Protector Ch. 4 “Trust In Me”
By Saendie
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For love that isn’t found in fairy tales.
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Rating is NC-17 for those who haven‘t read chapters 1-3 yet. In other words, if you’re not of mature mind and body you shouldn’t be reading this. No flames allowed from homophobes just because it’s a guy-guy pairing. Get over it. Non-consensual. If you don’t know what that means then you shouldn’t be reading this either! OOC as I know the Millennium Ring can be a mean SOB but I doubt he actually does rape him, just beats him within an inch of his life.
I don’t own Yugioh or any of the actual characters from the show, that’s a duh issue…however…I know a lot of you really like my stuff, but from now on if you use any of my stories or ideas (in part or whole) without credit or permission, I will thrash you big time. Tsu cracks me up.
No sir, we have no Mary Sues nor Millennium Lawnmowers.
*********
Yami sweatdropped. This had to be the most ridiculous duel he’d ever done. “Jounochi…it won’t work.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s not that type of dragon!” The Game King shouted from where he was standing across from Jounochi, his God Card of Osiris itself even sported a sweatdrop. Jounochi, in a desperate bid to try and beat Yami’s God Card had decided to try and get his Red Eyes Black Dragon to seduce the God.
It wasn’t working.
Jounochi sighed and surrendered the duel, the field vanishing around them. “Was worth a shot.”
“Ouji-sama is the winner!” Black Magician Girl bounced over and hugged Yami, prompting a scowl from the Black Magician that his apprentice was acting like a young teenager.
“Get a hold of yourself.” He picked her off him with her letting out a little squeak of disappointment, depositing her back onto the polished black floor.
The blonde-haired girl meeped as she bounced off it and was promptly sprouting puppy-eyes at her teacher. “Don’t be so mean.”
Jounochi glanced over at the dark duelist as the other placed his deck into the holster at his side. “Ouji?”
“Long story. Jounochi, you’re not going to win a duel that happens in the shadow realm, it’s just not your thing. Rules here are VERY different--and not everyone is gay.”
“Your dragon is defective.”
Yami fell over, then jumped up and bashed Jounochi over the head with one of the Swords of Sealing Light. “My dragon is perfectly fine, just because it’s not gay doesn’t mean it’s defective!”
“Ouch! Okay, I get it.” Jounochi rubbed the bump on his head before he felt someone else doing it for him.
“Are you alright, Jounochi?” Yugi asked, having traveled to the shadow realm upon hearing all the ruckus in his soul room.
“Yugi!” Jounochi suddenly hugged the smaller boy. “You’ll take pity on me, Yami’s so cruel. Hitting me with that magic card.”
“Yami!” Yugi gave his darker side a glare that was as effective as throwing a marshmellow at someone. “Jounochi’s trying very hard so you could be a little more supportive.”
“…oh look, Kuribo with multiply.” Yami pointed and Yugi was suddenly buried in lovable furballs all vying for his attention. Yugi laughed and squirmed as they tickled him and made him forget about being mad at Yami.
“My hero.” Jounochi sighed, watching Yugi play with the monsters as if it was second-nature for him to be there. The whole shadow realm itself was odd. There were actual fields created that included forests, graveyards, meadows, and even an ocean. Jounochi hadn’t asked what was on the other side of that vast body of water. Overhead the sky was a mixture of black, blue, green, and purple.
Angry colors.
Yami had already explained to him the dangers of running off in here and getting lost. Some of the monsters could destroy you out of pure nature, which was why he always kept an eye on Yugi whenever he brought his light here. Luckily Yugi’s monsters all adored the little teenager and guarded him fiercely. Part of Jounochi wondered what Kaiba would do if he ever met the three Blue Eyes White Dragons, knowing how resentful they were for the death of their fourth. Meeting the monsters in person made Jounochi look at them differently, to see them as living creatures that had personalities, feelings, souls, and hearts.
Watching Yugi play so innocently with the monsters made Jounochi smile, wondering what made his own innocence vanish.
Was Ryou ever that innocent?
Jounochi sobered at that thought and stood up, facing Yami. “Again.”
“Jounochi, we’ve been at this all day. The Darkness will get to you soon, and I’m already bending the rules with you here and not facing a Game Penalty.” Yami strode over and scooped Yugi up out of the pile of Kuribos, causing the monsters to all make little disappointing noises. “Time to go, my light.”
“Awww…” Yugi’s eyes were the same big, dewy, ready-to-cry-rivers tears as the Kuribos. “Can we come back later?”
“Hai.”
“Yay!” Yugi hugged Yami, a bright smile on his face as Yami ended the Game and they appeared in Yugi’s room at the Turtle Game shop. “Jounochi-kun, are you staying for dinner? Mamma’s cooking is the best.”
Jounochi shrugged a little, smoothing out his t-shirt. “I’m not really very hungry.”
“Boys, dinner’s ready!” Ashita called from below. “You too, Yami!” That dashed all hopes Yami had of getting out of dinner by just retreating to his soul room.
He tried that once.
He learned to never do it again.
Jounochi gave in and trudged down the stairs with everyone else and smiled, saying all the appropriate jokes and goofing off that he was known for while his mind was elsewhere. Why couldn’t Ryou’s yami be more like Yugi’s. Someone that was his guardian, not his master. Maybe he was going about this the wrong way. Instead of protecting Ryou from Yami Bakura, maybe he should try to change Yami Bakura. Well, it was something to think about. Grabbing a plate for himself he happily ate while Ashita and Sogoroku both tag-teamed at getting the Game King to eat a healthy meal. Yami was determined to eat as little as possible, completely convinced that it was not needed of someone technically not alive.
The argument didn’t get him far. He was still forced to eat at least half of what was on his plate before being allowed to retreat to the Puzzle to rest.
Yugi helped his mother put the dishes in the sink and start washing them. “Did you want to stay the night, Jounochi?”
“Hm? Nah, I have something to do in the morning…but thanks Yugi. For everything.” The blonde saw himself out and headed on the long walk back to his thrashed apartment. He breathed a small wish that hopefully his father was passed out else Jounochi was sure he’d be ducking thrown objects thrown in his direction just for existing. As he walked along the street he noticed the moon was up and it reminded him of how white Ryou’s hair was. Why was it white? Unusual color to be natural… Jounochi sighed as he ran his fingers through his own golden-colored hair, knowing there was so much he had no clue about when it came to Ryou. Ryou was a mystery to him that he was desperate to solve and make his own.
***********
The bedroom was dark as was the rest of the apartment and others surrounding it. The hour was late, sensible people were in bed at this time of night, but Ryou was learning that it didn’t matter how tired he was, if he didn’t do something right the first time he was going to keep at it until it was done perfectly.
Again he gagged and tried to pull away from his yami but the hold on his hair held him in place even as a few more tears followed the trail left by others before.
“You are not getting out of this until it’s right.” Yami Bakura threatened, twisting his hold on the hair of his omote to make him whimper. “Relax, get over gagging…just take it in.” He gave his order and forced Ryou to take more of the hard sex into his mouth, the tip hitting the back of Ryou’s throat and he finally didn’t gag, getting the deep throating right. Giving a satisfied grunt of pleasure he felt Ryou using his tongue timidly to taste the length. The uncertainty of it gave him a sick pleasure of an innocence gone wrong, knowing it was all his doing. Holding Ryou’s hair in both hands he proceeded to thrust his hips into the other’s mouth from where he was seated on the bed, Ryou kneeling before him. “Good…very good…uh!” He came with a final thrust, hitting the back of Ryou’s throat and forcing him to swallow the seed he released. After a moment, Yami Bakura pulled Ryou up to face him, seeing the misery on his face and in his eyes. “Beautiful.” Claiming his mouth in a deep and punishing kiss, he tasted himself on Ryou’s tongue as the gentler boy felt like he was going to be sick. “Who are you thinking about?”
The question surprised Ryou and he stuttered, trying to figure out what to say that wouldn’t make him angry. “N-No one…”
Yami Bakura touched his cheek, then ran his fingers through the boy’s white hair before clenching a fistful in his hand and twisting. “Liar. I see it in your eyes. You think of the two that fight over you.”
“No…please, you’re hurting me.”
“That’s the point.” Yami Bakura stood up and shoved Ryou towards the bathroom. “Bathe.”
Ryou was all too glad to get away from his dark master and quickly went inside and cleaned himself off. His home was an apartment, but had lots of traditional settings and ornamentations. It was more expensive, but his family held a deep sense of spirituality and tradition that seemed to have been lost on Ryou. Ryou was the black sheep. The cursed one. Their country shrine was cared for by his extended family and every school break he took time off to visit with his mother and father. Currently his father was off on an archeological exploration and his mother helping out with the family shrine. He did miss them, but knew they couldn’t protect him from the danger they themselves passed onto their only son.
Ryou Bakura remembered that day all too well. His father returning from a stint in Egypt, bringing home a souvenir he bought at a local bazaar near the dig he was working at.
Opening the wrappings and holding up the brilliant golden Millennium Ring made Bakura smile. It was the first and last time he was happy about having it. His father strung it with a leather cord and presented it around Ryou’s neck. “It looks like it’s supposed to be worn by you, Ryou.” He said, proud his son was so pleased with the gift.
“Thank you, father.” Ryou smiled and polished one of the golden spikes with the sleeve of his shirt. The spike nicked him and he bled a little. “Ow.” Ryou sucked a little on his wounded finger as his father chuckled and got a Band-Aid for him.
“Be careful, don’t want you getting hurt.”
“…If you only knew, father. If I could only tell you.” Ryou shrugged off the memories as he rinsed the soap from his body and finally settled into the hot water of the tub to relax the tension. His yami first revealed himself through harsh words spoken to startle Ryou every now and then, making Ryou start to believe he was going mad until the other appeared before him. Child to child. One innocent, the other evil. He was about seven when the voices started, but closer to nine when the other actually appeared to him. The first smack stunned more than hurt Ryou but soon he came to fear the other from beating him every moment he could. Ryou once tried to tell his parents the truth of how he got all these bruises and cuts but his yami swiftly showed the he could easily shove Ryou into the soul room and get out of the situation…only to punish Ryou later. Yami Bakura threatened to kill them if he ever got his chance to tell them. It was a risk Ryou was unwilling to take, even when the dark soul began to rape him. It was only another abuse to Ryou and something he was growing to get used to.
Now he was being whored out…and none of the people would stop or help him, believing it all to be an act. It tore open wounds he thought safely sealed after growing used to Yami Bakura. Now it was complete strangers!
Ryou shivered despite the water in the bath being a good hot temperature. “I just want to be happy.”
“You don’t deserve it.” A harsh voice said from behind him and Ryou glanced back over his shoulder at his yami.
“Why…I’ve never done anything to you.”
“Talking back to your master, looking me in the eyes…you know you’re the keep your gaze lowered. You never obey!” Yami Bakura punched him, causing the boy to hit his head against the tiled wall and stun him. Two strong hands grabbed his hair and neck, forcing him under the bath water.
Ryou thrashed in the water, desperately trying to surface and breathe again. Part of him wondered why he was trying to still live. Living meant being a slave still…but he would be robbed of everything if he allowed Yami Bakura to kill him. He’d never be able to live the life he wanted…or love.
Jounochi.
Bakura suddenly gasped, water filling his lungs even as he thought of the blonde-haired teenager that was stubbornly attached to him. His lungs burned and his vision was graying. Dying.
A few seconds later he was hauled out of the water and hacked the liquid from his lungs, clinging to the edge of the bath. His yami had returned to the soul room, leaving Ryou to pull himself together again. The battered teenager hauled himself out of the tub and wrapped a towel around his pale body. Silver scars criss-crossed the canvas of skin, making him eerily beautiful and yet horribly pitiful. “Someone help me…” He sobbed into the night that never answered him.
***********
Morning came and Jounochi quickly dressed before hurrying out of his apartment. His drunken father was completely passed out in the living room, which meant he didn’t have to get into a fight or dodge thrown objects this morning. It was probably too early for him to be up anyway. Taking to the street, Jounochi quickly took an alternate direction towards a local community center. He had it all setup and planned and wasn’t going to lose to the Ring. Or Honda.
The blond teen stopped before the door and smoothed out his shirt. This was it. Do or die. Stepping inside he joined the rest of the people inside a large room; they were of various ages and abilities, but all were here to learn one thing. How to do ball room dancing. Jounochi was determined to make this dance the best his ultimate dedication to Ryou and prove it wasn’t just a passing phase.
The instruction stepped in the middle of the circle of people and addressed them all, explaining first the history and importance of learning this sophisticated style of dancing. Jounochi almost fell asleep standing, as he normally did when something important was being lectured about. Soon the instructor was pairing them together but there were few girls as it was mostly guys trying to rush in a quick dance lesson before the Big Day. “…and Jounochi can go with Honda.”
That snapped Jounochi awake and the two boys stared at each other from across the way as everyone else went to their assigned partners. “YOU!”
Honda huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I think you’re lost, the alley is around the corner. Go spray paint something.”
Jounochi glowered at him. “Yeah, waiting for you to clean it, Cleaner!”
“Alright everyone, follow my lead.” The instructor carried on cheerfully, ignoring the brewing storm hovering over the two teenagers in the group.
“I’ll lead.” Honda said, his hands locking onto Jounochi’s.
“No, I will.” Jounochi tightened his grip and started pushing Honda back while Honda did the same, soon both of them were at a standstill. “Why are you after Ryou?”
Honda’s eyes flashed in confusion at first before he smirked and turned, capturing Jounochi in a headlock. “He’s beautiful.”
“That’s it?! You’re just after a good-looking date!”
“What of it, losing dog?” Honda lost his grip when Jounochi twisted.
“That’s it!”
“Alright everyone, now the tango!” The instructor called out, again oblivious as the two teenagers suddenly got into a fight, dusting kicking up to hide them except for the occasional arm, leg, anvil, kitchen sink… A while went by before the group was dismissed, leaving Jounochi and Honda sprawled all over each other. “Excellent job, you’re now ready to sweep your beloved off their feet.” The instructor announced before grabbing the two and hauling them out of the community center and onto the sidewalk. “Except you two…you failed. Have a nice day.” The doors slammed on them.
Jounochi sighed. “How am I gonna impress Ryou now…”
“Impress me?”
Both Jounochi and Honda glanced up to see the object of their affections looking down at them with a blank expression. “Ryou!” Each teenager grabbed a hand. “Go with me to the dance!”
Ryou sweatdropped and tried pulling his hands free from them. “You guys…”
“Hey! I asked him first, Jounochi!”
“Well I’ve always been destined to go with him!”
“Says who, your magic eight ball?”
“…stop it!” Ryou yanked his hands free and backed away from them. “This only gets me in further trouble with my master!”
Jounochi frowned darkly and grabbed the Ring, shoving it into a box, taping it up rapidly then slapping “To Wisconsin” on the front.
Ryou blinked, a little confused over his behavior. “What are you doing?”
“No worse place than Wisconsin!”
“….and you would know this how?”
“Saw it in a movie.”
Ryou rolled his eyes and took the box from him. “This won’t solve anything. You know he will only return, angrier than ever. I’m not going to the dance.”
Honda grabbed Ryou’s jacket. “But we will be the most wonderful couple on the dance floor--I just took a class on how to be perfect!”
“Hey, I took that same class! I’m the world’s greatest dancer now!” Jounochi countered.
Ryou furrowed his brow, looking at them funny. “The perfect dancers hm?”
“Of course!”
“Then go with each other!” Ryou turned and started to walk away, carrying the box with him, both teenage boys groveling after him.
A pair of violet eyes watched them from around the corner, the gleam of gold from the Millennium Rod visible when the sun shined down on it. Malik stepped out to survey his handiwork. This was even more amusing than before the Millennium Ring started on this game with his omote. Controlling that fool’s mind was all too easy and the best part was that not even Ryou suspected it. “This amount of fun should be illegal.” He chuckled and walked the opposite way.
************
Ryou finally was able to shake off Jounochi and Honda when the two went at each other again, fleeing to his home once more to open the box and pulling out the golden Ring. The object that made his life a living hell. Throwing it away was useless, the magic just returned it around his neck and made him suffer even more. Slipping the strap back around his neck, Ryou stood ready when his double appeared in front of him. “You allowed him to take it off.”
Ryou paled and knelt down, lowering his head and shaking slightly. “I’m sorry, I was careless.”
“You will be punished.”
Ryou swallowed and nodded, cringing just before the fist connected to his face, knocking the teenager to the ground. A kick in his side followed, causing Ryou to cry out and curl up instinctively. Slowly he felt his body start to uncurl and stand up. “What…” A punch to his gut should have made him fall but Ryou stayed up despite the screaming pain. He couldn’t control himself.
Yami Bakura laughed and looked at the doorway. “Don’t just stand out there, join the fun.”
Malik walked inside the room and smirked at Ryou. “Having fun? I even made him stay up for you.”
“That Item is handy. How is the plan?”
“Going perfectly.”
Ryou felt cold, pained eyes glancing from one boy to the next. “W-What’s going on…?”
“I wasn’t addressing you!” Malik glared at him, using the Rod to control Ryou’s body and make him throw himself at the wall and finally slide down to the floor. “Fool. Figure it out for yourself.”
Ryou’s body was already battered and pained from the beating and previous night’s experience so he did the only thing of defense that he could do. He passed out.
**********
Waking up he first felt sore everywhere. Ryou sighed at his tattered clothing, hauling himself up and finding himself half naked. They had used him. At least he wasn’t conscious for it. Part of Ryou wondered what in the world Malik was doing in all this but he just didn’t want to think about it right now. Finding fresh clothes in his drawers he pulled on a pair of pants and a shirt, being extremely quiet to not disturb the two dozing beings on his bed. They apparently had decided to take a nap to get their energy back and far be it for Ryou to wake them up. Sneaking down the hall he just wanted to get away from them for now when there was a knock at the door. Ryou swiftly opened it, not wanting the two in his room to wake up. “Yes?”
“…Ryou!” Jounochi was at the other side of the door and was staring at the bruise coloring Ryou’s cheek.
Ryou was shaking, too scared to think anymore. He threw himself into Jounochi’s arms, hiding against him. “Please help me!”
Jounochi slowly wrapped his arms around him, startled at the outburst. “Ryou, what’s happened?”
“H-he’s in the bedroom…”
That was all Jounochi needed to know before quickly scooping Ryou up into his arms. He closed the door before leaving with Ryou safely in his grip, practically running away with him. “It’s time, he won’t hurt you again.”
“Please!” Ryou had finally snapped, clutching to Jounochi as his anchor to sanity and hopefully salvation. “Protect me…”
“I will. It’s time.” Jounochi vowed and went to the one place he knew was safe: The Turtle Game Shop. Bursting inside the shop, Jounochi brushed right past Sogoroku and upstairs to where Yugi’s room was. He found the gentler version and the Game King seated across from each other, both playing Duel Monsters. “Yami?”
Yami looked surprised but nodded and motioned for him to set Ryou on the bed. “So you’ve decided that it’s time.”
“I don’t think I can afford to wait longer.” Jounochi settled next to Ryou and the white-haired teenager huddled against him. “I won’t wait longer. I’ll fight him and win.”
“Jounochi…” Ryou clutched Jounochi’s shirt, clearly terrified that he had run away from his master.
“I love you. I’ll protect you.” Jounochi vowed to Ryou and sealed the promise with a kiss. “Trust in me.”

To Be Continued…