Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh.

Summary: When Marik begins stalking Téa and ruining her life, Ryou Bakura offers up his home. He wants her safe at any cost, but Ryou is continuously plagued with illnesses. Téa finds herself left with only Yami Bakura for protection, but the tomb robber is far from anyone's savior. As Marik's attacks grow worse, Téa finds that not everything is as it seems...

Sanctuary

By: Chi Yagami

What was taking that asshole so long? All Bakura had to do was walk into the store and buy a box of pancake mix! It was not that hard. Then again, this was an ancient spirit they were talking about. Ryou looked worried, and he was mumbling about drugs and strippers… Téa wasn't sure she wanted to know. God, she was REALLY hungry!

"Where's Bakura?" she asked aloud. "I'm hungry."

"Me too… Why don't we play a game while we're waiting?" Ryou answered cheerfully, strolling into the living room. "Let's play chess!"

"Okay."

…

An hour later, Bakura still hadn't returned, and Ryou was kicking her butt on the chessboard. This game was incredibly boring… blaming her empty stomach, and the boredom, Téa did something very out of character. She decided to cheat.

"Look! Over there!" she gasped, pointing over the albino's shoulder. Ryou glanced behind him at nothing, while she snatched two pawns.

"Téa! I know you did not just cheat!" he proclaimed. She hastily hid the pieces under the sofa cushion, but Ryou had already seen. He playfully tackled her onto the couch, landing on top of her, wrestling over something that wasn't even in her hand anymore.

"Give those back!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

More struggling, then—

"OWW! Shit!"

Clutching her head, Téa felt the tears coming on. They hadn't been paying attention, and she had banged her head roughly on the arm of the couch. She started to cry silently as she held her head, which had begun throbbing like thunder. Ryou tried to comfort her, running and getting ice. He frantically asked if he should call an ambulance or get out a medical kit.

"I'm fine, really!" she argued, nodding her head. Ouch. "See? It doesn't hurt anymore!"

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. OUCH!

"If you're sure," he replied doubtfully.

Poor Ryou, he cared so much about her. And she was probably just this big burden on his small shoulders…

"I'm sorry, Ryou. I should probably leave soon…"

"But you haven't even had your pancakes yet."

Heh. Not like Bakura was coming back anytime soon…

"I can eat breakfast at my house. I shouldn't trouble you anymore; you've already done enough for me."

"Oh, Téa! You're no trouble at all!" he exclaimed, taking her hand in his. "I don't mind making sure you're safe. If I didn't know that you were all right, I'd go crazy."

She looked up, tears held back. Hearing someone say that made the world seem so much better. Téa had people tell her that they loved her, like Yami, but she knew Ryou meant it. He had always cared about her, even before the psycho stalker attack.

"Ryou, thank you…"

"For what?"

"For always being there for me."

He blushed and turned away. He was so cute when he was confused. Téa leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, for being such a sweet guy. But Ryou looked back just as she reached him.

Their lips barely touched, but Téa felt a bomb drop somewhere in her mind; the strange thing was… it was not the sort of bomb that most people felt when they had that first kiss. Ryou pulled away, startled, and covered in a red glow. Her face was red too, but not for the same reason.

Where were the fireworks? Téa felt nothing but embarrassment after that kiss. She had once thought that... because of their close friendship, if she and Ryou ever kissed someday (much later than now), that it would be one of those 'where-have-you-been-all-my-life' passionate kisses that she had seen in romantic movies. One was visible on his lips; but hers? Her mouth hung open in confusion.

Téa supposed it was to be expected; she had never had any physical attraction to Ryou. Sure, she had thought he was cute, but that was all. No fan girl drool hanging out of the mouth or anything. She loved Ryou dearly, but he didn't get her hormones going, like some people… like Seto Kaiba…

UGH. She needed to stop thinking about his hot body! Téa felt like one of those lustful, bimbo women in cartoons. She hoped she never saw that sexy bastard again. She was so glad to have the week off from school, or she would have to see him every day. Téa did not looking forward to going back.

"Téa, are you okay?"

She snapped out of her world and came back down to Earth. Ryou was concerned, with a tinge of pink still residing in his visage.

"I'm sorry. I spaced out there,"she apologized, twisting her fingers around his nervously.

How could Téa possibly tell Ryou that she didn't reflect his feelings? She cared for Ryou, certainly, but she didn't share the romantic feelings that she suspected he had. However, Téa couldn't break her best friend's heart! Maybe she could be vague for the moment, and stress that she wasn't looking for anything? An "it's not you, it's me" situation? Téa couldn't hurt his feelings; she wanted him to be happy. But she also knew that she couldn't lead him on.

"Ryou, uhh, about that kiss… It was… an accident."

His blush vanished and was replaced by paleness. She could see the hurt on his face.

"It's okay… I know you weren't trying to kiss me. Not that you can resist this face…" His smile was back. She felt a rush of relief, and… had that been a light joke?

"I'm a pretty good resistor," she teased. Laughing once again, she began to poke him in the side.

"Hahaha, stop it! You know I'm ticklish!"

"Are you two flirting again?"

The two practically leapt off the couch in fright

"Bakura!" Téa shouted, catching her breath. "You scared the crap out of me!"

The thief had returned, standing in the doorway with a convenience store bag.

"FOOD!" Forgetting her anger, she raced up to Bakura and snagged the groceries, heading for the kitchen. Behind, she heard Bakura grumbling about her being an 'ungrateful little whore.'

"I heard that!" she yelled.

"Good!"

. . .

Ahh… those pancakes were delicious! Téa, Ryou, and Bakura were all rubbing their full stomachs, yawning occasionally…

¡BRUAP!

…and Bakura belched loudly.

"Well, chaps, I'm going to take a shower," Ryou announced, standing up and heading for the bathroom.

"Do I look like I care?"

Ryou merely raised an eyebrow at the spirit's comment.

"And I'm going to change," Téa chimed in, leaving the king of thieves to his thoughts.

She wished that she had some clean clothes, but Téa had been on the run from a psychopath and hadn't had time to make a pit stop for luxuries. So all she did have were the clothes that she'd worn for Marik's date. Ugh… she put on the dirty clothes and then walked over to the window. It was a pretty day; perhaps she and Ryou should go for a walk later… Téa opened the window and let the breeze run through her hair. She was still embarrassed about that kiss, but if Ryou was going to forget about it, she should too.

"There you are! Where have you been?"

!

Anyone but him… CRAP.

"Marik, you sicko! What are— AH!"

Blood covered his hands that were gripping the windowsill, and there was a deep gash in his arm. Marik was trying to climb through the open window, but Téa couldn't move. For some reason, her legs weren't obeying her mental command to run! She had always thought that she would never be one of those people who froze with fear, and now here she was, unable to run from her own stalker!

"Why… blood?" she voiced, unable to tear her eyes away from his hands as she finally willed herself to creep backwards to the door. He finally hoisted himself into the room and— HE WAS HOLDING A STEAK KNIFE!

"Marik… just put the knife down…"

"Oh no," he trilled softly, stalking towards her. "I'm going to kill him…"

She could hear water running just beyond the walls… Ryou must be in the shower. Shit, she was a goner! Téa backed up against the wall next to the door and reached for the knob. EEP. Marik stabbed the knife into the door, right next to her hand!

"You don't understand," Marik whispered in a rough voice. "I have to kill him... It's the only way."

He was sick in the head. "HELP—"

His rough hand silenced her cries and his gaze flickered to the knife wedged into the door. Oh god, he was going to kill her! Tears trailed down her cheeks as she fought to pry Marik's hand off her mouth. He looked back to her, pulling the knife out of the wood. "Do you have a death wish, Gardner?"

The door flew open next to them, and Marik lunged at the newcomer. Free, Téa scrambled away from the door and the crazed Egyptian, who was suddenly thrown back by a harsh kick to the gut. Bakura had opened the door and saved her life, Téa realized.

"What are doing here, you bastard? Get out of my house!"

Marik smiled and spat out blood, causing Téa to cringe in disgust. "Not yet!" he yelled at the white-haired Egyptian. "Stabbed with my own knife after everything else... You think that I'm going to just let this go?"

"What are you talking about?" the spirit snapped, narrowing his eyes. "I wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole, let alone jump you for kicks."

"I'll stab you, you freak!" Marik screamed—

Bakura ducked the second swing and leapt out of the way. Then he punched Marik in the back, causing him to fall and drop the weapon. The albino swiftly picked the other up and hurled him from the window. Téa could only stare at it, ready to see Marik climb back through any second. Bakura stormed past her and shut the window.

"I advise you not to leave any windows open," he grunted.

Before she could protest, he grabbed her legs and hoisted the girl over his shoulder like a sack of flour. His face was firm and unreadable, but he carried her towards the bathroom. Téa held on tightly, her cheeks stained with tears and body trembling.

"RYOU, GET OUT OF THE BATHROOM," the tomb robber demanded. Téa heard the water turn off and the shower curtain move.

"Huh? Can't you wait?"

She felt Bakura's muscles growing tense, and she was pretty sure he would break down the bathroom door at any moment.

"You can put me down now," she told the spirit. "I'll just wait…"

"And get that filthy vermin's blood all over my house? No thank you."

"I'm serious, Bakura. Put me down!"

"No. Now shut up, woman."

But he set her down anyway… and proceeded to try and remove her shirt!

"HEY!" she started, backing up. "That's my shirt, you pervert!"

He stared back unfazed. "I know. I need it."

"What for?!"

"So that I may burn it."

Téa blinked through watery eyes and looked into Bakura's serious face, trying to suppress her laughter. He wanted to burn her shirt? Why?

"Your shirt is contaminated with Marik's filthy germs!"

"So? You can't have it!" she replied, folding her arms across her chest. She noted with disgust that Marik's blood had passed onto her. She probably should burn this shirt, she noted.

"Why was he in your room?" Bakura growled, leaning on the opposite wall.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I want to know why that asswipe was in my house! How could you let him in?!"

"I didn't LET him come in, he just climbed in through my window!"

"I don't believe you," he replied suspiciously. "I think you and Marik have a thing."

A thing? A THING? Uh-oh… Did he somehow know about her 'date' with Marik? Téa fought to control her blush.

"I see," Bakura sneered, folding his arms. "You're in love with Marik."

Oh god— Wait, What?! In love with MARIK? Okay, so she may have had some 'feelings'... but she wasn't about to admit that to him!

"Excuse me?!" she spazzed. "In LOVE with MARIK?! You are out of your MIND, albino-boy! Sure, I thought maybe he had changed, but LOVE? Get your facts straight first, Bakura, before jumping down my throat!"

He merely raised an eyebrow. "You mean like how Marik most likely shoved his tongue down your throat? Hmm?"

Oh, God. Téa was redder than a tomato. Even if that had never happened.

"Gardner!"

"What?!" she jumped guiltily. Bakura just smiled evilly and closed his eyes. Hmm, she noticed that he was covered in blood as well; some must have passed onto his clothes when he had carried her…

"Uhh, Bakura…"

"What!"

"You have blood on your shirt…"

"Huh? Oh, I know…"

"Umm, Marik's blood…?"

Bakura's eyes practically popped from their sockets as he jerked from his place on the wall. Téa laughed, until he pulled the shirt over his head and threw it in her face.

Shrieking in disgust, she peeled it off her face and slapped it on his arm. He merely arched an eyebrow at her childish antics. She made to smack him again, until Téa remembered he was shirtless. Blushing, she backed off and looked elsewhere.

"Haha, I might have to put on some shades," she joked lamely. "You're blinding me with paleness."

His eyebrow twitched. "Oh yeah? Well, at least I have a six-pack."

"True," she nodded, still avoiding him. "But how do you know that I don't have a six-pack?"

"Oh please… You're as skinny as a pencil. There's not even room for a one-pack!"

"A one-pack? What the hell is that?" she asked, swiping him with his shirt again. Bakura snorted and grabbed her wrist.

"Hey! Let go!"

"Oh really?"

Bakura yanked her closer by the wrist, pulling her flat against him. Her face was beet-red now, even if she was still pointedly not looking at his toned (though incredibly pale) chest. Calm down, nerves, it's just Bakura. That's right... it was just Bakura. So why she getting all bothered? Bakura was not remotely attractive, so what was wrong with her? She chortled at this thought.

"Are you laughing?" Bakura questioned. Oops, had that been out loud? She covered her mouth but couldn't refrain from giggling. She steadied herself on his shoulder as she continued to laugh behind her hand. Snort. Hahahahahahehehe…

"Téa? Are you okay?"

"Ryou!" she squeaked, breaking away from Bakura instantly. The tomb robber returned to his regular slouched posture complete with an annoyed frown.

"Téa, are you hurt? You're covered in blood!" Ryou gasped, rushing to her side and then pulling her into the bathroom.

"Where are you bleeding? We've got to call an ambulance!" he said frantically, pushing her to sit on the toilet seat. Then he quickly turned on his heel to go get a phone. And then he tripped and fell.

"Are you okay?!" Téa cried, kneeling down next to him. OH GOD.

In his haste, Ryou had let his towel slip. EEP.

She could only stare at his… Téa just stared at him as he sat up and flashed her a smile.

"I'm fine. Uhh, Téa, what's wrong?"

Her mouth moved but nothing came out. Téa couldn't remember seeing a naked guy before… so this was the first... time...

"Bakura! Something's wrong with Téa! Call a doctor!"

The spirit ran into the bathroom with speed.

"You moronic weakling! Put on some clothes!" he scolded, immediately assessing the situation and beating Ryou on the head with a cup from the sink. "You're going to scar the mortal woman for life!"

"It's cool," Téa stated calmly, surprising both of them. "I'm fine… I've totally seen a... guy… before. Yeah, that's right…"

"Gardner, you're not fooling anyone…"

"Ryou," she begged, "please go put on something…"

"Oh right!" he replied, running off in humiliation.

"So… you've never seen a naked man before?" Bakura mocked, grinning at her. Blushing deeply, Téa shoved him out of the bathroom before slamming the door.

"Bakura, get out! I'm taking a shower and don't disturb me!"

. . .

To Téa, the day had felt incredibly long. After her shower, she and Bakura told Ryou about what happened with Marik (well, Téa supposed she had done most of the talking). She and Ryou tried to figure out why Marik would claim that Bakura attacked him, but they couldn't find a reasonable explanation aside from 'Marik is fucking psychotic.' Finally, they gave up and decided that it was time for bed.

She hadn't been asleep for very long when Téa awoke suddenly. She really... needed to use the bathroom. It took her a sleepy moment to remember that she had stayed over with Ryou again, sleeping in the spare bedroom. She really needed to go back home, but she had been too scared with Marik still on the loose. Ryou had reported him to the police, but they called earlier that evening, informing that they still hadn't caught the Egyprian yet. Ryou didn't mind her staying another night, but it was clear that Bakura was annoyed.

She trekked into the hall only to find that someone was in the bathroom… and someone else was in the living room! Bakura was sprawled out on the couch, sleeping. A lamp had been left on, and a magazine lay open on the table. She padded around the couch and looked down upon Bakura's face. He actually resembled Ryou a bit when he was asleep. But even in sleep, it seemed Bakura's face didn't completely relax; his brows were furrowed just a tiny bit.

"Gardner…"

Ah! She jumped back, scared shitless that he had somehow sensed her and woken.

SNORE.

Never mind. Bakura must have been talking in his sleep. Why was he talking about her? Was he dreaming about her? She scrunched her nose; if he was dreaming about her, it was probably a nightmare.

"Gardner… How dare you steal my jacket… I'll have my revenge… Hnnn…"

He was dreaming about her taking his jacket!? She snorted. How pathetic. What a baby. Téa poked his cheek and whispered, "Aww, what a cute little tomb robber!"

Bakura sleepily grabbed her arm, causing her to all but fall on top of him.

"Hey!" she started, only to realize he was still asleep. Carefully, she tried to lift herself off of him.

"Hnnn... so hungry..." Téa choked back a shriek when Bakura started nibbling on her ear.

"Bakura, WAKE UP!"

The spirited grunted but blinked.

"Bakura, can you please get your lips off my ear," Téa pleaded, steering herself for a deadly reaction. "Your drool is cold."

"Gardner!" he screamed, flinging himself away from her and falling over the back of the couch. "What the fuck is going on?!"

"You tell me! YOU were the one kissing MY ear!" she replied, face reddening.

"What? That's absurd! You're too ugly to kiss!"

Her eyes narrowed. Who was he calling ugly? From the corner of her eye, Ryou ran into the room. He must have heard their shouting from the bathroom.

"Guys, guys, quit fighting!" he ordered, stepping between them. "Bakura, go to your room."

"What? ME? I did nothing!" he whined. After shooting various dirty looks at Téa, the villain-wanna-be stalked off to his bedroom, leaving the other two alone.

"Bakura didn't harm you, did he?"

"No… He was just being stupid. Just being his typical rude self…"

Ryou looked like he wanted to say more but didn't press the matter. Remembering the sensation of Bakura's lips on her ear, Téa shuddered and used her shoulder to wipe furiously at the lingering feeling. The doorbell chimed and startled both teenagers, far too late for any regular visitor.

"Who could that be?" Ryou wondered, walking towards the front door.

"Make sure it's not Marik!" she reminded him.

After checking through the peephole, Ryou opened the door. Téa could hear some mumbling, a deep voice, and then a gasp from Ryou. Who could that be?

"Uhh, Téa…? Y-You'd better come here… now…"

She skidded into the front hallway. Ryou stood by the door, facing two men dressed like firefighters. One of them held a black bag.

"Téa Gardner?" the other man asked.

"Yes? That's me…"

"We have some terrible news."

Terrible News? What could have happened…?

"O-Okay…"

"You live at 436 Pine Leaf Drive, correct?"

"Yes…"

"Well, you will need to find new quarters for the time being."

"What? Why?"

"Your current house caught on fire about an hour ago—"

"Oh Téa…" Ryou comforted, wrapping an arm around her.

Fire…? Her house was gone? She heard Ryou asking the men more questioned, but she wasn't really listening. Her house was gone?

"Ma'am, if you wouldn't mind coming with us... we think you'll want to see this."

. . .

Everything was black and crispy. Pictures destroyed. Her school things by the front door were now just ashes. Téa's house stood in ruins, burnt wood everywhere. The firefighters had determined that the cause was arson, but they had no suspects. A neighbor claimed to have seen someone lurking around the yard, but they couldn't recall what the person looked like.

"Ma'am, do you have a key to the attic?" a firefighter inquired. The stairs had surprisingly been in tact, most of the damage having been on the first floor, and the men had led her to the second floor outside the attic staircase. Her room. That's right, she had locked her door the last time she was here. The door and lock seemed to be in perfect condition; it was as if the fire had stopped right at her door…

"Maybe your room is untouched," Ryou suggested hopefully from her side. Téa pulled the key out of her pocket and unlocked the door. The head firefighter carefully pushed the door open. She climbed the short staircase into the room after him, and a cold dread washed over her.

The walls were still blue. Her bed was still made. Everything in the room lay untouched… Everything except the dresser mirror.

I WILL KILL YOU. MAKE NO MISTAKE.

"Is that… blood?" one man asked uncertainly.

Téa stepped backward, tripping before breaking into a run and dashing from the room, hiding her face from Ryou. Why? Why was someone doing this to her?! And how did they get into her room without unlocking the door or climbing through the window? The window… Marik! He'd had blood on him earlier! He had to have done it… a chill crept down her spine: Marik had attacked her home and locker, he was the one stalking her, and he had to be the person who wanted her dead.

"Miss Gardner, do you have somewhere to stay?" asked the first firefighter as he caught up to her. "We contacted the homeowners, your parents, but they say they can't return just yet."

Of course not. Her stupid parents wouldn't come back if she died. …okay, that was a stretch… but they were pretty ridiculous.

"I don't know…"

"She does," Ryou spoke up from behind them. "She's staying with me."

He smiled at her reassuringly.

"That's fine. Young man, you must fill out these forms for contact purposes. Miss Gardner, if you'll follow me, we'll pack your things so you can take them with you. We're going to rope off the area and the mirror and have this investigated."

Resigned, she followed the man upstairs and began to help several firefighters pack her belongings. Ryou joined soon after. Twenty minutes later, she left the house under the excuse of fresh air. Well, it wasn't a complete lie.

She entered the backyard, only to find that her favorite swing had been burnt as well.

"Gardner?"

She flinched and turned to see Bakura standing behind her. Where had he come from?

"Go away. I don't want to deal with your stupid remarks right now."

"I wasn't planning on making any…"

"Whatever," she snapped, kicking the wood of the swing. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I came out of my room to find that you two were gone. I read Ryou's note and came as quickly as I could," he explained, leaning against a tree. He looked to the remains of her house. "That looks homely," he commented with sarcasm.

"Fuck off, Bakura," she warned, in no mood to deal with his shit.

"Or what?" he sneered, advancing on her. "You'll call your boyfriend Marik to come kill me again?"

His words stung so much worse than she thought they could. She hissed, "That was a low blow, Bakura."

Bakura smirked and leered forward. "I'm sure Marik has felt you blow lower," he taunted.

Her eyes bulged and she felt her face flame. Bakura looked quite smug at his own pun, but Téa wasn't impressed. She felt as though the earth was swallowing her whole. She shouldn't care what Bakura, of all people, thought of her. But he had practically called her Marik's whore, and that insult hurt worst of all.

She turned on her heel and quickly left, putting a great deal of distance between her and the tomb robber. How dare he! Marik had played her like a fool, and now Bakura thought her a disgusting tramp or something. She already felt dirty about Marik, and now the spirit had only rubbed it in her face. She hastily brushed away the tears that threatened to fall. She wouldn't cry, not over this. Not over any of it. You've been through worse, she reminded herself. If you can't even handle a little house fire and a stalker, and Bakura's typical insults, you're really as pathetic as everyone thinks. She couldn't let it get to her. She'd tried to ignore the comments and insults, trash talk about how useless she was to Yugi's group... she'd kept them all at bay for years. She wouldn't let it affect her now.

She heard Bakura swear behind her, but she didn't realize how close he was until he grasped one of her wrists.

"Damn it, woman," he growled, tugging her towards him.

But Téa fought hard. She was upset, hurt, about to break down in tears, and she had absolutely ZERO patience for Bakura's antics right now. She dug her heels into the grass and swatted at his face with her free hand. Bakura easily caught that wrist as well, his fingers pressing into her flesh tightly.

"Let me go," she cried, twisting her arms in an attempt to make Bakura lose his grip, "or I'll knee you in the groin, I swear–"

"Damn it, woman," he repeated angrily. "I didn't mean it!"

That hadn't made it any less painful. And she told him as much. "That was too far, Bakura," she sniffled, eyes watering. "You have no idea how much that cut me."

He was quiet for a moment, still clutching her wrists. "Usually it doesn't," he finally responded.

This was true, she conceded. Usually, they would continue to trade insults back and forth until some other force intervened, Ryou most times. However, Téa wasn't in the mood to deal with Bakura today, not after everything that had happened. The tears crowding her eyes began to fall. She sniveled horribly.

"I'm not—" she sobbed "—crying—" sniff "—no, I'm not!"

"Okay," Bakura replied sarcastically. "You're not crying…"

Embarrassed, she tucked her tear-stricken face into her hands and felt her resolve crumble. Satisfied she wasn't going to run, Bakura released her wrists and let her fall against his shoulder, dampening his shirt with fresh tears. Téa felt him pat her on the back a few times, his hand feeling stiff and awkward, as if he wasn't used to comforting people. Probably because he isn't, she thought. Bakura, the evil tomb robber who hated everyone, was allowing her to use him as a human tissue.

"I'm sorry," she said shakily, "I must look pretty dumb, crying all over you…"

"Yeah, you do."

She sniffed, indignant, and he chuckled.

"You always look dumb."

"Bakura!" She cried harder.

"Calm down, it was a joke," he assured, patting her head as if she were a child. She felt the tension and weeks of pent-up frustration leaving her, and she relaxed into Bakura's shoulder.

"Just let it out," he said quietly, as if understanding how much stress she was releasing. "You're no fun when you're a sopping mess, Téa."