The video Bakura sent of Ryou had me fanning myself. That's probably why when Marik tried to send a photo, I couldn't help but nip at his throat. Well, that and the fact that I knew that I could get away with it. Kehehehe. After we swapped photos, we went and saw the Savanna animals first. Zebras and gazelles grazed, indifferent to us watching them. On the other end of the exhibit, giraffes where pulling leaves out of baskets fastened to the trees.

"Look, it's Seto Kaiba." I pointed at the tallest of the three giraffes.

"I don't see how you recognized him without a duel disk." Marik laughed.

The Savanna section bled into the big cats exhibit. I leaned against the safety rail near the lion pit.

"Now this one looks like me in the morning."

"I've heard them calling out at night to mark their territory," Marik said as he watched the lion swish his tail in a lazy rhythm.

"Do you like traveling all over Africa?"

"I do." He nodded. "I miss modern living sometimes while I'm out, but it's worth it."

"Are you getting antsy staying here for so long?" I turned away from the lions so I could look at Marik's face when he answered.

"Not yet." He smirked. "It's been a nice break, and the company functions fine without my presence. There's nothing I really have to do that can't be handled with a conference call or an email. I simply enjoy the field work."

"I understand."

And I did in my own way. It wasn't too much different from the gym. Get up early, work hard, build up other people even as you build up yourself. We looked at the tigers and cheetahs next. On our way to the penguins, Marik laced his fingers with mine. I grinned.

"Careful, we might get a few stern, disapproving looks."

"Oh no. Wouldn't want those." Marik winked at me.

Not that there was anyone else at the zoo. The weather was nice enough. Hot, but clear and bright, but aside from an old couple sitting on a bench near the monkeys, we had the place to ourselves. We wandered to the penguins and from there went indoors to the snow exhibit. I lingered at the polar bear pool. I wanted to run my hands over the bear's face like he was one of the kittens, but even I'm not that much of a masochist. After the chill of the arctic section, the sun felt even brighter and hotter against our arms and faces. Marik put on a pair of sunglasses to cut the glare.

"Don't you have a pair?" he asked.

"I haven't really needed a pair until now." I shrugged. "You know how those other two nerds are."

"Are we referring to the two nerds that decided to work on a video game for their date?" Marik raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, guess you haven't gotten outside much since you've been back. Don't worry. I'll help fix that."

The statement made me feel oddly soft and cozy inside. Like that little piece of me that was upset when he didn't show up that first day was finally, after all this time, at ease. I saw a vendor selling popsicles out of a cart, and I ran and bought two, bringing a purple one back to Marik.

"I could have bought them." He frowned, but accepted the little gift.

I shook my head. "You paid for the tickets."

"Fine, I'll just buy you a pair of sunglasses instead." Marik gave me a haughty look as he unwrapped the popsicle and sucked on it with no amount of subtlety.

"Fine but you have to actually gift wrap it, or I won't accept it."

He was challenging the wrong man at a sensual licking contest. He did not yet know how great I was at- wait, he really didn't know. Hah! Perhaps I'd show him this weekend. I wasn't sure how far Marik intended to take things while we were away, but he'd only reserved a single room, and he'd been giving both me and Bakura some looks all afternoon before we split up. Knowing my old self as well as I did, I knew this wasn't going to be a platonic slumber party.

But all that could wait because for the moment I was busy swirling my tongue around the tip of the red popsicle I'd bought for myself. Marik smiled around his own ice pop as he watched me flutter my tongue against the top.

"Keep licking it like that and it's going to melt."

"They always do." I answered, running my tongue along the popsicle length.

Marik watched in fascination until a thought made him blink and refocus on me (instead of my tongue).

"You said you wanted it gift wrapped."

"Uh, huh? Is that an innuendo?"

"The sunglasses," Marik snorted. "I guess you've never really had a chance to get a proper present, have you?"

"Ryou made me a boxing robe for my fight. He and Bakura put it in a box for me."

"Oh good. It bothered me to think that you'd never gotten a wrapped present before." Marik sighed in relief.

"Don't worry. They took care of me while we were all waiting for you." I sucked on my popsicle with the intention of actually eating it now instead of blowing it.

I realized that my statement was true despite the fact that I had said it to be flirty- as if all of us were waiting on him, and not just Bakura. But actually? We were. It'd been such a huge part of why Ma'at sent Bakura back, and always on Bakura's mind, that it had affected all of us.

We tossed the sticks in a nearby waste bin and continued walking. The next area was the reptile exhibit. Marik took one look inside the dark building, wrinkled his nose, and marched over to the aviarium instead. After that we saw bears, a desert area, a rainforest area, and a the elephant pen. Marik checked his phone.

"It's probably time to head to the airport."

"How's Bakura going to get over there without telling Ryou what we're up to?"

"Like this." Marik hummed as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Bakura's number. He looked up into the sky. Ra flashed against the lenses of his sunglasses. "Hey, Bakura? Yeah, I left my sunglasses on the plane. Could you swing by and get them for me? Yes... of course I need them right away… yeah I know it'll be dark in a few hours, but they're Hugo's, so I need them with me at all times... for the aesthetic, asshole, just go and get them off the plane before taking Ryou home. Thanks~"

I could hear Bakura shouting on the other ended during each of Marik's pauses. I couldn't help shaking my head.

"That sounded realistic. Did you two rehearse that?"

"No, Bakura just reacts far too easily." Marik grinned.

"At least Ryou won't suspect anything when they detour away from the apartment."

Marik took my hand again, bumping our shoulders together as we walked toward the exit. I caught sight of a small, red, barn-like building by chance right before we left.

"What's that?"

"That? Petting zoo, I think." Marik glanced at it as he walked, but I tugged him in that direction.

"Petting zoo? Like, animals we actually get to pet? I have to see this." I ran to the barn and through the gate meant to keep the animals in. Behind the building were various sheep, goats, stray birds, and two fawns.

"It smells awful back here." Marik wrinkled his face.

"Who cares, look at them!"

I dropped down to my knees, and one of the sheep ran right up to me. I wrapped my arms around him and ran my fingers through his thick wool coat. The others were joining in, surrounding me.

"It's like they know I'm the one that usually gives the cats their food." I laughed as one of the goats started chewing on a strip of my hair.

"Actually…" Marik looked around until he found a machine that allowed you to drop in yen and then fill a bucket full of grain. Marik paid for two buckets worth, and brought them over to me. "Here."

The animals rushed around him. Marik's eyes went wide and his body stiffened. I could tell he was nervous.

"Uh, Kek. Take these buckets." Marik raised them up overhead so they couldn't be knocked over by the swarm. "Hurry, these guys are getting dirt on my pants."

"I know you're not afraid of a little dirt."

I grabbed him around the legs and pulled him down to my lap. Marik screamed as he tumbled forward, but I caught him and made sure he didn't hit the ground. Some of the grain spilled out of the buckets and the animals dogpiled us, each fighting for as much of the grain as possible. Marik shrieked in laughter as all the fur, feathers, and wool tickled his arms. I took one of the buckets, and held Marik to my chest with my free arm- keeping him close so if something happened I could protect him.

Marik dropped his empty bucket, and half hid against me, but he was still laughing so I continued sitting in the middle of the feeding frenzy with him. I was giggling with him, but I couldn't pay attention to the animals because I couldn't take my stare away from Marik. HIs hair was blown around his face, and a few stays bits of hay had found their way into the strands. His skin was glowing from laughter, and I held him a little closer against me.

"We're going to look awful when we see them."

"The hotel will have showers." I shrugged, dropping my bucket after the last of the grain was eaten. One of the goats shouted a protest at the fact that all their food was gone, and my favorite sheep gave me a little head butt. I turned back to Marik. "Aren't you going to pet them?"

"They're not as cute as kittens." Marik reached out his hand. One of the fawns sat close and Marik skimmed his fingertips along his spotted coat.

"Yes they are. I love them. Buy me a petting zoo for my birthday, Marik."

"Okay," Marik said as if I'd asked for another popsicle instead of an actual petting zoo.

"Uh, don't really do that. The litter box is bad enough. I don't want to see what these guys get up to."

"I promised Bakura a horse. Do you want a horse? You'd have to keep him at a stable, but you could visit and ride him."

I mean… I never thought about horses before, but now that one was getting offered to me... Yeah, I kinda did want one, but I shook my head no and laughed. I think I'd rather just pet Bakura's horse and stick to pets that could sleep by my feet at night. I made sure to pat each animal before finally brushing off all the dirt and hay from my jeans. The animals were still swarming around us in hopes of another snack, so I scooped Marik into my arms and carried him.

"It's about time I get the service I deserve." Marik grin. "Bakura always makes me walk like a peasant."

I flashed him a grin, setting him down on the other side of the fence and then jumping over myself. We walked out of the exit and found our bike in the parking lot.

"Here." I shoved the keys into his hand.

"Don't you want to drive it?" Marik asked.

"Eh, I'd rather be behind you." I winked at him.

"Would you now?" Marik hummed as he mounted the back.

I got behind him. If this was one of the stories I've been writing for Rory, I'd be wrapping my arms around Marik's waist, and nuzzling the nape of his neck, and begging him to go as fast as he could, but being that we were on a motorcycle instead of a horse, we had on helmets, and we were in Domino City instead of some fantasy world, I rested my hands on his sides at a respectable distance, and let him drive us without any cute "moments."

I'd never seen the plane before. He always took the boat when we were connected. We hadn't even taken to luggage to the plane before we went to the zoo. Marik had "staff" come and pick it up, but I recognized one of said "staff" from the old days. Though I'll admit, he looked much more lively than the last time I'd seen him- which had been with the glazed-over, vacant stare of people that have been under the Rod's control for too long. I wondered what made him stay after all that, but didn't want to ask Marik before our date.

The interior was as swaggy as one would imagine the inside of a private jet owned by Marik Ishtar to be. It had couched lining the sides and the back area had a bed and a bathroom, and I was sure the bathroom wasn't the closet sized porta-potty that I often heard people complain about when they spoke of flying.

"I have to at least change my clothes. I feel like I smell like goat."

"You have hay in your hair." I snickered.

Marik frowned trying to comb his hair with his fingers as he walked to the back of the jet. "Do I? Help me get it all out- it's your fault it's there in the first place."

"Only if you help me with mine."

I decided I wanted to change before Bakura and Ryou showed up as well, so I walked to the back, found my bag, and pulled off my shirt. Marik was already completely nude. With a smirk I knew very well, he walked up to me and started tugging at bits of my hair.

Oh yeah… hair pulling. My favorite thing. Maybe I should have asked Ryou to do it instead, because now my hands were clutching at Marik's hips and I didn't think I had the willpower to let go. Instead, I closed my eyes and enjoyed myself. Then Marik started fluffing up my spikes instead of tugging, so I figured he was done. Opening my eyes again, I looked at him and saw him smiling and looking back at me.

"Be more gentle with me."

Yes, of course. There was a time when I would have savored his cry of pain as I pulled that pretty hair right out of his scalp- but that was another lifetime ago. Like the phoenix on the back of my boxing robe, I'd come back, and changed, and now I was gliding my fingers through Marik's hair with deliberate strokes, and unwinding the hay from his locks as if Marik were made of glass. His eyes shut as well, and a soft coo escaped him. Once all the hay was gone from his hair, I couldn't help leaning in and hovering my lips just over his.

I held there, out of reach, until Marik grabbed the two front belt loops of my pants. I dragged my bottom lip across his, so much smoother than that hard, desperate first kiss with Bakura oh so long ago. Marik's hands pressed up my stomach and chest. I kneaded into his back with my fingertips, and it took a moment to remember that I was technically in the middle of changing.

I licked my lips as I pulled away, grabbing a change of clothes from my bag before swapping out. Marik sighed as he got dressed. He stuck his sunglasses on top of his head as he walked out of the back area.

"What's taking them so long? They should have been here before us."

"I brought cards if you want a duel."

"I want our Bakuras to get here before-"

Bakura popped in right at that moment. "Quit nagging, i can hear you all the way down the runway."

"It's about time you showed up."

"Oh good. You found your glasses." Ryou gestured to the top of Marik's head.

"What?" Marik blinked a second. "Oh yeah, right. No thanks to Bakura."

"It's not my fault I drive the speed limit while you zip through traffic like you have extra lives stashed in your back pocket!"

"You knew what time we were supposed to meet here. You should have left earlier."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "We're only five minutes late. This is suppose to be a three day weekend- not bootcamp. I didn't bother synchronizing watches."

"Um… excuse me."

Marik ignore Ryou as he continued to lay into Bakura. "You still have to be on time for a flight. We can't take off whenever. They have to schedule it with the other planes."

"Um, flight? Should Kek and I leave?" Ryou asked, not yet understanding that we were all going together. I sat down and continued to watch the show.

Bakura spoke to Marik instead of Ryou. "If the time window is that small, then why didn't you have me meet you here earlier?"

"I thought you had enough common sense to be here on time!"

"Okay then. I guess Kek and I will just see ourselves out. You two have fun on your trip." Ryou spun around to leave, but Bakura grabbed his arm and tugged him back to his side.

"Hold on, don't go yet."

"But if you're going to be late-"

"No, it's okay." Marik grabbed Ryou's other arm and helped Bakura pull Ryou over to the couch next to me.

"Well that was entertaining." I snorted, buckling my seat belt.

"You should buckle up as well, Ryou." Marik grinned as he and Bakura clicked the belt around Ryou's waist.

Ryou's mouth dropped. "You bastards set me up. I thought it was rather strange that they scheduled me for three days off in a row."

"Not strange considering that I bribed your manager." Marik sat down next to Ryou's other side and put on his own seat belt.

"But I don't have-"

"Actually, I already packed everything you needed." I kissed Ryou's cheek.

"But the kittens-"

"Gave Yugi a spare key and a feeding schedule. He'll check on them twice a day." Bakura shot Ryou with his finger.

"Well… where are we going?" Ryou's face turned bright pink, but I could tell that he was flustered in a happy sort of way- not pissy.

"Tokyo, for tonight, but tomorrow morning we'll travel to Iritahama and spend the day at the beach." Marik kissed Ryou's other cheek.

His blush went from sakura blossom to tsubaki. He was giggling as hard as he was blushing, and I could almost scream I was so happy watching him like that.

"I can't believe you guys set this all up behind my back. Thank you!"