-slinks in- Oh dear... Yes.. well -cough- I KNOW I'M LATE! I've had a few issues. Like my Compy shat itself and I lost everything... Ergh.
Well, this chapter is kind of longish... XD A PRESENT FOR ALL OF YOU! XDD Muaha
I shut up and let you read chappeh.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Okay?
The next week passed rather uneventfully for the two whitenettes. Well, sort of. Bakura grew more and more unsure of himself as he continued to spoil Ryou, treating him to all sorts of expensive gadgets- A state-of-the-art laptop computer, an iPod, a new mobile phone- And lavished his attention and passion on the young light endlessly. Little things, like taking Ryou in his arms, kissing him for no apparent reason, stroking the teen's hair when he slept at night He never let Ryou out of his sight for a second when he was at the apartment, and the gentle whitenette was falling deeper and deeper under Bakura's spell. And, without realizing it, so did he.
I have to stop this. Bakura mentally reprimanded himself one Friday night, Ryou watching T.V, curled in his arms. It's gone too far. I'm never going to break the little brat at this rate. He sighed, running his fingers through the lights silky hair. Why on earth do I even feel this way about him? He's nothing. Nothing nothing nothing. I mean... Just look at him. He's pathetic. I throw one tiny bit of affection his way and he grabs at it like a dog with a bone and won't let go. I didn't really realize how starved of love he was... Bakura shook his head, a frown creasing the bridge of his nose. Not helping. Really, really not helping. The spirit sighed, leaning his head against the back of the chair as he watched the television with a bored look on his face.
"You okay yami?" Ryou whispered sleepily, rubbing at his eyes as he turned his gaze up to the demon. "You look really restless."
"I'm fine." Bakura muttered gruffly, turning his eyes away from Ryou. Jesus kid, don't look at me like that...
"O-Okay." Ryou bit his lip, leaning into the yami's shoulder. "You know... if there's anything that you want to talk about, I'll always be right here. You look really conflicted inside, and it hurts, not knowing what to say or do."
Don't say that Ryou, please, for the love of all things holy don't ever say that. Or anything that makes you look or sound cute and innocent. Bakura closed his eyes, his hands around Ryou's stomach tightening in instinct. Bloody hell, I wish this wasn't so hard. What am I going to do?
It had been a week and a half since Bakura had started the Lie, and since then, it had regressed into something more powerful, more hurtful.
The Truth.
Pity Bakura was too blind to see it.
"You still look sleepy." Ryou frowned as he buttoned up his school coat. "You're paler than usual and look cold. Maybe you've cold a cold or something. Do you want me to stay home from school and look after you-"
"No!" Bakura blurted out. It was the next morning. True, the demon wasn't feeling shithot, but there was no way he was going to lie around in bed all day and let Ryou look after him. He still had some pride. And besides, He really didn't want that right now. Not when everytime Ryou looked his way, or touched him lightly on the arm, it gave him a fluttering feeling deep in the stomach. Heh. Maybe he had a stomach bug or something. Yeah. That was probably it. "I-I mean... You have that chemistry exam today, and I don't want you to fail on account of me." Bakura finished lamely, averting his eyes.
"Oh, yami." Ryou sighed, sitting on the bed with a frown. "What's wrong? You've been acting somewhat distant all week, and then you come back acting so passionate. I worry about you."
"Don't." Bakura growled, burying his head in the pillow. Oh gods... "Just... go to school, Ryou. I'll call you or Malik if I feel worse. Okay?"
"Um, okay." Ryou replied in his soft voice. "I'll see you after school then... or sooner maybe. Please try to get better, yami."
Bakura felt like crying as Ryou left the room.
"Yami?" Ryou dropped his housekeys on the counter as he walked into the small room. The pitter of rain against the closed window and the T.V going next door were all the young light could hear. Ryou frowned, struggling to see in the gloom, the sky shrouded in thick thunderclouds. "Yami, why don't you turn a light-" He gasped, his heart leaping into his throat as a pair of strong arms attacked the young whitenette from behind. "Y-Yami?"
"You're late." Bakura hissed into the lights ear, his words dripping with venom. "You have to be home by three-thirty." Ryou frowned, but then burst into giggles, leaning into the crook of his yami's neck.
"You're funny sometimes, you know?" The light breathed in his soft, gentle voice. "I've been home after four all week-" Ryou gasped, and cried out as the yami growled, shoving his fragile form away from him and onto the linoleum floor, his bloody eyes narrowing in anger and hate.
"I didn't give you permission to talk." Bakura spat, leering over the fallen teen, who struggled into a sitting position, looking confused.
"Y-Yami…" Ryou struggled to keep his voice steady. "Are you still feeling unwell, I mean-!" The light cried out, one hand automatically rose to his burning cheek. The young light looked up to Bakura with large, confused eyes like melted chocolate. "Y-Yami?" He whispered, his breath shaking in his throat.
"You're so pathetic." Bakura sneered, squatting on his knees to look the light in the eye. "I can't believe you actually believed me." Ryou's eyes widened, his chin trembling.
"B-Believed you?" He stammered, eyes widening further. "I don't know what you mean-"
"I never loved you." Bakura hissed, his crimson eyes narrowing further. "I lied. And you fell for it." Oh, the look on the kids face was priceless.
For a moment, Ryou thought his heart was ripped in two. He even pressed a hand to his chest to make sure it was in one piece. No. "No…" Ryou shook his head, a sick feeling rising from his stomach to his heart, and to his throat. "N-N-no…"
"You actually believed me." A wide grin was working its' way across Bakura's demonic features. "You were so starved of love and attention; you forced yourself to believe me."
Ryou burst into tears. He actually started crying; the person who refused to cry because of Bakura was sobbing softly, his head buried in his knees. He couldn't believe that this was happening to him, that the being he had been in love with for years had used him, had his fun, and tossed him aside like a piece of trash. It wasn't right.
"Pathetic child." Bakura spat, glaring in contempt at the crying light. Ryou sobbed hopelessly, feeling like his heart really was broken. "You're even stupider than I thought." The young light continued to sob, his breath hitched with sobs as he struggled for air.
"Y-Ya-Yam-Yami…" Ryou stuttered, struggling to breathe through his sobs. "H-How c-could…" The whitenette couldn't finish, collapsing into fresh heartbreaking tears, his shoulders heaving.
"Stop crying." Bakura snarled, glaring daggers at the sobbing light. Ryou ignored him, unable to control the heartbreaking sobs and wails that issued from his mouth. "I told you to stop."
"I-I-I C-c-can't." Ryou finally managed to stutter, choking on his tears. "I-I-"
"Shut up!" Bakura spat, slapping Ryou hard across the face. "I told you to stop crying." The light ignored him, burying his head deeper into the cold comfort of his knees.
"N-NO!" Ryou blurted out as he lifted his head. "I-I can't b-believe you!" The teen sniffed, wiping at his eyes with the cuff of his shirt "Y-You lie to m-me, a-and then you-you practically rip my h-heart out, a-and then you tell me to stop crying?" Ryou's voice shook, and broke, as he buried his head in his hands, shoulders shaking with tears.
"STOP IT!" Bakura screamed in his harsh voice, seizing Ryou's slender shoulders in anger, and shaking him. Hard. "STOP FUCKING CRYING!"
"Let me go!" Ryou screamed tearfully, his shoulders heaving under the yami's hold. "L-Let me go!" Bakura growled, his clamp on the light. "Th-that hurts!"
"STOP IT THEN!" Bakura bellowed, his eyebrows creased in anger as he glared at the light. "Stop it, and I'll let you go."
"I can't." Ryou sobbed, tears leaking through his fingers. "P-Please…" Bakura growled, as he angrily prised Ryou's slender fingers away from his face, glaring into warm mocha orbs leaking fresh tears.
"Stop. Crying." Bakura snarled, his teeth gritted tightly in anger, crimson-hued eyes narrowed in rage at the smaller boy. "Now."
"O-Or what?" Ryou blurted tearfully. "I-I'm n-not scared of you…" He clenched his eyes tightly shut, lips pressed together to contain the heart-wrenching sobs that wracked his thin frame. "Just t-try to break me, y-yami, just go ahead and try." The young light wrenched his slender digits from the yami's hold fiercely, his chin trembling.
"Don't lie to yourself." A wide grin was spreading across the demons face. Oh this was precious… Ryou trying to stand up for himself. Just a phase though. After the initial shock would wear off, he'd be in so much grief he wouldn't know what to do with himself.
"Stay away from me." Ryou backed away from the yami, his breath still trembling in his throat. "L-Leave m-me alone."
"I will." Bakura grinned as he stood up straight, kicking Ryou hard in the side before he left the kitchen. And Ryou.
He cant do this. The teen thought desperately. I… I thought it was so real... How could he do this? How can he dothis to me?
"S-So much for thinking you had a good side." Ryou muttered, more to himself than to the demon lingering in the next room. "So much for trusting you." The whitenette's legs felt weak and rubbery, but after a few moments of stumbling, he managed to pull himself in a standing position, leaning heavily on the kitchen countertop. There were no words to describe how he was feeling. Ryou didn't even know what he was feeling.
"I've got to get out of here…"
"Tune in next time, as the contestants compete, to outwit, outplay, and outlast, to become, The Sole Survivor."
"No, I won't." Malik snorted, scrabbling for the remote. "Stupid piece of crap, Where's the remote… Argh!" The blonde Egyptian growled, throwing the couch cushions to the floor. I could get up and walk five steps to change the channel, but it's so far away… He sighed, relaxing on the plush purple velvet of the living room sofa. It seemed to be such a lazy day. Malik would have called and invited Ryou over, but he had school today. Isis was at a convention in Kyoto, and Rishid had accompanied her, so Malik had the house to himself until next Tuesday. The teenager sighed, yawning and stretching slightly as he reclined in the sofa, the patter of rain outside like a soothing lullaby. Malik still wasn't really used to the rain. Or the cold. In fact, after sitting around pathetically, draped in heavy clothing since the first shadow of Autumn began to shroud the heat of Summer, Isis took pity on him, and had a high-tech heating system installed for her younger sibling specially. So even now, with the wind and rain howling voraciously outside of his window, Malik was comfortable in his tank top and jeans, gazing rather bored at the T.V. Heh. Maybe he should call Ryou and see what he was up to tonight-
Bring!
Malik started, a gasp spilling from his lips as he sat straight up in the couch. Oh Gods… That gave me a bloody fright.
Bring!
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Malik called as he hurried towards the agitated ring of his apartment door, almost tripping on the television remote on the way. "Hold- holy shit." Lavender orbs widened as the door swung open. "Bloody… Oh Ryou." The young whitenette stood trembling at his threshold, drenched in buckets of rain. "What the hell are you doing here without a coat or something?"
"I-I…" Ryou wrapped his blue-clad arms tighter around his slim frame. "I-I-" His gentle voice cracked and the dams broke, Ryou giving way to the flood of tears.
"What the hell…" Malik was dumbstruck as Ryou's legs collapsed, his slender, shaking form tumbling into his arms. "What happened?"
"H-He l-lied." Ryou managed to stutter between the heart wrenching sobs that just wouldn't leave him.
"What?" Malik frowned at the slight teen in his arms, crying into his shoulder. "I-I… Oh Gods… You're soaked to the skin, come in…" The sandy-haired teen was dumbstruck as he led his best friend into the lounge, gently easing him onto the plum couch. "O-Okay." Malik struggled to keep his voice calm, lavender eyes focused intently on the crying whitenette. "Now… try to… to calm down, and tell me what's happened. 'Kay?" He gently rubbed Ryou's back in a soothing manner. The gentler of the two nodded, rubbing at his red, raw eyes.
"I-I shouldn't have trusted him." Ryou whispered some minutes later, when he was finally able to contain his sobs. "I should- I should have seen it, but I believed him. I was stupid enough to believe he loved me."
"A-Are we talking about Bakura here?" Malik's eyes narrowed, biting on his lower lip. "I-I mean… No. No. He wouldn't do that…"
"He did!" Ryou blurted tearfully, wiping fresh tears that stung his chocolate orbs. "He's been lying all this time, and I-I didn't see it…" The light burst into sobs, crying into the cold comfort of his hands.
"Oh, oh Ryou..." Malik whispered sympathetically as he pulled the whitenette in a warm embrace, gently stroking his hair. How could Bakura do this to him?
"Why?" Ryou whispered into the crook of the Egyptians neck, Malik's shoulder growing damp with tears. "Why did he lie to me like that? I-It wasn't sex; we never came close to it. He was just-just toying with me. He didn't care about me all..." Malik sighed, gently rubbing small circles on his back.
"I don't know." Malik admitted, gently resting his chin on Ryou's' snowy head. "I really he don't know. He's a sadistic bastard. Does there need to be any other reason?" Ryou sniffed, shaking his head as he lifted his head, wiping at his eyes.
"I can't believe I fell for him." Ryou wiped at his running nose. "I can't believe I was so stupid." The sandy-haired teen sighed, one arm around Ryou's rounded shoulders.
"You're not stupid." Malik said softly. "I would have done the same thing Ryou. If Bakura threw himself at me, I would have done exactly the same thing." The whitenette sniffed, leaning into the friendly embrace.
"I-" Ryou began, but was cut off by the sharp ring of the phone next to the pair. "Oh…"
"That better not be him." Malik growled, lavender orbs narrowed as he picked up the phone. "I- Ishtar residence, Malik speaking." Ryou couldn't hear whoever was on the opposite end, but judging by Maliks' reaction, it was his yami. The light trembled, curling tighter into his huddled ball on the end of the couch.
"The hell you're coming over!" Malik shouted into the receiver. "Ryou it heartbroken because of you! This… I don't even know what to say, you can't- Bakura, I- N-" Malik looked at the receiver, silent but for the blank hum of the dial tone. "Oh no, oh no…"
"He's not coming over, is he?" Ryou meekly inquired, his brown eyes wide in fright. "Please…" Malik closed his eyes momentarily. He wanted nothing more than to break down in tears himself, but he couldn't. Not in front of Ryou like this. The Egyptian opened his eyes again, running a hand through his hair. Poor Ryou. It was hell to see his best friend so hurt like this.
"Listen." Malik said, struggling to keep his voice from wavering. "You have to listen to me here. He said he was coming over now, and unless he nicks a car from somewhere, you've got a bit of time. Run over to Yugi's' house, as fast as you can. Don't stop. Bakura won't try anything funny over there unless he wants his ass sent to the shadow realm." The blonde gently helped Ryou to his feet, tugging him over to the door. "Here." He said, helping Ryou into one of Isis' coats. "Sorry you have to use hers, but I don't actually have one…" Malik trailed off, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. "Look, you're going to have to run to get to Yugi's in time, but you'll be safe there. Okay?" Ryou nodded, hugging the large coat closer to his damp frame. "Gods…" Malik wrapped his arms tightly around Ryou's slender shoulders, struggling to push away the burning sensation in the back of his eyes. "This isn't fair."
"Life's not fair." Ryou said sadly, returning the warm hug. "I…" The light trailed off, shrugging hopelessly. Fresh tears spilled over his cheeks, but he ignored them, smiling weakly at the Egyptian. "Malik… I'm really scared." Ryou's voice sounded so lost and small, so hopeless, that Malik burst into tears.
"I'm scared as well." Malik whispered, wiping at his eyes. "He's going to hurt you, Ryou. And I don't know how, or when, but-but…" The Egyptian suppressed a sob, closing his eyes. "I don't want you to get hurt. I really, really don't want you to get hurt…" Ryou sighed, gently taking the crying Egyptian in his arms.
"Shhh." He said softly, tears leaking from his own eyes. "It's going to be okay. I can hold my own around Bakura." Ryou said, less sure of himself. Well, I used to. I don't want to go near him… "I-I have to go." The Briton whispered, casting an eye up to the ticking clock. "He's going to be here soon." Ryou wiped at his own tears, taking a deep breath. "Oh God..." The whitenette whimpered, his face in his hands. "Oh God oh God…"
"Ohh Ryou." Malik breathed, embracing the light gently. "Maybe I should take you on my bike."
"N-No!" Ryou shook his head emphatically. "If Bakura sees the bike's missing and you're not here…"
"Okay." Malik agreed quickly. "Okay. But Ryou, you have to go now." Ryou nodded, sniffing as he opened the door, slipping like a phantom into the hallway. Malik leaned against the doorframe, crying quietly as the light anxiously made his way down the darkened hallway. Oh this is messed up. This is so messed up. Ryou was right. What the fuck is the psycho planning now? Cold, Malik closed the door and walked over to the luxurious purple couch. Letting out a moan, he out his head in his hands. What hurt him most was the fact that Bakura would have the pure nerve to do something like that to Ryou. He had known for ages about the physical abuse the young light was put through, and he had intervened once, when he was staying at Ryou's apartment one night and came out of the bathroom to find Bakura holding Ryou's hand against a red hot element. The yami toned down the violence whenever Malik was over since then, but he was powerless to do anything else. But to do something like this, to do something that made Ryou so hurt and upset and emotionally demolished was sadism to the highest extent. The whitenette didn't even cry when Bakura burned nearly all of the skin on his palm and he had to wear a bandage for weeks. Ryou was strong, there was no denying that, but when it came to his feelings for Bakura, he wore his heart on his sleeve.
Biting his lip, Malik leaned back into the blush fabric, gazing vacantly at the ceiling. Although the heater was on full blast, and the apartment was like a furnace, the Egyptian was still cold. A sort of cold that had nothing to do with the temperature or humidity around him.
A sort of cold a person got when they were petrified.
Well... There ya go. And I will update soon. I PROMISE you all.
R&R!