Author's Note: Thanks for clicking! I'm super excited to get this next chapter out. This turned out a bit longer than I thought, but I like how it ended up. I like introducing more characters, so I hope you like how I represent these characters in this story. In any case, thanks for checking in and I hope you enjoy my first shot at writing fanfiction.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It is the property of Kazuki Takahashi. I wish it were my property though. I'm just saying.

Warning: This is an AU fanfic (Alternate Universe). There is foul language and will feature a male/male pairing. I have this rated T, but as the material develops, I will update the rating accordingly.

Enjoy!

Bakura rubbed his eyes as he slowed down in motorcycle. He had managed to get back to his hotel the night before but failed to get any sleep after his botched mission. To say he was still angry and frustrated was an understatement. It was the following morning and he made the trip back to Domino. Normally, a sunny, clear day driving would help to clear his thoughts. Today, however, was not the case. During his 2-hour drive back, Bakura could only go over the events from last night, trying to figure out where exactly it fell apart, what he could have done, and more importantly, how to deal with this Marik figure now that he has the Millennium Rod.

All thoughts, plans, and curses regarding Marik were put to a stop as Bakura saw his apartment complex around the corner. He pulled in back to park his bike, not looking forward to the conversation that followed. Bakura shared a 2-bedroom apartment with his twin brother and he knew his brother did not work today. Which only meant he was going to be accosted at the door for his escapade last night. Bakura tried to keep him out of the loop on the specifics of his job, but it was no secret that his twin did not approve of his choice in career path. As he turned off the engine, Bakura hopped off his motorcycle. He shook his hair, using a hand to brush through his unruly white hair before walking towards the apartment complex.

The main lobby was relatively quiet and Bakura had no issue getting on the elevator. He felt himself become anxious as he arrived on the fifth floor. Despite an exciting night of robbery, breaking and entering, guns, and explosions, Bakura knew that this was the worst part of his job. Being confronted by his twin at the end of a mission. He wished he wasn't such a worrywart, but then again, he wouldn't be his brother if he wasn't. Bakura stood outside of room 508, digging in his pockets for his keys. As he unlocked the front door, Bakura took a deep breath before opening.

There was no noise in the apartment as Bakura entered. After kicking his shoes off at the door, he walked down the hallway, listening for the TV or any music his brother might be playing. Bakura felt more unnerved by the silence than relieved. He glanced around the end of the hallway into the living room. No one was there, so Bakura decided to make his way to the kitchen. If his brother was home, he would definitely need a beer to get through that conversation. Bakura stepped into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door as he heard a voice behind him.

"Back so early brother?" Bakura didn't missing the accusing note in his twin's voice. Bakura grabbed a beer before turning around to face his young brother. "Hey Ryou. Sleep well?" he asked casually. As if he hadn't attempted a robbery last night and this was just a normal morning for the brothers. "I imagine I slept better than you did," Ryou replied dryly. As Ryou glared at his brother, the similarities between the two were striking. Both had snow-white hair, dark brown eyes and a pale complexion. Upon closer inspection, the differences become more apparent. Ryou's hair is well brushed and not nearly as wild as his brother's hair. The younger twin's eyes were softer and gentler, and Bakura had about an inch on his brother. Ryou was dressed in a fitted blue t-shirt and faded jeans while Bakura was still clad in his black slacks, t-shirt, and jacket from the previous night. Their temperaments were also quite different. Bakura was often considered the more aloof and rude of the two brothers – Ryou the more mild and polite. But just because Ryou was polite didn't mean he didn't know how to push the wrong buttons when it comes to his older twin.

"My night was eventful. Thanks for asking," Bakura replied with a forced cheerfulness. He even smiled, knowing it would just piss off his brother more. He was already in for hell so he may as well take his little brother for the ride. "Eventful you say? I noticed you didn't come back last night. Where were you?" Ryou took a step forward to close the refrigerator door, not breaking eye contact with his delinquent of a brother. He had an almost smug look on his face, like he knew that his brother was lying.

Bakura returned the smug look his brother gave him. "I was about town last night. Pulled an all nighter." At this point, Bakura leaned back and got settled against the kitchen counter. There was no backing down. He gave his brother a devilish smile. All right Ryou. Let's do this. How long do you want me to lie for? How long is this going to go on? Because I'm going to go all the way, Bakura narrowed his eyes. He was already pissed off. And Ryou nagging him would only frustrate him more. So he may as well have his fun now ticking off his pest of a little brother. "Where did you go 'in town'?" Ryou sat down at the table in the kitchen, making himself comfortable as he crossed his arms. He almost looked like a scolding parent.

Bakura just shrugged as he removed his black coat. "Wandered mostly. No place in specific," Bakura chirped lightly as he finally cracked open his beer and took a sip. Perhaps if he prolonged the conversation long enough, he could enjoy pissing off his brother long enough and then get drunk right afterwards. Then he wouldn't have to deal with the nasty after effects of Ryou. He suspected this was an incredibly stupid plan. Ryou lowered his head slightly, glaring even more intensely at his brother. Bakura tried to smile innocently, but since he was still clad in all black from last night escapade, it was certainly hard to pretend that his actions last night were innocent.

"Did you do anything else amidst your wandering last night?" Despite Ryou's voice being a higher pitch than his brother's, he almost sounded menacing with that last question. Perhaps it was the British accent. Bakura debated telling the truth at this point. But why ruin his fun now? His brother was about to boil over. "Hmm… nothing of particular note. Can't think of anything," Bakura stated carelessly. He took a sip of his beer before walking to the living room. He didn't need to look back to know that his brother was stalking him.

"'Nothing of particular note?' Really? Because this morning news report seems to indicate otherwise," Ryou accused, his voice growing to a yell. Bakura didn't turn around to face his brother. He could only imagine the delicious red color that was growing on his twin's face. "I can't imagine why my activities would be newsworthy. Like I said – last night was a bust. Nothing happened," Bakura flippantly stated, hoping his brother would pick up the hints he was now dropping him. As fun as it was to tease his brother, he also knew that Ryou would demand the truth from him. And Bakura didn't want Ryou to get too involved in his work. If something were to go wrong in his line of work, Ryou's safety could quickly be compromised. And as annoying as his brother was, Bakura did not want any harm to come to the last family he had.

"'Nothing happened?!' You call this nothing?" Ryou sounded almost hysterical at this point. Bakura had to choke back a laugh and try to keep a serious face. His brother went over to the TV and searched the channels for a minute. Bakura occupied himself with his beer, anticipating the news report his brother was likely to show him. Sure enough, the screen showed the warehouse that Bakura had broken into last night. Half a day had passed, yet the damage done was still rather shocking to look at. With the fire and smoke cleared out, the warehouse had a large gaping hole caused by the explosives. Shrapnel laid everywhere and Bakura noticed that the cameras were careful to not show the numerous casualties. However, the ambulances on sight made it clear that quite a few people were killed in the incident last night.

"…police were responding on site at approximately 2:45 this morning after reports of a shooting at said warehouse. Within 15 minutes of arrival, an explosion decimated the left wing of the 4th warehouse shown in the footage here. The perpetrators are still at large, though it appears to be an organization. Officers responded on call and the police have confirmed the situation was hostile. The police ask that the public remains indoors in the surrounding communities…"

Bakura was vaguely aware of the newscaster reporting on the incident. It felt surreal to hear about the event, especially given that Bakura had been right in the heart of the action last night. He was also vaguely aware of his brother who was staring at him, gauging him for a reaction. Bakura kept his face empty of any reaction. Seeing the damage on screen, he could hardly blame his brother for worrying. Even though he knew he was close to danger, Bakura knew how to keep himself out of harms way. He hadn't done anything to endanger himself last night. It was at this moment that he was glad that his sense of self-preservation didn't fail him last night during his botched robbery attempt.

"Bakura." Said man finally turned to look at his twin, anger finally turning back to annoyance as Ryou finally got a hold of himself. "What did you do?" Bakura finally let his annoyance show through. Did his brother really think he would be this bombastic and unpolished? "What makes you think this was my fault? I had nothing to do with this?" Bakura snarled.

"I know that. So what did you do?" Ryou repeated his question with unspeakable patience yet still the same level of annoyance. Bakura glared at his brother. How the bloody hell did he know he was even there last night? I mean, yeah, he was, but still! As much as he didn't want his brother to worry, it was inevitable. Perhaps giving him a little information will get him off his case.

"I was working on the Millennium project last night. Things didn't go as planned. Had some extra guests so I bailed out." Bakura bore his eyes into his brother. This was going to be a short conversation. Ryou gave him a puzzled look. "You're talking the Egyptian artifacts case, right? I thought you were the only agent assigned," Ryou asked tentatively.

As a rule of thumb, Bakura told Ryou nothing but the bare basics of his job. Ryou didn't know names or specifics of the job. Once Bakura had assured his brother that he did not murder people for a living and that his job specifically focused on professional theft and robbery, Ryou got off his brother's case significantly (but not entirely). Bakura made his little brother understand that the less he knew, the safer it was for both of them. He didn't want to think of anyone using Ryou against him.

"I was among an elite few selected for the job. I've stayed ahead of my competition. Until last night," Bakura grimaced as Marik's nasally cackle rang through his head. This conversation would have been much different if that brat had never showed up. Hell, Ryou might have even bought the lie that he had been out and about town last night.

Ryou had a strange look on his face as he pieced together the information together. "So wait. You're telling me your heist was heisted?"

Bakura frowned but didn't say anything. Marik's annoying voice was now getting louder in his head. "That would be the case, now wouldn't it?" Bakura admitted, brushing off his brother and turning his head. His failure over last night was leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. That or the alcohol. Oh right. Alcohol. Bakura downed the rest of his beer before crunching the can up in his hand. That was better. Ryou just stared at his brother for a moment, almost studying him. Bakura refused to meet his eyes.

"Oh."

And with that, Ryou walked into the kitchen.

Bakura instantly became suspicious and guarded. That was it? There was no way his brother was letting him off this easy. Something was up. He followed his brother into the kitchen, chucking the empty can into the trashcan. His brother was cutting up vegetables and humming lightly, his back to Bakura. Something was definitely up.

"What do you mean 'oh?' What was that?" Bakura started his own interrogation session with his brother. Ryou wasn't one to just drop a conversation. He knew better. He also knew better than to fall for his brother's bait. But something about the way Ryou was acting so blasé annoyed and worried Bakura.

"Oh nothing. Would you grab the celery from the fridge?" Ryou continued to cut the vegetables, still not turning to face his brother. This just pissed off Bakura more.

"Ryou, stop playing games and start explaining! Why did you just drop the conversation like that?" Bakura was getting more worked up than he should be. His annoyance was turning into anxiety. Ryou still hadn't turned to face his brother.

"I said its nothing, Bakura. Now if you could hand me–" Bakura cut off his brother before he could even finish. "Ryou, cut the bullshit! Just tell me what you're thinking, God damnit!" Bakura didn't mean to yell but it just came out that way. Shit. I'm losing it, Bakura swore. Ryou was winning the fight again and he wasn't even acknowledging the conversation at hand.

Ryou was quiet for a moment, even taking the time to stop cutting the vegetables. He looked up in front of him, still facing away. "Well… it's just… you're reportedly one of the best in your field. Few thieves could even hope to keep up to you. And now the mighty Thief King has been outwitted and outmatched by some up and coming newbie…" That's when Bakura heard it. It was soft and quickly silenced before anymore could be heard, but Bakura caught it. A soft chuckle. A laugh. Ryou finally turned, a bemused smile on his face. "I'm sorry 'Kura, but it's just too funny!" Ryou didn't even bother to hide his laughter at this point.

Bakura's face burned red, from anger and embarrassment. As if this whole situation wasn't bad enough. "Fuck you Ryou!" he growled as he stormed out of the kitchen. He heard Ryou still laughing as he turned back to finish cutting the vegetables. Bakura was pissed but not at Ryou. The whole situation ticked him off. Ryou wasn't to blame. It was his own damn fault that he failed last night. He wasn't prepared enough. He should have anticipated the competition getting involved. He wasn't the only one hunting down the Millennium items and he couldn't have been the only one who knew about the Millennium Rod being held. He should have been prepared to incapacitate any other potential threats and get out of there sooner.

Bakura reclined on the couch, leaning his head back and he pinched the furrow between his shut eyes. How could I have made such a juvenile mistake? Bakura grimaced to himself. He spent so much time researching and prepping for the night that he forgot one of the most important aspects of his job – neutralizing any threats. Whether that was the police, the target, or the competition. He had been so confident in his own abilities as a thief, he thought himself to be above any other thief in his field. His arrogance led to his failure last night. Had he properly took care of business, then Marik wouldn't have caught wind of the Millennium items and found the Rod last night.

Well, no more mistakes. It's time to clean up the mess I've made. Bakura let his hand fall down to his side. He opened his eyes and he finally smirked. Fine. He fucked up. Time to stop sulking about it and do something about it. The answer was obvious – get rid of Marik, get the Rod, and figure out where the others stand on this commission. As Bakura sat up, he felt a wave of exhaustion. Oh yeah, sleep. As much as he wanted to solve the problem at hand, he wasn't going to accomplish anything without getting some rest first. Bakura decided to take a moment to rest, closing his eyes. He did not sleep well last night. Perhaps he could get a nap in. Rest first, then plot…

Bakura woke up an hour later to the smell of a vegetable soup wafting through the apartment. He slowly sat up, stretching his stiff limbs and cracking his neck. Ryou was busy in the kitchen getting dinner ready. Bakura's stomach growled noisily as Bakura became aware of how hungry was. He hadn't eaten anything all day and Ryou's cooking was always fantastic. Oh yeah. Ryou. They were fighting before Bakura fell asleep. I need to apologize for that. He didn't think Ryou would take his words personally, but he still didn't like fighting with his brother. As Bakura sat up, he heard soft footsteps enter the room."Hey Bakura? Are you mad at me?" Ryou asked tentatively.

Oh now he feels bad about laughing at me? Bakura rolled his eyes, but didn't look at his brother. He just woke up; he wasn't in a chatty mood. And he might still be a little bitter about Ryou laughing at his failure. Still, if Ryou was apologizing, then perhaps Bakura could use this to salvage his pride. Let him think I'm angry at him. Bakura avoided looking at his brother, instead staring at the TV in front of him showing the news. After a few moments of silence, Ryou shuffled his feet where he stood. "I'm sorry I laughed at you. That wasn't nice. I guess… I don't know… laughing about the situation seemed better than thinking about what could have gone wrong," Ryou mumbled, turning away slightly. Bakura finally looked up at his twin. Ryou wasn't looking him in his eye, but he knew that look on Ryou's face. He wasn't angry or mocking. He was worried.

Bakura sighed. Ryou was always worried for him, especially on his "mission nights." He imagined his brother sitting on the couch, watching in horror on the news report. Seeing the bodies and the wreckage and praying that his last remaining family hadn't been there. He imagined how Ryou felt when his only brother walked into the apartment and brushes off the incident like it was nothing. Brushing off his concern and fear like it was nothing. Ryou had no idea if Bakura was safe and Bakura had tried to make his brother feel guilty and silly for worrying about him. Bakura closed his eyes, exhaling. Ryou was just trying to watch after him. And although it was safer for Ryou to know less, it was also more stressful for him not knowing if his brother was safe.

Bakura sighed. "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself for letting the situation get out of hand last night," Bakura didn't look at Ryou while he talked, but he could feel those gentle brown eyes watching him. "I'm fine, Ryou. I'm sorry to have worried you last night." Bakura turned his head away, trying to act disinterested but more to hide the faint blush growing on his face. Why was he such a softie for Ryou?

Ryou stood quietly for a moment. "It's okay, Bakura. I'm just glad that you're okay." Ryou started to walk out of the living room when he paused. "I'm making some soup for dinner, want some?" Bakura grabbed the remote to turn off the television. "Sure," he called back, glad that the conversation was over. Bakura suspected that Ryou had more questions he wanted to ask, but he was going to let it slide. Bakura wouldn't admit it, but he felt better now that he made peace with his brother.

Ryou peeked around the corner from the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes, okay?" Bakura grunted his agreement as he stood up to stretch. Perhaps he could get some brainstorming in and start research on this Marik guy. He walked over to the table next to the couch where his laptop sat. He almost missed it, but he saw there was a voicemail on the house phone. That's odd. "Ryou? Did someone call?" Bakura yelled. He knew his brother had been in yesterday and today, so he almost always caught the phone.

"Huh? Oh yeah, they called this morning. I didn't recognize the number so I let it go to voicemail," he yelled back from the kitchen. The unspoken message between the two was clear. Bakura made it clear early on that if Ryou didn't recognize a number on the house phone, don't answer it. Bakura's line of work was dangerous and he had done well to hide the fact that he had any family, let alone a brother that he lived with. If someone was trying to get in touch with Bakura, there was the rare call to the house number. If a stranger started answering Bakura's house phone (a supposed bachelor), Ryou's safety could be compromised.

The lengths I go through to keep this kid safe. Being a protective older brother could be difficult at times, especially in his line of work. But he couldn't push Ryou away. He had no other family, no friends to speak of. It would be safer to put Ryou on his own, set him up with his own apartment. Hell, Ryou worked at a game store in town – he could afford his own one-bedroom apartment. But neither brother wanted to split. It was risky, but the two were willing to take that risk.

Bakura clicked the playback button on the voicemail, lowering the volume and leaning in close. The voicemail machine informed him that the call was from this morning. He heard the beep as the machine started the message. A bubbly female voice started speaking.

"Bakura, dove! It's me! I had so much fun at our last rendez-vous! I like where these dates are going, if you know what I mean. Hee hee! It feels like it's been so long since I last saw you. It just makes me look forward to our next date! Speaking of which, I just wanted to tell you that I'm so excited about dinner tonight. I've never been to that Italian place off of 5th avenue before! I'll be there at 6 o' clock sharp, so don't keep me waiting, love. Or I might just have to pay a visit at your place tonight, you naughty boy! Hee hee! Okay, I'll see you later babe!"

Bakura just stared as the voicemail end and the machine beeped loudly. He didn't know a lot of women in his life, but there was no mistaking who that was. He deleted the message as he glanced over at the clock. It read 5:20. Damn it. So much for Ryou's soup tonight, Bakura grimaced to himself. He would have rather spent tonight in with Ryou than deal with work right now. But his mystery date had made it very clear that they were going to see him tonight, whether it was at the restaurant or at his apartment. And the latter could not happen.

He walked to the kitchen to see Ryou popping the bread into the oven. "Ryou, I've got to go. That call was for work. I've got a meeting." Bakura didn't try to hide the annoyance in his voice. Ryou glanced up, removing the oven mitts, his lips in a pout for a moment but it was gone the next. "Okay. Should I save you some food for later?"

Bakura just shrugged. "If you want. I don't know how long this will be. But I have to take care of it tonight." Ryou looked away for a moment, his brows furrowed before turning back. "Is this a meeting I should worry about it?" he asked. Bakura shook his head, his crazy hair flaring around his head. "Nah. Just checking in really. It's nothing to sweat about. More of a pain in the ass more than anything." Bakura looked over his clothes while he complained to his brother. She said Italian food. I guess I'll have to change my clothes. It's probably fancy knowing her.

Ryou seemed a bit more relieved. "Okay. So I guess I'll just see you when you get back." It was more of a question than a statement. Bakura grunted, looking up at his brother who seemed to be lost in thought. He smiled at the look of concentration on Ryou's face. Despite being his twin, Ryou looked so young and innocent compared to his older brother. His warm brown were furrowed in concentration. His snow white hair curtained his face, giving him an almost angelic glow. Ryou hadn't even realized that he was chewing on his lower lip. When his brother wasn't nagging him, Ryou could be quite cute and sweet.

Bakura reached over and tossled his hair, shocking Ryou out of his thoughts. Bakura's eyes lost their hard edge for a moment as he softened his face. He gave Ryou a warm smile, a rare look from Bakura. "Yeah. See you tonight." Ryou blushed slightly before he smiled tentatively. He finally cracked a wide grin at his big brother, ducking out from under Bakura's hand. He chuckled as he swatted his brother's hand away, turning back to the dinner he was cooking. Bakura gave a low chuckle, glad to have cheered up Ryou. Bakura left the kitchen, in a considerably better mood than he anticipated.

A few minutes later, Bakura was walking out of the apartment. He was out of his work clothes and into dress clothes. His black suit and red button-down shirt brought out the crimson glean in Bakura's eyes. He knew brushing his hair was a lost cause, so he let his hair fall into its natural, wild state. He took the stairs as he began to mentally prepare for tonight. Sure, this wasn't a mission night, but this side of his work was equally as important, if not more so. He had to keep up appearances and please his patrons. That meant compromises had to be made for the flexibility and freedom he had in his work. This Millennium case was a big one – he wanted to stay on good terms with his client. At least long enough to get paid.

If suffering through these "appointments" was what it would take to get that paycheck, then Bakura could handle a simple dinner tonight.