Author's Note: Sorry if these last few chapters feel a bit slow. But hopefully you'll be happy with the results

Also

ItsfuckingChristmastimeImsofuckingexcited.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Rated M.

Thank you for reading everybody. If you liked what you read, please consider leaving a review or following/favorite-ing this story. I appreciate it immensely.

I update every Wednesday!

Bon appetite!

Bakura first noticed a painful white light. He squinted his eyes tight, unwilling to let go of sleep. He turned his head, trying to move away from the source of the shining brilliance. His vision was then pierced with even more light, brighter than before. Bakura grumbled, annoyed that his slumber would be awoken in such a manner. What the hell is that damn light? Bakura stretched slightly before blearily blinking one eye open. He immediately shut it tight as he was blinded by the white light yet again.

The fuck? Bakura raised an arm over his eyes, slowly opening them as he adjusted to the well-lit room. Once he figured out the source of the light, he turned his head away, the living room of his apartment coming into focus. He narrowed his eyes in confusion, his eyes finally used to the brightness. He glanced over towards the window, where the snow was reflecting sunlight with an almost blinding effect. Bakura grumbled, annoyed at being woken up by the rising sun. He hadn't realized he fell asleep at his seat last night while searching for job openings.

Bakura raised his arms above his head, stretching out his stiff muscles. He rolled his neck for a moment, relaxing in his seat before slowly moving to stand up. He noticed his laptop sitting on the floor next to him, most likely fallen off at some point during the night. He pushed his shoulder blades back to stretch his back, twisting for a moment before shambling towards the window. He glared at it angrily as if it were the source of his headache (it was). He pulled one of the curtains over to block most of the light, though the room was still far from being dark. Damn. It's too early for this shit. He walked towards the kitchen, knowing a cup of tea would help through this difficult part of the morning.

Bakura stopped in his tracks when he spotted Ryou sitting at the table in the kitchen, a cup of tea already in hand. He turned his head slightly, a small smile on his face as he murmured a soft "good morning" to his waking twin. Bakura blinked before shaking his head slightly, mumbling a "nothing good about it" as he walked towards the kettle still on the stove. He caught Ryou roll his eyes from the corner of his eye, a spark of hope rising in Bakura. He quickly squashed that feeling before it could grow – Ryou was a morning person. He was just being polite to him. Things are still shitty between him and his brother. Bakura sighed as he grabbed a mug from the cupboard, noting their collection of tea already out on the counter.

"Did you sleep well?" Bakura nearly dropped the kettle when he heard Ryou ask that question. He carefully kept his face neutral, focusing on not spilling hot water everywhere. He swallowed as he shrugged, nervous of what was to come. "Well enough. I don't recommend sleeping on a chair the entire night though." Ryou nodded his head, trying to give a small smile. Are things… civil now? Bakura sifted through their tea, unsure what this morning might entail. He settled on green tea as he plopped the packet into the water.

Bakura turned around and leaned on the counter, stirring his tea occasionally. He didn't want to sit down at the table – he felt like a caged animal. He kept his eyes on his tea, but occasionally he would flick them up to watch Ryou, who now had a strange look on his face. Bakura bit his lip, resisting the urge to drink his tea to avoid talking to Ryou. As uncomfortable as he felt, burning his tongue would leave him in a bad mood all day. "You were up late." Ryou turned back, resting his elbows on the table as he held the mug with both hands.

Bakura nodded, taking a tentative sip of his tea. He jerked his mouth back, hissing in pain as the hot tea burned his lips. He raised a hand to his mouth, gently dabbing it to check over his burnt skin. He didn't bother explaining why he was up so late – he didn't want to mention it to his brother and give him false hope. Sure he had been looking at jobs, but that didn't mean he would be able to find one. Besides, once he did find a job, he could surprise Ryou and it would be worth seeing the shock on his fa-

"So you were looking at job openings last night?"

Bakura was glad he wasn't drinking his tea. Otherwise, he might have choked on it. He snapped his head up to stare at Ryou. His twin has a small, knowing smile as he watched Bakura's confusion and shock. … How the hell did he know? Bakura blinked, trying to think of when Ryou would have pieced it together. Than it hit him – he fell asleep while applying to jobs last night. He hadn't thought about it, but his laptop was on the ground next to him when he woke up. He had left it open when he fell asleep, right on job search engine.

Damn it. Ryou, you're too damn nosy. Bakura picked up his tea and blew on it, hoping his face was red because of the recent burn he got and not because of embarrassment. "No need to get so excited. I'm just looking. I don't even know if I'll even find a job." He looked to the side, not meeting Ryou's dark brown eyes that were watching him. "But you're searching, yes?" Bakura bit on the inside of his cheek, exhaling slightly. He didn't answer, but that was answer in it of itself.

"Kura." The said man raised his eyes to look at Ryou, who stared at the table with a thoughtful look. "You're serious?" Bakura held his breath for a moment, thinking. He finally sighed and looked away, lowering his mug for a moment. "It's like you said – I can't keep doing this forever. With the reward money from this case, we'll be set for a while even if I don't find a job immediately. I don't even know if I can find a job, since I don't even have a high school diploma." He shrugged and took a sip of his tea. "But I'll see what I can do. I can't keep running this rat race forever. Once this case is over, I'm out."

Bakura stared at his tea, avoiding eye contact with Ryou. He heard his twin stand up to put his mug in the sink. He looked up when he felt Ryou's hand on his shoulder, crimson eyes meeting mocha-colored ones. The two stared at each other, not speaking for a moment. A small, genuine smile grew on Ryou's face. "Thank you. I know how difficult this decision is for you and I know there's a lot of uncertainty… but thanks." A grimace grew on Bakura's face, the now common blush growing across his cheeks. He looked away, embarrassed by his brother. "It's not like I did it for you. This job is getting old anyway."

Ryou laughing, not believing Bakura's obvious lie. "Of course. Well, if you do need any help on the job search, let me know. I'm more than happy to be of assistance." Ryou's smile widened, unable to hide the happiness he felt. Bakura sighed, glancing over at his brother. It wasn't going to be easy, but Bakura had a feeling things would work out. Sure, his job was exciting, but he could only do this for so long before he would end getting seriously hurt. The prize on this reward would set them up for a while and he could leave, his reputation as the Thief King untouchable. You can't ruin a reputation if you can't outdo yourself.

Bakura finished his tea, dropping his mug in the sink as he went to ruffle Ryou's hair. "Like I'd need your help finding a job. I'm the Thief King, remember? My resume practically writes itself." Ryou chuckled, ducking away from Bakura's hand as he went to clean the dishes. "Right. And when was the last time you wrote up a resume?" Bakura grimaced, grabbing a towel to start drying cups as Ryou washed them. "Minor details. Nothing the Thief King can't handle." Ryou rolled his eyes, exasperation and amusement crossing over his face. "How did I end up being related to such an arrogant dork?"

Bakura whipped the towel, smacking Ryou in the arm. Ryou flicked his sponge in return, soapy water hitting Bakura's t-shirt. Bakura smirked as he gave Ryou a friendly shove. Ryou's eyebrows creased together, but a smile still remained on his face. Things weren't quite yet back to normal, but Bakura got the sense things would be okay between them. So long as he kept his word. I'm finishing the Millennium case and then, I'm out. Bakura had spent some time thinking about this decision, wondering if this was the right choice. Now that he told Ryou, he felt more confident in his decision. Sure, there was a lot of uncertainty, but Bakura knew that he and Ryou would be able to get through.

Now, to not screw up my final mission. The Millennium case was nearly finished. Bakura just had to find the Millennium Puzzle and that would be it. He'd meet with Yami to get his reward, as would Marik. Bakura thought back to Ishizu's comment from a few weeks ago, about how Marik had his own less-than-pure motives for wanting to meet Yami. Although Bakura hadn't forgotten, he hadn't really done anything with that information. As far as he was concerned, Marik's business was his business. It shouldn't interfere with Bakura's goal for the prize money.

Or would it?

Bakura finished drying the last cup, his smile now quickly fading as Bakura considered a possibility he hadn't before. He had agreed to work with Marik so that he could give Marik the opportunity to meet Yami. He had assumed he could just get his cash and run. But what if Marik makes a demand to Yami, one that Yami would then deem as a much more expensive reward? What if, in some bizarre turn of events, Marik's request to meet Yami prevented Bakura from getting the prize money? What then?

Damn. If that is the case, then I need to know now. Bakura was counting on that money to support him and his brother once he left his life of crime behind. Bakura knew this case would wrap in a few months at latest – Bakura didn't really expect to be able to find a job that paid well enough in that time. The prize money would be enough for them to live off of for an undetermined amount of time. If Marik somehow managed to fuck that up for them and Bakura didn't get the cash, Bakura would have to continue taking on illegal jobs. He couldn't do that. Not that Ryou knew of his plans to find honest work.

Bakura hung up the towel as he left the kitchen. He walked back to his room while Ryou settled back onto the couch, Monster World figurines in hand. Bakura grabbed some clothes to take a quick shower, thinking over Ishizu's words. He knew he was being paranoid. It was probably nothing serious. He imagined that Marik had some business with Yami that could only be discussed in person. That had to be why. There was nothing Marik could say or do for Yami to retract his offer on the Millennium case. Was there?

Bakura sighed as he massaged shampoo into his hair, annoyed that he already was giving himself a headache. Damn. Just when things were getting better for me and Ryou, I have to go and think over stuff. He let the hot water run down his face, his eyes closed tight as he wondered what he should do. He was probably being paranoid, yes, but being paranoid was what kept him alive all these years. His instincts told him to be cautious and he wasn't about to ignore that. How could he avoid this potential conflict?

Bakura laughed as he turned off the water. It's simple. I just have to talk to Marik. Sure, Marik might not be comfortable divulging in the information to Bakura, but if he wanted to meet Yami, Bakura needed to know for sure that Marik wouldn't interfere with his plans. He pulled on a pair of boxers and jeans. He grabbed a long-sleeve black shirt, tugging his head through before grabbing a hair tie to hold back his hair in a ponytail while it dried. He didn't even bother sticking a brush in it – his hair always looked like a rats nest and pointed up in ways he couldn't comprehend. Ryou had insisted on trying to fix it, but Bakura swore his hair would get even more knotted.

Bakura sighed as he exited the bathroom and walked down the hallway. He tossed his old clothes haphazardly into his room, planning on picking them up later. His towel hung over his shoulder as sat down in the chair across from Ryou, shaking on his ponytail to get some of the water out. He stared at the floor, wondering how to approach the situation with Marik. I suppose talking would be easiest. I have to be direct with him, after all. Bakura glanced down at his backpack, reaching a hand down to one of the side pockets. He grabbed his phone and brought it up, opening it to dial Marik. He paused a moment. How do I ask him? How should I phrase this?

Bakura didn't have any time to think over his questions as he felt his phone start vibrating. Nearly jumping at the sensation, he glanced down and snorted when he saw Marik's name on the screen. Of all the perfect timing. Well, Bakura supposed there were other ways to be forced into this conversation. He sighed, ignoring the curious look that Ryou gave him, as he accepted the call. "Hey Marik. Good timing. There's something I wa-" A loud voice suddenly interrupted him, forcing Bakura to hold the phone away from his ear.

"BAKURA, THERE'S SNOW EVERYWHERE!"

Bakura blinked before sighing, a faint smile growing on his face. "Yes, Marik, that's what happens when it snows all night." He chuckled at the excited squeals on the other line. Sometimes he wasn't sure if he was best friends with a young man or an excitable puppy. "Fluffy! Can we go out in the snow? You said we could yesterday!" Bakura flicked his eyes up to Ryou before quickly away, embarrassed by the smirk Ryou now wore on his face. "Marik, I think we should focus on researching for n-"

"But you promised, Bakura! You said we could have a snow day and then we would research." Bakura gritted his teeth, annoyed by his own stupidity. I should never make promises to this kid. "Fine. We can go out in the snow for a bit. But we're not spending all day outside, got it? We still have work to do." He heard Marik cheering over the phone, not listening to Bakura's instruction. "Awesome! Hurry over then!" Marik hung up before Bakura had time to respond. Bakura wondered if he would ever get used to Marik's impatient behavior.

He shoved the phone is his pocket, pulling out the hair tie. Looked like he would have to blow dry his hair if he was going out for a snow day with Marik. He ran his fingers through his still wet hair when he caught the smirk that remained on Ryou's face. Ah damn. Not this again. Bakura groaned loudly as if it to inform his brother of his annoyance with him before walking back to the bathroom. He was relieved when Ryou didn't follow him.

Five minutes later, Bakura exited the bathroom, taking a deep breath to prepare himself for his brother. He didn't look at his twin and instead, opted to pack up his backpack. He felt Ryou's eyes watching him, but he intentionally ignored him. Ryou finally broke the silence. "So things between you and Marik are getting pretty serious now?" Bakura rolled his eyes, reaching for laptop sitting next to the chair. "We're just friends. How many times do I have to say it?" Ryou snickered, laying down on the couch as he held what looked like to be a castle tower that he carving. "I don't know. How many times are you going to deny the fact that you're gay?"

"When have I ever said I was gay? I don't know where you get these assumptions."

"If you're straight than so am I. Face it, you're so far in the metaphorical closet that you're in Narnia. It's time to come out, bro."

"I don't need to come out. My sexual preference has nothing to do with my friendship with Marik."

"Oh really? And the fact that he is a very attractive young man from an exotic country has nothing to do with it?"

"He's my best friend, Ryou. Nothing more."

"I would have accepted that answer a month ago. I refuse to believe you've gone all these weeks without making any progress."

"What progress? Ryou, stop beating a dead horse into the ground. I'm not into Marik that way."

"Well, I don't buy it. Just admit it – you have a crush on Marik."

"Fuck no."

"You'll feel better if you just say it!"

Bakura grabbed his coat and threw it out. He snatched his backpack with one hand as he exited the apartment. "Goodbye Ryou." He heard his brother laugh before yelling out, "Good luck on your date today!" Bakura took a moment to slam the door extra hard, hoping Ryou picked up on its meaning. He sighed, shaking his head in frustration. He was glad Ryou was talking to him again, but his little brother could be a real smart ass.

Bakura was over at Marik's apartment half an hour later, unsure of what he would see upon arrival. To his amusement, Marik was bundled up in as many coats as he could manage. After a good bout of laughing later, Bakura explained that it wasn't going to be that cold. So once they got Marik down a few layers, the two ventured off outside towards the park. Marik practically skipped out of the apartment complex, impatient to experience his first real winter.

"Look at it, Bakura! It's so pretty!" Marik started to run down the sidewalk, Bakura following more slowly. Bakura watched Marik run ahead, glancing down at his feet for a moment before smirking. "I wouldn't run if I were you." Marik slowed a bit before, glancing back to ask why when he suddenly fell backwards. Bakura cackled out loud as he slowly approached the swearing the youth. "Damn! That hurt!" Bakura chuckled slightly, offering a hand to Marik. "I tried to warn you. You don't have snow boots on and the sidewalks are icy. You can't be so reckless."

Marik took his hand, slowly standing up. Bakura noticed that Marik didn't have gloves on either – most likely because he hadn't needed to prepare for such cold weather. Bakura had forgotten his own back in his apartment and was too lazy to fetch them. Perhaps we should go get Marik some real winter clothing. Bakura shook the thought as he watched Marik stand up straight, brushing his pants as he glared at the ground. "Damned ice. Let's get the park so we can play in the snow." Bakura rolled his eyes, letting go of Marik's hand as he started to walk forward. "Fine by me."

Bakura shoved his hands in his pockets and continued his slow, leisurely walk. He enjoyed the cool air from a fresh snow – it made everything feel so crisp. He heard Marik slowly shuffling behind him, now wary and cautious of the ice beneath. Bakura noticed after a few moments the noise stopped. He glanced behind to see Marik gripping the windowsill of the store window, glaring at the ground angrily. Bakura chuckled – his day out with Marik was turning into better entertainment than he could've imagined.

"What's the matter, Marik?" Bakura tried to ask the question sincerely, but the smirk on his face betrayed his joy in Marik's struggle. Marik turned his glare from the ground to Bakura. "It's this frigging ice! It's too slippery! I'm going to fall if I let go." Bakura chuckled, shaking his head. "You'll be fine. Come on. Take my hand – we'll get you to the park." Marik stared at Bakura's hand, as if expecting it to bite him. His lavender eyes flicked up towards Bakura, his face suspicious. "What are you playing at? You're being helpful. What do you want?"

Bakura rolled his eyes, a bemused smirk on his face. "No need to be so paranoid. I'm just trying to get your slow ass to the park." Marik huffed, finally grabbing Bakura's hand. "My ass is not slow, I'll have you know. It's perfect." Bakura closed his eyes, forcing out an images that might come to mind. I am NOT having this conversation with Marik. He grit his teeth. "Just keep walking, dipshit. I don't need you talking about your butt around me."

"Why does it make you uncomfortable Bakura?" Bakura paused for a moment to glance at the Egyptian teenager holding his hand in a death grip. He tried to ignore the small feeling of satisfaction and pleasure that he had while holding Marik's hand. "Keep this up and I'll let you traverse this ice on your own."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, you're right. Why would I ever do something cruel or mean?"

"God, you're an asshole."

"Damn right, I am. Now shut up or I'm leaving you behind."

"If you do that, I swear on my butt I'll have my revenge."

That last statement made Bakura pause. What the fuck does that even mean? He gave Marik a curious glance behind him, unsure if he wanted to ask his question. "Don't you mean you swear on your life?" Marik laughed arrogantly, walking at a snail's pace next to Bakura. "You think my butt is worth more than my life, Fluffy? Clearly you haven't seen my butt recently." Those words made Bakura freeze as he started to think of anything besides their conversation. He tried to keep his face a stone mask. He glanced over in Marik's direction to catch the amused and cocky grin on the teen's face. That's when it hit Bakura.

He's trying to get me riled up. For most of their interactions, Bakura always figured Marik would make less-than-innocent comments accidentally. The kid was rather thick and dense on social interactions. He figured he was just making off-handed remarks that were innuendos by chance. However, Bakura now saw the evidence on Marik's face. Marik knew he said something that made Bakura uncomfortable. He had been planning on it and he was enjoying seeing Bakura squirm with discomfort. He had thought Marik to be an idiot, but perhaps he wasn't as stupid as he thought.

Either way, I'm not just going sit back and take it. If Marik wanted to play that game, Bakura would join in. He smiled deviously at Marik, watching him carefully. "Well no, I'm afraid I haven't actually. Care to enlighten me?" He felt the hand holding his tense as Marik tripped slightly, his smirk disappearing. Bakura bit back a laugh at the embarrassed look growing on his friend's face, a blush spreading across his cheeks. Yes, this is rather fun indeed. Why haven't I been doing this more often?

"Oh piss off. Let's just get to the park." Bakura hid the small smile on his face and picked up the pace, Marik clinging onto him as they made their way down the road. The two walked in silence, Bakura still pleased with getting back at Marik. The teen had turned his focus back on the icy path, trying not to fall. After a few minutes, Bakura finally spotted the park. Marik cheered as they finally got off the sidewalk. Bakura felt reluctant to let go of Marik's hand, though he wasn't sure why. He watched as Marik plunged into the snow, now several inches high from the night before.

Bakura rolled his eyes and started to search for the nearest park bench. He spotted one that wasn't buried in snow, sheltered by a tree nearby. Deciding to take his chances with it, he brushed off the snow until there was a spot he could sit on. He pulling his coat down, he sat down on the edge of the seat, watching Marik as he ran through the snow, kicking it up as he tore through. Bakura chuckled, amused by Marik's excitement and delight. He shoved his hands into his coat pocket, leaning forward to keep his body close and warm.

"Bakura!" The albino closed his eyes and sighed, already anticipating where this conversation was going. "What?" He yelled out, opening his eyes to find Marik yelling at his from across the way. "Come play! That's the whole reason we came out today." Bakura waved his hand, shaking his head no. "That's quite okay. I'm fine right where I am." Bakura already knew that Marik would start to whine and nag until Bakura caved or until Marik got frustrated and gave up. Bakura wasn't particularly in the mood to get his clothes all wet and cold. He had no inten-

Bakura was immediately broken from his thoughts as a snowball smacked him right in the face. Bakura blinked, almost frozen in shock before snapping his head up at the cackling Egyptian teenager. The shock drained from Bakura before a rather evil grin grew on his face. Oh, alright. I see how it is. You're dead, Ishtar. Bakura stood up, brushing off the snow from his face. He looked around to find Marik, who now seemed have been smart enough to hide before Bakura sought his revenge.

He glared around the white landscape until he spotted golden hair peeking out from behind one of the trees. Bakura smirked as knelt down and started making a snowball. He walked slowly towards the tree, seeing Marik as he peeked out, giggling. He gave an innocent smile to his suspicious target. "Oh, Marik," Bakura sang his name as he approached, hiding the snowball behind his back.

Marik gave one last look at Bakura before sprinting out and chucking another snowball at Bakura. The albino jumped to the side, the snowball brushing his arm as it passed. Bakura sprinted after Marik, pelting Marik in the back of the head with his snowball. Marik stumbled, laughing as he shook his head. He raised a hand to brush out the snow from his hair before ducking down to gather more snow. Bakura did the same as he chased after his opponent.

Within a few minutes, the pristine snow now destroyed as the two rampaged and bombarded the other with snowballs. Bakura was gasping for air, exhausted from running and laughing. Marik snickered, as he kicked up snow at Bakura, feeling tired and exhausted. There wasn't an inch of them that wasn't covered in snow. Bakura bent over, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. "Shall we call this one a draw?" Bakura asked, stretching his back, thinking he was safe.

Marik grinned, a wicked look in his eyes. "Nope!" Before Bakura had time to react, the teenager tackled him into the snow. Bakura yelled in protest as the giggling teen shoved more snow onto him, burying Bakura into the snow. Bakura retaliated by flinging snow at Marik's face, blinding his cheating opponent. Marik finally stopped making a snowy grave for Bakura, sitting back in the snow as he caught his breath. Bakura gave an annoyed look at Marik, who just shrugged. Marik smiled as he fell into the snow to lay next to Bakura.

"I win." Marik declared as they stared up at the blue sky. Bakura snorted, miffed by his lost. "You played dirty. That doesn't count." Bakura saw from his peripheral Marik shrug his shoulders, his arms sweeping up and down as Marik started making snow angels. "There's no such as dirty in a snowball fight." Bakura sighed and closed his eyes, not wanting to get into an argument. That sounded like something he would tell Marik after all – apparently he was rubbing off on the kid. He listened as Marik started humming to himself, the song sounding suspiciously like the theme from "E.T."

Bakura allowed a small smile grow on his face as laid in the snow next to Marik. Strange how Marik could both annoy him and make him laugh harder than anyone else he had known. Bakura felt, dare he say it, incredibly happy whenever he was around Marik. What should have been just a simple business arrangement had become something more. Bakura wasn't one for making his friends, and yet here he was fucking frolicking through the snow with Marik. You don't do that with work partners. Funny how much I've grown to like Marik.

Bakura narrowed his eyes, thinking over the words. Somehow, those words didn't sit well with him. It's not that he was uncomfortable with being friends Marik. On the contrary – he felt very relaxed and at ease being with Marik. But the word "like" didn't seem to cover that. Bakura felt nervous as he realized his feelings went beyond just "liking" Marik, but he wasn't entirely sure what that meant. I like spending time with him. I like talking to him and going out and doing stuff. I like him as a person and very much enjoy his company. So what's wrong with saying I just like Marik?

"You doing okay there, Kura?" Bakura closed his eyes for a moment before turning to face Marik. Whatever he was about to say to deflect Marik was when he looked over at Marik. His golden splayed around his head like a golden crown. His bronze skin glowed richly against the pristine white snow around them. He had a soft smile that seemed to bring out the different rich hues in his lavender eyes.

Bakura's breath caught in his throat as he suddenly realized why he didn't want to say he "liked" Marik. Why he couldn't say "like." Because it wasn't strong enough. "Like" was too weak of a word. He could almost grit his teeth as his brother's teasing voice in his head, finally understanding the obvious. The conflicting feelings and strange allure to Marik – it all made sense. As he stared at the youth who watched him in confused silence, Bakura realized it was more than that. He didn't like Marik – he loved Marik.

… Fuck.