Disclaimer: Oh, you don't wanna read this! Just read the fic, you know I
don't own anything! Kudos to onlyHAUNTED
Malik numbly entered the locker room. His heart ached with worry. Ryou, dear darling Ryou was badly hurt, in the hospital, needing his help. How could he have let something happen to his Ryou? Why couldn't he have protected him?
Malik changed in silence, too many thoughts whirling through his mind. His throat was choked by his own heart which had swollen with fear and concern for Ryou. He felt sick and leaned heavily against the wall, his knees weak and his stomach threatening to heave.
"Malik, what's the matter?"
He looked over to see Yugi coming into the locker room. Concern was etched on the small boy's features as he stood before Malik, wondering what could have caused his rival to lose control. Tears welled up in Malik's eyes.
"Oh, Y-YUGI!!!!!" Malik sobbed. He collapsed onto Yugi's shoulder, shaking with sobs. Through his tears, he got out all of his fears, all of his anger, all of his regret. Yugi stood there, not knowing what to say. He helped Malik to sit down, then waited for him to top crying.
"What's the matter, Malik?" he asked.
Malik sniffed. "I j-just heard that R-ryou was in the h-h-hospital," he stuttered. "H-he was hit by a c-car. I d-don't want anything to h-happen to him, but n-now he's hurt bad, and I-I can't h-help him at all!"
Yugi nodded. "It's always scary when your friend goes to the hospital," he said, trying to be comforting. "It's best to-"
"You don't understand!" Malik screamed. "It's more that that! Ryou's not just a friend, he means everything to me! I'd die if something happened to him, I love him! Do you hear me? I! LOVE! HIM!"
Yugi blinked, taken aback by the intense emotion in Malik's voice. "You love him, Malik?" he repeated, awed.
"Yes!" Malik roared. "And now he's hurt and I can't. can't..." His sentence was drowned by fresh tears. Yugi gingerly put a hand on his shoulder.
"Malik, you'd better. you'd better go to the hospital," he said. "You should see how Ryou is. Maybe it's not that bad."
Malik sniffed, too sad to be annoyed. "Yeah," he said, wipinga hand across his eyes. "Yeah, you're right. I'll go. go and see how Ryou's doing."
He stood up and grabbed his backpack, walking slowly towards the door. When he reached it, he turned to look over at Yugi. "You're not going to tell anyone before Ryou does," he said.
Yugi looked confused. "What?"
"Until Ryou's ready," Malik said. "You're not going to tell anyone we're gay." He walked out before Yugi could reply.
* * * * *
"Yes. you're friend's in room 306," the receptionist said. "Up the stairs and to the left. Have a nice day."
Malik snorted. "A nice day. Right." He walked up the stairs and found 306 in next to no time.
A nurse stood by Ryou's bedside. She looked up as Malik came in, but said nothing. Ryou was asleep, but his heartbeat was normal. Malik winced at the number of cuts and bruises that covered him. One of his wrists looked broken. Other than that he seemed fine.
"Do you know what happened to him?" Malik asked the nurse.
The nurse finished what she was scribbling before looking up at him. "He was hit by a car," she said. "It actually went onto the sidewalk and threw him into the street. He thought to cover his head before the car hit him, so we don't think there's any brain damage, but we'll have to keep him overnight for observation. Is he your brother?"
Malik nodded. "When can he come home?" he asked.
The nurse looked down at her chart. "If nothing comes up, he'll be free to go tomorrow morning." She put the chart down in a folder at the end of Ryou's bed before leaving the room, explaining that she had other patients. Malik sank into a chair and gazed at his sleeping form.
It was nothing too serious. Just some cuts and a broken wrist. Malik shuddered at the nurse's description of what had happened. The car driving on the side walk, almost like...
Malik stood up suddenly, fists clenched as eyes blazing. Almost like they were trying to run him down!
Malik stormed out of the hospital. He marched down the street, not caring that people stopped to stare. No one hurt his Ryou like that. Not his Ryou! One thought burned in Malik's mind: Ashley will pay.
Malik numbly entered the locker room. His heart ached with worry. Ryou, dear darling Ryou was badly hurt, in the hospital, needing his help. How could he have let something happen to his Ryou? Why couldn't he have protected him?
Malik changed in silence, too many thoughts whirling through his mind. His throat was choked by his own heart which had swollen with fear and concern for Ryou. He felt sick and leaned heavily against the wall, his knees weak and his stomach threatening to heave.
"Malik, what's the matter?"
He looked over to see Yugi coming into the locker room. Concern was etched on the small boy's features as he stood before Malik, wondering what could have caused his rival to lose control. Tears welled up in Malik's eyes.
"Oh, Y-YUGI!!!!!" Malik sobbed. He collapsed onto Yugi's shoulder, shaking with sobs. Through his tears, he got out all of his fears, all of his anger, all of his regret. Yugi stood there, not knowing what to say. He helped Malik to sit down, then waited for him to top crying.
"What's the matter, Malik?" he asked.
Malik sniffed. "I j-just heard that R-ryou was in the h-h-hospital," he stuttered. "H-he was hit by a c-car. I d-don't want anything to h-happen to him, but n-now he's hurt bad, and I-I can't h-help him at all!"
Yugi nodded. "It's always scary when your friend goes to the hospital," he said, trying to be comforting. "It's best to-"
"You don't understand!" Malik screamed. "It's more that that! Ryou's not just a friend, he means everything to me! I'd die if something happened to him, I love him! Do you hear me? I! LOVE! HIM!"
Yugi blinked, taken aback by the intense emotion in Malik's voice. "You love him, Malik?" he repeated, awed.
"Yes!" Malik roared. "And now he's hurt and I can't. can't..." His sentence was drowned by fresh tears. Yugi gingerly put a hand on his shoulder.
"Malik, you'd better. you'd better go to the hospital," he said. "You should see how Ryou is. Maybe it's not that bad."
Malik sniffed, too sad to be annoyed. "Yeah," he said, wipinga hand across his eyes. "Yeah, you're right. I'll go. go and see how Ryou's doing."
He stood up and grabbed his backpack, walking slowly towards the door. When he reached it, he turned to look over at Yugi. "You're not going to tell anyone before Ryou does," he said.
Yugi looked confused. "What?"
"Until Ryou's ready," Malik said. "You're not going to tell anyone we're gay." He walked out before Yugi could reply.
* * * * *
"Yes. you're friend's in room 306," the receptionist said. "Up the stairs and to the left. Have a nice day."
Malik snorted. "A nice day. Right." He walked up the stairs and found 306 in next to no time.
A nurse stood by Ryou's bedside. She looked up as Malik came in, but said nothing. Ryou was asleep, but his heartbeat was normal. Malik winced at the number of cuts and bruises that covered him. One of his wrists looked broken. Other than that he seemed fine.
"Do you know what happened to him?" Malik asked the nurse.
The nurse finished what she was scribbling before looking up at him. "He was hit by a car," she said. "It actually went onto the sidewalk and threw him into the street. He thought to cover his head before the car hit him, so we don't think there's any brain damage, but we'll have to keep him overnight for observation. Is he your brother?"
Malik nodded. "When can he come home?" he asked.
The nurse looked down at her chart. "If nothing comes up, he'll be free to go tomorrow morning." She put the chart down in a folder at the end of Ryou's bed before leaving the room, explaining that she had other patients. Malik sank into a chair and gazed at his sleeping form.
It was nothing too serious. Just some cuts and a broken wrist. Malik shuddered at the nurse's description of what had happened. The car driving on the side walk, almost like...
Malik stood up suddenly, fists clenched as eyes blazing. Almost like they were trying to run him down!
Malik stormed out of the hospital. He marched down the street, not caring that people stopped to stare. No one hurt his Ryou like that. Not his Ryou! One thought burned in Malik's mind: Ashley will pay.