Adult-FanFiction.org : Yu-Gi-OH

Anachronism	By : Ochodre Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Het - Male/Female Views: 4984 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh!, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Author's Notes: Oh boy, the first real mush starts cropping up. :O And angst. Don't worry, there will be plot soon! I swear.
For FFnet readers: The dream in question is up at the AFF version.
---
And if I don't make it known that

I've loved you all along

Just like sunny days that

We ignore because

We're all dumb and jaded

And I hope to god

I figure out what's wrong...

~ Our Lady Peace, "Four AM"
Bakura woke up and tasted pillow.
Her chest heaved against the mattress as she looked around, disoriented, teeth still dug into the fabric that should've been Ryou's shoulder. She was sweating under her blanket, though the apartment was dark and cool. Sleepy dizziness put her in a daze, and it took her a few moments to realize she had awakened from the dream. She let out a long sigh as she got her bearings, and winced at how breathy she sounded.
The blankets and sheets of her bed had been completely twisted around her, and she had knocked something off the bedside table. Bakura finally caught her breath and sunk back down into the mattress, still clinging to the pillow beside her.
That bizarre internal desire had crossed over from dream into reality, and the thief buried her face in her pillow in mortification. Despite her metaphysical history, Bakura was not much of a believer in gods, but she briefly prayed that none of the sounds she'd been uttering had also transcended her dream.
These worries were only the tip of a terrible iceberg of questions. It wasn't as if that had been the first time she'd had an erotic dream about her landlord, but it'd been the first time she dreamt she was both at all female and consenting. More than consenting. Wanting.
She had spent a long, pleasant day with her former host after Yugi had left. Ryou had briefly explained to her the things he had bought, that they could be put in her underwear and would stop the bleeding. He didn't know any more than that, so she was left to her own devices to figure out how to wear it. It was annoying at first, but the rest of the day was nice enough that it was hard for even her to remain irritated. He also gave her some tea, and it washed away the sick fatigue in her lower body.
They'd gone outside to enjoy the sunny day, and spent a lot of time loitering around the park. Lunch had been some delightfully greasy hamburgers, and they took a detour afterwards through the shopping district. Ryou had admonished her when he realized she was lifting something from every store they browsed, but they still stayed out walking around the city till after the sun had set. Bakura talked Ryou into spending money on renting videos and take-out Chinese, and they went home to enjoy the food and the horror films. Well, Bakura had liked them both, at least -- she was fairly certain Ryou much preferred the food.
The thief did not know what during the day or in her head at night had lead to carnal thoughts about the boy. The dreams had always been random before, and she supposed now was no different. Bakura cursed her body. If it hadn't been for the dream, it would've been almost a wholly wonderful day.
Now she didn't know if she could go back to sleep. Horrible nightmares she could face, she had dealt with those for three thousand years. Not only was she now too wound up to in ways she didn't want to think about to be tired, but her mind would undoubtedly indulge itself in those secret desires again.
Never mind that the dream had awakened a quiet, perverse curiosity in the back of her mind. She found herself forced to wonder what it was like to be on the other end of sex, much to her horror. What would it be like to be beneath a body instead of on top of one, to receive instead of give? Moreover, what would it be like with Ryou...?
Bakura shook her head furiously and shoved the pillow away from her. The thief was not a person of much shame, but now she felt disgusted with herself. Some small part of her was fiercely protective of what innocence remained in her old vessel, and she felt like something dark and wicked again to want to defile it. He wanted her so dearly as a friend, nothing more, and she couldn't even respect that simple wish. She had reduced him to the same desires she had felt for the forgettable women she had courted then discarded so long ago.
But it was not exactly the same. Whatever lust she felt for her landlord was not quite as it had been in her old body. It couldn't be in all aspects, obviously, but something about it felt fundamentally different.
Perhaps it was the fact that while she might have wanted to court the boy, she had no interest in discarding him afterwards.
Bakura sincerely wanted to blame her new gender on the sudden clinging attachment to her landlord, but her excuses were hard for her to believe. She liked him. He made her happy. She had little doubt that it would've been different if she had allowed him to be kind when she was male. What could be so special about one simple, mortal boy?
Not just any boy, part of her mind reminded her, A boy that was given the Ring - and you - by destiny. Whether he's some sort of reincarnation, the possessor some unknown power, or simply the victim of a fate's random whims, you two are bound together by greater forces that even you don't understand entirely.
The thief's chest felt tight, gripped with uncertainty. She did not want to listen, but burrowing her head into the pillow did not tune it out.
He is far more than a mere landlord to you, thief.
Bakura curled up beneath the blankets. She was shaken by something she couldn't identify.
And what you want from him is nothing as simple as lust.
Somehow, that did not comfort her. At least she could understand lust, however guilty she felt for it. This...
She pulled the blanket over her head and closed her eyes tightly. Bakura found herself clutching the pillow again, breathing into the cloth. It wasn't a demon bothering her, this time. Like the nightmares, she knew how to deal with those. This voice was not taunting.
It was simply informing.
---
Ryou unconsciously hummed to himself as he swished a cloth around the inside of a mug. He didn't mind the extra work. In fact, some part of him was quite pleased to be making tea for two, now.
He had awoken feeling strangely ambitious, and had set out to serve tea and pancakes at a proper time of day. There were already a few flapjacks cooling on the table, and the tea was steeping in its pot. All that was left was to pour it, and to wake his roommate.
Ryou tipped milk and tea into each cup with a practiced hand, then headed down the hall. He knocked on Bakura's door softly, half wondering why she wasn't already up; it was almost 10. The boy frowned, and hoped her current affliction hadn't kept her uncomfortable.
There was no response, so he hesitantly opened the door.
The thief was on her stomach, laying on top of her pillow. Her wild hair was everywhere, falling over her face. Her shoulders rose and fell slowly, and Ryou had second thoughts about disturbing her. She looked awfully content. But, undoubtedly, she would be angry if she discovered that he had made breakfast and not included her.
Ryou set his hand on her shoulder, but could not bring himself to shake her. He sighed, sitting at the side of the bed. "Hey..."
His hand patted her back in a gentle attempt to rouse her, but she only curled up tighter. His fingers fell still, and he hesitated, but slowly, he willed himself to press them down more firmly against her shirt and the muscles underneath it. They kneaded as they had the night in the bathroom.
The thief's body lost its tense curl. She made a muffled sound and shifted her weight, but did not get up. Encouraged, Ryou set his other hand down. He knew nothing about massage, but he had a fairly good knowledge of various muscles and the discomfort they could cause, thanks to his old martial arts lessons. Though there was a shirt in the way now, he was at a much better angle.
Her shoulders raised under his hands, and he took that as a cue to press harder. In the back of his mind, he wondered what on Earth had possessed him to be so friendly. What was he going to do when she woke up? What would he say? Her breathing was louder; that probably meant she was awake or would be soon. But she hadn't yelled at him yet...
Emboldened, his hands moved down to her mid-back. There was a strangled sound from the girl, and he leaned over to speak quietly. "Bakura, are you awake...?"
"I... ngh, don't--" She swallowed, cutting herself off, before turning her head and hiding her face in the pillow.
"Don't... don't what?" Ryou froze, hands immediately stopping. Had he overstepped his boundaries? Suddenly worried and embarrassed, he started to retract his fingers, searching for an explanation or an excuse to placate her -
"Don't stop, you idiot," Bakura hissed against the cloth, angrily arching her spine to catch up with his retreating hands.
Though his hands were shaking slightly now, Ryou managed to force them back down and did as he was told.
"Are you... um, okay? I mean, did the medicine help?" He asked softly, biting his lip and trying to calm his hands. His fingertips buried themselves into her shirt and flexed uncertainly against her spinal muscles.
"Shut u--mmh!" The nearly carnal groan suddenly wrenched from Bakura's throat so surprised the boy that he fell off the bed.
The thief stared blankly at him, equally surprised. They exchanged looks of bewilderment, before Ryou quickly got to his feet and busied himself by brushing off his pants.
"I, er, well, breakfast is ready," he announced under his breath, and departed the room in a hurry.
---
When Bakura finally emerged from her room, she looked ruffled. Her hair was uncombed, she had not changed her clothing, and he could now see that there were bags under her eyes. He handed her the cup of tea he had prepared, and could not keep his obvious worry off his face.
"I wish there was more I could do," Ryou murmured, sitting down in front of his plate. She slid into her own seat, long fingers impatiently pushing back her frizzy white bangs. When she had revealed her face, she glowered at him with half-closed eyes, but didn't speak.
He got the hint and focused his attention on his plate. Bakura was never really a morning person, but he had hoped the good day they'd had yesterday would carry over into the rest of the weekend. But then, he could not imagine how uncomfortable she had to be at the moment. She was dealing with her affliction much better than he would have been able to, in her shoes.
"Oh, stop it. You look as if I'm dying," he heard her mutter bitterly, and he lifted his gaze. Bakura was mechanically cutting her pancake into bite sized chunks, but had yet to eat any of them. "Unlike you, the sight of blood does not render me a gibbering fool. It just happens to be blood from my... ugh."
"I-I know, I'm sorry, it's just..." Ryou slouched in his seat, distracting himself by spearing a piece of his pancake on his fork and nibbling on it.
"It's just that you won't stop bloody worrying about me every waking moment," Bakura growled suddenly, and he shrunk back further, "As if I'm some weak little child, as if I'm your --..."
When she trailed off, Ryou found the courage to look back up at her. A look somewhere between indignation and shock had taken hold of her features.
"That's it, isn't it? You think I'm your..." Her voice seethed. She suddenly pushed the plate away and stood, looming over the table. "Goddammit, that's it. I should have seen it sooner!"
"W-what are you talking about?" Ryou heard hurt creep into his voice.
"I..." Bakura bared her fangs, fingers curling into fists. Strangely, Ryou thought he almost detected a similar hurt in her voice. "I am not Amane!"
Ryou cringed to hear his dead sister's name spoke so hatefully. "What do you mean? I know you're not my sister, I haven't--"
"All the damned fretting, touching! I know the way your head works, boy. You're knee deep in fucking denial!" Bakura railed, voice climbing high. She gripped her fork, and Ryou briefly wondered if she was going to stab him.
But then, it felt like she already had.
"Bakura, please, I don't," his voice fractured, and broke completely when he continued, "I don't think that at all, please calm down--"
"Don't you dare tell me what to do, vessel," The former spirit uttered the name in a malevolent tone that stirred old fears in Ryou's subconscious. There was a dangerous look on her face, and Ryou's survival instincts told him to get up. He did, and barely dodged the fork flung in his direction.
"I--" Ryou backed away, trying to find the words to defend himself, but he could not concentrate. Part of him felt heartbroken. He thought he'd never have to deal with Bakura like this again. He thought something had changed...
"Out!" Bakura ordered, advancing towards him. He was driven into the living room, and she jumped up on the coffee table to make herself taller than him. "Get out of my sight!"
Ryou felt the doorknob dig into his back, and he reached around to quickly jostle it open. He willed himself to meet Bakura's furious eyes, to try and gauge how serious she was --
He blinked. For a moment, he thought he saw tears in them.
But then he noticed she was lifting something, and he managed to escape through the door just in time to hear something shatter against the wood.
His run slowed to a walk by the time he had reached the stairwell, and he walked downstairs miserably.
---
Ryou's sigh was visible in the chilly Sunday morning air. He saw the turtle on the sign of the Kame game shop out of the corner of his eye, and found himself standing at the door, debating about whether to knock or continue on his way. He didn't have anywhere else to go.
The door opened by itself before he could decide. "We're not open on -- Bakura?" The puzzled voice of Yugi's grandfather greeted him.
"Good morning, Mr. Muuto," Ryou bowed his head politely, but he knew he sounded too disheartened to come off as cheerful. "Is... is Yugi around?"
"Oh, yes. Come in, get out of that cold!" The old man ushered him inside. "I didn't recognize you at first! It's been a long time since I've seen you around here."
"Heh, yes, I'm sorry," Ryou shrugged and avoided Mr. Muuto's curious looks by staring at a rack of card boxes. "I just... needed a change of scenery."
"Well, you're always welcomed here. Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of some of Yugi's other friends. Joey and Tristan agreed to help me stock yesterday, and instead they ran off with a bunch of cards," Grandpa Muuto huffed, glaring at the half-emptied cardboard boxes that had held the new cards.
"I could help you sometime, sir," Ryou offered before he'd even realized he'd opened his mouth. Well, it would keep him busy. He doubted he would be able to go back home for a few hours, at the soonest.
"Would you? I'm glad to hear that. You should come over more, you know, it's not healthy to live alone," Grandpa frowned, "I understand that your father is very busy and all, but that's no excuse--"
"T-thank you sir, but I'm okay," Ryou managed a meager smile. He was always uncomfortable talking to adults.
"Bah, none of this sir stuff! I'm not that old," Mr. Muuto chuckled, "Oh, yes, Yugi and his majesty are in the back. He hasn't been much help either. Just because he was royalty in his past life doesn't mean he doesn't have to earn his keep..."
Ryou's smile broadened a little, and he bowed his head again. "T-thanks, um, Mr. Muuto. I'll... I probably won't be long."
Truthfully, Ryou didn't know why he had the sudden desire to talk to the short boy. Maybe it was the way he'd been so empathic yesterday. He really was the only one who might even have an inkling of what Ryou was going through; perhaps he'd be able to help him figure out why Bakura had suddenly turned on him.
His shoulders sank as he walked into the back part of the game shop, an area that was far more laid back and residential. He must have done something horribly wrong, and he wanted to make up for it. But he couldn't do anything until he at least knew what he might have done.
Yugi and the Pharaoh were sitting on a couch, both eating cereal and watching television intently. Yugi noticed Ryou first, and quickly set his bowl down and stood. "Ryou! Hey, what brings you here?"
The Pharaoh followed suit and frowned almost immediately. "Did something happen?"
"I..." Ryou sighed. It must have been showing on his face, anyway, so he dropped his guard and let himself slump. "Hey, guys. I guess I just needed someplace to stay for the day."
"What happened?" Yugi frowned along with the Pharaoh, and the two shorter boys looked up at him worriedly.
"I kind of got kicked out," Ryou smiled weakly, rubbing the back of his head, "by Bakura."
"Really?" Yugi's frown became confused since, Ryou imagined, that certainly didn't jive with what he'd last seen the two doing. Ryou almost blushed.
"I guess she just woke up in a really bad mood, but um," Ryou shrugged, shaking his head. "I really don't know what I did this time..."
"I'm sure you did nothing wrong, Ryou," the Pharaoh assured him confidently, and the two lead Ryou back over to their couch. "The thief is rather volatile and irrational."
"Aw," Yugi sat beside Ryou and tilted his head. "What'd, um, she get mad at you about?"
"I just asked if she was okay since she's been... eh, sick lately, and suddenly she goes on this rant about how she's not... not Amane," Ryou's voice became quiet, and he bit his lip. "I have no idea where she got that impression..."
The two wild-haired boys looked puzzled, and Ryou remembered that they didn't know much about his background. "Amane is my sister," he explained.
"I didn't know you had a sister," Yugi noted, "Does she not live with you...?"
"She's back in England," Ryou answered casually, "Bakura... Bakura never met her or anything, but I guess she... he... got my memories of her when I was possessed."
"Oh, that's too bad. It's too bad she lives so far away, though. You do seem awfully lonely sometimes," Yugi balled his hands, unconsciously mimicking his grandfather's worry.
"It's okay. She's been dead for quite some time now," Ryou smiled dismissively, and thought he saw Yugi and the Pharaoh exchange an uneasy glance.
"I'm... sorry, I didn't..." Yugi slumped.
Ryou waved his hands, "No, don't worry about it. I should have been clearer. I just... can't bring myself to talk about her in past tense."
"It's all right, Ryou," the Pharaoh assured him from the other side, "I feel the same way about my family sometimes. My entire kingdom, even." The taller of the two boys shook his head, "The tomb robber has no right to abuse your sister's name so casually. In fact, I find it hard to believe h--she has the gall to even still live with you after all the trouble she's caused, much less harass you."
"I don't mind that she lives with me, I like it," Ryou said, but flinched at how the last part of his sentence came out. "I mean, I know it's hard to understand, but she's like... she's like... she's my best friend."
The two other boys were quiet for a while, until Ryou felt Yugi touch his arm. "I understand, Ryou," he smiled, and bowed his head in what almost seemed like shyness, "Even if... Atemu wasn't some great, honorable former king, I'd still feel the same way about him."
The Pharaoh raised his eyebrow and smiled at the smaller boy, but nodded in agreement. "It is... somewhat hard for me to understand, but I know how darkness once plagued enemies that have now become my friends. Malik, even Kaiba to an extent. I'm sure Bakura is no different. But... best friends do not treat one another like that, Ryou."
"I know," he sighed, cupping his hands in his lap. "She's not exactly the easiest person to live with sometimes, but I-I care about her. But it seems like every time I try and show it, she gets mad... maybe she doesn't want to be my friend," Ryou's head felt heavy, and he let it hang.
"It would be very difficult to change someone like Bakura," the Pharaoh conceded, "She... is not like us. She does not understand the value of friendship. In fact, the thief probably views it as some sort of weakness or foolishness."
"But if she really didn't like you," Yugi wondered, "Why hasn't she left?"
"I don't know... she doesn't have anywhere else to stay I suppose, but she doesn't seem like the type to care about that. I cook for her and everything, and I, I have been teaching her some things about modern living, but she doesn't really need me for anything..." Ryou's brow furrowed, a little bit of anger smoldering towards himself. He sounded pitiful.
"You cook for her?" The Pharaoh inquired, sounding suspicious, "What else do you do for her?"
"Well, I... I buy her things, and play Duel Monsters with her. She... she has some trouble with reading, so I've been showing her that. She borrows my clothes a lot, asks questions about how things work..."
He looked up and saw the Pharaoh frown deeply, disapproving of something. "I'm sorry to say it, Ryou, but it sounds like she's still using you."
Ryou blinked and looked up at him. "W-what do you mean?"
"You're far too kind. She knows she can get anything she needs from you. That must be why she has not left yet," The Pharaoh turned away, glaring at nothing in particular. "I had sincerely hoped that Bakura had changed..."
Something in Ryou's chest felt like it was being squeezed. Was that it? Was she really just still using him? He didn't want to believe that, but the Pharaoh sounded so convincing. He gripped the edge of the couch.
"No... wait," Yugi spoke up, rubbing the back of his head. "Um, Atemu, when Joey and Tristan and I were over at Ryou's place, we... we kind of ended up making a mess."
Both taller boys looked confusedly at the short one. He continued, "Joey... well, was being Joey and was about to leave without cleaning it up. Ryou was cleaning it up for us, and, um... Bakura yelled at us for it."
The Pharaoh raised his brow at Yugi's confession, and Ryou nodded, confirming it. "That was kind of odd. She sounded... I don't know..."
"Protective?" Yugi supplemented, grinning a little. "And she has that name for you..."
"Landlord," Ryou smiled despite himself, chuckling silently, voice dropping to almost a whisper, "I'm her landlord."
"Kind of like how I'm Atemu's partner," Yugi giggled, and the Pharaoh scowled, almost looking embarrassed. Yugi considered, hesitating as he kept going, "And, um... er... well, what were you two doing when I came back for my backpack?"
"We were... I don't know," Ryou stared downwards, face suddenly feeling warm. "She just... attacked me when I came back from the store."
"Attacked you?" the Pharaoh's righteous anger suddenly flared, "Ryou, there is no need to put up with physical abuse from that--"
"No, no, she wasn't hurting me," Ryou quickly corrected himself, a strange look crossing his face as he mulled over his theory. "I think... I think she wanted to play with me."
"Play?" Both boys asked incredulously, in unison.
"Yeah, I know, it's weird, but she was really bored and antsy I guess, and said how she wanted to spar. I don't think she was even mad at me," he continued, aware of the looks he was getting from his two companions, "Then, um, we bumped into the radio, and... I don't know, it wasn't really sparring..."
"It looked kind of like, uh," Yugi shifted his weight, looking embarrassed as well. "I guess that makes more sense, since when I first saw you guys I thought you were..."
"Were what?" Ryou looked over at him, though he wasn't sure he'd like the answer.
"You looked like you were dancing," Yugi grinned sheepishly up at him, and the Pharaoh's eyebrows raised severely.
Ryou couldn't speak for a full minute or so after that, but a little bit of denial crumbled in him, and unbidden, the corners of his mouth lifted fractionally.
"I... I guess we were."
The silence resumed after that, until a small, reluctant laugh issued from Yugi.
"I'm sorry, it's just," the small boy bit his lip, looking away from Ryou, "I hate to say it, Ryou, but you're blushing."
"Wha--" Ryou set a hand to his cheek. It was hot to the touch, and only became hotter at that realization. The Pharaoh's much deeper, more reserved laughter joined Yugi's.
"Hey," Ryou protested weakly, and tried to withdraw his head into his sweater.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Yugi smiled up at the boy, "I'm not laughing at you or anything. I'll be serious now," Yugi shook off the last of his snickers and sighed.
"I just..." Ryou squirmed in his seat, but melancholy dragged his embarrassment away. "I just... want to be her friend," he finished, "I wish she didn't get so angry at me."
The Pharaoh nodded. "It's a noble desire, Ryou. While she may not be purely manipulating you, her old habits are probably very, very hard to change. It is in her nature to use people."
"She can use me all she wants," Ryou blurted, freezing as soon as the words were out of his mouth. But he shook his head, "I don't care if she uses me, or insults me, or hits me or whatever, I just... I don't want to hurt her. She sounded upset this morning..."
"Upset?" The Pharaoh looked at him critically.
"Yes... I think... she believes I see her as weak or something. I don't," Ryou spoke softly, but adamantly, "She's... she's the strongest person I've ever met. I... I admire her for it. She's been through so much, and she can still... I just... I'd do anything for her."
Ryou's voice dipped into the same well of emotions that it had stumbled into yesterday, when he had wondered aloud what Bakura saw in him. He could not identify the feeling, but it made his chest tight, throat knotted, and his head dizzy. When he inhaled, he sniffled unconsciously, and he felt a small, uncertain arm settle on his shoulder.
"It's okay, Ryou," Yugi's voice "What's wrong...?"
"I-I don't know," Ryou's voice almost cracked, and he cupped his eye and forehead for fear of the other boy and former ruler seeing the impending tears he felt. "This is all my fault," he inhaled unevenly, shaking his head furiously. "I-I tried so hard to pretend nothing was different now that she's... she's female, but I must, I must still see her differently. M-maybe she's right, maybe I do think she's my sister on some level..."
"It's hardly a crime if you do," the Pharaoh tried to assure him, sounding concerned. "I had no siblings, but Yugi might as well be my brother."
"You can't help it if you care about her," Yugi added, patting Ryou's shoulder, "I'm sure it's not because Malik turned her into a woman. You're not that kind of person. You care about her because she's important to you."
"But she doesn't want me to," Ryou murmured, and felt something cold trickle down his cheek. "Why else would she get upset that I might see her as... like... my sister? I don't know how I see her... I don't even know why I'm being so foolish," he muttered, closing his eyes tightly.
"It's not foolish to be upset when someone close to you hurts you," the Pharaoh spoke carefully.
"Maybe... Maybe she doesn't know how to deal with it," Yugi suggested, "She can't be used to having people be nice to her."
"He's right," the Pharaoh agreed, "Like I said earlier, she views friendship negatively and may feel herself above that. If you show it to her, and she has the slightest inkling at all to return it, her pride may be giving her trouble."
"Maybe you're being too overbearing," Yugi wondered, leaning back against the couch, "I mean, Joey is like a brother to me too.. But he'll always get huffy and go on about how he hates mushy stuff if I do something really nice for him. I think it's just a male ego thing, and I bet she still has one of those," he grinned, trying to reassure the white-haired boy.
Ryou sat motionless, considering. Finally, he nodded, opening his eyes. "You... you're right. I should show her more respect... I guess I was trying too hard." Guilt crept into his misery, "I guess... I guess I was treating her like my sister. I shouldn't... worry about her all the time, and just hug her like it's nothing, or think about her all day."
"You... what?" Yugi blinked at him with wide eyes, and Ryou shrugged.
"Sometimes... well, not now probably, but when no one else is around, she lets me... hug her or sit next to her. And... when I'm at school, I always wonder what she's doing, and, um, I can't wait to get back home," Ryou managed to shuffle his feet even as he sat.
"I didn't used to care much about the weekends, but now I look forward to them. And I don't mind... cooking or anything for her. I love eating dinner with her, or getting things for her," he felt himself start to smile, but it sank when he remembered those were all things he had to curb. "I don't really want to stop doing any of that, but, I'll do anything if it'll make her happy..."
When the silence stretched on long enough to become awkward, he looked up at his two hosts. They were looking him, both looking a little confused, surprised and even disbelieving. He shrank slightly. "W-what?"
"Ryou... um," Yugi coughed and looked away, "It's nothing, it just sounds like you have a very strong bond with her."
Ryou nodded sadly. "I was close to my sister... maybe I am just... I don't know. I know my sister's gone. I know Bakura's not my sister, she's very different from her. What else could it be, though?"
"Ryou, may I ask you something very frank?" the Pharaoh asked, and Ryou nodded uncertainly.
The short but imposing boy raised his eyebrow. "Would you dance with your sister?"
"Huh? Well, I never did, but--"
"Like that?" Yugi expanded the Pharaoh's question, and Ryou wasn't sure he liked the sudden suspicion in their voices.
"What are you getting at?"
"You know that friendship is very important to us," the Pharaoh looked at Yugi, and Yugi nodded. The former ruler continued, "And I don't want to insinuate anything. It is entirely possible that you love Bakura like a sister."
Inexplicable apprehension coiled around Ryou's stomach, and he stared at the Pharaoh, not breathing. The Pharaoh looked him in the eye.
"From the sounds of it, though," As the Egyptian spoke, his deep voice was not judgmental, or condemning, but wise and almost gentle.
"It's also possible that you simply love her."
- 7
- 8
- 9
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Anachronism