Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Winter Solstace ❯ Together Again ( Chapter 2 )

A/N: Hallo! *^.^* Disclaimer applies to all chapters. ((go to chapter one [1] for full Disclaimer. Not that it's very long, but for the lawyers…)) Seeing as things are a bit… confusing, considering a knickknack or two from the first chapter, and if you've a question, ask it. *^^* Go on, and Hayashiba-chan will answer it! She doesn't want any confusion or misunderstandings…

Like the whole 1000 year mark and Winter Solstice things. The Shadow Powers don't come out EVERY Winter Solstice EVERY year, just on Winter Solstice with 1000 year intervals. Everybody understand now? ^_^ good!

… Minna-sama! Ja ne!

~*~

"Winter Solstice"

02/20

~*~

-Yuugi's POV -

Malik wanted us to get to Maine in one night.

One night. Maine. To catch a plane that goes to Britain, then China, and THEN Tokyo, and finally Domino City.

But back to the FIRST problem at hand: getting to Maine in one night.

"Ryou… I'm not hitchhiking. We can't take a plane. Too much of a hassle to rent a car. Taxi drivers are all perverted child-molesters, and even those that aren't, they wouldn't stop by for a couple of low-paying kids like us."

"I don't… know what to do… Yuugi. Malik has… well… he's Malik. We expected no more from him. And anyway… hitchhiking couldn't be that bad, right? Not here in America. People are somewhat civilized here!"

Americans? Civilized?

Ryou glanced at the look on my face and shrugged hopelessly.

We were both in our apartment room, safely locked away from all traces of the storm outside. Ryou was currently washing his hair in the shower, and I was packing, since I'd had a shower beforehand. (And I was still running around in just a towel, but Ryou and I are a couple, so that doesn't matter. Nor do I mind snaking glances at him through the shower curtain. Yeah, h - NO! BAD THOUGHTS YUUGI, BAD!)

"A taxi. I'd much prefer a taxi."

"Then, we'll do that," he agreed, readily enough, and shut the shower off. I handed him a towel, then took my bag filled with all of our bathroom produce (as Malik so affectionately dubbed the toothbrushes and toilet paper) out to the main room, where two more, larger bags stood open and full of our other belongings.

He came out drying his hair.

"And Yuugi," he began, coming up behind me to peer over my shoulder at his suitcase I was sorting through, "I won't let some freak driver with lolita-complex touch you." he hugged me and breathed in my ear.

I made a sort of choked giggling noise, spun around, and kissed him.

Then we dressed in the appropriate denim jeans and blank T-shirts that were so common for Americans, put on our leather trench coats, sunglasses, and boots, grabbed our things (two bags each), and left.

"Shouldn't you two kids be at school?" grunted the taxi driver as Ryou and I got in his car.

"We're visiting… my… cousin's sister's… nephew's friend's brother's…. aunt. She's sick." Ryou lied obligingly. I ducked my head, smothering a giggle. "And anyway," my white-haired boyfriend went on, "it's our last year and we're both on honor roll." That was a lie, but with our leather and glasses and interestingly colored hair, the driver didn't question Ryou.

He and I, we're terrible liars, despite having been doing it all of our lives. It's more Malik's thing. Lying and sleeping around to get to the top, THAT'S our Malik! His motto is "No woman shall take my heart."

I can't wait until the day he falls in love with some guy off the street!

"Portland, Maine?" the taxi driver was asking presently.

"Yes. If we go nonstop now, we ought to get there by evening tomorrow." Ryou answered serenely.

"Portland…" the driver murmured, "Portland… that's going to be a mighty cost, there, young man."

"You take credit? Debut it." I put in helpfully, not really knowing what I was saying. The driver snorted.

"Tell you what. You boys tell me the truth why you need to get to Maine so badly, and I'll take you there. Crossing state lines, you know."

Ryou and I glanced at each other. Then inspiration struck.

I sniffled a few times, and hid my face in Ryou's neck. "It's b-because," I choked out, and Ryou, catching on, patted my back and murmured something along the lines of "there, there."

"It's because our p-parents… our dad, h-he threw us out a-and we n-need to get to our m-mom's place, and we've g-got tickets, p-plane tickets, she lives in E-England, but they're f-from Portland, and we d-don't know what to d-do…" I burst into dramatics and sobbed openly against Ryou's shoulder. He held me consolingly, managing a few tears as well.

Now, this is something Ryou and I *can* do.

- Malik's POV -

You know when I told Yuugi and Ryou the Shadow Power Trio (as I have so affectionately dubbed them)'s jobs? I just found out some more new things about them today.

Like, they work at this night club bar thingy-ma-jigger that you have to be 21 or older to enter. Hmm.

Performers? I think it sounds just a BIT too kinky for my taste. But seriously, you can't blame me; after playing uke for a guy like Mariku, you wouldn't want to share him, either. Even if it is just a simple strip-dance on stage.

*I* got to see the real thing for free. So there, you patriotically drunk bastards! I'm better than you! Muaha ha!

Over that now.

Well, it turns out that the school they attend, that being Domino High, prohibits part-time jobs (but what about full time jobs?) for the students. If anybody found out about Mariku (oh, and Yami and Bakura) then they'd be suspended.

No, scratch that. Considering their TYPE of job, they'd most likely be expelled. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Naughty boys.

I also found out that underage dating is against their school's policy as well. Typical Japanese. I think I'll have to seduce one of their students in front of a few teachers just for the hell of it. Mweh heh.

But back to business.

I have also discovered that Bakura's hair is not naturally that dusty white (so unlike Ryou's silver-white), it's actually brown, but the dye makes it into a sort of white with gray undertones. It comes just below his ears (at least four inches difference to Ryou's) and sticks out everywhere (same as Ryou's. Why the hell am I comparing Bakura and Ryou?) …Right. Well, while Ryou has soft, depthless brown eyes, Bakura has narrowed hard black-brown eyes with a red tinge. Scary. (but not as scary as Yami's. *His* eyes are 100% crimson. I shudder at the weirdness of it all.) Bakura lives on his own, mother and father having both died. He's got a nasty temper, but a fluid body, so "dancing" comes fairly natural.

Yami's hair is colored in the same fashion that Yuugi's is; after the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Sekhut, one of the three magi that made my humble life possible. I'm pretty sure all three's natural hair color is black, but then again they might have colored their eyebrows as well, which blows THAT theory to hell. Anyway. Yami lived alone with his older brother until recently, which is his brother committing suicide at not being accepted at Tokyo University. I honestly don't know what the stupid brat was thinking, seeing as it's FRIGGIN TOKYO UNIVERSITY, but I digress. So, Yami also has a sharp temper, but it doesn't flare up as much as Bakura's and Mariku's. He's got nice skin and the ability to learn quickly, so dancing is a piece of cheesecake to him.

And Mariku. Ahh, Mariku: the one and only *seme* to have entered my life. Having had personal experience with this one, I can truthfully say that he WOULD make a successful strip-dancer, if only to show off that body. I know he flaunts it everywhere he goes. Bastard. However, back on track… he lives with his older sister who's never home. And looks great in leather. He'd also look great in c- no! Must. Not. Think. Bad. Thoughts! This is a direct descendant, here!

Grr. Arg. Snarl. Growl.

… Hmm… I wonder if I could get Mariku-chan to purr? Maybe by t- GAH! NOOOOOOO!!!!!

… Damn. Cold shower time.

- Ryou's POV -

We missed our flight. By an entire day. Turns out that the taxi driver believed Yuugi's story…

…and drove us to the nearest police station to turn us in.

That took forever to get out of. FOR.EV.ER.

I even actually considered pulling a Malik and kicking the guy's ass. But I didn't. Instead, Yuugi and I took a bus, which took THREE MORE DAYS days, and Malik's all-caps-lock emails weren't a consolation.

Of course, it WAS a pretty big waste of money. Not that currency comes hard to us three, it was just an awful big waste.

But once at Portland, Maine, we found another, shorter flight to Japan. Shorter because we didn't have to plane-hop so much. It was one stop in England, one stop in Shikoku (Japan), and then straight to Domino City airport. When we weren't arguing with Malik over the phone or internet, I brushed up on my Japanese.

Honestly, it is fun to know hundreds of different languages, but after a while things can get a bit muddled up. I'd even completely forgotten about the whole never-say-I-Love-You thing. Yuugi was happy to remind me, of course, as he is natively Japanese (lucky cat. That's my new pet name for him: Kitten. He calls me bunny or rabbit, probably because of my hair. I know this won't last; and so does he. But we want to enjoy it while it lasts, right? Just like each of our relationships with Malik before…) and then we acted like the world was going to end because we wouldn't be able to cuddle and nuzzle in public.

Either way, it took us almost a week to get to Domino City. Malik met us at the airport, and the three of us created quite a sight (per usual) in our black leather, sunglasses, and metal-toed boots. A few glares and any interested stares were taken care of, though.

"My dearest Ryou-chan and Yuugi-chan," Malik said dramatically when we stepped off the plane and found him by the baggage claim. "How I've missed you so - it feels like it's been an entire millennia!" he hugged us, glared at some people that were staring, and then continued, "this is Japan. Shall we go by our first names or last?"

"Let's keep it at first," Yuugi said, unnervingly happy. Then again, I couldn't blame him in the least; he was back in his home country, after… how long? Must have been ten years by now. "By the way," my tri-colored haired kitten went on, "Bunny-chan and I are together."

Malik grinned. "I knew it would only be a matter of time. I bet it'll be a month before you two break it."

"We think it might be a year before that," I supplied smoothly, and all three of us laughed.

"Might be… let's see, Yuugi and I lasted… three weeks?" Malik raised his eyebrows humbly.

"Four," I corrected, and Yuugi grinned at his feet sheepishly. "And you and I went at it for five and a half."

Malik chuckled. "Well, my money's still on one month, or sooner. Then again, it WOULD be interesting to know which one of you uke babes would play seme..." He turned his head to one side and grabbed our bags as they came round the conveyer belt. "Had a chance to Play yet?" he asked suggestively.

Both Yuugi and I flushed. "N-no," I muttered, "but if and or when we do, *you* don't get to watch."

"Yeah. Privacy, Mali-chan!" Yuugi put in, also quietly. `Playing in bed' isn't something you talk out loud about! Malik can be so dense sometimes!

"So," I said quickly as we walked out of the airport and down the street, for a change of subject, "where are we staying?"

"I've gotten a small apartment a ways from the high school. These three direct descendants, they're pretty much surrounded. We'll have to go by plan C I think."

"Plan C?" I asked, rolling my eyes heavenward. Honestly, Malik. You don't have to be so obvious! "We're going to get closer to them?"

"And that means," Malik went on energetically, "we register in their class! And get a chance to check out all the high school chicks! By the way, did you know that underage dating is against the rules here? And having a job?" he looked thrilled at the very thought.

"Let me guess," Yuugi said bemusedly. "We're going to register in their class or classes, get jobs where THEY have jobs, and get closer by dating them?"

"Wow, I forgot how smart you were, Yuugi-chan!" Malik said euphorically, stopped to pat Yuugi on the head.

"Aw. Ignore him, Kitten-chan. We all know Malik just wants to break rules." I said sympathetically, and the three of us laughed again. Malik flagged down a taxi some ways from the airport, and we rode to his apartment (on the ninth floor, of course. Malik loves being up in the air.) in companionable silence the rest of the way.

Once in the apartment, Malik laid down the rules ("I get the bedroom behind the kitchen! IT IS MINE! MINE, DAMMIT! And Ryou, stop rolling your eyes like that. It's unbefitting for a promising young man."), Yuugi and I dumped our stuff in our own room (Malik had gotten a two-bedroom apartment, so my boyfriend and I get to share a bed. Gulp. Must. Not. Think. Bad. Perverted. Thoughts.), and collapsed in bed.

And so, the countdown to Solstice began. We have one more year to kill Mariku, Yami, and Bakura. And any other direct descendants we can get our hands on.

`One year,' I thought, cuddling up with Yuugi after a nice make-out session that seemed to hint towards my being the seme in our relationship. `No problem; we ought to be out of here in one month.'

But, oh, how wrong I was.