Title: The Laughing Rain
Author: J - darkness4light
Summary: The rain was always laughing at him these days. He didn't think about it, and didn't think about what he said, no.

Slamming his bike into gear Marik roared through the town that had become his home and his curse. Since the end of his evil half things had changed monumentally. He now had friends, real actual friends that cared. Not the mindless slaves he'd been controlling before the Pharaoh defeated him.
Ishizu had gone back to Egypt for a while, until she decided to travel and took Odion with her, giving Marik's guardianship to the Pharaoh.
He remembered the first time he'd seen him, after the duel he'd seen him in all his glory and realised that second chances really were true.

"Have you ever wondered how the Pharaoh and Yugi can keep their hair like that?" He remembered that nonsensical question from one of his better memories, the boy always liked to ask strange questions after sex, when the sweat was cooling, making his skin shine with an ethereal glow.
Roaring towards the dock he saw the setting sun and remembered the day he became everything to the young boy. A wonderful day filled with tears for his sister and adopted brother's betrayal. It was only wonderful because that was the first time the angel had spoken to him.
They had spoken into the long hours of the morning and fallen asleep, their hands clasped together.

Silently he watched the sun make it's final bow before relinquishing to the moon.
He remembered once, a few weeks ago, sitting on his desk he'd been whistling to annoy Tea and Seto and HE had breezed in, in one look silencing the Egyptian and asking the boy another Thought of the Day that had him baffled for the whole of that day and half the evening. "If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do you think the rest have to drown too?"
He remembered carrying him through the door of their bedroom at the Pharaoh and Yugi's newly acquired flat. Bought especially for the new extension of the family. He'd alternately yelled, then quietly protested, then laughed with him, then screamed at getting thrown at the bed.

Driving away from the dock Marik knew exactly where he was going. He was going to visit his love.
He remembered the begging if he wanted new things, the crying when something scared or hurt him, the laughing when something amused or excited him, and the screams when something terrified him.
"I'd love a bike like yours Marik-koi."
"I'll buy you one for your birthday love."
"Really? I didn't mean for you to buy me one, it was just a thought."
"No complaints my angel, it is your wish."
"I love you Marik."
"I love you too."
A clap of thunder greeted Marik as he stopped his bike. The rain pelted his leather jacket and plastered his ash blond hair to his scalp. Where had the rain come from? How had the clouds gathered so quickly? It had seemed like moments as the hours passed the young Egyptian by.
The rain pelted and mocked him. It seemed like the rain always laughed at him these days, following him through the dark place, like the laughter of his love.

Marik made his way to the memorized place and looked to where he needed to go.
Suddenly the seventeen year old fell to his knees sobbing and stayed as sobs turned into great racking cries that ripped the boy apart as more tears, gulps and screams bubbled up within him.
Looking up Marik traced the stone, cold as his love's face that day. "I knew you loved that bike."

He knew how he loved that bike. His sweet lover adored the brand new dark blue motorbike and insisted on a drive around on his new toy.
Since then Marik's angel went everywhere on it, passed his test with flying colours and became a brilliant driver, with Marik's help and guidance. He went to school, work, drove it in the evenings and went to his friends, and visiting his father, on it.
He'd been on such a mission when it had happened. The bike, and Marik's sweet koi didn't see his fate swerving across the lane.
Marik had waited for hours with his father, the Pharaoh and the crying Yugi.
He remembered the days and weeks afterwards. Marik and Yugi, along with Seto, Joey and Mai, in that time came to hate the colour black.
He also hated the rain. It seemed to come and stay with him, mocking the tanned Egyptian who had begged to all his gods and to Anubis that surely he'd had enough pain.

Tracing the cold stone again he remembered his last words to the boy he loved with everything he had. "I know how you love that bike."
"As much as I love you?" He was teasing.
"Oh no person could get in the way of that bike." He loved being teased.
"I really do love you Marik."
"And I really do love you."

Tears slipped silently down his face as he wondered where his life had gone.
I know how you love that bike. Like you love me.
Marik finally leaned his flowers against the stone and stood, wiping his eyes he slowly trudged towards the park through the laughing rain.
Weaving his way through the park he had his first date in he walked down towards the road, tracing his fingers over on tree trunk, over the letters carved there. Marik Ishtar looked back one more time through the darkness to the place and the tree and walked on for the last time. He walked away from his love and the ever laughing, hateful rain, leaving one tree, one last memory. The carving on the tree the young angel had so lovingly carved. RB LOVES MI 4EVER in wobbly capitals.
Yes, the rain always seemed to laugh these days.

The End