A/N: This is something I started some time in 2008 and then stopped writing and then found again and then stopped working on again and then found again and decided to finish and post it as a oneshot. Some of the writing is kind of old but I've edited it some so it shouldn't be too horrible to read.
Deliverance
All the gloomy castle hallways looked the same. Gray stone after gray stone, pale hands moved the mop swiftly across the stone floor, a bit too quickly to be cleaning. The boy kept his head bowed, only glancing up if someone happened to pass by. The by passers were getting rarer the father he moved down the hallway. He wasn't there to clean; he was there to search something he had thought to be lost forever.
A pair of feet approached and he glanced up only to see another soulless servant walk with even steps, a lifeless look on its face, carrying something that seemed to be a dinner tray. The tray was empty but the boy's stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten anything since he left the safety of his cousin's humble home a day and a half ago. He had been in such a rush to leave, not liking the way things were turning out and then receiving a message, a clue that had brought him here. He had informed no one at home of his departure and preferred that no one knew his location.
The lands around the castle were devoid of all life a part from a small forest with a dreadful aura. He was sure it was a home of some vile creatures that had scared away the other life forms. The lands made the castle look inviting on its spot on the side of a cliff. The castle stood tall and dark, not unlike the one he had grown up in. It was a relief to be somewhere else than home now though, a part of the reason why he was so driven to go on searches.
He had wandered around for hours but had found nothing except endless hallways and soulless beings. He was starting to fear that the clue had been false, or that it would be too late, the one he searched a soulless husk. All servants here had once been human, caught by the traitorous lure of the castle and freed of their soul. The hearsay was that the soul was not lost forever. The thought gave him hope.
The boy, just halfway through his teenage years, raised his head and looked around, soulful brown eyes scanning his surroundings, noticing once again that he had no idea where he was. Everything looked the same to him and he let out a sigh, leaning on his mop while thinking what to do and where to head next. He couldn't just wander around aimlessly forever, pretending to belong here. He was running out of strength and the stone floor was starting to make him feel nauseous.
The teen bit his lip. Would he dare to seek out the lord of this castle to ask for help? He had heard tales of him but how much of the hearsay was true, he had no way of knowing. He had never met anyone that had met this lord personally. A loner they say, heartless and intelligent, even insane. He guessed some of it must be true judging from the type of servants he used. But the boy was never one to blindly trust what people said about others without confirming it first. After all, some say that he was a girl and that his cousin was a ruthless maniac. Partly true, the maniac bit, but there was always much more to it than people say.
The problem with seeking out anyone was that he had no idea where to start. Though, he doubted the servants cared much about food so following the hall he was in could lead him to someone with a soul. Though, he was trespassing and whoever owned the place wouldn't take it lightly. Maybe he could explain himself out of the situation if need be, or use his "adorable" pleading look to get his way.
The end of the hallway was finally in sight. A large metallic door filled the final wall, cold and impenetrable. A shiver ran down his spine and he considered going back. He could find her here, after all this time, hopeless searching and useless clues. He couldn't back down.
The door was in front of him and he reached to open it and peeked in carefully, catching a glimpse of a dimly lit spacey room.
"You do not belong here," deep, emotionless voice startled him and he swirled around, finding himself face to face with a male taller than him with an eyebrow raised in curiosity and lips curled up in cruel amusement.
"Yes... You definitely have a soul..." the man continued, piercing eyes stripping off his layers until only a naked essence remained. It made him feel uneasy.
"Ah... yes," he offered a shaky smile. "My apologies for coming uninvited and so suddenly, um..." He searched the man's tan face.
"Lord Mariku."
"...Lord Mariku, please except my apology. My business was urgent and I did not wish to bother you." He bowed for good measure even though he wasn't sure if he was supposed to. He didn't know if this Mariku was higher than him but the chances of that were slim. Being polite couldn't hurt though; it could even get him out of this mess one piece and with his soul.
"Well, disturb me you did." Mariku's expression turned grave. "What could be so important that you had to invade my private quarters?" He gestured towards the door behind them.
"I-I'm looking for someone very dear to me, who's been missing for a long time." He lowered his gaze. "I heard that this place lures the lonely traveler so I thought..."
"You think the one you seek is among the soulless?"
He nodded. "Yes. I wish for you to offer your help or at least let me stay for a while so I can continue my search."
Mariku cocked his head to a side. "Why would I do that? Your missing person is no concern of mine."
"Please... I just need to know she's alright. I will not bother you for long." He gave the other a pleading look, bowing again while realizing that he had not introduced himself yet. "Oh, you don't even know who I am, forgive me. I am Ryou of-"
"You're a Bakura?"
Ryou looked up, hopeful that this would make a difference somehow. "Yes, I am."
"Hmm, and who is it that you seek, Ryou of the Bakura family?"
"My sister, Amane."
Ryou's head shot up at the sound of his alarm clock. Not again... He didn't feel rested at all and dreams like that always reminded him of his passed away sister. But now was not the right time to worry about his restless dreams; he was almost late form work.
He lived just up the street from the coffee shop he worked at so he just dressed quickly and ran for it. Once there the door opened with a soft chime and he was greeted with a yell.
"You're late again! And here I thought you abandoned me with all this work!"
Ryou rolled his eyes. "There's no one here yet, Malik, and isn't Honda here to help you?"
The tan blond emerged from the back room.. "Geesh, Ryou, ever heard of sleep? You look like shit."
"Thanks..." Ryou muttered but he had to admit that he had looked better. He had bags under his eyes and his hair was a terrible mess. "I've been sleeping but I never feel like I have anymore... I think it's because of these strange dreams I've been having."
" What are they about?"
Ryou sat on a stool near the counter, opposite to his friend and coworker. "I'm in this strange land... There's magic and stuff like that, castles and royals, you know. I'm... I'm always searching for Amane..." he finished quietly, drawing an invisible pattern on the counter.
"You mean it's always the same dream?" Malik asked with a frown.
"No, it's more like the dream continues from where it left off the previous night. I think... I think I'm closer to finding Amane than ever before... Maybe it will stop once I find her..."
Malik patted him on the shoulder and they heard the door open, looking up to find a customer. Malik went to serve as Ryou slipped to the back room to change to his work uniform. His dream self would better hurry up; he couldn't go without sleep for much longer. He had to hurry and find Amane.
"Bakura! Are you here?" called a familiar voice, startling him out of his thoughts.
"Yeah!" The owner of the voice pocked his head through the door way. "Honda, hey, I thought you had the evening shift?" Ryou questioned, tying his apron. He had thought that since Honda wasn't here yet when he came to work, he was on the other shift.
"I was supposed to but I was called here so you could go back home and get some sleep." Honda smiled, "You can do my shift today."
Ryou frowned but was quick to change it into a smile. "I can't get any sleep either way but thanks, I always liked the evening shift."
"Cool, wanna get some coffee afterwards?"
"Sure."
"You have broken my seal of loneliness, Ryou of the Bakura family. That, I cannot forgive." The lord of the castle spoke but Ryou knew better than to back down. Showing fear meant that all would be lost.
"I try not to disturb you with my presence, Lord Mariku."
"It's too late for that now; you have already done that by entering and keeping your soul."
It was getting increasingly difficult to breathe as violent shadows steeped from the darkest corners of this plain. Ryou looked around, searching for an escape but found none, the darkness getting thicker. Mariku's grin widened at the sight of the other's distress, chanting a few well selected words.
Ryou only knew some basic magic and most of his spells could just be used for protection and healing, but he could sense how deeply woven this magic was. If he didn't do something, he would be a goner.
"Shadow banishing shine!" Ryou requested and banned the shadows from approaching.
"Foolish boy. Deny!" Mariku came forward shattering Ryou's defenses and grabbed a hold of the boy's hair, pulling his head back.
"Ah! S-soul... Soul illuminating light!" The boy brought his palm upwards and was met with the other's, who leered down on him before growling out his order.
"Binding darkness!"
The two spells clashed between their palms and died with a soft burn. Their fingers intertwined, Mariku's hand closed around his and Ryou flinched, letting out a soft cry when the other's fingernails dug into the back of his hand. Mariku smirked and pulled his head further back by the hair, leaning to whisper in his ear.
"You are just a novice, Ryou. What makes you think you're a match for me?" Hot breath washed past his ear and blood was starting to drip down his hand. Ryou closed his eyes and fought to remember some spell or incantation that could help him.
"Aw, aren't you going to beg for your soul, your freedom? Don't you value them? So dull... It's so boring when they don't beg."
"I just want to find my sister." Ryou was starting to feel light headed; Mariku's words were poison.
"You care about her more than yourself? How selfless of you, Ryou."
It felt so weird, no one outside his family and closest friends spoke to him without his title and now it felt so invading, so intimate. He felt sick.
"Let me find Amane."
"Well..." Mariku drawled out slowly, as if considering. "If I do let you search for her here and even lend you a hand, I will need something in return."
"Anything that's mine to give," the boy stated without hesitation.
"Good," the other purred, satisfied, and licked up Ryou's cheek, making the boy whimper and try to pull away. "Don't do that. Now get some rest, you'll need it later."
"No..." Ryou whispered before sleep took him over.
"Bakura! Bakura, wake up!"
"Unh..." Ryou whined, opening his eyes, blinking and looking around only to find the friendly face of Honda.
"Honda... What-?"
"You fell asleep after your shift. I thought I told you to sleep in the morning."
Ryou frowned; he had fallen asleep? It was true that he hadn't slept that morning, choosing to do chores instead, knowing that the sleep wouldn't be restful. He brought a hand on his cheek, like expecting to feel something there. His cheek was all dry though and his hand was ok too. Ryou immediately felt stupid for thinking that something that happened in a dream could affect real life. He registered that Honda was looking worried and was quick to smile.
"Weren't we supposed to get coffee? I sure could use some of that right now."
"Yeah... But if you're not feeling up to it, we don't have to."
Ryou waved him off. "Nonsense. I feel fine." He helped himself up. "Let's go then." Shaken by the events of his dream, he put up a cheerful face so Honda wouldn't worry anymore than he needed to. It was just a dream, it didn't mean anything.
"So Bakura... Did you have that dream again?" Honda brought up while they were walking down a sidewalk.
"How did you guess?"
"You were whining and tossing while you slept. And you seemed really out of it when I woke you up," Honda told.
"Oh... The events of the dream just took a strange turn, that's all."
"Is it like a nightmare?"
"No... Some of the stuff is weird. But lets not talk about it, ok?" he asked with one of his smiles. "We're here anyway. I think I'll try getting some sleep after this."
Honda smiled. "In a hurry to get back to your dream world?"
"Pfft! No! But I think I'll find Amane soon and then get out."
The door of the cafe closed behind them and their friendly chatter was muffled.
His head hurt and his body ached like he had been hit by a rampaging rhino. He moved his arm to rest a hand on his forehead and groaned at how stiff his muscles felt. Holy mother of all beings, what had happened?
"You're awake I see."
It all came back to him in one rush as the soft surface he was lying on sifted.
"Why does it hurt?" He had been forcefully put to sleep but it shouldn't have aftereffects this strong. Nothing he did couldn't have strained his body like this either.
"Maybe I used a bit more force than necessary." A finger brushed loose strands of hair from his face, making Ryou flinch at the sudden touch. "My spells tend to be violent."
"Not much unlike you." Ryou surprised himself with his sudden boldness as the uninvited finger kept tracing his face down the side of his cheek, towards his chin. He didn't find the strength to swap the hand away but tried to move his face out of its reach. "Please don't touch me," he requested when it seemed that he was unable to get away. It wasn't that the touch was right out unpleasant, but he had made a promise and he was planning to stick to it.
"Why not?"
"I..." he paused, wondering if he should mention it. It would come up sooner or later. "I already belong to someone else."
The finger stopped momentarily. "Oh? Is that so? Pity..." The touch was gone and placed by a mocking tone. "Puppy love, is it?"
"It has... It has very little to do with love, Lord Mariku." It had been arranged from early on that once he turned eighteen, he would be sent away to accompany his current best friend to a far away land. He had no say in the matter if he didn't want to be disowned by his family. He did care about this other person; he just didn't love, not like that. Until his eighteenth birthday he was to remain untouched by anyone.
Ryou opened his eyes and attempted to get up. "Help me up, please?" He carefully reached out a hand.
Mariku raised a brow. "I thought you didn't want me touching you."
"You can, just not... like that."
"Oh, I see..." Mariku took a hold of Ryou and pulled him up to a sitting position.
"So um..." Ryou started but didn't know how to form his question. "What are we... I mean, how am I to search for my sister?"
"I have made it a bit easier for you so it won't take you long to get out." Mariku stood and faced the door.
"To get out?"
"Yes... Out of my sight."
It was Friday and Ryou's day off. He was planning to cook himself something nice and maybe go see a movie. Afterwards and in between he would sleep, deciding that he would get this dream business over with. He would find Amane, he was so close. Somehow he had even got help, for what price he wasn't so sure... Maybe he wouldn't have to dream that part. He hoped so; this Mariku character seemed like the type to ask for something he wasn't willing to give. It was strange how his imagination had come up with a person like that, so... so... Ryou couldn't find a word to describe him.
The weather outside seemed decent enough and it would be a shame to let it go to waste so a walk was in order.
Breakfast was devoured, a comfortable sweater grabbed and the door locked carefully as Ryou made his way out of the apartment and into the sunny day outside. It wasn't a long way to the small park at the center of Domino and it took him less than fifteen minutes to walk there in a leisurely pace.
Upon arriving to the park he didn't need to walk around for long to spot a familiar figure sitting near the pond. It was his old friend from school, Yuugi. He wasn't difficult to notice with his unusual hair style that hadn't changed much even though years had passed. They had kept in touch but hadn't seen each other for a while, both having been busy with work and studies.
"Yuugi! Hey, how are you?" Ryou called out, getting his friend's attention and a bright smile.
"Bakura! Hello!" Yuugi rose from his seat to greet the other. "Enjoying the day?"
"Yes. I haven't seen you for a while..."
Suddenly the air felt so heavy and awkward. They glanced around and the wandering eyes stopped to their toes. A couple of leaves swirled by their feet and the cool wind messed with their hair. The autumn was nearing fast and the last warmth of summer was fading. A cloud passed the sun, creating a shadow on its way. The wind blew again and Ryou shivered, smelling the winter and snow. Maybe they had been apart for too long... Their eyes met and they both smiled a little, a small smile that didn't quite reach their eyes.
"Well... um..."
"Yeah..."
"I... I should probably get going. It's getting cold and... um... bye then Yuugi. I'll see you around." Ryou started to leave to continue his walk, anything to get out of the situation.
"Okay, bye, Bakura..."
Ryou felt saddened by the events as he walked away. When had they grown so far apart?
Brown eyes widened at the sight before them. The great front hall of the castle was filled with rows and rows of people, neatly lined up, standing motionlessly with arms on their sides and with a similar empty expressions. He could see people of all ages, each dressed in worn, dull clothing, hair falling limb around their faces. Ryou shivered, forcing his eyes away and towards Mariku who wore a somewhat smug expression, a small smirk playing on his features.
"This should make it easier, don't you think?"
Ryou nodded. "I had no idea there were so many."
"These are only the females." Mariku coaxed Ryou forward with a hand placed on his back. Ryou glanced at him confusedly but moved never the less, walking towards the first row of people, studying the faces as they passed. None looked familiar but he didn't let his hope die just yet. They had many rows to go.
The hand resting on the small of his back kept its place even when he tried to get rid of it by walking faster. Mariku easily matched his pace and the hand stayed. Ryou decided that he could live with it as the touch wasn't particularly inappropriate.
The hollow eyes stared but the once human paid them no heed. A horrifying thought crossed Ryou's mind as he looked the soulless into the empty pits of their eyes. "...where do you- I mean, what happens to the souls?" Ryou asked, threading the answer.
"They are kept in the lower levels of my castle. Why?"
"Can-can they be reattached?" Ryou's hope was beginning to rise again but he fought to keep it at bay.
"Yes, but it is a complicated process and I haven't tried it once."
"Oh... But it can be done? If not by you then someone else?" Ryou was getting anxious, his hopefulness steeping into his voice. Mariku nodded and they changed rows, walking behind the first one, facing the second. Ryou couldn't help the relieved smile and began walking faster. If he truly found Amane here, they could restore her soul and he would have his sister back! He hadn't felt this excited since forever! He fought the urge to start running, just to get this done. He tried not to get his hopes up as it wasn't sure if his sister was here, but couldn't help it. Mariku chuckled behind him, noticing his change of attitude.
"Easy now, we have many more to go and you wouldn't want to tire yourself out." Mariku's hand started to move up and down on Ryou's back, a slow soothing motion. Ryou wasn't sure he liked it.
He slowly opened his eyes and saw the end credits roll on the huge screen. Ryou groaned in annoyance; he hadn't come here to sleep through the end of the movie! Now he would never know who ended up together with whom and what happened to the bad guy. It wasn't the first time he was cursing his dreams, and it wouldn't be the last, but at times like these they were especially angering.
People were beginning to pour out and Ryou stood up as well, following the flow to the doors. It was already dark out, chilly wind blowing the fallen leaves around in his feet as he walked. There was nothing to do except to head home as he didn't feel like going anywhere by himself after dark. There were some weird people lurking around in Domino, he heard about them in the news almost every day. People went missing after dark, especially the ones that were out alone, and were yet to be found. Ryou didn't want to go missing so he walked swiftly through the dark streets, not stopping to check on any strange noises he heard from the alleys.
His home wasn't far much to his relief and he even managed to find his keys from his endless jeans pockets. Sometimes they were like a vortex that sucked in his keys and other things he put in them, only letting his stuff go when turned upside down and waved around. It felt funny how his biggest problem in real life was his endless vortex like pockets when in his dreams he was out to find his sister and her soul while trying to stay out of the clutches of an insane lord of a castle. His real life was so dull sometimes... Perhaps that's why he dreamed so much, to get away.
Someone was holding him up.
"How long have you gone without food and rest?"
Ryou's blurred vision sharpened enough for him to see Mariku's face above his own as the other picked him up. "Um, I…" He had run out of supplies a while back but… "I'm not sure." They had reached the tenth row before his legs had given out on him. It was embarrassing. "I'm fine now, though." Mariku paid no mind to his words, instead carrying him out from between the rows of statue-like beings. "Wait, where are we going?" He tried to struggle but couldn't find the strength to do it effectively.
"I can't have you dying of starvation," Mariku smirked down on Ryou. "I wouldn't get my reward if you did."
Ryou looked away, accepting his fate. "I thought you might be concerned for my well being for a second there." Neither made a comment after that. Ryou thought he heard the other snort at his assumption. They exited the front hall and entered a smaller room with a wooden table with a single chair. The smell of food drifted through the air, indicating that the kitchen couldn't be far.
"It's almost dinner time so I'll be joining you." Mariku put Ryou down on the chair and beckoned a figure in the shadowy corner to step forth. Ryou hadn't noticed him before but wasn't too surprised to see it was another soulless. It bowed before turning to get them another chair opposite to the one Ryou occupied.
When they were both seated and left alone, the silence became pressing. Ryou fidgeted on his seat, hoping Mariku wouldn't stare at him so intently. It was obvious that his host wasn't going to say anything so it was up to Ryou. The problem was that he had no idea what they could talk about. It didn't seem like they had anything in common and he wasn't sure if he wanted to learn anything about the other.
"Um…" Ryou made a point to face away and to avoid Mariku's eyes boring into him. He hoped there to be a way for him to put more space between them even though they were separated by a solid wooden table. Ryou pushed his chair back and the legs screeched against the stone floor.
"Do I make you nervous?"
Ryou looked up against his better judgment. "N-no, not really." It must have been the stutter that gave him away and Mariku chuckled at his lie. Much to his luck, the food arrived and any further questioning was pushed back to another time. It looked delicious but Ryou guessed that anything would look good to him right now. He loaded his plate while Mariku looked on him, amused. Ryou stopped himself from digging in just yet, pouring a drink for the host before himself like good manners required. Mariku nodded his thanks and Ryou was free to concentrate on his food. It tasted as good as it looked and before he noticed, the plate was empty and so was his cup. He felt a bit embarrassed for eating so fast.
"I'm not going to run out if food, you know."
A blush colored Ryou's cheeks as he shook his head a little. "I couldn't…"
"I insist." Mariku pushed some of the bowls closer to Ryou. "I wouldn't want you to waste away."
Ryou glanced between Mariku and the food. "Well, if you insist."
Ryou found himself lying on his couch in his apartment. His stomach grumbled, demanding him to feed it and fast. It wasn't even dawn yet but he guessed it didn't matter as he wouldn't be getting any real rest either way. He would eat some and then try to go back to sleep to continue his little adventure. The faster he found Amane, the faster he could start sleeping peacefully again. The thought of seeing Amane, even in a dream, didn't feel as painful as he had once thought it would. He hadn't dreamt of his sister in years
As Ryou munched on his food, his thoughts drifted to another character staring his dream. Where had Mariku come from? Amane he could understand and even the setting of the dream made some sense. He had thought about it before but it made no more sense to him now that the events were starting to develop. Mariku did bear some resemblance to Malik but only appearance-wise. The personality seemed to be something Ryou had come up with all on his own. Surely he would remember if he had met someone like that.
Perhaps it was useless to try and find any sense in his dream as dreams often made none.
Ryou glanced at the one walking beside him. The silence was starting to get unpleasant. "May I ask you why do you live here all alone?" He didn't think the soulless counted as company.
"It wasn't by choice, originally." They turned to face another row. "It's grown on me since."
It barely counted as an answer but Ryou didn't press it. If Mariku didn't want to tell him, there was nothing he could do about it that wouldn't be rude and nosy.
"I see…"
"What about you? Why are you in your current predicament?"
The question surprised Ryou who hadn't expected the other to carry on the conversation; he didn't seem like much of a conversationalist.
"What do you mean, exactly?"
"Searching for your sister all on your own with no supplies. Married?"
"Oh, that," Ryou remembered their earlier conversation. "I'm not married, just being sent away." Not completely against his will. Ryou reminded himself to keep his tone from becoming bitter. "As for my sister, she's been missing for a while and no one was willing to go look for her so one night I just… left."
Mariku turned so that he was talking to Ryou, not the air in front of them. "You ran away?"
"I'm going back once I find her." This seemed to amuse the other. Ryou saw him grin from the corner of his eye. "What?"
"It's good to know you won't be too disappointed if she's not here."
Being well versed in how to not show his irritation or anger, Ryou didn't react by yelling or trying to contradict the other. He had the feeling, though, that everything he could say would come out snappish so silence was the best option. The down side of it was that it killed the conversation and forced them to walk along without saying a word.
Mariku was right though. If he didn't find his sister from this castle, he would have a reason to not return home yet.
The gravestone had moss growing on it. Ryou lowered the white flowers on the stone and brushed the stray leaves away. Normally, he visited his sister's grave on her birthdays but the bizarre events of his dreams had compelled him to come. They were telling a story, one that he wasn't particularly interested to know the ending of. It could only go two ways, as far as he was concerned: he would find his sister and leave the castle or he wouldn't find her and would just leave and go on with the search. Maybe the dreams would stop then, maybe they wouldn't.
Wind moved the white petals and made the weather feel colder than it was. He didn't mind. He liked winter andthe snow would make everything pretty and clean for a while, before the pollution and dogs did their job.
He wondered if he should go pay his father a visit one of these days. The dreams seemed to indicate that the man, or his dream version, had put dream-Ryou in a position where he felt the need to escape. He had been avoiding his father for a while now, so maybe solving that issue in real life would help with the dreams.
But what was this business about him being sent off? The concept within the dream was vague and he had no idea who this person was and why he was being like a damsel in distress about it. Boys didn't get sent away or married off or whatever the case was. It didn't even correspond with anything in his real life.
The wind was starting to get to him so he said his goodbyes to the grave and left for home. He had some laundry and other housework he wanted to get done before nightfall.
The hallways formed by people felt endless. Darkness was beginning to set outside, Ryou noticed as they passed by a window. The window was tall and narrow, as though to prevent anyone from getting through. The prison-like interior didn't seem to serve any real purpose as most of the people who would want to escape lacked the ability to.
His feet were getting tired. He didn't doubt that his host would be willing to carry him if he asked, and that was the exact reason he kept his mouth shut and tried his best to hide how exhausted he was. He doubted Mariku had any honor.
"See anyone familiar yet?"
The question caught Ryou off guard and he jumped. The small startled sound he made echoed in the large room. He blushed as his host held back a laugh.
"No, not yet."
The answer only received silence and they kept going for another ten minutes or so before Mariku opened his mouth again. This time it was an order.
"We're finished for today; you need to go to bed."
Ryou wanted to protest but the authority in Mariku's voice and the fact that this was his castle kept the words at bay. They could finish with the rest of the soulless lot tomorrow and he would be out of here, with or without Amane.
"Where will I sleep?" Ryou asked. He feared the answer because as far as he could see, there had been only one clean room in the castle and unless the servants had sleeping quarters, which he doubted, he would be-
"In my room."
-sleeping with Mariku. Ryou gulped silently.
"It's the only decently maintained area that has a working fireplace," the man explained. "But don't worry; I'll be gone for most of the night." He grinned, as though sensing Ryou's fear and hesitation, and getting off on it.
"Hey, dad," Ryou greeted awkwardly, trying to keep smiling. The man in front of him stared at the wall little to his left.
"I haven't seen you in a while," Mr. Bakura said. "I expected you to visit me at Christmas, the soonest."
"Ah, well…"
His father's face broke into a smile that wasn't quite as half-hearted as Ryou's. "It's nice to see you. Come sit down, I'll make us some tea." The man didn't look at him once but he sounded sincere enough so Ryou followed the instructions and found a place on the living room couch.
"I can help you with that," he offered once he remembered his manners. His father had already disappeared into the kitchen and mumbled something incoherent back at him, which Ryou took as a sign to stay put. He spotted an old photograph of the Bakura family on the bookshelf standing next to the opposite wall. His father didn't have a TV, instead, books were laying around the room, mixed in with some old newspapers. The man had always been messy.
Instead of calling to ask if he could come over, Ryou had just walked to his father's apartment building after work and rang the doorbell. That way neither of them could chicken out. Mr. Bakura had worked for the Domino Museum until recently. Ryou was surprised that his father, who had always loved Egypt, chose to spend his retirement in the city. When he had asked about it, the answer had been vague and had had something to do with Egypt being too hot for an old man. His father wasn't old but a life of traveling had left its marks and led to his early retirement; the man looked at least ten years older than he actually was.
The tea cup was put on the small coffee table next to the couch. Ryou thanked his father and got ready for some small talk.
Ryou woke up slowly. The unfamiliar scent of the sheets reminded him that he wasn't at home or in his own bed. It had taken him a long time to get to sleep the night before. He had stayed up, wandering about the room, wanting to see if Mariku would return. The man had shoved Ryou to his room and left to do something he didn't specify. Ryou wasn't sure if he wanted to know.
His host hadn't come back and without even realizing it, Ryou had drifted towards the soft sheets of the bed and fallen asleep. Now, as he traveled to a more wakeful state, he could feel a warm weight resting on his back. At first he thought that it was just the sheets that had gotten punched up, warmed by his body heat. Then the weight moved, pulling him close to a much larger source of heat and he remembered whose bed he was laying in.
As he opened his eyes, he found his host's chest. Much to his relief the other had clothes on and sounded very much asleep. Trying to wiggle away from the hold turned out to be futile. Maybe if he wasn't so afraid of what would happen if Mariku woke up, he could try harder. As things stood, he didn't want to be found in the current situation but had no way out if it unless Mariku loosened his hold and let him free.
The other stirred and Ryou froze. After a moment of horror, he could hear and feel his bedmate chuckling. He hoped the bed would just swallow him.
"Well, hello there," Mariku's voice dripped with amusement. "This is pleasant, isn't it?"
Ryou wasn't sure if it was really a question meant to be answered but he did anyway, "Not really." The grip tightened. "Please let go of me."
Nothing happened for what felt like an agonizingly long time and Ryou felt like he was being crushed, both by the atmosphere and the arm holding him.
"Please."
The hold slipped from around him and he felt the bed shift as Mariku got off.
"Get up; we need to keep searching if you want to be out of here by tonight."
To Ryou, the tone sounded like Mariku was testier than usual and wondered why that could be. It wasn't the first time Ryou had told him not to lay hands on him and the last time the man had seemed neutral, if not amused, by the request. Ryou got up, deciding not to ponder on Mariku's mood swings and just concentrate on getting out of the castle.
The large hall was filled with the soulless when they arrived. At Mariku's hand gesture, most of them filtered out, their feet dragging against the stone floor, raising dust. The ones leaving were the group they had gone through the day before. The fact that the remaining beings were fewer in number than the ones leaving gave Ryou some hope. He wanted to be gone well before dark.
The rows became fewer and fewer as they went on. The morning was silent; neither of them spoke so the only sound was their feet hitting the stones and Mariku's cape rustling. It was starting to get oppressing.
"This may sound weird but, um," Ryou wasn't sure what he wanted to say. There was nothing he should be apologizing for but he felt the need to say something and make amends for whatever it was that had happened earlier that morning. He didn't want to leave on bad terms. "I think I offended you in some way and I just wanted you to know that it wasn't intentional."
Mariku glanced at him as they got done with another row and turned to walk past the next one.
"What I mean is that it was nothing personal." He was trenching the truth a little but he couldn't stay silent. He had to make Mariku respond in some way. "It was just a really awkward situation for me to be in and you intimidate me a little." Ok, now he was straight out lying.' A little' didn't cover it. "I didn't feel very safe."
Finally, Mariku spoke, "So it wasn't personal but it was, at the same time." He looked at Ryou with a raised eyebrow but at least he wasn't angry. "You don't want to offend me; you just want to stay away from me and interact with me as little as possible."
"Well, um, no, that's not…" Ryou drifted off. What was he supposed to say to that?
Suddenly he was pushed against the back of one of the soulless they had passed in the previous row. He gasped in surprise and his large brown eyes looked into Mariku's lilac ones. They stared at each other. Something in Mariku's eyes stirred something within Ryou, and this time, it wasn't fear. The feeling was difficult to place.
"I am not mad. I just don't like how you still have your will left."
Ryou blinked, oddly transfixed on the feeling of the other man's breath on his face. "Then you are mad and not mad, at the same time." He didn't think about what he was saying but it seemed to be working as Mariku smirked and started to let go. The intensity fading, Ryou's eyes trailed somewhere behind Mariku's shoulder, a sense of familiarity washing over him as he spotted one of the soulless.
"Amane."
He jumped up from the counter he had fallen asleep on. The café was just about to open and the preparations had been made but that didn't explain the sense of accomplishment Ryou felt. He just knew that from now on he could sleep in peace.
The bell above the door chimed and Ryou looked up, making sure there was no drool on his face or anything embarrassing like that, and faced the customer.
His heart almost stopped and for a moment he wasn't sure if he had woken up at all.
The customer's eyes peered into his soul as the man ordered. Ryou didn't hear him, too busy taking in the spiky blonde hair and tan skin. An eyebrow rose when there was no response from Ryou.
"Mariku…" he managed out, still out of it.
"Do I know you?"
The situation caught up with him in an instant. This was no dream. The Mariku in front of him was no lone man from a far off land where magic existed but a real, living human being. And Ryou looked like an absolute idiot.
"I guess not," he muttered before mustering a smile. "May I take your order?"
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