A/N: Well, another shapte~r. I hope you didn't miss me too much W.w It wasn't that long, after all! I've cut updates to some FF for much longer! Ok… Enough rambling, don't you think? Oh, and please update! I have the feeling that people don't like my BxRson FF for one reason or another… Not a good thing. Doesn't help with annoying author's blocks!

Black and White

The sound on footsteps chased after him turning corner after corner, sticking to his tail. The fear was washing over him in waves, suffocating him, confusing him. Was he even running the right way?

Was he even running?

A second and he found himself pinned to a wall.

No. No, not again! He had just gotten free, this couldn't be possible!

The tall, dark figure held him firmly in place and he found himself staring into dangerous eyes.

That same terrifying, sickening panic ran trough his veins, freezing his blood.

There was no chance of escape. No where he could go. Nothing he could do.

Nothing.

'NO!"

Brown eyes snapped open suddenly as he breathed in small pants, looking around frantically.

The curtains pulled over the window, the beige walls, the familiar sight of it all and the comforting atmosphere of the room slowly dawned on him as he realized where he was.

Home.

Save.

A desperate sight left Ryou's mouth as he let himself fall back down on the sheets, closing his eyes for a second again. This was wrong, so wrong… He shouldn't still be having those nightmares, he shouldn't still be this afraid!

It had been over a week already, after all… Though at this pace, he though he'd be waking up with a scream for a couple of more months. Not a pleasant prediction at all. He wanted to just 'get over it' as Bakura put it, but it wasn't nearly as easy as it sounded.

And he had tried to forget about it, he really had. But what was he to do when all of those terrifying memories came whenever he left himself relax the slightest bit? Sometimes he really agreed with Bakura on – he really was weak.

Ah, yes, Bakura… Ryou couldn't explain it, but suddenly he had found himself being taken care of - and by The King of Thieves, nonetheless! There was something so strange in that little predicament… Too strange.

Since when had Bakura started caring? And since when had he known how to cook?

There were so many questions he wanted to ask the other, but was afraid of being pushed aside, of being left alone if he dared. Really, had Bakura not been here he would have probably not left his room and died of starvation.

But he had. And, he scowled lightly remembering how he had freaked up after waking up on the couch… Good thing the other was a far distance away or else he would have been caught up in the struggle to get off of the aforementioned furniture. Had he not been so scared he would have been embraced by the way he practically threw himself on the floor.

He was a little embraced of it now… Maybe that meant there was some progress… He really hoped it did.

Pushing himself up a little, the boy rested on his shoulders and looked around again.

His room, his curtains, his walls, hi sdesk, his bed, his everything. It felt quite reassuring to be in his own corner of the world and know that he was safe.

Or at least hope…

No! He was safe! There was no way that person would come again, Bakura had said he wouldn't be able! And, yes, the other's words meant that much. Because, well, Ryou believed him. With every part of his mind and soul, he believed every word that left the former spirit's mouth…

And sometimes found himself regretting it. Though that was only the times when Bakura was really bored and needed to entertain himself… And always making Ryou a part of that entertainment.

But it was just how the other was, and he had learned to deal with it. It wasn't too bad, actually, he ended up laughing as well sometimes. And, in a way, those times were some of the rare moments they spent together.

Together, as in doing something together. Most of the other time Bakura was either helplessly bored out of his mind, planted in front of the TV, or out of the house.

And, suddenly the boy realized something strange. Usually, when he woke up screaming – like he just had been – the other was at his door shortly demanding for him to 'get the fuck out of that damn bed and down for breakfast'.

And judging by the lack of such response, Bakura was either asleep or out of the house.

A sudden unsettling feeling started bugging Ryou from the inside. He didn't want to be left alone after the attack…

And come to think of it, he hadn't been. Not once had he left his room to find the Thief King missing from the place. It was kind of a nice thing, in a way, as it gave him the certainty that he had who to lean against if anything happened…

And thus, the uneasiness that ha appeared. He didn't want to even imagine what could happen while Bakura was away.

Before any further terrifying thoughts were present, he got up quickly and not even caring to put some clothes on, took the bundle of blankets together with him, walking out of the room. A quick look at the other's door proved it to be open which never happened when Bakura was there. So the chance of him being asleep were less that zero right now…

Ryou swallowed as he moved downstairs, almost afraid of finding the place empty. He could feel his fear build up again and held the sheets closer to himself in a try to suppress a shudder.

He checked the living room, the kitchen, even the bedroom, but no Bakura. He was out. And what was even worse –

Ryou was alone.

He stiffly and quietly made his way to the couch and sat on it. It took him a while to find the most comfortable position, curled up in one corner, realizing just now how big it was. He covered himself with the sheets and tried to come up with something to keep his mind away from the fear that was threatening to take over again. And indeed, a troublesome task it was.

The first thing that came to his mind was turning on the TV, but the thought was quickly pushed away. He'd only get carried away and then would freak out because of the sounds from it. He had, indeed, practically jumped from his chair the last time it was switched on. Bakura had outright laughed at that…

As his eyes drifted to the ceiling and found himself staring up for a long while – just staring. No thinking, no fearing, no nothing. Was this why Bakura spent so much of his time here?

Come to think of it, he could hardly remember even one time when the other hadn't been lying in this very spot when he came back – be it right after school, or late because of one thing or another. Sometimes he wondered if the King of Thieves would move from that spot if he didn't come back to make him dinner.

Though the last weak proved the former spirit could cook well enough for himself… Yet Ryou knew that as soon as he was back to how he had been before he'd be taking care of the chores and everything around the house again, but that didn't really bother him.

It was strange, how everything he thought of always seamed to end up with Bakura. Actually, even this spot on the couch brought something that reminded him so much of the other male… It wasn't exactly a scent or anything, just a feeling. Like Bakura was there, next to him, lying in that all-too-usual for the spirit lazy position, watching TV and completely missing to pay any attention to it.

And, in a strange way, that feeling itself managed to calm him quite a lot as he simply lied there, letting his eyes close.