Invisible Me

Author’s Note – Wow, the response to my last chapter was really overwhelming. I’m so glad you guys are really enjoying this. I’m not a big Téa lover but realized after watching a few episodes that she’s a strong character in her own right and decided not to bash the hell out of her like so many are wont to do. I wanted to give her a chance to grow, and she hasn’t disappointed me so far. Questions about the mind link and Yugi’s reaction will be answered soon. Just a warning, I’m changing names around again. In my other stories, the yami is Malik and hikari is Marik. In this one, it’s reversed. Malik is the hikari, and Marik is his yami. This is turning into one of my favorite stories, although the other two I’ve been working on are close to my heart as well. Anyway, a huge hello goes out to my RP group, you guys know who you are! And to DracOnyx and ladywolf_Terri for being so damned sweet.

Disclaimer – I don’t own YuGiOh, but I wonder if they’d sell Yami and Yugi to me. LOL!!!!

Chapter Three – The Plot Thickens

Classes seemed to last forever to the small tri-haired duelist. Even after completing his work for the day, it seemed as if each class continued to drag on. The only way he could keep himself from screaming was by focusing on the sketchbook he kept with him. Page after page was filled without notice, centering himself on drawing out the emotions raging within his heart.

Amethyst eyes darkened noticeably when he rejoined his friends outside in the warm sunshine, all of them talking idly about afternoon plans now that the excruciatingly long day was finally over. He saw Sachi hanging all over Yami, cooing over him and telling him all about the auditions she was going to that afternoon. Knowing that Téa was also auditioning for the part she was talking about, the smaller duelist made a quiet wish for his friend’s success.

Sachi noticed Yugi out of the corner of her eye and kissed Yami deeply, knowing that the tri-colored haired teen would be watching. His pained reaction was deeply satisfying to her, and she commandeered Yami’s arm so he could walk her home.

Yugi’s head immediately went down as he struggled to stay on his feet, wanting only to sink to the ground in tears. Tucking his hands in his jacket pockets, he started home, defeat evident by his slumped over pose. He was so lost in his painful thoughts, he never noticed the four teenagers watching him as he passed through the gates and headed for home.

“Kura, what’s going on with the pharaoh’s light?”

Mahogany eyes focused on the violet eyes of his fellow yami, and his voice was quiet as he answered Marik’s question.

“Yami’s got his head buried up his ass. He has no idea that his hikari has feelings for him, rather strong ones.”

Malik crossed his arms over his chest, frowning at the empty gates that Yugi had passed through a short time ago. A thought had occurred to him, and it was one that he didn’t like at all.

“He’s been watching the pharaoh go through partner after partner and has loved him all this time?”

Ryou’s voice held both sadness and anger when he answered the blond haired hikari’s question.

“Yes, and Yugi being Yugi won’t say anything if he thinks it’ll interfere with his yami’s happiness. He won’t talk to anyone about it, just takes everything and focuses it on his artwork. You two should see what he’s done. It’s heartbreaking.”

In an uncharacteristic public display of affection, Bakura wrapped an arm around his hikari, pulling him close to comfort him. He knew how close Ryou was to Yugi. The two hikaris had been friends for a very long time and it had been Yugi that had helped Ryou to understand his feelings towards the white haired yami, often spending hours in deep conversation together. To say that this situation between Yami and Yugi was hurting Ryou was a huge understatement.

Malik, having become extremely fond of Yugi himself, looked up in his yami’s eyes, sharing a silent conversation. After a few moments, Marik grinned and nodded at his hikari, telling him that he agreed with him. The grin was immediately returned by his soul partner, who was happy to have the yami involved.

“So what’s the plan, Kura?”

Although he shouldn’t have been, the white haired thief was somewhat surprised by Marik’s question. The couples stared at each other for a few minutes before Bakura broke his silence.

“The plan?”

“I’ll admit, I’m not fond of either of them but Malik does enjoy Yugi’s friendship. He and Ryou were the first to really welcome him and befriend him, despite the past we share. And the little shit has balls on occasion. Not many will go toe to toe with me and not back down like he did a few months ago. I may not like Yugi too much, but I do respect him for what he did. I want to repay that debt. If it hadn’t been for him, Malik and I would not be where we are right now.”

Bakura nodded, remembering the time when Marik had been unconsciously hurting Malik by his inattention and callous attitude. Yugi, having gotten sick of seeing his friend in pain, had approached Marik and instigated the biggest shouting match of all time. The thief had been certain Marik would kill the boy in his rage but somehow, Yugi managed to get through to the blond haired yami and made him see what a wonderful partner he had in his hikari.

“We’re waiting for Téa to call. Of the whole group that Yugi calls friends, she’s the only one besides us to notice how much pain Yugi’s in.”

Lavender eyes gleamed as Malik smiled mischievously. He knew Téa fairly well since moving to Domino permanently and had come to respect her playful attitude and logical brain. When Yugi and Ryou had brought him into the group, the dancer had been the first of their friends to accept and welcome him. She’d topped quite a few of his pranks over the time he’d been here, and the hikari knew that she was a perfect partner for this scheme.

“Good, we need a feminine touch for this. She knows Sachi and also knows Yugi better than all of us. If anyone can give insight to this, she can. You made a good call bringing her in on this plot.”

Marik collected his hikari, nodding at Bakura as he did so, wanting to go home and do some plotting of his own.

“Call us when she calls, Kura. I’m not going to pass up this opportunity to pry the pharaoh’s head out of his ass.”

Bakura returned the nod, knowing he and Ryou should get home themselves to wait for the brunette dancer’s call.

“Will do. Talk to you two soon.”

Unaware of the discussion going on about him, the tri-colored haired duelist trudged home and quietly slipped into the store. Solomon watched as his grandson barely acknowledged his presence as he headed towards his bedroom. His heart ached at the troubled expression in the amethyst eyes so like his own and prayed to any deity that would listen that something would happen to relieve this burden of pain from his grandson’s too fragile shoulders.

Uncaring where it landed, Yugi dropped his backpack on the floor and his jacket soon followed. He climbed up the ladder of the bunk bed and curled up in a tight ball, moving the puzzle so that it wouldn’t dig into his stomach.

“Why, Yami? Why can’t you see me instead of the others?”

The whispered questions escaped his trembling lips, barely disturbing the silence of the bedroom he shared with the former pharaoh. Biting down savagely on his bottom lip, Yugi drew a few deep breaths, sealing the door of his soul room and his end of the link before letting his emotions run free. He’d gotten very practiced at doing this, making sure that his soul partner could not feel the turbulent emotions running through his heart and soul.

Once he knew that Yami couldn’t sense him, tears of pain and grief welled up in his eyes, making them sparkle like the gems they had often been compared to. Deep sobs racked the tiny frame; his heart breaking further in the intensity of the grief that filled him. The hikari cried until his body was exhausted, and the small teenager drifted off to a troubled sleep.

After finishing with his homework, Ryou amused himself by watching his yami pace the lower floor of the home they shared. Bakura had been watching the clock, waiting anxiously for Téa to call. Even though he hadn’t publicly admitted it, Ryou knew that the thief had been very disturbed by the drawings they’d seen in Yugi’s sketchbook. The chocolate eyed teenager had been as well, and the yami/hikari couple was extremely concerned about the pharaoh’s hikari.

“She’ll call, Kura. Her class will end in a few minutes. Give her some time to get home, and she’ll call. I know she will.”

Bakura only nodded and continued pacing, growling softly for a moment as he replayed the images he’d seen today. He could cheerfully strangle the pharaoh for putting the small hikari through so much emotional turmoil. To be honest, Yugi was too good for Yami and Bakura knew it. He also knew that the teenager he’d grown to respect, admire, and care about would never be happy with anyone other than his yami. And it was for Yugi’s happiness that the thief was doing all this plotting for. Although, he agreed with Marik on one thing. The opportunity to pull the pharaoh’s head out of his ass was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Ryou could sense his yami’s thoughts as he watched the taller one pace the room once again. He agreed with Bakura whole heartedly. Yugi deserved his happiness and one way or another, they were going to see to it that the smaller duelist found the joy that Ryou had found with his own yami. The slender hikari could only shake his head at the blindness of the usually observant pharaoh. He couldn’t believe that Yami couldn’t see what a perfect match Yugi was for him.

The shrill ring of the telephone pulled both of them out of their deep thoughts, making them jump slightly. Ryou raced for the phone in the kitchen, knowing Bakura would grab the cordless phone that was laying on the coffee table. This was one telephone conversation he didn’t want to miss.

“Hello?”

“Bakura? It’s Téa. Is Ryou on the other line?”

The hikari answered quietly, glad that Téa had finally called them.

“I’m here, Téa.”

“Good. First off, I took the solo from the bitch. That’s one less thing for her to crow about in front of Yami.”

Both of them chuckled at her words, and Ryou leaned his head into the doorway to see Bakura grin at the news the girl had just given them.

“Good for you, Téa. I’ll bet Sachi wasn’t happy about that at all.”

“Nope and there’s more for me to tell you, but I want to do it face to face. Which is why I called.”

Bakura broke his silence, eyes focusing on something through the window.

“So you’re in?”

“I’m definitely in. The bitch is going down.”

“Good. Marik and Malik have also decided to join us.”

The two could hear the grin in the dancer’s voice when she responded to what Bakura had told her.

“Excellent. With the five us against her, she won’t stand a chance. Where do we meet and when?”

Ryou made that decision, knowing it needed to be soon. His voice was filled with determination as he answered her question.

“We’ll meet here tonight. I’ll order Chinese for dinner tonight, and we’ll discuss what to do then.”

“Give me an hour to shower and change, then I’ll be over.”

They hung up and Bakura called Marik, filling him in on the details. The yami was happy that the girl had decided to join and told the thief that he and his hikari would be over soon.

Ryou leaned against the wooden doorframe, watching his yami with a warm smile. Bakura rubbed his hands together for a moment, meeting his hikari’s gaze. There was a look of anticipation in the mahogany eyes that Ryou loved so much.

“And now it begins.”

“Do you think we can do this, Kura?”

“With all five us working towards it, the pharaoh doesn’t have a chance.”

End Note – Yami’s in deep trouble now! I honestly can’t wait to see what the five of them are going to cook up. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review to let me know what you think so far. And for those who would like to be on my update list, please remember to leave contact information so I can email you when this story or my other two are updated! Thanks again!!!