Seven years ago… it seems so far away now, almost like a dream.
Those days were a time of unquestionable beauty, and happiness beyond compare…
And now all that remains is a sorrowful memory.
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/Ryou's POV/
The wind blew lightly, whistling through the trees above, and playing with the hair that fell across my face. The chill of evening was beginning to spread; lying on my back, watching the sun sink and the sky shift through an assortment of hues, I felt the cool air of night begin to surround me.
The figure beside me stirred and I tightened my grip on the hand within my own.
Sitting up, the boy next to me looked up at the changing sky; he smiled and then looked down at my still form. His sandy blonde hair shifted slightly with the moving air, and his long bangs slowly swayed back and forth before his stunning purple eyes.
Leaning forward, gently kissing my forehead, he whispered:
"We should probably head back."
Reluctantly I nodded, and sat up as well. Time seemed to pass so quickly when I was with him, and no matter how often we were together it never seemed enough.
Slowly, we both rose, his hand still in mine, and we started off at a slow pace. I knew we were near the center of Domino Park, the only undeveloped place left in the city, and that at the rate we were walking the journey home would take at least an hour, leaving us out well after darkness would fall…
But I didn't care.
Looking over at the boy next to me I smiled to myself. To me, any time spent in his presence was well used. I truly believe he was flawless; a fallen God. His tanned skin and uneven hair… Even the tattoos that ornamented his face, the tattoos that so many thought were an unsavory disfiguration, were beautiful in my eyes. Just the sight of him could brighten even my dreariest days. And his spirit…
"Hey Ryou...?"
I started from my thoughts; his inquisition coming as a surprise in the enveloping silence of the falling night.
His steps stopped, mine followed suit, and standing before him I looked up into his eyes.
"Yes Malik?"
He leaned towards me slowly, and I could feel his breath on my face. I could see him trying not to smile as he kissed the tip of my nose.
"You're it." he said, with a manic grin, before pulling his hand from mine, and running off towards the park exit.
I laughed, his action not entirely surprising me. Since the end of the Shadow Wars, since the Pharaoh's memory was returned and the spirits of the Sennen Items were given physical forms of their own, Malik had begun to act more his age; younger, even. He was never given the chance to be a child due to the destiny he was handed along with the Millennium Rod, and now it seemed he was trying to recapture that youth, while at the same time try to lead the life of a normal teenager.
These two mentalities, though so unalike, in Malik blended so perfectly, serving only to further his beauty. But then, it all makes sense, for combined they described him exactly…
Tainted purity.
Corrupted innocence.
Broken perfection.
Like a walking contradiction, he is at once both shattered and complete. His soul is unscratched, yet bleeds more than any other's…
But Gods how I love him.
"Wait, Malik!" I cried, finally moving from my spot of contemplation. "Wait for me!"