A Little Fall of Rain

Summary: When the angel Ryou becomes smitten with a mortal who he believes can do no harm, he creates a misunderstanding, resulting in the wrath of the young demon Malik whose unrequited love was never satisfied in life.

Rated: T

Genre: Supernatural/Romance

Author's Note: Eek! I got a lot of reviews last chapter! So happy! I'm glad all of you think that this is good enough to make up for Target Sighted. If anyone wants the ending to that story (outline) PM me with your e-mail and I'll send it (or leave it in your review…because you WILL review.)

Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine.

I Dreamed a Dream

"So you're really moving away this time, huh?"

Malik blushed and shifted his grip on the leather suitcase handle. "What do you mean this time?"

"Well you've been saying you and your big sis were going to move to America ever since freshman year. So, is it true this time?" Marik smirked, hiding the sadness welling inside of him.

"Ack! Well if you're so intent on me leaving then yeah! Yeah, I'm really moving away this time! Happy now?" The smaller blonde blushed further, his body shaking with indignant fury. "I'm moving away and never coming back!"

"Cool off Malik," Marik laughed, swinging an arm around the younger boy, "I was just kidding. Never could take a joke could you?"

"I-!"

"And don't spew that bull about never coming back either," Marik said more seriously, "because you are coming back. Got it?"

Malik blinked, his face still tinged with pink, "I don't think that's my choice to make Marik. But…I mean if you want, I can write you. Every week I'm away. You know, just so you don't start missing me or something."

The taller blonde coughed and removed his hand from Malik's shoulder, "Don't be stupid. I'm not gonna miss a puny little thing like you. But…I'd like that. The letters I mean."

Malik smiled, "Hee, just write back okay?"

"Only if you will."

"Right!" Malik said, nodding, "it's a deal."

The moving truck honked twice, as Isis waved an impatient hand from the driver's window of a nearby car. Malik looked behind him and began to run toward the vehicle, when a strong hand stopped him, pulling him into a tight hug. Closing his eyes, Marik whispered softly into Malik's pierced ear.

"This isn't goodbye, understand? Promise me that."

"Marik I-!"

Isis honked again, signaling that they were already late.

"Promise me!"

Malik fled from Marik's lax grip and ran toward the truck, which was already beginning to move, "I promise Marik!"

A nineteen-year old Marik Ishtar woke up in a cold sweat, panting heavily with fresh tears running down his face. Wiping at his eyes furiously, the blonde went to the bathroom, wanting to run some fresh water over his head.

"Ishtar? What the hell?"

Marik paused and turned to see a bleary eyed Bakura raising a head of tangled white hair from the top bunk. "Did you get bitten by bed bugs? …Because if you did I think I might have some ointment for that in my bag."

"I don't need any of your stupid ointments!" Marik hissed, flipping on the lights in an attempt to blind his roommate. "I need a cold shower. A freezing, ice cold shower."

"It's supposed to rain sometime this week," Bakura mumbled, burying his head into light brown pillows, "you might get pneumonia…or frostbite…or…"

Marik blinked. Bakura had fell back to sleep again. "Stupid bastard. Who the hell told him to major in medicine? I wanna give their ass a good hard kick."

"See? I told you the head council wouldn't believe you," Ryou said smartly, sticking his tongue out, "There were no traces of black magic, there were no black feathers, and there was nothing to suggest that demons even broke through the gates. You were lying and you've been caught. Now apologize!"

"I'm not going to apologize because I'm not lying Ryou! I saw them here with my own eyes! Three demons, three; two blondes and Seto Kaiba."

The smaller angel smirked, "Oh ho! Seto Kaiba. So that's what this is all about. Still angry about what he said during his deathbed? Don't let his taunts get to your head Yami. You deserve to be up here as much as any of us. You sacrificed your life to save his little brother and he still hasn't thanked you? No wonder he ended up down there!"

"This isn't about Seto! This is about the angels getting duped by a fake mirror!"

"Why do you find it so hard to believe that humans are actually being nice and not causing trouble," Ryou sighed, picking up the fake mirror, "I know Bakura's been a bit of a boor, but it looks like he's changed now… For the better."

Yami rolled his eyes, "And I thought I was crazy. That boy has been nothing but trouble his whole life. Why are you so accepting of this sudden change?"

The Bakura in the mirror was now helping Marik with homework; the two of them were smiling and laughing lightly, clearly having a good time.

"Because it gives me a reason to show myself to him." Ryou said finally. "Angels can't show themselves to bad people, but Bakura's completely turned around! Maybe I can appear to him as a sign, or maybe a vision, or-"

Yami smirked, "I know puppy dog love when I see it. You want this pseudo Bakura to be real, just so you'd have an excuse for a rendezvous on Earth, right?"

"So what if that's true?" Ryou said indignantly, "I'm sure you'd do the same with Yuugi. …If you weren't too chicken that is."

"Wh-What? I'm not chicken! I can go down there and talk to him whenever I want! I may not have a reason to but…"

"But nothing, the point is that me wanting to spend some time with Bakura isn't totally out of the question. The problem is having a reason to do so. It's rather annoying when you're forced to observe from afar. I feel like some sort of stalker."

"What would you tell him?" Yami asked, sincerely interested, peering into the mirror again.

"I'd tell him…I'd tell him…Heck, I don't even know what I'd ask him. Something profound and life altering I'd hope."

"You're pathetic Ryou," Yami sighed, turning over the mirror, "go ahead and fall in love with a broken reflection. You'll just end up stabbing yourself in the foot eventually. Maybe then you'll learn."

The taller angel sulked away, white wings dragging with each step he took. Ryou sniffed and looked into the mirror again, finding Bakura working diligently on his term paper for Anatomy class. He was so hard working…

"So what if it's really just a distorted reflection," Ryou asked himself, drawing a pale finger over the mirror's surface, "I know Bakura is a good person. I just know it. I only wish I could encourage him to do the right things, make the right choices. I don't want him to throw his life away like I did… I have to warn him."

The angel slumped down, pale blue robes gathering at his feet. "My only problem is how…"

Bakura was, as a matter of fact, doing his anatomy homework. However, it wasn't as wholesome as the angel believed it to be.

"Marik, you're taking a few art classes right?"

Dark eyes peeked over the cover of a book entitled The Brain and You. "I'm taking Psychology Bakura. Not Art."

"Yeah, but you know how to draw right?" Bakura asked, erasing something from a sheet of computer paper.

"A bit," the blonde mumbled, turning the page, "Malik was more of an artist, but I could've picked something up from him. Why do you ask?"

"I need to draw a penis for Anatomy. Want to help me?"

Marik slammed the four hundred page book down and glared at Bakura with cold plum eyes, "Bakura. Go to the bathroom. Take your drawing pad. Unzip your pants. Sketch."

"Oh it's easy for you to say, you're only taking psychology," the white haired student muttered, rolling his eyes, "All you need to do is tell people they're crazy and you get paid. I on the other hand have to cut, slice, and poke my way through their insides to figure out the problem."

"Then it's a perfect job for you," Marik sneered, beginning to read again.

"But I suppose there's some substantial skill involved in Psychology," Bakura continued, talking more to himself than Marik, "I mean you need to learn how to talk to people…and maybe even desensitize yourself to their problems. They always tell us not to get too involved in your patients lives, but I don't see how that's possible-"

"Malaria. Hepatitis. Mono."

Bakura cringed and ran to the bathroom again, running his hands under scalding water. "Oh God, who knew taking psychology would give you powers of manipulation?"

Marik smirked and went back to reading his book, his good deed done for the day.

Jounouchi held the silver spoon threateningly over Malik's head, amber eyes blazing passionately, "Come on Malik, open up!"

The small demon shook his head, covering his mouth with both hands. Jounouchi sighed and lowered the offending utensil, "Malik, it's only medicine. It's not going to kill you, you're already dead remember?"

Lilac eyes narrowed and the demon attempted to kick the spoon away, only to have his leg caught by the much stronger Jounouchi.

"Alright kid, I'm done playing. Just take it, the taste will only stay in your mouth for a little while. Open up…"

The bar patrons looked in shock as a loud scream rattled the very foundation of the old building. Glasses rattled, stools shook, and several plates fell from the cabinets, shattering on the floor. Seto sighed, gathered the pieces of the broken ceramic, and dumped them into the sink. Wiping his hands slowly, the blue-eyed demon sauntered upstairs into the bedrooms, where he had told Malik to stay for the day. It seemed the little binge drinking stunt had given Malik a painful stomach ache, which wasn't too surprising considering the young blonde had never drank alcohol before, alive or dead.

Seto opened the door to his bedroom (which he had been sharing with Malik) to find the young demon being held upside down by a furious Jounouchi. The smaller blonde seemed to be oddly satisfied with something.

"You little brat! If you ever bite me again I'm going to wipe that smirk off your face, tear off one of your wings and shove it down your throat!"

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Malik asked, amused, bobbing up and down.

"Don't give me that crap! We were appointed as your guardians, so you have to listen to us! Now open wide and take the damn medicine!"

"I was given to Seto, not to you," the smaller blonde hissed, wriggling out of Jounouchi's grip and plopping back onto the bed, "so as far as I'm concerned, I only have to listen to him!"

"Malik, please take the medicine," Seto said calmly, "it'll make your stomach stop hurting."

The young demon pouted and finally accepted the purple liquid, the disgusting taste of bitter chemical assaulting his tongue. Malik swallowed it quickly and shuddered back into the dark blue covers of Seto's bed, covering himself with a few dozen pillows. Why the eldest demon even had so many pillows was unknown.

"And you," Seto shot, glaring at Jounouchi, "what did I tell you about hurting him like that?"

"He bit me!" Jounouchi argued, showing Seto good-sized bite wound, "And he won't listen to a word I say!"

"Because you're mean and stupid," Malik said from under the covers.

"See! I can't do this Seto, not anymore! It's been two years and nothing's changed!"

"Maybe if you tried not yelling, he'd listen," Seto muttered, sitting on his bed, attempting to find Malik, "and stop calling him kid. He hates that." He was able to locate Malik's left wing, and eventually Malik in his entirety. The medicine had made the small demon incredibly sleepy, and he was struggling to keep his eyes open.

Seto smiled. "And maybe being a little nicer would help also. You know, just a suggestion."

Jounouchi scowled, angry that Malik had gotten between what used to be a flawless relationship between him and Seto. "Okay, fine. Malik? Would you like me to buy you a unicorn named Charlie? You could ride him all the way to Candy Mountain and-"

"Go fuck yourself!" Malik snapped, throwing a pillow at the taller blonde.

Seto growled in frustration, "Being sarcastic won't help any."

"Fine then, I'll be honest! Malik, you're a lousy freeloader and a whiny little prick! You use your looks to get what you want, you're annoying, you're manipulative, and you can't seem to get the concept that being dead means letting go of the attachments you had before! So stop making yourself sick, and stop daydreaming about that human! You're not going to see him again, and he'll eventually find out about the fire! So stop acting like such a kid and grow up!"

"But I promised him I wouldn't say goodbye!" Malik cried. "I promised him that I'd come back! Now he's all alone waiting for me, sending letters I'll never get to read!" The demon looked up, cat-like eyes brimming with tears, "It's easy for you to tell me to grow up! But knowing Marik's up there waiting for me in vain is painful to accept! Even a heartless bastard like you can understand that!"

A vein in Jounouchi's forehead throbbed dangerously, very close to bursting, "I've had it with your sentimental crap! Both of you! Seto, I'm taking a vacation, if you get my drift. Malik, call me when you stop acting like such a pussy, okay? Later."

The blonde stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Malik blushed and looked down; embarrassed that half of what Jounouchi had said was true. "Since we're all being so honest, why don't you blow off some steam Seto?"

"Jounouchi will come back, don't worry about it. That's the fifth time he's 'quit' in this decade. And he was being a little harsh with you. I don't find you annoying at all," Seto smiled, ruffling the smaller demon's long blonde hair. Doing so seemed to make the blonde even more miserable, seeing as he sunk back into the plush bedding. Marik had always done that as a way of saying hello.

"What's wrong now?"

"It's nothing. Um…even though Jounouchi left…can I still sleep with you?"

"If you want," Seto smirked, "but no more complaining about my snoring, okay?"

"…Okay."

The brunette got up slowly and returned to the bustling bar below, prepared to face a long line of bitterly sober customers. Before he left, he turned to see Malik gazing into the mirror, assumedly observing the human he had left behind. Sighing heavily, Seto made his way down the steps, his mind made up about what he needed to do. Sure it was drastic, but seeing his charge so depressed wasn't sitting well with him. Besides, it's not like Jounouchi deserved it anymore…

TBC

Chapter done! Once again, five reviews for the next chapter. I know it's demanding, but I hate it when people read my stories and don't review. It makes me feel unappreciated. Aren't Malik and Seto totally adorable together? Aww.