A/N: Ahh~ this is fun! ^^

Warnings: Same as before.

Cold and Lonely

Chapter Two

Bakura nudged the dozing Yuugi out of the crook of his arm and tried to get at his house keys. Unfortunately, Yuugi proved an effective blockade. With a sigh, he tried to slide Yuugi over to his other side to free up his arm. He froze and swore silently when the spiky-haired youth burrowed back into the side with an incoherent murmur.

Bakura sighed again and rolled his eyes, then tried to reach around with the OTHERhand. That worked, but it turned out that his pocket was empty.

Small hands pressed the keys Bakura sought into his right palm before he could panic. His fingers automatically closed around the cold metal as he looked down into mischievous violet eyes.

"How long have you had those for?"

"Round ten minutes…"

"You're pretty good at that. I never noticed you take them."

"Thanks! I used to practice by switching Anzu's deck with Kaiba's."

"Oh! That's why he keeps ranting about them 'all being out to get him'. He was damn good at drawing those Petit Angles, though…This is the place."

The pair stood in front of a light blue door marked with '13' painted elegantly upon its surface. Further down the white-painted hallway, another door was evident on the opposite side of the silver-gray carpet, and Yugi could see no other doors in either direction. He turned back to see Bakura push the door open and flip on a light switch. He was quickly ushered inside.

"I know it's not much…"

Bakura's apartment was a vast, sprawling affair. Immediately inside the front door was the living room. Two walls were a deep purple and showed signs of someone's attempt to paint them white, with little success. The south wall was fantastic. It was the only one that had been turned completely white, but on top of that someone had started to transform it into an amazingly detailed, yet unfinished, mural of a scene from ancient Egypt. The west wall was a solid bank of bay windows.

Paintbrushes, paint and other such novelties lay scattered about various pieces of furniture, most notably a gaudy, neon-green couch. It was upon this couch Bakura dumped his backpack before striding into another room, motioning for Yuugi to follow. He complied, and light flooded out as his host flipped another switch, revealing this room as the kitchen.

Yuugi caught his breath in wonder. This room had a theme as well…that of a snow-covered mountain. Everything was captured perfectly…the shade and shadows, the play of light through snow-bound branches that almost seemed to sway in a gentle breeze…

"This…this is beautiful!" Yuugi spoke in an awed whisper. Bakura heard, and flushed at the compliment, but hid his reaction quickly.

"It's a hobby. I don't have much else to do during the day, except sleep, and I don't need all that much of it. Even though it is a most enjoyable pastime…"The ex-tomb robber dug violently through a drawer near the sink and pulled out oven mitts, a thermometer, and a meat fork. He yanked the oven door open, pulled out one of the trays, and began poking furiously at the contents of a large pot.

"Um….what are you doing?" Yugi sniffed the delicious scent lingering in the air hungrily.

"Checking on this stupid roast…" so-saying, the white-haired teen put the oven back in order and turned to face his, he now noticed, filthy guest. His normally hard gaze softened slightly.

"Wait here…" Bakura hurried through a door to the left of the refrigerator. Loud thumps, thuds and crashes accompanied by vigorous swearing trailed in from beyond the door. Bakura, somewhat red in the face, returned shortly with a fluffy pink towel and some silky-looking clothes.

"Take these…the pajamas are Ryou's…I mistakenly packed them with my stuff to move here after they accidentally shrunk in the wash." Yuugi gratefully accepted the satiny gray pajamas. He could see these had probably been Ryo's favorites at some point, due to the image of a chibi-Change of Heart character on the breast pocket.

"Mistakenly?"

"Absolutely. The bathroom is to the right of the front door. Why don't you hop in the shower, and then we can eat and gossip a bit." Yuugi, with the beginnings of a genuine smile turned to do as he was bid.

"Bakura, dinner was wonderful! I never knew you could cook so well!" A still slightly damp Yuugi set down his fork.

"Thanks. It's an….acquired talent. I've needed to learn since…" Bakura stopped talking abruptly. He turned to look out the widows covering the dining room's west wall at the city's nightlife, though there wasn't that much seven floors up. Yuugi, respecting his host's privacy, rose and began to collect dishes and such from the table. His taller companion soon joined him, flashing a brief, grateful smile.

Swiftly and quietly, the two went about the task of cleaning dining room and kitchen, and working together, the task was soon finished. Bakura was, oddly, the first to break the ensuring silence.

"Would you like to talk?"

Yuugi's shoulders sagged. His hands, clutching the handles of a clean pot, began trembling. Bakura took the pot and put it away as Yugi replied in an embarrassed whisper, "If it's okay…it's been so nice…I…I don't want to bring it up…tonight at least…"

Bakura rubbed Yuugi's shoulder comfortingly and nodded. "When you're ready…." He motioned his houseguest into the Egyptian living room.

Sitting on the 'evil' green couch was a kitten. Well, sleeping was more accurate.

Bakura walked right up to the couch and dumped both cat and backpack on the floor, then led Yuugi to the cushion from which the cat had been forcibly evicted. The cat, realizing there was a new lap to invade, leapt onto the petit teen and proceeded to beg for attention. Yuugi giggled and willingly complied. Bakura laughed and plopped down beside them in an easy, sprawling manner.

"Your cat is so cute! What's…her name?"

"P.I.T.A"

"And that stands for…?"

"Pain In The Ass, somewhat inappropriate, thus, Pita" He drove a hand into the no-man's land under the cushions. After groping around valiantly for a few moments, he triumphantly pulled forth a remote control.

"I knew the couch couldn't have eaten it yet…" Bakura glared at the giggling Yuugi and hit a small green button. In the partially painted wall, a panel of one of the pyramids slid up to reveal…a television.

Another button later, the set turned on and Bakura stared flipping through channels until he reached the late-night news. The two companions watched in comfortable silence, Yuugi absently stroking Pita's silky-smooth fur.

Yuugi was amazed. He realized that he shouldn't be hanging out with Bakura, who was known to be dangerous, and yet…he knew he was safe. He was more at ease with Bakura than he had been with anyone in a long while.

Slowly, lulled by warmth, companionship and Pita's rumbling purr, Yugi drifted into sleep once more.

Bakura looked down when Yuugi slumped against his side. It was obvious the little one had succumbed to sleep. The ex-tomb robber clicked the T.V off and made as if to go to his room. But he stopped, and turned back to the couch with its sleeping occupant. His conscience made him turn back.

Rolling his eyes, he lifted his cat off the boy, and then lifted Yuugi's limp body into his arms. Yuugi murmured something, then nestled deeper into his carrier's embrace, which caused Bakura to look down, an amused look on his face. That expression soon melted away as he realized, for the first time, Yuugi wasn't wearing the Millennium Puzzle.

Eyes narrowed in thought, Bakura gently carried his small guest into his bedroom.

A/N: the main thing that changes is that I use the Jap. Names so Ryou = Ryo, and Yugi is Yuugi. Also LEAVE reviews. I like them.