Alright... The moment you've all been waiting for! CONFRONTATION!!!!
I'll be taking bets. Bakura v/s Mariku! *quietly and to the side so
Bakura won't hear* Keep in mind that this is a half-asleep, hungover
Bakura v/s a very awake and engraged Mariku! *shrugs* But anything can
happen!
*cough* Okay... Sorry... That was a spoiler and a half there... But it's not like you couldn't see it coming, right!? And besides... It starts not even a page into this chapter...
At any rate, I don't own YuGi Oh. Danged if I wish that I did, neh? *chuckles*
On with the fic!!!
~*~*~*~
Chapter 12: Punishment and Pain
"Let go of me!!"
Bakura groaned, clenching his eyes shut tighter. That voice was familiar... He raised his hands to hold his pounding head. *Ra... What a headache...*
"No! You can't kill him!"
That was Malik's voice. Bakura frowned even more. He opened his eyes and looked down at Isis, who had just begun to stir.
"What's going on?" Bakura muttered as he closed his eyes again and rubbed his temples.
Isis pushed herself up slightly and glanced towards the living room door.
"I can kill him! And I will kill him! Now get off!!" Came the first voice again.
Isis lay her head back down on Bakura's chest. "Mariku's struggling to get Malik off of him." She murmured absently.
Bakura nodded. "Oh... Okay then..." He started to drift back to sleep... Then his eyes snapped back open. "Mariku?"
Isis nodded, then froze. "Oh no..."
There was a loud crash and a shout of pain from Malik. Isis began to push herself up, but was grabbed roughly from behind. Mariku yanked her to her feet and pushed her aside so he could get at Bakura.
Bakura sat up and tried to scramble backwards away from him. The other yami's hands closed around Bakura's neck and shoved him back against the arm of the couch. Bakura somehow managed a strangled shout of pain as his back slammed against the arm for the second time. Mariku had pushed him too hard, though, and they both toppled over it and onto the ground.
Bakura, who managed to break free from Mariku's grip on his neck, scrambled to his feet. He took off at a run... only to be tripped as Mariku's hand clamped around his ankle. Bakura crashed to the ground hard and rolled over onto his back even as Mariku leapt at him, landing hard on top of him. He sat on Bakura's stomach, using his legs to pen down the other yami's legs.
"Mariku!" Isis cried, panic and terror resounding in her voice. "Stop this! Stop it now!"
Mariku ignored her, clamping one hand down on Bakura's throat and pushing down towards the ground, causing the white haired yami to gasp in an attempt to get air. Then Mariku's fist connected with Bakura's jaw, reopening the split lip from the previous night. He punched again, this time hitting Bakura's nose. As he was drawing his arm back for a third punch, Bakura took the chance to strike, hitting Mariku on the side of the head with his balled fist. This caused Mariku to lose his balance and topple off of Bakura.
Bakura, gasping for breath, rolled over and pushed himself to his hands and knees. He raised a hand to rub his aching neck, taking a few moments to try and catch his breath.
"No Mariku!!" Isis screamed.
Bakura looked up in the direction of her voice. She was kneeling next to Malik's still form, staring in Bakura's direction with fearful, tear-filled eyes.
Bakura blinked and began to turn his head, but before he could see what she was looking at, an explosion of pain in his side sent white flashes through his mind. He was thrown sideways, rolling and skidding across the ground. He didn't stop until he smashed into the legs of a small table, causing the things on top of it to jerk. He was on his stomach, fighting for consciousness when a crash beside him splashed him with something cold and wet. Looking around, he saw the shattered remains of the wine bottle and glasses that Isis had brought in the night before.
Raising his eyes, he saw Mariku advancing again. Bakura swallowed, knowing he was in a very... very bad situation. Hung over, in a fight, and on the ground between a table and a bunch of broken glass. He moved his arm to push himself up and winced as it scraped over some of the broken glass shards. He pushed himself to his knees.
Sparing a moment, he glanced down at this newest of wounds. There was a deep gash on his forearm that ran almost from his elbow to his wrist. For one long, insane moment, he pondered whether he should apologize to Isis for bleeding on her carpet. Then he blinked, pulling himself back to reality. He looked back up at Mariku.
"I warned you..." Mariku sneered evilly, his hands clenched into tight, angry fists. "I told you to stay away..."
Bakura remained on his knees, silently awaiting the attack which he figured would be the final one. Then, to his surprise, Isis suddenly appeared between the two of them. With more force than Bakura would have ever thought her capable of, she slapped Mariku across the face.
There was a moment of silence before Isis pointed at Malik, who was still laying as he had been when Bakura looked up earlier, next to a tall bookshelf. Bakura noted the disarray of the books and the broken knickknacks on the floor that Malik lay amongst.
"Mariku..." Isis spoke in a very strained, wrathful voice. Bakura's attention was drawn from Malik and back to these two once more. "You take my brother to his room and put him in bed. Gently, or you'll have even more to answer for." Then she turned to Bakura, regarding him angrily. "Are you trying to destroy my life!?" She demanded.
Bakura stood, his legs wobbling slightly. In truth, he was shaking all over. Pain, fear, relief, and anger coursing through him. What Isis had just suggested hurt him deeply. He held his hand over as much of his wound on his arm as he could cover. He was silent for a long moment, breathing deeply as he attempted to remain calm, as well as trying to think of something to say to that. He glared daggers at Mariku, who had yet to move away from Isis.
Finally, Bakura just scowled. He didn't have to take this... He shrugged. "Hey... I have to get my giggles somehow or another." He growled angrily.
Isis shook her head in disbelief. "What?"
Bakura licked his lips, tasting his blood absently. He shrugged again, continuing to glare at Mariku before finally moving his eyes back to Isis. "I'm sorry for the mess. But I think I should go. I feel greatly unwelcome." His tone was icy and emotionless.
With that, he stepped over the broken glass and trudged across the room. He paused just once, to kneel next to Malik and check his pulse. Then he stood and disappeared through the door. He'd have stayed longer to make sure Malik was okay, but he just couldn't stand that... He trudged to the front door and left the Ishtar residence, not caring enough to close the door after him.
In the pale, predawn light, he started down the sidewalk. He still had a fair hangover headache. Not to mention all the damage that Mariku had dealt him. So at first, the cool morning air was a welcome relief. Then it hit him just how cold it was... And so did the fact that he was still shirtless. Stopping, he sighed and turned back. He wasn't in the mood to worry about people wondering why he didn't have a shirt.
He approached the open door, wondering whether to knock, or just walk in again. Then he paused and cocked his head to one side. Sounded like someone was pacing in the living room. Bakura wasn't sure he wanted to risk running into Mariku alone so soon after their fight.
Then he heard someone come down the stairs and close the door. Bakura stood in the front doorway listening, still holding his bleeding forearm.
"There," came Mariku's voice, gruff from annoyance and anger. "Your brother's all tucked in."
"Don't you dare talk like that. You'd better jut hope that he's alright!" Isis' voice sounded furious.
Mariku snorted indignantly. "He'll be fine. And who are you to talk to me like that? Who found who with another guy?"
"Don't insult me!" Isis snapped angrily. "Nothing happened!"
Bakura blinked and allowed his arms to fall straight to his sides. *Don't insult me? What's that supposed to mean?*
"Nothing happened?" Mariku asked, incredulously. "How stupid do you think I am? I come home and find the two of you on the couch on top of each other, and nothing happened? He didn't have a shirt on, for the sake of Ra!"
"He got in a fight and got blood on his shirt. I took his shirt to clean if for him. It's not like he's great to look at or anything like that anyway!"
Bakura clenched his fists tightly, causing even more blood to seep out of his wound. A sticky stream of the crimson liquid ran down his arm and dripped onto the doorstep. He didn't care. He didn't even notice.
She thought that he was nothing... Her comment last night... He remembered her tone perfectly. "Nice..." she had said when he had pulled his shirt off. It was just the alcohol talking...
"Besides," Isis continued angrily. "Where exactly have you been all night long? Answer me that one, Mister Innocent!"
"Urk..." There was a long hesitation.
Isis snorted. "You don't have to say anything. I have a fairly good idea of where. And you come in here all righteous like and start insulting me and accusing me! How dare you!?"
Mariku's response was smug. "Perhaps your right about what I've been up to, but at least I'm not getting freaky with someone else here in our own house."
There was a loud smack and Mariku growled in pain and rage. "Noting happened, and nothing ever will. I would be much happier to never see Bakura again so long as I live! Not that I was ever all that happy to see him around here in the first place. I would never date the likes of him."
Bakura's fists clenched even tighter, tears welling up in his eyes. How could he ever have thought otherwise? Who was he trying to fool? Seto Kaiba had been right... Bakura clenched his eyes shut. Then, he turned and ran. He ran blindly, not paying any attention to where he was headed.
After Isis' final outburst, Mariku had turned from her and began stalking towards the door. So he didn't notice when a startled and pained expression crossed the Egyptian woman's face. She sank down to sit on the couch, her hand clutching the fabric of her dress just above her heart. Her Millennium Tauk glimmered oddly in the lighting of the room. She blinked back tears and glanced around. Mariku had stormed off to who-knows- where to do who-knows-what... Malik was upstairs in bed... Either way, this feeling didn't feel like it had come from either her brother or his yami.
"What... What is this?" She whispered as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. "Such pain..."
~~~
Ryou yawned and rolled over in bed, looking at his clock. He blinked. It was a weekend... Yet he'd just woke up at about the same time he would have gotten up for school. But what had awakened him? He closed his eyes, ready to go back to sleep.
Then he opened them again. "Bakura?" He called aloud. When he received no answer, Ryou sat up and looked around. "Bakura?" He didn't sense his yami's presence, and realized that he wasn't even sure if Bakura had come home the night before. Ryou took a deep breath. He had a really really bad feeling about this...
~Bakura!?~ Ryou scrambled out of bed and grabbed the Millennium Ring, practically throwing the rope over his head as he ran from his room. ~Bakura!?~
Ryou...
Ryou froze halfway down the stairs, nearly toppling headfirst down them due to his inertia and momentum. His yami sounded so weak... ~Bakura... Bakura, where are you!?~
I'm coming... On the way home...
Ryou dashed to the front door and yanked it open. He blinked against the morning sun as he stepped out of the house, standing on the small, unroofed concrete front porch. As his eyes adjusted, he glanced around frantically. Then he spotted Bakura, shirtless and bleeding, shuffling weakly down the sidewalk. He was holding his forearm in a way that Ryou know could only mean one thing. As Ryou watched him, Bakura stumbled slightly and had to lean against a lamppost to keep himself from falling.
"Bakura!" Ryou cried out when he finally found his voice again. He tore down the sidewalk towards him. Bakura lifted his head to look at Ryou as he drew closer. Then he lowered his head and slumped forward. Luckily, Ryou was close enough that he was about to catch his yami as he fell. "Oh no... What happened? You know with a wound like that, you need to bandage it! You're loosing too much blood! How long have you been like this? Who in the world could have managed to do something like this to you!?"
Bakura didn't respond at first. But as Ryou helped him back to the house, he grunted in pain. Then, whispering, "Early this morning... The sun wasn't quite rising yet..."
Ryou was shocked. "You've been running around like this for that long? It's a wonder you're still conscious!"
Once in the house, Ryou sat Bakura down in a chair in the living room and ran to get bandages, disinfectant, and some rags to clean the wound. Returning quickly, he kneeled in front of his yami. After arranging the items he had brought so that they'd be easier to work with, he mopped at the blood on Bakura's arm. Then he used another rag to rub on some disinfectant. He worked quickly and expertly, with careful and gentle hands, as though he'd had a lot of practice in the past. (((^_^() heh...)))
The whole time, Bakura just sat there. He didn't say nor do anything as Ryou cleaned his wound. Ryou glanced up as he began wrapping the bandage around Bakura's arm, then looked back at what he was doing. Suddenly, he stopped and looked back up at Bakura. He had his head leaning back against the back of the chair and his eyes were clenched shut. He... He was crying! Ryou couldn't recall ever having seen his yami cry before.
"B... Baku-kun?" Ryou asked softly. When he didn't get a response, Ryou sighed and went back to wrapping his arm. When he was done, he sat back on his heels. "Baku-kun? What happened?"
Bakura finally opened his eyes and looked back into Ryou's concerned eyes. "Mariku."
Ryou waited for him to say more, but he didn't add to it. "Um... So he did this to you, then?"
Bakura nodded. "This and so many more things... He really hurt Malik, too...And... And... RA!" Bakura was suddenly cursing in Ancient Egyptian. Very vulgar, very violent swearing and name-calling.
Ryou blinked. Startled by the sudden outburst, he just sat and listened. Just when the tears had made him feel that he couldn't be more surprised, there was this. Bakura was prone to fits of rage, but Ryou couldn't think of a time when he'd ever seen him quite like this. Then, something else came to Ryou... Some of the names that his yami was muttering were definitely feminine... So was he cussing out Mariku and a woman? Or Mariku as a woman? (((*snickers* could you imagine that? Calling Mariku a woman? ~_~() Oh, and as for Ryou knowing this... Think about how often he's around Bakura. *cough* all the time *cough* He'd pick some things up, no?)))
Bakura fell quiet suddenly, as though he'd simply just run out of insults. Ryou touched Bakura's knee gently. "What happened?" his voice was full of concern, but this time there was a forceful edge to it.
"Leave me be, Aibou." Bakura snapped and disappeared into the Millennium Ring.
Ryou sighed, touching the golden ring. ~Bakura?~ No answer. That fact didn't really surprise him. Besides... He probably did need to rest. He was hurt pretty badly and lost a lot of blood... So Ryou stopped trying for an explanation.
Still, it bugged him all day, until- finally- in the late afternoon, he picked up the phone. He could feel Bakura shift slightly in his mind. It was the most he'd done since that morning.
As Ryou dialed, Bakura asked quietly. What are you doing?
Ryou shrugged. ~Making a phone call.~
I see that. but he couldn't get any more out before someone answered the phone.
"Hello?" It was Isis' voice on the other line. Bakura fell still and silent once more.
"Hello. This is Ryou."
"Oh, hello Ryou." Isis greeted kindly. "Do you need something?"
"Not really... It's just that Bakura came home in pretty bad shape this morning and he said something about Malik being hurt too. I was just hoping that he was okay."
"That's so sweet of you, Ryou... He'll be alright. Pretty battered, and he has some cuts from the more breakable decorations that were on the bookcase that he was thrown against... But he's been awake off and on throughout the day and seems like he'll get better. The best thing for him is rest."
Ryou nodded as he replied. "Yeah, that's what I told Bakura." He hesitated slightly before questioning further. "If you don't mind... I'd like to know what happened. Bakura wouldn't tell me."
In his soul room, Bakura frowned angrily. But what did he really care anyway? Let Ryou know the insignificant details. Nothing mattered anymore...
There was only silence from the other end of the line. Ryou swallowed. "I'm sorry... If you don't want to talk about it, I-"
"No... It's okay." Isis sighed. "It's only right for you to know, too. It wouldn't be fair for you not to know why your yami came home so beat up... Well, Bakura ended up staying the night here, and Mariku didn't take too kindly about that. Malik tried to stop him, but obviously didn't do a very good job of it. That's it really... Just a stupid fight brought on my male's need to be macho."
Bakura cradled his head in his hands, tears stinging his eyes. That wasn't it... She hated him... Who could blame her, though? Was that why it hurt? Because he had built his reputation as a cold, uncaring person and had been so proud of it? How he had been proud of it. Always the toughest, coldest person...
"I see..." Ryou wasn't sure how to respond to that. Luckily, Isis spoke again, so he didn't need to worry too hard about it.
"Ryou..." she sighed. "I'm really sorry about this. You know, about what happened to Bakura. Is..." She paused hesitantly. "Is he okay?"
"Well, he-"
Ryou. Hang Up. Bakura demanded suddenly, his voice cold.
The suddenness of the order startled Ryou into vocal silence even as he questioned his yami mentally. ~What? Why?~
She has no business asking how I am.
Ryou was very confused and just stood there dumbly. Silent.
"Ryou? Are you there?"
"Yeah... I'm here..."
Ryou.
Ryou swallowed. "I'm sorry. I've got to go!" he said quickly and hung up the phone. He stood there for several minutes just staring at his hand on the telephone receiver. He frowned.
~Bakura. What's going on? You aren't being yourself.~
Leave me alone... his yami replied in a gruff whisper.
Ryou sighed. ~Bakura? Why won't you tell me? Why not talk to me about it?~
Humph...
Ryou sighed and just dropped the subject. He knew better than to try and force Bakura to talk about something he didn't want to. Besides, Bakura had just formed a very strong mental barrier between them. Ryou couldn't help but wonder what was going on with his yami. He was worried... He'd never seen Bakura so upset before... Never.
~~~
Bakura stood by Ryou's bed, looking down at the sleeping boy silently. Then he turned and walked out of the room, grabbing one of Ryou's sweaters as he went. He stumbled slightly going down the stairs, and grabbed the railing for support. Once downstairs, he pulled the sweater over his head, wincing slightly at the pain in his arm.
He opened the front door and slipped out into the cool night air as silently as he could. He set a quick pace and arrived shortly at the Ishtar residence. He hesitated a moment before creeping around the side of the house and looking up at Malik's window. Bakura wasn't sure why he was here, but he was... Climbing the tree near the house was no easy task with the shape he was in, but he managed. Somehow, he managed.
Usually he'd be furious with Malik because another of his stupid schemes had gotten both of them injured. But he didn't feel angry right now. His soul ached far too much for him to be angry. He felt numb to everything... But also concerned.
*Is that why I'm here?* he asked himself as he edged along the tree branch towards Malik's window. *Because I'm worried about Malik?*
He sighed, not really caring either way. Holding onto the tree branch tightly with one hand, he reached out with the other and slid the window open. Then he was in the room, standing over Malik, watching silently as he lay still and quiet.
*Why am I here?* he asked himself again. *This is stupid. Ryou found out for the both of us that he was okay.*
Malik stirred, causing Bakura to step backwards. He practically disappeared into the shadows, unusually well for someone with such bright white/silver hair. Malik's eyes opened and stared up at the ceiling for several minutes before he closed them again. Bakura closed his eyes as well and fought a sigh of relief. He stood in the shadows for a long time, just to be on the safe side.
Once he felt fairly sure that Malik would have gone back to sleep again, he slowly moved closer to the bed. He stared at his friend a moment before glancing absently around the room.
"Bakura?" Surprise edged Malik's questioning tone.
"Eh!" Bakura blinked and looked down at Malik, who was struggling to sit up. Bakura moved to help him. "Careful now, baka." He muttered.
Malik chuckled as he sat on his bed, hunched forward from pain and exhaustion. "Bet you just love this... The results of my brilliant plan... However, in my defense, it did work for the best. Isis and Mariku are through and you're off the hook too." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You're going to hurt me now aren't you?"
Bakura shrugged and attempted a smirk. But his heart ached too much to put on a very good act. "The thought had crossed my mind... But no."
Malik raised an eyebrow and looked him over. "No?" then he became suspicious. "Why not?"
Bakura turned away and walked to the window. He stood silently, staring out into the night. After a while, he finally half-turned from the window, giving Malik a sidelong glance. "Because I hurt too much... If I were to begin taking it out on you, I might not be able to stop myself before killing you... And though it's a tempting idea, you are a friend. But even if I did, I'd still be in pain..."
Malik frowned, concern showing in his features strong enough to cancel out the earlier pain. "What in the Shadow Realm's the matter with you?" The phrasing may not have shown his worry, but his tone sure did. (((Can't you see him phrasing it like that though? ^_^() )))
"Heh..." Bakura turned back to the window, gripping the sill tightly.
"Bakura... What's wrong?"
"Just forget it. I'm fine." Bakura growled. Then, in a flash of movement and shadows, he was out the window, which was shut behind him.
Malik sighed and lay back down. "I'll never really understand him... But at least he can get a job done." Malik smiled absently, secretly glad of Bakura's friendship.
Meanwhile, Bakura trekked back to Ryou's in the dark. He almost wished that some punk might try to jump him. Sending someone to the Shadow Realm would feel good right about now...
~*~*~*~
I like this chapter... I really do... *cradles Bakura in her arms* You poor thing!
And yes... I know... Technically, Bakura wouldn't have been able to be beat almost to death because the yami's don't have their own bodies... But yeah, that's what's so great about fanfics, right? You can throw some rules out of the window if you need to. And I needed to for this fic, yeah? ^_^() At any rate...
Just a quick thing about this chapter's bloopers... I'm sure you all know prank phone calls... But what about prank phone answerings? *grins idiotically* Those are fun!! *cough* But yeah... Bloopers... I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what I'm talking about. KK?
And now for-
Malik: I wanna talk to the reviewers!!
... Must you?
Malik: You let Bakura try last chapter! I'll tell Yami Tenshi!!
*sigh* We can't have her getting after me for unfair treatment of her bishies now can we?
Malik: *grins* Great! Thanks!
Reviewerness!!!
Flamedancer33: What will I say? What will I say? I'll tell you what I'll say. You see, within the next couple of chapters I- *suddenly tackled by Silverscreamer* NO!!! You don't tell them what's going to happen!!! *Malik pouts as he is sent away*
IrishJade: *chuckles* If Mariku had gotten his way, there certainly would have been more than 'heads rolling' I think...
Red Prophet: *giggles* You know... You're pretty creative. I never once gave a thought to Kaiba going to Mariku to tell on Isis and Bakura... Interesting thought... I wonder how that would have played out... *shrugs and chuckles* I'm glad you like the fic so far.
Xonnie: *chuckles* yeah, it's the only Isis/Bakura fic out there that I know of... The only Mariku/Isis fic too, probably... But that's a very VERY good thing... ~_~() Glad you like it, and I won't disappoint you with updating.
Flamedancer33: Hmmmm... Angst enough for you now? Or I dunno... Perhaps I misinterpret the word 'angst' ... Must look into that... *glances around for her dictionary and then remembers that it's in her backpack in the other room.* Oh well... Will do that some other time... Anyway! ^_^() Glad you love the bloopers! And yeah, I had Comp. Apps. last year... So easy. I had, like, at least half an hour of free time at the end of every class. ^_^()
I LoveYami Marik: *nods* Yeah, Bakura does pick on Ryou a good bit... But doesn't anymore really for the rest of the fic... I don't think... And if you wish to see the picture I drew of Bakura, than- like I said before- the link should be in my profile. Alrighty? Hope you like it!
Lily of the Shadow: *chuckles* Sorry... No opera for those two... *pats you on the back* And don't worry... Math's the devil!
Anime*2000: Really? Hmmm... Well, I know in the rules it says not to post bloopers, but I think they mean your own bloopers for the show itself. This is my own writing so I should be allowed to blooper it if I want... ((now watch, since I said that they're going to come after me for my bloopers... *)) And (apparently) yes, this was were M&M came in.
KurianGirl: You're very welcome for chapter 11. Hope you liked chapter 12 as well. And yes... Bakura as Batman... ... We'll just leave it at that...
Oh! And really quick... Umeko. I know you didn't post to the last chapter... But the one before that... You were mentioning all the little things you and your friends notice. Me and Yami Tenshi are the exact same way! Hints all of the similarities in the things that you've mentioned and what I wrote. For example... Do you know how confusing it was for me when I was telling YT about your review that mentions Bakura's sexy chest and suddenly I realize, Wait! I just posted that chapter this morning! How would she have reviewed it and me read the review!? *laughes* You's a little psycho!
Ryou: You mean psychic?
Yeah! What he said!
*cough* Okay... Sorry... That was a spoiler and a half there... But it's not like you couldn't see it coming, right!? And besides... It starts not even a page into this chapter...
At any rate, I don't own YuGi Oh. Danged if I wish that I did, neh? *chuckles*
On with the fic!!!
~*~*~*~
Chapter 12: Punishment and Pain
"Let go of me!!"
Bakura groaned, clenching his eyes shut tighter. That voice was familiar... He raised his hands to hold his pounding head. *Ra... What a headache...*
"No! You can't kill him!"
That was Malik's voice. Bakura frowned even more. He opened his eyes and looked down at Isis, who had just begun to stir.
"What's going on?" Bakura muttered as he closed his eyes again and rubbed his temples.
Isis pushed herself up slightly and glanced towards the living room door.
"I can kill him! And I will kill him! Now get off!!" Came the first voice again.
Isis lay her head back down on Bakura's chest. "Mariku's struggling to get Malik off of him." She murmured absently.
Bakura nodded. "Oh... Okay then..." He started to drift back to sleep... Then his eyes snapped back open. "Mariku?"
Isis nodded, then froze. "Oh no..."
There was a loud crash and a shout of pain from Malik. Isis began to push herself up, but was grabbed roughly from behind. Mariku yanked her to her feet and pushed her aside so he could get at Bakura.
Bakura sat up and tried to scramble backwards away from him. The other yami's hands closed around Bakura's neck and shoved him back against the arm of the couch. Bakura somehow managed a strangled shout of pain as his back slammed against the arm for the second time. Mariku had pushed him too hard, though, and they both toppled over it and onto the ground.
Bakura, who managed to break free from Mariku's grip on his neck, scrambled to his feet. He took off at a run... only to be tripped as Mariku's hand clamped around his ankle. Bakura crashed to the ground hard and rolled over onto his back even as Mariku leapt at him, landing hard on top of him. He sat on Bakura's stomach, using his legs to pen down the other yami's legs.
"Mariku!" Isis cried, panic and terror resounding in her voice. "Stop this! Stop it now!"
Mariku ignored her, clamping one hand down on Bakura's throat and pushing down towards the ground, causing the white haired yami to gasp in an attempt to get air. Then Mariku's fist connected with Bakura's jaw, reopening the split lip from the previous night. He punched again, this time hitting Bakura's nose. As he was drawing his arm back for a third punch, Bakura took the chance to strike, hitting Mariku on the side of the head with his balled fist. This caused Mariku to lose his balance and topple off of Bakura.
Bakura, gasping for breath, rolled over and pushed himself to his hands and knees. He raised a hand to rub his aching neck, taking a few moments to try and catch his breath.
"No Mariku!!" Isis screamed.
Bakura looked up in the direction of her voice. She was kneeling next to Malik's still form, staring in Bakura's direction with fearful, tear-filled eyes.
Bakura blinked and began to turn his head, but before he could see what she was looking at, an explosion of pain in his side sent white flashes through his mind. He was thrown sideways, rolling and skidding across the ground. He didn't stop until he smashed into the legs of a small table, causing the things on top of it to jerk. He was on his stomach, fighting for consciousness when a crash beside him splashed him with something cold and wet. Looking around, he saw the shattered remains of the wine bottle and glasses that Isis had brought in the night before.
Raising his eyes, he saw Mariku advancing again. Bakura swallowed, knowing he was in a very... very bad situation. Hung over, in a fight, and on the ground between a table and a bunch of broken glass. He moved his arm to push himself up and winced as it scraped over some of the broken glass shards. He pushed himself to his knees.
Sparing a moment, he glanced down at this newest of wounds. There was a deep gash on his forearm that ran almost from his elbow to his wrist. For one long, insane moment, he pondered whether he should apologize to Isis for bleeding on her carpet. Then he blinked, pulling himself back to reality. He looked back up at Mariku.
"I warned you..." Mariku sneered evilly, his hands clenched into tight, angry fists. "I told you to stay away..."
Bakura remained on his knees, silently awaiting the attack which he figured would be the final one. Then, to his surprise, Isis suddenly appeared between the two of them. With more force than Bakura would have ever thought her capable of, she slapped Mariku across the face.
There was a moment of silence before Isis pointed at Malik, who was still laying as he had been when Bakura looked up earlier, next to a tall bookshelf. Bakura noted the disarray of the books and the broken knickknacks on the floor that Malik lay amongst.
"Mariku..." Isis spoke in a very strained, wrathful voice. Bakura's attention was drawn from Malik and back to these two once more. "You take my brother to his room and put him in bed. Gently, or you'll have even more to answer for." Then she turned to Bakura, regarding him angrily. "Are you trying to destroy my life!?" She demanded.
Bakura stood, his legs wobbling slightly. In truth, he was shaking all over. Pain, fear, relief, and anger coursing through him. What Isis had just suggested hurt him deeply. He held his hand over as much of his wound on his arm as he could cover. He was silent for a long moment, breathing deeply as he attempted to remain calm, as well as trying to think of something to say to that. He glared daggers at Mariku, who had yet to move away from Isis.
Finally, Bakura just scowled. He didn't have to take this... He shrugged. "Hey... I have to get my giggles somehow or another." He growled angrily.
Isis shook her head in disbelief. "What?"
Bakura licked his lips, tasting his blood absently. He shrugged again, continuing to glare at Mariku before finally moving his eyes back to Isis. "I'm sorry for the mess. But I think I should go. I feel greatly unwelcome." His tone was icy and emotionless.
With that, he stepped over the broken glass and trudged across the room. He paused just once, to kneel next to Malik and check his pulse. Then he stood and disappeared through the door. He'd have stayed longer to make sure Malik was okay, but he just couldn't stand that... He trudged to the front door and left the Ishtar residence, not caring enough to close the door after him.
In the pale, predawn light, he started down the sidewalk. He still had a fair hangover headache. Not to mention all the damage that Mariku had dealt him. So at first, the cool morning air was a welcome relief. Then it hit him just how cold it was... And so did the fact that he was still shirtless. Stopping, he sighed and turned back. He wasn't in the mood to worry about people wondering why he didn't have a shirt.
He approached the open door, wondering whether to knock, or just walk in again. Then he paused and cocked his head to one side. Sounded like someone was pacing in the living room. Bakura wasn't sure he wanted to risk running into Mariku alone so soon after their fight.
Then he heard someone come down the stairs and close the door. Bakura stood in the front doorway listening, still holding his bleeding forearm.
"There," came Mariku's voice, gruff from annoyance and anger. "Your brother's all tucked in."
"Don't you dare talk like that. You'd better jut hope that he's alright!" Isis' voice sounded furious.
Mariku snorted indignantly. "He'll be fine. And who are you to talk to me like that? Who found who with another guy?"
"Don't insult me!" Isis snapped angrily. "Nothing happened!"
Bakura blinked and allowed his arms to fall straight to his sides. *Don't insult me? What's that supposed to mean?*
"Nothing happened?" Mariku asked, incredulously. "How stupid do you think I am? I come home and find the two of you on the couch on top of each other, and nothing happened? He didn't have a shirt on, for the sake of Ra!"
"He got in a fight and got blood on his shirt. I took his shirt to clean if for him. It's not like he's great to look at or anything like that anyway!"
Bakura clenched his fists tightly, causing even more blood to seep out of his wound. A sticky stream of the crimson liquid ran down his arm and dripped onto the doorstep. He didn't care. He didn't even notice.
She thought that he was nothing... Her comment last night... He remembered her tone perfectly. "Nice..." she had said when he had pulled his shirt off. It was just the alcohol talking...
"Besides," Isis continued angrily. "Where exactly have you been all night long? Answer me that one, Mister Innocent!"
"Urk..." There was a long hesitation.
Isis snorted. "You don't have to say anything. I have a fairly good idea of where. And you come in here all righteous like and start insulting me and accusing me! How dare you!?"
Mariku's response was smug. "Perhaps your right about what I've been up to, but at least I'm not getting freaky with someone else here in our own house."
There was a loud smack and Mariku growled in pain and rage. "Noting happened, and nothing ever will. I would be much happier to never see Bakura again so long as I live! Not that I was ever all that happy to see him around here in the first place. I would never date the likes of him."
Bakura's fists clenched even tighter, tears welling up in his eyes. How could he ever have thought otherwise? Who was he trying to fool? Seto Kaiba had been right... Bakura clenched his eyes shut. Then, he turned and ran. He ran blindly, not paying any attention to where he was headed.
After Isis' final outburst, Mariku had turned from her and began stalking towards the door. So he didn't notice when a startled and pained expression crossed the Egyptian woman's face. She sank down to sit on the couch, her hand clutching the fabric of her dress just above her heart. Her Millennium Tauk glimmered oddly in the lighting of the room. She blinked back tears and glanced around. Mariku had stormed off to who-knows- where to do who-knows-what... Malik was upstairs in bed... Either way, this feeling didn't feel like it had come from either her brother or his yami.
"What... What is this?" She whispered as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. "Such pain..."
~~~
Ryou yawned and rolled over in bed, looking at his clock. He blinked. It was a weekend... Yet he'd just woke up at about the same time he would have gotten up for school. But what had awakened him? He closed his eyes, ready to go back to sleep.
Then he opened them again. "Bakura?" He called aloud. When he received no answer, Ryou sat up and looked around. "Bakura?" He didn't sense his yami's presence, and realized that he wasn't even sure if Bakura had come home the night before. Ryou took a deep breath. He had a really really bad feeling about this...
~Bakura!?~ Ryou scrambled out of bed and grabbed the Millennium Ring, practically throwing the rope over his head as he ran from his room. ~Bakura!?~
Ryou...
Ryou froze halfway down the stairs, nearly toppling headfirst down them due to his inertia and momentum. His yami sounded so weak... ~Bakura... Bakura, where are you!?~
I'm coming... On the way home...
Ryou dashed to the front door and yanked it open. He blinked against the morning sun as he stepped out of the house, standing on the small, unroofed concrete front porch. As his eyes adjusted, he glanced around frantically. Then he spotted Bakura, shirtless and bleeding, shuffling weakly down the sidewalk. He was holding his forearm in a way that Ryou know could only mean one thing. As Ryou watched him, Bakura stumbled slightly and had to lean against a lamppost to keep himself from falling.
"Bakura!" Ryou cried out when he finally found his voice again. He tore down the sidewalk towards him. Bakura lifted his head to look at Ryou as he drew closer. Then he lowered his head and slumped forward. Luckily, Ryou was close enough that he was about to catch his yami as he fell. "Oh no... What happened? You know with a wound like that, you need to bandage it! You're loosing too much blood! How long have you been like this? Who in the world could have managed to do something like this to you!?"
Bakura didn't respond at first. But as Ryou helped him back to the house, he grunted in pain. Then, whispering, "Early this morning... The sun wasn't quite rising yet..."
Ryou was shocked. "You've been running around like this for that long? It's a wonder you're still conscious!"
Once in the house, Ryou sat Bakura down in a chair in the living room and ran to get bandages, disinfectant, and some rags to clean the wound. Returning quickly, he kneeled in front of his yami. After arranging the items he had brought so that they'd be easier to work with, he mopped at the blood on Bakura's arm. Then he used another rag to rub on some disinfectant. He worked quickly and expertly, with careful and gentle hands, as though he'd had a lot of practice in the past. (((^_^() heh...)))
The whole time, Bakura just sat there. He didn't say nor do anything as Ryou cleaned his wound. Ryou glanced up as he began wrapping the bandage around Bakura's arm, then looked back at what he was doing. Suddenly, he stopped and looked back up at Bakura. He had his head leaning back against the back of the chair and his eyes were clenched shut. He... He was crying! Ryou couldn't recall ever having seen his yami cry before.
"B... Baku-kun?" Ryou asked softly. When he didn't get a response, Ryou sighed and went back to wrapping his arm. When he was done, he sat back on his heels. "Baku-kun? What happened?"
Bakura finally opened his eyes and looked back into Ryou's concerned eyes. "Mariku."
Ryou waited for him to say more, but he didn't add to it. "Um... So he did this to you, then?"
Bakura nodded. "This and so many more things... He really hurt Malik, too...And... And... RA!" Bakura was suddenly cursing in Ancient Egyptian. Very vulgar, very violent swearing and name-calling.
Ryou blinked. Startled by the sudden outburst, he just sat and listened. Just when the tears had made him feel that he couldn't be more surprised, there was this. Bakura was prone to fits of rage, but Ryou couldn't think of a time when he'd ever seen him quite like this. Then, something else came to Ryou... Some of the names that his yami was muttering were definitely feminine... So was he cussing out Mariku and a woman? Or Mariku as a woman? (((*snickers* could you imagine that? Calling Mariku a woman? ~_~() Oh, and as for Ryou knowing this... Think about how often he's around Bakura. *cough* all the time *cough* He'd pick some things up, no?)))
Bakura fell quiet suddenly, as though he'd simply just run out of insults. Ryou touched Bakura's knee gently. "What happened?" his voice was full of concern, but this time there was a forceful edge to it.
"Leave me be, Aibou." Bakura snapped and disappeared into the Millennium Ring.
Ryou sighed, touching the golden ring. ~Bakura?~ No answer. That fact didn't really surprise him. Besides... He probably did need to rest. He was hurt pretty badly and lost a lot of blood... So Ryou stopped trying for an explanation.
Still, it bugged him all day, until- finally- in the late afternoon, he picked up the phone. He could feel Bakura shift slightly in his mind. It was the most he'd done since that morning.
As Ryou dialed, Bakura asked quietly. What are you doing?
Ryou shrugged. ~Making a phone call.~
I see that. but he couldn't get any more out before someone answered the phone.
"Hello?" It was Isis' voice on the other line. Bakura fell still and silent once more.
"Hello. This is Ryou."
"Oh, hello Ryou." Isis greeted kindly. "Do you need something?"
"Not really... It's just that Bakura came home in pretty bad shape this morning and he said something about Malik being hurt too. I was just hoping that he was okay."
"That's so sweet of you, Ryou... He'll be alright. Pretty battered, and he has some cuts from the more breakable decorations that were on the bookcase that he was thrown against... But he's been awake off and on throughout the day and seems like he'll get better. The best thing for him is rest."
Ryou nodded as he replied. "Yeah, that's what I told Bakura." He hesitated slightly before questioning further. "If you don't mind... I'd like to know what happened. Bakura wouldn't tell me."
In his soul room, Bakura frowned angrily. But what did he really care anyway? Let Ryou know the insignificant details. Nothing mattered anymore...
There was only silence from the other end of the line. Ryou swallowed. "I'm sorry... If you don't want to talk about it, I-"
"No... It's okay." Isis sighed. "It's only right for you to know, too. It wouldn't be fair for you not to know why your yami came home so beat up... Well, Bakura ended up staying the night here, and Mariku didn't take too kindly about that. Malik tried to stop him, but obviously didn't do a very good job of it. That's it really... Just a stupid fight brought on my male's need to be macho."
Bakura cradled his head in his hands, tears stinging his eyes. That wasn't it... She hated him... Who could blame her, though? Was that why it hurt? Because he had built his reputation as a cold, uncaring person and had been so proud of it? How he had been proud of it. Always the toughest, coldest person...
"I see..." Ryou wasn't sure how to respond to that. Luckily, Isis spoke again, so he didn't need to worry too hard about it.
"Ryou..." she sighed. "I'm really sorry about this. You know, about what happened to Bakura. Is..." She paused hesitantly. "Is he okay?"
"Well, he-"
Ryou. Hang Up. Bakura demanded suddenly, his voice cold.
The suddenness of the order startled Ryou into vocal silence even as he questioned his yami mentally. ~What? Why?~
She has no business asking how I am.
Ryou was very confused and just stood there dumbly. Silent.
"Ryou? Are you there?"
"Yeah... I'm here..."
Ryou.
Ryou swallowed. "I'm sorry. I've got to go!" he said quickly and hung up the phone. He stood there for several minutes just staring at his hand on the telephone receiver. He frowned.
~Bakura. What's going on? You aren't being yourself.~
Leave me alone... his yami replied in a gruff whisper.
Ryou sighed. ~Bakura? Why won't you tell me? Why not talk to me about it?~
Humph...
Ryou sighed and just dropped the subject. He knew better than to try and force Bakura to talk about something he didn't want to. Besides, Bakura had just formed a very strong mental barrier between them. Ryou couldn't help but wonder what was going on with his yami. He was worried... He'd never seen Bakura so upset before... Never.
~~~
Bakura stood by Ryou's bed, looking down at the sleeping boy silently. Then he turned and walked out of the room, grabbing one of Ryou's sweaters as he went. He stumbled slightly going down the stairs, and grabbed the railing for support. Once downstairs, he pulled the sweater over his head, wincing slightly at the pain in his arm.
He opened the front door and slipped out into the cool night air as silently as he could. He set a quick pace and arrived shortly at the Ishtar residence. He hesitated a moment before creeping around the side of the house and looking up at Malik's window. Bakura wasn't sure why he was here, but he was... Climbing the tree near the house was no easy task with the shape he was in, but he managed. Somehow, he managed.
Usually he'd be furious with Malik because another of his stupid schemes had gotten both of them injured. But he didn't feel angry right now. His soul ached far too much for him to be angry. He felt numb to everything... But also concerned.
*Is that why I'm here?* he asked himself as he edged along the tree branch towards Malik's window. *Because I'm worried about Malik?*
He sighed, not really caring either way. Holding onto the tree branch tightly with one hand, he reached out with the other and slid the window open. Then he was in the room, standing over Malik, watching silently as he lay still and quiet.
*Why am I here?* he asked himself again. *This is stupid. Ryou found out for the both of us that he was okay.*
Malik stirred, causing Bakura to step backwards. He practically disappeared into the shadows, unusually well for someone with such bright white/silver hair. Malik's eyes opened and stared up at the ceiling for several minutes before he closed them again. Bakura closed his eyes as well and fought a sigh of relief. He stood in the shadows for a long time, just to be on the safe side.
Once he felt fairly sure that Malik would have gone back to sleep again, he slowly moved closer to the bed. He stared at his friend a moment before glancing absently around the room.
"Bakura?" Surprise edged Malik's questioning tone.
"Eh!" Bakura blinked and looked down at Malik, who was struggling to sit up. Bakura moved to help him. "Careful now, baka." He muttered.
Malik chuckled as he sat on his bed, hunched forward from pain and exhaustion. "Bet you just love this... The results of my brilliant plan... However, in my defense, it did work for the best. Isis and Mariku are through and you're off the hook too." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You're going to hurt me now aren't you?"
Bakura shrugged and attempted a smirk. But his heart ached too much to put on a very good act. "The thought had crossed my mind... But no."
Malik raised an eyebrow and looked him over. "No?" then he became suspicious. "Why not?"
Bakura turned away and walked to the window. He stood silently, staring out into the night. After a while, he finally half-turned from the window, giving Malik a sidelong glance. "Because I hurt too much... If I were to begin taking it out on you, I might not be able to stop myself before killing you... And though it's a tempting idea, you are a friend. But even if I did, I'd still be in pain..."
Malik frowned, concern showing in his features strong enough to cancel out the earlier pain. "What in the Shadow Realm's the matter with you?" The phrasing may not have shown his worry, but his tone sure did. (((Can't you see him phrasing it like that though? ^_^() )))
"Heh..." Bakura turned back to the window, gripping the sill tightly.
"Bakura... What's wrong?"
"Just forget it. I'm fine." Bakura growled. Then, in a flash of movement and shadows, he was out the window, which was shut behind him.
Malik sighed and lay back down. "I'll never really understand him... But at least he can get a job done." Malik smiled absently, secretly glad of Bakura's friendship.
Meanwhile, Bakura trekked back to Ryou's in the dark. He almost wished that some punk might try to jump him. Sending someone to the Shadow Realm would feel good right about now...
~*~*~*~
I like this chapter... I really do... *cradles Bakura in her arms* You poor thing!
And yes... I know... Technically, Bakura wouldn't have been able to be beat almost to death because the yami's don't have their own bodies... But yeah, that's what's so great about fanfics, right? You can throw some rules out of the window if you need to. And I needed to for this fic, yeah? ^_^() At any rate...
Just a quick thing about this chapter's bloopers... I'm sure you all know prank phone calls... But what about prank phone answerings? *grins idiotically* Those are fun!! *cough* But yeah... Bloopers... I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what I'm talking about. KK?
And now for-
Malik: I wanna talk to the reviewers!!
... Must you?
Malik: You let Bakura try last chapter! I'll tell Yami Tenshi!!
*sigh* We can't have her getting after me for unfair treatment of her bishies now can we?
Malik: *grins* Great! Thanks!
Reviewerness!!!
Flamedancer33: What will I say? What will I say? I'll tell you what I'll say. You see, within the next couple of chapters I- *suddenly tackled by Silverscreamer* NO!!! You don't tell them what's going to happen!!! *Malik pouts as he is sent away*
IrishJade: *chuckles* If Mariku had gotten his way, there certainly would have been more than 'heads rolling' I think...
Red Prophet: *giggles* You know... You're pretty creative. I never once gave a thought to Kaiba going to Mariku to tell on Isis and Bakura... Interesting thought... I wonder how that would have played out... *shrugs and chuckles* I'm glad you like the fic so far.
Xonnie: *chuckles* yeah, it's the only Isis/Bakura fic out there that I know of... The only Mariku/Isis fic too, probably... But that's a very VERY good thing... ~_~() Glad you like it, and I won't disappoint you with updating.
Flamedancer33: Hmmmm... Angst enough for you now? Or I dunno... Perhaps I misinterpret the word 'angst' ... Must look into that... *glances around for her dictionary and then remembers that it's in her backpack in the other room.* Oh well... Will do that some other time... Anyway! ^_^() Glad you love the bloopers! And yeah, I had Comp. Apps. last year... So easy. I had, like, at least half an hour of free time at the end of every class. ^_^()
I LoveYami Marik: *nods* Yeah, Bakura does pick on Ryou a good bit... But doesn't anymore really for the rest of the fic... I don't think... And if you wish to see the picture I drew of Bakura, than- like I said before- the link should be in my profile. Alrighty? Hope you like it!
Lily of the Shadow: *chuckles* Sorry... No opera for those two... *pats you on the back* And don't worry... Math's the devil!
Anime*2000: Really? Hmmm... Well, I know in the rules it says not to post bloopers, but I think they mean your own bloopers for the show itself. This is my own writing so I should be allowed to blooper it if I want... ((now watch, since I said that they're going to come after me for my bloopers... *)) And (apparently) yes, this was were M&M came in.
KurianGirl: You're very welcome for chapter 11. Hope you liked chapter 12 as well. And yes... Bakura as Batman... ... We'll just leave it at that...
Oh! And really quick... Umeko. I know you didn't post to the last chapter... But the one before that... You were mentioning all the little things you and your friends notice. Me and Yami Tenshi are the exact same way! Hints all of the similarities in the things that you've mentioned and what I wrote. For example... Do you know how confusing it was for me when I was telling YT about your review that mentions Bakura's sexy chest and suddenly I realize, Wait! I just posted that chapter this morning! How would she have reviewed it and me read the review!? *laughes* You's a little psycho!
Ryou: You mean psychic?
Yeah! What he said!