Fantoms

A/N: Ok, you're all going to kill me. I bet no one is still reading this. I'm so sorry that this update took so long. I would say writers block, but I can't..it was, but 4 months of it is horrible! I am so sorry. I feel really bad and I'm pretty sure I killed this story.

This chapter is going to be really short, because I still don't have a lot of ideas, I'm just putting something up so that whoever's still looking at this has a little something to prove I'm not dead.or am i.sorry, stupid fic humor.

Big thankies to Kelly Noel and Ryuujitsu. Kelly encouraged that hitting my head on the wall for 4 hours wasn't smart, and Ryuujitsu has kept me interested. Love you both!

I won't make you wait any longer. Enjoy!

()()()()()())()()

"Joey!" Bakura looked confused as Yami Tea and Kaiba rushed forward and grabbed Joey, pulling him onto the couch where Tea promptly sat down on him and stuck a napkin in his mouth.

"O.K," Bakura said, looking at all their faces. "What is he talking about?" They all stood there stupidly for a moment before Kaiba spoke.

"He's talking about me; I've offered my services in setting up a funeral for, uh, Ryou." He looked uncomfortable as Bakura's face went hard and he clutched his hand for some odd reason.

"We want the best for our friend." Yami said solemnly. Joey made a noise and Tea added another napkin, grinning sheepishly at Bakura.

"He's been very upset all day." She said softly. Bakura simply raised an eyebrow.

"Right, well, if you're ok, you just seemed a little frazzled this morning."

"I'm fine, and you?" Bakura didn't answer, just turned and walked away, slamming the door in Yami's face.

"Guessing he's not doing to well." Yugi muttered.

"Guess not."

"Do you think we should follow him?"

"No!" came the shouts from Kaiba Tea and a mysterious voice from behind the couch.

"He's got Malik and Marik if he's feeling down Yugi, and get out from the couch Ryou!" Ryou clambered over the couch and flopped down, sighing in relief.

"I really wish you'd put a do not enter sign on that damn door Yami." He grumbled.

"May I remind you that if you hadn't decided to be a bastard then we wouldn't be in this mess?"

"No you may not." Ryou pouted.

"Stop picking on him, the guy's come back from the dead, concentrate on the moron who almost gave it away!" Tea said, punching Joey in the stomach and taking out the napkins.

"Hey!" Joey said, massaging his stomach and pushing Tea off of him. "I just thought that since Ryou showed all of us that Bakura should know."

"Was there a slight possibility of you listening to the conversation we'd been having for the past 5 minutes?" Kaiba asked scornfully.

"Well, it doesn't seem right to keep something like this from him." Joey said softly. Everyone's faces dawned a guilty look. Yami looked at Ryou questioningly.

"Is this right?" Ryou whispered, pulling up his sleeve and showing a dark bruise.

"He, he hit," Ryou nodded.

"It wasn't like abuse exactly, but that's what I got every time I tried to have a conversation with him. He didn't care." Ryou's jaw grew tight and unshed tears echoed in his eyes. "He didn't fucking care. He just brushed me off, like a mosquito." His words ended in a whisper and the room remained silent.

"We, we didn't know." Tea whispered.

"There was nothing for you to know, he wasn't a constant abuser or anything, just apathetic. (1)"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"It was normal, I just got sick of it and I'm taking a bit of r and r before I have to go back."

"Leave him alone." Yami said. Ryou nodded slowly and then got up and left the room.

()()()()()()

It was late, the stars shown through the window of the spare bedroom he was using and he was awake to watch them.

It had been a long day and he knew he should be extremely tired. He was, but his mind wouldn't let him rest. Yugi and Yami were asleep, he knew they had stayed up late worrying about him. There was no need, he was just a little confused and a little restless.

The minutes dragged by and finally the ticking of the clock that read 1:36 got on his nerves. He got up, grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. It was so late that no one would see him.

He opened it slowly after scrawling a note to the Motou's and went into the cool night air.

It felt good on his warm skin and he walked, just enjoying the peace of the night. It was his favorite time of the entire day, the early morning that meant no one was awake, no one was thinking. It made his troubles feel like they had a wider place to spread and they weren't on his shoulders all the time.

He bent down and picked up a stone from the ground, tossing it from hand to hand. He missed it and turned to grab it when he realized where he was. He was in front of his own house.

He cautiously crept up to the window of the living room. It was sort of a mess, a chair was tipped over and the news paper was all over the floor. His own picture stared back at him and he looked up. There was a dent in the wall. He was curious, but not enough so to stay longer. He moved to the guest room window, everything as it should be, except for that Malik lay sprawled across the bed, fast asleep. Marik was on the floor. He moved on quickly to the last window on the ground floor that he cared to look in, his own.

He peered at the room, it had been cleaned just a little. And then he looked at his bed that was up against the window. Bakura lay on it, Ryou's pillow clutched to his chest, tear tracks down his cheeks. He moved closer and stared at his sleeping yami, and then Bakura opened his eyes.

Ryou stiffened for a moment, but what he saw in Bakura's eyes slowed his pounding heart. They were full of pain and longing and sadness, as if the glass that separated them were a whole other dimension. Then he turned away, Ryou turned away and it was done.

()()()()()()()()()() Bakura relaxed into Ryou's sheets, grateful that Malik and Marik had decided to show up, even if he hadn't shown it. He stroked Ryou's pillow and listened to the CD he had put in the background. Then he felt someone watching him. He opened his eyes and looked into the face of his hikari.

'Ryou, why are you doing this to me' he thought sadly, staring into the face of his beloved hikari. Ryou's eyes gazed at him very thoughtfully and sadly. 'Stop torturing me, just leave me alone' he silently begged. Ryou was gone and ther was nothing he could do about it.

He heard the final strains of his song.

*you used to captivate me,

By your resonating light,

Now I'm bound by the life you left behind,

Your face it haunts, my most pleasant dreams,

Your voice chased away, all the sanity in me*

He turned away, and he felt Ryou turn away, and it was done.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N: Not as short as I thought, Not even a cliffy, just a nice angsty ending to a chapter. The next update won't take long, but I doubt it's going to matter, since I don't think anyone's still even reading this.

Review thank you's!

Dark Magician girl / Hikaru: I'm glad you think this is funny, and I'm sorry it took so long. Bakura deserves what he's getting. Thanks for the review!

Aurora of the Moon: Yes, Ryou is not a good hider. Love you for your review!

Molly-chan the Anime/Game Fan: I is sorry you forgot what you were confused about. Even if you had remembered you would've forgotten by the time this came out. I'm still waiting for an update from you on that fic.

Yami Hitokiri: Tis ok you didn't update sooner. I am glad you liked it and hope that you remember it if you come back. I am so sorry bout the long wait. Thanks! Someone thinks I'm original! *huggles*

The Queen of Games2: I'm not sure if you were yelling at me or Ryou, if that was intended as a flame then I'm hurt, but if you were yelling at Ryou then its ok. I know people found out fast, sue me! Hope you liked this chapter.no one else found out.

Dranzergirl: I am glad you and uh.your friend liked it. You are getting your update. Love you!

Darkangal322: Yes, you do have a friend! *huggles* thanks for coming back.

Windswift: I think that Amane crying till Ryou came out would be really cute. Yes I do use many cliffies.but you should talk.*clears throat* Souls Face *clears throat again* Love the review! And your opinions are always valued.

Well, that's it. Thanks for the reviews everyone! Hope you come back!

TTFN

Katia-chan