This kinda picks up from where the last chapter left off.
Marik glanced up at the large, anthropomorphic canine beside him.
"You know, you're not exactly inconspicuous," he pointed out.
The body of the canine wisped away like a vanishing fog, the naked form of the pale elemental taking its place. The same wisped fog appeared to momentarily cover Bakura's exposed body, clothing replacing the fog immediately after.
"I'm not? Is it the sweater? It's the sweater. I knew I should have gone with the red one! Red always looks good…" Bakura said satirically while pretending to fuss over the teal cashmere sweater he had chosen to conjure.
Marik rolled his eyes and began making his way towards the park edge.
"Where're you going?" Bakura asked in confusion.
"Um, home?" Marik replied.
"And you're gonna walk? HELLO. 'Instant travel' standing right here…"
"Oh…right…" Marik said sheepishly, having momentarily forgotten that Bakura was capable of teleporting between locations just like the others.
Bakura rolled his eyes and shook his head while sighing in annoyance. "C'mon, Tomb Keeper. Let's get you back before your girlfriend so she doesn't freak out again."
An hour passed and Kat still hadn't returned.
"Tomb Keeper, you're going to wear a path in the floor if you keep pacing like that," Bakura stated boredly as he watched Marik walk towards the window, glance outside, walk back across the room by the table, then back again.
"Shouldn't she be back by now? The Elder said 'shortly'. What exactly is the definition of 'shortly' to an immortal anyway?" Marik asked worriedly.
"Calm down, take a deep breath, and chill. The Elder promised Kat would return. As far as the definition of 'shortly' to us…it's subjective. I suppose in this case, especially knowing that she was speaking to a mortal, a few hours at most?"
"A few hours! I have school in the morning! I can't be up all night worrying that my girlfriend probably thinks that I only came back to end things with her!"
"You came back, and you didn't appear angry with her. I think she knows that you're not going anywhere," Bakura stated calmly. "Which is honestly surprising to even me. I swear, you have the patience of a Saint," he added.
Marik stopped his pacing and took a deep breath like Bakura had suggested.
"I had some help getting to that point. The person that gave me shelter from the rain and helped fix the wing of the raven I stepped on was kind enough to lend some advice on the situation."
Bakura perked up and directed his full attention towards the Tomb Keeper. "Raven? You just so happened to step on a raven? In the rain?"
Marik nodded. "You were right about them leading the way for people who are 'lost'."
Bakura narrowed his eyes. "This person, did they have a name?"
"Yeah. It was-"
A vortex of fire erupted between them, the flame elemental appearing as it died down. Kat stood there with her eyes closed, wobbled for a second, then fell to her knees.
"Habibty! Are you okay?!" Marik asked as he rushed to Kat's side.
Kat slowly opened her eyes, looked at him, then smiled. "I'll be fine. Just a bit tired is all."
"What did the Elder want?" Bakura questioned.
Kat sighed, then looked towards the other elemental. "Just some words about how I know that what I did to my sire was forbidden, but that she understands the circumstances surrounding it, and that I won't be summoned before the Tribunal. Also that she understands the logic I followed when I attacked Ra, and that she doesn't hold it against me, as misunderstandings of this nature do tend to happen. Pretty much the usual."
Bakura covered his face with both hands. "Un-freaking-believable." He lowered his hands. "How the fuck do you always end up so lucky?"
Kat shrugged with a smirk. "What can I say? I think the Elder finds me amusing. I probably keep things interesting."
"What's the tally on that now?"
Kat looked upward in thought. "Ummmm…sixty-one? Two? Maybe three? I don't know. Ask the nerd. I'm tired."
She rose unsteadily to her feet, Marik aiding her along the way.
"I can carry you up if you want?" Marik offered.
Kat didn't answer as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight while smiling. "You came back."
Marik smiled and embraced her in return. "Of course I did." His smile vanished as he squeezed a bit tighter and rested his head on hers. "I didn't mean to make you worry. I just needed some time to cool down and think."
"I really am sorry about what I did. I assure you I didn't intend for it. I just…I don't know…"
Marik pulled back and looked down at her. "You don't have to explain." He felt Kat's body shake slightly as she fought to stay upright. "How about we talk about it later. You're obviously exhausted."
"But-"
"I'm not leaving," Marik interrupted, seeing the worry plainly written across Kat's face. "I promise I'll still be here in the morning…until I have to leave for school, that is…but I promise I'll come back after," he said in reassurance.
Kat hesitated for a brief moment, sighed, nodded, then began to slowly walk towards the stairs.
"Did you want help?"
Kat shook her head. "No, I've g-"
She was interrupted by Bakura as he picked her up and placed her over his shoulder like a sack of grain, then proceeded up the stairs, causing her to groan irritably.
"Tomb Keeper, you don't ask if she wants help, you just do it. She's too stubborn to admit when she actually needs the help," he stated as he made his way to the top of the stairs. He walked into her room, then removed her from over his shoulder and placed her on the bed.
"No having 'fun'. You go straight to sleep, got it?" Bakura stated firmly towards the other elemental, who was looking up at him with a pouty expression.
"You're not Set or Ama-shae," she huffed. "So stop trying to act like you're the boss of me."
Bakura stared boredly. "No, I'm the guy that has nearly three-hundred years worth of medical degrees on his walls."
"You're also the guy that is crashing in my living room…which now that this place is suddenly becoming a bit crowded, I think needs a bit of redecorating," Kat fired back.
Bakura scowled. "Yes please. I'm not asking for a fold-out sofa, just something other than your lumpy cushions."
"My cushions aren't 'lumpy'," Kat argued.
"Yes they are. You definitely need new ones. As it is, the only way I'm gonna get comfortable on them is to sleep transfigured."
"You better not bark at every car that drives by…"
Bakura grinned. "Only the ones that slow down and get too close to the house."
"...and no 2am zoomies," Kat added with a scowl.
"I'll have you know I don't get '2am zoomies'," he commented while folding his arms and lifting his nose in the air with his eyes closed. "...mine are at 3," he added matter-of-factly.
"What are 'zoomies'?" Marik asked in confusion.
"A really annoying burst of energy that compels you to run around like a kid on a sugar high until it passes," Bakura replied as he brought his head down and opened his eyes to look at the Tomb Keeper.
"Okay then…" Marik said slowly while giving Bakura a weird look.
There was a light knock on the doorframe behind the three, causing each to look towards the person standing there.
"Just coming to check if you're okay," Atem said in a quiet voice, expressing his concern towards his former wife.
"I am. Just a bit tired now, but thank you for your concern," Kat stated with a light smile.
Atem appeared relieved. "I won't keep you from resting then. nefer gerah," he said, wishing her a good night before he began to depart for his room.
"Atem, wait," Marik called out.
Atem stopped, looking over at the Tomb Keeper with a slightly puzzled expression.
"Listen, about what happened between the two of you this morning…thanks for not taking advantage of the situation. It must have been hard for you…and I really appreciate the choice you made," Marik stated earnestly. He walked over to the doorway and extended his hand. "What do you say we try this one last time?"
Atem looked down at the hand for a moment, smiled, then took it firmly in his own. "You're right, it was difficult, but I knew the choice that I preferred wasn't the right one," he said as he looked Marik in the eye. "Remember what I told you back in Egypt?"
Marik nodded. "I promise you, I'll catch her. She just needs to finish letting go first."
Atem glanced past him towards the woman staring in confusion at the two of them, then back to Marik. "I think she's getting there." He released his grip on Marik's hand, then walked into his room and shut the door.
"What was that about?" Kat asked in confusion.
"Just us playing nice," Marik replied with a smile. He looked over at Bakura. "She's not gonna get any sleep if we keep standing here chatting."
"I agree," Bakura said with a nod. "I'll be downstairs if you need me." He then left, closing the door behind him.
Marik shut off the light and crawled into bed beside Kat, taking a hand and effortlessly pulling her into a lying position beside him. She wrapped an arm around him and snuggled herself tightly into his chest. He began to stroke at her midnight waves, smiling as he felt the vibrations from her familiar thrum of happiness. The purring slowly faded as she drifted off into a deep sleep.
Marik buried his face into her hair, placing a small kiss on the top of her head. "Ana bahebik," he said quietly, reaffirming his love for her in his native tongue.
Bakura casually stretched, then transfigured as he prepared to finally get some rest. Between being out most of the prior night, his little taunt towards Ra at school, searching all over Domino for the Tomb Keeper through his element, then transporting a Millennium Item-wielding mortal across realms instead of via obelisk…he was was beginning to feel nearly as exhausted as he was certain his friend was.
He had placed several of the cushions from Kat's little table into the best version of a bed he could. In his transfigured form, he found himself instinctively circling a few times before laying down, then raising up and digging with his paws in an attempt to fluff and adjust the cushions before circling a few more times and laying down again, curling up with his tail tucked close. He lowered his muzzle between his paws and closed his eyes, releasing a deep breath as he felt his body relaxing.
Bakura was finally on the edge of sleep when his ears perked high, picking up on a sound from upstairs. It was a quick rustle, then gone. He waited to see if the sound would appear again, and after a long moment of nothing, relaxed and attempted sleep again. Moments later, the rustling started again, then ceased as quickly as it had begun. He relaxed yet again, but as the rustling started for a third time, Bakura popped his eyes open wide in irritation. He lifted his head towards the source, then quietly made his way upstairs. He stood beside the two closed doors, waiting to hear the sound again. When the rustling began again, he felt more than just irritation flood through him.
He changed back, flinging the door wide open to Atem's room.
"Stop. Moving. Around. I am trying to get some fucking sleep!" he chided.
Atem turned his head towards the vexed elemental, groaning in his own irritation. "Trust me, I'm trying to get some sleep too."
"So then fucking DO IT."
Atem groaned again as he sat up. "I can't."
"Why the fuck not?"
Atem turned his head away and mumbled something under his breath.
Bakura stared blankly. "Are you fucking kidding me? You've surely slept alone at some point in your life?"
Atem shook his head back and forth slowly. "Not since before…the day all of you became members of my house. Katrina always took to crawling in with me after that, remember?"
"And what about when she left for Per-Bast?"
"How do you think Set and I ended up together?"
Bakura tried to rack his brains for an instance where Atem had to have slept alone. "What about in the Puzzle? Or since you've been back?"
Atem shook his head again."I wasn't alone when I was in the Puzzle. I didn't require sleep, so I was free to just stand around and watch everyone else as they did."
"That's a bit creepy…"
"And since I've been back…well…we both know I wasn't alone the first night…"
"Not the first half anyway…" Bakura growled quietly.
"And last night Katrina and I fell asleep beside the table," Atem stated.
"And so…what? Now you're just going to toss and turn all night until you pass out from exhaustion?"
Atem sighed heavily. "If I'm lucky…"
Bakura covered his face and groaned in extreme irritation, then fully entered the room and closed the door.
Atem looked at the pale form that was standing in the dark, extremely confused. "What are you doing?" he asked nervously.
Bakura lowered his hand from his face. "I need to get some fucking sleep. I can't do that if you're up here making a bunch of noise that I unfortunately can hear through even a closed door and down a set of stairs. So here's what we're gonna do: I'm gonna transfigure and lay next to you. Rules: You…may pet me…if it helps you to fall asleep. DO NOT touch the fucking Ring. It's mine. Do you understand?"
Atem stared in blank confusion. "I understand, but why would you go through the trouble in the first place? Aside from trying to get some sleep?"
"I could always just cuff you aside the head and knock your ass out. Can't promise no concussion though."
"I think I prefer the less violent alternative," Atem commented unenthusiastically.
"Then shut up and stop worrying about why I'm doing it. Like I said, I want to get some fucking sleep. I tend to be more prone to murderous outbursts when I'm tired, and I don't think anyone wants that."
Atem sighed in reluctance. "Okay, I see your point." He made room on the bed as the elemental transfigured. Bakura leapt up on it, then plopped down beside Atem, facing his muzzle towards the door and away from the former Pharaoh.
Atem hesitantly lay back down, then gingerly placed a hand on the white beast beside him. It felt strange at first, but he slowly felt himself relax and begin to absentmindedly run his fingers through the soft fur. At one point his hand grazed the leather cord of the Ring, and a low growl reminded him of the rules that had been put in place. He decided instead to place his hand behind one of Bakura's soft ears, lightly massaging the back of it with his thumb. He could feel the body of the hybrid canine relax as it leaned into the gentle ear rub.
Atem released a quiet chuckle. "Who knew you could be so cuddly?"
Another low growl warned him not to press his luck.
Atem chuckled lightly again as he curled up next to the canine, draping his arm around it. "nefer gerah, Bakura.
Bakura huffed loudly as a reply.
Small Hateship moment. Bakura would never 'willingly' fall for the 'there was only one bed' trope. Had to force him into the situation somehow.