Hello all, and welcome to my latest offering. I hope you enjoy it, as it is my jewel. Since it is near completed, I expect updates to be constant. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy. =)
This story was inspired by the song "Come On, Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson.
Other inspirations for this story include "Breathe" by Taylor Swift and "Thunder" by BoysLikeGirls
Side Notes for this story will be attached to chapters accordingly.
Note: For the purpose of this fiction, I have made Domino a city in the United States, not Japan.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the characters, nor do I own any of the songs or lyrics that have inspired me.
Dedicated to Larka and Natoya, who I can always count on to beta for me. Dedicated to Tavi, who just needs a good read every once and a while. And dedicated to all of those people who believe that love can be found anywhere.
Chapter 1:
It was at that moment that the gray sky opened up, a downpour of rain showering the earth's soil, creating little puddles around Yuugi's feet as he made his way into the center of the yard, bypassing the laughing individuals that danced around him. When he reached the middle of the crowd, between all the cherry blossom trees sprouting pink and red petals, he turned around, and lifted his eyes towards the sky, letting the rush of water wash over his face.
Yami watched him from his seat underneath the small shelter, his eyes never leaving Yuugi as the boy raised his hands above his head and clasped them together. Slowly, with the same sensual rhythm of the rain, Yuugi swayed his hips from side to side, his eyes closed as he breathed in the purifying air. The rain clung to his skin, the drops like diamonds on his pale arms. The outstretched limbs followed the same, slow movement of the boy's lithe waist.
Yami couldn't tear his gaze away, and he didn't even realize that the strings of his heart had pulled him to his feet and out into the rain. It pelted down around him and soaked him to the core, numbing his entire existence. Through all the smiling and dancing men and women, who were now nothing but dark blurs in the surrounding mist, there was a straight, clear path that led to Yuugi, who just continued to sway, and breathe, and live.
When Yuugi opened his eyes, he looked right at Yami, his half-lidded amethyst jewels piercing Yami's soul as the crystalline drops dripped off his golden bangs, ran down his face, and hung off the tips of his eyelashes. There was a burst of wind, and suddenly, all went silent. The only thing that Yami could hear was the pitter-patter of the rain, and the light, slow music that was never really there.
It was then that he moved forward, his dark scarlet eyes locked with Yuugi's own as he walked directly towards his destination, his steps never faltering under Yuugi's alluring gaze, because, in that moment, everything was just so damn simple.
Two Months Earlier
"Ugh. It's raining…again."
Yuugi jumped when a stack of books were dropped on the desk beside him, and with a small sigh, he shifted his attention from the window to the brunette standing over him. He smiled lightly. "The rain's not that bad, Anzu."
Yuugi laughed when the china blue eyes of his friend widened in horror. "It is when you're a girl," she said, sitting in the seat beside him. Yuugi quickly looked her up and down, taking in the subtle wet circles that littered her pink jacket and dark blue slacks.
"It looks like you survived alright," Yuugi commented, his gaze shifting to the loud pair approaching them. "It doesn't look like Jou or Honda did, though."
Anzu looked up from her clothes and rolled her eyes, trying to fight down the smile that was threatening to make itself known. Katsuya Jounouchi and Honda Hiroto scrambled up to them in a wet and tangled mess, as the former caught the brunet in a headlock.
"Good morning, Jou," Yuugi coughed, covering the laugh that had bubbled from under his lips. "Hey, Honda. Umm…forget your umbrellas at home today?"
Anzu snickered. "More like their brains."
"Hey, its not my fault," Honda defended, pushing Jou away and pointing to him accusingly. "He tried to take my umbrella away and then he broke it!"
"Geez, Honda," Jou mused. "I was tryin' to get ya to share it."
"It couldn't fit both of us!" Honda snapped, sitting into his seat in front of Anzu. Jou took the seat next to him so that Yuugi was behind him. It was the same spots that they chose to sit in every class they had together, always the ones closest to the windows, too.
"It definitely can't now," Jou grinned, and ducked when Honda took a swing at him.
Yuugi smiled at his friends' bickering—a daily occurrence, really, when your best friends were two of the most hot-headed teens in the school—before turning his eyes back to the window. Raindrops trekked down the glass like tears, pooling at the bottom and dripping off the edges. Sometimes he thought that he was the only one who could see the beauty of the rain; the cleansing, the freedom. Maybe he was.
"I wonder what's taking Mrs. Hitori so long," Anzu thought aloud. She tapped a pencil against her desk. "She's never this late."
Jou scoffed, and propped his feet up on his desk, crossing them lazily at the ankles. "I ain't complainin'."
"Course not," Anzu said.
Yuugi leaned back into his chair a little. It was strange for Mrs. Hitori, the most feared teacher in the entire school as voted on by the school newspaper, to be ten minutes late to homeroom—though Jou and Honda would have probably been screamed at for coming into her room the way they did, so maybe it was a good thing.
When an elbow jabbed into his ribs, Yuugi turned towards Anzu and his eyebrows raised to his hairline in question. Anzu, on the other hand, was not looking at him but at the doorway.
"Eye candy, two o' clock," she whispered.
Yuugi blinked at the remark and, slowly but surely, followed his friend's gaze until he spotted a man that at first glance, looked like an image of perfection. A few moments passed—during which Yuugi searched for a single, coherent train of thought—before Yuugi narrowed his eyes as if squinting would aid him in being able to trace every delectable curve and angle of the man before him. He was about a head taller than himself, probably 5' 6'' and stood as erect and poise as possible, with skin fair and flawless. A pair of burgundy eyes, framed by long, sooty lashes, dominated the man's chiseled face, and they sat proud on top of a set of pristine cheekbones. Full, pink lips moved with each word the man spoke to the headmaster, who stood next to him, the two deep in conversation. Blond fringe hung over his forehead and ran up his ebony black hair in lightening streaks, and when said man—dressed elegantly in a pair of black suit pants and white long-sleeved shirt with the cuffs folded back—swayed unconsciously on his feet, the light tinted the tips of his hair a dark red.
"Is he a student?" Yuugi heard himself ask, but even to himself his voice sounded too hopeful.
"I don't think so," Anzu replied, pointing to the black, leather briefcase in his hand. "I think he's a sub."
"Oh." Was the only reply Yuugi could muster. His eyes stayed glued to man, even as the headmaster walked to the center of the classroom and announced that Mrs. Hitori was not coming back, due to a family issue that she needed time to resolve. And they even stayed when the class erupted into cheers and, when the headmaster introduced their new homeroom teacher, Mr. Yami Atemu, who would also be taking over all of Mrs. Hitori's English Literature classes. And they didn't even blink when Yami lifted his gaze to his own, and his breath hitched in the back of his throat.
"Yuug'!"
"Huh?" Yuugi blinked a few times at the interruption, and he quickly looked down to meet Jou's perplexed eyes.
"Whatcha lookin' at?" he asked, a knowing grin spreading across his face like wildfire.
"Nothing!" Yuugi said, then blushed when he realized how defensive he sounded. "I was just, you know—what, he's handsome."
Anzu laughed, raising her hand. "Agreed."
"Wait a minute!" Honda exclaimed, catching the attention of his friends, who all looked at him with wide eyes. "This means that he'll be our new teacher for English...which means no more of Mrs. Hitori's lectures, or homework—"
"Or projects, or essays, or pop quizzes!" Jou finished, almost jumping out of his chair. Yuugi remained as still as stone, only one thought running through his head. Oh, shit.
"Hold on." Anzu put a hand up to halt the excited duo. "What makes you guys think that he'll be any better?" she asked, gesturing to Yami who was saying goodbye to the headmaster and thanking him for this great opportunity.
"No one can be as bad as Mrs. Hitori," Honda pointed out, and after a second, Anzu assented.
"True."
The bell rang, signaling that the students had four minutes to get to their classes, and the classroom immediately emptied, Yuugi and Jou falling behind everybody else as they made their way across the spacious room. Out of the corner of his eye, Yuugi could see a large stack of papers slip from Yami's grip and spill onto the floor. He cracked a sympathetic smile when Yami smacked his hand over his eyes and left it there, his other hand balled into a fist and resting promptly on his hip.
"Yuug, ya comin' or what?"
Yuugi turned halfway at his friend's voice to see the blond standing at the door frame. He shot Yami a fleeting glance. "Yeah, I'll be there in a sec," Yuugi assured. "Wait up for me at my locker."
Jou shrugged. "Alright."
When Jou exited the room, Yuugi turned around and walked back to his teacher, who still had his eyes closed and his hand plastered over his face. Yuugi couldn't tell if the other was trying to settle his nerves, collect his patience, or contemplate murder—maybe it was a combination of the three. Regardless, Yuugi bent down and picked up the scattered papers at his feet.
"Rough first day?" he murmured, glancing up at his teacher from his crouched position on the floor.
At the words, Yami's eyes snapped open, and he looked down at Yuugi from between his fingers. After a moment longer, he let his hand slide off his face and flashed Yuugi a weary smile. "You have no idea."
His voice was as deep as the sea and had somehow captured all of its qualities; it was both enchanting and alluring. But, preferring not to come of as a complete idiot, Yuugi managed to hide his awe behind a small smile. "You get used to it," he comforted. He stood upright and passed the neat stack to his teacher, who took it gratefully.
"Thank you," Yami said. He turned back to his desk and placed the papers in his briefcase, snapping it closed. When he glanced at Yuugi again, his brows knitted together in thought. "I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name."
"Oh, it's Yuugi. Yuugi Motou." He offered Yami another smile. "So, are you new at this? Teaching, I mean."
Yami chuckled, picking up his briefcase and turning fully around to face Yuugi once more. "Is it that obvious?"
"A little." Yuugi stifled a giggle. "But I'm sure you'll do fine."
"Thanks, I kind of needed a little encouragement." Yami smiled at him and, for a moment, Yuugi got lost inside the warmth of those vibrant crimson eyes. It was only when the bell gave off its shrill noise that he looked away, a rush of heat spreading across his face.
"Oh," Yuugi murmured, covering up his embarrassment with a small cough. "I guess I should go."
Yami didn't seem to notice the pink hue in his cheeks, for his attention was now on the clock that hung over his head, and for that, Yuugi was entirely grateful.
"I should, too," Yami sighed. "I have to teach a class now." He looked back down at Yuugi and smiled again.
"Well, I'll see you later then, Mr. Atemu," Yuugi said, turning towards the door and tossing a small wave over his shoulder.
Yami nodded after Yuugi's retreating form. He looked away for a moment when his pen slipped off the desk. "Bye, Yuugi," he called out after the teen only to realize that Yuugi was already gone.
--
The classrooms at Domino High School—one of the most accredited and sought-after high schools in the country—are structured like a movie theater; the front row of desks are situated on the floor while the next row is placed a few inches higher, and it goes on and on in that manner. There are six rows and six columns of desks. Out of sheer boredom, Yuugi supposed, the framers of this rather large and imposing building decided to change it to three columns, and so every two desks were pushed, and nailed, together. Thus, the reason why the person who sat next to you was close enough that you could barely breath without bumping elbows.
"Hey, look!" Anzu chirped. "It stopped raining!"
"Just in time, too!" Honda added. "Now we don't have to walk home in the rain."
"Eh." Jou seemed unimpressed with the condition of the weather. "I jus' wanna get some grub. Let's go to dat new burger place afta' school."
"I'm down with that," Honda said, plopping down in his seat besides Jou. "How long till school's over?"
"One hour, Honda," Yuugi replied, settling down as well. He turned expectant eyes towards the doorway, much to Anzu's amusement.
"Waiting for someone, Yuugi?" Anzu asked, poking his side.
"No." Yuugi swatted her hand away, trying hard not to smile. "I'm just glad that it's last period. Today's been so boring."
"Agreed." Jou turned his head from side to side, stretching his stiff muscles.
"Sorry, I'm late."
Yuugi's eyes snapped towards the door, and a smile broke out across his face when he saw Yami striding towards his large, brown desk, placing his briefcase and jacket in his cushioned chair neatly. He took the liberty to explain Mrs. Hitori's situation to anyone who hadn't already heard—though Yuugi was sure that everybody did know, and had already celebrated—and introduce himself.
Moving to the center of the class, Yami leaned back against his desk and crossed his ankles. "So," he began, "in a sad attempt to get to know you all and vice versa, I'm going to let you all ask me questions. When we're done with that, I'm going to pass out some paper and you all are going to write down some things I should know about you. I suggest you all get a journal, if you do not have one already, because you are going to keep all your thoughts and entries in there. Including today's entry."
He paused, and the room filled with a bubble of collective groans.
"Ah, right on cue," Yami said, causing a few snickers to circle the classroom. "So, as you're working on this, I'm going to walk around and see what you're writing. But first," he took out the attendance sheet, "let me just see who's here."
As Yami read off the names of each student, Yuugi closed his eyes and listened to how Yami was able to project his voice so that the people in the very back row could hear him but so it still sounded like he was talking to each person individually. It was a talent that most of his teachers had yet to acquire for he felt like half of the time, teachers were yelling at him instead of talking.
"Mazaki, Anzu?"
Yuugi opened his eyes to see Anzu raise her hand. "Present," she chimed.
Yuugi looked at Yami, preparing to make his presence known, being fully aware that his name always came after Anzu's. So, of course, he was slightly taken aback when instead of reading off his name as written on the attendance list, Yami blinked and then looked up to scan the sea of students, the multitude of rows. "Yuugi?" he said, his tone normal though Yuugi could have sworn he heard the tiniest bit of hopefulness in that strong, impermeable voice, though that was probably just wishful thinking.
From his spot next to Anzu, Yuugi felt his throat swell shut, which made breathing relatively difficult. So, he did what he could. He waved, and forced a smile, not at all surprised that he figuratively melted onto the floor when Yami's eyes locked onto his, and the handsome teacher gave him a smile warmer than the Sahara Desert.
It was only when Yami broke the contact to read off another name that Yuugi was able to pull himself back together.
"How come you got a smile?" Anzu murmured, her eyes shining curiously.
Yuugi frowned at her. "Stop it, Anzu. He wasn't smiling at me."
"Uh huh." Anzu laughed when Yuugi shot her a small glare. "Oh, I'm only teasing."
Yuugi opened his mouth but closed it again when Yami put away the attendance list and turned back towards the class.
"Okay, so let's get this started." Yami clapped his hands together. "First, are there any questions for me?"
"How old are you?" was the instant reply and everybody leaned forward as if they expected Yami to whisper the answer.
Yami inwardly sighed. No surprise there. "I am twenty-two."
Yuugi nodded. He had guessed as much. That meant that Yami was fresh out of college, which would also explain his nerves. It also meant that he was now the youngest teacher in the entire school, the next one being Mr. Simmons, who was almost twenty-five.
"What's your nationality?" a girl behind Anzu asked.
"I am half Egyptian, half Japanese."
Yuugi perked up at this. That would explain why the man seemed to be wrapped in an exotic aura, to the point where it was seeping from his pores.
"Why'd you chose to become a teacher?"
This went on for a couple of minutes before Yami held out his arms and called it to an end, due to the fact that some of the questions had started teetering on inappropriate.
"So, before I hand this out," Yami announced to the class, lifting the pile of papers from his leather briefcase, "can somebody tell me what was the last thing Mrs. Hitori had you all working on?"
Jou's hand snapped up so fast, Honda almost fell out of his chair in surprise. "Well, now dat ya mention it," Jou said when Yami's eyes fell on him. "We were discussin' a field trip to da nearest food place."
The class burst into laughter, a few of the students nodding their heads and shouting things in agreement. A small smile lit up Yuugi's face, but he still managed to roll his eyes at Jou's expense, stopping only when his gaze landed back on Yami, who stood at the front of the class, the stack of papers tucked neatly under his arm. He was surprised when he noticed the pair of rubies sparkling with mirth, accompanied with a smirk—a perfect curve of those supple lips. And here Yuugi had thought that Yami couldn't possibly look any more tempting.
"Is that right, Katsuya?" Yami asked, amusement radiating from his form like electricity. Leaning back against his desk, he picked up a small notepad resting on the corner, and flipped through it. He looked back up to smile at Jou but Yuugi couldn't shake the feeling that Yami was really smiling at him. Once again, that was probably wishful thinking on his part. "Well, from the notes that Mrs. Hitori left me, I can see that you left quite an impression on her."
Another round of laughter bubbled throughout the room, and Jou only leaned back further into his seat and flashed Yami a sheepish grin. "I jus' have dat kinda effect on people."
Yami chuckled. "I'm sure you do but, if you don't mind, I think I'll ask somebody else. Now," he retrieved the papers situated between his arm and side, and began to distribute them to each person in the front row, "I expect that you all write at least a paragraph. Nothing personal, just some things about you; favorite hobby, any sports you participate in, or whatever else you feel like putting down."
"Mr. Atemu?"
Yami looked up, and Yuugi was once again subjected to stare directly into those warm, candy-red eyes. He controlled the urge to step on Anzu's foot.
"Yes, umm… Anzu, is it?"
Anzu nodded happily. "Yes. Well, I was just wondering; are we going to write a journal entry every day?"
"Most days," Yami said, smiling at his student's disgruntled faces. "Oh, but it will be fun. Just think, after a grueling day of school, you get to come here and blow some steam off. It's meant to be a relaxing exercise."
"More like a borin' exercise," Jou muttered under his breath. "Ow!"
"Stop it, Jou," Yuugi whispered. "It's his first day."
"Yuugi's right, Jou," Anzu reprimanded. "No need to be cruel."
"He's da one who hit me," Jou hissed quietly, rubbing the back of his head. "Talk 'bout cruel."
"He doesn't seem half-bad, actually." Honda shrugged. He passed the pile of papers back to Anzu, only after taking one for himself. "But, like I said, anyone's better than Mrs. Hitori."
Yuugi nodded, only partially paying attention to his friend's comments as he looked down at the blank sheet of paper before him. After a moment or two, he jotted down some of the uninteresting facts about his life; his love of games, his favorite places to be, the fact that he was seventeen but most people mistook him for fourteen, and, most importantly, the quirks and oddities that made his friends so great. He absentmindedly noticed Yami making his way across the rows of desk, checking up on the progress of his students. Once he was done, he set his pen on his desk and waited patiently for everybody else to finish. He tried to hide his amusement when he looked over at Jou and saw that the blond had already passed out on his desk.
His attention completely on his friend, he couldn't help but jump slightly when Yami appeared in front of him and bent over his desk, leaning forward so that their cheeks were hovering beside each other's. "What were you working on with Mrs. Hitori before she left?" he asked quietly.
Yuugi smiled and lifted his chin. "We were doing group projects," Yuugi whispered into Yami's ear.
Yami nodded before pulling away, a thankful gleam highlighting the scarlet gems. He glanced at Yuugi's paper and those around him, and then turned and walked back to his desk.
Anzu nudged him the second Yami was out of earshot. "What did he want to know?" she asked, her voice a low murmur.
Yuugi leaned back in his seat and played with the hem of his shirt, all the while struggling to fight the smile that was pulling at his lips. "Just what Mrs. Hitori had us working on before she left."
"Oh," she said and turned her focus back to the paper in front of her.
He didn't tell her that Yami's breath on his face sent goosebumps down his neck and throughout his body; or that his voice resonated in his head like a song; or that the cologne Yami was wearing made him smell like afternoon rain. He didn't tell her any of these things because no matter how attracted he was to Yami, there was one thing that Yuugi kept reminding himself.
Yami was his teacher, and he was his student.
To Be Continued...
Reviews/comments appreciated as always.