Domination

This chapter is over double the length is could have been and there was no way that I could cut it in half without wrecking it so you’re getting it in one big block. This has the upside of a fallback though; If I don’t finish Chapter 6 in time for April I can say that you got double last time so don’t whine.

I struggled with this chapter but after chapter 7 the ball *really* starts rolling. All this build-up is necessary, trust me. Just so that you know, this fic is going to be very large. Not quite the length of ‘Game Queen and Then Some’ which was completely different to write, but far longer than ‘Submission’. I sincerely hope you don’t lose patience with me and I don’t lose steam with this.

High and might thanks go to Ayod Botla for all her hard work betaing and thanks go to everyone reading this and, far more importantly, reviewing. (Hint-hint). I hope you enjoy this chapter and please leave your thoughts in a review.


Domination: Chapter 5

Three days passed in a cold and grey blur, strangely still, as the world seemed to pass by the spirit of the Puzzle without his participation. No surprise as he had spent very little time with anyone else, focusing all his energies on the magical signature on the tape. He needed answers. He needed some idea of what to do next. And this obsession was scaring Yugi.

He had never seen his Yami so intent before, even when he was duelling for his Grandpa’s soul he wasn’t this *intense*. Fighting for his Grandpa, Yami had been spirited and fought with a fire and passion that had had most of his opponents shaken. But now he was quiet and still, working methodically on this one task that in his mind took precedence above all others.

It went without saying that if Yami’s suicide attempt was filmed then it was likely that his repeated rape was too, and in Yami’s mind that was unacceptable. Kaiba had made a technical examination of the tape, having been left in the dark about its contents and told only to look for anything that stood out. It had taken some time to convince Yami to let the brunette go anywhere near the tape and it was finally done witgreagreat deal of animosity reflected in most of the group. Unfortunately Kaiba was the only person with the resources that they could go to. However the CEO had announced that it was a standard tape and that the object itself wasn’t going to shed any light on whatever it was they were looking for.

So the magical traces were their only clue. It was the fact that it might lead them to whoever had sent the damned thing that prevented anyone from destroying it like they wanted to. Yami became so fixated on his task that he barely moved from the table he had set himself at to pick it apart with his mind, awake for too many hours and taking in only enough food to keep his energy supplies at an acceptable level. Any attempts to coax him out of their shared room for anything other than his body’s physical demands had failed miserably, and after a day of staying with him Yugi had had to step back from him.

Yugi felt helpless all over again and Yami’s mental condition seemed to be deteriorating, his face vacant as the Eye of Horus flickered and burned. His friends had stayed with him whilst his Dark remained reclusive, offering what comfort and support they could. It was grudgingly agreed by them all that they could do little for Yami until he cracked the mystery of the tape’s origins. They also promised that they would do what they could for Yugi whilst they waited for ttubbtubborn spirit to return to them. With their telepathic link silent on one end, the Hikari seemed to be suffering almost as badly as his Dark, although it was in a different way. Yugi needed his guardian and Yami needed his charge but neither was in any condition to help each other. If anything Yami had seemed to become almost entirely ignorant of his Hikari’s existence, so fixated on the tape as he was.

However, a new form of support was hanging in the background if Yugi wanted it, orYamiYami gathered enough sanity to reach for it. Their Grandpa had had to find out in the end, and on the morning of the second day of Yami’s obsessive behaviour with the infamous tape, he did. Of course, he had known that something was wrong for weeks beforehand but as no one came to him and he didn’t want to push the matter, he had said nothing. But after checking on ttrantrangely quiet room several times during the day when Yami was alone to see him working so intensely, he knew that something had changed and not for the better.

Asking about his unique grandson’s withdrawal, Yugi and the group had no choice but to retell the events of the last year, answering the awkward and remarkably painful questions as holy aly as they could. If it were anyone else they would not have given any information without Yami’s consent, but it was almost inexcusable for them to have kept this darkest of secrets from Sugoroku for so long, so he had to know.

Sugoroku had reacted as Yugi had predicted: shocked, upset, concerned, but with no haste to confront Yami immediately given the circumstances. He also felt an almost overwhelming guilt for not being there to offer support when everything had started some months ago, away in America and hundreds of miles away if Yami had ever wanted to confide in him. However, the eldest Motou had stated that held cld continue as if he were still clueless until Yugi told Yami that he was aware, and that the former Pharaoh could approach him if he needed to. He’d make sure that he was there for him this time. Joey made it clear that Yami had been damn near neurotic about secrecy concerning everything that waspenipening, and he did not want anything to upset him further at the moment. So Sugoroku resigned himself to remaining in the shop whilst Yami and friefriends worked through this together, promising that he would offer any help that he could and wishing them luck.

The atmosphere within the Game Shop, and more so the home behind it, rapidly became almost unbearable. Whilst Yami worked, the group found themselves either hovering uncomfortable inside the sitting room or roaming the city until they returned to try and rouse Yami again. Bakura was the only one to remain away from the other spirit entirely, hidden away silently inside the Ring almost as reclusive as Yami aside from the harsh responses he gave to his questioning Hikari.

On the third day though, the white-haired spirit of the Ring had emerged without warning from the ring and made his own way to the Game Shop. Bursting into the house, he had gone upstairs to the bedroom, strode past Yugi and Joey and moved to where Yami sat, grabbing the shorter spirit by the back of his shirt and wrenching him to his feet. Surprised and outraged, Yami had yelled at him in blind rage before Bakura told the startled mortals to go and leave them alone. That done, he had then put his fist firmly into Yami’s jaw and covered the tape on the table over with a stray shirt.

Ignoring Yami as he recovered from the comparatively mild blow, Bakura sat down on the carpet and started rifling through the bag he had brought with him. Taking out a large bottle of clear liquid he took a long swallow from the open neck as Yami sat, a slender hand touching his bruising jaw delicately.

“You have been staring at that *bloody* tape for three days now and I for one have had enough of it. You aren’t getting anywhere so you might as well damn well admit it. Now, drink that and talk to me before I hit you again and make you sleep like you need too instead,” Bakura growled out as he thrust the bottle at Yami, glaring at the dark rings that marred the hollows of dull, crimson eyes. Repeatedly swallowing instincty duy due to the burning sensation that the liquor had left in his throat, he was pleased to see Yami wince at the same sensation.

He felt extremely angry with the other. Bakura had truly felt that Yami had been making progress over the last few weeks, and now with a vicious act on another’s part all that good work was withering away. And Yami was acting like a puppet and going along with it, taking the bait and allowing himself to sink back down to the darkness he had only just began to shed himself of.

Eyeing the bottle in his hand as his throat burned and itched, Yami handed the bottle back with disgust before looking to Bakura. “Is this salted camel piss?”

“Nope, black-label vodka. Acquired taste. It’s more about sensation than anything else. Take a few more swallows and you’ll like it, I promise. Nowu’veu’ve spoken fuck all over the last couple of days and I’d of thought with that tape sat there you’d need to. What are you thinking?” he asked outright knowing that there was no point in building up to the purpose of his slowly getting Yami drunk, at least enough to open him up.

Taking another quick draught, he handed it back again to Yami with some aggression, making it clear that he was *going* to drink. He needed Yami to talk so that he could start getting his head straight and try to get everything back to some semblance of normalcy.

The sooner Yami stopped obsessing over something that was obviously out of his reach, the sooner he would stop ignoring the support his friends wanted to give to him. He needed his friends and he couldn’t afford to turn them away like this, for his sake as well as theirs. Bakura could see through Ryou how badly the last few days had impacted Yugi, and being so close to him Joey seemed to be getting slightlssedssed at the Dark although his concern overrode his feelings of frustration.

Honda and Anzu seemed to be unknowing what to do, fluctuating between bitching out Yami for just abandoning his Hikari and friends like this and intense worry for the distressed spirit. Bakura had made a point to ignore them lest his temper get the better of him and he feel the need to shut them up for eternity. Ryou was ever sympathetic to all parties, even asking how he was from time to t whi which Bakura found peculiar. He had seen no point in brooding with the others whilst they waited and trying to move Yami when he clearly wasn’t ready, and so had stayed in the Ring to think whilst Ryou carried on.

It had occurred to him quite suddenly and the obviousness of it had made him angry with himself. Contrary to what everyone thought, leaving Yami to carry on in this way was the cruelng tng to do and so someone needed to snap him back to reality. Upon realizing this, Bakura had grabbed a bottle and decided to be the one to drag him out of his shell. ‘As per bloody usual’ were his musings as he had walked past Yugi. He had always had to be the blunt and brutal instrument. But right now it was being called for. Again.

Bakura knew that keeping things bottled within the spirit, particularly things with the potential to become self-destructive, was a very stupid thing to do. And seeing as how Yami was going through a period of temporary insanity fixated around the tape, he wasn’t going to get anything off his chest until he was made to. And with a little teasing out through the aid of strong alcohol, Bakura knew that Yami was going to get drunk enough to talk a lot faster than he was -he had at least eaten today-, which was perfect, as he wanted to be sober enough to listen to him.

Still, he hadn’t taken the vodka just for Yami. Indeed he needed something to numb himself as he was listening to all of this. Someone’s pain, especially this profound, always had an impact on those around them. And as the source of this particular pain reflected something from Bakura’s past, something that he wanted to forget… He was likely to keep drinking long after Yami passed out and try to kill those particular memories.

Ignoring the urge to get back to studying the tormenting device sat atop the desk, Yami took another tentative mouthful from bot bottle before swirling the contents slowly and gazing down through the glass. “Honestly I’m frightened. Kresha, by Ra what he did was bad enough in my head alone. Now… I don’t know who’s going to see it. Or who hasn’t already!”

That was a big admittance on his part and it caused a measurable amount of physical pain to say it, but it also brought some relief to ease his burdens onto another. He trusted Bakura and he didn’t fear for how he was going to take whatever he said to him, or whatever he was going to ramble senselessly in an hour or so when he’d swallowed some more of thisuff.uff.

“So you’re embarrassed that people are going to see this?” Bakura replied evenly, gesturing up to the tape with an idle hand as the other snapped out and took the bottle back, taking a longer drink this time and then handing it back. “Is that because it’s something so intimate being shown or because it’s your violation? Or is your pride acting up aga


This was an old method he had used with Yami in talks similar to this over the last few months, chasing him until his mind came to the conclusion on its own. Where this verbal pursuit would lead he didn’t know yet, but he knew that it would help in the end. Yami would inadvertently let slip some of his darkest thoughts and feelings, which while unintentional in their loss he needed to lose all the same to grant himself some relief.

Yami frowned a little, his slightly fd mid mind working around the choices laid out to him. “I don’t think I’m really that embarrassed. It’s more… I gave in completely. I let him do what he wanted to me.”

Bakura rolled his eyes a little, feigning exasperation. He had a lot of patience when it came to Yami, his understanding simply granting it to him. But being gentle about this topic hadn’t done a lot so a more straightforward approach was called for. At least to try. “For the sake of your Hikari, which we have been over already. Stop believing that any of that showed weakness on your part. There aren’t many who would sacrifice themselves like that.”

“Would you?” The question passed his lips before he had really given it much thought and Yami instantly regretted it. ‘Damned alcohol; loosening my tongue.’ Biting his bottom lip hard by means of a punishment, he didn’t let his posture change in any way to show the inadvertency of that question. Bakura would answer it if he wanted. If not he would tell him where to go and they would carry on despite it. He unconsciously handed the bottle back without drinking from it, Bakura taking it from him just as mindlessly.

Bakura looked down thoughtfully through the glass and rippling liquid within, his expression tight and his eyes hard as he thought that over. He knew that Yami would ask eventually; he’d have to. And he would give him an honest answer.

“No.”

He answered the question without looking up; raising the bottle again and taking a long gulp once the words were past him. “I’d just try for their throat. But if I couldn’t… Before, I would’ve, but not now. Never again.” The last two words were growled out, a resolute and indomitable promise to himself that he would never break.

Yami nodded a little as he frowned at the carpet. His head seemed to have gotten a little clearer for the moment. Ducking just inside his line of sight the Puzzle glowed very faintly at him, and Yami swore that if it were a conscious entity it would be cheerful and a bit pleased with itself. ‘Bloody thing. First you don’t let me dhen hen you stop me getting drunk,’ he thought at it bitterly. Glancing up at Bakura, the white-haired spirit still gazing through the bottle at the carpet, he noticed that the Ring was also shimmering faintly.

Sensing that their bodies were going to become sluggish and vulnerable or some bollocks like that, their Items seemed to be counteracting the affects of the alcohol. This meant that they weren’t going to get very drunk without some work. Yami frowned as that thought crossed his mind. ‘I wonder if Bakura has ever felt like this? Trapped by what was once his prison?’

He didn’t have the courage to actually ask but he did raise his eyes to look at the other again properly, as if he were about to. Bakura interpreted this as something else and shifted so that his elbow was propped up on his knee, the rapidly emptying bottle dangling suspended in mid-air from its neck. “It was a few years ago,” he spoke, answering what he believed to be an unasked question.

He’d never spoken of this properly. Not to Ryou, not to anyone. He had just allowed his thoughts on what had happened to boil and fume until they became a veritable defence. He prided himself on making the worthless into something constructive. Looking back, he believed that it wasn’t perhaps the best approach to tackling the issue, but mutating his grief and agony into hatred and violence had done him some good. Having a colder heart meant that fewer things in the universe could wound him as deeply.

It wouldn’t be the same for Yami though. It was never the same for anyone. But he had an understanding of what the former Pharaoh was going through and he knew what the other wanted and needed to hear. Yami needed now what he had needed back then.

Not looking at Yami directly yet not exactly avoiding his gaze, Bakura reached up into his loose bangs with his free hand and rubbed at his scalp absently absently. Yami was willing to listen and for the first time Bakura felt that he was willing to talk about this. He felt a desire to help Yami through this; no one had exactly been willing to help him. Making Yami see that it would get better in the end was one of the best things he could do, and he could finally get complete closure on the whole incident if he felt he had helped someone else.

And by talking about it he could perhaps clear his head up enough to actually stay in the real world when a brief flashback hit him, rather than slipping into the Shadow Realm and slaughtering something with his bare hands.

“Malik and I, we had a deal going and we knew his yami wasn’t going to be happy about that, so we didn’t tell him. He was pissing me off one night and I slapped him aroa bia bit, just before Yami Malik took over. He said I needed to learn some respect. Fucking psycho.”

A snarl tugged at Bakura’s face as he spoke, the words bringing back the memories and the memories bringing with them a torrent of emotion. None of it was grief or sadness. Indeed, all he felt was violation and blind anger.

He was aware that Yami was remaining perfectly still from where he sat in front of him, not moving to offer comfort or a punching bag. Taking another sip from the bottle, he found himself savouring the burn down his throat, feeling warmth spreading in his belly from where there had only been impenetrable cold before.


“So, he fucked me over good and proper and left me buggered and bleeding in an ally for the rest of the night. I came-to some time in the morning and stayed in the Shadow Realm for a bit, generally sorting my head out and letting my body heal up.”

Yami said nothing, just watching as Bakura took another drink from the bottle before resuming his former position. The paler spirit frowned as if in deep thought, going over the past events in his mind carefully, trying to draw something from them with his fogging mind.

“I got *angry* rather than depressed; figured it was better for me. Anger’s strength and you can fight with that. Ryou got the worst of that and I nearly went too far one night. I calmed down a bit after that and just let it all simmer. It’s how I dealt with it. I don’t know if what you’re doing is better or worse because our circumstances were completely different. In the end it’s the same I suppose. I dunno; my head is fucked,” Bakura tapered off with a slight shrug, bringing the cool bottle to his forehead and closing his eyes for a few seconds.

Snapping them back open, he glanced at Yami who remained silent before taking another drink from the bottle, noting absy thy that it didn’t burn as much now, before extending it across to the other. As Yami reached out and curled his fingers around the body of glass, he retained his grip and stared at him meaningfully. “You’re the first person I’ve told, and you’ll be the last. I think you’re better off with more people knowing so they can help you to deal with all this. I’ve done what I needed to get on with my life, so no-one needs to know what happened.”

He could have asked for or even demanded a verbal acknowledgement and agreement for that statement, but he felt no need to. Yami knew when to keep quiet and Bakura trusted that this information would go no further, not even to Yami’s Hikari. Finally releasing the bottle, he sat back again and idly readjusted the cord that the Ring hung from around his neck as he watched.

The metal felt warmer than usual again his flesh through the shirt and he could feel faint traces of magic filtering directly into his Soul room from it. He’d likely need to finish that bottle-if they didn’t together which was highly likely-or get a new one to down so that he could sleep soundly tonight. There was a gentle brush across the link he shared with Ryou as his Hikari reminded him of his existence, but there were no words. His Hikari knew when to leave him alone. He had learned a long time ago not to continue to pester him when he was beinnorenored.

‘No one else would know even if you hadn’t told me to stay quiet’ Yami thought at Bakura as he raised the bottle. He wouldn’t say it aloud as that was already known and so didn’t need to be said. Bakura obviously wanted to make sure that it was very clear that this was between them and only them.

Pondering how Ryou knew about the whole damned thing if Bakura hadn’t told him, which he evidently hadn’t, Yami propped his arm onto his knee so that his posture was similo Bao Bakura’s as he brought the neck to his mouth. Just as the warm rim of the neck came to be level with his chin, Yami’s mind suddenly started snapping ostensibly random words together. It was as if a switch had been flipped and now his mind was putting together some unknown pieces as quickly as possible. It was like word association without any active thought on his part
‘
‘No one knowing, knowing, mortals, knowing…’

The vodka had just started to make a new sizzling patwn hwn his throat when all the pieces *clicked*. ‘The other duellists-at the registration office-their faces…’ Coughing as he inhaled with wide eyes, he vaguely felt Bakura take the bottle from him and start slamming a fist between his shoulder blades as his mind scrambled through a flurry of thoughts. Breathing heavily, both from the noxious fluid that had threatened to drown him and the shock of his realization, Yami stared up at Bakura with large eyes set in a pale face.

Sensing that something important had happened and that Yami had not just started choking for no reason, Bakura frowned down at him from where he stood. “What? Tape calling to you?”

“They know,” Yami replied quietly as if saying it aloud had made the knowledge concrete, standing on shaking legs like a new-born dear and placing a hand on the table to support himself. His nose crinkling as he frowned, he glared down at the covered tape before snapping his head around to face Bakura who was watching him intently, his slightly hazed mind trying to figure *who* exactly knew *what*.

“They *bloody* know.”

“Yami, what-”

“At the registration office a few days ago, the other duellists, they were staring at me strangely. I thought I was just being paranoid but they fucking *know*! Someone’s doing this. Whoever sent the tape is showing it to other people. Ra, what am I going to do?”

One hand had mindlessly gone to the scar on his shoulder as the other fisted at his forehead as he finished the words, crimson eyes clamping shut as the enormity of the situation hit him.

“Ra, people know. I can’t go outside anymore; too many know. Hell, it could be one of *them* doing this to me... And now with the Tournament…”

Before Yami’s thoughts could take him any further, strong hands moved to his forearms and pried his physical shield away from him. Careful not to close in against him with his chest or face just yet, the other spirit made sure not to curl his fingers anywhere near Yami’s wrists. That would be too much like manacles or bindings. But even as careful as he was being, Bakura wasn’t going to let hide ide this time. He wasn’t going to let him hide from the world.

“Yami,” the paler spirit began, finally lowering his face so that his eyes were level with Yami’s, not that the other spirit seemed to have any intention of opening them any time soon. As as tas the trembling other was struggling meekly against his grip.

Despite his wiry frame Yami was still quite strong. Bakura was stronger of course, years of struggle ensuring strength to fight or to bolt, but he was still finding it difficult to pray Yami’s arms away from him. He had to be careful too; he couldn’t make this feel like an attack or restraint. Repeating his name a second time, he was relieved to feel some of the resistance against him go. Not all of it as Yami was still far too anxious to be anywhere near relaxed, but enough for Bakura to force open the shield to a satisfactory degree.

“Yami, I- shit, I get that this is hard for you, but it’ll be alright. I’m going to help you- me, your Hikari, the Wonder-Pup and everyone else, so you’re not on your own with this one. And I *swear* that I will find whoever is doing this and make them *beg* me for death. Now look at me and tell me that you’re going to be strong. If you hide away now it’s going to slowly destroy you, that I promise you now,” Bakura said firmly, his grip not lessening in the slightest despite the fact that Yami had ceased struggling entirely partway through those words.

His eyes finally opened and met Bakura’s uncertainly, doubt and fear lurking in their depths. He couldn’t make a promise like that; he wasn’t strong enough.

“You’re friends will lend you strength, if you *let* them,” Bakura added as if sensing Yami’s doubts. He waited long seconds until Yami nodded slightly before grunting his approval and stepping back slightly. Yami couldn’t help but quirk an eyebrow minutely at the change in attitude. It was on extremely rare occasions that Bakura acted this considerate and the Tomb Raider was obviously feeling a little uncomfortable about it.

Bakura’s hands lingered uncertainly for a few moments about his forearms, something that Yami was surprised to acknowledge he wasn’t overly bothered about, before he returned them to his sides. Looking around in a somewhat awkward manner, Bakura reached towards the desk and picked up the Vodka bottle and the tape still bundled in the shirt, holding both in Yami’s plain sight as he stared silently.

“I’m going to take these with me, and I’m going to talk to Yugi and Joey. Honda and the bitch can piss off if they think I’m telling them anything myself though. I think you’ve had enough drink for tonight and I’m not letting this fucking thing stay in this house with you for another night. I’ll come by tomorrow morning after the Ring sorts out my hangover and we’ll do some more meditation, alright?”

Yami met the cool gaze and gave a bare perceptible nod before turning his eyes down to the heavy weight about his neck. Reaching a hand up, he fingered the pointed tip of the bottom of the Puzzle idly, waiting for Bakura to continue speaking or leave. His eyes snapped to the bundle of clothing under Bakura’s arm briefly and his jaw tightened. He wanted the tape to stay with him until he could figure it out. He almost needed it to stay, but Bakura was adamant that taking it away was better for him. And whatever Bakura wanted he usually got in the end. If it was anyone else taking the only clue to all of this that he had he would fight for it tooth and nail. But he wouldn’t win against Bakura so there was no point in trying.

Deciding that he couldn’t do much else tonight whilst Yami absorbed this new revelation, Bakura dropped the bundled-cassette into his bag and screwed the cap back onto the bottle before putting that in too. Standing with the strap over one shoulder, he regarded Yami who had yet to move thoughtfully before turning and striding out of the room. He had a hand on the doorframe when he glanced back for a second, in doing so taking in Yami’s tired and pale features as he stood in exactly the same position he had left him in. Feeling a sharp swell of compassion flood through him, Bakura resisted the urge from rolling his eyes at his own behaviour before returning to his former position opposite Yami and raised a hand slowly to the other’s temple.

Yami looked up at him silently, his mind ceasing from turning and twisting the new realisation for a moment in curiosity although his body still felt like it was full of water and cotton wool. Bakura seemed to think for a moment before making his offer, speaking in as soft tones as he could manage.

“Would you rather me knock you out so you can sleep tonight?”

Bakura didn’t want to push that offer, as it would mean Yami having to put a tremendous amount of trust in him, and with the other spirit’s emotions so tumultuous that could prove impossible. He knew that Yami trusted him but emotions were without thought or logic and had a dandy habit of getting in the way at times. If Yami feared that he would do something to him, even in the most irrational part of his mind, whilst he slept, then this wouldn’t work.

Yami didn’t even consider the vulnerability he would be bestowing upon himself, only seeing the escape that this action would grant him, nodding sharply immediately before murmuring a thanks. He felt drainehysihysically and emotionally, and wanted nothing more than sleep at the moment. Blinking in mild astonishment, Bakura suppressed any other outward signs of his surprise at the acceptance to his offer and shifted the strap on his shoulder to free his arm more.

Not bothering to undress, Yami lowered himself onto the bed over the covers and watched as Bakura moved to stand over him. A slender hand came to his forehead and pressure was applied through the pads of Bakura’s fingers before the flesh became warm. Magic coiled in a light haze about the tips of the Tomb Raider’s fingers and trickled into the aura of the other spirit, lazily spreading over the tense body. The comforting feeling swept through Yami like honey, viscous and warm, stealing away his strength as it passed over and through him. There were a few seconds when he felt the sickeningly awful sensation of falling before blackness wiped away all thought he he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Retracting his hand from Yami’s cool skin, Bakura stood watching in silence before shaking his head slightly to clear his mind. Scowling at the warm light leaking in through the window, he snapped out a hand and drew the curtains closed, blocking out the sight of the slowly setting sun and leaving the ron wan warm darkness. Taking a final glance about the shadows, Bakura turned on his heel and strode out with silent footsteps. Catching sight of Sugoroku leaving another room at the end of the hallway, he stared at him firmly as he closed the door behind him. The elder man nodded slightly, his expression unreadable, before moving towards the stairs.


Bakura hesitated a few seconds before he started down the stairs himself, and with a slightly annoyed sigh relented to Ryou’s cautious mental nudges by removing the barriers he had erected against him. Concern and curiosity were the first and only things he registereot iot intending to bother sifting through the different thoughts and feelings flowing into his mind from his lighter half. Walking into the living room where Yugi, Joey and Ryou were sat, Bakura resigned himself to staying for a little while longer before leaving to drink himself into oblivion. He dimly heard sounds in the kitchen and so presumed that the eldest Motou had gone in there. He fleetingly considered going out and saying something to him, but he had no idea what he could say or if he was even the right person to say it. That and the fact that the smell of vodka on his breathe wasn’t going to be very reassuring.

After getting over the necessary task of telling the three teens about the tape’s exposure and partially answering their questions concerning Yami’s ‘condition’, Bakura rested his head back against the back of the chair and closed his eyes with a barely audible sigh. Joey and Yugi started to talk between themselves, the topic of which was easy to guess but the words spoken so quietly that they were unclear. Ryou sat silently with his soft eyes fixed on his yami.

//Yami?// he pressed gently, sensing the tiredness leaking off the spirit’s aura.

//What is it Ryou?// The reply was not as brusque as he had intended it to be, weariness taking the edge off his tone. That meant that his Hikari would now have more confidence to ask him whatever he wanted. Bakura wasn’t entirely sure what he thought about that but decided that Ryou knew what not to say and when to stop so he wasn’t going to make him angry.

//I just wanted to make sure you’re alright// came the reply in soft tones, some hesitancy underlying the words.

//Just peachy. But Yami’s seriously fucked up at the moment and I’ve got a feeling it’s going to get worse before it gets better.//

//Please remember that you are not looking after him on your own, Yami. I don’t want to see you get hurt over all of this.//

Bakura’s eyes snapped open and he raised his head to stare in mild surprise and anger at his Hikari from where he sat, the fact that Ryou knew more than he had originally let on about his own assault. He had believed that his Hikari just knew that it happened and no more than that, but the way he was speaking now gave reason to believe that he knew things that he shouldn’t.

//You and I are going to have a long talk when we get home// he stated firmly after a few seconds.

Ryou nodded slightly as he bit his lower lip. He didn’t want to speculate on how that conversation was going to go, but he was worried about Bakura as well as Yami and Yugi at the moment. He wanted his yami to know that he was offering his support for what had happened to him, and he finally had come up with the courage to tell Bakura that een een some of the memories.

It had been some weeks ago, possibly because of everything that had been happening at the time, but it was clear that they had not been mere dreams from his yami. Bakura obviously wanted those memories left unknown and unseen, and now that Ryou had seen them as well as knew about what had happened, they needed to talk about it. And he also wanted to make sure that Bakura’s intimate knowledge of this type of situation wasn’t going to make things harder for Yami instead of better.

//You’re not pushing him too fast, are you? He’s not as strong as you and if you try to help him recover too fast he might not be able to take it.//

//Damnit Ryou I know what I’m doing! I’ve done this before and I know that the sooner he gets his head back together the sooner he’ll be more-//

//- resilient? Stronger? Less defenceless? Yami, he has us to help him. He doesn’t need to rely solely upon himself and his own strength. I am sorry that you had to and I wish that you had told me so that I could do something to help, but the fact that you didn’t means that you had a completely different experience to what Yami-Yugi is having now.//

Bakura opened his mouth to respond to that with sharp words but snapped his jaw shut again instead. It wasn’t often that Ryou stood up to him about anything, so when he did it meant that he truly believed in what he was saying and that meant that it was usually worth listening to. He’d think over his Hikari’s words rather than snap over them.

Deciding that it was time to leave, he picked up the bag as he stood and said nothing as he strode out of the house, leaving Ryou to blink at his retreating back. After a few moments of silence down the bond, Ryou breathed a sigh of relief in the knowledge that his yami was going to think about what he had said instead of discarding his words. He had been worried about this ever since ra sra started getting so involved with Yami. It didn’t bother him, in fact he was pleased that Bakura felt so passionate about helping the other guardian. He was just concerned that this was going to make some old memories that Bakura didn’t want to think about resurface.

But there was little he could do about that for the moment. He would talk to his yami and keep a careful eye on the situation. Yugi was worrying himself sick over Yami and Ryou didn’t want to see his own yami adversely affected whilst helping. Bakura was his priority and he didn’t want him to get hurt.


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