Title: Precious

Fandom: YGO

Pairing: Bakura x Ryou

Word Count: 1,674

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Yu-Gi-Oh.

Ryou never had something so entirely special that was all his.

Not anything at all like the clothes on his back or his own meager possessions that filled his rather small bedroom, but rather something rare and of unsurpassed value.

He watched the artifact revolve around slowly on its chain. Not fourteen carat gold or eighteen carat gold, but the real thing. When he had a father that locked himself away all day or was on yet another exciting expedition that never included his son or a school where students had to physically think to remember that a boy named Ryou sat next to the last window, anything like this that came his way was a small miracle.

It was a good thing jewelry couldn't judge. Or, so he thought.

As soon as he looped the chain around his neck, it felt like he had crossed over an invisible threshold. The very shadows seemed to shift as his room became eerily silent. His very heart slowed in his chest; taut with anticipation. Ryou's breathing grew shallow.

Inhale. Exhale. In. Out. In…

Ryou cried out in a sudden pain as his heart jerked in his chest. With a powerful burst, it was almost as if something powerful and uncompromising had entered his soul—something that was finally free at last. Damned if the gold medallion didn't glow with a supernatural inner fire as a deeply hypnotic and highly dangerous laughter threatened to upend his sanity.

Then, all at once, it was over.

His shivering breath steadying at last; Ryou caressed his chest. Nothing. No voice in his ears. No laughter. No pain. In fact, he actually felt a little bit more…grounded; his posture straighter and more confident. He steadied himself and forced himself to look in the mirror. The medallion laid quite nicely on his innocent-looking fluffy white sweater; its many spikes quivering back and forth with a dull clinking sound. He dared a smile.

Idiot.

The masculine voice was very prominent and powerful more like a growl instead of human speech. A small shriek escaped Ryou's lips when his reflection appeared to change: his gaze sharper and more defined, his mounds of lavender hair wilder, and his expression meaner and yet paradoxically more handsome. He even appeared taller.

Then, in a split-second, the vision was gone.

The feeling that something horribly, horribly wrong had to be stifled when the bedroom door suddenly swung open. Ryou quickly slid the medallion under his shirt, however his hawkish father saw the action.

"Already wearing the Millennium Ring, boy? Pretending to be some kind of king?" he grumbled; eyes shadowy and dark from lack of sleep.

I am a king, fool.

Ryou gave full attention to his father; ignoring the voice in his head that he was sure he was imagining.

Wasn't he?

"Are you doing anything useful in here? Your homework?"

"I…uh…haven't got around to it yet, sir."

His father's eyes settled on what he now knew was called the Millennium Ring. "I'm beginning to regret giving that to you. It should be hanging in my museum for the general public to enjoy."

Ryou didn't know whether to feel hurt or relieved. This piece of Ancient Egyptian jewelry was beginning to affect his brain.

I'll kill you first.

The voice was said in a chilling monotone. So flat. So controlled. It meant those words.

"No, dad!" Ryou exclaimed, earning a frown from his father. He didn't approve of shrill children. "I m-m-mean," he stammered, "can't I just wear it until the semester is over?"

Lick his shoes too.

Ryou was on the verge of telling this voice, this koe to shut up. But, he couldn't. Not in front of his father.

His father gave him a critical once over before turning his back. "That would depend on your grades," he informed him icily over his shoulder as he left the room.

He should win Father of the Year.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Ryou sputtered. "Shut up, voice!"

Silence. Then…

No.

Stifling a cry of sheer panic, Ryou walked, trembling, to his desk and began his homework. Maybe some normalcy would cleanse his brain even though his trembling fingers could hardly hold the pencil, but he managed. Soon, as his attention became totally concentrated on the history questions and chemistry equations; he didn't hear the voice anymore.

I guess I did imagine it.

His own inner voice. His own thoughts.

The mysterious koe did not bother him even when he went to sleep. It did occur to him to take off the Millennium Ring, but every time he dared think it; his mind tended to drift somewhere else.

It wasn't long until Ryou was dreaming. He had the distinct sensation of flying before he found himself settling in a small enclosed space where a man suddenly formed in front of him; the same man that had appeared in the mirror. He smirked in greeting.

"Hello…Yhhhk."

Ryou was at once taken aback. Did this being just call himself "landlord" of all things? Or was it "host"?

"Poor little yffff…the world doesn't understand you," he delivered in a sing-song voice.

Ryou dared to ask the question that had been haunting him for the past twelve hours. "Who are you?"

The man's smile blinded like flashing jewels. "I am Bakura, Spirit of the Ring. That's all the information you need to know. You awakened me when you put me on your flesh."

"Well, get out then!" Ryou squeaked in a mini show of defiance. "It's my body."

"Do I scare you, little one?" the other man cooed. "But, no. I don't think I shall be leaving. Putting me on was an invitation. You shouldn't be so cruel to me, particularly when I will do precisely as I want anyway."

"W-w-what?"

Ryou was terrified now, and he knew Bakura could feel it. For that matter, Ryou could feel Bakura's evil aura twining and winding around him like darkened purple threads.

"I will give you a deal," Bakura's voice was as smooth and slippery as Egyptian silk. "I know your heart's innermost secret desires. You want friends, am I correct?"

Bakura was getting closer now. Ryou stood where he was; shivering with fright.

"I can give you friends, if you would only trust me."

Ryou knew Bakura was evil to the core, but didn't struggle or cry out as his face was grasped by two olive-skinned hands. Their noses were inches apart, and he couldn't help but notice Bakura's breath smelled exactly like anise and dust. He whimpered.

"Well, what do you say, hikari?"

Did he just call me "light?"

"N-n-no," Ryou stammered. "Just get out. Please!"

Bakura's eyes grew animalistic. "Fool!" he snarled as he threw him against a totally real and solid wall.

Ryou's body twitched from the impact and it felt as if the very air had been sucked out of his lungs. For a moment, he feared death…but how could he realistically die in a dream? Bakura was right on top of him when he looked up. Firmly, he grasped Ryou's chin. Ryou closed his eyes, defeated.

"Don't worry, little one. I can be very forgiving. And, like I told you before—you have no choice."

Ryou definitely wasn't expecting Bakura's lips to close over his own in a shocking kiss as Ryou trembled under Bakura's weight. The spirit was obviously from Egypt, ancient Egypt to be exact, so he didn't know if kisses such as these were normal back then. Was this spirit…that way? Were all spirits interested in sex? So many questions; delicate little Ryou trying to make the shadows go away with questions.

Ryou wasn't interested in sex.

Thankfully, the dream ended before it went any further. The world grew dark and menacing as Ryou's vision faded away with Bakura's laughter in his ears.

He had a small break with reality after that.

Life went on as normal for the most part, though sometimes Ryou forgot certain phases of the day or whole days altogether. He also noticed that he was meeting Yugi and his friends, Jonouchi, Anzu, and Honda at the most inopportune times, but above all else, they were all aware he existed. They were like friends almost. Almost. Even though he came off as a fifth wheel when they were all together.

Ironically, it had been the Spirit of the Ring that had brought them together in the first place, and it had been true to its word. Even when the Spirit tried to use Ryou to kill his friends in a Shadow Game.

Ryou had been joyously relieved when Honda had thrown the evil ring off that building during Duelist Kingdom. However, the ring had reappeared like magic later on unbeknownst to anyone else. Still, through it all, Ryou had friends. For the immediate future anyway.

But, friends could not stave off damnation.

As a Catholic, Ryou had access to a church. He lost count of how many hours he spent there, sometimes praying and sometimes not. It was his last refuge as he even hated being at home. Dad had left for yet another archaeological dig somewhere and once again he had been left to his own devices. Sometimes, he just wanted to stare at the light streaming through the pretty stained glass windows and soak up the peace.

Drown out the voice.

Your deity won't save you fool.

Praying again, little Ryou? You should pray to me for good fortune.

He ignored it. He got so good at ignoring it that he was beginning to ignore his own life.

Ryou couldn't ignore one aspect of his life though: it was getting worse. He was getting hurt, his friends were getting hurt, and worse he couldn't remember any of it.

The Spirit came to him one night in his dreams where he proceeded to stalk over to his claim and stroke his hair nearly lovingly. Ryou moaned in response.

"Didn't I tell you I would change your life, little hikari?"

Ryou never had something so entirely terrifying that was all his.

A/N: This was a long one. Koe means voice and apparently in the Japanese version, that's what Ryou calls Bakura. Hikari is light. Originally, this was meant to be a 300 word drabble, but it kept going. It's also my first time writing tendershipping, so that could be the reason why I perhaps didn't get the spirit of the relationship.