Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh! because if I did, Mai would be with Jou (officially) with all the dating and kissing and lovey-dovey goo-goo gaga stuff included. And, if Mai EVER came within ten feet of Yugi's precious Yami-kins, she would be vaporized (this is my sister's decree, not mine. I would just slap her, personally).
Author's Note: Awww, I've ALWAYS wanted to do a JouxMai story! Always wanted do, just never got around to it (whimpers) damn school….
Again, this is for the YGO Fanficiton Contest, hosted by Computerfreak101 (love you, Compy) and will only be a one-shot. So, here goes—my first JxM one-shot! (CHEER!)
#2 Author's Note: All thoughts in italics. Yeah, that's right, italics… got a problem with that? … Nah, I'm just kiddin' with ya… yeah, I'll put the knife down now, thanks for your concern. XD
Dreaming of You
By: Angel's Nocturne
In mid-October, the night air around Domino City was never very comforting. It was always the drastic change from summer to fall—where September's scorching heat once blazed now reigned frost and clouds of breath, followed by the mocking fire that was the radiance of the trees, all dazzling with their autumn display. The fallen colors, all a glory with their crimson reds and golden hues, danced as if bewitched through the streets and along the side-walks, the cool breezes of the season guiding them like a guitar does a Latino dancer. Under the watchful eye of the cream-colored moon, and the yellow glare of the streetlights, the wind whispered and the leaves chattered to the wavering shadows, beckoning the coming of All Hallows Eve. It was similar to a setting found in some horror films, and if the motion did take, a person could be overcome by a dreadful feeling of fear and paranoia, their eyes darting behind them with every strange sound. No one was safe from the powers of the perfect autumn night….
Except Mai Valentine, who apparently did not receive the memo that she should be frightened out of her mind by the chattering leaves and their dancing ways upon the streets, or the whispering winds and looming shadows. She was in her red convertible, the top up and the heat turned on; the atmosphere of the outside world was none of her concern, as her secret lover sat in the passenger seat right beside her, engaging her in what felt like the most precious kiss.
Her arms were wrapped around Joey's shoulders, his hands entangled in her long blonde hair… she loved it when his fingers ran through her locks, running over her scalp as he massaged it tenderly. Pop music played very quietly on the radio, but both blondes were oblivious to it, too enraptured in letting their lips crush into the others with obvious wanting. It was a long while later, when the urge to breath overcame the passionate fever that consumed them that they separated, breathing a little heavy but with smiles nonetheless.
"Hey Mai…" Joey said, his eyes twinkling with the faint light of the overhead streetlight. The female duelist looked at him, her face seemingly locked in a permanent display of glee that she couldn't seem to escape—when Joey was happy, it was infectious.
"Yeah, Joey?"
"Did I ever tell ya dat you're da best kisser I've ever met?" Mai smirked, watching Joey's lips as he spoke. He had nice lips, Mai discovered—soft, like velvet beneath hers, always caressing her skin in such a way that she had to plead with him to stop when it became too much (not that she wanted him to stop—oh, never to stop that wonderful feeling). Mai had a hard time trying to refocus back on Joey's eyes and his words.
She nodded. "Yes, Joey—many times." She leaned forward and captured the blonde's lips in a chaste kiss. "But here's my question for you—how many others have you kissed before me?"
Joey gaze became distant, as if trying to recall some far away thought. Mai brushed away some of his stray bangs, but the messy locks refused to be tamed—they frayed wildly around his head like a mop, despite their silky-smoothness. His honey-brown eyes looked up, then away, and then back Mai with a childish-innocence.
"You really wanna know?" he asked teasingly. Mai smiled, tracing her fingers over his hand, which he had positioned on her thigh.
"Of course, hon. Now spill—how many?"
There was a pause, before Joey leaned in close to Mai, his lips brushing against her ear; she suppressed a moan as he whispered, his warm breath tickling her skin.
"… 'Dere was never anyone else, Mai," Joey said affectionately. "You's my first, and 'dere's gonna be no one after ya, either. I love you, Mai Valentine."
"I love you too, Joey," Mai whispered back. She kissed the side of his face, before he returned to his seat, straightening out his shirt. In a more steady voice Mai added, "It's really late—are you sure your dad isn't worried about you?"
Joey snorted, undoing the seatbelt. "My dad? If he were worried 'bout me, it would be 'cause he's sober and needs me to buy him a six-pack. He ain't never cared 'bout me otherwise." There was an edge to Joey's voice, and his eyes were hard. Mai watched him, concerned; she always tried to avoid the subject of his father whenever she could, because Joey was beginning to grow a steady loathing for that man ever since Joey started to date Mai. It seems things at Joey's home were not doing so well, and it showed in the blonde's sudden coldness.
He seemed to realize that, though, because as quickly as the hatred came, it subsided; instantly Joey's eyes melted back into their soft brown warmth, and his face relaxed. He turned to smile at Mai—the same big goofy smile that she loved him for.
"But, ya know what?" he asked. "Dat ain't gonna matter anymore; once I get all my stuff packed, I can kiss dat drunk's place goodbye, and say hello ta livin' with my girl." His eyes sparkled. "I'm almost ready, Mai—when ya pick me up here tomorrow, it'll be for da last time."
"That's the plan," Mai said. After seeing how miserable Joey was living with his father, barely able to make ends meet, she had offered to let him stay at her apartment in upper Domino. Joey wasn't so sure of the idea at first—he was afraid that living together might somehow affect their relationship, and not for the good. But as his father became more and more of an aggravation, Joey loosened his inhibitions and took to the offer.
"I'm not about ta let my dad rule my life," Joey had told her. "I mean, I don't wanna leave him in debt and all, but it's gotten ta be too much—at dis point, I'm not helpin' him anymore. He's only dragging me down with him, and I don't want you ta get sucked into dis, Mai—for your sake, dis is for da best."
Mai knew how much Joey loved her—she just didn't realize that he was thinking of her when he decided it was time for him to move. If it had been her, she would have been out of there just to get away from that man—it had never occurred to her that by being with Joey, she could end up getting stuck with his dad's debt problems too, or maybe something worse, from what Joey's stories about him suggested. It was for her that he was moving—to protect her, and that was the greatest showing of his love that Mai had seen thus far.
Well, not including how he had risked his life blocking Yami Marik's attack, or how he placed his own soul on the line for hers.
Or when he rescued her from the Orichalcos while she lashed out at him and stole his soul.
Mai felt her heart sink—the list for what Joey had done for her was pretty long, and many of the events were life-threatening… what exactly had she done to help Joey? In truth, and she realized this whole-heartedly, she had been a bitch to him for the whole beginning of their relationship. She had kicked him around, toyed with his heart, and then broke it like some spoiled child's toy.
And yet he still continued to love me, Mai thought, the guilt running through her like fire. He still stayed right by me, and protected me no matter what I did… oh, is there something I can do to repay him, something I can do to make up for all the pain I've caused?
"Hey, Mai?" Joey called. He waved his hand in front of her face, and only then did she remember that he was still in the car with her. "Hey, you in 'dere? You okay?"
"Sorry, Joey, just thinking," Mai admitted somberly. Taking her by surprise, the youth brushed his lips lightly to hers, nuzzling his nose to Mai's tenderly.
"Dat's fine—I got a lot to think 'bout too." He traced his finger over Mai's cheek, then down her jaw line till he reached her chin, cupping it in his grasp. He stared at her, not saying anything, before finally pulling his gaze away and towards the car door. "I'm gonna head inside now—gotta finish packing for tomorrow." He threw her a dazzling smile. "You promise ta be here early?"
Mai nodded. "Yeah, I'll be here Joey." The youth's smile got even larger.
"Good—da sooner I'm outta dat dump, da better." He opened the door, and threw his legs off to the side so that they touched the asphalt. The cool autumn air swiftly invaded the warm sanctuary that was Mai's car; the hair on the back of her neck stood on end as the cold wrapped around her. Joey closed the door, and then sauntered around the car to Mai's side window. She watched him in the rear-view mirror until he made it to her door, where she rolled down the window to peer up at his smiling face.
"Yeah?" she asked teasingly. Joey shuffled with his feet, his hands in his pockets.
"Mai, I know I say dis way too much, but…," he reached down and kissed her forehead, "… I love you. With all my heart and soul."
Mai's eyes misted. "Yeah, Joey—me too." She didn't know why she felt like crying.
Joey flashed a smile as he waved. "Okay 'den! See ya tomorrow!" Mai waved back, rolling up the window as she put the car back in drive. The engine revved a little as the convertible sped forward, and Jou started his trek towards the apartment around the corner.
Mai watched him in her side-view mirror, his form a silhouette until he walked beneath the streetlights. Her violet eyes stayed glued to him until she could no longer see him, his shadow disappearing behind the apartment building. It was only then that she let a single tear fall across her cheek, lightly smearing her mascara.
She didn't care as she wiped it away, letting the trail of make-up run on her face. She was too lucky to have Joey as her friend and her lover—she knew she didn't deserve him. He was as devoted to her as a golden retriever; never would he betray her trust, and yet several times she had scarred him with her selfishness and jealousy. She was an evil creature, she knew—too evil to have someone as wonderful as Joey.
He should have just left me in the Shadow Realm, Mai thought, trying to hold back more tears. I have to make this up to him somehow. There has to be something I can do to make up for all the hurt I've put him through—all the trouble I've been to him.
She sighed, running a stop sign as a dog barked somewhere in the distance.
Well, this move is a start… as long as everything works out okay.
What she didn't know was at that precise moment, the sound of a bottle breaking against a wall could be heard echoing on the apartment floor that Joey had once called "home"….
---
The next day, Mai returned to her apartment from a slight shopping detour. It was around noon-time, so the sun streamed through the curtains in a flood of golden light, casting warm patches on her cream-colored carpet. The entire room was aglow with the noon-time sun.
The blonde closed her front door, and headed into the living room where she removed from a plastic bag her latest treasure: some newly-developed photos from her camera, which she had just taken to the pharmacy store nearby her building. She undid the paper covering, carefully removing the bundle of photos so as to not let fingerprints stain the pictures… she couldn't wait to see if the photos had come out well.
In the bright light of her home Mai could examine the photos, flipping through them with ease as her violet eyes danced over each one. Almost all of them were of her and Joey, as they had gone to the Domino Amusement Park just last week and, while they were there, Mai had taken pictures of them to commemorate the moment. She was glad she had, for some of them were too precious for words. Instead, she just smiled as she recognized the memory that was attached to each image.
There was Joey, posing in front of the park's giant water fountain… and then there was Joey falling into the water fountain when he backed up too far. The next picture was of her and Joey after he had won her a blue stuffed dog at the bottle-toss vendor—Joey had spent nearly all of his money (as he wasn't very lucky when it came to carnival games) but, being as determined as he was, obtained the prize for "his girl". As Mai moved on to the next photo, she remembered that Joey hadn't spend all his money, because the image was that of Joey gobbling down a corn dog they bought soon after. Mai had a stick of cotton candy, which she had to later share with Joey because the corn dog had not completely satisfied the youth's hunger.
The photos that followed were ones taken by a passerby who Joey hunted down and asked/forced to take pictures of them. Yes, there they were, standing in front of the Ferris wheel, and another of them next to one of the roller coasters. Mai smiled wistfully—she had wanted to get a picture of Joey when they went on that roller coaster, because his face had been absolutely priceless. She could have sworn his complexion changed to at least three different colors, including green… she snickered when she recalled that, and how he threw up in the nearby trash bin once he hobbled off the ride.
Yeah, Mai thought, smiling, that was a nice evening…. She couldn't believe it had only been a week ago that these memories were made; to her it felt like months had passed, because between now and then, Joey had been taking her out on wonderful dates like that whenever he had the chance (and the money).
Money. Mai sighed deeply—if Joey wasn't so stubborn about paying for everything, then maybe he wouldn't be in such debt! It had been that way since their first date, right after she returned from her solitary adventure to find herself again. With Pharaoh Atemu having all his memories and the world at peace, Joey placed all his focus on winning Mai back (though, as Mai told him several times, he always had her, no matter what), and when they went out, he would pay for the tab and any extra expenses, refusing to let Mai lift a finger. Mai had tried to disagree, but Joey was as hard to budge as a boulder.
"I wanna treat you right, Mai!" he had once said proudly. "And dat means dat, whenever I'm around, you're gonna be treated like a queen. I love you, Mai Valentine… and dat's what ya do for someone ya love, right?"
For some reason Joey's words made Mai's heart feel like stone—she dropped the photos she was holding on the coffee table by her sofa. Why couldn't she get rid of this feeling of guilt? She held her head in her hands, frustrated.
"… Joey," she mused aloud, "you love me so much, and what have I done to deserve that? I've tossed you aside, broken your heart, and stolen your soul—and yet all you do is forgive me, and run right back, as if it never happened. You love me so much that you overlook all my flaws and hold me until I finally give in and smile." She gazed at the photos, and at Joey's goofy face. She couldn't keep the corners of her lips from curling upward in response. "Joey, honey, you deserve someone better than me! Someone who can actually give you back all the love you put out—not like me, not the spoiled little girl who can't see what she has right in front of her!"
Mai stared down at the pictures, her mind rambling about what a terrible person she had been. She had gotten upset over the littlest of things in the past—even the fact that she wasn't in Joey's dream when he was knocked out by he fake Egyptian God's lightening. She had been so foolish—she knew he liked her, even if he didn't want to admit it. Why did she have to go out and abandon him, when there was no reason for it? She had almost lost him because of that too… and even then, he broke Marik's spell and saved her, like he always did.
You're always going to be there for me, aren't you, Wheeler? she asked to the photo, and the smile that came back was answer enough. Silence consumed the room for a moment, before Mai suddenly stood up, having made up her mind.
"Alright, I have no reason to be acting like a baby and crying over this," she told herself firmly. "If I want to repay Joey for his love, then I'll have to do exactly what he does for me—from now on, I'll treat him to anything he wants! I'll spoil him if I have to, but whatever it takes, I'll prove to him that he means as much to me as I do for him!" Feeling fired up, Mai headed into the kitchen and got out some ingredients. She smiled to herself as she started to prepare a meal—just because she had a lot of money didn't mean she couldn't cook a more-than-decent meal. And she knew all of Joey's favorites, making the choices obviously easy.
She checked the clock on her microwave—it was close to 12:30, so she had a few hours before Joey came back from school and was ready for her to pick up. With a smile gracing her features she got to work, making sure that everything would be perfect for Joey's "homecoming". It was only an hour or two later that her phone started ringing.
"Hello?" she asked, picking up the phone just before it went to answering machine.
"Hey, Mai?" a familiar male voice responded. Mai recognized it immediately.
"Oh, hey Yugi," she said. "What's up, hon?" There was a paused on the other end.
"Um, nothing really, but, have you heard from Joey today?" Yugi's voice sounded a little worried; Mai felt the smile on her face slowly disappear.
"No—isn't he in school with you?" Another moment of odd silence; Mai clutched the receiver tighter.
"Th-That's what I was calling you about," came Yugi's weak response. "He wasn't in class today—we thought that maybe he had stayed over at your place for the day." Mai could hear the King of Games sigh wearily. "Um, sorry to bother you, Mai. I just needed to see if he had come by—"
"Oh, it's no problem, hon—I know what you mean," Mai interjected, in as cheery a voice as she could muster. She didn't want to make Yugi any more worried than he was. "I appreciate the call—if you hear from him, let me know, 'kay?"
"Alright. Thanks Mai." The phone clicked, and Mai placed it gingerly back on its hanger. She stared at the floor for a while, not moving as her mind raced carefully over the facts: Joey wasn't at school, and he hadn't called her. Had something happened after she had dropped him off at his house last night?
Maybe I should go check to see if he's still home….Moving robotically, Mai turned off the oven so the food wouldn't burn in her absence. Then, slipping her purple jacket for the chilly autumn weather, she left her apartment, the photos of her and Joey still smiling on the coffee table where she dropped them.
---
The drive hadn't been that long—Joey's dad's apartment wasn't very far downtown—but to Mai it felt like forever with each red light and stop sign she was forced to pause at. She continued to mull over her imagined fears until she reached Joey's apartment complex.
The area was unusually quiet—no one was around, giving the atmosphere an eerie feel. It's probably just my nerves, Mai considered as she heard a dog or two howl off in the distance. The sound of her heels clicking on the asphalt seemed to echo in her ears, and she tried unsuccessfully to ignore the rapid beating of heart. Don't let this get to ya, girl. It's probably nothing—Joey must have played hooky, that's all. Or at least, she hoped that was all….
She climbed up the flights of stairs to Joey's floor, where she was met with the same deafening silence that had consumed the whole neighborhood. The only sound Mai could hear was that of her own heart, the blood pumping in her ears as she cautiously stepped out, and then walked down the hall. The whole place was absent of life, and that thought chilled Mai to the bone. She shook her head.
Stop being silly—there's nothing to be afraid of.
Gathering her courage, she approached the door to Joey's apartment, the place he called "home sweet some". For a moment she sensed nothing, but then, as she reached for the door handle, it hit her like a wave: the stench of blood, like death itself had taken residence before her. Mai reeled back, cringing in disgust and horror.
Where is that coming from? She thought sickly, praying that it wasn't from Joey's place but the one next door. After covering her nose, Mai tried again, reaching out for the door to tap. She gave it three or four good knocks. No one answered.
"Joey?" she asked, her voice strange with her nose being clamped shut. "Joey, you in there? It's Mai." The terrible silence hung in the air like the horrible odor of blood—worried, Mai then reached for the doorknob and twisted it. It easily turned in her grasp, and she pushed open the door.
"Joey?" she called in. With her nose pinched she could not sense that the smell had gotten stronger, but she could hear the flies. A few of them, from the sound of it, were buzzing about—it was the only other noise around besides Mai's ragged breathing.
She stepped inside, afraid Joey's dad might be home, perhaps passed out somewhere. If he woke up and found her, there was no telling what kind of trouble she would be in.
The house looked as if a tornado had waltzed through—everything was a wreck. Beer cans and garbage were strewn all over the floor, old piles of clothes gathered in the corners, and every inch of the place was layered in filth. Mai wrinkled her nose—she knew from Joey's stories that his dad had been a drunk and a lazy slob, but this was far beyond what she expected.
Doesn't anyone clean up around here? Mai thought, glaring at the laundry that partially blocked her way through the living room. She was only relatively appalled by the sight until she stumbled across a trail of blood—small drops of the crimson fluid laced the floor, and Mai's eyes widened. Her heart raced.
Oh my God— She followed the trail, through the living room and into the kitchen. The puddles expanded and merged, soon forming one large pool that gathered in the center of the kitchen's linoleum floor. Mai turned the corner to see—
"Oh… Oh my God! JOEY!" In the middle of the pool of blood laid the blonde youth, completely saturated in the black-red substance and unmoving. He was on his side, his hair matted and caked with blood as his face revealed two black eyes and a broken nose. Lying beside him, covered in blood as well, was a baseball bat, broken in half and left behind like a forgotten toy. Mai covered her mouth, her body rigid.
This can't be happening! She thought, panicking. No, this can't be—this can't be—oh no, Joey! JOEY!
Without thinking she rushed into the room, falling to her knees despite the blood so that she sat beside her lover. She grasped him gently, bringing his head so that it was in her lap. Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she didn't wipe them away this time—quickly her hands went to his neck, and then his wrists. She stared at him, breathing heavily.
"No, no… no, oh please no…." Mai rocked back and forth, cradling Joey's head. The youth didn't respond—Mai's wails grew into shrieks. "Joey? Joey, answer me. Answer me, damnit!" She hadn't wanted this to happen—why had it happened? Why did it have to happen now, when everything seemed so perfect?
Why did fate have to twist so cruelly for her, just when things were starting to feel right?
She cried… cried for the one she loved… and cried so loud that no one would dare ignore her.
"Joey? Joey? Answer me! C'mon, Joey! Please… PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME…!"
---
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The monitor beside Joey's hospital bed continued to chatter, as it had been doing for the last few hours. Though annoying, it had stopped bothering Mai after a while—with her thoughts elsewhere, the bothersome noise no longer lingered on her thoughts and her wasted nerves. It had faded away into the background like everything else.
Her precious Joey lay in the white sheets in front of her, his face covered in bandages and his eyes closed. His hair was merely dirty now, as the nurses had cleaned out the blood to deal with his head wounds. He was breathing now, steady and calm—still, Mai knew that at any moment, he might just stop, and the monitor's insistent beeping would become a shrill note that would signal the one thing Mai feared now more than ever.
She hoped beyond all hope that God—if there was a God—would be pitiful to them this day.
The overly-white hospital room was empty save Joey and herself—the doctors and nurses were tending to other patients. As for visitors, Yugi and the others had come as soon as Mai called them, just as worried for their friend as she. Just like her they had wept, grasping Joey's hand as they pleaded for him to wake up—to wake up, and say he was okay.
He hadn't opened his eyes… not once.
Mai was glad that she was finally alone with him, as the others had agreed to let her be with Joey as they went out to get something to eat. She had asked them to bring her something back—she told them she wanted to make sure Joey would be okay, and would be there to tell them if anything happened… Mai knew they understood the real reason. Respecting her wishes, they had gone. It was only her and Joey now.
She watched her lover breath, his chest struggling to rise and descend as he took each ragged inhale. At the sight of him so battered and beaten, she knew she should be crying, but she was out of tears, having cried them all out over the span of the last few hours. She had no more sadness to dispense… she felt too hollow inside to feel anything.
Why is this happening to us? she cried in her mind. Tenderly she brushed some of Joey's hair away from his face—his once beautiful face, now scarred and bruised beyond recognition. She saw his lips purse, and she held her breath… but no sound came from him, and her shoulders slumped, feeling the weight of her worries threatening to crush her. Mai sighed, wishing this could all just go away….
"Oh, Joey…" she moaned, stroking his hand. Her voice was shaky and hoarse, from all her screaming. "Oh, J-Joey… my sweet, sweet Joey…." She clasped his limp hand and brought it to her cheek, where a stray tear she did not know she wept fell on it unnoticed. "Why did it have to be y-you? Why did your dad have to do this to you—why did anyone have to do this to you?" She paused, and kissed his hand. Still, the blonde did not stir, and Mai's heart only clenched tighter with agony. Her watery eyes looked out to the glass window nearby, at where all the doctors and ER nurses rushed by, and her gaze became distant like her voice.
"Oh, maybe I am to blame…" she murmured. "Maybe this is all my fault—if I hadn't asked you to move in with me, then your father wouldn't have hurt you. Then you would be okay—you wouldn't be lying here in a hospital…." Suddenly Mai's voice grew loud, as she shouted painfully, "Oh, who am I kidding? You get hurt all the time for me, Joey! You risk your life for me so much, and look what happens! I'm to blame for you being here—I'm the reason you're like this!" Tears ran down her cheeks, her guilt and sorrow reborn again in fits of desperate agony. "I don't know why you love me—all I do is get you into trouble, and yet you still care for me! You're crazy, Joey Wheeler! Completely stupid!"
The body lay unresponsive, even as some of the nurses looked at their room with wary gazes. Mai heard a nervous chuckle escape her lips, but she felt wretched nonetheless.
"Heh, maybe I'm the stupid one," she said, smiling as she looked down at her hands. "I keep bringing you into these situations—if it wasn't for me, then you wouldn't have stuck your neck out when Marik was going to finish me off. And you wouldn't have saved me when I joined Dartz, just to ruin you because I was too selfish to see that I had caused my own suffering, not you. If I just stayed away from you, then you would be okay, and normal—you would have found someone better to love than me." She sighed in despair. "Oh Joey! If I had just stayed away from Domino, if I hadn't come back to see you, then none of this—you wouldn't be—oh, Joey, I'm such a terrible, terrible bitch!"
Mai inhaled, her breathing staggered as she tried to keep back her sorrow — all was silent until raspy voice beside her broke the tense air. "H-heh, Mai… ya know I hate it w-when ya get like d-dis…."
Mai's eyes snapped back up, their violet stare looking upon Joey. The blonde's eyes were open a crack, and air hissed through his mouth as he tried to grin without success. Mai's heart skipped a beat.
"… J-Joey…?" The awakened youth nodded, looking at her intently. Then his gaze looked past her, as if she was no longer at his side.
"I… had a dream… 'bout you…," he said in a distant voice—his eyes were glazed, as if he were not completely there. "Dis time… you were in my dream… just like when we was on da blimp…."
Mai shook her head. "Joey, you're wrong. You said I wasn't in your dream back at Battle City." She inwardly winced. And because of that, I ended up putting you in danger… argh, I've been such a burden on you, Wheeler!
Joey weakly shook his head, as if he had heard what she said in her thoughts also.
"Nah… you were 'dere too, Mai… you helped me up in dat dream, just like in dis one." His eyes grew a little misty, and they focused on Mai for a moment, before turning away. "And dis time… you called me back… I kept hearin' your voice and I kept goin' towards it, followin' it… I didn't want ta lose ya again… not like… last time…."
"Joey, you never lost me," Mai cried, trying to hold back her grief—she didn't want Joey to see her crying anymore. "You never did—you were always there for me. It was me—I was the one who lost you, because I was so self-centered—"
"M-Mai," Joey whispered. "Listen ta me… s-stop thinkin' dat me tryin' ta save ya and gettin' my ass kicked and my soul sucked away was your fault. You had nothin' ta do with it." Mai felt something touch her hand, and when she looked away from Joey's bandaged face, she saw that it was his hand trying to grasp hers feebly. "I saved ya 'cause I love you—it was my choice ta try and rescue ya when you were in trouble. It's not like ya begged me ta save ya! You didn't force me!"
He laughed throatily, as if it strained him to do so. "And, if you're upset 'bout me now," he gestured to his current state, "dat was just my dad… being da bastard dat he is. He found me packin'… he was really drunk, so he just decided ta beat da tar outta me. He didn't even know 'bout ya, so you had nothin' ta do with dis." Stillness overcame them for a moment.
"I made that choice—I always want ta help ya," Joey said gently. "So stop blamin' yourself, Mai." The female tried to swallow away the pain that grew in her heart—his words stung with their truth.
"But, Joey, that's not it," she said, "You've done so much for me, when I've done so little! You risked your soul for me—your soul! And what have I done? What have I to… to show…?" Mai could not find the words. Joey looked at her, his gaze warm.
"Mai," he said quietly, "'dere's nothing ta make up for—you have helped me as much as I've helped you."
"But, that's not—"
"It is true," he assured her. "Just by being you. I wouldn't be with ya if I didn't have a reason, Mai, and I do! I love you, Mai Valentine, and when you're around, I'm not the same guy I used ta be. I'm better, Mai, because of you!" His eyes twinkled like they did when they kissed the night before. "You save me everyday, and it's 'cause of you, and Yugi, and everyone I care for, that I'm not like my dad." He hissed the term, but his voice soon lost its edge and grew so soft Mai wasn't sure if it were Joey or an angel that she spoke to. "I'm happy because you're my girl, and that's all that matters. I can hate the world, hate myself, when you're not around, Mai, but with you… nothing else matters. Nothin'… only you do."
"… Joey…." Mai was speechless… anything that she had wanted to say was drowned in the knowledge of what Joey had said to her, lying before her in a hospital bed, looking like he had been to Hell and back. She didn't know what to think, other than if he really meant what he said; surely, he was only saying that to stop her tears and quell her obvious sorrow?
She peered into his heavy-lidded eyes, and found that to be untrue—it was there right in front of her, and again, she was blinded from seeing reality. Joey loved her, and that was all that mattered to him… he didn't care that he had placed his life on the line for her more times than she had ever done for him. All he cared about was keeping her safe, was keeping her close to him… all he cared about was her, just… her.
Mai's heart felt lighter—a burden was removed, and she smiled.
"Oh, Joey…!" Mai leaned forward and threw her arms around his neck. "Oh Joey, I love you so much…." From her eyes flowed tears, but not the bitter ones of a few moment's past—these tears were warm, and felt comforting on her skin. They were tears of joy. "I love you so much, hon…thank you…."
"Ahh, dat's… gr-great, Mai…" she heard Joey choke out in her ear. "B-But… I'm still a little… sore, remember…?"
Mai mentally slapped herself. Gah, I forgot he was still injured! She retracted instantly. "Sorry, Joey—I caught got up in the moment, there." The blonde let out a raspy snicker.
"Dat's fine," he said. "I'm tough—I can take a little pain."
A lot more than you know, I'm sure, Mai thought, her heart still mulling over the events of the past—she closed her eyes and shook her head, chiding herself for still thinking about those things. Didn't you just hear a word of what Joey said, hon? she said to herself. The past is the past… he loves you, and he's okay. Everything's alright now. A stray tear found its way down her cheek, and she smiled. Everything's alright now….
"Hey, are you still cryin'?" she heard Joey ask. She opened her eyes, and saw him struggling to reach up and brush the tear from her chin. She let her hand meet his as she wiped the tear away herself.
"I'm okay now, hon," she said kindly, and as he flashed a goofy grin, she smiled, unable to deny that this was the right thing now. The first right thing… in a long, long time.
"…I'm okay."
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Author's Note: Don't know why I wrote this the way I did, to tell you the truth. I just started rambling and came up with this… yeah, random….
Okay, well, I don't know about me, but if you liked it, then please review me, the authoress (puffs out chest all proudly). Or even if you didn't like it, just review me, damnit! … I really, really LIKE reviews… 'kay?