Chapter 14: Let it Be

The kidnapper was someone that Ryou hadn't been expecting at all. Mostly because he hadn't really ever thought about being kidnapped before, but still - in hindsight, it seemed incredibly obvious.

"Kaiba! What the hell?!"

If he could have growled that sentence like a rabid dog, believe me, he would have. He was furious!

"What?" the teenage billionaire asked, his legs crossed and a careless expression on his face. "You can't tell me you were surprised."

"I was, actually, and you know who else is? My brother who is probably worried sick right now!-!"

"Give him a call and tell him you're fine, then," Kaiba was entirely unsympathetic.

"WE DON'T HAVE CELL PHONES!" Ryou yelled, gripping the edges of his seat tightly in an effort to control his explosive anger. "Remember?! I told you that yesterday!-!"

Kaiba actually paused for a second, as if seeming to ponder this. Maybe he'd let him go? At least drive back to school to show Bakura that he was all right? To prove he was actually at least a semi-sane person?

His small hopes were dashed when all Kaiba said was, "Not my problem."

Ryou just stared at him incredulously, unsure if he had heard him right. What the hell is this guy's problem?! he thought angrily. He was finally starting to understand all of the horrible things everyone said about Kaiba. Worse than Otogi was right! He hadn't tried to kidnap him! And here he thought Kaiba was just some rich kid with an attitude problem… it turns out he's actually a cold-hearted, insane person.

"Anyways," Kaiba transitioned, "care for something to drink?" He gestured to a mini fridge stuck in the corner of the red-furnished limousine, one of the men who had taken Ryou opening it to show him an assortment of beverages.

Ryou rolled his eyes in disgust. "I am out of here as soon as this car stops."

"How?" Kaiba asked with a smirk as he pointed to the doors. It was then Ryou noticed that the locks needed a key on the inside as well… He looked back at Kaiba, who was twirling a little, golden key around his index finger, a small smirk on his lips. "Any other words you'd like to add?"

"I hate you."

"I get that a lot."

"Just tell me why I'm here already!" Ryou snapped. "I need to show my brother that I'm fine! How would you like it if someone abducted Mokuba right in front of you, huh?!"

"Speaking of my brother," Kaiba said, not even phased by Ryou's comment at all. "That's why you're here, actually."

"Marik!" Bakura yelled as he ran down one of the school hallways towards the extremely surprised Egyptian.

"Bak -?" he started before he took in the boy's state a little better. The older twin was crying and had an incredibly wild look in his eyes, the sight of which immediately sent Marik into a secondhand panic. "What's wrong?!"

Bakura was shaking now; he wrapped his arms tight around his waist and stared helplessly into his classmate's eyes. "Ryou… It-it's Ryou, he – he…" he took a deep breath before adding one word: "K-kidnapped…!"

Marik felt his heart sink as Bakura's words sunk in. Seeing as how there was already one emotionally unstable person aware of the situation, however, he steeled his own feelings and placed his hands on the shaking boy's shoulders. "Bakura," he started very calmly. "I need you to tell me everything that you remember, okay?"

He could only nod before swallowing and closing his eyes tight, more tears falling and making shiny paths down his cheeks. "It… it was a bl-black, car – no, limo! And… it had an Eng-English license plate… Oh, why can't I remember what it said?!"

"It's okay," Marik assured, anger starting to rise in him. "I think I know who took him."

"You do?!" Bakura asked hysterically as he gripped one of Marik's arms a little too tightly.

Marik could feel his heart snapping as he stared into the desperate yet hopeful brown eyes that were usually so mocking and mischievous. It was so… bizarre to see him this way. It felt like he was in another dimension. "Y-yes…" he choked out, clearing his throat.

"Who?!"

Marik had to take a moment to really take in the emotionally distressed boy in front of him. "… Let's just say it looks like Kaiba did want something from him after all."

Pegasus sighed as he stared at the huge piles of work stacked up on his desk. Bills. Forms. Records. Bills. Files. Applications. Bills. Too much work for one man to do! And this was only stuff related to his principal duties; his counselor and company work has yet to even be touched!

He sighed again as he took a piece of paper from the top stack, looking at it and already feeling a dark cloud hanging over his head. "It's going to be a long night for Pegasus J. Crawford…" he said to himself as he clicked his pen.

As he stared at all of the work and scribbled characters that he knew he'd have to correct with white-out later, he realized that he'd rather be doing anything other than this… Which is ridiculous for a responsible adult, he thought to himself. But, I mean, really – who actually likes all this paperwork?!

Well, it wasn't so bad, he presumed. It was better than taxing, physical labor, right? Although at least with that he'd probably be outside and getting a good exercise, working his body into shape and freeing up his mind to think of more philosophical things.

. . . Maybe it was time he reevaluated what he perceived to be "good" work.

Well, anyways, you can imagine how happy he was when two students burst into his room at this point. Oh, good! Now I don't have to do this anymore! he thought, though subconsciously he knew that he shouldn't be thinking that children having problems was a good thing.

However, his misbegotten happiness was soon replaced with surprise when he saw that it was Marik and Bakura. That newly obtained surprise doubled itself and invited worry to the party once he noticed that Bakura was crying.

Oh, this is so not good, he thought before asking, "What is the problem, boys?"

He almost felt like fainting when they told him that one of his favorite students had been kidnapped by one of his more difficult students.

Damn it, Kaiba, you've gone too far this time!-!

"Let me get this straight," Ryou said, after Kaiba explained everything. He was shaking from anger by this point, the newly-opened soda that he reluctantly accepted being crushed in his hand a little. "You kidnapped me for the sole purpose of asking me if I'd like to babysit Mokuba!?"

"That's right."

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Ryou exploded, standing up and throwing the soda on the floor, not caring about any possible stains the plush carpet would receive. "You didn't have to kidnap me to ask me that!"

"Well, I would have asked you to babysit back at the cell-phone store," Kaiba said as some suit started wiping up the soda. "But your brother got in the way of that. I figured he'd just get in the way again, so this was the only solution."

"You're insane," Ryou snapped at him, collapsing back into his seat.

"I get that a lot, too."

"Why would I even agree at this point?!" Ryou asked him, glaring as harshly as he could. Which, sadly, didn't seem to affect the stoic boy much. "I'm not going to listen to a kidnapper!"

"We'll just keep driving around until you agree, then," Kaiba told him, grinning smugly. Oh, how Ryou wanted to rip that smile off of his face…

The pale boy huffed and leaned back in his chair, sighing. Honestly, if it wasn't for the whole mess of being taken and shoved into a car, Ryou would have agreed right away to babysit Mokuba. Kaiba was offering a huge amount of money in return for such a simple task, and Ryou liked the younger boy, anyway.

But, since Kaiba did, in fact, kidnap him and probably scared Bakura half to death, like hell he was going to agree!

"You can't force me to babysit," Ryou told him, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. "I'm not going to agree no matter what you say."

"I was afraid of that," Kaiba said, letting out a disappointed breath. He uncrossed his legs and re-crossed them the other way before offering, "What if I double the price?"

Ryou's eyes widened. Holy crap, that's a lot of money… He and Bakura could really use that: cell phones, a car, college… But, but this was a matter of principle! "No," Ryou finally replied, shaking his head. "You cannot buy my resolve with money!"

"Triple?"

"..." Ryou swallowed a little, his forehead breaking into a nervous sweat. Maybe they could come to s-some sort of agreement after all, for, for that much money. After all, it wasn't like he had been harmed physically! "Well -"

Kaiba's cell phone interrupted the breakdown of Ryou's resolve.

The taller boy scowled before taking out his phone. As soon as he eyed the caller ID, he smirked, making Ryou very curious. "Ah, well, Ryou," Kaiba looked up at him, looking very proud of himself for some reason. "You don't need to worry anymore." He ignored the call and pocketed it again. "That was Pegasus, which means your precious brother must know you're with me. So, we now have all day."

"Wait, what?!" Ryou gaped at him, unsure if he had heard correctly. "Are you sure he's calling about me?"

"There would be no other reason for him to call."

"... But… but that doesn't make any sense!" Bakura… asked someone for help?! Asked an adult for help? He actually told someone about his kidnapping to help him?! That doesn't sound like Bakura at all…! He was more likely to chase after him himself than to even call the police! Maybe someone else had seen him get abducted? But they'd just call the police right away, not a guidance counselor…

It had to be Bakura's doing then, didn't it? Oh gosh, he was more worried than he thought…

"Damn it, Kaiba!" Pegasus exclaimed, throwing his phone at the passenger seat as he drove calmly through the city, two of his students in the back. "Ooh, if he doesn't think I'll call the cops he has another thing coming! Too far, too far! When will he learn he can't do things like this!? Money cannot solve all of your problems, boy! I'd like to take him out back and teach him a thing or two about human decency! Why does he never listen to me!? I'm gonna kill him, I'm gonna kill him. Bakura, you can help!"

His ranting continued on like that, with him complaining about every possible aspect he knew of the boy. Whether it be the way he dresses, the way he talked to people, or the way he ate, even, Pegasus yelled it all to no one in particular. It was almost surprising how many grudges he seemed to have against the guy.

It would have been kind of amusing to Marik, if it wasn't for the circumstances. As it was, with Ryou locked in a spoiled millionaire's car and Bakura curled up behind the driver's seat looking as if his life was ending and his own worries churning into a dreadful smoothie in his stomach… Marik didn't feel too cheerful.

"Bakura?" he said his name quietly, hoping that this time he'd respond. The usually snarky boy hadn't said a word since he had gotten into the car - hell, he hadn't even moved from his fetal position since he he had first looked at the vehicle he looked horrified and turned even more pale. If Pegasus hadn't placed a hand on his shoulder and given him what Marik perceived as an understanding look, Bakura probably wouldn't have entered the car in the first place. It made Marik curious, to say the least. He didn't like cars? Did he just distrust them, or was it deeper than that?

Unfortunately, it didn't seem as if Bakura had even heard him. He still stayed in his curled up position - his arms wrapped around his pulled up legs and his body tilted so that his head leaned against the window, his long hair falling in front of his face. His eyes looked haunted - shaking and moving around, zoning out, pupils dilating, lids closing only to reopen seconds later with an even more terrified look in them… It looked like he was having a panic attack, or suffering from PTSD. He didn't even seem to care that the seat belt was currently digging itself into his ear and creating a red line across his cheek.

"Bakura," Marik tried again, though his voice was kind of washed out from Pegasus' angry yelling. He reached a hand out to touch the boy's shoulder, but quickly retracted it - touching people when they were like this was probably the worst thing you could do. He had experience. "Bakura, please, say something…"

Why was he reacting so strongly? Pegasus had told them that Kaiba's motives were simply wanting Ryou to babysit his little brother, and assured them that he wouldn't hurt Ryou. ("Even he's not that stupid!" Pegasus had scoffed.) If anything, Bakura should at least be a little happier than before - he knew who had his brother and why, and knew that he wouldn't be hurt. Even if he was reacting to the guilt that he shouldn't have let Ryou be captured in the first place, he should be more angry at himself than… whatever he was right now. He should be scowling and joining in on Pegasus' threats, not turning deaf and crazy. Well, crazier, anyway.

Of course, Marik didn't know… He didn't know that, right now, locked in this metal box, Bakura was reliving the most agonizing moment of his life. The moment where everything changed for the worse. The moment that still haunted him to this day. Hell, how could Marik know? Ryou didn't even know. He only knew that their parents had died of a car crash… Not that Bakura had seen them crash. He didn't know that Bakura had heard the sickening, deafening clash of metal upon metal as two cars collided. Ryou didn't know he had seen dented, twisted metal warped into sharp, deadly weapons. No one knew he had heard the sound of so many sirens coming to aid them, aid what was already gone; had seen their beloved mom and dad being pulled out of the wreckage by medics, covered in brown, dried blood and ripped clothes, their eyes still open and faces frozen with shock; had heard the sound of his own screams come back to him disjointed and unrecognizable; had felt his tears falling to the unforgiving ground and choking him.

All while he stood off at a distance, struggling yet unable to get closer because of police, and dying with them on the inside.

All of this destruction because of cars. All of this horror because a metal contraption had slammed into his parents' own metal box. All of this death because of driving.

Car crash. Metal. Blood. So much blood. Death. No. Dad. Mom.

Come back.

Bakura sucked in a breath, tears threatening to fall yet again. No, no, he couldn't cry - he can't cry for something that's hopeless, he had done enough of that already. He couldn't bring them back, no matter what he did. He couldn't give Ryou their family back… He couldn't bring back the love… He couldn't take away his brother's pain, his lonliness, his agony… He couldn't do anything. He was powerless… Just like when Ryou was taken by another car… Weak, powerless, pathetic…

What if Ryou dies from a crash, too? What if I'm all alone?

What if I die from a crash? What if Ryou is all alone?

He couldn't decide which would be worse. Either one would mean a lifetime of sorrow for either of them. Yet he'd still take the latter over the former - it would hurt less, and let's face it, everyone would take Ryou over him. Death probably wouldn't be so bad… Maybe he could just take it right now…

His body jerked. Guess he was too tense. It did jolt him back to reality a bit, though… His ears toned their ringing down just enough so he could faintly hear someone calling his name. Was it death? Oh, God, did they crash and he didn't even know it? Was he dead? Was Ryou all alone now?

"Bakura!"

His eyes focused just enough so he could recognize the back of a car seat. Oh. So, he was still here. Stuck in this metal trap. Awaiting death. Hey, if he died, maybe he could see his parents again, and he could watch over Ryou from above... Maybe he could even bargain with an angel - get their parents back. Ryou needed them more than him… He's missed them so much.

"And then I'll visit that boy in prison every day just to laugh in his prideful face!"

Ranting pierced through his brain, and Bakura had to smile a little. His mind filled briefly with the image of Pegasus laughing cruelly at Kaiba, who was scowling behind bars… Metal bars, like what cars of made out of… Made only so they can later crash and kill.

"Hey, Bakura..."

Marik... Why was he here? Did he want to laugh at Kaiba's smug face, too? No… That's right, Bakura asked him for help. They were on their way to save Ryou from the maniac. To bring him back home. To make sure he wasn't completely alone in this world.

"Yeah?" His voice sounded hoarse, but at least he had actually spoken a word, and not just screamed or something. That would have been embarrassing, and he was certain he had already embarrassed himself enough in front of him. Oh boy, how was he ever going to be able to talk to Marik now? He was sure the other would only carry pity for him now, instead of playful banter like before. Great. Another friendship ruined.

"... Well, I don't know what to say now." Marik seemed uncomfortable, a surprised look on his face. "I didn't expect you to respond that time."

"Sorry." Bakura slowly lowered his legs down from the floor, coldness reaching his now uncovered torso and making him feel much too empty, much too vulnerable. He had enough of himself back to curse himself out for wanting to hold Marik's hand like a distressed child would hold a mother's, though. "What's been going on?" He sat up and brushed his hair back from his face. His head tingled from where it had laid against the glass for so long, and his ear and cheek throbbed. Why were seat belts so uncomfortable? Why did they strap you into a death trap anyway? What if he needed to get out quickly?

"Well," Marik was much more relaxed now, Bakura noticed, and he flashed him a cautious smile. "Pegasus continues to make threats against Kaiba -"

"He doesn't even have the decency to answer my calls!" Pegasus interjected with a frustrated, guttural scream.

"... Right." Marik continued with just a minor pause. "Anyway, we'll find him."

"I know." Bakura turned his head to look out the window. Which he quickly regretted, as the scenery flashing by made him feel nauseated. He closed his eyes again, subconsciously leaning his forehead against the glass and trying to keep calm.

Yes, they were in a car. Yes, they could crash at any moment. Yes, he was terrified by the whole matter. Yes, he would have rather been literally anywhere else in that moment. But he couldn't focus on that right now.

Ryou needed him. And he needed him to be calm.

He was the only family he had left.

"Answer the phone!" Ryou screamed for the millionth time as he was held back by Kaiba's body guard.

"Ryou, please. You're not going to get anywhere by screaming at me."

"ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE!" Ryou simply repeated, thrashing wildly as the guard held him firmly by both arms. Damn it, if only he was stronger!

"If I do," Kaiba sat up a little straighter, holding the shiny, black phone up for him to see. It was still vibrating, with the name "PEGASUS" flashing on the small screen. "Will you babysit my brother?"

"Oh, for the love of -!" Ryou screamed in frustration, feeling much too worked up to think calmly. He could only think about how upset Bakura must be, since he had actually asked someone for help. What if he was crying, or hyperventilating, or fainting, or, or something?! "YES! I'll babysit your stupid brother! Now answer the damn phone!"

Kaiba smiled and flipped it open, putting it on speaker as he greeted, "Hello, Pega -"

"Kaiba, I swear to whatever you believe in that if you don't return that boy right this second I will hand you over to the police!"

"Pegasus, always a pleasure," Kaiba greeted, chuckling.

"Don't ignore this, Kaiba!" Pegasus screamed into the phone. "Kidnapping is a huge crime and I will not let it go unpunished!"

"Money can do great things, you know."

"Why you…!" A bit of quiet mumbling was heard on the other end. Then, a different voice spoke.

"Ryou?"

"Bakura!" The guard finally released him, allowing him to rush over and tear the phone out of Kaiba's hand and walk a little bit away. "Are you okay?!"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he snapped, sighing. Him not answering the question was enough to tell Ryou that his brother was not, in fact, okay, and that he'd have to fix that later. "Obviously you're fine since you're crazy enough to ask about my well-being."

Ryou smiled a little. "I'll always worry about you, you know. No escaping it."

"Yeah yeah, I got it. Just tell me if you agreed to babysit or not already."

Ryou was only mildly surprised that Bakura knew the reason Kaiba had taken him. Pegasus did seem to know a lot, after all, so he probably knew what Kaiba wanted from him. "... I kinda just did so he'd answer the phone."

"Wow, intelligence is blossoming." (1)

"Oh, shut up!" Ryou laughed, feeling much better now. As long as Bakura wasn't freaking out… He could still remember that time when they were young, and he had went in their backyard without telling anyone. Bakura had been even more worried than their parents when they found him. Probably because they were trying to be calm adults over the situation, but still - Bakura pulling him into a tight hug and not letting go for at least five minutes struck a cord in Ryou's mind. One strong enough for him to worry about Bakura whenever he felt the other would worry over him.

"Two great decisions you've made for your school life so far, Ryou," Bakura continued in a tone that made Ryou imagine him rolling his eyes. "Let's continue them with skydiving, why don't we?"

"Well, they do say that's fun," Ryou joked just before Kaiba took his phone back.

"Tell Pegasus Ryou will be dropped off safe and sound at the mall parking lot," he spoke blandly, hanging up right after. He snapped his fingers and a guard shoved a small card in Ryou's hand. "This holds all the information you'll need for your new babysitting job." The car stopped, and before Ryou could say another word the doors were opened and he was set down on the blacktop - the sun practically blinding him during the process. He turned around to yell one last thing, but the car was locked up and screeching off before he could even form one syllable.

"... I guess I just wait now."

Pegasus' car was surprisingly silent after that little phone call, though the older man was still mumbling angrily to himself. Something about death threats and police and dark magic and voodoo. Typical stuff.

In the back was the real party, though, with Bakura sitting as stiff as a board in his seat. The only thing that moved was his thumb over the screen of Pegasus' phone, stroking it absently as if he could see Ryou in the reflection. Well, since they were twins, that was technically true, but -

"Thanks."

Marik jumped at the word, looking over to him in surprise. "... You're welcome." He didn't need to ask for what. He assumed the other would just respond with a snarky comment or the vague "everything" that was so common with this type of thing anyway.

Bakura exhaled sharply as if to laugh, the corner of his mouth turning up into a small smile. "You bet I am."

Marik laughed a little, shaking his head as he grinned. "Glad to see you're as arrogant as ever."

Bakura made the same, small laughing sound and turned his head to look out the window. Marik noticed he had goosebumps all over his arms, and it was a little worrying when he quickly looked away from the window, his face paling more than usual. His eyes were back to that far-away, haunted look…

Something must have happened with him and a car. But what? Was he in a car crash?

"Pegasus?" Bakura's voice cracked in the beginning, something he obviously didn't like as he clenched his jaw in annoyance.

"Ah!" Pegasus seemed to jolt out of his mutterings, his polite, practiced, counselor smile coming to his face. "Yes? What is it?"

"Could you play some music?"

"Of course!" He reached his hand over to turn the radio on, some peppy music blasting from the speakers almost immediately. Figures he'd like something with a heavy bass. "Any requests?"

"Classical."

Pegasus looked as surprised as Marik felt. "Classical?"

"It's music for the brain," was all Bakura said, leaning back in his seat and obviously expecting his wish to be fulfilled.

"Well, all right!" Pegasus smiled and started flipping through the stations, humming some odd tune to himself as he did.

Bakura nodded once in satisfaction, leaning his head back against the seat and closing his eyes. He tried not to be too obvious as he took a slow, deep breath through his nose, but Marik could see he was trying to calm himself down. He could feel that nagging sensation in his chest that screamed, Help him! And his brain properly responded with, He wouldn't want my help. How could he help if he doesn't even know what's wrong? He could try talking to him again, but that didn't seem to really solve anything last time. Bakura probably wouldn't want to tell him what's wrong, anyway. Why would he want to explain something that makes him… well, what he probably perceives as weak? Besides, at least he was feeling a bit better - enough to maintain a conversation with Ryou and enough to joke, however toned down from normal it was.

Marik's foot started tapping against the floor of the car, a fast, rhythmic pace as he tried to ease his restlessness a bit. He felt hot, trapped in this tense-filled compartment as they drove to the mall. He almost wanted to roll down the window, but that nagging feeling told him that the sound of the wind whipping past the window might set Bakura off again, so he shouldn't. He just wished they could talk about something - anything. This uneasy, curious ignorance was driving him mad. Surely Bakura could tell he wanted to know what was going on? He was observant - he was either ignoring him from embarrassment or too lost in his own distressing thoughts to notice. Obviously, the former was preferable to the latter. He only wished he could have a bigger clue to guess what might be wrong, something that could lead him to a definite answer as to why Bakura would be acting this way.

Heh, he almost felt like laughing - here Ryou was the one being kidnapped, and yet his situation still seemed better than whatever his twin was going through.

"There we go!" Pegasus exclaimed once a chorus of slow, calm violins came through the speakers, with other instruments accenting the song as it went along.

"Thanks."

The car went back to silence after that, with Marik being too apprehensive to break it.

Kaiba Seto
3-7-2 Kinjuku
Domino City, Tokyo 141-0021
(03) 8395-2367

(2) Ryou scowled at the printed card Kaiba had left with him. Seriously, who had business cards for their home address?! Or did he just have this one made out for him? Or maybe it was for his babysitters in general, since Kaiba did mention that he wouldn't be the first one to babysit at his house.

It was kind of weird, if Ryou thought about it - Mokuba seemed like a perfect angel when he met him at the cell-phone store! How could he scare away a babysitter? Could he be a devil in disguise? Could he play too rough? Could he do all sorts of things just to get Ryou in trouble because that's amusing to him? Or, maybe Kaiba was just too picky? No, he seems like the type to hire the best babysitter in the country, so it must be something else… Maybe the babysitters didn't like Kaiba? That seemed more plausible, considering what he's seen of his classmate so far.

Ah, well, he'd just babysit this time - he'd get a ton of money for it, after all… And it wasn't like it was the hardest thing in the world to do, right? All he had to do was watch one child. He didn't even need to change any diapers or anything like that - he'd probably just end up playing video games with the kid.

Sighing, Ryou laid down on one of the parking lot's "tree islands," staring up at the clouds. He and Bakura used to do this all the time… staring up at them and making shapes out of the random puffs. He chuckled as he remembered how they'd try to imitate the clouds with their hair. Oh, they used to do that for hours. And now… well, they didn't really have time for that. It wasn't even their fault - they were just growing up, with more responsibilities, more work, less play, everyone expecting something different from you, worrying over social statuses, worrying about bullies... No wonder teenagers were always so grumpy and scary when he was a kid; this time sucked. Though he doubted being an adult would be that much better - he didn't even know what he wanted to do for a living… He wondered if Bakura knew what he wanted to be, other than a thief, he mused with a small chuckle.

Though his laughter didn't stay for long, as he couldn't help but wonder how his brother was doing right now. He had probably been worried sick when Kaiba had just taken him like that… He knew he would be, if he had seen Bakura taken. Though he'd also try to rationalize that if he wasn't escaping, he was at least giving the captor hell.

Oh, look at that, he actually managed to make himself smile.

It was still disconcerting, though… Bakura had been worried enough to ask Pegasus, an adult, for help. Had he asked anyone else? He couldn't, right? It wasn't in his nature. Though if he did ask anyone, it would probably be Marik, but he wouldn't want the other to see him like that, would he? It was quite intriguing to ponder which side of his brain would have won out - panic, or pride.

"Ryou!" He sat up, seeing a small, red car roll up right next to him. Pegasus' head was poking out of the window with a relieved smile. "There you are!"

"Hey!" Ryou smiled at him just as the passenger door opened, Bakura stepping out with a very… calm expression on his face. Great, that meant he was trying not to show how he was really feeling, which meant he was most likely upset in some way.

Bakura didn't say anything, though. Instead, he just grabbed Ryou by the arm and pulled him up, forcing him into a hug once he was standing. It was a bit shocking, but not as shocking as the sight of Marik also leaving the car. He did tell Marik? Oh man...

"Bakura…" Ryou frowned a little and wrapped his arms tightly around him, sighing and rubbing his back comfortingly. "Sorry to worry you…"

"Just shut up," Bakura mumbled, tightening his grip, but otherwise not moving an inch.

Ryou obliged, and they stayed like that for a very long time, just like they did that one time. Ryou glanced at Marik and gave him an apologetic smile, but he just shook his head and smiled in understanding back at him. He had probably been worried about Bakura, too.

"Um, boys," Pegasus spoke up, smiling weakly at them. "Should I take you home?"

Ryou opened his mouth to accept his offer, but Bakura spoke before he could get a sound out.

"We're walking home." He released Ryou and grabbed his hand instead, tugging him along without waiting for any protests. "Thanks," he called over his shoulder, which made Ryou frown. Something was more wrong with Bakura than he thought… He wasn't acting like himself. Not at all.

Meanwhile, Marik stared after them, hesitating to follow as he didn't know if it would be a good idea or not. Would they want company? Ryou probably would, but… Okay, the real question was, would Bakura want company? He probably wouldn't want anything to do with him after showing so much vulnerability. But if he thought he could ignore him at school, he'd have another thing coming.

He sighed, turning to look at Pegasus, who was giving him a very serious, grown-up look that told him he was going to make a request.

"Marik-san," he spoke quietly, earning the boy's full attention. "Please escort them home."

"... Okay." That was all Marik needed to run after the Ying-Yang twins, crushing the nerves he felt growing in his stomach. He respected Pegasus, after all, and if even he was telling him to follow after them, well, obviously he should, right? It made the most sense.

"I wanted to punch him so bad!" Ryou complained. "But his stupid body guards kept holding me back, and they're like walls for goodness' sakes, so all I ended up doing was struggling…"

Marik laughed, shaking his head lightly. "He probably heard about what you did to Haga and warned his guards accordingly."

"Probably!" Ryou laughed more and joked, "Guess I'll have to ambush him at school or something!"

They laughed pleasantly, sharing in a good laugh together, but there was no denying that it wasn't as full and honest as it could have been. The only reason for that, of course, was that while Bakura may smile at their jokes, he did not laugh. He wasn't saying anything, either. Just holding Ryou's hand tightly and never lessening his grasp, as if he was afraid someone else was going to come and take him. It was… just plain weird to see him acting like this, even to Marik who hadn't known him for as long as Ryou had.

Continuing their walk in silence, it was almost like they were on their way to school in the morning, only this stroll had a much heavier atmosphere to it. What happened to conversations of school work and oreos? Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings?

… Okay, maybe they didn't talk about a lot of those things, but they could! Sometime! If the atmosphere wasn't so suffocating with awkwardness!

"How much money are you getting for this babysitting gig anyway?" Marik asked, more to break the silence than for curiosity's sake.

"Oh, well…" Ryou didn't feel comfortable saying such a large sum aloud. "Let's just say, enough to pay for both mine and Bakura's college tuitions."

Marik whistled, his eyes widening. "Geez! Can I help?"

Ryou laughed a little and joked, "You're not supposed to have anyone over to distract you when babysitting, Mr. Irresponsible."

"Oh, so I'd be distracting?" Marik smirked. "Do tell~"

Ryou blushed a little, wondering if there were any hidden implications in his words. He would have asked, but, once again, before he could speak:

"Could you two please flirt when I'm not around?"

Both Marik and Ryou jumped when Bakura spoke to them, with a carefully placed roll of his eyes, of course. "Or, better yet, don't flirt at all."

Ryou flushed darkly, turning to hiss, "We weren't flirting!"

"You just called Marik a "distraction.""

Ryou flushed even more. "He's a friend! Of course he's a distraction! Wouldn't you agree!?"

"Yes, but for a very different reason."

"Hey, guys?" Marik laughed awkwardly. "I'm still here, you know…"

"Shut it, eye candy."

"Bakura!"

"I'm just saying what everyone's thinking."

"May I just remind everyone here that I'm not Otogi?" Marik mumbled, feeling very… uncomfortable now. He was happy that Bakura was talking again, but not if this was the subject matter.

Bakura actually laughed at that, shaking his head a little and smirking. "Just because you're not that playing girly-boy doesn't mean you'd turn down a make-out session with Ryou or I."

Marik flushed along with Ryou now, as the latter yelled at his brother, "Okay, that's enough!"

"All right, all right," Bakura chuckled, letting go of Ryou's hand to throw his arm around the boy's shoulders instead, pulling him in close. "I'm just kidding - I know my darling little sister wouldn't run with a bad boy like Marik."

"You think I'm a bad boy?" Marik asked, raising a brow at him.

"Bad enough to get your ears pierced," Bakura clarified with a smirk. "Bad enough to have sex before marriage? Undetermined."

"Bakura!" Ryou blushed darkly, giving him an incredulous look. "You can't just -!"

"I can tell you want to find out," Marik joked back, smirking.

"No way," Bakura stuck his tongue out at him with a smirk of his own. "I don't want to risk a nasty Egyptian STD."

"Bakura!" Ryou hissed at him. "That's -!"

"Trust me," Marik just snickered and wiggled his brows. "They're worth it."

Bakura burst into laughter, having to clench his stomach when it started to hurt from the effort. Ryou just glared at him, not finding the conversation amusing at all! How could he accuse their friend of having an, an STD?! Even if it was just a joke…!

"You do realize I haven't done anything like that, right?" Marik felt like asking after a while. He was laughing, too, but he also wanted to make sure everyone (Ryou) knew he was just messing around, if it wasn't completely obvious.

"Oh, definitely, Marik!" Ryou turned to him with wide, innocent eyes that made Marik's heart skip a beat. "I'd never think that of you!"

"Of course!" Bakura replied, shaking his head and finally calming down. "You're not that stupid."

"Thanks, Ryou," Marik told the younger with a grateful smile before grinning at Bakura. "And exactly. Thanks for the underhanded compliment, 'Kura."

"Well, you are Mr. Perfect, aren't you?"

Marik blushed pink and groaned, tilting his head back so he was looking at the ceiling. "You are never gonna forget that, are you?"

"He's really not," Ryou replied for him, turning to smile at his brother. "But it's one of his charms."

Bakura raised a brow at him for that, a small smile coming to his lips. "... Thanks, little bro."

They walked on in more silence, though it was soon broken by more mindless jabber, more easy jokes and cut-ups. It seemed that Bakura was back to normal, or at least getting there, and the return of his strong character set the others at ease. Their relationship was a sensitive mixture - leave out even one ingredient, and the chemistry just wasn't the same.

However, even though Ryou and Marik were both happy Bakura was back, they were also both very determined in their own way to get the boy to "spill the beans" and tell them what had happened back there exactly. Preferably leaving nothing out, but they knew that was hoping for too much.

In fact, as Ryou gave Marik a quick hug before shuffling inside his house, Marik had the perfect opportunity.

"Bakura," he said his name quietly, not wanting Ryou to overhear.

The older twin ceased moving, even though he was halfway through the door as he turned his head around to ask, "What?"

"Can you…" Marik's mouth turned dry as he realized he had no idea how to ask this. "I… want an explanation," he said simply.

"..." Bakura didn't say anything at first, though Marik noticed his grip tightening on the door handle. "Wait there for a minute," he told him, going inside and slamming the door behind him.

Marik took a shaky breath, letting out nervousness he couldn't even remember feeling as he waited patiently on the porch. Would Bakura actually tell him what the hell had happened with him, just like that? It couldn't be this easy, could it? He couldn't help but feel this was just a trick, and that Bakura would either never come back or come back and throw a bucket of water at him or something. He could honestly see him doing the latter over the former, though, which was why he jumped a little when the door opened.

"Here." Bakura held out a letter to him, his face devoid of expression. "This will explain… mostly everything."

Marik chewed his lip as he reached forward and grabbed it. He had to pull a little, since Bakura seemed to be instinctively holding on tighter than normal. "Thanks." He put his arms to his side and gave him a small smile. "Make sure Ryou's okay, all right?"

"Like I needed you to tell me that?" Bakura scoffed, closing the door and closing off any more conversation.

Marik had to chuckle and shake his head as he walked off. Here he thought Bakura would behave differently around him now… Color him surprised. And speaking of surprises…

Marik ripped open the letter, unfolding it carefully and starting to read. He was surprised to see that he actually had very nice handwriting.

~!~!~

At first I was just going to write "fuck you" and not tell you anything. But then I realized you wouldn't leave me the hell alone at school, so lucky you gets an actual explanation - congratulations.

To make a very long story short, the reason I hate cars is because I saw my parents die in a car crash. It was very traumatizing, as you can guess. Ryou doesn't know that I've seen them die, though, and I plan to keep it that way, understand?

As for my original state after school, well, to put it very obviously, Ryou's the only family I have left. I'm not so arrogant as to think I'd be fine on my own - in fact I know I'd probably do something pretty stupid and die if I didn't have anyone to live for. I was just worried.

I don't want to hear a word about this letter at school. Or ever. Just do me a favor and move on from it, okay? You could probably tell I'm already trying to.

~!~!~

Marik stared at the letter for the longest time, reading without understanding a few times after the initial read.

The simple way he puts it… is almost scary. The fact he can write this way about something that so obviously and seriously affected him was terrifying. It's like he's detached from himself - like he's writing an explanation about a character from a book he's read. Did he not realize how troubled he looked back in that car? How agonizing, how trapped, how tortured? No, he knew, he had to know, he just didn't want to seem more "weak." And because of that, he wouldn't dare answer any more questions Marik had, or talk about how traumatizing it actually is.

Damn you, Bakura…

"I'm home."

Kaiba announced as he did every time he came home to his prestigious mansion. Just like always, Mokuba yelled his name, "Seto!" and laughed as he ran and hugged his legs. "I missed you!"

"I missed you, too, Moki," he replied, just as he always does as he ruffles his hair in the usual way and gives him a smile specially reserved for him. "Shall we have dinner now?"

"Yeah!" Mokuba smiled up at him and grabbed his hand, dragging him along. "Come on! I want to tell you about my day!"

Kaiba chuckled a little, following after him. It was quite refreshing, being able to come home everyday and talk with someone who just wanted his company instead of his brain. He didn't get enough of it, that he knew, but he got enough to survive.

It was a comfort to sit down and listen to Mokuba ramble on and on about practically useless things, talking in an animated way to make it more interesting. Or perhaps he really did just find it that interesting, it was hard to say sometimes. He could pick up little key points here and there - how he fought off cooties from a girl at school, beat that level he had been agonizing over for months, and how he got a gold star on his test for being the only one to get a 100% on their math test. He was glad to hear Moki's life was going well.

Much too soon, it was time to say goodnight. Kaiba still had a bit of work to do, after all. He knew Mokuba wasn't happy with how much he worked, but what could he do?

"Hey, Mokuba," Kaiba addressed his brother right before the little boy could walk into his room to get ready for bed.

"Yeah?" he turned around, a hopeful smile on his face.

"You know that girl, Ryou, from the cell phone store?"

"... Yeah?" Mokuba tilted his head, wondering where this was going. His brother could tell that was a boy, right? Or maybe he couldn't and, and he asked "her" out on a date?! He didn't know whether to feel happy for his brother or grossed out.

"I hired her to babysit you this weekend," Kaiba finished, much to Mokuba's dismay.

"What?!" He whined, frowning. "Seto, don't you think I'm getting a bit old for a sitter anyway?!"

"Considering I don't trust you near the stove after that one breakfast fiasco, yes."

"It's not my fault we have sensitive smoke detectors…"

"Of course." Kaiba smiled a little and ruffled his hair again. "You liked her, right? I'm sure she'll be a good match for you."

"Yeah, yeah…" Mokuba sighed, looking down at the ground. He didn't want another sitter, he wanted his brother… Looks like he'd just have to get rid of another one. He couldn't help but wonder how many he'd have to get rid of before his brother got the message, though.

"Good night, Moki," Kaiba told him, leaning down to give him a hug.

"Sweet dreams, Seto," he mumbled back to him, trying to smile. He should be happy with what little time he did get with his brother, not feeling sad!

"You too, kiddo." Kaiba let go and stood up, giving a final smile as he walked away. Down the hallway and to his office, where he'd be stuck doing boring paperwork. He'd probably be up all night again, and won't be any fun to talk to in the morning… But at least he would get his hug before he left.

That was something, at least.

It was a dark, peaceful night as hardworking students laid down their weary heads to catch some shuteye before going back to the daily grind. The only one that had anything to say at the time in the day were the night owls, both literal and figurative, and the crickets which always seemed bored, if you asked Ryou. They were good to listen to as he fell asleep usually, but tonight they just helped him to stay more awake. He already couldn't stop thinking about Bakura, and the noisy bugs certainly weren't helping.

He took a deep, quiet breath and sighed, turning onto his side. Bakura… he had been so worried, yet he tried so hard not to show it. Who does he think he's fooling? He's just making those involved feel more frustrated… How could he ask his brother what was wrong if he refused to admit that there was a problem? All through the evening he wouldn't let Ryou finish articulating a single question, and for dinner he insisted on eating in front of the TV so he could watch a rerun of his favorite soap opera. He knew it was just an excuse not to talk to him, but still… It was getting really annoying. He was just worried about him! Didn't he have a right to be?!

"Come on Bakura…" He turned on his back, staring up at the ceiling. "Let me in for once…"

He wished, not for the first time, that they could be little kids again. Little kids without a care in the world, with their mom and dad to take care of them, and when Bakura would actually tell him at least a little bit of what he was feeling… Why was he so afraid? He wouldn't think any less of him! No one would! It's human to feel different emotions, especially pain and sadness! Why didn't he understand that? Why did he always feel this need to conceal himself? Why did he not want to feel?

Ryou groaned, becoming to restless and sitting up in his bed. It was so quiet that he could feel his heart beat, and perhaps that was what made him stand up, grab his pillow, and walk to his brother's room. He had a feeling he wouldn't be sleeping yet, but just in case, he opened his door quietly and only poked his head in at first. "Bakura?" he whispered. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah." His reply came almost immediately, his body flipping around from underneath the covers so he could look at him. He had actually been wide awake, his brain deciding to torment him with thoughts of car rides gone wrong and loneliness.

"Can I…" Ryou hugged his pillow close, walking in since he was sure he wouldn't be denied. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

It was silent for a moment - just a moment. They hadn't slept in the same bed in a very long time, but Bakura would be lying if he said he hadn't missed it. And he'd also be lying if he said he hadn't actually been considering going over to Ryou's room to ask the same thing mere moments ago. "... Yeah, of course." He started scooting onto the other side of the bed, and Ryou quickly secured his place next to him, curling up a little and smiling at him.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

They closed their eyes, ready to go to sleep as they enjoyed the other's company. It was nice to just lay next to someone as you fall asleep - peaceful, and calming. Besides, if Ryou couldn't be there for his brother in any other way, at least he could show him that he wasn't alone. At least he could show him that no matter what, nothing could take away their bond - not a crazed maniac, not an emotional disconnect, not another friend, not even each other.

They were stuck for life, even if they haven't been able to spend much time together.

And that was just how they wanted it.

(1): This is a common phrase amongst me and my best friend XD Something like, "Intelligence is obviously working here," or just "Intelligence" when there is none XDD

(2): For Kaiba's "business" card, I made up an address and phone number. I wasn't sure how Japan's street systems or phone numbers work, but I looked up the formatting and they looked something like that? It was a bit confusing OTL So I'm sorry if it's written wrong! If you know could you please tell me?

Hey guys, I'm back! XD There was an Alice in Wonderland reference in here - can you spot it? ("Of course we could, Annzy, it was so obvious" XDD). Also: Conceal… don't feel… put on a show.

FROZEN, AW YEAH~ XD

Heheh, anyway guys, thanks for reading! I'm sorry this took so long, I really have no excuse… So I just hope you enjoyed it ^^ It's my birthday present to you, on my birthday, the fifteenth! :) So VERY MERRY UNBIRTHDAY TO YOU~

~~~{REVIEW REPLIES}~~~

Tiggerbear3: Awww, thanks! I'm glad you liked it :) I do love crafting this story XD Though you should give other Yu-Gi-Oh! fics a chance! A lot of them are amazing :D I'm sorry I don't update fast enough, but I will try my hardest to keep up the good work ^^ Thank you for reviewing! :)

Guest1: Thank you very much! :D I'm glad you love it! Because I love it, too! So it's nice to share ^^ Thank you for reviewing :)

Guest2: Thank you! :) I'm glad you're loving it ^^ I'm sorry I didn't update soon, but I hope you enjoy this anyway *hopeful smile* Thank you for reading and reviewing!

Anon: XD I'll just tell you right now that it's not Mariku, I'm very sorry to disappoint you XD When Yami Marik comes in, I'm planning to make that the last "arc" of the story, just so you know :) I hope you enjoy the story regardless! And thank you for reviewing :)