Title: SMS

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!

Characters: Yami no Malik, Ryou Bakura

Prompt: #09 Months

Word Count: 500

Chapter: 9/100

Rating: PG (homosexuality, anyone?)

Summary: An exchange of messages after a first meeting, then many months of nothing... Ryou almost forgot the stranger.

Author's Notes: Warnings: Shonen-ai, fluff, Yami no Malik will be referred to as "Marik" here.

The irony of #09 being the 9th finished tale of mine... xD

"Hey. Remember that guy from the bar? That's me.

Marik"

"Of course I remember you! You're the only guy I met in a bar that's got my number ;-)

Ryou"

"Should I feel honoured? I had fun that night. Especially towards the end.

Marik"

"Me too. It was one kinda hard-to-forget experience.

Ryou"

"I'd ike to see you again, if it's possible. Get to know each other.

Marik"

"Yeah, I'd like to meet again, too. Where did you have in mind?

Ryou"

"How about next weekend, same place at eight?

Marik"

"Sorry, I have a school event I have to attend. How about a week later?

Ryou"

"Sorry I didn't reply earlier. Lots of stress here. Can we move our plans? I might not be available for some time.

Marik"

"Thought you forgot about me. Write me when you have time?

Ryou"

"I could never forget such a beauty. We're moving 'cause my sister got a new job offer. Parents both dead. I'll tell you if we ever meet again.

Marik"

For a few months, they kept exchanging messages, sparsely though. They mostly consisted of polite inquiries, "How are you?"s and "I am fine"s. After a while, the time between their short messages stretched, until finally, they stopped altogether. At first, Ryou felt rather sad, though resigned. He had seen the end of their communication coming, with how far and in between they wrote each other. Marik was always on the move, from one city to the next, making a meeting almost impossible.

The blush when he thought about their first meeting grew fainter with time, and the moments he remembered were numbered, anyway. However, he sort of missed the feeling of the other's lips, or the way their bodies smoothly pressed together. But even that grew farther away, the memory starting to gather dust. He hoped he would find someone else, someone that could ignite the same fire in him, someone that he could keep in contact with, someone that could become more.

Despite a few stints left and right, however, he just couldn't seem to find that someone. It had been months since he heard from Marik last, but he couldn't help himself but to compare each new 'acquaintance' with the mysterious blond he'd met that one time. Sighing in dismay, Ryou locked the door to his small appartement, mentally going through his grocery list. It was to his great surprise, that when he turned around, he came face to face with a breath-takingly handsome stranger.

Blond, spiky hair framed sun-kissed skin with deep purple eyes, followed by a well-toned body, tall and strong. Ryou's breath hitched as he gazed into those eyes, seeing recognition alight in them, feeling his heart constrict as he realized that after months and months of trying to meet, trying to keep in contact, trying to work something out, that months later Fate decided to reunite him with the one who he shared his first kiss with.

He couldn't believe Marik was there.