Chapter 10 left off very unsatisfactory so I threw this together. Read, review and enjoy! I hope the quality in writing hasn't declined too much due to brain-gone-mushy-due-to-term-of-collage.
Cuddles and Cream
Yami and I weren't exactly up to moving the rest of the day, or the night even, so Ryou and Yugi hefted me up onto the bed with Yami at some point and I woke up with my cheek against his chest engulfed in blankets the next morning.
He was watching me silently as I glanced around myself before smirking up at him in a way that just screamed '*ha*!'. He looked better already although it was going to take some time for his strength to return to what it was. I wasn't exactly feeling peachy either, my head on the verge of exploding an' all.
So we've been bed-ridden for over 24 hours now, which means that we are both bored. Very bored. So bored that we'd happily indulge a conversation about the mating habits of termites with the dorkiest person on this planet just for something to do. Usually when we're this bored we, well, do anything other than what we're doing in bed right now.
Heck, when I'm on my own and this bored I go out and fetch a few rose-stems, stick them under the grill and watch the greenfly pop. Heh. 'Pop!'. Heheh.
Ryou was a good little boy and chucked me my playing cards before he left for school at my insistence, Yugi accompanying him at Yami's. It's been insane. For the last 24 hours they have barely left our sides, pestering us if we need anything and such. I must have looked pretty rough for Yugi to bother me too; Yami looked like he needed his care more.
In theory it would have been nice to be waited on hand and foot, but with my head pounding, my stomach twisting and every nerve in my body screaming abuse, Ryou's consistently nagging voice was not something that I wanted to hear.
Yami obviously wasn't in the mood to deal with Yugi's oozing concern either, or a homicide between me and Ryou, so he supported me in getting them both to bugger off out to school.
So we're bored. We've played cards for three hours straight and, of course, Yami has been kicking my arse in a non-stop winning streak. So, fed up with pontoon, canasta and other such frivolous activities, I suggested making the game more creative and so a bit more interesting.
Duel Monsters was suggested, of course, before Yugi left but Yami gets a bit too, well, 'excited' when playing that game so standard cards was more appropriate given both our physical states.
I think I'm winning this time. Not too sure. Even pale and tired Yami can pull off a good poker face. But I can too. I think. Bloody hope so with the pile of paper on the blanket on our laps.
My turn. Hmm. Good hand. Plenty to bet. Heck, why not?
Nodding slowly, I glance down at what he had put out because I hadn't really been paying attention when he spoke it aloud. A side effect of destroying a spirit is that your mind turns to mush every now and then for the next couple of days. I've got a powerful mind-I'm not bragging; I do- so I am handling it pretty well. Hence me being able to have coherent thought. Anyway.
"I shall see your week's washing up," I announce, sifting through the scraps of paper with household tasks scrawled on them in the little dip in the blanket between my thighs. "And raise you two trips to the launderette, one Chinese burn and one cleaning *and* disinfecting around the back… of the toilet."
Tossing the three scraps into the growing pile, I watch as Yami purses his lips and frowns slightly. "That's completely cleaned me out," he mumbles with a shake of his head, casually tossing the rest of his paper-scraps onto the pile and running the finger from that hand over the front of his fanned playing cards thoughtfully.
His eyes snap up to meet me and I can see the challenge in them. "What have you got?"
I drop my hand into my lap so he can see and he makes a noise that is partway between a snort and a laugh. "Three pair," I announce firmly.
"'Three pair? You're only allowed five cards," he counters smoothly, his tone not altering in the slightest.
I shrug slightly showing that I don't really give a damn about what I am and am not allowed to do. Like I've ever listened to the rules. "I'm a spirit. Special privileges. I get an extra card."
"Then I should too," he replies with a firm glare although the smile on his lips gives it all away. Lazy sod isn't even trying.
"Too late," I say coolly. "Cards are down; no more draws. What've you got?"
Without taking his eyes off of me, he turns his hand around so that the cards face me, announcing his hand as the pictures come into view. "Five Kings."
Oh. That's good. No I mean that's *really* good. Sly bastard. Well, I am under the weather so I'm not quite at my best. This is a one-off. I can still cheat better than him any other day when my brain isn't semi-liquid.
"Nice one."
He tips his head to my in quiet acknowledgement of the compliment before sifting through the piles of papers, checking to see what he's one. Uh oh. I recognize that slip of paper, scrawled rather ineloquently in my handwriting. By Ra my head is screwed up. I've alternated between Japanese and Ancient Egyptian in the *same* *word*.
Yami quirks a brow and grins slightly. "Ah, a 'bite'n'pull'. I'll think I'll have that now." Then he stares at me expectantly looking tiredly smug as he waits for me to comply.
Damnit but I gave my word. I feel him open up the bond a little more to pick up on physical sensation to make sure I do this properly as I bring both hands up to my mouth. Putting my teeth over the nails of my smallest fingers, I bite down with a fair amount of pressure and scowl at him. I can quietly hear Yami count down the required thirty seconds in his own mind.
When the time is up, I remove my fingers and with a resigned sigh, curl and lock them in each other before counting to three and pulling hard. Ow! Damnit-buggery-fuckit! Stupid… Damn that hurts a lot more than you'd think it would.
Opening my eyes from where I'd winced them shut, I expect to see Yami sitting back and enjoying my torment but instead he looks, well, thoughtful. Not thoughtful in the nice way that precedes a thoughtful comment but thoughtful in the bad way that makes me cringe slightly in anticipation.
"Bakura?" he begins softly.
I swallow. "Yeah?" Okay, that sounded too casual. Oh well.
"What exactly was wrong with me? You said that you fixed *it* but it's been over a day now and you still haven't told me."
He looks less pissed off and more upset that I haven't disclosed that bit of information with him, which is understandable as it nearly killed him. If our positions were reversed I'd go through Hell and high water to know what beat me down so effectively.
"You're strength was being drained directly from your spirit. It would have erased you from existence entirely if it'd been left for another day. I dealt with it though so you don't have to worry about it anymore," I reply flatly. There's no way that I'm ever going to tell him about Zel. If that memory returns, and I pray to anyone who might be listening that it never does, I will say then but otherwise that knowledge dies with me.
Yami frowns at me, his eyes darkening as he tells me physically how unsatisfied he is with my answer. But he has a tight rein on his anger. He knows me well by now. He won't push me.
"You'll never tell me what 'it' was, will you?" he states rather than asks, his tone still firm and holding an underlining commanding tone. It's easy to tell that he was once the Pharaoh.
"Nope. Never. There's no need for you to know." And I think that it'll fuck you up too badly to know that the monstrosity that attacked you existed with you for thousands of years, skulking in the darkest recesses of the Shadow Realm and touching your spirit every single day.
I have the strange urge to scrub Yami now. I don't consider him to be dirty; heck I'd love him if he had a six-inch coating of oil over his skin. No, that creature touched him and he's tainted by it. I want those invisible marks gone. I want him pure, as he deserves to be and mine as I want and need him. I think I'll get him into the bath when we both have the strength to move.
The door slams shut from downstairs and I roll my eyes as I feel a concerned whisper in my mind from my twerp. From the glazed look in Yami's eyes and the tremble in his aura I can see that he is indulging his Hikari more than I will mine.
Hearing footfalls on the steps, I shift around so that I am curled up next to and slightly against Yami rather than sitting at an angle to him, pillowing my head against him and wrapping my fingers around his slender wrist. The door opens as I finally settle and I glare slightly as both of the Hikari's faces crinkle slightly and I hear the words 'cute' and 'aw' flitter in the distance. I sense a familiar feeling from Yugi through Yami but I don't so much as flinch.
I'm comfortable like this and I don't give a damn how much like a Labrador puppy I look now. Some time ago I would never be so open about affection, or open about anything other than animosity in general actually. But now I'm happy and I want people to know that I'm happy.
Ra I've turned into a sap. It's official. Bakura, formerly the most notorious Tomb Raider of Ancient Egypt and holder of the Millennium Ring (and the Eye for a little while), has become domestic. Bloody hell I compared *myself* to the Andrex puppy!
"You two feeling better?" Yugi asks as he steps into the room, violet eyes large and concerned. Ryou's looking pitiful too. At least neither of them said anything along the lines of, 'do you know how cute you two look like that?', because in my present condition I wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
"Yes, Little Light. Just tired now," Yami soothes softly from above me. His right arm curving over my head, he starts making small circles between my shoulder blades with his fingertips.
"Just bored out of our skulls," I pipe up, deciding to expand upon Yami's answer with that important piece of information.
"Oh," Ryou mumbles from the doorway. He looks thoughtful, but this is the nice kind of thoughtful. "Would you like us to stay here for a little while to talk?" he offers after a few moments.
Oh, thank the Gods! Outside stimulus! Yami and I are both practically brain-dead at the moment so a conversation between us right now isn't exactly stimulating. Obviously sensing both our enthusiasm for that idea, both of the Hikaris laugh slightly and come towards the bed. Dropping to the ground cross-legged and shoulder-to-shoulder, they take each other's hands almost mindlessly and I can feel a tingle of warmth from Ryou at the contact.
Oh yeah. With so much happening over the last couple of days I forgot about that completely.
"So how are you two getting on? Been busy lately," I trail off by means of an explanation. Not that I feel a need to explain myself. Of course not. I do what I like when I like...
They smile softly at each other. I am *not* going to say the 's' word about them. I have moved beyond that.
"Um, good. Better than ever," Ryou answers me honestly without trepidation. Ah, he has moved past fear now and is standing up to me. Good. Have to leave him alone now. Ah well. Just gives me more time to pick on the Laxative.
/Yugi's pleased too. He's worried about 'us' though. Ryou told him about our, um, misunderstanding the other day/ Yami tells me through the bond.
I sigh a little as the words trickle through. We haven't used it since Yami collapsed and although I could still 'feel' him I've missed hearing him. Evaluating someone's true thoughts and feelings is a heck of a lot easier and more precise if you're connected to them telepathically.
The words are gentle and the touch against my mind light so as to spare my mushy brain any discomfort. I think that his words did more help than hinder. His mind is in better condition than mine so replying isn't going to be a problem.
/We're okay/
I pray that didn't go across as 'hopeful'. I'm positive that all is as it should be. Aside from the bed-ridden and the room-spins of course. I don't feel anything amiss from his end of the bond and I still love him to pieces. If anything I want to protect and keep him to myself now more than ever. But that would be a tad selfish. Not that I'm unaware that I'm a selfish son-of-a-bitch, just that he wouldn't let me keep him from the world.
Urgh. My head is seriously fucked up.
/I agree. You should get some more sleep/
/Quit mothering me/
I know he's smirking at me. I can't see it but I just *know* he's smirking. His end of the bond goes quiet for a moment and I can feel his aura go again meaning that he's reassuring Yugi that we're fine; relationship-stable, emotionally secure and all that bollocks.
/I think they want to be on their own with each other for a bit/ Yami sends back eventually followed by a mental yawn mirroring what he's doing physically. Actually my own eyelids are burning. Funny how when you're bored you can't slip into oblivion but when something remotely interesting comes along you just want to conk out.
/What? They just got in from being with each other all bloody day! I'm hurt, really/ I return, keeping my mental tone level even though I'm teasing. I missed bantering with him. My vision is starting to go grey so I won't be awake for much longer anyway.
/Feeling neglected?/ he asks sounding genuine. He can do this a little better than me. Being the Pharaoh he had to be a master of feigning interest and talking bullshit convincingly. Kinda like a modern-day manager actually. I should pit him and Kaiba against each other in a business meeting one of these days.
/Hell yes/
/How about we sleep for a couple of hours and then I cover you with chocolate and spend a few more hours cleaning you up again?/
Ooh. I like that. Really. Woke me up for a few seconds there.
/Can I do the same to you only with whipped cream?/
A long-suffering sigh. /I suppose/
Fantastic! Right, my plan for the next 10 hours is as follows; nap for four, get covered in chocolate and 'cleaned' for two, get artistic with cream for two, bask in afterglow and banter stupidly for two. Good plan.
'Yami? Yugi and I are going to go out now so we're not in your way. I'll stay the night at his house and come back tomorrow morning, okay?'
Ah. I've just remembered that my shields have been down for the last day. So Ryou hear-yeah. Well, if he takes our ideas then I want some credit for his squealing. Urgh! That was crude even for me. Fuck it, I'm going to sleep.
I'll see you tomorrow *afternoon* Ryou. Piss off and lock the door behind you.
Right, will just have a little sleep then start melting some Cadbury's Dairy Milk….
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This will likely be the last of this series. If something interesting and/or amusing occurs to me, be sure that I will add another chapter but otherwise I'm just writing 'Domination' now. Thanks again for reading through all this and do me the pleasure of leaving a review.
Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Oh, if you're reading this in June 'Merry Christmas' for December (Like I'm ever going to re-load this chapter)!