---I apologize for mistakes (Blame Windy! She beta this! (just kidding (don't hurt me))).

Don't feel bad for telling me my mistakes, frankly I'd rather get one or two reviews complaining about my bad grammar and spelling and what not... then a ton of reviews that don't help me at all.

Notes:

...blah... Bakura talking to Ryou

--blah-- Marik talking to Malik

Warnings: nothing really for this chapter... not much action...

Disclaimer: I own not the song "My December"... Linkin Park does... I don't own them either... ---

Chapter Three

Forgotten

The light stirred but didn't fully wake up. He wrapped the blanket closer to him, something felt wrong - missing. He opened his eyes and glanced around the room. Nothing was out of place. He yawned and remembered the events of last night.

Malik got up and stretched; the couch was not very comfy to sleep on. He looked around for Ryou, but didn't find him, or any of his belongings. Malik sighed. Ryou was gone now.

Ryou had always been an object of Malik's interest. The other light do pure and innocent, it made something deep inside him twist with envy. Something dark; controlling... Something he thought he had gotten rid of...

--I'm back--

Malik jumped. He was brought back to reality when there was a knock on the door. He quickly made his way toward the door and opened it, narrowing his eyes.

"Bakura," the blond growled, "Where's Ryou?"

"Since when have you become so protective of the boy?" the spirit sneered.

"I care about Ryou," Malik said, "Unlike you."

"I care," Bakura advanced on Malik, "And if you truly care, you'd stay away from him."

"I'm just making sure you don't hurt him."

"The only time I hurt him is when he disobeys me."

"I just want to protect the innocent little thing. He holds a special place in my heart."

There was something different about how the blond had said that. Bakura looked closely at him. He saw insanity in his eyes.

"Marik," he hissed. The blond grinned viscously, showing off his pointed teeth. "You better stay away from my hikari."

"No one can resist the powers of my Rod." Marik said lazily.

"Leave your Millennium Item out of this." Bakura growled at the other spirit.

"No one said anything about Millennium Items." Marik smirked. Bakura looked repulsed.

"You sick bastard."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." The blond purred, running his fingers though Bakura's long locks. Bakura backed away, seething. "Don't tell me you haven't used the boy."

Bakura didn't answer.

"Should I take that as yes?" asked Marik.

"Lay one hand on the boy and so help me-"

"Save you're threats, raider. They don't scare me. I've heard it all before." Marik yawned, "Don't worry about the light. I won't take him unless he comes to me."

The blond chuckled. Bakura just left without saying another word.

Ryou lay alone on the floor of his room until he was sure his veins could bleed no more blood, his eyes could shed no more tears, and his body could hurt no more then it already did. He stared up at the ceiling, unable to close his eyes in fear of seeing of the images of Kuru Eruna once again.

The light slowly sat up. He was extremely careful not to reopen any of the cuts. As soon as he was fully upright, he looked down at his wounded chest. The cuts didn't really have a pattern and were just random over his pale skin.

Ryou licked his dry lips; there was still a faint trace of blood on them. He knew he had been abused too many times now that he was starting to enjoy the taste of the crimson liquid. He wasn't sure why he would always succumb to the spirit.

Ryou carefully picked himself off the floor and carried himself to the bathroom. He turned on the shower and waited for it to warm up. He leaned against the wall, pain growing in his chest. He stripped off his pants and boxers and stepped under the warm water, hissing as it stung his wounds.

He dropped to his knees and curled up in one of the corners of the shower. The water beating down on him masked the wave of fresh tears.

"This is my December; this is my time of the year." Ryou sang quietly to himself while he watched the shower floor turn from red to pink as the water washed away his blood. "This is my December, this is all so clear."

Ryou buried his face in his arms as old memories of Christmas flooded his mind, tearing at his heart.

"This is my December, this is my snow covered home." Christmas had always been his favorite holiday. His father always came home. They would spend all of Christmas break together. That was until Ryou received the Ring. But now... "This is my December, this is me alone."

As soon as the water ran clear, Ryou stood up and turned off the shower. He shivered when the cold air hit his wet skin as he stepped out and grabbed a towel. He quickly dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist. He continued to sing as he made his way to his room.

"And I... just wish that I didn't feel like there was something I missed... and I... take back all the things I said to make you feel like that." It had also been this time when his father was killed. A few days after getting the Ring as an early Christmas present, Ryou had said some things to piss off Bakura. The consequences were almost more then he could bear. "And I... just wish that I didn't feel like there was something I missed... and I... take back everything that I said to you."

Ryou's dark room was the coldest in the house. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He could smell the blood on the floor. Even though he couldn't see anything inside the room, he knew right where everything was.

"And I... give it all away... just to have somewhere to go to..." Ryou sat down on his small bed, "And I... give it all away... to have someone to come home to."

Pulling the thin blanket over his naked form, he sang one last line before falling asleep.

"This is my December; these are my snow covered dreams... This is me pretending... this all I need..."

---Anyone bored yet?

Damn you short chapters---