Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Koibito Yami ❯ Salvation from Hell ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2- Salvation from Hell

Yugi, Tristan, and Joey watched Ryou come into the classroom, slowly, limping. He refused to allow himself to look at his friends. He went to his desk, sat down, and faced the wall, trying to ignore the pain. He could take the pain in his body, it was aching in his heart that felt like it was killing him. Yugi discreetly moved to the side, so he could see Ryou better. He saw the pain in Ryou's face, and then, saw a single tear, shining on his cheek before Ryou brushed it away.

/Yami…/ Yugi said, pleading.

//No, Yugi.// His Yami said sternly. //We will help Ryou soon, but until we do, let's try not to make his suffering worse.// Yugi sighed, and returned to Tristan and Joey.

/Yami, it has to be soon./ Yugi said. `You should see him. He looks so, helpless…/

//I know, aibou. I can see him through your eyes, and my heart aches just as much as yours for you Ryou. But the Grave Robber is strong, and the wrong move at the wrong time could do far more harm than good for Ryou. Just trust my judgment, Yugi. For Ryou's sake.//

/If we wait much longer, there may not be a Ryou to protect anymore./ Yugi said grimly. His Yami didn't reply.

*************

Ryou Bakura spent a long, miserable day at school. In a way, he was relieved that his friends avoided him, but then again, he had never felt so desperate to talk to them, especially Yugi. His Yami had woken up at lunch, and sneered horrible things to Ryou.

//I'm bored, little one.// He said. //We'll just have to make up for it once you come home.// Ryou had just taken his first bite of applesauce, and it stuck in his throat. //Let's see….// His Yami drawled, in a bored tone. //What can we do today? I want to try something new.// Ryou finally managed to swallow. //Can't disembowel you without killing you, and where would that leave me?// Ryou felt sick, and closed his eyes, tightly. //Ever had a really bad burn, Hikari?// Ryou opened his mouth to breathe deeper. //Broken bones are always an option.// Ryou flinched. //I could just, toss you down the stairs.// Ryou began to tremble. //Or, all of the above.// His Yami said in a cheerful tone. Ryou shoved his lunch away and buried his face in his arms as his Yami's psychotic laughter echoed through his mind.

Yugi and the others were watching him.

/Yami?/

//Yes, Yugi?//

/Something's wrong with Ryou./ Yugi's worried tone made Yami put down the Duel Monsters Deck he had been absentmindedly shuffling for the past fifteen minutes. He closed his eyes, and concentrated, seeing through his Hikari's eyes. Ryou looked sick to his stomach, and the color drained from his face. He was visibly trembling, as he closed his eyes, and swallowed. Then, he flinched, and let his head fall to his arms, laying on the table.

//So I see. I believe that his Yami is threatening him.// YamiYugi said, as he saw Ryou's shoulders shaking. //I'm still thinking of a way to help him, without hurting him. YamiBakura is ruthless, and he would not refrain from killing Ryou if we cornered him.//

/I know. You should have seen him yesterday. He hit Joey and Tristan./

//He did? Yugi, why didn't you tell me?! Did he hurt you?// Yugi could feel his Yami's anger.

/Yes, I don't know, and not really./ Yugi answered.

//What do you mean by `not really,' Aibou?// His Yami said, sternly.

/He threw me into Tristan and Joey, when I tried to get past him to help Ryou./ Yugi answered.

//Yugi, he could have really hurt you! What were you thinking?!// Yami was upset.

/I was thinking that my friend was badly hurt, and needed me!/ Yugi said, almost frantically. Yami cringed, when he saw Yugi's memory of the sight of Ryou lying on the floor, bleeding and in pain.

//Oh, Ra…// He thought to himself, forgetting that he was still in touch with Yugi. //Of all people, it had to be the most gentle, innocent, one as possible. It had to be Ryou Bakura.// Knowing that their conversation was over, Yugi closed the link, and stared at his lunch. He wasn't very hungry any more.

**********

Ryou Bakura had trudged home, slowly. He didn't care that he was late, his Yami was going to beat him anyway. As he walked up the front steps, he dug into his pocket for his keys. Getting out the right one, he moved it towards the lock, when, suddenly, the door swung open. He stared into the murky darkness, and then, two violet eyes appeared, fastened on his soft brown ones. He swallowed, and stared at his Yami.

"Get in here." His Yami snarled, and Ryou fought the urge to run away. He forced his feet to take him into the house. His Yami slammed the door and glared at him, then pointed to the floor. "What, is, that?!" The demon snarled. Ryou looked down, and swallowed, queasy.

"Blood, Master." He said, softly.

"And why is it on the floor?!" His Yami shouted, seizing the back of Ryou's neck, forcing him to his knees. Ryou recoiled from the sight of the blood, dried up on the floor. He was feeling extremely nauseated now, and then, he lost control, and retched. The bile came up, searing his throat, with a small amount of applesauce. YamiBakura leapt back, startled, then glared down at his gagging counterpart.

"You're pitiful." He said, and Ryou yelped as his Yami kicked him sharply. "Clean that up, then get something to eat before you starve to death. I'll be in my soulroom." He said, and vanished into the Millennium Ring about Ryou's neck. Ryou stayed on his knees, gasping for breath for a few moments, before he got to his feet. He stumbled into the kitchen, and got the bucket out from under the sink, and squirted some soap in it, before filling it up with warm water. He got a sponge, and went back out to the hall. He went to his knees, and started scrubbing the floor.

//Don't forget the wall.// His Yami snapped, and Ryou looked up at the smear of blood on the wall.

/Yes, Master./ He sighed, and scrubbed harder, his vision blurred by miserable tears. He felt a trickle run down the back of his head, telling him that wound had opened as a result of his Yami's rough treatment. He sniffed, and choked back a sob, and tried to concentrate on the cleaning.

**********

"I play Silver Fang, in attack mode." Yugi said, placing the white wolf card down on the table. Joey frowned, and drew a card, then smiled.

"Hah! And I play the Giga-Tech Wolf, in attack mode."

"Wow, Joey, where'd you get that?" Yugi asked, looking at the machine wolf.

"Huh? Oh, I traded Tristan for it. And, I play Dian Keto, the cure master, restoring 1000 life points! Hah!" Joey said, triumphantly, and Tristan scribble down the Life Point adjustment on the score pad. The score was currently, Joey, 3450, Yugi, 5700. "And then, I play Salamandra, increasing my wolf's attack by 700, making its strength 1900, and I attack Silver Fang, taking off 700 of your Life Points."

"Good move Joey," Yugi said, as he put Silver Fang in the Graveyard. He glanced up at Yami, who had just walked in, with some herbal tea. He looked exhausted. He smiled, at his Hikari and glanced at Joey's hand, eyes widening briefly in amazement, as he walked to stand behind Yugi. He glanced down at Yugi's hand, and smirked.

"Play that one." He said, pointing at the card on Yugi's far left. Yugi glanced up at his Yami, before placing the card on the field.

"I play Card Destruction, sending all the cards in our hand to the Graveyard."

"What?!?" Joey yelped, jumping up. He glared at Yami, who was trying not to smile. "No fair, Yami! You can't help `im! I challenged Yugi, not you!" Yami couldn't help it. He smiled.

"Well, technically, Joey, Yugi and I are one in the same."

"No, you're not! He's sittin' there, and you're walkin' around! You're completely separate!" Joey had dropped his hand on the table top, and Yugi looked at it.

There lay Baby Dragon, Time Wizard, Red Eyes Black Dragon, Flame Swordsman, and Lava Battle Guard. The Swamp Battle Guard was already on the playing field. Yugi blinked. If Joey had played all of those cards, he wouldn't have stood a chance. Yugi looked up at his Yami, who was still grinning at Joey, who was furious. Then, the phone rang. Yugi reached for the cordless, lying on the sofa, and picked up.

"Hello?" He said, trying to hear over Joey and Yami, who was suddenly shouting at Joey, about something Joey had said that had to do with Yami's cooking (which was horrible). "Ryou?!" the arguing boys grew silent, and looked at Yugi. Yami came over and put his head down next to Yugi's trying to hear. Yugi tilted the phone so his Yami could hear better.

"Yugi, I-" Ryou started, but stopped, and sighed. "Um, I forgot what page the reading assignment was on." He said, in a defeated tone. Yugi's heart fell, and he sighed.

"Page 247, Ryou. Are you all right?"

"Yugi, I, *sigh*, no, I'm fine. I just forgot the assignment, that's all……" Yugi frowned, as did Yami.

"You're not fooling anyone, Ryou. You never forget assignments. What's wrong?" Yami said.

"….."

"Ryou…" Yami and Yugi said in unison.

"I have to go. If my Yami catches me talking to you, he'll….."

"He'll what Ryou?" Yami said, softly.

"He'll, nothing. Don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

"Ryou!"

But the line was dead.

***********

Yugi hurried to school, hoping to see Ryou, who came in later than ever. It was forty-five minutes into class, before he came in, still hiding behind his hair. This time, the teacher grabbed his wrist as he hurried by. Instinctively, he put up an arm to shield his face. Then, slowly, he lowered, it, as the teacher inspected the bruises on his face.

"What happened?" She asked. He remembered what he had told Yugi's Yami the other day.

"I fell down the stairs. I'm all right." He said. She gave him a skeptical look, but let him go. He forced a smile onto his face. "Really! I'm fine." He said, and went to his desk. He glanced at Yugi, but immediately looked away. Yugi sighed, and went back to taking notes.

At lunch, he, Tristan, and Joey followed Ryou, at a discreet distance, to the roof. Ryou stood, staring off of the roof, at nothing. They hid from his sight and looked at each other.

"What do we do? He's starting to look worse." Tristan said. Yugi and Joey nodded.

"I really didn't notice until now, but, he seems so thin." Yugi said, and Joey looked down at the ground, deep in thought.

"I hope Yami has an idea. We need ta make a move, soon. I doubt that Ryou's Yami has noticed how weak Ryou's become. He may accidentally kill `im. Why don't you ask Yami, Yug." Joey said, and Yugi nodded.

/Yami?/

//…….//

/Yami? You there?/ Yugi's voice echoed through Yami's head. He moaned, and opened one eye, irritated.

//Uhhh…..This had better be good, Yugi. I was up all night thinking, and my head is killing me.// Yami Yugi complained.

/It's Ryou. We've been talking about him. Weren't you listening?/

//No! I was asleep!// Yami thought back, rolling onto his back, and sighing. //I can't hear you when I`m asleep, you know-// He stopped short, and sat straight up in bed, eyes wide open. //Of course! Why didn't I think of it before?//

/Think of what?/ Yami leapt out of bed, and left his soul room.

"Of how we can talk to Ryou safely." Yami said, looking down at his Hikari.

"Nice outfit." Joey said after a moment, looking at Yami. He glanced down, and realized he forgot to change out of his Pharaoh's garments. He waved his hand, irritably.

"Never mind that." He said, and looked around the corner at Ryou, his eyes carefully reading his body posture.

"Yes, he's growing weaker. Now is the time to talk to him. Joey, let me have some paper."

Across the roof, Ryou was nursing his side. His broken rib was throbbing, and his stomach rumbled in hunger. But he didn't have any money to buy lunch, and was too depressed to care. Then, something hit him in the small of his back. He turned, and stared down at the paper airplane, with his name written strangely on the wing. He recognized the hand. It was YamiYugi's writing. He knew, because he had been the only one who had the patience to teach the Pharaoh to write in English, which they had made him learn, since hardly anyone could read Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Ryou looked around, not seeing anyone, and picked up the airplane. He unfolded it, and looked at the note inside the plane.

If your Yami is awake, get rid of this note. If he is sleeping, come to the door.

-Yami Yugi

Ryou closed his eyes, and concentrated on his Yami. He sighed in relief, as he felt him snoring. Ryou pocketed the note, and limped to the door that led back down into the building. As he reached for the handle, YamiYugi stepped out from behind the corner, followed by Yugi, Joey, and Tristan. Ryou's eyes widened as he looked YamiYugi up and down.

He was wearing a gold band loosely about his hips over a white linen wrap around his waist, that came to just above his knees. His feet were bare, as was his tan and muscular torso. He wore a broad necklace, covering his throat, shoulders, and most of his chest. There were broad gold cuff on his wrists, and upper arms, and his ankles. A gold band wrapped around his head, twisting into the Sennen Eye on his forehead. Ryou blinked.

"Wow. Nice outfit." He said, and the Pharaoh rolled his eyes, annoyed. He concentrated, and changed his clothes to duplicate Yugi's, but quickly took off the jacket, not really liking his arms completely covered, preferring the sleeveless shirt on it's own, despite the coolness of the autumn afternoon.

"Ryou. Are you ready to talk?" He asked, looking down at the shy boy. Ryou looked at the ground, and sighed, then nodded.

"I want to, but what if he wakes up, and catches me? He'll be furious!" Ryou said, and looked at Yami, eyes full of fear.

"How about this. Yugi and the others will stay out of sight, up here. We'll go to the other side of the roof to talk. If he starts to wake up, I'll go back to my soul room before he can wake up completely. Is that all right?"

"Yami!" Yugi protested, but his Dark side held up his hand, silencing his Light. Ryou thought a moment, then nodded. Yami smiled, and put an arm around Ryou's shoulder, guiding him to the other side of the roof. Yugi, Joey, and Tristan watched. Their two friends began talking, but they could not hear. Yugi tried to hear through his Yami's mind, but the Egyptian Spirit shut him out. Yugi, sat down in a huff, leaning against the wall, waiting for his Yami to come back.

Across the roof, Yami Yugi still had his hand on Ryou's shoulder.

"Ryou, I'm your friend. You know that right?" He said, softly. Ryou swallowed, and nodded. "And I want to help you."

"I know, Yami." Ryou said, quietly, submissively, Yami, thought. Ryou leaned against the wall, and slid down until he was sitting with his knees up to his chest. Yami sat down next to him, and looked at the smaller boy, hugging one of his own knees to his chest.

"He, he's so…." Ryou paused, searching for the right word. But only one popped into his head. "Hateful!" He finished, tears sliding down his face. "He hates everyone!" Yami put a comforting arm around Ryou's shoulders again, and the pale boy buried his face into Yami's shoulder. "He hates me, he hates Yugi, and above all, he hates you!"

"He has a reason to hate me, Ryou." Yami said, Softly, stroking the back of Ryou's head, "and he hates Yugi because he is my Hikari. But he has no reason to hate you…" Ryou couldn't hold back the next sob.

"Yes he does! He hates me because I'm weak! I'm a wimp, a coward! And he's strong! That's why he hates me!" Ryou all but shouted this, his heart aching more than ever. Yami pulled him away from his chest, and looked Ryou straight in his eyes.

"No Ryou," He said, quietly, wiping the tear from Ryou's face. He smiled softly. "Your body may be weak, but you have one of the strongest souls I have ever seen. His body may be strong, but his soul is weak, Ryou. And he knows it. Maybe not in his mind, but he knows in his heart that he is the weaker one."

"He has no heart." Ryou snarled, and Yami recoiled slightly, startled to see the look of hate in Ryou's voice, and the vicious look in his eyes. His heart skipped a beat. For a moment, it seemed that it was Yami Bakura in his arms, not the loving innocent Ryou Bakura. But the look soon vanished, replaced by a look of despair, and Ryou let his head fall to the Game King's shoulder again.

"He's just so, powerful. I couldn't defend myself even if I tried."

"That's why he should defend you. Ryou, I know that he didn't give you all the bruises and scars on your body. Yugi tells me how you get picked on by bullies at school."

"And that only makes it worse! When they hit me, my Yami shouts at me, in my mind, and when I get home, he beats me up, saying that he's teaching me to fend for myself! I'm so confused."

"Ryou, if he hits you again, call me, and I will be there as soon as I can, and he will be in the Shadow Realm." Yami snarled, and Ryou looked up, and look of panic plastered across his face.

"No! Yami, don't! You can't! As much as I hate him, in my mind, in my heart, I know that I," The note of panic in his voice evaporated, and he spoke so quietly, Yami had to strain to hear him. "I love him, Yami. No matter how much he abuses me, he's still a part of me, and I can't help loving him. I'd rather have him abusing me than not have him at all."

Yami sighed, and closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead. //This is going to be harder than I thought.//

/Why?/ Yami jumped at the sound of Yugi's voice in his head. He had dropped his shields.

//How long have you been listening in?// Yami demanded.

/Ummm, since you said that YamiBakura's soul is weak. Why is this going to be hard?/

//Ryou doesn't want me to send his Yami to the Shadow Realm.//

/Oh…./ Yami turned, as suddenly, Ryou stiffened. He grew pale, and leapt to his feet, seizing the Millennium Ring.

"He's waking up!" Yami immediately vanished, returning to his soul room. After a moment, he left it, to stand next to Yugi. He peered around the corner grimly. Ryou looked terrified, his knuckles white as they clutched the ring. He flinched, trembling.

"Y-yes, Master!" He whimpered, and Yami knew that his yami was threatening him, but hearing Ryou call his dark `Master' made the former Pharaoh's blood boil. "I, no, of course not! I-" Suddenly, the ring flashed, and Yami Bakura stood before Ryou, who fell to his knees, terrified. Yami quickly backed out of sight.

"Stay here." He to Joey, Tristan and Yugi. He peered around the corner again, and watched Bakura seize a handful of his Hikari's hair, forcing him to look at him.

"You're hiding something!" the Yami snapped. "You can't hide things from me!" He raised a fist, to hit Ryou, and Yami tensed, ready to charge at Ryou's Dark if he hit the terrified boy. But YamiBakura let his fist fall, after Ryou said something that Yami couldn't make out. "You may be right, but you're only buying yourself some time. When you get home, I'm getting to the bottom of this, and then, I'll reteach you why it is a bad idea to lie to me." And with that final threat, he vanished back into the ring. The four boys watched Ryou stand, shakily, and then suddenly, the shaking stopped, and he stood, a determined look in his face.

"No. I won't take it anymore." He said, and tore the ring from his neck. He whirled, and chucked the thing as far as he could, off of the roof of the school, watching it fall into the creek on the other side of the cement wall that surrounded the school. Yami, Yugi, Joey, and Tristan ran up to Ryou, who was leaning against the roof railing for support.

"Ryou!" Yami called, and ran towards him, followed by Yugi, Tristan and Joey.

"All right, Ryou!"

"Good going, Ryou!"

"That should show the bastard!" The boys all shouted to their friend. Still trembling the small boy whirled, and fell into Yami's arms, sobbing. Yami sank to the ground, rocking the weakened boy, murmuring word of comfort, and encouragement to him. Yugi stared at them, and his Yami looked at him.

//You aren't jealous, are you?!// Yami asked, noting the look on Yugi's face. A tear fell, and Yami's eyes widened, but Yugi smiled, and fell to his knees next to his yami and best friend. He shook his head.

/No./ He thought to Yami, and threw his arms around Ryou's neck, and his Yami's.

"Ryou!" He called to his friend, who looked up, tears in his eyes.

"I've wanted to do that for years!" Ryou gasped, and, for the first time in weeks, he smiled.

*********

Ryou Bakura walked home that afternoon, more elated than he had felt in years. Yugi had invited him to spend the night at his house, with Tristan and Joey and Yami, but Ryou had politely declined, saying that he was looking forwards to a peaceful evening alone without fearing his yami. Yugi had understood, and hugged Ryou, before they headed in their separate directions.

Ryou fished his house keys out of his pocket and unlocked the front door, walking in. the first thing he did was turn on all the lights, which his yami had always kept off, when he learned that Ryou was afraid of the dark. Ryou ran through the house, feeling so free. He went to the kitchen, and opened the freezer, taking out a gallon tub of mint chocolate chip ice-cream, and plopped down in front of the TV to watch Friday afternoon cartoons.

He turned it off after the sun had gone down. He glanced at the clock, and yawned, deciding to go to bed early. It was eight. He went upstairs, and into his room. He looked around, smiling, until his eyes caught something on his desk that shouldn't have been there. All the happiness left him, and cold, cruel fear took its place, as he stared at the Millennium Ring. The ring began to glow, and he stumbled back. The door was slammed shut by some unseen force, and then, to Ryou's horror, YamiBakura materialized in front of him, eyes literally glowing red in their fury. Ryou stumbled into the wall, his face showing his pure, undiluted terror.

"You thought you could get rid of me?" Came the low hiss. Ryou's legs gave out, and he sunk to the floor. "You tried to get rid of me." It was a statement, not a question. "Obviously, I haven't taught you anything. It's time for a crash course in proper respect. Emphasis on `crash' you pitiful sniveling little worm." Yami Bakura advanced on his Light, who was already whimpering. He raised his hand, and Ryou stared. He curled himself up into a ball, as tight as he could, shielding his head with his arms. Then, he screamed.

His yami beat him mercilessly, cracking half of his ribs, and causing internal injury. Ryou knew he had. His Yami pried him out of the Fetal position, and brought foot down on his Hikari's unprotected abdomen. Ryou felt the air knocked out of him, but the pain was so intense, he couldn't draw breathe. He had screamed to the point, that only a wheezing escaped his lips, his vocal chords giving out through the strain. Then, his mind slipped into a state of half consciousness, he could see, and hear the sound of the spirit hitting his unprotected body, but he was dead to the pain. He didn't know how long it went on before he passed out.

*************

Ryou awoke at the base of the stairs, his yami staring at him. He smirked.

"Once you're totally awake, we'll continue where we left off. It is now ten forty. I'll be back in five minutes to finish the job." He snarled, then went to the kitchen. Ryou didn't wait around, he stumbled to his feet, and went out the front door, as quietly as he could, and began walking to Yugi's house. He had to get to Yami before his own dark killed him. The threatening clouds from that afternoon had finally broken, and it was sleeting, the ice filled water drops stinging Ryou's skin. All he wore was a tattered sweater and jeans. His mind was dizzy from the loss of blood, and each step was agony, as his whole body throbbed in unbelievable pain.

It usually took fifteen minutes to get to Yugi's home, but he only made it halfway in twice that time. He leaned against a building for support, before continuing. He was in so much pain, that he didn't notice the large figure behind him, until the figure wrapped one arm around his torso, and clamped a hand over his mouth, lifting him off of his feet and carrying him into an alley. Ryou could smell the alcohol on the man's breathe. The man dropped him, spun him around and slammed him into a wall. A small squeak was all that Ryou could manage, as he stared fearfully at the man. The man's bleary eyes raked over Ryou's small body, before he licked his lips in a way that made Ryou feel ill.

"Your wallet!" The man demanded, and Ryou could only fearfully shake his head. He made no move when the man cursed, and searched him. The man glared. "No one gets away without making payment." He snarled, and then, began to smile, as he looked Ryou up and down again.

Suddenly, the man leaned forwards and crushed his lips to Ryou's, bruising the boy's mouth under his. Ryou felt like throwing up, and struggled, weakly, as the man forced his tongue into Ryou's mouth. Automatically, he sought for his yami, through his mind link.

/Yami! YAMI!!!!/ He sobbed into the man's mouth, making him kiss him even harder. Then, Ryou froze. /No. Oh, God, no. The Ring…/ He let the tears come, as he felt what was left of his hopes, with his shirt, being torn off, and the man's hands slid down his bloody chest. Ryou tried to shove the man away as he fumbled with the teen's pants, but Ryou wouldn't have had the strength, even if he weren't injured. The man suddenly pulled back, seized his arms, and hurled him to the ground. Ryou hit his head, and lay dazed, and dizzy, and the man peeled his pants off his body.

Ryou came out of his daze as the man seized his thighs, and spread them. Ryou gasped when he felt one of his attacker's fingers work its way into him, past the ring of muscles that protected his virgin entrance. Ryou struggled, and tried to worm his way out from under the man, but the man just cursed, and hit Ryou in the back of the head. Ryou saw spots, and cried out as fireworks went off in the center of his brain, when the man hit the crack that Bakura had put in Ryou's skull. He fought down the wave of nausea, but cried out again, when a second finger joined the first, and began stretching him. Ryou grit his teeth and moaned in pain at the scissoring motion. Then, the fingers were removed, and the man straddled him. Ryou sobbed, and writhed under the sudden pressure at his entrance, and his attacker roughly thrust downwards. Ryou screamed, as the man's hard member tore into his virginity. Ryou's attacker held him down, and slammed into him violently. Ryou screamed, and cried through the rain, as fire flared up in his lower body, and licked up his spine. He began to bleed, quickly, and soon, blood pooled around his hips.

"YAMIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ryou's vision became blurred, as a vessel in his eye burst at the force of his desperate scream.

Back at Ryou's house, Bakura was searching for his Light. The Millennium Ring sat quietly on the desk in Ryou's room.

**************

Yami and Yugi were curled up in armchairs in front of the fireplace. Yugi was asleep, and Yami was thinking. He glanced at the clock. It was one forty five. A little over an hour ago, the phone had wrung. Yugi had answered it. It was Yami Bakura. Yami had picked up another phone to listen in. Bakura had asked if Ryou was over there; he had vanished out the front door two hours before, and Bakura couldn't find him with his mind, as Ryou didn't have the Ring. Yami had demanded to know if Yami Bakura had hurt his Hikari, and Bakura had smugly told him that he had beat the living shit out of the boy, though Yami had detected something that sounded like worry, and guilt, under the sickeningly proud snarl. Then, Bakura hung up, satisfied that Ryou wasn't there.

Yami had gone straight over to Ryou's house, and given the evil spirit a punch in the nose, before he noticed how upset the yami looked. They had sat down on the sofa, and had an interesting talk. Yami had interrogated YamiBakura, until the white haired Egyptian suddenly broke down and started sobbing.

"I love Ryou! I love him, Pharaoh, I just didn't realize it! I mean, I did, subconsciously, but I blocked out those feelings! I was afraid, confused! I've never felt like this about anyone! And now, he could be laying dead in a ditch, and I'll never get the chance to tell him I love him, and I'm sorry for hurting him! What do I do? I could have killed him!" This rant had gone on for fifteen minutes until YamiBakura had worn himself out and cried on the startled Game King's shoulder. They then had a talk about how to express one's feelings (Yami felt like a marriage counselor) and then, he had put the taller boy to bed in the guestroom, promising to call if Ryou showed up.

Yami had been home for over an hour, and Ryou hadn't show up…yet. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Yami and Yugi jumped. Yugi got up, and went to the door, Yami followed. They opened the door, and stared. Yugi gasped and his hands flew to his mouth, and Yami had involuntarily taken a step back, as his mouth dropped open in horror. Ryou lay in crumpled heap on the doorstep in nothing but torn jeans, covered in blood, and crying weakly. He twitched slightly, and tried to lift his head, but couldn't. Yami immediately scooped Ryou up in his arm and carried him, dripping wet, into the house.

************

Bakura jerked awake as the phone rang. He rubbed his eyes, turned on a lamp, and picked it up.

"Mmm…. `Lo?" He mumbled, sleepily. He heard a muffled noise, and realized he was trying to listen to the mouthpiece. He turned the phone over. "Sorry, wha?" He slurred.

"YamiBakura," he jerked upright, recognizing the Pharaoh's voice, and hearing the concern in it. "Just how bad did you hurt Ryou?" Bakura felt his stomach give a sickening lurch.

"Why?"

"Did you beat him, or do more?"

"Whah, what do you mean?" Bakura felt ill.

"I think you should come over, and bring a change of clothes for Ryou. Ryou is here. He's in, *sigh* bad shape, Bakura." Yami's voice sounded strained. Bakura leapt out of bed dropping the phone on the floor, and ran to Ryou's bedroom. Snatching the Millennium Ring from Ryou's desk, he put it around his neck, then snatched some jeans, and a sweater from Ryou's closet, before bolting down the stairs, and out the front door. He practically flew down the street, the sleet pelting his body.

//Oh, Ra, Ryou went out in this?// He thought to himself, and that made him feel worse. //Please, Ryou, don't leave me.// He made it over to Yugi's in seven minutes, and pounded on the door. Yami opened it. His face made Bakura feel even worse. It was lined with worry, and his eyes narrowed furiously at the taller boy. But there was also a look of surprise, as Yami looked at Bakura. The Egyptian Spirit was panting for breathe, and trembling, slightly. His eyes were wide in fear and his face lined with worry, and Yami had a feeling that some of the water on his face didn't come from the rain.

"Where is he?" Bakura gasped, as Yami let him in. But Yami grabbed his shoulder.

"Bakura, You have to tell me what you did to him. I won't let you see him until you come clean. Come upstairs and change into some dry clothes."

"But-" Bakura stopped at the look Yami gave him, and followed the Pharaoh upstairs, where the smaller of the two pulled out some dry clothes for the white haired Egyptian. Bakura peeled off his wet clothes, and pulled on the sweatpants and t shirt that Yami handed him. Then, Yami shoved him down on the bed, and stood in front of him, arms crossed over his chest, as he scowled at the former tomb robber.

"First things first, I was there when you came out of the Ring and threatened Ryou at school." Bakura flinched, and looked at the floor, ashamed. "As long as you didn't hurt him, I would not interfere. When you went back, he threw the Ring away. How did the Ring get back to Ryou?"

"I, I left the Ring and carried it to Ryou's home. I put it on his desk, and went to sleep."

"When Ryou came home, what happened."

"I was angry. Furious that he had tried to get rid of me, though I don't blame him after all that I've put him through. I, I came out of the Ring when he came to his room, he was terrified. But, I was too angry. I've never been so pissed at him, I," Bakura looked down at the floor, and started trembling again. Yami slowly knelt, and put his hands on Bakura's knees, when he saw a tear falling down the boy's face. "I hit him. Allot." He whispered the last word, and more tears fell. "I hit him until he passed out." Yami sighed, closing his eyes, then looked back at Bakura.

"Did you do anything else?" Bakura slowly shook his head. "Bakura, look at me." Bakura slowly raised his eyes, and looked into the red pools of blood that were the Pharaoh's concerned eyes. "Did you hurt him, sexually?" He asked, softly, but firmly. Bakura's head snapped up, and his body stiffened, as he stared at Yami.

"What?!?" He gasped, then shoved Yami back, and both stood. Bakura glared at Yami. "How could you even think that?!?" Bakura looked truly mortified. Yami pointed to Yugi's bed, and Bakura turned and looked. A pair of wet jeans lay on it, and he picked them up. What he saw made his heart stop and his stomach churn. There were flecks of blood all over the jeans, but there was a disturbingly large blood stain on the seat of Ryou's pants, along with some other, sticky white substance. Bakura dropped them, and backed away, then raced from the room. Yami found Bakura being sick in the bathroom. He was satisfied that Bakura had not done this to Ryou. He stood behind Bakura, and put comforting hands on his shoulders, trying not to concentrate on the sounds and smells of the boy being violently ill. Finally, Bakura's shoulders relaxed under Yami's hands, and Yami felt one on Bakura's clammy hands on one of his own, expressing his gratitude. Bakura stood, and flushed the toilet, then washed out his mouth at the sink. His violet eyes slowly rose to stare at those in the mirror, before he faced Yami.

"Where is he?" He whispered.

"In the guestroom." Yami said, and led Bakura down the hall, and into the guestroom. Yugi was sitting on a chair, next to the bed, holding Ryou's hand. Ryou was passed out, not asleep. Yugi looked up at Bakura. His expression didn't change, as he slowly slid off of the chair, took the bowl of cold water off of the bedside table, and walked right up to taller yami. Bakura looked down at Yugi.

"I'll go get some more cold water." Yugi said, and moved around Bakura and out the door. Bakura took Yugi's chair, and reached out to touch Ryou's face. He was burning with fever, and his brow furrowed slightly at Bakura's touch. Bakura slowly pulled the blankets down and looked at Ryou's beaten body. He had obviously been bathed, and was wearing numerous bandages, and a pair of Yami's boxers, with little Kuriboh all over them. Normally, Bakura would have made a snide remark about the underpants, but the thought never occured to him, as he stared at his wounded light. Yami's eyes narrowed, as Bakura quickly wiped away a tear.

"I should have been there for him." Bakura said, quietly. Yami came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't beat yourself up."

"Yeah. I do that to Ryou." Bakura sobbed. Yami sighed.

"Bakura, the point it, you're here for him now. And that will mean so much to him."

"How? He hates me!" Yami knelt and forced Bakura to look at him.

"You don't know how wrong you are, Bakura. I would have sent you to the Shadow Realm days ago, but Ryou wouldn't let me! He loves you. He told me so. And he'd rather live with you abusing him than live without you. When he wakes up, apologize. Tell him how you really feel. And never hurt him again. And that will do more for him that you can possibly know." Bakura sniffled, and Yami smiled, then, wrapped his arms around the taller boy's shoulders. Bakura buried his face into Yami's chest, and returned the embrace.

"Arigatou, Pharaoh Yugioh." Bakura whimpered, and Yugi came back in. The two yami's looked at the little light, who smiled.

"Nice to see you touching eachother without homicidal tendencies." He said, softly, and Yami smirked.

"I believe, that in a situation like this, differences can be set aside. All I have to do is imagine myself in Bakura's position. If it were you, lying there in Ryou's place…" Yami's voice broke, and he grew visibly upset at the thought. Yugi put the bowl on the bedside table, and took the cloth off of Ryou's forehead, and soaked it again, before replacing it. Ryou shifted slightly, and mumbled. Yugi smiled at Bakura.

"He's doing better." He said, quietly, to the white haired Dark. "He's not shivering anymore." Bakura nodded to Yugi. Yami put his hands on Yugi's shoulders, eyes closed, still upset. Yugi turned, and hugged his dark, comfortingly. Yami sighed, and relaxed.

"Come on, Yugi. You should go to bed. Bakura can take care of Ryou now."

"So, he's good now?" Yugi said, and looked at Bakura, who blinked, then slightly smiled, and nodded.

"Yes. I'm, uh, `good now.' Thanks for taking care of him, Yugi." The two boys began to leave the room "Yami." Bakura said, suddenly. Yami turned. "I'm sorry. For everything." Bakura said, and Yami nodded, then guided his Hikari out. Bakura sighed, and looked t Ryou. He took the Millennium Ring from around his neck, and put it around Ryou's. Bakura looked down at him, and shook his shoulder, gently. Ryou's eyes flickered open, and he looked up at his yami.

"Y-yami?" He mumbled. Bakura smiled, and nodded. "Don't let him hurt me!" Ryou whispered, curling up into a ball. Bakura winced, at the pain and fear in Ryou's voice, and sat down on the bed, placing his arms around the smaller boy. Ryou looked at him, startled. Bakura looked at Ryou, and smiled, gently stroking Ryou's soft hair. Ryou closed his eyes, and put his arms around Bakura's waist, his head in his lap, and Bakura held him tightly.

"Ryou I need to talk to you, if you can find it in your heart to give me a chance." Ryou paused, then nodded, and Bakura stroked his cheek. Ryou frowned, and slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Bakura.

"Master?"

"Bakura." Bakura said, softly. "No more Master. Ever."

"Bakura." Ryou said, and smiled slightly. "Why-"

"Because I should have been there. To protect you. That's my purpose, Ryou, I just never realized it. I, I'm sorry." Bakura paused, to get his bearings back. Ryou stared at Bakura, shocked. "I have hurt you so much, for so long. I can never let you know how sorry I am, it's not possible. You're not weak, Ryou. I was. Because I refused to allow myself to show how felt. I love you Ryou, more that you could possibly know. Yami told me that you wouldn't let him banish me to the Shadow Realm. Thank you. I, Ryou, please, can you forgive me?" Bakura didn't try to hide the tears, and he looked deep into Ryou's large eyes. Ryou made a move to sit up, but his eyes suddenly clenched shut, and a small scream escaped his throat. Bakura caught him as he fell back, tears of pain springing up. Ryou sobbed into Bakura's chest as he was blasted by the memories of only a few hours earlier.

"Bakura-sama! I forgive you. I love you! Just don't leave me! Don't ever leave me!" Ryou pleaded. Bakura held him tighter.

"I will never, ever, leave you, tenshi. Never. I love you so much." Bakura said fiercely, into Ryou's hair. He sighed, and lay down next to Ryou, holding him. Slowly, Ryou's breathing evened out, telling Bakura that the Light was asleep. Bakura sighed, and closed his eyes, finally feeling happy, since the Ring had come to Ryou.

**********