Saraha: This my wonderful, wonderful fantastic reviewers is chapter 30.
You look at now the final chapter of 'In the Guise of an Angel'. I felt
I was starting to ramble in this fic and thought this would be a good
place to end it. Hopefully you won't find it too confusing, enjoy!

Marik: *rolls eyes* Saraha 'still' doesn't own Yugioh. If she ever
does believe me I'll let you know.

Saraha: ^^' yeah... I got this out by my b-day though like I said
I would though! Yay me!

Marik: -_-;

~*~

After sleeping for so long you would think one would
never find a way to get to sleep for a while. Obviously
the activities wore us both down more than we realized
because many hours after we finished and had lay next to
each other both naked and spent, yami's arm forever around
me in his possessive nature I remember slowly drifting
to a light dozing sleep. It seemed I'd only just closed
my eyes for a moment when I opened them to see sunlight
trying to leak through the curtain.
I grumbled slightly and rolled over coming face to
face with.. a pillow. No one was there.

I sat up and stared at it's flattened white form.
The sheets were twisted around my legs like
every morning brushing up against bare feet
and the soft fabric of my pajamas.
Pajamas?
I pulled myself out of bed puzzled.
What had happened? I glanced at the
clock. It read seven in the morning. I blinked
and the door to my room creaked open.
My father stood there smiling.

"Morning Ryou."

"Dad?"

"I got back early this morning and didn't want
to wake you. Seems like you kept everything under
control while I was gone. I'm glad."

I nodded mutely for a moment.

"Ryou."

"Huh?"

"I made breakfast. Why don't you get dressed for school
and I'll meet you in the kitchen?"

I smiled at him and nodded. He gave me a strange smile
back and I felt slightly confused by it as he closed
the door again. I sighed slightly. I'd dreamed the
while thing. I'd had to of. There was nothing that said
anything different. I felt my face flush though no one
could see it. I must have dreamed the whole thing up.
My yami and I we didn't, we never did that. I was
delusional. I must have been. I went to the bathroom
and began to wash my face. Glancing into the mirror
however I noticed something. A very small but defined
red mark on my neck, right at the base of my throat.
I blinked and stared before in a nervous reaction
called out through our mental link.

'Yami!'

'Leave me alone.'

I felt him block our link so that I could just
barely make out his presence. He sounded annoyed.
Did it happen or didn't it? Carefully I touched the
mark. It was slightly sore. I felt myself flush again.
No, no, no! What was I thinking?! It wasn't what I
was thinking it couldn't be! It was just a hallucination.
If it had really happen he'd be out here with me.
He'd tell me it really happened, he would have been there
when I woke up. It couldn't of been real. I bit down slightly
on my lip. He wouldn't have just... I felt tears well up in
my eyes and I let them fall my throat felt dry and itchy
suddenly. I stared at myself in the mirror and ran a finger
slowly over my bottom lip. If it had happened wouldn't
it be bruised? I sniffled slightly. Why was I crying?
Did I really think he'd be like that? That stubborn
part of my mind seemed to think so. He thinks of you
like an object or a tool, nothing more or less.
I hiccupped. Then in my emotionally unstable state
fell down to my knees.

"Get off the floor Ryou, your acting pathetic."

I hiccupped again not wanting to look at him. I felt him
grip my shirt and lift me back up. I stared at the floor.
A drop of liquid fell to the floor.

"Why in Ra's name are you crying? What on this miserable
planet could be worth crying over pray tell?"

I sniffled again and looked up at him his face with
slightly flush with the deep eyes filled with his
annoyance and inpatients. I felt tears well up
again. At the sight of this I could see his eyes
falter slightly and his voice became more uncertain.

"Please... please tell me hikari."

I gasped and a small whimper built up in my throat.
I looked at him a moment before turning away.

"Did... did last night really happen yami? Please,
please tell me."

I squeezed my eyes shut waiting for his reply feeling
that I was too weak to hear what he may say. It never
came. Nervously I opened my eyes and looked at him.
He'd seated himself of the edge of the bathtub
and was staring at the floor intensely. It was
all the answer I needed. It had happened.
For a moment I felt the slight rise in the fact
that in what I so very remembered was true and then
I wondered what did it mean? What did it mean to
myself? That I already knew, I loved him, I knew
I had to. What else was that throb of longing I felt
that childish glee with such passion past my years
mixed in? If it wasn't love than I know not what.
But yami though, he was in different he seemed so
very mixed. Thinking about it the only time he had
ever expressed feelings for me has when he seemed angry.
His kisses were bruising and tasted bittersweet,
hot and lustful yet so very smooth. Why did things
have to be so hard to understand? Why couldn't everything
be alright?

"Where are we going from here? Where 'can' we go from here?"

My own voice seemed so frightened, what was I scared of?

"I don't know."

The smooth silky voice of my darkness drawled.

"Where do you want it to go Ryou, where do you expect it to
go? Obviously you must have some idea as to what you want to
happen or else you wouldn't bring it out."

He watched me with the depth of chocolate that were his eyes.
Did I? I almost wanted to laugh at my stupidity. Of course I
did. I was a romantic obviously. I was the kind of person who
maybe dreamed of a soft and kind lover who was everything to me.
Dilutions of rose petals and candle light, champagne and chocolate
were supposed to fill my pretty little brain. I who fell suddenly
head over heels in love with his darkness had thoughts of romance.

"What if I told you I cared about you?"

He didn't even waver.

"I'd say you were foolish."

"What if I told you I loved you?"

yami's eyes widened and for that fleeting second my heart
crying out inside in hopes maybe somewhere deep inside he could
admit to me the same. Somewhere, somehow it was all I wanted.

"If you told me that I'd say you may want to rethink what your
saying. I don't think you truly realize what your saying."

It wasn't a rejection so to say but more of a reflex. Push others
away before the push you.

"What if I said I didn't want to rethink it, that I knew I
loved you?"

My yami leaned forward seeming to study the tiled floor.
He sighed and pushed a lock of his silvery-white hair back.

"Don't Ryou. Your just... your too young to understand. I don't
know where we go from here. We'll figure out something though."

I wiped eyes on my shirt sleeve.

"But.. I trust you. More than anything, more than anyone."

He sighed and pulled me to him into an embrace. There was nothing
sexually, nothing angry about it. It was much like the one you'd
see siblings have. Much like maybe how Seto Kaiba might show his
love for Mokuba. It was nice. I closed my eyes and hugged him
back.

"You shouldn't though. Don't trust me hikari."

"I can't help it."

We parted and he smiled rather fondly.

"Your such a baka Ryou. I think your fathers waiting for
you. Better hurry."

He disappeared then and I saw from the open bathroom door
the Sennen Ring glow for a moment. I smiled at it and
quickly dressed.
~*~

twenty minutes later found me walking through the
apartment halls my father only a few steps behind
carrying strangely for him a briefcase. It seems]
he was asked by the museum to help with an exhibit
for a while. He'd be staying close to home for
a couple months. It was a strange but much appreciated
surprise. It had been so long since the time when
he'd done most of his work at the college in Tokyo
and would be home every afternoon for Mother and I.
It did make me a bit nervous though, what with
all that had happened recently. I for the first
time in my existence that I appreciated the
high collar of the school uniform. The last thing
I needed was questioning about the small red mark
that showed on my neck. Also my ring was tucked
safely under the clothing weighted against my chest.
Undoubtedly Tristin would have told the others about
throwing it away, they didn't need to know about my still
having it yet.

No sooner than I walked out the door and onto the sidewalk
than I was nearly knocked over by a blur of pink and blue.

"Sorry Ryou-kun!"

The figure moved so that she wasn't so very, very close
and I saw before me a girl in the uniform of pink jacket
and blue skirt with her aqua hair pulled into two braids
and eyes the same color looking from under the rims of
silvery wire framed glasses. Around he neck a tiny round
charm with a star carved into the middle hung off a gold
chain. Surprise didn't quite cover what I felt at that second.

"Yui?!"

Further down the sidewalk a small group stood. Immediately I
recognized Yugi's small frame dressed for school with Tea
standing next to him in her own pink and blue uniform.
Next to her however stood a girl, a bit taller than myself
wearing the dark blue boy's uniform with her blonde-brown
hair pulled into a quick ponytail the shorter layer framing
her honey eyes and face. She grinned at me before turning
back to Tea who it seems she was talking to. Yawning next to her
was the tall lanky figure that was Joey, his hair and open
blue school shirt rumpled hands clasped behind his head
as he stared at Tea and Rune talking with boredom in his
puppy-like eyes. I stared taking in the strange yet classic
picture they all made of modern teenagers and heard my father
step behind me.

"Ryou who are these people?"

I turned to look at my father. He looked at each in turn slightly
confused before looking back at me. I knew what he was hoping I'd
say and I myself was very happy that I could confirm what he wanted
for me.

"These are my friends Dad."

You could see it in his eyes. I was finally starting to socialize,
I was making friends at school, and I seemed happy. Father nodded
smiling slightly and told me to have a good day at school as he
headed towards his work. I looked at my friends, Yui had joined
Rune and Tea and were now chattering away in a little semi-circle
while Joey's eyes were closed and for a moment it looked like he was
asleep on his feet. Yugi though saw me and waved tiredly his
violet eyes edge in crimson that seemed to mean that his yami
was watching too, obviously the former Pharaoh didn't mind the
Change of Heart and Lady of Faith hanging around Yugi and the
others. I walked up and joined the group barely sidestepping away
from Rune who seemed to want to rumple my hair again. I ducked
away to where Yugi was.

"Morning Yugi."

"Morning Ryou. Feeling better today?"

I quickly caught that my yami must have said I wasn't
well the day before.

"Yeah, I guess the whole thing at duelist kingdom wore me out
a bit. Looks like you as well."

Yugi grinned and wasn't able to suppress a yawn.

"Yeah, Joey and Tea too. Tristin's lucky cause he can sleep later.
He lives a block from school so he gets up five minutes before the
bell rings I think."

We both laughed and Joey came out of his sleepy trance to join us.

"Tristin's just a luck bastard, getting that much sleep. I got maybe
four hours at the most thinking about all that make up work we'll
have to do."

A collective shudder at the thought ran through us three.

'Well, he got one description of 'Tristin' right at least. He is
most defiantly a bastard among bastards.'

'Yami!'

'You know I'm right Ryou.' A mental smirk. 'Why are Rune and Yui
there though?'

'No idea.'

'That's them for you. Won't listen to a word you say.'

He cut our conversation there and I smiled. Everything seemed to
be looking up. Maybe, just maybe life was more than I ever gave
it credit for.

"Hey Ryou!"

"Huh?"

"Come'on, we're gonna be late!"

Grinning I ran after them.
~*~

Saraha: And that people is it. *falls over from exosution* X_X

Marik: Oo; Er yeah... when or if she gets up I'll have her
answer any questions you people have in a note when it's not
her birthday and stuff. Ja.