Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh or the song "Hate Me."

Summery: (Song-fic) Yami Bakura becomes more lenient toward Ryou, but does Ryou want Yami Bakura like that?

Warning: This is kind of a what-if story. It's OOC Yami Bakura, because what if he started to care about his host? Yeah, right! But the thought wouldn't leave me alone, so I wrote it down.

This is my first completed and posted fanfic. I hope you like it!

Hate Me, Bakura

Yami Bakura sat ever present in the back of his light's mind. Ryou knew he was there, yet made no indication that he was aware of it. He merely sat at his desk and started the homework he had received from school that day.

Truth be told, the yami was brooding, paying attention to his hikari only to finally find out what his host thought about him. He had oddly become more attached to Ryou in the past few months, stopping himself from causing as much damage to his host as he used to…he found himself wondering why.

Ryou absentmindedly flicked on the radio, shuffling through the stations as he searched for something to listen to. He found one and focused on his Calculus homework again.

After a few songs, Yami Bakura realized he was listening to one his hikari seemed to favor. Indeed, Ryou reclined back in his chair and closed his eyes, taking a break from the difficult work, whispering along.

I have to block out thoughts of you so I don't lose my head.
They crawl in like a cockroach leaving babies in my bed.

Suddenly, the dark wondered if this was the song form of Ryou's thoughts toward him. It certainly wouldn't surprise him, that his hikari would try his hardest to ignore the voice that was constantly there in the back of his mind…


Dropping little reels of tape to remind me that I'm alone,
playing movies in my head that make a porno feel like home.

'But, you're not alone,' Yami Bakura thought to himself. 'I'm always with you.' However, the thief admitted Ryou had been pushing his old friends away. What was that about porn, though? Ryou couldn't possibly house those feelings about the dark inside of him, could he?


There's a burning in my pride, a nervous bleeding in my brain,
an ounce of peace is all I want from you, will you never call again?

Again, this part didn't surprise the dark, yet it hurt for some reason. Ryou probably did wish he had never been given the millennium ring, never had to face some of the horrors that he had. The yami shuddered internally, feeling strangely guilty for what he had put the hikari through. Dammit, why was he so confused all of a sudden?

And will you never say that you love me, just to put it in my face?
And will you never try to reach me, it is I that wanted space...

Perhaps he should leave Ryou alone…if that was truly what he wanted. The thought shot a spasm of pain through Yami Bakura's chest.

Ryou's whispers seemed to become a little more emotional...a little more pleading.

Hate me today,
hate me tomorrow.
Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you

Wait, the hikari wanted his dark to hate him? Shouldn't he be glad that Yami Bakura was relenting a little? Why this all of a sudden?

The song continued on, this time mirroring the yami's experiences instead.

I'm sober now for 3 whole months, that's one accomplishment that you helped me with.
The one thing that always tore us apart is the one thing I won't touch again.

This, too, was true. Ryou's Yami hadn't even attempted to steal Yugi's millennium puzzle in the past few months. His obsession had weakened considerably. Still, he couldn't quite believe he would leave the coveted item alone permanently, but for the time being, he was content to ignore the nagging want in the back of his mind.

In a sick way I want to thank you for holding my head up late at night,
while I was busy waging wars on myself, you were trying to stop the fight.

Yes, for a while, Yami Bakura had argued with himself over the correct way to get what he wanted. Of course, the reason Ryou had tried to stop him was to protect his friends, but now he wondered if maybe that wasn't the only reason…

You never doubted my warped opinions on things like suicidal hate.
You made me compliment myself when it was way too hard to take.
So I'll drive so f-ing far away that I'll never cross your mind,
and do whatever it takes in your heart to leave me behind.

Yami Bakura thought about if he could leave…could he force himself if it was really what his hikari wanted, or even if he himself wanted to? How could he be so fond of his light, now? All he had used Ryou for was a vessel, and yet the stronger Ryou fought against him, the more he had grown to respect the boy. He had to be becoming weak…

Hate me today,
hate me tomorrow.
Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you.
Hate me in ways,
yeah ways hard to swallow.
Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you.

It would be so much better if Yami Bakura could hear Ryou saying hateful words to him. Maybe it would make this easier, but Ryou always had that same smile, was always kind and gentle. He could make anyone warm up to him. 'Even me…' the thief thought ruefully.

Just like that, the song shifted to what could possibly be the very near future.

And with a sad heart I say bye to you and wave.
Kicking shadows on the street for every mistake that I have made.

Yami Bakura chuckled humorlessly to himself. He'd made a lot of mistakes, but he'd never just kicked the shadows; he'd controlled them. Perhaps that was just another mistake itself. They had consumed him; now they were trying to consume Ryou. Would he make things worse by leaving Ryou at this point?

And like a baby boy, I never was a man,
'til I saw your blue eyes cry, and I held your face in my hand.

The ancient thief supposed he never had grown up totally. His soul had been trapped far too early in his life for him to do anything except dwell on what he hadn't been able to accomplish for the next few millennia. He might have taken that chance away from Ryou, too.

And then I fell down yelling make it go away,
just make her smile come back and shine just like it used to be.
And then she whispered, "How could you do this to me?"

"Why are you doing this, Yami?" Ryou whispered, tears beginning to fall from his brown eyes.

The thief couldn't answer his hikari immediately. Ryou knew he was there? Did he actually want an answer?


Hate me today,
hate me tomorrow.
Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you.
Hate me in ways,
yeah ways hard to swallow.
Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you...

"Yami…please tell me…" the hikari begged as the song ended.

The spirit appeared before Ryou, perched lightly on the desk. The boy shakily drew up his head to stare at his yami with tear-filled eyes.

"Tell you what?" Yami Bakura asked, confused at what Ryou was requesting.

"Why this…? Why have you stopped being so mean to me? I can't understand, anymore. Sometimes I think it was easier when I knew what you were doing, and why you were doing it. Now…you're not the same, and it's confusing me…" Ryou admitted. "It was easier when I had a reason not to care about you, but that reason is gone, now…and I can't help wanting to be close to you..." he finished, blushing easily at the end of his speech and dropping his gaze. He was prepared for his yami to snap, but the thief just regarded him with a melancholy smile just short of a smirk.

"Isn't it obvious…?" the spirit said. "I don't want to hurt you anymore; you're too nice for your own good, but I'm closer to you than I have been to anyone in countless centuries. It's nice…and I find myself not wanting to lose it." Now it was Yami Bakura's turn to look away. "You've grown on me."

"…Same here…" Ryou agreed. "All of it…"

The thief looked back at his light. Perhaps his hikari did want him around still. "Ryou, could I be your partner…instead of just your master?" It was presumptuous to ask that of his host, but he needed to know if he was still wanted after everything he had caused.

Ryou smiled, wiping away the tears that marred his cheerful expression, and nodded. "I'd like that," he stated matter-of-factly. His new partner extended his hand, and Ryou took it, feeling the phantom touch, the symbol of their friendship.

The End!

I really hope you enjoyed this fic. Please review. All types of reviews are welcome, since they'll make me better at this. Be honest, please!