Ergh, the more I write for this story, the more I hate it and hate my writing D:

Ah well. If I can actually please people with it, it hasn't been futile.

Chapter 43 – Growing tensions

So the shrink had discovered the source of all problems. Whether or not this was the real reason didn’t really matter, since every possible fact seemed to indicate it was true anyway.

The by court designated psychiatrist had tried different things to find out more about the boy’s relationship, including making them share a session and talk simultaneously with them.

And truth was, her little schemes seemed to be working.

How exactly the two of them could be this stupid was beyond Malik, but the both of them had accidentally spilled out things to her while being together in the shrink’s office.

Apparently stupidity took over when they were together.

This shrink was nothing like their last one. The blonde woman who Malik had given so many headaches had been kind, soothing, patient. She had never pushed her Egyptian patient, letting him sort things out at his own pace.

But this woman was different. Even without directly telling them, she made it very clear she wasn’t going to wait for them to slowly open up to her. She wasn’t necessarily demanding them to talk, but she had a very cunning way of leading the conversation in such a way she would get them to talk anyway.

And they had answered every big and tiny question she had had about them so far.

Knowing about the real connection between them, their partnership in every crime they recently committed, would eventually lead to Battle City, where this partnership had started. And that was where the bad things would happen.

She had already indicated how their being together might be the exact thing that was causing their bad behavior, and providing her with facts to back up her own theory wasn’t exactly going to help them.

Using Malik’s money – and his approval for using his money for that matter – Isis had gotten them one hell of a lawyer. He’d better be worth every goddamn cent. Because it were a lot of cents they were paying him.

Now that the shrink was finding out about their Battle City partnership, Bakura’s murder might not even prove to be their biggest problem. Or at least not their only one.

Malik wondered if the trial would be delayed, so that the police would get more time to investigate the newly discovered matters. And he didn’t have to wonder for very long, because soon enough they were informed of the expected delay.

-- -- --

You’re really screwed, aren’t you?

Oh yes, the trial wasn’t even Malik’s only problem. His lovely other half had finally gained the courage to start bothering him again. He was like a brother in a way; annoying as hell, but you have to live with him for the rest of your life nevertheless.

“And whose fault is that?”

The thief’s?

“Actually, I was blaming you more.”

You seem to be forgetting quite easily it was the tomb robber that killed the woman and betrayed you. And don’t even think of passing the blame of the Battle City dramas on to me; you and the white-haired guy are just as guilty.

“But in the end, he did stay loyal to me. He didn’t really betray me, if you look at the facts.”

Oh, so now he’s suddenly mister innocent?

“I forgave him for being tricked by your underhanded dirty shit.”

You just forgive him because now he listens to you again.

“Maybe. I like people better when they listen to me. There is nothing I hate more then people who don’t listen to me.”

But you can’t truly control him. The same thing happened in Battle City.

“And he always comes back to me, time after time. That happened in Battle City as well.”

He's a thief, a murderer, a traitor. He doesn’t care for a petty mortal like yourself. Did you honestly think he was actually in love with you?

“Actually, yeah, I kinda did.”

You disgust me. Get over yourself already. This whole romance thing has lasted too long already.

“Leave us alone. I like him, and he likes me. It’s none of your business.”

He’s going to leave you when this is over.

“...no he isn’t.”

He will betray you once again and leave with whatever he can take from you.

“...shut up.”

You’re making the biggest mistake of your life.

“Malik? You in there?”

Bakura’s voice startled Malik for a bit, and he quickly jumped up from his bed to open the door, revealing to Bakura he was indeed in his room.

His darker half’s words danced around in his head, stinging him again and again.

Yami no Malik had been right about so many things already, maybe he was right again.

Perhaps Malik’s judging ability was clouded by his feelings for Bakura, and he couldn’t see past these emotions far enough to form an objective opinion.

Did the thief really know love at all?

It was so hard to believe, to believe that someone like Bakura was even able to love. It was hard for Malik to just accept that someone really wanted to be with him.

And it wasn’t an impossible case that the fair-haired guy was merely faking and still lying, lying again and again.

And Bakura was a good liar, and a heartless one at that; he probably had used other people’s feelings against them in the past as well.

But here he was, allowing himself to let the same thing happen that happened to Bakura; getting fooled by Yami no Malik’s fear inducing words. If someone was nifty at using one’s sentiments against themselves, it was his dark shadow.

A slight hint of shame washed over Malik’s thoughts, urging him to quit doubting Bakura.

“Something wrong?”

An arched eyebrow met with Malik’s gaze, waking him from his complicated reflections.

Just how long had he stood there randomly staring into the distance anyway?

“Err, hi.” Malik said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head while giving the snickering boy a sheepish grin.

“So Isis has been bugging me non-stop about how useless I am, and that I should clean up around the house and stuff…well she didn’t use those exact words, but that was basically what she was saying. Heh, I think she wants to turn me into some kind of cleaner. I mean, that’s practically like a slave’s job! I’m not going to do such things!”

Only half listening to Bakura’s endless ranting, Malik stared longing to the complaining man’s delicious lips.

“Next she’ll want me to wear an apron and go all–”

Soft lips cut off the rest of Bakura’s sentence.

“Shut up. Just…shut up.” Malik whispered as he pressed his body against the other male’s chest and once more kissed a seductively smirking Bakura. Feeling Malik’s tongue leaving him an invitation to his mouth on his lips, the bigger man didn’t hesitate to accept it.

His hands quickly found their way to the more delicate boy’s back, caressing it from his shoulders to his rear and back up again. Slipping one hand underneath Malik’s shirt, his fingers started tracing the well-known figures carved into the Egyptian boy’s back. Malik couldn’t help a bit of trembling of his body when a finger slowly drew over the wing on his right shoulder.

Bakura ceased his invasion of Malik’s mouth and continued his way along his lover’s cheek to his jawbone, Malik’s hands around Bakura’s neck guiding him downwards ever so slightly. Sucking and nibbling on certain areas of Malik’s neck, Bakura quickly found that little spot that left Malik gasping for air. With a sense of satisfaction he swallowed Malik’s moan as he pressed his lips against the other’s again.

In a month they would be in hell. For now, they could at least imagine themselves to be in heaven.

LAME ENDING IS LAME. Also I nominate this chapter to be the most useless chapter so far D:

And yeah, it was short. Deal with it.

I think it will end in about 2, 3 chapters now. Yes, I do realize I have been saying this for last 20 chapters. /moron

Meh, I'm totally serious this time :P