Hi, guys. *stumbles in completely exhausted* Too much revision and late nights make for bad fan fiction... Reading back over this I realise that I probably shouldn't publish it; there are so many things wrong that I can't even begin to count them, but I think I've come to the end of my inspiration session for this ficlet and it isn't going to get any better from here on out! I'd probably just end up butchering it through multiple changes...

Anyway, I hope someone out there enjoys it! I have a bit of a weak spot for it because it's romantic angst, and I love writing romantic angst, but I still lack confidence! :/ Also, exams are depressing me so I'm not in my usual cheery mood.

Pairings: Heartshipping, Pyschoshipping, Angstshipping, Darkshipping. A right little montage for all you lovely people! ;D

This was originally going to be the next chapter of 'Lucky', but I decided that I wanted to focus on Bakura as well instead of just Ryou, so I posted it as a separate fic.

Hope this gives you even just a little enjoyment!

While Ryou was growing up, he dreamed of 'The One'. (For some reason he always capitalised it in his head, and he never really figured out why).

He dreamed of a perfect person, one that would stand by his side throughout all of his troubles, and would fight away the shadows with him.

When Ryou was sealed inside his own mind, living out his worst nightmares, he dreamed that The One would be brave and would help him be brave in return.

When Ryou was forced to lie to his friends about the darkness, he dreamed that The One would be completely honest and would always tell him the truth (he wouldn't be kept in the dark any more).

When Ryou ached from loneliness in his empty house, he dreamed that The One would be a friend and would laugh alongside him.

When Ryou tortured himself over the way he cared for his yami (when he shouldn't, he really shouldn't, not after what the Spirit had done…) he dreamed that The One would be accepting, and would understand.

When Ryou wanted to die and his heart broke (because he missed her so much, he missed her every day) he dreamed that The One would hold his hand and, if he could do nothing else, would cry with him and would never, ever leave.

Ryou dreamed of love.

While Bakura was growing up, he never really gave much thought to The One. He didn't think there was such a thing, it was all fairytale rubbish. But as he became older, and more twisted and more bitter, he dreamed of someone that would be equally twisted and bitter, and hate-filled.

When Bakura felt his old wounds sear with pain (they still seemed to hurt, after thousands of years), he wished savagely for someone to inflict pain on in turn.

When Bakura watched Ryou's eyes turn blood red as he gave up his mind to him (and as he quelled that pang of guilt) he wished for someone to inflict that same torture to him- and then he would laugh at his own masochism.

When Bakura saw, with angry eyes, the love that so many seemed to share in the world, he wished for someone to destroy it all with, someone that despised it as much as he did.

When Bakura curled up defensively in a dark corner of his mind when Ryou had control, feeling the darkness trapping him in, he wished for someone to drag into the darkness as well.

When Bakura screamed, he wished for someone else to scream with him.

Bakura dreamed of hate.

So was it any surprise that Ryou fell in love with Yuugi, the most loving individual that had ever entered his life?

And was it any surprise that Bakura fell in love (he supposed that's what you would call it) with Marik, the man that was quite literally created from hate?

But Yuugi never saw Ryou as anything more than a friend, and found his fairytale ending with someone else.

And Marik never saw Bakura as anything more than an enemy-turned-partner-in-crime, and charged through life like a torpedo, never thinking of the consequences for other people.

Ryou's dream of 'The One' shattered.

Bakura just became more twisted and more bitter.

Malik was the opposite of everything Ryou had ever dreamed of.

He wasn't the self-sacrificing hero, the knight in shining armour.

Despite how hard he tried, he still found it easier to lie rather than tell the truth.

He could be shallow, and grumpy, and unfriendly.

He had enough problems of his own to be understanding about everyone else's.

And he had a tendency to run away from his problems, to up and leave when things got tough.

Malik was not perfect. Not by a long shot.

And he was not love.

Atemu, too, was completely different to the person Bakura wished for.

Atemu would rather hurt himself than watch those he cared about suffer- he could be foolishly heroic like that.

He watched the love of the world with curious eyes rather than angry ones, and longed for it for himself.

He wanted to protect people from the darkness, and to fight until he fell.

He would hold someone until they stopped screaming rather than scream with them.

Atemu wasn't perfect either.

But he wasn't hate.

So it certainly was a surprise when Ryou fell head over heels for Malik Ishtar, the boy so different from his dream of the One.

And it was definitely a surprise when Bakura found himself grudgingly attracted to the man he would swear he had hated for most of his life.

But that's just how Fate works- fickle, teasing and just when you think you've got it sorted, it all just blows up in your face.

Malik gave Ryou everything he'd ever needed, and more. And three years to the day after they'd met, and two after they'd become best friends, and one after they'd started dating, Ryou finally got up the courage to stammer (to a Malik he thought was asleep) "I love you" to which Malik smiled sleepily, and replied with a kiss , "I know, you idiot. I love you too. Now shut up and go back to sleep." At which point Ryou knew that Malik was all he'd ever dreamed of.

And with Atemu and Bakura… well, that was Fate's little inside joke. Somehow (and not even they could tell you how) they progressed from bitter enemies, to argumentative acquaintances, to reluctant friends, to a brief fling, to an explosive relationship, to that 'L word' that neither would admit they were in. (They still had their pride, after all.)

So maybe it wasn't a fairytale ending, but for Ryou and Bakura it was damn sight better than they'd ever thought it could be.

Somewhere in the middle of love and hate, they both found the One.

Oh dear... You have no idea how much I hate that ending! Ah well, this was cluttering up my desktop and I thought 'well it's now or never' so I clicked publish. Hope you liked!

(By the way, the 'her' Ryou talked about was Amane, in case you couldn't guess!)

Until next time! *hugs* :D

Bookworm