Ryou sighed, brushing a leaf out of Malik's hair as they sat staring out at the sunset.
It was officially fall in Domino. Yami had gone to the afterlife, but not after a brief appearance of a certain Tomb robber. Of course this interrupted Ryou's life, but things had settled back down by now. Yugi still hadn't gotten over Yami leaving, but everyone else had.
Oh, poor Yugi. The small, under grown teen was still torn over the loss of his friend and alter ego. No one could consol him, and he was considered a hopeless loss himself. The teen was oh so withdrawn now, he hardly spoke now. Ryou was still a bit sad whenever someone mentioned him. Malik, however, couldn't have cared less.
Ryou found Malik strange in that way. Almost 9 months of living together, and the Briton still didn't understand the abnormal Egyptian's ways. The way he took a shower was even baffling. The way he drank his coffee, the position in which he slept…
Ryou sighed again, trying to pull a twig from the afore mentioned Egyptian's hair, earning a cry of pain from the tanned mouth of him.
"Malik, hold still!" Ryou whispered as Malik squirmed around.
"Ryou, that hurts! You're pulling my hair!" He cried, wiggling around. Finally the stick dislodged itself from its victim's hair.
Malik frowned, rubbing the back of his head.
"Ryou! I want to go home!" He whined, burying his head into Ryou's neck.
Ryou sighed, and then got up. It was going to get dark soon anyway...
"Come on, then." Ryou was sad, and it showed in his tone. Suddenly Malik looked at Ryou sadly.
"You don't want to go?"
Ryou then forced a smile.
"Come on. You want to go, right?"
Malik frowned, for Ryou didn't sound convincing. But the Egyptian got up and followed anyway.
Malik had been getting in these whining, complaining moods often lately. This almost always ended in Ryou doing something he didn't want to and Malik feeling guilty, as he was now.
But the two lovers, going on their 9th month together, walked back to their apartment, number 601. Even though Ryou didn't want to.
The golden key went into its lock, the door opening. The home was warm as compared to the chill of fall and the impending winter, making Ryou sleepy just walking in.
He sighed, slipping over to the closet, changing into a way too large shirt that hung tight on his body but came down to the middle of his thigh. Malik simply took his clothes off, not bothering to put anything on but his boxers. Ryou yawned, flopping down on the warm, fuzzy blankets of his white bed. Malik soon followed, but he didn't yawn.
"Ryou…" his usually strong and silky voice was now just a whimper, startling Ryou. His chocolate eyes turned to Malik in alarm.
Malik was frowning, his eyes showing sadness.
"What's wrong, love?"
Ryou turned onto his side, putting a pale hand on his lover's shoulder.
Malik frowned deeper, then snuggled into Ryou's neck.
"I'm sorry…"
"For what?"
"For making us come home… I shouldn't have done that…"
Malik's voice wasn't above a whisper as he snuggled farther into Ryou's neck.
Ryou frowned, stroking the mass of blond hair that was mixed up in his own white hair.
"It's not your fault. It is your first fall here, after all. I shouldn't have expected you to get used to the temperatures."
He felt Malik's mouth move against his neck as he spoke.
"Now I know why Sister moved back. She didn't like the cold…It's so hot in Egypt compared to here!" Malik whined, and then untangled himself from Ryou's hair to look at the Briton.
Ryou's chocolate brown eyes softened further as he looked at the Egyptian next to him.
But he remained silent, unsure of what to say. Malik finally stopped looking and laid his head on Ryou's shoulder.
"Ryou?"
"Yes, Malik?"
"I'm nervous…"
"Why?"
"I don't know."
Ryou sighed gently then rolled over onto his side, stroking Malik's hair.
Malik snuggled closer to his lover's body, whimpering slightly.
The white haired male wrapped his arm around the sandy blonde's strong body, the other hand continuing the soft stroking of his hair.
"Ryou?"
Ryou sighed.
"What is it, Malik?"
Malik frowned, cuddling closer.
"What about the future?"
The Briton's face twisted into confusion.
"Er…?"
"What about our future?"
Then his face turned from confusion to soft sympathy.
"Let's cross that bridge when it comes, love."
Malik nodded at him in agreement.
"I hate school."
Ryou looked down at him.
"You don't even go to school, though."
"I hate it because you go. It's so boring when you aren't around!" Malik cried, and then snuggled into the folds of Ryou's way-too-large shirt blue shirt.
Ryou sighed and reached under one of Malik's legs, grabbing him by the knee and pulling him until they were face to face.
"Malik… trust me, if I had the option of quitting school without becoming stupid and incoherent, I would." The Briton's voice had turned stern suddenly, causing Malik to look down at his blue boxers.
Ryou sighed again. Malik was being so impossible now. A pale hand slipped under a tan chin, lifting it back up.
"I love you, Malik."
Malik slipped a hand to Ryou's other hand, pushing his head forward until their lips met. A little while later they broke away.
"I love you too, Ryou."
Malik shifted around a little, before he finally found himself turned upside down, his body curved to the side slightly.
"Why do you sleep like that?"
The Egyptian turned to his white haired lover, surprised by the question.
"Does it bother you?"
"No, I just wonder why."
The lavender eyed one looked away from the brown eyed one.
"I just find it comfortable. I don't know why."
Ryou smiled at him gently, and then shuffled around until he was in the same position as Malik. It was rather comfortable. As Malik fell asleep, Ryou drifted into his own thoughts
One question about his strange lover answered one million questions to go. Malik was as strange as they come, but Ryou loved him, and that itself was enough to keep him determined to answer all of the mystery surrounding the Egyptian teen.
Besides, one question every 9 months isn't that bad. Especially if it is 9 months with Malik.
(end story)
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