Imaginary
Chapter Eleven: The Horses.

A/n: Eeee Thankyou all you reviewers ^_^;; This was a very long time coming, especially considering how often I was updating. It isn't that long either _ ;; but the severe shortage of time can be blamed for that. So much to do and so little time to do it in, hey this even got priority over a tonne of science, art and tim homework. ^_^;; I'll put it off as long as I possibly can!

A slow laboured yawn escapes my lips as I rub blearily at my eyes. My movements laboured by sleep and a sudden exhaustion that I can't really place right now, my body is coated in a sheen of cold sweat and in the distance I can hear a shower running. My head is pounding and I can't really think straight right now.

All I know is that this has something to do with mou hitori no boku.

My head spins as I sit up, slowly and careful not to jar my head, a streak of red catching my attention as it trails down my arm. I wince and reach up to rub my head, my hair feels thick with sweat and in desperate need of washing. A grimace reaches my face as I carefully sit up and let out a soft groan as my muscles tense and strain.

'So, you're awake then are you?'

He sounds distinctly pleased about something, his usual confidence having been boosted by great amounts. I begin to regather my thoughts slowly, memories being patched together as my brain begins to function again. He had taken over, managed to get out of his soul room somehow and forced himself into control and.. Seto.

My eyes widen distinctly as I remember what had come next. He had taunted him, teased him and then... I shiver violently as I stare down at the bed, streaks of blood still present on the sullied sheets. The shower water dimly sounding in the background of my thoughts. Seto.

What would he think of him now? Did he know that it wasn't him, that it was mou hitori no boku..?

'Of course he knew it was me.'

He scoffs in return at me, I have the distinct impression that he is rolling his eyes. 'He kept on telling me to let you back into control didn't he? Though I do say he rather enjoyed himself in the end' he sneers back in response, amusement rolling off of his tone and I can hear him start to snicker to himself.

I feel as though my chest is slowly being hollowed out as a giant lump forms in my throat. What had he done... Would Seto even want to be in the same room as me anymore?

The sound of shower water drums away before abruptly coming to a pause and I stare expectantly at the door. Curling up miserably into myself and embracing my knees against my chest, peering nervously over the folds of the blankets at the doorway which looms omenously in the background, dark and foreboding as my thoughts continue to wage war through my mind.

Would he throw me back to that hospital now? Now that he'd seen what mou hitori no boku was capable of? He was in danger himself, him and Mokuba to. He couldn't risk that for me... I can't expect him to make such a sacrifice.. A sacrifice of his own safety and his beloved little brothers as well.

A shiver rolls across my shoulders as I unvolunteerily begin to shake, the first tear rolling away down my cheek feels warm to the crisp morning air, it hits the bunched blankets before soaking through. My shoulders continue to shake, followed faithfully by my chest and my arms... I bury my head into the folds of blankets unable to face that doorway that could become the end of my stay here. I can't face him. How could I after what I've done?

No. What he's done.. Not me. Him.

A soft chuckle echoes in my ears, throughout my mind and ringing all to clearly inside. 'Baka hikari' he chides me with a snort of amusement and a sure roll of his eyes. 'You must realise now that we are bonded. Whether you like it or not, I am part of you and you are part of me.'

His words are as close I suppose, as I will ever get to hearing that he accepts me. They are his way I guess of reassuring me, his own peculiar way of telling me that he will always be there, even if it isn't always the most comforting of thoughts. I feel a ghost of a hand resting on my shoulder and realise he has vacated the ring.

'You will face the priest' he states firmly without a doubt lingering inside his tone. "I can't" I whisper back to him aloud, knowing that he can hear me. He always does. 'You can and you will' he replies sharply, a hint of annoyance stinging in his tone and the hand resting on my shoulder tenses. " - Demo.." I murmur back miserably but give up when a soft growl escapes his lips. 'Baka you will do what I say' he snarls out and I sigh. "Hai" I murmur back softly and the hand on my shoulder relaxes before dissapearing completely with only a satisfied, 'good'.

"Ryou..?".

His voice is hoarse, slightly scratchy as though he is in dire need of hydration. But it is unforgetable in my ears, the reality that he was most likely there while I was talking to him frightens me. I bury my head further into the nest of blankets that I've created and refuse to look up, I can't face him yet.

"Ryou?" he persists, sounding slightly more urgent.. Was that concern?

A lingering silence follows his latest attempt, I can picture his face. His eyebrows narrowed to create tiny wrinkles in the center of his forehead and those eyes of his focused all so intently upon the top of my head - the only part of me visible apart from my arms. "Ryou talk to me" he speaks up in an authoritive tone.

"Iie.." I grumble back. I can feel my cheeks grow hot at the stupidity in that statement, if I didn't want to talk to him why had I bothered to reply? A soft strange sound meets my ears catching my curiosity, unable to withold the intense surge of inquisitive need to find out what it is I peer carefully up between the folds of sheets and the tangle of silver streams that obscure my vision.

His eyes are shut over, his hand clenched around the bedpost, a towel wrapped securely around his middle and by all means it looks as though he is.. laughing? Indignation swells its way to the surface at the sight, what on earth was he laughing at? He had nothing to laugh at. Was I really that pathetic..?

'Yes' was the snide response from inside my head which caused my mouth to set and a small amount of irritation to rise in my eyes. "Are you laughing at me?" I speak up before I can stop myself, I really should find something good and large to gag myself with before I make an even bigger fool of myself then I already have.

'I've got one suggestion for you..' is the smug input from mou hitori no boku which causes my cheeks to flame up even more predominantly. I realise his eyes are on me and hurriedly bury my face back into the covers before he can see just how reminscent I've become of christmas lights.

When that same soft laughter meets my ears again I can feel my cheeks growing even hotter. "Ryou look at me" comes the soft, much to amused sounding voice. "You're laughing at me" I grumble back with as much accusation in my tone as I can muster. I nearly jump when a careful tug on the blankets brings my burning cheeks into light and a warm set of fingers lift my chin carefully.

"I don't understand you" he speaks up with a hint of a smile threatening to escape onto his lips. I suppose it will take much more then some laughter to bring back years of lost smiles and actually reveal happiness to the hardheaded business prodigee. "I don't understand you" I mutter in response as mou hitori no boku snickers inside his soul room, not bothering to put up a block.

"How can you even stand to be near me? After.. that?" I dare to lift my eyes to his face, his eyes are dull with thought, fixed solemnly upon me.

"I don't know" he speaks aloud finally, deliberately. "All I know Ryou, is that you are one of the few people who I want to be around. One of a very, very select minority". His eyes search out my own and hold them with a ferocity that is surreal to my own way of thinking.

"Whether you are the host of a deranged ancient spirit or not. I want to be around you" he speaks up finally as though this were all that was needed to be said and it seemed that it was. A finality in his tone that makes me think that he is a whole lot stronger then I could ever dream of being and maybe thats why I depend so much on him already.

He is strong where I am weak and he is weak where I am strong. Like two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together but would not join with anything else. I guess I should really look into finding some different analogies.

He seats himself without another word behind me, the mattress sinking down towards him and I feel his fingers absently toying with the tips of my hair. "You're a strange boy Ryou Bakura" he speaks up absently, as though deep in thought. I turn my head to find his forehead is creased, his lips not quite forming a smile and his blue eyes long lost in his own private analysis.

I suppose that is one of his faults. He tends to over-analyse everything. I stare at him for some time as he amuses himself absently with the ends of my hair before I realise that he is now looking at me, with the same kind of stare that Sensei used to give me when I'd drifted off in class and he'd asked me a question.

He snorts aloud and rolls his eyes, "you're a dreamer" he sneers half-heartedly before rising to his feet again. "Are you going to have a shower or not?" he speaks up, restating his question and I nod in response.

"Hai" I reply before rising from amidst the blood-streaked, sullied blankets, pleased to find that I am still wearing boxers and pass him by to return to my thoughts as I move.

Sleepily trudging across the soft plush carpet I couldn't help the small smile that crawled across my face. He wasn't going to send me away. Despite the dangers that mou hitori no boku presented to him and possibly even Mokuba, he still wasn't going to give up on me. My smile grows as I pause to snatch one of the thick fluffy towels from the linen cupboard and continue to the shower.

I snap the door shut behind me and amble towards the shower wrenching the water on with a jar of the handle and shedding the pair of boxers, testing the water before stepping under the jets of heat.

The water pounds against my back, filling my hair and washing away dried sweat.

I feel suddenly elated as the oil is bled away from my hair and my skin sheds its sheen of sweat. Despite all that had happened in the last couple of days, I have found someone that will accept me.. Even with mou hitori no boku and my growing collection of insecurities.

I guess thats what I've wanted all along. Ever since that day when I recieved the Sennen Ring from 'tou-san. I never thought that I would find anyone who would understand me, or even want to understand me, least of all did I think that all those years ago when we were still in high school that it would be Seto Kaiba that would bring this to me.

It makes me want to laugh to think of how different I see him now to how I say him then, I used to think that he had spent to much time with his machines and with his money and forgotten how to be polite to other people. But I guess everybody has a hidden side to them that they don't allow others to see.

The Horses - Darryl Braithwaite

We will fly way up high where the cold wind blows
Or in the sun laughing having fun
With all the people that she knows

And if the situation should keep us separated
You know the world won't fall apart
And you will free the beautiful bird
That's caught inside your heart

Can't you hear her oh she cries so loud
Casts her wild note over water and cloud

That's the way it's gonna be little darlin'
We'll go riding on the horses yeah yeah
Way up in the sky little darlin'
And if you fall I'll pick you up, pick you up

You will grow and until you go
I'll be right there by your side
And even then whisper the wind
And she will carry up your ride
I hear all the people of the world
In one bird's lonely cry
See them trying every way they know how
To make their spirit fly

Can't you see him he's down on the ground
He has a broken wing looking all around

That's the way it's gonna be little darlin'
You'll go riding on the horses yeah yeah
Way up in the sky little darlin'
And if you fall I'll pick you up, pick you up.