A/N: HELLOOOOO FANFICTION. I am on a mission to complete all my stories (well, the ones I have written at least. Anything labeled discontinued is in fact discontinued). So I was home over Thanksgiving break and I found all these notebooks that I thought I lost. AND I FOUND ALL 22 CHAPTERS OF THIS STORY. So get ready, get set, and go read! (And review). Thankies!

Disclaimer: do not own Yu-Gi-Oh characters, but I do own all my OCs, and oh how I love them.

Chapter 8

Ryou hung up the phone after having tried to call Bakura over ten times.

"I hope he's not hurt or anything…" he said worriedly to Yami. "D'you thing Marik did anything to him?"

"If it came to a fight, I'd put my money on Bakura. Can't you try to contact him through your mindlink?"

"He blocked it." Ryou replied dully.

"Well that tells you he's not hurt… if he was he wouldn't have the strength to keep the barrier up."

"But then why isn't he answering me?" Ryou asked quietly.

Yami was silent, staring intently at the opposite wall of the room. On a sudden impulse, he tried to talk to Yugi through the mindlink.

'Aibo, if you're listening to me, I want you to know how much I miss you... how much I love you and that I would forget everything that's happened if you came back.'

Not expecting any reply, Yami nearly jumped when he heard Yugi's voice in his head.

'Yami? Is that you? Or am I just hallucinating…' his voice sounded strained.

Yami hesitated. 'Yes, Yugi, it's me.'

'Oh Yami! I-I can't tell you how glad I am to hear you. Yami you have to come quickly I—' he trailed off.

'Yugi? What's wrong?'

'I'm hurt, Yami. I think it's bad. I think I'm going to pass out—but I have to stay awake… protect myself… Oh Yami…' his voice faded away again.

'Who hurt you? Is Bakura there?'

'Ba…kura? No… it's just M-m—'

'Just Marik. Hold on Yugi, I'm coming'

"Ryou. We have to go. Yugi's hurt; Bakura never got there. We have to get him." Yami said.

"You sure this isn't just a trap?" Ryou asked.

"I don't think so."

Ryou got up and followed Yami outside. "How could Bakura not have gotten there? He left over two hours ago."

"I'm sure he's fine," Yami said, shortly.

"Wha—? Oh I'm so sorry Yami, I was being thoughtless. I'm sure Bakura's fine, it's Yugi we need to think about. I mean he could be in serious—"

Yami cut off Ryou's babbling. "It's fine Ryou, I'm just a little tense."

"And you have every right to be. If it were me I'd probably be just as—"

Yami stopped, turning and putting his hands on Ryou's shoulders. "I said it's fine."

"O-of course Yami," Ryou laughed nervously.

Yami leaned in and placed a light kiss on Ryou's forehead.

"I know you're worried about Bakura. As soon as we rescue Yugi, we can go look for him, okay?"

Ryou nodded, blushing at Yami's uncharacteristic display of affection. When they got out onto the street, Yami realized he didn't remember how to get back to Joey's apartment. He'd never gone there from Ryou's place, and didn't want to go to the game shop to find his way from there since that would have been going backwards.

Ryou seemed to know where he was going though. He was walking slightly ahead of Yami, his hands in his hoodie pockets. They walked in silence, Ryou leading, Yami keeping the distance between them. They turned into an alleyway. Ryou slowed so that he was walking next to Yami.

"This neighborhood gives me the skives," he said in explanation.

Something was familiar about this street, but Yami couldn't place it. Then he saw three boys slouched against the door of a house. One looked up at Yami, nodding, the cut on his cheek beginning to scab. Yami knew that he'd avoid this street whenever possible in the future. They continued walking, and Yami did not acknowledge that he recognized the young dealer. Now that it was lighter outside, they could see the buildings that lined the streets. Most of the houses were abandoned, some empty, some filled with squatters. The ones that were inhabited were either drug houses, or worse. Ryou involuntarily shivered as they passed a "house of ill repute" as his father had called it. There were two cross-dressing boys leaning against the front, one running his fingers down the other's leg suggestively. The pink haired boy stared at Ryou curiously, his eyes following him as he walked past.

Yami noticed it and stopped walking. He turned to the boy.

"If you want something, why don't you ask?" He said coldly.

"I-I didn't mean any offense," the boy stuttered. "He just looks familiar."

"Familiar? How so?"

"Do you have an older brother?" He asked Ryou. "Looks like you, only… scarier?"

"Bakura?"

"I don't know his name."

"Why?" Ryou asked skeptically.

"Uh, nothing. Just wanted to know."

"Have you seen him?" Ryou asked.

Davey chuckled. "Yes," he said smirking.

Yami cringed, now comprehending the situation. Ryou, though, did not.

"Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Oh, he's fine," Davey grinned.

"Where did you last see him?" Yami intervened.

"In there." Davey motioned to the house. "After he paid me."

Ryou's face paled.

"Paid you? You mean he had sex with you?"

"What's it matter to you who your brother sleeps with?" The prostitute snapped, offended.

"He's not my brother," Ryou whispered, "he's my boyfriend."

Davey blanched. "Shit, look I'm sorry about this, that you had to find it out this way. I guess this is why they tell us to keep everything that goes on here confidential." Davey sighed. "So you must be Ryou?"

Ryou blinked back his tears, and nodded.

"Well if it's any comfort, he screamed your name," Davey looked apologetically up at Ryou.

Ryou tried to smile but couldn't. He felt Yami's protective arm slip around him. "How long ago did he leave?" Yami asked.

"Um, ten minutes ago? He headed that way," Davey pointed in the direction they were heading. "Said something about urgent business."

"Thank you for your help," Ryou said stiffly.

Davey nodded, his eyes sympathetic. He knew what it felt like to thing you were the only one. He'd has his heart broken before—he'd walked in on his boyfriend screwing his older brother. His boyfriend had claimed that it was rape, but Davey didn't believe him. After that, he'd never let himself get attached to anyone he had sex with. He currently had a "boyfriend", a drug dealing gang member named Silas, but he was nothing more that something to come home to after a stressful night at work. They both worked only at night, so it was a convenient relationship. And Silas let him dominate, something most people didn't believe he was capable of.

He truly hoped that Ryou never became like him. That Bakura really did love him, and he would eventually be happy.

He watched Ryou's figure get smaller in the distance. It was six 'o'clock in the morning, so work was over. He went inside and grabbed his stuff and then slowly walked home.

There were three boys sitting on the porch; Silas, Crow, and one boy he didn't know with long blond hair in a ponytail and stunning green eyes.

"Look who it is!" Croq sneered his voice harsh and high pitched—the reason for his nickname. "Have a nice night sissyboy?"

Silas elbowed Crow in the ribs. Davey grinned. "Morning to you too," he said, the teasing was nothing new, and he knew Crow didn't mean it. At heart he was just as gay as the rest of them, he just had to put off a persona of toughness, being a gang leader and all.

"Hey babe," Silas said, pulling Davey towards him. "To tired for sex?" he asked.

"And if I was?" Davey retorted. Silas laughed, knowing he'd always get what he wanted.

"Anyone going to introduce me? Or will I have to do it myself," the unfamiliar boy interjected, startling Davey who had nearly forgotten his presence. The boy had a surprisingly deep voice, with a hint of a foreign accent, Russian maybe.

"Oh right," Crow said, "Davey, meet Viktor, our newest thief, Viktor meet Davey, our in home whore."

Davey pouted, "I'm not a whore, I'm an escort. And you've never slept with me anyway, so I'm not your whore."

"Geez, touchy. I'm just playing, Davey. You know you're my favorite little cross-dresser." Crow chuckled. "Come on inside, it's getting early.

A/N (written when I wrote this story 3+ years ago).: Geez my OCs just kind of took off with a life of their own. Again, I don't know where this is coming from. And don't worry, I have plans for them, they didn't just appear to take up space.

A/N (written now): Hope you enjoyed my much delayed update. Please review, let me know if you want me to keep posting! I don't want to type of 14 more chapters if you guys hate this!