Hi guys! Have a Christmas update! I'm so sorry it took so long, uni work and writers block have been against me for a while but today (Christmas Eve!) I was determined to sit down and write another chapter for you all. So yes, this has all been done in one sitting and I'm sorry it's a bit shorter than usual.

LaminateGem12: Once again your review made me very happy, I'm glad you are enjoying the thiefshipping! You're right, I envisioned Marik's painting as a blending of colour representing all of the different emotions, if I was any good at art I would probably try it myself. I'm glad you liked the cookies ^_^

To everyone reading this, hope you all have a lovely Christmas, and if you don't celebrate it, Happy holidays! This chapter is my Christmas present to all of you. ^.^

Enjoy!

DustyStars

Chapter 13- The awkwardness of a confession

Marik woke slowly, eyes cracking open and immediately closing to block out the invasive sunlight. Warily opening one eye a tiny amount his gaze sought out the clock on his bedside table- 8.30am. Plenty of time to go back to sleep.

Yawning widely Marik rolled over in his bed, intending on going back to sleep for an hour or so before going about his day. His plans were cut short, however, when he rolled into something unexpectedly yet undoubtedly alive.

"Bakura!" Marik yelped, eyes suddenly very much open now. Yep, that was definitely white hair on his pillow. The events of yesterday came flooding back, and Marik found himself shuffling as far back from Bakura as he could until there was a sudden lack of bed.

"Shit!" Marik cursed as he tumbled gracelessly backwards over the side of the bed, landing in a rather undignified heap on the floor of his room. "Ow…"

The disturbance appeared not to have woken the sleeping Bakura, who was still an unmoving lump in Marik's bed. Yep, he was definitely not a morning person, just like Ryou.

Ryou!

He had to get to the hospital to see his best friend. Bakura or no Bakura- he would have to worry about that when he got back. It was about this time that Marik realised he was naked. Which generally wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't for the fact that there was another person in his room.

"Oh bloody hell…"

Standing quickly the Egyptian moved around the room, grabbing what he needed before exiting to the bathroom. Bakura still hadn't stirred- it looked like Marik would be going alone.

Once he was in the bathroom he went through the process of getting dressed and presentable, but his mind was on other things. What had come over him yesterday evening? One minute Bakura had been confessing his past for the first time in his life, the next Marik had been crying and kissing him for all he was worth. And Bakura had kissed him back.

Everything had been a blur after that. They had moved from the studio down the hall to Marik's bedroom, never breaking contact. He remembered Bakura slamming the door before pushing him against it, and he remembered been thrown onto the bed. After that all he could recall was the feel of Bakura on his skin and the smell of his hair. He couldn't even remember when they fell asleep.

And now the white-haired man who had come to trust him was lying in his bed at this very moment, asleep.

Marik sighed as he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. Yep, they were definitely scratch marks on his shoulders, and he could see a couple of bite marks on his neck too. Looked like he was wearing a high-necked shirt today.

He bit back a smile as he pulled on his shirt- it was clear now that Bakura liked him in at least one way, the question was what happened now? Would Bakura wake up and be disgusted with himself and be gone when Marik returned from the hospital? Or would he stay and talk it out? He honestly didn't know- he just knew that it was something he at least had needed, and he didn't regret it at all.

He was about the head out of the door when he felt a sudden pain shoot up his spine, making him let out a quiet groan.

Okay, so he mostly didn't regret it.

Raising an eyebrow to himself he left the bathroom and moved down the hall towards the door. He pulled on his boots, grabbed his keys and coat and pocketed his mobile before heading out of the apartment, unaware that the sound of the door had woken Bakura.

Bakura winced slightly at the slam of the door, wondering who could be making such a noise so close to him. He didn't bother opening his eyes, hoping that he would slowly drift back into the land of slumber. He was comfier than he had been in a long time and he really didn't feel like changing that any time soon.

He was almost successful in his mission before his ears detected something foreign. The sound of a clock ticking. That shouldn't be there, he didn't own a clock.

Curiosity won over sleep and Bakura finally opened his eyes, finding himself in an unfamiliar room. Then he remembered.

"Holy fuck," he whispered, looking around what he assumed was Marik's room. No wonder he was so comfortable- Marik's bed was a lot nicer than his. The clock in question was high on the wall above a floor length mirror, which was next to Marik's desk. The bed was a double one and had a bedside table on the other side, which was currently vacant.

It appeared Marik had already left.

Sighing Bakura turned over and stared at the wardrobe, trying to make sense of what had happened last night. He hadn't regretted it at all, that much was certain, but what about the other boy? There was a reason Marik had left without waking him- perhaps he was expected to show himself out and never return.

Bakura had to admit that he almost felt guilty about last night. It was clear that Marik hadn't been in the most stable of states, and Bakura was a little worried that the other might accuse him of taking advantage of him. He would have to wait until Marik came back to discuss it with him- after finally finding someone he could trust he didn't want them to slip away.

Bakura was still thinking half an hour later when his phone rang from somewhere across the room. Sitting up he looked around until he found his jeans thrown across a chair in the corner. How they had gotten there was a mystery to him.

Sighing he stood and walked over to the chair, grabbing his phone out of the jeans pocket in one smooth movement.

"Hello?"

"Tozokou! You'd better be ready to work today or you know where your ass is gonna be!"

The angry voice continued shouting as Bakura held the phone away from his ear slightly and went to sit on the bed. When he could finally get a word in edgeways he said,

"I said I'd be there and I will be. Last time I checked I still have an hour before I start though."

There was a spluttering sound from the other end of the phone.

"I'll see you then, then," Bakura cut him off before cutting the call too.

He loved his job. Sarcasm intended.

Running a hand through his messy hair he sighed as he realised he wouldn't be able to wait here from Marik after all. He hoped the Egyptian wouldn't jump to conclusions when he came back to an empty apartment later. Depending on how many people Bakura had to deal with he could be finished any time between five and ten in the evening.

It was going to be a long day.

They made him wait two hours before he could finally see Ryou. Despite the fact that he knew the operation had been a success and his friend was awake they apparently had one more blood transfusion to do before Marik was allowed to see him. He sat on one of the hospital's hard plastic chairs fiddling with his phone until the battery died, listening to the medley of beeps around him and the sound of voices that all blended into one.

He was contemplating heading towards the vending machines to grab some breakfast when a nurse emerged from a room down the hall.

"You can come in now, Mr Ishtar," she said with a smile, and Marik was on his feet in the blink of an eye, breakfast forgotten.

"He's still very weak," the nurse said quietly as he approached, "but he's been asking for you since the transfusion so we've decided you can stay for an hour or so."

Marik nodded to show he'd heard before entering the room Ryou was in. His best friend looked the same as yesterday except with a couple of extra tubes in his arm and a new machine which was beeping at regular intervals. His eyes were half closed when Marik walked in but as soon as he heard his footsteps they shot open.

"Mar'!"

"Ry," Marik responded as he rushed over to his friend, giving him a hug and being careful not to dislodge any of the tubes and wires.

"Ry, I'm so glad you're alright, you have no idea how worried I was, I'm so sorry I didn't mean any of those things I was just stressed and I'm just so happy you're alive!"

Ryou was talking almost as fast as him at the same time. They were both apologising as much as they could, and Ryou even said that he was more worried about Marik than he was about himself.

After a few seconds of this they finally realised how pointless it was and Marik let out a small laugh as he went to grab a chair from the other side of the small room.

"I'm so happy you're here, Marik. I was so worried you wouldn't want to see me again," Ryou said quietly, slowly moving so he could sit up.

The Egyptian paused in moving the chair and ducked his head. He really had been an arsehole to his friend if it had made him think things like that.

"Ry, you're my best friend, of course I would want to see you," he said quickly as he sat in the chair next to the bed. "I can't apologise enough for the horrible things I said, you didn't deserve them and I regretted them the moment I said them. You've always helped me and I just threw it back in your face, I see that now."

Ryou shook his head. "I know you were worried about Bakura, Marik. I guess I just overreacted a bit about feeling left out, but I know that you must feel that way a lot when I leave to go and study with Yugi and the others."

Marik blinked. He had honestly never felt left out when Ryou went out to spend time with his coursemates- he just took it as the norm.

"I've never felt left out, really," he said, and he didn't miss the look of relief that passed through his friend's eyes.

"How are you feeling anyway?" he asked.

Ryou grimaced. "They've got me dosed up on painkillers so everything's just numb really, but I know I must look a mess right now." He let out a small chuckle. "Someone must have really had it in for me, huh?"

"Not you. Bakura."

The words were out of Marik's mouth before he could stop them, and there was nothing he could do to stop the flash of shock and confusion going across Ryou's face.

"Bakura?" he questioned slowly. "What does this have to do with him?"

"I… um… I don't think I'd be the right person to tell you," Marik said quietly. "I don't know whether he would want you to know…"

Ryou raised a white eyebrow. "You think I shouldn't know why I got shot?"

"No, it's not that," Marik said quickly. "You do have the right to know, but I just think it would be better coming from Bakura. There are some parts I'm not sure of myself, and I don't want to say something to you that might not be the truth."

Ryou looked away as though contemplating this. "So you know where Bakura is right now?"

Marik felt the blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"Sort of."

"Sort of?"

Marik blushed harder and looked down at his lap, hoping his hair would obscure the worst of it. Unfortunately for him, Ryou was very persistent.

"Marik, what did you do?"

"Nothing," he mumbled, refusing to make eye contact.

"Marik, I can see you blushing, and that generally means you've done something noteworthy. What did you do?"

Marik pressed his lips together, now certain he was red as a tomato.

"Wait a second…" Marik could hear the suspicion in Ryou's tone. "Did you guys…"

"No!" Marik exclaimed quickly. Too quickly it seemed, because when he looked up his gaze was met with a slow grin spreading across the other boy's face.

"You did!"

"Did what? I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You and Bakura!"

"What about us?"

"Did you guys… You know?"

Ryou was blushing slightly too now, though his grin was refusing to leave his face. It seemed Marik had been well and truly found out.

"Um, I might have woken up in the same bed as him this morning," he admitted quickly, and quietly too so Ryou had to strain his ears.

"Aaaaaand?"

"And what?"

"What else happened?"

Marik could practically see the excitement on his housemate's face. Honestly, he was lying in a hospital bed and still managed to act like a teenage girl. Marik decided to give up.

"We-might-have-slept-together," he said quickly, turning his face away and suddenly finding the potted plant on the bedside table extremely interesting. It continued to be a source of great value as Ryou practically squealed next to him, occasionally interspersed with random words such as 'I knew it!' and 'Get in there!'.

When Ryou finally quietened down and Marik had got to know the potted plant really well he turned back to the boy in the bed.

"Finished?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ryou nodded.

"Good."

Thankfully after that his best friend dropped the subject and moved onto other topics, which they remained talking about until the same nurse arrived a couple of hours later to shoo Marik out.

"I'll be back tomorrow, Ry," the Egyptian promised. "If Bakura's still around when I'm back I'll bring him too," he added, and Ryou nodded slowly.

"Thanks Mar'," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye!"

Marik gave Ryou one last smile before heading out of the door and navigating his way out of the hospital.

He eventually reached the exit and took a moment to breath in the fresh air. He felt happy with his decision not to tell Ryou the full story of what had happened, it didn't feel right somehow. Now he just had to hope that Bakura was there when he got back…

He started walking back to the apartment, in a much better state than he was yesterday. He did hope Bakura hadn't left, it wouldn't be wise for him to be wandering (or driving) around the city when Mariku and Atem had supposedly just killed him. The thought made him speed up his walking little.

He arrived back at the apartment and, after a quick glance around, let himself inside.

"Bakura?"

There was no answer.

"Bakura, are you here?"

Still no reply. Slipping his boots off Marik padded around the rooms, feeling a strong sense of déjà vu when the white-haired man was nowhere to be found. It looked like Bakura had thought last night was a mistake after all. The thought made Marik feel quite hollow inside and his happy mood from earlier dissipated.

Wandering aimlessly to the kitchen he glanced at the clock to find it was gone half past one. Normally he would be hungry having not had breakfast, but he couldn't bring himself to make something to eat at the moment. Instead he reached inside his pocket and pulled out his phone .No new messages.

Sighing and hoping this didn't make him look too desperate, Marik opened his contacts and scrolled through until he found Bakura's name. Before he could back out he pressed the call button and held the phone up to his ear.

After a few seconds it began to ring, and a moment later the unmistakable sound of Bakura's ringtone echoed through the apartment.

Eyebrows raising in surprise Marik hurried through the hall to his own bedroom, where he discovered the source of the noise sat on his desk. He snapped his phone shut and the music stopped almost instantly.

Marik couldn't help but smile.

It looked as though Bakura would be coming back after all.