Disclaimer: I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
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Ryou groaned as Koiyoko-sensei stood in front of the class with a clipboard. "Well? This is a list of the people going on the trip. There shouldn't be many names not on it. Remember, this is your final chance to go on this trip!" Ryou blushed, knowing that his was one name missing.
Ryou pulled out his math book and proceeded to work on the trigonometry equation that he hadn't finished in his last class. He felt so terrible. He had the money to go on that trip! He'd made it fair and square! But he couldn't stand to spend that dirty cash.
Bakura hadn't talked to him since their fight. Not a word spoken between the two and it was killing Ryou. That morning, Bakura hadn't even stayed around long enough to send Ryou off to school. He'd been off to work the second he woke up. Yugi had told Ryou that he seemed more depressed that morning. He'd had to blow it off as being a headache.
How could he tell his friends that he'd whored himself out for money? They might not have been that close to him, but he was sure that they thought better of him than to do something like that. The cash had been moved from its hiding place under the mattress to a decorative box on his dresser.
A note was flicked on to his desk. Ryou looked over his shoulder to see Jou staring at him, seriously. 'Read it,' he mouthed, coldly. Ryou flushed and wandered what Jou was being so... serious about.
He unfolded the paper and read the words written, turning more and more prominent colors as he read. 'Ryou, you should have been smarter last night. You just assume that I don't have my own network. To-to told me what happened. ...Damn Ryou! I can't believe you.'
Ryou put his pencil to the paper and tried to write something that would make things a little better. 'I can't, either. Don't remind me that I did that, Jou. I don't want to think about it. I feel like such a... I guess I really am one, though, huh? I'm not even going. I have the money to but I can't.' A teardrop landed on the paper as he handed it back to Jou.
The blonde put his hand on Ryou's shoulder and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "I'm sorry, Ryou. I guess I was jus scared for you. You suffered enough, Ry. You should go."
"It isn't right, Jou. I feel so dirty." "I felt the same thing at first, Ryou. Dun worry about it. Jus don't go back there!" Ryou wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "I never could." Jou gripped his shoulder, comfortingly. The bell rang to dismiss that class and Jou walked around their desks and pulled Ryou up into his arms.
The albino broke into sobs. He wrapped his arms around Jou's neck and let the tears roll down his cheeks onto Jou's shoulder. His friend tightened his embrace around Ryou's waist and kissed him softly to calm him. "Shh. I promise, Ryou. It's hard, but you're tough. You'll make it."
"Bakura won't even talk to me, Jou. Just because I was out late. What would he think if he knew? I've never been so ashamed of myself, Jou. I feel like some slag!" Jou paused. "Slut, Jou. I feel like a slut." "It'll get better with time. And some lovin'. Get back in good with Bakura. It'll be a comfort."
"Having sex to help me forget about having sex. Thanks, Jou. I'll definitely try that." The blonde put his hand under Ryou's chin. "Don't give me shit because you screwed up, kiddo. I'm jus telling you: if it weren't for Set, I dunno..."
Ryou blushed. "I'm sorry, Jou. It was bad of me to be angered with you. It isn't your fault. Then again," he said with a little smile, "it kinda is." Jou smiled and picked him up, carrying him up to the desk of Koiyoko-sensei, who had been watching, paralyzed, the whole time.
"I'd like to be added to the trip list, please." She didn't even look away from them as she scribbled his name down. "Thank you, ma'am!" Jou winked at Koiyoko and took Ryou out of the room. "I think we're late, Ry." Briiiiing. "I think so, too." Jou laughed happily and wiped Ryou's eyes one last time.
As he pushed the door to the class open, though, he openly ignored Ryou's struggles to get down and took him inside in his arms. The entire class stopped to stare at the two. Jou just grinned as he brought the fuzzy in. "Sorry we're late!" Jou apologized to the teacher, cheerfully, ignoring the stares directed their way.
Unfortunately, one of those stares was more of a glare, coming from Seto's direction. Finally, they were allowed to rejoin the class and Ryou attempted to melt down into his desk. He looked around the room and noticed every one of his fellow students staring at him, yet they looked away from his gaze.
'They all must think I'm a slut, too. But I know that at least Jou doesn't.' Seto met his gaze straight on. 'But Seto... oh lord-y.' He blushed and smiled at his quiet friend, who stared, flatly, before tapping Jou on the shoulder with a pencil.
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Ryou leaned against the door to his apartment, trying to choose between going inside to face Bakura's cold shoulder or trying to bunk down with a friend for another few days. But he couldn't just run away from his problems with Bakura. And it was his house, too, damn it!
He willed up his courage and slipped inside, noting the dim light barely visible in the entryway. "Bakura! Are you home?" His dark stepped out of the shadows. "Yes, my little light?" "I want to talk to you. You've been ignoring me, and I want it to stop!"
Bakura glared at him with frozen, chocolate eyes. "You want, you want, what about what I want?" "Then what do you want, Bakura?" The yami handed a box to Ryou. The one containing the money Ryou had made.
"I want to know where the fuck that came from. If you're taking money from me, you're in trouble. We need that money to keep living here!" "It's not yours! It's mine! I earned that money!"
Ryou clamped his hand over his mouth. Bakura's next word was dangerously short. "What?" "I, uh, that money is mine. I worked for it. That... that's where I was the other night, Bakura. When I was so late."
The taller stared at him. "You've been working on the side, and I'm breaking my back barely making ends meet? How much of this money have I seen?" "Well... none." "None! You, Ryou, have sunk to a new low!"
Ryou blushed. "I'm sorry, Bakura. But I really wanted to go on that class trip. That's why I need what's in this box." Bakura stared at him. "I see. Fine, hikari. That's okay." "Huh?" "It's alright, Hikari. If you worked hard, the cash is yours. That's all right. I don't mind."
Bakura smirked his sexy smirk and pressed Ryou against the door. "As long as I get something good in exchange. Let's go make up, Ryou. In the back room." Ryou blushed. "Like... I can keep the money if I sleep with you?"
This seemed to anger his dark. "No. You can keep it either way. I just thought that you might like to have sex with your boyfriend!" His other turned a very awkward mix of blush and pale.
"Oh, I do, Bakura! Of course!" What had he been thinking? It was bad enough to have done something like that. What if Bakura had found out from what he said? All thoughts seemed to leave his mind as his dark pressed their bodies flush together.
Just as a hot and steamy kiss seemed inevitable, the phone on the table in the hallway gave a shrill ring. Cussing loudly, Bakura picked it up. "Hello! ...Come on, boss! I'm done with my shift for today! Fired! Fuck! I'll be right there."
Bakura slammed the phone down, cursing his boss to the depths of Set's chosen Hell. "I'm sorry, baby. I have to go to work. I'm sure you heard, but that horse's ass wants to fire me if I won't go." Ryou smiled and kissed him on the lips. "It's all right, lover. I understand."
"We'll pick this up later, light of mine. Count on it!" Ryou turned a little red and nodded his head. "Okay." Bakura grabbed his coat and was out the door in an instant. Ryou stared at the door with a goofy smile on his face. How could he have doubted this? Being in love with Bakura was the best thing in the world.
He was about to head to the kitchen to make himself some dinner when there was a knock on the door. 'Did Bakura forget something?' Without thinking, he opened the door with a smile. Which dropped as soon as he saw the person on the other side.
"Danner?" The well-built man grinned at him, darkly. "Hey, Ryou. Come on." "Huh?" "To-to wants to talk to you." "How did you even find out where I live?" Danner avoided his eyes. "Our buddy, Rokusho, was on your bus. So I didn't have to look very far. Now come on."
The stronger person grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out the door, slamming it shut behind them. No one seemed to notice the two as they made their way down alleys carpeted with broken glass and painted with gang symbols. "Where are we going, Danner?"
"I told you, To-to wants you. You think we always 'hang' in the same places?" He pushed open a heavy-looking metal door to reveal his boyfriend, sitting much like a male dominatrix slut would, except in a bit less clothing.
"Welcome to my home, Ryou. You and I need to talk."