Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Paradise City ❯ Reoccuring Memories ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: Do you really believe with all of your heart that someone who owns Yu-Gi-Oh would write these things? Besides…last I checked I wasn't rolling in money.

Paradise City by: Angela (orangeaura868)

Chapter 5: Reoccurring Memories (in the form of dreams.)

(o)(o)(o)

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be an orphan?"

Ryou tilted his head and smiled whimsically. "Now why would I have to think about anything like that?" he asked teasingly.

The other boy was still sadly staring ahead…directly into nothingness. Half-lidded blank eyes turned to mirror Ryou's own cheerful brown orbs. Dull lavender beseeched understanding and acceptance from his friend.

Ryou crawled over and rested his head upon the other's shoulder. Blonde locks fell in torpid disarrangement masking over Ryou's own snowy-white hair. Children sitting in a garden and resting; Holding on to one little moment where time could be filled with happiness rather than dismal thoughts about traumatic pasts…

And in that one moment…nothing mattered. By the God, let the world go to waste and let incompetent problems vanish themselves for all the good it would do them. Nothing mattered in that one moment and time itself seemed to stop…spreading a second of bliss into eternity.

Hiding behind the large plants and flowers in the greenhouse the two of them could be seen…each of them holding on to the other in an endless embrace. How wrong the normal bystander would be to think them merely friends…how could only friends hold each other in such close intimacy? Where they were not merely holding in arms, but embracing each other's souls, and where there was so much feeling?

Then again…why bother? It was true they were something more than friends, but if so…what? Why bother being something that did not exist…why become something so misplaced and abnormal? It didn't matter, no, not at that time for nothing mattered in that instance and all that could be heard would be the soft breathing of two children; Two children lost in emotion to be anything physical. Friends? No, and yet they were nothing else as well.

The smaller boy looked up at his so-called new friend. Tanned skin framed by beige hair held beauty within its grasp and flaunted it discreetly. The dazzling shade of lavender was absent behind closed eyes…a single teardrop escaping. Ryou raised a hand gingerly to flick away the offending droplet.

"Don't you dare cry, Malik…there's never any reason to cry…never."

And with that Malik had looked down into Ryou's warm inviting eyes, and saw such kindness in his companion's eyes. Malik…the name of the little boy who held Ryou in his arms and cradled him closely…flaunting yet another beauty, and again it was not deliberate. He sniffled a bit and smiled back with equally enchanting warmth…happier than all of those sad smiles he'd given before.

"But I want to cry…and I do have reason to." He finally answered in his own meek voice. "I wanted to know if it's normal to think about being an orphan."

Ryou cupped the boy's cheek and their roles switched…Ryou held the boy in his own arms while comforting him…and Malik had obediently settled down.

"My only family left his my grandpa…when he's gone…what will I be?" Malik asked grievously. He continued though…not giving Ryou a chance to answer him, "I don't want to lose anyone else now…and Grandpa is the only one left to lose…I don't want to be without family."

Ryou now looked sadly into distant splotches of color in the ignorant plants…he glimpsed what Malik thought to be his future. He could understand so easily how Malik felt and could only be curious as to why he didn't feel the same…he only came up with a pitiful answer anyone could have thought of. If there were people to be sad…then surely there must be people out there who have been through the same thing yet turning out differently…surely there would have to be a role-model to follow? Yet for Ryou…being relied upon was so…new.

He himself had lost his own family…his father was busy the rest of the time…and yet the idea of being an orphan still somehow …eluded him.

"That's okay." He whispered back with all the confidence he could find in his eleven year-old being. "It's okay to be frightened over losing family…I was scared too." Ryou soon found his confident voice deteriorating. He felt so out of place comforting someone…not to mention comforting someone older than himself.

"You'll never be an orphan though…never, and you won't ever be alone either." Ryou continued, and added on for good measure, "Ever."

The whole scene progressed with the speed of something horrifically slow…but then…nothing mattered in this place where all was felt; Felt with the most purest of emotions. If someone were watching…they'd not have the heart to be bored nor be bothered at all at the slow precession. Shrouded in exotic plants and a beautiful green the two simply sat. Malik had long since stopped his pondering and depressed thoughts. The child just older than Ryou had now resorted to hugging back as he cuddled Ryou. Ryou himself had slowly slipped off his mask of wisdom and was now back to twirling the stem of a random flower between two fingers. Idly watching the colors spin and whirl.

"So…I'm never going to be alone?" Malik finally asked…letting what Ryou had said stew in his mind before questioning him.

"'Course you aren't silly! I'm going to be your friend forever and ever!" Ryou answered back with childish glee having resorted back to his sweet nature that he had whenever there were people around him. He had every reason to be glad…he'd finally get to spend more time with Malik now that he would be staying with him…otherwise the times they would meet were few and far between.

Before then the two of them had almost avoided each other…possibly scared to ever confront the other even when their guardians had left them to discuss topics on Egypt. Now that Namu, Malik's grandfather, had decided to tutor Ryou…the two were sure to become closer friends.

Ryou sat up suddenly and wrapped his arms around his friend in a hug.

"Friends forever?"

Malik paused as if deciding, but what was there to think about? He grinned.

"…Forever." he breathed out sure as the sun will rise…and what a wonderful relationship it had become.

(o)(o)(o)

Ryou suddenly became aware that he was awake. The feel of suddenly feeling, knowing, thinking, and utter wakefulness was horrid after having lost that calm that sleep had over one. He turned to his side and cuddled against his pillow; Willing his mind to let him return to that long gone fantasy that visited him in sleep. He groaned before finally sitting up and yielding on his futile attempts at falling back asleep.

Why did he not feel rested?

But then again... who could possibly feel rested when sugar sweet memories plagued his dreams?

He shook his head violently trying to clear his mind of the foggy presence of unobtainable rest. He brought his knees to his chest and draped his arms over them. Ryou buried his face against the soft blanket covering him seeking refuge from the bright rays pouring in from the open window. He stayed like that while slowly adjusting to reality.

The last thought to cross his mind before finally assuming control and throwing off the tempting thoughts of sleep were of Malik…and how he could have possibly stowed those memories away.

For now the thoughts were lost to him as he did not remember what on earth he could have dreamt about to be so opposing of leaving bed. For now he would not retain those fond days of blind childhood, and for now his reactions would not be gauged.

Malik…

(o)(o)(o)

A/N: It appears that I have managed yet again to type up a useless filler chapter…or rather…an almost useless filler chapter. Hope you like it. Personally I thought the title gave it all away…oh well. I'm sorry to have my author note so short, as I'm sure that I have a lot to say.

It's rather late at the moment and it IS a school night…and I do have HIGHLY caring parents.

The main point that I'd like to express is that people have been asking for this to be a Bakura/Ryou…I'm sorry to say that I was foolish enough to take out the original summary...on the original one it had stated that this fic would have multiple pairings.

Thanks to all my reviewers!

manga_nut: You sort of have your answer…hope you keep reading anyway and thanks for reviewing!

Elle-Fate2x1-2: Yes…Ryou does tend to have a knack for doing that! Thanks for reviewing so often!

bakulover: Wow…definitely one of my more commanding reviews…but your wish has been granted…in ways. Hope you like this…oh…yeah…needed to say that I have a life as well…progress will be slow, sorry. Thanks for the review!

keisan: I quite agree…sorry that your questions have been answered quite yet, but I'm working on it! Thanks for reviewing!

Dark Magician Girl / Hikaru: Yes…sex crazed fiends…that they are! Thanks for the compliment as well as being so patient!

Taskemus: Yeah…it IS very rare come to think of it…cool…I'm now, like, special. Thanks for reading and reviewing and may you find this chapter satisfactory!

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! And a special thank-you to Misery and Death…my beta-readers! ( This means that grammatical errors are not my fault! HAHA! I'm being irresponsible!

I'd like to get out that the reviews helped greatly in motivating me…and allowed for me to be torn away from my `precious' schoolwork to type this little thing up.

Reviews and feedback is much appreciated!

( Due to the lateness of my posting this on a school night…only eleven if you're wondering…Bakura is currently out pilfering and plundering and cannot help me end this chapter.)