Sorry for the wait (Again). Remember how I said I thought I wouldn't be busy? I was wrong. Very wrong. I'm leaving on a 3 week long trip this Saturday and I didn't think it would take this much work to get ready for. Trips are nightmares. Especially when you also have 3 little brothers to pack for, their rooms to clean, ect. Please forgive, I wrote an extra long chapter! And driving in a car across 5 states means that I'll have a lot of time to write, so expect quick updates when I return (I hope.)

Bakura had not been in a good mood the rest of the day. Though Malik had stayed relatively quiet the entire day, the pale Brit was extremely pissed that he had to feed him. He couldn't exactly starve the brat, though he would have liked to.

'Just one more day, I'll be rid of him tomorrow,' Bakura told himself, rummaging through his pantry. He settled on the simplest thing he could make: canned soup. Being a hunter, Bakura was always cautious; it was part of the business. He let the soup cool to room temperature so it wouldn't burn him if Malik threw it back at him, and poured in a styrofoam bowl with a plastic spoon, giving Malik no sort of weapon. Though it didn't seem likely Malik knew how to fasten a weapon from a metal spoon, but Bakura chose to be on the safe side.

He picked up the tray that had the lukewarm soup -Chicken Noodle, as that was the first thing Bakura grabbed from the shelf- a plastic cup of water and a napkin, and brought it to the room where Malik was still sleeping.

'Damn,' Bakura thought. He gave Malik a shake. "Hey. Wake up," he said, his tone annoyed, but the Egyptian gave no sign of stirring. Bakura let out a growl. "Hey." He gave another shake, this one more forceful. "Wake up!" Bakura growled, setting the tray down to untie the gag still around Malik's mouth.

This time, Malik opened his eyes slightly, still groggy from sleep. He let out a grunt and looked up at Bakura, and suddenly his entire face lit up like a bulb.

"Who are you?! Why am I here?! I demand you let me go right now!" He yelled, staring wide eyed up at Bakura, trying his best to glare but only making himself look like a deer in headlights.

Bakura let out a chuckle, "Don't worry, I'll be getting rid of you tomorrow."

Malik opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by Bakura's harsh growl.

"Eat," He ordered flatly, shoving the tray onto Malik's lap, almost so=pilling the water in doing so.

"Wait! I'm not eating until you-" But Malik was cut off when Bakura shut the door loudly and locked it, leaving Malik alone once again.

"What a charmer…" Malik grumbled, looking down at his food in disgust. "Meat. Wonderful. Asshole…" he mumbled. Being vegetarian was often an inconvenience, but not it was straight up aggravating. He was starving, and he was not about to pass up food.

'I'll eat around it, I guess,' he thought, picking up the plastic spoon and taking a spoonful of broth and noodle. It was a little difficult because one wrist was still handcuffed, but otherwise he ate feverously, devouring the soup and a bit of the cheap styrofoam from the bowl.

When he was done, he set the tray down of the floor. There were still chunks of chicken in the bowl, but otherwise he ate everything and drank the entire cup of water in about 2 minutes. He felt hungrier now than he did before he started. His cheeks were hurting with every movement and were horribly chaffed, flakes of skin peeling off every time Malik tried to scratch them. His back ached from the uncomfortable angle he was forced to sleep in due to his cuffed wrist, which was also painfully chafed, as well as from the lumpiness of the mattress. But overall things could be worse.

"I wonder what he's gonna do with me… He said he's getting rid of me tomorrow…" Malik shuttered at the though. He hoped 'getting rid of' did not mean what it sounded like. Malik surveyed the room, more able to think now that he had rested a bit and eaten. There was nothing he could use to get out of his cuffs, Bakura had been smart enough to give him a plastic spoon, and there was nothing he could reach. He tried wriggling out of the cuffs, but they were on too tight. He was stuck.

Wish a sigh, he laid back down on the lumpy bed. His thoughts drifted to his family. Did they even know he was gone? Isis and Rishid were supposed to come over next week and visit, but by then who knows what would happen to Malik. And he had no friends in the area that would come to check over him. He really was fucked over. There was nothing he could do but wait.

With these thoughts in mind, Malik drifted back into a restless slumber

...

Bakura sat in his room on his laptop, trying to take his mind off the brat that currently occupied his spare room. Just last through the kid's attitude tomorrow morning and it would all be fine. He could go back to being alone, which he enjoyed. But it wasn't all fixed; his reputation as top notch was ruined, so he would be lucky if anyone would pay him. Thinking that just made him want to punch the brat that started this, but even Bakura couldn't deny that it was not Malik's fault. Try as he might to convince himself otherwise, he only had himself to blame.

Angry and annoyed, Bakura shut his laptop with extra force, peeled off his trousers and went to bed. But even the luxuriousness of the mattress couldn't make his sleep at all restful.

…

Morning came all too soon for Malik and Bakura. The morning sun filtering in through the window was the most dreaded time of the day for Bakura, who hated the thought of getting up. And though Malik could not see any rays of light, he knew the dreaded morning had come. The morning that decided what would happen to him. Though he hoped he wouldn't be killed, any alternative would not be good for him; after all, letting him go was certainly not an option for his kidnapper.

Bakura decided to skip a shower today to gain an extra 15 minutes in bed, but soon had to get up. He dressed in his usual, casual close, a bit strange for somebody who lived in such expensive surroundings, and left the room.

"Coffee…I need coffee…" He mumbled groggily, still half asleep. He was never fully awake until he had at least a cup, and this morning he was especially tired. And it didn't help that he had the little problem in the spare room to deal with. With a yawn, he sipped the black elixir, enjoying the warm, caffeinated liquid running down his aching throat.

Wait…Aching?

With a grunt, Bakura opened his eyes all the way and found them to be itchy and heavy. He then noticed the dry feeling in his nose.

"Shit…" he mumbled, groaning dramatically. He was sick, no doubts about that. He growled and finished off his coffee, slamming the porcelain cup down in the sink. Luckily it didn't break.

He marched over to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He certainly looked sick. His face was paler than usual, and he had distinct, purple rings under his eyes. His nose was red and dry, contrasting with the rest of his face. He craned his neck up and noted that it also looked a little swollen.

"Fuck…" He groaned again. He washed his face with cold water, soothing his hot temperature and stinging his nose. "I look like a fucking zombie…"

With a sigh, he left the bathroom and returned to the kitchen. The muffin he put in the toaster had popped up and was now cool, But Bakura ate it anyway. The crunchiness felt good as it scratched against his throat.

"I'll have to take the kid soon, before I get any worse," he concluded, spinning on his heal off in the direction of Malik's room. He started towards it, expecting Malik would still be asleep. His expectation was correct, and he groaned when he realized that he would have to wake the boy up.

"Oi. Kid. Wake up. I'm not in the mood for this today," he stated blandly, noting the scratchiness of his voice.

Malik stirred and opened his eyes. With a groan he sat up, "Damn, I was hoping I was dreaming."

"I'm no dream, kid. Now get up."

"You're certainly not. And I can't get up because I'm cuffed to this goddamn bed," He growled irritably. He was doing his best to hide his fear of Bakura.

Bakura let out a low growl, "Don't think I won't kill you, stupid bastard." He took out a small key and unlocked the cuff from the bed, but he had it locked around Malik's other wrist sooner than Malik could make a break for it. "I'm not stupid. A dumb kid like you can't trick me."

"Stop calling me a kid, you sound just like my sister!" He snapped, a twinge of pain going through his chest when he mentioned his sister. "I'll have you know I'm 19!"

Bakura paused for a moment, then scoffed, "A kid. A stupid one, at that. You're only proving my point."

Malik looked dumbfounded for a moment before growling, not wanting to admit defeat.

"That's what I thought. Now get off your pretty little ass and come with me."

Malik got up angrily, then paused, "Pretty little ass?"

Bakura paused and his expression went flat, but a second later he looked away and grabbed Malik's arm to lead him out. "It's just an expression. I don't need to explain myself to you," He opened the front door and shoved Malik out, still holding him painfully tight as he locked the door with his free hand.

Malik rolled his eyes, "You don't need to grab my arm like that. How the hell am I going to run away?"

"Shut up and get in the damn car, brat," Bakura growled, really starting to get annoyed with Malik's attitude. He shoved the blonde into the car and slammed the door before climbing into the front seat and driving off.

"What are you going to do with me?" Malik asked firmly, but he couldn't help his faint curiosity from showing in his town.

"None of your business."

"I's all my business! It's my life!"

"Not for long if you don't shut the fuck up!" He growled, glaring at Malik through the rear view mirror. Malik knew enough to shut up for the time being.

After a while Bakura pulled into an empty lot in front of a dark pub, much like the one Malik had seen on their first encounter. There didn't seem to be any front sign, nor any people inside. It looked abandoned, but Bakura still dragged Malik out of the car and up the steps. He knocked in an odd pattern of the front door, and it swung open instantly.

"Come in, come in, 'urry up," Said a grumpy, cockney voice. This person was someone different from the buff man Bakura met the first night.

"Is he here?"

"Nah, da boss ain't 'ere. Said tu jus' drop da kid off an' 'he'd take care uh da res'."

"Fine by me. Watch it with this one, he's a biter," Bakura shoved Malik into the room and turned to leave.

"'Old on a minute. Da boss said 'e 'ad a job for you. Said it wus real important business. Said you gotta go see 'im right away."

Bakura rolled his eyes, "Whatever he wants," he tossed over his shoulder and started walking towards the exit.

"Hey! W-Wait! What are you gonna do with me?!" Malik yelled out, wide eyed.

"Not my problem. Have a nice day," he said sarcastically, slamming the door behind him.

I really like writing in cockney accents. I always imaging them sounding like that one guy from Professor Layton Unwound Future. The one that looks like a gorilla. I have a strange mind. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Please review, follow and favourite! Your feedback motivates me~