Sound
Ryou just had to go to school the next day because he didn't want to skip too many classes, someone would get suspicious. And besides, Malik had insisted that he would, instead of brooding in their room all day. Ryou had been angry at his friend for dragging him out of his sanctuary. He had got stares and had been pointed at by people all day but he failed to stay angry at Malik for too long because his glare was making most people to stop staring or pointing. Ryou had pointed out that he could have done that himself too but then his friend had laughed at him and told that he looked about as threatening as a kitten when he glared, so Ryou had wisely let him do the glaring, though he would probably never forgive his friend for making such a statement. He so was more threatening than a kitten!
Even though it was indeed good to get out of the room and at least attempt to get back in his routine, that still didn't stop Ryou feeling like dying when there was a loud announcement that he was wanted in the headmaster's office. Everyone in the class he was in at that moment, looked at him with annoyingly knowing expressions and to make matters worse for the poor boy, who else but Bakura was told to come and see the headmaster in the same announcement. Everyone started whispering and throwing the knowing looks at him when Ryou's face seemed to want to turn red and pale at the same time.
As he walked out of the classroom, feeling the curious eyes on his back, he felt like he knew what this was about but hoped that it wasn't about that. He could have sworn that all his classmates got up from their seats to see him walk down the hall though he tried to ignore it.
In the lounge of the office, where Ryou just realized that he had never been in, were a couch and a low table and a desk for a nice looking lady who smiled at him as he entered.
"Please take a seat; you'll be called in soon," the woman informed and Ryou nervously smiled back at her before sitting down. Soon the door to the lounge opened again and the very source of everything messed up in Ryou's life came in. The lady smiled again and gestured the teacher to sit down. He did, giving the woman a curt nod.
"Do you know what this is about?" Ryou asked quietly, glancing at the other.
"Your guess is just as good as mine."
That only managed to confirm Ryou's suspicions and didn't lessen his worries any, though he suspected that it wasn't meant to. At least the other was still speaking to him... even though he didn't look at him as he did. The door to the office was opened and a man peeked out. He didn't look as old as Ryou had suspected, in fact he looked rather young to be leading the school. The man opened the door fully and gestured them in with a polite smile. They did and sat down in front of the large desk as the man sat on the other side of it.
"Now, do you know why you are here?" he asked, eyes pouncing between the two.
Bakura shrugged. "Why don't you enlighten us."
Ryou glanced at him with a frown, wondering how he could sound so relaxed about this but was glad that he hadn't had to say anything yet. The headmaster took out a paper from his drawer.
"I have received a complaint from Mr. Spellwright, considering you-" A nod towards Bakura "-stealing his student and teaching him during the time he should be in his class."
"What? That old thing?" the teacher in question asked. "That did happen but only once and I wasn't trying to 'steal his student'. Is that what this is about? Because if that's the case-"
"Please calm yourself," the other man interrupted. "That's not all but I just felt like I should bring it up since you're already here. You see, that's not against any rule, but you should know that older teachers, like Mr. Spellwright, are not as open minded about that as the younger generation is. If you pull... that kind of stunt, it will raise objections so I recommend you to be more... considerate, shall we say, when doing things like that," he finished with a small smile. "I know that isn't your forte but I ask you to try. It would be for the better if all of you got along."
"It's not my fault if that old fool disapproves, he doesn't like me anyway no matter what I do," Bakura stated, sounding rather rude but the other man didn't seem to be phased by it and just smiled again, looking understanding.
"I know and I have brought that up with him...-"
From that on Ryou stopped listening since it didn't seem to have anything to do with him and looked around the room. A huge bookshelf, a pile of paper on the floor, photographs on the walls, nothing interesting. Not the neatest room but kind of comfortable looking.
"Now Ryou, you must be wondering why you are here," the headmaster's voice asked and the boy turned his attention back to the man.
"Um, yes?"
"Well, I'm actually a bit interested to know something considering you both." The man smiled and Ryou glanced at Bakura only to see that he had his eyes on the man in front of them.
"You see, I heard some interesting rumors are spreading among the student body," he continued. "Are you aware of them?"
"We are," the teacher spoke for them both. "None of them are true though."
"Ah that's good and just what I was hoping to hear. Though-" The headmaster looked more serious now. "-I'd wish that kind of rumors wouldn't spread at all. You do realize what they can do to the school's reputation, don't you?" He paused. "I would hope that you wouldn't give any of those rumors a reason to be born, as untrue as they might be. Am I making my point clear?"
They both nodded and the polite smile came back on the man's face. "Ryou, you have been awfully quiet. How's school? I have heard some good things about you from your teachers."
"Uh, school's fine thank you..." Ryou wasn't sure how to react to the chatty tone. "I guess I'm doing pretty good..."
"Yes, yes, keep it up. You, Bakura, should maybe cut your students a slack once in a while. The parents aren't all that happy."
"They will be once their little darlings pass the finals with flying colors," the teacher just said but the headmaster seemed to be happy with that.
"Good then. Oh I must be keeping you, you may go."
They got up and exited the room silently. That had gone so much better than Ryou had expected...
"See what happens when you don't watch your mouth," Bakura said as they walked down the hall. Ryou looked at him with disbelief but he was facing the hall.
"Excuse me but you were the one who brought it up, I wouldn't have yelled anything like that if it weren't for you."
"It's your fault if you can't take a joke. You were the one who got all freaked out about it, I was only teasing you."
"Well, you shouldn't joke about something like that. How did you think I would react? You really can't blame me." The boy was starting to get angry now. It wasn't like it was his fault; in fact, he didn't think it was his fault at all.
"Yes I can. It's because of your over reacting that the headmaster heard about it and now he's suspicious. It's not my fault if you can't shut your trap when you should," the teacher spat but kept looking forward as he spoke. Ryou was almost fuming now. Today was not a good day for him and he didn't need to hear any of this.
"You can't just roll all the blame on me," he said through clenched teeth. "I was doing just fine and wouldn't have never even said anything like that before you came along and messed everything up."
Bakura stopped on his tracks. "I'm not the only one who has messed something up. If you hadn't gone all emotional on me about every fucking thing we wouldn't have any problems in the first place."
"I'm so sorry for being a human!" Ryou yelled. "But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? I even tried to be nice to you despite all the things you put me through but noo! You can't possibly act like an actual person for once and drop the evil hermit teacher act! You acted like I had offered to assist you on suicide or something!"
"Shut up!" Bakura yelled, losing his cool and turning to yell directly at Ryou. "I already told you to watch your mouth! What the hell do you want? To be my friend?" he asked in a snarl and approached the boy who backed off, realizing that maybe he should watch what he said and who he said it to. The teacher looked pissed, everything left of his calm was gone and his eyes kept flashing red.
"I-" was all Ryou had to say or could say before his back hit the wall and one hand well placed hand trapped him. "What are you-?"
"Is this what you want?" Bakura whispered lowly, now blood red eyes gazing down on Ryou's frightened brown ones, and slipping his other hand inside the boy's shirt. The cool fingers traced his side and one finger went under the jeans' waist line.
"N-no." The touch made the boy shiver even though he tried to regain his composure and push the hand away.
"No," Bakura echoed, breath brushing the other's face. "What is it then? What could you possibly try to achieve?"
"I-I... Maybe I just believe that there's some good in you... under all the layers..." Ryou said quietly once the hand was removed from his person though his personal bubble was still being invaded.
"Good... in me..." came the echo again and the boy was relieved to see spots of brown in the red eyes.
"And... and I really would like to be your friend..." Ryou continued and the amount of brown increased. "..If you let me..." Now the other stepped back, his normal eye color firmly in place and Ryou couldn't help the relieved sigh that escaped him. There was a moment of silence before Bakura shook his head a bit, looking almost amused about something.
"I probably will never be able to understand you."
Ryou frowned at his amusement but decided that it would be better not to mention it and pushed himself off the wall he had been pressed against. "Feelings mutual..." He mumbled; this guy was clearly unstable. This got a chuckle from the clearly unstable guy.
"Let's get out of the hall before you yell something that will get us in trouble again," Bakura said, smirking.
"Yeah or before you give me a reason to yell," Ryou shot back but began walking the rest of the way back to class with the other until they had to separate their ways.
xxxxxxx
It was a small miracle that the boy didn't show up to his class the next day. But then again, he wasn't obligated to by anything since the deal they had only considered the lessons after school. Though Bakura had kind of expected him to show up anyway. Expected, not hoped. It didn't matter to him what the boy did as long as he kept showing up after school.
It was true though that the boy made him think. Ryou wasn't like the other people he had gotten used of dealing with; the boy was just plain weird. Who in their right minds would be so willing to forgive and forget? And it didn't seem like he had any sort of hidden intentions either, there wasn't anything in it for him, except a new friend...
Funny, Bakura had thought that no one did anything without knowing that there would be something in it for themselves too. That didn't seem to be the case after all. Sure the boy had admitted to have some attraction towards him but it wasn't anything like that he wanted from him. As ridiculous the thought had seemed, still did, it was almost as if it was him who was attracted to the boy and not the other way around. Yes, it was true that the boy was beautiful, he would have had to be blind and stupid not to notice it, and Bakura was neither.
Speaking of being stupid, his final class that day was just exiting the room and the teacher felt like laughing, partly out of near despair and partly out of relief. Even though they still had a long way to go, they were improving, slowly but steadily. He felt like all his effort hadn't gone to waste and maybe he could one day be proud of all the idiots in his classes, somewhere in the distant future.
The work day was nearing its end but didn't mean his work was done yet. He would, after all, still have the lesson with Ryou, correct the tests his students had taken and that was not all. It was freeing, in a way, to just be able to drown in all the work. The world always seemed more insignificant then and all there was, was work. It was easier that way.
There was a slight feel of magic and Bakura lifted his eyes from his work to see a small note on the desk in front of him. He knew that it had to be from Ryou and unfolded it.
Brain Damage is keeping me after school and I don't think I can come. Can you let me off? –Ryou,
the note said and Bakura frowned in annoyance. "Damn that old fool..." He should have known that the old man would sooner or later seek to meddle in his affairs. He wondered if the headmaster knew about the lessons after school or was this about something else. He wrote his answer below the original message and turned the note to check if it could be easily sent back. Apparently the tiny transporting circle was made to work both ways and it wasn't a hard task to send the note back.
"Hmph, smart kid..." Of course if there still was a chance that the old fool didn't know about the little agreement, he would let the boy off, just this once. Though that didn't change the fact that now he had to go and find out what was this about.
And so, some time later that day, Bakura headed out of his classroom. His destination was a certain room in the student's dormitories. He knocked on the door once he reached it and the person who opened wasn't exactly the one he was seeking to meet.
"What do you want?" The fairy wings flapped as the boy looked at him warily.
"Is your friend here?" the teacher asked, trying to see past the boy into the room.
"Yeah... Ryou, someone is here to see you."
Soon the boy emerged from the room to see who it was, or it could be that he already knew if the link was working the same way the other way around. "Hi, what brings you here?" he asked.
"What was the deal with that old man earlier?"
Ryou looked surprised for a second and his friend was clearly about to comment but was shooed back inside. "Oh that. He told me about this healing institution, because he knows I'm good at that, and offered to get me a summer job there, if I would want one." Then he paused and bit his lip. "He also wanted to talk about you... about the rumors and how you're bad influence or something..."
Bakura couldn't help but to roll his eyes at that. "Meddling fool... Did you tell him that it's none of his business?"
"Not... in those exact words... But I did say that he doesn't need to worry about it," Ryou told and the other nodded. Then the boy seemed to remember something. "Oh, wait a sec." He went back into the room only to come back a few seconds later, holding out a book for Bakura. "Here, you can have your book back," he said with a small smile.
"You read it already?" the teacher asked but took the book. It wasn't exactly a small book.
...a fast reader...
"Yeah, I'm a fast reader. It was really interesting."
Bakura blinked and stared for a second. He thought he had just heard... No, it was probably nothing... "Um... Well, I better just... go now..."
...wrong...?
Ryou frowned at the other's weird behavior. "Is something the matter? You look sort of-" he started.
"Yes! I'm fine..." With that Bakura left, walking kind of quickly, leaving the boy stare after him. Why now of all times was he starting to hear voices? He had never taken himself as a paranoid person, or not more paranoid than it was necessary.
Unless of course, he did in fact hear something and wasn't losing his mind, but that was stupid. If he had heard something, what could it possibly-
Bakura stopped, just halted where he was at the moment and stared in the empty space. Then he spun around and called out to Ryou before he had the chance to close the door, and stormed back to the boy.
"Let's go somewhere more private to have a little chat, shall we?" he said after grabbing Ryou's arm and starting to drag him away. If the boy hadn't been confused before, then he sure was now and as they walked to where-ever, the boy's friend's angry yells followed them.