A/N: Why do I always update at one in the morning? Well, anyway, CHAPTER SIX! I'm really happy about this one, though very disappointed about the ending, in my view, it way sucks. And somehow it's turning out to not be going as fast as I expected it to, so it'll probably be longer than...what did I say it was going to be? Like 7-8 chapters? Well, I definitely won't finish it in one or two chapters, so, well, you can expect more. Not too much more, I pretty much hit the nail on the head when I said 7-8. No writer's block for this one, I'm actually kinda excited about finishing it. Yeah, about the updating...dunno if I can make it more consistent...but now that I have more semi-developed ideas it might go faster. Jeez that was long...

Disclaimer: Nothing has changed...(malicious grin) yet...

Chapter Six:

A sharp pain throbbed through Yami's head. Seven hours of this torture. Seven hours! They had taken a few five minute breaks, but other than that, the band had been in the recording studio for seven straight hours. If they were recording at the apartment, they would have been done with the whole album by now. Yami laughed at this thought, completely unreasonable, it took them seven hours just to finish one song since Yami, Bakura, and Otogi always had different views on how it should be played out. But at least they had recorded it in seven hours and would only go back to fix sound quality or to re-record a certain instrumental or vocal. Not this constant singing and then having the producer say it was too slow and to do it over again, only to do it over again and have the producer say it was too fast and to do it over. Over and over and over again.

Of course, it would have been easier if Yami had let them record the instrumentals and then the vocals separately, but Yami didn't like the thought of singing alone in a soundbox, part of the whole feeling in their songs was that he was in there, joking around with his friends. Well, that was too hard with the finicky producers, so maybe he would try singing alone in a room.

Yami cradled his head in his hands. If he didn't love music so much, he would never stand the tediousness of these recordings. Out of nowhere, a soda can swung back and forth in front of his eyes. He looked up to see Jou smiling down at him.

"Tough work, isn't it?" Jou said.

"Yeah," Yami replied. He took the soda and pulled the silver tab back. The syrupy liquid inside bubbled, but didn't spill out over the top. "But it's better than bartending." Yami and Jou had both worked at the same hotel, bartending, but usually at different shifts.

"Guess it is," Jou said, sitting down next to Yami.

Yami sighed. They had gotten one song almost done. It was a different recording style, one that fixed problems along the way, and it wasn't easy for Yami or the rest of the band to switch habits.

The others walked up to them. "Hey, the producers said we can bail now," Bakura said. "We'll meet up again on Monday. See ya." He and Marik walked out of the studio, leaving Otogi.

"Bakura failed to mention that we did a great job today, even though we only got one song," Otogi said. He gave Yami and Jou a thumbs up, then followed the other two out of the room.

Yami looked at his watch and saw that it was almost six thirty in the evening, they had gotten a late start that morning. His headache was disappearing, leaving him with more energy than he would have thought possible only minutes before.

"Jou," Yami looked over, "you can leave. I want to stay back and work on that recording when I don't have people breathing down my neck."

"I can take the car?" Jou asked.

"Yeah," Yami said. For some reason, riding home on his bike, with the wind rushing past, seemed comforting to Yami.

"Alright, I'll see you later. Do you want me cook something up?"

"Jou, you know you can't cook," Yami smiled.

"Well, I could try to warm something up...or maybe I could get Yugi to help."

"Better not to burn the place down. I can make something for myself. Thanks though."

Jou waved at Yami one last time before leaving the studio. There he sat, alone and in silence. The one inset light cast a florescent glow on the place, and Yami sighed again and got up. He walked over to the soundboards, pulling the padded swivel chair out and plopping into it. He closed his eyes and let his fingertips glide over the familiar dials and switches, hearing exactly what those alterations in their position would do to the sound in the song.

Yami leaned over and took the large headphones off of their hook, placed them on his ears, and turned the song on. The quality of the song was so much better than in their own studio, it was crisp and clean, the vocals were clearly separated from the instruments. At that moment, Yami regretted remaining anonymous for the production of their first CD, but reminded himself that he did it for Yugi. If they got too big too fast, Yugi's life would never be the same. Yami wanted Yugi to have a normal senior year in high school. When he was off to college, he could take care of himself.

The guitar solo jerked Yami out of his thoughts, and he focused once again on what he had intended to do. Fix the song. He listened to it once in it's entirety, then went back over it, playing with certain switches to fix some insignificant part of it.

He did this for another two hours. After that, he took the headphones off and smiled to himself. Those lousy producers were going to be surprised on Monday. Satisfied, Yami got up and went over to the couch, picking his leather jacket up and throwing it on. Now he had to go home and go to sleep. It was right around eight thirty, so there shouldn't be too much traffic, though the traffic in LA is always unpredictable. But Yami loved it, the big city bustle kept his energy levels high.

Yami reached the elevator at a leisurely pace, taking time to look around the building and outside. He hummed the tune of the song he had just fixed as he pressed the call button. While waiting, Yami turned back around and looked down the long hallway. It was strange to have a recording studio on a level so high up, but it could reduce noise from outside. Though Yami couldn't see why they needed that, the room was padded with thick material and then padded again with a different spongy material. The city of Los Angeles could be crumpling to the ground outside them and they still wouldn't be able to hear a thing.

Still in this happy mood, Yami heard the elevator ding. He, for some reason unknown to himself, was smiling as he turned around to walk into the elevator. But his smile faded and he stopped in his tracks when he saw the other occupant of the elevator.

"And I was just starting to have a good day," Yami said. He walked up to Seto and promptly stood beside him, not bothering to say anything further. The button for the garage was already lit, so Yami didn't think to lean over and press it.

The two stood there for a good two floors, Yami stealing sideways glances at Seto every so often. Seto stood with his eyes firmly glued on the two elevator doors. He wore a long black trench coat, black slacks, and a white shirt, the first few buttons of the shirt undone, Yami assumed it was because Seto had removed his tie.

"Aren't you hot in that coat?" Yami asked. He was wearing tight, black jeans and sleeveless black shirt, and of course, the leather jacket, and he felt warm, but not unbearably, and couldn't imagine what it must feel like with all those heavy layers on. The fact that it was an Indian summer, so the heat stayed on into fall, didn't help at all.

"Why should my comfort be any of your concern?" Seto replied, eyes still fixed on the doors in front of them.

"You shouldn't answer a question with another question," Yami said.

"I'm fine," Seto said, after a long pause. Yami hadn't known Seto for long, but could tell that something was off with his voice, it seemed strained. Though for all Yami knew, this was how Seto always talked. Needless to say, he didn't dwell on it long.

Yami didn't reply, but nodded his head to show he was paying attention. After that short exchange of few words, there was no more conversation, instead the pair stood in silence. It wasn't particularly uncomfortable, as Yami would've guessed, but he got the feeling there was something going unsaid. Whatever it was, Yami couldn't decipher it before the elevator stopped and the doors opened. He stepped just outside of the elevator and turned around.

"Well, Seto Kaiba," Yami said. "Have a pleasant evening." Yami was testing him, wondering if Yugi was right and maybe the first impression was wrong.

Nope, Yami thought. First impression was right. Seto didn't smile at him, or say anything nice in reply, he just gave a faint grunt and walked past Yami to his car. Yami glared after him, trying hard to burn a hole in the other's back. Seeing that it wasn't working, Yami sighed and walked over to his vehicle. A nice, long ride would calm him down.

Yami mounted the bike, revved it into life, and tore down the garage. Motorcycles were the acme of male attention-seeking. Besides being incredibly loud and powerful, Yami felt free on his bike, a feeling Yami could rarely find in other aspects of his life. All save for music.

In no time at all, Yami found himself riding the elevator up to his apartment. He slightly wondered where all the time went between getting from the studio and the apartment, but quickly dropped that thought as he pulled up the grate and saw who was sitting on the couch.

Yami walked into the apartment and threw his keys into the bowl next to the elevator. "Bakura," Yami said, while taking off his jacket. "What are you doing here?"

"What's it look like?" Bakura replied. He sat on the couch, remote in hand, flipping through the channels on the television.

"What's up with people and answering questions with more questions today?" Yami said, a small amount of general resentment bubbling up inside him.

"Look who's talking," Bakura said, smiling back at Yami.

Yami quickly stuck his tongue out. "That doesn't count, you started it. Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you went with Marik."

"I decided I wanted to crash on your couch tonight, you have cable," Bakura said, his focus slowly drifting back toward the television. "I can do that right? I'm only like your best friend," he paused and added, "well, maybe Yugi holds that place, but I can't really expect to beat him."

"Best friend, hm? Would I really go that far?" Yami mockingly brought his index finger up to his lips and pretended to think. Bakura laughed and threw a pillow at him. "Fine, you can stay here. Just don't mess anything up, and don't steal anything."

Yami started to walk away and Bakura called back to him, "I guarantee nothing." Yami sighed and continued on to his bedroom, feeling completely exhausted.

"Oh, Yami," he heard Yugi call out his name when he was halfway down the hall. "You're home late, lot's of work?"

"Not bad," Yami replied. "Found out that there is indeed something wrong with Kaiba."

Yugi frowned. Standing in the door frame of his bedroom, he crossed his arms about his chest and eyed Yami questioningly. "Were you mean again?"

"Again? When was I mean?" Yami asked.

Yugi sighed, frustrated, and rolled his eyes. "Whatever, just try to be nicer to him."

"I did try, it didn't make a difference."

"Well, you remember what Mokuba said, maybe it'll just take time for him to warm up. But until then, you're going to be amiable," Yugi ordered. Ordered, that was funny, considering Yami was the older of the two. But, for all of his years more experience in life, Yami admitted that he could be stubborn and blind sighted. Yugi was generally the more calm and collected of the brothers, and Yami hated to admit that he was right most of the time too.

Yami got to his room and immediately closed the door. Recording in the studio was draining him faster than the lounging around they did when they recorded those first songs at home, but that was to be expected. The environment was completely different, more professional, and it did make Yami feel more valid, but the people they had to work with... Yami closed his eyes and shook his head. They weren't going to get any easier to deal with. Luckily, the one currently on his mind was never there at all.

But despite the CEO's antisocial behavior, there was something there underneath the surface, something that had been nagging at Yami since Mokuba had told him about Seto's interpersonal relationships, or lack thereof. As Yami was pulling a t-shirt over his head, he decided that he was going to find out what that nagging part of the recluse was. By all means necessary. Okay, so Yugi had won, he was going to be 'amiable.'

Feeling immensely satisfied with this new plan, Yami climbed into bed and turned off the light. Unfortunately, he forgot to lock the door.

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The great thing about being able to wake up late in the morning is the fact that one is allowed time to gradually stele themselves for the work day ahead. It was one of the reasons why Yami chose to take a night shift as a bartender, and why the band worked in the afternoons at the studio. Though, this morning was not one of those lax mornings.

Lightly at first, Yami felt his brain trying to tell him something. Something important, but not at the moment life threatening. Increasingly the message became more clear. Can't breathe. Constant, at a slow rhythm like that of beating drums, can't breathe, can't breathe. Then it became more urgent, and Yami couldn't stay asleep any longer. Within microseconds his mind fully turned on and registered that there was indeed something preventing him from breathing, and it allowed his body to take complete control over itself. His arms and legs thrashed, he felt something heavy on his chest and fingers cupped around his nose and mouth. Immediately, his eyes opened to stare straight into the brown eyes of the person on top of him.

Yami growled deep in his throat and Bakura released him. Automatically, Yami took in a deep breath, sputtering and coughing in the process.

"Dammit, Bakura, what the hell?" Yami managed to say between coughs.

"I just wanted to see how long it would take you to wake up," Bakura said nonchalantly. He sat up straighter and crossed his arms across his bare chest. "There were other things I could've done, and trust me, this was by far the most tame."

"Thanks for your consideration," Yami said sarcastically. "But could you get off of me now?"

Bakura had edged down to around Yami's stomach when Yami had the coughing fits, but looked as if he had no intention of getting off. A small smirk appeared on Bakura's features and he bent down so far that the tips of his hair lightly brushed against Yami's neck and face.

"Aw, but I haven't had that much energy underneath me for weeks," Bakura mock-pouted.

"Weeks? I highly doubt that. Now get off," Yami said, pushing Bakura up.

"Fine, fine, I'm off," Bakura went. He took his own sweet time walking toward the door, and about halfway there, he stopped and turned around.

"You know, I actually did come in here for a reason other than to annoy you," he said matter-of-factly. "We, meaning you, me, Yugi, and Jou, are all gonna go get breakfast. And you better hurry up, 'cause Yugi got in the shower about thirty minutes ago, so he's probably done, and when food's on the line, Jou is pretty fast, so we're all waiting for you."

Yami took one look at the flannel pj bottoms-- which, by the way, were Yami's-- Bakura wore and smiled. "You're going to go out like that?" He asked.

Bakura looked down and shrugged. "It takes me five seconds to get dressed...you on the other hand..." He made a vague gesture and looked off into a corner of the room.

"It does not take me long to get dressed," Yami protested. Bakura held up his hands and walked out of the room without saying another word. Well, Yami was going to show Bakura that it didn't take him forever to dress, so Yami got up and quickly pulled something out of the closet, throwing it on and practically running out of his room.

"There you are Yami," Yugi said, walking out of his room. Yami slowed down to walk beside Yugi.

"Morning Yugi," Yami said.

Yugi nodded. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, all with the exception of the wake-up call," Yami said.

"Did Bakura go in there? I told him not to," Yugi scowled in the direction of the living room.

Yami smiled. "Don't worry about it, I'm used to his...antics," he said. "Let's go eat."

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," Yugi said.

And today was an important day. Today, Yami implemented his plan.

A/N: Yes, well, there was Chapter Six. Please review. Or, if you don't send me any--uh...can that actually be called tangible?--reviews, send me mental reviews. ...Right. This is the kind of weird thing I say when I'm tired.