First off let me apologize to all of you who have waited such a long time for this chapter... I'm hopping to finish flash back/memories in two more chapters and then the fifth will hopefully be the ending.
I know my apologies aren't really worth much but please understand that I have a LOT of fics on the go that I desperately want to get finished, the one I have been focusing on the most at the moment was Messa-Cookie's birthday present (though it's really early... or really late, depending on how you look at it...), but I finished this chapter that has a very cute playing scene so hopefully this will satisfy you for a while.
Thank you for waiting so patiently and now onto chapter two!
Chapter Two - This Need To Comfort Is Foreign
A lonely boy sat on his bed. Curtains drawn, darkness covering. The only sound was his cries of despair.
They left him again, left him alone. They had to go to a party and he couldn't come, but they were mad at each other before they left, he knew that when they got home they would be fighting again. Blaming each other for embarrassing them.
~Why do you weep, Ryou?~ A comforting voice asked inside his mind. The other quickly wiped his tears as his Ring began to glow and his best friend stood in front of him.
"'Kura!" The boy exclaimed in glee. He jumped into the boys welcoming arms, and settled his head in the crook of his older friend's neck and shoulder. "I missed you so much!" He sniffled.
The spirit eyes widened in shock as he felt hot tears drip onto his bar skin. His eyes clouded over, and he whispered softly, "What happened Ryou?"
"They left me again. They left me all alone, and they were fighting too Bakura! They sounded so mad and it's all my fault!!"
Bakura tightened his embrace and rocked him gently and in a soothing manner, "It's not your fault Ryou, you did nothing wrong. Parents just have to fight sometimes, it sometimes helps bring them closer together."
"R-really?" Ryou asked his small face leaving its hiding spot. Tears still continued to fall from his innocent brown eyes.
"Yes." The other said softly again, a gentle smile was on his face, one that made Ryou think it was really pretty. The spirit wiped a tear gently from his face with his thumb, "You shouldn't cry Ryou. It only makes you look pitiful. You have such a beautiful face when you smile; you should smile more often." He whispered thickly.
The younger boy flushed deeply though he couldn't understand why. Only that his 'Kura complimented him and the way he said it made him feel warm all over.
Like no one can hurt me no more... The child thought with a big smile blooming on his face just for Bakura.
The eldest smiled a small smile, his eyes softening to melted chocolate. "Why don't we play a game?" He suggested.
Ryou's small ears perked up at this and he looked up at his object of adoration eagerly. "A game? What kind of game?"
The elder laughed and tapped him lightly on the nose, "Why don't you decide, for the games that I play are not well for children."
"Oh. Okay!" Ryou chirped, he bent his head down in thought for a while missing Bakura's soft eyes. "I know!" He suddenly exclaimed, Bakura staggered back a step from the sudden noise, "Why don't we play hide and seek? Can we play that 'Kura?"
Bakura nodded and chuckled softly as the boy whooped and ran around in a few circles, his arms flailing behind him. "I have seen children play such games, but I myself had no time for such things. Would you explain the rules?"
Ryou nodded his head excitedly, "See, see! There's the one person who is it and they have to count to ten with their eyes closed (Ryou closes his eyes to prove his point), then the other people go and hide and when the person who is it finishes counting he says 'ready or not here I come' then he goes and finds them."
"And that is all?" Bakura questioned.
"Yes, Oh! Wait, there's this one thing, the person who is it can't peek and they have to count realllly sloooowww..." Ryou slowed his voice down to further prove his point.
Bakura nodded his head in understanding, "Who shall be 'it' then?"
Ryou frowned a bit thinking, "Well if 'Kura wants... I could be it?" He exclaimed smiling.
Bakura shook his head slowly and patted him on the head, "There will be no need, I shall be it."
"Okay!" Ryou said, "You stand over there," Ryou pointed to one of the corners of his room, "and count to ten. Then you come and find me!"
"Very well." Bakura murmured.
He stepped around the now energetic boy and walked to the corner, he closed his eyes as he was instructed and began counting slowly and surprisingly patiently to ten. "And remember Bakura! No peeking!" Ryou's cute voice called to him. Not caring if the boy was no longer in the room or not he nodded his head. "... one... two... three... four..." Bakura's sensitive ears picked up the sound of feet running around, and he fought back the sudden urge to peek. "... five... six... seven... eight..." More movement could be heard and then it settled down. Bakura smirked, Living room... He noted to himself, "... nine... ten!" He hollered. He left the room taking casual glances in certain areas, in case the noises he heard were a diversion.
He stopped and made a sour face, He's a child! He yelled to himself in embarrassment, If he could even think of such a plan at his age I'd die again!
Listening intently he made his way over to the living room glancing in certain areas such as the curtains, underneath tables and chairs, it was when he bent down to inspect the lazy boy did he notice the small shape located behind the couch.
Bakura could feel a smug smirk spread on his face as he walked silently towards the sofa, he leaned over the piece of furniture, and quick as lightning he wrapped his arms around the tiny body and let out a roar of triumph.
Ryou squealed as Bakura's fingers tickled his stomach, and though he squirmed Bakura kept a firm grip on his waist. This continued on for what seemed like forever to the little boy, but in reality it was only more than five minutes.
"Feel better?" Bakura asked with a gentle smile on his face.
Ryou paused for a moment remembering what he was feeling sad about before nodding. "Yep, thank you 'Kura!" He chirped, smiling cutely.
Bakura continued to smile, "Your parents will be returning shortly, is there anything else you would like to do? To pass the time?"
Ryou went back to thinking, "Let's play some board games!" He cried happily, and Bakura watched as the small child dropped on his hands and knees and started crawling towards a cabinet near the family's entertainment center.
"If that is what you want to do..." Bakura laughed.
"If that's what you want..."
~*~
How could this be happening? Why won't they just stop? Let memories die and stay low... please I can't stand this!
Am I really this weak, that I can't even turn my head away from something that I do not wish to see?
I wonder if anyone misses me, or if they even noticed I was gone. Did I just fade away into the back of their minds to be lost forever? Or were they upset when they found me? Did they cry, I hope Yugi didn't have a nervous breakdown, it would seem like something he would do; with the way he cares so much about his friends.
Of all places to be trapped, why here?
I can't say it's an awful place, quite the opposite, in fact, it's very peaceful here. Calming ocean waters, a warm blue sky-if I could find the sun, I would say it was a calm summer's day.
...hope you're...
...wake up soon...
I froze. Bakura... is that you? Have you come to laugh at me some more, in my very own paradise?
I smiled bitterly to myself, paradise? Who was I trying to fool; while these memories were sweet and full of joy... I knew what would soon come, I knew what I would soon see...
The ocean swirled with an almost anxious fervor, drawing my attention back to the hypnotizing depths. Just in time to see another memory surface...
To come back and haunt me...
A fair skinned boy at the ripe age of nine was nervously waiting for his mother at his school's entrance. He glanced down at his watch and let out a troubled sigh, she was twenty minutes late.
He was very tempted to just walk home, but he lived in a dangerous place where most of the inhabitants could not be trusted...
"Ryou, you have to promise me not to walk around by yourself! There are a lot of weirdo's out there just waiting to take a cute boy like you away from us!"
He only obeyed because he didn't want his mom to worry about him. Of course he knew he could just walk home and not have to worry because Bakura was always watching what was happening to him, and had helped him on the occasion when things started to get out of hand.
Most of the time it was just bullies, which Bakura dealt with easily.
"Come on mom..." He muttered under his breath. He tugged at his hunter's green vest out of a nervous habit. Did something happen to his mother maybe?
~I am sure she is just fine, Ryou.~ The spirit whispered in his mind, he relaxed completely as his dark sent waves of comfort through his body.
"Thank you Bakura." He murmured.
~You're welcome Ryou... see? There was no need to worry, there she is now.~
Ryou lifted his head to see the familiar blue car pull up in front of him. His mother hurried out of the car and smothered him in a hug, "Oh! I am so sorry Ryou, I completely lost track of time!" She pulled him away to look him in the eye, "Forgive me?" She asked.
Her son let out a laugh and nodded his head, "Of course I'll forgive you mom!"
Ren smiled warmly and began walking him to the car, he climbed in and buckled his seatbelt and waited for his mother to start the car. It was halfway home that she started the usual conversation as to how was school? And Ryou would give her an energetic review of everything happening that day, Bakura helping him remember certain events here and there; and throughout it all Ren smiled and nodded, yet her smile seemed tight, almost pained but Ryou thought it was only a headache so stopped talking to give his mother some peace.
'You're family seems very happy in all your pictures Ryou.' Bakura commented later that day, he was spending time with Ryou in his personal space and was currently looking at all the photos that seemed to cover the walls.
He stopped at one that appeared to be a marriage photograph. 'Ryou?'
'Yes 'Kura?'
'Is this your parents wedding?' Bakura asked pointing to the photo, Ryou stopped his doodling on the floor and walked over to where Bakura was standing, he peeked at the photo and smiled cutely. 'Yep! That's when my mom made the biggest decision of her life!'
Bakura looked at him questionably, 'Biggest decision?'
'Yeah! 'Cause... mom came from a really important family, and my dad was just... normal I guess... to them anyways, but when she meet my dad she was happy with him, and they spent a lot of time together. She even choose my dad when mom's family said no.'
'I see...' Bakura answered, That would explain the lack of family a little better... 'So you're mother... gave up a luxurious life to be with your father?'
'Yep! Isn't it romantic?' Ryou said with a sigh.
Seems like she got the short end of the stick to me... Bakura commented to himself with a hidden snicker.
Ryou could sense the the humor from Bakura and glared at him suspiciously, this only caused the spirit to smile widely for Ryou's glare looked much like a pout.
'What's so funny?' Ryou sniffed.
Bakura leaned down and placed a small peck right beside Ryou's mouth, 'You just look so adorable when you pout...'
Ryou turned beet red and stammered something about dinner before returning to reality leaving Bakura laughing loudly.
And yet he felt something flame inside of his young heart at that moment, the kiss seemed so innocent yet it held such a strong promise that his nine year-old mind could not yet understand...
Ryou was falling in love, and his growing love would soon do a miraculous thing...
There, chapter two is done, and now I can get to work on Fading Colors chapter eight, I am so swamped with projects lately that's developed an insomnia period for me, jolts the only thing keeping me happy in the mornings lately =_=
But I got 13 hours of sleep last night so I feel loads better today! I feel so refreshed!
Anyway, please review! You're reviews give me a swift kick in the ass to start writing! ;)