Happy Accidents

Ahurhur, hey there. This is co-written with my bombtastic buddy, Ivory Illusionsx (Pork Steak the Grande). xD; I hope I’m helping make up for the lack of good Tendership stories on the web lately! D: ...Oh, and Bakura is quite a cusser. Enjoy that. And yes, this chapter does go a little slow around the middle, but shush. If you don’t like it, skip over it.

I also made a lot of spelling mistakes and errors, and for that I’m sorry. My mind is really jumbled right now. And stuff.

ANYWAY. On to the other stuff.

Summary: Bakura Touzouku finally pissed off the wrong person and, without knowing it, his life is now in danger. And that’s where Ryou comes in. BakuraxRyou


.: Chapter one - Beauty the Beast? :.

It was yet another time in his life that Bakura realized that no one was dependable. He was better off just assuming a job would never get done unless he did it himself. Of course, he himself wasn’t very dependable in the first place, because he tended to throw his work onto the pile of others’. But when he was determined, damnit, he was going to get things done! He grumbled to himself in a very agitated manner, having been called back into work after he had been let off early. Oh, heads would fucking roll. And now he was stuck in traffic. Fucking rush-hour traffic. God only knew how long he’d be jammed up in this stupid, filthy car. Though, it was only that way because he had let someone he considered something like a friend use it. He could smell smoke, and he was sure it was pot. He’d tried everything to get the damn scent out, but it clearly wasn’t going to happen. His mood was shooting downwards, but it paused as the cars in front of him started to move. Finally, he was close enough to a side-road he could take that would cut his waiting time down at least a good hour. “About fucking ti–“ but he never got to finish his sentence, because some dumbass ran in front of him, and he had to slam on his breaks to keep from hitting her. “Mother fucker!” he yelled as an automatic reaction out the window, which had been rolled down to air out the smell. But he had just barely finished saying that when he jerked forward, banging his head on the top of the steering wheel. Slightly shocked, but more furious than anything else, he looked into his rear-view mirror, catching sight of the culprit who had just rear-ended him. Growling, he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car, not caring about people honking at him, or the red mark on his forehead (which was letting itself be known by the pounding ache that was in synch with his heartbeat).

The pale-haired man stormed up to the window of the black, relatively expensive-looking vehicle. He pounded his fist a few times on the glass, which rattled harshly with every hit, before the guy driving rolled it down.

“You better have some fucking good insurance!” Bakura shouted, his dull blue eyes flashing like icy fire. It was fucking hot outside, and his hair was already starting to stick to the back of his neck. He did not need to put up with this right now.

The driver glared up at him over his sunglasses, seeming a little bored. He was also wearing quite a bit of pricy jewelry and his clothes didn’t exactly look cheap, either. What, just because this guy was rich, he thought he was better than Bakura? This made the lithe male growl. He reached in, just catching the startled expression on the other’s face, and grabbed the glasses, ripping them off of the bulkier man. He threw them over his shoulder and into oncoming traffic, hearing them smash against the pavement. “You’d better be fucking happy I’m in a rush, or I’d fucking kick your ass!” he hissed, Baring his teeth afterwards. Looking at his watch, he realized that, even with the short-cut, he would be late. “Son of a bitch,” he seethed, before he shot another look at the livid-looking man.

“What’s your name?” came the barely controlled question. The paler of the two sneered.

“Bakura Touzouku. If you wanna fucking take it up with me later, I’ll be waiting.” But right now, he had to get to work. God, he really hated life...

As he started making his way back to his car, he glanced down and noticed that the rich-bitch’s Mercedes wasn’t even scratched. That enraged him more. And so, he kicked the front bumper as hard as he could, giving it a nice dent and scratching off some of the paint with the heel of his shoe. Feeling much more satisfied now, he got back into his own car, shooting another glare at the man as he screeched past. ‘Fucking people who think they own the whole fucking world’, he ranted inwardly.

With that, he started his car again and continued on his way in a lot worse of a mood than he had begun with. The rest of the trip to work was, for the most part, uneventful. But as he got out, ready to walk through the front doors, he first swept around the back of his car and surveyed the damage. “Son of a bitch,” he repeated under his breath and stomped off towards his office.

The entire time, he never once realized he was just lucky to be alive.

---

’Don’t screw this up, Ryou, don’t screw this up...’

Nervously, the twenty-two year old looked into the mirror, eyes washing over the long, lean frame. His hair was as pale as a winter's snow and his skin nearly matched; a hue of ivory. Nothing about the young male didn't look pure and likely, no one would've guessed that he was a day over seventeen. He was always carded and eyed with suspicion, no matter where he went. The funniest thing of all? He was the one least likely to break any law, no matter how big or small. Ryou, after all, worked for the state, and not just in some being office job. And after four long years of years of training, and several more of apprenticeships, he was finally an official agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Not only that, but he was also assigned to his first real case ever. He wasn’t following under someone else’s arm, trailing behind them – no! He was actually the one who would be leading. He was the one who was going to take on the case; not watch someone else do so.

Usually the F.B.I. worked with a team or group for each case, but this time it was just Ryou! Only Ryou! ...Well, alright, almost only Ryou. He did have to work with a partner, but that was because of protocol.

He was truly the youngest of the entire squad to worm his way out of being a fledgling. Normally, he would have at least two more years of apprenticeship before this moment, but he had shown such extreme talent for his job, he needed no more time.

While he was almost excruciatingly excited about this, he was also utterly terrified that he was going to mess up. After all, if he messed up, even just a little bit, it would cost him his job or, at least, put him back on training with that man he absolutely hated who always spat when he talked. Cringing at the thought, Ryou turned away from the mirror. That was really the last thing he wanted to do. Never ever again, would he have to work singlehandedly with that slob and Ryou would make damn sure of that.

The pale man tried to clear his mind of all the negativity it tended to cook up right before he had to do something that had quite a bit riding on it. Besides, his case wouldn’t be too hard anyway. At least, that’s what he hoped. All he really had to do was protect some poor fellow who chose to mouth off at the wrong moment. Apparently, according to case records (from both security footage and an agent who had already been trailing one of the men), a fight broke out and the anonymous bloke had a raging temper... only, this time, he used it against the worst person possible: one of the leading drug lords, one who had been arrested multiple times for solicitation, smuggling, and use of cocaine and other drugs but always managed to get away without so much as a scratch thanks to his well-paid (very well-paid) lawyers. And he was currently after the poor guy who rubbed him quite the wrong way. Sources stated that the criminal also tended to suddenly be free of those who did just that within the span of only days. All Ryou had to do was watch and wait for any sign, and then he would alert the police, ultimately saving the stranger’s life. The drug lord would then be arrested and would be charged with attempted murder, and with the evidence that would be gathered, he would be put away for life.

Simple.

Besides, it wasn’t even like Ryou had to do much but keep an eye on the guy and hopefully start up some sort of platonic friendship so that he would have more opportunity to make his first case turn out perfect. Even if the male went out, a conveniently set-up surrogate apartment was directly next door to his, and cameras were also placed around the area, so everything was basically covered. Maximum protection – as much as one can get without being obvious.

“Oh, please let this be easy...” Biting down on his lower lip, Ryou turned around once more to make sure his work attire was alright. He was dressed in a button-down light blue striped shirt with a grey blazer matching some of the lines upon the shirt, a neatly tucked-in dark tie, and a simple pair of khakis, which clung nicely to his legs. He tried to look nice, as if he truly cared about this cover-job he was given and doing his best at it. Even if he wasn’t really going to work there for long, it was still nice to impress the boss, right? He was to play the role of a writer for a sports magazine, and act as if he were really into that kind of thing. That was probably the hardest part for Ryou, since he couldn’t remember watching a football game in his life. Still, he would do his best and maybe even watch a basketball game or two just so he could trick people into at least thinking he wasn’t a complete homo– er...

So he wasn’t a complete sissy.

Who preferred boring things like politics and books over going to a game.

So they wouldn’t think that, not that he was... queer.

But his biggest hope was that he would fit in, even just a little...

“Bakura,” he murmured the name slowly, liking the sound of the mystery man’s name on his lips. A small smile spread across his face and he decided he was finished prissing himself up. He was going to try hard and do his best, not only for himself but mostly... for Bakura. “I’ll do good and save his life, I’ll do good and save his life! I will!” He had to repeat this mantra in his mind, making sure to get himself ready and sure for success.

And having finished giving himself a pep-talk, he was ready to roll.

Heading out into the living room, he grabbed his messenger bag and keys before heading out into the summer morning, face shining brightly as he noted how nice it was outside. “This is going to be a cinch.”

Trampling down the stairs, Ryou make his way to his nice ‘98 Saturn and unlocked the door, hopping inside. Only a few minutes’ drive, and he would arrive on location for his first mission.

---


As soon as the young , emerald-eyed man reached the office building, he parked his car in the garage before hurrying to make sure that he was a little bit early. Shyly, he stepped into the revolving door of the large lobby, glancing around at it. It really was big, even for a successful business! Everything inside was also sleek and well-polished. He could actually see his reflection in the tiled floor around the rugs bearing the Kaiba Corporation logo. Straight ahead of him was a smooth black desk with a woman sitting behind it, typing away at her computer, occasionally pressing buttons on the phone base, where several lights were flashing. She was speaking, and Ryou would have wondered who she was talking to, had she not turned her head in a way that he could see the mouthpiece attached to her ear. She seemed awfully busy, and the thin male wasn’t sure he felt comfortable interrupting her. Though, he did need to if he was ever going to get anywhere.

Putting on a small, welcoming smile, hoping that he wasn’t being too rude, and stepped up to her. She looked up and their eyes met. She then spoke the words, “Hold on one moment, please,” before tapping a button again on the phone. She, too, smiled and looked him over quickly. “How may I help you, hun?” she asked, brushing a bit of blonde hair behind her ear with her manicured nails.

The informality of the last word was very comforting to Ryou, and he felt as if he hadn’t done a thing wrong at all. “I need to speak to Mr. Kaiba?” he said, but phrasing it as a question, unsure of he should just ask for the location or if he had to wait. After all, Seto Kaiba was one of the most successful businessmen in the nation. Not only that, though, but he was also so high on the rankings, that he even broke into the title, “one of the world’s best”.

A red fingernail tapped against the reflective desktop. “Do you have a scheduled appointment?” she asked, looking up at him with her violet eyes. She seemed like a nice woman, and the outfit she wore was a dressy one, though it did dip down a little low in the front, and that made Ryou believe that she was outgoing and wanted to show herself off. It was funny what you could tell someone’s personality by what they wore (or how they wore it).

“Uh, no, but this is my first day here and I was told I needed to speak with him...?” Did he need an appointment for that? He almost wouldn’t put it past the corporate world, but...

The woman’s eyes flashing and her face brightened up. “Oh, congratulations,” she said, before turning and pointing. “Take the elevator up there to the twelfth floor. It’ll be the door at the end of the hall – it’s really hard to miss.” Then she looked back to him, once more sizing him up. “You really don’t look the type, but I suppose the whole ‘book’s cover’ applies, huh?” Was she trying to make him comfortable, or just start up a conversation?

Ryou shrugged, looking a little sheepish. “I get told that a lot, actually,” he said. He really didn’t – not for sports. Considering his looks spoke the truth about that much. Then he waved to her a little, unsure as to what he was supposed to do for ending their chat. “Well, wish me luck!” he said, the words more or less spilling out of his mouth before he thought them through.

The blonde gave a quick chuckle and waved back at him, giving him a well wish before going back to her phone call.

Before the young man even reached Kaiba’s office, he knew where he would be placed in the large building.

His words with the rather straight-laced brunette were short and clipped. Not out of rudeness, but more out of sounding like he didn’t have time to walk Ryou through his job. After all, it wasn’t as if he was really going to be doing much work, if any at all, and it was people like that Seto Kaiba really didn’t have time for. The F.B.I. had called him personally to make sure that he put Ryou in a specific spot, and allowed him to act as if he was employed there. Of course, he only allowed it after he had been assured numerous times (and in writing) that Ryou’s being there would not affect anything at all, except that he had one more person in the building. For supervision purposes only.

As the said silver-haired man stepped out of the elevator, holding the box of supplies for his desk, he looked around at the long windows and bland-colored paint on the walls. The view was nice, even though it was only from the third floor; it was close enough to see people bustling down below, as well as some of the cityscape. It was only when he began taking in the people around him did he notice quite a few sets of eyes on him. He could feel the blood rising up into his face as he cast his vivid eyes downward, staring at the beige carpet. Even as a kid, Ryou had hated having people stare at him, as if he was some sort of freak show. It always made him nervous, sometimes even if people only looked him in the eye. The poor man tried to swallow the lump building up in his throat as he sensed, more than saw, someone approaching him.

“Hey! I didn’t know we were getting a new guy.” The voice didn’t sound cruel or taunting, which caused the paler of the two to glance up, seeing a rather warm (though very odd) looking man standing before him. He had eyes that looked to be almost... red? No, that couldn’t be. But even so, his hair was quite strange on its own. Blonde streaks of bangs, and a head of black hair that looked to be a maroon color as it spread out to the tip. It was also fanned out a little obscenely. The first through that came to Ryou’s mind was, ‘How much gel does he use...?’

But the other stuck out his hand, breaking the younger man from his thoughts. “Welcome to World Sports! I’m Yami Mutou.” Grasping Ryou’s hand, he gave the slighter male a firm handshake. He was incredibly enthusiastic, and that alone unnerved Ryou. He wasn’t really used to people being quite this friendly and forward.

“H-hi,” he responded, trying his best to shake off his prickled nerves. “I’m Ryou Tamaki. It’s nice to meet you.” With a soft smile, he moved to make his way around the other and towards his desk, which, as of right now, looked entirely too empty. As he did so, another thought crept into his mind. When would he see Bakura?

But speak of the devil, and the devil will come. It was then that a pale hand shot out and pressed against the side of Yami’s head, pushing him to the side somewhat and almost right into Ryou.

“Out of my way, asstard; you’re blocking the whole damn walkway with your fat head.” The words were spoken none too kindly and it sent a chill down Ryou’s spine. That was the voice of a bully, a tone he knew too well from school. He almost couldn’t bring himself to turn and look at the newcomer, worried that if he made eye-contact he might just be sought out and destroyed before he was able to finish his job here. But in the end, he couldn’t stop himself, and the silver-haired man twisted his head around slightly, eyes trailing up to take in the sight of whoever was clearly not going to make anyone’s day enjoyable. The first thing he noticed as he made his way up, was the scalding cup of coffee in the other’s hand, the one that wasn’t assaulting poor Yami Mutou, who was now walking away, muttering under his breath and shooting a glare over his shoulder.

Though he had, at first, thought when he had seen the confrontation, ‘What a jerk!’ After all, the guy hadn’t even said sorry! He had meant to do it! But... the other was giving off such a strange vibe, and it was causing the thin male to wonder exactly what off feeling if was giving him was.

The guy was about to keep walking when he suddenly paused, dull-colored eyes set on the fresh meat. An eyebrow was raised, and lips were parted in a small, questioning sneer. “Who the hell are you?” he asked, his voice rough – which, really, was his usual voice. His own eyes made to rake over Ryou, and the slightly shorter male shivered. This man was so eerie and dressed like a slob but he was undeniably handsome. He had tried to open his mouth to respond, but he found that his voice had gone somewhere else at the moment, and, even though this man was, indeed, a jerk, Ryou couldn’t seem to stop himself from staring.

“I’m... Ryou Tamaki,” he finally responded quietly.

While looking the kid over, the taller of the two came to a conclusion. This kid couldn’t watch sports. He couldn’t. Bakura just could not picture him watching a football game and getting into it – chips, beer, and all. In fact, he could easily imagine the other watching cooking, or the health channel. Hell, maybe even a home shopping network or something. Though, for a queer, the slighter man did look... unique? Maybe albino... but didn’t they have red eyes or something? Eh, whatever.

Their hair looked similar, but it was more of a white-blonde (though the blonde was harder to see; it looked more gray than anything else), where the new guy’s was... well, white. Just white. It was actually a little freaky... Not to mentioned it looked to be as if it was brushed religiously more than once a day. Bakura’s was lucky if it saw a comb once a day period.

Ryou was well dressed, though. He obviously took the time to make himself look more than presentable, whereas Bakura just threw on a work shirt and slacks, not even bothering to find a tie. His shirt hadn’t been ironed, and he hadn’t washed it the night before. He also still smelled like his car.

“Er, who are you?” questioned the younger-looking man softly, shyly. Unsurely. Bakura smirked but didn’t respond, instead turning away, presumably to go to his assigned spot and set his drink down before getting to work. Though, Ryou really wasn’t sure how committed the guy could possibly be when he came to work looking the way he did, but...

Trying to shake off the awkward confrontation, the green-eyed agent had moved over to his new desk, the whole time shifting through the box in his hands, having gone back down to his car to grab a few things to place at his desk after meeting Kaiba. One of those things was a picture in a thick, bright frame. He took it with him everywhere because it was the only one he had. He had taken it from his desk at his real job, unable to part with it. Even at school as a teenager and college student, he kept it in his backpack carefully enclosed as to not ruin it. It was one of the few things that had high value in his life. The picture frame itself had been one his sister had picked out as a child, one with insane colors and a cat playing basketball on it. He placed it on one of the corners, turned at an angle so that he could easily see it however he was sitting.

Taking out a small plant from the box, Ryou set it on the edge of his desk, and then moved to continue unpacking and getting settled in.

Meanwhile, the taller male had made it to his own “office”, which was really more of a desk with file cabinets separating his view from some of the others in the room. The guy who had sat across from him (who had, unfortunately, been in clear view) had been fired. But he was an idiot, so he wasn’t really missed at all, though now it seemed as if he would be getting a new neighbor. Joy. Bakura snorted at the thought, sitting in the chair and setting his coffee down before picking up a pencil that had been tossed carelessly atop the mess of scribbled and roughly handled papers. But hey... fresh meat was fresh meat after all. He wanted to test the will and how far the newbie could be pushed before snapping. And with a flick of his fingers, the pencil spun across the small expanse of space, clacking against the pot that held the plant on the kid’s desk, chipping part of the porcelain. A few grains of dirt slipped free from it, and would most likely continue to do just that until it was either patched up or thrown away. A smirk crept across the blue-eyed man’s lips as he spoke, turning his gaze to the lanky male, who looked a little like a deer in headlights; frozen in place.

“I’m Bakura,” he said, finally answering the other’s question, and noting the look of irritation that was quickly melting into one of absolute horror on Ryou’s ashen face. “I’ll be here to make sure your time here is never dull.”

.: Chapter end :.

If you enjoyed, drop a review and I’ll post the next chapter sometime soon. I already have the next few typed up. xD

~Cecilia