Bakura smiled in an oddly warm fashion. "Don't need to thank me for that. Wouldn't be fair if you couldn't come hang out, right? Solves all problems," he nodded, leaning back in his chair. "...and it's stupidly lonely being solo," he admitted, twirling a soaked bit of his hair around his finger idly. "Kinda weird to realize it."

For years he had cut himself off from people, declaring quite firmly and angrily that he didn't need anybody but his family... after all, everyone was just going to leave him, why should he bother with them? But this was different... The easy bonds formed...

It was weird to reflect on, but the dread he always had felt coming back from Japan had vanished the instant they had come into Locke's airspace, even if it had taken until he stepped out of the plane for the flashbacks to hit.

He had people here now. People he actually was connected with and cared about.

It was weird.