Disclaimer: ::lawyers have sent in robots to listen to disclaimer since they are sick and tired of having to come themselves:: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. ::robots beep violently:: I am not making money off this fic. ::beeps get louder and higher and Ego hides:: Oi! You're going to make my ears bleed! ::robots don't stop beeping:: Argh, what do you do when people don't disclaim? ::beeps get even louder:: Er, I didn't want an example….
Notes: You know what, this is my most descriptive chapter. This fic is starting to look depressing. I can always change that though.
Chapter Information: Sorry if this is a bit, er, lengthy. I love arguments! I love fics where people yell at each other over things and people are hurt. Want to know why? ::optimistic grin:: Because when they make up it's so kawaii!
Thanks: R Amythest for beta-reading. ::yawns due to lack of sleep:: Now to thank the reviewers! I've condensed all of my replies to make everyhting look neater. If there were less, I'd split them all up, but…gah….
(R Amythest: I'm working on "Plans" when I have time. Ryou has his homework back and is about to lose it again.) [Shetan: Okay, this chapter would be even more boring than the last one, only it's got Hato! ::grin:: I simply fell in love with Seto last chapter when he was talking to Ryuuji. I don't know why though, he just appealed to me suddenly when I was rereading that part. -You know what, I realized actually based Mokuba after one of TEL's friends in this fic. He's always bragging about his big brother and, I admit, it gets annoying. - Quote: "Hehe, Seto put Ryuuji in a hole in a corner of an island..." ::grin:: Was there any rum in this hole in an island? - I do read the fics you recommend. I just don't mention them and I forget the names fast.] (evilcourtney: Yes, I do odd things to people. ::pats Hato on the head::) [Windswift: You think soymilk tastes terrible? Well, listen, now you know soymilk tastes terrible. ::cringes:: I really don't know what's up with Seto, but I'll organize all that eventually.] (Ashuri chan: Awe, I could put Ryou with anyone, he's kawaii. How many Ryou/Ryuuji's are there anyway?) [Elle-FaTe2x1: Even with distracting sex shows in the background, you still keep the bearings to read and review. Arigato!] (MarmaladeGirl: ::grins:: Malik looks good wearing anything—or nothing at all. ::hentai grin before someone comes up and whacks her upside the head:: Owe…. Even imaginary whacks are painful.) [Pastbyer: Yay, my Japanese teacher! ::grin:; I always read the Japanese jargon. All of those were new words to me except for kaze, which I learned from Yami no Matsuei.] (Sachi-chan: Aw, I need to see pics. I'm the fan art fiend, you know.)
::frowns:: This is what happens when I don't start right off the bat with dialogue or action in the beginning of the chapter. Once you get past those nice paragraphs though, lots of things make sense.
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Or Die Trying
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-Hato Takes Wing-
Ryuuji waited for Ryou to return from his locker. Without Yuugi-tachi around he was standing alone. A few people gave him sympathetic looks while passing. He got a kick from their commiseration. It obviously wouldn't be very difficult for the extraordinarily attractive and vibrant Ryuuji to earn any koibito he could want.
In fact, the easy thing to do would be to give up Ryou and go after someone else, someone more willing to have him; but Ryuuji was intent on the white-haired boy who was certainly taking his time emptying his locker. Unlike every other eligible worshiper, Ryou made Ryuuji happy. It was a comfort to talk to him, make him laugh or frown as the witticisms got out of hand. Ryuuji found it a guilty pleasure to test just how diligent the boy was in his patience. Not only did Ryou have the quiet tolerance of a saint, he also didn't take everything over seriously. He was so willing to forgive that it left the dice enthusiast in awe. Ryuuji usually didn't like people who fretted over every little thing, although when Ryou was guilty of committing that crime he found it, well, cute.
Ryuuji sighed and leaned against the school fence, wondering what was taking Ryou so long. Maybe a teacher had started talking to him? Ryuuji wanted Ryou outside with him. He wanted to have someone who would listen, and he didn't enjoy waiting. His self-worth had been failing since Friday when his tournament had been cancelled, but it was slowly making a comeback. As long as he didn't have to worry about Kaiba Seto getting in the way he could go back to trying to keep his gaming company in order. He consoled himself with the fact he would never forgive Seto; would never forget. His thoughts jumped out of Ryou and turned to how he would get Seto to pay for the insult he did to his pride.
With his shifting moods, Ryuuji could have been a poster child for why teenagers shouldn't be CEOs. They were too unpredictable for that kind of responsibility. For a few seconds he had been humbling himself in the greatness of people like Ryou, and suddenly he was telling himself he was going to knock Seto down. If any thought of Ryou crossed his mind, it would have been how to "win" Ryou over like a challenge, not earn. This was the exact part of Ryuuji Ryou didn't like and tried to get rid of. For a while Ryuuji would realize just what kind of person he had to be for the pale boy, but it wouldn't stick, even if Ryou were right before him, slowly losing confidence that he could ever pull Ryuuji out of his self-absorption. As soon as it was given a reason, Ryuuji's ego would grow and he'd become annoyingly confident and irritable at those he thought of as lesser individuals. Ryou would be scared for Ryuuji and his careless belief in himself and his abilities. He would be supportive enough but in his mind Ryou would tell himself he couldn't love someone like that. Until Ryuuji could see this, he wasn't going to go anywhere significantly with the white haired boy. Ryou wouldn't let him.
…And this was all still failing to sink in.
Ryuuji heard the bell ring again, organizing the many after school activities now beginning to commence. He frowned. If Ryou was still inside, he wasn't getting his books. Someone had halted his exit and this annoyed Ryuuji. He stood up straight again and reentered the school building, intent to find Ryou and save him from a conversation the white-haired boy was too polite to turn down. Was in always like that, Ryou being too passive for his own good? The school was near empty; he did not have to force himself through such tedious conversation. Ryuuji would rescue him, though.
It didn't take Ryuuji long to reach the lockers. The first person he noticed stepping into the hall was Ryou, his back turned. The second was the person with whom Ryou was talking.
Ryuuji scowled. Kaiba Seto was getting far too familiar with Ryou than was necessary. He paused for a few seconds to consider the plan of attack. His thoughts were suddenly paralyzed as he heard Kaiba's leaving words.
"Domo, my driver will be by to pick you up at five, all right?"
Ryuuji watched the white hair over Ryou's shoulder blades move with the boy's small, emphasizing nod.
"Hai." Ryou's quiet voice agreed. Ryuuji remained motionless as his mind tried to explain why Ryou was talking with Seto and making plans instead of going outside to walk home with his raven-haired friend who had been naively waiting for the past fifteen minutes. Only one excuse could claim any reason in Ryuuji's thoughts and he didn't want to believe it. No, he wished the idea Ryou and Seto were discussing Kaiba's permanent move to Burma made more sense, but it didn't. Seto wasn't moving to nonexistent places. Still, Ryuuji didn't want to think about what the real reason was.
"Good," Seto nodded, seeming to not notice the confused Ryuuji a distance behind Ryou, "Ja ne."
Ryuuji was still immobile as Seto turned and left down the door at the opposite end of the hall. Not until he heard the click of the door shutting did Ryuuji finally regain control. The circumstance of what he thought just happened chose to suddenly drop on his head, a dead weight he had to find the cause of.
"Bakura…" he muttered slightly. The heaviness crushing his brain made it hard to focus. Thankfully it began to dissolve as Ryou turned around. Ryou watched him with shocked, half worried expression.
"Otogi-kun, I'm so sorry. I forgot you were waiting."
Ryou's words echoed in the surprised silence of Ryuuji's mind. I forgot.
"What was that, Mahout?"
Ryou blinked at him, confused, "Nani?"
"What where you and Kaiba talking about?"
Ryou blinked at this too and tried to explain what he didn't find all that serious.
"I'm going with him to a show tonight to fill in a seat. He asked yesterday and just now when I was getting my books. I have nothing planned, so I figured it was all right."
"What? You agreed to accompany Kaiba Seto?" Ryuuji didn't like this information. Seto must've tricked him; that was it. He had to keep Ryou from making the mistake of going.
"Yeah." Ryou shrugged. Ryuuji shook his head.
"No, turn him down. Say you're not feeling well. You can't trust yourself with Kaiba, Bakura-kun."
Ryou was a bit offended at Ryuuji's order. Who did Ryuuji think he was to tell Ryou what he could and could not do? When was a mutual control over the pale boy established, because Ryou didn't remember it.
"Otogi-kun, it's just to fill in a spot. He's going with Suzi-chan and her husband and they have four seats."
"Maybe the last is best off accommodating his ego." Ryuuji snapped. Ryou frowned at the insult. He looked in Ryuuji's frustrated expression and instantly understood.
"Otogi-kun, I am not going on a date with Kaiba!"
Ryuuji sighed at this. Yes, that was what he had thought. He didn't want to face it, but what if Ryou wasn't telling the truth. He didn't mean to say Ryou was lying; just maybe the quiet boy didn't recognize what he might be getting himself into.
"How are you sure Kaiba doesn't think you are?"
Ryou wanted to scream at his friend and give him an enlightening smack upside the head. He couldn't believe what a paranoid baka Ryuuji was being.
"Otogi Ryuuji, you see absolutely no good in Kaiba-kun, do you?" He asked, losing his patience.
"What good is there to see?" Ryuuji sulked, crossing his arms. Ryou gaped at Ryuuji, aghast at his immature words and negative attitude.
"What's your problem, Otogi-kun? Kaiba-kun isn't evil! Why can't you realize that? Sure he can be a jerk, but sometimes you're…" Ryou gasped and stopped himself from continuing. Ryuuji frowned and glared slightly as Ryou quickly clamped his hand over his traitorous mouth.
"Sometimes I'm what, Bakura? Finish your sentence, please."
Ryou look at the ground, sorry he had even spoken. "Sometimes you're no better than he is to everyone," he muttered quickly through his fingers.
Ryuuji winced, "I am nothing like Kaiba Seto," he snapped, finding it hard to contain his frustration. Ryou watched his irate expression nervously. Ryuuji couldn't believe the boy had said that, had compared him to an insensitive baka.
"Do you really believe what you just said, Bakura-kun?"
Ryou was nearing tears, but gave a slow, hesitant nod. Ryuuji couldn't believe it. It was almost as though he'd just been betrayed by a part of his soul. Ryou really thought he was no more human than Seto.
But still, like usual in painful situations, Ryuuji's state of horror flowed away slowly. In fact, it was melting into something that wasn't good; something red hot that burned his vision and his reason. For the first time he found himself getting angry with Ryou. Before he could find the logic in his actions, he stepped back from the pale boy, shaking his head in revulsion.
"Otogi-kun, don't get mad. Try to stay rational. I'm sorry, but I believe—"
"Urusai," Ryuuji snapped, backing even further. He was foolishly letting his shock and anger at Seto's idiocy to approach Ryou take over, and suddenly everyone was an enemy. He had thought Ryou was on his side, he thought he could trust the pale boy, but that wasn't it. He couldn't contemplate the other's logic in his disappointment. All he knew was it was best he get away to try and avoid who had betrayed him. Ryou's words had gone straight to his unsteady ego, his overgrown pride. For the moment he couldn't face their threat of being true.
Not letting the upset Ryou explain his words, Ryuuji shook his head, making for the exit.
"You're going to see I'm right, Mahout," he prophesized before exiting the door, "You're going to see Kaiba doesn't ever have good intentions."
Ryou bit his lower lip as the door slammed. Ryuuji happened to be too dynamic at times and this was one of them. For once, though, he wasn't sure if his friend was going to forgive him. All he'd done was agree to go with Seto to one show with a group. It wasn't like he'd jumped off the handle and gotten engaged.
Ryou didn't like how angry Ryuuji had gotten. He tried to blink away the moisture that had formed in his eyes, only releasing five large tears. He reached for his bag and walked glumly to the door. The desolate tone of his tired, scuffling feet was magnified around the hall, but no one was there to hear it. When Ryuuji wasn't trying to be charming it was hard to predict what he'd do. Ryou had no idea what kind of schism had set, but he hoped things weren't as hopeless as they seemed just seconds following the furious moment. He hoped Ryuuji wasn't right about Seto. Ryuuji was irrational.
But, Ryou was almost willing to let that be true. He didn't like anyone angry with him. He couldn't accept it.
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It had been a long two hours, but Ryuuji had calmed down considerably. He had come to accept two facts. One; Kaiba Seto deserved to die a terrible and excruciating death, and two; he had taken Ryou's agreement to go with Seto far too seriously. The anger was still there and very near the surface, but sitting in Ryou's apartment it was slowly diminishing. Ryou was gone at the show with the CEO, so Ryuuji was alone. He wanted to be there when Ryou came back, to see what had happened; see if he could somehow be redeemed to an extent. The prospect of ever having Ryou love him had slipped down considerably, but he still felt entitled to make amends.
Ryuuji frowned as a light cooing sounded behind him. He knew Hato's cage was there and was thankful for the bars. After he yelled at Ryou, a whole flock of pigeons had swooped down and followed him, not improving his mood. He had at first tried to reach his own apartment to sulk the night away, but the birds were relentless. He found himself in the complex where Ryou lived with nearly none of the creatures badgering him. That was the only reason he had thought to come over.
Hato suddenly let out a burst of energy, rattling the cage. Ryuuji looked up at him. The talons where scratching vigorously at the lock. This sent a slight shiver down Ryuuji's spine. The bird's determination was alarming.
Ryuuji still knew perfectly well that the dove would never get out of its cage. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore it. It wouldn't do well to get mad at the bird and do something he might regret.
The scratching began to reach a startling pitch. Ryuuji heard other noises as well. There were beaks at the window. He opened his eyes in shock. There were two birds at the glass and Hato's cage was rocking violently. He was relieve neither threat could get to him. The noise wasn't too pleasant in its urgent translation of a need to dive and attack.
There was a loud crash that made Ryuuji yelp. Hato's cage had fallen, spilling bedding and food over the floor. Just as soon as the chaotic noise had sounded, everything became silent. Ryuuji looked uncertainly at the cage as the two other pigeons outside flew away.
As he approached, Ryuuji noted grimly that Ryou's dove wasn't moving. He quickly shot up and crossed the room, looking over the cage. Inside there lay the passed out Hato.
A quick pang of guilt shot through the dark teen as he realized what might have happened. He didn't care at all for the bird in general, but the affect on Ryou wasn't an assuring thought. Ryou loved Hato and Ryuuji's presence had just hurt him. He wasn't even sure if the dove was still alive.
Not completely certain of what he was doing, Ryuuji grabbed the cage and opened it, taking the bird out. Still not thinking, he took the bird to the window, hoping it was only knocked out, and lifted the pane on the assumption fresh air would help revive the animal.
"Please be alive, Hato-chan," he muttered, wondering if CPR was up for consideration. He hoped not.
The bird was stone still and Ryuuji was almost inspired to start shaking it. He placed the still body carefully on the sill and decided he'd try water. Jounouchi had once gone out when a kickball had connected violently to the back of his head and the coach had dumped cold water on his face to bring him around. Maybe it would work for the dove?
Deciding it was better than nothing, Ryuuji ran to the sink for cold water. He hurried back in time to see Hato standing and facing out the window.
"Iya!" Ryuuji gasped. He could just watch in horror with the cold glass in his hands as Hato flapped his wings flew out.
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Lettered Notes:
{A}: No notes this chapter. Terrible grammar though.
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Translations:
Note on Translations: I checked a few more words on Yami no Matsuei. I've watched those DVDs so many times it should be illegal. I figured I went through the trouble to get them, why not enjoy their existence?
-chan – Mostly to emphasized Hato's smallness there
Iya – No
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Next Chapter: Oh, how I love irony! Next chapter is "Gomennasai" and, if everything works like I want, there will be a bit of fluffy goodness centering an annoyed Ryou and Ryuuji. ::grin:: Well, I hope so.
Reviewing would be very much appreciated. I just realized I don't care I have Ryou suddenly dragged off by Yami no Malik. runs as Ryuuji screams bloody murder and attacks
Randomness: I'm sorry, but Yu-Gi-Oh cereal—does that bother any of you? ::cringes and hides:: TEL brought some over to show me and I was…disturbed. I didn't like the stuff either. I find myself realizing that if the dubbed had a flavor, it would be exactly that. ::cringes:: Of course, the dubbed needs a lot more than just a few varieties of marshmallow.
-Ling no Yong-