A/N - Takes place about six years after the series end.
A friend is someone who is there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else. ~ Len Wein
Ryou never has a Saturday to himself.
-0-
He spends the morning and afternoon with Yuugi.
Yuugi always calls the night before and asks Ryou if he would like to come over for brunch the next morning (even if their meetings are so routine they have practically become tradition, Yuugi always calls) and Ryou responds, as always, that he'd be delighted and will be there around ten thirty.
Ryou thinks what he tells Yuugi every Friday night is the truth, or has at least become the truth over time. He does enjoy Yuugi's company, at times. Yuugi is like the sun. A bright, radiant light that shines on everyone indiscriminately, with or without their approval. And that is good because Ryou is constant rain.
(But perhaps it is bad for the same reason.)
Regardless, it's nice change of pace not to have to cook so every Saturday without fail Ryou shows up on Yuugi's doorstep.
He'll knock twice and by the time Ryou has counted to ten Yuugi opens the door. Ryou's sure that doesn't mean anything other than how ritual everything has become; a habit with so much power that it could not be broken. Ryou finds that…comforting.
Yuugi smiles, not as wide as he use to and some days it doesn't even reach his eyes (but it's more than Ryou has ever been capable off, so there is no room for judgment), and ushers Ryou in.
The Game Shop looks exactly the same even though Sugoroku has passed away. Yuugi takes good care of it. They walk to the kitchen and the pungent smell of eggs mixed with the plastic smell of the shop. It somehow always manages to make Ryou lose his appetite.
(He'll clean his plate though, always.)
The next part is probably the only thing that varies with each of Ryou's visits. Some days they will chat about small things; Yuugi will ask how Ryou's job at the museum is going and Ryou will in turn question about the Game Shops profits. Other days they will talk about bigger things; Ryou will ask if Yuugi has received anything new from Anzu in New York and Yuugi will in turn question about how Ishizu is settling in to her job at the museum. But most days they just sit in silence, enjoying each other's company.
(Ryou taking in a sunlight that had long ago been stolen from him and Yuugi watching the rain.)
Ryou always finishes eating first and then take his plate to the sink to wash it off. Yuugi protests but Ryou always insists and that's the end of that. Whatever they have is far too fragile to push.
They play Duel Monsters next. They don't duel. There are no duel disks or holograms, or people's lives at stake. It's just them setting on a table playing a card game where the only meaning of sending something to graveyard is putting that card to the pile on the side.
It's refreshing, and sometimes even fun. Yuugi always wins though. But Ryou is getting better. He is beginning to pick up on the subtle hits Yuugi gives away whenever he draws those certain cards. Looks, lingering and completive that do not suit Yuugi's bright violet eyes at all, always follow. Ryou could ask what Yuugi is thinking but then he'd have to know. (And Ryou is sure he'd never be able to understand anyway…)
So he gives Yuugi a minute and pretends that it didn't happen, but does change his strategy accordingly. Yuugi doesn't notice. After Yuugi wins and they've cleaned up, Ryou tells Yuugi that the breakfast was excellent and he had a very nice time. Yuugi smiles and tells Ryou the same. It's a polite exchange, but it makes Ryou feel like he has a friend, even if he doesn't deserve it. He turns to go and his pace does not falter until Yuugi calls out behind him:
"I hope you have a good day, Bakura-kun."
-0-
Ryou spends his evenings with Malik.
Malik never calls, he simply shows up. Ryou will be reading or cleaning when he hears a loud, banging knock at the door. Malik never stops knocking until Ryou opens it. The lilac eyed boy still has his helmet on his head and gives Ryou a look of disdain (which Ryou always responds with a quiet hello and a restrained glare). Then Malik commands, not asks but essentially orders Ryou that they are going to go out for drinks so hurry up because the motorcycle is still running. Ryou always sighs, grabs his jacket and follows Malik out the door.
He tells himself that he only goes for Ishizu, because she is such a pleasant co-worker. This way he can keep an eye on Malik and make sure he doesn't get to drunk and that he gets home safely. Ryou is sure that is the truth, because he can't stand Malik.
At all.
Malik is loud and crude and completely selfish; everything Ryou is not and therefore despises. Perhaps if there wasn't so much history between them, Ryou could have just taken Malik in stride. (But there is and Malik had used Ryou as if he was nothing more than a body, a vessel and not a soul, a person. And most damningly, Malik had sided with him, his darkness who is always right there –) Under his skin. Malik always finds away under the skin. So though he mentally promised Ishizu that he wouldn't let Malik get too drunk, Ryou always buys him a drink.
Malik never returns the favor. Ryou doesn't drink anyway, alcohol tastes like cough syrup and burns his tongue. He'll order a ginger ale though, just to pass the time. Malik always makes that same derogatory comment that was never clever to begin with and most certainly has not gotten funnier the more times he says it. Ryou thinks about telling him this, but doesn't and just lets Malik get away with it every time.
Within thirty minutes, Malik is already drunk. Thankfully, Malik isn't really an angry drunk, just a talkative one. Ryou sits through Malik ranting from something as trivial as a spill on the counter to yelling about how Ishizu and Rishid don't trust him and treat him like a child. Because you are a child, Ryou figures as he looks at Malik. He never responds to Malik's tantrums, Ryou simply looks at Malik.
The more Ryou looks, the deeper Ryou can see into Malik and it readily becomes apparent that Malik is still just a child. A very broken child. And deep within Ryou's heart compassion starts to stir (because really, he looks like that too, doesn't he?) but Malik will always ruin it.
No one ever brings up Ryou's other to his face. They have more decency and respect for that. Whether or not Malik mentions him in passing or in full, he says these things to Ryou as if they are common place, as if it is not a festering wound inside Ryou. It makes him hate Malik even more. (And it's hate and not at all jealousy at the fact that Malik might have known the spirit better than he did.)
Ryou is sure of this.
Next Ryou drags Malik to his motorcycle and starts it himself. There was no way he'd ever let Malik drive them home but that's not what he tells Malik. When Malik asks Ryou always says that Malik insisted on driving and that he almost got them both killed. For some reason, that makes Malik happy and for some reason, Ryou does that one small thing for him. (Maybe they really are friends, after all.)
When they reach Ryou's apartment, Ryou always has to practically break Malik's arms to get them off of his waist. Malik always squeezes to tight. It's a battle to get Malik up the stairs but eventually Ryou manages to get Malik onto the couch in his apartment, unharmed. Ryou then dials Ishizu's number and happily calms her down with the knowledge that Malik is here and that she can come pick him up.
Finally, after many awkward questions ("You're gay, aren't you Ryou?" "You already asked me that one,") asked by a half-passed and completely wasted Malik, Ishizu knocks at Ryou's door. Ryou is happy to get Malik out of his apartment and even allows himself a small smile as Malik falls off the couch. That is all quickly sucked away because, always, without fail, Malik looks up at Ryou and smirks:
"You look more and more like him every time I see you."
-0-
But Ryou always has Sundays alone (utterly, completely alone –there aren't even shadows), which is much, much worse.
A/N Lot's of angst, right? Anyway because of some RL complications, Fireproof's next chapter has been delayed till next Friday. Sorry!
Oh, and please leave a review!
