A/N: So my a key did go out, but you're not fucked. You can thank my friend Christian for that, cause he told me to go buy a USB keyboard. So there's that. I literally had a breakdown last night because it went out, then my computer crashed, so I couldn't get in because my password used an a. I was tripping shit hard. Then he was like, "Use the on screen keyboard." & I was like … Oh, I forgot about that thing. So here is Staffshipping for Aqua Girl 007. It does start out sad, but it gets better. I promise. (:

Chapter Twenty-Nine (BECAUSE I FUCKING REMEMBERED.): Staffshipping

Marik's POV

The sounds of forks on ceramic filled my ears. She didn't speak. Of course she didn't. Why would she?

"I had to fire someone today." I muttered finally. She didn't even look up.

"Oh?"

That was the most I'd gotten out of her all night. "Yeah, he didn't take it too well, and I..." I stopped talking. She didn't care what I had to say. Her eyes were glued to her phone. Who was she texting? Atem, probably. Wouldn't surprise me. I'd caught them together twice, now.

"Are you done?" she asked, eyes finally meeting mine. Of course, when she saw I'd been looking, she looked away.

"I... Yeah, do you want any more?" I stared down at my plate of pasta. I was trying, trying so hard to get her to notice that I was trying. Trying to get her to open up to me again.

"No." Her chair scraped back, I listened to her steps, nearly out of the room, now. As I grabbed her plate, I caught her arm.

"Why won't you even look at me?" I whispered. After all, wasn't it her who was cheating? She turned and made a point of staring at my face before ripping away and stomping up the stairs.

I thew the plate then, cringing as it shattered against the sink. Why was she doing this? Letting us grow apart like this?

My eyes slid closed and I fell to the floor, hands cradling my head. I tried so hard, just to get her to look at me. We didn't even share the same bed anymore. I slept in the guest bed. I remember when we loved, when we wouldn't leave the bed for days, just lost in each other.

And then it all changed.

She started staying out later, ignoring my texts and calls, offers for dinner. She forgot the day we met, something that used to be holy in her eyes. She started paying more attention to her phone than she did to me. I sat and watched her grow cold to me.

"You should sleep somewhere else tonight."

I looked up at Mana, just a silhouette against the light from the hall. I blinked slowly. "I'm sorry?"

She fidgeted with the edge of her nightgown, the one I loved best, and nodded. "I don't want to sleep with you."

I stood up slowly and threw the book I'd been reading on the nightstand. "Mana.. Where is this coming from?" I asked, trying to reach out to her. She jerked away.

"Don't, Marik! Okay? Just... don't." She closed her eyes and slid past me. "The sheets are clean, at least. "

It was added as an afterthought. "Gee, thanks." I snapped, but left anyways. I didn't like the guestroom. It was cold without her warmth beside me. I whimpered and gabbed a pillow, tucking it close to my body, trying to recreate the sense of her being beside me.

I couldn't fool myself. She didn't even tell me goodbye before she left for work that morning.

"I'm going to the store. Do you need something?" I asked out of formality. Mana didn't look up.

"Do you... want to go with me?" I sighed, already knowing her answer before she gave it.

"I have a headache. I'm just going to sleep."

Sleep? Or fuck Atem? I scoffed. "Right. I'll be back later." I muttered. "I love you."

"Yeah."

I scoffed again. Yeah. No, I love you too. Just yeah. Yeah, what? Yeah, I'm sure you do? Yeah, I know? Yeah, I'm sorry I'm just ignoring your tries and pleas for me to love you again?

Right.

"We should go to dinner."

My head snapped up, eyes falling on Mana's bedraggled form. So she had slept. At least she wasn't cheating again.

"Huh?" The request was so sudden, so unexpected, it felt like my brain had shut down. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Dinner. Do you want to go?"

I nodded slowly, standing. "Yeah, I'll just... Go shower."

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll go dress."

I watched her leave. Normally, she'd join me. If things were how they once were, she'd race me to the shower, laughing all the way. Her moans would fill the bathroom long after the water had run cold, but our heated bodies could never tell.

I heaved a sigh as I stared at myself in the mirror, steam still rolling around me. My towel was bunched up, thrown over one shoulder. My eyes ran over my form, though not in a sudden spur of vanity. No, it was more of a 'where are the faults?' type thing. Had I gotten uglier? No, not that I could see. I hadn't changed any, not really. Sure my hair looked a bit messier, more like someone I'd rather not name, but I was getting older. My style was bound to change, was it not?

"If you're done ogling your own body, I'd like you to get dressed."

I jumped away from the mirror, blush on my cheeks. Mana leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. She didn't even glance over my body. Her eyes remained trained on the wall behind my head, so it just looked like she was looking at me.

"Right. Sorry."

I brushed past her, hoping to feel her skin on mine. But she dodged out of the way, like she had been for so long, and went to applying makeup. I don't know why. I always told her she was beautiful.

"Mana?"

"What." It wasn't even a question. It sounded like a demand. I swallowed.

"You look beautiful." I whispered. She actually looked a me and for a moment, the softness was back in her eyes before they hardened again.

"Get dressed. I want to beat the crowd."

Right.

With us walking, actually holding hands, I could nearly fool myself into believing that we were still like we used to be. I had a feeling she was doing it for show. She'd cringed when I'd grabbed her hand, but we were in public, she didn't want to make a scene.

"Where do you want to eat?" I asked finally, thumb rubbing over the back of her hand. She kept her eyes trained on the ground.

"I don't care." she sighed. I rolled my eyes.

"Mana, it's up to you."

"I said I don't care, Marik." she snapped. I dropped her hand.

"Why did you even bother, Mana?" I asked finally. She actually looked at me.

"What do you mean?"

I laughed lowly. "Like you don't know? You haven't spoke to me in months, not really, and now this? You want to act like a couple again?"

Mana narrowed her eyes. "I never stopped-"

"Bullshit! You kicked me out of our room, you won't even let me touch you!" I cried. She searched my face.

"Marik, we are not having this conversation here. Let's just go to dinner."

"We would if you'd pick a damn place."

I was angry. How dare she claim she'd changed nothing? She stomped ahead of me, into some Italian place. Oh, she hadn't done that on purpose, chosen the one food I loathed.

"Women." I seethed.

She was already seated when I slid through the door, arms crossed, eyes on the table.

"You're mature, you know that?" I muttered. She scoffed.

"You're one to talk. Starting fights on sidewalks."

I narrowed my eyes. "You started this months ago." I returned, even angrier. Why was everything my fault lately?

"Oh, really?" She set her elbows on the table and I laughed harshly.

"What's your problem, Mana? What did I do to you?"

She narrowed her eyes and leaned back, arms crossed. Finally, some emotion other than disappointment, irritation, or boredom crossed her features.

It was sadness.

"It's what you haven't done, Marik." she murmured. "You haven't changed."

I blinked. "I thought women didn't like when guys changed...?"

Isis hated change, at least. Then again, she was always sort of OCD.

"I just meant... Normal changes, you know? A change in humor, style, something. But you've remained the same for four years. I just... I got bored."

That's when I saw it in her eyes. She was going to break up with me.

"Mana... Please. I'll... change."

She closed her eyes and swallowed. "I-"

"Hi, I'm Wendy, I'll be your server. What can I get you to drink?"

I mentally cursed the woman standing beside me, opening ogling me. Mana's eyes narrowed and I actually felt relieved. At least she cared enough to get jealous still.

"Diet coke." I said at last. Mana nodded. She always had the same.

"For the past few months, nothing has changed. Work, dinner, sleep. Maybe sex. That's it. That's all. There's been no walks in the park, not visits to the lake, no spontaneous gifts, nothing."

She looked down and I stared at the top of her head. Was that really how it'd become? Some monotony? Was that why she seemed so bored all the time? Why she slept with Atem?

"I'm sorry." I whispered finally, foot brushing hers under the table. A small shudder ran through her.

"I'll give this one more chance. I love you, I really do." Her eyes met mine and she grabbed my hand. "But I can't take this monotone life anymore."

I nodded as our drinks were brought out. "I'll change it. I promise."

If it meant keeping Mana, I'd do anything.

When she looked back up, hope was shining in her eyes. "I believe you."

"Marik, I'm going to fall!" Mana squealed. I grinned and pushed her higher.

"I already told you! I won't stop swinging you until you say yes!"

Mana giggled and kicked her legs. "Okay, okay! Yes!" she cried, feigning exasperation.

I pushed her higher again. "Yes... what, Mana?"

She laughed loudly. "I'll marry you!"

I jerked the swing to a stop, turning Mana's face to meet mine. "I thought you might see things my way." I murmured before kissing her smiling lips. Her hand caught the back of my head and I sighed, pulling her from the swing and into my arms. The park was empty, given that it was nearly midnight. Even the punks were at home in their beds.

"I love you." she whispered, hands on the back of my neck. I never grew tired of hearing that.

"I love you more."

The day in the restaurant seemed so long ago. Nearly four months, I believe. Since then, I had indeed changed. I'd begun to be more like my old self, my younger self. Mana never grew tired of it, and I never grew tired of her.

She ran her tongue over my bottom lip and tugged me backwards, a playful glint in her eyes. I followed her underneath the slide, hidden by bushes, hands already roaming.

"This is illegal." I breathed over her neck. She shuddered.

"Isn't it exciting?" she breathed as my hands slid under her top. It was a nice top. A silk top. I liked it.

"Yeah, I guess it is."

And it was, the thought of being caught, it thrilled me. My blood pumped faster.

"I can feel your heart." I was pressed against her now bared chest, lips working her collar bone. Her hands brushed lazily through my hair. I didn't think she was lying, my heart was soaring. Being with Mana again made me realize how wonderful it truly was, how rare it used to be.

"Your fault." I breathed against her breasts before my lips encircled a nipple. She gasped and wiggled, hands moving down to the hem of my jeans. I helped her unfasten them, though my lips never left her chest. I shivered as her hand encircled my cock, lightly teasing the taut flesh. She ran her hand up and down, occasionally moving to fondle my sac before coming back up.

I slid her jeans down her hips before trailing butterfly kisses over her torso to her hips, where I licked the bone several times.

"Marik... Ugh.."

I smiled up at her before kissing the skin just above her clit. She went to complain again, but I ducked lower suddenly, tongue slipping side of her wet heat.

"Fuck!" she cried. I darted my tongue in and out, occasionally lingering. She was kicking her legs, spreading them further. I moved up so I could slide two fingers inside of her and suckle her clit. A long, drawn out moan fell from her.

"Marik, please."

I felt more wetness than before leak over my fingers. She was close and I was hard as hell.

I lined up before pushing in slowly, so she could feel the throb of every vein. Her head rolled to the side. "Move..."

I complied, the force of my thrusts making her cry out with every move. Her eyes slid closed. My eyes, however, remained on her face where a small smile lay. Tears ran down her cheeks, ones I eagerly licked away. When my fingers went to massage her clit once more, she threw her head back.

"Sh-Shit!" she moaned, releasing suddenly. Her walls tightened around me and milked me for everything I was worth. She shuddered and closed her eyes again.

"I love you, Mana." I panted, hands shaking as they brushed her hair aside. She smiled softly and suckled my fingertips.

"I love you more."

I prayed that that never changed.

A/N: SO THERE'S THAT. It was a pretty decent length one shot, I do believe. I hope you enjoyed Aqua. (I already have the plan for your Polarshipping. You may listen to Another Heart Calls by the All-American Rejects ft. The Pierces if you wish to know what song I'll use. That's right. Song fic.)

Please review. I like this new keyboard but it sort of hurts my wrists. It's okay though. At least it works.

I love you all, next up is Bakushipping for Kittykittyyaoilover. Pretty sure that's what she requested anyways...

~Nightingale the Forgetful Little Shit.