Quickie Notes: ::sweatdrop:: Well, I intended that to be a one-shot. But when the plot bunny bites you… it would taste too gross to bite back. So you have to sit down and write.
So, the way this fic will go: That first chapter is the basis. Each chapter will be a song-fic applying to a time period before or after the dance. Easy enough! ^_^
This fic isn't my top priority, however, so updates will not be very frequent. But there won't be any suspense, since each of these will be a fic in its own right.
Disclaimer: -_-() Bakura has been banished to the Shadow Realm! Do you REALLY think I'd let that happen? I don't own "I Hope You Dance," either. I'm still confused as to who does, but I think its Lee Ann Womack. I don't own that last song I threw in there, either – "Truly, Madly, Deeply." It's owned by Savage Gardens and I only used the first stanza.
I Hope You DanceSix months before the Dance
*~*~*
"It's hot out," Ryou announced, hoping for a response from his yami. Of course, all he got was a grunt.
"I feel bad for Joey," Ryou tried. "He doesn't have air conditioning. Well, I bet he's hanging out at Yugi's house. Or something."
Bakura nodded absently and Ryou let out a sigh. What was preoccupying his yami so much? Bakura refused to tell him. Although, that didn't mean Ryou was clueless. As time went on, his yami grew more careless with the mind link. The first time Ryou had seen Téa dancing across his subconscious, though, he'd freaked. It was kind of a reverse of the situation in Battle City! And thank goodness, like then, there was an explanation. Of course, like then, the explanation wasn't necessarily logical.
Bakura was thinking about Téa? Why? And why was he thinking about how she danced? Was he still thinking about her? Was that why he was ignoring Ryou?
So many questions. The white-haired boy sighed softly. For some reason, this brought more of a response from Bakura. "What's eating you?" the tomb robber inquired.
Ryou flashed him a smile. He wouldn't say it out loud… for fear of his yami's wrath… but Bakura had grown more… dare he say it? Softer. Kinder. Nicer. Of course, if Bakura heard him saying that, all thoughts of 'kindness' would fly out of his head as he disemboweled his hikari.
"Nothing. Just bored, I guess." He reached over and flicked on the radio.
The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the music, until Bakura stood up with a bold, "I gotta pee." Ryou answered this with a disgusted face and a wave of his hand.
He rested his chin in his hand for a moment, listening to the DJ come on and announce the next song. "I Hope You Dance." Bakura accused him of being girly, but he liked the song. It wasn't that girly, was it? It was strong and taught a lesson. Come to think of it, maybe it was a lesson Bakura could use, if he was still wondering what to do about Téa. With a smile, he reached over and edged the volume up.
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed.
Bakura splashed water on his face and then stilled. Ryou had turned up the volume. For some reason, the kid seemed to like music a lot. Kind of like his dorky friend… that girl… the one who's name he could never remember.
Oh, who was he kidding? Téa. The one haunting his thoughts. The one dancing across his thoughts, damnit. And he didn't know why!
Well, he didn't want to admit it anyway.
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance…
He didn't like her that much. He was just thinking about her because… well, just because. He was a tomb robber, soul stealer, and master duelist. He didn't need a reason!
But he definitely didn't like her. And just because he kept picturing her dancing and dancing and dancing, it didn't mean he wanted to dance with her or anything!
I hope you dance...
I hope you dance.
Stupid song. It didn't know what it was talking about.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',.
"This is not the path of least resistance, or whatever you want to call it!" Bakura yelled angrily at his reflection. "This is just me not wanting to dance with Pharaoh's stupid friend! And I don't love her! And it's not a mistake!"
He stared in the mirror, thinking over what he just said. "I mean, it would be a mistake if I did love her. But I don't! And it's not a mistake that I don't love her! Stop twisting my words!"
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance…
"I'm not bitter, either," he scowled at his reflection. "Unless I'm the hell bent heart. Which is not fair! I'm not that much of a jerk. Téa hasn't had to give me a friendship lecture in a month. Although I kind of miss those… she'd always make me go into a corner with her and she'd lean real close and I could smell her… Ra-damnit!"
He panted heavily for a while. "When I come close to selling out, reconsider, eh? What are you trying to tell me? Well, you know what? I've got you beat! I won't try at all! Not that I'd want to dance with Téa anyway."
I hope you dance....
I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....
I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion
Always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their youth and wonder
Where those years have gone.)
It was official. The song was out to get him. And the idiot in the mirror kept scowling at him! He wondered how mad Ryou would get if he broke it. Probably not too pleased; his hikari was funny with things like that.
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance…
Why did Ryou keep turning the volume up? He must really like the song.
All right… Téa. Her brown hair swishing in front of her face, how her eyes flashed, her laugh, her constant cheerfulness, the really short skirts she wore, how she always had a smile, her friendship speeches that always got the (stupid) Pharaoh back fighting… He didn't care about that. Nope. He didn't need anyone.
And he especially didn't care about how when she danced, she looked like she was begging for a partner. Someone who would care for her… hold her the right way… someone with faith, opportunity, and most of all – someone who wouldn't sit out. Someone who would dance.
Ra, the song had gone to his head.
…Or was that his heart?
Dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....
I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....
I hope you dance..
(Time is a wheel in constant motion
Always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their youth and wonder
Where those years have gone)
Bakura slid back into the kitchen and plopped onto the chair next to his hikari. Ryou seemed lost in thought, and he too fell silent as they listened to the end chords of the song. Ryou stirred, and started to say something, but fell silent as the next song came on.
I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy.
I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need.
I love you more with every breath...
Truly, madly, deeply do
I will be strong, I will be faithful, 'cause I'm counting on
A new beginning, a reason for living, a deeper meaning.
I want to stand with you on a mountain,
I wanna bathe with you in the sea.
I wanna lay like this forever,
Until the sky falls down on me.
Bakura's frown grew deeper, and Ryou suspected this might be a bit much for him and flicked the radio off. In the immediate silence, Bakura announced, "I'll never be that ridiculous."
Ryou raised his eyebrows mildly. "How is that ridiculous?"
"Well- I- it just is! Love is too mushy. I'll never be that mushy."
Ryou suppressed a smile. "We'll see, yami," he simply said. To avoid the barrage of questions he knew would follow, he got up and peered in the freezer. "Want some ice cream? It's only getting hotter in here."
Bakura made a face. "I suppose," he said reluctantly, though Ryou wasn't fooled. His tough, leather-wearing yami had a major sweet tooth.
Ryou dug it out, his brain working furiously. If Bakura's defensive attitude was any measure, the song had touched him. Maybe he'd go dance with Téa now! Of course, Bakura didn't know how. Well, that could be fixed. His yami would never accept dance lessons from him, and he especially wouldn't accept them from Téa, but he was pretty good at teaching himself.
"Bakura," he began casually, "I was thinking of getting a new radio for down here. Maybe I'll go shopping later. Would you stick this old one in the attic?"
"It's too hot up there!" Bakura protested. "It's practically a heat ball." He fell silent for a moment. "If we sent the Pharaoh up there, do you think all the gel on his hair would light on fire?"
"Bakura!" Ryou scolded, although he'd burst out laughing and dropped the ice-cream scoop. "That's not very nice!"
"I know," Bakura replied smugly.
Ryou rolled his eyes, making sure his back was to his yami. Bakura claimed Ryou looked even more like a girl when he did that. "Well, if you don't want to put it in the attic, can you just keep it in your room?"
He was listening closely, so he didn't miss the sudden intake of breath. He grinned to himself. And now Bakura had an excuse. And if he knew his sly yami, he wouldn't miss the bait.
"Fine," Bakura grumbled. "I'll put the stupid thing in my room later. Why do you want a new one, anyway?"
Ryou shrugged. "The CD player on this one is broken," he answered honestly. "It still plays, but you can't skip songs. I'm not sure why, but I haven't been able to fix it."
Bakura was silent. Not skipping songs wouldn't kill him. It was a small price to pay for a dance-lesson-in-a-box! Of course, he could just steal one, but that was another thing Ryou frowned on. Maybe he'd steal the CDs, though.
But he didn't want to go to the store today; he wanted to get right upstairs and practice! Well, Ryou had some CDs. He could take one now; it was lying at the other end of the table. His hikari was too absorbed in his ice cream to notice.
Ryou busied himself with licking every drop of ice cream off the spoon while Bakura snaked his hand across the table. Maybe it was the mind link, or maybe the tomb robber had lost some of his skill, but it was kind of like watching a five-year old grab cookies from the cookie jar. Ryou pretended not to notice… it would be funny to see Bakura's reaction when he realized he'd grabbed his father's '15 Greatest Country Songs'.
*~*~*
Whew! ^_^ Sorry if it sounded like I was dissing country music. I'm not. I think it's pretty cool in it's own right… it's just not very 'Yami Bakura,' that's all. ^_^() All right, I hope I made some people happy! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Any suggestions for future songs, please say so. Even if you don't have any, I'd love reviews! ^.^