It was rising in his gut. A warming pool swirling inside making everything seems at ease. His muscles taught from a hard workout, panting breaths escaping his bruised lips... he was shivering; bumps riding along his naked flesh and he couldn't seem to will them away.

He was in ecstasy. The warm familiar substance drying on his rippling skin, and he couldn't help but feel truly alive. His head was in the clouds, a delicious ring sounding in his ears!

And soon it drifted away, his breath returned and he lowered his head to the cause of such pleasure and froze. His eyes widened in panic as he stared at the cold dead body beneath him.

Shaky hands rose up to his face, soaked in sticky warm blood. Blood, it was everywhere on him, his bare chest seemed to be painted with the drying liquid, and it cracked and flaked off his legs as he stood up. His head was screaming of everything he had done.

There was no guilt for the mutilated body below him, only shame. A deep embarrassing shame that grew inside of him. He had enjoyed the hunt, he had relished in the kill, and his soiled cloak showed him just how much.

"What have I done?" He whispered to himself.

He was worried about him; something seemed out of place yet he couldn't put his finger on it. Every time he tried to approach him about it he shied away, making an excuse about attending to something else.

It angered him greatly, for he thought that he was someone he could trust.

"Malik?"

A delicious shiver ran up his spine as he heard the honey filled voice speak his name. He turned his head to the side and gazed into equally worried eyes. "What is wrong, Ryou?"

The young man stepped out into the hallway and soon closed the distance between the two. Jade eyes gazed into his amethyst in a serious tone. "Something is wrong with Bakura, and I don't know what it is. He will not tell me, and it's scaring me. Did he tell you anything?"

Malik's shoulders drooped, and he let out a tired sigh, "No. He will not confine with me either. Though I am sure, that if he were to talk to any of us, it would most certainly be you. You are his lover after all." He replied.

Ryou smiled at him sadly, "I know. I am just worried about him, I try to comfort him yet he tells me he needs no comfort."

Malik placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "Bakura likes to deal with his problems alone. He is not used to having one such as you so close to him, worrying about him. Just give him time; he will soon come to you, open up to you. You just have to give him space."

Ryou smiled so brightly, Malik would have sworn he held Re's light behind it.

And it was then that he had to fight the urge to pull Ryou into his arms. He wanted to stroke that soft white hair in love and comfort, to kiss those full sweet lips. Ah, but he couldn't. Ryou wasn't his; you mustn't touch that which is not yours. You'll get burned, and Malik didn't like fire.

For as the saying goes: you can look at the jewel for as long as you desire. But touch it not, for there are watchful eyes to stop the greed.
Bakura sat on the railing of his balcony, viewing his land with a fearful light. There were many times that he as a child would sit on this very railing and smirk at the sand lands below. For it was against the rules you see, but the balconies on the building were put there in mockery. The castle of thieves, a building of so many openings, yet so few dared to enter.

They were always afraid of what they might find inside. An army? Yes. Treasure? Most defiantly. Traps and a most certain death? No one ventured to find out.

Yet sitting here, he could not find any reason to look smug. He couldn't find the energy in himself to laugh haughtily.

He was frozen, looking down below, seeing the many villages and homes. What he saw was not what was there. Anyone who looked below would just see plain sand buildings, and people bustling about trying to complete their daily tasks.

He didn't see this. He wished he could, be he didn't. The fine hairs on his arms and legs prickled, his breathing was coming out in labored breaths. He saw crumbling homes, he saw a sea of blood, and he saw mutilation! And he liked it.

It was all there in his mind, taunting him, making it look beautiful; and oh how he silently wished he could go down there and complete it. Yet this feeling made him start, this feeling scared him down to his very being.

He was disgusted with himself. How could he even think about considering it?

::Because, it looks so wonderful does it not?::

/Leave me be./

::Resisting only makes it worse I'm afraid. You'll feel the hunger. It will grow, you can't deny it forever... just look what happened last time.::

/That was not me! It was you./

The voice in his mind tutted softly, ::Deny it if you want. You know the truth; you were aware, you wished it so! It felt good, did it not?::

/Stop it.../

::The power, was it not delicious?::

/Stop.../

::ADMIT IT! YOU WERE IN LOVE!::

"I WAS NOT!" He yelled, slamming his fist onto the railing. It cracked slightly and he could distinctly hear chips of the marble falling below. But that was not all he heard.

"Bakura-love?" Ryou whispered fearfully.

Bakura turned around slowly, and he saw the boy cringe. He even heard the other whimper softly. What was it, what did Ryou see?
There was a wild look in his eyes. One that he remembered seeing from a cornered dog. The anger. Frustration. Determination. The hate. It was all there swirling in his lover's blood red eyes, and it struck him deeply. He looked so deadly then, he felt like his life was in danger.

He tried to stop it, but he felt the whimper leave his throat. He knew Bakura heard it and he felt guilty at the stunned look on his lover's face.

Slowly the eyes softened, and with the melting emotions so did his fear go. Bakura turned around so that he was looking at him fully. He held his arms wide and no words were needed, for Ryou walked in a swift pace and hugged the man before him.

Bakura wrapped his arms around Ryou tightly, silently asking to be held. To be comforted. He had not meant to worry Ryou; he had not meant to make the boy nervous either.

He could feel something digging into his chest, and it calmed him somehow to feel it, to know that it was there. Ryou's Dragon Love, the boy never removed it and it made him feel... smug somehow.

And they stood there, wrapped in each other's warmth, taking comfort from one another for reasons unspoken and unknown.

Ryou made him forget about his blood lust; and Bakura took away Ryou's fear.

But how long would it last, when a demon lives inside you demanding more?
And that is chapter ten!

I would just like to take a moment to apologize to everyone about the long wait you had to endure. I am truly sorry, there has just been a lot of things I need to get done and so my time for writing fanfics is running low. But summer is on its way, and with it comes: chances, time, inspiration, and lots of free coffee.

Please leave a review after these two chapters; I would love to hear your comments on what is happening so far.

P.S. (Just something you can tell me in your review.) How did you think about the first few paragraphs of this chapter? Did I trick/surprise you? XD