Changeshipping (Marik Ishtar/Otogi Ryuji)

. . .

"Who does your hair?"

Marik looked up from the display of Capsule Monsters that he had been examining. The question came from the boy at the counter, who leaned across it to put their head on their hand, a half smile on his face. If it had been any other expression, Marik would have thought the question was legitimate, but he wasn't stupid.

He's flirting with me, Marik realized. Either I've been mistaken for a girl again, or he's bold.

Marik had to smirk at the idea of the second option. I like bold.

He sent the man a lazy sort of smile, moving out from behind the display so that the other boy could see that he was in fact flirting with another man, just in case it was the first option. The young man's expression didn't change—same sparkling, flirty eyes. Damn, he had pretty eyes though. A very clear, jewel-like green. He knew perfectly how to accentuate his features with his carefully applied make up too, which made him very pleasing to look at.

Marik was pretty sure he knew the boy somehow—someone who had been with Yugi at Battle City, but hadn't dueled? He looked familiar, and he remembered Yugi mentioning that this shop belonged to a friend of his.

Well, Yugi wasn't supposed to meet him here for another thirty minutes at least, so he could afford to play around a little. Maybe he'd get a phone number out of it.

"I actually do it myself," he said, running his hand through his hair in a practiced gesture that made his arm stretch out just so, so that anyone looking would catch the way that his arm bangles hugged his biceps. "The blond's actually natural. Everyone's always surprised by that."

"Really? Lucky," the young man said, grinning as he shifted both arms across the table, leaning on his elbows. One arm rose up to start twisting the longest end of his bangs around his finger. "I've thought about bleaching mine. There's just so much of it though, and it's already so dark."

"It matches your eyes pretty well, you should leave it as is," Marik said. He took his chance to wander almost casually over to the counter, a little to the side of the man so that he could fake passing interest in the trading card boxes set up on top.

"That might be the nicest thing someone's ever said to me," the young man said, laughing. "Otogi Ryuji, by the way. This is my store."

"Marik Ishtar," Marik said.

"Ahh, I thought I recognized you. Battle City, right?"

The way his eyes flickered down Marik's frame made Marik smirk internally at the pick up line that wasn't said aloud—I'd recognize that body anywhere.

"Yeah, that's me," Marik said, laughing a little. "I...suppose I made an impression."

He was leaving the realm of casual flirting now, skirting around the topic that he wasn't sure he wanted to address. He had done some pretty fucked up things during Battle City—he wondered if the pretty boy would clam up after that occurred to him.

No such happening, it appeared, because Otogi's eyes half closed in a very, verysultry manner, and his lips quirked.

"It's been a long time, I don't think we actually got a chance to talk back then," he said. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"I'm supposed to be meeting Yugi here," Marik said. "Outside, actually; but the store looked interesting. Thought I'd have a look around."

Otogi's grin spread then, flashing his perfect white teeth.

"And do you see anything that you like?"

It was such a perfect, cheesy set up that Marik almost laughed out loud. But if Otogi fancied himself a master at this game, he might have another thing coming for him. Marik just smiled easily back, leaning one elbow on the counter so that he was leaning a little closer to Otogi.

"I think I might have," he said, letting his eyes wander a bit.

Behind them, the door jingled

"Ah, Marik-kun, I thought you might go inside! Sorry I'm so late—oh, I see you and Otogi-kun have been introduced!"

Marik leaned back off of the counter, feeling suddenly a little red.

Otogi, however, just smiled, tugging a pen out of the mug on the counter and spinning it around to land on a scrap of paper. He slid it over to Marik—a phone number, Marik thought.

"Won't keep you from hanging out with Yugi, but if you have any time later," Otogi said, winking.

Marik had to grin.

Okay, maybe Otogi wasjust as good at the flirting game as he was.

. . .

A/N: I'm not gonna write that part, but they totally had a one night stand. Maybe a two night stand. Next is Chanceshipping (Seto x Otogi x Yugi).