Title: To My Enemy I've Come To Love

Author: celestial-fire-angel

Pairing (s): Eventual Seto x Yami

Author's Note: OH wow, what is this? An update?! Sorry for the long wait again, guys. I hope this story hasn't been forgotten. If it has, then that's my fault. For the longest time, I've had writer's block, not sure what direction I wanted to go with it, or even how to continue. I kind of wrote myself into a corner. Now, a few years later, inspiration has struck. I'm not sure how long this inspiration will last but I intend to make full use of it while I can. Sorry again for keeping all of you waiting but here is the much awaited Chapter 17!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or Meteor Garden.

Chapter Seventeen

Ryou looked down for only a moment before he looked Seto in the eyes. "I'm not trying to replace anyone," he said, his voice soft but his tone was firm.

Seto's gaze hardened and his azure eyes became steely. "You're lying. You don't think I know what you do by yourself? Playing the ridiculous violin in an empty classroom in his memory."

Ryou had to look away again. He thought he was completely alone when he did that. He was adept at playing the violin and learned it specifically because he had said that he liked classical music. Ryou remembered practicing for hours just to master his favorite concerto. Sadly, he never was able to perform it.

"Seto. . ."

"Don't 'Seto' me. You're playing with his emotions and it's pissing me off. You got him so enamored with your nice-guy act that he can't tell you're going to hurt him the most in the end." Seto was trying hard not to punch the white-haired teen but his fists were clenching and unclenching by his side. He didn't get it. Yami was strong enough to challenge the 4 Kings outright but was he strong to withstand the inevitable heartbreak Ryou would cast upon him?

"I genuinely like him," Ryou said, after an eternity of silence.

It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Seto lunged, his chair clattering noisily to the ground, his fist connected with Ryou's cheek. The smaller teen reeled at the punch, a hand coming up to cover the injured flesh. A look of surprise was very apparent on his face as he stared at the brunet.

Seto's chest was heaving. "We. Are. Finished." It took everything he had not to lunge at Ryou again. "Stay the fuck away from Mutou or I'll crush you and your family, Bakura."

Ryou stood up, still nursing his now throbbing cheek. He could feel a bruise forming already. "You can't force him, Seto. If you do, he'll only struggle against you harder until you force him to hate you." Ryou turned and started walking out of the garden, back towards his waiting car.

Not even looking at the retreating teen, Seto managed to growl, "Once he figures out who you are making him replace, who will he hate more, you or me? Especially since you're leading him on."

Ryou continued walking, sticking one hand in his pocket, which balled into a fist as he sat down in the car.

On the first day of school back from the cruise, the school was abuzz about what had happened. Many of the girls were giggling and squealing about being able to approach THE Kaiba Seto and personally hand him a present. They gushed on how he accepted each present, not caring to mention that he carelessly throw them in a growing pile beside him. Many of them were fanning themselves that they got to touch him and 'oh my god he held my hand!'.

It seemed the only ones not talking about the cruise were Yami, Jou, and Honda, though the latter of the three tried to interject into a conversation between three popular girls and was quite promptly ignored. Yami was more concerned over where to find his next job. He couldn't just mooch off of Ryou forever. It wasn't right.

It would have been easier to find a job if Kaiba fucking Seto didn't own half the town too. At the thought of the brunet, visions of the incident on the cruise ship came pouring back to him. Be mine! He had continuously thought about, of course not because he wanted to but because the fucker had surprised him with such a blatant sentence. No matter how hard he tried to dissect and delve, Yami just couldn't find any trace of deception or ulterior motive. Then again, this was Kaiba. Yami was sure he could convince a leopard to buy its own spots back if he wanted to. No, he couldn't fall into a trap. Besides, the brunet had treated him like shit and Ryou was the one who was always there to help, always there to pick him back up. Why would he want to be with someone who cared nothing except for himself.

Ah wait, but that isn't true. A small voice in the back of mind nagged at him. Seto had saved him from the bullies that wanted to beat him to a pulp, and in his own way, he had tried to offer him a place to stay, even if he had been a dick about it. Shaking his head, Yami cleared those thoughts. What was he doing thinking about the good that Kaiba had done, or tried to do, for him?

"Yo Yami, you okay buddy?" Jou's concerned voice crept through his thoughts and woke him.

"Huh? Oh yes, I'm fine." Yami cleared his throat. Jou didn't need to know that he actually had a couple good thoughts about the biggest asshole at the school.

Jou wasn't exactly in the Kaiba fanclub either. Jou's family was only moderately wealthy and that was because his mother had decided to re-marry the president of a moderately sized pet supply company. They made enough to send Jou to Meio and take care of his sister but they obviously couldn't compare to the 4 Kings' conglomerate, powerhouse families.

Jou had been Yami's first friend at Meio even if they didn't start out that way. At first, Jou had been a real jerk, picking on the fresh transfer, stealing his books, throwing a precious family heirloom into the fountain and nearly losing it when the fountain was turned off and drained at the end of the day. But it all turned around when the 4 Kings had decided to target Jou for no reason other than to be jackasses. Yami had been the only one to stand up to them and since then, they'd become best friends. Even though it wasn't much, Jou helped Yami out by buying him something to eat or to drink. Yami, in turn, helped Jou with his studies, which required quite a bit of tutoring.

"Earth to Yami, come in Yami."

Yami blinked as he realized that Jou was waving his hand in front of him. "Huh?"

"You been spacing out a lot, Yami. You sure nothing's going on?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired, I guess."

"Man you study too hard. All work and no play, something something something."

"No, I was just thinking about something."

Jou's mouth widened into a smirk. "Something….or someone?"

Yami sputtered and hid his face in a book. "No way. I'm trying to figure out this problem." He buried his face further in the book when Jou laughed rather loudly.

"Right." The book was snatched right out of Yami's hand. "That's why it's upside down." Jou turned it right side up and placed it back into Yami's hands. It was too fun teasing the spikey-haired teen. His reactions were definitely cute, if Jou had anything to say. Some times Jou thought Yami was too uptight and in order to get him loosened up, he messed with him like he just did. Yami was his friend and he wanted Yami to smile a lot more.

Jou was sure that if Yami kept frowning like that, his face would get stuck that way. They already had one resident Mr. Scowly, otherwise known as Kaiba-His-Most-Royal-Asshole-Majesty. The blonde was all for petty victories since no one, except for Yami, had the balls to stand up to Kaiba. If Jou had been by himself, he would have taught Kaiba a thing or two about running the show at the school but since his family operated under a section of Kaiba's company, he wasn't about to jeopardize his sister's treatment because he made a few dumb remarks.

The whole class quieted down when who but one Otogi Ryuji strolled in. He made a beeline for Yami and stared at him with his intense emerald eyes. "Well then, Mutou, seems like you're the reason for the split. Come with me." Grabbing Yami's upper arm, he dragged Yami up out of his chair without another word.

Immediately Yami began to struggle but Otogi held firm and dragged him to the 4 Kings' private room. Inside, Ryou was sitting on one side of a table while Kaiba sat directly across from him. Marik was standing behind Kaiba, to his right. Rather roughly, Yami was thrown forward and he stumbled a few times to prevent himself from eating carpet.

"Nice of you to join, Mutou." Seto's voice seemed colder than usual and Yami was quite confused about what was going on here.

"What the hell, Kaiba?" Yami growled, not appreciating the fact that he was dragged out of class again at Seto's whim.

"Bakura's got something to say."

Yami looked to Ryou, who was his usual silent self but this time, there was something odd about his silence. It felt more like hesitation and maybe even a little bit of shame. What the hell is going on here?

"If he's got something to say to me, he can tell me when we're at home."

Seto's eyes narrowed the slightest bit at the comment. "He's going to say it now."

Yami's gaze settled on Ryou. "Ryou? What is so important you have to tell me now, in front of everyone?" His heartrate quickened and he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. From the way Ryou looked, it couldn't be good.

Ryou couldn't lift his gaze. He didn't want it come out like this but he also knew that Kaiba was right. He couldn't just keep living a lie and leading Yami on. It was true. Ryou did care about Yami, maybe he did even love him, but he was perhaps deluding himself that the love he felt was romantic. Taking a deep breath, he finally looked at Yami.

"Yami, do you remember when I first took you to my house and offered you a different place to stay other than Seto's?" His voice was trembling but he forced himself to go on. It was best if Yami knew now, rather than later, when things would undoubtedly get more complicated. "You asked me why I was being so nice and I told you that I don't want to see you miserable?"

Of course Yami could recall that conversation. He knew that was when he really started to fall for the snowy-haired member of the 4 Kings. He had gone so far to as to give him a place to stay and not charge him anything for it. That was only the start of his generosity. He had treated him to so many things, even bought him new clothes, and invited him on a cruise he otherwise would not have had the money to go on. He listened to problems and never judged him. Yami nodded for Ryou to go on.

"There is a reason for that."

Maybe this wouldn't be so horrible. His spirits started to lift. Maybe this was Ryou's way of telling him that they were…something? Yami did not want to get his hopes too high, even though he certainly wouldn't mind if he and Ryou. . .

"Yami…I care for you."

Yami's heart almost leapt out of his chest. . .

"But it isn't in the way you think or want. I care about you . . . like a brother."

. . .and before he knew it, it shattered on the ground.

Author's Note: -dodges rotten tomatoes- Okay, before I get an agnry mob with pitchforks and torches, this was necessary for the plot. It was far too stagnant and I needed to get the ball rolling. Hopefully the next chapter won't take me years . I'll work on it soon, I promise!

In the mean time, please review! Reviews will make me write faster!