The plot-bunny by Cheysuli-Night: Concerned over how he THINKS Bakura treats Ryou, Yami spies on the two white haired boys, and overhears several rather harmless, childish discussions. Seems their relationship is more playful than anything else.

A/N: I had a difficult time writing Bakura "playful," so this whole thing turned into a plot-less drabble, but it was still fun to write. Comments on characterization would be appreciated. Hints at Heartshipping and Darkshipping, but nothing major.

Matter of Perspective

Yami was positively furious. As he ran through the streets of Domino City, he couldn't help but scream out his frustration in the form of the person's name that caused it all. "BAKURA!"

Two hours earlier, Bakura Ryou had stopped by the Kame Game Shop to help Yugi with his geography homework. Yugi was facing another barely passing grade in the class unless he received high marks on the upcoming exam. Yami found it amusing that the only thing Yugi was particularly skilled at was solving puzzles and games, and how useful those skills were.

When Ryou arrived, the very first thing Yami noticed was the blood from a cut on his lip trailing down shockingly pale skin. Yugi, upon seeing the wound, immediately went for bandages and cleaned the lip of a blushing, stammering Ryou. Suspicion rising, Yami asked him how he came to have the wound.

In Yami's opinion, Ryou's excuse was lame at best: he told the two wild-haired gamers that while fiddling with a letter opener, he had nicked himself and hadn't realized it was as bad as it turned out to be.

Hoping to wheedle a better explanation out of the white-headed teen, Yami stayed with him and Yugi as they studied; which was when he noticed the bluish bruises adorning his left arm. Again, Yami inquired about the injuries.

Ryou averted his eyes from Yami's, instead focusing on the floor, mumbling, "I'm quite clumsy, the other day I kept bumping into things. It's nothing to be concerned about, really."

Sweet, naïve boy, protecting his vicious tomb-robber of a yami, but it was obvious Bakura was to blame for the harm done to the hikari.

Which was why an hour after Ryou left the shop, Yami couldn't stand sitting still any longer and had to go do something about the situation.

The ancient Egyptian spirit cloaked himself in Shadow Magic, now invisible and free to wander into Ryou's apartment undetected. He slipped into the elevator and luckily for him, Ryou's door was unlocked, so he opened and closed the door as soundlessly as he possibly could.

The very first thing he heard was the spirit of the Millennium Ring shouting, "DIE, DAMN YOU!"

There was a harsh pounding noise and Ryou exclamation of "Ow!" accompanied by a clatter.

Rushing towards the noises and ready to take action, Yami did not expect to see the white-haired pair preparing a meal.

Bakura was armed with a meat cleaver, pummeling a rather large, uncooked piece of meat; and Ryou had a finger in his mouth with a paring knife at his feet. Bakura paused what he was doing and looked over at his hikari.

"Did you cut yourself again?" he asked agitatedly. Ryou looked up at his yami, brown doe eyes large, still sucking on his finger. "Oh no, that look doesn't work on me, vessel. Try it on the Pharaoh's brat though and it might yield results," Bakura teased as he tossed a roll of bandages toward the now scowling, blushing teen.

Ryou concentrated on wrapping his finger before picking up the knife and going back to skinning carrots. "What look? I wasn't trying to do anything. Besides, at least I'm not the five thousand year old virgin."

For that talking back, Yami was positive that Bakura was going to punish Ryou. Waiting for when he'd need to step in to control Bakura's unrighteous rage, he crept closer into the kitchen.

"Oh sure hikari, I confide in you, tell you my secrets and this is what I get, it thrown back at me like this?" Shaking his head, the tomb robber went back to his meat cleaver grumbling about 'disrespectful hikaris.' "You know, you should really stop being a vegetarian. You keep cutting yourself trying to make that… salad." He grinned maniacally. "Meat requires no cutting after you kill the animal and skin it." Bakura picked the piece of bloody meat off the tile counter and slapped it onto a cooking sheet. After placing the sheet in the oven and turning it on, he turned back towards Ryou, who was now putting all the salad fixings together in a bowl. "Weirdo," he said, then ruffled the teen's hair and left the kitchen.

By now, Yami was thoroughly confused. Bakura was supposed to be beating Ryou. And what was the 'Pharaoh's brat' comment all about? Bakura was a virgin? Why did that matter to him? Was Bakura really as tame as he was acting now? It was just too unfathomable; especially considering how ruthless he was when dueling. Curious and confused, Yami followed Bakura.

Ryou stuck his head out from the kitchen door into the living room where Bakura was situated on the couch. "At least I don't have a crush on—OOF."

Mouth agape with something akin to horror and disbelief, the Millennium Puzzle's spirit watched the former tomb robber instigate a pillow fight between himself and his hikari. Several minutes into the fight, to Yami's further confusion, both started laughing. This was about the time he registered what Ryou had previously said: Bakura was infatuated with someone… which meant that Bakura actually had feelings. Bewildered, Yami suddenly felt as if he was invading their privacy; but with them in the room, he couldn't open the door without them noticing something was up.

Breathless from laughing so much, Ryou toppled onto Bakura and they both fell to the carpeted floor. Ryou scrunched up his nose. "You smell like raw meat." Bakura rolled his eyes.

"Just because I told you that I… that thing we talked about, does not mean you can use it against me."

Ryou seemed to ponder this for a moment before replying, "Hey, you made fun of me for liking Yugi, it's only fair game that I use what ammunition I've got." He sighed and flung his arm out, banging into the coffee table. "Ouch." He rubbed at his arm and continued, "You should just tell him."

"Ryou, I hated the man for five thousand years for something that he didn't do. I wanted to kill him." Not knowing what to say, Ryou stayed silent.

The only person Yami knew that Bakura knew for five thousand years was… his eyes widened and he had to sit down somewhere.

The timer in the kitchen went off, breaking the quiet atmosphere. "It's your turn to clean the kitchen," Bakura stated as he got up off the floor, "and I left it extra messy for you this time." With a wicked grin, he sauntered into the kitchen.

Groaning, Ryou followed his yami from the room.

Yami nearly ran out of the apartment and only after he was a good ways away from the Bakura residence did he dispel the magic.

"So what happened with Ryou, Yami? Were you able to help him?" Yugi asked upon Yami's return.

Blushing fiercely, Yami stammered through a recount of the experience.

"Hey Ryou, there was some faint Shadow Magic I sensed early… you wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"

Arms immersed in soapy water and dirty dishes, Ryou smirked slightly to himself and answered, "No, nothing at all."