YD: Sorry this took so long. It just didn't want to be written.

HS: This is longest Tendershipping fic that I've ever written. I tried to keep Bakura in character so forgive me if I did not succeed. Enjoy.

Rated Teen for profanity, cruel insults, and the use of weapons.

Unspoken Attractions

Ryou glanced out the window, not really paying attention to anything outside. He kept rubbing his arm where Bakura had hurt him. It was Bakura's fault, really. Ryou just got in the way when his yami was intoxicated.

The door slammed open, making Ryou wince as he accidentally jerked in his surprise. Ryou heard a body thump. Fearing for his yami's wellbeing, Ryou sprang from his seat and found Bakura at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yami," Ryou called softly. He gently shook his darker half. Bakura stirred slightly. He shrugged Ryou's hand off his shoulder and glared at his light. Ryou let his hand fall. He made no outward reaction to Bakura's glare.

"What?" Bakura asked harshly, pushing his light back rudely. Ryou cried out softly when he hit the stairs. Bakura glared at him. "Weakling," he hissed, "you're not worth anything."

Brushing tears aide, Ryou stood. He dragged his yami up. Still, he couldn't stop a few tears from falling. Yuugi was happy with his yami. Malik got along with his darker half. Ryou… was on the edge of falling into a black abyss of depression. Bakura pushed his hikari away roughly when he saw the other's tears. He growled in disgust.

"Get out, pathetic hikari." He spat. Ryou decided not to argue, as he wanted to live to his next birthday. He merely nodded and fearfully left. Bakura blinked as he caught sight of Ryou's tearstained face and hurt expression. Pain erupted in his heart.

The door slammed shut.

Ryou instantly regretted leaving the house. A chilling wind tugged at his clothes unrelentingly. The thin coat covering him did nothing to ward off the cold. He kept walking, having only destination in mind. Ryou blew on his hands and rubbed them to keep some warmth.

"He hates me. He'll never have me…" Ryou whispered to himself. "I'm too weak for him." Having reached his intended destination, Ryou looked around. The swings swung drearily in the harsh wind. He could still imagine Atem pushing Yuugi at the last picnic Anzu had organized. A small smile graced his features as he remembered his friends' playful antics.

The smile soon faded. There was nothing in the world Ryou wouldn't give to find love. He sighed and sat in one swing. He kept thinking of the glances Kaiba constantly threw towards Jounouchi. He remembered the blush painting Yuugi's cheeks when Atem had asked him out. Ryou recalled the time Mariku had set aside his pride and proposed to his long-time boyfriend. Before he knew it, Ryou was crying openly and hugging himself.

"Ryou? What the hell are you doing here?" Ryou looked up and saw the blurry form of one of his best friends.

"Malik?" He shivered from the bitter cold. Malik removed his coat and draped it over Ryou's shoulders. The hikari smiled gratefully, albeit weakly.

"Ryou, why aren't you at home? Where's Bakura?" Ryou shook his head. He didn't want to talk about his yami, but his friend had a right to know the truth.

"M-Malik," he sobbed, "Bakura kicked me out." Malik gnashed his teeth in anger but said nothing. He embraced his friend, holding the distraught teen gently.

"I suppose you're wondering why I'm here." Malik said, trying to keep Ryou from thinking of his Darkness. Ryou nodded, cuddling into Malik's warmth. "Well, Mariku and I fought again. And… it was hurtful to say the least," Ryou noted that Malik wasn't wearing his gold wedding ring. Malik smiled sadly at the question in Ryou's eyes. "It hurt so much to take it off. But if he's going to treat me like that, we might as well break up."

"But you love him," Ryou interrupted.

"Yes, I do love him. But if he's happy without me… so be it."

"How could I be happy without you?" Malik spun around, still holding Ryou. The hurt in Mariku's eyes was painfully evident. "It seems you've already found a replacement." Ryou shakily stood. He leaned on a shocked Malik for support.

"Mariku, this isn't what it looks like." Mariku glared at the hikari, eyes blazing. "Malik found me here after… after…" Ryou trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. Tears sprang to his eyes again.

"After Bakura threw him out," Malik finished softly, letting Ryou cry on his shoulder. Mariku's glare disappeared. He stepped forward and embraced his lover, making sure not to hit Ryou.

"I'm sorry," Mariku apologized uncharacteristically. He put his pride aside again, just for Malik. His lover smiled and returned the embrace.

"I forgive you." Mariku grinned and slipped the ring onto Malik's finger. Malik kissed his other half briefly. Ryou turned away from the scene, biting back tears.

"Do you want to come home with us?" Mariku opened his mouth to object but Malik silenced him with a glare. Ryou shook his head.

"I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Then we'll take you home," Malik stated firmly. Ryou panicked. "I won't let you stay here and freeze."

Just before Ryou could answer, someone stumbled through the trees. He turned and saw Ryou standing there with Malik and Mariku. Ryou paled considerably and hid behind Malik despite the fact he had already been seen. Mariku scowled and slapped Bakura across the face. Bakura stumbled backwards.

"That was for Ryou." Bakura growled and stalked forward, pushing Mariku out of his way.

"He's mine!" Ryou shrunk behind Malik, clinging fiercely to his friend. "Give him back!" Bakura pushed Malik aside, catching Ryou's wrist. He pulled his hikari toward his body, kissing the back of his neck. Ryou struggled, trying to pry Bakura's hands off of his body. Mariku dragged Bakura way and Ryou stood there, looking at his yami. A few second passed in silence… then he turned and ran.

"Bastard!" Bakura hissed at Mariku. Malik picked himself from off the ground and stood in front of the struggling Dark. He kneeled down to Bakura's level.

"Do you know what to do now? Find him." Malik paused. "And never let him go, Bakura. If you hurt him again, I will kill you." Mariku slowly let go of Bakura. He went up to his husband and embraced him, nuzzling his hair slightly. Bakura looked at them for a second with an unreadable emotion. Ripping his eyes away from the couple, Bakura ran in the direction Rou went.

Knowing his foolish hikari, he was probably already in trouble. A scream pierced the night. Bakura's eyes widened as he ran faster.

Ryou was surrounded by five people. They were all looking at him with hunger in their eyes. The hikari looked around, searching for an exit. There was none. He was completely surrounded. Touching the wall behind him, Ryou prayed for a miracle.

"I get first dibs on him." The gang leader licked his lips as his eyes raked over Ryou's shaking form. He stepped forward, hand reaching out.

"Touch him and die!" Bakura growled. The five turned at the shout, momentarily forgetting about Ryou. The leader quickly regained his composure and grabbed Ryou, forcefully kissing hi. Bakura snarled, rage clouding his thoughts.

He snapped his fingers. The Shadows flared out immediately. Ryou's Lighter magic instantly responded, protection him from the Shadows. Bakura pulled his Deck out, summoning Man-Eater Bug. Ryou fell to the ground once the man holding him let go. He sat there, watching his Darker half impassively. He did nothing as his yami laughed insanely, drinking in their screams.

The pressure of the Shadows pressed on him, forcing him to use more of his weakening magic. Ryou collapsed completely once his magic abandoned him, calling out to his darkness before fainting.

Bakura felt rather than heard his Light collapse. He immediately dismissed the Shadows, knowing how damaging the magic could be on a pure soul. He gathered his Light in his arms and slung him over his shoulder. Before he could leave, he heard footsteps. Bakura prepared himself for another attack. But he only saw Jounouchi, one of his hikari's friends. The dog leaned against the wall, clearly out of breath.

"What's this then?" Jounouchi jumped to his feet, looking around wildly. His eyes widened when he saw Bakura. "You'd better go. The High Priest will tear the city apart looking for you."

"I'm not an animal!" Jounouchi snarled.

"Whatever you say, baka inu." Bakura taunted. Not waiting for Jounouchi's retort, he let the shadows surround him.

Bakura moved through the Shadows swiftly. The darkness around him called to him, told him to let Ryou die. It had been a while since the Realm had a new soul to feed on. It sensed the presence of a pure soul. Bakura growled. Ryou was his. And he would stay that way.

Bakura carried the unconscious Ryou home, wary of anyone trying to sneak up on him. Unfortunately, luck was not on his side. Twelve gang members stepped out from hiding. Bakura growled. This was not good. He could not summon the shadows, for fear of his hikari falling victim to them. He could not fight while holding an unconscious Ryou in his arms.

"Damn it," Bakura looked around. The odds were not good. They advanced on him slowly, seeing if Bakura would fight back.

Shifting his grip on Ryou, the thief took out a gun. He fired three shots in quick succession, instantly killing three people.

The gang instantly reacted, getting out of the way. Each knew the only way to bring down an enemy was to use their weakness against them. The unconscious white-haired teen was now their target. They could not fire upon their target without fear of hitting his weakness. A man is most dangerous when they have nothing to lose.

Another man went down. Bakura carefully conserved his bullets. He had to be careful. With Ryou occupying one arm, he could not reload his gun. Glancing at the gun in his hand, he noticed that only eight shots remained. Not good.

Growling, Bakura backed up, eyes darting to and fro, watching. The pistol in his hand did not shake at all as he shot another gang member. She slumped to the ground, dead. Later, he would curse his idiocy.

Someone snuck up on Bakura, striking him from behind. It was a foul tactic, but it worked. Bakura's grip on his gun loosened, allowing his attacker to kick it away. His attacker grabbed Ryou and pushed Bakura to the ground.

The world spun in front of Bakura's eyes. Blinking back tears of pain, Bakura focused on the image of Ryou being held up by his attacker. Ryou was waking up.

Bakura growled. The guy holding Ryou smirked as he realized Ryou was waking up. He aimed a gun at Ryou's temple, just daring Bakura to retaliate. Bakura clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles turned white and his nails dug into his skin.

He knew it would do no good begging. But Bakura was a stone's throw away from tearing into the guy. He would have, had it not been for the gun currently pressed against Ryou's temple.

"Yami?" Ryou asked groggily. His Light pulsed, ridding himself of excess darkness clinging to him. He saw Bakura in front of him, looking like he wanted to rip something apart. Then he felt cold metal against his temple. Ryou froze, realizing why Bakura looked so murderous.

"He's a pretty one. He'll make a good toy." Bakura's eyes narrowed dangerously and growled, baring his teeth.

"Fucking bastard," he hissed, thoroughly pissed. Without meaning too, the Shadows were summoned. Ryou felt them pulling at his soul immediately. But he had recuperated somewhat, allowing his magic to protect him.

Bakura, still seething, now had power. The gang member dropped Ryou in his surprise and aimed the gun at Bakura. What surprised the man even more was that Bakura laughed. He looked into the barrel of the gun and smirked.

"You hold no leverage over me." With an insane laugh, the Shadows greedily consumed the man's soul. Ryou doubled over, clutching his heart. Tears accumulated in his eyes. Darkness invaded his senses, running through his veins. The pain proved too much, the darkness too powerful, and Ryou blacked out.

Bakura failed to notice. He basked in the gang's screams, toying with their souls before destroying them. He didn't notice until it was far too late.

Ryou laid there, eyes blank. His Light was paler than usual and his skin was frigid. If he had not been breathing, Bakura might have mistaken him for dead. He gathered Ryou in his arms and dispersed the Shadows immediately.

"Damn it, hikari." He growled, shaking his weaker half harshly. Ryou made no response. The Thief King noticed that Ryou's breath was getting shallower and his heartbeat slower. Unexplainable fear gripped him. Would he lose his life if his host disappeared?

The next few minutes were a blur to Bakura. He managed to get home without maiming anyone or committing any crimes.

In the safety of their home, Bakura pushed Ryou onto the bed. He knew what was happening and had no intention of letting it run its course. Gathering his magic, Bakura closed his eyes and searched for a hint of Ryou's soul. It was fading fast, but Bakura held onto the thread.

His hikari's mind was dim. Light was constantly flickering on and off. It hurt his eyes just staring ahead of him. Bakura closed his eyes and let his senses lead him to his fading Light.

A sudden scream pierced the air, making Bakura's eyes fly open. He twisted to look behind him. Blood drenched the walls. The coppery scent was fresh. Ryou was dying. Another jolt of fear invaded him. He brushed it off as losing his life. After all, he was tied to Ryou's fate.

The minimal amount of light in the room suddenly went out, making Bakura blind. His breath hitched.

"Ryou!"

The lights flickered on and continued fluctuating. Bakura heaved a sigh of relief. Ryou was fine for now. But he was running out of time.

After hearing Ryou's scream, it didn't take too long for Bakura to find his Light. The very sight of him was horrifying. A black aura surrounded his unconscious form. Flames licked his skin but Bakura did not feel heat from the black flames. The flames were as cold as ice. It was no wonder Ryou was unconscious.

Against his harsh character, Bakura pulled the unconscious teen into his arms. His skin was freezing, but the black flames licking up his body disappeared. Desperately, Bakura tried to bring warmth to the teen.

"Ryou," Bakura clutched the frail teen, almost as if Ryou would fade if he let go. "I'm a horrid yami…"

He is ours now. Leave this place and forget him. He is lost to you. Leave now.

Bakura stood, still holding his Light. The Shadows swirled around him, pulling at Ryou. He wrenched the Light from their grip, backing up as he went.

"He is mine! You cannot have him."

He was yours. But you failed him. Now he belongs to us. We haven't had a pure soul in so long. Give him to us.

The Shadows possessed the teen in Bakura's arms. His soul was so far gone that they could do anything with Ryou's body. Ryou pushed Bakura away, eyes blank.

"Leave." Ryou's voice said. He backed up until he hit a wall. Icy chains emerged from the wall, locking Ryou in place. The Shadows left the body, making Ryou go limp. The only thing preventing him from falling was the chains around his body. Bakura took a step forward.

Because we like you so much, we shall give you a chance. How about a game?

Bakura did not believe a word of what the Shadows said and did. But this very well could be the only chance he could get. Ryou's light was fading quickly.

"I accept your game. Name your stakes."

When we win, we keep the pure soul.

Bakura did not fail to notice that the Shadows plainly said that they would win. "When I win, I keep Ryou."

Game start. We shall ask you three questions. You must answer these three questions truthfully.

Do you have any weaknesses?

Bakura was taken aback. Of all the questions the Shadows could ask, why this one? It was so simple. "I have no weaknesses."

You're lying! An evil cackle echoed around him, as if all the souls in the Realm were laughing at him.

"I still have two questions." He ground out, clenching his teeth. Bakura mentally kicked himself. This was a Yami no Game. The stakes were high. There would be dire consequences if Bakura should lose.

Do you regret being sealed into the Ring?

"No," It was not a lie. Bakura would have never met his current host. He could almost feel the eyes around him glaring. He restrained himself from looking over his shoulder.

What are your true feelings for you host?

"I… I…" For the first time in three millennia, Bakura was rendered speechless. He did not know what to say. He didn't know his true feelings toward Ryou. How could he answer truthfully?

Their score was tied at one. Bakura needed this question to get Ryou back. Or else he would suffer forever, at the complete mercy of the Shadows.

"I love him." Ryou was suddenly thrust into his arms. He had won. Bound by their own promise, the Shadows had to release the pure soul. Bakura gripped the teen and held onto him.

Take him and leave. Poison practically dripped from the Shadow's "voice".

Bakura quickly fled the Realm, dragging Ryou with him. He had no desire to find out what the Shadows would do to both if they did not leave.

Bakura awoke quickly, finding that he was lying on top of his hikari. He quickly moved to get off but something was clutching his arm. Looking down, he saw Ryou holding his wrist in a death grip.

"Don't leave," Ryou begged softly. "I don't want to be alone."

"I won't, Ryou. I'm not going to run away now."

"Thank you… for loving me, Bakura." Bakura jerked his wrist away.

"How do you know that?" he demanded harshly. Ryou shrank back, fear evident in his eyes.

"I… I heard you. After the Shadows took over me, I stayed awake while you gambled with my soul." Ryou paused, tears clouding his eyes. "I… I love you too, Bakura. I was so afraid to tell you! I'm sorry that I'm so weak! I'm sorry that I'm such a weak Light!" The tears overcame him and Bakura's charge buried his face in his arms, sobbing.

"Ryou,"

"See, I'm so weak that I'm crying again!"

"Ryou, stop crying this instant!" Ryou sniffled and unconsciously moved away from his other half. He tried to stifle the sobs, but he could not. Bakura sighed.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Ryou repeated. His voice was choked with emotion. Bakura would probably kick him out again.

"It's fine, Ryou. You're safe now. I have you. And now, you have me. As much as I hate to say it, the Pharaoh is right. We're partners. You're the reason that I've changed."

"Bakura," Ryou wiped away his tears, sniffling every now and then. "I love you." The watery smile Ryou gave was the most loving gesture Bakura had bestowed on him in his life. Bakura's harsh look softened for a moment as he embraced his Light.

"I know, hikari."

Owari

YD: There you go! I'm working on a lot of stuff right now, trying to update a lot of things.

HS: Well, that's all! Review please!