Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit.
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal
Title: If You Mean It
Romance: Vector x Yuuma
Word Count: 2,357||Status: One-shot
Genre: Friendship, Romance, Humor||Rated: PG-13
Notes: This takes place between episodes 81 and 82, after Yuuma & Alit's first duel and before Mizael shows up.
Feedback: All forms eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.
Summary: [one-shot, Vector x Yuuma/Yuuma x Vector, Negativeshipping, Zexalmas gift-fic] When a sudden gift from Shingetsu falls through, he wants to make it up to Yuuma any way that he can.
As much as Shingetsu drove Yuuma up the proverbial wall in many, many, many ways, Yuuma liked him. It was kind of hard not to, since he reminded Yuuma of himself in a lot of ways. Sure, the paths that he insisted they run to school on usually meant that Yuuma ended up filthy and exhausted before he even sat down for his first class, and he couldn't duel worth a bean, but as he himself said, frequently, he meant well. He tried hard. He didn't do anything wrong on purpose.
It was kind of nice to have someone like him around anyway, who knew only the barest minimum of what was going on with the Barians and who likely wouldn't have understood more even if Yuuma got around to telling him anything else. It was a little hard to stress over what might happen to Astral when Shingetsu was busy blowing something up in home ec class. Not that he didn't worry (worry seemed to be all that he did when it came to what he might lose) but Shingetsu's antics gave him a little something else to think about now and then.
"Yuuma-kun! Yuuma-kun!" And here he came now, racing as fast as he could, waving something high over his head that Yuuma couldn't quite see. "I've got something for you!"
Yuuma blinked a few times; what on Earth was Shingetsu going to start going on about now?
The ginger-haired teen pitched to a stop in front of Yuuma, trying hard to catch his breath. His usual smile gleamed across his features as he looked up at Yuuma. "I brought you a present, Yuuma-kun!"
"A present?" Yuuma wanted to check his calendar; he was pretty sure it wasn't his birthday and it wasn't any holiday that he could think of offhand, so why would Shingetsu think he needed a present? "What for?"
Shingetsu tilted his head to the side. "Do I need a reason? I saw it and I thought you might like it."
"What is it?" Yuuma hoped it would be something interesting, like some new cards, or maybe a new D-Gazer. His worked just fine, but he'd seen an advertisement for a new model coming out soon and maybe…
Shingetsu glanced around quickly, as if looking for intruders, then pulled something out of his inner jacket. Yuuma stared down at it; this wasn't a card. It wasn't a card pack, either. It had nothing at all to do with dueling.
Instead, a small spray of green leaves with white berries spread across Shingetsu's hands. He grinned cheerfully at Yuuma. "They're berries! I found them while I was looking for a new way to school for us. I've never seen them before, so I think they're really rare."
Something about the way they looked tugged at a memory Yuuma wasn't sure about. The berries didn't look rotten and they didn't really smell bad. He just couldn't remember having seen them those few times Akari dragged him to the grocery store.
"What are they?"
"I don't really know." Shingetsu rubbed the back of his head with one hand and pushed the berries closer to Yuuma with the other. "Why don't you try them? One little taste won't hurt, will it?"
Yuuma had to admit he was right. One little nibble wouldn't do anything, even if there was something wrong about them. He started to reach for them when Astral spoke up.
"Is it such a good idea to eat something you don't know anything about, Yuuma?"
Yuuma hesitated, his attention going from Astral to the berries to Shingetsu. He knew Astral was right, but he didn't want to hurt Shingetsu's feelings by not diving right in.
"I think they're all right." Yuuma picked up the berries and looked them over. Shingetsu's eyes brightened and his smile somehow got even bigger, if that were possible.
"I'm sure they are! Go on, try one!" Shingetsu urged. Yuuma pulled one off and gave it a careful lick. "What does it taste like?"
"Nothing much, really." Yuuma shook his head. Maybe they'd taste better if he actually ate one. He kind of did want to ask Akari or someone about them, but that virtual glow in Shingetsu's eyes made it a little difficult to find a convenient excuse.
He could still see Astral from the corner of one eye, staring at him with faint hints of disapproval on his features. He started to open his mouth; just like Shingetsu said, one little berry wasn't likely to hurt him no matter what they were.
"Yuuma, what are you doing?" He did not breathe a sigh of relief at all when Shark's voice cut through the air. He did, however, break out into a grin to see the Kamishiros standing there, Shark with his patented 'Yuuma is doing something stupid' expression.
"Hey! Shingetsu brought me these berries." He held them out for both Shark and his sister to see. "Do you know what they are?"
He barely had time to register Shark's hand was moving before the spray of berries ended up in the other duelist's hand, held far out of his own reach. Shark gave him an empowered version of that 'you are being stupid' look.
"This is mistletoe, idiot!"
Both Yuuma and Shingetsu stared at him, then at each other, equally confused. Yuuma managed to say something first. "What's that?"
Shark sighed, the sort of sound that he made only in extreme situations. "They're poison. It won't kill you to eat it, you'll just get really sick. Where did you even find them?"
"Around." Shingetsu shrugged, then jumped suddenly, staring at Yuuma. "I could've…I could've made you sick! I'm sorry, Yuuma-kun! I didn't know! I just thought they looked nice and you would've liked them! I really only meant the best, I'm sorry!"
Yuuma twitched a fraction, but he'd grown used to Shingetsu's apologies over the last month or so. He laughed, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. It's not that bad." After all, he hadn't actually eaten any, so nothing bad had happened. "Thanks, Shark!"
Shingetsu reached over to pick the spray from Shark. "Are they just poison? What else are they good for?" He stared at the berries as if they'd somehow insulted them by not being edible and delicious.
"Nothing much, really." Shark shrugged his shoulders. His sister, however, had something else to say.
"Some people put them up around the holiday season. There's an old tradition in some parts of the world where if two people are caught under it, they have to kiss each other."
Once again, Shingetsu and Yuuma froze, this time looking at Rio. Shingetsu found his voice first this time. "Kiss?" He said it in much the same way that some people might've said 'poison'. Yuuma could understand that; he'd never had a kiss in his life and wasn't all that eager to change that.
Rio nodded, a twist to her lips that made Yuuma think the idea didn't sit very well with her. "I think you should just throw it away."
Yuuma wasn't going to argue about that; who made a plant like that anyway? Poison and kissing…two things he didn't want and didn't see any real use for.
"I'll get right on that." Shingetsu shoved the plant back into his pocket and tugged on Yuuma's arm. "I'll get you something to make up for this, okay?" His eyes began to gleam again with their usual eagerness. "How about some ice cream? You'd like that, wouldn't you, Yuuma-kun? We can get all of your favorite flavors!"
Ice cream! That definitely was a lot better than poison kissing plants! "Good idea! You guys want to come along?"
"No, thanks. Ryouga's taking me shopping." Rio declared, gesturing back to where Shark's motorcycle waited for them. Yuuma had time only for a quick nod before Shingetsu tugged harder on his arm, pulling him in the direction of the nearest ice cream store.
Only much later, on the way home, stuffed full of ice cream and soda and everything else Shingetsu wanted to buy him as part of that endless apology for almost accidentally poisoning him, did the subject of that little plant come up again.
"Hey, did you get rid of it yet?" Yuuma wasn't sure why he asked. It just sort of crossed his mind. He'd been too busy eating everything Shingetsu pushed in front of him to think about it until now.
Shingetsu pulled it out and looked at the bent leaves and slightly squashed berries on it. "Not yet." He turned it over in his hand, a thoughtful look in his violet eyes. "Yuuma-kun…"
"Huh?" Yuuma kept walking, trying to remember if this was the right way home or not. He thought he knew the city pretty well, but the more he hung out with Shingetsu, the more he found ways that he'd never known existed. Mostly because he didn't bother taking the alleyways and sewers.
"I really am sorry. I wasn't trying to hurt you. I'm just so stupid…"
Yuuma shook his head at once. "You're not! You just made a mistake. It could happen to anyone. Even me!"
"No way!" Shingetsu almost dropped the mistletoe, staring at Yuuma. "Not you!"
"Oh, yeah." Yuuma had a long list of stories he could tell all about that. He wondered if Shingetsu would hero worship him a little bit less if he knew them all.
Before he could start on one of them, Shingetsu gave another look to the plant in his hand. "Yuuma-kun, she said it could also be used for kissing. Would you mind if I…if we…"
Yuuma's mouth had just begun to open to tell one little tale about something he'd done when he was five, when Shingetu's words fell into his ears and wiped his mind clean. "What?"
"I really like you, Yuuma-kun," Shingetsu murmured, lifting his eyes to look at him. "It wouldn't mean anything, unless you wanted it to. And I know you wouldn't, but…"
Yuuma might well have said no, under other circumstances. He didn't know how to kiss. Well, he sort of knew the 'lips go on each other' part, but other than that, he had no idea of what one was supposed to do during a kiss. And a kiss with one of his best friends?
One of his best friends who was looking at him with huge eyes, tears glimmering on the edges, still clearly so upset about a mistake that hadn't meant anything.
If it'll make him feel better…
"Uh, well…I guess…" He fidgeted a little as Shingetsu came closer and set both hands on his shoulders. The grip wasn't too tight, and almost seemed as if Shingetsu would jump away if Yuuma moved the wrong way. Then the other moved forward, and their lips brushed together.
It was very soft at first, and Yuuma's heart beat faster and faster with the sensation of someone else's lips on his own. Shingetsu-Rei's lips were soft and strong, and his tongue brushed a little across Yuuma's lips. Still a trifle confused and unsure, Yuuma opened his, though he couldn't have said if it was because of Rei's tongue there or because he was trying to ask what the other wanted.
Either way, as soon as his lips opened, Rei's tongue slipped into Yuuma's mouth and touched his. A low moan echoed in Yuuma's ears and he realized a heartbeat later that it came from him. Rei's hands tightened on his shoulders and Yuuma started to push his tongue back at Rei's, deciding this had to be what kissing was like.
It wasn't completely impossible that he could get used to it. It wasn't as much fun as dueling was, but what could be?
He didn't know how much longer it took before they both stepped back from one another, breathing hard and Yuuma knew for a fact that he was as red as could be. He swallowed, trying to put himself together, and failing miserably at it.
Rei didn't look to be much better, though he was far paler than he was red. He managed a small grin, looking at Yuuma. "I…uh…"
"Yeah." Yuuma nodded, hoping that Astral hadn't been watching. He'd vanished back into the Emperor's Key while they were at the ice cream shop and Yuuma didn't know how to explain this if he had to. For that matter, he'd never been gladder that no one else he knew was around. Explaining this to anyone would be forever beyond his reach.
Rei glanced down at his watch. "Oh, I've really got to get going. I'll see you tomorrow, Yuuma-kun!"
"Right. Tomorrow!" Yuuma decided to stop at the corner store and get himself another drink. He needed something to clear his head and a good cold soda would do the job. Maybe he could find Tetsuo and have a duel while he was at it.
Vector wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh maniacally or find the nearest place that sold toothbrushes, toothpaste, and mouthwash and take their stock to somewhere he could put it to good use cleaning his mouth out. He didn't like having one of the things in the first place and having touched it against Yuuma's didn't make it any better.
He hadn't expected Yuuma to genuinely eat the mistletoe anyway, and the kiss had only been a last minute idea, something to hold over Yuuma one day in the future. If he had been able to get the brat sick, then it would've been so much easier to plant even more seeds of doubt in between him and Astral. Oh, well, not every plan worked out for the best, not even for him.
He touched his fingers to his lips for a moment and shook his head. For a moment, he'd thought doing so wasn't all that bad. There were worst actions one could take with lips.
Perhaps he'd be able to do this again with Yuuma. He would have to think about it for a while. The more gaps he could tear in Yuuma's relationship with Astral, and anyone and everyone else, the better.
The End
Note: The title is inspired by Batman Returns, with the lines that Bruce/Batman and Selina/Catwoman exchange. Mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it. But a kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it.