Message in A Bottle

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

a/n: Thank YOU FOR ALL THE SWEET NICE REVIEWS!!!(starts forcing Yami Bakura to give everybody a kiss)^-^

If you're confused: Malik loves Ryou, but he doesn't want to love ONLY Ryou. If he and Ryou became lovers, he feels the need to be faithful and all that stuff...which he isn't ready for. He isn't ready for commitment.


Chapter 5: Sweet Fluff

Malik sighed deeply as he continued staring at the back of Ryou's head, his only view of the white-haired boy several chairs away from him. Malik had entered the classroom nearly 30 minutes late after his little 'talk' with Yuugi and Yuugi had explained to the teacher that he was a friend of his and asked if Malik could sit-in the classroom for today. The answer had obviously been yes.

Malik squirmed in his seat, getting more uncomfortable with each passing second. He hated it that Ryou was ignoring him. He knew it was all his fault and he was meaning to apologize...but if Ryou won't even look at him, how could he?

After what seemed like forever, class after class, the last teacher finally left. And as the students exited for lunch break, Malik walked hurriedly to Ryou's seat. He waited until they were the only ones left in the room, then he knelt beside the boy who had his head bowed low. "Ryou...please listen to me. All I'm asking is one minute."

Ryou looked toward him and... smirked. "Missing your boy toy, Malik?"

"Yami Bakura!" Malik nearly fell out of balance. "But how--why---damn Ryou---!"

Bakura grabbed Malik roughly by the clothes and looked him straight in the eye. "We're friends, aren't we Malik?"

Malik looked back at him fiercely. "Not since you nearly stabbed me to death."

"It was an honest mistake." Bakura let him go, then he lifted his feet on top of his desk, settled on his chair comfortably, and went straight to the point. "I want you to leave Ryou the hell alone for the following week."

Malik narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because."

"Because what? No...let me guess...you and my Yami...what the hell have you two been up to?"

Bakura crossed his arms over his chest, scowling. "Let's just say Ryou would not like my mood when I get my hands on him."

Malik looked confused for a split second, then he shrugged. "What's the bet about?"

"Err...well...umm... " Bakura blinked. He'd never been tongue twisted before. This was Ryou's expertise. "Not telling. However---"

"I have to talk to Ryou, Bakura!" Malik cut in, his face contorted with grief and annoyance. "I--we---I've CHANGED. I need to APOLOGIZE for UNINTENTIONALLY hurting him."

"Don't give me that crap!" Bakura snapped angrily. "You and I both know you're only after my hikari's body. I mean, that's probably why your idiotic Yami was so convinced you'd fuck Ryou as soon as possible then just dump hi-------------------oops."

Malik stared wide-eyed at the pale yami in front of him. "You---bastards! You made a bet about Ryou and me!"

Bakura rolled his eyes, trying to cover up his mistake. "Yes, Mr. State the Obvious."

Malik sat back on the ground and knitted his brows, calming himself down. "Well, it could've been worse...at least you're not telling me you promised to sleep with my Yami."

Bakura laughed, sweating hard. "Well...actually..." he gulped. "I did. Sort of."

Malik stood up and glared at him. "This isn't a funny joke! TELL ME YOU DIDN'T."

"I said I did!" Bakura retorted, growing annoyed. "Will you stop bossing me around, you little twit?"

"I am not bossing you around."

"The hell you aren't. Here I am asking you NICELY to PLEASE leave Ryou the hell alone! Just one week! Don't even LOOK at him or you'll most probably give in and start lusting after him again! Believe me, I KNOW! So just stay as far away as possible from him for the time being! It won't kill you!"

"I can't do that!"

"And why not?"

"Because I don't want Ryou to hate me!" Malik felt his fists clench. "I want Ryou to be my friend. And right now, you know he's upset because I haven't apologized yet..."

Bakura looked shocked. "What's happened to you? Where's the EVIL Malik I once knew?"

"Don't." Malik breathed deeply. "Stop it. That Malik you knew is gone. Dead. I was freed from that dark side when Yami Yuugi beat Yami Marik. And you know that. I promised them back then that the next time we met, we would be friends. It's time I kept that promise."

There was silence for a long time, before Bakura finally spoke. "YOU may have changed, Malik. But I haven't. "

"....................."

Bakura stood up, and picked the pen that was lying on Ryou's table, flipping it in his hand. He smirked. "Either way, whether you do it with my hikari or I do it with your yami, the results will still be the same. Even if you refuse and I get to be the one who suffer from that filthy bastard's hands, it's still YOUR body and RYOU's body."

Malik remained silent.

Bakura snorted. "Like this." He lifted the pen high in the air and stabbed it thrice with GREAT FORCE on his arm, until crimson blood had splashed against his and Malik's shirts. Malik was too stunned to stop him.

Then Bakura left.

Ryou's eyes opened and he stared a moment at his arm, with the pen still sticking out of it, then at Malik. "What ha---"

His eyes closed as pain seared throughout his body. He fell uncoscious in Malik's waiting arms.

*****

"Are you sure you don't want us to take him to the doctor?" Nefertiri pulled Ryou's arm up and inspected his wounds. "These look deep."

Malik shook his head. "They will ask questions. Besides, I thought you've been practicing Egyptian medicinal spells."

"I am." Nefertiri replied. She pulled a pack of linen cloth used to mummify dead bodies from her bag. "So...exactly what happened?"

Malik sighed. He glanced uneasily around the empty classroom. Dismissal had already passed for nearly 30 minutes before he had been able to beckon Nefertiri to help him take care of Ryou. He had hidded the wounded boy in the bathroom, trying to stop the bleeding himself, when he realized he simply couldn't.

Nefertiri glanced at her silent friend. "You don't have to answer."

All of a sudden, Ryou began to shake, his body moving violently against the cold floor. A soft whimper escaped his lips as he hugged himself tightly.

"What's going on?" Malik asked, alarmed. "Ryou!"

"Just hold him and keep him warm." Nefertiri instructed. "It's part of the Ancient Egyptian spell I've used on him."

"What the hell kind of crap is it anyway?" Malik muttered. He gathered the shaking boy in his arms, holding him close.

"It's very effective." Nefertiri explained. "Hold his arm out to me..."

Malik did as he was told. He could feel Ryou's body shake violently in his arms. He felt cold and thin...like the beautiful fragile doll he was. "Shh...Ryou....it's going to be alright..."

Nefertiri wrapped Ryou's arm in the linen bandages carefully, but her mind was swarming with questions. "So...are you and...Ryou...together?"

Malik cast his eyes downward, his arm still wrapped tightly around the injured boy. "I thought we could be..."

Nefertirined ned against the wall behind her, watching Malik take gentle care of Ryou's body. "What went wrong?"

Malik sighed. "You've been my friend since I was a child...and you know what sort of life I'd had. Father...Yami Marik...they've all imprisoned me far too long. I just can't take being owned by someone anymore. When Ryou touched me...I-I felt scared. I didn't want anybody to possess me...to be tied to someone forever..."

"I don't think Ryou is very possessive...and you..." Nefertiri smiled. "You know what? Back when Ryou came to your house and saw us together, I saw in you something I've never seen before. I never thought the time would come when you would genuinely care for a stranger. "

"You--" Malik looked concerned. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Nefertiri stood up, brushing dust of her skirt. "I'm going home. Just remember, falling in love can be hard. But for a relationship to work, you must be willing to offer yourself to the one you love. It's not about him owning you...it's about respect and love shared together, with each other."

"---"

"Ja!" Nefertiri smiled, grabbed her bag, and ran away from the classroom, leaving Malik alone with Ryou, who had stopped shivering.

*****

As soon as his friend left, Malik turned his attention to Ryou. The sleeping boy was cuddled up to him, a peaceful expression hiding the turmoil he felt inside. He swept Ryou's bangs from his face and kissed his forehead gently.

Ryou's eyes opened slowly, a confused expression hovering on his face.

"Hey." Malik tried to smile, but found he couldn't.

Ryou looked at him straight in the eye. "Malik, I know what happened."

"What?" the Egyptian boy looked curiously at him. "What are you talking about?"

Ryou pushed Malik gently off him, so he was no longer in Malik's arms. His face crumpled in pain as his wound hissed at the sudden movement.

"You okay?" Malik asked.

Ryou was silent for a moment, then he faced Malik and smiled. "I'm fine."

A sudden throb struck Malik's chest. He had almost forgotten how beautiful Ryou's smile was. It lighted up his face and...Malik wondered if what Yami Bakura had said was right. Would he really start lusting for Ryou again if he keeps on spending too much time with him? Just this morning...

"Malik?" Ryou's expression was replaced with that of concern. "Are you okay?"

Malik snapped out of his thoughts. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. What was it you were telling me?"

Ryou fidgeted, then he sighed. "I still don't remember anything from when Yami Bakura took over. But this wound, Yami Bakura just proved how dangerousis ais again... but I don't want to be alone, Malik! Even if our Yamis hurt and kill each other, I don't want to be separated from you!"

"Ryou..."

"And even if you don't really love me..."

There it was again. The guilt complex. Malik cringed. "I'm sorry, Ryou...I know it's not enough to explain my actions...it's just that...I can't seem to understand even my own feelings. I mean, I like you and everything...but...I'm just not sure I want us to be... you know....I'm just not ready."

"I understand." Ryou patted him lightly on the arm, his face still wearing the comforting smile. "I've been thinking about it, and I know how much you long for freedom. Being a couple would just put you in the spot. I know you don't want to be tied to anybody. I'm sorry if I was thinking too much of myself that I couldn't see t"
"

Malik finally smiled back. "So..."

"We can be friends from now on." Ryou finished for him. "But I..."

Malik gave him a questioning look.

"I just wanted to let you know..." Ryou hesitated for a moment, then his eyes fired up with determination. "I will wait for that day, Malik."

Malik started. "That day?"

Ryou nodded eagerly. "I know it would come. When one day, you would no longer be afraid to be love and belong to the one you love! I'll be waiting for that day forever!"

Malik blushed slightly, smiling at Ryou's honesty. He wrapped his arms fondly around the pale boy in front of him. "I know you would. And I promise when that day comes, you'll be the first person to know."

Urged by the closeness of their bodies, Malik leaned down to brush his lips against Ryou's. But Ryou stopped him before he could.

Malik raised a questioning eyebrow, feeling disappointed. It was true he wasn't ready to belong to Ryou just yet and love ONLY him, but he DID want to 'mess' around with the incredibly beautiful boy. He couldn't resist. Bakura WAS right. Spending too much time with Ryou returned all the mixed emotions he thought he'd lost.

Malik stroke Ryou's cheek gently, feeling the other boy lean in his touch. Seeing that affectionate move as an initiative, he leaned down and tried to kiss him again, but Ryou firmly pushed him away.

The Egyptian scowled a little, confused and slightly annoyed. "Not even a FRIENDLY little kiss?"

Ryou grinned slyly, poking Malik on the chest, emphasizing each word of his reply. " Friends. don't. kiss."

*****

a/n: I'm sorry if this chappie is sort of disappointing (what with no kissess and no yami lemon and no hikari lime) but I needed to develop the plot.Err... so Ryou and Malik are only friends now...are you disappointed??? WELL, DON't BE. Did you honestly think Malik can keep his hands off the cute, fluffy Ryou?

Chapters to come: It seems as though Yami Marik lost the bet...but being the insane dark that he is...HE WILL DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO GET WHAT HE WANTS. And since he wants Yami Bakura's body...he'll get it. By hook or by crook. (Drool...thinking about nice hot yami lemon...or yami/hikari lemon?)0---0

Press the Review button!!!

CHECK OUT MY RYOU/MALIK FANFIC CHALLENGE. The mechanics are in the list of stories I've written if you press the author button. YOU WILL LIKE THE PRiZE.