The Tempest's Wake

Author: dodger

Warnings: pg to pg-13ish

Pairings: none….yet ;)

Notes: Yay the long awaited update. So sorry this took too long, life and school has really gotten in the way of my writing. I would like to thank those who have stuck with this story and for all the wonderful reviews that you all left me. Those reviews really helped push me out of my writer's block. I would like to give a special thanks to Skippyscatt and Siriusjazz for doing the beta'ing for me. You guys were an awesome help. Thanks again for all the support, and I hope you enjoy this latest installment!

Morning Surprise

"Ronan! Ronan!"

The blue-eyed boy was roughly shaken awake by a very excited Mako, who was half shaking and half jumping on Ronan's bed with sudden elation.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Ronan yawned as he forced his sluggish senses to bring Mako into focus, "What is it, nii-san?" he asked with a yawn. He felt very nauseated from the lack of sleep and his eyes, he knew from how raw they felt, were most likely red. Despite his discomfort, Ronan was very interested as to why his older brother's mood was incredibly different from the previous night.

Upon seeing Ronan exhausted face, Mako felt his good spirits deflate a bit, "Are you ok?" He asked with a worried tone.

Ronan shook his head, "No. No. I am fine. I didn't sleep well last night."

"But you were asleep before I was."

"I woke up after you had gone to bed and…I kinda just stayed up." Ronan lied. He didn't want to tell Mako that he had left their room, met with Weevil and then spent a good hour or two in their bathroom trying to quiet his soft sobs. He had eventually returned to bed filled with enough anxiety that made him lie awake in bed as his mind continued to reel from the claims Weevil had made. Sometime between the sun rising and Mako rousing him, Ronan guess he had fallen asleep.

"Ronan?"

"Sorry," Ronan replied, "I guess I am still a little out of it. So what has put you in such a good mood?"

Mako smiled and began to bounce on Ronan's bed as he readied to announce his good news to Ronan and the horrendous floral wall paper that adorned their room.

"Weevil's gotten dis-qual-li-fiiiiiiied!" Mako sang happily. Ronan suddenly found himself fully awake, "What?"

"He got disqualified for breaking curfew, officials saw him sneaking around the floors last night. He's already been sent home."

"There was a curfew in effect?" Ronan asked, "You never mentioned that tournaments have them."

"Not many do, but this one does. After some news of cheating in the past at the bigger tournaments, some officials decided that after midnight, participating duelists are to stay in their rooms. It's to prevent duelists from getting together to gather more or strategize against fellow players," Mako explained. "Personally, I find the rule stupid, I mean if I wanted to I could play dirty before the tournament started…but oh well, I don't make the rules."

Ronan felt a smile begin to creep across his face. He knew he shouldn't be happy about this news, but as he thought back to the early-morning encounter with the insect duelist, he was glad to see that the troublemaker was gone.

"I am safe," Ronan murmured.

Mako looked at his brother. "Safe? What's that supposed to mean? Weevil didn't threaten you, did he?" Ronan noticed the possessive- almost protective tone that had slipped into Mako's voice. He grabbed his brother's arm before Mako could go running off to wherever Weevil was now in transit to. While he appreciated Mako's concern for him, Ronan sometimes felt that Mako could be a bit overzealous

"No, no. It's nothing; calm down, nii-san," Ronan said gently with a smile

Mako stilled looking at his brother," You sure?"

"Yeah."

Mako smiled, "Well then, let's go down and get something to eat. Breakfast should still be out." He headed off to the bathroom, affectionately ruffling Ronan's sleep-mussed hair as he passed.

Ronan nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. His secret was still safe for now. That is until Weevil decides to leak it somehow, Ronan thought. He wasn't sure what he'd do, or how he'd face his brother...that is if what Weevil was claiming was actually true. Ronan looked over towards the bathroom, where he could see Mako adjusting his bandana in the mirror. A twinge of sadness struck him as the cruel that he and Mako weren't really brothers resurfaced.

At times, Ronan forgot that he and Mako were not joined by blood, but instead by convenient circumstances. Mako wanted companionship and a family. Ronan had nowhere else to go. But every now and then, something would remind him that he had no true claim to the Tsunami name.

If I am that monster, Kaiba…what will stop Mako from just turning around and leaving me? The mere thought of abandonment terrified Ronan. He had lost so much, and with his past memories jumbled in his dreams, Ronan was scared to lose the only stable identity and home that he now had.

He had found solace in the thought that Mako would love him no matter who he was; after all, Mako was a friendly and kind person. However, Mako had proven that his moods and attitudes could change like the sea they loved, and could be just as stormy. What would happen to him if Mako's disdain for Kaiba won over their time and the memories they had shaped together over the year and a half they had been brothers? Would Mako turn him out? Let him endure the public's hate, when he had no past recollection of Kaiba's so-called crimes?

"Ronan?"

The blue-eyed boy turned to look at his adopted sibling.

"Are you okay?" Mako asked, turning to look at Ronan with a concerned expression." I called your name and you didn't respond."

Ronan pulled himself out of the bed and went to stand by his brother at the bathroom's vanity. "Sorry," Ronan said as he began to squeeze toothpaste onto his toothbrush, "I was just thinking."

"Did you have another dream?"

Ronan gave a quick shake of his head before he leaned over to spit and rinse, "Nope. Just thinking."

Mako nodded, excusing himself to let Ronan finish washing up. As he watched Mako turn to leave the bathroom, the question that had robbed him of most of his sleep surged to the front of his mind. Should he ask? Ask the question that he feared? Ronan's eyes flit to the bandana around Mako's forehead, the only physical mark that bound them as brothers. Should he risk the only place that wanted him?

"Nii-san..." Ronan said softly, as he struggled to form the right words. "Yeah?"

Ronan paused as his stomach twisted in yet another knot, "Uhh..." It was now or never.

"If there was something...like a part of my past, that everyone else hated me for...would you…?" Ronan said shakily, trying to keep his nervousness out of his voice. He looked up to see that Mako had closed the distance between them and was now hovering close to him with extreme concern in his eyes.

"What's wrong," Mako whispered, as if scared that Ronan would suddenly die of fright should he ask any louder, "Did you remember something, just now?"

Ronan quickly shook his head, "No. No… this is just hypothetical."

"Well, then..." Ronan did not like the tone in Mako's voice, "If there was something that everyone hated you for, would I what...?"

Ronan ducked his head, a flush of embarrassment rising to his cheeks.

"Would you..."Ronan began, "Wouldyouhatemetoo?"

Silence. Mako stared at his younger brother. The last part of the question had been asked so quickly that it took him a moment to process what Ronan had asked. The awkward silence reigned for a moment longer before it was broken by a soft sound: The sound of Mako attempting to stifle his laughter.

Ronan's head shot up with disbelief as he watched Mako's concerned expression crumble into relieved laughter.

"Nii-san!" Ronan moaned, even though he could not deny the twitch of a smile that was tugging at his mouth, "I was being serious."

Mako, however, continued to laugh.

"It's not funny, Mako...c'mon." Ronan all but whined.

Mako looked at his brother, wiping tears from his eyes. "Sorry...it's just that I can't believe you asked me that. You totally built me up to expect a terrible confession or something that I couldn't help but laugh when I heard what you were really asking."

Ronan sighed, "So...your answer?"

Mako snorted, "Oh come on, Ronan. What do you think I would say?"

Mako turned then, leaving the bathroom once more. "Come on. Enough with the hypothetical thinking. What's the point of getting yourself hung up over something that might not be true? You'll drive yourself crazy, don't you think?"

Ronan shrugged his shoulders, disappointed that Mako had dodged his question.

"Now get moving. No more thinking, let's just concentrate on the match...and breakfast, okay?"

"Ok, nii-san," Ronan said quietly.

"I'll wait for you downstairs and grab us a table. You know where to find me, right?"

"Right. I'll be down shortly."

Omg…I hope you all don't kill me for making this a short chapter after such a long wait. It was supposed to be longer but I decide to cut part out and put it in the next part. I thought it would flow better. This chapter really needed to focus on Ronan and Mako as well as Ronan's insecurities about his possible identity...Please R and R!