Yami had gone to help Yugi pack, leaving Ryou alone with his thoughts. Trembling, Ryou managed to pull himself out of the bed. He realised with a blush that he was clean and wearing his jeans and shirt, instead of the greasy sports' clothes he had been tranquilised in. Either Yami or Yugi must have cleaned him while he was asleep. Ryou didn't know which idea upset him more.

He found his shoes beside the bed and slid his feet into them. Casting a hesitant glance at the door to the room, Ryou finally stopped holding back and burst into tears.

He buried his face in the untidy blankets of the motel bed, staining it with his tears. "Yami..." he sobbed, his words muffled and teary.

Yami had found Yugi. The two of them were safe. And they would have at last been happy, too, if it weren't for Ryou. Ryou kept crying. If it weren't for him, Yami would have been able to be happy again; something he deserved after going through so much for Yugi.

"If it weren't for me..." he whispered. Catching his breath, he let out another sob.

How could he go out there now? Yami and Yugi were in the very next room, and they were expecting Ryou to come out now. Ryou choked back another sob. Corn flakes, Ryou. Keep thinking of corn flakes.

Ryou's tears kept flowing. Corn flakes were just too normal. Too...Ryou.

Ryou forced himself to sit up. Yami's words kept playing over in his head. Nobody had ever said anything nice to me until Yugi. Ryou bit his lip, trying to hold his relentless tears in. Yugi and I...we just clicked.

Ryou squeezed his eyes shut. Grin and bear it, Ryou; you need to remember this...to make you understand how worthless you are to him...next to Yugi.

The memories of what Yami had said kept coming in a never ending onslaught. I was always going to leave as soon as I found Yugi...I had found Yugi and I was staying with him forever. A tear snuck out from under Ryou's eyelid. I never wanted to set foot on the outdoor pavement ever again. I just wanted to stay there in that dinky little general store with Yugi for the rest of my life.

We met over the phone to arrange rent sharing, Ryou thought sadly. He didn't rescue me from dropping a box on my toe. There's nothing romantic about meeting over the phone. No love at first sight, nothing. He's in love with Yugi, so just get over it.

Wiping his tears away, Ryou forced himself back to his feet and made his way to the door.

Yami had taken a few of Ryou's essentials from his apartment before they left; a change of clothes, a toothbrush, Ryou's blue Snuggie. Ryou felt embarrassed when he was going through the bag Yami had hastily packed and pulled it out for Yugi to see. He stuffed it back into the bag, blushing.

"We need to keep on the road until they give up," Yugi explained, taking Ryou's bag from him and heading towards the car Ryou now knew belonged to Yugi. "It's been months now; they're less...motivated. They've had their fun."

"Their fun?" Ryou repeated sourly. It was a pretty sick idea of fun, to kidnap somebody in the name of pride.

Yugi put Ryou's bag in the back seat. Looking past him, Ryou saw several other bags as well as an assortment of other things he couldn't make out.

Ryou hesitantly looked over his shoulder into the motel room. Yami was still inside. "Yugi?" he asked quietly.

Yugi looked at him brightly. "What is it?"

Ryou had no idea what he had planned to say. "We...um...never got to properly meet," he confessed, laughing shakily.

Yugi laughed too. "We can do it now; my name is Yugi."

Feeling a little better, Ryou shook Yugi's offered hand. "My name is Ryou."

They lapsed into silence.

"When you got out...when Yami rescued you..." Ryou paused. "Was it...did everything go well? I mean, nobody was hurt at all, right?"

Yugi shook his head. "No, nothing like that; just a typical break in, find, break out. Practically no resistance." He smiled. "Don't worry; nobody was hurt at all."

Ryou let himself relax. So Yami hadn't been hurt saving Yugi. That was good. "Has he...rested, since you got out? Yami, I mean."

Yugi bit his lip. "No; he was awake the whole time, waiting for you to get over the tranquiliser." He hesitated.

Ryou sighed. "He needs to; he's hardly slept at all the past few weeks and I don't even know what it was like before then."

Yugi's brow furrowed with concern. "I was afraid that he'd do something like that." He looked away. "He's like that; he'd do anything for somebody else, but...he doesn't know how to take care of himself in the process."

Ryou nodded; he could relate to that.

Yami suddenly appeared before another word was spoken between Yugi and Ryou. Ryou jumped.

"I think everything is packed," Yami said. "We should get going."

Ryou and Yugi nodded their assent and headed back to the car, following Yami.

Ryou stared at his back sadly. I love you, Yami.

He wiped his eye before a tear formed. He loved Yami. That was something that was never going to change. He had found in Yami his other half; mature, mysterious and willing to do anything to help others. He was nothing like Ryou; they were polar opposites. And as such, fit together like puzzle pieces. For the first time in his life, Ryou Bakura was in love.

He cast a sideways glance at Yugi, who was running ahead to walk with Yami, who grasped his hand. Ryou hung back. From behind, Yami and Yugi were one and the same. A complete stranger could have known that they were meant to be together.

Ryou kept walking. Are you going to take me home and leave me there as soon as this is over, Yami? he wondered. Is the next few days the last you and I will ever share?

He sighed. It wasn't his concern anymore; he wanted Yami to be happy, and if Yugi made him happy, then...

Ryou stared at the ground. A tear rolled down his cheek and splattered the ground. If Yugi made Yami happy, then Ryou wanted them to be together. He couldn't have lived with himself if Yami stayed with him only to see him as a burden.

They had reached the car again. Ryou waited for Yugi to jump in the driver's side, only to realise with alarm that it was Yami who took this door. Out of pure instinct, Ryou sprang forward and pulled Yami's hand away from the handle. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice high-pitched with worry.

Yami looked puzzled. "Driving."

"This is Yugi's car," Ryou said, suddenly feeling incredibly stupid. That wasn't what he was worried about.

Yugi looked at Ryou. "It's okay – I don't mind if he drives; he usually does."

Ryou crossed his arms, barring the way for Yami to get to the door. "You can't drive; you haven't slept in two days!"

Yami suddenly looked confused, as though this was a fact that had only just occurred to him. It was true, of course; the last time he had slept had been when Ryou had seen him on the couch, as he said, two days ago."

Ryou pressed on. "It's just not...sound. You're going to fall asleep at the wheel and kill somebody!"

Yami looked affronted. "Ryou, don't worry; I'll be fine."

"To hell with fine!" Ryou pouted. "As- as..." He racked his brain for a better argument. "As somebody who knows a thing or two about cars, I..." He tried to use lots of big words. "I must express my deepest concern for the wellbeing of this vehicle – which I have, in the past, gotten back on its feet and therefore see as my responsibility. And, I also happen to know that it is possible for the human brain to take short bursts of sleep, particularly while in the lower state of alertness brought upon by fatigue and lack of rest. These micro-sleeps can last up to thirty seconds and occur without you even realising it." Ryou could feel his argument building. "This can be fine when the driver has them on a normal stretch of straight road, but if they hit a turn, or the car in front brakes, then boom!" Ryou clapped his hands. "You crash! You can also be prone to drift out of the lane during a micro-sleep, and if this happens, boom again!" Another clap followed the first. "Therefore, it is my responsibility as...as a responsible person, to prevent a driver who could potentially bring about the death of himself, his passengers and the other occupants of the road, from doing so." Ryou sucked in some air gratefully.

Yami just stared at him.

Ryou grinned. "Pwned."

Yugi cleared his throat. "I think he's right, Yami..."

Ryou jumped. He had completely forgotten that Yugi was there.

Yami laughed and conceded defeat. "Okay, you win; you can drive."

Ryou blinked. "M- me? What about Yugi?"

Yugi scuffled his feet. "I don't have my license; it wasn't with me when..." He gulped. Yami quickly took his hand in a comforting gesture. Ryou had to struggle to act normal.

"Oh, okay, then. I think I have mine." He reached into his jeans pocked and pulled out his wallet. His license was indeed there.

Ryou didn't drive much, having no car of his own. But he was still a, excellent driver; he wouldn't have forgiven himself otherwise, what with his obsession with cars.

Smugly, he opened the car door and sat behind the wheel. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I love the smell of cars."

From behind him, he heard Yami speak. "They have a smell?"

Ryou jumped and turned around to see Yami getting in the back seat.

"What do you think you're doing?" he barked, frustrated.

Yami frowned. "What?"

Ryou indicated the passenger seat.

"Yugi's sitting there."

Ryou looked out the passenger side window, where Yugi was about to open the door.

"No he's not; that's the only seat that reclines. You're sleeping there." Ryou scowled. "Do I have to think of everything?"

Yami looked a little baffled for a second. But then, suddenly, he smiled. "Okay...you win." He got out of the car and walked around to the passenger door. Yugi got in behind Ryou.

At last satisfied, Ryou turned the key in the ignition, grateful that, at least a little, he had been able to help Yami. Help him to, as Yugi had put it, take care of himself. Ryou gave a contented smile as he pulled away from the motel. At least for now, it was enough to make him happy.