(A/N:) Originally posted on dA. Hints of tendershipping (BakuraxRyo) and angstshipping (MalikxRyo).
yadonushi = host, landlord. Amane = Ryo's dead sister, mentioned only in the manga.
Song playing on the radio is It Ends Tonight by All-American Rejects.
I was nineteen years old. It was a bit of a blur, almost like a dream. But I feel like it really happened. I really do. I tried telling Malik about it, but he just said that it was just a dream and my mind was probably under stress then; which was what I thought at first too, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed real to me. I even tried telling Yugi, but he said the same thing.
It was raining, and I was driving home from the library, where I was trying to catch up on my studies. I still lived in an apartment complex, because I found it easier to live alone in my apartment than live in a dorm with a roommate.
The rain was falling hard. It was only five o' clock, and it was already dark as midnight outside. I sat in the driver's seat, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel as I waited for the light to turn red to green. My eyes followed the windshield wipers, as they moved back and forth and made squeaking sounds every so often. I sighed and glanced at the stoplight, which was still red. I turned up the radio a bit to keep myself amused. After finding a station that caught my interest, I put my hand back on the wheel. I hummed along to the current song playing, since I didn't know the actual words.
…When darkness turns to light, it ends tonight, it ends tonight. Just a little insight, will make this right—too late to fight, it ends tonight, it ends…
I pressed the gas pedal as the light finally turned green. As I turned a corner, the song came to a close and a new one played. I was about to change the station, when I suddenly saw a swerving car in the corner of my eye.
Crash.
Eyes wide open, seeing nothing. Blood trickling down my forehead, fingers faintly twitching and grasping at life.
I opened my eyes. Everything was dark, and I sat up, terrified. My head darted around, searching for something—anything. I felt blind.
Previous events reoccurred to me, and a shiver went up my spine. My breathing became shallow and my body shook. Am I…dead?
My hands slowly reached up and grabbed fistfuls of my snow white hair. I brought my knees up to my chest, slowly rocking back and forth. I whimpered. I-I can't be dead, I-I'm not dead, th-there's no way I-I'm…
My mind was reeling, and I felt sick. I could literally feel myself becoming insane, bit by bit, the more I thought about it. I was too petrified for words.
I jumped as I suddenly felt something on my shoulder. I was afraid to turn around and find who was behind me. Would I see Death? Maybe a ghost relative? Or—
"Yadonushi?"
I froze. My eyes widened. That…that wasn't…There's no way…
"Ryo, is that you?"
The one behind me turned me around, and my mouth nearly dropped. "B…Bakura?!"
"Oh, God, Ryo, it's you!" The wild-haired man threw his arms around me, and my eyes remained as wide as ever. I couldn't believe it.
"Oh my God, I can't believe it, you're here…You're here…Ryo…you have no idea…" Bakura was mumbling incoherently, and I was still left speechless. Wait…
…If Bakura's here, then…I really am…
Bakura let go of me, but kept his hands on my shoulders. "Ryo, you're…you're…de…?"
Before he could even finish his sentence, I found myself bursting into tears. I began to sob uncontrollably, and I felt Bakura suddenly bring me into his embrace again.
"Shh, Ryo, don't cry, you don't need to cry…" Bakura's words were rendered useless, for I kept crying. My body shook, and my sobs were evident and loud.
It felt like I had cried for a million years when I finally looked up at Bakura's face. My breath was still shaky, and I knew my eyes were probably red.
Bakura wiped my tear-streaked face. "Ryo…" He simply stared in my eyes. I stared back, not sure of what to say. Bakura then took my hand, and squeezed it. He placed his other hand on my chest, where my…heart would be.
Bakura stared at my chest in silence. "…You still have a heartbeat."
My eyes widened, and I looked down at where his hand was. I quickly put my hand on where his heart would be, and…
…I felt nothing.
Bakura looked at me with sad eyes and a sad smile. "I'm dead, yadonushi. Completely. I have been for longer that you think." The hand he had on my chest moved up to stroke my face.
I lowered my gaze and stared down at the black emptiness. "…I know."
We sat there in silence, and Bakura decided to break it.
"So…it means…that—"
"I'm not dead," I finished for him. I looked up.
"Y…Yeah," he responded.
I sat there for a bit, staring at him. I gave a little scoff.
"So…all that crying for nothing," I laughed at myself. "So, am I on the thin line between life and death right now, or what?" I said a bit sarcastically.
"Actually, yes," Bakura responded, cocking his head to the side. "Do you…recall what happened?"
I stared at my hands in my lap, and then slowly stood up. "Well…I was driving…and I guess some idiot drunk driver decided to crash into me." I smiled, as if it were a joke.
Bakura stood up with me and crossed his arms. "That's an idiot, all right," he smirked. Our heights were exactly the same. "Who would crash into my cute little yadonushi?" He reached over and pinched my cheek playfully.
I swatted his hand away. "Quit it," I spat. But I still had a smile on my face. I may have been possibly dying at the moment, but…I was with Bakura. That made everything…a bit better.
Bakura gazed at me for a moment or two, then took my hand. "Come with me."
He started to walk, and I followed. Gradually, the blackness was disappearing. It occurred to me the strange fact that I was able to see Bakura and my own self in that darkness, but the thought escaped my mind when we were suddenly in a dimly lit room.
"Here we are," Bakura said, satisfied.
"Where…are we?" I questioned. I looked around the large room, and upon a single wall was an enormous amount of framed photos. At a closer look, I saw they were photos of me, my father, Amane, Mum…
Bakura stood next to me, as I gazed up in awe in the number of photos. Bakura looked up at them as well.
"These are….you could say…'photos of your life'," Bakura said. "This room...you could think of it as a soul room of your life."
Soul room…As in the one that was within my mind? "So…am I just unconscious right now? Or what?"
"You were right earlier—you're between life and death. Hanging by a thread." He turned around, and walked towards a tall mirror on the other side of the room.
I turned around to see what he was doing, when an image suddenly appeared on the glass. My eyes widened when I saw the image.
I was lying on a hospital bed, bandages wrapped around my head and other parts of my body. I was connected to an IV and all sorts of machines, and my chest rose up and down slowly.
"Quite a mess you're in," Bakura suddenly spoke. He clicked his tongue. The image panned out, allowing me to see the entire room.
"Oh, what do we have here?" Bakura made an amused grin.
I tried to figure out what he was talking about, then saw it. Malik was sitting by the bed, biting his lip. His hand was locked in mine.
"Please stay strong," Malik barely whispered.
I could've sworn I saw a tear then, but the image soon disappeared before I could confirm it.
I was staring at the ground, a bit shaken up of what I just saw. I felt Bakura wrap his arms around me, but I made no response.
"You don't have to go back," Bakura said softly. "You can stay here."
His arms squeezed me tighter.
"…With me."
I don't think I've ever been faced with such a difficult decision in my life. Or death.