As Mahes woke up, the realization slowly dawned that Bakura was not next to him in bed, as he always had been every morning for the last several months. As Mahes' eyes came into focus, he saw that Bakura was on the other side of the room, getting dressed.
"What are you doing?" asked Mahes groggily. "It's practically still the middle of the night."
"Couldn't really sleep," replied Bakura casually. "Thought I'd go out to steal. By the time I manage to walk to the market, it'll be daytime."
Mahes began to heft himself up with effort.
"I didn't say you had to go," said Bakura, seeing that Mahes was intending to get up. "It's early, and you're obviously tired. Just stay here and sleep. By tonight, I'll be back with some good stuff. We're running low on supplies, you know."
"No, really, I don't mind coming with you," Mahes insisted.
"That wouldn't be a good idea," said Bakura. "You're already tired, and you'd be even more tired after that long walk to the market. I've taught you well over these last several months, but you still have a lot to learn about thieving. You don't want to try to steal when your senses are impaired in any way- such as from tiredness. That's just a recipe for getting caught. You'd be a liability to both of us."
"But-" Mahes started, still apparently determined to argue.
"Don't worry, Mahes, you'll be fine here by yourself," said Bakura. "As I said, I've taught you well. You know how to cook, and where to get water. You can survive on your own for one day."
"Of course I can!" said Mahes. "That isn't the point!"
"There isn't some law that we have to be together every minute of every day, is there?" asked Bakura rhetorically.
Mahes looked slightly abashed.
Seeing that Mahes apparently didn't intend to debate the issue any longer, Bakura quickly gathered some of his things and then began heading out. For some reason, he felt the need to reassure Mahes again. "I won't be gone long. You'll be fine." With that, Bakura was gone.
Mahes flopped back down onto the bed. Bakura could be so stubborn and insensitive sometimes! Didn't Bakura think he could handle himself while stealing? Over the last several months, he'd become quite good at stealing small items from the merchants' tables. Sure, in the beginning, he'd had another few close scrapes- which Bakura had had to bail him out of- but that never happened anymore. Now he stole with confidence, and it had been quite a while since he'd gotten himself into any kind of real trouble.
Since Mahes had mastered the skill of lifting items from the merchants, Bakura had lately been teaching him how to pick pockets. At this, he wasn't yet anywhere near perfect. But he'd already gotten away with stealing silver pieces from shoppers a few times. And Mahes himself had come up with a routine to use that would keep him from being accused of thievery when he messed up and the shopper noticed him.
He only attempted to steal money from women. If the woman noticed a tug on her bag of silver pieces and turned around, he would feign shock and exclaim, "Oh! You're not my mother!" Sometimes, the woman would become concerned and want to help the supposedly lost child look for his parents. In these cases, Mahes would at first pretend to be grateful for the help, and then he would suddenly point in the opposite direction and yell, "Oh, there she is! I'm sure of it!" and run off. Most of the time, though, the women would simply give him a look of annoyance and be on their way. Mahes darkly thought that this was because he only stole from women who were obviously well-off, and rich people were less likely to care about helping a child who was apparently in need of assistance- maybe Bakura's views about the wealthy were rubbing off on him.
Either way, this technique had never failed to get him off the hook when he was noticed in his attempts to pick pockets. The first time Bakura had seen him put on the act, he had been shocked that it actually worked. After Bakura had seen Mahes dodge accusations in this way several times, he commented that the routine never would have worked if it weren't for the fact that Mahes was such a pretty child. This had caused Mahes to become flustered, and Bakura to quickly look away.
Mahes thought of these things as he tossed and turned in bed. Bakura really should trust his thieving abilities by now! There was no reason to leave him behind! Mahes sighed and turned over onto his stomach. He supposed that lying around feeling indignant wouldn't do him any good- Bakura was already gone, and he was alone for the day. He might as well try to get some sleep. It was still in the early hours of the morning, and Bakura had been correct about him being tired. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing thoughts. By the time he finally fell asleep, the first rays of light were already piercing the sky outside.
When Mahes awoke for the second time, Bakura still wasn't back. Of course, he hadn't expected him to be. It was still daylight, and the trek to the market and back was an all-day venture when going on foot. Bakura wouldn't be home until near nightfall at the earliest.
Mahes stretched, then got up to look outside. The sun was high in the sky, and he judged that it was early afternoon by now. He sighed and went back inside to fix himself something to eat. He supposed he had better cook the last of the fish before it went bad.
By now, this was not a difficult task for him, and he no longer felt squeamish when he cut open a fish. He cleaned, cooked, and ate the fish in short order. Once he had cleaned up the mess from his meal, he leaned back, his arms crossed behind his head. He had to admit that it was awfully boring to be alone all day without Bakura. He was not used to being totally alone like this. In the palace, there had always been people close by. And this was the first time Bakura had gone out on his own since they'd become partners.
Mahes tried to find ways to fill up his day. There was an oasis fairly nearby where he and Bakura usually went to bathe and get drinking water, so he eventually went to perform those tasks. By the time he got back, he was starting to get hungry again, so he cut up some fruit and ate it.
Done with his second meal of the day, Mahes sighed again. There was truly nothing to do around here. As the hours dragged on, Mahes began eying the tobacco and the clay pipe that Bakura had stolen recently. He had never tried smoking tobacco before. He figured that now might be a good time, considering he had nothing else to do. Maybe it would provide him with some distraction. He just had to put the tobacco into the pipe, and strike a fire to light it...
He inhaled. The effect was almost instant. Dizziness, and a limpness in his limbs. He flopped down onto the floor. He pulled the smoke into his lungs a second time, and felt the relaxation of every muscle in his body. It was ecstasy.
His head spun, and his skin buzzed. The smoke burned his throat on the way down, but it was a pleasant, comforting, tingly sensation. He thought that he could get to like this. He smoked the pipe until the tobacco was burnt out. Once he was through, it didn't take long for the watery feeling in his extremities to dissipate. But he still felt more relaxed overall. He leaned his head back. It was good that Bakura had managed to steal this rare plant...
And where was Bakura, anyways? Mahes pulled himself up to step outside and check the sky. It was full dark by now. That meant that Bakura should be returning any time.
But he didn't. Hours passed, and still Bakura did not return. Mahes began pacing their home, back and forth, back and forth. He already craved more tobacco, so he got some for himself. Tobacco was difficult to come by- it was not native to their country and came from across the ocean- and Mahes thought that Bakura wouldn't like him using up so much of it. But Bakura wasn't here to complain, was he?
Mahes didn't even know whether to be angry or worried. Had Bakura stayed out this long on purpose, or had something...happened? He tried to put that thought out of his head, but it wouldn't leave. Why did Bakura have to go off without him?
He supposed he should try to sleep, but he knew there was no way that he could. He was far too wired. And scared. He had no trouble admitting that to himself. So, as the night wore on, he continued to pace, and smoke. By the time the sun rose, all the tobacco was gone, and Mahes hadn't slept a bit. And still, Bakura had not come back. The bright panic blossoming in his chest warred with his exhaustion. He felt that he should at least stop wearing himself out by constantly pacing, but he didn't think he could sit still. If Bakura was doing this on purpose...
"Ah, you're still awake?"
Mahes heard the sound of Bakura's voice, relief flooding through his body in a way that felt so similar to his very first hit of tobacco. Then he turned to look, and saw that blood was flowing from underneath Bakura's right eye.
Mahes ran to him and pulled him into a crushing hug. "Where- where have you been, partner?"
"You didn't think I'd left you, did you?" asked Bakura, as he attempted to pry Mahes off of him.
"I thought maybe you'd been killed...or captured..."
"Oh, you should have more faith in my skill than that," said Bakura flippantly, finally managing to disengage himself from Mahes.
"But...how did you get that wound underneath your eye? Tell me the tales of your adventures."
"Well...technically, I was captured. But only briefly. I managed to get away, obviously," said Bakura.
"What?!" yelled Mahes. "You were captured?"
"Oh, calm down," said Bakura. "Everything is fine now." He sauntered across their hideout and sat down on the mattress, as if everything really was completely normal.
Mahes followed, sitting down next to him on the bed. "But, your eye..."
"Well, a guard grabbed me," Bakura explained. "I was struggling, of course. Finally managed to wriggle free of his grasp, and he struck out with his weapon. I'm lucky that it didn't catch me right in the eye, really. I bolted, and got lost in the crowd- the guard didn't manage to follow me."
"The wound looks bad," said Mahes with concern.
"It's nothing. The important thing is that I made it back," said Bakura.
"Stop acting like this is no big deal!" exclaimed Mahes.
"It isn't. I'm a thief. It comes with the job," said Bakura.
Mahes sighed. This wasn't getting him anywhere.
"Well, that wound needs to be cleaned. I hope you know that much," said Mahes.
"Of course I do," said Bakura. He began to reach for the container of water, but Mahes stopped him.
"Let me," he said. He proceeded to grab a piece of cloth and wet it with the water. He brought the cloth to Bakura's face, and Bakura hissed sharply as he wiped away the blood.
"Thought you said it was nothing," teased Mahes.
"Well, it still hurts," said Bakura in an uncharacteristically pouty manner.
Mahes laughed a little as he finished cleaning the wound. On impulse, he leaned in and quickly kissed the gash beneath Bakura's eye, earning a gasp from Bakura. Mahes smiled.
"Well, I think that's the best we can do with what we have," said Mahes. "You'd probably better rest now."
"Yeah," agreed Bakura, lying down on the bed. "Feel like I've been awake forever."
"Me too," said Mahes, with a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Bakura either didn't notice Mahes' tone, or simply chose to ignore it. Instead of giving any response, Bakura closed his eyes, and before long, he had drifted off to sleep. Mahes laid down next to him. Exhaustion soon overtook him as well.
Mahes awoke before Bakura did. He got up, stretched, and looked at Bakura's sleeping form. Wondering what time it was, Mahes dressed quietly, then slipped out the door to look at the position of the sun. He saw that it was late morning. He thought that Bakura must really be exhausted, and that it was a good thing he hadn't woken him up when he'd stepped outside.
Suddenly, something occurred to Mahes. When Bakura had decided to go out on his own the night before last, he apparently hadn't even been planning on telling Mahes where he was going. He hadn't awoken Mahes on purpose; it had simply been luck that Mahes had woken up and seen Bakura dressing, readying himself to leave. Bakura would have walked out without a word to Mahes, and Mahes would have had no idea where he had gone.
Anger flared within him at this realization. Without thinking about what he was doing, he began walking. As he walked, thoughts about Bakura flew through his head, and with every thought, he walked a little faster. Who did Bakura think he was, anyways? Didn't he have the least bit of consideration for anyone aside from himself? Weren't they partners? How would Bakura like it if he woke up to find Mahes gone with no explanation?
A wicked smile slowly spread on his face. He decided to find out exactly how Bakura would like it. He kept on walking, not planning on returning any time particularly soon. He would just have to find something to keep him occupied for a while.
Several hours later, Mahes finally decided he'd been gone long enough, so he headed home. When he walked back into their hideout, he was quite pleased to find Bakura pacing the floor, much as he himself had done two nights ago when Bakura was missing.
"Hi!" said Mahes brightly, pretending that nothing at all was amiss.
A look of relief passed over Bakura's face before he could hide it. Then his expression quickly became more neutral.
"Where have you been, partner?" asked Bakura.
"Why?" asked Mahes, his eyes sparkling. "Were you worried?"
"No!" snapped Bakura. "I just...thought you might have finally decided to go back to that palace or something."
"I wouldn't do that!" said Mahes, affronted. "I was just out doing things...important things."
Bakura relaxed almost imperceptibly. "Well, then...tell me the tales of your adventures."
Mahes laughed. "I was kidding...I wasn't really doing anything important. I just went to the oasis and played around for a while."
"And why didn't you tell me where you were going?"
"You weren't planning on telling me where you were going when you left the other night, were you? I wanted you to know how it felt."
Surprisingly, Bakura smirked at this. "How underhanded...I must really be rubbing off on you."
Mahes smiled at him, looking embarrassed yet somewhat pleased.
Then Mahes thought of what Bakura had said a few moments ago, and his expression became more serious. "You didn't honestly think I'd go back to palace, did you? And after you got so mad at me for not trusting that you'd stick with me?"
Bakura shrugged. "I don't know. I can see why you might want to go back. It would be much more comfortable for you there. And everyone you care about is there."
"Everyone I care about isn't there," said Mahes, giving Bakura a pointed look. Bakura looked away, absently scratching his head.
"I'm not going to leave you," said Mahes, as he walked over to sit down on the mattress.
Bakura didn't respond, but eventually, he sat down next to Mahes. "You really don't want to go back to the palace at all?" he finally asked.
"I really don't give a damn about riches and comfort and all those sorts of things. Haven't you figured that out by now?"
"Alright, alright," said Bakura. "But don't you ever miss your family?"
"Yeah, I miss my sister. I think about her sometimes," admitted Mahes. "But knowing what I know...about the Millennium items...I think she's better off without me around. If she knew how the Millennium items were created, I know she'd oppose it, and I'm afraid she'd be killed for her opposition. It's best that I stay away from her. At least I know she's safe."
"I see," said Bakura awkwardly. "And what about your parents?"
"They got sick and died when I was really little," said Mahes with a hint of sadness.
"Died of sickness?!" exclaimed Bakura. "But...your family is from the palace...they must have all kinds of expensive medicine and advanced magic!"
Mahes rounded on him. "Bakura, the palace isn't some wonderland where everything is perfect, the way you seem to think it is! There are still many illnesses that we don't even understand, much less know how to treat."
"Oh," was all that Bakura said.
For a while, there was silence. Finally, Bakura asked, "So, how did it happen?" It didn't occur to him to wonder if this was a rude question.
Mahes didn't really mind answering, though. "I was just a baby. My sister says that my mother got sick first. My father was by her bedside all the time, tending to her. My sister took care of me during that time. Eventually, my mother died. By then, my father seemed to have come down with the same thing my mother had. Nobody knew exactly what was wrong with him, or how to fix it. He soon died as well. My sister raised me from that point on. I almost think of her as my mother." He said all of this in a detached manner, as if he was describing something that had happened to someone else...or as if he was merely discussing the weather.
"I'm...I'm sorry?" said Bakura, unsure of what to say in this type of situation.
Mahes shrugged. "I was so young when they died. I don't even remember my parents. I guess I can't miss people I don't remember, can I?"
"Still, it's...it's too bad," Bakura said lamely.
"Yeah," said Mahes, the sorrow back in his voice for an instant. "But...honestly, what have I got to complain about? It's nothing compared to what happened to you. Everyone in your family is..."
"It's alright, you can say it," Bakura said harshly. "They're dead. Dead. I had to watch as my parents and my sister were murdered in front of my eyes, and I couldn't do a thing. Not to mention my friends...they're all dead too."
Mahes suddenly pulled Bakura into a hug. "All of your friends aren't dead."
Bakura pushed him away, but then looked at him and said, "I can't argue with that...can I?"
"No, you can't, partner."