Summary: The meeting isn't the beginning; the parting is not the end… Witness how a simple friendship blooms into love. And prove to yourself that no matter how far your feet go, your heart will take you back to the Cherry Road.

Disclaimer: I own this story and its title, not the characters, not yu-gi-oh, not even the PC I used to upload this!

Hunter K: I'd like to thank all reviewers… Thanks to all! (waves to reviewers…) I really had a busy week but I did manage to type this one yesterday and upload today… Sorry for the late update... (thinks: Flame must be dying to kill me now.) Maybe I just screw up. Okies… I should finish this soon so I could get to sleep and rest and relax… But hey, reading your reviews is far more soothing than sleeping n.n R&R everyone and thanks for reading…

Warning: Shounen-ai! RyouxMalik

Last Chapter: Malik stayed the night at Ryou's house because of a storm. Ryou was still annoyed but he found out that his friend was ill. Letting his soft side prevail, he shared his bed with Malik. Yet it seemed that Malik wasn't worthy of his trust…

The Cherry Road:
where souls meet and part
By Hunter K

Chapter 6: Facing Fears

…-…- still a flashback -…-…-

Malik's eyes widened. He felt like a deer caught on the headlights and the car might hit him any minute now. He mentally grasped for an excuse but nothing came to him. He just felt a headache and everything around him seem to swirl until he felt that he was going to blackout before Ryou could even hit him… but he didn't.

Malik took the chance… the chance to confess…

…-…- end flashback -…-…-

Ryou chuckled at the thought. He remembered Malik's face redder than a ripe tomato. Again, he fingered the ring in his palm.

…-…- flashback again . -…-…-

The tanned boy pulled the other closer to him. He can hear his heartbeats, but he didn't care. It was a chance he could never want to lose. Their places are now reversed: Ryou is now the shocked one, and Malik pulled him close for comfort.

Ryou blinked, once, twice, digesting what his Egyptian friend had said. No, it can't be. He never expected such words to come from his friend. Not that he gave meaning to the words but the words itself possess them.

"I love you…", Malik whispered once more, nuzzling on his ears. It hit him. It wasn't all but a friendly love. He was confused, so confused that he didn't know what to do. He loved his friend, but not this way…

"M-Malik…", Ryou stammered, not knowing what to say, "Malik, listen." Ryou tried to pry himself off the Egyptian's grasp. "We are friends. And of course, I love you…", the silver-haired boy tried as much to hide his guilt. He knew his friend's intensions, yet he still played naïve.

Mystic amethyst met chocolate-brown. Yet Ryou tried as much to look away. Malik held him on both shoulders, pleading for his attention. "Ryou, I. Love. You.", Malik's voice was clear, saying every word rather slowly, hopeful that the other understand his yearning. "…as a friend, as a brother, and more than a friend…", his voice trailed, afraid that the other would reject him.

Ryou shook his head, making silvery locks sway violently, tears welling in his eyes. "You don't understand! I-I'm…" Ryou trembled, throwing into a pit of sobs that made his later words incoherent. "I'm sorry…"

Malik grew confused; he knew that his friend was shocked. He pat Ryou's slender back, trying as much to understand the other's emotions. He kissed Ryou on the top of his head, saying, "It's okay… I understand…" in the most calmed, considerate way he can ever display.

He fought back tears. He knew he was denied, but his mind won't believe.

'Angels don't hurt people, right?', he rationalized.

'What do you call the feeling inside you now… It stings right?', a voice inside him mocked.

'It wasn't his fault that I got pained… It's mine…', he clasped his chest in the thought, 'I am to blame…'

He wanted to block the voice, yet it still came, 'Lovesick fool! He broke you! You are cast off!'

'No! No!', he shouted deep inside his heart.

He just can't fool himself. He just HAD been cast off, rejected by the one he loved. He wanted to shrink, to just disappear in thin air, to burst in million tiny pieces, to die immediately on the spot.

He was thinking of the ground opening into a crevice and swallowing him whole to the underworld where he can suffer less than what he was feeling right now when he heard a faint voice.

"We can still be friends… Right?", there was uncertainty and guilt in Ryou's voice, yet he tried as much to make it sound normal.

Malik faked a smile. He knew he needed time to heal, but it was Ryou who was asking. Who was he to deny? "Of course, we are still friends…"

…-…-…- end flashback -…-…-…-

Crystalline rivers ebbed down the murky coffee orbs. Much as he tried to stop, he can't. He knew he was feeling something for Malik back then. But he was afraid, fearful to be hurt. Too afraid to say three words. Damn his cowardice! Now he was regretful. He wanted to turn back time yet he knew he can't.

Malik had confessed, yet he let him down. He didn't know if the blonde's feelings were still the same. He didn't know if it somewhat grew or died. He just can't know if he won't try to find out. He was too afraid back then, too unsure of his feelings, but now he was definite.

He stood on his feet, dusting his navy-blue coat of dried Sakura leaves. He backtracked to the old bridge, taking the way to the airport. Time to face the greatest foe he has in his life.

tsuzuku

AN:

K: (walks on the limelight and shouts emotionally) "I know, I know, late update… Kill me now! If that's gonna make you happy!"

Bakura: (appears out of nowhere and sits beside Malik) "What's wrong with him?"

Malik: (sighs) "I thought the week before last chapters' update was worst… but here he is again…"

K: "Dammed stupid life!" (gets a knife and tries to slash his wrist)

Bakura: "looks like he'd been pushed to the edge… "

Malik: "he is… A week without sleep, doing projects… Who won't go insane…"

Bakura: "as in no, without any, even a minute sleep?"

Malik: "Yeah…"

Bakura: "I think you influenced him in your 'caffeine addiction' habit…" (turns to K who seems cannot see his wrist due to swollen eye bugs.) "Here, I'll lend you a hand…" (goes near K)

K: "Thanks, just what I needed!" (Slashes Bakura's hand…)

Bakura: O.O "Damm!"

Malik: . "Dun mind the psychos… Just R & R!"

Bakura: "I almost forgot! I'm here to plug the fic Blood Bound, IT's cool! I'm there!"