Yamishipping (Yami no Yugi x Yami no Marik x Yami no Bakura)
Yami no Yugi paced up and down his soul room. He could hear the drone of the teacher through Yugi's ears, see the familiar classroom through Yugi's eyes, and even smell the unrestrained body odor of thirty puberty stricken teenagers through Yugi's nose. But he couldn't even bring himself to pretend that he was interested in the modern day class.
He could sense Yugi's worry – his partner felt his irritation. Yami no Yugi sent a wave of reassurance towards his partner, then withdrew deeper into himself so he wouldn't distract Yugi any longer.
He entertained the thought of searching the many rooms of his soul again, a common pastime while Yugi was in control of the body. But he couldn't even pretend that he was thinking about his lost memories or his past life. He hated to admit it, but he was itching for some kind game – not another casual game of Duel Monsters or Monster World or whatever other game the whole group played every week, but a high stakes game. A game that would set every muscle, every nerve, every sense on edge in anticipation of the outcome. He half considered calling on Kaiba, but he knew even that kind of a duel would not have the same thrill as the ones during Duelist Kingdom and Battle City.
Yugi picked up on only the end thread of his thoughts, and Yami no Yugi was quick to hide the rest of it. It was selfish of him to wish something like that. He wouldn't share it with Yugi.
He sighed, and finally sat down. It was going to be a long day.
The whole world was blanketed in the orange and yellow of the setting sun. Yami no Yugi patiently listened to Yugi's mind chatter about the new Duel Monsters deck he was going to use against Jonouchi later today, even though Yami no Yugi already knew every card and strategy that had gone into it.
Yugi's chatter silenced, and Yami no Yugi glanced out to see what had stopped his partner's usual cheerful self.
He felt their shared heartbeat race as he realized that he recognized the silhouettes standing at the school gate.
Yami no Bakura and Yami no Marik.
"No way!" Yugi said. "I thought they were both gone! And Marik went back to Egypt anyway! What's going on?"
Yami no Yugi could not pretend that his racing pulse was only nerves – he could not halt his excitement.
"Yugi, let me take over," Yami no Yugi said.
Yugi slipped back into his own soul room, and Yami no Yugi blinked a few times as he adjusted to controlling the body.
"Good evening, pharaoh," Yami no Bakura said, grinning that familiar grin. "You're later than I expected. Had cleaning duty today, hm? How low the mighty pharaoh has fallen!"
"What are you two doing here?" Yami no Yugi said.
He was careful to make his tone appear angry, but it was so hard to suppress his anticipation.
"We thought we'd stop by," Yami no Marik said, that malicious smile crossing his lips. "Care to play a game, pharaoh?"
"Why are you two working together? I thought you were enemies," Yami no Yugi said.
Bakura shrugged.
"Times change," he said. "So, are you ready to play, or not?"
Yami no Yugi's heartbeat raced forward. This was what he had been waiting for. This was the kind of thrill he needed – there were no casual games with this pair. He couldn't help but let some of his excitement leak to Yugi, and he felt Yugi's sudden fear.
He was quick to pull his emotions under control.
"I'm not playing," he said. "You have nothing to force me."
"How do you know, pharaoh?" Bakura drawled. "We could have already attacked your friends, since they did go home before you today, didn't they?"
Yami no Yugi narrowed his eyes. Bakura's threat was empty, he realized. Those dark purple eyes glinted with the same anticipation that Yami no Yugi felt.
"You're bluffing," he said.
Yami no Marik barked a laugh.
"I bet that you'd catch that," he said, grinning. "Called it, Bakura."
Bakura's smile didn't falter.
"I know you, pharaoh," he said, stepping ever so closer. "You will play this game."
"Oh, really?" Yami no Yugi said, but without conviction.
"You're bored, pharaoh. You want a thrill – I am the same," Bakura said.
"We're not the same," Yami no Yugi said.
Bakura laughed softly.
"If it makes you feel better to say it. But trust me, I understand. Normal little games can't satisfy that urge: that burning need to play for high stakes."
Yami no Yugi's convictions were faltering. Without realizing it, he had started to shut Yugi out.
"Face it, pharaoh," Bakura said.
He produced a thin stack of cards.
"You want to play this game."
Yami no Yugi could not hide his excitement now. He glanced from Yami no Marik to Yami no Bakura, practically feeling the tension.
He smirked.
"Now?" he said.
"Now," Bakura said.
A/N: Best one so far, I think. Yami no Marik kind of faded into the background, though. The triangles are hard to write.
