Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Kazuki Takahashi does... bows down and worships clever genius who has earned a load of money being inventive.

A little note: The money asked for before was 200,000 ¥, which is a bit over £805 I believe. The 400,000 offered below is around £1610.

Warnings: Um, well a lot of strong language and a little violence; not that there hasn't been any already I might add…

… PREVIOUSLY …

Wait! This was a direct challenge, and Ushio was going to make the squirt pay - Yuugi was a walkover; he had to be taught a lesson. Had to be taught order. Everyone knew that! So why was Ushio trembling?

'I accept,' he sneered, 'I can beat whatever lame game you come up with Yuugi-kun.'

Yami merely smirked, 'Ok, listen to what I tell you very carefully…'

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'…I have not only managed to obtain the money that you asked for, but I have also raised it to 400, 000 ¥…'

Too bad that this money is only going to be an illusion made up of the blank cheques Yuugi has somehow got in his bag, but It'll do for what I have in mind…

'What!?' Ushio spluttered, 'You cretin! You could have just given me the money you owed to avoid your punishment! You silly little bastard - Now I'm going to have to take the rest off you as well.'

Yami let out a small, unimpressed sigh, inspected his fingernails and gave Ushio a twisted grin.

'Oh, but I forgot, and it wouldn't be any fun to simply hand the money over now, would it? This is much more entertaining, you see, the object is, you have to control your greed. All that is needed is that knife which you have hidden in your pocket and this stack of notes.' Yami wafted the cheques underneath Ushio's nose in a teasing fashion. Ushio thought he was seeing the 400,000 ¥ Yami had promised. He was starting to feel avarice.

Ushio was also starting to get peeved. First Yuugi had told him he did not have the money and now he was saying that not only did he have the money, but that he had double the amount that had been demanded, and that in order for Ushio to have it he had to play some demented game involving his knife and the money itself. Ushio didn't have a doubt in his mind that Yuugi was completely mad.

'What the fuck can you even play with a knife and a load of Yen? I don't see any reason for me not to simply kick the shit out of you and take it right now.' The words were accompanied by a sneer.

'You will accept Ushio, because you know that you can beat me,' Yami continued unfazed, his eyes glinting dangerously.

'Everything is prepared, and the game is quite simple. Each player takes their turn putting the money on top of their hand and stabbing at it with the knife. The player may only keep the money that he manages to stab in the one attempt he has per turn, and he must always take more than one note.'

Here Yami paused to enable himself to inspect Ushio, who was listening intently, despite his display of scorn. The leer and amused expression seemed to satisfy the spirit.

This is going to be too easy… he's reacting exactly how I expected…

'The game thus continues until the last note has been claimed by a player. The challenge is to take as much money as possible whilst still honouring the rules. If a player tries to take the money by hand or quit the game in the middle, he loses and forfeits all previous money obtained to the opponent.'

Yami raised one well-shaped eyebrow. It may have been possible that on his more solitary moments, he was accustomed to pluck them. No one ever said that Yami wasn't a little vain.

'Doesn't that sound interesting enough to tempt you, Ushio?' He purred gently.

Ushio stared at him stunned for a moment longer, unable to believe that the person standing before him really was Yuugi. Then he burst into derisive laughter. It punctuated his speech every so often as he gave his response.

'Huh!' He snorted, 'It is just a test of courage. I will take you down.'

Yami's lips twisted upwards in approval. 'Then you accept.'

'Before we begin, I must warn you: this is a Yami-no Game. Should you break the rules, a penalty game shall then decide your fate.'

'Whatever,' Ushio dismissed Yami's warning without even thinking about it - what could Yuugi possibly do to him? - 'Let's get started. We can do Ro-Sham-Bo to decide who starts first.'

Yami nodded in assent. The outcome of the contest went in his favour; Ushio had chosen rock, Yami had chosen paper. Paper being superior to rock meant that he could go first. He took the knife and placed the sheaf of notes over his left hand. Pressing down relatively hard, but not so hard so as he had to worry about impaling his hand (or Yuugi's to be more precise), Yami managed to slide the knife in a good way, the wad making a small ssshhhuk sound as he did so. He gained around ten notes. It wasn't as many as he had been expecting, but it turned out that a wad of notes wasn't so easy to stab.

Still, I survived my turn, which was all I needed to do.

Yami was left untroubled by his performance.

'Okay, Your turn!'

Ushio, already further aggravated and thus made impatient by his failure to gain first dibs on the money, rammed the notes down on his hand and snatched the knife viciously. Yami remained impassive.

It's almost pitiable; after all, he is no match for the powers of the shadows…

'If you use too much strength you will stab yourself, Ushio, take heed.'

'Shut your trap!' Ushio snapped, sweat collecting around his temples as his hand clutching the blade hovered indecisively above the notes, the knifepoint resting in their centre. It had looked so easy when Yuugi had done it, and Ushio had felt smugly superior when watching how little the runt had actually won for himself. Now that he had the notes, and he was faced with the risk of losing his hand, he did not feel nearly so confident. His heart had started to hammer uncomfortably in his chest and his fingers were trembling ever so slightly.

When he finally went for the notes, it happened so fast that he didn't have time to think. Suddenly Ushio was holding up a blade that had skewered over 100,000 ¥, crowing triumphantly.

'Ha ha…Look! Over 100,000... And not a single mark on my hand! Huh, I should have stabbed harder!'

Yami did not seem to be unduly bothered by Ushio's apparent advantage.

'Not bad,' came the stoic response, 'but it gets harder to control your strength with each turn.' A low chuckle followed this, as Yami took back the remaining notes and managed to impale a sizable chunk; all the while his attitude to the game and the possibility of impaling his hand completely blasé. Ushio felt a deep resentment that his opponent was not soaked in sweat as he was.

Arrogant little prick! Why is he so calm? He's losing.

'There are very few notes left now, Ushio, the game is almost over.'

'There's nothing to it,' Ushio grunted disdainfully, 'the rest of this money's already mine.' But now he was having second thoughts. His right arm was trembling from the strain, and he knew that he would be unable to control his longing. It seemed impossible that he could let a single note go, not to mention the fact that because there were so few notes left, it was going to be difficult to obtain very many without a very high chance of the knife damaging his hand. It seemed stupid that he should have to play a game with Yuugi, when it was so easy to just get what he wanted without the risk.

Why indeed should I risk my hand? And why should I not go home with all the money? Yuugi is a fool, and fools deserve to be punished.

'You let me hold this knife… that is why you are going to lose.' He turned his head and muttered menacingly.

If Yami knew what it was that was going through Ushio's head, he gave no sign. He merely stood, arms crossed, waiting.

'DIE YUUGIII!' Ushio suddenly screamed, lashing out towards him with the knife. It was all so well timed that anyone who was not prepared would have been killed instantly. Then Ushio would have grabbed the money and gone home, the greed in his heart sustained, even nurtured, by his latest conquest. But this was Yami, and Yami was always prepared.

As the knife swung towards him, Yami's vision had seemed to contract to include simply himself and the blade, and he rose into the air, avoiding certain doom by some impossible powers of levitation. To him this movement had seemed measured and precise. To any onlooker it would have been too fast for the eye to follow. He would have disappeared from vision. Hovering for a moment, the puzzle around his neck glowing brilliantly, Yami descended slowly, his feet hitting hard concrete with a soft clack.

His landing heralded the appearance of the third eye on his forehead, and foreshadowed Ushio's imminent doom.

'H-His… Y-your forehead, n-n-no… that eye…! What the….?!' It was Ushio's turn to stutter, as Yuugi so often stuttered.

'Huh. Just as I thought. You were unable to follow the rules after all.' The voice was devoid of all warmth and humour, full of contempt. And Yami continued to talk, his words like an icy rapier shoved repeatedly into Ushio's chest.

'This eye is only seen by those who "trespass in my soul!" By those who hurt the ones dear to me, by those who try to steal my money… By. People. Like. You!'

Yami shook his head, as if disappointed, before pointing his finger directly at the quivering jelly that had once been Ushio.

'PENALTY GAME! The Illusion of Avarice.'

To Ushio it seemed a swirling bright light engulfed him, before he was surrounded by sheaves and sheaves of notes, all falling from the sky around him. Little did he understand that it was all an illusion. An illusion that he was to be trapped in for the next six months of his life, one that was going to leave him traumatised and completely cured of his malady… Right now he felt like he had landed on the moon.

'MONEY!' He screamed, excitedly, 'IT'S MONEY! OH MY… AND IT'S ALL MINE! MINE, MINE, MINE… MONEY EVERYWHERE!…This is great! MONEY!'

Yami looked on for a moment or two disgusted. His sensuous lips had curved upwards in an elegant sneer that crinkled his thin nose lightly. He appeared the complete epitome of disdain. Shaking his head he commented to himself,

'They say that money can make your head spin but… Now the only thing in your head is money. As greedy as you are, perhaps this will be a fitting end for you… hmmm…'

Getting home it became apparent to Yami that there were a few things he needed to clear up concerning Yuugi. One was the bruises that covered his body from head to toe. Bruises that Yami knew for a fact Yuugi was never going to tell his Grandfather about, and another thing was just exactly where had Yuugi got those blank cheques from? They weren't completely blank, they just weren't filled in…

They weren't bank cheques. They were something, to Yami's mind anyway, far more intriguing. A list of IOUs or promises of sexual gratification… They were Love Cheques. Possibly some sort of novelty item that a lover would give to his or her partner on a special occasion. They didn't seem to fit with his idea of the timid, bashful Yuugi. In fact, Yami couldn't even imagine Yuugi being able to read some of them without writhing with embarrassment. 'I promise you a sixty-niner in a friend's living room, within the next twenty four hours,'Yami read off to himself, 'Well, well, well, little Yuugi, it looks like there's more to you than first meets the eye. Still, first things first.'

Yami gave up possession of Yuugi just outside the Kame Game Shop, and Yuugi, feeling completely confused, walked inside and went to have a shower. For some reason there was a niggling feeling in the back of his mind telling him that was what he had to do. He couldn't actually remember what had happened since Ushio knocked him senseless. Maybe I passed out from the blow to the head? But then how did I get here? I couldn't have just wandered back confused! I don't remember any of it…

Passing by the glass door into the shop at double speed, Yuugi yelled, 'Just taking a shower, be down for tea in about an hour, K?' He really did not want his Jiichan involved in this. Especially considering how he was covered in bruises, he had a cut above one eye and couldn't remember what had happened. His Grandfather was likely to insist on him being taken down to hospital. And that was something he so did not want… he was fine. This was just because of stress, that was all. Totally. Absolutely. Oh sweet Amaterasu, Yuugi groaned in his head.

After composing himself and locking the door to the bathroom, Yuugi attempted to strip off, wincing and bending over as he slipped gingerly out of his bloodstained shirt, having undone all the buttons so that he did not have to take it over his head.

'Aaah! Damn that canes…' Yuugi couldn't help cursing lightly. It was very out of character for Yuugi to use foul language, (aloud in any case) however moderate it might be, but he did not have a high pain threshold at the best of times, and especially not in this instance, when some of the wounds seemed quite severe. Eventually he managed to get all his clothes off and slip into a tepid shower, but that only served to provoke yet another series of small cries from the boy, his eyes filling up with fresh tears as all his latest cuts stung like wildfire.

'Aaaaoooowwww!' He complained weakly, 'eeeooow, it hurts!'

Yuugi nursed his bruises tenderly for some time, wincing whenever the soap or the pressure of the sponge made contact with the more painful areas of his body. This is gonna take months to heal, he thought ruefully.

It was only inevitable that a very unwelcome voice should cut through the hiss of the shower, making Yuugi jump almost a mile high in shock.

'Yuugi, can I come in?' It was Yami.

So my day is finally complete, his mind whispered venomously, Just what I need, my worst nightmare, a combination of a crush and a monster coming to see me when I look completely shit. No, wait, he said wanted to come in? And see me in the shower-

'What! No way! You can't just come in here!' Yuugi yelled, horrified, 'I don't want to talk to you anyway…'

'Yuugi, you need someone to sort out those wounds and to make sure that they do not become infected. Ushio may even have broken your ribs for all you are aware, and I am not just going to leave you to fester because you choose this time to be uncommunicative.'

'Yami,' Yuugi all but snarled back, 'you are not coming into this bathroom and seeing me naked. I know absolutely nothing about you, except that you like to be called Yami even though I know it's not your real name and that you can disappear whenever you want. What makes you think you have the right to Mother me with plasters or do whatever you think you are going to do? It's not as if you exactly helped me at the time, was it? I wouldn't even let Jiichan in here, much less you!'

Yuugi was using a lot of loaded words, but, in truth, he was terrified that Yami was just going to ignore him and come in anyway. He couldn't imagine a worse shame than being inspected by his flawless double-half. Plus, what if he became provocative again, and Yuugi got an erection or something? There would be just no way to hide it, and then Yami would know that he turned Yuugi on. All dignity and self-worth could just be forgotten. Yuugi would die.

Yami had waited for what seemed like an eternity to reply, and it did nothing to put Yuugi's fears to rest.

'Yuugi,' he sounded terse and at the end of all patience, 'Get out of the shower, put a towel on and just come and open the door, or, so Ra help me, I will just materialise in there, and sort you out. And given what you have just said, I gather that it is not something which you would desire.'

Yuugi felt desperate, his control of the situation slipping away second by second. Even when irate Yami seemed to have a perfect command over his tongue. It just wasn't fair.

'W-who is Ra?' Yuugi asked, stalling for time.

'The almighty Sun God, King over all others- that is not important right now! Yuugi…'

'Fine, fine I'm coming, I'm coming,' Yuugi finally caved in out of panic. Better that he sees me on my terms over his… 'But you can't be all touchy or all creepy with your eyes or anything. Not like you were this morning.' I can't believe I just said that.

'Creepy.. With my eyes? What is this Yuugi?'

'When you look at me all funny and make me feel like a piece of meat.' Yuugi couldn't quite comprehend the words still coming out of his mouth. He's going to kill me.

Wrapping a large white towel around himself hastily, Yuugi stumbled to lean against the door as quickly as possible so as to avoid Yami getting any more impatient and barging in at an inopportune moment. Or in other words, barging in before he was sufficiently covered up.

When he finally opened it a smirking Yami was revealed, his eyes most definitely not abiding to Yuugi's wishes. They made an obvious trail up from Yuugi's small feet, taking in his legs, lingering for some reason around his waist - despite the fact that it was covered by a towel - and then moving on to his neck, before finally coming to a halt on Yuugi's cherry-red face. Yuugi's complexion had very little to do with the heat of the shower. Yuugi just could not stand the feeling of being checked over.

Does he reserve this treatment for everyone he meets or is it just me that gets this particular pleasure?

'Don't flatter yourself, Yuugi. It might be dangerous.'

Yami's direct response once again aroused Yuugi's suspicions that the spirit could read his mind. Yuugi jerked Yami's arm, yanking him into the bathroom and locking the door so that there was no chance of his Jiichan disturbing them.

'Well stop it then,' Yuugi responded desperately, 'I don't see why you can't just let me be. You didn't do a thing to stop Ushio from scalping me, you're no good to me at all.'

Yami's face had changed. The smirk was now completely gone and instead his eyebrows had come down ominously. It made him seem darker than ever. Yuugi also thought he saw something flash in those unfathomable eyes… Hurt? Guilt?…But it was gone too quickly to catch.

'Yuugi,' Yami said, 'I regret very much that I did not react quickly enough to avoid you becoming subject to considerable pain and molestation. However, it would be untrue for you to think that I simply watched and did nothing.'

Yuugi felt a strange creeping sensation chill his gut, his flushed cheeks draining rapidly of colour. It had something to do with the mysteriously blank period in his mind. As if someone had flipped a switch he could feel his wet hair now chilling the nape of his neck, the water droplets running down his spine feeling like ghostly fingers searching for a way in through his skin.

Just what did Yami do? Why can't I remember what happened?

'Did you, did you, did you, do something to Ushio?' Yuugi's voice was trembling.

'He has been dealt with.' Yami's face was shuttered. 'He will not bother you any longer.'

'O Sweet Amaterasu you didn't.' Yuugi gasped. Yuugi could just imagine the headlines, Deranged Spirit Kills Petty School Bully, 'No. You didn't.'

'No I did not kill him, although, I might add, it would not be an unfitting punishment for him. I seem to recall people being killed in my time for less.'

Yami raised an eyebrow nonchalantly.

'But… no. I thought of a much more… apt…reward for your dear Ushio. Let me just say it was a poetic justice.'

Yuugi decided he didn't want to probe further. Yami scared him. He seemed to have no moral compass whereas Yuugi did, and he just couldn't cope with the guilt of association.

If I don't know what he did, I can't feel responsible for it.

'Erm.. So, if that's it, I wouldn't mind getting changed, if it's all the same to you.' Yuugi was being overly optimistic about getting rid of Yami.

'Not a chance.' The spirit went to the cabinet next to the sink, somehow inexplicably knowing exactly where the medicine case was, and getting the first aid kit out of it. He removed a couple of bandages, some plasters and the antiseptic, before advancing on Yuugi.

'Now, we can either do this the hard way, where I hold you down, put you in a trance and then clean you up, or you can co-operate.' His lips closed in a firm line and his eyes narrowed in fiery determination. Yuugi knew that this was not a battle he was going to win. Going beet-red once more, and lowering his eyes, his only response was a whisper:

'Fine. But get it over with.' He didn't think he could manage to say anything else, even if he wanted to.

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Next chapter:

Jonouchi decides Yuugi might actually be enough of a man to be friends with, but he's a little concerned about his sexuality… Yuugi's going to have to get himself a girlfriend in order to prove that he really is, uh, straight.

Meanwhile, Yami's decided to bother Yuugi in a more social fashion, rather than just when he is needed. This leads to a very disturbing encounter in Yuugi's soul room…

Please review and tell me how I can improve things!

Translations/Unknown phrases/Names/Points of interest

Ro-Sham-Bo is basically Rock, Paper, Scissors, if you didn't guess.

Amaterasu is the Shinto sun goddess, and most revered Shinto deity. The religion of Shinto isn't as widely practised today in Japan, but I am guessing Yuugi may have picked up some of the terminology. Like 'Oh my God.'

Jiichan - Grandfather

Concerning Ra… Yuugi doesn't actually know that much about it. He's heard the God's name before, but hasn't linked it to Yami being Egyptian as of yet.

Please review and tell me how I can improve things!