Yu gi oh - Landlords and Tenants (Yami Bakura, M) Secret Santa for PetalsandThorns

[Fuzzy&Warm]

It’s finally ready! And just in time for the deadline too, whoops. I hope you like it. It’s been a long time since I’ve written something for Yu gi oh and it was fun to do a story with these characters again.

Landlords and Tenants

Ryou Bakura ran quickly through the streets as the rain poured down around him. Coming to his front door he hastily shoved the key in the lock and then shoved his grocery bags inside, but as he made to go inside as well a shadow suddenly moved toward him.

He moved back looking to get away, but then the light from the doorway illuminated the figure.

“Bakura?”

“If you tell the Pharaoh about this I’ll-”

What he would do Ryou never knew as Bakura took that moment to collapse into his arms. Ryou grunted in surprise as he was suddenly forced to hold up the dead weight. He looked him over, taking in the dirt in his hair and seeing that his shirt was torn, revealing several small, barely healing, cuts. Clearly the last week had not been kind to him. Cursing his humane nature Ryou adjusted his grip and slowly moved his darker half inside.

He got him on the couch, removed what was left of the shirt, and then grabbed the first aid kit and set about cleaning and bandaging the wounds.

When that was done Ryou got a blanket and tucked it in around him. Through it all his counterpart didn’t stir and as a distraction from how weird that was Ryou picked up his forgotten groceries and started putting them away. It was still so strange to see Bakura separate from him. Even with that whole Yugi and Pharaoh duel ending in a tie it was weird.

He should have expected it really. The ring had returned to him before with no explanation so it shouldn’t have surprised him that it happened again. What was surprising was his vision going double and suddenly maniacal laughter filling the room. Ryou’s vision had cleared just in time to see Bakura running out the door off to some cook up some new evil scheme no doubt and Ryou figured he would hear all about from Yugi eventually.

Clearly it wasn’t going well.

When everything was away Ryou went back to the living room where his counterpart was still asleep on the couch. He sat down in the chair beside him and he just grabbed his deck when Bakura opened his eyes

“What the hell am I doing here?”

Ryou took a deep breath, reminding himself that while Bakura had clearly been malevolent in the past he wasn’t in any condition to be doing harm now…probably.

“You are resting and trying not to bleed all over my couch.”

Bakura threw off the blanket.

“What happened to my shirt?!”

“I don’t know, but I removed the tattered remains of it to make sure those cuts don’t get infected.”

Bakura glared at his former host and stood up, intending to leave, when he swayed suddenly and fell back on the couch.

Ryou frowned. “When was the last time you ate?”

He didn’t answer. Instead he got a strange look on his face and quickly buried it in his hands.

“hh’gnntch! Huh’ngttch! hhgnxxtch!”

Ryou got up and pressed his hand to his forehead.

“I’ll go heat up soup.”

“I don’t need it! Hehh-hh’ggttchu! Huh’Ashu!”

“Well perhaps I’d like some,” Ryou said casually and went into the kitchen, confident that his darker half was indeed no threat to anyone being both injured and sick.

A few minutes later Ryou returned with two bowls of soup to find Bakura had pulled the blanket up around his shoulders. Ryou put one bowl on the coffee table and sat down again with the other.

Bakura stubbornly sat there glaring at the soup, sniffling and rubbing the blanket against his nose.

Ryou put a box of tissues next to the soup.

“I don’t need your pity!”

“You came here. And-”

“huh’gxxnnst! ggnttchu! Huh’essu!”

Tissues were ripped from the box, and while shivering, Bakura grabbed the soup too.

Ryou watched him carefully and ate his own dinner.

“Thank you,” Bakura mumbled eventually.

“You’re welcome. If you’d like we can pretend it’s repayment for that time you protected me from Slifer to protect your pride.”

Bakura grunted and finished the soup.

“What made you come back?” Ryou asked.

“You’re modern world is disgusting and disorderly.”

Ryou ducked his head to try and hide a smile. “Not so easy to navigate without my brain to pick is it?”

Bakura’s eyes widened. “You’ve grown a spine my little host. It suits you.”

“Clearly you’ve been a terrible influence.”

Bakura glared. “This is temporary you know when I recover I will get the power that I wish.”

“Now that the Pharaoh remembers who he is I don’t think you’ll get very far.”

“What would you suggest then if you’re so smart?”

“Move on. Living well is supposed to be the best revenge or so I’ve heard. I’d be willing to help you. Be your landlord again for my home instead of just a convenient body.”

“You think I should just give up on my quest to make him suffer for what was taken from me?”

“You aren’t the only one who’s ever lost people who were close,” Ryou said solemnly and glanced over at a picture on the end table.

Bakura glanced down. He didn’t need to look at the picture he had seen all the memories Ryou had of the family he too had lost.

“Why do you care anyway? About me or what I do? I’ve never done you any good.”

Ryou shrugged, not really sure himself. “I guess it’s nice not to be alone. You could say I’ve missed you.”

Bakura was saved from having to answer by another sneezing fit.

“huh-hh’gnntch! Huh’ngttch! Hh’gnxxtch!”

Ryou pushed the tissues closer and he took them.

“I do have one other request besides not hurting my friends of course.”

What?”

“You get your own deck-and not by stealing cards from other duelists.”

Bakura smirked and leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes and letting his breathing slow. Perhaps it was just the fever, but he had to admit his counterpart’s offer was appealing. If only for not having to spend anymore nights in the rain.

A silence settled between the two of them that was, for the very first time, comfortable.

The End

[PetalsAndThorns]

Ah! I’ve been on a childhood nostalgia streak, going back through all the old series I used to love. And I’m in the middle of a Yugioh Bakura/Ryou resurgence. So I was excited to see you pick this fandom! ^^

This fic was super sweet. I enjoyed how Ryou’s internal thoughts evolve over the story. Shifting from “Maybe not going to kill everyone I know and love today?” to “Yeah, definitely not going to kill everyone I know and love today.”

“If you tell the Pharaoh about this I’ll-”

What he would do Ryou never knew as Bakura took that moment to collapse into his arms.

^ About as close to a “Honey I’m home” as these two will ever get.

Bakura glared at his former host and stood up, intending to leave, when he swayed suddenly and fell back on the couch.

Ryou frowned. “When was the last time you ate?”

I really like the idea of Bakura having a learning curve to remember how to take care of a human body when he can’t just switch out and leave Ryou to pick up the scraps he’s left the body in. Whenever I read separation fic about them, I’ve always thought that would be a challenge. I love seeing it explored here.

“What made you come back?” Ryou asked.

“You’re modern world is disgusting and disorderly.”

Ryou ducked his head to try and hide a smile. “Not so easy to navigate without my brain to pick is it?”

A hint of sass Ryou is my favourite. He’s so bashful about it.

Bakura’s eyes widened. “You’ve grown a spine my little host. It suits you.”

I love Bakura supporting Ryou getting a touch more confident. It’s very in character.

“Move on. Living well is supposed to be the best revenge or so I’ve heard.

I can just imagine Bakura’s expression when Ryou says this. And his little, internal: Living is nice. Homicide is nicer. >>

“I guess it’s nice not to be alone. You could say I’ve missed you.”

Aw. ^^

Once again, a super sweet little fic. Thank you so much for writing this for me!

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

I adore YGO, it's my guilty pleasure anime and I love Bakura and Yami Bakura. Your characterization is spot on!!

“You are resting and trying not to bleed all over my couch.”

So cute coming from Bakura.

“I don’t need your pity!

“You came here. And-”

Pffft yeah you do need his pity!!

“You’re modern world is disgusting and disorderly.”

Ryou ducked his head to try and hide a smile. “Not so easy to navigate without my brain to pick is it?”

Bakura’s eyes widened. “You’ve grown a spine my little host. It suits you.”

“Clearly you’ve been a terrible influence.”

Not gonna lie I let out an audible squeal at this part!! Again so them, you did an amazing job!!

[Arty]

I love these two. Otp I tell you. I love how you stayed true to their characters. Bravo!

[Kushami Suki Da!]

Aaah this was great! I recently watched yugioh for the first time (I'm 16 so I feel a bit late to the party). Bakura is my favourite character for sure (all three, I can't choose!). The sneezes are spelt well and its like I can hear everything in their voices!