AN: Woah, I haven't posted in forever...not that anyone really reads my stories, right?. . ..well I hope you like it. It's kinda cliche, but with a personal touch, centers on Ryou and his Yami. I'm still kinda new at writing, so please be kind and

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu bows Also I apologize if there are spelling/grammar errors, I currently have no working spellcheck...but I edited it.

Disclaimer: I no where near own Yu-Gi-Oh! In fact, I'm completely broke...but I love Bakura and Ryou

/hikari/

/yami/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Panting hard, Ryou was relieved to finally get to his front door. Of course, that relief quickly disappeared as his previous pain caught up with him, and he remembered what his yami was going to do to him for being late. Poor Ryou had gotten beat up again on his way home from school by that jerk Ushio and his cronies, and had passed out on the sidewalk, left for dead, for a couple of hours. He now carried a black eye and several bruises on his face and various other locations. But the pain didn't stop Ryou from running home, for he was far more afraid of what Bakura may do to him than anything Ushio could ever do. His yami would be especially mad because Ryou hadn't stood up for himself. But how was he supposed to stand up to five people at once?

He opened the door slowly so as not to make a sound. He stepped inside and carefully removed his shoes, replacing them with some slippers for indoors. He could feel the sweat trickly down the back of his neck and onto his shift. His yami was close, he could feel it. Ryou had seen this act many times before; all the lights turned off purposely and not a sound in the house. Bakura enjoyed sneaking up on Ryou unexpectedly, and then the pain would begin. Bakura's past experience as a tomb thief didn't help. As Ryou peered around carefully, he made his way to the living room. Where was his yami? Generally by now he would have at least come out to taunt him. The sensation of his yami getting closer, set Ryou into a blind panic, and since Ryou had lost quite a bit of blood, the sudden rush threw him into unconscousness. Behind him, the figure of his yami caught the now unconscous Ryou, and Ryou felt the last bit of his own control, fall out of his hands.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bakura had been waiting for Ryou for hours. He was furious, and was already planning in detail the beating he would give Ryou for being late. On top of that, Bakura could tell that Ryou was being hurt. 'Weakling. But lets not be mistaken, for his current captors will not go unpunished either.' It had surprised Bakura when, as he began to feel Ryou getting closer, a pain struck him.

'That weakling hikari of mine must be doing this; transferring his pain to me. I must admit he has a strong will, to be dealing with this sort of pain. I hadn't felt real pain like this in so long, I had forgotten how bad it really felt. Is this the kind of pain that I cause Ryou everytime I hit him?' Shaking the thought from his mind, he began to gain a little more control and began to compose himself. 'No, I don't hurt him bad. Anyway I don't beat him out of joy; only for punishments, or when he's being weak. I only beat him to make him stronger, and know who's in charge, and as far as I know, it's working.'

Although he tried to make this seem logical, he couldn't. Was that his real reason for hurting his light? It had always been easy to convince himself that it was for Ryou's own good, but now...lately he had wondered if beating Ryou was really helping his purpose. 'I mean, Ryou knows I do it for his own good, doesn't he?' As he felt Ryou right outside the house, he hid within the shadows of the already dark room, and prepared himself. 'I shouldn't have to justify my ways to him anyway so why should I care?' But in the recesses of his mind, he knew he was lying to himself. He had been hurt too, and the only thing he'd gotten out of such pain was his hatred (now unjustified) toward everyone around him. Even back in Egypt, before Kuruelna had been destroyed, he had been alone.

These thoughts, however, only further fueled his current anger...anger at Ryou for being late...anger at Ryou for making him worry and think about all of this. As Ryou had come into view at the entrance, Yami Bakura's plan faltered. He felt drops of liquid emotion welling up in his mind as he saw how hurt and scared Ryou really was.

A memory seemed to flash by, and, for a moment, it wasn't Ryou he was there, but himself. Entering his hojme back in Egypt in fright, he feared what his father would do to him for going off to the market to see the parade. He had been just under Ryou's age then, but, like Ryou, he'd known the pain of hate, poverty, and crime that nobody should have to face. Of course, back then it hadn't been uncommon for parents to beat their children, for it was a different time, a different world...something that didn't work now, and Bakura knew in his mind hadn't worked then either.

Bakura hadn't noticed how similar Ryou and him were, and he vaguely remembered that he'd vowed never to beat his family. Of course Bakura hadn't had a family of his own back then, for not long after he'd become an independent thief, and later was sealed in the ring. And now? Now here he was, beating a part of his own being, for that's what Ryou really was; his light half; an independent piece of his soul. What had he been reduced to over the centuries? He had become what so long ago he'd feared. And here, Ryou was paying for it with his own blood, his own life.

As he watched Ryou remove his shoes and replace them with slippers, he saw dried blood in the boy's hair; it covered him. He saw the bruises and scars, some of which Bakura himself had created. Banishing all thoughts of himself in the past and all thoughts of Ryou's pain in the present, he decided that he wasn't going to beat Ryou tonight, but only tonight; and he wouldn't help him either, just ask how he was doing. 'Yeah; What could be the harm in that?' To his horror, at that very moment he saw Ryou's legs give our from under him. As Ryou collapsed, the yami instantly reached out from where he was standing a little ways behind him, and caught him just before he would have hit the floor. Just before he passed out, Bakura clearly saw a look of confusion in Ryou's now fading eyes. Obviously, this was proof that Ryou really did think Bakura hated him. 'He's your hikari, you have to get help!' a small voice in Bakura's mind said. Thoughts still drifting in his head, the yami decided to swallow his pride, for the time being, and take Ryou to the hospital. Luckily the hospital was nearby; if the doctors asked any questions he could tell them the truth; that some bullies had beaten Ryou up.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AN: PLEASE READ! I'm not sure about pairings, or whether this should be shounen ai or not..please suggest things in reviews. -- bows If anyone wants Ryou/Bakura or wants to keep it as a friendship fic, please say so, or if anyone likes Shizuka/Ryou or Shizuka/Bakura I'm open to suggestions. Please read CH 2; I think it's better and we really get into the plot (there's a plot?).

Also, the was for Karita. In the seventh 1st series volume Bakura turns coach Karita into a doll in his game for telling Ryou to cut his hair (so sweet..in a weird way -)