I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Happy Ryou's Birthday everyone! Told you it would be up today XD. So yeah, Ryou has an extra big part in this chapter cause he's the birthday boy.

CHAPTER SEVEN!

Chapter 7

"BAKURA! Wake up! Breakfast is ready!" (1)

Ryou always cooked meals for the both of them; Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. It was a promise he had made his brother with one condition and that was that Bakura always had to be there with him for those meals (of course it had its exceptions). This was basically Ryou's way of making sure Bakura wouldn't ever up and leave him the way their own father had and because of that Ryou had slight abandonment issues. Even though Ryou knew that his brother would never do that, he still liked to have the insurance.

"I'm coming there's no need to yell" Bakura lazily and slowly hauled himself out of bed still in his pajamas and into the kitchen where his twin was waiting patiently for him.

"I didn't yell 'Kura!" Ryou never yelled at anyone, while Bakura knew this well, he also liked to push Ryou's buttons and after 15 years he knew them all.

The older whitette then decided to drop that conversation all together, something Ryou was quite used to by now. "What's for breakfast, Ryou?"

"Eggs and Bacon!" Ryou always seemed to have a smile on his face. He was just an all-round nice person, the complete opposite of his brother. He served breakfast to himself and his twin, and then turned on the T.V. to the News channel. This was a routine for the two of them. Bakura liked watching television in the morning and Ryou liked watching the News to make sure Bakura hadn't done anything too bad. It was a great compromise. The only real down side was when it occurred to Ryou that Bakura might get ideas for one of his schemes.

Just as Bakura finished his breakfast, Ryou noticed the time and whipped the plates out from under himself and his brother, leaving a confused expression on his sibling's face. "Go get dressed 'Kura we'll be late for school!" he was over excited about this.

"Calm your shit, Ryou. Just because you're OCD doesn't mean we always have to be 20 minutes early for school, okay? Let's try going a little later today for once; it'll be good for you." Ryou looked like his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets. Bakura wasn't really lying or joking about the OCD, Ryou was like that with some things. They both had their own ways of directing and distracting themselves from their feelings and slight mental instability (Bakura more so than Ryou).

Noticing his brother's reaction, Bakura decided that it would be best to simply go along with Ryou's obsessive tendencies. "Alright, alright I'm getting ready! We won't be late. You can rest easy, brother."

And so Bakura got ready for school so Ryou and himself would be able to catch the same bus they always took to school to arrive exactly 20 minutes before the school bell actually rang. The younger Touzoku sibling wouldn't be able to drag his brother along with him that morning, for the older of the two had a specific job to do today. His first thing to do would be to find Marik Ishtar.

Marik was just arriving at the school gate that morning with Ishizu after finally talking to her on their trip (Mostly about when Melvin would arrive next week) when he saw a familiar, tall, pale figure bounding towards him. He was doing his best to rush Ishizu away to her group of friends while staying inconspicuous, all in the time it took Bakura Touzoku to cross the yard over to meet him at the gate. Ishizu didn't really notice nor did she mind at all so she once again left her brother as she would do every morning.

"Hello again, kid!" Bakura said standing over him with his trademark smirk on his face.

"You know," He pointed out. "I have a name and I'm pretty sure you're already familiar with it." It irked him every time Bakura called him 'kid' when he had already asked and received his name.

"Fine have it your way, Ishtar." His voice was smooth and sly.

Marik mumbled under his breath "That's not what I meant and you know it." He tried to control his anger.

"What was that Ish-" he was interrupted by Marik. "Nothing. I said nothing."

"You wanted me to call you by your name and that's what I'm doing. Give up it's the best you're going to get from me, Ishtar." The pale boy sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

They would have continued their spirited back and forth had a certain white haired teen running towards his twin not interrupted them.

"'Kuuuuuuurrraaaaaaaaa! No one's here yet!" Ryou called. Once he made it to his brother he was slightly out of breath not until he was standing directly beside him did he notice the Egyptian boy in front of them. This must be the twin… what was it again, Ryou? Not completely sure.

"Oh, I'm so very sorry." The younger twin said. "I hope Bakura wasn't bothering you." He's definitely a lot more polite than his brother. Marik observed.

The blonde boy guessed that he would have to defend Bakura. "No, it's alright, he wasn't really bugging me."

Ryou's eyes lit up at this and Marik wasn't quite sure why. He thought back to the day before.

"There's a good Ryou." He said teasingly. "But if you really want to know I will tell you."

"I doubt you'll tell me the truth… but let's hear it anyways."

Bakura plastered an absurdly fake smile on his face (Almost as an impression or mockery of his brother's kind smile).

"I made a friend!"

At this realization Ryou attacked his sibling with a hug. "Oh, 'Kura! You did make a friend!"

"Ryou! Get off me… I can't breathe!" Bakura choked out.

Marik broke out into laughter at this. "More like you're ruining his image!" Bakura shot him a death glare but he knew that the older boy wouldn't be able to do anything to back it up. Ryou, however, looked up as he heard Marik's voice for the first time remembering that he was still standing there awkwardly in front of him.

Ryou mentally face palmed himself. "How rude of me!" He offered a kind smile to Marik. "My name is Ryou Touzoku. It's so good to meet you! What's your name?"

Marik tried to copy the smile but wasn't able to, it turned out kind of creepy in the end (He can't ever force his smiles). "Marik Ishtar." The Egyptian said weakly.

For Marik talking to Ryou was much too the same as talking to Yugi. Their kindness was too much for him to attempt to return. Ryou may be even more polite than even Yugi. He's so proper. Now I know he's the complete opposite of his brother. Maybe that's why it's so easy for me to talk to Bakura, even if we argue, I feel like I don't have to be careful around him at all. I can let it all go. God, what am I saying? So cheesy!

Then Bakura's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Tell me, Ishtar. What color is the sky in that little world of yours?"

"You're truly hilarious, Touzoku." Now Bakura's trademarked smirk was something he could duplicate.

Ryou, seeing how they were once more becoming absorbed in their conversation, decided that it was time for him to leave his Brother's side and his friends walking down the block was the perfect chance to make his escape without coming across as too rude.

"Well 'Kura," He turned to face Marik. "Marik, I'll be on my way now. I'm going to go meet up with the others." Marik assumed he was talking about his friends that were missing earlier when Ryou first joined them.

He turned to see who Ryou was motioning to and it all made sense. The tanned boy saw Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda walking in just meters away from them along with a boy who looked similar to Yugi only taller and slightly older looking (He assumed the small boy's brother) and a girl with short brown hair.

The first three seemed to notice him as well and waved good morning. Jonouchi's and Honda's smiles seemed to fade when they saw who he was conversing with while Yugi, being the very friendly person he was, was unfazed by it all and didn't even spot the change.

"You are acquainted with them, Marik?" Ryou asked, his smile not fading for a second. That must hurt.

"Uhh, yeah." The boy fumbled.

"Hurry up and say your hellos. We've got work to do, kid." Bakura demanded.

"Really? Again with the 'kid' I really thought we were making progress, 'Kura." Marik said in a mock- tired voice with a hint of amusement mixed in there.

"Don't call me that again, that is, if you like that pretty little face of yours." Bakura hissed. "Ryou's my brother and he's the only one that doesn't get murdered for calling me that. I'm sure you can understand you aren't an only child."

Temporarily forgetting to tease about 'Kura aand instead focusing on something else. "How would you know about my siblings?" His mind was immedietely drawn back to his younger brother, Melvin.

"I heard you the other day talking to dumb and dumber over there." His voice grew louder for Jonouchi and Honda to hear. They knew that they were being addressed. "He better be dumber!" They said in unison pointing at each other. All of the group laughed, except of course for Bakura, Jonouchi, and Honda. Bakura who would not laugh at the joke he set up and the other two being too embarrassed.

Regardless Marik did as he was told earlier and followed Bakura away for his first lesson. He knew that Jonouchi was still watching him. Marik hadn't followed their advice.

Meanwhile

Ishizu was talking away with her fellow senior friends. She couldn't help but take a glance over to the school's main gate where her brother was still standing. She, for a second, thought she had seen someone else over there with Marik so she looked over once again seeing a white haired boy whom she wasn't familiar with.

Among her friends was a girl named Mai Kujaku who Ishizu was particularly close to. Mai, Ishizu found, was quite knowledgeable about all of the gossip in Domino. She assumed her friend had tabs on most of the students in the school, it at least seemed that way.

"Hey Mai? Do you know who that is over there with my brother?" The black- haired girl pointed over towards her younger sibling.

"Well, I'm not positive but I'm pretty sure that it's the older Touzoku twin. Bakura. He's kind of an infamous trouble maker in these parts." The bubbly blonde girl replied.

"You think he'll be fine?" Ishizu was curious as to how much of a danger this boy was to her brother.

"I dunno. He's unpredictable, but I'd keep a close eye out if I were you." She suggested.

"Thanks, I think I will." Now curious as to see where they were heading, with Marik following so willingly. What ever happened to her anti-social little brother? She would need to find out more.

(1) I worded it like that to show similarities to the first chapter with their morning routines.

So as I said before updates will be alot slower than like every other day to once week. Reviews will help to get chapters out sooner though. So review cause that's what Ryou wants and come on guys it's his birthday and you know you can't resist his puppy eyes.

This chapter was like half epic foreshadowing and half filler. I promise stuff will start to happen soon and filler will be lessened.

-Witch12