Epilogue
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"Marik,"
Marik curled the bedsheets a bit tighter around his body, unconsciously trying to ward away whatever was trying to grab his attention.
He was in that weird limbo between awake and dreaming, when you're not quite sure if the voice saying your name (pretty loudly), is really there at all.
"Marik,"
Marik buried his head deeper under the sheets, kind of hoping that he was just dreaming about Ishizu waking him up. Boring dream, but ideal. He could handle it.
"Come on, sleepyface. You've got company,"
Fingers tickled his toes, and Marik squirmed and peeked out the covers blearily.
"Huh?"
Ishizu rolled her eyes but smiled kindly. "It's past 11, and you have a visitor."
"Five more minutes,"
"One more minute,"
"Urgh,"
Marik watched Ishizu leave with a smirk on her face, and he sighed as he rolled to the edge of the bed, debating the floor like it might be shark infested. Sun was filtering through the open window, threatening to reach Marik's face, though he was quite used to it at this point.
He'd decided to stay in Egypt in the end, ignoring both Ishizu and Odion's strange looks when he'd told them. But they hadn't questioned it any further, and even if they had Marik wasn't sure he could really give a good reason as to why.
For too long he'd wanted to escape this place, as if that might rid him of things he didn't want to remember, but in the end memories followed you everywhere. He could have gone to the moon and it wouldn't have made a difference. Some things still hurt, and Marik knew that far better now.
He rubbed his eyes and looked briefly out the window. Another hot day, another morning almost wasted.
Marik didn't sleep well at all at first, and it frightened him. It made him think that he...it was back. But gradually, as these past few weeks had rolled by, Marik was starting to get used to normality again. He was glad of it, but it didn't stop him from reaching for a link that wasn't there anymore.
He couldn't help that. Old habits.
"Marik, they're waiting," Ishizu called.
Marik sighed. "I'm coming."
He reached the bottom of the stairs with blurry sleep filled eyes, but the sight that met him was enough to make his heart skip, and wonder if he was dreaming still.
This was one of those dreams that never went away.
The figure standing near the doorway was thin and pale, with dark eyes, white hair and a pensive face. Marik's breath held in his throat, like a fist had grabbed his heart and was squeezing it slowly and deliberately.
"Hello," Ryou said.
The fist let go, and Marik released his breath.
"..hey, Ryou."
Marik hadn't seen Ryou for at least a couple of months. The last time they'd been together had been at Yugi's house, where everyone else had been too. They'd had a little "celebration" as Duke had called it, which had mostly involved too much drink, drunken love declarations and Joey's insistence that he hadn't accidentally torn the shower curtains down. Even Kaiba had shown his judgemental head, though apparently he'd only come along to "babysit" Joey.
Marik had spent much of that night trying to avoid Ryou.
Now he felt like he needed to do the same again. It was nothing personal, it just hurt to look at him for too long.
Ryou was smiling easily, and he said a polite "no thanks" to Ishizu's offer of a drink.
"I'll leave you two to catch up," Ishizu said easily, and left Marik to flounder in a weird awkwardness.
"I can't stop too long. I'm just here with my father, you see." the cheer in Ryou's voice dipped a little then. "I'm sorry to drop in on you unannounced like this."
Marik shook his head. "It doesn't matter."
Ryou nodded again, as if that might defuse some of the strange tension. "I, um. Haha, I'm rubbish at being social. You might remember."
"You're better than me," and Marik felt himself laughing.
The closer he looked at Ryou, the more he noticed the differences. Ryou was soft and light, his voice was gentle and patient, and his gait was clumsy and awkward so much of the time.
He wasn't the same.
"Do you want to-" Marik started.
"I have to give you this," Ryou said at the same time. And then he pulled the Millennium Ring out of his pocket. "It's...it's no use to me anymore. Not that it ever was," he added, with a forced laugh.
Marik stared at the Ring, hanging in Ryou's hand. It glinted dimly against the morning light, and for a moment Marik imagining it glowing.
"I was supposed to give it you before, at the party," Ryou said, in way of explanation. "But I could never find you, and I wasn't sure-"
"It's...it's not mine," Marik said.
Ryou smiled faintly.
"I'm always losing things. You'll take better care of it than me," his hand quivered, as he reached out and caught Marik's hand. "Besides, I think it liked you."
He pressed the Ring gently into Marik's grip and then let go.
Marik slowly retracted his arm, letting the item rest against his chest. It felt cool and yet somehow comforting. He rubbed an arm roughly over his eyes.
"Thanks, Ryou."
Ryou's smile brightened, and he pulled Marik into a quick but much wanted hug, his fingers curling round Marik's back. When he pulled back, Marik noticed the warmth in his eyes. "stay in touch, alright?"
"Of course."
Ryou was out of sight within only a couple of minutes, and Marik unconsciously covered the Ring with his hand, wanting to protect it.
"Don't lose it,"
Marik spun round, to see Ishizu smiling at him. She was looking at the Ring with a knowing expression. Marik didn't bother to question it, he was used to his sister knowing so much more than him at this point. Besides, sometimes it was better not to know.
"Come in and have breakfast," Ishizu said, then rolled her eyes. "maybe we should call it an early lunch now."
"Yeah...just give me a minute."
"Okay,"
Marik watched her off, and then he lifted the Ring up so that it shone properly in the sunlight. It caught the sun at all angles, winking as it turned.
Slowly he placed it round his neck, and tucked it under his shirt, out of sight. "I won't lose you this way, right?"
A gentle heat seemed to hum against his chest. It was probably just the sun, but as he reached the shade of the house, the heat seemed to spread just a little.
Marik stopped, and felt something familiar reach his thoughts. Whether it was just a memory or a vision, it was there.
An old friend reaching out to hold his hand, and Marik grasped it without hesitation.
The heat grew a little stronger on his chest, and he noticed a weak glow emitting from beneath his shirt.
His heart jumped, and he smiled through his tears.
Hey, Bakura. I missed you.
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A/N: the hint of a happier ending there, maybe? ;) I'm so happy and grateful for all the reviews over the years, and I'm just relieved to have finally got the story out of my system at long last. It probably wouldn't have happened at all without the encouragement of old and new reviewers alike, and whether the ending satisfied you or not, please know I'm so grateful you took the time to read to the very end!