Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Soulmates ❯ chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Soulmates

by Dragondreamer & Yami Dragon

Disclaimer: We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If we did, Dragon would have Seto wrapped in plastic and no one would be allowed to touch him but her.

Warning: This story contains shouenen-ai (guy/guy relationships) and yaoi (guys having sex with guys). It also contains coarse language and violence. If you don't like it, or become offended by such things, take off already!

Note: /…/ Tristan's thoughts

[…] Joey's thoughts

{…} Seto's thoughts

[[…]]Yami's thought and mind link to Yugi

//…// Yugi's thoughts and mind link to Yami

*…* Ryou's thoughts and mind link to Bakura

**…** Bakura's thoughts and mind link to Ryou

~*~*~*~*~

YD: You know, we seem to have a penchant for making Tris' parents assholes.

Tris: No freaking kidding!

Joey: What's up with that?

DD: *shrugs* I dunno.

~*~*~*~*~

The last two days had seemed surreal, fogged with tears and the comfort of his friends.

Tristan came forward as the priest beckoned to him, kneeling in front of the altar. He bowed and rang the altar bell. Then he reached for the brass bowl containing the powdered incense and sprinkled it on the brazier. He brought an image of his grandmother to his mind.

/I'm going to miss you, Nana. I wish you hadn't left me so soon. You were my strength. I don't know what I'm going to do without you./ Tears filled his eyes and he forced them back. /I know you're happy now. You're with Grandpa. I wish I was with you instead of here. There's nothing left with you gone, but…I wish you a safe journey. I love you./

He bowed again and rose, moving back over to where Joey was sitting on a cushion, his eyes meeting the blond's. /At least you're here with me, Joey. I'm so grateful that you haven't left my side through all this. I couldn't deal with my parents without you./

He waited for his mother to play her part, shocked and embarrassed that when the priest motioned her forward she turned away, refusing to move from her spot at the back of the temple with his father.

He remembered their arrival home, and the fight that had followed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

FLASHBACK

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I will not allow my mother to be buried in such a fashion!"

"It's not your decision!" Tristan yelled, clenching his hands to keep himself from hitting his own mother. "Nana KNEW you'd do this! That's why she made the arrangements years ago!"

"She was born Christian, and she'll damn well be buried Christian!" His mother shouted back.

"Nana was Buddhist! THAT'S the religion she chose and there's NOTHING you can do about it!"

"You will NOT speak to your mother that way!" Tristan's father bellowed, stepping between his wife and son. "Not under MY roof!"

"Tris, please." Joey grabbed his friend by the arm. "Don't."

"Stay out of this, Joey!" The elder Taylor yelled. "This is not your concern!"

"Yes, Greg, it is." Joey said calmly. "Look, Nana wanted this. She had all the arrangements made already. She didn't want Tristan to have to deal with it."

"I would have taken care of it!"

"Nana was Buddhist. And it falls to the oldest, blood related male to make funeral preparations." Joey explained patiently.

Greg Taylor snorted in derision, turning on his heel and stalking out of the room.

"Alice," Joey turned to Tristan's mother. "Please. Try to see reason. There's nothing you can do now. Everything's been taken care of. The wake is tomorrow, the funeral the day after. Please…everyone's upset enough."

"I will not take part in this." Alice said coldly, her eyes boring into her son. "And neither should you be."

Tristan's eyes narrowed. "I'm Buddhist too, Mom."

"You were baptized Christian. That's the end of it."

Tristan shook his head, turning from his mother and slamming through the kitchen door, going outside onto the patio.

The tears didn't start until he felt Joey's arms go around him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

END FLASHBACK

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Seeing that Tristan's parents weren't going to move, Joey rose and approached the altar.

He repeated Tristan's actions and returned to the brunet's side. And that was it. No one else went to pay their respects. All their friends had opted to attend the funeral. There was no one else.

Or so he thought.

A small figure hesitantly approached the priest, slate grey eyes looking up through shaggy raven bangs.

[Mokuba? What's he doing here?] Joey looked back toward the door of the temple, seeing Seto handing a small white envelope wrapped with a thin black and white ribbon to the receptionist.

The CEO scowled at her when she spoke, but answered her question.

Joey's eyebrows shot to his hairline as he watched the woman obviously recording Seto's name in the register. A small chime turned his attention back to the altar and he saw Mokuba offering incense, bowing and rising slowly, turning to look at Tristan.

The younger Kaiba approached, biting his lip. "Umm…Tristan? I'm sorry. And…umm…I wish I had known her."

"Thanks, Mokuba." Tristan tried to smile at him. "I know she would have liked you. She always…" Tristan trialed off, his eyes widening.

Seto had stepped up to the altar and was even now kneeling. Tristan and Joey watched, shocked, as the elder brother went through the same motions and rose, coming over to join them.

"Kaiba…" Tristan tried to gather his wits. This was the LAST person he had expected to see today.

"Yugi called and told Mokuba." Seto said, meeting the hazel eyes and trying not wince at the overwhelming grief he saw there. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to kneel down next to Tristan and take him into his arms and comfort him. And it shocked the hell out of him. "You have our condolences. If there's anything you need…please ask."

"I…thank you, Kaiba." Tristan said quietly, getting caught in the sympathetic azure gaze. "It means a lot to me that you brought Mokuba today."

Seto made a dismissive gesture and then reached for his brother's hand. "We have to go."

Tristan nodded, watching as the two brothers left, noting that Seto didn't stop to speak to his parents. It made him wonder if Yugi had told him about his fight with his parents.

Mentally shaking himself, he turned his attention back to the priest, who was finishing the sutra.

[Gods, I don't believe it. I can't BELIEVE Kaiba came!] Joey reached out and took Tristan's hand in his as the priest approached. He looked toward the temple door and frowned when he noticed Tristan's parents were gone. [Assholes.]

Tristan rose, Joey with him, and bowed to the priest, not letting go of the blond's hand. He thanked the man and then turned to Joey, his eyes swimming with tears.

"Mom and Dad left, didn't they?" He whispered.

"Yeah." Joey squeezed Tristan's hand reassuringly. "It's okay, Tris. I'm not going to leave you. I know it's not custom for people who aren't blood relatives but…I want to stay here with you tonight. I don't think you should have to do this alone."

Tristan gave his friend a weak smile. "Thanks, Joey. I know Nana would approve."

Joey let go of Tristan's hand and put his arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I'm here, buddy."

Tristan hugged him back before reluctantly pulling away and turning back to the altar. He went and knelt in front of it again, offering more incense, and settled in for the long vigil.

~*~*~*~*~

Joey had no idea what time it was, he only knew that the sun had set hours ago.

The ritual of staying up with the dead was not one that he ever wanted to have to go through again. He was worn out.

The intervening hours between the wake and now had been filled with watching Tristan pray at the altar and holding him while he cried. Joey was sitting next to the altar now, just waiting for Tristan to keel over from exhaustion.

Movement caught his eye and he looked up to see someone entering the sanctuary. He rose to his feet, his cramped legs protesting the movement, and went to greet the visitor himself so he wouldn't disturb Tristan.

Joey tried to hide his surprise when he saw who it was.

"Mr. LaCroix." Joey cut a glance at Tristan, relieved to see that the brunet hadn't noticed the new arrival. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Tristan." The teacher said. "Your friend Ryou told me what happened. Is he alright?"

Joey sighed, shaking his head. "As well as he can be. He was very close to her. We all were."

"Where are the rest of your friends?" Marc asked, looking around. "I would have expected them to be here."

"It's not custom for friends to come to the wake and the funeral both." Joey replied. "It really should just be Tristan here, but I didn't want him to be alone."

"Marc?"

Joey turned around, seeing Tristan rising stiffly to his feet. [Marc? What's that all about?]

"Tristan," Marc pushed past the other blond, approaching Tristan. "I'm so sorry. Ryou told me."

"What are you doing here?" Tristan shook his head, looking confused.

Marc reached out, putting a hand on Tristan's arm, his blue eyes filled with concern. "I came to see you…to see if you were okay."

Joey shifted uncomfortably. There was something too familiar in the man's demeanor. Something that set off warning bells. But Tristan's eyes had brightened when he had seen his teacher. There was a small smile on his face and he definitely looked happy to see him.

"Tris," Joey interrupted their conversation. "Why don't you go stretch your legs? You look like you could use some fresh air."

"But…" Tristan glanced toward the altar, his eyes clouding as his gaze fell on the coffin.

"No, go on. I'll stay here." Joey turned to Marc. "Take him outside, would you please, Mr. LaCroix? He's being stubborn."

"Come on, Tristan." Marc took the brunet by the arm. "Come for a walk with me."

"O-okay." Tristan said quietly, letting the man lead him outside.

Neither one noticed the worried look that followed them.

Once outside, Marc turned to Tristan. "Is there somewhere we can go? Somewhere quiet?"

"The park." Tristan pointed across the street and then led the way.

Marc walked closely behind Tristan as the brunet moved toward a secluded part of the park. He could see the weary set of his shoulders and feel the sadness that seemed to surround him like a cloud.

Tristan stopped, looking up over the trees at the moonless sky, his mind blank, unable to process a single thought. He was so tired. Physically and emotionally. His grandmother's death, the fight with his parents…it had taken a major toll on him and he felt like he couldn't face another negative emotion.

Arms came around his waist and he felt a gentle kiss placed on the back of his neck, causing him to shiver.

"I wish there was something I could do for you, Tristan." Marc whispered. "I feel so helpless, seeing you hurting."

Tristan sighed softly, not really knowing how to reply. Strangely, he wasn't uncomfortable having the other so close. It felt good. It felt right. He needed this right now.

"Thank you." Tristan brought his hands up to clasp the arms holding him. "I…I really need this, Marc. But…"

"You're still not sure, are you?"

"No." Tristan shook his head. "I'm not."

"I was worried when you didn't come to school. And when I couldn't find any of your friends, it scared me. I thought that maybe something had happened to you."

Tristan turned around, looking down at Marc. "Why me? Why do you want to be with me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Marc replied. "I'm attracted to you. And not just physically. I want to be with you…to spend time with you. Is that so hard for you to understand?"

"I don't know. No one's ever wanted me this way before." Tristan said quietly. "No one's ever wanted me, period. Not even my own parents."

"What about your grandmother? Joey said you were close to her."

Tears filled Tristan's eyes again, surprisingly. One would think he didn't have any left.

"Oh, Tristan. I'm sorry." Marc said, seeing it. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay." Tristan looked away.

"No. It's not." Marc reached up, cupping Tristan's chin in his hand and turning the brunet's face toward him. "Forgive me."

Tristan brought his arms around the man holding him and he leaned down, his mouth closing over Marc's. He kissed him deeply, sobbing against his lips. When Marc's lips parted, he delved in, tasting him.

Marc clung to him, his body going weak as Tristan plundered his mouth. He moaned, going limp in the brunet's arms.

Tristan pulled back, looking at Marc with wide eyes. "Marc…are you okay?"

"This is what you do to me." Marc whispered, reaching up to touch Tristan's face. "This is how much I want you, Tristan."

"I…I don't know why I did that." Tristan tried to move away, but Marc tightened his grip, refusing to let go.

"I'm glad you did." The blond said. "You needed it, and I'm only too happy to provide you the comfort you need. I don't want to push you though."

"You're not." Tristan denied. "I…I don't know what to say."

Marc pulled away long enough to draw Tristan down onto a nearby bench. "Do you want to be with me?"

Tristan looked deeply into Marc's eyes, barely able to make out the smoky blue color in the dim light. /Do I want this? I'm attracted to him. And he wants me. He's made that plain enough. I think…I need to move on. I need to put my feelings for Joey behind me./

His eyes focused on the older man, patiently waiting for his answer. He raised a hand, his fingers sinking into the silky, unbound hair. He leaned down and pressed a kiss below Marc's ear, feeling him shiver.

"Yes." He whispered.

"You won't regret it." Marc replied just as softly, pulling Tristan down into a deep kiss.

~*~*~*~*~

Seto wasn't sure what drove him to be there, he just knew he had to.

He was standing with Lenny just inside the temple doors, watching Tristan and his friends. His gaze went to Tristan's parents, standing a few feet away, their faces stony.

{Mokuba wasn't kidding when he said they weren't happy about this. How could they be so cruel? Tristan looks ready to come apart and they're just standing there.}

He looked back toward the front of the room, noticing Tristan rising from the altar. The service was over.

Seto noticed Tristan and Joey, along with Ryou and Yugi stepping up to the coffin, each of them at a corner. As the four of them went to lift it, Seto could see there was no way the two smallest boys were going to be able to carry it from the building.

He saw Tristan look toward his father and the elder Taylor looked away, taking his wife's arm and steering her from the temple.

A red haze appeared in front of Seto's eyes. {How can they call themselves parents?!}

"Lenny," Seto turned to his bodyguard. "Come with me."

Seto strode toward the altar and, reaching it, gently pushed Yugi aside, seeing Lenny doing the same to Ryou. As he grasped the handle on the corner of the coffin and lifted, he met Tristan's eyes.

"Thanks, Kaiba." Tristan said softly.

Seto nodded, saying nothing. He did, however, glare at Tristan's parents as they passed outside the building.

Once the coffin was inside the hearse, Seto approached Tristan. The shorter brunet spoke before he had the chance to.

"What brings you here, Kaiba?"

Seto looked at the red-rimmed eyes, housed in a pale face, and once again felt the urge to comfort the other teen. "I was just passing by."

"As if." Tea spoke up. "You never just "pass by", Kaiba. What do you really want?"

"Nothing YOU could possible provide." Seto said caustically.

Tea bristled. "How DARE you!"

"Tea…don't." Yugi pleaded.

"Who is he to show up here?" She asked. "He's NOT our friend."

Tristan looked like he was about to say something when Tea turned, putting her arms around him.

"Just leave, Kaiba." The girl said. "You're not wanted here."

"Get your hands OFF me!" Tristan exploded, pushing her away. "Who do you think you are?! I'm sick and tired of you assuming to know what I want!"

Joey and Ryou closed ranks around Tristan, cutting the brunet off from Tea. Yugi reached out to the girl, his eyes pleading for understanding.

"Fine." Tea eyed Joey and Ryou. "I see how it is." She turned to Seto. "Stay then. From what I've heard, you and Tristan should get along just great."

"And what is THAT supposed to mean?" Seto asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll become great buddies." Tea said snidely. "Or should I say…fuck buddies."

Seto's hand shot out, grabbing Lenny by the arm as the big man advanced. "Let it go. She's not worth the effort."

Everyone else just stood there, shocked to silence by Tea's crass comment.

"Tea…" Yugi finally ventured. "That wasn't necessary."

Tristan shouldered past Joey and Ryou, moving to stand in front of Tea, glaring down at her. "Leave. Now. Because if you don't…so help me…"

"Tea, just go." Joey said, placing a restraining hand on Tristan's shoulder. "Look, everyone's upset. Let's not let this turn into something ugly."

Seto let his gaze sweep over Tea. "It already is."

Tristan felt his mood lighten as he met Seto's azure eyes, seeing a glimmer of amusement there.

"I don't believe you!" Tea snarled.

"Tea, please. Go home." Yugi said. "I'll call you later."

With one last glare at Seto, Tea spun on her heel and stalked off.

"Lenny," Seto turned to his bodyguard. "Bring the car around."

"Yes, sir."

"Tristan, I'm sorry." Seto turned back to the shorter brunet. "I only wanted to help."

"Tristan."

Everyone turned to see Yugi's grandfather approaching with another man. He was elderly, and tiny, shorter even, than Yugi.

"Master Kiotou," Tristan turned to the old man. "Thanks for coming."

"I was the least I could do." Wise old eyes flickered toward Tristan's parents pulling away in their car. "You need your friends about you."

"Tris," Joey tugged gently on Tristan's arm. "We have to go."

"We'll meet you back at your house, Tristan." Ryou said, coming up and putting his arms around his friend.

"Thanks, Ryou." Tristan replied, momentarily burying his face in the soft, white hair.

Yugi attached himself to Tristan the minute Ryou moved away. "Don't worry, Tristan. We'll keep your parents from starting in on you."

"Thanks, Yugi." Tristan said as Joey pried the diminutive boy off him. "We'll meet you back at my place."

Tristan said a brief goodbye to Seto and then he and Joey headed for the crematorium two buildings up from the temple.

Seto walked to his car, stopping and looking in the direction Tristan had gone before entering the vehicle. "Take me home, Lenny."

Watching the buildings of the city pass by, Seto couldn't keep his thoughts off Tristan. {What is it about him? What is it that makes me care about his feelings? I've never cared this much about anyone but Mokuba. I think…I think maybe I'll call him tonight…to see how he's doing. Maybe once he's feeling up to it, I'll ask him if he wants to come over. Just to get out. I'd like to get to know him.} Seto felt uncomfortable with that thought, trying to deny to himself that he wanted to spend time with the other brunet. {Mokuba will enjoy having him over. Maybe the three of us can do something together. I'll ask Mokuba and see what he wants to do.}

Having found an excuse to reconcile the foreign emotion, Seto sat back and reached for his cell phone. He needed to make some changes in his schedule to make up for missing school today.

~*~*~*~*~

Joey opened the front door of Tristan's house, thinking to himself that he was going to kick Yugi and Ryou out so Tristan could get some sleep in the four hours they had before they had to go back to the crematorium.

"Tristan, I…" Ryou met them at the door, his eyes filled with pain. "Your parents…they…well…umm…"

"They what?" Tristan asked.

"They left." Yugi was standing in the doorway to the living room, holding a sheet of paper in his hand. He held it out to Tristan and backed away as though afraid of the taller boy's reaction. "They left this for you."

"Come on…in." Joey pushed Tristan toward the living room, making him go and sit down before he read the letter.

Joey and Ryou sat on either side of Tristan on the couch with Yugi perched on the coffee table while Tristan read the brief note left by his mother.

Joey, reading it over Tristan's shoulder, cursed under his breath. He reached out to take it from him, but Tristan pulled back, beginning to rip the note into tiny pieces. When he was done, he threw the decimated pieces on the coffee table next to Yugi.

He didn't say a word, just rose from his spot and went out to the kitchen, leaving the other three teens staring at each other.

"They were just leaving when we got here." Yugi said quietly. "They didn't even speak to us. Ryou found the note on the kitchen table."

"How could they?" Ryou asked with tears in his eyes. "That bitch! She didn't even stay to see her own mother buried! Let alone give her own son any comfort! I could just fucking choke her!"

Yugi and Joey stared in shock at the white haired boy. It wasn't like Ryou to curse, or to lose his temper, but they could see he was beyond annoyed. The tears were gone and his pale skin was flushed with anger.

[[Aibou?]]

//Yeah, Yami?//

[[Could we go talk to Tristan?]]

//You want to talk to him?//

[[Yes. I feel…I feel the need to comfort him. I want to help where I can. Do you mind?]]

//Of course not.// Yugi turned to Joey. "Yami wants to go talk to Tristan."

"S'cool." Joey said, putting his arm around Ryou, trying to calm him down. "Go on."

Yugi rose and went into the kitchen, finding Tristan leaning against the counter, staring at the floor. "Umm…Tristan?"

The brunet looked up, his eyes expressionless. "Yeah?"

"Yami wants to talk to you." Yugi stepped close to Tristan, his amethyst eyes full of worry. "Is…is that okay?"

Tristan shrugged. "If he wants."

//Yami, what's wrong with him?//

[[He's upset, Aibou. One thing I have observed about Tristan is that he tends to withdraw into himself when he's very upset.]]

//That's true. Well, maybe you can help him.//

[[I hope so.]] Yami took control of his hikari's body and took another step closer to Tristan, laying a hand on his arm. "Tristan."

"Did you need something, Yami?" Tristan asked.

"There is nothing I need. But, perhaps, there is something YOU need." Sympathetic ruby eyes looked up, studying the face that was showing more than the brunet realized.

"I'm fine." Tristan shook his head.

"There is no need for you to lie to me, Tristan." Yami smiled gently. "I consider you my friend, and don't friends comfort each other at times like this?"

Tristan bit his lip, tears spilling from his eyes. "Yami, I…"

"It's alright, Tristan." Yami wrapped his arms around the taller boy. "We're here for you."

Tristan buried his face in Yami's hair, clinging to him and giving in to the tears. "Thank you."

"This is what I'm here for, my friend." Yami replied.

Suddenly, Yami was struck by the sensation that he had done this, said those words before. Said them to Tristan. But that couldn't be.

//Yami? Are you okay?//

[[I've been here before.]]

//No you haven't.//

[[I could swear that I have. I feel as if I've held him like this…comforted him over the loss of someone he loved deeply.]]

//Maybe it's just déjà vu. You know…like when you think you've done it before, but you really haven't.//

[[I know I have.]]

//Well, you did say he felt familiar to you. Do you remember who he was back then?//

[[No. But I know he was close to me. A friend, not a lover.]] Yami felt a wave of elation come from his other. [[Yugi?]]

//Umm…it's nothing. But…you had…male lovers?//

Yami smiled inwardly. It was one thing he knew about his past, something that had carried over into this existence. [[Yes. I preferred men to women as lovers.]] He felt acceptance from Yugi and was relieved his light wasn't upset at hearing that particular confession. [[The only time I took a woman to my bed was to try and conceive an heir.]]

//Oh. Did you?//

[[I don't know.]] Yami felt a stab of sadness. [[I don't know if I ever had children.]]

Their conversation was interrupted as Tristan pulled from Yami's arms. "Where are Joey and Ryou?"

"In the living room." Yami replied, smiling at the slight blush staining Tristan's cheeks. "Ryou is very upset about your parents leaving you."

"Really?"

"He swore." Yami's grin widened at the look of shock on Tristan's face. "I take it from everyone's reaction that that's not a common occurrence."

"Hardly." Tristan pushed away from the counter. "He must be really pissed."

"Maybe if you spoke to him he might calm down."

"It's worth a try." Tristan headed for the door, stopping and turning back to look at Yami. "Yami? Thanks. I really mean it." He reached out and squeezed Yami's shoulder. "You're an okay guy."

Warmth filled the former Pharaoh. Tristan's words were so much more than they seemed. To Yami, they were an approval of his presence in Yugi's life.

Yami felt a settling within his spirit, as though something fell into place, something he had been missing was found again. He looked up at Tristan and, for a second, saw him as he once was. It was gone too quickly for him to really get a grasp on it but he knew without a doubt that he had found one of his dearest friends again.

"Thank you, Tristan…for your acceptance. It means a lot to both Yugi and I." Yami smiled up at Tristan.

"I know you care about Yugi as much as I do." Tristan replied. "I love the little guy. I'd do anything for him."

"So would I, Tristan. So would I."

~*~*~*~*~

The first thing Tristan noticed when he woke up was the kink in his neck. The second was Joey, curled up in the chair, sound asleep. They had both fallen asleep in the living room.

Rising from the couch, Tristan stretched, feeling his joints pop. He moved over to the chair, standing over Joey.

/Thank you, Joey. I wouldn't have made it through yesterday without you. I swear, burying Nana was the hardest thing I've ever done. But you were there for me./ He reached out, resting a hand on the top of Joey's head. The blond didn't stir. /I hope you'll be there for me when you find out about Marc. I do want to be with him…but…no matter what; no matter who else I'm with…I'll always love you. Even if I never tell you. I don't want to lose you. I'd rather have you in my life as just my friend than not at all./

Tristan leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Joey's head. With a sigh, he turned away and headed into the kitchen, thinking to himself that he'd fix breakfast for them for once. A guy could almost forget how to with Joey around.

He had just turned on the coffee pot when something struck him.

The Ring.

He had to find a way to get rid of it. He thought about throwing it in the river, but there was too great a risk that someone else would find it. He wracked his brain, trying to think of what to do with it. He finally decided he'd bury it in the backyard. Maybe then Ryou could have some peace, start living like a normal teenager without having to worry about his body being controlled by a bloodthirsty maniac.

His decision made, Tristan went into the laundry room, intent on getting the job done immediately. He yanked open the dryer door and his heart leapt into his throat.

It was gone.

~*~*~*~*~

Ryou stretched languidly, enjoying the feeling of freedom he got from not having to get up to go to school.

When he and Yugi and Tea had gone to the principal to ask to be excused from classes to attend Tristan's grandmother's funereal, he had told them to take the rest of the week off to be with their friend.

Ryou had been incensed when Tea had said she didn't want to, that she would be returning to school the next day. He had torn a strip out of her after leaving the principal's office and Yugi had to step between them to keep the white haired boy from getting violent.

It certainly hadn't helped when Tea had spouted off about Tristan being gay. Where that had come from, neither Yugi nor Ryou could even venture a guess.

*Why does she have to be such a bitch? So what if Tristan is gay? That doesn't make him any different than he was before he told us.*

**Is that so?**

Ryou's eyes snapped open and he sat up, the Ring around his neck jingling. *NO!*

He felt a violent pull and he was suddenly standing in the middle of his soulroom. The door banged open and Bakura strode in, his hand raised. He backhanded Ryou across the face, sending him crashing against the wall.

"Who do you think you are, trying to get rid of me?!" Bakura roared.

"I didn't…"

"Don't lie to me!" Bakura grabbed Ryou by the hair and hauled him to his feet, only to slap him across the face again, sending him to the floor.

"I swear!" Ryou cowered, his hands raised over his head. "Tristan took the Ring from me!"

Bakura grasped Ryou's arms in a painful grip and threw him onto the bed, kicking him in the leg. "You GAVE it to him!"

"I didn't! Please, Bakura!"

"Get on your feet and take your punishment like a man." Bakura growled. "And once I'm done with you, I'll be teaching that friend of yours a little lesson as well."

"Please…" Ryou dragged himself to his feet, half of him terrified and the other half wondering how he could be feeling pain in here.

"Because, you idiot." Bakura smirked. "I want you to feel pain…therefore, you will. I can make you feel anything here." He punched Ryou in the stomach, grabbing him and holding him up. He pushed him down to sit on the bed and brought his knee up under Ryou's chin, sending him onto his back. "Your mortal body won't show the signs, but the pain will linger in your mind. Then maybe you'll learn to behave yourself."

Ryou whimpered curling up into a ball. *Gods…please stop!*

"Oh, no, my little slave." Bakura dragged Ryou around onto his back, coming down on top of him, his hand closing over Ryou's throat. "We're not done yet."

Ryou went rigid with fear. He could feel something hard and hot pressing against his hip. And he wasn't so naïve that he didn't know what it was. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"

"Yes." Bakura snarled. "You don't think you were going to get away with just a beating, do you? Besides, I think it's only fair that I give you a preview of what I have planned for your friend Tristan."

"No, please…please…" Ryou begged, fear flashing through him. "Do what you want to me. Leave my friends alone."

"I plan on doing what I want to you. I told you already, you're nothing but my slave." Bakura ground himself into Ryou, smiling as the boy whimpered in fear. "As for your friends…there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Ryou began sobbing, knowing Bakura was right. There was nothing he, or anyone else, could do.

Bakura tightened his grip on Ryou's neck and reached for the neckline of the tee shirt he was wearing. Ryou clenched his eyes shut, unwilling to look into the face of his rapist.

"RYOU!"

Bakura's head snapped up as the sound of Tristan's voice echoed through the soulroom. With a growl, he was off Ryou and bolting through the door, slamming it behind him.

Ryou rolled off the bed, feeling his broken ribs grinding together. He ignored the pain, turning to the mirror and seeing Bakura running for his bedroom door.

*Please! Don't hurt him!*

**Shut your fucking mouth! I'm going to show that son of a bitch why he needs to keep his nose out of my business!**

"No!" Ryou screamed, his hands pressed against the mirror. "Tristan!"

~*~*~*~*~

"RYOU!"

Tristan and Joey bolted through the door, barely noticing that they literally took it off the hinges.

Running through the house toward the stairs that would take them to Ryou's bedroom, they saw who they thought at first was Ryou. It wasn't until he threw himself at Tristan with a snarl that they realized who it really was.

Tristan grabbed him by the hair, slamming him against the wall. "Let him go, you freak!"

"You're a dead man." Bakura growled, pulling a knife out of nowhere.

"I'm sorry, Ryou." Tristan said softly.

Bakura suddenly found himself immobilized, trapped against the wall with Tristan's hand around his throat, cutting off his air. Joey had somehow managed to get his knife away from him and he glared at the blond, a feeling of satisfaction seeping into him as Joey backed away.

"I said let him go." Tristan said, his voice deadly. "Who the fuck are you? He is NOT your slave. If you hurt him, I swear, I'll find a way to kill you."

Bakura focused on the brunet, opening his mouth to speak a threat that would send this foolish mortal running for his life. But the words stuck in his throat. This wasn't Tristan Taylor standing in front of him, casting his own warning. It was someone else.

**No! It can't be!** He fled, forcing control on Ryou.

Ryou whimpered, trembling with fright at finding himself with Tristan's hands on him in a violent manner.

Seeing the change and realizing Bakura was gone, Tristan immediately let go, pulling Ryou into his arms. "I'm sorry, little guy."

"Ryou?" Joey moved closer, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy as well. "Are you okay?"

"I…I think so." Ryou replied, clinging to Tristan. He suddenly realized the pain he had felt in his soulroom was gone. "Oh, gods! He…he beat me up! He was…was going to…"

"Shh…it's okay." Tristan untangled himself from Ryou and slipped the Ring off his neck. "I'll be taking this."

"You can't!" Ryou reached for it. "Tristan…he'll hurt you! And…and he beat me because you took it!"

"Come here." Joey took Ryou's hand and led him over to the couch, gently pushing him down. "How did he hurt you?"

"He slapped me across the face." Ryou reached for Tristan's hand as the brunet sat down next to him. "And he kicked me…and punched me in the stomach."

Joey knelt in front of the distraught teen, gently grasping him by the chin and tilting his head to one side. "I don't see anything. Lift up your shirt."

Ryou reached with his free hand to the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and revealing smooth, unmarred skin.

"Ryou," Joey's tone was skeptical. "There's nothing here. If he beat you up, there'd be marks."

"Don't you believe me?" Ryou whispered, looking at Joey with huge, hurt eyes.

"It's not that…" Joey looked away, not wanting Ryou to see that it was exactly what he was thinking. "I've taken enough beatings to know you can't come away without a few bruises."

"So, what you're saying is you don't." Ryou's voice was cold. "I am NOT lying."

Tristan put his arm around Ryou and pulled him close. "Ryou…look…it's not that we don't think you think it's the truth…"

Ryou jerked from Tristan's grasp, jumping up off the couch so fast he knocked Joey over. He ran from the room, the sound of his sobbing echoing behind him.

"Damn it." Tristan muttered, standing and reaching down to pull Joey up. "Come on, we'd better go after him."

"Tris, I didn't mean to upset him." Joey said as he got to his feet. "But…"

"I know." Tristan shook his head. "Maybe…maybe it really did happen. Remember when Yami told us about the soulrooms? Maybe he beat Ryou up there. Then it WOULDN'T show, right?"

"I dunno." Joey shook his head. His gaze fell on the Item in Tristan's hand. "What are you going to do with that?"

Tristan sighed. "I don't know. But I've got to keep trying. I've got a bad feeling that he'll find a way to really hurt Ryou. And sooner rather than later."

Joey shook his head. He wasn't sure if he believed Ryou or not. He just didn't know enough about this whole yami thing to know for sure. He decided to reserve judgment until he could talk to Yugi.

He followed Tristan upstairs to Ryou's room, hanging back as the brunet opened the door without knocking.

"Ryou," Tristan approached the bed where Ryou lay crying, sitting down and gathering the weeping teen into his arms. "Come on. It's going to be alright."

"You don't believe me." Ryou sobbed. "Gods, Tristan! He was going to rape me and you don't believe me!"

"What?!" Tristan pulled back, looking into terrified chocolate eyes. "Are you serious?!"

"Yes. And he said…" Ryou trailed off, wrapping his arms around Tristan's waist and burrowing into his shoulder.

"What did he say?" Joey asked quietly, sitting down on Ryou's other side.

"He said…" Ryou's voice was a miserable whisper. "He said he would do the same to Tristan."

Tristan and Joey's eyes met over Ryou's head. Their looks plainly stated that there was no way it could happen. Bakura was cruel, yes, but no one could be that bad. Besides, he still needed to take over Ryou's body to do it, and there was no way he'd have the strength to take Tristan on in a fight.

"Hey, look at me." Tristan tipped Ryou's head up with a finger under his chin. "He can't hurt me."

"Yes, he can." Ryou insisted.

"Ryou, he can't." Joey put in. "Tris can handle him."

"You have to give me back the Ring." Ryou said, reaching for it.

"No." Tristan yanked it from his grasp. "I'm getting rid of it."

"You can't! Please, Tristan…he'll hurt you! He'll hurt me again!"

Joey stood up, intending to distract Ryou before he started again. "Come on, get dressed and come back to Tris' with us."

"Good idea." Tristan stood as well, drawing Ryou up with him.

Ryou sighed, hanging his head. They didn't believe him. He had hoped that Tristan at least would. He could see the reasoning behind their cynicism though. Without the bruises to prove it or the pain from it, it WAS kind of hard to believe. The more he thought about it, the more he was beginning to doubt it himself.

"Can I sleep with you tonight, Tristan?" Ryou asked, pressing himself against his taller friend.

"Of course you can, little guy." Tristan bent down and kissed Ryou on the forehead. "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe from him. I promise."

Joey watched the two of them, hoping that it was a promise Tristan would be able to keep.

~*~*~*~*~

Bakura paced his soulroom like a caged animal.

"How can he be here?! HOW?!" He raged, slamming his fist into the brick wall. "Damn him!"

He threw himself down on the cot, the only piece of furniture in the room besides a crude table next to it. He stared out the window, watching as lightening played across the sky outside, briefly illuminating the dim room.

"Well, I should have expected it." Bakura muttered. "The High Priest and the damn Pharaoh are here. Why not him? Fucker."

It was the eyes. Those cold, hazel eyes that made him realize who Tristan really was.

Ahmet ibn Karim.

The bastard that was responsible for him being trapped in the Ring. Pharaoh Yami's personal bodyguard. And if rumors were to be believed, his best friend. After all, he was the High Priest's twin brother.

And that's why Bakura couldn't touch him…not even in this life. He had always been protected by his brother's magic before, why wouldn't he be now?

**I can't take that chance.**

Bakura shivered, trying to control himself, not wanting to admit he was afraid.

**That final time…he locked me in that tomb. He knew. He knew I wouldn't leave there alive.** Chocolate eyes narrowed. **He has to have a weakness. I just have to find it. I know he cares for my little slave. But I can't hurt him. Not too badly anyway. I need his body. Ra, damn it! If he keeps separating my lighter half from the Ring, I'll NEVER get to the Pharaoh!**

Thunder crashed outside the window, lightening streaking across the sky as the rain began to pelt violently against the barred glass.

~*~*~*~*~

DD: So, if you're reading this at the new site, we'll reply to your reviews.

YD: I love that! It's so cool!!

Seto: Well, with the problems AFF has been having…it's good they have somewhere else to read.

Ryou: Umm…excuse me? The story? This is NOT looking good for me.

YD: Of course it's not.

DD: Ryou, baby, I would have thought you'd KNOW the way her mind works by now.