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Ring
Ring
Yuugi tapped his finger on the phone receiver. Had something--
Finally, there was the soft sound of the phone being picked up. "Hello...?"
"Bakura-kun!" Yuugi exclaimed, suddenly feeling much more relieved. "It's me, Yuugi," he smiled. "You haven't been in class the past few days, we were all getting worried. Is everything okay?"
There was a moment of quiet before the other boy spoke again. "I'm not sure," Bakura finally answered.
Yuugi blinked. "Bakura-kun? You're using Watashi..." he said, some how feeling a little hurt. "You don't have to be formal with me..."
"It's not that," Bakura assured, voice seeming a bit soft still. "I-- It's a long story," he finally continued. "One I'm not sure if you'll want to hear..."
Yuugi blinked again. "What's wrong? Do you need me to come over?"
Another long pause. "That might be best. I-- I want to talk about this but..." Bakura trailed off. "I don't know if I can do it over the phone."
"I'll be right over!" Yuugi promised before saying a quick goodbye and dashing out, yelling over his shoulder at his grandfather were he was going.
A short while later he was panting for breath in front of Bakura's apartment, ringing the bell. There was the soft click of the door unlocking before it slowly opened and Bakura gave him a small smile. "You didn't have to run," he said, tone almost fond.
Yuugi gave an embarrassed laugh, looking a bit sheepish as he came inside. "I was worried," he explained as he removed his shoes, looking at his friend. Bakura looked a little worn out and tired, but other wise healthy. Even though he felt a little ashamed about it, he also checked to see if it looked like his friend was hiding the Ring under his shirt. It had been a year since the Items had been buried but Yami Bakura had managed to return from all sorts of things before. He blinked at the piles of papers and books in the living room that would have been perfectly normal in his house, but in Bakura's seemed an untidy clash with the rest of the near perfectly kept house. "Don't tell me there's a school project I forgot about!" he exclaimed, eyes widening at the medical nature of most of the books. Anatomy, gender and identity, a few of the books his mom had tried to get him to read about 'growing up' and some other large books that the titles alone made Yuugi's head hurt, they were so complex. "Something for health class maybe?" he asked, looking up at his friend again.
Bakura shook his head. "Sit down, Yuugi-kun," he said softly, moving the books and papers into a more dignified pile before sitting down on the chair across from the couch.
Yuugi nodded, concern growing.
Bakura was quiet a long moment, looking down and playing with his hands. "You know how I wasn't feeling very well last week?" he finally started. "Well, I finally went to the doctor and..." he trailed off, fidgeting getting worse.
"Whatever it is, you can tell me," Yuugi insisted. "Whatever it is, we can help you though it, Bakura-kun. We're your friends, we'll always be there for you!"
The paler boy gave a small, tired smile. "I don't want anyone else to know this, Yuugi-kun," he said softly. "Especially Jounouchi-kun or Honda-kun. I-- I don't think they'd take it well."
"Bakura-kun..."
"I had actually be thinking of just moving again," the boy continued. "So that none of you would have to know. Haven't even tried to contact my father yet either. I don't think he would take it well either."
"Take what well? What's so horrible that you'd have to run away from everyone?"
Bakura was quiet a long moment. "I--" he hesitated again, flexing his fingers as if trying to keep himself calm. "When I went to the doctor's, he said my hormones were completely out of balance. That I had... had a lot more estrogen then boys are suppose to. A lot more..." He fidgeted again. "So they did a lot of tests and-- and---" He gave a very slow exhale. "I wasn't suppose to be a boy, Yuugi-kun," he finally said, looking up. "Everything they've tested, everything they've found..." He pressed his lips together a moment before pulling his shirt flat against his chest.
Yuugi's eyes went wide. "Bakura-kun... you-- you-- you have..."
The boy nodded. "I thought-- I thought it might have just been-- you know, normal. Or worst case scenario, twin cancers, but--" He gave a small, humourless laugh. "I've got breasts, Yuugi-kun," he said, eyes starting to water. "I'm finally hitting puberty and I'm turning into a girl."
Yuugi stared a moment longer in utter shock. "But-- but you have-- Don't you?"
Bakura nodded. "I don't understand it either," he said, wiping his eyes as he struggled to get himself back under control. "The doctors said that sometimes they find girls who are really boys that it hasn't grown right but this is different. I know it's small, and it's never worked right, but I never thought..." He shook his head. "I don't know what to think any more. I feel like-- like some sort of mutant. Five specialists before they could figure anything out. They're calling up people in Germany and Taiwan and who knows where else like I'm some sort of freak of nature to be studied and--" his voice cracked and he buried his face in his hands.
Yuugi put a hand on Bakura's shoulder, putting aside his own feelings out of concern for his friend. "It's okay, Bakura-kun," he smiled. "You're still my friend. And you're still everyone else's friend. You're no different then you were last week, no matter what happens," he said kindly.
Bakura looked up, eyes wide. "Yuugi-kun..."
The smaller boy smiled again. "We're with you no matter what. I haven't been making these speeches just to make Kaiba-kun make faces at me, you know?" he laughed softly.
Bakura gave a small smile, nodding as he wiped his eyes again. He laughed softly. "I already feel like a girl, getting so emotional," he shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Yuugi assured, taking Bakura's hand and squeezing it. "So what are they going to do?" he asked gently.
Bakura gave a soft sigh. "I have a choice," he said softly. "I can either let what my body's doing continue and-- and--" he gave a soft exhale. "Or do hormone therapy to try and reverse it and stay a boy."
Yuugi nodded.
There was quiet a moment before Bakura spoke again. "I might... just let it continue," he said in a very quiet voice.
"Eh?" Yuugi blinked, eyes widening. "You mean...?"
Bakura looked down. "It... it just seems to make sense... in a lot of ways," he said uncomfortably. "You know me, Yuugi-kun... I've never fit in. I don't like girls, I like my hair to be long, people always say I'm to pretty to be a boy..." he sighed. "I cook better then Anzu-chan does, I'm not any good a sports, even Jounouchi-kun teases me about being girly. If I just let it happen... I can start over. No more worries about gym teachers harassing me, no more bullies, no more worries about people not liking the fact that I like boys... It's easier to be a girl that acts like a boy then a boy that acts like a girl, you know?"
Yuugi's grip on Bakura's hand had tightened. "But-- but you shouldn't let other people's teasing make you change who you are!" he exclaimed, feeling utterly overwhelmed and confused.
Bakura gave a small smile. "Maybe this is who I was suppose to be," he said softly.
Yuugi's knees wobbled and he sat down heavily on the floor, still clutching Bakura's hand.
Bakura looked down slightly. "I've been thinking about it since they told me," he continued. "It's most of why I haven't been in school." He gave a soft laugh. "I didn't want to have to explain any of this to Jounouchi-kun. I thought maybe if I just vanished for a while, I could come back as a girl and be friends with you all again, no one knowing."
Yuugi squeezed Bakura's hand, not know what to say or even if he could say anything if he even knew what.
There was silence a long moment. "Do you think I'm a freak for thinking this?" Bakura asked softly.
Yuugi shook his head near violently. "No! Of course not!" he exclaimed, squeezing Bakura's hand again. "I just-- I don't know what to say, Bakura-kun. It's-- it's all very... Very confusing and overwhelming. I'm sorry."
Bakura gave a small smile. "It's the same for me too," he admitted.
"Whatever choice you make... you're still my friend," Yuugi promised. "It just... might take me a while to-- I mean, if you decide to..." He shook his head slightly. "Just don't come out with boobs like Anzu's or I'll never be able to concentrate in a game we play again!" he blurted out before realizing what he had said and going bright red. "I mean---"
Bakura smiled, giving a soft laugh, squeezing Yuugi's hand again before letting go and getting to his feet. "I know what you mean," he assured, reaching out a hand to help Yuugi to his feet again. "I've got a lot more to think on still before I decide anything."
"Whatever you decide, don't run away from us, okay?" Yuugi asked accepting the help up.
Bakura nodded. "I promise," he smiled.
"And-- and is it all right if I talk to mom about this? And maybe Anzu?" Yuugi asked a bit sheepishly.
"It's a lot to keep to yourself," Bakura nodded again. "If-- If Anzu's okay with the idea... have her call me?" he asked almost timidly.
Yuugi nodded. "Mom might call too," he smiled. "She worries about you sometimes, because you're living alone."
"Sometimes I worry about me too," the paler boy said softly before giving Yuugi a smile. "Thanks for listening, Yuugi-kun. It means a lot."
"Any time."