Chapter 12
The Plan

Bakura had finished his sandwich. He had thought about a question and it had been burning a hole in his mind ever since he had woken up that morning. But he knew better than to ask so he continued to stare at the blood smeared on the wall. The blood smear just reminded him of his question. Why had Yami Bakura helped him? That question burned in his mind, screaming to be answered. Bakura was so curious it hurt his brain.

After a few minuets, Bakura couldn't take it any longer. He turned towards Yami Bakura and asked.

"Yami, I was wondering...why did you take care of me last night?" Bakura said it so quietly it was almost a whisper. His eyes filled with the hope of earning his Yami's affection.

Yami Bakura looked up at the dumpster but didn't look at Bakura. It surprised him that Bakura had actually asked him a question like that. Though he was surprised, he answered.

"I need you to do something for me."

The hope in Bakura's eyes faded. "Oh...I see..."

"I want you to go to Yugi's house and take the Millennium puzzle from him. It will be a lot easier for you to do it than for me to...with that stupid Yami of his always getting in my way..." Yami Bakura said in a gruff tone. He spit a large wad of saliva at the dumpster.

Bakura watched the saliva wad splattered on the ground, a few inches shy of the dumpster. He turned back to Yami Bakura and just stared at him. "W-Why?" He asked quietly.

"Because I must collect all the Millennium items and his will help me on my way to getting all seven." Yami Bakura crossed his arms behind his head and lied back, closing his eyes. "I can't kill you or let you die or I'd have to do it myself. And I can't rough you up too much or that nosy little midget, Yugi, will start asking questions...and Yami Yugi will get suspicious."

Bakura's heart sank, he didn't want to steal Yugi's Millennium puzzle. Bakura knew he shouldn't. He refused to be a puppet with Yami Bakura pulling the strings.

A little louder than before Bakura said, "No. I won't do it. The puzzle is Yugi's. I wont take it."

Yami Bakura's eyes burst open. They were literally glowing blood red with anger. He slowly turned his head and stared at Bakura with those two creepy eyes. "What did you say...?!" His growl was more terrifying than that of wolf. He showed his sharp teeth as he spoke.

Bakura gulped and backed away. He knew he should have said nothing. Now he was in over his head. Yami Bakura was angry; bad things happened when Yami Bakura was angry.

What made things worse was that it was beginning to rain. The cold droplets fell from the cloudy sky.

Yami Bakura grabbed Bakura by his coiler and pulled him up to his feet. Yami Bakura pinned Bakura to the brick wall, Yami Bakura's hand gripped Bakura's neck tightly as he began to lift him from the ground.

Bakura found it almost impossible to breathe. He clenched his teeth and held onto Yami Bakura's wrist with both of his hands.

If looks could kill then the look that Yami Bakura gave to Bakura would have killed Bakura ten times over. Yami Bakura's eyes were alight like wild fire. They flamed a glowing red with anger. "If you refuse to do it then there's no point in me keeping you and taking care of you. I should kill you right here. Oh, and don't worry, Bakura, I will make sure your death is slow and painful." Yami Bakura tightened his hands around Bakura's neck.

Blood dripped from between Bakura's teeth and started leaking down his chin onto, Yami Bakura's hand. Bakura's eyes started to roll back in his head and his body began to loose strength.

Yami Bakura dropped Bakura, and looked at his own hand, now red with Bakura's blood. His face softened and the red glow had disappeared from his eyes.

Bakura lied on his back perfectly still. All that showed were the whites of his eyes.

Yami Bakura got down next to Bakura. "Bakura?" Yami Bakura shook Bakura slightly but nothing happened. "Wake up. You can't die on me...not here...not now..." Yami Bakura smacked Bakura across the face.

Bakura's head rolled over to the side limply with the force of the impact.

"Bakura...you aren't dead, are you? You can't be dead!" He grabbed Bakura's shoulders and shook him violently.

Bakura's head just nodded back and forth loosely as he was shaken around.

Yami Bakura laid Bakura's head on Yami Bakura's coat. He noticed that Bakura was, literally, perfectly still. His chest did not rise and fall with breath. Yami Bakura laid his head on Bakura's chest in high hope of a heartbeat. Yami Bakura heard a 'thump,' though it was slow and weak, Bakura was still alive.

Yami Bakura sat up. He had to think of something fast. He thought for a second then slammed the back of his hand hard against Bakura's chest.

Bakura's eyes rolled back down and he began to cough and sputter. He coughed up some blood and it rolled down his cheeks.

Yami Bakura embraced Bakura, sort of like a hug but not really one. Yami Bakura placed Bakura's chin on his shoulder and began to pound on Bakura's back.

"Breathe!" He said landing another hard hit onto Bakura's backside.

Bakura spit out some more blood before taking a large gasp of air.

Yami Bakura stopped pounding and rubbed his hand on Bakura's back, occasionally patting.

Bakura's breathing was unsteady at first, but it went back to normal after not too long.

As soon as Bakura was able to breathe tears welled up in his eyes. Tears began flowing like the endless rain that fell around him and soaked him. Tears that came from the depths of his very soul came tumbling down his cheeks. His limp arms regained strength and he wrapped them tightly around his Yami.

Yami Bakura looked stunned. He wasn't used to being hugged.

Bakura let out a soft sniffle and let out a long breath.

Yami Bakura didn't know what to make of this, but he kept his hardness to him. Yami Bakura pried Bakura off and held Bakura out in front of him.

Bakura just looked at Yami Bakura with big, sad, blurry eyes.

Yami Bakura looked at Bakura coldly. But those eyes of Bakura's, they practically bore right through Yami Bakura with their pain, suffering, and fear. Yami Bakura let go and Bakura slid backwards until he ran up against the wall.

They stared at each other for only a few moments, but to the both of them it seemed like forever. Surprisingly, Bakura was the first to break the silence.

His voice was timid and sad, "Yami...please don't hurt me...I love you..."

Yami Bakura found this very strange for the situation, and very surprising, but decided to ignore what Bakura had just said. Yami Bakura slid closer to Bakura without a word.

Bakura flinched as if Yami Bakura had hit him and hid his face under his arms.

Yami Bakura brushed Bakura's arms away from Bakura's face, and he put one of his hands under Bakura's chin, bringing Bakura's face up to his.

Bakura kept his eyes shut tight.

Yami Bakura ran his hand up one side of Bakura's face and stopped it on his cheek. Yami Bakura's voice had softened a bit but still maintained its harshness. "Bakura, you're as cold as an icicle."

A tear slipped out from between Bakura's tightly shut eyelids onto Yami Bakura's hand. The tear was hardly even warm.

Yami Bakura swept the blanket off the ground and wrapped Bakura in it tightly. Then Yami Bakura pulled Bakura into a corner and embraced him tightly.

Bakura rested in his Yami's arms, astonished. One moment Yami Bakura was trying to kill him and the next, Yami Bakura was trying to save Bakura from death. Bakura was extremely confused but he cuddled up next to his Yami's warm body.

Yami Bakura pulled his jacket out from under himself and covered his head with it. The rain was freezing, even for summer. Yami Bakura shivered slightly and held Bakura even tighter.

The rain lasted hours and neither Bakura nor Yami Bakura spoke for the whole time. It seemed like forever until the rain stopped, but it did finally.

Bakura had time to think things through. His final decision, he was going to do what Yami Bakura had told him to. He knew that if he didn't Yami Bakura would not let Bakura die and just torture him till he did as he was told.

"Yami," He said lightly, barely enough to hear.

"What do you want?!" Came his Yami's gruff voice.

"Yami...I'll do it, I'll steal Yugi's puzzle..."

"You will?" Yami Bakura's voice sounded a little surprised but he soon went back to his gruff tone. "I knew you'd see it my way sooner or later."