Chapter 2! Finally! Never though I'd finish this! Anyway, pairings are the same, Jounouchi, Honda, and Anzu make appearances.

It's Not What You Say

Chapter 2: Unexpected Kindness

Bakura was watching television when Ryou came into the living room. "I'm home," he said, sounding rather morose. Bakura already knew that Ryou was unhappy, having sensed the emotion a while ago, but he didn't know exactly what Ryou was unhappy about. "What's the matter? You look more like a sad calf than usual."

"I don't want to talk about it." Ryou unceremoniously flopped into an armchair, rested one elbow on the arm, and propped his chin on his hand. Bakura, however, was not one to be brushed off, and could easily put two and two together. "Something happened with the midget, didn't it?"

"…I said I didn't want to talk about it."

"How did I know?" Bakura muted the television. "So, what, did he try going too far?"

Ryou focused his gaze on the now silent program. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Are you stuck on repeat or something?"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

Bakura rolled his eyes and began watching the program again. "Fine. Forget I said anything. Go ahead, pout."

"Yugi?"

"What, Grandpa?"

Sugoroku settled on his grandson's bed. "There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

"What?"

"Bakura-kun."

Yugi tensed. "What about him?"

"He's your boyfriend, isn't he?"

Yugi shook his head violently. "No!"

Surprised at the strong negative reaction, Sugoroku gently touched his shoulder. "So, did you change your mind about liking boys?"

"No!"

"So, you two were just experimenting this afternoon?"

"I don't know!" Yugi's cheeks turned pink and twisted his fingers in his lap. "I really…don't know…"

Sugoroku knew a subtle dismissal when he heard one. "If you want to talk-."

"You're here," Yugi said, finishing the sentence. The man left the room, only to be replaced by Yami a few minutes later. "Aibou." Yugi didn't look up, but he flicked his gaze in Yami's direction. "…I ran into the tomb robber today." Yugi didn't see what that had to do with anything, but he motioned for his other half to continue. "He…insinuated that you and Bakura-kun were having…inappropriate relations…."

"If you mean he said that we were having sex, then say so."

There was a rather uncomfortable pause, then Yami asked, eyes focused at some point to the left of Yugi's head, "Were you?"

"If you count jacking each other off as sex, then yes." There was another uncomfortable pause, longer than the first. "So you-."

"Like boys? Yes." Yugi's gaze was now fixed firmly on his bedpost.

"But Mai-Anzu-."

"I did like her that way-I do love her-just not that way." Yugi hugged his pillow, crushing it to his chest. "She's more like my sister than my girlfriend, I tell her things."

"Does she know that you…prefer the company of males?"

"No, she doesn't know I'm gay."

"Is that because you think she'd no longer accept you if she knew that you're-that you have that particular sexual orientation?"

"Yes, and, Yami, that's why I didn't tell you either, because I thought you'd react like this."

"But I still accept you, even if you're-enjoy male company."

Yugi hugged his pillow tighter. "No, you don't." Yami opened his mouth to protest, but Yugi barreled on. "You can't even say it, you won't even look me in the eye!" Yami couldn't think of anything to say, and so a new silence filled the room. Yami kept trying to speak, but the words kept lost on the way to his mouth. He returned to the puzzle in defeat, leaving Yugi to deal with his feelings on his own.

"Ryou, go to *sleep* and stop thinking so much-you're keeping me awake!" The only reply from across the room was of rustling sheets and a sigh. "I do *not* want to deal with your 'I'm so stupid' adolescent drama, Ryou. Go to sleep."

Ryou made a sound that sounded something like 'Mmmuphm.'

"Stop *whimpering*. If it *bothers* you so much, why don't you just *talk* to the midget and make up and be as disgustingly cute as you always are? Idiot." There was a silence, and then Ryou turned to look at him. "That's not a bad idea, I guess. I'll try when things have cooled off a little." He smiled. "Thanks."

Bakura snorted and rolled over. "Will you go to sleep already?" Once Ryou's deep even breathing assuring Bakura that he was asleep, he slipped a pale hand past the waistband of his pajama bottoms. //Damn Ryou's overactive sex drive…// Bakura wasn't fooling himself. It wasn't Ryou's hormones that affected him-it was his own. //Damn Pharaoh…// The former tomb robber licked his lips and slid into his own private dream world…one where Yami waited, willing and enthusiastic.

Yugi grabbed his backpack from the floor. "Jii-chan, I'm going to school!"

"Have a good day!" Yugi walked out of the door rather than running like he did every morning, which told his grandfather that he was still troubled. Yugi heaved a sigh the minute his feet reached the corner and he felt his other half stir within the Puzzle. **Morning, Yami, ** Yugi said softly. The spirit didn't reply, and Yugi shouldered his bag and kept walking. He was about a block away from school when a hand clapped on his shoulder. "Mornin', Yugi." Jounouchi grinned.

Yugi sighed heavily. "Morning."

Jounouchi blinked. Yugi was usually so upbeat, even on school days. "Somethin' wrong?"

"No, nothing, why?"

The taller boy shrugged. "You don't seem like yourself."

Yugi smiled up at his friend. "I'm okay. Come on, we're going to be late." Yugi increased his speed. "But Yugi- we're early-" Jounouchi shrugged and followed his friend.

"Come on, Anzu, lemme see your homework!"

Anzu covered her math. "No! You should have done it yourself!" Honda groaned and looked as pitiful as he could. Anzu was unmoved and turned to a blank page in her notebook. As Jounouchi and Yugi entered and settled into their seats, Honda turned on the smaller teen. "Yugi, lemme see your math!" Yugi, who normally would have jokingly commented that if Honda copied *his* answers the teacher would suspect something, simply handed over his notebook. Honda began copying furiously, but Anzu looked over at her friend. "Is everything okay, Yugi?"

"Ye-yeah," Yugi said. He offered Anzu a smile. "Everything's fine." Anzu doubted it, but she said nothing. "Good morning, everyone."

"Bakura, hey!" Jounouchi grinned at him. "Looks like you managed to get here on time for once!" Ryou smiled back indulgently. It was a well known fact that Ryou was usually at school a good half hour before he needed to be there-and that Jounouchi could be known to run in three seconds before the teacher arrived. Ryou sat in his usual seat-which was behind Yugi. Yugi suddenly stiffened and began erasing something on his desk. Ryou looked carefully uninterested and began unpacking his bag. There was a subtle yet heavy tension in the air, and the other three felt it. Well, Jounouchi and Anzu felt it. Honda was too absorbed in copying.

During class Yugi was so aware of Ryou. There was an unrelenting sense of his presence that unsettled the small teen, causing him to chew on his pen, carefully avoid touching Ryou when they passed papers back, and avert his eyes from anyone who could put Ryou into his line of vision. He was completely aware of the small movements that Ryou made that he could see-and he was drawn to them. When the teacher left the room for a moment and the students began to speak among themselves, every word Ryou spoke tore away at Yugi a little more.

// "About this afternoon."

"It didn't happen, okay?"

"Fine. I'll see you in school." //

Yugi looked at the white-haired boy, who was laughing softly at something Honda had just said. //It's like nothing happened for him. It's like he doesn't remember-it's not fair! It hurts to just look at him!// Yugi jumped up, slamming his hands down on the desk. The noise startled the others. "Yugi-easy! What happened?" Jounouchi asked, staring at his friend. Looking in Jounouchi's direction, but in actuality staring right at Ryou, Yugi snapped, "Nothing happened, okay?" The holder of the Sennen Puzzle felt a small sense of triumph when Ryou twitched ever so slightly. The other three exchanged glances as Yugi sat down again. Jounouchi mouthed to the others, 'What was that all about?' Anzu and Honda shrugged in unison.

Yugi, lunch in hand, went up to the roof. No one else was up there, for which Yugi was grateful. //I haven't been up here in a long time.// He sighed and settled against the wall.

*Yes, the last time you were here was right before we left for Duelist Kingdom, right?*

**Yami!** The former pharaoh materialized, and then solidified, next to the small teenager. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night, aibou." Yami sighed heavily. "It didn't really have to with you." Seeing Yugi was about to question as to what it did have to do with, Yami held up his hand. "Please, don't ask about it." Yugi nodded and opened his lunch. "Are you angry with me, aibou?" Yugi shook his head. "Have you forgiven me, then?" Yugi shrugged. Yami took this as a 'yes', and settled next to his aibou. The keeper of the Sennen Puzzle offered his other half part of a sandwich before tearing into his own half, which he accepted. Ever since Yami had gotten his memories back-along with an unexpected body of his own-he had started eating. The former pharaoh said that it was keeping his body sustained, but Yugi suspected part of it was just physical enjoyment on Yami's part. "There is still tension between you and Bakura-kun." Yugi swallowed the bite of sandwich with difficulty. "Will you…will you not speak with him?"

"I won't say anything." said Yugi thickly. "He wants to forget about it."

"I think you're doing him a disservice, aibou. Bakura-kun is very sensitive to the feelings of others." Yugi savagely bit into his sandwich again. "Would you talk to him…if he came to you?" Yugi shrugged, mouth still full of sandwich. Yami got up and gently touched Yugi's hair. "See you later, aibou, all right?" Yugi shrugged again. Yami left. He'd hurt Yugi-maybe he could help him this way.

"Oy, Bakura-kun."

Ryou looked up from his lunch. "Yami-san…is there something you wanted?"

"What bitterness is there between you and Yugi?" Ryou fidgeted with his napkin and wouldn't meet Yami's eyes. "I already know of your…tryst, so please be frank."

"Things just…got weird." Ryou shut his lunchbox and wrapped it again. "Just one of those things." Ryou didn't really want to get into the subject with detail with Yami. "Well, I believe you should speak to him-"

"Yugi-kun said that it didn't happen." Ryou got up from his seat. "If you'll excuse me, Yami-san, I've got to go to the library."

*What the hell do you mean, you're going to the library? I thought you were going to talk to the runt.*

**Not now-it's too sensitive a topic. And I don't want to talk to *him* about it, of all people.**

*…You're a moron.*

**Yami?**

*Hmm?*

Yugi shouldered his backpack. **Are you okay?**

*Fine.*

**…Sure?**

Yami shook his head. *No.*

**That makes two of us.** There was a collective sigh loud enough to be heard by the group behind them as the pair walked on.

"Wish I could hear their conversation," Jounouchi whispered to the two brunettes on either side of him. "What did you think they're talking about?"

"Bakura-kun."

Honda gave her a strange look. "Why would you say that?" Anzu sighed and once again wondered how Honda had managed to live with the observational skills of a rock. "It's so *obvious*! I mean, they didn't speak to each other all day, and Yugi wouldn't even *look* at him."

Jounouchi's eyes widened. "You don't think they-"

"Well, it could be something like that!"

The blonde leaned closer, one hand cupped around his mouth. "You mean, something like that-?"

"It could be that-or maybe some other thing-"

"But with *Bakura*?"

Before Anzu could answer, Honda interrupted. "What are you guys *talking* about?" "We were thinking that Yugi and Bakura-kun could have done you-know-what." Honda shook his head. "No, I don't know what."

"You know, *that*!" Honda still looked completely clueless. "Come on, Jounouchi knows what I'm talking about!" Honda shrugged. "Jounouchi, *you* explain!"

"We think Yugi and Bakura had a little something." Honda raised an eyebrow. "You know-*something*?"

"I have *no* idea what the heck you're talking about."

Anzu sighed. "Never mind…"

"Ryou, that is the third damn time you've called his number, listened to him say 'Hello', and hung up."

Ryou avoided looking at his other half in the eye. "I just get nervous. What am I supposed to say?"

"I actually really liked screwing around with you, let's do it again sometime?" Ryou blushed. "I was thinking more along the lines of 'About the other day, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable and I hope we can both get over it.'"

"I thought you wanted to be honest with him."

"I do!"

Bakura snorted. "Then what's with that bullshit? You *liked* fucking him, and you would do it again, no problem. And you're not going to 'get over it', like it's a disease, so don't bother even saying that. Besides, it's not like you seduced him." Ryou sighed. "Oh, no you don't. Don't start with the 'oh-but-it's-still-my-fault' melodrama." Ryou looked annoyed, but Bakura was getting into his stride now. "Oh, what if he *hates* me? I feel so horrible because I stopped playing the virgin and fucked Yugi and now everyone's gonna hate me 'cause they'll think I'm a slut and-" A sniffle broke through Bakura's mockery. "Don't you dare. You do think that." Ryou hung his head. "Not that it's true." Ryou looked up. "You didn't even go very far with him. And it was just him. It's not like you spread your legs for five different men that day." Ryou smiled a tiny bit. Bakura rolled his eyes and reached for the remote. "Go wash your face, Ryou. Then get down here. Dinner's not going to make itself." Ryou headed for the stairs, then stopped, and turned around. "What?"

"Thanks. You really are kind, somehow."

"What the hell!" Ryou smiled, and ran up the stairs.

Okay, there's the end of the second bit. Hope you liked it! Now, must go and study for midterms. After those are done, maybe I'll be able to write more often.