Malik was used to waking up alone.

He'd gotten used to it a long time ago, really. Long before Marik had disappeared. Long before this weird gang shit had started in Domino. How long ago had he stopped expecting to have someone there when he woke up? How old had he been?

17? 18? He couldn't remember for sure. It was about 7 or 8 months into his and Marik's relationship. He always woke up without him there and he finally figured out that he wasn't going to spend the whole night no matter how close they got. If he did wake up with Marik in the bed, it was a pleasant surprise that he learned not to expect too much.

And now he woke up alone every day, no matter what. He could wish for the warmth of that rare occurrence as much as he wanted, but it would never happen again. He'd never see Marik again. Not unless he found him first. Not unless…

No. They'd succeed. There was no reason to doubt that they would. They couldn't afford to fail and they wouldn't fail. They simply couldn't and they'd make absolutely sure they didn't. No matter what.

Or at least he would.

Shaking the thoughts away, he rolled out of bed and wandered over to his dresser. He scratched his chest. A yawn wrenched its way out of his mouth, forcing him to pause in his endeavor of searching the top drawer for a suitable replacement for his vest for the day. He really needed to have the thing washed after the previous day's activities. Ryou always did manage to make him dirty all his favorite clothes.

Ryou was a like a high-class, incredibly decorated whore, really. Malik would call the pale man a slut, but he was far too classy until he got to the bedroom, and all too easily embarrassed if he wasn't yet in the mood. Malik chuckled at the memories - he had plenty of a red-faced Bandit King sputtering at him over at table whenever he'd make a lewd suggestion, and it really seemed there was a distinct difference - a real difference - between that beet red Bandit King with a disapproving frown and the stark-white Ryou with dark eyes and kiss-swollen lips that he was also quite familiar with.

Eventually he decided on an old black tank top that he'd owned for so long that he could no longer remember the origin of, and a pair of old gray sweatpants.

It wasn't like he was planning on doing any business, anyway, and during the late morning hours no one was stupid enough to drop by unless it was a life or death situation… Or that was what it was going to become. Outrun the incredibly long-legged Malik Ishtar or be caught and die - sounded like something on a reality TV show, if he was honest. What would a TV show involving him even be called, anyway?

Probably just "Run or Die".

He snorted at the thought, pulling his tank top over his head, finding with some satisfaction that it still fit quite snugly. Whose had it been before? He knew he'd taken it from someone. Someone he knew fairly well, too, if he was comfortable with rummaging through their laundry to take it.

Or someone he didn't know at all, but he thought it was far more likely that he'd taken it from a loved one. Jewels were more his thing from strangers. Clothes were personal, in his opinion.

He scratched the back of his neck, trudged downstairs, and managed to have a large cup of coffee and some breakfast before his phone alerted him to a call. He groaned, of course, because he still wasn't ready to start his day and he really couldn't go anywhere important dressed like this, but he picked up anyway.

"Hello?"

"Malik, it's me."

It was a relief to hear Yugi's voice instead of one of his workers or that loathsome Bandit King that had abandoned him for the thousandth time the previous night. "Hey, what's up? You never call me."

"I know, I know. I just thought that maybe you, me, and Ryou could meet up for drinks later? Just as friends."

Malik considered it. Ryou and the Bandit King were still very different people, after all, even if there was no sure way to tell if they were separate identities or if they were one and the same… Perhaps Ryou would be in a more charitable, more friendly mood today.

Somehow, he doubted it. But his mouth formed the words. "Sure. Where at?"

Yugi seemed to hesitate. "Well, there's this old coffee shop up in your territory that I used to visit with Yami all the time." He said, "They've got an awesome selection."

"Sounds good to me." He shrugged despite knowing the motion would be lost on Yugi. "What time?"

"I dunno. I was thinking 3ish? That's when Ryou usually gets done with all his shit."

"Sure thing. Where's it at?" After Yugi told him the name, he nodded - another movement completely lost on the one it replied to. "That all?"

"For now, yeah." Yugi seemed vaguely uncomfortable. Before he hung up, Malik heard him murmur, "Why are personal phone calls so damn nerve wracking… I deal with drug lords all day for God's sake."

He couldn't hold in the snort for any longer than it took for the line to go dead.

At three o'clock exactly, Malik turned up at the cafe still wearing his sweatpants and tank top - what reason did he have for changing his clothes and dressing up, anyway? Might as well be comfortable.

Looking around, he found Yugi seated at one of the outdoor tables, leaning back in his chair and staring up at the sky. He wore a black hoodie - one Malik remembered he owned a copy of as well, as did Ryou - that read "Anti-Social Social Club" over his heart and a pair of dark, stonewashed jeans. Upon noticing Malik, he grinned and waved him over.

Grinning back at him, Malik approached with the words, "If I'd have realized the Anti-Social Social Club was meeting today I'd have dug out my hoodie."

Yugi snorted. "I wear this thing any time I'm not in a suit - but I guess the club is meeting." He winked. "Don't worry, I won't penalize you and Ryou for not wearing your uniforms… Cuz I'm sure he's not going to think to put his on."

Malik found himself chuckling as he sat down at an angle from Yugi, leaving the third chair on the other side of the table at the same angle from them - an equal partition of table space. Perfect for their disorganized minds to organize something.

It wasn't until he'd gotten comfortable that he realized how long it'd been since he'd laughed at something that wasn't cruel or lewd. That was… Well, honestly it was sad. He'd have to devote a little more time to personal meetings with Yugi. He could only hope, of course, that Ryou arriving would not throw off the peaceful mood that settled over them.

15 minutes later, Ryou's voice piped up from behind them. "I didn't realize this was a club meeting."

His voice was light and airy, with a hint of amusement - nothing like his usual fake pleasantries. Nothing like the businesslike amusement he usually showed. It was nice. Turning brought both of them a surprise, however, when they realized that Ryou was not dressed like an Egyptian rogue for once.

He wore, instead of a tunic or a shenti, a baggy t-shirt and ripped jeans. He still wore the Thief's coat, but it suddenly seemed much more casual when paired with his clothes - less regal. Less threatening and yet it lost none of the authoritativeness it seemed to carry with it. Malik watched the other people at the cafe give Ryou one look, and then immediately direct their eyes at the ground. Over and over, the same thing. The moment their eyes met him, they were diverted to another thing around them. Even a rather large, burly man sitting in the corner table averted his eyes when Ryou crossed the field of his stare.

Perhaps it was the coat, or perhaps they all just instinctively knew that Ryou, no matter how pale and skinny he was, was not a man to be trifled with. He never had been, to Malik's knowledge, even before he'd become the Bandit King. He'd been a little more hesitant to follow through with his threats back then, yes, but he'd certainly done it once he'd been pushed enough.

Watching Ryou's transformation from that nervous, hesitant teenager into what he was now had been… Well, it had been something beautifully tragic.

"Neither did I." Yugi said, and it took Malik a moment to remember the context.

"Then obviously it isn't a meeting." He chuckled, mostly to insert himself back into the conversation. "Have a seat, Ry."

Ryou obliged him, despite how demanding it had sounded. Typically Ryou had a mouthful for anyone who thought they could tell him what to do - perhaps he was just feeling charitable today. Charitable and calm.

Truly calm, judging by the way his lips were only curled up slightly at the edges. It was a soft, subtle expression, not purposeful like the turn of his lips when he was trying to appear pleasant… Not that it was easy to spot when his pleasantries were fake. It took a great deal of searching.

Ryou was a great actor.

"So, just drinks today?" Ryou inquired while he got situated in the chair.

Casually slumped against the back of the chair, legs extended, he looked more relaxed than Malik had ever seen him. Perhaps he was trying to emulate Bakura's much less professional authority, or maybe he was just giving being laid back a try for the first time in his life.

Yugi seemed almost impressed, but simply replied. "Yep. Drinks and some casual chatter, if you don't mind, that is."

Ryou barked a laugh at that. "Why would I mind doing something unrelated to my mission for the first time since we started?"

Malik almost argued with him before he remembered that they had agreed not to let Yugi know about their sexual encounters yet. But then, mouth already open, he had to say something to avoid looking like an idiot. "I wouldn't think you would." He chuckled. "All work and no play makes the Bandit King lash out."

Ryou winked at him.

"All work and no play makes the Pharaoh irritable and bitter." Yugi noted dully. "So let's try to keep work out of this, alright?"

"I have no problem finding something else to talk about, I assure you." Ryou cackled. "But I am curious - what does all work and no play do for the Phantom King?"

"It leaves him tired and unable to function like a proper human being." Malik shrugged. "Really nothing new. I don't know how to function like a proper human anyway."

"I'll teach you sometime." Yugi offered with a wry smile. "I'm not very good at it either but I'm at least good at pretending I am."

"You used to be very good at it." Ryou noted, "But that was a long time ago."

Yugi nodded. "Junior year." He confirmed, then sighed. "God. Ten years, Ryou! We've known each other for ten years."

Ryou thought about it. "... So we have." He eventually said, seeming quite impressed with that knowledge. "And friends for something like six?" Yugi nodded again and Ryou barked another laugh. "I do believe that's the longest I've ever kept a friend. How did we not end up dating at some point in high school?"

"That's… A very good question." Yugi said, scrunching his eyebrows and chewing on his bottom lip. "I mean, even if there was nothing in it, we could have dated at any point in time and… We didn't." Then he released his bottom lip from where it had returned to between his teeth and chuckled. "Yami would have been so jealous. Bakura, too."

"Without a doubt." Ryou chuckled. "But maybe they were why we didn't date. We were scared they'd be angry."

"Maybe." Yugi agreed, then turned his attention to Malik. "And you. I've known you for about six years now, right?"

Malik gave a nod. "I think so. All I really remember is me and Marik trying to kill you and Yami."

Ryou gave a snort, "Hey, don't even get me started on trying to kill Yugi. 'Kura and I were still trying when I became friends with him. Well...It was mostly 'Kura, but still."

"Yeah and our attempts were mostly Marik." They both glanced at Yugi.

He merely shrugged. "I'm in no way surprised. 'Tem wanted to murder you guys because he knew you had to be 'up to no good'. Especially when Ryou started being friendly." He paused to stifle a yawn. "He insisted that Ryou was gonna make a sneak assassination attempt." Then, a sheepish smile, "I think I told him that if Ryou managed to kill Yami he deserved to die."

Ryou snorted. "Back then? Definitely an accurate statement."

Malik couldn't help a smile. That seemed to fit with his vague memories of that time period. Ryou had been incredibly soft-spoken and sweet back when they'd first met. Such a contrast to Bakura, with whom Marik seemed to get along quite famously. But it brought up the question of why Ryou had actually tried to befriend Yugi if not for a sneak attack.

I should just ask, he admitted to himself. "So, if not to assassinate Yami, why did you start being friendly?"

"Well, because I realized Bakura was a psycho, first of all." Ryou seemed to be choosing his words carefully, "And… Secondly…" He searched for a moment. "Well, I was supposed to assassinate Yugi, actually. Get him to trust me and then kill him. First time I got the chance I lost my nerve and then I figured out I trusted him too and couldn't do it."

Yugi blanched. "That's comforting." He cleared his throat. "But why kill me?"

"To break Yami and Atem." Ryou shrugged. "If you were out of the picture they'd either turn on each other or completely break, making them easier targets for Kurikens."

"Divide and conquer." Yugi nodded appreciatively. "Take away the one who holds them together and watch them destroy themselves, taking them out when they're at the height of their rivalry."

"That was the idea. We knew that Atem was strong minded - he'd just be angry Yami let you get hurt. Yami would break, but he'd respond to the anger with anger of his own and they'd slowly dismantle each other over the course of about a year before both of them finally began an outright confrontation about it. Then Kura and I would be able to strike at them."

"But why Atem, too?" Yugi tilted his head. "I thought Bakura only hated Yami."

"To keep him from getting revenge, really."

"That… That makes sense."

"You guys had a better plan than me and Marik. We just wanted them dead. Didn't really think that far ahead."

"Stab and run, huh?"

"Pretty much."

Yugi rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Look at you two, bonding over trying to kill me and Yami."

"It's about the only thing we have to bond over, isn't it?" Ryou raised an eyebrow. "We don't have very much in common."

"He's right." Malik lifted both of his brows.

"Well how would you actually know?" Yugi quirked one of his own eyebrows. "You don't exactly talk outside of our meetings. Anti-social social club or otherwise."

Malik thought about that, but Ryou only shrugged. "I don't talk to you outside of them either, Yugi."

"Maybe we should change that. Everything doesn't have to be business for us just because we're Mob bosses." He leaned back. "In fact, it should be much less business for us because of that. We have underlings to do our work for us, and while I don't really trust Joey to take care of all of my internal affairs at the moment, he could probably do it."

Ryou seemed to consider that. "Well, Zen could certainly take care of mine… And I could spend less time in the Thieves' Den if I didn't have to take care of it myself."

"And if Spectre took over mine, I could actually leave the Tomb during the day..." Malik admitted, although with a hint of reluctance.

"We could use all that free time." Yugi coaxed. "Even if all we did was hang out in Valhalla all the time, it'd be nice not to stress and stress and stress, wouldn't it?"

Malik frowned. "Okay, hold on a second there, Loki." He heard Ryou snort. "Are you trying to de-stress or are you trying to subtly end the operation?"

"De-stress." Yugi said without hesitation. "I want them back as badly as you do, Malik. I wouldn't end this operation if my grandfather's life depended on it."

The mention of old Suguroku Muto gave Malik all the reassurance he needed. If Yugi was bringing his grandfather into the issue, he was not to be questioned. Yugi loved his grandfather with all his heart and saying that even his grandfather wasn't as important to him as this mission was really saying something. Maybe he didn't mean it, but it was certainly convincing that he'd said it at all.

"I believe you." Malik relented, putting his hands up in surrender. "So what do you suggest we do with all the free time we'd have?"

"Whatever we want?" He suggested dubiously.

"Good enough for me."

Finally, a waiter approached them. "Mr. Muto!" He grinned. "It has been a long time. The usual?"

"Yes, please." Yugi gave him a winning smile.

"And for you two?" The waiter turned to Ryou and Malik.

"Oh, just black coffee for me." Ryou said with a - for once truly - pleasant smile. "One spoonful of sugar."

The waiter nodded, jotting it down. His eyes roved to Malik.

"French vanilla latte." He smiled.

With another grin, the waiter nodded a second time, wrote the order down, and bowed politely before heading back into the building.

By the time their drinks came out, the three of them had resumed their conversation, wandering into subjects they'd never really addressed together that ranged from important to the complete opposite.

By the time they were finished with those drinks… They were happy.