Author's note: Hi, this is Kiko-chan X Kanda-sama. This is my first fanfic that I published. Please read and review. No flaming please, just constructive and honest comments. I still can't figure out how to paragraph on so the paragraphs are separated by that line.

Disclaimer: NOT MINE AT ALL! But I own Kanda (jokes)! No touchie... -_-

Bullied

"Hey stop there."

Ryou trembled as he turned around; 'Oh no,' he thought, 'they're coming.'

Ryou came home covered with bruises and a cut across his left cheek. It was not the first time something like that happened: he was quite clumsy after all. But this time, he did not fall.

"Ryou, what happened to you?" Yami Bakura exclaimed upon seeing his host hurt so badly.

"I fell into that ditch on the way home," he mumbled, looking away.

Bakura rolled his eyes and said, "That's just like you. Go and clean those wounds yourself. Don't get infected."

Ryou blushed; it was not often when Yami showed his concern and care.

The next day, Ryou came home with more bruises and two more cuts: one on his shin and another on his arm.

"Did you fall again?" Bakura asked, eying the injuries. He walked over with the first aid kit in his hands and started treating the wounds.

Ryou looked down at Yami cleaning the cut on his shin. 'He's so gentle,' he thought. "I know you didn't fall," Yami's voice broke the silence, and Ryou's eyes widened. "That ditch isn't that dangerous and easy to fall into two days in a row."

Ryou blushed a deep crimson, embarrassed about his lie.

Yami looked up into Ryou's eyes but he looked away immediately. "You were bullied, weren't you?"

When Ryou did not answer but flinched a little, Yami continued, "It's those boys with blond-streaked hair in the year above you, right? I saw them a few times before; they were mean. And I saw the way they looked at you: menacing and taunting."

Ryou stayed silent, not wanting to speak. He felt ashamed of himself, although he did not know why exactly. Bakura got a little afraid of the silence Ryou was giving. He placed a warm hand on Ryou's knee, hoping to comfort him and coax the story out. Ryou felt the warmth seeping into him through his knee, piercing and shooting its way up his spine and it gave him courage to speak.

"They teased and mocked me about my looks – how my body is curvier than other guys because of my hips, and my face looks feminine. It started mild at first, and then it got worse. They'd follow me around, call out nasty names – Sissy or Freak Face -, take my money, ruin my homework, et cetera. And then recently, they beat me up." A tear slid down Ryou's smooth pale cheek, "I guess I was ashamed and embarrassed about it and I didn't want you to worry, so I didn't say."

Ryou looked at Yami straight into his eyes and saw the worry in them fade and got replaced by hot, burning anger. No one gets away with treating someone going to make them pay; down payment, interest and all.

The next day when the bell rang, Ryou shot out of class like a bee flying to honey. He needed to get away from the bullies. With he did not expect to see was standing at the front gates with evilness in his eyes.

"Yami!" Ryou called out, genuinely happy to see his beloved.

Then, he a familiar presence behind him and turned around. Striding towards him were his bullies. He ran to Yami, who was boiling all over with rage, for protection. The five big mean bikers stood in front of trench coat-clad Yami and towered over him.

Yami was not intimidated – he was a 5000-year-old spirit after all – and spoke calmly, "You were bullying Ryou?"

The leader, who was the tallest, snorted and said, "What's it to you, punk?"

Yami stared straight back at him and replied, "'Cause you hurt someone I care about." The leader snickered, "Oh gay, are you? That explains the freakiness in you two." This got a round of high-fives and "Nice one, Jin." from the gang.

'Jin' took a step closer to Yami and said, "And you know what happens to gay people?" He cracked his knuckles, "They get beaten up."

Ryou cowered behind Yami but Yami smirked and retorted, "And you know what happens to bullies who hurt my Ryou?" They get beaten up too."

With the come-ons of a fight said, Yami and Jin and his men started fighting. Fists flew and legs kicked. Ryou ran to the safety of a nearby tree, not believing Yami was fighting for him. Students started trickling out of the buildings and circled them while chanting, "Fight! Fight!"

The fight got more and more intense but it did not take Yami long to take them down. Jin and his friends groaned and writhed in pain on the hard concrete.

Yami looked down at the five beaten-up bullies and threatened them menacingly, "Come near Ryou and hurt him again, and I'll come after you and break the remaining bones, which I believe aren't many. Also, I am gay."

He took Ryou's hand and left campus.

When the two climbed into bed that night, Ryou asked, "When did I become your Ryou whom you cared about?"

Yami blushed – he never blushed – and stuttered, "A-a-about that…"

Ryou leaned in and kissed his seme slowly and sweetly and hoped it would convey his thanks about dealing with the bullies.

They broke apart and Yami said, "You have been for a long time, my Ryou. And, you're welcome."

~Owari

(The end)

I'm sorry to impose, but could you please spare some of your precious time from your busy schedule to review this piece of writing? *makes puppy dog eyes*

Arigatoo gozaimasu .