I was waiting until I had a certain amount of views before uploading the next chapter. Thanks or not giving up on me, guys. Enjoy.

-Mystie

Chapter 13:

"Yami, please, answer the door."

Yami forced himself to stay where he was, seated against the locked door Yugi hysterically called from the opposite side. To an outsider, he probably seemed unfeeling and indifferent, his expression the very definition of a poker face; however, on the inside, his dead heart seemed to be doing flips against his ribcage as he desperately fought his body's natural instinct to want to yank the door open and crush his little one in a warm embrace. It had been a few days now since the incident, and Yami had so far been successful in keeping away from Yugi despite the suffering that doing so unleashed upon his own mind and sanity. He had severely underestimated just how much he psychologically and emotionally depended on Yugi. To keep him sane and rational and lucid. And...human. Without him, Yami felt unsettled and wrong and more Immortal. He didn't care for the feeling. Yugi helped him forget what exactly he was. Now he had nothing but the emptiness in his mind to remind him that he was a monster. Of course Yugi wanted Joey. He could give him normality and routine and a regular relationship.

The knocks on the door became frantic and urgent, slightly shaking Yami's form as he slouched even more against it, his eyes clenched tight. He wondered just how Yugi had gotten in the building to begin with but knew with Yugi's intelligence and craftiness, there really wasn't much the boy couldn't do if he put his mind to it. The question remained, though: if Yugi really did want Joey-and he did, Yami had seen it and heard it with his own eyes and ears-then why was he here? Why did he insist on causing Yami more pain just by hearing his voice? Why did he torture him? Even now, Yami could smell his sweet scent through the thick door. The sorrow in the younger teen's voice almost did it for Yami; he couldn't take hearing such anguish in his voice. But suddenly, the knocks and calls ceased, and Yami thought maybe he had finally given in...

"Just talk to me!"

The fury in Yugi's command startled Yami to the point where he jumped, and Yami would have sworn that it was someone other than Yugi delivering such blows to the surface of that door if he had sensed anyone with him. Yugi struck the door again and again and again with more force and anger than Yami could even imagine coming from such the meek pacifist. If he kept it up much longer, he was sure security would be alerted. Yami just didn't understand the meaning behind it all. Just why did Yugi come?

The knocks ceased, and Yami had had enough. He had to know, had to talk to him. Had to see him. He stood and yanked the door open, his skin feeling like pins and needles. As the door creaked open, his heart suddenly fell. Yugi was already gone, faint traces of his blood on the surface of the door. Yami swallowed, closing the door sadly behind him.

The presence had been awfully quiet the past few days.

Well, maybe not quiet. Just. Dormant. Yeah, that was a good word for it.

Up until what had happened at the game shop, Joey had been silently questioning its ulterior motive in trying to use his body to-ahem, seduce that Yugi kid. There was some connection he was missing. Now he knew the connection: Yugi's boyfriend, Yami.

"What in the holy FUCK was that, man?!" Joey yelled to, well, himself as he was suddenly thrown back into his body immediately after being forced to basically assault Yugi in his own home. This was the first time the presence had allowed him to "witness" what was going on while he was being possessed. It was like watching yourself in a dream, knowing that you were dreaming but not being able to wake yourself up. Only this was real. Very, very real. He half-ran as far away from the game shop as quickly as his legs could carry him while his brain was in overdrive. He just knew that Yami was probably following him, akin on skinning him alive and using his hide as a warm sheet for his bed, but when he stopped to catch his breath in an alley, there was no one but the people rushing off to work and school. He bent down, hands on his knees as breaths came out raggedly, feeling amusement that he knew did not belong to him.

"Are you fucking insane?" he asked in a loud whisper, hearing the presence laugh so loudly in his head that he would have sworn that he was right next to him. "No, scratch dat, I know you're insane."

He half-expected to be slammed into the brick wall for the insult, but it seemed that he was much too entertained with the stunt he had pulled to even care. Besides, it was like a gazelle trying to insult a lion. "Did you see the look on that his ace? How I've waited years to see such an expression, to kick him off his high horse, the weak fool!" Again, his ears were filled with an eerie laughter that Joey knew he would never unhear.

"Well how great for you!" he shouted. "But in case you couldn't tell, I'm a straight guy! You know, like chicks? As in not that Yugi kid! Is that why you're here, man? To fulfill some gay fantasy of yours? Because, lemme just say right now, I am not guy for da job!"

He was suddenly met with silence, and he flinched, wondering if he had gone too far and was going to be punished, but then the unlikely happened. There was something similar to a snap in his mind, as if someone had pulled some sort of plug from a mental outlet, and he suddenly was no longer alone. Before him stood a semi-translucent man with tanned skin and strikingly white-blonde hair. His eyes, Joey immediately decided, were much creepier than Yugi's boyfriend's. Pale plum with a red ring around them, glowing with gratification. His arms were crossed against his rigid chest and he stood with such confidence that Joey wondered just who the spirit was. Joey looked around, curious if anyone had seen this guy basically materialize out of thin air.

"No one can see me but you, simpleton." Already with the name-calling. Joey narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"Well ain't dat fabulous. Now people will see me talking to myself, as if I don't look crazy enough already," he huffed. "Why are you gracing me with your ghost presence now? I figured a peasant like me wouldn't be worthy enough to see the real you." He kept up his haughty facade, but inwardly he felt more relief than he ever thought possible. He wasn't crazy. This thing was real.

"Oh, you certainly aren't worthy, human," it said, "but I'm in a decent mood."

"Again, with the insults, dude."

"Marik," it snapped icily, purple eyes flashing briefly to black and back, "you will call me Marik."

"F-fine, Marik, then. Why did you do that? That Yami kid is going to use me as target practice whenever he sees me again!"

"You needn't worry about my nephew. He is broken." Joey couldn't hide the surprise on his face if he had tried. Nephew, huh? This was all about Yami then. Yugi just seemed to be caught in the , so did that make Yami...not human? Joey was starting to get a headache.

"L-look, man, I don't know why you're torturing those two, and I don't wanna know, alright? Can't you just use somebody else's body to do all this?"

Marik watched him with a slight smirk on his face silently, assessing him it seemed. Finally he uncrossed his arms and lifted his head as if he was a judge issuing out a sentence.

"Let's make a deal, Joseph."

"A deal? W-what kind of deal?"

Marik's smirk deepened. "I will stop taking over your body and forcing you to sleep while I carry out my 'business' if you agree to help me achieve my ultimate goal."

"And what might dat goal be?"

"Are you sure you want to know that? Are you really, really sure?"

"Okay, now I'm not sure," Joey groaned. "Look, I can't get behind this. You messin' with that Yugi kid's head, puttin him in some kind of weird trance. I dunno what Yami did to ya', but Yugi seems innocent in all dis..."

Marik frowned slightly. "Hm, well, if you can get close to him for me..."

"Ohhhhhh no, no more gay scenes for me, pal."

"Within the realm of friendship then. Make him trust you. After that, I will do what I need to do, and you will be rid of me forever. I will be on my way."

"'Do what you need to do'? What's dat mean? No more hurting people, Marik. You murdered my best friend, for Christ's sake!"

"An honest mistake."

"Whatever you have to tell yourself to fall asleep at night."

Marik laughed and Joey felt sick. "You have my word. No more death. If, and only if, you take my deal."

Joey paced from left to right. "No more hurting people, and after I get you close to Yugi, you'll leave? Just like dat?"

"Just like that."

"And why should I trust you?"

Marik shook his head, closing his eyes and disappearing as suddenly as he appeared.

"You haven't much of a choice, now do you?"

And Joey didn't. It was really his only option at this point.

All the same, he had skipped school the next few days. How strange it was that someone like him was hiding from someone like Yugi. He had agreed to Marik's terms, but he wasn't quite ready to face them yet. Although he had been silent the past few days except for the occasional insult hurled his way here and there, Joey could feel Marik's growing impatience.

Then, as if on cue, he suddenly saw a spray of blonde and black among the crowded sidewalk as he was walking home after grabbing a bite to eat at the pizza place near his place. Marik was instantly on the alert. Go on! He's moving fast! Joey hesitated. Was he really gonna take advantage of this kid? The sooner you do what I ask, the sooner your body belongs to you again. That did it. He jogged through the crowd and called out to Yugi. He needed his body and mind to be his again.

Whatever he had to do, he would do it.

I can has reviews?