Author's notes: a one-shot for Anzu and Marik, enjoy!
"How long has it been?" A whisper echoed in an almost empty room.
"… …"
Silence answered her.
"I remembered it's been ten years now since we've been together no?" She didn't care about the reply.
"… …"
"And you are still the same."
"Go to sleep." A command was given.
She chuckled. "Hai, wakarimashita."
"Hm, I'll come back the day after tomorrow; I've finally got the flowers you wanted since then."
"Ah, the purple roses no?"
"Hai, I've finally got it to bloom."
"Arigatogouzaimasu. I'll treasure it." (Translation: Thank you very much.)
"Rest now." He kissed her on her forehead.
The door clicked as it shut.
"I love you too." She said with a smile in her voice. "Like always, the silent treatments, so shy."
Marik was walking out of the place when a hand placed on his shoulder. "What do you want from me?" he sneered.
"Marik, are you going to give up?"
"No, I'll never Bakura. Goodbye, take care of her while I'm gone." He never turned around for once with this conversation.
"Ah, you gotta pay the price though." Bakura smiled.
"How bout a punch in your gut?"
"Ha, don't be too harsh when you do that!" Bakura laughed out loud. "And, bye, take care."
Marik left without another word.
TWO DAYS LATER
Marik was greeted by the first sight of all his friends surround an all white bed. The blanket covered the person who was sleeping on it.
The bunch of flowers he held almost fell, he shook himself and took courage to walk towards the bed.
"See, this is my promise, here are the roses you wanted all along." He put the roses into the vase Isis gave him.
All of his friends stood there silent. Yugi frowned with silent tears, Joey and Tristan gripped on the sofa as hard as they could, Mai and Shizuka wept serenely, while Bakura, Isis and Seto stared at Marik for his next move.
Finally Isis started. "She couldn't make it; the doctor was already surprised that she lived over a month than expectation. The doctor expected her to pass a few weeks before your stay here but she kept on fighting and couldn't make it. She past away…this early morning."
"Ah, it's afternoon now, isn't it?" Marik looked down at covered figure.
"Marik…" Bakura frowned slightly at the reaction Marik has on his face.
Joey and Tristan wanted to give Marik a piece of their mind but Yugi held them down and shook his head slightly.
Marik uncovered the figure from the head to the waist.
"Marik, what are you doing?" Mai asked.
"Leave him." Seto stopped her.
"I've brought the roses as promise. Now may I have yours?" Marik whispered.
"She left something inside the drawer." Seto said.
"Thank you."
He took out a small recorder from the drawer, pressed the play button, the cheerful girl's voice he knew and cared for came out in small whisper as if talking pained her.
"I never loved you… …"
Silence filled the room. Marik gripped the recorder a little harder.
"I've never love you when you looked at me with those sympathetic eyes of yours. Thank you for your flower, I'll treasure it. Those roses are the beginning of our ten years and the end of our ten years. Thank you. You are free now, our promise end here."
"Anzu…" Yugi whispered.
"As the end of our bargain, as I promised, let you free of pain but I couldn't do it without leaving. Sayonara Marik."
"Marik…" Isis looked at her younger brother worriedly.
"I'm sorry Anzu, but you didn't finish your side of the bargain. I've fell in love with you after all. Gomen nasai." Marik bent down and kissed Anzu's cold lips.
"Sister, please take care of everything for me." He left without another word.
"My brother made a foolish bargain. Thinking trapping himself in a loveless relationship so that no one is there to hurt him but instead, that loveless relationship turned out to be realistic for him rather than a game, Anzu made him fall in love with her and yet left without learning she finally made that boy she saved back then has finally opened up his heart." Isis cried with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"They love each other, yet…their life did not allow them to have the chance to tell each other the truth." Bakura continued.
"Anzu, you are free of pain now. Rest in peace." Yugi said silently.
"Her condition worsen after that accident, contracted a disease similar to the Black Plague except it is inside her body instead of showing outside. How painful it must be for her." Shizuka cried.
"Yes, but Marik has been her strength." Mai replied.
ONE YEAR LATER
The gang once again stood in front of two graves in front of them with purple roses laid on top of the coffins.
"Marik got the same disease as Anzu." Mai said as she put down her flower.
"She saved his life by giving him one extra year of life." Shizuka put hers down.
"Marik told me that she wanted it, because she promises to take his pain away." Isis was next.
"Now they can be together again." Followed by Yugi.
"But this time, not bounded by promises or bad bargain." Joey and Tristan clasped their hands together to show respect.
"Rest in peace." Followed by Seto and Bakura.
After they left, a letter paper stood out in the bundles of flowers, we can see the words "I love you, forever," only.
