Queer As Tachi – Chapter 62

                After their mutual first time, the floodgates opened and both Marik and Ryo blossomed.  They couldn’t get enough of each other, now.  Bakura still had much to do during the days, as his classes were winding down to the close of the semester and he was knee-deep in research projects for his work-study program, but he hurried through them and cut out as early as possible to be able to spend his nights with Marik.  If they wanted, they could have spent time with their friends, and Yugi was always available if either cared to drop by the game shop, but for the most part, the happy couple discovered that it wasn’t so bad to stay in and pay attention solely to each other.  They did more than sequester themselves to the bedroom, though.  As they had done throughout the visit, they helped each other cook dinner, they dueled, they sat and talked for a very long time about their painful family lives growing up and how fate seemed to have drawn them together just right.  But the lovemaking was the best part.  For that, they needed only each other, no one and nothing else.

                A little more than a week after the full moon, later one evening in the peaceful lull between dinner and the inevitable bedroom playtime, Bakura’s phone rang.  He hardly ever got calls, and his friends tended to try his cell phone first, so he answered it with some surprise.  The alto female voice on the other end was completely unfamiliar, but friendly and warm even before the introduction.  “This is Ishizu Ishtar…Marik’s sister,” she said kindly.  “Is this Ryo?”

                “Yes, it is,” Ryo answered politely.  “Hello.  I…assume you’re looking for Marik?”

                Marik looked up upon hearing his name.  He was sitting over on the couch waiting for his boyfriend to come back and tumble into his arms.  In a moment, Ryo was holding out the phone to him.  “It’s your sister,” he said with a smile.

                “Ah.”  Marik took the phone and settled back, finally able to have Bakura curl up next to him like he wanted.  “Hello, sister.  Yes, everything is fine.  Oh…you have no idea.”  He shot Ryo a grin that made him suspect she had asked if he was having fun.  Their further conversation was short, and Marik said very little, but spent most of it nodding and saying things like “Yes, I understand.”  At last, he concluded with, “Yes, I will, as soon as I know the details.  Yes.  Say hello to Odeon…goodbye, sister.”  He clicked off the cordless phone and sat back with a sigh.   “Damn.”

                Ryo gave him a puzzled look.  “What was that all about?  Is everything all right?”

                Marik sat staring at the phone in his lap for a moment.  “My sister needs me back home.  I don’t want this to end, but…”  He blinked solemnly at his partner.  “I have to go home.”

                Bakura took his hand.  “When?  How soon?”

                “In a few days.”  Marik squeezed the hand in his.  “When I can book the return flight.  I shouldn’t delay…as much as I want to stay.”

                “I want you to stay, too.”  Ryo sighed softly.  “But we knew, sooner or later.  You couldn’t stay forever.”  He looked away.   “I was just getting so used to having you here…I had kind of forgotten about it, or maybe I just didn’t want to think about it.”

                “Same here.”  Marik leaned against him, closing his eyes.  “Ah, well.  It was fun while it lasted.  I suppose…it’s time for me to go back and face reality.  I have things to do, and they won’t get done if I’m hiding out here pretending the rest of the world doesn’t exist.”

                Ryo took the phone from him and set it aside, and then snuggled closer to him.  “Do you think there’s enough time before you leave for me to throw you a party?”

                “What?”  Marik glanced at him in surprise.  “A party…?”

                “A farewell party.  I’ll call Yugi in the morning…see if we can get everyone together on short notice.”  Ryo pouted cutely.   “It isn’t fair that your sister didn’t give you more of a warning.  I would have liked more time to prepare.”

                “I know.”  Marik tipped his chin up with a fingertip and kissed him.  “I should just be glad that she wasn’t calling here every day to check up on me.  She let me have this time with you, and I’m glad.”  He grinned, then.  “If you want to throw me a party, I won’t say no.”

                “Excellent!”  Ryo perked up, and then pounced on his boyfriend with an enthusiastic hug.  “I’ll make the arrangements tomorrow.  I’m not about to let you leave here without a proper sendoff.”

                It didn’t take long to plan a party, even with no lead time.  Yugi was disappointed to hear that Marik had to go back to Egypt so soon, but willingly called around and managed to get everybody together at his place the following evening.  While Grandpa minded the shop downstairs, Yugi, Joey, Mai, Tristan, Duke, Bakura, and Marik gathered in the living room to eat, drink and play games all night, a simple yet effective farewell party.  Marik finally got to take Tristan’s bike out around the block a few times, while Ryo pulled Yugi aside and gleefully told him about losing his virginity as a way to thank him for the advice.  They were finished giggling amongst themselves by the time Marik returned, and then it was time for dessert and card games.  Mai found it hard to believe Marik had been in town just over three weeks without crossing her path until now.   “Well…I admit, I wasn’t here for anyone else besides Ryo,” Marik said between sips of his soda.  “Some of us went out dancing one night, and we had a double-date with the pharaoh, but…”

                “You were always too busy,” Joey accused his fiancé.   “I knew he was here.”

                “So did I,” Mai shot back, “I’m just wondering why no one made an effort to have a party until now.”

                “It’s all right,” Marik laughed.  “Considering we’ve kind of been homebodies the whole time…”

               “Plenty of reasons to stay in and have a quiet night,” Ryo offered.  Yugi grinned at him, sending them both snickering all over again.

                “Must be nice to just pick up and go when you want to,” Duke said enviously.  “You got the money for that?”

                “At the moment.  When I planned this trip, I got an extended visa and a one-way flight,” Marik explained, “so that I could stay as long as I wanted and come back when I chose.  But when my sister called last night, I knew it was time.   All I had to do was find a flight home that I could afford, and I booked it this morning.  I leave two days from now.”

                “So you’ll just have one more full day here,” Yugi noted.  “Tomorrow.”

                Marik glanced at Ryo beside him, but the delicate young man showed no signs of darkness or sadness at that.  “Yeah,” Marik affirmed.  “Just tomorrow.  I’m going to miss all of you – miss the chance to hang out with you if I wanted.  You have no idea how much this means to me.”  He glanced around the circle of friends clustered around the living room table to play cards.  “Considering how we all met in the first place, and the sorts of things that we’ve all been through together, it’s nice to be treated as your friend.  I feel quite loved.  Thank you, all of you.”  They nodded and smiled.  Marik mustered up a laugh.  “I promise, next time I visit, I’ll hang out more.”

                “Already thinking about coming back?” Joey wondered.

                “Mhm.  At the earliest, in September.”  Another meaningful glance between boyfriends.  “For Ryo’s birthday.  But if I can’t make it somehow, then definitely sometime in the fall.  Or who knows?  Maybe I’ll convince Ryo to come visit me in Egypt when it’s winter here.”

                “Unfortunately, I’ll have classes,” Bakura sighed.  “I don’t think I’ll have a chance to get away until I graduate.  But we’ll see.   That’s a fair ways off, yet.”

                “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind going to Egypt in the winter,” Tristan smirked.  “Get out of the cold and go enjoy some hot desert sun.”

                “You can have it,” Marik said wryly.  “I’d much rather be here.  Here, the weather at least changes once in a while.”  He sighed wistfully and sat back, while Duke dealt them all a hand of cards now that he was finished shuffling.  “It’s going to be so hard going back.  I got so used to being here, even if all I did was hide out in Ryo’s flat and distract him from his schoolwork.”

                “Keeping up the relationship isn’t going to be easy,” Yugi sympathized.  “I know what it’s like, to be able to talk to that special someone but not see or touch him.   But you two will have to be stuck so far away from each other.”

                “I’m sure we’ll manage,” Marik said with some confidence.  “We will be in touch as much if not more than we were before.  As for the rest…”  He glanced toward Ryo, and tried his hardest not to blush.  “…I guess I’ll have to suffer.”

                “Just be careful,” Ryo said worriedly.  “It isn’t any easier over there now than it was before we chose to be together.  I don’t think too many people should know who you’re seeing.”

                “What’s the big deal?” Joey wondered, glancing up from his lousy hand.  “People are gonna freak out if they know you’re dating a guy, is that it?”

                “More than that, Joey,” Marik said warily.  “In Egypt, it isn’t unusual for someone to be killed if the local clerics find out he’s a homosexual.  It goes a little beyond ‘frowned upon’ there.”

                Joey made a face.  “That sucks.  Nobody’s got the right to tell you how to live, especially if you’re not part of their religion or something.  It’s all fine for them, but they ought to leave you alone.”  He glanced at his cards, grumbled, and folded his hand.  “Guess that just means you gotta hurry it up and get back here as soon as you can.  Not that people here aren’t above beating somebody up,” he added with a hasty glance toward Duke, “but at least here, you got me to beat them back for you.  And I’d be happy to do that.”

                Marik blinked at him.  “Thanks, Joey.  That’s good to know.”

                “Anytime.  Hey, wait…”   He eyed Marik across the table.  “You’re being sarcastic, aren’t you?”

                They all laughed, and proceeded with their game.  It was a night full of fun and laughter, sweets and snacks, and through it all, Marik kept glancing at Ryo, worried that at any moment, he might see the adorable smile fade from his face and tears spring into his eyes.  They had already talked about the pain of separation, last night in the darkness after making love and then lying there telling each other that they didn’t want this visit to end.  Ryo had cried a little, but with his head resting on his lover’s naked chest, it was easier to sniffle back the emotions and whisper promises to talk to each other every day and make plans to see each other again.  At the moment, Marik didn’t know if Ryo was merely putting on a brave face, or really was that cheerful even with the impending departure, but the smile was nice to see.

                Just before the party broke up late, Bakura had a minute or two to sneak Yugi aside again, helping him tote empty glasses and plates into the kitchen and clean up the leftovers.  Once he was sure no one else was going to come in or overhear, Ryo secreted his friend aside and whispered, “You mentioned, that one time, that you’ve been to a…an erotic store?   Could I…have the address, maybe?”

                Yugi stared at him in surprise.  “You want me to go down there with you?”

                “Oh, no, that’s all right,” Ryo stammered.  “I just…thought I would stop by on my way back from class tomorrow.  You know…to see if they have something to make our last night together…special.”

                “That’s a great idea,” Yugi breathed, beginning to smile.   “Yeah, give me a second, I’ll write it down.  I’m sure they’ll have something.  I don’t blame you – if things are going that well between you and Marik, your last night should be totally out of this world.  He won’t be able to take his mind off you the whole way home!”

                It seemed a shame that classes had to interfere with Marik’s last full day in Domino with his new boyfriend, but Ryo was trying to be good to make up for skipping that one time, seeing how upset his professors had gotten.  His exams were coming up soon, and he intended to pass them all with flying colors, since it would ensure him another term of work-study plus set him up for the summer courses and research work he was planning.  By the end of the summer, if all went well, he would be caught up with everyone else in his class and made up for taking the first year off to travel.  Yet, school and summer and work took a back seat today, as he left campus as early as possible and took an alternate route home to bring him to Aya’s, the little storefront Yugi had told him all about.  He had to agree with Yugi’s description, that the place didn’t look at all like a sex store, even as he ducked inside and blinked at the contrast from the bright sun outside.  Almost immediately, a tall, slender man glided out from a curtain behind the register, smiling sensuously.   Ryo did a little double-take, as he had never seen anyone who shared his peculiar hair color in person before – who wasn’t elderly, that is.  “Why…hello, young man,” the shopkeeper purred.  “Welcome to Aya’s.  If that is where you intended to find yourself,” added, almost questioningly.

                Ryo nodded shyly.  “Yes…yes, it is,” he answered.  “I…a friend of mine told me about your store.  He said I could find what I’m looking for, here.”

                Aya gave him a cool appraisal from half-closed, golden eyes.   “Is that so?  You must forgive my fowardness, but…you seem a little young to be needing anything I can help you with.”

                Bakura blinked, beginning to be afraid.  Yugi had never said anything about an age limit!  “I’m nineteen,” he quickly said.

                “Oh?”  Aya blinked back, placing a hand demurely at the clasp on his robe.  “I’m so sorry!  I thought you were far younger than that.  My my, but you have such sweet, angelic features.  My sincerest apologies if I offended you…”

                “It’s all right,” Ryo said, beginning to smile.  “So…does that mean you’re Aya?”

                “At your service.”  The slender man bowed gracefully.  “Now, then, let’s put that awkwardness behind us and find out what I can do for you.  You say a friend recommended you?”

                “Uh…yes.”  Ryo couldn’t help the blush that colored his cheeks.  “My friend Yugi.  He…said you would understand the…relationship I’m in.”

                One elegant eyebrow quirked upward.  “And what relationship would that be?”

                Ryo averted his eyes and murmured, “I…have a boyfriend.”

                “Oh, that.”  Aya waved a dismissive hand.  “That’s hardly anything to be shy about, my friend.  Of course, I have plenty of things to help you with relationships.  But tell me – is this for a special occasion?  A birthday, a celebration?”

                Despite the shopkeeper’s kind acceptance of his admission, Ryo was too shy to look directly at him.  “Well, you see…my boyfriend…he’s from another country.  He’s been here visiting me, but tomorrow he has to go back, and I wanted…”  He bit his lip and closed his eyes before speaking it aloud.  “I wanted to make his last night with me extra-special.”

                Aya made a soft, sympathetic noise.  “It’s your first love, isn’t it?  Oh, how I wish more men could hold on to the romance of their first time!   By all means, my angel-faced friend, let me show you a few ideas!”  He swept in to take Ryo’s arm, and whisked him away through the quiet shop to look at a few cute little romantic gifts.  Nothing seemed quite right to Ryo, he didn’t know what he wanted but he definitely felt as Aya had guessed – romantic, and deep, not cute or fun or playful or hardcore.  The brief notion of dressing him up in a cute outfit nearly sent him racing out of the store, but his guide was keen on his reaction and quickly dismissed that idea.  Aya seemed to be able to read between his mumbled answers, and gave him a studious look before guiding him to a shelf near the back.  “You love this young man deeply, more then you ever expected to,” the shopkeeper said keenly, after asking a couple of pointed questions.  “You want him to stay, but he can’t, so your only option is to make the night so beautifully perfect that he can’t possibly forget you.  Mmm, yes, a lot of people fear that when someone they love has to go away for a while, they’ll be forgotten.  You’re hardly the first or the last, but that doesn’t make the pain any less real.”

                Ryo had found himself warming up to Aya, even though he had scared him to death with the frilly outfit idea and asked very personal questions.   Then again, in this line of work, any question was personal.  “That’s right,” he said quietly.  “But we’re both so new to this.  How can anything make it any better than what we’ve already done?”

                “Allow me to suggest…”  Aya plucked something off the shelf and held it out so Ryo could see the label.  “…one of our select line of scented massage oils.  They’re really quite ingenious,” he added with a twinkle in his eyes.   “Not only do they make for a wonderful massage, with just a light hint of scent that isn’t too overpowering, they’re formulated to be used also as lubricant.  Two jobs in one, you might say.”  He checked the label himself, and then put the little glass vial back on the shelf.  “Not that one, though.  I don’t think you’re the rose-scented type.  Hmm.”  He tapped a thin finger on his chin as he looked over the lines of similar glass vials stacked on the shelf.   “Where did you say your boyfriend was from, again?”

                “Egypt…”

                “Ooo…”  Aya’s eyes lit up.  “How exotic!”

                Ryo grinned bashfully.  “Yes, I tend to think so, too.”

                “Oh, I know, then.”  He picked out a different one and placed it in Ryo’s hand.  “Jasmine.  An exotic aroma for an exotic lover.”  He smiled widely at his customer.  “Light some candles, turn down the lights, ask your boyfriend to stretch out on the bed for you, and start out just rubbing his back with a little of this.  I’m sure he would love to be pampered, especially by you.  It will get him good and relaxed and eager for the rest, and it will allow you both time to touch and explore first.  And he will never be able to smell a jasmine flower again without thinking of you.”   Aya waggled a finger as if teaching a student the finer points of art or geometry.  “A stop by the market on your way home for something sweet for dessert, like strawberries, might put the right seal on the deal.  It will be a night neither of you will ever forget.”

                Though Aya’s description of the best use for the oil had Ryo blushing brilliantly red, he couldn’t find anything to disagree with.  “And,” he asked for verification, “it’s all right to be used as…”

                “Lube, yes,” Aya beamed.  “I’m partial to the rose scent myself, but I have used it personally and can attest to its qualities.  The multiple uses is why I chose to carry these oils in the first place.”

                Ryo thought his head was going to explode from the inner heat.   He could only stammer out an agreement to take the jasmine oil, and followed Aya to the counter to purchase it.  Compared to any other sorts of toys and treats in the store, it was a relatively cheap present, but when Ryo took a moment to uncap the vial and sniff the contents, he knew he had found perfection.  Particularly with the idea of massaging Marik’s sacred scars floating around in his head.  He thanked Aya profusely and promised to recommend him to any of his friends, and left to take the suggestion of stopping by the market for berries.

                After dinner, after the sweet dessert that ended up being more expensive than the massage oil, Ryo pulled Marik into the bedroom and asked him to strip down to nothing without fanfare.  Marik did so, though confused, and watched in interest as Ryo also stripped naked and then retrieved the little pink paper bag with his present.  Upon explaining what he wanted to do with it, he uncapped the vial and held it out for Marik to sniff and approve.  The scent awakened a light of familiarity in his partner’s blue eyes.  “That’s wonderful,” he noted.  “I like that.  So, you want to rub my back, and then…?”

                “And then, whatever happens, happens,” Ryo said with a cute smile.  “We have everything we need right here.”  He waggled the vial of oil.

                Marik nodded his agreement and went to lie on the bed as demanded, stretching out on his stomach with his arms folded under his head.  Ryo came and stood over him, gazing at the peculiar hieroglyphs etched into his back for a moment, and then lowered himself onto his knees straddling Marik’s hips.  His partner let out a surprised gasp and lifted his head.  “Well!  That’s a little more forward than you’ve been so far…”

                Ryo giggled.  “Silly.  If I want to massage your back, this is the best position.”

                “I’m not arguing.”  Marik shot him a sneaky grin over his shoulder.  “By all means.  Please, show me everything you want to do to me.  I am your captive audience.”

                Ryo smiled shyly, lowering his eyes, but a week of nightly romps with Marik had erased much of his hesitation.  They both wanted this, and it was his intention to make it a night to remember, so it seemed perfectly reasonable for him to take control of this part of the encounter.  He poured just a little bit of oil into the palm of one hand and set the rest aside where it wouldn’t get spilled, and then rubbed his hands together to distribute the slick substance.  The heady scent of jasmine stole through the room, noticeable but not overwhelming.  Ryo settled to a seat astride Marik’s ass and slid his hands up along his back, pressing with his thumbs, taking great care to treat his scars gently.  Marik let out a long, low groan and a sigh, closing his eyes and laying his head down on his arms.  An admiring smile curved Ryo’s lips.  “Is that good?”

                “Wonderful,” Marik groaned.  “You have all night to stop doing that.”

                Chuckling, Ryo relaxed and spent a good long while rubbing Marik’s back and shoulders, spreading the oil evenly across his skin and massaging it in, until his back was soft and moist and his muscles slack.  Though Bakura was nothing like an expert at backrubs, he was doing a perfect job making it up as he went along, kneading Marik’s muscles all the way from the back of his neck to the end of his spine right above his ass.  The bumpy texture of his scars tickled the tips of Ryo’s fingers, essentially massaging them in turn.  After a while, the pressure of hands lightened from rubbing to caressing, and then merely gliding, as Ryo leaned forward and kissed his partner’s scented skin, beginning with the winged figure at the top of his back and traveling across to his shoulder.  Hearing and feeling the breath on his ear, Marik turned his head slightly, gazing back through heavy-lidded eyes.  Soft wisps of silky, silver hair were trailing along his bare shoulders, followed by Ryo’s tentative lips.  Every lunge forward for a kiss made Ryo’s cock brush against his ass in just the right, happy way.  Warm, oiled hands smoothed around the curves of his shoulders and down his back, along his flanks, stopping to rub little circles at the very base of his spine.  Marik lifted his head up with a gasp, as that was one spot on his lower back that actually could have used a massage.  Then, Ryo slid off him and knelt trapping his legs, and reached for the oil once more.  Marik glanced back to see what he was up to, and smiled darkly at his guess.  “You want to be on top, this time?”

                Ryo blushed through his sexy smile.  “No, that isn’t quite what I’m planning,” he murmured.   “Just relax.  I want to treat you right…I want to please you.”

                Marik purred under his breath.  “Anything you do pleases me,” he assured, but relented and turned back around to await the next move.

                With a fresh dab of jasmine oil on his fingertips, Ryo traced down Marik’s tailbone to his ass, and then slid teasingly into the cleft.  He received a gasp and twitch in response, but Marik otherwise held still, pleased with the direction.  Lowering his voice to a murmur, Ryo said, “I heard somewhere that there’s a kind of…sensual massage, that you can do.  Not to get you off, but to make you relax and feel good.”

                “Is that what you’re going to try?” Marik wondered with a flippant grin over his shoulder.

                “I don’t really know how,” Ryo admitted.  “But I’m sure I can fake it fairly well.”

                His lover stretched and flexed his supple back, and then laid flat on his stomach, sighing, “I’m sure you can.  Please, you have my permission.”

                The slicked fingers slid easily up and down his cleft, reaching as far down as the soft spot just behind his sack, and then daringly prodded at his opening.  A shiver raced up his back, but Marik kept his head resting on his arms and just took a deep breath.  Ryo lifted his eyes to behold his lover spread out waiting for him, looking so content, and decided it would be his pleasure to give him even more.   He penetrated gingerly with just one finger, stopping only when Marik let out a hiss.  Ryo looked toward him in alarm.  “Did I hurt you?”

                “No,” Marik replied on a sighing breath.  “That feels…so…good…”

                Encouraged, Ryo continued, curling his finger a little and stroking slowly for a while.  He could feel Marik’s thighs beneath him tense the further he went, and watched his fist gradually clench on the blankets near his head.  At that, Ryo decided it was enough without being too much, and withdrew his massaging fingers, sneaking his hand down between Marik’s legs instead to cup his balls and touch him tenderly, soothingly, not to tease but to calm and caress.  Appropriately, Marik let out a long, low moan, and hitched one leg aside to allow better access.  Ryo shifted to set him free and reclined beside him instead, letting his moistened fingers tickle over sensitive spots, eliciting more soft moans and chuckles from his partner.  Though utterly relaxed, Marik was also getting hard and hot, and eventually rolled onto his side in order to glance back at Ryo where he sat.  The hand fondling him reached around front so as to continue where it left off, and the two just smiled at each other, content to see that after all the shyness, the fear, the lack of confidence, they had come so far in such a short time.   Ryo leaned over his lover and kissed him deeply, feeling hands come around his face to cup his cheeks and pull him down for more.   Marik then got a good grip on his arms and tumbled him into the bed with him, licking and nibbling his lips until Ryo surrendered and let himself be swept away.  He didn’t want a reciprocal massage, he was already plenty turned on and happy, but Marik eagerly took hold of the vial of jasmine oil and made use of its alternate property, slicking his hand in order to sensually, delicately, stroke his partner off for the first round, and then, when he was ready again, as a more traditional lubricant.  This time, they were going to try it without the condom, since they were almost out of them anyway.  It was clear neither of them had or ever would touch anyone else, they had already subconsciously locked themselves into a monogamous relationship and trusted each other implicitly.  Ryo laid on his stomach with his lover buried deep inside him, moving slowly, trying to prolong the night as much as he could.  Hands clasped over each other’s, they held on tight and matched each other’s moves, each deep, gasping breath filling their senses with jasmine.   It truly lasted all night long, until they exhausted each other and flopped on top of each other in bed, hot and oily and unable to keep hands off each other, lips bruised, hair tangled, sheets a mess.  In the end, as he was about to drift off to sleep with Bakura’s silvery head pillowed on his shoulder, Marik thought to himself that going back to Egypt would be the hardest thing he had ever done.

                Because they had thrown a party for him, none of the others felt the need to also see Marik off at the airport, which he found acceptable.  They all seemed to know that he wanted this moment alone with Bakura anyway, since it would be their last chance to see and hold each other for a long time.  Though it made him sad, Ryo never protested the leaving, because he knew it would have to happen sooner or later.  He had no right to ask Marik to stay, he had family and obligations in Egypt and nothing except a boyfriend tying him to Japan.  He had been brave up until this point, apart from a few sniffles the same night Ishizu called, but as he walked Marik through the airport to his gate, firmly holding his hand, he found tears springing to his eyes, welling up with every step.  They had time before the flight would be boarding, so they retreated to a corner of the terminal near the window and sank into each other’s arms, holding tightly to each other.   Though he intended it to comfort Ryo, it only made him cry all the harder, curling his fingers into fists on Marik’s shirt.   Closing his eyes, Marik rested his cheek against the side of his lover’s head, cuddling him close.  “It’s all right,” he whispered, trying to hold back his own emotions.  “It’ll be all right.  I’m not going away forever.  I’ll be back.   I promise.”

                “I know,” Ryo whimpered, “but…it’s hard.   It’s so hard to let you go.  I’ve had so much fun…I…”  He choked down a sob.  “I finally know what it feels like to be loved, and I don’t want it to stop.”

                “I still love you,” Marik assured, stroking his hair with one strong hand.  “You mean the world to me, Ryo.  I’m so glad I came.  It’s hard to leave you and say goodbye, but I wouldn’t have traded these three weeks for anything.”

                “Me neither,” Ryo sniffled into his shoulder.  He finally lifted his head and focused a teary smile on his partner.  “I could get used to having you around like this.”

                “Me too.”  Marik brushed tears from his cheeks with his thumb.  “You know…maybe next time I come back…it could be for good.”

                Ryo’s brown eyes widened in shock.  “Marik!  You would move here?   For…me?”  His gaze turned worried.  “But…what about your family?”

                “Well…”  Marik glanced aside, out the window at the tarmac and the planes taxiing past.  “It’s only just an idea.  I know, I love my family and we’ve only just recently settled down to have a real life together.  But…that’s the problem.  I’m too worldly-minded now, I don’t have the discipline to lead the quiet kind of life a tombkeeper should have.  I’ve been around the world, I’ve done my share of bad things, and even though I’m on the pharaoh’s side now, I…I can’t erase those things from my consciousness.”  He shrugged helplessly with a little smile.  “I don’t think I belong in Egypt, even if it is my homeland.  I might be more comfortable and happy in Japan, with a boyfriend, and friends I can hang out with.  Not to mention, it’s probably safer.”

                “There is that,” Ryo agreed.  “But…while you’re there, you and I will only be able to talk and maybe duel.  Nothing that would make neighbors think you were in a relationship.”

                “I know.”  He shook his head.  “It was just a thought.  I’ll have to talk it over with my sister and brother, I wouldn’t just run away from them to be with you.  As much fun as the idea seems,” he added with a brush of fingertips along Ryo’s cheek, prompting him to smile.

                “Behave yourself,” Bakura warned, leaning in close to him again and closing his eyes as their foreheads touched.  “I don’t want your sister to be angry with me for corrupting you and stealing you away.”

                “The corruption is all mine,” Marik assured, settling into the comfortable embrace.  A short silence passed between them, in which Ryo began sniffling again and Marik found himself about to join him.  He curled a hand around behind Ryo’s ear and held him close, kissing him tenderly on the cheek.  “Don’t be sad,” he whispered.  “I promise, we’ll talk every day, on the phone or on the internet.   As long as I can still hear your voice, I’ll know you’re there, waiting for me.”  He trembled as Ryo’s tear-wet cheek pressed against his, as Ryo threw his arms around his shoulders and clung to him.  Marik hugged back, still whispering assurances.  “I wish I didn’t have to go.  I hate leaving you like this.  Ryo…”   He pulled him back and gazed worriedly into his eyes.  “Please, promise me…you’re not going to do anything to hurt yourself after I leave.  I know this is hard, but…”

                Bakura shook his head, swallowing his sobs.  “I’ll be fine,” he murmured.  “Depressed, maybe, but not stupid.  I don’t want to die, I want to live so I can talk to you and see you again.   However long it takes for you to get back to me.”  He sank against Marik and nuzzled his cheek softly.  “I won’t pretend to like it, or be happy that I have to be so far away from you.  But I’ll stand it.  As long as I’m allowed to cry when I miss you.”

                “Just don’t let it ruin that pretty face of yours,” Marik said thickly, trying to swallow his own rush of emotion.  Ryo sounded so forlorn, so raw and innocent, still.  “I know it won’t feel good.  It doesn’t feel good to me, either.  I’ll find a way back to you, one way or another.”  His hands came down firmly on Ryo’s shoulders, so he could look him squarely in the eye and make his vows.  “If nothing else, I will come back in time for your birthday, in September.   You’re going to be an adult, and I can think of no better way to mark that milestone.”

                “I can’t wait,” Ryo said hopefully.  “Just don’t spend all your money trying to get here to see me.  I’ll understand if you can’t afford another trip.”

                “Nonsense.  I’ll make it, I promise.  Somehow, it’ll all come together.  I have faith.”   He kissed Ryo’s forehead firmly.  “Now, be strong for me.  You have work to do today, right?”  His lover nodded.  “I’m sure it won’t be enough of a distraction, but I’ll just be sitting on a plane for hours and hours.  I’ll call you when I get back tonight, so you know I made it safely, all right?”

                “All right,” Ryo sighed.  “I’ll do my best.  But I miss you already.”

                “I know.  I miss you, too.”  Marik hugged him once more, content to stand there with his chin resting on his partner’s shoulder.   They stayed like that for a long time, whispering little comments to each other, stroking each other’s hair or arms or faces, until the loudspeaker announced the first boarding call for the flight to Cairo.  With a hard sigh, Marik pushed himself away from Ryo, and suddenly caught his breath in a stifled sob.  Ryo looked at him and gave a soft, understanding coo to see Marik finally in tears, trying to stop them but failing.  He tugged on Marik’s shirt to pull him in for a kiss, one that lingered a long time while the first-class passengers boarded somewhere beyond them.  At last, it was Marik’s turn, and he reluctantly pulled away, wiping at his eyes.   Ryo held his hand until the last second, until necessity tore it out of his and Marik had to pass through the gate to the plane.  He glanced back over his shoulder one last time, to see Ryo give a little wave, and then he was gone.

                Bakura waited at the windows until the plane taxied away and he lost sight of it, at which point he turned with a heavy-hearted sigh and walked out.  He didn’t have class that day, but had to go to the university to work in the research lab that afternoon.  Forcing himself to do so took every ounce of his strength.  He paused in the men’s room to wash his face and make sure no one could tell he had been crying, and then put on his best blank expression in order to survive the rest of the day with his composure intact.  So long as he was in public he maintained his cool, and simply retreated into his work to keep his mind off the lover he had sent away.  At least there was nothing about the analysis of graphs and bell curves of statistics to remind him of Marik or give him the slightest chance to think about his face, his voice, his touch, his taste, or his sex.  Yes, the heavens be praised for dry bell curves and number crunching.  But that couldn’t carry him the entire day, it became a little harder to hold himself in check on the walk home.  He managed well enough, deciding that people wouldn’t take notice of a melancholy, downcast boy walking down the sidewalk with his attention elsewhere.  He got home safely and slowly, painfully climbed the steps to his flat, taking a breath to steel himself.  Pushing the door open, he realized for the first time how empty it was – there was no one waiting there for him anymore.  Then, as he set down his books and closed the door, the lingering scent of jasmine stole through his senses, and he lost it.  He stumbled through to the bedroom and threw himself on the futon, sobbing.

                It left him with a throbbing headache, but it somehow felt good to cry, to sob until he wore himself out and just laid there in the middle of his bed, face down on the blankets.  It was much different from the kind of crying he was used to, when the pit of his stomach was knotted with anger and fear and his heart was cold and empty.  Now, he was just sad to have to say goodbye, even though he knew that sometime later that night, and again tomorrow and every day from now until September, he would hear that purring tenor voice over the phone or his wireless duel disk connection.  Reminding himself of the sweet things Marik had whispered to him just before leaving made Ryo tear up again, but it was an acceptable grief, not at all bitter.   He stayed there on the bed until early evening when, of all things, hunger got the better of him.  Prying himself up, he went to wash his face and then meandered slowly through his flat, completely disinterested in putting in the effort to cook something for dinner.   Standing there in the middle of the living room, listening to the dull silence, an idea came to him.  Fetching his sneakers and his cell phone, he left to go for a long walk.

                Yugi glanced up when he heard the jingle of the door and gave a little start to see his visitor.  “Bakura!  What are you doing here?”

                Bakura smiled wanly, definitely looking pale and sad but still alert and friendly as he wandered into the game shop, hands in the pockets of his jacket.   “Hello, Yugi.  I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

                “No, not really,” Yugi shrugged.  “It’s a really slow night, you’re the first person who’s been in here in almost an hour.”  He cocked his head as he looked his friend over cautiously.  “But you’re not here to buy anything, are you?”

                “No, sorry.”  Ryo stared at the floor for a moment, and then tried to interject some life into his smile.  “I just didn’t want to be alone.  I figured you might be working…if you’re busy, I can leave.”

                “No, no,” Yugi quickly assured.  “Don’t go.  It’s all right, you can hang out here and keep me company.”  He hopped off the stool he was sitting on behind the counter and shoved it over to offer it to Bakura.  “I’m so bored, but I can’t close up the shop until it’s time.  Come on, sit with me.”  He leaned on the counter as Bakura came around and gratefully sank down onto the stool.   “How are you doing?  Did Marik’s flight get off okay?”

                “Mhm.”  Ryo nodded slightly, lifting his head to look straight at Yugi.  “Everything went fine.  He’s going to call me when he gets home, so I don’t worry.”

                “That’s nice,” Yugi smiled.  “How about you?  Are you okay?”

                “I’ve been better,” Ryo admitted with a long sigh and a glance elsewhere, “but I’ve been worse, too.  I just thought…maybe this isn’t the time to be moping around at home.   Not to mention…”  His smile brightened.  “I’m rather hungry.”

                “Well, cool – you can hang out with me until closing, and then we can go out and get a late dinner,” Yugi offered.  “My treat.  What do you say?”

                “That would be wonderful.  Yes, I think that’s just right.”

                Yugi beamed at him, resting an elbow on the counter.  “Good!  Then, you have to tell me…”  He glanced to make sure neither Grandpa nor any customers had suddenly materialized.  “Did you get to Aya’s?”

                Ryo giggled and clapped his hand to his mouth to try to stop it.   “Yes,” he murmured.

                Yugi perked up.  “What did you get?”

                “Oh, nothing outrageous.  Some…”  More giggling, accompanied by blushing.  “Massage oil.”

                “Ahh…”  Yugi nodded as if he knew it all.  “So how did it go, then?  Was it the best night ever?”

                “Well, I’ve only been doing this for about a week,” Ryo explained shyly, “but…”  He squeezed his eyes shut and grinned adorably in his excitement.  “It was unforgettable.  I rubbed his back, and then touched him…and then he pulled me into bed with him and did so many wonderful things to me that I’m surprised I can still walk straight.”

                Giggling, Yugi clasped his hands encouragingly.  “That’s great!  Wow, you guys didn’t waste any time, did you?”

                “Well, all we needed was to stop being shy and take the first step, really,” Ryo admitted, idly scratching an imaginary itch on his cheek.  “After that…I guess you could say, instinct took over.  Thank you for all of your advice, though.”  He leaned forward and fixed Yugi with an earnest gaze.  “I don’t know that I would have ever gotten up the courage if you hadn’t talked to me about it.”

                “I’m glad I could help.”  Yugi smiled warmly.  “It’s really nice to see, Bakura.  You smiling, and happy, and the two of you together like that.  I know it must be hard to have to let him go back home.”

                “It’s better than nothing,” Ryo said with resignation.   “If I had to choose between having to deal with a long-distance relationship, and never having gotten close to Marik at all, I’ll take the first.  Gladly.”  He lowered his gaze bashfully.  “You were right, when you told me about him and wanted to fix me up with him.  He is sweet, and beautiful, and so very kind.  Even though I don’t remember what he was like before, I’m glad that part of him has been permanently removed.  He is a delightful man, and it makes me all warm inside to think that he loves me, me alone.”

                Yugi bounced up and hugged him.  “I’m so glad to hear it,” he enthused with his chin on Ryo’s shoulder.  “I’ve never seen you look so happy.  I can hear it in your voice, too.”  He pulled back to look at him.  “You’re really in love, aren’t you?”

                “I am.”  Ryo chuckled softly.  “It’s hard to believe that three weeks ago, I was so nervous when he arrived, I thought for sure he would get here, take one look at me, and say he would rather be friends.  But the first thing he did was kiss me…and I knew.  I just knew, Yugi.”

                Yugi hugged him one more time and let him go.  “And I’m glad I can trust him with you.  I didn’t want to see you with just anyone, it had to be someone who could understand you, and really love you, unselfishly.  Anybody else, I would have demanded you let me meet him so I could be sure he was right for you, but Marik?”  He grinned.  “I trust him completely!  And it sounds like he isn’t letting me down.”

                Ryo shook his head.  “He’s treated me so very well.  He even trusted me with his secret – with the marks on his back.  He told me all about them.”

                “Oh?”  Yugi gave him a curious look.  “Wow, that is something.”

                “You know about them, of course.  You’ve seen them, along with the pharaoh, right?”

                “Yeah.”  Yugi’s attention faltered briefly, as he sensed Yami standing beside him in his own, ethereal way.   “They’re one of the keys to his memory, but he’s still puzzling that one out for himself.  Someday, we’ll know what to do with them.”

                “It’s so strange, having this ancient connection between all of us,” Ryo mused.  “Some parts of it haven’t been the easiest to bear, but I think, in the end, it may all be for the good.”

                “I like to think so,” Yugi smiled.

                They stood around and talked for the rest of the night, until Yugi could officially close up shop and count out the night deposit.  He called upstairs to let his grandfather know that he was going out with Bakura and would be back late, before taking the deposit along and dropping it off at the bank on the way to find a ramen shop or yakitori that might be open late.   Far from the last time the two of them had gone out for food together, Ryo was smiling brightly, even with slight hints around his eyes that he had spent half his day crying.  For now, he was okay, and spending the evening in Yugi’s company helped him keep his mind off being lonely.  He didn’t look forward to returning to the solitary existence that had been his way before Marik stepped off that plane and into his heart, but at least now, he wouldn’t feel the least bit bad about wasting hours every night talking to the voice from Egypt.  He may be alone in his flat, but he was no longer lonely.

                The late meal and more talking and giggling enabled Bakura to find the strength to stay awake and sober until the wee hours of the morning, expecting Marik’s phone call well after sane people should have been in bed.  He hadn’t even gotten a chance to lay down or nap when his cell phone chirped, and he snatched it up instantly to answer.  The voice on the line sent a rush of heat all through Bakura’s body.  “Hey,” Marik said gently.  “Just wanted to let you know I’m home.”

                “Hi,” Ryo said back, feeling like he was going to melt into a puddle of goo in the middle of his bed.  “How was your flight?”

                “Long and boring,” Marik sighed.  “Completely uneventful.  I landed a short time ago, my brother picked me up, and now I’m at home.  Ishizu liked the postcards I brought back for her,” he said cutely.  “I tried to tell her how beautiful Japan was, but the pictures help.”

                “And you should have the ones we emailed to your computer,” Ryo remembered.  In the time they had been together, they had taken Bakura’s digital camera out once and gotten some pictures together in various touristy locations around Domino, not to mention a few when out with Yugi and the pharaoh.  They had promptly uploaded and emailed them, but Marik would not have received them until now, when he returned home.

                “Yes, and I’ll show them to her tomorrow,” Marik reminded himself.  “I’m sure she’ll be curious to see the ones with Yugi and Yami.  She hasn’t seen the pharaoh embodied yet, the rest of us all have.”

                “Just don’t talk their ears off about your trip,” Ryo chuckled.  “I’m sure you must want to tell them everything, but…”

                Marik chuckled back.  “I do, I really do.  I want them to know how happy I am, being with you.”  His voice lowered to a pleasant murmur.  “And I am, you know.  Happy to be with you.   Even if we’re apart, I’m still with you, in my heart and my mind.”

                Ryo felt his lower lip begin to tremble.  “I can feel you with me,” he whispered.  “The room still smells like jasmine.  It’s like you’re still here…still next to me.”  He quieted even more.  “Still inside me.”

                A ragged purr came over the line.  “I admit,” Marik said secretively, “whenever I closed my eyes on the plane, I could see you, all spread out beneath me…”  He chuckled under his breath.  “I hope no one caught me blushing.”

                “Mm…stop that,” Ryo laughed softly.  “If you keep talking like that, you’re going to make me all hot…”

                “Ooo…” Marik interrupted him.  “Sounds like something I might want to try sometime.  Not tonight,” he laughed in embarrassment.  “But maybe sometime.  When we’re both feeling lonely and just talking to each other isn’t enough.   As long as you won’t be uncomfortable having me talk sexy to you over the phone…”

                “So…”  Ryo laid down on the futon, holding the phone to his ear.  “Does that mean you still want to be…with me?  Even now that you’re back to normal life?”

                “Of course I do,” Marik said, a little worried.  “What, did you think that once I escaped you, I’d come to my senses or something?”

                “Well…the thought had crossed my mind…”

                “Don’t be silly!”  Marik huffed a quick sigh.  “Ryo, I love you.  I know that more now than I did before I went there, and I was pretty sure of it then.  I’m not back at a normal life, everything’s changed within me.  It may be the same old home and family, but it’s different now – because I have a boyfriend.”   A warm tone crept into his voice.  “A boyfriend who I love very much, and miss with all my heart.”

                The tears which had been held back so well sprang to Ryo’s eyes.  “I love you too,” he whispered.  “And I miss you just as much.”

                “I won’t ever be able to stop thinking about you,” Marik promised.  “I won’t go back on anything I said.  I want to be able to talk to you every day, even if it’s just a short hello to make sure you’re doing all right.  Okay?”

                “All right…”

                Marik gentled his enthusiasm again.  “I know it’s very late there.  You should get some sleep.  You have class tomorrow.”

                “I know,” Ryo said reluctantly, “but I don’t care.”

                “Now, now.  Remember what happened the last time I kept you up too late?”

                A faint giggle.  “Yes, I know.”

                “I promise we’ll talk again later,” Marik whispered into the phone.  “After you’ve slept and gone to class and are back home with all the time in the world to talk.”

                “That sounds good.”  Ryo sniffled.  “But I don’t want to let you go.”

                “I know.”  Marik suddenly sniffled as well.  “I’m trying to be responsible, though.”

                “Oh, very well.”  Ryo touched his fingertips to his lips.  “You go and get some sleep, too.  Take care of yourself.”

                “I think I will.  Goodnight, Ryo.  I love you.”

                “I love you, too.  Goodnight.”

                As soon as he hung up the phone, Marik padded quietly through the house to his bedroom in the back, stripping off his shirt along the way.  Neither Odeon nor Ishizu saw him pass, which was fine, because right now he wanted to be alone.  He threw himself into bed just the way he was, turning his face into the pillow to dampen the tears streaming down his cheeks.

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