Trial and Error

Chapter Four: Trial of the Soul

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Soft… like feathers in his hand, gliding through his fingers and falling to gently settle back against pale flesh.

He watched silently, dark eyes taking in the relaxed features of his other half.

He was so innocent when he was unconscious.

Stupid kid.

His fingers ran across white hair again, onto a slim neck and back down onto a shoulder blade.

This was what he wanted.

His lighter half had maneuvered himself onto his chest during the night and was currently curled up on top of him.

He pushed himself up carefully, enough to be elevated slightly, courtesy of the headboard.

His other shifted from his movements, but didn't wake.

What had happened to him over the past day?

He wasn't sure…

The whole thing had just, sort of… happened.

'Over a period of a day? Sickeningly pathetic.'

Great. That voice was back.

'It may have only been a day, but look what you've gotten now. You wanted your other self's affection. Now you have it. Be happy.'

Correction. Voices.

Alright, so maybe they had a point.

He did have his affection.

That was what he had wanted, right?

'What about his love? Do you have that?'

His love?

Unholy word, yet again.

He seemed to be thinking of those cursed words more and more often.

But…

Did his lighter half… really… love him?

His stared down at the mass of snowy locks that rested against his chest, eyes traveling down the partially bare back of his altar. They came to a halt at the black blankets that began about half-way down, covering the soft skin that he loved to touch.

A sudden doubt crept from the corners of his mind, a feeling of loss sweeping his chest. Surprised by the sudden wave of emotion, he raised his hands from where they had been lying at his side and placed one hand on his other's shoulder again, the second on the crown of white hair.

This was real, wasn't it?

His hikari was actually there, sleeping on top of him?

Soft hair.

Smooth skin.

Warm, even breathing against his arm.

A small chest rising and falling against his own.

Thin legs curled under and between his own.

He was really there.

He let out a deep breath at the silent news, figuring that he was just being paranoid.

Again.

Oh well… he was there. That's all that mattered.

The smaller body shifted again, a small noise coming from under white strands of hair, slowly turning into a wide yawn.

His hand slipped from the top of feathery hair, down to between his shoulder blades, catching the attention of the younger boy.

Ryou moved a bit awkwardly for a moment, his bed of flesh hard and warm at the same time, not to mention foreign. Tilting his head as he finished another yawn, emerald eyes peeked open, looking up into sharp mahogany.

The two watched each other for a moment…

Green pools lost their sleepy gaze, becoming wider as they registered the position their bodies were in and his mind was flooded with the images of the previous night. Scrambling, Ryou quickly slid off of his other, forgetting the pain that ran up his spine at the sudden movements.

Bakura had foreseen this reaction (or something along the lines of it) and was prepared. Rolling to his side, he easily trapped his other self beneath his body, mindful of the slightly pained expression that crossed pale features.

Silence.

He leaned down after a moment, nuzzling his nose a bit awkwardly against the other's neck. Settling down onto his forearms, he breathed out, "Don't run from me."

It was a moment before Ryou nodded, his breathing calmed and hands coming to rest on the back of his altar's head.

That was something he wasn't used to waking up to.

Was Bakura holding him while he slept?

He didn't even remember climbing up onto his chest.

He combed his fingers through tangled white locks, feeling the heavier body atop his own relax. A small kiss was pressed into the side of his neck and Ryou smiled, turning his head to bury his nose in the colorless hair.

A sudden question struck him.

He and Bakura had… well, had sex.

Okay… now what?

He felt himself murmur out the question.

"What does this mean?"

More silence.

The large body moved slightly in what Ryou guessed was a shrug, followed by a slur of softly spoken words.

"What?"

He tilted his head away as his other lifted his head, forearms coming to rest on either side of his own head. Bakura leaned down against them, red-tinted eyes studying him.

"I said, I don't know. I was going to ask you that."

"Oh."

Ryou wasn't sure how else to respond.

He looked away for a moment and hesitated, before looking back up into the dark eyes of his other self.

"What… would you like it to mean? Everything that… happened… can't be for nothing… can it?"

White spikes immediately shook in a negative manner, head dipping down to press their mouths together.

After a moment or two, the elder pulled away slightly, leaving a deeply flushed Ryou in his wake.

"Not for nothing." He reassured… something he wasn't used to doing.

He hadn't even known he could.

Then again…

He had been proving himself wrong a lot lately.

"What would you like it to mean, then?" Ryou repeated, this time without the hesitation.

He was silent for a third time.

He wanted it to be a lot of things.

A hell of a lot of things.

But…

Not now.

It was too early for his emotions to spill and his other side to see more into him.

Instead of answering, he stared down into bright, emerald eyes, retorting with, "What do you want it to mean?"

The younger male seemed to be taken by surprise from the question and stayed quiet for a moment, gaze moving to anywhere but the other's orbs.

"I want it… to mean…" He stopped, eyes flickering up to meet Bakura's again.

Was it okay to admit this now?

Of course… he wanted this… his other half seemed to want this…

"… That we have something. You know, between us. A… well, an us." Ryou bit his lip gently as he finished, watching his other carefully.

Bakura smirked slightly and Ryou wondered if he had said the wrong thing.

Had he?

He might have.

Bakura never did seem like one for close relationships.

Stupid suggestion… he had a big mouth sometimes!

"Never mind, sorry, forget I said that." He said quickly and turned his head away, "I don't care what it means."

A deep chuckle vibrated gently into his chest and made his stomach twist slightly. Fingers turned his head to look up into dark eyes, the smirk still present.

"An us? Do you mean a relationship, aibou? With you?"

Light eyes glared slightly up at him, not quite pleased that he was being laughed at for answering his question.

As he opened his mouth to respond with a sarcastic comment, lips were pressed against his again, effectively keeping him quiet.

Tongues entwined with each other in a gentle battle, neither looking for dominance or submission.

The elder was the first to pull away again, listening to the soft panting of the smaller boy as he tried to catch his breath. His breath ghosted over a pink cheek, a wet tongue slipping out quickly to lick the darkening surface.

"There is definitely an us, Ryou." He whispered, moving back to kiss soft lips again.

Ryou tilted his head away after a moment this time, his mind racing with happiness at the combined knowledge of what his yami had just stated and that he had said his name, breathing out, "Really?"

"Yeah…" Bakura gave him one last kiss, before slipping off of the smaller body, "I'll give it a shot, I guess."

He rolled on to his back, head landing on his black pillows, blankets around his waist, and eyes on the ceiling.

What had he just agreed to?

'Fool.'

'It's what you wanted, quit complaining.'

Yes… it's what he wanted.

He really needed to stop talking to himself.

His "conversation" was interrupted when a sudden body pounced on him with a disturbingly girlish squeal, arms wrapped tightly around his neck and mouths heatedly pressed together.

Definitely what he wanted.

-

Owari.

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Huzzah, I did it. I finished. Go me. Hope you guys liked it. This whole thing was actually inspired by one picture, believe it or not, and it was from the sex scene in chapter three. If you want to see it... uhm... you should definately contact me, cuz... FF's being stupid and not letting me put the link here.

I hope everyone enjoyed the story, otherwise. I know I did. Let me know in a review?