Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Murderless Crow ❯ Act Three: Hollow Dark Chocolate ( Chapter 3 )

Murderless Crow

By: Unica Michu

Act Three: Hollow Dark Chocolate

Hey, this chapter's got an interesting story behind it. When I was finishing up the editing my computer freezes and I try to save. They whole thing freezes up worse so I restart. I find my data is corrupt and I'm back to square one. I was about ready to strangle something, regaining my rational thoughts I decide I should write it out so I don't forget certain parts. So I sit down and wrote for about two hours straight, and mind you I usually write a page a day. I realize after the fact, I wrote down the whole freaking chapter in one sitting, and it was better and more fluent than the last. So I guess it was better in the long run it happened…

Anyway, once again, I love you guys! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, it means so much to me.

Anyway, I can't remember off-hand who made these comments but here's my response: Seto doesn't like Ryou in this perticular work, Seto is straight and is just good friend's with Ryou. (You'll find out eventually.) Second, Yami no Mariku, erk, he's a complicated one. He won't be appearing the way you'd think, it'll be in such a way there would be no possible way for them to be together. Also, I'm not a big fan of the coupling in general so it will probably never be appearing. (lol) Sorry. You'll get a nice fix of Bakura/Ryou later, however. (^_~)

oOo

"God, how I hate Tuesdays. They always drag," Ryou murmured to himself as he sat down to homeroom. The room was pretty much empty, save for one or two other kids. Most of his fellow classmates were killing the last few minutes they had by loitering in the halls, of course that would include Bakura. Bakura. Ryou felt his heart flutter at the mere thought of him. Ryou had had a secret crush on him since he moved in during their freshman year. He would drink a gallon bleach if anyone were to find out.

"Thinking about Bakura, again?" A soft voice giggled

Ryou jumped a bit, "My God, Serenity. Don't sneak up on me like that."

Serenity giggled again as she took her set behind her childhood friend, "If you like him so much why don't you ever say anything to him?" she whispered.

"It's not like we have anything in common worth talking about, besides the fact that we both breathe air." Ryou droned.

"Sarcastic as ever. Are you really that happy watching from afar?"

"Not really."

"OK. Hey! I heard you were playing in the festival!" Serenity enthused, changing to subject quickly. Ryou tended to get all gloomy at the topic of Bakura and Serenity being Serenity, couldn't bare to see her best friend moping.

"Yeah, I am. But I'm so nervous I could just die. Playing in a group is one thing, but I'm doing a solo. A solo! What if I mess up, that would be horrible."

Serenity frowned slightly; Ryou was in an extremely downhearted mood today, "Aw, come on! You're the best piano player I know!"

"I'm the only piano player you know."

"Ryou! You've been playing since you were four, I doubt all those years went to waste!"

"Nevertheless," Ryou sighed, "I'm extremely nervous about playing in the festival."

"Yo, Ryou. I didn't know you'd be playing." A velvety voice murmured.

"H-hey, Bakura. Y-yeah, I'm going to playing." Ryou stuttered as his usual fluent words became muddy.

"Great, I'll see you there then. Hey, are you going to Yugi's party?" Bakura inquired with a sideways smile.

"Do I ever go to parties? Most of them are just addict conventions."

Bakura chuckled, "Yeah, I'd figure you'd say that, but I thought Serenity here would be interested so," he pulled out a folded pink neon flyer, "Here. Hope to see you there."

Serenity giggled, "Thank you."

Ryou's brain clicked; Bakura had just used him. Bakura had used him he hit on Serenity and invite her. Bakura probably just thought he was some stupid geek, remembering the smirk on Bakura's face as Ryou refused to come. He couldn't stand in the shadows anymore, if he wanted Bakura to notice him he'd have to do something Bakura likes and thinks is cool. Ryou then piped up as soon as Bakura was about to walk away, "I think I might come."

Bakura turned around and raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? Why the sudden change in mind?"

"Well...umm..." Ryou groped for a logical reason, "Um... well... if Serenity's going and Yugi's hosting it can't turn out too bad, right?"

"I guess. I'll see you guys there then." Bakura then left them and joined Marik in the back of the room.

"This is going to be an interesting party." Serenity smiled at Ryou.

"Yeah." Ryou mutters back, masking his raging jealously for his auburn-haired friend.

Meanwhile Marik was taking the liberty of staring aghastly at Bakura, "Holy shit, Bakura. You just convinced Ryou, RYOU, to come to a party. Damn, how do you do it?"

Bakura winked, "Charm, my dear. Charm that you have none of."

"You bastard, I'll cut off your dime roll nuts and-"

"Class! Settle down while I take attendance."

oOo

During lunch Ryou was beginning to have second thoughts on Yugi's party. Nearly half of the juniors and a handful of the sophomores were planning on attending. No, Ryou told himself. I can't just stand back in the shadows forever. Ryou saw Yami ahead of him, Ryou unconsciously glared. Even though it never got around, Yami and Bakura were an item for a while. Unless you watched closely you would have only thought them friends, but of course with all the watching Ryou did it was painfully obvious they were something more.

Yami sighed as he passed Ryou, that kid has been giving the evil eye since his late freshman year and couldn't figure out why. Ryou was usually a soft-spoken, nicely mannered before then, he just suddenly changed. Yami took his seat at the end of his regular table, away from Bakura. Of course Bakura ignored him as well and everyone else followed the suit and acted like he didn't exist. At this point Yami didn't care; he was worry about the attendance count at Yugi's party. That included countless numbers of people who Yami couldn't stand and who couldn't stand him either. Yugi's smiling face then came back and grinned happily at him in his mind. "Damn those bambi eyes of his," Yami muttered. "And damn Tuesday's while you're at it."

oOo

The thought never occurred to Yami, it had slipped his mind with all his projects for school and extra programs. On Monday it was his birthday. The thought returned to him as he passed a gaudy neon locker that had been decorated for so-and-so's birthday. Yami felt a pang of longing for when he was younger at seeing the wrapping paper and bows. When his parents weren't divorced, they'd have a small little party for him with a cake from Waltz and little trinkets his parents picked up and wrapped for him in beautiful bright paper. Now he was lucky if his dad remember to give his a twenty a week afterwards, forget his friends even saying anything to him. He felt his chest being pulled in, like his friends would ever decorate his locker, what a naive thing to think. Yami wiped his moist eyes, yes, he was being naive. Things weren't ever going to be that way again, thinking about it will only make him feel worse.

Yami managed to calm himself as he moped off to LA.

oOo

When Drama let out Yami had an extremely bad craving for spaghetti. He rushed home and when he walked into the house the smell of Domino's Pizza lingered in his nose, he fought back his gag reflex as went to the fridge. It was empty, nothing besides a couple beers which instantly reminded him of Bakura's house. Yami then realized how similar their houses were. His dad might as well not be here, after all if Yami doesn't exist to him why should his dad even exist? Yami felt anger boil up in him, couldn't he see how much it hurt him to leave him alone here? Was he really that blind? How could a grown man be so selfish to take his child then ignore him? Yami grabbed a Lysol spray. And why the hell couldn't he see he despised Domino's Pizza! He went around spraying the whole house then went to his bedroom and locked the door and blasted his ears out to Aerosmith.

The next day Yami ended up getting a sore throat from breathing all the Lysol. After Yami was sick his dad realized how much time he had been spending away from him and neglecting him. He offered to stay home for the day and would start picking Yami up after school again, just like how it used to be.

Yami felt like he was in a dream and could only utter out, "Yeah, I'd like that," through his sore throat, that already ached soreness but now also burned from held back tears.

oOo

The next day Yami had decided he wanted to go back to school, Yami's dad told him he'd pick him up at the end of the day. As Yami walked into the school he half hoped that everyone would come bouncing over to him and whine at him how they missed him and ask if he was OK. Yami nearly laughed, yeah, here he goes being naive again. Getting himself all hyped up with false hope, and, just as Yami knew they would, the faces did pass and they did not say anything to him, as if they didn't even notice his absence. Yami felt like digging a hole and hiding in it at realizing how alone he actually was.

Yami heart nearly fell out of his chest when heard Yugi's voice call out to him, "Hey Yami!"

Yami stopped and waited for him to catch up, "Hey, Yugi."

"Hi, Yami. Where were you yesterday?" Yugi said with a pout.

"I had a sore throat." Yami croaked through his sore throat that was now flaming from held back tears.

"I'm pretty sure sore throats take longer than a day to get better. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine, I heal quickly."

"Alright, if you say so. Drama wasn't the same without you. It was weird."

Yami wasn't sure how to respond but found himself wanting to hug this boy to death for noticing his absence, which he was sure no one would. A smile was now gracing his lips and felt like breaking out into song, like in a 70's musical.

"So, you are still planning to come to my party, right?"

"Yeah, if I don't die first." Yami said jokingly.

Yugi pouted and blushed slightly at Yami's mockery, "Yami! Don't joke like that!"

Yami just laughed as they walked to homeroom.

oOo

At the end of Drama it was pouring down cats, dogs, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Yami thanked God that his dad was coming to pick him up today of all days. Yami smiled to himself, he could get used to this.

Once he left the building and gazed into the empty parking lot he realized something: His dad didn't come. He lied, it was nothing but another empty promise, another meaningless vow. His dad had left him to walk home in the rain. Yami felt a drop touch his cheek but realize it was not the rain, but his own tears. He wiped them away quickly and began to walk out of the shelter of the building. Yami felt the coldness of the rain chill his bones as his teeth chattered. He heard splashing coming towards him, "Yami!" Yugi's voice cried out after him. Yami stopped and turned to see Yugi running after him with an umbrella.

Yugi stopped and panted as he held the umbrella over Yami, ceasing the fall of rain around them. "Yami! What the hell are you doing? It's pouring outside and freezing and you're trancing around with no coat or umbrella with a cold!"

"I... walk home."

"Why doesn't you're mom come pick you up? Why do you always have to be so independent? Why won't you just let people take care of you for once and stop being so stubborn."

"My parents are divorced." Yami spoke softly and bluntly, fearing his words his falter and he would start crying.

Yugi breath caught in his throat. Not only had he put his foot in his mouth but he had swallowed it, "I...I'm sorry."

"And I'm not independent because I want to be, I have to be. I need to get home somehow and if I have to walk home in the pouring rain I guess I have to, don't I?" Yami growled angrily. No matter how nice Yugi was, he couldn't get where he came off judging him when he hasn't even him known him longer than a couple weeks.

Tears slipped down Yugi's cheeks, "Yami...I-"

"Why the hell are you crying? You have nothing to cry about! You have a perfect little life with your perfect little friends and-"

Yugi wrapped his arms around Yami's waist and buried his face into his chest, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to go through all this, you don't deserve it."

Yami said nothing as he let Yugi's warmth melt into him. He couldn't remember when he last had felt this feeling of comfort and warmth as he stood under Yugi's shelter from the on slaughter of the rain.

"Yami?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you like a ride home? My mom should be here soon."

Yami felt a smile slowly form across his face, "Yeah, I would like that."

oOo

Yami made a note to himself to be extra nice to Yugi's mom. She was incredibly sweet and didn't seem to mind giving Yami a lift.

Yami didn't want to leave the warmth that enveloped Yugi and his mom with their inviting smile and soft sweet words but he had no choice as they pulled up into his drive way.

Yami watched longingly as they drove down Lenore Lane. He sighed sadly as he unlocked the door and his nose once again met the stench of Pizza mixed with Lysol.

oOo

To Be Continued...

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