miss you

"hey, is something wrong?"

marik turned to the screen, his face becoming grainy with static yet it still seemed perfect in bakura's eyes.

"i'm sorry?" marik raised a brow with a question as his smirk faded, creases forming at the corners of his lips and on his forehead.

"you don't have to say sorry, i just asked how you were." bakura responded and quickly followed up before marik could interject. "i noticed that marks on your forehead are deeper than last time, are you okay?"

"wow thanks for reminding me that i'm getting old and ugly, asshole." marik turned away, attempting to sell a the lie that there was a smile upon his face.

"okay, bad way to explain it, but i just knew." bakura looked down in shame, but still persisted. "marik
seriously, are you well?"

marik sighed and sat on the edge of his bed, head in his hands as felt the weight of stress lying on his back. his air seemed seep away from him and never return despite his desperate attempts to regain it.

bakura sat there quietly, still watching him.

"just shit, ya know?" marik lie down on his bed. "I kinda wish that this interaction wasn't shared on a screen, especially right now."

"would you like me to disconnect, it's fine if you--"

"no, please don't."

marik closed his eyes and sighed once more.

they sat there in silence as marik regained his voice. bakura had opened and closed his mouth, but ultimately remained quiet.

"i miss you." marik exhaled and curled into a tightly wound ball.

"me too." bakura softly inched closer to the screen. "i want to be with you right now."

"can't say i haven't been wanting to hear you say that all day." marik rose slowly from the bed yet found that he lacked enough strength to even attempt to facing bakura. "it hurts to see you so close yet so far."

bakura closed his eyes until he found himself remembering how he missed amane. he snapped his fingers, drawing the attention of marik who's golden hair had swayed like a violent wave.

"pillows." bakura murmured.

"what?" marik tilted his head, his cloudy eyes lighting up.

"when the thing had first happened with... amane, i missed her. i..." bakura's eyes had clouded over.

marik rushed over to the screen, quickly muttering worries and asking if bakura was fine.

now there was no way to avoid each other.

bakura brushed it away and gave a slight smile. marik smiled back out of relief, the burden within his throat lifting as its threat had left.

it made them both happy to see each other just smiling.

bakura continued, confidence sparking up in his voice. "i would hug a pillow whenever i missed her. i know it's stupid, but--"

"no, no, no, it sounds great." marik smiled back and pressed his hand on the screen, wanting to hold bakura's hand in this moment.

"i thought maybe we could do that." bakura copied the motion and closed his eyes.

"it will be easy for me to think of the pillow as you because you're both so cold." marik teased lightly as he grabbed his only pillow.

bakura lightly laughed and buried his cherry face into a hand, "shut up, you're lucky i love you."

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word count: 550 words