LD: I do not own YuGiOh.

Bakura: Thank Ra for that...

LD:Shove it you dessicated imbecilic maniac!

Bakura:^_^ Why thank you!

LD: -_-u

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Tea gawked at Malik. Malik returned the stare while frozen in the act of poking a mutant mold, which appeared to be slowly eating his finger. Blue into violet gazed, and both owners of the eyes were utterly synchronized in their emotions: entirely flabbergasted.

"You live here?" Malik breathed in incredulous horror.

"You're my new neighbor?" Tea gasped.

"Oh my Ra!" swore Malik, rising to his feet. The mutant mold, still devouring his finger, rose with him. Greatly agitated, Malik paced the floor, muttering furiously under his breath. Tea's eyes narrowed suddenly.

"Listen you!" Malik directed. "You are not to tell anyo-" He was cut off by the ringing sound of Tea's fist against his cheek.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" he bellowed. Tea stared at her bruised knuckles in growing terror. "You're actually here..." she whispered with growing anger.

"YOU CAN'T TELL ANYONE I'M HERE!!!" Lunging forward, she seized him by his coat and shook him fiercely. Malik felt his organs vibrate, and the mold, obdurately eating his finger, began to feel nauseous.

"Nobody knows about this but my parents and Bakura, and nobody else can know about it, and-HOLY S**T MALIK! That green blob is eating you!" All eyes riveted on the mold, who, thoroughly sick to his digestive track, fell from Malik's finger and to the floor,

where it regurgitated its most recent meal. Tea's head swiveled from the bleeding wound on Malik's finger to the mold and back. Malik examined the partially digested bits of his finger queasily.

The next moment:

"OWW!!"

Both of them had attempted to kill the unwitting mold through the very professional act of stomping, and predictably, had a deadly case of 'friendly fire'. Being faster, Tea's stockinged foot had made it there just in time to be smashed by Malik's considerably larger and booted one. Tea was furious, Malik was doomed, and the mold oozed out from beneath their feet and continued on its implacable, neon green way.

"Oh owwww," Tea groaned as she cradled the appendage to her chest-a remarkable feat of flexibility in itself. "I don't know how I'll dance with this, much less do my job.." Job? That was a surprise. Malik raised his eyebrows inquisitively. First Miss Friendship blows it at Yami and Bakura, then she divulges that she's living here without anyone but her parents and the aforesaid Bakura knowing, and now she's got a job?

"Oi, Miss Friends- um, er, I," he cowered at the glare he was currently subject to. "I- well- Let me take a look at that foot."

Tea bit her lip and slitted her eyes. "Why should I?"

Malik glowered, and then without a word reached out and grabbed it. He smirked at her, clearly conveying an unsaid 'That's why', before turning his attention to her aching foot. Prying the sock off, he noted it had not one, but three holes in it. Tea blushed as he pinned her with a curious stare.

"My parents aren't exactly...supporting my move here." Malik took another glance at the ragged sock. "I see."

Her foot had already swelled considerably. Malik ran his fingers lightly over the darkening bruises, only to hear a long hiss of breath. Glancing up at Tea, he saw her eyes were screwed shut and she had bit down on her lower lip until it bled. When she caught him looking though, Tea quickly forced her features into neutrality. "What?" she inquired in a tone that, while intended to be lofty, emerged strained.

Malik shook his blonde head and returned to his inspection. He couldn't help but feel guilty; he too understood the trials of independence, and from what he had gleaned the brunnette had it worse than him. Additionally, he couldn't help but respect her ability to withstand pain and the clear priorities he knew from past experience she upheld. Unfortunately, that only enhanced his guilt.

"Wait here," he muttered. He stood and walked briskly towards his bedroom. His unpacked bag lay on the floor, and he rummaged through it in pursuit of the bandages he brought.

Meanwhile, Tea and the mold stared at her foot. Tea did so out of startlement at Malik's behavior; the mold because it thought her foot looked rather tasty.

'He's being so nice..' Tea dazedly marveled. 'Well, I knew he had turned over a new leaf, I guess I still haven't let go of the whole mind possession deal..'

Having found the bandages, Malik returned and, turning his nose up at the mold, commenced wrapping her foot.

"Tea," and later she would remember this-the first time he said her name since the last time they met. "Nobody knows I am living here either."

She blinked, and he continued.

"I have nothing against you, and I hope that you have nothing against me. I will not tell anyone of you living here, as long as you reciprocate the favor."

He smiled lightly, tightly, pained, and her eyes gravitated wonderingly to this person who she knew and knew nothing of.

"I want to start again." And those words were simple, but Tea could empathize; her life had been headed into incongruity, monotony, tumbling into the depression that poisons the breath as you drift into sleep.

And of course, she would never turn away a new friend.

"Welcome, neighbor!" Tea smiled brightly at Malik; hesitantly he returned the expression.

Thoroughly repulsed, the mold went home before it shriveled. As it inched away, it pondered the advantages of stocking up on sunblock, shades, or simply moving in with the mushroom in the venting system- a very amiable but distant relation.

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Hey, sorry this is so late! I took the SAT today; it was so much fun!

I love all of you, and any comment is welcome! I can't wait for Christmas break.....