Love me so Tender
Ancient Egypt Arc
A Chiba. kun and starrrrii story!
Here's a little message from my beloved co-writer, Chiba-kun:
"Hi everyone! I know I haven't really given much of an impression on this story, since starrrrii's doing most (...all?) of the work, but I just wanted to let you all know that I really appreciate all of you, and want to thank you for sticking with this story. And I especially want you to know how much it means to read your reviews! Yes, I have been keeping up with them with every new chapter. Reading them makes my heart swell! So thank you so much!
I want to give an even bigger thank you to starrrrii herself! She really is amazing, doing all this editing work and updating the story when she's so busy with her home life, too. So all of you, make sure to send her your appreciation too!
Lastly, I just want to say that I'm happy to answer any questions anyone may have about our story, and even just chat with whoever wants to. I'm actually really friendly, you know, so feel free to drop a PM to me anytime and engage me in conversation! I hope that you all continue to enjoy Love Me So Tender as much as I have, and still do. Thank you once again for reading and reviewing!"
When you get the urge to visit her page, you can check her and her works out by clicking the link in my profile! :)
In other news, I just want to apologize because I have not been able to post anything for the last 24-or so days. I just want to apologize to the readers that have been waiting for so long for this chapter. In my opinion, this chapter was more action compared to the other ones so I had a hard time keeping up with it. I have been drowning in heaps of college things and I just have not had the time to sit down and edit things. So yeah, you can thank the storm in my country for this update.
Please be reminded that we do not own the characters of the show. We just own the plot and the smut of it. xD Speaking of smut, we'll be seeing some of it soon! :) I just hope that I can make speedier updates this time around. Enjoy reading and please leave a review afterwards! We want to know how you like the story so far. :)
The long wait is over for here comes chapter 26. (CUE LIGHTS AND DRAMATIC MUSIC).
Chapter 26: Ka.
As soon as the pale boy had started moving around, a few of the guards had abandoned their posts to go and warn Seth about what was going on. Even more had joined them now, barging in on the Pharaoh's meeting with his priests and shouting about what was going on. Immediately, Seth led the other priests and Atemu himself to where Ryou was being held. He knew the Pharaoh was agitated not only by Mahado's death, but something else as well. He had seen a sudden look of shock pass over their king's face, though he didn't know it was from worry over his Hikari's thoughts. When they reached the wing where he had left Ryou, laughter could be heard. "That voice...! It's unmistakable, my lord, it's the Thief King!"
Seth continued along with the Pharaoh, the other priests were right behind, and when they reached the actual location of the King of Thieves, said thief was still laughing. He caught sight of the Pharaoh approaching and let go of Yuugi, throwing him against the wall. A sickening noise could be heard, and some blood had been left on the wall where Yuugi had been hit. Fortunately, Yuugi was still alive, though the lack of air had knocked him out. Bakura hadn't noticed that he hadn't actually killed the boy yet because of the Pharaoh approaching. He cackled as he gazed at Atemu. "How nice of you to join us, Pharaoh!" He greeted loudly, voice dripping with venom. "I'm afraid you're a little late, though. You've missed most of the fun."
At the same time, Ryou could feel his heart break the moment he was shoved towards the wall. He could feel the pain slowly crawling at every part of his skin at the sudden realization that those hands- the hands that cared for him and comforted him were now the same hands hurting him. He did not even notice the priests, along with Atemu, enter said wing of the palace. His eyes were glazed over with tears that would not be shed. He just could not take the utter sadness- the utter grief of knowing Bakura was simply leaving him there. Of course, Ryou entertained the idea that Bakura was just using him- constantly. However, a little voice inside his head persisted that the thief king truly loved him- or at least cared enough not to play with him that way. Ryou looked serene- an uncomfortable air surrounding him. He did not notice the conversation happening between the thief and the pharaoh. His eyes were simply fixated at the back of his beloved thief king- the thief king that was simply throwing him away like garbage.
'There's a spirit that resides in the Millennium Ring. A spirit of a tomb robber that wants to destroy the world and at the same time, it is a spirit that has been controlling you for years already.'
'Bakura has a habit of disposing things that he does not really need. Soon enough he will dispose of you too, Ryou. Why do you trust him this much? And don't tell me you love him. How can you love someone like him?'
'As long as you're trying to take the Tomb Robber away from the dark lord, you would be consumed with great grief.'
Ryou shook his head as the voices kept on echoing inside his head. No, his thief king loved him... right? Doubt and other dark thoughts started to swirl around in his head- a perfect spot for the dark lord to fill. His thoughts started go fast- to the point that everything was already a blur. He saw the Egyptians summon their beasts- the Diabound looking straight ahead while the snake was looking back at Ryou with concern. It was as if the snake wanted to help Ryou in some way- in any way just so the boy could be happy again. The boy stood up, a little shaky but he noticed that his friend was still on the floor. Grabbing Yuugi, he trudged towards the room that he was previously in, placing the boy on the makeshift bed. He stroked the other's forehead, eyes rather confused. "Yuugi-kun... I'm sorry that you got caught up in all of this. You should not suffer the way I have. But for once, I can't help but want to be selfish. For once, I want something for myself. I apologize, Yuugi-kun. Y-You don't have to forgive me but know that I am ashamed of being selfish- doing something as foolish as this."
He then walked towards the fight, eyes wide open the moment he saw the Diabound change in shape and in size. At the same time, Obelisk the Tormentor was also out, along with Slifer the Sky Dragon. Somehow, Ryou knew that this would be a losing battle for the Diabound- a losing battle indeed. The moment the two Egyptian Gods managed to hit the said beast, the Diabound suddenly disappeared. At the same time, the pharaoh tried his best to stay on his own two feet. Calling the two gods was not an easy thing to do but rage fueled the pharaoh's actions. Ryou gripped on his hand, noticing that the priests were also weary from the Diabound's attacks. His eyes trailed towards his thief king who seemed to be doing as good as the others. "Tozokuoh-sama," he whispered, his Ka suddenly showing out of nowhere. Isis looked up, eyes widening as she remembered what the monster could do. Unfortunately, none of them had the enough power to summon another Ka for they pretty much exhausted everything during the attack.
Bakura's vision was blurring and swimming before him. His breaths came out in slow, ragged pants; he knew that soon this fight would be over as soon as his Ka faded away completely... and he would not emerge victorious. But that didn't make him want to stop; if anything, it fueled his hatred even more. To think that he could die here without even coming close to achieving his goal... and now that Diabound had been defeated, there was nothing left that he could do...
But there was something that Ryou could do.
If Diabound would be called again, then the thief would surely win. If Diabound would be called back, then the thief could extract his revenge. However, it seemed as if Bakura could no longer summon a monster on his own. At that moment, Ryou's Ka started to appear, only to disappear a few moments later. Particles of energy flowed inside the chambers. The white-haired boy could feel a change in his breathing, as if his heart was slowly getting torn out. He was not used to manipulating his Ka and at the same time, Ryou was still injured from the previous battle.
But, the boy did not care.
Just when they had thought that things were done, it seemed that it was not over yet.
The Forgiving Maiden disappeared. The particles then started to form something new- different. Out of nowhere, Bakura seemed to get his energy back. His Ka was reforming, taking on a slightly different appearance. Bakura was completely stunned. He couldn't figure out just what had happened until his eyes fell on Ryou. "Yadonushi!" He cried out. He rushed to the boy's side, ignoring the fighting that was still going on behind him. Every now and then he would flinch in pain or cry out, but didn't once allow his spirit to stop fighting. He was torn between two things: his revenge against the Pharaoh and his need to have Ryou with him. The doubts he had in his mind were starting to fade fast. How could Ryou have done this? And even worse, Bakura couldn't even fathom how he had doubted the boy in the first place. There was still that lingering worry that he had been betrayed and abandoned, something that the thief king feared above all else. That had been why he came here... not to find Ryou, like he had originally intended. Somewhere along the way he knew his motivations had been twisted and warped, but he couldn't even figure out how.
But now he could see more clearly. He knew that Ryou doing this hadn't been the boy's own fault. It hadn't even been because of the Pharaoh, though that damned king did have a part in this too. It had been because of Bakura that all this had happened... and now he was losing the only thing he truly had left, all because of how foolish he had been. And yet he still could not let go of this grudge - now it was only getting worse, because of what he had just witnessed.
"I'm sorry, Ryou. I'm so sorry..." He gave the boy a small kiss on the forehead and then stood up, walking calmly back to where he had been moments ago to face the Pharaoh. He was going to make sure that whatever the price of Ryou's sacrifice was, it would not be in vain. But there was still a small part of him that he knew wasn't as bothered as it should be. He could practically hear the Dark God's thoughts in his mind again, telling him that this was a good thing that Ryou did, that they didn't need him anyway. That was truly scaring Bakura, because he knew it was not true. He loved Ryou, even if it was seemingly impossible that anyone, let alone his Hikari, could truly care for him. But he couldn't dwell on that now. He was so close to winning this fight...
Diabound continued its assault on the Pharaoh's Gods as well was what was left of the priests', until finally nothing was left to stop him from taking what he needed. He hadn't killed them all off yet, perhaps because he still just wanted the Pharaoh to see what would happen when his world was drowned in darkness. Bakura did not hesitate in moving forward, tearing the Millennium Puzzle from Yuugi's neck and sneering down at him. "You've lost, 'Great Pharaoh.' But the game isn't over yet... I want you to watch until the bitter end. There's still so much you haven't paid for, and your debt is only increasing."
It was too easy, taking the last of the Millennium Items from the priests. As soon as he got them, he walked back over to where Ryou was lying, kneeling down beside him and holding him close. He wasn't sure exactly what he could do to help, but knew that at least trying to do something was necessary. The Millennium Ring started glowing in response to Bakura's will, and hopefully any energy he could spare would transfer to the boy.
Atemu rather pathetic as he stood up, crying out to the sky. His energy was drained and he did not know what to do anymore. The thief had gotten away with the items and who knows what he will do to them. He turned to look at Seth; his most trusted High Priest, before glaring at him. "Go after him, Seth. Find him. I want his head presented to me when Ra rises again," he muttered before walking to the room that Yuugi was in. He looked at the boy, distraught as he wrapped his arms around him. "I-I'm sorry Aibou. I will fix this. I will not let harm fall upon you again," the pharaoh murmured before carrying the boy in his arms. If only he did not leave Yuugi; If only he had asked Yuugi to stay in their room, then things might have ended differently. His eyes narrowed in contempt of the thief when they reached the pharaoh's chambers. He tucked the boy in, hand going through Yuugi's hair before pressing his lips against the smaller boy's lips. "Rest well, Aibou."
When Yami made his way to Yuugi, the boy was slowly waking up. It felt like his head was exploding from the pain he felt, and there was definitely a bump on the back, if not a few bruises. He blinked wearily up at his Yami, and then wrapped his arms around him, sobbing quietly. "Yami... we're doing something terrible." Yuugi's small frame shuddered as he sobbed. "I... I saw Bakura-kun before the Spirit of the Ring showed up... and I know why he's helping the Spirit. Yami, they're no different from us. Bakura-kun is... in l-love with the Spirit. He doesn't even c-care about himself anymore! He's willing to put everything on the line for his Yami! That's why he ... he w-wants to..." He couldn't even finish that sentence out loud. That's why he wants to kill us... kill you. We took away everything from both of them, and he just wants to help his Yami get his revenge.
The boy continued to shake and sob, ignoring the pain shooting through him at every little twitch his body made. His shoulder was the worst part; it had been where he had hit the wall, and the bleeding was only just stopping there. "I can't do it. I c-can't hurt Bakura-kun like that... isn't there a way to help him without hurting him?" He really did doubt it... and he still was under the impression that Bakura would readily abandon his host if necessary. He was trying to hurt him earlier! Yuugi was torn between wanting to make Ryou happy and helping him from something he knew would only end up hurting him later.
Before he could do anything else, however, he noticed that the Millennium Puzzle was missing. "It's gone!" He exclaimed, breaking into a new fit of tears. Somehow, he felt as if this was his fault. If he hadn't been so weak, hadn't put his other self in danger, maybe none of this would have happened.
Atemu could simply nod as he listened to his partner. Nodding did not specifically mean that he was agreeing to everything that he was saying. After all, if he were to simply let Bakura go then the present world would also be put in danger. "Aibou... You need not worry about these things. I am personally taking care of it. If you keep on worrying like that your fragile heart might break. Please, Aibou. Understand that I'm not only looking out for my people but your generation as well," he whispered, running his fingers through the sobbing boy's hair. He did not have the heart to tell Yuugi what Zorc was capable of. He did not have the heart to tell Yuugi that Bakura did not only want the pharaoh dead but instead, all of mankind to perish. He narrowed his eyes at the boy before smiling, pressing their lips together in a sweet kiss. "I will never let anything happen to you again, my love. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe and by my side. Call it selfishness if you will, Aibou, but please. Let me succumb to my desires for you."
Yuugi sighed contentedly as his Yami kissed him. It just felt so right and natural... it was instantly soothing. He pulled away, grunting a little bit in pain. He so desperately wanted to allow the Pharaoh to succumb to his desires, just as he wanted to succumb to his own, but he was in far too much pain right now to even try. He frowned and reached up with his good arm to caress Atemu's cheek. "I trust you, Yami. I know you'll do what's right, and I'll do whatever I can to help you. I love you. But I can't... I can't do anything with you right now. I want to, so much... but..." He was still sore from their earlier session on top of the pain that Bakura had inflicted on him. But after staring into his Yami's eyes for a moment longer, Yuugi couldn't find it in him to care. He smiled and laughed, pulling the Pharaoh down into another deep kiss and wrapping his arms around his neck.
He smiled and laughed, nuzzling his other self affectionately. He could and would endure this pain and any other for his Yami. "I trust you. Do whatever you want to me... Do everything and anything you want to me. I love you, Yami... and I want you, too."
Ryou could feel himself slip through the other's fingers, feeling his life force slowly drain away from his body. True, his soul was not entirely tangled with his Ka but he felt as if his entire being was devoured by the monster. Could it be that the Diabound was the real representation of his darkness' soul?
Suddenly, he felt something warm- something different flowing inside him. His eyes lids fluttered for a moment, eyes slowly opening into a hazy world. While everything seemed to be in complete disarray, there was something that just pulled Ryou back- a pair of deep lavender eyes full of love and immense sadness. His thief was... sad. He lifted a hand up to his cheek, taking in slow deep breaths as he caressed the thief's cheek. "W-Why are you sad?" he asked, lips turning into an awkward smile. He could feel energy surging back into his system and for a few brief moments, he felt as if nothing else mattered- it was as if everything else could burn into ashes and he still would not mind. "Bakura-sama," he whispered, a tint of pink slowly creeping on his cheeks. He was being held once more by the thief that he wanted.
Before Ryou could even speak further, he felt as if he was getting carried away from the palace and towards a horse nearby. His eyes were wide open in horror at scene in front of the palace. Bodies and blood were sprawled all over the grounds of the Egyptian palace. "You came back for me. You came back for me, right?" he whispered, sounding almost insane right now. After all, he did not care if the thief pushed him away like that. He must truly be insane if he held the thief as close as he did right now.
Bakura did not respond to anything Ryou said to him as they traveled through the desert. In truth, he was starting to feel his mind become clouded again, this time not just from the influence of the Millennium Items, but his own doubt. He hadn't actually gone back with the intention to help Ryou - he was horrified to realize that he had the intent to kill him. Maybe it would have been better if Ryou wasn't here at all. That way he wouldn't have had to witness any of that or risk his life for someone that shouldn't have mattered to him anyway.
The horse galloped into the Egyptian desert, Ryou getting a little dizzy from all the movement. "Where are we going?" The sceneries were familiar to the white-haired boy, though Ryou knew that he has not been there before. It took him a few seconds to realize that they were on their way towards the thief king's village- or at least, what was left of it. When they finally reached the rundown village, Ryou noticed that all that's left of Bakura's village were a bunch of stones here and there. The boy got off of the horse, leg feeling slightly better than before. He wanted to ask what Bakura meant by the boy betraying the thief. But at the same time, he knew better than to ask about it, at least with the present circumstances.
He remained silent even as they dismounted the horse and walked through the village. He supported Ryou when needed, but other than that tried to keep his distance somewhat. Only when the remnants of Kul Elna's inhabitants began flitting about and coming close did Bakura speak up. "Don't bother him," he told the ghosts as the swarmed Ryou. Many of them seemed to be very curious about the other person with their only surviving family member, but just as the thief king asked, they stayed away and only watched in silence. They didn't all follow as Bakura went into the underground temple where the stone slab was located to place the Millennium Items.
He paused when it came time to put the Millennium Ring in its slot, but he did take it off. Something didn't seem right, all of a sudden - like he should have waited a little longer to start placing the Items, but that wasn't all. There was something else, but he couldn't place it. He beckoned Ryou to come closer to him, taking the boy's hand and draping the Ring over his neck. "I want you to wear this for a while," he said, not bothering to elaborate on why. There was something he wanted to see for himself - he needed proof, because things were suddenly starting to become clear to him. But even if he was right, the Thief King couldn't say for sure that it would change much. He did feel a tinge of guilt for using Ryou to test his theory, but it wasn't possible to use him and there was nobody else around. If things got out of hand, he could always stop things as soon as they became troublesome.
"We're not finished yet," he whispered to Ryou. "This is only the beginning."
The white-haired boy frowned when he noticed that the thief was still acting cold. He thought that everything would be fine. He truly wanted to know that he was ready to sacrifice his own life for him- call it a major bluff if you will. Soon, they reached the tablet similar to the one in Domino City. It was more complete than the one in his father's museum- as if it had just been made a few years back. His eyes narrowed a little the moment he saw the thief drape the Millennium Ring on his person, gasping lightly. "N-No," he stuttered before the voices returned to haunt him once more. The voices continued to torment him to the point that he was already crying, begging for the voices to stop. However, the dark lord was relentless, simply increasing the level of torture that he was instilling on the boy.
The boy's body hung limp, looking as if he was about to collapse when he started laughing. He was laughing very eerily, to the extent that he sounded more sinister than Bakura if that were possible. The boy simply smirked and then looked at Bakura, eyes deep silver as he did. Even the Shadows did not dare go near the boy when he suddenly changed. Though Bakura was growing uneasy at the way Ryou was begging and pleading to thin air to make some sort of voice stop, Bakura knew that he couldn't just end what was going on yet. There was still so much he needed to figure out, and slowly he was getting a clearer picture of it. Only when Ryou's body went limp did the thief finally seem satisfied. "So it was you," he murmured to himself. In spite of how dangerous his situation was looking, Bakura couldn't help but smirk. "How clever of you, Lord Zorc, trying to put me against him the way you did..."
The dark lord fixated his gaze on the thief king, caressing his cheek a little. His smirk never faded as he made his way towards the large tablet, sitting on it. "So this is the boy that you are so fond of, Akefia," he muttered, seemingly disgusted by it. The boy was easily manipulated and he showed his weaknesses half of the time. He acted without thinking things through and he would often blurt out things that would make the thief king waver. Such weaknesses were not needed by the dark lord at all. He looked up, smirk only growing, "We still need to get the Millennium Eye but that is not much of a problem. Akunadin's practically kissing my feet in adoration. We still have one thing to fix though, Akefia. We need Seth. He has a connection with the dragon that can defeat even Ra."
The dark lord looked at his own features- noticing the frail hands and overall stature of the boy's body. "Well this is interesting. I never knew that this is your type, Oh Great Thief King. Tell me, how does the boy taste like? I saw how you would grin in pleasure every time his face is painted with grief. Whenever he shouts your name while releasing all of his pent-up desires for you, your body would shake uncontrollably. What kind of spell has this boy placed on you?" the dark lord said slowly, eyes narrowing down on the thief king. It was as if he was threatening the thief king to know the right answers. The dark lord knew that Ryou would perish the moment their world would come into the open but the thief king did not need to know that- not now at the very least. Heck, he could simply blame it to the pharaoh that Ryou would be dead by then. Ah yes, the pharaoh still had some darkness inside him- manipulating him into the equation would surely make revenge feel ten times sweeter.
Bakura crossed his arms and eyes the boy's form, finding it slightly odd to be talking to Ryou's body but not to Ryou himself. He chuckled lowly. "Though I don't think it's stretching it to say he's the entire reason we've gotten this far. Without him I wouldn't have gathered all the Millennium Items in the modern world... and without doing that, we wouldn't be here, would we?" He knew he was walking a very thin and dangerous line. One wrong step and he could end up dying before he was ready. But even Zorc couldn't deny Ryou's usefulness.
"I will admit, Lord Zorc, that I have gotten attached to my little plaything..." He hated calling Ryou that, but it was necessary at the moment. He wondered if the boy could hear him and desperately hoped he couldn't. "I never once envisioned just how deeply this game would run... but I can assure you that he will never get in the way of my goals - our goals. Could you not permit me one thing to please myself with, even if only briefly? Or can I take this as you being - dare I say it - jealous? My Lord, do you want me all to yourself?" He leaned back against the wall, ignoring the few ghosts that continued to dart around him. He didn't even flinch when some of them brushed up against his skin, though it did make him feel suddenly cold. But right now, Bakura was too amused with his self-imposed 'game' that he didn't care. He moved forward, still smirking deviously.
"If that's the case, my lord, then what are you even doing in the boy's body? Aren't I a much more suitable vessel for you? As you say, he is weak... certainly not a quality befitting of you." The King of Thieves reached out, touching the outside of the Millennium Ring with his fingertips and running them along the perimeter. He was caressing said Item, leaning in close and practically leering at the dark god. One simple jerk of the hand and the Ring would be off of Ryou. Zorc would have no power over him if there was no contact made with a Millennium Item.
The dark lord could not help but scoff the moment Bakura started to talk back at him. He disliked it when Bakura started to play with him like this and he disliked it even more that the thief king seemed to be unfazed by it. The evil god could not help but raise an eyebrow the moment he heard what Bakura was saying. He was quite confounded as to how Bakura became such a compulsive liar even to his own 'master'. He felt that the thief king was slowly holding the Ring, as if waiting for the right moment to take the Ring from the dark lord. He simply held the Ring as well, grinning at the tan Egyptian. "But of course I want you for myself. Why do you think that I'm even enduring this body right now?" the dark lord licked his lips a little before pulling away from the thief king, swaying his hand around as if to push the thief king away. "I will lose my power if you do take the Ring off of me; however, a part of me still remains within the boy. He's not as innocent as everyone regards him to be. And my, my. He is rather creative when it comes to you, isn't he?"
The dark lord then stood up, shaking his head a little. "I have got to say that you have truly changed your tastes in the past millennia. What does the boy taste like?" he whispered, pressing the said thief king against the wall. Of course, he would have such a domineering attitude over his beloved subject. Needless to say, Zorc was the epitome of darkness and of sin- which also included lust to a certain degree. He pressed the thief king against the wall, making sure that a leg was placed in between his, hitting the right spots as one would say. A grin slowly crept up on the dark lord's lips as he noticed the other's reaction. "I must say that I am rather jealous that he thinks that he owns you. I own you Akefia. I have always had and I will always have you," he murmured before claiming the other's lips in a rather twisted kiss. It was not as if the dark lord felt anything for Bakura. Of course he was just using this as a way of releasing his pent-up inhibitions, desires that Bakura would often fulfill.
Bakura could only laugh when Zorc continued to speak of Ryou. Did the god really not know that Bakura was well aware of just how 'innocent' Ryou was? They had shared a body before, after all, and the spirit hadn't exactly been one to respect his boundaries. He had simply responded by agreeing with the dark lord, even going so far as to offer him a taste of what he wanted. Even as Zorc was pleasing himself in Ryou's body, he was asking the thief king what the boy tasted like. Bakura could only retort by saying, "My Lord, I welcome the chance to accept you as a vessel if you truly desire to know what he tastes like."
He was about to have his way with the said thief king when he started to hear a voice inside his head. The dark lord simply smirked the moment he realized that the thief king actually grabbed the Millennium Ring from him already. "Do your job well, Akefia. I'll be watching you." He managed to tear the Ring from his Hikari's neck while Zorc was distracted enough with satisfying himself. When the dark god announced his leaving, Bakura had simply bowed before him. "Of course, Lord Zorc. I am your faithful servant, and always will be. I won't give you any more reason to doubt that." He said nothing else until he knew that it was truly Ryou that was in conscious control of his body. Bakura desperately wanted to say something to him, but he was already under the threat of being watched by the dark god. If he got too intimate or emotional then things would be ended far faster than they needed to be.
It took Ryou a few seconds to come to, his head feeling heavier than it did before. Surprisingly, he noticed that the feeling was just the same as when Bakura would inhabit his body- the times that he would take control of the said boy, only to release him hurt and damaged. The boy took a quick look over at himself before realizing that he was not hurt or anything. He was still in the Memory World and he was still with Bakura. Only this time, the boy did not seem to be able to look at the thief in the eyes. He pried himself off of the thief, eyes fixed on the ground. He did not wish to say anything to the thief and yet the soft voice inside his head simply jeered at him to say something- anything that would lift his spirits up somewhat.
He parted his lips and yet words failed to roll off of his tongue. He did not know if it was because of his fear that Bakura might leave him or the fact that Bakura never really cared for him that way. His thoughts were clouded already and it did not take Zorc's power for his doubt to suddenly increase all of a sudden. He blinked once - twice- before trying to say anything to the thief king. "I feel rather tired," he whispered, trying his best to stop himself from breaking down. 'We're lovers... or at least, that's what I hope we are. What we could be.' When was the last time that he heard Bakura tell him that he loved his host? Had it really been that long?Ryou tried to remember the conversation he had with the thief king and yet, that day seemed so distant from today. How could everything go from great- almost perfect- to this in only a matter of hours? Ryou wondered if the gods truly hated him for even harboring such feelings for the thief king. At the back of his mind, he could not help but to fall for the thief king for reasons that he cannot even remember anymore.
The boy failed his brain any way when he suddenly wrapped his arms around the thief king's waist, sobbing softly on his chest. It was quite pathetic actually; Ryou trying to get even the smallest amount of comfort from the person that was trying to push him away. "I hate you... I hate you for making me believe that you love me. For making me believe that you weren't using me... I hate you for making me believe that I was actually special for a change. And yet, I can't hate you. I hate myself for loving you. I hate that my entire life is at your hands and I can't even take back from you. I hate myself for being this weak... For being this stupid for falling for you- for loving you as much as I do. You don't get it do you, Bakura? I fucking love you."
He quickly came up with a plan in his mind, touching Ryou's arm and tugging on his sleeve to get his attention. When the boy gave a quick glance at what Bakura was trying to do, the thief shook the Millennium Ring in his hand, just hoping that Ryou understood what he meant. If not, he still had to be at least ambiguous in the way he spoke. That way Ryou could take what meaning he wanted from Bakura's speech, and Zorc would take what he wanted. It was a delicate balance, one that Bakura wasn't all that happy about having to keep.
"There. That's what I remember - my old Yadonushi, constantly telling me how much he hated me. Whatever happened to that Ryou?" Bakura wondered aloud. He was acting aloof, hoping that he wasn't giving out the wrong message this time. He smirked and leaned down, kissing Ryou's forehead gently and running a hand through his hair. "You've never had a problem with being used before. You jumped at the chance to let me use you."
He pulled Ryou closer, now whispering in his ear: "But what you don't know is howI used you. For all you know I may have stopped ages ago... or you could be being manipulated this very second." He wondered if the boy would figure out just what he was getting at here. Hopefully he wasn't crossing any lines that Zorc may have laid out for him. "For all you know, I might genuinely love you too. But you doubt yourself too much, Yadonushi."
He managed to pull himself away for the time being. The thief hated being so cryptic, mainly because he wasn't sure if he was even doing a proper job of it. He highly doubted that he was. He truly did have feelings for his Hikari, but given the circumstances, he couldn't even let him know. At this rate, it looked like he wouldn't even be able to protect Ryou after all. The Thief King sighed to himself, then approached his Hikari again. "I don't know what else to say to you. I can't tell you anything in words - forgive me." He began to kiss Ryou before the boy could protest, slowly and tenderly, with as much emotion as the thief could convey going into the simple action. Draw from this what you will, Ryou. I have nothing else to say on the matter.
The boy felt the lips on his forehead, the gentle hands in his hair but something felt different- something felt odd. Ryou simply nodded at whatever the thief king said, knowing that the thief king probably did not mean anything that he was saying due to the slight jiggle of the Millennium Ring and yet, he felt as if he just could not fully trust Bakura's words. No, he did not doubt himself. He doubted Bakura and all of the words that he placed in his head. Promises like he actually needed Ryou- like he actually wanted Ryou to stay by his side. Ryou doubted all of the words that he spoke of- words of love and of care and most especially, when Bakura told him that he could not live without the light by his side. Everything was just too confusing and yet, it all made sense to Ryou. As odd as it may sound, the white-haired boy understood the situation that they were in but failed to put things together. From his perspective, the thief king just lied to get what he wanted- well, not exactly lie. The thief king just spoke of half the truth.
Preview for Chapter 27: Tattered Soul
He whipped his head the moment he saw the thief king enter the room, tilting his head as if trying to recognize the sudden intruder in the room. The boy's face was gruesome- eerie indeed for it was carved into a permanent smile. Gruesome cuts were made on his cheeks to make it seem like the boy was always smiling even though he felt as if he was going to lose his sanity anytime soon. From the looks of said soul room, it would not take a lot to cause Ryou to fall in a deep state of insanity. "Bakura-sama?" he greeted, the smile glancing, no staring, back at the thief king.