Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Soulmates ❯ Chapter2 ( Chapter 2 )

Soulmates

by Dragondreamer & Yami Dragon

Disclaimer: We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If we did, Dragon would have Seto wrapped in plastic and no one would be allowed to touch him but her.

Warning: This story contains shouenen-ai (guy/guy relationships) and yaoi (guys having sex with guys). It also contains coarse language and violence. If you don't like it, or become offended by such things, take off already!

Note: /…/ Tristan's thoughts

[…] Joey's thoughts

{…} Seto's thoughts

[[…]]Yami's thought and mind link to Yugi

//…// Yugi's thoughts and mind link to Yami

*…* Ryou's thoughts and mind link to Bakura

**…** Bakura's thoughts and mind link to Ryou

~*~*~*~*~

DD: I can't believe how long it took us to get this chapter finished!

Tris: Maybe if you weren't trying to write three stories at once…

YD: Shut it. Or I'll do something REALLY nasty to you!

Seto: Don't mind her. She's just snarky because it's her anniversary. She hates special occasions.

DD: Nine years…do you think it's time to trade him in for a new model?

~*~*~*~*~

Instinct made Tristan stop at the nurse's station before going to see his grandmother.

"Hello, Tristan." Michelle, one of the nurses, greeted him.

"How is she?" Tristan asked, seeing the worry in the woman's eyes.

"Well," Her gaze went to Joey and Yugi, standing at Tristan's side. "She had another seizure this morning. She doesn't seem to be able to recognize anyone. Maybe she'll know who you are. Why don't you go see her?"

Yugi reached for Tristan's hand as the color drained from the brunet's face. "Have you called Tristan's parents?"

Michelle glanced away, but not before the three teens saw the anger in her eyes. "We have orders not to unless she…dies."

"What?!" Joey was shocked; he knew Tristan's parents could be jerks when they wanted to be, but this went way beyond that.

"I'm sorry, Tristan." Michelle said sadly.

Tristan shook his head, not answering. He wasn't even surprised. He knew his parents were more concerned about their jobs than their family. He was living proof of that.

"Come on, Tris." Joey turned away from the desk. "Let's go see her."

Tristan let his friends lead him down the hall to his grandmother's room. Once there, he stood outside the door, unwilling to enter.

"Tristan?" Yugi squeezed the taller boy's hand. "Are you okay?"

"I…I can't do it." Tristan whispered. "What if she…doesn't know me?"

"Tell you what," Joey said, laying a hand on Tristan's shoulder. "I'll go in and see how she is first. Then I'll come out and get you."

"Could you?" Tristan's voice was choked as he fought back the tears. "I don't think I could stand it if…"

Joey nodded. "It's okay, buddy. Stay here with Yugi."

Joey pulled open the door just enough to slip inside. The room was dim and he made his way to the bed quietly, not wanting to wake Miriam if she was asleep.

"Who's there?" The voice was weak.

"It's me, Nana. Joey."

"Joey?" The old woman opened her eyes, looking up at the blond, confused. "I don't know anyone named Joey."

Tears filled the amber eyes, making them sparkle in the muted light. "I'm Tristan's friend, remember?"

Miriam shook her head slightly. "No. I don't know anyone named Tristan either."

"Nana," Joey sat in the chair next to the bed. "Tristan is your grandson. He's waiting outside with Yugi. Do you remember Yugi? Little guy with weird hair. You always called him "sprout"…said no one could ever be as innocent as he looks. Remember?"

"I…don't." The elderly lady frowned. "But I remember someone with white hair and…an accent. He's a sweet boy. Is he here?"

"That's Ryou. He's not here." Joey bit his lip. Tristan wasn't going to take this well. "I can go get him if you want to see him."

"Maybe tomorrow. I'm rather tired. It was nice of you to come see me…what did you say your name was?"

"Joey." The blond bit back a sob.

"Joey." Miriam smiled at him. "You look like an angel…a golden angel."

"Get some rest, Nana." Joey said, trying not to let his breaking heart show through in his voice. "We'll come back later."

"That would be nice." Miriam's eyes slipped closed. "I like handsome young men."

Joey stood, bending down and brushing his lips against the old woman's cheek. She didn't react. She was already asleep.

"I love you, Nana." Joey whispered as he turned from the bed.

Outside the room, he found Yugi with his arms wrapped around Tristan's waist, his head resting on the brunet's stomach. The diminutive boy looked up as Joey came out, the obvious question in his eyes.

"She's not good." Joey said, reaching out to Tristan. "She doesn't remember me either."

Tristan wrapped one arm around Joey and leaned his head against the blond's shoulder, his other arm around Yugi. He didn't say a word, and he didn't cry, just stood there, stunned.

"I'm so sorry, Tris." Joey said softly.

Tristan just clung to his friends, not answering.

~*~*~*~*~

Ryou stood in front of the bathroom mirror, tears running down his face.

It was back.

*How?* Ryou ran his fingers over the Ring. *Tristan got rid of it.*

**You can't get rid of me that easily, my puppet. We are bound together. I'll always be with you.**

*Please…leave me alone.*

**Leave you alone?** Dark laughter echoed in Ryou's mind. **Why would I do that? You're so easy to manipulate…so weak. I think I'm going to enjoy being here.**

*I don't want my friends to be hurt again.*

**Then you will do as you're told. If you don't, I'll kill them all.**

Ryou shuddered. There was no doubt in his mind that this presence would do just that…and take pleasure in it.

**There are a few things we need to get straight. I think it's time you learned the rules.**

Ryou felt the sinking, dizzy sensation that always accompanied the loss of possession of his body. Before, it had always been like losing consciousness, or falling asleep. He only became aware again when the other relinquished control.

This time, however, he found himself in what looked like a bedroom. He was alone and he looked around curiously.

It was furnished simply with a large bed, a comfortable looking chair and several bookcases, crammed almost to overflowing with books. There was a window on one wall, showing an inky darkness on the other side.

Hanging on the opposite wall was a large mirror and reflected in it he could see himself, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, his eyes blank.

The single door opened and in walked a young man who looked much like himself. He was maybe five years older, his features sharper than Ryou's own and his bright hair spiky.

"This is your soulroom." He said. "You will stay here when I am in control of your body."

"Why?" Ryou asked, backing away.

"Because that is what I wish."

"Who are you?" Ryou suddenly realized he didn't even know this person's name.

"Your master."

Ryou lowered his eyes, instinctively knowing not to antagonize this man. "Do you have a name?"

The same dark laughter resounded in the room. "You may call me Bakura."

Ryou's head snapped up, his eyes wide. "But that's MY name!"

"I am you." Bakura grinned evilly. "Haven't you figured that out?"

Ryou shook his head, backing away further. "What do you want?"

"That is none of your business, puppet. All you need to know is that you belong to me. You are no better than a slave. Get used to it." Bakura turned away, opening the door once again. "Stay here. Don't even try to leave."

Ryou ran to the door as soon as it closed, tugging on the knob. It didn't budge. He turned toward the mirror, watching as his reflection changed, the features of his face sharpening and the hair growing wilder.

Bakura had taken his body again.

*Gods, please…I don't want my friends hurt!*

**I won't harm them…this time. I only desire to explore this world you live in.** The figure turned away and Ryou realized that the mirror was, in effect, a window through his eyes. He could see where Bakura was going. **Don't question me again. You'll regret it.**

Ryou watched as Bakura left the house, heading out into the streets.

Seeing a blanket folded over the back of the chair, Ryou picked it up and hung it over the mirror. He didn't want to see what was going to happen.

He lay down on the bed, closing his eyes and trying not to cry. Sleep soon overcame him and he gratefully gave himself up to it.

~*~*~*~*~

"Tristan," Joey nudged his friend. "Come on. Eat."

"I'm sorry, Joey. I'm just not hungry." Tristan pushed his plate away and stood up from the table. "I'll be in the den."

Joey and Yugi exchanged glances as Tristan left the room. They heard the den door shut.

"Should we go after him?" Yugi asked, toying with his fork.

Joey shook his head. "No. When he's in there it means he wants to be alone. He's been spending a lot of time there lately."

Yugi reached out and squeezed Joey's arm wordlessly, his eyes sad. Joey shook his head again and picked up his fork, turning his attention back to his dinner.

//Yami, I'm worried.//

[[There is nothing you can do, Aibou. Tristan must come to terms with this himself.]]

//It just hurts to see him so sad.//

[[He's your friend and you love him. I understand.]]

//Maybe…maybe we should try and do something to get his mind off it.//

[[Such as?]]

//I think now would be a good time to tell him and Joey about you.// Yugi felt the other's hesitation and decided to press the issue. //Why wait? And it WOULD help him get his mind off his grandmother.//

[[True. But I think we should wait until he is done whatever he is doing. What is he doing in there anyway?]]

//I don't know, really. I know that he has an altar in there. His grandmother is Buddhist. He is too…well, sorta. Maybe he's praying or something.//

"Earth to Yugi."

Yugi's eyes focused on Joey, who was looking at him with a concerned expression. "Sorry. I was just thinking."

"Are you done?" Joey stood, picking up his empty plate.

"Yeah." Yugi stood as well, taking some dishes over to the sink and beginning to help Joey clean up.

Joey kept glancing toward the kitchen door, listening for Tristan. By the time he and Yugi had finished, Tristan still hadn't emerged from the den and Joey was getting worried.

"Maybe you should go see if he's okay." Yugi said, seeing the concern written all over the blond's face.

"I think I will." Joey sighed. "Tris has a bad habit of locking himself away when he's upset and not talking. Getting him to talk when he's like this is like pulling teeth."

"Go on then." Yugi gave Joey a little push toward the door. "I'm going to go outside. Maybe you can talk him into coming out."

"I'll try." Joey replied, heading for the den.

Standing outside the door with his hand on the knob, he felt like he was intruding on Tristan's privacy. Doubt assailed him and he began to turn away, changing his mind. The sound of soft sobbing from the other side of the door stopped him.

He opened the door quietly and stepped into the room.

Tristan was sitting on the floor in front of the altar, his face buried in his hands and his shoulders shaking with the force of his tears. Joey silently crossed the room and sat next to him, saying nothing to alert the other teen to his presence.

It took Tristan a while to realize he wasn't alone and he finally lifted his head, meeting Joey's amber orbs with devastated eyes.

Joey still never said a word, just draped his arm over Tristan's shoulders and waited patiently for the brunet to pull himself together.

"Where's Yugi?" Tristan asked, his voice hoarse.

"Outside. Why don't you come out with us? You've got Yugi worried sick."

"I'm sorry." Tristan hung his head. "It's just that…"

"No, don't apologize. We understand. But, Tris…I'm here too. I know she's your grandmother and all but…I love her just as much as you do. I guess what I'm trying to say is…shit. I don't know what I'm trying to say."

Tristan looked up at Joey, seeing the pain in his eyes. A flash of guilt passed through him. Joey was right. And he was hurting just as badly. In his grief, Tristan had forgotten that Joey loved his grandmother too.

Tristan leaned against Joey with a sigh. "I'm being selfish. I know how much you love Nana."

"You're not being selfish. But you know…it'd be easier if you shared what you're feeling. I'm feeling it too, Tris."

Tristan pulled away from Joey and stood, holding out his hand to the blond. "Come on. Let's go outside before Yugi has a heart attack."

Joey let Tristan haul him to his feet, stopping him from leaving by wrapping his arms around him and hugging him hard. "It's going to be okay, Tristan."

"I know." Tristan buried his face in Joey's hair for a moment. /So long as you're with me./

~*~*~*~*~

Seto sat in his home office, staring blankly at his computer.

Mokuba had just left him after talking him into having Yugi and the others over the next day. And he had insisted that Seto call them. He didn't want to, but Mokuba had pulled out his best pout, knowing there was no way his brother could resist it.

[I should know better than to be suckered in by that.] Seto pulled open a drawer and took out the phone book. [I don't even know how to get a hold of anyone but Yugi.]

He called the Game Shop and was informed by Yugi's grandfather that Yugi was over at Tristan's. Solomon then helpfully provided the brunet's phone number.

Seto felt a sense of relief as he hung up the phone. He had no idea what to say to Yugi, but Tristan was another matter. Maybe he would be willing to extend Mokuba's invitation to his friends, thus saving Seto from the further discomfort of trying to make small talk with people he didn't really know.

[Why the hell should I care, anyway? And what makes Mokuba think they're going to come? Joey hates me. Well…I'm not that fond of him either. He's not as bad as I thought. He's good with Mokuba. But he's still a second rate duelist. Not to mention a loud mouthed pain in the ass.]

Seto picked up the phone and dialed Tristan's number, something in him hoping that the other brunet would agree to come.

~*~*~*~*~

Yugi and Joey looked at Tristan, curiosity written all over their faces, as the brunet came out onto the patio.

"What did Kaiba want?" Yugi asked, getting up so Tristan could sit down on the bench with Joey.

"Mokuba wants us to go over tomorrow. All of us." Tristan replied, smiling as Yugi sat down in his lap. He wrapped his arms around his tiny friend. He loved cuddling Yugi. It reminded him of when he cuddled his teddy bear as a little kid. "Well, except for Tea. Kaiba made it pretty clear she wasn't invited."

"Is Kaiba going to be there?" Joey tucked his leg under himself, cocking his head to one side. "I can't imagine why he'd want to hang around with us."

Tristan shrugged. "I guess. He didn't say."

"Well, I'm going to go." Yugi said, grinning up at Tristan. "I really like Mokuba and you know, Kaiba's not such a bad guy. I think that whole cold front is just an act. Nobody can really be that distant. Not and be the way he is with his brother."

"I'll go if you do, Yug." Joey said. "Kaiba just better not start on me. You coming, Tris?"

"I…I guess. I was going to go over to the hospital, but…" Tristan bit his lip, unable to continue.

"It's okay, Tristan." Yugi wrapped his arms around his friend and snuggled into him.

Tristan looked over at Joey, seeing the sadness in the honey eyes. "She won't even know I'm there."

Joey laid a hand on Tristan's shoulder, squeezing gently. "What you need is to get out and have a good time. Come with us, bud. We'll go get Ryou too."

"Okay." Tristan quietly replied, tightening his grip on Yugi.

//Yami? I think now would be a good time.//

[[If you think so, Aibou.]]

"Guys?" Yugi sat up in Tristan's lap. "There's something I need to tell you. It's kinda important."

Seeing Yugi's hesitation, Joey smiled at him. "What's up?"

"Well," Yugi reluctantly untangled himself from Tristan's grip and went to sit in a chair facing his two friends. "You know how Ryou had a spirit in his Ring that took over his body? Well…I…umm…I kinda…have one too."

"What?!" Tristan's eyes went to the Puzzle. "Gods, Yugi! Why didn't you tell us?! We have to get rid of that thing!"

"NO!" Yugi wrapped his hands around his Item. "He's not like Ryou's. He's nice." Yugi saw the skepticism in their eyes and hastened to explain. "Really. He calls himself Yami and he's really good to me. He never takes over my body unless I'm in trouble…or when we're dueling…and he always asks first. He cares about me. He's like…like a big brother." Yugi paused as he felt a wave of sadness come from his other half. //Yami?//

[[It's nothing, little one. Continue.]]

"So…he's not…you know…evil?" Joey asked, thinking to himself the words sounded stupid when he said them. It was hard to imagine that word being connected to ANYTHING that had to do with Yugi. "He's really an okay guy?"

Yugi laughed. "Yeah. And it's not like you haven't met him before, Joey. I mean, you've dueled with him."

Joey looked a little shocked as the truth of Yugi's words struck him.

"Can we talk to him?" Tristan asked, his tone indicating he wanted to make sure for himself that this Yami was nothing like Ryou's spirit.

"Sure." Yugi's eyes went out of focus. //Yami? Will you talk to them?//

[[Of course, Aibou.]]

Tristan and Joey watched as Yugi's features sharpened, making him look older. The most noticeable change, however, was his eyes. No longer the startling amethyst color with the innocent look they were used to, they were instead a deep ruby color, lacking the child-like sparkle that seemed to be part of Yugi himself.

"Ummm…Yugi?" Joey asked.

"No. I am Yami."

Tristan looked closely. He had seen this person before, but he had always thought it was Yugi. It was something he had never really thought about, even though the deep tenor of the other's voice should have given him away.

"Why the hell didn't I notice this before?" Joey's tone was aggravated.

"We all see what we want to." Yami replied. "Not necessarily what is there."

"So you…umm…live in the Puzzle?" The blond asked.

"In a sense, yes. I do not really live. My spirit resides there and I share Yugi's soul."

Joey scratched his head. "Okaaaay."

"It's very difficult to explain." Yami said. He looked at the silent teen sitting at Joey's side. "Tristan? Is there something wrong?"

"How do we know you're not like the guy in Ryou's Ring?" Tristan asked, feeling defensive. He had seen Ryou go through too much shit at the hands of that presence to want to see Yugi go through it too.

Yami's eyes narrowed on the brunet. "I am not. That one was nothing more than a common thief, a tomb robber. I was Pharaoh, king of Upper and Lower Egypt. You cannot compare me to him."

"Pharaoh, huh?" Joey grinned. "That's kinda neat."

"I don't remember much else." Yami sighed. "I was trapped in the darkness for too long and I believe my memories deteriorated. Until Yugi solved the Puzzle and freed me, I wasn't really aware…I had no consciousness. Bits and pieces come to me…in my dreams…but I can't really make sense of them."

"So…you can't remember anything about your past?" Tristan asked, frowning.

"No, not really." Yami looked at Tristan seriously. "Though I do know that you are all the reincarnations of people I knew then. Who, I'm not really sure. You though, Tristan, seem very familiar to me. As does Kaiba."

Tristan shook his head, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I believe you were someone close to me. A good friend, perhaps."

"Cool, Tris." Joey elbowed the brunet in the ribs. "You were the friend of a pharaoh."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure whether to believe Yami or not. It didn't really matter…so long as this guy wasn't going to hurt Yugi, he didn't really care who he had been.

"You don't seem to have a problem accepting this, Joey." Yami commented.

The blond shrugged. "Well, I've seen a lot of shit over the past few months. And after that whole shadow duel with that freak in Ryou's Ring…nothing fazes me anymore."

Yami smiled…a smile so dissimilar from Yugi's both teens were left with no doubts that he was a totally different person from their small friend. "A good point, Joey."

"Where is Yugi now?" Tristan asked.

"He is in his soulroom." Yami said. "It is a place…within the Puzzle…where his soul waits until I am done. He can explain it to you in detail if you'd like."

"Cool." Joey said again, smiling at Yami. "Can he hear us?"

"He can. If you have any more questions, you can ask him." Yami smiled at the two boys. "He wants to come back now."

In the blink of an eye, Yami was gone, and Yugi was looking at them, seeming a little anxious.

"Yugi…" Tristan met the purple eyes. "He seems…nice."

"He is." Yugi said, looking at Joey for his reaction.

"Hell, I don't have a problem with him." The blond grinned. "When I think about it…all the times I've talk to him and stuff and thought it was you…he's a pretty great guy."

"He is great." Yugi's smile was one of relief. "I was just kinda worried that you guys would think he's like Ryou's spirit."

"Pretty obvious he's not." Joey commented dryly.

//I'm glad they accepted you, Yami. It means a lot to me that they did.//

[[I am too, my light. And I know how much they mean to you. They mean a lot to me as well.]]

Yugi smiled and let the happiness he was feeling fill the link.

"It's getting late, Yugi." Tristan said. "Are you going to stay over tonight?"

Yugi noticed it was getting dark. "I can't. I promised Grandpa I'd be home tonight."

"I'll walk you home." Joey said, standing.

"Thanks, Joey." Yugi smiled brightly up at the amber eyed teen. "I'd like that."

"You going to be okay for a while, Tris?" Joey asked, turning to the brunet.

"I'll be fine." Tristan rose and went to Yugi, leaning down to hug him. "Joey and I will pick you up tomorrow and then we'll go get Ryou and head over to Kaiba's."

"Sounds good, Tristan." Yugi hugged the taller boy hard. "Maybe on the way back from seeing Mokuba we can stop and visit your grandmother."

"Maybe."

Tristan walked around to the front of the house with his friends, watching as they walked down the street, talking and laughing. When they were out of sight, he let himself in through the front door and went into the den.

He didn't come out until Joey came back.

~*~*~*~*~

Ryou blinked, suddenly finding himself in control of his body again.

He looked around, confused. He had no idea where he was. It was dark and he was in what looked like an alley. There were rats snuffling around piles of garbage and overflowing dumpsters.

Becoming aware of the fact that his hands were cold and wet, he raised them. He bit back a scream when he saw they were coated in blood.

That's when he realized there was a body lying at his feet.

He ran.

~*~*~*~*~

It was the middle of the night and Tristan couldn't sleep.

He was prowling aimlessly around the house when he heard someone banging on the front door. He ran through the living room, wanting to answer it before whoever it was woke Joey.

Yanking open the door, he found Ryou standing on the doorstep.

The first thing he noticed was the Ring hanging around the white haired boy's neck. The second was the blood.

"Gods, Ryou!" Tristan grabbed him by the arm and pulled him inside, shutting the door. "Are you okay?"

"I don't…I don't know." Ryou sobbed. "I'm s-sorry. I didn't know where else to go."

"It's okay." Tristan led Ryou into the kitchen. "First though…" He pulled the Ring over Ryou's head. "We're getting rid of this."

He held the Item in his hand, wondering how, and why, Ryou had found it again. He needed to get Ryou calmed down before he asked any questions. In the mean time, he had to find a place to put the Ring.

Wracking his brain, he tried to think of a place to put it. Inspiration struck and he moved through the kitchen, going into the laundry room and opening the dryer door. He tossed the Ring inside and shut it.

He hurried back into the kitchen to find Ryou leaning against the counter, shaking. He went over to the sink and turned on the water, making sure it was warm.

"Come here, little guy." He said softly, drawing Ryou over to the sink and proceeding to wash the blood from his hands.

Ryou began sobbing again as he watched the blood flow down the drain. "He…he killed someone. Gods…Tristan…there was a body. And…and blood everywhere."

"Shh." Tristan dried Ryou's hands off and then put his arms around his friend and held him gently. "It's okay. It's going to be alright."

"Tris?" Big brown eyes, swimming with tears, looked up. "Can I stay here tonight?"

"Of course you can."

"Can I sleep with you?" Ryou's voice was small and pleading.

"I wouldn't have you anywhere else." Tristan replied. They had shared a bed on occasion before. The last time being when Ryou was sick with the flu and had needed someone close. Tristan had stayed at Ryou's for four days, taking care of him. "You don't even have to ask."

"Thank you." Ryou whispered, wrapping his arms around Tristan's waist and pressing against him.

"Let's get you to bed." Tristan said, untangling himself from the other boy.

Ryou grabbed Tristan's hand, a look of panic in his eyes. "Don't let go. Please, Tristan."

"I won't. Come on." Tristan guided Ryou out of the room and upstairs to his bedroom.

He paused briefly outside the spare bedroom, hearing Joey talking in his sleep. He didn't sound distressed, like he was having a nightmare, so Tristan continued on, bringing Ryou into his room and shutting the door.

"I woke up and it was just there." Ryou said, breaking the silence. "I don't know how it got there, it just was. And he…he took over my body again. Why did he have to kill someone?!"

Tristan pushed Ryou down to sit on the bed and knelt in front of him, taking the cold hands in his. "I'm so sorry, Ryou. I can try getting rid of it again. Maybe it'll work this time."

"I'm so scared, Tris." Ryou said, his voice barely audible. "He said he's my master…that I'm nothing but a slave to him."

Tristan beat back the anger welling up inside him. How could anyone treat Ryou that way? Ryou was so gentle and caring. He put his friends before himself and was a completely selfless person. "You're NOT a slave, Ryou. Look, we'll find a way out of this. Maybe Yami can help."

"Yami? Who's Yami?" Ryou asked.

Tristan sighed. This was going to take some explaining. Then again…maybe not. If anyone would believe about Yami, it was Ryou.

"Let's get you into bed." The brunet stood up. "Then we'll talk, okay?"

Ryou nodded and stood, beginning to remove his clothes. There was no false modesty between the two friends. They were too close for that.

Once Ryou had stripped down to his boxers, he crawled into bed, waiting for Tristan to change into some pajama pants and join him. The second the taller boy was in the bed, Ryou moved up against him, wanting to be held.

Tristan gathered Ryou into his arms and began stroking his hair. He had held Ryou like this many times. Usually when the half albino teen's father would go away on a long dig, leaving him alone.

Ryou sighed and just let himself feel the comfort of being held. The feeling of Tristan's body and the warm, smooth skin against his lulled him and made him feel safe.

There was nothing sexual about their relationship. Far from it. Ryou had looked up to Tristan since they had first met, their home lives and the fact they both often found themselves without parents for extended periods of time giving them something in common. Tristan saw Ryou as a younger brother, from the start feeling strongly protective of him.

"Better now?" Tristan asked with a small smile.

"Always." Ryou replied, cuddling in close. "Thank you, Tristan."

"For what?"

"For being here for me…when I need a place to run. For always being willing to help me."

"Ryou," Tristan pulled back and looked at the other teen, his eyes serious. "You're my friend. I love you and I'd do anything for you. That's what friends do."

A little grin crossed Ryou's lips. "You're starting to sound like Tea."

"Gods! Don't go there." Tristan shuddered in genuine distaste. "That's not funny."

Ryou giggled. "You really don't like her, do you?"

"No." Tristan replied shortly. He ran his fingers through the other's snowy locks, deciding to change the subject. "What happened, Ryou?"

Ryou sighed and moved as close to Tristan as he could get. He explained to the taller teen what had happened since he had woken that morning to find the Ring hanging around his neck. Half way through his story, the tears started again and he began to cry, barely able to get the words out.

"Oh, Ryou." Tristan had tears in his eyes when the other was done. "I'm so sorry."

He just held the other boy and let him cry, a fierce, impotent rage filling him. He had gotten rid of the Ring on Pegasus' island. That should have been the end of it. But it wasn't. And now he didn't know what to do to protect Ryou.

"Do…do you r-really th-think you can get rid of it?" Ryou's voice was muffled as he buried his face in Tristan's chest.

"I'm damn well gonna try."

A hard shudder passed through Ryou as he tried to bring himself under control. "Tell me who Yami is."

"He's the guy in Yugi's Puzzle."

"What?!" Ryou's body went rigid. "Oh, no! Not Yugi too!"

"No, it's alright." Tristan hastened to explain. "He's nice. And he really cares about Yugi. Ryou…I think he might be able to help you. I think he knows this freak that calls himself Bakura. He seemed to know something about him."

"O-okay." Ryou nodded. "I suppose it couldn't hurt."

"We're all going over to Kaiba's tomorrow. Mokuba asked us over. Why don't you come with us and we can talk to Yami?"

"Can…can I leave the Ring here?"

Tristan cupped Ryou's chin in his hand, tipping his face up and looking into his eyes. "Ryou, you never have to touch that thing again. Leave it with me. I'll find a way to get rid of it."

"Thank you." Ryou wrapped an arm around Tristan's neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Tristan."

"You're welcome." Tristan smiled. "Go to sleep, okay? Things will look better in the morning."

Ryou nodded, a sigh of contentment escaping him as he felt Tristan's arms wrap tightly around him. He quickly dropped into an exhausted slumber, knowing Tristan would keep him safe.

Tristan waited until Ryou's breathing evened out before closing his eyes. /Gods, what a mess. Poor little guy. What am I going to do? I don't want to see him hurt. Why can't Bakura be like Yami? What's wrong with him that he has to hurt Ryou like this?/

Knowing he wasn't going to get the answers to his questions tonight, Tristan willed sleep to take him, hoping that tomorrow Yami would be able to provide a solution.

~*~*~*~*~

Joey came out of the bathroom, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

It was early, but he decided to go check on Tristan, knowing the brunet would probably already be awake.

He had woken up from a nightmare and he was still a little shaken. He was thinking it would feel good to go crawl into bed with Tristan and let his friend hold him. He didn't know why it felt so good. Maybe because Tristan was always there, a comforting presence that he could always count on, but he knew nothing compared to the feeling he got when Tristan put his arms around him.

He was just reaching for the doorknob when the door opened and Ryou walked out, smacking right into Joey.

"Gods, Joey!" Ryou reached out, grabbing the blond to steady him. "I'm sorry!"

"Ryou…what..?" Joey looked over the shorter boy's shoulder, seeing Tristan asleep in the bed. [What the hell..?]

Ryou moved out into the hall, closing the door. "Tristan is still asleep. I don't want to wake him."

"Umm…what…what are you doing here?" Joey asked, trying to wrap his brain around what he was seeing. [Gods! They didn't! Did they? Holy shit.]

"I got here late last night. You were already asleep. We didn't want to wake you." Ryou looked up at Joey, his brow furrowing when he noticed the shocked look on the other boy's face. "Joey? Are you alright?"

"Fine." Joey mentally shook himself. It really wasn't his business if Tristan and Ryou were sleeping together. "Why don't I scare us up some breakfast? Let's let Tris sleep. He hasn't been getting much lately."

"Like I'd say no to your cooking?" A huge smile lit Ryou's face. "What are you waiting for, boy? Get your ass in the kitchen!"

Joey laughed and headed downstairs, Ryou following.

As he began to gather what he needed, Joey unobtrusively watched Ryou as the white haired boy made himself tea and put on the coffee pot. [Well, if they ARE sleeping together…Tris could do a lot worse. Ryou's great. But…I wonder when it started.]

Putting the thoughts from his mind, Joey concentrated on making breakfast. Just as he was putting the plates on the table, Tristan came in, dressed in a pair of pajama pants, his normally distinctive hair messed up and hanging in his eyes.

Ryou rose from the table with a smile, going over to the brunet and putting his arms around him, laying his head against his chest.

Joey's eyebrows shot to his hairline as Tristan bent and kissed the top of Ryou's head, reaching to tip his face up and smiling warmly at him.

"Morning, Joey." Tristan smiled at the blond.

"Ah…morning." Joey stood up, trying to hide his shock and went to the cupboard, pulling down another plate. "I made pancakes. Want some?"

"Hell, yeah." Tristan untangled himself from Ryou and went to the table, sitting down and immediately digging into the pancakes Joey put in front of him like he hadn't eaten in days.

Ryou smiled indulgently and poured Tristan a cup of coffee, setting it in front of him before sitting and starting in on his own breakfast.

Joey unobtrusively watched them as he ate; trying to figure out what was going on. It was hard to tell. They didn't act like they were together. There were no endearments exchanged and they didn't touch each other at all. He just couldn't figure it out.

[Doesn't matter. It's none of my business.] Joey mentally shook himself and joined in the conversation that had turned to Ryou's returned Ring.

"Whatcha gonna do, Tris?" Joey asked, worry furrowing his brow.

"I don't know." Tristan replied, looking at Ryou sadly. "We're going to talk to Yami and see if he can help."

"I don't want to talk about this right now." Ryou said quietly. "Can we just…drop it?"

"Anything you want, little guy." Tristan reached out and squeezed Ryou's shoulder. "Time enough to talk about it when we meet up with Yugi."

"Thank you, Tristan." Ryou looked at Tristan meaningfully. "For everything."

~*~*~*~*~

Tristan locked the front door with a sigh, feeling disappointed with how the day went.

They had gone over to Kaiba's and Tristan was kind of hoping he would be around. He wanted to get to know him better. Even just to see if he could crack that cool façade. Tristan had always enjoyed a challenge, and the elder Kaiba was definitely a difficult one.

He hadn't been around though.

They had spent the day with Mokuba, playing video games and just hanging out. And they had only seen Seto once.

He had come into the den where Mokuba and Yugi were playing games one the huge television. He had greeted Tristan and Ryou politely enough, ignored Yugi, threw a few insults at Joey and then left. They hadn't seen him for the rest of the day.

/Why do I even care?/ Tristan threw himself down on the couch.

"Hey, Tris?" Joey looked up from his math textbook. The blond had been sitting in a chair doing his homework and Tristan was so preoccupied he hadn't even noticed he was there. "Do you think it's a good idea for Ryou to stay at Yugi's tonight?"

"Don't see why not." Tristan shrugged. "We've got the Ring here. He'll be fine."

"Sucks that Yami couldn't help."

Tristan wearily rubbed his forehead. "Yeah. I was hoping he could tell me how to get rid of that thing for good."

"Maybe you can't." Joey said, giving voice to the one fear they both had.

"Don't say that! Joey…I have to. I have to do it for Ryou. I'm scared of what this son of a bitch might do to him."

Joey couldn't stand it any longer. "Tris…are you and Ryou…are you guys…together?"

"What do you mean?" Tristan frowned.

"Well, this morning…he came out of your bedroom and…"

"What?!" Tristan interrupted. "Gods, Joey! You don't think..! You do! Holy shit, man! We are NOT sleeping together!"

"Geeze…calm the hell down." Joey said defensively. "I was only going to say that if you were it's cool."

"We're not." Tristan replied tersely. "Gods…that would be like…like…Kaiba sleeping with Mokuba. That's just fucking twisted, Joey. I can't believe you'd even think that! Ryou's like a brother to me!"

"Okay. Okay." Joey unconsciously shrank back in his chair. "All's I'm saying is you're not dating or anything and I thought maybe that was why."

"You're not seeing anyone either." Tristan retorted.

Joey shrugged. "No one I'm interested in." He grinned suddenly. "Though there IS this new guy at school. Have you met him?"

"New guy?" Tristan thought for a minute. "You mean the one that's always got a bunch of girls following him around giggling?"

"Yeah. That's him."

Tristan shook his head. "Haven't met him. We don't have any classes together."

"I haven't met him either. He sure is hot though. He has the most incredible green eyes." Joey smiled. "I'd go out with him in a heartbeat."

"What makes you think he's interested in guys?" Tristan asked, fighting back a wave of jealousy. "He's always surrounded by girls."

"Dunno. But I'd sure like to find out."

"Whatever." Tristan stood, trying to hide what he was feeling. "I'm going to bed."

"But it's only nine o'clock." Joey protested.

"Yeah, well, I'm tired. And we have school tomorrow."

Tristan was interrupted by the phone ringing. He grabbed it off the coffee table and, checking the caller ID, his heart went into his throat.

"Hello?"

Joey watched the color drained from Tristan's face as he listened to whoever was on the other end.

Tristan hung up without saying a word, setting the phone with careful deliberation back on the table.

Joey bolted from the chair as Tristan sank to his knees, his hands covering his face as his body was rocked by huge sobs. He knelt down next to the brunet, throwing his arms around him.

"Tris!" Joey's voice was panicked. "What's wrong?!"

"She's gone." Tristan sobbed. "Joey…Nana…she's gone!"

"Oh, gods…no." Joey whispered, tears welling up in his eyes and spilling down his face. "Tristan…I'm so sorry."

Tristan clung to the blond, not even trying to force back the tears, giving in to the immense grief that flooded his mind.

Joey didn't know what to do…except hold onto Tristan, trying to stay in control of his own heartache and comfort his friend. "It's okay, Tris. I've got you. Let it out. It's okay. I'm here. Shh…shh…it's going to be alright."

But it wasn't alright. He had lost the one person left in his family that loved him without question, the one person who accepted him for who he was…the one person he could confide in.

It wasn't okay.

He had just lost his best friend.

~*~*~*~*~

Seto looked up from his computer with a frown.

He had suddenly been overcome with an almost irresistible urge to call Tristan. And he didn't know why.

He reached for the phone and then stopped, shaking his head. {What the hell..? Why would I want to call him? I seriously doubt he'd want to talk to me after the way I treated them all today. But…}

Seto couldn't shake the feeling there was something seriously wrong with the other brunet. It gave him a creepy, itchy sort of feeling, like he had gotten on the roof of Pegasus' castle when he thought he could hear Tristan in his mind.

He shut down his computer, his frown still firmly in place. {Mokuba's right. I'm working too hard.}

He stood up from his desk and left his office, still fighting the feeling that he should be calling Tristan.

~*~*~*~*~

Tris: I knew it! Gods, can't I get any peace from the two of you?

YD: No.

DD: The next chapter of Family is almost done. Hopefully it'll be out in the next couple of days.