Kimyo: Mmmm... Chocolate... oishishii da nyaa...

Thanks to kaibasapuppetinmyworld, Puppy Jou and Kitty Seto (thnx for the chocolate!), and Sour Shuyler for reviewing!

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Chapter Two: A Small Fluttering

o oo

Ryou thought he'd hate sour apple flavored bubble gum. He'd only bought it because it was included in the variety pack. Oddly enough, it had come to be his favorite. He sat on the stoop behind the school at lunchtime, completely enshrouded in the shade of the large building. The concrete and wind chilled him, but he didn't care. He sat and chewed sour apple. It was the only thing he could do when he was agitated.

There'd been a time when he used to slice his arm to ribbons with double-edged razors. No one here knew about it, not even his yami or his former lover.

He'd spent four days at the state hospital, in the ward for teenagers who'd tried to kill themselves, and now, he was cured.

He leaned back and closed his eyes, seeing Bakura's face again, twisted in shock and unmistakable disgust.

He must find me so repulsive. Maybe I'll never see him again.

"Did you eat lunch?"

He sat straight and opened his eyes. There stood Yami, smiling that small, secretive smile he was known for.

"Yes."

"Liar." He calmly walked over and sat beside Ryou.

Please go away. All I wanted was to be alone.

"Yugi asked me to see if you were alright."

Ryou felt a pang of guilt about earlier, when he'd been watching and waiting for Yugi's heart to be stomped on. He lowered his head and looked away, chewing faster.

Yami leaned closer, trying to see Ryou's eyes.

"Where is Bakura?"

He made a sound in his throat and jumped to his feet.

"Wait..."

He ignored Yami and walked faster.

o o o

Girls were roaming the grounds, forlornly cradling boxes of chocolates, plushies, and bouquets of flowers. Seto Kaiba was nowhere to be found.

Jouno stood alone in the boys' room, leaning over the sink, gazing into his brown eyes in the mirror. He couldn't stop staring... he lost himself in the faint tones etched in his iris, the sort of detail you don't notice unless you look closely.

With a sharp exhalation, he pushed himself away from the sink and walked out quickly, almost running. He decided to go home.

I've never been any good at school anyway. Might as well just go home. I can get things ready for Serenity. I can bake a cake.

o o o

She was cute girl, with a kind smile on her face. "What are you reading?"

Ryou was sitting at his desk. It was between classes, and although most students socialized at that time, Ryou had chosen to read instead.

He closed and lowered the hard covered book, keeping the place with his index finger. "It's called 'Mrs. Dalloway'."

"Oh," she said politely, but obviously uninterested. "Um, I was wondering, what are you doing tonight? I thought maybe we could go to a movie, or..." She lowered her head, her face turning beet red.

"A movie," he repeated thoughtfully.

I'll be back in Domino Monday night. Please, just talk to me...

"Yes," he said, smiling his sweetest smile. "A movie sounds wonderful. Maybe we could even make a night of it."

o o o

He climbed on top of the gate, then hopped down and landed on his feet on the sidewalk. It was midday, and the sun was right overhead. Jouno felt very warm, even though it was February.

Glad to be off school grounds, he walked down the street in the direction of the grocery store. After a few steps, he stopped and looked up at the windows in the school. He wondered if Kaiba was watching him from one of those shaded windows.

He pushed thoughts of Kaiba away, and spent the time it took to reach the HEB planning out Serenity's visit. He remembered Serenity saying she'd always wanted a moon shaped chocolate cake with blue frosting.

I'll bake the perfect cake for you, Serenity.

Maybe I should buy roses.

What is that?

He stopped, just a block away from the grocery store. In the dusty gutter at the corner was a small fluttering. He approached it slowly, sure that it was a piece of trash caught in a breeze.

There by the curb, struggling in the dust, lay a small bird.

Jouno took the creature up in his hands and examined it. The bird's head lolled unnaturally. Jouno knew right away that its neck was broken, and it would die. It flapped its wings, eyes bright with helpless fear, coagulating blood gathered at its beak.

Must've flown into a car. Poor thing.

He walked the rest of the way to the store, cradling the bird gently in his warm hands. It was still alive, still fighting.

Maybe if I get him to a vet, he could be alright. He's still so lively...

There was an animal hospital a bus ride away. He dug out his wallet, and dumped the change onto the sidewalk. He gathered the ninety-five cents required. Then he found that while he'd been doing this, the bird had died quietly in his hand.

Its eyes had lost their light. Its form had lost its vitality. It was completely still... no longer a creature, now, an object.

A corpse is a sad thing to behold.

He buried it at the base of one of the young trees lining the sidewalk. He was surprised that tears fell from his eyes. He wiped them away with the back of his hand and sniffed.

I'm sorry I couldn't help. But at least you didn't die alone. I hope I made it easier for you, somehow.

2

a small fluttering

finish