Chapter 21: Late Night Visitor

"Well, give me time to think about it. I think we've done enough for today. Goodnight," Rya said and walked up to her room. She changed into some night clothes Kaiba had gotten for her so she'd stop taking his clothes accidentally. It was a simple tank-top and shorts set that had the same color as her eyes. Rya laid down in her bed, but was far from able to sleep. "Yami..." she whispered. It was almost midnight, and the rain hadn't stopped. Rya stood up and opened the doors to her balcony. She stepped out and felt the merciless rain pour on her. Rya embraced the rain with a warm welcome, and simply stood in it.

"Rya?" a voice called out to her. Rya looked around to see no one in her room, and no one else on the balcony. "Rya, down here!" they called out again. Rya walked to the edge of the balcony, looked over the railing and gasped.

"Yami! What are you doing here?" Rya called out. Yami looked left and right to see if anyone else was watching as he started climbing up to her balcony (SOOOO Romeo and Juliet, hehe) "Yami! You're going to hurt yourself!"

Yami kept climbing until he slipped over the railing and was standing on the balcony with her. "Rya..."

"Yami, you're soaked! You need to get inside before you catch a cold," Rya said pulling on his arm to come into her room. Yami didn't budge and simply took her hand in his. Rya felt him bring her to his chest. "Yami..."

"Rya, you look..." Rya wasn't sure if he meant skinny because she hadn't eaten much, or pale because she hadn't been sleeping as much as she should. Instead, Yami cupped her chin and brought it close to his face. "...beautiful." Rya gasped only to feel Yami brush the wet strands of her hair behind her ear.

"Yami, why are you here? Shouldn't you be–" Rya was cut off by Yami hugging her to him as tight as he could.

"Rya, please let Joey and Yugi duel in your place. I can't stand the thought of dueling against you. I don't want to see you get hurt. Please Rya," Yami begged. Rya hugged him back, wanting him to hold her tighter.

"Yami," she said slowly pulling away to look him in the eyes. His eyelids were shut tight, so Rya placed both hands on his cheeks and lifted his head up. When he finally opened his eyes, she continued. "Yami, I made this challenge. It's only right that I fight it with all I have. I just wish you didn't have to be in the middle of it."

"Rya, why did you make the challenge?" Yami asked curiously. Rya's eyes popped open at the question.

She sighed and decided to tell him the truth. "Yugi told me what happened between you and Lisa. I couldn't even begin to think how much she actually hurt you. When Yugi explained how she had...I couldn't stand the thought of her making you unhappy again. So I...did the only thing I felt I could do."

"But Rya, why would you do it?" Yami asked softly.

"Because I–I..." Rya couldn't say it. "I...care about you Yami."

"I care about you too, Rya. In fact, I..." Yami couldn't say what he wanted to either.

"Yami, if Lisa finds you gone you could get in trouble. You'd better go," Rya said sadly as she rubbed her arm. Before he actually left, Yami placed a kiss on her cheek. Rya held her cheek tenderly and wondered if that really happened. Yami climbed back down, and gazed one last time up at her.

'Good luck' he mouthed with a reassuring smile and ran out of sight. Rya quickly went back inside, dried off, and easily fell asleep with one last thought on her mind.

"I know who my partner's going to be," she said and fell asleep.

A/N: Yes I know, very short, but don't worry next chapter will be longer, and will be posted sometime soon (I hope). Please feel free to keep guessing who Rya's partner is going to be, and keep voting on the outcome of the duel. But I need your help with something else guys and gals: Should the duel be written play-by-play? Or just kind of summed up, briefed, etc.? Let me know what you think, and thanks for the awesome guesses and reviews. I shall reveal all shortly, just be as wonderfully patient as you've already been. Thank you:)