Hey, everyone! This is the chapter where the rest of the pairings meet! Aren't you excited?! Anyway, hope you enjoy it (And I hope I portrayed Bakura and Marik correctly..)! Thanks to those who reviewed! Warning! Sexual situations and innuendoes. This includes attempted rape, kissing, and the mention of prostitution. (Yes, I have decided to reward you wonderful reviewers with some action, because of your wonderful patience; at least it's long!)! This is rated T for a reason, people!

Chapter 5: Meetings and Emotions Part 2

Ryou looks around, realizing that he was hopelessly lost. He had made a wrong turn somewhere, and had ended up in a bad part of town. A man appears next to him, holding out a small can in his gnarled fingers. His tattered clothes hang off his skinny arms loosely. A small satchel hangs off his thin hips, looking very empty. It is tattered and old, it's strap frayed with age. Dark, leathery skin is stretched across his sunken cheekbones, his eyes bulging out from his skull. Dark bags are under eyes, showing that the man had not much, if any at all, sleep. One of his eyes is crooked and milky – an aspect of blindness. A large scar runs through his blind eye and curves around the bridge of his nose, leaving a large, pink line across his face. The other eye is a murky brown. Wispy, white strands cover his round head. A hooded cloak also covers him, giving the poor man some extra protection from the elements.

"Some money for food, sir?" the man asks, holding out the can. His voice is screechy and raspy, not necessarily pleasant to Ryou's ears.

"U-um, I'm sorry, but I-I can't." he answers softly, immediately regretting saying it. He turns away from the old man and walks away swiftly. He felt horrible; giving was in his nature, but he needed the money to buy Anzu's things. He didn't want to let her down, nor did he want to let the poor man starve. His poor soul was torn. He spins back around, his mind made up. He runs back to the man, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

"E-excuse me, sir?" he says uncertainly.

"Yes?" the man answers hopefully.

"H-here." He reaches into his pocket and grabs a few bills and places them in the man's can. "I guess I did have some money after all." Ryou murmurs and shrugs his shoulders lightly, as if trying to explain himself.

"Thank you, sir!" the man exclaims, running away happily. Ryou giggles softly, feeling much better now that he had helped that man. He turns around and walks away, entering a main road. A bright smile covered his beautiful face. He walks by quite a few people, all of them staring him intently. The smile disappears from his face, replaced by a fearful expression. Why were they staring at him like that? Some of the stares were blatantly lustful, the others were a mixture of surprise and envy. He felt kind of bad for some of them; they had no home for Kami's sake! Suddenly, a rough hand grabs his elbow, yanking him into an alleyway. A pair of hands pushes him roughly against the wall, holding him there tightly. Ryou squeaks in surprise, looking up at his attacker. It is a man who is about 5 inches taller than Ryou and very thin. Tangled, greasy hair covers his head and falls into his black, glazed, and hungry eyes. Ryou had a nagging feeling that it wasn't food that the man wanted.

"My, how pretty you are." The man slurs, his breath washing over Ryou's face. Ryou scrunches his face in disgust; the man's breath smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. The man squeezes Ryou's arms, making him whimper in fear. The man's callused hand runs along Ryou's jaw line, and his finger traces Ryou's lips. Ryou's body freezes, afraid of what the man was going to do next. The man lunges forward, smashing his lips against Ryou's abruptly, making him squeak again. Ryou immediately begins to struggle against him, his body writhing against him. The man moans into the kiss and forces his tongue into Ryou's mouth. Ryou makes a sound of protest, bucking his hips against the man's hip unconsciously in a desperate attempt at throwing his attacker off. The man stays strong, however, actually pushing back against Ryou, driving him harder into the wall. His left hand reaches down and runs over Ryou's thigh and his right grabs the back of Ryou's neck, pushing Ryou forward. Ryou sobs softly, realizing that this man was going to rape him, and no one was doing anything about it. He places his hand against the man's chest, pushing frantically. He needed to get away! Where was that homeless guy when he needed him?!

Bakura sighs, walking aimlessly down the street. There was nothing to do. Zip! Nada! Zero! This place was a dump. It was obviously the bad side of town; the people around here are homeless, drunkards, or prostitutes. Yes, some of the males are too. Unfortunately, none of them are very attractive. Some of the girls were okay, but he had always been more of a man's man, anyway (1). He pushes a drunken man as he walks by, laughing as he runs into the wall and passes out.

"Hello, gorgeous." A voice purrs near him in what the speaker obviously thought was a sexy way. He glances to the side to see a woman looking at him. Her dress is torn slightly at the bottom, revealing the dirty, ruffled layers beneath and one of her legs. It comes in tightly at her waist, making her seem thin while pushing her bust at the same time. The top part is low cut, showing her…assets quite visibly. Her eyes are a murky green and are staring openly at him with lust. Her long, blonde, unwashed hair is wavy and falls down her back. She walks forward, her boots clicking on the cobblestone street and sways her hips sexily. She walks within a few inches of Bakura and places a hand on his chest, tracing circles daintily with her pointer finger.

"So," she murmurs, "What's a fine gentleman like you doing in a place like this?" She trails her finger down his chest and stops the sash tied around Bakura's waist, looking at him suggestively. Bakura smirks, deciding that he would play along.

"Actually, I was looking for a little…fun." Bakura murmurs back, emphasizing the word 'fun', knowing that would catch her attention. Of course, she didn't know exactly what kind of fun he actually wanted…

"Really, now?" She answers, reaching up and twirling a strand of Bakura's hair in her finger. "Well, I guess you could say I am an expert on fun." She looks Bakura in the eye. Bakura pulls her against his chest, feeling her smaller body flatten against his. He bends down and places his mouth near her ear.

"What is your name?" he purrs. He feels her shiver.

"Luna (2)." She breathes.

"Well, Luna, I suppose you would be disappointed to know that I don't want to be with trash." He growls. His grip on her loosening. He wanted to give her room to let her anger out.

"What?!" she yells, pushing away from him angrily. "You jerk! You just lead me on, only to reject me?!"

"Pretty much." Bakura answers, smirking widely; oh, how he loved playing with people's emotions!

"How dare you!" she screams, swinging her hand towards his face to slap Bakura. Bakura catches her hand mid-swing, gripping her wrist tightly.

"Don't even think about it." He growls, squeezing her wrist tighter. She looks at him in fear, her body frozen. He lets her go and she bolts away from him. He watches her leave, feeling a little sad. Playing with her emotions had been his one source of entertainment.

Now what was he gonna do?

"Help! Someone, please!" a voice cries from a few feet away. He raises an eyebrow in curiosity and walks over to where the voice came from. Normally, when he heard someone ask for help, he wouldn't care – if you couldn't defend yourself, it wasn't his problem – but that voice was different. It was soft and beseeching, filled with panic and fear – a truly beautiful combination in his eyes. He rounds a corner into an alleyway, hearing a curious muffled sound. What he sees is actually not a surprise to him in this area. A nasty man who seriously needed to go take a bath – he smelled of nothing but alcohol and smoke for Ra's sake – was forcing himself on a small male. The male was pushing frantically on his attacker's chest, obviously desperate to get away. He rolls his eyes and walks forward, grabbing the man's collar. He swings the man bodily backward, towards the opposite wall. He couldn't help but find satisfaction in the loud thump that came soon after as the man slammed against the wall. He slides down the wall, lying unconscious at its base. Bakura smirks at the drunk before turning towards the boy. His eyebrows rise in surprise, disappearing behind his bangs. What he sees is a creature more beautiful than he thought possible.

The boy has beautiful, ivory skin that looked incredibly soft to the touch. His hair is long – about waist length – and cascades down his back like a dove-white waterfall. Some of the strands pool at his exposed – and entirely edible-looking – collarbone, curving around the nape of the boy's swanlike neck. Bakura's eyes travel up the boy's beautiful neck, landing on his heart-shaped face. His eyes travel to the boy's cherry red lips, which were pulled into a surprised 'o'. They looked particularly claimable to him. Bakura looks upward more to see a pair of beautiful and soulful brown eyes. They are gentle and warm, shining with relief. The boy looks up and their eyes lock. The boy's cheeks turn a pretty pink, but he doesn't look away. He definitely looked much cuter when he was blushing….

Ryou stares into his savior's deep, dark, mahogany eyes. Mischief danced wildly in them, as well a weird sense of interest. Was that towards him? He immediately felt embarrassed at his inability to save himself. His shy nature had always made him vulnerable to other people's wills. It had started ever since his father had distanced himself from Ryou and that had made him become antisocial. Meeting other people had always been a problem for him. One thing his father had given though: the opportunity to meet his friends. He could tell that the man in front of him was totally different. He's taller than Ryou – about four inches to be exact. His skin is dark; it reminded Ryou of melted caramel. His muscled shoulders are much broader than Ryou's petit ones. His face is sharper and more defined; he was obviously not from Domino. His lips are full, but not enough to make him look effeminate. A t-shaped scar runs along his left cheek, making him seem rugged. Ryou particularly liked his hair; it is thick and unruly, falling lightly on his strong shoulders. Its color is silver and shoulder length and seemed as smooth as silk.

'Like spun moonlight.' Ryou muses. He glances downward at the man's chest. A creamy shirt covered it with a just a bit of skin showing to make the Ryou's imagination go on a fangirlish tangent. A blood red jacket is thrown over top (3), looking old and worn; the man had obviously had it a long time. Two black belts – one holding a gun and the other holding some rather lethal looking daggers – crisscross over his chest; he was obviously ready to fight. Black pants cover his legs with heeled boots. A weird insignia was carved into the boots. He had seen it before, but where? He rattles his brain for an answer. It had to be something Egyptian…ah, yes! It was the Eye of Horus, the Egyptian god of the sky. It has a thick eyebrow and two lines running beneath the eyeball. A thick pupil rests in the center, as black as space. The eye rests inside a large triangle with another circle around it (4). All in all, the man had a feral and powerful air around him, the total opposite of Ryou.

"Hello, beautiful." The man purrs, a weird glint in his eye. Ryou flushes in response; the man's voice was so deep! The base seemed to vibrate through him (I am being so poetic right now!) and sent a shiver down his spine.

"H-hi." Ryou answers softly, so soft he didn't know if the man had heard him.

"What is someone like you doing in a place this?" Bakura asks, gesturing to the alley around him.

"Sh-Shopping." Ryou answers, feeling stupid after he had said it. The fact that the man raised an incredulous eyebrow just afterwards didn't help.

"Shopping?" Ryou nods. "Here?" Bakura asks, totally confused.

"W-well, not here exactly. I g-got lost." Ryou says looking down at his feet, the blush on his cheeks darkening.

"Ah." Bakura answers knowingly, smirking at the boy's stutter. He definitely made the boy nervous. He walks forward to within an inch of the boy.

"You are much cuter when you blush." He murmurs seductively. The boy looks up, gasping in shock when he saw their proximity. He jumps back, his back hitting a wall. Bakura smirks at his adorable reaction, liking the boy even more. Ryou felt like a mouse cornered by a cat. Or maybe a bunny caught by a fox. He gulps slightly, confused by the emotions running through him. He wasn't necessarily scared of the man; it was more like apprehension running through his body. What was this guy gonna do to him?

"What's your name, beautiful?" Bakura asks, purposefully hovering over him.

"I-isn't it rude to ask someone their name before telling yours?" Ryou says, surprising himself. Since when was he this confident around people?

"Hm, I suppose it is. Well, then, my name's Bakura. Now, what's yours?"

"R-ryou."

Bakura nods, filing that info into the back of his brain. Ryou looks around, avoiding the man's eyes. His eyes land on the drunk who had tried to attack him. Oh crap! He forgot to thank the guy for saving him.

"T-thank you." Ryou says shyly. Bakura looks at the whitenette in surprise.

"For what?"

"For saving me f-from that guy." Ryou answers, motioning to the drunk.

"Oh, that. Right." A smirk spreads over Bakura's face.

"You know, little Ryou, there are other ways you can thank me." Bakura murmurs, his eyes pinning Ryou to the wall.

"L-like what?" Ryou says, suddenly afraid of the answer.

"This." Bakura purrs his hand gripping Ryou's jaw. He turns Ryou's face upward, making Ryou look him in the eye. Ryou gasps as Bakura's warm mouth press against his mouth. Ryou squeaks, his body tensing. He feels Bakura's arms wrap around his waist and pull him forward. His body relaxes in the embrace involuntarily. This kiss was much different than the one that other man had given him. It wasn't as forceful, that was for sure, and he was definitely…enjoying it. He timidly places his hands on Bakura's chest, clenching the shirt in his hands. He feels Bakura's tongue brush his bottom lip, asking for entrance. Ryou timidly opens his mouth a small amount, and Bakura forces his tongue inside. Ryou squeaks again. Bakura's tongue lightly massages his own and he blushes hotly, but doesn't pull away. That felt so different but not…unpleasant. Bakura's hand travels upwards, caressing Ryou's back and, finally, his neck. Ryou feels Bakura pinch the nape of his neck lightly and gasps, his eyes snapping open. That had actually hurt…His vision blurs and he slumps forward, resting against Bakura's chest. He feels Bakura shift him slightly, supporting his falling body, before loosing consciousness.

Bakura pulls away from his little look-a-like, admiring his sleeping form. He was kind of surprised that he hadn't knocked the boy out; he was normally rough with other people. There was something about the boy in his arms; something that made Bakura want to be gentle with him. His eyes narrowly menacingly; the word 'gentle' was not supposed to be in his vocabulary. He is a ruthless pirate for Ra's sake, not some love-struck fool! He shifts Ryou in his arms and lifts him up, throwing the small boy over his shoulder. He treated all treasure this way, and the boy was definitely a treasure. There he goes again; thinking such weak, emotional thoughts. He wasn't supposed to think like that! He shakes his head angrily; he would have to delve into those thoughts later. What he needed right now was to find the way to the Dark Millenium. Thankfully, this section of town was much closer to the dock the ship was moored at, and it wouldn't take much time to get there. He walks onto the main road, ignoring the weird looks he was receiving. Their opinions didn't matter to him.

Now, which direction had he come from, again?

With Malik…

Malik looks around, admiring all the shops and people. The Domino Market was always bustling with people. Women, children, and men – either as families or by themselves – were coming from all directions. Children were getting under everyone's feet, looking in the windows of the stores in fascination at all the things they could buy. The bicycle shop was particularly popular among them; they all crowded around the window, exclaiming at the sight of the shopkeeper fixing and repairing the bikes. Suddenly, a stack of plywood comes flying towards Malik's face. He ducks just in time, thanking Ra for his good reflexes. He sends a glare over his shoulder at the large man who had almost knocked his head off. To his annoyance, the man doesn't look back or apologize.

'Jerk.' Malik thinks angrily. He walks around, looking from shop to shop. He so wanted to use the money to buy his own things, but Anzu would have his head if he did. One store catches his eye; it was the store he needed! The list that Anzu had given him was all of jewelry, and he knew jewelry pretty well (because he's always wearing it!). H steps into the shop, a little bell tinkling as he does. He looks around, admiring all the stands. What he wouldn't give to have one of those…maybe he could with a little discount…He shouldn't think that way! He had made a promise to Sogoroku that he would never steal again, even if he couldn't get it any other way. Even if the oldest Motou was dead, he was determined to keep his promise (5). Besides, he could just imagine Yugi and Ryou's reactions. Seeing their disappointment would make him feel like he had kicked a puppy! And he really liked dogs...

He pulls the list out of his pocket, running his eyes over the names. He looks around, trying to find the necklaces he needed. Ah, there they were! He rushes over and grabs the necklaces he needed. He goes to the counter and pays for them, having just enough to for them. He thanks the cashier and exits the store, the commotion watching over him refreshingly. He steps into the throng, letting himself become lost in the current. Suddenly, the bags in his hands are ripped away from him. He spins around just in time to see a scrawny boy making away with his bags.

"Stop, you little punk!" He cries, running after him. He pushes people out of the way, trying not to lose him in the crowd. Both he and the boy were going against the current of the crowd, and there was a LOT of people coming in that direction. He pushes a rotund woman out of his way, knocking the birdcage she was holding out of her hand. It crashes to the ground, bending the bars and leaving the door a jar. She screams in surprise and outrage as she also falls to the ground. The trapped bird pushes the door open with its beak, flying free. A nearby storeowner rushes forward to help the woman up, who was having trouble getting back on her feet.

"My Lady, are you okay?" he asks, placing his hand on her back to help. She swats him away angrily.

"I can get up just fine, thank you!" she yells, pushing her body forward, using the man as support despite what she said. Malik watches this scene in amazement, his mouth falling to the floor. The bird, a parrot with a green plumage and long tail feathers streaming behind it tipped in red orange and yellow and a sharp, lethal-looking beak, swirls once around Malik's head, landing finally on his shoulder

"Patsy, get back here!" the woman yells, lunging at Malik. He dodges, the bird flying off his shoulder.

"Patsy doesn't like old lady, rawk!" the bird answers, flying over their head. The woman's face turns red in anger.

"Patsy, you get down here, right now!" she yells.

"Patsy, you get down here, right now!" the parrot repeats, sounding just like the woman.

"Pasty, stop it!"

"Patsy, stop it!" Malik places a hand in front of his mouth, trying and failing to stop himself from laughing. Finally, he couldn't help it. He doubles over, laughter spilling out from him. The woman whirls around, glaring at Malik. He stops mid-laugh.

"YOU! This is all your fault!" she screams, swinging her purse at him. Malik ducks, stumbling back.

"You crazy woman, what did I do?!" he says.

"It's your fault Patsy got out and its your fault she won't come back!"

"W-what?! Did you ever think Patsy just doesn't like you? She said it herself!"

"There's no way my Patsy doesn't like me! I take good care of her!"

"Patsy is no girl, rawk!" Patsy cries from above. They look up to see Patsy perched on the eave of the shop the woman had come out of. Not surprisingly, it was a pet shop.

"No wonder Patsy doesn't like you! You gave him a girl's name!" Malik yells at her.

"Shut up, you little hooligan! GUARDS! Arrest him!" she screams, pointing at Malik accusingly.

"WHAT!?" Malik exclaims. A group of men in navy uniforms rush to the scene. Malik's eyes widen at them; there had to be at least twelve men there. There was no way he could take on all of them. Besides, assaulting a naval officer was punishable by six months in prison. He figured he would pass, thank you! He spins on his heel, running back into the crowd. He hears a screech from above, looking up to see Patsy circling overhead.

"Patsy, come back!" the woman screams, her voice fading as he made his way through the crowd. This sucks! Not only had he lost that little thief, he had guards on his tail! Patsy circles down to his level, landing on his shoulder and grabbing on with his talons.

"Get away, you stupid bird! It's your fault I'm in this mess!" Malik yells, swatting at the offending creature.

"Rawk! New master is mean, rawk!"

"I'm not your new master, you demented rat with wings!" he screams, running faster, hearing the cries of indignation of the people behind him as the guards push them out of the way. He glances over his shoulder, trying to see where the guards are.

'They're gaining ground!' he thinks frantically. He looks around for someplace to hide and catch his breath. He couldn't go on forever, you know. He feels Patsy let go, his wings beating against he ear.

"Hey!" he cries. That stupid bird has mussed his hair! It had taken him a whole hour this morning to get it perfect! A narrow alley between two shops catches his eye. He picks up his pace instinctively, seeing how close he was to the alley. Just a little faster…He rushes in, pressing himself up against the wall. He places his hand on his heart. He could feel it beating against his chest rapidly. The guards come close to the alley, stopping in front of it. He scrunches back against the wall, holding his breath. They look around for a few agonizing seconds before running past. Malik releases his breath and slumps against the wall. He lays his head back against the brick, closing his eyes in relief. Suddenly, he hears someone laugh deeply nearby, startling him. He spins around and gasps. The owner of the laugh was not what he had expected.

The laugher, who was very obviously male, stands at about five feet, eleven inches tall. His hair is the same sandy blonde as Malik's, just in a different style; Malik's laid flat against his back, whereas this guy's definitely did not. His hair shoots from his scalp in gravity-defying spikes that fan out around his head. Small strand of hair rest lightly on the back of his powerful neck. Long bangs fall into his eyes, shrouding them in a slight shadow.

And, by Ra, those eyes!

They are a dark violet and seem even darker because of the shadow cast over them. A sort of childish glee shines in them, giving them some light, but not much. They are narrow and almond-shaped, showing he was probably not from Domino. Most likely, he was Egyptian. Two thick lines of kohl had been drawn beneath his eyes. They run down and curve around his high cheekbones. An insane smile played on his full lips, revealing a white fang. His chin is strong and defined as well. Malik's eyes run over the man's muscled shoulders, and down to his chest. The plum colored shirt was hiding what Malik could potentially see of his chest, except for a small section in the front. The sleeves seemed to have been ripped off, the ends frayed a bit. Long muscled arms protrude from the sleeves with a golden bracelet covering his left bicep. It is in the shape of a ball with a giant, thick-lidded eye in the center. The band circles around the muscle, meeting at the sides of the ball. Two outspread wings come from the side, making it seem like the ball could fly away at any second (6). Black pants cover his legs, hugging them in all the right places. These pants are tucked into black leather, heeled boots. The whole look made the man seem pretty sinister.

"Who…who are you?" Malik says warily. He did not like the feelings he felt towards the man; he had never been attracted to someone – especially a stranger – so quickly.

"I am Mariku (7). Who are you, kitten?" the man purrs walking towards Malik.

"St-stay where you are! A-and don't call me kitten!" Malik yelps, backing away. Marik smirks at his pretty little look-a-like's reaction. The blonde was trying to seem tough, but he was so obviously nervous around him it was cute. He walks forward, laughing mentally as the blonde backs up.

"Come on, kitten! I don't bite." Marik smiles insanely. "Much." He adds, enjoying the freaked out expression on the blonde's face. His beautiful eyes had widened in surprise, his pretty mouth gaping open. He could even see the boy's pretty pink tongue, just begging to be played with (8). In fact, everything about this boy is pretty! His hair falls gently down on his shoulder like a waterfall of sand, framing his face gently. His eyes – which had been filled with such fire before – are a beautiful mix between lilac and lavender. Surprise dances in those depths, along with barely concealed attraction and nervousness, making him look like a cornered lion. Marik would definitely have fun bringing that attraction to the surface. He had a feeling that being with the boy would be rather wild. A tight, light-purple shirt covers his chest; its proximity against the boy's skin made it so that if the blonde arched his back just a little, his caramel stomach would be exposed. Tight black pants cover the boy's legs, ending in black boots. Mariku places his hands on either side of the boy's head, making him scrunch back against the wall.

"St-stay away from me, you freak!" The boy yells shakily, his eyes darting from Mariku's face to his hands. Marik smirks; the boy was a brave one alright. That wasn't the first time someone had called him a freak, but the only ones who had that were still alive are his friends and this boy.

"But what if I don't want to, kitten?" Marik murmurs, tracing his finger along the boy's pink lips. The boy snaps at his finger, glaring up at him defiantly.

"Too bad. Didn't I tell you not to call me 'kitten'?"

"Well, what would you like me to call you?"

"Malik would be nice."

"Hm, nice name, Malik-kun." The boy rolls his eyes at the honorific, but lets it slide. That was not his main problem; his main problem was getting away from this insane man and his eyes.

"You're very pretty." Marik says out of the blue. Malik blushes immediately.

"Um, thank you?" he says uncertainly. What was this guy trying to pull? Flattering him would not help him with what he was trying to do. Whatever that was.

"So pretty," he says, "that I think I just might have to take you with me."

"Okay." Malik's brain finally processes those words, and his eyes widen.

"WHAT?!" He yelps in surprise. Marik smirks and scoops the blonde up, throwing him over his shoulder carelessly.

"H-hey! Put me down!" Malik yells, banging his fist against the Marik's back. His protests fall on deaf ears. Marik shifts Malik suddenly, his shoulder jutting painfully into Malik's stomach.

"Hey, watch it you jerk!" Malik cries. He twists his body around and glares at the back of Marik's head, crossing his arms and huffing angrily. How dare this idiot kidnap him like this?! He glances around as they walked. Where are all the people? Didn't anyone see this guy carrying him like he was a sack of potatoes?!

With Aiko…

Aiko sighs and looks for the hundredth time around this bar she had wondered into. Normally, bars really weren't her style – she had never drank any alcohol before – but she was bored, and she had had a while before she had to go back to the fort. She enjoyed being out in the city. Grandpa (9) hadn't let any of them out of the fort much, especially when they were children. Her eyes darken at the thought of the sweet old man. He had been the only father she had ever had. She gently kicks her bags under the table sadly. Anzu would have to deal with it if her things weren't in mint condition.

"Excuse me, Miss?" a voice asks gently. She looks up from her glass in surprise. In front of her is a young boy – at least, he looks like a boy. He only came to about three inches above the table, but his face seemed much older than a young boy's would. He looks at her with expectant almond-shaped, green eyes, waiting for her order. He pushes his fire-red hair back impatiently, revealing his ears. Her eyes stick to the ears immediately. They are long – about three inches, to be exact – they pull together into a sharp point at the end. Basically, this guy looks like an elf. He sighs softly.

"Ma'am, could you please quit staring? It's kinda rude." Aiko's eye widen.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I couldn't help it; your ears are so cute." She explains sheepishly. The boy looks at her in surprise. When he realizes she was sincere, a bright red blush spreads across his freckled cheeks, standing out against his pale skin.

"Th-thank you. Is-is there anything you need?" he says, obviously fighting down the blush. Aiko giggles softly (10).

"More water would be nice, thank you, um, what's your name?"

"It's Jaerkin (Jay-er-kin), ma'am." Aiko smiles warmly.

"Thank you, Jaerkin." She hands him the glass. He takes it from her, nodding politely. He turns around, leaving her alone again.

"Hello." A deep voice says near ear, warm breath washing over her neck. She turns in surprise, squeaking when she realizes that a man's face was less than an inch away from her face.

"H-hello." She stammers, her face turning red.

"May, I sit there?" he asks motioning towards the seat next to her.

"S-sure." She says in a small voice. He smiles and walks around the table, taking the opposite seat. She releases a breath she didn't know she had been holding, glad about their lack of proximity. She had never been that close to a member of the opposite sex before, besides her friends and Grandpa, but they were family. She glances over at him out of the corner of her eyes, watching him look at a menu and admiring the way the light illuminated his eyes. It made his dark, smoky-gray orbs light up, giving him a gentler look. Black strands fall into his hypnotic eyes, caressing his forehead lightly. The rest of his hair is pulled back in a thick braid with a lanyard adorned with beads intertwined in the strands and falling on his strong back. A cream colored shirt covers his chest and strong shoulders. A small triangular section rests just near his neck, the two ends of the drawstring hanging loosely down. The string was lax, revealing a small section of his chest. His olive skin is smooth, without a scratch. Aiko looks away, realizing she had been staring too long. Aiko places her hands in her lap, forcing her eyes away from him and fumbling with the fabric of her dress.

A pretty, buxom waitress comes up soon after, smiling sweetly at him.

Aiko looks up to receive the waitress, but her eyes were only for the man next to her. Her dress is lower-cut, showing off her curves. She leans forward ever so slightly, giving him a perfect view of her bosom. To Aiko's surprise, his eyes don't even glance down at the waitress's chest. He looks the waitress in the eye the whole time while she is taking his order, giving her a smile that Aiko could tell was fake. The waitress bats her eyelashes in what she thought was a sweet way and walks away, her hips swaying unnaturally. Aiko had been able to catch the frown lines in her forehead just before she left.

'Well that was weird.' Aiko think in surprise. Any other man would have been just barely able to keep himself from openly ogling her. His sense of self-control made her like him even more. Suddenly, her eyes lock with a pair of gray orbs. She blushes when she realizes she had been staring again. She averts her gaze to her lap shyly. Great! Now, he would think she was a stalker or something!

Matsuo smirks at the girl's reaction. The genuine attraction he had seen in her innocent eyes had been much more interesting than the obvious want in that waitress's eyes. He had been eyeing her from the moment he had slipped into this little bar; he had already mapped out the south end of Domino and had come to the bar for some relaxation. What he had found, though, was much more interesting. It had taken him a few minutes to get the courage to come up to her and even longer when that waiter had come up to her. He smirks at the idea of him, a fearsome pirate, being too nervous to talk to a girl who had turned out to be so shy. Admittedly, though, she was very pretty. He looks appreciatively at her face; he could see only part of it, but he had seen enough of it before to know. Her eyes are a dark, forest green and openly showed her emotions. In his profession, that was a trait that could mean death. He watches as the light dances along the waves of her chestnut hair. It falls lightly on her petite shoulders, falling forward and covering her eyes.

"What's your name?" Matsuo asks on impulse. He wanted to see her eyes again. She looks up in surprise, her mouth slightly ajar.

"Um, it's A-aiko." She says softly, pushing strands of her hair behind her ear shyly.

"What a pretty name." He answers, relishing in the blush that spreads across her cheeks. His gaze moves down to her full mouth. He had never seen prettier lips before…

"Th-thank you. What's yours?" she murmurs, looking up at him expectantly. His gaze snaps back to her eyes and he smirks, despite the nervousness he felt. He couldn't give his real name – it was too well known. He had to think up a nickname…

"It's Mat." He answers finally. She smiles gently, fidgeting with the choker around her neck. His gaze drops to the jewelry in interest. The ribbon is a light teal with an ivory stone in the center. A thornless rose is carved into the stone; the craftsman had obviously been a professional. The ribbon is trimmed in off-white lace. His gaze travels down her slim neck, down to her dress. The top comes up to just blow her neck, the lace fanning out daintily around it. White buttons run from the top of her dress all the way down to just below her bust line, drawing the eggshell-white fabric in. Sleeves of the same color cover her slim arms. She was the first woman that he had seen in a long time that did not flaunt what she quite obviously had. There was no denying that the young woman was well endowed, but she didn't show it off to everyone, like that waitress.

"So, what's someone like you doing in a bar?" he asks nonchalantly.

"Well, I-" before she could finish answering, a red head pops up.

"Here's your water, Miss." The waiter says, smiling shyly at her. Feeling the heated glare on his head, the waiter turns, noticing the man sitting next to Aiko.

"Sorry for interrupting." He says sheepishly. Aiko smiles warmly, drawing both men's attention.

"It's alright, Jaerkin. Thank you for the water." He smiles happily at her answer.

"Your very welcome, ma'am!" he walks, away beaming brightly.

"As I was saying-" Aiko is cut off again as the young waitress returns placing a glass of water in front of him as well.

"Here you are, sir" she purrs. He nods, still a little miffed.

"Thank you." He says flatly. She looks disappointed and walks away in a huff.

"Anyway, what I was trying to say was, I wanted to see what a bar was like."

"Really? And what is it like?"

"Smelly, hot and smoky." She answers, scrunching her nose in disgust. He laughs heartily at her answer; that had had to be the cutest expression he had ever seen.

Aiko smiles happily; she had made him laugh! She looks up at the wall on the other side of the bar, unconsciously checking the time. Her eyes widen in surprise.

"Oh no!" she says in surprise, standing up abruptly. She sees Mat's eyes widen in surprise and standing as well.

"What's wrong?" he says. Wait, was that worry in his voice? Nevermind; she didn't have time to worry about that.

"My friends are expecting me by back home in ten minutes. I have to hurry before Ryou and Yugi freak out." She says, saying the last part more to herself. He stands up, pushing in his chair.

"Here, let me walk you home; there are some bad people out there at this time of night, and it wouldn't be good for a girl to be out alone." He says, forgetting to mention the fact that he was one of those people. Aiko smiles gratefully at his suggestion, reaching down and picking up her bags from under the table. He pushes in her seat politely. She places a few bills on the counter, enough for their drinks and a tip. He leads her towards the door, opening it finally for her when they reach it. She murmurs a shy 'thank you', ducking under his arms and out the door. Matsuo closes door gently, walking calmly alongside her. They walk in silence for awhile, him letting her take the lead. The only sound is the light clicking of her white, lace-up boots on the cobblestones. His shoes make no sound at all; he had learned to walk so they wouldn't.

"So, where do you live?" he asks, breaking the silence. Aiko muses over the question; should she answer correctly, or not? It was bad to tell strangers where you live, but she felt like she could trust the guy. And besides, she lived in a military fort; it is the safest place in the entire city. It has the most advanced security system in town.

"In the military fort just south of here." She answers, making up her mind.

"Hm. That's nice." Suddenly, the sky erupts in a bright light. They both look up, stopping in surprise.

"I didn't know that Domino was shooting off fireworks today…" she murmurs.

"They're not." Matsuo says, smirking slightly. He knew that signal; someone, most likely Yami, had sent off a flare, telling him he needed to get to the ship and fast.

"Follow me." He says, grabbing her arm.

"B-but the fort's that way!" she yells, pointing to the other direction. As she points, her bags fly off, landing loudly on the floor. Matsuo doesn't answer, just pulls her along. They rush down the main road, jutting into the side streets.

"Wait, Mat!" She yells, tugging on his sleeve. He stops abruptly, making her fall into him. He wraps his arms around her waist to steady her. She blushes when their bodies mold against each other.

"Yes?"

"Wh-where are we going?" she says timidly.

"To my ship."

"Sh-ship?"

"Yes, ship. Sorry, but I have to take you with me."

"T-take me with you? Wh-why?"

"Because you've seen me. Oh, and my name's not Mat."

"Wh-what? It's not?" Aiko's face contorts in confusion.

"Nope. Goodnight." He says softly. He whips something out of his pocket. Before Aiko could see what it was, she feels a sharp pain in her neck. She gasps in surprise, her vision getting blurry. Her eyes flutter closed and her goes limp against Matsuo. He catches her, scooping her up bridal style. He looks at the piece of metal in his hand. It was crafted into a small, metal dart with a skinny shaft and a round, bulbous top. The tip is razor sharp, and there are three fins coming off the side. Seto had made it that way, saying it would be better 'aerodynamically.' Personally, he didn't know about nor did he care about aerodynamics. That was Seto's job. He scoops her up bridal style, sticking it back into his pocket (11). She was definitely lightweight. He walks quickly towards the south; the flare had been released for a reason, and it was probably bad. He shifts so she would be more comfortable in his arms. He glances down, admiring her sleeping face. Despite the fact that kidnapping her was illegal, he was totally glad he had. If he had his way, she would be his very soon.

NOT PART OF THE STORY:

No.1: This phrase means basically means that, although he does like girls, he like guys better.

No.2: I actually like this name, but I couldn't think of any other name, so I gave to her.

No.3: I'm kinda basing Bakura off of Akefia from the Memory arc, and I'm pretty sure he had a red jacket in it, which is where this came from.

No.4: Basically, this insignia is kinda like the Millenium Ring, just on his boot. I am going to put the Millenium Puzzle for Yami in here somewhere, I just don't know where.

No.5: I guess you could say that I wanted Malik to be like a recovering kleptomaniac, because he had to steal to survive when he was younger.

No.6: It's he has the Millenium Rod without the stick for his bracelet. I think it's pretty cool, and I wanted to have it in there somewhere.

No.7: I'll explain the difference between saying Mariku and Marik in the next chapter.

No.8: I have to admit, I blushed when I first typed this. I am definitely making Marik a little perverse, and I wanted to put something in there that would foreshadow that. This was the first thing that popped into my head! XD

No.9: Yugi's grandpa had taken Aiko in when she was a baby, and him and her friends are the only real family she's ever had, so she can call him 'grandpa.'

No.10: Yes, she is basically flirting with the dude, but she isn't doing this on purpose.

No.11: I wanted them to be like tranquilizer darts, so he would have a reason to carry them around. He uses them when he doesn't want to fight, basically.