Author's Note: It's almost Christmas!

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Rated M. No lemons – that does not mean other things may happen. Stay tuned. It's to be determined.

Thanks for reading! In case you haven't realized – I update weekly!

Bon appetite!

Bakura had certainly gotten himself into a messy predicament. He had decided to get out of the criminal life following the Millennial Case. Right after that decision, he then backtracked and agreed to research and illegally work to frame and convict Yami of a crime. Which would therefore put a target on Bakura's back for putting in jail one of the most powerful men in the world. Despite knowing he shot himself in the foot, Bakura found he had a much bigger problem at hand.

He had to buy Marik a birthday present.

The more Bakura thought about it, the more he was sure he needed to do this. He wasn't entirely sure what compelled him, but he knew that he had to get something for Marik's 20th birthday. The problem is, Bakura was terrible at shopping for people. The only person he would buy anything for was his twin, but Ryou was easy to shop for. Ryou told him what to buy and Bakura would go and fetch it. But Bakura had no earthly clue where to start with Marik, the eternal enigma in his life.

So in immense shame and dread, Bakura asked Ryou for help.

Ryou was better with people and would have a better clue on what to get Marik, even though he had never met the teen. A few days after his long talk with Marik, Bakura decided to swallow his pride and ask Ryou for help. After his twin laughed maniacally for ten minutes and Bakura cussed him out, declaring he would shop alone, Ryou finally calmed down enough to agree to help. Bakura already was regretting his request for aid when Ryou started nagging him on the walk down to the mall.

"Do you have anything planned for his birthday? Like dinner or something? You don't necessarily have to cook, but something to make it special." Bakura closed his eyes, trying to keep his temper. This was going to be a very long day if Ryou was going to hassle him like this. "I wasn't planning on anything fancy. Just a little something to say happy birthday, have a nice day. It's his birthday, not a date."

He opened his eyes in time to catch Ryou rolling his at Bakura. "I wasn't saying it's a date. It's just a nice gesture to do as his friend to make his day a little more special." Bakura snorted, crossing his arms as they walked into the mall. "Isn't that why I'm buying a gift?" He heard Ryou give an exasperated sigh, rolling his head in an exaggerated motion to stare at his brother. "For crying out Kura, anyone can buy a gift. It takes more effort to plan something for someone's birthday."

Bakura just shrugged his shoulders, not really seeing his brother's argument. Ryou shook his head, throwing his arms up in the air. "You're hopeless." He muttered as they walked to the center of the mall. Bakura glared at Ryou as he walked over to stare at the map. They debated for a few moments, trying to decide where to start looking for a gift for Marik. Bakura suggested getting him a movie, but Ryou said that wouldn't be good enough. How could a gift not be good enough? You're getting free stuff.

When Bakura mentioned that Marik liked to make art, Ryou suggested they look at art supplies. Bakura quickly shot down that idea because he was clueless in that department. He had no idea what Marik did or didn't have, and even with Ryou's knowledge in crafts, both agreed to pass that one over. The two did not touch the topic of clothing – Bakura already teased Marik for his wardrobe, but had no idea what to give him. His style was definitely out of the twins' comfort zone.

When Bakura mentioned Marik liked games a lot, the two found a starting point as they walked down to a gaming shop. Ryou grumbled along the way that he should have mentioned it earlier so they could have gone and gotten a discount at his workplace. Bakura, unwilling to admit that Ryou had a point, told him to sod off. It didn't take long to find a game store – Domino was home to Kaiba Corp, a world famous gaming industry. The two settled for a Kaiba Game shop, a brand that could be found as frequently as Starbucks.

The two wandered the store rather aimlessly. Ryou, a game merchant himself, would suggest different games to Bakura who would either mumble that Marik already had it or it just wasn't his type of game. To Ryou's credit, he seemed to have infinite patience with his indecisive brother. Bakura was looking some collector yo-yo's when he heard Ryou call his name. He turned his head, before sighing, worried by the excited look that Ryou gave him.

"What did you find, Ry?" He glanced down at the packages in Ryou's hands. It took him a moment before Bakura suddenly recognized the cards. Wait, those aren't- He heard Ryou start laughing, a large grin on his face. "It's the old Duel Monsters Trading Card Game. I guess Kaiba's trying to bring it back. Talk about vintage. Look – there's the first gen cards that we grew up with, but it looks like they designed new cards for the reboot. How retro is that?"

Even Bakura couldn't hold back a chuckle. This brought back memories. He and Ryou used to play Duel Monsters back in grade school all the time – it was all the rage. That's actually how Ryou met Yuugi, another game enthusiast and employee at the Kame Game Shop. Yuugi was the one to suggest that Ryou take his diorama and game designs more seriously. With that prompting, Ryou got a degree in business and started working at the Black Clown Game Shop, still keeping in touch with his rather petite friend. The game had to be at least a decade old.

"How about this?" Ryou's question broke Bakura from his thoughts. "How about what?" Ryou lifted up the different decks for Bakura to look at. "These. The cards. Why don't you give Marik his own deck? You could dig up your old cards and you guys could play." Bakura blinked for a moment, before raising an eyebrow, a look of disbelief crossing his face. "I'm supposed to give him Duel Monsters cards? Ryou, this is a children's trading card game."

Ryou just shrugged, unbothered by the face. "So? You mentioned he liked kid games before. Why wouldn't he like something like this? I think he'd enjoy it. You can give a starter pack with some booster packets so he can customize his deck." Bakura continued to stare at Ryou, unsure if his twin was actually being serious about this suggestion. When Ryou seemed fed up with Bakura's unresponsiveness, he put the cards. "Forget it. I was just trying to help."

Bakura sighed before picking up the cards Ryou put down. "Do you remember how to build a deck? I can't remember all the damn kinds of cards there were." Ryou gave him a dry smile, as if to say he would let him off the hook this time. Bakura smirked as the two looked at the different cards to figure out an appropriate for Marik. Bakura smiled as this brought back memories of him and Ryou laying on the ground, trading cards to build their respective decks before dueling each other. Last Bakura recalled, he had the winning record between the two of them.

After they finished shopping, Bakura kept his side of the bargain and the two walked down to pick up some cream puffs. This wasn't the first time Bakura has had to bribe his brother for help. His twin had a distinct soft spot for the sugary dessert. The two made their way home, Bakura watching Ryou on his right as he immediately started helping himself to his cream puffs. He offered one out to Bakura, but the thief passed. He never understood his brother's affinity for diabetes-inducing snacks.

As Ryou shrugged and helped himself to the proffered dessert, Bakura noticed the scar on Ryou's left hand. Bakura had almost forgotten about Ryou's injury following their argument. It had seemed rather unimportant because of what they had been talking about. He narrowed his eyes as he followed on the scar. "How's your hand doing?" Ryou gave Bakura a confused look for a moment before remembering, glancing down at his palm.

"My hand's fine. The doctor thinks it'll scar, but I can live with that." Ryou shrugged before taking another bite of the cream puff he held. Bakura watched for a moment before turning to look at the sidewalk in front of them. "Sorry about that." Ryou shook his head in disagreement. "Not your fault. Accidents happen." Bakura furrowed his brow, questioning Ryou's declaration. He had distressed his brother to the point of him injuring himself, so didn't that make it his fault? Bakura wasn't really sure.

"Besides," Bakura turned his attention back to his brother. "I get a cool scar out of it." Bakura rolled his eyes, not really believing Ryou. "Oh really? What have you have been telling people? Got in a knife fight?" Ryou started laughing, covering his mouth as he finished chewing. "Like people would believe that about me? Please – I told them I stabbed my hand on one of the diorama's I constructed for Monster World. You know, some intense LARP. Far more gruesome and dramatic, if you ask me."

Bakura had to hold back a snide comment about the dorkiness of his brother. Ryou could be quite embarrassing at times. He glanced over and saw the smug smile on his twin's face. How am I even related to him? The two of them truly were as different as day and night. Despite being twins, the two couldn't come out more different from the other. I suppose that's family for you.

Bakura couldn't help but wonder if all siblings were like that. If he thought him and Ryou were completely different, that was nothing compared to the Ishtar siblings. That was a circus right there. Odion seemed serious, calm and level, as if nothing could throw him off. From Bakura gathered about Ishizu, she was serious as well, but seemed more prone to emotional bursts and had a bit of an anger issue. Perhaps that was because she hated Bakura, but the albino couldn't be sure.

And Marik…

Bakura sighed as he thought about his closest friend, unsure of what to make of it all. He hadn't seen Marik for most of the week, since finals were coming up and Marik insisted on studying. Bakura found he missed his partner in crime more than ever, which was only aggravated by his conflicting feelings towards Marik. Bakura's usual strategy of suppressing unwanted emotions no longer worked concerning his Egyptian companion. Every time they were together, he felt the strong urge to want more. He wasn't even sure what more he wanted.

Bakura bit his lip nervously. Was it… intimacy he desired? He didn't deny he found Marik very attractive, but the two only teased each other. They never went any further than that. And yet, Bakura felt himself feeling frustrated with where their relationship was currently. Sure, they were best friends, but Bakura wanted more. Did he want a more physical aspect to their relationship? Perhaps it was that, but Bakura believed he wanted something even deeper than that, whatever that may be. It was something beyond physical, something more abstract.

He sighed as he fought back the incoming headache. It was pointless stressing about this. Bakura was a novice at keeping people in his life – the only people who have remained his life were Ryou (who was twin brother) and Mai (who was a work acquaintance). Any other intentional relationships never lasted. It was a miracle that Bakura stayed friends with Marik as long as he did. And yet, here he was, desiring more than just a friendship. Bakura closed his eyes as he realized what more he wanted. He wanted a more romantic aspect to their relationship.

That itself was almost laughable. Bakura struggled to keep friends – for the past decade of his life, he hadn't had the time to date. Crime was a strict mistress that demanded his attention. Between work, keeping a low profile, and getting him and his brother by, any meaningful relationships seemed pointless. He never saw the point in building a strong connection with others, to have someone to be intimate, both emotionally and physically. Before, Bakura would just find quick release for his sexual frustrations through one-night stands and hook-ups. It had worked before – tying yourself down to a person was dangerous. Becoming close to people would make him vulnerable.

Perhaps that wouldn't be a bad thing if it were with Marik.

Bakura looked up at Ryou, who seemed content to eating his cream puffs while his brother thought in silence. Clearly, Bakura was insane. What he was thinking was borderline suicidal. But he knew he had no experience in relationships of this nature. And maybe, just maybe, Ryou might be able to help. He took a deep breath. "Hey Ryou?" His twin didn't respond but did flick his eyes over to his brother. Bakura swallowed before looking ahead. "Have you ever asked anyone out? You know, like dating?"

Bakura watched as Ryou paused for a moment, as if frozen in the act of trying to figure out how to react. A moment later, before Ryou bit down into the cream puff in his hand, an unreadable expression on his face. "Yeah, once. I've gone on dates couple of times, but I've personally only asked one person to go steady." Bakura nodded, careful not to push too deep. "Can I ask who?" This caused Ryou to stop mid-bite, a blush on his face. He turned his face away slightly, as he mumbled out, "Ryugi Otogi."

Bakura furrowed his brow, feeling like he should recognize the name. A moment later, he flipped his head back around in shock. "Wait, you mean your boss? That pretty boy from the game shop?" Ryou gave an annoyed sigh, not looking at his brother. Bakura couldn't care – he was far too surprised at the moment to consider being respectful at the moment. "Why do you have to say it so rudely? Would it kill you to be polite?"

"But you dated your boss!"

"Technically, he wasn't my boss when we were dating. He was my classmate."

"That's still weird. How'd you end up working for him after you broke up? Was break-up sex not good enough to end it all that he had to sweeten the deal with a job offer?"

"Don't make it sound like I'm some whore. We both agreed it wouldn't work out long term and we broke up after a few months. We stayed friends afterwards. People do that you know."

"That must be awkward as hell. You slept with your boss."

"For god's sake, my personal life is my own business. I don't harass you about your sex life."

"Actually, you kinda do."

"Yeah, I guess I do. Why the sudden interest in my sex life, Bakura? Marik not quite the lover you were expecting?"

Bakura blanched, horrified by his brother's remark. He quickly tried to come up with some snappy, sarcastic response, but apparently he wasn't quick enough. He heard Ryou laugh at Bakura's expression. "Don't take your sexual frustration out on me, bro." Bakura was ready to tell Ryou to piss off when he reminded himself to calm down. As much as it annoyed him how much of an arrogant little shit his brother could be, he still wanted his help. He needed Ryou's advice, loathe as he was to admit it.

They walked a few more moments in silence, Ryou still chuckling at Bakura's expense. Bakura glanced over at Ryou, before turning eyes away. "So, how did you ask him out? Like how would you ask someone else if you were interested in them?" Bakura didn't dare glanced over at Ryou now, his pride hanging by a thread. It was only when he realized that Ryou was no longer in his peripheral vision did he stop. He glanced back to see Ryou with a look of shock on his face.

Ahhh, shit. Bakura dreaded what was to come next. He shouldn't have asked. Bakura was already preparing to tell Ryou to forget about it and move on to a different topic when he saw Ryou break into a large grin. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Bakura turned back around, crossing his arms across his chest. "Just answer my damn question." Like hell he's going to give Ryou the satisfaction of gloating about how he was right all along.

"Bakura." The albino gritted his teeth, not turning to face his brother. He closed his eyes as he heard Ryou approach. When he could sense Ryou standing by, he finally sighed as he opened his eyes. He was surprised to see Ryou looking rather thoughtfully at him. "I know I tease you about it, but I'm really happy for you. Marik must be a pretty amazing person if you're seriously considering this. I wish…" Ryou turned away, his eyes creased with worry. "Perhaps I can meet him one day."

Bakura watched for a moment before turning his head to the side. He didn't really know how to respond. Ryou often heard Marik calling Bakura to bug him about pretty much anything. For weeks, Ryou kept telling Bakura to just ask the damn kid out and Bakura kept telling Ryou to bugger off each time. Ryou knew how big of step this was for Bakura, which was probably why he wasn't teasing him this time. There was a bittersweet note though to this realization. There was a chance that Ryou would never get to meet Marik – it was always safest for the twins if Ryou never met Bakura's work acquaintances.

But then again, if Bakura asked Marik to take their relationship to the next step, if he asked him to become his… boyfriend? What a strange thought that was. If Marik said yes, then perhaps he would consider following Bakura and leaving crime behind. Marik didn't really have a foot in that career path – perhaps he could pursue art or whatever else he wanted. Perhaps Bakura could live a "normal" life, or as normal as a formal criminal could. Ryou and Marik could actually meet (though Bakura suspected the two would form an insufferable duo of annoyance in his life).

But Bakura also knew that meeting Yami was important to Marik. He knew that Marik would do whatever it took to get his damned appointment with the business lord. And more than that, Bakura agreed to help him get his revenge. What a shitty decision that was. Though he couldn't be certain, he suspected that Yami played a part in the death of Marik's father. That didn't excuse the beyond stupid choice to help Marik prosecute one of the most powerful men on the planet.

Perhaps I can convince him to focus in energy elsewhere. He understood his desire for revenge, but maybe he could talk Marik down. Getting back at Yami wouldn't restore to him everything he lost. That's it. Perhaps he could help Marik focus on getting back his birthright – he lost everything to Yami. What better revenge than to get everything back? Yami was not the legal heir to the Tomb. Marik spent his whole life believing that it was his honor and heritage to receive the role of Tomb Guardian only to have it stolen by corporate dealing. If they worked with that, then Marik and Bakura wouldn't have to dirty their hands.

Take it one step at a time. I'll talk with Marik about that. He still probably wants to get back at Yami. If he's guilty. I don't know. Perhaps he wasn't responsible.. And perhaps I'm not an asshole. Bakura realized he was getting way off track. He glanced at Ryou who was smiling at him like an idiot. How are we related? "When you're done standing there looking like a fool, perhaps you could answer my original question." Bakura growled gruffly before continuing down the path again. Perhaps this wasn't his most practical decisions, but then again, his life seemed to be full of impulsive decisions lately.

He heard Ryou catch up to him. "That's easy. Just tell him." Bakura turned his head sharply to give Ryou a disbelieving look. "Like hell, I'm doing that! Are you insane?" Ryou just rolled his eyes at his brother's overreaction. "I'm not. Bakura, this is the easiest way. Just tell him how you feel. You said that Marik wasn't particularly good at picking up social cues, so you can't be subtle about this. Just be honest. Use you words."

Ryou gave his signature-patronizing look towards Bakura, pissing him off further. This is the last time I've ever asking Ryou advice on shit like this. "Piss off." He muttered under his breath, walking ahead of Ryou. He heard his twin yell from behind. "I'm serious! Just tell him! You'll feel better!" Bakura twisted his arm around to give Ryou the bird as he continued on their way home. Sure he wanted things to progress with Marik, but he sure as hell wasn't going to tell him about his feelings. Bakura would sooner slit his wrist than admit to having a crush on Marik. Looks like I'll have to figure this out another way.

Bakura and Ryou both returned home without incident. Bakura, after getting fed up with trying to wrap his gift to Marik, decided to research instead. Ryou, shaking his head, decided to take pity on his twin and wrap it for him. The two sat in the living room as the TV played in the background, Bakura mumbling his annoyance at the lack of results. For the life of him, he still couldn't find a model of what the Millennium Puzzle looked like. Furthermore, there was no record of the Puzzle.

The closest he had gotten to results was reading up on the history of the Puzzle. Apparently, a team of archaeologists dug up the artifact several decades before. However, all the members of the dig died in rather tragic and gruesome deaths, leaving many to believe the Item was cursed. Bakura thought this was a load of bollocks, but apparently the scare the Item caused was enough for it to disappear from the public eye. It was almost as if people were afraid to bring up the Puzzle out of fear of dying as well.

What a load of crock. Bakura couldn't care less about some ancient curse – Yami could do whatever the hell he wanted with the Millennium Items. All he was interested in was getting the reward money in the end. Then he could go into retirement. Or continue his criminal investigation of the business lord. Whichever Bakura figured out he would do. It's like I have a death wish or something. It was either face an angry Marik for backing out on his promise or face an angry Ryou for backing out on his other promise. Death by brother or death by crush. Go figure.

Bakura was broken from his thoughts when he heard the phone ring. He glanced up at their apartment phone before glancing to Ryou, who was sitting next to the phone. His twin read the caller ID before turning his attention back to the book he had just opened. "One of your work friends." Bakura sighed as he stood and walked over. He stared at the machine, noticing a couple of unread voicemail messages left, most likely for him. He looked at the number as the phone ringing, trying to recall where he had seen the number.

Bakura let out a grunt of frustration as he recognized the number as Mai's. Damn nosy woman. He had completely forgotten that he was supposed to contact Mai. Sure, he had her number, but he had been busy the last few weeks with his own personal life, between Ryou and Marik alike, as well as trying to research, Contacting Ms. Valentine had been the furthest thing from his mind. He grabbed the phone before it could go to voicemail. "What do you want, Mai?" Bakura snapped, wanting to get this conversation over with.

"I didn't realize Mai gave this number out to people."

Bakura blinked, panic flooding his veins for a moment. The voice was not Mai, but instead a male voice he didn't recognize. He kept his face blank, not daring to look over at his brother. After a moment, he forced himself to calm down, trying to think who would be calling him using Mai's number. Sure, he had stolen the number off the woman, but she wouldn't be careless enough to hand her phone over to just anyone. She wasn't stupid enough to just lose her phone. The more Bakura thought about it, the more he was sure he knew this voice from somewhere. Something about the accent, such an abrasive and forced…

"… Jounouchi?" Bakura blinked, using the man's Japanese name instead of his English alias. Jounouchi was another employee and correspondent under Yami, but his role was larger and more important than Mai's. Due to a fiasco several years ago, Jounouchi took on the name of "Joseph Wheeler," however those who knew him before the incident knew and called him by his true name. It was that same incident where Jounouchi built a strong friendship with Yami, becoming his right-hand man.

This is all to say that Bakura suddenly felt very worried by this call.

"The one and only. It's been awhile, Bakura." Bakura snorted, his frustration growing. There was only one reason that Jounouchi would be calling him. And that reason was that Bakura was in trouble with their client. Damn it all. "Your accent sounds incredibly fake, 'Joey'," Bakura snapped, not caring how rude he came off. Jounouchi and him had never gotten along well. While he had a begrudging respect for Mai, who was criminal in her own right, Jounouchi was a former cop. That, alone, was reason not to trust Yami's blond minion.

He heard Jounouchi snigger on the other side of the line. "Resorting to cheap shots already? I figured you would have had enough with shots by now." Bakura blinked, stunned by the snide comment. How could he possibly know? Bakura had kept a low-profile. He hadn't gotten in touch with Mai or for that matter Yami since he retrieved the Ring. They shouldn't know about the fact that he had been injured. They couldn't have known.

"Where'd you get that idea from?" Bakura asked gruffly, trying to keep the suspicion hidden in his voice. He could hear the lazy response back from Jounouchi. "Just because you fail to keep in touch doesn't mean we aren't aware of what goes on in your life. We're giving the option to decide how we find out what we need to find out. " Bakura pinched his lips together, eyebrows furrowed. Jounouchi was really starting to piss him off.

"Are you threatening me, Jounouchi?" Bakura spat out, glaring at the floor. Fucking asshole.

"Not at all. Just reminding you of your responsibility to my client. Yami has been quite displeased with the lack of feedback from you. We've been expecting updates on your work for several weeks now."

"When there's something to report, I'll report it."

"And we have reason to believe that you have something you might want to share with Yami."

"Yeah. You share with Yami that I told him to go fuck himself."

"What a charmer. Remind me why Yami hired you again?"

"Because I'm the best in my field, damn it."

"Oh really? Then why haven't we heard from you? Why haven't you been answering Mai's phone calls? Afraid of failure?"

"Please. Unlike you, I'm not begging for another date with that she-witch."

"I'd watch what I was saying if I were you, Bakura."

"Why? Going to kick my ass for insulting your girl?"

"Hilarious. More like she'll kick your ass. Mai's vicious when it comes to revenge. Last I checked, she can handle a gun quite expertly."

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you?"

"Perhaps you'd like to learn about it when you meet with her this Wednesday."

Bakura blinked, realizing this was a set-up. Regardless of his frustration, he knew he would have to meet with Mai soon. Besides, he did need to hold up his end of the bargain to Marik. Shit. I really need to figure out my shit. Before Bakura could agree to the date, he quickly glanced to the calendar, realizing a conflict. "No can do. I'm busy Wednesday." Bakura failed to mention that he was busy celebrating Marik's birthday. Like hell he was going to miss that to hang out with Mai of all people. Sure, she was tolerable, but since he hadn't been returning her calls, she was going to a major pain in his ass over work.

"Bakura. Yami wants an update. You're gonna meet with Mai." Bakura let out a loud sigh, wanting to glare at the phone. "And I'll do that, but not on fucking Wednesday. I'm busy." He could hear Jounouchi give a hiss of disapproval. Good. He should have to suffer in this conversation too. "And just when the hell are you going to that?" Bakura flung his arms up in the air, knowing Jounouchi couldn't see him, but unable to express his anger in any other way at the moment.

"I don't know. Not Wednesday? When I have actual news to report? When I have another Item? When I have a clue as to where the fuck to begin with this damn Millennium Puzzle?" Bakura ranted out, the frustration of their lack of progress over the past few weeks spewing out. He didn't mean to reveal how little success he had found the past few weeks. Sure they had the Ring, but that and the other Items would be worthless without the complete set. And with the Puzzle being a complete enigma with nowhere to start, Bakura felt downright furious.

To his surprise, he heard a chuckle on the other line. Before he could yell at Jounouchi some more, Jounouchi dropped the bomb. "If you really have no clue where to start on the Puzzle, you should have picked up the phone sooner. We had a tip for you weeks ago, you dumbass." Bakura found himself at a loss of words. …What? This entire time, a clue to the puzzle… was literally a phone call away? In retrospect, it made complete sense to check in with his client to see if he had a lead. But after Bakura's last conversation with Mai asking about the Puzzle, he had assumed there was no further progress on their end.

This is fucking moronic.

Bakura knew by the silence on the other line that Jounouchi was having a ball. He was patiently waiting, almost smug as he anticipated Bakura's response. And he knew that Bakura would have to respond. The thief realized that Jounouchi was waiting for him to humble himself and ask for the tip. As if this wasn't degrading enough as it is. After several moments of silence, he inhaled, closing his eyes as he choked out the words. "And what might this tip be?"

He heard a satisfied huff on the other side of the line. "Check out the Domino Museum. There was a recent artifact that came into the museum that seems to be tied to the Millennium Items. If you want to know more, get your lazy ass in gear and find out yourself." Bakura didn't retort back, but nodded. He had gone to the Domino Museum in the early stages of researching the Items, but he hadn't gone there recently. One because he figured he had researched all he could there and two, because Ishizu would try to kill him.

Despite this potential life-threatening risk, Bakura knew he would have to hazard another visit to the museum. He had nothing else to go off on. He had time since Marik was busy with finals for the next few days. "Okay. I'll do that then." Before Bakura could hang up, he heard Jounouchi yell to grab his attention. "Just because you're not meeting with Mai this Wednesday doesn't mean the meeting's off. Contact Mai and give her an update on your progress. Otherwise, Mai will do what she has to do get the information she needs."

Bakura rolled his eyes at the vague threat. He was used to more explicit and dangerous threats. For all Jounouchi talked, he still hadn't gotten down how to intimidate his opponents. Perhaps he had been the good cop back when he worked in law enforcement. Bakura had no clue. "Yeah, sure. Whatever. I'll call her." He hung up the phone and slammed it on the receiver, feeling both pleased and frustrated by that call. Jounouchi really pissed him off. He would have to make good on his word or else Yami will be on his ass.

"Bakura?" He glanced over at his twin who was cautiously watching Bakura. "Everything okay?" Bakura closed his eyes as he nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. Just my client this time is a pain in the ass. Fucking prick. I can't wait for this mission to be over." Ryou raised an eyebrow but said nothing, turning back to his book. Bakura opened his eyes and watched his brother for a moment before glancing down at the computer on the floor, thinking.

The museum, huh? Well, I guess I've got to do something while Marik's busy this week…