It Comes to This
**
Marik sat on the bed, the Millennium Rod in his hand, staring at it dully. Sometimes, when things got particularly complicated, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. Not often, but sometimes. Like this whole deal with dating Joey in order to get the Millennium Puzzle. Sure, he'd have the two biggest prizes he could ever want, but would he end up having to choose one over the other? Could he really have both Joey and the Puzzle, without losing one?
He heard the door open, and what were now the familiar sound of Joey's footsteps. "Hey Joey, is-" He looked up to find Joey glaring hatred at him. "-something the matter?"
"Were you ever going to tell me?" Joey shouted at him without preamble. "Did you think I'd never know and go merrily along on my stupid little way?"
Marik blinked at him. "What are you talking about?"
"What am I talking about?!" Joey yelled. "You lied to me and then you wanna know what I'm talking about?? You said! You said you really liked me, that this wasn't just some scheme to get the Millennium Puzzle! You said that, and I believed you!"
Marik cringed. "I can't imagine what gave you that idea-"
"Save it! Serenity heard the whole thing," Joey snapped. "Just went for a walk, huh? Did you happen to meet up with Yugi and the others on this little 'walk' of yours?"
"Joey…" Marik stood up, trying to calm Joey down somehow. "Yes, I was promised the Millennium Puzzle if I spent time with you. But then I actually started to 'like' spending time with you, it wasn't all a lie…"
Joey shook his head in frustration. "No! I don't believe you! All you ever do is lie to me! I want you out of this house by the time I get back!" He turned around to stomp out of the room.
Marik ran after him. "Where are you going??"
"To talk with a few of my 'friends'…"
Maybe, Marik thought as he watched Joey leave, he wouldn't have to choose between Joey and the Puzzle after all, for he would never have either.
**
Joey found them in the park, and it escalated from bad to ugly rather quickly after that. Joey did a lot of shouting and threatening to pound Yami into the ground, Yugi and Ryou did a lot of holding Joey back from pounding Yami into the ground. Bakura threatened terrible things should Joey so much as touch Yami, and Yami, for the most part, just stood there.
"What were you thinking?!" Joey shouted at Yami, hands balled into fists and struggling against Yugi and Ryou's hold. "Offering that freak the Millennium Puzzle?! Bribing him to date me or what?"
"We were trying to help," Yami said calmly. "We thought you two would be alright together, but Marik needed a little incentive."
"I can handle things on my own!" Joey said. "I don't need anyone setting things up for me! How pathetic do you think I am?!"
"Pretty pathetic," Bakura said, folding his arms and giving Joey a pitying look.
"Joeyyyy," Yugi whined, still holding Joey back, now trying to keep him from pounding on Bakura, "we weren't trying to insult you, we were worried about you, and-"
"And you, Yugi!" Joey snapped, turning on him. "I thought I could count on you! All that talk about me getting to know Marik was a whole lot of bullshit, wasn't it? You were just tired of me interrupting your Seto-fuck-time." He shrugged Yugi and Ryou off of him. He shook his head, calming down a little. "I can't believe you guys." He turned around, and walked away.
They watched him go, all a little morose. "We really put our foot in it this time, haven't we?" Ryou murmured.
**
Marik was waiting at the edge of the park for Joey. Glaring at him, Joey walked right past. "I don't want to talk to you, Marik."
"I know." Marik walked a step behind him. "But I'm afraid I did mean what I said. I do like spending time with you. I actually thought we had a chance."
"Yeah, well we'll never know now, will we?" Joey muttered.
"I guess not." Marik's grip tightened on the Millennium Rod that he held in his hand. "The problem is, I really don't think I want to let you go yet." He held out the Rod toward Joey, feeling the familiar powers well up and burst forth, the Item glowing in brilliant white and gold.
Joey halted, and turned around. His eyes were blank, his mind locked away. His expression was empty, the look of a puppet awaiting its next order. Joey was Marik's mind slave once more.
"You have to believe me, this was a last resort," Marik said. Joey's expression remained unchanged. "Well, come on then." And Marik led his mind slave home.
