Hello again! I'm glad you're still reading, it means I'm doing something right. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story so far, which I'm assuming you do since you're still reading (:

I'm still having massive issues with my keyboard, but I'm preeeeeetty sure I got all the mistakes in this chapter. If I'm wrong, I'm very sorry.

I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. That honor goes to Kazuki Takahashi.


Passion's A Prison
Chapter 2: A Beauty's Flight

Ryo walked Shizuka to the car and opened the door for her. She climbed in and he walked to the other side, getting in himself. He closed the umbrella and carefully placed it between them. He started the car and drove off. Shizuka was still shivering, so he turned on the heater. She smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said.

The two of them were silent for a while. The trip took a while; Ryo was a very cautious driver, a car crash being what killed his mother, and he drove slowly. This annoyed some people, especially Jonouchi. He insisted on driving when Jonouchi was in the car; the thought of Jonouchi's reckless soul behind the wheel of a moving vehicle scared him senseless. But Shizuka didn't seem to mind his slow driving. She seemed to be dreading the moment when she had to step out into the cold night.

"Bakura," she began.

"Ryo," he whispered, slightly irritated, slightly frightened. Since the Spirit had returned, Ryo had not been fond of being known as Bakura; he never knew who his friends were referring to, and he was terrified that he would at some point respond (or fail to respond) at the wrong moment.

"I'm sorry?" Shizuka said.

"Call me Ryo. Please. I-I'd prefer not to be known by the same name as the Spirit, especially since he's back."

"Oh," Shizuka said softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"It's alright," Ryo assured her. "It's not what you're used to calling me, I understand. Everyone's still getting used to it."

Shizuka nodded silently before continuing what she had wanted to say before. "Ryo, you know you don't have to do all this."

"I know," he told her as they pulled into the McDonald's parking lot. "But you're my friend. Did you expect me to leave you out there?"

She fell silent and made to get out of the car.

"Wait," he said. "I'll meet you there. You don't need another shower."

She laughed and nodded as he got out of the car and opened the umbrella. He opened her door and she stepped out lightly. Shizuka placed her order and was handed her food. The two of them took a table at the very back of the restaurant.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Shizuka looked curiously at Ryo as she unwrapped her sandwich. "Why didn't you get anything?"

"I'm not hungry," he said, shrugging. "I ate about an hour ago."

She nodded. She remained silent for a while, as did Ryo. She was incredibly grateful for all that he was doing for her. He was obviously worried about her, but she was glad he didn't force her to tell him what happened. She knew she should have told someone as soon as she got away, but she was scared. She didn't know who to tell or where to go, she just knew she had to get away from that man.

She looked up. Ryo was still gazing at her with concern. She took a sip of her drink, unwilling to meet his gaze lest he begin questioning me. She knew Ryo would not do that in a crowded restaurant, but she couldn't help it.

She finished her food in silence. She stood to throw her trash away, but Ryo took it from her and threw it away for me, saying that she did not need to be using her injured arm right now. He led her out to the car under his black umbrella. When both of them were in the car with the heat on, he turned in his seat to face me.

"Shizuka," he said softly. "What happened to you?"

"Well," she began, knowing she couldn't put the story off any longer. "Katsuya and I were at this party, and while we were there, Katsuya proposed to Mai. She said yes, so we went back to the house to celebrate, just the three of us. At home, this guy broke into the house and dragged me into Katsuya's room and locked the door. Katsuya and Mai were outside the room the entire time, yelling my name and telling the guy to stop. But he threw me onto the bed and tried to cut my dress off and…"

She broke off, sobbing at the painful memory.

"Shizuka," Ryo said, horrified. He shook his head, and then gestured toward Shizuka's injured arm. "Did he do this to you?"

"When I tried to get away," she said, trying—and failing—to compose herself. "Katsuya finally got the door open and was fighting the guy off. Mai joined in and Katsuya told me to get away. They told me to run. I didn't need telling twice."

Ryo put his arm around her shoulders again. She cried for what seemed like hours. Her eyes were itching and her ribs hurt, but she continued to sob into Ryo's chest. He kept his arm around her.

Finally, she pulled away from him and wiped her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Ryo asked yet again. She nodded. "Do you need somewhere to stay tonight?"

"I can't do that to you," she said.

"You won't be doing anything," he said. She opened her mouth to protest, but he said, "Shizuka, do you really want to go back home? He can find you there."

Shizuka could find no way to argue with this logic.

"I understand if you're worried," Ryo said. "You don't know me very well, and considering what you've been through, I understand that you don't really want to be alone with a guy you don't know."

"No," she said quickly, worried she had offended him. "No, that's not it. I just…"

"You're worried about your brother?" Ryo suggested.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"Lucky guess. Call him."

He handed her his cell phone.

"Thank you," she said, dialing her home number. Katsuya's carefree, always-cheerful voice greeted her through the answering machine.

"Hey, you've reached the Jonouchi residence. I'm assuming you know how to operate an answering machine; I'm not going to insult your intelligence by giving you instructions."

She sighed. Katsuya was her brother and she loved him dearly, but he really needed to make the outgoing message just a tad more formal. She hung up, deciding it was best not to leave a message in the event that he was still in the house. She tried her brother's cell phone, and when she received a similar devil-may-care voice mail greeting, she felt safer in saying, "Hey Kat, it's Shizuka. I'm with Ryo, so call him when you get the chance. I'm perfectly fine, don't worry too much. I hope you're okay too. I love you." These last three words held much more emotion than she had originally planned.

She hung up the phone, handing it back to Ryo as she said, "You're sure it's okay if I stay with you tonight?"

"It's no problem." Ryo smiled, an expression so warm and reassuring she could not help but smile back.


Another chapter complete! Please type your opinions in the little box.