[A/N: I was feeling sappy. So this is extreme fluff, Bakura may be slightly OOC by your standards, but to me, if he were this close to someone, he may be sentimental. Thiefshipping fluff. Don't judge me.]
Marik stepped out of the car in awe. He looked at the swirling sparkles dancing in the sky around him, falling gently in his hair, kissing his face as they melted on him. He smiled softly, stretching out his arms and closing his eyes, lifting his face to the heavens. He inhaled the sharp, cold air; invigorated by the feel of it in his lungs, penetrating deep into his very soul.
The wind whipped around his hair, dancing with it. He felt it encircle his body as if to say 'I've been waiting'. Marik smiled wider and exhaled, feeling the warm air rush out of his body.
He was snapped out of his trance-like wonder state by a gentle hand resting on his shoulder. Marik opened his eyes and lowered his arms, continuing to face the direction he was, and smiling, softer this time.
He surveyed his surroundings. He was on the edge of a forest, facing down a crude, timeworn path caked with a light layer of frost. The trees above it bore most of the fresh snowfall, sparkling with the illumination the very snow itself seemed to emanate. There were no footprints; they were the first to visit this secluded place.
Marik closed his eyes again; breathing deeply, and slowly opened his eyes, turning to face his companion. Bakura's usually crimson eyes had dulled to a chocolate brown, his eyes meeting Marik's. Bakura's expression was soft, a small smile playing around his mouth, having been watching Marik's first time in the snow.
Marik beamed at Bakura, saying, "Thank you."
Bakura wrapped his arms around Marik and pulled him tight to himself. "You're very welcome." He squeezed Marik one more time, and then released him, gesturing to lead the way.
Marik's smile reached further into his eyes, and he turned to the path, pushing his billowing scarf out of his face. His feet crunched in the fresh snow, as he started down the path. The path was neither narrow, nor wide, but somehow Bakura fit himself in next to Marik, neither of them being uncomfortable.
A few feet from the start of the trail, the fallen tree branches began to scatter; dispersed randomly along the path. Marik had no trouble stepping over [and stomping on] the smaller branches, but when they came to whole trees fallen over, Bakura stepped on top of it and extended his hand to Marik, offering to help him over. He took his hand, blushing, and helped himself up. Bakura would smirk, but not mockingly. Marik held on to Bakura's hand longer than necessary, but Bakura made no objections.
"We're nearing the place." Bakura said softly, looking around. Marik's now cold induced, pink-tinged face lit up with excitement, and quickened his pace.
Two fallen trees later, Bakura held out his arm for Marik to stop walking. Bakura turned around, his back to a mighty evergreen tree. "Uhm, Bakura, is this a dead end?" Marik said, slightly disappointed.
Bakura chuckled. "Of course it's not."
"Then why-"
"Close your eyes."
Marik furrowed his brow in confusion, but did as he was told. Bakura waved a hand in front of Marik's face, and when he made no reaction, he knew Marik's eyes were squeezed shut. Bakura turned around to the evergreen and pulled back the lower branches, revealing a seldom-used cobbled street from the 1800's. The sun had nearly set completely, leaving only dusk's light tingeing the sky in the distance.
Bakura took Marik's hand and pulled him through the opening he had made, and let the evergreen cover the path where they had previously came from. It blended in almost perfectly with the forest behind them, but that was all right, they didn't need to find this place again.
Bakura silently raised his hand high into the air, and soon after felt vibrations on the ground. He grinned, and turned around to face Marik, grabbing his shoulders.
"Remember when I told you I was taking you to see a surprise, earlier today?" He said quietly. Marik nodded, his eyes still shut. "The snow wasn't the surprise you know. Neither was the forest. That was to distract you until the real surprise got here." The vibrations were becoming more prevalent. Even Marik, without his great thief skills, could feel them now. "I waited because I didn't want you seeing it before it arrived, but you may be able to hear it..." He trailed off just as the clip-clop of hooves could be heard in the distance.
Marik's heartbeat sped up in excitement. He concentrated his consciousness to the ground, feeling the vibrations and clip-clop sounds stopping. He sensed the horse standing not far from him, and whimpered barely audibly from his burning curiosity.
Bakura got behind Marik again, and covered his eyes with his hands. "Ready?" He asked, Marik nodding furiously. Bakura chuckled. "Okay." He removed his hands.
Marik's eyes enlarged as wide as they would go, taking in the sight in front of him. Before him stood a proud Clydesdale, tossing its head and stomping a front foot. Marik took in the beauty of the creature, before turning his attention to what was attached to the horse. An old-fashioned open-top carriage was hitched to the horse, a driver at the head, whip in hand.
While Marik had been admiring this, Bakura had slunk around him to the stairs of the carriage. He smiled softly and extended a hand to Marik, who excitedly rushed over, took it, and climbed up inside.
He took a moment to pick his seat, but the seat facing the front street, furthest from him, was clearly meant for him. He sat in it, Bakura climbing in next to him. "Alright, buddy, don't forget the route I gave you, eh?" Bakura said to the driver. The driver gave a curt nod, and shook the reigns on the horse. It plopped on, whinnying as it went.
Marik sighed happily and shivered slightly. Bakura noticed this, and took off his own winter jacket, wrapping it around Marik. "No, Kura, take your jacket back, I'll be fine." Marik said to him, sounding grateful, yet apologetic. He shrugged the jacket off and held it out to Bakura, but his arm trembled slightly from cold.
"I'm fine, not cold at all. You take it." He rewrapped it around Marik, who did not object this time. Bakura grabbed the blanket under his seat. "Besides, There's this." He unfolded it, and draped it over both of their laps.
Marik looked at the snow beginning to fall gently again, and at the deserted street passing by. "Kura," he said, turning his attention back to Bakura, whose eyes had never left him. Marik blushed slightly. "Why did you do this? It's... amazing."
Bakura looked confused. "I don't understand the question."
"Well," Marik fidgeted in his seat. "This is, perfect. The snow, the forest walk, the horse drawn carriage..." he trailed off and looked into the sky, a cloudy look on his face. "It's all beautiful." He said. He snapped his attention back to the brown eyes staring at him, somehow more tender than before. "Why did you do this for me?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Bakura said, a smile in his voice, as though he almost wished this conversation to occur, having it all played out already. Marik shook his head, honestly confused. Bakura put an arm around Marik's shoulders and rested his head on top of his. "Because I love you."
Marik's face turned deep red, his breath caught in his chest. His lip trembled, unsure of how to respond. He broke away from Bakura to look at him in the eyes. Marik's confused lavender eyes met Bakura's sincere brown ones, and he knew he wasn't joking.
Marik swallowed hard. "I... I don't know what to say..." He said softly, looking at his lap, unable to meet Bakura's eyes any longer. Bakura chuckled under his breath. He extended a hand and with gentle, cold fingers, lifted Marik's face to his own.
"Marik," he said, smiling a small smile. "You mean the world to me. I don't know how I survived without you. I can't bear to be away from you for long, and though I don't express myself well or often, your very presence brings me to near euphoria. You touch my hand, and it's like a million fires being set under my skin, shooting up to my heart. Every time I see you for the first time in a day, my breath catches in my chest, as I realize that the mental image I've had of you in my mind since you left is as Medusa in comparison to how beautiful you truly are. Your blushes nearly stop my heart, and every time you smile, I realize that you are the most precious gem in the world, one I wouldn't trade for the Millennium Items. I'm in love with you, and I always have been."
Marik's eyes were watery, his breath coming in short gasps, unwilling to believe what he was just told. His eyes lowered and darted about, trying to summon enough coherent words to adequately say how very much he returned the sentiments, but he found none. He frowned slightly and looked to Bakura, who was starting to look worried. A pang of guilt hit Marik's chest at realizing that he was probably making Bakura feel self-conscious for reveling that much of himself to no response. So he did the only thing he could possibly think of doing.
Marik leaned forward to Bakura and wrapped his arms around his neck. "I love you, too." He whispered, before gently resting his lips on of his newfound partner's.
[A/N: I think that was the single fluffiest piece of writing I've ever written in my entire life. And that includes for a Creative Writing assignment to make a romance story. I have no idea where that came from, but there it is. It's also the first piece without any comedy in it, which is rare for me.]