A/N: Oh my God, guys! I thought you might like chapter 5, but I didn't expect you to like it that much! Thank you so much, everyone! It means so incredibly much to me.
Thank you, Anon (I'm glad you don't think it's just dragging because that was one of my greatest fears as much as rushing the story. And yes, noses are super sensitive!), ToriPANDAKun (thank you, too! Your friend told me you recommended my story, that means so much to me!), Saminagg (Just like I'm eagerly waiting to finally write it :D), Elle-L (That was helpful, so thank you! I'll pay more attention to it. And I'm uber happy that you're enjoying the story so much!), Pockyfeind, J. L. Lunar (They sure are hypocrites but I love them anyway~ And yes, moar Thiefshipping! ...OMG, I just imagined that! XD), Kuracakes (wie gesagt, danke dass du mich nicht umbringst :D), ryoubakura98 (I couldn't imagine them as a couple either a few months ago xD The idea is nice! It's just that Ryou and Mariku would most likely recognize them despite their disguise. But you did just give me a good idea. I will credit you!), immaperson (no need to apologize. I'm very happy that you do review and I'm glad I could help even if not intentionally :)), ShesDreamingAwake (thanks for the compliment, I must be doing a fine job then~) and KittyScarlet (I'm glad I could make you laugh~ And I'm not an Anzu fan either but she was the perfect uhm... 'victim' in this case)!
I didn't think this chapter would be so long and oh look! This is my first story that reaches 50,000 words! *clap clap* There's no date in this chapter and there won't be another one until chapter 8 but all Thiefshipping fans will probably like this chapter regardless (or at least I hope so).
Credits for songs go to V-Factory (song 'Love Struck') and Vivian Bishara (song 'Irgaa Tani'). On a side note: 'Habebe/Habibi' means something like 'darling'. No guarantee that everything's correct! Right me if I'm wrong~
Chapter 6
Let Go And Dance - part 2
The door slammed shut. Mariku was pissed and that was not the first time. In the past few weeks everything had been going wrong. At first he thought he was just being paranoid, that bad things did not only happen whenever he was with Ryou but that was exactly the case. Everything was fine until he was with him. It was as if fate was trying to separate them. But of course, that thought had left his mind as quickly as it had come. He did not believe in shit like that. But whatever it was, it was driving him crazy. It was getting harder for him to treat the people in his environment well. Every time his time with Ryou was interrupted, ruined, destroyed or disturbed in any way he would feel this urge to break something, maybe even someone. He day-dreamed about stabbing the person who had interrupted them, imagining their blood run along the blade of a sharp knife until it reached the tips of his fingers. That would give him satisfaction. He could also imagine himself strangling them, choking them to death. He wanted to hurt people so badly when he was as pissed as he was now.
And that was the moment he remembered who was one of the people he could have hurt tonight. The memory was slightly blurry now that he had drunk three or four - or even more, he had stopped counting - glasses of jin, but he still remembered it quite clearly. The image would never leave his mind. The image of the person beside the girl who was responsible for his fury. His little brother, Malik. What had he been doing there, Mariku wondered. He knew his brother as well as he knew himself. He knew that Malik, the little whelp, would never voluntarily step into a club, much less all by himself. He had meant to ask his brother after drinking because he felt that asking him right away would have led to nothing good. He had decided to ask him after he had calmed down, at least a bit. However, when he felt he was calm enough to talk to him, the boy was gone. Maybe he had not even left the club, he was not sure. It was so hard to tell when the whole building was full of people and lit by flashing, colorful lights only. And being primed did not make it any easier either. The result was that Mariku left and was even angrier than before now.
The drunk teen gazed up the stairs where he could see the door to his little brother's room. He did not think about his actions a lot in his state. He simply walked up the stairs and entered his brother's room. He mentally thanked his family for trusting one another so much because otherwise the door would have been locked. He stepped into the dark room and checked the bed. It was empty like he had thought it would be. He frowned at his discovery regardless and turned to leave again. About to exit the room, he caught sight of something shining in the corner of his eye. Thanks to the light the moon emitted he could make out what it was - a book. Struck by curiosity, he switched on the lamp on the the desk. With the help of the additional light he was able to recognize the object. It was the small, black journal Malik had gotten when they had just moved to Japan. Without feeling any shame he opened it. The first entries were written in Arabic. That had been when Malik still did not speak Japanese. Pages after pages, he had written down only painful thoughts and memories. He occasionally described some every-day-situations, probably to distract himself. Mariku remembered those days very well. He had never seen his brother so unhappy, not even when their father had still been alive. Nothing could make him smile or at least cheer up. He hardly spoke to anyone and kept himself locked in his room most of the time. It was like he was not alive but not entirely dead either, like a body without its soul. Fortunately that changed as the years went by and the child grew into a teen with a healthy amount of self-esteem and almost perfect Japanese. And this is how the entries continued. They became less depressing as if he was fighting against his past. It was mentioned now and then until Mariku did not read about it anymore. He thought that he would be at the end soon, seeing as the entries became less frequent according to the date. What he thought to be the last page told the story of how Malik enrolled middle school. He wanted to close the book then but something made him turn the page. And then he stumbled across the latest entry. He squinted his eyes. Reading was rather difficult with all the alcohol but he was able to read it regardless.
The most current entry was written in Japanese just like all the other ones in the second half of the journal. Mariku checked the date and when he did he turned to look at the calendar in the next moment. The entry had been made the day before - since it was already early in the morning by now. He turned back to the journal. His curiosity could level with his anger now. What could have happened that Malik decided to write an entry after such a long time? This was his chance to find it out, so he began to read.
It was about him and Ryou and how 'weird' it was for him to have a boyfriend. Mariku snorted at that but kept reading. In the next sentence Malik admitted how Ryou was a nice person. The subject ended with this and Mariku was surprised. No 'I can't believe that he would dishonor our family, our culture and tradition like this!' and no 'He's dating a guy. How disgusting!'? Malik did not write anything like this and seeing how this was his journal, his own personal thoughts, this had to be true. He accepted the fact that he was together with another male. The only fact he deemed 'weird' was that he was together with someone. It could have been anybody and it would have been weird in his eyes. Did that mean that his brother did not mind?
For a moment his fury had subsided. That is, until he continued to read. The next topic was the friend he had made. Mariku reread the sentence over and over and over again. Had he drunk too much after all, because the person he had befriended was...
'You. Gotta be. Fucking. Kidding me.'
Bakura.
The music's volume was on maximum and every beat could be felt vibrating through the floor and the humid air. Over the blaring music a deep voice could be heard, chuckling.
"You're quite welcome", Bakura said to his Egyptian partner. "Remember our deal?"
Malik waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, we're staying a bit longer, alright."
"Not so eager. What's wrong? Not used to nightlife?" the albino mocked.
Malik huffed in annoyance, muttering a quick 'Shut up'. A female voice interfered with the conversation then.
"Okay, what's going on here?" Anzu asked, genuinely confused. "First you tell me your friend is too shy to dance", she said, pointing at Malik, "and then your brother suddenly shows up and they fight and now you", pointing at Bakura, "show up, too, and you're both not bothered at all that those two left. Am I missing something out?"
The partners shared looks and Bakura decided to answer before Malik could even think of anything to say. "Well, no, everything was correct. But why bother? It's not our fault that they left, right?", at the last part the albino glanced over to his friend who tried hard not to smirk in return. "But it is a bit boring without them. So how about it? Won't you and the rest join us?"
Malik was relieved, thinking the more people around him he knew the better. Then again, all of these girls knew the rumors - who did not? - meaning that he would have to watch his actions. One wrong move or word and more rumors would spread. But maybe it was too late already. The whole school had heard about all kinds of twisted stories already. Besides, the girls had seen him with Bakura now and they would surely have a lot of gossip material just because they have been seen together again. So did it really matter what he did now? He could make out with Bakura and nobody would know whether the rumors were true or not. 'I... did not just picture myself making out with Bakura... nope, I didn't.'
Anzu hesitated for a moment and Bakura believed he had not been convincing enough. Just when he was about to say something, the girl let out a happy squeal. "Sure! I'll get the others!" she exclaimed eagerly and went to the booth the girls were occupying.
"Good. We'll be downstairs", Bakura said and, as mentioned, went to the stairs. Malik quickly followed him without any questions. After a second he mentally slapped himself for walking after Bakura like a dog did with its owner. It was wrong but he decided to shut up and follow him for now. These clubs were not his natural territory.
They came to a halt in front of the bar where the older teen sat down and turned to the younger with a confident grin on his lips. "So, Malik. Seeing how wimpy you are I'd say you've never drunk alcohol before."
Malik narrowed his eyes furiously at the insult. "Of course I have", he spat venomously.
Bakura raised one white eyebrow at him, his smug grin still present. "Have you now? What was it? Half a glass of champagne at New Year's Eve?"
"No!" the blond protested. 'It was less than half a glass', he thought with a great amount of embarrassment but did not intend to say his thoughts aloud. He composed himself and crossed his arms. "I've drunk plenty already. I can't remember how many times it was or what it was", he lied fluently.
"Oho...", Bakura responded with fake impression. He could read Malik like an open book. The boy thought he emitted confidence when in truth his nervousness made him show his insecurity. Crossing his arms was only one of his mistakes. But Bakura knew how to play to get the biggest benefit out of this. It would be embarrassing to reveal the boy's little secret but it would be so much more fun if he made him reveal it himself, by getting him drunk. "Well, if you're such a pro then I think I can recommend you some good drink." He then turned to the bartender and ordered the same for both of them. Malik could not make out what it was because of the strange name but thinking about what Bakura had just said, he figured it would be something high-proof. Before long the bartender, who did not give a damn about them being underage, placed two glasses with a reddish brown liquid in front of them.
Bakura picked up his glass and tipped it towards Malik with this knowing look. The Egyptian did not let this affect him and took one big gulp from his drink. He regretted it because the drink was as expected very strong and he had to cough after it had burned his throat. He tried to surpress his coughing but that only made it worse. Bakura did not laugh, he only smirked and took a drink himself. He did not show any signs of discomfort, did not grimace at the strong taste or cough like Malik did. Another victory for the albino. The tanned teen glared at him from the side. Drinking was not his strength, but there had to be another area in which he could beat his overly confident partner. As he tried to find something he could win at, the girls came to join them at the bar.
One of the girls literally dashed towards the two boys. All Malik could see was a flash of bluish purple and turquois and in the next moment a 'disturbing' scene unfolded itself in front of him. Bent over a sitting Bakura stood Miho, practically in his lap already, giving him the most flirtatous look Malik had ever seen. "Bakura-kun", she said, her hand resting on the teen's thigh, "will you dance with me? Please?"
Bakura pondered on that for a brief moment, watching the girl bat her eye lashes at him. He could feel Malik's eyes on him, could feel them bore into him, waiting impatiently for him to answer. Bakura smirked. "Sure", he answered and took another sip from his drink before getting up. He cast a glance towards Malik while walking to the dancefloor with Miho. The boy looked positively stabbed in the back with 'betrayal' written all over his beautiful features. Exactly what the older teen had intended. The girl did not matter to him, much like all the other girls before her. What really mattered was something else entirely.
The couple mingled with the dancing crowd and began to move their bodies to the beat as well. They were dancing close to each other, there was hardly any space but neither complained. Their bodies slammed against each other occasionally and their hands began to wander up and down the new-found territory. Soon other young girls had caught sight of the handsome albino and went up to dance near him as well, their hands all over him as if he were a star.
Malik's grip on his glass tightened unconsciously until his knuckles turned white. Anzu sat down in the stool beside him and looked from the dancing couple - plus additional girls - to the Egyptian. She looked back and forth between them until her eyes settled on the younger boy again. She cleared her throat awkwardly and it was enough for Malik to snap back to reality. He blinked a few times before turning away completely to carefully take a sip from his drink. He realized that it actually was very tasty if he did not rush. He put the glass back down onto the table and stared at it. He did not understand why but he wanted to keep himself from looking at Bakura groping his classmate and those other willing girls. He did not like Miho in that way so it was not because of her. And he was sure that he was not envious that Bakura had all those ladies over him either. So he decided it had to be because he had been left alone with all the other girls now while his partner was enjoying himself. 'Loosen up', Malik told himself, glaring harder at the liquid in his glass. 'What he can do, you can do as well.' With his mind set, he picked up the glass once more and chugged down the rest of it. He grimaced at the strong taste and the wave of nausea he felt for a moment but pulled himself together and ordered the same drink again.
"Uhm... Malik, maybe you should take it easy", Anzu suggested. But Malik was not at all listening to her. He had to prove something, not only to himself but also to Bakura. He glanced over his shoulder, as unobvious as possible, to check on said male. His eyes found the dancing group once more and they narrowed considerably. Miho was running her hands over the fabric of his shirt and his hands were not idle either, currently occupying themselves with the girl's hips. Miho must have felt the Egyptian's eyes on them, for she looked back into his direction. When she saw the look in Malik's eyes, she could not help but smile in sweet victory. Her arms snuck around the albino's neck, as if to signale 'mine'.
The next glass came just in time when Malik turned away again and chugged it down much like he had done with the other one, without having to cough this time around. He ordered one more before Anzu told him to slow down once again. "Why don't we dance instead?" she offered and Malik grinned darkly at her.
"Yes, let's dance", the tanned teen replied with a slight slur and lost no time in standing up and walking towards the dancefloor.
"Wait!", Anzu called after him but she lost him in the crowd when she tried to catch up with him.
The song ended and a new one was played. It started off quietly and slowly until it turned into the perfect dancing beat. People began to cheer upon recognizing the song or simply because they were fond of it. Everyone moved their bodies eagerly to the new music and it was hard for Anzu to tell where her Egyptian classmate had run off to. Her question was answered as soon as the dancing crowd slowed down again. Some people completely stopped what they were doing to turn into a certain direction where all eyes seemed to have shifted to. Anzu followed their gazes curiously.
In the center of a light flooded platform stood a figure, back facing the rest of the crowd. His feet did not leave their spot on the floor, yet his whole body was moving to the rhythm, hips graciously stressing every move he made. With the first tone of the singer's voice his body whirled around entirely in one swift motion. Anzu's jaw dropped as strands of golden hair whipped around with the turn of the boy's head. She did not hear the lyrics of the song anymore, she could only stare speechlessly as the teen on the stage danced to the music. She could not believe her eyes. It was Malik, and he was dancing as if he had never done anything else in his entire life. Every move, every turn seemed to melt together with the music in perfect harmony. Anzu had to wonder where he had learned that. She had practiced dancing since her childhood. Her eyes followed the chains on his hips floating in the air. And she was sure, his dancing could not be unpracticed either. She watched in awe as his arms stretched out, knees buckled, head turned. He was just way too good, it was admirable. And she was not the only one who thought so. People watching him began to clap and cheer excitedly but he kept dancing nevertheless.
"I'm cravin' for you, and just like a fool.
There's no way I can stop, stop, stop my desire."
Among the cheering people stood a white haired male who had also stopped dancing to watch interestedly as the young Egyptian presented his dancing skills. He observed, grinning to himself. Not caring about the silent protests of the girls clinging to him, he drew closer to the stage. Miho followed him, never leaving his side but the albino boy did not even look at her. His eyes were transfixed on the show before him.
"I'm cravin' for you, and you know, too.
There's no one that can top, top, top your smile."
A memory, the image of a happily smiling Malik came to Bakura's mind. He was suddenly all too aware of what the singer was saying. For just a second he averted his eyes and when he looked back up he met a pair of lavender eyes that were shining in the momentarily blue light. There was only one word that he could think of as those violet eyes looked at him through half closed lids.
"You got me
love struck."
'Beautiful.'
The moment the first chorus ended Malik stretched out one hand directly into the albino's direction. Bakura did not need a written invitation. Two steps and he was released from Miho's vice-like grip on him. Another three steps and he was in reach to take the offered hand into his own. A tug on his hand and he followed the boy's lead onto the stage, curious eyes watching them.
For the umpteenth time that evening, Anzu could only stare with wide eyes. After seeing her classmate dance, her original plan had been to dance with him since he was so good at it. But the scene had become something she had not expected. And that was her classmate dancing with his supposedly 'lover'. Her look shifted to her side where she found a shocked mess that was her friend, Miho. Her thoughts went back to the rumors this very girl had spread, and with them her eyes found back to the couple on the stage. Could there any truth in it after all?
Bakura's hand left Malik's with the words "Challenge accepted". His partner gave him an amused grin in return.
"I love it when you gimme that smile."
With that the older teen took a step away from the blond. It was his turn to show everyone what he was made of. In every other situation he would have cared about what the others thought about him. But this time it was solely about impressing the boy in front of him.
When Bakura began to dance there were many pairs of eyes on him, most watching in awe. Yet there were two blue eyes that were glaring at the whole scene. Miho enjoyed the sight of the older Touzoku twin putting all of his heart into dancing on a stage with colorful lights. What was bothering her was the fact that it was not her gaining all his attention. Malik was the one he was dancing for, obviously. The way Bakura looked at him occasionally, took steps closer to him or gestured towards him at certain times. All of that filled her with an emotion she had never felt so strongly ever before. And to her own horror she was beginning to wish that Malik had stayed in Egypt.
The crowd cheered once more and finally stopped staring to go and join in. People pushed themselves between Miho and the couple but she did not try to get close to Bakura anymore. Defeated, she turned away from them, squeazing her way out away from the dancefloor. She did not want to stay in this place any longer. Not when her crush was dancing with someone else. She could hear the distant calls of Anzu to wait for her but she did not care. All she could care about was getting back home.
With every turn the lights seemed to get more and more blurry to Malik's eyes. He was feeling light-headed and it became more intense as the people around him came closer with every step. But that did not stop him from dancing. He was in such a good mood. He could not explain why but he was feeling way too good to stop.
He bumped into someone else, someone taller than him. Dazed, he glanced up at the figure, supporting himself with his hands on the person's chest. "Easy, kiddo", a familiar voice chuckled. On recognizing the other male, Malik pushed himself away from Bakura.
"Shut up, 'Kura", the tanned boy slurred. Unfortunately, he lost his balance and fell backwards. A hand on his lower back caught him before he hit the person behind him. He looked up and his eyes locked with Bakura's, who was a bit too close for comfort in that very moment. The albino pulled both of them back up again but let his hand rest where it was. Their eyes were still locked in a silent battle and the older teen grinned yet again.
Malik then broke their eye contact when he did something not even he had expected. His hands went back to the other's chest, roaming over ever inch. He approached him and let his forehead rest on the other's shoulder for a moment. His eyes caught sight of Bakura's neck which suddenly looked too alluring to resist. Malik leaned forward until his lips were touching the skin. He could feel Bakura tense, his pulse he could feel on his lips now. His hands began to idly massage the fabric of his shirt and he closed his eyes. In a strange way, it was relaxing.
Bakura was frozen, standing on the stage between many dancing people. He could feel Malik's breath tickle his neck, his soft lips on his skin, and the hand he still had on the boy's back was starting to become damp with sweat. Not knowing what else to do, he raised his free hand and let it rest on the boy's shoulder. Malik seemed to be getting bored and tried something new. Bakura's eyes widened as the boy's wet tongue came into contact with his heated skin. Malik licked over the wildly pulsating artery on his neck and then licked his own lips, accidentally touching the other's neck again.
To his surprise Malik heard his partner let out a shuddering breath. Eager to get more reactions he repeated the action, lingering longer on the pale skin. He smirked briefly when the older male tilted his neck for better access. He did not hesitate and took advantage of that to taste more, his hands rubbing sensually over his chest. The hand on his back pushed him closer while the other one entangled itself in his hair. Malik admittedly enjoyed this position, especially because the pushing signaled him that someone actually wanted him close. Therefore he did not mind when the hand went lower. It stopped on his thigh and pulled his leg up. Malik played along, tangling his leg around the oher's hips.
"You got me
love struck, ooh oh ooh oh."
Bakura could have stayed like this forever, until he felt the urge to do something himself. The hand that had previously been in the blond's hair cupped the boy's cheek and tilted his face upwards only to have them face to face again. Their chests were touching and he could feel the other's equally quickly racing heart beat. Their noses came into contact as he drew closer. Malik dazedly gazed up at him through half-lidded eyes. And that look was what made Bakura snap back to reality.
'He's drunk', he realized. His grip loosened and he took a step backwards. The younger teen blinked at him questioningly. The albino cleared his throat and looked away. "We should go home now. It's pretty late already", he explained quickly.
'He doesn't know what he's doing', he told himself. As much as he had enjoyed it, it was not right, especially not when Malik was too drunk to even think straight. He would have never done that had he been sober, of that Bakura was sure.
"What? We have to go already ?" came Malik's whining voice.
His partner nodded and put a hand on his back to lead him away from the platform but he did not obey. "Why? First you say you wanna have fun and now that I'm having fun you wanna go? You're such a drag, 'Kura!" the drunk teen lamented and pushed himself away from the other. But Bakura was used to such behaviour already. He knew it all too well from Mariku who would never leave a bar or club until it closed. So he knew what to do in these situations - lie.
"Did I say we're going home?" Malik opened his mouth to say 'Yes, you did' but the albino was faster. "I know lots of other places we can go to and have more fun."
"Really?" the blond asked with hope sparkling in his eyes.
"Sure", Bakura assured and put his hand once more on the other's back, pushing him towards the exit. Malik did not protest this time, believing that they were going to another club or so. How naive of him to assume his friend would always say the truth.
Bakura led them to his car and made sure his drunk partner was sitting properly in his seat. He then went to his side, got in and they drove off. While Malik had been excited and full of energy on the dancefloor, now that he was sitting and slowly calming down he felt more tired by the minute. Before long, he had fallen asleep on the passenger seat. They arrived at Bakura's home and said teen was rather surprised that he did not hear any protests and accusations from his friend. When he had parked his car, he looked to his right to see the blond fast asleep. He sighed to himself but could not help the smile that graced his lips.
"Such a troublesome guy", he mumbled as he got out of the car and on the other side to open the door. He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. There were two options: He could either wake him up and hope that he would cooperate and walk by himself. Or he could simply let him sleep and carry him into the house. The first option certainly looked more attractive, considering the stairs and the generally long walk to his room. It was a lot more convenient. He looked from his house back to the sleeping boy, sunk into the seat, his head leaned against the backrest peacefully. Bakura bit his lower lip and after a long moment he bent down. One hand snuck under his knees and the other one under his back. He lifted the boy up, noting that he was not as heavy as expected, and pushed the car door closed with his foot. He could lock the car later, at the moment he had all hands full with something else. He then proceeded towards the front door. Despite Malik being fairly light, it was still difficult for Bakura to carry him all the way to the door, which he still had to figure out how to open with no free hand. The feeling of Malik instinctively snuggling closer to him, however, made up for all that.
He was standing in front of this – sadly - closed door now. He could not reach for his keys without dropping Malik. And since he did not want to do that after everything he had gone through now, he had only one option left. He rung the door bell with his elbow. At first there was no reaction from inside, so he tried again. From the corner of his eye he could see a light being switched on. It was the window to Ryou's room, he noted with relief. Thankfully it had not been his father he had woken up. The light in the hallway went on as he could tell from the glass in the upper part of the front door. After a moment the door opened to reveal a confused and sleepy-looking Ryou. It took him a few seconds to realize what was going on.
"Brother?" he asked uncertainly. His eyes then fell upon the sleeping boy in his arms.
"Yeah. Could you let me in before I get a cramp?" Ryou was wide awake in a matter of seconds and practically jumped to the side, apologizing. He closed the door after his brother had entered and followed said teen up the stairs. Bakura halted in front of his room and looked to Ryou over his shoulder. "Open the fucking door", he said with a strained voice. His brother jumped once more and obeyed.
Bakura went over to his bed and gently put the sleeping blond onto it. He straightened up with a sigh of relief. His twin came up behind him, clearing his throat before speaking. "Will he be okay?" he questioned, letting his eyes wander over the sleeping form.
Bakura slumped down on his bed beside him. "Yeah, he's just drunk."
Ryou gave him an incredulous look. "Drunk? But he's underage." The only response he got was a mischievous smirk from his look-alike and that told him everything. He decided to drop the topic and move on to something more interesting. "What were you two doing there anyway? I didn't even tell you where I was going."
His brother shrugged his shoulders. "Coincidence. And besides, who says we wanted to go to the same place as you?"
Ryou was silent after that and Bakura took that to be the end of the discussion. His brother looked doubtful however, and this bothered him. Neither Ryou nor Mariku should ever see the partners on their 'missions', it would raise their suspicion. That was the reason why they had never made their presence known but this time had been an exception. Bakura admitted that Malik's plan had worked but it had been very risky, too. Now the couple had seen them. They could still cover it this time but everything might just be revealed if they kept doing such risky manoeuvres. They had to be more careful in the future.
"I'm guessing he's staying overnight. Why did you not bring him to the guest room?" The older twin rolled his eyes. Ryou usually was not so nosy and persistent.
"The guest room is at the end of the hallway. I didn't feel like walking there, 'kay?", he reasoned. "I'll just sleep there instead."
Ryou nodded hesitantly and yawned. "Alright. Well, good night then", he said and left the room.
As soon as the door was closed, mahogany eyes shifted back to the sleeping boy. Malik turned his head away from him but Bakura still caught a glimpse of the boy's troubled expression. His gaze lowered to his rapidly rising and falling chest. He heard the other exhale shakily. Looking once more at his paling face, he thought it might be wise to get the boy a bucket in case he had to throw up. He looked close to doing so, actually. He stood up and went for the door when the other's voice made him stop dead in his tracks.
"Bakura..." His voice sounded scared and desperate. Bakura turned his head to eye the slightly squirming form. "Don't...", he breathed and the albino was now walking back to the bed. "Don't leave me..."
The addressed teen's eyes widened. Malik was not awake, he was talking in his sleep. Bakura wondered what he could be dreaming of that made him beg him to stay.
"Malik... Don't cry...", he told me. But that only made me cry more. I could not possibly stay strong in a situation such as this one. I choked out another sob that should have been words and covered my mouth with one hand, keeping the other one on his.
I gasped when I heard footsteps approach us from behind. It could only be one person and that was exactly why I was so terrified. I was frozen in fear, I believe I did not even breathe. A lashing sound tore through the air as his whip hit the stone floor.
"This is exactly what I'm talking about, son", his raspy voice said. I squeazed my eyes shut in despair, hoping that this was just a dream and that I would wake up any second now. But it did not happen, so it had to be real. The tears kept streaming out of my eyes as I let fate take over and the scene unfold itself.
"This is why I have to punish the both of you. Because you're both at fault." I did not understand what he was talking about but did not have the time nor the nerve to care about it. He was going to put us through hell and that was everything that was going through my head in that very moment.
Us.
Me and him.
Me and...
I cracked my eyes open reluctantly and saw a mess of white hair in front of me, his head hung low, whether out of defeat or exhaustion, I was not sure. But I could not think straight. He was injured and I did not know how severely or whether he would make it. And the sinking feeling in my stomach told me that it was probably too late. That no one could help him anymore.
...Bakura.
My hands were shaking violently as I put them on his cheeks to lift his face. I wanted him to look at me. I wanted him to tell me he was going to be alright. I wanted to see the sinister glint in his eyes. But all I saw were dull eyes, so hollow that I thought I was looking at nothing but a dead doll.
"Bakura...", I called, trying to reach him. His half-lidded eyes fluttered closed and open and they seemed unable to fix on one spot, darting from side to side aimlessly. I despaired more. My hands stroking his blood-stained hair, cupping his cheeks. I brought our foreheads together, panting, close to hyperventilating but still sobbing.
"Don't leave me...", I begged him. His eyes then found mine and time stood still. For just a moment, one last moment, the fire was back in his eyes and a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips but did not manage to actually come out. And in the next moment, a moment that was like in slow motion, his eyes closed, his body became heavy and he fell limply to the floor. In my shock I did not catch him, instead I stared at the now lifeless body. He did not move. Why did he not move?
"Get up...", I whispered the order. Everything seemed to be growing darker somehow.
My father laughed maniacally at my misery. Only he could enjoy it when a person was in so much pain. It fueled the fury that had been hiding inside of me all this time. I smashed my clenched fists onto the stone floor. "Get up!" I could feel my blood boil more and more with every second in which I had to hear the disgusting, sadistic laughter of the one I used to call my father.
"This, my son, is what happens when you dare to dirty our name! And your punishment shan't be gentle either!" he threatened, stretching his whip in his hands.
And for once, I did not care.
"Bakura!" I yelled at the motionless body, putting a hand on his back to shake him. "Get up! Bakura!"
No response. No reaction. Nothing.
The cackles my father made filled my ear and I was starting to feel light-headed, no longer knowing what I was doing. But I did not care. Because I did not care about anything anymore except for him. I shook his body harder, screwing my eyes shut as I shouted his name one last time at the top of my lungs.
"BAKURA!"
Lavender eyes flew open and his body shot up into a sitting position. Malik was panting heavily as he stared wide-eyedly straight ahead.
'Just another nightmare...' He calmed down, slowly catching his breath again. Looking around, he realized that he was not where he usually woke up, that this was not his room and not his bed. Waking up in a place you do not know is never a good sign. Fortunately, Malik recognized his surroundings to be Bakura's home.
'Bakura...' His eyes fell upon his lap and the satin sheets covering him. It had been just a nightmare. He briefly wondered why he would even dream about Bakura and his father. It did not make sense in any ways. But then again, he told himself, dreams never really made any sense. Especially not one like the dream he had had. He was just glad it had not been real.
Getting out of his thoughts, he noticed unusual sounds. He could hardly hear it and therefore closed his eyes to sharpen his senses. He recognized the sounds to be the tones of a piano, playing a soft melody. Was it music from a CD or played on an actual piano, he wondered. Struck by curiosity, Malik got out of bed and went to the door. He opened it soundlessly and listened again. It seemed to be coming from close by. He stepped out into the hallway and looked left then right. To his right there were more doors and a certain one caught his attention.
In front of a slightly opened door stood a boy with long white hair. For a second he thought it was Bakura but he could tell from the way his hair was neatly combed down and his candid posture that it had to be his twin brother, Ryou. He approached the other boy wordlessly. Noticing the other, Ryou turned around and greeted Malik with a smile.
"Good morning-"
"Shh...", Ryou hushed him with a finger pressed to his own lips. Malik blinked at him, confused, and the albino explained himself by pointing his index finger at the inside of the room before him.
Malik followed the finger and glanced inside. He had expected something weird but what he saw exceeded the word 'weird' by far. Orbs of lavender watched intently as skillful fingers glided over a board of white and black, pressing keys that left the instrument to create a beautiful melody. A pale hand came up to push a strand of white hair out of the pianist's face and went right back to the keys, not missing a note.
The tanned teen turned to the albino beside him and gave him an incredulous look. Ryou just smiled and nodded, answering the silent question. Malik's eyes went back to the older twin who was still deeply concentrated on playing. To Malik's dismay the song ended soon. Bakura stayed silent for a short while and neither Ryou nor Malik dared to break the silence.
The oldest of the three did not turn around, his eyes still fixed on the keys, as he said, "Tell Mariku and you're dead."
And Malik could not help but burst out laughing. Bakura fixed him with a deadly glare that said 'I mean it'. It successfully silenced the Egyptian. "You never told me that you can play the piano", he commented as he approached him.
Bakura shrugged casually. "You never asked."
"How did you learn it?" What Malik did not notice was the way Ryou shifted uneasily to his seemingly innocent question. Bakura was more relaxed about it though.
"Our mom was a professional pianist", he explained. "She taught us the basics back then."
"What you just played sounded like more than just basics to me."
"That's because it was more than just basics", he drifted off, averting his eyes. "It used to be her favorite song. It's one of the only songs I can play."
And as he heard those words spoken with so much hidden agony, it became obvious, even to Malik, that this was actually a touchy subject. He had no intentions of making either of the twins remember painful memories.
"What else can you play? Something I know?"
Bakura grinned lazily. "Well, there's this totally gay song that my dearest brother made me learn." Ryou fixed him with a warning look that clearly told him 'No swearwords'. Bakura rolled his eyes. He had not even said anything really bad. "Does the singer Céline Dion ring a bell?"
Malik put a finger to his chin thoughtfully, and then clicked his fingers as he remembered. "Oh, you mean the one who sang that Titanic song?"
"It's 'My Heart Will Go On' but yes, that's what I mean."
The blond snickered silently. "And you can play that? Show me", he demanded.
Bakura put up his index finger, saying, "Under one condition."
"And that would be?"
A mischievous grin stretched onto the older twin's lips, his voice low and husky. "You sing."
The room fell silent, the only sound filling it being the ticking of the grandfather clock in the other corner. Ryou observed the two of them silently. His brother was smirking like he usually did but his eyes were serious, set on Malik expectantly. Said Egyptian was staring back at him disbelievingly. He blinked a few times, the clock ticking with every blink, and he cleared his throat.
"You serious?" he asked uncertainly, drained off of all prior humor.
Bakura gave a calm nod and the blond began to fiddle with the hem of the shirt he had borrowed. He averted his eyes but otherwise seemed as calm as the other male. "Why?"
With a shrug Bakura turned back to the piano. "I told you, you have a nice singing voice, didn't I?"
"Yes, but", Malik trailed off, never ceasing the fidgeting. "I didn't think you actually meant it."
"Well, I do mean what I say from time to time. So how about it? Gonna sing or not?" Bakura asked but did not wait for the other to answer as he began play. And he had not been lying, he could actually play the song and he did not even need the sheets to know which piano keys to press. It sounded so beautiful that Malik felt like melting away. He closed his eyes and exhaled contently. He might have not been the biggest fan of the movie but that did not mean he could not adore the music. The melody started off gentle and Malik knew that it was his turn when it became a bit quieter.
He silently took a deep breath and just let his voice do the work, simply letting go and doing what felt right.
To the twins' surprise the first words were not 'every night' but words they did not understand.
"Kol lela fe hhelme… bashoofak fe khayale", the young Egyptian sang with that dulcet voice of his.
Bakura almost missed a beat, not because he had been surprised that Malik was singing in Arabic but because of how unearthly beautiful it sounded. He kept on playing, eager to hear more and his wish was granted. The fact that he knew exactly which keys to press allowed him to look away from the instrument for a moment to catch a glimpse of what his Egyptian singer looked like. Malik had his eyes closed, putting all of his heart into the words he was voicing, but just as much oblivious to the albino observing him. A tanned hand came up to rest in the center of his chest, feeling his own heart beat. Bakura found himself unable to look away from the display of raw emotions. Unfortunately, he had to look away eventually because the next part he had to play requested more of his attention.
Malik had not noticed a thing and kept singing but they both had completely forgotten that they were not alone. Chocolate brown eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. Suspicion because the whole scene was highly suspicious in his observant eyes. Unlike many dense people he knew, he noticed immediately when something was not like it usually was or when someone was not behaving like themselves. And that was exactly the case. He watched as his twin's gaze shifted once more from the piano over to where the singing teen was standing. He was looking into his direction unusually frequently. But that was not all. Ryou admittedly did not know that much about their relationship but they had to be good friends, otherwise Bakura would not interact with him the way he did. He mocked the blond from time to time, sure, but it was not very insulting. He was actually being nice to the boy. The looks, the smiles, the playful comments. It was as if - Ryou's eyes widened - as if they were flirting.
He almost gasped aloud but was quick enough to cover his mouth. 'What are you thinking?', he yelled in his head. 'Boys can be like that sometimes. They don't have to be flirting to act this way. So shake it off!' He told himself so but could not deny that he was thinking in exactly that direction even more intensely now. He looked up just in time to see Bakura steal another glimpse of the blond. It only served to make his theory more realistic. He shook his head frantically. 'Really, I'm imagining things. It's just weird because Bakura's only friend used to be Mariku and of course those two would never be nice to each other. Yes, that's it. I'm simply not used to the concept of Bakura being friends with someone and actually acting like a friend.'
Ryou had been so deep in his thoughts that he had missed most of the song. Fortunately, he was able to hear the climax of the song. After a piano solo on Bakura's side and a small pause on Malik's side, said blond inhaled deeply for the most important part of the song, his eyes fluttering closed once more.
"Leh el fora...? Aah... men el fora!" It sounded bittersweet, like a person being desperately and hopelessly in love. Malik made it sound that way, he even emitted those emotions. He was not simply singing. He was putting actual emotions into his voice, as if singing was his own language, his way to express his feelings. Feelings so pure yet so strong. Ryou felt shivers run down his spine and goosebumps form. He had not expected to hear such heavenly tones when his brother had called it a 'nice singing voice'.
Bakura was just as much mesmerized as his brother, only he had to concentrate on playing the piano. Even though he had played the song many times already, it proved to be a difficult task when Malik was being such a great distraction. He had gotten what he wanted nonetheless. He had been looking for a way to make the Egyptian sing ever since he had first heard his voice. And now that he had finally been granted his wish, it sounded even more beautiful than in his memories. He had never thought that a person's voice would catch his attention before their looks did, but this had been exactly the case with Malik. Maybe this was why Malik was so different.
Bakura played the last notes and was able to look at Malik again. His rich, lavender eyes opened, looking softly at the pianist staring back at him.
"Habebe...", he sang gently, drifting off in a trmebling voice to signale the end of the song. With their eyes locked in an inaudible conversation, they both smiled.
Clapping could be heard in the background and both turned to look at its origin. "That was amazing!" Ryou praised with a bright smile, still clapping.
Malik scratched his cheek sheepishly and Bakura cleared his throat awkwardly, both had completely forgotten about Ryou because they had been so busy. "Thank you", Malik said at long last but put a hand to his forehead in the next moment. "Uh... I think my own voice just gave me a massive headache."
Ryou immediately jumped to help. "Oh, right. I'll go and get you some painkillers", he announced and as quickly as he had said it he was gone. And with him the cheerful mood left as well. The silence from before returned in which only the ticking of the clock could be heard. In the silence Bakura found his chance to rethink something he had been thinking about all morning. His hand reached out to touch the side of his neck that tickled at the memory. He remembered the previous night and everything that had happened. He wondered if Malik did, too. He could ask him as long as Ryou was still gone, it was now or never.
"Malik?" Said teen looked up expectantly and Bakura actually had to force himself to ask the question. 'What the hell is wrong with me? It's just a question!'
"Uhm... Do you remember what happened last night?" he asked, uncharacteristically uncertain.
Malik thought back, trying his best to recall everything, in vain. Most of it was just blurry images and flashes of what he must have done. He remembered ruining another one of Mariku's and Ryou's moments. He remembered meeting Anzu and the other girls, and Miho.
Miho. For some reason Malik felt like Miho had played a greater role than simply having been present. But what was it? The feeling in his stomach was telling him that whatever she had done must have been something negative. He still did not know what but it was probably unimportant anyway. Furthermore, he remembered that he drank something. He did not remember what it was, not even the taste or color, only that it had been something alcoholic. He figured he had gotten drunk. That explained why he remembered so little and why he had this really nasty headache now. Hopefully Ryou would find those pain killers soon.
Seeing the impatience in his partner's eyes reminded him that he had to give an answer. "I got drunk, didn't I?"
Bakura averted his eyes and Malik became uneasy. Just what did he do last night? "Well, yes... Do you remember anything else?" As Bakura asked, he unconsciously rubbed a certain spot on his neck again.
The blond shook his head and Bakura did not know whether he should feel relieved or disappointed. He decided to simply be Bakura, someone he had not been in a while if he thought about it. "Doesn't matter. Nothing much happened anyway", he said and his hand fell from his neck.
Malik did not buy it though. The feeling in the pit of his stomach was telling him that something did happen. Something he wished he knew about so he could rest without having to worry about what it might have been.
Bakura caught the disbelieve in his eyes and went on to another subject. He crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back casually. He gave the impression of a perfectly relaxed person but his inner turmoil said otherwise. "Say...", he began and narrowed his eyes to focus on the tanned teen before him. "What happened to your nose?"
Malik reflexively put a hand on his nose to cover it, recalling the painful memory. He wanted to ask 'What do you mean?' and play dumb but the look in Bakura's eyes told him that he had already revealed himself with his reaction. He stared at the floor in defeat. "I... uhm..."
"You what?"
Malik could only imagine that the make-up he had put on must have gone off over night and his nose was probably as purple as his eyes, only darker. He then remembered the excuse he had used on Mariku.
"I ran into a door", he lied confidentally, pretending to be embarrassed by admitting so. However, Bakura was not satisfied with that answer, Malik could tell by the way his eyes narrowed even more.
Never before had he been so glad to see Ryou like then. Said Touzoku came in with a bottle of pills. The subject was dropped for now and was not brought up again. Malik changed back into his own clothes and returned the ones Bakura had stolen from his brother's closet. Ryou was naturally confused but Bakura promised to explain it later - which he never did. Malik thanked everyone for their hospitality and left without breakfast, feeling a bit too nauseous to eat.
At home he did not even have to explain himself, at least not in detail. When Isis asked him where he had been, he said that he had spent the night at his friend's place after all because it had gotten too late. His sister did not ask any more question, she only gave him this strange look again. Women. Just what was their problem? Malik did not understand. Rishid had been worried sick and Malik had to assure him that nothing had happened to him, that he was fine and he had to promise to tell him if he was staying at a friend's place in the future.
And then there was Mariku. Malik had always thought that he knew his brother the best but even he had to admit that this time he did not know what was wrong with him. His brother did not talk to him, only occasionally looked at him darkly. It was as if he had found out Malik had done something wrong. A horrible idea came to his mind. Did Mariku figure it out? No, that could not be, he told himself, if Mariku knew then he would be dead already - not literally. The reaction would have been more violent if he had really found out about him allying himself with Bakura to ruin his relationship. But if that was not it, then what was?
Malik had just come home from another very stressful day of school. A new round of rumors had come to life just because he had been seen with Bakura in a club. He had had to endure the wildest stories and question today and was overjoyed to be back home. He was rather surprised to find that Isis was also at home already. He dropped his bag beside the couch in the living room and went to stand in front of the table she was sitting at. She was holding a black piece of paper of the size of a card, looking at it intensely. Malik knew she had noticed him coming in but she did not look up from the card regardless.
"What's that?" the younger Ishtar asked curiously, referring to the card.
Finally, she looked up, her azure eyes troubled and worried. Instead of answering, she stretched her hand out for him to take the piece of paper. Malik took hold of it reluctantly and read what was written on it. His eyes widened in disbelief. 'This can't be...'
'Tonight I am going to steal your museum's greatest treasure.
Yours sincerely,
the Thief King'
Malik looked back up at his sister with wide eyes, not believing that this was really true. She nodded seriously. "This note was found in the museum this morning."
"But.. this... what did the director say?"
Isis took the card back and focused on it again. "He ordered extra security to be posted in the section where the crown jewels are kept."
"What?" Malik said in an offended tone and slammed his hands on the kitchen table. "But he should protect the Sennen Items! That's what they're after, not some jewels!"
"I know what you mean, Malik", Isis said calmly. "But we can't be sure. The jewels are worth quite a high sum after all. And...", she trailed off with a sad look. "...the director also told me to return the Sennen Torc and Rod."
"Is he mad? There's a thief going to break in tonight and he wants the Sennen Items back? At a time like this? They're much safer where they are now."
His sister shook her head. "I know, Malik, I know. But he threatened to dismiss me if I don't return them."
The blond fell silent. So that was the reason, he should have thought so. No matter what he did now, something bad was going to happen. It was either his sister losing her job or that thief getting away with stealing the remaining six Sennen Items. What to do? The boy screwed his eyes shut and put a clenched fist to his forehead. 'Think, Malik, think! There has to be something you can do!'
His eyes opened up wide. There was something he could do.
A/N: Any guesses as to what might happen?
Translation anyone?
'Kol lela fe hhelme bashoofak fe khayale' means 'Every night in my dreams I see you in my imagination'
'Leh el fora...? Aah... men el fora' means 'Why the separation...? Aah... from the separation'
Again no guarantee that it's correct. I believe Vivian Bishara is Lebanese but I'm not sure. Gotta learn Arabic. And YOU gotta listen to the song because it's damn beautiful! It's hard to understand my description if you haven't been listening to the song before.
So? Did anyone die here (probably the part where Bakura was playing the piano xD)? I have 4 more dates planned but that doesn't mean we only have 4 more chapters left, nope. More Thiefshipping, more Deathshipping and more drama! You have been warned~ See you in chapter 7!