Author's Note: I'm going to warn everyone right now: There is going to be some major OOC-ness in this story (especially with Marik's family...) In this story, Marik is the hikari and Malik is the yami. However, they're twins in this story, since it's kind of an AU.

In this story, the yamis and the hikaris are going to be brothers. Marik and Malik are twins, Ryou and Bakura are twins, and Yami is going to be one year older than Yugi.

I don't know what Marik's parent's names are, so unless someone would be kind enough to tell me, they're going to be known as Mr. Ishtar and Mrs. Ishtar.

Also, this story will contain some thiefshipping, but it's my first attempt at yaoi, so when it does appear it's very brief and, quite frankly, not very good.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of it's characters (although, I would like to own Marik...and possibly Bakura.)

Oh, yeah, one more thing. (You can probably figure this out, but...) this chapter contains a flashback, which is in italics. For the rest of this story, either flashbacks or a person's thoughts will be in italics.

Meet Marik Ishtar, an average teenage boy, just starting his freshman year at Domino City High. Well, he was completely average, except for one thing that set him apart from everyone else at school.

"Hey, Marik!" Jonouchi, known to almost everyone as simply "Jono" called. "My dad's actually gonna let me go bowling for my birthday this year!"

"Really? That's cool, Jono. I wish I could convince mydad to do something like that for mine and Malik's birthday."

"Yeah, and he says I can take five friends along with me. Let's see, I think I'll Yugi, Honda, Anzu, your twin brother and...I think Yugi's older brother."

"What, you're gonna tell me all about your party and then you're not gonna invite me?"

"Yup. I mean, I'm not sure whether or not you'd be allowed in the bowling alley, so better safe then sorry, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Hey, I'm only kiddin', man! Of course you're invited, why wouldn't ya be?"

"Oh, ha-ha, that was so funny. Why do you always gotta pick on the gay people, man?"

Yes, Marik Ishtar was gay. He had known that he was gay since he was in the seventh grade. He could clearly remember the uncomfortable moment when he had chosen to tell his parents...

"Mom? Dad? I-I need to tell you something."

"What is it, honey?"

"I...um...I think...that is, I'm pretty sure...oh, I think I'm gay!"

"What?"

Marik nodded, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. He bowed his head.

"I'm-I'm sorry! I know that you must hate me now, but..." Mrs. Ishtar reached out and hugged her youngest son.

"Marik, it's all right. We still love you, it doesn't matter."

"But, do you mind telling us...well, telling us why you feel like this, son?" Marik wiped his eyes.

"I-I think it's Yugi's older brother, Yami. I kind of get this funny feeling whenever I'm around him or when someone mentions him and-and it sounds a lot like when Ishizu was talking about this one guy she liked and how she felt around him and I've never liked any girls in my school..." He had to stop. He was crying again.

"I see." Mr. Ishtar was silent for a moment, then reached out and patted Marik on the head. "Well, Marik, it doesn't matter to us. You're still our son, one way or another, that's all there is to it."

Marik looked up at his father and offered a small smile. "Thanks...for understanding."

Of course, that had just been a child's crush. He certainly didn't like Yami Muto anymore, and-luckily-none of his friends ever found out that he had.

Marik had told his friends shortly after his parents that he was gay, and they accepted that, knowing that he was still the same person inside. They teased him lightly, but no more than they teased each other. And he never developed any feelings for any of them. They all remained friends, and nothing more.

But then, he came to town.

Well, quite personally, I think that this chapter is a fail. Hopefully it will start getting better in a few more chapters. Once again, I apologize for any OOC-ness in this story. I know that Marik's dad is actually a total jerk, but I'm already going to have one jerk, one mini-jerk, and one half-jerk in this story, so I didn't really want to him to be a cruel person in this story.

R&R, please! (It's my first Yu-Gi-oh! story, so I'm not sure if it'll take off or not.)