No this isn't going in a downward spiral, I can't allow it. I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday, I've had a lot of stuff to do and I was really tired. And thank you for stating your opinions but, don't blame me for my pairings because they ARE listed in the summary. To top that there isn't a single bit of info you could tell me about Bakura that I don't already know. Contrary to your review, two others said it wasn't the most common pairing. Bakura and Malik or his yami are so common that was the last thing I wanted to do.
"Bakura..." Ryou said after a few long moments, "C..can Malik have his party here? I think it would be fun for us to decorate for Christmas..."
"I don't see why not, as long as pharaoh stays the hell away from me."
"So you will help me decorate?" Ryou smiled anxiously.
"I never said that."
"Oh come on, please...?"
"....meh, I'll consider it. And hey guess what?"
"What?" Ryou blinked up with his big cute eyes.
"You should have seen the look on Yuugi's face when he walked in on us up here this morning."
"WHAT!?" His jaw dropped.
"Seriously, they called like five times but since we didn't answer they came over and explored the house looking for you."
"A..and they saw us? T..together?!"
Bakura nodded. He thought Ryou would be happy about it. Ryou shrugged his shoulders and crawled out Bakura's bed, but then sank back under the covers under confrontation with the cold air. So much to think about. And why was Bakura acting this way? Just because Yami threatened him to? Sure, he was forced to stop hurting him... but then why was he being so... kind? Why was curled up next to him? Ryou felt really foolish now. There was no way Bakura loved him, liked him, or even cared about him except if he benifited. He still thought he had nobody.
"So Ryou... you wanted to decorate for Christmas?"
Well, Ryou thought, I should be thankful he is... treating me so nicely, temporary or not. He put on his best smile and looked back up at Bakura and nodded.
"Yes, help me get the boxes out of the basement."
"Alright..." Bakura yawned.
He pulled off the covers and stuck his feet over the bed and tried to support his weight, but only managed to get very dizzy and fall back down. He quickly tried again, got a little farther this time, but wobbled on his feet for a few seconds before falling back down and clutching his head.
"Damn, what's wrong with me? I'm so dizzy..."
"Are you alright?" asked a concerned Ryou, placing his hands on Bakura's arm.
"Yah... I think so, but my head is throbbing..."
"Maybe you should lay down some more...."
Bakura let Ryou lay him back down, "Yah maybe I should... so dizzy..."
"Bakura!" yelped Ryou, "Your forehead, its glowing with that symbol!"
"What symbol... my forehead never glows, that's Marik's job..." Bakura groaned, "I can't think... everything is blurry."
"O..okay, calm down, I'm going to call Yuugi, you stay right there. Don't try to get up!"
"I-I'm fine!"
"You are not!"
Ryou hurried downstairs and grabbed the phone off the wall and called Yuugi's cell phone number. He tapped his foot impatiently and started to pace as far as the cable would let him. Yuugi answered his phone almost immediatly.
"Yuugi!"
"Ryou?"
"Something's wrong with Bakura! He's dizzy and his forehead is glowing with that freaky symbol! What did your yami do!?"
"My yami? No, he hasn't done anything. We'll come right over and check it out. Maybe he has the flu. I don't think you guys get the flu. Okay then he ate some bad food last night. That's not likely, Yami."
"Yuugi - Yami, stop talking to eachother outloud, it makes you sound schizonphreniac. But no, we didn't eat last night at all, we're out of food."
"Maybe its because you haven't eaten. That could be."
"...I don't think so," said Ryou suspiciously, "But come over and check it out anyways..."
Ryou hung up and went back up to Bakura who was squinting up at the ceiling, his forehead still glowing. Ryou kneeled on the floor next to the bed.
"Ryou... I feel numb. Like my power is being drained from me. Compare it to being hit by a truck."
"I've never been hit by a truck. Bakura, Yuugi and Yami are going to come over and see what's wrong with you."
"I don't want them here!"
"Hush, please..."
Ryou rubbed Bakura's shoulder. Bakura cringed and closed his eyes. Ryou stood up and pulled the blankets around Bakura and tucked him in. His forehead was sweating and his eyes, though closed, were twitching. His fists were clenched, and his breathing came roughly.
"I feel so damn weak! I don't want help! It will go away!"
"Bakura, please.... -sama..."
"Are you okay...?"
"Do I LOOK like I'm fucking okay?!"
"...no..."
"I..I'm sorry, Ryou, please, sorry... I'm in a lot of pain, my side hurts, my eyes hurt, I hurt all over..."
Ryou held Bakura's hand gently, and stroked Bakura's hair. Biting his lip, he knew very well how stubborn Bakura could be. Yuugi would be here, soon, he hoped, to help. But even if they could help, Bakura would not want help. Bakura opened the palm of his hand and let Ryou's hand slide in. Their fingers intertwined. Oh Bakura, Ryou worried to himself, please be okay... Ryou looked up at his yami's face, the light from the symbol dimmed, and his breathing had fallen back to normal, but every few seconds or so his face still contorted in obvious pain.
I'll be fine...
/What do you think is wrong...?/
Pharaoh... baka...
His hand squeezed Bakura's, /You still crack jokes under these conditions?/
When I don't, then you need to worry...
/I..I'm worried about you./
You, worried about me? Don't be, I don't deserve pity, now go downstairs... they'll be here soon... I can sense the Puzzle.
Ryou sighed and got up and left Bakura's side. Ryou was hungry, he'd admit that.... but his problems could wait till later... And just as Bakura said, the moment he set foot downstairs, there was the knock at the door. He sighed and opened the door, and Yuugi's familiar face looked back up, concerned.
"He's in his room."
Yuugi nodded and followed. Yami hadn't followed Yuugi on foot, and no wonder, Ryou noted. There was some pretty high snow out there, past Yuugi's knees. Egyptians never did seem to like the cold. Ryou closed the door behind Yuugi and helped him take off his coat and boats and fluffy snow pants. Yami appeared next to Yuugi afterwards and looked into the kitchen.
"So what were you guys doing this morni-"
"Shh, Yami, he isn't supposed to know we saw," Yuugi hissed.
"Bakura told me," Ryou shrugged.
"He did?"
"Answer my first question, Ryou," Yami insisted.
Ryou chuckled and put a hand behind his head, "We didn't do anything, it was cold so we kept eachother warm?"
"You sound sooo sure of your answer..." Yami muttered.
Ryou wanted to glare at Yami, but resisted the urge, ever since those dreams his thoughts had changed greatly about Yami. No solid evidence, though. Still... maybe Bakura planted those dreams as false realities just so Ryou wouldn't hate him next time he tried to attack Yami and his friends. Ryou shook his head, no, he had no reason to accuse Bakura, either.
Leading them upstairs, Ryou opened Bakura's door. Bakura's arms were crossed and his eyes were closed but narrowed. The symbol was there on his forehead, not so strong, but pulsing. He was trying to look tough... Couldn't let his guard down around his enemies. Yami was the first into the room and sat down on the bed next to Bakura.
"So, tomb robber, what exactly is wrong with you?"
Bakura opened his eyes and glared at the ceiling.
"I can barely see, everything is white. My head is throbbing," Bakura stated simply.
"He also said earlier he felt like he was being drained of his powers," Ryou commented.
"Oh? That's all he's complaining about? I don't know about the effects that sound like snow blindness, but I am taking his powers away from him."
"WHY?!"
Bakura sat up and tried to lunge at Yami, but stopped and clutched his side instead.
"Why the hell are you doing all this?! So you have your memories, now leave me alone!! I've been punished enough for plundering your damn father's tomb!"
Yami tilted his head and shrugged, "You did more than that to set me off. And besides, you haven't changed at all. What you've done to Ryou can't be undone, and now its time to pay for your abusiveness."
"Y..Yami? What's going on?" Yuugi asked.
Yami turned to Yuugi and smiled, "Nothing much, aibou. I've just remembered enough about Bakura to control him, he'll finally be leaving Ryou and the rest of us alone."
"What are you going to do with him?"
I recieved my Christmas present to myself in the mail today, a first series YGO tape, straight from Japan. I got to watch Bakura vs Yami in Monster World! I'm sorry I didn't update, but how could I not have been distracted? I'll make up for it!