Tendershippingfan7777 here! I won't take up too much of your time since I'm going to explain how the story is. Throughout the story, there are two different p.o.v's which are Ryou Bakura's and Bakura Touzoku's. The 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o indicates time change or the switch of p.o.v's that are mentioned! The italics indicate the individual's thoughts. I do not own any of these characters! Enjoy ^~^
Ryou's P.o.v
He hates me. I know he does. He treats me like garbage everyday. He makes me feel dead with every word he spits at me. He doesn't care the slightest about me. He has proven how much he despises me with all the pain he puts me through. And tonight, for the first time, I wish he won't come home. Yesterday, he beat me up for nearly 2 hours just because I bumped into him on my way to the bathroom. The bruises will go away someday, but the pain won't. Tears start flowing down my face and before I know it, I crumple down on the kitchen floor. Everyday, I break down when he's not at home because I can't stand hearing him say how weak and pathetic I am. He's always hurting me emotionally and physically so why even bother living? He'll be happy if I leave forever, right? The kitchen floor feels cold just like him. Always cold. Too bad I'm going to have to die young...
Bakura's P.o.v
"You must really like him, Bakura!"
Marik giggled. Clearly he was drunk because he'll never say that stupid crap whenever he's not. I cast him a cold glare.
"Don't be stupid, Marik. More than anything I hate Ryou. He's so weak and soft, it disgusts me."
I take a sip from my beer and wait for him to finish his seventh can of beer. He merely blinks at me and grins like an idiot.
"I've seen the way you look at him, Bakura! And believe me, it's not a look full of pity and hate! It's more like a lovesick cow ~!"
I scoff at him, my fists ready to punch him right on the nose. My attention turns to the people's bodies swaying on the dance floor. Those fools. How can everyone have a good life while I don't? Instead, I'm stuck with the person I pity the most. But at the same time the person I'm in love with. Sadly, my pride won't allow me to accept my feelings towards my hikari. I'm supposed to be more badass than Kaiba, not a lovesick idiot for Ra's sake!
"Whatever, Marik. Babble all you want. I'm out of here."
I grab my can and exit the bar, leaving a very dazed and flushed Marik sitting on the counter. I wonder if Ryou ever misses me while I'm out with Marik. Probably not. I mean, after the beating I gave him yesterday, he must hate me now. Not only that beating but the others as well. He looked so happy when I first arrived at his house and said that I'll be staying with him for a while. He gladly took me by his arms and said I could stay with him as long I want. So I did. For the first week, I let him be and minded my own business. But after a while, he started to get clumsy and all flushy with me. The first beating was when he first hugged me. After nearly 4 hours of punches and kicks, I snarled at him, "Don't you ever touch me again." He nodded weakly and locked himself in his room. I stood on the other side of the door only to hear him crying and sobbing quietly. I wanted to comfort him so bad , but I didn't. I couldn't let him know that I actually cared for him. He deserves someone way better than me.
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Knock. Knock.
"Hikari?"
Silence.
"Landlord? Are you in there?"
Panic rose up inside my chest. 'Isn't Ryou supposed to be home already? Wait! What if something bad happened to him? He always gets the door after the first two knocks, so why isn't he answering?'
/ Hikari? /
'His mind link is sealed off? But he always leaves our mind link open for me...'
/ That's it! Wait till I get inside, you bloody idiot! /
I kicked the door with all my force and sent it down on the ground. 'We can buy a new door later.' I scanned the living room carefully only to find no sign of Ryou.
"Yanodoushi! If you don't respond in 3 seconds, I'm going to punish you far worse than yesterday!"
Still no answer.
"3!"
...
"2!"
...
"1!"
...
"You're bloody dead!"
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Ryou's p.o.v
"You're bloody dead!"
I woke up only to hear those words progress through my brain and panicked. 'Oh Ra... how did Bakura enter without me unlocking the door? Damn! I didn't open the door!' I was about to get up from the floor when I felt a foot kick me back down. Yelping in pain, I scrambled to the far corner of our kitchen and wished to be invisible just for right now. Bakura was eyeing me with fury in his glare, his fists clenched, and his fangs bared. He took a glance at me and scoffed.
"You're pathetic. Is that why nobody likes you, yanodoushi? Because you're too weak and soft? Poor foolish landlord"
I didn't respond to that. I couldn't respond to that. Because I knew everything he said was true and there's no denying it. Tears started to swell up my eyes and I knew he was giving me a look of pity already.
"Why won't you just go and kill yourself already?! Nobody wants you in this world anyways! Your existence disgusts me!"
That's when I exploded with rage and hurt. I didn't care if he beat me up to the death anymore.
"Shut up, Bakura! Just shut the hell up already! You think I haven't thought about killing myself?! You think I enjoy living in a world where you treat me like a virus and were nobody wants to be around me?! You think I like the way you talk to me and how you abuse me everyday?! You think I enjoy every second of this worthless life?! Well, guess what Bakura?! I DON'T! I HATE EVERY SECOND OF IT! I'M TIRED OF YOU TELLING ME WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO! I'M TIRED OF YOUR ABUSE! I'M TIRED OF YOU PUTTING ME DOWN ALL THE TIME AND HOW YOUR WORDS TORMENT MY THOUGHTS! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF BREATHING ALREADY! I LOVED YOU, BAKURA! BUT YOU NEVER ACCEPTED IT OR RETURNED BACK ANY AFFECTION! WHY SHOULD I LIVE ANYWAYS?! WHY AM I EVEN ALIVE RIGHT NOW?! GO AHEAD AND KILL ME THEN! IF YOU DESPERATELY WANT ME OUT OF THIS STUPID WORLD, KILL ME!"
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Bakura's p.o.v
I froze. I had no idea that Ryou felt this way. Even when I beat him up bad, he would always smile through the pain. And it was a real smile. Not the fake ones he would always give to his so-called-friends. What surprised me the most was when he said he loved me. How could he love a monster like me? Someone who put him through pain for 3 entire years?
"Ryou..."
His eyes widened in fear though I don't know why. Then he clenched his teeth and glared at me with cold eyes.
"Don't."
But I didn't listen to him. He's wasn't going walk away this time with pain in his heart.
"Ryo-"
"DON'T, BAKURA! JUST DON'T! DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME BY MY NAME AFTER ALL THIS TIME! WHY ARE YOU TORTURING ME LIKE THIS?! WHY DO YOU LOVE TO SEE ME IN PAIN SO MUCH?! JUST END MY LIFE ALREADY!"
I blinked at him in confusion. I cause him pain just by saying his name?
"Landlord," I start out calmly, watching his tension melt away a little. "Please... just hear me out."
"NO!"
Anger boiled inside me and without thinking, I yanked him off the floor and held his hands firmly so he won't escape. Ryou's eyes widened more as he tried to break free from my grasp. But after no success, he slumped his shoulders in defeat and started to whimper.
"Please, Bakura. Please, just let me go. I promise you won't ever see me again. I promise I'll leave you alone forever but you have to let me go... Please, don't hurt me anymore..."
I sighed tiredly. 'Why won't you just believe me, Ry? I'm trying to make things right but you won't let me. Why don't you just hear me out? What I least want is to let you go and never see you again. The truth is... I need you. I need you more than you'll ever know. I've always loved you ever since we united as one but never showed it. I've always been there to lookout for you even if you didn't realize it. I love you, Ry. But you're willing to leave without me saying it to you...'
"Don't say it..."
I looked at him in surprise for a bit before realizing that our mind link was connected. Reluctantly, I wrapped my arms around his trembling body and pecked his forehead gently. His breathing started to get heavy, but he didn't fight back.
"Ok...I won't say it if it hurts you.. But there's an important thing I want to ask you.. If you let me."
He looked up to me questioningly but doubtful at the same time, his eyes swollen from crying. I don't blame him for doubting my good intentions since I have given him a reason to.
"Would you give me a chance to show you that I can change? And I promise if I ever hurt you again… I'll leave forever. I just want one chance.. That's all I'm asking. Just one."
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Ryou's p.o.v
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Bakura.. asking me for a chance? I was always the one asking him for chances so he wouldn't hurt me. What if.. He kills me? What if this is the last chance for me to live? I didn't wanted to risk it but the way he was staring at me with regret in his eyes started to get to me. I could tell that he actually meant it. He cleared his throat nervously as he waited for me to answer which interrupted my thoughts.
"Um.."
"Remember that you don't have to give me a chance, landlord. You can simply tell me to leave."
"Bakura… Just one chance, okay?"
"...Ok.. well I guess I'll start off by healing your injuries."
I felt my face redden a little at the thought of him touching my skin to heal me and quickly looked away so he wouldn't notice. But I knew I had failed since I heard him chuckle in amusement. This was going to be a long way to trust him again.
