I hung up the phone, and was about to text Marik when I heard a knock. I cringed, knowing who it would be. I swallowed and opened the door.

"Hey, is Kek home yet?" Marik asked.

My brain was screaming. Marik looked marvelous, or maybe it was just because I hadn't seen him in awhile. He wore black jeans and a black vest that went really well with the kohl around his eyes. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, showing off his gorgeous face. I realized I was doing that thing again- the thing where I'm not talking out loud. It was one or the other I guess. I either didn't have a filter, or I didn't say anything at all, and I most certainly didn't want to blurt out what I was thinking at the moment. I took a deep breath and forced myself to speak polightly.

"Hello, Marik, please come inside. Sorry, but Kek just called. One of the kids got hurt at the gym today so he's running late."

"Is the child okay?" Marik asked as he stepped inside.

"He broke his arm. Kek couldn't get ahold of his parents, so he took him to the hospital himself."

"That's awful." Marik frowned. "Should I reschedule? I know neither one of us are really looking forward to this."

I shook my head. "Kek seemed anxious to get it over with. Please, sit down. Would you like some tea?"

"I'm fine."

"Okay…" I looked anywhere but at Marik. He was too pretty and I didn't want to stare. "Um… well, he'll be here as soon as he can, and- maybe I should just go? I was going to run to the market to give you both time to talk anyway, but I could just go now and-"

"Ryou." Marik sighed, it was more like a groan. "Just… come on, don't leave me alone in your apartment. I know it's awkward between us, but let's just try to forget about it and watch TV or something?"

"Of course. I-I don't mind. I just thought you might want me gone."

"I'd rather us get along, if we could. I don't want Bakura to feel bad every time he talks to you."

"No, that would be awful." I dropped onto the couch, running my fingers around the triangle volume buttons on the remote. "Um, Marik?"

"Yeah?" He sat down on the opposite side of the sofa, and I felt like shit. He always sat a little further away before, but now he was sitting as far as possible and it was because of what I'd done. I couldn't help thinking about my conversation with Yugi the other day. I picked at the back of the remote, popping open the battery hatch and closing it again. "Um, Marik?"

"Yeah, Ryou?" He gave me an expectant look.

"I just want you to know, well, that is, I think I should try and explain that, well, you know… I'm stupid, and awkward, and the only game I have is on the rpg table and never with guys, and I'm sorry."

"Oooookaaay." Marik raised an eyebrow. "I keep telling you I'm not mad anymore."

"No, I mean, thank goodness, I'm really glad you're not mad at me. I want us to be friends, because you're great. Also, although it's for different reasons, you're extremely close to the two most important people in my life, so It'd be nice if we could be close. Platonically!"

I shouted like a fool while rambling. "I meant, platonically, of course. I promise I'll never overstep boundaries like that again. I still feel awful because of that. Dammit, this isn't what I'm trying to say at all! See what I mean? I'm just really bad at talking when it comes to this kind of stuff. Give me a minute, I need to start over."

I scratched my head, fiddling with the remote wasn't working. My face was burning, burning. I wiped my palms against the front of my pants and tried to take a deep breath, but I only managed a half-hearted gasp. Yugi was wrong. This couldn't be better that keeping my distance. Marik probably thought I was an idiot at this point, and I was begging to any and every god that Kek would show up and save me from this impossible mess, but the door didn't open. It was just me, having an anxiety attack on the sofa because I was trying to talk to someone, and Marik, looking at me like he was worried I might pass out.

"Okay. The thing is, even without Bakura, or even without Kek, I- I would have, um-" my voice cracked.

I closed my eyes and swallowed. Oh, just spit it out already, Ryou. You've already made this as awkward as it can get, might as well lay the cards down on the table.

"I just want you to know that it wasn't because of Bakura. I mean, some of the flirting yes, but it's not like we were flirting because we thought we could just glue you on, do you understand? We already understood Bakura was going to leave, so we got too bold, because we didn't think we could lose, since we already lost Bakura."

I stood and paced around the living room. Too nervous to sit. Mind spinning too fast not to move my body as I continued to ramble.

"We would have never even considered it if the attraction hadn't been there already. It wasn't acceptance of your presence, it was us coveting it. And that's why- why even if the other two weren't here, and you'd been on the couch that day on your own, and we were watching something harmless, like cat videos, or Pokemon, had you still be sitting there, and laughing, and smiling…"

I stopped. I felt like I was floating a little outside my own body I turned and looked at Marik who sat straight with an unreadable look on his face. I made sure I looked right in his eyes, though, so he could see that I was being sincere. "I still would have kissed you. I just wanted you to know that." I closed my eyes. "I mean, it's okay that you don't like me. I'm fine with that, but after that day, I thought about what it must have looked like, with all the odd circumstances surrounding that moment, and I really hated the thought of you thinking I was just flustered from the video, or trying to hook up casually, or playing some sort of dating version of chess. It wasn't any of that. It was just me being stupid, and I'm sorry."

A little sound escaped Marik, then a little more. My eyes flung open and I searched his face, wanting to make sure I didn't somehow fuck up even more and make him cry, but no. He was laughing behind his palm. I didn't know how to take that. It was better than crying, but had I really been that ridiculous? Was my embarrassing confession was just a joke to him? I bowed low and turned to run into my room.

"I'm sorry. I was talking too much! I'm just going to go and-"

"Ryou, come back!" Marik called after me.

I stopped, and gave him a shy peek over my shoulder. He waved me to come closer.

"I'm not laughing at you. It's just that… if you add up everything you've ever said to me, I don't think it'd be half as much as that soliloquy's worth."

"Yeah." I rubbed the back of my head, pretty sure I was blushing all the way down to my skull. "I've had the Ring since I was little, so- although I'm perfectly capable at talking in public- when it comes to people I want to be really close to, I don't know how to express myself very well." I took a few steps closer until I was back in the living room. "Honestly? I think it's one of the reasons I get along with Kek so well."

"And Bakura," Marik added.

"It's easy with Bakura. He always seemed to be able to read my mind. Even after he came back." I sighed. "Except lately. I guess he's had too much on his mind to try and read mine."

"Probably." Marik cleaned under his fingernails. I couldn't tell if it were a act of boredom or nervousness, but I really hoped it was the later. "Is that why you didn't tell him? That you had a crush on me?"

"No. We didn't tell him because we didn't want him to get swept up in the idea and then get hurt if- or when- you turned us down." I made my way back to the sofa, sitting in the middle. Marik didn't seem uncomfortable with my location, so I scooted a touch closer, and stayed there. "We knew leaving was going to be hard for him; we didn't want to make it harder."

"That makes sense," Marik hummed, looking off like he was thinking about something.

"Although, it did surprise me that he never caught on to what we were up to. I was sure that day, um-" My cheeks were already as hot as they could get, but I still felt the need to blush all over again. "The day you walked in on Kek and I? After that, when Kek was tickling me and Bakura came into the room I thought everything would just-" I gestured with my hands, searching for words. "Fall into place. Like it did with him, and Kek, and me. Like, hurrah, Bakura's here! Now everything is somehow going to work out because he's crafty like that! But he de-escalated the tension in the room instead, and I was… lost." I hugged myself, bending over. "I was so lost, without Bakura pulling the strings. I guess that was also part of the reason I kissed you. I didn't know how to say I liked you, so I showed it. Afterall, it made perfect sense to me when Bakura had kissed me, I knew it was an invitation."

"You were giving me permission," Marik spoke quietly. Not a whisper, but close to one. He seemed to be looking at nothing in specific, but I didn't feel like he was avoiding my gaze, merely thinking to himself.

"Yeah." I pressed my burning forehead into my hands. "That's no excuse. Gods, I'm sorry. And I'm rambling again, Marik please just tell me to shut up."

"Why would I tell you that?" Marik smirked. "It's entertaining to watch you monologue. Much better than watching TV."

"TV, what a great idea." I flopped over to where I had sat originally and stretched out for the remote so I could drown out my chatter with the blessed white-noise of pre-filmed programming.

"Don't you dare." Marik reached over me- half on top of me- and stole the remote from my hand.

"Hey!" I called out, more surprised than anything. The three seconds that we pressed together felt like I'd been struck by lightning. My heart was racing again, but from proximity instead of embarrassment.

"No, no, no. Keep talking. This is entertaining." Marik waived the remote out of reached.

"Marik, you're awfully close," I murmured. Not that I minded the closeness, but I didn't think he wanted us to be that close.

"What? Oh, sorry." Marik sat back into his original spot, and I noticed he was running his fingers over the plastic much as I had a moment before.

I tried to think of something that would distract him from his thoughts.

"So? Watching me flounder around like a suffocating fish and make a fool of myself is entertaining?"

"A little." Marik laughed again, still toying with the remote. "I do that to Bakura often enough." He took a deep breath and glanced at me. "You know, I did think you were playing chess."

Oh my gosh, I'm such a game nerd that I sat there blinking for an entire fifteen seconds trying to think about how we got on the topic of board games again before I realized he was alluding to my mention of dating chess. I shook my head.

"I wouldn't do that. Not like that. I'm sorry that's what it seemed like to you"

"That's what Bakura said, that you wouldn't play games like that. I wanted to believe him, but the fact that he didn't know what you were up to was too suspicious."

"In hindsight, we definitely could have dealt with the entire situation better." I gave Marik a helpless shrug. "We could have at least brought up the topic of dating multiple people in general to see how you reacted before we tried flirting, and talking to Bakura about it was probably a good idea, but damn, I can't imagine how hurt he'd be when it didn't work. We just wanted to spare him that extra bit of pain… he's had enough."

"That's true." The room grew quiet for a moment and then Marik shook his head. "In hindsight I'd live my entire life differently. That's one of the reasons why I want to talk to Kek. I want to tell him how sorry I am for…" Marik dropped the remote and balled his hands into fists. "For everything."

"You know, Hamyaa loves to sit in his hair, but when Hamyaa is sleeping, Kek holds Ducati in his lap. I think because that one is your kitten. Kek… really loves you, Marik. I think it's like that feeling that Yugi and I had for Atem and Bakura. Even, me, even though I didn't get along with Bakura very well when I had the Ring. When someone's that close to your mind…" I shook my head. "Maybe love isn't the right word. I wouldn't say that I loved Bakura until recently, but, it's something. It's a closeness."

"I bought the cats some scratching posts and toys. They should be here any day now."

"Okay. We'll keep everything in the box until you're ready to go back and-"

"I sent them here because I want all the kittens to use them."

"Thank you. Do you miss Ducati? I bet I can find him sleeping in my scrap basket."

Marik's face lit up. "Yeah, I would like to see him."

I rushed to my room. All four of the kittens were in the basket. I scooped up the tabby, carried him to the living room, and placed him in Marik's arms.

"You're right. He purrs like an engine."

Marik smiled as he ran his hand down the length of Ducati's back. I had my phone out snapping a picture before I could even imagine Kek and Bakura teasing me about it. Marik looked up and grinned, so I took another one in order to catch his smile.

"Want me to send it to you?"

"Yeah, that way I can forward it to Ishizu. She wanted to see him."

"I'll send you the second one for Ishizu because you're smiling in it. I bet she'll love it. When their toys get here. I can text you videos, Kek already has some. He was showing Atem pictures the other day."

"Shut the fuck up. Kek? Was showing Atem pictures of our cats?"

"Yes, before our Uno game. That was a fun night."

"Life is somehow crazier now than when I was a kingpin."

"Well, you are dating a three thousand year old tomb raider." I sighed. "How is Bakura, anyway?"

"Spoiled rotten, of course."

"So are the kittens, so I guess that's fair." I laughed. The tension in the room was thinner than before. Talking about nothing important felt a whole lot better than embarrassing confessions.

"He misses you guys. You can visit, if you want."

"Why doesn't he visit?" I frowned. "Kek's still hurt that he didn't say goodbye."

"Yeah… I'll bring it up. Maybe we can finish the Monster World game we started?"

"We should! It's going to be the last game we play, so I'd love to finish it."

"Why the last one? Surely Yugi will play with you guys."

"Oh, maybe Yugi and Atem would, but…" I looked away. "None of the others will. Not after their experiences with me and RPGs when I had the Ring. Any other game, but not tabletop RPGs."

"What about an online version?"

"There aren't any good ones available." I blew the bangs out of my face, it didn't work, so I brushed them aside instead. "I've been thinking about trying a few things, see if I could toss something together. I mean, Bakura did get his computer skills from me after all." I laughed a little. "But I was always working so much that I never really had a chance to sit down and think it through."

"Well, if you do make something, I promise I'll play whenever I have an internet connection."

I smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah. I've only played a few times, but it was a great game."

"Good." I felt my phone vibrate. It was Kek telling me he'd be home in five minutes. "Oh good, Kek is on his way back."

"Don't you dare run off until he gets here."

I blushed again. That was exactly what I was planning on doing. Toying with my hair, I looked around the living room for something else to talk about. Kittens and Monster World were my best two topics.

"Heh," Marik snorted. "I guess I should thank you, if Bakura got his computer skills from you. That's how he sent me the message that brought me here."

I glanced at Marik. "What did it say? If it's not too personal to ask."

"I dwell in darkness without you. Free me."

"I dwell in darkness without you? Oh my god." I doubled over, laughing. "That's sweet, but I swear Bakura is such a dork! No wonder he didn't want to watch Willow the other night."

"The fantasy movie?"

"Yes."

"Did he steal a line?" Marik snorted. "It's Bakura. Of course he stole a line."

"He thinks you're Sorsha. That's so cute! I'm dying! I should hit him with a bag of glitter and say it's the Dust of Broken Hearts! Ah, oh no! He'd better not think Kek and I are the brownies."

"Nothing you're saying is making any sense, but now I really want to see this movie. Especially if it's Bakura's favorite."

"You can borrow it." I stood up to hand it to him.

"Are you kidding? Bakura won't let me watch it. You know how he is."

"Yeah. I guess he already detoured us once."

"Maybe I can sneak over here and watch it when he's busy."

"Any time. Just let us know." The door opened and Kek walked in. "Kek!"

I ran and crushed him in a hug. I knew he'd need it between the day he'd already had and his anxieties about talking to Marik.

"Ryou," Kek whispered into my hair, holding me back.

"How's the kid who got hurt?"

"Fine. Tristan finally came and got him."

"Tristan?"

"Yeah, turns out it was his nephew. Small world."

"Yes, and I'm sure when he saw you, Tristan properly thanked you for taking the extra time to make sure his nephew was okay." Marik didn't even try to hid the bitterness or irony in his voice.

"Whatever. It's fine. He knows his nephew is a problem." Kek scratched his hair. "I just want a hot bath and my body weight in chicken."

"Speaking of, I need to go to the store. I'll be back in an hour." I kissed Kek's cheeks and gathered up my wallet and keys.

"Do you want to reschedule?" Marik asked again.

"No. Let me change into dry clothes and then let's get this over with."