Well, sorry about the looonngg update. I need to get motivated! Urgh. So anyway...

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! annd I don't own Muse or their songs! (although I do own the cds! and I highly recomend them!)

Chapter 4

It had been a month since the mall incident. Malik sat down on his living room couch and sighed. He began to rub his temples slowly, thinking about how he needed a drink. But his age denies him of that option. Although it never stopped Marik or Bakura. Again Malik sighed, and sunk lower into the couch. Coldplay's Parachutes was playing softly from the stereo. He just needed some downtime, away from Marik and Bakura. Luckily Marik had forgotten the little episode between them only a month before. But at the same time Malik was hurting because of it. Suddenly the phone brought him out of his quiet state.

"Leave me alone Bakura! I don't want to go down to the pool and be a peeping Tom!" Malik snapped.

"Oh...Uh sorry should I call some other time?" The voice on the other line was soft and calm.

"Oh, Ryou! I'm sorry...I thought you were, well someone else. What's up?"

"Well I have that show tonight. I was just curious if you wanted to go," Ryou said.

Malik nodded. "Of course. Just give me the directions and time and I'll be there!" After getting the needed information Malik stood up from the couch and stretched. Just as he did this there was a knock on the door.

'Ooo I'm so popular today!' Malik joked. But, it was just the usual losers that stopped by his house.

"There's a show I'm going to tonight. You guys wanna come?" Malik asked Marik and Bakura over chips and dip.

"Who's playing?" Marik asked, bits of chip flying out of his mouth.

Malik cringed. "Gross. Uh, my friends band. They're really good.

"Your friend? Just a friend? Or your new fling?" Bakura asked raising an eyebrow.

"Just a friend!" He shouted, turning red.

"Then why are you blushing?" Bakura asked again smirking.

"Because you are embarrassing me!" Malik stood up from the kitchen table and told the boys to leave.

"Oh come off it. He's just joking around. Sure I'll go," said Marik. Malik told them the information and they went quite.

"..So is he any good in bed?" Bakura inquired.

"OUT!" Malik screamed.

Ryou felt nervous. He twisted the bottom of his black tee, as the rest of the band set up. This was the bands first big performance. All the stuff before was just band practice. Ryou wished he had more time before he got onstage but before he knew it their names were being called.

"Guys this is a great band! I've heard them practice and they are something new and fresh. Trust you'll love em. Give it up for...Muse!" The MC shouted. Ryou's heart did four back flips as he stepped out onto the stage, the blue and red lights splashing on him. The club was pretty packed tonight. People were clapping and cheering out of courtesy, one very loud in particular.

"YEA! WOO! SHAKE THAT SEXY ASS RYOU!" Malik screamed from the front of the crowd. Ryou smiled at him, forgetting his knotted stomach. A taller boy, who looked a lot like him, stood near him and clapped. There was also a lot of wolf whistles from girls in the crowd.

Ryou stepped up to the mic. "Hey..." he raised his hand. People again clapped and cheered. Ryou took a deep breath.

"Ryou...Just tell them that you're nervous.." His main guitar player Jon whispered. He winked at him, and brushed his black hair out of one eye.

"Uh..I just want to let you all know that...Well just thanks for coming out tonight and everything. And if I screw up sorry, in advance. I'm a bit nervous..." He smiled to them.

"WE LOVE YOU RYOU! OW OW!" Malik again screamed. Ryou turned to the piano player at the edge of the stage. He nodded to him slightly and he began to play. Then the drummer joined in.

"Declare this an emergency
Come on and spread a sense of urgency
And pull us through
And pull us through
And this is the end
This is the end of the world," Ryou grabbed onto the mic.

"Where's Bakura?" Malik shouted to Marik over the booming music. Marik only shrugged and told him he said he would be here.

Ryou kept his eyes closed tight and he didn't move around too much at first...but that changed by the last song. Ryou took his water bottle and literally poured it on his head. He had every reason to, he was hot as hell. He was sweating more that he ever had. It was during the last song that Bakura came in and pushed his way up toward the front. After glaring at some of the punks that bumped into him Bakura's gaze landed on the stage.Bakura's jaw practically fell to the ground and his eyes went huge.

"You're something beautiful
A contradiction
I wanna play the game
I want the friction," Ryou gave a smirk to the crowd at this last lyric. Ryou moved across the small stage and hopped up onto a large amp. He leapt off the amp, his shirt lifting up exposing his milky white stomach. Bakura watched as this show the young boy was putting on, got better and better. Ryou ran his fingers through his hair singing, "You will be the death of me."

He got down on his knees and nearly screamed, "How did it come to this?" Followed by many long Oh's. He was panting heavily when he stood back up and gave his goodbye. Bakura stared into his deep brown eyes, not minding when more people bumped into him trying to leave the club. Bakura stood there, silent, even after Ryou got off stage and after the MC told them to get out jokingly.

"Bakura! You made it! How long have you been here?" Malik asked seeing him standing in a daze. Bakura felt his cheeks burn as he replayed the young boy on the stage.

Malik shook Bakura slightly. "You okay? What are you high or something?" Bakura shook his head and looked at Malik.

"I gotta go..." Bakura looked around for the bathroom and took off. Marik shrugged when Malik gave him a questioning look.
Bakura pushed the door into the bathroom and sighed happily when he saw there was no one but him. He walked up to the sink and looked in the mirror.

"What the hell?" He saw how his cheeks were red, "Probably just the heat..." He leaned down and splashed cold water on his face. 'Stupid me...just get a hard on in public.' He pressed his hips harder into the counter top at this thought. After about ten minutes Bakura regained his composure and took control of his problem. But he had bad karma today as it showed.

"Hey thanks!" Ryou said entering the bathroom to a passerby who told him about the great job they did. Ryou smiled happily as he walked over to the sink.

"Hi," he said to Bakura, looking at him in the mirror. He bent down and splashed his face with water. He stood back up and went to remove his shirt. "Oh, uh hope you don't mind. I was just on stage..and well it was really hot and-" Ryou stopped feeling like an idiot, because Bakura just gave him a blank stare.

"I saw you play, you were really good." Bakura said as he began washing his hands, even though there was no need for it.

"Oh thanks," Ryou replied. He took Bakura's comment as an okay to take off his shirt. He put it on the counter on the bathroom and shoved his head into the sink. Ryou sighed loudly, out of relief, feeling the cold water run over his head and neck.

"Uhh, I actually think that you are my friend's...friend." Bakura stammered. Ryou glanced up at him as he took his head out of the sink."Really?"

"Yea, Malik? Ishtar?" Bakura dried his hands on a towel and then offered one to Ryou.

"Oh yea! No thanks," he let his soaking wet hair fall on his back and he put his shirt back on.

"I'm Bakura," he stuck a hand out.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ryou," he shook his hand and smiled. Just as they let go one of Ryou's band mates popped his head into the bathroom.

He glanced at Bakura then Ryou. "Hey man we're leavin'. Got a ride?"

Ryou bit his lip. "Shoot..No I don't."

"Well-"

"I could give you a ride," Bakura said casually.

Ryou seemed almost uneasy. "Well...I mean I can just call a cab or take the bus or..."

"If you want you can. I'm just offering kid." Bakura said dismissively. This instantly intrigued Ryou.

"Okay, sure. It's not too far from here." After seeing that Ryou had means of transportation his band mate bid him goodnight and left.

The two white haired boys walked out of the bathroom together and ran into Malik and Marik. After what seemed like an hour of "mindless blither" from Malik about Ryou, Bakura lead him out to his car.

There was an awkward silence between the two for half the ride. Bakura decided to be the one to break it. "So got any groupies yet?"

Ryou looked shocked. "Excuse me?"

"You know groupies," Bakura thought he didn't know what a groupie was. "Chicks that wanna fuck you? You'll get a lot if you don't already have any."

"I don't think...Even if that..No I don't want a groupie thanks."

Bakura raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Are you gay? There are guy groupies too I'm sure."

Ryou's jaw fell. "I don't..How dare you! I'm not gay, for you information, which is totally personal! But groupies are something I do not want to have at anytime. I just want to share my music with people. Not use any powers I might obtain to get girls!" Ryou shouted.

"Ooh, so you're tied down huh? You doin' some girl that made you say that? That's a shame."

Ryou snapped. "Let me out!" He shouted unbuckling his seatbelt. "Stop this damn car and let me out! I'm going to walk the rest of the way!"

"Chill out kid-"

"STOP CALLING ME KID AND LET ME OUT!" Bakura slammed on the brakes, causing Ryou to slide out of his seat.

"That's what you get for unblucking in my car." He said speeding back up. Ryou's nostrils flared as he pushed himself back into the seat and buckled, violently, back up.

"I'm going to call the police if you don't stop this car and let me out."

Bakura looked at him. "What the hell is your deal? I just don't want you to have to walk around at this time of night, to your house. We're still 10 miles away!"

"Actually we're a lot closer...Now let me out or I'll call the authorities."

Bakura clenched his teeth and came to a stop. "There you go." He growled unlocking the car.

"Thank you for the ride." Ryou got out of the car and slammed it shut. But as he walked up the road he noticed that Bakura was still behind him. He turned around and sure enough Bakura was driving slowly behind him.

"What are you doing?" Ryou yelled.

Bakura drove up beside him. "Making sure you get home safely." Bakura remembered the promise he made to Malik before he left.
:
Just as the two boys were about to leave, Malik caught Bakura's arm.
"Make sure that Ryou gets home. He lives in a dangerous neighbourhood and he's told me about times when he got caught by the people that live there...You promise you'll keep my friend safe?"
"Yea..Of course." Bakura nodded, feeling an even softer spot for the boy.
:

"Leave me alone you freak!" Ryou shouted, and he began to run up the street. Bakura cursed under his breath not wanting to run him down. He stopped his car and chased after Ryou. As he ran after the boy, he saw small gangs of men watching them as they ran. Bakura thought that this neighbourhood looked like a nice community, but apparently he was wrong. Some of the people watched with more interest than others.

Bakura ran faster, and patted his front pocket where he kept a pocket knife.

"Listen k-Ryou," Bakura was running right next to him now. "Malik just wanted to make sure that his best friend made it home okay. So I'm not going to stop following you until you're inside your house. You can't get away from me."

"Well lucky me! There's my house!" Ryou ran across a small grass yard and into a nice two story house. Bakura stopped in front of the house and caught his breath. He saw a light go upstairs and saw Ryou open his curtain to see if he was still there. Bakura waved to him and slowly walked back down the street.

Ryou bit his lip. "Oh, I hope he's going to be okay getting back to his car." Ryou instantly felt bad for putting Bakura at risk. So, he watched as Bakura walk down the street until he couldn't see him anymore.

-------------

hehehe.

Bakura: Wtf! You made me a freakin sissy!

Me: Did not! You've still kinda got a tough guy shell.

Ryou: Ooh I feel bad! I was such a jerk!

Me: Well that's because Bakura is a jerk.

Ryou: Well that is true...

Bakura: HEY! I'M RIGHT HERE! YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT ME WHEN I'M TWO FEET AWAY FROM YOU!

Seto: Am I in this story?

Me/crickets/

Seto: wtf!

Me: why's everyone mad at meeee!

Yami: Aww. Hey! You! Make her feel better and review will ya? Thanks.