Marik, We Know

Marik opened his eyes, and his vision slowly came back into focus. He saw a figure standing over him. "Ryou?" he asked in confusion.



"You almost got yourself killed, imbecile," the white-haired figure said.



But Ryou would never call him an...



"Bakura!" Marik yelled, leaping up to hug him.



"Yes, yes, it's me...come on now, don't get all emotional," said Bakura. Bakura pried Marik off of him and pushed him back down onto the hospital bed. "You should be resting, anyways."



Marik sighed in frustration. Suddenly, something occurred to him. "Ryou! Is he alright?" he asked frantically.




"He's fine. He was in the hospital for a couple of days, but he wasn't too bad off...thanks to you, I suppose. If you had let anything happen to him, I would have had to kill you," said Bakura.



But there was no real malice in Bakura's voice, and Marik recognized that this was just Bakura's way of thanking him for protecting Ryou.



"So then where is Ryou?" Marik asked.



"He's off getting some food for dinner," Bakura explained. "You know, he's been sitting by your bedside day and night ever since he was released from the hospital himself. You were much worse off than he was. Nobody was sure whether you were going to make it. He's been sitting here all the time, waiting and hoping that you'd wake up. That's the only reason I'm here right now, you know. Since Ryou needed to get some food, he asked if I'd come sit next to you for a few minutes, and I figured it wouldn't hurt."



Just then, Ryou walked into the room. Upon seeing that Marik was awake, Ryou quickly put the food down and rushed to hug Marik. Marik returned the hug enthusiastically.



"I'm so glad you're alright!" said Ryou. "We were so worried about you. Bakura and I have been sitting next to you for days, hoping you'd wake up!"




Bakura hissed, "Shut up, Ryou!"



Amused, Marik said, "Oh, so you've been sitting here with me all this time too, Bakura?"



"Um, you know, I really need to go outside to have a cigarette," said Bakura, scratching his head and looking at the ceiling. Bakura turned and walked hurriedly from the room. If Marik didn't know better, he would have sworn that Bakura was blushing a little.



Ryou and Marik both shook their heads and smiled. Ryou reached out and grasped Marik's hand, and Marik squeezed it gently.



"So, the spell really worked...Bakura is really back," said Marik in wonderment.



"Yes," said Ryou. "It's really great."




"So, how has Bakura been since he's been back? Before today, it had been...a really long time since I'd actually seen him, you know. Since long before he died..." Marik trailed off.



"Honestly, I think he was pretty upset about the fact that you left and went back to Egypt," Ryou said. "Of course, he'd never say that, but I can kind of tell. I explained it to him, though...I told him that you thought he was gone, and that you felt a lot of pressure from your family to go back to being a tomb keeper, and that you just really didn't know what else to do."



"Yeah," said Marik. "I never wanted to leave him, but like you said, I thought he was gone and I didn't know what else to do. I also felt indebted to the Pharaoh, since he helped me to destroy my dark side and get my body back. I felt like I had to resume my duties. And you know I wasn't involved in that whole debacle with Yugi and his friends until after Zorc had already been destroyed."



"Yeah, I told him that, too," said Ryou. "I think he understands. Or at least, he understands well enough that he'll get over it. I think I can read what he's feeling fairly well, but...I don't know...I can only guess now, can't I? He's not inside me anymore. I used to be able to feel everything he felt, to hear his thoughts. And now that connection is gone..." Ryou's eyes began to tear up.



Marik quickly sat up and pulled Ryou into a hug. Ryou's body began to shake in his arms. He was really crying now. Marik squeezed him tighter, unable to think of anything to say.



Marik heard footsteps, and looked over Ryou's shoulder to see that Bakura was coming back into the room.




"Ryou, what the hell are you crying over?" Bakura asked. He sounded annoyed.



Ryou turned towards Bakura, tears running down his cheeks. "It's just that...you and I used to share a mind link. Now that we're in different bodies, I can't hear your thoughts or feel your feelings anymore. I just feel so separated from you." A small sob escaped from Ryou.



"Oh, Ra! Get a hold of yourself, Ryou," said Bakura irritably.



Ryou pulled away from Marik to turn around and face Bakura fully. "I know you're upset over the loss of the mind link, too," he said, sniffling. "Don't even pretend that you're not, because I know!" Ryou said this last forcefully, but then totally collapsed into sobs.



Bakura let out a long-suffering sigh. He walked over to Ryou, scooped him up in his arms, and kissed him gently on the cheek. "See, you already know what I'm thinking and feeling without the need for a mind link. You always will," he said.



Ryou threw his arms around Bakura's neck. "Oh, Bakura!" he said. Ryou smiled a little, his tears beginning to subside.




"Alright, that's enough, come on now," said Bakura, putting Ryou down. Ryou nodded and sat back down next to Marik's bed.



"I'm starved," said Bakura, desperately wanting to change the subject. "Shouldn't we be eating that food that you brought?"



"Oh! Yeah," said Ryou. He got up to go get the food that he'd set down near the doorway. They split up the food among the three of them and ate in companionable silence. By the time they were done eating, Marik looked worn out, despite the fact that he hadn't been awake for very long.



"You look really tired, Marik," noticed Ryou.



"Yeah, I feel really tired," said Marik. "I think I need to sleep...but I don't want to be alone," he admitted.



"I'll stay overnight with you," said Ryou.




"Are you sure?" asked Marik sleepily. His eyes were already beginning to close.



"Of course," said Ryou.



"Well, since Ryou is staying, you really don't need me," said Bakura. "I think I'll go and get some rest."



Bakura made as if to leave, walking slowly towards the door. Once outside the door, he turned around to check and make sure that Marik's eyes were closed. Marik actually seemed to be asleep already. Bakura then walked back into the room- just as Ryou had known he would- and settled into the chair next to Ryou. Ryou laid his head on Bakura's shoulder. Bakura sighed indulgently and leaned into Ryou's body...it was more comfortable to have something to lean against, anyways, he reasoned. He closed his eyes, and the two drifted off to sleep.



The next morning, Marik awoke to the sight of Ryou and Bakura cuddled up together, sleeping peacefully in the chairs next to his bed. For a while, he just watched them. Eventually, Bakura began to stir. His eyes shot all the way open when he realized that Marik was looking at them. Embarrassed, Bakura jumped up quickly, causing Ryou to fall over. Ryou cried out in surprise. Then Ryou looked around and realized what must have happened.



Ryou got up, yawning and stretching. "You know, I think I'll go get us some breakfast. We need to eat, and besides, I think you two should have a little time alone together," he said with a wink.




Ryou rushed out of the room before Bakura could stop him. Resigning himself, Bakura sat back down next to Marik.



Marik reached out and grabbed Bakura's hand. "I'm happy to see you, Bakura. I'm really glad the spell worked."



"Yeah, sure," said Bakura.



Marik suddenly exclaimed, "Hey! The spell WORKED!"



"Wow, what was your first clue, genius?" said Bakura sarcastically.



"No, I mean...well, how much did Ryou tell you about the spell?" Marik asked.




"Just the basics, really...that a certain amount of blood needed to be spilled inside a circle while an incantation was read. It seemed to upset him to talk about it, so I didn't press too hard. I don't know why the two of you had to risk your lives using your own blood, though. I realize that you two were probably the only ones who wanted me back, but couldn't you have gotten human blood from any other source for the ritual?"



"So you don't know..." Marik said.



"Know what?" asked Bakura.



Marik explained to Bakura that the blood used in the ritual could only come from the person who was the metaphorical "other half" of the soul being drawn out. He told him that Ryou had believed that both of them qualified as Bakura's other half, and therefore they could combine their blood in order to perform the spell.



"So, you see, since the ritual worked, that means I AM your other half!" said Marik. "Well, Ryou and I both," he amended.



"You?! My other half?" scoffed Bakura. "There is no way!"




"Yes!" said Marik. "The ritual proves it! I am your other half, or the spell wouldn't have brought you back!"



"Oh, for Ra's sake, don't be ridiculous!" said Bakura. He jerked his hand away from Marik's, scowled at him, and began to get up.



Suddenly, Marik smiled. "You LOVE me!" Marik exclaimed.



"I do NOT!" shouted Bakura, leaping up from his chair.



"Yes, you do! The gods themselves have decreed it!" said Marik.



"Just because of some stupid ritual, don't think that..." Bakura started.




"You love me so much that I'm your other half and we're tied together forever," said Marik smugly.



Bakura's eyes went wide. "For the rest of eternity, I'm stuck with your idiocy? I don't think so!"



"Well, too bad for you, because that's the way it is!" laughed Marik. Marik then looked at Bakura more seriously. "Bakura, I've been wanting to tell you...I'm sorry that I never told you that I love you during all the time we were together. So I want to tell you now. I love you, Bakura. I always have."



"Shut up, Marik. I'm leaving," said Bakura disdainfully.



Marik shook his head. "You're a bastard, Bakura. I don't know why I brought you back. I should have left you to rot inside the Ring."




Bakura tried to suppress a smile. He was back in familiar territory now. "I'm surprised you were smart enough to work out how to do it in the first place," said Bakura.



"You jerk," said Marik. He reached out and grabbed Bakura's hand again. "You're a total ass, you know that?"



Marik then pulled Bakura towards him and kissed him full on the mouth. More comfortable with the situation now, Bakura allowed the kiss. But before the kiss could deepen, Ryou walked back into the room.



"Oh!" said Ryou. "I'm sorry to interrupt."



The other two boys broke the kiss and looked at Ryou.



"Hope you weren't planning on doing more than that, though," said Ryou. "Marik really isn't well enough yet."




"Yes, I know, unfortunately," said Bakura. Bakura looked down and realized that Marik's hand was still holding his. He quickly pulled his hand away.



Ryou came up behind Bakura's chair and placed his hands on his shoulders. He leaned down close to Bakura's ear and said quietly, "You really want him, don't you?"



Bakura shrugged and tried to look nonchalant.



"Mm, I can tell. In fact, I can tell you're not just aching for him down there, but up here, as well," said Ryou, placing his hand over Bakura's heart.




Bakura growled. "You realize, Ryou, that since we don't share the same body anymore, I'm perfectly free to kill you," he said menacingly.



Ryou laughed softly and leaned down to kiss Bakura's neck. He knew Bakura better than anyone, and didn't take the threat seriously in the least. It was just Bakura being Bakura. And he'd missed that. So much. "I love you, Bakura," Ryou said.



"Augh!" yelled Bakura, jumping up out of his chair again. "Will people stop SAYING that to me!"



Almost in perfect unison, Marik and Ryou chanted, "We love you, 'Kura!" Then they collapsed into giggles.



"Stop it!" yelled Bakura. "I swear, if you two do not shut up right now, you are going to be sorry!"



Ryou and Marik just laughed even more, Ryou leaning on the the chair for support.




Bakura glared at both of them, but then suddenly he smiled maliciously. "Hey, Marik," said Bakura, with a mischievous look on his face. "Did you know that almost every time after we had sex, when Ryou got control of his body back, he'd think about what had happened and jack off to it?"



Ryou immediately stopped laughing and his face turned bright red.



"Oh, Ryou, don't worry, I think it's cute," said Marik, though now he was laughing even harder than before.



"And as for YOU!" said Bakura, pointing at Marik and advancing on him. Ryou took this opportunity to quickly scurry from the room in embarrassment. Bakura reached Marik and grabbed him by the front of his hospital garment. "Once you're out of here and well enough for me to fuck you, you're going to get what you deserve," he said with a growl.



"Ooh, lots of orgasms. Very threatening," said Marik with a smile.



Bakura leaned in so that his mouth was next to Marik's ear. "It's not a threat, fool. Just something to get you to shut up. But I swear, once I'm done with you, you won't be able to walk for a week."




Marik brought his arms up around Bakura. "Mm, sounds wonderful," he said.



"I knew you'd say that," said Bakura. He couldn't seem to help returning Marik's hug.



Marik nipped Bakura's neck lightly. "I need you inside me," he breathed. He felt Bakura's entire body shudder at his words.



"Don't say that, Marik. Not when we can't..."



Marik slid his hand under Bakura's shirt, feeling along his chest. "Your heart is pounding," he said quietly. He moved to lick at Bakura's ear.



"S-stop, Marik," whispered Bakura. But then it was Bakura who moved to capture Marik's lips with his own. Their tongues slid into each others' mouths, and Marik sighed happily.




"Well, I can't leave you two alone for five minutes, can I?"



Marik pulled away from the kiss and looked guiltily at Ryou, who was now standing in the doorway. "It's, uh, kind of been a long time for us, since we've been able to be close," said Marik. "Hard to help ourselves."



"That's so romantic," said Ryou, with a dreamy look on his face. Bakura obviously did not approve of that comment, and his eyes shot daggers at his Hikari as Ryou came to sit down by Marik's bed.



Ryou ignored Bakura's glaring and turned towards Marik. "Well, don't worry," Ryou said. "You shouldn't be in here too much longer. We'll be able to take you home fairly soon."



"That's good," said Marik, reaching out to grasp Ryou's hand. "I look forward to spending some time alone with you, too." Marik pulled Ryou in for a short kiss. Ryou returned the kiss, but privately wondered if his relationship with Marik could ever match the heat that was obviously between his Yami and Marik.



As Ryou settled back into his chair, Marik said, "I love you, Ryou."




"I love you too, Marik," Ryou responded.



Bakura rolled his eyes in a very exaggerated manner.

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AN: Thanks to everyone who is reading! As always, reviews are much loved and appreciated!