Disclaimer: Not mine. Be grateful, because if they were, then the plotline would suffer significantly. Why? Because all the girls would be shipped off to Hawaii and the boyz would lounge around in leather. Shirtless. And tanned. ((smirks at the thought))

A/N: … ((shrugs)) Can't think of anything. Other than: Canadian spelling! It IS deliberate, thank you all the same.

Aaaand this would be where I started rethinking that "PG-13" rating. Heads up! Lewd innuendo ahead! … Shonen-ai, of course. Is there anything else in YGO?

Night Of Souls

Chapter Three: The Abundance of "haunted."

Location: CHINA

Time: 6:30 pm

Eagerly, Bakura dragged a panting Ryou by the hand through the crowded sidewalks, glaring bloody, dripping daggers at anyone who bumped into him or his hikari. For that matter, he also glared at anyone who so much as paused to glance at their unusual hair colour. After a while of this, Bakura finally decided they'd arrived at the correct, less-crowded side street.

Behind him, Ryou stumbled to a halt and Bakura stopped with him. They both gaped in standard tourist fashion at the sprawling mansion that would essentially be their home for the next three days.

"Wow…" breathed Ryou. "It's huge…"

Bakura excitedly tightened hand in Ryou's. "Ra above!" he exclaimed. "It's so haunted!"

Ryou's head swivelled around and he squeaked. "Actually haunted?"

"Of course. What else would you be expecting from a haunted house?"

"I was, well, I was kind of hoping that wouldn't be actually haunted…"

Bakura, for the first time, turned incredulous eyes towards his shaking hikari. "Ryou," he drawled, "don't tell you're scared."

"A-A-A little," Ryou winced, barely audible over the nearby traffic.

Bakura rolled his eyes. "I can't believe this," he muttered.

"What?"

Bakura shook his head in resignation. "I guess there's nothing left but to give you my promise. Be grateful I'm doing this, idiot hikari. But…" he sighed, "you have my word that I won't let a precious hair on your body get hurt."

Ryou breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"Whatever. No problem."

An uneasy thought suddenly hit Ryou with a brick. "Wait! What about my body itself?"

An expression that strongly resembled a leer slid quickly across Bakura's face and was gone before Ryou fully realized what it was.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that at all," Bakura stated, his voice oddly low and husky. "Just leave that to me."

Ryou smiled shyly. "Thank you, Bakura."

"Ryou! Tomb-Robber!" The authoritative voice rang down the street, disrupting Bakura's mental chibi-self from rolling around in laughter at Ryou's trust. "What are you two doing here?"

Ryou brightened even more. "Yuugi! Yami! Are you here for the weekend as well?"

Yuugi grinned. "Yeah! It's Yami's first haunted house ever – so I decided to show him what it's like!"

Bakura gasped in mock horror. "Pharaoh! It's your first time? How unexpected!"

Yuugi jumped to Yami's defence, completely oblivious to the manifest innuendo that had Yami squirming and blushing in a mixture of shock and inarticulate rage. "It's not that odd, Bakura! I mean, he's been too busy saving the world to have much fun!"

Bakura burst out laughing as Yami covered his eyes in shame. "Aibou, please stop. You're just making it worse."

Ryou flailed around for a change of topic. "Umm… so how was your trip?" he asked.

Yuugi turned his attention to the soft hikari, hiding his mildly hurt expression. He'd just wanted to help…

"Oh, it was fine. Very nice, actually. Yours?"

"Oh! Um… good. Fine. At least, as well as could be expected."

Yuugi hesitated, flickering a glance downwards. "Uh, Ryou?"

"Yes?" Ryou queried. Why did Yuugi seem so shy all of a sudden?

"Forgive me if I'm intruding, but… why are you two holding hands?"

"What?" Ryou, too, looked down at his entwined digits. "Oh. That's so Bakura can drag me around town, I guess."

Yuugi's face lit up and he clapped his hands in delight. "You mean you two are getting along now?"

Ryou brought his other hand up to scratch nervously at his cheek. "I guess. I mean, he usually doesn't kill people now… and it has been a while since he threatened to stab me in various inventive and painful ways. So yeah!" His own face brightened momentarily. "We have been getting along better—"

Over in the yamis' 'zone,' Bakura hesitated and shot a nervous glance at Ryou. Yami raised his eyebrow in smug victory.

"Do you have something you wish to tell me, thief?"

Bakura snarled vehemently back, causing Yami to blink in mild surprise. "Nothing that doesn't have to do with an oak tree getting crammed up your-"

"Bakura!" Ryou gasped. "Stop it!"

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Sure thing." He turned to Yami, smiling falsely. "Oh, Pharaoh," he cooed, oozing insincerity. "Please accept my apology?"

Yami hesitated. What was going on? "Of course. Consider yourself forgiven."

Bakura continued to grin ingratiatingly. "Oh, thank you Pharaoh. And consider yourself…"

Whatever horrible thing Bakura was going to say was interrupted as a loud cry rang once again down the street. "Hey, Yuug'! Yami! Ryou! An' Ryou's Yami! Wait up!"

Bakura twitched. "'Ryou's Yami'? The fool doesn't even know my name?" Once inside, he vowed, he would set a horde of snakes in the idiot's bed.

Meanwhile, Joey caught up with the group. "Man! I can't believe you're all here! Dat's awesome, you guys! This is gonna be a great weekend, despite Kaiba's whole thing of snottiness."

Yami smiled sympathetically. "Was Kaiba rather abrupt?"

Joey snarled. "Don' even get me started. He didn't even apologize!" He suddenly twisted his grimace into a sneer, though. "But it's alright. Ya see, I'm foilin' his plan! Since he told me that he wanted me to go to Siberia, I'm actually usin' his money to go to a haunted house instead! That'll show 'im!"

Yuugi opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and shut it again. Bakura, on the other hand, was not being nearly so discreet. "So," he slowly mused. "To get back at your rival, you're doing what he says and leaving town for the weekend? Which, correct me if I'm wrong, is exactly what he wanted you to do in the first place?"

Joey paused, and the look of triumph on his face sunk into one of horrified realization. "Oh noooo!" he suddenly wailed, yanking his hands through his hair in frustration. "What have I done?"

Yuugi chose this moment to step forward. "It... it's ok, Joey. I'm sure this will be all worked out once we get back."

Yami moved forward as well, subtly ushering his aibou and his blond friend towards the entrance of the house. "I agree with Yuugi, Joey. Everything will be all right when all is said and done. However, the sun is starting to set and so I suggest we check in. Are you coming, Ryou?" he tossed over his shoulder, already halfway to the door.

"Ah!" Ryou looked startled, then smiled. "Yes." He looked over at his fuming darkness, "How about you, Bakura? Would you like to check in?"

­'No!' Bakura wanted to shout. 'I want to kill these pests for interfering in my plans, and then claim you as finally mine!' It wasn't fair. Though he'd faked his usual irritating self, the presence of the other three was really going to put a crimp in his scheduled desire.

However, what emerged was a gritting of teeth and a smirk. "Of course I would," he stated. "I would also like to claim the best bed in the house of my own."

Ryou blinked, still smiling. "Of course! Whatever you want is yours, Bakura. Let's go!" The two took off down the sidewalk, quickly catching up to the others.

It was interesting to note, by the way, they were still holding hands.

A/N: ((shrugs))My inspiration has temporarily left me, so I'm going to close this chapter here. Comments? Suggestions? ((leers)) Pairings?

OH! Important! Could anyone give me a quick clue-in as to what a Chinese village was like in the 1900s? Practices, customs, beliefs, that sort of thing? I'm absolutely clueless, and I completely abhor writing without a fundament of knowledge. (Not to mention – what time would it get dark in China during October?)

Next up: Chapter four! The five oblivious boys check in and find they've got the place essentially to themselves for the next bit! Also… a history of the house and its tormented occupants! Bakura chooses a room! So does Yuugi, Yami, Joey, and Ryou! Amazement!

…. No, sorry. Now I'm just being sensationalist. Seriously, though. The spirits are taking notice of these new occupants and it seems to be the final straw…