Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Yu Gi Oh.

A/N: This is a first try at anime fan fiction, so please be kind. This is a non-yaoi Ryou and Yami Bakura story. In my story, the yami's and the hikari's share a single body, and Bakura doesn't often use physical abuse, but verbally abuses Ryou. I think you can tell who is who, but in case you don't, the yami is Bakura and the hikari is Ryou.

// Bakura's thoughts //

/ Ryou's thoughts /

Chapter One

Ryou stared out the window at the rain. Rain is wonderful, isn't it? Some think it is depressing, but not to Ryou. The rain is pure. It cleans. Ryou shook his head. It was funny. People thought rain depressing, and yet took comfort from fire. Fire burns. Fire destroys.

Ryou's yami, Bakura, was sleeping in his soul room. Ryou was careful to keep his thoughts quiet, so as not to wake the dangerous spirit. Oh, Bakura didn't hit him, not a lot, anyways, but he did yell, and his ranting could bring up quite a headache.

With a heavy sigh, Ryou stood and went to his bed. Lying down and curling up in an effort to get warm on this cold, winter night, Ryou pondered why his yami insisted on yelling at him and hurting him on occasion.

At times, when Bakura's guard was down, Ryou could detect affection and gentle emotions, before the usual cruel mask went up and he became cold again. Why did his yami act hateful one moment and then, in those rare moments, be seen with a hint of gentle affection?

With another sigh, Ryou fell asleep.

~*~*~*

That morning Ryou woke early. It was Saturday, but he always woke up early. Getting dressed, he started down stairs to make breakfast. His father is always away on business trips, and is rarely home twice in a single month.

Ryou made a simple breakfast of toast and a glass of orange juice, before putting on his coat and boots to go outside for a walk.

//Where are we going?//

Ryou jumped. Bakura was quite good at surprising him.

/We're going for a walk./

Bakura muttered in his mind, and Ryou smiled slightly. He did love his yami, and he did desperately wanted to get along with him. At times they do get along and even sometimes have fun, but not often.

Ryou was lucky to even get Bakura to have a pleasant conversation with anyone.

Ryou watched as two familiar figures ran up to the park nearby. One had an unruly mop of blonde hair, the other with an odd tri-colored hair and was half the size of the first.

Joey and Yugi. They seemed to be laughing as Tristan and Duke joined them. Ryou was friends with them, or so he liked to believe. They were nice to him, he ate lunch with them at school and sometimes other things, but Yugi had a millennium puzzle to match Ryou's millennium Ring. Bakura originated from the Ring, and Yugi had a yami because of the puzzle.

As it ends up, the yami of the puzzle was an ancient pharaoh, and he and Bakura didn't get along very well.

At the sight of the pharaoh's hikari, Bakura growled and in a sudden move, took over Ryou's body.

/What are you doing?/ Ryou asked, slightly panicked. Bakura only switched places when he was up to mischief.

Bakura knelt and quickly compacted a snowball, totally ignoring the cold. With a mischievous grin, he lobbed it towards the group. Almost immediately he switched back, leaving Ryou to stand there and rub his suddenly cold hand.

"What? Hey! Who threw this?"

Ryou glanced about nervously as Joey brushed the remains of the snowball from his hair. He turned in the direction it had come from, and only Ryou was standing there.

"Ryou?" He asked. He didn't think someone quiet like Ryou would do something like this.

"I didn't do it." Ryou blurted, eyes wide. He knew of Joey's past, of his reputation as a former gang member.

In his head, Bakura snorted. //He won't do a thing. Stop being so weak. // As always, Bakura was getting onto his hikari for being weak. That seemed to be what always started their fights, or rather, what caused Bakura to get violent.

But in his yami's confidence, Ryou tried to stop being so nervous as Joey glanced around to see who threw it. Deciding a quick getaway might be nice he turned to leave.

"Ryou, wait!"

Ryou reluctantly turned back to face Yugi waving him over. Not wanting to be rude, he walked over to them and managed a small, shaky smile.

"'Ere now, Ryou. Did you see who threw that snowball at me?" Joey asked, still glancing around suspiciously. Tristan grinned, and nudged Duke. They crept sideways until they were behind Joey, and began packing their own snowballs.

"No, I didn't. I must have been facing the other way." Ryou didn't want to worry about the anger Joey would feel towards his yami, and incidentally towards him as well.

"Ah, well then......"

Thwap! Thwap!

"Hey! You two jokers! Get back 'ere!" Joey took off running after Tristan and Duke after they both threw their snowballs at him.

Yugi smiled. "They make an amusing bunch, don't they?" Ryou nodded, trying to ignore his yami's mutterings about being close to the hikari of the pharaoh. "So, who did throw the snowball?" Yugi asked, glancing at Ryou with a knowing grin.

"Bakura." Ryou said simply. He didn't mind saying it to Yugi, even though his yami was aiming his muttering at Ryou for telling.

"Knew it. Didn't know he had a fun side to him." Yugi said, and Ryou barely contained a smile as Bakura's growl stepped up a notch.

"He's not liking what your saying." Ryou stated.

// You bet I'm not. And the fact your enjoying it will mean 'activities' later if you don't stop.//

Ryou gulped and stopped grinning. "I need to go home." Ryou said softly. Yugi watched him, seeing the quiet reply for what it was.

"Bakura's making you leave, huh?" Yugi said, just as softly. He didn't understand the spirit of the Ring. The soul of the ancient tomb robber was always a mystery. He kept everything under a cold mask.

"Yeah, see you later Yugi." Ryou said, leaving the park.

~*~*~*

Bakura didn't understand his hikari. How can he be so weak? He just stood there and was worried and nervous for something he didn't do, from one of his so-called 'friends'. How could he get so weak over that? If it had been a bully, what would Ryou have done?

Although Bakura didn't like to say it, he did have feelings for his hikari, and wanted him to be able to stand up and defend himself, instead of cowering meekly and submissively. Bakura did get irritated and frustrated, and yelled, but he did have Ryou's best interests, or what he thought they were, in his mind.

Bakura normally slept in his soul room while Ryou was at school, so didn't notice anything that happened. But he knew Ryou was being bullied and teased, and he wanted Ryou to put a stop to that. Bakura definitely wasn't going to do it if Ryou didn't help himself.

With another inaudible mutter, Bakura retreated to his soul room and closed the door.

~*~*~*

Ryou was close to nodding off. He was sitting in Yugi's house, with his friends laughing and talking around him. Yugi had called him and asked if he would like to come over, and he had agreed because he wanted to get out and do something on this Sunday morning.

He watched as Joey and Tristan argue about if a certain move was legal or not.

Ryou rolled his eyes. They knew it was a good move, Tristan just didn't want to get beat by it. Yugi was looking through his cards, glancing at Joey and Tristan every now and then.

/ It's boring here./ Ryou thought to himself. He felt slightly ill, and wanted to go home and sleep.

//Then why do you stay?//

Ryou jumped. Again Bakura has managed to surprise him. Yugi looked over at Ryou's sudden movement, and Ryou gave him a small smile, pointing towards the Ring he wore around his neck. He had been fiddling with the chain while he watched his friends argue.

Yugi smiled and nodded. He understood. The last thing Ryou needed was Yugi to get concerned and worried about him.

/I stay because there is nothing else to do./ Ryou answered back. Bakura didn't talk to him a lot, at least not in a conversational voice.

//So we have to watch these losers? Ra, even your tired of them, and we both know you are the most patient of the two of us. Plus, your not feeling well.// Bakura answered, abnormally calm and non-psychotic at the moment. To Ryou's surprise, he even sounded slightly concerned.

Ryou blinked as his yami continued the conversation. Yugi watched his friend.

"Is everything alright, Ryou?" The short boy asked his friend. Ryou was looking slightly shocked, blinking slowly as he was.

"Oh, it's nothing. Bakura is extra talkative today." Ryou answered. He was actually wanting to see how much he and Bakura could talk about before his yami went silent or stormed into his soul room in those unexplained moments of anger.

In his mind, Bakura snorted.

//I'm only talking because there is nothing else to do. And my talking is not the only thing distracting you.// He said defensively as Ryou felt dizzy for a moment and the ache in his temples speeded up.

/You could sleep./ Ryou answered back tentatively, afraid of what his yami might do to him for talking out of turn.

//I'm tired of sleeping, and my soul room gets boring after a while.// Bakura did sound bored, and that was not a good thing.

Ryou suddenly felt really dizzy, the world blurring around him for a moment. He wavered, but was determined not to show Yugi it. He felt his yami's approval at hiding his weakness, but he also felt, and this time Ryou was sure, he also felt concern.

//I'm taking over.// Bakura said simply.

Before Ryou could protest, Bakura merged and blinked as he was suddenly in control. With a smirk, he leaned back against the wall. He felt someone staring at him, and turned to look at Yugi. Yugi had noticed the change, and was watching him apprehensively.

With a grin, Bakura turned to the two arguing friends before him. They had not noticed the change.

""It is a good move, you foolish mortals." Bakura sneered. They looked up in surprise, just now noticing the change. Bakura was bored, so he would make up his own fun.

Though Bakura's notion of 'fun' was different than the natural person's.

"Go away, Bakura. Put Ryou back." Joey said, looking back at his cards and trying not to let the slight nervousness in his voice get through. Bakura smirked. The tenseness of Joey's shoulders was enough to tell the tomb robber how the foolish mortal felt.

"No. Ryou isn't up to it at the moment." Bakura said, thinking that would explain everything.

"What did you do to him?" The voice was deeper than Yugi's, though it bore some resemblance to it.

Bakura looked over to where the midget's yami, the baka pharaoh, had appeared.

"I did nothing. He is just not feeling well. As I feel nothing, the headache won't bother me." Bakura said, growling softly.

He turned his eyes back to where Joey and Tristan were trying to continue their duel. He jerked as he felt a hand rest on his forehead. Twisting away from Yami's touch, he snarled.

"Don't touch me!" He spat.

Yami sat back down. He had wanted to test the tomb robber's words, and Bakura had been telling the truth. Ryou was sick; his body was feverish.

The pharaoh gave Bakura an obscure look. "You are correct. Ryou is sick. You should probably go home and let him rest, so that he may recover."

Bakura sneered at the pharaoh. He knew Ryou should rest, or he could get worse. Since they shared a body, it would affect Bakura too. He stood and stalked out of the room, turning on the sidewalk and heading towards their house.

Ryou was not going to regain control until Bakura was sure they were home. Unlocking the door and entering the house, Bakura switched back with Ryou.

Almost immediately Ryou staggered. The headache had gotten worse while Bakura was in control. Bakura snapped back and stood their body up.

His host was seriously sick. He would probably have to stay home from school tomorrow.

/I can't stay home. I have a big test that I will have trouble making up. / Even Ryou's thoughts sounded exhausted.

//You are too sick. // Bakura said, not even bothering to argue, thinking that his word would be enough to keep Ryou home.

/I've got too. /

Bakura sighed. //I'll go then, since I can't feel anything. Not much anyways. / He said, as he could feel a dull pounding in his temples, not enough to worry about. He sensed his light's worry about it though.

//Relax. I'll be alright.// Bakura said, frowning in annoyance.

/Yami, you don't know the information./ Ryou protested. It was really nice of his yami to offer.

Why was he offering? He didn't care.........did he?

//You will be there giving me the answers, of course.// Bakura said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Ryou blinked. His yami DID care. That was a surprise, and a pleasant one as well.

When no answer came, he spoke again.

//Good, I am going to school as you tomorrow. Now what medicine do you need?//

/There should be something in the bathroom cupboard. Be sure to make dinner too./

//Dinner? What for? // Bakura asked, confused.

/Mortals have to eat, Bakura. / Ryou said, a hint of amusement accompanies his thought.

//Oh.//

Bakura went to the bathroom, downed two pills out of a bottle that Ryou pointed out to him, then went into the kitchen.

"What to make?" The tomb robber muttered to himself.

/Try that soup in that cupboard./ Ryou said quietly.

//Here?//

/Yes. Put it in a pan and put that on the stove./ Ryou said, pointing out the instructions and telling his yami how to open the can.

Soon they had the soup cooking, and Bakura was feeling more of the effects from Ryou's illness.

Bakura took the soup off the stove and went to the table. He had never eaten in Ryou's body before, so it had been a while since he had tasted anything.

/Turn the stove off, yami. We don't need a fire./ Ryou reminded Bakura, to the spirit's disappointment. He knew an unattended stove could cause a fire, but figuring as how his hikari is ill, he might as well humor him.

Raising the spoon, he took the first mouthful.

Eyes snapping open in remembered delight, he quickly downed the soup, enjoying the taste.

Ryou smiled from where he watched from his soul room. His yami wasn't so bad, when he wasn't yelling or trying to kill someone. Hopefully he could remember and tell Bakura the answers for the history test tomorrow.

~*~*~*

Bakura woke up as the alarm went off. Ryou was feeling better, but Bakura was not going to let him in control until he was completely cured.

/Seriously, Yami, I'm all right. I'm fine. I can take care of it. / Ryou protested. He did feel better, but he still felt a bit queasy.

//No, I'm going; you are not going to ruin my fun! // Bakura said harshly, trying to quell his light's continual pleasure in his concern.

//And I am NOT worried about you. We share a body, if you are sick, then I am sick. // Bakura said. Ryou didn't believe him. Oh well, can't be helped.

Bakura dressed, ate something when Ryou reminded him too, grabbed his light's backpack and went to school.

"Ryou! Hey, Ryou!"

Bakura turned to see Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea approaching. Great.

Forcing himself into his 'hikari pose', Bakura smiled and waved slightly. They walked up and he joined them. To do anything else would have attracted suspension, and Ryou insisted on not having his friends find out. That was all right by Bakura.

"Hey, Ryou. Feeling better?" Yugi asked as they walked beside each other. Bakura couldn't believe how unobservant these mortals were! There were some obvious differences between Ryou and Bakura when they were in control, and yet these kids didn't notice a thing! Maybe it was because they thought Bakura would never go to school.

//Too true. // Bakura muttered to himself. He sensed Ryou's faint amusement at the whole situation.

/Just don't kill my friends, please? / Ryou thought back. Bakura mentally snorted and continued talking to Yugi.

"Yes, I am. Thank you for your concern." They reached the school, and Bakura immediately sought Ryou's help on where to go. He had always slept when Ryou went to school.

/Follow Yugi. / Ryou giggled. / He's in all your classes. And I eat lunch with him, so you just have to follow him around school all day. / Ryou laughed as he sensed Bakura's mental look of disgust.

//Very well. Know I would only do this because we share a body and you're less than worthless when you're sick. // Bakura snapped, though Ryou could sense the truth beneath the words.

His yami was concerned about him. It made Ryou feel warm and satisfied inside. For the longest time he had been worried that his yami hated him when he yelled or occasionally hit him.

Bakura snorted again at his light's thoughts, and followed Yugi into the room.

//Where do I sit? //

/Right there, beside Joey and behind Tristan. /

Bakura took his seat, following instructions given to him by his light. Joey grinned across from him, and Bakura answered. Good thing the tomb robber was so good at putting up facades and lies, he didn't think he could pull this off if he couldn't.

"Hey, Ryou, did you do something to your hair?" Joey asked. Imagine! The dimwitted one was the one who noticed something!

"I slept a bit wrong on it, I guess." Bakura said glibly, and Joey shrugged. Then the class started. It was science. Bakura immediately began to zone out.

/Yami, we need to pay attention. /

Bakura jerked awake, and muttered to him self. Joey looked at him from where he was sitting.

"Hey, you all right?" Joey whispered. Bakura nodded, and pointed slightly to his head.

"Tell Bakura to be quiet so you can concentrate." Joey turned back to the teacher and began throwing paper at Tristan.

//You hear that, 'Bakura'? You have to be quiet so I can concentrate. // Bakura was in a good mood. He could tell he would have a lot of fun with these losers, playing with their minds.

Ryou was surprised at the mood Bakura was in. Sure, it was the prospect of causing confusion and trouble that made him like this, but it was surprising nonetheless.

"Ryou, what is the word you would use when describing the process of water becoming gas?" The teacher asked him suddenly. (A/N: I had to use some sort of question.)

//Ryou? Help me. //

/Evaporation. /

"Evaporation, ma'am." Bakura answered. The teacher nodded and moved on.

The bell rang, and Bakura followed Yugi. The pharaoh's short light was talking with Tristan, and as the spirit watched them Joey caught his eye. The blonde was watching him carefully, with a closed, suspicious gaze. Quite unlike his normally goofy self.

//I think your friend suspects me. //

/Oh dear, I hope he doesn't decide to make an issue of it. /

The next class was the one they had a test in.

Bakura took his seat, this time behind Yugi and next to Kaiba. Bakura sighed as the test was passed out. Ryou immediately began giving answers, and Bakura filled them in as he was told.

(A/N: I'm not going to write the test here, that'd be boring, wouldn't it?)

When the test was over, it was lunch. (A/N: I have no idea on the schedule they have) Bakura took the food, and, after eyeing it with disgust, sat at a table with Yugi and the others, but a bit away from them.

The others ignored him, intent on their own conversations.

//Do they always do this? // Bakura asked curiously.

/Do what? / Ryou was sounding sick again. The fever must be coming up once more.

//Ignore you at lunch. //

/Yes, unless I say something. / Ryou smiled slightly as he felt his yami's mental growl.

Joey, to their surprise, came and sat across from him. Bakura raised an eyebrow at Joey, and the blonde grinned back shakily.

"Why are you here, Bakura?"

Bakura choked on the bite of food he had. Darn it! The blonde had figured it out. Hopefully he won't make and issue of it.

"Do you need to know?" Bakura answered back, eyeing Joey in silent warning.

"Yes. Where is Ryou? What's the matter with him?" Joey wasn't going to let go of the subject, even if Bakura was giving him the 'homicidal yami' look.

"Ryou was still feeling a bit sick, but he wanted that history test taken. So he asked me to fill in for him, and he'll give me the answers." Bakura said, deciding it wasn't worth the trouble to lie.

/Liar. I didn't ask you. You told me you were. / Ryou said, his voice a bit drowsy.

//Shut up, you just be quiet and rest. Blondie over here doesn't need to know that. // Bakura spat in his mind.

"So, it was you all day?" Joey asked, watching as Bakura curled his lip in disgust at the food.

"Yes. This food can go to the Shadow Realm, for all I care!" Bakura hissed, shoving the plate away. Joey grabbed the plate and began downing the food.

Bakura watched him for a moment, before he felt sick to his stomach and had to leave. As he stood up, Joey looked at him.

"I won't mention this to Yugi. You're doing a nice thing, might as well not have it advertised, eh?" He said, before diving into the food again. Bakura blinked. That was gracious. He figured the blonde would go blabbing away to Yugi and that blasted Pharaoh.

"Thanks."

Joey looked up in shock, staring at Bakura's back. The tomb robber had actually said 'thank you' to him? What a surprise!

Oh well. This food wasn't going to eat itself.

~*~*~*

Bakura hissed from between clenched teeth. How he hated having to be nice to somebody! Intent on his thoughts, he was surprised when a hand slammed inches in front of his face, hitting lockers and staying there, blocking his path.

Looking up, he looked into the face of a tall kid, with his buddies ganging up around him.

/Bakura! That's one of the guys who normally pick on me! / Ryou cried.

Bakura growled. There were more kids in the hall, so he couldn't banish them to the shadow realm. But he could do something.

"Well, little Ryou. What's the matter? Didn't feel up to lunch today?" The bully and his friends laughed, the other students in the hall carefully skirting the group, eyes down and walking quickly.

"Please leave me alone." Bakura said softly, imitating his hikari. Some of the students in the hall looked up, stopping to watch. This had all the makings of a fight.

"Leave you alone? Why? Are we bothering you?" He laughed again, and Bakura had to try hard to control the dark, seething rage that came naturally to him along with a quick temper and a short patience. Those were being put to the test right now.

"Yes. Leave me alone, or I will have to fight you. I really don't want to do that." Bakura actually did want to fight, but his hikari's voice in his mind was pleading with him to try and control himself.

"Alright then!" the kid yelled, before swinging his fist. Well, Bakura did give him a warning.

The tomb robber ducked, allowing his opponent's fist to slam into the lockers. He then lashed out with his own attacks, taking out two of the kid's buddies.

They growled and would have pressed the fight if Yugi hadn't come running around the corner yelling.

"Leave him alone!" Yugi cried, trying to shove one of the kids aside. The bully looked down at the shorter kid trying to push him and laughed, shoving Yugi away.

That kid soon got a knee to the stomach and when he doubled over, clutching his gut, he got a fist into his face. Bakura would have continued, but then Joey and Tristan and, worse, some teachers came running over.

"What happened?" One of the teachers demanded.

"Those bullies were going to fight Ryou, but he asked them not too, then warned them, then defended himself. It's not his fault!" A couple of kids who had stayed to watch since the confrontation began told the teacher.

/Bakura? Can we go home? / Ryou's voice was low and very weak, causing Bakura to panic. He had used the body as if it were perfectly healthy, and yet it had sickened even more.

"Ma'am, I am seriously not feeling well. Can I please go?" Bakura said, loosing some of his control so that Ryou's illness slipped through.

He must have sounded bad, because the teacher all but shoved him out the door. He walked home, and when he got there he made sure to eat something, take those pills, and give Ryou control of their body so that he could sleep.

~*~*~*

So? Good? Bad? Continue? Quit? What should I do? Please don't flame me!