It was on the edge of the pier that they'd first met properly. Ryou hated the water, hated the dark milkiness of the sea, the sting of the salt in whatever scratches he'd accidentally accumulated, the pressure of the ocean against his body. But it was here that he waited, every year on the 21st of May for a quick glimpse of his father. They'd exchange polite greetings, ask each other how it had been, and yet there was always something missing between them, that particular warmth that people had with their parents. He trembled a little as the wind whipped at the exposed skin of his arms; he'd forgotten his jacket. The sun was dipping low on the horizon now, and the water shattered the light into thousands of sparkling pieces. Ryou was not watching it- too much was on his mind- but someone else was. At the feel of a tap on his shoulder, he turned.
"Oh Father you startled-" he began, but stopped at the sight of a familiar face. "Oh... um..." It was the man from Battle City, not Marik, but... perhaps his brother? His memories of that time were hazy at best. His face contorted into a frown as he tried to remember the dark-skinned stranger's name. "I'm afraid I don't quite remember... um," Ryou said awkwardly. The foreigner's green eyes held what might have been a twinkle of amusement and disbelief, but for the most part his expression stayed the same.
"I am Rishid. You and my master, my brother, were... acquainted." The man was silent for a moment, and then stepped beside him to look out at that water. Ryou glanced at him nervously.
"Um... are you waiting for someone too?" Rishid nodded, his tattoo very prominent in the golden light of the sun.
"Yes. I was sent here to wait for my brother and sister." Another silence fell between them, and it was good, a very comfortable silence. In the warmth of the spring afternoon, it felt as though maybe this had happened before. Perhaps the Voice had spoken to this man, and what he felt now were the fragments of memory still remaining from that time. Perhaps it was nothing more than a passing encounter.
"Oh," said Ryou suddenly, "there's Father." The ship bearing the artifacts pulled into the dock and a middle-aged man with graying hair was waving at them. He met Rishid's eyes again. "Um... it was nice to see you again. Perhaps we'll meet soon?" Rishid gave him a small smile and nodded, then Ryou quickly made his way to the boat.
After the usual encounter, and some unexpected hugging and presents, Ryou looked back at the pier. The sun had set and Rishid's tall figure was almost impossible to see in the twilight. "Ryou," said his father, snapping his fingers to get his son's attention. "Did you call a cab for us?" He apologized, and began to lead the way, stopping again for just one more look.
He was still there.
AN: I can't quite remember who requested this drabble, and I'm too lazy to look up the pairing name. But I find I'm rather fond of it, so I'm putting it up. Let me know if you remember who it belonged to. Wrote this a couple of months back.
