I got a little carried away shopping. I'd only meant to buy a few extra toiletries and outfits, but it's been so long since I've been in Japan that I guess the spirit of tourism got to my head. By the time I reached Ryou's apartment I had so many bags that I couldn't even knock on the door, so I kicked it and shouted for Bakura to let me in, but Kek was the one who appeared in the doorway.
"Hey sexy." He winked at me.
"Quit goofing around and let me inside." I shoved past him with my shopping bags, intentionally avoiding his eyes so I didn't blush at what had to be a facetious greeting.
"Oh good, you guys are back home. I'm about to start dinner." Ryou was on the floor, gathering up Duel Monster cards. "You should play another game with Kek while I get things ready."
"I don't mind." I shrugged. "But it's just me. Bakura stayed home, so if he's not here, I'm not sure where he is.."
"Oh." Ryou frowned. "I wonder where he ran off to. He usually leaves a note."
I set my bags next to the couch. "Well, this should be the perfect time for me to grill you two for questions."
"Sorry, Marik. I have to cook dinner." Ryou flashed a coy smile before vanishing into the kitchen.
"I'll only answer if you beat me in Duel Monsters." Kek grinned.
"You're on." I snorted. "I'm not afraid of you."
Kek laughed.
"What's so funny?" I grabbed my cards and sat down in Ryou's spot.
"What's there to be afraid of? There's no Items, no Shadow Magic, we're playing on the carpet in our apartment, Marik."
I didn't reply. I supposed I overreacted out of default intuition. I know on the surface that Kek was no longer my specific darkness, but that didn't stop me from feeling a little guarded as a reflex. I won the coin toss and set two cards down. I was interested to see what sort of cards Kek would use on his own. He used… fairies. It really fucked with my head. Enough to wonder if he intentionally was fucking with me. Sanctuary in the Sky gave me some trouble, but after getting rid of it I pulled ahead and won, just barely.
"Well?" I raised an eyebrow.
Kek was growling at his cards. "Yeah, yeah, ask me something."
I hummed, thinking. I wanted it to be something good, but all I could think about were the kinds of silly questions one might ask during a sleepover. Finally, I gave into my own immaturity.
"Top or bottom?"
"How do you mean?" Kek grinned. He slipped behind me, wrapping his arms around my chest. "Do you mean when he spoons? Bakura's usually the little spoon."
"I figured that out on my own." I snorted, ignoring his mocking embrace. "You know damn well I mean in bed."
"You should really have to figure that one out on your own. It took us months."
"I won the game."
"Fine." Kek moved his hands to my shoulders, leaning his lips next to my ear and whispering, "Bottom."
I shivered. The way he whispered it, especially leaning up against me, sent my imagination into overdrive.
"What about position?"
"I told you- little spoon."
"That's not a position."
"Yes it is. Like this."
Kek switched from behind to in front of me and laid on his side, dragging me down behind him. He hooked his top leg over and behind my legs to open himself up to theoretical penetration, although we still had our clothes on. I bit the inside of my cheek as hard as I could to keep myself from moaning into his hair during the demonstration.
"Okay. Okay. You could have just said on his side with his leg up." My heart felt like it was going to break my ribcage and I wanted out of our pretzel before Kek realized that he was making me hard.
Had it been Bakura, I would have just made a Rod joke- one of the first things I learned about him was his unending greed for puns and wordplay- but I didn't want to tease Kek like that. I mean… right? It wasn't exactly the same, I think. Or- it was all too confusing and I needed to bail so I didn't have to think about it.
"Well, it's easier to show."
"Okay, but people usually don't just grab other people and get them into positions like that."
"I'm not stupid. Believe it or not, I actually do function in society. I just thought… I mean, sorry. I guess I kinda forgot the whole separate body thing for a second there. I mean, not really, because it's obvious, but-"
"It's okay." I shook my head. Ugh, I was blushing and it bothered me, although I knew my complexion would hide it. "I mean, yeah, I get it. It was just, um-"
"He also likes to be the middle of a sandwich, if that helps." Kek winced. "I… guess it wouldn't really help to know that."
"Could you imagine?" I asked, rhetorically for the sake of breaking the tension, but my stupid brain thought I wanted an answer, and yes. I could imagine. Thanks brain. I'm never getting rid of this hard-on now.
"No. Couldn't possibly." Kek winked.
"Shut up." I smacked his shoulder and earned a grin for it.
"Then again." Kek leaned closer. "I am a visual learner. Another demonstration might be in order."
The door opened before I could retort, which was probably for the best because I had no idea how I was going to respond. In stepped a very sheepish Bakura holding several pet store bags in one hand while the other braced a box against his hip.
"Oi! Ryou! You better come in here too!" Bakura shouted as he kicked the door shut.
"Make it quick. Dinner's ready. What's in the box?" Ryou stopped walking across the living room the moment he saw how overburdened Bakura was. He dropped the bags and held the box with both of his hands.
"Look, I can explain. There were four of them- and there's four of us- and I couldn't decide which one to get Marik, so I figured he can have first dibs and we'd just pick one each afterward."
"One what?" Ryou asked.
"Uuuuh…" Bakura knelt and opened the box lid, pulling out a black and white ball of fluff.
"Oh my god, you bought kittens?" Ryou's face lit up and he crashed beside Bakura, reaching into the box to play with them.
"Better hurry up and pick one, Marik. I think Ryou's about to steal them all." He smiled, watching Ryou.
"If I've picked up any such uncouth habits, it's solely your fault." Ryou nudged Bakura with his elbow.
Kek and I exchanged a quick glance at each other. My heart was racing again, although in a completely different way. I couldn't help but think of all those times my fingers almost brushed against soft fur, only to be dragged away into the dark and denied something as simple as the affection of a pet. I couldn't help but wonder if Kek was having the same memories, and by his expression- I'd bet he was. Even at that moment, crawling towards the box, it felt forbidden. Like my father would show up at any second with a whip, or Rishid would appear like a phantom and pick me up and carry me away again. At that moment Bakura was a djinn granting some long-repressed wish that I'd forgotten about and it felt like I'd somehow be punished for it.
But when I peered into the box, I couldn't really worry about consequences. I just saw six green eyes staring at me, and heard the little cries. The kitten in Bakura's arms was black and white and already curled against his chest and sleeping. There was an orange one, a white and gray one that that looked like a softer version of the one Bakura held, and a brown tabby. I picked up the brown tabby. It's claws stabbed into my shirt as it clung to me, but as soon as I scratched the top of his head, the little thing stopped crying and started to purr.
I was falling in love all over again. With the kitten, of course, but also with Bakura. I thought love was getting your back in a Shadow Game and leaving love notes hidden in theft, but now I was sure true love was Bakura bringing me an entire box of kittens because he wanted me to be able to chose my favorite.
"How… did you know?" I asked, voice quiet as to not startled the tiny thing against my chest.
"Rishid told me."
"You actually talked to Rishid?" I glanced up at him.
"I tried talking to Ishizu, but she thought I was up to something. Fortunately Baldy is a little more reasonable."
"This… I... I really love him, Bakura."
I could have just said thank you, but that didn't seem good enough. I felt a bit like a snake, joking about sex while Bakura was trying to find out something that would actually make me happy. It's like my brain couldn't process that the Ring Spirit wasn't quite the same as the Thief King- but merciful gods was this better.
There's no Items, no Shadow Magic, we're playing on the carpet in our apartment.
That's what Kek had said. He understood it better than I did. Holy shit.
"That means these two are for us." Ryou slid the box over to Kek, who hadn't moved the entire time.
Kek looked precious as he picked up the orange kitten and allowed it to climb onto his shoulder. I hope I didn't look that adorable- cute wasn't a look I went for. Still, it was nice to look at. Him and Ryou laughing side by. Ryou leaned back over to Bakura, slinging a single arm around him in order to hug him without smushing either cat.
"Bakura! You finally had a plan that wasn't stupid!"
"Psh, thanks Ryou." Bakura laughed.
They pulled apart from the embrace. Time seemed to slow as they did it. For a second, I thought they were going to kiss. The thought made me tight with? What? Anticipation? Perhaps? I expected jealousy, but it wasn't that, it was more of a weird excitement. But regardless, it didn't happen. Ryou's face turned red, he turned away, and scooted closer to Kek to put distance between them.
Was I disappointed? That their lips didn't brush? I couldn't see why I'd feel that way. Shouldn't I feel… upset? or mad? or… something else? Maybe it had something to do with Bakura sharing Ryou's body in Battle City? I suppose there'd be some attraction there on my behalf, but that didn't see like it fully encompassed to scope of my feelings. Maybe I was just aroused from Kek's foolishness and in a good mood because of Bakura's sweet gesture.
"I bought food, and toys, and two litter boxes, but the cashier said there should be one per cat, so I guess we'll need more. I just couldn't carry it all."
"We'll go to the store tomorrow after work," Ryou said.
Yes, kittens. I shouldn't even be thinking about- whatever it was I was trying to sort out in my head. Who cared? Bakura tossed me a little fish pole toy and I could barely get it out of the package before my brown tabby was tearing into it.