Disclaimer: Read the last five chapter's disclaimer because I'm too lazy to write it here. =P
Author Ramblings: Wow, thanks so much everyone! I was completely amazed by all the responses I received on the last chapter! My total hits nearly doubled and my reviews reached an all time high! ::is sounding like some statistic worker… person O.o:: Yay! Thanks everyone so much!
Author Excuses: I'm two days late because I had to work on both Monday and Wednesday and on Tuesday (when I had planned to write it), my friend decided that she wanted me to sleepover… ::sweatdrop: So yeah. Just two days guys, c'mon!
That's all for now (I want to get this chapter finished! HOO YAH!), so ON WITH THE STORY! … gah! I'm seriously running out of 'con's for my chapter titles!
Key:
"Spoken words"
'Thinking'
Hikari to Yami
Yami to Hikari
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Title: Ai No Ejiki
(Victim of Love)
Author: Suki No Hikari
Rating: PG-13
Recap:
"Bakura… we have to get to the basement," Ryou told his yami, voice deathly severe.
"But wh-"
"NOW!" Ryou shouted and Bakura quickly seized Ryou's hand, leading him off the couch and to the basement as fast as he could.
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Chapter Six : Contemplation
The two teens rushed down the stairs and Ryou told Bakura to move to the part of the basement furthest away from the windows. So, Bakura led the pair into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. There was a small window above the toilet, but Bakura figured it was safer than being in the main part of the basement with even bigger windows.
"Is this a good place?" Bakura inquired and Ryou nodded, knowing where they were. In this time of confusion for Bakura, he wasn't about to be the cold, unfeeling millennium spirit he normally was.
"Let's get into the bathtub," Ryou instructed. Bakura furrowed his eyebrows in uncertainty, but obeyed his hikari nonetheless. The two sat down on opposite sides of the porcelain tub, to make more room. The storm continued to rage outside – Bakura could tell from looking out the miniature window.
"What's going on, hikari?" Bakura requested softly, trying not to let any fear seep through. 'I'm the king of thieves! I should NOT have any fear. Never.' Bakura scrunched up his face in debate. 'But… this is so different from back in Egypt. I always knew what was going on… and how to live… everything's so uncommon here. Just like… all these damn emotions. Happiness, fear, concern and… other things. I shouldn't be feeling them!!'
Ryou coughed. "Bakura, are you listening?" Bakura snapped out of it and replied with a "Huh?"
"You asked the question, baka! Listen if you want an answer!"
Bakura glared. "DON'T CALL ME A BAKA!" He proclaimed angrily.
Ryou frowned at his yami. "Do you want to know what's going on or not?"
Bakura crossed his arms on his chest and fell into silence. Ryou took the non-existent reply to continue. "Those sirens you heard were tornado sirens."
"Ter-nay-who?" Bakura sounded out, confused.
"TOR-NA-DO," Ryou corrected. "They're these big funnel things. The larger a tornado is, the more destruction it causes. But I think since the storm is still going, that we're okay for now. Tornados normally start during the calm of the storm. Basically, at the beginning or the ending of a thunderstorm. It's rare to have a tornado in the middle of a storm."
Bakura listened patiently and nodded if he understood. "So why are we in your basement… in a bathtub?"
"Bakura, tornados are deadly. They can tear apart houses, shatter windows, and pull cars hundreds of feet into the air! This is the safest place to be during a tornado, trust me." Ryou informed him seriously.
Bakura's eye glinted. "Hundreds of feet, eh? These things might not be too bad… how can I control one?"
"Bakura!" Ryou whined, forgetting the potential danger for the moment. "This isn't like in Egypt, nor can you control any tornados!"
The yami frowned. "Damn…"
Ryou shook his head despairingly. "Sorry yami, you can't control nature. I'm telling you, these things are fatal. Don't try going out and fighting it either. You can't fight mother nature, okay?"
Bakura made a sound of protest. "That isn't true! Back in Egypt, I could fight everything!" His face lit up in remembrance. "I lived through a sandstorm when I was twelve!" Ryou raised his eyebrows disbelievingly. Bakura stood up in the bathtub, reenacting the scene even though Ryou was not capable of seeing it. "See, I didn't know that my dad had gone back in the house, so I continued going to gather water. I had to walk miles across that desert to get to the Nile and I did it every day. So, I was just starting out and all of a sudden, I hear this faint rumbling…"
Ryou smiled to himself, listening. 'Bakura's so happy when he talks about his past. It's a side of him I've never seen… err… heard before. I wish he acted like this all the time.' Ryou felt warmth crawl up his spine at Bakura's openness. Maybe… maybe he is likable. Maybe… maybe I'm falling in like with Bakura…'
Ryou shook his head, clearing those thoughts and scowled. 'But… after all he's done… how can I possibly think that? No. I'll never forgive him for what he's done. He's scarred me more than any other person ever would have. I'll hate him until the end of time.' Ryou sighed deeply. 'But for some reason, I just don't feel like I hate him that much anymore. I know it's there, all in my mind, but my heart isn't in it…' Ryou started to pay attention again, emptying his mind. 'I hope he tells me more stories like this.'
"… so I survived. But I could have done it without the water pail, even. I was really strong when I was a kid." Bakura finished, nearly smiling. Ryou couldn't hide smile, despite how much hatred might have been in his thoughts. Silence enveloped the room; a calm and peaceful silence.
Ryou frowned. 'Wait a second…I can't hear anything…' Why couldn't he hear the storm again? [1] Ryou's eyes widened in realization, fear striking his heart full blast. "No…" Bakura looked down at his alarmed hikari. His sight immediately transferred to the window. 'Why is the sky so green like that? Does that mean…?'
Ryou disrupted Bakura's thoughts. "Yami… sit down," he told Bakura, voice grave. Bakura slid back down into the tub, watching Ryou. The poor teen was trembling uncontrollably, face deathly pale. Bakura, breath caught in his chest, felt a small pull at his heart.
"Ryou…" Bakura started. The hikari gasped aloud from the sudden break in silence. 'Wait… did Bakura just call me… Ryou?' Bakura sighed and broke Ryou's confusion. "Why… why don't you… come sit by me?" Bakura stuttered out, face ablaze. 'What am I doing?' Bakura questioned himself as Ryou slid over and sat on next to his yami, nearest to the wall of the bathtub.
All of a sudden, a small whirling noise rung out and Ryou made a small 'eep!' sound. As it became more deafening by the second, so did Ryou's trembling. Bakura turned to his hikari. Without a second thought, he gathered the shaking boy into his arms. Ryou's eyes widened in shock, before relaxing into the secure embrace.
'Might as well screw the whole I'm-your-worst-nightmare yami thing now.' Bakura frowned. 'Who cares… I just want Ryou to be safe. What was I ever proving by beating up Ryou? That's not going to change the past… and it never will. Besides, he feels so warm… I think I like this feeling…'
"Bakura, I'm scared," Ryou mumbled softly and Bakura felt warm liquid hit his bare arm. He reached up and wiped the tears gently from his hikari's face.
Bakura pulled the small boy into his chest, so that Ryou was facing the bathtub wall while Bakura's back sheltered him in case something flew at them. "Shh… it'll be okay. I'll… I'll protect you." Bakura felt like he had just said the hardest sentence in his life. He was showing weakness… but for some reason, he didn't care right now.
Ryou couldn't believe his ears. His heart felt like it was going to explode. From what emotion, Ryou wasn't able to tell. But it sure was not hatred. Had Bakura just said those words? Was he dreaming? Bakura protecting him...? It seemed all so surreal. 'Bakura is… not hurting me…? I mean… he's worried about me? This doesn't seem right. Tonight was another night he was supposed to be beating me… but now he's protecting me?' Ryou shivered, as tears continued to run down his cheeks. He could think about that later. The whirling noise was almost unbearable now.
Suddenly, the bathroom window shattered and Ryou screamed, nearly sobbing from fear. The yami felt small shards flying into his back, but ignored them. Bakura held onto his hikari tighter, fearing that if he didn't, the flying glass would hit Ryou as well. Bakura buried his face into the smaller teen's hair, getting as close as possible. They were going to brave this storm together.
(AN: That would have been such a cool way to end the chapter!! T.T But it has only been four pages… poo…)
Twenty minutes later…
The wind had died down after awhile. Besides the window shattering, no more damage was done in the bathroom. The two teens stayed in the bathtub until it seemed like the worst of it was over. Ryou considered himself lucky, he didn't think the tornado had hit his house at all. Bakura had held onto Ryou the entire time, and by now, the small hikari had become quite red in the face.
"Umm… I think it's over Bakura… you can let go now…" Ryou began meekly. Bakura started to get up but stopped after a little movement, wincing. "Bakura? What's wrong?"
Bakura let out a low growl. "Damn glass in my back…" Ryou's eyes widened in surprise.
"How much is there? Do you want to go to the hospital?" Ryou asked frantically.
"Don't take me to that damn white place again. I'm fine," Bakura told his hikari. With that, he stood up and extended a hand for Ryou as well.
Taking his hand, Ryou stood up and looked at him skeptically. "You're not fine! I can tell! Let me see your back," Ryou ordered.
"But you can't see-" Bakura protested.
"Just turn around!" Ryou shouted and Bakura turned around, more than a bit confused. Ryou couldn't see – Bakura was right about that – but he still had the general idea of where his yami's back was. With a feather light touch, Ryou started to run his fingers across Bakura's back. He felt where some of the glass had gone through Bakura's thin shirt and where little shards might have been. The yami suddenly stepped away and Ryou looked in his area, startled.
"Stop touching me. I can take care of myself!" Bakura snarled and began to get out of the bathtub, taking Ryou with him. The smaller teen stayed quiet as Bakura led him upstairs. They opened the basement door and Ryou wished that he could see now more than ever.
"Is everything okay?" Ryou questioned softly.
Bakura looked around. Papers had flown about the living room and the kitchen had become quite messy because a window had been left open. Other than that, no crucial damage was done.
"It's fine," Bakura answered curtly. He could hear Ryou let out a sigh of relief. Bakura's back had been throbbing quite painfully and he knew his shirt was probably bloody but he wasn't about to admit the weakness. 'Might as well deal with it…'
"Bakura… can I… I mean… will you let me mend your back?" Ryou asked, voice no louder than a whisper.
"How would you do that?" Bakura growled, skeptical.
"Just trust me, okay? I don't want you hurt. Please… just let me?" Ryou begged softly and Bakura sighed in defeat. His back was hurting pretty badly.
"Fine."
Ryou smiled slightly. "Okay go lay down on your stomach on the couch and take off your shirt. I'll go get a wet cloth and some band-aids."
Bakura did as he was told, briefly wondering how the heck Ryou would be able to do this, but rested on the couch nonetheless. If obeying his hikari happened to be the only way to get the glass shards out of his back, then he might as well not complain. He took off his shirt with as much delicacy as possible, groaning from the dull pain of the shards moving with the fabric.
Ryou came out of the kitchen with his supplies and took a seat near Bakura on the couch. Bakura, who was lying on his back, closed his eyes in bliss when the cool rag touched the damaged skin.
"Is that a good temperature?" Ryou questioned, running the rag across Bakura's arm. Or what felt like his arm at least. Bakura sighed deeply and Ryou assumed that it was a yes.
Ryou removed the cloth from Bakura's arm and began to trail his fingers along the other teen's back in search of a shard. Once he had found one embedded, he gently took the tweezers he had brought and, keeping his index finger on the shard, swiftly removed it. Bakura gave a slight wince, but calmed at the feeling of the cloth over the small wound. Ryou ran his thumb over his index finger, realizing the blood resting there.
'He's bleeding pretty badly… and there are so many of these cuts. Bakura… he is so strong.' Ryou smiled to himself at this thought. 'He… did this all for me. He suffered …to protect me.' Ryou frowned as he felt tears stinging his eyes. 'But… why? He hates me… and… I hate him… so how come everything is changing?' Ryou blinked, noting that he had been spacing out. The hikari promptly started to open a band-aid and applied it to Bakura's back. But the uneasy thoughts still lingered in the back of his mind.
An hour later…
It had been a long and tedious process to get every shard out of Bakura's back, Ryou noted. The yami had to even help Ryou pinpoint the spot of a shard a couple of times. But it all worked, nonetheless, and Ryou could tell Bakura was grateful even if he dared not to say it.
"Feeling better?" Ryou asked shyly casting a side-glance in Bakura's general area. Bakura grunted and Ryou smiled slightly. "Good…" Ryou could hear a faint murmur in response. "I'm sorry… umm… did you say something?"
Bakura frowned and repeated what he had said, a bit louder. Ryou still looked confused, obviously not catching what he said once again.
"Bakura… can you just say that –"
"I said thank you, damnit!" Bakura yelled, not very happy that he had to say it at all.
Ryou smiled brightly. "You're welcome. I was glad to help!"
Bakura stood up and began to leave. "Whatever." With that, he went upstairs and shut the door to his bedroom. Sighing, he fell back on the bed. 'Why… why does my chest hurt whenever I'm so cold to my hikari? This never happened before…' Bakura closed his eyes, trying to soothe an oncoming headache. 'I should just come out and tell him… that… I care for him.' A loud protest came from the back of his mind. 'Oh shut it! I don't care if I'm supposed to be cruel or that I should hit him instead of hugging him! I'm sick of it! I'm cold and bitter, is that what you're saying? Don't you get it? … I want to change… I don't want to be those things anymore. I'm so tired of being alone… I just want someone to care for like back in Egypt…' Bakura cleared his thoughts and rested on his side, falling slowly into a dreamless sleep.
Ryou heard the grandfather clock chime for the third time since his yami left him. He hadn't noticed how the time had passed – he was too busy thinking. Too busy finding more reasons to hate his yami than to embrace the new emotions trying to push through. So far, he had found many more reasons to hate him. Ryou didn't even notice the other presence that had just joined him until he heard it speak.
"Hikari, I need to talk to you. Now." Bakura's voice rang out, wit a bit of an edge. Ryou looked surprised but nodded for him to come over, anyway. Bakura ambled over to the couch an d sat next to the other white-haired teen. He took a deep breath and started.
"First of all, you can never repeat any of this to the Pharaoh. Ever." Ryou looked confused, suppressing a small laugh and nodded. Bakura growled softly, trying to stay his normal cold self, while still saying what he needed to say. "One. I want to protect you. Two. I care for you. Three. I'm trying to change. I am fucking not supposed to feel like this! I'm done." Bakura told him quickly. Ryou blinked at his instant speech. He noted that Bakura's voice held a sharp anger and for some reason, despite the malice in the words, Ryou felt that he wasn't lying. Bakura exhaled loudly and whispered, "I'm tired of being alone…"
Ryou's eyes widened at his words and his sincerity, never knowing his yami could ever in a million years say the things he just said. Deep down, Ryou wanted to believe Bakura but his mind was yelling at him otherwise. 'It's just a trick, Ryou. He's going to tell you this bullshit and then beat you up when you least expect it. Don't believe him! He doesn't care for you! Even if he does, look at all he's done in the past! Can you really trust his words? He's lying. He's lying. He's lying.'
Ryou shook the happiness away and his fist curled up in anger. "What the hell, Bakura?! Don't feed me that crap! I don't want to hear it." A flash of hurt sped through Bakura's eyes. 'If he could only look at me, he'd see I was telling the truth… Ryou… believe me… believe me!'
"I'm not lying, damnit!"
Ryou glared and stood up. "I don't care if you're lying or not! I can't trust you no matter what you say! You hurt me Bakura! I don't want you to protect me or care for me! I hate you. I hate you. I hate you." Ryou's voice dripped with utmost revulsion and Bakura could only gape at his infuriated hikari. He felt a sharp pain hit his chest, but Bakura ignored it.
"Fine. I don't care. You get along by yourself then, you fucking weakling!" Bakura spat, glaring before retreating back upstairs. Ryou breathed shakily, calming his fury, wondering why he felt like he had made a huge mistake. 'It was no mistake. I hate him and will always hate him. He can never change my mind.'
It had been nearly a week since that incident and Ryou had been forced to find things on his own. The tornado had caused minor destruction on houses a couple streets down so he had been busying himself with making food for those who were unable to attain it. After the incident, Bakura had locked himself within the Millennium Ring and Ryou decided not to try and get him out. He figured it would be better to give Bakura his space. For some reason, Yami figured out what had happened and had called Ryou about it. Ryou told the former pharaoh that it was fine and he would get along without the cold-hearted tomb robber.
Ryou's vision had greatly improved over the week, as well. Now he could pinpoint where things were, but it was just still a bit blurry. It was almost like when someone tries to open their eyes underwater, except without nearly as much difficulty.
Something was missing, however, and Ryou knew what that was. He was longing to be near his yami again. Ryou had been the minute he left the room that fateful day. But he couldn't help it. The pain he had caused in the past would haunt him for the rest of his life.
'But, he protected you, remember? He's changing… can't you see?' A little voice in the back of Ryou's mind protested. 'Give him a chance…' Ryou frowned and answered. 'He never gave me one! Never… I begged him to stop beating me so many times… the bruises may fade, but the scars he's created will never go away.' Ryou grimaced at the flashbacks and blocked away his thoughts. 'Never.'
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That's it! I'm not really pleased with this chapter.... ::sighs:: Oh well.
[1] The signs of a tornado are like this (I know, I live in Wisconsin! Tornados can be quite frequent here!): 1.) Everything gets really calm (the storms stops) and it's quite eerie. 2.) The sky turns an abnormal color (green is one of the most usual colors) 3.) A loud whirling noise comes... most people say it sounds like a train. 4.) Ummm... TORNADO! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! ::sweatdrop::
K, onto author comments!
O-o-o-o-oh! How angsty, ne? Yes, Bakura is a bit OOC… actually a lot. But this is how I took the entire Bakura/Ryou situation. I had always thought that Bakura would be the one to fall for the gentle, kind-hearted Ryou and RYOU would be the one who could never fall in love because of the beatings.
I dunno, I always thought of it that way! Plus, according to Misori-chan (LOVE YA!), in the VERY FIRST season of Yuugiou (it never aired in the US), Bakura claimed that he actually cared for Ryou and hurting his friends was his way of protection (Bakura didn't trust them). Plus, there was never really any evidence during the series that Bakura beat Ryou (well… I'm not too positive on this actually). Still, there was that one episode where Bakura saved Ryou's life…
Okay, sorry about the ramblings… here's a list of thank you's! (Since the reviews are becoming more numerous, I'm just going to list your pennames!) THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!
Lady-Wicca666, Enjeru, saphire, Carmen5-Nemrac, SilverWing147 (oh and yes, Yami would be able to watch them… I'll clear that up later ::wink::), ARTEMMIS, Sei Kou Ki, russle (lol… gotta love the dramatic music), Mixed-Matched, Dark Magic 856, Raven Scorne (I update normally once every week… I was a bit late for this chapter but normally I stay pretty much on time) Ioa, Saffron-Starlight, Sarah Harvey, Misori Chan (You're reviews always make me happy! ::big smiles::), Princess Kat (It's okay that you were late! I'm just glad you reviewed!), cwthewolf, (Meh… interesting penname ::sweatdrop:: Lol, jk!)
WELL THANK YOU EVERYBODY! I hoped you liked this sad, Ryou-can't-stand-Bakura chapter!!
That's all for now! Review if you like!
3 Suki No Hikari 3