Book 2: Millennium Love (Thiefshipping)

Chapter Ten

"Like you can talk, Florence! You've done worse to me than Malik has ever done to Marik! At least Malik has the decency to make sure Marik has no idea he exists!" Ryou snapped.

"Only because he's allowed you to chain him up like a dog," I said lowly, making sure Ryou knew I was serious and very pissed. "You are as much of a leach as he is. No wonder you two get along. That's why you could never get rid of me. Because you need me. You blame me for everything I have done to you but do absolutely nothing. You're a buggering pest that only cares for himself!" Once I realized what I was saying, it was already too late. I gazed into Ryou's eyes and I saw nothing but distance and hurt.

Where the bloody hell did that even come from? I went off on something I wasn't ever concerned about. Ryou isn't the problem. Melvin is. So why did I say that? And why does it feel like I've had this argument before?

"Ryou I-"

"You're right," Ryou said softly. I could even hear within his voice that Ryou was on the verge of tears and, for the first time, it pained me to think I caused Ryou pain. Actually, not for the first time. Back on Kaiba's blimp, when Ryou was gushing his eyes out and telling me how much I had hurt him, I felt the same exact feeling as I do now.

"I am a leach. I can't ever be on my own. I don't ever want to be alone. That's probably why I take comfort in putting myself around people who I know are bad. Who I know have done nothing but bad things." I saw tears began to roll down Ryou's face and it made me hate myself. "I'm sorry, other me."

"Damn it! This is what I was talking about," I grumbled.

"W- What?"

"You are too bloody soft. Grow a backbone." I turned to my left and huffed, hating what I am about to do. Without looking at Ryou, I raised my hand and placed it upon Ryou's transparent head. The instant I did it, I felt the strangest sense of déjà vu along with a sudden sense of purpose. "Stop allowing people like me to walk over you or you won't ever be happy."

"But...Malik-"

"Pisses me off. But," I pulled my hand off of Ryou's transparent spirit. "He makes you happy and he seems to not want to harm Marik. At least of right now. So, I'll drop it and focus on the matter at hand." I adjusted the bag on my shoulder, made sure I still looked like Ryou, then ran off once again. As I ran, I noticed Ryou was staring at me.

"Thank you, Bakura. You're the best," Ryou said, giving me a big smile. I just ignored him and made my way to the school. However, once I got there, I was asked a strange request from Ryou as I ran across the school yard.

"Can you go to school for me today? I am really too tired to pay attention to anything so I won't be able to hang around Yugi," Ryou said as he yawned.

I growled and sighed as I flung open the school doors. "Fine. But you owe me."

"That's fair. Good luck, other me!" With that, Ryou disappeared, leaving me to the hell everyone calls high school.

I ran into the class and saw that I had interrupted a lesson. I quickly made sure to put on my innocent Ryou act. The first thing to do was trip. So, as I went to apologies to the teacher I purposefully tripped over my feet and landed on my face. It caused most of the class to laugh- making me hate my life.