Yeah! ::Squeals:: I love this story so much and now, Chappy 3 is up. I mean, I don't think a lot of people like this story very much. ::Pouts:: Maybe that will change over the course of the story...well...here's the thank yous!
Ladywolf (Terri): Thanks for the compliment! ::TackleHugs:: Well, consider this update your Christmas gift!
DeadKitty1: KAREN! ::Tackles:: What's wrong with my descriptions? I like scaring you! Thanks for reading, Karen! ::Huggles::
KentouKurige: Shouri! Well, you're in this one, Umako. Hope you enjoy!
Anyway, enjoy! I'll say it again, I am very proud of this story...makes me happy So, yeah...more babbling! So, Read and Review pwease, and no flames. Flames make me sad I'm so random today.
DISCLAIMER: ::Malik comes out in a Santa outfit:: Well, it's only six days til Christmas...so...Merry Early Christmas! Kei doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Ryou, or myself. She does however own the four characters mentioned in Chapter 1 and she does own the new character introduced in this chapter. Yay! Kei owns something!
Kei: --;
((NOTE: There will be some stupid spelling errors in this chapter because this new computer I have doesn't have Microsoft Word, so I can't use spell check...I have to use , and it doesn't catch on everything, so bare with me))
Chapter 3: Reckless Abandonment
Ryou didn't remember it being so dark outside, the streets looking as if a blanket of the most unholy black had been thrown over the streets, which were usually ablaze with hazy light. A faint drizzle fell, soaking the streets in the tears of the angels weeping weakly for those who fell from grace. The cool droplets felt somewhat refreshing upon Ryou's skin, the club's muggy atmosphere creating a small line of sweat upon his pale brow. He much rather preferred the rain, the cold, the night, for it was someplace he could truly be himself and not have to hide beyond the facade of a smile and a happy existence. It was a futile lie that he had to live each and every day just to survive for another meaningless 24 hours, and have to start all over again when he would rise once more and set out into a world that was against him.
The tanned one walked a little ahead of Ryou, for he was the one selecting their destination. He would occasionally peer back at his old friend, seeing Ryou's hands jammed rather carelessly into his faded Levi's pockets and his head always hung low, those auburn orbs greeting the ground with a tired gaze. Malik examined what he could see rather curiously, seeing that his build hadn't changed one bit since high school, except he had gotten a tad bit taller. He still had the same slender, rather pale arms and the same girlish legs, the same thin frame, and the same slightly pudgy cheeks. He was normal in the eyes of one who hadn't had enough time and experience to be able to look within someone and see not their eyes, no, but past that and into their soul, namely he was normal to anyone but Malik.
Despite what anyone would think, Malik's profession, as shameless as it may have seemed to those outside the box, was somewhat perfect for the blonde. With his experience in meeting people by only their looks, not charm, Malik had gained a new talent, something that was rather handy. As he danced, he would glance around the room with hungry eyes, picking and choosing who he thought would be waiting for him later on in the back room, and 99 of the time, he was right. Women with lustful hearts or men with vengeful eyes would take long strides into the dark room and only hoped that the beautiful creature they had fallen in a lustful love with could ease what loneliness they had within and make them happy. Malik could look into a frail woman's eyes and know that she hadn't ever been told that she was beautiful, and he would provide. He could look into the strong eyes of a man and see confusion, a wanting to know if the path chosen was the right path to follow, and he would assist with the decision. In the eyes of his loyal customers, he was more then entertainment, he seemed to be some sort of therapy. He could rock his hips hypnotically and console the ones who watched with hungry eyes. So, in all truth, Malik didn't mind his job. It seemed to suit him, is all.
Again, Malik looked back at Ryou, though this time, he was surprised to see that his eyes had lifted slightly. He turned quickly away to avert the gaze of the other, and he felt his cheeks burn with a fiery blush. Get a grip, Malik. You've danced naked in front of people, had sex with strangers, and you can't even look at him without blushing. Get a hold of yourself.
The ashen haired one noticed that they had stepped into the slums, the part that was forgotten by all light and joy. It was a rather morbid place, bodies decorating the streets in soundless sorrow. Shards of broken glass seeming to glow when the dim light from the dozens of bars would drench the small fragments. The streetlights, which were lacking in quantity, hummed a tune of a failed attempt to shine enough light on the town to make it see that this path would surly lead to more of the same, flickered constantly. Ryou hadn't noticed, but he let out a slight whimper, smelling nothing but death, seeing nothing but misery. This seemed to be the exact picture of the cities he would describe in his stories, but he never thought one of this magnitude existed. He never knew that there was such a place where night ruled over all and life was only an excuse to drink and bathe in self-pity. Malik glanced over his shoulder, seeing the hint of fear in the eyes of one who hadn't lived here all his life, hadn't seen all of what Malik had seen. He reached behind him and grabbed hold of Ryou's slightly trembling hand, whispering softly words of comfort.
"Just walk. Don't look at anyone or anything. We're almost to my place." Ryou nodded and swallowed hard, eyes again falling to the stained pavement. The rain continued to fall steadily, sending shivers down the writer's spine, as if they weren't already there from the setting in general. He grasped onto the muscular hand tightly, interlacing his fingers with Malik's, as if they were but a puzzle finally completed. The wave of pleasant warmth splashed over him, and Ryou finally began to feel even the least bit comfortable, as they rounded a dark corner and came upon an disheveled apartment complex, windowpanes smiling a crooked smile, most of the glass missing. The color was very dismal, a dark, unforgiving crimson, though it seemed to fit the backdrop of an ebony sky, dark clouds rolling in to cover those meddlesome stars. The brick steps were smashed, crumbs scattered amongst other random rubble, which Malik causally stepped over. Ryou did the same, mimicking Malik almost to the exact pinpointed step.
Pushing open the heavy wooden door would reveal winding, labyrinthine wooden stairs, a few missing here and there. The entire time neither one spoke as they climbed the many flights of stairs until reaching the top, which showed just as much promise as it did downstairs. Reaching into his trench coat pocket, Malik pulled out a key of rusted gold and annoyingly jammed it into the old lock. Ryou could hear the frustrated grunts as the blonde turned the key sharply to the left, the right, and back to the left. Any patience that was left in him after the five minute struggle was let out in an frustrated grunt.
"Son of a bitch!" He snarled, but soon, he felt serene and at peace, and he moments later realized that Ryou had placed his warm, alabaster hand upon his own, gripping and turning the key with Malik.
"Listen," He whispered, his breathe just teasing the tanned one's ear. "You're trying to hard. Sometimes..." A soft, satisfied click sounded as Ryou pushed the door open causally. "You don't have to try at all." Malik stood dumbfounded, jaw hanging slack. Ryou never ceased to amaze Malik.
Stepping into the darkened hallway, Malik felt his way over to a light switch and flicked it on, a bright light bathing the two. It stung, as Ryou hadn't been used to light this bright since the club, as he grunted softly, letting his chocolate orbs settle and adjust. Even with the dim lights illuminating the area, the hall was still a bit dim. Curiosity filled his mind as he scanned what was before him. It was a small hallway, at the end being two passages, one to the left and the other to the right. Along this hallway was a small coffee table, mail being scattered messily across the faded redwood. Ryou didn't have to look very hard to see in bold letters, 'OVERDUE' and 'FINAL NOTICE' on most of the letters, but that wasn't his business, was it? Beyond the small table was a line of framed photos, all of the tanned one and another being, one smaller then he, but with the same stunning eyes. The visitor looked closely at the photos, each one containing Malik with a brighter smile and the smaller being with just the same glowing radiance. The walls which the pictures were displayed was a soft creme color, though obvious spots of filth stained the wall's face, a few cracks here and there, one of which was rather noticeable, it being of four knuckles that seemed to be jammed into the surface with such a force. He looked to his feet, the hardwood floor covered with a dark lavender carpet, again, stained in a few areas. Those few blemishes didn't take away from the calm appearance. Ryou's thoughts were rattled by Malik shouting happily through the darkness.
"Sumire! I'm home!" Ryou squinted his eyes, rather perplexed. Sumire...who's--?
"Daddy!" Squealed a form coming from the corridor on the right, running down the hallway with bounds and leaps. A little girl, looking to be no older then five,four to be exact, giggled and squealed, her blonde locks tied back rather childishly in two violet ribbons, forming two rather messy pigtails. Her bare feet tapped against the floor, as her little lavender nightgown seemed to ripple with each step. Malik knelt down onto one knee, catching the little girl in his arms and smiling, laughing. "Daddy! You're late!" The little girl pouted mockingly, wiping a fake tear away. Malik but knew the child was joking, although it was always fun to play along. He sniffled and painted a frown across his lips.
"I know, darling, and I'm sorry." He gave her a rather sloppy kiss on her left cheek, which made her giggle. "I met an old friend, and I was talking to him." Sumire's gaze instantly traced over to Ryou's slender form, still hanging in the doorway. "Say hello, Sumire. This is my friend, Ryou. Ryou, this is my daughter, Sumire." Malik let the little girl down from his arms and she approached her father's friend rather cautiously, as did Ryou approach the little girl. Ryou took the same stance Malik had took, kneeling onto one knee. In his sweetest tone, he spoke to her.
"Hello, Sumire. It's very nice to meet you. My name's Ryou. I wish I could say I've heard a lot about you," He threw a somewhat uncomfortable glance towards Malik, though he only retorted by mouthing the words, 'Later'. He nodded in response, and looked back to the little girl, soft amethyst eyes gazing back into his own. "But, I hope to learn about you and I hope we grow to become friends."
Her expression was apathetic, silent, before she exploded, squealed and leaped into Ryou's arms. "I like him!" She proclaimed, sloppily kissing his cheek. The ashen haired one giggled and smiled. She said nothing more as she ran off back to her room, only to have another head pop out after her disappearance. A woman with long blonde hair set loose in waves of shimmer and shine, and lively azure orbs stuck her head out from the same corridor Sumire had exited through. With a cheerful, she greeted the blonde.
"Hey, Mr. Ishtar! Didn't expect you back so early!" She emerged, clad in sweatpants and a loose T-shirt that read 'Animals Are People Too!' and had a picture of a puppy with huge auburn eyes glistening with adorable sadness. She smiled softly and looked to Malik's visitor. "Oh! And who's this, Mr. Ishtar?" The girl bowed quickly to the ashen haired one, as he only smiled nervously.
"Umako, this is a friend of mine, Ryou Bakura. Ryou, this is my neighbor and Sumire's usual babysitter, Umako."
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bakura."
"Please, Ryou is fine. Nice to meet you too, Umako."
Looking over to the clock, the girl's eyes widened as she darted back into the kitchen and emerged wearing her coat. "Well, Mr. Ishtar, I'll be off now." Malik dug into his pocket, retrieving a wrinkled twenty dollar bill, but Umako giggled and declined. "No, Mr. Ishtar. You've known me since she was born. Heck, I even helped deliver her. You know I don't want your money." She flashed him a smile as she walked past the two men and left. Defeated, Malik sighed and crammed the money (His tip for the night) back into his pocket.
"I give up. That girl never takes my money. She's been watching Sumire ever since she was born." He plopped his weary body down into his worn out couch that wobbled as Malik's weight shifted. It looked as if Malik was somewhat annoyed at his fact as he lowered his head and massaged his temples vigorously. Ryou stood awkwardly in front of the tanned one, twiddling his fingers nervously. He would stand there for a few moments before Malik looked up, eyes a bit bloodshot and hair lazily hanging before those orbs. "Sit, Ryou." He obeyed, sitting at the far end of the couch, as far away from Malik as he could. Now, don't get him wrong, Ryou was very happy to see his old friend, one he might have had a crush on (No!, he would so quickly protest) and he wanted to know all of what had happened within the last five years. In his mind, it just seemed a bit awkward to be sitting in a rundown apartment, that which belonged to a stripper he knew back in high school who now had a daughter. The whole situation sounded like something he would have seen in one of those sappy daytime soap operas. As he sat, he felt the couch creek a bit as when he looked over, he saw Malik shifting towards him. "Listen, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Sumire."
"Why would you have to tell me?" Ryou mumbled, looking to the ground. He could sense Malik shifting a bit closer. He then remembered he was still soiled from their previous engagement, which made Ryou blush. He had never seen anyone, anything so beautiful dance in such ways, move with such elegance, but those thoughts were hastily pushed back. "It's none of my business." He felt a soft hand upon his own, as when he looked up, all he saw was a whirlwind of violet with splashes of apprehension and pain. "M-malik?"
"I'm afraid, Ryou." With that, Malik threw himself into Ryou's lap, whimpering childishly. "Ryou, I'm afraid that I can't take care of my own daughter." His tears flowed smoothly down his cheeks and stained Ryou's shirt, though he didn't mind, as he only rubbed Malik's back, hoping to bring him at least some comfort. "This job, this house, this life...I can't take it anymore. This isn't something a little girl should have to know, that her father has sex with strangers just to be able to buy her a meal that not even the rats would eat! I wanted to give her the life I never had..."
Ryou lifted his voice above the sobs and sniffles. "Malik, she seems happy, and that's all that matters, right?"
"I know she's not happy. She has to go to school with no lunch and give excuses to her little friends when their birthday comes up, lying about why they couldn't receive a present. It's all my fault!" He wailed, burying his head further into the warmth Ryou's chest provided. His tanned skin seemed to glow under the veil of tears. Ryou took his thin, alabaster finger and placed it under Malik's chin, lifting it slowly so their eyes met.
"Malik, your daughter loves you, you know this. Isn't that all the matters?" His thumb glided across his cheek, clearing the small stream of tears away from that face, the face that tears should never plague. "You have her, and she has you. Material possessions are only luxuries that not everyone needs. Love," He thought about it, Ryou did, as he just then contradicted everything he had ever wrote about, everything he had ever said about love being useless, meaningless, a waste of time. In Malik's eyes, he saw that it wasn't. He saw the love from his daughter was what was keeping him alive, what made him wake up every morning, something Ryou didn't have. He only had the faint hopes of love, not anything solid, like little Sumire. "is all you two need."
Malik's tears rather quickly disappeared as he gazed helplessly into Ryou's orbs. "Ryou..." He lifted himself up a bit, moving ever closer to the one opposite him, though this time, Ryou didn't move, didn't flinch. They moved closer and closer still, eyes fluttering shut. They were but inches away, lips just moments away from became meeting in a passionate embrace, until a whimper came from the doorway. They quickly retracted their lips as Sumire held tightly to a small lavender blanket. Regained composure rather quickly, Malik smiled softly and rose, kneeling in front of his little angel. "What's wrong, princess? That dream again?" She nodded as he scooped her up in his strong arms. "Excuse me for a minute, Ryou." He disappeared into a small room, Ryou being left a bit dumbfounded on the couch.
Did we almost...no! I mean, I wouldn't have minded...No! Ryou, stop it. It's hopeless. You'll never find a love that's worth having. You'll always be alone. Just then, he heard soft murmurs coming from the room Malik had disappeared into, as curiosity struck him. He rose and took small, soft steps through the corridor and hung in the doorway, seeing Malik hovering over a small mattress on the floor of a room with chipped brown paint. He heard him whispering softly words of contentment to the little girl.
"One day, Sumire, we'll live on a farm with lots of different animals. Cows, chickens, pigs,"
"A horse for me and daddy?"
Malik smiled, kissing her forehead. "Yes, and a horse for you and me." Her eyes then fluttered shut as he drifted back into a sanctum of dreams. Sighing deeply, Malik fiddled with his little girl's bangs.
"Malik?" Ryou whispered, Malik peering at him over his shoulder. "I-I think I should g--"
"Her mother left when she was about one. She didn't give a shit about anyone. It was all about her, how she wanted to become an actress, a star. She thought I could make it happen for her, because what's an actress without a man to drag through stardom? She stayed with me throughout high school, and in our senior year, in about June, she told me she was pregnant." He seemed to chuckle softly, still stroking Sumire's hair. "I couldn't believe it. It seemed like I had it all, a girlfriend I loved and a baby on the way. It seemed like a dream, but it quickly turned into a nightmare. About five months into the pregnancy, she wanted to get an abortion because she thought it would ruin her nonexistent career, but I refused. I wouldn't let her kill our baby, my baby. We fought back and forth for the remaining five months, until my little angel was born. I fell in love with her from the moment I saw her come out. My girlfriend didn't have the same feelings. About two weeks after Sumire was born, she packed up and left me alone, left her daughter. It's been about four years since I've heard from her, and I hope I never do. If she would have stayed, maybe Sumire could have a normal life and not have to wonder if the reason why mommy left was her." He rose and looked to Ryou. "It was my fault that bitch left. If I would have been a better boyfriend, she wouldn't have left her own child to rot in a place like this."
Ryou felt his own form tremble a bit, hearing this story that seemed to be too horrifying for words. "M-malik.."
"I'll understand if you want to leave, Ryou. My problems aren't your business, and I doubt you want to hear anymore."
"No, Malik...I..."
"I mean, I shouldn't have just broke into the story like that. It's just a sob story, nothing more. I should be more considerate and--"
"Malik, I want you and Sumire to live with me..."
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Whoa! What a cliffhanger, ne? I've been ending a lot of my stories like that lately. Gomen. ; Anyway, haven't started on Chapter 4 yet, but I hope you all look forward to it. Ja and Merry Christmas!!!!