Disclaimer I do not own Yugi-oh thanks to morncreek for beteing
It all started on a trip to the beach with Yugi after Atem's return to Ancient Egypt a year ago – he wanted to have a get-together in the Pharaoh's memory with everyone, including the Ishtars. With the cajoling of a couple reluctant people, it was agreed that the Ishtars had proven themselves to be good friends after all their help in Atem's journey of rediscovery of his heritage, and eventually the means for the spirit to rest. Now we just had to figure out where to hold it.
Joey's suggestion to hold it in Domino was met with several people shaking their heads and one person saying, "Great idea, mutt, we just solved that problem. Now we just have to kick everyone else out of town so we can have it all to ourselves." (Bet you can guess who said that.) My fight senses began to tingle like they usually do when those two are around each other.
"Okay, everyone, that's enough," I declared after I whistled through my teeth to get everyone's attention. "How about the beach? That is 105 kilometers from Joey's flat."
With that, everyone nodded their head in agreement (except Seto, but his little brother, Mokuba, nodded emphatically enough to cover for them both). Joey said he would tell his sister, Serenity, and Mai, who moved into an apartment in the next city and had begun dating Joey – Serenity had been too far away to come and Mai couldn't get away from work. Yugi said he'd inform Rebecca and Professor Hawkins, since Kame Game Shop had reduced-cost international calling because of its business. (We would probably just have to send pictures, though, because they were busy on an extended dig.) I volunteered to call the Ishtars, who were in Japan for vacation; and Tristan volunteered to call Duke Devlin, who was dating Tristan – much to the relief of Joey. Seto replied we were fortunate he came at all and contacting anyone was out of the question. We also decided that since we were old enough to drive ourselves and school was out, we would stay for the whole week. (Mokuba accepted for Seto, who looked put out at being away from the office that long, but did not correct Mokuba.)
*
I finished packing my clothing and accessories – yes, accessories, try maintaining hair even as short as mine in any kind of humidity without them – and laid down on my bed pondering on how much things had changed after Atem left… including my relationship with Yugi. It was a mutual decision to only be friends instead of trying to pursue the relationship further. He seemed satisfied with this choice and was busy then trying to adjust to his new-found fame from Battle City. However, though, I wished that I had someone to be with, like Mai and Joey. I desired someone who was understanding and not afraid to meet me on my level and stand up to me. That was perhaps the real reason for our break-up as a couple. Yugi was so kind and always gave in to what I wanted.
Relaxing my head on my pillows, I drifted from one thought to another, and was almost asleep until a thought brought to mind a face with tan skin, straw-blond hair and the deepest purple eyes. I bolted straight up from my bed in shock, taut with awareness of the type of emotions coursing in me. I walked out of my bedroom and into the attached bathroom in hopes that a cold shower would make thinking things through clearly a little more feasible. By the time I was out of the shower, my body was shivering all over and I had realized two things: one, I had a crush on Malik Ishtar; and two, next week was going to be very interesting.
*
The only reason I slept at all the night before the trip was because I knew there would be at least one fight with Seto and Joey involved, even though everyone agreed that we would take two cars with Joey and Seto riding separate, if only for the sake of keeping the sanity intact of whomever was driving. Duke, Seto, Mai and Ryou were the only ones with driver licenses – Isis' Egypt license wasn't truly valid in Japan – so Duke would drive and I'd ride with Seto. (There was certainly no way the Kaiba Corp. CEO would allow himself to be driven nor switch off with anyone else, but, because of Dice Monsters, Duke Devlin was business competition.)
The next morning I grabbed my bag and shoes, then an apple for a light breakfast and finally I was off to the spot where we agreed to meet and figure out who is riding with whom. I stood next to Yugi while we waited for Tristan, Duke, and the Ishtars who appeared to be running late for some reason. To pass the time, I looked around to see what the others were doing. Seto was quietly conversing on his cell phone to Mokuba to make sure he was up since he had to go to summer school to pass his mathematics exam and couldn't come at the last minute. Serenity and Mai were catching up after not seeing each other for six months. Joey was talking to Ryou about homework for the summer. Yugi was energetically dividing up the luggage so that both of the cars would have the same amount of weight. I sat down on the backpack that was going with me in the car, now with nothing to occupy myself and still waiting for everyone to arrive.
As luck would have it, I wouldn't have to wait very long. Malik appeared out of nowhere and snuck up behind Yugi with a can of silly string in his hand. He put a finger to his lips and winked at me. I nodded my head, unable to resist that cute mischievous glint in his eyes, and besides – what harm could he do with silly string?
Malik somehow popped the lid off the can without making a sound. The Egyptian native really let loose getting Yugi's two-pound hairdo completely covered with pink silly string. Yugi didn't even know what hit him until he saw bits of pink silly string falling from his hair on to the ground. Ouch, I didn't even know Yugi could shout that loud. Looking behind, he saw Malik on the ground shaking from laughter with the can of silly string still gripped in his hand. Joey had turned around when he heard Yugi shout and saw his best friend's hair covered with the silly string; he began laughing too.
Yugi gazed at his reflection in one of the car's side view mirrors and started laughing too. He could never stay mad for very long anyway. "It's good to see you Malik! Where are Isis and Odion?"
"They are in the parking garage trying to pay the valet to park the car for the next couple days. I knew where you guys were so—"
"He went on ahead," interrupted a new female voice.
"Isis," I chirped and gave her a hug, "it is so good to see you again." Isis smiled and hugged me back.
"And you as well."
"Who shall travel in whose car?" Odion inquired who stood close to the curator. Shortly behind and following were Tristan and Duke who had shown up during all the merriment in the past couple minutes.
"Okay," I directed in my best take-charge voice. Keeping in mind who would obviously not want to be separated and those who only tolerated the other, I divvied up the groups. "Joey and Mai, along with Serenity. Duke and Tristan with them and Yugi too… and everyone else with Seto." Oh, but Isis doesn't like Seto. I sighed to myself. There really wasn't any other way to split the groups. Isis is an adult, so hopefully nothing would occur. There was some resistance, but once it was smoothed over, we put the remaining bags in the car and we were off to the beach.
The drive down there had to be one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Not that it started that way. The car I rode in was completely quiet. Malik, who was in the seat next to me staring out at the passing scenery, was behaving himself (thank god). Everyone else was either focused on reading things they brought, like Ryou and Isis; or asleep like Odion. Now, if people could tell you one thing about me it is that I detest silence and love to talk even if it is just to myself.
"Great," I said aloud, "I get stuck in the quietest car in history." I heard chuckling on the passenger side of the car.
Turning around, I faced Malik. He said, "Well, you can always talk to me."
"Yeah, you're right," I teased. "So I guess girls really like fall for your tan look this time of year."
"Yes." Malik smirked. "They usually do. When we went on vacation last year several girls commented on it."
"I wish I lived in Egypt so I could get that tan," I retorted, a little miffed that he seemed so cocky about the girls positively remarking on his tan.
Malik quipped back. "Yeah right. You try leaving underground until you are twelve then you will never want to be inside anywhere ever again. Then again, my darker skin is genetic so someone like you could never get this."
"Are you saying that I could never get as tan as you?" I blurted in frustration.
"Yes," Malik finished. His hands were balled up into fist due to the intensity of our conversation.
"Let's settle this, then," I asserted, my head held high with confidence.
"How?" Malik asked, not backing down from my challenge. "Easy," I chirped innocently, "I have until the second-to-last day of our vacation to get as tan as you. If I don't, you get to pick the penalty – but nothing illegal or involving taking off clothing."
"Alright!" Malik declared "With one condition: that the same rules apply to you as well."
"Deal," I said extending my hand for him to shake without ever taking my eyes off the road.
"Fine." Malik said while shaking my hand, "It's a bet."
Once again the car became silent since we were getting closer. Mali's eyes became glued to the window.
"I guess you're planning on what you are going to do if you win the bet, huh," I teased.
"What?" Malik replied as he bolted upright in response to my talking to him. "No, it's not that," he mumbled. "It's just I haven't ever seen this place before and was trying to remember how blue the sky looks… I already have an idea about what my penalty is going to be," he declared. The look in his eyes made me shiver from fear of what it was going to be and excitement.
"I guess I should fear for my life," I joked, trying to play off the fact that I was blushing.
"You know you should!" he retorted as he chuckled with laughter.
"We are coming to rest stop. Do whatever you need to and be back in five minutes or get left behind," Seto interrupted. And that ended the conversation.
The next gas station we came to, I attempted to convince Seto to switch with Ryou. He tightly retorted that he was not fatigued, and wouldn't be swayed. Admittedly, Seto may have had a point, considering the hours he was able to keep while working. I gave up and we all entered the car.
This time I wasn't next to Malik – he had called shotgun – so I was extremely bored. I fell into a deep sleep in the back. The next thing I know, Yugi was shaking and coaxing me into awareness.
"Wake up, Tea, we're here." Blinking the sleep out of my eye, I looked around and examined the hotel we were staying at for the week. Mai, Serenity, and I had one room; Odion, Isis, and Malik had another room, since they were family; Seto shared a room with Ryou; and finally Yugi, Tristan, Joey and Duke shared the last one.
"Now that we are here what do you guys want to do?" both Mai and Serenity wanted to know.
Someone replied, "Sleep," and I agreed that sounded pretty good, I thought. Still, I had my bet with Malik, which was the most important thing right now.
"I guess I will get my stuff together and go down to the beach by myself," I informed them.
"Fine," Mai yawned, "just be quiet about it, 'key?"
*
This is as good a spot as any I thought putting my chair in direct sunlight. I lay down and pulled out a book to pass the time. But when I lay down in my beach chair, I realized I was beginning to wish I had taken the nap instead of letting my stupid pride intervene. Stifling a yawn, I reached into my beach bag for my sunscreen. I better put this on before I fall asleep, was my last thought.
I woke up and the first thing I did was to move my arms to stretch them out. Big mistake. "Ouch!"
"Oh my god, hon., are you okay? What happened?" Mai questioned. I assumed she'd woken up from her nap and came to enjoy the ocean spray, but heard my shout.
"… I fell asleep before I could put on sunscreen," I mumbled, head down in embarrassment.
"Téa," Mai began, staring me down while giving delivering the lecture. "Don't you know how dangerous that is? If you were tired, why didn't take a nap in the room like Serenity and me beforehand?"
I never broke eye contact with her, not wanting to back down from her silent challenge. "I made a bet with Malik that I could get as tan as he was in six days." I felt another twinge from my abused skin. "I guess I can't win that bet now, though… I mean, my skin is completely red."
"I think I have an idea. Follow me!" Mai insisted.
*
"Okay," Malik declared five days later. "Why did you want to meet me he—" Malik inquired before cutting off mid sentence and looking at my skin tone. "I guess that means you win the bet." His head was slightly bent toward the ground in defeat.
"Yep. So, pick me up tomorrow at seven."
"Fine," Malik responded with a sigh, "Just tell me what the damage is."
"Dinner at that Italian place and dancing at the club near here." Malik stared at me, mouth agape.
At last, he stammered, "Is this like a date?"
"Yes it is, so you better not be late."
Malik smiled, displaying his blindingly white teeth, and then kissed me on the cheek. "Just something to show how much I am looking forward to tomorrow," he explained, walking off with the confidence of a peacock.
Mai poke her head out of her room which was close to the lobby where I had asked Malik to meet me. "Did it work?" she demanded, her heels tapping in impatience.
"Yeah, it worked. Thanks to you, Mai," I answered, throwing my arm around her in a hug.
"What did tell you? Spray-on tans are the best," Mai declared.