They'd spent a long night in a hospital waiting room, but now they were home. Bakura walked in behind Marik. He watched as Marik walked around their apartment and turned on every light in reach. Living with Marik for so long, Bakura was used to a light (or three) being on, but this was worse.
The artificial light and sleepless night accented the fine lines sneaking around Marik's eyes, making him look old.
"Marik," Bakura whispered, knowing Marik wouldn't talk about it unless Bakura goaded him a little bit.
"You should go to sleep," Marik answered.
"We should sleep."
"I'll be right there."
"After you finish the next chapter?" The joke sounded hollow, and Bakura winced after he said it. Marik didn't respond at all, so Bakura stopped teasing and became blunt. "Rishid is fine. He'll leave the hospital soon and he'll be drinking beer and watching football again in no time."
Marik balled his hands into fists, still staring at a lamp. "He should have gone to the hospital sooner. As soon as his side started hurting he should have gone."
"You wouldn't have. Ishtars are too stubborn for practicality."
Marik turned to Bakura, his lavender eyes clouded with anger, but Bakura knew the fury wasn't directed at him. "His appendix ruptured, Bakura. He could have died."
"But he didn't."
"Because we took him to the hospital . . ." Marik's breathing shrank to quick, shallow gasps. "Because we took . . . if we'd still been underground . . ."
And there it was, the real reason Marik was upset. Bakura walked up to him and threw his arms around the freed tomb-keeper. "You're not."
Marik's tears sounded like little, drunken hiccups. They felt hot on Bakura's neck as he held Marik and let him get out what he'd been holding in since Rishid passed out the evening before.
"Underground he would have died," Marik hissed between sobs. "If we'd stayed underground, he'd be dead now. He'd be dead. He—"
Bakura waited a moment, until Marik's tears ran their course. He slid his fingers through Marik's hair, rocking him a little as they stood. "You're not underground. You're here, Marik. Right here with me. Forever."
***Of course by football - I meant soccer. ***