***Sorry, I've been super busy. This gets updated on time on ao3, but not so much here. Also, I lost my template for this chapter, so I had to copy/paste from ao3, which means there's a good chance stupid ffnet is going to make my italics vanish, and if it does, I'm sorry***
I added more sunblock before we left the hotel room, and brought a bottle with me. One could never apply enough sunblock, and it only lasted for about 80 minutes before it needed to be reapplied anyway. Marik called for a cab, and ten minutes later we were standing in front of the ocean. The breeze blew the stray strands of hair already falling out of my bun, but no matter how many times I tried to brush them aside, they kept tickling my cheeks. We set out beach towels in the sand.
Bakura dashed for the waves the moment he dropped his bag into the sand. He dove into the water, disappearing below the white froth of a wave. Emerging, Bakura flung his wet hair from his face and whooped.
"Hurry up Marik!"
"Who said I was swimming? I'm here for the sun." Marik slipped on his sunglasses and stretched out his towel.
"No you don't!" Bakura ran up the beach again. He grabbed Marik by the forearm and pulled him to his feet, dragging him toward the water.
Marik managed to drop his glasses to his towel before Bakura pulled him to the waves. Marik screamed the moment he hit the green-blue water.
"Bakura! It's freezing!"
"Don't be a wuss! You'll get used to it." Bakura wrapped his arms around around Marik's waist and dragged him down below the waves.
"Better him than us, right Kek… Kek?" I turned and noticed Kek was off to the side. He dropped his hands to the sand and jumped back with his feet, doing a push up before springing forward and then doing a jumping jack. He repeated the movement. "Kek? What are you doing?"
"Burpees." Kek's breath was a huff as he dropped down again. This time he stayed in push-up position and started running with his feet. "These are mountain climbers."
"But why?" I laughed. "We're on vacation."
"Hey, I'm not going to miss the chance to train on the beach!"
Fat tear-shaped sweat drops were already rolling down his temples while smaller beads glistened on his forearms. It was very pretty to watch, but I was glad I wasn't doing jumping jacks and pushups in the hot sand. Marik and Bakura both screamed as they tackled each other into the water. Bakura stopped a moment to wave at me.
"Ryou, get your lazy ass over here!"
"I thought I was supposed to be resting." I called back to him through cupped hands.
"I'll get you in here eventually!"
I blew him a kiss and grabbed one of Marik's paperbacks to read. I'd rather have my GameBoy, but no one told me we were going to the beach and Kek "forgot" to pack it. Damn gym rat. He was running down to the edge of the water, doing squats, and then running back for more burpees. I couldn't understand how he could do that… all day long.
The sun was hot, but the breeze from the water made the air feel great. Even with the glare, my eyes started growing heavy as I re-read the same sentence three times in a row without retaining the meaning of any of the words. I finally allowed my eyes to shut and my hand to rest against the beach towel. The sound of the waves provided a calming rhythm that helped me catch up on all the rest I'd been denying myself during the overtime. Without warning, two arms wiggled below me and hoisted up into the air. I yelped, opening my eyes and staring at Kek who carried me toward the water.
"You traitor! How dare you side with Bakura." I smacked his chest, laughing as I accused him.
The spray speckled across my feet, and honestly, after laying in the sun, the chill of the water sent a refreshing tickle along my skin. He didn't drop me, but instead lowered me into the water so the cold wasn't such a shock. A wave splashed over us, and I wrinkled my face at the unexpected taste of salt water.
"About fucking time!" Bakura splashed me, but I hid against Kek's chest.
"Hey, Marik, watch this." Kek slung me over one shoulder and Bakura over the other. "Look, I have a gaggle of Bakuras- or would it be a flock of Bakuras?"
"A host of Bakuras." Marik laughed.
"Okay, that's a good one." Bakura shot Marik with his finger and winked.
"No! It's a murder! I will only accept of group of Bakuras being called a murder!" I shouted.
"Sexy, I like it." Kek purred at the suggestion.
"I don't know… the other one was kind of a pun…" Bakura grinned.
"Bakura, I will murder you and make it a pun."
"That joke would be sure to slay your audience," Marik said.
"If I wasn't slung over Kek's shoulder at the moment, I assure you, I'd be swooning." Bakura laughed.
"Yeah, about that, you guys are getting heavy." Kek heaved us both into the water.
I had enough time to yelp before crashing into the foam. Springing up, I wrapped my arms around Kek's waist. "Help me get him back, Bakura."
We both tried to drag him down, but he was too strong to tip over until Marik snuck up from behind and added a helpful shove. All three of us crashed beneath a wave together. Even with my hair up, loose strands plastered to my face. I bet Kek was glad that Bakura had braided his hair for him. The ponytail dropped a little, but otherwise, his hair stayed in place. We rough-housed for several minutes, until Bakura pointed back toward the beach.
"Ryou. Sunblock."
"Thank you!" I rushed back to our area, found the sun tan lotion, and smeared another layer on top of my skin.
Marik waded out of the water. He found his sunglasses and stretched out on top of his towel to sunbathe. "Finally, I can just lay in the sun."
"Isn't Bakura going to drag you back in?"
"He said he wanted to swim further out for a bit."
Kek jogged up us. "Bakura's swimming and Marik's sunbathing. What do you want to do, Ryou?"
I pointed to the right. "It looks like those rocks made a natural wading pool. I'd like to hunt for seashells."
"Here's an empty bag I bought for trash, but you can use it for seashells instead." Marik pulled a used store bag from out of his duffle bag.
"Thank you, Marik." I squeezed his hand for a moment as I took the bag and then raced Kek to the shallows.
Half buried shells peaked out of the white sands, and I stooped down to collect a cluster of brown-spotted ones when Kek ran up to me.
"This isn't a sea shell, but it's pretty." He held what looked like a translucent, blue stone in his palms.
I picked up the little oval stone, gliding my fingers over the smooth surface. "I think this is glass. The waves must have worn it down until it was smooth like this."
"Ugh, figures I'd find trash on the beach instead of a sea shell." Kek grabbed the glass and raised his arm back to toss it into the water.
"Wait! Don't throw it away!" I stood on my toes and grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Why? Isn't it junk?"
"No, it's beautiful!" I pried the glass pebble back from him and held it up to the sunlight. "Look."
"Well yeah… that's why I grabbed it, but it's just a chunk of glass."
"But this one's special because it's been changed. I'm keeping it, and if you find more, please bring them to me."
Kek grinned. He reached out and brushed a fallen strip of hair behind my ear. "I love how you see the world."
"You just need to trust your instincts more." I poked his chest and then took his hand. "Come on. Let's keep searching."
Our feet sank into the sand as we waded into the shallows.
"What about this?" Kek picked up a long, spiral shell.
"It's great. Here." I held up the bag so he could set it inside with the others.
"Here's another one." Kek picked up a small white shell. Legs poked out the moment he lifted it out of the water.
"I think that one already has an owner." I laughed.
Kek watched the hermit crab as it scuttled across his palm for a moment before setting it back down into the water. It was really nice watching his face as he studied the little creature. He was so careful and delicate with it despite his huge hands and rippling muscles, and it was an odd turn on- to see such a strong form using that much care and finesse.
We found a conch shell, a few more of the long spiraled ones, several brown and brown spotted shells, and a small collection of blue, green, and milky white stones that were once shattered bottles. When my bag felt heavy, I figured I'd gathered enough so bumped my shoulder into Kek and gestured back toward Marik. He smiled, nodded, and escorted me back to our area of the beach.
"Find some?" Marik asked when our shadows slipped over him.
"Yes." I smiled as I sat down and dumped our treasure onto an extra towel. Kek and I sorted them into rows so they could dry in the sun.
"Bakura will probably be hungry when he gets back," Marik said. "There's several restaurants surrounding the beach."
"Sounds good. I'm hungry too," I said.
"Where does it all go?" Kek started patting me down. It tickled so I started to giggle, which only encouraged him. "Does your stomach have a portal to the Shadow Realm in it?"
"That would explain so much." Marik sat up and joined Kek in digging fingers into my ribs.
I kicked out, tossing sand into the air as I squirmed between them. Marik's hair tickled my shoulders as he leaned in close. I didn't noticed Bakura sneak up to us until he was in front of me, getting the bottoms of my feet as the other two attacked my sides. My sides hurt from laughing so hard, and I finally screamed out to make them stop.
"I- I need more sunblock!" It was the first thought I had. Wasn't easy to think of excuses when I had six hands torturing me all at once.
"Okay, okay." Kek said, rescuing me from the other two by grabbing the sunscreen and rubbing my arms and chest down with another application.
"Marik, I'm starving." Bakura threw his arms around Marik's shoulders.
"I know." He snorted. "Let's change into some street clothes and go find a restaurant."
There was a bathroom near the parking lot which we used to slip into jeans and tank tops. Bakura dropped his favorite red hoodie over my head.
"I know it's warm, but that's light and it'll help keep the sun off your skin."
"I'd better." I slipped into the sleeves, breathing deeply into the fabric. "It smells like you. I've missed you so much."
My cheeks grew hot the moment I said it. There I went, not having a filter again, but Bakura only grinned and kissed my forehead.
A lot of tourists visited the beach, so it was easy to find a restaurant. We talked about Duel Monsters for while we waited on the food. Marik toyed with his straw in his glass, glancing up at us.
"What about a bigger apartment?"
We all stopped and looked at him.
"Sorry." He looked back down. "That was out of the blue, wasn't it? I was just thinking about how small Ryou's apartment is."
"What city?" Kek frowned.
"Domino." Marik gave him a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry. I know you don't want to leave."
"We were going to anyway, for Bakura, but…" Kek trailed off.
"It's not like I don't have a plane when I need to travel."
"I don't care where I am." A goofy smile crept across Bakura's face. "I'm home right now."
"Dork." It might have been a day in the sun… or Marik could be showing the faintest hint of a blush from Bakura's statement.
"That apartment is a little small for four cats," Kek said.
"And if we have a guest bedroom, your siblings could visit," I added, knowing how close Marik was to Ishizu and Rishid.
"Oh hell no. Ugh, I mean… I guess." Kek slumped back into his chair, turning toward Marik. "That's kinda important, isn't it? But I'm getting a hotel room. I know damn well that they don't want to see me."
"Uh… better take me with you. Fortune Cookie hates me." Bakura rolled his eyes.
"Well, perhaps you could not call her by that patronizing nickname?" Marik shot him an annoyed glance.
"But it pairs so well with Baldy. I couldn't possibly break up the set."
"Don't call Rishid that either."
"What else am I supposed to call them?"
"Here's a crazy idea- their names."
"You're right. That is a crazy idea."
"Oh look, our food is here." I grinned, trying to deflate the argument. It only worked because Bakura's mouth was too full with his bacon cheeseburger for him to stick his foot in there as well. I didn't want Marik to think we'd dropped the conversation, however, so I made sure to say. "Look for something you think would work, and then let us know and we can all decide together if we want to move."
"Yeah, okay. Not that your place isn't cozy. It's just…" Marik shrugged.
"I think I understand." I nodded. Four people and four kittens would be a little cramped in my current place. Of course Marik would feel trapped living there permanently. He needed space. "Try to find an apartment with lots of windows, okay?"
"Yes." Marik sighed. "Thanks for understanding."
"And we need an office, so Ryou and I can get work done," Bakura said between bites.
"Yes, work. I'm sure it'll be an office and not a game room." Marik snorted.
"We're professional gamers now, Marik. Gaming is office work. Don't hate because we beat the system."
Well, so much for them not going back and forth all through lunch…
At the end of our meal, Marik brushed the knuckle of one finger across my cheek. I gasped, not expecting the light, affectionate touch.
"You're red."
"Well…"
"No, I meant before. I think you're going to be sunburnt after all. Maybe we should find something indoors to do for the rest of the day?"
"I don't want to ruin everyone's beach trip." I drew my finger across the table.
"Technically it's your beach trip," Bakura said.
"Besides, there's plenty of other things we can do." Kek nudged me with his elbow to try and cheer me up.
It didn't really help though. Marik and Kek liked being outside. Bakura had been enjoying the water. "I'd really rather go back to the beach. I want to finish cleaning the sand off of my shells now that they're dry. I can just keep the hoodie on."
It didn't feel bad in the restaurant with the air consider going, but it'd probably get too hot after a while under the sun. Still, maybe just an hour or two-
"I have an idea." Marik stood up. "Come on, Kek. I need some muscle."
"I can probably help with that." He flexed his bicep to show of the boulders in his arms.
"Bakura, be a dear and get the check for me. We'll meet you guys outside."
"What a sleazy date you are." Bakura pretended to gasp in outrage. "Leaving me with the bill."
"Make it up to you tonight." Marik winked as he and Kek walked away. Bakura snickered, stare fixed on their asses as they walked away.
"Bakura, don't be so obvious." I blushed again.
"Eh, no one's paying attention. What do you think he's getting?"
"Stronger sunblock? No, that's not heavy enough. I'm not sure."
"Anyway, what's up with them bumping the LP up to 8,000. Really? Like, the fucking games take forever already, now we're supposed to take longer? There's only so much evil monologuing I can do per match. I don't want to get redundant." Bakura shook his head, taking a sip from his lemonade after speaking.
"It's Kaiba's version of editing," I said.
Bakura choked, coughing as gasping for air for a moment before recovering. He used his mock, how could you voice. "Ryou. That's simply awful."
"But am I wrong?" I felt the corner of my mouth twist up.
"Well, that brings us to another topic, doesn't it. How do we make boring ass Seven Minutes in Heaven a more interesting game?"
I though for a moment. The last game was who could hold out, so I didn't want it to be too similar, but if we went the other direction we'd all finish too soon, and I wanted us to be together by the end of the game and not divided into pairs. The night before I was a little worried about Marik. Maybe I was just being overly cautious because I was afraid of him pushing away again, but I didn't want him to rush into thing and feel bad about it later. But he called us his boyfriends last night- I remember my heart racing when he said it. And he was thinking practically about apartments- not settling for my one bedroom when he knew he needed more space. So I'd already decided not to push away tonight when things inevitably grew racy. I would just trust Marik to tell us if he needed to slow down, and pay attention to him in case I needed to suggest it, but more and more, the worry from that first botched kiss was fading into the background- as dozens of new, exciting kisses took its place.
"No cocks and no mouths," I finally answered.
"That doesn't sound interesting at all."
"Oh?" I reached for Bakura's hand, ghosting my fingers across his knuckles, his wrist, his fingertips. I watched as he shuddered. "Don't you think it could be interesting?"
"Okay, maybe, but how do we figure out who wins?"
"When someone can't stand the teasing anymore and wants to move things along, they will have to dry off and go sit on the bed. Once they're all the bed, they can only watch whoever's in the shower- no touching themselves, or whoever the second person is that sits down."
"And the last person is the winner."
"Last person to dry off gets the be the first person to get off- and the losers all have to attend to them at once." I smiled.
"Hell yeah." Bakura wrinkled his nose in a delighted grin. "Now this is my sort of game. I'm going to win for sure."
"Don't be overconfident. You got lucky last night, but that doesn't mean you'll win tonight."
"Strong talk for the first person who's going to tap out."
"Don't underestimate me."
Our check finally came, and Bakura paid it. We went outside and I laughed when I saw the enormous beach umbrella in Kek's arms.
"Marik, you're a genius."
"Hey, we have to protect your pretty face." He brushed his thumb across my cheek again. If I was sunburned, I couldn't feel it because of my blush.