The Bet

Hello, hello minna-san! So nice to see you all again-

Yami: trying to butter them up after not updating in-

&thwaks Yami& Update, update..heh...I updated now, so be happy! .

Yami: &pouts and glares, rubbing his head &

. And, to make up for such a long update, this is a very important chapter! There's a lemon! Yesh, a lemon! &points below& Please see the authors note for details!

AUTHORS NOTE: IMPORTANT! There is a lemon in this chapter, but due to policy, the lemon IS NOT, I repeat, IS NOT featured in here. It can be found at my livejournal. The lemon is edited out of this chapter on so if you wish to read it, just copy and paste the link below into your browser bar, then click go. . forget to put www. first! . Oh, and if that doesn't work, just go to livejournal. com and look up my user name, bloodgem, and go to my entries. It'll be the first entry there.

&&&&&&&&&

Ryou couldn't breathe, he was light headed, and he didn't think his heart was beating. He gasped as the warm tongue inside his mouth withdrew, and cold air hit his lips as Bakura pulled back for breath, then, before the air could hit his lungs, it was stolen from inside him as Bakura's lips covered his own.

His coat, gloves, scarf and hat all lay on the dirty floor, and his hands were fisted tightly in the black cloth of Bakura's shirt, holding on for dear life; Bakura's hard, hot body was the only thing keeping him grounded. Bakura's arms were around him, one hand finding its way under his thick sweater and long-sleeved undershirt to the warm, soft skin beneath. Ryou jerked, mouth still joined to Bakura's, then melted into his touch, the calloused fingers scraping over his soft skin, making it tingle.

The other hand joined the first and Ryou's back arched; he shuddered once then felt the hands pulling him closer, further down on Bakura's body. Between their jeans, Bakura's black, his light blue, he could feel the heat and hardness of Bakura's erection, and his own body responded in kind. One of Bakura's hands slipped out from the shirt to rub his ass, but he was too distracted by Bakura's tongue to pay attention until the hand rubbed his outer thigh then came inward to rub against his-

"NO!" Ryou cried out, pulling back and pushing so hard against Bakura's chest that he fell backwards. He made an odd wheezing noise as his body hit the floor, what little air he had knocked out from his lungs. His head hurt and was dizzy; he was disoriented, lips swollen from the hot kisses, pupils dilated and chest heaving, struggling to come back to himself. Bakura looked down in shock at Ryou, his own eyes dark and lips slightly parted.

Ryou looked up at Bakura. "I-I'm s-sorry...but...b-but I ...we...no...can't..."

Malik, who was laying on top of Merik and had pulled a blanket over the two of them to block out the cold, tore his mouth away from Merik's neck, the thud of Ryou's body loud enough to attract his attention. His lilac eyes flashed and a smirk twisted his lips. "Awww, are you scawed? It's okay, baby..."

Merik was watching Ryou and Bakura now. He had been about to say something mocking, but Malik beat him to it. He snorted in disgust, then stroked in between Malik's cheeks; the younger blonde gave a half cry, half moan and shuddered, collapsing on top of Merik and making him grunt. "Not now, you idiot." He mumbled, eyes glassy and unfocused. "I told you, it's been a while since I..." he yawned and went cross-eyed, blinked, and continued talking. "And I'm sore from our last round.

Merik rolled his eyes while Malik stretched a little, shivered when his toes stuck out under the blanket, then lay staring at Bakura and Ryou, blinking slowly as his eyelids grew heavy. Merik gave a soft snort, bit Malik's ear, but the only response he got was a slight shudder, then nuzzled the younger one's cheek, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

Ryou flinched from Malik's words. He was used to people making fun of him, but not when he was with his date's friends. His lower lip trembled and tears threatened to spill. He gave a little hiccup and scrambled to his feet as Bakura started to get up and kneel next to him. Bakura was partially down, and he was partially up, when the older boy snagged his thin wrist.

"Ryou?" Bakura's voice was devoid of its usual bark; he sounded almost concerned. Bakura, for his part, didn't understand what was going on; one minute, Ryou was so warm and willing in his arms, everything was going perfectly, then the next he was on the floor.

"Bakura. I ..we..." Ryou groped desperately for the words, but ended up looking at the floor and shaking his head; he pulled feebly on his wrist, but Bakura's hand tightened painfully. He winced, and Bakura smirked then took a step closer, bodies nearly touching.

Ryou tried to move away, but couldn't, so he kept his head ducked instead. He liked Bakura, but they barely even knew each other; it wasn't right. Bakura, on the other hand, seemed to think it was entirely appropriate.

Bakura knew he was going too fast for little Ryou, and that, once again, he was ruining tonight. He grimaced; he didn't understand any of this emotional bullshit. He'd never had a relationship with anyone, never really dated- unless, of course, one counted that as screwing someone's brains out. If that was dating, then he'd done plenty of it. But this whole feeling thing was as new to him as sex was to Ryou.

He growled and flung Ryou's hand away from him; the younger boy leapt as if scalded. Bakura snatched his coat and started putting it on. "Get your shit; we're leaving." His voice was angry, and distant as he pulled on his gloves.

Ryou hiccupped, tears trickling down his cheeks. For a moment, just one moment, Bakura had almost showed him a softer side, then whirled around and went on the defensive. Ryou was confused, and upset; Bakura had no right to be mad at him for not putting out. They weren't even a couple, and Ryou didn't like being snapped at constantly.

Trembling, Ryou bent to gather his scattered winter garments, then straightened when he felt Bakura's burning gaze on him. His back was poker straight and his heart was numb with defiant fear. "N-no."

"What?" Bakura blinked, loosing patience with the whole emotional mess.

"No. I said no." Ryou turned to face him, no tears in his eyes, though he had tear tracks on his cheeks. "If you want to date me, then understand this. I. Am. Not. A. Whore." Ryou was numb and light headed, unable to believe what he was saying. But he wouldn't be anyone's plaything, wouldn't be pushed around; he was pushed around enough by the bullies at school.

Bakura's eyes widened slightly as he stared at Ryou. He actually started to respect the brat; maybe Ryou wasn't such a little pussy after all. A mouse could only be timid for so long, right?

Ryou faltered under Bakura's stare. "I...I..." His cheeks colored, his momentary bravado gone, and he ducked his head. He exhaled loudly, bend down and gathered his things then put them on slowly. "Okay, I'm ready to leave now." His voice was soft and shy once more, but it was he, not Bakura, who headed for the door first.

Malik had fallen asleep on Marik's chest and now had one arm dangling off the worn sofa. Marik, who had a spring digging into his right shoulder blade, wasn't quite so comfortable and was still slightly awake. As Ryou passed, he said, "That a boy, pussy. Show that rotten old bitch who's the boss."

Ryou squeaked and his blush deepened, but he also smiled a little, pleased with himself.

They got into the Hummer, which Bakura had to get out his scraper and brush a layer of snow off and chip the underlying ice off of the windshield, then drove in uncomfortable silence. Ryou was sad that things weren't working out between him and Bakura; he still felt a connection with him, still had a crush on him.

Bakura glanced over at Ryou, thinking how pretty he looked with wind reddened cheeks and quivering lower lip, but he said nothing until he pulled up at Ryou's house. Ryou's hand was on the handle, and he was about to open the door when Bakura reached over and touched his arm lightly instead of grabbing it gruffly. Ryou's brown eyes widened and he looked over his shoulder at the older teen and saw an emotion that was very rarely on his face. "Sorry." It wasn't mumbled, but it was spoken low, and Ryou knew Bakura truly meant it.

Before he could reply, Bakura pulled away and his face shuttered into its normal scowling, distant countence. Ryou looked away, gave a sad sigh and climbed down carefully, almost slipping in some brown slush before the sidewalk. As he walked into the house, a tear fell down his cheek.

& & &

Yugi sat curled at his end of the couch, occasionally glancing at Yami, but the older boy gazed stonily at the TV, not looking at the petite boy once. Yugi bit his soft lower lip; he didn't like this rift that had come between them. And it was his fault. Yami was just trying to express his love for him, and Yugi had rejected him...he knew he'd never be able to stop crying if Yami rejected him.

Yami stared unblinking at the TV, upset with himself for trying to take advantage of Yugi. But the boy was so beautiful that Yami couldn't resist; he wanted Yugi, wanted to make him his.

Looking at the bigger boy out of the corner of his large, violet eyes, Yugi took a deep breath. He could do this; he wanted to show Yami how much he loved him. Slowly, he scooted his tiny body over on the couch. Yami turned to look at him, and Yugi almost faltered.

"Yugi?"

Yugi squeaked, fear making him unsure, but when Yami only sighed, a sad look in his crimson eyes, the freshman crawled over to him and pressed his lips to Yami's. The bigger boy's eyes widened in surprise, then his strong arms wrapped around Yugi's soft body, pulling him into his lap and taking control of the kiss, his tongue running over Yugi's vulnerable lips, demanding entrance.

Yugi happily granted it. He felt light headed and was growing hotter the longer he stayed in Yami's arms, feeling the boy's magical tongue thrust in and out. Then Yami left his mouth to rain kisses along his jaw bone, then nibbled on his ear lobe. Yugi arched his back and moaned as Yami hit a nerve cluster and nipped lightly, causing him to shiver.

"Mmm...Y-Yami...I-I want...I w-wan..." Yugi moaned, unable to think coherently. All he knew was Yami's touch, his warm hands and hot mouth.

"Hmm?" Yami asked, his lips pressed to Yugi's neck.

"Y-you..." Yugi panted, and Yami lost all control as Yugi's dainty hands tangled in Yami's spiky hair, and he tilted his head back, letting Yami have greater access. The older boy, kissing Yugi on the lips, gently laid him backwards on the sofa then climbed on top of him, pressing his soft body into the fluffy cushions.

Yami nipped at his ear. "God, Yugi, you're so beautiful." The small body beneath him was panting, chest heaving. Yugi's cherubic face was flushed, his cheeks pink, hair askew and eyes glazed with passion, pink lips swollen.

Yugi could only moan in response, looking up at Yami through a veil of thick, dark lashes. The boy had the golden body of a Greek god, lean and sculpted, lightly muscled and perfect. Except for his heaving chest, dark, smoldering crimson eyes and sweat beginning to glisten on his skin. He smiled up at him. He wanted this; he really did. He wanted to show Yami how much he loved him, by letting him take his most precious gift that he could only give once in his life. He wanted Yami to be his first. "I love you, Yami."

Yami's eyes shot wide open, and he paused for a moment, prepared to put his hands under Yugi's shirt. He stared down at the panting, passionate little one, and felt his heart skip a beat. Yugi was giving himself, all of him, not just his body, to Yami. The older boy gulped; no one he'd ever slept with had ever said that to him before. And here he was, using that sweet boy for some stupid bet. No, this wasn't just a bet. This was between him and Yugi, no one else. Feeling tears prick his eyes, Yami closed them and kissed Yugi on the lips, softly, gently.

Yugi moaned in pleasure as he felt Yami's warm, calloused fingers brush over his nipples, which were pert and hard. He arched his back, wanting more. He pressed his lips into Yami's, his body demanding that Yami harden the kiss, take him one plane higher. Yugi didn't want soft and gentle right now. He wanted....he didn't know what he wanted, but he knew Yami could give it to him. His body craved it, Yami's hot touch, demanding that he keep going.

"Nnnn...Yamiiii..." Yugi moaned again, hands fisting in Yami's hair and pulling the boy down on top of him harder. Yami replied with his own moan, his hips bucking, brushing against Yugi. Yugi gasped, but he was too far gone to be afraid. The shocks coursing through his body from every one of Yami's touches didn't scare him; they made him crave more. His body was in control now, not his mind, and his body right now was a primitive thing burning with an awakened hunger that only Yami could sate.

And sate it he did. Yami ran both hands down Yugi's thin ribcage, caressing his soft curves, before pulling Yugi's sweater over his head, causing the small one to have to sit up a bit to do so. Yugi squeaked, but then Yami distracted him by biting the small cluster of nerves behind Yugi's ear, making him shiver and cuddle into Yami.

Then Yami had his own shirt off and was atop Yugi once more; the petite angel gazed at his chest, running his hands down Yami's smooth muscles. He came to the waistband of Yami's jeans, the rim of his boxers showing. Yugi's fingers accidentally brushed against it, and he pulled back, blushing and closing his eyes.

Yami nuzzled his cheek. "Angel?" He gave him a soft, encouraging kiss.

Yugi gave a half whimper, half squeak. "I-I...." But before he could change his mind, Yami's head lowered, licking at one of his nipples. Yugi, already hot and overly sensitive to that fiery touch, arched his back and cried out. Yami took the nipple into his mouth and sucked, and Yugi whimpered and moaned his pleasure.

Yami kept going, traveling lower and lower on Yugi's flat stomach, leaving a trail of love bites that would be sore bruises in the morning. When he reached the button of Yugi's jeans, it was Yami who froze. Yugi, who'd been lost in the magic of Yami's hot body on top of his, and the wonderful sensations it aroused within him, squirmed impatiently.

Yami stared down at him with lust darkened eyes. "Yugi..." He husked.

Yugi cut him off by reaching up and taking Yami's lower lip into his mouth and tugging, pulling him down for a kiss. Yami needed no more prompting; he turned the kiss savage, ravaging Yugi's sweet mouth as his hands unbuttoned Yugi's pants, sliding them down his slender legs. When he carressed Yugi's thighs, the small boy moaned and bucked his hips, pressing himself further against Yami's lean, strong body.

"Mmmmm....Yugi...." Yami felt like he'd just died and gone to heaven, gazing at that perfect porcelain angel under him. His porcelain angel. His little Yugi. Every ince of Yugi's tender, lily white skin was exposed to him, and he wanted to explore it all, to make it all his.

When normally under such close scrutinty, Yugi would blush and squirm, feeling very self conscious about his body, but under Yami's searing, adoring gaze, he felt more beautiful than the Grecian goddess of love, Aphrodite. He gazed back at Yami, unashamed and a little proud, like right then and there he was the most beautiful creature on earth. He felt like it, with yami's hot gaze raking over him.

Yami bent his head to kiss Yugi deeply once more, and the little one ran his hands down Yami's back, adoring the golden god above him as he worshipped his body. Yami bucked his hips, brushing himself between Yugi's legs and the boy gave a startled gasp as electricity coursed through his body. He thought he couldn't get any hotter, his senses any more alive, but at that contact he'd almost exploded. He couldn't think, didn't know anything except Yami's hands and mouth. The only thing that existed in his world was Yami.

Hard and throbbing with anticipation, Yami's fingers could barely undo the button and zipper of his wide leg jeans, which caught on his ankles as he tried to kick them off while at the same time kissing Yugi. Their socks came next, Yami's fingers trembling, achign to touch Yugi's soft skin.

No matter how hot or worked up he'd been, Yami never once had faltered during sex. He'd believed himself to be a very skilled lover, even at his age, but this sweet virgin had reduced him to a pile of trembling, aching hormones screaming for release.

Panting heavily with anticipation, Yami kissed Yugi harshly, his tongue running over the boy's swollen lips while Yugi gazed at him with passionate, dark violate eyes, his pupils wide. All the small boy could do was ride the waves of pleasure washing over him, limp under Yami's intense fire.

Yami stroked his creamy thighs, and Yugi pushed them into his calloused hands, his hips parting. Then Yami's fingers brushed the very sensitive skin of his inner thighs, and Yugi squirmed, crying out. Yami kissed his shoulder and whispered into his ear. "It'll hurt, this first time, just a little bit."

Yugi whimpered, and Yami kissed him again. "I'll do my best not to hurt you." He brushed himself against Yugi's entrance, and Yugi gasped, startled. It was hot, sensitive and it jolted him. He squirmed a little, panting heavily, his fingernails digging into Yami's shoulders, gouging the smooth, tan skin.

Yami kissed him as he grabbed a tube of lotion off of the coffee table, coated one finger, and slid it inside the boy. Yugi jumped, startled by the coldness and the weird feeling inside him. He squirmed uncomfortably, not sure if he liked what Yami was doing, but then the wiggling finger brushed a spot deep inside him and he cried out Yami's name, arching his back and seeing stars.

Yami added a second finger, then a third, slowly stretching him out while Yugi squirmed under him, his head lolling back and forth as he panted heavily. When he was ready, Yami rose up, wrapping Yugi's short legs around his trim waist and positioning himself at Yugi's entrance. "Ready, angel?"

Yugi only moaned, still shivering from Yami's earlier administrations. Yami kissed his lips gently once, then, bracing his bigger body on his arms, so he wouldn't hurt Yugi, he pushed slowly, sliding into that velvety sheath. At first, Yugi tensed as he felt himself stretching to accomodate Yami's length.

He whimpered, his little body stiff and tense as pain radiated from there. Tears gathered on his fluttering lashes, but Yami kissed them away, whispering softly to him and brushing butterfly kisses over his face. Fully sheathed, Yami held himself still until Yugi grew accustomed to him and he felt the delicate body relax.

The pain had dulled to a throb and Yugi was thinking it didn't feel so bad when Yami gave a small, experimental roll of his hips. Then, his world exploded as the two came to life once more. Yugi cried out, arms on Yami's shoulders, this time his fingernails digging deep enough to leave lasting imprints asYami bucked his hips once more, sending thrills along Yugi's spine.

A few more rolls, and they had found their rythym, Yami thrusting frantically. Sweat glistened on their skin, and blood pounded in Yami's ears as he felt himself nearing completion. Yugi's heart hammered frantically within the confines of his delicate ribcage and his body was so hot it felt as he if were burning alive. Adrenaline and excitement rushed through him as he was pushed near the edge, leaving no room for fear or turning back. It was too late for second thoughts, and Yugi found the rush exhilarating and daring; he felt alive. Maybe this was why Yami, Bakura, Merik, Seto and Mai were so reckless and wild all the time. Yes, they got into trouble, but they also felt what it fully meant to be alive.

Yugi squirmed beneath him, licking Yami's cheek, and Yami groaned, every corded muscle in his lean, lithe body straining, sweat glistening on his smooth, tan skin. Yugi's expressive violet eyes were closed, but Yami's bright crimson ones were open, watching the emotions flit across the angel's face, glad to know that he was giving as good as he was getting, which was strange because, although Yami was an excellent lover, he had always just been concerned with his own desires and wants, never caring for another's pleasure.

Yami arched his back, his thrusting becoming more and more violent. The couch moved on the rug, and Yugi gasped, accidentally biting Yami's cheek in the process. Yami winced, but he was too high to care. Both were panting heavily, Yugi shuddering as he felt himself being pushed over the edge with each hard thrust, felt Yami's hot, heaving body grinding atop of his. He cried out, arching his back fully into Yami as the bigger boy exploded into him, spilling himself as he kissed Yugi, savagely ravishing the younger boy's sweet mouth as they sated themselves upon each other.

Yugi gave in willingly, surrendering to Yami's strength, his power, his hot touch that made him feel as if he was flying. Together, they soared the highest peaks, sweaty bodies straining and heaving, hearts pounding together in one beat until with one shudder, Yami collapsed to the side, almost on top of Yugi.


Their bodies were soaked with sweat and limp with sated exhaustion. Their spirits were no longer soaring but content. Yami wrapped tired arms around Yugi's supple body, pulling the warm flesh to his muscled chest. Yugi was too weak, his inner legs trembling slightly, to move on his own. He rolled gracelessly into Yami's chest, unable to even hold his head up. His breathing was slowing down, back to normal, but he was too tired to talk.

Yami went to say something when he saw Yugi's dark lashes fluttering closed, so instead he kissed the boy's forehead, tucking Yugi's head under his chin, then settled off to sleep.

&&&&&&

Seto walked down the aisles of food in the SuperWalmart grocery section; the twenty four hour store was the only thing still open at this time in the morning, and he did not want to go home. Clubbing was absolutely out of the question; that and drinking was what had gotten him into this mess.

He still couldn't believe he'd slept with Mai. He shuddered at the very thought and resisted the urge to vomit. The aspirin he'd taken had dulled what little hangover he had; Seto was used to drinking, so it took alot of alcohol to really affect him since his body was so accustomed to it. Though he felt physically fine, other than a little groggy from sleep deprivation, his mind was a complete blank. All he remembered was thinking about Jou while he played one of his video games. Then he'd heard his father telling his mother he'd be out of town for the weekend on business, which meant he was going to be with one of his lovers. Angered by this, the rich boy had gotten into his car and drove off to one of the usual clubs, which were supposed to be 21 and over, but Seto had a fake ID.

The rest of the night was a complete blank. He only remembered the club he'd gone to becuase it was one he frequented regularly. But everything else was a blur, except for waking up with a warm body in his arms that he'd thought, had hoped, was Jou's...

Jounouchi had a shopping basket filled with two ice packs and some Lunchables snacks so that he and his sister would have food for tomorrow. He'd taken the last bus here hours ago; no buses ran this late in the suburbs of Domino. But he didn't want to go home, not after that last row he'd had with his father. He had a nasty bruise on his cheek from it, but he wasn't worried about what anyone would think; they'd just say he was fighting and causing trouble again. It's what they always thought, and Jou let them believe it was the truth.

"Stupid mutt, what are you doing here?" Jou's brown eyes widened and his head snapped up. Seto, here? He thought he must be dreaming, or having a nightmare, but there stood the spoiled rotten brat at the other end of the aisle, glaring at him with those arrogant blue eyes.

"K-Kaiba." Jou just stared numbly in shock as that cold blue gaze raked over him. Seto stared unbelievingly at Jou, feeling very uncomfortable after seeing him after sleeping with Mai. Seto wasn't buying anything; he'd come here to forget, to distract himself, but here was one thing he couldn't ignore. The blonde temptation in front of him was too shocked at the coincidence of their meeting to bark back at him like he usually did.

Seto couldn't understand his attraction to the mutt. Jou's sloppiness, his rough manner, his lower class status, his torn and sometimes dirty clothes all appalled Seto. But those brown eyes shooting sparks turned him on, and he found it irrisistable to rile him, to agitate him. But even more than that, heloved arousing the boy. Jou definately wasn't tame between the sheets, as he'd found out that weekend a while ago when they'd gone to his father's lakeside cabin for the weekend.

Jou knew he had the worst luck in the world. Hell, he was a living bad luck charm. Lady Luck hated him with avengence, and never missed an opportunity to kick him when he was down. Such as right now. His mind still wasn't pulled together; he was angry with his father, wanted to hurt the bastard, and had tried, but he'd only ended up bruising his knuckles. And he was worried about Shizuka. He was afraid he'd come home one day and he'd find her dead. Yet, he didn't want to stay home and protect her, either; he didn't want to deal with that house, and what was in it, any more. Which was why he was so fond of getting drunk at ever opportunity he got.

The last time he'd gotten smashed, though, he'd ended up in Seto's car, then in Seto's arms besides a warm fire, giving himself to that pompous prat, on a hearth rug. Jou flushed at the memory, and as he stared back at the senior boy, a strong desire to be beneath his supple, naked body once more thrummed in Jou's veins.

As they stared at each other, Seto walking towards him and Jou frozen like a deer in the head lights, the older boy's blue eyes narrowed as he saw the bruise on the junior's cheek. Seto knew the truth about Jou's life; the blonde had told him while crying drunkenly on Seto's broad shoulder the night they'd slept together.

"What the hell happened?" Seto demanded, coming up to Jou and grabbing his chin, forcing his head back so he could get a better look at it.

Jou gulped and said nothing. Irritated and short on patience, Seto shook him. Jou flinched and licked his lips; Seto was mesmerized by the motion of his tongue. "I-I just g-got into another fight-"

"Don't give me that fucking bullshit." He snarled and Jou tried to pull away, but Seto held him tight. "Jounouchi."

Jou gasped, eyes shooting wide open. Seto had only ever called him by his name that night when, right before he entered him, he'd whispered softly in the boy's ear...

Seto's eyes widened as well, and he hastily let the shorter boy go as if he'd electrocuted him. Jou switched his basket to the other hand, neither one looking at the other as they stood there in silence.

"He hit you again, didn't he?" Seto's voice was softer.

Jou didn't look up; he merely shrugged. "It's nothing new. I'm fine."

More silence.

"How are you getting home?"

Again Jou shrugged. "I'll just wait around for the bus; the first one comes in another hour or so." It wasn't the first time Jou'd taken the last bus he could catch to get out of the hosue and staying out until dawn, when the buses started again. This time, Jou looked up at Seto, staring straight into his blue eyes. "Unless..." He swallowed, took a deep breath and continued."you're gonna offer me a ride home."

Seto stiffened, remembering the last time he'd had Jou in the car. Their relationship had purely been physical, yet ever since then they'd avoided each other like the plague, both too uncomfortable of the feelings the other aroused in them. Sex, physical touching, was fine, as long as there were no strings attatched. Neither one wanted a relationship, yet there was an undeniable feeling between them; there were strings attatched to their hearts.

"I'm not going home."

"You think it matters to me? I don't care where I am, as long as it isn't home." Seto gave a dry snort; home was the last place either one of them wanted to be. He was rich, Jou was poor, yet they both had miserable home lives.

Seto stared once more at Jou, and his saphire eyes darkened to a commanding midnight blue. The younger boy lost himself in them; he let his basket slip to the floor, in the middle of the aisle, and came closer to Seto until their bodies were nearly touching.

Seeing Jou's hazel eyes come alive as they gazed back at him, Seto's hands ached to wrap around that lanky body, pull Jou to his chest, and kiss him hard. He barely restrained himself, instead tearing his head away. "We'd better go before the car gets cold." Seto muttered.

Jou was a bit breathless. "Yeah."

& & &

Mai was home, her parents sound asleep. She lay on her bed, clad only in her velvet, purple push up bra and panties, unable to believe what she'd done. She had never been strictly attracted to either males or females, but she'd slept with the other sex more often. She'd slept with Yami more than once; when they were freshmen, sh'ed tried more than once to get him to go out with her, but it never worked out with them. They enjoyed the sex with eachother, but that was it; they were just friends. Yami was just too beautiful to resist, and his love making was slow and sensuous.

She'd slept with Merik a couple of times, but he was too wild for her. She didn't like waking up with blood on her. Bakura was slightly more sane that Merik, but he was still too rough for her liking.

And Anzu...she'd never slept with a cheerleader, so she didn't know how the girl would be in bed. Mai was interested in finding out, but so far her pursuit hadn't been making as much progress as she would've liked.

And after tonight...Mai groaned. She hadn't meant to sleep with Kaiba. He wasn't her type at all. It had just...happened. She'd been clubbing, hoping Anzu would be there, but the cheerleader never showed up. Mai had danced with a few other girls, had way too many drinks, and ended up grinding around the dance floor with anyone who was willing. She'd come across a tall, lean boy in a corner by himself, looking very sour. She'd laughed and called Seto's name.

He'd barely glanced at her, downing another drink. Agitated at being ignored, she'd gone over and forced herself into his lap, kissing him on the lips. He'd stiffened at first, but she didn't relent. They'd drunk together, then their kisses became more passionate; he'd ended up practically mauling her against the graffitied wall, but then one of the bouncers noticed them and nearly kicked them out. After that came the hotel room...

Mai groaned and clutched her head. Hopefully, when she woke up in the late afternoon, this would all be a dreadful blur with her hangover. Rolling onto her stomach, she was very, very glad she didn't have to go to work the next morning.

But what about Anzu? The girl wasn't nearly as responsive as Mai would've liked, and she was beginning to loose interest. Preppies weren't really her type, anyway. Anzu attended every pep rally; hell, as a cheerleader, she was in them, she went to every football game, she was friends with the jocks; she was everything Mai wasn't. Mai cut school, she talked back to teachers, she got detentions; she'd even been suspended once. She had a tatoo, of a purple dragon, on her back; Anzu would probably faint at the sight of a needle ready to permantently inject her with ink.

Maybe they could have been if Anzu had responded other than looking down at her toes and blushing every time Mai had flirted with her. Yami may find such things appealing; he was head over heels for Yugi, but Mai wanted someone who wasn't afraid to go after what they wanted. Confidence really turned her on. And that girl with the nose ring in Psychology had been eyeing her up recently; according to Merik, she was quite a good fuck, too.

Mai still felt something for Anzu, but they'd been going nowhere; they hadn't even dated. Hell, Bakura had managed to get that geek from the Yearbook staff to go on a date, and she couldn't get a silly cheerleader? It was time to move on...but if the opportunity ever presented itself, Mai certainly wouldn't let it pass her up.

& & &

Ryou lay awake, buried under the covers. His father had come home only an hour after he'd gone to bed, though the sophmore boy hadn't gotten much sleep. He'd been tossing and turning all night, his head too full of thoughts and his heart too heavy to sleep.

Bakura...Bakura...he couldn't get the boy out of his mind. Bakura was mean and dangerous; he got into more trouble in one day than Ryou did in his entire lifetime, and still Ryou wanted to be with him. He liked it when Bakura kissed him, liked his gruff laugh, and the rippling muscles of his strong arms and chest...

Ryou squeaked and blushed, burying his face into his pillow and pulling the thick quilt and blankets up over his head as he smiled. Bakura was incredibly sexy, yes. But could Ryou really ...really let Bakura take him all the way?

Ryou shuddered at the thought. He was too young; his father always told him that. Besides, sex was for marriage only. That's what the priest at church always said. His biggest reason was he wasn't comfortable enough with his body to let another touch him like that.

Ryou was thin, that was true, and he did have nice, soft curves. He was shy, and didn't have much confidence in himselft; he stuttered too easily, became to nervous and flustered, when he tried to be himself, to talk and impress others, which was why he didn't have many friends. He wasn't cool, and never would be. He was just...Ryou, quiet little Ryou who always studied, did his homework, and got good grades on his tests. He didn't cause trouble, didn't speak out, and kept to himself.

Yet on Friday, at the end of the day, he'd skipped the yearbook meeting in the library to go with Bakura. He felt guilty and nervous for it; he didn't like doing it. He DID have fun with Bakura, but...he didn't like breaking the rules. As much as he felt he was in love with Bakura, he just wasn't ready for sex.

& & &

Instead of going home like he should have, Bakura had gone back to Merik's, pounding on the door once more. It was Malik, shivering and naked with Merik's worn blanket wrapped around his shoulders, who answered the door at three forty five in the morning. Merik was passed out in his bed; Bakura had shut the door behind him and watched as Malik sleepily stumbled back into the bedroom, tripping on Merik's scattered belongings, kicking them aside, and flopping back down on top of Merik.

Bakura kicked off his snow encrusted boots, coat and gloves before falling onto the couch, feet dangling over the end and bruising his side on a spring. He contemplated turning the TV on, but didn't feel like watching it. He couldn't sleep, either. Thoughts of Ryou plagued his mind.

After hours of lying in the dark, the stars were just beginning to fade when Bakura, near sleep, admitted to what gauled him so. He wasn't as upset about the bet as he liked to think; the truth behind that lie that he kept telling himself was that he hurt Ryou. The boy didn't have any fun around him, couldn't relax and enjoy himself. He was too shy and withdrawn into himself. And he was most definately not into sex, although he didn't seem to mind Bakura's kisses too much.

Bakura had bitten off more than he could chew when he'd challenged Yami. The bet wasn't his biggest worry; there were always ways around that, such as beating the shit out of Yami and sending him to the hospital; then it would be off. However, as Bakura conveniently forgot, one more fight and he'd be expelled, and he only had four months to go until graduation. Bakura liked Ryou; he liked it when he smiled and blushed, looking down at his toes, and at how nicely Ryou's soft body fit into his arms. He liked the soft looks in Ryou's doe brown eyes when he was happy; his shy, gentle smile. Yes, for once in his life, Bakura acutally liked someone. And that someone apparently didn't like him back.

And try as hard as he might, Bakura just kept fucking things up, making things worse. The only thing left for him to do was to say fuck it and forget the whole thing. The only problem was, he couldn't figure out any way out of the mess he'd created.

& & &

Malik was warm and content, half asleep in Merik's arms. He was falling back asleep after being woken up; he'd have to remember to hit Bakura in the morning for that, but right now he was too tired to care. They'd had sex together not once, but twice that night, and the junior's body was sore and exhausted.

Bakura had looked a real mess when he'd come in, and Malik had guessed to himself that Merik's friend's date hadn't gone very well. Malik crinkled up his nose; he didn't understand why people got obsessed over the whole relationship bullshit. If things worked out, then great, if not, suck it up and get on with life. That was his philosophy, eventhough he'd never really felt strongly about anyone. Physical attraction and sex, yes. But love?...

He'd never spent the night in someone's arms, either. Yet here he was, curled into Merik's chest, with Merik's arms about him. Malik sighed and snuggled closer, bringing one knee inbetween Merik's legs before finally falling back to sleep. He didn't plan on chasing after Merik like some love sick dog, but he didn't plan on relinquishing his cozy spot in Merik's arms, either. This was something Malik would have to play out carefully and just let things happen naturally; he just had to help them along a bit...

&&&&&&&&&&

TBC

Heh, this chapter brought another emotional turning point. . Yay. And review. Pretty please? Please? For a cookie? For a cookie and a kiss from your favorite character?

Also, if you're in the mood and you like Seto x Yami, I've written a Seto/Yami fic, "Tears of Pearls."