Tell me where our time went

And if it was time well spent

Just don't let me fall asleep

Feeling empty again

Paramore – Pressure

Reiko grumbled when she heard the doorbell ring. Her parents had just left for the grocery store and she was sitting in her room reading a book for a winter assignment. She carefully pushed herself over to the end of her bed and reached for her cane – it was easier to use inside the house than crutches – and she hobbled her way down the hall.

Whoever was at the door was frantic, alternating between ringing and knocking. She swiped some hair out of her face before she leaned against the wall to peer through the peep hole.

She opened her mouth to scream in delight and excitement, but nothing came out. Instead her body went on autopilot and threw the door open. Ryou was standing there, clean and unharmed and there.

She forgot about being angry at him for not calling and allowed the relief that washed over her to be the only emotion on her mind.

He was holding a bouquet of red carnations and his brown eyes were apologetic and loving.

"Ryou …"

He took a step towards the hall and she backed up to let him in from the cold January morning. He was about to lean down to kiss her when she slapped him in the face.

"Where the fuck have you been? I've been so worried about you! Do you know what people were saying?"

He looked at her completely stunned. His cheek was burning and she had tears in her eyes. She was about to hit him again when he caught her wrist, she lost her balance and tottered straight into his chest.

"Reiko, baby …"

He stopped talking when he felt her sob. She was clinging to him now. Her cane had clattered to the floor and he held her tight. The bouquet of carnations pressed tightly against her back because it had all happened so quickly. She was mumbling something into his chest, but he couldn't hear her.

Ryou frowned and held her tighter, "It's okay Rei, I'm here now honey, it doesn't matter what other people were saying – they're wrong Reiko, they're wrong about us love."

Reiko was sitting in his lap in the living room and he was gently stroking her hair as she recounted all of the horrible things that she had dreamt happened to him. She told him about how her friends had started to tell her that they'd heard about Ryou running away from schools before. That lots of Ryou's friends had ended up in hospitals and that she was probably another one; that they all were victims, all because she had dated him and he was cursed or something.

He had sat through it all tight-lipped making small comments when he knew she needed the encouragement to continue, but otherwise he was still and silent and listening to the torture that she had been through at his causing. When she was done and cried out, he straightened her up in his lap and looked into her eyes and saw all of the love and pain …

It took him a few moments to realize that he was kissing her furiously and that she was clinging to him tightly and that her heavy cast-covered ankle was suspended in the air in an impressive feat to push herself closer to him.

He knew in that moment that she was meant for him, that her happiness was his and that he would never do anything to cause her pain or sadness again.

"I love you, Ryou. Please promise not to leave me again. Promise that you'll stay with me?"

"I love you, Reiko." He emphasized the statement with a prompt kiss on her nose and then he leaned in to whisper in her ear because he liked the way it made her shiver. "I'm not going anywhere."

And he wouldn't. He would be there for her through the gossip and the scandal and they would be so happy.

*Flashing Forward*

It was the night before graduation and Reiko was nervous with excitement. She had been lying in bed for close to an hour trying to get some sleep when she heard her cell phone vibrate. She picked it up and saw that she had a message from Ryou. It read, "Can't sleep?"

She raised a brow at the message and replied, "Yup, how'd you know?"

"Because I've been driving around the city for two hours now –"

She smiled, "Oh really?"

"I've driven past your house a few times, too"

Her grin widened, "Are you stalking me Ryou Bakura?"

"I wouldn't say stalking," he replied and then added, "The lights in the living room are off now …"

She stifled a laugh into her pillow, "What are you insinuating?"

She was already pulling on a pair of Capri pants when he replied, "Wanna watch the stars with me?"

She hugged her phone as she found her moccasins and slipped them on. Her tank top was a bit thin, but summer was just starting and she knew that she'd be okay. She made a quick pit stop in the bathroom to remove her retainers and fluff up her braid.

"Already on my way :)"

She snuck through the hall and out of the back door. She made it to the front yard and there he was parked in front of her driveway, sitting there in his car with all the windows rolled down and some song playing softly in the background.

He smiled up at her as she approached, "Well, what are you waiting for young lady?"

She scurried into the passenger's seat and he sped off, neither one caring about getting beauty sleep for the next day or what would happen if Rei's parents noticed that she was gone.

Hope that you enjoyed! Please review, and as always thanks CraftyLion :)