Author's Note: As a special Thanksgiving gift to you my readers, here's the chapter now before I go to work instead of afterwards. Which is a miracle because I cannot do mornings to save my life! Happy Thanksgiving!

Just as a heads-up – I know the Ishtar father doesn't have a name. I chose Aknadin because let's be honest – he looks like him and he's an asshole. I'm not creative enough to make up my own names.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Rated M. You know the drill.

Thank you so much for reading. I cannot express my thanks enough. If you like what you read, please fav or follow or leave a review – any and all feedback is welcomed!

Bon appetit!

The following days were awkward and uncomfortable for Bakura and his brother. Bakura knew to keep a low profile and not push his luck. Odion hadn't found his knife, so there was a possibility of linking Bakura to the crime scene. He was worried that the police had found it, but after a week, the knife was nowhere to be found. The police hadn't come after him – it looked like the knife just disappeared. Bakura had been quite upset about that. Marik called him a psychopath yet again for having a favorite knife. It didn't help his case when he mentioned that he had a knife collection.

He decided to keep away for the time being until the situation calmed down. He stayed mostly at home and would occasionally go over to see Marik. He knew he should start researching. Throwing himself back into his work would get his mind off the conflicting thoughts. Fuck. Things were supposed to go smoothly now that I'm one Item away from finishing the case. Bakura had no earthly clue as to how to fix his problem with Ryou. He wasn't sure what he could do. A week later thinking about it and he was no closer to finding a solution.

To make matters worse, his time with Marik only reminded him of his own confusing and baffling feelings towards his odd work partner. Bakura wasn't at his mobile or agile state. He was healing, but slowly. Every time he went over to Marik's, the teen was peppering him with questions, asking when they were going to start researching on the Puzzle. And Bakura would brush it off, telling him later.

He wasn't sure why he was delaying studying the last Millennium Item. If anything, it made sense to start as soon as possible. He would be delaying the inevitable. It would be to their advantage to get a head start and figure out something on this Puzzle. It was the biggest enigma in this collection and the sooner they started finding out more about the Item, the better position they will be later once they locate it.

And yet Bakura didn't feel like it. He made an excuse saying that the police would try to track them by the web searches so it was best to not do anything yet. So what if it was a lie? He didn't want to work yet. Instead, he would just hang around Marik, not really discussing anything of importance. Why did he keep doing this? He didn't feel like doing anything in general.

"God, I'm in slump," Bakura grumbled as he lay across Marik's couch. That must be why Bakura felt so unmotivated. They had just played another weird game that Odion picked up, some kind of dice game that Bakura wasn't a big fan of. Marik completely thrashed him before Bakura finally gave up, now resting on the couch as he stared up at the ceiling. Marik had been confused to see Bakura hanging out more and more at his apartment and not for researching purposes. Bakura couldn't tell him the real reason was because he was trying to avoid Ryou for the time being. It was a poor strategy but the only one he could think of at the moment.

"So do you want to play another game, Fluffy? If not, I could open my laptop and we could start researching. It's been over a week now since we've done any real work." Bakura groaned as he rested his arm over his eyes. "No." Marik sighed as he finished putting the dice away and stood up. "Need to wait a bit a longer?" Bakura just snorted, an empty smile growing on his face as if to try and reassure his companion. "No. I just don't feel like it."

Bakura could hear Marik make an annoyed sound before he walked out of the room, his footsteps growing softer. Bakura slipped his arm down and placed it behind his head, staring blankly at the ceiling. We're so damn close to getting this case done. But is it going to be worth all this effort in the end? Damn it, Ryou. Things were going pretty smoothly before you had to go and fuck up everything I've planned. What the hell am I supposed to do?

"Bakura?" The albino blinked and flicked his eyes over to the Egyptian standing over him. Marik had a concerned yet slightly amused look on his face. "What's wrong?" Bakura rolled his eyes as he moved to sit up, his side now healing and only giving a dull throb as he moved. He couldn't really tell Marik of his troubles back at home. That would be admitting to the family that he's convinced Marik doesn't exist. The thought of Ryou made his stomach turn again, a constant worry in Bakura's life in recent times.

"I just haven't been feeling my best. I'd rather take it slow for a bit. We'll get to the Puzzle soon. Just not yet." Bakura admitted, figuring it was the best he could offer at the moment. It was strange how at ease Bakura was at lying to the people closest in his life. It was also strange how Marik now qualified as one of the closest people in his life. Bakura decided he should go with the word 'friend' to describe Marik. He was more than a work acquaintance at this point.

Bakura had settled on the word "friend" because it's what made the most sense. He hung out with him for no other reason than to not be bored. They played games. They committed crimes. That's what friends did, right? Marik would find ingredients to make smoothies and Bakura would shrug and join him. Bakura would tease Marik while Marik would make some stupid remark back. Bakura would nap on Marik's couch as Marik painted, sometimes peeking an eye open to watch Marik as he concentrated, his cheek smudged with black ink…

That's what friends did, right?

Bakura groaned, annoyed at the headache he was now giving himself. Life is too fucking complicated. He rolled his head back to stare at the ceiling. Not doing anything seemed like a better alternative than doing something and screwing things up more. Pretending that his feelings towards Marik ended at the word "friend" than admitting an uncomfortable truth seemed more appealing. At this point, Bakura felt aimless. He knew that pursuing the Puzzle would get him what he wanted. Or would it? He wasn't sure. What was the point of doing anything if he didn't know how to get what he wanted? Or for that matter, what did he want?

Marik sitting down next to him on the couch brought Bakura's thoughts back to the present. "Well, if there's anything I can, just let me know. You worry me sometimes, you know that?" Marik told him as he sat down with his sketchbook. He flipped to an open page and started to lightly press the pencil to the page. Bakura nodded, knowing his strange behavior was probably a constant point of worry and amusement for Marik. The two sat in silence as Marik continued to sketch and Bakura was left alone in his thoughts. It took several weeks, but Bakura managed to train Marik not always fill the space between them with noise.

Bakura leaned over to glance at Marik's sketch. "What are you drawing?" Marik didn't look up from his paper. "You." Bakura snapped his head up at that comment. "What?" Marik sniggered softly, but kept his attention on the thin lines his pencil traced. "You heard me." There was a faint smile on his face as he studied the paper. Marik's eyes flicked up to Bakura's gaping face for a moment before returning his attention back to his pen and paper. Bakura finally found his words again, huffing a breath of air to blow the bangs out of his face as he leaned back into the couch.

"You're so weird. Why would you want to do that?" Bakura only hoped he wasn't blushing. Last thing he needed was for Marik to start drawing him like a blushing schoolgirl. Marik finally lifted his head up to give Bakura a patronizing look that would give Ryou a run for his money. "Fluffy, I'll only get better if I practice. Besides-" Marik turned to erase some of the lighter lines. "You have an interesting look." Marik smirked with his last comment, his eyes occasionally flicking up to Bakura before returning to their spot.

If Bakura thought he hadn't been blushing before, he definitely was now. "What the hell does that even mean?" Marik snickered, the smile growing on his face. "Well, it's not every day you see an albino. Believe it or not, white hair a quite rare back in Egypt." Bakura rolled his eyes, snorting. If Marik thought his hair was weird, he had yet to meet some of the weirdest in Domino City. This town seemed to be full of eccentric hairdos. "Well, I hate to break it to you, but I don't think you're in Kansas in anymore."

Marik looked up from his paper to stare at Bakura, a blank look in his eyes. Bakura stared back for a moment before sighing. Of course. "You know, because you're far from home. Your environment and the people are going to be really different than what you're used to." Marik just raised an eyebrow dryly, a weird look on his face. "Okay. So what does Kansas have to do with that?" Bakura rolled his eyes as he leaned back his head, staring at the ceiling. "It's a quote from a movie, idiot."

"Never heard of it."

"You'd recognize it the title if you heard it."

"Probably not. You have weird taste in stuff."

"The fuck are you talking about? The movie's a classic. One of the greatest ever made."

"Sure it is, Fluffy."

"What? You haven't heard of The Wizard of Oz before?"

"Nope."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me. How have you not seen The Wizard of Oz? Everyone and their grandma has seen that damn movie. Have you been living under a rock your whole life?"

"Close to it." Marik smiled wryly, but it appeared more like a grimace than a smile. Bakura rolled his head to the side to study Marik. How the hell has this kid not seen that movie? A thought crossed Bakura's mind. "Marik, how many movies have you seen?" Marik leaned back into the couch, staring at the wall ahead as he thought. "Hmmm… I don't know. One, maybe two? I never really watched movies growing up. We didn't have a TV." Bakura groaned as he turned his head back to stare at the ceiling. "What, did Odion not let you watch movies too?" Marik's elder brother was far too protective for his own good.

Marik shook his head, his eyes furrowing slightly. "No. My father wouldn't let us watch TV." Marik stared at his paper, but Bakura could tell by the hazy look that Marik's focus was not on his sketch. Bakura watched for another moment before sighing loudly. "Well, I know what we're doing this afternoon." He clamped a hand down on Marik's shoulder, planning on using it to help him stand up. He hadn't anticipated Marik jumping out of his skin and scooting a foot away on the couch.

Bakura flicked his eyes over, confused. Marik's face was red, his hands tightly clenching the sketchpad. His body curled in as Marik cautiously met Bakura's eyes. "Uh… sorry. What did you want to do?" Marik tried to sound light in his question, but Bakura could tell by his tense posture that Marik was anything but. Immediately, the defensive stance Marik took reminded Bakura of the other time Marik reacted this way. Back on one of their first outings, Marik had shoved Bakura away for touching him and Bakura had been just as bewildered then as he was now.

So it wasn't a fluke before. What the hell is that all about? For as much as he hung out with Marik, he never figured out what that reaction had been about before. Bakura knew better to think Marik had an aversion to being touched. Bakura need only think about that awkward moment when Marik willing brushed his hand through Bakura's hair. Marik had been the one to break the touch barrier when they first met and it was clear that Marik didn't mind Bakura touching. But for some reason, Marik would freak whenever Bakura touched around his shoulder.

Well, technically shoulder and back. The last time Marik reacted that way was when Bakura decided to herd Marik along away from the game shop by pushing on his back. This time, Bakura had placed his hand on Marik's shoulder. So was it just that part of the body that Marik didn't want to be touched? That seemed oddly specific. I wonder what that's all about? Bakura thought about asking, but one look at Marik's tense and scared face told him that would be a bad idea. Marik probably wanted to move past this incident. If he wasn't ready to talk about it, then Bakura wouldn't push.

Bakura stood up and walked over to his backpack. He pulled out his laptop and cord as he walked back to the couch. Marik was starting to loosen up and slowly uncurled himself. "What are you doing? Are we researching now?" Marik put down the sketchpad next to him and watched as Bakura sat down. The albino opened up his laptop, snorting at the question. "Hell no. We're committing the biggest crime in society." Marik just raised an eyebrow. "And that crime would be?"

"Downloading a movie illegally from the internet." Bakura smirked as he got the film set-up. Bakura glanced over at Marik as he watched in confusion at the opening credit scenes. As the title came up, Marik started laughing. "Seriously? You're making me watch The Wizard of Oz?" Bakura hushed Marik, leaning back into the couch as he got settled. "Shut up. The movie's starting." Marik rolled his eyes but stayed quiet per Bakura's request.

Bakura wasn't entirely sure why or how he ended up sitting on a couch next to Marik watching a movie. He remembered it being one of his favorites as a kid. He hadn't seen it in a few years so he forgot a lot of the stuff. But Bakura couldn't focus on the film. He just couldn't believe Marik had never seen any movies before. What kind of parent doesn't let their kids watch TV? Did Marik come from some sort of fundie-nut house? Bakura really didn't know much about Marik before meeting him here. He never pushed, mostly out of concern that Marik would feel welcome to question Bakura in return.

Initially, Bakura didn't particularly care to get to know his Egyptian companion. Funny how things change though. Bakura knew he shouldn't pry, but he wanted to piece together the mystery that was Marik Ishtar. He knew that his elder brother was protective. Ishizu had mentioned that Odion became Marik's guardian after their father died. How long ago was that? Marik clearly remembers their father and Odion didn't appear to be much older than Bakura. Marik told Bakura that his mother died in childbirth. Marik has only mentioned his sister once before. Bakura figured he wasn't close to Ishizu, which would make sense. Ishizu had been out of his life for quite a few years from what she had told him.

The Ishtar clan is turning out to be a real basket case. Bakura wondered if he could ask Marik more about his home life without arousing suspicion or putting the teen in an awkward position. Bakura bit his lip, internally debating what to say. "Fluffy?" Bakura nearly jumped at the question, trying to stay relaxed. "What is it, Marik?" He glanced over to see Marik's eyes glued to the screen. "Have you ever seen a tornado in real life?" Bakura blinked before he turned to the screen to see the house flying up into the air. Right. Movie. Duh.

"I have not. Frankly, I hope I never do. Closest I've ever gotten was that typhoon several years back that brushed up against the coast of Japan." Marik nodded his head. "Fair enough. I don't think I'd ever want to be close enough to ever see a tornado. They seem cool though." Bakura chuckled, watching as the tornado faded away and their protagonist found herself in the land of Oz. "I suppose they are. I'd just rather not deal with that hazard. I'll stick with my earthquakes over here, thank you."

Marik raised his head thoughtfully at that comment. "I haven't experienced an earthquake yet. You don't get many of those in Egypt." Bakura raised an eyebrow. Perhaps he could use this conversation to learn a little about Marik's past. "What? Did you get lots of sandstorms?" Marik rolled his eyes, though a small smile grew on his face. "You know, Egypt is not all desert."

"You still didn't answer my question."

"There's the Nile, which is really lush and green. Cairo is a huge city and a lot more modern than people realize."

"So is that a yes?"

"… Fuck you. Yeah, I saw quite a few dust storms."

Bakura smiled. "What were those like?"

"I don't know. Dusty?"

"You're a poet with words."

"Shut up, Bakura." Marik rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the munchkins. Bakura sniggered, amused at his success in pestering Marik. He turned his head back to the screen, though the conversation wasn't quite yet over. Bakura listened as Marik spoke softly. "When I was a little, we lived in an old town way out of the ways from everything. Nobody ever visited so it was mostly just my family and a few others. Whenever we got dust storms, I was afraid we would get buried alive from all the sand. So I would go hide during storms."

Bakura took a chance to glance over at Marik's face. To his surprise, Marik had a small smile on his face. "Every time I hid though, Odion would come find me. He'd sit with me through the storm and tell me stories about mom to help me forget about the storm outside." Marik tilted his head, half watching the film, but also caught up in an old memory. Bakura liked the soft, happy look at Marik's face. "You have a good older brother." Bakura was a little surprised when those words exited his mouth. He had been thinking it – he hadn't meant to say it out loud.

Marik turned his head, almost as if surprised that Bakura had been listening. The surprise melted back into his relaxed smile. "Yeah. Odion has always been there for me to comfort and protect me. He's been there for me through so much… I don't know what I would do without him." Marik's eyes furrowed for a moment because he shook his head. He smiled at Bakura before turning back to watch the film, now humming along to the tune being sung.

Bakura pursed his lips and nodded for a moment, before turning back to the screen. "Odion's okay with you becoming a criminal?" Bakura wasn't sure why he chose that path, but it did seem odd how Odion was so protective and yet allowed Marik to get involved in illegal activities. Marik sighed, but kept his eyes on the movie. "Not really. But he still lets me. I'm going to meet Yami and nothing's going to change that. I guess Odion figures if he can't stop me, he'll go along for the ride to try and keep me safe."

Marik tilted his head, his focus more on the conversation than the movie at hand. "I don't want Odion to get hurt because of me, though. He always seems to go out of his way for others. He's too kind for his own good." Bakura didn't turn his head, but flicked his eyes over in Marik's direction. The albino had not bothered to get to know Odion. It seemed a little weird trying to get to know Marik's elder brother. He always acted distant and detached from everyone.

"I'll take your word on it. He's always been polite to me." Marik chuckled softly, knowing that Bakura wasn't as familiar with his bald older brother. "Odion is very polite and reserved. He's always been like that, even around me. I think it comes from how my father was always cold towards him." Bakura raised his eyebrow. Now he was getting into unfamiliar territory. Could he go a little further?

"Why was your old man like that?" Marik's eyebrows creased together as he moved his legs onto the couch. He folded them up and wrapped his arms around his knees. "I'm not really sure why he was like that. I'm guessing he acted like that with Odion because he wasn't his son." Bakura lifted his head, confusion crossing his face. Wait. I thought Odion was Marik's older brother. He swiveled his head towards Marik. "What?"

Marik turned his head, raising an eyebrow at the puzzled look on Bakura's face. "Yeah. Odion's adopted. I thought you knew that." Bakura blinked. He opened his mouth for a moment before closing it, nodding his head. "Well, I do now. I never pieced that one together." Marik shrugged before turning back to the computer. "Well, I guess I never mentioned it. Our mom took Odion in when he was a baby, so as far as I'm concerned, he's always been family. He's the closest family I have."

Bakura turned to ask Marik more about his family when he heard a knock. He snapped his head around before relaxing as he realized it was the door. "Fluffy. Someone's at the door." Bakura gave an annoyed huff, rolling his head over to glare at Marik. The teen didn't turn his head, but he could see the small smile playing across his face. "Asshole." Bakura stood up, stretching for a moment before walking around the corner and down the hallway. He opened the door as he heard their guest knock a second time.

Bakura blinked in confusion at the young woman at the door. Her hair was black like night and her blue eyes contrasted sharply with her dark tan skin. One hand on her purse tightened as her eyebrows raised in recognition at the albino in front of her. Bakura stared for a moment in shock, surprised to see the museum curator in front of him. He finally found his words as he stuttered out her name. "Ishizu?" The shock on her face quickly disappeared as she quickly switched to an angry glare.

Well, fuck.

"You." She spat out the words softly and angrily, her blue eyes now icy. Bakura sighed, not entirely sure how to address this situation. "Look, I ca-" Before Bakura knew what was happening, he felt his head snap sharply as Ishizu punched him hard in the face. He wasn't ready for her sudden assault, as he lost his balance and fell back against the wall. Bakura felt dazed as he realized Ishizu was now walking towards him, practically glowering. Shit, shit, shit. He took a step back, trying to regain his sense of balance. "What the hell are y-" Ishizu shoved Bakura as the bewildered man tried to get away. His momentum with the added force of her pushing him caused the thief to stumble to the ground.

"Ishizu! The fuck?" Bakura snapped angrily, not bothering to get up with the angry Egyptian woman glaring down at him. "What the hell are you doing here, Bakura? What are you planning?" Bakura rolled his eyes, annoyed at being attacked and interrogated by this woman. "I'm not planning anything, you fucking moron. Marik invited me over." His words did nothing to calm the livid elder sister. "That's complete bullshit! I don't know what the hell you're plotting, but leave Marik and Odion out of this! I won't let you hurt them. Get the hell out of here or I swe-"

"Ishizu!" The angry duo was torn from their glaring contest as they both looked up. Marik looked completely shocked – one because his sister was here and two, because Bakura was knocked down on his ass. Well, this is only slightly embarrassing. Bakura turned away, ignoring the warmth spreading across his cheeks. He was satisfied to see Ishizu looked surprised and even contrite with her brother at home. "Marik! Are you okay?" Marik took a step forward, his arms held out as if to try to keep the two at bay.

"I'm fine. What the hell happened? Why is Bakura on the ground?" Ishizu was about to explain when a confused look grew across her face. "You know this man?" Bakura avoided all eye contact as he stood up, leaning against the wall more to stay out of the way than for actual support. The push hadn't hurt, but she had clocked him pretty good. "Yes, I know him. He's… well, he's my work partner and my best friend." At those words, Bakura snapped his eyes up. His face stayed neutral, but his mind was flying. Marik thought of him as his best friend? Seriously?

Ishizu, however, seemed less pleased by this knowledge. She stared in silence for a moment as she tried to control her anger. "Marik, I care about you very deeply. I have to warn you that this man is not who this he is. He's selfish and manipulative and he's planning on using you. This man is a criminal and h-" Marik rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Ishizu, I already know that. Bakura's a thief and an asshole. I know you think me a child, but I actually know what I'm getting myself into." Marik cut his sister off, an annoyed look on his face.

Bakura smirked, feeling both pleased and annoyed by Marik's description of him. He glanced down, unwilling to hop between the two siblings. He was brought back to attention as he felt a hand brush by this cheek. Bakura looked up, shocked as Marik studied the forming bruise. "You okay? Your cheek isn't looking too good." Bakura raised a hand to prod the bruise, feeling a slight pinch of pain. "I'll be fine. Your sister has a mean right hook, but it's not quite as bad a bullet."

Marik chuckled, dropping his hand down. "Yeah, I suppose I can't argue on that one." The two turned back to Ishizu, who was staring at the two cautiously. Bakura shoved his hands in his pocket, unsure what to say. "Marik…" Ishizu started to speak but Marik cut her off. "Could we talk in private, sister?" Marik crossed his arms, turning his head to stare at the walls to avoid looking at both of his guests. Ishizu bit her lip, before sighing and nodding her consent.

Bakura, seeing this as his cue to leave, grunted as he pushed himself off the wall. "Well, I guess I'll start icing this then." He pointed to his cheek as he left the hallway, not waiting for their dismissal. He would let Marik sort this one out with Ishizu. Damn. Well, I didn't anticipate that. He walked into the kitchen, shuffling through several drawers until he found a plastic bag. He shrugged, settling for the makeshift solution.

He walked over to the freezer and pulled an ice tray as he started filling the bag with ice. As he zipped up the bag, he checked the drawers next to find a towel. As he found one, he turned away before glancing back. He saw an envelope buried in the towel drawer. He flicked his eyes up to the kitchen entrance. After making sure no one was looking, he grabbed the envelope. He pulled out the letter inside, marked several years old as he placed his ice bag on his cheek to reduce the swelling. He glanced down, realizing the document was in Egyptian for a majority. Bakura rolled his eyes, annoyed that his snooping around was quickly put to a halt.

Bakura was about to put the letter away when he noticed that the second letter was not in Egyptian. He flipped to that page, recognizing the English print. Bakura smirked – him and Ryou had been born in England. English was his first language, and although they moved to Japan at an early age, they had spoken English at home for a majority of their lives. It was only after their parents died did they switch to speaking Japanese. Their native tongue was a painful reminder at the time. They still spoke it sometimes but not nearly as much. Still, Bakura would be damned if he couldn't remember it now. He studied the page carefully.

"After investigation and careful deliberation, the court has ruled in favor of Mr. Odion Ishtar, declaring him the primary caregiver for Marik Ishtar. He will be his primary guardian until Marik Ishtar reaches the age of eighteen and thereby a legal adult. Mr. Aknadin Ishtar will have three weeks to comply with the court's demands. As established by the state, Mr. Aknadin may apply for visitation rights at-"

A loud noise jolted Bakura from his thoughts as he quickly shoved the paper in the envelope. He heard the two arguing in the other room, but in his rush to hide the letter, Bakura didn't catch what was said. He shoved it back in the drawer and focused on the ice on his face. He leaned back against the counter. The letter was nothing particularly special. It told him what he already knew – that Odion was Marik's legal guardian. Bakura wasn't sure who exactly this Aknadin was, but if he had to guess, it was their father. So did Odion gain guardianship over Marik before their father died? That was news.

He heard footsteps heading his direction. Bakura glanced to see Ishizu walk into the kitchen. She paused a moment when she spotted him before sighing and walking towards the fridge. Bakura didn't say anything but stood to the side, unwilling to be a target for her anger. She opened the fridge, looking inside for a moment. "So you're working with Marik on the Millennium case." It wasn't a question. Bakura flicked his eyes in her direction before shrugging. "Yeah. I am."

Ishizu grabbed a bottle of water before closing the refrigerator door. "Are you sure that's wise?" Bakura snorted. He knew better than to think Ishizu was concerned for him. She hated him – she was only concerned about her brothers. "We both get what we want. I get the reward money. He gets to meet Yami. This works out well for both of us." He was surprised when he heard Ishizu give a harsh, short laugh. "That's not what I was talking about. Do you even know why he wants to meet Yami?"

Bakura opened his mouth, but then closed it. He narrowed his eyes, studying the strange look on Ishizu's face. "… Why does that matter?" She shrugged, twisting open her water bottle. She took a sip as she turned away. "Marik says you're his best friend. Truth is, you know as much about him as he knows about you. I don't trust you, Bakura, but perhaps you shouldn't trust my brother either. He has his own motives after all."

Bakura's head snapped up, caught off guard by Ishizu's comment. Ishizu didn't wait for his response as she walked out of the kitchen. He felt completely confused and put-off by Ishizu's words of caution. In truth, Bakura felt like he was slapped in the face. Though he knew he should be cautious, he was becoming very trusting and open towards Marik. He had dismissed Marik's goals of meeting Yami because it hadn't been important to him. He just needed Marik for the Rod. But now…

Why does Marik want to meet Yami? What does he hope to accomplish?

"Hey Fluffy, how's the cheek doing?" Bakura glanced up to see Marik leaning against the entrance of the kitchen. He smiled as best as he could with his cheek being iced. "Cooling down." Marik nodded. "Ishizu is about to head out. I don't- She would prefer to be elsewhere." He glanced down, a blush on his face. Bakura stared for a moment before sighing. "She doesn't want to be around if I'm here." Marik stared pointedly at the floor as Bakura stood up straight, placing the ice down on the counter. "If you want your sister to stay, I can go. It's not a bi-"

"No." Marik blurted out, glancing up almost as if in confusion. He shook his head slightly. "It's really okay. Ishizu said she had other errands to run anyway. Besides, we haven't finished that movie." Marik gave a wry smile, as if a bit unwilling to admit that he was enjoying the film. Bakura chuckled, a warm feeling in his chest. "Right. Well, let's finish that film. Afterwards, we start researching, got it? No slacking off now."

Marik blinked before a large smile grew on his face. "You got it!" He turned around the corner, presumably to say goodbye to his sister. Bakura took a few steps before pausing. He glanced over his shoulder, staring at the drawer. He sighed as he walked back to the drawer. He rolled it open and snagged the English document. He folded it tight and shoved it in his back jean pocket. It would probably lead nowhere, but some part of him couldn't shake that there was something there that he was missing. Some clue that might help him figure out Marik. This damn kid is consuming my entire life now.

Not that that's a bad thing though…