Perfectly Evil IV

Mai stood in the entryway of Jonouchi's apartment with her hands on her hips staring down at the group frowning. Ryou scurried around the edge of his friends to get Mai a chair, giving a grateful glance to Ryou Mai continued to stand and frown at them.

Anzu's eyebrow twitched staring back at her knowing full well Mai and Jonouchi's history and Anzu had no interest in being in the middle of a love triangle. Anzu stood up and cleared her throat, "Hello Mai, its been a while."

Mai nodded, "It has, so long that Yugi Mutou is now Vivian Wong's girlfriend."

Anzu stopped in her tracks, "Wait, how do you know about that?"

Mai crossed her arms leaning against the wall, "I was at the tournament that Pegasus is holding downtown, Vivian Wong is one of the contestants and she took the opportunity to introduce everyone to her boyfriend Yugi Mutou. I thought that was odd, I thought he'd end up with you Anzu."

Anzu's face turned red as she hid her eyes behind her bangs, "Yeah well, it didn't work out that way."

"So I heard, you're fucking Jonouchi if I remember."

Jonouchi spat out his soda all over Kaiba at Mai's statement as Anzu's eyes bugged out of her head, "MAI! D-DID you have to put it so bluntly, we're not fucking, I mean we are… I mean, that's not, we're dating Mai we're not just fucking, can we stop saying fucking!"

Mai licked her lips with her lips curling into a small smile, "Sure hon, anything you want."

Anzu muttered darkly to herself walking over to the window away from the others as Kaiba wiped himself down with a towel Bakura had just handed him. Serenity looked up at Mai puzzled, "Mai, how did you know about that and not Yugi?"

Mai shrugged, "I read it in a slightly dated issue of Duellists Weekly that I was flipping through at an airport about three months ago. I usually ignore the nonsense around Duelling these days, there's so much of it but that caught my eye."

"That's not the only reason you're here though, is it Mai?" Marik asked as Anzu returned to the table casting death glares in Mai's direction.

Mai shook her head, "Does someone want to explain to me why Yugi was bandaged up like a mummy or why he looked ready to collapse in his seat?"

The group exchanged dark looks and after a few moments Serenity spoke, "Vivian is…" Serenity cleared her throat wrapping her fingers around Kagome's hand for support, "We think Vivian is abusing him."

Mai bit her lip looking down at the table quietly, Jonouchi pitched in when no one said anything, "We don't think, we know. He got those injuries yesterday, you don't get messed up like that roughhousing."

Mai looked up at them again, "If you think he's being abused why aren't you doing something about it, he's your friend."

Anzu looked away leaning into Jonouchi, Honda frowned, "We're trying Mai, Vivian, Vivian has done a good job of driving a wedge between us and him. She was the one who outed Jonouchi and Anzu to Yugi in front of everyone. She twisted it around and made it seem like they were doing it behind his back. She has wound around her finger, if we do anything, try to get close he could… she…"

Honda clenched his fists in frustration, Miho gently stroked his hands until he let her intertwine her fingers with his. "Miss Mai, we want to help Yugi, we just don't know how without putting him in danger."

Mai stood up straight adjusting her skirt, "I have to get back to the tournament, I said I'd be back before the finals started."

Mai without another word made to leave, but Jonouchi's voice called her back, "Mai, we need your help, we need to save Yugi!"

Mai nodded, "So you've said, but I'm just passing through, I'd rather not get involved."

Anzu scowled, "If you were just passing through why did you come here?!"

Mai shrugged, "I had my reasons, later kiddo."

A short time later Mai was back at the tournament, glancing at the bracket Mai noticed that Vivian had made it to the finals against a young woman named Alexis Rhodes. They had begun duelling as Mai had sat down. Alexis was good, Mai could see raw talent in the way she duelled but the more experienced Vivian Wong had the upper hand simply by playing a more careful game of Duel Monsters.

Mai's eyes scanned the crowd for Yugi finding him sitting almost slumped over in the seat he'd been in earlier. Even at a distance Mai could tell he was in pain. Tapping a finely manicured nail against the arm of her chair Mai exhaled through pursed lips making up her mind. Mai summoned her attendant and gave him some orders before dismissing him as the duel began to wrap up.

Later Yugi stood outside of Vivian's locker room as she wrapped up media interviews. He smiled as she emerged holding the trophy signifying that she'd won the tournament. It was another notch in Vivian's impressive list of tournament victories. A lot of them coming after Yugi started to supervise her duelling style. Vivian embraced him gently and kissed Yugi on the lips and grinned, "Yugi, I have a surprise for you, we have a guest."

Yugi blinked, "A guest?"

Emerging from the arena with her entourage of guards Mai Kujaku joined them, Yugi's eyes widened, "Ma…"

Mai stuck her hand out talking over Yugi, "Yugi Mutou, I've heard so much about you, I am a big fan."

Yugi blinked several times shaking Mai's hand, "It's uh… good to meet you."

Vivian frowned looking between the two, "Haven't you two met before, I thought you said you knew him?"

Mai gave a vain laugh in response, "Come on Vivian, you know what I'm like. I like to mingle with famous people, I also said I knew George Clooney. You didn't really believe me?"

"But you two have faced each other before…"

"Do you remember every duel you've ever had? I don't, I suppose it does stir some old memories from a few years ago, but we never met properly. I don't think I ever said more than five words to you outside our duel did I Yugi?"

Yugi pretended to think about it for a second, "I don't think you did and if you did it was… in the passion of competition." Yugi finished diplomatically deciding that Mai must have a good reason for this charade so he wasn't going to ruin it for her.

Vivian seemingly finally convinced suggested they go back to the apartment to celebrate her victory. Mai and Yugi agreed and departed the arena.

Back at Jonouchi's the party had broken up and everyone had left. After some time watching TV with Kagome and Serenity, Anzu and Jonouchi decided to go to bed. The apartment was dark when Jonouchi got up to use the bathroom as notorious night owls Kagome and Serenity had finally gone to bed. Entering his bedroom he found his girlfriend wrapped in a quilt sitting in front of the window staring out at the full moon. Jonouchi walked up behind his arms around her, "Did I wake you?"

Anzu smiled gently kissing Jonouchi nuzzling into his arm, "No, I just, I couldn't sleep, but I didn't want to disturb you… any more than you already are."

Jonouchi nipped at Anzu's ear playfully, "Cheeky… It's Yugi isn't it?"

Anzu licked her lips, "Jou… you know I love you, right?"

Jonouchi smiled kissing Anzu on the lips, "Of course I do. But I know how you and Yugi feel about each other, I would never get in the way of that… more than I already seem to."

Anzu shook her head, "That wasn't your fault, that was Vivian, actually I guess it was me too.."

"Anzu…"

"Jonouchi, I told you I wanted to wait, I told you wanted to find the right time to tell him about us but Vivian beat us to it and ruined everything. If we'd told him…"

"Things may have turned out like this anyway. Vivian, she's got this power over Yugi. She's twisted him up inside. The best thing we can do now is try to save him. After that well… I don't know."

The two fell silent staring out into the night as on the other side of town Vivian ran out of the door of her apartment in an embarrassed hurry realising she'd forgotten to restock on alcohol. Mai followed her to the door shutting it behind her. Listening carefully Mai heard the rev of Vivian's car as it pulled out into the street and down to the supermarket.

Re-entering the lounge area her eyes met Yugi's, "She's gone."

Yugi nodded, "Now can you tell me what that was about earlier?"

Mai crossed her arms, "If Vivian knew we knew each other I'm not sure she'd let me in a one hundred feet of you. From what I've heard Vivian has a tight rein on your leash."

Yugi frowned, "Heard from who?"

"Jonouchi, Anzu, Honda, Serenity… your real friends."

Yugi's frown turned into a scowl, "They're not my friends, friends don't start a relationship with the girl their best friend likes behind his back."

Mai scoffed, "And whose fault is that. I could see how you felt about Anzu back in Duellist Kingdom but you never made a move. Don't get angry at Jonouchi just because he got there first. They didn't set out to hurt you Yugi, but they have to listen to what's in their hearts, isn't that what you tried to teach me?"

Yugi turned away from her looking out into the night, "You weren't there."

"No I wasn't but if…" The sound a of door opening stopped Mai in her tracks, bottles cracking together in a bag preceded the entry of Vivian back into the living room. She smiled looking between Mai and Yugi expectantly, "So, what have you two been chatting about while I was away?"

Mai opened and closed her mouth, her mind racing to come up with a good lie, Yugi turned back to face Vivian smiling, "We were arguing about the best way to overcome Seto Kaiba's Blue-Eyes deck. Mai you said something about not relying on the God cards?"

Mai nodded with a smile, "That's right, if I were you I wouldn't get too comfortable with them, a lot of the Pro League administrators are looking to have them banned when the next season starts."

"I'm not competing in the Pro League though." Yugi countered as Vivian unpacked the food and drink. As Vivian turned her back to grab some serving plates Mai mouthed a thank you to Yugi who returned her thanks with a sour look.

Their celebration continued until quite late, after Mai returned to her hotel Yugi and Vivian retired to bed. Lying awake wrapped in Vivian's arms Yugi had something Mai had said circling inside his head.

"…they have to listen to what's in their hearts, isn't that what you tried to teach me?"

Vivian was awakened by Yugi shaking against her, "Yugi are you… why are you crying?"

Yugi bit his lip, "I… I don't know…"

To Be Continued…