Cold And Lonely Rewritten

Chapter Three: The Dream And The Wall

Touzoku lounged on Ryou's bed while his other crouched over his desk studiously, a book full of confusing symbols laid out in front of him, all while scribbling furiously on a piece of paper. His hair fell in ringlets around his face, held gently back by a hair tie.

Touzoku, board, rolled to his feet and slunk over to the desk to peer over Ryou's shoulder. He didn't notice Ryou's sudden stiffening, nor the tightened grip on the pencil. Touzoku was too busy scoffing at all Ryou's hard work.

"What the hell is this?" Touzoku snatched up Ryou's calculus homework before he could even begin to form a protest.

"Touzoku! Please…just give it back! I really need to finish…"

The sound of ripping paper filled the air. Ryou heaved a sigh and dropped his head to rest against his desk with a thomp.

"Oops…guess you'll just have to start over. Such a pussy…can't even rescue your own damn homework. Absolutely pitiful." He tossed the shredded paper into the garbage can.

Ryou, face down against his desk, winced slightly as Touzoku continued, punctuating comments with painful nudges on Ryou's back.

"You can't defend yourself, you're malleable, and you're WEAK! Weak, weak, weak! Of all people, I had to get saddled with, it was YOU."

"Shut up, you asshole!" Ryou, spinning around, gave Touzoku a firm shove, bracing himself against his desk and sending Touzoku sprawling painfully so. Touzoku blinks, shocked about what just happened.

"You'll regret that…" The words were more growled than spoken. A tiny voice in his head screamed for him to stop, but he didn't listen.

Ryou sucked in air and verbally lashed out, his words dripping venom as he vented his bottled-up anger and frustration.

" You bastard! Why can't you just lay off? I have much more important things to do than worry about a god-damned sadistic yami! If it makes you so unhappy to have me as a hikari, then…" Ryou ripped the Sennen Ring from about his neck and flung it at Touzoku, "Here! Take it and get out! S'not like you NEED to hang around since the Items spat up you yamis' bodies! Go! Get out of my house! I'm gonna go to dinner, and when I get back, you and all your SHIT better be gone!"

"Ry…"

"No! Just leave me the fuck alone!" Ryou stormed out of the bedroom, leaving Touzoku staring after him with a stunned expression smeared across his face. He heard the front door slam close a few seconds later.

Silence fell as Touzoku pulled himself into a cross-legged sitting position and gently lifted Ryou's ring from the floor, cradling it delicately between cold hands. His knuckled whitened as his hands clutched convulsively around the Ring's rim. He sat there, gazing out at the door for a long while. It felt like the longer he waited, the further it got.

Finally, he slipped the necklace-cord of the duplicate ring over his head, but continued to watch the door thoughtfully as the two rings merged into one. He contemplated running after Ryou, thought real hard as the room begin growing dark and only he, the spot on the floor were he sat, legs crossed, eyes growing dull and the door were the only see able things.

A dark chuckle thunders through the darkness. "Isn't this what YOU wanted, Touzoku Akaifa Bakura? To be all alone in the world? Not to have to worry about anyone else?"  Touzoku bows his head as the door starts to crumble, as the voice lsughs. Than, a warm body falls against his back, giggling.  "You're not alone anymore, To-to. Not anymore." Turning his head, his eyes widen, there stoud-

Touzoku bolted upright out of a sound sleep, launching Pita from his chest and nearly falling off his neon green couch in the process. He resettled himself, only sitting normally instead of laying down. He put his face in his hands, and tiny kitty paws led a small kitten to sit next to his legs.

'Damn dream…memory…whatever. Why do I have to keep reliving that evening?' Touzoku sighed. 'I was so stupid! He was right…I was an asshole. I wish I could just tell him that I'm sorry….but wasn't there a new ending?...How come I can't remember what it was?' Touzoku sighed, stood and walked over to the wall of windows.

He slid open a discreet door and stepped out onto a narrow balcony, the kitten trailing behind. He leaned against the railing, looking down at the ground, seven floors below. The cool night breeze against his bare skin was refreshing. It whipped his hair around, making it dance in the wind. A furry shape rubbed lovingly against his ankles.

"Well, I don't think sleep is an option from here on in…" He looked down at his cat, who stopped her ecstatic stropping and stared solemnly back in the style of cats everywhere. "So, Pita, if not sleep, what shall I do until morning?"

"Meu?" She tilted her head, a cat smile on her lips. No matter who says what, cat's are very able to smile.

A throaty laugh escaped him. "I have two walls to paint white…that sounds like a good way to kill some time."

He slipped back inside the apartment and walked over to the southwest walls of the living room. He ran searching fingers over the elegantly painted image of the Sphinx, until, with a distinct yet quiet snapping sound, a hidden door swung open. He peered inside.

The dim red glow of the lava lamp on the bedside table cast eerie shadows across the painted walls and turned the green velvet bedspread black. Yugi, highlighted by soft red light and shadows, lay snuggled under the covers, a small, mysterious smile curving his lips.

Touzoku nodded in satisfaction, a small smile unbenounced to him forms on his lips, then grabbed a pair of paint splattered jeans from the floor. He figured he'd find some boxers when his rummaging around would not risk waking the little one.

He stealthily pulled the bedroom door shut and donned the jeans before popping open a can of white paint. A few stirs later and it was poured into a plastic tray.

"Meu?" Pita padded over to his side.

Touzoku laughed softly and scooped his eager pet up, placing her on his shoulder where she promptly entrenched herself in his wild white hair, her claws not breaking the skin of his naked shoulder. Touzoku grabbed a paint roller and went to work. The once dark purple walls slowly turning white with each stroke of his paint roller.

After awhile,  when the day's first starts to light he takes a seat on his couch with a yawn, roller in hand. In a span of three seconds, he falls asleep. The roller and hand lay on his chest as he slips down slightly.  Pita, in the way only a cat can, climbs on his face, curling up and falling asleep.  The walls white now, waiting for a new image to crease it's surface.