Here's the next chapter.

Enjoy.

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Chapter 35

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After a few more days Malik was slowly getting worse. He was weak and tired all the time. Mariku and Marik were watching him closely along with Ryou and Yugi. They were worried and Malik would always say he was fine to reassure them even if it did little from Marik and Mariku.

It was early morning, eight days after the start of the punishment and Marik and Mariku were just waking up, Malik was still asleep beside them. Marik looked at Malik to see him still sleeping before he sat up. Mariku looked over at Marik to see him watching Malik.

"He'll be fine."

"No he won't. Do you remember when you met Yami, Bakura and me? We had been without food for six days and we were running. We could hardly move when we finally stopped to rest in the shade. If it weren't for you guys we would have died. Mariku he won't last another seven days. I don't care if Atemu said he can't have food. I will feed him if you can't get him to stop the punishment."

"Marik you do that than we get into trouble."

"I don't care."

"Look do not do anything till I talk to Atemu."

"Then you better do it today."

Marik turned back to Malik who was still asleep. Marik reached out and shook Malik to wake him, but he remained asleep. It happened often in the last three days that Malik would remain asleep when anyone would try to wake him. Marik shook him harder and called out ot him to try and wake him.

"You see what's happening. He's weak. You talk to Atemu today."

Mariku could tell now that Marik wasn't joking about feeding Malik if Atemu didn't lift the punishment. He watched as Marik gently slapped Malik's cheek a few times till they heard a groan and Malik's eyes fluttered open.

"What's going on?"

"We've been trying to wake you for like the last five minutes. You can't say you were having a nice dream. Every time we wake you lately is a struggle."

Malik pushed himself up on shaky arms and flipped his feet to the floor as Mariku slid from the bed and moved around and unchained his wrist from the bed. Malik pushed himself up from the bed but collapsed his legs not able to hold him up. Mariku caught him before he fell to the floor and sat him back on the bed. Marik pulled Malik back against him and brushed the hair from Malik's face before giving a pointed stare at Mariku.

Mariku sighed and nodded before leaving the room. Marik laid Malik down on the bed and moved from the bed. Marik picked up the water jug and cup before moving over to the bed and sat beside Malik and gave him a glass of water. Malik took it and took a mouth full and made a face.

"You don't have to baby me."

"Malik you are not well."

"I noticed."

Marik frowned. "Mariku's going to see if he can get Atemu to lift your punishment. I hate to think what will happen in the next few days. You can hardly stand." Malik looked away. "Besides if Atemu doesn't allow it I will end up feeding you."

"What? You'll get in trouble."

"I don't care."

"Besides why do you care if I get ill? I've made things hard on everyone in your group."

"Hehehe I don't care. I like that about you. It keeps things interesting. And besides I like you, a lot."

Malik's eyes widened in surprise as he continued to look at Marik before he started to blush very lightly. Marik chuckled lightly as he removed the cup from his hands and placed it along with the jug. He turned back to Malik who was looking a little confused before he leaned down and laid his lips over Malik's. Malik's eyes widened and he put his hands against Marik's chest ready to push away before his eyes closed and he moaned in pleasure. Hearing his moan he snapped back to reality and push Marik away. Marik looked down at him a small sad smile on his face.

"I do like you a lot."

"Please don't do that again."

"Very well I won't unless you ask."

"Why did you?"

Marik looked away for a second before looking back to Malik who laid their waiting for his answer.

"Because I like you, really like you."

"I want a real answer."

"Fine! I love you! Happy!" Marik shouted.

Marik got up off the bed and changed to his snake form and slithered into the entrance of the chamber and hid in the dark, more annoyed than anything. Malik watched in shock of what Marik said and didn't know how to respond to that. Malik looked around for Marik to find him nowhere in the room. Malik sighed and lay down on the bed and thought about what happened.

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Mariku entered Atemu's chamber knowing Atemu was already awake seeing as Atemu and Yami were talking. Mariku entered and saw that Yugi was still asleep curled up under the covers and Atemu and Yami were lying together in snake form by the fire talking.

"Atemu?" Mariku called out.

Atemu turned to look at him before changing back and moving over. Yami did the same and stood beside Atemu at the entrance. Yami could tell something was wrong and Yugi just started to wake up, having woken when Mariku called out even though he did so softly, and watched them and listened.

"What is it?"

"Malik's not doing too good. He doesn't have enough strength to stand and it's getting harder to wake him."

"And?"

"Atemu that's enough let Malik eat or you'll end up killing him." Yami said glaring at Atemu.

"He wanted the punishment." Atemu said causing Yugi gasped staring at him wide eyed at how he couldn't care.

"That's enough. Mariku go feed him while I talk some sense into this idiot." Yami said and walked over to Yugi and unchained him from the bed. "And take Yugi with you while you're at it. We'll come see you soon."

Yugi looked at Yami and then Atemu. Atemu looked pissed and Yami nodded his head for Yugi to go. Yugi quickly climbed out of bed and over to Mariku who took hold of his wrist and led him out of the chamber.

"We don't want to stay here and listen to this." Mariku said as he led Yugi through the dark tunnels.

"They'll be ok right?"

"Yeah. They will yell and then make up."

Yugi looked back to see Yami talking firmly to Atemu before turning a corner.

~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~ End of Chapter 35 ~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~

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