Four months on, and spring was slowly turning to summer, but time was
passing in a haze for Bakura. Hours turned to days, days to weeks, weeks to
months but he barely noticed the year slipping past around him. It could
still easily have been the night of the engagement. His days consisted of
vain attempts to sleep off the hangover he had from a nights worth of
drinking and drugs. He hadn't changed his clothes in days, he barely ate,
and he hadn't left the house for nearly a month, yet he was a prisoner of
nothing more than his own envy. Friends had tried to encourage him to come
out, to eat, but his consistent un-returned phone calls and refusals to
answer his front door had made them frustrated and they had stopped
caring.
He knew the wedding was soon, he'd duly received the crisp white invitation though the letterbox- Yugi had driven off before Bakura could race to the door. It was to be held outside in the grounds of a nearby open house on the summer solstice. Ryou thought it typical it should be on the longest day of the year when it would be the longest of his life, the day when the person he loved and cherished beyond mortal imagination would lawfully be bound to the arms of someone else, when he, Bakura, had waited so long.
* * *
Finally, it was the night before the wedding. Yugi stood in front of the bathroom mirror as he shaved, getting ready for his stag night. He had arranged to meet a few old friends for a quiet drink- he didn't want anything too extravagant. He gazed into his reflection, wondering if this was really the right thing to do. Despite the months of happiness with Jess, and the great evenings they'd spent cuddled up on the sofa talking and laughing, wasn't that enough? Would he ruin it by wanting more?
And another thing, Ryou. He had never stopped worrying about his friend, it was like someone pinching the back of his neck, he just couldn't forget about him. Yugi didn't know why Bakura had got so depressed, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. He was surprised and confused that his friend was so often in his mind, it just didn't make sense. He remembered Ryou had agreed to meet him later on that evening and felt better.
Doing up his dark blue shirt, he grabbed his wallet and headed out the door, leaving his door keys lying on the front room table.
Raucos laughter rang through the pub. The barman was glaring over at them every few minutes, but they were having too much of a good time to care. It was great to be back with the old crew again and catch up with everyone. Honda and Mai hadn't changed much but Jou had surprised everyone by turning up completely bald with a pierced eyebrow…and…was that mascara?
You couldn't really tell. Four pints and several shots of some foul smelling blue liquid had left Yugi feeling distinctly drunk, and it took him a few seconds to work out the small long haired guy in a leather jacket walking towards him.
"Ryou!" he cried a little too enthusiastically, jumping up to embrace his friend in a manly hug. Bakura stiffened slightly, recoiling from the hug with a dazed expression. After months of being blatantly ignored by Yugi, that sort of welcome was more than he could take. Confused and upset, he sat down beside Anzu who began chattering friendly, enquiring into his well being.
Honda came over grinning with a trayful of shot glasses, a bottle of absinthe and a bowlful or sugar cubes. Everyone forgot about catching up, and cheering, accepted a glass.
He knew the wedding was soon, he'd duly received the crisp white invitation though the letterbox- Yugi had driven off before Bakura could race to the door. It was to be held outside in the grounds of a nearby open house on the summer solstice. Ryou thought it typical it should be on the longest day of the year when it would be the longest of his life, the day when the person he loved and cherished beyond mortal imagination would lawfully be bound to the arms of someone else, when he, Bakura, had waited so long.
* * *
Finally, it was the night before the wedding. Yugi stood in front of the bathroom mirror as he shaved, getting ready for his stag night. He had arranged to meet a few old friends for a quiet drink- he didn't want anything too extravagant. He gazed into his reflection, wondering if this was really the right thing to do. Despite the months of happiness with Jess, and the great evenings they'd spent cuddled up on the sofa talking and laughing, wasn't that enough? Would he ruin it by wanting more?
And another thing, Ryou. He had never stopped worrying about his friend, it was like someone pinching the back of his neck, he just couldn't forget about him. Yugi didn't know why Bakura had got so depressed, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. He was surprised and confused that his friend was so often in his mind, it just didn't make sense. He remembered Ryou had agreed to meet him later on that evening and felt better.
Doing up his dark blue shirt, he grabbed his wallet and headed out the door, leaving his door keys lying on the front room table.
Raucos laughter rang through the pub. The barman was glaring over at them every few minutes, but they were having too much of a good time to care. It was great to be back with the old crew again and catch up with everyone. Honda and Mai hadn't changed much but Jou had surprised everyone by turning up completely bald with a pierced eyebrow…and…was that mascara?
You couldn't really tell. Four pints and several shots of some foul smelling blue liquid had left Yugi feeling distinctly drunk, and it took him a few seconds to work out the small long haired guy in a leather jacket walking towards him.
"Ryou!" he cried a little too enthusiastically, jumping up to embrace his friend in a manly hug. Bakura stiffened slightly, recoiling from the hug with a dazed expression. After months of being blatantly ignored by Yugi, that sort of welcome was more than he could take. Confused and upset, he sat down beside Anzu who began chattering friendly, enquiring into his well being.
Honda came over grinning with a trayful of shot glasses, a bottle of absinthe and a bowlful or sugar cubes. Everyone forgot about catching up, and cheering, accepted a glass.
