A/N: Woot Thursday again! I've decided I'll keep up these twice-weekly uploads until Bakura comes into the story...which will be soon I swear. Just keep looking out for lust ;) Other than that I don't have much to say other than thanks for all the overwhelming support and love!
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine but the story is. Some guy who's name I can't pronounce/spell owns it :)
I remember the day the investigation finally closed on my father.
Not so surprisingly, he was going to jail.
That tended to happen when you carved the word 'faggot' into your teenaged son's back.
I had become even more antisocial at this time, not speaking to anyone unless I absolutely had to.
Obviously, I could no longer live in my father's house. I had been living with Rishid during the investigation, but he had to go back to Egypt for his internship.
I figured I'd be put in a group home or foster care or something.
It didn't matter.
Those people probably wouldn't want a fag for a son either.
"Marik, can we talk?"
That was Ishizu. Still trying to be a good big sister. I probably owed her my life for coming in when she did. But I still felt numb about the whole thing.
Except for my back. My back still burned every time I moved.
"Oh, Marik…I'm sorry. I thought…I thought I could change you when you were younger. Before father found out. I just kept putting it off and putting it off…but I never should have even tried."
Of course she shouldn't have tried. I was Marik waste-of-life Ishtar.
Who would want to waste time on someone like me?
"What I mean to say is, I shouldn't have tried to change you at all. I can't always understand what you're going through, but I know one thing: you're my little brother. And you're perfect just the way you are. I will love you, no matter who you're attracted to, or what anyone says about you…so…if you don't hate me too much…maybe you would consider coming to live with me? I understand if you'd prefer the foster system. I haven't exactly proven myself as a great big sister. But if you'd give me a chance…I'd like to change that, brother."
I had no words. I couldn't process what she was saying enough to think of a response. My brain just kept on getting stuck on the 'I love you'.
She…still loved me? She still wanted me?
I felt tears slip out from under my lids, running down my cheeks.
"Marik…I'm so sorry…"
Arms around me, hugging me, holding me, loving me like I hadn't felt I had been in a long time. And this time I hugged back, holding tightly to my big sister, afraid to let go.
"Ishizu…I'm sorry too…I was so scared…that you wouldn't…"
I couldn't finish my sentence, and I didn't need to. She understood, and the tightening in her embrace told me I no longer needed to fear.
For the first time since the incident, the burning in my back seemed to cool to little more than a tingle.
That simple offer of a sanctuary to run to when I had nowhere else to turn to told me everything.
And I knew, right then and there as we sat hugging outside the courtroom, that there would be people who would love me no matter who I was.
A/N: This is how I think Ishizu and Marik's relationship would have played out if he hadn't decided to run away and become king of the world like he did in the canon. Despite the harsh way that she deals with his rebelliousness in the show (which will be seen later) I think she truly would do anything for her brother. And I think Rishid would do his best, but he never really stands up to Marik at all, which is why I wanted to showcase Ishizu in this particular story! Thanks for reading guys, see ya'll in the review section I hope :)