Message in A Bottle

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

a/n: I've nothing to say. Just...umm...review?

Chapter 1: The Beginning

It could have started any other way. But it simply didn't. Every thing happened because of everybody's favorite game, 'truth or dare'.

Neither Ryou nor Malik had really joined the silly game because they wanted to. Ryou was forced because Yuugi was...well, his friend. Malik was dragged to the table and tied to a chair.

"Alright!" Yuugi declared happily, spinning the bottle. Whatever gods hated him, it landed on Ryou first.

Ryou's eyes widened a bit. Everybody sitting on the table cheered at his innocent act.

"Truth or Dare?" Junouichi asked excitedly. "Please choose dare, Ryou? Please? Please? Please?"

Ryou laughed nervously. Of course he knew by that time that his friends were up to something. It was written all over their faces. The gleam in their eyes, the inevitable grin. "Alright, dare."

Ryou wasn't exactly stupid...just naive and gullible and he wanted to please everybody.

Honda and Junouichi exchanged evil glances.

"Alrighty!" Junouichi exclaimed, as he pulled Ryou off his chair by the hand. "To Yuugi's room we go!"

"Why?" Ryou asked slowly. Then he noticed Honda carrying the chair where Malik sat, bound and gagged. "Umm...what exactly is the dare again?"

"Nothing much." Tea explained with a smile, as she walked beside him and Junouichi through the corridors to Yuugi's room. "You see, Ryou, we noticed how shy and quiet you are...well, except when you become Yami Bakura. But the point is, we wondered how your love life was."

They reached the room and Junouichi sat Ryou down on the bed. "Just remember, Ryou, we're doing this for your own good."

"But..but..." Ryou protested. "I don't need you guys to mess with my love life!"

"Yes you do." Junouichi grinned again as he and Tea left the room. "Have fun, Ryou!"

Ryou sighed deeply, clasped his hands together, and waited. He hated how he could be fooled so easily. Sometimes, he wondered if being Yami Bakura would be good for him, at least Bakura don't get fooled that much.

A moment later, and the door opened again. You guessed it. It was Honda carrying the struggling Malik, his hands tied behind his back, his feet also tied with rope, and his mouth gagged by a huge handkerchief.

"Hiya Ryou!" Honda smirked, noticing Ryou's incredibly wide eyes, and his mouth hanging wide open. "Don't be so shocked, and just enjoy the moment."

He dropped Malik on the bed, who didn't refrain from struggling, and patted Ryou on the head. "Good luck."

Ryou's mouth snapped shut. "Honda, wait!"

"Ja!" Honda replied, without turning back. He left and closed the door behind him.

"Oh...man..."Ryou swallowed nervously then turned to the struggling Egyptian on the bed. "Hi, Malik. I wondered why you'd join our little game."

k glk glared at him, trying to talk through the handkerchief on his mouth. "YogitIwillkilyouoneigtfee."

"What?" Ryou stared at him for a long time. "Oh, sorry. I mean, I'm sorry they did this to you. Listen, sit up and I'll help you take of your clothes."

Malik's eyes widened, whether with anger or shock, no one could tell.

Ryou turned bright red when he realized what he said. "Oh, so sorry Malik! I didn't mean that...maybe I did...but what I was going to say was that I'll help you cut off the ropes. I mean, free you. I mean...arrgh...never mind, just sit up!"

Malik hesitated, but realizing there was no way out, he sat up slowly. Ryou smiled at him as he placed his arms around Malik's head, and worked his way on the knot of the handkerchief gagging Malik's mouth. Malik blushed a little at Ryou's smile, and their faces so close together their noses were almost touching.

Ryou untied the handkerchief, feeling Malik's smooth hair fall gracefully against his skin. Soon the knot was off, and he slid the handkerchief off and dropped it on the floor. "Give me your hands, I'll cut off the rope."

Malik raised his hands, his eyes studying Ryou as he intently did his work. "These ropes are tight...who tied you anyway?"

"I can't remember." Malik said softly.

"Oh." Ryou pressed Malik's wrists against his mouth, as he bit on the rope.

Malik shivered slightly on the contact, woing ing why Ryou's lips were so cold. "Do you know what the dare is?"

Ryou looked up for a moment. "No. They never told me exactly. What is it?"

Malik shrugged. "You're supposed to have sex with me."

Silence.

"Why are you trembling?" Malik asked. His bonds were nearly off,and he could feel Ryou's skin vibrating against his.

"I don't know." Ryou replied, pulling the rop off and dropping it on the floor beside the handkerchief.

"You weren't supposed to free me." Malik eyed him again. "Because they know I'd run away if you did. So why did you?"

"Because you wanted to be freed." Ryou smiled weakly, as he began to work on the bonds tying Malik's feet. "Besides, I can't possibly take you if you don't want me to. That would be inhuman, selfish and...well, it won't be the same if there are no feelings."

Malik placed both his hands on Ryou's shoulders, leaned in, and kissed him gently. The kiss was so light and soft he could have been kissing a fragile porcelain doll. He pulled back. "Did you feel anything?"

"No." Ryou replied, his face red. "I didn't." He continued working on the bonds until it was off, then dropped the rope on the floor.

Malik rubbed his wrists and ankles. "So what are you going to do?"

Ryou decided to lie down on the bed. He closed his eyes. "I'm going to get some sleep."

Malik watched him for a moment. Then he realized Ryou wasn't going to stay awake for him.

He stood up and went to the door, only to find it locked. He moved over to the window and found it locked as well.

He sighed and settled himself on the floor.

*****

Ryou was awakened by the soft chirping of birds. He sat up and yawned. "Malik?"

The Egyptian boy was nowhere in sight.

Ryou rubbed his eyes and noticed that the door to the room was already opened. /So the dare is finished?/

He walked through the corridors and back to the living room where Yuugi was battling Yu-gi-oh with Junouichi. "Hey guys, where's Malik?"

"Ryou! You're awake!" Yuugi greeted. "Malik left already. He said you slept on him so there was no point on continuing the dare."

Honda threw an arm around Ryou then held his thumb and index finger up an inch apart. "You were THIS close, Ryou. How could you fall asleep? How?"

"I don't know." Ryou mumbled. "I guess I'm just not interested in him."

"Wha---?" Honda shook his head in disbelief. "What DOES it take to impress you?"

"Maybe a girl?" Ryou suggested.

Honda held his hand to his chin in deep thought. Then he turned to Yuugi and Junouichi. "Do you think Isis would be good for Ryou?"

"No!" Ryou protested. "Just stop it, okay? I told you I don't need you messing up on my love life. Please just leave it as it is."

"But Ryou---"

"Stop it!" Ryou cried, covering his ears.

"Okay fine! If that's what you really want. Umm..but maybe you should go apologize to Malik first."

"Why?"

"Well, we only got him to come because we told him you liked him."

"You what!?!" Ryou stared at him in shock. "You mean the bound and gag thing was fake?"

Honda waved his hands in front of his face. "No,no,no. What happened was we told Malik you liked him. He looked a bit excited and promised to come...but you see...it's hard to trust a guy like him. So...we tied him up..."

"Are you saying..." Ryou swallowed. "Malik likes me?"

"Well, I guess so." Honda sighed. "But you fell asleep on your 'date' so he probably knows by now that we lied when we said YOU liked him. Sorry Ryou. Do you think you could apologize to him for us? I mean, you ARE his friend. Sort of. I mean Yami Bakura is. Right?"

Ryou sighed too. "I don't have much choice, do I?"

*****

Isis looked at his brother slump up to his room, looking down in the dumps. "Malik, are you okay? You look---"

"I'm fine!" Malik snapped. He should have known those gits were lying when they said Ryou liked him. And after being humiliated, bound and gagged like that, Ryou just fell asleep on him...

"Malik!" Isis called again.

"What?" Malik asked irritably.

His sister smiled. "I just thought you'd like to know that Nefertiri is visiting and is upstairs waiting in your room."

"Nefertiri?" A smile lit up Malik's face. He hurriedly ran up to his room, feeling suddenly happy.

"Nefertiri!" Malik greeted his childhood friend, a dark and very beautiful Egyptian teen, with long jet-black hair and soulful blue eyes.

"Malik!" Nefertiri ran to him and wrapped her arms around Malik's head. "Oh, I missed you so much! How have you been?"

"Fine." Malik replied with a smile. "Why are you here?"

"Business trip." Nefertiri replied. "Dad told me I could see you while he visited his client. Oh, Malik! I really really missed you!"

Malik smirked. "Since you missed me so much, how about granting your friend a little kiss?"

Nefertiri grinned, tiptoed, and kissed Malik passionately on the lips.

*****

"Oh hi, Ryou." Isis greeted, opening the door slightly. "Can I help you?"

Ryou shrugged. "I just wanted to see Malik. Is he around?"

Isis opened the door and let him in. "I think he's in his room. Up the stairs, second door to the right."

"Thanks, Isis." Ryou walked up the flight of stairs that led to Malik's room. He had no idea how to apologize, he just hoped Malik won't be too mad at him. He walked slowly until he reached the door. Then he breathed deeply and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Silence.

He knocked four more times and the door swung open.

"What the hell do you want!?!" Malik demanded irritably, standing in the doorway, shirtless, his pants zipper hanging open. His eyes widened at the sight of Ryou. "Ry--"

"Malik?" Ryou moved his gaze from Malik to the background, where Nefertiri was standing in her underwear.

Ryou felt his chest explode. "Oh damn, I'm sorry Malik, I didn't mean to intrude on you..."

"Ryou---" Malik grabbed his wrist. "I didn't mean to shout at you--"

Ryou snatched his wrist away and hurriedly ran out of the house. He only stopped when he came to the park. He collapsed on the bench, breathing deeply. What was wrong with him? Why was he hurting so much? So what if Malik had a girl friend? So what if---?

"ARRRRRRRGGH!!!" Ryou placed both his hands on his head in frustration.

/Kukuku. Having trouble, are you?/

//Yami !//

/Since I'm in such a good mood again, I'll help you. Go to sleep first, master. Let me take care of the rest. kukuku./

*****

a/n: I read in a scanslation somewhere where Yamiura ura calls Ryou 'master' so I thought it'd be nice to apply. Please review before you press the back button. Tnx.