Warnings: Drug use, swearing, violence, yaoi, and all those other things that make fics so much fun.

Notes: For November novel writing month. The challenge was to write a 50,000 word novel in a month, but because all my ideas were ultimately rubbish I decided to do the same thing, only with a fic. My drug of choice is peach schnapps, so please excuse any inaccuracies. I did research this, but there's still plenty of room for errors.

Dedications: To Hangyul, for suggesting the whole novel writing thing, and putting up with my erratic and usually slightly odd emails.

Use the Man

Chapter 1

Seto Kaiba watched through narrowed eyes as Bakura arrived for the single class he took - English. He was earlier than everyone else, except Seto who was always twenty minutes early to all of his classes on principle. The former tomb robber had the usual heavy shadows beneath his eyes and his hands shook slightly as he moved to perch beside the window, across the room from where Seto sat at his desk. He was getting paler too, if that were even possible. Not that they'd spent much time together, but Seto never remembered him being so gaunt and thin back three years ago, when he'd been a wicked spirit driven by his lust for power. He certainly wasn't anything close to that anymore.

"I may not be all that I once was, but if you insist on staring at me with such contempt any longer I will pluck out your eyes and present them to your beloved brother." The thief threatened, sending Seto a half smirk to show that he wasn't entirely serious - only mostly.

"Are you sick?" Seto asked, keeping his voice cold. Bakura leant back against the window pane and closed his eyes, enjoying the moment of calm.

"That depends upon your definition of 'sick'." The thief said. "Physically, or mentally?" He grinned.

"Either. You don't look well." The brunette frowned, not particularly enjoying having a conversation which could be read as him caring. He stubbornly insisted to himself that it was merely curiosity.

"How nice that you're concerned." Bakura opened his crimson eyes a little and sent Seto a sly glance. "Let's skip past the pretending to care part, it must be uncomfortable for you. We shall get to the heart of the matter. Now let me see, why would you suddenly take an interest in me, of all the sociopaths that attend your regular classes?" The former spirit tapped a finger against his lips in thought, sitting up a little. "I expect it's sex, no? It usually is. Alright, let's get it over with. When's a good time for you?" Bakura cocked his head to the side, thoroughly enjoying the slight widening of Seto's eyes which conveyed his surprise.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The CEO demanded, glaring murderously at the thief, who laughed.

"You take things far too seriously. Well, since I cannot help but pass this class regardless of whether or not I am here, I think I will go and amuse myself elsewhere. A rare good mood like this one should not be spoiled by education. Have fun, and remember - just call when you need me." Bakura said with a wicked laugh, sauntering out of the classroom, making sure to swing his thin hips and waving cheerfully on his way.

"Damn you." Seto growled, once the door had closed behind the laughing yami. It was only once Bakura had gone that Seto realised he hadn't gotten an answer to his question.

Are you sick?

Well, since he wasn't likely to get a straight answer out of the subject of the question, he decided that if there was anyone who always knew the gossip, it was Yami. His deep voice could be heard out in the corridor, heading towards the English room, and Seto took a few calming breaths. If there was one person guaranteed to infuriate him other than Bakura, it was most definitely Yami. He still wasn't sure why he gave a damn. If it was what he suspected though, he was not going to let it lie. And nobody else would help Bakura - he wouldn't let them. He probably wouldn't let Seto either, if the CEO was ever willing to give him a choice in the matter.

XxXxX

Once he got well away from the classroom, Bakura ducked into the alley between two of the school buildings and collapsed against the wall, sliding to the ground and scratching his back on the rough bricks. He barely felt it.

He'd managed to avoid the question of his health for now, but he was going to have to be more careful. If even someone as perpetually self-absorbed as Seto Kaiba had noticed then Yami and his crew would be forced into pretending to care - for appearances, of course - and he really didn't need that. He just wanted to self-destruct in peace, quietly fizzle out with a minimum of hassle to Ryou, who thankfully hadn't realised what he'd been doing. He probably never would, until it was too late.

A weary, affectionate smile flittered across the tomb robber's pale lips for a moment and he closed his eyes again, getting comfortable against the cold wall. Poor little Ryou. He loved having the most naïve of all the hikaris, and that was saying something since Yugi was one of them. He could say anything and Ryou would believe it and just smile sweetly at him, so pleased just to have him there. He was the closest thing to a big brother Ryou would ever have, someone to protect him from all the daily bullshit from jerks who couldn't see past the fact that he was about as effeminate as it was possible to get without actually being female. They'd stopped bothering him since Bakura turned up - Ryou's brother, came over from England, blah, blah, blah. Nice cover story. Nobody touched Ryou now. If they were going to go for anyone, it would be Bakura because they had to get past him first. He was a pretty boy that could kick their asses, and that was much more threatening than Ryou. So, he was a new target, but he could handle it. They were nothing. It was a hassle, but what wasn't? As long as he had his medicine he could take anything. He could do it all alone, just as long as he had that at the end of the day.

Raindrops began to fall softly around him and he leant his head back, eyes still closed, to let them fall on his face. Maybe a little nap, before the final class of the day was over. Then he had to make sure Ryou was alright and take on whoever decided to try and kick his ass today. And probably deal with Yami and his merry men, too.

Ra, life was such a hassle.

XxXxX

"Yami." Seto said coldly, his version of a greeting. The game king turned where he was sitting on the edge of his desk to regard Seto with his usual smug look.

"What d' you want, Kaiba?" Jounouchi growled, like the pharaoh's very own guard dog.

"If you're going to let it off the leash, at least train it." Seto sneered, then turned back to Yami with a glare. "I need to speak to you. Outside."

Yami, looking interested, stood up and calmed the fuming Jounouchi down with a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll be right back," he assured, and Seto wondered when he'd stopped being a threat. How did they know he wasn't trying to get Yami alone to knock him off? It wasn't as though it would have been that hard - just whack him over the head with that lump of metal he wore around his neck and tell everyone else that he was kidnapped by guys in dark cloaks. Since he had a body now he might actually stay dead, too. Added bonus.

Yami led him out of the classroom - since the lesson was over and everyone was milling about waiting for the end of the day - to one of the empty computer rooms at the end of the corridor. They were meant for revision, so no one ever went near them for anything other than screwing off lessons or sleeping off hangovers.

Once inside, and having no idea that Seto was casually thinking up ways to dispose of his body, Yami closed the door behind them and sat on one of the desks. He had an intense dislike of seats, apparently.

"So, what did you need?" The game king asked, knowing that implying that Seto needed anything would annoy him. It was so easy.

"That other Egyptian freak…" Seto began, pretending he didn't care enough to remember Bakura's name.

"Marik?" Yami cocked his head to the side, getting it wrong on purpose.

"The one with the white hair. Looks like a woman." Seto smirked, knowing how much that would have pissed Bakura off if he'd heard it.

"Oooh, Bakura. What about him?" Yami asked, toying with his puzzle. Mention of the tomb robber always bought about the powerful urge to mind crush someone. That or blast them into a wall, which was less damaging in the long run but far more enjoyable.

"Is he ill? If he is, it'd better not be contagious." Seto frowned, a distasteful look on his face. Yami grinned, always happy to find yet another person who thought Bakura was the lowest form of scum.

"I don't think he's ill, he only gets all shaky and weird towards the end of the day." Yami said. "I guarantee if you pull up his sleeve you'll see track marks. Just don't tell Ryou his yami's a junkie, that poor kid has enough to deal with just having Bakura around in the first place." The pharaoh shook his head despairingly. "Ryou deserves better than that."

"Whatever. As long as he's not spreading some plague around I don't care." Seto lied, turning away to hide his anger at Yami confirming his suspicions. At least he could cure it, and he was damn well going to. Whether he liked Bakura or hated him - or somewhere really annoying in between - he wasn't going to let him die. Not from this.

"What're you going to do?" Yami asked, as Seto stalked towards the door and swung it open.

"Nothing, I'm going home." Seto lied again, and he was getting quite good at it now. Ignoring whatever else Yami might have had to say, Seto walked out of the room and off out of the school, already making plans.

XxXxX

The bell for the end of the day rang and Bakura stood up slowly, moving to the entrance of his little alley and leaning against the wall there. Arms folded, he watched the rush of teenagers leaving the school grounds, glad to be free for the rest of the day. He liked to watch people just casually going about doing their boring, day-to-day things. People now had changed a lot from the way they'd been the first time he'd lived. They were much less alert, for one. Easier to rob. A sly grin slid onto his lips for a moment, watching the last few students running for the gates. It was tempting to start work early tonight. Earn a little money with the minimum of work, hone his skills as a thief little further.

Perhaps not. Over by the school gates a familiar blonde man was waiting, scanning the grounds to find him. Earning his rent was going to have to wait for after dark. He was not supposed to show up here. Stepping out from his hiding place once the school yard was relatively empty, Bakura sauntered unhurriedly across the barren concrete yard towards the gates. Before he could reach his destination a hand clamped down on his shoulder and he turned, wondering how on earth he'd let anyone get that close to him without his knowledge. That fact worried him far more than the group of three thugs who stood before him, looking wary because they'd learned their lesson many times before. The first time they'd approached him they'd been sneering at him, expecting him to be as fragile as he looked. Hadn't they been disappointed. He smiled sweetly at them – something he'd learned from Ryou – and the one he'd come to know as the leader took a hesitant step back. He had a hard time understanding why they hadn't just given up yet.

"And how are we today?" The thief asked cheerfully, tired but always willing to have a little fun with his 'friends', who'd spent so long tormenting Ryou that he considered them worthy of everything he dished out. "Let us get this over with a little quicker today, I have a few things to take care of. How about you each pick a bone in your bodies and I'll just go ahead and break it – I'll let you off with one each today." Bakura said smoothly.

"Like hell, as soon as we take you down your brother is ours." The one on the left – that one with the red hair and the squint – glared.

"You shouldn't say such things about Ryou around me, I might have to hurt you in unnecessarily twisted ways." Bakura threatened with the same, innocent smile that never quite managed to reach his eyes. "I'm quite imaginative when it comes to ways of injuring people. Although..." Bakura tilted his head to the side, eyes fixed on the spiky-haired leader. "As I mentioned, I have things to do."

"We're not scared of you, freak." The third member of the little gang said, eyes narrowed. He was taller than average, but didn't carry it as well as Seto Kaiba managed to. There was no grace when he moved, he seemed to lurch around like someone who wasn't quite used to their own body. Perhaps it was something to do with growth spurts, Bakura mused.

"Clearly you have trouble learning from experience, then." The thief said, his smile morphing into something a little darker, offset well by the shadows beneath his eyes. He strode forward two paces to come almost nose to nose with the leader, whose name was something beginning with a 'D' that he'd never bothered to learn. "Do you know what happens when your larynx is crushed?" He asked coldly.

"Larynx?" The boy frowned, and Bakura reminded himself that the creature standing before him was just a teenager. A mortal. He wasn't on the college courses, so he was still in school from what Bakura could tell. Sixteen years old at most. That seemed so young. Still, lessons were not being learned here, so clearly a harsher touch was required.

"I'll show you." Bakura laughed, whipping out an arm and slamming the edge of his hand into the teen's neck. The boy staggered back with both hands wrapped around his own neck, choking. His two friends gathered around, dithering and unsure of how to help. Bakura simply stood back and watched, folding his arms. After a few minutes the boy straightened up, still wheezing slightly and red in the face but able to breathe. It must have been quite painful, Bakura mused. Even more painful when the boy opened his mouth to say something and realized he couldn't speak.

"That would be what happens when your larynx is crushed, I suggest you see a doctor. Now, I'll be on my way, unless you two would like to play as well." Bakura purred invitingly. The two lackeys – still supporting their injured leader – glared and backed away, the same thing that happened most days. Bakura stood watching as they scurried off out of the gate, wondering if they were actually going to take the boy to a hospital. Pride might stop them, but they'd regret it. Still, he had other things to deal with. His blonde visitor had been leaning against the railings just outside the gate, watching the altercation without much interest. He'd turned to watch the three aggressors make their rather slow escape down the road, and Bakura padded quietly up behind him, waiting for him to turn back.

"What are you doing here, Keith?" The thief demanded, his tone showing crystal clear that he did not appreciate the American turning up outside where Ryou went to school. The blonde turned to him and smirked, giving the thief a once-over that he didn't particularly like. "Stop looking at me like I would ever have any interest in you and answer me."

"Relax, I just came to see if you needed a little...top-up." 'Bandit' Keith grinned, pushing his sunglasses up onto his forehead.

"When I want anything from you, you will know about it. If you ever show your face here again I will kill you and go elsewhere for what I need." The thief snarled, his eyes showing the barely concealed violence that he was sorely tempted to take out on Keith.

"Ok, ok, don't do anything drastic, babe." Keith laughed, not taking the threats seriously. Bakura circled him once, looking dangerous.

"I mean it, Keith. Turn up here again and they will never find your body." The former tomb robber warned. The American followed his movements and kept that grin on his face, enjoying just watching the thief move.

"You know, if you're ever short of cash and you need a fix, there are other ways you can pay me," the blonde suggested, folding his arms. Bakura paused in his circling and laughed, then turned around and began to walk away.

"I will never be in need enough to let you paw at me, Keith." Bakura said over his shoulder, not stopping. Keith watched him go, shrugging. He happened to believe that sooner or later Bakura would come crawling back to him, begging for a hit. It was just a matter of time.

XxXxX

Once he was out of sight of Keith, Bakura sped up a little and hurried down yet another alley, somewhere he seemed to spend most of his time. On the fringes of the world, between the cracks. It was nothing new, he'd always been someone who preferred watching from the sidelines for the perfect time to strike and it had carried over into his everyday life.

Leaning against the wall, Bakura stared straight forward at the bricks opposite him, not really seeing them. His dealer had turned up at the place where Ryou went to school, and for the first time the thought crossed his mind that the whole thing might not be such a good idea. He usually flatly refused to regret most of the things he did, but this time... Perhaps it would be better if he gave it up? Then again, that hour of release he allowed himself each night when he got back to his empty apartment was the only escape he really had.

Pulling himself together with more effort than it should have taken, Bakura straightened up and sighed. Off to see Ryou. Looking down at his hands, he noticed the increasing tremor there and shoved them into the pockets of his jeans, shaking his head to clear it. He could deal with this. Of course he could.

TBC