Pairing: None – features Bakura and Ryou
Genre: AU, general
Rating: G
Words: 696
Summary: Bakura reflects on his brother and the simple moments that make life wonderful.

Memory Album
Installment Five: Simple Moments

"I'llhave two single-scoop cones: one strawberry and the other chocolate."

The vendor nodded as he opened his little cart, grabbing the scooper and reaching in to get their order, a small cone held loosely between his fingers. A mound of soft pink soon emerged, dotted with small bits of red, sitting on top of the metal before it was pressed gently into the wafer container.

Bakura, who had been busy putting the proper amount of money down on the cart, stopped for a moment and took the cone. Ryou smiled as he accepted the treat, holding it between thin fingers before raising it to his mouth and happily enjoying his ice cream.

The money was pushed towards the vendor, who graciously accepted it before proceeding to get the remaining cone.

When all was done and Ryou gave a bright goodbye to the man, the two proceeded down the sidewalk, sandals scraping against the cement as they quietly enjoyed their afternoon snack.

The sun was high in the sky, sending down rays to warm their skin pleasantly and light up the scenery of the beach. The breeze was gentle and cool against their sun-flushed skin, fluttering their clothing and sending the ends of Bakura's button-down shirt billowing in a mass of pale blue and white. The salt of the sea tickled their senses, and it was such a comforting experience that Bakura couldn't help but let the content smile creep up upon his face.

Ryou moved to a stop and leaned against a metal railing, staring out at the ocean bellow as he licked absently at his cone, small, pink tongue darting out catch little droplets of the cream as it melted in the sun.

"It's such a nice day," he remarked cheerily with a small smile aimed at his brother as he wiped away a bit of strawberry ice cream from the corner of his mouth.

Bakura smiled as he moved to one side of his younger brother, likewise leaning against the railing and staring out at the deep blue, sparkling ocean that sprawled out into the horizon as far as the eye could see. The white foam of the waves glided in smooth arcs across the rippling canvas, and he could see the little bodies of swimmers and surfers alike, frolicking in the water.

"Yeah, it is," he agreed as he munched on his ice cream, stretching out his legs and taking in the fresh scent in the air.

They sat like that for a little while longer, neither speaking much aside from murmured comments—and it were as if they were fearful of shattering the peace which had settled upon them like a comforting blanket. They merely listened to the distant laughter of people on the beach and the cries of the seagulls, and the crashing and rushing of the waves met their ears and melded together with the soft whisper of the air.The esoteric symphony of the beach was so beautiful that they couldn't help but admire it as they let the rich ice cream melt inside their mouth.

Ryou had been too caught up in staring out at the beach beneath him to pay much heed to his ice cream. It wasn't until it had begun melting in his hand, little tendrils of flavored cream dripping down the slender curves of his fingers, that he realized that he had yet to finish it. He blinked at it a bit before pouting at it and promptly trying to rectify the damage. So when Bakura looked over, what he saw was his little brother lapping at his fingers, head tilted and lips smeared with ice cream as the wind tousled his pale hair.

Bakura smiled as he took a bite out of his own cone, watching Ryou twist his cone around in vain attempts at catching the ice cream before it melted and dripped further down his hands. He couldn't help the little bubble of happiness that swelled in his chest as he watched his sole sibling.

As he shut his eyes and tilted his head back, letting the wind comb his hair and relishing the chocolate taste upon his lips, he thanked life for the simple moments.