Love Lies

Talk to Me

Duke poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the snack bar that separated the livingroom
and kitchen. He picked up the morning paper and began reading the headlines.

Just as he did, the phone rang.

Duke reached over the counter and picked up the receiver.

“H’lo?”

//Hi Duke! It’s Yugi. I got a question for you.//

“Go ahead” Duke replied.

//Okay, I’m planning a going away party for Mai, but I want it to be a surprise. I talked to Ryou
last night and he agreed to letting me have the party at his house. Do you think you can talk Mai
into coming over Friday night without letting her in on the surprise?//

Duke nodded his head.

“Yeah, sure. No prob. What time?”

//7 o’clock would be perfect//

“Sure, we’ll be there.”

//Great, see ya!//

Duke hung up the phone and continued reading the paper. Mai walked out of the bedroom
holding her head.

“Who was that?” she ask as she flopped back onto the couch.

Duke bit his lip. He couldn’t tell her the truth.

“Oh, uh.....that was Mako. He called to tell me he accidently left his jacket behind the bar last
night.”

“Oh” Mai replied as she reached for a bottle of aspirin.

Duke got up and walked over by Mai clutching his coffee mug. He sat down next to her and ran
his fingers over her hair.

“Did you have a little too much fun last night babe?”

Mai closed her eyes.

“Yeah, I had a blast.......whoo hoo.” she retorted sarcastically.

Duke set his coffee mug down and cuddled next to her.

“You sound so convincing” he chuckled.

Mai let out a long sigh.

“Duke.......we really need to talk.”

***************************************************

After a brief stop at the game shop, Ryou headed over to Malik’s. As he got out of his car, he
could hear the sound of loud yelling coming from the house.

“Get out of my face!” Malik yelled at the top of his lungs.

“Shut your mouth and maybe I’ll consider it!” Tristan shouted back.

“Don’t push me Tristan, you know what I’m capable of.” Malik replied in a low, evil sounding
voice.

Ryou hesitated. He wasn’t quite sure he wanted to walk into the middle of their argument.
Against his better judgement though, Ryou closed his car door and started walking up to the
noisy house. He heard a car pulling into the driveway and breathed a sigh of relief. It was Isis. .

“Hello Ryou. Are you here to see my brother?” she ask politely.

Ryou nodded his head.

“Yes, I am....” Ryou paused and looked at the house. The sound of glass breaking escaped
through an open window. “...... But it sounds like I came at a bad time.”

Isis rolled her eyes.

“They must be at each other again.”

Ryou nodded his head.

“Yes, it certainly sounds like it.”

Isis closed her car door and walked over by Ryou.

“Enter at your own risk, I guess”

Ryou followed Isis into the house. There were two suitcases sitting in the middle of the kitchen
floor, along with two large boxes. The was also a small plastic case, about the size of a shoe box,
stacked on top the highest box.

“Hey! Will the two of you please stop this? You’re acting like children!” Isis yelled as she threw
her keys on the desk next to the refrigerator.

“Stay the fuck out of this Isis!” Malik yelled from the livingroom where he and Tristan were
arguing.

“Don’t you dare talk to Isis that way!” Tristan scolded the enraged Egyptian.

Malik wasn’t taking anything Tristan said lightly. He was beyond angry.

“Don’t you fucking talk to ME like that, asshole! I’ll fucking kick your ass!”

Isis and Ryou hurried into the livingroom. They walked in just as Malik tackled Tristan to the
ground and punched him square in the face. Blood instantly gushed from Tristan’s nose.

“I’m.....gonna........KILL......you!” Malik panted as he laid a blow to Tristan’s jaw.

“STOP! Please!” Isis shouted at the top of her lungs. Tears began to stream down her cheeks.

“Malik, please.....stop! I can’t handle all this bickering!”

Malik ignored his sisters request and continued pounding lumps on Tristan.

“Just... chill..... out...... Ishtar!” Tristan snarled as he caught Malik’s fist before it hit his face
again.

“GUYS! PLEASE!!!!!” Isis screamed. “Beating each other isn’t going to solve anything!”

Malik grabbed Tristan by his shirt collar and pulled him up.

“I hate you” Malik hissed as he gave Tristan a hard shove, sending him crashing into Isis’s
expensive glass curio cabinet. Tristan slammed into the glass, sending the entire thing crashing
to the floor. The glass shattered and the delicate figurines inside the curio broke into pieces.
Tristan grabbed his head.

“Owe, fuck” he groaned as blood gushed from numerous places on his body. Isis rushed to his
side.

“Malik! What’s gotten into you!”

Malik got to his feet, seething with anger.

“I’ve had enough! Fuck you Tristan! Fuck you too Isis! I’m out of here! C’mon Ryou!”

Malik stormed down the hall to his bedroom and gathered a few more personal items.

Ryou just stood there helplessly staring at Isis kneeling over bleeding Tristan.

“I-I.......” he shuddered as he backed away.

“RYOU!” Malik yelled from his room.

Ryou turned his head and bit his lip.

“I’m sorry” he sighed as he ran to Malik.

Ryou knocked on Malik’s bedroom door before stepping inside.

“Come in” Malik responded, sounding a little calmer.

Ryou walked into the room and closed the door. Malik was sitting on his bed with his back
turned.

“Are you.....okay?” Ryou ask cautiously.

Malik nodded his head.

“M’hm” His voice came out as if he was trying to hold back something.

Ryou sat down on the bed next to him and put his arm around him.

“Shall we get going?”

Malik took a deep breath and leaned his head onto Ryou’s shoulder.

“In a minute. This is going to be the last time I’m ever in this house.”

Ryou nodded his head and waited.

A minute later Malik stood up.

“I’m ready. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Malik grabbed a small red box off his dresser and stuffed it into a paper bag he picked up off the
floor.

They both walked down the hall and veered into the kitchen, not bothering to look in the
livingroom.

Malik put the small plastic case that was on top the boxes into the paper bag. He picked up one
of the suitcases and walked out to Ryou’s car. Ryou followed close behind him carrying the
other suitcase. They put the suitcases and the bag in the trunk of the car and went back into get
the two boxes. As they were about to walk out, Isis stepped into the kitchen.

Neither Ishtar said a word, but their eyes told a different story. Malik’s eyes were throwing
daggers at Isis, while Isis’s eyes were filled with nothing but pain.

Malik turned his head quickly and stormed out the door. Ryou looked at Isis and sighed.

“I’m sorry Isis ” was all he could say.

“Hurry up!” Malik yelled from outside.

Isis nodded her head as she wetted a washcloth to clean up Tristan.

Ryou turned away slowly and walked out to his car.

Malik rolled out of the garage on his motorcycle and sided up to Ryou’s car.

“See you at your place” Malik nodded sharply as he leaned onto Ryou’s open drivers side
window.

Ryou nodded back.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Malik leaned closer and surprised Ryou with a light kiss.

Ryou was pleasantly surprised and returned the gesture.

A small smile crept across both their faces as their lips parted.

“See you at home” Malik winked as he started up his bike. Ryou started up his car and looked in
his rearview mirror. All he could see of Malik was a flash of gold and chrome whizzing across
the mirror.

Ryou smiled as he back out of the driveway and headed back home.

******************************************************************

Seto laid back on the bed and sighed as he flipped through the channels on the television.

“I’ll have to have a word with the owners before we leave. I can’t believe they don’t have
satellite tv.”

Joey absently nodded his head. He stared blankly at the television screen.

Seto continued to try to strike up a conversation with the unusually quiet blonde.

“I talked the cops into keeping what happened off of the records.”

Joey again, absently nodded his head.

Seto sat up and looked down at Joey.

“Wheeler? Are you okay?”

Joey took a deep breath.

“Yeah, just peachy.” he retorted with a hint of sarcasm.

Seto cocked his head.

“You seem distant, are you sure you’re okay?”

Joey let out a low, frustrated growl as he got off the bed.

“I said I’m fine. I think I need some fresh air.”

Joey pulled on his jacket and zipped it up.

“I’ll be back later.”

Seto nodded his head.

“Alright.”

Joey walked out the door and out into the cold, starlit night.

Seto went back to flipping channels.

//That was odd. I wonder what’s got the pup so ornery.// he thought to himself.