Chapter 6: Unknown Dreams


The next morning, Ryo decided to go visit the Motos. He figured that they had had enough space to work out what ever had happened. He walked into the shop, unsure of what to expect. What he found was an empty shop. A split second after Ryo entered the shop; a loud crash came from the kitchen.

"Get back here," Megan demanded angrily.

"No, I don't feel like it," the Pharaoh said bursting through the door and running around the shop.

Megan soon followed and chased the Spirit around yelling, "That's my tea, you jerk face!"

Ryo watched as Megan and the Pharaoh ran all around the house. He was confused by the playfulness of this scene. Sure enough, when the Pharaoh passed by, Ryo noticed he was carrying a mug delicately. Megan followed soon after and then Mr. Moto, Joey, Tristan, and Téa filed in. They stood with Ryo and watched Megan and the Pharaoh run back and forth.

"They're at it again," Tristan asked.

"Looks like it," Téa said.

"You kids and your energy in the morning," Mr. Moto sighed, shaking his head.

"Give it a sec, it looks like it's gonna end soon," Joey said, and sure enough, Megan tackled the Pharaoh spectacularly. The mug went flying, but Joey caught it before it could spill. Megan stomped over, grabbed the mug, and stomped back into the kitchen before anyone else moved.

Tristan looked towards the kitchen in confusion, "What was that about?"

"I don't know. Hey, Bakura, you wanna go find out what's up with her," Joey asked.

"Not right now," Ryo said. "I'll wait until she's feeling more sociable." The others laughed and teased him for being afraid of one small girl, especially given their close relationship.

After a few minutes, Megan reappeared in the living room where the others had waited. The Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle was still sulking over being tackled. He really was pretty childish if you paid enough attention. He may come off as serious and mature, but Ryo suspected it was only because people expected that of a king. Deep down, he was a regular person. Perhaps he was a bit more spoiled than others, but he had been a king. It was only natural.

Ryo watched the Spirit's pout turn into a scowl as he watched Megan walk over to Mr. Moto and smile. Megan must have felt the Spirit's gaze because she turned around and stuck her tongue out at the Pharaoh immaturely. Ryo chuckled and smiled. Megan glanced his way and smiled at him. Ryo noticed a slight spark in her purple eyes for the tiniest moment when she first saw him. Something about it paired with her smile made Ryo's heart beat a bit faster. His reaction to Megan's smile baffled him. He felt a slight panic as he saw her smile fall and her head bow sadly.

"Are you alright there, Megan?" he asked kindly.

She blinked her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Yeah, just perfect," she muttered. Ryo looked at her carefully, looking for some sign to support his hunch of her dishonesty. He didn't find anything, so he decided to let it drop. He figured she would say if something was bothering her when she wanted to.

"Well, I was wondering if you all would like to accompany me to the arcade. I heard that they got this new game that's supposed to be really fun," he offered cheerfully.

"That sounds like fun," Yugi chimed in, equally as cheerful. Ryo was used to the almost imperceptible change when the two Yugis switched, but Megan still wasn't.

"That's it, I'm going back to bed," she grumbled before turning to head towards the stairs.

"Are you sure? Domino Arcade is really awesome! They have all sorts of games," Yugi babbled excitedly. Yugi had inherited his love of all games from his grandfather. He was always willing to try any type of game that he encountered.

"I hate games," she growled before she stalked off, muttering about crazy game-obsessed people. Megan's rant was in English, so Ryo was the only one who really understood it. He was disappointed. Ryo had hoped that since she had seemed so interested in the role-playing table game collection in his room that she might like games. He had also been hoping to spend some time with Megan and his other friends. Their friends always seemed to make a big deal about the two of them spending time alone together, so he figured it would make things easier if they all spent time together as a group of friends. Ryo frowned nervously, wondering whether to go check on Megan or not.

"You kids go ahead and have fun. I'll go check on Meg," Mr. Moto said with a concerned frown.

"I can't just leave you Grandpa," Yugi protested, sounding guilty.

"I'll be fine, Yugi, you go on now," Mr. Moto insisted.

"You guys want to go or not," Tristan called exasperatedly from the door where he was waiting with Joey and Téa. Yugi and Ryo both looked at the stairs one last time before heading towards the arcade.

Solomon Moto sighed in relief when he heard the teens leave before he went into Yugi's room to check on Megan. He knew that Megan hated others to worry about her and he had a feeling she was sick again. The old man was slightly confused why Megan didn't want anyone to know about her illness. He understood how she could be scared of how'd they react and ashamed of how she contracted it. But, he felt it was too dangerous for her to keep people ignorant of this. He counted himself lucky that she had gotten the courage to tell him though. At least one person could look out for her if it became serious. He shook his head sadly and opened the door. Megan lay sprawled across the small bed, unconscious, but not asleep. Her breathing was uneven, and Mr. Moto was concerned. He remembered that she had once suffered from asthma as a young child. He approached the sleeping figure, and was slightly appeased when her breathing continued steadily. It was shallow, but it wasn't the rapid, wheezy asthmatic breathing he'd feared. He felt the muscles in her neck, and was satisfied they weren't tightened in retraction. Mr. Moto did notice that her neck seemed warmer than usual.

He brushed her hair out of her face and was hurt to see the slightly pained expression on her flushed face. He felt her forehead, and frowned when he confirmed that she had a fever. Mr. Moto remembered recurrent fevers were symptomatic of the disease Megan had been struggling with for years. Guilt rolled through the man strongly. He couldn't help wishing that he had known sooner, but even if he had known there was nothing he could do. He sighed and rubbed her hairline comfortingly. He was pleased when her face relaxed, her eyes closed, and her breathing deepened. After a minute, her breathing became even, deep, and steady as she fell asleep with a sigh.

His relief was temporary, though. Soon after she fell asleep, the nightmares started. It began with slight stirring. When she began to full out toss and turn, sometimes flailing from side to side, the old man knew this wasn't going to be easy. He tried to soothe her by placing a cool, damp cloth on her forehead and rubbing her back. His failure was revealed when she began talking in her sleep. He'd been fighting tears since he entered the room, but his control snapped when he heard the first words.

"I'm so sorry, oji-san. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for it to happen! I really didn't," she said, and Mr. Moto recognized her words from a conversation they'd had shortly after Megan had received her diagnosis. It was the conversation where she had revealed the horrors of her past that had left the old man angered and saddened at once. He smoothed her hair and cried, just as he had when they had actually had the conversation.

"Oh, Meg, I wish I could undo what they did to you," he whispered.

Megan sighed, "Not oji-san."

"I know I'm not really your uncle," he said sadly, adjusting the washcloth before resuming smoothing her hair soothingly.

"Otou-san," she whispered sadly. "Where's outo-san and okaa-san?"

"I wish I knew, Meg," he whispered, "but we don't even know who your dad and mom are." Megan whimpered as her unknown dreams progressed. She was quiet for a few minutes, but then she began pleading someone to stop. Solomon Moto would have given almost anything to not have to hear the screaming from her nightmares that followed. She'd had bad ones as a child, but they were never this bad. Mr. Moto repeated all the nonsense words people say to comfort others, hoping them to be true. After what seemed an eternity, the screaming stopped. Her rest was far from peaceful, but it seemed the worse was over.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Megan stirred. Mr. Moto watched anxiously as the door opened and shut quietly.

"How is she?" Ryo asked softly.

"She has a fever and has been having some nightmares it seems. The fever hasn't broken, but it's not very high. The worst of the nightmares seem to be over," the old man said, the exhaustion apparent in his voice. He didn't even know how long he had been sitting here.

"Grandpa, you sound dead on your feet," Yugi said, sounding concerned.

"I'm all right, Yugi, I'm only worried about Megan," Mr. Moto sighed.

"Yugi's right, Mr. Moto, you've probably been up here since we left four hours ago. You should go rest. I'll take care of her for a while," Ryo offered. Mr. Moto opened his mouth to protest, but Megan stirred and woke up with a gentle whine.

"What are you guys doing here," she asked in drowsy confusion.

"You're sick. Mr. Moto's been watching you, but now I will," Ryo said slightly slower than usual, trying to help her understand despite that she just woke up.

"No you won't because I'm not sick! I don't get sick," she growled in an even worse temper than usual, proving Mr. Moto's concerns about her reaction to being sick right.

"Megan, you really are sick, Grandpa said so," Yugi said.

"I am not," she said, trying to stand to emphasize her point, but she had no balance to speak of due to the fever. Ryo managed to catch her before she could hurt herself. He tried not to laugh at the absurdity of the moment. She was light enough for Yugi and Ryo to help her lie down again.

"Believe us now," Ryo asked, teasing gently.

"I guess if I have to," she agreed reluctantly.

"Do you need anything?"

"Water," she said softly.

"I'll go get you a glass," Ryo said, standing up.

"Bakura," she protested, grabbing his sleeve.

"What?"

"Don't go…please? Bakura, please," she whispered.

"It's alright, I won't go. Yugi, could you get the water?"

"Sure," he agreed, blushing slightly, glad for an excuse to leave the room. When he came back, he tried not to laugh.

"But the ponies can't make it to the meadow," she protested.

"What do you mean? They're already there," Mr. Moto insisted as if he were playing a story making game with a child again.

"She's delirious with the fever," Ryo whispered, having moved near Yugi's desk. Megan began mumbling something incoherent. Yugi frowned and handed the water to Ryo who nodded and went to Megan's side. He helped her sit up slightly and drink the water slowly. It seemed to help since she closed her eyes and sighed. Mr. Moto finally stood up and Ryo took the seat with a grim smile. The old man was anxious about leaving Megan's side. What if she started having nightmares again and revealed her secret? Mr. Moto knew she'd never forgive any of them if someone found out what had happened. He watched Ryo stroke her hair absent-mindedly. Megan sighed in contentment and snuggled closer. She used Ryo's knees as her new pillow.

"Ryo," she breathed when a shocked Ryo's fingers reached the hairline by her left ear.

"W-what," he stuttered, almost completely dumbstruck. Ryo inferred that since she had been Mr. Moto's foster child, she would have been a native Japanese girl. She had never referred to him without a polite article. The most shocking part was her use of Ryo's given name. Not even Yugi used Ryo's given name despite being friends since Ryo had transferred schools. If Megan was indeed born and raised in Japan, she would have known that rule early on. Her fluency in Japanese also showed her knowledgeable enough not to refer to him like that. The use of the first name without an article was so intimate.

Mr. Moto smiled and teased, "Let's leave these two alone, Yugi. Who knows what mushy things those two will start saying." He was satisfied now that it was apparent Ryo helped Megan sleep peacefully.

"B-b-but, it's not like that," Ryo sputtered indignantly. Megan moaned softly and nuzzled Ryo's hand as he resumed stroking her hairline.

"Ryo," she repeated softer and less clearly as she drifted into a deeper sleep. Ryo looked at the girl asleep in his lap in complete confusion, barely noticing the warmth spreading through him from hearing her say his name.

Yugi and his grandfather left the room positively beaming.

"I hope it works out for them," Mr. Moto chuckled.

"They seem good for each other," Yugi agreed happily.

Meanwhile, Ryo remained in Yugi's room, trying to break Megan's fever and get her to sleep peacefully as he sorted through his chaotic thoughts. The fever spiked while she tossed and turned, so Ryo got some ice to wrap in the cloth on her forehead. He played with the hair that had fallen in her face while he had fetched the ice. He had to admit, this actually wasn't bad. But how did he feel about her? He had grown to look forward to seeing her in the short time they had known each other. He certainly knew he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible in the future. He wanted to find out what made her laugh so he could hear it more often and see her smile. He also wanted to know what made her sad to keep her from crying again. He accepted that she didn't have a past she was fond of, but wanted to help her towards a brighter future. But what did it mean? Could it be possible that he wanted to be with her? He absently brushed his thumb against her forehead. Megan sighed and smiled with her lips slightly open. He noticed a speck at the corner of her mouth and brushed it away. He then ran his thumb across her lower lip. It was amazingly soft. He was pleasantly shocked to breath catch in her throat then released in a small moan when his skin left hers.

"Ryo," she breathed for a third time, this time with a hint of desire. Ryo smiled and went back to playing with her long, soft brown hair. He grunted softly and tried to adjust his sleeping feet without disturbing the sleeping girl. His attempt failed and Megan woke slowly. She looked at him with a smile.

"How are you feeling," he asked in a soft voice he didn't recognize.

"Mmm, kind of out of it," she mumbled, moving her head off of Ryo's knees.

"Then, go back to sleep," he crooned.

"Don't wanna," Megan protested, but resting her head in his lap again. Ryo could almost hear how fast his heart was beating. He knew at that moment there was no denying there was more than friendly affection in his feelings towards her.

"You'll feel better if you do. You'll wake up and be better, so rest now," Ryo said softer, hoping it would ease her to sleep.

"Trust," she mumbled, nearly asleep.

"Sleep."

"Bakura," she breathed and rolled onto her side to face him. Ryo watched her sleep, transfixed by the rise and fall of her shoulder with her breathing and the fluttering of her eyelids during her REM sleep. He smiled when he felt her forehead and found it cool. Having broken the fever, he placed the washcloth on the small table beside Yugi's bed. Ryo brushed a lock of Megan's hair behind her ear, and Megan's lips tugged into another small smile.

So now Ryo knew that he was interested in Megan, but to what extent? Ryo let his imagination wander off. He was only slightly shocked to find himself daydreaming about being with Megan. He imagined taking her to one of his old hangouts from when he had lived in Tokyo. They were walking along, laughing when Megan grabbed his arms and pulled him closer. Ryo could picture wrapping his arms around her waist, laughter stopped. Then, he would lean in slowly, and gently kiss her. It was such a clear picture that Ryo could hardly believe his doubt before. Now the answers to his questions seemed natural.

Of course he liked her. Although she had a temper, he could see that she was smart, insightful, dedicated, and caring. Hadn't she travelled halfway across the world and spent hours researching for the slightest hint about her sister? He had known her only a short time, but Megan was so blunt, he was certain his assessment of her was correct. And also despite the short time they had known each other; he could hardly have helped falling for her. Everything they'd gone through had been an intense experience for him.

He also had realized that he didn't just want friendship with Megan. Ryo wanted not only to be her best friend, but to be even more. He would be her friend and partner. The person she could always turn to and be met with affection, if not always understanding, when everyone else in the world seemed cold and alienated. He wanted to be the one to shower her with hugs, kisses, and affection. There was only one problem. Ryo wasn't sure how she felt about him. She had never asked him for anything or shown him any preference. Sure, they had held hands and hugged a few times, but friends could do that, too. He wanted to believe it was a sign of her affection, but it wasn't enough. Especially since today's events couldn't really count. Megan was most likely so out of it, she didn't realize what she was doing. He sighed, wishing he knew what she felt. Ryo guessed she might tell him if she was asked. But he wasn't sure if he was brave enough yet to ask. He played with her hair, wonderingwhat his next move should be.

There was a soft knock at the door, which had been left cracked open. Yugi peaked his head into the room. It looked especially comical with Yugi's large spiked black hair and blonde fringe. Ryo couldn't help laughing. Yugi really could act just like a kid at times. Yugi smiled back and walked into the room.

"It's getting late, Bakura. Grandpa said you could stay over if you want, but I'm guessing you have to get home," the small boy said sheepishly. Ryo could tell he felt guilty and rude for subtly trying to get Bakura to go home.

"Thank you for offering, but I couldn't possibly impose on you and your grandfather like that," Ryo said, always polite.

Yugi's eyes turned to Megan. "How's she doing?"

"She seems better. As far as I can tell, the fever broke and the nightmares stopped. She should be perfectly fine when she wakes up," Ryo said, shifting Megan off of his lap. She sighed and turned onto her other side. Ryo rubbed her back briefly before standing up, trying to send some good energy to keep her sleep peaceful.

"Thanks for your help, Bakura," Yugi said with a smile and took Ryo's place at nursing Megan.

"Let me know if anything happens."

"Sure, now go get some sleep, you sound tired." Ryo smiled bashfully as he headed towards the door. Yugi was right on target. When he reached the door, he turned around and saw Yugi resting his head on Megan's arm. He shook his head in amusement. He left the room quietly and began walking home. Ryo had to ask himself, is there any hope for us?