Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Admit It ❯ To Forget ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: Hi there! I'm out right now, but you can leave a message after the beep... My advice, though: don't hold your breath... Okay, okay, not mine, and if you try to sue me, the best thing you're likely to get is a maggot-infested bag of peanut butter things :P Yes, maggots; don't ask.

A/N: Ah yes, I will never forget the day when JessicaKittyDemon was playing a video game at my house and scarfing mini Reeses, when suddenly she looked down and said, `Hey, what's this...?' Classic, truly classic. I've always been a bit paranoid of the Reeses in my house since then though... Have you noticed how many of my author's notes center around food? (sweatdrop)

Xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooX

Chapter Seven: To Forget

Xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooX

At around eight the next morning, everybody dragged themselves home, mostly in order to catch some more sleep. Nobody had hangovers courteously of millennium magic (except for the first few minutes after they woke up, naturally...), but they were tired. Kaiba explained that he'd like some family time with Mokuba in the morning, but that he'd like it if Ryou and Bakura could come back after lunch so he could get some more work done. The two babysitters didn't have any problem with this, as they were hoping to spend a *different* kind of time with each other.

The moment they had reached the privacy of Ryou's bedroom, Bakura came back out of the Ring. They didn't even bother with the usual greetings; the darker one caught Ryou in a deep kiss, pushing him down onto the bed.

"I wish you could drop out of school," Bakura complained, once they'd separated.

Ryou rolled his eyes. "Join the club. But there's a break coming up, if that helps."

He smiled. "A bit..." He leaned down for another kiss.

After a few moments, Ryou gently pushed him away. Bakura arched an eyebrow, and his light smiled apologetically. "Listen," he said awkwardly, "I need... Well, I mean, I really want... I need sleep." Bakura gaped at him. "I'm sorry, but, you know, we were all up pretty late last night, and it would really suck if I fainted in the middle of something, wouldn't it?"

The spirit sighed, though he couldn't help grinning just a little at that last bit. "You sure?"

"Hey, we'll have all of Sunday; this is our last day babysitting Mokuba..." He decided to have pity, and gave his koi one last kiss. Bakura deepened it, moving from his mouth to his jaw line, to trailing kisses up and down his throat. For a moment Ryou considered changing his mind, but then he pushed him away again.

Bakura laughed. "Okay, fine; I guess you mortals do tend to get tired easily... Sleep well."

Ryou smiled as his yami gathered him up in his arms to sleep as well, but inside he felt like he was torn in half. Truth be told, he wasn't really *that* tired. It was just that, to be with Bakura when he was in love with someone else too - when he had kissed someone else, for goodness sake! - made him feel so guilty. He wondered glumly how he could ever be with either of them without missing the other one. They needed to sort this out, before he had some kind of nervous break-down, but he was just too chicken to bring the subject up...

Xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooX

Kaiba stared out his window, completely absorbed. He chose to ignore, for now, the incessant beeping of various reminders on his computer, and the modest (twelve-inch) stack of business-related papers begging for his attention. The Word documents and Excel files, the lists and charts and diagrams, and the many, many browser windows were forgotten in favor of the game of hide-and-seek occurring on the mansion's front lawn.

It was amusing; the entire time he had been watching, Bakura hadn't been it once. Kaiba supposed that was one of the advantages of being an ancient dark spirit; he could melt into the shadows until the CEO couldn't see him even though he knew where he was. He found it very... fascinating.

Kaiba shook his head. What was he thinking, anyway? Since childhood he had vowed to let no one in, to not show weakness to anybody. He hadn't been able to shut out Mokuba, so his brother became an exception. But that was supposed to be all he needed; one single person to be himself around. Yet there was something about those two... They treated him like a real person, he supposed. Not like a person who needed mental help, like Yugi-tachi, or like a person who could kick their asses, like his employees. Was it possible that he... wanted to be *friends* with them?

He shook his head, turning back to his work. He simply could not let that happen. He didn't need friends, nor did he have the time for them. He'd made it eighteen years without a hitch, after all.

He glanced at the top reminder, and blinked. Time for dinner already? But it was true; he could hear one of the servants calling Mokuba and his sitters inside. He got up with a sigh; it wasn't exactly as if he was on a roll here, and he was hungry, so he might as well go down.

At the table, Ryou and Mokuba talked enthusiastically; Kaiba listened but as usual he made no attempt to join in. Then, to his shock, Bakura actually tried to engage him in conversation.

"So, will you be needing us to come over again tomorrow?" he asked casually.

Kaiba glanced up at him; he lounged in the chair like he lived there and shoveled down food as though it could run away at any moment. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch in amusement. "Not particularly."

He shrugged. "'K. Maybe we'll drop by sometime, just to hang out."

"I'm sure Mokuba would like that," he said simply, though in fact he thought he would like that, too.

Then Bakura paused in his vicious attack on the food to look up at him. "I need talk to you for a minute after we're done eating."

He shrugged, his equivalent of an `okay.'

So after the meal, while Ryou and Mokuba ran out to the living room to check out the black-haired boy's newest video game, Bakura and Kaiba found a room where they could have some privacy. Once they were behind closed doors, Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "So, what's so secret that my servants couldn't even hear it?" he inquired.

Bakura, to his surprise, looked awkward. "I'm just curious... I know Mokuba would enjoy it if we came to visit you two... But would you?"

Kaiba grimaced. The white-haired yami could catch him off guard even when he *wasn't* intoxicated, he reflected. "Well... I wouldn't mind," he said tersely.

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Oh, cut it out. Would you like it, or wouldn't you?"

He sighed, exasperated. "Fine! I... guess I would, a little. Why do you care?" Something most people would probably call a conscious was telling him to shut the fuck up before he lost his only potential friend, but he studiously ignored it.

Bakura just stared at him. Kaiba felt strange all of the sudden; claustrophobic, stifled. Then he realized why; without him even realizing it the other had slid up to him, close enough to kiss... Whoa, kiss? Where had that come from...?

Then Bakura kissed him.

Kaiba went half-limp, shocked, and glad that he had already been leaning up against the door. This actually felt... good... Almost without meaning to, he reached up and threaded his fingers through white hair, pulling him closer... Then, abruptly, his brain caught up with his body.

His eyes flew open, and he pushed Bakura away so hard that he stumbled, and fell. For a moment he just started down at him, breathing hard. "What were you thinking?" he hissed.

Bakura flushed. "I-"

The brunette strode over, and picked him up by his shirt-collar. "You weren't! Did you ever pause to consider what *Ryou* would have to say about this, you cheating bastard?!" Judging by his expression, he hadn't. Kaiba took a deep breath, trying to will himself to calmness. Scowling, he put the smaller boy down. "You disgust me. I want you to leave - now! - and I better not see you in this house ever again."

Bakura just stared at him, a look of pain he wouldn't have thought possible for the dark spirit reflected in his eyes. "Now!" he barked.

"Gomen," he muttered bitterly, and hurried out the door.

Ah. Well. Kaiba leaned against the door again, head resting on the palm of his hand, and felt alone. His heart hardened. It was for the best, of course...

Xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooX

They were both quiet on the way home. Bakura felt sick, knowing that once he got there, he was going to have to face Ryou's questions, his curious looks; he would want to know what they had done to upset Kaiba, after all... The ride was much too short.

Once they got up to Ryou's room and he had come out of the Ring again, he was proven right. "What did you do?" Ryou demanded, worried.

The spirit frowned. Well, that was nice... Then he had a horrible thought. The kiss had happened so suddenly that he'd forgotten to block his mind; what if Ryou had sensed... He looked away, hoping that his hikari wouldn't see his panicked expression. He would have to lie; that was all there was to it. "I... We had an argument. About his rabid working habits." He laughed nervously. "I was talking to him about it, and he said he didn't like me pushing him around and, well..."

His voice trailed off. Ryou was looking more pissed by the moment. "You!" he snapped. "I can't believe you would lie to me!"

Bakura gaped at him. "Wha-what?"

Ryou's fingers curled into fists, as if he was having trouble controlling himself. "Okay, I admit it! I kissed him once, when he was sick. But at least I can come right out and say so! You must have known I probably sensed it, but you still had the nerve to lie to me... How dare you!" And Ryou slapped him.

Dazedly, Bakura raised a hand to his cheek. It barely stung, but he felt like he couldn't breathe... Was this what it felt like, to be hit by someone you loved?

Ryou looked just as shocked as he did. After staring for a moment, he threw his arms around his dark, sobbing. Bakura blinked then hugged him back, whispering unintelligible words in an attempt to get him to calm down. To his mild amazement his own eyes prickled, though of course he refused to cry.

Finally Ryou managed to stop crying, and pulled away. "I'm so sorry," he sniffed.

He shrugged it off. "It's no big deal; my shirt will dry." He gently guided him over to the bed, sitting down next to him. "You had every right to be mad; I'm the one who should be sorry."

Ryou smiled weakly, rubbing his eyes. "No, I didn't. I kissed him behind your back too, and for the truth or dare game as well... What are we going to do, yami-kun? I don't want to leave you..."

"...But we both want Kaiba as well," he finished, sighing. "And apparently, he doesn't want us." He nervously glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "I don't know about you, but now that I know that for sure... I might be able to forget about him."

Ryou smiled, relived, trying not to think about how much the thought of that hurt. "Yeah, I think I can too," he agreed, allowing himself to be gathered up in his koi's arms once again. He had no choice but to forget, after all. Sooner or later it wouldn't hurt as much; he and Bakura would patch things up between each other, and everything would be fine...

Xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooX

A/N: (sob) Damn, that was way sadder than I remembered... But fear not; the story isn't over yet! Still one more chapter to go... Hey, did you catch that title plugging? (beam) I actually explained it! And would you believe that I wrote almost all of this in one day? Yeah, you probably would, seeing as how it's kind of short... R&(sniff)R; I've only got a couple! (pleads with big puppy eyes)