-30-

The phone rang, and Bakura sighed, pausing the video game he was playing. It was probably Ryou, which meant he needed to answer it.

"Hey, Ryou," he said into the phone before putting him on speaker so Malik could hear too.

"Hi. How are you guys?" Ryou's voice chirped from the speaker.

"Pretty tired from the constant fucking, but other than that, alright," Bakura said with a smirk, and Malik gave him a playful jab on his arm.

"Yes, well...that's…" Ryou paused to groan. "Anyways, enough of that talk. I called to say we have the spell finished. So just let us know when exactly you want to cast it."

"It's only been a couple days since you told us about what we have to do," Malik said. "Bakura and I haven't exactly...talked yet about what our plan is."

"I don't want to pressure you before you're ready, but you do realize the Shadows will influence you against doing things that will help you get out," Ryou said.

"We know, we know," Bakura said.

"I swear we'll talk about it soon. Today," Malik assured him.

"Rishid and Ishizu are arriving in Japan tomorrow," Ryou said. "So please call me tomorrow evening. And please try to be ready by then...or at least let me know exactly when you will be ready."

"We will," Malik said. "I promise."

Then Ryou told them the words for each of the two spells they'd need to cast, and Malik copied them down carefully, reading them back to Ryou to make sure he'd gotten it right. Once they were sure the information had been conveyed correctly, Malik thanked Ryou and promised again to call back the next day, then hung up the phone.

Malik looked at Bakura with a sigh. "Well, I guess we have to talk about it now."

"Yeah," Bakura said, sighing as well.

Malik walked over to the table and sat down, and Bakura followed. Malik seemed to concentrate for a moment, and soon wires and jewels appeared in front of him, and he began fiddling with them, idly beginning to make a piece. Bakura understood he was doing it to distract himself from the stressful conversation, to calm himself as they talked. Bakura decided it wasn't a bad idea and picked up a wire as well, starting to wrap it around a random stone.

Finally, Bakura said, "Well, I think you should be the one to do the spells. You're better at ancient languages and casting and stuff than I am."

"Yeah, I figured I'd be the one doing it," Malik agreed, looking down at the table at the piece he was working on instead of at Bakura. "I'll look over the spells and memorize them. I don't want to be trying to read off of a piece of paper while the demons are chasing us. I'm good at memorizing stuff, though...I guess my childhood education is turning out to be useful for something."

Bakura nodded. "I'll try to...you know, keep the demons away from you while you're casting." Bakura winced at the thought of the demons coming after Malik, then looked down himself, watching his own fingers wind a wire around the gem in his hand.

"They shouldn't be able to stop me," Malik said. "I mean, even if they try to gag me or something, I don't think that would work. From everything I know about spellcasting, magic is more about force of will than anything. And I was thinking about what you said before, about how we don't really have bodies here...so it's not like I really have vocal cords that actually produce sound waves when I talk. So I don't think the spell would be based on that."

"So, then the demons will mostly be trying to distract you, right? Trying to hurt you or upset you so you can't concentrate on doing the spell?" Bakura guessed. He gave the wire he was holding a harder than necessary twist. "I guess I'll try to stop them from doing that, then."

Malik looked up for a moment, nodding, before glancing back down and continuing to wrap the wire around the stone he held. "So, I'll do the spells and you'll try to keep the demons busy...and then…"

Malik trailed off, and Bakura finished for him, "I guess the only thing left after that is to figure out how we're going to create the light magic that will get us the hell out of here once and for all."

Malik nodded again. "Any ideas?"

Bakura stared down at the gem between his fingers, twisting the wire around it again and again. "Should I...you know, say that I...th-that I, you know—"

"Don't you dare!" Malik said with such vehemence that it made Bakura's eyes go round as he looked up sharply and dropped the piece he was working on onto the table.

Malik had briefly looked up from his work to admonish Bakura, but now he dropped his eyes again, looking at the forming piece of jewelry in his hand and turning it over and over. "I seriously don't care if you ever say it, but if you do, I don't want it to be because you have to," Malik continued. "And not in front of the demons. I'm certainly not saying it for the first time in front of the demons, I can tell you that much."

"Oh?" Bakura said in a teasing tone. He batted his eyes in an exaggerated manner and gave Malik a sly smile. "I didn't realize you had your heart set it on being special the first time. Is there some particular scenario you've dreamed of?"

Malik snorted. "Well, admittedly, at this point we've waited so long to say it that it would be kind of anticlimactic if you just tossed it off while I was doing the dishes or something."

"What if I tossed it off while I was doing the dishes?" Bakura joked.

Malik scoffed and gave Bakura a sardonic look. "That will never happen. You'll definitely say it way before I ever get you to do the dishes."

Bakura laughed out loud, then after a moment said, "Well what do you want to do, then? I suppose fucking in front of the demons is still out?"

"Definitely," Malik said firmly. "Besides, I doubt it would even work. I mean, with the demons watching, and trying to stop us by doing...well, I don't even want to think about what they're going to be trying to do to us."

Bakura grimaced. "Well, do you have any better ideas?"

"I don't know, can't we just, like, do whatever feels right in the moment? That seems like the way this sort of thing ought to go."

"You know I usually like to plan every detail and have backup plans for my backup plans. But…" Bakura shrugged. "Hell, not like that ever actually worked out for me. I suppose we can just wing it, if that's what you think is best."

"If nothing else, we can just kiss," Malik said. "That's worked before, right? So that can be the backup plan."

"I guess we'll just have to make it a really good kiss." Bakura gave a little laugh.

Malik nodded. "So, are we done talking about this? That's everything, right?"

"I guess," Bakura sighed. "But you know we have to talk to Ryou tomorrow, right? And we should really tell him we're ready to go ahead and do the spells. We can't wait forever."

"I know," Malik said. "But until then...we can just try to relax and not think about it, right?"

Bakura nodded in agreement.

After that, they did as Malik said. They fucked, and slept, and fucked, and slept, and played video games, and dreamed up their favorite foods to eat, and Malik made himself study the spells so he'd be sure to have them perfectly memorized. And eventually, they knew they couldn't put it off any longer, and they called Ryou.

Ryou answered on the first ring, and Malik put him on speaker. Before Ryou could even ask, Malik informed him that he and Bakura were ready to do the spell now. Sounding relieved, Ryou said he'd go set up the things he and Malik's siblings would need to do the spell on their end, and then he handed the phone over to Ishizu. Malik talked to her for a while, then to Rishid, listening to assurances and advice from them and promising them that he would be alright and would see them very soon.

Then, finally, Ryou got back on the phone and said everything was ready.

"Alright," Malik sighed. "I guess we're ready, too."

"Don't worry," Ryou said. "I know you guys are going to do what you need to and be back here with us in no time."

"We will," Bakura said, trying to sound confident.

"Yeah," Malik agreed.

After a few final well-wishes from Rishid and Ishizu, Malik finally hung up the phone.

He and Bakura looked at each other and then, without a word, walked to the front door. They both took a breath as they linked hands, and then Bakura reached for the doorknob.

-31-

Bakura and Malik stepped out the front door of their apartment for the first time ever.

Bakura could see nothing ahead of him but pitch blackness. He turned back to look at the construct. He didn't know what he'd expected to see. Maybe an apartment building? But it was just a bright spot of white light with gold and silver sparkles shot through it.

And Malik was already beginning to chant the first spell. Bakura tugged on his hand to make him understand that he wanted to get moving, and then he began jogging off in a random direction, and Malik came along. Bakura didn't think the demons would try to come for them quite yet—the demons wanted them to destroy the construct and dampen their light magic, leaving them vulnerable—but he figured it was best to start moving now. When the demons did try to come, it would be harder for them to find them if they were a moving target.

Besides, he wasn't sure if he actually wanted to witness the construct being destroyed. Even though he knew now that it wasn't a real apartment, it had been home for quite a while. And they'd created it together. The idea of obliterating it gave him a bit of a pang in his chest.

But it wasn't long before Malik finished the spell. There was a bright flash of light that in some way made Bakura think of a silent explosion, and then Bakura immediately felt that he was somehow less than he'd been just a moment ago. But he reminded himself that the full power of their light magic would restore itself on its own soon. And he didn't have time to think about that now. Malik was already beginning the second spell, and they needed to keep running.

He didn't imagine they'd be able to avoid the demons entirely, but he could buy them as much time as possible. He ran faster, and Malik kept up, panting as he spit out the words of the spell.

They actually managed to avoid the demons for longer than he'd thought they would. It wasn't until Malik had stopped speaking aloud—which Bakura took to mean he'd finished the second spell, though he couldn't be sure since he didn't understand the language—that a huge black creature leapt out of the darkness and swung its giant barbed tail at them, knocking them to the ground.

Bakura gasped in pain, then looked over at Malik. "Did the second spell work?"

"No way to tell for sure," Malik said. He breathed heavily, sounding like the wind had been knocked out of him. "But I think so. I know I did it right."

"Can we create light magic again yet?" Bakura asked as he struggled to get up and pull Malik with him. Bakura didn't feel like their power had been restored yet.

"One way to find out," Malik said, and leaned in as if to kiss him.

But the demon didn't let it happen. It swung its tail again, causing them to crash back down to the ground with a painful thump. Bakura didn't think the kiss would have worked anyways—not yet.

Then, before he knew it, the demon had shoved its way between him and Malik. He still clung to Malik's hand, but their bodies were separated by the large body of the demon.

"You've removed your own protection," the demon rasped. "How courteous of you."

"It will be back at any moment," Bakura said.

He knew what was coming now. The demons would want to hurt them, and it would be a much more severe form of torture without the full power of their protective magic hindering the demons. But he'd suffered worse. And so had Malik. They just had to get through it until their full ability to create light heka was restored.

More worrying was the fact that the demons would be trying to separate them before their power was restored. But he couldn't let that happen. They would need to hold onto each other at all costs.

Suddenly, another demon shot out of the darkness, and Bakura saw Malik wince as it sunk its claws into his shoulders. The first demon did the same to Bakura, and Bakura bit his tongue at the sharp pain. Then the demons started to pull them in opposite directions. They tried to hang on, but the creatures were too strong, and Malik's hand slipped out of Bakura's grip, causing panic to flare in Bakura's gut.

The demon still had him in its talons, and it pulled him backwards, away from Malik. But the demon didn't take him far. It seemed to try, but something was preventing it. The demon that held Malik, too, seemed like it was struggling to get farther away, but wasn't able to.

Bakura let out a relieved breath as he realized it was because of their light magic. He knew it had been dampened, but not totally eliminated; it wasn't possible to completely extinguish it. And even when dampened, apparently there was still enough power there, and the strength of their bond was preventing the demons from pulling them too far away from each other.

But then Bakura suddenly couldn't see Malik anymore, or the demon that had ensnared Malik, or even the demon that he could still feel holding him in its claws.

"It isn't real," he heard Malik call, and even if he hadn't heard him he would have known he was still close by—he could feel him.

It took a moment for Bakura to register why he couldn't see anything. Then he understood that the place had filled with smoke, as if a raging fire had been set.

But the demons were just trying to scare him. Malik was right—it wasn't real.

It felt real, though, much more real than any of the horrifying visions the demons had given him lately. He was already starting to cough and choke from the smoke that was entering what felt like his lungs, and he could feel the heat on his skin, only prickling at first but then stinging and burning.

He wondered if he should have been more worried and frightened. But this wasn't real, and Malik was right there.

The pain was terrible though. He felt the flames licking at his skin, burning, burning, burning, and he couldn't help but cry out at the feeling of his flesh being seared. But he concentrated on Malik's voice, yelling for him to hold on, that none of this was really happening, that Malik wasn't going anywhere.

He didn't know how long it went on before the smoke finally cleared. Maybe the demons had given up on that gambit when they saw they couldn't make him panic, and still couldn't get him far away from Malik.

But when the smoke finally dissipated, Bakura saw a terrible thing in front of him. Though he hadn't been there himself, he instantly recognized the scene from Malik's childhood. The demons had recreated the room where Malik had taken the initiation, and Malik was tied down to a slab in the middle of the room. The only thing missing was the stick he'd bitten on that day.

Bakura would have run to him if he could have, but the demon still held him, its claws refusing to dislodge from his shoulders no matter how much he struggled. So then it was Bakura's turn to call out to Malik that none of this was real, and that he was still right here.

But he wasn't sure if Malik heard him. Malik was looking up in horror at the demon that had captured him and now stood over him brandishing a sharp blade. It still looked like a demon to Bakura, but he wondered if it looked like something else to Malik.

Bakura tried harder to wrench away from the demon that held him, but it was no use.

But the other demon didn't cut Malik. Instead, it hissed, "You do not have to go through this again. You can go home at this very moment. Of course, you may not take the thief."

"No," Malik said. There were tears in his eyes.

"You do not believe our offer is genuine?" the demon asked. "Trust in me, you have been nothing but a nuisance to us since you came here, and we only wish you gone."

"Fuck you," Malik said, though his voice shook.

"I shall show you," the demon said. Then it did a strange motion with its talons, and suddenly a portal opened up in front of Malik.

Through the portal, Bakura could see Ryou and Malik's siblings, each glowing with a faint blue light as they stood in what looked like a living room. Was it real? Or another illusion?

"Bakura!" Ryou cried. He tried to rush at the portal, but some kind of force knocked him back.

But when Ishizu reached out, crying out Malik's name, her hand came through. She didn't seem to be able to fully enter, but she reached in far enough that she was able to touch Malik's bound hands.

Malik gasped, and Bakura could tell by the look on his face that he was feeling something he hadn't felt in a long, long time—the touch of real human skin. And Bakura believed in that moment that what they were seeing truly was real.

The demon that held Bakura turned to Ryou. "Their light magic has not been restored as you predicted. They are helpless."

Ryou gave Bakura a pained look, regret in his eyes. "It will come back, it has to! Just hold on!"

"I know," Bakura said, trying to sound confident for Malik.

Ishizu still clung to Malik's hand, seeming to try to pull him towards her. The demon that stood above Malik said, "Perhaps your light magic will come back, perhaps it will not. Frankly, we do not want to take the risk. We have tired of fighting the two of you. We desire for you to leave this place, and will consider the thief prize enough for us."

"No," Malik spat. "I've told you I won't leave him." He clung onto his sister's hand like a lifeline, seemingly unable to help continually shooting worried glances back at the demon above him, which was making slashing motions with its knife that stopped just short of catching Malik's back.

"Malik, everything will be alright," Bakura said, attempting to make his voice sound as calm as possible even as the demon's talons painfully twisted in the muscles of his shoulders.

"Malik...please…" Ishizu cried.

"You still do not believe us," the demon looming above Malik said to him. "And yet, we have opened the portal and have allowed you to touch the woman. Do you see how she glows? That is the light of an anchoring spell. Now that you have touched her, we no longer have the power to tear you away from her. We could not stop you from leaving now if we wanted to."

The demon that held Bakura turned again to Ryou. "It is true. Tell him."

Ishizu tore her eyes away from Malik and looked at Ryou. "Is it true? Can he come home to us right now if he only chooses to?"

Ryou shook his head, giving Ishizu a confused look. "What? Why does that matter? He's not leaving without Bakura. I swear, their light magic will be back any minute—"

"Then it is true!" Ishizu exclaimed. "And you can't claim to know the light magic will come back! You said it would already have been restored by now, but it hasn't!"

"What‽" Ryou yelled.

"Malik, you can come home right now!" Ishizu said to him, sounding excited.

"Listen to her," the demon hovering above Malik hissed. "Listen to your sister. Leave the thief here, and go home to your family."

"Malik...Brother...please just leave him and come home," Ishizu said, tenderness and worry in her eyes as she looked at Malik. "We love you, and—"

"Fuck you, Ishizu!" Ryou screamed, and Bakura actually yelped in shock, more surprised by this development than anything else that had happened that day—he'd never, ever heard Ryou curse before.

"You think you get to have your brother back, and I don't get to have mine?" Ryou shrieked, making something twist in Bakura's heart in a strange way.

"Ryou, please, see reason!" Ishizu said desperately. Her usual calmness, the cool and detached demeanor she normally carried, was gone, and she looked more harried and stressed than Bakura had ever seen her. "He's not really your brother, but Malik is my brother, and you know how much we love him. You can't expect him to sacrifice himself for someone who—who is a murderer and a thief and a grave robber! I'm sorry, but you know it's true!"

Ryou gave Ishizu an absolutely murderous glare, looking almost like he wanted to leap at her, but he held himself together. Then Bakura saw the look of concentration in his eyes and realized he was still holding the anchoring spell for them, and that he couldn't let himself get too distracted or the spell would drop and neither of them would be able to get out even if the power of their light magic was restored.

"If you are having trouble making your choice," the demon standing above Malik said, "I can begin cutting, and that may help you along." With that, the demon reached down to trace the tip of the blade over one of Malik's existing scars, producing a thin trickle of blood and causing Malik to squeeze his eyes shut and let out a desolate-sounding moan.

But after only a moment, the demon stopped cutting, and Malik opened his eyelids to gaze again at his sister.

Ishizu looked at Malik with pleading eyes. "Brother, please…"

Rishid stood behind her, stoic. "It is your decision."

"Malik," was all Bakura said. Malik had been silent, looking too shocked to speak as each rapid development hit him one by one, but Bakura already knew Malik's answer, and only wanted to remind him he was still right here beside him, no matter what the demon did to him.

Then the demon brought the knife down again, harder this time. It dug the blade into Malik's back, and Malik screamed, tears leaking from his eyes.

The demon paused in its cutting for a moment. "Does this help you come to your decision? Once I start again, I will not stop."

"I love you, Brother," Ishizu said again. "Don't make the same mistake twice. Come back to us."

Ryou cursed her again under his breath.

"No," Malik said clearly.

Malik gave Ishizu a look of grave disappointment—disappointment in her, Bakura knew—grief and sorrow shining in his eyes. The demon raised the knife again, and as it started its downward arc, Malik let go of Ishizu's hand, pulling as far away from her as his bonds would allow.

"Malik, why?" Ishizu cried, trying to reach for him again.

But she could barely be heard over Malik's screams as the knife began carving into him. Tears pricked at Bakura's eyes as he watched and suffered along with him.

Then Bakura suddenly felt a fullness and warmth inside him, and he knew without a doubt that their power was finally being restored, the ability beginning to simmer inside him, not so strong yet but slowly building.

He tried to pull away from the demon again, and this time he freed himself easily; it was like there was a rubber band snapping him to Malik's side.

Without a second thought, he leapt up onto the slab, putting his own body between Malik and the knife. The knife came down once more, and when it did, it sliced into Bakura's bare shoulders.

The demon tried to dislodge Bakura from Malik's body, but it couldn't. In its anger, it brought the knife down again, cutting ribbons of skin from Bakura's shoulders.

"Your magic is failing you," the demon hissed as it cut again. "You are still here, and we can still harm you. If you choose to suffer this, so be it, but I will cut you all the way through until this blade reaches him. First, though, I will allow you to experience the very same torment he endured as a child."

Bakura clung to Malik, shielding his body with his own as the demon sliced into his skin again and again, the knife going deeper into his back each time. He couldn't help crying out with the pain of it, wondering why they hadn't been transported back to the world of the living yet. Had Malik cast the second spell wrong? But he could feel his ability to create light magic continuing to grow in him, and as it began to reach a crescendo, he knew that even if they couldn't get back to Ryou and the others, at least he could protect Malik.

And yet, even as he felt the power of their light magic continue to increase, his suffering actually grew worse, the pain from the cuts intensifying and seeming to become more and more real as his body somehow began to feel more substantial. The pain went on, and on, the knife carving into him again and again, intricate bladework being carved over his shoulders, hot blood flowing down his back as Malik below him let out an anguished moan, presumably at the agony of simply knowing what was happening to Bakura above him.

But then suddenly the pain did end, in the brightest flash of light Bakura had ever seen, and before he could even blink he was lying on the floor somewhere and he saw Ryou rushing over to him. But the pain was only gone for a second, and then it hit him again full force.

"Malik," he choked out, suddenly realizing Malik's body wasn't underneath him anymore. He heard Malik let out a quiet sob.

"Bakura, you're home, you're safe," Ryou reassured him, bending down to kneel beside Bakura, reaching out to grab his arm, and Bakura suddenly knew what Malik must have felt when he'd touched Ishizu's hand. The feeling of real skin, his own skin, touching real skin was like nothing he could remember feeling before.

"Malik is right here," Ryou said. "You're both safe. But you're bleeding, here, let me look at that—"

Bakura frantically looked around to search for Malik, the pain in his back flaring from only that slight movement. But he calmed when he did see Malik, crushed in a tight hug by Ishizu.

"Oh, you're bleeding too," Ishizu said to Malik. "Here, we can—"

Ryou swung around to face Ishizu. "Get out."

Ishizu looked at him in shock. "I understand that you're angry, but I do have to attend to my brother. He's injured."

But Malik pulled away from her and went to Bakura's side.

"Are you alright?" Malik asked Bakura.

"I've survived worse." Bakura tried to laugh.

"Get. Out," Ryou repeated to Ishizu.

"Ryou, surely you understand—I apologize if I've offended you, but—"

"Ishizu, I swear, if you don't leave right this instant—" Ryou started. Bakura had never seen Ryou look so angry.

"You're being ridiculous," Ishizu said. "And Malik, Ryou will take care of your friend. Now come here and let me look at your cuts. We've got to do something about them."

Malik gave Ishizu a weary look. "Sister, please just respect Ryou's wishes and leave now. I'll see you later."

"But Brother—you can't possibly—"

Rishid came up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. "I think it is best if we go for now."

"You ought to listen to him before I do something we'll all regret," Ryou said coldly.

"Sister, please," Malik said. "The last thing I want to do right now is fight. Ryou can take care of my wounds. I promise I'll see you soon. Tomorrow, alright?"

Ishizu frowned. She gave everyone in the room a haughty, tart look. "Very well, if that is how you all feel. We will return to our hotel. Malik, I expect to see you as soon as possible." With that, Ishizu marched out the door. Rishid followed, but paused to give Malik a quick hug, quietly saying something to him that Bakura couldn't hear.

Once the door closed behind them, Ryou said, "I'm sorry if I caused problems with your siblings. But I just couldn't have her here anymore right now. I think you can understand how I felt about what she said about Bakura."

Malik nodded. "I do."

"Oh, and...I hope my outburst at her didn't imply that I didn't trust you not to leave Bakura behind. I was just so mad that she even suggested it...and the things she said about him." Ryou shook his head. "And...after all this time, all the time I've been working with her, all these years, I...I had trusted her to help me get both of you out. I would never have encouraged Bakura to leave you. Especially not right in front of your siblings."

"Don't worry. I get it," Malik said.

"Alright, well...then let's just forget about it for now?" Ryou said, giving them both a friendly smile. "Let me go get some stuff to treat your injuries."

Malik and Bakura both nodded. Then Ryou was bustling around, collecting bandages and salve. Bakura turned over partway, futilely trying to get into a more comfortable position.

"Bakura," Malik gasped, eyes going round as he looked at him. "Oh, hell. Oh, I'm so sorry."

Bakura was still overwhelmed with pain. "What? Why?"

Malik gave him a look of deep sadness. "You've got...across your shoulders...it's the same as mine…"

Bakura tried to smile, but it ended up as more of a grimace. "What, I have your wings? I'm alright with that. They look pretty cool on you."

"Shut up," Malik said, seeming unable to help smiling a bit in response.

Then he pulled Bakura into his arms, being careful to avoid his wounds, and for a moment, all of Bakura's pain seemed to disappear as he felt his very own skin against Malik's for the first time ever.

Bakura held him tight. "It's okay. We're okay."

Malik snuggled in closer, sighing with pleasure, seeming to experience something similar to what Bakura was. He looked at Bakura, eyes tinged with relief, and gave him a soft, affectionate smile as his hand came up to gingerly touch his face. "Yeah. We're okay."

-32-

Ryou had cleaned and bandaged their wounds, and even managed to make some magical salve that greatly reduced the pain. Bakura could barely feel his injuries anymore.

Ryou theorized that since the final piece of the spell to bring them back to the world of the living had been completed before the full power of their light magic was restored, instead of being transported home instantly their bodies had slowly become more and more solid as the power of their light heka increased, and this all meant that the wounds they'd attained in the Shadow Realm after the completion of the spell had actually affected their physical bodies, and as a result the injuries had come along with them when they'd escaped the Shadows.

Malik's wounds weren't nearly as deep as Bakura's—superficial, really, since his body had only just started to begin becoming solid when he'd suffered them—though it did worry Bakura a bit that the cuts had been made over existing scars. Bakura's wounds, though, were severe, and would definitely end up scarring.

But Bakura truly didn't mind. In a way, he kind of liked that he partly matched with Malik now, though he knew better than to say that to him. Instead, he'd just pointed out that he already had a scar on his face, so what was one more on his back? Really, the only thing that bothered Bakura about his new wing-shaped scar was the fact that it upset Malik.

After their injuries had been treated, Bakura had snuggled up close with Malik on the couch, Ryou sitting at the other end of the sofa, and the three had talked for a while, half-watching the TV in the background and eating snacks. They'd made plans to go out and do all the things Malik and Bakura couldn't do back in the Shadow Realm, where it was impossible to leave the apartment. Malik had said he would keep his promise to visit his brother and sister the next day, though he expected his siblings would go back to Egypt soon.

Malik and Bakura had told Ryou that they themselves planned to stay in Japan, at least for the foreseeable future. Ryou had said they could sleep over at his apartment for as long as they needed to, but they all knew the two would want to get their own place as soon as possible. Though Bakura didn't think he wanted to go too far away from Ryou...from his family. He saw now that Ryou really was his family, and it made him choke a bit every time he thought about it. Of course, he wouldn't have said any of that out loud to Ryou. But he did tell him they'd visit often after they moved out on their own.

Once night had fallen, Ryou had sighed and said that he'd sleep on the couch and let Malik and Bakura have the bedroom for the time being, as long as they absolutely promised not to tell him anything whatsoever about what they were going to do in the bed, and to burn the sheets before they moved out. Bakura had snickered and agreed, as Malik gave Ryou an apologetic look and tried not to look amused.

And now, finally, they were alone. It was funny that they'd just spent years being completely alone, with no one at all besides each other, but all Bakura craved at the moment was to be alone with Malik again.

They stripped and fell into bed together, kissing as if they'd never kissed before. Bakura basked in the feeling of Malik's real skin against his—his actual, own skin in his own body. It was electric.

They cuddled and sighed and kissed and caressed each other for a long while, and then finally Malik turned Bakura over onto his stomach, and Bakura arched his back with eagerness.

Malik spread Bakura wide and leaned down to give his hole an experimental flick of his tongue, and Bakura almost screamed. Malik began circling his tongue around the tender skin of Bakura's entrance, going faster with each pass.

"Oh...oh, gods, oh Malik! Oh gods!"

Malik paused for a moment and gave a soft laugh. "That good?"

"It's...oh, gods...it's so intense...I could actually feel physical sensations better in the Shadow Realm than when I was feeling everything through Ryou's senses, but this...in my own body...it's indescribable..."

Malik smiled and leaned down to start slowly circling his tongue again, and Bakura called out his name. He built up again to going faster, and after only a minute Bakura cried, "Oh, Malik, now...fuck me, right now!"

Malik stopped his ministrations and gave Bakura a little kiss on the back of his thigh. "We can't yet, Bakura. You're a virgin, remember? I seriously don't want to hurt you."

Bakura made a soft whining sound and buried his face in the pillow, and Malik dove down again. Bakura whimpered continuously as Malik went on, his legs shaking, and when Malik started flicking his tongue and then poking it inside just a bit, Bakura cried out at the top of his lungs, shouting curses and chanting Malik's name. Malik responded by spreading Bakura wider and sliding his tongue in deeper, and Bakura lost his mind.

"Please, Malik, please fuck me, please I can't take it..."

But Malik went on licking for at least ten minutes, which felt like hours to Bakura, who wailed and begged and shook and spasmed involuntarily the entire time.

Finally, Malik drew back, and Bakura sighed in relief when he saw him pull out the lube.

But he slicked his fingers instead of his cock. "I'm going to prepare you first—and before you argue, remember you've never had anything in there before. I'm not just going to shove my whole cock in right away and tear you open."

Bakura sighed, defeated, knowing it would be futile to try to change Malik's mind. "Hurry...please..."

"You're the one who wanted me to be gentle, remember?" Malik said sardonically, and Bakura groaned.

Malik must have understood how desperate and ready Bakura was, because he at least started out with two fingers instead of just one, and Bakura moaned in gratitude. Bakura's body shuddered as Malik slid his fingers fully inside, his hole gripping them and sucking them in deeper.

"Alright?" Malik asked.

Bakura gave an emphatic nod.

Malik began slowly drawing his fingers in and out, and Bakura immediately bucked up. But Malik placed a hand on the small of his back and held him down firmly. "No, Bakura. I'm not going to let you rip yourself apart."

Bakura whimpered. "F-faster, please."

Malik obliged, thrusting his fingers in and out a little faster. When he crooked his fingers to find the bundle of nerves Bakura had been wanting him to touch, Bakura went wild, and Malik had to press down on his lower back with all his weight to keep him still.

Malik's fingers brushed against the right spot inside Bakura again and again, and Bakura moaned and yelled in utter desperation, out of his mind with pleasure and need. He finally had to bite down on his own arm, sinking his teeth in deeply enough to draw blood as every muscle in his body tensed from the overwhelming sensations Malik's fingers were giving him.

Malik slowed his thrusts and then pressed his fingers directly into Bakura's prostate, massaging it with slow circles. Bakura released his arm from his mouth and wailed, digging his fingers into the bedspread until his knuckles turned white.

"Please, Malik...I'm ready, please, please I can't stand it..."

Malik looked down at Bakura's face. Bakura's eyes were a bit wet now—he was almost crying with need. He knew Malik must have seen.

"Alright. Flip over," Malik said, voice thick, as he withdrew his fingers.

Bakura quickly did as Malik said, turning onto his back and bending his knees as he spread his legs wide. Malik dumped more lube into his hand and then coated his cock. He took just a second to gaze down at Bakura, to lock eyes with him and take in the look of heated desire on his face. Then, finally, he plunged inside, and Bakura cried out in ecstasy.

"Oh, gods," Malik said once he was fully inside. His entire body shuddered uncontrollably on top of Bakura's. "Oh, gods, it's..."

"S-see, I t-told you," Bakura managed.

Malik had to close his eyes for a moment, apparently overwhelmed. "Oh, Bakura...you're so...you feel..." He couldn't seem to finish.

"Yeah?" Bakura said. He flexed his muscles inside, squeezing around Malik, and Malik let out a helpless little yelp.

Malik stayed like that for several seconds, completely enveloped by Bakura, body shivering but not otherwise moving, his nails digging into the skin of Bakura's arms.

"Move, Malik," Bakura said. He tried to rock his hips, but was held down by Malik's weight. "Please."

"I-I c-can't," Malik said. "If I move I'm going t-to...to..."

"Oh," Bakura said softly.

Malik breathed in and out, seeming to try to get ahold of himself. Bakura could feel Malik's cock pulse with need inside his body. Bakura's own cock ached and throbbed between their bodies, desperate for attention.

"Malik...I need to move...please..."

"A-alright," Malik said, and he started slowly, gently rocking against Bakura. Bakura swayed his hips in time, arching up into Malik.

"Touch me," Bakura begged. "Please touch me."

Malik responded immediately, sliding a slick hand between their bodies and giving Bakura's erection a firm stroke, and Bakura cried out with pleasure.

Malik kept his strokes as slow as his thrusts, making Bakura's cock ache for more and causing Bakura to moan with desire.

"Faster," Bakura said. "Please, faster!"

"I c-can't..."

"Malik...faster...I'm going to...I'm s-so close..."

"Oh," Malik breathed, and then he did speed up, suddenly slamming into Bakura as hard as he could and making Bakura scream in rapture. Malik's hand on Bakura's cock continued to keep pace with his thrusts, fast and hard now, Malik squeezing Bakura's cock and stroking it quickly as he pounded into him.

It was only a few seconds later that Bakura spilled over Malik's fist with a loud shout of euphoria, and Malik groaned in relief as he stopped holding back and let himself explode inside of Bakura.

They rode out their orgasms, continuing to move together, gradually slowing as they both emptied themselves completely, shouting incoherently at the beginning and then moaning softly and finally whispering each other's names and nuzzling their faces together as they wound down.

When they finally finished, they lay together, making no move to pull out, enjoying the closeness. They shared gentle kisses, sighing as their hands wandered over each other's skin with soft caresses. After several minutes, Malik finally let out a happy sigh and withdrew, rolling off of Bakura and lying next to him. Bakura rolled onto his side to face Malik and pulled him close.

Malik chuckled. "I don't think that even lasted a minute."

Bakura laughed as well. "I guess we really were virgins."

Malik snuggled in closer. "Well, we have all the time in the world to practice together."

Bakura smiled and gave Malik a quick kiss. "Sounds amazing."

AN: They lived happily ever after!

Thanks a lot for reading! I hope you enjoyed the story! Let me know what you thought of it! I appreciate all reviews and favorites!

I'm on AO3 under this same name if you'd like to see more fics with this pairing and also some fics from other fandoms! Currently I'm co-writing a pretty long Thiefshipping fic over on AO3. I'll probably eventually post the entire thing here when it's done, but if you want to see it sooner, check out ChaosRocket on AO3!