The Path of Vengeance

Author: zehlyah
Archived: Nope. Ask first :)
Summary: Same
Rating: NC17
Pairings: Many
Feedback: Of course :)
Characters: Pretty much everyone from the series
Beta’s: Me and mrdabean
Author Notes: This is a very dark and very serious story. Don't bitch at me if it offends you, this is you warning. :)
Disclaimer: I don’t own YGO and make no money off this
THIS APPLIES TO ALL CHAPTERS OF THIS STORY


I'd like to dedicate this fic to the authors whose work has given countless hours of entertainment to me in the past. In particular: Shakster, MarikIshtar77, SecretSoul, and Ralphiere. You all kick ass.

**also a little side-note. I know the format bites so I will be fixing it up as soon as I can. In the meantime please bear with me and note that there are thoughts in here that should be italicized but have not been.

//yami to hikari//
/hikari to yami/
_______________________________________________________________________

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Consequence, coincidence, karma…it’s all the same in the end. Some might argue that the course of your life is predetermined by the powers that be. Others, like Bakura, believe that you take what little help that fate has decided to dish out and run with it, grabbing life by the short hairs and holding on for all you’re worth.

If you were to ask him, Bakura would tell you in no uncertain terms where you could shove your fate. Yet ever since his release from the Millennium Ring, a small seed of doubt had been growing. The concept of karma intrigued and terrified him at the same time. He was intrigued at the thought of those he disliked getting what they had coming to them in the end. It terrified him to think that he would be punished for all of his wrongdoings.

It had all started with Ryou. Before the spilt, Bakura had passed the time by rooting through his host’s thoughts and emotions. When he came to the boy’s views on good vs. evil he had to laugh. After all, he was an ancient tomb robber, one of the lowest of all castes in early Egyptian record, and nothing like that had happened to him.

It was that thought that had planted the doubt in his mind. Or, more accurately, it was the one that immediately followed it. If retribution had indeed passed over him, then why was he a prisoner of the Millennium Ring?

Well, suffice it to say, that very instant he began planning his escape from the ring and transfer into his own body. In the end, he took the Pharaoh’s cue and, along with Marik, duplicated his method successfully only to come face to face with his host, Ryou. That first meeting was a bit unsettling for the both of them. Ryou, of course, had received no warning of Bakura’s release and so upon seeing him in the flesh nearly fainted at the shock. Bakura had sneered at the teen’s obvious astonishment but was unnerved at the feelings his former vessel stirred in him. The need to protect his innocence. It appealed to him on the deepest of levels. Perhaps because he had none himself.

Though rocky, the first meeting resulted in Bakura having a place to stay and someone to cook his meals. He was now free to prepare his next plan…getting even with the Pharaoh.


In his mind’s eye, Yugi had it all. He had been crowned the King of Games, he lived with his grandfather, who ran a game shop, and he had the best friends in the entire world. But better than all of that combined, he had Yami.

Through the Millennium Puzzle, he had gotten to know and grown rather fond of its dark inhabitant. It was a bit unnerving at first for the boy to share his mind with the ancient spirit, but he had soon become accustomed to the presence of the Pharaoh and found himself welcoming their internal dialogue.

While he had been nervous about his darker half attaining a physical appearance, he knew that Yami needed the stability and realism that having his own form would offer. Much to Yugi’s surprise and delight, there wasn’t a moment of awkwardness between the pair when they first met face to face. Yami had pulled him into a crushing embrace, nearly squashing the life out of the boy.

They had spent the next few hours in constant conversation, both too excited to sleep despite the late hour. They laughed companionably at each rediscovery Yami made about his physique and eventually fell asleep in a tangled bundle on the sofa in the living room.

Things had only gotten better from that moment on. Though Yugi continued his life as it was before the split, going to school and such, he spent every free moment with Yami. As a result, he eventually succumbed to the fact that he was falling for the Pharaoh. He opted not to tell Yami of his feelings however. He didn’t know how the spirit would react and didn’t want to place any strain on their magnificent bond.

Yami however had taken it upon himself to play the father role with his light. Yugi had been the reason for his escape from the Millennium Puzzle. The boy had offered him friendship, trust, and now shelter. The reality of having a physical appearance was a lot to take in at once after having been nothing more than an ethereal form for so long. He felt nothing less than the utmost respect and admiration for the teen and refused to let any harm befall him.

Life with Yugi was exceedingly rewarding. Every waking moment was another of life’s lessons as Yugi awakened to the desires of his body and Yami rediscovered what it was like to have one.


Faint moonlight filtered through the curtains as the irritating drone of the alarm clock forced Ryou from a deep sleep. One arm reached out blindly and swatted at the offending device, silencing it after only a few tries. A low grumble near his ear reminded him that he was not alone. While Mr. Mutou may be aware and sympathetic about Yami living under their roof, he knew that his father would not understand. Fortunately for Ryou, his father came home only once a month for few days at a time. While he used to look forward to his father’s trips home, he now looked upon them with loathing and dread.

He thought back to the first time his father had come face to face with Bakura. Ryou had been in the kitchen with his father sharing breakfast when the telephone rang. Ryou excused himself to answer it and spoke to Joey only a moment about a homework assignment that was due the next day when the sound of Bakura shuffling down the stairs caught his attention. He quickly hung up the phone and made a mad dash for the hall, hoping to head Bakura off before he reached the kitchen, but he was too late. His steps came to a grinding halt in the doorway when he saw his other half stumble to the refrigerator and pull out a beer. The spirit popped the top and leaned over the sink, taking a long pull from the bottle before gazing at the dining room table. “Who’re you?” he had mumbled, struggling to focus through bloodshot brown eyes.

Both Ryou and his father shared the subsequent reaction to Bakura’s performance; their jaws hit the floor with a collective gasp. Ryou cringed and crept forward enough to take up a pen that rested on the small table in the entryway to the kitchen. With a heavenward glance and a flick of his wrist, he launched the pen, not at Bakura or his father, but at the window above the dining room table.

Just as Ryou had hoped, his father jumped up to peer out the window, giving him just enough time to dart silently into the kitchen, grab Bakura by the hand, and heave him through the doorway toward the stairs. He could hear his father calling his name but ignored him, opting instead to drag Bakura into his room.

“What the fuck is going on?” Bakura demanded, furious to have been hauled around by the boy.

“Bakura please,” Ryou begged in a hushed whisper. “It’s my father. He can’t know you’re here.” Bakura raised an eyebrow. “Please,” he repeated. “Just keep quiet until he leaves.”

Seeing himself with an advantage, Bakura took it. “What are you going to do for me?” he asked.

“Anything,” Ryou replied.

Bakura considered. “Fine,” he relented. “Go make nice with the old man. Keep him away from the front door. I'm going out.”

It had taken some careful planning and creative fast-talking but Ryou had managed to get Bakura out of the house and somewhat convince his father that the whole thing was a welcome home joke. It was Bakura’s demand in exchange for his silence that Ryou was having an even harder time with. He insisted that Ryou share his bed with him every night that his father was home. Sure, it didn’t sound like much, but add Ryou’s fear of the ancient tomb robber into the mix and you had a very nervous teen.

That night was the first that he shared sleeping space with his yami. To his utter amazement, it was not as big of an issue as he expected. A barely conscious and highly intoxicated Bakura had made his way home from drinking with Marik and snuck through the window of the bedroom, passing out the second his head hit the pillows. It happened every night that his father stayed home, three in total. When his father left, Ryou went back to his routine and Bakura to his.

Now his father had returned and Ryou lay in his bed, doing his best to keep from waking his dark half. It was a Sunday morning. Usually Ryou took the opportunity to sleep in on the weekends since he didn’t have school and Bakura didn’t awaken until nearly noon, having been out half the previous night. Unfortunately though, his father was an early riser and Ryou had to be awake and downstairs before his father came in and discovered his son asleep with a boy who was very nearly his double.

Ryou listened intently to the darkness, straining to catch any sign that his father was awake. All was silent. He lifted a corner of the blanket and tried to slide out from under it, but Bakura’s strong grip around his waist prevented his movement. His body tensed. He could feel the blush rush into his cheeks and hoped the spirit couldn’t hear his pounding heartbeat. “Bakura?” he whispered. “Are you awake?”

“No,” came the tired reply.

Ryou paused. “Bakura?” he repeated.

“What?” A hint of irritation seeped into the groggy voice of his yami as the thief snuggled further into the warmth of his light.

A beat. “I have to get up.”

Bakura let out a sigh of annoyance and pulled away. “Go then.” A heavy silence passed. “I thought you were leaving,” Bakura prompted, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Ryou sat up quickly. “Yeah,” he said. “I didn’t mean to wake you up, sorry.”

“You should be,” Bakura replied, immediately sprawling out over every square inch of the bed the second Ryou stood up.

Shaking his head, Ryou gathered up his clothes and moved to the bathroom, changing quickly before brushing his hair and teeth. He made his way silently downstairs and began breakfast.



“I call upon my Summoned Skull to attack your life points directly,” Yami stated triumphantly.

“Damn,” Yugi replied uncharacteristically as he mentally counted his life points down to zero. “You win again.”

The pair sat on the floor in Yami’s room, their cards spread out between them. Yami sat against the bed, Yugi directly across from him. It was the second game of the morning and Yami had won both times. “Time to pay up,” the Pharaoh said, picking up his glass and rocking it back and forth, causing the ice cubes to rattle together.

Yugi rolled his eyes and stood up, making a grand gesture of bowing at Yami’s feet as he took the glass. “Would you prefer the yellow or the pink lemonade, my liege?” he said with mock sarcasm.

“Yellow, of course,” Yami replied, forcing a straight face.

Yugi rolled his eyes and retreated to the kitchen, filling Yami’s glass as well as his own. He returned to see Yami shuffling his deck. “Again?” he questioned.

“That’s up to you, hikari,” Yami replied with a laugh. “You’re the one having to pay up each time.”

“Forget it,” Yugi replied. “I know when I'm beat.”

Yami laughed and placed his deck in its protective pouch. “Now what?” he asked.

Yugi gathered up his cards and set them in front of Yami. “One chance,” he said. “Whoever has the card with the strongest attack power wins.”

Yami raised an eyebrow. “Deal. What are the stakes?”

“Loser has to go to the store for more snacks,” Yugi laughed.

Yami grinned. “You go first.”

Yugi took a deep breath and carefully cut the cards. “Beaver Warrior,” he stated.

“Not bad,” Yami replied. “But I think I can do better.” He closed his eyes and picked up nearly half of the deck. Without looking, he held the card up for Yugi. “Dark Magician,” he predicted. “I win.”

Yugi’s mouth dropped open. “You cheater!” he cried.

Yami laughed. “I am not.”

“Are so!” Yugi replied. He snatched the cards from Yami’s grasp and set them carefully aside before tackling the Pharaoh. “Cheater, cheater, cheater,” he chanted, tickling the surprised Yami. Noting the spirit’s failed response he stopped his assault and looked down into the crimson eyes of the boy beneath him.

Yami’s initial response to Yugi’s playful attack was to tickle back. He just hadn’t counted on how it would be to once again experience the feeling of another lying on top of him.

“Yami? Are you alright?”

Yami paused a moment, trying to get his bearings. It didn’t work. “S-sure…” he stammered.

Yugi grinned, catching on to Yami’s predicament. “Are you sure?”

Yami’s face turned a deep shade of red as he averted his eyes. “Uh huh…”

“Yami, are you home?”

The pair squealed and the smaller jumped up, diving behind the bed. Yami stood up and opened the door a crack, peering out. “Yes,” he replied.

Grandpa’s eyes twinkled. “Guess what came in tooodaaaayy…” he sang.

Yami wrinkled his brow. “What?”

Grandpa gestured in the direction of the shop’s back room. “The new edition of the duel monsters booster packs!”

Yami smiled at the man. Mr. Mutou had indeed tried very hard to make the Pharaoh feel welcome. “I’ll be there in just a minute,” he promised.

Grandpa rubbed his hands together in excitement. “Don’t be long,” he said, setting off down the hallway.

Yami closed the door and let out a shaky breath. “Yugi,” he began. “Are you alright?”

The small boy stood up from behind the bed. “I'm okay,” he replied, walking over to Yami’s waiting embrace. “Are you?”

Yami nodded. “I’d better get out there before he comes back.” He smiled at his light. “And you had better get to the store,” he laughed.

“Cheater,” Yugi replied. He smiled up at the spirit and started toward the door. “I'm sorry,” he said quietly.

“Don’t be,” Yami replied. He smiled gently. “Be careful out there.”

Yugi grinned and snuck out of the room, casting a lustful glance at his dark before shuffling downstairs.


Ryou sat on the sofa next to his father, his fingers restlessly twisting together as he tried his best to pay attention to the elder man’s words though his thoughts were elsewhere.

Bakura was holding me while we slept. It had been the source of his distraction throughout the entire day. He’d never been held by the spirit…unless being held down and hit counted. He wasn’t used to that manner of physical contact. Especially from Bakura.

Ryou himself had never been with anyone. In truth, he’d only been on one date and that was with Yami. The pharaoh had asked him to dinner and a movie not long after he had acquired his own body and before his deal with Bakura regarding his father’s weekends home. Ryou was beyond flattered and had accepted. He even had an amazing night with the spirit. Yami was the perfect gentleman, opening doors and offering to order for them both when Ryou had a hard time choosing among all of the gourmet food he’d never heard of, let alone eaten. Conversation had flowed easily and sparks were flying rampantly between the pair.

After dinner they had taken a long walk through the streets of Domino, both working off the filling meal and killing time before the movie was to start. Ryou had found the spirit so easy to talk to and before he knew what was happening he had revealed nearly every aspect of his childhood to the man. There was something calming about the former pharaoh that Ryou couldn’t get enough of.

Yami, for his part, was riding high on cloud nine. In truth, he held the highest admiration for the teen. In his opinion, anyone who could live with Bakura had to possess both the utmost in patience and the maximum level of understanding. He felt a connection with the white haired teen and couldn’t get enough of his voice as he told the Egyptian his life story.

Halfway through the movie Yami had reached over in the darkness and taken Ryou’s hand, drawing it into his own, resting them on his knee. Ryou glanced up and saw something in those crimson eyes that he had never before seen in the eyes of his own yami: Respect. Needless to say, he was quick to accept Yami’s offer of a second date.

But it was not to be. Yami dropped him off in front of his house and delivered to him his first kiss, an experience Ryou knew he’d remember forever. Yami was quite sure of himself though ever conscious of Ryou’s reactions, only proceeding when Ryou’s small whimpers indicated that he was welcome to do so.

Ryou had walked inside with his head in the clouds and was unaware of Bakura’s brutal rage until the spirit had beaten him so severely that he was forced to spend three nights unconscious in the hospital and miss the following week of school.

On his third day home, when he was finally able to think clearly once the effects of the Morphine had worn off, he called Bakura into the room and was this close to telling his dark where to stick it and kicking him out but Bakura had knelt at his bedside and came as close to begging forgiveness that Ryou could ever hope to see. The thief had explained a tiny bit of his hatred for the Pharaoh, shed a few unprecedented tears, and pinned his subsequent reaction to Ryou’s date on it.

The confession brought about Ryou’s cancellation of the second meeting and his promise to never see the Pharaoh again. Even though there was nothing more that he wanted. Just another thing he was forced to give up at the insistence of his dark half.

He never told Yami why they couldn’t go out again. The Pharaoh hated Bakura enough as it was. There was no reason to enrage him further.

“Ryou, are you listening to me?”

Shit. “I'm sorry dad, what?”

“I said I’ll be gone this afternoon. I have to go to the museum and pick up my airline tickets for tomorrow.”

“Okay. I’ll be fine.”

“That’s my boy. Now help me find my keys.”


Bakura sat on Ryou’s bed in quiet contemplation. The only sound in the room came from the nearly inaudible music coming from the clock radio. He had gotten dressed and made a piteous attempt at making the bed before his train of thought rendered his conscious mind useless.

He found himself thinking, as always, of the Pharaoh. The spirit had been in his thoughts constantly since his split from his host and the thought of revenge just seemed to grow and grow every day. The more he thought of the Pharaoh and his numerous defeats to the pompous bastard, the more inferior he felt.

But all of that was about to change. Bakura had come up with a plan. A plan so cunning that he himself felt a shiver of fear down his spine as he worked out the details in his head.

But it’s brilliant; he thought silently, his excitement mounting. That fucking Pharaoh will never recover after I'm through with him.

He was jolted out of his scheming by the appearance of Ryou in the doorway. “He’s gone for the afternoon,” the teen said softly.

“Finally,” Bakura said, bounding off of the bed. He was pumped with energy to spare. Still though, he was well aware of his predicament. In order for his plan to work, he needed two things. Ryou on his side for when things went down and for the boy to know nothing of the details of his plan. He grabbed Ryou by the hands and spun him in a circle. “I'm in a damn good mood. Make me some lunch, hikari.” With that he fairly flew downstairs toward the kitchen.

Ryou stood rooted to the ground. What has gotten into him?

“Lunch won’t make itself!”

The teen blinked several times before moving down the stairs to where his yami waited. He went over to the refrigerator and peered inside. “What do you want to eat?” he asked.

“Anything,” Bakura replied, distracted. Something had caught his eye. And that something was Ryou. To be honest, it had been so long since he had lain with anyone that the bathroom tile was starting to look appealing. Sure, he’d had plenty of chance to screw around but he could not afford such distractions. His mind and reflexes needed to be razor sharp. Especially now. He wouldn’t let himself get that close to someone while the Pharaoh still drew breath. He couldn’t risk another life to the crimson eyed devil.
He knew also that the Ryou had the power, even if he was not aware of it, to once again imprison him in the Millennium Ring. Something that he knew the Pharaoh would disclose to the boy without a moments hesitation. He bristled at the thought of the bastard talking to his hikari. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy every second of his plan. His gaze returned to Ryou.

Such innocence. Bakura was losing the battle with himself for control of his body. He needed to put some space between him and his hikari. “I'm going to make a phone call,” he said, fleeing the room.

He ignored Ryou’s surprised stare as he picked up the phone in the next room. “Its Bakura…is everything ready…”


After Grandpa had gone to bed, Yugi crept to Yami’s room and stood just inside the door. “Yami, are you asleep?”

“No, I'm still awake.”

Yugi made his way carefully through the darkness to Yami’s bed and lay down beside him. “We need to talk,” he said softly.

“Oh?”

Despite the darkness, Yugi hid his face in Yami’s shoulder. “I don’t know what’s going on,” he stated honestly. “I’ve never felt this before.”

Yami’s eyes widened in the darkness as he began to understand his light’s dilemma. “What are you feeling?” he asked.

“I'm not sure,” the teen replied honestly. “I know I love you, I always have. But I think it’s turning into more than that.”

Yami thought a moment. “I love you too,” he replied gently.

Yugi leaned up to look at the Pharaoh. “Yami? Do you still have feelings for Ryou?”

A slow sigh escaped the spirit. “I do,” he admitted. “I'm sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry for how you feel,” Yugi responded. “You can’t help that.”

Yami hugged the teen tightly. “I don’t want to hurt you, Yugi. And I want you to know that I will always be here for you, regardless of what does or does not happen between Ryou and myself.”

“Thank you,” Yugi whispered, snuggling closer.

Yami held the boy tighter. “Anything for you, aibou. Anything.”


Alright, who is this and what did he do with Bakura?

Ryou sat on the sofa in silent fascination as Bakura rattled on a mile a minute about some of his exploits in ancient Egypt. After he had finished his phone call he was in the nicest, most vibrant mood Ryou had ever experienced and had spent the afternoon in constant chatter. The sun had just set when Bakura finished speaking.

“So that’s how I escaped the first Pharaoh’s tomb,” Bakura finished. He was on adrenaline overload. He and Kaiba had gone over and finalized his plan down to the last detail. He would finally have revenge on the Pharaoh who incarcerated him in the Millennium Ring so long ago.

The downside to his plan, the part he had yet to accomplish, was telling Ryou that he would be leaving indefinitely. He was no fool. He knew Ryou would be crushed when he heard the news. But he also knew that there was no way he could show his face in Domino after everything was said and done. In spite of himself, he’d begun to grow fond of his light and didn’t like the idea of leaving him alone. He was happy though to know that the Pharaoh would be in no shape to go anywhere near the teen.

Despite his own mental warnings, Bakura could not resist having some genuine fun with the boy before left tomorrow to execute phase one of his master plan.

“But enough of this,” he went on. “Let’s play a game.”

“A game?” Ryou repeated from his place on the sofa, visibly startled.

“Yes, a game.” Bakura stood up and walked slowly across the room, stopping directly in front of Ryou. He knelt down onto one knee, bringing himself to the boy’s level. Never breaking eye contact, Bakura slowly reached out and lifted the Millennium Ring from around Ryou’s neck. “We’ll see how good your skills are against mine. I'm going to hide the ring somewhere in the house. Don’t worry, it won’t be tucked into anything, it’ll be out in plain view. Then I’ll give you a two minute head start. If you can find the ring before I find you, then you get to request from me anything you wish. If I find you, I make a request of you. Sound like fun?”

Ryou struggled to keep up as his mind fought to process the information. “Sure,” he said with a half smile. “Although it sounds easy.”

Bakura winked at the boy. “You think so?” He walked to the hall closet and opened the door. A quick flip of the main circuit plunged the house into absolute darkness. “Go outside, hikari, so I can hide it. I’ll come get you when I'm done.”

Ryou stepped onto the front porch and expelled a lungful of air. He didn’t understand his yami’s sudden shift in mood, but was grateful for it nonetheless.

Realizing that he should really concentrate on the game, he went over Bakura’s instructions again. With a smile he noticed that the moon was barely a sliver in the night sky, providing very little light outdoors and virtually none inside. It would make finding the ring harder, but hiding from Bakura considerably easier.

“Ready.”

The voice behind him made him jump nearly two feet off the ground. “You scared me,” he said breathless.

Bakura leaned in close, his breath hot on Ryou’s neck. “You haven’t seen anything yet,” he whispered. “You’ve got two minutes.”

A shiver ran down Ryou’s spine as he let himself into the house. Two minutes, he thought. He ran his hand along the seat of the sofa and armchair as well as the television and coffee table. He rationalized that Bakura would not have placed it on the floor for fear of it getting stepped on. That ended the search of the living room.

He moved on to the kitchen, running his hands over the smooth countertops and in the sink. Coming up empty, he moved to the utility room. Aha, he thought triumphantly as he clicked on the pen-sized flashlight. He clicked it off immediately. Bakura will see the beam, he thought. He put the light in his pocket, saving it for later.

Just as he reached the staircase he heard the front door open. He froze, waiting for Bakura to close the door, thus eliminating any moonlight that might give away his position. After a lengthy pause he heard a slight bang followed by a soft curse coming from the kitchen. He took a silent breath and bounded up the stairs on his tiptoes, making no sound. Once he was safely in Bakura’s room with the door closed behind him, he turned on the small light and took a quick look at all of the surfaces in the room. Nothing. Damn.

He turned off the light and opened the door as silently as possible. Hearing nothing, he sneaked into the hallway and to his father’s room. A quick peek with the light revealed nothing. He quickly checked his room and the bathroom. The ring was in neither of them. It has to be downstairs, he thought. I must have missed it.

With a deep breath, he returned to the hallway and crept to the staircase. He could hear nothing from below. He slowly descended the staircase and stood in the living room. He thought he heard something coming from one of the rooms upstairs. He’s up there, he thought anxiously. I may have passed right by him!

Ryou trained his hearing to the staircase and heard nothing further. With a sigh, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the flashlight. He flicked it on and illuminated Bakura’s face directly in front of him. He screamed and dropped the light.

“Gotcha!”

Ryou braced himself against the wall and sucked in gulps of much needed oxygen. “Bakura…you…scared me…”

Bakura laughed and reached into the closet, restoring power to the house. The lights came on and both blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the brightness.

“Where is it?” Ryou asked when he had calmed down some.

Bakura grinned and led him to the front door. There, on the coat hook, hung the Millennium Ring. Ryou shook his head and lifted it from its resting place, securing it around his neck once again. “Okay, you-” He was cut off by the sound of his father’s car in the driveway. “Shit,” he whispered.

Bakura’s eyes widened in surprise. “Get upstairs.” He gave Ryou a shove and the pair shot up the staircase and into Ryou’s room. The sound of the front door closing filtered up to them. Bakura had no intention of spending his last night in the house by himself as his hikari entertained the old man. He tugged his shirt over his head as he toed off his shoes, kicking them under the bed. He stripped down to his boxers and shoved the clothes, along with Ryou, into the closet. “Stay there until I tell you to come out. And be quiet,” he commanded. Ryou nodded.

He closed the closet door, flipped the light off, and dove into the bed, pulling the covers over himself just as the door was pushed open. Ryou’s father came into the room and knelt next to the bed.

“Ryou,” he whispered. “My flight leaves at four in the morning.”

“Okay,” Bakura replied with a false yawn.

“I left some cash for you in the usual place. If you need anything, you know the numbers.” Bakura nodded. “I love you son.”

Oh, for the love of… “I love you too, dad. Have a safe trip,” he added for good measure. He waited a full five minutes after the man left the room before going to the closet and letting Ryou out, just to be on the safe side.

“Why did you do that?” Ryou asked when they settled side by side on the bed.

Bakura adjusted his pillow. “I have a request to claim,” he said with a chuckle.

Ryou smiled. “That you do. What’ll it be?”

Bakura shifted in his place. “Kiss me,” he stated.

“What?”

“Kiss me.”

Ryou turned to face the spirit. “Are you serious?”

Bakura met his gaze. “Have you ever known me not to be?”

A heated blush crept into the boy’s cheeks. “I can’t…”

Bakura rolled onto his side, looking down at his hikari. “You can,” he whispered. Before Ryou could protest, he brought his lips to the boy’s, kissing softly. When he met no resistance, the Egyptian pressed on, coaxing the warm mouth open with his tongue, beginning an exploration that rivaled anything he had experienced in his existence thus far.

Ryou, for his part, got over his shock fairly quickly. This was a side of Bakura…a side that was not causing him to bleed…that he wished would have been there from the start. He moaned involuntarily and leaned into his dark.

Bakura, having received all of the invitation he would need, deepened the kiss, sliding his arms around his light and pulling him closer, savoring the feel of the smaller boy beneath him. He broke off away and moved his lips to the hollow of Ryou’s throat, scenting him, tasting.

Ryou closed his eyes, struggling to reclaim control over his body. The feelings being caused by Bakura's ministrations caused a massive conflict with his emotions. "Bakura," he breathed, afraid of upsetting the moment, but equally petrified of its continuation. Bakura moaned in question, unwilling to stop his tender assault. He shifted position, tugging at Ryou’s shirt, removing the offending fabric from the boy’s body and bringing his lips to Ryou’s bare chest, causing a new round of sensations to rage through the boy's body. "Bakura," he whispered again as the sudden rush of adrenaline shot through him. His vision grew blurry, his head a massive whirlpool of confusion as he fought to regain control of the body that betrayed him, unsure whether or not to allow himself to completely surrender to the moment. Somehow a moment of clarity seeped through and he pulled back. “Bakura, stop.”

Bakura looked at him. “What’s wrong?”

Ryou took several deep breaths. “We shouldn’t do this.”

“Why not?”

Now how was he supposed to answer that? If he told the thief that on an emotional level he didn’t want to betray Yami he knew that he’d never leave the room alive. “I don’t know…”

Bakura ran a hand through his own hair, trying to distract himself. “Ryou, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?” Ryou asked, picking up on the tension in his yami’s voice.

“I'm not sure how to say this except to just come out with it. I’m leaving in the morning and I don’t know that I’ll be back.”

Ryou’s face twisted into a mask of horror. “What? No! You can’t! Why would you leave?”

“I have to, hikari.”

“No you don’t! Bakura, don’t leave me.”

Bakura chuckled. “I seem to remember a time when you couldn’t wait to be rid of me.”

Ryou stared up at his yami tearfully. “Bakura…please…”

Bakura groaned. This was going a bit too far. “I'm sorry, hikari. I have to go.”

“Take me with you.”

Bakura shook his head. “I can’t.”

“Where are you going?”

“I'm not going to tell you that.”

Ryou blinked. Sure if Bakura left he’d be able to again see Yami without fear of retribution but to lose the thief was to lose half of his soul. “I won’t let you go. You can’t leave like this.”

“Ryou, get hold of yourself. There was a time when I would have killed you had I thought that I could get away with it.”

“And now?” Ryou asked sorrowfully.

“Now doesn’t matter. You can’t go forgiving everyone who treats you like shit. I thought I taught you better than that.”

“Who I forgive is up to me.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying, Ryou. Stop acting out of fear and listen to your head.”

Ryou’s face clouded over. “If you leave me you’ll hurt me more than you ever could with your fists.”

Want to bet on that? Bakura pulled the boy into a tight embrace. “You don’t understand hikari. If I am to go on living in this world then I have to do this.”

Ryou’s eyes widened as he felt the sincerity in his yami’s words. He knew that he was beat. “Come back to me,” he pleaded.

Bakura groaned inwardly. “Is that what you want, Ryou?”

“Of course it is. You’re the other half of me.”

Bakura paused. “Very well. You have my word. If you still want me when I return then I will take you with me.”