Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Promiscuous Love ❯ Internal Problems ( Chapter 4 )

The queasy Ishtar ran down the streets as fast as he could since he could feel himself about to lose it beyond control this time. His head was pounding and it felt as though a part of him was trying to tear apart and escape. Ducking into an alleyway, Malik hurried far into the darkness that the two buildings on either side caste over him to hide from the world for a moment. Sitting down upon the ground littered with a bit of trash from a nearby dumpster, Malik grabbed onto his hair, pulling at it for a moment battling with himself as he did back at Seto's place. “No…don't do this to me now!” He begged rocking back and forth a bit.

 

 

Ryou felt nervous even after Atemu's phone call to him as to where Malik was. The spirit of the puzzle admitted that Malik didn't sound too good and the teen wasn't going to sit by and let Seto take care of Malik since he figured he knew how the corrupted business man worked. He didn't care about the well being of the hurting Egyptian and Ryou wasn't going to sit by and let Malik sit there and suffer. Running down the streets, Ryou managed to get to the Kaiba Corp building, finding Seto standing there—obviously waiting for someone. “Kaiba,” Ryou called sounding quite winded from his journey from his house.

 

The narrow cobalt eyes of Seto gradually made their way over to the frantic teen that was normally reserved. Groaning at his arrival to a certain degree, he cocked his thin russet brow at Ryou. “What do you want?”

 

“I was wondering if you have seen Malik,” Ryou inquired when he was able. Finding himself getting a bit dizzy from his rush, he bent his knees before placing his hands upon them panting heavily. “I heard—from him,” Ryou stuttered since he knew if he mentioned Yugi or Atemu, Seto would have a cabbage, “that he wasn't feeling too well. Is Malik here?”

 

Seto shook his head with that continuous angered expression that was always there upon his features, his brown hair shifting with his motions. “He told Mokuba he was going to stop by your house so don't look at me.” Narrowing his eyes a moment, he growls to himself in thought. He better not be bailing on me…

 

Ryou couldn't help but start to worry before asking, “When was this?”

 

Jerking his right arm out for a moment to reveal his watch under his white tux, Seto sighed angrily before answering, “That was an hour ago. I gave him a thirty minute break and he is breaking our agreement.”

 

“But, he's sick, Seto!” Ryou exclaimed crossly, furrowing his brow in worry. “How can you have him still be working for you today when he is not feeling well?”

 

“He agreed to do this job, not you,” Seto snapped before pushing his way past the pale skin toned teen. His limo had arrived and he felt with or without Malik, anywhere would be better than standing there getting lectured by someone he cared little about. “It shouldn't concern you what I have him do. Why don't you stop frustrating me and try to find him if you care for him so much?”

 

Clutching his fists at his side in a calm anger, Ryou watched as the limo drove off out of sight. Releasing the antagonism he felt in a heavy sigh, he did as Seto suggested regardless heading off into another direction to find Malik praying he would be alright when he was found.

 

 

Malik couldn't take it anymore. The voice inside of his head was getting louder and it was threatening to take over. Trying to pull himself out of the fetal position he fell into, the former tomb keeper struggled back out into the sidewalk to try and make it to where one of his drug buddies were located. It was them that gave Malik the stuff he felt he needed to feel better and keep Mariku far away from him. It felt like he was looking at the world from a kaleidoscope as everything began to twist and turn, people seeming to blend into other objects making Malik stop and lean against the nearest solid object his hand came across. Closing his eyes so he wouldn't get the desire to throw up at the moment, Malik's breathing became labored as perspiration began to mate with his ivory skin. Ryou, Malik begged within thought, where are you? The people passing by that he could somewhat see from whenever he bothered to open his eyes weren't very helpful and it was making him wish somebody—anybody he knew that at least cared a bit would come to help him back up before he collapsed and had a complete breakdown. Rearing his head back, he placed his shaggy hair against the brick wall of the building he was against before whispering a name that brought tears to his eyes. “Isis…”

 

Closing his eyes once more after he had opened them, Malik felt his body jerk harshly off of the wall the voice whoever was yelling at him was distorted and low making it impossible for Malik to try and pinpoint who it was. Getting shoved into a car, he landed upon his chest that was now slightly damp in his sweat. He had a feeling he knew who it was but trying to think about it was making his gag reflexes to try and kick in so he stopped and just passed out on the leather seat.

 

 

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Ryou couldn't help but sit by the phone in the hallway, biting his nails while his right foot couldn't hold still thanks to the overwhelming worry that consumed him during the day. The sun was setting and Ryou had searched all day skipping school and work just to locate him but to no avail. He had hopped since Yugi agreed to look too that he would call with some news once he gave up for awhile. Reaching to his left to pick up the coffee mug he had next to him, Ryou took a shaky sip from it before his ears were filled with the sound of the phone ringing.

 

Spilling a bit of the caffeine drink on his white shirt from surprise, Ryou got to his feet caring less about the hot coffee burning him a bit as he grabbed the phone quickly. “H-Hello?! Yugi?!” Ryou exclaimed within the phone feeling his heart speeding up from the adrenalin that was pulsing through his body.

 

It took awhile for someone to speak up making Ryou fear it was just a prank call until Mokuba's soft voice called over the line to him. “No, it's me, Ryou.”

 

A bit bewildered by why Mokuba would be calling him, Ryou stuttered over the right words to use before finding them. “I—Mokuba—what is wrong? Why do you call me?”

 

Mokuba went silent again, Ryou able to hear somebody passing by the young boy from the other line making him assume that was why he did so before the youngest Kaiba brother found his voice again. “I just wanted to tell you that Seto found Malik,” he whispered.

 

Ryou found it a bit odd why he was whispering so softly into the phone but it didn't dawn on him at the time that Mokuba feared getting caught by Seto. Hearing that Seto now had Malik made the thought skip his mind ask he asked, “Where did he find Malik—what is wrong with him?!”

 

“He was wondering out on the streets and he looks pretty bad,” Mokuba admitted sadly.

 

“What's wrong with him!” Ryou exclaimed softly this time not wishing to yell at just the messenger.

 

Mokuba went quiet yet again, Ryou able to hear Seto calling to his little brother. The young teen began to feel his stomach knot up, knowing Seto wouldn't be too happy to hear Mokuba was chatting with him since he wasn't pleased to see him there at his corporation that morning. “I'll be there in a minute,” Mokuba called back, it transmitting through Ryou's end. He would wait a few more minutes until Mokuba finally turned his attention back to Ryou. “He was sweating really bad and was mumbling random words when we found him—I think it has something to do with Mariku threatening to come back out.”

 

Hearing that, Ryou inhaled sharply since it had not been the first time Mariku attempted to break through. Lately Malik couldn't keep the evil half at bay and it was beginning to worry Ryou greatly. “How is he fairing now…?”

 

“I have to go, Ryou, my brother keeps calling to me,” Mokuba replied reluctantly. “I am sorry about Malik but Seto is taking care of him and I promise he will be okay. If you want, you can come by to pick him up.”

 

Ryou swallowed hard before sighing through his nostrils in thought. Bringing his hand up to his forehead under his wild white hair, he began to massage it gently since he could find a headache coming on suddenly from the worry he put himself through. “No—no, it's okay, Mokuba. I honestly don't have the money to take him to a hospital and, well, let's be honest when I say your brother has more money than anyone on this earth so—it's okay. I just hope he'll take care of him and I will speak with him when he gets home.”

 

“Seto will, I promise you that,” Mokuba assured softly.

 

Closing his eyes, Ryou pressed his lips together to prevent himself from saying otherwise about the situation since he missed Malik for the time he had been gone. “Alright, I will come pick up Malik tomorrow morning before school starts. Thank you, Mokuba—bye.”

 

“You're welcome. Bye,” he said in return, hanging up the phone before Ryou.

 

 

Malik remained out like a light in Seto's extra bedroom, a bit raspy when he breathed in his sleep and still warm to the touch. Seto stayed in the room to watch as the boy shook possibly from nightmares or from his internal battle he had to continually go through ever since the accident. Watching him toss and turn from the rolling chair across from the bed, Seto rested his arm upon the nightstand next to him with his legs crossed in attentive interest. Seeing the shaking getting worse, Seto was about to get up and help him until Malik's indigo eyes shot open, his body soon to follow. “It's about time you woke up,” Seto replied as callously as ever.

 

Malik felt worse than before suddenly. The drugs he took at Seto's and before hand were starting to come back up, forcing him to stumble to the nearest bathroom in the room. Throwing back the toilet seat, he quickly threw up the irritation with Seto following behind him just as fast wondering what he was doing.

 

Leaning in the doorway once Malik gave in once again to the medication that wanted to come up, Seto tried to add a little twisted humor to the situation like he always did. “That reminds me, you will need to clean out my limo when you get the chance,” he replied, referring to Malik vomiting in his car. Waiting for him to stop throwing up, Seto cleared his throat remaining where he was though the smell was getting to him. “You want to tell me what is going on?”

 

Malik pulled back from the toilet before bothering with the toilet paper weakly. Cleaning off his mouth with his shaky hands, his eyes stayed fix on the mess he created before flushing it away. “You already know what is going on,” Malik whispered wearily forcing his eyes to stay open.

 

“So due to it, you have become an overdose addict?” Seto asked sourly. When Malik looked at him questionably, Seto's hand opened to reveal the pill bottles Malik took to try and make himself feel better and more awake that he found in Seto's drug cabinet. “Want to tell me why you took assortment amounts of my medicine?”

 

Closing his eyes for a moment, Malik reopened them slowly in attempts to remember what happened before his blackout moment. “I—don't worry about it, Kaiba,” Malik insisted staying put next to the toilet in case he had the urge to vomit again.

 

“I am going to take you to the doctor and get your blood tested,” Seto remarked almost irritably at the fact that Malik was killing himself slowly. “See what else you have been in taking.”

 

He shook his head several times at the Kaiba Corp's leader, trying to slip his hands out of Seto's but to no benefit as he was persistent to get Malik off of the bathroom floor and to a professional. “NO!” Malik shouted, trying to push Seto away from him and keep him there. Threatening to clasp his hands on the sides of his head, Malik lowered them steadily back to his lap hoping Seto wouldn't slap him for that move. “Please…no…,” he begged quietly this time before sniffling back tears that squeezed their way through at being badgered about how he acted lately. “I will do anything but go there…”

 

“Malik,” Seto began angrily, “you took my Acebutolol and Bupropion by the truck load! What the fuck else have you been doing when I am not watching? Have you been injecting yourself—taking illegal drugs?!”

 

Having all these parental questions thrown on him was making Malik sick again and his head to spin. Placing his right hand upon his face, he tried to make his eyes stop threatening to roll into the back of his head. The voice that was once so loud before was still there, whispering in his mind to him odd words and phrases that didn't seem to mix well making Malik want to throw up again. “Go away,” Malik begged aloud to the voice inside of him. “Stop bothering me…”

 

Seto assumed he meant him for a moment but noticed the empty look in Malik's eyes and how he seemed to look right through him instead of at him. Cocking his brow angrily at the situation, he waved down one of his maids in the hallway, pointing to the dreary tomb keeper. “Pick him up and put him back in the bed,” he ordered before putting his medication back into his medicine cabinet before. Afterwards, he looked for something to help Malik sleep for the time being even if he was lethargic from not eating well. Pulling out his Ambien that helped his busy body sleep at times, he grabbed a small glass and filled it with water hoping Malik would cooperate and take the medication he had. Storming back into the bedroom, he sat on the side of the bed before asking the maid to help him get Malik to hold still and take the Ambien he had.

 

After much time of struggling, Malik gave in and Seto was successful in popping it into his mouth and forcing him to swallow. “There,” he growled irritably, “he finally took it.” The maid watched from the other side of the bed to see Malik was starting to calm down. Moistening her lower lip, she looked over to her boss with a worried expression. Seeing her looking that way at him, Seto waved her away. “Go on, get out. I will take it from here.” There was anger in his tone but it was mostly directed at Malik and his stupidity.

 

“Yes, sir,” she answered, parting from the scene to go home since it was her time off.

 

Mokuba watched the maid leave from the doorway before turning back to his brother and Malik. “Seto,” Mokuba called from the door, “is he going to be alright?”

 

Seto sighed through his nostrils, his body shifting uncomfortably, “I doubt for too long. I knew Malik was fucked up internally but I didn't know how much until now.” Seto's fingers ran through his russet hair, all the strands falling back into place once he was through. Waving at Mokuba to leave the room, he turned his attention back at the hired help. “Don't worry about it, I have it under control. He will be asleep until well into tomorrow.”

 

“Seto…I was wondering…what happened to Malik?” Mokuba asked. When his comment seemed a bit vague, he clarified, “I mean—what happened for him to do something like this to himself?”

 

Seto was silent for awhile not sure he should tell him. “Mokuba, that is a long story and I am not sure I should be the one to tell you. Just get ready for bed. I will be there in a minute once I am sure everything is fine here.” Shaking his head at Malik's sleeping body, he continued with his morbid humor, “I am not up for a dead body in my house and having to answer thousands of questions to the press.” Mokuba nodded hesitantly before leaving the bedroom to go to his own to leave Seto to watch over Malik for a bit.

 

 

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As Mokuba attempted to sleep during the night, he began to slowly wake once his ears picked up the sound of disturbance nearby. Waking up completely and aware of what was around him, Mokuba heard someone whimpering and crying out down the hallway. Sniffling a bit to clear his sinuses, he pulled the covers off of him, and put on his slippers before heading out into the dark hallway. Staying in his doorway, he looked up and down the dimly lit corridor figuring it had to be Malik but had to make sure Seto wouldn't be cross at him for being up so late.

 

Getting to Malik's temporary bedroom, Mokuba turned the knob slowly and quietly before sneaking a peek inside to see what was going on. Malik was still well asleep but tossing and turning, talking aloud in misery from some nightmare he was experiencing. Closing the door behind him, Mokuba shuffled over to the bedside, his coal black hair flaring out behind him as he did so before he stood there to try and settle the frightened Ishtar. His small hand made its way to Malik's forehead to let him know somebody was there to try and make him feel better. “Shhh, Malik, you're just experiencing a nightmare,” Mokuba whispered in his ear.

 

He didn't seem to want to listen at first, making Mokuba worry since that drug he witnessed Seto giving Malik still had an effect on his body. Eventually he began to wear down when Mokuba was persistent in staying close and letting Malik feel his touch. He stopped fighting himself and slowly started to come back down to settle in his sleep, his one-on-one verbal conversations with himself ceasing as well.

 

Pulling his hand slowly back and away from Malik's forehead, Mokuba made sure he was going to be okay this round before bothering to turn back around and head to his room but a voice stopped him. “Mokuba…,” Malik's groggy voice called to him.

 

Hearing his name surface from Malik's lips caused the younger Kaiba brother to stop dead in his tracks. “Malik?” He questioned before coming back to where he once stood. “What is it? What is wrong?” As Mokuba came back to where he stood previously, he noticed that Malik's eyes were halfway shut and his eyes had trouble focusing. It made him worry. “Malik, you should go back to sleep…”

 

It took Malik awhile to generate that remark before his mouth could form a response, “I—I am okay…but…thank you…”

 

Mokuba could see Malik was still being hit hard by the medicine he took. Reaching over, he placed his hands over the narrow painted eyes of the Ishtar son trying to make him close his eyes and go back to sleep. “If you want to thank me, you can thank me tomorrow. Now sleep. Ryou is coming for you in the morning.” Malik was too exhausted to care to argue so he did as Mokuba asked. Getting settled once more, he turned to his side hoping he would make it to the morning without problems.

 

 

Ryou came by early in the morning as he promised Mokuba he would only to be given a hard time be Seto since he wasn't expecting him. Mokuba listened to them bicker a bit downstairs as he stayed close to the drugged Malik. When Mokuba heard Malik groan a bit and stir within bed, he turned his full attention on him wondering if he was waking up a bit more now even if the medication would hold onto him depending on how well his body took to it. “Malik?” Mokuba called softly watching as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

 

“What happened?” Malik asked, sounding bemused. “Where am I?”

 

“The drugs you take must really be getting to you now,” Mokuba remarked helping jog his memory a bit.

 

Being reminded Malik almost felt his headache come back for a moment until he heard the bickering that was occurring downstairs. “What is going on? Why is Ryou here?” He could now just make out Ryou's voice being muffled thanks to the closed door and the flooring beneath them.

 

“I called Ryou when we found you out on the streets not looking too good,” Mokuba admitted with a grave smile. Looking at the door a moment to concentrate on the conversation going on, his innocent eyes gazed back over to the weary Malik. “Malik, I know this is probably a sensitive topic for you but…what happened to cause you to be this way?”

 

Malik couldn't help but offer up a laugh at the moment though it hurt to do so in more ways than one. “What do you mean what caused me to be this way?”

 

“You know what I meant, Malik,” Mokuba replied softly. “I know you are upset about something that happened in the past but I don't know what.”

 

Malik swallowed the lump that formed in his throat thanks to having to really think back on the situation that occurred to make him be this way. Avoiding Mokuba's gaze for a moment, he stared off at the side before looking at least at the ceiling so the little boy would be able to hear him if he said anything. “Didn't Kaiba tell you?” He asked, wishing to avoid the conversation.

 

“No, I asked him yesterday and he told me not to worry about it,” Mokuba answered, rolling his teeth over his lower lip. Mokuba knew something happened but Seto didn't say much about it at the time to Mokuba thinking he wouldn't understand.

 

Sighing heavily, Malik continued to gaze at the ceiling before looking at Mokuba. He had no ill will towards the youngest Kaiba and withholding something he wanted to know wasn't a way to thank him for what he did for him last night. He fidgeted at the remembrance of the accident that wasn't only but ten months old, Malik sighed and nodded a bit. “Alright—I will tell you…”