Over the course of the next week, Ryou focused on getting Bakura ready for the duel, and more importantly, helping him adjust to his new life. He couldn't have been more pleased with how things progressed.

Each time they switched, Bakura stayed in control of the body for longer and longer periods of time. He could maneuver pretty comfortably in the wheelchair, and with Ryou's support, had even attempted to move from the chair to something else. He had yet to actually succeed in doing that part, however. And to be honest, Ryou knew his apartment wasn't exactly the most handicapped-friendly environment.

After about twenty failed attempts at moving from the wheelchair to Ryou's bed, Ryou finally decided that he was tired of picking himself up so that Bakura could try it again.

"We have to take a break, yami…" he gasped, crawling onto the bed. "I don't think my body can take much more of that right now…"

'All right…' Yami Bakura sighed. 'I think I almost had it, though…'

"You probably did." Ryou smiled as he flopped onto the pillow. He had lost count on how many times he fell down. His entire body ached, but he didn't want to tell Bakura. His yami was finally moving around the apartment with confidence. He didn't want to start over at square one.

'You're in pain, aren't you?' he finally asked.

"I guess I can't hide that from you, can I?" Ryou replied, closing his eyes.

'No.'

"It'll pass soon, yami." Ryou insisted. "Are you ready for the duel tomorrow?"

'Of course I'm ready!' he shouted back. 'That pharaoh is going to regret the day he ever questioned me!'

"You'll need that energy tomorrow." Ryou laughed.

He had to admit it to himself. The past few days had been some of the happiest he could recall since his yami emerged from inside the millennium ring. The spirit was talking to him, asking him questions, checking in every few hours just to make sure everything was all right. They laughed together. They engaged in playful banter. His yami needed him. Or more importantly, his yami actually wanted him to be nearby. It was the kind of behavior he dreamed about during Duelist Kingdom. And although he regretted what happened to bring their relationship to this point, he couldn't escape the thoughts that things would be better from now on.

The disabled spirit, on the other hand, was less sure of himself than he ever had been, but somehow, he too felt a little bit happier. He had never depended on anybody in his lifetime. In fact, as a criminal in ancient Egypt, depending on anyone for anything can have lethal results. He never dreamed that leaning on Ryou would make him feel so loved, so wanted, so fulfilled!

It was in those thoughts that both of them drifted into a deep sleep. They only awoke when the sun broke through Ryou's window.

"Are you ready, yami?" Ryou awoke, stretching his arms behind his head. He leapt out of the bed eagerly.

'I think so…' Bakura replied from inside his soul room. 'When is that pharaoh supposed to get here?'

"Oh, he's not coming over here. We're meeting him at the game shop!' Ryou smiled, as he reached for his toothbrush. He spread a long line of toothpaste over the brush, and quickly shoved it in his mouth.

'What!' Bakura gasped. 'Don't tell me… You expect me to wheel myself across town!'

"Of course not!" Ryou laughed, still brushing his teeth. Bakura felt a bit relieved. "The game shop is all the way across town! I'm going to drive there!"

Yami Bakura felt a little silly.

'That would make sense.'

"Although, when we get there…" he spat the toothpaste into the sink. "You're getting out of the car all by yourself."

'I should have seen that one coming.'

"Yugi will be there if you need any help."

'Why can't you do it?' Yami Bakura asked, almost whining.

"Because you need to learn how." Ryou answered. "Remember, one baby step at a time!"

'I'm starting to hate baby steps…' Yami Bakura sighed, but realized there was little he could do about it. 'And one of these days, you're going to realize that you have to teach me how to make that metal horse of yours actually go places.'

"We'll get to that lesson some other time, yami." Ryou cringed. "I want to actually make it to the game shop in one piece."

Yami Bakura held his tongue on that one, and left Ryou to finish getting ready.

By the time Ryou walked outside of the apartment, the weather had changed dramatically. Dark clouds had covered the bright sun that greeted them earlier that morning. And the rain had already started its assault on the sidewalk outside.

"And it looked like such a pretty day…" Ryou mused.

'Perfect weather for a duel against the pharaoh.' Yami Bakura smiled. 'He'll be crying just like that…'

"My, aren't we in a confident mood today!"

'That's what you wanted, right?'

"I want you to be honest with me, yami!" Ryou finally stated.

'In that case…' Yami Bakura paused. He sounded like he was about to say something deep and meaningful. 'Nah, he'll be crying just like that.'

Ryou laughed out loud as he slid into his car, and revved up the engine.

"Oh, yami… you're the best!" Ryou chuckled. "Why didn't you ever talk to me like that before?"

He checked his mirrors, and shifted the car into reverse.

'I guess… well…' the voice inside his head stuttered. 'I guess I never saw a point to it. I never thought you'd actually listen…'

"I just thought you didn't like me."

'Well, I didn't…' he answered honestly. Ryou was momentarily hurt. Bakura noticed the change in emotion, and quickly added, 'But I do now.'

"What changed your mind?" he finally asked, not knowing if he wanted to know the answer.

'When I saw you for the first time in the shadow realm…' Yami Bakura sighed as Ryou pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. 'I thought I was going to lose you… I thought… you know… that you were about to die…'

"Because I was your host?"

'That's what I told myself… but to tell you the truth…' Yami Bakura began cautiously. He fiddled with his millennium item. 'You're the only one who I ever felt close to. And… I guess I didn't want to lose that… I was just… too afraid to do something about it before then. You know, to get close to someone…'

A tear came to Ryou's eye as he drove on to the Domino City Bridge. Those were words he never thought he'd hear from his yami, not in any circumstances.

'I thought I'd lost the chance to ever get close to you.' He sighed. 'And then when I couldn't walk, I… I figured you'd take the first opportunity to rid yourself of me… that there was nothing I could do about it...'

"But I didn't, yami." Ryou smiled.

'No…' he answered. 'You didn't.'

"The past week has been wonderful." Ryou shimmered with glee. "It's everything I've always wanted."

Inside his soul room, Yami Bakura blushed.

"Even like this…" Ryou continued. "You're everything I've always wanted!"

For a moment, the cold stone room radiated with an intense heat, strong enough to melt whatever ice remained in the yami's heart. But that moment ended quickly.