Mew: Yet another Marik x Malik one! I bet you're sick of my Marik x Malik stories by now. -laughs stupidly-

Draiku: I sure am.

Mew: Your opinion isn't valid.

Draiku: -sweatdrops-

Mew: Anyway...if I screwed anything up (since I didn't see the entire Duel Tower series sorta thing) don't be afraid to correct me. So...yeah. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Love and Hate

Malik glared accusingly at his yami, who was currently dueling with Mai.

"Damn you, Marik!" he yelled, then he turned around and pouted. "Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit. Fuck him to Hell." He scowled and then realized that the duel had finished. Marik stood victorious, grinning at the fools in front of him.

"Idiots. Well, see you soon, pharaoh," Marik spat. He flicked around, his cape billowing from the quick movement, and walked away and to his room on the blimp.

Malik tried to contact someone for help for almost an entire hour, but finally he gave up and went to his room to sleep. When he entered, he saw Marik sitting on a large seat and reading calmly. He was wearing reading glasses, making him look almost…harmless? No, that wasn't the word, he looked…cute? Docile? Sane?

It was unbelievable that just one little change in appearance could change Malik's view of Marik entirely. Marik had even taken off the cape, making him look even less dangerous.

The yami looked up and saw Malik staring at him with large eyes.

"Hikari? What do you want?" he asked, suddenly annoyed. Malik blinked. Marik's tone of voice had even changed. He didn't even sound insane, and his eyes had changed dramatically. They weren't dead and soulless like they were before, but alive and bright. He looked just like a normal person, minus the spiked up hair.

"Why do you look so different!" Malik demanded suddenly. Marik blinked.

"What do you mean? I've always looked like this," he replied calmly.

"Nuh-uh! You looked all insane and all that crap earlier, when you were dueling! What the hell happened!" Malik yelled.

"Oh, that," Marik said dully. "Well, I have to kinda put up an act, see, so I can intimidate everyone so it'll be easier to duel. People don't think clearly when they're afraid," he explained. "Besides, as a tomb keeper, I need to test the pharaoh in order to see if he's even worthy to hold all three gods."

"Wha-huh?" Malik said dumbly.

"Don't you know how to read the scriptures on your back? It says that we're supposed to test the pharaoh on bravery, skill, strategy, and care. If he passes those four things, then he can have the Winged Dragon of Ra."

"I can't even see my own back, you idiot!"

"Well, unlike you, I stood in front of a mirror, then used a hand mirror to read it," he replied. "I also need to give my life to the pharaoh, so my soul can enter the Winged Dragon of Ra. That is, if he's worthy. My soul will be the final piece of the puzzle, and he'll be able to access his memories from thousands of years ago."

"Nani? I thought that you hated the pharaoh," Malik said suspiciously.

"True, since I have to practically kill myself for him! It really isn't fair, but still, if I don't do it, then the gods will punish the both of us." He looked back to his book and turned the page, his eyes going back and forth as he read. Malik felt his heart skip a beat and his face turned red. He stared at Marik's lips and subconsciously licked his own, imagining himself kissing those lips.

He snapped out of his thoughts, blushing even more. He growled and glared at Marik.

"What is it?" Marik asked, noticing the sudden change in mood.

"I was not admiring you just now! I hate you with a passion, and I can't wait until you die!" he yelled, pointing at Marik. With that said, he ran out of the room and disappeared down the hallway. Marik blinked twice, contemplating what Malik had said. He suddenly smiled knowingly and chuckled softly to himself.

"Well, good for you, Malik," he murmured and looked up at the ceiling, smiling.

-

Malik sat at the end of the hallway, contemplating to himself. True, he did believe that Marik was extremely handsome when he wasn't acting insane and such, but still, Marik had stolen his body without even asking permission. Okay, that sounded stupid, but still!

Then again, Marik seemed to know exactly what he was supposed to do when he encountered the pharaoh. Malik had had no clue about it. And he didn't even know how he was supposed to put his soul into the Winged Dragon of Ra card. Hell, he didn't even know that he was supposed to test the pharaoh and then die if the pharaoh passed!

Malik bit his lip, thinking hard about it. Marik had also said that if he didn't risk his own life for the pharaoh, then he and Malik both would be punished. But what did that mean? Was Marik doing this for himself, or both him and Malik? It was very confusing.

But if Marik was doing this for the both of them, and if Yami passed the tests, then that meant that he cared for Malik…right? Malik held his head and sighed. He needed to ask Marik himself in order to find out.

When he returned to his room, Marik was gone. He blinked, wondering where he was, then sat on the bed and lied back tiredly. He waited for Marik to return, and once he did Malik sprang up and hurried in front of him.

"Marik, I need to ask you something important," he said.

"What is it?" Marik asked.

"Do you…do you care about me?" Malik asked nervously. Marik smiled warmly at him.

"Of course I do, Malik. You're my hikari, and I love you," he said gently. Tears welled in Malik's eyes and he cried softly. He dived into Marik's arms and cried happily into his vest. Marik hugged him gently and stroked the back of his head.

"Thank you," Malik hissed. "I…I was wrong about you. I'm sorry. And I love you too." They pulled away for a second and gazed at each other, Malik through his still tear filled eyes, Marik through kind, caring ones. They pulled into a loving kiss and soon found themselves together in bed, stripped of their clothing.

-

Many hours passed and finally, it was time for Marik to duel the pharaoh. Malik couldn't believe that Marik chose to use him in the duel so that every time Marik lost some life points, Malik would suffer. Malik managed to contact him near the end of the duel, just before the pharaoh used his winning card.

"I can't believe that you'd do this! I…I thought that you loved me, Marik! I thought that you actually cared for me! I…I hate you!" he mentally yelled at his yami. Marik looked up at him one last time, his eyes filled with sadness, and Malik watched as Marik was killed by the simultaneous attack of all of Yugi's monsters.

There was a flash of golden light, so bright that Malik had to turn away, and no one noticed a golden orb fly up into the sky, and then fly back towards the blimp and right into the Winged Dragon of Ra card.

Finally, the light died down and everyone stared up at Marik's floating eye. Marik stared at Malik pleadingly, but Malik didn't even look at him.

"Malik, please, attack him with Ra and we can rule together! Please, listen to me! I beg of you!" he said, loudly enough for everyone to hear. Then, he added quietly, so only Malik could hear, "We could live together forever, Malik. Forever, with no one to tear us apart. Please. I really do love…" But Malik wasn't listening. He cut Marik off with words sharp enough to cut your ears off.

"You lied to me, said that you loved me, and that you cared for me. And I actually believed you. I actually thought that you were telling the truth, but in the end, it was all a lie. You tried to kill me, Marik. I will never forgive you, and I will always hate you." Marik's eyes widened, then closed halfway, and he stared into Malik's eyes.

"Then do as you wish. Hate me if you want to, but I will always love…" Again, Malik cut him off.

"Shut up. Now go to Hell, and stay there forever," Malik hissed. Marik's eye closed as Malik put his hand on top of the duel disk. Malik closed his eyes himself, just as Marik swirled into the darkness. He reopened his eyes, then gave his Millennium Rod and the Ring to the pharaoh, along with the Winged Dragon of Ra.

-

Days slowly passed by, and Malik found himself walking behind the group as Isis led the pharaoh and their friends through the tomb where the final duel would take place. While walking, Malik stepped on something. He blinked, then noticed a Duel Monsters card lying on the ground. He picked it up and stuck it into his pocket, not looking at which one it was.

After the duel, Malik went home with Isis and Rishid. He now lived on the boat he had once used to get to Domino city in order to duel the pharaoh. He lied back on the bed in his room, tired from the day's events. The sound of the water outside was comforting music to his ears, and combined with the slow rocking of the boat and the feel of the bed beneath him almost lulled him to sleep.

If it weren't for the card he had picked up earlier, he surely would have fallen asleep. He reached into his pocket and took it out carefully, then gasped when he saw that it was the Winged Dragon of Ra. Yugi must have dropped it earlier, before the duel took place.

He remembered how Marik combined himself with it and sighed softly, almost sadly. It was true that he missed his yami, but he still hated him for lying.

Malik stroked the edge of the card with a single finger, staring at it for a long while. It had been Marik's favorite card, the yami had told him after that night they spent together. He touched the front of the card with two fingers, and suddenly, the Winged Dragon of Ra began glowing golden. Malik stared at it in awe, and suddenly it flashed so brightly that he was temporarily blind.

He blinked his eyes a moment so he could see again, and when he could, he saw someone standing in front of him, wearing golden armor. Malik gasped. It was Marik! Malik had to resist the urge to get up and pull him into a tight, loving hug. After all, Marik had almost killed him.

"Marik," was all he could say, standing up so he could look into his eyes again, like he did before. Marik smiled at him gently.

"Hello again, Malik," he said softly. Malik blinked, then glared, taking a pace backwards.

"What are you doing here, alive!" he demanded. "I thought that you died!" Marik sighed, a bit sadly.

"Don't you remember? I told you that I would put my soul into the Winged Dragon of Ra," he replied. "That's why I needed the Millennium Ring."

"Then…then why did you try to kill me!" Malik yelled. Marik sighed softly again.

"I'm sorry, truly I am. I had to do that to test the pharaoh's forgiveness. If he forgave you and spared you while destroying me, then he would pass. Of course, I fixed it so that even if he didn't find a way to save you, you'd still survive," he said.

"Why didn't you tell me all of this?" Malik asked, now gently.

"Because I had no time to. I had to come up with that right before the duel started! But I am sorry that I didn't explain it to you during the duel."

"You were too focused on dueling, right?" Marik nodded. "But then…why did you try to kill Yugi, too?"

"I wasn't going to kill him. I made it so he would survive too, just not the pharaoh."

"Oh. I see," Malik mumbled awkwardly.

"Do you…do you forgive me?" Marik asked. Malik gasped.

"Of course I do! Do you…do you still love me, even after I said that I hated you?" he replied. Marik smiled and nodded.

"Of course I do. I'll never stop loving you, no matter what." Malik immediately pulled him into a tight hug, never wanting to let go. Tears welled in his eyes, and suddenly, he was with Marik for the first time again.

"I'm so sorry for being so cruel!" he cried, though it was in a soft voice. Marik smiled at him and stroked the back of his head gently.

"It's alright, my love, don't cry," he murmured. Malik smiled and nuzzled him gently, glad that he was back.

"I love you, Marik," he said softly.

"I love you too, Malik," Marik replied.

And so, Marik and Malik stayed together for the rest of their lives, even when Isis and Rishid found out that Marik had returned. Malik told them what had happened, and they accepted him into their family.

Malik never told Marik that he hated him again. They stayed together, forever, with no one to tear them apart.

End

Mew: Yet another bad ending. -sighs- Oh well.

Draiku: Your endings always suck! -boos Mew-

Mew: -sniffle- You're so cruel. -cries-

Yoko: -watches Draiku be mean to Mew- -sighs- Oh well, some things never change.

Mew and Draiku: WHAT WAS THAT!

Yoko: -sweatdrops- Nothing. Anyway, please R&R!