Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Rule the Game ❯ Two is Company ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I own Yu-gi-oh like I own a pair of matching socks.

 

AN: This time, I'm writing under the influence of Lois McMaster Bujold (the latest edition to my one-of-the-greatest-authors-of-all-time list, and incidentally, just the thing for people who like short heroes!). Sorry for the delay - again - it was mainly because of, well, Lois McMaster Bujold o.-; Plus, of course, the story is fighting me like a wet cat, no surprise there... Just one more chapter to go, though! Thanx to those who reviewed the last chapter; feedback is always sincerely appreciated ;) More drama, the official song for this story is now `Hate Me' by Blue October... because, um, I like it...?

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Chapter Two: Two is Company

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The three A.M. sky over Domino was lost behind rusty clouds hung crushingly low with promises of precipitation, in one form or another. Yuugi shuddered his way down the mostly quiet streets, and wished he'd thrown on an extra layer.

 

Jou had only had one thin old coat...

 

`Aibou...?' Yuugi suppressed the instinct to jump; his dark's voice was dead serious, like ice water. `When you find him, just what do you intend to do...?'

 

Yuugi sensed something chastising in that tone, and sighed, knowing that he probably deserved it. The truth was, he was a bit afraid, and not just of pitch alleyways and barred windows; he didn't really have a clue what he'd say, but he knew that he absolutely had to get him to come back, somehow, before anyone woke up and found them gone. What was that, anyway - guilt? But was he trying to protect Jou's secret... or his...?

 

`You are troubled,' Yami stated, and this time the tone was obviously stern. `A confrontation in this state will almost certainly not go the way you want it to - calm yourself.'

 

Yuugi bowed his head. No sympathy. But then, it wasn't like he'd been expecting it; he and the spirit hadn't really talked about Jou's confession, or about Yuugi's response to it, but he had a feeling that he'd got the gist of Yami's opinion of the affair. He suspected that the pharaoh didn't think too highly of either of them at this point... “Yes, Yami,” he mumbled to his shoes.

 

`Now,' Yami continued, sounding more approving, `what are you going to do? Are you going to apologize?'

 

Yuugi frowned. `Apologize-?'

 

`Yes, for how cold you've been today.' Yuugi could only manage to send him static, the equivalent of stammering, before Yami overrode him. `Don't try to excuse yourself - you recoiled from him, wouldn't meet his eyes, couldn't talk to him.'

 

`But...' Yuugi balled his fists, miserable. `But if I do that - apologize - what if he thinks -?'

 

A static from Yami, now, full of frustration. `You two - both so -' There was a moment of silence, as he got himself somewhat under control. `He must think he's disgusting now,' Yami whispered coldly. `If you want that, you should just go home now. One way or another, is it really so hard to speak your mind...?'

 

Yuugi was a bit distressed to find water gathering in his eyes - especially unpleasant in this weather - but his pained grimace was prematurely terminated by a sudden adrenaline rush. Yami's ghostly presence was by him in an instant as he jumped to face a near-by alley. There had been a rattling crash of a trashcan lid being knocked to the ground - maybe just an alley cat - but he could've sworn he'd heard a distinctly human-sounding yelp... Yuugi squinted in, and murmured a disbelieving: “Jou...?”

 

The reply was a long time coming, and totally emotionless. “Go home, Yug'. It's dangerous out here.”

 

Yuugi's eyes widened. “Jou-!” Another rattle, and then a silhouette could be seen vaulting the low wall at the end of the alley -

 

`Go after him!' Yami snapped, but Yuugi shook his head.

 

`I... don't think he wants to see me right now...' he said, and cursed himself for how plaintive he sounded.

 

Xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooX

 

Jou slept on the street that night. The problems with this are immediately apparent - it is not nearly as simple as it sounds, to sleep on the street in that kind of weather - but he'd done it before, times when his old man was in a bad way. He had a place ready, complete with a set of foul old blankets and some basic nonperishables - but even so, he wound up slinking back into his house at a quarter to five for some extra coats.

 

He passed the night huddled in his miserable little hidden corner, to think miserable thoughts in nothing but his own miserable company. He reached the conclusion early on that he was now officially clinically insane.

 

But then again, Jonouchi Katsuya never had been the type to come up with plans, after all. It was all pretty normal, if you looked at it that way. He had thought something along the lines of `him - here - can't - stifling -”, and had fled. He curled up tighter in his cocoon, trying to expose as little surface area as possible. Now, after the fact, after he'd essentially ruined his life, now he stopped to think...

 

He laughed to himself, and the sound was hemmed with hysteria. Oh, yes, `ruined his life' - he thought he'd wrecked it before, when he'd basically told his best friend that he had a crush on him - and he hadn't even managed to get that right - but no, this was much worse. When the others were wondering in the morning where he'd gone, would Yuugi tell them? How could he blame him, if he did? And even if he didn't, how the hell was he supposed to go back to school in a week? He couldn't face them - he'd have to become a drop-out -

 

He laughed, witlessly, until he cried.

 

Xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooX

 

Contrary to his nature, Yuugi sat silent at the kitchen island and let Anzu do the talking. He tried to pass his passivity off as mere sleepiness by keeping his eyes half-lidded and mulling on his unaccustomed cup of coffee. He also tried not to fidget, but he couldn't stop his fingers from beating out a nervous tattoo in synch with the rhythm of the whispers in his head.

 

`...I can't believe... both so... you should've done... should've said... should've gone...'

 

That night, after they had lost Jou, Yami had immediately insisted that Yuugi tell his friends what was going on, because `things were starting to become unreasonable'. Yuugi had protested that Jou should be the one to tell them, and Yami had called that unreasonable, too. Yuugi had then retorted that maybe he just wasn't feeling too reasonable right now, which he supposed was true. They hadn't talked much after that, and when Yuugi had told his friends this morning that he had no idea where Jou'd gone, Yami had cut off communications completely; his mental ranting, however, seemed to be powerful enough to seep into Yuugi's mind anyway.

 

But it's not my fault... if I don't love him like that. Why can't we just be friends, like always...?

 

Yuugi abruptly downed the remainder of his coffee in one gulp and a grimace, and tried to pay attention.

 

“...So I'll go check the cinema. Bakura-kun, that means the arcade will be up to you.” The brunette frowned slightly. “Honda-kun, will you be okay checking his house?” Honda nodded solemnly. “Thanks... and, Yuugi-kun, you can go look around the pizza place, okay?” She eyed him critically, as if just really seeing him for the first time that morning. “Hey - you're not sick, are you?”

 

Yuugi forced a smile, eyes wide with innocence. “Naw. I'm still just waking up, I guess - I'll be fine.” She smiled in relief - just for him - something fluttered in his stomach... He flinched a moment later, however, at a fresh surge of rage on Yami's part.

 

Yuugi managed to keep up his smiling façade on the outside, but as soon as they went their separate ways, it dropped away in favor of a frown. Perhaps he should get angry, too? Surely he was entitled. I can't help who I love!

 

As he walked slowly to the pizza place, however, Yami's voice dulled to surf lapping the shore, and he found that he didn't have quite the energy. It was sleeting lightly; that tended to put things in perspective, especially when one had forgotten a scarf. Presently Yami's ghost appeared by his side, silent but companionable, and Yuugi smiled sadly.

 

Xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooX

 

After the first night, Jou deemed it safe to return to his house to sleep, as long as he was careful to show up late and leave early. The improvement in comfort was, of course, purely physical; he had normally slept at Honda's house more often than not because his own house made him so nervous. Just as long as the old bastard never sobered up enough to stagger to his feet, he told himself, he'd be fine.

 

During the first few days, he hung out at the mall - squandering his meager savings at a steady trickle on cheap fast food - until he spotted Ryou and Anzu at the arcade. On the forth day, he weathered a small blizzard in a dingy little café near his home, ordering cup after cup of cappuccino so they'd let him stay until he was thoroughly sick of the stuff. Other than the pushy owner, no one bothered him, for which he was eternally grateful. He stared into his gently steaming mug with grim intent.

 

There didn't seem to be anything for him to do, he reflected, but wait for his lost sanity to return. He didn't seem to be having much luck on that front so far. He inhaled the rising steam experimentally, and wrinkled his nose. Perhaps...

 

Perhaps, by the time school started - three days three days three days! - he firmly pushed the mounting panic back. Maybe, by the time school started, he could come up with a believable excuse. Kidnapped by old gang rivals in the dark of night - beaten and brutally abused - a daring escape - a car chase (every good movie had one, how could it hurt?) - caught again, thrown in a cell - in the dark, nothing to eat but spiders - nothing to drink but fucking cappuccino... He laid his head on the greasy table with a whimper.

 

Even if he did manage to come up with something believable, Yuugi would know the truth. Whether or not he'd told the others, the fact remained that Yuugi knew, and nothing else really mattered. There was no way that they'd be able to act remotely normal around each other now, and the others would surely notice eventually. What would he do then...?

 

After the storm passed, he walked the streets for hours into the night, humming with caffeine and thoughts. Nobody spoke to him, nobody would come near him, until he wanted to scream just for the sound.

 

Xoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooX

 

AN: Whew! (wipes sweat from brow) I like this chapter much better than the last one, I think :) Of course, this is just an initial opinion - what do you think? (hinthintnudgenudge) I guess I should be thanking Yami no Hikari chan for this chapter, because she directed me to this MARVELOUS site: http : / / sakuracrisis . ukepile . com / (take out the spaces, o' course). Scanlations of bunches of different manga and doujinshi, including Kaori Yuki's wonderful `Boys Next Door' that I've been stalking for ages :D (in otaku heaven) But enough of my rambling; hopefully the website will keep ya'll entertained for a bit, because I have a couple other stories that I need to update before I can work on this again, heh heh. I'm aiming for, say, 7/21 (three weeks)... that's horrible, isn't it? t.t (bow, bow)