Our Stupid Moonlit Romance
Epilogue
Summer was over. It was mid August, and school was scheduled to start in a little over two weeks. Mariku had reregistered at Domino High. He was two years behind the rest of the seniors, but by taking online classes as well as the normal curriculum, he was expected to graduate the same year as Malik and Ryou. The blonde was absolutely ecstatic. He didn't know exactly what he would do once he had his diploma, but anything was better than what he'd had before.
"It's absolutely miserable out there!"
From where he sat in the Ishtar living room, Marik turned around. Malik stood in the doorway with a bag of groceries. The fierce autumn wind had toyed with his hair, leaving it almost as unkempt as his own.
"Yeah, it looks a little bit chilly."
The younger of the two nodded and shut the door behind him. "Did Mom call?"
A slight frown crept to Marik's lips. "About an hour ago. She said she was lonely, but that she's scheduled for release in a few weeks."
"That's great." Malik tried to be positive. Ms. Ishtar had been in rehab for almost a month. It had been hard, but she was determined to see it through. She had something to live for now, a family, a life. She had put the past behind her and was ready to face the world, whether it be good or bad that came her way.
"I guess." A bit of that old, sarcastic harshness crept back into Mariku's voice. "Fucking wonderful…"
"Th-that's not what I meant. I'm not glad that she's lonely. I'm just happy that…"
"Damnit, I know what you mean!" Marik walked out. When he reached the guest quarters turned bedroom, the boy collapsed on his bed with a frustrated sigh. Why the fuck did he always do that? Malik hadn't said anything wrong. If anything the younger Egyptian was trying to be helpful, but Marik couldn't control himself. He was still having trouble adjusting to normal life.
"You really are an ass. You know that, right?" Malik entered. His face was one of confusion and hurt.
"Look. I didn't mean to be that harsh. I just…it's hard, alright!"
"What's hard?"
Mariku dug his nails into the compliant softness of his pillow. "I don't know. I…forget about it. It doesn't matter."
"Of course it matters." Malik came and sat at the edge of his brother's bed. "How can you say that? If something's wrong you should tell us."
"Nothing is wrong!" Marik brushed past the other and headed for the door. He needed to get out of here. The walls, it was as if they were closing in around him, coupling with his sibling's penetrating gaze to drive him completely insane.
"Fine!" Malik glared at his retreating form. "I don't know why I even bother. It's not like you give a shit!"
Marik stopped short and turned. He was shaking with some barely suppressed emotion. "I wish I was like you," he finally hissed. "But I'm not, and…and I regret that. I really do." The Egyptian tried to laugh, but the sound seemed pathetic even to his own ears. "I'm not forgiving. I'm not thoughtful. I'm not…a good person, and for that I'm sorry. " He turned to go.
"Marik, wait!" Grabbing his sibling by the shoulders, Malik spun him around. "D-don't be sorry! It's my fault. I…I'm blowing things out of proportion. I always do that. You have a right to keep things private. It's just…"
"Just what?"
Malik shook his head sadly. "It must have been so difficult, taking care of Mom like that. After all you went through…I'm surprised you don't despise her."
"It…wasn't entirely her fault."
"No, but you didn't have to stay there. You could have left anytime, but you didn't. You aren't half as horrible as you think you are, Mariku."
"Oh come on Mal…"
"I wish you knew how much I admire you for that."
For a few minutes they stood in silence. Marik stared openly at his little brother, trying to comprehend what had just been said. Did Malik mean that? He…admired him? The blonde had been many things to many people, but never…
Unnerved by the quiet, he gave the younger boy's hair a playful ruffle and turned to go. "I'm going out for a bit. See you in a few hours."
Malik opened his mouth to protest but then stopped himself. It was okay if Marik needed to get out every once in a while. It was just how he was. The boy knew now that Marik would be alright. They all would. Healing just took time.
Alone in his bedroom, Bakura stared, unseeing, out the window. He'd gotten in another fight with his father, and, as usual, it was about Marik. At first they had been reasonable, each laying out his case. Then Gaijin had made the mistake of calling the Egyptian a fag, and things had gone downhill from there. The end result had been a screaming match. Father and son had yelled at each other until their lungs gave out before the man had become fed up and stormed out.
Bakura sighed. Just when things were starting to come together. Why did he have to go and fuck everything up?
"Touzouko!" A pounding on the door. "Damnit, Touzouko! Let me in!"
The teen sprawled out on his bed, suddenly very tired. "It's unlocked." A momentary silence filled the air. Then the door swung open with a slight creak.
"I only want what's best for you." The elder Bakura sat down exhaustedly at the foot of his son's bed. "That's all I've ever wanted."
"What's best for me?" The white haired boy sat up and rolled his eyes. "How the hell do you know what's best for me? You don't even know what's best for yourself!"
"I…listen, I'm trying! I am really, really trying! You took their deaths hard. Hell, we all did! But this whole sneaking out thing, the drinking, the clubs, the stupid gay boy fad, it's just…"
"Fad? Shit Dad, you don't know the first thing about me!This isn't about Mom or Amane. Hell, this isn't even about you! It's about me! Why can't you accept that?" Getting to his feet, Bakura turned to go.
"Touzouko wait!" Gaijin grasped desperately at his son's shoulder. "Just tell me what I need to do! I can fix this! I'll make everything right!"
Almost gently Bakura pulled away. The sincerity in his father's voice was in a way surprising. He actually felt that this was somehow his fault. Still, this didn't change things. "I don't know why I waste my time with you. You'll never understand."
Gaijin Bakura didn't reply. He just stood there, watching dumbly as his son left the house. When the boy's Civic was finally out of sight, he fixed himself a drink and sat down at the kitchen table.
"Dad?"
The man looked up. "What is it, Ryou?"
"I-I have to talk to you about something. It's kind of important."
The pulse of the music consumed him completely, its rhythm rattling his heartstrings. A throaty moan escaped Marik's lips as he danced. Club Khonsu was very crowded, and every which way he turned the Egyptian was greeted by throngs of people.
"Hey sweetheart. Wanna dance?"
The man was in his early twenties, dark eyes, killer body, skin a light shade of cinnamon. Even his lust-filled voice was a low and practiced purr. Mariku ignored him completely. He was here for the sole purpose of relieving his frustration. There would be no one night stands in the club's darkest corners, no midnight flings left to be forgotten. No matter what happened, the blonde would never allow himself to revert back to that level of desperation.
Someone grabbed him from behind, and the Egyptian froze, only to relax moments later when he heard that familiar voice.
"Fancy meeting you here."
"You shouldn't sneak up on me like that, Kura." Marik turned and nipped playfully at his lover's lower lip. "I was about ready to kick your ass."
"It was worth the risk." Bakura pulled him into a kiss, grunting in satisfaction as the Egyptian began to grind against him. Sliding his hand over the curve of Marik's ass and back between his legs, the paler boy pulled them even closer. As they danced the crowds of Club Khonsu melted away. They were aware of nothing but the music, of their own ragged breathing and the maddening heat that coursed within their veins.
Marik's head lolled back obscenely as the other planted kisses on his neck and collar bone. Pushing the blonde's shirt up past his chest, Bakura dipped lower and lower.
"…Touzouko…"
Eyes hooded with lust, Mariku wondered if the teen was going to suck him off right there on the dance floor. That probably wasn't a good idea. Taking into consideration their previous antics at the club, such an event would most likely end in permanent expulsion.
Fortunately this wasn't what Bakura had in mind. Instead he stopped just above the hemline of his pants. The scar was still incredibly vivid. It stood out pale and unapologetic against the Egyptian's otherwise perfectly bronzed skin.
Marik tried to pull away, but Bakura held him tightly by the hips. He could sense the shame and anger pouring from the other boy, emotions so hot they bordered stifling.
"…shh…s'okay baby…don't be scared…"
"I-I'm not!"
The Egyptian closed his eyes, trying to ward off the waves of animosity he now felt towards the other teen. Who did Touzouko think he was, messing with him like this? He thought he'd cared. He thought he'd be the last person to…
A low, almost inaudible whimper welled up in Marik's throat as Bakura brushed his lips across the cords of roughened flesh. Tenderly, Bakura traced the scar with his tongue, soothing away the tension of the muscles that lay beneath.
"…w-what are you…" But as the kisses continued the Egyptian found himself at a loss for words. He buried his hands in the other's snowy hair, inexpressible but unbelievably sincere emotions sending jitters down his spine.
Meeting his lover's gaze, Bakura gave the mark a final caress before rising and pulling the blonde tight against his chest.
What had his life been like before he met the seductive Egyptian? Bakura couldn't even remember. Everything prior to that fateful night at Club Khonsu was so dim, the shadow of some forgotten fantasy. He remembered vaguely a time when he had loved another dark-skinned angel. It seemed a million years away, those lonesome days spent pining for the favor of Malik Ishtar. Yet even at the height of his obsession, Bakura had never felt for him as he felt for Marik. He had thought he loved the younger blonde, but that was before he knew what love really was.
...I love you Marik Ishtar…
He didn't have to say it. It was in his eyes, in his heart, in the moisture still glistening on his lips. To this day Bakura didn't understand what set the blonde apart. How was it that he could tear from him so much passion? Holding Mariku's body against his own sent such a rush of lust, joy, and insatiable fascination coursing through him, that the teen really felt he was about to collapse.
Marik too was having trouble keeping on his feet. Dizzy from the sensation of Bakura's lips, he fell heavily against the other's chest. The paler boy's unspoken words echoed through the caverns of his mind. Their relationship was taboo, never meant to be, yet somehow it had worked. In a violently bizarre and beautifully stupid way, they had managed to finally be together.
"I love you too, Bakura."
A blush of surprise tinted the paler's cheeks, and he pulled the boy into an even tighter embrace. A new, slower song came on, and once more they began to dance. They clung to each other for support, each thoroughly intoxicated by the other's hot, caressing hands. They danced until they were completely exhausted, exiting the club only when their legs threatened to give out. Under the bluish glow of the neon moons Marik pulled Bakura into a brutal kiss.
"Let's get the fuck out of here."
Bakura smirked at his lover's irresistibly insane grin. "Where to?"
"Your car."
"My wha…" But already Mariku was leading him towards the Civic. He smiled crazily. His eyes glimmered with an unhinged, almost feral light. Suddenly Bakura understood. "I know this place," he whispered huskily, licking the shell of the other's ear. "It's on the other side of town. No one ever goes there."
The Egyptian let out a sharp, piercing, maddeningly enticing laugh. "Sounds perfect."
Gaijin Bakura was still up when his eldest son returned. He had spent the past several hours trying to comprehend what Ryou had told him. So they were both gay. It was weird. He wasn't half as angry as he'd expected. In all reality the man was simply too shocked to feel anything short of confusion. Why? Where had he gone wrong? Something Touzouko had said rang a distant bell in the back of the man's mind.
"Shit Dad, you don't know the first thing about me!"
And it was true. He didn't. When it came to Touzouko, he was completely oblivious. He remembered his conversation with Ryou. The boy had tried to help him understand, but Gaijin was just too blind to see it. He was too bitter, too stuck in his ways. When Ryou had finally left to visit Malik the man was more confused than ever.
There was a squeal of tires out front, and he looked out the window to see Marik and his son exiting the car. They stumbled up the driveway, laughing crazily the entire way. It had been a long time since the elder Bakura had seen the boy so giddy. His usual cold expression had been replaced by an actual grin. His eyes, always so angry, were bright and almost careless.
By the glow of the streetlights, the man watched as the two embraced. They held each other tightly, Bakura's face buried in the other's clinging hair. They were so happy. Despite all that had happened, despite the pain and the fury and horrible, soul-crushing loneliness that had dominated the past few months, they were really happy.
The two teens remained together a while longer, conversing in low, almost reverent tones. Then, with a final kiss, Mariku began making his way up the street. Bakura lingered a moment, watching his retreating form, before he too turned and began walking towards the house. It seemed the instant the Egyptian was no longer with him, the paler teen had reverted back to his usual self. He now walked with his head down, hands jammed deep within his pockets.
Gaijin Bakura closed his eyes. He listened to the door slam, to his son's footsteps coming up the stairs. It was true. He was a horrid father. It wasn't that he didn't know his son. It was that he'd never really tried. For years the man had only understood what he wanted the boy to be, not what he actually was…a jaded, harsh-spoken youth who could love as passionately as he hated, who was at once cruel and violent and terribly brave, who was in love with a boy even more dangerous than himself and didn't care who knew it. Yes, this was Touzouko Bakura, and the man realized something. He was okay with it. He was okay with it because cruelty was human, faults were human, and, in all its forms, so was love.
"Dad?"
The boy stood in the hallway, face illuminated by the moonlight leaking through the window. His voice was uncharacteristically calm. "I'm back."
The older male didn't reply. He didn't have to. His acceptance radiated from every pore, tacit yet practically audible in its purity. Touzouko sensed it and, after a moment of stunned silence, he smiled.
"I guess I'll see you in the morning then. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Touzouko."
As he lay in bed that night Bakura reflected on the many people who had shaped who he was. He was grateful to all of them. To his mother, for her sacrifice. To Malik and Ryou, who had shown him the importance of letting go. Then there was his father, who without knowing it had taught Bakura patience…and the importance of holding strong to what you believed in. Even Anubis, in his own way, had instilled in him an invaluable lesson. Never allow yourself to dwell too long in the past. The people in your life today are all that matter. And what really mattered was Mariku.
Because Mariku had taught Bakura the most important thing of all. That it was okay to feel, okay to laugh and to cry and to love until you thought your heart would break. It was okay to do all these things because they were what made life bearable. Without beauty, without hardship, without pain and happiness and forgiveness and loss, the best things would be left unappreciated, and existence would lose all meaning. Bakura didn't want that. He wanted to taste the world, to explore it in all its fatal glory. He wanted to feel everything, because if you weren't going to live life to the fullest then why the hell were you here in the first place? Mariku had taught him this, and for that he was truly thankful.
-UsuakariTOT (It's done! I can't believe it! I've finally finished it. I hope you liked the epilogue. I tried to incorporate as many of your suggestions into it chapter as I could, but I'm sorry for the ones I missed. For the millionth time I would like to thank everyone who took time to review. You can't imagine how much it means to me.)