Title: Stockholm-syndrome

Pairing: Yami(Atem)xYugi, Bakura(Akefia)xRyou, maybe some SetoxJoey (not sure yet)

Summary: After white-washing money to pay for his grandfather's surgery, Yugi is convicted to two years of prison. Being the smaller guy around, he's finding it difficult to survive the harsh treatment and to fight back, as a result he's being abused, and to top it off, the worst criminal of all decides he can't stand the likes of him. YamixYugi

Warning: yaoi, violence, abuse, rape, murder, … pretty much everything I know you want to read

Chapter one: instant dislike

There aren't many exciting things that happen in jail, especially since an average day consists of working, eating, more working, more eating, and than after reading a book or having played a game of chess for the hundredth time, simply going back to bed. Prison in Japan was pretty harsh, but aside from the many things one would hear about jail in Japan, it was not cruel. It was, to put it more bluntly, fair. There was little interaction aside from the one-hour of free time they got every day, three hours on Sundays. Prisoners were not allowed to talk during working hours which was nine hours a day, and work itself was pressing but never overgrown. The guards treated you so indifferently that you might as well be the first random stranger they found on the streets and given directions, that was if you played by the rules. Aside from that, there was little violence, the food was proper, and the accommodations were enough. And enough was what a prison had to provide, never too much.

Yugi Motou was a well-faired kid, not the rich type or anything, but hard-working and caring. You can imagine his fright upon entering the constrictions of the cement building, his hands cuffed and escorted by two guards to his cell, which was, compared to American prisons, single. No roommate to talk to, or rape you in any cases.

No, Yugi was quite the well-behaved adolescent. He was only twenty but already in jail, and for what act! He had white-washed tax money from the company he worked for in order to pay off debts for surgery and the hospital for his grandfather, the only human being in his life that he truly cared for and could not afford to lose, just like he could not afford the surgery. Of course he was ashamed of his actions, but even if he got the opportunity of rerunning that part of his life again, he'd do it all over. If only for the sake of his beloved grandpa, he'd go through the endless amount of stress and guilt again, fearing every day of his life that he would get caught, get fired, got send to jail and probably amount to nothing in the end. Even if it meant he'd never get a proper, well-paid job after that, he'd still do it all over again. Because that was simply who he was.

Upon entering his room, Yugi was silent as the guard walked him in and closed the door behind him. His blonde bangs covered the guilt projected in his eyes while he watched the floor intently, sighing deeply as he finally sat down on his bed and wandered over the little supplements he had in his room. They would suffice, they had never lived with much back when Yugi was still a child, so this would do just fine. After all, it was only two years of jail, he'd survive.

Funny how naïve he is.

Across from his cell, but still a few rooms next to Yugi's, a man age 26 lied still in his bed, tossing with what appeared like a tiny, plastic ball in the air and catching it, redoing the action over and over again as a means of entertainment. Anything was better than dying away in his cell out of pure boredom. He usually managed to snatch away something and hide it in his clothes before being escorted back to their rooms. It kept him distracted and his mind of his pressing urge to strangle someone in this confinement simply for the sake of killing. Have I mentioned that he was in jail for murder? About twelve times to be precise, two attempted but failed. That, and the illegal use of drugs. There was just something about the thrill of killing that made him feel alive, even if he lost a piece of his soul with every other victim he slaughtered. It was a secret, annoying voice in his head that coaxed him into doing it, and as much as he tried to ignore it, he always ended up listening to it in the end. He even tried several sedatives in the hopes of perhaps not hearing the voice again, but it always returned afterwards. Hungry for murder, hungry for pain.

"Yo, Yami. Psst."

The said person, Yami, known as the serial killer Yami no Game, although his real name was not open to public and therefor also unknown to the other prisoners. That said person rolled his eyes as he recognized the voice of his inmate, one cell next to his. Unbothered, he continued throwing the ball up and catching it, a blank expression on his face.

"What,."

It hardly sounded like a question, rather an automatic response to let his inmate know he was awake, but too aggitated to care for what he had to say.

"Did you see that newbie pass when they walked him to his cell?"

"No."

While Bakura attempted to whisper, Yami did not. He couldn't care that a guard would hear him, they were after all, pretty much afraid of him and preferred not to mingle too much with the murderer.

"What do you mean, no?! He walked right passed our cell?!"

"HEY, SHUT IT!"

A guard across the hall shouted as Bakura raised his voice. The white-haired man rolled his eyes and waited a few more minutes to make sure the guard was walking further on his patrol until he continued speaking.

"He was a real dandy, won't last a week, was even smaller than you. Will probably get raped in two days. Should be fun."

Bakura grinned wickedly, even if his 'friend' could not see it. He kept his pleasure in jail by picking on the newbies who were treated poorly upon their arrival. They were always scared and deferences on their first weeks, still needed to learn the hard way. Everyone pretty much got molested in here the first week, even with the tight security. Bakura very much though of it as an ordeal, like a trial every newbie had to suffer in order to either be accepted as one of them, or abused like a dog till the last day.

"I don't care." Yami finally responded, his eyes still fixed on the ball he was tossing above his head. Even if the urge to kill someone this very instant still raced through his veins, he didn't care. He was just... tired.

Working in a prison was tedious and repetitive, but it helped to pass the excess of time each prisoner had in this shithole. Yugi was no different to that. He had been used to working on the production line in a gaming company, probably the lowest of low jobs in the entire billionaire company, aside from perhaps the cleaning staff. This work wasn't any different, and it kept his mind of worrying for his grandfather and the guilt he still felt. It was only his second day in prison, most inmates had left him alone during dinner and free time, which was fine by Yugi, if they only knew how much he feared them.

Things remained plain during lunch. Yugi sat alone on a table with rice and eggs in front of him, eating very little bites, so careful it was almost pathetic to watch. As if he would break it if he ate it too carelessly. Again, he received multiple stares from other prisoners, but decided to ignore them. He thought best not to provoke them by looking directly back at them.

As Yugi kept nibbling on his food, a guy suddenly dropped his plate in front of him and leisurely took a seat across him. Yugi shrieked, his senses on sharp as he realized someone had approached him, but when he looked up, he was greeted with a steady smirk and confident eyes. The guy wasn't much older than Yugi, although he was taller and had blonde hair with brown eyes.

"Yo." He simply greeted and smiled at the newbie, at which Yugi was confused by his very normal and actually kind greeting.

"Hye," he responded and smiled back. The guy seemed nice enough to trust, but still Yugi kept a firm grip on his emotions. He knew from experience that he was soft at heart and naïve, being in jail only made matters worse. You never know who you're gonna meet.

"Jonouchi Katsuya." He stated firmly and pointed at himself with his thumb.

"Yugi Muto," the younger one greeted. The blonde seemed turbulent but at most easy to be around, as if he were the type of guy who would get along with anyone. If it weren't for the fact that they were behind bars, Yugi might've liked him as a friend.

"What ya in for?" He asked without being prude about it, after all it was a pretty common question to ask in jail. The inquiry was a lot like asking someone if they liked cricket on a sports convention. "You don't really seem like the type to hurt anyone, so what'd you do? Spit on a cop? Stole a necklace for your girlfriend?"

As if to lighten the topic, Jounouchi summarized different minor offenses of which he thought Yugi would be capable of. A joyous grin reached his face while looking at Yugi, to which the boy smiled back but failed to hide the guilt that came along with his revelation. "White-washing..."

"Ah, figures!," Jou called and loudly slapped his own leg as a way to express his surprise, even though it was sarcastic. "Geez, if they only knew how much money inevitably 'disappeared' in the business world, fucking cheapskates."

"Y-yeah," While Yugi's response wasn't meant as query, it filtered out as though he sounded surprised by that statement as if he understood that Jou knew what he was talking about. The profile of a big shot didn't fit this blonde at all, so it didn't really make any sense to him. As if Jou picked it up, he responded the subtle doubt himself. "My – friend's a CEO, complains a lot about his job, you know."

That lingering moment in which Jou had so abruptly halted before continuing his sentence told Yugi that, the man whom he was talking about, was everything but just a friend to Joey. Understanding that he did not want to out the fact since they were after all in a male prison, Yugi decided to drop it and pretend he hadn't noticed. Jou appreciated that, and decided then and there that he instantly liked the kid.

"How long have you got?" Yugi asked, continuing their casual chatting.

"About three more years, just some robbery, nothing violent or anything, ya know. Mostly it was just stealin' cars and then reselling them for some profit. I mostly did it to pay for my sister's surgery anyway."

"I see." Yugi looked up from his food to meet Jou's glimpsing eyes, sharing a feeling of compassion and understanding. The two seemed to respect each other, and Jou figured Yugi knew what he was talking about from experience. "Is it hard? I mean, living here and all..." Yugi asked, slightly hesitant because he wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer at all.

"It's boring, but not terrible. You just – live, ya know?" That didn't make a whole lot of sense to Yugi, but okay. If he would be bored but alive he would be fine, right?

Fuck this fucking act, he was pretty much shitting his own pants and Jounouchi could tell just by looking at the guy.

"You'll be fine kiddo, just dig in your heels. You gotta bite off man, you don't want them guys to start bothering you just because you look like you're about to cry any minute."

"Bothering me? What do you mean?"

As if Yugi truly did not understand what the blonde was talking about, Joey frowned and felt the urge to slap his own face.

"Look around ya, Yug'. Those glares you're gettin'? You like, the closest thing to a girl those guys've seen in years! I'd watch my back if I were you."

Yugi gulped, nearly choking on his food. He'd known he was pretty small and lean for a guy his age, always has been, but a girl?! And what did Jounouchi even mean by that? That he was...

"I-is that a good thing?"

Jounouchi eventually slapped his own face with his hand. "Gosh, you really are naïve, aren't ya." He couldn't help but cringe at how innocently Yugi looked at him with a questioned face. "It means you can't reach for the soap in the shower, Yug'."

"... oh." Now that he looked around him, he suddenly noticed how many men were preparing themselves to attack head on whenever the opportunity presented itself. Swiftly, he turned his face to his own table again, pupils shrinking considerably now that he realized the danger he was in. He was going to die here after all.

"Relax, I'll help ya out. I've been around these assholes for a whole two years now and they didn't even try once."

"Yeah, okay Jounouchi but look at me! I'm the worst situation possible to end up in jail and I'm not exactly a strong guy or anything, I mean, what if – oh god I'm screwed! I'm gonna get skinned alive in here! They'll –"

"Keep you voice down, idiot!" Jou muffled his hand on the boy's mouth, effectively shutting him up before he continued blabbering in his rampage. Looking around, he noticed a pair of crimson eyes that he tried to avoid drawing attention from as most as possible. The only reason why that guy hadn't laid a finger on him was simply because he was Seto's cousin, and therefore off limits to Yami.

While keeping his hand on Yugi's mouth, the deadly eyes finally slipped past and Jou released his held breath after deciding the threat was over, so he let go his hand and with the same, pulled Yugi closer at the hem of his shirt, so close that they could only hear each other and Yugi was finding it exceptionally difficult to compose his blush.

"Listen, whatever you do, you don't want to mess with that guy. Understand?"

It was short and sturdy, but it got the message cross. Yugi nodded slowly, listening how the guards announced their break was over and were required to go back to work. He looked past Jou's shoulder to see which man he was talking about, and locked eyes with such a deep hue of red that it reminded him of blood. Jou had never told him which man he was talking about, but from the moment he saw him, Yugi already knew.

He scared the living shit out of him.

It had only been a few days since Yugi was admissioned in jail, and yet his grandfather was already at the door demanding to see his grandson. Visiting hours were only once a week in Japan, on Thursday evenings to be precise, and that was why the old man had decided to pick out this day to come and see how Yugi was holding up. Yet Yugi was rather reluctant to meet his grandpa for the first time now that he was behind bars. He knew that the old man held no grudge toward him whatsoever, in fact, he probably thought of him as a hero, and yet Yugi was unsure if he would be able to remain steady without blinking away a tear. He had always been emotional, and prison life wasn't something cheery to talk about either.

While following a guard towards his phone booth, Yugi's eyes suddenly stumbled on a man behind glass whom looked awfully familiar, but he couldn't pinpoint where he had exactly seen him before. He was pretty sure the man had something to do with his previous job, but then again the company he had worked for was so big that the only boss he had ever met or worked for was probably but a subordinate. Who knows in which rank of the hierarchy this man resided.

Briefly, an ice-cold glare wandered across him, making Yugi's skin shiver as he had never felt so naked before in his life. The man's eyes were so hard they actually scared him, while he was at the other, safer side of the glass wall. Whereas his dark, chocolate brown hair was combed in perfection and seemed so elegant and soft, the grip on the phone told Yugi he was everything but. He held it sturdy, as if the device would crack in two any moment, and if his mood got the better of him, the man might perhaps be capable of smashing the glass window that separated visitors from offender. Who was he talking to anyway?

Just before Yugi walked past them to follow the guard to his own visit, he felt the lethal burn of crimson eyes residing on him, watching him pass before he would continue his talk with the blue-eyed man. In that split second, Yugi felt his breathing quicken dramatically at the knowledge of whom he had just locked eyes with, a devastating fear making him sweat profoundly in a matter of seconds. He quickly looked in front of him, calming himself by watching the warden casually strolling in front of him, reminding him he should be safe by not digging any deeper. Even if he though that man had the most interesting eyes he had ever seen in his life.

He sat down after the guard told him to, greeted by a pair of the same coloured only slightly darker, and the previous thoughts of angst died away.

"Grandpa!"

He saw his grandfather return the greeting by pronouncing his name, but for an odd reason could not hear it. It was only after his grandpa pointed at the telephone that he realized they couldn't hear each other without it.

"Grandpa, I'm so happy to see you! How are you? Are you doing fine on your own?"

"I'm fine, Yugi. God, I was so worried about you. How are you holding up? Are they treating you alright?"

"It's, it's fine, really," with a poor excuse of a smile, Yugi brushed away the obvious worry that showed on his grandfather's face. He would, by no means, make him feel any more guilty by telling him in descriptive words how hard living in this constitution was.

"It's my fault you're in here –"

"Grandpa, we've been through this. I made a choice, and I don't regret a second of it."

There was tense silence at the other end of the line, and then a long, deep sigh from an old man whom had given up on an argument. He understood Yugi's decision, he had decided after all that he would take the risk if it meant rescuing his only living relative. Well, his father was still alive but, Yugi had lost all contact with the man and he hadn't even shown up for his conviction, let alone call him. From the little exchanges they had had after his mother had divorced him and soon after had died from breast-cancer, they had only shared short, meaningless letters with such little devotion or love that Yugi preferred not receiving them over the few he did.

"I'm sorry, I just – I wish there was a way to help you out. You know I'd do anything for that." His wrinkly cheeks formed a sympathetic smile, but Yugi noticed the glaze in his eyes.

"I know, grandpa. Don't worry about me, okay? It'll only be two years, I'll be fine."

Two years was, of course, an awful long time if you thought about it, but Yugi brushed it off. Deciding to change to topic to a merrier matter, he asked away as to what his grandpa had been doing now that he was all alone, if he enjoyed the silence and a grandchild-free vacation, what he had been eating, etc. And after a while, Solomon asked the same questions back, and they just chatted for a while, once in a while laughing, once in a while swallowing the tears.

And a few boots away, the same crimson-eyed man whom had rounded up his visit, stood up and stared menacingly at the puny guy whom he had seen around before, but for the life of him could not remember his name. His frown creased by the sight of the smiling child, chatting away without worry, before the guard told him to return to his cell immediately.

Having made a new friend was good, actually, Yugi should count his blessings. Or rather count the attempts of rape in the showers from which Jounouchi saved him. He didn't know why Jounouchi was so protective over him and never asked either, avoiding to trod any thin-iced subjects with his new friend. They got along just fine like that, sat together during lunch, played games during free hours, talked about the things they wanted to do after getting out of jail, that sort of things. It was nice to have someone so protective over you, especially in a place like this.

After about two weeks, Yugi and Jou were playing chess again during their free time.

"For fuck's sake, am I ever gonna beat ya? You're starting to annoy the shit out of me!"

Yugi just chuckled, watching his friend almost pulling out his own hair in frustration. Jou wasn't any good at chess, but it didn't mean his competitive strike was any less. In fact, he was the one who insisted on playing every day and growled and yelled every time he lost. It was quite the show.

"Let's face it, Katsuya, you're never gonna beat him. I couldn't either." Another inmate, whom Yugi and Jou got along with (and I emphasize 'getting along', friends wasn't nearly what they'd call each other), called Rafael stood, leaning against the supporting pole while having witnessed the friendly game, watching his nails in fascination as he had this strange habit of scratching the skin around his nails off until it started bleeding. They didn't really like each other, but they respected each other enough not to trespass any boundaries. He was a tall man, twice a head above Yugi's, with broad shoulders and well-built muscles. He was in for rape and abuse. Yugi couldn't help but not like this man, however he never mentioned it.

"Shut it, Raf! He stamped you well in the ground last time too! You ain't any better than me, fuck-face!"

"Chill out, sweetheart. I never said I was."

The room was filled with laughter as it seemed the shrimp of the group had, once again, defeated his opponent within the blink of an eye. What they first though to be a wallflower, mistakenly put in prison for false charges because there was no way in hell a kid like him could've done something wrong so bad he'd end up in jail, had now earned their respect. The other prisoners thought of Yugi's skill as fascinating, and rewarded him with a pet on the back or a thumbs up over much appreciated entertainment, something they lacked in prison. So it was nice to have an interesting addition like Yugi suddenly showing up and excelling at something like games.

However, the laughter suddenly died down in unbareble silence, and the eagerness from before made place for tension and fear. All men, even the more muscled and biggest ones amongst them, shifted in fear when one person in particular stomped down their direction, and even if that said person was a head smaller than all of them, they all parted for the man to pass through. Yugi watched in agony as the serial killer Jounouchi had mentioned before, the one he was never supposed to even make eye-contact with, now stood before him, his frown challenging and with a menacing smirk on his face. Without so much of a word, the tanned man pulled back the chair before Yugi, already empty from his previous opponent that had fled it as soon as Yami walked toward them, nonchalantly plumping down it and placing his shoes on the table next to the chess game, one leg crossing the other. He picked in utter bore at his nails, no less fascinated by the person before him, as his monotonous voice deeply pronounced his words.

"Let's have a game." He spoke and after glaring at his fingers a few more seconds, Yami finally looked up to meet Yugi's violet eyes, provoking him as if this was a matter of life and death. Yugi gulped audibly while the men around them gasped and whistled, entertained and interested where this was heading. Yami had, after all, earned his nickname Yami no Game for a reason.

"I-I really don't – I'd loose anyway. M-maybe it's better if I –"

"You didn't think you'd have a choice, did you?"

Yugi's pupils decreased in size while watching the bitter aura of the man in front of him, his body visibly shivering from the provocation. Yami seemed impossibly persistent, and ultimately the person whom liked to do things his way. Change the game and you'd get on his nerves, decline it, and he would smother you in your sleep. With the nervousness now evident in Yugi's shaking hand, he was about to respond when Yami intervened.

"And don't think to go easy on me. Unless you want to drink your dinner through a straw for the rest of your life."

While Yami's words were spoken rather apathetic, the men around them oohed as they watched how Yugi was going to get himself out of this situation. The truth was, there was no exit. Yami always got what he wanted, and this was no exception. The only thing Yugi really could do was play the game and hope that he would loose as to not get on Yami's bad side. He would want to leave this prison eventually without having to worry about a serial killer going after him.

As Bakura, his lapdog as most inmates referred to him, announced the start of the game, everyone watched with eager as the two opponents placed one pawn after another, and slowly but surely, the first one fell, and then the second, then the third. Everyone seemed riled up, even some of the guards peeked their heads above the mass to witness the game of the year. Every time another pawn was defeated, gasps, and shouts were heard, so loud that it seemed the warders were too engrossed with the game themselves to really care.

Yugi was breaking out in a cold sweat. He tried hard to suppress any strategic reflexes that would guarantee his victory, but his brain worked with too much logic to neglect it. That, and he was scared Yami would notice if he held back. Once in a while Yugi would look up with worry, watching as the man before him carefully considered his next step before looking up himself, their eyes crossing for a brief second and sending shivers down Yugi's spine. If looks could kill.

He noticed how Yami was starting to collect Yugi's pawns, having an obvious advantage now in the game that allowed him a glimpse of his soon-to-come victory. The tentative smirk that had resided on his face before was slipping upside down, obviously growing bored of the game as he could already tell he was about to win. Yugi noticed the lack of attention that came with it, but made no remark (he wasn't in any position to do that anyway), instead he focused on his next move, resting his chin in his hand. The other prisoners around them grew frustrated by the long waiting, eager to discover who was about to win, and then, suddenly -

"Checkmate."

Yami's eyes were drawn to the board, as he had sat back in his chair and had been sulking around without taking interest in Yugi's move. The word Yugi had pronounced lingered in the back of his head, and upon witnessing his defeat, he grew stiff, eyes growing cold. Had that punk just pronounced a checkmate on him?

To most their surprise, the inmates reacted the same way. You'd think that after so much excitement and building tension, they'd lash out or at least shout when the climax was revealed, but everyone seemed weary, as if they expected the calm before the storm. It was in that split second, where Yami's withdrawn expression toppled over in furious rage, that he arched forward and grabbed Yugi by the hem of his shirt, dragging him over the board game and tumbling over the entire table in the process. The white around his eyes had turned pink, almost red, which added only more horror to his appearance, with his grinding teeth that looked like they were about to bite Yugi's head off. Five more seconds and he would've shat his own pants.

"I'LL BREAK EVERY FUCKING BONE IN YOUR -"

Yugi watched Yami's bloodshed eyes vanish when Jounouchi had hit him in the face with such brutal force that the guy hit the floor and a stain of blood splashed on the tiles next to him. A loud growl escaped the serial killer's mouth when he got back on his knees and eyed the source of his intervention, the urge to kill evident on his face. Jou winced, only half-prepared to take the charge, Yami's shoulder punching him in his stomach and toppling him over. He fell face-forward on the floor, blood leaking through his mouth, before Yami turned him around and kicked his face with his foot so hard that there was an audible crack. The other inmates just watched as Jounouchi lied silently on the floor, unconscious, before Yugi wormed in between to help out his friend.

"Stop it you're going to kill him!"

As if the crowd wasn't surprised enough, they were dumbstruck by the valour Yugi proved by pushing Yami away from his friend. The gesture however, was not much appreciated by the murderer who was by now on edge and furious by the lack of respect this kid showed before him. If he couldn't kill someone right now, he was sure to keep hearing that voice in his head for the rest of the week until he finally would. It was an urge that he couldn't control, and he had to get rid of these frustrations right now. And Yugi, this vexing, infuriating punk who thought he could get away with what he had just done, was the perfect solution to his quirk.

Yugi felt the impact of the blow on his right cheek when a fist hit it, but it happened so fast that he hadn't seen it coming. Having closed his eyes in pain, he opened them only half and found himself in a compromising position on the ground, Yami on top of him, fist in the air ready to punch the living daylight out of him and hopefully, close those damned Amethyst eyes forever. The last thing he saw were eyes so menacing and bloodshed before he pierced his own shut again to take the impact. He winced, afraid of what was about to come.

But nothing came.

Yugi opened his eyes as nothing happened. Yami's eyes rolled back to his head before he fell on his side, unconscious. Some guards walked over to them while one popped out the sedative in his neck and the others started dragging his body down to the infirmary. They asked if he was fine, but Yugi could not bring himself to answer. How close had he just been to death? And that after being only two weeks in jail? What was the chance of it happening again soon?

Silently, he spilled some tears before collecting himself of the ground. He reminded himself that there was no way in hell he was going to leave this shithole unharmed.