Domination

Domination: Chapter 3

“I challenged you so you can make the opening move,” Kaiba said as moved around the edge of the arena to get to his platform, lea Yam Yami stood staring at his own.

The room was cavernous, long thin windows stretching from top to bottom and the lightning causing the dim lighting of the room to explode into brightness before dulling again. Yami was comfortable on a dueling platform and had been for many years, but staring up at this one sent ice down his spine, a feeling of dread and outright fear.

His cards ignored him, the Heart of the Cards, which he so strongly depended upon, had become meaningless so odds were he would lose this duel. Kaiba was an outstanding player and at top form Yami had always had to work hard to come out victorious. He didn’t have a chance in Hell and he had suddenly realised that he had been kidding himself ale wae way here in believing that he did.

Noticing that Yami had yet to move towards his end of the arena, Kaiba turned on his heel and strode back over to the Game King, his eyes narrowed in consideration as he regarded the other’s guarded expression and tense posture.

“Scared? I expected more of you Yami, really. You’re in your element when dueling so I can’t see why this friendly match would be a problem for you,” he spoke softly, an underlying mocking quality in his voice although mostly he spoke with confusion.

Yami did not and indeed could not say anything to that, holding the taller figure’s stare and willing himself not to look down although he desperately wanted to. He was waiting for the challenge and for the insults. He was waiting and constantly feeling the other’s gazes burning into him. He could sense his Hikari’s confusion also, having not heard what had been said to him by Kaiba.

“I don’t want to duel. I-I just don’t want to.” That said in a low voice, Yami attempted to step around him but froze when he felt a hand clasp firmly about his arm, holding him in place. Restraining him.

Catching his breath, he jerked his arm forward out of the other’s grip and felt something tremble inside him when the fingers only tightened. Pulled back, he was forced to meet Kaiba’s eyes as his other forearm was grabbed, crimson eyes wide as his muscles shook.

“Damnit Yami I’m trying to help. I’m not going to hurt you and there are no stakes so why the Hell is this so hard for you? Why won’t you duel?” Kaiba asked insistently, genuinely wanting an answer to that question. Yami was the Game King so dueling and games in general were an important part of him. If he was ignoring that there had to be a serious problem, but he couldn’t see how what had happened to Yami some months ago was affecting him in this way now.

“Let go of me,” Yami managed to bite out, his voice quiet but trying to boast a threat. He wanted to lunge at and throttle Kaiba right now, but his entire body strongly disagreed with that idea and wanted nothing more than to curl up inside his Soul Room. Not that he would allow it to though; allow Kaiba that victory over him.

“No. I want an answer,” Kaiba stated flatly, his eyes narrowing slightly as his tone became more demanding. He was aware that he was scaring Yami and that his grip was tighter than it needed to be, but he felt angry at the other for some reason. Anger that the King of Games was refusing to play, his only worthy opponent depriving him the simple pleasure of a duel. If Yami hung up the dueling glove then he would never be able to overpower him in a Duel, prove himself to the other.

Yami wanted to beg then, plead with Kaiba to release him and he was disgusted with himself for actually being willing to do that. Lowering his head slightly, he dropped his eyes simply so that he wouldn’t have to stare into those demanding eyes. Lightning flashed again, sending harsh contours across the slim body holding him and he jolted in surprise.

“What are you playing at Kaiba? Yami! Fight back! Get him off you!” Honda shouted from across the room, already stepping forward to intervene if need be.

“Kaiba you creep! Let him go! Yami? Why aren’t you stopping him?” Anzu joined in, also beginning to approach them. The others rushed to block their approach but the mass movement of people towards him suddenly had Yami feeling extremely claustrophobic, another feeling he was unaccustomed to.

Kaiba seemed to come to some sort of realization in his mind, tightening his grip to bruising for a second to gain Yami’s attention before speaking in an incredulous voice. “You *still* haven’t gotten over it?”

Barely hearing that statement of fact, Yami felt his mind gain some control over his body as Honda and Anzu continued their efforts to get to them and jerked out of Kaiba’s hands. Taking several shaky steps back from him, he placed a hand against the wall behind him and tried to regain his composure even though he knew that the damage was done.

Breathing in harsh, painful gasps, he clenched his eyes shut against the onslaught of people, the room, the shadows and the lightning. Spine curling as much as his forced position would allow, his elbows now clamped against his ribs in a vain attempt to protect himself.

Shuddering and repressing the cry of panic and pain when he felt hands clamp onto his shoulders again, he felt the owner shake him slightly until he dared to open his eyes and respond to him. Kaiba fairly glowered at him when he jerked violently in his arms, trying to break free from the grip. Fingers tightened against his flesh and some small, absent part of his mind noted that he’d have bruises from that grip in a few hours.

“Damnit Yami! Why is this still affecting you? I killed him myself. I shot him in the head. He *can’ t* hurt you anymore. Why the Hell is this taking so long to sink in through that skull of yours?” Kaiba’s frustration was mounting as he spoke, his grip going past bruising to outright pain, frustration and confusion pulling at his muscles.

Yami made a small sound and twisted his face away from Kaiba’s, dipping his head and gritting his jaw so as not to cry out which he so desperately wanted to do. He was trapped, hurting and at the other’s mercy, for the moment at least. He couldn’t bear what his imagination was projecting and desperately wanted this to end now in any way possible.

“You *shot* someone Kaiba?” Honda questioned sharply, eyes narrow as he moved to stand at their sides, his hand twitching to wrench the CEO away from the terrified Game King. His attention was caught though as well as his concern. He knew Kaiba was cold-hearted and ruthless but he never considered him to be a killer. With the way he was holding Yami now though he was partially afraid that he was going to get something close to a demonstration any second.

“Who hurt you Yami?” Anzu asked softly, eyes large as she regarded him from beside Honda. Bakura, growling loudly, walked around all three of them and shoved Kaiba aside. With no hands holding him up, Yami felt his knees give out and sank to the floor weakly, eyes wide and muscles twitching. He couldn’t stand, couldn’t bolt and hide. Couldn’t escape. His strength was all but gone and coldness was seeping into his limbs in its place.

Yugi made a sound that was a cross between a yelp and a word, diving at his Dark’s side and taking his hands firmly whilst the clueless pair gawped.

“You leave him the fuck alone,” Bakura snarled out dangerously, standing in a loose-but-ready fighter’s pose between Kaiba and Yami, head dipped and fingers curled, prepared to land fast and hard blows on the taller teen at any moment. “You know what the he’s been through. Have some goddamned consideration before you go grabbing him. And if you touch him again, I *will* kill you.”

Kaiba narrowed his eyes slightly at the enraged spirit but bit off the scathing remark that came to his tongue. He knew from the look in the freezing eyes boring into him that the Tomb-Raider would make very good on that threat if given incentive.

“I don’t understand,” Anzu interrupted, her expression matching Honda’s in confusion. “What’s going on?”

They both looked to Yugi who was working hard to keep Yami from receding into his mind, rubbing at his arms furiously, for an answer. The once fiery crimson eyes had now turned dull and lifeless, his pale face oddly blank from where it had been riddled with conflicting emotions.

The hikari blinked up at his two friends before casting unsure eyes on his counterpart who did nothing more than stare back at him levelly. A sluggish blink before a muscle beneath his right eye trembled and a spurt of life crossed their bond.

//Tell them. I don’t care anymore. Just leave me alone.//

The words were bitter and that tone was alien, only scaring Yugi even more. Yami looked… Defeated. He had only seen that look a handful of times in the past and every time it tore at him. Yugi could understand why Honda and Anzu were so worried at seeing such a drastic change in the Game King’s countenance; a trembling, nervous wreck from where he had been confident, bold and strong. He didn’t dare imagine what Yami thought of himself at the moment.

He honestly hadn’t known that Yami was still so badly affected by what had happened. He knew that the nightmares and the discovery of his scars by Honda and Anzu were making life difficult for him at the moment, but he had had no idea that his spirit was this damaged. He had always looked up to Yami, even more so after what he had gone through to protect him last year. Yami was almost untouchable in his eyes and if something did hurt him he figured that the spirit would be able to overcome it. He had never stopped for a moment to realize that Yami was so human.

After a moment’s deliberation he decided that having them know was the only way that they would understand why Yami was acting in such a way, and the only way to convince them not to push him for reasons behind the scars on his forearms.

Bakura was watching them both intently although he had yet to turn his back on Kaiba who hadn’t moved since being berated by the spirit. He knew what was going to happen next from the look on Yugi’s face, and from the way Yami had turned his head away from Honda and Anzu standing over him it was obvious that he was anticipating it too.

Ryou glided between him and the CEO silently, not taking his eyes off of Yugi as he did so but positioning himself as a barrier between his yami and Kaiba. The tension in the air was escalating at a tremendous rate, so much so that no one so much as flinched when a bolt of lightning stuck what seemed to be overhead.

Clearing his throat, Yugi spoke in a quiet voice that shattered the sudden-silence that filled the room. No one moved and all eyes were on him, aside from Yami’s whose eyes had fixated on a crinkle in his right trouser leg. He could barely listen to this let alone see their reaction.

He was curious as to how Yugi was going to word it though, as wes cus curious as to how he was going to take this. It felt like his stomach was trying to destroy itself and his skin was being frozen from the inside. His head hurt and his vision was out of focus, something that he was oddly grateful for as if by sheer chance he *did* look up he wouldn’t be able to see their faces twist clearly.

“L-last year, I got taken and Yami came to save me. But t-to get me back safely, he…” Swallowing hard Yugi suddenly fully understood why it had been so hard for Yami to repeat what had happened to him. It was too horrific to comprehend let alone speak. Added to that the fact that he didn’t *want* to say it, it was little wonder that his throat seemed to close up around the words that needed to be spoken. Taking another breath, he met his friend’s eyes and forced himself to say it in one go. “Yami was, a-assaulted.”

Yami shot up from the ground as if burned, turning his back on them all as he strode away from them, his muscles tight and his eyes ablaze. He turned in a tight circle to face the stunned group with something that seemed to be a mixture of anger, insult and insanity in his eyes.

“’Assaulted’? Why don’t we just call it what it is, Yugi, hmm?” he asked in a tone that was more demanding than questioning. He looked furious and the burst of flaming emotion was making his muscles quake. The onslaught was already starting to get the better of him; the beginnings of familiar sensations through his body coming to bear. A handful of frozen insects already seemed to be scuttling around his ribs beneath his skin rapidly, a minor amount as it would quickly become thousands before he broke down entirely.

Eyes large and face taunt he continued his rant, his hands moving rapidly to emphasize his words without his conscious thought, seeking release through movement on some level. He paced in what seemed to be a confined area, never approaching them but never retreating back from them either. His pride was hurting now and it lent him strength. It was a short loan though.

“I got fucked up the arse and done over sideways. I got torn up and screwed over, again and again, and I didn’t do a damn thing. I handed myself over like a whore and backed off like a cowering dog when it got too much for me, even though you were at stake,” he fairly spat, jabbing a pointed finger in Yugi’s direction who was watching him fearfully. He, like everyone else in the room, knew that the pressure was reaching breaking point and they weren’t too sure what Yami would do when he got there.

Disgust creeping into his tone now as Yami finally gathered the words to admit that which he had been hiding openly, his hands ceased their movements and came to his sides, rubbing at the hidden flesh agitatedly. His scars itched white lines up his arms and the scar on his shoulder felt like it was being burned away.

Countering those were the sensations indicating impending hyperventilating increasing tenfold, thousands of chilling things scratching around rapidly under his skin, the tanned surface feeling like it was moving independently of his body. His eyes prickled with tears of frustration and two broke free, coursing searing paths down his cheeks before dropping away at his jaw and spattering on the lush carpet beneath his boots.

“And now, even when he’s cold and rotting my head it *still* fucked up and to top it off I don’t think I can take much more of this. I have been trying *so* hard to hide this Aibou, but I-I just can’t a-anymore. ” The final words were shuddered more than spoken and Bakura was in front of him in an instant, clamping firm arms around his shoulders and allowing Yami to bury his head into his collarbone.

They trusted each other and that was why Bakura was one of three people that Yami would be abo coo cope with this action from. Yami did not reciprocate the forceful embrace, his eyes wide despite all light being blocked out by Bakura’s dampening shirt and his fists clenched as his arms clamped around his sides. His breathing came in rapid gasps as he tried to control it, all his attention focused on not losing that precious shred of control, the only piece he had at the moment. Protection wasn’t his immediate concern now as Bakura completed the shield for him.

Silence filled the room, broken only by the rain and Yami’s ragged breathing. Yugi and Joey moved to approach the two entwined spirits but stopped when a crack of lightening boomed through the air, the room being plunged into darkness and illuminated in short, flickering bouts when it struck again.

Bakura heard Yami yelp into his shirt before jolting out of his arms and away in one fluid movement. His breathing seemed deafening to him, and he listened to the scrambling sounds as Yami tried to escape this sudden prison coupled with the harsh noises to track him. Hearing broken speech in the background, he extrapolated that the others had herded themselves into a group and were now trying to find and reassure Yami. Not that he was going to let them though.

Concentrating, he brought some of his magic to hand and forced a soft glow to emanate from the Ring, dim and unobtrusive but illuminating his features in a ghastly way. Yami had found the wall on the opposite side to where he had formerly been, the duelling arena blocking them from the other’s view now, which was what Bakura wanted.

Kneeling down beside the crouched figure, he placed his hands on the muscles either side of his spine and forced the heels of his hands into the flesh, rubbing up and down his back quickly and firmly. Yami needed to be grounded and sensation was the best way to do that.

Panic had gripped Yami tightly now, his breathing out of his control, air coming to his lungs in short, shallow bursts, his chest heaving and his muscles tight. Eyes wide, he stared blankly in the darkness wishing fervently for it all to stop.

When the worst was over the results of a complete lack of a decent breath began to kick in. His head felt sickeningly light and his muscles lost the strength that his anger had lent them, his body tipping against Bakura’s chest as his eyes sank closed. He felt exhausted in mind and spirit now and he had no idea what he was going to do. Resigning himself not to think about it, he buried himself deeper into the warmth beside him, wanting to escape the coldness he felt throughout himself.

Collecting the lax figure in his arms, Bakura ceased the flow of magic into the Ring and turned to face the room as he stood. He could vaguely make out the long lines of the windows lining one wall and started towards them. He needed to get Yami out of here. He knew that the others would be crowding him now and Yami would certainly not be able to deal with that.

Yami hadn’t been this bad in a long time; all the pent-up emotions culminating over the last few weeks had just exploded in one great burst and he would be feeling the repercussions for days. But the hardest part would be the next few hours and there was no way that he was going to trust anyone else to look after Yami through that time.

“Bakura! Where are you going? You can’t just-“ Anzu started, seeing his distinct outline at the window ledge as he looked out from it with Yami still huddled in his arms. Her speech was interrupted by Bakura backing away from the window and the Ring started to glow furiously.

Eyes clamped shut tightly and lips moving rapidly as he recited the spell, Bakura felt the Ring begin to burn at his chest and muttered out the last few words of the ancient incantation. The sound of shattering glass filled the air as the panes of the window he stood before collapsed, the wind lashing inside greedily and carrying raindrops with it.

Shaking his head slightly to clear some of the fog the drain had caused as he opened his eyes, Bakura stepped up onto the ledge and dropped the short distance to the ground, Yami still held securely against his chest. Awake but by no means aware, the silent spirit offered no objections to being outside in the harsh elements and barely blinked when Bakura broke into a run.

At the wrecked window the group had congregated to watch them leave. Their shouts to return had already been given up on as they instead watched as the spirits disappeared into the shadows running alongside the perimeter wall at the end of the expanse of grass. Stepping on the shards of glass with irritation, Kaiba yanked out his cell-phone in the darkness and jabbed a number in. Yelling for an explanation as to why the power wasn’t back yet, he broke off his threats and hung up when the overhead lights hummed back into life.

Turning back to face the group still at the exposed window, he found that he was not the only one watching Yugi for an explanation. Anzu and Honda were staring, looking both pained and expecting at the same time. Joey and Ryou were still looking out of the window trying to see where Bakura had taken Yami whilst Yugi’s attention was torn from the outside by the stares of his friends.

“I think we need a few things explained Yugi,” Honda stated flatly, his arms crossed with both concern and agitation. He had never seen Yami, or anyone for that matter, break up like that before and it made him anxious. It also made him angry that he and Anzu had been left in the dark about all of this for what appeared to be a very long time. They were Yami’s friends too after all.

“I hope Yami’s alright,” Anzu murmured more to herself than anyone else. “We can’t just let Bakura take him away like that though! We have to find him! He needs help,” she said earnestly, looking to each of them in turn as she spoke.

“Yes Anzu, but not the help that we can provide. one one is looking for Yami-Yugi right now. Bakura will take care of him,” Ryou stated firmly, his eyes hard as he turned on her from the window. He knew and understood that Yami would not want to be seen in such a state right now, and Honda was right about one thing; they needed to be told in a more informative way what had happened to the Game King.

They would only give them sparing details though; Yami was very reserved and it would not do to have his defilement explained in detail to them, not without his consent or presence anyway. But some things needed to be said despite what effects it would have.

“This way. I think the living room would be better suited for this discussion,” Kaiba said as he began walking towards the door, apparently unruffled by the damage done to his property. After exchanging looks of varying meanings the group followed, Yugi, Ryou and Joey walking behind Anzu and Honda, their shoulders almost brushing as they moved.


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