I did this chapter on impulse at the last minute. This is totally unscheduled, so I hope it turns out okay. This is the last chapter. I hope that this doesn't turn out crappy and screw up the ending. But whatever...
R&R
ENJOY~!
~Still 12/25/12~
Later that day, a few minutes after the snowball fight, Marik suggested that they bring something to Ryou...
.
He sat down near the tree, smiling at the contents of the box that he had just opened.
Then the doorbell rang. He jumped a bit, startled, but relaxed when he sensed who was there.
Ryou got up and opened the door to Marik and Bakura. "Hey guys!" he greeted happily. "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, Ryou!" Marik said. He was holding a large plastic food container. The container wasn't see-through. "Nice shirt."
Ryou glanced down at his adorable red T-shirt with a large green Christmas tree ornament with an adorable smiley face on it. "Oh yeah thanks. You coming in?"
"Sure." Marik tapped Bakura, who was silent, and walked inside. They both sat down on the couch and Ryou closed the door.
Ryou sat down in the armchair. He was about to ask about the container when he noticed something about Marik and Bakura's faces. They each had a faint, barely noticeable bruise on one cheek or the other. "Uh... what happened to your faces?" he asked with concern. "Did you hurt yourselves?"
"Uh well..." Marik looked at Bakura for a moment, then smirked and looked back at Ryou. "Hehe... Snowball fight."
"What!" His eyes widened and focused on Bakura's face. "Haha! Marik you actually nailed him right in the face?! For real!"
"Yup!"
"Wow! That takes skill! I'm impressed! Even when he's caught off guard I can never hit Bakura with anything I throw at him." Bakura rolled his eyes, mumbling something to himself about the third time Marik overcame his skills. Ryou ignored it and changed the subject for everyone's sake (but mostly Bakura's). "What's in the container?" he asked Marik.
"Cake," Marik said, handing him the container.
"Oh thanks! You made it?"
"I bought it," Bakura muttered.
For some reason, Ryou laughed at that. "Seriously? You bought something instead of stealing it? I'm impressed."
"It was personalized," Marik explained with a smile. "Just for me. It said 'happy birthday' one one half and 'Merry Christmas' on the other. This is a piece of the Christmas half."
Ryou took it immediately to the kitchen and put it in the fridge for later. "Thanks guys!"
"You're welcome!" Marik called back. "And thanks for the snow globe. It's so nice! And creative!"
"Oh you're welcome!" Ryou replied with a blush of modesty. "I do stuff like that all the time. It's just one of my things."
"Yes one of your many 'things' that you 'do all the time'," Bakura said slightly sarcastically.
"You're very welcome too, Baku!" Ryou said to him.
"What's in the box?"
Ryou looked back at the box he had just opened, then back at Bakura. "Oh nothing much. Just something my father sent me. It's just a little figure for one of my games."
"Which one?"
"Do you really care?"
"Nope."
"Anyway..." Marik said, interrupting them. "We didn't get you anything. Sorry. Only the cake."
"That's alright. I really don't need anything from anyone, but I have no problem with accepting gifts. So Bakura can you show me the card later?"
"Wha-! What card?" He narrowed his eyes when he realized... "You nosy little..."
"Kura..." Marik warned.
"Why were you being nosy in my mind?"
"I wasn't!" Ryou said honestly. He averted his gaze and explained. "You were just thinking so much about it and felt so happy... And when you rang the bell and I sensed you were as the door, there was this little wave of joy that passed through our bond and I also heard the thoughts of where it came from and..." He finally looked up and saw that Bakura's face had grown red. "Aw... Bakura you're blushing..."
"Sh-shut up Ry..."
"Kura... Is that true?" Marik asked. "You really liked it that much? I know you liked it but I didn't think..."
"Yes, Marik. I absolutely loved it."
"And the snow globe! I know you like it more than you're letting on!"
"Shut up, Ry."
"Aw Bakura..." Marik moved closer to Bakura and pulled him into yet another warm embrace, then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Marik!" Bakura whispered harshly. He lowered his voice and said, "Ryou..."
Ryou heard him anyway. "It's okay," Ryou reassured him. "I'll leave you alone about it. Marik is good for you. I think he's starting to make you less of a criminal."
"Sorry to dissapoint. Not gonna happen. Go ahead and try to find your favorite cereal. I guarantee that it's still not in the cubboard."
"So it was you! I knew it!"
"Yeah I'll give it back and that's your Christmas present."
"Thank you anyway."
Marik laughed softly at the two of them. "You two are so adorable when you argue."
"Oh stop saying that!" Bakura jokingly poked Marik's cheek.
"Hey watch it!" He drew back and put a hand on his cheek where Bakura had poked. "My face..." He had poked dangerously close to the bruise.
"You two really had a snowball fight and hit each other in hte face? That snow isn't the softest, Marik. You know that. Especially in that big field."
"Actually some random kid hit him," Bakura said. "Little bastard must have put some hard snow in the snowball."
"And I must have picked up the same snow when I made the one that hit you."
"Wow... Bakura this just isn't your week, is it?"
"Hmph."
"Anyway Ryou we should..."
"You're leaving? Aw..." Ryou looked disappointed that Marik... and Bakura... were leaving. But he smiled again. "Well I was hoping you could stay for longer. But that's okay. Maybe I'll stop by later... If Bakura doesn't mind..."
"Kura?" Marik looked at Bakura pleadingly and hopefully.
"Meh..." he said after a few seconds. "Fine. As long as you don't annoy me too much."
Ryou laughed. "I promise I won't. I know we don't get along and I really hate our past but... It's Christmas so why not lighten up? Love you, yami."
Marik and Ryou held their breaths, waiting for Bakura's response. After a while he finally said... "Hmph... Love you too... hikari."
"Yay!" Ryou jumped up and ran over to Bakura. Marik let go of him so Ryou could give him a hug.
"UGH! GET OFF!"
Marik laughed as Bakura tried to escape. Ryou finally let go and smiled wide at him. "Bye~!"
Bakura stood up and quickly walked over to the door. "Don't make me reconsider letting you stop by later."
"Oh leave him alone, Bakura. It's Christmas. Everyone has a right to be hyper today."
"If anyone should be hyper it's you," Bakura said to Marik. "What with that cake you had this morning."
"Haha... Anyway bye guys~!" Ryou opened the door for them. They walked out, hand-in hand. Marik waved.
.
All thoughts of Ryou were left behind as they walked away. They first headed back to Marik's place to take care of their bruises becasue they had only dropped off their coats before seeing Ryou. They put ice on for a few minuted before putting on their coats and heading back out.
Marik and Bakura walked together and headed for the staircase.
They walked up the stairs...
To the roof.
They stayed there for a few minutes, sitting on the edge of the building.
"Hey, Marik," Bakura suddenly said.
"Yes?"
"How about I teach you how to get to your appartment from here?"
"Well..." Marik knew what Bakura meant, but hoped he meant something else. "Let's see... First we stand up and walk over there to the elevator or stairs, and then-"
"You know that's not what I mean. I mean the shorter way."
"Ugh... I do but I'd rather not."
"Come on! Going down the chimney isn't that bad!"
"What!" Marik cried out in shock. "I thought you were going to say the fire escape!" He carefully stood up and backed away from Bakura. "No way! I will never..."
Bakura laughed and waved him over. "Calm down. I was joking. I did mean the fire escape."
Marik calmed down and walked back over to him, but didn't sit back down. "Oh. Okay that makes more sense. And is more sane."
"You know what would have been a good idea? Me dressing up as Santa Claus and climbing down the chimney and scaring you."
"Nooooo!" Marik said with a laugh. "That's a terrible idea!"
"I know. Anyway..." Bakura stood up and held out a hand to Marik. Marik hesitantly walked closer and took hold of the hand. Neither of them were wearing gloves. Bakura led him closer to the ledge. He whispered in Marik's ear, "Ready?"
Marik shook his head and said, "Yes?"
"Are you sure?"
He nodded and said, "No?"
"I'll go first then." Bakura let go of Marik's hand and readied himself. It took all of Marik's willpower not to reach out and pull him back.
He turned around and knelt down on the edge, then dropped his legs over and hung on to the ledge. Then he braced his legs against the side of the bulding and prepared to do it. After a few more seconds, he pushed out slightly with his arms and twisted a bit as he fell towards the fire escape about two meters below him. He reached out a hand to this one brick that had always been sticking out two or three centimeters and briefly hung on to it to slow his fall, then held out his foot and pushed himself toward the wall away and from the railing. His back hit the wall and he slid down untill he was sitting. He looked up and saw Marik leaning over and clapping. He gave Marik a thumbs up and called out to him, "Thanks. See how easy I did that? It won't be that easy. But I promise that you'll make it."
Marik trusted Bakura. He always had. And he would when making the jump.
Without another delay, he called down, "I'm going now," and readied himself the same way Bakura had. He dropped his legs and hung from the edge of the building like Bakura had. He swung there for a few seconds, still feeling nervous. But Bakura reassured him from down below. "Don't worry. Just do what I did and relax. If you mess up, I'll catch you. Just remember to push off with your arms, not your legs. And try to grab the brick."
Marik nodded and took a deep breath. He braced his legs against the building and pushed off lightly with his arms. When he fell, he reached for the brick he had seen Bakura grab for briefly. But he was only a millimeter off and he missed it. "Bakura!" He had missed the oppurtunity to slow down! In a panic, he flailed a bit and shifter his positioning. But he rememberd to reach his foot out to the railing. His foot touched and he pushed. But the heel of his boot caught on the railing ahd he fel back awkardly. He closed his eyes and felt a tiny tug somewhere in his legs. But then he felt Bakura catch him and the tug faded.
He relaxed and was breathing hard. Bakura pulled him back a bit and his feet fell to the floor of the fire escape. "Oh. My. Gosh." Marik panted. Bakura sat both of them down against the wall. "That was scary. But exciting. You saw that I missed the..."
"It's alright," Bakura cut him off. "So did I the first time I tried it. All the brick does is help to keep you in the right spot to push on the railing and not break your legs when you fall back. Which would have happened to you if I wasn't here."
"You broke your leg?!"
"No! I didn't. I just sprained my ankle a bit."
"Was it bad?"
"It was terrible. Ryou babied me for a week while it was healing. Worst experience ever."
"Hahaha. Your injury, I mean."
"Oh no I felt alright. I'm used to injuries like that. I get into physical trouble all the time. It's part of living a life of crime. I've gotten used to pain. Anyway. After one more try I got the hang of it. From then on I just used it as a quick way to get home from up here, and I started practicing different tricks and skill jumps. Never hurt myself again. I never hurt myself the second time I try some dangerous stunt. I'm just that skillful. Maybe hanging out with me will make you pick up on it."
"Nope!" Marik responded automatically. "Not doing that ever again."
"Watch in a few months you'll get some text from me asking you over and you'll be on the roof and you'll jump down like I did to save time. Something like that."
"Yeah. I'll just watch you set up a situation like that and I don't fall for it and I take the stairs like a normal person."
"We'll see. We'll see."
They sat there and each put an arm around the other. They watched the snow fall gently, but none fell on them becasue of the legde above and because they were up against the wall.
Suddenly, Marik sat up straight and cried out, "Wait! Who's window is this?" He remembered seeing a window when he had fallen. They were sitting below and next to it.
They both stood up and looked through the window, trying to identify people or furniture. "Oh it's yours," Bakura said.
"Oh fine then."
"What if it had been someone else's?"
"I would have moved."
"Why?"
"Because we can't just hang out outside other people's windows!"
"Correction: We shouldn't hang out outside other people's windows."
"What do you mean by that?"
"We shouldn't," Bakura repeated. "Show me the law that says we can't."
"If I did," Marik said with a smile, "would you follow it anyway?"
"Probably not."
"So-"
"So it doesn't matter. Stay."
Marik sighed. "Fine. I was going to stay anyway."
They smiled at each other, took the other's hand, and stood near the railing, looking down on the city below.
They stayed there for about a minute or two before Bakura spoke up.
"Do you... hear music playing?"
"Oh you hear it too? I thought it was just me. Yeah it's that song again." The one from the card.
"Marik... I think it's..." He takes a step for the stairs down to his appartment. Marik stops him. "Who freaking cares? Enjoy the moment."
Bakura's frown morphs into a smile and he steps away from the stairs.. "Alright, then. I will."
They both stand there together, hand in hand, listening to the music and watching the snowflakes fall.
.
When the song finishes, Ryou closes the card and looks straight ahead. He breaks the fourth wall by looking at all of you, winking, and saying "Merry Christmas~! And a Happy New Year~!" Then he ducks back inside the window to Bakura's appartment and closes it.
And all was silent.
Think of this next part as the closing credits. It's the same song, but with slightly modified lyrics that I thought of.
o/` o/` o/` o/` o/` o/` o/` o/`
It's Christmas
And we walk alone
Two stangers with no one to miss us
On our own
Out in the cold
Trudging onward
Braving a harsh winter storm
You and I
Met passing by
And now our spirits feel warm
I don't have anyone at home
To talk to
And you don't have anything
To do
So I'll spend my birthday with you
I'll spend my birthday with you
It's Christmas
And we are in love
With the way that the soft snowflakes kiss us
From far above
The blustery breeze
Trudging onward
Braving a harsh winter storm
You and I
Met passing by
And now our spirits feel warm
I believe
Thiefshipping is truly the only way
And I like Christmas
Because it's close to Marik's birthday
I don't have anyone at home
To talk to
And you don't have anything
To do
So I'll spend my Christmas with you
I'll spend my Christmas with you
I'll spend my Christmas with you
I'll spend my Christmas with you
o/` o/` o/` o/` o/` o/` o/` o/`
~The End~
Thanks for reading~! Thanks for all of the faves, follows, and reviews. I appreciate every one of them. Knowing that someone enjoys and appreciates my work is the best present ever to me. Merry Christmas~! And for those of you that don't celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays~!
See you next time!
BYEEEEEEEEEEEEE~!