This is a short story for my dear Cail-tinchen. I hope you enjoy it, honey!

Warnings: Very "out-of-character" all around, BakuRyou fluff, and bizarre and scary Bakura behaviour.

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"Hikari?"

"Yes, Yami?"

"I'm feeling a bit funny today. Not myself; I think I'd like to take you out," Bakura purred, walking up behind Ryou unexpectedly and wrapping his arms around the smaller boy. Ryou in turn reddened, trying to wriggle himself free from the strong grip; he was sure Bakura was just being his sadistic little self, trying to play mind games with his Light.

"Yami, please don't do this. I don't want you to play tricks on me today; I'm just not up to it," Ryou sighed, successfully pulling away from his Dark. He looked back at Bakura, who had a positively ferocious smile playing on his lips.

"Oh, come on. Please, Ryou? Please?" Ryou blinked several times at Bakura's pleads. Not only had Bakura never said please for anything or anyone, no matter how much he wanted to play with one's mind; it was a rare occurrence for him to call Ryou by his real name. It was uncommon enough to hear Bakura call him Hikari; he had usually only called him 'Vessel', 'Loner', 'Cry Baby', or 'Hey you, make me a sandwich'.

"I...Uh...I mean...I suppose," Ryou said slowly, not sure just how much he was going to be in for. Ryou gulped when he saw Bakura's eyes glow with happiness and his hands positively shake with excitement.

"All right! Come on, let's go! We're going to have so much fun," Bakura mused to himself, grabbing Ryou's hand and rushing out the door. Ryou was too distracted by the fact that Bakura would not loosen his vice grip on his poor hand to notice where they were going. And before either knew it, they were there.

"...Bakura? This is...Umm...Malik's house," Ryou noted slowly, watching Bakura nod enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Malik and Marik are coming along, too. Duh!" Bakura grinned, rolling his eyes at his Light. Ryou smiled a small smile, nodding mutely to reply to his Yami's remark. He didn't know why, but as Bakura knocked on the large wooden door of Malik's house, Ryou felt a pang in his heart. He had thought it would be only himself and Bakura...

"Bakura! Ryou! You're holding hands," Malik greeted, raising an eyebrow skeptically at both white-haired males. Ryou blushed furiously, pulling his hand away from Bakura's as fast as lightening. Bakura just smiled at Malik, the tanned boy in turn blinking several times.

"Malik, hello! Would you and Marik like to go out on a date with Ryou and I?" Bakura asked, his question as innocent as a child's. Malik simply stood blinking, looking from Bakura to Ryou and back again. Finally, after a long moment's hesitation, Malik replied with:

"...Ryou, did you drug Bakura?" Ryou sighed heavily while Bakura laughed in a good hearted and not at all evil way. Malik simply shrugged, motioning for both to step inside. Both obliged gladly, and all were soon inside Malik's very cozy home.

"Marik! Get down here, we're going...Out...With Bakura, and...Ryou," Malik began, his voice faltering more and more as he continued to stare at Bakura. The white-haired Yami was currently cuddling close to Ryou and nuzzling him as a cat would, while Ryou simply looked as if he would die of embarrassment at any moment.

"OKAY! I'M COMING!" Boomed a voice, thick with childish excitement. A moment later Marik barreled down the stairs, laughing and jumping down the last three. He rushed to Malik, cuddling him very much like Bakura was doing to Ryou. The others would have noticed that Marik seemed to be acting an awful lot like Bakura, if Marik didn't always act this way.

"So, let's go already!" Chirped Bakura, leading the party out of the door and down the Domino sidewalk.

"Where exactly are we going, anyway?" Malik asked, absently swatting Marik away as the Dark began chewing on his hair. Bakura shrugged, taking a deep breath of the fresh open air.

"No idea. Wherever we feel like, I suppose," Bakura nodded his reply, not noticing the wary looks Malik and Ryou passed back to each other.

"I know! Let's go to the pet store! I want a turtle!" Marik chimed in, causing the others, Bakura included, to stare at Marik blankly. In return Marik only smiled, as innocently as was possible, and told them he would be quiet from now on.

"Well, how about we just go to the mall and see if anything's happening?" Ryou asked gingerly, uneasy of the fact that Bakura once again had his hand in his usual vice-grip.

"Sounds like a plan, Ryou. What do you think, Malik...Well, never mind, I don't care what you think, we're going to the mall," Bakura chided happily, his voice now like a bubbly schoolgirl's. Malik simply huffed, but continued to follow the others to the mall.

Once the foursome had reached their destination, Bakura looked around before locking eyes on a store. He instantly grinned, almost purring at the displays of diamond necklaces and precisely cut stones adorning the inside.

"Look over there, Ryou! It's your little punk friends!" Bakura exclaimed, pointing behind Ryou, letting the smaller boy's hand go in the process. Ryou raised an eyebrow but turned to see what his Yami was yelling about all the same. As soon as the boy had turned, Bakura bolted to the store he had his eye on, grabbing Malik's hand in the meanwhile.

"Bakura, I don't know what you're...Talking...About," Ryou shrugged, turning to find both Bakura and Malik gone. He blinked and turned to Marik, who was currently eyeing a small child's red balloon.

"Uhm, Marik? Where did...Bakura and Malik go?" Marik turned and looked at Ryou, a stupid grin on his face.

"...Your hair is pretty," Was his only reply, which Ryou sighed to. He knew he wouldn't be getting any help from that idiotanytime soon. Sighing once again, Ryou searched until he saw a streak of white and blonde rushing out of a store.

"There they are. What in the hell are they up to?" Ryou asked himself angrily, frowning as he saw the two boys enjoying their run through the mall, leaving himself with Marik.

'That's the only reason he wanted to go out; was so he could run around with Malik. Stupid whore Yami...' Ryou thought to himself, huffing and turning round to walk out of the mall. Marik saw and followed, mimicking Ryou's huff before grabbing a hold of the white-haired boy's hand. Ryou started; he had forgotten that Marik was with him.

"Let's go, sugar plum!" Marik cooed, cuddling close to Ryou. Ryou began to smile nervously at the other, before seeing Bakura's jaw drop at the affection Marik was showing the other. Ryou smirked and began cuddling close to Marik, to Marik's delight and Bakura's horror.

"Yes, let's. This mall is no fun, let's go back to my place," Ryou giggled to Marik, who smiled a goofy smile, trekking his way along, their hands now holding each other's tightly.

Bakura stood, his eye twitching slightly and his mouth agape. Malik simply stared at Bakura, amazed at how long he could go without a breath.

"Malik...We're going back to my house. Now." Bakura said with such finality that Malik simply nodded, following behind the Yami who was now stomping out of the mall.

Ryou and Marik finally made it to their destination, and where about to walk in before a loud yell interrupted their journey.

"MARIK, GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF MY RYOU!" Marik squealed and turned, hugging Ryou close to him protectively.

"Never! I'll never let go of Ryou! He's mine now, and-"

"Marik, let Ryou go and get over here," Malik finished for Marik, who quickly obliged. He dropped Ryou to the ground and ran to Malik, tackling him to the ground with a hug. Ryou and Bakura both raised an eyebrow, but looked away and decided not to ask questions.

"Bakura, I was just...Wait...Did you call you your Ryou?" Ryou squeaked, blinking as he sat on the ground, a puzzled look now on his face. Bakura looked away for a quick second, looking back with a nervous stare.

"Yes, well, because...You are mine. That's why I wanted to spend some time with you, but...You ran away with Marik," Bakura motioned to the Egyptian boy who was currently attacking Malik with butterfly kisses. Ryou blushed quickly before remembering why he had left with Marik, his anger flaring back into him.

"I only left because you didn't want to spend time with me at all! You just wanted to drag Malik around the mall and make me look like an idiot!" Ryou yelled, standing up to face his Yami more closely.

"No, Ryou, you don't understand!"

"Of course I do! You just wanted to play mind games with me! I knew it all along, I should have never agreed to go with you!" Ryou choked back a sob, unwanted emotion spilling into his words. Why was he saying these things? He had never thought about them until now, but...He was hurt by Bakura's actions. He had thought his Yami had really wanted to spend time with him.

"Ryou, I wasn't! I only took Malik and Marik along so Malik could help me pick out...Out..." Bakura trailed off, pulling a small bag from his pocket.

"Pick out what, a wedding ring for the two of you?" Ryou spat, annoyance now lacing his words.

"No...This," Bakura reached in the bag and held out a small velvet case. Opening it, Ryou's eyes widened to twice their size. Inside was a solid gold ring; a small opaque diamond sat in the middle, making it look at the same time plain and extravagant.

"Ba...Bakura, you...You didn't..."

"Steal it? No, not this. Not for you. I saved up for a long time, because I knew you don't like me stealing. I bought it because I know I can be annoying sometimes, but...I really do want to spend time with you. You're my Ryou, after all," Bakura smiled, holding out the ring to Ryou. Ryou held out his hand, slipping the ring onto his finger with ease. Tears welled into his eyes, and he laughed softly as he looked up at Bakura. Before the Yami knew what was happening, he had Ryou tackling him to the ground much like Marik did to Malik.

"Oh, Bakura...Flowers would have worked, too, you know."

"Why didn't you say anything! Do you know how expensive that ring was!" Bakura bellowed, making Ryou laugh all the more and cuddle into his strange darker half. Malik and Marik looked over, identical grins on their faces as they looked to Bakura. Bakura looked back, a scowl crossing over his face.

"What are you two still doing here?"

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Well, that was interesting. Hope you enjoyed it, Cail-tin! And everyone else, too!