Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ A Different Kind of You ❯ Closer than you Think ( Chapter 14 )

Malik groaned, opening his eyes to look around him as he asked around a scratchy throat, "Where am I?"

"I thought you'd be awaking soon, brother," a womanly voice said from somewhere next to him.

Malik shifted his head slightly to look where the voice came from and his eyes widened at the familiar figure standing in the doorway, innocently turning the lights up slightly to allow some source of light to shine in the room. "I-Isis, is that really you," He asked with disbelief, sitting up quickly only to hold his head as the room began to spin around his vision.

"Be careful, brother, you had quite a fall. I'm just glad I managed to keep you from hitting your head too badly," Isis explained, sitting down on the bed next to her sibling and wrapped an around his shoulder.

"B-but how - why," The younger of the two stuttered, staring at his sister with wide eyes. "I thought I would never see you again," tears misted into his violet eyes before he left forward and hid his face in the juncture of his sister's neck and shoulder.

Isis patted her brother's back tenderly, enjoying the moment she had with her almost forgotten brother no matter how awkward it seemed. She glanced over at the nightstand where a picture of a much younger Malik smiled and waved at the person taking the picture and a small gin spread across her face. "It's definitely been a while, Malik," she finally said, albeit quietly, and enjoying the sound of her brother's name on her lips again. She had missed him greatly; believed she would never see him again and now he was with her once more.

"I don't understand. Why are -"

The woman interrupted her sibling with a raise of her hand. "Don't worry, my brother," she told him firmly, yet comfortingly, "You rest and I'll be sure to talk to you when you wake. You had quite a fall and I don't want to take you to the hospital." She stood and headed for the door, turning the lights down once more. When she saw her sibling lay down again she whispered, "After all, the doctors here are less than sanitary to trust in and my brother deserves only the best."

A memory flashed before her eyes of the time she had first said her brother deserved the best. It was when his friends made fun of him for the strange tattoo that their father had put on his back. All males in the Ishtar had them as a family tradition that was meant to do with something way back in Ancient Egypt when pharaohs still ruled the land. The tattoo was said to bring good luck and Malik was, instead, cursing it for then he had no friends because he had it. That's when Isis had first said that he didn't need friends that low because he deserved only the best. He was five then and Isis was sure that he remembered it just as well as she did, if not better. After all, right after she told him that he wouldn't stop smiling. Just that saying alone made him happy for the rest of the day and even the whole day after that.

Isis turned and headed to the kitchen to make a lunch, no matter how small it was going to be with the only grocery store in town being hijacked or shoplifted from every ten minutes.

~~

Yugi trudged along the street, not wanting to go back to his home (his nose wrinkled at the very thought of calling that rat house that), but he knew he eventually had to if he didn't want the adults most people would call his parents to start yelling at him.

He raised a small, thin hand to his cheek and rubbed the visible pink mark, his whole body shaking with the thought of how he got it. He'd been late getting home from one of his walks, around twelve-thirty to one in the morning late, and his so-called father made it very clear, in the physical means, that he wasn't allowed to be out late apparently. The teen flinched as he remembered just how loud that actual smack to his face had been. His mother had watched the whole thing too and didn't seem to care. If anything, her face to show that she agreed wholeheartedly with his father.

The youth sighed for what seemed the millionth time since he'd come back to the dump he lived in. He wished his sister was still alive…but she wasn't and there was no way she was coming back.

Tears sled down Yugi's cheeks, staining his jacket he had on wit wet drops. He wanted to go home, but he didn't how he could after he left. Yami…What would he think if he saw this place? I bet he would laugh and tell me this is where I belong after being a prostitute for all those years. More tears slipped from his eyes and he didn't bother to wipe them away. He just looked ahead and, after noticing that his feet were leading him to the train station, he turned and headed down another street.

I won't go back he thought determinedly. No matter what I won't go back there. I've got to be strong a deal with my life as it's dealt to me.

He was about to walk up the sidewalk and to the front door when he froze in his tracks and remembered to check the time. Hurrying over to one of the windows he looked around hoping for something that would tell him the time. Seeing nothing, he went around to another window, after checking the one that led into the basement to see if he could slip in that way, and grinned when he saw an old, yet working clock. He flinched as he saw it was almost midnight and was sure to get another slap in the face if he went in now. Wishing that his small basement window was open, he trudged down the street.

Then he remembered Isis and that she lived somewhere around where he was. A grin came to life on his face and he ran like a man dying of thirst going to a fountain of fresh spring water towards his good friend's house.

~~

Marik bit his lip as he glanced at the clock. Please be okay, Malik. Just show me some sign that you're okay right now the owner of the whorehouse begged, staring at the telephone and hoping it would be Malik at the next ring.

Ring.

The man literally dived at the phone and said, "Hello," almost pleadingly into it. He blanched as he heard yet another customer's voice, asking if Malik was free that night. "I'm sorry, but Malik Ishtar is away on important business at the moment," he told the person professionally, trying to choke on his words. "It's uncertain of when he'll be back, but I'll be sure to call you as soon as he's available." The man seemed to understand, unlike the last person who called for his lover, and gave his name and number so he could be contacted. Marik wrote them down, said goodbye, and hung up just before sighing into his hands.

"Anything yet," a familiar British accent asked worriedly.

Marik shook his head, "Not yet." Looking up he asked, "Where's Bakura? He never lets you wander around this place at night."

"He fell asleep watching a movie. I just wanted to know if Malik called yet."

"I'm afraid not," the other answered sadly, glancing at the phone as though it could solve all his problems.

"Don't worry, Marik," Ryou said, trying to sound encouraging. He walked over to his friend and wrapped his arms around his neck in a comforting way, "I'm sure Malik's okay and he'll come back with Yugi any day now. He hasn't been gone that long anyway. If anything, he's probably still on the train looking for Yugi's hometown."

"You're probably right," Marik replied, sounding as though he was still trying to convince himself, "Malik's fine and he'll call the minute he gets off the train if there's a phone he can use."

"That's right, nothing to worry about," Ryou straightened up and headed for the door, intent on going to sleep next to his lover.

"But Yugi said that town was like a murder's hangout," Marik started out, his eyes wide, "He could be dead in some sewer infested hole and no one would give a care about him. I'll never see him again," he finished in hysterics, eyeing the phone and practically praying to it that Malik would call soon.

Ryou rolled his eyes and went back over to his friend and boss, sitting in his lap and letting the older man wrap his arms around him. He knew this was going to be a long night. Resting his head on Marik's shoulder, he remembered once, when the two Egyptians had just had a fight and Malik wouldn't come out of his room so Ryou went to comfort the older one, that Marik said Ryou fit in his lap almost exactly like his own lover did his. He remembered his jealousy the next night too, when Bakura admitted Malik had sat in his lap just like Ryou had done to Marik and said the same thing, but his white-haired lover didn't need to know that detail. He only hoped Bakura would stay asleep all night so he wouldn't find him in this predicament and let his anger get the best of him. He knew his lover could be possessive in most cases, and he was sure this would be one to set off the alarms.

~~

Yami collapsed in an armchair next to the phone, checking the nearly dead machine for any messages. Nothing he thought tiredly, again. He hoped Yugi's friends would've called by now, but it seemed they were as clueless as he was.

Deciding to get something to eat to take his mind off his missing crush, he pushed away from the inviting, though broken, chair and into the closet of a kitchen to find a scrap of food. Dad needs to go shopping again Yami thought the second he opened the fridge and saw only three beers and a juice box left, along with a moldy apple the crimson-eyes teen wasn't going to think about touching in case it sprung to life on him. Or worse, inside me he shivered, knowing it was probably entirely possible from how hold the brown thing looked. He closed the door after taking out the juice box and wrote a very large note to hit dad about shopping, sticking it on the door where it impossible to miss it.

Afterwards, he trudged tiredly back to the armchair and dropped in it once more.

~~

Marik was halfway asleep before seeing a red-eyed Yugi in his sleepy vision. Curious, at first, as to why he was seeing a strange image like that, but realization soon his him. Carefully, so as to not wake the now sleeping Ryou in his lap, he picked up the phone and dialed the number on the piece of paper with Yami's number taped next to it. He rung twice before someone picked up.

~~

Yami nearly jumped to the ceiling when he was woken from his small dozing. Looking around in alarm he realized it was the phone and quickly picked it up before it had a chance to ring again. It wouldn't be good to have his dad somehow wake from his never ending drinking-induced sleep and end up answering the phone and not knowing who was calling. Marik might think he got the wrong number

"Hello?"

-Yami?- an unsure voice asked.

"This is him; Marik, right?"

-Yeah- the tired sounding voice assured him. -Look, I haven't found out anything about Yugi yet, but I did think I should let you know that Malik left earlier to go find him. He went on the train station a little while ago. I would've told you sooner, but-

Yami interrupted him, "No, it's okay. I understand why, really. Yugi told me it was a tough neighborhood so I can see entirely why you're worried about him."

-That's good.- A yawn, -I should go. I've been awake since he left and he'd have my head if he knew I've been awake all this time. And I'd also like to keep the line clear in case he calls.-

"Sure, no problem; thanks for letting me know."

~~

Yugi knocked rapidly on Isis' front door, hoping to any god listening right then that his memory didn't fail in sending him to the wrong house. His prayers were answered when the long-haired Egyptian woman answered the door, staring at him curiously, before worry creased over her kind face.

"Yugi, is everything alright," she asked cautiously.

"Yes, everything's fine. Um," he paused, not sure if he was being rude by asking to stay at such short notice.

She seemed to mind read what he was saying though and stepped away from the entrance, "Come in, Yugi, it's late. What were you thinking walking around at this hour? Did you parents do something?"

"No," he answered quickly, shaking his head back and forth, "Nothing like that, but you could say it's what they would do." He shifted slightly to look behind him, as though looking at a terrible memory from the past and, by the looks of it, the not too distant past.

That's when Isis noticed the pink hue standing out vibrantly on Yugi's pale face. Her small friend didn't have to say it to know that her assumption was probably true. "It's what they will do if I go home at this hour," Yugi finally said, raising a hand to his cheek, "I learned well enough last night to not try going to that house past eleven, maybe even ten."

"It's fine," she shook her head to wave off the apology she knew would come, "You can stay here." Her brother suddenly remembered she pointed to the couch. "You'll have to sleep there though," she told him apologetically, wishing she could give him something more comfortable. "You see, my brother made a…a very unexpected visit earlier today and wasn't really knowing I was here until we happened to run into each other. It was quite a shock and he passed out completely, almost hitting his head on the sidewalk if I hadn't caught him time."

Yugi's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head, "No, it's fine. Don't worry, the couch will be fine." He smiled at her, "You haven't seen your brother for a long time, right? I'm happy for you; congratulations on finding him again."

"Thank you, Yugi, that means a lot to me." She turned to the closet, "I was just about to go to bed myself. I was going to sleep on the floor next to him, if you don't mind. I would like to keep an eye on him in case he needs me. I'll help set you up first though."

The youth shook his head thankfully, "Nothing to worry about, Isis; I don't mind at all. Why don't you go get yourself settled? I'll be fine here."

After much debating, Isis finally nodded and took some blankets for herself to make a makeshift bed next to her brother's. Yugi watched her go, glad that somebody could be happy, especially if that somebody was Isis. He hasn't seen her smile for a very long time and he wanted her to stay like that for as long as possible.

He pulled out some blankets and a small pillow before closing the closet door. Yugi walked over to the couch and laid his burden down, spreading them out so he'd be warm and comfortable for the few hours left of night. Settling down he quickly became relaxed, a familiar and enjoyable presence wrapping around him and he wondered ideally if it wasn't just Isis and the familiarity of the house that was doing it, but brushing it off as sleepiness. Closing his eyes, he succumbed to unconsciousness.