Dark Roses

Disclaimer – well, you guys all know the drill by now. I don’t own them.

Author’s Notes – Here’s another chapter : ) I must say, I am a bit disappointed by the lack of reviews on this story . . . for some reason, I thought this would garner more. *shrugs* ah well. Time for some review responses.

Ladywolf_Terri - *glomph huggles* my soul-sister, I’m so glad you’re enjoying this story! Since it is for you after all . . . oh Mistress Of Rabid Plot Bunnies. (PS – If any of you haven’t read One Dance or Alone by this woman, GO DO IT!)

Zehlyah – thank you : ) AU stories are a lot of fun, they give me so much more room to work with.

ChibiMisu – More coming as quickly as I can (which is rather quickly thanks to this damn rabid bunny)

Lady Laran – Hope you’re still enjoying it, hun! Anytime you want to chat, for questions or what not, feel free to pop on AIM : )

Ralphiere – Wow! Of all the people on AFF.Net, I never really expected to see you reading my stuff. You’re such a great author . . . makes me feel rather warm to know you like my writing as much as I like yours. Thank you!

MiracleLight – I’ve learned to ignore flames. But then, I’ve only ever gotten one, on my first InuYasha story. But that was enough to learn my lesson. Ignore them, and they go away. Thanks for reading!

Silvershadowfire – ACK! It’s my STALKER! (collapses giggling) I luv you hun, I really do!

Lady Shinigami – I have to say, this is a challenge for me. The yami of this pairing is a very difficult character to write, while trying to stay somewhat in character for him while doing AU . . .yeah, this is definitely one of the more difficult pairings for me. But I’m glad you’re enjoying it.

Kadaj – oh don’t worry. I’ll finish . . . especially at the rate this plot bunny in gnawing on me. I have to save some part of my leg.

Deb – HEY! Another one of my fans that seems to pop up on every one of my fics! So glad you like it hun, and I hope you continue to enjoy it. As for what happened to Malik . . . well, simply wait and see : )

Tashica – Hehehe. Yeah, Terri and I are far too much alike : ) So, here’s more for you hun : ) Enjoy!

And with all that said . . . these next few chapters are loaded with angst, and next chapter I suggest you all grab a box of tissues. Don’t bother with the weaponry though . . . Malik’s father will get what’s coming to him. I have my own plans for that asshole, and Bakura’s already sharpening his knifes. I so love my muse.

Chapter 6 – Darkness Falls


Over the next few days, Marik and the others saw next to nothing of the blonde whose horrifying past they had discovered so unwittingly. Bakura said he was never in homeroom, and at lunchtime he was nowhere to be found. The only time they saw him was in classes . . . and he was quick to be in the door last and out the door first before they could approach him. They had even intended to follow him home one day after school . . . only to discover that at some point since the party, he had gotten a motorcycle and no longer walked.

A week passed, and then another, with no chances of putting their actions into motion. Before they knew it, a full month had gone by, and they were only more determined to get through to Malik that they wanted to be friends. Why they were doing it was an unspoken agreement between them all . . . this was someone who needed their help, like Marik had two years ago.

There was also the fact that Marik had confessed his growing feelings toward Malik. They had all been astonished . . . after no activity at all in their blonde friend’s emotional state for two years, the change was literally a miracle. But then, Malik could understand Marik’s emotional hang-ups . . . as Marik could begin to understand Malik’s. Marik had finally found someone who could understand him and who he was . . . and that was something they were definitely not going to let go without a fight.

What had started out as an intriguing mystery had become a crusade to save a shattered soul, and heal two.


*-------*-------*--------*--------*


Malik walked down the hallway at the end of another day of school, slinging his book bag over his shoulder absently, eyes down and shoulders hunched. An entire month had passed since the disastrous events of Yami’s party, and so far he’d managed to avoid contact with any of the people who now knew his horrible secret.

It disturbed him, that there was someone other than him that knew about his dark past, about the things that had been done to him by his father. That they had tricked him hurt . . . had they even taped the whole thing? Even now, they were probably laughing at him, considering the whole thing some great cosmic joke that they had discovered. He wondered how many other people had fallen into that trap.

What really bothered him was what he had first felt upon waking in Marik’s arms. He’d felt . . . protected, even loved, before he’d realized what his living mirror was looking at. Even afterwards, listening to the other blonde guess his horrible past, he’d still felt some small measure of warmth, and a lingering sense that he could trust Marik, that Marik might even understand what he had been through. That was what had really hurt when the others arrived in the room . . . that he had been tricked into revealing something he had never told anyone, by someone who had made him actually feel something for once.

Rounding the corner, he headed for the doors, wishing absently that he could just forget the whole thing.


*-------*-------*-------*-------*


It was Bakura that first noticed them . . . leaning against a car in the student parking lot, watching the front doors in an obvious show of looking for someone. It was the way that they were standing that really caught his attention . . . these weren’t two guys out to pick up some rich kid for his daddy. These guys were watching for somebody that they didn’t expect to cooperate with them. They were too stiff, too tense . . . and he began to have a nagging suspicion that he knew who they were here for.

“Guys . . .” he began, intending on pointing them out as well as voicing his suspicions. But before he could do so, Malik walked out the school doors . . . and the men began to move toward him. “Shit . . . guys, I think we need to help Malik . . .” Yami, Marik, Ryou, and Yugi all looked at him before turning to the events on unraveling before them.

Sensing unwanted eyes trained upon him, Malik looked up . . . and froze. ‘Oh shit,’ he thought to himself, seeing the men stalking toward him. ‘Father found us so soon?’ Forcing himself to react, he spun on one heel and darted back into the school, adrenaline rushing through his veins. He wasn’t going back to that hell!

Corridors flew by in a blur, teachers and students shouting at him to slow down, that there was no running in the halls . . . but he ignored them. Just as he ignored the shouts for him to stop running from behind him . . . if they thought he was just going to go with them without a fight, they were nuts. He slid around a corridor, desperate to find somewhere to hide . . . they would have all the exits covered, of that he was sure. He needed somewhere to lay low . . .

If he locked himself in one of the classrooms, he’d be trapped. While they all had windows, those windows were locked, and only teachers carried the keys. The bathrooms would be too obvious . . .

There was nowhere he could run to . . . he was trapped. He couldn’t call his sister and Odion, because his phone was out of power. No one even knew he was in danger . . . if they got a hold of him, he would simply disappear, and no one would be the wiser for it.

He fought back the panic threatening to undo him, trying to force his mind to think. There had to be something . . .

But there was nothing he could do.


*-------*-------*-------*-------*


The minute Malik had taken off back into the school, the group had burst into action.

“Yugi, take Ryou and get the car,” Yami snapped, tossing his lover the keys. “Meet us at the back door . . . we’re going to need to get out of here, and fast.” Yugi nodded, snagging the keys out of the air as he and Ryou dashed for the black Mercedes convertible. Yami, Bakura, and Marik took off toward the school, where they could still hear the shouts from the chase.

Bursting through the doors, the three raced through the halls, drawing their own shouts from teachers and students.

“I’m NOT going back!”

They froze for a moment as they heard Malik’s shout before picking up their pace, rounding the corner to the backdoor and coming upon the three they were looking for.

The men had Malik backed against the lockers, but the blonde looked like he was ready to do anything but go quietly. Lavender eyes almost glowed with desperation, and the blonde’s hands were balled into fists, his stance balanced, ready to move the moment they gave him so much as a gap to get through.

“I’m not going back . . . you’ll have to kill me before I let you drag me back into that hell!” he snarled. Both men stood simply looking at him, their hands held out to their sides as if they were approaching a wounded animal. In a sense, that was exactly what they were doing.

“That won’t be necessary, Malik,” Marik snarled, stepping toward the two men menancingly. “Back off, you goons. He’s not going with you.”

“Mr. Ishtar wants his son back where he is safe,” the one closest to them murmured, his voice conversational.

“You mean back where he can sell him and torture him,” Yami growled, his hands balling into fists. “We’re not about to let you do that.”

“I don’t need your help!” Malik snapped, lavender eyes narrowing angrily. What did they think they were doing? If they got involved . . .

“Malik, you may believe us or not, but we want to help you,” Bakura said, magenta eyes narrowed slightly. “We’re not about to let these guys take you back into that horror. No one deserves what he did to you . . . you have to trust someone sometime. Let us be those people.” He smiled as the lavender eyes widened in shock before turning his attention back to the two goons. “You’re not leaving here with him,” he murmured. There was a quiet rattle, and a butterfly knife materialized in one hand. “And we do mean that.”

“You’re nothing but a bunch of snot kids,” the second guy growled. “We’re being paid to take him back to his father, and that’s where he’s going. It’s where he belongs.”

“Where he belongs is no one’s business but his own,” Marik snapped, and charged. Bakura was right behind him, a maniacal grin on his pale features as he struck out with the knife.

The two hired thugs went down in a flurry of limbs and flashing metal. Yami winced as one screamed, blood splashing up and streaking Bakura’s white hair with a pinkish color before he darted in to grab Malik, who was staring at the ensuing chaos in shock.

“Come on!” he shouted, over the sounds of the brawl. “Marik and ‘Kura can only keep them busy for so long, and they’ve got friends outside! Let’s get the hell out of here!”

Too surprised to argue, Malik allowed himself to be dragged toward the back doors, numb with shock. That they knew what he was . . . what had been done to him . . . and yet were willing to put themselves on the line like this for him . . . it was amazing to him and he couldn’t understand it. Why were they doing this?

Shouts erupted behind them, and he turned to look over his shoulder, only to find that the goons had backup that had come to join the party. Marik and Bakura were extracting themselves even as he looked, the pale teenager wearing a satisfied grin as he licked a stray drop of blood from his lips.

Yami dragged him out the doors and down the stairs, throwing him into the waiting car as Bakura and Marik charged out of the school behind them, and threw themselves into the car, the few hired thugs that had been left standing right on their heels.

Yugi gunned the engine, tearing away from the curb in a peel of tires and black smoke, flipping them off as they careened away from the school and out into the packed streets.

“Are you alright?” Marik murmured, reaching out to touch Malik’s face gently, where a bruise was slowly forming along his jaw from where one of the goon’s had decked him when he’d tried to escape them cornering him. He flinched away from the touch, lavender eyes wide and confused.

“Why are you helping me?” he whispered. “What do you get out of this?” Marik sighed and settled back in his seat, violet eyes dark.

“We’re hoping we’ll get your trust and your friendship,” he replied quietly. “That’s all we really want.” He crossed his arms over his chest, fighting the urge to take his carbon copy in his arms and try to soothe away the wary look in those lavender eyes. If he moved too quickly, he’d lose any chance he had with Malik . . . the kid had been put through so much in his life so far. And he wasn’t about to do that . . . not when he’d finally found someone that he wanted in that way, someone who could understand him.

Malik shook his head, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the seat wearily with a sigh. He couldn’t say he understood what Marik was talking about . . . how could someone want so little from him, and do so much for him? It didn’t make sense . . . not with the way he had grown up. His father had demanded so much of him, and given him so little in return . . . what made them different from him? Weren’t all people like his father, taking without giving?

He must have dozed at some point, the panic and adrenaline taking their toll on him, because it wasn’t until someone touched him again that he became aware of what was going on around him.

He snapped upright in his seat, lavender eyes quickly finding Bakura leaning over him slightly, a strange smirk still gracing those pale features. It was almost . . . vampiric.

“We’re here,” Bakura murmured, straightening. Malik climbed out of the car slowly, not surprised to find that they had arrived at Yami’s place. He had climbed out of the car, standing warily to one side as the other’s got out behind him . . . and suddenly he stiffened as he found Ryou wrapping pale arms around his waist, burrowing into him for all the world as if they were becoming one being.

“I’m so glad you’re all right,” the youth murmured, pressing his cheek against the white t-shirt Malik wore. “I was afraid the guys wouldn’t get to you in time.” He leaned back slightly, looking up at the slightly taller blonde with wide chocolate colored eyes, smiling slightly at the utter confusion that was obvious upon Malik’s face. “You’ve never been simply hugged, have you?” he asked quietly. It was apparent from the way Malik was standing, his arms held out wide as if he was unsure what to do with them, his body stiff and frozen as if any movement would cause pain. Smiling slightly, even though his eyes sparkled with unshed tears at this latest proof of how damaged the boy was from his youth, Ryou leaned up and brushed his lips lightly across Malik’s before simply turning and walking away.

Malik stared after him in shock, one hand rising absently to his lips, lavender eyes wide with wonder and more than a little confusion. What had that been about? Wasn’t Ryou with Bakura?

“You might as well get used to Ryou now, Malik,” Yami said, smiling at the blonde as he wrapped his arms around Yugi. “He’s a very affectionate little shit, and he doesn’t take no for an answer when it comes to showing that affection.” He nodded toward the house, where the two white haired boys were already disappearing through the front door. “Come on . . . we can talk inside.”

Malik hesitantly followed the taller boy inside, wondering what he was getting himself into. Yeah, so they had helped him out of a very tight situation . . . but what did they want in return? Marik had said they wanted his friendship and trust . . . but why? He wasn’t anybody to them – he barely even knew them! Hell, he’d done everything he could to avoid them over the last month since the party!

Following Yami, he got his first real good look at the place since the party, and he was astounded by the change. It was a very regal place . . . marble floors, delicate paintings, wood paneling . . . what you would expect from an upper class, rich house. The den he was led to was different from the room the party had taken place in, but it was comfortable, not at all like the stuffy, proper rooms they had passed on the way here.

Black leather furniture lay sprawled about a huge stone fireplace, the walls lined with books and works of art. An L shaped desk resided in one corner of the room, the computer on it a top of the line model. A flat screen television took up a majority of one wall, while the wall opposite was nothing but floor to ceiling windows, that showed a grand view of the entire city from where the mansion was sprawled atop one of the few hills.

It reminded him only slightly of home . . . his father’s compound had been just as rich, but there was a comfortable, lived in atmosphere here that his former home had lacked. The people here were happy, living as they saw fit, not simply to impress those who came to visit.

“My parents are away on business most of the time, so I pretty much have the entire place to myself,” Yami said over his shoulder, collapsing into one of the chairs near the empty fireplace. “They give me free run of the place, as long as I don’t go too nuts. If Yugi’s grandfather would let him, I’d have him move in with me . . . Bakura already practically lives here, as does Marik. Ryou’s got an apartment on the other side of town, but everyone has a bedroom here. It keeps me from being lonely.” He shrugged, and then chuckled slightly as Yugi leaped into his lap, cuddling warmly. “Have a seat.”

Malik sat down gingerly, feeling eyes upon him as he settled into the black leather armchair hesitantly. Bakura was sprawled out on the couch, ignoring Ryou, who was making dismayed noises over the blood in his hair and clothing. Marik remained standing by the windows, carefully keeping his distance although the violet eyes were sharp and focused as he watched Malik and his friends.

“I . . .” Malik began, and then stopped, unsure of exactly what to say.

“Start at the beginning, Malik,” Marik said. “As I said . . . we want to help. But you have to trust us first. For that, we need to know everything.”

Malik sighed, shifting uneasily. Could he trust them? Did he dare? He looked around at them, seeing only concerned, anxious eyes . . . and something within him broke open, after so long being locked in the dark.

He spoke into the silence, letting his mind wander paths that he’d kept closed for far too long, and tried not to think what a huge leap of faith he was taking . . . one that could very well blow up in his face.

AN- dun dun dun . . . don't forget to grab your tissues for the next chapter! Malik's past is revealed . . .
AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW, DANG IT!