Apologies and Confessions

Kaiba POV

It was late—really late. Somewhere around ten thirty.

For some reason, I just couldn't get to sleep. I tried everything I could think of, but nothing worked. Time trickled away, and I just couldn't seem to find rest.

Terra Cooper.

That was why I couldn't sleep. Remembering the expression on her face kept me tossing and turning, unable to reach oblivion.

I honestly hadn't known it would affect her that badly. When I had said that…well, I'd only been trying to prove a point!

…Hadn't I?

No matter how much I argued with myself, nothing resolved the problem. I finally decided that the girl needed an apology.

I rose to my feet, made sure the buttons on my shirt were fastened properly, and slipped out into the hall. I crept past doorways, until I heard a faint sob from behind one of the doors. Slowly, I pushed it open.

Terra was lying face down on the bed. Still in her day clothes; still crying.

"Go away," came her muffled voice. "I don't want to talk about it."

I crossed my arms. "Too bad. I do."

Terra looked up at me. I could see the startled expression on her face. The startlement quickly faded into bitterness, and she looked away. "Come to make fun of me some more?"

I sighed. "Look, I—"

"Did it ever occur to you that my diary is private?" she continued, cutting me off. "That it might be a place where I write things that aren't for other people to read? That maybe—just maybe—there was things in there that I'd like to forget about?"

I winced.

"Do you know how long it took me to get over that?" she hissed. "Five years. And now I have to go through it all over again, thanks to you!"

"Look, onna," I interrupted before she could continue, "I didn't come here so you could chew me out. I came here to apologize. But if you want me to leave, I'll leave." I turned and began to open the door.

"Wait…" I looked over my shoulder.

Terra was now sitting up, looking at me. "You mean it? You're really sorry?"

I thought a minute. "Actually…yeah, I guess I am."

Terra beamed at me. Almost automatically, she jumped up and hugged me.

"Uh…Cooper? Would you mind letting go of me?"

Terra backed away, blushing. "Uh…yeah. You can go to bed now, if you want."

"I was just about to."

I exited the room, closing the door firmly behind me. I crept to my own room, shut the door, and collapsed onto the bed.

I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Finally, I drifted off to sleep.

Yuugi POV

I opened my eyes, not sitting up. I had heard something, and it had woken me up. I just wasn't quite sure what that something was.

Suddenly, I heard what must have been what woke me up. It sounded like someone ripping tape off of a dispenser.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "Yami? Is that you?"

I heard him start, and then a flashlight shone up at me from the sleeping bag on the floor. He was working on—well, whatever it was he'd been working on that he'd brought from Miriku's place.

"What is that?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing," Yami said evasively, trying to push it out of sight. I grabbed it before he could move it too far, took his flashlight, and pulled the object up to my line of sight.

It was a finely detailed wood carving, with small pieces of construction paper taped to it. Different colors defined different parts; and it was almost complete. I recognized the figure immediately.

"Yami," I said quietly. "Is this…Miriku?"

Yami didn't respond—but the way his face went as crimson as his eyes was all the reply I needed.

I laughed quietly. "Bakura was right—you do have a soft spot for her!"

Yami blushed even harder, his face miserable. "So?"

I grinned at him. "Nothing. I won't tell anyone, if you don't want me to."

"That would be a very good idea," Yami mumbled, taking the carving and pushing it under the bed. "Arigatou."

"Ikuraka," I replied softly, already slipping back into sleep.

Mikey POV

I could hardly believe it. This was even better than my friend Marik and her brain condition that made her pretend she was Ryou—this time, it was actually him. I actually saw him.

I was still in shock. He had looked at my fan art, and said it was perfect. And there's no greater praise than to be told a portrait is perfect by the subject of said picture.

Especially if said subject was Ryou…

I heard my door creak open, and looked up. Because my glasses were on the floor next to my sleeping bag instead of on my face, I couldn't tell whether it was Ryou or Bakura—all I saw was the white hair.

"Mikey? You awake?"

It was Ryou. I nodded, sitting up. "You can come in," I whispered back, "just please don't turn on the light. I don't want Miriku waking up." I gestured at the other side of the room, where Miriku was curled up inside her sleeping bag, cradling the Yami plushie I had seen on accident without her noticing.

Ryou came in and shut the door. He stood still for a moment, letting his eyes get used to the dark, then came over and sat cross-legged next to me. "Mikey…there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

He fell silent for a moment. I remained quiet, waiting. I've seen enough of the episodes with Ryou in them to know that sometimes, it takes a minute or two for him to get going.

"You remember when we met?"

I giggled. "You mean, yesterday?"

Ryou laughed a little. "Was it only yesterday? It seems like I've known you for ages…"

He looked me straight in the eye. "You aren't like most other girls, you know that?"

"How's that?" I asked defensively.

Ryou held up his hands. "No offense," he said quickly. "You're…different. Not worse—just different. And that's why…well, I…"

He fidgeted nervously, and fell silent. But the look he gave me said everything.

"Ryou…"

He nodded.

I smiled a little at him. "Me, too…"

"I don't think so!"

Ryou and I jumped. At the same time, we looked over at Miriku. She was still asleep, but she was talking.

"I activate…Mirror Force! All…monsters…Graveyard…! Now I summon…Magician…Dark Magic Attack!"

She babbled on for a few more minutes, and then fell silent.

Ryou grinned at me. "I'd better go, before she wakes up."

I grinned right back. "Or Bakura. You really don't want him to know where you've been!"

Ryou laughed softly. "True. I'll go now." And he stood up and scampered quietly out the door, shutting it behind him.

I snuggled back under my covers, a warm feeling in my chest. I felt as if a heavy weight had been taken off my shoulders. Finally, it was out in the open.

And…I never thought I'd be able to say this, but now I knew that Ryou loved me back…