Dream Prince

Chapter 14

What's in a Name?

The sun was high up in the sky when the soldiers had finished eating and had gathered to receive Atemu's next instructions. Yugi really hoped that it was not going to be something overly taxing. He could even handle it if it was push-ups as long as it was not running or anything along those lines.

"Alright. Listen up everyone", Atemu's voice boomed and Yugi stood to attention even as he felt heat rise up his neck. He was sweating. Most of the men in the line were natives and therefore were more used to the summer temperatures and they had also thrown off their tops to cool off. Yugi however did not feel comfortable with doing so. He was very sensitive about his nonexistent muscles and did not want to expose his chest to a bunch of strangers.

"I want you all to line up", Atemu ordered. "We're going on a jog."

"No…" Yugi whined. A moment later he had Bakura on his left side and Jono on his right. Surprise replacing frustration, Yugi gave the two a questioning look.

"We'll be here in case you get too tired to go on", Jono said in a friendly manner. Bakura nodded his head in agreement before giving Yugi an amused grin that was more than slightly worrisome and speaking out: "If you fall, we'll drag you the rest of the way." The albino chuckled and Yugi swallowed a sudden lump. At first he had been touched by his friends' caring, but now he thought he would do better without it.

The weather was absolutely humid as Yugi jogged along with the rest of the recruits. Sweat gathered to his face and ran down his neck. The youth had to constantly reach up to wipe the wetness around his eyes away so that he could see where he was going. The sun glared down on him unmercifully and to make matters worse, Bakura and Jono were sticking close to him; Yugi had one of his friends on his each side.

Of course the duo's presence was comforting, since it told Yugi that he was not going to be left behind even if he could not go on. But, it also put a new pressure on Yugi, one that made the prince wish that his friends were not sticking to his side. The pressure in question came from the way the other two males jogged next to him with little to no effort. The two were holding back for Yugi's sake and were not getting tired at all. It made Yugi feel all the worse about the wet shirt that clung to his skin uncomfortably.

The only good thing about Yugi being so slow that he was behind the entire group was that in his current position Yugi would not be seen by Atemu. There was no way that the Egyptian could see Yugi's struggles with the rest of the battalion between them. It gave Yugi's mind at least a little bit of peace.

"I'm going to stop for a moment", Bakura's voice suddenly spoke out from Yugi's left. The short male turned his head to give the other an inquiring look and the albino said: "I'm taking my sandals off. I'll catch up with you later." And with that Bakura stopped and bowed down to remove his sandals. Yugi's gaze followed him, resulting in the boy having turned almost completely around from waist down to see what the other was doing. This was not a very smart thing to do and Yugi quickly lost his balance and tumbled to the side.

Before Yugi could fall down completely, a hand grasped his right arm and pulled him back upward. It hurt quite a bit, since Yugi's almost entire bodyweight was just shifted by his arm and it was also because the grip on his arm was strong and unrelenting.

Once Yugi was straightened and facing the direction he was heading to again, the hand released him and Yugi turned to give Jono a quick smile and a thank you. "That was a close one. Thanks, Jono."

"Don't mention it", Jono replied easily before glancing quickly behind them, most likely keeping an eye out for Bakura. "Just be careful. It'll be hard for you to start going again if you stop."

"Right", Yugi agreed with a nod and turned his eyes to the group in front of them. There was movement from his left side, signalling that Bakura had caught up with them again. Immediately afterwards the thief greeted them: "I'm back!"

"What was that all about?" Jono asked before Yugi could speak up. The short boy looked at the albino curiously as Bakura smirked in that manner that told him that the other was plotting. Then Bakura finally answered: "I just thought I might run better this way."

"That is highly doubtful", Jono argued. "You're bound to get blisters that way."

Yugi saw Bakura smirk at Jono's words and realised with some foreboding that perhaps Bakura was aiming for getting himself some blisters. But why the albino would do that was a mystery to Yugi.

"Trust me, everything is going according to my plan", Bakura said in his typical smug manner and Yugi turned his gaze to Jono to see how the blond would respond. The tall teen scoffed before grunting: "If it actually involves getting unnecessary injuries, it has to be a pretty psychotic plan. Usually you only bring harm to others instead of yourself."

"Oh these injuries are necessary alright", Bakura hummed, still using that tone that left Yugi wondering how many victims would meet their fate before the thief was done. Hopefully the only victim this time around would be the skin on Bakura's feet.

1.

By the time the recruits were back at camp, Yugi was ready to collapse from exhaustion. The boy's entire face was flushed hot red, his skin shone with a thin layer of perspiration and he was panting heavily from extortion. Still, the prince had kept going the whole time and Bakura had to admit that he was impressed with the accomplishment.

"So, how are your feet?" Jono's voice questioned and Bakura directed his attention to the blond, who had finally gained a red hue to his own face. "You have those blisters you wanted so badly?"

Actually, now that Jono mentioned it, Bakura's feet were indeed very pained. The albino shifted his feet a bit, trying to determine the damage. Finally, he answered: "Yes, I do believe I have at least three blisters on each foot. Quite the accomplishment even if I do say so myself." It was very well managed; everything was shaping out perfectly.

"But why would you want to be injured?" Yugi asked incredulously. "What does that accomplish?"

"Quite a bit, actually", Bakura answered, feeling very happy with himself.

"You're going to have to go to the healer to get your feet fixed", Yugi said. "That's the only result I see to this."

"I suppose the plan actually is to get to spend some time alone with Ryou", Jono spoke out then and the blond smirked at Bakura. "I think Akefia is infatuated."

"Think what you want. I'm off", was all Bakura would say in response before he turned away from the other two and started to walk through the camp. So what if the blond had gotten it with his first guess? That did not mean that Bakura was going to admit to anything.

As the white-haired youth walked over the camp, he shot a glance at the pair of sandals he carried in his right hand. It was such a shame really. This particular pair had served him well so far; they had even been made in Rome. But, for the greater good even they could be sacrificed. If the greater good referred to getting some tender loving care from the sweet Ryou, that was.

Finally Bakura made it to Ryou's tent and pulled the flap aside to peek inside. He glanced into the shadows, not seeing anything with his eyes that were so used to the light that shone behind him, and called. "Ryou? Are you here?"

"Yes, Akefia, I'm present", Ryou's voice answered almost immediately. "What brings you here?"

"Ah." Bakura stepped inside the tent and released his hold of he flap, sending himself into darkness until his eyes grew used to the new lighting. It did not matter anyway. The normally extremely paranoid thief could never feel threatened by Ryou's presence. That was the whole reason he had at first become curious about the healer. After he could make out Ryou's form in the tent, he spoke out. "The strap on my sandal snapped during the jog. I had to travel most of the distance without any sandals at all and now my feet are blistered." Shame about the sandals, really, but for Ryou's tender loving care they were an affordable loss.

"Why did you continue running if you didn't have any footwear?" Ryou exclaimed in a tone of voice that rang in Bakura's ears pleasantly. The little healer was worried about him. He allowed the shorter male to push him onto a stool while listening to the other huff heatedly: "The prince would have let you off; you've done so good so far that it wouldn't have been a loss."

While he was still speaking, Ryou had lifted one of Bakura's feet up and tried to evaluate the damage there. Bakura did not really want the fluffy boy to be so upset with him so he spoke out softly: "But I have to do what I can. Training is important."

A sigh came from Ryou as the albino frowned at Bakura's foot. The healer probed at the sole a bit and, while Bakura fought back a hiss, said: "Your stubbornness is certainly something rare." The boy's thumb pressed at another spot, this one not nearly as painful as the previous one. "It's almost admirable how persistent you can be." The smaller albino's tone of voice told Bakura that the healer was referring to something more than just the insistence of completing the exercise.

"So you admire my dedication and strength?" Bakura queried with a smug smirk, focusing on what he considered to be important in Ryou's words. The healer looked up at him with something akin to an incredulous look, before huffing and grumbling: "If that's what it is when you do stupid things like this, then yes, I do admire your ability to make stupid decisions."

"But you still admire me, right?" Bakura pressed on, insistent on getting the confession out of the small healer. He was very pleased when Ryou's cheeks flushed red even as the boy once again pressed down on a developing blister. The shorter albino had most likely meant to do that but Bakura was too satisfied with his progress to really care.

"Well, I suppose I do, a bit…" Ryou grudgingly admitted at last and ran a hand over Bakura's foot, the touch as light as a feather. The next thing Bakura knew his foot was tingling pleasantly from magic. The thief refused to admit that the reaction had been caused by anything that could be 'giddiness', even when he knew very well that healing magic rarely caused any sensations.

As Bakura watched Ryou place his foot down to tend to the other one, the albino found his eyes drawn to the healer's face, especially to the small group of white strands that hung right in front of one of the other's expressive eyes. There was something soothing about that moment and Bakura wished to say something to make it memorable to them both. But what could he say?

Bakura often timed his robberies, the ones directed at the houses of some wealthy noble or merchant, to after nightfall but before the time the moon had risen completely. This was because Bakura had found it easier to break into a house unnoticed when the night guards exchanged greetings with the day shift. Also, Bakura usually snuck in from the bedrooms, since that was the time the house owner would try to relieve some stress with his wife. Now, if only Bakura could remember some of the cheesy lines he had overheard every now and then.

The pain vanished from his foot, telling Bakura that Ryou was now finished with both of his feet. He directed his attention to Ryou as the healer placed his foot back onto the ground. He reached out with his hand and caught Ryou's own in a gentle but secure grip. Ryou's skin was as soft as foreign cloth against his palm and he suddenly knew exactly what he wanted to say.

"Your touch is like a morning breeze on the surface of a pond", Bakura spoke softly, alluringly, all the while staring straight into Ryou's wide eyes. What had been meant to be a memorised phrase spoken in jest changed its shape when Bakura got lost in that dark and warm gaze. Bakura had meant to get Ryou flustered with a bit of attempted seduction, but now the thief felt a familiar urge rising within him: the urge to steal the treasure in front of him.

Suddenly Bakura felt a soft touch upon his lips, the slightest brushing caress of a first kiss he had lost a long time ago. And yet it felt just as innocent as a tender moment shared by childhood friends, a small investigation of new and foreign feelings.

The moment was over far too soon for Bakura's liking and the thief felt desperation run through him as Ryou started to pull back, the healer's warm touch on his shoulder drawing back as well. Releasing his hold on the other's hand Bakura reached up to grasp Ryou's arms and wondered just how wild he must have looked when he saw the curious and slightly frightened expression on the shorter male's face. He was strong so it was no effort at all for him to pull Ryou back to him and brush their lips against each other again. At a later time he would curse himself for being so sentimental and not devouring the healer when he was given the chance but right then he only cared about that wonderful feeling he got when he and Ryou touched so gently. He wanted to grab a hold of that innocence Ryou gave to him that he had thought lost forever in hard living and a life full of loss. All he knew was that Ryou made him feel redemption.

A soft sound reached Bakura's ears and the thief realized that Ryou was murmuring his name. It was not his real name, though, but the cover name he had given for himself to introduce himself to avoid being recognised. He yearned to hear his birth name from the sweet boy's lips but understood that with the kind of life he lived, it was not that simple. He could not be 'Bakura' here in the middle of a camp full of Egyptian soldiers, no matter how unskilled they were. The prince would have him executed on the spot if he found out he was the famous Bakura, greatest of all thieves. He did not want to die, but he wished to keep Ryou in the dark for another reason as well.

Never having been ashamed of his skills or even his maliciousness, Bakura had always been proud of himself. But Ryou brought a change to such a way of life; Bakura could not stand the very thought of having the healer disappointed in him or, worse yet, hating him.

"Ryou…" Bakura murmured softly, his voice such a silent whisper that none of his pain, fear or resolve could be heard mixed in while he spoke that wonderful name. He pulled the healer into his arms and held the other close with his face buried in the folds of the other's cloak so that he could breath in the soothing scent of herbs that always surrounded Ryou. As his mind became intoxicated from Ryou and Ryou alone, the thief started to consider terrible thoughts. They were forbidden thoughts and unheard of, but Bakura could not stop himself from thinking about the possibility. He wanted to be with Ryou but he wanted the other to call him either by a name he considered his own or by nothing at all. There was only one compromise between the two.

'Bakura' would have to become 'Akefia'.

To be continued…

Ending Notes: I really like the idea of Bakura using someone else's lines to woo Ryou. That's probably because I can't see Bakura as coming up with any good lines even if he wanted to impress his lover. So Bakura also steals pick-up lines in addition to concrete property.

Also, I want to imagine as Bakura being well-travelled in this fic. Because of this he has Roman sandals and knows about silk (foreign cloth). I hope I'm not being too outrageous for your tastes and that you all enjoyed the Tendershipping chapter.