Sunset
*6* It's La Push *6*
Yugi and Jou were ready to go in record time. After their hectic classes they were ready for the weekend to start. "This is going to be the best." Yugi said as he tossed his bag over his shoulder. "No curfew on the weekend, I'm going to stay at the beach all day." Yugi smiled.
Jou smiled at the sight of how happy Yugi was. Yugi had always been happy until the day Honda and Anzu found lives and moved away. That was when, Jou thought, Yugi began to fear being alone. As long as Jou was around Yugi would never be alone. Jou wouldn't leave him; they were friends for life.
"Jou are you okay?" Yugi asked as he turned to his friend, "something's off about you."
"What?" Jou backed up, "what are you talking about, I feel fine." Jou said automatically, though now that he thought about it, he was feeling a little strange, "maybe a little indigestion." He said "you worry too much, Yug' don't worry about me."
"Okay, if you're sure." Yugi said and took Jou's hand and walked out to the front of the school with him. "Do you think we should trust Marik to drive us to La Push?" Yugi asked Jou as they stood at the entrance of the school.
"I'm sure it will be fine." Jou said just as Marik pulled up at high speed only to slam on the breaks in front of them but not before the Jeep's massive wheels crushed the school's flowerbed. "Eh, maybe I can convince him to let me drive." Jou offered.
Marik's body slithered out of the driver's side window and looked over the top of the Jeep at them. "Hey, where's Ryou?" Marik called.
"We assumed he would be with you, getting the Jeep." Yugi said.
"Nope, he wasn't in bed when I woke up." Marik said
"I'll go see if he came back, he might be waiting in your room." Yugi said. "I'd move the Jeep before Shadi sees what you've done to his flowers." Yugi added.
"Eheh, I'll just stay with Marik, when you get Ryou, we'll be parked over there." Jou pointed to the lot across from the main entrance. Jou got into the passenger's side of the car as Marik fell back into his seat.
As they drove off Yugi went back inside, his excitement took over and he rushed to find his friend. Yugi was in such a hurry that he failed to notice the figure approaching him until he crashed into it. Yugi could feel himself falling but then something grabbed his wrist. It was then that he recognized who he had crashed into.
"Watch out, little one. Are you okay?" Yugi tried his best not to look into those crimson eyes but it was so hard to resist. They were like velvet ropes that no one could resist touching so he looked and was lost instantly.
"I-I was…" he couldn't hold off the need to blink any longer and so he did which freed him from Yami's gaze. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
"It's alright, Yugi." The way his name rolled off of Yami's lips made Yugi want to melt away and forever exist as a stain on the ground beneath Yami's feet."Where are you off to in such a hurry?" he asked as he let his hand fall from Yugi's wrist.
Yugi brought his hand up to cup the newly released wrist, he suddenly felt cold. "I was looking for my friend, Ryou. We are all supposed to go to the beach today." He said
Yami's eyes grew wide and back to normal in an instant. "I see. La Push?"
"Yeah, how did you know?" Yugi asked but Yami ignored him and bent down to pick something up off of the floor. To Yugi's horror it was his copy of Twilight; it must have fallen out of his bag when they crashed. Yugi was mortified, this god from another school, knowing how much Yugi loved Twilight, it was just wrong.
"Lucky guess." Yami teased, handing the book back to Yugi.
"Yeah, thanks..." Yugi snatched up the book and shoved it back into his bag.
"So, Twilight, huh?" Yami smiled handsomely. "It's an interesting representation of Vampires. I suppose, since vampires are fictional anyway, people can make up whatever they want."
"Y-yeah…" Yugi flushed red and changed the subject "So, Jou and Marik are waiting, I have to find Ryou…It was nice seeing you again, Yami." Yugi said and hurried over to the stairs.
Yugi took a breath to steady his nerves; how could Yami turn him into mush with his mere presents alone? Yugi walked up the stairs slowly so he wouldn't trip and embarrass himself in front of Yami anymore.
At the top of the stairs Yugi continued walking and rounded the corner to find Ryou sitting on the ground outside his door, his arms were outstretched and resting on his bent knees and his face was buried in his arms. By the way Ryou's shoulders moved, Yugi could tell he was crying. Yugi slowly made his way over to him and knelt down next to him. "Ryou?"
"Go away!" Yugi flinched back slightly because Ryou didn't seem the type to snap at anyone like that. "Just go away."
"What's wrong?" Yugi pressed. "Was it Marik? Did he do something last night?" when Ryou ignored him Yugi just positioned himself against the wall next to Ryou and waited. "Maybe La Push will cheer you up. Just come with us." Ryou lifted his head slightly and glanced at Yugi.
"I don't want to go to La Push. I don't want to do anything." Ryou said. "Please, just go without me."
"R-" Yugi pressed but was interrupted.
"Yugi, why don't you and your other friends go?" Yugi glanced over his shoulder to see Yami standing at the end of the hall, "I'll take care of Ryou."
Yugi opened his mouth to protest but Yami gave him a stone cold glance and Yugi stood up. "It will be fine." Yami reassured.
"O-Okay." Yugi said then looked back down at Ryou, "please feel better soon." Yugi left the two of them to talk. He wondered how Yami even knew Ryou, why he even wanted to help. No one was that nice unless they wanted something. Yugi bit his lip, perhaps he shouldn't have left. No, Yami wouldn't hurt Ryou. Yugi groaned because he was starting to feel jealous which was horrible because Ryou was hurt.
"What's wrong with me?" Yugi asked himself out loud.
"I can name a few things, shrimp."
"Oh no." Yugi breathed, "Otogi."
"I heard you went to club Sparkle."
"Yes… I-I did." Yugi swallowed hard as Otogi approached him.
"I don't want you going there again." He warned. "That's my hang-out."
"You own the whole place?" Yugi asked but was answered by a hard shove into the wall behind him. His back cracked against it so hard he could feel it in his toes.
"It doesn't matter; if I don't want you there then you don't go there." Otogi said and held a fist up as a promise of what was to come if Yugi disobeyed him.
"HEY!" Jou called and stomped over to Otogi and gave him a hard shove. "Get off him!" Jou watched Otogi stagger for a second before turning to Yugi, "you okay?"
"Y-yeah. I'm fine." When Jou turned back to Otogi he was gone.
"Better run."
"Thank you."
"Yeah, we should get him expelled or something." Jou said. "I'm going to…"
"No, don't, it's okay, really. Let's go to the beach now." Yugi took Jou's hand and walked him out of the building toward the Jeep.
"There you are, let's go. Eh, where is Ryou?" Marik said as the two walked toward him.
"He's not feeling well." Yugi said and hopped into the back of the Jeep. Yugi glanced out the window toward where Yami was with Ryou. Was it the right choice to leave Ryou alone like that? Should they have cancelled the trip?
On their way to the beach, Yugi stared out the window and was hypnotized by the trees that passed them by. He took a deep breath and glared at himself in the window, he should feel bad for being jealous of Ryou, Ryou was sad and Yami was only trying to help. Yugi peeled his gaze away from the window.
"We're here." Marik said as they passed through a small gate that lead to the parking lot. They all got out and Yugi was surprised to see so many people there. The beach was nearly full. "We better get claim a spot before they are all gone."
"Why is it so crowded?" Yugi shivered. "It's pretty cold today."
"It's always like this on the first weekend at forks University." Marik said. "Is it too much?"
"No, I was just curious." Yugi said and grabbed the blanket from the back, "I'll get us a spot." Yugi said and hurried out onto the sand. Yugi was lucky enough to find a spot in front of a huge rock; they could lean against it and watch the waves. Yugi fluffed out the blanket and waved Jou and Marik over.
As the day passed the beach began to empty but someone had started a bonfire and a few students gathered around the flames to tell stories. Yugi laughed softly at a few of Marik's ridiculous stories but stopped short when Jou jerked forward holding his stomach. "Jounouchi?" Yugi leaned over to look at him. "What's wrong?"
"N-nothing. I'm fine." Jou said with obvious strain in his voice.
"Liar, you've been acting strange all day." Yugi pressed.
"Gah!" Jou doubled over in pain and pushed himself up with one arm as Yugi fell next to him. "I just need to find… a bathroom… that's all."
"That's totally gross, dude" Marik said, though he, too, was concerned.
"Shut up…" Jou said as he staggered to his feet.
"I'll walk you." Yugi offered
"NO… I mean no, I can make it. Just stay here by the fire, where it's safe." Jou said and stumbled away toward the nearest building.
Jou's stomach tensed, sending him sprawling against the wall of the beach shack. He let out a yelp and grabbed at his chest. It felt like that night. Jou shook his head; he didn't want the memory of his father's death to come back.
"Stop!" he told his mind. Jou thrashed against the wall behind him; hitting it with the sides of his fists. He closed his eyes ready to slam his head back against the wall. When he did he felt something hard stop him and then the object curled slightly in his hair. Jou opened his eyes. Blue eyes stared back at him.
Seto stood in front of Jou with his right hand cradling Jou's head while the other lay flat against the wall, trapping Jou between him and the wall. "No one has taught you to control this. I have been suppressing what I am for a while. I can show you. I didn't have as much time as I thought I did. You've only had a week of training."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Jou glared and tried to pull his body away but Seto kept him there.
"You were right to leave Yugi there."
"Shut up. I know. I've felt this way before. When my father died." Jou closed his eyes, suddenly able to feel Seto's fingers caressing his scalp. "Stop it!" Jou called but when Seto's index finger rubbed the spot behind his ear Jou whimpered and fell still. That one touch raced through his body and when it was gone his body craved more.
"I know. That was my fault. I didn't want to help you before. I still don't want to help you." Seto said.
"Then why are you?"
"That's my business, mutt." Seto said and yanked his hand away from Jou. "Follow me."
"No." he wanted more of that lovely touch and he was angry: one because Seto wasn't going to give him more and two because he wanted more in the first place. "I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm done with you. Get out of my life."
"You want me to give you a choice? We'll here it is, either you let me help you or you end up killing someone else." Seto gave Jou no time to answer; Seto was making the decision for him. He grabbed Jou by the wrist and started dragging him.
"Stop it." Jou said and yanked his wrist away. "Why should I trust you anyway?"
"Because I am like you." He glared. It was obvious to Jou that Seto hadn't wanted to share that bit of information. Good. Jou smirked.
"How so?"
"Fuck you."
"It's my turn to reject your offer." Jou said and when Seto started walking again, Jou followed.
