a/n: so as I was going through my mountain of notebooks the other day I found two excerpts that I meant to put in SPL but I completely forgot about them. So I decided, why not turn them into their own little drabble? Hope you enjoy. Remember, reviews are treasured~
Bakura tried not to watch him. Really, he tried. But the blaring of the television just couldn't catch his eye the way Mariku could.
The Egyptian sat on the opposite end of the couch from him, his back against the armrest and his legs outstretched so his feet were piled in Bakura's lap. In his hands, a book on ancient myth that had had him enthralled completely for a good portion of the evening. It was interesting at the least to see a person (could Mariku even been referred to as such? And on that note, could Bakura?) known for being so loud, so unchained, so violent and so disgustingly cruel relaxed and doing something as leisurely as reading. Mariku turned into a creature more childlike than demonic when unprovoked.
Under old, faded circumstances, Bakura might have been downright disgusted at the way Mariku could drop his guard so carelessly, like it was an unneeded luxury he didn't have the time to concern himself with; useful, but entirely unnecessary. Bakura wasn't sure he understood that in its entirety.
But then, Bakura believed he had forgotten how to drop his guard long ago. Life as a child beggar turned fearsome King of Thieves could diminish such an ability with ease. And do so it had.
Even now, Bakura was guarded. On edge. Because the silence Mariku was giving him was uncommon, and the result was Bakura's paranoid mind to switch into overdrive.
Ridiculous, he concluded, scolding himself. Mariku was causing no harm. No ulterior motive was hidden with those eyes too focused on scanning ancient words to glare or scheme. Bakura was just unused to the idea of someone not having ill thoughts just begging to be utilized. And that's when it hit him like a fist square in the gut.
He himself had no ulterior motive. No reason to let this man into his home or into his life.
In the beginning it had been all about the sex, and sure, it was still about that, but there was something else.
Bakura truly enjoyed the other man's company. He could only assume the feeling was mutual given the others laid back behavior around him. It was both comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time for Bakura. Maybe because this kind of relaxed companionship was so... foreign.
As his eyes began to slip shut he decided this was a thought process for another time, maybe even for another day. He let himself slip into slumber.
Mariku, however, read for another half hour before he put his book down with a content sigh and took notice that Bakura was fast asleep. He smiled softly and leaned back further and listened to rain outside. He stayed that way for a few minutes before he became rather restless.
So he slipped away to stand on the balcony of Ryou and their's apartment. Rain was pouring and little droplets kissed his tan skin. He closed his eyes and felt himself relax. So he relaxed that he didn't know that Bakura had slipped out behind out behind him. Damn that thief and his sly sneakiness.
Mariku looked at him. Bakura looked back. Neither said a word. Bakura just stepped forward and linked arms with him, laying his head on Mariku's shoulder. Mariku sighed again, peacefully in this moment. And Bakura decided that maybe he could get used to these foreign concepts.
Concepts such as love.