Bakura gave a small yawn, eyes barely open as he snuggled against Kaiba on the couch, not even really looking at the TV. He'd been so tired lately....
Slowly, his eyes closed and he drifted to sleep.
Kaiba looked down at the other boy and turned off the TV. He wasn't ready to get to bed yet, still having some work to do, but he couldn't just leave Bakura there with his recent sleepwalking habit.
After a moment's thought, he picked the boy up and went to the bedrooms.
Narrow brown eyes opened slowly and the pale haired boy moved to sit up. He gave a sharp curse as his arms were yanked back and turned, eyes narrowing further at the sight of the chains holding him. Swearing silently he shifted position and began working on breaking free.
He froze as the doorknob turned. Instantly, the boys expression changed from irritation to sleepy befuddlement which swiftly turned to panic as he became aware of his situation.
Kaiba stepped into the room. "I was just coming to check on you. Have you been awake long?"
The pale haired boy looked up at Kaiba with fearful eyes. "Wh--why am--" he near whimpered, pulling at the chains that held him. "Kaiba-kun...."
The dark haired boy leaned over him and expertly unhooked the cuffs, rubbing Bakura's wrists. "You pulled against them pretty badly," he noted. "I wasn't ready for bed yet and didn't want you sleepwalking and hurting yourself while I was still up."
Bakura pulled away from Kaiba, hugging his wrists to his chest as he looked at the boy with betrayed and frightened eyes.
"It was the easiest way I could think of to keep you in one place," Kaiba explained calmly.
"By chaining me to a bed...?" Bakura's voice cracked.
"For a short time so I'd know where you were."
"Why do you have a bed with chains on it? Were you planning this? Planning something worse?" the pale haired boy's voice was growing hysterical.
"No," Kaiba said, trying to calm Bakura. "This is just Yuugi's room."
Bakura's eyes went wide. "Yuugi-kun's...." he whispered, staring at the other boy in shock.
Kaiba nodded.
"You-- you have-- have chains on---" Bakura began to tremble slightly, pulling into himself more.
Kaiba nodded again, not quite understanding Bakura's problem.
"Do you use them on him...? To hold him down so he can't leave and you'll know where he is...?"
"We use them," Kaiba acknowledged. "For sex sometimes."
Bakura gave a deep shudder, holding his wrists closely to his chest.
"Let me see your wrists," Kaiba practically ordered. "You must have been pulling really hard to hurt them badly."
Bakura shook his head, holding them closer.
"Bakura, if you've hurt yourself we have to take care of it."
"Don't pretend to care!" The pale haired boy yelled, looking up, eyes damp with tears.
Kaiba looked startled. "Of course I care...."
"And that's why you chained me and left?" Bakura's voice was hysterical as his eyes overflowed. "Chained me like you chain Yuugi? Like we're nothing but your-- your---" He broke down, burring his face in his hands as he began sobbing.
"You've been sleepwalking," Kaiba said patiently, pulling Bakura to him. "I was concerned that while I finished my work you would hurt yourself. I was apparently correct." He reached to a drawer for aloe cream, holding Bakura tightly.
"I got hurt because you chained me..." Bakura replied in a small voice, slowly relaxing into Kaiba's hold.
"Which is why I'm going to make it better," Kaiba replied, rubbing the soothing cream lightly into Bakura's wrists. He stroked Bakura's hair. "Next time I will find another way," he reassured quietly.
The pale haired boy gave a pathetic sniffle. "Kaiba-kun....?" he asked, voice still small and vulnerable.
"What?" Kaiba asked, pulling the boy into his lap and holding him protectively.
"How do you think of me?" Bakura asked, melting against the taller boy.
Kaiba was silent a moment, knowing that the answer was important. "You are Yuugi's other lover," he began, "And mine. As such you hold an important place in both of our lives. A place that no other could fill, and when you aren't there that empty space seems overwhelming."
Bakura looked up, eyes wide. "Kaiba-kun..." he said softly.
Kaiba ran his fingers down Bakura's face gently. "I want to see you happy."
Bakura's eyes watered slightly and he gave a smile before hugging the taller boy tightly.
Kaiba held him tightly in return, kissing the top of his head.
"Gomennasai yo, Kaiba-kun... honto ni gomennasai..."[I'm sorry.. I'm really so sorry...] the smaller boy's voice shook slightly as he cried against Kaiba's shirt.
Kaiba quieted him. "You're under a lot of stress. It's only natural that you would lash out, waking in an unfamiliar place."
"De--demo..." Bakura protested, hugging him tighter. "I shouldn't have-- I-- honto ni gomennasai yo, Kaiba-kun...."
Kaiba kissed him gently. "Let's go to your room. I'll stay with you."
Bakura gave a slight nod, near clinging to the boy as he was carried from the room.
Bakura gave a tired smile to his smaller friend. "Ne, Yuugi-kun... can I talk to you a moment...?"
Yuugi smiled at him. "Of course."
The pale haired boy gently led his friend to a corner where they wouldn't be over heard. "I-- I was in your room at Kaiba-kun's..." he said softly, looking uncomfortable. "I saw the chains...."
Yuugi shifted. "Kaiba said he wouldn't let you in there...."
Bakura looked down, eyes unreadable a moment. "He uses them on you...?" he asked softly.
Yuugi nodded, looking down and half hugging himself.
"You let him...?"
Yuugi nodded again, looking ashamed.
Bakura looked at his friend a moment, eyes worried. "Did you want to?"
Yuugi nodded a third time, not looking up at Bakura.
"Be--because I-- I don't want to believe that Kaiba-kun would-- would..." The pale haired boy held his wrists almost protectively.
Yuugi blinked up at him. "Bakura-kun...?" He glanced down. "Your wrists?"
The boy tried to hide the bandages, not meeting his eyes.
"Bandages?" Yuugi asked in concern, taking Bakura's arm.
"He-- he said it was-- was for my own---" Bakura looked up, eyes hurt and upset. "Yuugi-kun... please tell me that Kaiba-kun would never-- would-- would never..." he broke off, looking down again. "I don't want it to have all been an illusion..." he near whimpered.
Yuugi's eyes widened. "Kaiba-kun? He must have been trying to protect you from something...."
Bakura looked up, seeming relived. "You really think so...?" he asked in a small voice.
"He wouldn't otherwise. Not unless you wanted him to," Yuugi said definitely.
The boy gave a small smile, looking like a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "I didn't. I woke up and was on your bed..." he bit his lip slightly. "I panicked..." he said softly, looking down at his wrists again. "Even after I yelled at him, he held me..." He gave a small wistful smile. "I don't want to believe that Kaiba-kun could be like how Jounouchi-kun says!" he insisted, eyes emotional.
"He's not!" Yuugi insisted. "Not to us."
Bakura gave a soft smile. "He's just been acting so strange."
"So have you...." Yuugi said softly.
The pale haired boy looked down. "I've had a lot on my mind..."
"I know...." Yuugi said, hugging him tightly. "But whatever it is, you know you can tell us, right?"
"Un," Bakura nodded, hugging back.
"I love you," Yuugi said softly.
Bakura melted, smiling. "I love you too, Yuugi-kun," he said softly, relaxing against the boy.
Bakura tried to cover his yawn, eyes barely open as he only half heard what Jounouchi was saying. They had spent the entire afternoon between the arcade, the burger place and card shops and Bakura was exhausted, but didn't want to disappoint Jounouchi, who was making extra effort to include the normally reserved boy in the groups activities.
He gave another yawn, rubbing underneath his eye, nodding again, not even sure what he was agreeing to.
"Am glad you agree," Yuugi said with a smile. "We'll see you tomorrow, everyone." He took Bakura's hand and led him toward the Kaiba mansion.
"Arigatou..." Bakura said sleepily, leaning against Yuugi slightly as they walked. "I don't know why I've been so tired..." he confessed.
"Kaiba-kun says you've been sleepwalking," Yuugi said.
"Sou...?" Bakura yawned again. "Maybe that's it then..."
"We can snuggle. You always sleep well when I'm with you."
Bakura gave a soft smile. "I'd like that..." He paused a moment. "Just not in your room at Kaiba-kun's," he said, voice slightly wary.
Yuugi shook his head, looking down.
Bakura blinked at he boy's reaction. "Daijoubu..?"
"I didn't want you to know...."
"Because I would be uncomfortable about it?" Bakura asked softly.
"I was afraid of what you'd think of me," Yuugi admitted.
Bakura was quiet a moment. "I can't say I understand it," he began, eyes distant. "Demo, Yuugi-kun, if you like it, I'm not going to think ill of you," he smiled.
"Hontou?" Yuugi asked hopefully.
"Un," Bakura nodded. "Just... let's not talk of it?" he asked, looking at his friend.
Yuugi nodded agreeably.
Slowly, his eyes closed and he drifted to sleep.
Kaiba looked down at the other boy and turned off the TV. He wasn't ready to get to bed yet, still having some work to do, but he couldn't just leave Bakura there with his recent sleepwalking habit.
After a moment's thought, he picked the boy up and went to the bedrooms.
Narrow brown eyes opened slowly and the pale haired boy moved to sit up. He gave a sharp curse as his arms were yanked back and turned, eyes narrowing further at the sight of the chains holding him. Swearing silently he shifted position and began working on breaking free.
He froze as the doorknob turned. Instantly, the boys expression changed from irritation to sleepy befuddlement which swiftly turned to panic as he became aware of his situation.
Kaiba stepped into the room. "I was just coming to check on you. Have you been awake long?"
The pale haired boy looked up at Kaiba with fearful eyes. "Wh--why am--" he near whimpered, pulling at the chains that held him. "Kaiba-kun...."
The dark haired boy leaned over him and expertly unhooked the cuffs, rubbing Bakura's wrists. "You pulled against them pretty badly," he noted. "I wasn't ready for bed yet and didn't want you sleepwalking and hurting yourself while I was still up."
Bakura pulled away from Kaiba, hugging his wrists to his chest as he looked at the boy with betrayed and frightened eyes.
"It was the easiest way I could think of to keep you in one place," Kaiba explained calmly.
"By chaining me to a bed...?" Bakura's voice cracked.
"For a short time so I'd know where you were."
"Why do you have a bed with chains on it? Were you planning this? Planning something worse?" the pale haired boy's voice was growing hysterical.
"No," Kaiba said, trying to calm Bakura. "This is just Yuugi's room."
Bakura's eyes went wide. "Yuugi-kun's...." he whispered, staring at the other boy in shock.
Kaiba nodded.
"You-- you have-- have chains on---" Bakura began to tremble slightly, pulling into himself more.
Kaiba nodded again, not quite understanding Bakura's problem.
"Do you use them on him...? To hold him down so he can't leave and you'll know where he is...?"
"We use them," Kaiba acknowledged. "For sex sometimes."
Bakura gave a deep shudder, holding his wrists closely to his chest.
"Let me see your wrists," Kaiba practically ordered. "You must have been pulling really hard to hurt them badly."
Bakura shook his head, holding them closer.
"Bakura, if you've hurt yourself we have to take care of it."
"Don't pretend to care!" The pale haired boy yelled, looking up, eyes damp with tears.
Kaiba looked startled. "Of course I care...."
"And that's why you chained me and left?" Bakura's voice was hysterical as his eyes overflowed. "Chained me like you chain Yuugi? Like we're nothing but your-- your---" He broke down, burring his face in his hands as he began sobbing.
"You've been sleepwalking," Kaiba said patiently, pulling Bakura to him. "I was concerned that while I finished my work you would hurt yourself. I was apparently correct." He reached to a drawer for aloe cream, holding Bakura tightly.
"I got hurt because you chained me..." Bakura replied in a small voice, slowly relaxing into Kaiba's hold.
"Which is why I'm going to make it better," Kaiba replied, rubbing the soothing cream lightly into Bakura's wrists. He stroked Bakura's hair. "Next time I will find another way," he reassured quietly.
The pale haired boy gave a pathetic sniffle. "Kaiba-kun....?" he asked, voice still small and vulnerable.
"What?" Kaiba asked, pulling the boy into his lap and holding him protectively.
"How do you think of me?" Bakura asked, melting against the taller boy.
Kaiba was silent a moment, knowing that the answer was important. "You are Yuugi's other lover," he began, "And mine. As such you hold an important place in both of our lives. A place that no other could fill, and when you aren't there that empty space seems overwhelming."
Bakura looked up, eyes wide. "Kaiba-kun..." he said softly.
Kaiba ran his fingers down Bakura's face gently. "I want to see you happy."
Bakura's eyes watered slightly and he gave a smile before hugging the taller boy tightly.
Kaiba held him tightly in return, kissing the top of his head.
"Gomennasai yo, Kaiba-kun... honto ni gomennasai..."[I'm sorry.. I'm really so sorry...] the smaller boy's voice shook slightly as he cried against Kaiba's shirt.
Kaiba quieted him. "You're under a lot of stress. It's only natural that you would lash out, waking in an unfamiliar place."
"De--demo..." Bakura protested, hugging him tighter. "I shouldn't have-- I-- honto ni gomennasai yo, Kaiba-kun...."
Kaiba kissed him gently. "Let's go to your room. I'll stay with you."
Bakura gave a slight nod, near clinging to the boy as he was carried from the room.
Bakura gave a tired smile to his smaller friend. "Ne, Yuugi-kun... can I talk to you a moment...?"
Yuugi smiled at him. "Of course."
The pale haired boy gently led his friend to a corner where they wouldn't be over heard. "I-- I was in your room at Kaiba-kun's..." he said softly, looking uncomfortable. "I saw the chains...."
Yuugi shifted. "Kaiba said he wouldn't let you in there...."
Bakura looked down, eyes unreadable a moment. "He uses them on you...?" he asked softly.
Yuugi nodded, looking down and half hugging himself.
"You let him...?"
Yuugi nodded again, looking ashamed.
Bakura looked at his friend a moment, eyes worried. "Did you want to?"
Yuugi nodded a third time, not looking up at Bakura.
"Be--because I-- I don't want to believe that Kaiba-kun would-- would..." The pale haired boy held his wrists almost protectively.
Yuugi blinked up at him. "Bakura-kun...?" He glanced down. "Your wrists?"
The boy tried to hide the bandages, not meeting his eyes.
"Bandages?" Yuugi asked in concern, taking Bakura's arm.
"He-- he said it was-- was for my own---" Bakura looked up, eyes hurt and upset. "Yuugi-kun... please tell me that Kaiba-kun would never-- would-- would never..." he broke off, looking down again. "I don't want it to have all been an illusion..." he near whimpered.
Yuugi's eyes widened. "Kaiba-kun? He must have been trying to protect you from something...."
Bakura looked up, seeming relived. "You really think so...?" he asked in a small voice.
"He wouldn't otherwise. Not unless you wanted him to," Yuugi said definitely.
The boy gave a small smile, looking like a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "I didn't. I woke up and was on your bed..." he bit his lip slightly. "I panicked..." he said softly, looking down at his wrists again. "Even after I yelled at him, he held me..." He gave a small wistful smile. "I don't want to believe that Kaiba-kun could be like how Jounouchi-kun says!" he insisted, eyes emotional.
"He's not!" Yuugi insisted. "Not to us."
Bakura gave a soft smile. "He's just been acting so strange."
"So have you...." Yuugi said softly.
The pale haired boy looked down. "I've had a lot on my mind..."
"I know...." Yuugi said, hugging him tightly. "But whatever it is, you know you can tell us, right?"
"Un," Bakura nodded, hugging back.
"I love you," Yuugi said softly.
Bakura melted, smiling. "I love you too, Yuugi-kun," he said softly, relaxing against the boy.
Bakura tried to cover his yawn, eyes barely open as he only half heard what Jounouchi was saying. They had spent the entire afternoon between the arcade, the burger place and card shops and Bakura was exhausted, but didn't want to disappoint Jounouchi, who was making extra effort to include the normally reserved boy in the groups activities.
He gave another yawn, rubbing underneath his eye, nodding again, not even sure what he was agreeing to.
"Am glad you agree," Yuugi said with a smile. "We'll see you tomorrow, everyone." He took Bakura's hand and led him toward the Kaiba mansion.
"Arigatou..." Bakura said sleepily, leaning against Yuugi slightly as they walked. "I don't know why I've been so tired..." he confessed.
"Kaiba-kun says you've been sleepwalking," Yuugi said.
"Sou...?" Bakura yawned again. "Maybe that's it then..."
"We can snuggle. You always sleep well when I'm with you."
Bakura gave a soft smile. "I'd like that..." He paused a moment. "Just not in your room at Kaiba-kun's," he said, voice slightly wary.
Yuugi shook his head, looking down.
Bakura blinked at he boy's reaction. "Daijoubu..?"
"I didn't want you to know...."
"Because I would be uncomfortable about it?" Bakura asked softly.
"I was afraid of what you'd think of me," Yuugi admitted.
Bakura was quiet a moment. "I can't say I understand it," he began, eyes distant. "Demo, Yuugi-kun, if you like it, I'm not going to think ill of you," he smiled.
"Hontou?" Yuugi asked hopefully.
"Un," Bakura nodded. "Just... let's not talk of it?" he asked, looking at his friend.
Yuugi nodded agreeably.