Title: String of Fate
Author: MiyAsuka
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does.
Pairing: Bakura/Ryou
Rating: R
Warning: Yaoi (duh!), probably some sexual references and a lime or two in later chapters.
Summary: The Ring's gone, and even though Bakura is still there, things can't go back the way they were.
Notes: I'm sorry it took so long to update. Enjoy this new chapter!

Chapter 2: Nostalgia

Ryou bit his lip, then sighed. He had to do something. It would be a shame to leave something so precious in that state. Maybe he should take it to the cleaner's, since he wasn't so sure about ironing the expensive coat himself. He didn't want to take the risk of damaging it by accident. Ryou raised a hand and stroked the fabric that felt a bit rough against his fingertips. Just like him... Ryou smiled, feeling his heart tightening in his chest in a way that wasn't totally unpleasant. Yes, he felt sad. He hurt from the loss. But memories still felt sweet.

"I don't regret anything," he murmured.

"It should be ready in four hours," the girl working at Domino Miracle Cloth Wash Service – Ryou could almost hear Bakura howling with laughter at the somewhat stupid name – said as she gave Ryou a receipt.

"Thank you."

Ryou decided he would spend the day in the city center. It was Saturday, the weather was nice and after spending three days without seeing sunshine, that would do him good.

He didn't know why, but ever since morning, he felt better. Maybe it was because his mind wasn't playing tricks on him anymore. Well, he still thought he heard Bakura a bit, but it was just his imagination, yeah.

"What should I do?" he wondered out loud. It was too early to go to karaoke. He still wasn't feeling hungry and there wasn't any movie he wanted to watch. Maybe he should go shopping. Nodding to his own decision, he walked to the closest store.

"You have such a bad taste in clothes, you know."

Ryou laughed softly. as he took some t-shirts with him to the fitting room. This sure was something Bakura would have said. He was always criticizing Ryou about the way he clothed. The teenager entered the small cabin and pulled the curtain shut.

"Seriously, a pink t-shirt? Can't you get any worse?"

"Well, it's not as if..." Ryou stopped mid-sentence and bit his lip, hard. Why was he answering? Bakura's voice was only in his head. It wasn't real.

Or was it?

Ryou shook his head and removed his shirt, trying to ignore the fact his eyes burned. No, he wasn't going to cry. Let-alone in a public place. What would people think if they saw him red-eyed? Ryou did his best to calm down. He breathed slowly. In. Out. In. There. He felt better. He forced a tiny smile and slipped on the pink t-shirt Bakura would have found so ridiculous.

It had a white rabbit and the words 'happy life' printed on it. It fitted just right. Ryou thought he heard Bakura snort. Well, Ryou shrugged, what Bakura would have thought didn't matter. Now that he was alone, he could dress as he pleased.

Soon, Ryou was out of the shop, carrying a small bag. He wandered around the streets, wondering what he should do next. He didn't notice somebody was following him until his arm was grabbed.

"Hey, you! You're cute! Are you alone? How about we spend some time together, hm?" It was a tall strong-built man who, despite his smile, looked like he wasn't going to let Ryou go.

"No... I..." Ryou stammered while trying to free his arm.

"Come on! Let's have some fun together!"

Ryou heard a growl in the back of his mind. He screwed his eyes shut and, for a few seconds, found himself believing Bakura was still with him and the spirit was surely going to take control of his body and get him away from trouble. And yet, nothing happened.

"Let me go please..." Ryou begged lowly but the other man didn't pay any attention. Ryou winced as his aggressor pulled on his arm.

"Let's go !"

Suddenly, the pulling stopped. Ryou slowly opened his eyes.

"Let him go," a familiar voice said. "He's with me."

The man was about to protest but thought better of it and ran away.

"Are you okay Bakura ?"

Ryou turned his head away and rubbed his slightly bruised wrist. "Yes... Thank you, Honda-kun."

Honda merely shrugged. "It's nothing."

The white-haired teenager bit his lip. He hadn't expected to meet one of the 'others'... He secretly hoped Yuugi wasn't around.

"We went to your place yesterday."

Ryou nodded.

"You were ignoring us." It was a statement, not a question.

"I'm sorry," Ryou began nervously. "I..."

"-think we don't trust you? Because of the spirit of the Ring?" Honda completed. There was a short moment before Ryou nodded. "That's what I told the others."

Ryou began chewing on his lip, still not looking at Honda.

"If you don't want to talk, I won't force you." The tone seemed harsh and Ryou winced at that. Seeing his friend's reaction, Honda's voice softened up. "But if you do want to talk, I'll listen."

The other boy didn't answer at first. His first instinct was to return home and hide there like he always did. But a small part of him wanted to let his feeling out. Bakura's illusionary voice was oddly silent and Ryou felt unnerved by it.

"Bakura?" Honda asked.

"I... I want to talk," Ryou decided. "Just... not to Yuugi-kun..." He hang his head, hoping Honda would not resent him for what he had just said.

"I understand." Ryou blinked. Honda shrugged. "I guess it figures. Well, do you want to talk about it right now?"

"Yes. If you don't mind..."

"Okay. I'll treat you a coffee."

Ryou and Honda were now sitting in a café. Bakura was watching them, trying to keep his mouth shut. He didn't want Ryou to know he was eavesdropping. Of course, Ryou thought he was just a voice in his head, so it shouldn't be a worry. But if Ryou chose that moment to realize Bakura was real, it would be kind of problematic. It literally took years for Bakura to get Ryou to trust him. And not listening to private conversations had been part of their deal. Did the same rules applied even now, the spirit wondered.

The waitress brought their order. Ryou stared at the table top, silent. Honda took his cup and began sipping on his coffee, wincing. "Too hot..." he muttered. It made Ryou smile a bit.

The white-haired teenager stirred his own coffee with his spoon. Silence lingered a bit more before Ryou finally decided to say something. "Do you think he's really gone?"

Honda seemed to ponder about this for a while. "I think so. Atem probably wouldn't have left if he wasn't."

Ryou winced. "I... see..." He raised his left hand to his chest, where his Ring should have been resting.

Honda saw the movement. "You didn't want to give up the Ring, right?"

"I..." Ryou looked suddenly nervous. "I... It's..."

"I'm not here to judge you," Honda said.

"Sorry... It's just... I know he was your enemy so..."

"But he was acting different with you."

Ryou blinked once more. "How did you...?"

"It's not hard to figure it out." Honda took another sip of his coffee. When he settled his cup back on the table, Ryou was looking at the window.

"I knew him for a very long time... I was seven when I got the Ring from my father." Ryou couldn't tear his eyes off his own reflection in the mirror. "It's like... I grew up with him. He was there when I was left alone." A bittersweet smile found its way on Ryou's lips. "He protected me." Ryou closed his eyes. "I swear I had no idea he hated Yuugi-kun so much... If I had known, I would have found a way of stopping him..."

"But you were there," Honda retorted. Even if he had said he wasn't going to judge Ryou, he just couldn't help it. "When there was this first game where we were turned into cards. You even said you didn't like being controlled all the time!"

"... it was Yuugi-kun's fault..."

"What?"

"It all started when I arrived Domino. When he saw the Puzzle, he began blocking me out for long periods of time.. he refused to tell me what was happening... He was acting so cold..."

Honda's anger vanished in a instant. It was obvious Ryou wasn't lying. The emotion contained in Ryou's voice couldn't be a lie.

"When I saw him attacking you... I felt betrayed. How can he attack my friends, I thought. But after that... I thought I had dreamed it all. I wanted to believe it. But, I knew he did something after that, in Pegasus' castle. I had large spans of memory loss."

"You... I mean he tried to kidnap Mokuba. I stopped him and threw the Ring away," Honda explained.

"You did ?" Ryou looked puzzled. "But when I woke up next to Mokuba I still had it... Oh!" He seemed to realize something.

"What?" Honda asked.

"It came back. The Ring I mean. It seemed to be following me, even when I forgot it at home or when some kids at school had tried to stole it from me." Ryou looked suddenly very nostalgic, he eyes seemed to be looking at something a thousand miles away. "... he always said I was the only one..." The murmur was so low Honda wasn't sure he heard it.

He wondered what kind of relationship Ryou had had with the spirit of the Ring. Probably a very deep one. Honda observed the teen. The white-haired boy usually looked sort of childish and carefree but now, he had this aura of melancholy that made him look very adult. Honda had never noticed it before but Ryou was probably much more mature than the rest of them.

Bakura didn't like the way Honda was looking at Ryou. He didn't want anybody to be looking at Ryou but him. That pissed him off. Especially because he couldn't do anything about it. "You bastard..." he growled. But he focused his attention back on Ryou when the young one resumed talking.

"When I came back home, I found... Pegasus' eye... inside my pocket. I asked him about it. He told me 'don't ask me and I won't have to lie.' I guess I knew what he did but... I just couldn't bear the truth. So I acted like nothing happened..."

Ryou looked so miserable Honda couldn't blame him.

"A few weeks later, he told me he had to go somewhere... I don't know what happened after that..."

Honda seemed surprised. "You don't remember that you went to hospital?"

Ryou shook his head. "I remember... hurting..." Instinctively, he gripped his left arm, were the scar left by the cruel wound was, hidden by the sleeve of his shirt. "It was so dark, I didn't know how I ended up there. I didn't know how I ended up being injured..."

Bakura remembered about this scene all too well. And he really didn't want to hear about it. He didn't want to hear Ryou's accusations which were sure to follow. The spirit left.

He had been stupid to listen to that brat Malik. He had been even more stupid to use Ryou's body, inflecting a physical wound to his host. He had never apologized. He hadn't had to deny his actions because Ryou never asked about them. Yet, there was no way the teen hadn't figured out who had hurt him.

The spirit returned to Ryou's apartment, trying hard not to think about the past actions he regretted he had made.