Honey or Vinegar

x

Notes: Yes, I finally made that drastic change. The title is now 'Honey or Vinegar', which to me makes slightly more sense. :P And I switched the summary around a bit.

Sakura – As a matter of fact, I definitely plan on writing about Ryou and Marik (as well as Ishizu and Shadi, a little bit). I'm glad you're interested in them!

I figured out what I'm going to do with the story, and I might even have a vague idea how it ends (promising, eh?). This is a slightly shorter chapter because I'm going to be developing my new idea next chapter.

x

x

x

Chapter 5 : There Are Friends, Then There Are…

xXx

During the daytime, Marik didn't spend much time in the apartment he, Ishizu, and Odion rented. Ishizu was working at the museum, and Odion was out job-searching, and things got lonely. He usually took a walk around the city, acquainting himself with Domino and occasionally visiting Ishizu. Sometimes, if he wanted to head to the outskirts of the city, he'd take his motorcycle.

But today, he went out on foot. Compared to the rest of America, February was a mild month, but it was brutal compared to what he was used to in Egypt. He wrapped himself up in a thick jacket and wandered aimlessly, ducking into shops that caught his attention. At midday, he had lunch at a small café, then headed over to the museum.

"Hey, Dr Palmer," Marik greeted quietly, sticking his head in the director's office. He spent so much time around the museum, he'd developed a casual friendship with nearly everyone who worked there.

"Marik!" Palmer said in real delight. "And how are you today? How many days until you start school, now?"

"Two," Marik groaned, entering the room and sitting in a chair. "Today's Saturday, right?"

"Correct," Palmer smiled.

"I start Monday," he groused, crossing his arms. "Domino schools come back from winter vacation that day. Ishizu already enrolled me."

"Well, we'll certainly miss having you around," Palmer said warmly, "But I'm sure you'll do fine in school. You're a bright boy."

Marik snorted, but let it slide. He honestly had no idea how he measured up to other kids his age. Of course he'd been tutored as a Tomb-Keeper, but it was probably all the wrong stuff. He could write in three different kinds of Egyptian hieroglyphics, Latin, and English; he could recite the history of Egypt from the first Pharaoh to present times; and no one knew as much mythology (be it Egyptian, Greek, or Roman) as he did. But he had only a skimpy knowledge of mathematics and science, and at night Ishizu and Odion tried to cram as much as possible into his head. He was painfully aware that these evening sessions were also a means of tutoring Odion, who hoped to enter college after a few years of prep classes. Marik couldn't help but feel that Odion's fate was all his fault; after all, he was the one who had denied Odion a normal upbringing, instead compelling his brother to serve him as a Rare Hunter all his life.

"So is my sister in?" he asked, changing the topic.

"Of course," Palmer said. "She was in her office last I saw, sorting through some papers. But I wouldn't go in there just yet," he added. "A funny-looking fellow- a dark man, wearing a turban, entered there about half an hour ago. I've had at least three maintenance men telling me of the shouts emitting from her office since."

Marik cringed, sinking into his chair. No, he definitely wouldn't risk his neck by entering now. "Sorry," he apologized for his sister. Ishizu couldn't afford to lose this job. "She gets kind of evil around Shadi…"

Palmer chuckled, much to Marik's relief. "Marik, your sister is a wonderful addition to the staff," he said, making the other boy wonder if he'd read his mind. "Don't worry. I understand when lovers have their little spats every once in a while."

Marik grinned hugely and nodded, not bothering to correct Palmer. He hoped the director would mention this to Ishizu sometime. She was smart enough not to explode in front of her boss, but it would be hilarious to see how purple her face would turn.

"Well, I've got a conference call with New York in five minutes," Palmer said apologetically, glancing at the clock. "I should dig out the files on the Chinese exhibit."

"Don't let me distract you," Marik said, jumping up and heading for the door. "I'll stop by sometime next week."

"Good day, Marik, and let me know how school goes! I'm sure you'll do great!" Palmer called after him. Marik waved, then headed down the hall. Palmer had mentioned the Chinese exhibit, which he hadn't seen in a while. It'd be fun to stop by there.

He made a sharp left and nearly collided with someone. "Oof, sorry," Marik said, before the distinct outline of the other person registered in his mind. "Oh. Hello." He smiled nervously, unsure of how Bakura would react now. He wouldn't put it past the other boy to bolt in fear right about now.

Bakura flushed, but to Marik's relief didn't look anywhere near as mousy as he had the previous day. "Hi," he said, staring at the ground. "Um. I was looking for you."

Curiosity piqued, Marik asked, "Really? Why's that?"

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday," Bakura mumbled, finally wrenching his gaze up to stare Marik in the face. "I barely remember what happened, but I know I was an idiot."

"Oh, uh…" Marik might not have the best social skills, but he was fairly certain that agreeing wasn't the smartest move here.

"You see… Shadi did something with my head. He scared me. He put these visions in my mind," Bakura explained uncomfortably. "I was at home alone when he showed up and used that Key to enter my mind. All day, I was petrified. Have you ever felt afraid? Truly afraid?" When Marik nodded, he continued: "Well, you know how awful it feels. That's the sensation I had all day. I felt like everyone was out to kill me. It finally wore off this morning."

"Holy…" Marik said slowly, putting a hand to his head. "I had no idea. I'm sorry I wasn't more understanding."

"Well, how could you have known?" Bakura said quickly.

Marik shrugged. "I'm sorry anyway. And I apologize for Shadi. Hey, you wanna get back at him? Tell Ishizu. She'll rip his head off. He wasn't supposed to hurt you, just bring you here so we could get the Items."

Bakura's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "I don't want to get anyone in trouble," he muttered sheepishly. Marik shrugged again and laughed.

"Yeah, 's okay- Ishizu has enough to yell at Shadi about. Anyway, how do you feel? The Millennium Ring hasn't been acting up at all, has it?"

At that, Bakura bit his lip. "It feels strange," he confessed. "Empty."

"I know what you mean," Marik said agreeably. "I picked up the Millennium Rod before, and I didn't feel the usual surge of power."

"What happened to the other Millennium Items?" Bakura wanted to know.

"The Rod, Necklace, Scale, Key, and Eye are all on exhibit here," Marik told him. "The Pharaoh kept his Puzzle and Ishizu wanted you to keep the Ring. I think that's what she and Shadi are fighting about right now."

"Oh." Bakura blushed. "Um, if they want it back…"

"No, no, it's rightfully yours," Marik insisted, shaking his head. Unconsciously, they started to walk down the hall together. "Besides, we don't know what taking it from you would do to the Spirit. We don't even know if it's possible to take it away from you."

Bakura's gaze fell to the floor. "This morning…" he said, in a confiding tone. "The Spirit tried to take over my body again."

Marik was silent, uncomprehending.

"But he couldn't."

Marik raised his eyebrows, quietly urging Bakura to continue.

"I felt the normal tug on my mind," Bakura said, his tone becoming rapider. "And things started to go black. But I tried to fight him- I usually struggle, but it never did much. Well, this morning, the blackness stopped. So I fought harder. And it went away! I was completely in control again! I heard him swearing at me from the back of my mind, so I completely closed the link- I shut him out, like he always used to do to me!"

"That's a relief," Marik said, heaving a sigh.

"I guess," Bakura said uncertainly.

"Why?" Marik asked immediately. "You don't think so?"

"Well…" Bakura hesitated. They'd reached the Chinese exhibit. Marik walked up to the silk fans hanging on the wall, studying them with quiet appreciation. Bakura looked around in wonderment, then stood by Marik's side and examined the ancient handiwork.

"It's just that I've been the victim so much," Bakura said slowly. "I've been the one locked up in my mind so often- I know how it feels."

"Me too," Marik confessed, shifting his weight around.

"It doesn't seem fair," Bakura said, wrinkling his brow.

Marik shrugged helplessly. "What can you do?"

"Nothing," Bakura said quietly. "I mean, even now he wants to steal the Millennium Items. I could never let him loose on the city."

"You're the only one now to share a body," Marik pointed out. "My darker half is gone, and good riddance. Yami and Yugi now have separate bodies. You're the only one with a mindlink now, too."

"Even that's gotten weaker," Bakura said, sounding troubled. "I think that's why I could shut him out so easily."

"Well, of course the power from the Ring was really drained," Marik said, gesturing slightly. "From the ritual."

"That must be it," Bakura said, sighing disconcertedly. "It's just a really new feeling for me."

"I know." Marik gingerly touched his head. "When my darker half was around, trust me, I would end up in a different part of my brain every few seconds. And then I would end up in someone else's brain."

"Really?" Bakura laughed. "I was gone for most of that time."

"Yeah, you never saw my brilliant maneuver with Téa," Marik snickered. "I took over her whole mind and body and made her fight my darker side. If she'd been hurt, I think the Pharaoh would have had me killed as well."

"He's extremely protective of her," Bakura answered. "Say, what do you suppose Yugi and Yami will do when it comes to dating?"

Marik raised his eyebrow. The thought hadn't occurred to him. "Interesting," was all he said. "I don't know."

xXx

xXx

Unreal.

Of course, Seto Kaiba was always one to voice his thoughts. "Unreal," he stated firmly, glaring from Yami to Yugi. "This is some kind of trick."

Yugi completely ignored him, focusing helplessly on Téa, but Yami lifted his cool gaze to meet his. "What kind of trick do you presume this is, Kaiba?" he asked, his voice surprisingly sarcastic.

"Stop mocking me," he snarled. "You and all your ranting about Ancient Egypt and reincarnation and the Pharaoh. I suppose you want to prove to me that your fairy tales are real."

"I shouldn't think you need further proof," Yami said coldly.

"Enough!" Seto snapped. Téa was slowly climbing to her feet, edging closer to him. He ignored her and swept around. "Come on, Mokuba, we're going."

No reply.

"Mokuba?"

He turned to see his little brother, curled up on the floor with the dogs and sound asleep. He rolled his eyes and blew out a breath. He didn't need this.

He was just preparing to go pick Mokuba up and carry him out the door when Téa called to him. "Kaiba?" she asked, her voice surprisingly timid.

"What do you want?" he asked unpleasantly.

"Can… can we all go into the living room and talk about this?"

He squeezed his eyes shut briefly. He thought of asking why she wanted him around for this, but he knew the answer already. She didn't want to be alone with the two of them… whoever they were. To be honest, he couldn't blame her. And besides, he should work this out now. There was no sense in putting things off. He had to confront Yugi and his silly tricks as soon as possible.

"All right," he answered shortly, turning back around. Téa hesitated to go over the gate; she first waved Yami and Yugi into the other room. Only when there was a comfortable amount of space between them did Téa follow into the living room, Seto trailing behind her impatiently.

Yugi and Yami were sitting next to each other on the love seat, deliberately not leaving any room for another person to take a seat. Téa, grateful that she didn't have to decide which one of them to sit near, curled up on the end of the long couch. Seto looked at the mass of pillows and cushions, and opted for the high-backed chair in between the couch and the love seat.

"Magic."

Yami said that intentionally to annoy him, Seto just knew it. He gritted his teeth and kept his mouth shut, unwilling to rise to the bait.

"Magic," Téa repeated, squeezing her eyes shut. "Is this an illusion?"

"No," Yugi chimed in, eyes downcast. "Ishizu and Shadi used all seven Millennium Items to give us separate bodies."

Seto refused to speak, but he felt Yami's eyes boring into him.

"I'm sorry, Téa," Yugi added desperately. "We should have asked you. But we didn't have much time – it's complicated – "

"Yugi- and, um, Yami- this is not something I should have had a say in. This is your life. I know that your top priority has to be safety. I'm glad for you. This should give you both a chance to live your lives," Téa said, her bottom lip trembling but her voice coming out steady. "You startled me, I admit it. But I'm not… upset."

"We had to make the decision fast," Yugi still tried to explain. "And if we hadn't done it, Ryou Bakura might have been in trouble."

"I understand."

"I would have called you, but I wasn't thinking-"

"Yugi, it's all right-"

"I know this will be a huge adjustment-"

"You're right… it will be. But we'll get through it together."

Seto was deliberately not looking at Yami, but he could feel the other's sharp gaze boring into him. Abruptly, he rose.

"Where are you going?" Téa asked, slightly hysterical.

"I don't know why you wanted me here in the first place," he responded coldly.

"Because you're involved in this too!"

"Since when?" he retorted.

"Since five thousand years ago," Yami cut in smoothly.

"Drop dead."

"Kaiba!" Téa suddenly rose from her seat and moved up close to him, shooting him an intense look. "Will you look at those two? What explanation do you have?"

"My lab has made clones before." It was a lame excuse and he knew it, but this was unfair! He didn't have enough time to analyze the situation and make reasonable conclusions!

"Yugi wouldn't have gotten access to a clone. Besides, how do you explain the subtle differences?"

"Stop making things up-"

"You can't pretend that magic isn't real. Don't you remember Duelist Kingdom?" Angry, she poked her finger into his shoulder. "Your soul was ripped from your body, Seto Kaiba. Either that was real or you've lost your mind. Because it's in your memory and you can't say it's not."

"Hallucinations-"

"I suppose we all hallucinated it, didn't we? Why don't you ask Mokuba? I'm pretty sure he remembers. Ask your little brother if magic exists. Ask your little brother if his soul was once locked in a different dimension."

"Leave Mokuba out of this-"

"For God's sake, Kaiba, you saw those monsters come to life! You saw what Marik was able to do with the Millennium Rod. Ishizu says you even saw visions of Ancient Egypt. Maybe you can deny your past, but you cannot deny what's standing in front of you in flesh and blood! Look at Yami and tell me he's not real!"

"Gardner, get over this-"

"I thought you were all into science and reason! Analyze that."

Yugi stood in the background, his mouth slightly agape. He felt funny, too, seeing Téa and Seto arguing so intimately like that.

"Big brother?"

All heads whipped to the doorway, where Mokuba stood, looking sleepy and rubbing his eyes. "Are you arguing with Téa again?" he asked, stifling a yawn. Then he caught sight of Yugi and Yami sitting next to each other and his jaw dropped. "Wow! You finally split bodies, huh? Hiya, Yami!"

Yami nodded stiffly at Mokuba, his crimson eyes darting toward Seto, who seemed unable to move. No one dared say anything. Téa realized how close she was leaning toward the elder Kaiba in her anger and fell back, subtly tiptoeing away.

When Seto finally regained control of his motor functions, he didn't make any further reference to the two boys. "Come on, Mokuba," he said, his jaw clenched. "It's getting late. You can come visit Téa some other time."

"All right," Mokuba said agreeably, waving at Yugi and Yami. "Bye, guys! I'll see you soon, Téa! The puppies are so cute!"

"I'm glad you think so," Téa said sweetly, beaming at the younger boy. "Goodbye, Mokuba. Take care of yourself."

"By eating cookies for dinner!" Mokuba enthused, grabbing Seto's hand and skipping out of the room. "See you!"

Téa followed them to the front door, where she politely held it open, still playing the good hostess. Seto blatantly ignored her, sweeping outside with his head held high. Mokuba waved to her again, then hurried after his brother. Their car pulled away in a hurry, and Téa reluctantly closed the door, leaning against it briefly.

Time to go back in and face Yugi and Yami. Truly face Yugi and Yami. Yugi and Yami…

In the car, Mokuba was keeping up a steady stream of chatter about Benji and Hannah, while Seto tried to look like he was paying attention and nodded every once in a while. But his thoughts, drifting a million miles away, were abruptly jolted back to reality when Mokuba's words drifted through his ears. "…when you dropped Téa, you scared Hannah. That wasn't very nice, you know, you didn't just scare the puppies but you could have hurt Téa. But I patted Hannah on the head and she calmed down, and I sang songs to her under my breath while you guys talked in the other room. Did you know that dogs like music? Especially lullabies?"

"You sang to her while we were talking in the living room?" Seto interrupted, his brow creasing suddenly. "But you were napping at that time!"

Mokuba frowned at him. "Of course I wasn't asleep. You made me go to bed at nine last night. How could I possibly be tired?"

Seto gaped at his little brother. Mokuba had to be the only person on the planet who could elicit such a reaction from him. "But why would you bother pretending?" he finally asked in frustration, running a hand through his hair.

"Because Téa needed you," Mokuba stated flatly, not looking in his direction. "And you would have run away on her if I hadn't made you stay."

x

x

x

Notes: No, I'm not going to tell you exactly what Téa, Yami, and Yugi talk about now. Next chapter will jump forward about a week. Hey, let the extremely confused lovers have their privacy, okay? All you need to know is that there are many tissues involved.