Another day, another chapter! Thanks a bunch to The Uncreative One, Sirithiliel, and Chibi B-channie for your reviews.

BTW, I got flamed for the Anzu-bashing! lol But hey, I warned you, so if you don't like it then why bother reading it? Honestly, like I said before I don't care one way or the other about Anzu, and I know she doesn't really act the way she does in my story, but I actually had a reason for what I did. Marik really loves Bakura (of course! lol), a scheming, evil, pessimist; and I wanted to have him 'date' a character who was super-cheerful and ditzy to contrast this. (I think a "foil" is the literary term...)

Anyway, sorry for the long rant and I hope you enjoy this chapter, which is pretty much pure fluff!

Chapter 4: Hiding Out

"I can't believe that obnoxious little brat called her brother and told on me!" I snarled as I stomped into the house. "We were so close to finally getting my Ring! You don't know how much I just want to feel its magic around my neck again," I sighed and plopped onto the leather couch, careful to avoid the sharp points Marik had added to the edges.

"I do know. It's just how I felt without the Sennen Rod," Marik replied, sitting beside me. I glanced sideways at him and scowled, crossing my arms.

"Well, you're the one who gave my Ring to the Pharaoh in the first place, so don't try to comfort me," I sulked.

"I said I was sorry, Bakura! And I'm helping you now, so what more do you want?" Marik snapped angrily. He jumped to his feet and stalked up the stairs, leaving me sitting alone in the dark.

"Good. I like being alone in the dark; it suits my persona," I told the empty room. But after a moment I got up and followed Marik up the stairs anyway. "Marik!" I called cautiously, searching my brain for a good excuse to talk to him without apologizing.

"What?" he snarled, pulling open his bedroom door and glaring at me. A lamp was shining inside his room, and its light shone around him in an ethereal silhouette against the darkened hallway.

"I...I wanted my shirt back," I replied.

He ripped off the T-shirt and handed it to me wordlessly; then slammed the door in my face. "Now go away, Bakura," he said through the wooden door.

"I guess I deserved that," I muttered under my breath.

Long afterwards, I lay sprawled on my back in bed, silently watching the dark ceiling, when I heard the bedroom door creak open. With eyes long since adjusted to the darkness, I watched curiously as Marik quietly approached. He stared at me for a second and I slipped my eyelids almost shut, pretending to be asleep; and Marik cautiously lifted the covers and slipped in beside me.

My eyes snapped open in shock. "What are you doing?" I gasped in surprise.

I could see his blush, even in the heavy darkness. "I heard you tossing and turning, and I thought you were having a nightmare," Marik said.

"Liar," I snarled.

"Well... I had a nightmare, and I was a little nervous about being alone," he amended.

"You're still lying," I said, observing his red face. My anger and shock had begun shifting toward amusement. "What do you really want, Marik?" I asked neutrally.

"I... I really didn't want to be alone," he sighed. "I was trying to sleep, but all I could see was Anzu hanging all over me..."

I snickered rudely, and Marik aimed a punch at me but I reflexively caught his arm in midair. "Not the way to get on my good side," I cautioned, slightly annoyed, and released his arm.

Marik made a halfhearted grunt. "Well, if you were the one who had to flatter Anzu like that, you'd feel the same way," he sulked. I didn't reply, and we lay in silence for a moment before Marik spoke again. "Bakura? Can I please stay here tonight?" he pleaded.

"Whatever," I sighed, and closed my eyes. Marik settled on his back beside me, and I waited for his snores, but they never began. After what seemed a very long time, I rolled onto my side and opened my eyes again. Marik lay quietly, staring at the ceiling, much like I had been before his arrival.

"What's wrong?" I mumbled. "Anzu still?"

"I thought you were asleep," he replied, not looking at me. "Yes, it is Anzu, in a way. It's just... You and I are thieves and liars. We lie to people every day, and it usually doesn't bother me; but there are a few things I never thought I'd lie about. I've never lied to you, and I've never lied about loving someone," Marik continued. "Before now, that is, with Anzu."

"You've never lied to me?" I asked in surprise.

He shook his head. "I did betray you, but at least I never lied about it," Marik said, laughing a little.

"I lied to you once," I told him, yawning. "I told you I'd share power with you when we took over the world, but I really just planned on making you my slave. I don't think I will, though," I added, and closed my eyes. Sleep was beginning to overtake me.

"Well, that's good to know," Marik laughed. I opened one eye and peered at him.

"Marik... I'm sorry. About Anzu; I mean. You shouldn't have to lie about that- if it makes you that upset we can just find another way to get the Ring back," I murmured. Feeling suddenly affectionate in my half-asleep state, I scooted closer to Marik and draped an arm across his chest. He slipped his arm around me and pulled me even closer, and I fell asleep with my face cushioned against his shoulder.

"I think I'll be just fine," was the last thing I heard before my dreams took me.

I woke the next morning still curled against Marik, who was idly stroking my long hair. He felt me tense against his side and he chuckled. "Good morning," he said. I muttered something foul under my breath and pulled away.

"Didn't you sleep at all?" I snapped, noticing tired circles under his eyes.

Marik shrugged. "A little," he replied. "It's not like I didn't try."

"Well..." Not having an answer for this, I scowled and stomped downstairs, still in my pajamas. Why had I let myself fall asleep in his arms? I knew Marik liked guys, and here I was encouraging him. He probably thought I was hitting on him or something. What scared me was that I kind of thought I was, too. Unintentionally, though.

Right?

Pushing these thoughts aside, I headed to the kitchen and fixed coffee for Marik and me. As I expected, he followed me a few minutes later and I wordlessly handed him his coffee cup. "So..." Marik began uncertainly. I raised an eyebrow expectantly, but Marik continued his wonderful habit of not asking uncomfortable questions. "Are we trying again with Anzu today?" he asked instead.

"I don't know; it's up to you. She didn't seem that eager to do our bidding, anyhow," I replied thoughtfully. Marik let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you so much, Bakura! I couldn't stand her one more second!" Marik sighed. "Kaiba had some more ideas; I wrote them all down. Just let me go get them," he continued eagerly. He set his cup down in the sink beside me, and as he leaned close to me he reflexively turned and kissed me on the cheek.

We both froze.

"Er... I'm sorry," Marik said. A slow blush crept over his cheeks, and I just stared at him, wide-eyed. "I'm sorry- it was just some weird reflex," he stammered, backing away, and he ran upstairs before my fingers could even start twitching for my knife.

He didn't come back down for a long time.

"This would be so much easier if they didn't know I was nearby," I muttered to myself. I sat at the kitchen table, with my chin propped in one hand and the other's fingers tapping impatiently against the wood. Marik still hadn't come downstairs, so I mulled over ideas to recapture my Ring on my own.

"Yeah, I know. In fact, that makes most of Kaiba's plans useless," Marik spoke up as he (finally) descended the stairs. "They'll be expecting you to try something, so it'll be a lot harder to catch them off guard. Maybe we should wait a week or two to lull them back into a false sense of security."

I grinned. Although by now I'd called him an idiot more times than I could count, Marik actually had a sensible idea from time to time. "You're right," I replied. "So... What do you want to do in the meantime?"

"I don't know; maybe we should go out of town for a while, just so there's no chance of Yugi-tachi finding you," he said.

"Marik, why are you such a fool sometimes, and then all of a sudden you're brilliant?" I asked incredulously. He scowled; then grinned; then just looked confused. I don't blame him- that was a pretty mixed compliment.

"Well, then... let's go someplace fun. I know where there's a beach house no one ever goes to," Marik told me, deciding to ignore my question.

"I don't have fun," I replied imperiously, but went upstairs to pack anyway.

We hung our few bags on the back of Marik's motorcycle and climbed on the dangerous vehicle, speeding down the highway to the beach. Despite my declarations to the contrary, that thing scared me out of my mind. I even wore a helmet. As he sped recklessly along the road, I clutched desperately to Marik's waist, trying in vain to slow my pounding heart.

Marik must have noticed my anxiety (okay, so it was glaringly obvious), because he gradually slowed to a more moderate pace. My heart slowed its frantic pounding, but I still gripped Marik tightly, afraid I would plummet from the precariously balanced pile of metal. My breath hitched audibly at the thought.

"Shh, Bakura, it's okay," Marik soothed. "We're nearly there, and I've never wrecked this thing yet."

"There's a first time for everything," I muttered, and buried my face in his back. The speeding lines on the road were beginning to make me nauseous. I could feel Marik's laughter rumbling in his chest.

Fifteen excruciating minutes later, we arrived at the 'abandoned' beach house. I quickly picked the lock and Marik and I made ourselves at home. It was a small condo- one floor, with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room and a kitchen. The living room was decorated comfortably, with an overstuffed sofa, two chairs, and a big-screen television. It was nice enough, except all the furniture was white with a pattern of disgusting pink roses. I made sure to get plenty of mud on it all. The bedrooms were the same- comfortable, but sickeningly girly; frilly ruffles decorated the beds, and flowered wallpaper hung on the walls. One of the rooms even had a canopy bed.

I made Marik take that one.

Marik sat to watch television with the air of a fat woman who has been on a diet for so long that she nearly faints with delight at the taste of cake. I rolled my eyes at him and walked to the store to buy some groceries. (Yes, I was going to buy them. We didn't need to raise any suspicions, since we'd be hiding out here for a little while.)

When I came back, Marik had fallen asleep on the couch, so I set the grocery bags on the kitchen table and quietly covered him with a blanket draped over the back of one of the chairs. One unruly strand of blonde hair hung in his eyes, and I smoothed it back gently on his forehead; letting my pale fingers slide across his tanned face. I traced his nose, then cheekbones, then his jaw line, and then his lips...

Suddenly realizing what I was doing, I jerked my hand away from his face and ran into the kitchen, my cheeks flaming. What was wrong with me? I was supposed to be a cold-blooded thief, a merciless villain, and here I was caressing some guy's cheek! Frowning deeply, I turned my attention to the groceries and began slamming them into the cabinets, taking out my frustration on the defenseless canned goods.

"Ba...kura?" a sleepy voice called from the kitchen doorway. "Is something wrong?"

Marik stood in the doorway, rubbing his eyes. The blue button-up shirt that he unreasonably wore every day had gotten considerably rumpled from his nap, and his hair hung in his eyes again. A grin spread across my face at the sight of him and I shook my head. "No, nothing's wrong. You can go back to your nap."

He yawned widely, crinkling his nose, and I suddenly remembered the feel of that nose under my fingers. I reddened and turned back to the cabinets. I wasn't caressing 'some guy's' face- it was Marik's. He was my soft spot, my partner...my friend? Or maybe more?

Suddenly Marik appeared behind me. "Are you sure you're okay? You've been staring at that cabinet for the past five minutes," Marik said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sick?" He rested the back of his hand against my forehead. "You do seem a little flushed..."

My heart quickened at his proximity and I backed against the cabinets. "Ra, Marik! I said I'm fine, so just LEAVE ME ALONE!" I shouted.

Taken aback, Marik's jaw dropped and he stuttered. "Sorry, I just w-wanted to make sure you were alright..." he muttered.

Great, now I felt guilty.

"I'm fine. I'm going to my room now," I snapped, and stomped from the kitchen, leaving a very confused Marik in my wake.

Just over an hour later as I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, a hesitant knock sounded on my bedroom door. "Come in," I said listlessly.

"I made dinner, just in case you want anything," Marik told me. I swiveled my eyes from the ceiling to meet his uncertain violet ones, and made a small grunt of acknowledgement before returning my attention to the ceiling tiles. Marik sighed in exasperation. "Alright, that's it! Bakura, what in the world is wrong with you?! Did I do something?" he asked impatiently.

"I told you, it's NOTHING!" I snarled. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Marik's eyes narrowed dangerously, and electricity seemed to spark from the ends of his hair; I thought for a moment his Yami had returned from the Shadow Realm, but Marik was still himself. I'd just made him really angry. He growled in frustration, stomping to the edge of the bed, and I felt a tiny shiver of fear. That surprised me.

"Marik, what..."

"Do you really want me to leave you alone? Because I can. I'm not getting anything out of this partnership- we can't even manage to get your Ring back; but I was doing just fine on my own. I got my Sennen Rod back from the Pharaoh on the FIRST DAY I decided I wanted it," Marik snarled.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I spat.

"You treat me like garbage- like I'm some stupid fool who can't do anything right and isn't worth confiding in. But I'm not the failure, Bakura. You are. So you can just stop your self-righteous, imperious act, because I'm not your minion. I'm your partner." Marik spun on his heel and stalked out of the room, and kept going until he reached the front door. I jumped up and followed him, reaching the door just as he climbed on the back of his motorcycle.

"Wait! Where are you going?" I cried.

"I'm doing what you told me to. I'm leaving you alone," he replied in a deadly calm, and started the engine. Marik gave me a tiny wave and sped away, leaving me gaping after him in utter shock.

Waves crashed against the jagged rocks, leaving trails of foam eerily lit by the full moon. I dropped onto one of the jagged promontories and drew my knees against my chest, wrapping my arms around them tightly as I observed the wild motion of the sea. After Marik had disappeared, I waited for him until the wee hours of the morning, praying he would return so that I could explain...something. I still didn't know what I could tell him, but at least I could apologize.

Marik constantly surprised me in so many ways. His personality was forever changing, like the shifting waves of the ocean before me. I suppose that was why I seemed to put up with him better than with everyone else- he didn't bore me. He impressed me sometimes, as well, like when he stood up to me tonight. Marik said I treated him like a minion, and I did, but that was just how I treated everyone (unless I was trying to kill them). Of course, Marik wasn't everyone; he was something else, something fascinating...

"Please, just let him come back," I breathed, not sure who I was asking.

"Why should I?" Marik asked sulkily, plopping beside me.

I blinked. "That was fast."

Marik chuckled before scowling at me. "I'm still mad at you, you know. But I thought I'd give you a chance to make it up to me."

I let go of my legs and hugged him tightly, not bothering to feel embarrassed. "I'm really sorry, Marik. I don't think of you as my servant or anything like that, honestly," I apologized. He returned the hug, drawing me closer to him, and I rested my cheek against his shoulder. Marik slowly ran his fingers through my hair, propping his cheek on my own shoulder. He inhaled softly and I got the sneaking suspicion that he smelled my hair.

I quickly pulled away.

"So, are we friends again?" Marik asked, and I grinned.

"Well, allies at least," I replied.

So much fluff! Oh, well, I like it, and I hope you all do, too. We're coming close to the end of this story- I can either finish it next chapter with one long chapter, 12-13 pages long, or split it into two shorter ones of 5 or 6 pages each. Let me know in your review which you would prefer.