For a chapter that has been written for at least a year, this has sure taken a long time to reappear. Sorry about that - I blame GCSE's. Anyway, happy belated Chapter 4.

"Wakey wakey, Malik."

Malik spoke to the recently-unpacked mirror. The dark smudges under his eyes were, he hoped, the only clue to the sleepless night he'd had and ice cubes would soon solve that problem. The reasons behind aforementioned sleepless night, however, were a mystery.

He stood up slowly and glanced down at the black top in his hands. Malik rarely wore black, but when he did, he glowed.

That was the plan. Malik was going to glow so brightly Akefia wouldn't think to ask about anything embarrassing. Like his age.

Malik left his bedroom and after shoving the top to the bottom of his schoolbag, headed towards the kitchen. Before he could reach it, he heard the other door open with a low creak.

Three, two, one.

"What are you up to?"

Aaron. Ugh.

"Nothing. You?" Malik didn't look round, just stopped dead in the middle of the room.

"None of your business."

"There's no need to be rude." Malik's tone was so acidic a more insightful person might have backed off. Aaron, however, was about as insightful as a slug.

"I can say what I like. In case you hadn't noticed yet, I'm Ishizu's favourite. And as her favourite, I call the shots."

Let him think he's winning. Then bite back.

Aaron continued blindly, "How does it feel to be a disappointment, huh?" He adopted a mocking, childish tone, "The little boy who is so pathetic he tags along with his big sister 'cause his brother and his daddy don't want him."

Malik bit his lip and tasted blood. Ouch.

"He never calls, does he, your brother? You know," Aaron said, "I reckon it's because you're gay. No-one wants a gay brother. Hit on his friends, did you? You're an embarrassment. Christ, if you were mine I'd have set you straight. Literally." He laughed.

If Akefia were here, he'd punch your lights out and laugh, you bastard. Then you'd be sorry.

"Hey, hey, I never meant a word of it. Malik, gay? I never knew. I love gays, honestly. We can talk about this..."

"Trying to be gay 'cause you think you're cool, huh? You want your sister to feel sorry for you, yeah? Look, kid, she hates you as much as I do, so maybe you should just give it a rest. Otherwise some guy will come along and fall for your little act, and you'll be in for it then. No, wait, stop, I'm not really gay..."

"Too late." Malik interrupted. He walked over to the door and picked up his schoolbag.

"Huh?"

"I said too late. When we first moved here. After the dance show. I met a real nice guy. We got along really well."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Precisely. You might want to wash the sheets."

And with that, Malik left. It took Aaron a few seconds to work out what he was implying.

"Ishizu!"

Malik heard the enraged cry from halfway down the road. He smiled coldly. The perfect lie, perfectly executed at the perfect moment.

Malik 1 - 0 Aaron

Ryou was late.

He'd always known that one day, his little detours through the back alleys would actually affect him, but he hadn't expected today of all days to be the one when Time decided to mess him around. He was two minutes from school, when he ran into the very thing he had been trying to avoid - Ushio. Just one name on the long list of people who counted bullying Ryou among their very highest priorities.

Since he'd first arrived at the school, Ushio had singled him out as a weakling. Something he could manipulate. He wasn't at all intelligent, but his brawn more than made up for that in Ryou's eyes.

He stood there with a group of hulking cronies, leering, like Neanderthals surrounding some kind of prehistoric kitten. Ryou swallowed nervously as he neared them, feeling the blood rush to his head, fear flooding his body.

"Eh, pretty boy! Come over here." One of them yelled. The whole group cackled. Amongst the fog of cigarette smoke Ryou could vaguely make out Ushio's face, uglier and crueller than the rest of them. Most likely, they were just as scared of Ushio as Ryou was. Still, right now the last thing Ryou wanted was an encounter with any one of their fists.

His rapidly slowing walk drew him level with them. Ryou felt hope flutter in his stomach at the gap between them and the alley wall. Maybe they'd let him escape without a beating, just for today. But that hope was extinguished as Ushio stepped between the chink of light and Ryou's frail form. His hand shot out and his fat fingers entangled themselves in the front of Ryou's shirt. Ryou braced himself for the coming punch.

"Hey! Excuse me...Ryou? Hey there, sweetheart!"

From between two of the hulking teens burst Malik. Malik's eyes drifted from person to person. Evaluating. Calculating. Sizing up his opponent. Ryou noted that Malik certainly wasn't small. He could look every member of Ushio's gang straight in the eye, and there had been no lack of muscle on his stomach when they had met at the weekend. Even in Ushio's chokehold, he felt himself flush at the memory.

He smiled bemusedly. "Am I interrupting anything?" He glanced up to Ushio, who had Ryou held up by his clothes.

"Ryou! You never told me you had a boyfriend. Or a whole harem, by the looks of it." Malik smiled saucily and placed a hand on his hip, surveying the entire group. He was wearing a white tank top, skinny red jeans and a cropped denim jacket; evidently, he hadn't read the school rules: No provocative clothing.

"You know what? I've changed my mind. We can deal with this queer first." Ushio dropped Ryou, who fell to the floor in shock, and turned to glare at Malik, his mean little eyes dark with anger. No- one made fun of Ushio. Not if they wanted to make it to school in one piece.

"Let me introduce you to..." Ushio swung his fist back; he was going to enjoy knocking this fag around.

"...My fist!" He threw a viciously hard punch, and certainly did not expect retaliation. But Malik was fast. Before anyone could blink, Ushio was pinned against the wall, his fist being subtly crushed in Malik's tan hand.

"No, no! It's ladies first, isn't it?" Malik said, smiling sweetly. Everyone there stared, including Ryou. He'd known Malik was good, but not this good!

He's a bloody angel!

"My name's Malik, and if you want to know more, find me." Malik winked at Ushio, and kissed him on both cheeks, letting go of his fist, bangles jangling, eyes sparkling. He leaned down, dragging Ryou to his feet. Ushio was frozen in shock.

"Come on, Ryou. We're gonna be late. Crap, we're already late!" He gave Ryou a gentle push in the direction of school, before turning around for one final insult.

"Pathetic," he said scathingly. "Touch me again, and my boyfriend will pull out your eyes and make you eat them. Have a nice day."

Malik, you are on fire today.

Malik fixed his hair and jogged for a bit to catch up with Ryou, who had escaped from the scene as quickly as possible.

"Are you alright?" he asked, as they entered the school grounds. Ryou kept his head down, eyes hidden behind a curtain of white bangs.

"Oh, God, I'm so embarrassed. You shouldn't have had to see that." Ryou sounded almost tearful. "I'm sorry. Now if you get bullied it's all my fault."

"Don't give me that crap, Ryou. Look at me. Do you really think the bullies in this school would miss me?" Malik scowled and then smiled wanly. "But don't worry. If they're as cowardly as I think they are, they won't be bothering me again."

Ryou looked up, biting his lip. "Sorry..." he started to say.

"If you apologise one more time, I'll be the one starting on you. Okay?"

Ryou giggled weakly. "Yes, sir."

"Excuse me? What on earth do you think you are doing loitering in the school grounds?"

Ryou groaned under his breath. Mr Pegasus was the last thing he needed right now.

"Ryou Bakura. A troublemaker, if ever met one. As far as I recall, you had yet another detention with me on Friday. I will greatly enjoy seeing you in my classroom tonight, seeing as you conveniently forgot about it. I will also be kind enough to treat you to a surprise quiz. If you don't get full marks, you'll have detentions every day this week. As for you..." Mr Pegasus looked at Malik as one might look at a particularly filthy dog. "...What on earth are you wearing?"

"I'm sorry, sir. Is there something wrong with my outfit?" Malik said coldly, folding his arms. Ryou had never heard Malik speak in such icy tones. Obviously, something about Pegasus had really hit a nerve.

"Don't say anything you wouldn't be happy to repeat in front of the school board." Malik said warningly.

Pegasus' eyes bulged slightly. He wasn't used to students standing up to him.

"I-I'll let you off just this once."

Malik stared impassively at Pegasus, chin raised slightly.

"Well? Do-"

"Yes sir." Ryou interrupted hastily. He took Malik's arm and dragged him away. Something in Malik's eyes had told him that that could have gotten out of control. Even as they were standing in the school reception, Malik had a dark look in his face.

"Malik, what's up? He's always like that, don't worry..."

"I hate adults who pick on kids." Malik spat vehemently. "It's... it's... it's just pathetic!"

Ryou regarded his friend with concern. There was clearly more to this than an unfair teacher, but Ryou had never been one to probe, so he just left it. Malik could come clean when he felt like it; if ever.

"Well, shall we go? You don't want to be late for Mr Lawrence! You know, I think he gets paid per detention." Ryou said, smiling nervously. Something about Malik's expression was a little unnerving.

Malik sighed.

The day passed quickly. They were in all the same classes, and seeing as Ryou was often left sitting by himself, Malik had been quick to claim the empty seat next to him.

It was last period, and the weather had turned bitterly cold. It was Geometry, a subject which Malik clearly couldn't get his head around, and which therefore involved a lot of muttered curses and pencil biting. Ryou's seat was right next to the radiator, so he could keep his feet warm while the rest of the class froze. It was his little bit of just revenge for the fact that they ignored him. However, the seat did have some downsides.

"Hey, Ryou." Anzu turned around from the seat in front of him, smiling. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks." Ryou watched her eyes drift to Malik, as peoples' eyes tended to do.

"Are you busy after school today? We're going to the arcade, and Yuugi was wondering if you wanted to come..."

Malik glanced up from his page of illegible scrawl. "Hmm?"

Anzu flushed "Oh, it's an open invitation! Don't feel like we're leaving you out, Malik." She sat up a little straighter.

"I'd love to, but I have detention with Pegasus." Ryou said, feigning disappointment. The visit to the arcade would just have been hours of awkwardness.

"I can't go either. I'm otherwise engaged." Malik winked. "We can go on a date some other time."

"I-it...I mean no! That wasn't it at all-!" Anzu stammered, flushing again.

"He's only teasing, Anzu." Ryou said, remembering their conversation about Malik's 'orientation'.

"Oh. Okay then." Anzu's face fell a little and she turned back to the front.

After a moment's thought, Malik said "I think she fancies me."

"You don't say! Just about everyone does." Ryou laughed.

"Seriously?"

"I remember when you told me to take a look at myself. You clearly haven't been practising what you preach."

"Oh Ryou, where would I be without you?"

Something Malik had said suddenly clicked.

"Otherwise engaged?" Ryou asked incredulously.

Malik burst out laughing. "And I thought I was slow!"

"Shush at the back!" The teacher hissed. Malik attempted to stifle his giggles.

"Were you being serious?" Ryou whispered curiously.

"Yes. Well, I'm obviously not 'engaged', but I am taken. As of yesterday."

"Yesterday? But you spent all day with me."

"Not quite. While you chatted up the lovely boy behind the desk in the tattoo parlour, Akefia was all over me."

Ryou blushed, "I did not chat him up."

"You so did. Anyway, that conversation can wait till later. School's nearly out, and I'm going to Akefia's after."

Ryou was suddenly hit with a few disturbing thoughts, mostly involving Malik being tied up or thrown into the back of a van. It must have shown through on his face.

"Don't look so horrified, Ryou. I won't let him jump me."

"Good."

"I will be doing the jumping."

"Malik!"

"Only kidding. But if I'm late for school tomorrow... It'll be because I couldn't find my clothes."

"You are so horny."

"Yes. Yes, I am."

Ryou burst into a silent laughing fit, which he attempted to hide from their teacher by ducking down behind his hair.

Malik smiled to himself. It seemed like his luck was finally changing.

Then the school bell rang shrilly, filling his ears with the sound of freedom, and perfectly matching his thoughts.

The entire class descended into chaos.

"Hey... class! The bell is for me, not you..." The teacher cried in vain.

No one listened, of course. Ryou began carefully packing up his things, ruler, pencils, books and papers, totally at odds with the mad rush of his peers. Malik tapped him on the shoulder.

"I should really go now. It'll take me a while to get to Akefia's." He was pulling the sleeves of his denim jacket the right way out. The pair wandered out into the corridor.

Ryou smiled slightly. "You know what I said about not checking him out?"

Malik smiled back in a knowing way, "Yes?"

"I was lying. I was checking him out. And now I think about it, it was probably painfully obvious."

"You never fail to surprise me, Ryou Bakura. I always thought you'd go for the 'sweet and sensitive' type," Malik said, almost admiringly, "But opposites attract, I guess. More importantly, will you be alright on the way home? That Philistine won't give you hassle, will he?"

"No. After school they go and knock over bins. Anyway, I have a detention with Mr Pegasus."

"Pah! Pathetic. Well, if that's the case, I'll see you round! "

Malik turned and left, leaving Ryou standing in the corridor, faced with the prospect of an hour with Pegasus.

Well, this is going to be a laugh!

Malik arrived at the tattoo parlour at about five o'clock. The wind was bitter and fallen leaves were being whipped up in miniature tornados every few streets. Malik stood on the front steps, threw his coat on the floor and stripped off his denim jacket and shirt, to replace them with a tight black tank top. He pulled a decorative black belt from his rucksack and shoved his old clothes back into it, jogging up the steps and inside out of the cold.

The usual guy was sitting behind the desk, talking on his phone.

"I already told them I can't do Thursday's. Some of us have to work!...Stupid woman, she must have used up all her damn holiday by now. Yeah, tell me about it, I don't know how she managed to graduate... Wait, I gotta go. Talk to me later, yeah?"

He put the phone down and glowered up at Malik.

"Oh, so you're the reason Akefia's shutting up early? He's so fucking disorganised." Malik watched Marik's eyes drift down to his bare stomach - appreciatively?

"Hmm. I wouldn't recommend those for most guys, but it looks okay on you."

Malik glanced down. "Thanks?"

"No problem."

Malik waited for a second, and when he realised that the man wasn't going to say anything else he began walking towards the back room. As he passed the desk his low slung backpack knocked some papers to the ground.

"Oops, sorry about that! I'll just get those..."

"Nah, don't bother yourself. Clear off and screw Akefia. He's been getting really grouchy recently." Marik said brusquely, standing up.

"I'm not a hooker, you know."

"I know. But that's what you're here for, right?" Marik said, playing absentmindedly with his hair.

It wasn't a question.

Malik frowned and started to walk away.

"That wasn't an insult. In fact, Akefia is pretty fussy about who he does, so you should really be flattered."

Malik stopped in the doorway. At length he turned to Marik and smiled.

"Well, then, thanks. I guess."

Marik raised both eyebrows suggestively. "I won't hang around. This building isn't exactly stable, especially the top floor."

And with that, he clambered over his desk and left, throwing a set of keys up and down in his hand. As he left he locked the door.

Malik turned and started to make his way up the steps. He'd never been one to feel apprehension, and today was no exception. He bounded up the stairs without hesitation. At the top, there was a tiny landing and one door. Malik reached out and twisted the handle, which jammed and clattered.

"How fricking old is this place?" Malik muttered, fighting to jerk the doorknob into submission. After a few seconds of not getting anywhere, he decided to barge the door open with his shoulder. It burst open with a loud banging noise, and Malik stumbled into a quite amazing room.

It was like stepping back in time. The four poster bed in the corner was draped in a crimson sheet, the room was full of old chests and random pieces of mismatching furniture. Sitting in a tall living chair was Akefia, who looked perfectly at home in the strange jumbled mess of an apartment, which looked more suited to be the boudoir of a nineteen twenties prostitute than the bedroom of a promiscuous twenty year old tattooist. Akefia smiled, then tutted.

"You could bring the whole place down, banging around like that. I'm surprised you didn't take that thing off its hinges."

Malik smiled back delightedly. It was easy to forget how stunning Akefia was when you didn't see him for a while; a while being one day. Then he thought of something.

If I throw myself at him, he'll control me. I need to show him I'm no pushover. However much I may want to, I will not give in to his disarming good looks.

With that thought, Malik walked over to Akefia, swinging his hips slightly, and sank elegantly into the chair next to him.

"Do you drink?" Akefia asked, playful grey eyes meeting Malik's, a smile playing on his lips.

Malik considered it. "Rarely. But, if you're offering..."

Akefia smiled wider, and dragged a bottle of wine swiftly across the little table towards him. Malik watched the scarlet liquid pour almost hypnotically into the two glasses, tumbling downwards and then splashing and bubbling into the bowl. He took his glass and sipped some of the contents. The wine was bitter, but warm, far from the foul tasting substance he remembered.

"So...have a good day at school?"

Malik almost choked on his mouthful of wine. Akefia laughed.

"You didn't think you had me fooled, did you?"

"I...didn't think it was that obvious." Malik pushed his fringe out of his eyes, trying to ignore the heat rising to his face.

"Please. If you were at college you'd be taken for sure. Unless of course, you are...? Taken that is."

"No. I'm not a cheater."

Akefia's lazy smile widened. "Then count yourself lucky; I don't make a habit of dating schoolboys."

Malik crossed and uncrossed his legs, feeling slightly self conscious under Akefia's gaze; the man hadn't looked away since he'd entered the room.

"I-it was okay."

"Hmm?"

"It was okay. School, I mean. If you wanted to know..." Malik heard himself stammer slightly, and wondered why.

Akefia relaxed into his chair. "You sound scared." He said teasingly, balancing his wine glass on his knee.

"Well, I'm not. What's to be scared of?" Malik said, more to convince himself than anything else.

"Me?"

"Pah. You aren't scary."

"Liar. You're shaking. Unless that's not because you're scared..."

Malik decided not to grace that comment with an answer, and instead took another sip of wine.

"So...are you a virgin or what?"

"Stop saying things like that while I'm drinking!" Malik coughed indignantly, trying to retain any dignity he had left.

"Sorry." Akefia smirked, looking anything but sorry.

"And for your information, I'm not. Not that I'm proud of that, or anything."

"Girls don't count."

"Well... I'm still not."

"Ooh. What a little slut." Akefia said, the offensive term made almost admiring. "Was he any good?"

"That's none of your business."

"That means it was either so bad you don't want to remember, or so good you don't want to talk about it for fear of making me jealous."

"It was neither." Malik insisted, "He was...different. He was my best friend. We were just messing around."

Akefia raised an eyebrow, drinking some wine straight from the bottle. He gestured for Malik to elaborate.

"That's all there is to tell." Malik shrugged, draining the last of his wine.

"What a pity. I was rather enjoying that story." Akefia stood up and sat on the arm of Malik's chair, staring unabashedly at him. Malik lifted his chin to meet Akefia's gaze, trying to distract himself from the close proximity of the other.

And from the inevitable sex that was to follow.

"Did I ever tell you how much I like that?" Akefia asked

"How much you like what?"

"The piercing. It suits you."

Malik flushed and smiled "That's what Marik said. Anyway, you did it."

"It was your idea."

"I wouldn't have been able to if you-"

"Are we going to keep talking, or do something more interesting?" Akefia interrupted unexpectedly. Malik felt his stomach flip, in anticipation or fear.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Someone's a pro-cras-ti-na-tor." Akefia elongated the word and leaned in closer to Malik, raising a hand to lightly brush his cheek. Malik watched the hand, then the beautiful face of the man he was about to...

Yikes.

Idiot. You've been in Domino for less than a month, you sl-

Then Akefia kissed him, and he stopped thinking.

...

Kissing Akefia was like nothing else. He wasn't reserved about it; he kissed his friends, his lovers and complete strangers, but they all said the same thing afterwards.

"Wow."

"That's what they all say." Akefia did not appear to have had the same out-of-body experience as Malik.

They kissed again, oh so elegantly. Impromptu relationships shouldn't begin like this. They begin with drunken fumbling in dark bars or the back of a borrowed car. They are heady and feral and utterly uncouth, crude to the very core. This was the opposite.

"Breathe, Malik."

Malik inhaled heavily.

"Look at you." Malik looked up and saw Akefia watching him. "You look so...edible."

Caramel and lemon and raspberry and those purple eyes, so completely defiant. It was as though even when Malik was willing, his eyes were furiously incompliant.

I wonder, who can match those eyes? Akefia thought.

"Akefia?"

The voice, so beseeching.

Love me, love me.

The eyes, so apathetic. Aloof. As if they knew exactly how pitiful you were and scorned you for it.

Cold eyes.

Akefia felt Malik's warm lips on his neck. For one mindless second, he feared Malik's closeness. The moment passed, and Akefia forgot the hate he had seen so briefly, lurking in Malik just below the surface.

"Kiss me, Akefia."

A command. Malik's hand was on the back of his neck, his nails digging in slightly. Akefia responded by pulling Malik onto his lap. He was heavier than he looked.

They kissed flawlessly. There were no awkward moments when you go a little too far, or have to pull away to breathe. It was a strange, unnatural sensation, perfection. Akefia's lips on his own were perfect. Akefia's hands on his waist were perfect also. Malik was aching for Akefia to do wrong, so they could leave the equilibrium and establish some kind of order.

"Let's go to bed."

The soul was fearless; there was nothing Malik couldn't, wouldn't do. The body was Akefia's for the taking. But the eyes were barbed, guarded, and completely inaccessible.

Such a strange thing. A naked man with such guarded eyes.

There was a slow, bleeding shame there.

A familiar shame.

But soon they were closed and Akefia did what he does best.

He stole.

I hope you liked it! And the next chapter will be up ASAP. It's already written, and I am determined to actually finish the fic this time.

Reviews?

Love, Kal277