FLY WITH ME
Chapter 3: A New Leaf
By Amphitrite II
.
Notes: I'm so proud! This fic is getting so much more readers than I had ever expected. ^^ So here's the next chapter for all of you! And thanks for reviewing; it helped a lot in the continuation of this chapter.
Last Revision: June 18, 2009
Post-Revision Notes: I am rather proud of how I fixed up the end of this chapter. Enjoy!
.
Beside him on the swingset, Yami was staring at the seesaw before them, barely blinking. But Bakura could tell that his thoughts weren't fixated on the toy; it was as if his mind had departed to a place far, far away, leaving his body on Earth.
Bakura found himself staring.
"Are you always out this late, Thief?" Yami asked blandly, his eyes giving the impression that his question had no true motive.
"No, not usually. Why? Are you?"
"Sometimes, when I need to go somewhere to examine all my feelings and to just let go...of everything." Yami turned to Bakura with heavy eyes. "Do you ever feel that way, Thief?" He closed his eyes and turned away again. "Like you just have too much to worry about and stress over, and that you just need to get rid of it all and…relax?"
Startled by Yami's calm words, Bakura wasn't sure how to answer. Had he ever felt that way? Well, I suppose…I mean, I never really thought about it like that. When I need to get rid of stress, I just go beating up mortals in downtown Domino. "I…don't know," he said uncertainly. Yami smiled softly.
"You're lucky: you have someone to love. It must be a wonderful feeling, having someone to rely on all the time, someone to whom you can confide all your troubles and secrets. If only I could feel that way…"
"What's stopping you?" Bakura asked bluntly. Yami's head snapped up, and he looked directly into the other's eyes.
"I…I don't know how."
Bakura blinked and then frowned. "You don't know how?" he repeated. "There is no 'how' to love! You just do it… Sometimes even involuntarily. It's not that difficult. I bet that's not the problem; I bet you're afraid to love."
Yami was silent; neither of them moved an inch. Bakura stared confidently into Yami's eyes, which had grown were large and doubtful.
"I'm not afraid," Yami answered stubbornly, but his expression gave his uncertainty away.
Bakura smirked a little. "I don't believe you. Everyone's afraid to love, of love. They do it anyway, but they're scared. They fear the pain of it, what happens afterwards. Because not every relationship leads to a 'happily ever after'." His eyes darkening, Bakura's voice became slightly softer. "I fear it too, Pharaoh. But I believe that it's worth it. All the fear, all the pain… I think it would all be worth it if I didn't have to be alone anymore."
"I thought you had a lover already."
Bakura regained himself quickly. "I never said that. I only said that I love someone, not that they loved me back."
"Who wouldn't love you?"
Bakura raised an eyebrow. "In case you've forgotten, there's not much about me to love, Pharaoh. The object of my affections would never return my feelings, even though there is no one else in the world for whom I hold such a passion."
Yami didn't reply, instead turning away and averting his eyes from Bakura's fiery ones. Finally – "Thief."
"Hmm?"
"I want you to know… What I said to you the other day… I didn't mean it." For some reason unclear to himself, guilt seeped into his veins the moment he made that statement. "I didn't mean it at all," he said in a firmer voice, as if he were convincing himself instead of the man sitting on the swing beside him.
Lost in his own thoughts, he missed Bakura's hurt expression at his blunt confession.
"Don't lie to me, Pharaoh," he spat, standing up and letting his gaze linger on the other before he turned away. "I may not be the most righteous of people, but I severely dislike being lied to."
Bakura began walking away. Before he could stop himself, Yami called, "Wait!"
Upon hearing the cry, Bakura stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. "Yes?" he said sharply, partly fearful and partly hopeful of what Yami meant to tell him.
"I don't understand," Yami admitted helplessly, standing up as well. A look of sympathy crossed Bakura's face.
"You will soon, Pharaoh. I know you will. Just remember," his voice cracked a little, "to come to me when you figure it out." Lit up with a warm fire, Bakura's eyes matched Yami's own with a glimmer of faith. "I hope you come soon," he whispered.
And then he left.
Puzzled by Bakura's cryptic words, Yami watched him go with the miserable expression of a small, lost child. "Damn you, Thief. I don't understand what you're trying to tell me…"
Ring ring!
Yuugi yawned and picked the phone up before it woke his mother and grandfather up in the middle of the night. "Huh?" he asked groggily.
"Psst! Yuugi!"
The small boy yawned again. "R-R-R-Ryou?" He rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing up so late? We have school tomorrow, in case you didn't know."
"Of course I know that! But I wanted to tell you that the spirit just walked into the house mumbling about the pharaoh. And he didn't sound mad," Ryou reported. Suddenly filled with excitement, Yuugi sat up quickly in his bed.
"Are you serious? That's awesome!" He paused. "But hey, I thought you said that you didn't want to play matchmaker for them."
"I don't," Ryou replied stubbornly. "It's just that I thought that you would want to know."
"But, Ryou!" Yuugi whined. "We have to help them together! It's no fun if it's only me." He pouted. "Please?"
Ryou groaned. "I don't want to! It never works out, anyway! What's the point?"
"Come on! Don't you want to see Bakura happy?"
"Who said that he isn't already happy the way he is?"
"Can't you tell? He's lonely, Ryou. He wants someone to love. And that someone happens to be Yami."
Incredulously, Ryou answered, "Are you saying that Bakura has a crush on Yami?"
Yuugi grinned. "Well, not necessarily, but if you want to think of it like that, go ahead, be my guest."
"But – !"
"Oh, come on. Admit it! They look absolutely adorable together!"
Ryou's eyebrow arched higher. "Adorable? Yami and Bakura? How adorable can you get with a righteous pharaoh and a vengeful thief…together?"
"Very adorable," Yuugi answered stubbornly. Ryou sighed.
"Fine, you win. I'll help you -- but I doubt this will work. Don't go blaming me if everything screws up in the end and those two end up hating each other even more than they already do."
"I won't," Yuugi promised.
"Okay, then."
"Hooray!" Yuugi paused, lowering his voice. "So, what do you think Bakura was talking about?"
Bakura returned to his soul room, reclining on the cold stone floor. For some reason, he felt extremely fulfilled after that "talk" with Yami. It was as if the weight on his chest had been lifted ever the slightest, even though it most definitely was not completely off of him. He wasn't sure if Yami would ever figure out that Bakura was romantically interested in him, despite the hints that he'd been dropping – but it was worth a chance.
Right?
Well…nobody could be too sure. Yami might never figure out his feelings. Bakura sighed.
Why did he have to fall for the Pharaoh, of all people? Why couldn't it have been someone else? Then again, he wasn't exactly fond of the other little twerps that Ryou called his friends. But, still… The Pharaoh was just such an impossible target. Even though he was beginning to believe that Yami didn't hate him for everything he had done in the past, he still doubted that Yami would ever see him in a pleasant light.
He had never been a good person, not since his village had been destroyed, and especially not since Zorc had possessed him. When the Pharaoh had defeated him, he had believed that he was going to the afterlife to be punished. But the Pharaoh had done something completely unexpected and had shown mercy to the man who had been the most dangerous of his enemies. Yami punished wrongdoers and crushed those who hurt his friends – and yet he had decided to forgive Bakura for his malevolent actions and to give him another chance to live. He had apologized for the destruction of Kul Elna and had told Bakura that he trusted him to do better in this lifetime, now that Zorc had been defeated.
The last person who had shown kindness to Bakura had been his mother, on the night of the attack. He had never expected to be treated nicely ever again. But that was what the Pharaoh was like – always achieving the impossible.
Love had come surprisingly easily – Bakura had fallen hard and fast for those unforgettably fiery eyes, that wild hair, that relentless spirit, that almost magnetic power, and most of all, that inherent intent of the Pharaoh to do good despite his love for penalty games.
Sure, he had hated the man not so long ago, but that was during a lifetime tied to Egypt. Egypt was receding into the ancient past faster and faster, the more he indulged in this century of technology and science.
This is the twentieth century – a time when we can start things all over again, past be damned.
They were both anachronisms in this world. While the Pharaoh might feel like he was surrounded by friends, he would be alone in the end, just as he was for the 3,000 years that he slept before his vessel solved the Millennium Puzzle. He would have to bid his little companions last goodbyes as they die, not blessed with immortality as spirits were.
We could be good for each other. Already, I have attempted to reform myself for his sake. Yearning to win him over, I have tried my best to become someone that he could accept, that he could love.
Everyone still thought of him as the evil Bakura, the bloodthirsty, vengeful thief who would do anything to get his hands around Yami's throat. They still feared him; they still believed that he was heartless, emotionless. They still assumed that he was inhuman and incapable of love and kindness and generosity and good.
Well, screw them. That's not who I am anymore. Not since the Pharaoh gave me a second chance to live.
If only he would realize that…
Notes: Yes! Another chapter completed. Was that a bit of an abrupt ending? Hope it wasn't too sudden. I really wanted to get this up for you all.
I'm on a roll here, so help me keep it going by reviewing. Otherwise…^^;
Thanks!