Paige: -.- My brother has a friend over…
Jess: =.=lll I know.
Paige: DDDX I've been dueling until 3 friggin AM! 3 FRIGGIN AM!
Jess: O_O Y-You okay…?
Paige: -.- I'm going insane…
Jess: *Disclaimer* . . . We don't own Yugioh. . .
Chapter IX
After a long explanation, Bakura sighed. He looked up at Yugi's grandpa, hoping he would have understood what he meant with everything that he'd just had to explain.
Yugi's grandpa nodded once. "Thank you Bakura." he clapped his hands, "There is only one way for this to be cured."
There was a pause when he stared at the two.
"You have to kiss your true love before midnight."
Bakura sat there silently and looked at Marik who was also quiet.
Then, the Egyptian burst out laughing. "Whew…" he said after a minute. "That's funny…"
The old man looked confused. "What's so funny?"
Marik paused. "You can't be friggin' serious. I-I don't even know who that is!"
"Well, you have about… 12 hours to figure that out."
Marik murmured something under his breath then, he got up and walked out.
"Oh, Bakura?" Yugi's grandpa stopped the albino as he was beginning to walk after Marik. The adolescent turned around, his eyebrow raised slightly. "Remember to tell your friend if he finds my magic crystal at the pink pony palace, he should bring it back to me."
Bakura was right about one thing. Yugi's grandfather was a loopy.
Outside the Game Shop, Bakura spotted his tan friend sitting down on the edge of the sidewalk, tossing a rock back and forth between his hands. The overall aura of depression was quickly turning the atmosphere sour. Bakura slowly approached the Egyptian, and sat down beside him.
"Hey," he said awkwardly and gazed out at the traffic whizzing by. Marik merely nodded. After a moment of silence Bakura decided to speak.
"Don't think to much about what he said Marik. After all, you only hit your head. How could that possibly be related to all this magical rubbish."
Marik shrugged and tossed the rock out into the street, narrowly missing a passing car.
"…So, what do I do?"
"…well, I hate to say it, but I guess we'll have to-" Bakura started to say as his friend made eye contact with him. The words 'have to go with what the old geezer said' were caught in his throat has he gazed upon the desperate and confused Marik.
"…I don't know… Marik. We'll have to try something though."
Marik sighed. He didn't want to believe what the old man had told him… Maybe he should just forget about what Yugi's grandpa said, and move on… but, what if this really was the only chance that he had to get ride of the two sides….
Bakura helped Marik up and the two walked along-side each other.
"Fluffy… who do you think my true love is?" Marik asked, twiddling with his fingers.
"I-" Bakura wanted to answer 'me' but, he decided that it might be better if he didn't. "who do you think it is?"
"Hm… I don't know. I haven't exactly been in love before." Marik looked at Bakura. "Well, what's it like to be in love?"
"Um…"
Bakura knew this would be an awkward conversation, since Marik (as you all know) was the one that he was in love with.
"Well… when your around that person you might tend to say things that other times you wouldn't say or get an excited feeling when you know your going to be with that person…"
"How do you know who it is?" Marik asked suspiciously.
"You just… know." Bakura smiled sheepishly after saying so.
"Oh…" Marik's gaze turned to the ground again as they walked.
"So… you're in love then, Fluffy?" Marik questioned after a moment. Bakura glanced away, cursing at how well his emotions would show when around Marik.
"Fluffy?"
"Well… I mean…"
He glanced up at Marik who had now stopped and was staring curiously at the albino.
"…I…"
He wanted to say yes, but something held him back. Marik obviously didn't like him in that sense.. And if he told him that he… well… liked him… what if Marik hated him? That pain would be to much to bear.
After moments of silence Marik smiled and patted his shoulder.
"If you're embarrassed and don't want to tell me, okay. Keep in mind though, I will find out." Marik winked before he started walking again, rendering the albino speechless.
"You coming, Bakura?" he called before propping his head on his arms.
"Urm, yeah. Sorry." he admitted before catching up to the Egyptian.
"So, where should I start looking?" Marik asked after a minute.
"You lost something?" Bakura inquired.
"Yeah, my virginity." Marik muttered sarcastically and rolled his eyes. "No you idiot, my so-called true love."
"Ohh!" Bakura exclaimed before face-palming.
"Honestly…" Marik sighed and put his hands on his hips. "So where do you think they're at?"
"Well, who do you think it is?" Bakura questioned.
"I already said I didn't ,now." Marik answered dully.
"Oh, sorry, I forgot." Bakura was silent for a minute.
"You don't have any idea where I should start, do you?" Marik looked over at Bakura, frowning.
"You haven't given me anything to work with." the albino murmured. "Maybe you should just start kissing random people on the street.
Marik paused for a second.
"That's a great idea!" Marik turned around quickly to begin his kissing spree, but Bakura latched onto his shoulder, pulling him back.
"It was a joke..." Bakura grumbled.
Marik narrowed his eyes. "Then what else do you suppose we do?"
"Is there anyone even close that you think it might be?"
Marik frowned for a second time while he thought. "Well… no…"
"Then, how about we make a list of all the people that you know. And then you can tell me if you like them or not…"
Bakura cleared his throat, and Marik looked at him impatiently.
"Yugi?"
"No."
"Okay… Yami?"
"Ew… no."
"Téa?"
Marik blanched.
"I'll take that as a no." Bakura continued with his list. "Tristan?"
"No…."
"Joey or Kaiba?"
"No and ew…"
"Ryou…?"
"As a friend."
"Finally something other than a no or an ew…" Bakura murmured. "Duke?"
"Who's that?"
"Never mind then." Bakura said, sighing. He tried to think of logical others that could be Marik's 'true love'.
"Mokuba?"
"What the hell!"
"I was kidding…"
They were both silent for a minute… Thinking hard.
"If you're yami… had it's own body… what about him?"
"Him? Nah, he's creepy… Plus that'd be to much like Yami and Yugi's relationship."
Thank God… Bakura thought to himself.
"…Have we named everybody?" Marik asked after a moment.
"Grandpa?" Bakura grinned. Marik punched his arm.
"Okay, Okay, I'll be serious." Bakura smirked He thought a moment and sighed. "I can't think of anymore…"
"Hmm…. Well, You didn't name yourself."
Bakura stopped a moment. Did he hear Marik right?
"Would it had made a difference?" Bakura finally asked.
"Hmm.. Probably not." he grinned without malice.
"Oh. I didn't think so." Bakura did his best to smile, even though it stung.
"How about we go ask the others? Maybe they'll know something…"
"Yeah… okay."
"I think they're at Burger World… They usually are."
"Alright, Marik, let's go…"
The two walked into the Burger World, searching for the others. Finally spotting them, the group was sitting at a table talking amongst themselves. They walked up to them, having to shove their way through the crowded restaurant.
Bakura slammed his hands down at their table. "Who do you think Marik's true love is?"
Téa, Ryou, Joey, Tristan, and Yugi, all looked at him strangely.
Then there was an outbreak of laughter.
Yugi wiped a stray tear that was forming at the edge of his eyes and was the first to speak up.
"We all know there's only one person that can even put up with him."
Bakura frowned. "Who?" Of course, other than himself.
Marik sighed. "You all aren't helping by making us play the guessing game…"
"You shouldn't have to play the guessing game… It's painfully obvious…" Ryou said, grinning sheepishly.
Bakura and Marik looked at each other.
"Who is it?" they said in unison.
Ryou chuckled. "Let's see… the person is somewhere in this room."
Marik looked around the room. "Who…?"
Bakura glanced around, looking for people that talked to Marik other than he's so 'friends' that were being of great use of him right now. But, sadly the room was filled with strangers.
"Well, I hope you guys know it's not one of you." he sneered and waved a finger at Ryou, Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Téa. They all exchanged bemused glances.
"We know that." Téa smiled.
"Would you just ell me! Geez! If not, I'll start asking random strangers in here and they'll think I'm outta some crappy shoujo manga!"
"Marik, stop making a scene, the answers simple." Ryou huffed and glanced at his yami. Marik growled and crossed his arms.
"I'm waiting."
The group of people sighed. Marik was way to dense for his own good.
"Marik, who's the person that's always with you?" Téa asked.
"Me." he answered automatically. Joey hit his head on the table.
"Let's try something else. What makes you feel all fluttery inside?" Yugi questioned, since he knew all about 'love'. Marik thought for a moment.
"Uhm… it's between roller-coasters and killing people…"
Both Tristan and Joey smacked their heads on the table.
"I-I meant a person, Marik. Not an activity."
"Ohhhh!" Marik laughed. "Sorry. Uhm… well, I don't know."
"Let me try…" Tristan butted in. "Who know the most about you?"
"…Me. Or Odion… Maybe Ishizu… yeah, probably her. She's all psycho and stuff."
"At least she ain't as dense as you…" Joey muttered into the table.
Marik grunted.
"Alright Marik. Who do you like bein' around the most? Outta anyone." Joey snapped. Marik thought another moment.
"Well… Fluffy… I guess."
"Good! Now we're finally gettin' somewhere!" Joey grinned a bit. "Now, who helps ya out when ya need it?"
"Um… sometimes Fluffy…"
"And…" Yugi was now smiling. "Who's been with you ever this… whatever this is, started?"
"Bakura…"
"Now, who do you think it is?" Ryou asked.
"I still don't know!" Marik fumed, slamming his fists down on the table.
Bakura, who was blushing furiously next to Marik, knew who they were talking about. He grabbed Marik's arm.
"You're making a scene. C'mon…" he drug his friend out of the fast food restaurant.
"Well, who is it?" Marik asked as they stepped over the threshold.
"It's…" they stopped walking, and Bakura turned around to face the Egyptian.
Me… he thought, feeling the heat come back up to his cheeks.
"What's wrong?" Marik asked, poking Bakura's gut. "Your face is all red."
"Huh? N-No it's not." Bakura defended himself and turned his back to the teen.
"Bakura?" Marik asked with hints of concern. "I don't understand… who is it?"
Bakura didn't answer. He didn't even know how to answer it. If he just bluntly said, Hey Marik! Everyone thinks you love me! Ain't it great!, things definitely wouldn't go well. Finally, after much metal prep time… Bakura opened his mouth to speak.
"… If you… yourself… don't know… then… maybe you don't… have one."
Marik let what the albino said sink in before he spoke.
"But, that's crazy! E-Everyone, ya know, has one… right?" I-If not… then how… how am I…" Marik trailed off.
Bakura clenched his fists together. It's now, or never… he thought to himself. If Marik rejects me, so be it. But… I need to get this through. Bakura took at deep breath before turning to face the Egyptian. He hadn't realized it but, his eyes were clamped shut and he was holding his breath. The former thief had never been this nervous in his life. He opened his eyes to see the Egyptian staring at him curiously.
"Bakura?"
The albino took one more deep breath before finally saying something..
"Marik… I… want you to know… that I… well."
"What is it Fluffy? I haven't got all day! I have til midnight apparently."
"Well… I-"
"Spit it out." Marik cut in.
Bakura rolled his eyes. "I was trying to tell you!" he sneered.
Marik frowned but, didn't make an audible remark.
"I was going to say that.. I wouldn't.. I mean… I think I know who Ryou was talking about.. About who your 'soul mate' was." his voice was beginning to grow quieter.
"Really?" the tanned teen asked. "Tell me!" he grabbed onto Bakura's shoulders and shook him back and forth.
"It's… m…"
Marik looked at him strangely. "Who did you say?"
Bakura sighed. He was speaking so quiet now that the traffic was blocking out his words.
He frowned, unable to contain his slight agitation. "Marik, you bloody igjit, they think it's me!"
Marik stood, look at the albino. Bakura couldn't read his expression.
"Really? You… like me?" Marik asked.
"Yes! I've been trying for over a year now to get you to realize it! Idiot!"
Marik was taken aback. Fluffy… felt that way about him? And… everyone thought he did to? Marik watched as the albino slowly calmed down. He was facing the ground but Marik thought he could see a little color in the albino's face.
Marik didn't know what to say. He was speechless. Bakura felt like this and just now got the guts to fess up to it.. So what was Marik to say in return…? Did he really Bakura? Love even?
"Bakura…?" Marik asked after a long interminable amount of silence.
Bakura didn't answer.
Marik rung the hem of his shirt in his hands nervously.
"I think that you might be my true love." the Egyptian felt his voice waver slightly and his face heat up slightly.
Bakura looked up at Mari, who was looking about blushing.
"You mean it?" he asked.
"No. I'm kidding." the tanned boy rolled his eyes. "You dope, I'm serious."
Bakura, who had been holing his breath, breathed a sigh of relief. "Your positive you mean it?"
"Yes."
"Your sure?"
"Shouldn't I be asking that?" Marik asked.
Bakura stared at the Egyptian for a minute. "Well… what do we do now?"
Marik shrugged. "Where's my kiss, Fluffy?" he grinned.
"N-Not right now…" Bakura said.
Marik poked him on the cheek. "Come on. You know you want to."
"No."
"Come on…"
Bakura glanced around, seeing all the strangers that were passing them by, giving them strange glances. Marik sighed.
"I only have until midnight to live a normal life again, and you're worried about what people will think if they see us?"
Bakura glared at him.
"…fine, fine." Marik muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Let's get going then."
"Where are we going?" Bakura called after him in confusion. Marik stopped and turned on his heels.
"Back to my house."
"…why?"
"So things are more… private." Marik smirked. Bakura blushed a bit and reluctantly followed. This was all happening to fast… All these years (or… year) of wanting… and now it was all finally happening?
They couldn't have got to Marik's house faster, as far as Bakura was concerned. Although, it was, in a sense, awkward. Marik yawned and sat down lazily on his couch. Bakura sat stiffly beside him, completely silent.
Bakura looked at Marik. "You know, by not saying anything, we're making this awkward." he mumbled.
Marik shrugged. "If you'd like, you can change the mood."
Bakura rolled his eyes. "By what?"
"Kissing me."
A pillow was launched at Marik's face.
"Hey! What was that for!" Marik asked looking over at the albino, who was on the other side of the couch.
"Is that all you want from me? Are you even taking me seriously?" he asked.
"I am." Marik said, he sounded as serious as a guy like him could get.
Marik crawled over to Bakura. "So.." he paused their faces inches apart. "What do you want to do now?"
Marik leaned in, slowly, closing the remaining space. Bakura placed his hands on the each side of Marik's waist, and making it so his knees were on both sides of Marik.
"Hm… what shall we do?" he breathed into Marik's ear.
The Egyptian squirmed, trying to get out of the albino's reach. Bakura held on a bit tighter.
"Come on… what did you want, Marik?" he paused. "Oh, that's right… a kiss."
Bakura leaned in, and even though his tone was slightly more angrier than usual, he was gentle with his kiss.
Marik's lips were surprisingly soft,, and Bakura felt a small fluttery type of feeling in his stomach. This was what a kiss was suppose to be like. He felt Marik relax as the kiss deepened. Marik even started kissing back after a moment. Just as Marik worked to make it more intense, Bakura ended it, pushing the tanned boy back as he gasped for breath. Marik's cheeks were a nice shade of crimson.
"Why'd you stop?" Marik muttered, still a bit at a loss for breath.
"All you needed was a kiss. I don't see any reason to take it further." Bakura stated smugly. Marik muttered something under his breath in anger.
"…So… do you think it worked?" the Egyptian pondered after a moments silence. Bakura took a deep breath.
"Well… there's one way to find out." Marik braced himself for the hit. Bakura brought his fist back and clamped his eyes shut. He really didn't want to do this…
He brought the fist down, dreading the fact he was going to hurt Marik intentionally. He felt his hand hit Marik's head and his body go limp in Bakura's arms. Bakura opened his eyes and chewed on his lip anxiously as he shook Marik lightly.
"Marik?" he asked as calm as he could possibly be. He shook him some more before sighing angrily.
"Ra, I probably killed him."
Bakura shut his eyes and rubbed his temples in a attempt to keep himself from doing anything drastic.
"Baku-chan?"
Bakura stiffened at the familiar high pitched voice.
"Marik?" he opened his eyes and uneasily looked down.
"Hehe! Baku-chan!"
The familiar hikari-hikari had his head on the albino's lap and was giggling cutely. Bakura, however, felt awful. Either grandpa told awful lies, or Bakura wasn't who Marik loved. He prayed to go it wasn't number two.
The former thief felt his cheek being tugged on. He took down at and gave an incredulous look at the pouting hikari-hikari.
"Baku-chan! Smile!"
Bakura sighed.
"Hikari- I mean Marik-I mean… Can I call you Hika?" he asked in frustration. Calling him Marik left a bad taste in the albino's mouth. Hika giggled at his new nickname and tugged on Bakura's cheeks more.
"Ow, ow, ow…" he muttered before grabbing the hikari's hands and pulling them off his cheeks.
"Forgive me Hika." he murmured, hitting him once on the head.
Marik looked dazed for a split second, then he smirked, his hair turning wilder.
Bakura gulped. Friggin' sticks…. Maybe he should hit him again before…
"Well, it looks like your little plan didn't work very well." Yami Marik grinned manically, while twirling a lock of the albino's hair around his finger.
There was an awkward silence when Bakura scowled, swatting Yami Marik's hand away.
"How the hell did you know it failed?" Bakura sneered through gritted teeth.
"Silly Bakura." Yami Marik grinned. "I live inside Marik's brain. I see, and hear all that he does."
"You know… that's also that second time I let you get kissed by someone other than me." an evil gleam flashed through the tanned yami's eyes. "You still owe me for giving up last time…"
Bakura cringed. "Can't it wait?" he asked, a pleading pout on his face. "I'm trying to sulk."
Yami Marik rolled his eyes. "You can sulk later."
Bakura didn't move.
Yami Marik sighed. "You know… he really likes you."
Bakura raised an eyebrow.
"What did you say?" he asked.
Yami Marik chuckled. "Nothing."
Bakura stared at him strangely and shrugged to himself.
Paige: For those who are wondering, this took two all-nighters to finish. (=.=ll I could only work at it at night since the computer was off or occupied at all other times.)
Jess: :DD Thank you Paige!
Paige: ;3 Also, me and Jess have another story. hint, hint it's for Junjou Romantica. If you like it you should check it out. :D
Kaiba: =.= Also, you should review.
Paige: Yeah. That to.
Jess: Also, that remind me… -smirks- When we reached 69 reviews, Paige said she'll let someone choose a couple for her and she'll write a one-shot dedicated to the 69th reviewer.
Paige: Why sixty nine, you ask? Because… we passed fifty, and we like that number.
Jess: :DD If you are the winner, Paige will send you a message, asking you weather you want the prize or not.
Paige: And when we reach a hundred… Jess will have to write one.
Jess: =.=ll don't rub it in.
