Day 4: July 15

Prompt: "Thief"

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"Two Thieves for Two Kings"

summary: Yugi has stolen the Ring, and now Ryou is going to steal it back.

rating: T

warnings: canon compliant events, references to the DOMA arc

tags: Tendershipping Week 2020, Ryou Bakura/Yami Bakura, a lighter shipping story, what was Ryou doing during the DOMA arc anyway?, remember how Ryou stole the Ring back from Yugi in the manga? yeah that's what I'm going for

word count: 1,067

written on: July 8-11, 2020

originally published on: July 15, 2020 (on AO3)

Ryou lay in his bed, in his apartment back in Domino, his eyes open and staring blankly at the ceiling, looking up at it without seeing it. Instead, he saw the same visions that had plagued his mind for the past few days, ever since returning from Kaiba's insane tournament.

The hot breath that rolled from Osiris' mouth, enveloping everything in its path in crackling flames, white from the heat.

The Spirit's face, twisted in anger and pain, almost unrecognizable, white from death and injury against the wrath of a god.

The look of secret fear and hidden betrayal that flickered across Yugi's face when questioned about the Ring and its whereabouts, skin turning white out of worry.

Ryou turned to clock. 3:28 AM. As if time held any meaning to him right now, aside from counting up exactly how long Yugi had lied to him, and would continue lying to him.

2 days, 4 hours, and 47 minutes.

That was when Ryou had asked Yugi if he had seen the Ring anywhere, and when Yugi's face had puckered slightly, smiling through its own betrayal.

Yugi had smiled apologetically and said he didn't know.

But he had lied, and they had both known it. Yugi was never good at lying, and the way he shuffled nervously on his feet, trying to keep himself between his backpack and Ryou, was nothing but a silent admission of the truth.

Yugi had the Ring. Yugi had stolen the Ring, like a thief, probably in attempt to protect Ryou.

It was a kind gesture, but a completely unnecessary one, and one that only made Ryou angry.

The Ring was his. He was the bearer of the Ring, not Yugi, and bearing the Puzzle didn't give Yugi the right to make decisions about Ryou's supposed safety.

Especially not after the Spirit of the Puzzle allowed Osiris' attack, forcing the Spirit of the Ring to act as a shield.

Ryou pursed his lips, playing the scene over in his head again.

The Spirit of the Ring was a possessive one, Ryou supposed, glancing down at the large scar that stretched across his hand, a memento of the first time he had rebelled against the Spirit's wishes. It had often seemed as though the Spirit was allowed to hurt him, but no one else was, and, if anything, the incident with Osiris had only further cemented that feeling.

Ryou supposed that made sense to him – after all, as far as he was concerned, only he was allowed to keep the Spirit in check. Yugi had no right to take that task from him.

The Ring was his, and the Spirit too. Ryou knew his friends would never understand his feelings, but they filled his head with perfect clarity.

Yugi may have stolen the Ring (for now, Ryou thought), but he wouldn't have it forever.

Ryou wouldn't let him.

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Ryou bided his time, waiting until just the right moment. And that moment came, sooner than anticipated.

Someone broke into Yugi's home.

Ryou had been walking down the street when he saw it He'd been staying home from school for awhile, calling in sick so he could avoid Yugi and the others, while secretly he'd been waiting for a time when Yugi's home was empty. He usually kept a watch on it from a distance, but he'd been feeling brazen today, and decided that, if by chance anyone was home or noticed him, he could always pretend that he was interested in the latest shipment of Duel Monster cards or something.

But, right now, no one was home. Ryou didn't know why, and he didn't care.

The front door hung open, and the game shop was trashed, the glass counter top shattered, glass shards and dice and cards and game pieces lying all over the floor.

Carefully, after checking around to make sure no one was watching, Ryou slipped in.

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He didn't touch anything as he climbed the stairs in the back of the store. He found the door to the Mutou's upstairs apartment hanging from its hinges, and squeezed his way past it as well. He followed the trail of carnage all the way to Yugi's bedroom, where it looked like a cyclone had hit.

Ryou ignored everything, focusing instead on the backpack Yugi had carried during Battle City. It was still closed and packed, shoved in a corner of the room and forgotten.

Unzipping the side, Ryou let the backpack fall open. Clothes spilled out onto the floor. In the center of the pile lay the Ring.

The Ring gleamed in the light, and Ryou grinned.

His grin didn't fade as he snatched it from the pile of clothing that had been imprisoning it, or when he slipped it on over his neck. If anything, his grin widened as he felt the cold metal press against his chest, slowly warming up as it hung once more around his neck, right where it belonged.

He felt a surge of pride and excitement from the Spirit housed within the Ring, mirroring his own emotions.

Turning, Ryou headed back the way he'd come, being sure to slip out the back door this time.

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Ryou heard from Yugi's grandfather later that the thieves that had broken in had been looking for the God Cards. Apparently, Yugi had taken charge of those, too.

Ryou wasn't surprised. Yugi was the host of the Pharaoh, after all, as well as the King of Games in his own right. It made sense that the two kings thought they would know best how to protect everyone.

Back in his apartment, Ryou settled down at his art table. A mug of tea sat beside him, the whisps of steam curling up through the air, while the whisps of the Spirit curled up from the other side. Ryou picked up the half-made game piece – a figure of the Spirit's past form – and let the Spirit's ghostly hands guide his own.

They were making a game for the Pharaoh to play, with the fate of the world as the prize.

The kings thought they knew everything, but all they really knew how to do was steal from those they were trying to protect.

And the thieves were here to steal some of it back, and to protect that which they stole..

… even at the cost of their own souls.