Chapter 5: In My Arms Ill Keep You Safe

Bakura woke up startled by a crashing noise that echoed from the T.V. and rolled off of the couch, and held his head. "Ow…Oh!" He quickly jumped up and ran to the microwave to see the time. "Oops…It seems that I over slept…" He took the sandwiches out and placed them on the table. "I guess I should go wake Malik up now…" Bakura silently made his way up the stairs and knocked on Malik's door, "H-Hey Malik? You up yet?" There was no answer as he knocked again, "Maaaalik? Wake up, foods done!" And again…no answer. "Hmm…I guess he's still sleeping…" Bakura quietly turned the knob of the door and opened it slowly as he whispered, "Malik?"

Malik was there, zonked out…. like a light. Bakura tiptoed over to the bed "Malik wake up.." Malik turned over on his back, still asleep. Bakura sighed, "Man…You're a deep sleeper…" Bakura crawled onto the bed and stared down at Malik. He looked so different when he was asleep. Its hard to imagine that he acts the way he does…harmful…hurtful…Bakura smiled at this. "He's like a big baby…" He raised a finger and pressed it across Malik's lips as he quickly pulled it away, "Wha-what am I doing?" Bakura held his finger in his hand. But kept his gaze on Malik's face. "I guess Ill just have to wait till he wakes up himself…" He motioned himself to get off the bed as an arm suddenly wrapped around his neck and pulled him to the covers. "Ah! Mal—" He was still asleep, and Bakura in his grasp…

Bakura was a little creeped out; he didn't know what to do. His heart raced for reasons unknown as blush covered his face, and he felt hot. W-what should I do…? If I woke him and he saw me like this… Bakura tried to wiggle out of Malik's grasp softly, but to no avail. He gave up and sighed. All of a sudden, Malik's other arm wrapped around Bakura, bringing him even closer to him. Now, Bakura felt his whole body get warm, against Malik's. But it wasn't a bad thing. Oh no, not at all. To Bakura…this actually…felt nice, in a way. He could smell Malik's scent. It was a scent that he had long forgotten. No one else had this scent. And it was a smell that he couldn't describe…but it was nice…

Bakura closed his eyes, his body relaxed, and he actually began to move in closer to Malik. Feeling his body against his…this is really all the Bakura really wanted. To be held by someone he cared for. That's really all…Bakura smiled to him self and let out a breath of air as his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.

"Are we almost there yet Malik? It's getting so cold and we've been walking forever…"

"Yeah, we're almost there, just keep your eyes closed. Don't open them yet!" Malik continued to tug Bakura along, "AAAAAAND STOP!" Malik quickly ran behind Bakura and put his hands over his eyes. "Ok, now just take a few more steps forward."

Bakura nodded, with Malik's hands over his eyes and his arms extended out in front of him.

"Ok, you ready?"

Bakura once again nodded with a big smile on his face, "Uh-huh!"

"Ok…noooow open!" Malik moved his hands from Bakura's eyes as he slowly opened them and his face lit up.

"Malik! Its so pretty!"

There, in front of his eyes was a lake that was frozen over. Snow slowly falling, bit-by-bit onto it, gliding gently across it as a faint wind blew. Snow covered trees could be seen near the lake, and fresh powder untouched by man lay there, waiting for someone to walk across it. Everything was white, the snow, the sky, the trees…it was all so beautiful.

Malik smiled, "So you like it?"

"DO I! Its great! I've never seen this place before!"

"I haven't either, I kinda lost my way when I was on my way to our meeting tree. And tumbled across this place."

"Oh wow….Hey! Why don't we meet here from now on? Its much nicer than that big old tree we always sit at. This can be our secret spot!"

Malik smiled and nodded, "Ok! Sounds like a plan to me. Our secret spot…where no one else can find us! Doesn't that sound cool Bakura?" Malik stayed silent then looked side to side. "Hey Bakura? Where did you go?" Just then a snowball hit the back of Malik's head and Bakura jumped from behind a nearby tree and stuck his tongue out.

"Nya-nya!" Bakura quickly hid back behind the tree and laughed.

Malik rubbed the back of his head. "Hey! That was a cheap trick!" He laughed and dug up a pile of snow and formed it into a ball and tip toed over to the tree

"You think that was funny!" He raised the snowball above his head and jumped over to the other side of the tree to find tat Bakura wasn't there. "What? Where did he—GAH!"

Bakura had pushed him from behind and into the snow, face first, and Bakura sat on top of him. "Ha! Actually, I DID think that was funny! You gotta problem with that?" Bakura laughed as Malik kept his face in the snow, not moving. He poked him on his back, "Malik…?" No answer "Hey Malik! Are you ok?" Bakura turned Malik onto his stomach and shook his shoulders, "Hey! Malik! Wake up!" Suddenly, Malik grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it into Bakura's face as he grabbed Bakura's wrists and pinned him to the snow. HE was now on top of Bakura.

"Hahaa! I can't believe you fell for a trick like that!"

Bakura spit out snow at Malik, "Hey! That wasn't funny! I thought I really hurt you!"

"Nah, you're WAY too weak to hurt me!"

"Nu-uh! I can beat you up if I wanted to!"

"Prove it! With your sissy girly punches! You can't even get me off of you! Hahahaa!"

"Yes I can, just watch me!" Bakura squiggled and squirmed but couldn't get out of Malik's grasp, as he gave up and sighed, "Well…the walk made me tired so—"

"Oh no you don't! Don't blame that little hike on your weakness!" Malik smiled and whispered into Bakura's ear "You like a girl. Your weak, skinny, have long hair, and a face to match."

Bakura's face turned pink. "W-what? You think I look like a girl!"

Malik hopped off of Bakura, "Yep. And that's the truth! You'll never be as manly as me! Never! Hahahaa!"

Bakura sat up and stared at the snow, "So…is that a bad thing…? Do you not like that way I look...?"

Malik laughed, "Well, you're a boy! You're supposed to look like one! Its weird!"

Bakura looked off to the side, "Oh…."

Malik looked at Bakura. He looked kind of sad…He didn't mean to hurt his feelings. "Aw, come on now Bakura…I didn't mean it like that. You're not weird looking. I was just messing around with you. Besides! Girls are very pretty!"

Bakura blushed and looked over to Malik, "So…. now I'm pretty?"

Malik scratched the back of his head nervously, "Eh..heh heh heh…Never mind…Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut…OH! Before I forget!" Malik reached inside his coat and grabbed out a small box wrapped in newspaper and scotch tape and handed it to Bakura. "Merry Christmas!"

Bakura blinked, "Is that really for me? Really? You got me a present?"

"Heh heh yeah…Its not much…I had to gather all the change I could find…so I'm sorry if its not good enough…."

Bakura, "Don't say that! It was very thoughtful of you! Thank you Malik! Oh….But I don't have anything for you…"

Malik smiled and waved his hand in front of himself, "No, don't worry about it…its ok. I'm used to not getting much. Especially on Christmas."

Bakura looked at Malik with sad eyes as he raised a finger, "Ah! I know!" Bakura reached behind his neck and untied a necklace he was wearing. It was shaped like a cross, but was made from a red shiny stone. He put it in Malik's hand and closed it. "Here, you can have this."

"But Bakura, this is yours…I couldn't take this…."

"Go on, it's yours now! I wont take no for an answer!"

Malik held it tightly in his hands and leaned forward, giving Bakura a hug, wrapping his arms around his neck. "Thank you…Baku…"

Malik slowly opened his eyes, his body felt warm…really warm as a matter of fact. He looked down at his chest to see that he was holding Bakura in his arms. He was sleeping so peacefully. He quickly unwrapped his arms and jumped off the bed, "W-what the hell are you doing in my bed!" Bakura just turned to his side, still dead to the world. He couldn't even hear Malik's yelling. He was so comfortable, looking like he was having a very good dream.

Malik sneered and looked off to the side. What the hell…. He gently picked Bakura up in his arms and carried him over to his room. And as he stood in front of Bakura's mattress, he just wanted to just drop him, fling him on that thing. But instead he just gently laid him on it and walked over to the doorway with an annoyed face as always. He looked over his shoulder at Bakura and said,

"You're such a damn brat…."

TO BE CONTINUED