Chapter 5

Ryou sat on his bed looking out his window. The sun was almost gone, painting the sky a mix of purple and pink. A few stars poked through and off in the distance the moon was starting to come out. He sighed and hugged his knees. It was a stance that made him feel secure. It didn't look it, but it did. He had stopped caring how he looked now. He'd stop caring about a lot of things honestly. About school, about eating, about his so called 'friends', and about… living. The thought made him wince and he closed his chocolate brown eyes as tears seeped through his closed lids.

What have I done? I can't even kill myself properly…

A knock on his door brought him back to reality and Ryou quickly wiped his eye in time for his reflection to walk inside. Bakura had the same old 'you-are-such-a-bother' look on his face as he walked over to the albino boy and then looked out at the window. "Keeping yourself locked up like this isn't going to fix anything." Ryou looked up at Bakura. For some reason he had been looking after Ryou. Which really surprised the boy. Bakura wasn't the type of person to care about anyone but himself. Yes when they shared a body Bakura had protected Ryou, but that was because he relied on the boy. Now he had his own body and no longer needed Ryou.

A part of Ryou was very thankful. Bakura hadn't left him. Even when he could, Bakura still remained with him. But he didn't care. Didn't care what Ryou did or what happened. If he were to wind up on the news dead, Bakura's only thought would be who was going to cook for him now.

Or so… I thought. Ryou looked back at the Thief King who still had his eyes transfixed on the growing darkness outside the window. Why was Bakura taking care of him? He no longer served a purpose to the Thief. The Sennen items were no longer around and the Pharaoh was back in his own time. He had no other reason to try and keep Ryou alive anymore. A pain in his arm reminded him of just what he had done and his eyes went down to his fresh bandaged arm. The bleeding had finally stopped and they got to see just how much damage Ryou had done to himself two days ago.

Two day's… Seemed like it was yesterday. No he didn't regret what he had done. The only thing he felt bad about was that Bakura had seen and caught him. That the Thief King was being forced to tend to him now. Well no, I don't mind that actually. Ryou let his eyes wonder back to said Yami. He was now dressed in a black T-shirt and had on a dark pair of lose fitting pj bottoms. The white hair that matched Ryou's own only spikier was wet from the shower he had just taken and he dampened the shirt a bit.

Bakura felt watched so he looked over at Ryou whose cheeks turned a light shade of pink and looked away. The thief raised an eyebrow but blamed it on the boy's blood loss. "That'll wait I guess. Get some sleep. You're still too weak to do much else." With that Bakura turned and started walking out the door.

Ryou's heart skipped a beat but he resisted the urge to call out to his former Yami. Bakura glanced back at the boy but Ryou laid back and faced the wall so Bakura wouldn't see the fear on his face. Frowning a little, Bakura walked out and shut the door behind him. He went back to his own room and started to shut the door behind him. He stopped though and glanced down the hall at Ryou's room. With an annoyed grunt at himself, he left the door open and went over to his own bed and fell back, resting his arm behind his head and starring up at the ceiling. He had to figure out just what in the hell was going on in this house or he was libel to drive himself insane! …More so then he already was.

…

A loud scream jerked Bakura awake and it took all he had not to grab one of his knifes in his run out the door. A knife would not be the best thing to have around what caused the scream. Throwing open Ryou's door he looked around the light's room, eyes once again searching for the skiny form of the boy. The covers were kicked completely off the bed and the pillows were on the floor. Ryou was missing from the bed and the Thief felt panic started to rise again. Focus! Remembering where he had found the boy when he cut himself, he quickly went over to the dresser and found Ryou, curled up and holding his head. His body was shaking violently and his pale hands gripped his snow-white hair so tight, his knuckles were almost the same shade.

"Ryou!" The milk chocolate eyes were starring down and appeared to be in a daze. This worried Bakura and he put his hands on the boy's slender shoulders and squeezed as he had the night he found him in the kitchen. "Ryou look at me!" He shook him lightly but Ryou didn't move. He shivered more, gripping his hair.

"No… No please don't leave me!"

Bakura's eyes widened a bit. "It… scares me, being alone… It terrifies me." Not thinking about what he was doing, Bakura pulled Ryou to him, wrapping his arms around the light's body. "Hikari you aren't alone. I'm right here. I promise I'm not going anywhere." The shivering boy in his arms slowly snaked his arms around the thief, clinging to the warmth Bakura gave off. Bakura looked down at him and frowned. What the hell am I doing? Push him away! Send him to bed and get the hell out of here! His inner voice was having a fit in his head but Bakura couldn't leave. Before he registered just what he was doing, he was stroking Ryou's hair and murmuring things he assumed would calm the light down.

And it did. After a few minutes, Ryou shakily sat away, unwrapping his arms from around Bakura's waist. Bakura looked at him, a frown across his face. "Are you okay? You didn't cut yourself again did you?" Ryou flinched at the thought but shook his head. The Yami never was any good at phrasing things 'gently'. The light was still somewhat out of it, but he was answering Bakura at least. "C'mon." Bakura got to his feet and grabbed Ryou's right arm, pulling the boy to his feet.

Ryou stumbled a little and fell against Bakura. "S-Sorry…" Bakura sighed a little but mumbled a 'don't be' helping the light back to his bed. Ryou curled up again as Bakura pulled the covers over him. He knew better then to try and walk out this time so he sat on the end of the bed, resting his arms on his legs. His head was bowed a little as he starred down at the carpet.

After a little bit Bakura glanced back over at the boy who he couldn't tell if he was getting better or worse. Ryou drifted back to sleep, lips parted and his breathing was even. His white hair spilled across the pillow and he shivered deeper into the blankets. A small smile crept onto the Thief King's face as he watched his former host sleep. For once he didn't seem like the scared helpless boy Ryou had been. Leaving the Hikari's sleeping form, Bakura looked out the window. It was dark now, the stars and moon being the only things that gave off light. Below he was sure the street lights were on, but the window only shown in the sky's natural light.

Like the God's intended… The former tomb robber sighed to himself, defeated. There was no getting out of this now. He was going to fix what had been broken if it killed him. Because he'd damn his soul to hell again before he let it kill Ryou.

…

Ryou woke up and yawned, looking around his room. Sunshine now shone through the window and the clock beside his bed now read 9:47am. Thankfully it was Sunday so he wouldn't have to miss anymore school. As he sat up, he looked around his room and realized Bakura was once again missing from it. Growing a little panicked, he quickly got to his feet and tried to find his balance. He hadn't really walked for a few days' now not to mention how weak his body was. With a little more effort then it needed, Ryou managed to get to the door and open it. "Bakura…" His voice was quiet, still half asleep and weak. The loudest he'd spoken in a long time was the other night when he went off on Bakura. I really should apologize to him for that… Ryou decided when he found the Thief he'd say sorry. But now, he wanted to be sure he wasn't alone.

The stairs held a slightly bigger challenge to the light as he gripped the rail with both arms, his left one stinging in protest as he wobbled down. When his feet were securely on the landing, he let go and looked around. "Bakura?" He asked again, starting to worry.

A noise from the kitchen made him turn his head and there stood the Yami, looking at him shocked. "What the hell are you doing out of bed?"

"I was… looking for you." For once his response wasn't in the form of a question as he smiled at the Yami, relieved he really was still there.

Bakura frowned a little and shook his head. "That is not a good excuse. You don't need to be pushing yourself let alone walking down stairs." He was being a little protective and he realized this. But at this point, he didn't give a fuck anymore. All he wanted were to things to go back to how they used to be. And the only way for that to happen would be by getting Ryou healthy and annoyingly cheerful again.

"I'm feeling better. Really." The light tried to give Bakura a reassuring smile but the former thief didn't buy it. Ryou sighed a bit and glanced away toward the kitchen to try and take the focus off of himself. That's when the smell of something burning got his attention and he raised an eyebrow, looking at Bakura. "Are you… cooking?"

Bakura's eyes widened a bit. "Shit!" He turned quickly and jerked the toaster out of the wall just intime for two solid black things (which Ryou was going to assume was bread) to pop up and cause the thief to let another couple of swear out and damn the toaster to the 6th level of hell.

Upon seeing this, Ryou couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Had the Yami gone through all this for him? Bakura heard the giggle and looked over trying to hide the shock in his eyes. The light laughed... So it wasn't the boy's normal one, but it was a laugh none the less. Bakura grinned a bit but quickly turned to glare at the now beyond burnt pieces of toast. "Well this was supposed to be breakfast but that didn't work out so well…" He muttered what Ryou thought was 'damn mortals and their bread makers' and tossed the pitch black lumps into the trash.

Ryou smiled and walked over, trying to hide the fact he still wasn't all that great on his feet. "How about I cook something?" Bakura frowned and opened his mouth to protest but Ryou beat him to it. "Just something little alright? And I really do feel better Bakura." He smiled a little again, one that made Bakura close his mouth and quickly turn away.

"Fine. But don't cry to me when you fall and bust your head open on the cabinet or something." With that he walked out and Ryou could hear the sound of the TV being turned on.

A little bit later Bakura walked back into the kitchen to find a 2 plates of eggs, bacon, toast, and a glass of milk on the table. Ryou was pouring a glass for himself and turned around, smiling when he saw Bakura. Bakura just frowned a little at the boy, a disappointed look across his features. "I told you to take it easy."

"But… I did. I was just hungry is all." Ryou blinked a little confused. He hoped he hadn't upset him. That was the last thing he wanted to do… Bakura just sighed and sat down at his usual spot and dug into the food in front of him. Ryou sat down as well and started eating.

When Ryou finished, Bakura had his elbow propped up on the table and his head resting in his palm. He was munching on the last piece of bacon while his eyes stared out the window. Ryou kept his eyes on the Yami, trying to find the words he wanted to say but most latterly drawing a blank.

Bakura once again felt the boy looking at him so he turned his head, giving the light a questioning gaze. "Somethin' wrong?" He spoke with his mouthful, munching on the last bite of bacon.

"Ah! Uh… N-no…" Ryou's face flushed a little and looked down at his hands. "I just… wanted to apologize…"

"Apologize for what?" The Yami sat back in his chair, waiting for Ryou to explain.

"For… the other night. When I… yelled at you… I didn't mean it." There was a quiet pause then Bakura let out a laugh that got Ryou's attention. He looked up at the thief confused. "What?"

"Ryou I could care less about that. Honestly I'm kind of happy you did. Sparked some life in you if you ask me." He grinned a bit, remembering how Ryou glared at him. But that did remind him of something he had been meaning to ask the light. He'd been putting it off until Ryou was doing better and now seemed like a good time. "Ryou how about you tell me just why exactly Yuugi and then stopped hanging around you?"

As soon as the question was out, Bakura regretted it. Ryou's face dropped and he looked down at his hands, seeming to sink down lower into his chair. "I-I told you… We just drifted apart."

"And I told you that you are a terrible liar. Always have been."

After a few minutes of silence, Ryou took in a deep breath. He may as well tell Bakura. After all, he was kind of why he and his friends no longer spoke. "When… Atem went back to his own time and you got your own body and moved back here, we tried doing things like they used to be. But they weren't happy with me. They didn't understand why I let you stay here with me and hadn't told you to leave…" Ryou spoke quietly and it was hard for Bakura to hear him. He didn't like where this story was going but he surpassed his anger, not wanting to interrupt the light when he was finally giving him a clue as to what triggered this. "They… assumed you were forcing me to allow you to stay with me. And the blamed any injury I got on you…"

The tomb runner gritted his teeth. He really didn't like where this was going… "I told them I was just clumsy and you weren't making me let you stay here. That I… wanted you to be here with me. But they didn't believe me. Jou even tried as far as to come here and… make you leave." Ryou brought his knees up and hugged them again. "Eventually I got a little annoyed and snapped at them when they brought you up. They said they were tired of trying to help me if I was just going to refuse them… So I wasn't really lying when I said we drifted apart…" Ryou wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt, not allowing the tears to fall from his eyes.

Acorss the table, it was taking everything Bakura had not to storm out of the house and hunt down all of those brats and give them a piece of his mind and the feel of his fist. Or knife. Whichever. But there was something else he wanted to ask the boy. "Why… DID you not protest against me staying here? Seems it would have solved all of your problems if I left."

Ryou looked at him, doe eyes once again glassy. He shook his head a few times then let his eyes fall back down to the floor. "I told you Bakura… I'm afraid to be alone. And… I didn't want you to leave me."

…

NOTE: Derp yeah. Not as much Angst this time around guys! Whootz! And this chapter ALSO didn't end with people going to sleep! Oh and kudos and cookies to Lilac Rose6 for guessing what happened with Ryou and the gang. :D Remember. REVIEWS ARE CRACK~