THanks so much for the reviews so far! I love you all!! (hugs and throws kisses)

Hmn, yeah, this is where Ryou's sort of getting used to Marik...(shifts uncomfortably.) Yeah, more lime. Gods, I have like, lime in every chapter!

Disclaimer: don't own YuGiOh


Chapter Four: Getting Used to Him

Days passed. Long days passed, each minute an eternity of boredom, each second an hour.

It was now time for the second round of the tournament, but the weather hadn't done its proper bidding. For the second round, Kaiba would have all of them on his father's old military tower, which was now called the Alcatraz Duel Tower. However...they weren't there yet, to put it simply. Most of the duelists got another chance to rest and visit those who were sent to the Shadows...

Ironically, hardly anyone came to visit him. Ryou could only assume that that was all in Marik's bidding.

Of course, Yami Marik had visited Ryou everyday, sometimes at night, sometimes early morning. Ryou still feared the presence of the Egyptian Darkness...but slowly, very slowly...he he learn not to mind as much.

The chamber door slid open, and the all-too-familiar shadow slid in.

"Hello, Ryou," smiled Marik, his lips in a conniving smirk. "And how do you fair today?"

Ryou gave a small sigh and curled himself on his bed. As he looked up at Marik's hard, cold face, a small smile spread cross his own lips. "Hi, Marik," he said softly.

Marik had been Ryou's only company for the last few days...and after Ryou found out about Malik's past and how Marik was created, the Light's soft heart could not help but bear the smallest drop of sympathy towards the evil Darkness. Anyone who had that bad a past didn't deserve to be hurt.

...To much.

Marik merely smirked at the Light's gentle nature. So submissive. So easily manipulative.

Marik himself did not understand what attracted him to this Light. He only supposed that since he had known no other hikari other than the rage and anger of his own, the fact that there was a Light that was as submissive and as sweet as this was a little surprising, if not eluding.

He eased himself on the bed, casting his eyes over Ryou's frail and lithe form. The Light still had some fear in his eyes, but Marik had noticed that with each passing day, the fearness subsided.

Yet this did not worry Marik. Why should he, anyways? There was nothing to gain if Ryou was afraid of him. He didn't need to boss Ryou around. Ryou was already timid enough; one order and Ryou would oblige insantly, regardless of how scared he was of someone.

Plus, he looked cuter.

He flung and arm around the boy's form, feeling him immediately stiffen, but then relax, when he realized that Marik was not going to do harm. Exhaling, Ryou shuffled closer, his eyes closed.

"You're not afraid of me anymore," smirked Marik. "And why is that?"

Stupidly, Ryou shuffled away at this comment, shrinking into himself.

"I want an answer, Ryou," said Marik. Just because Ryou wasn't too afraid of him didn't mean that he wasn't brusque.

Ryou shrugged, his eyes closed shut tightly. Marik's heart softened at the timid child. He didn't give a damn whether he was going soft or not...no one needed to know, and plus...how could Ryou prove to be a weakness for him anyways? He didn't CARE for the Light...it was just...

Curiosity. Yes, let's just call it that. Curiosity.

Ryou shrugged again, pulling his knees to his chest. "I don't know," he murmured.

Shaking his head, Marik laughed. He pulled Ryou up by the arms and pulled him closer, so that Ryou was somewhat leaning on his chest. He wrapped his arms around the small boy's waist, drawing them even closer.

"Let's not be idiots," smirked Marik. "Are you afraid of me, Ryou?"

With a small whimper, Ryou nodded, but Marik knew better. Ah well, it didn't matter. It was obvious this teen had been taught to answer these questions automatically....Marik's mind immediately went to a certain white-haired tomb robber.

But why had Ryou been nicer to him lately? The day of Isis and Kaiba's duel, Ryou had been terrified of him. Why had he been so much more kinder now?

He heard Ryou give some sort of mewling sound as he felt the Light nuzzle his face in Marik's chest. The teen had seemed awfully sleepy lately...

Marik had longed to savour Ryou's lips the moment he saw the Light. Such a beautiful and frail body could not even be ignored by Marik, who had never given a thought to romance or lust. But...something just drew him to Ryou, regardless of who he was.

Still...why was Ryou being nicer to him?

Smirking, Marik gently leaned towards the headboard, easing Ryou onto his side. Ryou gave a timid but alarmed squeak but Marik merely held him tightly. Soon Ryou was lying on the bed next to him, while he himself was propped up against the headboard. Ryou's eyes darted around for an escape, but Marik only laughed and drew him closer.

"Hush," he admonished, almost gently. "I'm not going to do anything."

Ryou looked up, eyes big and round. Marik was absolutely captivated by that look. So delectable.

"I'm not," smirked Marik, kissing Ryou full on the lips. Ryou was a bit shocked from the kiss and was squirming around like mad, but soon he relaxed, allowing Marik to do his wonders. When Marik pulled back, Ryou was shaking his head, as though trying to fathom the kiss. Marik laughed. "Well...nothing much."

Ryou sighed exasperately, but he looked somewhat amused. Marik could even see that Ryou was itching to roll his eyes. Chuckling to himself, Marik quickly pressed another kiss to Ryou's cheek.

"Oh, Marik," sighed Ryou quietly. "Stop it."

"Stop what?" asked Marik innocently, still smirking, running a finger up and down Ryou's chest, outlining random designs on his stomach. Ryou giggled involuntarily; he had always been somewhat ticklish.

"Stop it, Marik," he said, pushing Marik's hands away. This was a mistake...well, for Ryou, anyways.

Marik had instantly leaned down, trapping the poor boy beneath him, and crushed his lips with Ryou's with a rather bruising force. He felt Ryou squirm and fidget beneath him madly, but paid no attention and spread on arm on each side, so that his chest was keeping Ryou's pinned down. He pratically threw his tongue down Ryou's throat, feeling the young teen's chest rise and fall rapidly against his own. When he finally sensed that Ryou was running out of breath, Marik broke the kiss, however, his face still lingered an inch away from the Light's.

"Marik!" gasped Ryou, panting. "What..?"

Marik chuckled again, a low, purring noise rolling in his throat. "I don't take orders, Ryou. I make them."

"Marik!" complained Ryou. He hastily turned his head away, trying to bury his face in the nearby pillow, but Marik only directed his face towards his again with a hand under his chin.

"Oh, Ryou," sighed Marik simply.

"Why do you always do that?" asked Ryou, sighing, his breath sweeping across Marik's face. Marik couldn't help but notice that Ryou looked even cuter when he sighed, for his lips would form into a unmistakable, adorable pout, though Ryou always denied it.

"Instincts," smirked Marik.

"Can't we just...I dunno...hug, or something?" asked Ryou timidly, running his fingers across his botttom lip, which was beginning to feel slightly numb.

"Hug? That's it?" said Marik, elevating an eyebrow.

"Well...at least....for right now?" asked Ryou tentatively. Ryou would actually had perferred if Marik didn't hug or kiss or made any contact with him at all, but sometimes certain wishes couldn't be granted.

Marik sighed loudly and obviously, to show Ryou how annoyed he really was. But he couldn't deny that look. Shrugging and rolling his eyes, Marik propped himself up against the headboard again, and wrapped on arm around Ryou's waist, who was still lying flat on the back, and drew him close to him.

"MARIK!" exclaimed Ryou when he felt a sensitive nudge down south make contact with the Darkness's.

"Oops," smirked Marik evilly. Before Ryou could complain again or try to escape, Marik pulled him closer, so that Ryou was also lying on his side, though his chest pressed against Marik's. Annoyed, Ryou moaned, but buried his head into Marik's shoulder. What could he do? There was no way he could fight when Marik wanted something done. All he could do was make it at least...fit more for him.

There really was no point in fighting, Ryou had thought. Marik always got what he wanted. Why risk life and pain to deny it, when he was going to get it in the end either way?

"You're tired, aren't you?" asked Marik. Ryou blinked and looked up.

"No," he said. "Why?"

"You look it," said Marik. Ryou moaned again and buried his face into Marik's chest, since there wasn't anywhere else he could lay his head on, anyways.

"Just stress," muttered Ryou. "Maybe all I need is just some sleep. Or some air, I don't know."

He felt Marik raise an eyebrow suspiciously, but paid no attention to it. He was too deeply in thought about Marik's past. As he analyzed Marik's figure (I'm not checking him out! Ryou thought sternly to himself), he couldn't help but notice how Marik's shirt was securely tucked into his pants, and even more securely fastened by a simple but strong belt. Not only that, Marik always had on the dark purple robe, but it was always as a cape behind his back.

Malik, however, hardly ever wore his robe, and instead wore a lavender shirt that stoped quite a few inches above his pants, showing off his belly. Why didn't Marik dress like that? Was it because...

Ryou couldn't help but notice....that everything above Marik's torso was securely fastened...to not show his back.

Heart sinking sadly with sympathy at this thought, Ryou timidly wrapped his own arms around the Egyptian Darkness. It must've hurt a lot....for Marik...

"What are you doing?" asked Marik, at the touch.

Ryou shrugged, looking up, eyes big and wide. "Nothing."

Marik's brow eleveated even higher, but Ryou merely ignored it and stuffed his face in Marik's chest again. He hadn't told Marik that he knew about the scars upon his back...he didn't think Marik wanted him to know, anyways.

"Umn....do you want to listen to some music?" asked Ryou, trying to at least make the silence less awkward.

Marik shrugged. "I don't really care."

Turning slightly, Ryou placed his hand around randomly for the remote. When he did make contact with it, he directed it to the Kaiba Corporations oh-so-flashy computer and pressed "play."

Music floated quietly around the chamberous room. Feeling the music coax him, Ryou snuggled closer to Marik.


Yugi wanted to desperately see Ryou, but the door of his chamber was locked. Yugi did not know why, but he knew there was no good pounding...Ryou was knocked out, soulless. He would never answer the door.

"Yugi," said a voice behind him.

The tri-colored haired boy swirled around, meeting the hard, curlean eyes of Seto Kaiba.

"Oh...hi Kaiba," said Yugi.

"What are you doing here?" interrogated the CEO sternly. "I would only assume you'd be in Mai's room..."

"Ryou's door is locked," sighed Yugi. He innocently gestured to the keypad next to the door. "Do you think..."

"...no," replied Seto shortly.

"But he's locked in there!" exclaimed Yugi. "We won't be able to see him!"

"I realize, Yugi," said Seto. "But the door has always been opened. Someone is probably in there already, wanting some quiet time with the boy. Has that thought ever occured to you?"

"But who?" asked Yugi, frowning. "Everyone else is in Mai's room..."

Seto was itching to roll his eyes. This was not what he came here for.

"Yugi," he started. "You better start forgetting and worrying about your sorry little friends. Now that Isis Ishtar has been beaten, the second round will commence shortly. And your fate will be sealed shut and confirmed no sooner."

"Kaiba," interrupted Yugi. "You can't possibly think of going on with this! Look at how many people have been hurt!"

"I have noted it," said Seto coldly. "But emotions are merely illusions. Should you choose to ignore it, Yugi, then you will discover that there are much more productive things to do than to mourn over your friend Bakura at the door."

"Someone's IN there!" said Yugi frustratedly, ignoring the subject Seto was trying to steer towards.

"Have you knocked?" asked Seto, his voice dripping with heavy sarcasm. He was actually somewhat surprised when Yugi blushed and whapped himself in the head.

"Nuts...no, I didn't."

It was strange how such a good duelist, a good game player, who won pratically EVERY strategy game the world had created, couldn't even fathom the knowledge to knock on a door.

Yugi promptly turned around and knocked several times.


Damn, thought Marik succinctly when he heard someone pounding on the door. Yugi, most likely.

He felt Ryou stir restless against him. Sighing, and rolling his eyes angrily, Marik gently had to ease himself from the young boy's grasp. He gently soothed Ryou properly on the bed, on his back, and draped the blanket over him. After this was done, Marik left for the door, his eye twitching slightly in annoyance. Stupid Pharaoh's brat.

He had to try his best from making his eye twitch even MORE when he DID find Yugi face to face (or rather, face to chest) with him.

"So if it isn't the Pharoah's brat," smiled Marik. Looking up, he was met (this time, exactly straight) eye to eye with Seto Kaiba.

"Marik," stated Seto simply. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm a duelist," replied Marik succinctly. "I take interest in certain things."

"What were you doing to Ryou?" demanded Yugi suspiciously.

"None of your business," said Marik simply. "What you should be worrying about, though, Yugi, is your fate."

Yugi had to contain himself a groan. Not the entire fate lecture again. All he wanted to do was to see Ryou!

"I suggest you take Kaiba's advice," said Marik lowly, "and just worry about yourself."

"You watch after yourself too, Marik," smiled Seto. "No sooner do we duel, I will own your Egyptian God Card, as well as Yugi's."

"Don't talk illusions when you can't even see reality, Kaiba," retorted Marik smoothly. "Good luck attempting against the God card."

"I will take it!" assured Seto confidently.

"Only a chosen few can summon the Sun God Winged Dragon," stated Marik simply. "You, last I checked, are not Egyptian, and do not contain royal blood. Therefore, I highly doubt that you would find the Sun God Winged Dragon useful."

"I have Obelisk," stated Seto.

"Obelisk," said Marik lowly, "doesn't have Egyptian written all over his ass. Now...stop perstering me, Kaiba."

He nodded curtly to Seto, who to him, was nothing...nobody, except a piece of the backround, and promptly left.

Yugi hurried to Ryou's side. Ryou was sleeping still, though Yugi did not know this. He sighed resignedly and gently hugged Ryou's shoulders, whispered a good-night and left.

"You are so soft," snorted Seto as the door of the chamber slid shut. Yugi shrugged.

"Was there something you wanted, Kaiba?" asked Yugi, walking towards his own room, looking up at Seto with his wide, violet eyes.

Seto maintained his stony glare. Well, his lecture was already quite ruined...so no point in that anymore. Plus, he still had to find out the true powers of the Sun God Winged Dragon card...

But, there was that one more thing he had to tell Yugi. That's how he knew to find Yugi here at Bakura's door, anyways.

"Yugi," he said. "There had been something rather odd with Bakura's room."

"What is it?" asked Yugi.

"My main computer had detected that there seems to be some sort of activity in Ryou's room," Seto said. "I sure this could mean many things, but all the same..."

"Maybe it was Marik?" asked Yugi, eyes clouding with thought.

"The computer had already detected activity in Ryou's room since Isis's duel. Mokuba notified me of it and he told me it would be best to tell you."

"So you're saying...it's possible Ryou's alive?"

"I'm not saying anything is certain," said Seto crossly. "That's up to you to decide." With that finished, he promptly left in the other direction, leaving poor Yugi to ponder his thoughts.

hehe suspense. Ryou seems to be okay with Marik now, dun you think?

However, in the next chapter...it seems that Yugi's confirmations will be certain. But after that, who else is going to find out about Ryou? And more importantly, his feelings with Marik?

Bweehheheheheehe! This thing's going to end in aobut...er...well, there's going to be about 15-19 chapters. And then there's going to be a sequel!!