Warnings: M for the safe side and some bad language … I own nothing.
Chap 4: Dark
Ryou's back hit the wall hard followed by the back of his head, he screamed out as the large wounds on his back tore open that little bit more. "Don't argue with me, I know what's best for both of us." A voice snarled it was sharp and harsh at the same time, white hair and dark eyes with blood covering pale skin filled his vision, it was like looking into a mirror and almost seeing his own dark reflection.
"Please you can't, I'm begging you not to do this, don't do this." Tears rolled down Ryou's cheeks, he couldn't move not with the other holding him to a wall.
"Shut up!" The voice snapped, Ryou gasped as the hard cold grip on his shoulders pushed him roughly. Ryou landed hard on his side with cry and rolled onto his back, now supporting himself with his elbows trying to sit up.
The other stalked towards him slowly, eyes narrowed and cold as always, Ryou's head and shoulders hit the foot of his bed with no other escape left, he gave a soft whimper of fear and pain, the other growled. "Brace yourself Host for this is going to hurt."
Ryou snapped his eyes open as the loud banging and clanking came about him; he panicked, whether it was the flash of memory or where he was now. "Let me out!" He struggled but there was hardly any room to move.
"Hold still just a little longer." Came a voice over a louder speaker, two doctors were watching the room and Ryou, Marik was lent against the wall behind them watching until the scan was complete.
"No it's enough!" Ryou started to wriggle out. "Marik!" He gasped out, the CAT scan machine was shut down, as Marik walked into the room and pulled Ryou out, who through his arms about his neck. The two doctors followed instantly to inspect the equipment.
"I think we have enough you can take him back to room sixty two." The doctor mumbled.
"I don't want to do it again." Ryou mumbled clutched onto Marik as they walked out of the room, there was no reply from older male as he guided the boy down the hallway.
Soon Marik was standing in a room with its cream coloured walls with white flooring, the smell of disinfectant was strong and all the pointy objects on the near by counter wrapped in their protective coverings were making him uncomfortable. He turned his dark eyes towards the boy sitting on the table before him in a green hospital grown with strings holding the back closed, Ryou spoke up. "Marik, I don't see why I have to be here when I feel fine." He shivered feeling the chill in the air and squirmed a little on that cold table like bed.
He didn't know why either but a reminder call had been left on his answering machine when they had gotten home from breakfast that morning. The hospital called wanting Ryou to come for a check up. Marik wasn't too happy about it, but if it was to help the boy, then he would just suck it up and try to be as supportive as he could be. "Apparently you had a head injury." Marik said. "So, I guess you should be seen to."
Marik had never stepped foot into such a place, the smell was irritating and the waiting was too long and most of everyone was dressed in white for a place that had more death occurrences then anywhere else in the world, and everyone knew that blood stained everything. The doctors should at least wear black as it would be more fitting. "It's a waste of money… your money." Ryou huffed out as he glared about the room.
Marik smirked obviously Ryou had a problem with this place as well. "You remembered something the other night." Marik's tone was a little bitter. "It's… I guess is a good sign."
Ryou fell silent for a second his eyes on his bare feet. "Well I don't want…" The door opened and that same short doctor walked in.
"Well I just saw the X-rays and everything looks good." He said happily walking over to the bed. "But the other X-rays did show damage in the body." He walked over to the little sink and washed his hands adding. "Lie down please."
Ryou snapped a worried look to Marik who twitched in his place and straitened up on his feet. The doctor came back and pushed Ryou down onto the bed and started to feel about his stomach for any signs of injuries they may have came up in his time out of Hospital. "Everything feels fine." It was when his hands went lower on his abdomen, did Ryou blush and gasp in alarm as the doctors hands went to groin and his hip.
Ryou snapped out a hand and slapped the doctor across the face. "Don't touch me!" He jumped from the bed and once again clung onto Marik with his face buried into the others chest. "I want my clothes and I want to go home."
"I'm sorry." The Doctor rubbed at his cheek a little shocked. "I didn't mean to startle you like that."
Marik wasn't sure what to say but he wasn't going to force Ryou into doing something that he didn't want to do. "Marik I'm cold." Ryou whispered.
"Have you done all that needs to be done in test wise?" Marik asked as he took off his jacket and wrapped it about Ryou's shoulders, who snuggled into it and Marik's body.
"Yes, there isn't much else we can do for him as he has made a nice recovery."
"Alright." Marik glanced down. "Ryou, go get dressed." He reluctantly stepped away from Marik and stayed close to the wall as he entered the bathroom.
Marik was still lent against the wall once again waiting for Ryou and within a few minutes he came walking out fully dressed and wearing Marik's jacket, the sleaves were too long and the jacket too big but he felt warmer. "Ryou, would you mind if I talked with Marik about a few things concerning you?"
"It's fine with me." Ryou said stopping at Marik's side and taking his arm.
"Would you mind waiting outside please, Ryou?" The Doctor held open the door for him.
Ryou bit his lip and walked out of the room and sat in a chair in the small waiting area. The Doctor went to close the door. "Leave it open." Marik commanded as he could watch Ryou from where he was.
"Has he gone off his food or loss of memory?"
"He has amnesia." Marik said disbelieving that the Doctor would bring that up when he had medically diagnosed the condition himself.
"No, no. I meant has he been doing something and a few minutes later stopped forgetting what he was doing?"
"No." Marik said his eyes back on Ryou who was watching him and their eyes locked with each other's. "He has been eating every meal and has a constant fever." He had noticed.
"The fever should go in a few days as he is still very much injured." The Doctor leant against the table with his arms crossed but not blocking Marik's view, Ryou gave him a smile and he couldn't help the tug that would have formed a smile of his own, but instead Marik smirked at the boy.
"Now it's not uncommon for head injuries such as Ryou's to have changed his personality, things he may not have done before hand, headaches will be a big thing for him so keep your eyes on him and don't let him over do it. If something happens and you're worried about him I want you to call the Hospital and they'll page me."
The only thing Marik found usual was the need for Ryou to cling to him, though Marik was used to this, he wasn't finding it as irritating as he once had. "Is there anything you wish to ask me?" The Doctor asked, Marik raised an eyebrow and shook his head no.
Marik was walking down the busy street with his hands in his pockets and Ryou clung to his arm with a frown on his face. "You're not mad are you?" He glanced up at Marik. "About me not doing those tests."
Marik shrugged his shoulder. "It was up to you."
"I know but you want me out by the end of the week and I don't want you to think I don't want to get better or me being a sponge." Marik stoped in the middle of the walkway, people in large groups walked around them in a steady follow.
Okay, Marik just wasn't that heartless to kick Ryou out when he needed someone the most. Though Marik frowned and thought it might be best to send Ryou on his way and let the boy deal with his problem on his own, or until Bakura showed up which he was hoping would be soon. "I'm not going to kick you out so stop worrying about it." Marik started walking again; Ryou had no choices but to follow, still linked to the older male's arm. "And I don't care if you wanted to keep going with tests or not, it's up to you after all."
Marik was not the person to stop anyone from doing what they wanted as long as it didn't involve him getting into unnecessary trouble or harm to himself. This came from a few years on the backseat of life and having no choice in the smallest of decisions, it was punishment for crime and mistreating his Host. The Host's siblings had seen to that, he might as well have been a ghost… wait he was a damn ghost for lack of better words.
"I know, but I do want to get better but there is also…" Ryou trailed off, eyes on the cement.
"What?" Marik asked a rased eyebrow glancing down at him.
"Nothing it's stupid." Ryou brushed him off with a wave of his hand and a shake of his head.
Marik let it go as he glanced about. "Over here." His movents tugged Ryou along making him keep up. They both crossed the road onto the other side and ended up at little hot food place. "I'm hungry." Marik mumbled as he pushed open the door.
"But we just ate not too long ago!" Ryou blurted out as the smell of cooking and coffee met him in a warm gush of welcoming air.
"So." Marik through over his shoulder as he glanced about for a table, Ryou smiled as he followed the other around the tables and people towards the back, pulling off Marik's jacket.
Ryou placed it down to Marik skipping a proper meal in the mornings and was starving before lunch really came about. Marik placed their order with the waitress and turned his attention back to Ryou after she was gone.
Ryou was once again sitting right up against his side as he looked over the menu, Ryou couldn't get the images out of his head, was the other that looked so much like him responsible for what had happened? "Ryou?" Marik reached out and lightly forced the boy to lower the menu to the table, he had noticed the worried look that passed over his face. Ryou turned his wide eyes to Marik with a soft smile. "I wanted to talk to you about what your Aunt said."
"About what?" Ryou asked biting his lip, maybe he would talk to Marik about it later.
"About school as I'll be going back to work tomorrow." Marik thought it would be pointless really what was a week or so out of school, what harm was it going to do really.
"I don't want to go." Ryou said so unsure about everything and it left Marik wondering about what the doctor had said before and he had to think if that was something normal for Ryou to say. "Not until I… remember."
"Whatever you want." Marik shrugged and added. "What are you going to do once you do remember everything?"
"I don't know." Ryou bit his lip as he glanced about seeing no one was really in any earshot of their conversation he continued. "When I was in that room, I remembered something…" Marik tensed up a little but kept quiet. "And well I was wondering if this Bakura person you mentioned looks like me?"
"You remember him? You know where he is?" Marik turned more in his seat to face Ryou properly.
"No I don't know where he is, but I had images in my head of someone that looked like me." Ryou glanced down at the table reaching out to play with the tablecloth. "I didn't see any pictures in my house of anyone or siblings." Marik sighed as he sat back in his seat and once again he was stuck not knowing what happened.
"Yeah, Bakura looks like you, a lot like you." Marik mumbled glancing up as the waitress placed everything down and left, well maybe he could work with this. "What do you remember?" Marik looked his way watching Ryou out the corner of his eye.
"Well, everything was blurry and he was mean." Ryou lowered his voice turning to Marik and grabbed onto his arm. "He wanted to do something and I was so sacred, he threw me to the ground and then…. Nothing."
"Are you sure he looked like you?" Marik watched closely as Ryou nodded his head. Oh fuck, the one person Marik was hoping wouldn't have anything to do with Ryou being hurt, this changed everything. As much as Marik liked Bakura now he would have to find away to keep Ryou out of his Dark Souls abusive hands, there will be fighting as Bakura is so possessive he wouldn't let Ryou go without a fight and at times Bakura fought dirty and he was so hard to get rid of… Hell if the Righteous Bastard couldn't do it then what chance did he have?
"Marik." Ryou's voice broke through his thoughts and he glanced down to find Ryou even closer to him, a hand rested on his shoulder as the other rested on his forearm. "Is Bakura like you?"
"What do you mean?" Marik asked not sure what to think or say, he also noticed that lately he was left speechless and thoughtless with words or looks Ryou gave him, why?
"When I was having those thoughts in the hospital and when I saw his face or when I was so close to him, I-I…" Ryou pulled back his eyes widening and he moved away picking up his fork and dug about his plate of food.
Marik raised an eyebrow and growled out. "Don't say something if you not going to finish it." He reached out and took away the plate of food and failed to take the fork as Ryou clung to it as if his life depended on it. "You were saying?"
Ryou blushed staring at the table as he twiddled the fork in his hands nervously as he just about chewed his bottom lip off. What a look, Marik thought as he reached out and grabbed Ryou's chin gently and ran his thumb over the incredibly soft lip freeing it from the teeth and said more softer. "What were you about to say?"
Ryou couldn't look away his eyes locked with Marik's own dark eyes. "I felt the same way like when I'm with you." Both eyebrows shot up as Marik still wasn't sure what he was talking about, Ryou wasn't done explaining himself. "It's a strange feeling but nice, like I have known you all my life or like a really old dog or cat that you have owned for so long, their presence is nice, welcoming and friendly."
"Great now you're comparing me to pets." Marik hissed out with a smirk, Ryou's eyes widened and he looked shocked as he became rather pale in offending someone that was far bigger then himself and could probably kill him with one hand, this was not good.
"No, it's not; you don't understand what I'm saying… I'm sorry." Marik burst out laughing at the pale look on Ryou's face, something he hadn't done in a while, but it was funny.
"It's fine Ryou calm down." His laughter came to a slow stop and it left him in a full grin. "You should relax more." He ruffled the boy's hair and sat back, Ryou reluctantly moved in closer to Marik's side. "I know what you mean perfectly well, I too had someone like you who felt the same way around me, not really like you but close enough and I know the feeling all to well." Not the truth entirely, he had let himself once and only once feel what his Host claimed to feel, it was all the things Ryou said and he couldn't stand them, he blocked them off never again going to that place of emotion, for such things could get one hurt… and Marik had been hurt in the worst possible way.
"One thing that bothered me a little was that he called me Host." Ryou frowned as he lent forward taking back his plate of food and glanced back at Marik. "Why are you so persistent to find this Bakura person? I don't think I want to know him, not after what I saw."
Marik looked away for a minute with a sigh; Ryou had very right to know just who and how important Bakura was to the boy. "Okay." Marik looked about for a few seconds and snatched up the pepper and salt shakers. "Say this is you and Bakura." Marik placed the two shakers together. "Both of these represent your soul." Ryou nodded his head watching closely taking in everything he said. "When you received the Ring you became a Host to a dark Spirit and your soul split in two." Marik pulled the pepper and salt shakers apart and Ryou's eyes widened. "You're the salt and Bakura's now the pepper."
"How could this happen? Wouldn't I be dead or something?" Ryou took both shakers into his own hands and pull them close, examining as if they would explain in more detail to what the other had just said.
"I'm not sure either, it just is, and it happened." Marik took the shakers from him and placed them back onto the table.
"But someone must have all the answers, right? I mean someone must be responsible for this, for this Bakura person being alive? And why did I get one that turned out to be so… mean as to hurt me?"
"When you find them give them my number because I would like to have a little chat with them." Marik sighed and added pulling Ryou in close to his side. "Don't be deceived, us Dark Souls are violent and abusive at times, it's what we are."
"But you're not, you're looking after me, you're kind and I like you." Ryou blushed again and took a lot of interest in his food.
"Say that again when I wake up with no coffee in the house." Marik let in and bumped shoulders with Ryou. "I'll give you a heads up and tell you to just run, okay."
Ryou giggled and nodded his head. "Okay." He took a mouthful of food and chewed it down saying. "I'll be sure to keep a good stock of coffee just for you." Marik too started on his food.
Ryou paid this time and the two were once again walking, an arm wrapped about Marik's. "I'm curious as to know; won't you be all alone after I return home?"
Marik shrugged and his hands in his pockets. "I don't mind I'm used to, it." This placed a frown on his face as well.
"No one should be used to being alone, Marik." Ryou glanced up at him the thought bothered him.
"Why not?" Marik glanced down at him; he really wanted to hear this one. Someone had once sprouted the funniest sentimental crap, about how people need to be loved or how happy one person could be once they found their soul mate and spend the rest of their lives together. All of it was to make people feel better that they wouldn't be aimlessly wondering about life with no real hope, everyone needed something that was appealing to keep them going every day of their pointless lives.
"Well, it's just." Ryou looked away.
"What?" Marik was interested to know what sentimental crap Ryou was about to say, oh let it be from that guy His Host's Sister liked so mush, that did all those plays Wally Shakesticks? After reading one book she would be walking about the house sighing and saying how great it would be to find such love that you would kill yourself for them… it was okay to kill yourself or other people, but not because you shagged them once or twice.
"It's sad." Ryou said looking back up at him, Marik hitched to a stop as Ryou practically jumped in front of him. "I know." Ryou lent in a little his eyes narrowed. "I'll live with you even when I remember everything or you can come and live with me in that big house, I'm sure that woman that calls herself Aunt wouldn't mind." Well this wasn't what he was expecting to hear.
"I don't think so." Marik shook his head, there would be no way in hell would he live with Ryou's Aunt, the boy missed the not so friendly looks she gave him.
"But then you won't be so alone and you'll have someone to come home too, I'll have someone to come home too as well." Ryou lent up on his tiptoes and kissed Marik on the cheek and hugged him nuzzling into his chest with his face. "I like you Marik and the thought of you being all alone in that apartment makes me sad."
What was he meant to say or do about this, Marik froze up and tensed… life is simpler without this kinda emotional baggage he could do without. "Ryou…" Marik gripped the boy's shoulders firmly.
"Ryou is that you?!" Came a voice from behind them, Ryou pulled away from Marik's arms slightly with a frown. "My gosh it is you!" He let go and stepped back a little.
"Who are…" Ryou gasped out and his head started to spin with a painful headache knocking him off balance.
"Ryou?" Marik had his arms around him supporting him on his feet but he was still conscious.
"I just need to sit down." Marik nodded his head and glanced about ignoring the other teen that he knew perfectly well.
"In here." Marik helped Ryou into a small take-away food shop and found an empty table. The aroma of all different foods filled the air making it warm. Marik eased Ryou to sit in the chair. "I'll be right back." Ryou nodded his head as Marik walked off.
"I haven't seen you in ages." He said eyes large and wider then Ryou's and wild tri colour hair. "It's been two years and you don't look so great." He bit his lip as he was now sitting across from Ryou without being asked too.
"Who are you?" Ryou looked at him.
"Yugi Motou, king of games, owner of the puzzle and a pain in my ass." Marik snarled out as he sat down and handed Ryou a glass of water with a lot of ice and a cold pack. "Drink this." Marik handed him the glass and he pressed the cold pack to the back of Ryou's neck and held it there for him, hearing Ryou sigh contently. Marik noticed a few almost healed bruises on the not so short teen's face. A black eye, a partly healed split lip, a bruised chin and a few deep cuts on Yugi's left cheek.
"I see that you're still the temperamental bastard as always." Yugi sneered back. "Still getting things your way?"
"Do you even know my name? Or who I am?" Marik shot back, okay so his thoughts of handing Ryou over to this idiot, was now out of the question.
"I do it's… Malik." Yugi said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, if I looked like I have been dead for six months and I dressed like a girl, then sure why not." Marik said sarcastically but a little in truth, the last time he had been with Malik; the fool was on some diet and dropped half of his body weight and was still dressing like a streetwalker.
"You're Marik?" Yugi frowned with shocked look as he shook his head, he glanced about worriedly and lent forward and he lowered his voice. "So it happened to you too?"
"No more arguing." Ryou sat up pushing the ice pack and hand away from his neck.
"Are you feeling okay?" Marik asked.
"Much better." Ryou gave him a smile.
"You want to go back and see that doctor?" He asked Ryou had been getting some headaches every now and then but if anything was wrong the CAT scan would have show up with something.
Ryou shook his head no and turned his attention to the other across from him. "How do we know each other?" Ryou asked Yugi, then taking a sip of his ice-cold water.
"Don't you remember me?!" He looked a little hurt; a look that said no one could ever forget him.
"I was…"
"Ryou was in an accident a few days back." Marik said for him and really it was none of Yugi's business to know what had happened to Ryou, yes this little fact would make things harder for him to find out just what happened, but he didn't want the wrong people to find out, should Bakura have some kind of help and get word that Marik was now looking for him.
"Oh yeah me too." Yugi held up his right arm that was in a blue cast from his palm all the way up to his elbow. "The bone was completely shattered it took surgery and everything to fix it, I'll have about eighty percent usage of my hand, fingers and wrist." This was a little interesting; did the Righteous Bastard have an even darker streak in him that led him to abuse his own Host as well? And yet he wanted to kill them for the same reason, ironic really.
"You said before that something happened to me too, what did you mean?" Marik asked as Ryou now had his head down on the table again… maybe after Ryou recovered a little Marik was leaving.
"The having your own body thing." Yugi sat back a little in his chair. "You must be ecstatic about that."
"Yeah it was a real hoot, waking up naked in the middle of a park on a family picnic day, then running for your life as everyone shouts pervert at you and your thinking is that my name." Marik growled out adding. "So yeah, I was happy and down right fucking peachy."
"Touchy." Yugi snorted with a roll of his eyes adding. "For someone who should be dead."
"Like wise." Marik growled back. "You and that orgy group you hang with, tell me do you all fuck on a nightly basis or is it a once a month thing."
"Only you would be so vulgar, Marik." Yugi said in a tone of disgust as he looked away. "And no I don't see them anymore, well accept Joey and Anzu once in a while."
"I don't care." Marik mumbled and smirked. "I'm going to jump right in the deep end and drown myself on this one… but the Righteous Bastard got his own body as well?"
"Yes Yami got his own body and he had the same thing happen, only it was at home and he remembered everything that night and was back to his old self."
"Well it's the Righteous Bastard Ra's chosen 'kiss ass' for the millennia." Marik raised an eyebrow as Ryou gave a snort of a giggle; well at least he was listening and found it amusing.
"Oh get over yourself Marik." Yugi snapped and Ryou lifted his head off the table and narrowed his eyes at his so called friend. "You weren't peaches and cream either, you tried to kill me and my friends, it was no wonder why Yami had it in for you and Bakura." Yugi pointed at Ryou, who sat back in his seat and his eyes wide. "I mean who else would have done that to him."
"The some someone that did that to you." Marik's own eyes widened and he couldn't believe that he had said that out loud. Huh, what the mind thinks the mouth speaks.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Yami didn't do this." Yugi jumped right on the sideline of defensive. "His not a savage like you."
"Marik's not a savage." Ryou growled out and Marik if he wasn't so worked up and concentrating on keeping his anger in check he would have found it cute.
"Your other half thought the same thing too until Marik here stabbed him in the back." Yugi got up to his feet. "Did you know about that, about Marik double crossing Bakura, Marik can't be trusted and the sooner you know this the better it is for you and all of us." What the hell was Yugi trying to do turn Ryou against him? His blood just boiled and exploded, Marik was so angry at that point that he tipped the table over, smashing the glass as everything clattered to the floor and the table sild across the ground. He grabbed Yugi by the collar of his shirt and slammed him to the wall behind them and lifted him up off his feet.
"You'll shut your mouth about affairs that you have no clue about." He hissed out and felt a hand on his arm and Yugi struggled in his grip, as the room was full of mummers from other people who stood back and watched.
"I'm still pissed at what you did and how Ryou hung out with you all that time is behind me."
"Marik." Ryou whispered very aware of all the eyes on them, he didn't tug or beg for him to stop, Ryou just rested his hand on the others arm.
"All I wanted to do was say hi and talk to Ryou but you turned it into a conversation about you." Yugi snapped out. "Let me go!" He kicked his legs about in the air trying to hit Marik and failed.
"We're leaving." Marik hissed as he let Yugi fall to his feet and turned placing his hands back into his pockets, and once again Ryou took his arm, not spearing a glance back at Yugi as they both left the small take-away shop.
TBC
Okay, I didn't see Marik the kinda of guy to know the plays/name of William Shakespeare, so Wally Shakesticks was close enough for him, lol, anyway Review please (Love and Cookies)