Author's Note: I apologize for not updating in… eight months!? Oh my… well, Rakka is no longer living
next door to me, she moved home, and if I never have to see my brother-in-law again, it'll be too soon, however
clichéd that sounds. In-laws can definitely drive a person insane.
Choice
By: Crystalin Elf
Chapter 12: Confessions
"Hey, Ryou, Bakura!"
The friendly voice calling out to them was unmistakable, and at the moment unwelcome. Anzu may have been one or Ryou's
best friends, but that did not mean he wanted to run into her right now. Not when…
"Hello Anzu," Ryou replied calmly, with only a hint of resignation at his friend's sudden appearance. "Terribly sorry, but we
can't stay and chat, we've plans already."
"Oh," Anzu said, startled. Ryou always had time for them… She glanced between hikari and yami, wondering if she could figure
out what they were up to, and repressed a shudder.
Bakura was glaring at her.
She fidgeted a bit as she tried not to let her discomfort show. Ryou was being polite after all, even though Bakura was glaring at
her... He wouldn't do anything with Ryou there beside him.
She hoped.
She took a deep breath, and continued along with her planned min-speech. "Today we're throwing a little party for Yami at the
Prism Twilight Cafe, and we were wondering if you wanted to come join us."
Even though 'we' meant just Anzu, who, with a lot of persistence and blackmail, had barely managed to persuade Jounouchi,
Honda, Mai, and Shizuka to come to the café with her. Even Yugi had been reluctant to accept, while Kaiba and Mokuba
had outright refused.
Bakura definitely did not want to go to a party for the Pharaoh, even though he could sense that this 'Prism Twilight Cafe' had
been his hikari's intended destination. "We have other plans for the day, mortal, so leave before you become to annoying."
Not that she hadn't already reached the point where she was annoying, but he doubted that Ryou would let him do something to
scare her away. To bad… looked like they'd just have to do something else to spend time together.
He gave the Anzu no more time to try and convince them, or give his hikari time to change his mind and accept. He grabbed
Ryou's arm firmly and dragged him away, carefully maneuvering into a cluster of other people walking about town,
disappearing from Anzu's sight.
Sometimes, he wished he were still evil.
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* Ryou's P.O.V. *
Sometimes, I think fate is against me.
Not often of course, but at times like this, when Anzu shows up unexpectedly with a way of ruining my plans for the
afternoon. I want to go to the Prism Twilight cafe with just Bakura today, even though I know the place will be
filled with different people.
It's just… like I told him, I want to spend time with him alone, instead of time spent with him while all my other friends
are around. I want the day to be just the two of us…
Like a couple, I guess. Is that wrong?
Of course, I also want to get him alone so I can confess to him, without anyone like Jou or Honda to make fun of me
afterwards. I wonder if I'll get to do that?
Probably. Bakura is watching out for me after all, and he's leading me through a rather large crowd of people. I doubt
Anzu can see us now. At a time like this I can appreciate my yami's past as a tomb robber, because he certainly
knows how to lose someone when he wants to.
Now… wait, he's let go of my arm and… where'd he go? There are too many people about to see if he's gone into one
of the stores…
// I'm here, don't worry hikari, you didn't lose me. //
Thank goodness…
/ That's good, Bakura-kun. I was worried… /
// I know, I know. Just wait a few more moments. //
Suddenly he is here again, carrying a bag of… food? Yes, a bag of food. I wonder what he got? Not much
time to wonder though, because he's holding my arm again, and guiding me somewhere.
How long are we going to walk, I wonder.
Not that I have long to wonder, because we've stopped again, in front of a small coffee shop called the
'Midnight Cafe'. The door makes a jingling sound as he opens it and tugs me inside.
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Bakura reached out and opened the door as gently as he could, trying to make the distinguishing noise of the bells tied to the
door as quiet as possible. He didn't trust bells, not after that brown haired woman who always sounded like them had
trapped him in a fortuneteller's tent. Oh, he didn't think that she had done so deliberately, as all her attention had been
focused on a pink haired girl, but nevertheless, it had been an unnerving experience. Mortals weren't supposed to be able
to do things like that anymore…
Resolutely he shook the memory away, and glanced about the coffee house with mild interest. The owner had come back a few
weeks ago after traveling abroad, and the taste was better than that of the name brand chain across the road.
And no one in their group of friends drank coffee, except for Ryou and Kaiba.
With a smug smile of satisfaction he let go of Ryou's arm, and motioned for his hikari to follow him to his favorite table. Not that
Ryou knew he'd ever come here, or that he even had a favorite place to hang out when he got tired of online games.
As he sat down, Bakura set the bag of snacks down by the window, not taking anything out as Ryou slid into the seat across
from him. The owner's cakes and coffee were good enough, even if you had to wait a bit on the coffee, since the owner
brewed each persons order individually.
"Hey, Narugami! Double my regular order, ok? And make them separate, I brought a friend!" he called out, not bothering to
look around for 'Narugami'. He new the guy would be in the bathroom, cleaning up as he always seemed to. I could
almost feel sorry for him… he goes through more part-time jobs than anyone else I or Ryou knows.
"Alright, alright! But you'll have to wait a bit on the coffee, the Master is out at the moment."
A few moments later a tall, brown haired guy appeared, a wooden sword tucked under his arm as he laid to pieces of cake
down on the table next to Bakura. "Here you go, and yes Bakura, I washed my hands. Don't cause trouble."
Bakura snorted softly, "of course I won't. Now go away."
"Fine, fine."
As Narugami left, Bakura slid a piece of the cake over to Ryou. "Here hikari, I promise it's good. And not poisoned, the sword
carrying weirdo is a good cook."
Ryou accepted the proffered cake with a shy smile, and quietly took a bite. It really was good, he noted absently as he watched
his yami dig around in the bad of snacks he'd bought. After a few moments, he accepted the water bottle that Bakura
passed to him.
"This is a nice place, Bakura," he said softly, looking around slowly. Did the own have any cups that were the
same? Everyone he could see in the cabinet looked different.
"I'm glad you like it hikari. I've been meaning to bring you here… it just reopened recently. And… you wanted to go to the
Prism Twilight Café, didn't you? Don't worry, we can go some other time, when Anzu isn't planning any surprises."
He was rewarded with a grateful smile from his hikari, and felt immensely pleased with himself. It wasn't too often that
he could do something nice for Ryou, as nice was still a new facet to his personality. Or Ryou's kind of 'nice', anyway…
They sat in companionable silence while they finished their cake.
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Ryou stirred his coffee absently, staring down into the dark brown swirls he'd created before lifting the cup to his lips and taking
a sip. He smiled slightly… the stuff really was good, not at all bitter like he'd been expecting. He nodded to owner in
thanks before gazing back down at the table. They'd already been here for a half hour, far longer than he'd expected Bakura to
stay in a place.
But his yami seemed perfectly comfortable here.
That in itself was a bit unusual, not that he minded. There had to be some place his yami felt comfortable, he
just never thought a coffee house would be that place. He smiled a bit, amused with himself. His yami could be
comfortable where ever he wanted, and Ryou wouldn't mind.
He loved Bakura, after all.
Now if he could just tell Bakura how he felt… and he was still debating if should tell the former tomb robber how he felt about
him mind-to-mind, or out loud. He didn't know how Bakura would react…
Ryou hoped the answer would be positive, because it was obvious now that Bakura cared about him, but to what extent? He
wouldn't know unless he asked… but he didn't get the chance to ask.
"Ryou, I brought you here for a reason, besides just wanting to spend time with you," Bakura said softly, interrupting the
downward spiral of Ryou's thoughts. He smiled slightly as Ryou looked at him again, clearly startled. Had they been thinking
similar thoughts? He wondered.
He paused for a moment before continuing. "You've put up with me when I was at my vary worst, hikari. You've cared for me
and been my friend when no one else would have and I… I really appreciate that. More than I can say, really… And I
care about you more than I have ever cared about anyone. More than I ever will care about anyone else."
He took another deep breath, trying to still his annoyance with himself for being so long winded and sentimental, and blinking
away tears he hadn't expected to have hanging in his eyes.
"Ryou…"
Bakura reached out and placed his hands over his hikari's, willing himself to continue. The former tomb robber refused to let his
courage desert him now. He continued on, his voice almost inaudible.
"Ryou, I love… no, I'm in love with you…"
He trailed off and dropped his gaze to the table, a very faint blush creeping along his cheeks. And… did those tears really have
the nerve to slide down his cheeks? He might have been furious with himself, if he wasn't feeling so anxious.
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For a moment, all Ryou could do was stare at his yami. Had he actually heard right? Bakura was in love with him? Then he
smiled. This wouldn't be so hard after all. He tugged one of his hands out from beneath Bakura's, and reached forward to
wipe away the tears that were trailing their way down his cheeks. And I thought I would be the one crying… for
a moment he felt odd, conscious that he had expected their roles to be reversed.
But his yami was still crying, and still staring at the table, and he could now feel his yami's love flowing down
their mind-link… in this at least, there could be no doubt.
"I love, and am in love, with you too, Bakura."
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Ok folks, that's all for this chapter. I might write an epilog, and I may not. I could just leave the rest of the details of their
happily ever after, or not, to your imagination. I know you all must have one.
Thanks for reading!