I want to talk. It takes a little while for the medicine to work, so...
[That's not untrue, of course. Ryou wouldn't be able to sleep if he didn't have distractions. He'd just hurt, because it take a good half hour at least for the pain to ebb.
His eyes flick to the span of coils on his bed and there's a quiet, errant thought that springs into his mind.
Just stay in bed with me.
It's weird, him having that thought for himself, rather than somehow mixed within an urge to take care of Atem. He's spent this month trying to get Atem to rest, and if it was in his bed, wrapped around him, then all the better. It was like having someone hug you. It was like having a weighted blanket of scales close to you.
...So maybe it was a little self-serving. But admitting it is the key here. Maybe that's what he needs to do to make this less awkward.]
S-stay. I like it when you're near me.
[Okay! That's a start.]
I like it when you feel comfortable enough to sleep around me.
[O-Okay! He's doing great. Come on now, bring it home. Tell him. Tell him]
...B-because...I...I know you like me but I don't think I've said my thoughts on the matter out loud, so...so I, um. I do like you. People...some of our friends could tell. That's my fault...for not being careful enough.
[Ohhh he's not sure about this anymore. The heat rising to his cheeks, to the very tips of his ears, it's a little dizzying. Admitting this is dizzying.]
...I was afraid, that's all. Afraid...to hold you back. No time's ever right here, like you said. It's never a good time to talk about r...r...romantic feelings.
[He stops there, he has to, just forcing out the word "romantic" was hard enough. Ryou Bakura is a very repressed, outwardly focused person. To talk about something he likes, that he wants, when it's so deeply personal, is very difficult. Monster World? All day long. The occult? You bet.
Feelings for someone? Never. Ever. Not until today. Hell, throughout this entire tirade, he'd been unable to look directly at Atem for more than a few moments, a stolen, greedy glance or two at the beginning, to search out a reaction, and then he'd just turned to look down into his lap and he'd stared at his hand, at the ugly burn on his leg, anything to avoid looking into Atem's eyes because then he'd look dumb and Atem would reconsider his feelings on Ryou Bakura and decide this was way too much baggage to take on, he's got his own problems to worry about.]
no subject
[That's not untrue, of course. Ryou wouldn't be able to sleep if he didn't have distractions. He'd just hurt, because it take a good half hour at least for the pain to ebb.
His eyes flick to the span of coils on his bed and there's a quiet, errant thought that springs into his mind.
Just stay in bed with me.
It's weird, him having that thought for himself, rather than somehow mixed within an urge to take care of Atem. He's spent this month trying to get Atem to rest, and if it was in his bed, wrapped around him, then all the better. It was like having someone hug you. It was like having a weighted blanket of scales close to you.
...So maybe it was a little self-serving. But admitting it is the key here. Maybe that's what he needs to do to make this less awkward.]
S-stay. I like it when you're near me.
[Okay! That's a start.]
I like it when you feel comfortable enough to sleep around me.
[O-Okay! He's doing great. Come on now, bring it home. Tell him. Tell him]
...B-because...I...I know you like me but I don't think I've said my thoughts on the matter out loud, so...so I, um. I do like you. People...some of our friends could tell. That's my fault...for not being careful enough.
[Ohhh he's not sure about this anymore. The heat rising to his cheeks, to the very tips of his ears, it's a little dizzying. Admitting this is dizzying.]
...I was afraid, that's all. Afraid...to hold you back. No time's ever right here, like you said. It's never a good time to talk about r...r...romantic feelings.
[He stops there, he has to, just forcing out the word "romantic" was hard enough. Ryou Bakura is a very repressed, outwardly focused person. To talk about something he likes, that he wants, when it's so deeply personal, is very difficult. Monster World? All day long. The occult? You bet.
Feelings for someone? Never. Ever. Not until today. Hell, throughout this entire tirade, he'd been unable to look directly at Atem for more than a few moments, a stolen, greedy glance or two at the beginning, to search out a reaction, and then he'd just turned to look down into his lap and he'd stared at his hand, at the ugly burn on his leg, anything to avoid looking into Atem's eyes because then he'd look dumb and Atem would reconsider his feelings on Ryou Bakura and decide this was way too much baggage to take on, he's got his own problems to worry about.]