Mew: This one's like Loveless. It has a strange couple, one of which I don't know the name of. Draiku's asleep, since I stayed up 'til…wow, I can see Venus! Nice. Anyway, it's just past five AM. Gods, I need to learn how to sleep during the night… The title has almost no meaning, it's just called that because it's about Otogi. (Duke, for those of you who don't read the manga.)
Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
A Roll of the Dice
The green-eyed teen stared at the insane, violet-eyed yami, dueling on the platform with Mai. He sighed quietly, wanting to be with him more than anything in the world. Of course, this dude, Marik, was evil, and he was definitely going to be defeated by Yugi's other personality. Heck, that always happened, no matter what the circumstances.
Ryuuji Otogi sighed softly, watching as Marik made another one of the hologram monsters on Mai's side shatter. He knew that he was in love with Marik, and he didn't deny it at all, ever since he first saw the yami.
The duel soon ended, Mai had lost, big time, and Jou swore to avenge her. Otogi was angry that Mai had been sent to the Shadow Realm for the time being, but he was at the same time relieved that Marik had won. He scratched the back of his head and went into the room he was staying in on the blimp.
"A roll of the dice," he mumbled. "The higher the number, the better chance I have of getting with Marik. One is ten percent, and zero is a hundred percent." He allowed the ten-sided dice to slip from his hand and he watched it clatter to the floor. He sighed sadly when it landed on one.
"Ah, well. It is just a roll of the dice. But…at least I have a ten percent chance to get with him, if I'm lucky and Fate's on my side," he said, trying to cheer himself up. It didn't work.
He looked up and saw how late it was. He sighed again and was about to lie in the bed, but Honda and Jou both were using it. Anzu was sleeping on the couch, and Shizura was sleeping in the recliner. He couldn't lie down anywhere, and he definitely wasn't going to use the floor.
At first he tried squeezing in with Honda and Jou, but there wasn't enough room. Anzu would slap him if he tried to join her on the couch, and Shizura would get Jou to beat him up.
"I can't go to Yugi's, he has to have as much rest as possible. Bakura has that duo personality, and his evil side tried to kill me once, so I can't go there. Kaiba wouldn't let me in, Isis is a girl, and if I went there it would probably be sexual harassment…that Rishid dude is knocked out, and I don't want to disturb him, Mai is also knocked out, leaving…Marik," Otogi mumbled to himself. "Oh well. It's worth a shot."
He made his way down the hall until he came upon Marik's room. The light was on, seeping through the crack between the bottom of the door and the floor. He knocked on it lightly, hoping for it to be answered.
His wish came true, and Marik opened the door. He sighed with annoyance when he saw Otogi standing in front of him.
"What do you want?" he demanded in a low growl. "Have you come to annoy me about sending Mai to the Shadow Realm?" Otogi shook his head.
"N-not at all. I…I know this is crazy to ask, but I need a place to sleep," he mumbled, embarrassed that he was asking such a thing.
"Ah, that's entirely different. Come in, I guess," Marik said, standing aside so Otogi could enter.
"Really? Thank you so much," Otogi said, bowing before he entered the room. Marik rolled his eyes, then shut the door behind them.
"You can use the bed, I'm busy with my deck," he said.
"You're serious?" Marik nodded and sat on the couch. Otogi lied down on the bed and secretly gazed at Marik as the yami organized his cards carefully, making many different changes to his deck.
Finally, Marik look satisfied with it, and he smiled before kissing his deck gently and putting it away carefully. He got up and stretched a bit before yawning, then he went into the miniature kitchen in the corner. Otogi blinked, watching as Marik poured some tea into a mug.
"You know," Marik said suddenly, making Otogi jump slightly. "If you're gonna watch me, then at least be less blatant about it."
"Y-you knew?" Otogi stuttered, sitting up.
"Of course I did. If you were really asleep, I'd know."
"S-sorry," Otogi mumbled.
"Don't apologize. I hate it when people apologize."
"Why?"
"Because they never mean it. They only do it to save their worthless lives, or to avoid being hated." Marik glared at nothing.
"How would you know, then?" Otogi asked.
"Do you know about Malik's past at all?" Otogi shook his head. "I thought so. Ask him to explain it to you later. As much as I do want to win the duel against the pharaoh, I'm gonna forget about it."
"What! Why?" Otogi demanded. Marik stared out of one of the windows of the blimp, sighing softly. Almost…sadly?
"My life has no meaning at all. I was created out of the hatred and fear of some kid, but he already had a yami, so I was trapped." Otogi blinked.
"How were you trapped, then?" he asked.
"Yamis are weird things, you know. We're the second, or in my case, third, personality of someone. If one personality is already out, then the other is trapped until the other gets knocked out. Malik declared Rishid to be his yami, and since Rishid has his own body, I could never get out. Only once before I was free, just once.
"I killed Malik's dad that day. I regret doing that, but the feeling of having control over yourself is marvelous. You all without yamis take it for granted, believe me. You don't know what it's like to be trapped in a small, dark room for your entire life, then to be free all of a sudden. I'm sure that Yami and Bakura felt the same way when they got their hosts, but they can control their bodies whenever they want to. I have to wait until Rishid is either knocked out or dead," Marik explained, leaning against the counter.
"You never told me why your life has no meaning, though."
"Honestly, does it really? I'm the third wheel on a bicycle here. Until Rishid dies, I won't be able to do anything, not even get a breath of fresh air. My soul room is different from all the others. It's literally a prison. I'm shackled there all the time, and it's entirely black. There's just…nothing. Complete, total, void." He shivered slightly. "I know that I sound selfish when I say this but…I don't want to go back there. Ever. Even in Hell there are things to do, even if you suffer. So that's why I'm going to let the pharaoh beat me."
"D-don't!" Otogi said quickly, making Marik stare at him. "I mean, don't just throw your life away! It isn't worthless! I mean…" Marik chuckled, cutting him off.
"Well, it is true that I enjoy it out here in the light. I have all I could ever want."
"What about friends?" Marik scowled.
"Who needs 'em? Besides, I enjoy being hated and feared. That way I don't have to return the favor of caring for someone," he said, grinning now. "Anyway, I need to chat with Bakura. You get some sleep."
"Hey, um," Otogi said, hesitating.
"What?" Marik asked dully.
"Gook luck in the duels," Otogi said with a slight smile. Marik stared at him.
"Why? Don't you hate me?" he asked.
"Not quite," Otogi mumbled. Marik blinked.
"Well, um, thanks, I guess," he said uncomfortably. Otogi smiled at him again, then Marik left, leaving Otogi alone in the room.
-
The next morning, Otogi was awoken by someone shaking his shoulder.
"Hey," said a deep voice. "Hey, wake up, baka," it said again. Otogi groaned and turned over.
"Five more minutes," he mumbled, half-awake. He heard someone sigh with annoyance and then he heard footsteps. The person returned.
"Wake up," the voice said. Otogi didn't listen.
"It hasn't been five minutes," he grunted. He suddenly gasped as ice-cold water was dumped onto him, along with a few ice cubes. He let out a yelp of surprise and jumped out of the bed, only to see Marik smirking at him triumphantly.
"Good," the yami said.
"No fair!" Otogi whined through chattering teeth.
"I warned you. What's your name, anyway?" Marik asked, putting the pitcher away.
"Um, it's Ryuuji Otogi. You can call me Otogi, though," he replied.
"Alright. Anyway, those people you hang out with are going to watch the duel in a bit," Marik said, tossing a kitchen towel to Otogi. "Dry off and leave."
"Er, thanks for letting me stay here," Otogi said quickly, drying his hair.
"Whatever." Marik left the room swiftly. Otogi hurried out and to the top of the blimp where he saw Isis and Kaiba getting ready to duel.
Otogi paid no attention to the duel, only thinking about Marik. He wondered, what would the yami do if he did have friends? Would he value his life, rather than want to throw it all away?
-
Otogi watched in horror and awe as Marik was sucked into either the Shadow Realm or Hell, it was hard to tell. Yami stood, victorious, and Malik was free again. Of course, Otogi felt that it was unfair that Marik lost. He would have won the duel if Rishid hadn't interfered.
But all the same, he congratulated Yami, though it was very half-hearted, and they returned to Domino. Otogi decided to just go back home. No one noticed his depressing aura, even as he left them.
Five years passed by slowly, during that time Yami and Bakura both went to the Afterlife, Jou hooked up with Kaiba, and Yugi went to college to study Egyptology. Anzu had finally went to America to study dance, Honda joined the army, and Ryou made it to the top of the "Best Sellers" list in six different countries with his book. Otogi continued to work on his games until he became the owner of the hottest game company in the world.
Yet Otogi was still depressed.
He didn't care about the money he was making, he cared about Marik. All he wanted to do was see the yami one last time…
He sighed softly one morning, staring at the calendar sadly. Today marked the anniversary of Marik's disappearance. Otogi fondled the ten-sided dice in his hand and then stared at them.
"A roll of the dice," he mumbled, reminiscing that day only five years ago. "The higher the number, the bigger chance I'll get to…to see Marik again. Double-zero means zero-percent, double-nine means ninety-nine percent. Red dice represents the tens column, white represents the ones column."
He rolled the dice onto the table. They clattered together, rolled over a few times, and finally the white die stopped moving. Soon afterwards, the red one stopped. Both were nines.
Otogi gasped, staring at the dice in disbelief. But then again, it was only a couple of dice, nothing more. No matter what number landed up, it would still mean nothing.
But still, the high number made him feel a bit better, and he decided to take a walk outside. He hadn't done that in a long time, so it would be good for him to get some fresh air.
He strolled through the city slowly, enjoying the warm breeze and the blue sky. It was a very nice day out, one that anyone would enjoy.
Otogi was walking through a slightly crowded part of the city, then he felt a chill go up his spine as someone passed him. He gasped and flicked around, managing to grab the person's shoulder just in time.
"Marik…?" he said softly. The person gasped and flicked around himself, staring at Otogi.
"Otogi!" he exclaimed. It really was Marik! "Where have you been?"
"Speak for yourself! How did you get back?" Otogi asked and walked with Marik to the nearest coffee shop so they could speak in a more private area.
"I managed to get out by quickly calling on the powers of the Millennium Rod, just before I could get sucked into the Shadow Realm," Marik said softly. "I popped up here in Domino, so I decided to stay."
"I see," Otogi said, thankful that Marik had gotten away just in time.
"Hey, um, remember when you wished me luck in the Battle City finals?" Marik brought up. Otogi nodded.
"Yeah," he replied. "Why?"
"Um, thanks again. It…it really helped," Marik mumbled, taking a sip of his coffee. Otogi smiled.
"Sure, no problem," he said. They sat in silence for a little bit, Otogi staring longingly at Marik. Now that he was back, the green-eyed man was happier than ever. He smiled slightly, dirty thoughts suddenly filling his head. A blush covered his face and his nose bled slightly. Marik obviously noticed this.
"Um, Otogi? What are you thinking about?" he asked. Otogi snapped out of his thoughts and wiped his nose with a napkin.
"N-nothing! Nothing at all!" he replied quickly, blushing more than ever. Of course, he had been actually thinking of feeling Marik inside of him, both moving together at the same time. Marik raised one eyebrow. He suddenly smirked.
"Ah, subconscious needs getting to you? Pervert," he said teasingly, sipping his coffee.
"Am not!" Otogi whined.
"Then explain that nosebleed." Marik pointed at Otogi's nose with a grin.
"Um, well, the air in here is really, really dry, that's all!" he said quickly, blushing even more.
"Yeah, right," Marik said with a chuckle. "I bet you have a crush on a girl! C'mon, tell me about her, then." Otogi blinked.
"Uh, no, not really," he said softly, suddenly sad. Marik would hate him if he told him the truth. Marik blinked at him.
"Are you alright?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. Otogi forced a smile.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. They finished their coffee in silence, then walked out of the small café. "Want to come over to my place?" Otogi offered, smiling. "You know, just so we can get to know each other a bit better?" Marik smiled back.
"Sure, why not?" he asked. They walked to Otogi's house and sat in the living room, chatting.
"…So then this guy asked me if I was insane when I told him that I was Malik's shadow, and I just said that the police were behind him. He looked like a criminal, you know? Anyway, he actually turned around and ran off. That was when I called the police, so…yeah," Marik said. Otogi laughed slightly.
"And did the police actually catch him?" Marik nodded.
"Yeah. It was on the news. I kinda figured that he was trying to kill Malik, since he asked me if I knew him." Otogi nodded.
"I see." Marik sighed softly, leaning back in the couch.
"Hey, Otogi? I dunno if you remember, but sorry for calling you and all your friends idiots when I took control of Malik," he said.
"It's not a big deal, really," Otogi said with a smile. "But why are you apologizing? I thought that you hated the word 'sorry.'"
"I guess I changed my mind. When some people, worthless people, say it, they're just doing it to save their lives. Believe me, I know. But other people, people who are kind and really care for someone apologize, even for little things, they really mean it. And I don't want to think that everyone is worthless, especially those I care for."
"Oh? Like who?" Otogi asked.
"I met a lot of great people during the past five years. They said that they knew me from the Battle City duels, since it was broadcasted world-wide," Marik said.
"What? I didn't see any cameras," Otogi said, confused.
"Yeah, that's because Kaiba hid them. He must've not wanted anyone to be nervous about looking stupid on TV while they were dueling, so they could give their best effort. It makes sense, too. I mean, he wanted everyone to know that he was better than the pharaoh. I bet he was pissed when he lost." Marik laughed, grinning.
"Wow. So, did they think you were all insane and stuff at first?" Otogi asked. Marik laughed again.
"Actually, no. They thought that I should have won the tournament and that I was obviously the best duelist. But hey, I'm modest, so I kept insisting that I wasn't," he replied. Otogi chuckled.
"Modest? Yeah, right," he said with a grin. Marik just grinned back, then looked at the time.
"I should get going. It's quite late," he said softly. Otogi wanted him to stay a bit longer, but he escorted Marik to the door anyway.
"Wait a second," Otogi said, listening carefully. He peered out the window and saw a huge hoard of people outside, looking angry. "Oh, crap. They're protesting again." He scowled.
"Protesting what?" Marik asked.
"The governor. The capitol's only a block away from here. This happens every month or so, and usually the police get involved. It's usually pretty dangerous," he explained.
"I see. How long do they last?"
"Hours." They paused, staring out the window. "Wanna stay the night?" Otogi offered.
"Maybe that would be best," Marik muttered.
"Alright. There's a guest room upstairs that you can use," Otogi said, smiling. Marik thanked him and they walked upstairs. Both bid each other a good night and went to bed.
-
Marik wasn't asleep that night. For one thing, the shouts of the protesters were keeping him awake. But the thoughts of Otogi that filled his head kept him wide awake, as if he had just drunk ten cups of coffee. He sighed softly and got up, staring out the door into Otogi's room.
The two doors were placed right across from each other, and the beds were placed so they could see each other's faces. Marik gazed at Otogi as he lied in the moonlight, looking so peaceful. Marik pictured himself holding Otogi in his arms as they slept together. Of course, that was impossible. Otogi would hate him if he told him the truth.
Marik walked out of the room silently, right into Otogi's. He made his way over to the green-eyed man and sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at him as he slept. He brushed a few bangs out of his face and stared at him. Finally, he leaned over carefully and touched his lips to Otogi's as gently as he could.
Otogi's eyes opened just as Marik pulled away from his face.
"Marik?" he mumbled sleepily. "What are you doing in here?" Marik gasped and blushed, but he wanted to tell the truth. He looked away.
"I…was watching you sleep," he forced out. Otogi's eyes widened and he gasped.
"You were?" he asked incredulously. Marik nodded. "What were you doing just now? I saw you pull away from my face…" Marik just blushed even more.
"I…I kissed you." Otogi stared at him in disbelief.
"Am I dreaming?" he wondered aloud and sat up. "Marik, tell me that I'm not dreaming."
"You're not dreaming," Marik said, confused. Otogi grinned and pulled Marik into a tight hug, causing the yami to gasp. "Otogi!" he exclaimed as the green-eyed man nuzzled him.
"Do you love me?" he asked in a murmur. Marik hesitated.
"Yes," he replied.
"I love you too, Marik," Otogi whispered, still grinning. Marik gasped and also grinned, wrapping his arms around Otogi tightly.
"Otogi…why didn't you tell me in the first place?" he asked.
"Because I thought that you'd hate me," Otogi replied. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I thought that you'd hate me," Marik answered, grinning. Otogi smiled and sat up next to Marik. They gazed into each other's eyes, then pulled together to kiss each other gently.
Marik smiled and held Otogi in his arms, lying down on the bed.
"I love you, Otogi," he murmured, stroking Otogi's hair. Otogi smiled and kept his arms around Marik gently.
"I love you too, Marik," he murmured back. Both stayed this way for the night, holding each other in their arms.
End
Mew: I wish that I could have ended this better… -sigh-
Draiku: -snore…-
Mew: …anyway, like I said, it had a weird couple. I warned you. –insert horror movie music here- But still, I kinda like this couple. –grin-
Yoko: Please R&R! We love hearing your thoughts!