Notes: set pre-manga. Written because I wondered where Dark Yuugi got those hardcore accessories when meeting Ushio. Also, this fic uses (abuses?) the tendency for Domino City to manufacture violent loonies. They're so useful!

Honda always makes me carry his stuff and buy dirty magazines for him ... I don't really like him that much...
Yuugi - Vol. 1, chap. 7, "The Face of Truth"

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Honda's just a punk.

Except you might wanna watch how you say that, 'cause he'd hit you five times before you could finish the last word. Or at least, that's what he'll say he can do, and there are a couple of local tough guys with missing teeth who'd agree.

Yuugi from his class is the weirdest ten-year-old in the world, especially because he's actually fifteen. But he's the same size as Honda's eldest nephew who turned ten last month, and as dumb, geeky, and worthless as any little kid. Let's not even get to the hair.

So Honda's a punk, and Yuugi is weird.

But Toushiro is a total maniac.

He's a big third-year student, and currently he's practically pulling out salt and pepper for seasoning as he makes his way over to Yuugi. Yuugi's still staring at the Game Boy he's been glued to all day (not literally, this time. Mazaki got really pissed when Honda and Jounouchi did that.); he's going to be the easiest after-school snack Toushiro ever got his hands on.

Yep, that's just the way it tends to go. Toushiro looms, the shadow falls over the prey... For once, Yuugi shows some intelligence and backs away, but he smacks into the fence in three steps. Toushiro, usually a guy with a rock-hard face who has the same expression on matter what he's doing, smiles a little as he cracks his knuckles.

Yuugi really should be able to take care of himself at his age. Then again, he is exactly the size of Honda's nephew. Fighting back wouldn't do him much good.

Honda has his steps timed exactly right, but he's not about to feel smug about it. Toushiro is watching Yuugi wiggle up against the fence like he's going to try and climb it with his shoulder blades, probably getting the only kind of enjoyment out of it that could make his blank face show something. He's still a couple of steps away, and hasn't exactly got his stake claimed yet, so Honda can step right up and drag Yuugi's collar.

They're two steps away from the spot, Yuugi wobbling as he walked, and Honda's book bag is off his shoulder. Then Toushiro says in his deep voice, "Hey."

"What?" Honda doesn't quite sneer as he turns around. "Get your own gopher. I got this one staked out since the beginning of the year."

Toushiro's face stays blank, but Honda sees his fists twitching.

"I got places to be," Honda says. He drops his book bag into Yuugi's arms and says, "Get ready to go." He says it cool, sounding like a rich dude ordering around his limo driver, nice and easy. Then he turns to give Toushiro a really bored look. "Whaddaya want?"

Honda's a punk. Everyone knows that. He hangs out with that Jounouchi Katsuya, that guy who was in a gang with a bunch of crazies from Rintama. The people in the know aren't sure which one of them is the better fighter, but most of them bet on Jounouchi. Honda's too cautious to be really good, since the word is that he'll only get into fights when he's sure he can win.

Toushiro leans forwards, taking sort of half a step. Honda doesn't budge. Toushiro grunts and moves off, not even looking back, and it's pretty hard for Honda not to breathe out loudly in relief. Next to him, Yuugi is probably a second away from peeing himself. He's actually slid to the ground.

Now Yuugi scrambles up. "Th-thank you, Hon-"

"Come on!" says Honda. Thankfully, Yuugi goes quiet after that. He only sighs when they enter a certain part of town - he's been here with Honda a few times before - and Honda snickers a little.

It's only fair if Yuugi helps him get special reading material. He helps the little dweeb out when he can, after all.

Honda strolls down the street, looking for a shop he hasn't visited before. He didn't want anyone who might tell on him to spot him hanging around the specialist shops. He spots one right next to a tattoo and piercing parlour. Perfect cover - he'll pretend to browse the tattoo designs in the window while waiting for Yuugi to convince the storekeeper that he was old enough to buy porn magazines. And the door of the shop was the kind that stayed open, so Honda could listen to the conversation. It was always good for a laugh.

"Over there. Go on, Yuugi," he says with a smirk. Yuugi's face scrunches up into exactly the look of a dissatisfied kid. Honda pushes him on. Clearly Yuugi needs to go into that shop - anything that has a chance of making him a little more manly can only be good.

Yuugi shuffles in, tripping over his shoelaces, and looks around furtively. Honda can't see him anymore from this angle and strains to hear. It's quiet for a couple of minutes, and then he strains to hear Yuugi mutter, "Excuse me, cashier. Um, first off, I am definitely a high school student and I can prove it--"

"Yeah, yeah, I get that all the time," the cashier replies, sounding bored, and then said: "WOW."

Honda put his hand over his mouth to hide his laughter. People always got so surprised to see Yuugi was in high school.

"Yeah, so, I - I just wanted to..." says Yuugi, and trails off. He's getting shy again.

The cashier said, "Sorry for yelling, but your hair. Wow, kid. And I was always fighting my mother to let me get a measly mohawk!"

That's a little unusual. Honda stops pretending to look at a tiger tattoo design and glances up to see the sign of the sex shop. Cuffs 'n Stuff. Maybe he could have done better than to send Yuugi into a bondage shop probably filled with strange, kinky people...

"I can't get over it!" says the voice of cashier. "That hair! Sara, come look!"

"Is something wrong, Tetsuo?" says a voice that sounds like it's calling out from a bit of a distance. This Sara person is probably far back in the shop.

"You gotta come look at this guy's hair! It's wicked!"

There's a pause, and then: "Oooh, wow," says Sara. "How do you get it to do that?"

"I don't d-do anything, it grows like this. No big deal-"

"Lucky! It's amazing."

"Thank you." Yuugi's probably blushing. Honda's pretty sure he sounds exactly like Yuugi sounds now when a girl is pretty enough. He glances at his reflection in the tattoo parlour's window and pokes at his hair. It's pretty cool. Right?

"I HAVE AN IDEA," says Tetsuo, and at this point, Honda classifies him as a serious freak. "Kid, into the fitting room!"

"I didn't come for clothes, I, uh..."

"It doesn't matter! Go, go, go!"

"Tetsuo?" says Sara. "What are you planning?"

"I'm getting the joke stock!"

"No, not that, you'll freak the poor kid out!"

"Of course not that. Sicko. I meant this joke stock," he says, and something rattles.

It's silent. And then: "It's perfect!" says Sara.

"Here!" Tetsuo sings out. "Take this, kid! The boss ordered this stuff in kid's sizes last year as a joke, but it's been lying around here because most people think it's too freaky for kids, even as a joke. But you're perfect for it!"

Honda's making a face at the tattoo designs he's sure they don't deserve. What the hell is going on in there? Should he go in?

Yuugi's voice is shrill. "I don't think--"

"No, he's right!" says the Sara voice. "It'll be so cool! Tetsuo, you know what we should get? The accessories. The silver-looking ones. Where's that box?" There follows the sound of rushing footsteps and excited voices, and Honda thinks he can hear Yuugi's voice in there, almost drowned out.

Then it stops.

"So cute!" Sara's the one sounding ridiculously overexcited now, but Tetsuo isn't far behind: "You're made for this, kid! Awesome!"

Honda's freaked out. He edges to the door, keeping a look-out in case anyone he knows is approaching, then leans in and yells, "Yuugi! Get out here!"

"I have to go, my friend's waiting," Yuugi says quickly. "So I'll just get back in my clothes and give this back--"

"No way!" says Tetsuo. "That stuff's never getting sold. I mean, no one's going to buy this for their ten-year-old. Keep it!"

"I couldn't do that!"

"But you look so good in it!" Sara says, almost squealing.

Tetsuya: "I bet there's more that would fit you. Let me get the box at the back-"

"No, really! Thank you very much for all this and I just need to get my uniform and bye!" Yuugi says, and Honda hears him running for it.

Yuugi appears, waving over his shoulder as the people inside call goodbyes, and then ducks away from the door. He smashes into Honda and struggles not to lose his balance and stagger back into view of the open doorway. In doing this he pushes Honda back a step or two, and looks scared for a second ... but Honda doesn't even notice.

Yuugi stands there: Covered head to toe in ripped denim and black leather, heavy chains and bracelets, and what just might be a little make-up around the eyes. Honda stares at him with a slack jaw. "What the hell?"

"Th-they ... they gave it to me ... Said it was cool ... I, I dunno?"

Honda stares. He puts his head in his hands. Then he gives up, and he just laughs, putting his hands in his pockets and throwing his head back.

"Looks great," he says, and for once, he walks away, letting the kid free to do whatever he wants. Apparently he deserves some respect!

Because from the looks of it, Mutou Yuugi is a punk.