The Caged Rose
Disclaimer: *Dressed up in rags* Oi, any one out there wanna do a poor fangirl a favour and sell her YGO?
Pairings: Malik/Ryou, Bakura/Marik. Some others later on.
Warnings/Other: Yaoi, Yuri, angst, school-fic, maybe some OOC, completely disreguards story line.
Summary: Ryou is a depressed yet caring loner who just wants some love. Malik is a popular, 'egotistical' honours student. Malik has a secret crush on Ryou, whose trust is literally impossible to gain. The rest is up to fate when they bump into eachother in the halls. YAOI, YURI.
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The morning sunlight peeked in through the curtians, but dared not touch the shadowed figure of Bakura sitting off to the side in the sleeping Malik's hospital room. His thoughts drifted to Ryou, as the timid white- haired boy was a topic he and Marik had discussed quite often in the past few days. Bakura knew Marik disliked the boy and blamed him for all that had happened recently, but the way he had sounded last night... And he'd seen the way Ryou looked at Marik's brother when he thought no one was around, with a gaze so tender and gentle that it made Bakura reconsider the way he communicated with Ryou.
Sunlight marked its territory on Bakura's face as he looked up, having heard the tell-tale sounds of someone entering the otherwise silent room. His eyes scanned the doorway until they landed on a middle-aged doctor holding a clipboard, and for a moment Bakura simply stared at the 'intruder,' silently asking what was wanted.
"Good morning, sir. You are...?"
"Just call me Bakura," replied the thin teenager. There was a slight pause. "Is there any update on Malik's status as of yet?"
The doctor fumbled with his papers for a few moments before he spoke. "Well, the second surgery was very successful. We'll be moving Mr. Ishtar into a normal room later on today. We're also going to keep him here for the rest of today and overnight for observation, and hopefully if all goes well he'll be able to return home."
Bakura nodded. Time elapsed into what he considered to be a figment of his imagination, before the doctor finally left the room, and he was once again left to simply watch Malik's chest rise and fall with slight movements.
.
Many hours later found Bakura sitting where he had been in the morning, only now he had one leg drawn up into his chest and he was using his kneecap as a resting place for his crossed arms, upon which rested his forehead. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was soft, but he wasn't asleep. He was simply enjoying the mostly silent atmosphere of the room, and every now and then he would glance up to make sure Malik was still okay.
Yawning and stretching his arms out, he glanced at his watch as the muscles in his arms reawaked from their previously lazy state. The digital numbers read '8:36 PM,' which came as a suprise to Bakura. He hadn't even realized so much time had elapsed. Biting back at another yawn, he stood up and walked over to Malik's bedside. Gently, he shook the younger boy awake, and waited until tiredness had been rubbed out of bright amethysts before speaking. "Good morning, Malik."
Malik slowly, carefully, raised himself into a sitting position, supporting himself on his arm. "Morning? Bakura, it's almost eight-forty... Hey, wait, I don't remember you coming in... When did you get here?"
"Some time around nine this morning. You were sleeping so I figured I wouldn't wake you up. Anyways, I wanted to say goodnight before I left. The doctor came in earlier this afternoon and said that they'd keep you here overnight for observation, and if all goes well then you're free to go tomorrow."
Malik's face brightened. "Well, thanks, 'Kura. Stop by some time tomorrow?" He asked hopefully.
A small smile crossed Bakura's normally stoic face. "Sure. G'night."
//
The house was quiet as Bakura slipped inside, unfazed at all by the darkness that enveloped itself around the house. He noticed with slight curiosity that all the lights were turned off, except for one opposide the front door. Intrigued, Bakura made his way into the kitchen, entering the room in the subtle way that only he could manage. He scoffed good naturedly at the sight that greeted him.
Marik was sleep at the kitchen table over what appeared to be scattered papers filled with enough arithmatics to drive any normal person into insanity. Not wanting to wake Marik after the other had clearly been overworking himself with both trying to keep atop his schoolwork and worrying about his brother, Bakura bypassed Marik's sleeping form and moved over to something else that had caught his eye; the blinking of the answering machine.
Bakura pressed the 'Play All Messages' button on the machine and listened as Ryou's recorded voice came out of the speaker.
"Hi, Bakura? I hope I haven't called too early in the morning... But, you said to call back today, but I guess I missed catching you. Oh well. I guess I'll see you around... Call me back if you want to. My number's in the school directory. See you then... Goodbye."
The short message echoed throughout the silence of the house; Bakura was pretty sure that if he had been upstairs he would have heard the boy's soft voice filtering into whichever room he would have been in. He turned around and faced the telephone that lay quietly on the other side of the kitchen table. The time wasn't too late, perhaps he could still call Ryou back. He reached over to pick up the phone, and stared at it in his hands for a few long moments, thinking.
At length, he returned the phone to its original position; he would call Ryou some time the next day, perhaps when Malik was out of the hospital. Checking his watch once more for the time, he found it to be about an hour later than it had been last time he looked at the time. The yawn he had suppressed earlier resurfaced, and he stretched his long body out again.
Climbing the stairs that led to the guest-room where he spent most of his nights in, Bakura fell backwards onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Once again he thought of calling Ryou back, but as he threw the phone beside his bed a sideways glance, the hesitation came back. He blinked.
'Why am I so hesitant to call someone? I'm not afraid of the kid, and from what I've seen lately, he isn't so bad.'
He rolled over onto his side, and picked up the black cordless phone. Even in the dark he could read the numbers and even the letters for that matter perfectly. Shaking his head, he placed the phone down on the small table acting as his nightstand, and shifted his position again. He quickly fell asleep, with his head half burried by the single pillow.
* * *
He sighed and pushed his clock around listlessly. The numbers were now nearing 10:00 PM, and Bakura had either never gotten his message, forgotten all about him, or never decided he was important enough to receive a phone call back. Ryou pulled the covers tighter around his shoulders; all day he had been somewhat looking forward to talking to Bakura, just so he could hopefully get some of the misery off of his chest. With Malik being in the hospital, and Marik wishing he was dead, Bakura was the only one Ryou had to talk to about anything. But that didn't seem to matter to the other.
Had he said or done something to Bakura to merit this forgotten feeling? Ryou sighed and pulled his fingers through his long, silvery hair. Try as he might, he couldn't think of a single thing he had said to Bakura that was even slightly out of line. He didn't dare try to call again, not after a whole day of waiting for a phone call only to receive an empty glare from the phone. His thoughts drifted back to Malik.
It seemed like only a few days ago, the atmosphere surrounding the blonde was, for the most part, cheerful and friendly, but now it was replaced by a somber demeanor of mistakes. The guilt Ryou felt before was only multiplied now, as he shifted his gaze over to the picture of Malik he had drawn just hours before the car crash. The picture looked so happy, so carefree... And the gaze of those perfectly shaded eyes haunted him. Ryou thought of going back to the hospital, just to see how Malik was doing, but a glance at the clock revealed that it was far too late to expect the staff to let him see Malik. He would have to wait until the next day.
Another sigh.
He was in the beginning stages of putting his trust--and heart, for that matter--in Malik's hands. He knew he'd gotten attatched far too quickly, but he couldn't quite help it. He had gone so many years without a friend, and the prospect of having someone to talk to, someone to sit with, changed how he usually would have acted. He narrowed his eyes in despair. The path he had chosen to take seemed to have so many twists and turns, so many highs and lows that he couldn't keep up. Ryou wanted so badly to feel the warmth and happiness back inside of himself again, but it seemed as if the darkness and misery pushed away the light every chance it got.
Maybe what he had heard Malik say was right. Perhaps he /was/ afraid of people. The hurt itself had long since been what he said he was fearful of, but yet he still tried on occassion to make friends, or even be slightly more polite to certian individuals. Ryou blinked back the infant tears that he knew were on their way. He wouldn't cry. Not now. Not yet.
//
The next morning, the sun shone brightly into Malik Ishtar's empty hospital room. Around eleven Bakura stopped by to visit, when he ran into Ryou in the lobby. The petite snow-haired angel¹ looked absolutely awful as he and Bakura silently rode the elevator up to the third floor. Bakura remembered how he hadn't called Ryou back, but spoke nothing of it as he and Ryou exited the elevator and made their way towards Malik's room.
Ryou was the first to enter. When he saw neither hide nor hair of the Egyptian, he turned back around to Bakura. "He's not in here."
"What?" Bakura asked, peering inside the room. "D'you think they released him already?"
Ryou shook his head, "They'd have to release him to someone."
Bakura scoffed at himself, "Yeah. Marik's on his way over, so unless there's someone else who came to pick him up, I don't know, because we didn't exactly spread the news of what happened over the entire school."
A nod. Ryou was about to speak when his and Bakura's names were called out from behind them. The two near-albinos turned around and blinked at the cheery face of Malik waving to them. Bakura was the first to notice that their friend was in a wheelchair. Malik wheeled up to them.
"Bakura, I swear to whatever, don't laugh. It's some crappy hospital procedure that if you're a patient you hafta be wheeled out; you can't walk out." Malik said, pinning Bakura with a somewhat serious expression. "Anyway," He looked at Ryou, who still looked as if he had been put through all of the nine hells at least a hundred times. "Hey, Ry."
Ryou looked up into Malik's eyes with trepidation swirling around behind deep chocolate spheres. "Hi Malik."
Malik pulled Ryou closer to him with his gaze. When Ryou's ear was close to Malik's lips, he spoke. "I wanna talk to you about some stuff once I'm outta here, Ry."
"O-Okay." Ryou mumbled quietly. He drew back from Malik with dread rising in his chest. It seemed like everything and everyone was going against him right now, as his slight form followed that of Malik's wheelchair and Bakura on their way out.
When they got downstairs, Bakura noticed that Marik's Toyota Carolla² was pulled up into the loop outside the lobby. Having been told by Bakura earlier in the morning that Malik would be getting out of the hospital today, he waited patiently in the driver's seat with all the doors on the passenger side open. People tooted at him from their cars, but he gave them the flip-off finger, signaling that he wasn't going to move until who he was waiting for was securely inside the car.
Bakura reached the car first and climbed into the passenger's side in the front. He figured Ryou should be the one to sit with Malik in the back, since it was obvious to him how much his look-a-like cared for Malik. With a little bit of a struggle, Malik slid into the back seat behind Marik, leaving the spot beside him open for Ryou to sit in. The boy sat down quietly and pulled the door shut, buckling in his seat belt.
.
The car was silent for a short while until Marik and Bakura started muttering to eachother in the front seat. The words were spoken so quietly that Malik and Ryou couldn't even hear what was being said. Malik took advantage of this, and turned to Ryou, who still looked as downtrodden as ever.
"Ry?"
Ryou jerked out of his dream-world, where all was right. "Yes?"
Malik gently reached out and touched Ryou's hand, relieved when the slightly shorter boy didn't jerk away. "How are you doing?" He paused; how dumb had he just sounded? "I mean, you look... really sad. Like you're about to break down and cry. What's bothering you?"
"Malik. I-I'm sorry. It's my fault you crashed. It's my fault you were in the hospital in the first place..." he trailed off momentarily. "When you'd blacked out... and wouldn't wake up... I was so scared. I thought something really horrible was happening inside of you, and I felt responsible for whatever it was. Malik..." Ryou shook his head, holding his chin in his hand, "You looked so... pale. I'd never been so afraid. I wanted to take away whatever was hurting you... But you wouldn't wake up... And--"
He was cut off by Malik squeezing his hand. The amethyst orbs were filled with guilt, happiness, and shock, all at the same time. Guilt, for putting Ryou through all of that stress, fear, and misery. Happiness, that he had finally gained the care of the one he loved the most. And shock, that Ryou had at last taken down the hundreds of barriers surrounding himself, and let emotions show through.
"I want to thank you, Malik... For saving me. Saving me from the false sense of protection I'd been conning myself into believing. From all that darkness... I think I can finally begin to heal now." Ryou whispered quietly.
Malik smiled. "I'm glad I could help you there, Ry."
The two in the back seat let a comfortable silence drift over themselves, until Marik finally pulled up infront of his and Malik's house. Malik, Bakura, and himself entered the large stucco house, but Ryou stood outside, not feeling up to going inside as long as Marik was around.
.
Ryou was about to turn and start walking home when Marik called his name out from inside the house. The white-haired turned around, curious as to why the one who detested him so much would even speak to him. He stepped up the three stairs in order to look at Marik face-to-face.
"Listen, kid. You stay away from my little brother. I don't want to catch you near him ever again, you understand?"
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1 - The term 'snow-haired angel' is borrowed from my guy friend Logan. I think I've seen it used around FFN, but he wanted me to put this notice in if I were to use his term.
2 - What? I don't know how to spell the names of cars...
Shori: W00! I finally did it! I finished chapter 8!
Bakura: About time... This chapter is long over-due.
Shori: Hey! I didn't know I would get so many reviews so fast o_o Oh, and guys, I'm sorry it took me so long to get this out. My social calender these past couple of weeks has been completely booked, what with tutoring my friend in Spanish, working on projects, invites, and going to tutoring myself... _ Not to mention the shitload of homework I get for being in an all-honours magnet school -_-;
Bakura: Well, at least you got it out.
Shori: Yup! Hopefully I won't take as long with the next chapter. Review counter is updated by 15... I think the number of reviews is at 107 now? o_o Wow, that's a lot... Well, so then it's updated to 119... I think that's 15 more o_o It's late right now, and I'm not in the mood to actually go check.. So whatever! Anyways, blah, whatever. Hope you liked this chapter!!
Bakura: She also wants you people to know that she hasn't been writing a lot the past few days because she's been on the phone with one of her male friends for hours at a time.
Shori: _ That was not something I was intent on sharing...
Bakura: ...
Shori: -_-; Anyways... *Coughs* Ja ne!
x Shori
Disclaimer: *Dressed up in rags* Oi, any one out there wanna do a poor fangirl a favour and sell her YGO?
Pairings: Malik/Ryou, Bakura/Marik. Some others later on.
Warnings/Other: Yaoi, Yuri, angst, school-fic, maybe some OOC, completely disreguards story line.
Summary: Ryou is a depressed yet caring loner who just wants some love. Malik is a popular, 'egotistical' honours student. Malik has a secret crush on Ryou, whose trust is literally impossible to gain. The rest is up to fate when they bump into eachother in the halls. YAOI, YURI.
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The morning sunlight peeked in through the curtians, but dared not touch the shadowed figure of Bakura sitting off to the side in the sleeping Malik's hospital room. His thoughts drifted to Ryou, as the timid white- haired boy was a topic he and Marik had discussed quite often in the past few days. Bakura knew Marik disliked the boy and blamed him for all that had happened recently, but the way he had sounded last night... And he'd seen the way Ryou looked at Marik's brother when he thought no one was around, with a gaze so tender and gentle that it made Bakura reconsider the way he communicated with Ryou.
Sunlight marked its territory on Bakura's face as he looked up, having heard the tell-tale sounds of someone entering the otherwise silent room. His eyes scanned the doorway until they landed on a middle-aged doctor holding a clipboard, and for a moment Bakura simply stared at the 'intruder,' silently asking what was wanted.
"Good morning, sir. You are...?"
"Just call me Bakura," replied the thin teenager. There was a slight pause. "Is there any update on Malik's status as of yet?"
The doctor fumbled with his papers for a few moments before he spoke. "Well, the second surgery was very successful. We'll be moving Mr. Ishtar into a normal room later on today. We're also going to keep him here for the rest of today and overnight for observation, and hopefully if all goes well he'll be able to return home."
Bakura nodded. Time elapsed into what he considered to be a figment of his imagination, before the doctor finally left the room, and he was once again left to simply watch Malik's chest rise and fall with slight movements.
.
Many hours later found Bakura sitting where he had been in the morning, only now he had one leg drawn up into his chest and he was using his kneecap as a resting place for his crossed arms, upon which rested his forehead. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was soft, but he wasn't asleep. He was simply enjoying the mostly silent atmosphere of the room, and every now and then he would glance up to make sure Malik was still okay.
Yawning and stretching his arms out, he glanced at his watch as the muscles in his arms reawaked from their previously lazy state. The digital numbers read '8:36 PM,' which came as a suprise to Bakura. He hadn't even realized so much time had elapsed. Biting back at another yawn, he stood up and walked over to Malik's bedside. Gently, he shook the younger boy awake, and waited until tiredness had been rubbed out of bright amethysts before speaking. "Good morning, Malik."
Malik slowly, carefully, raised himself into a sitting position, supporting himself on his arm. "Morning? Bakura, it's almost eight-forty... Hey, wait, I don't remember you coming in... When did you get here?"
"Some time around nine this morning. You were sleeping so I figured I wouldn't wake you up. Anyways, I wanted to say goodnight before I left. The doctor came in earlier this afternoon and said that they'd keep you here overnight for observation, and if all goes well then you're free to go tomorrow."
Malik's face brightened. "Well, thanks, 'Kura. Stop by some time tomorrow?" He asked hopefully.
A small smile crossed Bakura's normally stoic face. "Sure. G'night."
//
The house was quiet as Bakura slipped inside, unfazed at all by the darkness that enveloped itself around the house. He noticed with slight curiosity that all the lights were turned off, except for one opposide the front door. Intrigued, Bakura made his way into the kitchen, entering the room in the subtle way that only he could manage. He scoffed good naturedly at the sight that greeted him.
Marik was sleep at the kitchen table over what appeared to be scattered papers filled with enough arithmatics to drive any normal person into insanity. Not wanting to wake Marik after the other had clearly been overworking himself with both trying to keep atop his schoolwork and worrying about his brother, Bakura bypassed Marik's sleeping form and moved over to something else that had caught his eye; the blinking of the answering machine.
Bakura pressed the 'Play All Messages' button on the machine and listened as Ryou's recorded voice came out of the speaker.
"Hi, Bakura? I hope I haven't called too early in the morning... But, you said to call back today, but I guess I missed catching you. Oh well. I guess I'll see you around... Call me back if you want to. My number's in the school directory. See you then... Goodbye."
The short message echoed throughout the silence of the house; Bakura was pretty sure that if he had been upstairs he would have heard the boy's soft voice filtering into whichever room he would have been in. He turned around and faced the telephone that lay quietly on the other side of the kitchen table. The time wasn't too late, perhaps he could still call Ryou back. He reached over to pick up the phone, and stared at it in his hands for a few long moments, thinking.
At length, he returned the phone to its original position; he would call Ryou some time the next day, perhaps when Malik was out of the hospital. Checking his watch once more for the time, he found it to be about an hour later than it had been last time he looked at the time. The yawn he had suppressed earlier resurfaced, and he stretched his long body out again.
Climbing the stairs that led to the guest-room where he spent most of his nights in, Bakura fell backwards onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Once again he thought of calling Ryou back, but as he threw the phone beside his bed a sideways glance, the hesitation came back. He blinked.
'Why am I so hesitant to call someone? I'm not afraid of the kid, and from what I've seen lately, he isn't so bad.'
He rolled over onto his side, and picked up the black cordless phone. Even in the dark he could read the numbers and even the letters for that matter perfectly. Shaking his head, he placed the phone down on the small table acting as his nightstand, and shifted his position again. He quickly fell asleep, with his head half burried by the single pillow.
* * *
He sighed and pushed his clock around listlessly. The numbers were now nearing 10:00 PM, and Bakura had either never gotten his message, forgotten all about him, or never decided he was important enough to receive a phone call back. Ryou pulled the covers tighter around his shoulders; all day he had been somewhat looking forward to talking to Bakura, just so he could hopefully get some of the misery off of his chest. With Malik being in the hospital, and Marik wishing he was dead, Bakura was the only one Ryou had to talk to about anything. But that didn't seem to matter to the other.
Had he said or done something to Bakura to merit this forgotten feeling? Ryou sighed and pulled his fingers through his long, silvery hair. Try as he might, he couldn't think of a single thing he had said to Bakura that was even slightly out of line. He didn't dare try to call again, not after a whole day of waiting for a phone call only to receive an empty glare from the phone. His thoughts drifted back to Malik.
It seemed like only a few days ago, the atmosphere surrounding the blonde was, for the most part, cheerful and friendly, but now it was replaced by a somber demeanor of mistakes. The guilt Ryou felt before was only multiplied now, as he shifted his gaze over to the picture of Malik he had drawn just hours before the car crash. The picture looked so happy, so carefree... And the gaze of those perfectly shaded eyes haunted him. Ryou thought of going back to the hospital, just to see how Malik was doing, but a glance at the clock revealed that it was far too late to expect the staff to let him see Malik. He would have to wait until the next day.
Another sigh.
He was in the beginning stages of putting his trust--and heart, for that matter--in Malik's hands. He knew he'd gotten attatched far too quickly, but he couldn't quite help it. He had gone so many years without a friend, and the prospect of having someone to talk to, someone to sit with, changed how he usually would have acted. He narrowed his eyes in despair. The path he had chosen to take seemed to have so many twists and turns, so many highs and lows that he couldn't keep up. Ryou wanted so badly to feel the warmth and happiness back inside of himself again, but it seemed as if the darkness and misery pushed away the light every chance it got.
Maybe what he had heard Malik say was right. Perhaps he /was/ afraid of people. The hurt itself had long since been what he said he was fearful of, but yet he still tried on occassion to make friends, or even be slightly more polite to certian individuals. Ryou blinked back the infant tears that he knew were on their way. He wouldn't cry. Not now. Not yet.
//
The next morning, the sun shone brightly into Malik Ishtar's empty hospital room. Around eleven Bakura stopped by to visit, when he ran into Ryou in the lobby. The petite snow-haired angel¹ looked absolutely awful as he and Bakura silently rode the elevator up to the third floor. Bakura remembered how he hadn't called Ryou back, but spoke nothing of it as he and Ryou exited the elevator and made their way towards Malik's room.
Ryou was the first to enter. When he saw neither hide nor hair of the Egyptian, he turned back around to Bakura. "He's not in here."
"What?" Bakura asked, peering inside the room. "D'you think they released him already?"
Ryou shook his head, "They'd have to release him to someone."
Bakura scoffed at himself, "Yeah. Marik's on his way over, so unless there's someone else who came to pick him up, I don't know, because we didn't exactly spread the news of what happened over the entire school."
A nod. Ryou was about to speak when his and Bakura's names were called out from behind them. The two near-albinos turned around and blinked at the cheery face of Malik waving to them. Bakura was the first to notice that their friend was in a wheelchair. Malik wheeled up to them.
"Bakura, I swear to whatever, don't laugh. It's some crappy hospital procedure that if you're a patient you hafta be wheeled out; you can't walk out." Malik said, pinning Bakura with a somewhat serious expression. "Anyway," He looked at Ryou, who still looked as if he had been put through all of the nine hells at least a hundred times. "Hey, Ry."
Ryou looked up into Malik's eyes with trepidation swirling around behind deep chocolate spheres. "Hi Malik."
Malik pulled Ryou closer to him with his gaze. When Ryou's ear was close to Malik's lips, he spoke. "I wanna talk to you about some stuff once I'm outta here, Ry."
"O-Okay." Ryou mumbled quietly. He drew back from Malik with dread rising in his chest. It seemed like everything and everyone was going against him right now, as his slight form followed that of Malik's wheelchair and Bakura on their way out.
When they got downstairs, Bakura noticed that Marik's Toyota Carolla² was pulled up into the loop outside the lobby. Having been told by Bakura earlier in the morning that Malik would be getting out of the hospital today, he waited patiently in the driver's seat with all the doors on the passenger side open. People tooted at him from their cars, but he gave them the flip-off finger, signaling that he wasn't going to move until who he was waiting for was securely inside the car.
Bakura reached the car first and climbed into the passenger's side in the front. He figured Ryou should be the one to sit with Malik in the back, since it was obvious to him how much his look-a-like cared for Malik. With a little bit of a struggle, Malik slid into the back seat behind Marik, leaving the spot beside him open for Ryou to sit in. The boy sat down quietly and pulled the door shut, buckling in his seat belt.
.
The car was silent for a short while until Marik and Bakura started muttering to eachother in the front seat. The words were spoken so quietly that Malik and Ryou couldn't even hear what was being said. Malik took advantage of this, and turned to Ryou, who still looked as downtrodden as ever.
"Ry?"
Ryou jerked out of his dream-world, where all was right. "Yes?"
Malik gently reached out and touched Ryou's hand, relieved when the slightly shorter boy didn't jerk away. "How are you doing?" He paused; how dumb had he just sounded? "I mean, you look... really sad. Like you're about to break down and cry. What's bothering you?"
"Malik. I-I'm sorry. It's my fault you crashed. It's my fault you were in the hospital in the first place..." he trailed off momentarily. "When you'd blacked out... and wouldn't wake up... I was so scared. I thought something really horrible was happening inside of you, and I felt responsible for whatever it was. Malik..." Ryou shook his head, holding his chin in his hand, "You looked so... pale. I'd never been so afraid. I wanted to take away whatever was hurting you... But you wouldn't wake up... And--"
He was cut off by Malik squeezing his hand. The amethyst orbs were filled with guilt, happiness, and shock, all at the same time. Guilt, for putting Ryou through all of that stress, fear, and misery. Happiness, that he had finally gained the care of the one he loved the most. And shock, that Ryou had at last taken down the hundreds of barriers surrounding himself, and let emotions show through.
"I want to thank you, Malik... For saving me. Saving me from the false sense of protection I'd been conning myself into believing. From all that darkness... I think I can finally begin to heal now." Ryou whispered quietly.
Malik smiled. "I'm glad I could help you there, Ry."
The two in the back seat let a comfortable silence drift over themselves, until Marik finally pulled up infront of his and Malik's house. Malik, Bakura, and himself entered the large stucco house, but Ryou stood outside, not feeling up to going inside as long as Marik was around.
.
Ryou was about to turn and start walking home when Marik called his name out from inside the house. The white-haired turned around, curious as to why the one who detested him so much would even speak to him. He stepped up the three stairs in order to look at Marik face-to-face.
"Listen, kid. You stay away from my little brother. I don't want to catch you near him ever again, you understand?"
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1 - The term 'snow-haired angel' is borrowed from my guy friend Logan. I think I've seen it used around FFN, but he wanted me to put this notice in if I were to use his term.
2 - What? I don't know how to spell the names of cars...
Shori: W00! I finally did it! I finished chapter 8!
Bakura: About time... This chapter is long over-due.
Shori: Hey! I didn't know I would get so many reviews so fast o_o Oh, and guys, I'm sorry it took me so long to get this out. My social calender these past couple of weeks has been completely booked, what with tutoring my friend in Spanish, working on projects, invites, and going to tutoring myself... _ Not to mention the shitload of homework I get for being in an all-honours magnet school -_-;
Bakura: Well, at least you got it out.
Shori: Yup! Hopefully I won't take as long with the next chapter. Review counter is updated by 15... I think the number of reviews is at 107 now? o_o Wow, that's a lot... Well, so then it's updated to 119... I think that's 15 more o_o It's late right now, and I'm not in the mood to actually go check.. So whatever! Anyways, blah, whatever. Hope you liked this chapter!!
Bakura: She also wants you people to know that she hasn't been writing a lot the past few days because she's been on the phone with one of her male friends for hours at a time.
Shori: _ That was not something I was intent on sharing...
Bakura: ...
Shori: -_-; Anyways... *Coughs* Ja ne!
x Shori