey went out to the stairs and tossed the two suitcases down. "Who wants to live here with a cry baby like you anyway?" he grumbled, picking up the spilt contents of the fourth suitcase. "I don't. No wonder Bakura used to beat ya." "Joey," Ryou gasped, holding his bleeding arm, as he sank to the floor. "Save it, Ryou. I don't wanna talk to you." Joey snapped the fourth suitcase shut, grabbed the remaining suitcase, marched downstairs, and headed out the door.

"So," said Marik, still playing with his bike helmet. "ready to go?" "Go where?" Joey demanded. "Don't take that tone of voice with me, mister. Or I won't offer you a place to stay." Just then, Yugi and Yami came running over. "Joey!" exclaimed Yugi. "What' going on?" "Nothing." Joey snapped at him. "I'm taking him home with me." Marik announced happily. "What about Ryou?" Yami asked. "I'm not taking him home with me." said Marik, twirling his helmet again. "At least not at the same time as Wheeler." "No, Marik," said Yami, shaking his head. "I mean, what about Ryou?" "Who cares about Ryou?" Joey snapped. "You should." said Yami sharply. "He is your boyfriend."

"Not anymore." replied Joey. "What do you mean?" Yugi asked, his eyes wide. "Just what I said. It's over between Ryou and me. I'm outta here." Marik helped Joey fasten his luggage to the motorcycle. Then Joey climbed into the sidecar. "Ready to go, my little cream puff?" Marik asked, fastening his helmet. "Yeah, I'm ready." said Joey, putting on his helmet. "Cream puff?" Yami asked, giving Yugi a look. "Ah, damn it Marik! What'd I tell you about calling me cream puff?" "Uh," said Marik, scratching his chin. "never call you that in front of others?" "DUH!" Joey exclaimed. Yami walked around and stood in front of the motorcycle.

"You cheated on Ryou with Marik?" he asked, looking down at Joey. "No." Yami looked deep into Joeys eyes. "Yuge," said Joey, getting annoyed. "tell your boyfriend to knock it off before I knock him off." "Uhm, Yami-" Yugi started to say. "Liar." Yami said to Joey. "You have so cheated on Ryou with Marik. In fact," said Yami, still staring into Joeys eyes. "you've cheated lot's of times... and not with just Marik." "That's it!" yelled Joey, jumping out of the sidecar. "Sit back down!" Marik commanded. "Yami," Yugi said, rushing over to him and taking his hand. "Come on. Let's forget about Joey and go check on Ryou."

Joey stood nose to nose with Yami. Well, almost. Yami was actually a foot smaller than Joey and probably only weighed about eighty or ninety pounds, a hundred if he were lucky. Joey could easily take the spirit in a physical fight. "I'm not afraid of you, Joey." Yami said calmly, arms folded. "Yeah? Well, you should be!" Joey yelled at him. "Yami, come on." said Yugi, forcing Yami back into the Puzzle. 'You can deal with Joey later. First, let's check on Ryou.' 'Very well, Yugi. Have it your way...for now.' said Yami from within the Puzzle. "Uhm, bye guys." Yugi waved to Joey and Marik and ran up the walkway to Ryous house.

"Good bye." Marik smiled, waving back at him. Joey got back into the sidecar grumbling. 'Can't let him off the hook that easily.' Yami thought to himself smuggly. The Puzzled glowed. But Yugi had been to busy running up the stairs to Ryou's room to notice. Outside...

"Aww, man!" Joey exclaimed, feeling something wet squish under his butt. "What?" Marik demanded, feeling annoyed. "I sat in something." Joey lifted up and looked under him. "Aw, man! Bird doo! Stupid birds!" "Well, I don't have anything to clean it with until we get home. You'll just have to make do. Ha, ha! Doo!" Marik laughed. "Here." he said, handing Joey the newspaper he had pulled from the trash can and whacked him with earlier. "Thanks." said Joey sarcastically, folding it under him. "O.k." Marik smiled, once Joey had his helmet fastened. "Here we go!" Marik revved his motorcylce, and they sped of down the street.

Inside Ryou's house...

"Ryou!" Yugi called, running up the stairs. "Are you o.k.?" Ryou, who had sunk to the floor, had pulled his knees up to his chest, folded his arms over them, and began sobbing into them. "Ryou?" Yugi asked softly, seeing the broken down door. Cautiously, he entered the bedroom. He could hear his friend crying, but couldn't see him. Yugi scanned the room carefully. Then he saw it, a lock of silvery white hair sticking up between the bed and the wall. "Ryou!" he exlaimed, rushing over to his shaken friend. Ryou looked up at him. Red streaks tinting the edges of his silvery white bangs. "Did Joey hurt your head?" Yugi asked, worriedly.

Yami came out of the Puzzle. "N-no, Yugi." Ryou sobbed. "The blood came from my arm." Yugi looked down at Ryou's arm. "What happened?" he asked. Ryou didn't really want to say with Yami there, he saw the look on his face. The look that said, 'If Joey done this, I'm going to obliterate him.' Looking back at Yugi, Ryou said, "Joey came home mad, and we had fight and I fell down." Then Yugi noticed the broken lamp. "You fell on a broken lamp?" Yugi asked concerned. "Yes." said Ryou, glancing at Yami, then back at Yugi. 'He's lying.' Yami thought. 'Why people chose to protect their abusers is beyond me. I'd never do such a thing.'

Yugi helped Ryou stand and sit back down on the bed. "Yami, could you-" "I'm on it Yugi." said Yami, leaving to go get some wet paper towel and things to take care of Ryou's arm with. "It'll be o.k. Ryou." said Yugi, giving his friend a slight hug so as not to hurt him any more than he might already be. "Joey did this to you, didn't he?" he asked, looking Ryou's arm over. Ryou glanced back over to the door. "It's o.k. Ryou," said Yugi, with tears in his eyes. "I won't tell Yami." 'He probably already knows anyway.' Yugi thought. "He's got his fathers temper, Yugi." Ryou told him. Yugi smiled a little. "Yeah, I know." said Yugi, remembering. "Joey used to pick on me too..."

(Yugi's) Flashback...

"Hey, ya little dork!" Joey yelled at Yugi. "Anyone tell ya how dopey ya look with that haircut?"

"Ha, ha! Swirly time you little doof!"

"Hey, Yugi, who dresses ya, Santa's little elves? Ha, ha, ha!"

"Nobody'd ever want to be your friend. You stink! I mean, really, don't ya ever brush your teeth?"

Then on one occassion, Joey had tripped Yugi and sat on his back, holding his arms behind him...

"Joey!" Yugi cried, tears pouring out his eyes. "Please! You're hurting me! Let me up!" "Nah. Not until you pay." "For what?" Yugi asked, trying to ignore the pain that was spreading through his shoulders and his wrists. "For walkin' down my hall." "But, it's not yours." said Yugi, gritting his teeth in pain. "It-it belongs to the school." "Heh, heh, not anymore. It's my hall now, and if ya wanna walk down it, ya gotta pay."

End flashback.

"He used to do that to me too." Ryou remembered. "He'd twist my arms behind my back, pin me to the floor, then take all my lunch money." "Yup," said Yugi. "then he'd give it to me and make me buy him and Tristan dirty magazines." "How disgusting." said Ryou, making a face, remembering...

Ryou's Flashback...

Ryou had just stepped out of the classroom door, when a pair of strong hands grabbed him around the neck from behind. "Ah, uhh!" gasped Ryou, reaching up to try to remove the hands that had found their way around his neck. "Move it!" yelled a tough sounding male voice. The person holding Ryous neck pushed him down the hall into the mens room and forced him down onto the floor. Ryou only knew who it was because he had caught a glimpse of him in the mirror on his way down. It was Joey Wheeler.

Once Joey had Ryou on the floor, he let go of his neck and grabbed ahold of his arms, twisting them behind his back. "Wh-what..what do you..want?" Ryou had asked, coughing. "Your money." "B-but I need my money." "Yeah, well so do I. Now hand it over." "I-I can't!" "Why can't ya?" Joey demanded. "Because you're holding my wrists!" "Oh, yeah. Well, tell me where it is and I'll get it myself." "But I need it." "Look, new kid. Either I get your money, or I get your life, then your money. The choice is up to you. What's it gonna be?" "It's in my back right pants pocket." "How much?" "Five dollars." "Five dollars? That's it?" Joey asked, angrily, squeezing Ryou's wrists.

"I'm not allowed very much allowance." Ryou said, through gritted teeth. "Fine." said Joey, taking the money and getting up. "It'll do. I'll just make Tristan put in the other five. Later. Have a nice day." Joey then blew Ryou a kiss and exited the bathroom.

End Flashback.

"After I got out of the bathroom and back out into the hall, I saw Joey giving you my money. You didn't look very happy." "I wasn't." said Yugi. "I hated buying him those magazines and him bullying me all the time." Yugi looked down at his feet. "I guess he learnt to be that way because of his father." "It's odd, isn't it Yugi, how the three of us somehow became friends?" Ryou asked, managing a smile. "Yeah," said Yugi, "and odder still how you and Joey ended up together considering niether of you started out gay." "Yeah," Ryou chuckled softly. "it is odd isn't it? Although after today, I'm beginning to think Joey and I dating wasn't such a good idea."

"Yeah," Yugi half smiled, glancing at the broken down door, "tell me about it." Just then, Yami came through the door carrying wet paper towel, peroxide, and band-aids. "Careful, Ya-" Yugi started to say. But it was too late. Yami had already tripped over a piece of broken wood. Luckily, he caught himself before he fell. "Stupid door!" he snapped, walking over to Ryou and kneeling in front of him. "Remind me to hurt Joey for that later." Ryou looked at him, but said nothing. "Are you o.k. Yami?" Yugi asked. "Yes, Yugi. I'm fine." said Yami, setting the peroxide and band-aids down beside him. Then he turned to Ryou and said, "Hold out your arm, Ryou."

Ryou did and Yami cleaned off the dried blood with the wet paper towel, then dried his arm and peroxided his cuts. Then he reach for the band-aids. "Just a minute, Yami." said Yugi, hoping down off the bed. "You forgot the vaseline." Yugi ran out of the room to the bathroom. 'My friends take such good care of me.' Ryou smiled after Yugi. 'For that, I'm thankful.' But then his smile turned to a frown. 'Joey.' he thought, and then the tears he thought had gone away came back and began rolling down his cheeks. "Ryou," Yami said softly, "are you o.k.? You're not hurt else where are you?" 'Just my heart.' Ryou thought, leaning into Yami's shoulder sobbing.

"Oh, Yami," he sobbed. "he...oh..." Yami stood and wrapped his arms protectively around Ryou, just the way he would do for his light, his love, if someone had hurt him. "It'll be o.k. Ryou. It will." he said, reassuringly, his fushia colored eyes clouding over with tears. Yugi came back to see Yami holding Ryou protectively. "Yep," Yugi said to himself. "I have a good one." He walked over to Yami and said, "Here, Yami. I have the vasaline." Yami took Ryous arm, put the vasaline gently on his cuts with his finger, and then applied the bandages. Luckily, Ryou's injuries hadn't been serious. 'Luckily, for Joey.' Yami thought, hugging Ryou. 'Or I would've obliterated him.'

Then he glanced at Yugi, who had taken a sit next to Ryou and was now hugging him as well. 'Well, maybe.' he thought. 'Yugi hasn't let me obliterate anybody since Duelist Kingdom.' A few minutes later, Ryou finally stopped hugging Yami. "Uhm, guys, I appreciate you being here for me, really," said Ryou, whiping away some tears. "But, I'd like to be alone for a little while now, if you don't mind." "Are you sure, Ryou?" Yami asked, holding his shoulders gently. "Yeah." said Yugi, "Do you really want to be alone right now?" "Yeah," said Ryou. "please?" Yugi looked at Yami. 'What do you think, Yami?' Yugi asked through the link.

'Hmmm. I think it'll be o.k. for now, Yugi.' Yami replied through the link. 'Besides, we won't go far away, just in case.' "O.k. Ryou." said Yugi, standing up. "Is it o.k. if we just hang out in the kitchen for awhile?" Ryou whiped away a tear. "Yeah, Yugi. That'd be fine. Thank you." "O.k." said Yugi, giving his friend a gentle hug. "Holler if you need anything." "I will," said Ryou hugging his friend back. "thank you." "Come on, Yugi." Yami said, taking his hand and leading him to the door. Yugi looked back at Ryou. 'It'll be o.k. Ryou.' Yugi thought. 'Really.' Yami lifted Yugi over the broken down door and put him back down once they were back out in the hallway.

"He'll be o.k., right Yami?" Yugi asked worriedly, his eyes big and flowing with tears. Yami smiled slightly and looked down at his light. He was so considerate of others feelings. Which was why Yami loved him so much. "Yeah, Yugi." he said, trying to sound reassuring, although he wasn't entirely sure himself. 'Ryou's been through a lot.' Yami thought to himself, as he followed Yugi down the stairs. 'He's lost his family, been abused by Bakura both physically and sexually, and now, he's lost the one person that he truely loves.' Yami sighed. 'It took him forever to heal after all the pain Bakura caused him and I was beginning to think that he'd never be o.k.

'All he wanted to do was mope about and sob. But somehow, he got through it, and up until now, was doing o.k. Now he has to deal with his breakup with Joey.' Yami frowned and sighed again as he stepped down onto the floor. 'Every time we think he's going to be o.k, something happens. I'm beginning to wonder how much more he's going to go through; how much more pain before he's no longer going to be o.k.?' Yami followed Yugi into the kitchen, who had decided to help himself to some orange juice. "You want a glass, Yami?" Yugi asked, reaching for the glasses.

"What?" Yami asked distractedly, taking a seat at the little kitchen table. "I asked if you wanted a glass." said Yugi. "Oh, sure. Of what?" Yami asked. "Orange juice." said Yugi. "Oh, o.k. Thank you, Yugi." "You're welcome, Yami." said Yugi, pouring the juice into a glass and handing it to Yami. Then he poured one for himself, put the juice away, and took a seat at the table across from Yami. "Poor Ryou." Yugi said sadly, watching the juice bob up and down in his glass. "He's been through so much. Now he has to deal with him and Joey breaking up." "I know, Yugi," said Yami, eyeing his little love. "I was just thinking the same thing."

"He must've seen Joey cheating on him. Why else would he have gone home crying and packed Joeys bags?" "It does make sense, Yugi." "Poor Ryou." said Yugi looking at the floor. "It must've really hurt him to see the person that he loved with someone else like that. Poor Ryou!" Yugi's lower lip started twitching and Yami could see tears starting to form in his lights eyes. Yami scooted back his chair, got up, and went over to his light. "Yugi," he said, putting his hands on Yugi's shoulders. "Ryou will be alright. He's been through a lot and has always come through o.k. We have to believe that he will get through this too. Although it will take time."

Yugi looked up at Yami with big, sad, violet eyes. "You really think so?" he asked his dark side. Yami smiled, "Of course, I do Yugi. Besides, he has you and I for friends now. So why wouldn't he be?" Yugi jumped up out his chair and tossed his arms around Yami. He loved how Yami could always stay so positive about things, even when things weren't going all that great. "I love you Yami!" he exclaimed, tightening his grip around Yami's waist so much that Yami was sure Yugi'd squeeze the air out of him, if he were human and needed to breath.

"I love you too, Yugi." Yami replied, returning the bearhug. "Which is why I promise you, that you'll never catch me cheating on you. I love you and I'd never want to hurt you that way. You mean too much to me." "Oh, Yami!" Yugi exclaimed, as tears streamed down his cheeks. "You're important to me tooooo!" Squeeze... Although Yami was in his solidified (human) form, and Yugi was the one wearing the Puzzle, he could still access its power and use it for certain things. He quickly used the Puzzles power to disable his ability to breathe. 'I'm glad I'm not human anymore,' Yami thought to himself. 'or Yugi'd of just squeezed the life out of me! I'm surprised he can hug me so tight, considering how small he is.'

Ryou, who had been listening in from the top of the stairs, went back into his bedroom and sat down on his bed. 'Promises... promises from someone like Yugi's Yami might mean something, but,' Ryou looked down at his arm that Joey had intentionally cut. 'promises from someone like Joey... mean nothing. Why did you start cheating on me Joey? Did I not show you how much I cared? How much I loved you?' Ryou held his bandaged arm and sighed. Tears fell from his face to the floor. 'Or did I simply not mean anything to you?' The thought of Joey possible just using him, hurt Ryou so much, that he felt like he was going to explode in agony.

If the lamp hadn't already been broken, he'd of thrown it. But since it had, he tossed himself face down onto the bed instead and cried until he no longer could. 'Monday's suck...' he sobbed tiredly into his pillows. 'I hate Mondays.' Fifteen minutes later, Ryou was out. It had been a long, miserable Monday.

Mariks Boat...

A half hour later, Marik parked his motorcycle in the cargo hold area of his boat. Normally, to get to the particular cargo area he parked his bike in, one'd have to use a ladder. Not that Marik minded all that much riding his motorcycle down the ladder into the cargo hold, but he did mind having to buy new shocks frequently for doing that. Which was why he had a special door made on the side of his yellow and white boat so he could just ride up a ramp into the cargo hold area. It was much more efficient and besides, he saved a bundle on shocks that way. "O.k. Wheeler," he said, taking off his helmet and putting it away. "we're here. Why don't you go clean off your bottom now?"

"Gladly." grumbled Joey, as he climbed out of the sidecar and tossed his helmet at Marik. "Ahem." "What?" Joey asked annoyed. "Aren't you going to throw your newspaper away?" "Uhhh." Joey groaned, wadding up the newspaper and tossing it. 'Hmm.' Marik thought, as he watched Joey go out the door on the other side of the cargo hold and disappear around the corner. 'If Seto Kaiba could have seen Joey with newspaper under his butt, I'm sure he'd of made a joke about it.' Marik stood there for a moment thinking. 'Hmm. Ah! I've got it! I know what Kaiba'd of said. He'd of said: What? Isn't the little mutt potty trained? Doesn't he know enough to beg to go outside when he has to shi-'

"Bad Marik!" Marik scolded himself. "Bad thinking of ways Kaiba'd insult Joey if he knew he sat on newspaper. But, hmmm... I wonder what other things I could think of that Kaiba'd say..." 'Oh! I've got another!' Marik thought happily. 'He'd say: Don't you know you're supposed to go on the ground, not the furniture Wheeler? Bad dog. Maybe Marik should've made you run next to his motorcycle on a leash... or maybe he'd say... Dumb dog! If you ever messed on my furniture, I'd rub your nose in it... which wouldn't be that much of a big deal anyway, because you're already a brown nose...bad little doggie!'

"Well, enough of that. If I think of anymore, I might accidentally say one of them outloud. Then Wheeler'd be madder than he already is." Marik said to himself, walking towards the door Joey just stepped out of a few minutes earlier. "Of course, he's the one that was caught cheating, not Ryou. So Ryou should be more angry than Joey is. Poor little kid. Maybe I should pay him a visit later. Cheer him up a little..." Marik smiled at his clever little plan. "..clearly he and Wheeler are broken up... so naturally he'll be on the rebound...at least for a few weeks. So why not move in on him while I've got the chance? His heart will be fragile and delicate for awhile... but as long as I'm nice to him, I should get what I want..." Marik walked away happily.

He found Joey a few minutes later cursing under his breath in the shower. His clothes tossed to the side on the floor. "Hmmm.." Marik thought. 'I think Wheeler needs some...company...' Marik quickly undressed and studied himself in his mirror. 'If not for these damn tatoos father made me get, my body'd look perfect. I'd be beautiful. Oh, well. I'll do. Besides, with these new blue contacts, I look hatter than ever.' Smiling, he walked over to the shower and knocked gently on the frosted door. "Hey, Wheeler..." "Not now Marik." came the sarcastic reply. "Ohh. I know you're hurting, but I think you could use the company. May I join you? Pretty please?" asked Marik. "I wanna be alone right now."

"But you shouldn't be alone when you're sad and hurting. Besides," Marik added in a sing song voice, "I can make you feeeel betteeer!" "Oh," groaned Joey. "Alright. You can wash my back for me." "Yay! Goody!" Marik exclaimed, pulling back the door and hoping in, in front of Joey. "My, don't you look handsome with water running down your body?" said Marik, putting his arms over Joeys shoulders. "Marik, not now. I'm not in the mood." "But I am." said Marik, pulling Joeys head towards him until their lips touched. Marik ran his hands down Joeys back and hugged him. "N-no." said Joey, pulling away. "Not now." "But why?" asked Marik. "You know you want to. It'll calm you down."

"I'm too annoyed right now, Marik. Maybe later." Marik got behind Joey and started washing his back. "Are you sure?" he asked, running the sponge down the middle of Joeys back seductively. "Uh, uhm, yeah. Yeah, I'm sure." "O.k." said Marik, doing it again. "Uh! Damn it, Marik! Stop it!" "Stop what?" Marik asked innocently. "Uh, you know...what you're doin' with the sponge. Cut it out!" "O.k. In a minute though. I'm having fun." Marik continued doing the sponge trick to Joey for about five minutes, until Joey couldn't take it anymore. "Damn it, Marik!" he yelled, turning around and pinning Marik against the wall.

"Damn it." he said, brushing a wet tendril of light blond hair out of Mariks face and claiming his lips with his own. "Damn you.." said Joey. He pushed himself against Marik, and proceeded to make out with him. 'Hmm,' thought Marik happily, feeling Joey push up against him. 'I knew I'd have my way... I always do...'

...Divider Thingy...

O.k.! We all know who this is (Pharaoh's Queen), so let me just ask you: How was this chapter? Was it more exciting and enticing than the rest of the story so far? I hope so, 'cause that's what I was going for... How'd you like the shower scene ending between Joey and Marik? Two of my fave YGO men... sniff.. in the shower... sniff... Why didn't I put myself into that part with one or the other... sniff... Oh, yeah, it's cause I'm not in this story.. Oh, well, a girl can dream, right? So, now that you've read it, please review! And thank you! Have some doughnuts... Don't worry Joey.. there's still plenty for you, oh Great Doughnut King!

bow, bow!