Ch.5

A 10 year-old Yami lay in the room. His eyes were as dark and lifeless as clotted, rotten blood. He was surrounded by blood as well. He raised his head, all spark of hope gone. He looked to his parents' bodies, happy in a sick way that they had died fast due to decapitation. He was not so lucky.

The open, bleeding wounds were gaping like mouths all over him. The blood, there was so much of it. He could smell it, taste it. And then, the door opened.

The deranged man touched Yami's face, licking his lips as he did so. Yami turned his head in avoidance. The man laughed, 'You need to be punished for turning your back." Shadow-man, as Yami called him, found the edge of one of Yami's wounds, and forced his fingers in so deep that the appendages found the ribs underneath.

Yami's vocal cords betrayed him by forcing him to whimper. The man snickered. 'Now, my toy, we play.'

He forced Yami to the ground and felt along the boys' body, ripping apart the remnants of clothing the boy retained. Yami cried out as the man bit him on the tender throat.

Every touch, every caress, was pain. Yami sobbed until he had no more tears left. The man hurt him, hurt him, and hurt him. And then zipped his jeans, 'Until forever ends, my toy.' And he left Yami to die.

Yami shot up from the carpeted floor, screaming like a demon. He sobbed and threw things that were scattered on the floor, crying his pain to the heavens.

Bakura heard him from downstairs, "Um… Yuugi? Ryou?" The other two looked over, "Do you hear that?" The couple listened for a second, then Yuugi's eyes widened as he ran from the room and up the stairs, "Yami!!!"

Ryou and Bakura followed quickly, only to freeze at the sight that greeted them. Yami was kneeling in the center of the room he and Bakura shared. But he was screaming and sobbing, sometimes choking as Yuugi, Ryou, and Bakura watched in horror.

Finally, Yuugi found his bearings. He ran from his position with the other two and up to his cousin's quaking form. He gripped Yami's flailing arms with surprising strength, and then he hugged the boy, "Shhhh. It's alright, you're okay, and I won't hurt you." Yami seemed to awaken, his eyes clearing, but still shining with fear. He looked at his captor, "Yuu… gi?" Yuugi nodded, with tears in his eyes, "Yes, it's only me."

Ryou walked over next, "Are you alright, Yami?" He reached for the younger man and pulled back as Yami flinched slightly, "Sorry." Yami shrugged, "You are not at fault, only me."

Bakura finally found his voice, and not moving, asked, "Ok. What the Hell us going on here?" Ryou gave him a glare and opened his mouth to scold Bakura when Yami sighed, "Tell him." The couple looked at Yami in surprise.

Yuugi looked at his younger cousin nervously, "I'm not sure it's the proper time." Yami just reclined his head on his cousin's shoulder and closed his eyes; the room spun wildly as he moved. He suddenly didn't feel right, and as he was pinpointing why, he suddenly felt bile rise in his throat, and he got up, stumbling as the carpet twirled underneath him and raced across the hall to the restroom.

Bakura looked away at the sound of Yami retching. He felt sick too, suddenly. Ryou walked to him, "Bakura? Are you alright?" Bakura shrugged. Finally, Yuugi said something, too.

"He'll be in there for awhile. He doesn't do this often, but when he does, it's something that lasts for a while. So, Bakura, if you want to know what's going on, it's your last chance to back out."

Bakura shook his head, "I don't want to know, and I would rather hear it from him."

Yuugi looked surprised, then his expression darkened, "He'll never tell. He wouldn't say a word about it to me even after I found out from one of our uncles that was not his father." Suddenly, he looked at his watch, "Damn! Ryou and I have got to go! We're supposed to go to the seminar for Kaiba Corp."

Bakura nodded, understanding their plight, they didn't want to leave for Yami's sake, but they would be fired if they missed the presentation for new workers.

"I'll take care of Yami. If you want me to, I mean." Yuugi and Ryou looked relieved, "Thank you, little brother!" Ryou hugged him.

Thirty minutes later, the two left, and Yami was still retching. Bakura walked into the bathroom and watched the poor creature trying to hold his own hair back, with crystalline tears pouring down his face.

"Here." Bakura took the long blond bangs from Yami's trembling hand, and then tied them up with one of Ryou's hair clasps.

"Thank…" Yami puked violently, "…You." Bakura smiled softly and rubbed circles on the other's back gently.

Yami felt embarrassment as Bakura took care of him for over an hour. He finally stopped throwing up, and sat back, leaning against his caregiver. His eyes were heavily lidded, and he didn't realize he was even in Bakura's lap in that moment. All that mattered was that he felt safe. His vision blurred and he fell into a deep slumber.

Bakura held the petite boy tenderly, as one might embrace a child. He felt his face flush as the other leaned into him and snuggled into his chest. He smiled and leaned them both back against the wall. He was soon asleep as well.

Yuugi and Ryou came back around midnight. They were silent as they tiptoed up the staircase. What they saw in the bathroom, however, made them gasp loudly. Bakura and Yami were huddled on the floor with Bakura's chin on top of Yami's head. Bakura's arms were draped loosely around his roommate's waist. Yami was on the albino's lap.

They smiled, "It's so strange," Yuugi began as they walked down to the master bedroom, and "Yami normally wouldn't trust someone so quickly."

Ryou chuckled, "Bakura normally wouldn't tolerate someone sharing his room." They were tucked into bed now, deciding to shower together in the morning. All was quiet in the Motou-Shizouka household.