Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is owned by Konami and Kazuki Takahashi. Please support the official release.

Hello there!
This isn't my first FF but certainly the first one I wrote in English. I'm from Germany but I'm trying my best. Of course you may inform me of my mistakes, I appreciate it!
Well then!

Living together in crime

Chapter I: A million tries

It was just the first day but it was already a nightmare for Bakura.

"Would you please keep it down, Marik? I would really like to understand what he's saying!" Althought he had the phone pressed at his ear and was keeping the other one shut with his hand, Bakura could still hear Mariks creaky voice singing to the radio. Also he couldn't take his eyes of Mariks butt, which was dancing there, just right in front of him, distracting him, joking with him. Just like always.
It was like trying to run against a big wave but being drew back on the beach. Marik was the wave and Bakura was laying there on the beach, frowning and grunting.

"I'm sorry, what? I can't understand you. Wait a minute..." As he turned to Marik he took a deep breath, he was ready to shout at him - ...but instead he realized that the kitchen was empty. Where did Marik suddenly go? "Well, whatever." Bakura mumbled and turned off the radio, then proceeded with the call.

As Bakura hung up, Marik just came back in, carrying the biggest of all boxes, moaning and sighing because of the weight. "Ba-Bakura!" he whimpered. His arms were shaking, he was about to fall over, so Bakura rushed over and they placed the box slowly on the ground.

Bakura sighted first, then he asked: "How did you manage to carry this thing upstairs all by yourself? And why did you choose this one anyway?! There are still plenty of smaller ones in the car!" Marik just raised one eyebrow, while being shouted at, and then turned away from Bakura.

"Why did you turn off the radio? You know I love Lady Gaga!" Compeletly ignoring what the bigger one just said Marik started to dance again even without any music coming from the radio.

How can he be dancing to the weather broadcast, asked Bakura himself. "I wanted to talk to the landlord!" he then shouted once again. "Don't you think it's at least a bit important, that the lights in the bathroom do not work?"

"What? Nooo! I don't care about friggin lights! Why should I? Oh Bakura, listen, now they play Britney Spears!" Marik moved his hand to increase the volume, but Bakura slammed his hand on Mariks and hold it steady on the radio case.

"Marik."
It was enough. Bakura could feel something growing inside of him and it was not anger. Oh he could feel the anger rushing through his veins right now like nothing else, like magma from underneath a volcano pumping against the closed surface, but there was something else too.

It was doubt.

He had doubted this whole idea before it had even started. He doubted that living together with a person like Marik could do anything good. Could do anything to improve their relationship. Could make Marik finally realize his feelings for Bakura. Well in Bakuras imagination Marik had feelings for him. At times like this Bakura wasn't even sure of his own feelings either.
But as said Bakura could feel how doubt was growing inside of him.

But then he looked at the young boy before him and knew that is was worth a try.

That it was worth a millions tries.

"Bakura..." Marik was whimpering again. He didn't look up, just stood there, his hand still under Bakuras, so that Bakura was wondering why he didn't just draw it back. Mariks skin felt suddenly very hot under Bakuras hand and Bakura removed his hand from Mariks, getting a little color on his face too. This is ridiculous, he though. It was just his hand, you idiot. "W-Well, you know, Marik, if the lights don't work, so maybe the whole electricity in the bathroom is broken and that means you can't use your hairdryer in there." This just had to be important for the effeminate Marik. Bakura was expecting the boy agreeing with him.

But Marik still stood there, stiff and still. "You hurt me." he finally said while pressing his hand onto his chest.

"...oh." Bakura blinked for a second in shock, then he placed one hand on Mariks shoulder and the other one gently on the bruised hand of Mariks. "I didn't want to hurt you. I'm sorry, Marik." he instantly said.
He meant it. It did hurt seeing Marik like this. Bakura would never want anything to happen to his beloved boy and now he had caused him pain without even noticing.
"Show me your hand, Mari..." Bakura said softly, but was interrupted by a hard punch on his head. Bakura bit on his tongue.

"I don't like you anymoooooooore!"
And with that childish scream Marik rushed away again down the stairs leaving a puzzled Bakura behind, who was torn between sorrow and anger. "Oh I so hope that you're seriously injured or otherwise I WILL bloody seriously injure you!"

But hearing Marik sitting there crying down at the stairs between all those boxes was enough for Bakuras anger to melt away again. "I hate you I hate you I hate you...!" Marik said quietly to himself while blowing on his hand.

"Come on now. It can't be that bad!" Bakura decided to ignore Mariks behavior. Supporting his childish manners wouldn't teach Marik anything. Bakura wanted Marik to grow up.

"But it huuuuurts so baaaad!"

To finally grow up!

"Look. I accidently hit you, you hit me back, so let's call it a draw, okay?" Bakura took the last steps towards the stubborn boy and bowed over to him. "Okay?"

Mariks lower lip trembled. He really had tears in his eyes.

"I... I can't believe you!" Bakura stuttered. "Excuse me, Marik, but wasn't it you, who had all those marks on the backside of your body? All those painfully-in-your-skin-carved-marks?!"

"So?" Mariks tears vanished. Now he was pouting.

"So?!" Bakura stood up again. "It was kind of painful, wasn't it?! So how can you cry over..."

"Because you did it." Marik said fast.

"What?" Bakura blinked. "So what?"

"Because you mean something to me, Fluffy. It was less the actual pain, than the... other... pain. Um..." Marik was fighting with his words. "You understand me, right? I couldn't bear the fact that you could do something like that to me."

Bakura sat down next to Marik before leaning his forehead on his. "I am truly sorry for hurting you. I didn't know I was pushing so hard." He grabbed Mariks hand and stroked it softly with his thumb. "Is it better now?"

Marik pulled away with a smirk on his lips. Oh no, what'll be coming now, Bakura asked himself with a slight fear. "Kiss it. Then it'll go away." Marik said, smiling at Bakura.

Ignoring the blush on his face Bakura looked into those purple eyes while moved Mariks hand to his lips. Marik giggled as Bakuras lips touched his skin, and as it was over he stood up and ran back up with a box in his hands, laughing all the way upstairs.

Bakura was smiling too.

It was worth a million tries.