Bakura, Meet Puppy

A/N: So, this is my first attempt at YGO fanfiction, and my second attempt at anything even remotely humorous. I apologize in advance for an y OOCness that you may find.

Disclaimer: Do I look rich enough to own YGO? Man, if I did own it...

"What is that?" Bakura's eye twitched as he stared at the thing in front of him, apparently appalled.

Ryou looked up from his book, glancing at his darker self. "It's a dog," he said, stating the obvious before going back to his novel, casually flipping the page. "More specifically, a puppy."

"Yes, I know that, but where did it come from?" The ancient spirit looked down at the grey mutt that lay on the brown carpet, gazing up at him with big, soulful eyes.

"I brought it home," Ryou said, this time not even looking up from the book that sat on his lap.

"But why?" Bakura asked, running a hand through his messy white hair as he tried to comprehend what his lighter self was saying. "Why would you do that?"

Ryou gently closed his book, sighing. It was obvious that even attempting to read was futile right now. "I found him outside," he said, motioning out the window that lay across the room. Placing the novel on the coffee table before him, he leaned back in his chair, observing Bakura with a slight smile.

"Why would you bring him inside?" Bakura spluttered. "I'm sure it was quite happy outside."

"It's could outside," Ryou answered. "The poor thing was shivering." The British teen stood up and walked over to the puppy, kneeling down beside the small animal. "And just look at it. Isn't it adorable?" He rubbed a hand over the dog's head, feeling the soft fur against his skin. The small creature's tail began to wag, brushing across the carpet below.

"Oh, no. You're not keeping it. Put it back outside."

"But 'Kura," Ryou pouted. "It's so cute! Anyway, it's too cold out there. It wouldn't survive. You wouldn't want to be responsible for the death of an innocent puppy, would you?"

Bakura gave him a flat stare. "Oh, no, I might kill a puppy," he intoned, voice empty of emotion. "I've done a lot worse, believe me," he told the pale boy in front of him.

Ryou paused, remembering who he was talking to. "Right."

The puppy wiggled away from Ryou, climbing to its feet. Padding across the carpet, it came to a stop at Bakura's feet, tail wagging and tongue lolling out of his mouth.

"Aw, Bakura, I think it likes you!" Ryou laughed, the former spirit's shocked face too much for him to bear. "C'mon, it wouldn't be that bad to have a dog, would it?" Ryou tilted his head to the left, a considering look slipping onto his features. "I think I'll name him... Max. What do you think?"

"Don't name it, Ryou, now you'll get attached!" Bakura threw his hands up in the air, at a loss at what to do. "Seriously, you can't keep it. Put it back from wherever you got it from."

Ryou pouted, then got to his feet. "It's OK, Max," he cooed, picking the grey puppy up and cradling it in his arms. "I won't let mean ol' Bakura throw you outside." Sticking his tongue out at Bakura, Ryou walked into the kitchen, still talking to the puppy.

Bakura shook his head, completely baffled. Why did his lighter self want a dog, anyway? They were too much trouble for him to care about, but apparently his former host liked them.

In the small kitchen, Ryou sat crossed-legged on the floor, watching the puppy devour the plate of food he had put out for it. The little animal was eating as if he hadn't seen food in weeks. Ryou laughed quietly; Max was simply adorable.

The rest of the day passed in much the same manner, Bakura alternating between refusing to talk to Ryou or asking him why on earth did he think it was a good idea to have a dog, of all things.

Hours later, when night had fallen and the street lamps outside their house had flickered on, Bakura was sitting on the couch watching TV while Ryou lay on the floor, puppy asleep on his stomach. The pale teen was dozing, arms folded behind his head, forming a pillow of sorts. As Bakura glanced down, he saw his lighter side's dark eyes flutter closed and heard his breathing deepen and fall into a relaxing pattern.

The only light in the room was the glow from the TV screen, the flickering lights casting the sofa and chairs into deep shadow. The white haired former spirit watched Ryou and the puppy sleep, shaking his head as a slight smile curved his lips. The puppy hadn't been all that bad throughout the day. It had barely made a noise, it hadn't broken anything, and it hadn't annoyed him, but that may have been because Ryou had been hugging it the majority of the time.

Bakura stood, and walked the two steps over to where Ryou and the puppy lay. Kneeling down beside them, he reached out, his hand ghosting over the small animal's head. The fur was incredibly soft, as he expected it to be. He stroked the puppy's head again, causing it to stir and sleepily lick his hand, tail thumping against Ryou's chest. Bakura smiled; Ryou had been right. The puppy was cute...

"So, you've decided that you like Max, then?" Bakura jerked his hand back, surprised. How long had his former host been awake? Ryou sat up, careful to not hurt the sleepy puppy that had been laying on his stomach. Holding said animal out to Bakura, the British teen laughed. "Go on," he urged.

The pale former spirit hesitantly took the puppy from Ryou, awkwardly holding it. The puppy, Max, looked up at him with liquid brown eyes, and licked the tip of his nose, the warm tongue surprising Bakura.

"Aw, he likes you," Ryou laughed.

"I guess he does..." Bakura said softly, shaking his head.

"So, this means we can keep him, right?"