Tempestshipping (Yami no Bakura x Marik x Yugi)

(Yeah, this isn't Teaseshipping...I realized later in the project that I missed a couple, so I had to go back and fill in the holes. *sweatdrop*)


Wind gusted harshly against the blimp, but you wouldn't know it from inside. The tempest of the outside was unknown to the passengers. Marik had to give Seto Kaiba one thing: he certainly knew what he was doing when it came to designing things. The blimp was barely even twitching in this weather.

He stood in an outer hallway, staring at the darkness all around them. They had left Domino City behind some time ago. There was no light but for the moon reflected against the ocean below. His eyes narrowed at the darkness, refusing to admit that it sent a soft shudder through him.

Footfalls, light as a shadow, caught his ear. He might not have heard the approach if it hadn't been so deadly quiet in the hallway. He glanced over his shoulder, his violet eyes catching the glint of deeper violet glowing in the dark. A quick, sardonic smile twitched across the dark Bakura's face.

"Can I help you?" Marik asked, folding his arms.

"No. I was merely wondering what you were doing all alone, little criminal mastermind," Bakura said, his teeth flashing in the dark.

"Waiting, of course."

"Ah, but all alone?"

Marik frowned. Bakura only smiled a little broader.

"You know, I've found that people show you who they really are in the quiet moments," he said.

"You won't see past my mask," Marik retorted.

Bakura shook his head, still smiling.

"Won't I?"

Marik's hands clenched tighter against his arms. He needed the dark spirit, he knew that...but he didn't have to like it. He wasn't sure what would have happened next, except another set of much louder footsteps caught both of their attentions. It was rather shocking how quickly Bakura's face changed – one second, he was all dark, knowing smiles and the glint of malicious eyes. The next, he was soft edges and warm curiosity. It was unnerving to find a mask even easier than Marik's own.

The owner of the footsteps appeared from the darkness as Marik arranged his own mask. Yugi Mutou appeared – not the pharaoh, Marik realized instantly, but the host. He nearly frowned, but hid it with a quick, somewhat vacant smile. He had nothing to do with the host.

"Oh, Namu-san, Bakura-kun," Yugi said. "I was looking for you. I think the drawing for opponents is starting soon – and I think Kaiba might try to disqualify people for not being there, so I thought I'd try to warn you."

"Oh, thanks, Mutou-kun," Marik said, with a soft smile.

"Yes, thank you," Bakura said, mimicking the soft, polite tones of his host perfectly.

Yugi's round, child-like eyes shifted over to Bakura. The flicker of a frown passed his face.

"Is something wrong?" Marik asked, his heart rate picking up ever so slightly.

"Yes, is anything wrong?" Bakura asked.

Yugi blinked, obviously coming out of a reverie of some sort.

"Oh...well..."

His eyes narrowed.

"Namu-san...you might want to be careful."

"What?" Marik said, shocked for a second. What was the host talking about? Or was this pharaoh now? No, the eye color hadn't changed, he was still talking to the host...

"Of him," Yugi said, staring right at Bakura.

Bakura kept a small, almost stupid looking smile on his face, not dropping the mask of his host.

"I'm sorry, I don't follow," Marik said, glancing at Bakura.

"I know you helped Bakura-kun before...but I think you should know that you're not talking to that Bakura right now."

Now the shock really pierced through Marik. The host? The host was able to see through Bakura's acting? If that was so – Marik feared for hiding his own identity.

"I..." Marik started.

Yugi cut him off, not looking at him at all, his gaze remaining fixed on Bakura.

"Leave other people out of this, Bakura," he said, with such ferocity that Marik could not believe that this was the host, and not the pharaoh. "Leave Ryo out of this."

Bakura's mask melted. He grinned, flashing a too sharp tooth.

"Ah, we are becoming quite perceptive, aren't we, Yugi?" Bakura said. "Very well, I'll disappear for now..."

He flashed another grin at Yugi, and then at Marik. There seemed to be something in that smile directed towards Marik...like...a warning, perhaps...

The little host isn't half bad, is he, Marik...? Bakura seemed to be saying, as he whipped around with a flick of his jacket and disappeared into the dark. Perhaps you shouldn't be taking him so lightly...

Marik glanced over at Yugi. He was still staring into the darkness. When his gaze turned to Marik again, Marik almost jumped – he had let his mask slip in the shock. For a moment, Yugi's brows seemed to come together slightly.

But then he smiled, as though nothing had happened.

"Well, Namu-san, we should probably head towards the main room."

"Y-yes," Namu said.

"Don't worry about Bakura. I'll explain it later – it's kind of complicated."

"Right...I can guess."

Yugi nodded, still smiling. And yet...

There was something in that smile too. Something that made Marik feel just a bit uneasy...

Bakura is right, Marik thought. I should not be underestimating the host...


A/N: Sooo, this is one that I missed. I don't really know. I kind of like it, but I kind of feel like it was crappy, too. I've had such major writer's block for the past two or three weeks, and I can't believe I didn't get to write a single piece in time for Christmas or New Year's. There will probably still be a couple of Christmas- or New Year's-themed pieces anyway. Cause I like having themes, it makes writing easier. :) So once I put this chapter in the right spot, the next chapter should be Teaseshipping (Seto x Jonouchi x Ryo).