Dlbn: Hey there everyone, and welcome to a new chapter!

Nbld: We won't both you all with our mindless rambling, so let's get onto more important things. Such as the Review Corner! Thank you to M169, NightWitch1312, AnonymousGuest, VampirePrinssess, Avii Sohen, and OtEpShAmAyA for reviewing! Candy for you all!

M169: Thiefshipping is coming! I just can't tell when yet ^^" Well, I know when, I mean I can't give out answers yet…I'm confusing me now XD A lot of the ones I'm reading are too. And most of them update too quick for me to catch up any time soon…

NightWitch1312: No problem :D Glad you enjoy ^^ Things will get interesting eventually ;)

AnonymousGuest: He was the one to care about Marik the most in the show, so I figure he'll do the same here ^^ It made class a little more interesting though, didn't it? ;) Still working on the weekend plans. I have an idea, but it's not full yet ^^"

VampirePrinssess: Nope, he's jealous because Bakura is taking Marik away from him this weekend ;) I think he'd step in. After all, Bakura is the punching bag of Bakura and his friends, after all ;) Thank you ^^

Avii Sohen: Glad you enjoy! :D

OtEpShAmAyA: Thanks, glad you liked! :D I'm pretty sure he would too. At least a tiny bit :)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Marik, Bakura, Ryou, or any other character form YuGiOh. The franchise does not belong to me. It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I only own merch. I make NO money off of writing this work of fiction.

000

Once school was out for the day, surprisingly having finished without a hitch or prank from Bakura and his crew, I met Bakura outside of the school. As usual, he was the only one there by the time I managed to get there. He seemed to be a little impatient this time…er…more so then usual, that was. He was leaning against my bike in the bike rack. I couldn't help but feel my throat catch when I saw him. It was like a picture from a Playgirl or something. Not that I actually looked at one…

"You ready to go?" Bakura wondered. "Or are we just going to stand here and let the wind style our hair?"

"I'm ready, I'm ready." I rolled my eyes. "How come you're much nicer to me at my place?"

Bakura sent him a look that could kill before scanning around to make sure there was no one around to hear that. "Shut up and let's go."

"Alright, fine." I rolled my eyes. "Pushy."

He tossed my helmet to me, hitting me square in the chest. I felt some wind get knocked out of me before I grabbed the helmet and slipped it on. I straddled my bike as Bakura fixed on the spare helmet. I turned the bike and revved it up before Bakura took a seat. His arms tightened around my waist.

"Ready?" I asked over the sound of the engine.

"Ready as I'll ever be!" he replied.

I chuckled. "Three, two, one!" I pressed hard on the gas and floored it out of the parking lot.

Bakura's arms tightened a little too much around my waist to hold himself steady. I could practically feel the fear radiating off of the typically unfazed troublemaker. I felt him shift a little to get more comfortable, or to feel safer, and felt something press into my lower back. Was that his…oh my…the vibrations of the bike. It had to be the vibrations of the bike. Why else would he…? He didn't have that at school…not that I had looked or anything! I was so relieved when we finally got to my house and I was able to shut my bike off. Bakura's arms had loosened around my waist a little on the way back, but he was still clinging to me. He realized the bike was off and quickly retracted, muttering something about that not happening. I chuckled to myself as I took off the helmet and shook my blonde hair free. I hung my helmet off of the handlebar before reaching back to take Bakura's. The helmet was roughly pushed into my hand. I hooked it on my handle bar and wheeled the bike further into the garage so it wouldn't get ruined if one of dad's drunk buddies decided to bring him home from the bar tonight.

"Let's go." I lead Bakura into the back yard.

"Why are we going back here?" He wondered.

:I have to rake the leaves." I answered.

He gave me a look. "Is there ever going to be a day I come over here, and you actually don't have something to do?"

"Well…you're coming over tomorrow…so no." I shook my head.

Bakura gave me a look. "What's tomorrow?"

"My room."

Bakura smirked. "Oh goody. I can find out what you've got hiding in there then."

"I hide nothing." I said. "Everything I have in there is out in the open." I took a moment to think it over again. "Yeah, everything is." I grabbed a rake that was leaning on the side of the house to clean up. "You can sit on a lawn chair if you want…oh…we don't have any…uh…there?" I pointed to a tree stump in the middle of the yard.

"Serious?"

I shrugged and began raking. He glared at me before going to the stump and sitting down. He crossed his legs out in front of him and gripped onto the back of the stump for support. "So…what's on the agenda today?"

"Huh?" I asked, stopping briefly to look at him.

"We always talk about something. I figured maybe you'd have something in mind."

"Not really…"

"Oh."

The only noise was the rake pulling leaves into a large pile in the middle of the yard. "Um…I'm sorry about my sister…"

'It's fine."

I shook my head. "She doesn't really have a right to talk to you that way…"

"She's your older sister, and you're her younger brother." He informed me of what I already knew. "I'm the guy that makes your life a living hell. In response, she lashes out at me. Some sort of pent up aggression."

"Pent up aggression?" I blinked at him.

"Think about it. She can't take it out on her father, so she's got to yell at someone. She won't yell at you or your brother because you two go through enough shit as it is. Naturally, she can take it out on me." He explained. "Think about it. She's got your father beating on her, and you have me beating on you, so to speak. In her mind's eye, I'm your version of your dad."

"My dad is my version of my dad." I told him. "He hits me too."

"And you don't fight back?"

"We've been through this, haven't we?"

Bakura shrugged. "I guess there's a rationale behind not fighting back. He'd just hit you harder, right?"

"Pretty much."

Neither of us said anything for a little while.

"Must be hard." Bakura spoke finally.

"Huh?" I stopped my raking to lean on it and stare at him.

"The thing with your father? You don't want to be beat, but you can't fight back because you'll only get hurt more." Bakura said. "It's a dilemma."

I smirked. "At least you get to go leave."

His lips pressed into a tight line. "Yeah…I do." He nodded. "You could, too, you know."

"And go where?"

"CPS? Homeless shelter?" Bakura wondered. "Go to the nurse or guidance counselor at school and make them do something about it. Don't just lay there like a rug and take your beating."

I considered his words. "We'd be separated."

"At least you'd be safe." He shrugged. "And it would only be until you're eighteen. So that's, what, a year for Ishizu? And Odion's 18, no? They might let you stay with him and just pay for a place for you guys to stay. Simple." Bakura shrugged one shoulder. "You don't know the system like I do, Marik."

Hearing him say my name sent shivers down my spine, but I suppressed them so he wouldn't catch on.

"I know I don't." I said. "I'm just…I'd be too nervous…"

He rolled his eyes. "Grow a damn backbone, Marik." He ordered. "You're almost 18. Almost a man. Act like it. Not like a sniveling little girl."

I glared before I resumed raking the leaves. "I'm not being a sniveling little girl."

"You're 'too nervous' to find a way to save yourself and your siblings." Bakura snorted. "It sounds like a sniveling little girl to me, not a man. A man would go and get out of his situation."

I rolled my eyes. Odion was oldest. Wasn't it his job to protect Ishizu and me? I was the youngest. Since when was it my job to protect them?

000

School the next day decided to drag out as long as possible. It was the last time Bakura was coming over to my house, and I couldn't wait for him to do so. Why did the day have to drag out so long? It was as if the universe was punishing me for not getting my siblings out of dad's house or something. Heh. Like the universe would ever agree with Bakura. Mr. Know-It-All. The idea of actually doing something to get away from my father flashed through my head quite a few times throughout the day thus-far. Ryou had noticed that something was strange with me, but I didn't tell him what I was thinking. What would he say? Call me crazy for considering one of Bakura's ideas to be a good one? Or tell me he was behind me doing something 100 percent? Maybe he'd offer to help me escape. Or offer to get me institutionalized. Odion and Ishizu's reactions to that idea would be five times worse then anything Ryou had to offer, so I wanted them finding out last. It wasn't as if I could really do anything alone. But if the three of us went to the police together and explained our situation, or called CPS, then maybe something could be done. We couldn't stay living under his roof, in complete fear of him, for the rest of our lives. Well, we were going to get out when we turned eighteen and had enough money to move out together, but doing so a little sooner couldn't hurt…

"Marik!" Ryou scolded me. "Are you even listening to me?"

I snapped from my reverie to see my friend's green eyes staring back at me in concern. He was also irritated, which I could tell from his eyes and the way his mouth was subtly twitching.

"Sorry, Ryou, I was just thinking about something." I replied. "What did you say?"

Ryou rolled his eyes. "I asked you if you had to deal with Bakura this weekend too, or not."

"Yeah, five hours each day." I nodded. "And it's not 'deal with Bakura'. He's not that bad."

Ryou stared at me like I had three heads. "Did you completely forget about the mashed potatoes, and what he did to make this happen in the first place?"

"No, I didn't forget at all." I shook my head. "We've been talking, and we get along pretty well. He's not a bad person; he just makes horrible decisions…and follows along with whatever his friends are planning…"

Ryou rolled his eyes. "You're blinded, Marik." He said. "How do you know this isn't some act to get closer to you and do something horrible, huh?"

"I don't really think he has it in him to actually hurt me…"

"He left you hanging in a net from a tree from before school started until my gym class, when I found you." Ryou said slowly. "He's capable of it."

"I don't see it that way."

"Whatever." Ryou said. "So are we hanging out at my place after you two do whatever you need to do for the punishment?"

I nodded. "Don't I always come over?"

Ryou chuckled. "Yeah, you do. You're like a bug. No matter how many times you leave, you keep coming back."

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up, Ryou." I said. "God, today's dragging on way too slow."

"You can say that again!" Ryou smiled. "I can't wait until school ends. I wanna get out of this building so bad, you don't even know."

"Not as much as I do, Ryou."

"Yeah, sure." Ryou rolled his eyes. "You want to see your new friend, that's why." He winked.

"New friend?" Joey's voice asked. "Who might that be, Marik?"

I looked up to see Joey and the rest of his crew standing by the table, trays in hand. Ryou and I both motioned for them to sit down.

"He's talking about Bakura." I said.

"You're friends now?" Yugi wondered. "I thought you guys hated each other."

"We don't get along, but I don't think we ever hated each other."

I swear I could hear Ryou mutter something along the lines of, 'of course you never hated him, you want to get in his pants', but I kept quiet about it. I'd yell at him later when the others weren't around.

"Why are you two suddenly spending time together?" Yami wondered. "It's unusual."

"Remember how I attacked him in your grandfather's class?" I asked. "Well, the principal thinks we'd get along better if we knew each other better, so we have to spend time together. Or we get detention." I didn't want to tell them about Bakura's CPS issues. It wasn't their business, and Bakura trusted me with the information. "So every day this week, he has to come to my house for five hours, and next week I have to go to his for five hours every day."

"Man, that sucks." Joey informed, biting into a slice of pizza. "How's it going so far?"

The food in his mouth muffled his words. Pieces of pizza went flying.

"Joey, that's so disgusting!" tea accused, sticking her tongue out. "Finish chewing before you talk!"

"Come on, Wheeler, I'm sure my father doesn't want your spit contaminating all the table sin the cafeteria." Seto informed as he passed with Mokuba.

"What did you say, Rich Boy?" Joey wondered standing up. He harshly flattened his hands onto the table.

"You heard me, Wheeler." Seto called over his shoulder. "Watch the waterworks!"

"Why I outta…" Joey started off after him, but Tristain grabbed his arm.

"He's not worth it." Tristain said. "Do you want to get sentenced to the same thing as Marik and Bakura?"

Joey sat down at that. "I'd rather not waste five hours a day with him, thank you."

I rolled my eyes. It wasn't that bad of a punishment. But then again, I was in love with Bakura form the moment I met him, so of course I didn't mind the punishment.

"Why not? You might get to know each other better, and fall in love or something." I said, leaning on my hand. I smiled in Joey's direction, closing my eyes, as his friends and Ryou began laughing.

"Joey and Seto?" Tristain wondered. "Now there's a combination I don't ever want to see happen."

Joey flushed. "Shut up, Tristain!" He ordered. "You too, Marik."

I chuckled. "Sorry, Joey, I couldn't resist."

"You're as bad as Bakura." Joey accused me.

I stopped laughing and flushed. "I'm not like Bakura."

As if summoned by the gates of hell themselves, Bakura and his friends took up residence behind Joey.

"Been hanging with him too much, if you ask me."

"No one asked you." Bakura said.

Joey jumped. "Nyeh-!"

Everyone laughed at his reaction, including a few people fomr other tables that were disturbed by the commotion. Joey turned to look at the object of my affections. "Don't do that, Bakura. You'll give me a heart attack."

Bakura smirked. "Now there's an idea."

Joey glared, but he didn't argue. Seemed like he didn't want to mess with Bakura. Not messing with him didn't seem to be a bad idea, since he had his goons with him.

"Whatever." He said instead, picking up his pizza and taking a bite from it again.

Bakura smirked at him before looking over him and to me. "You, come here." He nodded towards the cafeteria doors. "I need to discuss something with you."

"Oh, uh, sure." I replied, standing. "Just no more pranks."

"I wasn't planning on it." Bakura looked to his friends. "You two keep these guys company for me, would you?" He wondered. "Private matters."

Yami and Thief shrugged at the same time.

"Whatever you say." Yami answered.

Bakura walked away towards the doors, expecting me to follow, as his friends sat with mine. Yami took a seat next to Ryou and gave him a smile that had Ryou inching away. Thief started picking at his nails the second he sat down. I sighed and followed Bakura out into the hallway.

"What is it?" I wondered.

"Did you think about what I said yesterday?" Bakura wondered, leaning on the lockers. He folded his arms over his chest and fixed his brown eyes on me.

"About?"

"Escaping."

"Oh…" I flushed, shoving my hands into my pockets so I wouldn't play with my hair. "No, I haven't."

"Bullshit."

"Huh?"

"Don't lie to me, Marik, and then play dumb when I call you out on it." He ordered. He brushed a stray hair to the side.

"Why do you think I'm lying?"

"You want a short list, or a long one?"

"Short is fine." I glared.

He laughed, not finding me intimidating in any manner. "You're getting defensive, your face is red, the corner of your mouth twitched after you finished speaking, you won't look at me when you say it, you twisted your toe into the ground as you spoke…"

"I thought I said short list."

"That was the short list."

I cocked my head to the side and gave him a look.

"My god, you're feminine." Bakura informed.

"You're not exactly the epitome of manliness either, you know."

He glared. "No one said in was. Shut up."

"You started it."

"No wonder Yami calls you Fruitcake."

"You don't want to know what people call you."

"No one calls me anything." Bakura said. "They're all too afraid of me. Try again, Fruitcake."

I snarled. "Why are you such an asshole in school?"

"I have a reputation, you know."

"So what? We're alone."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't understand, Malik."

I glared. Bakura laughed. "So you've thought about it, hm? Any idea how you're going to go about it?"

"I was thinking about it, but that doesn't mean I'm going to decide to do it." I shook my head at him. "In fact, I'm sure I'm not going to do it."

"Why not?" Bakura cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "Scared?"

"No, I'm not scared." I shook my head again.

"Stop doing that. You'll bruise your little brain. Poor little thing, being tossed about in that big open space." Bakura tsked at me.

"Your mind games won't work on me today, Bakura." I informed him.

"Whatever." An eye roll. "So why aren't you going to do it, hm?"

"We already have a plan of escape when we're all eighteen." I said. "Or, at least, when Odion's eighteen and has the money to move out. Ishizu and I will just go with him."

"So you're going to wait for your brother to be able to financially support you two before moving out? Pretty selfish, if you ask me."

I bawled my fist, the want to punch the smirk off his face ringing bells in my mind. I held back, knowing I'd be in bigger trouble then I already was if we fought again. And me hitting him was definitely an excuse for Bakura to kick my ass. Not that he needed an excuse, but at least he could say that he didn't start it.

Bakura chuckled and made his way to the cafeteria doors. He grabbed the handle before turning over his shoulder to look at me.

"Well, when you're ready to grow a pair and be a man and call for help to get out, I know a case worker that would be more then happy to assist you." He offered. "She's pretty good, too."

I started to speak, but stopped when he cut me off.

"But, until then, I guess I'll just have to wait and see how long it is before your dad does permanent damage." He said. "I'll meet you outside after school. Ciao." He flipped his wrist in a rather feminine wave and disappeared back into the cafeteria.

I wondered briefly if it was his own case worker he was talking about? Then again, I was surprised he had any faith in the system. If I'd been bounced around from foster home to foster home my whole life, I wouldn't trust it whatsoever. But then again, he was adopted by his current parents. So the system had worked for him in the end. Still, the fact that he was offering to help me out by referring me to a good case worker was a surprise in and of itself. Maybe he'd noticed the slight parallels in our lives and was thus able to relate to me better now? Were we really getting closer? Maybe eventually, I'd be comfortable enough with him, and he'd be comfortable enough with me, for me to tell him how I feel…

"Yeah right." I thought to myself. "Like I'd ever admit it to him…" I sighed before pulling open the cafeteria door and entering the chaotic room.