Yami knew it all along, but he didn't want to admit it. So he tried to lie to himself, tell himself that it never were, and never would be true. The only reason he always took over when Marik were around, simply were because he didn't dare to let Yugi near the one whom had tried to kill them so many times. But he would never be as good a liar as Bakura, he was in fact horrible at lying for himself, so he wasn't as surprised as he should have been once Yugi asked him if he loved Marik.

Why did he like Marik though? He allowed himself to wonder about that once Yugi had asked him, he did after all have no reason to deny it once he had admitted it to his own partner. But he still didn't understand why. As a Pharaoh he had needed not only to see the details but also understand them before he took his decisions, and even if he couldn't remember much about his past was that one of the things which remained in his nature. He needed to understand why, before he could tell himself that there was nothing wrong with loving the ex-tomb keeper, and maybe even hope that he loved him back.

The first thing Yami to note of was the fact that Marik was a childish brat, whom could lie as well as a high-class thief could, even though he no longer where the insane person that had tried to kill them back and battle city, and Yami was sure that he wouldn't lie to him about anything serious, unless that thing was for the sake of keeping his freedom. Marik seemed to love his freedom more than anything, and Yami had to be a bit impressed over how much Marik valued it and would do for it. Yami had used most of his life sitting still on a throne, always bound by the burden of his whole country depending on him, and later on bound by the constant emptiness where his memories should have been, calling to him, telling him to hurry and get them back, to delicate everything he had to that one task.

Where Yami had cared about his servants and lived for his people, had Marik simply thrown his slaves away the very moment they hindered him.

Whenever Joey and Tristan succeeded in getting them to go to a party, would Yami sit in the back of Yugis mind and observe the crowd, whereas Marik shamelessly would small-talk himself to get and other drink for free, and yet somehow maintained his dignity, and then he would dance with movements Yami wished he knew how to dance next to.

Marik was as observant as Yami self, but he never really showed it and would simply act like a big child most of the time, which could be ever so annoying when something didn't go his way, but yet was the way he would pout or his eyes would light up in excitement was ever so cute.

Sometimes when they were alone would Marik take his shirt off for Yami so he once again could run his fingers over those horrible scars which was his only clue to his memories, but he did no longer do it as much for the memories as for the sake as feeling that sun loved skin underneath his fingertips .

He found it a bit funny how Marik dressed with all that gold which faintly reminded him of a Pharaohs clothing, and yet always seemed to wear modern clothing, in a way that made the two things seemed like they were made to be worn together.

He found it funny how Marik still seemed to struggle with reading and writing in modern words, but had no problem with hieroglyphs, and yet always managed to know ever so much about the wonder called modern technology.

And he guessed that the reason he liked Marik was the contrast between them, and the way that Marik seemed to be made both from the past which Yami yearned so much for, and the 'now' which Yami wished he truly could live in.

Yeah, that sounded like an acceptable enough reason for him, but he decided that he didn't need to let Marik know his feelings. He had no idea how Marik would react to it, and he did rather like the respect Marik sometimes gave Yami, just like a tomb keeper should for his Pharaoh, and yet seemed to have no problem randomly would push Yami in the lake when they walked in the park – which normally would result in Yami then Pulling Marik self in as well, later giving the excuse that Yugi had wanted him to. And there was no way that he would risk all their hour long verbal fights, which mostly ended in them both laughing once they realized how silly their arguments had gotten.

No, he would certainly not risk that, so he guessed he could live a bit longer without tasting those tempting lips.