But the Memories Still Burn
"I can't believe you're flying back to Egypt tomorrow!" Yugi exclaimed as they descended the stairs.
"I know…it seems like just yesterday Battle City began…" sighed Marik. "I just wish I hadn't come to Domino for the reasons I did." The two boys approached the cryptic stone which glowed from the decorative exhibit lighting. "The Tablet of the Pharaoh's Memories. This is the first time I've been able to appreciate it for what it really is. To me it had always been a reminder of my life of restrain and despair as a tombkeeper, but now I can finally see it as the tool with which the pharaoh will unlock the mysteries of the past 5000 years and at long last be at ease."
Yugi reflected on this idea. He's right. The pharaoh will finally be at rest soon, but what exactly does that mean? He'll have no reason to be here anymore, but would he leave? Where would he go? How could he just leave me here? He means everything to me. If it weren't for him, I'd still be the kid with no friends, who always got beat up by bullies and cast aside. I can't imagine life without him…But no, now's not the time to be thinking about this. Today is about Marik, and I'll do anything I can to make leaving Domino easier for him. "So, is seeing the museum all you wanted to do today? There are lots of shops in town and even an arcade. Is this really the only thing you wanted to see?"
"Yeah, hard to believe, right? I've been around this stuff all my life, and yet here I am. I finally escaped Egypt and the tomb; I went to a whole new country, and on my last day here all I want to do is stare at this giant rock," he chuckled at his own inanity. Besides it doesn't really matter what I do today. After tomorrow, I'll just be back in Egypt with Ishizu and Odion. Nothing will really have changed. All I've done is cause people trouble and pain. I mean, most of them are back from the Shadow Realm and seem to bear no ill will against me, it was my dark half that sent them there after all, but I can't help but feel terrible for what I've done. And there's one person who hasn't returned. Bakura. He may still want to destroy the pharaoh, but I still…he and I…that one night on the blimp…It kills me that I'll never see him again. Going back to Egypt will be for the best. Staying here would just make me always think of him. There's nothing I can do about it anymore. My darker side may be gone and so is Bakura…
For a long time they just stared blankly into the tablet, lost in their own thoughts. The room seemed to grow smaller, darker, colder, though it remained undisturbed. Nothing but the two teens drowning in their sorrows, unsure of what their futures hold. But there was one thing they both knew, that in the end they'd both be alone, deprived of the one person in each of their lives they loved above all else.
Marik was the first to break the silence, unable to hold in his thoughts any longer. "Yugi, I'm tired of being alone. I was alone in the tomb, and I'm alone now. I'll probably be alone forever."
Yugi looked up and saw the tears welling up in the taller boy's eyes. "But you're not alone. I'm here now and your brother and sister will be with you in Egypt." He took Marik's hand and held it between both of his own. "So please, don't cry."
Marik wiped away the tears with his free hand. Moved by the small boy's encouragement, he leaned down and lightly kissed him. Yugi let go of his friend's hands and wrapped his arms around Marik's neck. He's the only person as lonely as I am right now. I'll do whatever is takes to make him feel better and maybe fill this void I have too. He pressed into Marik, deepening the kiss. The taller boy let his tongue glide into Yugi's mouth as he put his arms around the shorter boy's waist and gathered him into an even tighter hold. He couldn't help but believe that with the greater force he pulled, the more he'd be able to feel someone there with him, and the better the loneliness would subside. But they both knew this wouldn't be enough.
Yugi melted into Marik's embrace and allowed his tongue to entangle with the Egyptian's. In time Marik brought his hands lower, desperately undoing Yugi's belt which caught the boy slightly off-guard. He pulled his lips away for a moment and caught Marik's eyes. They were filled with a mix of tears and regret. Yugi recognized this feeling of despair and let his eyes drop to his Millennium Puzzle. I'm sorry Yami, he thought as he lifted the chain over his head and tossed the puzzle gently aside.
Marik tenderly lowered Yugi and laid him on the floor. Then he knelt astride over the younger boy's waist. He quickly stripped him of his trousers and swiftly removed his own, tossing them aside. He returned his lips to Yugi's, one hand in the boy's spiky hair, the other cradling his cheek. Yugi closed his eyes and inhaled Marik's sweet scent. Mmmm he smells nice. Is that cinnamon? Or maybe gingerbread, he pondered. It didn't really matter though. The figure above him wasn't his yami. The sting of loneliness only intensified without his puzzle hanging from his neck, but he tried his best to focus his attention on the caramel-colored boy who was kissing him.
Marik moved his tongue to Yugi's neck. One hand resting on the boy's chest, Marik let the other glide down his torso and curve around to settle in the small of his back. Yugi jolted at the touch and gripped the older boy's tan, muscular arm. Marik, who had still been sucking at and caressing the spiky-haired boy's neck with his tongue, pulled back to reposition himself. This isn't anything like that night. He was on top. I don't even know what I'm doing here…Maybe if I just try to be as gentle as he was with me…
He knelt down and positioned himself between Yugi's legs which he wrapped around his own waist. He planted his hands on the small boy's hips, looking back at his face one last time and receiving a solemn nod of consent. With that the blond slid into the spiky-haired youth who winced upon the initial discomfort. Hearing the pained cry, Marik panicked and moved to pull out.
"No, it's fine. Keep going," Yugi said reassuringly, taking Marik's hand and squeezing it. So the tan boy pressed back into the pale one, trying to start a rhythm. Beads of sweat perspired from his forehead as he increased the pace of his thrusting hips. Yugi periodically gasped and released muffled moans as Marik haphazardly varied his aim and by chance hitting the right spot. The tan teen, try as he might, could not keep his mind or heart in this endeavor. This isn't at all the same. We shouldn't even be doing this; it isn't fair to Yugi. And what would Bakura think? Sleeping with the enemy? But Yugi's not my enemy anymore. He's my friend. So, maybe things really did work out for the best… But he kept moving, awkwardly in and out. The affair made the room feel a bit lighter and brighter, just enough relief to numb the sharp pains of guilt, loneliness, and regret, but as climax ensued, the heaviness returned to the air.
Marik rolled off his companion to lie next to him, and the two boys sighed. Yugi took his friend's hand and squeezed again to comfort him, as if to say what they had just done was nothing to be ashamed of.
"I'll miss you, Marik. I want you to know that I don't blame you for anything you may have done because of your yami, and I will always consider you my friend. I wish you the best of luck back in Egypt," Yugi said, managing to crack a smile.
Marik beamed back, and the two hugged, holding each other tightly. "Thanks, Yugi. I made the greatest and only friends I've ever had here in Domino, and I'll miss all of you. I may have made some mistakes, but now that it's all over, I still don't regret coming here. If I hadn't, I never would have met the people that I will hold closest to my heart forever." He squeezed Yugi's hand one last time before sitting up and redressing.
The shorter boy remained still, sitting on the floor until Marik was fully dressed and crossed the room to the stairs. The taller blond turned around and said gravely, though forcing a grin, "Goodbye, Yugi."
"Goodbye, Marik," the tri-colored boy replied, looking up to watch his friend ascend the stairs. Once the Egyptian was gone, the boy's eyes fell back on the puzzle lying in the corner. He crawled over and picked it up. For several moments, he just held the gold ornament in his hands, staring at it before finally lifting the chain over his head. As the puzzle hung from his neck once again, he felt uplifted. I may not have you with me forever, but I do for now and I intend to take full advantage of that. Right now is all that matters. We'll tackle tomorrow when we come to it. Together. He smiled and redressed. Taking one last look at the stone tablet on the wall, he thought again, Together. He ascended the stairs and slowly made his way back to the game shop, reflecting on recent events and looking to the future.
As Marik wandered the streets of Domino, his mind wandered through his memories. He thought of his new friends, his past demons, and his lost love. The image of the pale, fluffy-haired man, smiling warmly above him that one night on the KaibaCorp blimp, was carved into the back of his eyelids, always there when he shut his eyes. He wondered how long the pain would last. I really hope not forever. Life's not worth living if I feel like this. With this ember burning a hole through my heart as if it were paper. Today may have stifled the flame, but the ember still persists. How will I get through this? He sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. The sun was setting and it began to rain as trudged his way to the hotel where his brother and sister were waiting for him, with open arms but dense hearts, oblivious of the turmoil he still suffered though his dark side was gone.