"I'm not the one who hurt you (I couldn't save you)
So why are you so scared (You are who you are)
All that you've been put through (I couldn't break through)
Couldn't be repaired (We're too far apart)"
- Black Rose by Trapt
"Thank you for letting me stay here for a little bit. My apartment is such a mess since I've been redecorating," the always-polite teen said with a small smile. "It was rather nice of you."
Malik put a hand on his shoulder. "You're always welcome here. Ishizu and Odion just love you."
The white-haired teen couldn't help but feel flattered.
"Well, we can share a room, if you want. I mean, I could sleep on the couch, or you could take Odion's room, or…" Malik continued his babbling for a little bit until his friend raised his hand.
"Malik, I'll take the couch." He didn't want to be rude. After all, the Ishtars offered their house eagerly when they heard Ryou wanted to come over.
The Egyptian frowned. "Are you sure?"
"Yep," Ryou chirped pleasantly, his sweet smile on his face. "So, where are Ishizu and Odion?"
"They're a work," Malik explained, heading towards the couch. "They should be home around eight."
They continued to talk, wandering from subject to subject. They laughed like they normally did. Even through the short silences, the pair seemed comfortable. It was no doubt that they were the best of friends, despite the fact how different they were. But why question something so perfect? After all, happy things rarely fell upon them.
During the time of their conversation, they decided that they were hungry. The blond-haired teen ordered sausage and pepper pizza, and the two friends managed to eat all but four slices of it.
"Man, I'm full!" the tan one groaned. He had eaten the majority of the thing.
His companion nodded in agreement. "Yeah." He smiled slightly.
Malik eyed the last pieces. "Better save them for the others." He picked up the box and headed to the spacious kitchen. Lazily, he placed it on the island. His white-haired friend watched him come back and plop down on the plush carpeting. "So, how do ya like it here?"
"Oh, it's really nice. I'm happy I'll be staying for the night." His politeness never faded, even with the only person he could let his guard down with.
This made the other teen chuckle. He was used to it, after all. "Do you wanna watch a movie?"
"Sure," Ryou shrugged. He moved over to the large tan couch while Malik sorted through the many DVDs.
"Hey," Malik called, "do you wanna watch a horror movie or a comedy?"
Grinning slightly, he answered, "Horror's fine."
"All righty then." Slight surprise was hidden in his voice.
After the movie was popped in, the tanned teen bounded for the couch and flopped down next to his fellow hikari.
The movie played, and screams and chainsaws and bloody murder filled the air. While Ryou watched with a slightly disturbing interest, Malik looked bored. "Cheap effects," he complained loudly. Despite this, Ryou noticed he watched it unblinkingly.
By the time it was over, Ishizu and Odion had pulled in the driveway. They came in quietly, smiling with approval at how comfortable the two were. "Want something to eat?" their younger brother asked.
"No thanks. We ate on the way home," Ishizu responded. It was evident that she approved of the kind offer, though. She knew what a good example Ryou was on Malik. The courtesy and pleasantness had finally became more natural, which really made her feel at ease. They exchanged a bit more small talk before the older Ishtar siblings went to their rooms for the night.
The two lively teens decided to watch the sequel. By the time that was over, it was extremely late.
"I'm tired," Malik yawned. "Are you sure you're okay staying out here?" He looked concerned. "I mean, think about the movies we just watched…"
The pale teen shook his head quickly. "I'm fine. After I get changed, I'll be ready to get to sleep. Don't worry about me." He lived by himself for a long time. Ryou was used to the effect of a horror movie.
"Okay then…'Night!"
"Goodnight, Malik."
A few minutes later, when Ryou was in his pajamas, he sat down on the couch. He crossed his long legs, and took the black remote from the coffee table. After flipping the channels, he settled on a silly teen drama. The character's simple life amused him.
He laid back and got comfortable as he watched the blonde "mean girl" flirt with the main character's boyfriend, the changeable bad boy.
Ryou chuckled at their immature behavior. He ran his fingers absently through his hair. The main character had seen them flirting and got totally freaked out. She started crying and ran off. The guy went after her, leaving the furious preppy girl behind. He finally caught up with her and tried to explain everything.
"How stupid," the teen snorted. Ryou heard a door open quietly, making him glance away his eyes from the TV for a second.
Low footsteps could be heard from down the hallway. Figuring it was someone getting a late-night snack, he greeted them quietly. "Hey." He received no response. The footsteps continue until the person stopped right behind him. Slowly, he turned around and looked up at the figure before him. Messy blonde hair was the first thing he saw. "…Malik?"
It looked like Malik. It really, really did. But Malik wasn't that tall or muscular, and didn't have such a strong gaze.
Ryou could only stare.
"Oh, I'm not Malik."
The younger teen didn't move. This made the standing teen smirk confidently.
"So you're Ryou, the thief's little hikari." The man's voice was thick and gruff, and held a slightly mocking edge to it.
The teen nodded once, but his cautious gaze didn't leave the other's face.
"Mind if I sit down?" he asked sarcastically as he made his way around the edge of the couch and plopped down in the same way his hikari had. His gray eyes studied the younger teen until he grew embarrassed. "Why are you here…all alone?"
This made the teen look down. "N-no reason."
"Do you always stutter?" the dark sneered. He was enjoying this little game.
"No," the hikari forced, a blush rising to his pale cheeks.
A rough chuckle erupted from his throat. "Little Ryou, do you always blush like that?" His deadly eyes glistened in pure amusement.
Slowly, the boy raised his head. "Do you always ask so many questions?" He wasn't sure why he said that. Everything Malik had told him about the horrible demon finally hit him, and his eyes widened slightly.
"Well," Marik cocked an eyebrow, "aren't you the brave one? And I heard that you were a timid little weakling." He received a wondering gaze from the boy. "Either you're having a rare moment, or your so-called friends don't know you as well as they think you do."
"I still don't understand what you mean…"
The demon leaned in toward the hikari's face, making it so they were only mere millimeters apart. "You were told how dangerous and unstable I am. They told you to stay away from me." A wide grin spread on his face.
"Y-yeah, I guess," he murmured, unable to move away.
"You haven't even screamed," the demonic man whispered, and moved back. His eyes danced with glee. This child was rather entertaining!
That was true. Every word. But still, Ryou didn't try to get away. "I'm not afraid."
"Oh, really, little hikari?" The blonde stared openly, obviously curious. This was a rather enjoyable conversation. Something was different about this boy. "Care to explain?"
An uneasy look flickered in his eyes. "You're right. They told me all of those things about you, but…I'm not afraid." He hesitated before continuing. "I haven't seen a single thing that would prove them right yet. I don't judge someone until I see them for myself."
Hadn't everyone judged him that way?
For once, the yami looked puzzled. Marik's lips tensed, and he seemed unsure. His usually wild eyes were left cloudy. "You aren't afraid of me?" he questioned.
"Do you…want me to be?" Ryou asked uncertainly.
"You should be," he retorted dryly. "If you were a sane mortal, you would be."
Ryou wondered if he should be offended. "Are you saying," he frowned, "that I'm insane?" Confusion was evident, along with a look of surprise.
"That is exactly what I am saying." His maniacal grin widened. "I don't see how you couldn't be. You act so innocent, Ryou," his name sounded strange on his tongue, "but you must be incredibly loony." Gray eyes danced suspiciously. "Am I correct?"
An unbelieving gaze was his only response for a few moments. "You are calling me crazy?" He was too engrossed in his words to notice how incredibly brave (or stupid, depending on how you saw it) he was being.
A loud, booming laugh came from the yami. It was dark and almost a chuckle, and it sent shivers up the white-haired teen's spine. It held the slight edge of insanity. But despite that, it sounded amused. The laugh made Ryou watch him intently. It almost hurt his ears, but also commanded attention.
Such a strange thing.
After his outburst died down, he locked his eyes on his hikari's friend. "What is it about me that you find so interesting?" It came out with a hard edge, unlike the laughter he just made. It amazed the teen how quickly he could switch gears.
"I don't know." This made the demon blink. He had never heard someone so sincere. Marik noticed how the other watched him. His observations made him guarded; he didn't like having someone unafraid in his presence.
"You're an idiot," he stated bluntly.
A questioning look formed on Ryou's soft features. "Eh…" No words seemed to fit.
"Most people would've run. Those people are smart."
"I'm not following."
"Yes you are," the taller one sneered. "You know exactly what I mean!"
"Well, yeah…But why are you telling me this?" What am I doing?! I am an idiot…I should run now…but, he hasn't really done anything. I can handle myself.
An irritated growl came from the man. "It doesn't make sense!" Anger was evident in his cold eyes. Ryou breathed in sharply, earning him a demonic gaze. "What?"
Ryou answered, "Nothing." An uneasy silence filled the air, even though the stupid drama was still blaring in the background.
Marik looked thoughtful as he commented slowly, "You are a strange creature." His head tilted to the side. No words were forming in Ryou's mind. They just watched each other for a few minutes. Suddenly, Marik spoke. "At first, I thought you were nothing like the thief. I thought you were his opposite." A cocky grin tugged on his lips. "But that's not true, is it, boy? You are more alike than others think."
The hikari clenched his fist. "That's not true," he breathed. "I'm nothing like that monster!"
"Oh, but you are." He knew he had hit a soft spot. The demon lifted one finger. "You both lie, to yourselves and others, and…you're good at it." Another one. "Both of you have troubled pasts. I see it in you eyes." Again. "You both are so, so selfish. I can tell. And-"
"Stop it!" he cried, clenching his teeth. "You don't know me, or him! You…don't…"
Marik continued easily, "-you are both so amusing to anger." His grin had grown even wider, if that was even possible.
The two fell into a deep silence. It wasn't the same as any silence they had before. The silences between Ryou and Malik were subtler. They were short but nice, usually just enough for them to catch their breath. It was easy, and just comfortable. Always friendly. And surely this wasn't the same as when Marik was all alone, musing about many things, with nothing else to pass the time.
This was different.
It would've gone on forever if Ryou hadn't said, "You're wrong." His voice was barely a whisper. The usually warm brown eyes had turned bitter. He looked angry, so very enraged. How dare he say those things. How dare he pretend to know!
"There you go, lying again."
"I'm not. It's just not true." His eyes glistened slightly. "I'm not what anyone thinks I am."
Marik's face faltered at the strong words, but he quickly recovered his composure. He stared solidly at the teen, and grew curious as he got a glare back. The yami seemed to be searching the younger's eyes, looking for a weak point to hit. This child should've been easy to control…yet stronger ones have fallen much easier. "Maybe you're right."
"You-" he began, but stopped mid-thought. "What?"
"You aren't what anyone thinks you are." His mouth formed a loose line. "You're…different, boy." It came out low and gruff.
Ryou wasn't sure how to respond. Instead, he sheepishly attempted, "C-can I ask you a question?"
The demon leaned against the arm of the couch, getting comfortable. "Shoot."
"If you're here…" His eyes fell downcast. "Where's Malik?"
"Don't worry about him."
He lifted his head. "What?" Fear flashed across his features. "What did you do to him? If you hurt him, I'll-"
"Hush, now. He's fine." Curiosity made him smirk slightly. "He's just in a sound sleep, safe in his soul room. I do this all of the time, and he doesn't notice a difference."
"You don't know what it's like," came a hoarse whisper from across from him. Marik's eyebrow corked up. "To be left in there…with only your thoughts…while some voice controls your body. Pretends to be you, controls your destiny like it's their own!"
Marik easily replied, "From experience, young one?"
"Yes," Ryou curtly answered. "That body doesn't belong to you. It's not yours! You can't use it, like a parasite or something. Using you…whispering lies…eating at you from within! That's all you ever do! Do you even understand how the host feels? How much horror it fills them with? Do you even care?" He took in a shaky breath. "Did you ever care?"
It was obvious these words weren't meant for him, so the blonde just watched with slight amusement.
The white-haired teen was shaking now. Inside, he was screaming at himself. Very rarely had anyone ever mentioned Baku- no, The Voiceto him. If they had, it was brushed aside or responded with a perfectly calculated look of remembrance and disdain. Rage was never shown to anyone other than Malik, who understood in his own way. But Ryou always expected it; he knew he was going to scream or rant or cry. The teen never truly lost control. But this thing, this parasite, made everything come back. He saw a glimpse of Ryou that was always below the surface, ready to explode.
He saw his weakness in a way only his other was able to before.
And it really scared him, more than the stories about Marik he had been told ever could.
"Are you quite finished, Ryou?" came the eerily intelligent voice. The white-haired teen snapped up, eyes widening. Whether it was in surprise or fury, well, the demon wasn't sure. "You seemed kinda…distracted," he drawled casually, as if they were talking about the weather. The boy didn't respond and stared at him stubbornly. This just fueled Marik's perception. "What were you thinking about? Bakura -" Ryou winched visibly at the name "-or me? Both, perhaps?" He grinned like a mad man.
"You are so…" he seemed to struggle for a perfect word. Infuriating? Horrible? Demonic?
"Right?"
Ryou blinked his mocha-colored eyes at the darkness. The grin on the other's face hadn't wavered in the slightest. It unnerved the teen, actually. "Excuse me?"
A look of arrogance danced in the crazy violet-gray eyes of the man. "I'm so right, aren't I, little Ryou? I can see it in your eyes. Once you pay attention, you're not as challenging to figure out as I thought." His head tilted airily to the side. "Nope, very simple. Malik was wrong. He always had a hard time knowing exactly what you were thinking. Such a silly boy. Everything you feel reflects in your pretty eyes."
Ryou was not appreciating the aloof taunts.
"And you're not as air headed as you pretend to be," Ryou retorted dryly, unlike he would have a few years before. But he had changed. He really had. It wasn't drastic, but the innocent fear he had once had had been chipped away. True anger surfaced now, more often than in his youth. If he didn't know better (but he did!), he would say he was almost becoming stubborn and sharp like The Thief King. He spoke his mind when necessary.
Usually not this easily, though. Still, Ryou couldn't bring himself to take it back.
Curiously, Marik motioned for him to continue.
"You are more observant than anyone, and you are intelligent. You're not as humorous and indifferent as you come off as. Underneath your witty insults and carefree words, you are introspective and cunning. You're sad, alone, or longing. Nearly heartless, I've noticed." He seemed to pause, as if calculating his next words. "The others saw a glimpse of that, I assume."
"You're very bold." He was now sitting up straightly; all look of his detached persona was suddenly gone. His gaze was cool, and no look of a grin flickered on his face. The sudden flip made the brown-eyed boy's breath hitch. Marik's face was deadly, and devoid of all emotion. Something that hadn't registered before – blinding fear – crashed into him. What was he thinking? This demon was made of Malik's anger and hatred; he was murderous and insane. If he wanted to, when he was sick of this "game", the teen could easily be disposed of.
So why couldn't he move?!
Although a smile crack on his wild-looking face, Marik had never seemed more frightening to Ryou. Maybe it was because, though slightly insane, the smiled were always genuine in a twisted way. But this…Well, it was purely bitter. Or, perhaps it was annoyed, though the teen was too petrified to care.
"You're just like the others." The words sounded harsh and cruel. A shiver ran down Ryou's spine involuntarily; he couldn't even help it.
He managed to whisper, "The others?"
The demon snorted and glared with a hate the teen had only seen from The Voice. "The Pharaoh and his friends," he sneered, "not to mention my hikari and his pathetic family."
"Oh." He didn't mean to say it, but it just slipped out. All of the color was draining from his already ghostly pale face. The words were like a punch in the gut. Not that he didn't like Yuugi and the others – quite the opposite, actually – but the pure malice in which they were referred to felt like the worst insult. He took in a deep breath when he found he couldn't stand the gaze in the eyes of the man.
His brown eyes fell downcast nervously. This made the demon scoff.
"They look at me like I'm evil. Can't they see how much good I've done, or tried to do? I gave Hikari freedom! I took away that horrid monster he called father. I even tried to dispose of the Pharaoh, like he always wanted, but then he turns on me! He says that I am the bad one! That traitorous little rat he is." He paused, eyes growing cloudy. "But it's not his fault, I suppose. All of those brats feed him lies. His 'family' convinced him that I caused him pain. Can't he see that they were the ones who caused him pain?"
Ryou watched him with an unreadable expression.
"But," Marik sighed, almost sadly, "if he really wants me to 'stay out of his life' – his words, exactly – I guess I will. As long as he's happy." His eyes focused again on the white-haired teen. "And you, thief's little hikari, make him happy. You foolish human think I would harm you." His head tilted childishly to the side. "You shouldn't be afraid."
Deep inside, the teen wasn't sure he was.
"Are you, Ryou?"
It was as if he could read his mind.
Maybe he could.
"No," he answered quietly. He said it so quickly; he could tell if it was a lie. It could've been. It should'vebeen. But even the second time he said it – the first time it felt so natural – it didn't sound strange. If he were sane, that would have been a blatant untruth. But maybe Marik was right; maybe he was insane. This emotion was not fear. Trust Ryou, for he knew quite a bit about this. He had felt it truly before. No, it wasn't that, as much as this troubled him.
Still, he couldn't place it.
It was at the tip of the tongue; he was sure of it! But Marik suddenly asked, "Will you tell him?" The question would've sounded timid if the man weren't tall, muscular, and most surely crazy. It wasn't easy to sound so small.
Still, it caught Ryou off-guard. "Tell whom what?" he stammered, frowning slightly. He honestly did have a clue.
The one sitting on the edge of the couch huffed as if irritated. "Hikari dear, of course! Will you tell him that you spoke to me? That I'm still here?"
"I-I-" Ryou looked like a deer in the headlight. His light brown eyes blurred with conflicting emotions. Of course he should tell Malik! He deserved to know that the evil entity of his mind had reappeared and roamed around in the late hours of the night. He should say that to Marik, right? It wasn't like the fear was stopping him (we've been through this!), so what?Was it that strange emotion that he had? (Understanding? Trust?…Pity?) Was it that he understood, trusted, and pitied the man? Ryou wasn't sure.
He really wasn't sure.
Marik, for his part, hadn't spoken up. Actually, his eyes were on the TV that still played. He didn't look interested, but he couldn't bring himself to look at Ryou.
"I don't know," the teen whispered. The blond turned curiously. He hadn't expected that, honestly. This made him blink in surprise. Wasn't this child friends with Malik?
"Well then." He smiled his lazy, cat-like grin. "Maybe I misjudged you, you loony, interesting, idiotic, uncertain hikari of the thief. And I'm hardly ever wrong." He looked the teen up-and-down casually. "I was pleasantly surprised. I expected a chase," he bared his fangs, "but I got a conversation. And a long one at that. The day is dawning, dear Ryou. So sorry to keep you up." Apologetic was not how Ryou would describe the violet-eyed man.
"Will I talk to you again?" He wasn't sure which he was hoping for.
Marik chuckled. "It depends." His voice was rough but amused, just like before. "I sure hope so. Sleep tight, Ryou." He rose gracefully from the couch and walked into the fading darkness of the hallway where he belonged.
Ryou blinked once, not sure how he felt about all of this. All he knew was he was tired. Very, very tired. So with thoughts of inner demons and The King of Thieves and Marik and Malik, the young teenager laid down without a sound. His eyes drifted shut without him even noticing. He wanted to think about the choices he made/would have to make, but felt himself falling deeper into the silent abyss. He heard Marik's chuckle in his head. Had he really left, or was he still watching? Did he really want to help Malik? Was Ryou even thinking clearly anymore?
He still didn't know.
Oh well; everything would still be there in the morning.
A/N: This has been my baby! I worked a long time on-and-off on this; several months, at least. This is not where I originally intended the story to go, but this is a far better idea. I'm not sure how I feel about this; maybe I'll change a few things in a week or so, or maybe not. We'll see! It's fairly long, so if you read all of that, thank you very much. Most of it is left up to the imagination. This could be semi-AU, depending on how you see it. The ending of this story, though, is really undefined. I actually am not sure how this truly ends! I can see it both ways. No, if anyone even wanted to ask, there will not be a sequel. I think it should stand alone (:
Also, the quote at the beginning was from an amazing song I listened to while writing this. I almost fits, but really just sets the tone kinda. Any comments, criticism, critiques, or any type of feedback is appreciated. I'd love to know what you think, since I've never really written for Marik. His character was difficult - I kinda switched it around. Hope you enjoyed it!
- Art