Kimyo: This fic is an homage to the movie The Hours, which is nothing short of magnificent. I was watching it, and several small ideas that were floating around came together and crystallized.

There will be no fluff or lemons, but there will be boy's love and forbidden kisses. I recommend that you see the movie if you haven't already, but it's not vital.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Gi Oh or The Hours, or Virginia Woolf. All I've got is my love of bishies and my crush on Nicole Kidman.

Now, shall we begin?

My life in a single day... and in that single day... my life...

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Chapter One: Homemade

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Ryou decided he would buy the flowers himself.

He went to his favorite place, Lowe's. They always had a great variety of beautiful and exotic flowers. They had many leafy tropical plants, too, but Ryou paid no attention to them. He always preferred the flowers. Seeing them usually gave him such joy, and anyone who saw him today wouldn't think to guess otherwise.

They would be wrong.

As Ryou gazed from flower to flower, that sweet familiar smile on his face, his heart was broken.

Ryou stopped and looked closer at some bougainvillea. "Hmm..."

He'd been looking forward to this outing. He'd been so excited. But now, he couldn't remember why this had seemed so important.

He stopped near the end of an aisle.

There were Yugi and Yami, picking out flowers together. Yugi selected a small pot of gerber daisies and held them out for Yami's approval.

Ryou took a tiny step backwards, and Yugi suddenly turned and noticed him. "Ryou! Hi, what are you doing here?"

Ryou sighed inwardly and smiled. "Hello, Yugi. Yami. I'm surprised to see you here." Yugi and Yami were walking over, so he met them halfway.

Yugi's smile was brighter than usual. "Yami and I are buying flowers for Anzu. We decided live ones would be better, since they last longer." He got closer and nudged Ryou. "Are you buying flowers for someone?"

"No, I just thought it might brighten up the house a bit." It was Monday, February 14th. Ryou had come before school in hopes of avoiding crowds.

He regarded Yugi and Yami's happy faces with a combination of envy and superiority. Declaring your love for Anzu. One of you will be crying tonight.

"I don't think I'll be buying flowers after all," he announced. "I haven't got time to take them home, and I don't want them sitting on my desk all day." He wanted to get away, but Yugi's hand on his arm held him back.

"Then could you help us decide what flowers to get? You've got great taste, Ryou."

o o o

They were done, they were finally done. Jouno threw the apron off over his head and stood proudly over the honmei chocolates he'd made all by himself.

There was one in the shape of a rose for his sister Serenity. Man, I can't wait 'til tonight. We hardly get to see each other.

The other was in the shape of a claddaugh. Jouno put his hands on his hips and sighed. He'd started out thinking about Mai. But she wasn't even in town as far as he knew.

He tilted his head. It's gone. Oh, Mai... There was a time when I thought for sure you and I would end up together, but now... he let his eyes close slowly. My feelings for you have vanished. He saw brown hair, penetrating blue eyes... Kaiba...

Bolting upright, he sucked in a breath as his eyes snapped open.

Stop doing this to yourself. It was a kiss, one stupid little kiss. It probably didn't even mean anything to him.

He lovingly placed the chocolates in store bought gift boxes for safekeeping. After several minutes of silent debate, he decided to take the chocolate heart with him to school, but it was definitely not for Kaiba, Jouno asserted, ignoring the heat in his face.

o o o

Ryou surprised himself by feeling some small degree of happiness that girls crowded around his desk before first period, bearing chocolates and small stuffed animals. He accepted every single one, and thanked them kindly. He watched out the corner of his eye as Yugi and Yami gave Anzu chocolate and the flowers he'd helped them choose. Lowe's had had bachelor's buttons in both pink and purple, so he'd recommended the pink ones for Yami, and the purple ones for Yugi.

Smiling, Anzu accepted Yami's gifts and hugged him. Ryou couldn't tear his gaze away in anticipation of Yugi bursting into tears and running from the classroom.

She placed Yami's gifts on her desk, then turned around and accepted Yugi's gifts, taking him into her arms as well. Ryou didn't realize he was frowning.

So they weren't declaring love after all. They were just "friendship" gifts. Must be nice.

"Something wrong?"

Pulled from his thoughts, he turned and looked at Honda.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You looked kinda down. Everything alright?" He looked around. "Where's Bakura?"

It seemed to take Ryou forever to think of something. "He... he got a lead about a millennium item, I think." He winced. The millennium items have already been found!

"What? Millennium item?"

"No, I mean, the mystery of the Pharaoh's memories. He's off doing research, I'm not sure where."

o o o

When the sleek black Rolls Royce pulled up to a quiet side entrance and Kaiba disembarked, he was chagrined to see a blonde waiting for him at the gate.

Jouno leaned against the chain link fence outside the school, arms crossed, brow furrowed. Kaiba approached slowly, aluminum briefcase in hand, eyes as cold and blue as they were in Jouno's strongest memories. All either could hear was the cheerleaders rehearsing in the field nearby, and Kaiba's footfalls gritting in the dirt.

Kaiba stopped two arm's lengths away, and Jouno spoke first:

"Valentine's Day must be tough for you. You probably have to outrun half the girls in school just to get to class. I'm surprised you even showed up."

"I thought I made myself clear, Wheeler. Stay away from me."

He walked past Jouno, giving him a wide berth.

Watching him walk away, Jouno was almost overwhelmed by the desire to scream, I'm in love with you, Kaiba!

Kaiba stopped. He looked over his shoulder, but Jouno couldn't see his eyes. After a moment, Kaiba continued down the walkway to the school doors.

Jouno slid down to sit upon the dirt, his face warm, his eyes feeling the sting of unshed tears.

Why am I doing this?

It's so stupid...

What's wrong with me?

1

homemade

finish