Disclaimer: Plain and simple. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

A/N: Well, I started this months ago, worked on it sporadically, and just finished it last night. It was inspired by an episode of Joan of Arcadia, the first and last episode I've seen. I wanted to practice writing Ryou, or at least my version of him, and so White Winged Dove came into being. Maybe now I won't be so distracted and will be able to get to work on that ancient Egypt fic I've wanted to write for some time now.

Sorry it's so... serious. I'll try to make up for it soon.

Oh, and on a side note, for those of you reading Let Us Dance, I wish to alert you to the fact that I'm putting the story on temporary hiatus. It just doesn't want to be written, and I'm starting to loose interest in it because of its stubbornness. I'm going to move on, and hope that this respite will help spark the fire for the story. I'm sorry! Thank you to everyone who reviewed it and gave it a chance.

- Ocean

White Winged Dove
By Ocean

Yuugi entered the room cautiously, leaving the white door with the small see-through window standing slightly ajar. His hand was cold from the brisk bite of the metal doorknob, and he rubbed it unconsciously as he took a few tentative steps forward and toward the mass of beeping machines and the lone bed that housed his dearest friend.

The doctor didn't notice him at first, keeping his attention on the notes he was writing down in his patient's file. Reaching down to place his fingers on the threading pulse, he monitored his patient for a further few minutes before turning around, smiling slightly when he noticed Yuugi. He capped his pen and placed it in his pocket, beneath his name scrawled in elegant blue script against the stark white of his uniform.

"Yuugi," the doctor said in greeting, nodding his head in his direction. "He's been asking for you."

Yuugi swallowed thickly and tried to force a smile, though even he knew it was strained and fake and that it would fool no one. But he tried anyway, wanting to make the moment as pleasant as possible. It was certainly better than succumbing to the overwhelming grief and fear that was nipping at his chest with every breath he took. His eyes wanted to dart around the room, rove over the starkness of the walls and the glare of the florescent lights, around the machines and tubes and wires that seemed to grip the room like some large tentacled beast that needed to feed. He wanted to look down at his shinning black shoes and pressed slacks that he had purchased just for this evening. He wanted to seize the silver ring in his pocket and run out that door and pretend that he had never recieved the news.

"Hey, Yuugi. Did you come to see me, or what?"

Yuugi's hand clenched into the fabric of his plum dress shirt, the weakness inherent in that voice sending chills up his spine. The corner of his lips twitched in a reflexive smile, not knowing how else to react as he nodded his greeting at the doctor and stepped around him lightly, finally laying his eyes on his severely wounded friend. He sat lightly on the bed, afraid of causing any discomfort to its occupant. Reaching out hesitantly, he chided himself for his fear and took hold of the pale, clammy hand firmly and greeted his friend.

"Hey, Ryou," Yuugi said, his eyes red with the tears he was desperately trying to hold back. His thumb soothingly rubbed over the hand held between his fingers as he choked in a sob, trying to find his voice. "N-nice place you got yourself here. You're going to be just fine."

"Yuugi-"

"Really, you are!"

"Yuugi."

Yuugi blinked at the emphasis placed on his name, chuckling through his fear at the reprimanding tone. Ryou only used that voice when he had something really, really important to ask and didn't think he was being given the proper attention. Lowering his eyes for a moment to look at the limp, colorless strands of hair that framed his friend's face, Yuugi swallowed the lump in his throat before humming softly in question.

"So? How was it?" Ryou asked with as much enthusiasm his body would allow. He winced with his words, sharp pains stinging his chest with every deep breath he took. But a shallow breath wouldn't let him be heard, and he knew from experience that to get any details out of the modest Yuugi he was going to have to use The Voice of Ryou. Yuugi had already sent in the patent for it one fine April Fool's day.

"Uh..." A slight blush began to form on Yuugi's cheeks as his eyes darted to the side, quickly looking at the door behind him before he ducked his head away from Ryou's cheeky grin. "It, it was nice." The sincerity of the smile that appeared after the words betrayed that the evening had been far better than nice, but Yuugi was able to regain control and fall back into the role of the concerned friend. "But that isn't important! Ryou, you were! You-"

"What color are his eyes?"

"Red, like ripe strawberries. Well, not really, but they look red, and that's not-"

"His shirt?" Ryou prompted.

"Blue, like the ocean on a cold day."

"Hands?"

"Medium, larger than mine, gentle-"

"Good kisser?"

"Perfect." Yuugi paused, pursing his lips, just now realizing how easily Ryou had guided him through the questions and how eager he had been to answer them. He glared at him, only to receive a satisfied look in return. Blowing an errant bang from his eyes, Yuugi relented. "What do you want to know, Ryou?"

"Everything you don't want to tell me," Ryou said, his voice lighter, more raspy than it had been before. His eyelids drooped with the effort to keep them open, and his hand became heavy in Yuugi's fingers as he lost some of the ability to hold the weight on his own. The heart monitor beeped a warning before returning to its rhythmic sounds, and the tears in Ryou's eyes finally spilled over his fear.

"I'm sorry, Yuugi," Ryou said through his tears. "I didn't mean to be so stupid, especially on your special night. I didn't mean for this... this to happen."

"Stop it!" Yuugi said as he leaned forward and placed his hands on Ryou's moist cheeks. "Don't you do this to yourself! Don't do it to me! You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, that's all! You didn't go looking for this!"

"I wasn't trying to avoid it, either."

Yuugi and Ryou watched each other for a long moment after that, the only sound in the room being the hiss and beeps of the machines keeping Ryou alive and the effort of two men trying to stop their tears. Blood seeped through the bandages on Ryou's chest and through the thin hospital gown he wore, marking clearly every place the blade had pierced his skin. The starkness of the red color emphasized how severe the damage was, and the pain on Ryou's face stood out prominently in the dreary, emotionless room.

Yuugi pulled back from Ryou, his hands slipping down the other man's arms as he pulled himself into a sitting position and stared at the wall, his heart overwhelmed as the enormity of the situation finally broke through his barriers. He didn't want to be here, hadn't been ready to hear the news when he had walked into his house with his date. The doctors were being evasive with their answers. The police had already been by to question Ryou. Friends and family had been notified, but they were all so far away that it was going to take at least an hour for anyone else to arrive at the hospital, leaving him to deal with the situation alone.

He avoided Ryou's reach for his hand, standing quickly and folding his arms as he began to pace the floor. Again Ryou tried to get his attention, which only made Yuugi fold in on himself even more, closing his eyes and hunching his shoulders. Several tense moments passed before either of them tried speaking again.

"What in hell were you doing there, Ryou!"

Ryou flinched at the sudden question, wincing in pain as the motion pulled on the stitches the doctors had inserted mere hours before. He bit his lower lip nervously, knowing that the question was only the beginning of Yuugi's anger. He was not a man who voiced his displeasure often, but when he did... Ryou sighed to himself in resignation, closing his eyes softly as he waited for his friend's rightful scolding.

"You know better! You don't walk around in that part of the neighborhood at this time of night! Hell, you don't walk over there during the day."

"Yuugi-"

"You lied to me, Ryou!" Yuugi continued, turning so he was facing the bed, his face flushed with his emotions and his breath heaving his shoulders. "You lied to everyone. You told us you were through with this. That you weren't going to risk your life like this anymore! You told me you were going to a fundraiser to aid homeless children, for god's sake!"

Yuugi gulped down a deep breath, panting as he gripped the side-rails of the bed in an attempt to calm himself. His arms trembled lightly with nervous energy. He felt lightheaded and dizzy as the adrenaline abandoned him and he was left with nothing more than the ache in his heart to sustain him. For several minutes he stood clutching the bed, afraid that any movement on his part would upset the temporary balance he had found.

"Yuugi?" Ryou tried again when he felt his friend was ready to hear him. He reached out his hand, using most of his strength to raise it to a level where he could place his fingers over Yuugi's. His brow furrowed when Yuugi acted as though he was going to pull away again, but relaxed as Yuugi took another deep breath, held it, and finally looked at him. Ryou tried to smile, offer some sort of comfort to his friend, but the sadness in Yuugi's beautiful blue eyes cut him so deeply, he found himself unable to do anything besides let the tears fall.

"Was it for him, Ryou?" Yuugi finally asked, his voice soft, encouraging. His anger had vanished at the sight of Ryou's tears, only to be replaced by guilt for yelling at him when he was in such a horrible condition. He moved his hand to cover the one that Ryou had placed over his own, his chest tightening at the coldness of the limb.

Ryou licked his dry lips painfully, forcing himself not to look away from Yuugi's concerned gaze. "Yuugi, I..." He hesitated at the stern look crossing over his friend's face. "It wasn't his fault..."

"It never is," Yuugi snorted in contempt. "It never is." He straightened himself and pulled away from the bed, moving towards the door so he would have room to pace. Unconsciously he ran a hand through his hair, pulling on the strands in agitation while he tried to mark the floor with his hard and hurried steps.

"Please... not now," Ryou begged, turning his face into his pillow. "It wasn't his fault. He was there, yes, but... he was there because of me. It wasn't the other way around."

Yuugi stopped his pacing, peering at Ryou with one eye through the fingers he had held to his face. He resumed his movement when Ryou didn't look at him, wrapping his arms around himself as he finally came to rest against the room's door. He could see his date through the small window, standing patiently in the hallway with his hands in his pocket and his head bowed, his long and soft hair shrouding his face in shadow. The only sign that he was awake was the apprehensive tapping of his foot against the floor. But it was enough to let Yuugi know of his concern. Like himself, his date wasn't one who easily vocalized his distress, even though he did feel very deeply.

"You really love him, don't you?" Yuugi asked quietly, though it was rather obvious that the question was more of an observation than anything.

"About as much as you love yours," Ryou replied.

The weakness of Ryou's voice pulled Yuugi's attention from the window, his lips pulling down into a frown as a question rose in his mind. "Where is?"

"Could we not?" Ryou asked sharply, biting the words out as though they burned his tongue like acid.

Yuugi debated whether or not he should push the subject, but it was really a very easy decision to make. He turned his body so he could rest the back of both shoulders on the door, crossing one foot over the other while hugging himself. The pressures of the evening were beginning to weigh down on him as the lateness of the hour ruffled his tense nerves and emotional thoughts, pulling his whole posture into that of overwhelming fatigue. He noticed that Ryou hadn't opened his eyes in quite some time, and that the shallowness of his breath made it appear as though he weren't breathing. Panic bloomed in his chest, and he was about to call out when a request was made of him.

"Juggle for me?"

Yuugi stalled in mid-step towards the bed, startled by Ryou's random question. His eyes darted around the room, and although they were still stung by the blanket whiteness of the walls and floor, he was able to spot a pile of rolled up elastic bandages that he hadn't noticed before. After raising an eyebrow at Ryou, he walked across the room and picked up three of the bandages.

After a moment of staring at the bandages in his hand, Yuugi felt he had to make a comment. "You want me to juggle... these?" He sighed at Ryou's smile, widened his stance, shrugged in defeat, and proceeded to toss the bandages into the air.

Ryou watched calmly as Yuugi lost himself in the act of juggling, his features relaxing and his rigid stance falling away while he watched the bandages float in the air. It was an aspect of his character Yuugi wasn't aware of, that when he was juggling he shut out the world and went into an auto-pilot mode. It was the easiest way to distract him from his troubles, and also the only time you could talk to him about certain matters.

"I like watching you juggle," Ryou said.

Yuugi shuffled his feet around so Ryou could get a new, profile view of his juggling. "I would think there are more interesting ways to entertain yourself," he said distractedly, his tone giving every implication that he believed juggling to be one of the best inventions of the world.

"Have you...juggled for him... yet?" Ryou asked, slowly. As difficult as the words had been to speak, the resulting blush and smile on Yuugi's face made them well worth the effort. "He's a... he's a lucky man."

"Naw," Yuugi insisted as he tossed one of the bandages higher than the others, spun around once, able to catch the falling bandage with perfect harmony to the flow of the juggle.

"He's... here now, isn't he?"

"Yep. Hey, I can add a couple more, watch!"

Ryou forced his eyes to open far enough to register his newest visitor as Yuugi's date walked quietly into the room, lowering his head and offering a small wave of his hand in greeting. Ryou's lips twitched in a smile, a smile that remained as he watched Yuugi's date come and stand behind him. He was just standing there, watching Yuugi juggle with an aura of pride and patience that, to an observant observer, would have clearly indicated the further feelings the one held for the other. But Yuugi was busy juggling and had not noticed him yet.

"Jugglin's hard... need... he'll need a focus and and... encouragement... he..."

"I am here now," Yuugi's date whispered to Ryou, showing the sincerity and promise of his words through the direct, easy stare he held with him.

Ryou's eyes closed as his head fell forward onto his chest, before slowly slipping over to the side on the pillow. Alarms were beginning to sound their shrill wails of immediate danger. Yuugi jumped at the piercing noise, startled and panicked to find his friend limp and unresponsive on his bed. He threw himself to the side of the bed, grasping desperately at one of Ryou's hands, unaware of the tears now in his own eyes.

"Ryou, please, please please Ryou please!" Yuugi started begging, rambling words together in some hope that he would stumble upon the right combination that would save his friend. He felt but did not register the warm hands encompassing his shoulders, all energies focused on the friend who looked like he would be gone in less than a thought.

"Heh... glad you... happy for... you ring," Ryou coughed as the doctors rushed into the room, shooing at Yuugi and his date to back away and give them room to work. Ryou was able to give a final message before his friends were pushed out of his view.

"Giv'em the ring, Yu-ugi! Aaand, don't be-be sad, please? I'm no longer afraid. Be... happ..."

But he never was able to finish his sentence.

Yuugi stood with his face and hands pressed flat against the window that showed the horrors of what was happening to his best friend. He was fogging the glass to the point he could no longer see clearly what was going on, but that was irrelevant. He wasn't really watching anymore. He knew his friend was gone. His friend... was gone...

Yuugi felt a hand circle around his waist and dip into his coat's pocket, fingers curling around a small object and bringing it out for all to see. Yuugi's mouth was open in shock... hell, his whole heart was torn open in shock and disbelief. Why would his date chose this moment to push him about that ring?

"It was his last request, Yuugi," his date said quietly, showing respect for the gnawing emotions Yuugi had to be going through.

After a moment's thought, after biting his lower lip and stealing a final glance behind him to see the doctor announce the time of Ryou Bakura's death, he turned back to his date, took the ring and placed it gingerly and pointedly on his date's ring finger. He kept his eyes locked on the hand that stayed so still in his own, comforting with its weight, warmth, and willingness to be there.

"Why would he ask this, Atemu?" Yuugi whispered, keeping his eyes adverted.

"Because he knew that I would agree to the sentiment." Yuugi finally raised his eyes to look at the man he had fallen in love with, uncertainty plaguing him as he searched for answers he would never have. "He wanted someone to be here for you once he... passed... and I am going to be."

"That's what he needed?" Yuugi questioned, raising the now ringed hand to his face, rubbing his cheek along the backs of Atemu's fingers. "It couldn't have been everything, not for him, not to wind up here and..."

"Hush now, Yuugi. Do not cause yourself more pain by trying to bear the burden of his passing. Do no try to understand what has happened or what you could have possibly done at any time that might have made things happen differently. You are who you are, and do what you do. He was who he was, and he did what he did. It is simply how things are. But know this, my Yuugi," Atemu said as he curled a couple of fingers under Yuugi's chin and tilted it upward so their noses touched and eyes could meet. "This is not the end of this journey. Not for him, not for me, and certainly not for you. Do you trust me on this?"

Yuugi didn't bother to move or think for a while, ignoring the doctors and nurses rushing past him and his beautiful date, lost in his loss and in the possibility that it was not as permanent as it appeared and that there were still things for he and Ryou to do. He didn't really care how that was going to work out, happy with just the belief that it would.

Yuugi raised himself up onto his toes and kissed his date softly, lingering in the embrace to show the gratitude and affection that he felt for him, before pulling back to walk down the hallway where new visitors entered the wing. He had an even more difficult task in front of him. Not only being the witness to Ryou's death, he was now going to have to be its announcer as well.

He poised himself, straightened his back, squared his shoulders, and clasped his hand firmly around the one that now proudly wore his ring.

He was ready to continue on his journey.

end