A/N: Very long chappie. Six MS Word pages. It's a song-chappie with "You Set Me Free" by Michelle Branch. Sorry for any OOC-ness that bothers you. To be truthful, the end was hard to write >>

Disclaimer: Dun own YGO or Michelle Branch. "You Set Me Free" is Track 4 on her "The Spirit Room" CD.

Chapter 4: Set Me Free

"We could've taken a damn taxi, you idiot." Bakura huffed, leaning against the outside wall of the steakhouse. Joey grinned, panting hard as well.

"Aw, c'mon, Bakura!" he said weakly, bending over. Bakura glared.

"What, do you like seeing me worn-out?" he asked cynically. Joey blushed, not answering. He glanced at Bakura, actually finding how attractive he was when he sweated and breathed hard and looked vulnerable and—

Shut up! A voice seemed to yell inside Joey's head. He blushed harder, catching Bakura's attention. Bakura swallowed his breath, and panted again.

"You really do?" he asked, surprised. Joey heard disgust in his tone as well and wanted badly to whimper in protest. He shook his head instead. "Well, that's good. I was a bit worried there." Bakura admitted, a small blush coming to his cheeks.

Can't you see?
There's a feeling that's come over me
Close my eyes
You're the only one that leaves me
Completely breathless

Joey stood straight up, embarrassed. "Well, you don't needa be worn-out to look good…" he muttered, and grabbed Bakura's wrist again. Bakura, like before, didn't protest to this at all. He still wondered why he had grabbed the albino's hand earlier. It just…happened. And he had liked it. He loved it when Bakura had gripped back. Joey smiled, and opened the door, leading Bakura to walk in first. Bakura didn't understand why people would hold the door open for other people they didn't know or tell them to go in before them. It didn't make any sense. But he followed along with it, watching as Joey held the door open for a young couple exiting the restaurant.

Bakura stared at the couple as they had past. The girl was giggling like mad and the boy had been smiling, holding his girlfriend closer. They had cuddle-walked, as Bakura now named it, as they left the restaurant after thanking Joey. The girl had been leaning against the guy's shoulder, getting as close as she could to him. The boy had his arm protectively around her waist, smiling at her lovingly and kissing her head. Bakura usually would have been completely sickened by this, but now he had actually felt…jealous of how happy the couple was. Well, how happy they seemed, at least. For all he knew the boyfriend could have been abusive at night and loving during the day. You never knew with humans these days, really.

No need to wonder why
Sometimes a gift like this you can't deny

"Joey…why'd you hold that door open for them?" Bakura asked, looking up into deep brown eyes. Joey looked back into his crimson eyes, and smiled.

"It's polite and common courtesy." he said, tugging on Bakura's arm by his wrist. Bakura complied, walking along next to Joey.

"Why?" he asked. Joey blinked at him.

"I don't know, really. I guess it's polite because it's, well, polite to not make people push open doors when you can hold it yourself." he reasoned, smiling yet again. As he talked to the waitress, Bakura thought about what he said. When they had been seated and strangely looked at, he cocked his head to the side a bit.

"So…holding doors for people is the right thing to do?" he asked. Joey chuckled.

"You're curious. Well, I don't know if it's the right thing to do, but it's the polite thing." he explained.

"How come you don't know if it's right or not?" Bakura asked. Joey sighed, putting his face in his hands. He looked up, a wide grin on his face.

"Who knows for sure what's right and what's wrong, Bakura?" he asked. Bakura didn't reply, and looked at the table's surface. It was now that he noticed that a song had been playing in the noisy restaurant.

"'Cause I wanted to fly
So you gave me your wings
And time held its breath so I could see, yeah
And you set me free"

Bakura looked up a bit, searching for the source of the woman's voice. Joey noticed, and put his hand on Bakura's. Bakura jumped a bit, and looked back at the blond. He couldn't speak as he gazed into Joey's caring face, his brown eyes sparkling and his perfect lips parted just a bit, strands of his dirty blond hair falling into his face.

"There's a will, there's a way
Sometimes words just can't explain"

"Bakura…what's wrong?" Joey asked. Bakura's eyes had been flickering in every direction, as if inspecting something thoroughly. Bakura shook his head a bit.

"Nothing. Why?"

"You've been looking around as if you're expecting a guy with a hockey mask and butcher knife to just pop outta nowhere."

Bakura blinked. "I was just trying to figure out where that music's coming from." he said, pointing up towards the ceiling with his other hand. Joey chuckled.

"It's coming from speakers around the place. Don't worry about it." he said, giving the pale hand a quick squeeze. Bakura blushed lightly.

"Okay…" he muttered. Why am I like this!

"This is real, I'm afraid
I guess this time there's just no hiding, fighting
You make me restless"

Eventually, they ordered their drinks and food, both getting inhumanly large amounts of it.

" 'As raw as I can legally get it'?" Joey asked, snickering. Bakura rolled his eyes, leaning back.

"Whaat? I like raw meat and Ryou told me that I can't order meat raw because the restaurants aren't allowed to serve it raw!" he protested. Joey laughed.

"You're so weird, Bakura."

"Hey, you're the one who ordered dessert then lunch then an appetizer!"

"So? You ordered practically all the meat they have!"

"I can't help it if I'm some blood-craving lunatic carnivore, now can I?"

"And I can't help it if I like to order dessert before lunch."

"Touché."

And then they laughed heartily, gaining even more odd looks.

"Hoo boy, am I stuffed!" Joey announced, patting his stomach as he slouched in his seat. Bakura chuckled, using a toothpick to clean out between his fangs. He sat a bit sideways, his legs crossed and his arm rested on the table. Plates were stacked in front of them, a few of them completely devoid of any sort of food.

"Same here, pup." Bakura agreed. As the word 'pup' came from his lips, the plates were pushed aside and he now saw Joey's face flushed with both anger and embarrassment.

"What'd you call me!" he asked loudly. Bakura blinked, and went back to picking his teeth.

"Pup. What, doesn't everyone call you a dog?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"No." Joey growled. Bakura's face became more quizzical.

"Really? Kaiba does." he said. Joey flinched. "I'm confused here. I would think that if an apathetic jerk like Kaiba would call you by a nickname it must be used around him a lot or something." Joey stared at Bakura, his face now completely blank while Bakura's was questioning and serious.

"Wait…so you think…that the whole 'dog' thing…"

"I just figured it was what your idiotic friends called you and they only stopped because Kaiba started to. To me, he doesn't seem like one to just go out and give someone little pet names at random." Joey's jaw dropped. Bakura tilted his head to the side. "Am I wrong?" he asked. Joey nodded vigorously.

"Kaiba just started calling me a dog and a mutt to get on my nerves. That's all it was but then he started making wise-ass jokes about it." he said, looking down and leaning back again. Bakura narrowed his eyes at the table across the aisle.

"Sounds to me like he's got some damn crush on you." he growled. He wasn't exactly sure why he was growling, but to him it felt right with the topic he was bringing out. He didn't see Joey blush or the embarrassment on his face, only the random mental image of Seto Kaiba tied to a tree and being set on fire.

"N-n-no he d-doesn't…" Joey muttered. Bakura looked over at him.

"Why the stuttering?" he asked. Joey bit his lip.

"What makes you think he does?"

Bakura blinked, but answered anyway. "Well, calling you a dog just seems kinda kinky to me, really. Master and pet. Stuff like that. And he does that all the time and he never quits so that's just what I'm getting from it now that I know that he calls you that on his own." The ashes in his mind that used to be the CEO of Kaiba Corp. were now being burned yet again, this time drowned in gasoline first.

Joey blushed harder, and reached over to punch Bakura's arm. "Bakura…" he whined. Bakura looked in Joey's eyes, and asked solemnly:

"You don't like him…do you?"

You're in my heart
The only light that shines there
In the dark

Joey's face went entirely red. "Wh-what!"

Bakura looked down at his knees, leaving the toothpick in his mouth. "I asked if you like him." he said, this time more hesitantly. Joey didn't answer. For a long time.

"…Bakura…"

Bakura stood up abruptly, and stuffed his hands in his black cargo pants' pockets. "Tell them to put it on Bakura's tab." he said stiffly and walked quickly out the door, not offering any explanation for both Joey and himself.

It was raining. Pouring. He was running. Panting. Hurting. Lately he seemed to be running a lot. The reason mainly being for him. Bakura bit his lip. Why had he run out on Joey? Of course he wouldn't like Kaiba in that way! He hated him! But…a voice in his head kept telling him that Joey didn't hate Kaiba at all…and…that voice was usually right…it always had been to his ears…that familiar voice…

It was Marik's.

He felt as if his heart had been torn in two when he thought of the name. Just as he did, he slipped and fell, sliding along the wet cement. When he came to a stop, he didn't get up. The rain pounded mercilessly on his back, and he could felt the water seep into his shirt and pants, his body becoming cold. His hair stuck to his face, and he kept his forehead to the ground. He brought his arms closer to his head, slamming both fists to the ground. How could he be so stupid…?

"Bakura…you're an idiot." Bakura muttered. He pushed himself up, and sat on his knees, slumping forward a bit, his head hung low. His arms were lifeless at his side, and he tilted his head up towards the gray sky, not minding the water dripping quickly down on his pale face. "I hate you." he whispered. The words could be directed at anybody, from his life-long hatred of Yami to a one-second hatred to Ryou. But…right now…he was talking to the person he hated most in the world. Himself.

Bakura closed his eyes, and held his arms out to his side, taking in the drowning coldness of the beating down rain. He'd rather be with Joey, he had to admit, but right now he was trying to wash away the memories. So many of them…too many. Kul Elna…Marik…Joey…Mahaado…Ryou…Joey…the Pharaoh…Joey…Joey…Joey, Joey, JOEY, JOEY, JOEY, JOEY, JOEY, JOEY!

Bakura yelled out, catching some of the raindrops in his mouth. The one syllable echoed throughout the darkened area. His arms were still outstretched, and his head was now bent back. His white hair was pasted to his face, covering his eyes almost. He wanted to get away. He wanted to sprout wings and fly off into the distance. He wanted to be anywhere else but here. Well…he'd rather be with Joey, talking and laughing with him, but after that stupid thing he did he didn't expect Joey to take him back in so quickly. Who would?

'Cause I wanted to fly
So you gave me your wings
And time held its breath so I could see, yeah
And you set me free

Bakura stopped screaming, and opened his eyes, staring at the sky. He had really screwed himself up this time, in his mind. He ran out on a "date" on the assumption that Joey had loved Kaiba and not him when that wasn't even supposed to be an issue, and now he was screaming in the rain, dwelling on his memories. He wasn't so screwed that he'd start crying, of course, but screwed enough that he had wanted to turn back time more than he ever had in his life. He was about to stand, but the arms-outstretched-and-kneeling position seemed more comfortable. His head was still bent back, his eyes now closed, and his mouth open just a little.

How peaceful he was at that moment.

"Bakura!"

How scared he was at this moment.

Bakura slowly opened his eyes, knowing exactly who had called out to him. He brought his head back up and let his arms fall to his sides. His head hung low again, his wet hair drifting in his wet face. He heard footsteps running, and then heard a fall. He became worried, but it vanished when that person had skidded towards him, grasping his shoulders from behind.

"Bakura...what…?" Joey whispered, putting his face in Bakura's wet shoulder. Bakura stared at his knees.

"…Joey…" he whispered. Joey nodded, and shifted himself so that he was on Bakura's right, but he kept his hold on the albino's shoulders.

"Bakura…what's wrong? Why'd ya run out like that?" Joey asked frantically. Bakura didn't answer, only slumped his shoulders and leant into Joey's hold. "Bakura…" With his index finger and thumb, Joey lifted Bakura's chin, forcing him to look him in the eye. Bakura dully obeyed, staring hopelessly into Joey's concerned eyes. "'Kura, tell me what's wrong."

Bakura closed his eyes. "I don't know what's going on…" he said softly. Joey brushed the hair from Bakura's face, wanting to look directly into the face of the man he had so unexpectedly and so suddenly wanted most in the world. He didn't know that Bakura needed him just as badly.

"Bakura, please. Please tell me what's wrong. I'll try to make it better, I promise. Just please tell me what's wrong!" Joey pleaded, holding Bakura's face in his hands. Bakura slowly opened his eyes, and gave a rueful grin.

"You've done enough just being here with me right now."

When I was alone
You came around
When I was down
You pulled me through
And there's nothing that
I wouldn't do for you

"Bakura…" Joey hushed, and leant down closer, parting his lips. Bakura closed his eyes again, tilting his head up.

"Joey…"

With their breaths dying in the air, their lips met.

'Cause I wanted to fly
So you gave me your wings
And time held its breath so I could see, yeah

Joey moved his thumbs along Bakura's cheeks, bending his palms back to make Bakura's head lift farther up. He felt Bakura lean into the kiss, his hands resting on his shoulders. Joey's cheeks went red again, and he felt Bakura's go warm through the cold rain water splashing down on them. He caressed Bakura's face as he slowly broke the kiss, letting the pale lower lip slide between his pink ones. He gradually opened his eyes, welcomed with a sight he never thought he'd see…or would want to ever forget.

Bakura's eyes were still shut, his face turning a light pink. His lips were parted, and as they began to close, his eyelids began to lift. Crimson eyes bore through the darkness that the gray clouds had brought, entrancing Joey entirely. Bakura stared back, his face breaking down with confusion.

"Joey..." he started to whimper. Joey kissed him again, wanting to feel those soft lips against his again. Bakura didn't hesitate to respond, sliding his arms around Joey's neck, wrapping them in an 'X' across the back of his head, grasping on tightly. Joey slipped his arms around Bakura's waist, pulling them closer together. They didn't go further than just a little tongue, but it was enough for them both to feel light-headed.

'Cause I wanted to fly
So you gave me your wings
And time held its breath so I could see, yeah

Bakura stared at Joey, seeing something new in his eyes. He couldn't tell what it was. When he could usually read people's expressions like Ancient Egyptian text, he could barely make out the emotion in those glorious brown eyes staring back at him. He whispered the blonde's name again, and lunged forward, catching him in a hug. He buried his face in Joey's wet shoulder, holding onto him for dear life.

"Bakura…is…is this why—"

Bakura kissed him this time, the purpose mainly being to shut him up. It worked, but this kiss didn't last long. "I didn't know why at the time." Bakura said, looking Joey in the eye. "But now…now I think I do."

Joey smiled at him, hugging him. "Bakura…what can I do for you?" he asked, kissing Bakura's ear. "Another date?"

And you—

"Set me free." Bakura whispered, and went limp against Joey, giving into all his exhaustion and fatigue.