Okay not much to say here but a HI love you guys, (smiles and waves) read and enjoy, as I'm not saying anything about the bad guys that I have in this fic you'll have to read and find out. I know that Yugi isn't quite as friendly as some would like him to be, I don't know why I just wrote him like that without thinking to much on him, sorry if it bothers any Yugi fans. I also have had a few of you say that you think of Inuyasha with Ryou's description, as much as I love Inuyasha, Ryou does kind of look like him but his ears are off to the side a little more and not so pointed as he has kitten ears not dog, if that has helped anyone out.
Warnings: Shounen-ai, M.
Disclaimer: don't own Yugioh.
CHAP 5: Fun and learning.
Boots sighed as he glanced at his computer. The screen showed a map of a city with a red ball on it, this was the location of 482, and Boots new exactly where he was. He rested his chin on his palm as he rolled the pen in his hand.
"Who are you with?" He said more to himself, as the red ball was 482 location via a tracking device. He got up at the sound of the fax machine and waited still looking at the screen. Even though 482 had been created over two years ago, with a body of a teen, he was much like a child that had a much faster learning rate. "I hope they're treating you well." He ripped the paper away and glanced at it. But no one could mistreat him like Gozaburo did.
He shredded the paper and sat down, he ran a hand through his short sliver hair, he couldn't hide this for long someone would hack his system, and then he could lose his job… and life. "I can only give you a few more days, two max." He said to the screen. The last thing that he wanted was for Gozaburo to send out one of his… He shook his head that would be a disaster, but then again anything that man did was a disaster in itself, and 482 would be killed for sure.
He got up again and grabbed a few things. "One day." He said as he walked to the door, but stopped with an idea. He dropped everything he had onto a near by table, and jumped into his chair and started to type away, his eyes moved over the pictures that flashed in front of him. "I can give you time, to live a little." The red ball of 482's tracking beacon moved from city to city, "a wild goose chase for the bastards." He smirked, by the time they would hack into it or realize that 482 had a tracking device and ran to the country that he was currently in it would give 482 more time a few weeks maybe, but then once they get to the said detestation he could change it again before they new it.
He smirked "Gozaburo, I hope you like games, as now 482 has become the real life Where in the World is Carmen Santiago." The smirk grew it was one of his favourite childhood computer games. "Lets start with… Peru." He stopped and looked but kept typing. "He needs exercise…so a little hiking some scenery, mountains, a river, clouds… Machu Picchu." The red ball moved and bleeped on screen. Then he turned everything off. He grabbed his stuff and walked out the door his white lab coat moved behind him as the door closed.
Ryou's ears twitched in a bored manner and the channel changed again to another news broadcast. He sat on the floor with his legs crossed in front of the t.v. Nothing had his attention as people spoke about: Car accidents, homes burning down, marching protesters turned violent, and many more the list went on and on. Ryou looked over to Malik sitting there on the couch with his legs crossed and his head leaning on his open palm and a book in the other hand. Ryou's ear pricked up as he crawled over watching with interest and to see if Malik would notice him and climbed onto the couch and sat right next to him. "What?" Malik didn't even look at Ryou. He pouted and put his head on Malik's shoulder and looked up at him. "What do you want?" Malik asked causally, smirking and not looking at Ryou at all, he knew what Ryou wanted and pretended to ignore him.
"Malik?" Ryou said as he put his hand in front of the pages stopping Malik from reading it and seeing.
"It's a book Ryou, you read them and learn from them." Ryou huffed he wanted to be patted and his ears scratched like Malik had done when he was cleaning him that morning.
"Malik?" Ryou whined a little his ears flattened, and straddled Malik, who blushed as Ryou was sitting how a girlfriend or boyfriend would sit for an interment moment, but passed it off, as Ryou didn't know what he was doing.
"You're right it's time for something to eat." Malik snapped the book shut making Ryou sit up more and his ears pricked forward and growled at him, but purred as Malik reached up rubbed his ear. "Your just like a real neko." He chuckled as Ryou nuzzled into his chest smiling, he was never going to give this up ever. "Okay that's enough you, lets get something to eat." Malik moved a dazed Ryou from his lap, and got up. "Lets see what Yugi has in the fridge."
Ryou followed Malik into the kitchen, "Yugi?" He asked, Malik looked over his shoulder at Ryou as he opened the fridge.
"YUGI!" Malik called out, making Ryou jump back a bit.
"WHAT?" Came the yell from above them.
"He's up stairs." Malik smirked at Ryou then went back to the fridge. He pulled out a few things and some fish and put it all on the counter. Ryou licked his lips dry as he walked over and picked up the fish and bit into it, but yelped as it was freezing and wrapped in clear stuff that had no taste. Malik turned and laughed and took it from Ryou. "You have to take off the plastic and cook it first." Malik pulled out the pan and other things and started to cook up their dinner.
"You know you have to learn more words than just our names." Malik looked at Ryou who was watching the fish in the pan. Malik smirked and picked up the fry pan and moved it from side to side watching Ryou turn his head to follow it, Malik laughed as Ryou gave him a confused look. "Did you hear me?" Ryou nodded his head. "We'll work on your words after we have eaten." It wasn't long when they had finished eating, cleaning up the kitchen and going into the living room.
After a long while they got Ryou speaking more words, a few greetings and good byes, and a few in between. "Now say it with me." Ryou nodded his head and moved more closer to Malik. "I'm sorry… I'm from out of town." Ryou giggled, along with Yugi, they wanted Ryou to say it if he was asked something that he didn't understand by a stranger.
"What do you say when you meet some one?" Yugi asked from the floor he was so amused.
"Please to meet me today?" Ryou said. Yugi broke out in to a fit of giggles rolling on the floor.
"No, it's. Please to meet you." Malik chuckled. "Okay that's fine for now." Nothing was more fun than teaching Ryou how to talk. "Well I'm going to bed." Malik got up and stretched then headed for the door. Ryou jumped up and followed as Yugi turned everything off.
Malik walked to the spare room, and Yugi into his room Ryou stopped and looked at both doors he wanted to be with Malik but he had been sleeping in the closet in Yugi's room, he called out and Malik stuck his head out of the room. "Come on, you can sleep in here with me." Malik said as he stepped out and Ryou smiled and ran to him.
Malik not taking any real notice he climbed into the bed and fell onto his stomach and sighed. Ryou climbed onto the bed and lay down by Malik's feet. Who pushed himself up and looked at him. "Ryou you'll be more comfortable under the blanket and up this end." He blushed lightly again but shook it off, Ryou yawned as he crawled up and lay down again next to Malik's lower back and curled up against him. This reminded him of the time the full-grown tiger got into his cell they curled up together the tiger giving him a bath before they fell asleep together. Malik covered him up and himself and soon fell asleep.
The next morning Ryou nuzzled into something warm to try and drown out the awful sound. What was warm moved and lent over him, and with a slurred voice. "What?" Ryou sighed the noise had stopped he snuggled back down into the mattress and blankets. "No, not today." Ryou yawned showing off his little fangs. "I guess. I do have to call in this week it might as well be today." Ryou blinked open his eyes and found it dark under the blankets. "Yes, I'll be there before midday." He also found Malik's well-toned stomach right in front of him. "Bye." Ryou heard something hit with a clank and Malik mumble about early mornings and inconsiderate idiots.
"What's an idiots?" Ryou asked, Malik lifted the blankets up.
"Idiots are what you're going to meet today." Malik let go of the blankets. "How did you sleep?"
"Good today." Ryou's voice was muffled and tired.
"You say… Good thank you." Malik corrected him.
"Good thank you." Ryou mimicked back.
"Come on I want to change your bandages and look at your wound." Malik said as he pulled the blankets and moved over Ryou, and stepped onto the floor and stumbled to the door. Ryou gave a look before he got up and followed him into the bathroom, he helped Ryou take off his blue t-shirt and hissed at the, bruises, cuts and burns that were in the stages of healing. "Are you feeling any better?" Malik asked, as he began to unwrap the bandages.
"Good." Ryou said as he watched. Malik noticed that Ryou's skin was still very soft despite the wounds that he had.
"That's good." Malik frowned at the wound once he removed the white bandage from his body. "I was thinking on taking you to see Mai." He lent down and looked at it more closely. "Just for a check up to see if you're okay." He said and looked up. "Has this been hurting at all?" Malik asked.
"I'm from out of town?" Ryou said. Malik sighed as he pushed the skin just above the stitched wound. Ryou yelped and jumped away from Malik with tears welling up in his eyes and his ears fell back flat against his head.
"I'm sorry, but you should have said something, like it hurts or I'm in pain." Malik walked up to him. Ryou backed up growling. Malik stopped and sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't mean it, but I had to make sure for myself. Come here." Malik reached out a hand, and Ryou looked at it then at Malik.
"It hurts, I'm in pain?" A few tears fell from Ryou's eyes. "It hurts." He whimpered, as Malik moved closer to him and patted his head as Ryou buried his face into his chest.
"I'll have to take you to see Mai." Malik rubbed his back. "You must have really been through something." Ryou nodded his head, through everything that Gozaburo put him through he was still sensitive with any kind of pain, that was inflicted on purpose, but on the field he could do anything with the best of them. "Come on, we'll finish up and have breakfast and leave, okay." Ryou nodded his head and Malik set back to work.
Ryou followed Malik down stairs into the kitchen to find the third occupant of the house cooking. "Yugi I'm taking Ryou to see Mai, just to check him out make sure that his wound isn't infected."
"Is he going to be okay out there?" Yugi asked.
"Yeah, I don't want to leave it, I want to know that he's okay." Malik said getting the milk and warming it up and dropping the antibiotics in then stirred it with a spoon and handed it to Ryou.
"I'm opening the shop in a few minutes." Yugi handed out the plates of food, as Ryou purred and he drank down the milk.
"After I'm going to the track with Ryou." Malik sat down.
"Are you sure that he'll be fine to go with you?" He glanced at Ryou as he started to eat.
"Yeah the only people that will be there are, Jou, Marik and Bakura the bikes need a little work, before the weekend." Malik said. "Later this afternoon I'm going to bring Ryou back here and go to the mall and get him some clothes, I think he'll be okay around people but not that many."
"Yeah fine." Yugi said.
"Oh I have to work tonight, so can you watch him for that too, I'll be home about three in the morning." Malik added, he glanced at Ryou who had just shoved a pancake into his mouth, and chewed it happily.
"Fine I don't mind." Yugi smiled. It wasn't long when they were dressed and headed for the door. Malik looked over Ryou more time, and adjusted the sky blue hat on his head. "You look good." Malik smiled.
"Thank you." Ryou beamed when Malik nodded his head that he had got his response right.
"Now remember what I said?" Malik asked, and Ryou nodded his head.
"Stay with Malik when walking outside." Ryou said beaming as Malik chuckled and took his hand.
"That's right. Lets go." They stepped outside and headed for the vet hospital, Ryou watched everything in awe, hardly anyone was out but for a few shop owners.
It wasn't long when they reached the vet hospital, as it was only about five blocks from Yugi's home. He opened the door and walked in. Ryou wrinkled his nose at the smell.
Ryou looked at all the posters of animals on the walls, if you could see through his hat his ears were flat against his head, and he stopped walking. Malik too stopped and turned looking at him. "What is it?" he asked, Ryou bit his lip he wanted to run, run away from this place.
"It hurts, pain." Ryou backed up towards the door, yes he was hurt that Malik would return him to such a place and most likely more tests.
"I know that's why you're here." Malik whispered as a few pet owners looked at him funny. "This is a hospital, where if your sick you come here and they make you better again." Malik didn't want to say that it was for animals and upset him in anyway. Ryou shifted and gave him a look, wrinkled his nose slightly. "I'll be right with you, I won't leave you at all, and Mai is the nicest person you could ever meet." Malik said pulling Ryou forward to the front desk.
"How can I help?" said a young girl behind the counter.
"I'm here to see Miss Valentine." Malik lent on the desk.
"Do you have an appointment?" She asked. Malik frowned maybe he should have called her before coming here, but before he could reply the door opened behind the desk and Mai stepped out. Talking to another man and his cat in a cage in his hand.
"Mai!" Malik called and gave a small wave, she grinned but turned back to the man. He thanked her and left with his cat.
"Malik what can I do for you?" she asked, then spotted Ryou who was now on the floor eye level with a German shepherd. She giggled and pointed to the boy. Malik turned and gasped as the woman coughed trying discreetly to get the boy away from her dog.
"Nice to meet you, I'm from out of town, your name is?" Ryou asked the dog who gave a playful bark in the boys face.
"Hey, stop that." Malik pulled him up off the floor.
"It's not nice to meet you?" Ryou asked confused blinking at the stern voice Malik used.
"Yes I guess it is, but not dogs Ryou, people." Malik said quietly then turned to the not so happy woman. "I'm sorry ma'am." Malik said, turning Ryou back to the counter.
"Come through, I'll see you now." She opened the little gate and Malik led Ryou through it. "It's nice to see you both again, I have your cat ready for you." Mai said as she opened the door and Malik and Ryou walked through it.
"Come with me please." She said and started to walk down the hallway that was painted green cement floor with white and blue walls with posters of cats and dogs here and there. "In here." She opened the door and they walked in, and she locked it. "It's good to see you're walking around." Mai said as she walked over to a counter with a cabinet hanging overhead with glass front and lights, on the inside was lots of other medical equipment.
"I just wanted you to have a look at his wound that you stitched up I think it might be infected, and I'd like you to look him over, while he's awake, just to make sure that he's okay." Malik said as Ryou held his arm with both of his, looking around.
"Okay, that's not a problem, sit down on the table and take off your shirt." Mai said putting on white gloves. Ryou growled and backed up a little more behind Malik, everyone that he knew wore them, and that always wasn't a good thing.
"It's okay I won't let her hurt you at all." Malik scratched his ear.
"No pain?" Ryou asked purring slightly as he kept watching the other.
"No pain when I'm around." Malik smiled, "Now sit up there." He pointed to the sliver table. Ryou walked over still holding Malik's hand and got up. "See that wasn't so bad." Malik said helping him remove his hat and top.
Mai walked over and stood in front of them, "Lay down." Malik helped him to do what she asked, she cut away the bandage, and frowned. "You gave him his antibiotics?" she asked as she looked at Malik.
"Of course as you told me, and I changed his bandage once a day." Malik said as he stood at the end of the table so Ryou was looking up at him.
"Well it's fine, but I'll give it a clean." She said.
"Malik." Ryou called softly, Malik looked down to see him shaking and a fearful look.
"It's okay, she's going to make your side better." Malik brushed the hair from his eyes and rubbed his white soft ear in between his thumb and fingers.
"Look." Ryou pointed to his mouth and Malik saw his teeth chatting together.
"Your cold." Malik said, and Ryou nodded his head.
"It's all done." She said, and Malik nodded his head as she stood up. "I'll clean his hand as well." she added and Ryou sat up as Mai got to work on his hand.
"After, we'll go to the race track and see my motorbike." Malik said still rubbing his ear.
"Out of…" Ryou whimpered a little and Malik looked over as Mai worked.
"So dose he have a name?" she asked glancing up.
"Ryou." Malik said, as it didn't look like Ryou was going to answer her.
"Nice to meet you, I'm from out…"
"She knows Ryou." Malik said cutting in, Ryou nodded his head. The room was quiet for a while except for Ryou's chattering teeth, when Mai moved away.
"There, all fixed." She said pulling the gloves off from her hands.
"Now, I'll look over him." She said grabbing a few things and putting them on a moveable table and walked over.
"I'm Ryou." He smiled at her nervously.
"I'm Mai, and you're very cute, and lucky to have someone like Malik looking after you." She smiled and patted his head.
"What's?" Ryou asked pointing at Mai, Malik looked confused. "What?" Ryou pointed to himself and Malik and then her.
"No, what's Yugi, Malik, Ryou." And point to Mai again. "Same." He said getting frustrated with them. Malik blinked a few times as his mind figured out what Ryou was trying to say, Mai caught on.
"Oh I get it." He said after a few minutes.
"Malik you say anything wrong about me and I'll neuter you with the rest of the cats and dogs here." She growled Malik chuckled.
"She's a female a girl, Yugi, me and you are males. She is the opposite sex." He said, as Ryou looked her up and down, he had never seen a girl before. Mai snorted as she walked over and grabbed a thermometer and pulled it from its packet.
"I wouldn't feel right using the already used ones." She smirked as Malik paled.
"Your not going to put that, where I think you are, are you?" Malik asked.
"No, it's brand new." she said then instructed Ryou. "Open you mouth." Ryou did as she asked and she put the glass stick into his mouth. "Close you mouth and keep it under your tongue." She picked up a tool then turned on the light and looked into both of Ryou's ears, then his eyes. "Well he seems just fine." She said.
"That's good." Malik said. She took his blood presser, then pulled the thermometer and hummed. "What?" Malik asked worriedly.
"He has a bit of a temperature, not much but it's up." She moved about the room and then came back, making Ryou drink a clear liquid from a small cap. Mai soon finished up and lent on the table as Ryou put his shirt back on. "Now Malik, he's fine, you'll need to bring him back in a few days so I can remove the stitches, he's healing just nicely."
"That's good I was worried about the pain he was in when I touched his side." Malik said putting the hat on Ryou's head.
"Of course it'll hurt him if you touch it." Mai almost yelled at him. "It's a wound." She huffed. "Now I wanted to ask you if I could do a few tests on him." She asked, and Ryou growled again. "On his blood. As I said before I'll be the only one to see them."
"No." Malik said as he took Ryou's hand in his.
"Malik, wouldn't you like to know more about him." She tried to reason with him.
"No, I know that he was in a bad predicament, and that he's a little odd but, I'm not risking him like that." He said angrily, what was it with everyone and wanting to know how Ryou's insides worked.
"Malik it wouldn't just be what you think, I can look for diseases, un-normal viruses that he might be carrying and pass on to others, it's really safety Malik." Malik looked at Ryou, could she be right? He sighed and nodded his head.
Mai grabbed a few more things from the cabinet and walked over, "Okay." She reached up and pulled out a few of his hair strands and put them into a small cylinder tube, and then she held a small knife. "I just need a piece of his skin not much just a scraping." She said.
"No." Malik moved her arm away from Ryou. "You're not cutting him." She nodded her head.
"I'll need blood." She held up a needle, and Ryou shifted and whimpered.
"Malik?" Ryou moved backwards.
"She just needs a little of your blood. You can squeeze my hand if it hurts." Malik said lifting his hand and Ryou took it. Mai managed to draw the blood she needed. She finished up and then held a small stick.
"Open." She said, Ryou did as told and she wiped the inside of his mouth with a stick then put the stick into a tube. "That's it, thanks, Malik." She said putting all the stuff into a bag.
"I swear Mai, any of this gets out, and something happens to him, I'm coming after you." He warned.
Mai walked to the door and unlocked it. "Come back in a few days, I'll have all the results by then and we'll do another examination, but after this place is closed." She said as they walked. "It will bring less suspicion to you, him and me." She gave him a glance.
"Okay, thanks Mai." Malik said.
"Malik about payment?" She said and stopped near the door that leads to the front of the building.
"I'm sorry I just don't make that much, but I'll pay you, I will, he needs someone to look at him that I can trust." Malik said.
"Malik don't worry about it, I'm happy to see Ryou for free." She smiled, as he gave her a look disbelieving her. "Really, I don't mind to be his personal doctor, though I'm not a real human doctor, but given Ryou I'm sure I fit the criteria wouldn't you say?"
"Thank you Mai." Malik hugged her.
"Okay, okay. Just remember after closing, call me and bring him here in a few days." She gave them a wave as she walked off.
"Come on, let's go." Malik took Ryou's hand and they left the animal hospital.
TBC
As the chapters come Ryou's talking will get better, as he has Malik to help him out, don't worry you'll get to see a little into Ryou's past in a few chaps and everything will start to come together I don't think this story will be a very long one, but your thoughts are still wanted.
R&R