Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Can You Love Me? ❯ Without Reason ( Chapter 1 )

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Soapsuds idly skimmed the water's surface and the faintest scent of citrus clung to the air. Ryou sighed; this was the first time in a long while that silence resounded throughout the house. He sunk deeper into the steaming water, nose hovering just above the tranquil surface. White tendrils swam in the soapy liquid, turned silver, as they were wet. This was also one of the very few times when the bathtub would not be tainted red as blood spilled from wounds while he washed. No, today was a good day. He was alone, the house was clean, and he had no fresh bandages to apply.

There was a loud slam of a door and glass shattering. "RYOU!" an apparently angry Bakura shouted. Said hikari cringed and sputtered out a mouthful of bubbly water when he slid too low.

`Shit!' Ryou scrambled out of the tub, slipping on the cold tiles and bruising his left arm. `He wasn't supposed to be home for another hour!' He allowed the water to drain, thirsty pipe sucking in the hot liquid and gurgling on the bubbles. The panic stricken light jumped into his pants, dark blue denim clinging to his wet skin. Balancing on the sink, he pulled on his socks and managed to ruffle his hair a bit.

"RYOU! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU!?" the smaller could hear his dark pound up the stairs, growling as he came closer. Grabbing his shirt from the floor, Ryou slipped his head through it just as Bakura stormed into the bathroom. The door swung open violently, smacking against the wall and cracking it further. "Why the hell didn't you answer me!?" The dark fisted his hand in the light's shirt, yanking Ryou from the corner he had huddled in.

Ryou kept from squirming, it would only irritate the intoxicated other further. He gave limited eye contact for too much and too little would anger his other as well. Unfortunately, Ryou couldn't help but shiver from the cold. `Bad move.' He whimpered when Bakura slammed him against the wall, back stinging as he already had bruises there.

"Answer me!" the dark's glazed eyes bore into the pinned boy's. Chocolate orbs slid closed and Ryou slackened his jaw, waiting for it. He knew whether or not he answered immediately the outcome would be the same. A pale hand smacked violently against his cheek and a creeping redness spread down to Ryou's neck while his head rolled back into a partially upright position. Now he could answer.

"I-I'm sorry, Kura…" his voice was soft, but loud enough so he would not have to repeat the dreadful words he had to say. "I should have answered, I should have been there waiting for you, I should always be there…" a small clump formed in his throat "I am yours to own…use…a-and throw out when found useless…"

They were the same words every time, if Bakura found something wrong and deemed it punishable, then Ryou had to recite those dreaded words. On good days, it would end there, but…Bakura was drunk…there would be more.

"Damn straight!" the dark's icy hand let go of Ryou's shirt and he stood, watching the other. "Did you shower?" Such a simple question, yet answering would determine whether Ryou would wake up able to move tomorrow.

"Yes." The light shifted his weight; it had been such a good day…

Bakura laced his fingers in the dripping hair, letting the silky strands slip from his grasp. "Why?" Not giving any real time to answer, he fisted his hand in the silvery hair and pulled roughly, causing the other to yelp. "I said why!?" his eyes were manic as the alcohol was beginning to slip.

"I-I just wanted to…" tears formed in Ryou's eyes as his other half continued to tightly tug his hair.

"Maybe I should give you a better reason?" Bakura hissed, lips connecting with the hikari's.

The half put on shirt was ripped from Ryou's neck. `Damn, I liked that shirt…' He was far too used to this, he just relaxed his body and drove his mind to other places.

A blade was brought out from somewhere Ryou had yet to discover. The well-sharpened edge slid across his chest painlessly and tiny rivets of blood traced his ivory chest. Bakura lapped up his treat before throwing Ryou to the hard ground.

`Ow! God damn him! Can't he just tell me to get down?' The light's already sore arm throbbed with the now much larger bruise and his head smacked against the tub's porcelain edge. Bakura dropped to his knees, pants already discarded. `Fuck! Not today!' Ryou turned onto his back, eyes pleading with his other. `I promised Yuugi I'd go to his house today! I have to go, I've already cancelled three times!'

"Kura…please…I'll do whatever you want after I come home…I-" blood filled his mouth and the sound of Bakura's fist cracking against the light's jaw echoed in the small washroom.

"I'll do whatever the hell I want to you when I want!" With that, the dark pulled off the hikari's pants and bruised the white flesh with the force used to hold the smaller down.

Ryou's head swirled as he tried to open his eyes, there was a scream pounding into his ears with mind numbing pain ripping through his body. `Who the hell is screaming!?' he thought before realizing it was him. `Oh shit! Shut up! Shut up before he-'

The punch connected with a rib and Ryou felt, rather than heard, the recently healed bone crack. With the wind effectively knocked out of him, the hikari kept silent as he struggled for breath.

Bakura relentlessly tore into his light, grunting in slight satisfaction as he came. The hot liquid burned against his raw skin and Ryou only bit into his lip to keep from whimpering. Sliding out quickly, Bakura wiped himself clean with the torn shirt and threw it at the limp light. "Now you have a reason to shower." He snickered, kicking the still mass in the ribs before redressing and stalking out of the house.

`Well, there goes another rib.' Ryou winced and moaned quietly as he curled in on himself.

`Bastard…'

After a few minutes, the light weakly lifted himself off the floor, arms shaking with the strain. Nearly slipping on the pooled blood, Ryou managed to turn the knobs and fill the tub once more. The broken hikari climbed in and hissed when the hot water seeped into his entrance and lapped at his chest, setting his skin on fire.

`Asshole…'

Ryou fingered the injured ribs, knowing from experience how to wrap the gauze around himself so the bones would align.

`Freakin' jerk…'

He had just enough to cover the bleeding slash across his chest too.

`Son of a bitch…'

Just standing and staggering to the sink caused enough pain to make him go lightheaded.

Ryou stared blankly at his reflection. No matter what he called Bakura, there was no way out of this situation. He'd continue his life this way until he died, and more than likely that would not be happening for awhile the way his luck played out. Yes, he considered dying a good thing.

He had missed more school, time with his friends, and moments with his father more in the past year than he could count. All because he was either too sore, unconscious, or would show too much injury to pass it off as a gym accident. Sure, it wasn't everyday, but with this new `friend' Bakura had made, daily run ins with a drunk dark seemed like a high possibility. Whoever it was the yami was hanging around with seemed to make him more violent.

Ryou hung his head, refusing to look at himself. As much as the other hurt him, the light could never bring himself to tell anyone, he loved that sadistic bastard more than anything…and he didn't know why. Ryou tried to chuckle at his own stupidity, but couldn't as his lungs brushed against the healing ribs and flared a bit of pain.

"You're an idiot, Ryou…" he mumbled, wincing as he dressed.

"Try falling in love with someone who doesn't use you as a damn punching bag." He cleaned up the bathroom, scrubbing the floor for a good while before all the blood was bleached out.

"Otherwise you have no real reason to live…" As luck would have it, Bakura had forgotten his nice, shiny knife on the tiled floor.

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