The disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is the property of Kazuki Takahashi. And since I'm not Takahashi-san, I don't own it.

Note: This used to be a songfic, but since fanfiction net doesn't anymore allow songlyrics used in the fics, I had to remove them. I just hope a couple of quotes is ok.

This fic was supposed to be just about Ryou, but somehow someone had to force himself into it and try to steal whole show. And… This was meant to be only a friendship fic (and this is that), but I just realized that with a little imagination this could be interpreted as yaoi… I blame Pikachumaniac. I've been brainwashed. Anyway, if you haven't read her Fairydust yet, go to read it. I have the link (as well as links to some other really great fics) in my favorite stories… if you're not afraid of being brainwashed too…

Heh. I guess that those who have read Fairydust have little doubts on who the someone is, right? I'm not sure why I even want to keep it secret... And I don't know why I rated this PG, either... Because of the horrifying fact that someone's dead?

Nature Boy

"I just can't believe it..."

"I know, it feels quite strange, but..."

"Do you know what actually happened? They said in the news the driver was drunk..."

I shouldn't have sat so near to them...

No matter how hard he tried not to listen, he couldn't shut the voices out. Pieces of the conversation could be easily heard over the noise of the lunchroom.

"Don't worry about that, Yami managed to get the Ring. He'll take care of it."

As if that were important… His chopsticks dropped with a clink on the table. How can they even think about that in a time like this…

"…quite tragic…" "Yeah… Wouldn't have thought something like that could…"

Shut up. Just shut up. Shutupshutupshutup...

"Hey, Yuugi, don't take it so hard, you barely knew him..."

"You know how he is, always so sensitive..."

He stole a glance at the next table and saw Yuugi shaking, his friends trying to comfort him. At least one of them cares… Yuugi seemed to calm down a little, and the conversation continued.

"...was really quiet, it wasn't easy to..."

"I know... he always answered politely if you asked something, but otherwise..."

"...seemed to be quite... depressed sometimes, I wonder why..."

"Quite smart though, he got always good grades..."

"Do you know where he came from? Is it true he was from Britain?"

He stood up with a sudden move, and walked away from the table leaving his food almost untouched, just wanting to get out the building as soon as possible.

"Kaiba's in a hurry... probably has..."

He walked fast past the table, out of the lunchroom, not caring to hear the end of the sentence. You don't have any idea of how smart he was...

Seto walked to his locker to get his things. He did not feel capable of staying in the school any longer. If someone asks, I can always say that I had to go to Kaiba Corp...

He took a deep breath as he stepped out of the school building. That's what I need, some fresh air...

The day was warm, and he threw his coat on his shoulder as he began to descend the stairs, wondering where he would go. He did not feel like working right now, but didn't want to go home either. The park... Memories struck him suddenly. I think I'll go to the park...

There were many people in the park, which was not surprising on such a beautiful day. He walked past playing children and dogs, the ice cream stalls and the young couples cuddling on the grass, not giving them a glance.

Finally he reached his destination. A bench by a small group of trees, a little aside from the other benches, but not enough to attract the pairs in love. Still, it was a place where one could rest without anyone disturbing. Seto sat down on the bench, placing his briefcase beside him. This was the place where he went when he wanted to have a break form job or school, or just from everything. It wasn't that long ago when he had gone there late one night and sat there alone watching the stars. Alone, until he had seen a lonely figure approaching, and stopping when it had noticed him.

He had recognized the boy soon, with hair like his it was not difficult. He had felt a little irritated at the interruption of his peace, but all the same he had wondered why the boy was there at that time.

Ryou had approached him a little hesitantly, obviously not wanting to disturb him, but realizing that in a way he already had. He had nodded to him as an answer to his quiet greeting, and gestured him to sit down. Quite long they had just sat there silently, watching the stars. Then a shooting star had appeared suddenly on the sky, and Ryou had turned to look at him.

"Did you make a wish?"

He had glanced at the boy, quite surprised about the question, and even more surprised about the twinkle he had seen in Ryou's eyes.

"No."

"Why not?"

He had glanced away nervously, not really understanding why he was nervous. "I... don't believe in that kind of things... haven't believed for a long time, actually."

Ryou had raised his eyebrows, not saying anything. For a moment Seto had thought he had dropped the subject, but suddenly he had said: "That's not a right way to think."

"Huh?" He had been even more surprised.

"Do you think that I really believe that I could get something just by asking it from a star? I know very well what that star is... just a piece of stuff flying in the space. But that's not the point... You know, if you always just think logically and scientifically your life's going to be quite boring. World needs a little touch of magic to make it tolerable. And on nights like this, it should be illegal not to believe in magic."

If Seto had earlier been surprised, he was now quite speechless.

"You don't usually talk this much..." he had blurted out without thinking.

Ryou had laughed. "I know, I guess it's the night's magic..."

They had sat in silence for quite long after that, until Ryou had got up and wished a quiet good night. Next day he had seen Ryou at school, and nodded to him while walking past. However, they had not spoken to each other, not before they few days later had met again by the solitary bench in the park.

"Why do you come here?" he had asked Ryou, who had just shrugged.

"I don't know, sometimes I just want to take a little walk before going to bed, and this place is quite peaceful... Why do you come here?

"Just because of that."

"The peace?"

"Yes."

"I guess your life is quite hectic sometimes..." Ryou had sat on the bench leaning back, eyes half closed, not watching at him.

"One way to put it..."

That was all he had been going to say but he had surprised himself when he had continued talking.

"Quite hectic, indeed... Running that company means work twenty four hours in day and seven days in a week... Sometimes it feels quite impossible to find time for school, not to talk about Mokuba or Duel Monsters..." That had made him frown a little, remembering his last encounter with Yuugi-tachi.

"Are you thinking about Yami and others?" Ryou's voice had made him jump a little, and he had glanced at the boy, again surprised.

Ryou had smiled at him. "I saw you... talking with them yesterday. And heard... was quite difficult not to... You really don't get along with Jou that well."

Seto had snorted. "That puppy? I don't think I even want to get along with him..."

Ryou had watched him sadly. "He isn't that bad, you know... He has a good heart."

Seto had watched away, smiling a bit sardonically. He still remembered what he had thought. As if that were some great advantage in this world...

He had heard Ryou shift a little as he changed the subject. "You and Yami seem to take that game really seriously."

"And you don't?"

"It's a game..." Ryou had whispered, fingering gently his pendant. "Fun to play, but not that serious... There are more important things in life."

"Like what?"

Ryou had smiled, a little sadly. "Like... friendship... and love..."

Seto had snorted again. "You're starting to sound like that girl."

Ryou had glanced at him, sighing. "I know... she's a bit annoying sometimes... but she's right, you know. Those things are important."

Silence had followed. Seto had leaned against a tree, thinking about Ryou's words.

"I guess they are", he had said finally. "To some people at least. But you can live without them."

"Is that what you've been doing?" Ryou had asked softly, getting up and walking to him. He had not answered, but Ryou had remained standing beside him, and he had got the feeling that he was waiting for an answer.

"I don't need friends... or love."

He had waited Ryou to say something, but the silence had continued, and finally he had turned to look at Ryou.

He remembered Ryou standing there beside him, smiling...

Seto bent his head down, forcing tears back.

Why did it have to be him... of all people... He was... was so...

(A very strange, enchanted boy...)

I can't believe his really gone...

(They say he wandered very far, very far, over land and sea...)

The sadness that had suddenly taken a grip on his chest was almost overwhelming. And there was another emotion also, trying to make itself known. Guilt.

Great friend I was... He was always there, ready to listen to my worries, but when did I listen to him? I know there was something wrong, sometimes I could see it in his eyes... I asked him about it once, but he just smiled and said it was nothing... but I... I should have asked again, I knew he just didn't want to bother others with his problems...

(A little shy and sad of eye...)

I should have helped him more, the way he helped me...

He felt the tears starting to flow down his cheeks as he closed his eyes, remembering.

He remembered Ryou standing there beside him, watching him with a little smile on his lips. He remembered asking what he was smiling at.

"I hope you excuse me for saying it, but sometimes you are quite dumb for a genius. Do you know what is the best thing there is... something I think that you really should try to learn?"

"What?"

"It's just... to love. And to... be loved in return."

"I love Mokuba", he had said a little defensively.

Ryou had smiled even wider. "You know what I mean."

And deep inside, he did know.

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

(Epilogue)

He sat on the bench, watching the stars above him as he had done so many times before. From the distant horizon, he saw a golden line being drawn across the sky. He watched it to travel over him, feeling tears building up in his eyes. The shooting star disappeared in the clouds. For a moment he remained watching after it, and whispered then quietly,

"Thank you, Ryou…"

AN: Someone asked in a review why Ryou had to be dead for this... The answer: I don't know. That's just how this fic came to me, if you understand what I mean...