A/N: New chappy for you, enjoy! I mentioned in the last chapter's a/n that I had a clear idea of what is going to happen, well… far more ended up happening than I planed and this chap. came out longer than planed, and now I just have to put some stuff I wanted in this chapter to the next one. Whenever I actually have a plan, things just don't go as planed or/and I just change my mind and end up not following it… Maybe I should just stop planning all together.
Marik was standing outside the apartment building. He had been there about ten minutes or so, feeling nervous as hell. It had been so easy to just leave the house. In fact he had been happy to get out. Ishizu and Rishid were literally breathing on his neck almost 24/7! It was understandable that they didn't want to leave him alone; he didn't really want to be alone much either, but too much is always too much. Not to mention that they hadn't been very thrilled when Marik had off handedly told that he thought that he should tell Bakura. Especially Ishizu had something against the albino. The blond failed to see her reasons though… The guy had practically saved him. Was there something wrong with that? Sister said something about methods and motives…
Okay. So the methods were questionable and he intended to find out about them. But motives? What motives? Did Bakura really need some sort of alternative motive and if he did what could it be?
Marik was spacing back and fort in front of the building now. Maybe he should just go back and come back another time… What if--what if he told him and… he'd lose him…?
"What are you doing here?" Asked a familiar, gruff voice as someone grabbed his shoulder from behind, making Marik jump out of his musings.
"Oh calm down! It's just me."
"Bakura! Don't sneak up on me like that! You scared the hell out of me!"
Bakura grinned sheepishly at the other's out burst.
"It's not my fault that you don't pay attention to your surroundings."
Marik was about to say that it, in fact, was his fault but decided not to and just made a face in annoyance.
"So, what could possibly bring you here?" Asked the albino again and in a way that told that he already might now the answer.
"Oh! I-ah…" Marik stammered before finding his words. "Could we somewhere? To talk, I mean."
The albino shrugged "Sure. I know a place." He started walking down the street with Marik just a step behind. They walked in silence.
The silence was pressing, like it weighed them down, making their steps echo. Marik pondered how he should go with this when they reached wherever they were heading. He looked at Bakura who was slightly ahead. His hair moved in sync with his steps, bouncing with every one of them. The lose T-shirt he had on flapped a bit. Those created a strange but enticing world of visuals and sounds.
Step bounce flap, step flap bounce flap flap, step bounce flap. Bang!
"Ouuww…!" Now where did that lamppost come from?
Bakura halted at the sound and turned to see his companion holding his nose near a lamppost. He raised a questioning eyebrow at the other's predicament.
"Distracted much?"
Marik glared. "No! I just walked into a lamppost and almost broke my nose. Thank you for caring." He spat sarcastically, voice a bit nasal, holding his nose with both hands. "It was your fault, anyways!" He said without thinking and Bakura's eyebrow clearly wanted to fly of his face.
"And how was that my fault?" He asked before a realization was seen on his face and expression turning knowing and smug. "Or were you so busy admiring my… features… that you forgot to watch where you were going?"
The blond continued to glare, not managing to look very threatening though. "What was that supposed to mean?" His eyes widened a bit. "Ooohh. No. No, it's nothing like that."
"No?"
"No, I wasn't looking at your… er… features… as you put it." Now where had he got that idea? It's not like-
(( He quickly tossed the book as far away as he could with a horrified expression.))
"I did NOT just think that…"-he was… attracted to the other in anyway.
With a heavy, a bit mock disappointed, sigh Bakura grabbed Marik's hand and started to walk again. The blond gazed at the hand now holding his and blinked, twice.
"Just so you don't walk into anything. You're so spacey." The albino explained sounding annoyed. Marik looked up form the hands but Bakura was facing the street so he couldn't see his face.
"Mmm, okay… Where are we going by the way?" Marik hadn't been in this part of town; the buildings didn't look familiar to him as he looked around.
"You'll see." Bakura glanced at Marik who frowned uncertainly.
"I used to come here all the time. Trust me, I know where I'm going."
Trust…?
It had been so long since he last trusted someone… Still he let the albino lead him to… where ever.
……………………………………..
Finally there, by the half abandoned movie-theater. Half abandoned because movies were still showed there but almost no one ever went there. Mostly only people who lived near by or had nowhere else to go.
Bakura led Marik inside the graffiti filled building.
"This is it?" The blond asked taking a glance around.
"Yeah. Hardly no one comes here so it's quiet and nobody cares if you crash around a bit."
The place looked like someone had done more than a bit crashing around though… Some guy lay in a corner. Sunshine didn't penetrate the dirty, partly broken windows and the lights weren't working so it was very dark. The two walked through the small lobby, past the empty ticket booth, to a door. Above the door with faded silver letters read 'Kinoko 1408'. Bakura opened the door and walked in, pulling Marik after him.
"It's sort of dark in here…" The blond informed quietly, subconsciously walking closer to the other who didn't have a problem with the darkness; he could see perfectly well.
"Wait here. There's the chairs, sit down." Bakura sat the other down in a movie theater chair near the back and went off to fix them some light. He knew the place so well, having came here very often in the not so distant past, he didn't really need to see to find his way around but it was a good thing he did anyway since there was all sort of stuff on the floor.
He wasn't sure why he brought Marik here, this had been his safe hiding place for long and he didn't usually bring others here. Not that he ever had someone he wanted to take with him. The old movie-theater had been the first place to pop in his mind. Maybe Marik needed a place to hide away for a while too…
One lone light lit in the sealing, shining faint orange light. Bakura went back to the blond and flopped on a seat next to him. "Enough light for you to see talk?" The albino asked from Marik who had looked around in the room but now turned his eyes to the other.
"Strait to the chase huh?"
"What else?" The other answered with a shrug. The blond took a deep breath, reappearing himself while the other gazed at him, waiting and ready to listen.
"You know what? I can't… This was a stupid idea." Marik stood up suddenly, sounding bothered and somewhat embarrassed. "What was I thinking! It would have been better if I had just stayed home with Ishizu over caring and telling me not to trust you and-." He ranted mostly to himself, the other looking a bit baffled. "-the damage he did! My poor motorcycle was in bad shape but I really don't get why- That thing! I should just go back… You were dragged in this too! It would've been better if we hadn't met at all. At least you-!" His rant was stopped by a pale hand over his mouth. Marik stared at the hand dumbly before his eyes drifted down the arm, up the face and met with sharp brown ones.
"Shut up."
Sure that little rant had given Bakura some bits of info but the last part… It wouldn't have been better for them not to meet! Without Marik his life would've just continue to be a boring drag. He hadn't thought that he would ever give a damn about anyone, except for maybe Ryou, but then this god dammed smart-ass brat had came along and turned everything upside down! And the funny thing was that things had actually changed for the better, thanks to the smart-ass brat, Marik, his Egyptian.
Bakura removed his hand from the other's mouth and placed both of his hands on the blonde's shoulders, softening his eyes and pushing the other back on the chair with surprising gentleness. Marik gazed at him with questioning eyes, waiting him to give some explanation to this sudden behavior.
The albino sat back down. "If we hadn't met that day my life would still be boring as hell so not a word about us meeting being a bad thing." He looked at Marik as if challenging him to argue. "I don't care if you have psychotic other personality…"
Marik's eyes widened before narrowing. "You don't care? Honestly?" He asked skeptically.
"Why would I?"
"Well most normal people care if someone can go psycho on them." Marik said matter-of-factly, Bakura gave a slight smirk.
"Since when have I fitted in that category?"
The blond shrugged at that, a smile tugging his lips. "You're right; you don't."
"Exactly."
The one light went out and the room was filled with darkness again. Before they had much time to react beginning credits started to play on the screen. The screen was bit ripped and dirty. The movie was an old black and white.
"They still show movies here?" Marik asked astonished.
"Sometimes." The albino acted as if it wasn't anything unexpected. "The movies are always old though… and mostly either very bloody or very sappy."
This time it came out as sappy, filled with people oh-so-in-love. On the bright side the mood was lightened by a degree again as they made remarks about the actor's skills, corny lines and over done love scenes. At one point almost everybody in the movie came to their end. It went from ever so corny love story to right out massacre. Maybe it was a different movie all together… But this was also the point when Marik started telling his story, first in short quiet whispers, gaining length and volume as he went on. Through out the story, from that faithful birthday to the present when the other personality reappeared, the other didn't take his eyes of the screen but it was clear that he was listening; slightly nodding or making a quiet noise to encourage the Egyptian to continue.
Bakura didn't see the screen or what was happening anymore so concentrated on Marik's voice, the words he spoke. He had been right about some things, even most things actually, but the emotions that came with hearing the words were a surprise to the teen. Especially compassion was weird for him…
"I actually talked to him…" Marik spoke still whispering. "He said he could do anything I wanted but couldn't because I'm too afraid to." He let out a wry laugh. "So everything bad or terrible he does, or did, is my fault because I wanted it." Tan teen snickered in self-irony again. "Funny how I never really remember wishing my father dead."
Now when Bakura turned to look at the other, his expression not giving away anything, he could see the pain Marik was hiding behind his all most deranged snickers. The normally sharp and merciless red-ish brown eyes softened into a more chocolate shade.
"Come on, Marik. Lets get out of here."
"Where to?"
A teasing smirk adored his face. "It's a surprise."
………………………………….
After some walking the two arrived to a café. It looked like every other small café and Marik considered it a bit weird that this was the place they came to. He had somehow expected something… different.
"Bakura?" He spoke to the other who was sitting opposite to him.
"What?"
"Why did we come here?"
The albino answered with an 'I know everything and you know nothing' –expression, slightly annoying needless to say. "Because I'm hungry and we can get food for free here." Marik gave him a questioning look and he continued to explain. "See that waitress over there? Just flirt with her a bit and you don't have to pay."
The blond looked at the direction the other was indicating. "I see…" He said lamely.
"Yeah. Discovered it when Ryou first dragged me here. All he needed to do was smile and be his over polite self, I just followed his lead and needn't to pay for a thing."
Marik frowned. Did this girl like Bakura or was she like that with all the others too? She wasn't even very pretty, maybe a bit slut-y. Now that he thought of it, he hadn't really deemed any girls pretty, or attractive, in… some time.
"Something wrong?" Bakura asked the other with a raised eyebrow; Marik was almost glaring at the waitress now.
"No, nothing!" He quickly snapped his attention back to the pale teen.
"Good." It was clearly something but the albino let it slide, he could question further later. "She's coming, put your nice and charming face on."
"Fine, fine. Wait… You have a nice and charming face?" The blond asked, obviously not believing, but before the other could answer the waitress was already there.
Well, apparently, Bakura indeed had his own nice and charming act. Through out the process of ordering he was all charming smirk and smooth talk. Marik could easily tell that he was clearly faking it but the waitress was completely oblivious as she giggled at something he said and promised that everything he or 'his cute friend' ordered was on her. The blond didn't really need to do much, just sit there, act nice and look 'cute'. Inside he felt like vomiting; he was not cute and just… eeww. He didn't like this girl.
Finally she left. The two glanced at each other after she was out of sight. Marik pretended to stuck his fingers in his throat and made a gag sound, Bakura laughed at this in agreement. They got what they ordered quickly and with sickening sweetness.
"You're such a terrible actor. Anyone with brains could tell that you weren't sincere." The Egyptian commented arrogantly.
"Oh? You think you could've done better, little cute Marik?" Asked the other teasingly, earning a glare.
"Tch, of course. And don't call me little or cute, you sorry excuse of an actor."
Bakura just chuckled at the insult. "What should I call you then?"
"Hmmm… From now on you shall address me as Your Great Awesome-ness!" Marik declared with a dramatic hand gesture, which served to knock down the small vase that was on the table.
"I believe Your Great Awesome-ness just made a mess."
"Oh shut up 'Kura."
He wiped most of the water away with a napkin and put the flowers back in the vase, placing it aside. They started eating and drinking. When the albino said that he was hungry he had obviously meant it…
"You eat like a pig."
"Hmph, Ryou keeps telling me that too." He said with half the sandwich in his mouth, the blond made a face.
"I'm trying to eat here!"
"Tell me when you stop trying; I'm already done."
"Excuse me for having table manners."
Marik continued to eat after doing some necessary-at-this-moment eye rolling. The food was rather good, along with coffee. The other was watching him the whole time, waiting for him to get done. The intense gaze was making him a bit uncomfortable though…
"Are my eating habits really that interesting?"
The other smirked. "Highly interesting… You done?"
"Yep." Last sip of coffee. "We're going somewhere?"
Bakura nodded and they both rose and exited the café. Again the blond found himself following the other down the streets, wondering where they were going. Every time he asked all he got was another 'You'll see'. It was annoying to certain extent but it was kind of nice too; to spend time like this and being treated like a person even after he spilled his darkest secret to Bakura. Actually… He had told the other all that and he couldn't help feeling that while he had been so open, the other was still very closed up. Then again, what had he expected?
……………………………………..
"What can I say? I like looking down on people."
The rooftop wasn't all that high; the buildings surrounding it hid most of the city from view and there was, once again, no apparent point in going up there. Without further ado they flopped to sit on the roof, near the edge. The roof was built in a way that if you sat on the right spot near the edge, you couldn't be seen from the street below. This served a purpose in what they were planning to do; throw rocks at innocent by passers. So maybe this was not the sort of thing that mature people did for fun and 'Wanna throw rocks at people?' seemed like a stupid suggestion but screw manure and smart behavior; they were having fun. Fun was needed, especially now.
"Watch this." The albino aimed, threw his pebble and hit a bird that was flying by. The bird dropt unconscious and hit a person who was walking on the sidewalk. The person let out a strangled cry, not expecting raining birds.
"Nice one" Commented Marik while still laughing. "Hey, bet I can hit that kids ice-cream."
"You're on. If you miss you have to… tell your cousin that you secretly love him and worship him as your god for a week."
The blond made a disgusted face but excepted anyway; he just aimed more carefully because the stakes were so high. The small rock whirled through the air and sank right into the ice-cream, knocking it out of the kids hands in the progress. The blond turned to Bakura with a triumphal grin on his face.
Bakura frowned. "You didn't tell me what I'd have to do if I lost."
The grin didn't go anywhere and the albino had a feeling that this didn't bode well. "Oh you just have to tell me a little something, don't worry." The grinning teen chirped, certainly not decreasing the other's uneasiness.
"What do you want to know?" There were only few options in Bakura's mind what it might be and he didn't like any of them.
"You see, my sister suspects that you used some questionable method to… help me with my other personality." The Egyptian started casually, confirming the other's speculations. "And I-."
"It's none of your sister's busyness." Interrupted Bakura.
"But it is my busyness! I won't tell her if you don't want me to but I need to know."
"Why?"
"I'm trying to gather up my life here." He looked the other deeply in the eye, honest. "I was afraid to tell you… about past, I thought you might hate me…"
The albino turned his eyes away towards the street, unable to look at the other. "I um…" Despise his distaste towards cowardice he realized that he was the worst of them all. So afraid of… What? He wasn't even sure what it was, exactly, that he afraid of. Truly pathetic.
"I kind of… gave… the meds to you orally." There! Wonderful; he didn't even stammer or mumble much.
Bakura glanced carefully at the blond who looked puzzled, frowning slightly. The albino sighed, annoyed by the other's stupidity. He acted on impulse, as he often did when he was annoyed or angry enough, and leaned closer.
"Like this…" Bakura closed the short distance between them and pressed his lips against the blonde's. Taken back, Marik's eyes widened a bit before becoming half lidded as he leaned in, partly out of instinct. Bakura just slightly moved his mouth to against the other's before pulling away. They both turned back to stare at the street below.
"Oh…" Was all Marik had to say, as if just now realizing the albino's 'secret method'.
"…Yeah…" That could've gone worse; the blond could've just beat the crap out of him, or tried to anyway. They just sat there in silence, watching as people hurried by on the street below. The situation could be more awkward; surprisingly it didn't really bother them so much. Then again they weren't at ease either; in that case they would have just joked it off by saying something completely stupid…
"That, I won't be telling to Ishizu." Marik broke the silence suddenly. Bakura gave him a sideways glance and noticed that he was looking at him with a smirk.
"Hmph, you'd better not. I'm on her hate list as it is." He felt a slight tugging in the corners of his own mouth as the other laughed.
"I know! Not to mention that she's breathing on my back enough already."
The pale teen gave in to the tugging and let his lips curl up. He turned to face the scenery in front of him with his companion. These were the places he used to come alone when he needed a break from his life. Never had he shared their whereabouts or his frustrated anger or sadness with anyone.
If you can't put something into words, show it.
A/N: I hate the ending so much! Ugh. I just didn't know how to end it but felt like I needed to before I shoved everything into one chapter. I'm such a terrible authoress… Thank you for everyone who keeps reading this crap :) and a huge thanks for those who review, it means alot to me.