bakerstreet | You and I will be young forever

Edited 2023-08-09 14:17 (UTC)

[Their "first date" had gone...

Well, it went better than he could have ever imagined. Katsuki was absolutely perfect. Just... everything about him. His personality, his looks, his determination and attitide. Marik liked him from the moment they began talking but spending more time with him had him liking him more and more. And today. Today sealed the deal. He wasn't letting Katsuki slip through his fingers. He'd do everything in his power to keep him, to have him be his friend, boyfriend, and lover. Their chemistry was nearly electric. Or perhaps like a fire in both of their case?

Whatever it was, he wanted more. Wanted to spend the rest of the day and night with him. After checking to see if he needed to grab anything from his place first, Marik drove them back to his apartment to continue their... festivities.

He lives in the richer part of the city at one of those swanky apartment buildings with a killer view and gorgeous construction all around. The Egyptian, having spared his boyfriend of any more teasing while they drove, parks his motorcycle, tucks his helmet under his arm, and leads him up to his apartment.

He unlocks the door and pushes it open for Katsuki to enter.]

Make yourself at home.

[The place is semi-minimalistic in decor but what is there is very high-end furniture. Golds, purples, reds, and whites are the primary color scheme. The couch in the living room is covered in throw pillows. Along the entertainment center are some photos of him with his siblings and on the wall is a painting of the desert at sunset and various hieratic wards. The scent of incense lingers in the air but not overwhelmingly so. A warm lavender scent, similar to his perfume.

He comes from money. That much is obvious. Should Katsuki look around, he'll find his bedroom is far more decorated. A plush bed with a canopy and more throw pillows, like something you'd see out of a Hollywood movie from the Golden Age of cinema on Egypt. The bathroom is rather lavish as well, a large jacuzzi size tub off to one side and a separate shower. Everything is organized and in its proper place.

Marik takes off his jacket, hangs it and his helmet up, kicks off his boots, and puts his hands on his hips as he looks around.]

You can help yourself to everything here. No need to ask me first, okay?

[Katsuki was no stranger to growing up with money. He wasn't a noble scion like IcyHot or Ponytail, but his parents were in the fashion industry -- his father was a designer, and his mother was a model -- and Katsuki never wanted for anything financially growing up.

That said...

This was far nicer than even his parents' place.

Katsuki's own personal taste was spartan, though that was simply out of necessity. There was...an elegance to the space that he appreciated, especially the colors. Marik knew how to coordinate, and he also knew how to not make his space a giant cluttered mess.

It was strange to say, but looking at his apartment made him fall for him even more.]

Thanks.

[Katsuki was careful as he took off his boots, setting it near the door as he hung his jacket on the hook with Marik's.

But Gods...this place even smelled like him. The incense wasn't overbearing; rather, it was a soothing scent that calmed his nerves.

He needed to get some of this for his dorm room at UA; it would help after hard training days when he couldn't see his boyfriend. It'd be like he was there in spirit--

Oh, for fuck's sake, stop. That was way too fucking sappy.

(He was still going to do it, though.)

He poked his head around, glancing at the photographs near the entertainment center. His nosy nature always reared its ugly head at times like this; but he couldn't help but be curious. Marik mentioned siblings; there were two here.

The woman was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen, with similar facial features to Marik. The brother held a stern countenance, but also held a certain rugged beauty that Katsuki couldn't deny.

Holy shit, everyone in his family was fucking gorgeous.]

This your family?

[Ah yes, Katsuki. Just be casual about the fact that you're snooping around your boyfriend's apartment and gawking at his family photos.

Real attractive.]

[It sadly never occurs to Marik that people could feel ostracized by his rich tastes and how he decorates his place. He'll consider himself very fortunate Katsuki's used to it rather than feeling inadequate or something. That's the last thing he'd ever want.

(He'll gladly give him some incense and a bottle of his perfume. And yes, the entire Ishtar family was beautiful. How are they allowed to be that hot? Even Marik can't deny it.)

The blonde didn't mind Katsuki snooping. He instead lounges lazily on the couch and watches as his boyfriend putters around. It's amusing. He has... nothing to really hide from him anyways. Outside of admitting he's committed fratricide.]

Yeah. My older siblings, Ishizu and Odion. They're both back in Egypt but they come to stay fairly often when sister has business to attend to here. She's the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities so she's usually pretty busy... Odion's been helping her with that. It's nice to see him... enjoying himself in his work.

Edited 2023-08-09 17:12 (UTC)

[Both back in Egypt...but they visit.

And they're...what?

Katsuki'd done a little research into Egypt not long after their first...hangout session and subsequent duel, just to learn a bit more about Marik. There was nothing weird about wanting to learn about the country his new friend was from.

So he knew enough to know that Ishizu and Odion were...more than a little bit of a big deal. No wonder Marik lived so comfortably.

Would Katsuki have to meet them someday? Inevitably, right? If he did, he wanted to make a good impression.]

You ever go back often? To Egypt, I mean.

[Why was he nervous about asking that?

Was he worried that Marik would just go back one day and never come back?]

[He'd be flattered to find out Katsuki's done his research. There isn't anything weird about it in his eyes. Knowledge is power, after all.

Marik blinks then glances off to the side, his expression a bit nervous.]

I haven't been back since before the Battle City Tournament. Sister said it would do me some good to stay here and... get to experience more of the surface world for a while.

[He fiddles with an earring.]

... I'll need to go back eventually to take care of some business but it shouldn't be too long. Then I can come right back.

Surface world?

[He's spoken about the world like this several times before, but he...never fully elaborated on that. He always assumed that Marik was sheltered in some way, kept from the world when he was young, but Katsuki couldn't tell exactly how.

Katsuki turned around, moving to the couch to sit next to him.

Why was he fiddling with his earring? Was he nervous?

He seemed nervous.]

...I have a week off in a month or two. I could pay my own way.

[He had enough money saved up to go on a single trip.

Though, fuck, maybe that was a bad suggestion.]

If. You wanted. If not, don't fuckin' worry about it.

[Ah yes, nice save. Nice way to not seem like a clingy asshole, Katsuki.]

[Ah, yes. His very blatant phrasing. Marik chews his bottom lip, trying to formulate how to best explain things.

Maybe just... being blunt about it? Don't give him the long winded story unless he wants to hear it.

He does seem to relax a bit when Katsuki joins him on the couch at least.]

Katsuki, I...

[He takes a deep breath and slowly exhales. Gods, he hopes the other can suspend his disbelief for a bit...]

... The Ishtars are a clan of tomb keepers. We've looked after the tomb, Items, and ancient scriptures surrounding the unnamed Pharaoh from thousands of years ago, waiting for the day his soul would be released and come back to life. My father forbid me from going to the surface. Said I'd want to leave if I ever experienced it... so I spent most of my life... living in the tomb.

As head of the tomb keepers, it's my duty to carry the last remaining hint of the Pharaoh rediscovering his name.

[He reaches over his shoulder on to his back. If Katsuki's been paying attention when Marik's back has been turned towards him, he'll have seen carved wings and a sun on his skin visible from the upper sides of his tank top.]

He's returned. I've shown him the Seal of Memories. I'm just... waiting for him to tell me he's ready to make the journey to the afterlife. Then my siblings and I will show him the way.

That's why I'll need to return to Egypt for a bit. After that though...

[He zones out for a moment.]

... After that, I'll truly be free to do as I please with my life.

Edited 2023-08-09 18:06 (UTC)

[Okay, wait.

Wait, wait, wait. What the fuck. When he thought he was isolated, he didn't think literally living in a fucking tomb waiting for An ancient pharaoh to come back to fucking life.

On one hand, part of him wanted to call it bullshit.

This had to do with magic and spirits and shit. You know, things that actually scared the everliving fuck out of him.

Ghost stories? Spirits? Things he couldn't physically fight, deal with, or beat back?

That shit terrified him, even if he didn't want to admit it.

And Marik just. Was forced to live in the tomb of a pharaoh by orders of his bastard of a father and...just had to exist there.

But it was hard to call it bullshit when Marik was speaking with absolute sincerity about the whole thing. He knew when his little shit of a boyfriend was being impish, or fucking with him. This was not one of those times.

...

Fucking hell, this was not one of those times.

And the way he touched his shoulder, where he knew he saw something that looked a bit too scarred to be a tattoo on his back (wings? A sun? Egyptian imagery for sure)...

How did he even get that mark?

Did Katsuki want to--

Yes. He absolutely wanted to know.]

So, let me...get this straight:

[Swallow.]

You were born and raised in a tomb and forced to never leave on the off-chance this nameless pharaoh came back to life.

[He paused.]

And now, said pharaoh...is back to life. Somehow. And your job is to lead him to the afterlife when he decides it's time to go.

'Sat about right?

[There's no judgment in his face. Surprise, yes, but no judgment. He wasn't lying. He genuinely thought there was a dead pharaoh that he needed to lead to the afterlife.

His family thought this was real enough for his father to fucking isolate him for it.]

[Marik wishes he was bullshitting him. That he was just a normal Egyptian boy, living a normal life. With no baggage that would have probably killed him had it not been for his own tenacity and will to live, his desire for freedom.

The blonde chews on his lip again, avoiding Katsuki's gaze for a bit as he works up the courage to look him in the eyes again.

Obviously he's painting himself in better light than he actually deserves. He'll always consider himself the victim in this entire situation. All of the terrible crimes and atrocities he committed? It was because he was pushed to do it. It wasn't his fault. (Atem really should have mind crushed him after banishing YamiMa.)

Everything was someone else's fault. It always was.]

... In a nutshell, yeah. There's a lot more to it but... I don't want to ruin our time together.

Just tell me when you're ready.

[Katsuki was no stranger to baggage, after all.

He wasn't exactly normal, either; a kid who thought he was The Shit, born with a powerful quirk and proceeded to lord it over others, including his nearest and dearest friend. His pride and personality kept getting in the way, leading people to misconstrue him for a villain.

Because of him, All Might had to retire.

Because of him, Izuku almost died.

Because of him, Izuku almost lost his confidence and drive to be a hero.

Because of him, Edgeshot lost his life to save his.

Survivor's guilt was always something that ate at Katsuki, and while he knew it was probably inevitable that he'd tell Marik about it (there was the possibility that he'd have a nightmare tonight while sleeping together...), that didn't mean he was chomping at the bit to do it.

But he knew there was more to the story than what he said. Marik told him about something he was trying to atone for when they first met, after all. His shitty upbringing could have very well been the cause, but that didn't give a free pass.]

I know that you've done shit you regret and you want to move on from. Y'told me as much when we first met. 'm not exactly clean on that front, either.

[Ugh, words. He fucking hated them.]

I...

[Come on, words.

Ugh, fuck it. He'll take his hand and squeeze it, leaning in for a soft kiss. That...that said a lot more than just a few words could say.

I'm here.

I won't judge you.

We can make it together.]

[While Katsuki had survivor's guilt, Marik had victim mentality.

He should have had freedom.

He should have obtained the Pharaoh's powers.

He should have ruled as a king.

Clearly delusions of grandeur. Ishizu puts the blame of all of that on his darker half but the truth is it was entirely "good" Marik. He was the one with the body count, he was the one that puppeted people, ripped their souls from their bodies, sacrificed them to further his own goals and success.

While the nagging sense in the back of his mind that he could lose himself wasn't there anymore, he was still paranoid. It was something he'd eventually get over... but having your soul ripped in half took some adjusting.

Marik winces at the word "regret."

He doesn't. He doesn't regret a damn thing -- only that he was caught. That it blew up in his face. He's been gaslit into thinking that maybe he regrets some of it but there is no remorse for his past deeds. Just disappointment. He was so close... but he became reckless and almost died for it.

Now he's just a muted version of himself, trying to live a relatively normal life as half of a person.

Marik knows not to doubt Katsuki's words. He doesn't know his past. For as hotheaded as he comes off sometimes, there's bound to be things he regrets.

He's at a loss for words. What does he say? Does he thank him? Tell him what he's done? Thankfully his boyfriend beats him to the punch, taking a hold of his hand and giving him a kiss. Marik tenses for a moment but immediately melts into it, returning the kiss just as softly.

That spoke louder than any words possibly could have. The Egyptian smiles and presses their foreheads together, closing his eyes.]

Katsuki...

[He doesn't know what Marik's done. Truth be told, he already has suspicions that there's some darker edges to his boyfriend under the surface, and he knows there's more to the story than he's letting on.

But if there's anything he learned from Izuku, from Round Face, from this whole fucking war...

...People can grow and change. People can be rehabilitated if they're given the chance to face their demons and be held accountable. Nobody's a one-way street, even if they themselves think they can't grow.

Katsuki isn't sure if what he feels is love, but it's certainly something powerful. Something strong enough to where he knew that his loyalty was triggered; he wasn't going anywhere.

He'd kick Marik in the ass if he needed it though, that was for sure.]

'M here.

[He leaned in for another kiss.]

I'm your...

[He paused.]

Lover.

[That was the term he used, right? It seemed like a loose translation to something else in his mother language. Or maybe that was just the literal translation of it.

If he lived in a fucking tomb that meant he spoke fluent old Egyptian, right?

He leaned in and gave him another kiss.

Then another, then another.]

My Pharaoh.

[Fuck, that was cheesy. But Marik liked it when he called him that, so he'd do it if it made him happy, especially since talking about this shit clearly made him feel like shit.

(Also it was kinda hot to think of him as his King, but that was Katsuki's secret submissive side coming out.)]

[Marik wouldn't admit it at first but he would be very grateful if Katsuki kicked his ass if he did ever step out of line. To have someone around to actually call him out on his shit. Marik was much like a cat. As long as he had a hiding place to retreat into, the bad behavior would continue. But if he had nowhere to go and had to face the music... He wouldn't be happy about it but would slowly come to accept that he's done something wrong and needs to answer for it.

Marik returns the kiss once again, pausing at Katsuki's words.

... Lover. He is, isn't he? His friend, his partner, his lover. And so much more. Marik's cheeks flush and he manages a small smile -- although the smile widens the more he's kissed.

Until his ridiculously hot boyfriend goes and calls him Pharaoh. His breath hitches and he slowly runs his tongue along his teeth. Yes, Pharaoh... That's what he wanted to be... That's what he can be for Katsuki...

Their own little kingdom... in his apartment.

Yes, he could live with that.]

... Mrwt.

[What he says sounds like "mer-root."

Hmm. That gives him an idea. Something to distract them both with. There's a cliché of people liking when you whisper to them in a language they don't understand... and Ancient Egyptian has a lovely, poetic sound to it. He brushes his lips against Katsuki's as he whispers in his native language. (They siblings learned Ancient Egyptian first, then the other lost dialects, and Egyptian-Arabic last before moving on to Japanese.)]

/Your Pharaoh, hmm? Then perhaps I should command you to worship me.../

[Look, if there's one thing Katsuki's good at, it's being a blunt asshole that holds people accountable. If anything, he just wants those he cares about to be at their best, and he'll do whatever he can to help them get to that level.

And Marik, well...

He's on the Special List, so he wants to help him even harder.

But...

Hearing Marik whisper in that voice sent his heart into his throat and his eyes widened.

Holy...holy fuck, that was hot. He didn't understand a word he said -- and he wanted to. He wanted to understand so fucking badly -- but he loved how it flowed from Marik's lips like water. How it lilted gently and tickled his ears.

Motherfuckers in the idiot brigade thought French was a sexy-sounding language?! Clearly they'd never heard this before.

Katsuki let out something between a shaky exhale and a moan, grazing his lips against his boyfriend's.]

[And Marik will try and do his best by Katsuki. He deserves that much -- and he's worth it. He makes him want to be a better person. Or mostly better, at least.

Gods, he has the best reactions. It makes teasing and seducing him all the more fun. It feeds his ego and... warms his heart in an odd way.

Marik takes a hold of his boyfriend's chin, whispering the "mer-root" word again, and makes him tilt his head slightly upward with that pleased smirk.]

/What's wrong...? Cat got your tongue...? Do I turn you on that much...?/

[There was that word again: "Mer-Root". That was clearly an Egyptian word, but was that...

Was that referring to Katsuki?

Was that "Lover" in his Language...? It was some kind of endearment, anyway, and it sounded fucking amazing coming from his mouth.

Though all it took was Marik gently tilting his head upward towards him to make his brain fuzz out and heart feel like cotton candy as his mouth went dry.

Fucking hell, how did a man make him want to simultaneously kiss, throttle, and worship him all at the same time? Marik Ishtar was a man of many talents, he guessed.

Katsuki decided to try shakily whispering the word to Marik in kind. Because, technically...they were both lovers...right?

He tried imitating the accent as best as he could, but fuck it, it was the best he could do with limited experience and the sexiest man he's ever seen talking to him like that.]

[Marik Ishtar was indeed a man of many talents. He was quite proud of that fact. His favorite aspect is how good he is at manipulating people -- and seduction is a part of that.

His smirk widens into a grin and his cheeks color as Katsuki repeats the word. That's sweet.. He'll have to teach him the other love words as well.]

/Should I continue to whisper sweet-nothings to you...?/ Kacchan~

[Fuck, he didn't know what he was saying, but Katsuki repeating that word made Marik blush and give him that grin.

That was a good sign.

What was Marik asking...?

He didn't know, but Katsuki could only utter one thing:]

Don't know what you're saying...but fuck...say more...

Edited (ONE THING NOT ONE WORD OMG) 2023-08-09 22:33 (UTC)

[That's absolutely adorable that he keeps saying it. Marik repeats the word more slowly to show him how it's pronounced.

Then to continue seducing his beloved boyfriend. He gently strokes Katsuki's chin, kissing along his cheek over to his ear.

All of the talk of their previous discussion has left his mind. Instead he'd focused on how much he adores Katsuki. How much he wants to pleasure him. How he wants him to truly feel special when with him.]

/Say more? Like how I want to make love to you? How I want to claim you as my own in body and soul? How... happy you make me?/

Edited 2023-08-09 16:27 (UTC)

[Not sure the "AU" part counts, but...]

[ she can be sweet seventeen again ]

ponyboy curtis | the outsiders

closed to explosivevictory

*Cracks knuckles* Let's do this.

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Kacchan is so weak to him omg

Nerd loves it

makima | chainsaw man

Hiroe Matsudaira | OC | F/M

geto suguru | jjk

sansa stark | asoiaf/got | ota

DON QUIXOTE | LIMBUS COMPANY | OTA

Cracks knuckles Let's do this.