TL: WOW! It's been a long and hard journey, but this is it. This is the end. I think I'm tearing up here…
Jou: Aww, it's ok. There are lots of other series out there to fiddle with.
TL: You're right. Maybe I'll write another fic someday. (Shyuuuuure…) But right now I'm exhausted just finishing this one. I can't believe it's over. This means that if you don't like the ending… YOU'RE STUCK WITH IT! Oh well, I thought it was pretty good. A little note about updating here… I said I'd update once school was out, and my school let out on June 5. So I was a lazy butt for a while. I felt I should be truthful to you guys about that. I'm so sorry for cheating out of a couple weeks there.
Jou: They'll live. Get on with the obligatory crap.
TL: Er, right, what he said. I don't own Yugioh and don't even technically type it in right (but no one really cares, right?), plus I have no money, let alone money I made off of this piece of writing. So, I'm begging you, don't sue me. I'm too young to be in debt! And I love all you people who reviewed, you're the best people in the whole wide world! I would review other stories too, except that I seem to be very bad at it. So sue me. Or, rather, don't. Please.
Jou: Here it is, the end of a fic that didn't center around me.
When Ryou finally woke up again, quite rested, Bakura had gone. The boy sat up slowly, looking at his bandaged arms. They both ached and throbbed, and his head swam vaguely through miserable thoughts of his screwed-up life—He stopped when he remembered Bakura. It took several seconds for it to register in his brain that Bakura had shown concern for him. It took several minutes to realize that maybe Bakura didn't… hate him.
This could lead to a whole new perspective on life. Ryou hauled himself up and teetered and tottered his way downstairs, clinging to the walls for balance and support. He reached the kitchen, and peered around, but there was no Bakura. Puzzled, Ryou fervently searched the rest of the house, but Bakura was not to be found. Beginning to panic, Ryou stumbled outside, calling out Bakura's name. He ran down to the street corner and looked up the adjacent sidewalk, trying to pick out Bakura's silver hair…
THERE! Ryou took off in bare feet, pajamas, and slightly stained bandages, sprinting down the street towards the slowly retreating back of his yami. Other pedestrians, shocked, dodged out of the way. Ryou pulled up short at the corner, hopping up and down in impatience for the light to change. "Bakura!" he yelled over traffic and chatter, but the cry fell on deaf ears. Finally the cars stopped going straight and the light turned white, and Ryou was off again, tearing past shop fronts and vendors. He was just yards away from Bakura now, and he called out once more. Bakura turned to face him, and at that moment Ryou tripped on a large crack in the sidewalk and flew forward into the ground. His arms sought out a hold on something, and found Bakura's knee, but his chin hit the ground hard all the same.
Bakura looked down at Ryou with large eyes, his hands still in his pockets. "Ryou? Are you okay? And still relatively sane?"
The boy pulled himself up, rubbing gently at his scraped chin with his wrist. "I'm… I'm okay," he panted, kneeling on the ground before the spirit. "Why did you... l… leave?"
Bakura looked incredulous for a minute, and then pulled Ryou up to his feet. "I thought you wouldn't want me around anymore. I mean, a homicidal homosexual spirit who spends his days torturing his hikari and wondering what the hell is wrong with himself…" Bakura's tone and face showed bitterness.
"No—Bakura…" Ryou tried to think of a way to word his thoughts, but was interrupted.
"You shouldn't be out in public like this, it's embarrassing." Bakura turned and started in the direction of home. Ryou blankly followed him down the street and back into the house.
"Did you see all those people staring at us? Do you think you could be a little more odd-looking next time? It's not generally my style to attract attention," Bakura grumbled as he sat down on the sofa.
"I'm sorry," Ryou apologized, quietly and humbly, collapsing next to Bakura.
"Okay, go on, say whatever you had to say. Why it was you wanted to keep me around, or whatever."
Ryou blushed and found that often words were hard to come by when you most needed them. "I… Wait, how is it you were describing yourself?"
"Hnh? Oh, a homicidal homosexual spirit who—"
"You're what? Homosexual?" Ryou stared at Bakura with the oddest look on his face… Fear, or surprise, or confusion, something like that.
"I guess."
Ryou blushed again, feeling a winning shot coming on. "What… What makes you think that?"
Bakura glared at Ryou. The air buzzed quietly. "…Shit."
Ryou smiled eerily. "I love you, Bakura."
There was another electric, uncomfortable moment of silence.
"I love you too, Ryou."
And another.
"Really?"
"No, I actually hate you, and everything about you, and everything that reminds me of you. I wish you would suffer the greatest pain any human has ever felt and then die and go to the worst afterlife imaginable. They're the same thing though, right?" His expression remained wry and bored.
Ryou looked at the edge of his seat to avoid Bakura's eyes, and was about to say something along the lines of, "I think I'm going to puke," when his brain short-circuited abruptly.
There have been many descriptions of great kisses throughout the ages, but all words fell short of this one. It was hot and cool, soothing and burning, wonderful and terrible, overpowering and yet calling for something to be added… Before he knew what was happening Ryou found himself pinned against the sofa, totally lost in Bakura's lips, and not giving a fig what happened next, so long as he was with Bakura, knowing they were in love.
Bakura pulled back, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth, and an evil look in his eyes. So, little white-haired angel, you love me, eh? And you didn't accept my offer to leave you alone. Just how far are you willing to go for me?" Bakura's tongue flicked against Ryou's ear and the boy's thought processes slowed to a halt.
"All right, so don't talk to me." The spirit unbuttoned the front of Ryou's pajama shirt and planted nips and wet kisses along his collarbone. Ryou made small noises of pleasure and wriggled, which made Bakura's grin widen.
It wasn't until a few minutes later, when Bakura had made his way down to Ryou's pants, that he decided it was time to stop.
"Okay… Bakura…" His head seemed to have been emptied of all vital sentence-forming memories. "Please… NO!" Ryou's body stiffened and he scrambled up into a sitting position once Bakura's hand started going places.
Bakura regarded the boy with disdain and a smarmy shrug. "Sure thing." He then proceeded to cast his gaze determinedly upon the wall.
Ryou found himself feeling guilty. "I'm sorry, it's just… I'm just too scared for now."
It was a revolutionary moment in Ryou's mind. He had found the courage to admit to being afraid and unsure, to Bakura's face. He received no reprimand, no pain. Bakura only looked at him with false understanding (but at least he had tried). Though it looked like it pained the spirit slightly, coming up with an expression like that. Ryou smiled. "Thank you so much, Bakura."
Bakura frowned, but gathered Ryou into his arms, holding his head against his chest and stroking the boy's hair, soft as new-fallen snow.
"I suppose… I love you too, aibou."
Fin