Message in A Bottle

Title: Message in a Bottle
by: spiderweb
Rated: PG13
Summary: Shounen ai. Ryou/Malik. After Battle City.

a/n: I've nothing to say. Just...umm...review? Btw, because Jounouichi's (is that right?) name is so hard to remember, I'll call him by his English name 'Joey' from now on.

Chapter 2: Yami Marik and Yami Bakura

Malik sat on his bed, sighing. Nefertiri had gone home earlier, right after he asked her to leave.Well, duh. He couldn't help thinking he'd betrayed Ryou...not that he should mind it or anything, they weren't really a couple...but....oh whatever, it was giving him a headache.

He stood up and left the house, deciding to walk over to the park to do some thinking. The upcoming Yu Gi Oh tournament in Domino City had led him from Egypt back to this city to meet Yuugi and company again, and just like his promise from their last battle, he and Yuugi were now friends. Or something of the sort.

He never expected to see Ryou again. It had been Yami Bakura who was his ally before and he just never expected to actually LIKE the real Bakura. The worst part is that he was still unsure of his emotions about friendship...or even love...so keeping the distance was important.

But with Ryou, he wanted something different.

Pretty soon, he reached the park. The wind was blowing rather roughly and he regretted not bringing a jacket. He felt a sudden darkness envelope his surroundings, and a familiar glint of white(silver?) hair caught his eye. "Ryou?"

The dark shadow with the white hair was wandering off to the unfinished construction site by the corner of the park, swaying around drunkenly. Malik narrowed his eyes and tried to get a better view. Ryou's pale face came to focus, and beneath the moonlight, he looked incredibly beautiful.

"Ryou!" Malik called, rug ovg over to the boy, realizing how dangerous the construction site was. "Ryou! What are you doing there?"

It didn't take long for Malik to catch up with Ryou since he was walking very slowly, as though hypnotized.

"Stop!" Malik grabbed his arm and turned the other boy to face him. "Listen, I need to tell you something."

"Kukuku." the boy replied, grabbing Malik's hand and smirking at him. "Hello Malik, still remember me?"

Malik furrowed his brows slightly, then his eyes widened. "Yami Bakura!"

Bakura grinned. "Wondering how I came back?"

"Yes!" Malik declared. "I thought you were---how---?"

"It's easier than you think." Bakura let go of his hand and faced the moonlight. "Ryou wanted me back."

"He---did?"

"Kukuku. Funny how things work, isn't it? It never crossed my mind that my own hikari would fall for you."

"Ryou?" Malik frowned. "You're wrong there. I think he's straight."

"Well, I KNOW he's not when it comes to you." Bakura snorted. "Of course, only I know it. Ryou is too stupid to see that for himself."

Malik stared at him disbelievingly. "Well, if you're so smart, then help me."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because---"

"Never mind." Bakura cut in. "Let's just have a deal, shall we?"

"Oh great. What about?"

"Remember how your stupid yami beat the hell out of me when we last fought? Well, I want revenge."

Malik shook his head. "Yami Marik's gone. You should know Yami Yuugi beat him up before."

"I KNOW." Bakura smirked. "That's why I want him back."

"But--- that's impossible!"

Bakura clamped a hand on Malik's mouth. "Then I'll make it possible. IF I hurt you enough, he'll come back you know? Because no matter what, HE is your darkness."

Fear filled Malik's expression, as he tried to get Bakura's hand off his mouth. But as soon as he was able to, Bakura grabbed his neck with his other hand and began to strangle him.

"Sto--p it--!" Malik gasped, coughing slightly.

"Kukukuku." Bakura laughed, now strangling Malik with both hands, as Malik fell on his knees to the floor. "I want you to get mad at me, Malik. Hate me with all the hatred inside your dark heart! Then your darkness will be reborn! Yami Marik will come back!"

Bakura reached inside his shirt and produced an unsheathed dagger. With his right hand, he brought it high up in the air, ready to stab Malik. "Set him free or die!"

Lightning flashed in the sky, and cold rain fell against the earth. Bakura stabbed the dagger against Malik's shoulder, and the poor boy screamed as blood sprouted from his veins.

Malik's body limped, his eyes blanked out.

Bakura let the body go. The rain came down harder as Bakura waited for Yami Marik to wake up.

It didn't take long.

A low laugh came from the body, as the dreaded Marik sat up, one hand covering the wound on his shoulder. "Heheheh. Fool you are, Bakura. To wake me up like this. Then again, maybe I should thank you, ne? Heheh."

"Shut up, you filthy bastard." Bakura spat, glaring heavily at Marik. "Death would be perfect for you...but only if I kill you."

Marik stood up, still smirking. "Something tells me you want more than just a YU Gi OH game."

"You're damn right." Bakura smirked, licking the bloodied dagger he was holding. "This time, it's your death or mine."

There was a moary ary glaring match, then Bakura launched himself at Marik, the dagger still held high.

They toppled against the cold wet floor, with Marik unable to fight back because of the wound on his shoulder.

Bakura raised the dagger and brought it down again, stabbing at Marik's stomach. Blood poured from Marik's mouth, but he made no sound, and was in fact, still smirking.

Bakura stopped his attack to stare at the insane face before him, showing no pain, but only madness. "What's wrong with you? Have you given yourself up to death?"

"Heheheh." Marik laughed weakly. "You're not killing me, Bakura. You're killing poor little Malik. Hmmm, I wr whr what Ryou would say if he found out you killed the person he's interested in?"

Bakura rolled his fists tightly. He'd forgotten about that. He pushed himself of Marik, grabbing the dagger he stabbed on his stomach.

Marik laughed again before forsaking his hikari. It was Malik again who appeared on the floor, choking on the blood filling up in his mouth.

"Damn." Bakura muttered, also leaving Ryou's body.

It took Ryou a few minutes before he was able to open his eyes. The rain had not yet stopped, and he was wondering what he was doing out on the park. He sat up and saw Malik, unconscious and bloody.

"Malik!" he cried, running over to the Egyptian boy. He knelt beside him and lifted the pretty on his lap. "Malik! Wake up! Please be alive! Please!!!"

Malik's eyes fluttered open, slowly and weakly. "Ryou---?"

"Thank goodness!" Ryou lifted the wounded boy on his arms. "I'm bringing you to my house, okay? Yuugi and the others are there. Yami can heal you faster than the hospital can!"

*****

Malik opened his eyes slowly, then he glanced around the room where he was in. His whole body hurt like hell, and he could feel his insides turn all topsy turvy.

"Are you feeling alright, now?" Ryou's smiling face came to view.

Malik blushed slightly, noticing how adorable Ryou looked. "Yeah."

Ryou's smile disappeared. "Malik, Yami Bakura did this to you, didn't he?"

"Not to me." Malik explained. "But...he succeeded in bringing back Yami Marik."

"Oh no." Ryou said softly, then he lifted both his hands over his face and began to cry.

Malik tried his best to sit up, noticing the bandages wrapped around his body. He placed an arm over Ryou's shoulder to comfort him. "It's going to be okay. We have Yuugi and the others to help us, right?"

Ryou looked up at the Egyptian with his tear-streaked face. "I know that. But I'm scared. What if something like this happens again? What if Yami Bakura hurts you again? I can't take that!"

Malik turned bright red, as Ryou buried his head on his chest, still trembling from crying. He stroke Ryou's hair gently, noticing the ache of his body slowly disappearing. He grinned. "Ryou, I never knew you're such a crybaby."

A smile appeared on Ryou's face as he pulled himself free from Malik's hold, wiping away the tears from his eyes. "My classmates at school bully me a lot it isn't new for me to cry anymore."

"Really?"

"That's why sometimes, I feel as if I want Yami Bakura back. He doesn't let anybody bully him around. He's strong and brave...not weak and stupid like me."

"Don't say that!" Malik said, hitting him on the back of his head. "You're not weak and stupid at all. Besides, Yami Bakura isn't all that good...he may be strong and brave, but he's also evil and unkind. Like me before."

"Yeah." Ryou smiled, rubbing the spot where Malik hit him.

There was an akward silence after that, and both boys were blushing slightly.

"Ryou---" Malik began.

"Hmm?"

Malik fidgeted, feeling uncomfortable. "About what you saw this morning---in my room---"

Ryou's eyes drooped in remembrance. "So you're not a virgin?"

Malik choked on the question, unable to keep from feeling annoyed. "It's. kind.of. sensitive. Do you mind?"

"Sorry!" Ryou said hurriedly, flinching at the tone of Malik's voice and the slight glare that the other boy couldn't control. He covered his mouth and hurriedly looked away. "I didn't mean to ask that. Things just keep coming from my mouth---and I can't---I'm sorry!"

Malik felt guilty at seeing Ryou look hurt and confused but just as he was about to apologize, the door to the room swung open.

Yami Yuugi, Joey, and Seto Kaiba entered, all with grave expressions on their faces.

"Ryou, can you go out for a moment?" Yami asked. "We need to speak to Malik privately."

"Oh, okay!" Ryou stood up and walked quickly out of the room.

As soon as he left, Yami stared intently at Malik.

*****

Yuugi, Joey, Kaiba and the rest left a couple of hours later.

Ryou sat on his living room couch watcwatched them go. "Yuugi, the tournament is starting in three days, right?"

Yuugi nodded. "Just keep yourself busy, Ryou. Yami and Kaiba have worked out some sort of Egyptian spell that could contain Yami Bakura and Yami Marik if you and Malik don't think about them at all."

"I called Isis and told her Malik will be staying here to recover for tonight." Kaiba said, walking out the door. "We'll accompany you tomorrow to keep you guys busy."

As soon as both guys left, Joey turned to Ryou and winked. "You know what could make you busy Ryou? How about making out with Malik?"

"Joey!" Ryou blushed, throwing a couch pillow at him.

Joey snickered as he closed the door behind him. "See 'ya at school tomorrow!"

Ryou sighed and laid back against the couch. It wasn't very big and he knew he'd have to spend the night cramped up. It was a good thing his family was now on vacation in Taiwan. Otherwise, he'd be sleeping outside. He yawned and his eyes were half-shut when a tanned head poked out from his bedroom.

"Ryou!" Malik called, apparently feeling a lot better than before. Egyptian spells are good.

Ryou yawned again and walked over to Malik. "Do you need anything?"

Malik had taken the bandages off his body, and his wounds, though still quite big, were dry enough. "Can you...umm...sleep with me?"

Ryou blinked. "What?"

Malik's face turned a deep color of red. "That's not what I meant! I mean, just lie down and keep me warm. Please?"

"Why?" Ryou asked, also blushing slightly.

Malik rubbed his shivering arms. "I don't know. I'm just afraid to suddenly wake up and be Yami Malik. Be evil again. I just---need you."

Ryou looked down on the floor for a moment, then smiled. "Okay."

Malik smiled back and they both climbed onto the bed.

Ryou settled himself on the pillow, and in the dark room, illuminated only by the moonlight, he felt Malik snuggle up to him, his head resting against Ryou's shoulder. They wrapped their arms around each other, hoping to cast out the coldness of the still falling rain outside.

"Goodnight." Ryou said softly, and without thinking, he leaned down and kissed Malik briefly on the lips.

When he realized what he'd done, Ryou was about to apologize,but he noticed that the Egyptian boy had voiced out no complaints. He decided that maybe Malik was already fast asleep. He sighed and wrapped his arms tighter around Malik, contented at the feeling of their damp skins touching together.

*****

a/n: I love Ryou/Malik angst, fluff. You know how it is. Okay, the BIG question I have for you guys. Who should be the uke? Who should be the seme? Please tell me and don't forget to review! Ja!