Timeless Love

Grave confrontations...

Major out-of-character!

...that's bout it. Did I put a disclaimer before? If not, then I don't own anything. Blah.

Part 2- If Time Will Set You Free

Chapter 4-

It was liminal; the 1st bit of eye contact the two had had in years. The first they had seen of each other since the third grade, so long ago.

The bell rang. Seto quickly stood and pushed past people to reach where Ryou stood, eyes tearing slightly, unable to think how to react.

"Ryou?" He asked shakily.

"Seto? Is it you, Seto?" Ryou asked as well, unsure if this was real or just a sick joke.

Neither could react, neither knew of any way they could. Seto just went with what he felt. He grabbed the other in his arms, almost crying. "It is you..."

"Daijoubu, daijoubu." Ryou freely let his tears fall, not breaking out of the hold. ((It's alright, it's alright.))

"Nakanaide... onegai nakanaide." [1] ((Don't cry... please don't cry.))

Now what went through the sensei's mind at that time, I'm sure many would like to know. But at this time, he was staring off at them, a look of surprise on his face.

"Kami-sama, it is you." Seto continued on, releasing him. "I had thought so, but wasn't sure."

They noticed their sensei's stares and started walking off.

"Seto, wow... you've gotten so tall..."

And you've gotten so beautiful. Seto returned in his own thoughts.

"What happened to you?" Ryou asked.

"Well, Mokuba and I stayed at the orphanage for a while before being adopted, and well, here I am now."

Ryou looked on the verge of tears again as he nodded, biting his lip. "T-this is... oh, arigato Kami-sama..."

"Ryou, I guess this is a little too much to handle in school. Um, why don't you come by later? Here's my address." He pulled out a pencil and a scrap of paper from his binders and scribbled the information down.

"Ok, I'll be there." It was awkward, the hesitative conversation.

"Um, we both need to go. I'll see you at lunch." Seto gave him one last hug before striding off, a look of disbelief- and yet also of happiness- on his face.

Yuugi-tachi were greeted with a strange image at lunch. Bakura Ryou and Kaiba Seto sitting (dangerously) close to one another, talking at animate paces and looking on the verge of total breakdowns.

"What do you think's going on there?" Jounouchi asked.

"I don't know. Why is Kaiba-kun talking to anyone?" Honda responded and asked.

"And why do they look as if they want to cry?" Anzu pondered.

"It's almost like they know each other." Ryuuji, who had just sat down, commented.

"Maybe..." Yuugi shoved some food in his mouth.

"So, Otogi-kun, how was your trip to America?"

"Great! Industrial Illusions is going to make my game, as planned, and production is running very smoothly. But..." he sighed. "The majority of the Japanese food was nothing like the real thing. Even if it was all better than this."

"You got to eat hamburgers, didn't you? You did, you did!" Yuugi whined, pointing an accusing finger in Ryuuji's direction.

"Maybe I did..."

"Wow..." Yuugi's eyes shined before he seemingly zoned. Everyone else sort of cocked their eyebrows before continuing interrogative conversation about California.

Soon, Yuugi returned to normal. "Mou hitori no boku's telling me to stop drooling over hamburgers..." He said in a sad voice. (1)

The table laughed.

"How has your father been?" Seto asked. He and Ryou had decided to walk to Seto's home together.

"He's ok; he leaves a lot though... to go on digs." He sighed, blinking slowly. "How has Mokuba been? I haven't seen him since he was... two or three?"

Seto chuckled. "He's grown up a lot since then. He has really long hair and refuses to cut it... back when Gozaburo- my adoptive father, the abusive bastard- was around, we were both scared. But... he hurt Mokuba a lot."

Ryou sat silent, letting Seto continue.

"It wasn't fair, that Mokuba was hurt. I- rage starting building, and one day, I... I just let it go."

"Seto..."

"Ryou, I killed someone. I... and yet I don't feel bad about doing it- I feel he deserved it. I don't know..." Seto shook his head in a way of disbelief.

"Seto..." Ryou repeated, stopping as they walked. Seto stopped and looked at him. "Seto, don't hate yourself. Please don't hate yourself." Tears started to sparkle in his eyes.

"Ryou, why are you crying now?" Seto asked.

Ryou walked to him and embraced him close. "I just can't believe... that we would meet again. I missed you. Everyday I would come up with a new way that we may meet up again, or re-defining the old ways. That went on for months, until my mind just gave up. Don't leave. Don't do that to me again." He buried his eyes into Seto's shoulder.

"I won't Ryou, I won't leave again." He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling old emotions surface. The need to protect him, the friendship shared, the love... the love he felt for the boy who was crying in his arms.

No. He told himself. It wouldn't work, it's been so many years and we've both grown up. Don't trouble him with petty emotions. Back when you professed, you were a silly child. Even if you did feel it, you were just too young. Don't bring that back up.

But still the dagger burned hot, driving into his heart and making him want to call out his feelings that had come up tenfold. He felt unsatisfied when pressure came to the insides of his arms, signaling that Ryou wanted to break the hold.

They continued walking at a slower pace.

Seto typed a code to his gate as Ryou's mouth dropped.

"You live here?"

"Yes." Seto smiled slightly, opening the gate via security code. They entered the front and a door opening and slamming closed made Seto look up from his staring at his friend.

"Nii-sama!" A young voice yelled as a boy with black hair ran up and hugged Seto around the waist.

"Hi Mokuba." Seto returned the hug, though not quite so enthusiastically.

"Huh?" Mokuba asked, turning and looking at Ryou. "Who's that? Did you make a friend, Seto?"

Ryou smiled and kneeled down. "Hi Mokuba! My name is Bakura Ryou. You may not remember me, but I was Seto's friend from a long time ago, back before..." He didn't know how to put this.

"Since before we went to the orphanage." Seto completely for him, being rather blunt. This surprised Ryou that he didn't try to dovetail it. Had both of them become so truly toughened by reality?

Mokuba thought for a moment. "Sorry, I must have been really young. I remember the orphanage, but... I don't remember much before that."

"That's okay." Ryou smiled putting a hand on Mokuba's shoulder.

"I'll go make some snacks!" Mokuba ran off into the house once again.

Ryou smiled, standing back up. "He really is a cute kid. He has grown up a lot." His face was serene as he remembered back before everything turned upside-down.

"Yes, and I'm just glad that we stayed together. Back when I was there, at the orphanage, people wanted to adopt me, but no one wanted Mokuba. But... I had promised him that we would never leave each other, because we both had just lost everything else."

Ryou nodded with a small sigh. "I'm glad he's happy."

"Ryou," Seto's mouth said automatically as the boy turned to look up at him, "I... I remember saying this a long time ago, but... it still fits even today. I... I love you."

Ryou's widened eyes stared at him blankly; heart seemingly to skip beats before pounding harder and faster than ever.

"I, um... Seto... we... we were both just children back then. Are you sure that's how you feel, and not just friendship?" He asked nervously, face growing hot and sweat started to bead up.

Seto put his hands on Ryou's arms, who flinched at the contact. "I know how I feel. I've stewed over how I felt for weeks back then, and for all day today, finding the feelings perfectly similar. I loved you back then, Ryou, and I still do."

"N-no. I-I-I can't. I need to go now. Goodbye, Kaiba Seto." With that, he pulled out of the hold that had let him go and turned, walking off at a quick pace.

And Seto watched him go, unable to move, let alone stop him.

"Nii-sama! Bakura-kun!" Mokuba ran out with some various goodies in hand. "Huh? Where'd Bakura-kun go?" He looked up at his older brother. "Seto?"

"Nowhere." Seto answered, not looking down and still staring at where Ryou went, the boy once again slipping from his grasp so like as he did many years ago, but this time, nearly no thought of return.

(1)- As I find from Pikachumaniac's fic, Fairydust, the words 'mou hitori no boku' mean 'other half of me', basically. It's what Yuugi calls Yami no Yuugi, while I believe Yami no Yuugi calls 'mou hitori no ore', which means the same thing. Or he just calls him Yuugi.

Also, Yuugi likes hamburgers.

Chibi: **runs into the Happy Room and hides** Don't hurt me~!

Wildwolf: Baka! They can't hurt you.

Chibi: But... you don't know that~! You don't know!

Wildwolf: Feh. This is an extremely short fic.

Chibi: Leave me alone! You're not even helping me! You usually like writing stuff...

Wildwolf: Urusei.

Mokuba: But, why did Bakura-kun run off?

Seto: **sits in a corner, all depressed**

Wildwolf: Daijoubu..." **pats him on the head**