Needles

Summary: Shizuka finds out something extremely amusing about Ryuuji. It has to do with a long over-due doctor's appointment...and needles. RyuujiShizuka at request from Mirabelle.

Shizuka walked. She really didn't have anything to do.

Looking around the place where she was walking, she didn't notice anybody. At least, nobody of interest to her. Sighing, she kept walking...and walking...her brother was at some kind of remedial class that day, God knew why. Actually, Shizuka did. He didn't pay attention in class. It had been a while ago that Shizuka had moved to Domino for a while. A short while, but a while. She was living at an apartment, a nice one, some blocks away from where she was standing at the moment.

Her mother hadn't let her live, if only for a few months, with Jou and her father. Even if, by then, her father had practically moved away from what was now considered Jou's apartment. He was somewhere in New York, and probably wouldn't be coming back for a while. Maybe never. The apartment was messy, but there was nothing that the seventeen-year-old Jounouchi could get drunk on.

Thank heaven.

A drunk Katsuya would just...be...scary.

But, though she was quite happy in Domino thank-you-very-much, she had nothing whatsoever to do.

Usually, Domino was a city of activity.

But when it wasn't, it really, really wasn't.

So the fifteen year old pulled down her shirt slightly, though it was already to big for her, and kept on wandering the city, no friends to accompany her.

They were all doing...something.

She didn't know what, they hadn't told her!

Then, she heard something.

"Hey, Shizuka!" The voice was loud.

The girl swivelled around, long auburn hair shining. "Oh!" Her face brightened. "Hi Ryuuji!"

Otogi Ryuuji wasn't what most women would want their daughters to date. Shizuka's mother would be no exception, if she knew Shizuka even though he was cute. No, more than cute...then he smiled at her. "Hey." He said in that oh-so-seductive way of his.

Well, maybe it wasn't quite seductive.

More like...friendly in a seductive fashion. But Ryuuji said everything like that, so who was she to judge.

"So, what is a pretty girl such as yourself doing around here?" He gave her his charming smile, twisting a lock of ink black hair around a slim finger.

"Nothing. I don't have anything to do." Shizuka almost felt a blush color her cheeks, but she fought it back so it just became a light pink dusting.

She cursed herself for that. She had blushed far too easily. And more, ever since she had finally figured out the obvious attraction Ryuuji and Honda felt for her. Well, Honda had begun to date that Miho girl, the one whom everybody called Ribbon.

The girl was quite sweet, and quite quiet, and Shizuka couldn't be happier for her friend.

But, Ryuuji...far as she knew, he was still attracted to her.

Or was he attracted to every person of the female sex he came across?

...And the male sex, too. Ryuuji was quite obviously bisexual.

Anyway, Shizuka had always prided herself on not being one of the girls who swooned over him when he came across. She considered him a FRIEND.

Maybe something more, in time, a part of her brain had the audacity to think. But she didn't that part often. Because she was sweet, adorable Shizuka, and she liked it that way.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Ryuuji stated, cheerfully: "Well, you can come over to my place!"

She tried to search him for any suggestive implications in those words, but couldn't find anything.

"Sure!"

The boy grinned, letting go of his hair and letting it bounce, slightly curled, on his shoulder.

He led her to an expensive looking flat, and let her inside.

"Just make yourself comfortable. I'll be over in a sec." He walked away, lightly stepping, and Shizuka quite admired his grace.

She looked around. The place was nice, and obviously expensive. On the coffee table in front of her there were loads of papers, but on the top was an agenda and a paper that said, in large, computerized writing: DON'T MISS YOUR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT MARCH TWELFTH!

She realized something.

Today was March twelfth.

Ryuuji came into the room, still with his ever present and slightly smug smile on his face and one of his slim fingers in one of his black belt loops.

"Hey, Ryuuji? Have you gone to your Doctor's appointment?" She asked. She was sure he had, but just wanted to verify it, out of curiosity.

Her thoughts were contradicted when he blanched and the smile slipped off of his face.

It came on just as strong as he said: "Yeah! Of course! What makes you think I didn't?" His voice had gone slightly higher, and Shizuka was not convinced.

"You haven't, have you? And on this paper, it says you're over-due for a shot."

The smile left and didn't even come back that time.

Instead, the boy pursed his lips and snapped: "Well, I'm sorry, but that's none of your business."

"Yes it is, you're my friend, Ryuuji-kun. I can't allow you to die of flu, can I?" She said sincerely.

"Hm. Yeah, you can. Don't worry, you can give a eulogy at my funeral." He smirked. "I know what an honor that would be."

"This isn't a joke!"

"I know."

"Then how about going to the Doctor's? I'll come with you."

"No...nonononono...I'll go on my own, Shizuka, sweet of you to care, I'll be off now, BYE!" Then he whirled away.

The girl was still unconvinced, as she realized the boy had forgotten his wallet.

How could he pay for the Doctor's without his wallet?

As though he had just figured that out, he whirled back into the room and almost out before Shizuka grabbed him, albeit gently, again. "Come on, Ryuuji, you'll be less nervous if you let me go with you."

And there's a larger chance of you actually going.

The boy shrugged, before getting slightly defensive, trying to keep his cool. "I'm not nervous. I don't get nervous, you should know that by now. and, anyway, bringing you would be too much of a hassle."

The girl looked up at the taller boy, big hazel eyes pleading, a strand of shiny hair falling over them. "You think I'm a burden? I thought you though more of me than just that."

He looked like he was stuck. "Fine! You can come with me!"

In his mind, the gears were turning. Okay, I'll lose her by slipping into some abandoned alleyway and hoping some psycho captures me so I don't have to go to the Doctor's.

But, eventually, they got right to the Office.

Suddenly, as a last resort, the boy next to Shizuka coughed, hard.

Then he said. "Wow, I think I should be getting home. I don't think that a needle would do anything to help my already weakened state..."

He turned to flee, but the girl held on tightly. "I thought you were the prodigy. That's a stupid idea...what better reason to go for a check-up than if you're already weak?"

"Ummm...good question. I'll go home to look that one up."

"Oh come on, it's not that bad, they just jab a needle into your skin, there's a bit of blood, then everything is done!"

"But I don't want anybody to jab a needle into my skin! I like my skin perfectly flawless as it is now!"

"Be mature!"

"Nope!"

How she managed to drag him in, neither knew.

But eventually, they were at the Doctor's Office, Ryuuji looking at Shizuka as though she had killed his best friend. But the younger girl stood strong.

Ryuuji apparently still had low blood pressure, still was underweight, and-surprise, surprise!- hadn't had his flu shot yet.

"Heh, good thing I noticed! Wouldn't want you to miss that!"

Ryuuji's eye twitched as Shizuka smiled sweetly. "No, we wouldn't."

You all think she's so sweet, but under that adorable smile, pure evil!

The Doctor grinned as he expertly wiped off Ryuuji's arm with a cotton swab. Then, he took out the needle.

Ryuuji's eyes widened.

THAT is a BIG needle.

The needle (and the moment of truth) came closer.

THAT IS A REALLY BIG NEEDLE!

He felt a hand slip into his, and tried to keep from freaking out in his over dramatic way.

As it ended up, he didn't!

He spent so much time panicking, the needle jammed into his arm and back without him feeling a thing, until a little drop of blood rolled down his shoulder and he saw the Doctor put a band-aid on his arm.

Thank God he had already paid, because when he ran away screaming, it was obvious he wasn't coming back.

Shizuka merely smiled at the put-off Doctor, and said, "I'm sorry, he can be somewhat dramatic at times."

"Kids."

She bit back a smile. "Yeah, kids."

Finally with some purpose in her life, she headed over to the boy's apartment and stepped inside.

He was there, looking slightly shell-shocked.

"Hey, Ryuuji."

He glared. "I don't want to speak with you."

"Well, time you face your fears, right?"

"I'M NOT AFRAID!"

"What was that screaming I heard, then?"

"Absolutely nothing. You were hearing things."

"Of course I was."

"Mhmm." The boy smirked self-importantly. "I don't scream. It's not dignified for someone of my caliber."

"Oh, then what do you rich people do when you're scared out of your mind? I did hear whimpering..."

"I don't whimper either!"

"Of course not."

"I-" He wasn't able to finish his sentence when soft lips pressed to his.

Shizuka smiled, innocent hazel eyes looking up at him as he broke the kiss. "What? Wasn't that good enough for you?"

But...but...where'd that come from?

Not that I'm complaining.

"Oh, come on. I'm happy you didn't run away, that's all. I want something to remember. Today I actually did something interesting."

"Oh, well. If that's the case..."

Bring it on.

And she did.

Ryuuji smirked as they kissed again.

Jou is going to freak out.

-THE END-