Fish Out of Water

Chapter 6: Reunion

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Author's Note: Alright, so, just a few things to say before we get started. I know… that the last chapter didn't meet some of your expectations and hell, it didn't even meet mine. So, I apologize x.x There's more of an explanation in the end notes. What else… oh, for all of you who care, I have actually started the first chapter to the infamous 'Sequel'. That's what I call it now since I don't have a title and everyone seems to know what the hell I'm talking about when I say it . So, as soon as I finish this story, you all get that chapter. I think there's a lemon in the first chapter too o.O I think… I'm not there yet… XD So, I'll stop talking now, get reading!

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Carefully, very carefully, he removed himself from under the sleeping merboy, a yawn escaping him as he stood up. Leaning backwards, mahogany eyes slid shut as his bones popped and cracked, a small noise slipping from his throat. Feeling fur shift against his ankle, Bakura glanced down as he straightened up, seeing both german shepherds still seemingly asleep next to his folding chair. As he began to make his way over the dogs, Sai lifted her head, looking up at the human with her dark brown eyes, ears forward in question.

"No, shh…" Bakura gestured down the animal, his voice a whisper, "Sai, go back to sleep. Stay."

Laying her head back down on her paws, Sai continued to look up at Bakura with a somewhat mournful gaze, slightly disappointed that she had been ordered to stay where she was. Bakura turned, walking around the edge of the large pool and pulled the gate open, starting down the wooden stairs as he closed the small door behind him.

Stepping down into the cool sand, Bakura inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh morning air as a breeze washed over him. He moved a little awkwardly in the white substance at first, the grains shifting under his feet and throwing him slightly off balance, but quickly got used it, making his way towards the ocean.

Stopping a few feet from the water, the white-haired teen sat down. He had always loved coming out to the ocean at dusk when he was a child, but he had always been one to sleep past sunrise, making him unable to experience the beach as the sun rose.

He smirked slightly to himself, shifting his legs to curl at his side and lean against his left hand.

That Ryou was something else…

He could honestly say that he had never seen anyone get so drunk, so quickly, off of a single can of beer.

And it was like… insta-horny too.

'Maybe I should remember that little side effect…'

He looked down at the sand, his thoughts morphing as he did so.

'I wonder if that kid is really interested in some sort of… weird…relationship. Or maybe he's just in it for the experience? He did say that his mating season was right around the corner… was that all it was? A severe case of being horny?'

Frowning slightly, Bakura began idly tracing his finger through the light grains next to him, his mind wandering with all of his new questions.

-

Sara broke the calm water's surface, her white hair falling limp into her face without the water to support it. Green eyes quickly scanned their surroundings, finding that she was alone in the early morning light. Kicking her tail, she moved forward, maneuvering slowly around the rocks that littered the sandy bottom of the ocean shore. She had come to find her son, hoping against all odds that her Ryou would somehow, at almost any cost, be on that long stretch of sand.

Gripping one of the larger rocks with her long, pale fingers, forage-colored eyes peeked around one of the taller rocks, slick with wet moss. Feeling her heart skip a beat at what she saw, Sara quickly ducked down under the water, gliding forward smoothly with a snap of he long body. The water motion changed around her, the mermaid queen adjusting to the current quickly and allowing herself to be carried further in towards the white beach. Keeping herself low, Sara placed her hands against the shifting sand, feeling a rush of cool air hit her slick body as the waves were drawn back, leaving her exposed.

"Ryou?" She crawled forward with a look of desperate hope, quickly turning into one of fright as the figure looked up. Freeing, Sara held eye contact, pushing herself back a bit. This… human, though he looked like her son, he was not… those dark eyes seeming so menacing towards her. Pushing herself back as another wave washed over her lower body, she stopped, hearing the human speak.

"Wait! You said Ryou?"

Dark emerald eyes looked desperate again, "My son! Do you know of Ryou? Pleas, Human, tell me he is all right!"

The limbs the mermaid had mistaken as a fin at the male's side uncurled, the human rising slightly to his knees and moving a bit closer, "Your son is fine, he's with me."

A strange look passed over the woman's face, her form rising to kneel on her lower body. Both hands were quivering as they rose to her lips, her eyes closing partially as tears began to well up and fall.

"Is he truly… what could have been the chances… tell me you don't lie, Human!"

Bakura shook his head negatively, only to have a body suddenly thrown into his, arms wrapped around his neck and tears falling to his bare shoulder.

"Hey, listen now…" He tried his best to comfort the seemingly happily distraught mother, awkwardly placing his hands on her back and patting lightly. "C'mon, listen… he's fine, he's just fine."

Feeling as he had gained the woman's attention as she pulled away slightly, he gently wiped away the tears before continuing: "Listen, meet me over by that tidal pool over there." He pointed to make sure she understood, "The one leading out into the water and surrounded by all those rocks, and I'll go get Ryou."

Pushing back another happy sob, Sara couldn't stop smiling through her still-falling tears, nodding in agreement.

"Please hurry… I'm sorry, forgive my tears… my name is Sara."

Standing up, he grinned back, "Don't be sorry, I understand… I'm Bakura, by the way. I'll meet you over there in five, don't worry." He pointed again, before running and jogging back towards the house.

Climbing the stairs two and a time, Bakura pushed past the small door in the glass railing, moving towards the sleeping merboy still on his folding chair. Both of the dogs who were lying next to the chair lifted their heads as he approached, ears forward in attention. Patting them each on the head quickly, Bakura guided his arms down and around Ryou's still form, hearing him mumble small protests as he was lifted into the air.

Letting out a small whistle towards the two dogs, Sai and Kai were both quickly on their feet, tailed wagging as the trotted after Bakura. Nudging open the door again, the white-haired mail watched as the dogs took off onto the beach; Bakura looking around quickly to double-check that no one was around.

Walking towards the tidal pool he had mentioned earlier, Bakura kept his eyes open for the mermaid he had sent over.

Spotting her sitting patiently on one of the smaller, more flat rocks hidden within the taller, Bakura grinned, feeling a sudden sense of pride bubbling up within him, knowing that he was reuniting mother and son.

Then again… he had been the one who had torn them apart… from the water, at least.

"Ryou!"

Focusing again, Bakura saw Sara leaning forward against her hands, anxiously awaiting the closer arrival of her son. Slipping through a gap in the rocks and now within reach, the mermaid's hands hovered above her sleeping son's face, seeming to debate whether he was real or not. A shaky smile then broke out across the relieved mother's face, her fingertips brushing against his cheeks, before both her palms followed, gently cupping his face.

Ryou let out a low groan and shifted slightly in Bakura's arms, weakly swatting at the touches on his face.

Sara's grin only broadened, another choked sob escaping.

"My baby boy…. he's okay…"

Holding out her arms as she whispered, Bakura carefully let Ryou slide from his hold to his mothers, who quickly tightened her grasp in a hug.

Ryou mad another noise at the pressure on his form, cracking his eyes open to mutter out, "'Kura, stop… s'too tight…"

His mother only laughed softly, happiness radiating off her.

The light sound registered in Ryou's sleepy brain as foreign and yet familiar, causing his eyes to open further on investigation. He stared at the female holding him, his gaze widening a few moments later.

"Mother!"

Sara could feel the tears coming again and didn't stop them as they rolled down her cheeks, "Ryou…"

The young merboy found himself in another crushing embrace, the scent of his mother washing over him and forming a lump in his throat. Burying his face in the straight white hair of his parent, Ryou wound his arms around her, his teeth clenching to hold back his emotions.

"My baby Ryou! I was so worried, I just… I-I just couldn't stop thinking of what could have happened to you!" Sara continued sobbing into her sons shoulder, never wanting to let him go again.

Bakura let the two have their reuniting moment, looking up towards the morning sky. It was a strange mixture of grey, the sun attempting to peek through the thick layers of color and only managing to glow on the lining of the ocean. He thought it was strange that the clouds gave off such a dark and gloomy atmosphere for the reunited pair in front of him. A smirk crossed his features though, as he continued to stare at the sky, a mixture of emotions running through his veins so suddenly, he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

A tug on his shorts brought his attention back, mahogany eyes resting on a set of emerald green, watching as a single tear was quickly wiped away, before a brilliant smile lit up the younger males face. Bakura couldn't help returning the gesture, Ryou's smile being a bit too contagious. He sat down next to the two merpeople, listening as they spoke.

"Ryou…. Bakura…" Sara seemed unsure of how to ask her question, slim arms tightening slightly on her son. "What… happened that day?"

Both males stayed quiet, Bakura not sure his story was all that convincing and Ryou not wanting to say anything about it at all. Instead, the queen posed another question:

"Is what Malik said true? Were you… did you really leave because of your father?"

Ryou blinked once before looking at his mother, "Malik said that?"

"In the end… because of the mating session?"

A quick shake of his head answered that, "Yes… I left early the next morning with Malik…. and I found his boat…" A coral – clad hand gestured over to a silent Bakura. "And I had to free his net otherwise he would have been in trouble, but then Atemu and Malik -"

"Atemu?" Sara inquired, "That shark who lives by the coves?"

"Yes, but he's fine, he really is… anyways, they freed the net before I could get to it and…" Ryou paused for a moment, only adding to the dramatic effect on his story. He shrugged after another moment, "…and it pulled me out of the water."

"How can you shrug at that?" Forest green eyes became worried, "You could have been gravely injured! Who knew what could have become of you!"

Ryou laughed slightly, feeling his cheeks begin to burn softly, "Well, I couldn't breathe for a moment or two, does that count?" He laughed again at the shocked expression his mother gave him, "But I was fine! I… I ended up with Bakura, so I was okay."

Attention was turned on to the white – haired teenager, Ryou flashing him another large grin, "And he took wonderful care of me."

Bakura gave a half – hearted grin back, still unable to come up with a plausible excuse for him not to have thrown the merboy back into the water.

"I did what I could." Was his only reply.

A spray of water washed over the three as a wave crashed against the rocks surrounding them, making the human wince slightly at the cool touch. Sara smiled at him, reaching out a hand to place it gently on his knee.

"Thank you."

Bakura nodded in response, still feeling a bit guilty. Hesitating, the human asked, "Does this mean you have to leave?"

The mermaid nodded once, her white hair falling over her shoulders. "Ryou and I must have a very serious talk with his father."

"No!" Ryou's thin body was suddenly out of his mothers embrace and sliding into Bakura's lap, his lower body curled around himself and hands gripping the human's leg. "I want to stay here with Bakura!"

"Ryou…" Sara leaned towards the two, now reclining back against the tall rocks that provided them protection from prying eyes. "This must be resolved with your father. After that… we will come back."

"To stay?" The hope portrayed in Ryou's green depths pulled at his mothers heart, "You know we cannot survive out of the water completely for so long… we need the ocean to live."

"He has a pool! Bakura was kind enough to fill it with our water!" Ryou felt the human's hands wrap around his torso, pulling him back to lean against his chest.

"Ryou, listen to me." Bakura nuzzled his nose against the others white hair, murmuring into his ear, "You can always come back to see me."

"You don't want me to stay?"

Bakura shook his head, "That's not what I'm saying at all, of course I want you to stay, I… well, I really like you, Kid. But… your mum's right, a pool is no place for a spunky little merguy like you to be cooped up in, you know? So, go home, work things out with your dad, and then we'll figure something out when you come back, okay?"

Ryou was silent for a moment, before slowly nodding. He tilted his head back to look the human in the eyes, "I really like you too."

Bakura grinned, tightening his grasp around the young male in his arms, before leaning down slightly to gently brush his lips over the others in a chaste kiss.

"Meet me back here at sunset, alright? Now get on home and hurry back, I already miss you."

The merboy grinned widely and nodded, looking towards his softly smiling mother, "I'm ready to go."

Sara was in the water first, turning to wait for her son. Ryou slipped down into the cool water soon after, looking back up at the human. His mother disappeared under the water a few moments later, deciding to give the two some privacy.

Bakura knelt down in front of the merboy, watching as Ryou lifted his arms, removing the shelled necklace from around his neck. It was soon placed around his own neck, the shell hanging down against his breast. Feeling his hands taken in another pair, the human smirked lightly, leaning down to meet the younger male in another kiss, slowly breaking away.

"I want you to hold onto my necklace for me."

The human nodded, one hand raising to wrap around the long shell, his other lifting Ryou's and laying a soft kiss on the back of his hand. The smaller boy flushed lightly, meeting Bakura's eyes for a moment longer and then silently slipping down underneath the water.

Bakura watched as the dark body glided over the white sand, soon disappearing within the depths of the ocean. Sighing softly to himself, the white – haired teen jumped down from behind the cluster of rocks, looking around for his dogs.

-

"You have a relationship with that human?"

Ryou looked over to his mother, drawn out of his thoughts by her question.

"Err… sort of."

"Sort of?"

The prince looked ahead of him as they moved quickly through the water, tails flicking in rhythm.

"Yeah… sort of."

"How can you 'sort of' have a relationship with someone, especially a human?"

Ryou cracked a small smile, "That's a good question… I guess…" He paused, searching for the right words, "…because it's new and we still don't know each other all that well, I guess… it's a little awkward. I mean… we haven' made anything official or anything… you know?"

Sara nodded, looking away from her son and continuing on in silence.

"Are you… going to disown me now?"

The queen stopped swimming abruptly, Ryou slowly down and looking back at her.

"Disown you?"

Ryou nodded, holding his arms across his chest. His mother moved towards him, shaking her long, white hair, "I would never disown you, you are my son! You should do what makes you happy and I will support you in whatever you choose."

"…And father?"

Sara smiled, gently cupping his face with on hand, "Darling, don't you worry about your father, I will handle him."

Ryou nodded again, a small smile returning to his lips, "Thank you."

Dark green eyes met lighter with a larger smile, before nodding one last time, "Come then, we have a king to deal with."

-

Bakura entered his uncle's house with Sai and Kai on his heels, looking around the room for a moment and seeming lost.

Was it just him or did this house seem larger and emptier than when he had first arrived?

Shaking his head, Bakura patted Kai's head as he nudged his cold nose against his palm. Letting out a small whine, two sets of brown eyes looked up at him.

"I know…" Mahogany orbs looked around the foyer absently, "It's weird without him here, even if he did just stay in the pool…"

Silence filtered in again, only to be broken as Kai trotted down the hallway, his nails clicking in rhythm against the wood.

Bakura sighed, looking back down at the remaining dog by his side. Sai met her current master's gaze, ears swiveling forward and back again, head cocked slightly to the side. Opening her mouth in a sudden grin, her pink tongue rolled out in soft pants, dark eyes bright with happiness. Unable to help the small grin that formed across his lips at the dogs sudden display of happiness, he felt a little better, reaching down to scratch Sai behind the ears.

"C'mon Sai, let's go watch some tv."

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To Be Continued

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Cloaked Vampire: So, I'm very proud of this chapter… I felt bad with the last one because it didn't meet my expectations either, like I said before… I just didn't know where I was going, so more smex was the answer, right XD So, yeah, now I know where this is going and how it's going to end. One more chapter should do it. Two if I stretch it… we'll see how it goes. You guys better review, I need encouragement! 'Vita knows it takes hell to motivate me most of the time… XD