Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any characters within.

This one didn't turn out exactly as I thought it would… but since I don't know really what I want with it/wanted with it, that's okay. I like it. I've always thought this song somehow belongs to Bakura. It fits, simply.

The song is "Just Hate Me" and belongs to Pain.

Acceptance

Those eyes. Always, always those eyes. The first time he'd noticed them were when the then-young boy slipped the Ring around his neck for the first time. He'd "borrowed", the first time of many since then, the boy's eyes, without the kid noticing of course, and looked out.

And met with the same eyes he was looking out through, the reflection clear in the mirror.

Blue eyes, sparkling with childish glee and excitement as the young boy looked with awed fascination and happiness at his gift, gold glinting in the sunlight.

That was the first time.

I gotta think of something
to make you think less
of me, that I am nothing
to hold on to, 'cause we are through
I dislike you
And from then on, it continued. Of course, yadonoushi didn't know he was there, but every time one of his friends would fall into the mysterious coma the boy would stare mournfully, eyes large and soft, darkened by emotions.

He didn't see it, but had seen it on other occasions, when he'd borrowed the eyes of yadonoushi; the reactions of others met with that soulful gaze, caught it in swift glances in reflective surfaces, felt it through the link that against all his wishes, protests and attempts to eradicate it, still was there.

Yadonoushi didn't know of either it or him, of course.

I wish that you could hate me
then things would be so easy
just get me off your mind
if the bitch would have a son
then I would be the one
so hate me
And then the Puzzle arrived, and yadonoushi found out. Always on him after that. Those soulful gentle eyes. But not in hatred, which would have been preferred. All the others had hated him, why not this one? And not in despair of never being rid of his unwanted parasite either.

No, never that.

Yadonoushi was quite attached to the present he'd gotten from his most often absent father. So treat him badly. Not that he could use physical force, he needed the body whole and healthy for him to use after all.

But there were other ways of hurting his pretty, sweet-spoken yadonoushi. Ignoring him. Pushing him out of control of his body as often as possible. Not letting him remember anything. And ignoring, never touching (because, really, what where was the reason to do that?), never speaking, never NOTICING.

And that hurt yadonoushi.

Good.

And yet. And YET... those eyes. Staring, pleading, watching, waiting, soothing. But never, NEVER in hate.

Why?

Why would this child not hate him? He was doing everything to hurt him, to make him feel less than he was, and STILL... never in hate.

geese, flying from the winter
that's what I should do, do, do
or become a sprinter
and run away
'cause we are through
I dislike you
He thought of leaving many times. But that wasn't really an option, because each Item has to be lost in a Yami no Game if the wielder was still alive, and that could hurt him. Not permanently of course, he was the Shadows after all.

Always to return.

But he could loose precious time if something didn't turn out as he had thought.

So he didn't leave.

And it didn't matter how many times yadonoushi's friends threw it away, not only did the Ring return (as it was wont to do, as long as the current master was alive), but the boy was always happy to have it back. And he didn't understand.

I wish that you could hate me
then things would be so easy
just get me off your mind
if the bitch would have a son
then I would be the one

Blue eyes sparkling with happiness and, if maybe not direct welcome, at least ready acceptance.

For what?

For the shade of a soul that was joined with darkness to get revenge? He was not worthy of that gaze. So clear, so bright, so pure.

Nothing he did, to his friends or yadonoushi himself could make the brightness of them change. They would darken with heavier emotions, but they would remain as bright.

And knowing.

That child knew something he didn't. Understood something he himself hadn't grasped, and that, more than anything (except for the eyes), irked him to no end.

Yadonoushi wasn't as oblivious or sweet as his friends thought. He had a definite sneaky side, and knew things. The boy watched, and saw, but didn't tell.

He was observant.

And he knew yadonoushi had grasped quite a few things about him too... Which always sparked flames of anger, resulting in more mistreatment of the boy and whatever else he could get his hands on.

Faint music drew his attention, and cocking an ear outwards, he listened. Not Japanese. Some of that English drivel the boy would buy of the Internet from time to time. Hard. Angry. And... in a muted flash he was outside, staring at yadonoushi, who sat serenely on his bed, those cursed eyes closed, and mouthing the words to the song. Then, those eyes opened, and locked onto his own.

And what had he done wrong, to not be able to make the boy hate him!?

This was worse, so much worse than anything else. Because what yadonoushi was offering, had been offering from the first second he knew of the spirit of the Ring, was acceptance. Not pity, not hatred, not despair, not fear. Nothing but simple acceptance of what he was, of what he wanted to do, and of what he'd done.

And that hurt more than anything else did. That there existed someone who would accept him for what he was and not condemn him for it or the things he'd done. So he reacted as he always did when those eyes landed on him in some way.

PUSH HIM AWAY.

Because... after all... hatred is so much easier than accepting understanding.

I am being mean
like no one's ever been
just hate me...

I wish that you could hate me
then things would be so easy
just get me off your mind