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Powerless	By : Ochodre Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Het - Male/Female Views: 2661 -:- 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
- 8
- 9
- 10
Author's Notes: In response to an old review on FF.net, I tried to make it clear that Ryou isn't treating Bakura differently just because she's a girl - more because she's suddenly in a position of vulnerability. He recognizes that she's scared and upset, and he really does want to help her - he'd want to do the same thing if Bakura was male. The only other thing that's changed is that he's not scared of her anymore, which is a negative as far as Bakura's concerned, but overall, I think that's a good thing. He respects her and is concerned about her, partly because he's just a nice guy like that, partly because he has big brother instincts, partly because he knows her better than anyone else, and, yes, partly because he's attracted to her. He treats her differently, yes, but not females in general (well, alright, I imagine him somewhat chivalrous and a little more polite and shy around females, but that hardly marks him as a womanizer. More than anything, he's probably scared of them. XP)
Hopefully the next chapter will answer more questions, this one's mostly just fluff and an excuse to show that they're caring more about each other than they'd like to admit. Sazza gave me a few ideas for this chapter, so thanks. ^^; No song, either... Couldn't find a name.
---
Ryou was glad to see that Bakura seemed much better. She still walked hunched and defensive, a desperate attempt to make her breasts less visible, but her face was free of tears or pain or serious anger. He let Bakura walk ahead of him, though she didn't stray far, pausing and snapping at him to hurry up when he lagged a few feet behind.
He didn't understand why she had acted so erratically that morning, demanding he cheer up one moment and violently taking her frustrations out on him the next. She had a haunted look in her eye all throughout her shuffle of irritation, avoidance, rage and desperation, and it made him wonder.
The most demonic of us must have the most inner demons, Ryou noted, watching her glare at pedestrians and fold her arms in what almost looked like a self-hug. He couldn't think of her as terribly demonic at the moment, though. As much as her words hurt, he knew she was scared and upset, convinced the world was out to get her. Given the last few days, who could blame her?
The Bakura he used to know had been so proud and arrogant, dangerous and untouchable. Almost too proud. Ryou wondered if the thief was compensating for some hidden weakness or failing. But like some twisted deliverer of karma, Malik shattered all the stilts of her pride, and she had fallen down in the dirt and become everything she had accused others of being. For someone with an ego the size Bakura's, it must hurt, a lot.
Ryou knew most people would chide him for sympathizing with his roommate, insisting that she got what she deserved, but he couldn't bring himself to be so vindictive. Were her crimes really that awful? True, Bakura had possessed him, stolen his free will, tried to kill his friends and mutilated his body on several occasions. But he couldn't deny that she had made his life a hell of a lot more interesting.
If he had never gotten the Ring, he never would have come to Domino, never would have met Yugi and his friends, never had those adventures, never encounter famous people like Seto Kaiba and Pegasus Crawford. He never would have experienced real magic, and never would have gotten a neigh constant companion that was an ancestor, a master thief and sorcerer, a spirit, an ancient Egyptian, and his dark side, all in one...
Yet, underneath all those titles, he thought quietly as he looked down at the short girl walking beside him, was a person. And that was something he could only realize after Malik's penalty game had torn down the walls of prowess and mystique that surrounded Bakura's old form, an agonizing punishment which brought to light a range of emotions he had never imagined Bakura capable of experiencing. Bakura was almost as mundane as Ryou, now.
Her swift, almost inhuman red eyes glowered at him past the sharp angles of her white bangs. But he knew she couldn't summon a monster to attack him, couldn't call upon dark powers to cloud his mind and steal his memories, couldn't even rise herself up and loom over him. She was normal now, stripped of her powers and darkness.
She was real, and somehow, that made her more fascinating than ever.
---
Bakura and Ryou stared at the dazzling array of denim spread out in front of them. It came in every shade, from black to rich blue to strategically and fashionably faded. Mannequins modeled the most expensive jeans, while women thinner than Bakura lounged in leggy poses across gleaming, full color photographic displays. The store was bright, and pop music hummed muffled through speakers in the ceiling. Posters parading the latest in fall fashions, decorated with stylized leafs in all the traditional autumn colors, hung from the displays.
"Is that suppose to be attractive?" Bakura scoffed at one of the photographs, "I can see her damn ribs."
"Standards of beauty have changed over time, I guess," Ryou shrugged, indifferent to the models. He picked up the nearest pair of jeans and looked at the tag, puzzled.
"I have no idea how female pants sizes work..." he admitted quietly, and Bakura rolled her eyes.
"I don't care about the sizes, I'll just try them on until I find a pair that fits," she snorted, snatching the jeans out of his hand and looking at their thin legs with scrutiny, then handed them back to him. "I don't want anything tight," she muttered.
"I think there were some baggy jeans over there," Ryou motioned.
"Fine, let's just go and get this over with," Bakura tossed the pants back on the shelf carelessly. Ryou straightened them out as she left, following her through the unfamiliar rows of clothing. There weren't nearly as many styles in the men's department - the biggest choice there to make was between black or blue. Here, jeans came in every color, with a variety of swirling sequin patterns and flared cuffs and more pockets than anyone could ever possibly use. Bakura eventually found a few pairs that didn't disgust her, and Ryou pointed her to the changing rooms and quickly told her how to use them. She disappeared, and he was left stranded in the women's clothing section, waiting uncomfortably.
"Ryou?" a vaguely familiar female voice asked of Ryou's back, and he turned around, seeing Serenity. He waved nervously, and she smiled, tilting her head.
"Are you lost?" she giggled softly, "This is the women's department..."
"Oh, um, no, I'm just," Ryou waved at the changing rooms, "waiting for someone."
"Your friend?" Serenity wondered, and Ryou nodded quickly, distracted. But a quick glance at Serenity made him realize something. Here was a guide to this world of women's clothing, one that had been witness to some of the strangeness the Millennium Items could produce. Maybe she would understand their predicament, or at least not think them insane. But he wouldn't tell the outright truth if he could avoid it, thinking desperately to come up with something believable.
"Serenity, ah... My friend and I have kind of a problem," he started, tentatively, and Serenity seemed to be listening. "We... Well... We don't know much about women's clothing, about... underwear, or anything, and... maybe you could help."
"Aw... I'm guessing she's a late bloomer?" Serenity smiled, and Ryou scratched his head, glancing anywhere but at the under garments section.
"You could say that," he mumbled.
"Didn't her mom ever bother to teach her about that sort of thing?" the younger Wheeler's smile became a concerned frown.
"No, she... her mother died a long time ago." Well, it's not exactly a lie, Ryou consoled himself. I wonder just what kind of life Bakura had back in Egypt.
"Oh... that's too bad," Serenity noted sadly, shaking her head, "What do you guys want to know?"
"I guess... um... like I said, anything about... you know... bras and such," he all but squeaked, feeling his cheeks warm.
"Any idea what her bust size she is?" she asked casually, heading towards a display strung with lacy black and white brassieres.
"W-what? No!" Ryou yelped quickly, face flush with embarrassment.
Serenity giggled softly at his modesty, "Well, can't you give me a roundabout estimate? Cup-size at least?"
"I-I have no idea," Ryou whimpered truthfully, "Bakura's not that... big, b-but..."
He quickly turned his eyes to the floor, worrying at his sleeve with his antsy fingers. He was not one to eye women's chests to try and divine their bra size, but it was difficult to not notice his roommate's new features, particularly since they were unbound by anything --
"She's related to you?" Serenity furrowed her brow, obviously still trying to solve the puzzle of Ryou's relation to his friend.
Ryou froze, caught. He was usually a private person, but the events of the last few days were almost too strange to keep to himself. He hated lying, he knew he was no good at it, and trying to dance around the truth would only result in him landing on his face and probably messing things up even more than they were previously. Ryou sighed, defeated.
"Listen, this is going to sound insane, and you have to promise not to tell anyone..."
---
Bakura stepped out of her stall, muttering and leaving all but one pair of jeans behind her. She had been highly tempted just to put them on and walk out, but Ryou would undoubtedly notice and foil her plans. She quickly scanned the aisles for him, and she narrowed her eyes. He was not where she left him.
She tried to smother her creeping anxiety with annoyance as she strode angrily past racks of clothing. Distant, familiar voices reached her ears, and she turned around one display to a more secluded part of the clothes store. She was almost disgusted by the faint sense of relief that eased into her consciousness when she saw Ryou, but it was lost when she saw he was with someone.
Bakura recognized the girl he was talking to privately. She was the blond dolt's sister, the girl who had been so confused when, atop that blimp, kind, quiet Ryou's hair had gone aloft and his eyes turned red and his voice dipped into what could only be called a sinister tone.
But even as Bakura possessed her host, she had felt him scanning the watching crowd, quietly agonized by the fact everyone was rooting for Yugi and barely aware of what was happening. As Bakura battled, Ryou had silently looked over the familiar and unfamiliar faces and thought the whole thing some kind of drug-hazed dream. He had lingered on Serenity, quickly identifying her as Joey's sister, with a markedly different personality from the outgoing Tea or the self-assured Mai. She had seemed soft-spoken and shy, like him, and there was an eerie familiarity that had drawn him to her.
Bakura felt like attacking one or both of them as she watched Ryou speak, hesitant and uncertain, and Serenity listen with both trust and confused disbelief. How the hell dare he wander off from where she had ordered he stay, just to talk to some girl? It wasn't even like Ryou to do such a thing. What were they talking about, anyway? Whatever it was, they seemed to be wrapping it up, Serenity nodding her head several times. A look of gratitude overcame Ryou's features, and he shook her hand thankfully. Strangely painful anger welled up in Bakura's chest, and both of them turned in surprise at her low growl.
"Hello, you must be Bakura," Serenity greeted the ex-spirit politely, bowing her head and smiling. That name meant that Ryou had told the truth. The thief knew he could never have come up with a convincing explanation about a female stranger who looked similar and bore the same name, but whom Ryou did not call by some title reserved for relatives. Serenity was familiar with the Millennium Items, after all, however ignorant she was. He had probably told her everything.
Bakura did not return the smile, staring at the other girl with an incredulous look, before glaring at Ryou with a fire in her eyes that told him he had five seconds to explain.
Ryou grimaced and walked over to Bakura, getting between her and Serenity. Before he had a chance to say a word, she started railing at him.
"You said you wouldn't tell anyone!" Bakura hissed, balling her fists, but for all her anger, she was unable to shake the sensation of betrayal. Ryou held up his hands, looking guilty and shaking his head.
"Listen, she promised she'd keep it to herself, she just offered to help us and it'll be easier if she knows the real situation --"
"Why the hell did I bother to trust you?! You never obeyed me as a vessel, why would you start now?!" Bakura raised her voice, and a few nearby customers cast an odd glance in her direction. Ryou looked cowed, waving for her to keep her voice down. Serenity stepped forward to help him, putting on her most cheerful airs.
"It's all right, Bakura, I'm not going to tell anyone, big brother doesn't need to know. I'm sure it must be rough for you, but I can help at least in this little way --"
"I don't need your help, woman!" Bakura snarled at the girl, momentarily glad she was finally able to glare at someone without having to tilt her head upwards. "If you're anywhere as stupid as your brother--"
A slightly irritated look crossed Ryou's face, and he set his hands on Bakura's shoulders, leading her away from a confused and hurt Serenity. Bakura snapped and struggled as she was taken aside, quickly pulling her shoulders free and raising her lip. "Don't you dare start manhandling me," she warned dangerously, but he just shook his head.
"Listen, if you make her upset, she will go to her brother. Then, everyone really will know, not to mention that we'll both have to answer to him. I don't want them to hurt you, and I don't feel like getting beaten myself," he sighed, exasperated.
"I didn't want to be here in the first place," Bakura mumbled defensively, and Ryou's irritation seemed to sink into guilt again.
"I know, I'm sorry I dragged you here and told Serenity," he lowered his eyes, "But it's not her fault. She's just trying to help. Take it out on me, if you want, but please... don't talk to her like that."
"Why shouldn't I, just because you --" but Bakura paused, noticing a look of distant melancholy in Ryou's eyes. He only got that look if he was thinking about one of his dead or estranged relatives. She glanced back at Serenity, comparing her to one of the memories she acquired from Ryou, and snorted softly. Apparently, it wasn't attraction that led him to trust the brown-haired girl so easily.
"She's not your dead sister," Bakura said in a flat, indifferent tone, and Ryou flinched as though she'd hit him. The thief frowned slightly, but set her jaw. Good. They were even.
"Guys?" Serenity approached them uncertainly.
Bakura shifted uncomfortably in her sagging jeans, and relented. "Fine, lead the way." She folded her arms and leered when both Ryou and Serenity smiled at her.
The thief adamantly resisted all of Serenity's clothing recommendations, curling her lips in insulted disgust at anything she found too form-fitting or effeminate. She only listened when Serenity noted they seemed to be about the same size and build in most aspects, which made finding a fitting size easy. Bakura got only the bare essentials, still refusing to buy an entirely new wardrobe as though she were celebrating her new form. Ryou alternated between trying to make up for what he had done and staring at the floor in nervous, blushing embarrassment as Serenity detailed the ins and outs of women's undergarments. They soon made their purchases, and Ryou waved farewell to Serenity, thanking her again while Bakura ignored her.
"Now. Home," Bakura muttered and started walking.
Ryou carried the bag and followed her, frowning, "Are you sure? You haven't left the apartment in days. Don't you want to stretch your legs?"
Bakura narrowed her eyes and refused to dignify him with a response. Ryou's frown never left his face, and he paced beside her, searching his mind. What cheered her up? What were her hobbies? Did she even have any interests outside --
His eyes fell on a jewelry store, and he stopped in his tracks.
It was sleek and open, its glass counter out where any passing customers could catch glimpse of all the gold and jewels on display. There was a man by the counter, obviously awaiting service and absently talking on his cell phone.
And paying no attention to the golden necklace he had laid on the counter.
Ryou bit his lip. He knew it was wrong, but his desire to cheer her up was outweighing his morals at the moment. It wasn't like she had never done it before. She wouldn't get caught, and she might just feel a little better. He wouldn't really be doing anything besides pointing it out. Hesitantly, he nudged Bakura's shoulder. "Hey, look."
"What do you..." she started, before noticing what he was pointing at. Something sparked in her eyes, but it was faint.
"That... that has to be the easiest theft I've ever seen," he noted quietly, trying hard to keep his voice from trembling. Guilt and anxiety festered in the pit of his stomach, and he was quickly reconsidering the wisdom of his suggestion. The man could turn around at any moment, and if his suit and important stance were any indication, he would show no mercy to a couple of teenagers with far too much interest in his necklace.
Bakura was silent and still for a moment, before she shook her head and shrugged. "It's not worth it," she mumbled disinterestedly and kept walking.
"Not worth it?" Ryou stumbled after her, hardly able to believe what he heard, "Weren't you the one who broke into pharaohs' tombs and stole mummies?!"
She grunted despondently, and Ryou trotted after her. "I-is something wrong?
She growled and looked back at him, "Aren't you the one who always chastises me for so much as shop lifting? I would think you'd be happy that I don't feel like doing it at the moment."
Ryou stopped in his tracks. Bakura muttered under her breath and resumed walking while he remained behind, staring bewilderedly at her back. As far as he knew, stealing was her only passion, with the Millennium Items now collected. He sighed. With every word he said, he just dug himself in deeper. Maybe he should just let her lead the way home. He started in the direction of her retreating form, and made no attempt to catch up.
Ryou heard a ruckus up ahead and finally lifted his head from the ground. Bakura had stopped a ways ahead of him, and had her back up in a furious defensive pose. Several teenage boys were nearby, and they had obviously made some comment in passing that Bakura had heard and refused to tolerate. They seemed far more amused with the exchange than she was. He couldn't make out their exact comments, but their gestures and leering tones were enough to tell him what they were saying.
Suddenly, Ryou's perplexed sadness was gone, and in its place was the same thing that had led him to stand up to the Pharaoh himself. It surged for a moment, before his reasonable side noticed that Bakura looked like she was about to attack the nearest boy.
Smoldering his anger, Ryou ran up to Bakura and wrapped his arms around her shoulders to prevent her from lashing out. She thrashed and swore, but he held on, wincing when he was elbowed in the side. The boys laughed.
"They're not worth it either, please, you're right, let's just go home," Ryou pleaded desperately to the writhing, growling girl in his arms.
"Better listen to your brother, sweet cheeks," one of the taller boys leered down at them both, snickering, "Don't wanna get in any trouble, now, do ya?"
"I dunno, I think I'd like having her hit me," another slurred with a note of drunkenness, and they all howled with laughter and agreement.
"Goddamnit, Ryou, let go!" Bakura's efforts to break free intensified, but he tightened his hold and looked down at her. Her wild bangs shadowed her eyes, and she was red in the face with anger and embarrassment.
"Please, Bakura, just ignore them," he begged with his tone and eyes, and she tilted her head up to snarl at him. He didn't flinch.
"Aw, let her go, I'm sure she'd have much more fun with us than a fag like you," one of the boys suggested eagerly, and the others nodded, sneering and jerking their hips to emphasize just what kind of fun they wanted to have. Ryou set his jaw and narrowed his eyes slightly, then glanced down at Bakura, who was shaking her head as she tried to get away from him. He noticed tears of frustration and humiliation threatening at the corners of her eyes, and that was too much for him.
It wasn't in Ryou's nature to get mad easily. He had always put other people before himself, always convinced that they were more important. And because of that, when it came to defending them, something in him changed. He felt like he had a higher purpose. He felt like he had the right to get angry, and from that he drew a wealth of strength and willpower he never would have had otherwise.
It took a lot to get him mad, but this was a lot.
"Leave her alone."
The boys and the thief blinked at him in collective surprise. His tone had been uncharacteristically dangerous and low, very nearly the deadly tone Bakura forced his voice into when she had possessed him. Ryou considered this for a fleeting moment. If the spirit could puppeteer his body and stance into appearing far more imposing than it really was, why couldn't he? It wouldn't hurt to try...
The older teenagers briefly exchanged uncertain glances, caught off guard by the boy's sudden change in demeanor. Ryou did his best to glare and will them into silence through sheer presence alone, which was not an easy feat for someone as soft and shy as him. He kept his eyes trained on them as he dropped one of his arms from his hold on Bakura, allowing her to start walking away in a silent stupor. Ryou followed her, though his threatening gaze never left their targets until they were yards away. He was faintly aware of the jeers called to his back, but he failed to hear them, staring ahead.
He also didn't notice that he had kept one arm over his companion's shoulders, until she muttered and shook it off once they were outside the mall.
- 8
- 9
- 10
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