Show Me the Way from Crazy
Thirteen
Not a Dream

(a.n. – Wah! I apologize endlessly about how long it took me to update this. It's just school . . . it's evil. I'm sure all of you shall be able to agree with me, ne? Heh. So yeah – the thirteenth chapter. Lucky number 13. I actually like the number. *Shurgs* Yeah – so I hope everyone likes this chapter and finds it in their hearts to forgive me. Ne? Ne? Haha – I was going through some of the earlier chapters – and damn some of them were short. Some of these shall be short too. I'm sorry – I try to update, but fail, and then my chapters are short. I fail at life. Apologies, mates.)
Disclaimer: Wishes sadly aren't reality. So that also sadly means that I do not own this.
Note: This is completely AU. Nothing in the series has happened in this. Well . . . kinda. Everything up to Battle City has . . . I guess. But besides that – nothing! Heh heh – just to clear up confusion . . . Oh! And another thing, I will be switching the point of view every chapter (don't worry – only between two people) because well, it's better to get everyone's perspective, right? Heh heh – and this is shounen-ai . . . if you have a problem – why the hell are you reading it?

Review Replies:
Trei: Heerm. I don't know why I like Yuugi more. I think it's cause of the kawaii chibi-ness. Heehee. ^_^
GreenFairy: . . . the school scenes? Well, they ah . . . yeah – they kinda died. Heh. There's one in this chapter though. Man, I suck at time.
The Merciless Torturer: o0o0o – yeah, that copy and paste copy and paste copy and paste copy and paste copy and paste copy and paste copy and paste copy and paste copy and paste thing. Ah hah . . . catching your drift . . .
Yami Hitomi: Ehhh – sorry I never got around to e-mailing you. I will soon though. I love you forever for calling me "grand." That's the one adjective I can honestly say I've never been called. I applaud you for that.
Turtle Child: Panda here . . . calling, urm . . . turtle? Heehee – thanks for the review . . . in computer class. O.o;;

"When I consider this carefully, I find not a single property which with certainty separates the walking state from the dream. How can you be certain that your whole life is not a dream?"

Ryou's POV

            After I had talked to Bakura, it seemed like I had only slept for a few seconds before my alarm clock started yelling at me. Stupid ads. I wanted to wake up to music.

            I threw one of the smaller pillows on the bed at the alarm clock, and the rapid talking instantly ceased. My aim was getting pretty damn good. Then I heard a banging noise as the white, tasseled poof hit the ground alongside a water bottle. Maybe my aim needs some work . . .

            I rolled over lazily and looked up at Malik. Still sleeping. Does anything wake him up? Shaking him slightly, I whispered his name, but to no avail.

            "MALIK!" I tried screaming in his ear, but he just mumbled something and slept on.

            "Wanna keep it down in there? I don't need to know what you're doing gods dammit!" I heard Bakura yell from his room.

            I instantly blushed. "I'm just trying to wake him up!" I yelled back defensively.

            "Suuure."

            Ugh. Bakura can be annoying. But he can also be really great when he wants to be; not very often, basically. I am truly grateful for what he did for me – and Malik – earlier this morning though.

            I sighed and poked Malik. Nothing. I continued poking, finding it highly amusing, until I poked his nose and he bit my finger. . . . Freak.

            Attempting to pull my finger out from between his teeth, I was becoming slightly miffed. I had to get ready for school and so did Malik.

            I kicked him and eventually his eyes slowly opened.

            "What ish yurs finghar dong en ma mouf?" Came the muffled question as I pulled my finger out, noticing that it was slightly red with bite marks.

            "You bit me!" I glared. "I hope you got your rabies shot."

            He just grinned. "Did I really do that in my sleep – or was there some hidden message there?"

            I blushed for the second time that morning. Malik just continued grinning and then propped himself up on his elbows and kissed me. Great. Am I ever going to return to a normal color before school?

            "Morning, love." He whispered softly in my ear. Flopping back down on the pillows, he asked, "Now why the hell are you waking me up so early?"

            "We have school." I stated the obvious.

            "Ah – screw school. Let's stay home."

            I sighed. "We can't just skip school." I protested, not really knowing why we couldn't, but it was just wrong.

            "Sure we can. I can think of much better things to do, anyway." He winked at me.

            Sighing, resisting temptation, I got out of bed. "You can do whatever you want, I'm going to school."

            He looked sad as I exited the room, school uniform in hand. As I was getting changed in the bathroom, I questioned whether or not Tou-san had returned back home yet. I didn't hear him come in . . .

            After getting washed and dressed, I poked my head into his room, and saw it completely untouched, just unpacked baggage strewn around the room.

            Being worried for only a few moments, I shrugged the uneasiness away and then walked back to my room. Malik was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed, in school uniform.

            I raised a questioning eyebrow, "So you're coming?"

            He sighed, and then looked me straight in the eye. "I'm going wherever you are."

            My eyes widened at this. Was he being serious? Or did he just want me to stay with him? He was still staring at me . . . sending shivers down my spine.

            He got off the bed and walked over to me. "How about we go meet those friends of yours?"

            "Um – yeah – hang on for a second, though." I said hurriedly, then rushed off to find Bakura.

            Truth be told, I didn't want to walk to school with Yuugi, Honda, Anzu and Jou. I would be content with just walking with Malik. Everything else seems so trivial when you're in love.      

            I located Bakura downstairs, doing some weird thing with coffee spoons. I question him sometimes . . .

            He looked up as I entered the room. "Oh – hey . . ."

            "Good morning." I greeted, opening up the fridge and pouring a glass of apple juice.

            "Where's Malik?"

            "Upstairs."

            "Ah hah – want me to tell Yuugi, Anzu, Jou and Honda when they come looking for you that you had to leave early?"

            My eyes lit up at that as I whirled around to face him. "Could you?!"

            He dismissed my excitement with a wave of his hand. "Sure – go now so that they don't see you on the way."

            And so me and Malik were walking to school. Alone. Oh, how much of a hopeless romantic I must sound like. I don't care though.

            We walked in constant chatter and when the talking ceased, Malik reached over and took my hand in his. How juvenile. Not that it matters – I was ecstatic. We walked to rest of the way in a comfortable silence.

            School passed by pretty quickly, Malik watching being the sole purpose of the six hours that usually waste most of my day.

            When we got home, I threw my book bag on the dining room table, simultaneously knocking over a few coffee spoons. What were they even doing there?!

            "Ahhh! You knocked over all of my hard work!" Bakura cried as he came running into the room.

            I blinked. "What the hell is it?!"

            He glared. "Don't question the doings of a genius. You're fixing that." He pointed to the spoons and coffee beans on the floor.

            I rolled my eyes, deciding that I'd vacuum later because I know no one else would.

            "What do you want to do for dinner?" I questioned Bakura to change the subject, figuring I'd have to start fairly soon.

            He looked still distraught over his . . . "masterpiece," but still answered, "Oh – I'm not gonna be here – so ask Malik."

            "Where are you going?" I inquired curiously.

            "Nowhere." He shrugged.

            "And what are you doing once you get there?"

            "Still nothing."

            Fine. If he was going to be like that.

            He looked at me. "It's not somewhere I want to go."

            "Then why are you going?"

            "I'm being forced to."

            "Oooh! Someone controls the all powerful tomb robber?!" I said with mock astonishment.

            He glared. "Shut up."

            I sighed and walked off, going in search of Malik, and found him asleep on the couch. He really does like his sleep, ne?

            "Malik!" I yelled, and this time he actually woke up.

            "Hmmwha?" He questioned sleepily.

            I smiled at the cuteness of his sleepy stupor. "What do you want to do for dinner? Bakura's going out, so it's just me and you."

            "Hmm – you always make dinner. I'll make it for us tonight. As a surprise." He winked one lavender eye at me and then stumbled to the kitchen, either drunk of still half-asleep.

            I was currently sitting in the living room, reading. Malik was in the kitchen, and wouldn't let me near it. Bakura had gone off to his mysterious location, grumbling the whole way out.

            Hearing a loud clatter from the kitchen, I instantly became alarmed. A loud cry of, "shit!" only furthered my worries, but I went back to reading, figuring that if Bakura can make something halfway decent, anyone could.

            My mind soon wandered from the pages of the text, and I began wondering where my dad was. Usually I don't worry about him, because in the beginning when I did, he always turned up a few hours later – completely fine. But this was a day later – surely he should be back by now . . . as much as he's screwed up some things, I do hope he's okay.

            Then I started to wonder where Bakura was, and why he wouldn't tell me. It's not like he needs to hide stuff from me, but he was this time – even through the mind link. Wonder why . . . everything's so fucked up right now. And yet I'm still happy – blissful, even. I've always wondered what true love felt like – now perhaps I know. All because of the Egyptian beauty, who's probably the furthest thing from me personality-wise. And he only entered my life a short while ago . . .

            Speaking of whom, Malik came into the living room just then, smiling a bit nervously. "Um – yeah. You won't get to taste the great cooking of Malik Ishtar just yet . . ." I looked at him quizzically, and then he added, "Oh yeah – and I owe you a pot."

            "What the hell did you do?!" I questioned incredulously.

            "Well – a few things burned, but I put the fire out before it damaged anything, honest! Only the pot died . . ."

            I sighed, "So do you want me to make something?"  

            "Nope. I got it all under control." He grinned. Just then, the doorbell rang, and he said, "There's our dinner now."

            He walked to the door, paid the Chinese looking man who handed him a brown bag of food, and then placed the bag on the living room table.

            "You like Chinese food, right?" He asked, opening the bag.

            "Ah – yeah." I said. I haven't had take-out in a while. At least I don't have to cook.

            After we finished, I pulled out the fortune cookies from the bottom of the bag. These things were so much fun. I handed one to Malik, took one for myself, and decided to save the other one for Bakura, as he thought these things were wisdom incarnate itself.

            Malik pulled out the paper in his, went wide-eyed, and suddenly cast it aside. I looked at him oddly.

            "What does it say?" I asked, taking the paper and reading it.

            "It's nothing . . ." He said softly.

            "It probably just means that you'll be successful, but to remember your humble roots." I explained, wondering why he made a big deal out of it.

            "Um – yeah – right . . ." He mumbled, taking some plates and carrying them off to the kitchen.

            I picked up the rest of the silverware and cast one more glance at the small, white slip of paper: 'You will go far, but remember to come back.' Ahh – fortune cookie wisdom . . .

"A path without obstacles probably leads nowhere."

(a.n. – Wahoo! That chapter finished. o0o0o – and for all who care – all of the mysteries WILL eventually be revealed. Heh. Yeah – please review. Maybe it'll motivate me to write instead of doing homework – even though I will be chomped upon. Heh heh – hope everyone else is having an easier time with homework than I am. ^_^ I'll try to write the next chapter fairly soon. Until then, me maties.)