Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Always Never the Same ❯ One-Shot

Title: Always Never the Same

Genre: Song fic, other that that, I don't know.

Warnings: Yaoi, abuse, suicide attempts, AU, no timeline.

Pairings: Yami Yugi/Yugi, Bakura/Ryou

Others: The song belongs to George Strait. "Always Never the Same"

Always Never the Same

- - -

I know why I'm intrigued

You keep surprising me

- - -

Ryou gulped to himself as he backed up against the wall. He had no physical pain, except for the light bruise on his upper arm, which was from him falling out of his bed in fright. The nine-year-old looked up, confused at the other figure, which had appeared the moment the white haired boy had slipped on the gift from his father. The. . .what had he called it? The Millennium Ring, right.

What scared the young boy more though, was the fact that the other boy, who was standing by the end of the bed looking just as shocked as he himself was, looked exactly like him only a little older. He had the same white hair, though it seemed as though it was slightly spiked. His eyes were the same brown, only harsher, colder.

The stranger suddenly moved forward with rapid speed. Ryou cringed and closed his eyes tight, after a few seconds when nothing came, he opened his eyes again only to come face to face with the strange boy, their noses only mere millimeters apart. "W-who are you?" Little Ryou asked softly as he stared at the creature in front of him.

The boy, who wasn't really a creature, he didn't think seemed surprised at his accent, as if he had never heard one like it before. The cold brown eyes blinked, and the boy backed up, sitting down right in front of Ryou. "I don't have a name." He suddenly realized.

"Everyone has a name." Ryou got a little braver and the boy looked at him with his cold eyes, making the smaller boy flinch. "Where did you come from?" He asked.

"I used to live in Egypt. But that stupid pharaoh!" The boy suddenly remembered. "He locked my soul into the Millennium Ring. . .you freed me. You're me reborn. Who are you?" He asked, his anger for this pharaoh was gone, though he still seemed slightly agitated.

"R-Ryou Bakura." Ryou introduced himself.

The other boy nodded. "Hmm. . .so you are my light then. Fine, I'm your dark so you can call me Yami Bakura." He decided.

"Yami?" Ryou was confused.

"Dark." Yami Bakura said. "You can't tell anyone about me, I'll beat you up if you do!" The little boy threatened as he stood up. "I'm going back into the ring now, I feel weird out here but I want to get to know your kind, I have a feeling that things have changed since I was last out." He said and then suddenly disappeared, leaving an even more confused Ryou.

- - -

Somewhere between the lines

There's no way to define

- - -

Ryou's father listened as Ryou sighed sadly. They had just touched down in Japan, their new home. Now that Ryou's mother had died his father thought it best to get away from England. The place was rather dreary as it was and he figured the move would be good on his depressed son.

He also wanted to bulling to stop, more than once the man had discovered bruises and cutes on his son's body, usually he found them when Ryou would fall asleep on the couch and would have to be carried up the stairs.

He had questioned the quiet boy time and time again about the marks, wanting to know who was doing it so he could talk to their parents, but Ryou would never tell him. Sometimes he just didn't understand the fourteen-year old.

At the same moment, inside the Millennium Ring, which hung loosely around Ryou's neck, Yami Bakura was thinking the same thing. Oh no, not about who was causing the marks on Ryou's skin, he KNEW that answer. He just didn't understand the teenager either. //Why are you upset over leaving? You had no friends to hold you back and no other family.//

/You just wouldn't understand./ Came the subdued reply.

//Try me.//

/This isn't my home./ His inner voice was downcast and lifeless just as he had been since the funeral. /I can't even visit my own mother's grave without flying halfway around the world./

//You'll make a new life here.// Yami Bakura tried. //And no more suicide attempts. I'm sick of trying to stop you.//

/Really? And here I was thinking that you get a perverse joy from hitting me./ There was a slight hint of humour in his works and that made Yami Bakura smile.

But the spirit hid it from his other half. //Yes well, you are an idiot at times.// He teased lightly and felt the mental smile from the mortal boy, but the smile didn't last for long.

/You could just let me do it next time./ The boy replied.

//No I couldn't. If something were to happen to you, then something would happen to me…and I don't want anything to happen to you. Father would miss you very much, and I don't think anything would be able to keep him grounded if you were to leave him too. He has taken Mother's death just as roughly as you have. The only difference is that you've had me to keep you company whether you want it or not, he's had no one because his son was too busy trying to off himself.//

/You're right./ Ryou sighed.

//Aren't I always? Now let's go check out our new home!//

- - -

Every move you make

Always never the same

- - -

Ryou looked up at the building, the one he was trying to find excuses not to enter. It was the first day of school and he really didn't feel like meeting anyone. He had already had a run in with a few boys and he was afraid that everyone would want to hurt him like that.

//Don't be stupid, they were just assholes.// The voice in his head reminded him. //Look, you promised your father that you'd try to make friends. I've never known you to go back on a promise.//

"That's it, just keep rubbing it in." Ryou sighed out loud as he walked up the steps and made his way to the office. After listening to the woman talk for a while, he blocked her out for the most part, her voice was annoyingly high and she spoke so fast that Ryou couldn't translate fast enough. He was given a schedule and a map of the school and then sent out of the office.

The building looked just as confusing on the inside then it had on the outside, and just as big too. Ryou sighed -

//Would you stop doing that?//

/Doing what?/

//Sighing! It's getting annoying.//

/Oh, sorry./ He sighed but flinched when he heard his yami growl. /Look, it's something I do when things seem hopeless, and right now that's what they are./

//What do you mean? You got your schedule, the map of the building and the room number, what's the problem?//

/I don't speak Japanese very well and the writing on the map and schedule is really small./

//Let me take over.//

/. . .Okay, but just to find the room, promise?/

//What you don't trust me?// Yami Bakura grinned, knowing that his light was, well, lightening up.

/In a matter of speaking, no. Promise./

//All right, all right, I promise.// They switched places and Yami Bakura found the room without much effort. //I'm giving you your body back now.// He said and went back into his soul room.

Ryou knocked on the door. It opened moments later and the teacher smiled at him, ushering him into the room. "Everyone, we have a new student joining us from England. Please introduce yourself to the class. . ."

- - -

Call me mesmerized

Somewhat hypnotized

- - -

"And then Yugi used his Dark Magician to defeat Joey's Baby Dragon. It seems he accidentally put it in attack mode instead of defense." Ryou explained as he looked over at the figure on the other side of the couch. "Yami? Are you even listening to me?" He wondered, waving a hand in front of his face.

Yami Bakura blinked, coming out of his thoughts. "Yeah sorry. Yugi beat Joey again using the Dark Magician." He nodded, though his previous thoughts were still on his mind. *I've been spacing out when he talks a lot late. . .his voice is just so comforting. . .* He mentally shook his head.

Ryou, not noticing anything wrong smiled. "We were invited to the beach tomorrow." He explained.

"You mean YOU'RE invited." Yami Bakura mumbled.

"That's not true! Yugi said to ask you to come too." Ryou insisted.

"That's because he knew I wouldn't come. I don't want to see Yami Yugi any time soon. I'd sooner have lunch with Pegasus before I did ANY thing with that egotistical pharaoh. Your friends don't like me, not that they have any reason to, but as long as you are happy, I am content." The spirit said.

Ryou gave him the puppy eyes and stuck out his bottom lip. "Please?" He asked.

Yami Bakura rolled his eyes. "Fine." He growled.

"And you'll stay out of the Ring? Even if Yami Yugi and Seto Kaiba are there?"

"Kaiba? You never mentioned him!" Yami Bakura saw the disappointed look in his light's eyes. "Okay, okay, I promise I'll stay out of the Ring, even if Yami Yugi insists on sitting in my lap."

Ryou giggled, "Thanks Yami!" He grinned and jumped into the other's arms, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm going to go tell Yugi." He said and ran out of the room, leaving a very stunned and very confused Yami Bakura behind.

The next day, being it Saturday they had no school and the entire gang found themselves on the beach. Luckily it was a secluded area and there was nobody else but them. Then again, it might have something to do with the fact that Seto Kaiba owned the beach. . .

Yami Bakura sat in the sand in shorts and a stripped T-shirt, beside him was Seto Kaiba and Mai Valentine. The two of them were talking, not paying any attention to him, which made him happy. He was watching his light play near the water with the pharaoh's brat and the blonde boy. The boy always wearing a trench coat…Tristan? Yeah, that was it, was playing Frisbee with that girl, Tea. The pharaoh was in the water along with his lookalike and the taller kid. On his shoulders perched happily was Kaiba's younger brother.

"Come on Ryou! Get wet!" Joey laughed as he sent a wave of water onto the sand near Ryou.

"Alright." Ryou smiled and slowly took of his shirt.

- - -

Somehow in conversation

I'm lost in sweet temptation

- - -

Yami Bakura barely registered the gasps from everyone in the water and as he watched they all ran over to his other half in a panic.

"What?" Ryou asked.

"What happened to you?" Yugi asked, looking at the light scars that littered the pale skin. With that said the little one grabbed Ryou's left wrist, making Yami Bakura flinch at the memory. He almost hadn't made it that time. Ryou had cut the main artery and he had made sure that the knife had gone deep.

"I know what happened." Yami Yugi set down Mokuba and stormed over to where the others in the sand were sitting. He grabbed Yami Bakura by his shirt and picked him up in the air, not caring that the other boy was taller than he was. "You did this to him! You abusive bastard!" The pharaoh's eyes practically glowed with anger.

"No! Stop, please!" Ryou begged as he, along with the other three had had been in the water ran up beside Yami Yugi. "H-he didn't do it." He said though Yami Bakura could feel the shame the boy was feeling. These people did not have the right to know and he knew that his light didn't want them to know. They'd see him differently and it wouldn't be a good thing.

"Yeah I did it to him, so what? Why do you care?" Yami Bakura sneered as he pushed Yami Yugi's hands away, falling to his feet in the sand. He vaguely saw the surprised look cross his hakari's face.

"How can you be so cruel to your light? You shouldn't even have a light. An even thing like you should spend the rest of eternity in that damned ring!" The pharaoh spat and pushed the white haired boy away. "I'm leaving." He growled as he walked down the beach, soon followed by his little light, the dog, the rich boy, the slut, the ballerina, the brat and the guy with no personality.

Only Ryou remained. He looked at Yami Bakura with an unreadable expression. Yami Bakura sat down on the sand and looked away from his light. "Why did you do that?" Ryou asked, getting down on his knees to face his yami. "You could have so easily have told the truth and they'd accept you!" He sniffed, tears running down his cheeks.

"My job is to protect you." Yami Bakura replied. "Whether it's from yourself of them, I have to protect you." He shrugged. "You didn't want them to know the truth did you? That you were the one that caused everyone of those marks?" He asked.

Ryou blushed and looked at the sand. "No, but-"

"But nothing. You're happy with them and I can except that. Now go, they're waiting for you." Yami Bakura said emotionlessly.

"I'm not going to leave you!" Ryou replied, "We can go home. I think I've had enough of the beach today anyway." He said but Yami Bakura wasn't fooled for a minute.

"Go Ryou, I'll just be in the Ring. Like I said, as long as you're happy I'm content. I meant that." He spoke softly then disappeared inside the ring.

Ryou sighed to himself.

//I told you to stop DOING that!//

The white haired boy smiled as he got up and ran towards his friends.

- - -

Every word you say

Always never the same

- - -

"Yami, have you ever loved anyone?" Ryou asked as the two of them lay on the roof of his home, watching the dark sky. Snowflakes gently fell around them and the snow seemed to cast an eerie silence over the entire city, maybe even the world. It had just started to snow so luckily there wasn't much of the nasty white stuff, as Yami Bakura saw it.

"No." Yami Bakura replied. *Liar*

"That's sad." Ryou spoke softly, not wanting to ruin the mood. "Have you ever been loved by anyone?"

"No." Yami Bakura replied again.

Ryou moved, rolling onto his stomach so he could look at his friend. "That's not true. There's me you know. I love you." He said, the words falling so easily from his lips.

Yami Bakura closed his eyes. He'd never get used to those words. "I know." Was all he said.

Ryou breathed, his breath floating in the air. "Do you love me?" He asked innocently, "Or at least like me a little?"

"You know I `more than like you', Ryou. I don't know why you always ask." Yami Bakura mumbled with his eyes still closed. He hated being cold damn it.

Ryou sighed, making Yami Bakura cringe. He hated it when Ryou sighed, it meant that he wasn't happy. "I know you do, but if I don't ask I never hear it. Dad's not home and you're the only one who. . .oh well, never mind." The boy shook his head as he moved, resting his head on Yami Bakura's chest and looked back up at the sky.

They were silent again and let the snow fall upon them, melting on their warm skin on contact. Suddenly Ryou giggled softly to himself. Yami Bakura cracked open an eye and looked at him. "What's so funny?" He wondered.

Ryou giggled again, "I was just remembering the look on Yami Yugi's face when you kissed me in front of them. I thought he was going to get a nosebleed." He laughed again, causing Yami Bakura to smile slightly.

"It's not like he doesn't do anything with that light of his." Yami Bakura shrugged.

"They do." Ryou replied, "Yugi told me that they really love each other, and I'm happy for them. He's just scared what the others will think of them when or if they ever find out. Don't tell anyone, promise?" Brown eyes turned to him.

"Hai, I promise." Yami Bakura nodded. "Do they still think I beat you?" He wondered, unconsciously running his fingers through Ryou's soft hair.

"I don't know." Ryou shrugged.

They were silent again, then Yami Bakura spoke. "I love you too." He whispered.

- - -

I can't count the ways

You take my breath away

- - -

Pegasus glared at the group in front of him, standing behind the bars. "None of you will get away from me now and your Millennium Items will be mine!" He laughed crazily.

"You're insane!" Kaiba hissed, glaring at the man before them.

"Quite the contrary Kaiba-boy. I'm actually quite sane, quite sane indeed. Now, to pick my first victim. I would love to actually choose little Yugi first, but I believe that making him watch one of his friends suffer would hurt him more than anything I could ever do to him. And I. . .pick. . .you." He pointed in the cage. Everyone followed his finger and found it pointing to Yami Yugi, who had been forced to separate from his other half, the same with Yami Bakura.

"Yami no!" Yugi pleaded but the Game King walked passed him and toward the cage door.

Yami Bakura growled at this, knowing that this was effecting everyone, not just Yugi. He looked back at his own light to find that Ryou had tears in his eyes but was trying to keep them at bay. The boy looked up to Yami Yugi, and this was effecting him too. Yami Bakura sighed to himself, knowing he had to do something. "Hold on, stop." He hissed as he marched over to where the pharaoh had stopped, everyone looking at him. "Take me instead." The boy crossed his arms.

"Bakura, why on earth would you be sacrificing yourself just to save this annoying pharaoh? You'll get your chance soon enough, so get back in line!" Pegasus hissed.

"No." Yami Bakura growled, his eyes glowing a menacing colour. "You're trying to hurt Yugi, but you're hurting everyone, and that includes my own light. I can not let you harm him, even if it is to get rid of the pharaoh." He rolled his eyes, causing Yami Yugi to glare at him.

"No Yami please!" Ryou rushed up behind him, but Yami Bakura pushed him away.

"Stay out of this weakling!" He growled, though through the mental link he told Ryou that he didn't mean it. He turned back to Pegasus as he pulled out his Duel Monsters deck. Shuffling the cards, Yami Bakura drew the top card. "White Hats, it's seems we're going to play a little game." He grinned as he took a hold of the Millennium Ring.

Pegasus looked around in shock and surprise as the world around them grew dark. "Welcome to the Shadow Realm Pegasus. Here I make the rules and if you don't play by the rules, you get punished. Now, if you beat me, you can do with us what you will, but if I win you let us go and leave us alone. Aw, and what a shame, you're still tired from dueling Yami Yugi aren't you? Well now, that does give me an advantage doesn't it?" Yami Bakura asked, then laughed.

~ Everyone has a name. Where did you come from? ~

~ And here I was thinking that you get a perverse joy from hitting me. ~

~ Look, it's something I do when things seem hopeless, and right now that's what they are. ~

~ Yugi said to ask you to come too. ~

~ You did this to him! You abusive bastard! ~

~ I'm not going to leave you! ~

~ Yami, have you ever loved anyone? ~

~ Have you ever been loved by anyone? ~

~ There's me you know. I love you. ~

~ Do you love me? ~

//With everything I am.//

- - -

Always never the same

Always never the same

Always never the same

- - -

Yami Bakura sighed to himself as he stared up at the dark ceiling of Ryou's room. Technically it was his room too, but he could never bring himself to think that way.

He was so different from his light. He was predictable and sometimes harsh, but his light, his light was something else. Yami Bakura was never sure what the boy would do in any situation.

//But that's why I'm here. To protect him if he gets into trouble.// He reminded himself as the body beside his moved, cuddling closer to his side.

Ryou moaned in his sleep and mumbled something incoherent aloud, but Yami Bakura heard it loud and clear through their mind link.

/I love you too. . ./

END

End Notes:

- I heard that in Japan there is school on Saturday's, but well, it felt weird saying Sunday.

- And I hope I didn't confuse anyone on "little light, the dog, the rich boy, the slut, the ballerina, the brat and the guy with no personality" (Yugi, Joey, Kaiba, Mai, Tea, Mokuba and Tristan.)