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You held back the tears for as long as you could, but once you got home you couldn't do anything but cry deep and hard into your pillow. After your previous surgery you hoped it would be your last, but upon attending your yearly check-up and receiving the horrible news your heart sank into the deep. You weren't sure how long you cried, but you started to cease when you heard a familiar 'ding' ringing in your head.
You grabbed your phone on the nightstand and checked your messages, since you had put your phone on silent you knew exactly who was texting you.
Marik: How was your day, 💡 ?
(Y/N): Just ran a few errands, so alright.
You lied, glad for the fact that you switched to more basic forms of communications from that mental whatever he used to do. Occasionally he would do what he did just a little bit ago; give you a little 'ding' in your head when it took you took long to answer your messages or silenced your phone (like now).
Marik: Got any other plans for the day? 🧐
(Y/N): What are you thinking of?
Marik: You. Me. Dinner and movie at my place. Maybe dessert, afterward. 😈
You laid down and put your phone over your chest, wondering what you would say next. You loved your boyfriend and cherished every minute you spent together, he was more beautiful and radiant than the god he kept in his deck, but after today all you wanted to do was curl up and cry. You remained in thought until he gave you another mental 'ding' and you decided your reply as well as to switch on your phone's ringer.
Marik: Something wrong? Or do I need to throw in actual dessert? Send out for Cheesecake or have Rishid make Knafeh? 🍰
(Y/N): I'll be there. What time?
Marik: Food will take 30 minutes, but I never object you coming over early. 😏
(Y/N): Coming asap
You took your time getting ready, cleaning yourself up a bit especially your face. You just wanted to forget about your problems and spend a lovely night with your boyfriend, not wallow in despair. Once you cleaned up and checked one last time to see if you'd cry anymore, you quickly hydrated before heading on your way.
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You did your best to forget your problems as you journeyed to your boyfriend's place, but no matter how hard you tried it would never leave you alone, always lurking at the back of your mind. Eventually you arrived at his house, taking one last deep breath to soothe yourself before heading inside. Once inside you headed into the living room and took a seat, waiting for Marik.
For better or worse Marik shared many traits with a snake; silent, deadly, a surprisingly flexible tongue, and a pension for sneaking up on their prey ready to wrap themselves around at a moments notice. So no matter how many times he did it you never got used it, especially now from behind your chair when he wrapped his arms around you. You would have jumped in your seat if he wasn't holding you so firmly.
"Welcome, my dear Hikari~" Marik breathed, nuzzling your hair and taking in your scent. "What did I do to deserve you gracing my presence?"
"Nothing but be your usual self, my dear Pharaoh." You replied being refreshed by charm and personality.
Satisfied by your answer Marik slinked in front of you and pounced, his legs now straddling your hips. Marik looked down at you seductively and you felt flustered as usual thinking this large leather chair the two of you were sharing wasn't big enough. Marik placed a kiss on your lips, however you couldn't enjoy it as you usually did with familiar horrid thoughts creeping back in. You gasped as he broke the kiss suddenly, being aware of how he liked to touch you his surprising break made you feel concerned.
"What's wrong?" You asked, his face remained stoic but you could see the change in his eyes.
"I should be asking you that. Now what is wrong, Hikari?"
You tried your best, but you couldn't help but look away slightly as you gave your answer.
"I'm alrigh-
"Do not lie to me, Hikari. I know your soul too well, you cannot hide something from me that weighs on it so heavily." Marik interrupted, then continued with a firm and gentle plea. "Please, tell me what is wrong, (Y/N)."
It took a few moments after he stopped talking for everything to set in and all the effort you put into burying your problems were all for not as you began breaking out in tears. You cried to the gods and wrapped your arms around Marik never wanting to let go as you soaked his shoulder.
Marik soothed you and rubbed the back of your head as you broke down, trying his best help you through your hurt. It took you a few minutes and a little help from Marik to calm down, once you did Marik waited a few moments more until he felt like you could be able to talk again to ask you what was wrong. For the moment however the words evaded you and you thought it would be best to show him instead of saying anything.
You held Marik's arm firm and guided his hands under your shirt, around to your back, and across it until they reached your spine; his fingertips now touching your scarred skin. With your permission his hands moved along your spine as softly as possible, learning the full extent of the scarring on your back while you tried to keep your shaking to a minimum.
"Hikari..."
Once finding that the scar ran all across your back, he quickly took his hands off them and pulled you into a deep hug. For some time Marik had a feeling something was wrong with your back, it feeling not quite whenever he held you from behind and your hesitation when he tired to put his hands on it. But now that Marik knew this secret all he could feel for you was an unfamiliar emotion to him - empathy.
"Oh, my Hikari... My darling Hikari..."
You sniffled a little bit while thinking how lucky you were to have such an amazing boyfriend, before finally being able to say something to him.
"I have scoliosis, I went to the doctor for my checkup and... and..." You took a few deep breaths before continuing. "He said there was some complications and I had to have another surgery..."
You had been through two surgeries now and they always went quite well, but it wasn't the surgery you dreaded - it was the recovery. It was painful, grueling, long, and a bit scary. From the post-surgical nausea and vomiting, to the haziness and painful immobility, the difficulty eating anything, the after surgical care, and the catheterization. That was all before you got home and having deal with all those restless nights laying on the couch; the only place that felt comfortable enough to sleep on and that moment when you took off the bandages slowly and fearful hoping everything would be good.
"Hikari." Marik repeated softly, as he put one of his hands on your cheek and placed another on one of your arms, guiding your hand as you did to his.
Upon reaching his shoulder blades you felt the first of his scars; they were ovaline and set in pattern like flower petals or bird feather and so awfully numerous that the sounds of your breathing felt blasphemously loud in a situation that required absolute silence. Traveling further down the scars became more intricate and detailed; you could feel the pain in each and every inch of tissue and it made you want to cry out and stop but you did neither out of respect for him and obligation after he did the same for you.
Your hand moved sideways, reaching his spine and he let it linger allowing you to fully understand and know the great beast carved into his back. He led your hand down a little further, letting it rest right above a great cross- no ankh.
"Marik."
When all was said and done that was all you could say, his name, always more on your tongue than just a name, a way to express all the many different emotions you felt for him. But this time you used his name it conveyed so much more, everything you wanted to say, every feeling and sympathy you wanted to express all in one word.
"(Y/N)."
Your name come from his lips had much the same strength and detail as his from yours and for now neither of you needed any more words. And so you sat together in peace, gentle, aetheric, and reflective peace.
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You laid on the couch watching the best late night TV basic cable could provide, sleep eluding you. The pain from your mending back woke you up every few hours and it took you about half of one to fine a comfortable position and another to fall back asleep. As you finally began to doze off you heard a noise cut through the infomercial you were watching. You muted the television and in the other room beyond your vision you could hear it; the horrifying sound of someone crawling through a window.
Fearful that someone is breaking in, you tried your best to get up and hurry to somewhere more safe, but your back was yet an obstacle and you struggled like a turtle to up as you heard footsteps heading towards you. The footsteps stopped as you saw a figure standing in the entryway with his arms crossed and wearing a smirk on his face. You ceased your struggles and groaned upon seeing the would be burglar, your menagerious boyfriend Marik.
"Godsdamn, Marik!" You exclaimed with your heart pounding out of your chest. "Why did you break into my house!"
"Well hello there, my grumpy prince." Marik greeted and walked over to you, placing a kiss on your forehead. "And I didn't break in, because you said I could come over whenever."
"Not at 2AM when people are supposed to be sleeping and not through windows!"
"That's precisely why I used the window, your front door is noisy and I didn't want anyone interrupting our time together."
You sighed from his excuse, but ultimately were glad he decided to finally stop by your house. He visited you as much as he could in the hospital, whenever one of your parents weren't hovering around, which wasn't often. You weren't ashamed of Marik or feared anyone learning about your relationship, but many aspects of it that were quite difficult to explain and given your recovery now wasn't definitely not the best time for 'meet the future king of the world boyfriend'.
"I could have been sleeping."
"You haven't been sleeping." Marik corrected with a tinge of concern in his voice. "Besides that how has your pain been?"
"Horrid." You stated.
"Perfect," He responded, in an all too much gleeful tone.
"Did you have to say it like that?"
"Sorry, but I've been working on a little something that might help both your sleep and pain."
You sincerely hoped he wouldn't pull out some kind of homemade medication but when he took his rod off his belt you sighed deeper than you thought you could.
"You're not going to hypnotize me to sleep, are you?" You asked.
"No, then you'd just be asleep but still in pain. I think you need a nice, relaxing break from recovery, don't you think so too?"
Before you could give any type of response or argument his rod flashed a blinding light then the dark overtook you. It felt no longer than a few moments but when your sight returned you found yourself sitting up on the floor at the foot of a bed, familiar yet not. As soon as you remembered your back you attempted not to panic and tried to figure out how you would get up from such an awkward position. But before you could familiar hands wrapped around you from behind and you flailed from the (currently) unwelcomed surprised.
"Oi, Marik! What the hell, get off! My back...."
"Shhhhhh Hikari, relax. Your back is fine, just settle your mind for a few moments."
You ceased your struggles and took a few deep breathes before you realized the roaring fire that was the pain in your back was reduced to a soft heat. Then Marik slipped his hand under your shirt and touched the side of your back, where there should be bandages, but you felt skin on skin.
"Marik... My back, is it?" You asked hoping for the best.
"Afraid not, my light." Marik replied and placed a kiss on your cheek. "I can't speed up your recovery with the power of my Rod, but I can take you to a place where you don't have to feel it as much. How lucky you are."
You turned around to face Marik and cupped his face.
"Marik..." You sympathized, but he shook it off and helped you up.
"Come, Hikari. Let's get you to bed."
You pouted and sounded like a child in your mind, not wanting to go to bed. You felt so lively and limber, you wanted to jump and run and dance with Marik for hours.
"Don't be like that, Hikari. You deserve a few solid hours of good sleep, and I intend to give it to you."
Marik kissed you again and you relented allowing him to drag you over to the bed. You laid down on the obscenely comfy bed and Marik soon joined you; the two of you laying face to face and you enjoyed that you could lay on your sides without propping it up against the couch. You spent an eternity of a moment looking into each others eyes until you gave a yawn.
"You must sleep, my angel."
Your eyes fluttered and you fell against him, his arms guiding you their. He happily hummed while you went limp in his arms and you slowly dozed off as a blanket of shadows; so warm and comfortable covered you both.
"Rest well, my sacred light."
"Mmhm..."
In your boyfriend's arms, in this unknown place for the first time since your surgery you found such wonderful rest. In your last moments of conscious you muttered how thankful you were to him for this gift and how blessed you were to have him in your life.