Notes: 
Well, here's chapter 5. Longer than usual too. :)
If there're inconsistent tenses or something, 'cause that's my most common mistake... blame it on the fact that English isn't my native tongue. ^_^; 

Plot? **giggles** I'm a fanartist! I do things by scenes... But, I really shouldn't have told you that. **cough** Everything that will transpire here was planned out well in advance, examined, re-examined and picked through with a fine-toothed comb before being presented to the public. **hack** Well, actually, I do have an idea of the grand scheme of things, and it should start to show in this chapter, but I'm still trying to weed out the clichés... 

Mail and review! Liz_Hallington@hotmail.com 

"Bakura-kun!" she called and then flustered for something to say when he looked back inquiringly. 

"If you ever want to talk..." she offered. 

He smiled knowingly. "Arigato, Hana-san." 
His tone carried a gentle finality. 

Shadows played over his retreating figure as the street lights flickered on, and as she closed the door, Tomodachi Hanako was disturbed by the distinct impression that the white-haired teen would never deliberately take her up on that offer. 
 
 

Chapter 5: Once a Thief...

Bakura growled as he shoved his way through the crowded street.
He had not had a good day. 

Sure, Ryou's first day of school had gone remarkably well so far. Although there was a constant murmur of gossip in his other's presence, everyone had more or less left him alone, and when they didn't his hikari had beat a polite, but hasty retreat. So, it was just your typical, everyday, ordinary day at school... Ryou style. 

Boring. 

Basically, that made for a very grumpy Yami. 

He'd wrestled control from his other sometime during lunch and was now wandering aimlessly through Tokyo's loud and crowded shopping district, doing what he did best. 

"Oi! Watch it, gaki!" a well dressed businessman glared venomously when Bakura plowed into him, his demeanor arrogant and superior. 

If anyone had been watching, they would've agreed that Bakura did look a little raggedy, dressed in a ripped trench coat and faded jeans, but as it were, no one cared to watch. 

"Sorry," Bakura's apologetic smile looked more like a carnal grin and the nameless businessman flinched. 'Humph'-ing as he tried to regain his composure, he quickly marched away. That brat had the most disturbing, feral red eyes. He knew he should've just called in sick today! 

Bakura just grinned wider, not sparing the man a second glance, and moved leisurely along as he discretely tucked the man's thick wallet in one of his pockets. 

At least the day wouldn't be a total waste. 

He wasn't of the opinion that the rich and suit-wearing were evil, money grubbing scrooges who took advantage of the poor. 
He simply stole because he enjoyed it, and perhaps because it had become a bit of a habit. Whenever he went out, his eyes always sought out possible victims automatically, and plans flashed in his head mere instants after his target was selected. Call it therapeutic.
The fact that it made him rich was just an added bonus at this point. Ryou wasn't exactly poor. 

Though you'd never know, the dark mused, With the clothes he chooses to wear.

His hikari had the annoying habit of trying to make himself as discrete and mundane as possible. Instead, that tended to broadcast "Hit me, I'm helpless!" to everything within a ten meter radius. 

Bakura frowned. Then again, most of the people of this day and age were disgustingly pampered. Stealing from them was almost too easy. Without the stupid Pharaoh around he'd been itching for a decent challenge- 

His eyes flickered as he caught sight of a stout woman, wearing expensive, professionally cut jewelry. 

That showed promise. Stealing something that was out in plain view would be harder, more noticeable if he screwed it up, and jewelry was easily identified if it was found... 

Shrugging casually, the Spirit of the Ring slid closer to his target and grinned. 

Beggars can't be choosers. 

/I can't believe you did that!/ Ryou moaned. 

//What?// his yami growled in annoyance. 

Ryou had barely made it back in time for his afternoon classes, throwing on his uniform in a mad rush. It was, however, more than a bit disturbing to find stolen jewelry in your pockets after one of your yami's unexpected excursions. Money, he could handle. His yami usually stashed that somewhere before he relinquished control anyway, but jewelry? 

What was he supposed to say, 'Yes, I got this from my very rich, very confused and slightly tipsy millionaire of an uncle'? 

He could feel his yami shrug mentally, sensing the hikari's fears. 

//Then stop whining and hurry up and get to Jade's!// 

/Why don't you take over?/ Ryou put in. This was one of the few situations that he would gladly surrender to his other, and although it was true that his yami would probably cause more deliberate trouble... 

Better him than me.

//Nope,// his yami smirked and Ryou cringed internally. He was going to regret this. 

Shifting his feet nervously and glancing around the darkened alley the hikari sighed resignedly. Tugging frustratedly at his ponytail, Ryou knocked resultantly on the back door of The Jade Concubine and waited. 
The metal window slid open and curious blue eyes peered out. 

Ryou stuffed his hands into his pockets, feeling for all the world like a gangster in an old movie. A horribly, disastrously inept gangster walking in on the police department's time-honored doughnut party... 

"Un... konbanwa... M-may I speak to Jade-san, please?" At least there were no cheesy passwords. 

"Ryyyouuu-chan!" a voice from farther within called. "Kimi, let him in!" 

Ryou squashed the urge to run really fast, really far in the other direction and, against his better judgment, stepped into the smoky interior, smiling a nervous thanks to the girl behind the door. The atmosphere was already making his eyes water and his nose itch. 
Walking past her, he ducked under the curtains to come face to...... breasts of a very tall, curvaceous redhead. 

"Gyaah!" 

She smiled in amusement as he backpedaled hastily, spluttering incoherent apologies as he bowed, turning several prominent shades of red in the process.
In the back of his head, Yami Bakura was howling his lungs out in his soul room, clutching his sides in helpless laughter. 

Jade Zwan patted the teen's cheek with a painted and well manicured hand. 

"Honestly, Ryou-chan, it's fine. I've had worse." 

That just set him off on a whole new stuttering streak and the redhead laughed. He was so cute when he was embarrassed. Deciding to take pity on the poor boy, she dragged him over to a couch and set him down in it, offering the teen a drink which he refused with a shake of his head. 

"I'm underage, Jade-san," he murmured in his usual quiet tone, although he still looked jumpy. 

The lady smiled at the irony of the situation. Here he was, talking to a purveyor of a disreputable business, who often dealt with things less than legal, and he was refusing alcohol because he was underage? Go figure.
Her eyes lingered a little too long on his wrist though. 

With a weak smile, Ryou bent his arms in such a way that his coat sleeve fell to conceal his bruise again. He was getting careless.
Bakura was hissing in annoyance in the back of his head. 
//Twice!// he ranted. 

Smoothing out her features, Jade shrugged. It wasn't any of her business. Bruises weren't all that uncommon in the underground. Neither were cuts, black eyes, broken bones... 

"So," she started, taking the cushy armchair across from him, fussing over her low-cut, side-slit dress, "business or pleasure?" 

"Business!" Ryou replied hastily, still red, but he didn't miss the teasing quality of Jade's vivid green eyes as she mock pouted. He wasn't so naive that he couldn't catch exactly what 'pleasure' meant. 

"Pity. What've you got for me tonight, Ryou-chan?" she asked easily as she sipped her drink. 

Choking down his mortification, the white-haired teen pulled out a black pouch and upended its contents onto the table between them. 

Jades eyebrows rose. "Aw, Ryou-chan, you shouldn't have," she smiled and picked up the necklace. Eyeing it critically in the light, she waved for a girl to bring over an eyeglass. 

Her smile only widened as she examined it closer. "My, Ryou-chan, you do have an eye for these things-" 

Bakura preened in his soul room. 

"-Where'd you get this?" 

Ryou shifted uncomfortably as he kicked futilely at the door to his other's soul room. 

"Un... picked it up off the streets, Jade-san," he muttered shyly. 

Jade laughed in understanding and that just made Ryou all the more contrite. He so shouldn't be doing this... again. But then what? 

Hello, officer, this little diamond necklace mysteriously materialized in my pocket today. Nope, no idea exactly how it got there, but I think my kleptomaniac darker half had something to do with it. Think you can find the owner? Ryou mused. What do you mean, 'jail or asylum'?
But then, Bakura would be out and in control before he could get within a mile of any authority... of either sort. 

"30000 yen." 

"30000?!" Bakura spluttered as Ryou was unexpectedly torn from control, eyes deepening from hazel to red as the millennium ring flickered ominously. Thrown abruptly into his soul room, Ryou didn't know whether to sing for joy or duck for cover.
"It's worth 80000 at least!" 

Unsurprised, the redhead leaned over, revealing a fair amount of cleavage. Ryou didn't come too often, but she knew him well enough to expect mood swings. It was strange; he'd be shy and polite, almost painfully so one instant, and then the next he would be gruff and fierce. He was extremely alluring in both moods though, and either way, he had never been anything but respectful to her and the other girls. Grouchy on occasion, but never disrespectful... easy on the eyes too. 

"Don't over-judge your worth, Ryou-chan," she murmured huskily. 

"I never over-judge anything," Bakura growled, completely unruffled. "You're underestimating me." 

She shrugged, thick, black lashes hooding her eyes. "40000 yen." 

Bakura's eye twitched. "70000." 

Jade frowned. "45000 yen." 

"60000!" 

"...50000." 

Bloody red eyes bored into her as he glared. 

"...Fine!" Bakura finally snarled, arms crossed. 

Jade's answering smile was radiant. 
"Don't pout at me, Ryou-chan. You're adorable enough as it is." She tilted her head to the side. "I love the ponytail!" 

"I don't pout," the spirit groused in a deep, rough voice, leaning back against the couch as Jade handed the necklace to one of the girls for safekeeping. His eyes were narrowed in annoyance. 

She just smiled back at him with an ironic look. "Pleasure doing business with you, Ryou-chan." 

"I'm sure," Bakura replied sardonically as he stood, accepting the money from one of the girls, a pretty Asian with dark black hair and blue eyes. The door girl, he realized. Kimi was her name? An eyebrow arched as she winked at him, hips swaying suggestively as she walked by. 

Ryou was so red in his soul room, Bakura wondered if it was possible to spontaneously combust in spirit form. 

Eyes sparkling with dark humor at his hikari's obvious embarrassment, he reached out, took Jade's slender hand in his own and kissed it lightly, ignoring the giggles of the other girls around the room. 

"Ja matta, Jade-san," he smirked as he straightened. 

"Ja matta," she replied fondly, eyes trailing him as he stepped out of the room, and sighing when she heard the gentle click of the door closing.
She missed him already. Pity he never stayed for long, he was one of the few decent men that came through her door. She'd tried to have one of her girls tail him once in the early days, since she didn't like dealing with unknowns... but he'd lost her in under a minute and had a smug grin plastered on his face the very next visit. 
The bastard. 

From the far side of the room a startled gasp resounded and all the girls crowded, tittering around Kimi, who was digging around the side-pocket of her dress. Silence reigned with heavy anticipation as she finally pulled out... 

50000 yen. 

How? When? Had he...? 

Kimi looked dazed, her blue eyes wide and her mouth curved into a silent "o" of astonishment. 

Jade shook her head as the girls squealed in excitement and jealousy, reaching out to finger the money disbelievingly. 
Hell, that boy was as unpredictable as the weather. Just when you thought you could predict his every move... 

He did it all just for the game... Her lips curved to smile wryly in the direction of the unseen door through which the white-haired thief had left. 

Men! 

Bakura stepped out onto the street, the collar of his coat turned up to protect against the chill. His hikari was quiet in his soul room, but that suited him just fine. It was almost familiar this way, even if the setting was totally different. The blanket of night was like a soothing balm in comparison to Ryou's busy, modern life. He honestly missed those quiet, dry Egyptian nights. 

He was barely on school grounds however, when his attention was diverted rather violently. 

CRASH!

Muffled swearing, followed by jeering laughter. 

Eyebrows arching, the spirit of the ring slid closer to the source of the ruckus, ignoring the restless stirring of his hikari. 

//Shut up. This could be interesting.// 

/You haven't had enough of 'interesting' for the day?/ Ryou asked incredulously, apprehension leaking through their link.
With a growl, the spirit slammed a barrier on their connection. 

Voices raised threateningly in argument became clearer as he prowled closer. 
The yami made sure to stay close to the shadows. It wouldn't do to run headlong into an unknown situation, after all. His experiences as a tomb raider had thought him more than his fair share of discretion and stealth. Anything else would've been hazardous to his health. 

"You can't do this!" 

"Watch me, old man... and don't even think about it. You think I won't make good-?" 

"Dammit, please-!" 

The Egyptian's eyes narrowed. That voice sounded familiar. Actually... both of them did. He cocked his head to the side in thought, trying to conjure a face to match the voices.
Back pressed against a graffiti coated wall, he peered cautiously around a corner. 

Kurokaze stood with his back against a chain-link fence, surrounded by a semi-circle of burly thugs. On a crate, a blonde man wearing a bandana lounged haughtily, shuffling a deck of cards in his hands. 

"I really thought you were smarter than that, Kurokaze." 

"Keith-!" 

The elder man was cut off when the blonde jumped up and pinned him against the fence with a muffled rattle. 

"Never say my name, you got that? You don't know me," he growled, dark shades slipping down his nose to reveal piercing blue eyes. "Got that?!" 

The groundskeeper coughed. "Yeah." 

"Good," the burly blonde's smile was deceptively easygoing as he let go and stepped back, turning on his heel. Motioning to the others, he sauntered away, leaving the elder man in a heap on the ground. He pushed up his shades.
"Don't call us," he said casually, waving, one hand in his pocket, "We'll call you." 

Red eyes narrowing malevolently, Bakura smirked in the shadows. 
Well, well, well... What do we have here...

"Boss! There's someone there!" 

Kurokaze snapped his head up as the gangsters spread out, searching, just in time to catch a flash of white before it vanished into shadows. The groundskeeper's breathing was irregular with fear. Someone was there? 

Sneering at the fallen man with disgust, Keith made a placating motion to his boys. "Leave it," he smirked, eyes glinting darkly behind his shades. "I already know all I need to know." 
 
 
 

TBC 

Lemme explain the game thing. Technically, Bakura lost the game when he got a lower price for the necklace than it was worth, but by returning the 50000, he won. It's a mind game. Surprise plays a big part of it. Did that make sense to anyone?
**crickets chirping**
That's what I thought. ^_^; 

Why did that silly lady wear a diamond necklace to go shopping? Beats the hell out of me. Artistic liberties, I tell you. 

Thanks to:
Rosz, SilverScreamer, Yami Krissy, tuulikki (insane babbling is fun!), Kaos, ElvenRanger, Lady Yami (Hope this satisfies, you. I have no intention of making Bakura evil. I just wanna make him bad. ^^ We love him that way, right? If he wasn't bad he'd be... well... Ryou. o_o), Serphant Night Dragon, Sailor Comet and Marika Tairys who reviewed. 

Special thanks to TAFKAE, who beta-ed and pointed out that $1 is roughly 100 yen. :)