The drive wasn't too long, but with Marik's constant accusations at Bakura made it feel like forever. The most amusing part, thought, was when Bakura actually just drove Marik home and kicked him out of the car.

Melvin closed the door to Bakura's apartment, which was cleaner than he imagined it would be. Heck, everything was neater than he thought.

"Come with me." Bakura said, with a purr in his voice.
Melvin raised a brow, and Bakura added, "Your keys and shit are in my room."

So he followed him in.

This room definitely contrasted with the rest of the apartment. The sheets were on the floor, the pillows didn't have cases, and the blinds on the windows looked bent and crooked. Clothes were all over the floor, along with several cans and wrappers.

"So where're my--?" Melvin turned around to see the keys in Bakura's hand.

"Come get them."
Bakura put them between his teeth.

It's been too long and temptation seemed to be yanking at his hair. Melvin approached him and firmly held his sides, inching closer to Bakura's lips.
With his teeth, he bit the edge of his keys and yanked them back.

Putting them in his pocket, he asked, "And my phone?"

"You're not even tempted to fool around with me for a while?"

Melvin held out his hand. "Phone."

"Ra, Melvin, are you still moping about the party? I was drunk. I don't mean anything when I'm drunk."

He moved closer to him, only to have Melvin move further away.
"I'm not fucking around, Bakura."

Bakura furrowed his brows. "What's gotten into you?"

"Just give me my stuff."

"This isn't about Marik, is it?"

Melvin avoided the question. "I want my phone! Just give me my--"

"Bloody--!" He grabbed Melvin's arms and held him in place. "Just calm down!"

"Why? You scared I might kill you too?"

From mere shock of the statement his grip loosened and Melvin broke from his grasp, but his voice didn't lower in the slightest.

"It's when feelings get involved you back out. Nice to know I can put my full trust in people who don't give a shit about me."

"It is about Marik!" Bakura would've laughed if Melvin hadn't half-threatened. "You actually care about that?"

By this point Melvin huffed and crossed his arms, not yelling anymore. "I care about being abandoned when I needed you."

"I didn't think you had the ability to care."

"I don't care."

"You do. You basically said that you did."

There it was again; his legs felt like jelly and he didn't know what to think anymore. Melvin sat on the edge of the bed, letting it creak as he did. He also sunk into the bed, feeling that it was surprisingly very fluffy.

"All my life, my own family told me I was worthless." Then he tilted his head, letting his neck crack. "Now you too. I should've fucking known."

Bakura sat beside him, not so angry anymore. "I was drunk, Melvin."

He stood up to get away from him. "Then how about not calling me afterwards?"

"You wouldn't have answered."

"You didn't even try." He snickered, not because it was funny, but because it was ridiculous. "But I'm sure you have better things to do."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

Bakura raised a brow at him. "You mean Marik?"

"Yes! Ra, you're so damn slow."

"It's not like he usually wants to do anything with me." Bakura knew defending himself was pointless but he was going to try. "It's different with you."

"It was, once upon a fucking time. Then I'm out of the picture for a couple of months and you move onto another boy toy."
Suddenly and all at once, in dawned on him. "He was there all along, wasn't he? And when he said no to fucking you, you took to the next person who would say yes."

Bakura sat quietly for a moment, unable to defend himself anymore.
"You wanted to hook up when you got back. I didn't know how to put it to you that things are just...they're different now."

Melvin stared at the wall. "I can't fucking believe this."

"I was going to tell you eventually."

"To think...you were someone who was so important to me. I was excited to see you again."

It was completely silent for a few moments, until Bakura uttered, "...Melvin...do you see me in..." he scratched the back of his head. "...in a romantic way?"

Melvin said absolutely nothing-- he just stared at his shoes.
Oh Ra no no no shit why why why why this was a horrible idea oh Ra kill me right now I want to leave I need to leave this is not what I want shit shit shit

And then Bakura laughed.

And he laughed hard.

I messed up oh Ra I screwed up

Bakura held his hurting sides. "You...!" He wiped his eyes. "Oh Ra...!"

I should've stayed at the apartment.

Melvin couldn't tell if it was just funny or shocking. Either way it stung. It stung hard.

Ryou wouldn't have laughed at me.
Melvin's tear filled eyes closed on that thought.

"Thats so unlike you!" Bakura' laughter died down now, but he still fought to catch his breath. "Ra, that's...."

Melvin only looked at him, glaring and scowling.

Bakura's smile faded into an expression of absolute fear. "You're serious."

"I want to ask you something." Melvin forced himself to sneer, although his chest felt tight and his eyelids felt hot. "Do you like your hair on your scalp, or do you just like to run your mouth until somebody tears it right off your head?"

The grip on the knife in Bakura's pocket grew tighter.

Melvin held out his hand. "I want my phone. And you can forget about the money I owe you for it."

"You're not going to kill me?"

"Marik is not all he's cracked up to be." Melvin leaned back and chuckled. "You can try and try but he won't crack—he cares about his reputation more than anything. Ra forbid he's ever seen with you."

Bakura squinted his eyes. "None of that made any sense."

He held out his hand. "Just give me my phone."

With reluctance and without turning his back, Bakura opened up his bedside drawer and pulled out Melvin's phone. When Melvin reached out to take it, Bakura whipped it away last second and asked, "So that's it? You're gonna cut me off?"

"That's what I said. Why? Having second thoughts?"

"Once you're up to your neck in debt I think you'll come around." Bakura said, keeping one eye on Melvin's hands. "You depended on me from the very start. How far do you expect to get without me?"

"I think I can take care of myself." was the biggest lie Melvin had ever told. Still, he said it because he didn't want Bakura to think he had left him entirely helpless.

"Why don't you want me to know where you've been?"

Melvin clicked his tongue. "Are we still on that topic?"

"I know the apartment complex. That building; I know where that is."

"Probably because you've been there."

In one hand, Bakura held up Melvin's phone. In the other, he held up the other phone from Melvin's pocket. "I thought you said you didn't have yours."

Melvin's heart dropped as he dug his hand into his empty pocket. Bakura was a thief, Melvin should've known.

"I recognize the number." Bakura opened it up easily since it had no password. He showed Melvin the screen to Ryou's contact.
"How the hell do you know him?"

"He got me pizza. He at least deserved a hug."

He tensed for a moment, thinking. A hint of guilt was evident in his voice when he asked, "What kind of hug?"

"The only kind. The one you don't like."

"So what? You're leeching off of his pity?" Bakura scowled. "He's a boy trying to fend for himself. Don't prey on those smaller than you."

"Mind your own fucking business." Melvin snatched his phone back, and Bakura wouldn't let him take Ryou's.

"You came for that one." He inspected the phone, and said, "I'm keeping this."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"It's a trade." Bakura then shooed him. "Now since your not hooking up with me nor killing me, why are you still here?"

Melvin narrowed his eyes, but he still wore a confident smile on his face. He flipped him off and left.

***

Melvin held Bakura back by his hair, not even missing a beat. Why was he grabbing Ryou like that? Was he already telling him...?

"What the hell?!" Bakura didn't dare to move with the knife against his throat. "Where did you even come from?!"

Melvin only looked at Ryou, who looked completely terrified now.
"Hey, Creampuff." He smiled, and grit his teeth. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

Before Ryou could say a thing, Melvin yanked Bakura back and pulled him away from Ryou. He proceeded to elbow him in the throat, and kick him in the stomach.

"Get your—" Bakura could taste blood. "—bloody hands off—!"

Was this even about Ryou anymore? Melvin didn't know. But a surge of adrenaline fueled the hatred that was burning in his heart.

Ryou only stood and watched without a single moment to process what was happening.

It was when Melvin brought out the knife when Ryou's adrenaline had kicked in, making his feet move themselves beneath him, and his arms reach out.
"Mariku! Stop it!"

Melvin didn't hear him, or he just didn't want to. The sound of his own blood pumping in his veins and in his ears muffled all of Bakura's grunts and groans.

Ryou tugged on Mariku's shirt, but it was no use. "Stop it! You'll kill him!"

Bakura found a moment to punch Melvin in the gut, making him let go of his shirt. Still, when Bakura tried to get the knife away, Melvin swung it at him, just missing his chest.

Disarming him was difficult, but Bakura swiftly avoided more slashes and eventually knocked the knife from his hand, letting it clatter to the floor. So they just wrestled against the wall, it for some reason it looked more gay than violent.

Ryou scooted over to the knife and picked it up. It was from his kitchen, so he felt somewhat responsible for all of this. He dropped it through a slot into the sewer in the street. No more weapons.

It wasn't about defending Ryou anymore— Melvin was fighting Bakura on pure anger. And Ra, did it feel good to smack him around.

"Mariku!" Ryou yelled out again, daring to get closer but having no idea what to do.

Bakura kicked Melvin off of himself, making distance between them.
Melvin raised his arm and swung at him, only to find that he had hit Ryou who stepped in between.

Again; the whole world slowed to a stop. Bakura stopped trying to fight since he was just as shocked as Melvin, who had no idea what to do.

Ryou looked at the hand that held the side of his face.
A tear dribbled down his swelling cheek.

Melvin could feel his stomach in his throat.

When Ryou looked up, there were clear tears in his eyes. But his eyes were narrowed and he looked...

Holy shit.

White hair in one hand, and sandy blonde in the other. Ryou grabbed their hair and yanked them.

"OW!!!!!!!!" Bakura and Melvin exclaimed.

"You two are complete shit!" He cursed, and Melvin had never been more terrified in his life. "You don't know how to bloody compose yourselves! How old are you? Are you children?!"
When he got no answer, he screeched, "ARE YOU CHILDREN!?"

"No!" They both yelled back.

"That's what I bloody thought!" He yanked on Bakura's hair a little harder. "Mr. I'm bored needs to learn that people aren't playthings! You can sod off on your own time but you can get the hell away from people who are just trying to live their damn life, you whiny, spoiled twat!"

Bakura was silent while Melvin laughed.

"And don't think you're off the hook!" He tugged on his hair with more force. "You don't seem to care about what other people think, do you? It's always about what you want. The rest of the bloody world should give a damn, shouldn't they?! And what good do you get out of eating all of the food out of my fridge? You're disgusting and an ungrateful little wanker!"

Even thought he had no idea what "wanker" meant, Melvin couldn't help but feel attacked.

"Bakura, go back to your apartment. I'm done with you."
Bakura winced at one final yank, and then he was dismissed.

Mariku said nothing.

Ryou's arms were shaky, but he let go.