IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!! - This is the Yu-Gi-Oh! Yaoi portion of the Shipping List in order. Be forewarned. Some "pairings" will not be fluffy and cute. But they will all, hopefully, be believable. Rating's will vary.
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi
Author's Notes: I like this pairing and only have ever found a few good fanarts of it. You know, Katsuya's father was never named and there's only one pairing with him in this Yaoi list. I'm really not looking forward to that one.
Rating: T (for swearing and abuse)
Yu-Gi-Oh! Shipping List #22 - " I Protect What is Mine"
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Batteryshipping (Katsuya x Yami no Bakura x Ryou) - and when they say "battery", I doubt they're talking about the energizer bunny…
It was nine o'clock on a Tuesday night, and Ryou was just heading back upstairs to finish the last of his homework before bed when he heard a knock on the door. Bakura wandered forward, precaution telling him to be present for so late a caller but when Ryou opened the door curiously, it was Jounouchi standing there, holding his arm with a sheepish grin. Blood was soaking through the sleeve of his coat just below his hand and there was a large bruise on his left cheek.
"Hey, Ry." he said. "Sorry to come by so late…"
"Jounouchi, my god," Ryou gasped, noticing both injuries instantly. "come inside." Ryou stepped aside and held the door open for the blonde.
Jounouchi stepped inside, taking note of Bakura nearby and offered a greeting. "Hey Bakura."
Bakura narrowed his eyes causing Jounouchi to avert his gaze.
As soon as Ryou had locked the door behind him, he ushered Jounouchi to the couch and rushed to get the first aid kit. Bakura watched their guest carefully as he slowly removed his coat, piling it on the floor blood side up, so as not to dirty the floor and leaned back, taking a deep breath that told Bakura he likely had chest injuries as well. There was a large gash on his arm, just below the elbow. Bakura noticed that his hands were undamaged and bit back a growl. The first thing Ryou would do was ask how this had happened, and Bakura was tired of hearing that shit.
When Ryou reentered the room, Bakura took his leave, too disgusted to hear the excuses even one more time. "I'm going out." he told Ryou, slamming the door behind him.
It was the same every time. "Well, you know, it's not really his fault. Well, no, he didn't apologize, but it's not like he'd ever kill me or anything. He needs me. It's nothing I can't take. It's my fault he's this way to begin with. If he hadn't had to raise me alone, he wouldn't even be this way. I should have left him back then but I didn't so…I can deal with it…"
Bakura was sick of the excuses. He'd seen Jounouchi stand up for Ryou; it was the only reason he had allowed the blonde to get so close to his hikari in the first place, but when it came to protecting himself…all Jounouchi had were excuses.
He came by after it happened because Ryou knew the truth, Ryou kept secrets; but he only came when it got really bad because Ryou cried every time. Bakura knew he didn't come every time it happened.
In the beginning, Bakura had wondered if his love for Ryou had been some sort of compensation for making him cry so much but as time passed Jounouchi had proved his loyalty and affections and Bakura had gown accustomed to his presence. So this could not continue. He felt as though he should have dealt with it right at the beginning. Were it Ryou, revenge would have been dealt swiftly and decisively but for him to have allowed Jounouchi to get close to Ryou and have done nothing until now, was inexcusable. It disgusted him just to think he'd allowed it this long.
Bakura looked up at the dimly lit apartment complex before him with grim resolve. Ryou had begged Jounouchi many times to move in with them, but he always said the same thing. If he did, then what would his father do? And all of the hardships he'd endured would have been for nothing. He couldn't just give up on the old man. Out of respect for Jounouchi, that man would be keeping his life tonight, which was far more than Bakura felt he deserved and he would be sure to make it clear to Jounouchi Senior that his charity was a rare and fleeting miracle that should not be taken lightly.
* * *
"I think Bakura hates me." Jounouchi commented, wincing slightly as Ryou administered the peroxide to his arm. If he had anything to say about it, he'd say it was clean enough - except for all the blood - and leave it at that, but Ryou cared about him more than he did.
"Bakura hates almost everyone." Ryou commented casually. "But not you."
Jounouchi scoffed at that. Bakura rarely spoke to him when he came over and tended to stay out of his way for the most part, opting for the silent, watchful approach, as if every move Jounouchi made was being carefully monitored and recorded for later scrutiny.
"He cares about you," Ryou insisted, concentrating on bandaging Jounouchi's arm. "maybe even as much as I do. He just shows it differently. It's mostly in the things he doesn't do and say, I think, but if you know what to look for, it's there. It's hard for Bakura to let anyone get close to him but once someone does, he'll do anything to keep them there."
* * *
Bakura didn't bother to knock on the door of Jounouchi's apartment. He broke the lock when he rammed it with his foot.
"Back already?" a voice called from inside the dimly lit area. The television was on in the living room, the only light in the house, and the stench of stale alcohol assaulted Bakura the moment he stepped inside. "Thought you ran off cryin' to that friend of yours." the voice went on. "But since you're back, run to the store for me an' pick up some toilet paper or I'm gonna start usin' the papers in yer room."
Bakura didn't respond, he just walked into the living room, moved in front of the couch where the man could see him, and reached out with his foot, giving the television the same treatment he'd given the door. Sparks flew as he pulled his foot free of the smashed screen. The room was now in near-total darkness, only the lights seeping through curtains illuminated their forms in the now quiet space.
"I don't think so."
Needless to say, Jounouchi's father was shocked. "W…who the fuck are you?" he demanded and, as if on second thought, he rose from the couch angrily. "What the fuck are you doing?!" he yelled, pointing at the television. "You're going to pay for that!"
Bakura swung out with blinding speed, backhanding the man with a fist and sending him crashing back into the couch. "Sit down and shut up." he ordered and in his shock, the elder Jounouchi could do nothing but. Bakura planted a foot between his legs on the cushion of the couch and leaned in menacingly. "You think it's your right to beat the shit outta your own flesh and blood whenever you damn well fell like it?" he asked. "I know your type. You get a dog so you can enjoy beating it."
The elder man growled, narrowing his eyes and reached out with reflexes nearly as fast as Bakura's had been, grabbing a lamp from an end table within reach and swinging out at Bakura with it. Bakura moved back just in time, feeling the breeze of the porcelain object as it passed by his face. "Who are you?!" the drunk demanded again using the opportunity to regain his footing. "You some kinda friend of Katsuya's? What happen's 'tween him an' me aint' nobody's business but ours. He's mine an' I'll treat him however I damn well please. He ain't worth nothin' anyway but he's mine."
Bakura's eyes narrowed once again and he drew a fist back, burying it in the other man's gut. He staggered back but instead of falling back to the couch, he planted his feet firmly and swung out with the lamp again, using Bakura's close range to overtake him, smashing the object against the side of his head.
The Sennin Ring against Bakura's chest flared to life as he actually got mad and he surged forward, grabbing the man's shirt front and kneeing him with incredible force. This time, he doubled over, falling to his knees and Bakura towered over him. "That dog you're so fond of beating doesn't belong to you anymore." Bakura leaned down, capturing the man's attention as he spoke darkly. "He belongs to me now and…pay attention!" he shouted, causing Jounouchi senior to look up at him hatefully, already planning his counterattack. Bakura made sure he had the man's full attention as he tapped into the Ring's powers to summon a menacing black snake, the Silent Abyss, in his hands, which he presented to the other, holding just inches from his face. The elder stared back in terror, shocked into a stupor by the sight before him. "If you ever, ever touch what is mine again, you'll wish I had let this shadow creature kill you. Do you understand?"
Facing down the unexplainable threat before him, the elder could do nothing but nod, praying the deadly intruder would leave before he changed his mind about doing so without ending him then and there.
"Good." Bakura answered, a dark grin slipping across his face as the shadows gathered around him. "And clean up this dump." he added, disappearing slowly into the dark miasma surrounding him. "Making your own son live in such filth is disgusting."
Jounouchi senior blinked in confusion as the other dissipated with the fleeting shadows. The dark intruder wanted him to…clean house?
* * *
Wednesday evening:
Ryou and Bakura were just sitting down to dinner when they heard a pounding at the front door. Again, Ryou went to answer the door while Bakura hung back vigilantly and again, it was Jounouchi at the door. Only this time he didn't appear to be hurt, or happy to see Ryou, in fact, he looked downright angry. He shoved past Ryou, gently pushing him aside to face Bakura.
"What did you do?" Jounouchi demanded of the spirit.
"In reference to…?" Bakura returned coolly, which only made Jounouchi madder.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Jounouchi shouted back. "My dad just kicked me out! I have nowhere to go. I have no money. He said a white-haired demon told him to clean the house… What the hell!?"
Jounouchi was near hyperventilating and he had to take a moment to calm himself, during which, Bakura replied "I take it that means you'll be moving in."
Jounouchi's eyes lit with fire. "What did you do Bakura! Why? Why would you do this to me? Do you really hate me that much? And why the hell did you ask my dad to clean house?"
Bakura found this display almost amusing. "I simply explained to your father that you are now my property and I will no longer allow him to damage what is mine."
Jounouchi was speechless. It took him a moment to formulate a response to that. "…What the fuck?! Why would you do something like that?"
Bakura's eyes narrowed. It wasn't Jounouchi's place to question his motives. "Cause I fucking felt like it." he shot back defensively. "I don't have to explain myself to you!"
Ryou grinned as he finally put two and two together and had figured out what this was all about. He stepped between them; and he was probably the only person alive brave or crazy enough to do so too, and took each of their hands happily, smiling like a kid at Christmas.
"That's Bakura-speak for 'I love you'." he explained happily.
Bakura scowled, regarding his other half. "You know I hate it when you do that."
"Huh?" Jounouchi asked, looking down at Ryou curiously.
"I'm so happy." Ryou all but squealed and neither had the heart to continue the argument.
Hesitantly, Jounouchi embraced Ryou and Ryou pulled Bakura in. Bakura and Jounouchi stared each other down.
"I'm not saying anything mushy." Bakura stated firmly. "I'm only saying I got used to having you around."
"I don't belong to anyone." Jounouchi answered sternly.
"We'll agree to disagree on that." Bakura returned with finality.
"Don't worry," Ryou said, putting his arm around Jounouchi "until I finish the official dictionary, I'll translate for you."
For a moment, Jounouchi wondered what he was getting himself into but he let it pass, knowing he'd already been in it for a while now and he didn't see any reason to act all shocked now.
Ultimately, having been kicked out of his father's house had freed him of the obligation he'd felt to be there. If his father could do without him, he had no reason to stay there when he could be somewhere where he was valued. And on some level, as twisted as the sentiment had been, Jounouchi found it reassuring that Bakura had confronted his father for his sake, had even held back for no other reason than to spare his feelings. For some reason, that made Jounouchi feel warm and fuzzy about the whole thing - though he valued his existence too much to ever say that aloud.
Post whatevers: Next up: Seto x Jou x Yugi. As always, if you liked, please review. Ja!
