Chapter 25: Ryo's P.O.V

After finding Eshebe in the shadow realm, and she and Yami returning to the bodies, I sat on the couch, watching T.V with Touzoku.

"Hey, Touzoku?"

"Yeah?" He turned to me from his upside down position in the arm chair. He was always so spontaneous, and it made me wonder. His violet gray eyes looked at me sideways, and I breathed.

"How…I….You…."

"Aww…Someone's speechless." He laughed, and went back to the TV.

"No, I have to ask you something…Can I?"

"Well, do I really have a choice?" I ignored the comment and continued.

"How does someone like you show you love Eshebe?"

"Show who?"

"Her…" He held back a smile, but ended up laughing hysterically. He held his stomach, and rolled off the couch.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"HEY! IT'S NOT FUNNY!" I yelled and he wiped the tears from his eyes, sitting up correctly, looking at me.

"You're asking me, on how to express how you feel? To Eshebe?"

"Well, yes, but you and Yami both seem to have a way with her, and her with you. But sense you seem to be the most forward of us all, I'd like to know how you go about showing you love her…" A smirk came up to his lips, and his eyes lowered, taking on a shadow of darkness.

"Oh, I'm not the most forward." He said, his voice dark.

"What? But you…" He chuckled, devious.

"Here, let me show you something…"He stood up, putting his hand to the T.V, and it turned to a screen of Eshebe and Yami lying in her bed, making out.

"EH!" I stood up, my eyes wide and jaw dropped.

"Oh yeah…He's playing the bases. Almost running them. How far have you gotten with her?" He smirked, turning to my surprised face.

I didn't hear him, my heart sinking. I wasn't enough. They were getting far with her, and I was still stuck on base one. I felt as if I was dying, at least not breathing. I took a few sharp breaths in a plan to try to regain something, anything. Humanity or just wake up. My chest weighed down with the weight of my heart, and I dropped to my knees, tears falling. My arms fell from holding me up, to collapsing and throwing me to the floor.

"Just turn it off…"I moaned, my world crashing. Eshebe had been with them in ways I was scared to, in ways I never thought of. Was she even still in love with me? Me, the Ryo Bakura, the real, original, true Bakura.

"Hey, calm down. It's not like she doesn't want to be that way with you. She's loyal to you before us…Hell, she feels guilty!" I stopped and thought about that.

"How far have you gotten with her?"

"No further than Yami." He shrugged, pulling me off the floor, and sitting me next to him on the couch, as he lounged back a bit.

"But…I haven't…I…"

"I know. And hey, don't tell Yami I can do that. He'd kill me. Actually, go ahead and tell him. That ought to be fun." He threw his head back in laughter and I recalled their fight:

"YOU…LOST…HER?" Touzoku screamed at the top of his lungs, upset. He pushed Yami's shoulders, and Yami pushed back.

"I DIDN'T LOSE HER, SHE'S JUST GONE! I WOKE UP, AND SHE WASN'T THERE!" Yami threw his hand to Touzoku's neck, throwing him against a wall.

"THEN WHERE IS SHE?"Touzoku threw a punch to Yami's stomach, making Yami let go of his neck.

"I DON'T KNOW!"

"YOU SHOULD KNOW! SHE WAS WITH YOU!" Touzoku threw Yami to the ground his hand on his throat. Yami scrambled up from his lose grip, and they started tumbling.

"Guys! Stop! Eshebe could be in danger!" They ignored me, and I jumped out of the way as Yami picked up a chair throwing it at Touzoku, who missed it by an inch, and it broke against the wall.

"SHE JUST DISAPPEARED!"

"THAT JUST DOESN'T 'HAPPEN' YAMI! IT'S NOT NORMAL!"

"LIKE ANYTHIGN ABOUT US IS NORMAL!"

"STILL! SHE SHOULDN'T BE GONE!" Touzoku towered over Yami, although Yami wasn't that far off from him, with his anger he could be a hundred feet tall. The fire breathing dragon against a tall, angry giant. I gulped, and took a step towards them.

"Guy's, wherever she's at, it isn't willingly, and she could be in danger. It's like that one time the Pharaoh called her to a spirit realm, her body and soul was gone."

"But I've already checked the spirit realms made." Yami spoke up, his voice a bit husky from yelling, both his and Touzoku's eyes flaming and poison pouring into me.

"Well, maybe she could be in another realm…You use a shadow realm right?" Yami looked down, and nodded.

"You're right, I haven't checked those yet."

"Then hurry up." Touzoku pressed, venom pouring from his mouth.

"You have no right to say that to me."

"She. Could be. In. DANGER." He hissed, and Yami scowled, but disappeared.

"Touzoku, you need to calm down."

"I'll calm down when we find her and she's safe."

"We all care about her, not just you." I pointed out and he sneered.

"And it's our jobs to protect her." I looked down from his poison daggers, and nodded.

"Yeah, but this wasn't our fault, and defiantly not Yami's. He was protecting her just as well as you or I would. She got called to a realm or just up and went somewhere…" He cut me off.

"She doesn't know anyone here; she wouldn't just up and walk away." His eyes were like fire, and I nodded enthusiastically.

"Just looking at the options. I know, you're right." He was livid, and started pacing.

"Where the hell is he? He should be back by now….I swear if he's off saving her himself…" He left it there, and clenched his fists.

"No, if anything, Yami wouldn't…" I stopped, Yami would think about it, then do it, and deal with us later.

"I don't think he'd do that right now." I finished. Touzoku laughed, and folded his arms.

"Right, he'd do it just to get somewhere farther then us. Speaking of which, how far have you gotten again?"

"I've kissed her." I shrugged, and the thief looked at me with a look in his eye I couldn't put my thumb on.

"You need to step it up then, or let her take charge. That's one thing she doesn't get with us. She doesn't get all the gushiness with us as much as she does with you. She loves stuff like that. So, don't be like us Ryo, alright? Keep her other happiness in tune." He smiled.

And then Yami appeared. He had found her, and we ran to where he needed him and Touzoku rip the realm.

She stood there, with this Egyptian gypsy intimidating her.

And like that, I watched her kill the woman, almost seeing the white fire swallow and tear the woman apart, burning her flesh. I gulped, and watched it pour back into her hand, catching her breath just in time to turn to us.

"You're right." I said, coming back to reality.

"Heh?" He asked, looking to me.

"I should keep the gushy happiness with her, but not be as forward as you."

"Oh, that, right. Yeah, keep her happy with that, but don't be afraid to take a further step."

I nodded, and took a deep breath.

"I'm going to go see her now…" I got up, and he shrugged.

Just in time, as I was about to pull Yami out, he came back.

"Bout' time." Touzoku coxed behind me, and Yami glared, paying me no attention.

"Don't wreck the place…" I sighed, and went through the soul tunnel.

Eshebe's P.O.V:

I stretched, and smiled up at Ryo, who was now holding me.

"Good morning." He smiled back, his voice and face soft, unlike the playful and rough voice to Yami and Touzoku.

"Good morning." I laughed, putting my head under his in affection.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked, rubbing my back.

"Very. Did you sleep well?"

"I just got here a few minutes ago, but moderately."

"That's good." He moved his head from above mine to plant his lips gently on my mouth, a sweet, gentle kiss. One that I missed with Yami and Akefia, one that I yearned for. I loved being a bit romantic from time to time, but more importantly, I love Bakura, Yami, and Akefia.

"So, what do you want to do today?" He asked, his hands stopping on the small of my back. He kissed my hair, and rested his head on mine again.

"I don't know, what do you want to do today?" I asked all sweet, and he laughed.

"Let's go to the park."

"Alright, I have to shower first." I started to squirm away, but he held on tight.

"Can't we wait a little longer?"

"Okay" I agreed, and smiled up at him.

He kissed me again, parting his lips slightly, and breaking into me a bit. I caught my own breath, surprised at him.

"Bakura!" I was wide eyed, and excited. He'd never taken charge like that before.

"Sorry…"He breathed, blushing.

"No, no. It was nice, I…I kind of liked it…" I blushed back, and we both smiled at each other.

"Alright, well, we should go now…I want to get there earlier. They have boat rides!" He exclaimed excitedly. I laughed, and nodded. So he and Yami knew the same place? It should make sense, Yami could probably hack into Ryo's thoughts.

"How did you find it?" I asked, and he shrugged his shoulders.

"My father and I used to visit here sometimes, and he took me to it one day." I smiled.

"Hey, are you going to ever introduce me to him?" This took him by surprise, and he looked at me.

"You...You want to meet him?"

"He is your family...And one day..."I bit my lip, excited just thinking about it. A slight blush on his face told me he knew what I was thinking.

"Eh...Right...Yeah...But don't you think he might recognize you from the portrait?"

"Oh, right...We could say it's just a coincidence. Or..."

"No, you look exactly like you did back then..." He noted, and blushed, looking away.

"What?" I asked, was it the fact I was, in a way, older then him?

"You're still beautiful...After how long?"

"3000 years old, I think, maybe near 5000...I'm not sure anymore."

"And you still look like this?" He looked me over, and smiled, blushing.

"Yeah, let me remind you that I did take a shadow time portal here. Of course, I just shifted ages without actually aging." I added, and he kissed my forehead.

"You're still an angel, Ebe." With that we got ready and went to the park.

While on a boat ride, I actually got to carry a parasol. I smiled, and twirled it around, laughing.

"You really enjoy that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's just funny..."

"What is?"

"That how everything's turning out and I still don't have a lead." I prayed the person actually rowing the boat wouldn't hear me.

"Ebe, I don't think now is the..." He started, cautiously shooting me a look.

"I know, don't worry. We'll find the person who stole my jewelry." I winked, and he half smiled.

"Yeah." He put his hand on mine, and I looked up just in time to look into his brown eyes.

"Bakura?"

"I love you.."He whispered and I smiled widely.

"I love you to..."

We walked around after that, and I'm starting to get the idea, we're being tracked.

Because;

We ran into Ta an Yugi!

"Are they stalking us?" I whispered to Ryo, who laughed, and shrugged.

"Hey!" Yugi called out, him and Ta running to us.

"Hi." I faked a smile.

"Hey, I have a question..."This time it was Yugi who asked.

"Yeah?"

"We're all taking a trip to Egypt, and we wanted to invite you two." I shot a look to Bakura, who looked at me as well.

Egypt. Where the last two pieces were, and, where I was last thrown in jail.

But that was a while ago, they couldn't remember it now...Could they?

'Shit, fuck you Yami, it was you're fault.' I scowled at him, but smiled.

"My hometown!"

"Really? You're...awfully...white to be from Egypt.

"I'm kind of an albino."

'No shit, my body hosts unbelievable, true, real, no bullshit magic, of course I'm white... Dumb-ass.' I thought it, but didn't say it, and smiled instead.

"Oh, right. And we're inviting Marik as well."

"What fun!" I clapped my hands once, and smiled, a bit tight. Ta. Is. an. Idiot!

"When is it?" Ryo took over, thankfully.

"In a month from now, because we still have to get out of school, remember?" Yugi laughed, and I nodded, looking at Ryo.

"Alright. Thank you for inviting us."

"Wait, for the end of the year, we planned a school dance!" Ta jumped with happiness, and my eyes began to twitch, my smiled becoming a little too tight.

"Hey, Ebe doesn't look to good, I'll take her home, tell us more in class!" Bakura shoveled us off quickly.

"She's an idiot."

"Hey, she's not that much an idiot."

"Hello." Uh-oh, please, not now. I looked up to find the one person I never wanted to see again:

Duke Devlin.

"Duke." I spat.

"So, did you think of the generous offer I gave you? I understand you had to run, you were just getting a buzz getting near me." He half smirked.

"Excuse me, but she ran because you're a creep." Ryo stepped in front of me.

"And how do you know?" Duke challenged Ryo.

"I was with her, she told me herself."

"Well, I'm sure she can tell me herself." Duke tried to push Ryo aside, but Ryo didn't move.

"No, you won't get to talk to her." Ryo looked down with a dark look.

"Right, move." He tried again, but Ryo only looked up, serious.

"Stay the hell away from her."

"And who are you? Her 'keeper', her 'protector'?" Duke tormented.

"Yes." Ryo wasn't letting him past, and even though Duke tried to, Ryo moved in front of him, until Duke grew tired of their game.

"Look, I'm tired of this dance, move or die in a challenge of Duel monsters."

"How about a challenge of how real men fight?"

"You're saying you want fists, Punk?"

"I'm not the punk." Ryo said, throwing a fist into Duke's gut.

Duke coughed, barring his teeth then turning to Ryo, and throwing a punch, hitting Ryo in the stomach.

Ryo didn't move.

"Look, just stop. You're not match for me, and don't try to be a hero for her, you're nothing."

"The hell I'm not. She's not interested in you, and she just want's you to leave her alone, so just go away." Ryo's voice was quiet, but sounded dangerous. I gulped, what was wrong with him? He had changed a bit, what was said? Had Yami done this to him, or Touzoku?

"No."

"No?"

"You heard me, pretty boy." He smirked, and tried pushed Ryo to the side, only to be punched in the left eye by Ryo's clenched fist.

"Come on." Ryo grabbed my elbow, and was hasty to move past Duke to somewhere far.

"Ryo?" I asked, afraid, had Yami come out? Ryo never did things like this...

"Yes?" He said, almost as if he was happy now.

"What just happened?"

"Nothing, he was just in the way. We simply just moved him aside, and left." He turned to me, shrugged, and moved his hand down to mine, and smiled with careful, relaxed and calm eyes.

"Yea...Yeah. You're right." I smiled, and he nodded, kissing right above my ear, gently resting his head next to mine, his fore head on my shoulder.

One hand drifted to my waist, and I blushed a bit, his other hand tightly grasping mine.

"We should go now, I mean, now it looks like you're the one who's sick..."I laughed, as his soft voice breathed an agreement.

"Yeah, Let's go home..."

We went home, and I smiled as he quickly closed the door, and hugged me around the waist, resting his head on my back.

"Ryo? You're not usually like this..."I said as he rocked us side to side.

"I just love you...Holding you...Talking to you...Everything...I love you Ebe..." He laughed, his breath cool on my shoulder blades.

"Well, how am I supposed to top that?" I joked, but it made him stop rocking us and lifted his head a bit.

"You could start...With this." He nibbled my ear gently, and I pulled my head back, giggling.

"Ryo..."

"Or this..." He put both his hands on mine, moving them to the back of his neck, grasping them gently before sliding his down to my waist.

"What does that...?" He cut me off with a quick kiss, and laughed.

"That wasn't what you could do."

"Then what could I do to top that?"

"Everything." He laughed, and my eyes widened as he looked me over with slanted eyes.

"Ryo, I don't know what you're expecting from me, but."

"Hush." He laughed, and kissing me slowly, and twirling us around, putting my feet on his.

"Ryo.."I pulled away, and laughed.

"Why?"

"Why? Ryo, come on...You...You're never like this..."

"Well, so what if I'm a little wild now and then?"

"You're not acting like Ryo, you're acting like Yami...And I love you..." He pondered my words a bit, and nodded a bit.

"Sure, I guess I don't get any fun like him then.." He shrugged out of my grip, turned and walked away from me.

"Ryo..." I reached back to him, and he looked over his shoulder, his eyes half way closed, not really interested. Kind of like Yami's normal look with things.

"Hmm?"

"Quit it. You're acting like Yami." He didn't say anything, but shrugged.

"Do you want me gone then?" I gaped at him in disbelief, and took a step back.

"What's wrong with you? No, I don't want RYO gone, but whoever the hell took over, I do." I spat, and he bit his lip.

"You're right, I'm sorry Ebe. I just...I'm no match for them. The things you do with them..." Did he know about Touzoku? I gulped, and looked down.

"But, that doesn't mean I don't love you...I enjoy everyone of you, especially you Ryo, you're sweet and kind. You're gentle, and they're rough, you're nice, and they have a more darker side to being 'nice'...You're the good with their bad balance." I tried to convince him, but he laughed in a self pity way, and looked down.

"You don't think I want to be that way even just a little bit?" He looked at me, his eyes sad while mine were wide.

"You...I wouldn't have thought I'd ever heard you say that...Before, you turned me down with stuff like that..."

"So you assumed I didn't want it that way instead of maybe I was just shy?" He sighed, and turned away from me.

"Bakura...I...I'm sorry.."I said, not sure if it was enough. I felt horrible, I hadn't even realized he was sending signals, but was to shy for words.

I walked towards him and put my arms around his waist.

"Eshebe, just...Please let me think...I'll...I'll talk to you later."Like that, I was struggling to hold his limp body.

I sat the body in an arm chair, and went to my room, locking the door behind me. I crawled inside my bathtub, and wrapped my arms around my knees, holding my body together.

This whole time I had been hurting Ryo without even knowing it. My insides wept, but I didn't muster a sound as I felt like I was being turned inside out.

After what seemed days, but was actually only tow hours or so, I got up and went to the living room, to find Touzoku sitting in the arm chair staring at my door.

"Touzoku.."I breathed, and she smirked, opening his arms for me to sit in his lap.

"Come here..."

"Touzoku, I don't really..."

"I know what happened. Ryo's...In a state of thinking. He's not all connected right now, he didn't mean it." His arms stayed open, taunting my body, which ached to be comforted.

"I hurt him..." I froze in place, and Touzoku sighed, getting up and picking me up.

"Shhh...He just...Feels left behind right now. It's not your fault, you didn't know." He said, sitting us down on the couch, me in his lap, and kissed my temple. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he held me around my waist.

"I still feel bad..." I mumbled, and Touzoku hugged me into his chest.

"Princess, Don't be sad...You're radiating unhealthy vibes...I'm worried, will you be like this all day?"

"Most likely..." I agreed, and he tilted my head up to look at him.

"Smile, please? For me?" He smiled lightly, and blinked his eyelashes bashfully. I gave a small smile, and he smirked, flipping me on my back against the couch. He leaned over me, one hand running up my leg and bending it at the knee as his eyes poured into mine.

"Do I need to make you happy?" He smiled wickedly and my face burned wildly, my heart feeling like it beat so fast it broke.

He bent his head down under mine, and kissed the nape of my neck, moving gently to the side, and kissing where my neck met my shoulder.

I tried to breath evenly, but I couldn't help it as I recalled the last time he was like this, something happened that night.

"Touzoku, okay stop." I said, my voice full of alarm. He lifted his head and blinked at me, confused and surprised.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just stop." I moved away from his long body, and stumbled to my own arm chair, leaving him looking down in surprise.

"Did I do something wrong, my princess?" He asked, not looking to where I moved but where I was before.

"No." He looked to me as he sat on his ankles, and tilted his head.

"Your words say no, but your voice and actions scream yes my desert flower. What did I do wrong?" My face burned redder with each heart beat as the moments crawled back into my brain from before, and I gulped.

"N-nothing...Just...I'm fine. How are you?" I asked, trying to blink it all away, but it didn't work. He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

"I know what this is about...Egyptian Queen, I assure you I didn't mean for any of that to happen...And I know you didn't either...I'm sorry..." He opened his eyes to look in mine, sincerity glossing his violet gray eyes. I nodded, and took a deep breath before I spoke.

"I just don't want that to happen again, that's all."

"Well, it won't. I'm under control princess." He said with all seriousness.

"Still...I just..." I struggled with words as he held up a palm.

"I understand." He crawled to the end of the couch near me, and laid on his stomach, looking up at me, expectant and waiting.

"So, what now?" I asked, and he smiled.

"Well, we can sit here in awkward silence, or you can come back over here and watch TV with me." I smiled a bit and he sat up, picking me up to sit on his lap and watch TV with him.

"Everything's going to be okay Princess." He said, resting his head on top of mine.

"Yeah, you're right." I smiled.

A/N: So, yeah. Ryo really comes out in this chapter, and believe it or not, I kind of like how it turned out. He has a little more depth now, or at least in my view.

Please don't forget to R&R :) Pretty please?