A young man blinked wildly, his long white hair dancing into his mouth as he pushed past throng after throng of people and slid into a store with an exaggerated sigh. The bustling life of New York was appealing to some, but not for Ryou Bakura, who much preferred the quiet and calm of his old town of Domino City over the ever constant stream of people and technology in the town that never slept. Which made his decision to move to the bustling city seem so… odd to the few people he had informed. Ryou had simply shrugged off any questions about his decision, telling people that it was something that he had always wanted to do, and now that he had nothing holding him back, he could. Only one person knew that that was not the case.
Ryou was never questioned further, which made a small part of him happy. He wasn't completely sure what made him so desperate to leave Domino City after finishing high school, but he just knew that he wouldn't rest properly until he was out of there.
Walking over to the counter, he handed the man his prescription and tried to avoid the man's gaze.
"You look a bit young to be taking medication." The man behind the counter stated, and Ryou got up the courage to look the man in the eye.
"Everybody needs a little help sometimes."
"Well yes, I guess that's true." He replied, receiving the payment and placing it in the till before handing Ryou the change. "But still... this medication is normally administered to help with anxiety. Why on earth would you decide to move to New York of all places if you suffered from anxiety?"
Ryou shrugged, giving a small thanks as he received the change and a buzzer for the medication. "It was just something I had to do. It's a small sacrifice to be happy."
"Trying to make it big in New York?" the man smiled, and Ryou shared a small smile. "See it almost every day. Well I hope you make it, you're the most polite kid I've seen 'round here lately."
"Thanks. I hope so too." Ryou nodded as he nodded, taking a seat in the waiting area. For a town that always had people coming and going, it was only Ryou and the man behind the counter in the whole store. Ryou looked around, not used to the sudden emptiness of the room. It sent a shiver up Ryou's spine as he felt his chest slightly tighten, feeling a sense of panic overwhelm him. He wished that the man behind the counter would get his medication quicker, before he had a panic attack right there and then in the store.
Ryou placed his small hand on his chest and breathed in and out deeply, forcing air down his throat and into his lungs until the tightness around his chest disappeared. He leant into the chair, glad that he was able to stop the attack from happening. The man called out his name, and Ryou jumped up, politely taking the bag with his prescription and medication and bounding out the door, hoping to get home as quick as he possibly could.
Ryou did his best to travel with the flow of people as it moved from street to street. He did his best to stay in with the pack to protect himself from oncoming cars, who would not hesitate to take him out if it meant getting to their destination quicker. It made him jittery to be with so many people at the same time, but it was something he just had to put up with in exchange for the most important thing to him – anonymity. He swallowed the excess saliva that had been forming in his mouth from the building anxiety and moved on.
Ryou assessed where he was. Looking up around him, he could tell that he was close to his little apartment near Times Square. He kept his eyes low and his medication close to his chest as he moved against the pack of people he had been moving with. The signs above him glittered with a brightness that Ryou was still not fully accustomed to, and when the lights echoed out with the voices of a famous reporter that Ryou could not remember the name of, he realised that it had to be 5 o'clock already.
"It's now time for the long awaited interview with probably the most famous male in existence under twenty years old, Yugi Moto!" the reporter exclaimed, and Ryou's head whipped to the billboard that was broadcasting the program to all of the bustling Times Square. Ryou saw the montage of his once close friend duelling in a recent tournament, then a close up shot of the male, and immediately turned away, feeling his lungs close up. The last thing Ryou needed right now was this.
"Hello Miss Storm." The duellist instigated the conversation, and Ryou felt his whole sanity just shatter around him. The guilt, everything he did… it crashed down on him, making him feel like the air had been sucked from his lungs. He felt his breathing become laboured, and he clutched at his chest as he forced the air down his throat. He felt the pressure pound angrily through his wrists, feeling the shaking of his fingers as they clutched against his chest and against the small plastic bag that he held close to him. The young male had been unable to move his feet, the sound of his friend that he betrayed overcoming him.
The people around him continued to move, but Ryou was frozen in place, unable to even reach in and take his medication to calm himself down. People bumped into him frequently, chastising him then moving on their way, but none of it mattered. All that mattered was his betrayal. The interview continued, and Ryou did his best to not let out the tears that were welling in his eyes.
"Are you okay?" someone asked, and Ryou was finally able to regain his control over his body, turning his head slightly to the left and seeing a young male who looked the total opposite to the pale and fragile Ryou. He noticed immediately the light blonde hair that jetted out around his eyes, the rest of his hair covered in a small hat that Ryou had seen in stores he had passed, and dazzling purple eyes that made the pumping in his wrists so much harder.
"I…I'm fine." Ryou stuttered, reaching into his plastic bag and shakily taking the pill out of the packet then popping the pill into his mouth, swallowing it with a scrunch of his eyes and as he felt the immediate calm overcome him, he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. Opening his eyes, he blinked wildly, seeing that he was still staring face to face with the blonde haired man from before.
"You don't look very okay." The man mused, before grabbing Ryou's wrist and pulling the man out of the crowd, taking him further into Times Square. The man's fingers brushed across the bewildered Ryou's wrist, making the man blush furiously as he internally hoped that the man had not felt the bruised and healing skin under his fingertips. The truth was, Ryou was not okay. He was a smart kid, and his acceptance into New York University School of Medicine proved that, but he never felt like he deserved what he had in front of him at his fingertips. He carried the guilt around with him like a heavy weight against his shoulders, giving him a slouch as he carried the karma for his sins in the tense muscles in his back. But how or why would he say anything to anyone else, let alone a stranger in the street?
The man continued to drag him through the never ending crowds, never once letting go of the pale man's wrist, using it to guide Ryou when he felt like he had been lost. He stopped at one of the few parks in the city, and Ryou had only then realised just how far he had let this man guide him without realising. He was never one to trust others, as it was even too difficult to trust himself sometimes; bearing the scars that proved that. It confused Ryou deeply as to why he had let the man take him this far, and why he was willing to simply just let him continue.
Finding a seat, the man pushed Ryou down gently before sitting next to him, adjusting his hat and pulling his blonde bangs from his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked gently, very aware that Ryou was doing his best to not look him in the eye. "You seemed a little messed up there."
Ryou swallowed, clutching tighter against his bag. "I'm fine."
"That's not what your wrists say."
Ryou's eyes widened, feeling a blush spread across his cheeks as he realised that the man had noticed them after all. "I just had a panic attack, is all."
The other man nodded, biting his lip. "Oh man, I understand. New York always gives me the jitters; I don't know how one could stand living here."
"It gets easier after a while." Ryou whispered before he could stop himself. "I mean, I still get attacks every so often, but the people and the lights and everything, you get used to it after a while."
"You live here?" the man asked, a sense of disbelief in his voice. "I don't understand how someone who clearly suffers from severe anxiety could go through with that every day."
"Like I said, I'm a lot better now than when I first got here."
"You working?" he asked, watching his face falter when Ryou shook his head. "Studying?" Ryou nodded, and a smile returned to the man's face. "Where?"
"University of New York." Ryou gave a small smile. "School of Medicine."
"figures." The man chortled, leaning back into the seat. "You'd have to be insane to want to treat others with illnesses."
"I just want to help people." Ryou protested. "I wonder sometimes... if someone was able to help me when I felt I wasn't able to be helped, would I be in a different situation right now?"
"What do you mean when you weren't able to be helped?" Ryou had begun to find it really difficult to meet the man's gaze. He swallowed the lump that rose in his throat every time the millennium ring was brought up, but soldiered on.
"Have you ever heard of the Millennium Artefacts?"
"Briefly. Doesn't that duellist Yugi Moto have one? The puzzle?" the man asked, and Ryou squeezed his eyes shut as the onslaught of guilt crashed down on him. He nodded slowly.
"did." Ryou muttered. "He did. They're all gone to who knows where now." He shut his eyes, dispelling the tears that threatened to make their presence known. "It's a long story."
"I've got time."
Ryou let out a long sigh before continuing. "There are seven Millennium Artefacts. The puzzle, who's powers brought about unity with others; the ring, who harboured an ancient spirit and had the ability to find other millennium items; the rod, which gave the controller the ability to possess another being; the necklace, which had the power to see into the past or future; the scales, whose powers brought the abilities to weigh out an individual's sins; the eye, which gave the owner the ability to see things that they would not normally be able to see; and the key, which gave the controller the ability to peer into an individual's soul room." Ryou ticked the artefacts off his fingers as he mentioned them until there were seven. "Yugi had the Millennium Puzzle; I had the Millennium Ring."
"You were…"
"Possessed by an ancient spirit, yes." Ryou bit his lip, scratching his nose awkwardly. "I still have the scars from the many escapades I was forced to live through." He reached gently to the bottom of his pale blue shirt, pulling it up the reveal the five areas of his chest that were nothing but scarred skin, looking like it had not been able to heal properly and had suffered as a consequence.
The man was speechless. Ryou understood why. He had never shown anyone these scars before, not even his friends; he himself had a hard time looking at them in the mirror whenever he caught reflection of then whist changing. They were grisly and disgusting and Ryou pulled his shirt down, hiding his shame. Ryou looked away, the full extent of what he had just done coming as a harsh realization. I showed someone my scars. They think I'm crazy.
Ryou stood up; knowing that now was the time to get out of here, before he scared this man any more than he already had. "I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shown you that." He said, before turning to leave, his long white hair draping unceremoniously over his shoulders as he hung his head, biting his tongue.
"Don't go." the man called, grabbing at Ryou's wrist and stopping him in his tracks. "I believe you."
Ryou froze. Someone actually… believed him? Half the time it felt like Ryou couldn't even believe his own memories, preferring to think of them as horrid dreams or hallucinations; until he saw the scars. The scars in his chest and shoulder were constant reminders of everything he just wished to forget. It seemed highly impossible that someone could so easily believe something that he found so difficult to believe; despite living through it.
"It's not as ridiculous as it sounds." The man reasoned as Ryou blinked in shock at the man. "I've heard of much more strange things. You should hear some of the things that go on where I'm from. You think your duelling is confusing." With a release of air, he continued, his tone softening. "Not everyone can be on the good side all the time, even if one wants to. It's okay to be selfish sometimes."
"I'm not selfish." He muttered.
"I know you don't believe that." The man provoked, watching with a small smirk as he got the reaction he desired from the male. "You know you're selfish. The question I want to know is; why?"
"Why?"
"Yes, why." The man repeated. "Why are you convincing yourself you are selfish? Did you say something, do something that you regret? Did you hurt someone?" Ryou gritted his teeth as he felt a sharp pain shoot down his arms as his blood pumped too fast for his liking.
"I left. I left without telling someone, and I know I hurt them. I… I just want to apologise, but I… I" Ryou trailed off, looking up at the buildings around them, wondering what he was trying to admit to himself.
"And you can't find them to apologise?" the man offered.
"Maybe."
"Maybe?" the man repeated incredulously. Their eyes met, and the man bit his lower lip. "Ah. You want to apologise, but you can't find him until you find yourself."
"How did you know it was a male?" Ryou stuttered, watching as the man simply shrugged it off, not giving an explanation.
"You really should forgive yourself." He requested, giving a small smile to match his soft tone. "I'm sure Yugi's already forgiven you too."
Ryou pushed his feet to move angrily, turning from the male and with all the strength he could, ran away. His flight instincts kicked in and Ryou did nothing but run, doing his best to not scream or cry or both. Yugi wouldn't forgive him for what he did; Yugi would not forgive him for leaving after what he had said, after what he had done.
"Ryou, there's something I want to tell you." Yugi requested nervously.
"I need to tell you something as well, Yugi." Ryou replied, an equal amount of nervousness filling his voice. "But you go first."
"I…I think I love you Ryou. Please don't leave me."
Ryou let one tear slide delicately down his cheek. I'm sorry Yugi, I'm so sorry. I couldn't do that to you, not after what you had told me. And now I realise that what I did was so much worse. He pushed through the people, not feeling awake or asleep, not noticing anything he bumped into and just apologising to anything and everything. His eyes were glued open by his guilt, but were incapable of seeing anything, as the welling tears clouded his vision. He wanted nothing more than to just cry, to let the onslaught of emotions just pour from his body until he could no longer feel it. He felt the burning in his wrists again as someone caught his wrist by accident, tearing the healing wound open. He clutched at his left arm, knowing better than to look at it as it was not as serious as it felt.
Ryou looked in front of him, noticing that the bag that he had held so tightly in his fingertips before was now gone. He let out a frustrated yell, silently asking the heavens above if the day could get any worse.
He finally made his way into the building of his apartment, letting out a sigh of relief as he made his way to the elevator, hitting the up button with more force than he wanted to, feeling an urge to apologise to the button before realising how stupid that would be.
"Oh, Ryou!" the receptionist called, and Ryou turned his head slowly, feeling his whitened hair drape slowly over his shoulder. "You have a visitor!" she said the words brightly, like it was something exciting; Ryou never got visitors, and his opinions on visitors varied greatly to hers.
"What?" he asked and she nodded.
"They stopped by before, and I told them that you were out. They said that they didn't mind waiting."
Ryou suddenly didn't feel like going home anymore. The only people that knew he was going to New York were Ryou's father and Marik. Seeing his father would not be as bad a surprise, but Marik… Ryou just couldn't handle the man at the moment.
The elevator dinged in front of him, but he paid no attention to it, still deciding whether to accept it and put up with whoever had come, or to bolt and find somewhere else to sleep for the night, or at least until they left.
"you missing something?" a voice asked, and Ryou turned his face, feeling his eyes bug out of his head as he saw a man standing in front of him, holding a small bag weighed down by a small box in one hand, another hand one single rose, the ending of the stalk jagged and uneven, like someone had been picking at it nervously whilst waiting for someone. But what got Ryou was not what he was holding in his hands, despite the man somehow finding his prescription; it was not the black hair that stuck out around the man's head and the purple ends, nor the golden coloured bangs that bounced happily around his face. No it was the shocking purple eyes that held such a hope, a glimmer as the light reflected from his eyes and Ryou saw a reflection of himself, his own reaction of surprise. His voice was not responding to him, and he didn't know what he was trying to say.
"Yugi… Yugi… I…I…I"
Yugi gave a small smile, stepping forward and throwing his small body into Ryou's arms.
"No need to be sorry, Ryou. I'm just glad I found you again."