Bakura looked down at his lunch tray, not hearing the conversation between his friends as his mind wandered. It had been nearly a year since Battle City and the conclusion of everything that had followed and despite Anzu's initial fear that the group would fall apart, they were all still together. Some more then others, Bakura reflected, seeing Yuugi blush and squirm at something Anzu had whispered to him. He gave a small sigh. It wasn't that he begrudged Yuugi and Anzu their relationship, even if it did mean he spent less time with Yuugi, it was just that watching them always made him think of his own crush...
He paused, hearing an almost angry 'thunk' repeating over and over from near by. Pushing aside his soon to be depressed lamenting, he turned to the source of the sound, finding Honda repeatedly stabbing his lunch with his fork. "Honda-kun? Are you all right?"
The taller boy paused, looking up. "Yeah, I'm fine," he dismissed, turning back to his tray before looking over at Jounouchi and making a face. "Wasn't hungry and you know how the lunch is," he continued, turning back to Bakura.
Bakura nodded slightly, looking down at his own untouched meal.
"How bout you, you okay?" Honda asked, shifting to face the paler boy better. "You seem kinda... down."
Bakura gave a small embraced smile. "I guess I am..." he said softly, not looking up.
"Anything you want to talk about?"
The boy was quiet a moment before speaking. "There's... this person, that I like, that I have for a while, but that person doesn't seem to realize I exist," he said softly, one finger poking at the napkin on his lap.
Honda nodded. "That definitely tough," he sympathized. "I know how painful it can be."
"Because of Shizuka-chan?" Bakura asked. "I know you liked her."
Honda paused, then nodded. "Yeah. She never really saw what I was trying to do," he shrugged, poking at his mutilated lunch again. "Damned Otogi," he muttered before looking up at Bakura again. "You have to be forceful to get someone's attention. Subtly just gets completely missed. If you like this person, do something that'll get you noticed, but in a good way, making an ass out of yourself never works well." He looked over at Jounouchi and made another face.
Bakura was quiet a long moment, thinking on his friends words. He obviously wasn't going to get his crush's attention just lamenting and pining over what could have been... Slowly, he nodded. "Thanks, Honda-kun," he smiled. "I'll try." He rose to his feet, excusing himself from the table.
Bakura looked up from his research in the school library as Honda sat down next to him with a sigh. "Something wrong...?" he asked, concerned as he closed the book he was looking through.
"Eh, I don't know," Honda admitted. "Think I just fucked something up majorly."
"With Jounouchi-kun?"
Honda looked up sharply. "How'd you know?"
"He was just in here looking for Yuugi-kun," Bakura answered. "He was upset about something but didn't want to talk about it."
"How bad was he?"
"He was shaking a little like he just found out there was going to be a major test or something," Bakura nodded, reaching for another book in the large pile he had near him. "Or like when he found out he'd have to risk loosing his Red Eyes in Kaiba-kun's Battle City," the paler boy smiled. "Whatever it is, I'm sure he'll be fine. Jounouchi-kun is like that."
"Heh, yeah," Honda smiled almost fondly. "So what's with all the books?" he asked, changing the subject. "You doing an extra credit paper or something?"
Bakura gave a small embarrassed smile. "Not-- not exactly..."
Honda frowned slightly, picking up one of the books and reading the title. "'Top strategies of Chess Champions.' 'A Hundred and One Chess Matches' 'How to Win at Chess.'" He looked over at Bakura again, expression curious. "What's with all the Chess books?"
The paler boy looked down. "I took your advice," he said softly with a small smile.
Honda raised an eyebrow before reaching for another book. "The Chess Career of Kaiba Gozaboro'....?!" His eyes widened in realization. "Bakura, you didn't...."
"Not yet," Bakura assured, fidgeting slightly. "I need to think up a strategy so I'll have a good chance of winning first."
"Bakura..." Honda nearly groaned. "You should have said...! I never would have told you that if I woulda known it was KAIBA! I though you were trying to get the attention of a girl or something!"
Bakura didn't look up, playing with his hands. "Sorry... I didn't want you to think...." he trailed off, uncomfortably.
"That you were insane for liking Kaiba?" Honda sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You'd have better luck with Yuugi."
Bakura looked up, blinking at the taller boy. "You don't think I'm a freak for liking boys...?" he asked in meek wonder.
Honda gave a snort of laughter. "Nah. You're in good company," he smiled, giving the paler boy a pat on the shoulder.
Bakura blinked again in confusion before his eyes went wide. "Aaa! You and Jounouchi-kun...!! So that's why...?"
Honda nodded with a sigh. "I kissed him and he freaked," he admitted.
Bakura nodded. "Jounouchi-kun doesn't seem the type to easy accept that things aren't as he sees them. You and Jounouchi-kun always seemed very close so maybe if you give him some time to get used to the idea...?" he suggested.
"Maybe," Honda mused.
"Or you could always just jump him."
Honda stared at his innocent smile of his friend a moment in shock before giving a laugh. "Tempting, but he'd probably beat the shit out of me for it," he grinned, shaking his head slightly. He gave a sigh, getting up. "If he comes through here again--" he paused, unsure what to say.
"I'll give him a sympathetic ear," Bakura smiled. "And try and convince him that it's okay."
Honda smiled. "Thanks."
Bakura gave a content smile as he watched his friend leave, one of his major fears alleviated. If Honda also liked boys, then even if Kaiba rejected him for being a freak, Honda would understand. Smiling again, he turned his attention back to his books.
----
Yeeep, I'm reposting. A bit of a toned down version cause apparently FF.net felt the last one was above an R rating. *shrugs* And you get a prolouge here cause I doubt anyone read or remembers 'Closer to You' which is what the prologe is edited from [and where this story started out.]
Enjoy
- Fran
He paused, hearing an almost angry 'thunk' repeating over and over from near by. Pushing aside his soon to be depressed lamenting, he turned to the source of the sound, finding Honda repeatedly stabbing his lunch with his fork. "Honda-kun? Are you all right?"
The taller boy paused, looking up. "Yeah, I'm fine," he dismissed, turning back to his tray before looking over at Jounouchi and making a face. "Wasn't hungry and you know how the lunch is," he continued, turning back to Bakura.
Bakura nodded slightly, looking down at his own untouched meal.
"How bout you, you okay?" Honda asked, shifting to face the paler boy better. "You seem kinda... down."
Bakura gave a small embraced smile. "I guess I am..." he said softly, not looking up.
"Anything you want to talk about?"
The boy was quiet a moment before speaking. "There's... this person, that I like, that I have for a while, but that person doesn't seem to realize I exist," he said softly, one finger poking at the napkin on his lap.
Honda nodded. "That definitely tough," he sympathized. "I know how painful it can be."
"Because of Shizuka-chan?" Bakura asked. "I know you liked her."
Honda paused, then nodded. "Yeah. She never really saw what I was trying to do," he shrugged, poking at his mutilated lunch again. "Damned Otogi," he muttered before looking up at Bakura again. "You have to be forceful to get someone's attention. Subtly just gets completely missed. If you like this person, do something that'll get you noticed, but in a good way, making an ass out of yourself never works well." He looked over at Jounouchi and made another face.
Bakura was quiet a long moment, thinking on his friends words. He obviously wasn't going to get his crush's attention just lamenting and pining over what could have been... Slowly, he nodded. "Thanks, Honda-kun," he smiled. "I'll try." He rose to his feet, excusing himself from the table.
Bakura looked up from his research in the school library as Honda sat down next to him with a sigh. "Something wrong...?" he asked, concerned as he closed the book he was looking through.
"Eh, I don't know," Honda admitted. "Think I just fucked something up majorly."
"With Jounouchi-kun?"
Honda looked up sharply. "How'd you know?"
"He was just in here looking for Yuugi-kun," Bakura answered. "He was upset about something but didn't want to talk about it."
"How bad was he?"
"He was shaking a little like he just found out there was going to be a major test or something," Bakura nodded, reaching for another book in the large pile he had near him. "Or like when he found out he'd have to risk loosing his Red Eyes in Kaiba-kun's Battle City," the paler boy smiled. "Whatever it is, I'm sure he'll be fine. Jounouchi-kun is like that."
"Heh, yeah," Honda smiled almost fondly. "So what's with all the books?" he asked, changing the subject. "You doing an extra credit paper or something?"
Bakura gave a small embarrassed smile. "Not-- not exactly..."
Honda frowned slightly, picking up one of the books and reading the title. "'Top strategies of Chess Champions.' 'A Hundred and One Chess Matches' 'How to Win at Chess.'" He looked over at Bakura again, expression curious. "What's with all the Chess books?"
The paler boy looked down. "I took your advice," he said softly with a small smile.
Honda raised an eyebrow before reaching for another book. "The Chess Career of Kaiba Gozaboro'....?!" His eyes widened in realization. "Bakura, you didn't...."
"Not yet," Bakura assured, fidgeting slightly. "I need to think up a strategy so I'll have a good chance of winning first."
"Bakura..." Honda nearly groaned. "You should have said...! I never would have told you that if I woulda known it was KAIBA! I though you were trying to get the attention of a girl or something!"
Bakura didn't look up, playing with his hands. "Sorry... I didn't want you to think...." he trailed off, uncomfortably.
"That you were insane for liking Kaiba?" Honda sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You'd have better luck with Yuugi."
Bakura looked up, blinking at the taller boy. "You don't think I'm a freak for liking boys...?" he asked in meek wonder.
Honda gave a snort of laughter. "Nah. You're in good company," he smiled, giving the paler boy a pat on the shoulder.
Bakura blinked again in confusion before his eyes went wide. "Aaa! You and Jounouchi-kun...!! So that's why...?"
Honda nodded with a sigh. "I kissed him and he freaked," he admitted.
Bakura nodded. "Jounouchi-kun doesn't seem the type to easy accept that things aren't as he sees them. You and Jounouchi-kun always seemed very close so maybe if you give him some time to get used to the idea...?" he suggested.
"Maybe," Honda mused.
"Or you could always just jump him."
Honda stared at his innocent smile of his friend a moment in shock before giving a laugh. "Tempting, but he'd probably beat the shit out of me for it," he grinned, shaking his head slightly. He gave a sigh, getting up. "If he comes through here again--" he paused, unsure what to say.
"I'll give him a sympathetic ear," Bakura smiled. "And try and convince him that it's okay."
Honda smiled. "Thanks."
Bakura gave a content smile as he watched his friend leave, one of his major fears alleviated. If Honda also liked boys, then even if Kaiba rejected him for being a freak, Honda would understand. Smiling again, he turned his attention back to his books.
----
Yeeep, I'm reposting. A bit of a toned down version cause apparently FF.net felt the last one was above an R rating. *shrugs* And you get a prolouge here cause I doubt anyone read or remembers 'Closer to You' which is what the prologe is edited from [and where this story started out.]
Enjoy
- Fran