Delirious
By SMYGO4EVA

The sound of rushing waves gently washing upon the shore and shifting back to the sea awoke her from an unfamiliar slumber, bringing her back to the forsaken reality she sough to escape from. Téa stirred and her eyes twitched so they would open, her hand unconsciously feeling what surrounded her, the sense of grainy sand moving past her fingertips. She lifted herself up and looked around the scenery, where she was and what was the place.

A miraculously blue ocean that stretched for miles was before her, with the rolling waves crashing on the shore creating white noise. A lovely sunset was the canvas for the picture she saw with her very eyes, so beautiful that she rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

It wasn't a dream.

She turned her head when a seemingly familiar object caught her eye, and she set her eyes on what appeared to be a person few inches from her. She forced herself to make a double take before she realized who the person was.

Ryou Bakura.

What was he doing here? How was this possible? Did he know about this place, something that she doesn't know? Or….was this all just an illusion and she was about to wake up from this very soon?

She had no idea….no idea at all.

She looked Ryou over, this time with full scrutiny. He was sleeping, lying on his back and his arms at his sides. He was ok, as no worried or pained look on his face told her that he was having a nightmare, and there were no scars to ruin his flawless skin. He was safe, and blissfully ignorant of his surroundings. He was safe because of sleep, because of the dreams he has, ones that weren't contaminated by darkness and fears deep down in his subconscious. He was breathing, his chest moving up and down in a relaxed repetition.

Téa felt relief bubble inside her and she couldn't help but feel the urge to hug Ryou right on the spot. She never realized it at first, but from where she was, he looked absolutely adorable, and there has been no doubt that he always was adorable. He possessed a cherubic face set with chocolate brown eyes and a lovely smile when he was happy, and he had long white hair that gleamed in sunlight.

Not taking it anymore because of his cuteness, Téa found herself leaning over and gently wrapping her arms under and over Ryou's lithe body. She inhaled the sweet scent of his hair, the smell reminiscent of little red strawberries, fragola as they say in Italian, and it was a sweet smell that she will never easily forget. She never wanted to let him go, never ever.

You're ok. You're safe, Ryou. You're free. Téa hugged him even tighter to her, never wanting him to be in pain or in agony. As long as she was with him, nothing would hurt him ever again. Taking notice of the scenery that they were in, she lifted her head to look around beyond where they were.

There were sandy beaches that stretched beyond imagination and the occasional dunes of world-weary grass. There was no one else to be found.

This is…..unusual. If they were the only ones on this place, then were there other people in existence? She didn't know, and she didn't want to know.

She took a look at Ryou once again, more specifically at his face. He was so beautiful, so peaceful when he was asleep, so blissfully unaware of the world, unaware that he and Téa are the only ones on the mysterious beach. But it seemed perfect, almost too perfect, as if this was meant to be for these two.

She loved him.

That was it.

She really loved him.

She had always known this, but she thought that those feelings were for Yugi and him only. But she realized that she wasn't in love, she was only besotted, for the notion of friendship. She saw that when he was around, she always wanted to tell him how she felt, but alas, the spirit of the Millennium Ring had taken him prisoner time and time again. It pained her to see him in the possession of such a horrible being, a beautiful and horrible human being.

But now, he was free of the chains of the Millennium Ring, free of the evil spirit, and free of the darkness forever. And that was the way it should be.

Téa then cupped his face with her hands, her fingers gently touching the texture of his porcelain skin. She smiled lovingly and without thinking, she leaned forward to press her lips to his in a sweet and gentle kiss, the barriers between them finally broken. She honestly wanted to stay like this forever, to be with sweet Ryou in the beautiful beaches for all eternity. She had felt as if she died and went to Heaven along with her sweet angel, her mind completely at ease and with no worries.

That's right.

There was nothing to worry about.

Nothing to worry about.

Nothing at all.

She was hurled back into reality when she felt a hand caress her cheek as she opened her eyes to soft brown ones. Their lips parted after the kiss, and she pulled away with a small yelp. He was awake, and he lifted himself up so he would be sitting up. Téa felt her face grow hot and she placed her hands on her face.

What the---? How could she be so stupid? She kissed him on the lips – what was he going to say….or do? What was she going to do?

She looked at Ryou, taking notice that he was just settling to being awake, his eyes glazed over and sleepy. He rubbed his eyes and let a cute little yawn escape from him, as if he was waking up and that was it. Ryou then let a hand touch his lips, a lingering reminder of the kiss still there.

Téa held her breath.

Ryou looked at her, a look of surprise growing apparent on his face, and he suddenly began to back away from her. "T-Téa?! Wh-What are you doing here?"

She was astonished. So he didn't know where they were. "What am I doing here…..um….what are you doing here?"

"What?" He took a look around, confusion and fear making them known on his features. He then looked back at her. "Wh-Where are we, Téa?"

She blinked and she narrowed her eyes, realizing that she didn't know the answer to that question. "That's….what I'd like to know, Ryou."

"Well….let's not panic, all right?"

"Uh…ok."

"This….place….it's quite lovely, isn't it?" Ryou settled back into sitting up, admiring the sunset in front of them. The sunset held the colors of red and orange, melding into something even more beautiful. It was a canvas of the heavens, and the painting became something no one had even seen before. A delirious sky.

"It is lovely, Ryou. It really is."

"So, this place is real, and we are here right now. This isn't a dream, is it?"

"It doesn't feel like one."

"This….feels so real…..the sand, the sunset, the beach, everything. It's….not a dream…" Ryou let his hand caress the sand, the warmth ever so real. It wasn't a dream; it was actuality.

"How did we get here, Téa? How did we end up here, of all people?" Ryou asked, curiosity present in his voice.

Téa wasn't sure how to answer that question; she had no idea where they were or how they got there. "Beats me. I'm not sure how we ended up here, and there's nobody else around here for miles."

Ryou whipped his head and looked at her, truly astonished at what she said. "You're kidding! We're the only ones here?" The surprise then faded as he lay back onto the sand. "I guess it's true….we are the only ones here."

Téa nodded. "That's for sure." She curled her legs and hugged them close to her chest. "Maybe we rejected some type of fate, maybe we never really wanted to be a part of the place we once lived in." She contemplated aloud.

Ryou sat up. "You think so, Téa? I mean, this place…..it's beautiful….but is this real? Could we possibly be dreaming all this?"

The girl next to him let her eyes linger on the ground, unsure and becoming scared all at once. "Maybe….I don't know, Ryou. Why are we here? Why, out of all people? Why are we here?" She became more discouraged when he didn't answer.

Ryou thought for a moment, but shook his head. "I don't know. I'm not sure why we are both here, in this place, surrounded by the beach and the ocean."

Téa narrowed her eyes and focused on the sand, becoming more curious by every passing second. The growing silence was deafening. It was so confusing.

Avalon….

She lifted her head.

The island from Arthurian legend…

"Avalon." She murmured.

Ryou turned his head. "I'm sorry?"

She turned her head so they would be face to face. "Remember the Arthurian legend about Avalon? It was an island, an island that no one would locate or see from miles, and it is known as the place where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was forged, from this mysterious place. So maybe, just maybe….we are here, so that we can be with each other together."

She saw in his eyes that he grew just as curious and hopeful as she was. She smiled at him and at the spur of the moment; she leaned out and hugged him in a loving embrace, nuzzling her face into his soft hair. "We're going t be ok, because we have each other."

Ryou was flabbergasted at Téa's sudden gesture, but in turn he felt his eyes soften and he returned the embrace. "I understand."

She then thought if this really was a dream, she didn't want to wake up, and if this really was just a dream, she didn't want to pass anything by. She pulled away for just a moment, her hands on his shoulders.

"Ryou…..I….I have something to say. I've never really told anyone else about this…..I've always denied it for a while….but….I think I've fallen in love with you, Ryou." She then smiled a great smile, relief overflowing inside her. She did it – she finally told him.

Ryou was shocked, his mouth agape and his eyes wide. He couldn't believe at what she just said to him – she loved him. All this time and he had those feelings too, and they didn't even tell each other before. The state of shock turned into a feeling of happiness when he smiled a warm smile at her, the smile that she had always loved.

"Téa….I….I don't know what to say…..except that I….I love you too. I always have. I love everything about you: your smile, your looks, your dedication to your friends, everything. I love you, Téa Gardener and I always will." Ryou bit his lip, his eyes welling with crystalline tears.

In turn, Téa trued to keep her tears from flowing, but it was of no use. "Oh, Ryou…" She then kissed him on the lips, embracing him with all she had. She never wanted this moment to end, and it was a dream come true.

After a long and sweet kiss, they pulled away, deciding that oxygen would suffice even more. Ryou and Téa both smiled, their faces flushed and their hearts pounding in their chests. After a pregnant pause, they hugged for long time. Both their souls were nearly bursting with happiness and they became one then and there.

"Ryou?" She asked, nuzzling into his neck.

"I'm still here," Ryou replied.

"Is there anything that I can do? Do anything for you?" She asked him, feeling the drowsiness come back again.

"You don't need to do anything." He replied softly. "If you could just….hold me." He added. It was difficult to say the words.

Téa pulled away, but still in his arms, and brushed away the tears that stained his face.

"Ryou?"

"That's all I need right now, Téa." He said softly.

She nodded, and then put his head on the crook of her neck, and put her arms around him. She held him in a way that a mother would cradle a newborn child, murmuring reassurances and holding his head close to her chest, so he would hear a familiar heartbeat.

Silence was here now.

"Téa?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we going to be ok?" Ryou asked in a timid voice, looking up at the crystal clear sky with tidbits of sadness and hope mixed in his milk chocolate eyes.

Téa felt a heavy weight in her stomach, more tears waiting to pass through her cerulean orbs. She blinked a couple of times, letting them go down her cheeks. "Yes…." She said, a smile emerging from her lips. "Yes we are."

He smiled and settled into her embrace once more. The beaches of Avalon were here now, and it was just the two of them, Ryou Bakura and Téa Gardener, and no one else.

FIN