Ch 12
Once the boy was asleep Bakura detached himself, marveling at the sensations flooding through his new body. His muscular arms were unbelievably soft and white, and his long experience with injuries informed him that this was what skin felt like before it had been toughened by exposure to the sun. The carpet under his feet felt soft, the wool rubbing against his un-callused soles.
Glancing back once at the boy on the bed behind him Bakura slipped out of the room and into Ryou's bedroom. Unashamedly raiding the boy's closet, he found a set of clothes that fit him and pulled them on. Ryou really was too thin, he decided, putting the rest of the clothing he'd disturbed back in the drawers and padding downstairs. He'd have to see if he couldn't do something about that.
Ryou was slumped on the couch, chin resting in his hands, staring out into space. Uncertainty and a gentle pensiveness sifted through the diminished link that Bakura had so carefully set in place, but there was nothing warning Bakura away. After a moment's hesitation Bakura joined his light on the couch. Warmth seemed to radiate from him, warming Ryou's slim frame, but it didn't take Bakura more than a moment to realize that this was more Ryou's perspective than physical truth. It seemed that he had also been affected by the power that Bakura had summoned, although the circle that had contained the spell had also shielded Ryou from the brunt of the force.
Reaching into his nearly depleted supply of magic, Bakura soothed the sparks of power that flared along both of their bodies. The energy flow depleted his store of power to the point where his eyelids drooped slightly as he watched his light snuggle closer, but when Ryou's mind indicated his wish to talk, Bakura shrugged off his exhaustion and paid attention as he should have from the beginning.
"Bakura?" Ryou sounded very small and unsure of himself and Bakura found himself wrapping an arm around the smaller boy to comfort him without thinking about it. As soon as he had completed the action, however, he scolded himself for letting his guard down so easily. The lights were having a bad effect on him. He had become much more comfortable with casual touching since Yugi had started working with them, and that meant that he wouldn't be prepared if someone tried to attack him.
His light seemed to have taken his silence as a sign to continue because he began speaking again, leaning his head into Bakura's shoulder. "What are you going to do now that you have your own body?" Unsure of what his former host wanted him to say, Bakura made a questioning noise in the back of throat and waited for Ryou's response. After a moment the boy continued. "You're welcome to continue living with me if you want, but I'm sure Yugi would love to have you stay with him, and there are other options I'm sure."
"Oh." Bakura nodded and considered for a moment, tilting his head to one side as he weighed the options in his mind. He would need someone's help in order to survive for a while at least. He had been a tomb robber, not a pickpocket, which meant that he had no skills for even a life of crime, much less a legal one. Plus there was the fact that he didn't want to be alone again. He would have to stay with someone.
"What do you want me to do?" He asked, unsure of what Ryou's answer would be but quite aware of the answer he wanted to hear.
"I want you to stay with me," Ryou murmured, pressing his face further against Bakura's shoulder. "I wouldn't mind if you decided to stay with Yugi, but I really want you to stay with me. I don't to be alone again." The last words were almost a wail and hot tears soaked into the borrowed shirt.
Bakura held the shaking boy tightly and bowed his head to press against Ryou's hair. He wasn't sure whether he agreed or disagreed. Perhaps both. He'd lived so long with the screams and hatred of his family ringing through his mind – and he could still hear them, but faintly as the Ring hung against Ryou's chest instead of his – that he never wanted to feel another spirit again. On the other hand this closeness – the feeling of a living body pressed against his – filled him with a sense of peace that he had not even known to look for. Thing were so much more confusing now.
"Of course I'll stay with you," he whispered. This choice, at least, was one he didn't have to think twice about. Yugi was wonderful, but he still hadn't sorted out his feelings for the petite youth, and it was becoming increasingly uncomfortable being around him. Ryou, on the other hand, was simply himself and it was incredibly relaxing just being around his lighter half. "Where else should I go?"
