Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! easy, no?

Pairings; BakuraxMalik and RyouxMariku

This is really part of/and interlude to a planned sequel to my other fic Sea of Stars, but it's easy to read this one without having read SoS, since this is more of a PWP, and if I add more chapters to this one, they're all going to be short one-shots.

Also, this is for a friend on Gaia. All for you Coco-chan! And entierly your fault since you wanted deathshipping with Ryou as seme.

/../ this is soundeffects

Birthday

It's funny how you grow up and do some thinking when there's lots of time to rant and rage, but no one around to listen to you…

/SlambangCRASH/ Ryou winced at the sounds coming from upstairs, loud even if he was in the kitchen.

"Bakura? Shouldn't you…" The white haired boy trailed off, making a vague gesture in the direction of the sounds. His yami grunted but didn't move otherwise.

Ryou sighed and was about to become more forceful in his request for Bakura to calm his lover down when said lover thundered down the stairs and came charging into the kitchen, stopping in the doorway and glaring death at the tomb robber.

"Bakura," Malik said through clenched teeth, "what have I said about using up the last of the shampoo? And especially the one with sandalwood scent?" The blond Egyptian was dripping water on the floor, only a towel around his waist securing his modesty. The yami grinned at his sopping wet lover and got up out of the chair.

"We'll get you your shampoo later. Why don't you dry off and we go shopping? I'll... help you get dressed."

Bakura disappeared, pushing a sputtering and protesting Malik out of the kitchen and back upstairs, to where the bedrooms were. Ryou rolled his eyes and snorted, picking up one of the muffins he'd baked and a glass of water. Time to rouse the demon, and that couldn't be done without some supplies.

Sneaking up the stairs without noticing his prey was easy, he was even able to sneak up on,
and scare (even if his yami didn't want to admit it) Bakura from time to time nowadays. He inched the door open carefully, since it was possible the smells from his baking had woken his prey.

But the lump on the bed was still and silent, only the soft whisper of breath, in-out, could be heard in the room. Of course, his prey could be trying to fool him, lying in wait even now... a strange, half-mewling sound echoed through the room, muffled by the cover and pillow and Ryou smiled.

Now he knew he wasn't awake and waiting to pounce on Ryou. His lover only made that sound in his sleep, and even when Ryou had told him that to tease him, he wasn't able to replicate that exact sound when awake.

Satisfied, Ryou silently shuffled up to the side of the bed, placing the glass on the bedside dresser and leaned over to whisper into the delicate dusky-skinned shell of an ear.

"Rise and shine, my demon. Don't you want your present?" The question only got a soft snort in answer and Ryou shook his head, amused. So hard to wake him up. Time for some more drastic measures.

Getting up on the bed unnoticed, and especially so he was sitting with his knees on each side of his sleeping lover's hips, was hard, but not undoable.

Well there he bit of a piece of the cinnamon muffin, reached over and took the glass in hand and gently tipped it over, spilling cold water on that long, slender neck and splashing down onto the bare collarbone and chest.

"Gah!" Mariku lunged up, both shocked by the sudden wake-up call and ready to maim whoever had woken him like this.

Any thoughts he'd had about killing and sending the culprit to the Shadow Realm were interrupted by the soft mouth on his and the agile tongue teasing his lips open. Complying got him a still-warm, fluffy piece of cinnamon muffin after a little wrestling.

"Lucky for you that you had a peace offering." Mariku muttered and chewed, grinning when he saw the light blush staining Ryou's pale cheeks. For taking the initiative so often, and being used to it, Ryou was still so easy to rile up and blushed very easily.

"This is good. But you usually don't bake in the morning, or often at all. What's the occacion?" The darker half of Malik cocked his head and looked at Ryou curiously, his hands on thin hips, curling just inside the waistband of Ryou's jeans.

Ryou smiled, blush still vaguely present, and leaned forward, resting his forehead on Mariku's.

"It's December 23, remember? And since it's Malik's birthday, it's yours too. That's the occacion. And it's Christmas tomorrow... what we don't eat up I'll take with to the party."
Ryou said with a pragmatic shrug.

"Well, technically, my "birthday" would either be the day Malik had his back carved," here the spiky haired Egyptian stopped briefly to grimace and glare at nothing, probably wishing Malik's father was still alive so he could do some additional damage... and then hand him over to Bakura. A soft cough from Ryou interrupted his musings and he nodded, continuing.
"or the day I appeared the first time."

Shaking his head to send pale strands flying around his face and catching stray beams of weak winter sunlight, Ryou dropped a quick kiss on the tip of Mariku's nose.

"But do either of you know which dates that are?" The question was rethorical of course,
since they didn't. "But why celebrate mine at all? It isn't as if-" he was silenced by Ryou firmly kissing him.

"Bakura celebrates his on mine, so why wouldn't you on Malik's?"

"That was just because you and Malik tricked him into it." Mariku said, but he was grinning.

"So you don't want your present?" Ryou asked impishly, a glint in his eyes as he started to get off the bed.

"Too bad... and here I was eager to give it too you." He was aburptly jerked backwards, landing on his back over Mariku's legs.

"The tomb robber and my omote?"

The shout of "see you later, you lazy asses!" came from downstairs, followed by the slam of the door.

Ryou leaned forward with a grin, pressing his mouth to a patch of dark skin on the Egyptian's chest, intent of leaving a mark. Releasing the darkened flesh he looked up at Mariku though his eyelashes.

"That answer your qustion?" Instead of replying, Mariku dragged Ryou up for a kiss, all the while Ryou let his hands wander over all the skin he could reach, slowly pushing the dark spirit into the mattress.

Some time later found the two males still intertwined in the bed, Ryou reluctantly pulling out of the still gasping and close-eyed Mariku, the dark skin of his cheeks and the bridge of his nose notably darker than they usually were.

As soon as Ryou had removed himself from the tight insides of his lover he got roughly dragged down again, landing with a silent "oof" and soft thump of flesh against flesh. Arms embraced him tightly and a nose was buried in his hair, deep breathing almost making Ryou think that Mariku had fallen asleep again until his voice rang out, deep and husky.

"That, my little kitten, was a great present."

Chuckling, Ryou nuzzled the warm skin under his nose.

"That wasn't really your present, Mariku. You still want it?"

Mariku looked down on his snowy-haired lover, eyebrows drawn together with a confused expression gracing his face.

"It wasn't? What is it, then?" he couldn't help the slightly eager tone that crept into his voice, but he figured it was alright. It was the first time he'd ever celebrated his birthday after all.

Ryou leaned over and removed something from under the bed and placed the brightly wrapped package on Mariku's lap.

Dark fingers hesitantly traced the present and Mariku looked up at Ryou's face. When he saw the averted gaze and the way Ryou was biting his lower lip though, he realized he had to get his rear in gear, so to speak.

Ryou was maybe not very insecure, but he had a habit of getting distinctly embarrassed and nervous when it seemed as if his initiative wasn't going to be appreciated. And Bakura would kick his ass for making his omote unhappy.

Raising Ryou's head up by placing to fingers under his chin, Mariku smiled.

"Thank you. It's good."

Ryou rolled his eyes exasperatedly.

"You haven't even opened it yet, so you can't say you like it."

Mariku grinned and bent over to his task of unwrapping his present.

"Who says I can't? If I want to I damn well can say something is good even if I haven't seen it yet." he said haughtily, affecting a sneer and looking up at Ryou through his eyelashes.

It got the desired effect; Ryou collapsed in giggles and shook his head.

"Just open it."

Doing just that his eyes widened when he saw what it was. He knew after all what it meant,
what it was saying.

Acceptance.

He slowly reached down to pick up the necklace, a golden Ankh with a winged solar disk above it hanging from a cord.

Ryou did accept what he'd been before. He'd known that before, but now it simply snapped into place, not it seemed more real somehow.

Pale hands took the necklace from his own dark ones and pulled it over his head, not a mean feat when there was so much hair sticking out in every direction everywhere, and let it fall onto his chest.

Silently Ryou curled up to him, arms snaking stealthily around his waist so he was almost surprised when he felt them close around him and hugged.

Maybe this second chance thing wasn't so bad after all. He did have Ryou, and his omote accepted him.
Yes, this wasn't bad at all.