Heheh, I love holidays, they sure make it easier for me to sit down and write, then update! 3 And I used to get more reviewers before, is it because it's exam season over in America and everyone's busy? I'm not overly sure. Or maybe it's a hint that I should update faster. Ah well, I'll just keep writing cuz I can, nyaha. X3
More Bakura POV this chapter and also some non-POV. I liked writing this chapter actually. I liked Bakura and Ryou's mini discussion, I'd been wanting to get more development on the brothers' relationship with each other and how in a way, Marik's coming between them (that's what she said *shot to pieces). Also I wanted to have a little more Yami/Kaiba interaction, especially since neither have still kept their motives secret. And with Seto telling Marik a few chapters ago that there wasn't a side he can totally trust, that means Yami's been hiding some dark secrets too... 3 Anyway, I'll shut up. XD
Read on! I think I say this like, every chapter. Ah well.
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Chapter Eleven: Jealousy and Sacrifice
Bakura's POV
"Ryou, you asked Marik what he thought things would be like if we had each other's powers..." I spoke with a gruff tone, just loud enough for him to hear me. "Would you like to know what I think?" I stood up and faced him. "Would you?" I repeated more fiercely.
His expression was easy to decipher as those brown orbs met my own. We may not have taken the time to sit down and talk it out, there's quite a bit that we don't know about each other but I'm determined to make myself clear. And he's aware of it too.
Things are going to start unveiling, aren't they?
He nodded. "Yes. Tell me."
-
I put myself on the spot. Ryou's been wondering about this for ages. I'm sure my opinion on the matter would mean a lot to him. Sometimes I think it's better to stop contemplating but just take action. Think for yourself and not form decisions based on the way others think. Huh, maybe I should take my own advice. Whatever. Maybe it's time I stopped being so secretive. In the end, I'll have to come clean, won't I?
"I think that..." I began, "that Marik would like me more if I wasn't the mind reader who got in his face all the time. Though I'd probably bug him with many telepathic messages but if I couldn't see his reaction everytime, then it isn't as fun. But I wouldn't want things to be this way. I want to be the mind reader. I'm glad that I got to know Marik. I can't see our relationship being anything other than this."
Ryou's eyes averted to the ground; I could tell he was taking each sentence one at a time. My face went hot – I know what I said. I never really thought much about what it would be like to say how I actually feel. Imagine if Marik was the mind reader. If our roles were reversed, that would make me even more curious.
Theories regarding role reversal matter a lot, I think. Man, I am an arsehole. If Marik told me one day that he could read my mind and could prove it with ease, I think I'd run. I'd run as far away as I possibly can.
If Marik knew how I felt, I doubt I could ever face him again. After all, I'm Bakura Kurufodo. I'm an arrogant jerk without a heart. I don't really care for anything, except getting the job done so I can continue on in life, not really living it – just a body callously walking the earth with my brother in tow.
I can't be Bakura Touzoku, the guy who actually gives a damn but attempts to cover everything up with the Kurufodo mask. I can't be the guy whose true feelings are revealed. In order to keep going, I can't be weakened. Maybe if I open up on these feelings, then I can push them aside once and for all. Get it out of my system and then continue like nothing happened.
Marik doesn't have to know a thing.
"It's true, you and Marik have been through a lot together and I think those experiences have made the two of you much closer..." Ryou mumbled, more to himself than me. He made eye contact with me again. "You always say how Marik belongs to you but what if he decided that he wanted to belong to someone else?"
Truthfully, I don't think I can stand that. Call it possessive if you like. But I refuse to see Marik running off and having a different partner in crime.
"Well, he's just my plaything. I'll just recruit a new one, I guess."
"So all Marik is to you... he's just a plaything?"
I pouted. "I never said that," I responded with a sulky tone.
"Then what is he to you?" Ryou asked. His expression and tone of voice were serious. I sighed. How do I explain? What is Marik to me? That's one of the hardest questions to answer. Not because I don't know the answer but because I don't want to talk about it.
"...A friend? A good friend? I don't know, Marik Ishtar is Marik Ishtar..." I shook my head in frustration. "You can tell, Ryou, can't you? That I've put up such a front!"
"You've always put up a front."
"No, I mean..." I took a deep breath. "I always wind him up, I'm blunt, and I'm always telling Marik to show his true self more. But really, the dishonest one is me. He was supposed to be a plaything to me! I wanted his thoughts to be my entertainment! I was selfish; I wanted to break him." My lips twisted into a smirk. Ryou backed a couple of steps; my stare must've thrown him off. "I'm a true jerk, don't you agree?"
"Bakura..." he went quiet. He had no other words to say. I don't really care. There's more for me to say. Not that I want to say it but my words are just letting loose; I hate having to shut up about everything.
"I can't even believe it myself whenever I think 'God damn it, I'm so insanely attracted to him.' I'll continue being a jerk to him despite this, I just know it. Because he only pays attention to me when I'm a jerk, it's all I know. That's why..." I marched right up to Ryou and grabbed both shoulders. He became tense, nervous. I guess he doesn't know how to behave when I'm like this. Ryou, you need to learn how to deal with your deranged brother. "That's why I think you're better for Marik than I am. Just hurry up and confess your feelings. Watching you fumble around with stupid questions and worrying over me... It pisses me off. You're getting nowhere like this."
Without another word, I let go of his shoulders and swivelled around. Then I ran for it. I'd said my piece. I regret every word of it, I know I do. Goals need to be made. I can't be like this. The first step is always admitting to the problem, isn't it?
But I hope that Ryou doesn't follow my advice. Or maybe Ryou hearing Marik reject him firsthand is just something that has to happen. I don't know. Facing my brother is going to be so weird. To think we both like the same person, it's just... We may be twins but I refuse to share. Ryou could be the perfect man, he could be Marik's true love but I... I don't want this.
Ryou's probably better with composure than I am. Most of the time, I'm able to stop myself from caring but once I grow attached to something; I lose all sense of calm. I get so weirdly hung up and I lose all sense of rationality. My mind begins to wander from the original plan.
I can't handle this.
But I know this for sure. I know that from reading Marik's mind, he'll reject Ryou. Perhaps encouraging Ryou to confess is bad. Ryou knows that I can read Marik's mind. He knows that I'll know whenever Marik has feelings for someone.
He doesn't have a crush on anyone. Bloody hell. I'm such an idiot, aren't I? To have feelings for a guy like Marik. Marik's an idiot too. He's being way too oblivious to all of this. Has he even considered looking at Ryou or me in that way? Perhaps my mind reading skills aren't as sharp as I thought they were.
I wonder what he's thinking right now.
Perhaps Marik's learned how to suppress thoughts in my presence? I have no way of knowing though. Can't just ask.
Maybe, just maybe... Maybe I'm the one who needs to confess.
No POV
Marik was away from school on Monday. No student dared approach Bakura about it. He was so quiet that even when the teachers called on him to answer questions, he refused to answer. Everyone got the message that nobody should dare approach him. Ryou kept his distance too and wouldn't answer any questions about Marik nor Bakura.
It was lunchtime now and Ryou was in Bakura's classroom but still managed to avoid contact with him. He had been pretty quiet with his friends too. Jounouchi and Honda wanted to quiz what was going on but Anzu advised them against it. Anzu knew that something had happened and it would've been great if they told her and the others what was going on but she decided to take her own advice.
Yugi was talking to Yami about something and Anzu wondered if they had a clue on the current situation. She didn't like it when things were awkward between her friends. Suddenly she felt a tug on her blazer sleeve. She turned and saw it was Yugi. He was getting Jounouchi and Honda's attentions too.
"Hey guys, it's a warm day – let's have lunch outside today!" he suggested. The others all instantly agreed and began making their way out of the classroom. As Ryou was about to step out with them, Yami pulled him back. Ryou then understood. Yugi was just getting everyone out of the room. He looked around and saw that only he, Yami, Bakura and Seto were still in the classroom.
Yami and Ryou sat down in desks next to Seto. Seto got out his notebook and smirked. "Did you remember, Yami?"
"I did but I was more thinking that for now, this is the best privacy we'll get on the school property. You're not oblivious to the whole situation so..." Yami glanced at Ryou. "I'm sorry that Kaiba and I have been excluding your side for a while. We've been making deals seeing as our motives are similar. But we have a new proposition. For now, I think we should all join forces. Would Bakura be willing to agree to this?"
"Hmph, he's not interested in anything at the moment," Seto pointed out, nodding over at the white-haired teen who kept to himself in the corner of the classroom. "Or... maybe he's gotten too interested?" Bakura glowered at Seto, who chuckled in response. "Well, that got him paying attention." Ryou's twin clenched his teeth, determined not to reply to the Kaiba Corporation CEO.
"So Ryou, how are restoring Marik's memories going?" Yami asked, steering the conversation away from Bakura.
"U-Um... Not that well at all. I mean, Bakura helped Marik remember some stuff but overall, it's not all that good..." Ryou mumbled. "I don't know, it's our job so we have to keep going but-" He heard a thump that stopped him abruptly in his speech. Everyone turned to the corner of the classroom and realised that Bakura had kicked his chair down and was storming over to Ryou with a furious expression.
"You know what, Ryou? I'm sick of you! You're just jealous because you're not the one who helped Marik recall some memories! You want to be Marik's favourite and be the most helpful-"
"Bakura, calm down!" Yami interrupted, trying to step between the twins. Bakura shoved him aside while Seto simply watched in silence. Seto was almost amused by the situation. He preferred Bakura when he was running around causing drama. The past few weeks or so had been too quiet for Seto's liking.
"Shut up!" Bakura attempted to push Ryou off his chair but he managed to get out of the way just in time. "If you really liked Marik, you would care for the memories themselves! You'd care about learning who Marik really is! That's what's most important, not how he remembers those memories! I told you yesterday – you're getting nowhere like this!"
Bakura stomped back to his desk, grabbed his schoolbag and dashed out of the classroom. Ryou outstretched his arm even though he knew that his brother was out of reach. He wasn't sure what to do. He shot a pleading look at Yami, hoping the spikey-haired student could provide him with advice.
"...We'll discuss this another time, I suppose?" Yami asked, though he already knew the answer to his question.
Ryou rushed out of the classroom after hearing that question. Yami wouldn't help him. Of course Seto wouldn't bother either. Once the sound of Ryou's footsteps faded, Kaiba stood up and smirked at Yami.
"Wouldn't you call that an interesting development?" Seto asked, pacing over to the window. He saw Bakura sprinting towards the school gates. The white-haired student clambered over and continued to run from the school. The blue eyed CEO placed a hand to the window. "If I observed correctly, both Kurufodo twins have feelings for that Marik Ishtar."
"Mmm," was all Yami could say. He was pretty confident that Seto was right about this but he wasn't sure what to think about this. There were pros and cons to this. They would be more likely to betray Pegasus J Crawford, the man they work for. Yami was pretty certain that Pegasus' intentions weren't good.
"You're thinking about how this could affect everything, aren't you?" Seto guessed.
Yami nodded. "I am."
"I want to see how this unfolds."
"They're going to lose sight of the original plan. Marik may have to withdraw from being in either twin's company," Yami pointed out. He was considering as many different possibilities and outcomes from this newfound development.
"So long as Marik doesn't start having feelings for anybody, then I don't particularly care about the outcome of this triangle."
Yami glared at Seto. "I didn't think you cared about the way Marik feels."
"I'm one hundred percent certain that Marik will turn to me in the end," the CEO stated with total certainty in his voice. Yami knew he could never truly trust Seto but this comment bothered him. Seto could be bluffing but Yami had a feeling that this comment and his confidence weren't bluffs.
"So you've been making plans behind the scenes too."
Seto smirked. "You were a bit slow to figure that out, weren't you?"
-
Ryou was running all over the school. Anything to find Bakura. He needed to talk to him. He knew neither of them can go on like this. He kept running, running, running. Sometimes he would stop to catch his breath or to ask a student he recognised if they'd seen him. No luck.
The white-haired boy knew that things were going to be uncomfortable between him and his brother since discovering that both of them like the same guy. But Ryou never wished that it would tear them apart. He liked having Bakura as a brother – he couldn't stand to see his brother upset.
That also worked against Ryou. Since the beginning, Ryou knew he was the type to put everyone else before himself. He hated this side of him, truthfully. 'I just know that I'm going to give Marik up for Bakura's sake. I just know it!' The guilt of knowing this wounded him emotionally. He didn't want to give anything up. But he knew he would. It's just the kind of person he is.
He despised this side of him to the core. Marik was important to him. Ryou knew he genuinely liked him even though Bakura said that if those feelings were real, he'd care more about getting to know Marik and his memories. But he couldn't help but notice how much closer his brother was to Marik than he was. It was inevitable, considering they shared classes and hung out with each other practically all the time. They're almost inseparable at school.
Why did it have to work out this way? Ryou and Bakura swore long ago that they'd never let a girl get between them but they hadn't said anything about a guy getting between the two. It should've been the same though.
Ryou skidded to a stop when he saw a familiar face walking down the hallway. "Shizuka-chan!" he just managed to say her name. He was panting from all the running. Shizuka brushed strands of reddish brown hair from her eyes, which widened at the approach of Ryou.
"Ryou-san! How are you?" she asked with a bright smile. The desperation in Ryou's eyes made her expression switch to a more worried one. "Ryou-san?"
"N-Never mind... m-me..." Ryou said between gasping for breath. "Where... Where... is my brother?"
"I saw someone climb over the school gate and leave," Shizuka recalled, "and I wondered to myself if that person was you or Bakura-san as the student had white hair. So I suppose it could've been him that was leaving."
"Oh..." Ryou slumped down to his knees. All that running around to school just to find out that he was anywhere but school! "Oh man..." He started shaking. All those thoughts that were rushing through his head had finally caught up to him. Shizuka knelt down, asking him what was wrong. "Everything..." Ryou answered, "Everything is all wrong. Where do I even begin?"
Shizuka watched as tears trickled down Ryou's cheeks. She delved into her blazer pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and began to wipe Ryou's face. "You can take as long as you like," she assured him with a gentle tone.
"C-Can you keep a secret?" Shizuka nodded at this question. Ryou smiled a little. "Yes, I know you can. I think I can trust people like you. Please believe me but I... I..." He went quiet.
There was a long silence between the two and Ryou kept his head up and pressed his lips together. He wanted to put emphasis on the fact that he wasn't speaking. Shizuka waited.
Can... Can you hear me? Answer me if you can.
The sudden sound of Ryou's voice in her head made the girl jump in surprise. That was Ryou's voice just then... wasn't it? It can't have been. "Y-Yes, I heard you..." Shizuka mumbled, trying to adjust herself to what just happened. Ryou's mouth wasn't moving. How could she have heard his voice in her head? It's just... It's just so...
Ah, don't be frightened... Ryou took hold of Shizuka's hands and gave her a reassuring look. See, Bakura and I have well, powers. Special powers. What you can hear, my voice in your mind is for real. I think it's a form of telepathy – I can communicate to anyone I wish using my mind. Amazing, isn't it?
"I-Impossible..." was all Shizuka could muster up in response. It was hard to believe. She never knew that people with powers like these existed in this world. But Ryou was proving it to her right now. Shizuka hadn't thought about things like this; she was used to a world with ordinary people and where special powers like telepathy didn't really exist. "I-I don't believe it... b-b-but... I do, truly. I-I'm not making sense, am I?"
"Take your time. Marik took a while to adjust too."
"Ishtar-kun knows?!"
Ryou chuckled. "Um, yeah but he's one of the few that know. In this school only..." he began counting on his fingers. "Me, Bakura, Marik, Yami-kun, Yugi-kun and Kaiba-san... and you! That's seven people in this school that know!"
Shizuka gasped. "A-A-Amazing!"
And that's not all.
"Eh? Ryou-san?"
Bakura, he can read minds. Shizuka's eyes widened in shock at this; shivers went down her spine. Astonishing, isn't it? Well, there's only one mind he can read. And that's the mind of Marik, Marik Ishtar.
"Ishtar-kun's mind? Does he know this?" she asked, shivering. Never had she heard of things like this! She felt like her heart froze when Ryou nodded in reply. Impossible! It's so... impossible! Just Bakura reading minds is insane. But to know that it was only Marik's mind that he read, that was just... odd. Why Marik of all people? You'd think that if there was only one mind in the world you could read, chances are you would never ever meet that person, with the huge population on the planet.
Marik seems to have gotten accustomed to it, however. This isn't the biggest part. Not for me anyway because I... because I...
"Ryou-san..."
"Because I don't want to lose to Bakura!"
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Oh my, Ryou's starting to open up too. Poor Bakura and Ryou, I feel sorry for both, really. Especially Ryou. Let's hope Shizuka will help cheer him up. As for Bakura, he's ditched school, the naughty boy! XD; Um um um...
Next chaptah yay: Ryou opens up about the situation with him, Marik and Bakura. And what? Bakura's gone to Marik's house? What's he got to tell Marik? And we've got some Bakura backstory, yay!
until next chapterrr, adios!
Mel-Girl.