Author's Note: Yesterday was my birthday! So here's my gift to you guys!

I hope you enjoy!

Bon appetite!

Despite all odds, Bakura managed to survive a day at an amusement park with Rebecca in tow. Mai was more than pleased to have the younger she-devil fill her in on all the details about Bakura's life at Kaiba Corp, leaving Bakura to watch in horror as he suffered through a whole day with the blonde she-witch. The only consolation was that with the two of them yapping, Bakura could escape away for a while as they went to do their own thing. So at least there was that silver lining.

Unfortunately, there was a drawback.

Rebecca saw their day at the amusement park as a special bonding moment for the two, even though Bakura did everything in his power to distance himself from the annoying brat. To his horror, Rebecca ran around the workplace on Monday morning, bragging about their special friendship that had developed over the weekend. Bakura vehemently denied the allegations, but the damage was done. Bakura now had to deal with an even more clingy and obsessive coworker than before.

While Rebecca was trying to increase his blood pressure, Mai seemed to have back off from the incident. Bakura was still suspicious of the manipulative witch who seemed to go back and forth between being on Bakura's side and wanting to fuck over his life. He complained to Ryou about this one day, who just rolled his eyes and told his twin that that's what friends will do. Bakura dismissed the idea, but Ryou insisted that Mai was fond of both of them in her own strange way.

Well, whatever the case may be, I still need my damn space. Bakura cracked his neck as he leaned back in his chair. He took a swig of coffee as his eyes glazed over while staring at his computer screen. He had been trying to fix this code for days now and kept running into roadblocks. This is why coding is such a pain in the ass. Damn. Bakura sighed as put back down his coffee, trying to find where the error in his program was this time. He found the irritations and pains of coding were miniscule compared to dealing with people.

Bakura didn't want to admit it, but for the first time since their parents died, he wondered if he and Ryou should consider getting separate apartments. By no means did he not like living with Ryou – as much as they annoyed each other, they were twin brothers. They had been through a lot together and even though it hasn't always been easy, it had always been worth it. They would do anything to keep each other safe and happy.

But Ryou's friends were rather annoying.

As much as Bakura loved his little brother, Ryou was finally coming out of his shell and becoming more social. Bakura was aware that his choice in career was the reason why Ryou had remained so reclusive, not wanting to reveal their familial connection. Now that Bakura had decided to go clean, Ryou could invite his friends over to hang out without fear of finding out of his criminal connections.

While Bakura was undeniably glad to see his brother doing much better and feeling happier about the whole situation, it didn't change the fact that Ryou's friends were exhausting to deal with. The former thief often found himself locked in his room to avoid social interactions, especially since Rebecca discovered where he lived. While Mai was tolerable some days and Joey wasn't too much of a pain in the ass when he wasn't working, that didn't mean he loved to spend time with these people.

So Bakura decided to seriously consider moving out. Not far away, but to his own apartment. In a way, it made sense to give his brother some space and they would be more than welcome to visit each other. It was strange this process of growing up and potentially getting his own place. Before, that idea seemed impossible – Bakura felt like he had to keep Ryou both close and distant in order to keep him safe. Now with no hanging threat on their lives, they could possibly close this chapter on their life and start a new one.

Even though this made the most logical sense, Bakura still felt hesitant talking to Ryou about this. He had no idea why, but part of him wasn't ready to let go. What it was he was afraid to let go of, Bakura wasn't sure of either. It was rather odd that he was getting cold feet over this of all things. It would make things considerably easier if Bakura could pinpoint the source of his concern on the matter, but he was baffled as to what it might be. Perhaps it was some insecurity he wasn't aware of?

Bakura snorted at himself, spotting the line in his code that appeared rather dubious. Of course I would start to chicken out now. I guess that's better than charging in recklessly. Bakura yawned as he rewrote the line of code, hoping to any deity that would listen that he fixed the issue. He went to go run the program when he felt his cell phone vibrate. Bakura paused a moment, glancing down in confusion. Who the hell would be calling him at work?

Unfortunately for Bakura, he wasn't the only one who noticed his sudden popularity. "Who's calling you Bakura?" Bakura jumped at the high-pitched voice that came from right next to his ear. "Shit, Rebecca! Stop breathing over my shoulder!" Bakura stood up, looking to step away from his tiny coworker as he found some space. Rebecca didn't get the memo as she followed the albino. "Who's trying to call you at work, Bakura? Is it a girlfriend? Is she cute?"

Bakura felt a growing migraine start to form. Suddenly, murder doesn't seem too outlandish. "No! Stop being such a pest and piss off!" Bakura slipped through the hallway and into the stairwell to separate himself, effectively cutting his coworker off from following him as he leaned against the door. Using his own weight a prop to block Rebecca from eavesdropping, Bakura finally answered his cell phone. "Hello?"

It took Bakura a moment to recognize Anzu speaking. "Bakura! I'm so glad I caught you. Is this a good time?" Bakura sighed, glancing out the window of the stairwell to see blonde pigtails watching his shoulder. "Not particularly, but if it's short, I can make it work. What's up?" He heard shuffling on the other side of the line. "Do you think you could run over here? It's important." Bakura felt the door push against his back. He grimaced as he slammed his weight back against the door. "Not really. I'm at work. Can't it wait un-"

Anzu's reply made Bakura freeze. "Please! You have to come down. He's been painting all day… I think Marik's back."

It only took a few seconds for Bakura to decide to run down to the hospital. He ordered his blonde partner to cover for him while he ran out from work. Kaiba could yell at him or fire him or do whatever he threatened to do. Bakura wasn't going to miss this. Not after weeks and months of nothing from Marik. After all this time with limited success, this was the first true glimmer of hope. It made Bakura cling to the chance that it wasn't all for nothing.

Bakura jumped out of his car as he ran into the atrium, the receptionist almost startled by his appearance. She gaped at the albino as he snatched a visitor tag and practically sprinted down the hallway to the elevator. He jammed the button a couple of times, unable to contain his nerves. Bakura had no idea what to even think or say. The hope that he could see Marik – not Namu, but Marik – was more than he could have hoped for.

Bakura blinked a couple of times as the elevator doors opened, stepping out into the hallway as he wandered towards Marik's room. A motion from the corner of his eye caught his attention as he glanced over, seeing Anzu shuffling quickly over to the albino. Before Bakura could speak, she raised a finger to her lips gesturing to Bakura to remain quiet before pointing down the hall. It took a moment for Bakura to realize that the open door was Marik's room. Namu never left his door open – he hated visitors.

Bakura swallowed the hard lump from his throat as he quietly walked down the hallway, the midday sunlight filtering in as he approached Marik's room. He licked his lips nervously as he stood just outside the room, peering into the open door. He couldn't see Marik from his vantage point, but Bakura knew he was in there. He sighed, trying to calm his nerves and failing. He had been on countless dangerous missions before, but none seemed more perilous than the half-opened door in front of him.

He heard a light chuckle behind him as Anzu lightly pushed Bakura forward. He snapped his head around, glaring at the psychiatrist. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head, almost as if she knew something that Bakura didn't. Thankfully, that push reminded Bakura that he needed to stop acting like a damn coward and man the fuck up. He took a deep breath as he stared ahead, his pride finally motivating to act. He exhaled before he quietly slipped through the doorway into the room.

Bakura spotted his Egyptian companion, who had his back to his guest. He wore a loose white t-shirt and his hair was braided back to keep out of his face. Bakura blinked as he realized that he was painting on one of the canvases Bakura bought him weeks back. He had figured Namu had trashed those at some point just to indicate how much he despised the albino. Bakura stood there, leaning against the walls with his hands in his pockets as he observed his companion painting.

Bakura wasn't sure how much time passed, but he knew it had been awhile. The entire time, Bakura went unnoticed as he observed the artistic resident, who seemed completely focused on his craft. After some time, Bakura shifted his weight, a light scuffling finally indicating his presence. He saw the figure freeze, a brush still in hand as he turned around. Bakura felt his breath caught as his dark brown eyes locked with bright lavender ones.

… Marik.

For the first time in weeks, there was no question in mind who Bakura was staring at. A rush of confusion and relief flooded his mind as he watched the object of so much joy and suffering his life for the past several months. Marik's shocked gaze remained frozen on his face before disappearing, his expression darkening. Bakura was reminded that the two were staring dumbly at each other and figured now was as good of a time as any to break the silence.

"… You're painting again." Perhaps it wasn't Bakura's best attempt at a conversation, but Bakura couldn't suppress the intense nerves that were prickling at him. Marik said nothing, lowering his paintbrush to set it by his easel as he studied the albino. Bakura glanced down for a moment, his shoe digging into the carpet as he tried to figure out what to say. Was Marik going to give him the silence treatment again?

"You sketch anything recently?" Bakura decided to try to keep the conversation going regardless of how Marik reacted. He avoided the intense lavender eyes that bore into him as Bakura glanced around looking for the sketchpad. Chances were Marik was still pissed at him, but Bakura didn't care. Even if it meant Marik confirming Bakura's fear that Marik still hated him, he would rather have closure than wonder why he still couldn't let go after all this time.

"Dr. Mazaki said this was the first day she's seen you really get back into your art. What made you start?" The sunlight flittered into the room, the natural light reminding Bakura of the many times he would hang out with Marik as he drew or painted. There was something very nostalgic about the scene. The only thing missing was Marik incessant talking about anything that crossed the youth's mind.

Finally the silence ate away at Bakura. Initially he could handle it, but Marik still observing him in silence got to him in the end. Bakura let out an irritable sigh, huffing as he blew a lock of hair from out in front of his face. "Well? Are you not talking to me or what?" He saw Marik turn his gaze away, his expression narrowing as he bit his lip. Bakura continued to glare at Marik, tired of being ignored.

Bakura sighed as he turned to leave the room. Part of him didn't want to leave – part of him wanted to stay until Marik finally did talk to him. But he also knew that he could be standing there for a long time otherwise. If Marik wasn't ready to speak to him or just didn't want to speak to him, then Bakura sticking around wouldn't change his mind. Bakura lifted a hand out of his pocket as he reached towards the doorframe to go out.

"I'm angry at you!"

Bakura stopped in his tracks, pausing as he heard Marik finally yell at him. Weeks of silence finally ceased and Bakura felt nothing but elation at the nasally voice he was so familiar to. It took Bakura another few moments to realize the content of Marik's statement. Bakura was glad he wasn't facing Marik, unsure if he would be able to mask his emotions from one he had been so close to.

Bakura decided to settle into his spot, dropping his hand from the doorframe but remaining still as he let Marik decide what the next move was. He kept his back to Marik who let out a loud sigh, a sound of agitation escaping. It took a few more moments before Bakura heard Marik to start ramble without end. "I'm angry at you. It's your fault my life's all fucked. But it isn't. I don't know who's it is. But you didn't help. You tried, but you failed. You fucking moron."

Bakura felt his eye twitch at the accusation. Okay. I kinda deserved that. Fair enough. Marik wasn't done talking. "And even though I'm pissed at you, I get stupidly happy whenever you come by. Life fucking sucks here and my head is all screwy and I feel like less of a person every time I wake up. I don't know when 'he's' going to come around and afterwards, I feel like shit because everything is shit. So when you're around, I feel relieved. You, of all goddamn people, keep me fucking grounded!"

Bakura didn't have time to process as he heard Marik let out a sound resembling a strangled moan. "But every time I think I'm happy to see you, I remember Odion. And I can't bear that pain. You took away my brother! He had always been there for me and now… I can't handle my grief. I don't know how! I don't know to how to handle my negative feelings because I keep fucking dissociating or some shit! And I can't stand it!"

Bakura could hear Marik start pacing, the albino leaning against the wall slightly as he listened to Marik rush forward. "I can't deal with all of these emotions! It's too much! I know what you said is correct, but it doesn't make it right. It's my fucking life and everything's so fucked up and I don't know how to handle it. And every time when I'm overwhelmed, I keep thinking that everything would've been better if I never met you. That my life would be better if you never visit again!"

Bakura didn't trust his voice as he swallowed the hard lump in his throat. He knew the moment Marik started talking that he was going to find out if Marik hated him still or not. And although he knew that not knowing was agonizing, finding out the truth would also be painful. Because in the end, Bakura knew how Marik felt towards him after all that happened. Even though Bakura knew he needed to hear the words to believe, he had always known the truth.

Marik was silent for awhile and Bakura realized what Marik's last words meant. They weren't a wish so much as they were instructions – Marik wanted Bakura out of his life. Bakura let out a shaky breath, careful to keep his face hidden from Marik. He knew what Marik wanted, but he still found that first step out the door to be the most painful. I keep hurting him. I keep hurting both of us. It's for the best.

"Don't you fucking dare think about leaving, Bakura. I'm not done with you! You can't leave… Pl- No, it's… I'm scared!"

The words confused Bakura more than he already felt. The tone of the words was so different from the angry, spiteful tone that had assaulted Bakura just before. It was that puzzled reaction that gave Bakura pause as he stopped in his tracks. He wasn't sure, but Bakura swore he caught an almost desperate note in Marik's voice. He heard Marik breathing deeply behind him, almost as if trying to force himself to calm down. From the growing hint of panic, Bakura could tell Marik was failing at this task.

"I'm afraid that I'll be alone. I'm scared that I'm beyond help and that I'll hurt people. That Ishizu will hate me because I'm not getting any better. That I can't control myself and the other side of me is going to come out and hurt me or the others around. He's gonna hurt Dr. Mazaki or the other patients. He'll hurt Ishizu. Or he'll hurt you. I'm afraid he's gonna hurt you, or worse, that I'll hurt you. I'm afraid that you're angry at me or that you're disgusted by me! I shouldn't fucking care, but I do! I'm afraid that you still hate me! And I'm afraid that one day you're never going to come back through my door again!"

At those last words, Bakura could hear the choked sob that had been forming in Marik's throat finally break through. Marik was unable to hold back his tears as he finally caved to his overwhelming emotions. Bakura felt numb to the experience, a surreal feeling washing over him as he slowly turned to glance at Marik. The youth in question wasn't looking at Bakura. Instead, Marik wrapped his arms around his torso as he leaned against the wall, shaking slightly over as he cried. He ducked his head down as he tightened his arms around himself.

Bakura watched a moment longer before he regained enough sense. He thought for a few moments before sighing softly. He took a few steps towards Marik until he stopped a few feet in front of Marik. His first instinct was to rush over to Marik, embrace him and never let go. But Bakura knew that it wasn't the simple. As much as his emotions screamed for him to hug and kiss Marik to make all their problems go away, life was more complicated than that. Fucking reality.

Bakura watched Marik for a few more moments, the crying youth not yet noticing the albino standing in front of him. Even though Bakura knew he had really screwed both of them over what with all that happened, it was also apparent that Marik had made himself suffer more by being stubborn. The thought of them both being terrible at figuring out relationships was strangely comforting to Bakura. He heard Marik start to calm down, his sobs growing weaker as his breaths became steadier.

"… Better?" Marik started at the sound of his voice, his head jerking up slightly, but still remaining lowered as if afraid to look up. He didn't say anything, almost as if unsure as to how to reply to the albino's question. Bakura stared at the crown of Marik's head, trying to gather his thoughts. Knowing that Marik was just as jumbled and confused as he was gave Bakura the confidence to keep talking. "Got that out of your system?" Bakura knew he was sounding snarkier than he felt, but it was hard to change his inflection.

When Marik continued to remain silent, Bakura figured he could start talking. "Good. Alright. Well first off, yeah, you're right. I was an asshole. I still am one. I'm sorry. You've every right to be pissed at me." Bakura glanced away as he saw Marik clenched his fists. "I'd be pissed at myself too if I were in your shoes. So if you want me to leave, then I'll go." That got a reaction out of Marik, who finally snapped his head up. Bakura couldn't avoid the confused lavender eyes that locked with his maroon eyes.

We have no fucking clue what we want.

Bakura knew if they were both being logical, they should cut their losses now. They had a good run and things didn't work out like they wanted. There was too much baggage to make this work. But Bakura had always liked when the odds were stacked against him. He loved the challenge. And he could tell from Marik's fearful expression that he didn't want Bakura to go either. That Marik wasn't lying when he said he was afraid that Bakura would leave and not come back.

So perhaps they did know what they wanted.

"… Marik, I don't hate you." Bakura said the words softly, feeling an ache in his chest that was different from before. He had no idea what it was, and despite the hard lump that was forming, Bakura found he didn't mind this pain. He saw Marik tremble slightly, his eyes watering up again. This kid is a freaking waterfall. Bakura smirked lightly as he rolled his eyes, reaching behind him to snatch a tissue off of Marik's desk. He handed him the tissue, Marik blinking in confusion before taking it.

Bakura shook his head, his smirk growing. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Marik let out a huff, pouting slightly at the accusation but not denying it either as he wiped up his unshed tears. He gave Marik a moment to compose himself, Bakura using this time to look around the room while he talked. Anything to avoid looking at Marik, but he was sure this lump in his chest was moving up towards his throat. Lord forbid he start to show how fragile he was feeling.

"… Really?" The question came around out like a squeak, a blush growing on Marik's face. Bakura chuckled in spite of himself, still avoiding eye contact. It took him a moment to realize what Marik was asking. "Yeah. I never hated you. You pissed me off loads of times, but I've been more concerned than anything else… Sorry that I have a weird way of showing concern…" Bakura winced, feeling the sharp twinge of guilt for his past actions.

Bakura shoved his hands into his pockets, unsure what to say or do anymore. He had told Marik what had been bugging him the most from Marik's tirade, but he wasn't sure what else he should say or do. He heard Marik sigh softly, his lavender eyes narrowed. "I don't hate you as well, but… I don't forgive you either. After all that happened… I just-" Marik stopped talking as he glanced away, his expression twisted in frustration and sorrow. Bakura felt that familiar sting of guilt that he could never shake. He probably never would.

"… I know. I'm sorry, but I understand…" Bakura spoke softly, though the words rang loudly between the two. Despite how close they were, Bakura was constantly aware of their broken relationship, the shambles that was left. Even though Bakura knew hoping was pointless, part of him stupidly wished that today would be the day that they could fix it and make things work. He wanted that despite everything that had happened.

Well, perhaps things can't be fixed. But that doesn't change how I feel. Regardless of whether Marik hated him or not, Bakura realized he still cared very much about Marik. It didn't matter if his feelings wouldn't be reciprocated. When Marik had told him that he hated him those months back, the words had eaten away at Bakura. And even though it hurt, Bakura never once thought of rejecting Marik in the same way.

In a way, Bakura found peace in knowing that he still loved Marik, even if Marik couldn't love him back.

Bakura shook his slightly as he realized he had been zoning out. He blinked a few times as he looked away, Marik doing the same as well. Bakura hadn't meant to stare down his companion and felt slightly embarrassed by the gesture. He coughed lightly, trying to break the awkward silence between them. Thankfully for Bakura, Marik broke the silence for both of them.

"You know… I-if you still… I gu-… Look, I'm sorry too for everything that happened. So if you're still mad at me, I understand…" Bakura blinked at that as he looked back Marik, who kept his gaze lowered. He… thinks I'm still mad at him? It was a strange thought since Bakura realized that that thought had never crossed his mind. In some ways, it felt like Marik couldn't accept that Bakura would be so willing to forgive him, that he must still be angry at him and loathe the young Egyptian. He guessed in some ways he would be justified if he were angry with Marik, but that emotion never really came into play.

"I'm not mad at you Marik. Like I said – I was more concerned than anything else. Things got really heated between us before your trial and you kinda scared the shit out of me for awhile… but I wasn't mad. More scared and worried… Don't fucking tell anyone that." Bakura rushed out the last part, suddenly aware that honesty meant being vulnerable. Last thing he needed was people finding out the former Thief King was a coward on top of being a softie. That would quickly destroy his well-established reputation.

Marik glanced back up for a moment, his eyes wide and anxious before ducking back down. "But… But I said some real awful shit to you. And I attacked you and tried to-" Marik cut himself off as his hands clenched, afraid to continue out. Bakura decided to spare Marik from his guilt. "Don't worry about it. I was being an asshole you and antagonizing you. You had every right to be pissed with me. And it wasn't you who tried to strangle me, remember? That was Namu. And believe it or not, Namu has been far more civilized towards me recently."

Marik raised his head, a disbelieving look grew on his face. Bakura shrugged, a somewhat bemused look on his face. "Seriously. Namu hasn't attacked me since. Though some of his drawings are a bit concerning. He might have some aggressive tendencies that he should talk to Dr. Mazaki about." To Bakura's surprise, this got a dry laugh out of Marik, who had a rather sardonic frown on his face. "Fantastic. My insane alter ego isn't trying to murder you. Someone give that freak a prize."

Bakura smirked as he raised a hand to run his fingers through his hair. "Same as always." Marik pouted slightly, more annoyed than amused. Bakura decided to push his luck, sensing that Marik was still feeling upset. "Honestly, Marik, when has there ever been a time when things weren't rocky? You interrupted my heist, I stole an Item from you… we've been giving each other shit right from the beginning. Damn, I'm starting to feel a bit nostalgic now, I might even tear up."

Marik turned to glare at Bakura, but the albino could tell Marik was cracking by the smile that was slipping through. "Has anyone ever told you that you can be a real asshole?" Bakura smirked as he shoved his hands back in his pockets. "May have heard that before once or twice. Hard to say." Marik snorted as he turned away, crossing his arms. Even though he looked grumpy, Bakura was sure he saw Marik's lip twitch. Never had he felt so close and so distant to the youth in front of him.

"Hey, Marik?" Both of the men turned around as they saw Dr. Mazaki stick her head through the doorway. "Cafeteria is about to close and you haven't grabbed lunch. Do you want something to eat?" Marik narrowed his eyes, as if debating whether he actually was hungry. He glanced between Anzu and Bakura, and the albino could already see the dilemma forming. Bakura smirked as he glanced back to Anzu. "He'll be there in a minute. We're just finishing up."

The young psychiatrist nodded as she left the two men. Bakura raised his arms over his head to stretch for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut at the motion. He swung his arms down as he turned to leave, deciding to make good on his word. "Well, I guess that's it. I'm out of here." Bakura saw no reason to overstay his visit. After the weird conversation they just had, Bakura wasn't sure if it was pre-emptive to feel relieved or hopeful. There was definite progress, but Bakura wasn't sure what would happen next.

"Wait!" Bakura blinked as he felt Marik's hand grab his, praying to whatever deity that he was only imagining the blush that was growing on his face. He snapped his head around, now certain his face was a blotchy red. Damn it! Why do I always act like a fucking high school girl with a crush when he's around? Bakura said nothing but waited for Marik to speak, not wanting to crush that spark of hope he felt as the warm digits holding on to his.

Bakura stared at their connected hands, waiting for Marik to speak. Bakura could feel Marik's hand trembling against his own. "Are you… W-will you come back to visit?" Bakura narrowed his eyes as he focused on their hands, contemplating the question. It took a moment to realize that the question was Marik's way of addressing his aforementioned fear. Bakura raised his gaze, his dark brown eyes burning as he met those damn beautiful eyes.

"… Do you want me to come back?" Bakura retorted back, his expression revealing nothing. Marik raised his gaze to finally meet the intense, dark eyes that were studying him. "W-what?" Marik finally choked out, surprised by the retort. Bakura felt himself grow nervous. He only hoped that he was imagining that his palm was becoming slick with sweat. Nevertheless, he kept pushing for an answer. He wanted Marik to know that he would do it for the most important person in Bakura's life. "Well, do you want me to come back?"

Marik furrowed his brow as he lowered his head, afraid to meet Bakura's gaze. The silence after the question was agonizing. Finally, Bakura heard a soft, shaky response. "…Yes." At that, Bakura remembered how to breathe as he let out the breath he had been holding. Marik still avoided his gaze as Bakura let out a soft chuckle. The albino shifted his hand to interlock their fingers, holding Marik's hand. He disguised the smile growing on his face as a smirk, enjoying the look of surprise on Marik's face as his gaze shifted from their joined hands to Bakura's face.

"Right. Then I'll be back." Marik blinked for a moment before nodding, still not yet believing what happened. As if he couldn't believe. Bakura chuckled lightly, brushing his thumb over the back of Marik's hand. He resisted the urge to do anything more – things were so fragile as it was, but the simple act of holding hands filled Bakura with such elation. All too soon, Bakura released Marik's hand, his smirk softening into something that resembled a genuine smile, a rare expression on the grumpy ex-thief.

Marik let out a nervous chuckle, a tentative smile growing on his face as he nodded again. He still held his hand out as if not realizing Bakura had let go. Bakura closed his eyes as he shoved his hands in his pockets, feeling as if his skin tingled where his hand had touched Marik's. He smirked as he turned around, not one for sappy, long goodbyes. Even still, Bakura couldn't help the grin that grew on his face as he left.