Stay With Me [Yu-Gi-Oh, Yugi Mutoh/Ryou Bakura, G]
Title: Stay With Me
Author/Artist: m_aenea
Rating: G
Warnings: None!
Prompt: Yu-gi-oh, Yugi/Ryou Bakura: Happiness (startled joy; passionate gratitude; ecstasy; comfort; happy endings) - This morning I woke up with this feeling I didn't know how to deal with
Word count: 1150
Summary: Ryou Bakura worries about what he can't control.
A/N: Takes place just after the Duelist Kingdom arc, though the timing isn't really that big a deal. ^^; Pure fluff, and well, kind of lame, and, in retrospect, doesn't exactly fit the prompt...I hope it's not too disappointing. :(
When Ryou wakes up he can barely move. His breathing comes fast and shallow; his muscles ache from exertions he can't remember. When the alarm clock rings, it takes all his strength to reach out and turn it off; his shaking arm drops limply at his side as he stares blankly at the bedroom ceiling.
Experience tells him it will take at least a full day of rest to recover from this latest possession, maybe more. The spirit of the Ring always pushes Ryou's body far beyond his normal limits; Ryou doesn't know if the spirit is incapable of feeling real, physical pain and just doesn't realize how his host suffers when he leaves, or if the spirit is aware and simply doesn't care. Ryou supposes it doesn't matter much, in the end.
His exhaustion has one dubious positive: he won't be able to attend classes-or even leave his apartment-until he recovers, and by extension, will not have to see his friends-Yugi in particular.
Before returning to Domino, Yugi had insisted that what happened during Duelist Kingdom wouldn't change their friendship, or his treatment of Ryou. But Ryou is certain Yugi will keep his distance once Ryou recovers, if only for his own safety. The thought doesn't hurt Ryou as much as it might have, once. Ryou knows he can't control the spirit of the Ring, and the thought of hurting a friend is much worse than the thought of being alone.
But returning to the emptiness that had defined his life before meeting Yugi still hurts. Ryou can manage loneliness, but he needs a few days to adjust.
His eyes sting with sudden tears. Ryou turns over, burying his face in his pillow. He stays there, unmoving, until a knock at the door startles him.
“Uh-who's there?”
“It's me, Yugi!” comes the cheerful reply. “Is it ok if I come in?”
“O-of course, I'll be right there.” Ryou rises, wobbling, from his bed.
When he opens the door, Yugi greets him with a wide, sunny smile. Tired though he is, Ryou can't help but smile back.
“Good morning, Bakura-kun! How are you feeling?” Yugi looks closely at Ryou, and lets out a soft gasp. “Oh, you...you don't look that well,” he continues, raising one hand to rest against Ryou's cheek.
“I-I'm alright,” Ryou says. Yugi's hand is soft and warm against his skin, and his cheeks grow flushed. “Just a little tired.”
Yugi frowns, fingertips brushing against the dark circles under Ryou's eyes. “...Ok, if you say so,” he says, sounding dubious. “Um...can I talk to you about something? If you need rest, I can wait...”
“I'm fine, really,” Ryou says. “Please, come in.”
Yugi smiles again, and follows Ryou into his room. Ryou settles back into the bed-the short trip from bedroom to apartment entrance drained him more than he had expected. Yugi sits down next to him.
“Um...Yugi-kun...I don't mean to pry, but shouldn't you be at school by now?” Ryou asks.
Yugi shrugs. “Pfft, nothing important is happening today. Besides, I wanted to see how you were doing. I know you....um...you had a hard time in Duelist Kingdom.”
Ryou lowered his gaze. “Yugi-kun, I'm so sorry. I should have been stronger.”
“Bakura-kun, what the-what that spirit did isn't your fault,” Yugi says, reaching out to take hold of Ryou's hand. “You don't have to apologize for anything.”
Ryou shakes his head. “But-he tried to kill you, Yugi-kun. And I couldn't do anything at all! I couldn't-I couldn't even tell you what was happening, I couldn't warn you, I'm worse than useless, and--
“Bakura-kun.” Yugi's voice is soft but intense, and Ryou falls silent. “I know what you must be feeling right now. When I finished the Puzzle, I was just as helpless. Even now...” Yugi rests one hand on top of the Puzzle slung around his neck. “...If my other self wanted to take over completely, like the spirit of the ring-I don't think I could stop him, either.”
Yugi leans closer to Ryou, brushing aside the thick, silver hair hiding his eyes. “This morning, I thought about you. I worried...I worried that you'd try to stay away, to protect everyone. And I--” Yugi paused, taking a deep, shaking breath. “I couldn't bear it.”
Yugi cups Ryou's face in his hands. Ryou watches him, hardly daring to breathe, his own hands rising up to grasp Yugi's wrists. He feels the pulse of Yugi's blood against his palms.
“I had to tell you,” Yugi says, voice trembling, “that I-I want to stay close to you. Please, don't run away from me because you're afraid.”
“Yugi-kun,” Ryou whispers, “I can't stop him, ever. What if-what if he won't let me go, next time?”
“I don't care,” Yugi says fiercely. “If all you can do is wait for me to find you...that's enough. I won't give up on you, ever, so promise me that you'll stay, alright?”
Ryou nods. He can't bring himself to speak; simply breathing, in the face of such fierce devotion, is hard enough.
Yugi's lips part in a joyous smile. He pulls Ryou closer, until Ryou can feel the warmth of Yugi's breath against his skin.
“Bakura-kun...” Yugi says, so close his lips brush against Ryou's, “I, um, I think--”
“Sshhh,” Ryou murmurs, silencing Yugi with a kiss. Yugi traces the delicate curve of Ryou's slender neck, the fragile line of his collarbone, before pulling away, a sheepish look on his face.
“I haven't really...done anything like this before,” Yugi says, eyes darting from Ryou to the bed stand.
“Neither have I.”
The two look at each other, then burst out laughing.
“I'm up for experimenting, though,” Yugi says, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “If you're ready for it...”
Ryou presses a hand to his mouth, giggling helplessly. “Wow, Yugi-kun...that was kind of lame.”
Yugi sticks out his tongue. “Pfft, at least I can actually say something. You just giggle and sigh all the time!” He pounces on Ryou, pinning him to the bed and nuzzling at his throat.
“Yugi-kun--” Ryou says, still laughing. “Uh, I'm still...I'm a little tired...”
“What, already? We'll have to work on that, huh,” Yugi murmurs into Ryou's neck, one hand trailing down Ryou's chest to rest over his heart. “But if you're serious...”
“I'm sorry.”
“Don't be.”
They lie together in contented silence. The need for rest weighs heavily on Ryou, and he begins to fall asleep.
“Bakura-kun, you don't mind if I stay here like this, do you?” Yugi asks, shifting against Ryou's body.
“Of course not,” Ryou says quietly.
Yugi's lips brush his forehead as he drifts into sleep.
Author/Artist: m_aenea
Rating: G
Warnings: None!
Prompt: Yu-gi-oh, Yugi/Ryou Bakura: Happiness (startled joy; passionate gratitude; ecstasy; comfort; happy endings) - This morning I woke up with this feeling I didn't know how to deal with
Word count: 1150
Summary: Ryou Bakura worries about what he can't control.
A/N: Takes place just after the Duelist Kingdom arc, though the timing isn't really that big a deal. ^^; Pure fluff, and well, kind of lame, and, in retrospect, doesn't exactly fit the prompt...I hope it's not too disappointing. :(
When Ryou wakes up he can barely move. His breathing comes fast and shallow; his muscles ache from exertions he can't remember. When the alarm clock rings, it takes all his strength to reach out and turn it off; his shaking arm drops limply at his side as he stares blankly at the bedroom ceiling.
Experience tells him it will take at least a full day of rest to recover from this latest possession, maybe more. The spirit of the Ring always pushes Ryou's body far beyond his normal limits; Ryou doesn't know if the spirit is incapable of feeling real, physical pain and just doesn't realize how his host suffers when he leaves, or if the spirit is aware and simply doesn't care. Ryou supposes it doesn't matter much, in the end.
His exhaustion has one dubious positive: he won't be able to attend classes-or even leave his apartment-until he recovers, and by extension, will not have to see his friends-Yugi in particular.
Before returning to Domino, Yugi had insisted that what happened during Duelist Kingdom wouldn't change their friendship, or his treatment of Ryou. But Ryou is certain Yugi will keep his distance once Ryou recovers, if only for his own safety. The thought doesn't hurt Ryou as much as it might have, once. Ryou knows he can't control the spirit of the Ring, and the thought of hurting a friend is much worse than the thought of being alone.
But returning to the emptiness that had defined his life before meeting Yugi still hurts. Ryou can manage loneliness, but he needs a few days to adjust.
His eyes sting with sudden tears. Ryou turns over, burying his face in his pillow. He stays there, unmoving, until a knock at the door startles him.
“Uh-who's there?”
“It's me, Yugi!” comes the cheerful reply. “Is it ok if I come in?”
“O-of course, I'll be right there.” Ryou rises, wobbling, from his bed.
When he opens the door, Yugi greets him with a wide, sunny smile. Tired though he is, Ryou can't help but smile back.
“Good morning, Bakura-kun! How are you feeling?” Yugi looks closely at Ryou, and lets out a soft gasp. “Oh, you...you don't look that well,” he continues, raising one hand to rest against Ryou's cheek.
“I-I'm alright,” Ryou says. Yugi's hand is soft and warm against his skin, and his cheeks grow flushed. “Just a little tired.”
Yugi frowns, fingertips brushing against the dark circles under Ryou's eyes. “...Ok, if you say so,” he says, sounding dubious. “Um...can I talk to you about something? If you need rest, I can wait...”
“I'm fine, really,” Ryou says. “Please, come in.”
Yugi smiles again, and follows Ryou into his room. Ryou settles back into the bed-the short trip from bedroom to apartment entrance drained him more than he had expected. Yugi sits down next to him.
“Um...Yugi-kun...I don't mean to pry, but shouldn't you be at school by now?” Ryou asks.
Yugi shrugs. “Pfft, nothing important is happening today. Besides, I wanted to see how you were doing. I know you....um...you had a hard time in Duelist Kingdom.”
Ryou lowered his gaze. “Yugi-kun, I'm so sorry. I should have been stronger.”
“Bakura-kun, what the-what that spirit did isn't your fault,” Yugi says, reaching out to take hold of Ryou's hand. “You don't have to apologize for anything.”
Ryou shakes his head. “But-he tried to kill you, Yugi-kun. And I couldn't do anything at all! I couldn't-I couldn't even tell you what was happening, I couldn't warn you, I'm worse than useless, and--
“Bakura-kun.” Yugi's voice is soft but intense, and Ryou falls silent. “I know what you must be feeling right now. When I finished the Puzzle, I was just as helpless. Even now...” Yugi rests one hand on top of the Puzzle slung around his neck. “...If my other self wanted to take over completely, like the spirit of the ring-I don't think I could stop him, either.”
Yugi leans closer to Ryou, brushing aside the thick, silver hair hiding his eyes. “This morning, I thought about you. I worried...I worried that you'd try to stay away, to protect everyone. And I--” Yugi paused, taking a deep, shaking breath. “I couldn't bear it.”
Yugi cups Ryou's face in his hands. Ryou watches him, hardly daring to breathe, his own hands rising up to grasp Yugi's wrists. He feels the pulse of Yugi's blood against his palms.
“I had to tell you,” Yugi says, voice trembling, “that I-I want to stay close to you. Please, don't run away from me because you're afraid.”
“Yugi-kun,” Ryou whispers, “I can't stop him, ever. What if-what if he won't let me go, next time?”
“I don't care,” Yugi says fiercely. “If all you can do is wait for me to find you...that's enough. I won't give up on you, ever, so promise me that you'll stay, alright?”
Ryou nods. He can't bring himself to speak; simply breathing, in the face of such fierce devotion, is hard enough.
Yugi's lips part in a joyous smile. He pulls Ryou closer, until Ryou can feel the warmth of Yugi's breath against his skin.
“Bakura-kun...” Yugi says, so close his lips brush against Ryou's, “I, um, I think--”
“Sshhh,” Ryou murmurs, silencing Yugi with a kiss. Yugi traces the delicate curve of Ryou's slender neck, the fragile line of his collarbone, before pulling away, a sheepish look on his face.
“I haven't really...done anything like this before,” Yugi says, eyes darting from Ryou to the bed stand.
“Neither have I.”
The two look at each other, then burst out laughing.
“I'm up for experimenting, though,” Yugi says, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “If you're ready for it...”
Ryou presses a hand to his mouth, giggling helplessly. “Wow, Yugi-kun...that was kind of lame.”
Yugi sticks out his tongue. “Pfft, at least I can actually say something. You just giggle and sigh all the time!” He pounces on Ryou, pinning him to the bed and nuzzling at his throat.
“Yugi-kun--” Ryou says, still laughing. “Uh, I'm still...I'm a little tired...”
“What, already? We'll have to work on that, huh,” Yugi murmurs into Ryou's neck, one hand trailing down Ryou's chest to rest over his heart. “But if you're serious...”
“I'm sorry.”
“Don't be.”
They lie together in contented silence. The need for rest weighs heavily on Ryou, and he begins to fall asleep.
“Bakura-kun, you don't mind if I stay here like this, do you?” Yugi asks, shifting against Ryou's body.
“Of course not,” Ryou says quietly.
Yugi's lips brush his forehead as he drifts into sleep.