Misao: 8O Wow, I'm like… popping out stories all over the place. Albeit I do have quite a lengthy gap between updates on my ongoing stories… I'm slowly working on them all. I'm even planning on updating S-conscious soon. But AO must get out first…
Pairings: xD I can't tell you that… it'll RUIN it!
Summary: Yami and Marik decide to have a contest. First one to make Bakura laugh gets to keep him.
Disclaimer: Do I look like some rich guy who may be swimming in money and living a life of luxury, but is in reality a lonely old guy who masturbates in front of the computer or goes to bars and hires hookers every weekend? ..... No I don't, or at least I hope I don't…
Warnings: The usual, strong language, probably sexual innuendoes and all that~
Note: "Warai" means… "Laugh" XD Omg… can't you see the originality just coming off it in waves? I mean, come on, you all KNOW you would have NEVER been able to come up with such an AWSOME, CREATIVE and KICK ASS title like that. Don't try to fool yourself into thinking you could have! Anyways, got this from Cheysuli's Plot Bunny Farm and have been mulling over taking up this plot for like, ever. 8D And I finally did~
"Warai"
Chapter One
If there was one thing Yami noticed about the Tomb Robber, it was that he never laughed. Hell, he never even smiled. In all the years he had known the thief since being in this time with their own bodies, he hadn't seen him laugh once. Not even that all too well known maniacal one he'd heard far too many times.
It was rather unnerving - the fact that nothing seemed to break the tomb robber out of whatever bitter and seemingly unending phase that had come over him. At least, in his presence he hadn't seen any different.
Here they were all sat - all including Yami himself, Ryou, Malik, Marik, Yuugi, Jounouchi, Honda, Anzu, Otogi… and Bakura. Everyone was howling loudly, holding their sides and wiping tears or mirth from their faces at Jou's recent predicament.
Jounouchi pushed the speaker phone button and proceeded to dial a number. They had all agreed to order out, and the blonde pup was eager as ever to devour something delicious…
"Hello?"
"Hi, I was wondering what time you were opened." Jounouchi replied, hoping they still had a decent amount of time left to order and pick up their food.
There was a moment of silence, then, "For you baby, I'm open all night long." Came the response in a low, teasing tone.
"What!?" Jounouchi screeched, face turning a dark shade of red as he spluttered about in embarrassment . Laughter came from the speaker and Jounouchi quickly turned it off, fighting down the blush. "Umm…. Wrong number I guess…" He mumbled.
Everyone burst out laughing.
Even Marik - the self proclaimed root of all evil - had been reduced to loud fits of laughter, half hanging on his hikari to keep himself from sliding off the couch and onto the floor.
But Bakura… had just sat in the corner - where he'd been since he'd arrived, clearly wanting nothing to do with anyone - glaring and looking overall annoyed.
Yami too, had been amused but his chuckles subsided as he noticed Marik's roaring laughter die down, glancing curiously in his direction to see that his eyes were set intently on something. Follow the Egyptians violet gaze, his own landed on the pale, brooding form in the corner of the room.
He couldn't help the small frown that tugged at the corners of his lips, eyes softening - barely noticeable to anyone who may have turned their attention to him. He had the urge to confront the wild-haired yami… but the blonde one beat him too it and Yami was silently grateful - since it wasn't a secret that Bakura wasn't all that fond of him. Hate? Not anymore, they'd come to an understanding - a surprising thing to everyone in itself - but that didn't mean they got on well all the time…
Straining his ears he tried to block out the laughter that had yet to die down, and listen in on the two yami's…
"Hey Bakura." Yami mentally groaned at the taunting tone, hoping Marik didn't make matters worse and tick the already irked thief off. "What crawled up your ass and died?" He asked, sniggering and lifted a perfectly manicured hand to tug on some of the white tresses. Said thief growled and swatted his hand away, before getting up and stalking out of the room - but not before fixing the taller yami with a glare that threatened death.
With the thief out of sight, Marik's shoulders dropped slightly, a deep sigh escaping him. Yami supposed he was hoping to get a rise out of Bakura, something, -anything- to get him to stop brooding.
"Looks like that went well." Yami couldn't help but comment -quietly of course- as Marik wandered past him. The tall Egyptian paused in his steps, glancing at the Pharaoh as if contemplating something before letting out another sigh - sounding defeated - and flopped none too gracefully in the empty spot next to him.
"I just don't know what's wrong with him… he's been acting like this for what seems like forever." Marik complained, in an almost whiney tone that was completely uncharacteristic of him.
Yami hummed thoughtfully… "Maybe it's because I forbade him from stealing, murdering and sending people to the shadow realm?" He offered as a possible reason, tilting his head slightly in question.
"I wouldn't doubt it." Marik snorted, as if the thought of the great Bakura pouting like a child because he was told not to do something was amusing. But then it didn't seem so farfetched an idea as he thought about it… "But that's all he's ever known, you know?" He crossed his arms, head resting on the back of the couch as he looked up at the ceiling, "Stealing, murdering. It was his life, and I guess to have that taken away all of the sudden is kind of overbearing for him, he doesn't know what to do with his life now."
Yami raised an eyebrow, more amused then anything. "That a bit melodramatic, don't you think? And besides, I can't just let him go around killing people. If he were to get caught the blame would be on his hikari, not him." Yami argued, not wanting Ryou to take the fall for Bakura should he mess up. But even aside from that, he couldn't just let him go around terrorizing the city…
Suddenly Marik leaned forward, brows drawing together in concentration… His head turned slightly to look at Yami, eyeing him suspiciously as a thought had wormed it's way into his mind that didn't settle well with him, "Why are you worrying about him, anyways? You've never paid any mind to him before…" He questioned, eyes darkening in almost threatening manner should Yami's intentions towards the object of -his- affection be anything but friendly…
The pharaoh of course would have had to of been blind not to notice the silent threat of death in the other yami's eyes. However it didn't phase him in the slightest, after all being not only a Pharaoh in his former life, but the King of Games in present times - he wasn't so easily intimidated. Especially over someone who he'd already proven he could beat - albeit Marik's sanity wasn't so stable and he could be extremely unpredictable….
Rather then answering Marik out right, Yami smoothly evaded it by responding arrogantly, "What's the matter, Marik? Last I checked Bakura was fair game, you've never laid any claim on him."
So perhaps Yami had taken a bit of a liking to Bakura in a way he knew he shouldn't. Well, perhaps 'shouldn't' was a bad choice of wording. It was just his fear of what his friends would think if they knew. That wasn't something he should care about though, there was nothing wrong with Bakura in his eyes. Not now. Some though, still had some not so subtle dislike for him and couldn't look past the hell the white haired demon had put them though. Strange, seeing as how they got on fine with Marik of all people…
The blonde yami looked sufficiently irked, and no matter how hard he tried Yami just couldn't fight down the smirk on his lips. Just because Bakura was friends with Marik, didn't mean he himself stood no chance what so ever. His reasons backing that up being, that he had seen the thief look at him in certain ways that he had never expected from him; towards him that is. It gave away that Bakura had an obvious lust for him, but Yami was confident enough that he at least had a fair chance against Marik to make it more…
He could certainly use the lust card to his advantage though; no card-game related pun intended.
The short yami was abruptly startled as a fist suddenly grabbed a hold of his collar, roughly yanking him up so he was nose-to-nose with an enraged Yami Marik, "He is mine." Marik hissed possessively, either ignorant of or not giving a damn - which was more likely- of the fact that his actions had brought attention to them. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch the two uneasily. And angry Marik never bode well for anyone or anything…
Yami sneered, prying the psychotic one's fingers off with a surprising strength and calmly sat back down, arms crossed as he regarded the seething blonde one in front of him, "I don't think Bakura would appreciate you acting like he's something you can own." He shot back, and just as was intended it hit a nerve and Marik looked ready to beat him to a bloody pulp.
Everyone - excepts for Yuugi and Malik - looked very confused, but Yami paid it no mind. They were sure to figure it out eventually and sooner was better then later he supposed.
"I don't think Bakura would appreciate knowing the pharaoh wants to get in his pants." He snorted, like the idea of a Pharaoh and a Thief was completely ridiculous. Which… it was when one thought about it, but this was a different time and place now.
"Oh I beg to differ…" A secretive grin on his lips, Yami left if at that decided to leave the blonde to wonder…
"Whatever. Like he'd ever chose you over me anyways. Forget it pharaoh, you're way out of your league with this one. It's a game you can't win." He said matter-of-factly, and seeming reassured by his own words, stood up straight and anger faded to be replaced with his usual air of cockiness.
Those words though… they planted the seed of a wonderful idea into his head. There was a very simple way they could settle this, fair and square. "A game….?" Yami murmured, causing Marik to raise a confused eyebrow and their onlookers to become increasingly more so then they were since the beginning of this argument.
"What do you say we battle this out in the fairest way possible?" The once-pharaoh suggested, tilting his head and giving Marik a challenging smirk. To which the blonde eyed him suspiciously…
"If your suggesting we duel for Bakura then that's just fucking stup-" Marik began, already bristling with ever growing agitation at the fact he was even having this fight. He shouldn't have to fight someone like the Pharaoh for what was his in the first place, even if Bakura didn't know it.
"Not a duel." Yami interrupted, waving his hand dismissively, "Another kind of game."
"… And what do you have in mind..?" Marik's curiosity was peaked, but that aside he wasn't going to back down from any challenge Yami threw at him. Ever.
"First one to make Bakura laugh, gets to keep him.."
It sounded simple enough, but neither were arrogant enough to think it wouldn't be challenging for the both of them.
"You two are bloody ridiculous!" A sudden voice broke the stunned silence and all eyes turned towards the one who'd made the outburst. And although the voice was unmistakable, it was still shocking to see the normally soft spoken hikari of the one being fought over standing up and glaring at them with such intensity he could be mistaken for his yami… "Making bets on Bakura like that! You're both just…. Ugh!" He huffed, turning on his heels and storming out of the room without another word, leaving pretty much everyone in the room - Yami and Marik included - to stare wide-eyed after him….
Once the initial shock had worn off over Bakura's hikari snapping at them like that, Yami cleared his throat - glancing around and shifting awkwardly as everyone's eyes gravitated back to him. "Well, I don't see how else this is going to be settled." He muttered defensively, noticing the way Yuugi was giving him that disapproving look that made him feel incredibly guilty - though in his mind he didn't see anything wrong with it.
"I can't believe you, Yami…"Frowning at his darker half, Yuugi simply sighed and shook his head….
"Oh lighten up, guys." The darker of the three hikari's suddenly spoke up from where he was now sprawled out on the floor, "It'll be entertaining if nothing else. Especially the part where Bakura finds out and kicks their asses." Malik sniggered, earning a dirty look from his yami.
"He won't find out if you keep your mouth shut." Marik snarled at the smaller Egyptian, narrowed purple eyes holding a pointedly warning look that he shot to each and every occupant of the room. A warning which everyone was smart to heed, shrinking back from the gaze…
Everyone save for Malik, who simply shrugged, "Psh, please. I won't even need to interfere for the two of you to screw up." He replied, once again ignoring the look of murder Marik was sending him.
Luckily - before Marik had the chance to pounce on his hikari - Yami stood and cleared his throat once more, catching the crazed Egyptians attention, "So, you accept the challenge?" He questioned, holding out his hand to the other.
Marik stared hard at the Pharaoh for a moment, contemplating over his decision before reaching out and grabbing the extended hand with a hard, nearly bone-crushing grip. "Your on, Pharaoh."
Misao: This will be a two, possibly three-shot. But I don't expect it to get any longer then that. xP Any guesses as to who's gonna win?
Please R&R! 8D