Part 2 – The Question
Akiza was in her garage with her duel runner when Yusei came up the drive. As he hopped off his runner, his tool box in hand, and started toward her, Akiza took a deep breath. She tried to recall everything she was going to say to him that would lead to the prom. Here goes everything she thought.
As she watched Yusei approach, she found herself admiring his good looks. That wasn't the most important thing about him, of course, and Akiza was more attracted to who he was on the inside, but there were times like these when she couldn't help but appreciate how handsome he really was. As he walked toward her, everything seemed to shift into slow motion, like on cheesy TV shows. He was lean and a little skinny, but well built, and he was a little smaller than most people his age, though taller than Akiza. Only those that really knew him knew that he was much stronger than he looked. He wore a long-sleeved blue jacket with orange gems on the high collar, shoulders, and elbows over a sleeveless black t-shirt with a red symbol on the front, gray gloves that went just below his elbows, black jeans with orange knee pads, and brown boots. He had a yellow criminal mark over his left eye and cheek, but didn't take away from his handsome face. His raven-black hair was streaked with yellow highlights that spiked up at an angle, always making him look like he had just gotten off his Duel Runner (which usually was the case anyway). His long, dark bangs hung down in front of his eyes and framed his sharp features. The things Akiza liked most about Yusei Fudo's appearance were his eyes and his smile. Even as she watched him, she saw the sharp panes of Yusei's face brighten up and soften, going from serious to happy in an instant. His thin lips pulled up and smiled his shy, kind smile that made Akiza's heart skip a beat. His eyes, the color of the deep sea, were piercing and clear and intelligent, but at the same time calming and sincere. Akiza was accustomed to seeing Yusei through his eyes, and she was good at reading them and seeing what he was feeling at the moment. As Akiza looked into them now, she could see determination and excitement, but also anxiety and anticipation, like he was preparing himself for something. Akiza wondered what he was so nervous about, but couldn't think about it for very long; her hands had started shaking as her own nervousness made it hard for her to focus.
"Wow," Akiza said, trying to sound cheerful and relaxed as she stood up to meet Yusei, her arms folded across her chest and a playful smile on her lips. "You weren't kidding when you said you would be back in less than ten minutes."
Yusei smiled shrugged. "I would have been back sooner if Jack and Crow hadn't started talking."
"I thought your timing was perfect. But just out of curiosity, what were they talking about?"
Yusei's eyes darted around the room, looking anywhere but at Akiza. "The WRGP mostly. They wanted to do some more test runs on the new engine later."
"Oh. Okay," Akiza said, but she frowned as she said it; Yusei was a terrible liar, especially when it came to his friends. But Akiza couldn't recall any time that he had tried to lie to her. What was he hiding?
Yusei cleared his throat and set his tool box down next to Akiza's runner.
"So, shall we get started?" He asked as he pulled his gloves off of his hands and shrugged off his jacket, revealing his well-muscled arms, built strong after many years of working with machines and roughing it in Satellite.
"Sure," Akiza replied. She pulled over a stool and sat down a little ways away to watch Yusei work, but Yusei chuckled softly.
"Oh, no you don't," he said, grabbing Akiza's wrist and pulling her down next to him. "You're going to help me fix this."
"What?" Akiza yelped incredulously, pulling her hand free. "You're kidding me, right? You can't be serious."
"You're a turbo duelist now, Akiza," Yusei said with a wry smile as he opened his tool box and started taking out wrenches, pliers, welding torches, and other complicated-looking tools. "You need to learn how to care for and maintain your own duel runner. I won't always be available to come fix it, you know."
"But, Yusei, I don't know anything about mechanics!" Akiza protested. "I'm not a grease monkey like you and Jack and Crow."
Yusei laughed at her remark. "Well, now's as good a time to learn as any. Don't worry, I'll help."
Akiza was still a little apprehensive, but she sighed and knelt beside Yusei, pulling off her own black gloves. "Fine. What do I do first?"
Yusei began showing Akiza how to remove the pieces of her runner, telling her what they were called and how they worked. He also explained what the tools were and how to use them. Akiza absorbed everything he said into her brain and tried to commit it to memory. Yusei had to show her how to do a few things, but she eventually got the hang of it. Soon, they were both talking and laughing freely as they worked.
Later on, Akiza's mother poked her head through the door to check in on the turbo duelists. The two teens were so focused on their task that they didn't notice. Mrs. Izinski watched them silently, a small smile on her face.
They look so perfect together she thought. So happy. They would make a fantastic couple. She couldn't help but tear up as she thought about how much her little girl has grown up. She had gone through so much, most of it the fault of her parents, Mrs. Izinski was ashamed to admit, but it made Akiza's mom very happy to see how happy she was now with Yusei.
Quickly wiping her tears away, Mrs. Izinski straightened up and knocked on the door. Akiza and Yusei stopped their work and looked up at her as she walked in with a tray of chocolate-chip cookies and two glasses milk.
"I thought you two might want a snack while you work," she said, setting the tray down on a stool.
"Thanks mom!" Akiza said brightly.
"Yeah, thanks Mrs. Izinski," Yusei echoed. Mrs. Izinski smiled at the two of them and then gave Akiza a meaningful look.
Did you ask him yet? The look asked.
No, mother, could you please leave now? Akiza's face answered back.
Mrs. Izinski understood and left the room, closing the door behind her. Fortunately, Yusei missed the exchanged as he looked curiously at the cookies.
"No offense or anything," Yusei began, "but since when does your mom cook?"
Akiza laughed. "I'm not offended. She actually cooks a lot. She's really good, too... or she is now, since she took cooking classes."
"Huh. Your mom just never struck me as the type to be in the kitchen all day."
"Why? Because she's the wife of a senator?" Akiza laughed again.
Yusei looked apologetic. "Yeah, I guess so."
"It's okay, a lot of people have told me that. It's just a stereotype the families of politicians have."
"But why did she take classes?"
"I really don't know." Akiza looked at the closed door through which her mother had disappeared. "I guess she's trying to make up for lost time and enjoy being a mom. She wasn't always like this, you know. Before I left home, she fit the stereotype more, letting servants do the cooking and cleaning and focusing more on fashion and publicity than being a parent. But when I came back, she released all of the maids and started doing the cooking and cleaning herself. She also started paying more attention to me. I'm not complaining, though; We're closer now than we ever were when I was a little girl, and I've really learned to appreciate her."
"Wow," Yusei said softly. Akiza looked up at him and saw glowing warmth in his eyes. "That's really cool."
"Yeah, I suppose it is," Akiza replied with a soft smile. Yusei's eyes became sad and distant, and Akiza had a feeling that he was thinking of his own mother. Mrs. Fudo, along with her husband, had died when the Ener-D Reactor went haywire and split New Domino City in two. Akiza felt a pang of sorrow for him and his loss, and she took his hand and squeezed it gently.
"I'm sorry you never knew your parents, Yusei," she said softly.
Yusei wouldn't meet her eyes, but he squeezed her hand back and muttered, "It's not your fault. I'm okay."
There was a long moment of silence before Yusei took a deep breath and lifted his head, gently pulling his hand away. "So, what do you say?" He asked as he wiped the oil and grease off his hands with a rag. "Shall we take this last piece off and then take a break?"
"Sure," Akiza said, her heart beginning to speed up. A break would be the perfect time to ask about prom. But how should she approach the subject?
"Okay," Yusei continued, thinking the same thing she was. Trying not to let his feelings show, he handed Akiza a wrench. "Just remove these four bolts, and then this piece will come off and reveal the engine. After that, we should be able to identify the problem and solve it."
Akiza nodded and got to work. She got the first three bolts off easily, but the fourth one was more difficult. Akiza tugged and pulled, but the bolt refused to loosen.
"This... one... just... won't... get... loose!" Akiza grunted.
"Here, let me help." Yusei reached around Akiza and grabbed the end of the wrench next to her hand. Together they pulled as hard as they could. The bolt suddenly popped loose, surprising them both and sending them flying back. Before either of the teens knew what had happened, Akiza was in Yusei's arms again. Her back was against his chest, she was practically in his lap, and their faces were barely inches apart.
Akiza felt her breath catch in her throat and Yusei swallowed hard. Brown eyes staring into blue as the garage became deathly silent. They both felt something spark between them like static electricity. It was just like it had been at the skate park. Akiza's breath grew shallow and loud in her ears, and Yusei's heart beat so hard that he feared Akiza would feel it against her back.
The silence in the garage stretched on for what felt like an eternity. Then both duelists laughed nervously and Akiza sat up, pushing herself away from Yusei. Yusei also sat up and picked up the wrench and the bolt.
I cannot believe that just happened! they both thought unanimously.
"Okay then," Yusei said, breaking the silence. "Why don't we get this piece off and get started on those cookies?"
"Um, yeah, sure. Cookies sound good," Akiza agreed, trying to calm her heart and regulate her breathing. She felt as though her brain had gone numb with shock. Come on, Akiza, get a grip!
Come on, Yusei, keep it together! Yusei though as he removed the piece and set it down on a towel where the other pieces lay. He smiled at Akiza nervously, and then leaned over and grabbed a cookie off of the plate. He took a bite, and Akiza watched his expression as he chewed. Yusei seemed to think about the taste, and his eyes widened with surprise. Then his eyes closed and he moaned softly, chewing more slowly.
"Are you okay, Yusei?" Akiza asked, watching Yusei with a bemused expression.
"Your mom," Yusei answered, "makes the best chocolate-chip cookies ever!"
Akiza laughed, relieved that the tension was gone. "Even better than Martha's?"
She had said it jokingly, but Yusei nodded, his mouth full of cookie. Akiza was surprised; they must be really good to surpass Martha's cooking!
"I take it that you like them," Akiza laughed again, taking a cookie before Yusei ate them all. Yusei stared at her incredulously.
"Like them? Of course I don't like them! I LOVE them!" he crowed.
"I'm glad you like them, Yusei!" Mrs. Izinski called from inside the house. Both Yusei and Akiza doubled over laughing.
Soon the plate of cookies bore nothing but a few crumbs. After washing the cookies down with milk, Akiza and Yusei got back to work. They quickly identified the problem with the runner: A bolt on one of the pieces that held the engine in place had gotten lose, making the engine unstable. Akiza tightened the bolt, and then, with Yusei's help, she put the runner back together. When everything was back in place, they cleaned off the runner with a wet cloth, and it looked good as new.
"Thanks for all your help, Yusei," Akiza said, wiping oil and engine grease off of her hands and forearms.
"No problem," Yusei said as he put his tools away. They stood in silence for a minute, then Akiza spoke again.
"So, what do you want to do now?"
"I have an idea," Yusei said, putting the plan he had been carefully formulating in his brain into action. "Why don't we clean up a bit and then go back to the skate park?"
"The skate park?" Akiza asked, her eyes widening with surprise. What the heck...
"Yeah," Yusei said casually. "We haven't been there in a while, and I thought it would be fun."
It would also be the perfect place for me to ask her to the Prom. Yusei thought with a smile. The sight of our first date...
It was not a date! A voice in the back of Yusei's mind reminded him.
It was close enough! He argued back. Then he thought, Great. Now I'm arguing with myself. I must be going crazy.
"Um... sure. Why not?" Akiza asked, but she watched Yusei curiously as they entered the house to clean up. Why does he suddenly want to go to the skate park? She wondered. What's going on with him? He's been acting strange all afternoon...
After telling her mom where they were going, Akiza went back outside with Yusei, and they both set off to the skate park. She stared out through her visor at the busy street, feeling her spirit soar as the city rushed past her in a blur. She pressed the accelerator and the runner surge forward until she was level with Yusei.
Sherry had been right; through the speed and wind, Akiza could feel Yusei's heart and emotions. He was getting excited about something; she could feel it building inside of him. But he was also nervous. He was questioning himself, but what on earth about? What was it that was making Yusei so anxious?
Then Yusei turned to look at her. As he smiled at her, she could feel something else enter his heart. Tenderness, friendship, trust, and... something else. Something that seemed really familiar, something that she recognized, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was...
Meanwhile, Yusei was experiencing the same thing. He could sense that Akiza was confused and curious because of his behavior, and Yusei silently cursed himself. Why couldn't he keep his cool? What was it about this girl that made him so crazy? He thought back on what had happened in the garage. She had fallen into him again... he wondered if she felt the same spark that he had... her face was so unreadable sometimes, but he had thought that he had seen that... that something in her eyes again.
Akiza pulled up next to him on her runner. Little time had passed between now and when she acquired her license, but she already had as much skill on a runner as Yusei had. Yusei grinned at her, and he thought he saw and felt that same something in her eyes and heart... Darn it all, what was it? It was driving him nuts! Yusei could recognize it, it wasn't an unfamiliar feeling, but he couldn't find a name for it...
Yusei looked away again, not wanting to almost hit another truck in front of Akiza. They rode together in silence, but they still read each other's hearts and feelings, each trying to figure out what the other was thinking.
When they reached the skate park, the duelists found it just as crowded as the last time they had come. This was a rather popular place for kids and teens to come and have a good time, and it was filled with people that Akiza knew from the academy. She waved at a group of girls in her class that she knew fairly well, but they didn't wave back. They just stared at her with eyes as big and round as dinner plates. She saw their eyes dart from her to Yusei, she saw something like comprehension and excitement in their eyes, and she saw them all put their heads together and start whispering. Akiza just rolled her eyes, not caring about what they thought.
While Yusei went to get some roller skates for the both of them, Akiza sat down at a table. She watched the skaters in the rink, and noticed a lot of couples holding hands as they were skating. Akiza blushed. The last time she had come here with Yusei, Luna and Leo had been with them, and they had watched as Yusei helped Akiza out in the rink. She had noticed them talking, but hadn't really been paying attention to what they were saying. They had seemed to be discussing something... had they viewed her and Yusei the way she was viewing the couples around her?
"Hey, Akiza!" A voice called from behind her. Akiza turned to see the group of girls from earlier approaching her, looks of curiosity and excitement painted on their faces. She smiled kindly and greeted them as they sat down around her. There were four girls: Cora was the one who had called out, and she had short blonde hair and bright green eyes. Then there were two brunette sisters (twins like Luna and Leo) named Amanda and Abigail, and a red-head named Jamie.
"So, what are you doing here?" Cora asked, her eyes sparkling.
\"I'm just here with a friend," Akiza said casually.
"You mean tall, dark, and handsome over there?" Abigail asked, leaning forward and pointing over at Yusei, who was still waiting in line at the roller skate rental counter.
"His name is Yusei, but yeah, that's him," Akiza replied, raising an eyebrow at the girls. Tall, dark, and handsome? Sure it was true, but, come on, really?
"So that is Yusei Fudo?" Jamie asked breathlessly, as if she needed to be absolutely certain. "The Yusei Fudo who beat Jack Atlas at the Fortune Cup?"
"Yeeeaaah," Akiza said slowly. Her eyebrow traveled farther up her forehead as all four girls leaned in closer to her.
"Well... are you two... you know... dating?" Amanda asked in a whisper as the other girls giggled.
Akiza had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She liked these girls, she even considered them friends, but they could be ridiculous at times. "No, we're just good friends. We've been friends for a while now."
The four girls looked at each other, and she could see that they didn't believe her.
"But you have feelings for him, don't you?" Cora pressed, eager for this newfound piece of gossip. "I mean, who couldn't? That guy makes fire look cold!"
'Makes fire look cold?' Akiza thought. Seriously?
Akiza wasn't sure how to answer that, but she knew that telling them the truth wasn't an option. So she just shrugged. But even that subtle of an answer made the girls gasp, and Akiza was soon buried under a truck load of questions.
"Does he go to the academy?"
"How old is he?"
"Have you ever ridden his runner?"
"How did he get that criminal mark?"
"Has he asked you to prom?"
"Is he really friends with Jack Atlas?"
"How did you two become friends?"
"Didn't you two duel each other at the Fortune Cup?"
"Is it true that he was responsible for that Crimson Dragon stuff that happened a while back?"
"What about Jack Atlas? Are you friends with him, too?"
"What about that hot delivery man, Crow Hogan? I heard he and Yusei were close friends."
"Did he really help with the construction of the Daedalus Bridge?"
"Have you seen that card of his, Stardust Dragon?"
"What about Jack?"
"What about the prom?"
"Hello, everyone."
All four girls jumped back and gasped as Yusei approached the table. Akiza turned and gave him a desperate look that screamed, 'Save me!'
Yusei understood and quickly handed Akiza her roller blades. "Well, Akiza, are you ready to go?"
"Sure, Yusei, I'm ready," she said quickly, taking her roller blades and getting up from the table. "See you guys around," she told the other four girls.
"Okay, Akiza! Catch ya later!" Cora sang. But as soon as she and Yusei left, Akiza could hear the four girls whispering excitedly behind her back.
"What was that all about?" Yusei asked.
"Don't ask," Akiza groaned, sitting down at a bench close to the skating rink to pull on her roller blades. "They're just a bunch of academy girls who wanted to know all about the famous Yusei Fudo."
Yusei chuckled nervously. "Outstanding. I have a fan club. Jack will be pleased."
"Actually, the red-head, Jamie, seemed really interested in Jack. She kept asked if I knew him or you knew him."
Yusei laughed again. "Really?"
"Mm-hmm. It seems like Jack isn't forgotten after all."
"Then he really will be pleased."
"I don't know if Carly will be thought."
This time Akiza laughed with Yusei as she finished tying the laces on her roller blades. Yusei had already put his on, so she stood up and entered the skating rink with him. The two of them easily blended in with the mass of teenagers circling about the rink. A popular song started playing over the speakers, and Yusei took Akiza's hand as they skated around the rink, looking a lot like one of the couples Akiza had watched earlier. She smiled as the skated, enjoying the moment, and the feel of his hand wrapped around hers. It was so much like the last time they had come, except Akiza wasn't falling constantly this time, much to her relief. Yusei also smiled as he led her through the crowd, twirling her occasionally. It was like they were dancing. Akiza wondered if prom would be this easy. If they went to prom together, that is.
"Those girls are watching us again." Yusei commented, nodding towards the other end of the rink. Akiza turned and saw Cora, Jamie, Amanda and Abigail all leaning over the barrier, staring at them intently.
They waved when they saw Akiza looking, and although Akiza smiled back, she muttered through her teeth, "We have to get away from them!" Yusei laughed and lead them away from the group of girls.
Little did they know that the four girls weren't the only ones who were curious about them. A little ways away, two figures also leaned over the barrier with binoculars held up to their eyes, watching the pair intently. The tall blonde one was wearing his old disguise from back when he and Carly had gone to the amusement park. The shorter man was wearing a black leather jacket and a baseball cap to hide his conspicuous orange hair.
"Do you think he's asked her yet?" Crow whispered.
"I don't know. It's impossible to tell," Jack answered bluntly.
"What's taking him so long?" Crow muttered irritably, lowering the binoculars. "We all know that he's crazy about her. Why does he have to wait?"
"Don't be so impatient," Jack said. "Give him a bit of time. He'll ask soon enough."
"Since when do you counsel people about patience?" Crow laughed, giving him a teasing glance. "You're, like, the captain of impatient."
"That's not true!" Jack protested, glaring down at the other duelist. Crow turned so that his entire body was facing the blond duelist, his arms folded across his chest and his eyebrows raised. After a moment, Jack admitted defeat.
"Okay, I can be a little impatient at times. What's your point?"
Crow shrugged and raised the binoculars again. He found Yusei and Akiza in the center of the crowd, and he kept close tabs on them. They seemed to be talking and laughing, just like they usually do, but Crow couldn't help but notice how Yusei was holding Akiza; he had one hand around her waist and the other was holding her hand. And was that a blush he could see on Akiza's cheeks?
"So have you asked Carly to prom yet?" Crow asked Jack casually.
Jack lowered his binoculars slowly and gave the shorter boy a deadly look. "Do NOT make me beat you up in front of all these people, Crow. That would not be good for my image, not to mention your face. I have a rep to protect."
Crow snorted, lowering his own binoculars again and meeting his friend's gaze, real annoyance entering his tone. "Jack, I can tell that you care as much about Carly as Yusei cares about Akiza. Like you told Yusei, you can't hide your feelings from someone who's practically your brother. I know all about what happened between you two during the whole deal with the Dark Signers. Just swallow your pride and pop the question already! Be happy for once!"
Jack grunted turned away from the fiery-haired duelist, raising his binoculars to his eyes. Crow did the same, and the conversation died between them.
Meanwhile, Yusei asked Akiza, "So, just out of curiosity, what kind of questions did those girls ask?"
Akiza frowned. "Why do you want to know?"
"I was just wondering what they were saying about me."
"Why?" Akiza said, giving him a teasing glance, although her insides twisted slightly. "Do you have your eye on one of them or something?"
Yusei snorted. "Yeah right. Like I don't have someone better."
Akiza blushed, wondering what he meant by that. She suddenly became very aware of how Yusei was holding her; one hand still held hers, but the other was wrapped around her waist, keeping her close to his side. Meanwhile, Yusei was inwardly cursing himself for blurting that out. Come on, man, get a hold of your tongue before you say something really embarrassing!
"Well, they wanted to know if you really helped to build the Daedalus Bridge, how we met, if we were friends, how you got your mark, yada yada yada... a bunch of silly questions."
"I see. And how did you respond?"
"Respond? Are you kidding? They barely left me any time to breathe!"
Yusei laughed and twirled Akiza around again. Her back was now against his left shoulder, and her arms were crossed in front of her as Yusei took both of her hands into his.
Yusei took a deep breath. Okay, Yusei, he thought, mentally preparing himself. This is as good a time as ever. Here it goes!
"So," Yusei started, clearing his throat. "How has school been?"
"Okay, I guess," she replied hesitantly. She had felt him tensing up behind her. She looked up at him curiously, but his face betrayed nothing as he stared straight ahead.
"Any activities coming up soon?" Yusei tried to sound casual, but there was a slight tremor in his voice. He almost laughed at himself: He had faced terrifying duels, earthbound immortals, Dark Signers, The King of the Netherworld himself, the Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity, and many other horrible things. But at the challenge of asking the girl he loved to prom, he was close to chickening out. What was wrong with him?
"Well..." Akiza hesitated. Here's the perfect opportunity! she thought. Do it now!
"There is... this big dance coming up..."
This is ridiculous. She's faced so many terrors and fears in her life, but when it came to asking the man she loved to prom, she was scared silly. What was wrong with her?
"Oh, you mean the prom?" Yusei asked as they turned the corner. He tried to keep his composure, but he could feel beads of sweat trickling down his back.
"Did he say 'prom'?" Crow wondered out loud, trying to read the other boy's lips through the binoculars. "I think he said 'prom'! Do you think he said 'prom,' Jack?"
"I don't know, Crow, shut up!" Jack snapped, watching the pair intently.
"Yeah," Akiza answered Yusei back in the rink. "I mean prom..."
They both spoke at the exact same time.
"I actually wanted to ask you about that..."
They looked at each other in surprise.
"What the heck is going on over there?" Crow asked hysterically, leaning dangerously over the barrier.
"Be careful, Crow, you're going to fall over!"
"Ladies first," Yusei said, starting to panic.
"No, you go first," Akiza insisted.
Crap. Am I ready for this? Yusei wondered to himself. He pulled Akiza away from the stream of people and stopped near the barrier, a little ways away from where Crow and Jack were standing. He pulled Akiza around to face him and took both of her hands in his. Akiza gazed at him curiously, waiting for him to speak, her heart thundering beneath her ribs. Crow and Jack dropped their binoculars and leaned forward, listening and waiting.
Yusei closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, his eyes were set and determined. He looked Akiza directly in the eye, and said, "Akiza Izinski, will you give me the honor of taking you to prom?"
Akiza's eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she stared at him in shock. Behind Yusei, Jack managed a triumphant smile, and Crow got so excited that he really did fall over the barrier. Behind Akiza, the four academy girls had snuck around just in time to hear Yusei ask the question, and they fell into a fit of giggles and excited whispers. Yusei and Akiza took no notice of this, and soon everyone was waiting for Akiza's answer.
"I... I..." Akiza stammered as everything suddenly became clear in her mind. This was why Yusei had been acting so peculiar! He'd been trying to ask her to prom! While at the same time, she had been doing the same thing! She felt like laughing, but her throat seemed to have tightened shut and she was unable to make a sound. Her brain went numb, and her heart, which had been beating so loudly before, suddenly seemed to have stopped.
"Um... Akiza?" Yusei asked, still looking at her, the hope draining from his eyes. "Are you... um... going to answer? Because if you don't want to, that's fine, I understand..."
What are you doing you idiot? ANSWER HIM! Akiza's thoughts screamed. She shook her head clear of the numbness and got her voice back.
"Yes," She said breathlessly, nodding vigorously as lips slowly turned up in a wide smile and her face brightened up. Then she said again, stronger this time, "Yes... Yes! Yes, Yusei, I would love to go to prom with you!"
Yusei closed his eyes and smiled with relief, breathing out heavily. Akiza could literally see the tension leaving his body as he slumped forward, his bangs momentarily covering his eyes. The academy girls collapsed into fits of giggles again, and Jack and Crow gave each other a high five while the younger of the two did a little victory jig.
"Good! That's good! Great!" Yusei said, his smile growing wider as he spoke. He actually showed teeth in this smile, and his face glowed as bright as the sun. Akiza had never seen him look so happy. She giggled a very un-Akiza-ish, giggle and flung her arms around Yusei's neck, squeezing him tight. Yusei wrapped his arms around Akiza and hugged her back so enthusiastically that he lifted Akiza off of her feet and spun her around.
Unfortunately, when he had stopped spinning Akiza, Yusei looked up and saw two very familiar figures with black jackets, hats, and binoculars around their necks staring at them over the barrier.
"Jack? Crow?" Yusei shouted. Akiza released Yusei and spun around to face the two frozen boys.
"Uh oh," Jack and Crow said at the same time. Getting caught had not been part of their plan. The two boys could tell by Yusei's expression that they were in BIG trouble.
"'Uh oh' is right!" Yusei growled, starting towards them. Akiza tried to hold him back, but that proved to be difficult with roller skates. "Were you two spying on us?"
"Crap," said Jack.
"Time to go!" Crow agreed, and the two of them sped out of the building as fast as they could.
"I don't believe them!" Yusei said, shaking his head. Akiza just laughed, feeling too happy to let anything spoil her mood.
"It's okay, Yusei, don't worry about them," she said, looking up into his incredibly handsome face. She could now guess what Yusei had really talked to his friends about when they had supposedly been discussing the WRGP.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll deal with them later," Yusei said, looking back down at the girl with a smile. "So, what was it that you wanted to ask about prom?"
This time, Akiza really did laugh, shaking her head with disbelief.
"What's so funny?" Yusei asked.
"Well, actually," Akiza chortled, "I was going to ask you to take me to prom, but you just did it for me."
"What?" Yusei asked, another grin spreading across his face. "Seriously?"
Akiza nodded, and Yusei burst out laughing. Akiza joined in, and once they started, they couldn't stop. Akiza leaned her head against Yusei's shoulder as they hugged again. Yusei buried his face in her magenta hair and sighed deeply. The two duelists stood like this for a long time, not caring about the people starting to stare, not caring about Jack and Crow or the academy girls, not caring about anything but each other.
Soon after that, Akiza and Yusei went their separate ways. Akiza returned home in a daze, still stunned by what had just occurred. The rose duelist pulled into the garage and pulled off her helmet, shaking her head to get rid of the helmet hair. Humming quietly to herself, Akiza danced into the house, through the kitchen, and into the living room where she fell on the couch with a content sigh, twirling her bangs around her finger.
I'm going to prom, her thoughts sang. I'm going to prom with Yusei. Yusei's going to take me to prom...
Akiza heard footsteps behind her and looked up to see her mother standing over her, an excited expression on her face.
"Am I right in assuming, by your behavior, that you asked Yusei to prom?"
"I didn't have to ask, Mom," Akiza said dreamily. "He asked me first." She giggled happily. "I'm going to prom with Yusei Fudo!"
A little farther away, Yusei entered the garage in a very similar state. He had never felt like this before. He felt so... blissful. Like he was floating away on big, fluffy white clouds without a care in the world. He didn't even care about how silly that sounded! He couldn't stop smiling as he entered the kitchen where Jack and Crow sat at their makeshift table, talking. They both looked nervous as Yusei approached them.
"We're sorry, Yus," Crow said immediately. "I know we shouldn't have spied on you, but we really wanted to know if you were finally going to ask her, and it was all Jack's idea..."
"My idea?" Jack shouted, pounding his fist on the table. "It was not my idea, you bird-brained idiot! I couldn't care less about Yusei's business with girls!"
"You liar! I saw your expression when Akiza had accepted the invitation; you were as excited as I was..."
"Whatever," Yusei said contently, practically dancing as he passed his friends. "I was going to come home and tell both of you off, but I don't feel like it anymore. I'm too happy. And ya wanna know why?" He was halfway up the ladder that lead to their bedrooms when he turned and beamed at his two friends.
"Because I'm taking Akiza Izinski to prom!"