Don't Look Back; Raise Your Eyes

Don't Look Back; Raise Your Eyes - Chapter Three
By Hammy-Chan
Pairing: Malik/Ryou
Rating: NC-17 [Eventually]
Genre: Alternate Universe, Yaoi, Slight Angst
Summary: Malik has always been able to see things that others couldn't. Unable to control when he saw these things, people called him a freak, thus he's been constantly alone. That is, until he moves into a new apartment, and meets a spirit he calls 'Tenshi.'

Chapter Three

Malik rolled over in bed and yawned, opening his eyes slowly. He looked at his alarm clock sleepily, the bright blue numbers reading 6:03 AM. Malik sighed and layed on his back, unable to fall back asleep. It was Saturday, meaning he didn't have to work. He usually had the weekends off. Malik sat up and pushed the covers off of himself, shivering slightly. The weather was turning colder.

Malik crossed his arms over his bare chest, before heading out to the living room, turning the central heat up a little more, smiling slightly as he heard it hum to life. He didn't turn it on too high; he couldn't help but be paranoid. He then headed back into his room, grabbed his clothes for the day and went into the bathroom to wash up and dress.

Once finished, he headed into the kitchen, filling a kettle with water and setting it on the stove to boil, figuring some warm Ginseng tea would warm him up. "Need to go to the market today..." Malik mumbled to himself, as he looked in the pantry.

He looked up as the phone rang. Who on earth would be calling him at six in the morning?

"Hello?"

"MALIK BABAY!"

"...."

"... Malik?"

"...Who IS this?" Malik asked, confused, and also a bit startled.

"Marik, you dumbass! Have you forgotten about me already?" he huffed, "You leave Egypt, and suddenly forget about me and Bakura, huh? Some best friend you are!"

"Marik!" Malik laughed, "I'm sorry, it IS early you know. What're you up to?"

"Oh, you know, sex, sex... more sex," Marik snickered, "Just like Bakura likes it."

Malik sweatdropped, "Yeah, thanks for the visual, Marik."

"Always welcome," He laughed, "Seriously. Bakura and I were gonna come visit you. Maybe stay a couple days?"

"Really?" Malik smiled, always happy to see his best [and only] friends, "When?"

"Tomorrow morning is when our plane lands," Marik told him, "Around ten AM sometime."

"Sounds cool," Malik agreed, "Want me to pick you guys up?"

"Well yes, that would be nice!" Malik could almost HEAR Marik rolling his eyes, "Right... tomorrow morning at ten.. I'll see you then!"

Malik hung up and turned the stove off when the kettle whistled, pouring himself a glass. He spotted a golden light before him, before it shifted a little and took on it's human form.

"Tenshi!" Malik grinned, "Ohayo!"

Tenshi smiled at him and nodded slightly, then motioned towards the phone, a curious look on his face. "Oh! That was one of my friends I'd told you about, Marik. Him and his boyfriend Bakura are going to arrive in Japan tomorrow; they're going to spend a couple days with us."

Tenshi nodded quietly, suddenly looking a little nervous. "Oh, you don't have to be scared!" Malik smiled, "They're quite harmless. A little psychotic, yes, but harmless none the less. I think you'll like them."

Malik really liked finally being able to actually see Tenshi; to be able to see Tenshi respond to him, even if he didn't talk to him yet.

"I do need to go to the market today, especially now if Marik and Bakura will be staying a couple days. Would you like to come with me, Tenshi?"

Malik had been trying for a while now to get Tenshi to accompany him outside. Whether it was just going for a walk or in this case, to the market, he thought it would be good if Tenshi would accompany him every now and then. Tenshi was silent for a moment, unmoving, before looking up at Malik and smiling shyly, before nodding. "Really?" Malik smiled, "That's great!"

*~*~*~*

Malik walked along down the sidewalk, Tenshi walking beside him. No one else but Malik could see him, which was fine. Anyone who was walking towards Malik, ended up just passing through Tenshi as though he was a hologram. 'Kinda like when we used to play Duel Monsters,' Malik thought to himself, smiling at the memory.

He passed up one of the game shops, pausing as Tenshi stopped and peered into the window curiously, smiling slightly. Malik walked over and spotted a couple young boys playing Duel Monsters.

"You like Duel Monsters?" Malik smiled at Tenshi, who nodded, "I do too. I used to play all the time with my sister and brother. Hey, maybe you and I could play sometime," Malik smiled. Tenshi looked to Malik and smiled brightly, nodding. Malik figured that if Tenshi could open a close a door, then he could move Duel Monsters cards around.

They arrived at the market after another couple minutes, and Malik looked down at his list a moment, before heading off to gather everything. Ten boxes of pocky, ten bottles of ramune and 20 packages of ramen noodles later, Malik was almost ready to go. "Y'know... I'm starting to think I live on Ramen," Malik muttered to himself, looking up as Tenshi waved him over to another aisle. He smiled and walked over, "Good idea, Tenshi. Some healthy foods never hurt," he laughed slightly.

*~*~*~*

"Home sweet home," Malik sighed, almost dropping his bags on the counter, "Did you have fun today, Tenshi?"

Tenshi nodded, smiling at Malik. "You know, I never thought to ask you, what's your real name?"

Tenshi looked at Malik a moment, and Malik thought that Tenshi was going to talk to him finally, but he instead went over to the whiteboard that hung on the fridge, taking the marker and writing 'Ryou' in perfectly neat Kanji.

"Ryou?" Maik smiled, "That's a cute name. I think it suits you."

Malik giggled slightly, and he could've sworn Ryou's cheeks flushed a little pink. Ryou nodded, watching Malik put away the rest of the groceries.

*~*~*~*