Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh or its characters, I think I'd have many more anime DVD's than I actually do.
Sorry I didn't update right away (I'm four days late -.-;;) but I had some business on the weekend to take care of… cough hell of a lot of yard work cough cough Anyway, thanks sooooo much for the reviews!! I'd like to address one ahead of time, however (the rest I'll respond to at the bottom).
To maedhros – First of all, thanks for the review. The point that caught my eye in your review was the part about 'Bakura's acceptance of his responsibility' being too easy. First, he accepted it easily because he knew Yami was much stronger than him (this wasn't written in text but I thought it was implied pretty well). The second reason it seemed so easy was because it makes it simple for me if he just went along with it. Hey! Authors can be lazy too! =nn=
NOTE: I've changed the name of the chapters on the links (as in the chapter names in that little blue box you can scroll down in) but the REAL chapter names are still in the story. I'm trying to write a sentence using the blue links and by the end of my story, it will make a complete sentence (or a couple of them). If this is confusing, you'll understand it later.
Reminders:
"Spoken words"
''Thinking'
Hikari to Yami
Yami to Hikari
With that aside, on with Chapter Three!
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Title: Ai No Ejiki
(Victim of Love)
Author: Suki No Hikari
Rating: PG-13 (for Baku-kun's naughty mouth!)
Recap: Yami took this as a hint to continue. "In the meantime Bakura's going to be taking care of you. The reason he's coming to the doctor is because he needs to know the full extent of your situation," Yami told Ryou gently. At this new revelation, Ryou's face covered with shock and fear.
"Bakura is… he's… taking care of me?!?"
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Chapter Three: Confusion
(Third Person P.O.V.)
Ryou felt like he was going to faint. 'How could Bakura of all people be the one to take care of me? And if Yami and Yugi leave, and I can't contact them in time… what will I do? He'd kill me.' Someone coming down the stairs interrupted his thoughts. Bakura, he assumed.
"Are you ready, Tomb Robber?" Yami demanded, his voice crisp.
"Ryou isn't the only one who can't see apparently. What does it look like, you moron?" Bakura growled. Ryou could almost feel the warm, affectionate scowl he was probably giving the other yami. Note the sarcasm. Yami ignored Bakura's retort and proceeded in heading out the door. Yugi trailed along behind him while Ryou stood there, looking rather lost.
"Umm… guys?" Ryou started meekly. "Could you help me? I mean, just ummm… lead me the right way or something? I think I might take forever otherwise." Yami opened his mouth to comment, but Bakura swiftly walked over to his hikari and snatched his hand.
"Come on, weakling. You're wasting my time," Bakura spat, leaving no room for argument. Ryou frowned, observing how reluctant his yami was… and the fact that he was squeezing the life out of his hand. Ryou, yanked out the front door, followed the tri-haired boys.
"Steps," Bakura snarled quickly and Ryou took a step, trying desperately to find the next one. Bakura, though, being impatient as ever, kept pulling him down the stairs quickly. Too quickly. Ryou tripped on the third one down and heard Bakura curse as he fell into him. "Walk much, idiot?" Ryou, angered, picked himself off from the ground, since Bakura had so nicely let him fall.
"Well, yami," Ryou started, voice dripping with loathing, "You try walking with YOUR eyes closed and see how easy it is."
"How dare you talk to me like tha-" Bakura was cut off, however, leaving Ryou slightly confused. He guessed that Yami must have given his yami a look or something of that sort. There was a lot of guessing in being blind. Ryou just considered himself lucky for now. Bakura normally would have hurt him for saying that.
They continued walking down the sidewalk, Bakura putting a death grip on Ryou's poor hand. Yami and Yugi ambled on ahead of the two, nearly oblivious to the white-haired teens. Ryou was flooded with sounds and smells; things he would have never been able to listen to or inhale otherwise. Just by the way the breeze danced across his cheeks, bringing along with it a faint smile to the boy's features, Ryou could tell it was one of those sunny, perfect days. The only thing wrong was the fact that Bakura had yet to lessen up on his hand.
"Umm… Bakura…" Ryou began mildly.
Bakura grunted. "What now?" Ryou flinched at the yami's harsh tone but kept talking nonetheless.
"I was just wondering if… if you could stop squeezing my hand so tight. I'm losing feeling in my fingers," Ryou requested softly. He could feel his cheeks heat up at the question. Bakura, too, realized how strange it sounded. But, of course, it was also strange that he even considered 'holding hands' with his hikari, if it can even be called that.
Bakura, who should have done something (anything!) by now, was torn between two decisions. One, obey his hikari and show that he could actually succumb to such a weakling's stupid need. Or two, kill his hand but get his head taken off (perhaps both literally and metaphorically) by the Pharaoh. Ryou, sensing his yami's inner conflict, decided to speak up again.
"Well, you d-don't have to… it's oka-" Ryou stopped talking at the feeling of Bakura loosening his grip. 'Whoa, that's weird.' Ryou thought suspiciously. 'Bakura would never listen to me… I wonder if he's sick today.' Bakura grunted again, thoroughly displeased with his decision.
Ryou put his head down, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. For what reason, he was still unsure. Maybe it was the heat. He smiled as he felt each and every one of his five fingers. "Umm… thanks… thank you Bakura."
Bakura let out a low growl. "Whatever."
"Hurry up you two! You guys are as slow as molasses! Jeez!" Yugi's buoyant voice sounded, breaking the awkward silence. Yami poked his hikari (for he was facing the two albinos) and Yugi spun around. He didn't have to look far to see what Yami had poked him for. The hospital was coming up around the corner. Yugi turned back around and shouted gleefully, "We can see the hospital now, we're almost there!"
Bakura made a sound. "Does that stupid kid ever stop being so… so… happy?! Someday, I swear, I'm going to yank him off his little cloud nine and bury him underground." Ryou couldn't help but giggle at his yami's gripe. "What the hell is so funny? You used to act just like him."
Ryou smiled again. "It's just… I never knew you to be so open to me. Did the dead animal finally come out of your butt after all these years, or are we going to the hospital for you too now? I swear you're sick." Ryou would have playfully felt his forehead for signs of fever, but since he wouldn't know exactly where Bakura's forehead is, he figured he'd not. Besides, the older teen might think he was trying to grope his head. Ryou sniggered at the thought.
Bakura huffed. 'I was just muttering to myself; the stupid kid didn't have to listen,' Bakura thought to himself. Yet, an evil voice, namely his conscious (AN: do yamis have a conscious?!?), nagged in the back of his head. Bakura noticed Ryou stifle another giggle. "And stop laughing at me damnit!"
"I'm not laughing at you, just your facial expressions," Ryou told him playfully, knowing very well that meant he was laughing at Bakura.
"It's the same god damn thing!" Bakura yelled, exasperated. 'This kid is getting on my last nerve!' Even though his mind wanted to rip Ryou to pieces (AN: O.O), his heart wasn't really feeling as much hatred, strangely. Bakura didn't stop to wonder why.
"You guys are arguing like a married couple, lord!" Yugi suddenly exclaimed, as he popped up beside Ryou, startling them both. He grabbed a hold of the smaller teen's arm and started dragging them into the hospital. Bakura briefly wondered when they had actually gotten to the hospital.
"Well, Bakura-san. This is definitely a strange predicament," the female doctor announced to Ryou. Once they had finally gone into the hospital, the receptionist led Ryou and Bakura to the doctor's room (figuring they were brothers) and told Yugi and Yami to remain in the waiting room until the two were done. So here they were, Ryou having explained his situation, and Bakura sitting down in one of the chairs, with a scowl on his face. Bet that's a shock.
"May I inquire to how this happened?" the doctor unexpectedly asked. Bakura's ears twitched at the question. 'He'll probably tell her I did it. Well, I did. So why do I care?' Ryou looked down at his feet.
"Well… you see… I was out walking the other night," Ryou started. Bakura looked up, curious. What was his hikari walking around in the middle of the night for? And why does that have to do with him not being able to see? The doctor interrupted Bakura's thoughts.
"Were you alone?"
"Yes. I was walking back by an alley, a shortcut I normally use to get home. And well, I ran into these guys and… well… they started beating me up. They had a fire going in a nearby garbage can and… one of them accidentally tipped it over when he was kicking me and some of the ashes flew into my eyes and on my forehead. The next thing I knew, I couldn't see a thing. And well… that's about it," Ryou finished, rather pleased with his cunning lie. Bakura, however, felt like he was about to fall off his chair. He almost did, if he hadn't regained his composure so quickly.
"I see. So you had ashes in your eyes and now you can't see, is that it?" She asked again and Ryou nodded. "Well, good thing you made an appointment. We have a machine already set up for you. It's nothing big, it's just going to scan your eyes to see if there's any permanent damage. There may be a chance we just need to clean out your eyes more efficiently." Ryou nodded again. "Is it okay that you stay in here while I go set it up?"
"Sure, I don't mind."
(AN: I really have no idea what I'm talking about so just stick with me for now! If this doesn't make sense to you, well… then that makes two of us. n.n;; I don't know, I've never been blind! I don't know what kind of technology there is! XD)
Ryou heard the doctor leave the room, the door shutting with a soft click. An unnerving silence floated about the room.
"Why'd you say that?" Bakura abruptly demanded. Ryou looked confused.
"Say what?"
"You know what I'm talking about! Why didn't you just come out and say I did it? That I was the one who abused you?"
Ryou shrugged. "I don't know. I guess… I didn't want you in trouble, all right? They'd probably put you in jail for that kind of thing and plus, how good would it look if I came here with the person who made me blind in the first place?" Ryou reasoned. Bakura made a 'pfmh' sound and became silent for a couple minutes. Ryou sighed and tried to make his way to the chair beside Bakura's. At least he thought there was a chair there.
Bakura, seeing his hikari reach in the air, grabbed his hand and gently laid it on the seat next to him. Ryou's eyes went a little wide. 'Bakura… didn't kill my hand? That was…weird… to say the least. He's like an ass when he's talking, but just now… Bakura's not supposed to be acting nice! Well, not nice but… he's not a gentle person!' Ryou shivered for an unknown reason and sat down. The fact of Bakura's behavior recently was still nagging in his mind, however, and Ryou didn't like it. But he wasn't the only one confused…
The doctor came in after a few minutes and asked for Ryou to come out into the hall with her, no doubt leading him to the room where his eyes were going to be scanned. With Ryou's absence, Bakura's was left with only his thoughts.
Meanwhile…
Yugi and Yami sat waiting out in the reception area, talking through their mind link.
Yami?
Yes, aibou?
Are you sure this will all work? I mean, think about it. Bakura didn't seem too upset to hear that he was taking care of Ryou. Aren't you a little suspicious that he might… try something?
He might, Yugi. He just might. But that's why right after I left his room, I put a hex with my millennium item on the house.
Yugi frowned. A hex? What do you mean?
It allows me to follow that tomb robber's every movement. I put my millennium eye (AN: the one that appears on his forehead sometimes… ? Not Pegasus' if you're confused) into the wall and it will follow his actions. If he does try anything, I'll know.
That was a good idea. I hope Ryou will be okay.
I'm sure he will be, aibou. I think the tomb robber is unconsciously warming up to Ryou. He doesn't know it, but it's happening. Why else wouldn't he put up a fight when I told him he had to take care of Ryou? There's obviously something going on in that thick head of his.
Well, I guess.
Are you still unsure about this? You could stay longer and I'll run the game shop if you want.
No, that's not it. I just don't think Ryou is going to be very happy like this.
Yugi, he'll be happier than he ever has been. Now, Bakura can no longer beat him. Well, not without seriously getting in trouble. He'll be fine, Yugi.
Are you sure?
This is why I fell in love with you, aibou. You're far too kind for your own good.
Yugi blushed. Heh… thanks.
Ryou came back into the room after a while, a large grin on his face. Bakura furrowed his eyebrows.
"What are you so happy about?" Bakura asked curtly. Ryou kept smiling, however.
"Look Bakura!" Ryou suddenly walked over to Bakura and tried to touch his arm, but he was a little to the right. He frowned.
"What?" Bakura growled. Ryou huffed and stopped his search.
"Well, I have good news! Why don't we go back out in the waiting room and I'll tell Yugi and Yami, too?" Ryou chirped happily. Bakura stood up and stretched. His head hurt from all the thinking he had just been doing.
"What about the woman?" Bakura asked, referring to the doctor.
"Oh, she said I could go after she finished cleaning my eyes a little bit," Ryou explained. "Umm… Bakura?"
Bakura didn't let him finish as he swiftly started leading Ryou out into the waiting room, pushing his back. Yugi and Yami stood up at the sight of the two white-haired teens and rushed (well Yugi did) over to Ryou.
"So what's the news, Ryou-kun?" Yugi asked happily. Ryou beamed and took a breath before starting.
"Well the doctor said the reason that I couldn't see anything is because light wasn't being properly reflected in my eyes because of the ashes. But we cleaned some of the ones that I missed out. I still can't see anything very well, but it isn't black anymore. Everything's just really blurry instead," Ryou told them and smiled brightly. "Yugi, you're right there… I think… or it's Yami I'm seeing…" Ryou said as he pointed in Yugi's general area, still a little bit to the right.
"Wow, Ryou, that's amazing! So is this permanent or not?" Yugi asked hopefully.
Ryou, if possible, tweaked his smile upwards even more so. "Nope! She says if I use these eye drops," Ryou held up a small bottle. "Every day for the next 10 days, it should be all cleared up! It wasn't really that serious after all! Yugi, I'm going to be able to see again!" Yugi smiled at his friend, although Ryou couldn't make it out.
"That's wonderful, Ryou. I'm so happy this all turned out well," Yugi said whole-heartedly. Ryou nodded as Yami cleared his throat.
"Well, it's getting pretty late in the day. So why don't we head back to Ryou's place?" Yami suggested.
Ryou's eyes lit up with an idea. "How about we stop at the ice cream parlor on the way home! I'm really hungry! It's just like a block away from our house!"
"Yeah, I think I saw that on the way here. Sounds good to me," Yugi stated. Yami eyed the tomb robber, noticing how quiet he was being.
"No complaints then, tomb robber?" Bakura's head jolted up at Yami's voice and he glared at the game king.
"I don't care." Bakura shrugged nonchalantly and grabbed Ryou's hand again. Yugi and Yami didn't move, watching Bakura's strange actions. "Well, are we going or what?" He demanded coldly and the two tri-haired teens nodded simultaneously.
As they headed off to the ice cream parlor, Ryou gave a slight glance over to his yami. 'He's really been acting strange today. Yami must've said something to him upstairs earlier today. I wonder…' Bakura, noticing his hikari's line of sight, grunted.
"What are you staring at?" Bakura scowled.
Ryou's head snapped back forwards again. "N-nothing!"
Bakura looked at his hikari's form out of the corner of his eye and gave a silent shrug. An awkward silence fell between the two for the umpteenth time that day as they headed for their snack.
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Liked it? I tried to fit some kind of Bakura/Ryou-ish ness in there. ::shrug:: I dunno, I really don't want a forty-chaptered story or anything. I'm trying for about ten chapters maybe. (AKA : I'm trying to move things along) Bakura! Do the thank you's!
Bakura: Why do I have to?
Suki: Cuz I said and the author has all the power. I can turn you into a fish stick if I want, so just do them so I don't have to turn my favorite bishie into my dinner, okay?
Bakura: You'd EAT me?!
Suki: =3 Maybe… I'd rather glomp you though n.n
Bakura: Neh! Don't! I'll do them:
Princess Kat : Thanks for your helpful review! It cheered me up =D I officially dub you my number one fan! Because I felt like it O.o and I can do that! You and 2:00… wow, I couldn't be that consistent u.u ::Shrug:: Meh. Thanks again!!! ::huggles::
CrimsonEyedAngel99 : Ohhh I want a chibi mallet! ::steals:: Wait… ::Gives it back:: I'd just rather have a chibi Baku-kun! =D ::Glomps:: (Bakura: HEY! YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T DO THAT!!) Meh, I love author power… hehe. So thanks for you're review!! YOU HURT MY BISHIE!! TT But, you're right, he deserved it. ::Whacks Baku-kun:: (Bakura: HEY!) n.n
snow-shadow-wolf : Thanks for your review!! I'm glad you liked my grammar =) Oh and for your question about how I knew how many hits I got, it was because I paid for the enhanced statistics feature that comes with your login. It cost me 25$ to have it for the year but I like it because I get my own profile picture and everything =D Thanks again!!
Santurion2 : =n.n= Aw, you make me blush! Thanks very much for your review!! I'm sorry I didn't update as fast TT stupid exams… and laziness… ::blush:: Hehe! Thanks again!!
Carmen5-Nemrac : Heh, people who use 0's for o's are funny! W00t! ::giggles:: Thank you for your review! It made me smile! =D
nova shadows : … ::starts bawling:: Thanks! ::sniff:: It's good to know someone cried because of my story =D That really made my face go from =l to =D … thanks very much for your review!!! n.n
maedhros : I responded to your review above but thanks again!! I 3 reviews!!
Bakura: Okay I'm done ::leaves::Suki: ::grabs him:: Wait a finger-lickin moment there! You can't leave!
Bakura: Why not?
Suki: Because. The last thing I have to say here is that I have to admit that I'm getting a little lazy writing this because suddenly I have an obsession with Harry/Draco slash fics from Harry Potter. ::is ashamed:: BUT! I'll update soon if I get good reviews!!
THANK YOU FOR 433 HITS!! AND THANKS FOR THE 139 PEOPLE WHO WENT ON TO READ CHAPTER TWO! That was the ONLY thing that made me get inspiration to right this… =( PLEASE REVIEW!! Some of you 139 have to! PLEASE!! ::'Puss in boots from Shrek 2' eyes:: (AKA puppy dog eyes)
I 3 all you guys so much! (even if you don't review =D) Thanks for reading!
3 Suki-chan 3