Insomnia

by Higuchimon

Unable to sleep, Otogi visits a shop in hopes of a remedy, and finds a little more than he had expected when he meets Shizuka there.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters presented here and am not making any profit off of this whatsoever.
Title: Insomnia
Word Count: 9,402
Rated: PG-13
Romance: Otogi Ryuuji x Kawai Shizuka
Notes: This takes place a few years after the Ceremonial Duel and was written for the second season of the Yu-Gi-Oh Pairings Challenge. Comments and criticism gratefully accepted.
Summary: Unable to sleep, Otogi visits a shop in hopes of a remedy, and finds a little more than he had expected when he meets Shizuka there.

---

Otogi hated not being able to sleep. He wandered the crowded streets of Domino City, a light mental haze covering his mind, rendering him nearly incapable of thinking seriously about anything for more than a few seconds. He'd tossed and turned most of the previous night, just as he had for the last few, and had seen the rising sun far too many times. He really preferred not to wake up until as close to noon as possible. That was one of the perks of running his own business. He got to set his own hours, and the people who worked for him could open his store and work when he didn't feel like it.

None of that was helping him get any sleep, though. It wasn't what was contributing to the insomnia, either. He didn't know what it was, only that for some reason he couldn't yet fathom, he wasn't sleeping more than two or three hours in a night, none of those consecutive, and even when he did sleep, it wasn't the restful recharge that he needed it to be.

Maybe I should try and buy something to help. He had thought about that before, but had never bothered to follow through on any of his other insomnia episodes. They'd always ended before too long, so he hadn't needed to. But this particular bout was going on and on without an end in sight.

The question was, what should he get for it? He didn't really trust any of the over the counter products, most of them western imports, to do anything useful. He'd heard about a few of their side effects, and it wasn't anything he really wanted to run the risk of, not when there were alternatives that were much more interesting anyway, and probably could be a lot more effective.

It had been a while since he'd visited a couple of the herbalists' shops in the older parts of town anyway. His father had patronized quite a few of them in his attempts to reverse the effects of the Devil's Board game when Otogi had been a lot younger. That had failed, of course, but Otogi tried not to think about that too much. That part of his life was over.

I am going to need to go by the cemetery sometime soon, though. He made a note to get some incense before he did. He and his father had had the occasional difference, but there would always be a great deal of love and respect there.

For now, however, he wanted to find one of those shops and see if they had anything that could help him get some sleep.

One of them wasn't that far away, he realized, and he started that way quickly. The web of exhaustion that was wrapped around his mind didn't really stir that much, despite the cool afternoon air, but he stepped a little more briskly in the hopes of getting rid of it entirely very soon. He almost regretted not having kept some of the books his father had insisted on buying several years earlier. He didn't really think there was anything in them dealing with an inability to sleep, but he couldn't be certain. He'd never looked for such a thing, after all.

Maybe if the herbalists didn't work out, he could try them anyway. Bakura certainly wouldn't object to him looking through the books.

Three streets and almost being nipped by a slow moving car due to a sudden yawning attack later, he stood outside the door to one of the shops. It looked just the same as it always had: an unobtrusive door set in the wall, with a hand-lettered sign proclaiming the store's name and the owner. He had never been able to figure out just how they stayed in business without better advertising skills. If this does work out, I'll see if I can give them some advice or something. It would be completely worth it.

He swung the door open, hearing a bell tinkle overhead, and entered. The store beyond was again just like he'd remembered, small and crowded with herbs, several charms that promised one good luck, love, and other such wonders, and a thick scent that he couldn't identify, but which spoke to him of secret knowledge the likes of which he couldn't even dream of.

"Hello!" A cheerful female voice spoke up, and he peered around to see someone seated behind a counter. He blinked a few times; he knew he was having troubles sleeping, but he didn't think that he'd advanced to the stage of seeing things just yet.

"Shizuka?" What in the world was Jounouchi's sister doing here? He hadn't heard very much from her since Battle City had ended, and that had been six years earlier. Oh, he'd heard about her, since Jounouchi had a habit of telling everyone when she did something spectacular, such as graduating high school with high honors and getting into one of the more prestigious colleges in the country, but he hadn't actually heard from her personally. Not that there was any reason he should have, but regardless, he hadn't expected to see her here.

She blinked a few times, then smiled as she recognized him. "Otogi, right? One of big brother's friends?"

"Right," he replied, coming over to the counter. "What are you doing working here?" Really, he would have thought that Jounouchi would've mentioned his sister moving to Domino, especially to him! Didn't he know that Otogi liked to be kept updated on such things like attractive people being in town?

Shizuka shrugged a little. "It helps to pay the bills. College doesn't pay for itself."

"I know." He hadn't had too many problems with that, but he could see how it would be different for her. "I didn't even know you were living in Domino."

"Commuting to class was getting to be a pain. I got lucky, and there was a job opening here, so I moved in with some friends." She told him with a flash of a shy smile. She glanced around the store for a moment, and then looked back at him. "But you didn't come in here to talk to me. Can I help you with something?"

For a moment, Otogi just wanted to keep on talking to her, despite his tiredness. He'd been very occupied with his own thoughts and needs six years earlier, and Shizuka hadn't been that interested in talking to too many people back then either, but there was something he just liked about talking to her. It didn't make him feel any less tired or more alert, but it was a pleasant feeling no matter what. There was a good chance that he would like it a lot better if he had some sleep under his belt, though.

"I've been having some problems getting to sleep lately, and I was thinking about trying to pick up something that could help me. I haven't been here in a while, but I hoped there was something here." He took a look at the shelves, wondering just what all of these things could do. He recognized some of the herbs, though not all of them. A combination of his lack of sleep and all the years since he'd even bothered researching anything like this contributed to his semi-ignorance. Maybe I should try and pick it up again? He couldn't think of why: and he couldn't think of why not, either. Who knew, it could be useful at some point. You just never knew.

Shizuka frowned a little, then moved out from behind the counter and over to one of the shelves where several boxes and packets lay in neat rows. She ran her fingertips across them carefully, murmuring under her breath. Otogi watched her, noting a deliciously sweet aroma that hovered about her. He wondered just what kind of perfume it was; it fit her perfectly, being light and airy and teasing somehow.

"I think this should be able to help you." She pulled one box of tea down and turned back towards him, listing off the ingredients. A few of them did ring in his memory as being purported to help one sleep. "If it doesn't, there are a couple of others that my boss mixes up himself that you could try instead."

"How much is that one?" Otogi asked. He nodded a bit at the price and reached for his wallet. It wasn't that expensive, all things considered, and if it worked, it would be well worth it.

As she rang it up, he stifled another yawn and grinned a little at her. "What do you say to going out for some coffee or something if this works for me?"

Shizuka glanced up at him, eyes widening a little, and a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I don't know. I don't have a lot of free time." She glanced away again, and his grin widened briefly.

"Come on, it won't be that horrible. You've got a spare twenty minutes or something somewhere, don't you?" He really wanted to spend some more time with her. Seeing her so suddenly had sparked an interest he hadn't even suspected he'd had until now, and he very much wanted to follow up on it.

Her blush deepened slightly, and she stared intently at the cash register as his receipt printed out. "I...might." He tried not to crow in joy. He always loved hearing a yes, no matter how reluctant it was or how not quite a yes it was. After all, she hadn't actually said no this time.

"Great. I'll let you know how it works out." He accepted the bag with his hoped for remedy and his receipt, then snatched up a pen that lay on the counter and a stray scrap of paper. "Here, this is my cell number. If you want to talk or something, just give me a ring." He smiled his best smile at her. "But if this works, I probably won't answer. I'll call you back, though."

Shizuka ducked her head and turned away a little, not quite as red anymore, but not answering him either. "I hope this helps you," was all she said, motioning to the bag. "Thank you and come again." What she said had the ring of a spiel memorized for the job, but he didn't care. She wasn't turning the phone number away, after all.

He waved at her cheerfully before leaving, his attention now split between how quickly he could get home to try the tea and where he would like to take her for coffee once he was feeling up to being sociable. He knew several places in the area, many of them with a wide variety of blends that would appeal to just about any palate. He considered dialing up Jounouchi and asking if there happened to be any particular type of coffee that Shizuka liked.

Well, why shouldn't I? It wasn't a crime to like someone, even if that someone was related to one of his friends. He decided to take care of it after he'd gotten some rest. He preferred matching wits with someone else when he was at his best, after all, especially someone like Jounouchi. He liked the blond, but it was hard to be fully appreciative of his brains given their first meeting. It's hard to believe he and Shizuka are related sometimes. Maybe it had something to do with how they'd been raised apart. He had never met their mother, but from what he knew of their father...well, to say the least, Jounouchi hadn't exactly always had the best role model growing up.

He sniffed a little at the bag and smiled at the warm, rich scent that flowed upward from it. He found that he wanted it to work, not just because it would end his exhaustion, but also because he would have a very good chance of getting to know Shizuka a little better. On the other hand, if it didn't, he would be going back there to try something else, and that could offer the same chance.

Otogi grinned broadly to himself. He loved it when he couldn't do anything else but win. It made games just a little more fun, and what were life and love but the most fascinating and fantastic games that there had ever been?

---

Once made, the tea tasted smooth and delicious on his tongue. Otogi hadn't made much of a habit of drinking herbal teas, preferring coffee or soda for the most part, with the occasional wine if he were at some sort of social function, but he believed this particular brew could be something he would want to add to his regular menu of drinks.

Perhaps it had something to do with who had sold it to him. He wasn't sure if he believed it, but he wasn't sure he didn't believe it, either. There was little to worry about either way. The taste was wonderful, and as he sipped at the cup, he almost believed that he could feel himself getting sleepier and sleepier, in that wonderful way that meant he would be asleep in virtually no time at all.

He settled himself on his bed and glanced out the window beside him, watching people as they walked back and forth. He wondered just how long Shizuka had been in Domino, and if any of the rest of his friends had known about it. He did intend to ask Jounouchi about it when he called him later. It wasn't that big of a deal, but he was just a little curious.

She is sweet. There were few types of people that Otogi wasn't attracted to. Quiet ones, loud ones, males, females, gamers, musicians, it made little difference to him. People were just people, and he could find something to interest him from all walks of life. He liked getting to know people, preferably without them getting to know him all that well. Being mysterious and enigmatic was a game he would always like to play.

Would she want to get to know him? Some people could manage to work their way past his defenses without trying that hard. Yuugi was one of them. But was Shizuka? It was hard to say; she was so quiet and unassuming, from his admittedly limited knowledge of her. The way she'd reacted to his offer of a date intrigued him in a way that not much had for a while.

He yawned and leaned back, folding his arms behind his head, and stared up at the ceiling. Shizuka just didn't want to leave his mind. She was pretty, which was a plus. She wasn't a blithering idiot, which would have been a complete turn off even if she'd been a supermodel. She was also something that really drew his attention: a mystery, if only to him.

Was that why she was so on his thoughts? He knew that she couldn't know that much about him. He went to a small bit of trouble to keep himself from most people's knowledge. Even his friends didn't all know everything about him. But he knew even less about her. He was certain she knew his name and that he was her brother's friend, and Yuugi's, and had been at Battle City as a spectator just like she had been. But what else could she know about him? What did he know about her?

Stacking it up in his mind, it wasn't that much. She was two years younger than Jounouchi, and himself, which would make her twenty or twenty-one right about now. She had grown up in Tokyo after her parents' divorce, but she and her brother had maintained a deep love and a bond even without being able to see each other that often for so many years.

See. Sight. Something about that tickled his mind, but he couldn't pin it down. It was connected to Shizuka; he was certain of that.

Then it clicked. She'd almost gone blind when they were younger. In fact, that was how he'd met her, in a sense. He'd run into Honda on his way to picking the girl up from her hospital stay, to take her to see Jounouchi and bolster his courage.

The doctors had certainly worked a miracle on her. If he hadn't known, he would have never suspected she'd had a problem once. Such was the power of modern medicine.

Otogi yawned again and closed his eyes once he'd sipped down the last of the tea. It was working, and working a lot faster than he'd thought it would. A slow smile rippled across his lips. That boded well indeed for his future date with her, and possibly for other dates as well.

The gardens. She'd like that, I bet. Domino City Gardens were some of the most fascinating and varied in the entire country, with specimens gathered from all over the world. He'd thought about taking a date there sometime, but no one he'd dated with before had found them as interesting as he had. Well, that wasn't entirely true. At least two of them had found the gardens even more interesting than he was. He didn't know how she'd respond to them, but he wanted to find out.

The enigma that she represented, if only in his own mind, intrigued him with each breath he took. Was she so unknown because he hadn't bothered to keep in touch or because she went to some of the same efforts he did to keep herself shrouded from everyone? Which was it? Which did he want it to be? How close would he let her get to him? What was going to happen just because he'd had a case of insomnia and had decided to go to that particular store in an attempt to fix it?

He really wanted to see her again. More than once, if possible. As many times as she would be willing to go out with him sounded ideal. Thoughts and considerations and ideas for many more dates tumbled through his mind. There were movies they could go see, restaurants that they could visit, plays they could attend, tournaments they could watch. He couldn't help but like this portion of any relationship more than any other, when everything happened just the way he wanted it to in his mind. The reality always was much more disappointing than his personal fantasies. At least in his dreams, he could have everything happen just the way he wanted it to, without any interference from another person or that pesky thing called 'reality'.

He wondered at times if that was why he hadn't ever dated someone more than twice. The second date was always the one that fizzled. He hadn't always been the one to call it quits, though. At least half the time, it was the other person. He didn't always get a clearly defined reason on why. More than once, he'd simply been told that it just wasn't going to work out. He didn't care. He'd used the same line himself, after all.

Regardless, he couldn't help but believe that there was always the chance that this time, this relationship, would be different. He wasn't sure if he kept hoping because he was a fool or because he was a romantic. Or both. A romantic fool. He yawned again and curled around his pillow. What did it matter? He liked being himself, and if that was what he was, then so be it. Not being happy with who one was led to all kinds of annoying things that he just didn't have the time to deal with. He had more than enough occupying him with running his gaming shop and working out the bugs in his latest new game. Let people who didn't have his responsibilities fret over being unhappy with who they were.

He turned over, letting images of Shizuka wander through his mind. Who would have thought he'd be even mildly attracted to someone like her? Surely on the surface they were just too different. She was quiet and apparently shy, while he didn't really know of 'shy' as anything other than a word in a dictionary. She loved her brother above all else, and he had amused himself just a few short years earlier at Jounouchi's expense.

A small thread of worry began to slowly sneak into his half-dozing mind as he recalled that first meeting. Shizuka did care more about her brother than anyone in the world, if nothing had changed too drastically in the last few years. While Otogi had made up for what he'd done when they'd first met, and Jounouchi hadn't shown that he held any grudges, he wondered if Shizuka herself knew about what had happened then. He didn't want her to storm out because the subject came up and she couldn't stand being around him because of that. To be honest, he didn't want her to storm out over anything at all. For all that he'd spent a total of five minutes talking to her, he really wanted her to enjoy their little coffee date enough to want to go out with him again. The click that he felt was too good to pass up.

Another worry-thread squirmed in next to the second. What if her blushing and not quite affirmative response hadn't only been because of shyness but because she wasn't interested in him? If she'd just wanted to turn him down nicely but couldn't bring herself to do it with a straight out denial? What if she were already dating someone? No, I think she would have said something about that. He knew he didn't know her that well, but surely he couldn't be wrong about that!

He shook his head a little, squeezing himself more against his pillow, and refused to let himself be too concerned. He would deal with all of that when, or if, he absolutely had to. Once he'd caught up on his sleep, he'd let her know, and see what happened from then. If she really wasn't interested or if there were someone else, that would be the best time for her to make it known. For now, there was too much wonderful sleep beckoning to him, and he wasn't going to turn down that invitation for anything.

---

When Otogi's eyes opened once more, a content sigh slipped out from between his lips almost at once. He made no moves to get up. He wasn't precisely lazy by nature. No one who had all the ideas and all the energy storming through him could be lazy. But he wanted to enjoy being in bed and being completely rested for once.

A slow smile curved his lips for a brief moment. He was going to get that date with Shizuka now. He stretched leisurely, cracks and pops sounding as he did, and considered that phone call to her brother first. With one graceful hand he reached over and picked up his cell, scrolling briefly through the list of his saved numbers until he reached Jounouchi's.

"Hello?" The familiar voice sounded through the device moments later. "What's up, Otogi?"

"I am. And I'm glad to be, for a change. Just got through with having to deal with not sleeping for a while." Otogi sat up and ran a hand through his hair briefly, then looked at the nearest mirror. He winced. Ew. Bed-hair. Well, that was easily fixable, even when talking on the phone.

"Great for you. So, did you want to celebrate?" Jounouchi was on the verge of laughing, Otogi could tell. He wasn't surprised; if someone else had called him up to tell him the same thing, he would have too.

"Actually, yes." He smirked as he rummaged around for his favorite brush.

"Otogi, you know that Yuugi and I..." There was a hint of wariness in his tone, and Otogi just laughed.

"Yeah, I know. I didn't say I was going to celebrate with you." There was the brush! Otogi got to work fixing his hair with one hand while holding the phone to his ear with the other. Luckily, he'd had lots of practice taking care of him while doing other things.

He could clearly hear the confusion in Jounouchi's voice now. "Then what did you call me for?"

"Because I want to know if there's any particular kind of coffee that your sister Shizuka likes, so I know where the best place to take her out for my celebration is," he told the blond. For a moment he wondered if he should have done this in person, just for the look on Jounouchi's face.

"You what?"

Otogi repeated what he'd said before. "See, the reason that I actually got some sleep was because of some tea she sold me from that herbalist place she works at. I told her if it worked, I wanted to take her out for some coffee. So, I want to know if there's anything in particular that she likes. That's not so hard, is it?" He teased his hair and his friend at the same time. Otogi had always been good at multi-tasking.

Silence came from the other end for a few seconds. "You're serious?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't. I can be funny without asking your advice, you know."

Again, silence. "There's a few types I know she likes, but she doesn't stick to just one thing," Jounouchi said at last, a strange sort of tone to his voice. "Otogi, you're not seriously thinking about dating her, are you?"

This time, Otogi was quiet for a few seconds, still working on his hair as he thought. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "I think I'd like to try it. If it doesn't work out, no hard feelings, but..." He didn't want to say how much he was hoping that it did work out. It was still too strange of a situation for him to be in, especially with how little they really knew each other.

"Don't play with her feelings, whether you think they'd be hard or not if it doesn't 'work out'." Jounouchi snapped harshly. Otogi couldn't help the laugh he laughed, and didn't want to. "I'm serious!"

"I know." Otogi snickered a little more. "Look, it's just going for some coffee. She's grown up, if she doesn't want to go out again after that, that's up to her." Otogi had never wanted to push his company on someone who didn't want it. There were plenty of others who would, so why would he bother trailing after someone who wasn't interested?

Minor grumpy noises came from Jounouchi. "You'd just better treat her right." There were so many unspoken threats in the voice that Otogi would almost have preferred a spoken one, just for the variety of it.

"When have I ever treated someone wrong?" Before Jounouchi could reply, Otogi added lightly, "At least in the last couple of years. When we first met doesn't count."

Jounouchi grumped again. "Whatever."

Otogi laughed again; he liked this family. He'd almost forgotten how much fun Jounouchi could be. "So, why didn't you tell me that she had moved here anyway? Trying to protect her from me?"

"I did tell you all that she was moving here," Jounouchi replied dryly. "Last year, when she did. I think you were busy working that deal with Kaiba, so you weren't paying attention. And then there was the time we all went to Anzu's dance recital, including her, and you were talking to Bakura and Yuugi most of the night about games. I think you told her hello. Then there was the time…"

"Fine, fine. So I wasn't paying attention." He could believe that of himself. He recalled the concerns that had crossed his mind earlier. Perhaps now would be a good time to address them. "Did you ever tell her about how we met or anything?" Better to get this straightened out now and not have to concern himself with if it might come up during their coffee.

"Nope. It never came up." Was that a hint of maliciousness he heard? No, Jounouchi wasn't like that. But he probably thought it was funny. "It's not like we talk about you when we talk."

"Why not? I'd talk about me!"

"I know. That's why we don't." Jounouchi replied smartly. Otogi laughed again, then checked his reflection. He was going to need two hands to really finish getting himself straightened and ready for the day. He hoped that Shizuka was working today, after all. He'd hate to go down there and she wasn't there. "I've got to go, Otogi."

"Later." Otogi flipped off the phone and tossed it on the bed, thinking. Now that he was awake and more or less had her brother's 'blessing', he wanted to get this date set up more properly. He groaned as something else occurred to him: he should've asked for her cell number. It was hard to say if Jounouchi would have given it to him, but asking wouldn't have hurt.

Calling back would take up a little too much time, and it would really be more entertaining for him to wait and see if she called him also, or if she decided to give it to him herself. Otogi was willing to put up with a little annoyance for the sake of some amusement.

He got to work on himself, showering, dressing, and finishing up his hair and a touch of light makeup with the ease of long practice. He chuckled a little; maybe that was one thing they could have in common: discussing different types of makeup. He hadn't noticed that much on her the day before, other than pale pink nail polish and lipstick. It would be something to think about.

He fastened his favorite dice earring in his ear and regarded the effect in his mirror, setting the dice to swinging with a flick of his finger. Perfect. As always.

Before he went out to enjoy himself, he did have some business matters to take care of. He dialed down to his store and made arrangements to have someone else take over his shift that he'd been scheduled for later that afternoon. He considered rescheduling the next day's meetings, then decided not to. They were with Kaiba, and Kaiba could get very antsy if someone rearranged things on him.

And we do need to get those arrangements made anyway. The world's first widespread Dungeon Dice Monsters tournament was going to be held in just two months, and he was very much looking forward to it. KaibaCorp was officially holding it, since he'd sold them the rights to the game, but he was going to be the one running it.

Would Shizuka be interested in playing, he wondered? He'd have to find out. She wasn't interested in Duel Monsters, to the best of his knowledge, but there were other games in the world. That was something else that they'd have to talk about. He really was looking more and more forward to having this little coffee date with her.

Maybe having had that bout of insomnia hadn't been so bad after all, not if it were going to end up with something like this. He flashed a grin to himself in the mirror before he started to shut his laptop down. That tea had worked even better than he'd expected it to. Not only had he really slept, but energy and enthusiasm on a slightly higher scale surged through his veins. He was really going to have to start drinking more of that.

He thought back over what he and Jounouchi had talked about. So Shizuka appeared to like variety, or at least hadn't settled into a favorite coffee yet. It was a small thing, but small things could grow into much larger ones. That gave him the best idea on where to take her. He knew one shop that had an enormous amount of options for coffee. She'd love it there. He stopped in frequently himself, and the clerks all knew him. Maybe one of them would have a suggestion on other places they could go sometime as well. The store itself was cozy and well designed, with several elegant examples of artwork and comfortable seats everywhere.

I wonder if I should take her to an art show? He knew of one or two that were going to be in the area sometime soon, with some fantastic samples of paintings and sculptures available. In fact, the Pegasus Collection was going to be arriving in Domino in just a couple of weeks. The lost artwork of Pegasus J. Crawford, only discovered in the last couple of years when his heirs had cleaned out his old mansion in California at long last, had been touring the world, showing everyone what the game inventor had been capable of in his youth. He had wanted to see it pretty badly himself and seeing it with her could be fantastic. He had a feeling she would appreciate something like that. Maybe he'd even buy her one of the paintings, if they were for sale, and if there was one that she liked. For that matter, maybe he'd buy one for himself. He'd always admired Pegasus, and regretted the fact that he'd never gotten to meet him.

That could, and would, come later, he decided. For now, one single coffee date was what he needed to concern himself with. He flicked back his hair, twitched his dice again, and started out the door.

---

Otogi enjoyed the trip back to the herbalist, even with the thick clouds looming overhead and the crackle of an impending thunderstorm filling the air. He'd never really liked storms and rain that much. They tended to either frizz up his hair or drench it completely. The best place for him when the weather turned like this was out of it.

But for the moment, the rain hadn't yet fallen, and he managed to slip into the shop before it did. Getting out probably wouldn't be that easy, but he could manage. Maybe he'd wait the whole storm out here, talking to her. There were worse places to be when the weather got rough than in a warm, fragrant store with a very pretty friend.

"Otogi!" Shizuka's smile would have been worth getting wet for if he actually had as she spied him. "Did it work?" He liked her enthusiasm. Come to think of it, there wasn't much he didn't like about her.

And the question itself intrigued him. Did it mean she wanted that date as much as he did? Or at all? One way to find out. "Well, let me put it like this. When did you get off work? There's a coffee place I'm just dying to introduce you to."

The blush made a return. "I'm glad it worked for you." That still wasn't what he wanted to hear, though. She hadn't really said she wasn't interested, so...

"So am I. So, when are you off work?" No one got anywhere by not taking a chance. This could be his chance.

She hesitated for a few more moments, then glanced at the clock. "In about an hour. I've got some classes later tonight, but I'm free for a while." Her blush deepened at her own words, and he grinned wildly. That was exactly what he'd hoped for.

"I hope you don't mind if I stick around. It's going to pour out there, and I'd rather not get that wet." He flicked his hair with a finger. "I look horrible when I'm imitating a drowned rat."

Shizuka laughed a little. "I love the rain. It feels so good on my skin."

"You need to be properly educated in the ways of avoiding being wet," Otogi told her grandly. "It starts with getting out of the rain and staying out of the rain, no matter what."

"I do have an umbrella," she admitted, and he nodded happily.

"That's the first step. Wet is bad." Really, how silly could one be? No one with any sense liked being wet, unless it was a properly controlled shower or bath. He didn't count professional swimmers or divers. They didn't have any sense to start with. That was proven by the fact they went into such situations willingly.

He lounged against the counter, doing his best to stay out of the way whenever customers came in, and kept an eye on the clock on the wall. Making conversation with her was much easier than he'd thought, once she'd started to adjust to talking to him at all.

"You should try playing Dungeon Dice Monsters," he suggested half an hour after he'd entered. "It's really fun." He paused for a moment thoughtfully. "I'm probably not the most objective judge on that, though."

Shizuka chuckled some. "You've invented a lot of games, haven't you?"

"More than I can count right offhand," he told her casually. It was true, after all. Inventing games had killed many long and lonely hours when he had been younger. "I could show you how to play a lot of them."

"I don't know..." She shook her head just a little. "I don't have the time to play as much as I'd like to."

"There's no rush." She wouldn't be in school forever, after all, and he wasn't going to let this dawning friendship slip away again, no matter what else came of it. "When you do have time, it's not like I'm going to be going somewhere. You've got my number, after all."

"I know." Shizuka's warm smile changed to something a little more remote and formal as the door to the shop opened again and someone came in to the tinkling of the bell. Otogi strolled off to pretend to look at the merchandise while she did her job.

He couldn't help the smile on his lips, either. She'd kept his number. It hadn't occurred to him until just then that she might have thrown it away after he'd left. But she hadn't. That was a very good sign.

Once the customer had left, he wandered back over to the counter and leaned against it. "I called your brother before I came down here," he told her casually. "I wanted to know if there were any kinds of coffee you really liked. So I'd know where to take you."

She smiled a little, that flush making yet another return. He liked the way it looked on her. She wasn't used to talking to too many people, at least not like how he talked to her, he surmised. That had to be why it kept on returning. He would almost miss it if it stopped happening once they got to know each other better.

"He also wanted to be certain I wasn't going to do anything stupid," he went on. "He looks out for you, you know."

Otogi shrugged. "I wouldn't know that much. The only family I really remember is my dad, and he's been gone over two years now." He hadn't really meant to say it like that, but it was true. He couldn't remember his mother at all, and he's never had any siblings.

"That's sad," she said, concern edging her voice. "Everyone should have a family."

He toyed with his earring thoughtfully. "I sort of do, now that I think about it. All my friends. They're family, kind of." But luckily not the kind of family where it meant he and she couldn't see each other. That would have been annoying.

"That's good." Shizuka glanced at the clock, then started to straighten the area behind the counter up. "My replacement should be here soon, so we can go."

He'd almost forgot to watch the time, and it had slipped away from him. That coffee date he'd so been looking forward to was almost there. He grabbed for the broom and started to sweep the floor while she counted out her till. "I hope you don't mind me lending a hand. You'll be done quicker that way."

The smile he got was the best answer he could have expected. Very soon, they were both ready to go, and the next clerk had arrived, settling in where Shizuka had been with an amused grin at the two of them. "Watch out when you go out," he said, waving a hand at the door. "It's raining bad."

Otogi shuddered just at the thought. "I knew it was going to be," he muttered. At least he was with very compatible and interesting company. That would make the weather more endurable.

Shizuka pulled a pale blue umbrella from a stand near the door. "That's why I brought this. The weather report said there was a good chance of rain today." He could've kissed her. His hair was troublesome enough on it's own, he didn't need it getting worse with rainwater!

"Are you ready, then?" he asked, opening the door and wincing at the sight of the cascades of water. Even with an umbrella over his head, he wasn't looking forward to this.

"Where did you want to go for that coffee?" she asked, glancing out herself. A glimmer of joy lit her eyes, and he wouldn't have been surprised then if she wanted to go jumping into puddles. Nothing much would have surprised him about her.

At the name of the place, she nodded, then handed the umbrella to him. "You're taller," she told him at his look. "You can hold it over both of us."

He had no objections as they stepped out onto the street. Shizuka had to stay delightfully near to him in order to be covered by it. It was really an umbrella meant just for one person, and he was more than content with her being there like that.

The coffee shop was several streets over, and the rain had thinned out the crowds that normally comprised Domino a little. Not much, but enough so they could talk to each other comfortably.

"You never knew your mother, then?" she asked, casting a quick look up at him. He nodded slightly.

"She died when I was really little. Maybe two or three. Dad never liked to talk about it all that much." He wondered if his mother's death had had anything to do with his father's own quest for vengeance. His dad had simply told him so little about her that he had no idea. Their marriage, from the few words that had been dropped, had been an arranged one, and he thought his dad had cared about her, at least a little. There were so few memories of her that he couldn't be certain. "Dad took good care of me, though." If you counted being raised as a weapon of vengeance against someone who didn't really deserve it to be good care. Otogi had his doubts once in a while.

"That's good." She sighed, a flicker of sadness moving across her features. "I hardly know my dad. Katsuya won't let me come visit while he's there. I know what he's like. Mom told me. But I don't know him."

"From what I've heard, your brother's got the right idea," Otogi told her. He'd heard many stories about what Jounouchi's father was like, and he clearly remembered events from a couple of years earlier, when the older Jounouchi had fallen in with some old enemy from his son's past. That had been interesting, to say the least.

"Maybe. But he's still my dad. I'd like to know for myself. Someday."

Otogi decided not to say anything about that. That was her business, and not his. Something else did occur to him, though, sparked by the mention of her brother. "I told you that I talked to Jounouchi. He said he'd never told you how he and I met." She nodded slightly in agreement, and he did not hide his grin. "Well, we didn't really get off on the right foot. See, my dad really had it in for Yuugi's grandfather because of some things that happened when they were younger. So he wanted me to help him get even." He shrugged for how silly he'd been when he was younger. Of course there were those who would say that he was that way even now. He didn't listen to them. He could tell his own lies about himself without their help.

Telling the story, with proper amounts of humor and obvious regret, kept them occupied all the way to the coffee shop. By the time they got there, he'd managed to get her laughing at his own youthful idiocy as much as he tended to laugh when looking back at it now. He didn't hide his grin at all. The best way to deal with a potential bad situation, he'd decided, was to defuse it before it ever came up at all.

---

The coffee shop was a little more crowded than he'd hoped for, but that was to be expected with this weather. Once they had received their orders, Otogi settled them down at a booth that was a little out of the way and fairly suited to just talking.

"This is good." Shizuka sipped at her coffee with evident pleasure. Otogi nodded as he sampled his own. This was one of the reasons he liked coming here. The workers all knew what they were doing. That was always to be desired in any kind of store.

But there were other things going through his mind now. He glanced at her over the rim of his cup thoughtfully. She'd laughed at the spin he'd put on his first meeting with Yuugi and her brother, so that hurdle was disposed of, and much less dramatically than he'd feared the night before. She still was mostly a mystery to him, though. But there remained quite a bit of time to get to know each other. There was no time limit, after all.

"So is this," he said after a moment or two, his fingers twitching between the two of them to indicate what he meant. She glanced over at him, then nodded, that blush appearing yet again, but not quite as much this time.

"You're right. It is." Shizuka sipped again. They sat in silence for a time, just enjoying one another's company and coffee. Otogi relaxed a little more with each passing moment. Everything was working out even better than he'd dared to dream before.

"I like you," he said suddenly. She blinked a little, her head dropping in surprise. "I know, we hardly know each other. But I like you anyway."

Shizuka placed her cup down and appeared to be thinking about what he said before she answered. "I don't think I've ever met anyone like you before," she replied at last. He grinned cheerfully.

"Good. I like knowing that there isn't anyone else like me out there." That which was unique was valued, after all, and there were few things in the world he liked more than being valued. He lifted his cup to his lips and took a long drink.

"I think I like you, too," she went on. For a moment, it didn't sink in what she'd said, then he choked a little, almost slamming his cup back down on the table. He coughed hard, getting the lump of coffee down as much as he could, and took in several quick breaths. She stared at him in shock, one hand reaching out to him. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Otogi drank a bit more, hoping to soothe the shock to his system. He hadn't really been expecting an answer that quickly, much less that answer. "I was just surprised a little, that's all."

"By me?" A hint of amusement hovered over her lips, and he nodded. The amusement deepened. "I didn't think I could surprise someone like you."

"Well, you did." He wiped up the small mess that had spilled when he'd coughed and tossed the napkins into the nearest trashcan. "Congratulations. So, where do you want to go on our first date?"

"Isn't this our first date?" she asked, the amusement now tinged with confusion. He shook his head, grinning.

"Only if you want it to be. It's supposed to be me being grateful for that tea after all. Which you should try. It worked a miracle."

Shizuka finished off her coffee and set the cup out of the way. "I don't know." He wasn't certain which she was replying to, where to go on their date, or if this was a date. "I don't know when I'm going to be free again, either. I have some important tests soon, and I've got to study for them."

He had never been quite so glad that he was a good two years out of college and that sort of thing wasn't his to worry about any longer. "What are you majoring in?"

"Art. I want to be a painter. I love colors!" Her eyes lit up at the very thought. "I love creating anything that's beautiful that I can. Something that will be here after I'm gone and that will make other people happy that I won't ever meet."

Otogi nodded; he felt much the same way about his games. "Have you heard that the Pegasus Collection is coming to town? We could go see it when it gets here, if you want."

Even more joy rippled across her face. "Really? I wanted to, but it's going to be so crowded! I didn't think I could get close enough to really see them."

"Trust me," Otogi told her. He hadn't thought much about the crowds, other than to make a note to look his best with all those people potentially seeing him. "If that's what you want, I can make certain you see them." It helped that he knew the gallery owner where the collection would be displayed. Connections helped so much in the world. He was glad he had them.

Shizuka smiled a touch more, then glanced at her watch. For a moment, all was calm, then she started to get up. "I have to go," she sighed as she looked at him. "I just remembered, I've got a report due tomorrow that I have to put the finishing touches on. That always takes longer than it should."

"All right." He got to his own feet. "I'll walk you back to your place."

"You don't know where it is."

As if that was a problem. "So you'll show me." A few other teasing remarks floated behind his lips, but he kept them to himself. He wasn't going to scare her off. Those words could wait until they knew each other better.

Once again they proceeded out into the rain, which had slacked off a little by now. The umbrella was still necessary, but not as much as it had been earlier, when curtains of water had literally fallen about them. Together, they walked through the streets, her footsteps guiding them this time.

"I was thinking, when you do have some free time, just call me and let me know," he suggested. "Maybe you can find a couple of hours free this weekend? I know a great movie opening up we could go and see, and get some dinner after it."

"That sounds kind of nice," Shizuka agreed after a moment, probably spent thinking about what might eat her time up that weekend. "I know a place or two I've wanted to try around here."

The more he got to know her, the more Otogi realized that he liked knowing her, and wanted to know even more about her. "Then it's a date!" He declared casually. She smiled a touch shyly.

"I guess it is." That was one of the things he'd wanted to hear. One of the others had been what she'd said earlier, no matter how startled he had been to hear it in the first place.

She stopped outside of an apartment building. "This is it." She reached for the umbrella, then stopped. "You can keep it for now. You'll need it going home." Her eyes danced with amusement. "Since you don't like getting wet."

Otogi didn't bother stopping himself from laughing. "Thanks. I'll bring it back to you tomorrow at work."

"Better not," Shizuka told him with a quick smile. "I don't work tomorrow."

"Then I'll bring it back some other time," he told her easily. "Just call and let me know." He really wanted her to call him. It had become something of a personal challenge.

She nodded, then turned towards the building. "Thanks for the coffee. I had fun."

"So did I. Even when I nearly choked to death." It was the truth, after all. It had sped by quickly, a little more so than he would have preferred, but no matter what, the time had been some of the more enjoyable that he'd spent recently. He really was more grateful to that insomnia than he had been to any other bout in the past. Well, that, and his decision to pick that particular store to patronize for his cure.

Shizuka waved briefly, then entered the building, vanishing from his sight. He waited for a moment or two, just to see if he could see her anywhere else, then turned and headed for his store. Part of him wanted to just go home and have another of those wonderfully refreshing cups of tea and a nap, but he also wanted to do something a little more active, to get his blood surging through him again, and to take his mind off of her for a little while. He couldn't think about her constantly, after all.

He was just out of sight of the building when his phone rang, with the standard tone. He glanced down, not recognizing the number, and answered it. This had better be really, really good. "Hello?"

"Otogi?"

This was slightly unreal. "Shizuka?" He wondered briefly what her voice would sound like saying his given name. Maybe he'd find out sometime. Not soon, but someday.

"I work the day after tomorrow, in the afternoon, so if you want to bring the umbrella back then...and maybe go for a walk and some more coffee, I'd like that." She sounded just a touch shy and nervous at the request, and that brought a smile to his lips. He wondered just how she'd persuaded herself to call him, then realized it didn't matter. She had.

"So would I. Maybe this time we can talk for a little longer. If there aren't any more reports waiting to be done."

"No, just studying. I think I can make the time."

"If you need help, I can probably provide it," he suggested. Studying hadn't been his best strength when he was in school, but he still remembered how to do it, for the most part. Besides, study dates could be fun too.

She laughed a little. "I'll think about it. But I have to go now. I'll see you then."

Once they'd both said good-bye and had turned their phones off, Otogi found himself grinning like a maniac. He couldn't conceive of how life could get much better than this. He had two dates lined up with a sweet young woman and it was all because, of all things, a dratted case of not being able to sleep. If he didn't enjoy being rested so much, he was almost tempted to overdose on caffeine, just to see if it happened again, and what else he could get that was great out of it.

That wasn't really necessary, though. He headed on towards his store, looking forward to the future with a light and rested heart. A future that he truly hoped would involve Shizuka in every way he could imagine and even some that he currently couldn't. Even just holding her umbrella made him feel a little closer to her. He paused for a moment, then folded it up and tucked it under his arm, letting the rain fall on him, not caring for a brief time what it would do to his hair.

She was right. It did feel good on his skin.

The End