(To the tune of 'Winter Wonderland')
'Nuther chapter, you still reading?
Without a plot, and with no meaning.
We're in Bakura's mind,
It's romance of a kind,
My reason for 'Game-Queen' fic delays.
Confusion
Ah, two months down and this relationship thing is still fresh and exciting. Am officially smug and happy. Yami looks brighter than ever, now even more-so because we only have to be careful around *most* of the group and not all.
Joey is being a good pup and keeping an eye out for us, preferring to stay on my good side because my very presence is threatening and all. His sudden want to help us has absolutely nothing to do with being Yami's friend. It's solely as a result of my threatening presence. Yes. I have still got it. This relationship is *not* making me soft.
Yami's working at the shop today so I'm left in this huge and depressingly lonely house on my own. Ryou was smart and left for school with Yugi early, pretty much just to keep well out of my way whilst I work out my natural frustration. I think he shouted something about coming home soon but I wasn't paying him any attention so I don't really know.
With no hope of seeing my lover for quite some time I'm naturally a little agitated. I have a low tolerance for separation, and no it's not because I'm needy or some weak crap like that. It's just that my mind has this infuriating habit of drifting to him anytime we're apart and only focusing on what I want it to when he's nearby.
I wouldn't be surprised if we have some sort of mystical bond growing between us on a subconscious level because we're both yamis. Hmm, that was pretty insightful for me. I hope it isn't that though; it would be very easy for Yugi and Ryou to find out about this affair if it were.
So, I'm burning off my negative Karma in the living room having shoved all the furniture against the walls so it won't get in my way. I'm not concerned about breaking it, just about breaking my self when I've gotten into this routine, which I always end up doing, and getting overly enthusiastic. That always leads to bruising.
It's a fighting style that I've perfected over, literally, years. What else was I supposed to do in the Ring trapped for what could have been an eternity? Yami perfected his gaming skills yet even further and Malik went even more insane. I spent my time productively too by perfecting my killing skills.
Pivot, stretch, kick, pivot.
It's a very old routine but a complicated one that is always challenging no matter how many times I perform it. High kicks and low sweeps mixed in with short, sharp punches equal an hour long workout that'll have my muscles burning in a way that can truly be relished. I'd like a weapon to practice with but Ryou refuses to let me get my hands on a Katana so I'm stuck with physical combat. Damnit.
I drop and move the majority of my weight to one hand as I sweep my foot around in a low arc, dimly hearing the door open in the hallway behind me through the roaring in my ears as my blood surges. Ryou's home early then. Must have forgotten a book or something
Snapping my body back up I bring my boot around in a fluid motion preparing to rest my weight between both to finish the routine. That is, if my foot hadn't connected solidly with something in midair.
Taking a step back to account for my loss of balance, I shake my head slightly to clear my sweat-covered bangs from my eyes before looking up to see if I'd done Ryou's torso any serious damage.
Not seeing anyone, I look down and found myself swallowing my heart back down into my chest. Oh Ra. I kicked Yami. Hard. In the face no less. I wonder if I killed him? Hope not.
"Nice to see you too," he grunts with a grimace, raising a hand tenderly up to his left eye. I'm on my knees at his side the second I have regained a semblance of my former composure, my hands going to his elbow and the small of his back to help him sit up.
Opening my mouth to apologise, he shakes his head dismissively and pulls his hand away from his face, squinting at me a little through the damaged eye. "Don't worry about it; my magic will fix it soon. Frustrated?"
Well, I'm glad that he's forgiven me so easily as I struggle apologising to anyone including him. It would have been entirely sincere just now though. I am sorry to have kicked him in his pretty little face. Still, no real harm done. Like he says the Puzzle will sort it out and he's forgiven me already so everything's fine.
"Is this surprise visit to burn off my frustration in other, more pleasurable ways?" I ask smoothly, referring to the underlying meaning in the later of that sentence.
Oh Ra he's frowning. Too soon to get that after hitting him even if it was an accident. And what is this feeling that's swelling in my chest and giving me the urge to go get him something nice? If it's guilt I shall be most displeased. Understatement. I'll be downright pissed off.
"I've been thinking," he begins hesitantly, dragging his eyes up to meet mine from where they'd fallen to stare in the vicinity of his knees.
Crap. Never a good sign. He's going to break up with me. No! That's not right! I'm enjoying this! And if *anyone* was going to break this up, should that ever happen, then it would be *me* doing it because *I'm* in charge. I think. My pride sure hopes so anyway.
But I don't want to go back to being alone again. I'm liking the company now and I actually look forward to the days now that I've got something to look forward *to*. No. This cannot be it. I won't let it. Pride be damned. I won't let him leave me.
"I know you don't want to but I think it'll be for the best."
Just say it. Rip what I have left of a heart right out already.
"I think we should tell our Hikari's about us. They do have a right to know and then we won't have to work to keep this all a secret from them anymore."
I think I surprise him when I suddenly lunge at him, overwhelmingly relieved that he's not deciding that we should go back to how it was before. I can live with Ryou knowing about this, and I'm sure Yugi'll get used to the idea. If it'll make Yami happy then I'm all for it.
"If you want to tell them then I won't stop you," I answer somewhat gruffly, sitting back up and rubbing the back of my neck a little subconscious of my previously strange emotional response. He grins at me and my withered little heart melts at the sight of it. I made him happy. Guilt for kicking him has now been alleviated.
Wait. I just acknowledged that this feeling is guilt. Wow. I finally found someone who I care enough about to feel guilty over hitting them. I never felt guilty like this when I hit Ryou, but there was a reason behind that so I guess I can't really compare.
"Thank you. Now, you were saying that you were frustrated?"
*****
Yami returned to the Game Shop to close up for the day saying that he'd come over after Yugi walks Ryou here. That way we can both tell them about 'us' together. Returning to my earlier problems; my frustration was very effectively removed over a period of time through which a lot of stuff must've been stolen from the shop.
Yami said that Yugi's Grandpa agreed to run the till whilst he was out but the old man's eyesight means that I could waltz in there wearing bright yellow clothes and a red cape and proceed to steal everything including the shelves without him noticing.
Hmm, my bitching streak appears to have returned now that the after-glow is over.
Getting up from where I had been lounging languidly on the sofa recovering when I sense Ryou's proximity, I straighten my shirt and move to the front door. Opening it after restraining the urge not to eavesdrop on the pair, I grin internally at Yugi's surprised and Ryou's startled expressions.
Stepping aside, I leave the invitation to come inside unspoken. Obviously not wanting to annoy me by declining they both duck inside. Still got it.
I usher them into the living area that I had just occupied before standing in the doorway facing them and crossing my arms imposingly. It may have been defensively. Telling Yugi that I'm dating his yami feels like, well, like facing something big and scary with lots of pointy, poison-covered teeth. Not scary *exactly* but still nerve-wracking.
It's weird. I don't give a damn whether or not he approves and I'll continue on with or without his consent. But deep down I need his approval. He's the other part of Yami's soul and it feels important that I'm accepted by both parts of him.
"Yami and I have got something to tell the both of you," I say by way of an explanation. Ra I'm getting soft. Two months ago I would have just told them to stay there and walked away to let them sweat.
Both teens nod a little to acknowledge that, frowning as they wrack their brains trying to figure out what could be so important to tell them that I'd invite them in and make them sit down. To tell or not to tell. Nah, I'll let them suffer until Yami comes. He's significant in this announcement so I can't and won't say anything until he's arrived.
Hearing a firm knock at the door, I turn on my heel and go to answer it with a nervous yet happy smile on my face. Yami's here which is always a good thing and he's going to stand next to me and tell this secret that we've both been hiding for so long to the pair sat on the couch.
The smile fell away at an astronomical speed when I opened the door to reveal Joey. The Mutt's always got to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. If that's a talent then he's damn good at it.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I snarl out, cursing internally when he doesn't even flinch. He thinks that Yami's smoothing me over. Well, perhaps a little but I'm not completely domestic just yet.
"Ryou left his deck at school and I'm taking it back to him. Why's Yugi here?"
I stare at him levelly, not twitching a single muscle as I wait for that cell in his skull to spasm enough to possibly come up with a reason for Yami's Hikari to be here with mine. Finally his eyes get wide and understanding dawns!
"You two are tellin' them?! Aw man, I gotta see this."
The twit begins to step past me inside but I neatly move into his path and block his entrance. "Not a chance."
He raises his hands to me in the universal sign of surrender. I love it when mortals do that to me. "I'm just gonna make sure my buds are alright. I was the first one to know remember so I can help 'em, you know, adjust."
Why the heck would they need to adjust? He's just trying to get in. Well, Yami should be arriving soon so I'll let him stick around until I get bored and chuck him back out. If someone dies there'll also be an extra witness. I'm not going to begin speculating on who might murder who just yet because at the moment it's anyone's guess.
Stepping back to the side, I glare at him in a way that says 'tell them first and I'll kill you' before moving out of the house entirely and shutting the door. I'd rather tell Yami that there's an extra person here for this before he gets in the house, even if that debateable human is Joey. At least he nodded to me when I glared at him, promising to hold his piece until Yami and I could speak. I really can't wait until this is all out in the open now that I've gotten used to the idea.
A few minutes later after standing outside staring at the sky, I feel Yami close by, a sensation that nudges at the walls of my Soul Room and niggles at my mind making me consider the possibility of a spiritual link between us even more.
Walking towards him as he approaches the house, I stop mid-step when I'm a few meters away from him in shock. Stopping at my feet he quirks a brow up at me not looking at all impressed.
"I thought you said that your Puzzle would fix that!" I hiss, my eyes glued to the extremely impressive black and blue bruise adorning his left eye socket. The swelling's gone down but it looks extremely sore and, more importantly, it's *extremely* noticeable.
"Well apparently it hasn't." he snaps back apparently not overly happy with the situation either. "Is that Joey in the window?"
"Yeah. He has some half-assed reason for being here but Ryou and Yugi are both inside too. Are you sure we can tell them now?" I ask a little hesitantly. I know what they'll think given my history when they see that bruise. Okay, it's my fault but I didn't mean to do it! It was a complete accident and I feel guilty so why should I be further punished by having two Hikaris yelling at me?
He nods slightly, bringing a hand up to his bruised eye in what looks like an attempt to hide it. "I think I should explain this first though."
Nodding myself in agreement, I turn back to face the house and walk up to the door in complete silence, my insides making uncomfortable movements and my heart throbbing somewhere in my throat. Damn thing feels jammed tight in there. I wonder if Yami is this nervous?
In answer to my unspoken question I feel his hand slide into my own and give it a gentle squeeze before he gives me a small smile and opens the door. Releasing him, I close the door behind us and turn around only to cringe at the sight that meets me.
Joey has Yami's chin held firmly in one hand whilst he critically inspects his eye before turning furious, accusative eyes on me. Yami's squirming in his grip and I can almost see the waves of fear coming off of him from being restrained in such a manner.
Protectiveness kicking in big time I surge forward and pull my lover back from him, tucking him away behind my back. I keep my hand on his arm as he places a hand on the small of my back, assuring me that he's alright and that I don't need to hurt, maim or kill the Mongrel who dared touch him in such a way.
"What the hell have you been doin' ta him? I oughta put you in the ground for that," he snarls in a rather impressively threatening manner. Something deep inside me flares in absolute outrage. I'd never intentionally lay a threatening finger on Yami.
"It was an accident Joey," Yami says imploringly from behind me, his fingers tightening in my shirt against my flesh as he senses the tension escalating.
"But is that true or are you just sayin' that because he threatened ya? We all know that he beats on Ryou."
Oh, he is so dead.
"Joey, calm down please! Bakura hasn't done anything to me in months," my Hikari speaks up from behind him. I'm not sure when he and Yugi came out but I'm glad that he's trying to diffuse the situation rather than build up the offensive.
"That doesn't change what he did to ya before. I saw the marks. We all did. I guess you got a new punching bag, huh? I can't believe that Yami didn't leave ya when ya started on him though. You must've done summut real bad to scare him enough to make him put up with ya like this."
Infuriated beyond seeing now, I don't realize that Yami's moved out from behind me until he starts yelling at Joey. That last remark not only insulted me to the extent that it almost hurts but he's scathed on Yami's pride too. I really want to do something extreme like eat his head.
"How dare you accuse Bakura of such things?! He's done nothing against me and despite what you all think he *is* changing for the better every day. I just feel honoured that I'm allowed to see it."
Spoken with such fire and passion those words from my lover makes the corner of my mouth twitch in a restrained smile and I soothe the howling beast inside me which wants nothing more than to rip out the blonds throat and shove it where the sun doesn't shine.
"Yami? What does Joey mean by you not 'leaving' Bakura?"
"Then where did that bruise come from? Someone hit ya and I don't think it was a friendly."
"Yami? Did you hit Yami-Yugi?"
Oh, I'm getting extremely tired of this now. Let this all be over either by a God striking us all down or a pit opening up beneath us and swallowing us whole.
"Enough!"
Yami's pissed off too I see. This should be entertaining.
"Aibou, I've been what you would call 'dating' Bakura for two months. Joey, this bruise is no one's fault but my own. I should have been more careful. Yes Ryou, Bakura hit me but it was an accident. I was just in the way. And if anyone has a problem with this arrangement then they can just deal with it because I don't give a damn."
He said all of this on one breath in a rather aggressive posture, blowing the whole 'let's break it to them gently' thing straight to Hell. The three teens on the receiving end of that outburst merely blinked at him a few times in complete silence. His hands clenched into fists so tight that his knuckles were white, Yami turned on his heel and strode past me and out of the door.
This leaves me facing the trio on my own now as I debate whether or not following Yami out would be a good idea. On the one hand a few things need explaining in here and Yami needs some time to cool down. But on the other hand Joey still looks like he could make a go for my throat and Yami might need my presence more than our Hikaris.
Decision made. I turn on my heel without changing my expression in the slightest and head out of the open door, clicking it shut gently behind me. There's no sign of Yami in the immediate vicinity so where...?
Oh, of course.
Smirking at the stroke of brilliance, I break into a jog and head around the side of the house. After a few seconds I'm stood infront of the protruding bit of the house over the kitchen window where the room projects out into the garden. I don't need to look or shout up to know Yami's up there so I take a few steps back and make a run for the wall.
Jumping, I grasp the edges of the ledge and haul myself up. Sure enough, Yami's sitting with his back to the wall of the house and his hands on his knees. His expression is a little spaced out and I can sense a tremor in his aura so he's obviously talking to Yugi. Come to think of it, I can feel Ryou scratching away at my Soul Room wanting to talk.
Piss off Ryou. I'm busy.
Satisfied when the sensation stops I shuffle to that I'm sat beside Yami with out shoulders touching, waiting patiently for him to finish conversing with his Hikari. After a few moments he blinks a few times before turning to face me with a smile. Ah good. He looks relieved. They're not out for my blood, which, although they would never get it, would make things rather awkward.
Leaning forward, he places a gentle kiss on my lips before shifting his body around and down so that his head is resting in my lap. Running my hands through the tri-coloured bangs, I flick at his nose as he stares at me before deciding to break the silence that, although not uncomfortable, needs to be broken.
"I'd say that went rather well."
He snorts with restrained laughter, his expression freezing for a second before he motions with his head to the side. Sitting up a little straighter, I watch Yugi and Ryou jog to keep up with Joey's longer strides as they make their way around the garden in a pathetic bid to find us. Apparently Yami wants to be left unfound for a little while. Not that I'm going to object.
My eyes returning to his when the group is out of sight, I brush my fingers down the ridge of his nose, letting them be caught by his own nimble ones just above his chin. Tipping my head to the side, a niggling concern rises to the surface and I search his face intently.
"Joey didn't-?"
"No," he interrupts firmly, pressing a kiss to the knuckles of my captured hand. I stare at him levelly with an unconvinced expression. I know him; he'll cover up hurts and worries like this until they destroy him unless someone intervenes. Quirking a brow at me, he smirks and rubs the back of my hand again as a means to convey his point. "Really, I'm fine. I told you; I've dealt with it."
Pulling my hand back from his before he can use the weapons that are his lips to completely destroy my questioning, I rest my palm on his stomach. He frowns at me in mild confusion and his eyes shy away from mine. "Have you really though? I worry about you."
Further admittance that I am human and therefor capable of the spectrum of emotion. But you won't ever catch me crying. Ever.
He rolls his eyes at me and sighs in frustration. He's telling the truth; he wouldn't get this annoyed with me for pressing if it was a lie. "I am fine. And I don't need you to worry about me."
"If I don't then who will?" I shoot back instantly, tipping my head to the side and setting my jaw firm.
"Yugi.'
Leaning down slowly with a smirk, I place my lips beside his ear and breathe out my words. "You are mine as I am yours. I protect and worry for you as I can see you do for me. Yugi isn't everything for you now."
I could see how this would be hard for him. In the past Yami and Yugi were inseparable, and although this had multiple benefits it prevented Yami from being his own person. He was restrained, locked away some exotic animal in that damn Puzzle, all his darkest elements put on a leash that Yugi would never dare to remove.
I love those dark elements though. They're a part of him and I accept him as a whole. Ever since Yami started spending more time away from Yugi he's developed more of his own characteristics. Little things that he would have never had the chance to do if he were always in Yugi's presence. He says I'm changing but I think that he's changing a lot more than I. He's becoming independent.
"That's quite the internal monologue you have there," he murmurs, his hand rising up to sift through my hair before resting on the nape of my neck.
Pulling back a little in surprise, I hang with my face suspended centimetres from his own, his breath whispering against my lips, as mine is his. Watching his eyes I can see that he's keeping something from me, a little bit of information that he's been toying with inside his mind and not telling me about for his own amusement.
The little sod knows.
"You can feel it too?"
"A bond? Yes, it's been growing over the last few weeks. I didn't want to say anything in case it was just a mistake on my part, but as I could hear you so clearly just now..."
I frown at that, feeling just a little saddened. "I can only tell when you're close by. I've never heard you."
Oh Ra that sounded bad. Heck, it's out there in the open now though so there's squat I can do about it.
"But I can't sense you as you can sense me. I have no idea of what's going on. Maybe this thing is developing in stages. I've never knew that this could happen," he shrugs a little helplessly. He hates not knowing just as much as I do.
"A yami-bond huh? This could have some interesting outcomes."
I can twist anything in my sick little mind, usually into something perverted. He knows me well enough to be able to pick up on my train of thought and reach the conclusions that I usually get to. Grinning at me broadly now, he runs the pad of his thumb over my lower lip as an indication that he intends to explore those probable outcomes thoroughly.
I'm always happy to oblige him. I don't think our Hikaris and the Mutt can see us up here even from the end of the garden, but I still think we should head inside. And lock the door. After checking every cupboard.
Yami-bonding. This was an aspect that I had not anticipated. I wonder what other surprises this little road of ours will present us with.
I can't wait to find out.
****
Longest part of this series to date. Nearly killed me to write it too. And I really *really* am going to cop it from the folks reading 'Game Queen and Then Some' because I've been writing this instead of doing the final three chapters for that. I needed a break before my brain melted. So bloody sue me.
If you're happy with these random little events that I have happening, note that in a review with an opinion and I'll continue in this trend. I have no idea what's happening now as life is mad and I don't have another idea yet for this fic, which I usually do by now, so we'll see what happens. I have *an* idea for something that would span over more than one chapter, but it's not solid yet.
My first Yami/Bakura fic EVER so an opinion is needed. Even if it is plot-less, meaningless crap.
Oh, if I've inspired anyone to do a fic based on any of this then let me know, write it and then let me read it. I regret missing out the lemon scenes in just about every chapter, but I'm pathetically squeamish and just can't write them. Weird; I can spend three pages nailing a guy to a wall but copulating is a problem. So, write, send links, I don't care. Review me though and make me a happy little writer. Thanks.