A/N: I hope you guys enjoy chapter three.

Chapter 3: Discussions and the Obligatory Mall Scene

Yami Bakura walked into the kitchen, just as Ryou was finishing his steak. Ryou noticed the bandage on Yami Bakura's hand as he set the steak onto a plate to rest before he served it to the spirit of the Millennium Ring. He ignored the sickening smell of cooked beef, akin to the rot of flesh, wafting from the steak, choosing to fix himself another cup of tea.

"Is your hand alright?" he asked in what he hoped was a polite tone, devoid of the nausea that churned in his gut.

Yami Bakura nodded, before realizing Ryou couldn't see him as he still had his back turned, making that stinking tea of his. "Fine," he muttered at Ryou set the dripping steak in front of him, along with a knife and fork. Ryou sat down across from him with his tea. Yami Bakura watched as Ryou held the steaming cup with both hands, constantly running his hands and fingers all over the expanse of the small cup. The longer he watched, Yami Bakura noticed the repetitive pattern Ryou's fingers completed as he routinely grasped at his mug in a queer manner.

"You're cooking skills aren't up to par," he commented after his second bite of the steak, forcing himself to remove his focus from Ryou's fingers smudging patterns into the porcelain cup. Sure the food was good, but Ryou had been a superb cook when he had made food for Yami Bakura last time. Not that Yami Bakura would ever admit that fact aloud.

"Um, sorry. I don't eat steak much." Ryou apologized, sipping on his tea after he spoke.

"Well, you should. You wouldn't be so pale if you ate bloody steak." Yami Bakura cut a piece, and Ryou watched as some blood dribbled onto the plate, staining the white porcelain a light pink with each drop. Yami Bakura popped the large-ish piece in his mouth, chewing with his mouth half open. Ryou felt his nose scrunching and lips curling as he watched the gnashing of Yami Bakura's teeth against the chunk of meat, all squishing into a matted jumble of saliva and clotted meat lumps. He ducked his head so the spirit wouldn't see his disgusted sneer. His earlier nausea returned full force, and Ryou clasped a hand over his mouth, running from the room.

Yami Bakura shrugged at Ryou's response, and continued cutting and eating his steak. It bled similarly to how his knuckles had bled when he had punched out the mirror, running across the flat surface of his plate in little rivulets. He stared at his knife as he cut the thick piece of meat; would his skin part as smoothly with a couple hacks with a knife? He held the knife out, suspended in midair, and brought his unbandaged hand up to meet the knife. He cautiously poked at the knife with his index finger.

Ryou's loud retching in the bathroom made him drop the knife. It fell with a clatter against the table. As Ryou gagged and coughed, Bakura found he didn't have much of an appetite anymore, the bite of steak in his mouth dry and chewy. He threw out the remaining steak and placed his dishes in the sink. Out of habit, he reasoned.

When Ryou and Yami Bakura returned to the Mouto residence to hopefully find a solution to this mess, Yugi's living room was already occupied by Joey, Tristan, and Tea, plus Yami Yugi and Yugi. "Morning, Ryou," Joey greeted around a yawn. He pointedly ignored Yami Bakura, who leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed. He kept his injured hand tucked under his arm.

Ryou acknowledged the occupants in the room with polite hellos and good mornings, and then revealed the lists he finished after the awkward breakfast.

As he thumbed through the pages filled with Ryou's cramped writing, Tristan breathed out a low whistle, "Did you eat or sleep, at all, Bakura?"

Ryou shrugged, hoping the question would die with Tristan. Tea and Joey shot him concerned looks. He glanced down at his lists, examining the contents akin to writing worthy of Moses' stone tablets. "Um, I put together a list of how we should approach this situation."

"What do you mean?" Atem asked from his spot on the couch next to Yugi. Ryou smiled at Atem's curiosity, and everyone's attention shifting from his personal life.

"Well, for one, as Mr. Mouto said last night, we do need to contact the Ishtars. Has Marik's darkness returned?" Ryou asked in a rush, to keep the conversation about the lists as a priority.

"Can he return?" Tea asked. Yugi had called her late last night to explain about the return of the two spirits. Her disheveled appearance reflected this; she was dressed casually in an oversized sweater and jeans, rather than her usual poised outfits.

"Those two returned." Tristan waved his hand across the room, starting at Atem and finishing at Yami Bakura.

"They aren't a deranged figment of Yugi or Ryou's imagination," Joey said.

"He's evil incarnate!" Tristan jabbed a finger in Yami Bakura's direction, still leaning on the wall closest to the door and genkan. Yami Bakura uncrossed his arms, absently rubbing at the bandage that covered his injured knuckles. The prickling, stinging pain rushed over him, drowning out the worst of his sardonic opinions, opinions that weren't worth stating out loud in his minority position.

"What are you doing, Bakura?" Yami Yugi noticed his enemy's strange actions. Paranoia made him shout.

Yami Bakura dropped his hands to his side, subconsciously tucking the bandaged hand into the folds of his clothes. "Nothing," he said.

Tea looked between the two spirits. Her eyes lingered over Yami Bakura's half hidden hand. "Are you hurt?" she asked, noticing a glimpse of the stark white of his bandage.

"I'm fine, dammit!" He scanned the room, eyes roaming frantically. He let himself meet Ryou's eyes, just daring his host to utter a word about the broken mirror.

Ryou chose to not reveal the nature of the spirit of the Ring's injury, hastily jotting down another thought. How should the two spirits be addressed? He let the pen close with a loud click. "We should still try to get in touch with the Ishtars, regardless." He gave the others a few moments to return their attention to the discussion. "Do we have a phone number or email? Or postal address?"

"They lived in a makeshift tomb for their whole lives," Joey said. He formed the shape of a pyramid with exaggerated hand motions.

"Marik owned a motorcycle," Yami Bakura offered.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Joey shot back. He raised his hands into fists, parodying a threatening stance from his sitting position on the floor.

"That's a good point," said Yugi, the air of reason. "After the Pharaoh was sealed away, their jobs as tomb keepers was complete. They probably moved out of the tomb."

"Ishizu did seem familiar with the Egyptian and our governments," Tea said.

Yugi nodded in agreement. "We should get in contact, even if Marik's darkness didn't return. They are Atem's tomb keepers."

"Right. They should be informed." Ryou noted this on a fresh sheet of paper. He flipped back to his original list. "What about financial expenses? Living arrangements?"

"What do you mean?" asked Joey. He absently shuffled his worn Duel Monsters' deck.

Ryou raised his head to gaze at Joey. Of all his friends, Joey should understand about fending for himself and monetary costs. "It will take money to clothe and feed these two. Even my dad would notice if I started spending more."

"You're right," Yugi said. He glanced at Atem apologetically. "Grandpa mentioned he would need extra help if this became a permanent thing."

"Partner, I could apply for work," Atem said immediately.

Yugi shook his head. "Grandpa wants you to attend public school, if you plan to live here. Mom agreed."

"I don't want to be a burden, Yugi."

"Feh," Yami Bakura muttered.

Atem shot him a look that clearly said: of course you wouldn't care. Yami Bakura shuffled his feet, still leaning against the wall. He suppressed the urge to remove his injured hand from his pocket to help remove himself mentally from the conversation.

"I had an idea, though." Ryou tapped the pen against the page where the words "contact Seto Kaiba" were just legible. "Kaiba saw the final duel. I don't think he would ever admit it, but he know about the spirits..." he trailed off as the majority of faces shot him disbelieving looks

"Rich boy, Kaiba?" Joey scoffed. He gestured rudely in the air. "As if he would help us."

"He might be willing." Tea attempted to smooth out her impossibly baggy sweater. "I think he has changed since Duelist Kingdom."

"Right, Tea," Atem said.

"Alright I'm bored." Joey fanned his deck out in front of him. "Who wants to duel?" Ryou ducked his head, glancing down at his lists. He still had another couple pages expanding on every intricate detail of how the two, maybe three, spirits would be able to adapt to life in 1998. Shoving a fistful of hair behind his ear in frustration, Ryou flipped through the pages. He had even broken down a rough schedule for him and his spirit. Not that he really expected Yami Bakura to follow it, nor did he plan to reveal that information to the group.

"Hey, don't be rude, Joey." Tea noticed Ryou's slouch. "Ryou still has more on his list."

Tristan piped in, sitting cross legged next to Joey, "But it's boring."

"You should be grateful someone thought of these things," Tea said. She placed a hand on Ryou's back. "Go on," she urged.

"Oh, um. We got through the important parts, I suppose." He tilted his head in the direction of Joey's still fanned cards. "I haven't watched a duel in a while."

"Okay!" Joey stood up. He thrusted an arm up at Yami Yugi, who cocked his head. "It's time to duel, Atem!"

"Hold it. We need to call Kaiba first," Tea reminded them. Joey glowered, but Atem and he rest of the group stood and followed Tea to the wall phone in the kitchen.

"Tea is right. Besides, I don't have a deck anymore."

Joey's idea for an impromptu match was forgotten by the everyone as Tea was directed to Kaiba Corp's CEO office and started to speak. "Hello, Seto Kaiba? It's Tea Gardner..."

The next few days passed in a blur for both spirits. Ryou and Yugi had agreed to the clothes shopping as a group, using Solomon's credit card as a loan. Yami Bakura and Atem received new clothing, mostly attire for late winter, long sleeved tops and long bottoms, an assortment of underpants and socks.

"Do you think this'll be enough?" Ryou asked Yugi, as the four found a place to sit in the fast food joint in the shopping mall. They set the numerous bags underneath a table large enough for the four of them.

"I think so," Yugi replied. "I really hope Kaiba comes through."

Ryou nodded. He pointed at the bags, then at the food line. "I'll wait here while you guys get food."

"Okay. Do you want anything?" Yugi asked.

"Just a green tea." Yugi nodded and Yam Bakura scoffed. Ryou hoped he would keep silent about his lack of breakfast, and now lack of lunch. He didn't want to upset Yugi, but he did not trust his stomach not to rebel. Ever since the spirits had returned, Ryou found it hard to keep even a cup of tea down.

Ryou looked down, underneath the plastic table, at the clothes bags as the two spirits and Yugi stood in line. Atem had filled his new wardrobe with tight fitting clothing, with a few sweaters and warm clothes. But mostly leather. Ryou shook his head as snippets of the former Pharaoh and Yugi arguing over what was considered acceptable clothing choices flashed through his mind. He was glad he wasn't responsible for that bill. His spirit had bought mostly slouch clothing. Baggy jeans, a solid leather belt, numerous winter tees and a couple good quality hooded sweaters.

Apparently his own apparel choices had influenced Yami Bakura. Today, he wore slightly baggy khaki pants and a loose fitting collared shirt. Ryou chalked up Yami Bakura's clothing preferences to years of dressing as himself.

Ryou looked up as a container of fries was shoved in his direction, along with a steaming cup of tea in a plastic take away container. He looked at Yami Bakura. "Yugi thought you might want some," was all Yami Bakura said as he bit into his burger.

Ryou sighed, plucking up a fry and tearing the top half off with his front teeth. "Thanks."

Atem watched Ryou delicately bite his fries in half, discarding the bitten halves back into the container. Ryou finished about half his fries in the same time Atem had eaten his burger and own fries. He let his gaze linger until a blush rose in Ryou's cheeks, then he focused on Yami Bakura, who paid no mind to Ryou as he devoured his meal. Yugi was also watching Ryou with a frown on his face.

"Are you alright Ryou?" Yugi asked, dipping one of his last fries in a small dredge of ketchup.

"Yeah. Just an upset stomach." Ryou grabbed a fry from his makeshift plate of napkins. He bit into it, discreetly placing the other half into the fry container. Atem didn't think Yugi noticed the action, for his partner nodded and chewed his own fry.

"Got that right," Yami Bakura said between bites. "I hear him every morning barfing like some knocked up bitch."

"Yami Bakura!" Atem shouted. Both Ryou and Yami Bakura looked up. Fear showed in Ryou's light brown eyes.

Yugi continued to look at Ryou, as if trying to telepathically seep knowledge out of Ryou, long after Ryou stammered out how he had been feeling ill, but didn't want to bother anyone—especially with the newest predicament.

"Does he affect you that much?" Atem asked Ryou as he followed the other boy into the toilet, after Ryou had excused himself.

"What do you mean?" Ryou ran his fingertips along the cool smooth surface of the mirror above the sinks. Atem gave Ryou a once-over. For the most part, he looked healthy. Tired, but healthy. In fact he looked a little less sickly than he had before Millennium World.

"Yami Bakura. He's not hurting you, is he?"

Ryou quickly shook his head. "No. Mostly he locks himself in the guestroom. I guess it would be his room now, huh?" He gestured towards the stalls with a wave of his hand, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Could I?"

Atem's eyes widened, realization dawned on him. Ryou wanted some privacy. "Of course," he said, making his exit.

Atem shut the door behind him. He found himself looking into Yugi's frowning eyes. From across the food court, he could see Yami Bakura at their table staring at the general direction of the toilets. "Partner?"

Yugi shook his head. "It's nothing." But, before turning away to walk back to the table, Atem caught a glimpse of Yugi's expression, and his face didn't look like "it's nothing."

A/N:

In case anyone picked up on this, Joey called Ryou Bakura, Ryou, while Tristan called him Bakura for reasons… That will be revealed later on. It wasn't a mistake.

This may or may not be well known, but Japanese malls are very similar to alls elsewhere in the world, complete with food courts and fast food joints. The only real difference might be how clean everything is or the use of Japanese. On youtube, TheJapanChannelDcom recently uploaded a tour of a Japanese mall if you're interested (I love this guy). I would link it, but I think still has links disabled?