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Chapter Seven

The fact that I'm oblivious has nothing to do with me.

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Marik's eyes met with mine immediately and we both stopped, him on the final step, about five feet away and me, with my hand on the jamb of the bathroom door. Ryou bumped into me and looked over my shoulder while wondering aloud what I was looking at. He gasped upon seeing his yami approaching behind mine. Bakura looked at us both with his eyebrow immediately raised.

Marik, however, spoke first. "So, it's true, you two are screwing."

"What?" I shouted. "That's not true!"

His eyes narrowed at me a bit and that was more than a little scary but hopefully I didn't show my cowardice. I could hear Ryou breathing behind me and I wished he would say something but then I realized he and Bakura were staring blankly at each other and thought then that they must be using their link. I heard a faint growl from Bakura and a little whimpering noise from Ryou.

Suddenly, Ryou pouted and said, "You're so gross, Bakura."

"I'm gross? Look who's shagging his best friend!"

"I'm not!"

Bakura glared at the two of us.

I sweat dropped and raised my hands to lower the tension building. "Wait a minute, this is not what it looks like. And hold on, just who are you two to judge? You two take showers together, right?" I frowned then, remembering. "Why should you look down on us?"

Marik blinked, as did Bakura.

Ryou nodded, he said, "That's right, so just you shush, Bakura."

It was obvious that Bakura did not like being told to shush or at least not in front of Marik (I doubted I really mattered to him). Bakura ignored Ryou's last comment and tried to validate his and Marik's disgust and distaste for us showering together by saying, "W-Well, you know, we don't do it this way!"

Ryou and I looked at each other.

"And what way are we doing it?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Marik turned to Bakura with a raised eyebrow, seeming to be interested in the answer as well.

Bakura was silent for a moment or two while he gathered his thoughts. "You… well, you… you both just took a shower but you smell like sex!"

Marik, to my surprise, seemed to momentarily believe this and sniffed the air lightly in our direction. Out of conformity, I sniffed my arm though, after I did it, I wondered if after sex your arms can smell that way. Unless Kama Sutra positions were involved, I couldn't see it and certainly not in the shower. I felt rather dumb for going along with it when Ryou said, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, Bakura. Stop your silliness, Malik and I only took a shower together and you're just jealous because you—"

"Shut up, Ryou!"

"Don't tell him to shut up," I wanted to shout but instead it came out more like a squeaky plea.

Bakura cocked his head at me, I guess I sounded dumb to him.

Ryou ignored Bakura for a second and looked at Marik. "You can't honestly believe we did anything other than tend our hygienic needs, right, Marik? I know you aren't as stupid as my other half."

"Hey!" Bakura objected.

Marik seemed to scan the scene of us three, take it in, mull it over, and then he shrugged his shoulders and began towards his bedroom. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked on as Bakura rolled his eyes at us and followed Marik, their forms closed and then locked in Marik's bedroom. I wasn't as upset as I normally would have been seeing them go into a locked room because I escaped the possibility of losing my shot—a very microscopic shot, mind you—at Marik.

Ryou wrapped the towel tighter around his waist and went into my room. I followed and shut the door but didn't lock it.

"Can you believe the nerve of those two," Ryou huffed impatiently as he took of his towel on my bed and sat there, nude, legs crossed. He looked at me with sad eyes. "Did that upset you, Malik?"

"A little," I nodded. "But it's okay because you fixed it."

Ryou waved the comment away.

"I'm serious! I was so… so stupefied by the accusation that I hadn't a clue what to say except that it wasn't true." I took off my towel as well and let it fall around my ankles. I walked over to my closet, opened it and looked through my clothes. "What do you want to wear to your exam?"

"It doesn't matter, I could sit there in pajamas and take a test."

"Its too cold outside for pajamas." I picked out a red turtle-neck sweater and a pair of slim but thick jeans and threw them over to Ryou.

He began to tug the sweater over his head and mumbled something, repeating it again when I could hear him properly. "You know something I don't understand… is how those two can stay out drinking all night long. And then seem perfectly okay in the morning. No hang-over."

"How do you know they were drinking?" I asked.

"Couldn't you smell it on them?"

"No," I said and thought back to try and recall the smell. "Hey, you know," I said after a moment, "That's probably what Bakura was smelling."

Ryou looked up, having already dressed and was once again sitting on the bed. He started to smile and then laughed out loud, his face turning pink.

I smiled, not really considering what I had said to be funny but there Ryou was, laughing his head off and that made me happy and so I laughed too. I stopped soon though and came over and sat on the bed next to him and leaned my head on his shoulder. His laughter had died down to titters and he kissed my forehead.

I thought of something and looked up at him. "Hey, Ryou?"

"Yes?"

"You know when you were telling Bakura off when he said we smelled like sex… you said he was jealous because and then he cut you off. Why do you think he's jealous?"

Ryou shifted uncomfortably.

"… Ryou?"

"Ummm. Oh, look at the time!" Ryou looked at his wrist which held no watch. He started to get up and headed for the door. "I'll be late for my exam if I don't skedaddle!"

"B-But Ryou!" I got up and hurried after him and he went down the stairs. "Wait a minute, it's only… it's not even eight o' clock yet!" I caught a glimpse of the kitchen clock as I found Ryou in the living room, putting on his coat by the door.

"Thanks for the clothes, Malik," he was talking fast, "I'll wash them before returning, as I always do." He winked and went to open the door.

"Ryou…"

He stopped, his hand on the doorknob. His shoulders dropped and he turned a bit to see me standing by the couch, a forlorn and confused look on my face. He turned around fully and walked towards me, cupping my cheek with his hand and gave me a very small peck on the lips, something he rarely ever does. I was a bit surprised by it actually.

"What's wrong?" I asked, "Did I do something?"

"No, of course not. It's just…"

"Just what?"

"Well, it's a bit of a secret. I really wasn't going to say it aloud when we were arguing, I just wanted to scare him a bit."

"Oh," I blinked. I wasn't sure how I felt about Ryou keeping secrets from me but I could understand having a secret with his other half. Identify, no. Understand, yes. "Well," I said slowly, "that's alright. You don't have to tell me, I was just curious. Don't worry about it."

"Oh, Malik."

"But you don't have to rush out, I won't push the subject or anything like that. Please stay."

"Oh, Malik!" Ryou cried out and threw his arms around my neck, nuzzling his face into my chest. "Thank you for understanding! I can't believe how lucky I am to be blessed with such a caring and sweet friend!"

I blushed and sweat dropped. "Really, it's no problem."

Ryou leaned off of me and began to unbutton his coat. As he threw it onto the linoleum by the door, he said to me, "What shall we do?"

I thought for a moment and my eyes wandered directly above us where Marik's bedroom. I glared at the ceiling. "Maybe we should go somewhere or something. I don't want to be here when the bedsprings start to bounce."

Ryou let out a guffaw, "Malik!"

"It's true."

"It is not true, you silly thing. They aren't having sex. They're probably playing video games or going on porn sites."

"Why go into a porn website when you have a live playboy right in front of you?"

There was a pause, during which Ryou scratched his head thoughtfully. "You're right."

"Wah!"

He giggled, "Oh, hush. I'm kidding. Look, if you're that worried about it, let's go investigate."

"What?"

"Yeah, come on." Ryou took me by the hand and led me up the staircase. He ignored my cries of protest and soon we were at Marik's door. We both knew it was locked but we sat at it anyway and Ryou leaned up against it until his ear was pressed against the crack.

"Hear anything?" I asked, suddenly very interested.

"Well… I hear talking… that's a good sign, right?"

"How?"

"Normally, if you're having sex, there really isn't much conversation."

"… Really?"

Ryou looked at me.

I blushed. "I mean, yes, of course… Ahem. What do you think they're talking about?"

Ryou slowly turned back to the door. "Well… I don't really know." He pressed his ear harder and I could tell he was straining to hear. "Um… I think it just stopped."

"What did?"

"The talking, silly."

"What does that mean?"

Ryou nodded thoughtfully. "It could mean foreplay has begun."

My eyes watered.

Ryou giggled so hard, his hands flew up to his mouth to stop them. Maybe so Marik and Bakura wouldn't hear him. "Y-You're so silly!" he laughed. I didn't think it was funny at all but I did let out a titter when Ryou went tumbling backwards as a result of the door opening. Bakura was standing there, a raised eyebrow at both of us.

He grunted and walked past us to the stairwell.

Ryou blinked and called after him, "Are you heading home, 'Kura?"

"No," he replied blankly.

Ryou and I shrugged at each other.

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