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: Um…enjoy?

Disclaimer: Yuugiou is not mine, STUPIDS. Just kidding, I love you all.

--

A Little Fall of Rain

"Can't you people run any faster?" Jounouchi panted, looking over his shoulder. The smaller demon caught up to him, not wanting Bakura or Marik to overhear their conversation.

"You don't even know where you're going, do you half wit?" Malik hissed, still trying to ignore the deep cut in his leg. "We've been running to nowhere!"

"That's the point! If we ran somewhere then the angels would find us even quicker!"

"What?"

"Just shut up and keep running!"

Malik pouted and slowed down to meet up with Marik, who was still looking incredibly angry.

"What's wrong?" Malik cooed.

"Apart from me not knowing what the hell is going on, and the heavy downpour," Marik looked over his shoulder. "That murdering bastard's pretending like nothing happened."

The young blonde blanched. "Ah! I told you not to worry about it!"

"Malik, you almost got-!"

"I know, I know…but…Ooh, I'll tell you later, okay?"

"You planning on telling me how those two guys know you as well?" Marik said, smirking.

"It had nothing to do with sex, if that's what you're thinking!" Malik blushed angrily.

Bakura was feeling quite lonely and confused running all by himself, and the sudden rush of rain wasn't helping him feel any better. "I'm going to get so sick after this! I'll get pneumonia…or frostbite! Ooh, then they'll have to amputate my arms and I won't be able to practice medicine! Though, maybe that's a good thing…"

"Man, I wish he'd shut up," Marik grumbled, tired of listening to his roommate talk to himself. "Hey…Malik, do you want my jacket? You're soaking wet!"

"Aw, a little bit of rain never hurt anyone!"

There was a sudden crash of thunder as soon as Malik had finished talking.

"Eh…lightning on the other hand…"

"PAY ATTENTION!" The older demon screeched.

Jounouchi turned sharply into a deserted alleyway and collapsed onto the ground, completely out of breath. The other three boys followed him, dripping wet and exhausted. Malik looked the worst out of all of them, with blood still oozing from his wound and goose bumps covering every inch of exposed skin. Marik led him over to a dry area beside a pile of boxes, holding him close.

"We'll…we'll rest here…just for a bit…" Jounouchi gasped, closing his eyes wearily.

"But…it's dirty," Bakura said apprehensively, eyes darting to the foul smelling trashcans. Just then, another loud clap of thunder echoed through the sky, prompting the white haired student to scramble to the closest possible shelter…which unfortunately was next to a pile of rotting fruit. "Worst…night…ever."

"You sure you're okay?" Marik said concernedly, covering Malik with his torn jacket. The demon looked miserably at the ragged tear and leaned on the other blonde's shoulder, closing his eyes.

"I'll be fine."

"I can't believe Bakura would do something like that," Marik continued, voice shaking with rage. "I don't know if it was all the drinks or… but he seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing!"

Malik opened his eyes slowly, seeing Marik's blazing dangerously. "Listen, please don't be angry at Bakura, it wasn't his fault…"

"But he almost killed you! He almost killed me!"

"I know but…ooh, Marik," the demon looked like he was about to cry. "I…I'm…" The blonde sighed, not knowing how to begin.

"You're…?" Marik offered, hoping the words 'really a girl' didn't follow.

"He's dead," Jounouchi finished, not opening his eyes.

"Shut the fuck up," the taller blonde snapped.

"It's true. He's dead and his soul is damned to hell. Just like me and just like the guy I was with. We're all dead, all of us. And we're all damned. We're demons. Bloodthirsty, heartless demons." Jounouchi said bitterly.

Marik raised a flaxen eyebrow. "Why…why would you say something like that?"

"Because it's true!" the blonde spat, looking angrily at the smaller demon. "Malik here's too much of a baby to admit it!"

"Stop treating me like a child!" Malik snapped. "You! You have no right to tell them anything, you don't care about them! You don't even know them!"

"Well it's not like you were going to tell them anytime soon! Malik, all the cards have been shown, it's impossible to hide it anymore!"

"You're wrong," the small demon whimpered, lip trembling. "I can still…" He gripped Marik's hand tighter. "We can still…"

"So wait, wait, wait, let me get this straight," the other student cut in, shaking his head. "You're trying to tell us that you, Malik, and that tall guy that knocked out the bartender are really demons who've somehow taken human form?" Bakura asked, looking closely at Malik. "So…that necklace that all of you wear…I remember seeing Malik's glow one time while he was sleeping. What does it…?"

The tallest blonde shot a dirty glance at his agoraphobic roommate. "Please do not tell me you believe this shit."

"Well I'm just saying…"

Marik began to laugh hysterically; water drenched spikes drooping slightly. Almost possessively, he drew the small blonde closer and squeezed him hard, as if trying to make sure that he was solid. Malik shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid the disgusted look Jounouchi was giving him. Lilac eyes scanned the littered sidewalk, resting finally on a shard of glass. With some difficulty, he managed to wriggle out of Marik's bear hug without the other blonde noticing.

"I have no idea what you two drank, but this little inside joke of yours is getting really annoying," Marik sneered, still giggling between breaths. "There's no such thing as demons, those necklaces don't mean anything, none of you are dead, and even it all were true," the psychology student raised his head, a murderous glint in his eyes. "MALIK WOULD NOT HAVE GONE TO HELL!"

The last part was screamed so loud, even Jounouchi flinched a little.

Bakura cowered, "I never said I believed-"

"You never said you didn't either," Marik snarled. "I can't believe this. You almost kill him and now you start spouting bullshit about demons and Hell!"

"You tried to kill him too, you loudmouth," Jounouchi retorted in Bakura's defense.

Marik looked absolutely insulted. "What? I'd never!"

"Yeah? Well you tell me why that bruise on his cheek is in the exact shape of your right fist."

"I didn't hurt him," the other blonde growled dangerously. "Don't you ever accuse me of–"

"I can accuse you of whatever the damn hell I please!" Jounouchi barked.

"Who the fuck are you anyway?"

"That doesn't matter! Even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me, because according to you, I don't exist!"

"Not that demon shit again…"

"Marik!"

The three boys looked up, seeing Malik holding a jagged bottleneck to his wrist. Marik screamed in protest, but the small demon had already jammed the sharp edge into his damp wrist. Bakura stood up quickly, trying to find something that he could pressure the cut with. However, Jounouchi remained on the ground, smiling grimly at the sight of Marik's horrified expression. Despite the large portion of glass that lay embedded into Malik's arm, there was no blood.

"Jounouchi was telling the truth." The small demon said quietly, removing the remaining pieces. Malik looked at Marik and shrugged almost sheepishly, his eyes beginning to sting with tears. "I'm dead."

"But…your leg!" Marik insisted, looking at the still weeping cut.

"The bartender…and Ryou are both angels," Malik explained, glancing at Bakura. "That knife that Bakura was wielding earlier, while he was being controlled against his will by one of them, was blessed… Demons are… I'm powerless against holy items."

"These pearls allow us to walk amongst you humans for a whole year," Jounouchi continued, sitting up and holding up his own. "If they're shattered prematurely then we 'die' again and return to Hell. However, if we fail to break them ourselves before the time limit ends, we're cursed to remain in purgatory. That tall guy, Seto, he gave Malik his own pearl so that the kid could say goodbye to you." He nodded toward Marik, who looked very pale. "A couple of angels got wind of that and told Seto that it was against the rules or something. So now-"

"They're after Malik so they can break it," Bakura finished, still stunned.

"You're lying," Marik breathed, refusing to look away from Malik's arm. "You can't be dead. You're…you're only…"

"It happened when I was seventeen," the small blonde said, looking away. "I've been dead for two years. There was a fire and-"

"Those burns on your back…" Bakura muttered.

"A long time ago, when we first met, you made me promise that no matter what, I'd always come back. So…" Malik shrugged again. "I came back."

"You can't be dead," Marik repeated, pulling Malik closer, searching his eyes. "YOU CAN'T! I WON'T BELIEVE IT! I…I…" He hesitated, a look of realization dawning on his face. "You…you didn't have a heartbeat…"

"I'm sorry," Malik whispered, jewel-like tears falling from his eyelashes. "I'm sorry I didn't answer your letters. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm sorry that I screwed up enough to get sent to hell. Everything's my fault, everything. If I hadn't been so selfish, then maybe I'd still be…"

There was a burst of light, and the next thing Malik saw was a pure white arrow embedded into Jounouchi's chest, his amber eyes widening in surprise. Bakura yelped and darted behind Marik, who held Malik protectively from the shadowed figure at the end of the alley.

"J-JOUNOUCHI!"

"Ryou?" Bakura said incredulously, seeing his breathless date still holding the quivering bow. The angel withdrew another arrow and loaded his weapon. There was a small quiver of ammunition tied to his waist, courtesy of Yami.

"Let go of him Marik," Ryou commanded, aiming squarely at Malik. "All this madness needs to stop!"

"What is wrong with you?" Malik cried, eyes blazing. "You're part of the problem you asshole! I told you all I wanted was Marik, and you still won't LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Be quiet! Your caretaker is currently fighting Yami; if he loses, he'll be sent to our Council for a reevaluation…you may even be seeing him sometime soon. There's no doubt in my mind that he'll be damned…not to say that he isn't deserving of it," Ryou said quietly. "However, as long as you're still here the angels will hunt you and these humans, no matter how long your pearl stays intact! If you let me release you, then you'll spare Marik and Bakura from-"

"Oh you've got to be kidding," Malik scoffed, standing up. "Don't act like you're doing me a favor! You just want to protect Bakura!" He pointed an accusing figure at the shocked medical student. "You don't care about Marik's safety at all! You're no better than Yami!"

"Don't compare me to that horrible…!"

"THEN STOP TRYING TO TAKE ME AWAY FROM MARIK!"

"Weren't you babbling on earlier about how your selfishness damned you?" Ryou huffed. "I know how you died Malik! You didn't hear your sister's cries because you were too busy trying to salvage Marik's letters from the fire! Every time the mail would arrive, she'd pick out his letters and keep them from you in her upstairs bedroom, right?"

Malik blushed. "That's…"

Marik narrowed his eyes. "Isis was keeping my letters?"

"She hated you, you know that," the smaller blonde said, looking at him dully. "The whole reason we moved was so that I wouldn't be around you anymore. You were a bad influence on me."

"You're kidding!"

"I wish I was," Malik smiled sadly.

"What a bitch! God," Marik ran a hand through his wet hair. He paused as a morbid thought entered his brain. Was it possible that he too had indirectly caused Malik's death?

"You harbor such strong resentment toward your sister that I doubt you would've helped her even if you did hear her screaming," Ryou said grimly.

"Please don't start lecturing me about how siblings should always stick together," the young demon growled, rolling his eyes. "Just because you died trying to save your sister-"

"Why haven't you returned to the underworld?" The angel gasped suddenly, realizing the other demon was still there.

The blonde grimaced, but managed to smile grimly, removing the arrow. There was a tinkle of glass as Jounouchi slowly revealed the All-Seeing Mirror that the three demons had stolen from Heaven; the arrow had hit it instead of him. The once pristine surface was now cracked, pieces slowly breaking off in large chunks. A brilliant white light was emanating from the shattered object.

"Oh…oh no…!" Ryou's face drained of color. "DON'T-!"

"Malik, I'm really sorry for this," Jounouchi yelled, throwing the shining mirror into the air. All five figures were bathed in the warm light; though the demons were partially blinded by its brilliance, Ryou was able to watch it in horror.

"What are you…?" Malik began, but suddenly, he shrieked in pain, hugging himself tightly. There was an intense, burning pain between his shoulder blades; it literally felt like there was something ripping through his skin. In moments, a large pair of black feathered wings erupted from the blonde's back, ripping the fabric of his shirt, dripping wet with rain. His nails sharpened into dark claws, pupils contracting into more defined slits, resembling a cat's. Jounouchi was going through a similar transformation, though his expression was much more controlled. Ryou whimpered as two dovelike wings sprouted from his back, his overall appearance becoming more celestial.

"The mirror reveals all," the angel gasped, shivering in the cold. "Its light pierces through any shell, even those created by the Ebony Pearl…"

"The shells may be gone, but as long as the pearls are whole, then we still have free access to this world," Jounouchi sneered. "How you doing over there kid?"

"I'm telling Seto on you," Malik pouted.

Marik and Bakura stood back, wide eyed and amazed at the three ethereal beings before them. Marik was especially interested in Malik's makeover (obviously) and despite the freezing rain pounding into his already numb skin, the tanned blonde allowed himself a noticeably insane smile. Bakura on the other hand was positively horrified.

"Holy shit…and unholy shit! What the heck have we gotten ourselves mixed up in! Hey!" He elbowed the gaping Marik irritably. "Do NOT tell me you're getting a hard on at a time like this! Don't you remember? MALIK'S DEAD!"

"But he's never looked hotter," Marik purred, eyeing the demon appreciatively. "Just think of how awesome kissing him will be now that he has fangs…"

"I would, but then you'd probably stick me in one of those trash cans."

"Damn straight."

"I cannot believe we're even having this conversation," Bakura said blankly.

Malik blushed bright red and lowered his wings embarrassedly. "So! …Um…see, this is really awkward…"

"So…you really are dead then," Marik said, a sad smile on his face. "But…hey, at least you're leg's all better."

"Marik…I…I'll always…"

Marik cut him off by practically suffocating the blonde in a fierce kiss. The young demon stood wide-eyed for a moment but then returned the gesture, noticing with slight irritation that Marik's tongue was paying special attention to his teeth. Bakura rolled his eyes impatiently.

"This whole 'love transcends death' moment is very sweet, but I really don't think this is the time…"

"Why don't you go try and take away Ryou's virginity?" Marik grumbled.

"Because he's too busy trying to kill the other blonde crow," Bakura seethed. "The two of them took off into the storm clouds while you guys were eating each other's faces."

"Ah! I should really go help Jounouchi!" Malik squealed. Before taking flight, he hesitated and turned to Marik, his lilac eyes glittering softly. "If…if this is the last time I see you…just know…that even if you find someone else someday…I'll always be there for you."

A gentle kiss.

"Malik, you know I'd never–"

"Don't let me hold you back," Malik whispered.

There was a crash of thunder and after one last look at Marik, the blonde demon left.

Marik watched Malik until he was a mere dot in the swirling clouds above. Bakura laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, at least you got all that suppressed emotion off your chest, right?"

"I never told him that I loved him…"

"Trust me Ishtar; I'm pretty sure he knows."

"But…I was hiding it so well!"

"Yeah…you keep telling yourself that," Bakura smirked. "Anyway, do you think Ryou was just leading me on to get to Malik? I really thought we had something going on there…"

"You still like that brat even after what he did…what he's doing to Malik?"

"Hey, what can I say? He gave me an enlightening experience," he laughed. "If anything, it makes me even more determined to make something out of myself. Getting into heaven can't be that hard, right? I'm sure once I find the cure to cancer, I'll be a shoe in. You've got it easy," Bakura continued, flashing a toothy grin. "I'm pretty sure suicide is a heavy sin."

Marik sighed heavily and leaned against the wall, still looking into the sky, hands jammed into his pockets.

"When I found out that Malik really was dead, that was the first thought that crossed my mind. But after what he said, I realized that he wants me to move on, even if he never does. Problem is, I don't think I can. Not after all this. He's too… Oh shit! I…I forgot to…!"

"What's wrong?"

Marik removed a black velvet box from his pocket.

--

Seto ran through the desolate streets quickly, his blue eyes scanning the passing buildings for any sign of Malik or Jounouchi. Cold rain fell mercilessly on his pale skin, each icy drop seeming to prick like hundreds of needles; stinging like acid when they landed on the bleeding cut on his forehead given to him by Yami. Finally, he came across two humans in a deserted alley; a white haired teen standing concernedly over a tall blonde sitting with his head in his hands. Seto skidded to a stop and walked into the narrow space cautiously, still looking for the other two demons.

"What do you want?" Bakura said suspiciously.

"My name is Seto Kaiba; I'm Malik's…uh…"

"Listen, we already know what you all are," the medical student scoffed. "The stupid one already told us what's been going on, so just skip the story, alright?"

Seto frowned. "If you wish. Where are they?"

"Up there," Bakura coughed, looking up. "Ryou came over here and tried to break that pearl thing on Malik's neck, but then that other demon took out some kind of mirror and they all grew wings and took off into the clouds."

"They what?"

"I guess they're fighting. You're the third demon right? What did you do to that bartender angel guy?"

"I took care of him, nothing to worry about," Seto said dismissively, kneeling down to inspect one of the mirror's broken shards. "How long ago did this happen?"

"About fifteen minutes ago," Bakura guessed.

"And no one's come down yet?"

"Not that we know of. Well, not that I know of. Marik here's been crying his eyes out ever since he realized he never gave Malik that necklace he bought for him a few days ago. Sucks, right?"

Seto remained silent, looking over at the blonde who had been shedding quiet tears. This was the man Malik had risked everything just to see. This was the man who Malik thought about all his time in Hell. This was the man who's love Malik died for. Azure eyes narrowed. Was he worth the affection of his precious charge?

"Do you have faith in him?" The demon said finally.

Marik looked up slowly, eyes red from crying. "What?"

"Do you believe that he can overpower the angel he's battling?"

The blonde blinked, tears still streaming from his dark eyes. "Of course…of course I do…"

"Then stop acting like that was the last time you were going to see him!" Seto snapped, startling both students. "If you really believe that he can make it out of there, then stop crying over what has yet to come! Malik is strong, stronger that you think. He died for you, did you know that? He died for shreds of paper that you had written on, what does that tell you? The boy loves you, so the least you can do is have a little faith in him!"

Marik gazed closely into Seto's blazing eyes. Was there…a shard of love for Malik within those cold orbs? He looked at the silver necklace in his hands, the closed locket glinting slightly in the moonlight. With a sudden rush of determination, he squeezed it tightly and stood up. The demon was right. He'd have a chance to give Malik his gift…

"Thanks."

Seto let out a 'hmph' and looked away. It wasn't just Malik he was worried about. He felt like saying a few choice words to Jounouchi as well.

"I think I see something!" Bakura said suddenly, squinting at the sky. Seto and Marik looked up hopefully.

Two figures, one small and one unusually large, were coming down at an incredible speed. Realizing that they were in the way of their landing, Seto hurriedly ushered the two humans underneath a wooden overhang. Marik resisted at first, but was forcefully shoved by an impatient Bakura. The smaller figure landed first, crashing onto the damp sidewalk with a sickening thud.

It didn't move.

Concerned, Marik moved again to investigate, but was halted by Seto. Violent screams were heard as the other form descended, bringing down a rain of black and white feathers. The single figure was actually two; Ryou had hit the ground first, with a raging blonde demon slashing furiously at his exposed chest, crimson blood spattering on the ground. Marik paled and rushed to the first figure, dropping the necklace in his haste.

"YOU BASTARD!" The blonde screamed, tears pouring from his eyes as he raised his bloody claws to strike again. "HOW COULD YOU? HE DIDN'T DESERVE ANY OF THIS!"

Ryou coughed and inhaled sharply, attempting to kick the raging hell spawn off of him. "It needed to be done…I had to…I'm sorry you had to see it Jounouchi…"

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

"JOUNOUCHI STOP!" Seto barked sharply, managing to pin the demon's arms behind his back.

"LET ME GO SETO! I'LL KILL HIM FOR BREAKING IT! I'LL KILL HIM FOR BREAKING MALIK'S PEARL!"

Seto froze.

Bakura rushed to where Marik had stopped, the scene before him causing his own eyes to water. The young demon's lilac eyes were beginning to glaze over, his wings fell limply at his side; black feathers scattered haphazardly around the concrete. Besides a long, thin scratch across his left eye, there was a large wound on Malik's neck, possibly from misfired arrows. Approaching the two blondes slowly, Bakura saw that Malik's pearl was almost completely split in two. A single move could cause it to fall apart. Marik cradled Malik's still form protectively, salty tears beginning to fall once more.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered.

Despite his agony, Malik shook his head slightly and smiled, reaching out to touch Marik's face. The gesture was simple, but it caused the taller blonde's heart to clench painfully. Was this really…goodbye? He placed his hand on top of the one Malik had on his cheek, caressing it affectionately.

"Leave us," Seto said darkly, giving the angel the iciest glare Jounouchi had ever seen.

"You managed to defeat Yami," Ryou breathed, his injuries completely healed. "I thank you. Perhaps…you'll be able to settle your grudge without dragging anymore people into your feud. Goodbye…hopefully this is the last we'll see of each other."

"If we ever meet again it'll be too soon," the brunette replied.

The angel bowed and looked toward the two humans. He caught Bakura's eyes for a moment, and the student, soaking wet from the downpour, managed to give him a nod. Ryou smiled slightly and took off; not once looking back.

"I tried," Jounouchi panted, leaning against Seto miserably. "The kid was doing great on his own! But then he was startled by some lightning and that damn angel managed to hit both his wings…"

"I don't blame you," Seto said sternly, water dripping from his bangs. "Jounouchi…I know that I've been less than pleasant to you since Malik's been with us…and I'm sorry. If…if I made you feel inadequate in an way…"

Jounouchi laughed. "Forget about it, you don't need to say anything. I know you still care about me you asshole. And…I guess I can see what makes Malik worth caring about too. He took a lot of hits for me up there, with no hesitation. That…that takes guts."

Marik and Malik remained together in silence, merely enjoying one another's company. The demon's eyes seemed to be struggling to remain open, but he was determined that Marik's face be the last thing he saw on earth.

A few paces back, Bakura witnessed a sorrowful scene unfold.

A single drop of rain fell squarely on the crack of the Ebony Pearl that lay on Malik's chest, causing its pieces to separate instantly. The small blonde made no noise as his body began to fade away in wisps of smoke, his eyes remaining focused on Marik. The taller blonde watched numbly as his love slowly disappeared, the warm hand on his cheek vanishing into thin air. In a matter of seconds, Malik could barely be seen; his scarred left eye the only thing remaining. The boy's soft voice echoed hauntingly through Marik's mind.

"…Bye…"

--

I hope that was sad enough… Only two more chapters! Keep the reviews coming! What could possibly happen now that Malik's gone? Well, you'll find out soon enough.

Oh! And if you haven't already, check out Fukushu, a joint fic I'm writing with dolphinabottle. And, after this story comes to a close, watch out for my rewrite of Hidden Intentions, a SetoMalik fic. The tentative title is Hourglass