Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, or any of the characters.

CHAPTER 5 ~*~

Anzu placed a hand over her plush lips, muffling the boorish heave as she tediously stared into the pot, gazing over the small bubbles coating the luke warm liquid as she stirred the sable spoon lackadaisically in a circular motion. Tilting her head slightly in the direction of the door she listened intently to the masculine voice, conversing quietly.
Curiously she strode backwards, thrusting her head back to obtain an elite view of the male figures peering slightly behind the wall. Bakura's unruly locks swayed slightly as he firmly placed his hands against the wall beside the door frame, the door shifted in a position blocking her view of the guest. Grimacing irritably she placed the spatula beside the stove, before trotting into the room.

" Bakura-chan, is somet----

Marik shifted in her view, a depraved smirk twisting his thin lips as he leaned against the door frame cavalierly. His amethyst orbs, sheathed beneath his fair tresses adjusted till they rested atop her aghast features. Bakura whirled around as he glared towards the oblivious girl, a soft growl erupting from his throat as he maneuvered affront Marik, allowing a partial glimpse of the exotic Egyptian.

" Go back into the kitchen Mazaki." Shaking her head she averted her attention atop her companion, oblivious of the altered transformations in his soft, tender features, placed into a stoic snarl. Her head twisted, once again permitting her cerulean pools to study her adversary. The tanned youth, flesh coated in a meek cinnamon, gazed over her, his head tilted haughtily upwards, as he chuckled gruffly. Bakura growled lightly providing his brunette crony to acknowledge his altered personality.

' Yami Bakura....' Gasping inwardly she eyed the stern glare provided from the pale tomb robber. Curling her fingers beneath her palms she backed away tentatively, the pale blue slippers concealing her feet padding lightly against the floor as she walked backwards, entering the living room quietly, whilst keeping her fixation atop the two arguing males.

Bakura cocked his head to the side, his fist shoving under Marik's white collar, pulling the slightly amused Egyptian to an uneasy propinquity. Marik chuckled huskily his tone laced with sarcasm, his amethyst orbs glinting momentarily before adjusting to their opaque purple.

" What business do you have here?" Yami Bakura spat belligerently, shoving the Egyptian into the wall as he kneaded his collar, quenching the fabric between his clenched fist. Marik chuckled with amusement as he gazed over the furious boy.

" My business is not with you Bakura."

Blood slithered down the creases of Marik's parted mouth, his hand palliating the numbness as he snarled with animosity. Bakura lifted his hand in the air, parting his svelte fingers as the thin tentacles of crimson liquid glided down his pale fingers, trailing to his wrist. Smirking, Bakura waved his hand clearing the squalid, repulsing liquid from his hand with minor disgust. Marik's chiseled chest vibrated with each light pant as he tentatively wiped the streams of his splattered blood from across his mouth and chin.

" You've gotten weak Marik, so it seems."

Growling, Marik punched the pale adversary roughly into the ground, specks of gold glimmering through his orbs as he studied the fallen boy rise uneasily from the ground. Trembling slightly from the immense blow received from the current chuckling Egyptian, Bakura placed a cupped hand over his blood coaxed mouth, apathetic towards the thin stream escaping his rugged, white locks, sliding down his throbbing temples.

" Bas----" Swaying visibly, Bakura gripped his head, examining his fingers as they shook , whilst nearing his blood stained forehead. His fingertips fell firmly into the thick liquid, his eyes wavering as he studied the rife amount of crimson smeared across his descending palm. Numbly he fell to the floor, his vision manifesting into a purblind state as he shoved into the rugged carpet, absorbing the small drops of blood falling aimlessly from his head. Anzu quickly ran into the room, her pursed lips parted as a small gasp fluttered from her throat. Screaming the fallen youths name she hurriedly knelt beside him, lifting his unconscious body into her trembling limbs.

" Bakura-chan...onegai......Bakura...wake up..onegai.." Repetitively she murmured the words into the boys ear, the phrase identical to the last as she shook the tomb robber gently by his stiffened shoulders. Embracing the limp body, tears stumbled from her cerulean orbs as she cradled the boy in a motherly manner.

" What did you do to him!?" She snapped, tilting her head over her slouched frame, as she glared furiously through tear stained orbs.

"My business was not with him onna, he seemed to not understand that, now he must pay the consequences." Chuckling with mockery his thin, flushed lips curved into a depraved smile, his eyes stretching in a taut manner as he advanced toward the girl, aiding her unconscious companion. Biting her lower lip, she heaved in a heavy sigh as she tentatively lifted Bakura, pushing his arm over her tense shoulder, positioning him into a proper composition.

Marik stepped affront her, his appealing features twisted in an unreadable emotion, presented in a stoic appearance. Trembling slightly she shifted back, wincing slightly against the diverse weight of the boy mounted over her body.

" Where do you think you're going?" He inquired with bitter sarcasm. Ignoring the immense fear slithering through her veins she hastily mumbled the reply. " Onegai Marik, if I don't get Bakura's wounds healed he may go into a coma." Pleading she gazed into his opaque orbs, emitting unremorse for the white haired boy.

" I care of nothing for his health, I came only to spe--

" If you won't help me then get out of my way!" Angrily she shoved him aside, limply slightly as she carried her two sided companion.

Slightly amused he followed her meekly out the door, his hair embracing the diurnal light as it transfixed his entire frame, adding a light tint of yellow to coat his body.

Smirking he watched as she stumbled visibly down the narrow sidewalk, struggling to arrive to her desired destination before Bakura succumbed to a worsened state of health.

" Where exactly are you taking him, Mazaki?"

" None of you business!" She snapped, as she shifted the boy within her arms.

~*~

Panting audibly Anzu's legs trembled from the elongated jaunt to her home, bypassing the hospital covered with large throngs of enraged family members screaming obscenities for the delayed nurses as they rustled around the area, lifting the rife amount of injured bodies atop the stretchers. Breathing with quick intakes she clumsily stumbled into the isolated home, resting her crony firmly atop the futon situated in the middle of the living room. Hastily she raced up the stairs, apathetic towards the sharp pain seeping through her overexerted muscles.

Lifting his lids, Bakura examined the room, his lips parted as he allowed his tongue to wipe his chapped lips. A foggy silhouette hovered over him, seemingly draping a small rectangular cloth above his drenched temples, clearing his flushed features of the perspiration coating his face and neck.

" Bakura...say something." The muffled voice rung through his deft ears, causing him to wince from the harsh reaction he received wence her voice entered his ear drums. Nodding his head he slumped his head back, sighing shakily as he allowed her to aid his wounds. " Where...am I?" " My house, the hospital was to flooded with other injured civilians." Softly she trailed the cloth down his flustered cheek, tracing his jawbone gingerly as she wiped the attained sweat forming over his body.

" Your wound wasn't too severe, I thank kami for that." Smiling she sat up, leaving the thin fabric to rest atop his forehead, his bangs pushed backward, allowing the cool cloth to penetrate his temples thoroughly. Smiling weakly, he thanked her for her ministrations, though unaware of how he had received the wounds.

" Everything is still foggy.." He mumbled absentmindedly, pressing a sweat coated palm against his forehead. " I feel like I have no control over my body, in fact I sometimes feel my body belongs to my Yami." He murmured quietly, permitting his hand to drop to his side. With a sympathetic smile, Anzu gently sat beside him, outstretching the requested beverage, with a faint sigh.

" I'm sorry, it's my fault to begin with." She mumbled in an ashamed whisper, placing her head atop her knees as she lifted her legs atop the futon. Her cinnamon tresses swayed magnificently against her knees as soft flutters of the cool crisp air plumaged through the open windows, causing him the craving to entangle his fingers within the creamy locks. Shutting his eyes he quenched the craving, parting his mouth as he spoke in an unusual tone.

" Marik, said he had no business with me, so I'm left to believe he wanted to speak with you..but why?" His gruff, harsh tone caused her to immediately become engulfed in nervousness, her eyes wavering as she tilted her head in the direction of the speaker.

" Me? Why on earth would he want to talk to 'me'?" She mumbled shuffling her feet against the cushions. Quickly she stood up, avoiding further questions relevant to the exotic Egyptian's arrival.

" I'll be back, I have to go to the store to buy more supplies...." Hesitantly she peered her head in his direction with a worried expression.

" Will you be alright?" " Hai." The husky tone muttered, before the pale boy sheathed his orbs, and silently embraced slumber.

Anzu stood affront the vanilla tinted door, replacing her slippers with outdoor shoe wear as she hurriedly slipped off the flip-flops. Twisting the knob, she permitted the yellow light to seep into the vacant house, before clumsily running out the door.

~*~

Marik's brow arched slowly as he recognized a brunette female jog hastily in the direction of a nearby store.

Scowling he slowly sauntered across the street, mimicking his rivals friends movements as he followed her into a small supermarket. Remaining still affront the sleek glass windows, permitting pedestrians an elite glimpse into the taut store, he annoyingly sighed, sliding his hands into his pockets as he waited for the right moment.

" Arigato!" She waved towards the elderly man standing beside the counter, who respectively bowed his thanks as she exited the market. Shifting the two bags in her arms she quickly turned, unheeding the tanned youth standing nearby. Roughly her lithe body impacted with a dense object, causing the items in her bag to spill atop the cement floor. A groan erupted from her lips as she studied the catastrophic heap of food and various other supplies scattered across the sidewalk.

" Baka onna, didn't I warn you about paying attention to where your going?" The gruff voice angrily spat, as the tall, slightly muscular frame hovered above her, a hand extending above her shoulder. Meekly she rested her hand in his, examining the immense contrast between their body tones as he easily lifted her body in an upright position. His fingers looped around hers, assisting a firmer grip on her.

" Tha-thankyou." She mumbled with manifested embarrassment as a small pink tint crept into her cheeks. Smirking he released her hand, the warmth that emitted between their cupped hands slowly diminishing.

" Need help?" He snapped, studying the fallen items laying on the floor, as he crossed his arms. Gasping inwardly Anzu's features twisted into an astonished gape, her plush lips parted as her orbs seemingly became slightly larger in length.

" Well!?" He spat, leaning slightly forward, as though hoping the swift movement would snatch her from her reverie.

Nodding quickly she bent down, picking up the items she silently watched him through the corner of her eye, questions swarming her thoughts, causing her bitter puzzlement.

" Thankyou."

She mumbled quickly, hoping her voice didn't provide her current fear and curiosity for his aiding.

Gruffly he picked up the beverages and meals packed in diversely shaped containers. Pushing them into the bag he handed her it before sighing quietly. Anzu bowed ignoring his annoyed grunt as she whispered a silent thanks. Gripping the bags closely to her chest she murmured his name, though surprisingly he heard, tilting his head slightly over his shoulder.

" I wanted to....say sorry, for being so rude to you 'that' day." " I do not care how you view me onna, your hatred towards me affects me in no way." Lifting a hand she gripped his shoulder, struggling to hold the bags within her looped arms. " Demo, I don't hate you......I really think that given the chance lots of people would like you." She insisted, resisting the urge to knead his tense shoulders.

" And you?" His gruff tone was transformed into a seemingly curious, and imperious flare hidden within. Momentarily he gambled allowing a childish expression to consume his stoic features as he awaited her answer.

"Me? Ofcourse I'd give you a chance, but you've never actually put someone in that situation."

" I am now."

Blinking she rehearsed the words he spoke through her mind, successfully acknowledging the cryptic meaning indicated within the phrase, she gasped silently, lifting her head as she looked at him suspiciously.

" Me? Why me?" He snarled, a repulsed grimace curving his lips as he shifted beneath her gaze. " Forget I said anything." He spat, as he shuffled down the sidewalk. " Matte!"

" Nani!?" He shouted, irritated. Though inwardly his plans were being laid out just as schemed.

" You just came back right, and I'm guessing you have no place to stay?"

" And?" He mocked, lifting a fair brow with obvious boredom.

" Well my parents are on vacation, so there's plenty of room, if you don't mind staying with me that is?"

' Don't mind at all.' He chuckled inwardly.

" I suppose." He stated, masking over his features with an apathetic sigh. " Really? Great, well come on, lets go." She stated, signaling for him to follow as she waltzed through the various sidewalks.

' The stupid onna actually fell for it, I guess this is going to be easier than I had thought'

~*~