Disclaimer
This is Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction, posted on FanFiction (dot) net.

Fanfiction: A story written about a television show, book, comic or movie by people unconnected with the original and without any intention of making a profit. (taken from ralst (dot) com )

This story is rated M because it deals with mature themes and situations. If you are not prepared for a mature story that can involve any number of mature items, then this story is not for you.

A/N: I felt bad about being delayed and rewriting the chapter. I hope this came out OK. I didn't do my normal rereads (x3) and edits...

Snuggled under a mound of fluffy white blankets, Bakura peeked from between a crack that gave him just enough space to see the room. His chocolate eyes scanned the semi-institutional hospital room that he had stayed in for the last six weeks. Then, flash of yellow suddenly caught his gaze, and Bakura groaned as he whipped the covers from him and sat up. Somehow, yet again, he had missed whoever it had been delivering a fresh daisy to his room every day since he arrived at the Kaiba family owned hospital.

Falling back against his pillows, Bakura sighed. It had been a strange time for him the moment he woke up and realized what had happened to him. Doctors and nurses had explained his condition with him and laid out why he would be staying so long at the hospital. At first, he had been very scared. His nightmares had returned in full force, and he would wake up screaming and in fright on a daily and nightly basis. Sometimes he would even see that corrupted mirror image of himself at the foot of his bed, and it would be giving him that malevolent grin. He was petrified that the staff would think him insane if he told them the full extent of what was happening to him. However, the nightmares were enough for him to also be prescribed medications for what they termed anxiety.

Regardless of what the staff were doing for him, Bakura felt that it was Mokuba who actually saved his sanity in those first weeks. Mokuba was the one who notified all their friends. Yugi and Rebecca, Jonouchi and Mai, Shizuka and Honda, even Otogi and Yugi's grandfather, Sugoroku, regularly visited him as a result of Mokuba's calls. He had felt so lost and alone after his family's abandonment, certain that he was worthless, and then, over time and through their many visits that filled his days, he found reconnections he had missed and needed. Mokuba and the maid, who had helped find him, Minato, also visited him frequently. With the loss of his blood family, he discovered that he still had a family; his family of friends.

However, there was one person that never visited the entire time he had been there. Kaiba. There was not one phone call, note, or even a card. Turning over to stare at the rising sun through his window, Bakura stared at the rays so they could burn Kaiba's face from his memory. He was confused about his feelings for the harsh CEO. It was through his decision that Bakura had the best of care and anything he wanted, he was certain of this, but why did he not check on his wellbeing. Biting his lip, he tried to banish from his thoughts the searing touches that he could still clearly remember.

It was Mai that Bakura had finally told all this confusion to one day when she was visiting him. They had been playing Duel Monsters the old way, without Duel Disks. Perhaps it was because she was slightly older than him that made him feel drawn to her advice. However, he thought it was the pain he could see behind her smile that really encouraged him to finally ask for her advice.

"Mai…" Bakura stammered, his hand hesitating to place his card down.

Giving him a sweet smile, the blonde replied, "What is it, Bakura?"

He sighed and set his cards down next to him. Shaking his head, he lowered it so that his white bangs could hide his features from her gaze. He had this insane thought that if she could see his eyes, all his secrets would be revealed.

"Bakura," she paused for moment, "if you have anything you want to talk to me about, you can. I won't share it with anyone, even Jonouchi."

Invading her friend's space, she placed her neatly manicured hand over his trembling one and gave it a light squeeze. Bakura tightly closed his eyes, but it did not stop the tears that dripped down his cheeks and chin. He could hear a rustle as Mai moved and plucked a tissue from a nearby box. She dabbed at his tears.

"There, there… no need to cry, little brother."

He liked when she called him that, it made him feel like he really did have a big sister that he could hold on to in moments like this.

"Mai, have you ever felt for someone and couldn't tell them how you felt because … they confused you terribly?"

She chuckled. "Is this what these tears are for?"

He mutely nodded.

"Do you remember years ago when many of us first met? Did you ever think Jonouchi and I would be where we are now?"

Bakura laughed. "No. Jonouchi was somewhat immature then and well… you were rather distant with yourself. A bit tsundere."

She laughed, and her voice was musical to his ears. "Yes, that is a good approximation of me during that time."

Squeezing his hand again, Mai sobered in her tone. "I'm not sure when I started to have feelings for Jonouchi. Maybe sometime after that bit with Jean-Claude, but it was before we had that terrible duel…" Shaking her head to clear her mind of that memory of darker times, she continued. "Regardless, I knew I had developed feelings for this impetuous and loyal man several years my junior."

He couldn't help his smile and finally lifted his head up to look Mai in the eyes. Bakura could see unshed tears shining there as she remembered those times for his behalf. Now, it was him pulling a tissue and handing it to her. She returned the smile and laughed as she dabbed at her eyes.

"I was scared. I had made many mistakes and had done things that were horrible to me, regardless of the why. I had to reevaluate myself and what my intentions were. I needed to find that dueling spirit I had lost before I could even feel I could reconnect with Jonouchi."

Mai reached over and took a sip of water. She took a steadying breath.

"When I felt ready, and after taking care of a few necessary things, I reached out back to Jonouchi. I didn't think he would see me, or that he would even want to see me. But when we reconnected, I knew it was time."

She gave Bakura an encouraging smile. "I told Jonouchi how I felt. I didn't hold back. And it worked out from there."

Shifting a bit at the end of his bed, Mai gave Bakura an impish smile. "So, now that my story is done, and maybe a lesson learned, who is this lucky girl that you are obviously crushing on?"

Bakura blushed, the red stark against his pale cheeks. He whispered softly, "My crush… isn't a girl."

One of Mai's eyebrows rose, confused for a second, and then her violet eyes widened. "Oh… oh!" she exclaimed.

Playing with her fingers, Mai recovered from her initial shock, "I guess I can't say I'm terribly surprised. So… who is the lucky guy?"

Looking down, Bakura was quiet for a long time before he could gather the courage to say the name that haunted his heart. "Seto Kaiba."

Mai laughed lightly. "Kaiba, huh? And I thought I was a difficult…"

Pulling at a stray thread, Bakura remembered the conversation as clearly as if it had been moments ago. Mai's ultimate advice to him was that he needed to talk to Kaiba. She also included a forewarning that if Kaiba wasn't interested in him, regardless of all those strange and intense moments, that he should not blame himself. He was also supposed to call her as soon as he could after said conversation because she wanted to know the results.

A soft knock pulled Bakura back to the present moment. Calling out to whoever was there to come in, an orderly dressed in a pink uniform entered his room carrying his breakfast tray.

"Good morning, Bakura. How are you today?" She smiled at him brightly, her wispy black hair framing her face.

"I'm good, and I'm very excited."

The orderly moved a cart over to his bed and set the tray down on it. "I heard! You're going to be finally discharged. I bet you are happy to be getting on with your life once again."

He nodded. It did feel good to be finally leaving the hospital. His room was wonderful, but it was still a hospital.

"Oh, someone called this morning and told us these were your favorites." She lifted the lid to the covered plate, revealing an assortment of cream puffs.

He glanced over at the daisy, maybe the same caller had been the one delivering the daisy. "Miss, do you know who called?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't take the call."

"Thanks, I was just curious."

"Well, enjoy your breakfast, and I am glad that you get to go home today." The orderly gave him another dazzling smile and left him to his meal.

Bakura picked up one of the delicate puffs and popped it in his mouth, savoring the sweet taste as he pondered who the one to order the cream puffs was and who was delivering the daisy each day. It was the flower that always made him think of Amane.

Hours later, about mid-morning, the doctors came to visit Bakura. The one who had been directing his care was sitting next to his bed carefully going over his medications and future regimen. It made him feel a bit like an old man as he listened to him.

"As you know, after the extensive tests during your first weeks here, we concluded that you entered a state of inedia as a result of a minimal conscious state, or rather a light coma. From the discussions with psychology, this stemmed from the current state of your family. However, because of how quickly you were awakened, your heart sustained moderate damage, and hence your tenure here."

Bakura nodded, these were not new pieces of information. More pages were flipped in the chart the doctor held as his voiced droned on, Bakura half-listened.

"We have prescribed for your nightmares and anxiety the medication Paxil. You will also need to take ubiquinone to support your heart."

He knew he was to eat better, exercise and not to overextend himself for the time being. Bakura knew he had to communicate with his school to make sure he was not too far behind. Mokuba had told him that everything had been handled, but he couldn't help being concerned.

"Do you have any questions, Bakura?"

"Uh… no, no questions," Bakura stammered, he had missed much of what the doctor had explained.

A sheaf of papers was handled to him, and he stamped his seal on them acknowledging he understood what he had been diagnosed with and his method of treatment. He was ready to leave the hospital. It had seemed that his attitude had changed over the course of the morning and now, Bakura was feeling impatient to be outside on the streets of metropolis and wandering through the wards.

The doctors left him and he fidgeted as he began to remove the hospital shift he had worn the night before and dressed himself in the clothing Mokuba had brought to him a week ago. He selected a simple outfit of jeans and a dark blue, button-down shirt. Bakura smiled as he slipped his feet into a pair of slippers and checked that his sneakers were in the bag he would take out with him. Other than the gifts of flowers from his friends, he had very little else that he would need to take with him when he left.

Lunchtime came and went, and then a nurse came in to let him know that the Kaiba family had been notified of his impending release and that they would be sending a car for him in the next hour or so. He couldn't help the giant grin that plastered itself on his face to know that soon he would be leaving.

Quickly, Bakura gathered gifts and items that he had collected during his stay and placed them into his bags, making sure they were stacked carefully so nothing was crushed. He could hear the ticking of the clock as time wound down to the hour of his leaving. Around two o'clock, he started pacing and gave up, choosing to sit on the ledge of his room's large picture window that overlooked the hospital grounds below.

It was here, as the afternoon's bright fall sunshine bathed, that he gazed around below. He watched people walking back and forth, sitting at benches, and all appearing like small ants. In his fingers, he was been twirling the last daisy he had received and humming songs. A knock semi-interrupted his reverie, but he was used to the constant attention from the staff so he simply called out that he was there and continued to stare at the green spaces below.

Opening the door and closing it behind him, Seto Kaiba entered the hospital suite. It was the first time he had stepped in this room. Knowing ahead of time that Bakura was to be discharged today, he had intercepted the call that had come to the mansion and arrived himself. He was dressed in one of his business suits, and he nervously readjusted his silk tie.

When he looked up from his leather shoes to seek out Bakura, he saw him sitting in the window. Afternoon sunlight streamed through his white hair and created a bright halo around his body. Kaiba could see that the time in the hospital had been good for him. Bakura's body was no longer painfully skinny and had fleshed out nicely. In addition, his hair had grown longer and lusher during his time away from the mansion. Those moments of assessment told Kaiba that the emotions he thought he had come to terms with were not as well controlled as he had thought.

With a suddenly dry mouth, Kaiba coughed lightly. The unfamiliar noise caught Bakura's attention, causing him to turn. Seeing Kaiba, instead of Mokuba, standing there caused him to freeze his motions.

"Seto… I mean… Kaiba," Bakura stammered as he stood in greeting.

Kaiba walked quickly to close the space between them, coming to a sudden stop when there was a scant half-meter remaining. For a second, he felt a pang in his chest for not visiting sooner and clinched his fist in response. Feeling his heart begin to race in his chest, he thought that he may have made a mistake in coming here.

"You look well, Ryou." Kaiba's voice was quiet, almost a whisper.

Bakura had not expected that Kaiba would be the one to take him from the hospital. He could feel himself trembling inside and could not guess the brunette would do next. Focusing on the suit buttons that gleamed in the streaming sunlight, Bakura tried to recall some of the things he and Mai had discussed about Kaiba. She had reminded him that distance did make the heart fonder and he had to be careful that he was not putting too much into what had transpired, yet she still encouraged that he have an honest and open talk with Kaiba about prior events.

"Kai-," Bakura began, but was interrupted.

"Are you ready to leave?" Kaiba asked, the tone in his voice changing like quicksilver.

Feeling confused by the sudden change in Kaiba's eyes, Bakura tried to discern what was in the other man's mind but gave up. He should know, he thought to himself, that it was best to just let it go. He could feel the sudden waves of stress rolling off of Kaiba, and he didn't want to add to it.

It was being in a hospital that was affecting Kaiba. He hated the places. He was over the initial shock of seeing Bakura again after six weeks and now, he just wanted to get away from this place as quickly as he could. Smells from antiseptic cleaning supplies and various medications were assaulting his senses, and he was beginning to feel dizzy from them. A slow headache was also forming at the front of his forehead. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to redirect the pain.

Nodding, Bakura replied, "Yes, I don't have many things to take with me; just a few gifts that I have already packed." He tilted his head toward a neatly packed box at the end of the bed, the daisy the foremost peeking from the top.

A quick nod was the acknowledgement he received as Kaiba turned and retrieved the box. Bakura then followed him out of the room. He smiled weakly at the staff that were telling them goodbye and well-wishing his health. Kaiba was like a stony sentinel in his silence and steady forward gaze. It was almost difficult for the white-haired youth to keep up with the fast pace that Kaiba kept as he lead the way out of the hospital corridors, his only break during the elevator ride, and into the parking garages below.

Fortunately, Kaiba's car was parked nearby when they exited the elevator and Kaiba clicked his key fob to unlock the doors. Adjusting Bakura's box in his arms, he opened the passenger door of the vehicle for him. Still silent, he waited for the other man to adjust himself in the seat before closing the door. Walking around the back, Kaiba popped open the trunk and situated Bakura's things next to his suitcase and a small bag of groceries. With a thud, he closed the trunk and smoothly entered the driver's side of the sleek car.

He could see that Bakura was fidgeting with his hair and ignored the obvious sign of the other man's nervousness as he turned the ignition and drove them out of the garage and into the late afternoon sunshine. Squinting, Kaiba quickly pulled a set of jet-black shades from the center console and covered his eyes.

Exiting from the dark parking garage and into the fullness of the sunshine did not faze Bakura. He was suddenly happy to be leaving the hospital and his prior nervousness with Kaiba vanished like the morning fog. His eyes soaked in every nuance of each tree or person they passed, and the unlit neon of storefronts and restaurant awnings. The rush of new scenery made him feel drunk and like a child entering the world for the first time. A smile cracked on his face, and he leaned forward to not miss anything they drove pass.

"You look happy."

Startled, Bakura turned and faced Kaiba. "Yes, I think I am," he said.

Kaiba nodded, his expression hidden behind the dark shades and lapsed back into silence.

Turning back to the scenery, Bakura occupied himself watching the world swim by as they cruised onto the highways. After some time, he noticed they were travelling north, away from the Domino ward and main Tokyo region.

"Kaiba, where are we going?" Bakura hesitantly queried.

It had seemed the further they traveled that the lines of stress had sharpened around Kaiba. Bakura felt nervous.

"I am sorry that I am taking you with me, but there is business I have to attend to away from the mansion." Kaiba's lips barely moved; his whole body was strung tight.

Trying to make conversation and find out more, Bakura asked, "Does it have to do with the news reports? Is it about that rival company?"

"No, it has nothing to do with that," Kaiba replied.

"Oh, I had thought…" Bakura paused, and then looked down at his betraying fingers as they plucked at a stray blue thread at his wrist.

Curious, Kaiba responded with his own question. "Thought what?"

"I had thought," Bakura swallowed and willed the words, "I had thought that was why you didn't visit me. The news said there was a battle between corporations. That the American company, Wizards something, had backed out of a deal and there were subsequent issues between Kaiba Corporation and Xing-Xang."

Kaiba chuckled. "You surprise me, Bakura. You kept up with the business news about my company?"

"Well… one can only take so many daytime dramas before they just give you headaches," Bakura lightly stated.

"True, true. And yes, that was part of the reason. I had very little time for any activities aside from dealing with the fallout from that particular deal and Xing-Xang trying to make cheap knock-offs of my Duel Disks. I cannot allow such idiocy or repugnantly poor craftsmanship attempt to bring down my own products." Kaiba paused, and then continued, "You saw the report, no doubt, of how I decided to handle that nuisance."

Bakura nodded. According to the reports, the Chinese company had been trying to imitate the style of Kaiba's Duel Disks. The knock-offs were so similar that Kaiba corporation had been fielding calls from unhappy purchasers. In response, Kaiba announced two weeks ago that anyone that had one of these disks could exchange them for an authentic Kaiba Corporation Duel Disk, free of charge. It had caused uproar.

"My board of directors thought me insane, but the surge in our stocks has more than proven my point. Consumers, and myself included, expect the best of products and especially when it comes to the Duel Disk. I worked my whole life to achieve that technology, and I won't have anyone attempt to wrestle it from me; particularly by thieving lowlifes and reneging foreigners."

"Why did the other company, Wizards… I think was the name, back out of a deal with Kaiba Corporation?"

"Wizards of the Games," snorted Kaiba. "They thought too highly of themselves. Disgusting trait."

Bakura waited quietly for Kaiba to continue.

"They wanted more stock and financing than I was willing to give. They also thought they could threaten me with Xing-Xang. However, I could tell that they had already cut a deal because within a week the idiots were shipping out their cheap parts across Japan and America. Basically, they thought they could double-dip and get away with it. My suppliers are all exclusive to Kaiba Corporation, and rightfully so."

Kaiba stopped talking, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. Glancing sidelong, his eyes concealed by the dark shades, he regarded Bakura suspiciously. "Why do you want to know about this?"

Looking down again, Bakura replied, "I wanted to understand why you weren't there… at the hospital. And to understand… some of your… responsibilities."

Releasing one of his hands from the wheel, Kaiba rubbed his forehead. He could feel another headache coming. "There was more than just business as to why I didn't go to the hospital."

"Then, why?"

Clinching his teeth, Kaiba noticed a directional sign pointing toward his destination, but he was on the wrong side of the roadway to exit. He quickly grasped the wheel with both hands as he accelerated and swerved across traffic, just barely making the off-ramp. The force of the move had knocked Bakura against his seatbelt and door. Both men were quiet as Kaiba returned to a more sedate speed and turned onto the main road from the highway.

Lightly stuttering, Bakura spoke up again. "I-I-I'm sorry for asking. I won't ask again."

Sighing, Kaiba then snapped at him, "It wasn't anything you did. I almost missed the exit."

"I meant a-about visiting me."

"I didn't visit you because I hate hospitals!" Kaiba yelled.

Shrinking against the leather seat, Bakura wished he was very small right now. He knew that he had just pissed off his apparent benefactor.

Railing on, Kaiba continued, "I hate hospitals with their smug doctors who don't save lives. They let my mother die, they basically murdered my father. They think they are so smart with their charts and potions, but instead they destroyed us. I bought that damn hospital so no one could ever put me in one because I won't be killed like they killed my parents!"

Turning his head for a moment from the road, Kaiba looked at Bakura before returning his attention to the road.

"I'll admit," his voice became calmer, "they seemed to do an okay job with you, but I don't like hospitals. It was hard enough picking you up from one."

Silent once again, Bakura could hear his every breath and heartbeat over the low tones of the orchestra music that Kaiba had been playing. He tried to redirect his attention to the scenery outside the car and noticed they were passing a graveyard. It sent a chill up his spine. Then, he felt Kaiba decelerating and saw that he was turning them into the tombstone bedecked grounds.

"Kaiba, where are you taking me?"

"We're going to the graveyard."

Bakura shivered. Kaiba may hate the hospitals, he thought to himself, but graveyards scared him to death.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this starting chapter to the second half of the story. The original chapter 19 was much, much different. ^_^; I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out. The house I am trying to buy, well... almost complete, yay! It's a nice first home, very spacious and beautiful. So, I will be super busy moving very, very soon.