A/N: Hmm, I have to say that I really do enjoy this chapter, it was surprisingly fun to write. No, Yugi and Atemu don't show up in this chapter but... well, this chapter was just to move stuff along a bit before the dinner. Which will definitely be in the next chapter, I promise. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the character, nor will I ever own either of those. Well, thanks for the reviews, the alerts, and the favourites. Please, review again or for the first time, though!

Oh, and I would have posted this days ago but wasn't letting me add any chapters to this story. It was rather annoying, if I do say so myself.

Reflection
Chapter 5: Changing Thoughts

Seto Kaiba was one of the most influential business men in the City of Domino. Much to his displeasure, this also meant that he was a very busy man who had next to no time to spend with any of his family, and that included his precious little brother, Mokuba. Never mind having enough time to do some of the smaller jobs such as hiring employees at one of his 5 different 5 star restaurants throughout the city, or at any of the other places that he owned. That was what managers were for, or in some cases, Mokuba. And if anything wasn't going as well as it should have been, then the managers were fired. End of story.

So, with him being such a busy, influential business man, how come it took only one simple statement from his aunt to convince him to go to the dreaded family dinner that his aunt had put together? Being the middle of July, it wasn't as if it was anywhere near a holiday, and Mokuba hadn't even heard a single word about the dinner yet. No, the only plausible reason that he was going to this dinner was because of one Yugi Mutou, his cousin who had finally escaped from that unknown town that his uncle had dragged the boy off to.

"Mokuba, I received a phone call from Aunt Suzuki early this morning. She is inviting the two of us to go to a special family dinner this Sunday evening. Apparently, she would really appreciate it if we showed up for once," he explained to the lazy 15 year old.

"Aw, do I really have to go? It's going to be really boring, and you could always go and say that I caught the flu or something like that. What's the special occasion for it, anyways? Aunt Suzuki hates putting these things together just as much as we hate going, so she better have a really good reason," Mokuba complained, from his very comfortable spot on the couch.

"As it turns out, Yugi apparently moved back into town late last week, and will also be going to the dinner with us, but as the guest of honor. I hope that you won't find it too boring with him there."

From the other side of the room, Seto could see the way that Mokuba had brightened up at the mention of finally getting to meet his other cousin that he had heard so much about. Seeming that Yugi had moved from Domino City when Mokuba had just been 2 years old, his little brother had no memories of the younger twin. To the dark haired teen, he was just a character that starred in all of the stories that Atemu told him and he couldn't wait to be able to picture Yugi as a real person.

"Atemu always used to tell me that Yugi was one of the kindest people that he knew. Seto, can you tell me if he was telling me the truth about that, or did he just think that because Yugi is his twin brother?" the black haired teenager asked, innocently.

"There is no way that Yugi could be anything but kind, Mokuba. After all, our cousin isn't the only one that thinks the younger of the twins is one of the most kind-hearted people in the world. In fact, I'm sure that everyone that knows him thinks that," Seto responded.

The answer seemed to please the younger of the Kaiba brothers, a lot. However, much to Seto's extreme disappointment, this wasn't nearly enough to satisfy Mokuba's curiosity and instead only brought on more and more questions. The oldest wasn't about to get much more work done today, if things kept going as they were. Not that anyone but him would be even the slightest bit annoyed about that. The brothers barely got to spend any time together nowadays.

"The kid actually isn't with you today, Ryou? I thought that the two of you were almost joined at the hip with how much time you guys have been spending together. And this is two days in a row, even," Bakura commented, as he walked into the small café.

"Well, Atemu was working the morning shift today, wasn't he? So, the two of them decided to go out for lunch at an actual restaurant somewhere downtown. While the two of them were out, I had been just lying around my apartment all by myself, and so I just decided that I would come over here to see if you were here too," Ryou explained to him.

The older one nodded and started to make the coffee that Ryou always had whenever he had happened to stop at the café for one reason or another. His usual cinnamon bun was already on a plate and sitting on the counter, anxiously waiting to finally be eaten. And that was what Ryou started to do, immediately.

"So, how has your day been so far? Apart from coming here and seeing, because we both know that that has been the highlight of your day so far," he asked, with a smirk.

"Truthfully? It's been unbearably boring all morning without a single person to tease or bother. Though, I have to admit that you were right about this being the highlight of my day so far, because my day's starting to turn around a bit more now that you're here," Ryou answered, brightly.

And just like that, Bakura's day started to slowly turn around too, bit by bit, starting with how much he enjoyed the smile on the other's face. Then the annoying coworker that he was forced to work with was still his annoying coworker but it didn't seem to get to him as much. The lack of customers that had made this place boring so many times in the past, now made it peaceful and serene. And that damn horrible rut that he had been in for the last few months, bordering on a year, just seemed to disappear. And it was all because of this one boy. But Ryou didn't stop talking there, much to Bakura's surprise.

"And you know, I really am glad that I chose to come to this city instead of any other one out there. But not because here is the place that has all of the things that I craved for its schools, or the feel of the city. I'm actually glad that I came here because I was able to meet Yugi, Jono, and Atemu, but most of all, I'm glad I came to this city because I got to meet you, Bakura. I can't say that I've ever been this close to a person or felt this way before, even if we've only really known each for about a week. It feels like it's been so much longer than that," Ryou admitted, looking him in the eyes.

He wasn't at all oblivious to what Ryou was trying to tell him, he had received a lot of love confessions in the past 5 years or so, but he had answered "no" to each and every one of them. This time though, waves of unknown feelings poured through him, and all he was left with after that was confusion. Not at what Ryou was trying to tell him, but at himself for actually feeling these things. Not once had he ever thought about returning the feelings of somebody that had confessed to him.

"Ryou," he started, placing his hand on the younger's arm form across the counter "I can't truthfully say that I know what exactly my feelings towards you are, at the time, like you seem to be able to do. I'm really confused about it, actually, but one thing that I do know is that I want you to give me a shot at this. So, how would you like it if I took you out on a date tonight, just the two of us? I can pick you up at about 6."

The younger white haired man smiled at Bakura, cheerfully. It was truly nice to know that there was even the slightest possibility that the feelings he had towards the cashier could be returned, in time. Sure, the troublemaker had the habit of being a bit of a jerk most of the time, but the way that even the absolute worst of situations didn't seem to deter him even a bit, just drew him into Bakura, more and more. And who really knew what the future had in hold of them, and if this crush would turn into either "love" or "hate".

"There's absolutely nothing else that I would like to do with my evening, other than go out to dinner with you. So, yes, I would definitely love to go out on a date with you. And thank you so much for understanding and at least trying to return the feelings, and also for accepting me the way I am," he answered, quickly sliding over top of the counter and embracing the other.

Before Bakura got the chance to respond to his antics, he took it another step farther and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. He let Bakura almost completely support his weight and then let his feet completely touch the ground. It seemed next to perfect how his head was at the absolute perfect place to lean against Bakura's shoulder. It took Bakura a couple moments to get over the shock, but once he did, he returned the embrace with one arm around his waist, and the other arm around his back.

He smiled softly as he was pulled closer into Bakura's chest.

He was accepted.

She was nowhere near sure what on earth had actually convinced her to go on this stupid date, well, other than the obvious free meal, and then maybe some free clothes or something afterwards. But for whatever reason (most likely her own greed), here she was, sitting across from the same annoying blond that had been filling most of her nights, at some ridiculous café that apparently that Yugi kid's older brother worked at. Not that said older brother was even working at the moment. Still, she was completely bored out of her mind, with Jono ranting on about one thing or another. She really didn't care.

Suddenly, a hand was being waved right in front for her face, which she promptly smacked away without another thought.

"Hey, Mai, are you feeling okay? You were really out of it for a moment or two. I thought that I had lost you there, for a second," the somewhat familiar voice asked.

He never had her in the first place, but that wasn't something that he was supposed to know. "I am completely fine, Jono. Why does it even matter, anyways?" she asked, easily removing the anger from her voice.

"It was nothing really important, I had just been in the middle of asking you an actual somewhat serious question, for once," she motioned for him to go on, "I have been wondering lately, why did you choose me out of all the handsome guys in that club, the night that we had first started this 'relationship'."

Well, that was good at the very least. He actually realized that this wasn't in any means an actual exclusive relationship between two people, or at least a normal one. And as for the question, well, he had looked like a complete sucker who would undoubtedly provide her with a place to stay for the night, a bit of food, and then a bit of money straight from his wallet. Not that she could ever tell him something like that. She doubted that he had figured out that she was stealing from him because he was after all, a bit on the dumb side.

"As you well know, I can't really remember why I was drawn to you that night, I had been really intoxicated," the truth, "Maybe it was the way that you seemed to think that you were better than absolutely everyone else in the whole place," she answered, desperately trying to ignore the cashier and his boyfriend who were over at the counter, cuddling.

It was a complete lie and a rather bad one too. It was doubtful that he would actually notice something like that though. The truth actually was that way he always seemed to think that he was better than everyone else seemed to annoy her on a way too regular basis. In fact, she completely despised it.

"I can't really say that I remember why I was drawn towards you that night, either. My theory about it though, was that despite you obviously being one of the most stunning people in the room, I had wanted you to stop looking so lonely while you stood there, surrounded so many people," Jono explained, completely shocking her.

How the hell was it that someone like him was actually able to see through the act that she had so carefully put up? Why was it some idiot that completely annoyed her, the person that finally saw through it and actually cared enough to try and find out why she looked so lonely, even while being drunk? Suddenly, the thought of his knowing wasn't one that shocked her whatsoever, but one that completely angered her. He was just a stubborn little kid who was completely naïve and had absolutely no idea about any of the many things that she had gone through, all of her life. He had no fucking clue.

"How dare you even try to understand all of the horrible things that I've been through? So what, I looked a bit lonely, why would you even care about some complete stranger who just happened to look a bit lonely? You're just some naïve little boy who has most likely had absolutely everything given to him on a silver platter!" she hissed at him.

Before she was able to finish her rant, she was cut off by a sharp stinging in her left cheek, and she desperately tried to blink the tears of pain away. Once she finally gained the courage to look back up at Jono, she no longer saw a naïve little boy but instead a strong man who had had his fair share of hardships throughout his life. That was the moment when she realized that while he knew absolutely nothing about her, she also knew nothing about him or his life.

"Yes, Mai, I know that I didn't have any real reason to want to find out why you looked so damn lonely that night but I had been fucking drunk! However, you have even less of a reason to judge me because you really have no fucking clue what my childhood was like. I may not have had it as bad as you obviously did, but did you know that I was ignored by my parents for years in favour of my little sister, Shizuka? And that because of that, I used to suffer from depression, in fact, I only got over it about 3 years ago. No, I bet you didn't know any of that. Right now, I doubt that you even cared," Jono snarled, in a low, oddly calm voice.

Mai didn't respond, choosing to simply stare into her drink, whishing that Jono and everyone else in the stupid café would just go away and leave her alone. It was just plain humiliating the way that the stares directed at her just kept reminding her of everything that she had just done wrong. As much as it pained her to even think, Jono had been right about that, it wasn't her right to say anything like that.

"Look, Jono, I think that we should just leave this place, and go our separate way for today. Obviously, we both need a bit of time to cool down. I'll phone you in a few days or so," Mai suggested.

"I agree with you that it's for the best that we just leave before either of us does something that we will regret later on. However, I think that it would be even better if I phone you instead of the other way around, Mai," Jono responded, before getting up and leaving her behind at the table.

She sat there for a moment, once again completely stunned. Nobody had ever walked away from her like that. Well, nobody had except for that woman, many years before. Who the hell did this guy think he was? She had never once before met a guy quite like him, and she had met a lot of guys.

"Hey, Jono, wait up for a second before you leave! Do you happen to remember that bet that we made a couple of days ago, about Bakura asking me out before or after Yugi had dinner with Atemu and his mom? Yeah, well, guess what happened? Bakura asked me out earlier today, so you just happen to owe me $20," Ryou called, from the other side of the counter.

"Really, well, congratulations then, you two, I never actually thought that I would lose that bet. Oh well, a bet is a bet, and it just so happens that I got $20 out of the bank just earlier today," Jono answered, relaxing a bit.

He saw Mai visibly tense up out the corner of his eye but thought nothing of it as he pulled out his wallet. By the time that he had opened up his wallet though, the blonde liar was already out of her seat and almost at the door. Her odd reaction was amazingly easy to figure out once he had figured out that the $20 he had undoubtedly put in there just earlier had completely disappeared, just like all of the cash he had been putting in his wallet had been.

"Don't you even dare move another foot, Mai Kujaku. I have a very important question to ask you. Is it true that you are not only an assuming little bitch but also a filthy thief and a liar, as well? I just heard about this a few moments ago but I'd like to hear it straight from your mouth, if possible," Jono demanded, in that strange calm voice from earlier.

"Damn it, Jono, you have no idea why I did it-," she tried to say.

But unfortunately, that was all that the blond man had to hear.

"Don't you fucking dare try to give me some fucking half-assed excuse, Mai! Sure, I don't know why you fucking stole from me but do I actually want to, damn it? You could have actually asked me or anyone else for money or you could have gotten yourself a job!"

He let out a frustrated yell before storming out of the small café, leaving behind 2 of his friends that were completely shocked, and a beautiful blonde woman that he'd probably never phone back.