Gravitation

Disclaimer - I don't own them. My Valentine's Day would be complete if I did

Author's Note - HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Yep . . .because the day for lovers is coming up tomorrow, I'm updating much sooner with another
chapter of both my stories as a gift for all my wonderful reviewers. A little bit of Marik/Yami in this one, as well as a bunch of angst and other shit. Hope
you all enjoy

Oh . . d fod for cherry, who asked me a question. Marik (the dancer) is the good blonde, the non-spirit one. I know a lot of people use Malik for the hikari
and Marik for the yam. . . . but I've always referred to them as the opposite, Marik the hikari and Malik the yami. Mainly because the character was first
introduced to me as Marik in the WB anime version (which is what I'm stuck with) Sorry it confused you, and I hope this helps

Chapter 6 - Utter Insanity


The door creaked open slowly, allowing light from the hallway to fall on the sleeping figure of the tri-haired young man in the bed.

Marik slid in the door, opening it only enough to get in before closing it softly behind him and approaching the bed, his light cotton dress slacks and shirt barely making any noise as he walked. He sighed as he saw Yami was sleeping peacefully . . . the bartender looked none the worse for his encounter with his psychotic ex-boyfriend. Reaching out, Marik lightly traced the bruise along the strong jaw line, sighing in pleasure at the feel of Yami’s skin against his fingertips. It felt like warmed silk pulled over iron. . . both soft and strong, just like the man.

He sank slowly into the chair at the bedside, lavender eyes running hungrily over the lithe form that was barely covered by a hospital robe and a thin sheet. He clearly remembered that body pressed up against his own on the dance floor of Gravitation, brushing against his as they swayed together to the music. He wanted badly to feel that body pressed against his without the inhibiting factor of clothing . . . he wanted to see if every inch of Yami was as muscular and well defined as the arms and chest that Marik had caught glimpses of were. He licked his lips, his mouth suddenly gone dry as Yami rolled over towards him, a slight smile crossing the sleeping man’s lips.

Yami was truly beautiful . . . a rare gem among the common trash that frequently littered the dance clubs of the city. Marik would be the first to tell anyone that . . . he’d seen more than enough of the inside of those clubs to know. Malik had handed him around like a piece of delectable candy during their time together, never allowing another man to fuck him, but allowing every man to pet him. He’d been a trophy to Malik . . . nothing more, nothing less . . . just a beautiful trophy. One that was frequently beaten for disobeying rules he hadn’t even known existed.

Suddenly growing cold, Marik shivered, rising from the chair to leave. He squeaked in surprise when he felt a warm hand suddenly grab his wrist.

“Marik . . . don’t leave,” Yami whispered, his crimson eyes glowing slightly in the dim light that seeped underneath the hallway door. Marik nodded shakily and sank back into the chair.

“I hope I didn’t wake you . . . I came to see if you were okay. You’re friends . . . said you were worried about me and Bakura,” he murmured. Yami smiled slightly, releasing his hold on Marik’s wrist and taking his hand instead.

“You didn’t wake me . . . I felt your presence,” Yami said softly, a thumb running lightly across the back of Marik’s knuckles. “You’re a sensitive, aren’t you?” Marik nodded. “I could feel it . . . you put off a very powerful aura when you’re worried about something.” He released Marik’s hand slowly. “I’m fine . . . nothing more than a concussion and some stressed ribs. I got off much more lightly than some of the others. How’s Bakura?”

“He’s doing all right,” Marik said quietly. “He’s still unconscious, but the doctor’s said he should be awake by morning. He has to stay here for a few days, which he’s going to be mad as hell at, but other than that, he’s a lot better than we thought he would be.” Yami nodded, sitting up in the bed.

“I hope you don’t mind, but this damn hospital gown is driving me nuts,” Yami murmured, and promptly removed the offending item without thinking. Marik’s eyes hungrily drank up the sight of Yami’s bare chest, all the way down to where the sheet covered his waist. His nipples were a slightly darker color than his skin, which was so evenly tanned that it had to be his natural color. He was as well muscled as Marik’s glimpses had told him he was . . . lithe and trim, he had little to no excess fat anywhere that the blonde could see.

He flushed as he realized Yami had been watching him examine the bartender and shifted slightly in his seat.

“It’s okay Marik . . . I don’t mind,” Yami murmured. “You’re just as pleasing to look at for me as I am for you, I guess.” Lavender eyes flew up to meet amused crimson. “I should have thought about your feelings first before I did that. I can put the gown back on if it bothers you.” He reached for the flimsy material, calling himself an idiot internally. Marik’s observation of him had lit a fire in his groin that wasn’t likely to go out anytime soon . . . and now he was fighting off his own temptations.

“No!” Marik said, and then promptly clapped a hand over his mouth at how loudly that had come out. “I mean . . . I don’t mind. If it bothers you, leave it off.” He closed his eyes with a sigh . . . anything to get away from that disconcerting crimson gaze that seemed to be looking right through him. He opened them again quickly when he felt a hand gently cup his face.

“I shouldn’t do this . . .” Yami murmured . . . and then pulled Marik forward into a deep kiss. The blonde moaned as he felt Yami’s tongue slide erotically over his bottom lip before dipping into his mouth to sample his taste again. He wrapped his own tongue around the intruder, sliding along the thick muscle until he came to it’s source. He felt more than heard Yami hum of pleasure as he licked at the man’s teeth, the tip of his tongue running softly over the roof of his mouth before withdrawing only to repeat the process. Marik’s hand arose of it’s own accord to run soft, questing fingers gently down Yami’s cheek, down the smooth side of his neck and lightly over his collar bone to his right nipple, which he gripped lightly in his fingers, pinching slightly as he rubbed it with his thumb. Yami groaned, his eyes closing as the sensations Marik was causing only made the fire deep in the pit of his stomach stronger. His hand crept up the cradle the back of Marik’s neck lovingly, pulling him closer until Marik was leaning on the bed, one hand propped on the side to hold himself steady as he delved deeper into the kiss. ‘I should stop this before it goes any further,’ he thought hazily. ‘This is dangerous . . . I’m not thinking straight . . .’

They broke off to breathe, and Yami gasped as Marik’s lips closed around his other nipple, his tongue and teeth teasing the tiny bud to hardness.

“Oh gods . . .” Yami murmured, his voice hoarse, concerns of a moment ago forgotten in the tumult of sensation.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this . . .” Marik breathed against his satin skin, his tongue flicking out to trace a circle around where he had been nibbling a moment ago. “You’ve been driving me steadily crazy every night since we met in that alley . . .”

“Trust me . . . the feeling is entirely mutual . . .” Yami groaned, tangling his fingers in the blonde locks as Marik savagely attacked his other nipple. Marik was practically on top of him now, bracing himself on hands and knees as Yami leaned back into the pillows, biting back a harsh cry of pleasure at a particularly rough nip of teeth on his already over-sensitized nipple. He did cry out softly as Marik’s knee brushed against his erection, a delicious friction that only continued as Marik moved slightly, rocking his knee back and forth between Yami’s legs, the sheet only adding to the sensation.

“Why did you walk away last Saturday?” Marik murmured, moving up to lightly suckle on the soft skin where Yami’s shoulder met his throat. Yami stilled beneath him, causing him to look up into hazy, but all too aware crimson eyes . . . eyes that seemed to be glowing from within.

“Because I can’t afford the danger I . . .,” he almost said ‘the danger I would be putting people in.’ He changed it quickly. “It would put Yugi and Ryou in too much danger,” Yami said softly instead. “Tonight’s attack by Malik just proves it.” He sighed softly, gripping Marik’s hand to still it. “My cousin relies on me to protect him . . . he’s young, and very innocent. He’s also the only blood relative I have left . . . I can’t allow my own personal pleasures to come before his safety. Doing this with you . . . doing anything with you . . . would put him in danger. I’m sorry . . . this was utter insanity on my part.” He sat up slowly, Marik moving carefully off the bed as he did so.

“Marik . . . trust me on this . . . with every fiber of my being, I would happily make love to you right here and now if it wouldn’t put him in danger.” He caught himself after that sentence. Had he just confessed to . . . wanting to make love to Marik? When had it gone beyond sex in his mind? He’d never made love to a person in his life . . . it had always been just sex, no emotions involved other than lust and a vague sense of affection. It was too dangerous when his emotions got involved . . . things happened when he felt strongly about something or someone. That’s why he had people he had deemed ‘safe’ to be with . . . anything else was utter insanity, especially since his telekinetic powers seemed to be growing faster than his control could lately.

He sighed suddenly, forcing himself to admit that with Marik he felt different. He didn’t just want to screw his brains out . . . although that was a big part of it . . . he wanted to hold Marik at night, tell him he loved him every morning, and spend his days proving it to the blonde. He groaned softly, running a hand through his hair in agitation. This just made things even more complicated. He couldn’t allow it to happen . . . too many people would be in danger. It frustrated him suddenly that he couldn’t tell Marik the truth . . . he had to allow the blonde to believe that he was the problem, when it was Yami himself that was the more dangerous issue.

“I understand . . .” Marik murmured softly, drawing Yami’s attention back to him. His lavender eyes were on the floor, the blonde bangs hiding them from sight, but Yami could sense that he was close to crying. “Malik is going to continue to ruin my life for eternity . . .” Marik whispered, and then shuddered. He was startled when Yami pulled him back onto the bed, making room in the narrow cot for him to lie down beside him, cradling the slim form of the blonde next to his own slightly battered body.

Yami held Marik close as he tried to comfort the teenager. If only he could tell him the truth . . . tell him that it wasn’t Malik he was worried about, but rather his own ‘abilities’ that seemed to be getting involved anytime he was near the blonde. He could already feel them pulsing at Marik’s nearness . . . and they’d been dangerously close to breaking through again before Marik had asked his question and forced Yami’s mind back into sanity. But he couldn’t say that . . . so he settled for the not-so-innocent excuse he’d been using all along.

“Soon Malik will hopefully be ancient history,” Yami murmured soothingly, running a hand lightly over the slightly shivering back. “When that happens, I wish I could be the person that teaches you to live again after what he did to you. Forgive me,” he whispered. Marik nodded against his shoulder, not knowing that he was asking for forgiveness for more than one reason.

“I forgive you . . . and I understand, really,” the blonde replied, making a move to get up. Yami stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. He couldn’t leave it like this . . . if what he was thinking was true, and he was coming to love this lithe blonde who’d come into his life so abruptly, he wanted something . . . anything to carry with him for the rest of his life, some reminder that he had been in love once.

“Stay with me tonight . . . in the morning, things can go back to what we don’t want them to be. For now . . . let me just have this one night beside you, my beautiful one.” Sighing, Marik settled back down, breathing in the slightly musky scent of Yami’s skin as the crimson eyed young man rested his chin atop the blonde head. For just this one night . . . he could pretend he had a life without Malik overshadowing him.

Yami sighed, his arms tightening slightly around the lithe form in his arms. How he wished that he had been born normal like everyone else . . . and that he dared to let go of the control that kept everyone around him safe. He hated to live this lie . . . when all he wanted was to protect the teenager in his arms. He closed his eyes . . . and prayed to any god that was listening for a miracle.


*-------*-------*-------*-------*


A gentle hand shook Marik awake the next morning. He raised his head slowly, blinking his eyes sleepily until the nurse came into focus.

“I hate to disturb you,” she said softly, “But you shouldn’t be here. I’ll let it slide this time, though . . . I know you’re the young man Mr. Mutou rescued last night.” Marik nodded, carefully removing Yami’s arm from around his waist as he slid out of the bed.

“Thank you . . .” he murmured before slipping out the door with one last, lingering look at the still sleeping bartender. The nurse sighed, staring after him before turning back to check Yami’s vitals.

“Why are all the cute one’s gay?” she muttered under her breath.

*-------*-------*-------*-------*

He arrived on the fourth floor, only to hear Bakura all the way down the hall.

“Well, obviously he’s awake . . .” Marik murmured, making his way slowly to the room Bakura was in. The sight that met his eyes would have been mildly amusing if it wasn’t so damn serious . . . Bakura was fending off a nurse who was trying to take his vitals, questioning her angrily as to where Marik was.

“Sir, honestly, I don’t know. He stopped in to check on you when you came out of surgery, and then he left. I don’t know where he’s gone. Now, will you please let me check your vitals?” she said, aggravated.

“Bakura, I’m right here,” Marik said, stepping into the room. Two heads turned towards him, and the nurse sighed in relief.

“Thank the stars . . . could you please get him to let me check his vitals and the bandage?” Marik nodded, stepping up next to the bed and laying a gentle hand on Bakura’s arm.

“Let her do it, Bakura. The sooner you cooperate, the sooner you can get out of here.” Bakura growled under his breath, but allowed the nurse to get his vital signs and check the bandage across his stomach.

“It looks fine . . . the doctor will want to check it, but I don’t see any complications arising,” she said. “Thank God,” she muttered as she walked out the door.

“Where were you? I thought Malik had made off with you after I passed out and woke up here with you nowhere in sight!” Marik shook his head and sank into the chair by his bed.

“I was with Yami,” he murmured. Bakura stared at him curiously.

“What do you mean, ‘with Yami’? Yami was hurt?” he demanded, his eyes darkening dangerously.

“He’s got a concussion and a few stressed ribs . . . it’s nothing life threatening,” Marik replied. “Malik and he . . . he attacked Malik.”

“You’re kidding me!” Marik shook his head. “Holy shit. Now that’s news. I knew he could fight after that scuffle in the student parking lot, but to take on Malik by himself . . .” It was Bakura’s turn to shake his head in surprise. “I just don’t believe it.”

“Believe it . . . also, Yami’s telekinetic.” Bakura stared at him. “He forced Malik to drop the knife right before he tackled him after I bit the bastard.”

“Damn . . . I’ll bet that surprised that asshole,” Bakura said, grinning. “His little play toy fought back.” Marik smiled slightly, nodding. “So, Yami’s telekinetic. Any other interesting tidbits?” Marik hesitated for a moment. “Spit it out.”

“I spent the night in Yami’s hospital room.” Bakura mouth hung open in shock. “In his bed . . . sleeping beside him. The nurse just kicked me out a short time ago.”

“I thought . . .” Bakura murmured, then snapped his mouth shut, unable to think of what to say next.

“We didn’t do anything . . .” Marik said softly. “We started to . . . and then I asked him why he walked away from us last Saturday. Me and my stupid mouth. But you were right . . . his cousin is the reason why. But I can’t help thinking that isn’t the whole reason.”

“And yet you slept beside him all night?” Marik glared at him. Of course Bakura would latch onto that part.

“He asked me to. He said he wanted one night beside me . . .” the blonde murmured. “Bakura . . . I think I could really fall for this guy. I think . . . I think I already am.” Bakura reached out and gently took Marik’s hand.

“Marik . . . that’s great. You need something like this. If it’s any consolation . . . Yami’s got my full attention at this point too.” Marik glanced up at him.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. Come on . . . he can fight, he stood up to me . . . oh, he has most definitely got my attention.” Marik smiled and relaxed.

“Good . . . because I think it’s going to take both of us to get this situation to where we want it. There’s something else keeping him from doing what he obviously wants . . . and I want to find out what and help him if we can.”


*-------*-------*-------*-------*


“Marik never showed up last night . . . I guess he wasn’t as interested as we thought he was,” Yugi said, his voice laced with disappointment. He’d hoped to maybe get the ball rolling with Marik for his cousin, but his plan had failed. Marik had never even made an appearance at the house last night . . . which meant he must have stayed at Bakura’s side. He wondered if there was something between Marik and Bakura . . . that would completely ruin everything.

“Don’t worry about it Yug,” Jou murmured as the pair climbed into the elevator for the ride up to Yami’s room. “Yami is the last person who really needs help in his love life. It was a good shot, but Yami will figure something out on his own, if he chooses to do so.” Yugi nodded and sighed, but inside he was still disappointed. He had wanted to do this for Yami . . . his cousin had given him so much, had helped him so much, he wanted to do something in return. He knew how much Yami liked the new dancer . . . it was pretty obvious to anyone who knew him.

They stepped out of the elevator at a brisk walk, making their way to Yami’s room in relative silence. Yami was sitting in a chair by the window, his crimson eyes watching the clouds scuttle by, fully dressed and by the looks of it, ready to be out of the hospital.

Jou’s eyes caught on a slight bruise on the side of Yami’s neck. If he didn’t know better, he would have said it was a love mark . . . but how had Yami gotten a love mark that he hadn’t had the night before when he’d been in the hospital all evening?

“Hey Yami . . . you been sucking up to the nurses? I thought you were strictly a guy’s guy,” he said jokingly. The crimson eyes turned towards him solemnly . . . and he was floored by the desolation he saw in them. “Yami? Man, are you okay?” Yugi walked over to his cousin and enveloped him in a hug, smoothing a hand over the tri-colored hair as Yami allowed his head to drop onto his small cousin’s shoulder. “Okay, you are definitely not okay,” Jou said at that, kneeling down so he could look into his friend’s eyes. “What gives?”

“Marik was here last night,” Yami murmured, gazing into his friend’s amber eyes. “I almost made a serious mistake . . . and just when I stopped myself from making that one, I discovered I’d already made an even worse one.” Jou raised an eyebrow in question, exchanging a concerned glance with Yugi before turning his attention back to Yami.

“A worse one?” he prodded gently. Yami sighed.

“Yes . . . I fell in love.” Jou couldn’t help it . . . he stared at Yami in shock. Yami . . . the guy who’d always said that love was an attainable, precious gift and had pushed his friends to go for it when they had found it . . . had fallen in love, and was depressed about it? “I fell in love with someone I can’t ever have.” Crimson eyes closed, pain crossing his features for a moment before he opened them again. “Just get me home . . . I need a shower and all I really want to do is sleep.” Jou nodded, standing up slowly and leaving the room to get a nurse, deep in thought. What was Yami talking about? How was Marik someone he could never have? Unless . . . unless Marik was already attached to Bakura. But that didn’t make sense . . . both of them had seemed interested in his friend, so what was the hold up?

“Yami . . . it’s Marik, isn’t it?” Yugi asked quietly. Yami nodded against his shoulder, a brief movement that stopped almost as soon as it had started. “Why can’t you ‘have’ him?” Yami shifted slightly to look into his cousin’s amethyst eyes.

“Because it’s too dangerous . . . for everyone. Malik is a complete psycho, and there is no telling what he will do to anyone I care about if I hook up with Marik. And you know everything about me Yugi . . . do you honestly think it would be safe for me to fall in love? There’s no telling what could happen if I got that strongly attached to someone. You know I’m just as attached to you . . . but this is proving to be very different. Not to mention the strange surge in power my abilities have been going through lately . . . and it only gets worse when I’m near Marik or that white-haired body guard of his. It’s safer . . . if I just stay away from both of them. But gods does it hurt.” He sighed, rising from the chair slowly to hug his smaller cousin. “Just leave it be, my little hikari. I’ll sort it out on my own . . . even love can fade if ignored long enough.” The nurse entered the room with a wheel chair, preventing any further conversation.

Yami was silent the entire ride home, his gaze fixed firmly on the passing houses. Once in the comfort of his own home, he disappeared into the bathroom, emerging twenty minutes later only to seal himself into his room. Yugi, as he chatted with everyone, couldn’t help but wonder if his cousin would ever be the same again.

Author's Note - REVIEW if you read this! *points imperiously towards the link to review*

Sephiroth - *rolls his eyes* Oh no . . .she's at it again. Marik . . .come give me a hand with her

Marik - closet or bedroom this time?

Sephiroth - Closet . . . she's still wound up from that lemon in 'Family By Choice' and if we put her in the bedroom, we aren't going to be going anywhere
for a while. We've got a better chance of escaping if we put her in the closet

Drac - HEY! You two are my muses, not my keepers! GET OFF OF ME!

Happy Valentine's Day - from DracOnyx, Marik, and Sephiroth!