Chapter Seven (It's about time no?)

You have been trying so hard to make progress. And you deserve success. But instead you will be awarded with bad breath.

Saturday morning dawned sunny and warm. Teenagers had invaded the streets by ten and the docks were overrun by the tourists that had arrived last night. Yami moaned sleepily as he turned in his bed, the blanket he had slept with last night was wrapped around him like a cocoon. But as good things all come to an end, Yami grumbled as he heard something hard knock into his draped window. He pulled back crimson curtains and glared down at the bastard who had decided to wake him. Below he saw Bakura in a t-shirt too large for him along with the two Ishtar brothers.

Yami opened his window and stuck out the middle finger.

"What's the bright idea?" He yelled.

Marik smiled. "We're going to the beach. I hear the water's pretty warm and I don't' want to wait until the whole thing is full of tourists. Although they might be fun to terrorize."

Yami shook his head. "Fine I'll go." It was about time he woke up, he decided.

Yuugi bounced around the living room, collecting stray articles of clothes and books. He had made it a weekly ritual to clean the house ever Saturday after he woke up. He wiggled his hips to the music that he had set on the stereo. He had set it to a random station which just happened to be KROQ (AN: I love that station). The shorted boy had a feeling this would be a good day. It was hot and sunny. Maybe he would go down to the beach with Ryou later. Knowing how perverted the albino boy was he was sure that he wouldn't' mind seeing him in something that was close to boxers. (AN: OMFG Yuugi's loosing his innocence. Yami: glare You killed it. Neko: pout)

He was brought back to reality when he heard an abrupt and rhythmic knocking on his door.

"Coming!" He yelled, abandoning his searching the closet for the vacuum.

He danced to the door and swung it open. He was greeted with Ryou's cute beaming face. He was wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of faded jean shorts, his hair was tied back into a ponytail and he had a backpack over on shoulder.

"Hey!" The shorter of the two greeted cheerfully.

Ryou returned the smile and stepped in without another word. Yuugi didn't make much of it and just shut the door behind him. Ryou stayed silent for a few minutes while Yuugi submerged himself in the closet of doom before coming up behind him and smacking his behind.

Yuugi straightened up abruptly and let out a very loud squeal.

"RYOU!"

Ryou snickered. "You know it's rude to ignore your boyfriend." He playfully pouted.

Yuugi blushed and hugged the perverted albino. "Gomennasai."

Ryou kissed Yuugi's forehead. "All is forgiven."

They giggled for a good ten minutes before Ryou regained his ability to speak again.

"Say Yuugi, I was wondering if you wanted to come to the beach with me today. It's sunny out." He pointed to the windows.

Yuugi looked from Ryou to his still messy living room before he decided that the beach would be a lot more entertaining than cleaning the mess he made over the course of the week.

"SURE!" He exclaimed with a super hyper smile. "Just let me go get dressed!"

Yami watched as various students from Domino High took over separate parts of the beach for the morning. That was the beauty of a hot spring. Everyone had something to do and it was pointless to stay home.

He looked down for a brief moment. Everyone having something to do also meant that Yuugi would have some business outside as well. And even though he had made a resolve to get him back that didn't mean that he was still a little apprehensive. Love did strange things to confident people. He was almost starting to hate the mirror for reflecting Yuugi back at him.

Mariku obviously noticed his best friends brooding before he wrapped his arms around damp arms around his shoulders. Yami in turn looked at him in mild displeasure. Mariku just dismissed it.

"Yami, today you're supposed to have fun. No more obsessing over Yuugi. Understand?" He pretty much demanded with a huge grin on his face.

Yami laughed lightly and shoved Mariku's wet arm from around him, and took off his now slightly damp top.

"As you wish." He resigned reluctantly. He glanced around one more time before following Mariku back into the crowded ocean shore where Bakura and Malik were playing 'freak out the homophobic tourists'. Quite the amusing sight really.

But no matter how much fun the depressed teen had, his thoughts always ended up going back to Yuugi like some lost loyal dog.

Yuugi came out of his bedroom dressed in a t-shirt and swimming trunks, a couple of towels hanging of his small arms. Ryou was keeping busy by looking around his messy living room. Automatically Yuugi felt a bit embarrassed. But the albino didn't seem to mind the dusty mess as his presence became known.

"Ready to go?" He asked cheerfully.

Yuugi nodded. "Yep! Let's go!" And he bounced all the way to Ryou and onto the unsuspecting albino's back.

They joked around all the way down to the harbor that was already packed with tons of people making the atmosphere hotter than it should have been.

"They should have a private part on this beach." Ryou mumbled.

Yuugi giggled and nodded. "Yeah. It's far to crowded."

But in a way that's a good thing, the thought. Slim to none chance of seeing Yami…if he was that to begin with. Yuugi's dark side was telling him he did want Yami to be there.

It was difficult enough to find an empty spot of sand that wasn't occupied by castles of gigantic fat ladies trying to get an uneven tan. But eventually the two small teens found one a little ways away from the ocean which was also over run by humans. Too bad it wasn't red-tide season.

Yuugi had sat on one of his towels laying back on his stomach and resting his head on his arms, smiling. The sun felt pleasant on his back. Ryou was right beside him…admiring his back side. Yuugi rolled his eyes as he felt the pair of chocolate brown eyes scan the back side of his thin body.

"Like what you see, Ryou?" He giggled.

Ryou blushed and lightly nipped at Yuugi's ear making the smaller one yelp.

"I sure do chibi-ich."

Yuugi froze. Chibi-Ich. Yami had called him that once…just once…but it had been enough to make the younger ones heart race a mile a minute. Ryou didn't detect the hesitation and ran his hands through Yuugi's soft hair.

"What do you say we go into the water, hmm?" The albino suggested getting up from his position on the towel and sitting up on the sand. Yuugi rolled over on to Ryou's lap.

"Do I have to?" He whined playfully.

Ryou nodded once again and picked up Yuugi's miniature form. And carried the little one over his shoulder literally kicking and screaming. Many of the parents and children with highly amused…as were a pair of light amethyst eyes.

Mariku was currently battling his conscious with a dilemma. One: Tell Yami that his obsession was currently playing the water. And Two: Let him find out for himself and later kill Mariku for not telling him.

So as you see the spiky haired teen was having a problem. Half the time he was enjoying the show as Ryou and Yuugi had fun like children in the water. Conversing here and there with the little ten year olds that happened to float their way. If it were him and Yami those little ten year olds would be swimming back to their mothers like hell was on their tails. He laughed. Yami soon heard him and turned to look at him. He was lying on the ground on his back with his eyes to the bright blue sky.

"Something funny?" He asked with playful sarcasm.

"Yes. Horrible" Mariku had then decided that telling Yami Yuugi was here was the best idea.

Yami gave him a look that said 'keep going'.

"Yuugi's off in the water playing with the bunny." He said almost casually.

That had to be the fastest reaction Mariku ever had from Yami, for the shorter of the two had sat up in record time and was currently scanning the vast expanse of the ocean for a small head that looked like his. Needless to say it wasn't hard to miss since it was almost right in front of him.

Yuugi, the angel of light and innocence, tainted by an albino bunny from hell, was currently splashing his so called 'boyfriend' laughing without a care in the world. It hurt. Truthfully HE wanted to be the one to make Yuugi laugh and smile like that.

Mariku shook his head. "If you want him then go get him before he leaves lover-boy."

Yami's glance was soon cast downward. "What if he doesn't even want to see me?" He said in a small defeated voice. It was sad.

Mariku smiled sadly. "I'm sure he will Yami. He has to everyday…in the mirror. Like you." He put his arm around Yami for a brief three seconds then let go and got up.

"As for me…I shall now go steal my bunny." He smirked and then walked to the ocean shore, leaving Yami blinking after him.

Yuugi gasped for air as he came back up again in front of Ryou.

"14 seconds. Damn you beat me."

The game was called 'How long can you hold your breath' Childish but they had nothing better to do.

Yuugi was laughing. "I could be on the swim team!"

Ryou smiled and leaned in to plant one on Yuugi's forehead. "Anything else we can play?"

"I have an idea."

That voice didn't come from Yuugi though. Mariku had come up swimming to them, rising ominously from the depths of the shallow water they played in.

Yuugi glared.

"And what is that?" Ryou hated that tone. So icy, and indifferent.

"It's called 'Water Wrestling' You sit on someone's shoulders while they float and you wrestle an opponent until they fall down into the water."

Yuugi shrugged. "Not bad. But there are only three," He said that rather reluctantly, "people that could play. Where's the fourth?"

The fourth figure decided to take that time to swim up behind Mariku.

"Right here." That voice so broken and timid so different from the confident and cocky one that Yami used to speak with.

Yuugi glared but inside a deep sadness and guilt mixed with betrayal bubbled like hot lava.

"Yami." He said as a small, 'hello, I hate'.

Yami nodded, his face refused to meet Yuugi's and the small teen felt guilt increase. Yami was so confident. And it took him to take it down. He should have been basking in glory, but instead his mind and heart were swimming in mixed emotions.

Ryou looked from one look alike to the other and hastily said, "yeah I'm in!" Then cast a worried look at his boyfriend.

Yuugi smiled sadly and nodded as he felt Ryou's concerned gaze. "I'm in too."

Mariku smirked. If Yami was too devastated to do anything then he would just have to. It pained him to see his best friend mope over some kid whom at first they didn't even know. And it hurt just as much to see his crush with the same person who was hurting Yami so bad he was now hate mirrors.

So after the arrangements (that weren't hard to determine) they set about to play the game. Yuugi on Ryou's shoulders. (Needless to say that Ryou was probably enjoying himself TOO much) and Yami on Mariku's shoulders. Either way he would be in contact with Yami, whether it be him on Yami's shoulders or fighting him…and the only way in which he wouldn't have to look at him would be on Mariku's shoulders, and Mariku just scared him.

So with that they set about wrestling. Yuugi and Yami locked arms and stared at each other. Yami mapping out ever detail of Yuugi's perfect cherubic face in his mind. Yuugi doing the same but at the same time trying not to look as if he like this.

"OK!" Called Mariku from underneath Yami. "1, 2, 3 GO!"

And the two minute teens began to wrestle. Yami of course was stronger but he cut Yuugi some slack. And while Yami just couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Yuugi."

Yuugi just grunted.

"I'm so sorry."

Yuugi grunted again and shoved Yami violently and almost caused the other to tip over.

"Really. I never meant to hurt you. It wasn't a game to me I swear!"

Yuugi shoved again. "I doubt it. If you don't shut the hell up, Motto I'm going to shove you onto a rock."

Yami cringed. "Yuugi."

Yuugi just glared. And shoved again, only that movement left an opening for Yami and a small push was enough to topple the smallest of the two.

Than though it went like that, rather awkwardly at some points. The tension that Mariku had tried to clear up only grew thicker. Yami had said a sad good bye to Yuugi who dismissed and went on with Ryou down the street. Malik and Bakura had mysteriously come back completely clean and everything. Suspicious. And as the four rolled down the streets Yami sat in the back seat, holding back. His throat clenching painfully as his crimson eyes tried to hold back tears.

Malik and Bakura were basically feeling on each other next to him, and automatically Yami wished he were in the front seat with Mariku.

Yuugi prided himself on acting at some point for no matter how many times Ryou asked if he was ok (while cursing Mariku under his breath) Yuugi always responded with a smile on how he didn't care.

Yet when the albino left and Yuugi resumed his cleaning well into the night, he cried as he listened to the Evanescence CD he had gotten from his grandfather on his last birthday. Replaying My Immortal several times. And each time he would sing along to it's melancholy rhythm and wonder, was Yami lying?

The song was stuck in an endless loop as the young teen fell bonelessly on the couch and falling asleep in record time. In the back round, Amy Lee sung of how Yuugi's soul felt.

I'm so tired of being here.

Suppressed by all my childish fears

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

You presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just so much that time cannot erase

You cry I wipe away all of your tears

You scream I fight away all of your fears

I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me

You used to captivate me by your resonating light

But now I'm bound by the life you left behind

Your face it haunt my once pleasant dreams

Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just so much that time cannot erase

You cry I wipe away all of your tears

You scream I fight away all of your fears

I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me

I tried so hard to tell myself that your gone

And though your still with me

I've been alone all along

You cry I wipe away all of your tears

You scream I fight away all of your fears

I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me

Neko: 'sniff' 'sniff' oh the angst that is teen age romance.

Yami: 'glare' quit making me look like some pathetic wuss!

Neko: 'innocently' but you are a pathetic wuss Yami.

Yuugi: 'sweat drop' umm...review everyone?

Neko: SAVE ME!

Yami: COME BACK HERE! I PROMISE I WON'T HURT YOU!

Neko: 'hiding behind Mariku' and I don't own 'My Immortal' either. Evanescence does.

Mariku: Yes now let's go back to the drawing board. We need a little rxy action.

Ryou: 'blush'