No Threat

Bakura leaned against the wall, shuffling his dueling deck and scowling at Yami. A low, threatening growl was directed at the former pharaoh.

Yami crossed his arms and sat beside Yugi, returning Bakura’s cold gaze. Joey sat on Seto’s lap, his body sweating profusely and his hands periodically twitching from the withdrawal.

Tristan and Otogi stood in the corner, occupied in their own conversation.

/Bakura….please find me./

Bakura’s eyes snapped open wide. //Ryou! Where are you?//

“I hear Ryou’s voice!” Bakura gasped.

Seto’s head shot up. “Where is he?”

Yugi ran to Bakura. “Where is Ryou?”

Bakura shook his head trying to distinguish Ryou’s voice in his ear from those of Ryou’s friends.

“Will you idiots shut up so I can hear him!”

/ I want to go home! I want to see my father! Daddy, I’m sorry! I really wanted to see you more! Why do I have to die?/

//Ryou, where are you? Where are you going? Tell me now or I can’t save your pathetic ass!//

Bakura tried to break through to Ryou, but Ryou’s fear was too great for him to make Ryou concentrate on his voice.

//Ryou, calm yourself down! Tell me what you see.//

/I don’t want to be shot! I don’t want to be raped and shot….Bakura! BAKURA, HEAR ME! I don’t want to die./

Bakura grabbed his own hair and pulled in frustration. “Ra-damn it, Ryou! Listen to me!”

“I don’t blame him for not answering you,” Yami snapped. “He’s probably scared to death of you and your attitude!”

Bakura pushed Yami back roughly. “You have the attitude, Yami, not me! He’s MY hikari and I can deal with him!”

Joey stepped by Bakura. “This isn’t helping, Bakura! What are they doing with Ryou?”

Bakura’s hair became more spiky and his hair twitched in anger. “Someone is going to rape Ryou and shoot him.”

The gang gasped. Joey buried his face in his hands.

“It’s all my fault!”

Bakura nodded. “Damn straight, boy, it’s your fault!”

Tristan stepped in front of Bakura and the crowd gasped that Tristan actually abandoned his coffee thermos to push Bakura back into the wall. “Look, Bakura! I don’t care what you do to me, but Ryou needs help and blaming Joey isn’t going to help him. It isn’t going to bring Ryou back, is it? Let’s get Ryou back and you can play the blame game all you want!”

Bakura’s hair twitched furiously that a mortal put his hands on him. “When we get Ryou back, you’re going to need your coffee to keep you warm in the Shadow Realm. Oh wait! There is no coffee there!”

Tristan’s eyelid twitched at the thought of not having coffee nearby at a moment’s notice. “I don’t care. I just want Ryou back.”

Bakura groaned. “Fine.” Bakura closed his eyes and tried to connect to Ryou through the mindlink. “I see…tires…..demolished cars….trashcans….He’s laying on the ground.” Bakura jolted and he opened his eyes. “Ryou kicked me out of his head. I guess he doesn’t trust me.”

“Where is he?!” Seto growled.

Bakura grabbed his dagger. “A nice place near the city limits. It’s a convenient spot for me to dump my victims’ soulless shells.”

“Where is he?”

Bakura growled. “Where I store all my worthless things….The Junk Yard.”

*****************************

Charlie watched as Ryou’s body covered in sweat. He had spent his time running his hands over the young body below him. Charlie slowly removed Ryou’s belt, smiling.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you, my sexy little boy?” Charlie grinned, licking his lips.

Ryou trembled. “No…..not…really.”

Sean and Gerald laughed. “You’ll like Charlie. He’s very good to his guys and gals.”

Charlie ran the cold metal of the buckle over Ryou’s chest, letting it scrape against his skin. “Such a sexy little boy. How old are you, Ryou?”

“Fif….Fif…Fifteen.”

Charlie grinned. “Fifteen, hmm? I guess you’re just ripe for the picking, aren’t you?” The man ground himself onto Ryou. “I never had one as young as you……yet. Little boys like you are so…sexy.”

Ryou’s heart leapt into his throat. “HELP! SOMEBODY! PLEASE! RAPE!”

Charlie laughed. “Oh, come now, little Ryou. It’s not that bad. This is far from rape. This is just a bunch of harmless little fun.”

Ryou struggled to loosen his arms from the two men who pressed their knees into his arms. Ryou let out a scream.

“So, boys, it looks like we have a screamer on our hands. It’s a shame. He has a beautiful set of lungs on him.” Charlie shrugged. “Maybe we can take them before we leave. After all, the bullet’s not going through your chest.”

Ryou closed his eyes shut. “Oh please, gods, no! This is a bad dream! This is a bad dream!”

Charlie chuckled. “Oh, come on, Ryou. This can’t be all bad. A bad dream doesn’t feel this good, does it?” Charlie leaned over, licking Ryou’s chest.

Ryou froze as he felt a presence nearby. It was familiar. Bakura!

“YAMI! BAKURA! HELP!”

Charlie jumped up. “Shit! You get them, boys!” Charlie looked down at Ryou. “I’ll see you soon enough, Ryou! Don’t forget my face!” Charlie dashed off down the trash-lined path.

Bakura, Seto, Joey, Yugi, and Yami ran towards them. They fired their pistols and Seto, Joey, and Yugi ran behind demolished cars for cover. Bakura and Yami continued to run towards the snipers.

“They’re not stopping!”

A bullet lodged in Yami, but he continued to run. Gerald and Sean ran away, but Tristan and Otogi blocked their escape.

Bakura and Yami growled low in their throats. The Sennen Eye appeared on their foreheads.

“So, you enjoy touching little boys, hmm? Well. It’s only fair that I repay you for hurting my Light!”

Seto, Joey, and Yugi ran to Ryou. Ryou clutched onto Seto tightly, his body trembling. Two piercing cries of pain rose from the distance. Ryou sobbed heavily. “Seto! Seto! You don’t hate me! You came for me! I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

Seto rocked Ryou in his arms. “It’s okay, Ryou. Don’t cry. Seto’s here.”

Bakura and Yami returned, their clothes covered in blood.

Tristan and Otogi followed the two yamis, their faces white and pale.

Tristan’s jaw hung low. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep again after seeing that.”

Otogi shook his head. “Neither will I.”

Tristan rubbed his forehead. “I need a coffee….before I go into shock. If I don’t get a coffee, something’s gonna die right now.”

Otogi nodded. “I need a cappuccino.”

Tris and Otogi helped Ryou to his feet.

Seto and Joey supported Ryou to the limousine. “I’m calling Zira. He’ll meet us at KaibaCorp.”

Bakura growled. “What?! Ryou is coming home with me! Besides, we didn’t find that piece-of-shit-Charlie!”

Seto turned his head. “We have Ryou safe. Charlie can’t touch me and he can’t intimidate me.”

Bakura stopped. “I can look for him and make him suffer one thousand deaths!”

Joey looked worried. “He can still send men after you to hurt you! What about Mokuba and I?”

Seto gripped tightly onto Ryou to hold him up. “Charlie will lay low for a while. His men have been eliminated. It’s only him left. He’s no threat anymore. He won’t hurt anyone I care about anymore.”

Bakura turned back to the Junk Yard. “I’ll catch you someday, you bastard! Then, you will be mine!”

**********************************

Seto took Ryou home and Zira came to examine him. Bakura insisted on being present to make sure Zira didn’t touch his Light “in an impure manner.” Seto knew Bakura was just being possessive as usual and keeping an eye on his “property.”

“Ryou’s not harmed, Seto. He’s a little shaken and a little stressed, but he’s not hurt.”

Seto whispered to Zira. “Charlie is a butcher, Zira. I was scared to death when he sent that box with those body parts inside. I thought they were Ryou’s.”
”Ryou’s safe now, Seto, so all is right again.”

Zira left and Seto sat beside Ryou.

“Ryou? How are you feeling?”

Ryou sighed. “Little tired. It has been a long day, you know.”

Seto nodded. “I know.”

Ryou bit his lip and he grabbed Seto’s wrist before he had a chance to leave. “Seto, wait! You…you don’t hate me, do you?”

“Why would you say that?”

Joey lowered his head.

“Well, Joey said that…..he just said that.”

Seto caressed Ryou’s cheek. “I don’t hate you.”

“Do you…did you really want to sleep with me?”

Seto turned to Joey. “Joey, I need to speak to Ryou. Can you wait outside?”

Joey nodded, shifting his gaze between the two. He left, giving an encouraging grip on Seto’s shoulder.

When Joey was gone, Seto turned back to Ryou. “Ryou, I’m not sure what Joey told you, but, I don’t hate you. You know how I feel about you, Ryou. Do I want to sleep with you? Honest answer…yes. Would I sleep with you? Honest answer…..yes. Would I sleep with you if it jeopardized our relationship? Honest answer…no. Ryou, I love Joey more than life itself! I want to be with Joey. I want to spend the rest of my life with him.”

Ryou grinned. “I’m happy for you, Seto. Joey is perfect for you. I love someone, too, but….it will take time before he can accept my love for what it is. Even if he doesn’t accept my love, he can’t take away the reality that I do love him.”

“I want you to get some rest, Ryou.”

“Can you send Joey in when you leave? I want to talk to him.”

Seto left and Joey was soon sitting by him.
”What’s up, Ryou?”

“Joey, I forgive you for what you said. It wasn’t your fault and I don’t hate you for it. I hope we can continue to be good friends.”

Joey hung his head and looked over. “Why? Who would want to be friends with me?”

Ryou took Joey’s hand and sat up in the bed. “Seto is your friend. He loves you no matter what happened between you and your father.”

“Ryou, he doesn’t know about my father’s sexual abuse.”

Ryou gasped. “Joey, you have to tell him about it! If you love him and trust him, you will tell him what your father did.”

Joey shook his head. “No, I can’t. He won’t love me anymore. I won’t tell him until I am ready.”

Ryou gripped Joey’s hand. “That’s up to you, Joey, but I do think that you should talk to him.”

Joey shook his head. “I can’t, Ryou. When I’m ready.”

“Okay, Joey. I know how it feels. You don’t know if you can trust him with that kind of knowledge about you yet. I understand. It took

me a long time before I could tell Seto about what Bakura was doing to me.”

Joey looked up into the chocolate eyes. “I love him, Ryou….with all my heart.”

“Seto loves you, too, Joey. I don’t doubt that.” Ryou yawned. “I’m tired, Joey,” Ryou groaned as he slipped under the covers again. “Must sleep.”

Joey laid beside Ryou and stroked his hair until Ryou fell asleep.