Disclaimers: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I'm simply using the characters for my and my muse's entertainment.
Four and a Half Blocks Later by Yaoi Girl
"Take this," Bakura said as he took his ring off, handing it to Malik.
"Why?"
"It'll get in the way when I start running, if I have to. It bounced up and hit me in the face last year when I did this. That's why I only did it once, and that was much later in the evening."
The blonde said nothing more as he put the necklace around his own neck, following Bakura.
They had walked several blocks over, that way no one would recognize Bakura or Malik if they got caught. Or rather, if Bakura got caught.
They spotted a house with several pumpkins, none of them carved, so that took some of the fun out of it. But it was an open invitation for Bakura.
As they approached the house, Bakura scanned the yard and windows to make sure no one was watching. To challenge himself, he grabbed a pumpkin from the porch, right under a window next to the door. After collecting what he had gone all the way up there after, he walked casually back towards Malik.
"That wasn't much of a thrill," the spirit said as he held the orange object above his head, throwing it down with enough force to make the bottom bust open, the slimy goo seeping out from beneath it. "C'mon. Let's find a better place."
As they walked and Bakura looked for a thrilling challenge, the blonde began to get cold, hugging his almost bare sides in an attempt to keep warm.
"Could you make it just one? A really good challenge really quick?"
Bakura turned his head and look at the boy behind him, confused until he seen the boy shiver as the wind blew. He would've given the boy his robe (more of a long, black trench coat), but it wouldn't do much to keep him warm, seeing as how it was pretty thin. If anyone else would've asked him to stop pumpkin hunting, he would've refused them, but Malik was his best friend, maybe even more than that to him at the moment, and he pitied him. He was, after all, the one who had cut his shirt.
"Fine. I'll find you something warmer to wear for later once we get back to the house," he said as they turned a corner, his eyes lighting up as he seen his target: a beautifully and more than likely professionally carved pumpkin sitting on a railing of a porch with several kids trick-or-treating.
Malik walked slowly ahead, so no one would suspect him of anything, while Bakura grabbed an empty bag from a pocket within his robe and walked normally up to the house.
Once he was in front of the pumpkin, he blew the candle out without being noticed and walked up to the door, collecting candy with a couple of kids. He then turned and started to head down the two steps, glancing over his shoulder to see that the lady was gone from the doorway before he snatched the pumpkin and ran. By then, a little kid had yelled, snitching on him.
The lady came to the door and began to yell at Bakura, who had already thrown the pumpkin to the cement road and joined Malik a couple houses down in an alleyway.
"Can we go back now?" Malik pleaded as the wind blew colder and stronger.
Bakura nodded as he took of his robe and handed it to Malik. "It probably won't help much, but here."
"You are going soft," the blonde teased as he pulled the thin article of clothing on, sighing with a smile. It helped keep the wind from his exposed flesh and it was fairly warm, too, from Bakura's body heat.
"It's your fault," he said as he took one of Malik's hands in his own. "We can't go back that way because that lady or kid will probably see me, so we'll take the back ways." He then began to lead Malik through the maze that the alleyway created until they reached Ryou's house.
~*~
Bakura glared darkly at his front door once they reached the house.
Malik rolled his eyes. "You locked it when we left earlier, didn't you?"
"It's your fault for not reminding me. I specifically told you to not let me lock the door unless I had my keys," he said as he turned and sat down on the steps. "We still have about a half hour before Ryou will be back, and that's not a guarantee. He may go over to one of his friends' houses."
The blonde sat next to him, resting his head on Bakura's shoulder as he wrapped his arms around the boy's waist. "And you specifically handed the keys to me."
With that, a set of keys were jingled in front of the spirit's face.
The white-haired yami glared at Malik and snatched the keys from him. "You could've told me sooner."
"If you would've remembered, you wouldn't have had this problem, now would you?"
Bakura unlocked the door and the pair entered the house, Malik instantly and literally jumping over the back of the couch and wrapping himself up in the blanket draped over the back.
The spirit laughed at him and closed the door, setting his keys on the table next to it before walking around the couch and sitting next to the boy. Malik then engulfed the boy in the blanket with him as he cuddled against Bakura.
"I'm surprised that you've been this open with your emotions," Bakura murmured, gaining Malik's attention.
"What do you mean? You don't seem to mind…"
"I don't particularly mind. It's just that, I never finished telling you what I was going to say last night."
Malik snuggled closer to him, casting his gaze to the other side of the room before he closed his eyes, hiding the sadness that resided there. "Don't tell me now if it's something that will hurt. I just want to enjoy this while I can…"
"I know you better than that. If I waited to tell you, you'd know that it was bad and it would eat you until I finally told you, but if I told you now, who knows?"
"Fine then. Go ahead and tell me."
Bakura sighed in thought, considering his choice of words while Malik sat quietly, waiting for the worst.
"I really don't know what I feel for you, Malik. I know that I'm attracted to you, it's just that I'm not so sure that it's the same way that you're attracted to me. You're just in the beginnings of puppy love while I'm lusting after you more than anything."
"As long as I can be with you, I don't care," Malik murmured as he gently squeezed Bakura's waist.
They sat there in semi-content silence for a few minutes, Bakura leaning forward and grabbing a sucker from one of his candy bags on the coffee table.
"Hey, Bakura…"
"Hm?" he mumbled around his sour apple sucker.
"Do you want to stay the night at my place after we're done later?" Malik shyly asked as he sat up, still with both arms wrapped around the white-haired yami.
He received a shrug in response. "I suppose I could. But does your sister know about this?"
"Well, no…"
"Then I probably shouldn't. I don't want her yelling at me or you."
"Alright," he sighed in defeat.
"So, how about you stay here for the night?"
Malik's violet eyes lit up as he stared at Bakura as though he didn't hear him right. "Really?"
"I'm sure Ryou won't mind. Besides, all of his friends are crashing here for the night after trick-or-treating's over."
With that the white-haired yami handed Malik the phone, who excitedly dialed his number.
"Isis?"
"Did you two get into trouble?" she sighed.
"For your information…" Bakura began hatefully, having heard Isis' words, his ranting cut short by Malik's hand being placed over his mouth.
"No, we're not in trouble. I just wanted to know if it was alright if I stayed the night here?"
"I suppose, but I want you home tomorrow afternoon. You have a doctors appointment, don't forget."
"I won't!" he said. "Bye!"
After hanging up, he removed his hand from Bakura's mouth and handed the phone back.
"Well?"
"She said yes. How much longer are we going to sit around here?" the blonde asked with a yawn.
Bakura looked at the clock above the fireplace. "For at least another hour."
"Kay. Wake me up when it's time," he said as he closed his eyes, snuggling against the boy next to him.
Bakura smiled down at him, although Malik couldn't see it, but it quickly vanished as the white-haired yami caught himself.
'If I'm only lusting after him, why do I feel so comfortable being with him? Why do I want to make him happy? Why do I want to be with him?'
He sat and thought about those questions for a few minutes before reaching over and turning off the small lamp on the table next to the couch, where the phone resided, but not before scribbling something down on a note pad. After that, he rested his head atop Malik's and drifted off to sleep himself.
TBC
Yey! Two more chapters to go…both of which will be up by Halloween, or at least the last one will be. ^_^
Hope you've enjoyed this much! (Visit my site for pics of Bakura/Malik from this fic. ^_~)