Hey again everyone! Bazu is back, with another chapter. Now, I have a small notice to bring up... I can't help but think my forenotes are too long now, so what I'm going to do is just answer specific questions in my reviews now, rather than indivdually replying to everyone. You will all still get a mention, don't worry! ^_^ Is that okay with everyone?

Reviews

Bluebolt: Don't worry, the plan is for the fic to get better yet! I do intend to kick up a few more notches!
Shade25: Yup, Bakura did it... feeeeeeel the angst!
yamiyugifanadic: See above ^_^
Darkwolf193: Goes without saying, yes I have read it... well, the beginnings of anyways...
Antia the Witch: I'm actually kind of curious about that review... am I right in thinking you're not usually into yaoi (guy on guy) fics then? *smiles* Bonus points for Bazu! I don't only write yaoi though, so... *pushes toward profile page* ^_^'
Dannee-san: I don't think I've actually given enough info for people to know who Yugi's dad is yet... I know, and I will justify it later, but for now, it's purely speculation on what the future holds...

And special thanks to all my other reviewers:

Shadowspecter, ObiWanGirl, Ame, Crazyaboutyugi, Misseystar, Ril, Sabbie the Unloved Goddess, Miami-chan, DarkIlluser, Tahirah, DAU, One Winged Tenshi, JFreak, Chaotic Bystander, tamachan444, RavenWulf, Taddybear, Abi2, Rikainiel and Insane Pineapple from Naboo! *huggles for all*

Now, I don't really like this chapter... just seems a bit... 'bleh'. However, as you should all know by now, I don't do unimportant chapters. Which means this chapter still holds value. So enjoy! ^_^

*~*~*~*~*~*

Two days had passed since the execution and the discussion in the room. During those two days, Bakura had felt absolutely awful, and had barely even been able to look Malik in the eye – he could barely look at him at all. Fortunately, he'd been able to fob Malik's concerns off, saying he was busy on his latest project or he was thinking about how Yugi must have felt while waiting to be returned to Yami. Malik, ever the loving, doting partner, had simply accepted his word as gospel and hadn't pressed him further, not even in the bedroom. And that just served to make Bakura feel worse… if that was possible.

When Malik had revealed his past, Bakura had seen the hurt in his eyes, and heard the pain in his voice. The fact that he'd lost his father, and had been unable to do anything to protect him, tore him apart. Not only that, but the way the bodies had been degraded, leaving them in such a humiliating and dishonourable fashion, only struck the pain deeper. Not only was his father dead; he was mutilated. The thought was enough to sicken anyone.

Today, Bakura "had a headache" and was sat in his bedroom, that afternoon playing over and over again in his head.

"He was working there that night."

That one line had said enough. Words couldn't describe how angered; pained; cheated Malik felt, but the tone of his voice could. His father had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and was dead because of it. He and his family had been left to mourn and weep, and to try to pick up the broken pieces of their lives.

'And what was that you were saying about Set and his executions?' Bakura thought bitterly. He was no better than the High Priest. Something had gone against him, and he'd gone and killed innocent people in revenge, leaving so many to suffer because of it.

"Stupid bastard," Bakura uttered sorrowfully, grimacing as he heard his voice. That was probably the one event in his life he now wanted to take back most of all. Even when Ryou had died, leaving him alone on the streets, didn't compare to what he felt now. He had recovered from his brother's death. He remembered him, and missed him, but he'd moved on.

Malik couldn't.

Slumping back onto his and Malik's bed, Bakura's fist clenched. He hated himself. Truly, deeply, thoroughly despised his very existence. He'd hurt the one he loved more than anything more deeply than anyone else ever could. The only way Malik could begin to get over it was avenging it himself… which would mean killing his love.

Would Malik still love him, though? Bakura wouldn't blame him if he did walk out, or strike him. But how could he tell him in the first place? Just thinking about what he'd done tore him up – to say it out loud would be like cutting his own heart from his chest.

With a strangled, frustrated noise, something halfway between a growl and a sob, Bakura rolled over on the bed, burying his face into the sheets.

*~*~*Flashback*~*~*

"Bakura," Ryou uttered softly, pulling his sobbing younger brother into his chest. "It's okay… you don't have to hold your tears back…"

Bakura fought the tears nevertheless, stifling them to sniffles and choked sobs. "But… Ryou…" he moaned, his tiny hands fisting in his brother's clothes. "Th… they're…"

Tears in his own eyes, Ryou swallowed loudly and nodded. "I know, Bakura. It isn't fair…"

The two boys had just received official word of their parents' deaths. The guards had issued a royal apology, stating how brave they had been, and then scurried off to the next house on their list, leaving the brothers stood at the door, stunned.

"It just…" Ryou swallowed again as he struggled for the right words, trying to put up a brave front for Bakura's sake. "It's one of those things, Kura… Sometimes, life throws that sort of thing at you… a-and y-you need to accept it… and…"

Ryou could feel the tears trying to fall, but he refused to just give in. He'd fight them off as long as he could, while he offered Bakura the comfort he needed. Taking a deep breath, trying to compose himself, he shakily continued. "You can't change it, Bakura. But you can t-try to make the best of it, or at least try to make it right…"

"But... how can we…?" Bakura sobbed, burying his face against his older brother, shaking slightly as the tears began to overpower him. "H-how c-can w-w-we make the best o-of…"

Bakura broke down into wailing, and Ryou held him tightly, silent tears beginning to slip down his cheeks. "We can stay together, Bakura…" he whispered. "Mum and Dad loved us, and they said they were proud of how close we as a family were… if we stay together, we can get through this…"

Bakura nodded, still bawling his little eyes out. He adored his brother, and believed every word he said. "Okay," he managed to choke out, whispering. "For Mum and Dad… let's be strong…"

At these words, hearing something so brave from one so young, Ryou nodded softly before he too broke down, the two brothers hugging each other tightly. "…Mum and dad," he sobbed in agreement.

*~*~*End Flashback*~*~*

Bakura gradually realised he was sobbing into the sheets. The memory of that day had come back, and Ryou's words had returned to him. 'It's okay… you don't have to hold your tears back' he'd said. Right now, those words – that memory – helped Bakura more than anything. Now, when he was at his lowest, Ryou had come back to help him, just as he always had.

"Ryou," Bakura whispered, sobbing silently. "I'll do it. I'll tell him. I want you to be proud of me… and I'll make it right." Bakura curled up into a foetal position, cuddling the sheets close to him as he always had when Ryou hadn't been there to comfort him. It always made him feel better – the soft sheets reminded him of his brother's hair; and his own body warmed the sheets up and made it feel like Ryou was there beside him. Slowly, his tears subsided, and he settled for laying in that position, hugging the sheets tightly and wishing Ryou really was there with him.

"I'll tell him Ryou," Bakura whispered. "I have to…"

*~*~*~*~*~*

In the kitchen, Malik was preparing to give Yugi a hand with the dinner. Yugi had proved to be not untalented in the kitchen, but he certainly had a bit of learning to do. Today, Malik had come home with one of the largest fish Yugi had ever seen.

"How on earth…" Yugi breathed, his eyes almost dropping out of his skull.

"Hmm?"

"How in the name of the Gods did you manage to steal that?"

Malik grinned at Yugi. "Oh come now, I come home with fish and you just assume I stole it?" Malik shook his head in mock disbelief. "I'll have you know there's no way I could fit this in my robes. So I bartered for it."

Yugi didn't look quite convinced. He'd never seen any money in Bakura or Malik's hands – though admittedly, when you're the two greatest thieves in the two lands, there was no need for it – and they only ever stole what they needed. Never extra. "What did you barter with?"

"I gave him two jugs of wine and a slab of goat meat for this, I'll have you know. Rather a generous offer on my part, don't you think?"

"Where did you get the wine and meat from?"

Malik looked a little put out by this question, and dropped the fish onto the table. "Now let me show you how to de-scale these properly–"

"You stole them, didn't you?"

Malik's sullen silence answered Yugi's question sufficiently, and he giggled in triumph. "No harm in admitting to using your greatest skills, Malik," he smiled, standing next to the taller boy so he could watch his lesson.

"Hmm? Oh, no, thievery's not my best ability. You see, Bakura really likes it when I-"

"NO!" Yugi shrieked, covering his ears. "I don't want to hear about that, Malik! I hear enough of it as it is!"

Malik smirked triumphantly and sniggered. "Well it's not as if you're totally naïve to it, is it? I mean, I wasn't the one who woke up certain members of the household with my anniversary gift, you know…"

Yugi blushed brightly and looked down at his hands, which he'd crossed over his lap. "So, uhm… the fish…" he remarked quietly, trying to divert the subject very quickly.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Masu darling, what in Bastet's name is up with you today?"

Masika blinked suddenly, looking up in surprise. "Hmm? What is it, Gran'mother?"

The older lady chuckled. She was feeling quite well today – some days she felt better, some days she felt worse – and was helping Masika cleaning the house. "You're really not yourself today, you know."

Masika's eyes opened a little wider. "Oh, no, it's nothing Gran'mother! I'm fine, really!" she blurted, not wanting her Grandmother to worry about her.

"Oh, I can see that dear. You're just a bit… odd, today." This was true enough. Masika, who usually cleaned so diligently to be sure her Grandmother never had to do any more work than was necessary, had left three jobs halfway through, announcing as she walked away that she'd finished them, and had kept humming happily and occasionally spacing out, her eyes distant as though lost in thought. She was definitely distracted by something. "What's on your mind dear?" the old woman asked, sitting down and patting the seat next to her.

Masika obediently sat down, her hands lightly folded in her lap. "It's no one, Gran'mother," she answered, smiling slightly to reassure her.

The old lady grinned wickedly, and prodded Masika playfully. "No one?"

Masika squeaked indignantly, blushing slightly and suddenly looking flustered. "I meant nothing! Nothing!" She frowned in objection as her Grandmother chuckled knowingly, and folded her arms, almost pouting. "What?" she asked, almost dreading the answer.

"My dear," her senior replied. "I do believe you care for someone…" Masika opened her mouth to protest, but all she could manage was another indignant squeak, allowing her Grandmother to continue. "Your head's in the sky, you're absent-minded, you keep drifting off into a fantasy land, and you said 'no one' was on your mind." The elderly woman nodded triumphantly as Masika desperately searched for a response, and carried on. "Would it happen to be that young man you've mentioned about twenty-two times since you met him… what, two days ago?"

Masika blushed brightly, and her Grandmother laughed heartily. "Oh, my dear…" she murmured, rubbing Masika's head affectionately. "If you want to go for it, go for it. Don't hold back on my account – nothing would make me happier than seeing my little Masu happy."

Slowly, the girl nodded, though the blush was still predominant on her cheeks. She really couldn't think of anything to say.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Once the fish had been de-scaled and was being cooked, Malik and Yugi both sat on the dusty floor in the kitchen, quietly talking with each other.

"Yugi," Malik murmured, idly doodling in the dust as he chewed his lip thoughtfully. he had been thinking about what had been troubling Bakura, and curiosity had gotten the better of him. "When you were up in the hall… what was it like? Having to wait for Yami, I mean?"

Yugi tilted his head slightly as he contemplated his reply. "Well…" he began, blinking contemplatively. "I don't think it was actually so bad, really. I mean, I knew I'd see Yami at the end of it, so I was able to wait. But…" Yugi sighed deeply as he remembered. "I guess the hardest thing was seeing the pain he was in." Yugi turned to face Malik, his eyes slightly pained and sorrowful. "All that time, I had to watch him suffer, knowing there was nothing anyone could do that would help him in any way. All the time he spent crying… all that heartache… all the…" Yugi sniffed slightly, blinking as he carried on. "All the times he just broke down and whispered my name… that hurt most of all." Yugi's eyes flicked down to the floor again. "I knew I'd see him at the end of that year. He didn't. He thought I was gone forever. I don't know if I'd have lasted as long as he did."

Yugi faced Malik once more. "Thank you," he smiled, his eyes radiating sincerity. "Both of you. Thank you for taking care of Yami."

Malik blinked a little, surprised, and then smiled. "Don't worry," he replied, an honest grin on his face. "He helped us out, so we wanted to help him. The first effort messed up, so I guess the least we could do was taken him in and help him through it all." Malik leaned back against the wall and stretched a little. "I'm sure if it was the other way round – if I'd been the Pharaoh, and Bakura had been executed, you two would have taken me in."

Yugi gave a definite nod. "Without question," he replied, earning a little grin from the blonde boy.

Yugi joined Malik in slumping against the wall, and was pleasantly surprised to find it was actually quite a comfortable position. Relaxing and shuffling about a little, Yugi also stretched. "I guess it wouldn't be so unfair to say that you and Bakura could both imagine what Yami was going through, would it?"

Malik considered this, then shook his head "Definitely not. You two both exist for each other, and so do we. Bakura is my world, and I know I'm his." Malik drew one of his knees up to his chest and lazily rested one arm on it, stretching his other leg out. "We both love each other more than life itself. So yes, we could imagine what Yami was going through."

Yugi blinked a little, then made a soft 'aww!' noise, which Malik glanced sideways at. "That's so sweet!" Yugi cooed, giggling. "The two most dangerous villains in Egypt, in love with each other, defying anything thrown at them to stay together!" Yugi giggled and poked Malik playfully. "It's like something out of those Greek legends!"

Malik's eyes narrowed, and he prodded Yugi in return, earning a squeal from the smaller boy. "And what about the 'Pharaoh falls in love with slave' storyline, hmm?" Malik smirked. "That's like something from the corniest stories ever told by those street entertainers!"

Yugi folded his arms, pretending to pout, before sticking his tongue out at Malik and giggling. He looked like he was going to add another comment, but paused as his mouth opened, softly sniffing at the air.

Malik frowned, looking a little confused. "What's up?"

"One point to me," Yugi replied, hopping to his feet. "You'd have burnt the fish if I wasn't here."

Giving a small shriek, partly in embarrassment and partly for fear of losing his dinner, Malik hopped to his feet and ran across to the open fire so fast you might have thought his feet themselves were burning.

Smiling, Yugi walked over to the window and gazed out into the night, enjoying the soft breeze that lightly ruffled his hair. He couldn't help thinking back to when he and Yami had been in the Nile, and he'd sworn he'd show Yami how much he loved him. Had he taken that vow in the heat of the moment, or did he really mean it? Pausing briefly to contemplate, he nodded to himself. He meant it. He knew that somehow, he'd eventually be able to show Yami just how true his love really was. He just wished he knew how soon 'eventually' would be.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Okay, we know the routine... Remember, I wanna finish this fic with over 500 reviews! A big target, but it makes me work harder - so show me how much you like it, please? Pretty please with a pretty Egyptian boy on top?