A Dark Chance.
Some Time Alone.
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You lied to me, you stupid boy!!”
All eyes in
the room went to Nenet, as she jerked forward. Dropping her knife, she reached
across to grab Ryou by the forearm. The boy let out a soft, whimpering cry;
she’d grabbed right over the huge, bloody slash in his arm. Jerking him to his
feet (Ryou whimpered again), she began to drag him backwards over the altar.
Ryou’s body seemed limp, and somehow powerless, and he couldn’t stop himself
from being dragged.
“Don’t
touch him.”
The voice came from the middle of the room, and everyone stopped. Bakura had
lifted his head, and was glaring at Nenet. There was a dangerous fire in his
eyes, and Yuugi felt himself shiver a bit. In a few long steps, Bakura had
crossed the room, and his hand was clamped tight on Nenet’s wrist. Slowly, he
increased his grip, until the girl made a soft pain noise. Relinquishing her
hold on Ryou’s arm, she backed away, up against the wall.
Bakura
lifted his foot; stepping onto the altar, and down the other side. His arm
pulled sideways, and Nenet was spun around. His other hand came down on her
back, pushing her against the stone wall of the room; still holding her arm
pinned behind her.
“Now… tell
me what you were doing to little Ryou, and what the fuck is going on.”
“Bakura!”
Atemu had pushed his way into the room, past Yuugi. His eyes were gleaming a
little, and his hands were clenched to fists. Behind him, Yuugi and Jou were
looking around anxiously. Jou’s hands were clenched to fists, but Yuugi just
looked scared.
Slowly, the white-haired man turned around. He kept his grip on Nenet, at
first, then his eyes rested on Atemu. For a moment, he
frowned, as his eyes took in Yuugi behind him, then he finally smirked.
“Pharaoh,
so good of you to drop by.
Maybe you can give me some answers.”
“Let go of her first.”
Bakura’s smirk twisted a bit,
and he pulled on Nenet’s arm. The girl made a soft, whimpering, pain noise. Her
eyes were pressed shut, tight, but she wasn’t crying. Maybe she was tougher
than he’d thought. “Why should I? She was in charge of this ritual. Letting her
go would be stupid.”
“If you don’t let her go, we’ll-…” Atemu stumbled over his words,
back here.”
“I’ve got
no reason to listen to you.”
“… ‘
Yuugi blinked. So did Bakura. Both of them looked down. Ryou had evidently
recovered enough, because he was leaning across the altar. His bloody hand was
grabbing at Bakura’s sleeve, pulling it gently. The
smile on his face was weak, but joyful.
“… ‘
Staring
down at his light, Bakura’s face changed. He glanced,
briefly, at Nenet, before letting her go. Instead, he knelt, reaching out and
slipping an arm around Ryou. Tugging the boy closer to him, he pulled Ryou to a
halfway-standing position. The boy could stand, but only barely. The blood was
dripping freely out of his arm, and Yuugi wondered for a moment why he hadn’t
been passing out from blood loss when he underwent that treatment, only a day
ago. Who knows.
Watching Bakura’s treatment of Ryou made Atemu pause.
It was only a few inches away from tender. Glancing back at Yuugi, the two
shared a look.
It’s almost like…
‘Mm, I know.’
Bakura might…
‘Care about Ryou? Probably.’
Yuugi
blinked. He’d expected a ‘no’. The idea that Bakura could care deeply for
anyone was hard to swallow. Even as he thought this, Atemu gave him a soft
smile.
and hikari, Aibou. They are meant to be close. Very
close.’
For a
moment, it didn’t register. Then, as it occurred to him what Atemu was saying,
Yuugi flushed a brilliant red.
“Was this
your idea, Hikari?”
The group looked back up at the two white-haired boys on the altar. Ryou was
nestled into Bakura’s arms, and the expression on his
face was calm. He felt safe with Bakura, which was something no-one else in the
room could understand. At the question, he gave a brief nod, sinking back
against his yami.
“I couldn’t… it hurt… not having you with me, ‘
Bakura’s eyes narrowed, but it wasn’t out of suspicion.
The Thief looked quietly shocked. As his eyes ran over Ryou’s body, he caught
sight of the boy’s left arm. Blood had soaked into the sleeve, and was still
flowing freely. Frowning, Bakura’s arm went down, and
he picked Ryou clean up off the floor, bridal-style. Shooting glares that
promised death to anyone that got too close, he barely
paused as he walked through the trio at the door. Everyone was staring at him
with wide eyes.
The door stayed
open, as they walked out of sight, and Nenet was heard to curse, loudly.
Looking up at her, Atemu’s eyes narrowed.
The girl
was standing straight, now, and had picked up her knife. She was muttering
darkly to herself, in Egyptian. Through Atemu, and his own limited
understanding, Yuugi could understand her easily enough.
“The little bitch lied to me. I trusted
him and he lied… but we’ll see…” Raising her skirt, she used it to wipe
Ryou’s blood off the knife. Putting it back in the small sheath on her belt,
she raised her eyes to look at Atemu, and the rest. As she looked, a grin
spread across her face. At first, she walked. But as she neared the door, and
the trio didn’t move, she broke into a run. Pushing past Jou in her haste, she
escaped out of the door.
“Hey! HEY! Get back here! We ain’t done with you yet!” Jou broke into a run
after her. He made it just outside the door, but as Atemu reached it, the door
slammed shut with a loud bang.
“What-…
Atemu’s heart fell when he noticed there was no handle on the inside of the
doorway. It was a sheer, dark rectangle in the wall, with no way to open it.
Throwing all his weight into it, Atemu cursed loudly when, not only didn’t it
move, but pain shot through his shoulder. Pulling away, he turned instead to look
around the room. He couldn’t see another way out. All he could see was Yuugi,
staring at him with big, anxious eyes.
“Yami… why can’t you open the door?”
Atemu looked at his hikari, and felt a wash of
resignation. Sighing, quietly, he sank down onto his butt on the floor, with
his back against the wall. “There is no door handle, Aibou. I am afraid we are
stuck in here, until Jounouchi comes back.”
Yuugi made
a soft noise of disappointment, sinking to his knees. Turning, he looked around
their prison desperately. He couldn’t find anymore of a way out than Atemu had
been able to, and the thought made his heart sink.
“But… it
might take Jou hours to realise we’re still back here. You know how he
sometimes…”
“Mm.” Atemu leaned back, resting his head against the
wall. His eyes slid shut, and he took a deep breath. Yuugi stared at him,
slightly surprised.
be able to figure out everything. There has to be a way, right?
at him, a little harshly. Yuugi regretted saying anything, when the answer came
back;
‘Then, I am sorry I am a disappointment
to you, Yuugi.’
His heart
sank when he heard Atemu’s thoughts. It sank even farther when the Pharaoh
pushed away from the wall and stood up; crossing the room to sit on the other
side. His back was turned to Yuugi, and the mind-link was silent. Yuugi felt
his heart give a little tug.
had to be without you, you aren’t allowed to sulk about this!
Atemu
didn’t even respond. Yuugi felt a twinge of irritation, and stood up. Crossing
the room in a few decisive footsteps, he knelt behind Atemu. There was a
moment’s pause, and he suddenly threw his arms around the Pharaoh’s shoulders.
Atemu’s
body went oddly rigid, and Yuugi took encouragement from not getting pushed
away. Shifting position a bit, he moved his arms a little further around his
Yami, and even went as far as to bury his face against the other one’s neck and
shoulder. Atemu smelled pleasantly of spices and sand, and normal, human sweat,
under all that. It was a comforting smell, even though he’d never smelled it
before.
You never disappoint me, Yami.
The Pharaoh
felt like he was burning up. The arms around him had just plain surprised him,
but as Yuugi’s face grew nearer, he’d begun to feel the boy’s breath on his
skin. It sent pleasant shivers down his spine. Soon, Yuugi’s lips were inches
from his neck, and his warm breath was against his ear. It felt like his skin
was tingling, in a pleasant way. When he thought he had disappointed his
it was suddenly beating harder than ever.
being ridiculous.’
was taking great care to keep his thoughts pure and empty. Devoid
of anything suspicious. ‘I know
that I don’t disappoint you…’
He felt
Yuugi frown before he saw it. When the arms loosened from around his shoulders,
and Yuugi pulled away, Atemu let out an involuntary sigh of relief. It came too
soon, however, as Yuugi merely moved around to sit directly in front of the
Pharaoh. His face was set with determination, and only a few inches away.
“What’s with you? ‘Yuugi’, and not ‘Aibou’? And
there’s something weird about you right now… You’ve been acting funny all day.”
Yuugi shook his head. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
Atemu gazed at the smaller boy with disbelief. He’d tried so hard to hold back
his feelings, but somehow forgotten how impossible that was with Yuugi. Shaking
his head, Atemu found himself studying his hikari’s
face while he talked; looking at the line of his mouth, and the edge of his
nose, and the thick set of eyelashes around those beautiful eyes. He’d never
taken the time to look, before, but Yuugi really did look like a girl, in a
way. All feminine prettiness.
“I’m… sorry. It’s just…” He paused, to lick his lips, before finally deciding
to lie, “… This mess, with Bakura coming back, it’s-…”
“You’re lying!” Yuugi’s face had
flushed a bit where he was getting angry. Tears were even starting to gather in
his eyes. “Why won’t you tell me? You’ve only been back a few days and you’re
keeping secrets! Yami!” The tears welled up a bit
more, as Yuugi’s frustration reached a peak.
Despair was
growing in the pit of his stomach, as he watched Yuugi start to cry. Desperate
for any way to stop the tears, Atemu reached out. His hand curled around
Yuugi’s cheek, and the boy went still. Moving his thumb, he brushed it across his
cheek, soothingly. His other hand moved down to curl around his waist. Drawing
Yuugi closer, Atemu acted without thinking. The hand on Yuugi’s cheek tilted
his face back, and Atemu moved to meet it. They kissed, and Yuugi’s eyes were
wide with shock. Atemu’s were shut, tight, in case he realised what he was doing.
The kiss
was light, and stayed that way. Distantly, Atemu noted that Yuugi’s mouth
tasted vaguely of peaches, which he’d had for lunch that day. Yuugi wasn’t in
any right mind to notice anything so subtle. When the kiss broke, Atemu didn’t
hesitate. Pulling Yuugi forward, he settled the other boy in his arms.
“If it was
a secret I could share with you, little one, I promise, I would. But, as it is,
I do not even understand this myself. Making you understand something I myself
do not have a grasp on is beyond my skill. I’m sorry.”
Yuugi stayed stiff in his Yami’s arms. He’d been kissed, his first kiss. He’d
come dangerously close to kissing Anzu, about a year ago, but it had never
happened. Now, here, trapped in his dismal little room, his Yami had kissed
him. Yuugi waited for the rush of guilt, or wrong-feeling, or even the urge to
slap Atemu. It didn’t come. All he could feel was a warmth
in the pit of his stomach. The feeling of Atemu’s mouth was still fresh on his
lips, and he felt like he wanted to touch his mouth. He didn’t. Instead, he
slowly eased his arms around Atemu’s waist, and relaxed in the embrace.
They’d
hugged before, but this felt different, now. A hug is friendly enough, but a
hug and a kiss? It was about then, Yuugi realised his heart was racing. A blush
was, also, gradually burning through his cheeks. Shutting his eyes, tight, he
nuzzled into Atemu’s chest a bit harder.
fine. I’m fine.
The
honest truth. As
he thought it, Yuugi felt his heart skip a beat. He’d just admitted to liking
being kissed by Atemu.
For a few moments, he waited, but no reply came. Slowly, he forgot that he’d
wanted a reply. He just dozed there, in Atemu’s arms. After a while, he felt
his eyelids beginning to feel heavy. It was beautifully warm, cuddled into
Atemu’s arms, and the room had a kind of heat to it. Seemed
suitable, with the Egyptian theme. It only took a few moments, and eventually,
Yuugi felt himself slip softly, smoothly, to sleep.
---
(“Meanwhile, thousands of miles away.”)
“…’
going…?”
“You’ll find
out.”
Bakura’s voice was harsh and brief. He and Ryou were
proceeding down a street that Ryou didn’t recognise. Bakura apparently did,
because he kept walking, and his steps were firm and determined. The pair had
been in almost complete silence since they’d left Nenet’s house. Ryou was
groggy from blood loss, but content, resting in Bakura’s
arms. Bakura himself was just shocked.
Finally,
the taller boy turned off the road. Weeds and unruly grass got trodden
underfoot as he fought his way through an overgrown garden. Bits of his
clothing kept getting caught on spiky, overgrown bushes, but he didn’t notice.
His attention was on keeping Ryou tucked in, close, so he didn’t get scratched
or caught.
To Ryou, it
seemed like a small lifetime until they got through the garden. When they
reached the house in the middle, all Ryou could register was that it was small.
Small, and incredibly broken down. Bakura kicked the door open with one boot,
because there was no lock. Inside, the house was furnished, barely. The couch
looked old, but not broken. Laying Ryou down on it, he uncurled his
door.
“Bakura?!”
“I’m only shutting the door. Don’t overreact.”
“Oh… okay…”
Bakura’s face was set in a half-glare. Fitting the
door back in place – one of the hinges was broken, and the actual lock was gone
– he came back towards where Ryou was lying on the couch. When he came back
into view, the smaller boy’s face turned into a calm smile. This annoyed him.
The idea that Ryou should smile when looking at him was not something he would
have planned. Not knowing what to do now, he settled for sitting firmly in an
armchair. His eyes rested on the other side of the room, firmly away from Ryou,
and the source of his current confusion.
For a
while, nothing happened. Then, Ryou’s voice came quiet.
“…
Bakura stiffened in his chair, but didn’t respond.
“
‘K-…
A thin hand
grabbed at his sleeve, tugging it very gently. Reacting immediately,
Ryou’s wrist, he shoved the other boy away. His voice came out in a growling
rush; “Don’t touch me, you little
bitch!”
Everything
went quiet. Staring at Ryou, Bakura felt a soft weight in his stomach as the
other boy let out a whimper of pain, reaching for his sleeve. The weight turned
to lead, as Bakura looked at his own hand, and found it covered with blood.
He’d jerked Ryou away by his injured arm. Regret and anxiety flooded his mind,
and when he spoke again, his voice was soft.
“I’m… sorry. Are you okay?”
“M-mm…” The small boy’s eyes were filled with tears. Both of his hands were
shaking as he peeled back his sleeve. Every tiny inch of fabric being pulled
away seemed to cause pain, because he kept up a quiet whimpering. Bakura felt
his heart sink unnaturally. Reaching out, his hand took hold of the underside
of his hikari’s arm; the uninjured side.
“We need to bandage that.”
Ryou looked up at him, his eyes shining with tears. Slowly, he gave a gentle
nod, then looked down again. With the boy’s arm in his
hand, Bakura could feel that he was shaking. Not just visibly in his arms, but
a light tremor through his whole body. Inwardly, he sighed.
Shifting closer, he moved to sit beside Ryou on the couch. Drawing the boy’s
arm over his lap, he reached back. Pulling off his long, black coat, he turned
it upside down. Grabbing the bottom hem, he grabbed the edge, and finally tore
a long strip of black material off. Next to him, Ryou flinched a bit, at the
tearing sound. He flinched, yet again, when Bakura put the material on his
skin. He never pulled away, however.
Slowly,
after three or four pieces of torn fabric, Ryou’s forearm was as bandaged as it
was going to get. The blood soaked through in places, and it wasn’t very neat,
but it was doing what it was meant to. Bakura stayed silent throughout the
whole treatment, even though his hands were getting progressively covered in
blood. Once it was finished, he just turned to the side. Leaning back on the
couch, he raised his arms; spreading them along the back of it and looking
firmly at the other side of the room.
“There, that should do you.”
He swore he could feel Ryou smiling, somehow. In his mind, as if he was looking
at him, but he wasn’t. Batting the feeling away as part of his imagination, he
concentrated on a very interesting piece of peeling paint on the other side of
the room.
“Thank you, ‘
boy moved to rest his head against Bakura’s chest.
Seeing the other boy begin to get up, he pouted a bit; wrapping his arm around
the Thief King’s middle. Shutting his eyes tight, he held on.
Bakura was amazed. The fact that he could’ve broken Ryou’s grip easily, didn’t
even occur to him. Settling back, he finally, awkwardly, moved one arm.
Wrapping it around Ryou’s back, he felt a tiny scrap of satisfaction, as the
warm body next to him made an approval noise.
For a moment, they just sat there, holding each other. Then,
“The hell are you doing that for, anyway?”
When Ryou spoke, his voice had a smile in it. “I missed having you with me, ‘
when you were there, but then you left. I missed you so much, and it was so
bad… if there was a chance at bringing you back, I had to have it.” To
into his yami, just a little. “Now you’re here… I
don’t care if you hate me, or shove me away. I want to be as close to you as I
can.”
Bakura
breathed out, heavily. The arm on Ryou’s shoulder tensed, then
slid around the boy’s back a bit harder. Making a quiet, annoyance noise, he
closed his eyes and leant his head back against the couch.
“… You’re always such a woman, or just when I’m listening?”
Ryou’s
heart sank, but only a bit. He didn’t reply. Above him, Bakura made another
annoyed noise, but brought his other arm down. There was something nice about
having his small hikari cuddling close. Grunting once,
his voice was back at normal volume when he spoke.
“The Pharaoh and his little gang are gonna be looking for me, I bet. This is
going to be pretty interesting.”
with this chapter, so I might have to fix it. Thanks for the reviews,
quick question. I need to follow Jou (And Kaiba), Yami and Yuugi, and Bakura
and Ryou in the next few chapters, but who should I focus on? Let me know what
you’d prefer.)