Author Notes: Hello everyone. I hope you all are doing well, with 2020 having been the way it is.
Longer author notes are at the end, so in the meantime: please enjoy the chapter.
Also, a special thanks to tumblr user staycalm-atthedisco for their recent messages and support in continuing this story.
Chapter 39: New Arrangements
The chunnel ride over to England was actually very fascinating to Bakura if he actually thought about it. After riding across the French countryside for a bit, they were travelling in a train car under the ocean - that was incredible! He had known technology had made remarkable advancements in all areas, but he had never looked much into it. With the discovery of such impressive travelling feats, however, he might spend more time researching the technology he had access to.
When he had first heard they were going to be travelling under the ocean, he had assumed they would be able to see the water and sea life around them. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and only darkness surrounded them, though the lights in the car tried to make up for that. There was also a buffet car next to them where they could purchase snacks if they wanted, but Marik did not. He was too anxious to think about eating and had even skipped breakfast, which worried Bakura, but he understood. They really had no idea what to expect once they arrived at their destination - Shadi's note had been very vague. Just take the 11am ride over and sit on the nearest park bench. No mention of how long they'd have to wait there or anything, just that they'd see an "old friend."
The best thing about this long ride to London was that, as soon as they sat down, Marik had grabbed his hand and held it the entire way. He hadn't said anything as he did, so Bakura felt that he shouldn't say anything about it either, which was fine by him. With the sun not bearing down on him, he could feel just how warm Marik's hand actually was, and wondered just how cold his own skin was. He still had a faint heartbeat as a vampire, as that was the only way for the blood he drank to be passed through his body and keep him alive, but he also had very poor circulation. He wondered if that would change if he fed more, but he really didn't care. He was still living and that was all that mattered.
About ten minutes passed of them riding literally under the ocean before Marik finally said something. "Do you know anybody in England?"
"No." Bakura shook his head. "I've never been."
Marik frowned, obviously concerned by this answer. "Anyone I knew in England is now dead. Who the hell could be an old friend of ours?"
"Maybe they're just visiting?" Bakura tried to supply an answer, though it didn't make either of them feel better.
Marik simply sighed and looked at him. "Yeah… maybe." He worried his lip, which meant something was probably on his mind. Bakura stared back, waiting for him to say what he wanted to. "... Do you think it could be Amane?"
Bakura was surprised by the question, mainly because he hadn't considered it. "I'm… not sure." He hadn't seen her in years - decades even. "She's a model, so I suppose she could have travelled to London for work." It wasn't far-fetched, but the idea made him uncomfortable. While she may know who he is, he wasn't sure how fond she'd be over the idea that her dear older brother hasn't been in control of his own body for almost two years. She'd probably demand he leave immediately, and while she couldn't force him to… It would still make him feel guilty. That was part of the reason he barely talked about her, or to her. She was a reminder that he really shouldn't be here; in this time period, in this body, or with this boy next to him.
"Is Amane a good fighter?" Marik asked.
"What?" Bakura stared at him like he was crazy. "No, not that I know of."
"Then why would she be a danger to us?" Marik asked, frowning and squeezing Bakura's hand tighter. "With Shadi wanting you dead, I assumed this "old friend" would be someone who could get the job done."
"... Fair point?" Bakura just stared at him. Were these the kinds of things running through his head? No wonder he was so worried. "Well, if you're correct, then what other vampire hunters do you know?"
Marik seemed uncomfortable and looked away. "I don't consider them friends."
"Something tells me we shouldn't take Shadi quite as literally as that."
He groaned and looked back at Bakura. "Well, then there could be a whole group of hunters that I've met once and never seen again. But it's not like they can attack us in broad daylight. Someone would call the police."
"True." Bakura faced forward again. He could understand why Marik was worried, but honestly he doubted Shadi was going to have them meet more vampire hunters. He sounded frustrated with them so far. Meeting Amane sounded much more plausible, in Bakura's mind, though he couldn't place his finger on why. She wouldn't kill him - she'd probably just try and talk to him, and want to talk with her brother. She could make him feel guilty, but other than that she couldn't get rid of him like Shadi wanted, right? At the same time, it's been a long time coming to go and talk to Amane. Maybe Shadi was hoping she could guilt him enough to where he would give up his own life? He has lived for a long time, certainly, but… he had nothing to live for before. Now he did. He even had a promise to try and stay alive; he wasn't going to be convinced to give up his existence so easily. Besides, how would that even work? If this body died, then neither he nor Ryou could live. Amane might just want him to stay inside the Ring, but he'd be of no help to Marik that way and he wasn't sure if Ryou would continue the quest… And, obviously, he had selfish reasons for continuing to inhabit this body, he reminded himself as he glanced again at Marik's nervous expression.
They rode on in silence for a bit longer, both thinking about who could possibly be waiting for them at the end of this chunnel ride. Marik desperately hoped it wouldn't be another hunter. While he might be a decent fighter he's also been out of practice for quite some time, and his only "training" as of late was an occasional jog and some push ups and pull ups. He feared that if it would come down to a fight to the death that he'd be on the losing team, even with a vampire on his side. Maybe he should work out a better training regimen, one that involved weight lifting and more intensive cardio, just to get back to where he had been before he left his family. It never hurt to train, especially when he didn't know what Shadi could be planning for the future. It might not even be a bad idea for Bakura to train with him. Sure he had super strength and speed, but unless he knew how to spar with hunters he could be at a disadvantage. Besides, training with a vampire might speed up his own skill-recovery time. He'd have to suggest it soon, but not now—after they faced whatever they were coming to. Which hopefully wasn't someone who was better trained and could kill them.
When the announcer called their stop, it surprised Marik. Was the ride really over already? He stood up when he felt Bakura do so, and he squeezed his hand tighter to say that he didn't want to let go yet. He only had a tiny issue thinking about it now—how happy Bakura made him. He still didn't want to say that out loud, though.
They walked out of the train and out of the station, looking for the nearest park bench once they were bathed in sunlight. Instantly Bakura's hand felt twenty degrees warmer, which made him wonder how that special sunscreen worked. Frankly, he wasn't even sure what it was about the sun that hurt vampires—was it the sun's radiation, or just the heat itself?
"That one?" Bakura asked, pointing out in the distance with his free hand.
"Sure." Marik figured he was talking about a park bench. "Not like Shadi can blame us for picking the wrong one."
Bakura nodded, and started leading him along. Marik wondered if Bakura noticed the staring they received, or if he was more focused on their mission—or simply didn't care about anyone else. Marik cared, mainly because he had been told all his life to try and draw as little attention as possible to himself, especially in an area where he already stood out. Having everyone looking at and watching him like this was… uncomfortable, to say the least. It was almost enough to make him want to let go, but instead he squeezed tighter, and smiled when he received a little squeeze back.
When they sat down, they finally stopped holding hands. "I guess now we wait," Bakura said, sighing softly.
"Mmhm." Marik nodded, looking out at the crowd. Most people weren't staring anymore, but there were still glances. He was sure they looked like quite the pair together.
"Notice anyone?"
"Nope."
"Me neither."
They sat in silence, but not for long.
"I spy with my little eye," Bakura started as he swiveled his head this way and that. "Something… blue."
Marik felt himself smile. "Seriously?"
"Might as well pass the time with something," Bakura reasoned, putting his arms behind his head and lifting a foot up to rest on his opposite knee.
Marik rolled his eyes. "The sky."
"It's not that easy, princess."
"That bluebird."
"No."
"That kid's sunglasses?"
"Nope, but those are nice."
Marik laughed and looked around, humming to himself. After three more guesses, he finally got it. "That gum on the sidewalk?"
"Bingo," Bakura smirked at him. "Your turn."
"All right, hotshot." Marik chuckled. "I spy, with my little eye, something…" He felt his blood run cold. White hair, that wasn't attached to the boy next to him. "Is that Amane?" he asked quietly.
"What?" Bakura looked over to where Marik was staring. "Where?"
"I don't know, I…" Marik chewed at his lip. "Does she have white hair?"
"Ryou?"
Now Bakura felt goosebumps.
They both turned around, having to crane their necks to look up at a very tall, curvy girl wearing a light blue skirt with a rose pink sweater. Her hair was the same shade and texture as Bakura's, but cut to just above her shoulders, rounding out her oddly thin face.
"Hello," Bakura said, trying to give a small smile.
The girl brightened and immediately bent down to hug him over the park bench. "Ryou! Oh my goodness, what are you doing here? Are you writing a book that takes place in London?"
"Well, actually, I…" he didn't know what to say. Had she forgotten about him?
"You should have called!" She started walking around to sit next to him on the park bench. "We could have made plans to meet up!"
"It was a last minute trip," Bakura told her, shrugging.
"Oh, okay. We can still have fun!" She looked at him again, this time staring deeply into his eyes. Her smile quickly started to dim. "... Bakura?"
Bakura wasn't sure whether to be relieved or alarmed that she remembered him. "... Yes."
Amane furrowed her brow. "What are you still doing here? How have you not moved on yet?"
"Moved on?" Bakura questioned, starting to feel very small. It didn't help that she was taller than him even while they were both sitting.
"You're a spirit, right?" Amane said, frowning more and taking his hands in hers. "Spirits are trapped on Earth if they have unfinished business. I thought… you would have finished yours by now and moved on to a different realm."
"Oh." He replied smartly. That's what she had thought of him all these years? That he just needed to move on? It wasn't that simple.
"What's keeping you here?" Amane asked, throwing Bakura for a loop. The Millennium Ring was keeping him here, of course. Although, on the rare occasions he took it off, he wasn't magically transported out of Ryou's body and into it, so… technically that wasn't true. Didn't that just mean that one body contained two souls? Like that witch Pegasus had mentioned so long ago. Which meant he would "move on" when this body died, which might not happen for a very long time. Now he had to wonder… what happened to his old body? When his soul had first went into the Ring, why couldn't he get back out? Were bodies no longer viable once no soul was inside them at all? And if that was the case, then by all means, nothing was keeping him here. His body had decayed long ago. He should have went with it, but he didn't. He didn't belong here.
This was why he didn't want to have this conversation.
"Who are you?" Amane finally noticed Marik, tilting her head as she looked him up and down.
"A friend," he replied, sounding more cryptic than he had meant to. "My name is Marik." He held his hand out to her, and after a moment of hesitation she shook it.
She looked between the two of them, obviously confused. "You two… know each other?"
"It's a long story," Bakura replied, feeling overwhelmed.
"I have time," Amane insisted, crossing her arms to convey that she was not going anywhere.
Bakura sighed, looking at Marik for help. He didn't even know how to begin. Thankfully, Marik seemed to have an idea.
"Do you believe in vampires?"
Bakura really shouldn't have been surprised. Of course Amane would be quick to believe their little vampire story; she had grown up experiencing a spirit taking over her brother's body at night, after all. She actually seemed impressed, smiling a few times, clasping her hands together as if she truly hoped they would reach their goal soon.
"I think it's admirable," she said when Marik was done. "Wanting to help all of the vampires in the world. But," she looked at Bakura with a frown. "Why do you have to use my brother to do so? Can't you attach yourself to Marik and leave Ryou alone?"
"Uh…" She talked as if she knew about ghosts. "I don't think so. I've never tried, and frankly I wouldn't want to at this point."
"Why not?" Amane seemed confused.
"Well…" Bakura exchanged glances with Marik, who looked a bit paler than normal.
"We're kind of," Marik cut in, reaching over to grab Bakura's hand. "A thing?"
"A thing?" Bakura really didn't mean to sound so offended, but he was. Thing?! Is that all he was!
"Boyfriends," Marik cut in quickly, diffusing Bakura's anger with a weak smile. "We're dating." He hesitated, glancing at his partner. "Kinda."
"..." Bakura wanted to be mad, but honestly that was the best description for their current situation, wasn't it?
"Seriously?!" Amane gasped, gazing between the two of them before starting to look sick. "But… but that's my brother's body! Is he okay with this?!" When the two only shared a look between them, Amane truly looked like she was going to throw up. "You didn't even get his permission!?"
"It's not like we've done anything really intimate," Marik managed to tell her, his voice going quiet towards the end as shame overtook him. He had never even thought of that; needing to ask Ryou's permission, or even just telling him. "Just… kissing—"
"That's still his body!" Amane hissed, glaring at Bakura, who had the decency to look ashamed. "I want to talk with Ryou right now."
"Right now?" Bakura repeated tiredly.
"Right now."
"All right, all right!" Bakura sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "But I better lay down first—I don't even know if he's awake right now."
"I will wait," Amane insisted, crossing her arms as she stood up from the bench. "You better hope that he is awake."
"Or else what?" Bakura asked, scowling slightly as Marik also got off the bench, allowing Bakura to lay down. "You wouldn't hurt me, Amane—not physically."
"That's the key word, isn't it?" Amane replied testily. "Now close your eyes and get my brother out here."
Bakura clenched his teeth as he laid down. He genuinely hoped that Amane was the visitor Shadi had been talking about, because he would not be able to handle a second person after this encounter. He already tried not to think about Ryou too much as it was, and now he had the added worries of what his little host would think if he found out Bakura was using his body for romantic endeavors. And not only that, but what Marik would think if Ryou seemed uncomfortable with the idea; knowing Marik, he'd probably stop their budding relationship in its tracks just because of that alone, and the idea made him furious. They had just reached an agreement together, and now their progress could all be gone because of Ryou. Because this isn't Bakura's body. Because Bakura is a parasite, and that's not something either of them had put a lot of thought into when they became boyfriends.
Right now, however, he needed to put some thought into how to contact Ryou in the first place. He hadn't really tried before, usually Ryou would just appear on his own. With a deep breath and a quiet sigh, Bakura started his attempts by simply thinking Ryou's name over and over in his mind. He thought about his name so much that it was starting to not sound like an actual word anymore. At one point he swore he was thinking Ou-ry instead of Ry-oh, so he tried to change that.
As that method was not working, he switched to trying to actually talk to him as if he's already awake.
Ryou, this is Bakura. Your sister, Amane, wishes to speak with you. Please come out. I really don't want to deal with this situation, anyway, so you'd really be helping me out.
His mind wandered, thinking about how Marik and Amane were being surprisingly quiet as they waited for him to find Ryou.
Please, just come out. I don't know what else to do here. Do you need me to fall asleep? Because that's going to be impossible with how tense I feel right now.
It took a few more pleas like that before Bakura stopped thinking, having sworn he could feel the presence of another soul in the back of his mind. Ryou? Is that you?
'Yes. Amane's there?'
Oh, good, you heard that. Yes, she's here and wishes to speak with you.
Bakura felt a wave of fatigue wash over his body, and he didn't try to fight it. If Ryou didn't want him to hear whatever he and his sister were going to talk about together, then fine. He supposed they deserved that much privacy, at least.
In a matter of seconds Bakura's consciousness slipped away, and Ryou opened his eyes, sitting up slowly. He took a deep breath before turning to look at Amane, smiling weakly. It had been so long since he'd last seen her; her face looked even more gaunt than he remembered, and it was a bit of a shock to see her with short hair.
"Hey, Ame-chi," he greeted, laughing a little when Amane sat down next to him and pulled him in for a hug. He wrapped his arms around her back, whispering, "Sorry I didn't call enough."
"It's okay, you weren't yourself."
"Mm, even before this I didn't call much."
Amane sighed softly, pulling away so she could frown at him. "Well… I didn't call, either. So we're even."
Ryou smiled a bit wider, nodding in agreement. He turned his head, catching Marik's eyes and noting just how terrified the ex-hunter looked. "Hey, Marik, could we have some privacy for a bit?"
"Oh." Marik jolted, standing just a bit straighter. "Yes, of… of course." He looked around for a moment, obviously lost, before taking off in some random direction.
Ryou waited until he was a few yards away before turning back to Amane. He smiled weakly, searching through Bakura's recent memories so he'd have some clue what was going on. "How have you been?"
"Better than you, I'd say," Amane replied, her jaw tense as she stared at him. "Do you know what they're doing with—"
"You knew about Bakura?" Ryou interrupted, feeling cold even with the sun's rays boring down on him. Amane at least had the decency to look guilty, but he couldn't believe this. Why had no one told him? Why didn't he see that when he'd searched through Bakura's memories the first time? Was he just not looking? Could he not have handled that information before? Was he just that weak? "Why didn't you tell me?"
Amane opened her mouth, but nothing came out for a few seconds. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I was young, and he didn't seem dangerous, and… I thought he would have moved on already."
Roy laughed, a short, bitter sound before he covered his face with both hands, bending enough so he could rest his elbows on his legs. "You could have told me. Maybe I wouldn't be like this if…. no. No, never mind." If he hadn't been wearing the Ring when he got bitten, then he would just be dead. Cold stop. And even if staying in the Ring most of the time wasn't ideal, at least he was still alive. At least he had a chance at life at some point in the future.
But, still, he… he had already missed so much. And the more he missed, the harder it was to imagine fully living again; especially in this body. But he wanted a second chance at life, no matter how far away it was. He wanted to keep moving. He just couldn't right now, and he was okay with that.
"Ame, I can't stay long. This body, I…" Ryou had to clear his throat, he was getting choked up. "I'm not strong enough for it anymore, I'm afraid."
"What do you mean?"
"You know I'm a vampire—that this body is a vampire." He straightened up, turning to Amane with wet eyes. "But my mind isn't strong enough to handle the change, or the virus or whatever it is. If I stay in here too long, it'll kill me."
Amane creased her brows together, trying to process that. "That doesn't make any sense."
"I mean, it's a magical illness. It makes sense if you think of it like that."
Amane hummed, holding a hand up to her chin as she continued to think. "Is it because you don't want to be a vampire? And so 'it' knows that and kills you?"
"I…" Ryou paused, thinking that over. "I'm not sure? But that sounds right." It more than just sounded right. It felt right, in the same way that writing 'A Vampire Story' had felt right during all those long nights years ago. Why hadn't he thought of that before?
"Then it's simple," Amane said, shrugging. "Just change your mind, and take your body back."
Ryou laughed shortly, shaking his head. "It's not that simple, Amane. I can't… I didn't even feel comfortable taking Marik's blood, and he offered it to me."
"But…" Amane scrunched her nose up, leaning closer to whisper, "What he's doing with your body, being in a relationship with someone? How can you be okay with that?"
Ryou chewed at his lip, looking away. "It doesn't bother me much." He didn't think he should tell her the truth, that this body didn't feel like his anymore. It was easier to be okay with something if you didn't feel like it was yours to interfere with. Besides, he did still enjoy romance; he'd feel like a jerk for stopping a new one. "I know what he feels for Marik, and it's sweet." He smiled softly, shaking his head. "And, apparently, they didn't even have their first official date until yesterday, so they're moving pretty slow." Plus, he'd decided long ago that as long as Bakura wasn't killing anyone with his body, then he was okay. Not that he was going to mention that to Amane; she was already looking at him like he was crazy. "And what they're doing for vampires is important, so—"
"But it's your life, Ryou!" Amane was getting close to yelling at him. How could he talk like this? He looked so defeated, so withdrawn. "So, what, you're going to be shut away forever? Just watching Bakura do whatever with your body?"
"It won't be forever," Ryou muttered weakly. "Some friends of theirs are trying to find a cure for vampirism altogether. So, once they do, I figure I could take that and… find some way to get Bakura his own body? It can be done, it's just tricky. We'd have to find a witch or something."
"Ryou, this is insane." Amane shook her head, her eyes closing tightly. "Bakura shouldn't even be here anymore; he should have moved on."
"He's not really a ghost, Amane. He's a spirit, who's still tied to this world through this," he held up the Millennium Ring, "and pure stubbornness." And Marik, now.
Amane sighed softly, lowering her head until her hair fell enough to cover her face. This was too much to be hit with all at once. She thought Ryou had been doing fine! Had she been a little concerned when his novels took a deep dive from romance and comedy into pure gore and horror? Of course, that's why she had emailed him; to check up. How was she supposed to know it had been Bakura who had replied? She thought he'd passed on to the next life when Ryou was in college. And she could have never imagined that her brother could have been turned into a vampire, and had been stuck inside the Ring for almost two years now.
"I'm sorry," Ryou whispered, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "I know it's a lot. It took me a long time to even wrap my head around it, to decide what to do. For awhile I thought I could be Marik's helper, gathering the Items for vampire-kind, but I wouldn't have been much help. He needs a fighter, and I've never fought anyone before. So I stayed in the Ring, thinking about it more, feeling angry and sad and just wanting to get back to my comfortable life, but not knowing if that was the right thing to do, you know? And when I almost did die from the vampirism, well… that kind of decided for me. I'm just trying to be okay with it now."
"You shouldn't have to be 'okay' with it," Amane argued, her head still bowed as she squeezed Ryou's hand back. "You should be able to make decisions, you know? It sounds like they don't even talk to you. Don't you feel lonely?"
Ryou tensed up, his teeth clenching and his grip on her hand tightening. That was true; they really didn't talk with him much. But, well, "What would I even have to offer?"
"You don't have to offer anything!" Amane looked up, anger set in her eyes as she looked at her brother. "You're already letting Bakura use your body, that's enough! Being you is enough, Ryou. You could give some advice, or a new perspective; something to get some agency back into your life."
"Maybe," Ryou mumbled, still holding his sister's hand as his mind wandered. He thought again to how he felt like a side-character in this epic journey that Marik and Bakura were going on. How he'd managed to convince himself to be content with just watching from the sidelines, quietly rooting for them. Assuring himself that it was better to just watch than take over again and die as a vampire. Why hadn't he thought of a different way? Why didn't he fight to at least be heard, or even acknowledged? Because it was kind of weird that Marik and Bakura had decided to start dating without even thinking about him.
But what would be the compromise? He would still end up killing this body if he was in control for too long. He supposed he could talk with Bakura more, instead of staying in the Ring. Or take control just for a little while every day at least. And he really, really should mention that he did want his own body; one that would feel like his again. Mention that after their quest was done, they needed to find a new way to separate him and Bakura, for his own second chance. And maybe also mention that he was very, very pissed that Bakura hadn't taken that potion for himself because of jealousy. Honestly, how stupid!
"And who knows," Amane interrupted his thoughts, smiling softly. "Maybe if you get more practice controlling your body again, you won't reject the vampire part anymore."
Ryou laughed softly, shaking his head. "Amane, I will never get used to the thought of drinking blood to live." He was feeling lightheaded just thinking about it right now.
"Not even from a blood bank?"
"I don't think so."
"Well, just think about it at least."
"Mm." Ryou unzipped his coat, pulling his left arm out and struggling to pull up his long sleeved-shirt enough to look at the teardrop mark on his shoulder. It was already a dark pink. "I can't last more than a few hours."
"Well then." Amane stood up, pulling Ryou with her. "We should make the best of it and spend some time together, don't you think? I can buy you some new clothes, show you my favorite cafe; I'd say watch a movie, but we probably won't have time for all that."
Ryou blinked at her in surprise, noting how… how happy he felt at the thought of doing something. Because, really, every time he'd "come out" before had been while they were traveling somewhere, so it wasn't like he could do much. God, it… it really had been such a long time since he'd done anything, hadn't it? If his heart was swelling just at the idea of doing something millions of humans do every day? At the thought of not needing to worry for a few hours, because he was with his sister and they were doing something fun?
"Ryou?" Amane stepped closer, alarmed since he had begun to tear up. She used her sleeve to wipe at one tear rolling down his cheek, and he laughed softly.
"Sorry, I… yes, let's go shop, and eat. I'll just—I'll text Marik quick."
Amane and I are going to spend a few hours together. Don't worry; I'll take it easy and sleep when I need to. He'll call you when we're done, I'm sure.
Marik definitely appreciated Ryou not mentioning his or Bakura's name, or anything about the Millennium Items (since he was certain his dad would still be monitoring phone lines and messages), but he couldn't help but worry.
If this was Shadi's plan, what exactly was the goal? If Amane was who they were supposed to meet, then he highly doubted she'd kill Bakura like Shadi so clearly wanted. So what was the point? Was he just trying to separate them again? Would he really try and kill Bakura even while Ryou was in control? Even when Amane would be right there to witness it? That didn't seem right. None of this seemed right.
Marik groaned to himself, burying his face into his arms on the outdoor cafe table he'd snagged, a cup of untouched hot chocolate in front of him. He hated just waiting like this, but it's not like he had anything to distract himself with. He already knew Shadi had the other Items, so there was no point in "searching" London for them, his stomach was too tight to keep anything other than liquid down right now, and he really didn't feel like going window shopping since it was rather boring by yourself. So, all that left was thinking.
Maybe all Shadi wanted was to cause more conflict between him and Bakura. And if that was the case, it was definitely working. Marik honestly felt like an inconsiderate jerk for not even thinking about talking to Ryou about his and Bakura's relationship. Sure, he could excuse it by saying that he was worried about so many other things that Ryou just slipped his mind, but that didn't make it better. Although, Bakura never mentioned it either, so maybe they had already reached some sort of agreement beforehand? But, no, Bakura would have said something when Amane questioned them, then.
This is wrong, Marik thought, curling his hands into tight fists. There's no way Ryou would be comfortable with us being together. So we'll have to stop for now. He knew Bakura wasn't going to be exactly thrilled about that, but he'd have to understand why, right? Couldn't it just be enough to know how the other feels for now? They had the Millennium Items to worry about anyway, and Marik could still give Bakura the "guarantee" he wanted while limiting the times they kiss, right? They could probably still do everything else Bakura had wanted, like sleep next to each other and talk more.
Marik clenched his teeth, lifting his head since his arms were getting a little tired of supporting the weight of it. Communicate. God, there was still so much that Marik was keeping from him. If he wanted to prove to Bakura that he was serious about them, he'd have to tell him, right? About this hateful being inside of him, and about the final reason he decided to leave home for good. Honestly, he probably should have brought these things up a long time ago; maybe Bakura would feel differently about him if he knew.
Taking a breath, Marik stood and grabbed his hot chocolate. Just sitting here wasn't doing him any good. He'd walk around the city for a bit, and think about how he should tell his boyfriend about his secrets, and about taking a break from kissing for Ryou's sake. Maybe blunt was the way to go, but easing into the information might go over better? This is why he needed to think about it.
Ryou and Amane were having a great time together. She'd taken him to a fancy clothing store, insisting that he needed to dress more fashionably. He insisted that he liked his comfy style, and that he'd worn the same kinds of things since high school and she didn't have a problem back then, but she simply shook her head in disagreement. "You're not in high school anymore, Ryou! You need a more dignified style."
Apparently a more dignified style entailed some tight-fitting, light-gray pants with a blue, black, and white argyle sweater. And he had to admit that the clothes did look good on him, or whoever he was looking at in the mirror. He smiled, and watched the man in the mirror smile back at him with pronounced fangs glinting underneath the fluorescent lights, and eyes that should be auburn having a distinct reddish tint to them. Not to mention the fact that the mirror man's face was so thin; he puffed out his cheeks just to see if it would look more normal, and he honestly felt like it did. The only thing that was familiar to him was his hair, still stark white and puffy as anything. Ryou took a breath, staring just a bit longer at a face he no longer recognized before struggling once more with the long shirt sleeve to check his mark. Bright red, and getting darker by the second.
They walked around town again after that, Amane showing him her favorite places to hang out and telling him about her job. She'd been in England for half a year already, modeling for fashion shows and other advertisements, and with the way things were going she might end up staying there for a year or two more. She'd apparently put this all in an email to him when it happened, but Bakura had answered that one. Ryou was glad to be aware of it now, at least.
She took him to the library, showing him to a quiet corner where she'd spend time reading or editing photos for her blog, as well as to the young adult fiction section where his books were held (translated to English, of course). Bakura's horror novels were there, too, and Ryou was honestly quite impressed with his writing style. Maybe he had been a storyteller when he was alive? He wondered how Bakura managed to convince his editor of the genre change, since advertising would have been tricky with his romance reputation.
They stopped by Amane's gym after that. At first Ryou didn't think he'd get past the lobby, but the receptionist recognized her right away and was fine with Ryou receiving a small tour. He smiled warmly at that; Amane used to be quite shy as a child, so the way she talked so easily with the receptionist was very nice to see. It was a nice gym, too! Not too big that he felt like his voice would echo, but not so small that the equipment felt too packed together. She apparently had a lucky step-climber that she liked to use in the mornings, then she'd head to one of the mats on the ground to stretch and do some yoga. She convinced him to try an elliptical machine for a few minutes, but she had to stop him when he started moving so fast that the machine made a series of loud, clunking sounds. He forgot how quickly vampires could move.
After all that, it was time for a little snack break. She took him to a little cafe that she claimed made the best fresh juices and smoothies, so he tried the Berry Razzmatazz smoothie while she got her usual Green Machine juice blend. They sat in a corner by a window, enjoying a bit of warmth as they indulged in their cold drinks.
"So, did you have some fun at least?" She asked, stirring her drink with her straw.
"Of course." Ryou sucked his smoothie, enjoying how the cold eased the burning in his throat he'd felt since they left the gym. "I missed spending time with you."
Amane brightened for a second, but frowned soon after. "I'm sorry. I… I should have reached out more after dad—"
"I don't want to think about it," Ryou interrupted, reaching over to take her hand for a squeeze. He smiled like his heart wasn't clenching painfully. "I could have reached out to you, too."
"I was never that close with dad." She squeezed his hand back, shaking her head. "Besides, you took plenty care of me when mom died."
"That was when we were kids, though."
"Exactly. So I needed more comfort, and you were there for me."
Ryou sighed, bowing his head lightly and staring into the deep purple of his drink. He imagined his mark was just a few shades darker, maybe even black already. Though he hadn't started coughing yet, so that was a good sign. "I'm fine, really. College kept me busy when dad had his accident. And a few years down the line, this happened." He bared his teeth just so he could gesture to his fangs. "Made things easier for Bakura, I imagine. He wouldn't have to worry about pretending to be me to anyone except you."
Amane's jaw clenched before she took her hand back. "How are you so okay with what's going on? I still don't understand it. Bakura can't just, just… take your life!"
"He's perfectly aware he's a parasite," Ryou told her, sipping his smoothie. "And he's awake now, so he heard that."
"Good!" Amane scoffed, rolling her eyes. "He should hear it."
"Mm." Ryou closed his eyes, focusing on feeling the soul he'd managed to banish to the Ring temporarily. He could tell Bakura was surprised, though by what he wasn't exactly sure. "This body doesn't want me anymore, Ame. I'm fine waiting until I can get a new one."
"If you can get a new one!"
"I told you, it's possible—"
"But you're assuming too much," Amane interrupted, reaching forward to grab his hand again. "You have to wait for a vampire cure first, then you have to convince Bakura to stay in the Ring long enough for you to search for a witch or whatever? How long do you think that will take? How long are you willing to wait? Years?"
"I have to wait!" Ryou snapped, opening his eyes so he could stare into her eyes. "What don't you understand about the fact that I'll die if I stay in control for too long? I will never be comfortable being a vampire! Every time I saw myself in the mirror today, it wasn't me. All I saw was Bakura staring back at me."
"I'm sure you could get used to it with time—"
"Ah, so then I'd be the one using Bakura? Relying on his strength until I'm comfortable enough in this stupid body? I don't want that. I don't want to rely on him, I just want to feel like me, again, and I can't do that right now."
They stared at each other for a long time, Amane clearly having more thoughts on the matter, but knowing that Ryou was going to be stubborn about this.
"Look," Ryou continued, moving his straw up and down so he could focus on the way the smoothie moved. "I'll make myself more known from now on. I won't just stay silent in the Ring, I'll, I'll talk. Maybe go for a walk once a day, or something."
Amane stared at him, her brows creasing together as she asked, "Are you just saying that for my sake? Do you even want to do that?"
"I don't know," Ryou replied, resting his forehead in his hand. "Kind of? It is fun just… watching. And it feels safe in the Ring. There's no worries, or pain. It's so easy to just fall asleep for however long and search through memories when I wake up. It's like watching a movie that never ends."
Amane had her mouth open in slight horror, shaking her head as she squeezed his hand again. "Ryou."
"But part of me does want to, you know, live again." He turned his head, resting his cheek on his hand instead as he stared into space. "I liked doing things with you today, I really did. It's not your fault that I just don't feel like myself anymore. That's why I'm content with waiting, Amane, and I'm sorry you don't understand. But I finally feel like I'm making an actual decision about this. Or, at least, the best decision I can make, considering everything else."
The table was silent again, giving Ryou time to really focus on how his throat felt like it was collapsing. He coughed once, twice, and silenced it by drinking his smoothie again so he could speak. "It's time for me to go."
"Right now?" Amane whispered, desperately wanting to keep talking.
"Unless you want me to start coughing up blood?"
"What?" She winced, squeezing his hand once more before letting go. "Of course not. Just call me, please? Once in a while?"
Ryou smiled softly, nodding in agreement before closing his eyes. He felt that familiar feeling of floating through air as he receded back into the Ring, but this time he didn't feel exhausted like usual. Maybe he was getting stronger already, like Amane wanted.
Bakura opened his eyes, immediately noticing how Amane's jaw was tight with anger, and the fact that his throat felt like it had been stabbed. "Hello," he croaked out.
"Hi." She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before looking away. "I'm guessing you need blood now?"
"It would probably be a good idea, yes."
"You better call Marik then, because I'm definitely not giving you any."
Bakura resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He felt much too tired for this pettiness. He pulled out his phone, sending him a simple text. I'm back. I'm at a cafe called Sweet Blends. He would ask Marik where he was, but he was still terrible at navigating cities. Plus, he wasn't exactly sure how far he could walk right now.
He felt bitterness wash over his tongue. He would have blamed it on the state Ryou left this body in, but honestly that wasn't it. He was angry because he didn't understand why Marik hadn't mentioned anything about this to him before. He'd had no idea that Ryou couldn't even handle staying inside his own body for less than a day. But when he searched through Ryou's memories, he was quite surprised to find that little conversation he'd had with Marik on the plane ride to New York. Because Marik never mentioned it. He never even mentioned that he'd talked with Ryou again! And he had to know why, because at this point it felt like Marik was keeping so many, many secrets from him. Right when he thought their relationship was finally making some progress, too. Hadn't they agreed to be more honest with each other just yesterday?
"Hey." Amane interrupted his thoughts. He looked up, meeting her own angry gaze before she spoke again. "You better let Ryou have some control back."
If Bakura had been in a better mood, maybe he would have felt more guilty. Maybe he would have agreed with her immediately, promising that he'd actually talk with Ryou instead of actively trying to forget he existed. Maybe he would have agreed to let Ryou take a walk a day; it was the least he could do, after all. But he wasn't in a good mood, between his throat burning and his chest tightening like he was wearing a corset, and realizing that Marik was still keeping everything bottled up.
So instead, he lashed out. "Or what? You'll find me? You'll kill me? All that would do is end both of our lives. Or maybe we'd simply both be trapped in the Ring, who knows."
"You know what I mean!" Amane interrupted, gripping her juice tightly with both hands. "What you're doing isn't right, or fair—"
"Oh, I don't want to hear it." Bakura shook his head, bringing a hand up to rub his forehead. "I'm sorry, Amane. I'm sorry that I'm in control of this body now, but you know what? If he hadn't been bitten, I would have never taken over. Not completely, not like this. I had accepted my place as simply being a watcher through the Millennium Ring, spending the rest of my days experiencing life second hand, maybe once in awhile going for a ride. I honestly thought it'd be a little fun, seeing so many different life experiences. So, if you want someone to blame for what happened to your brother, why don't you blame the vampire that bit him? Oh, that's right, because it's easier to blame me than acknowledge how guilty you feel for not being able to tell the difference between your dear, sweet brother and me."
Amane was struck silent, tears at the corners of her eyes. She didn't want to admit how right he was.
"So," Bakura grinned wide enough to show off his teeth. "How about instead of berating me, we just talk like the old friends we used to be."
Amane clenched her teeth at that, looking away. "You tricked me. You convinced me that you wouldn't hurt him, that you were harmless."
"I was."
"And now?"
"Well, I have a feeling you don't care what I think of myself now."
Amane groaned, flinging herself back in her chair and hunching over, staring at the ground. "There still has to be a better way."
"You heard Ryou. He doesn't feel comfortable being a vampire."
"Then why don't you search for this magic potion?" Amane snapped, finally meeting his gaze. "Why don't you try and find a way to separate you two if you're really so harmless? If you're really sorry for taking his life."
"I'm a little busy right now!" Bakura had to refrain from yelling. "But I promise you that I'll help him find a witch, all right? Right after Marik and I finally make the wish."
They stared at each other, neither one wanting to be the first to look away. Amane took a slow breath in through her nose, letting it out quickly through her mouth before mumbling, "Fine. I guess that will have to do."
Bakura relaxed slightly, thought his throat was hurting even more after talking so much. He closed his eyes, nodding lightly. "Thank you."
"And you'll actually talk to him from now on?"
"Sure. If he wants."
"Is he asleep right now?"
"No. He's heard everything."
"Good. Then he can hold you to your word."
Bakura snorted, rubbing at his forehead again. He could feel that Ryou was a little amused, but mostly just withdrawn. He snatched up his smoothie, sucking it down just so his throat could feel a little reprieve from the intense, clawing feeling.
Thankfully, Marik walked through the cafe door at that moment. He spotted them immediately since their white hair was pretty hard to miss. Bakura noticed him first, but he still felt too upset to enjoy how relieved Marik seemed to see him again.
"Hey," Marik greeted, quirking a smile at Bakura before glancing at Amane.
"It's time I head out." Amane stood up, stretching her back a little as she added, "You two should probably go to the bathroom or something."
"Right." Bakura stood up, forcing himself to smile at Marik. "I need a drink."
Marik understood immediately, nodding quickly. He looked back at Amane, hesitating to say something before settling on, "I'm sorry."
"Please." She shook her head, sighing softly. "I've had enough of that today." She straightened up, putting a practiced smile on her face as she looked at Bakura. "Call me." She walked off before he could respond. It wasn't really him that she was saying it to, anyway.
Marik and Bakura watched her leave, exchanging a look once the cafe door closed. Bakura turned, heading towards the bathroom and knowing that Marik would follow him. It was only a single, so once they stepped in they locked the door behind them.
"How dark is it?" Marik asked.
"Probably black," Bakura croaked, rubbing at his throat and wincing. "It really hurts."
Marik scrunched his face up, unzipping his coat quick to give easier access to his neck. "I thought it'd been too long."
Bakura felt that same bitterness on his tongue, and he wasn't even sure if the taste of Marik's blood could wash it out. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"
"What?" Marik asked, having the gall to look confused right now.
"About Ryou," Bakura clarified, clenching his teeth together. "About the talk you two had on the plane. About him slowly dying after being in control for a while."
Marik tensed up, frozen with his coat hanging halfway down his arms. He searched Bakura's face for a moment, feeling rather small at how angry Bakura looked, with his nostrils flaring and his jaw tight. He swallowed, mumbling, "I didn't say anything because I… I thought Ryou would just stay in the Ring."
"Ah." Bakura laughed softly, his eyes still alight with fury. "So you just didn't think it was worth telling me."
"Bakura, can we talk about this after—"
"No, Marik!" Bakura yelled, quieting his voice for his next words. "I could understand why you wouldn't tell me about your family right away, or about your past in general. I could understand why you didn't tell me about Bandit Keith, or the other vampire hunters you know, and I could even understand why you were so hesitant to say how you felt about me. But Ryou? Something that directly affects me? Why wouldn't you say anything?"
"Bakura, your voice sounds like it's filled with gravel, will you please just bite me?"
Bakura growled, clenching his fists and starting to shake as he stared Marik down. "Just tell me why."
"I already said why!" Marik hissed, pulling his coat the rest of the way off and throwing it on the ground. "I wasn't thinking, okay? I'm sorry—"
"What else aren't you telling me?"
Marik tensed again, closing his eyes. "Can we please not do this here?"
"I knew there was something. You were acting too weird before that stupid double date."
"I want to tell you!" Marik yelled, pulling at his hair as he kept his eyes shut. "I was planning to tell you tonight, okay? I don't care if you don't believe me right now, but can we please take care of you first?!"
That finally shut Bakura up. Marik didn't dare look at him yet, instead taking a few breaths to calm himself down first. He knew Bakura had a right to be upset, of course he did. It just sucked that he didn't get a chance to prove to Bakura that he was actually trying to communicate more. And it sucked even more that he could feel himself trying to push his shame and discomfort away, and that he had to fight to hold onto them out of fear that the thing inside him would gobble it up.
"Fine." Bakura sounded much more calm, so Marik opened his eyes. Bakura had a neutral expression now, looking completely drained and practically dead on his feet. Marik felt his heart ache, stepping forward just to pull him into a hug. He relaxed when Bakura hugged him back immediately.
"Drink," Marik whispered, stroking Bakura's hair back. "Please." He closed his eyes, needing only wait a few more seconds before he felt teeth on his neck. He sucked in a breath, somehow still managing to feel an undercurrent of euphoria rush across his skin as Bakura drank him. He wished everything could feel as simple as this.
It wasn't even a minute before Bakura stopped, pulling away just enough so they could look at each other. He didn't look like he was going to collapse at any moment now, at least, but it was obvious he was still upset.
"I'm sorry," Marik whispered, cupping Bakura's cheek with his hand. He smiled softly when Bakura closed his eyes, leaning gently into his touch. "Kitty."
Bakura snorted softly. "I'm still mad."
"I know." Marik brushed his thumb across his skin. "Let's go somewhere we can talk."
Bakura didn't want to take the chunnel back home until after they'd talked this out, so Marik figured the next best place to go would be a park bench by the lake at Finsbury Park. They'd walked there in silence, not even holding hands this time. Marik didn't realize how much he'd miss such a simple action.
When they arrived at the park and sat down, they didn't look at each other. Marik had a feeling that he should be the first one to talk, but he had absolutely no idea what to say. How could he even begin to explain everything that was going on? He'd had practically all day to think about it when Ryou had taken over, and he still hadn't reached a decision on how to start this conversation.
"How are you?" Marik started, turning to look at Bakura. When the vampire simply gave him an unimpressed look in return, he continued. "I mean, you've been through a lot today. With Amane, and Ryou, and…" He went quiet as Bakura just continued to stare at him.
Bakura took a breath, honestly enjoying the way Marik jumped, just a little. "I'm not well," he admitted quietly. "This entire day has just reminded me that I shouldn't be here. That I have no right to be going around writing books, or travelling, or dating. I'd successfully avoided thinking about it until now, but I can't ignore it anymore." Bakura looked forward again, admiring the greenery surrounding the lake for a moment. "Until I can get Ryou a new body, he wants to… participate. He wants to talk to us—both of us—and he wants to be able to walk around occasionally."
"Really?" Marik's eyes widened in surprise. He honestly hadn't been expecting that.
"Yes, really." Bakura closed his eyes, giving a short laugh. "And right now, he wants me to tell you that if we still want to be romantic, he's fine with that."
"Really." Marik stared down at the ground, feeling just a bit more warmth in his cheeks.
"Mm. He says…" Bakura trailed off, as if he didn't really want to repeat anything else. "He says that he thinks of this body as mine, now. Since it actively tries to kill him, you see."
Marik grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut tight. "Right. Makes sense."
Bakura hummed again, going quiet and clearly waiting for Marik to continue talking.
"Please give me a moment," Marik pleaded, squeezing his knees so tight that his fingers started hurting. "I want to tell you, it's… it's just hard."
"I'll wait." Bakura crossed his arms, turning to look at him now. Part of him hated seeing how nervous he was, but most of him was still angry and curious as to what, exactly, Marik was having such trouble telling him.
"It's," Marik spoke, stopping immediately. "I found something out recently that, that's terrifying. And I don't know how you'll feel about it."
Bakura creased his eyebrows together. "How recently?"
"While we were in New York." Marik rubbed his hands together, finding they were somehow sweaty even though it was cold out. "In Bandit Keith's layer."
"That doesn't sound good."
Marik exhaled sharply, bowing his head. "It's not. It's, uh…" He pulled one of his bracelets off, staring at it for a moment before holding it in front of Bakura. "I've worn these ever since I was ten years old. My sister gave them to me as a, a good luck charm." He swallowed, hoping he'd stop stuttering. "They were supposed to give me strength. And they did, but I figured it was just a placebo or something, you know? But actually, they were… The last person to wear them was a vampire, and apparently some of his soul managed to latch onto them. So every time I was tapping into the 'strength,' I was really tapping into that bit of his soul. And after awhile I…" Marik's voice cut out. This was the difficult part. He swallowed again and shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "You know my life was terrible growing up. I started shoving every negative emotion I ever felt deep, deep inside, because I didn't want to deal with it. But, apparently, by doing that I just ended up giving them all to those soul fragments. And they absorbed them all, like some negativity sponge or something, and eventually, some… entity was born."
"Entity?" Bakura creased his eyebrows together. "What does that mean?"
"I don't know how to explain it." Marik slipped his bracelet back on, clenching his hand tightly over it. "Because he wouldn't have, have appeared if I didn't shove all of my anger into him. He was just soul fragments until my emotions made him into more. I don't think he's a person, though? He doesn't feel like a person. He feels like a demon." Marik laughed shortly, running his hands through his hair and curling up even more. "But he's me. Or my emotions, anyway. And he… he wants to kill you."
Bakura couldn't help it. He snorted, covering his mouth before he began to shake with silent laughter. Which quickly became audible laughter when Marik lifted his head to stare at him like he was crazy.
"You're laughing?"
"Sorry." Bakura waved his hand, still shaking as laughs occasionally burst out of him. "It's just… why does everyone want me dead?"
Marik stared at him, needing to bite his lip before he began laughing, too. It didn't work. "That's a good question." He couldn't stop his smile, rather enjoying the sound of Bakura's laughter. "You're just Mr. Popular, aren't you?"
"I really am!" Bakura laid back in the bench, throwing his head back as he continued to laugh. "You're with a wanted man."
"Shut up." Marik shook his head, bumping his foot against Bakura's before joining him in laughing. "God, I tell you that there's some hateful creature inside of me that wants to kill you and you're laughing?"
"I know, I know." Bakura shook his head, finally calming himself down a bit. "And I believe you, but I'm having a hard time imagining it."
"Well, it's scary when he takes control." Marik clasped his hands together again, catching Bakura's eyes. "If I get too angry, that's when he's able to come out. And every time he does, he tries to kill you."
"Why exactly does he want me dead?" Bakura had to ask. "Does he just want you to be alone again?"
"Kind of?" Marik smiled a little, whispering, "You take away my anger. You make me happy. So, he wants to get rid of you."
"Oh." Bakura grinned, placing a hand on Marik's shoulder. "You're going to make me blush."
"Shut up!" Marik laughed again, shoving his hand off. "Can you take this seriously?"
"I am," Bakura insisted. They stared into each other's eyes for less than a second before laughing again. "I am," he repeated, taking Marik's hand in his. "So… what do we do about it?"
"I don't know." Marik shook his head, brushing his thumb across the back of Bakura's hand. It was amazing how warm it felt just from the sun. "I don't know how to get rid of it. He says he's strong enough to stay in my mind even if I wasn't wearing the jewelry anymore."
"Well, how can we believe that?" Bakura asked. "Maybe he's just saying that so you won't bother taking it off."
"Well." Marik clenched his teeth, looking up at Bakura with a frown. "I don't want to do that."
"Why not?"
"Because we have no idea what we're facing next. What if I need some extra strength?"
"Think about what you just said." Bakura turned on the bench so he could fully face Marik, using his free hand to point at him. "We don't know what we're going to face next. What if it makes you angry? The most angry you've ever felt? Then that thing will take control."
Marik had nothing to say to that. He opened his mouth three separate times to say something before closing it again.
"Look." Bakura grabbed his other hand, squeezing both of them as they stared into each other's eyes. "Whatever we'll face next, we'll handle it together, no matter what. We've made it this far, and according to Shadi I should have died a long time ago. So I think we're doing pretty well."
Marik chuckled a little, shaking his head as he stared at their hands. "So you think I should get rid of the jewelry."
"I do, yes."
"I'm going to look really weird without it."
"We can get you new pieces."
"Aw, how sweet." Marik lifted his head, grinning at his boyfriend before they both laughed again. They stared into each other's eyes, just enjoying each other's company. Marik definitely hadn't pictured this conversation going so well. Maybe Bakura was just relieved that he was talking to him? God, what did that say about Marik if this was enough to make Bakura happy.
"There's something else," Marik whispered, closing his eyes. "The third reason I decided to leave my home to search for the Items."
"Oh?" Bakura's eyes widened with interest. He knew these were serious topics, but he couldn't help but feel pleased that Marik really was trying to talk with him more.
"I was supposed to get married."
"..." Bakura was no longer pleased.
"It was more like a business arrangement," Marik continued. "There's other vampire hunting factions and families, you know? I was supposed to marry the daughter of a rival clan to join them together."
"Of course." Bakura sighed, letting his head fall back so he could look at the sky. "That makes sense."
"I mean, obviously it meant nothing to me," Marik added, tightening his grip on Bakura's hands almost desperately. "I just figured it was time to tell you. Get all the secrets out, you know?"
"I appreciate it." Bakura took a breath, lowering his face so he could frown properly at him. "Did you ever even meet her?"
"Once. When I was a kid, and didn't know our parents were setting up a marriage." Marik shivered at the memory. Those dark, cold eyes, and that monotone voice talking so easily of decapitation and stabbing a vampire right through the heart. "Even back then she was ruthless. So ready to follow in her dad's footsteps; the rest of her clan already respected and listened to her."
"She sounds terrible for you."
Marik smiled a little, letting himself fall forward until his head was resting on Bakura's shoulder. "Tell me about it. You're much better."
Bakura wrapped his arm around Marik's back, holding him close and idly brushing his fingers back and forth against his coat. "So that's why your father is so dead set on getting you back."
"I mean, he'd probably do that anyway. Me being the oldest blood son, and all."
"Right." Bakura sighed, closing his eyes and resting his cheek against Marik's head.
They stayed silent then, enjoying the peace and comfort that the other's presence brought them. They still had worries, and challenges, and probably much more intense conversations down the line. But right now they had each other, and sometimes it was good to focus on what they already had.
"Ah, boys!" Pegasus waved to Bakura and Marik from the couch, an old, black-and-white movie playing on the television. "How was London?"
"It started raining." Bakura felt like he didn't need to say that, since he and Marik were still soaked despite the 35 minute chunnel ride that had given them time to dry off, but Pegasus had asked. "Thankfully we got everything done, I think."
"Oh, good." Pegasus settled back into the couch. "Do you want to watch with me?"
"I think I'm gonna take a hot shower and then get some sleep." Marik was already shucking his coat off, walking in front of the TV as he did.
"Wait a second!" Pegasus sat straight up, staring at Marik in surprise. "What happened to all of your gold? Were you robbed?!"
Marik laughed a little, folding his coat over his arm as Bakura came over to join him. He stared at his arms, which were already starting to feel much too light and weak without the gold bands on them. "No, um… I just thought it was time to get rid of them."
"We'll find some new jewelry tomorrow," Bakura added, gently pushing Marik towards the backdoor. "It's late, Pegasus."
Pegasus raised a brow, a grin slowly stretching from ear to ear on his face. "Ah, all right. I understand young love—have fun."
Both young adults were far too tired to even react to his implications. Though they still felt some heat rush to their cheeks.
"Oh, before I forget." Pegasus settled back on the couch, continuing lazily, "Another letter came for you from that Shadi fellow. I put it on your bed."
Marik and Bakura tensed up, sharing a look between each other. "When did the letter come?" Marik had to ask.
"Oh, just an hour ago."
Marik reached for Bakura's hand, squeezing it tightly before dragging him out the backdoor and towards their tent. Of course Shadi was going to contact them again. They still had that second test, and apparently they weren't going to get any rest beforehand.
They burst into the tent together, Marik hardly even noticing the dark, red color of the envelope before tearing it open. Inside was a note, just like last time, but right beside it were two plane tickets.
"South Korea?" Bakura took them out, creasing his brows. "I guess that's where we're headed next."
"What?" Marik grabbed his hand, pulling them closer to his face so he could read the tickets. "No, no… what?" He swallowed, genuinely looking a few shades paler as he began to read the note that came with them.
Good evening Marik, Bakura, and Ryou.
I must say, you all continue to surprise me. But, at least this time, things turned out somewhat favorably for me. What a blessing that Ryou's going to stick around for a bit longer, and that you two were able to talk things out. You continue to be an annoyingly strong couple.
You passed the first test, so congratulations on that. This second one won't be quite as easy. In two days, you'll board a plane to South Korea. It's time for you both to meet someone from Marik's past, wouldn't you agree? I'm sure he knows who I'm talking about. She'll have something for you.
If you both can survive this encounter, I'll accept my defeat and give you the remaining Items in Egypt.
See you soon.
Shadi.
"No," Marik whispered, slowly sitting on the bed. He was gripping the paper so tightly that Bakura thought it might rip, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, highlighting the look of panic held in his wide eyes. "It had to be there. Of course it had to be there."
"Marik." Bakura gently took the note out of his grasp, placing his hands on either side of Marik's face to force him to look into his eyes. "Who's in South Korea?"
Marik cringed, his eyes closing as he whispered. "A rival vampire clan. The faction in Egypt has never gotten along with the South Korean clan; me and my family aren't even supposed to set foot there."
Bakura had a sinking feeling in his gut. "So… we're meeting a rival clan."
"Yes." Marik opened his eyes, nothing but fear and apprehension swirling in those purple irises. "We're going to meet Bong-Cha. The girl I was supposed to marry."
Author's Note: Hello all. Whether you've been reading this (insanely long) tale from the beginning, the middle, or somehow managed to find it just as this chapter was posted, thank you. Thank you for your time, attention, emotions, and any reviews you might have given over the years. It is greatly appreciated, and I am genuine when I say that this story wouldn't still be going if it wasn't for everyone that's messaged me about it (some of you even this past year, which is wild to me. It's wild that so much time has passed and people still think about this thiefshipping vampire story).
I'm so sorry for the 5-year hiatus, but looking at the timeline it makes sense to me. Because in those five years I've earned an Associate's, a Bachelor's, and now I'm currently in a graduate program to become a Physical Therapist. I've also still been writing for other fandoms, and I've written some things I'm very proud of. So, I've been keeping busy!
It is crazy to me that I started this story in 2010. A full decade has passed and I'm still working on it. I started this in 8th grade, and now here I am a graduate student, and I'm finally returning to it. I bring this up because, as I'm sure you all have noticed, my writing style has changed and greatly improved over the years. To the point where I am sincerely dumbfounded when I go back and read reviews on the earlier chapters and wonder how this could have been someone's favorite fanfiction when my writing style was… juvenile? That's a nice word for it. Still, part of me kind of likes how this story, in particular, shows a progression of my writing abilities that coincides with the plot becoming more serious and intricate. That being said, when it's finally finished, my hope is to rewrite/revamp it and post it on my AO3 account (also Annzy Bananzy, if anyone's interested).
So, again, thank you. For your kind words, for your patience, and for your continued support in this journey of thiefshipping vampirism brought to you by a decade of exploratory writing. I can't promise when the next chapter will be out, but it will happen.
If you want to talk to me more directly, or ask me questions about this story or any others, please do so at my writing tumblr (annzybwrites) as I've been trying to get that one off the ground.
And, once more, thank you all. I hope that you're all staying healthy and safe.
~~~[ANONYMOUS REVIEW REPLIES]~~~
Guest: (I got a few "Guest" reviews, so I'm going to assume it was all the same person since they only reviewed chapters 1, 2, 4, & 6).
Thank you so much! I'm glad you've had some fun with this story, since that is one of the best words to give those early chapters XD They were definitely OOC sometimes, but *shrugs* It worked XD
Also, I think Ryou Fujibayashi is from an anime called Clannad? Ryou's last name is definitely Bakura. There's no way I used to be so deep into this fandom and have gotten Ryou's last name wrong over and over again.
KeiraBakura: Hey there! Thank you so much for your compliments. I know you wrote this review in 2016, but the fact that people are still saying that this is one of the best fanfictions they've ever read is so very, very flattering and always puts a huge smile on my face. I've put both Marik and Bakura through so much character development over the course of this story, and I'm glad it shows and that people enjoy them.
As for if I'm currently re-writing A Vampire Story, haha… no. I don't remember when I re-wrote the first two chapters, but that's as far as I got before thinking "I should really just finish the story and then re-write it." And, here we are now!
Thank you again 3
Cagito: Thank you! I really do love the last chapter, since it's their long-awaited date. I hope you enjoyed this one too!
Khepri Moto: You only reviewed the first chapter (back in 2016), so I'm unsure if you even made it this far, but if you did: hi! Thank you for reading and I hope you've enjoyed it! Haha, Bakura's probably not going to remember his Egyptian name. He's been in the Ring an awfully long time, and he rather likes his new name since that's what Marik's been calling him for almost a year now.
But as for how Akiefa would look as a vampire, I imagine the same? Slightly paler due to decreased blood flow, possibly a bit skinner due to a decreased need for other nutrients, and a reddish tint to the eyes along with the teardrop mark that is unique to my vampires, but other than that: the same!
Goddes Rin: Thank you so much! I do love these characters. It was a bit weird to get back into the groove, especially with Ryou, but writing the romance between Marik and Bakura is something that's always come easy.
Fenikushi: You also only reviewed the first chapter, so I don't know if you've made it this far, but I did get a kick out of reading your review XD Ryou isn't dead! His body is just different now. Haha, I'm glad the first chapter was enough to get you to love me though XD
Melodyzzworld: Hello! Good lord, the fact that someone has reviewed this story in this awful year of 2020 is remarkable. Thank you for taking the time, and I hope that you're doing a little better even with the world still being the way it is.
Thank you for taking the time to read this! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I love how Pegasus is your favorite character since he's really not in a lot of chapters XD But I do have fun writing him, and evidently it shows! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well ^-^