It was just an ordinary, snowy day in December. To anyone else, that day would have been blurred together with all the rest of those snowy days we had that year.

Just an insignificant, gray, snowy day.

It's strange that a day that was so ordinary, so plain, in anyone else's memory, was the day that my life changed forever.

I walked into the coffee shop. Someone had stolen my jacket at school that day, so all I had was my sweater. I didn't even have gloves because they were in the pocket of my jacket. I just hoped that whoever stole it, stole it for a good reason and not just to be a jerk. I could understand if it was someone who didn't have a jacket. I'd be fine with that. Well, I was still cold, whether that person actually needed it or not.

I never did find out what happened to my jacket. Doesn't really matter though. I'm glad it was stolen. If it hadn't, I never would have stepped into the coffee shop that day to get warm before making the rest of the walk home.

I clasped my hands together, blowing warm air into them. The coffee shop was empty aside from the cashier and a woman sitting at a table, reading a newspaper. Neither of them paid me any attention, but I felt a strange, tingling sensation run up my spine. I felt like someone was watching me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when someone put their hand on my shoulder.

"Hey kid," a warm voice said. "You look cold. Need a jacket?" Now I am typically not a believer in love at first sight and all that bull crap, but in my memory, this was more than love at first sight. I was in love the second he touched me and I heard his voice.

I turned around to face the voice's owner. He was tall, broad shouldered. He had a messy mop of corn silk blond hair, and his eyes were an amazing dark shade of purple. I'd like to describe them with something more poetic sounding like 'a shade of deepest amethyst' but the most accurate color I've come across is the color of grape kool-aid. He had naturally tan skin that spoke of warmer climates. I could feel the heat of his hand warming the cold skin under my sweater.

He smiled kindly at me and the butterflies in my stomach grew to the size of pterodactyls. My heart beat hard and fast like a crazed drummer and I felt a blush come to my cheeks.

"I-ah…um," I said, tripping over my tongue. The man grinned.

"It's okay," he said. "You look like you need it more than I do." He took his coat off and handed it to me. I took it. I put it on in a half dazed state. I immediately felt ten times warmer. His coat felt like it was fresh out of a hot dryer.

"Th-thank you," I managed to choke out. He grinned at me again making my face even redder if that was even possible. "W-wait, you're not even wearing long sleeves," I pointed out. All he wore now were a pair of long khaki pants, black boots, and a black tank top. A rather tight tank top, I noted. Not to mention the fact that he was very well muscled.

He looked at his bare arms as if he hadn't noticed his lack of clothes before. "Oh it's fine. I don't really mind the cold," he told me. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you want anything hot to drink? It'll help keep you warm."

"W-what? Uh…no thank you. I was just coming in here to warm up a bit, but I need to head home. Thank you." The man shrugged.

"Which way are you headed? I could walk you home if you want." My heart thumped louder at these words.

"Uh…that way," I told him, pointing in the direction of my house.

He looked at me, his eyes glowing. "Really?" he said. "I'm heading that way too. I'm Marik by the way, Marik Ishtar. What's your name?"

"I'm Ryou Bakura," I told him.

"Cool," he said, his smile making my heart drop down to my shoes. "So Ryou, were you planning on staying here to warm up a little longer or do you want to head out now?"

"I was just planning on leaving now, I guess. I have a lot of homework to do," I told him. He nodded. "Thank you," I said when he held the door open for me. I gasped as the cold air hit me. I felt its cold breath down my neck, giving me goose bumps all over my body.

"You okay?" Marik asked.

"Y-yeah," I said, my teeth chattering. "It's just really cold."

"How far away is your house?"

"Only about another half mile." He gave me a reassuring smile. I found myself wondering how one man could possibly have so many ways to smile.

Sonriso.

That was the word that came to mind. It was a Spanish word, meaning smile. We learned it just this week in class. I thought it meant sunrise at first.

But Marik's smiles. They were like the sunrise. Beautiful, radiant, warming. And each one was different.

All too soon we came to my house. It loomed, ominous, empty, no less cold than that snowy afternoon. It was the place where I lived with my family, where I played games with my friends, where I used to go for refuge.

Not anymore. Not after it was all taken from me. My house was no more than the place where those memories happened. What happened exactly? Well, I was never sure.

A crash. A bang. Fire. Snow falling on the ashes. Unbearable coldness. It was all over the news, but I never heard the details. There was a funeral. I never heard a word of it.

Who died? Who lived? I didn't know.

"Ryou," Marik whispered, his voice sending shivers down my spine. There was something in his voice. It spoke of unbearable sadness.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" I asked. He put a comforting hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. It was not a yes, but it certainly wasn't a no. "Are you coming to take me away? I think somebody must have taken the others away. I wouldn't mind leaving. It's too cold here," I told him.

"I am coming to take you away," Marik said. "But not to the place the others were taken. You are like me. A wanderer. We are dead, but we don't pass on. Not until the end of the world. We relive our last days of life, repeatedly, until someone breaks the spell." He had a strange, distant look in his eyes.

"I just want to be warm," I told him. He smiled.

"I may not be able to promise you much, but I can at least do that."

I smiled at him. It was a real smile, one that showed teeth. It felt strange and foreign on my face, having been my first smile in many years, but it felt good. It felt warm. The sun came out. The snow melted. The trees sprouted green buds. Birds sang.

December fled. Spring rejoiced in song.

I would never be alive again. I knew this. But I was far more alive than I had been since the day I died.

I followed Marik ever since that day. My prince. He woke me from my spell not with a kiss, but with a smile.

AN: I have no idea where in the hell this story came from. It's really weird. If people like it, I'll add another chapter, if not, I'll change the status to complete. For those of you who do like it, feel free to give me an idea of where this should go, because I have no idea. If I continue it, I'd like to add a lemon and maybe have some other characters come in.