Marik let out a pitiful whimper as the deep growling echo of thunder reverberated through the sky. He lit a fat, stubby candle on his bedside, relishing in the soft orange light it gave off.
He tried to be strong and didn't wish for it to show, but he truly abhorred the dark. The thunderstorm outside wasn't helping the matter. Something struck the outside of his window and he let out a frightened cry and burrowed himself further into his covers, even though he was aware that it was only a tree branch tapping at his window.
Trying to block out the claps of thunder, flashes of lightning, and the unrelenting pounding on the glass window, Marik imagined his sister, Ishizu, singing a song she used to sing to him when he was small. Odion—his older, adopted brother—and Ishizu had told him that when their mother was alive, she would sing the same lullaby to them when they were young.
Marik imagined his 9-year-old self, and how naïve he had used to be.
He was curious. What was that soft tip-tap tip-tap sound he heard coming from above him?
"Shizu...?" The 9-year-old looked up at his 13-year-old sister, Ishizu, with big, doe-like eyes. Ishizu looked over at her little brother, who was staring at the ceiling with wonder. "Yes, Marik?" The dark-haired Egyptian girl smiled fondly at her little brother, having a suspicion of what he might be pondering.
"What's that noise up above?" Ah, so that was it. She and their adopted brother, Odion, had both known about Marik's fascination with the above-ground, but they both knew it would be dangerous to grant their little brother the knowledge. Their father was very strict, and no one was allowed to go outside, so they were stuck in the tomb they called their home. Before Marik was born, they had been allowed outside, and the 2 children relished in the moonlight. Now, they had adjusted to living in darkness, down underground. They knew Marik deserved so much more but could do little to make life better for him, for they would be whipped if they dared contradict their father. Well, Ishizu and Marik's. He thought Odion of nothing more than a slave, although the young man was very loyal to his adoptive siblings.
"That's rain, Marik." Ishizu hesitantly told her little brother. She didn't want him running around repeating her words, or spouting off nonsensicalities or they would all be in serious trouble. But she trusted her little brother to keep quiet as he was generally a very nice and caring little boy.
"R-Rain?" He repeated the word, trying out how it sounded on his tongue. Deciding he liked the word, he said it with more ease, but softly and quietly. "Rain..."
Ishizu repressed the urge to giggle when she saw the big, happy smile on Marik's face.
"What is rain, 'Shizu?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Odion walk over. "Giving Master Marik an education? Always good to have one of those." The 17, almost 18, year old said jokingly. Ishizu and Marik both giggled.
"Yep, we don't want Our Majesty to be a butthead!" Ishizu joked, earning a light slap from her little brother. "I'm not a butthead!" Marik giggled.
"I hate to break it to you, Mar..." They all laughed. Then, a loud crack ripped through the sky, which frightened them and Marik must've jumped at least a foot in the air. "What was that?!" He howled.
"Just thunder, nothing to be afraid of. You're fine, Marik." He didn't like the falling water and loud cracks above him, what Odion had described to him to be a 'thunderstorm', but right now, he felt safe from the harsh cracking and jarring impact of water falling rapidly down to the earth.
From that day on, he had hated storms. Especially nightly ones.
The moment Marik had first seen daylight, he knew he couldn't go back to living in the darkness. Now, he was horrified of the dark, not wanting to be reminded of those dark days. Not wanting to remember he had darkness living inside of him and feeding off his anger and sorrow. He couldn't seem to find any comfort in the stubby candle on his bedside, which burned like a dying ember. Marik poked his head from under the covers and quickly but quietly blundered over to the light switch.
He hastily flipped it up, but nothing occurred. Up, Down, Up, Down, Up, Down… Slowly, realization dawned on him. The power was out. The blonde Egyptian boy was soon rushing back to the comfort of his warm sheets, but they were cold by now.
The room lit up with a flash of lightning, and Marik involuntarily cried out Bakura's name.
After about a minute, a tall, handsome whitette walked into the bedroom. "What is it, Marik?"
Bakura's silver hair stuck out in all directions, even more so than usual. He had a rather tight brown long sleeve shirt which hugged his fragile frame. He had pajama bottom clad legs, which hung low around his hips.
Bakura yawned and stretched his arms, indicating that Marik, had, undoubtedly, awakened him. Marik stopped himself from ogling his best friend.
"The power is out." The Egyptian said weakly. He couldn't just say that he was scared, so he wanted Bakura to comfort him. Bakura wasn't the 'heartfelt' type. He was more of the 'look-me-in-the-eye-like-we're-equals-and-you'll-die' type.
"Yeah? So?" His eyes slipped closed for a moment before he opened them in realization. "Marik, are you scared of the dark?" He sauntered over to the bed and sat at the foot of it. But, deciding he was burned out, Bakura fell back, cramming his face into the lavender and gold bedspread.
"A little…" Marik admitted. the Egyptian jumped a little when Bakura sat up and looked him dead in the eye.
"You sounded pretty terrified when you called my name." As if on cue, the room lit up and thunder boomed throughout the sky. Marik, on instinct, sprang into Bakura's arms and clutched at his shoulders.
Bakura awkwardly pet Marik's blonde hair. He couldn't determine whether to push the blonde off or to comfort him. He settled on the latter.
"There, there..?" He undoubtedly was horrible at this. "There is nothing to be scared of. It's just a thunderstorm." He tried explaining. Marik's muscles went rigid, and he pressed himself up tighter against Bakura. Close enough to breathe in his musky scent of pine needles and the ocean.
Marik decided that it was soothing. Not only the scent, but the warmth of another living body.
"Will you stay with me 'till morning?" Marik asked timidly, feeling like a young child. He had never liked storms. But he loved gentle rain and the slight 'tip-tap' noise that came with it.
He did not, however, like lightning, thunder, and rain falling so hard and fast that you'd get welts. Nor did he appreciate how dark it was outside.
At least during most nights, he could see his beloved moon. But when it rained the clouds always obscured his vision, engulfing him in darkness and gave him a forlorn feeling. A feeling for which he hated and endured most of his childhood with.
Bakura's breath hitched as he felt Marik wrap his arms around the yami's pale torso. 'Stay with me 'till morning...' No one had ever asked of him such an unusual request. Usually, when people requested things from him, it was either to spare their lives or to kill them and get it over with. Of course, he never complied, but still...
The 5,000-year-old spirit had never cared about anyone. Ever since the destruction of his village, Kul Elna, he had hated everyone and everything, much like emotional teenagers do when they're going through that 'phase'.
But that had changed until about a year ago when he met Marik at the beginning of Battle City. Well, let's not bore you with the whole story, but he now lived in hiding with only Ryou (separate body; long story) and Marik knowing about his 'resurrection'. That didn't mean he didn't go around messing with people (especially Yugi and the gang) though it was pretty dangerous if he were to be caught. But what's life without a little fun?
Marik looked back up at him with tear-brimmed eyes. "Please, 'Kura?" He asked, eyes wide like a frightened child. But his amethyst colored eyes told an entire narrative which Bakura could read as easy as he could read a book.
Don't leave me. I hate being alone.
"Of course." Bakura promised, feeling a prickling sensation crawl up his spine as he did so. Marik smiled feeling a little better. He slithered back under his fluffy, purple comforter and smiled at Bakura.
Bakura couldn't help but grin back. He laid back and stretched, but remained at the base of the bed.
"Wouldn't you like it better up here with the covers and a pillow?" Marik asked innocently, a soft orange glow radiating off his deeply tanned skin.
Bakura, who was (fortunately) partly obscured by the darkness, blushed uncontrollably. Marik couldn't see. Thank god.
"Y-You want me to sleep with you?" The white-haired yami stammered. Marik, being his naïve clueless self, didn't detect how flustered his friend was.
"Yeah. I mean, it's only sleeping right?" He said. Then, as an afterthought, he tacked on, "It's not gay!"
Bakura gulped down any awkward sensations he had been feeling and clambered up to the head of the bed to join Marik. After he hesitantly wriggled down underneath the covers, Marik immediately snuggled up to him, delighted for the additional heat.
"You're pretty cuddly, 'Kura. Kind of like a kitten... A spoiled and cuddly kitten." Bakura rolled his eyes. He was nothing like a kitten! He murdered people! But cats killed things, too... Dammit.
It seemed like Bakura was distracting Marik from the ongoing storm outside the window, but just as Bakura thought this, a flash of lightning crackled across the sky in a bright and loud flash.
Marik whimpered and curled to Bakura, nestling his head into the crook of the spirit's throat. Just out of sight to see Bakura's flushed, flaming red face.
"Can you sing something?" Marik asked, voice scarcely above a murmur. This request startled Bakura so much he hopped up and fell off the side of the bed, pulling the sheets and purple satin blankets with him.
Bakura ended up like a purple burrito sprawled across the carpet. He was left gasping and stammering. Not just because the blankets were smothering him, either!
Marik gasped and quickly tore the covers off of his partner in crime. Bakura stumbled away, face very red.
"Y-You don't have to. It's...It's okay." Marik muttered softly and turned away, fixated on the sheets and spreading them back across the mattress. Bakura shook his head furiously though Marik had his back turned to him. He tilted his head and could see Marik biting his lip and tears rimming his eyes once again.
"What's wrong?" Bakura's voice sounded a bit croaky and hoarse but he managed to ask the question clearly. He cleared his throat, feeling a gunky substance slide down his windpipe and unclogging his vocal passage.
"It's just..." Marik murmured, still refusing to look in Bakura's direction. The soft candlelight made his skin shimmer with a mocha brown tone and unshed tears in his soft violet eyes gleam with anguish and longing. "It's just... when I was really little, my sister Ishizu would sing me a lullaby every time there was a storm. Every time, up until I..." His sentence died off, but Bakura knew the end of it and decided to finish it, even though it must've been difficult to think about for the Egyptian.
"Until you left." Bakura finished solemnly. Marik nodded slowly.
"It's okay, Marik. It's okay to be afraid and to cry. It's human-"
"What would you know about being human, Bakura?! You've lived in the Millennium Ring for centuries! I doubt you even remember pain, love, longing, lust, or any feeling!" Silent tears trickled down Marik's face in slow, steady streams. "I'm so stupid for believing otherwise..."
Bakura felt a stab of hurt and rejection shoot through his heart like a lightning bolt. Ironic, huh?
"You don't get it, do you, Marik? It's like a disorder! It's hard for me to comprehend emotions!" He protested. Marik whimpered and fell back against the bed, but couldn't escape Bakura's resounding voice. "5,000 years! That's how long I had been...been imprisoned!"
Bakura's chest was heaving, but he still continued yelling, wanting to get his point across.
"Imagine it. Okay? Just, imagine it! Being conscious the entire time, watching people live their lives, while my life should've ended thousands of years ago! But you're right. I don't remember how to be human anymore. I don't even know how to handle my own emotions. Let alone..."
His sentence died off, and he stared out the window. It was silent except for the pitter patters of the rain.
Marik, just now finishing preparing his bed, laid on his side of it, not even acknowledging Bakura. "Let's just go to sleep." He muttered lowly. The white-haired yami nodded, even though the Egyptian could not see him and had his back turned to Bakura.
Bakura laid down on the opposite side of the bed, on the very edge. He didn't even make a move to cover himself up. He intended to make good on his vow and stay until Marik fell asleep. Bakura curled into a ball and his eyes were trained on the back of Marik's head. The blonde hikari's shoulders quivered, though Bakura couldn't hear Marik silent sobs.
"Little child, be not afraid
The rain pounds harsh against the glass
Like an unwanted stranger
There is no danger
I am here tonight
Bakura hummed softly to himself. It was a lullaby he had heard long ago, long before Ryou had the ring. Maybe..? He didn't remember. It was just a song that made him feel...alive.
He didn't notice Marik's body stiffen up as if becoming stone.
"Little child
Be not afraid
Though thunder explodes
And lightning flash
Illuminates your tearstained face
I am here tonight
His voice gradually rose, and he felt his heart flutter, as it gave a melancholy sob. Marik turned around, eyes wide and partially parted lips. A gasp of recognition.
"And someday you'll know
That nature is so
This same rain that draws you near me
Falls on rivers and land
And forests and sand
Makes the beautiful world that you see
In the morning
"Little child
Be not afraid
The storm clouds mask your beloved moon
And its candlelight beams
Still, keep pleasant dreams
I am here tonight
"Little child
Be not afraid
The wind makes creatures of our trees
And the branches to hands
They're not real, understand
And I am here tonight
"And someday you'll know
That nature is so
This same rain that draws you near me
Falls on rivers and land
And forest and sand
Makes the beautiful world that you see
In the morning
"For you know, once even I
Was a little child
And I was afraid
But a gentle someone always came
To dry all my tears
Trade sweet sleep the fears
And to give a kiss goodnight
"Well, now I am grown
And these years have shown
Rain's a part of how life goes
But it's dark and it's late
So I'll hold you and wait
'til your frightened eyes do close
"And I hope that you'll know
That nature is so
This same rain that draws you near me
Falls on rivers and land
And forests and sand
Makes the beautiful world that you see
In the morning
Everything's fine in the morning
The rain will be gone in the morning
But I'll still be here in the morning"
"Bakura..." The blonde hikari breathed. How did he know this song? It was the same one his siblings would sing to him. The one his mother sang.
The spirit of the ring closed his eyes, almost blissfully. "I'm sorry, Marik. That song just..." He trailed off as if thinking back to happy times.
Marik sat up, no longer bothered by the harsh rain. He rolled over and embraced Bakura. "Thank you. You have no idea what that song means to me."
Bakura hugged him back, feeling genuinely happy. "I have a hunch."