Author's Note: My beta reader is starting a new job next week! I'm so excited for her!
Disclaimer: Bleh. Thanks for reading. Enjoy!
I update weekly!
Bon appetite!
Bakura and Odion both sat in silence, staring off into nothing. Odion leaned forward, his mouth resting on his knuckles as he closed his eyes. Bakura sat stiffly in his chair, his arms crossed and his jaw clenched he glared at the floor. He was furious. He was crushed. He was confused. He was horrified. He was frustrated. In the flood of these confusion emotions, one stood out above them all – concern. A rush of worry for Marik consumed him.
Marik… murdered his father.
The thought weighed heavily on the albino's mind. Bakura knew that the Ishtar family had some serious baggage in their past. Marik could barely talk about it. He still wore the scars both figuratively and physically. Bakura didn't know this when he decided to work with Marik a few months back. He had figured Marik would be bubbly airhead that he could manipulate. Things became more complicated as he developed feelings for his quirky and offbeat companion. Now things were even more complicated in the worst sense of the word as Bakura realized that Marik had committed murder.
"… Shit." Bakura hissed out, a wave of exhaustion hitting him. This couldn't get any worse. Odion sighed, standing up as he stretched. He walked over to grab one of the textbooks, his composure finally regained. "Marik stabbed our father multiple times in the chest. After that, he flung our father's body down and…" Odion flicked his eyes to glance at Bakura. "He…carved the skin off our father's back." Bakura flinched, unable to refrain the knee-jerk instinct.
Oh fuck. Bakura knew Odion had to be telling the truth – one could not make up this sort of terrible shit and expect to be believed. Despite knowing this, Bakura could not imagine Marik doing the horrible things that Odion described. Marik had felt sick at the thought of potentially killing Rex and Weevil. He could not visualize the young man brutally murdering his father. He couldn't imagine Marik so filled with rage that he would skin his old man. This is just too many levels of fucked up…
"Fucking hell." Bakura murmured, glaring at the floor. Odion sighed, nodding along. "Yeah… After Marik's other self killed our father, he… turned the knife on me." Bakura's head jerked up, surprise etching his features. "What? Why?" Odion narrowed his eyes, as if he were trying to figure it out. "I'm not entirely sure, but I think it's because Marik didn't feel safe. His other self told me I had to go. That I would hurt Marik and make him go away." Bakura noticed how he spoke as if Marik were two different individuals – the one who was his little brother and this monster that killed their father. Bakura realized he was starting to think in those terms as well.
"How did you escape then?" Bakura asked, aware that Odion had escaped death somehow. Odion flipped through the pages of one of the books on the shelf. "I didn't. I could barely sit up – I was in no position to run. I tried to talk Marik down. I knew it was probably a hopeless scenario. I don't know what it was, but something finally clicked and Marik seemed to finally return. He just sort of fell, crying about a headache and in shock." Odion returned to his seat on the bed, textbook still in hand.
"I didn't know what else to do but comfort Marik. The first thing I quickly realized was that Marik had no memory of what happened to our father. He remembered father being angry and being very scared, but he couldn't remember anything after being pulled of hiding. So I decided then that I wouldn't tell Marik the truth. I couldn't tell him that he murdered our father in such a gruesome way. If word ever got out… I couldn't let Marik get charged with patricide. I'm his older brother – it's my job to protect him."
Bakura studied Odion as the man spoke, piecing together the rest of the story. "So you lied to Marik. You made it look like someone broke in and killed your father. You didn't need to go so far – just enough so that they wouldn't blame you. And given the state you and your brother were in, it wouldn't be hard to do." Odion nodded, finally settling on one of the pages. "I didn't even tell Marik who the culprit was. I just wanted to put this whole scenario behind and get Marik to safety."
"… He didn't let go of the incident, though." Bakura murmured, thinking of Marik's righteous anger at Yami for the "murder" of their father. Odion gave a humorless laugh, his expression rather bitter. "Would you have been able to just move on from this traumatic event? Marik wanted closure. He wanted to find his peace. I think that's why he was so desperate to find our father's murderer. He came to the conclusion himself that it must have been Yami because why else would he have take our family's land right after this whole scandal."
Odion shook his head wearily. "Yami would have gotten our family's inheritance regardless of whether our father lived or died. Marik hadn't even known I had gotten custody of him from our father before his death. I was planning on telling him shortly afterwards, but then our father…" Odion stopped talking as he glanced down at the page he had opened to. He handed the book over to Bakura. The albino grabbed the textbook, staring down at the page describing symptoms of DID.
"After our father's death, I spent months and years trying to figure out what happened to Marik. I started to keep a closer eye on any odd behavior. That's when I noticed the symptoms – the headaches he would randomly get, the extreme anxiety he had since childhood, he used to have insomnia, though admittedly that has gotten better. The biggest clue was the amnesia. There were periods of times where Marik had no memory. Marik never paid any attention to these moments because he would assume that his memory was just fuzzy or he would fill in the blanks of his memories. He still does that."
Bakura blinked as he thought about the time he lost Marik at a grocery store those many weeks ago. Marik had told him he had just gone outside to wait but Bakura had known that was not true. Bakura also recalled when Odion and Marik got in a fight over where Marik had gone the morning of his birthday. And even more recently, Bakura only had to think back to his conversation with Marik, where he couldn't recall the details of getting the Millennium Eye. Bakura let out a shuddering sigh…
"The Millennium Eye… Marik's other self did that to Pegasus, didn't he?" Odion didn't answer for a few moments, instead focusing on the smaller journal that Bakura had previous taken a peek into. "… I suspect that's the case. I can't be sure, but all the evidence seems to point in that direction." Bakura suddenly recalled his conversation with Mai earlier that week. "Rex and Weevil. Do you know how they really died?" Odion turned his head sharply, the alarm evident in his eyes. Bakura narrowed his eyes as he realized his suspicions that Odion had been lying to him were proven true.
"They weren't killed by a gunshot. Their throats were slit. You knew, didn't you?" Odion bit his lips, his eyes furrowed his concentration. "I didn't know exactly how, but… yes, I figured Marik's other self had done it. They were dead before we left the scene. The Orichalcos weren't there until later. That really leads one option." Bakura leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling. He didn't really want to believe what was being told, but all those confounding pieces of the puzzles seemed to fall perfectly into place with this new knowledge. The headaches, the memory gaps, the knife, the Eye… it all made sense when put into context with Marik's mental illness.
Marik, you… damn it. Just damn. Bakura knew that Marik was responsible, but he knew it wasn't truly Marik. It wasn't his fault and he hadn't asked to be this way. The entire situation was a train wreck, but more than that, it was horribly tragic. Bakura narrowed his eyes, glancing over at Odion. "So how have you protect Marik so far?" Bakura was unable to keep the accusing note out of his voice. Odion glanced up, but didn't say anything.
"You're his older brother and you say it's your job to keep him safe. But how is letting Marik continue on and not get treatment for this any better? Not taking action is just as bad as taking the wrong action. If Marik as DID like you say, then he needs serious help. You're enabling him by encouraging him to pursue a life of crime. Hell, this is probably the worst thing you could let him do – he's a danger to himself and those around him. I understand holding back the truth, but why did you not mention the DID to him?"
Odion sighed as he closed his notebook. "Don't you think I didn't try? I've been trying to tell Marik for months. But even the suggestion that he may not be mentally well sets him off. A few weeks ago, I tried to recommend him seeing a counselor to help him find closure after… everything. But Marik lashed out and was furious. He started to get a headache and that's when I realized it would be dangerous." Bakura glanced down at page that Odion had ripped out of his notebook, glancing down. It had only a few adjectives written.
"I don't know much about Marik's other self. What I do know is that he's dangerous and violent. I've also noticed that he consistently appears whenever Marik feels unsafe or is in danger. That would make sense with DID – it usually develops as a coping mechanism to deal with trauma." Bakura looked down at the list – angry, aggressive, impulsive, manic, illogical – realizing that Odion had made it in a way to figure out this other side of his brother. "This… is the kind of person we are dealing with…"
Odion nodded his head as flipped through his journal. "Yes. Anytime I try to suggest getting Marik help, Marik feels insecure and suddenly threatened. And I don't think it's his fault – it's his other self who feels threatened, knowing that by getting Marik help, I'm threatening his existence… This other personality of his… it has no morals and no standards. It will do whatever it needs to in order to stay alive. Even if it means hurting the ones Marik cares for."
Bakura blinked, realizing what Odion was implying. It wasn't as simple as getting through Marik's thick skull that he needs help. Marik was resisting but his other self was resisting. It seemed like Marik had no control over when this other personality came out, but Odion said it would consistently come out whenever Marik was in danger. If the other self felt like his existence, and by extension Marik's existence was threatened, it would take over and do whatever it needed to survive. Regardless whether it was Bakura or Odion or Ishizu trying to help him.
Bakura gritted his teeth. So Odion has just given up trying to get help for Marik? Sure, the situation was difficult to handle, but as things were, they couldn't let Marik go on without help. Clearly he was in desperate need of it if he had a second personality with murderous tendencies. "In spite of that, we have to do something. Marik can't keep living like this. This mission could very well be the death of him at this rate."
Bakura suddenly realized something he hadn't considered before, his thoughts on Yami and the Millennial case. He turned to stare at the bald man, who was sitting quietly. "Odion… does Marik truly want to meeting Yami? Or is that something his other self wants?" Odion closed his journal, glancing in Bakura's direction as he pondered his question. He seemed deep in thought before finally speaking. "I don't know. This is all a lot of guesswork. It's possible, but I can't be sure."
Bakura leaned back, crossing his arms. His expression darkened as he glared at the wall, as if the wall was the reason for this shit show he was dealing with. "Don't evade the question. Even Marik admitted that he doesn't know why, but he feels like he needs to meet Yami. It's not Marik who wants to meet with him. It's his other self. And if he wants to meet with him…" Bakura mumbled off, almost growling the words. And if his other self wants to meet Yami, then that likely means he considers Yami a threat. He sees Yami as dangerous. Perhaps it was a stretch and Bakura was being paranoid. But being paranoid was what kept Bakura alive all these years.
Bakura knew his instincts were right on this. Even if Marik's other self wasn't the motivating factor behind Marik's desire to meet Yami, Bakura knew that was too dangerous. There was no way that Bakura could even think of allowing Marik to meet Yami. Not when he had a dangerous alter ego that has gorged a man's eye out and tore his own father's skin off his back. This other personality of his was a dangerous psychopath in every sense of the word. Bakura knew that for as much as he trusted Marik, he couldn't trust him with this.
In fact, Bakura wasn't sure how much he could trust Marik anymore.
The albino looked back towards Odion, who was watching him carefully, almost as if studying him. Bakura narrowed his eyes, running a hand through his hair as he exhaled. "Odion, if you're not going to do anything, then I fucking will. Marik has a mental disease where he has another personality that goes and kills people. If that's not reason to seek out counseling or medical treatment, I don't know what is. I don't care if I have to drag Marik down to the hospital myself – he's going to get some damn help."
"And what if by seeking out help he ends up being charged for the crimes he's committed? What if by pushing him in this direction, you scare Marik and force his other personality to come out and do more damage? Marik's still in control – we can't let him 'lose' control to his other self." Bakura gave a loud annoyed sigh as he stood up, now pacing. "That's better than doing nothing! If Marik isn't killed trying to assassinate Yami, then his other personality will put Marik in some other dangerous position that'll kill him! I'll fucking do it if you refu-"
"Is Ryou your older or younger brother, Bakura?"
Bakura whipped his head around to stare at Odion, his mind suddenly going blank. His mouth moved as he tried to find a response, words – anything. Odion just stared back, his eyes locked on the shocked albino and hands masking any emotion he might have revealed. Bakura finally gathered himself to choke out his next words. "What the hell are you talking about?" He tried to keep his voice gruff, as if bewildered by the change of subject. How… could Odion possibly know?
"Ryou. Your twin. Looks astonishingly like you if you weren't so grumpy all the time. Is he younger or older? I would guess younger but that could be his youthful appearance." Odion said the words plainly, almost as if he were discussing the weather. Despite the relaxed and easy tone of voice, Bakura saw how Odion's eyes pierced him, analyzing the albino. They were hawk-like, dark and sharp as if about to pounce upon his prey. And Bakura could only stare back stupidly, his words failing him.
"How… I don't… I don't know what you're talking about." Bakura finally settled out, desperate to deny the truth. How on earth had Odion discovered his twin? Bakura had been careful about his own home address and avoided the Ishtar family when with his brother. Odion should have no clue about his twin's existence. But then again, Mai and Yami weren't supposed to know about Ryou and you saw how well that worked out.
"Of course you know what I'm talking about. It's your little brother. The one who works at the Black Clown Game Shop owned by Otogi. I've talked to him several times while picking up games for Marik." Bakura resisted the urge to slam his head against the wall. Of course. Bakura never pieced it together, but the games around the apartment had to have come from somewhere. The first game shop Marik visited was the Black Clown store, so of course Marik would tell his brother and of course Odion would go pick out some more games.
Bakura just clenched his jaw, running a hand through his hair. "So what? You met a doppelganger. That doesn't mean we're related." Even Bakura knew his argument was weak but it was better to fight than to let this secret out of the bag. Not when he suspected Odion planned on using Ryou against him. "Really? You sure seemed friendly with him when you two went shopping at the mall. I could hardly believe it when I saw the two of you together when you went to pick out Marik's birthday gift."
Bakura blinked. How the fuck did he know… Ahh shit. The mall. Bakura wasn't sure why he hadn't taken that precaution that day. He knew Odion worked at the mall. He knew that Odion worked as a security guard and he was even familiar with the bald man's hours. And yet he stupidly decided to go there with his twin brother to buy fucking children's trading cards. Bakura glanced at Odion, knowing that any further argument or denial would only be a waste of time. Odion knew.
"… This is about Marik and his health issues. Ryou has nothing to do with this." Bakura bluffed, trying to change the subject. Odion chuckled, but it sounded humorless and almost bitter. "On the contrary. Ryou has everything to do with it. He's your family. It's quite clear that you'll do anything to protect your little brother, as I would mine. And people go to extreme lengths to protect those they love. And although I would hate to do so, I will do whatever I need to protect Marik, including put his safety over your brother's."
Bakura finally snapped. This was twice in the last few days that he had found his brother's life in a precarious situation. Like hell he was going to take these threats anymore. "I swear to fucking God, Odion – if you hurt a single hair on my brother, I will tear you apart, limb from bloody limb. Got that?" Odion didn't react, but instead met the enraged albino with a steady gaze. Bakura breathed heavily, his shaking hands clenched as he tried to vent his anger.
"Then I think an arrangement can be made. I won't touch your brother and you won't do anything to endanger mine. We both continue about our businesses as normal and we'll both come out on the other side. All you have to do is drop the issue." Bakura growled, resisting the urge to attack Odion. It would accomplish nothing, but damn it would feel good right now. This was dirty and low. Bakura wished he had thought of something similar beforehand.
"… What are you trying to prove? You're only hurting Marik by continuing this." Bakura tried to reason with Odion, realizing this was his only hope. However, the stern look on the elder man's face told Bakura that he would not be persuaded. "We've already discussed this. We're leaving Marik be. He needs our support, not our judgment. This is for the best." Bakura laughed condescendingly, not believing the empty reassurance. The words weren't really for him.
"Do we understand each other?" Bakura snorted at the question, not answering but not snapping back. Bakura hated it, fuming but unable to fight back. Odion had him pinned – he had found Bakura's weak point. Odion nodded, standing as he straightened his jacket. "Good. I'm glad that we understand each other. We each keep our brothers safe and not meddle." Bakura glared at the floor, knowing this was his dismissal. He turned around and stormed towards the door.
"Bakura." Odion's soft voice caught his ear, the albino pausing with his hand resting on the door handle. Bakura didn't say anything but turned his head slightly to indicate that he was listening. Odion paused, but Bakura realized that was more Odion's natural speaking pattern than hesitation or thoughtfulness. "If I suspect that you might hurt Marik, whether it's physically or emotionally, whether it's talk to him about this issue or try approaching the police or a psychiatrist about this, consider your brother's life forfeit. I don't want to do this, but I will if I have to. Understand?"
Bakura's fury only seemed to increase. As if Odion hadn't been clear before, there was no mistaking the message sent. Bakura had thought Odion had come to trust him and let down his guard. But that was never the case. Odion never trusted him and had always considered him the enemy. Even though Odion was rather peaceful and reserved, it was clear he would do whatever necessary to protect Marik. Even if it would hurt Marik doing so.
"… Fuck you." Bakura hissed out the words as he flung the door open, only to slam it behind him. He felt his anger building up. He had to get out. He needed some air now. He needed to get away from all of this. Bakura stomped down the hallway to exit the apartment, suddenly running into Marik and Ishizu as they entered the apartment. They both looked up in surprise, Bakura pausing in shock, his anger momentarily forgotten.
"Kura? Something wrong?" Marik quickly asked, noticing his boyfriend's tense and shaking form. Bakura just stared at Marik, staring into his lavender eyes. A rush of conflicting emotions flooded Bakura. He felt furious and frustrated, but he also found broken and defeated. He wanted to yell at Marik for ruining everything. He wanted to pull him close and hold him and never let go. He wanted to cry and push everyone away. As he looked into those lilac-colored eyes, Bakura saw everything he wanted and realized he couldn't have.
So Bakura did what he was best at doing – shoved away his problems. He growled as he shoved past Marik, ignoring the hurt look on his face as he stormed out of the apartment. He sprinted down the stairs and ran out of the apartment complex, not caring where he was going. He just had to escape. He had to run away from it all. He had to escape the Millennial Case, the Items, Mai, Yami, Ryou, Odion, Ishizu, Marik… All of it. He just had to get away.
Bakura wasn't even sure where he was running as he ran aimlessly down the sidewalks, turning at random as he sprinted through Domino. His lungs burned as they demanded oxygen. His legs, which had been stiff from sitting, ached as he ran even faster. He pushed pass the few pedestrians on the sidewalk, who turned to give him dirty looks. Bakura didn't care. As his snowy mane flew behind him, the cold air burning his lung and skin like ice, Bakura felt a slow release for his building frustration.
But it wasn't enough.
Bakura finally slowed as he body reached its physical limit, his confusing emotions still not yet settled. Bakura looked around, recognizing the streets as they led back to his old high school. Back when things were simpler. Bakura struggled to catch his breath, wandering into the alleys aimlessly, not sure what he was looking for. He made turn after turn without pause, not bothering to look where he wandered too. His luck finally ran out as he reached a dead end, a pile of empty crates and trashcans lying about.
Bakura glared at the rubbish as he breathed heavily as if they were the source of his troubles. His anger still wasn't spent. This week had been a fucking nightmare. And the nightmare wasn't over. Everything he had worked for, all the years spent building his reputation and his skills to keep him and brother safe, all the time seeking out what would make Bakura happy was now pointless. Because no matter how he tried, there was no way he could get everything he wanted. The mighty Thief King had been outwitted.
Bakura finally snapped, punching one of the crates. The wood crumbled under his fist. Bakura didn't wait as he turned and kicked a trashcan, leaving a hefty dent in the side. Bakura continued to pummel and smash his fists into whatever they could land it. Bakura was aware that he was yelling wordlessly, trying to find an outlet for everything that he had been feeling. He registered a dull pain growing in each of his hands, but Bakura was too caught up in the moment to stop. Physical pain he could deal with. Emotional pain was too much.
As quickly as it started, it was over. Bakura breathed deeply and heavily, catching his breath as he observed his handiwork. The alleyway was completely demolished, broken pieces of woods and metal cans lying haphazardly. Bakura let out a shuddering sigh, stumbling back until his back pressed up again on the walls, his eyes still focused on the destruction before him. He closed his eyes as he slid down until he was sitting, suddenly feeling the wave of exhaustion hit him.
Bakura leaned his head back, eyes still shut as the emotional onslaught that had hit finally passed and rational thought began to take its place. No matter how he sliced it, Bakura knew he had fucked up. Yet in spite of knowing that and knowing that he had ruined everything, he still wanted to try to save everything. He wanted to get everything. But to do that, he had to break it down. He had to understand where everything stood.
I want to get the Millennium Items to get the reward money. I want to keep Ryou safe. I want to keep Marik safe, but to keep Marik safe, I need to get him serious medical help. But if I do that, then Ryou'll be in danger. So I just have to keep my head down for now and wait until a later time to approach the issue. But that'll be after the case. That'll be after Marik meets Yami. Mai said she would arrange that. And if that happens, then Marik will try to attack Yami. That'll end up with Marik dead and/or Ryou dead.
... But perhaps I can tell Mai and warn her. I can let her know that I had found reason to not trust Marik. But then they might suspect me and that will put Ryou in danger again. I might even be allowed to complete this mission. I could tell Marik that Yami refused to meet with him? Or that I can't let him meet Yami? No… Marik would see that as a betrayal of his trust. That would hurt him or give him reason to distrust me, and given his health condition, I can't risk aggravating Marik…
… I can't win.
Bakura felt a heavy weight bare down on him, almost taking the breath out from him. It finally hit him that no matter how he tried to manipulate and maneuver his way, there was no out. All this time, he had always gotten what he was wanted. That's what thieves do – they take what they want. Bakura was the almighty Thief King. The work was a difficult and hard, but it made him feel alive. The reward, the lifestyle, the ability to stay near his brother – in end, Bakura got what he wanted.
But now… Bakura realized there wasn't a way to get everything he wanted. He was too greedy for his own good. Something would have to give in Bakura intended to make it out alive. Regardless how he tried, he wouldn't be able to get everything he wanted. He couldn't achieve all of his goals. In the end, he would come out the loser. Every possible outcome of the events to come would not make Bakura happy. Every possible outcome would make him suffer. And that hurt.
Bakura let out a shuddering breath, the urge to just curl up into a ball and cry suddenly feeling like a good option. So what if it sacrificed his pride? What pride did he have left? He squeezed his eyes shut, shoving the heel of his hand into his eyes, the other hand resting on his bent knees. He ignored the sting on his knuckles, knowing they were most likely bleeding. The bitter taste of his impending defeat and loss of everything he cared about sucked more than physical pain. The onslaught of emotions battered at Bakura's defenses, the albino feeling himself starting to hyperventilate, almost as if suffocating under pressure. I can't do this… Fuck!
A gentle touch to his hand snapped Bakura from his intense misery. He jerked his hand away from his eyes, stiffening as he felt a warm hand reach out to his own hand resting on his knees. He looked as he saw Marik studying his injuries, an almost exasperated look on his face. Bakura hadn't thought anyone had followed him. He hadn't bothered to pay attention – he just ran as fast as he could with no regard to anyone else around him. He felt a slight twinge of regret for shoving Marik out of the way earlier.
Bakura glanced down, seeing the cracked skin and bloody knuckles from his tantrum earlier. Marik removed his scarf before reaching up Bakura's sleeve, grabbing the knife he knew was hidden there. Bakura felt the traces of a smile growing, amused how Marik knew that the albino would have a knife up his sleeve. Marik unwrapped the scarf he was wearing and with the help of the knife, began cutting it up into strips to wrap Bakura's injuries. The thief didn't say anything but watched as Marik tended to his wounds.
In spite of himself, Bakura started blushing as he thought about how warm and soft Marik's hands were. It seemed like such a stupid thought, but he couldn't help thinking of it. He didn't realize how connective touch truly was until he was with Marik. Sure there were times when their actions were most lust-driven, but Bakura often found his hands wandering to hold Marik's hand or to brush his hair back or simply graze his skin. There was something binding through physical touch that Bakura had never realized before.
Marik reached to take Bakura's other hand, still not speaking but instead focusing on his task. Bakura felt a strong of emotion hitting him, just as conflicting and confusing as before. He wanted to kiss Marik, shove him away, cry into his shoulders… Bakura hated not knowing what he was feeling. Even though he knew of the horrible things Marik had done, he couldn't hate him. Those warm hands and gentle eyes that rescued Bakura from himself reminded the albino why he still needed Marik regardless of all that's happened. Bakura tore his eyes away from those soft lavender eyes and instead glared at the ground, hating his own weakness. He heard a soft chuckle from the man in front of him.
"You're kind of hopeless, you know that?" Bakura turned his head back, a confused look growing on his face at the small smile on Marik. Bakura didn't say anything but lowered his gaze, unsure how to respond. Marik finished bandaging the wound and sat next to Bakura, their shoulders bumping. "Do you want to talk about it?" Bakura narrowed his eyes and glanced away. There was no way he could explain this.
Bakura glanced to Marik at his side. This was the same kid who killed three people and gouged a man's eye out. No. That wasn't Marik. That was his other self. Marik is gentle, caring, snarky, childish… he's not cruel or malicious. I can trust Marik. But he needs help. This is clearly disrupting his life if he's murdered people due to his other personality. But with Odion… Bakura sighed, frustrated by his own incompetence. "Not particularly." Bakura decided to drop the issue. As much as he wanted to help Marik, he couldn't in his current position. He instead focused on the comfort offered by the warm body next to his.
"I figured you didn't. Okay then." Marik settled next to Bakura, a comfortable silence growing between the two. Marik rested his head on Bakura's shoulder as he rubbed the albino's knee. Bakura sighed, resting his cheek against Marik's crown, catching the scent of his boyfriend's shampoo. The two of them sat in silence, not speaking for a while. Bakura wanted to stay like this. He wanted to stay here in this trashed alley in the bitter cold if it meant staying by Marik's side. Where things weren't so complicated. When he was with Marik, nothing else seemed to matter. When he was with Marik, he was truly happy…
… I'm not going to accept this failure. There's still another way. I can do this. It's not over yet. Marik, Odion, Ryou… we all deserve better than this. Bakura felt a rush of determination. Things looked bleak and a fucking nightmare, but it wasn't over. He didn't need to have everything exactly his way – he needed to find a path where everyone comes out with minimum casualties. He could do this. He wrapped an arm around Marik's shoulders, pulling him closer. Marik hummed happily at the gesture, squeezing Bakura's knee.
"How was your afternoon?" Bakura asked softly, enjoying the relative quiet between the two. He caught a smile that grew on Marik's face. "It was fun. It's been awhile since Ishizu and I hung out. I was really happy when she asked to spend time with me. Although…" Bakura raised an eyebrow, glancing down at Marik, whose face had a distinctive red tint to it. "Although what?" He asked, curious as to what would embarrass the young Egyptian.
Marik looked up a moment as if thinking, before muttering out his response. "Well… she was worried about the bruises on my neck and thought you were hurting me and I had to explain they were… well…" Bakura snorted and started laughing out loud. He wished he had been there to watch the awkward showdown to occur. Marik shoved him with his shoulder. "Oh shut up! It's not funny! Like I want to explain how I got hickeys to my sister!"
Bakura finally got a hold of himself, a smirk still remaining on his face. "Do you want me to apologize for doing that then?" Marik glared at Bakura for a few moments before breaking off to stare at the ground. "No. Just… not where it shows, okay?" Bakura chuckled as he reached over to kiss Marik on the cheek. "Fine. I think I can manage that." Bakura considered his job accomplished as he saw the smile return to Marik's face.
Bakura then stood up, brushing himself off before turning to Marik. "Shall we head back before we freeze our butts off?" Marik stood and nodded, huddling into himself to fight off the cold. "Yeah. I don't know how you haven't iced over by now. Like shit, you don't even have a coat on. And it's fucking frigid out here." Bakura chuckled. He was cold, but he hadn't really noticed it until Marik had said something. "All the more reason for us to find someplace warm." Marik huffed as he fixed his coat before he took Bakura's hand.
The two made their way back to the apartment, but even as Marik chattered endlessly to Bakura, the albino's mind was elsewhere. If he was smart, he could turn their hopeless situation into an opportunity. As the cogs began to turn in his head, a plan started to form. It was risky and would involve a lot of planning and deception, but Bakura was never one to back down from a challenge. All it would require would be lots of work and a little help from someone…