Author's Notes: Ok with my mock exams coming up over the next week I decided to write the next chapter (or at least start it) before then. I apologize once again for the long wait of my previous chapter and hope I can keep up with my stories on schedule because my writers block has passed and I have a better idea of how I will reach the ending, which I have known for a long time with no way to reach it but in the words of Winnie the Pooh: "rivers know this: in the end you will get there." Or something like that (sorry was from some religious assembly I had a school… don't ask!) Well I'll stop my aimless rambling and get on with it!
Chapter 6 – Broken HeartedRyou sighed as he closed the door behind him and leaned his back against it. His body visibly shook and his eyes were unnaturally blood shot; he had used it as an excuse to get away from the others, telling them that his allergies were playing up. He smiles psychotically to himself and muttered:
"My parents didn't even realise I don't have any allergies." The smile stayed in place but his throat strained and went dry as tears leaked from his eyes, sliding down his cheeks and dropping to the floor.
"What the hell are you crying about?" Ryou's head snapped up and his eyes widened in horror. He could see a copy of himself stood right in front of him. Was this real? Or was this all some hallucination? "This was all your fault in the first place." The imitation yelled at him, arms crossed over his chest as he glared at Ryou bitterly. The prince continued to stare and he shook even more.
"Wh- what is this?" He spoke in merely a whisper. He reached out to touch the mirror image of himself but his hand just passed through. Ok, he had to be dreaming… or something like that.
"This isn't a dream." His other replied, as though reading Ryou's mind. "I am your subconscious." Ryou blinked, unable to register what the other was saying… or rather what he was saying.
"What do you want?" He finally blurted out. "Why are you here?" The imitation chuckled darkly and looked at the prince the same way Bakura might.
"Does your subconscious need a reason to talk to you? After all… I am you." Ryou inhaled heavily, stinging his chest with the overdose of oxygen. The air was forced from him again and he looked his 'subconscious' in the eye. "You don't seem to realise that if you had just been a little more careful, then that bitch Tea wouldn't have found you and your little boyfriend out." The other smirked, causing Ryou to flinch. "And you know what happens to people like you… or us should I say." The prince didn't answer or show any sign of knowing, even though he did. The other sighed. "You'll be hunted like a dog! Killed and dragged along by a horse with a rope around your neck and then they will hang you… plain and simple." Ryou shut his eyes tight and covered his ears with his hands.
"SHUT UP!" He screamed. "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE AND SHUT UP!" Again the imitation of Ryou chuckled and leaned in so his face was level with the prince's.
"You can't escape the truth." Tears stained Ryou's cheeks and he let his hands fall to his sides, realising that he couldn't block out the voice in his head. His eyes opened and he just saw the smug look on his copy's face. "You have to tell him." The prince showed no reactions and he was now on his knees, head bowed and tears freely streaming. A sob escaped him and his body shook violently, threatening to shake his spirit from the solid flesh that contained it. "YOU HAVE TO TELL BAKURA!" The copy screamed into Ryou's ears and it echoed over and over, embedded in the prince's mind.
He snapped. Ryou flung his arms out violently and screamed:
"GO AWAY!" The copy just laughed and Ryou gripped his hands into fists, the fingernails digging into his palms and drawing blood. A breeze unsettled the room and Ryou's copy disappeared like dust caught in the wind. The only sound now was of Ryou's loud sobbing and his hands grabbed clumps of hair, pulling at them as though the pain would make everything end. He continued to shake and there was a light sound of footsteps rushing towards him.
"Ryou?" The deep voice asked, laced with worry. The prince's eyes snapped shut and he screamed, thrashing out in the direction of the newcomer. The other backed up a little but grabbed hold of the prince's wrists to stop him from attacking. The scream turned into wild sobbing and Ryou fell into the other's chest. He didn't know, nor cared who it was; he just broke and couldn't fight anymore. His hands grabbed onto the soft shirt the other was wearing as it began to soak up his tears. A hand stroked his hair gently and soothingly. Ryou felt himself being led over to the bed and he sat down, still with his face buried in the other's warm chest.
Once he settled, the prince raised his head and saw through teary eyes who his saviour was. Bakura's shining face smiled back sadly, crimson eyes filled with fear and worry. Ryou just gawked and couldn't believe he hadn't realised it before. His heart ached as he stared into the loving eyes that he knew so well. He couldn't bare it: seeing his love and knowing of the terrible secret that was hidden within himself. He had to tell Bakura, if he didn't then the problem would worsen and he wouldn't be able to handle it.
"Bakura…" He choked out. Before he could continue, the vampire placed a finger lightly upon his lips and hushed him.
"Silence my lovely." He muttered in reply, as he kissed the prince's forehead. Ryou lowered his gaze and felt the aching in his chest grow. He felt his hands still clinging onto Bakura's shirt and he slowly loosened then. His knuckles regained their colour and he began to lower his hands before Bakura's grabbed his wrists. The prince's hands slowly slid from the loose grip, which tightened as Bakura pulled one of them towards his lips.
"Why are you so sad my prince?" The vampire spoke gently, letting his lips brush against Ryou's soft hands. The prince swallowed the dry lump in his throat and kept his gaze down. He knew Bakura would want an answer but he didn't know if he could give it.
I have to… Ryou thought to himself. If I don't then I'll never be able to. He raised his head and looked his love in the eye, trying to keep his nerves in order.
"Bakura. I… I have something to tell you…" The vampire tilted his head slightly and looked back enquiringly. Ryou took a deep breath and could feel his lower lip quivering. He bit it harshly to stop the uncontrollably shaking but quickly released as pain rushed through it and the taste of blood invaded his mouth. He hurriedly raised his hand to hide the blood that began to leak out from his mouth but it was no use, Bakura had seen. Without a word the vampire moved closer and kissed Ryou softly, letting his tongue slowly enter to taste the sweet blood that he had craved so much. He took the prince's wounded lip in his mouth and sucked on it lovingly, getting as much of the blood away as he could. Ryou felt as the tongue continuously ran over his lip and the sucking left it feeling drained and limp. Bakura's hand gently stroked his love's cheek before moving further and entwining with the soft locks of white hair. His other arm wrapped around the prince's waist and pulled him in, while nipping on the soft lip that was released from his grip. Ryou moaned when Bakura's hot tongue ventured into his mouth once more and soothingly rubbed the roof of his mouth. His eyes slid shut and his body relaxed as a hand slunk up the back of his shirt.
He felt as Bakura slowly lowered him onto the bed and continued kissing him. The vampire quickly deepened the kiss and let his hands rip open the prince's shirt, revealing the silky skin underneath. His fingertips played over every inch of the newly revealed torso and his mouth had relocated on his lover's neck. Ryou's head fell back as teeth bit lightly, and his back arched as the hands smothered him; and through every pulse of pleasure, his mind was telling him:
You can't do this. Tell him. Tell him. Tell… But Bakura had started now and he wouldn't stop until it was over.
The light began to fade from the room as the sunset in the distance, but the two albinos, who were busy making their own beauty, missed it completely. Ryou panted as the vampire thrust into him, roughly but carefully all at once. He could feel Bakura's warm breath as his love's face was buried in the mass of white hair. Their skin rubbed, causing great friction and adding to the arousal that their actions made. Bakura's hand pumped the prince's arousal in motion with his wanting thrusts and he pulled his head away to see Ryou's face. Half lidded eyes of chocolate looked back, lips slightly parted as quick gasps passed through and the small frame shook below him. Bakura thrust once more and felt himself climax inside of his prince and he moaned out loudly. Ryou was soon to follow and both lay there, exhausted and gasping for air.
Bakura moved off of the other and lay beside him, wrapping an arm around Ryou's waist. The prince snuggled into the warm embrace and let his eyes slide shut: sleep plaguing his body.
"Ryou…" The vampire whispered softly as he watched the prince in his arms. There was a small noise that signified he was still awake and Bakura continued. "What was it… that you were going to say before?"
Ryou felt as tears stabbed his eyes, but he didn't want Bakura to see him cry.
"It was nothing…" He replied softly before nuzzling the vampire's chest. "Just go to sleep." He felt a slight movement as the other nodded and waited a while until he could hear light snoring. Bakura was asleep. The prince sighed heavily and just lay there. He felt tired but was unable to sleep… what was he going to do?
----------------------------------------------------
It was early in the morning, but the servants of the castle had been up and working for about an hour now. It was their job to make sure the breakfast was completely ready in time for their masters and the castle was to be cleaned, making sure that there was no mess at all.
At this moment in time, the kitchen was the busiest place of all. Servants running in and out, and some staying put to make the food. It was so noisy that you wouldn't think that anyone could get to sleep. Well that wasn't the case for one servant.
"Malik…" The slumbering servant groaned but kept his eyes closed and didn't budge. "MALIK WAKE UP!" Malik jumped about a foot in the air as his ears rang. He rubbed his aching head and looked sleepily at the one who had shouted at him. Malik groaned when he saw who it was.
"Seto…" The servant scowled. He hated this guy.
"That's Kaiba to you runt." The brunette smirked as Malik's scowled worsened. "Now get to work or I'll beat you so bad your family will feel it too." Malik sighed and lowered his gaze. That was below the belt; Seto knew that Malik's family had died long ago. He had only been 10 and suddenly he was left here by himself with no one to love him. Seto grunted and walked away. The servant headed over to the pile of unwashed dishes that he guess he should clean. He sighed once again and began to clean the dirtied dishes.
Man, why does Seto have to be such a dick? He thought bitterly. It's not my fault that I didn't get much sleep last night… it was him making me clean out the hallways: all of them! There was a clash of glasses as more washing was added to the pile. Malik groaned and continued washing the items.
"There…" The servant mused as he admired his work. Clean dishes were stack neatly by the sink, ready for using… and dirtying… Shit. He sighed in defeat but tried to keep his head up. So maybe this job sucked but at least he wasn't out in the cold streets, begging for food and barely able to live off the little money he had. Here the meals were free and he had a roof over his head even if the hours were long and the work was tough, it was definitely better than anything he could have hoped for in life. Suddenly realising the words he had just thought, Malik suddenly sighed again. Why was he so lowly?
"Hey did you hear about the prince?" The servant swivelled his head at the mention of his friend (although the other servants didn't know about that). He found the source of the voice. It was one of the other servants. The small boy had tri-coloured hair in a kind of star shape: Yugi. He was stood there helping clean. Malik was fairly close to Yugi, considering how he felt towards the other servant. He crept closer to get a better listen of what was said.
"…I was in the dining room when she said it. I was shocked but I'm glad he finally found someone." Malik's eyes widened. What was going on? He'd missed the bit before! The servant dashed over and grabbed Yugi by the shoulders, shaking him.
Does this mean they found out about that vampire?
"YUGI WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT RY- I mean the prince?" He finally stopped the shaking and the smaller boy shook the dizziness from his head before speaking.
"Prince Ryou and Tea are getting married. I heard it…" But before Yugi could finish Malik had collapsed on the floor. He just lay there in shock as several servants crowded around him as he twitch on the floor.
--------------------------------------------
Bakura slid his eyes open and groaned as sun shone into them. He shielded them with and arm and suddenly realised Ryou wasn't laid next to him.
"Ryou?" he began to panic but didn't have to look far as the prince was sat on the edge of the bed. He wasn't moving and the vampire began to worry. "Ryou are you alright?" But of course he wasn't alright. Something had upset him badly yesterday and it wasn't like one night of sex would change that. The prince continued to look away but raised his head slightly. What is wrong with him? Bakura sat up and moved over to his love, slowly placing a hand on his bare shoulder, but it was shrugged off. Ryou looked away and tensed. The vampire sighed and moved up behind the other, wrapping his arms around the prince's waist without giving him a chance to move away. Ryou whimpered and his eyes shut tight.
"Ryou… tell me what's wrong…" There was a long moments silence. It seemed to last forever as the vampire waited patiently. The prince exhaled and opened his eyes once more. His eyes just stared blankly at the early morning sun that lit the sky beautifully, making it a wonderful baby blue. Bakura always compared Ryou with the sun: radiating its beauty to light the surroundings with an uplifting glow, giving the light without wanting something back but people always taking it for granted. He buried his face in Ryou's shoulder and felt the soft skin rubbing against his lips. His pale skin was so cold in the morning chill. It basked everything in a cool breeze that was so peaceful and felt magical on a wonderful day like this.
"I hope that you know…" Ryou muttered, lips barely moving as he uttered the silent words. Bakura raised his head and looked at him look questioningly. "…That I love you." Bakura felt his heart sink with these words. He thought it a foolish thing to say but answered none the less.
"Of course I do." He smiled and nuzzled Ryou's neck. "And I love you too." He could feel the prince tense and he inhaled rather quickly. The body he held shook lightly and the vampire held him tighter. "Shh…" He spoke silently. "It's ok." Another whimper escaped his love and now he was becoming worried.
"I can't do this anymore." Ryou whispered, his voice clearly in distress.
"What?" Bakura said. His eyes widened and he instantly became scared. What was Ryou talking about?
Ryou sobbed and could feel tears looming in his eyes. He had to do this… it was the only way to keep Bakura from knowing the truth. He had realised that if the vampire found out… then he would kill Tea despite what Ryou had told him before. He had to lie to protect his family… to protect himself. The prince knew he had to do this… if he could just stop the sobbing so he could get it out.
"I can't be with you…" Ryou got up from the bed and pushed past his lover's now loose grip. He quickly grabbed something to cover himself and just stared out the window. He couldn't let Bakura see him crying.
"Wh- what do you mean 'you can't be with me'? You said you loved me!" The vampire's voice was becoming louder and Ryou couldn't bare it. He didn't want to hurt Bakura but he must.
"I just can't, Bakura." Ryou's voice was a little louder but not shouting. He had to make this convincing. "I'm the prince… and as the prince I can't be with another man…" He gulped as a dry lump grew in his throat. "Especially not a vampire." There was silence as Bakura just stood behind him. The atmosphere became stale and it wasn't just because of the way Ryou felt. It was because Bakura's rage was growing. The prince could he growling from behind him as Bakura came closer. His heart raced and he knew what was coming.
"So what happened?" Bakura snarled as he stood behind the prince. "You just up and decided? YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T CARE!" Tears streamed down Ryou's face but he didn't make a sound. "WE WERE GOING TO BE TOGETHER, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PARENTS THOUGHT!" Ryou yelped as he was harshly grabbed by the arm, nails digging into his skin as he was forced to turn around. Before Bakura could see, Ryou shut his eyes tight and grit his teeth. He was shaken by the shoulders as Bakura screamed at him:
"YOU PROMISED!" Before the prince knew what had happened, sharp fangs came down on his next as Bakura bit him. He cried out and the tears fell freely. The vampire carelessly removed his fangs and shoved Ryou away, making him fall to the floor; and with that, the vampire transformed to a bat and flew away.
The room fell silent. It was haunting after the mass of noise that had been heard. Ryou began sobbing aloud as he sat, shaking on the floor. His cheeks were stained with tears and blood began to drip from his neck. His chest heaved from lack of air and he slowly lay down, no longer able to hold himself up.
------------------------------------------------------
Malik ran through the corridors, taking as many short cuts as he knew so he could get to Ryou. It had taken a while for him to get over his shock but he knew that he had to find the prince. There was no way that Ryou would accept to marry someone like Tea unless there was something that she wasn't telling the others. He finally reached the hallway that Ryou's room was on and he could see the door. He hadn't even reached the door when he heard shouting.
What the…? Malik slunk over to the door and pressed his ear against it. There was a muffled cry and then nothing. The silence was frightening and Malik's heart beat a mile a minute from his exhaustion. It wasn't long before loud sobs came from the room and the servant knew it was Ryou. He slowly pushed open the door and peered in, not sure what to expect… but this was worse than anything he could have imagined. Ryou was laid on the floor sobbing uncontrollably, the window to the balcony was wide open and he watched as the long curtains blew in the wind. The servant silently approached Ryou and he was filled with sorrow. He swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat and crouched down so he was closer to the prince.
"Ryou…" He murmured. A tanned hand reached over and brushed the bangs from Ryou's eyes. There was no response but Malik didn't need it. He sat beside the crying prince and his eyes never left the saddened face that used to be filled with such happiness and love.
After a while, the sobbing stopped and Ryou just lay there asleep. Malik smiled sadly and got up from the floor. He gently lifted the prince and took him over to the bed and laid him there. He pulled the sheets up so that they stopped at Ryou's chest and sat on the bedside. As his eyes drifted over Ryou's sleeping form, he saw a fine line of red leading from his shoulder. Malik brushed away the hair that covered the prince's shoulder and gasped when he saw the two bloody bite marks that were now staining Ryou's pale skin.
"Bakura…" He muttered to himself and looked at Ryou's face.
What happened?
--------------------------------------------------
The day had gone slowly and not much else had happened after that. Malik had told everyone that Ryou was sick and should be left alone. Luckily the naive fool believed it without question; well maybe all except for Tea who stormed up to Ryou's door and would have gone in but Malik stopped her. The prince was happy to know he still had someone he could rely on, but that didn't stop the constant aching in his heart. He just sat in bed, a blanket wrapped around him just because Malik wouldn't allow him to go without. He didn't sleep, didn't eat: he was a wreck.
The sun had set long ago and Ryou was just sat in the darkness of his room. Tears never left his face and he gently ran his fingertips over the now healing bite marks: his only remains of Bakura. The wounds stung but he didn't care, the pain eased his sadness for short periods of time but not long. The pain within only worsened when he scorned himself for how this whole thing was his fault. He could never forgive himself.
He could still taste Bakura in his mouth; feel him on his fingertips. It was like the vampire had left a curse to haunt the prince forever. He longed for his love so much: he wanted to hear his words and kiss his lips. He was burning up inside and he had no way of making it end. It's like his soul was being torn up by the guilt of his actions and he couldn't bare it. Nothing mattered anymore. He felt as though his life was over and without Bakura he had no meaning.
Ryou didn't even flinch when the door opened and Malik walked in.
"Ryou." The servant spoke soft as he approached the prince with a plate. "I brought you something to eat." Malik sat on the edge of the bed and placed the plate in front of Ryou. He smiled but the prince continued to look blankly ahead, bangs covering his eyes. The smile faded and Malik tilted his head. "Come on Ryou… you have to eat something." Still no response: Malik sighed. He gently placed a hand on Ryou's and levelled his eyes with the others. "I know this is hard, but everything happens for a reason… maybe it just wasn't meant to be." Malik backed up as Ryou's eyes flashed with rage and he scowled.
"Get out." He said angrily and glared at the servant.
"Ryou please. Just listen…"
"I SAID GET OUT!" The prince screamed and his chest heaved in and out. How dare anyone, even Malik, talk about him and Bakura in such a way? The servant looked hurt but daren't argue. He just got up silently and left the plate on the bedside table before exiting the room. Once the door shut, Ryou's body returned to the way it had been before: calm and motionless.
---------------------------------------------
Author's Notes: Ok I've stretched this as far as I can so if you think this chapter too short then whatever because I ain't making em much longer than this. Anyways… hope you enjoyed it and I may not update much next week because of mock exams at school. Peace out