Real quick, let me apologize for the major delay of this chapter. My computer totally crashed and we finally got it fixed. When it turned on, all of my saved files were gone. Yes. Everything. But, the guy somehow restored all of them. I'm so sorry.

Chapter 10: Blueberries and Chocolate

Ryou sat quietly in the marble gazebo, contemplating Malik's words. Strange... it was almost starting to seem as though Malik himself cared for that roguish demon. If that were the case, well, Ryou would most definitely oppose it! He felt it was his duty as a friend after all.

Angels and demons do not mix.

Leaning back, Ryou closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. It really was lonely without Malik there. In truth, Malik was like his only friend, and everyone else was just an acquaintance. Ryou had never been too fond of "making friends", partly because almost anyone who wanted to be his friend wanted to be something more, and Ryou didn't really want to be in a relationship with anyone. Malik always commented that he "set his priorities high so no one would meet them".

It was absolutely true.

Why be in a relationship when anything and everything can go wrong? The solution? Just don't. But still... Ryou was very lonely, and he didn't like it.

Humming softly to himself, he recited a song softly that was one of his favorites. Whenever he was sad or forlorn, the one thing that could sheer him up was to sing.

"Beautiful."

Ryou stopped singing and abruptly opened his eyes only to face a well-known devious grin. "What are you doing here!"

Marik crossed his arms. "I should ask you the same question, but I believe we already had a conversation like this before." Motioning to the open space beside the angel, he asked, "Mind if I sit here?"

"Yes," Ryou said flatly.

Marik seemed pleased as he sat down beside the smaller boy. "Good."

Immediately, Ryou stood, ready to leave, but he found Marik somehow standing in front of him. "Stop that! Transporting is not fair!"

"Who said demons play by the rules?" He watched as Ryou glared at him. "You are so cute when you're angry...Have I ever told you that?"

"I'm returning to Heaven," Ryou said, shaking his head in resolution.

"But don't you want to stay and play?" Marik raised a fine brow as he studied Ryou's form. "You can't deny that we have a connection."

"A connection?" Ryou laughed. "We're as different as night and day. There is no connection." Turning, he began to walk off again.

Marik's smirk devolved into a glower. Ok. This wasn't going the way he had planned. Oh well though, because Marik possessed something the angel lacked- Brute strength and silver handcuffs.

"If you can successfully get this angel to fall in love with and sleep with you within one week's time, without the use of violence, pain, bondage, or any of the above…"

Cursing Bakura for the rules and himself for actually being someone who kept to their word, if nothing else, he decided to turn on the charm. Now, anyone who knew Marik- be it demon, angel, or what have you- knew that Marik could master any emotion, save for love, and convince anyone of it. No matter how furious he was feeling inside, all he had to do was put on a miserable face and people truly believed he was sad. And charm? That he had mastered most of all.

Marik found himself to be a very lonely person when it came down to it. He didn't like people, but rather he liked the various ways people could benefit him... in any way. As a solution to his self-imposed abandonment, Marik learned to play to people's emotions, tell them what they wanted to here, give them what they wanted...

And they would do anything for him.

That seemed like the most logical solution to the problem of the reluctant angel, and Marik spared no time in enacting his plan.

"Wait," he said, appearing before Ryou. "I'm sorry," he frowned. "I don't know what I was thinking."

Ryou didn't quite believe him, but stopped nonetheless. "What's new?"

"Will you at least hear me out?" he asked gently. "I promise I won't try anything... without your permission."

Ryou was rapt. Marik's voice, it- it was so full of emotion that Ryou thought the blubbering fool might even start to cry. "I..." he gave up, "Fine."

Marik reached out lightly for his hand and held it a moment, nothing but a soft gaze to accompany his actions. This, even though it was a simple action, gave Ryou this really odd feeling... He couldn't really describe it. But, it wasn't bad.

Marik looked away and feigned a look of embarrassment that Ryou immediately believed before transferring them back to the gazebo.

"Um," Ryou swallowed hard and slipped his hand from Marik's, "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

Marik sat down and patted the spot beside him and Ryou wasn't sure why, but he sat. "Let's talk about you."

"Me?" Ryou repeated, confused. "There's not really much to talk about."

"Well how about this?" Marik folded his hands. "Why are here, when no one else is around? Surely you have someone with whom you could spend time with...A girlfriend perhaps?"

"What?" he suppressed a blush. "Oh, I don't have a girlfriend."

Bingo! Marik nearly kissed the angel again right there. But, he was only half successful. "Well... what about a boyfriend?"

Ryou looked at him skeptically. "I don't have a boyfriend either. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Marik pretended to avoid the subject. "But you never answered my first question..."

"I'm just here because it's where I like to go."

"Frequently?"

"No, only when I'm thinking about things."

"Such as?"

Narrowing his gaze, Ryou through Marik a doubtful look. "Since when do you care about my problems?"

"Ah," Marik smirked triumphantly, "So you're having problems?"

"Who said-"

"You just said so." Marik inwardly complimented himself on that one. Angels really were manipulative...And this one was single? With a gorgeous face like that? Could the demon get any luckier? "So tell me about your problems."

"Marik, I hardly think you'd qualify as a therapist," Ryou smiled, though it was small. "Maybe "The Rapist", but definitely not a "Therapist.""

"Well, well," Marik grinned charismatically, "So the angel does make jokes. I was beginning to think you only knew how to reject people."

"I only did that because of your bizarre attitude."

"Bizarre attitude?" he said with curiosity. "What bizarre attitude?"

"Exactly!" Ryou suddenly stood up. "You are such a liar! One minute you ask me to be your bed slave, and the next, you're prince charming? Well I'm not buying it! I know how you are, Marik. I was lectured for years on the deviltry you've wrought out, and the many you have..." he selected his words carefully, "Taken advantage of."

Marik was deep in thought for a moment. "I'm seriously that famous?"

"Famous? More like infamous! You can twist the heart of a woman as easily as some would twist her arm to hurt her!" Almost laughing at himself, he rubbed his temple. "I don't even know why I stayed. I know the kind of demon you are."

"And I know the kind of angel you are."

Ryou paused here. "You know nothing about me." And he liked it that way. "Goodbye Marik-"

"I know that you have pretty eyes," Marik said suddenly, cutting him off. Again, Ryou could do nothing but stay and listen. "Beautiful brown eyes that are always full of emotions that others lack to see. I know that your skin is very pale, almost matching your hair, but there's a small tint of cream in it that offsets the white." Ryou's hardened gaze had softened against his will. He was suddenly enthralled by Marik's words. "And your hair, a strange color indeed, only reminds me of your purity." In an instant, he was before the spellbound angel. "I'd love to touch it sometime..." he reached his hand up for a moment, before letting it fall back to his side again, "But I dare not do it without your permission." A wry smile was now on his face, but Ryou could see that he was somewhat truthful.

"Marik-" he suddenly found it hard to talk, and seemed to give up as he released a tired breath. "We shouldn't even be seeing each other... Not even here."

"My next comment was related to that. Why are you here exactly, alone, at the Bridge? Or is it that you really do have a rebellious spirit somewhere inside you that yearns to break the rules a little..?"

Marik really hoped the answer to that question was yes, or he was going to have a hell of a time gaining Ryou's favor.

"Well I-," Ryou hesitated, then decided to answer. "I like it here because I can be alone... I don't think many others would be willing enough to risk getting caught."

Marik began to grin evilly. "And you are?"

"..." Ryou couldn't really think of a response, so he avoided the answer completely. "Obviously you are. You're the first demon I've ever seen here when a meeting wasn't taking place. Then again... what have you got to lose?"

"I told you..." He smirked triumphantly. "We are compatible. Two lonely beings, paths crossing when they least expect it... It's almost like we were meant to be."

"Almost," Ryou said deprecatingly. "But you're forgetting one tiny fact: I'm an angel, and you're a demon."

"So?" Marik shrugged his broad shoulders. "What do we care what everyone else thinks? All that matters is us."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ryou held his hands up. "Don't get ahead of yourself. There is no "us", Marik. Don't you understand that? We're like oil and water. We don't go together."

Marik cleared his throat. "Actually, I could be the oil..." Ryou gave him a blank stare before the demon smiled devilishly. "It's always on top."

Slapping a hand to his head, Ryou muttered, "Point proven." Resuming his calm posture, he continued, "Ok, take this example: Light and dark must always be kept separate. Otherwise, one small gray area could set everything off balance."

"But even on a sunny day, there are shadows," Marik reasoned. "Now it's my turn for a metaphor... You're like chocolate. It looks appeasing on the outside, but on the inside is sugary sweetness that everyone wants a bite of-"

"Then that would make you a blueberry," Ryou said, cutting him off before he went too far with that last comment. Marik waited for him to explain. "On the outside, it looks pretty good, but once you get a taste..." he narrowed his gaze, "You see how truly bitter it really is." He shook his head, "Even simple analogies show how different we are."

"Yes, but one person's negative traits can be balanced off by another's good ones... Just as one can see that the problem is fixed by merely dipping the blueberry in the chocolate."

All right. So maybe Ryou hadn't credited Marik accordingly. When it came down to it, he could seriously argue quite well. At least he wasn't stupid... but no! This was ALL wrong! Why had Ryou even stayed as long as he had? Marik just had this effect on him that he couldn't control. It was bad... but it was good.

"Listen, I really have to go now," Ryou said, breaking from his trance and taking a few steps back.

Marik nodded. "Very well. I'll walk you to the Bridge." And before Ryou could protest, they were already standing on the crystal steps. "So this is where we part."

Ryou felt it hard to look at him. "...Yes it is."

Even though they were so close, there still seemed to be this imaginary line in the exact center of the Bridge that wasn't really there, but every angel and demon kept in mind. After all, one side lead to heaven, and the other led to hell... How strange that only a few steps separated two of the most controversial settings in the history of the universe.

"Who knows," Marik said, almost reading Ryou's mind, "Maybe one day you'll be able to cross over into my world. I really don't think you'd find it to be too different."

Ryou seriously doubted that, but smiled even so. "I don't think so." Never in a million years would Marik ever be able to convince him to do something that insane.

"Oh well," Marik's magnetic grin remained, "It was worth a try. In the end, I hope you'll see that I'm not as sour as you think."

"And I hope you'll learn that I'm not so sweet..." Pausing, he looked away from Marik for a moment and his voice quieted down some. "You can..."

"Hm?" The demon was confused, "Can what?"

"...Touch my hair...if you want to."

Marik blinked, then remembered. Not about to waste such an opportunity, he once again slowly reached up to touch the brilliant locks. The crazy thing was... damned be Marik if he was still apprehensive! It was like finally to do something you know is wrong, but you still want to do it anyways. Not that this was wrong... it was very wrong, so wrong in fact that Marik was starting to like the idea more and more. Finally, he breached the barrier and ran his fingertips through the white gold.

"…It feels like silk," he commented after a little bit. He lightly tangled his hand in the soft strands before he became aware that Ryou was slightly nuzzling in to the touch... whether he recognized it or not. That sardonic grin found itself on his face as he realized that this deal would be a very easy win. Withdrawing his hand unexpectedly, and quite on purpose, Marik took a step back and curtly nodded. "Good evening, Ryou. I hope I'll have your pleasure here again soon?"

Ryou was back to his normal self, but some playfulness now edged his words. "Marik..." he said before parting, "I'm afraid you'll never have that pleasure."

Marik was smirking as he left. "...Touché."

oooTBCooo

Okay you guys, I know I said there'd be Yami and Yugi's first encounter in this chapter, but this ended up being one I could only center on MxR. The chapter was even named after them. I swear I'll make it up to you! Besides...when you see in the next chapter how Yami and Yugi meet, you'll see that it needs a chapter all its own.

AmethystRoze