Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Half Full or Half Empty? ❯ Love And Be Loved In Return ( Chapter 8 )

Hey, ya'll!!! This will be my last chapter for a couple of days because I'm going away for three days and I won't be able to write anything! (as much as I wish I could take my PC with me ;_;) I LOVE YOU REVIEWERS!!! GO GO GO GO GO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love and be Loved In Return

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At the end of the day, I waited for Ryou outside his chemistry class. He lingered out after a few minutes. "I'm sorry, Shika. I have to stay after school for a project. Heniko-sensei isn't letting anyone go until we finish. I could be a while. Don't bother waiting up for me." He said.

Great, now I can't even walk home with my boyfriend. "Okay, I'll see you at home then."

"I love you, Shika." Ryou said softly.

"W-what?"

"I love you. I mean it, I do. So does Bakura. We both love you, very much."

I was dumbfounded. He loves me? And Bakura too? I hadn't even made love to either of them yet! "What makes you say this…?"

Suddenly the floor tiles became rather interesting to Ryou. "When you were in a coma for all those weeks… I realized how much I needed you. I was so worried. You scared the hell out of me! And everyone else too." Ryou said, stroking the area gently where my scar was on my face.

Tears started to well in my eyes. I was an emotional wreck at the moment. What with Malik telling me that he wants to get back with me, Jou seeing the most arrogant wank in all history, having Ryou tell me he loves me and my grandpa dying… I felt like surrendering to the world. What was I doing to deserve this?

"Don't cry, love." Ryou said, taking my head to the crook of his shoulder. I winced, my ribs still hurt.

"I'll see you at home, Ryou. Is Bakura staying with you?"

"Perhaps. I'm not sure; he might go home if he gets bored."

"Alright then. Good luck on your project."

"Yeah, goodbye love." Ryou kissed my forehead and wiped the tears off my cheeks. His eyes seemed to take all my worries away. They were so peaceful. I could gaze into them for hours.

My ribs were aching all the way home. I really didn't feel like going to school tomorrow. Perhaps I could ask for a day off. I was sick of everyone pitying me and meeting my every need just because I was temporarily disabled. I got home and locked the door, put down my heavy schoolbag and staggered to the kitchen, resting my crutches against the side of the bench. The doctors at the hospital had prescribed me with some codeine to help the pain in my ribs and in my leg. I popped some out of the kitchen cupboard and poured a glass of water.

Boy, for the first time I realized how doing such simple tasks such as this seemed to take such an effort. I felt frail, weak and giddy. I guess I needed my rest. It didn't surprise me when I felt two strong arms prop me up from behind me, slithering up around my own arms and around my torso, being careful not to rub against my ribs.

"Are you alright?" Bakura asked, nipping at my neck with his succulent lips.

I nodded. "Yeah, just a little sore." I said, taking a couple of codeine tablets.

"Poor baby… anything I can do? Are you hungry? I could start dinner for you…"

I laughed. "That's a nice thought Bakura, since you don't know how to work a microwave or a stove."

"I could try."

"I'd love to see you."

He hmmed contentedly and nuzzled the base of my neck, rocking me gently. "I love you." This last statement made my mind drift back to about half an hour ago… when Ryou said he… loved… me.

"Why?" I questioned, turning around so he had me against the kitchen bench.

"I just do. Ryou and I both do. We love you Shika. And once you're all better we're going to show you just how much." He all but purred, suckling at my neck. I had to admit, having both Ryou and Bakura around was lightening my spirits. They were both so caring and protective. Not to mention sexy… Ra how I wished I was better by now. I knew they both wanted me bad, especially Bakura. Ryou I wasn't so sure about. He hadn't done anything like this before. But had Bakura? Surely he must've…

"How far have you been before?" I asked as Bakura continued to snuggle at my neck and collarbone.

"Huh?"

"You know… with a girl. Like me. You must have done something with a girl when you were..." I gulped. "Alive."

He let out a laugh. "Well of course I have. I was engaged once. But that all fell to pieces once that Ra-forsaken Pharaoh and all his idiotic guards caught me out robbing one night. My girl lost interest in me since I was kept in the Palace dungeons all those years."

"Uh… right. So you have… slept with someone before… right?"

He nodded and blushed somewhat. "Why do you ask?" he inquired.

"Well, err… I was just thinking that's all."

"About what…?" he growled playfully and pushed me up against the bench harder, causing an agonizing pain through my ribcage.

"Ow! Bakura….. ribs…. pain….!" I gasped.

"Sorry… what were you thinking about, love?"

"Well to be honest… sex. Sex with you. And Ryou. I know that Ryou's a virgin… I don't know if I should be the right person to take it away from him. It seems to be a pretty important value to him."

Bakura rolled his eyes, indicating that my statement seemed pretty pathetic to him. "Let me show you just how much Ryou wants you." He said, picking me up in his arms and walking to the stairs to Ryou's room, leaving my crutches downstairs.

Bakura put me down on Ryou's bed and lay on the floor on his stomach, reaching under the bed for something. He pulled out a thin cardboard folder and sat beside me.

"Ryou drew these after the first few days of meeting you." He said, taking out a couple of pieces of paper.

"Oh wow… I gasped. Before my eyes were sketches of… me! Some in pencil, some in colour. They were exquisite, they looked just like me.

I turned to one which was in colour; I was lying on a bed of red roses naked, with the exception of a white sheet covering my body. Every curve and line was defined to clarity. I was absolutely flawless, and I guess that's the way Ryou sees me in his eyes. In the corner in black ink written in linked calligraphy was "If only… Ryou Bakura 18/2/03"

"Bakura these are beautiful…" I said, gasping at yet another drawing. It was of me again, but it was a close-up of my face. I was smiling brightly, my hair and eye colour matching my own identically. It was near like staring into a mirror. My hair was flowing in the wind in the picture, my bangs wisped around my face.

"Ryou has a lot of talent." Bakura said.

"Indeed… why didn't he tell me about these?"

"He had no intention of showing them to you, ever. He's too embarrassed. He still can't get over the fact that you like him back. He's addicted to the feeling of your kisses now."

"And… what about you?"

"Of course I am. I can't get enough." He purred and attached his lips to mine. His kiss was a lot different to Ryou's; a lot more aggressive and wanting. Ryou's was tender and loving. Both were good, given the right mood. Right now I would have preferred Ryou's kiss over Bakura's. I wondered when he would be home. Suddenly the phone rang downstairs.

"I'll get it." Bakura said. He dashed out of the room and down the stairs and picked up the phone. I heard him put on his best impersonation of Ryou's voice. It sounded incredibly like him, I had to admit. He must have picked it up over the years.

"Okay, we'll have dinner ready for you when you get home, Afet. Goodbye now." Bakura came back upstairs.

"Your Mom is going to be home late tonight. She said she's `snowed under' with work. Whatever that means."

I cocked an eyebrow. "That's unusual."

Bakura shrugged and wrapped his arms around me. "I'll ask Ryou to start dinner when he gets home. He shouldn't be too far away."

"That'd be great." I yawned and leaned into Bakura's touch.

"You're tired."

"A little."

"Do you want to go downstairs? I could start the fire for you."

"OK. Thanks Bakura."

Bakura picked me up again and came downstairs and laid me gently on the couch. He knelt down next to the log-burner and set up some paper and kindling wood and lit it. It caught aflame easily and he put a larger log on and closed it.

"Do you need anything else?" Bakura asked.

"A blanket would be good thanks."

"Alright." Bakura walked off to my bedroom and returned with my feather duvet, which had a large tiger's face printed on it.

I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. A boring program was on but I wasn't too worried. I was more tired than awake anyway. Bakura came and sat down next to me, getting under the covers with me. I leant against his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. The heat of the room, the comfort of Bakura's beating heart and the codeine kicking in was making me incredibly sleepy. At least the pains in my ribs were gone for the time being.

Normal POV…

Ryou walked in about a quarter to five to see Shika asleep under Bakura's arm. Bakura was watching TV. Ryou sighed to himself. His two lovers… well, not that he could Bakura his lover. He had a special bond with him though, just not in that sort of way.

"About time you got home." Bakura said, eyeing his hikari standing in the doorway.

"Yes, I'm sorry I'm so late. Heniko-sensei is a bastard. He kept me in for an age or two." Ryou replied, taking off his bag and going upstairs. He came back down soon after dressed in his usual attire.

"Is Shika alright?"

"Just tired. She took some codeine a while ago for the pain." Bakura said, brushing Shika's bangs across her forehead.

Ryou stared down at her lovingly. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"Very. And she's ours. She knows we love her." Bakura replied.

"I know. I told her at school today."

"So did I. When she got home."

Ryou smiled at his yami. "Do you want me to start dinner?"

"Yes. Afet won't be home until late tonight." Bakura replied, still stroking Shika's feather-soft skin.

"Alright. What should I make?" Ryou said, making his way into the kitchen.

"Something spicy… Shika's temperature has dropped from the codeine." Bakura replied, now rubbing her arms underneath the duvet. A look of worry washed over Ryou's face.

"Are you sure she's okay?" he asked, kneeling beside her.

Bakura took her pulse and her breathing. "Her pulse is fine and her breathing is even. It's just the codeine which has made her temperature drop. It's a side effect for most pain killers."

Ryou's POV…

As I was in the kitchen, preparing some chicken on the carving board, I felt my darker half growl through our mind link. What was he angry about? It was a different type of growl though… a protective one…

/Yami? Something wrong?/ I asked through the mind link, even though he was just on the other side of the room.

//Someone is at the door.// As usual, Bakura was right. There was a knock at the door. I stopped what I was doing and answered it. I stood (almost) eye to eye with a boy, about twenty, with scruffy brown hair and identical eyes to those of Shika's. He held a basketball in his hands.

"Yo! Ryou! My man! What's shakin'?!" he cried, letting himself in. I could never see how Shika and Rai were related. Rai was so cocky and lively, where as Shika was divine. They did look alike though. Bakura disappeared into the ring, causing Shika to stir. I went back to my cooking.

"Hey my baby sis! How are you feeling? Any better?" Rai went and sat down by my lover. I eyed him and then went back to putting the strips of chicken into a frying pan shallowly full of simmering olive oil.

Shika shrugged sleepily and snuggled back down under her duvet, covering the position where Bakura was last sitting. Rai began brushing her arms which were covered in goosebumps. My yami growled again.

//That mortal has his filthy paws on our lover, Ryou.//

I rolled my eyes. /Bakura, Rai is Shika's brother. Don't think of him in that way./

//When will he be gone?//

/I don't know. He's probably just come for a visit./

//Grrr…//

I snorted to myself and added some curry and coconut milk to the spicy chicken dish that I was making. Afet had taught me how to cook some wonderful Turkish meals while Shika was in hospital for those three weeks. She even made Turkish delight chocolates too. It was amazing how well we got on. I suppose it's because Faith is dead now. Afet is acting like the mother I never had…

"Well, I just came around to see how you were feeling. I'd better be off again. See ya Shika-baby."

"Later Rai-man." Shika giggled drowsily and returned her head to the couch cushion.

I guessed that "Shika-baby" and "Rai-man" were childhood nicknames for the two. Bakura came back out of his ring.

"How's dinner coming along?" Bakura asked me, leaning up against the bench with his usual oh-so-serious expression on his face. He scared me with that look sometimes.

"About five or so minutes and it will be ready."

Bakura nodded and went back to Shika. "How's the pain?"

She nodded. "It's going."

Meanwhile at the Game Shop…

Jou, Anzu, Malik and Tristan were at Yugi's game shop, checking out the latest new shipment of duel monster cards that arrived that morning. Some of them were really cool, others crazy. Just like the twisted mind of Pegasus. J Crawford. The creator of duel monster cards.

"Woah, check this one out, Yug!" Jou cried, pulling out a card with a dark shadowy type monster on it. It was named the "Soulstealer", and had 1700 attack points with 1300 defense points. It had a special ability of stealing opposing monsters' souls, leaving them lifeless on the field for three turns. This only happened if the card holder gave up 200 life points, however.

"That's a pretty cool card! I bet Ryou would like that…" Yugi replied.

Malik snarled at the sound of the name. "How would you know that, Yugi?" he asked.

"Ryou showed me his deck at lunchtime at school once. He's got really creepy monsters in it, like Dark Necrofear and the Ouija Board magic card."

"Shika's got a Dark Necrofear too." Jou stated.

"What's up with Shika and Ryou anyway? They seem pretty cozy together whenever I see them." Anzu asked.

"You mean, you don't know? I thought she would have told you all by now." Yugi asked with an innocent look on his face.

"Don't know what?" Malik growled low in his throat.

"Oh… uh… well, Shika and Ryou are… together… now." Yugi said hesitantly, knowing that it would anger Malik to some extent.

Malik breathed deeply. "Well, I might head off now. Marik is probably expecting dinner or something."

"Okay, later then." Jou looked confused as Malik left so suddenly.

Malik's POV…

That little slut! How could she be seeing her homestay student? I knew that would happen! I just knew it! Well… that won't be for much longer. I'm gonna make sure that little runt doesn't touch Shika, EVER again! How could she want him though? I'm streets ahead of that white-haired freak in experience, not to mention looks too! Wait `til he gets a piece of me.

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