Contrary to popular belief, I am still alive. School has been terrible. I meant to get this chapter out during winter break, but life got in the way. I'm really so terribly sorry. To make it up to you guys, though, I wrote two more pages than I normally do. I hope that appeases you somewhat…

Everyone should thank Lirdianc for making me get my ass in gear. It sucks when you know another author in person, because they can threaten you and actually carry it out. Damn.

Pairings: Yami/Yuugi, Ryou/Bakura, Malik/Mariku. Maybe Kaiba/Jou if they fit into the plot. Perhaps Rishid/Isis… if enough people ask for it. (Meaning, if you want it, then TELL ME. If you don't, then TELL ME. I need your input!)

Disclaimer: Saying that I own Yuu-Gi-Oh! Is like saying that world peace will ever happen. It's just won't work, as much as I wish it would. Still, the plot's mine, and I don't tolerate plagiarism. If you want to borrow something, just ask. ALSO! All songs are MINE. I WRITE ALL OF THE SONGS IN THIS STORY. DO NOT TAKE THEM. THEY ARE MINE. (I'm just a little protective of my songs. Sorry.)

Notes for this chapter:

Bakura's papers- Bakura wouldn't be himself without an angsty past. I know, I know… I torture my favorite characters so (and that's why Ryou and Bakura are always so abused). So, he has grown up in an orphanage and the head of the orphanage is his guardian; however, since he's so far away, she's sending papers to make Isis his legal guardian.

I have obviously messed around with relationships in this, and I don't mean the slash; I mean the weird ones, like Bakura and Yuugi, and Mariku and Yami. If they're OOC, please bear with me, because these characters have been with each other for a while, and are fond of each other as they never would be in Yuu-Gi-Oh!. Well… maybe not Mariku and Yami, but you know…

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Yami got the place in the band. Not that it was a surprise to him, but it was still nice to have his piano skills recognized by someone other than Shaadi and Shaadi's cat (which, by all the Gods, was the most spoiled creature Yami had ever met in his life).

One month later, they were currently sitting in The House, as the mansion had been deemed, Yuugi and Malik locked in a fierce DDR battle. Yami stared at the glowing arrows, feeling slightly dizzy. Did they really have to flash like that? It burned his eyes. Perhaps it was just fatigue catching with him. After all… it was 3:30 in the morning.

"Haha, Yuugi, you missed that combo! You're as good as dead," Malik said gleefully, panting slightly. "And you're only on Light mode, too!"

"Shut up, you," Yuugi said, missing another arrow and nearly falling over. "I just started playing 2 days ago, and you're just insane to be playing on Heavy."

"Just means that I'm better than you!" Malik said cheekily as the song pounded to an end.

Malik: AA

Yuugi: C

"At least I didn't fail," Yuugi sighed, before collapsing onto a nearby beanbag chair and rubbing his eyes.

"Anyone else up to challenging me?" Malik asked smugly, stretching languorously. Yami saw Mariku's eyes following the movement, and rolled his own.

"Malik," Ryou whined, "you're a professional dancer, and the rest of us aren't! So hush!" The singer was buried under a down comforter on the suede chair in a darkened corner, curled up with a pillow. "Is it time for us to sleep yet?"

Bakura snorted. "Tired already, princess?" he sneered, an amused glint in his eyes.

Ryou sat up, silver hair mussed and flying, blanket rustling. "No!" he said hotly. "I'm just worried for the well-being of all of us. And I think Isis told us we had something to do in the afternoon… does anyone else remember?"

The question was ignored. Yami rolled his eyes again. "How about we just… pop in a movie or something?" he suggested.

"Ringu?" Mariku suggested hopefully from his cross-legged seat on the floor.

"No!" Yuugi and Ryou yelped together. Ryou pulled the comforter over his head, and Yuugi sank deeper into the beanbag chair, snatching a pillow from the floor to hug, and shook his head vigorously.

"Why can't we watch… Pokémon, or something?" Ryou asked, voice muffled.

Heads turned to stare at the heap of blanket incredulously. "What?" Yami asked, not believing his ears. "That?"

"Magic Knight Rayearth?" Ryou asked instead of answering.

"Come on, Ryou," Malik said, pouncing on top of him. "It's not like you haven't seen it before."

"I had to sleep with Isis for three weeks afterwards!" Ryou wailed. Mariku turned his snicker into a cough. "Why do I have to have a TV in my room, anyways?"

"Especially one built into the wall, too," Yuugi said thoughtfully, and shuddered. "I really don't want to watch it, either."

Bakura huffed. "Too scared? Ringu isn't scary at all."

"Oh, I agree. Ringu's worse than scary," Yuugi replied acidly, throwing the pillow into Bakura's face before stomping over to Ryou's corner.

Yami took the opportunity to whisper in Mariku's ear. "I've got to go to Sakura Corp. tomorrow. Tell them I'm sick or something, ok?"

Mariku raised his eyebrows at him. "Don't you mean today? It's 4:00."

Yami hissed impatiently. "You know what I mean! Yes, all right? Today at 10:00. I'm going off to bed as soon as they decide on the movie."

"If you say so," Mariku shrugged. "I don't care."

"I know you don't care," Yami muttered darkly. "I know."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Yami, you look terrible," Shizuka said later that day while handing him a mug of coffee. "Late night?"

"You could say that," Yami said, careful to keep his voice even, before sipping. He smiled when he tasted the right amount of sugar and no cream. "Thanks, Shizuka. I needed that."

She smiled at him. "Of course! You look like the living dead." She patted his shoulder comfortingly, and continued, "Don't worry. It'll get better."

The corners of Yami's mouth lifted slightly at her perpetually sunny attitude. "You just never have a bad day, do you?" he asked her.

She widened her eyes, and then winked. "Bad day? What's that?"

Shaking his head with amusement, he walked into the elevator, sipping his coffee, and rode all the way to the top floor. He knocked on the manager's door, and entered when a voice called, "Come in."

"Morning, Otogi," Yami said, sliding into a chair and pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly. "How are you?"

"Decent," Otogi shrugged. "And you?"

"Not so good, actually," Yami admitted, sighing. "You've… you've heard of Bakura Ryou, haven't you?"

Otogi snorted. "Who hasn't? Pretty voice, there, but his clothes could stand to be a little less conservative. More skin would go a long way. What does he have to do with you?"

"Well… I'm kind of signed onto his band, and it's a two-year contract at best if I don't renew it. What am I going to do about this internship?"

Otogi's eyebrows drew together. "Please tell me this is your idea of an extremely cruel joke."

Yami shrugged helplessly. "Wish I could. You're taking this awfully well, by the way. Is there any way I could stay on at Sakura? Be a traveling agent or something?"

"Traveling agent for what?" Otogi snapped. He was over the surprise; now he was just mad. "We're a technology company, not the damned mafia! We invent things! We fix things! We don't travel!"

"Otogi, it's not my fault!" Yami said defensively. "I didn't have a choice!"

"Well, before you decided that you didn't have a choice, did you think about this company?" Otogi asked furiously, not caring if he didn't make sense. "You're one of the damn best we've ever had, and we were going to hire you for real after two months! You weren't supposed to know that, but hell! It doesn't matter now, does it?"

Yami felt sick inside. "I… was about to be hired for real?" he asked hollowly. It could have been my big break.

"You fucking were!" Otogi said emphatically. "With you, maybe we could have even run neck-to-neck with Kaiba Corp! Gods, Yami… Shit. Just shit."

Yami stumbled to his feet, reaching into his pocket for his cell phone. Shaadi was in town until next week. "Can I meet you at the Cat Café in an hour?" he asked. He stormed out before waiting for an answer.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Shaadi, I can't do this!" Yami was near tears, hands balled into fists. "I was about to get promoted, and Sakura could have even rivaled Kaiba, and I like the people in the band, but technology is my dream, Shaadi, and I…"

Shaadi waited a few more minutes until Yami had talked himself out before inquiring, "Are you quite finished?"

Eyes red-rimmed, voice now hoarse, nails digging into palms, Yami nodded.

Shaadi sipped a crystal goblet of pale wine. "Good." He paused, setting the glass down with a gentle clink on the table. "Now, can you explain to me calmly what your reason is for coming into my office and demanding for me to terminate your contract with… Isis?" He paused almost imperceptibly before saying the hated name, but Yami knew Shaadi well enough to notice.

Yami took a deep breath, and poured out the entire story about his internship-to-be-job at Sakura Corp. When his passionate speech ended, Shaadi picked up his goblet and drank the rest of the liquid.

"You can't be serious."

Yami clenched his teeth. "I assure you that this is no joke. I. Can't. Do This."

Shaadi pinned him with a cool stare, face calm but for his burning eyes. "And what happened to your loyalty to your clan?" he asked, voice clipped. "Are you choosing your dream over your family?"

"And what would you do," Yami said slowly, "If I said 'yes'?"

Shaadi's face went pale with rage under his perpetual tan. "There would be unpleasant consequences."

Yami scowled. "Yeah? Well bring it on. I'm sick of having to always do the 'right thing'! I want to do what I want to do, damn it!"

"Impudence!" Shaadi cried, slamming the goblet down onto the desk, uncaring as it shattered. "I will not let you throw away centuries of dedication to the Arts, do you understand me?"

"Do you understand that I'm not going to take this any longer?"

Shaadi picked up a piece of sharp, broken crystal dripping with wine, and turned it absently in his fingers as he said, calm once more, "What do you expect me to do, Yami? Don't make me out to be the bad guy here. I have to think of the good of the clan before all else. If there was another talented pianist in the clan right now of the right age, I would let you go with a blessing, but that isn't the case!"

Yami would normally have understood. He normally would have said, "Yeah, Shaadi, I know how hard it is for you. I know that you never get to do anything you really want or enjoy, either. I know that life is hard for you, too."

But this wasn't the time for "normally". "Shaadi, you've got to do something! I can't play well if I'm constantly wanting to be somewhere else!"

Shaadi looked straight into his eyes, and suddenly Yami felt a little guilty. Shaadi seemed very, very tired all of a sudden, and when he spoke, he sounded almost defeated. "I know," he sighed. "Believe me, Yami, I know. And I really wish I could help you, but…"

Yami began to pace. "It'll take at least a year to record the album, if everything goes on schedule… so I can stay at Sakura Corp. for at least another year, right? If we record slowly, it might take two years, and my contract would have ended, but… that's a snail's pace. No one ever goes that slowly. So is it safe to say that I have a year to a year and a half left?"

Shaadi nodded. "You're covered until then. I give you permission to stay at Sakura Corp. as long as it doesn't interfere with the band… by the way, have you got a name yet? It's so tedious thinking of you children as 'The Band'."

"Kind of like 'The House'," Yami muttered under his breath.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch it…?"

"Never mind."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Sooo," Bakura drawled as Yami slipped back into his room. "Where have you been?"

Yami jumped, his heart thudding loudly in his chest. "Holy mother of--! Bakura! What are you doing in my room?"

The guitarist grinned darkly. "Isis sent me up half an hour ago with that." He nodded at a tray on Yami's desk. "I figured you'd show up sooner or later."

Yami glared at him. "It's none of your business where I've been. But. I'm taking a nap now," he said meaningfully, looking pointedly at the door.

Bakura snickered at him, and settled more comfortably in the overstuffed chair he was sitting in. "Not moving. So sorry."

"Bakura!" If Yami hadn't been in a good mood to start with, Bakura would have been severely hurt by now. "Get out!"

"Not until you tell me where you've been," Bakura said smugly. A knife appeared out of thin air, and he began to weave it through his fingers absently. Yami watched him, momentarily distracted.

"You know, I've always wondered… where did you learn to do that? It's not exactly something that you can look in the phonebook for a teacher for…" he remarked, watching the flashing silver. "And your fingers aren't scarred at all, so you couldn't have screwed up while learning. Impressive."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Obviously, dipshit. I'm not telling you where I learned, but it's of course my fingers aren't scarred. Who would want to watch a guitarist with scratched up fingers play? Not that I would ever slip up, of course," he said arrogantly. "My agent thinks otherwise. Annoying guy, but he's decent."

"Hmm, really? Mine is…" Yami paused, searching for the right word. "He's… difficult. But he means well, I think."

"I would like to commend you on your almost-distraction-not-really. Where have you been?"

"Do you want the truth?"

"I've just been sitting here because I love your company. Of course I want the truth!"

"It's pretty boring…. I was with my agent. Talking over my contract. Will you leave now?"

Bakura snorted. "Was that all I've been wasting my time for? No secret lover? Damn. How dull." The knife disappeared to whence it had come, and he slid out of the chair and walked out the door. "I'll say that you had a bad dream and I had to calm you down or something. Who knows? Might've been a nightmare about an illegitimate child coming to murder you…" He chuckled manically before slamming the door behind him.

Yami blinked at the closed door for a second, and then shook his head, mumbling, "Whatever he's on is working very well. Now, about that nap…"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ryou woke up at 1:30 in the afternoon, and stayed in bed for another half an hour, eyes half-open and just being lazy for the sake of being lazy.

They had ended up watching some American movie, the Titanic, which Ryou had thought to be good all around. Except for the ending. Damn Malik and Bakura for laughing at him when he had cried as DiCaprio-san died. But really! It had been so terribly sad…

He finally slid out of bed, stumbling into the bathroom. They'd finally all gone to bed at around 7:30… and by all that was holy, he was never doing that again.

"I wonder if anyone else is awake yet," he said to his reflection in the mirror as he brushed his hair.

He frowned quizzically at the door as he heard wild laughter followed by a loud slam. "Odd," he muttered, trying to tease a knot into behaving. "I guess that answers my question though… Ow!"

The door to his bathroom burst open and Malik wrapped his arms around Ryou's waist and squeezed, beaming. "I was up half an hour ago, sleepy! I think Yami caught a cold or something, according to Bakura. Weird, huh? He was fine last night during the movie… right? He was watching the movie, right? I can't really remember…"

Ryou rolled his eyes at him affectionately before wriggling out of his grasp and setting the brush down. "Who else is awake?" he asked, instead of answering Malik's questions.

Malik thought for a moment, tapping pursed lips with a finger. "Well, there's me, of course, and Isis, and Bakura was awake before I was… I was on my way to get Mariku and Yuugi up as well."

Ryou nodded, then yawned. "Tell you what. You go get Mariku and I'll take care of Yuugi, all right? It'll take less time that way, and Yuugi's room is on the way to the kitchen, anyways."

"Ryou-chan is so sweet!" Malik cooed, poking said person's cheek before skipping out of the room. "Hugs and kisses to you!"

Ryou watched him bounce away, a ball of energy hurtling through the hall… and breaking… a vase… that Isis had spent a week painting…

Shaking his head at the yelling that would come when Isis found the mess, he started towards the other end of the hall, stopping and knocking gently at a deep violet colored door.

"Yuugi? Yuuuugi? Are you awake yet, little drummer boy?"

A low groan made its way to Ryou's ears. "Go 'way, 'm tired," a sleepy voice said. "'N dun call me that."

Ryou grinned and opened the door, stepping in and then shutting it quietly behind him. "It's 2:15, Yuugi," he said. "Time to wake up!"

A crown of spiky hair disappeared under a pillow. "Nnn…"

"Oh, dear. Don't make me tickle you, now…"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Malik squeaked quietly and tiptoed away from the mess that was the vase before huffing angrily and going back to pick up the pieces so that no one would cut themselves by stepping on the shards later. He piled the fragments of porcelain behind the stand on which the vase had previously sat, and hoped and prayed that Isis wouldn't find it before he could find a replacement.

That being done, he walked more cautiously to the second to last door on the East end of the hallway (the last being a guest bedroom), and knocked on the door painted a sandy color with gold flecks before walking in without waiting for an answer.

"You," he said, in the tone of one who is announcing something extremely important, "Are still asleep."

There was no reply, only the sound of slow, even breathing. Malik pouted. It was truly a waste when such a wonderfully dramatic line had been used on one who insisted on being asleep. Really, where were Mariku's manners?

"Wake up," Malik demanded, stomping one foot on the floor. "…Please?" he wheedled, when that didn't work. "Oh, for crying out loud…"

He stalked over to the bed and peered into the sleeping face, blinking at it. "Hellooo? Anyone in there?"

Eyes flashed open. "Yes," a voice said huskily before two arms twined around him and pulled him down.

Malik lay there for a minute, stunned into silence (a miracle in and of itself). "Y-you." He finally squeaked. "You… you damnable… person… oh, hell, give me a second to think of a decent insult, please."

"You can have all day, if you like," Mariku said, bemused, breathing in the scent of Malik's hair. "I think you're going to be staying here now. Mm. Goodnight."

Pulled in close, Malik slowly turned a dark red, glad that his back was to Mariku's chest so that the other couldn't see his face. Why am I acting like this? he wondered furiously. I'm not Ryou! I've fucked people before! He's just another guy! My crushes don't last long… a week at most.

Then how come it's already been four weeks? a voice that sounded uncomfortably like a mix of Isis and Ryou asked.

Malik scowled. This is like some stupid storybook romance! Now I'm supposed to realize that I'm in love with him and we'll confess to each other and there'll be violin music and roses and cake, and…

Malik blinked as one of the hands attached to one of the arms around his waist stroked his side. "Malik? You got kind of quiet there. What were you thinking about?"

Malik didn't have to turn around to know that a devilish smirk was spreading across Mariku's face. "Were you thinking of all the things you'd like me to do to you? Because I would be too happy to oblige…"

Malik grinned, and turned around in Mariku's arms to face him, and smiled up into his face. "Roses and cake, actually," he said, laughing as a sultry look was replaced by one of pure confusion. "And don't flatter yourself, darling. Whoever said I had a crush on you, anyways?"

Mariku sighed. "You've broken my heart, Malik… I'll just hold on to the fact that you called me 'darling' to heal it."

Malik smiled. "You say I break your heart every day, SWEETHEART," he said wickedly.

"You wound me. Really, you do. Want to kiss me to make me feel better?"

"What did I said about not flattering yourself? It's a bad habit for everyone but me, you know, because in my case flattery is always true. You, on the other hand…"

"Ouch… dear heart, you've hurt me so deeply I don't think I can find the strength to get up. I've got to get some more sleep…"

"Don't you dare go back to sleep---!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Isis looked around at the five other faces at the table very slowly, meeting each pair of eyes squarely. "You do realize," she said evenly, "That we're having breakfast at 3:45 in the afternoon?"

A small gurgle upset the silence after her words. Yuugi turned bright red. "Eh… heh? My stomach realizes…"

Ryou bit his lip to keep from laughing as Bakura, Malik, and Mariku laughed outright before it was quelled by an icy stare from Isis. I've really got to make her teach me how to do that, Ryou thought wistfully.

"If you boys are going to stay up until 7:30 in the morning, all the more power to you. But really! Did none of you hear me when I said we were having consultations with a stylist today at 2:45?"

Five respective pairs of eyes widened in horror. So that's what I was forgetting! Ryou thought. Isis went on coldly, "I had to cancel, but he'll see us tomorrow at 3:00. If you all forget again, you do not want to know what the punishment will be."

It's funny, Bakura thought somewhat dazedly, That she's not even someone I've known for very long, and she's still so terrifying… although, once those papers get mailed back, Isis actually will be my legal guardian. That's a terrifying thought…

"We're sorry," Yuugi offered meekly.

"Very, very sorry," Ryou said.

"And we'll never do it again," Malik put in smoothly.

"We didn't mean to make you mad," Ryou said, eyes wide and soulful. "And—"

"'We promise to make it up to you next time,'" Isis said with Malik. "Oh, come now. You say the same thing every time, you two idiots! 'You'll never do it again.' Right. It's true, you never do the same thing twice, oh, no. You always manage to find a different way to ruin my life each time."

Ryou and Malik glanced at each other. "Um… whoops?"

Isis threw her toast at Malik. "Shut up."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"11:00!" Isis called. "Bed for all of you! Has anyone checked on how Yami's doing?"

"…Well you see, I meant to, but…"

"I thought he was still asleep!"

"I thought I hadn't seen him all day!"

"Who really cares?"

"I brought him the tray…"

"You lot are useless," Isis sighed. "I'll go check on him." She fixed a bowl of soup in the kitchen, and started up the staircase, balancing it on yet another tray. "Damn it, I know it looks impressive, but why did we have to get a house with this many stairs?" she growled under her breath.

She walked in to find Yami sitting up in bed, reading a book. The previous tray was polished clean. "Feeling better?" he asked, handing him the bowl of steaming liquid.

"Much," he replied. "I think I was too tired."

"Oh, Ra, I wonder why," she said sarcastically. "Get some rest. Consultations are at 3:00 tomorrow, all right?"

Yami choked on a spoonful of soup. "Oh Gods! Those were today!"

"They were," Isis sighed. "It's okay. Just get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning."

"Mmkay," the keyboardist said, sinking back down into the pillows as she took the empty bowl. "Thanks."

After she left, he smiled to himself. "She's actually a very nice person, isn't she?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Malik ran into Mariku's room at 11:30, shouting, "You damnable dickhead mother fucking pigeon from fucking hell!"

At Mariku's look of wide-eyed shock, Malik blinked innocently. "Whaat? You said I had all day to think of an insult." He winked at Mariku and headed out the door. "'Night."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The next morning, they were all woken up by a loud, "MALIK, WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO MY VASE?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

And that, my dears, is where I leave you. Review, please!