Okay, trying something I've never done before, so hopefully it turns out okay. Oh, and just to clear on one thing, I completely blame Seiri Yuki for the writing of this. (Heehee, hi my Random Steve from the Future buddy!) Oh, and I think this is sort of confusing, so I'll meet you at the bottom if you got lost or something.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. Sad, but true. (OMG, that's a Metallica song! Yay!!)

"Do you... hate me?"

He knew the moment the question had slipped out of his mouth that he shouldn't have ever asked it. It was a stupid question, because deep in his heart he already knew the answer. Hearing it directed at him would do nothing more than to make it harder to deny this knowledge and cause him pain.

"What sort of question is that, hikari?"

A cruel, hard, amused smirk. There was something so terrifying about seeing his own features distorted and reflected back at him in that chillingly cold manner. He shivered. And the smirk grew.

"N-nevermind. I-it was st-stupid anyways."

He's stuttering. He only does it when he's nervous. They both know that.

"Answer it."

Such a harsh and powerful voice. It's his own voice isn't it?, but so different at the same time. Everything else is the same, so why would this one feature be different? It probably isn't, but he can't help but think that he could never make his own voice sound like that icy one.

"I... I just wanted to know..."

He wants to look away and hide his show of embarrassment. It's weakness, another thing they both know. Don't agree, usually never do, but they both know how the other thinks, and it's his opinion that matters. It's weakness, and he loves weakness.

"Do you now?"

Now the tone has changed again, but still cold, now just full of cruel trickery. He's toying with him. He showed weakness and he latched onto it like bait, and now he's toying. And that makes it so much worse. He shouldn't have asked. He should have never asked. What had he been thinking?

"...Y-yes..."

"Couldn't hear you hikari."

"Yes!"

The smirk grows wider, revealing an unnaturally sharp canine. Sharp. A word made to describe him. Everything about him is sharp, and he, he is soft, gentle, and weak. He hasn't even said anything cruel yet and already he feels like a puppet with its strings cut, lying in a crumpled and broken heap on some pile of discarded junk. And it'll just get worse. It always gets worse.

"Do I hate you? Don't flatter yourself. I don't hate you. I don't feel anything for you, because you are nothing. You are only my host, and I could easily get another. So don't build up your confidence and act like you matter. I don't have time to crush it again, little hikari."

He hasn't hit him yet, but the pain feels the same either way. He would have preferred to be hit. That pain would go away. He should have just kept his mouth closed. Then he could have pretended like he knew he wasn't worthless.

"You... don't mean it."

"What?"

Sharp. Always so sharp. His own eyes looking back at him, but sharp as knives and just as deadly. And now for once the smirk was gone, instead showing only blank. Danger. Another thing they both know. He was giving him a chance to just shut up already and dig himself out of his hole before experiencing that danger. It was a warning meant to prevent him from going further, but it did just the opposite.

"You don't mean it."

Eyes like knives. Sharp knives. Now they changed, fiery and full of outrage. His own face, but twisted in rage and fury. Red pain. This time he did strike him.

"I mean every word I say."

Snarling, dangerous, like an animal. He was scared. He shook. Another sign of weakness. But he continued.

"No you don't! You care! I know you do!"

More hits, more pain.

"You're a liar! You aren't bad! I-I don't know what happened, but I feel pain! Your pain! And your guilt! You weren't always like this! You were once good!"

"Shut up! Shut up! Don't you dare speak to me like that! You know nothing about me!"

"I do! We're the same! I can feel it! Please, I can make it better! Let me help you!"

"Shut up! You don't know!"

"I do!"

"Why?! Why do you even care?! Just shut up!"

"Because I love you!"

Silence. The hits stop. The fit stops. The crazed outrage. The knife falls. A clatter. Then silence again. He watches carefully, for once not knowing what he will do. His face changes. From furious to blank. And then to...

He says nothing when he leaves. He does nothing. Doesn't hit him more or scream. Nothing. And it hurts as if the knife has been shoved into his gut. Sharp. He's sharp. And he can't help but to be cut.

00000

He cries himself to sleep that night. He watches. He expects loud, heart-wrenching sobs, but he barely hears even the softest of cries. What he does hear echoes in his mind.

"Hate me."

Who was that directed to? Him? It would be better if he hated him. He wouldn't be hurt then. Or was it to himself? He hated himself. For hurting him? It was ridiculous. His fault for getting so involved. His fault for thinking he could find something that had died years ago.

It's funny, but he can't laugh.

When he sleeps he leaves. Gets away. But when he closes his eyes he can only see him.

"Love you."

He knows who that one was for.

Agh! It's madness! (No, it's Sparta! Sorry, couldn't resist) I wrote Tendershipping! I never write Tendershipping! I heart Thiefshipping, so I tend to stick with that pairing. And so I blame Seiri Yuki because she's the only person I really know who enjoys Tendershipping, and so I've come to the conclusion that this idea of mine must be her fault, heehee XD Wahaha, I blame you with my awesome powers of blame-ness!

Okay, now that I've babbled, in the first section of this rather short fanfic, it was from Ryou's POV. And then the second little part switched to Bakura's. Yup. So anyways, leave me a review because it'd be uber nice!