Gentle Persuasion

Part 3

"You know, Pharaoh, we've been doing this for a week now, don't you think we really ought to tell him what's going on?" Marik said before putting his hair under the running water and lathering up the shampoo. "I mean after a while I think he would just get pissed when he finds out. At least right now he'll be mildly upset. Rather than 'chop our heads off' upset. And in this circumstance I think it's okay to assume 'head' in the perverted manner."

Yami rested his head on his elbow as he sat up on the bathroom counter, glancing over every now and then to take notice of Marik's silhouette behind the sheer shower curtain. It would have been one thing if they were alone, but Bakura himself was downstairs, with Malik. Yami, being the ever so sneaky person he could be, snuck up into Marik's bathroom, after telling the others he simply needed to clear his head.

"I know we should, but it's going to be so hard! He's not an easy person to get along with Marik! You know that probably better than I do! Saying something to the effect of, 'oh I lo- er slept with your best friend for the last week', isn't exactly the greatest idea I've ever had…"

"It could be much worse Pharaoh."

"Like how Marik?"

Marik stuck his head out to look at him eye to eye, with a seriousness Yami didn't think the other yami could have. "Someone else could tell him. Then he would be more than angry, he would be morbid."

"Morbid?"

"Bakura's not JUST full of anger, Yami. Nor is he full of twisted glee. Bakura's a whole rainbow of emotions. And depression happens to be one he's very familiar with. He refuses to call it that, but there's no other reason he would stop eating for months at a time. Hell some of the times you didn't see him for long periods of time were probably because he couldn't stand, he was so skinny! We really do need to tell him before this becomes not only a problem for us, but for him as well."

"You seem genuinely concerned."

"I am, Bakura's…I'm about to sound like Anzu for a moment, please don't banish me to the Shadow Realm, my best friend. I don't think there's anything I wouldn't do for him!"

"It's good to have people you have faith for." Yami smiled faintly. He had hoped Bakura wouldn't hate him after this. Because Bakura really was a fun person to be around.

"Yeah…"

"Oh on a completely unrelated topic, I'm glad Malik finally came back, did you find out where he went?"

"No, little bugger didn't say anything! He just smiled and said, 'don't worry about it'. I hate that! I want to know where he went! But he just won't open his girly little mouth! Though it's good he's back. I was ALMOST worried for a while. ALMOST. I don't care yet." Marik ended and received a snort from Yami. "He's down stairs with Bakura I think."

"You know maybe we should tell him now?"

"What?" Marik looked at Yami incredulously.

"Yeah, I think he would be less likely to blow up if he had someone there to calm him down…besides us, of whom he will hate for a while…" Yami replied looking down at his hands that were stationed in his lap.

Marik turned the water off, after running his hands through his wet hair to make sure the soap was all out. He pulled back the curtain and grabbed for a towel to dry his hair. He didn't bother to cover himself. Not like Yami hadn't seen him before.

"Don't you think that may be humiliating to him though? I mean I would be embarrassed if you told me something like that in front of your Hikari or something like that."

"Marik? Embarrassed? Oh please!"

"You sound like such a prep." Marik rolled his eyes and threw the towel over Yami's head.

"You're cruel to even say such a thing!"

"Drama queen."

"Oh you finally noticed?" Yami smirked, peering out from under the towel that he'd neglected to remove.

"But seriously Yami! If we don't say anything this will eat away at both of us, more you than me, because well, you actually have a properly functioning heart." A snort from the smaller yami echoed in the small bathroom. "And really, I'd hate to have to add more and more days to that growing list you know? The longer it is the longer he's going to spend torturing us in the afterlife, for eternity when we all finally get there-or rather- stay there…"

"Yeah I know what you mean. But I feel bad…Because I'm the one still keeping him in on this…You're just the best friend who betrayed him…That's not as bad…I'll be deemed asshole of the year…"

"Yes, and I'll be deemed 'ass hole of the year's boyfriend', a.k.a. 'boyfriend stealing bitch of a best friend'."

"Hey at least you have options."

"Oh, don't you think you're cute?" Mark slipped a leg into his khaki pants, while rolling his eyes, like he always seemed to do anymore.

"Yes, yes I do."

"Well, looks like I'm not the ONLY one conceit bound."

"I'm entitled. Why don't you wear dark pants?" Yami asked out of random, while watching Marik pull his slacks to his waistline.

"You know…" Marik stopped and looked at him. "I really don't know…And it's not like you complain when you're basically molesting me in public!"

"Hey YOU started THAT!"

"Says you."

"Yes says me," Yami smirked, buttoning the shirt Marik has slipped on. He leaned against him and craned his neck as the bigger yami indulged him in a rather sultry kiss. Marik ran a tanned hand through those unusual locks, and then noticed the sudden change in demeanor. He pulled back to look down at those violet eyes.

"Yami? What's wrong?"

The look in Yami's eyes was almost one that would be described as confusion, or maybe a repressed thought that he was afraid to speak. Marik could see him steadily chewing at his lower lip, as if it would make, what ever was bothering him, any better. Yami looked down momentarily, but Marik lifted his eyes back up to meet gaze with his own. He wanted to know what was the cause sudden change.

"Pharaoh, talk to me."

"I…" Yami paused. "I don't want to say it…because I don't know how you will react…"

"What do you think I'm gonna go psycho on you?"

"That seriously depends…"

"Okay the ONLY way I would go psycho on you is if you were seeing Anzu…I would HAVE to kill you then."

"No, no NO GOD! NO! Don't even joke like that you ass! Besides I'm not a player! …For the most part…" He added remembering Bakura downstairs.

"Then what's the problem?"

"I love you."

Marik's breath caught in his throat for a moment has his brain tried to register that. That wasn't what he was expecting. And he certainly never thought he was going to ever hear those words spoken to him! No less by his 'great nemesis the pharaoh'! He blinked with his mouth hanging slightly open and it took a moment before he even registered that he must have looked like a dip shit, while making Yami in the slightest nervous.

"I…" He finally spoke, his brain returning from its temporary strike. "And here I thought you were gonna say something bad…" He mentally beat himself with something blunt, for lack of ability to come up with a better line than that!

"You're not mad? Or creeped out? Disgusted even?"

"No…Should I be? Because if that's what you want…I'm a pretty good actor I think…"

"You're a smart ass…" Yami chuckled seeming relieved.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah…though I think we really should get back downstairs…or at least I should, you should wait a few minutes before coming down too…I mean that would be kinda suspicious if we came down together." Yami suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable. Go on now, I'll catch up later."

"All right! Later!" Yami winked opening the door and slipping out.

"Yami!" Marik whispered loudly so as not to catch attention from any BUT Yami. The smaller yami slipped his head back in the door and shot him a questioning glance.

"I love you too…" A pale tint of crimson graced the tan face, which only made Yami smiled all the more.

"I know Marik, I know." The door closed and Marik breathed out .

"Man that's harder than I thought!" He spoke to his reflection and smiled. "But worth it I guess."

Yami walked down the hall quietly as he heard laughter from the other room. He stood in the hallway behind the two people sitting on the couch in front of the TV. Malik and Bakura were sitting next to each other, rather close actually, and playing a trivia game that they accessed through the satellite. Bakura had the control and Malik had the pop corn, while they had music from the stereo in the background.

"Okay, here's a question you'd better get right. Which Group sung "Stairway to Heaven? a. ACDC, b. White Snake, c. Led Zeppelin, or d. Bon Jovi…If you even say D I'll kill you right here." Bakura spoke to Malik who seemed to ponder the question.

"Um…A?"

"No, they sung 'Highway to Hell', baka, not Stairway to Heaven."

"Oh…Um…C then."

"Good good, that's right. What were they thinking even putting Jovi in there? That's not even in the right category!"

"Ahem." Yami decided to make a signal that he was there. Bakura turned his head and waved to Yami. Not even bothering to make a move to explain why he was so close to Malik or that he'd even remembered being that close to the lithe Egyptian boy.

"Come play trivia with us Yami! I'm totally smoking Malik!"

"He cheats, Yami, I swear he does." Malik grumbled.

"Oh hush you, I only cheat at duel monsters!"

"Oh so now he truth finally comes out!" Yami snorted, rolling his eyes.

"That's NOT the point…what took you so long?" Bakura asked patting the seat next to him to suggest that he come over and join them.

"Just had to get some air. Your bedroom window seriously has issues…The glass fell out on me twice."

"Yeah…I suppose I should get that fixed neh? Though it only seems to come out on you…" Bakura snorted clicking the enter button on the remote.

"You know Bakura…It's not really fair, because you have the control!" Malik whined as the next question popped up.

"Oh hush, I haven't cheated once! You claimed you could beat me!"

"Yeah and I didn't think you would know anything about classic rock!" The Egyptian huffed and folded his arms curling himself up under the blanket the three now shared.

"Just shut up, okay the next question is, What Classic Rock group produced the Album that sold at the top of the charts for the record stretch of time…was it a.-"

"It was Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon."

Bakura leaned his head back to look at Marik upside down. "Hey that was Yami's question! And you're not allowed to play this game any more, remember? You know all this crap better than a normal human/spirit should!"

"All the more reason for me to wipe the floor with you my darlings!" Marik gave a snort cackle.

"Sit Marik! There's a nice comfy seat beside Yami, I'm sure he won't mind. Unless of course you still want to gouge each other's eyes out."

Marik looked at Yami nervously and hesitantly sat down, yelping quietly as Bakura threw part of the blanket at him.

"Brrr…. Why don't we have a fireplace again? Man that would be sooo nice…" Bakura shivered slightly.

"Kura, the more you think about it the colder it will seem…" Malik chuckled rubbing Bakura's arm.

"Damn it Malik your hands are like ice!"

"Hey I'm sorry! I'm cold too!"

"Hate to interrupt, but whoever's question that was, they just totally missed their time limit." Marik spoke.

"Damn! That was MY question!"

The four of them continued to play even as the snow pounded at the door. None of them were too fond of cold weather, after all they did ALL come from Egypt. After an hour or so, they finally whipped out the big blankets.

"It's kinda nice you know… I think Ryou and Yugi are totally missing out. Though they're probably having a blast at the convention."

"I though they just came back from one?"

"Yeah, looks like they're at another one…" Malik replied.

"Oh yeah, where did you go during the time they were gone hikari?" Marik looked a Malik.

"Oh I was around. You just didn't look hard enough."

"What kinda answer is THAT!"

"Same kinda answer I might get from you if I were to ask you 'what the hell have you been doing with Yami for a week and not telling me?'."

"Uuuuh…." Marik's face changed colors dramatically, as did Yami's.

"Yeah don't think I didn't notice! Tch! I'm a lot more observant that you two give me ANY credit for, geeze…" Bakura snorted, popping a few kernels of popcorn into his mouth.

"Wait…you're not…mad?" Yami blinked as he took in the behavior Bakura was displaying even after learning he was being cheated on.

"Oh hell no! Actually it's about friggin time! I thought it was going to take some sort of act of GOD to get you two together…Looks like you guys did all my work for me."

"I'd say that were a mission successful, neh, Bakura?"

"I do believe so Malik."

"Wait! Malik knew about this! Hikari! What's going on!" Marik growled at his hikari, who only blew a raspberry at him in response.

"Of course he knew, he helped me think up the idea after all."

"Yeah and now that you have yourself a new boyfriend Yami, can I have mine back now?" Malik chirped.

"Hold on! WHAT did you say hikari?"

"Uhhh….No comprender?"

"Don't pull that crap with me hikari! Since when we're you with Bakura!"

"Ummm…about 6 or 7 months…I forget…"

"And you should thank me. You two were so oblivious to each other, and it took a little 'gentle persuasion'... Besides…I had to get Marik to stop pinning after me…" Bakura beamed with an achieve glee.

"You're a sly little bastard you know that?" Marik slid back down against the couch.

"But of course! And I even went through the extra trouble to be the biggest royal pain in the ass I could be!"

"I noticed." Yami grumbled.

"Heh, just shut up and answer your question baka. You'll thank me later."

Malik leaned up against Bakura shoot Marik a sly little grin. Marik shot his hikari a slightly threatening glare and proceeded to ignore him by whispering several idea for torture into Yami's ear. Bakura and Malik left the two to their whispering and continued their trivia game, until they finished and started over selecting a tag team option.

"Hey, you guys are playing with us this time." Bakura nudged. "…It is just me or do I hear wedding bells?"

"Bakura!"

"Now that I got your attention, you owe me at least ONE game of my totally kicking your asses in trivia."

"Fine, but I ain't going easy on you."

"You never do."

"Oh and Bakura?"

"Yes Marik?" Bakura sighed turning his head to look at Marik, who was insisting on stalling his inevitable defeat.

"Thanks…"

Bakura smiled. "No problem, Marik."

Owari!

Leo: Le End! I hope that didn't suck major horseradishes : D! I wrote this for my yami-lovely! And I hope you like the ending yami! ;3! Your hikari loves you!