Letters and Candles

Chapter 4

Stuck with You

Disclaimer- I have a wish. But no.. I don't get them. But then again…No one else does either! Wahahaha!

Ryou's Point of View

'Home?' The word pulsed through my body turning everything frozen and stiff, warm and slightly numb. I clung to Bakura's chest as he zipped down the street and cutting through the back alleys of the city. His trench coat flapped behind him wildly; giving everyone whom happened to glance at his back the appearance of a large bat racing by. I realized my boxes of ramen were now dangling off of one of his wrists and bumping into his leg as he ran.

Bakura glanced down at me every few minutes; making sure I hadn't fainted, I guess. He smiled at me sending shivers down my spine and heat to rise in my face. Something about him seemed different, too different. I remembered the spirit that had possessed my body for so many years. Bakura had been cruel and violent, true. But he had managed to be caring and tender at times too. I sighed in confusion gaining another glance from Bakura.

The snow began to fall in clumps the size of golf balls. They smacked Bakura in the face as he ran. He shook his head violently, much like a dog would when wet, to clear his face and eyes of the frozen water droplets from hell.

Bakura ran the entire way only stopping once we were outside my apartment door. He put me back on my own two feet and handed me the ramen boxes. Bakura ran his fingers over the chipped, gold-plated numbers on the toffee-brown door. He looked at me; a silent plead for me to open the door. I pulled the key from my pocket and inserted it into the lock. Before I turned it, I looked to Bakura; he looked longingly at the lock then turned to me. He gave me a look that said one thing 'What the hell are you waiting for?'

I smiled unlocking the door, twisting the doorknob open and stepping to the side. "Welcome back, Yami." He walked past me and looked about the room, one crack at a time. He seemed to be reassuring himself that everything was truly the same. I suppressed a snicker as he flopped backward, eagle spread, onto my bed. He inhaled once deeply, before instantly falling asleep.

'Has he not slept since he left?' I knew he had to have slept for it had been four months, three weeks and four days since he had left. I was obsessive. I knew it too. But judging by the heavy bags under his eyes, you could never tell the difference.

I watched as he buried his head, unconsciously into my..er.. his pillow. I went into the kitchen and started pulling out the boxes of ramen and storing them away into the cabinets. I started humming a song randomly to myself. I knew I had heard it once before, somewhere but I couldn't place its name or where I had heard it. I hummed as I made myself a bowl of ramen and then continued as I ate it.

I was lost in myself. Trying to remember, trying to forget, and trying to realize what had just happened. I hummed to myself, as I dressed for bed later that night in my favorite blue, striped pajama shirt and bottoms. Then stumbled over a note as I remembered Bakura was stretched across my bed. 'Now what?'

I shrugged, moving over to the bed and reaching under it for my favorite green, sleeping bag. I had spent the night with Yugi and Joey or Malik and Marik, once or twice. 'Malik and Marik's sleepovers are a nightmare. You never sleep and can't keep them off of you.' I smirked finally remembering the sleepovers. I laid out the bag facing the window. Clouds covered the moon but you could still see its faded outline in the sky. Glowing like a giant firefly of the night.

Crawling into my sleeping bag and using my arms as a pillow; I watched the snow. I glanced once at the clock that glowed obnoxiously on the nightstand.

10:38 P.M.

I watched the clouds roll by until the wind picked up and snow flew past the window; so fiercely you couldn't make out the city lights. I felt the heavy blanket of sleep fall onto me and force my eyelids to close. I drifted to sleep like that; barely taking into account that the Millenium Ring was glowing brightly around my neck.

7:00 A.M No one's Point of View

BUZZZZ! THUMP! "DAMN IT!" BUZZZZ! THUD! Bu..z..(X.X)

Ryou looked over to a very disturbed Bakura. He had jumped up, screeched, fallen onto the floor and then killed the alarm clock. Ryou had completely forgotten to turn off his alarm clock. But he did still need to go to work, Bakura there or not. Ryou sat up, watched as Bakura wriggled back under the covers; that he had crawled under during the night, then turned his attention to the abused clock.

Bakura was muttering something about stupid, metal pieces of shit disturbing his sleep. Ryou giggled and Bakura opened an eye to look at him. Ryou pulled himself out from the sleeping bag and enthusiastically skipped over to the linen closet. "I need to take a shower before I go to work but..," Ryou cut himself off racing over to the window.

Snow was rushing past and very little daylight shown through the dark clouds. He looked harder down to the parking lot. Cars were completely devoured by the delicate snow. It was piled in heaps on edges of the street where the street-sweepers had tried to remove it from the roads. They had failed miserably. No cars were out on the roads trying to get to work, like usual. The Blizzard had arrived with a grand entrance.

"Never mind going to work, Hikari," Bakura muttered. He forced his face deeper into the pillow. Ryou glared at him then back at the window.

"I still need a shower but as I was saying. If you want I can make us breakfast. Is there anything in particular that you want?" Ryou looked to the slumbering mass on the bed. "I guess that's a no." Ryou went back the linen closet pulling out a towel and washcloth. "Have a good nap, Kura," Ryou whispered before grabbing his clean clothes, and going to take a shower.

Bakura's Point of View

Singing. The sound vibrated off the walls and into my head where it lingered. It was beautiful. I had never heard Ryou sing before I left. It was the voice of an angel, calm yet forceful. No one could deny wanting to listen to it. Not even I will deny wishing he would sing just a while longer. I didn't recognize the song but I knew, somehow I knew, I had heard it before.

Ryou finished the last few notes as he shut the shower off. I turned over and stared at the door. He hummed the last few notes as the shower dripped. I listened with a longing but held fast at the same time. There was something I was forgetting. I ran through a quick list in my head, unable to discover what I knew, was lost.

Ryou came out of the bathroom; fully dressed, drying his hair on an overly fluffy, towel. He looked at me; seemingly surprised I was awake.

I didn't think about what I was saying, "Why didn't you tell me, you could sing like that?"

He pulled back, "I started singing after you left."

I "humph'd" and got out of the bed.

He looked at his feet solemnly. "Did you really think t was that good?"

I looked over at him; almost surprised he would ask, "Yeah." It was a simple answer but I though it would do the trick. I guess it did because he was fighting a blush. I smirked and went to the linen closet, "Leave any hot water for me?"

He looked back up and gave me a dazzling smile, "Yep." I grabbed a towel fighting not to laugh.

'He looks absolutely adorable. Hair dripping wet, blush on his face, beautiful smiles; Mine.' I thought quickly. Then went quickly to the bathroom to shower before I started to blush.

I turned on the water and began to strip down. 'I guess he didn't change as much as I thought he would. Damn, I was supposed to see Malik and Marik yesterday. Oh well; they were probably to busy screwing each other to notice anyway.' I smirked at the thought. Now I could tease and yell at them later.

I got in the shower; noticing quickly that only my shampoo was there, not the usual strawberry one Ryou had used. I washed quickly and got out. I really didn't care for long showers anyway. I dried off realizing of course that I had no clean clothes. 'Perfect. Well Bakura aren't we just the brightest person.' I sighed, wrapping my towel around my waist and walking out of the room.

"Hey, Ryou. Got any spare clothes?" I said it in a rather sing-song tone. He whirled around and blushed.

"Ye..Yeah. You know where they are," he stuttered. I held in a laugh.

"Yeah I know," I was fighting the urge to go and wrap my arms around him just to see his reaction. I grabbed a copy of our blue-stripped shirt and jeans and returned to the bathroom. I dressed quickly and pulled my Millennium Ring on over my head. I used my towel to polish it a bit before I went back out into the bedroom.

Ryou was sitting at his desk; staring hazy-eyed at the photo I had left. I smirked then felt my heart ache as he traced my outline with his fingertips. I walked up behind him careful to avoid a particularly squeaky spot in the floorboards. I heard him sniffle once then he started crying. My heart hurt.

I lay a hand on his shoulder and he leaned onto it. He whispered something so softly I had to ask him to repeat it and move closer. He choked before saying, "Why did you leave?"

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks, "You don't remember, do you?" He shook his head and sobbed harder. "It doesn't matter. I'm back now."

He calmed after a few minutes then slowly got up. "Are you hungry?" His voice was shaky but stable. I nodded.

"Why don't we just go to the lobby and get something?" I nodded again.

End Bakura's Point of View

This particular apartment complex was practically half hotel. There was a small building in the center of two, 40-apartment complexes you could reach easily. There was a sidewalk path that connected all three buildings. Inside was a buffet that was set up in the mornings and again for dinner, never lunch though. There was also a small closed off area that was la mini version of a gymnasium with a couch and a fireplace on two of the four walls. Although you had to reserve the space to use it and it was dang expensive.

The only reason it was used was for the annual Halloween, Christmas, New Years, and Valentines Ball and if anyone wanted a wedding dinner. The "dances" cost nearly fifteen dollars a person; snobby rich people crank up the prices.

Bakura and Ryou raced down the iron stairs and the sidewalk over to the lobby. The fireplaces roared gold and red flames as the scent of bacon filled the room. Families were sitting at tables waiting for breakfast to be laid out on the buffet table. Breakfast started at 8:00 A.M., a little late but still doable. Both were soaked through their coats with snow. They pulled them off hanging them near the fire.

Ryou picked out a table quickly dragging Bakura to it and taking a seat. They said nothing both keeping eyes on only the door to the kitchen. Finally after a long silence two waitresses carried out platters of eggs, ham, bacon, fruit, sausage and toast out to the buffet table. They went and came with two boxes of cereal each and placed it onto the side of the table too.

Bakura got up followed closely by Ryou and piled his plate full. Ryou grabbed a bowl of cereal and a glass of milk and sat back down at the table while Bakura finished gathering his breakfast. Meat, meat, and more meat laced on Bakura's plate, to drink a glass of orange juice. Ryou smirked as Bakura stuffed his face with the meat. Bakura watched out of the corner of his eye as Ryou daintily ate his corn flakes and milk.

Neither said a word during breakfast both remembered the morning's hectic beginning. When both had thrown away their plastic dishes Bakura finally broke the silence.

"I need to go and see Marik and Malik today. Do you want to go?" He asked quickly as if this thought had been on his mind for a while as he pulled on his half-dry coat.

"In this weather?" Ryou looked both upset and shocked at the same time. He too worked on his damp coat.

"Yeah."

"Fine but I'm coming." Ryou smiled gently before leading the way out.

"Well that was easier than I thought it would be," whispered Bakura to himself.

They left the building starting the eight blocks to Marik and Malik's house on the city outskirts. They told pathetic Christmas jokes along the way and Santa suit was saved by Ryou's Christmas "spirit".

They arrived at ahouse that was painted light gray with dark gray trim (a compromise worked out by its two occupants) that was unmistakable occupied by the Ishtars. Music boomed through cracks in the window frame and a tree that was decorated in chains and skulls glared from the window. The head of some poor unfortunate creature was sitting on top in the place of a star; blood dripped from the rotting carcass andstained the tree red.

Ryou grimaced at the sight. "Chrismasy," he whispered sarcastically.

"Isn't it?" Bakura said walking up to the door. "Hey! Malik, Marik! Let me in!" A shuffling noise came from the house; someone was running down stairs.

The door flew open as if jumping out of the way. "BAKURA!" Marik yelled, both him and Malik, tackling the snowy-haired teen.

Lupe- Yes it's Marik and Malik's house. Just wait til you hear about the inside! Yup, different all right. Review please! Thanks to all Ch. 3 reviewers! Thanks to Wolf-Sister, Dark-Angel302 for inspiration on Marik and Malik's home! Read her stories! They rock!