Lell: Still no Internet – I'm writing this in advance before I actually posted Chapter One, so I'm still depressed and suffering from withdrawal symptoms. I have real problems – I can't even go a day without Internet, I had it yesterday and all I can think about is my e-mail and fanfiction updates....yes, I'm sad. This is worrying.
Seto: I'll say, your alter ego has an alter ego!
Lell: Shush! They must not know the truth! They must not know the truth! (Runs around in circles for a bit)
Adara: Um...anyway...(Blinks innocently) I didn't slip her extra coffee...
Seto: You gave her caffeine!!! What the hell are you thinking! She's as bad as Yuugi on sugar.
Adara: Oh, I gave him some pixie sticks by the way...
Yuugi: Seto-Kun!!!!! (Tackles and glomps a lot)
Seto: Gah! Get the midget off of me! Yuugi what is your obsession with sitting on my stomach?
Yuugi: But Seto-Kun, you have such a nice stomach! Do you work out?
Seto: o0 I swear this was supposed to be a fic with Ryou. Last time I checked, Ryou wasn't a midget with insane hair and freaky eyes.
Yuugi: (Shrugs) Ryou-Kun and I share things....and just remember, if you insult the way I look, you're insulting Yami...
Seto: Meep...
Lell: Ahem, sorry about that. Anyway, I would just like to say, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did...well, I don't want to scare you off with my twisted fantasies.
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"So, you gotta be the new guy," a voice drawled, Brooklyn accent apparent in the voice of the stranger.
Ryou turned and looked curiously at the one who had spoken to him. "I thought we were all new employees here." Recognition hit him. This was the man whose photo had been near his, the blonde that made him want to laugh. Unknowingly, his countenance lightened somewhat and he broke into a shy smile.
The blonde chuckled and thrust a tanned hand towards the teen. "I'm Jonouchi Katsuya, but you can call me Jou. I'm not a rookie like you guys, Pegasus just sent me down here to mingle doncha know? I'm supposed to be introducing you all to the joy that is modelling and all that." His tone was gently mocking, a humorous voice to listen to.
Ryou took the proffered hand and was surprised to find the grip a reassuring one, not limp and lifeless, nor challenging and forceful. It was just a nice handshake, but then again, he obsessed too much on the little things, everybody said so. "I'm Bakura Ryou."
Dropping Jou's hand, the white haired teen looked around the room, looking at the occupants from under lowered lids. There were about twenty or so people in the spacious room, but all of them possessed some physical quality that the talent scouts had spotted and pounced upon. He was in a room filled with beautiful people, with models in fact and he was one of them. No one had questioned him being here, they had simply accepted it. He stood a little straighter, feeling more at ease.
"You're really cute you know?" The blonde spoke suddenly, cocking his head to one side and looking at Ryou appraisingly. The teen flushed slightly and sidled from side to side. "Don't act like you don't know, people have gotta have told you before." Jou's tone was warm, even teasing as he chucked Ryou under the chin, effectively causing him to look into dancing amber eyes.
The white haired teen smiled tentatively; still unaware of how adorable he looked when doing this. "Yuugi and Malik...they're my roommates, they always said...you know, but I never believed them..until.." He looked around once more. He had been accepted. "Well, maybe, I mean there must have been something that Pegasus liked." He lapsed into silence, but looked up again, startled when he heard startled laughter.
"Bakura, I hate to burst your bubble, but you're gorgeous." The taller man flopped down onto one of the cream couches that lined the walls, propping his long legs up carelessly on the soft material. Noting that the blonde wore jeans like himself, a worrying niggle at the back of Ryou's mind went away. When he first entered the building, he had felt seriously underdressed since he was wearing plain blue jeans and a modestly cut white shirt. Jou may have been wearing low slung darker jeans and a tight t-shirt, but it was still casual compared to what some of the others were wearing. Leather seemed to be very popular material among the male models, while anything went among the females.
"Am I?" Ryou asked absently, watching a particularly scantily clad specimen work her way around the room, making obvious passes at all the men she met.
Jou chuckled once more, rubbing his chin with thoughtful fingers. "I'd do you."
This was surprising enough to jerk Ryou from his people watching and he looked nervously at the blonde, unsure as to whether the man was teasing again. It was only a few moments later that the full implications of what he had said hit Ryou. "Y-you're gay?" He spoke the last word as a hiss, almost as if he were embarrassed.
Another laugh exploded from Jou's lips and he wiped a tear away from his cheek. "Yep," he said cheerfully, resting his hands at the nape of his neck.
Ryou sat down on the corner of the couch and drew circles on his thigh, not looking at the blonde. "So...are there many gay models in the business?"
Jou shrugged, idly inspecting his fingernails. "Surprisingly no. To my knowledge and you'll soon find out that I know everything," He grinned and continued on. "To my knowledge, there are only about five of us queers in the model department." He frowned slightly, trying to think. "Well, there's me of course...and then there's Yami and Marik. Those two are wild cards alright." He ticked the names off on one hand. "Oh, how could I forget? Our resident hot shots, the big wigs themselves, Kaiba Seto and Otogi Ryuuji. I think that makes five if I've counted right. Unless," He smirked at Ryou. "If I'm right there are six now, are there not?"
Ryou flushed and looked down at his folded hands. "Yeah..."
Jou laughed softly, leaning up to punch Ryou gently in the shoulder. "No need to be so shy about it. They don't hold it against us in any way."
The shorter youth blushed again, looking around in an effort to change the subject.
"Mr Crawford certainly has good taste." He said finally, nodding towards the glimmering expanse of glass and flowing sheets of water. "The whole corporation is just...beautiful. It wasn't the image I had of a modelling studio-.."
He was cut off by peals of merry laughter that originated from Jou. The blonde was holding his sides and rolling around on the couch. Ryou wasn't sure if he was about to have a heart attack or die from lack of oxygen. The other people in the room looked at him in pretty much the same way as the British boy was, a look which said they were slightly freaked out, but too polite to leave.
Sitting up, Jou stifled his chortles.
"Mr Crawford? Peggy has to have the worst design taste ever. He can bring out someone's good looks, however much of a car crash they are, but when it comes to furnishing?" He smirked. "You saw his private rooms didn't you? No, it certainly wasn't him who planned the building. Credit goes to our resident architectural genius Kaiba Seto."
Looking slightly less freaked out, Ryou settled down more comfortably on the cream plushness of the couch, stroking it gently with one finger.
"It's certainly a wonderful design, he must be really talented." Okay, that even sounded corny to himself, but Jou didn't seem to notice, an odd expression in his amber eyes.
"Yeah...he's gotta be one of the two most popular models in the whole business." The slender youth grinned suddenly and sat up, bouncing slightly as he sat cross legged across from Ryou. "Not to mention he looks like the essence of sexiness impaled on a stick. Working with him certainly is easy on the eyes."
This startled a chuckle out of Ryou and the smaller man became aware of a slight growling in his stomach. "Is there any food anywhere?"
Jou made a disgusted face. "There are things which are available to eat, but I'm not sure if I would call them food. That is unless you count water crackers with goat's cheese and pancetta. Get used to this honey, now you're a model, you have to survive on the anorexic model diet. You'll se them take the food, you'll see them look at the food. If you're lucky, you may see them poke it with a fork, but you won't see them eat." He looked towards the trays where the slivers of what looked like grey paper, covered with a watery white substance and shuddered. "Me, I eat real food, proper stuff you can get your teeth into." Looking scornful, he proceeded to flip off the tray of unappetizing hors'deuves, succeeding in making Ryou laugh once more.
"I know what you mean; one of my room-mates is a chef and I live off his food. Luckily, I can pretty much eat what I want without worrying too much." Unconsciously proving his point, he rubbed a hand across his flat abdomen, causing his shirt to ripple upwards slightly. Jou grinned, not quite drooling, but close. He reached across to place his hand over Ryou's teasingly increasing the pressure, resulting in an increased flow of blood to the smaller man's cheeks. He really was so kawaii.
"Oooh, this looks fun. Can I join in?" a voice purred, an overly sensual voice. Ryou and Jou looked up to see a skeletal brunette leaning over them, a leering smile pasted on her face. It was the one that Ryou had been observing earlier. Obviously, her hormonal circuit had brought her to them. She was attractive yes, she had to be to have been employed by the agency, but her good looks were smothered by the amount of make up she wore. Too much foundation Ryou thought to himself, attempting to hide a look of faint disgust. Not to mention the lips are too overdone – she's have been better off with just a slick of gloss.
The girl grinned ferally, smoothing down the blue iridescence of her mini skirt, if you could call it a skirt. It was more of a belt than anything and what was scary was that she had probably intended it to be that way. A leopard print halter neck clung to her skinny torso, the back plunging to reveal a large expanse of creamy skin. Well, one could see that she desperately wanted to be a model and her idea of making it big was to show off as much as possible of her body. It may have had a chance on a straight man, but all she was doing was repulsing Ryou and amusing Jou.
Smirking, the blonde made an obvious show of removing his hand slowly and sitting up. He knew the type and was opening his mouth to deliver a blistering retort when another voice did it for him.
"Anzu! Have you no shame?" A scolding tone could be heard as another female bore down on them. Ryou wasn't surprised to see that it was the one from the photo near his on Pegasus's collage, the only female to have stood out to him. Instead of the exceedingly thin body of the one called Anzu, the blonde was curvy, even voluptuous. A purple skirt suit clung to her compact frame, the indigo jacket undone to reveal a white corset style top that in turn exposed a moderate amount of shapely bosom. This was a different style of woman, one who was comfortable with her body, with the way she looked.
As opposed to the poor creatures who seemed to need to advertise themselves.
That...creature pouted and glared at the approaching blonde. "But Mai-.."
She was cut off abruptly. "No buts! You've had enough 'fun' for one day!" The woman seemed to be called Mai and her voice was mocking, disdain evident though the blue eyed brunette did not seem to notice as she stalked away, angry as a balked cat. Turning kohl-lined violet eyes towards the blonde and the whitenette, Mai gave a brilliant smile, smirk lingering even after that expression had finished.
"Well hello boys," she said cheerfully, flicking her blonde curls deftly over one shoulder. "I'm Mai by the way. You must be Jonouchi Katsuya – I recognise you from that Nike advert in the centre of town." Jou grinned lazily.
"Guilty as charged my darling." He waved a languid hand at Ryou who smiled and dipped his head in greeting. "This is Bakura Ryou, a rookie like yourself."
Mai laughed throatily, once more flicking her golden curtain of silk backwards. "I'm only a rookie in this company. I was formerly employed at Versace, but I decided I didn't want to be tied down to simply fashion advertising. Golden Eye offers many more opportunities for someone like me."
Jou's eyes lit up and he leaned forwards eagerly. "Ah, but surely the pay musta been better at Versace, I mean come on! You were working for a designer. That always adds perks."
"Ah, but I wasn't getting enough freedom. The models didn't get much of a say in the shoot, it was all so heavily choreographed anyway. I'm much too young to be tied down to one company, to one way of making a photo."
Ryou looked slightly bemused as the two went into shop talk mode. Phrases like 'artistic freedom' and 'increasing portfolio depth went write over his head so he amused himself by once more people watching. Odd that the first few people he had met had been completely the opposite of what he had expected. Jou was, well, to his surprise, Jou had been human. That was to say he hadn't acted as if a rookie like Ryou was beneath him. And Mai, well, for such a confident person, she had certainly been friendly enough, not to mention she had saved him from the grasps of Anzu.
"Bakura? You still awake man?"
The voice of Jou startled the rookie out of his musings and he flashed the pair an apologetic grin, playing with a white strand of hair. "Hmmm? Oh yeah, I'm still here." The barest tint of pink coloured his pale cheeks, inciting a delighted laugh from Mai as she stood up, stretching her back to one side.
"Well, it looks like get-to-know-your-rival-day is coming to an end so I might as well split. You want a lift anywhere hun?"
Jou shook his head, also standing as he brushed down his jeans. "Nah, I have a shoot with Otogi. Lucky me." His voice was sarcastic, but a slight twitch of his hands and twist of the lips betrayed something that resembled excitement.
Ryou hid a smile. "That would be great Mai, I had to walk here this morning."
Jou clapped the white haired teen on the shoulder, grinning amiably. "Well it was nice to meet ya Bakura." Nodding to Mai, he made a noble pose before strolling out of the room.
The blonde woman chuckled under her breath and motioned for Ryou to follow her as she rummaged in her purse, presumably for keys.
"Quite a character isn't he?"
Ryou laughed, trotting to keep up as he removed his hoodie from his waist, pulling it on. As his head poked out of the neck hole, hair all ruffled and messed, he replied, "Yeah, he seems nice though. One of the better characters in the room."
Mai snorted and rolled her eyes, "Huh, if you can say that most of those people had characters. I can tell you, half of them won't last a year, you can count on that." Running violet fingernails through her hair, she proceeded to drag Ryou towards the car park.
"Come on, we'd better get you home before Anzu sees you again."
Ryou shuddered and increased his pace. "Now that's a crime worse than death!"
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A soft click of the door opening announced Ryou's arrival home. It was late and he made an attempt to stay quiet, not wanting to disturb Yuugi and Malik if they were already asleep.
No such luck.
Two cannon balls hit him firmly in the stomach, knocking him down onto the polished wooden floor with a muffled "Ooof."
Opening his eyes, he looked up to see two grinning faces peering down at him and two pairs of eyes dancing expectantly, one pair lavender, the other violet. The two teens were perched on his abdomen, waiting for the white haired youth beneath them to catch his breath.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Ryou put on an aloof expression as he pressed his lips together. Lets see how long it takes before they spontaneously combust out of curiosity, he thought amusedly to himself.
The silence reined for a good few minutes before Malik cracked. "Oh go on, tell us how it went!" His lavender pools were wide, in an expression Ryou was sure he had stolen from Yuugi. The teen with tri coloured hair added his own pleading eyes, lips twisting into an adorable pout, but still the white haired youth resisted, though a smile played at the corners of his lips.
Yuugi and Malik shared a mischievous look. "I think this calls for stronger action." Yuugi said, his face straight.
"What, we tickle him?" Malik replied, brow creasing in a faint frown.
Yuugi chuckled and winked, an action that would have alerted Ryou if his eyes had been open. "No, worse."
The Egyptian finally caught on and an answering smirk spread across his dusky features. "Right, gotcha."
Before Ryou could protest, or even open his eyes, he felt two pairs of hands pinion his arms, his legs already being effectively immobilised since both men were sitting firmly on his limbs. Finally opening his chocolate eyes, he looked warily at his roommates.
He had a reason to be worried.
Suddenly, both men had launched themselves at his neck and with practiced mouths; they each proceeded to nip teasingly up and down the pale shaft of skin. Ryou squirmed, trying to get away from the leeches he had formerly known as Yuugi and Malik, but was pinned like a bug. He suppressed the urge to giggle as Malik tugged gently on his earlobe while Yuugi proceeded to draw circles down Ryou's neck with his tongue. This succeeded in making the slender teen writhe even more frantically. Surely this could be classed as torture.
As if acting on some unspoken cue, both the teens on top of him simultaneously trailed a hand up the inside Ryou's leg. Now this certainly wasn't fair! His struggles redoubled and the pair on top of him pulled back, looking down at him smugly.
"Why, Ryou-Kun," Yuugi said brightly as Malik licked his lips pointedly, "You wouldn't want to reconsider your reasoning on with-holding certain information now would you?"
Ryou saw no mercy in the lavender and violet eyes, his own chocolate ones rolling in resignation. Shoving them off him, he sat up, brushing the dust from his jeans. "You two really need to get boyfriends." He muttered, attempting to detangle his already mussed hair. "No, scrap that, you just need to get laid!"
Malik chuckled, reclining on the couch on which he had retreated to. "If you let me, I'm sure I could remedy that." Ryou's only response was to stick a very pink tongue in the direction of his teasing roommate. To be honest, the Egyptian had somewhat freaked the normally shy teen out, but Yuugi had convinced him that all of his sultry speak was in pure fun. Now, even Ryou could relax beside the eccentric blonde, he couldn't imagine a night out without him. Without either of them in fact. Moments like tonight sometimes made him question his sanity, his reasoning for living with them, but being the sweetheart he was, he would normally grin and bear it.
Yuugi had settled himself firmly on the couch as well, his tri coloured head nestled in Malik's lap as he beckoned for Ryou to come over. The white haired teen complied obediently, leaning with his back to the couch as he sat cross legged on the floor. Yuugi twisted so he was on his side, reaching out to idly stroke the snowy silk of the seated one's hair.
"So how was your day Ryou?" Malik asked, his eyes half closed as he rested long fingered hands on Yuugi's shoulders, the petite teen snuggling down into the Egyptian's lap.
Ryou, somewhat placated by Yuugi's relaxing pats, stretched his long legs out in front of him, closing his own eyes. "Pretty good actually. To keep it brief, I met my boss – complete whack job, but he seems nice enough. I met someone called Jou, a real friendly guy, he gave me lots of advice. Oh, and I got hit on my some girl." All three young men shuddered at the thought.
Malik yawned reaching down to tug on his own strand of white hair, his other hand pulling on one of Yuugi's golden bangs. "So what time do you guys have to be in tomorrow morning?"
Yuugi made a face at the prospect, wrinkling his nose up. "I've got a free first period so I don't have to be on campus until ten." The petite teen was currently studying medicine at university and for all his complaining, enjoying it greatly. He had still to decide his final course though – he was toying between being a General Practitioner or a Paediatrician.
Ryou smiled, still enjoying the caresses Yuugi was placing on his head. "I don't have to go back until eleven – a brief tour of the building and then I've got my first shoot."
"Anything specific?" Yuugi asked, sitting up slightly as he adjusted his low slung jeans.
"I've no idea actually. I think it's more like a taster session so I can get used to what they want from me and so they can see how I work." Ryou shrugged self consciously, turning to prod Malik in the side.
"And what time do you actually get off your lazy behind and go to the restaurant?"
The platinum blonde smirked lazily. "Actually, I've got the evening shift tomorrow so I can spend all day in bed. Care to join me?" The chef licked his lips suggestively. "Of course, you poor little souls will be at work."
Yuugi and Ryou shared a look, the taller one leaning back more firmly against the sofa as the smaller trailed a hand down the side of the other's face. "Don't worry darling, we'll find a way to have some fun while you're out." Ryou stifled a chuckle as Yuugi said this, batting innocent eyelids at the pouting Malik.
"Hey! No fair." His bottom lip trembled artfully. "If you must, I will require photos, a video and a blow by blow account."
The three looked at each other and fell into peals of laughter, clutching each other on and off the sofa, their faces buried in the forest green leather. Wiping a tear from his cheek, Ryou stood up, patting his two friends playfully on the head.
"Well, I need my beauty sleep." He looked cheekily at Malik and Yuugi, the taller one having pulled the other onto his lap. "You know, maybe it's because I'm always the first to go to bed that it was me that got the contract and not you." He stuck his tongue out at them and turned towards the door, hips swaying as he walked.
"Get him?"
"Get him." Ryou heard pounding feet and risked a glance behind him. Taking to his heels, he raced towards his room, with Yuugi and Malik close behind them. His plaintive cries echoed down the hall, coupled with the mocking calls of his roommates, all drowned out by the hysterical laughing and a loud crash as someone fell to the floor, dragging the others down with them. The penthouse reverberated with their playful antics, their carousing the figurative calm before the storm.
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Lell: Well, that's chapter two done. (Is still drooling after the complete kawainess of the last scene)
Adara: (Rolls eyes) You're far too sappy, you know that?
Lell: And you've been spending far too much time with Seto.
Adara: (Flushes and mutters something about the friendship being platonic)
Lell: (Snorts) Yeah right....honestly, cheating on Yami....
Seto: Actually, I'm pretty sure that Yami is currently cuddling with Kai.
Lell: o0 My yami's yami is a slag.
Adara: (Coughs embarrassedly) For those of you that don't know, Kai is my Yami from before I was Lell's Yami.
Lell: (Mumbles) That makes my head hurt...
Kai: Everything makes your head hurts.
Lell: Hey! That's not fair!
Kai: Whatever. (Returns to molesting Yami)
Lell: 00 I did not need to see that – he really is a slag.....anyway, on with the review answers.
Wish he was Mine: Yes Tracee darling, you were the first. (Hands over a trophy) I know, I know, I do too much description....however, you are helping me with dialogue. Anyway, I have no idea what I was on when I wrote about Peggy's office (Hands over a pair of sunglasses) These might help....
Azuka Kano: Wow, someone as crazy as me – see Adara, I'm not the only one.
Adara: XX Crap, there's more of them?
Lell: Don't be so rude! Anyway, thanks, but I am a description freak, mainly because I suck at dialogue.
Ellie-Fate2x1-2: Yeah – in my other fic, Seto's kind of a softy so I decided to bring back the sadistic and manipulative Kaiba we all know and love. (Shifty eyes) This author cannot prevent all harm to certain white haired bishies. She can also neither affirm or deny it.
Limpet666: Yay! You reviewed! At least you remembered, unlike Rene. (Growls) Anyway, yup Kaiba has a twisted idea of fine! XD And yes I will continue though I have numerous one-shot ideas floating around in my head. I think MalikSama cursed me with plot bunnies.
Relinquished: Thanks, hope you liked this chapter.
Lell: Well, now it's time to go off and write another chapter. And just to clarify, Yuugi, Malik and Ryou are just friends.
Yuugi, Malik & Ryou: 00 Nooooooo!
Lell: Quiet you! This is supposed to be a Ryou/Seto fic.
Ryou: (Brightens up and smiles happily)
Yuugi&Ryou: But what about us?
Lell: (Wicked grin) We'll see.....
Yuugi&Ryou: (Sweatdrop and back away slowly)
Lell: Am I that scary?
Seto: No, Adara was waving her Kwan Dao about.
Lell: Oh, okay. (Looks worried) I'd better go stop her before she hurts someone. See you next chapter.