I see a lot of one-shots for just pairings, but I really like this 'couple' and thought that they deserved a chance at a one-shot. Well, I tried to keep them true to character (mainly Jou as he is the one with the introspective element going on), but I think I may have failed miserably. Ah well, it was fun and I don't regret it.

Like I said, I love this pairing, and while I think this thing can use a lot of work, I was willing to post it as it is for now. It's a bit fluffy and that's a change for me.

Warnings: Yaoi. Lime.

This rated 'R' mainly for the Yaoi. *shrugs* I didn't want some nutjob stumbling into it and feeling like I had scarred them for life. I was told it was a bit of a conservative rating, but ah well. Enjoy.

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Prove

"The only abnormality is the incapacity to love." – Anaïs Nin

I am not the kind of person who thinks before they act. I act and then sometimes I think. Usually not. No seriously, when I get a notion, just look out. That's all I have to say. Because come hell or high water it's getting done. I don't really care.

Don't get me wrong. I know my limits, or I at least push the envelope until I find out. I mean, I know what I can and cannot do conceivably. But what's the fun in just assuming? You've got to keep pushing. You've got to keep testing yourself. That's why I took up dueling in the first place.

I wanted a challenge. Something that I knew everyone would think I couldn't do, and that I knew I couldn't do, and prove them all wrong, even me. I love to prove people who doubt me wrong, but mostly I love to prove myself wrong.

I don't mean that I love to rub it in their face when I prove that I can do something that they swore up and down that I couldn't. No, that's just malicious. And I'm not like that. Hurting people isn't what I strive to do. I want to protect people. My friends, my family, my lovers…

Oh yes. You heard me. Lovers. That's a plural.

"You don't honestly think you're going to win, do you?" Your voice is a low timbre, commanding and arrogant. I shiver mentally. It's a good question though…Do I honestly think I can win?

This is an oddly posed question, because I don't know. I mean, I'll know whether or not I can beat you, well when I beat you. And if I win, then it doesn't mean anything for the next game, because you might win that game, or even this one. It's a toss up.

"I guess we'll find out…" I say, and you don't seem to like that answer as you glare at me and move your rook. It now divides the board into northern and southern territories, and I want to smack myself because now that you've done that I can easily see where my weakest pieces are. On your side of the board completely unprotected.

I move a pawn and set it up as a damage control behind and to the left of my knight. There, you won't attack it with something powerful, because then you would run the risk of losing your piece.

"You're not using that head of yours, Jounouchi." I hate it when you use that name.

I force myself to meet your eyes. They're brown, and when I say brown I mean, brown. Not the ugly light brown color mine are, but a rich, dark brown. The kind of color that can surround a person. I find myself staring into them. You glower at me from your seat. I glance away, and signal that it's your move. You move a pawn and take my knight. I take your pawn. I really am beginning to hate this game.

You've already sectioned off your side of the board, and I'm beginning to worry about what exactly I'm going to do. I have no real strategy for this game. My pawns are scattered about haphazardly and I have no real idea of what I'm going to do next.

And yet…

I still have this stupid smile on my face as we play. I love to watch you play anyway. You frown at me all the time, and I know I'm treading on thin ice, and it only serves to feed the adrenaline. And I love it.

This is only my third game, and it was only my second game that I found out all of the names and movements. Yes, I really am only learning this game to prove to you and myself that I can. You looked at me like I was insane when I asked Ryou to teach me. Actually, if I remember correctly, I think you both laughed…

Not that I can blame either of you. I don't really look like someone who puts their mind into anything intellectual. I mean, I don't even know if I can do this game either. But, like I said, I love proving myself wrong.

I move my piece and take one of your pawns, and mentally smack myself as you take my rook. This game can be such a pain. I'm not a strategist. I know this. And I'm pretty sure you know this, and since you know that, I can easily assume that that is the reason why you have a frown stretched across your face right now.

Even I realize that I have played myself into a corner. If I can see it, then I wonder just how long it's been obvious to you.

"Shit…"

You lean back from your position on the floor and smirk at me. Ryou sits at the table, sitting in his chair backward with his head resting in his hands. What a cutie. Great, now I'm turning into a mushy creampuff. Is this what dating guys can do to you? Ryou's been watching the game in earnest silence the entire time.

You move your knight onto my half of the board, which is defined by that damn rook you played a while back. It seems out of harms way on my side, almost as though it feels like I have nothing to stop it.

Out of the corner of my eye I see my bishop, just sitting there being completely useless, with a path wide open to your knight. As I reach my hand over to pick it up, your eyes ever so slightly widen.

Ha. You hadn't seen it either.

I take possession of your knight, and place it on my side by the other very few pieces I have captured.

"Good move." Ryou comments from his perch on the chair. You turn your head to glare at him and he only smiles, offering up a shrug of consolation. You turn you gaze back to me, and there is a spark in those dark brown eyes that hadn't been there before. They tell me only one thing.

I'm going down.

Your jaw is set now and you have this perpetual tight-lipped frown on your face. You move your rook one space closer to my side, shortening my battlefield length. I move my bishop back as it is now in your way. Run and live to fight another day, I guess.

You smirk and I suddenly realize that when I pulled my bishop back that I left my king completely unprotected. I face fault. Dear God, I've gone and lost the game.

"I…I…want to take back my last move, Bakura, you just gotta let me—"

"I don't think so, Jounouchi. Perhaps this loss will fuel some more thinking from that small little head of yours." I slam my mouth shut at your sharp reply. You didn't have to be mean about it.

Moving that cursed rook across the center of the field you place it directly in front of my king. I have one move available to me at this point. Now what am I going to do?

"Check."

I frown. I hate it when I make stupid mistakes. I move my king to the only available point on the board that I know is left. And you proceed to make the move that any person would make.

"Checkmate"

Sighing, I lean back against the couch. Well, that was horrible. Ah well. Next time, maybe? I know I have that half-smile on my face, and I think it upsets you that I don't mind losing to you. And I really don't. This relationship is like a giant chess game in my opinion. If I make one wrong move this whole thing comes tumbling down. And while I'll be able to say that it was fun while it lasted, I would much rather it just lasted.

I let out another sigh as I try to continue smiling, but I can feel it slip away as I stare at the board. I'm a bit disappointed in myself for losing again. I cross my arms, and I think that I may look like I'm pouting, but I really don't care. Ryou snorts quietly in the chair and gets up to reset the pieces. It's a house rule, I suppose. After every game the pieces are always set up again.

You stand up, stretching your long legs as though this game was physically taxing in all the places where I'm pretty sure it wasn't intellectually. I stare at my feet as you take a seat behind me on the couch with a leg on either side of my body. Suddenly I feel your hand run through my hair and I shiver. This is not what I expected. You, gentle?

The hand clenches violently and my head is pulled back until I am presented with a picture of you sitting there legs spread, smirking, and all of it completely up-side down.

This I expected.

"You lost." It was as simple as that and I can always leave it to you to restate the obvious, especially when it concerns a place that I have failed in. I contemplated nodding and rolling my eyes, but seeing as how the current position simply did not allow for it I decide against it.

"Yeah and?"

Your smirk slides from your face for a moment as you contemplate me. I am an insolent lover, even I admit it. Suddenly I feel a warmth pressed against my body and I know that Ryou has come to join us. Soft lips find my exposed throat and my eyes slip shut at the feeling. A small sigh escapes me. I know you're watching and I know you'll stop him. I lost, and this means I have to submit tonight, and that means that no one, not even Ryou can be present as this is between the two of us.

"Leave us, Ryou. Jounouchi has a punishment to receive. You can join us when I'm done with him." I almost moan at the loss of contact as Ryou pulls away. I love him. Like I think I can love you. I sometimes wonder if he gets jealous when we do this, and I quickly crush the thought. I know that the two of you have been with one each other without me, and Ryou and I have been together without you. This relationship is built on trust, well, mine and Ryou's relationship is built on trust. Yours and mine? That's debatable.

I hear the door close and my eyes finally open. Ryou's gone. You're not looking at me, but at the opposite wall. You're frowning, but other than a smirk that's the only look that graces your face.

Your hand leaves my hair and I relax a bit, until the hand relocates to the collar of my shirt and I am pulled to my feet. Our eyes meet and my inch over you height wise doesn't seem like that much anymore. I'm roughly pushed to the couch and your body covers mine. Clothes are shed and I am reduced to a shivering mass of tension and emotions.

The lovemaking is quick, passionate, and almost too much towards the end. At the end I lay with my head resting lightly on your shoulder as I swim in and out of consciousness. I have a few bruises and I think I gave as good as I got. I smile, but don't attempt to move. I'm too exhausted to even think about moving right now.

You start to push away from me and fear courses through my body. I don't want you to leave, not yet. Ryou and I are always able to see each other, but it's a rare occurrence when I see you, let alone spend any time with you.

I tighten my arms around you, and you tense up. You're probably going to beat the Hell out of me for this, and I really can't blame you. This may be that slip I talked about early. Your body relaxes against mine, and even though I'm the one who submitted to you, I'm the one who is holding you. I wait for you to growl and push me away, but the seconds stretch to minutes and the minutes stretch to an hour or so. The peace between us has never lasted so long.

You finally push away and look me in the eye, and of course you're frowning. Would it really kill you to smile? Ryou manages to smile all the time, but you…no you have to act like you're in a perpetual state of hostility. I know that I love Ryou, but you? How can I love someone who doesn't want to be loved?

I don't allow my eyes to leave yours. You're silent and I try my best to be, too. You push on me again, and glare. I know what you're telling me to do, and God damn it I'm not moving. I'm comfortable.

"Get off."

"No."

You're going to so kick my ass and I don't care. Suddenly our positions are reversed and I am amazed at how easy you made that look. I know my eyes are wide, and I don't even bother trying to hide the shock on my face. You lean forward and capture my mouth in a bruising kiss, slipping your tongue into my mouth. It's like kissing fire. Desire rushes through my body, and I want you so badly. I submit, and relinquish absolute control of the kiss to you. These are your 'winnings' after all.

You force my head back and deepen the already impossibly passionate kiss. And I can feel it. Something, some deep-seated need is here. I just don't know if it's you or me or maybe even both…I am so incredibly lost right now, and I have no clue what the Hell I'm going to do about it. I was just royally screwed by a psychotic shadow being, the said counter part of the boy I have been dating for the past few months, and NOW is the time I chose to become confused? Will wonders never cease.

We part, panting slightly and I can't help but grin. You, of course, glare at me and well that's what I guess I expected from you. Ryou suddenly enters and that means you must have told him something through your link. Probably 'get in here before I kill him' and I can't really blame you. I am really pushing you tonight. I'm not quite sure what kind of thing goes on between you two, but I know that you are possessive of our lover, and I can understand because the feeling is completely mutual.

I can feel myself blushing as you stand up over me and pull Ryou into a burning kiss. The two of you never stop surprising me. Of course Ryou submits to you. I watch with my mouth hanging open at the picture you two make. I crawl forward and gently kiss Ryou when you two break apart. This is going to be so much fun.

An hour or so later we lay, all three of us, in a satiated heap on the floor. Somehow I ended up in the middle with either of you on one side of me. You had started to leave, but Ryou convinced you otherwise. And for that I'm thankful to him. I'll have to show him just how much later…

I look down at you, trying my best not to move and wake the 'demon'. My own personal joke, though Ryou says that one day I'll slip up and call you that to your face and you'll show me just what kind of a demon you can really be. Your eyes are half closed and it seems like you're just staring at the wall. Ryou has long since fallen asleep.

I sometimes think that I could never fall in love with you. That I could never learn to trust someone who will probably never trust me, and that this will all coming falling down. And that no matter how dedicated I am to 'this' that I'll manage to screw something so wonderful up. As I am prone to do.

And then there is this tiny little hope, that maybe I can make it work. That Ryou and I will somehow manage to wear you down, and that somehow it will all work out. And that somehow I will find a way to love you.

After all, I love proving myself wrong.

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Like I said, a one-shot...Kind of. I have butchered both Bakura and Jou's characters and for that I am eternally sorry. Forgive me. *is humble and stuff* I tried to make it have a hopeful ending and I thought I did an okay job of that, but I guess it's really up to you guys.

Okay, after rereading the stupid thing and being told that I left it at a horrible place…a sequel may appear. Probably not anytime soon…but it's possible. I hate plot bunnies. They're on 'unwanted loan' from Chevira. Thanks so much.

~Artemis