I thought he'd be angry at me. He should be. But, as we were with me stacked on top of him on the couch, I knew he wanted to be kissed. I could tell by his heavy lids, by his parted lips, by the quickness of his breath. He tilted up his face just right, our hands still locked together on my cheeks. I couldn't resist. The groan from his mouth made my groin ache with sweet, tight pressure. Our kiss slurred into others. His lips were never this warm during Battle City, and by the time we broke apart, both of us were gasping for breath. I let go of his hands and brushed my thumb against the darker streak on his cheek. I couldn't stop touching his face, broad, and dark, and scarred. His face, not Ryou's. It was an entirely new experience that I relished.

"I love you," I whispered.

I didn't mean to say it. In fact, hearing the words slip from my mouth caused me to try and bolt from Bakura's lap, but he didn't let me. Instead, he grabbed me and pulled me down to him for another kiss. I tasted salt on my tongue and opened my eyes. He was crying. Bakura was crying.

I stroked his hair and use my silk tie to dry his cheeks. "I'm- I'm sorry-"

He shook his head "no" and held his breath, trying to stop the tears. When he did speak, it was gritty and low.

"Haven't heard that from anyone… in over 3,000 years."

"But Ryou…" I didn't really know how to ask the question. Clearly the other two loved him. It was obvious, painfully so, and even if my other half didn't know how to express that, I couldn't imagine Bakura's old host not saying it.

"Is it weird?" Bakura looked away, his eyes still wet and glassy. "I think they were waiting on you?"

"Me?" I asked.

"To say it first."

"Then they're stupid. They're so stupid. They shouldn't have made you wait so long. What's wrong with them?"

"Idiot." Bakura laughed, drying his cheeks. "You're the one that took so long."

I groaned. I didn't have a good argument against what Bakura said. I had taken too long. I sat back a little, looking off towards the kitchen.

"So how'd you all end up together anyway?"

Bakura swallowed. His throat clicked. "I told you. We were broken, all three of us, and Ryou- you know how Ryou is. He insisted that Kek and I stay with him."

"Wasn't he afraid?"

"No… all the stuff I put him through… he's jaded towards the darkness at this point, and we weren't capable of really causing any harm. Coming back… it's an awful feeling. It's a bit like being a newborn, exactly like it, I guess. You're vulnerable. You need held. I broke down and he kissed me." Bakura shrugged. "We think it was the last echo of you in his mind, even as he was becoming a separate person, but it was there, and it's been done, and we were broken, so we didn't stop."

"What about Ryou?"

"Later. Bastard was too polite to initiate anything, so I finally just kissed him and got it over with."

"Hmm." I smiled as I listened to him speak.

I expected to be jealous hearing him talk about them. I know I'm a possessive asshole, but oddly enough, instead of jealous- I was fascinated. I sort of wanted to hear more. Much more. I blinked, grabbing Bakura and holding him to distract myself from my own strange thoughts.

"Marik…" Bakura's breath left his mouth in a small gasp as he spoke my name.

"Yes?" I asked as my fingers found their way into his hair.

"I love you, too."

"Bakura-" I pressed my lips against his again.

Fuck. I think we're both crying now. This is not how I expected our reunion to be, all soft kisses and hearts drowning in too many emotions to sort. I'd been prepared for hot, quick banter, maybe a duel, but honestly… this was better, and I love how delicate his lips feel against mine, and the way his fingers tremble as they drag through my hair and down my neck.

The gods are cruel. No one should suffer 3,000 years alone. No one should go millennia without hearing that they were loved, but I'm going to make damn sure he doesn't wait 3,000 years to hear it again.