Bridled Deception
The stranger on the bed, still lying like he had for two weeks and counting, tried to roll onto his side, angered to find out that the pressure hurt his already bruised and bleeding arm. Gods, how he wanted to get out of there. He wanted out, and he needed blood.
Granted, that opportunity presented itself to him everyday. There wasn't a morning that he'd wake up or an evening when he fell asleep that Yuugi wasn't at his side.
For one reason he refused the opportunity, he still wanted to leave this earth, although he'd merely end up rotting Hell, like he had done so many years before. Another, he liked the teenager.
Why the hell he liked him, not even the demon could figure that out. And Yuugi smelled incredible. Honey and vanilla and honeysuckle.
A cold breeze filled the dark room, a hard, dry cackle filling his ears.
"Well, well, well. What have we here? A demon stuck in a cycle of endless bleeding?" The voice clicked its tongue against the roof of its mouth, chiding him.
His crimson eyes rolled to the side, seeing a white haired demon sitting on the desk, black wings drawn close.
"Go away, Bakura. I'm not in the mood to deal with you."
Another raspy chuckle. "You're not in any condition to be dealing with anything right now. Too bad you can't stop pitying your existence to just get the vital liquid that you need to heal."
"Shut up, demon."
"Oh, what's the matter Yami, are you developing a crush on a mortal?"
The invalid growled loudly. "Why the hell are you even here? Bored like you usually are? If I could get up, I'd kill you and send you back to Hell where you belong."
"Oh, I have no doubt about that." Bakura turned his ice blue eyes upward, thoughtful. "Funny how humans always get us mixed up with vampires, don't you think? We need blood to heal, and just because we like it. But vampires need it for survival." He paused. "And we can go out in sunlight. Too bad. Imagine what Yuugi would do, if he thought you were a vampire, much less the demonic creature that you are."
"Stop speaking your words which are dripping with poison, bastard. Leave me alone!"
Another cackle. The night around them both shook with the condescending tone, ironic and cruel.
"I'm hear to tell you something, which you probably don't care to hear. But I'll tell you anyway. Those witches that were hunting you came back the next morning, after they left you for dead. They wanted to watch your body burn. Do you know that they did when they saw that you were gone?"
"No, and I don't care what they did either. But what I want to know is when they're going to get here and finish the damned job?" Yami's voice shook with his anger and his pain, something which he would probably never be rid of until death. Then he could dwell on it in Hell, where he belonged. And where he had been before.
"They are currently scavenging the earth in search for you, and won't rest until they find you. You know that their hatred for us runs deep, especially for you. I've come to tell you that they are almost here. Pegasus has sworn that if you return to Hell again with not so much as the feather of an angel, he'll banish your soul forever."
Yami froze. "Y-you mean, kill my soul? So I can't even rot in the bloody pit below?"
"That's right, bastard. Kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place, aren't you?" The demon on the desk laughed again. "Poor Yami. What do you do? Wallow in your self pity, and wait for non-existence? Or overcome this and kill again, like your broken spirit is so tired of doing?" More laughing. Gods, why wouldn't he stop laughing? The cold reverberations jarred Yami's bones and filling his body with a thriving pain.
Silent tears streamed down the demon's cheeks again. What was he to do?
"I'll leave you now, Yami, to dwell on this with your salty tears for company. I have my own mortal to play with for now."
And with that, the demon Ryo Bakura disappeared as fast as he had come.
* *
* *
Yuugi awoke to the sounds of heart-wrenching sobs leaking through from the spare bedroom.
'Oh no, not again.'
Only once had the stranger's sobs kept him sleepless at night, and Yuugi stayed by his side till morning when a dreamless sleep finally came, stopping the endless flow of tears. What happened tonight to cause such distress, he had no idea.
But he would be there to help Oscar through it, no matter what.
Wrapping a blanket around him to fend off the cold, Yuugi left his own room and entered that of the spare.
The choking was stronger tonight. Stronger than it had ever been.
Moving to the bed, Yuugi leaned over him and began to wipe away the tears. "Are you all right? What happened? Was it a bad dream?"
"Oh Yuugi, just go away. Why can't you leave me alone?"
The small teen was taken aback. Had the broken youth actually used his name? He never had before! Never addressed anyone!
"You used my name."
"I-what?"
"You used my name," Yuugi reiterated.
There was no response.
"Please tell me yours."
"I won't."
"Why?"
The invalid stopped short. He couldn't tell his name. Yuugi would hate it. Any mortal would, if they knew the monster that he was. And deep down, he didn't want to accept Yuugi's rejection. That damned Bakura was right.
"I won't."
"Please," Yuugi pressed again. "I want to know more about you."
Oh no he didn't. The demon was sure about that. But, on the other hand, it probably -would- make Yuugi happy.
"I-it's Yami." He turned his head to the side, afraid of the response.
Yuugi rolled the name over a few times in his mind. "Darkness? That's, that's really neat. I like it. It really fits you. Why wouldn't you tell me sooner?"
It was the demon's turn to be taken aback. Yuugi _liked_ it? Really? "You like my name?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't I? I've never met anyone with that name before."
"I. . .I thought you'd hate it."
Yuugi looked down sadly and a little shocked for the umpteenth time that night. Cupping both cheeks, he brought Yami's eyes over to meet his own. "So that's why you were afraid. I want to tell you this now, in case you ever have any doubts later. I won't hate _anything_ about you. I mean that. Not ever. No matter who you are or where you came from, I will never abandon you because of it. I promise you that. Never."
Oh, if only the child knew what he was saying. If only he knew.
If only Yami knew it was true.
"You should try and get some rest now, Yami. If you want me to, I'll stay here with you for the rest of the night."
"Yes," he said after a short hesitation. "Please stay."
Yuugi was overjoyed. Finally they were making progress. He was breaking through the mental barrier that Yami had set up. So, wrapping his blanket tightly around him, the young teen laid down on the edge of the bed, a protective arm around Yami's shoulders.
The demon slept better that night than he ever had before.
* *
* *
Yuugi bounded down the stairs the next morning, his usual happy-go-lucky self.
"Well, what made you so happy this morning," Mr. Moto inquired.
"Oscar told me his name last night."
The elder man quirked an eyebrow. "He did?"
"Yep! We're making progress! I told you we would!"
"And what is it?"
"Yami."
Solomon mused to himself for a minute. "Well, it does fit him, doesn't it? Why wouldn't he tell us sooner?"
"He was afraid that we'd hate it. Can you believe that?"
"Sadly, quite easily. Good work Yuugi, we just might make it through to him yet."
And with that, the exuberant teen picked up his bag and bounded off to school.
* *
* *
Well, what do you guys want to see next? Ideas, comments, suggestions, and flames welcome.
The stranger on the bed, still lying like he had for two weeks and counting, tried to roll onto his side, angered to find out that the pressure hurt his already bruised and bleeding arm. Gods, how he wanted to get out of there. He wanted out, and he needed blood.
Granted, that opportunity presented itself to him everyday. There wasn't a morning that he'd wake up or an evening when he fell asleep that Yuugi wasn't at his side.
For one reason he refused the opportunity, he still wanted to leave this earth, although he'd merely end up rotting Hell, like he had done so many years before. Another, he liked the teenager.
Why the hell he liked him, not even the demon could figure that out. And Yuugi smelled incredible. Honey and vanilla and honeysuckle.
A cold breeze filled the dark room, a hard, dry cackle filling his ears.
"Well, well, well. What have we here? A demon stuck in a cycle of endless bleeding?" The voice clicked its tongue against the roof of its mouth, chiding him.
His crimson eyes rolled to the side, seeing a white haired demon sitting on the desk, black wings drawn close.
"Go away, Bakura. I'm not in the mood to deal with you."
Another raspy chuckle. "You're not in any condition to be dealing with anything right now. Too bad you can't stop pitying your existence to just get the vital liquid that you need to heal."
"Shut up, demon."
"Oh, what's the matter Yami, are you developing a crush on a mortal?"
The invalid growled loudly. "Why the hell are you even here? Bored like you usually are? If I could get up, I'd kill you and send you back to Hell where you belong."
"Oh, I have no doubt about that." Bakura turned his ice blue eyes upward, thoughtful. "Funny how humans always get us mixed up with vampires, don't you think? We need blood to heal, and just because we like it. But vampires need it for survival." He paused. "And we can go out in sunlight. Too bad. Imagine what Yuugi would do, if he thought you were a vampire, much less the demonic creature that you are."
"Stop speaking your words which are dripping with poison, bastard. Leave me alone!"
Another cackle. The night around them both shook with the condescending tone, ironic and cruel.
"I'm hear to tell you something, which you probably don't care to hear. But I'll tell you anyway. Those witches that were hunting you came back the next morning, after they left you for dead. They wanted to watch your body burn. Do you know that they did when they saw that you were gone?"
"No, and I don't care what they did either. But what I want to know is when they're going to get here and finish the damned job?" Yami's voice shook with his anger and his pain, something which he would probably never be rid of until death. Then he could dwell on it in Hell, where he belonged. And where he had been before.
"They are currently scavenging the earth in search for you, and won't rest until they find you. You know that their hatred for us runs deep, especially for you. I've come to tell you that they are almost here. Pegasus has sworn that if you return to Hell again with not so much as the feather of an angel, he'll banish your soul forever."
Yami froze. "Y-you mean, kill my soul? So I can't even rot in the bloody pit below?"
"That's right, bastard. Kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place, aren't you?" The demon on the desk laughed again. "Poor Yami. What do you do? Wallow in your self pity, and wait for non-existence? Or overcome this and kill again, like your broken spirit is so tired of doing?" More laughing. Gods, why wouldn't he stop laughing? The cold reverberations jarred Yami's bones and filling his body with a thriving pain.
Silent tears streamed down the demon's cheeks again. What was he to do?
"I'll leave you now, Yami, to dwell on this with your salty tears for company. I have my own mortal to play with for now."
And with that, the demon Ryo Bakura disappeared as fast as he had come.
* *
* *
Yuugi awoke to the sounds of heart-wrenching sobs leaking through from the spare bedroom.
'Oh no, not again.'
Only once had the stranger's sobs kept him sleepless at night, and Yuugi stayed by his side till morning when a dreamless sleep finally came, stopping the endless flow of tears. What happened tonight to cause such distress, he had no idea.
But he would be there to help Oscar through it, no matter what.
Wrapping a blanket around him to fend off the cold, Yuugi left his own room and entered that of the spare.
The choking was stronger tonight. Stronger than it had ever been.
Moving to the bed, Yuugi leaned over him and began to wipe away the tears. "Are you all right? What happened? Was it a bad dream?"
"Oh Yuugi, just go away. Why can't you leave me alone?"
The small teen was taken aback. Had the broken youth actually used his name? He never had before! Never addressed anyone!
"You used my name."
"I-what?"
"You used my name," Yuugi reiterated.
There was no response.
"Please tell me yours."
"I won't."
"Why?"
The invalid stopped short. He couldn't tell his name. Yuugi would hate it. Any mortal would, if they knew the monster that he was. And deep down, he didn't want to accept Yuugi's rejection. That damned Bakura was right.
"I won't."
"Please," Yuugi pressed again. "I want to know more about you."
Oh no he didn't. The demon was sure about that. But, on the other hand, it probably -would- make Yuugi happy.
"I-it's Yami." He turned his head to the side, afraid of the response.
Yuugi rolled the name over a few times in his mind. "Darkness? That's, that's really neat. I like it. It really fits you. Why wouldn't you tell me sooner?"
It was the demon's turn to be taken aback. Yuugi _liked_ it? Really? "You like my name?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't I? I've never met anyone with that name before."
"I. . .I thought you'd hate it."
Yuugi looked down sadly and a little shocked for the umpteenth time that night. Cupping both cheeks, he brought Yami's eyes over to meet his own. "So that's why you were afraid. I want to tell you this now, in case you ever have any doubts later. I won't hate _anything_ about you. I mean that. Not ever. No matter who you are or where you came from, I will never abandon you because of it. I promise you that. Never."
Oh, if only the child knew what he was saying. If only he knew.
If only Yami knew it was true.
"You should try and get some rest now, Yami. If you want me to, I'll stay here with you for the rest of the night."
"Yes," he said after a short hesitation. "Please stay."
Yuugi was overjoyed. Finally they were making progress. He was breaking through the mental barrier that Yami had set up. So, wrapping his blanket tightly around him, the young teen laid down on the edge of the bed, a protective arm around Yami's shoulders.
The demon slept better that night than he ever had before.
* *
* *
Yuugi bounded down the stairs the next morning, his usual happy-go-lucky self.
"Well, what made you so happy this morning," Mr. Moto inquired.
"Oscar told me his name last night."
The elder man quirked an eyebrow. "He did?"
"Yep! We're making progress! I told you we would!"
"And what is it?"
"Yami."
Solomon mused to himself for a minute. "Well, it does fit him, doesn't it? Why wouldn't he tell us sooner?"
"He was afraid that we'd hate it. Can you believe that?"
"Sadly, quite easily. Good work Yuugi, we just might make it through to him yet."
And with that, the exuberant teen picked up his bag and bounded off to school.
* *
* *
Well, what do you guys want to see next? Ideas, comments, suggestions, and flames welcome.