Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Love is Unexplainable ❯ Pop the Question ( Chapter 5 )

I know it's been a super long time since I last updated and I'm really sorry. I actually started this chapter the day after my last update and then it just wouldn't work with me. Then I've been sick all week and I'm finally just about to sneak out to go to school tomorrow since I'm so sick of my house. Just don't kill me about this chapter…you'll understand about mid-chapter.

~~

On Monday morning, Yugi was surprised when a person ran past him and stopped just a few feet in front of them, the person heaving for breath and clutching a bag at his shoulder. His amethyst eyes widened in surprise.

"Yami? I thought you'd be riding your motorcycle to school now that it's fixed up."

"I would, but I enjoy the scenery going slow rather than fast; it's a beautiful thing to look at, don't you agree?"

A large smile opened on Yugi's face and the younger nodded excitedly. "That's why I don't let my grandpa give me rides; I enjoy walking a lot better."

~~

Arriving at the school Yami suddenly became quiet and looked bit lost, like he didn't know what to say or do, especially with his hands. The slightly rough-looking and, yet, still soft-observed hands were sweating profusely as they wrung in knots around each other.

"Yami, is everything okay?" Yugi asked him, concern glowing in his amethyst eyes.

"Well, actually I…um…no…sort of…yes!" He shouted the last part after his stumbling. "Everything's fine; don't worry about a thing."

"If you're sure then," Yugi whispered, not believing Yami and feeling betrayed that Yami would lie to him about something so simple to answer. It wasn't like he was going to push Yami into telling him what it was; it was an unpretentious `yes' or `no' question, wasn't it?

The bell echoed throughout the school yard and Yugi turned to leave. He made it a few feet from the door when he heard someone running towards him and his name being hollered. He turned and waited for Yami to catch up.

"The thing is, Yugi…I uh… I need to talk to you about something really important. Can you wait for me after school by the front gate?"

A small smile appeared over Yugi's slightest of frowns and he nodded. "Sure, no problem. See ya later." He headed up the steps before he froze in mid-step, looking back at Yami. "Why not at lunch?"

A red flush faded onto Yami's cheeks, but it was slight; Yugi wasn't sure if he really saw it or it was his imagination. "It's kind of private and I don't want anybody overhearing."

"That's okay then. Later."

Yami waited for Yugi to disappear behind the large school doors before letting out a sigh of relief. `Yami, you are the biggest idiot in the world,' He cursed at himself. `Let's talk about plain, out in the open lying for a second! Main reason why we don't lie: WE SUCK AT IT!!!!!' With that conversation stored away for later discipline, Yami strolled into the building and headed for his first class.

~~

Yami sighed with relief when the final bell rang to signal the students they were released for the day. Of course, then he looked out the window a second later and saw Yugi running over to the front gate and his courage seemed to dissolve from his body.

`You can do this, Yami!' He tried to pump himself up for the confession he was about to give in a few minutes. He stood and hurried out to his locked. `Think of how proud mom and dad will be when I tell them I've finally found someone I want to be with and asked them out.' He opened the front doors and stared out into the school yard, his eyes immediately turning to Yugi. `Now all I have to do is try not to think of all the negative things Yugi could say to me when I tell him.'

Amethyst eyes turned in his direction and began to glow brightly as their owned waved and ran over to him. "Hey, Yami," Yugi exclaimed happily as he stopped in front of Yami. "So, you wanted to tell me something important without anyone around?" He took a quick glance around the now deserted yard to add to his joke. "Unless you know a place where the dead can't even here?"

Nerves overtaking him, Yami grasped Yugi's wrist, more tightly than he wanted to, and dragged the younger teen off in the direction of his house as fast as he could.

"Yami," Yugi questioned, fear evident in his voice. "Yami, did I say something wrong?"

Yami never answered him…

~~

Arriving at the house, Yami tug Yugi to his room, all but slamming the door after they entered. That's when he finally released Yugi.

The younger fell back on the bed with alarm clouding his eyes as he continuously rubbed over his abused wrist, never taking his eyes away from his taller look-a-like. How could he not be scared when Yami had never shown a side like he had just revealed before? More than anything though, he was confused with the change of attitude and he couldn't help but wonder if he had done something wrong. Coming to this realization, the question burned in his eyes, but he dare not say a thing to set Yami off once more. He didn't think he could handle his wrist, either of them, to be treated that way again.

Yami turned to him, now calmer than the entire walk home, and was shocked to see Yugi as he huddled closely to the wall by his bed. Had he done something wrong? He couldn't even remember the walk home. He hadn't even planned to bring Yugi to his house. He just thought he would ask Yugi to go out with him in the school yard and leave it at that, whether the answer was positive or negative.

It was then that he saw the question in the younger's eyes. The memory flashed in his eyes and he all but dropped to his knees in self-hate. How could he have done that to the young innocent, someone who seemed so frail he could be broken with even the slightest touch? And here, here he had the nerve to handle him so cruelly.

He moved slowly towards the bed and held out his hand carefully, not wanting to startle the boy anymore than he probably already had. As if in slow motion, Yugi held out his wrist to Yami and watched, his shaking deceasing with ever passing second, as the slightly larger hands massaged the small bruise of fingertips around the base of his hand.

"I'm sorry, Yugi," Yami whispered gently. "I'm just so nervous that I didn't know what I was doing. I never even meant to bring you here."

"What are you talking about, Yami? I met you in the yard like you told me to this morning and then you drag me to your house acting like a complete stranger. I've never seen anyone change so quickly."

"It's sort of what happens when I get nervous; like I almost don't have control of myself anymore. It's a good thing it doesn't happen very often though." Yami joked lightly at the end, trying to improve the mood; it didn't work very well.

"Well it would at least help if you'd tell me if what I did to get you so nervous." Yugi accused.

Crimson eyes widened and their owner quickly shook his head. "No, Yugi! You did nothing wrong, I swear. It's all me." Yami took a deep breath and let it out so slowly you could barely tell he was exhaling. "I have something important to ask you, Yugi, and I'd like it very much if you would accept my offer because it would make me very happy."

Yugi was weary and, he had to admit, had little respect for Yami now because of what he did. He wasn't sure if he wanted to agree with whatever the question was if it meant he'd have to hang around Yami when he acted like that. Slowly though, he nodded for Yami to continue.

"Yugi, would you go out with me and be my boyfriend?"

Yugi's eyes widened and a sweat drop formed on his brow. "What?"

"Would you please go out with me? Be my boyfriend?" Yami asked pleadingly.

Silence ringed through the room and even though there was no noise, it seemed like the loudest thing in the world at that moment.

"No." A firm voice finally answered from just about Yami.

The older teen's head shot up in surprise and a small trace of tears were forming in his eyes. "B-but why?"

"You have the nerve to ask me something like…like that after what you just did to me? How dare you? You think just because you ask me to go out with you after you just acted like a complete jerk to me, it makes everything okay and I'll forgive you?"

"No, Yugi…I…"

"Don't even try it, Yami! You've got some nerve to even consider asking me that, whether you're nervous or not. If I was even going to think about going out with someone I'd at least want to know them better than I know you and longer than just a few weeks. And I especially don't want to be asked out by someone who gets freaked out like you do!" Yugi stood and marched out the door and the house without another word.

Salty drops fell to the floor as Yami curled around himself and huddles against the furthest wall from the door. He couldn't stop the tears from coming and he doesn't even bother to try stopping them from falling.

~~

Yugi gasped for air against the front door of Yami's house. `Why? Why did I say such horrible things? I suck for saying what I did, no matter what Yami did to me. He explained what happened and I blew it up in his face like there was no tomorrow. I should apologize to him…at least give him a chance to prove that it won't happen again.' He turned, ready to open the door and go back in before he froze in horror. `What if he wants nothing more to do with me because of what I said?' He turned and ran down the driveway and away from the house as fast as he could. `How will I ever face him after this?'

~~

Yugi dropped his bag at the front door and hurried up to his room, tears flowing down in rivers across his cheeks. It wasn't long before he heard the expected knock at his door.

"Yugi? Is everything okay?" His grandpa looked into the room a felt concern for his upset grandson. He hurried to his side and held him tightly in his arms. "Shh, everything's going to be fine, Yugi. Tell me, what's got you so troubled?"

Amethyst eyes looked into his the old man's. Solomon was surprised to see their depths looking so lost and helpless, like Yugi didn't know what to do or where to turn now. Whatever was upsetting his grandson, it had affected him nearly as much as the death of his parents had.

~~

Yugi walked to school alone the next day and didn't see any signs of Yami or hear the roar of a motorcycle coming down the street. He felt horrible and only wished he could make it up to his friend somehow and, hopefully, sometime in the very near future.

It was at lunch when the impossible happened again. He was hiding up in the small gym in front of the boys' locker room with Joey, playing ping-pong. He hadn't realized they were being watched as they played until he heard his name called out by the one voice he hadn't expected to hear come out of this particular person's mouth.

Joey growled under his breath as Seru walked over to Yugi, but held back any remark or action since Yugi had told him and the rest of the gang about the deal. Yugi only wished it was still on even if he did get upset with Yami.

"I need to speak to you…now." Seru told Yugi.

Not wanting to get on his bad side, since he already seemed to be on it, and nodded. He followed the older and much stronger teen outside and leant against the wall by the nearest corner in case he needed to make a fast getaway.

"I heard about what happened between you and Jikiro yesterday."

Yugi audibly gulped and scooted closer to the corner. Seru smirked at the motion and moved away from the frightened teen. "You'll be happy to know, however, that Yami still wants to keep up the deal to keep you safe."

Yugi's eyes widened considerably and, without realizing it, he relaxed. "He does?"

Seru nodded and looked away. "He told me not to come looking for you either, but, as you can clearly see, I don't follow directions very well."

"So you're still going to…"

"No." Seru cut him off. "I've found a respect for Jikiro so I agreed to keep going along with the deal even though you hurt him; greatly, I'll add. He definitely didn't seem like himself when I saw him this morning in the library. Anyway, down to the point. Don't ask why or anything, but I'm gonna help you."

"Why; with what?"

Seru's eyebrow raised in mock-question, almost as if to say `it's plainly obvious you want to be friends again, even when you are too chicken to go to him yourself.' "Well, kid," Seru started after a short silence, "Yami told me what you said to him, after much persuasion I might add, and it got me thinking. We talk a lot while he's helping me and I know all the places he goes to and when he's going to meet up with me when I need the extra help. I can set you up with him with him only thinking he's going to be seeing me."

"What's the catch?"

"Smart kid." Seru smirked. "My boys have done a little research for me and found out that you're getting a high A in PE. Yami has enough work on his hands tutoring me in everything else so I'm not going to bug him. I can get a passing grade if I get better at the unit we're doing now and pass the test. You help me do that and I'll set you up with Yami."

"What's the unit?"

"Ping-pong."

Yugi thought for a second before wishing greatly he wasn't making the wrong choice. "Let's get started."

Seru smirked and nodded. He followed his once favorite beat-up toy into the small gym and watched quietly as Yugi told his dog friend to meet up with him later before the blonde finally left them alone.

"When's your test?" Yugi asked as he set himself up on the opposite side of the table, ready to serve.

"A week from Friday."

"At least you gave me some time to work with you rather than a couple days. Let's see what you know then."

With only a few games Yugi's only thoughts running through his head were, `This is going to be the death of me,' As another ping-pong ball sailed over his head and joined the many more that had collected on the outside of the school fence.