Notes: Hi-hi. I'm really iffy about this chapter. I first thought of the idea for part of it over a years ago and quite frankly I was dumb back then (I still kind of am, but that's besides the point). But I already have the set up for it and no heart to think of something else to go in its stead (I'm so lazy VV). So, I hope that regardless of my inane whims of yesteryears that you guys can enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own them all, Marik does (they're his bitches).

Warnings: Really vague mentions of abuse, that's pretty much it. Nothing hard core for this chapter.

Thoughts

Previously: Bakura convinced Ryou to stay with him (w0-diddly-0t).

Bleed Like Me - Chapter 11

Ryou pulled the shades shut to block out the offensive afternoon light and settled back to his spot on Bakura's couch. Once more he bundled up the other's jacket and stuffed it beneath his head to act as a pillow, he then pulled down the blanket that had been slung over the back of the chair and wrapped it snuggly around himself.

Then, surrounded by Bakura's comforting scent, and feeling truly safe for the first time in days, the frail albino teen allowed himself to drift off into a deep sleep.

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Bakura pulled into the school parking lot and took his time sauntering down the halls of his secondary learning facilities to the library. He even whistled a bit. Sure, he was a man on a mission, but he was also in a decent mood, having convinced Ryou to stay with him for an indefinite amount of time. Yeah, the smaller had promised to clear out by the next morning, but Bakura was fairly certain that events would take a different turn.

He took a sharp right and found himself in the school library. It was a medium sized room with a high ceiling. Computer terminals ran against the far wall and the whirring of the monitors was the only real sound in the room other than the occasional burst of muffled chit-chat. Shelves upon shelves of dusty, unread books were against all the other walls and formed several rows. Bakura didn't come into this room very often, yet he knew that the only person to ever venture down those rows of rotting reading materials, was the librarian, who was currently sitting back in her office chair and starring dazedly out the window.

Bakura scanned the room quickly. Yugi really wasn't that hard to pick out in a room, what with his tri-colored spiked hair and all. Bakura moved through the few scattered circular tables to the one Yugi sat at in the corner nearest the book shelves.

As he sat down with a soft thud, Yugi looked up from his textbook with a startled little 'epp'. Bakura fought the urge to either smirk or bark with laughter. He did neither. He needed answers that only this kid would provide him with, and to get those answers he was going to have to refrain from scaring the kid shitless. Easier said that done, Bakura thought grimly as the kid gave him a wary glance out of the corner of his eye. Yugi looked as though he was ready to bolt at any wrong move.

Yugi opened his notes and began to go over the meaning of all his short hand. He then stopped talking and looked at Bakura inquisitively.

"What?" he asked, the question came out harsher than he'd originally meant it to be.

The kid paused momentarily and chewed his lip, it struck Bakura as an almost Ryou like action and he could feel a grin threatening. "I just wanted to know if you brought a notebook or anything with you." Yugi said in a quiet voice.

"Nope. It's against my beliefs to waste perfectly good paper on school related shit." Bakura smirked, he couldn't help it.

Yugi just frowned and began fiddling with his pen in an absent minded fashion. "I'm sure." He ducked beneath the table briefly to rummage around in what Bakura assumed to be his backpack and pulled out an extra notepad and a yellow pencil with chew marks at the end.

The short teen then launched into an in depth recap of what they were currently studying in math. Something about absolute numbers and a variables and several other terms that Bakura didn't even want to fathom the meaning of. But started to nod occasionally and tried to look as though he was paying attention.

Internally he was trying to figure out how to loosen the midgets tongue enough to spill his guts about Ryou. Bakura ran through several scenarios, each one ended with Yugi either sicking Yami, his leather happy boyfriend on him, or telling Ryou about the conversation and Ryou never speaking to Bakura again for his compulsive need to figure out what the deuce was going on. Neither turn out was really what Bakura was going for, believe it or not.

"Hello? Are you in there?" Yugi asked, waving his hand in front of Bakura face, but withdrawing it quickly for fear of getting bit. "Do you understand any of this material?" Yugi asked once Bakura's eyes came into focus once more.

"You had me at hello."

Yugi gave him an exasperated look and began mumbling beneath his breath about patience and a few other concepts that were completely foreign to Bakura, like honesty and responsibility.

"Kid; do you mind if I call you kid?" Bakura asked, digressing momentarily. Yugi barely opened his mouth to speak before Bakura shook it off with a wave of his hand and continued. "That guidance counselor called it, as much as I hate being pegged by a school official. If I actually gave a damn, I could probably pull up my D average to at least a C, which is really the goal here. So, give it up and let's get the hell out of here."

Yugi sat stock still, opening and closing his mouth mutely at Bakura's admission. It's not that he'd ever thought Bakura was dumb, just... Well, educationally challenged. But he was willing to let Bakura try and prove him wrong. And as he sat, sessing out his thoughts, Bakura had already gotten up from his seat and stood tapping his foot, impatiently waiting for Yugi to get it together.

"Go where?" He asked worriedly. The tiny teen was kind of anxious at the prospect of being alone with one of his high school's most notorious bullies.

Bakura snorted, "The hell out of this dump. Get your stuff." He said slowly as if he was speaking to a small, uncomprehending child. "Come on, kid." He turned on his heels and started towards the exit, leaving Yugi to traipse and trip along behind him.

Upon arriving in the parking lot, along side Marik's bike, Bakura motioned for Yugi to get on. "Sooner rather than later, kid." He sighed heavily as Yugi gave him a wary glance. "I won't try anything and I'll have you back in time for you to meet your freakishly pointy haired, leather wearing boy friend,I swear: Scout's honor." He said holding up a couple fingers (1).

Yugi couldn't help but snicker quietly into his hand as he moved to get on the bike. "Like you were ever a boy scout."

"No," Bakura admitted, "but I've eaten some for breakfast if that counts for anything." He grinned toothily before shoving the helmet over Yugi's giant hair.

With that the pair mounted promptly and pulled out of the parking lot with ease. Traffic had tapered off since earlier that day and Bakura had a better time maneuvering his bike towards his destination. Yugi clung to his shirt, the fabric was balled and sweaty between his fingers, as if he expected to fall off if he loosened his grip even a tiny bit.

Soon the pair pulled to an abrupt stop in front of a sweets shop and Bakura practically kicked Yugi off the bike and within the confines of the store.

The intimidating albino teen pushed Yugi to sit down at one of the mini, circular tables. Bakura then went to the counter and ordered the largest sundae available and set it in front of his would-be-tutor. He watched as Yugi's amethyst eyes grew larger, if that's even possible, and handed him a spoon.

"What's this?" The tiny teen asked.

Bakura shrugged, attempting to look nonchalant. "It's a gift, or a toast to the end of my one and only tutoring session."

Yugi still regarded him with a skittish air, but began eating the ice cream merrily, regardless of his worries. And for his part, Bakura sat back and watched as one of Yugi's infamous sugar rushes took hold (2)

His movements became more frantic, sloppy and hurried. And he began to chatter. Yugi opened his mouth between bites and out came quick spurts of practically indecipherable conversation. He dispelled on all manner of rumors he'd heard about Bakura, Malik and Marik and their various deeds. Most of said rumors revolved around sex in some way or another. Sex in twos, sex in three, sex in the boys bathroom at school, sex in the locker room during gym, so on and so forth. Yugi blushed incessantly as he spoke. With him smiling so cutely and with that rosy peachy pink color rising into his cheeks, Bakura still couldn't understand what Yami saw in the small, pointy haired elf (3).

"With your vast wealth of... information," Bakura started casually, "I wonder if you know about my involvement with Ryou. You two are friends, aren't you?"

"Ryou? Sure, Ryou's been my friend since he moved here. I remember him back then, did you know him in the beginning?"

Bakura shook his head, he was afraid it would break Yugi's rhythm if he spoke.

"He was so quiet and calm. He never raised his voice and he would always have a smile. Life never seemed to get him down. Thinking back on it, I have no idea how he managed. I mean considering what was going on at home and all. I have no idea how he hid it for so long. But you must know all about that and about how he ran and" Yugi took a giant breath, "and about how he ended up with Honda and all. Then Anzu came along. I have no idea how Honda and Anzu ever got together. I used to think that Honda had a crush on Ryou, for sure. But maybe I was wrong."

Or maybe not, Bakura thought sullenly. With Yugi's words about how Ryou had been back in the 'beginning', the bottom had dropped out of his mood, leaving the teen distant and saddened. Sometimes I hate it when I'm right.

"But then again you must have noticed that, too. I'm so glad Ryou found someone else to open up to. It's not good for him to keep that all bottled out inside." Yugi whispered in a confidential voice, before stuffing another mouthful of the cold, sugary confection his mouth and then licking the traces from his lips. "He did tell you... didn't he?" Yugi asked in a worried voice after a pause. "Bakura?" Panic began edging in. "He told you, right?" Now, an entirely different tone was entering his voice, a tone of anger. Yugi was slowly coming to realize that he had just been duped into alluding to one of his best friends deepest darkest secrets.

And Bakura simply sat there as Yugi's righteous midget rage mounted and assaulted him from across the table. If looks could kill, Bakura would have died, right then and there a thousand times over.

With his assumptions all but confirmed, Bakura just sat there, numb and unable to defend himself against the onslaught of Yugi's questions and demands. He only came back to the present as Yugi pulled at his sleeve. Tears were brimming in the giant amethyst eyes and the kid's pink little lower lip was trembling terribly.

It was a sad image. The teen's salty tears began running down his plump, child's cheeks, and then rolling off his chin and into his ice cream. "I promised him, Bakura. I promised to keep my mouth shut, for Ryou's sake. Please, just" Yugi paused, at a loss for words. "Just..." he trailed off into silence and hung his head. He removed his hand from Bakura's sleeve and set both hands in his lap to stare at their soft palms.

"Don't worry, kid." Bakura said quietly, collecting his wits and building them up around him like a shield. A shield built to deflect questions that were still bouncing across his mind like a tennis balls against a wall. "If anyone will end up in the dog house for this, it'll be me." He sighed, despite the barrier he was suddenly feeling extremely exhausted. "Go on out to the bike. I'll drive you back to the school, or to your house. Wherever you want to go. Bakura's taxi service, entirely at your disposal."

Yugi nodded, the sober mood had sunken into him as well. Memories had washed away the sugar high and replaced it with solemnity. He trod out to the bike and leant against the parking meter. He closed his eye momentarily.

It was a mistake, for as soon as the heavy hoods fell over his purple eyes, the world surrounding him faded and a new reality replaced it. He thought back to one day in particular. He saw Ryou wringing his hands and fidgeting like no tomorrow. Yugi glanced down momentarily at his friends hands which seemed to be moving on their own accord. He asked Ryou if he was alright, but the petite albino shrugged off his worry, insisting that everything was fine. Yugi had so desperately wanted to believe him. He didn't want to live in a world were people could hurt someone as wonderful as his best friend. He wanted no part in a world so sinister and cruel.

And yet as the months progressed, marks had become more pronounced and though Ryou's behavior didn't change, he was still as smiling and bashful as ever, he had stop attending Yugi's sleep overs and other such frivolous and friendly activities. He had insisted that he had plans, that he was sorry and would be sure to catch the next one. He began begging off with obscure excuses. And though the smiles had never stopped, they'd taken on a superficial light.

They seemed to be made of plastic... Or glass. As if Ryou were afraid that if the grin were to drop from his features, his entire face would crack up. The grin had stopped reaching his eyes. Now, where a shine of happiness had once peeked out to survey the world with childish delight and naiveté, only a pleading sadness could be seen. Begging it's surveyors for something they couldn't define. Was it help he was asking for? Or was it solitude? Naiveté had been replaced with cynicism and unhappiness.

"Hey kid!" Bakura called, waving a limp hand before his face, trying to get his attention, a reversal of the positions they'd been in while "studying" in the library.

Yugi sighed. Though recently Ryou's smiled seemed to hold traces of their former happiness, they were not up to their former caliber. Maybe Bakura and the rest of his group held the key to its return. Or maybe they would destroy all chance of its return. Yugi had no idea which and he didn't like the idea of Ryou never truly smiling again.

Bakura seemed like a nice enough person. But he also seemed to have the potential to do horrible things, like the stunt he'd just pulled in the ice cream parlor or any other number of grave deeds he heard about from his fellow compatriots.

Yugi frowned as he clutched tightly at the back of Bakura's shirt as they sped off once more in the direction of the school where Yami would be waiting for him.

Yugi almost smiled at the thought of his boyfriend. Yami just seemed to have that effect on him, no matter the dire straits he was in.

When they finally pulled up at the school, Yugi saw Yami leaning against his car and looking anxious and over protective. Then, like the clouds parting to make way for the sun, he did smile. It was barely visible beneath the motorcycle helmet Bakura had once again jammed over his head, but it was there nonetheless.

Taking off the helmet, Yugi looked Bakura dead in the eye. "Ryou has been through far too much. And I don't know if your the right thing for him. Let's face it, the two of you are pretty much opposites. You're scary and he's cute. He's quiet and you're obnoxious. But if there's even a chance that you can make him smile again, and I mean really smile, then I'm willing to take it, and so should you." Yugi urged, never once breaking eye contact.

The petit teen grinned, tossing the shocked larger teen the motorcycle helmet and then fairly skipping away. "Oh and Bakura," he stopped short and turned, "don't hurt my friend. I may be small, but I'm no boy scout." And with that ambiguous statement, Yugi ran the rest of the way to his boyfriend and was captured in a hug.

It was a sweet moment, and Bakura couldn't help but watch. The midget might not be so bad after all, he thought as a half grin twitched at the corner of his lips. With that he swung his leg over Elliot-Bertha-Butch-Ishtar to straddle the bike and kicked off, savoring the hum and bounced of the power vehicle against his thighs. It's past time the time I should be getting home to my new house mate.

Footnotes:

(1) I hate the Boy Scouts, seriously I do. So, I don't know they're sign thing, I have a suspicion that it involves three fingers, but don't know for sure.

(2) The shorter a body is, the scarier their sugar rush gets, I swear to fuck.

(3) Oh burn. That's harsh.

End Notes: So, I'm high on the nastiest energy drink I've ever tasted. It's disgusting, nyah, but I can't help but drink it anyways. At least the nausea has passed XD. And what's more, this chapter didn't turn out as bad as a thought it would. I hope you enjoyed. And I'll do my best not to fall off the update wagon so fast this time, but I make no promises.