Okay, I haven't been updating once a night. Then again, I knew I'd break that promise from the start, so I suppose I'm sorry. However, I will continue to update. I stayed up until 5 AM approx yesterday night. I slept in till 3 this afternoon. I've only been up for two hours, and here I am. Ready to update. Ratings for this chapter, will have to be higher. -grins eerily- I've been very careful so far, but this is it. It's going up the citrus scale from here on out.

Hours passed, and Ryou was dreaming. He was twitching, shaking quite violently at points, which came to Bakura's attention. Bakura woke up and observed his light for several minutes in the pitch blackness. He decided whatever he was dreaming about had gone way to far, so he lightly shook Ryou's shoulder.

"Ryou... wake up. Wake up, Ryou!"

Ryou jumped at Bakura's touch, but did not wake up. He curled up into a ball and began to sob. Concerned, Bakura crawled under's Ryou's blanket and gently shook his arm.

"Please, Ryou... wake up."

The sleeping Ryou whimpered and scooted away, teteering at the edge of the bed. Bakura wrapped his arms around him and pulled him away from the edge. Ryou then suddenly latched hold of him, hugging him tightly.

"Don't hurt me, sama, please don't hurt me.." came a small whisper as the still sleeping Ryou cried into Bakura's chest.

Bakura rubbed Ryou's back, trying to reassure him. The dream was about him... before.

"I won't hurt you, little one. I promised... I won't hurt you, I love you..." Bakura insisted.

At first he thought himself stupid for talking to a sleeping Ryou, but Ryou talked back.

"You've said that before," Ryou said almost in a monotone, "You're a liar," he accused, "You're lying to me... again..."

These words stung at Bakura, "No! No I'm not lying! Ryou please, wake up!"

Ryou squealed in fear and reeled away. But Bakura's grip was firm, and he held Ryou next to him, "Please, please... wake up..."

The light shook and squirmed, but gave up minutes later. He whimpered and cuddled into Bakura's chest.

"I'm sorry, sama. I'll be good, please don't hurt me... I'll be good!"

Bakura, though he wouldn't admit it, was scared. Even though he'd apologized to Ryou... Ryou would continue to have bad dreams that would haunt him... forever. He rubbed Ryou's back.

"Sleep then, Ryou... sleep."

Minutes past, and Bakura assumed it was all behind him. Ryou's breathing and heart rate were back to normal, and he was sleeping peacefully again. Then, there was a sound...

Humming. Bakura listened. It was coming from Ryou. And though it was impossible to describe the notes that were hummed out, it was eerily like a child's nursery song. Though, you wouldn't recognize it. It seemed to be one Ryou made up all on his own. The humming broke off, and Ryou sang, in a hushed voice, some of the words he knew...

"If I could paint you a morning... I'd paint you a morning... golden and true..."

The humming started over again, then, a few more words.

"And if I could make a day for you..."

Then, Bakura recognized the song. No, it wasn't one Ryou had made up on his own after all. This was the song his mother used to sing him to sleep with before she died. And she'd died before Bakura even showed up, and long before Bakura started to hit Ryou. But faintly, in the back of his mind, he remembered the day he'd met the boy in the soul hall... He hurt the boy, and the boy curled up into a defensive ball and started to hum and rock slowly back and forth. From then on, he ordered Ryou never to hum again.

Whatever this dream was, it had come from a long time ago, Bakura noted. The humming didn't stop, and it repeated itself, growing louder each time. Bakura had already regretted things he'd done, and now here he was all over again. The pain just never went away, did it? Bakura was scared of this - that he'd never be free from emotional pain, even if he ignored it.

He edged away from Ryou, but Ryou suddenly clung to him again.

"Please don't leave me! Don't go! Don't go!" he began to sob.

Bakura settled down for him, but more humming followed. This sleeping Ryou was scaring the shit out of Bakura. He had to get away. And so... he did. He struggled away again, and Ryou whined and cried, but this time, Bakura just pushed away and got out of the bed. Ryou's hums were choked by sobbing, and Bakura walked backwards slowly until he hit the door. He turned and flung it open, then he and ran downstairs.

The house was freezing cold on the lower level, but Bakura phased out of physical form to keep warm. He walked to the living room window and sat down at the window sill. The street lamp outside revealed that the window was encrusted in an icy twirling pattern, frozen over. Bakura couldn't see out. In his hand he formed a small glowing ball of yellow shadow magic and pressed it to the glass window pane with his palm. Slowly, the icy pattern melted, and with his other arm he wiped the fog off the window.

The sight outside would have been purely magical looking, if not for the fact, Bakura had not grown accustomed to the bitter cold that came with snow. Snow, as it would happen, was still falling. And by the looks up it, it hadn't let up since its started. The snow was just below window level, and it stayed at that depth, all the way across the yard. At the road, it dipped, but only slightly, then dipped back up again into the neighbor's yard. It was like the house had been buried in a sand storm. Only, this wasn't sand.

What do they call snow storms anyways? Bakura wondered.

Bakura heard sullen foot steps coming down the kitchen stairs, but he didn't get up.

"Ryou, I'm in the living room..."

"I'm coming."

Bakura got up and wrapped his arms around Ryou's shoulders and lead him to the window.

"It's so c-cold..."

"Ryou, look outside... its a snow storm."

Ryou looked up into the light of the street lamp.

"My God. It's a blizzard!!"

"So that's what they call it... Ryou, I've never seen it snow like this here in Japan before, what's up with the weather?"

"Nothing... it must have been a cold year. But a blizzard? I bet school is cancelled. I'd better go check."

Ryou got up and went to the kitchen. Bakura heard a cupboard open and shut as Ryou pulled out the phone book and skimmed through the pages before dailing the school. He waited, but then hung up and came back to the living room.

"The phones are out..."

Bakura looked at Ryou carefully. All the little hairs were standing on end, he was cold. And when he let out a breath, Bakura saw it illuminated in the light of the street lamp.

"All right, let's go back upstairs...."

"Okay... but I need to find the radio first..."

"My boom box has a radio."

"Okay, but now I have to look for batteries..."

Ryou shuffled across the room and opened up a box next to the fire place. Too bad, Bakura thought, they had no fire wood, or else that fireplace would be lit up more than the 4th of July right now. Ryou dug through the contents of the box, but closed it and moved on to another one. He found the D batteries and smiled weakly over at Bakura.

"Come on now, it's cold..."

Bakura lead Ryou back upstairs and they shut the door again. All their body heat was still trapt in the room from before, so the warmth was a welcome relief to them. Bakura picked up the large boom box and set it on the bed. He dived under the covers of the blankets. Ryou did too, and curled up next to him and broke open the battery package while unclipping the compartment on the back of radio. He stuck them in, and fiddled with some knobs on it that Bakura had never used. Fuzzy at first, the radio transmission became clear and Ryou moved the dial to AM and glided through the channels.

"Giant snow storm hit Japan this Sunday night! Schools all over Japan are closed for an early winter vacation because this snow is just not melting. Now over to Jim..."

"I'm in Tokoyo, and the traffic is backed up all along the highway. There must be nearly four feet of snow here, Darla! Snow plows are already clearing the way on the highway before the morning crowd rushes through, but they aren't having much luck. A layer of ice underneath the snow has caused problems."

"Jim, when do you think the snow will let up?"

"Well, Darla, at this rate it may not stop till Christmas. Do you think its fair to sue all those people who were wishing for a white Christmas this year?!"

Darla laughed and Ryou turned off the radio and put it on the floor and cuddled into Bakura.

"Oh Bakura..."

"Hmm?"

"What were you doing downstairs?"

"..." Bakura ran a hand through Ryou's hair, "You were sleep talking and stuff and it scared me so I ran off..."

Ryou giggled.

"No, seriously..."

Ryou looked up with big eyes, "Hey, 'Kura... how can you see me in the dark? I can barely see you..."

"I guess, I'm just used to it..."

Bakura ran his hand down Ryou's cheek. Ryou snuggled into the touch and wound his way closer to Bakura.

"I'm so cold, Bakura..."

Bakura laid down and pulled Ryou into his chest as he dragged a thick blanket over them, and then another. With a bit of unsure caution, he wrapped his leg over the top of Ryou's. He wanted it there to keep Ryou warm, but in fleeting desperation, another reason came to mind. He rubbed his nose against Ryou's, and Ryou did the same back and giggled a little before locking Bakura into a kiss. Bakura deepend the kiss and Ryou wrapped his arms around Bakura, seeming to pull Bakura on top of him. Which was exactly the way things were going anyway. Bakura somehow came out of the heated kiss on top of Ryou without Ryou barely noticing.

Ryou laughed, "Oh, now you can be my blanket!"

Bakura laughed too, "Is that so?"

Bakura's leg slid between Ryou's and Ryou let out a little gasp and wrapped his arms tighter around Bakura. Ryou seemed to have liked that, so Bakura kept going with something new. He leaned to one side and licked Ryou's neck once before beginning to slowly suck on it gently. Ryou elicited a little moan.

"Bakura..." Ryou said breathlessly, "I think I like... this..."

"You think?"

Bakura nibbled on Ryou's lower earlobe, causing Ryou to arch up against Bakura.

"Hey, Ryou... do you want me to... you know..."

Ryou nodded frantically - from being excited or nervous he didn't know which, most likely both. Bakura laughed at this and began to unbutton and unzip their pants. Ryou cringed sheepishly.

"B-Bakura, you really do love me... right?"

Bakura stopped momentarily, "Yes, I do... more than anyone. If you don't want me to do this yet... we can wait..."

Ryou shook his head, "No don't wait... I just want to hear you say it..."

"Alright... I love you."

"Mmmmmm... I love you too!"

With all of Bakura's thief like ablities he'd already stripped off most everything they were wearing - but he couldn't manage those damned socks (remember from earlier in the story?). Ryou's breathing was uneven and his heart was racing. Finally Bakura loved him, cared about him... he'd even go so far as to do this for him... thoughts of worry stayed in the back of his mind, he honestly didn't want them to get in the way. Not right now. He could die from happiness! He clung to Bakura. Too bad he was so shy.

"Ryou, if you don't let me move..."

Ryou coughed nervously, "Eh?"

He raked what little fingernails he had down Bakura's bare back and Bakura let out a hiss.

Yes, that night was painted into Ryou's memory forever. He trusted Bakura with every fiber of his existance. And this time, both of them were sure, that Yuugi and Yami wouldn't be calling them - nor walking in on them. All the beautiful snow outside prevented it...

There, that wasn't that detailed, nothing to get me trouble over. -blinkblink- Eh. Heh. YAY! I had it in me to do some yaoi on the citrus scale for once! I knew I had it in me. Sorry for the long wait to update, but was it worth it? Be honest now. You had better not have skipped over that because I warned ya'll from the beginning that I chose this as my pairing. Hope you had fun with your FIVE pages!