Sloth: AAAAAAGGGGHHH! Why I no updated three days ago? I'm so sorry, you guys! (I seriously need to watch my tumblr addiction...)
This chapter may be short, but nonetheless it is still a chapter. I kept getting stuck what kind of words to use since I tend to cringe whenever I use repetition too much, so I kinda took my time on this one.
The eye of the storm we're in, folks. It feels nice to finish this chapter even if things are going bad.
I'm not going to ramble as much, so let's start!
Disclaimers: I don't own YGO 5D's, ABBA, or Square-Enix. Imagine if I did though... There'd be yaoi everywhere.
Title: Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Chapter eleven: Take A Chance On Me
"That's strange," the raven spoke his thoughts out loud while checking his phone for the fifth time.
Crow, who was sitting next to Yusei on the couch, leaned over to see if Jack had replied or not. "He hasn't texted back, has he?" Crow asked.
Yusei shook his head. "No. He hasn't replied, but he usually replies within two minutes. Sometimes in seconds. I don't know why he hasn't answered. It's been an hour."
"Well, what if he's having dinner or something?"
"He would've said so, but that's probably it," Yusei agreed, trying to push away his worry.
"Or he could be with Carly at the moment."
Placing his phone back into his pants pocket, the raven melancholy responded, "Yeah. He could be with her... By the way, where's Kiryu?"
Just after Yusei asked, a random Kiryu appeared behind the couch and wrapped his arms around Crow's torso, catching the ginger off guard. "Gotcha!" he exclaimed as he hopped over the couch and began to tickle his sides, "Didn't see me coming, did you?"
Struggling to speak a coherent sentence, Crow laughed, "K-Ki-Kiryu! Not in... front of Y-Yusei! Oh god! Stop! I- I can't breathe!"
"You'll have to beg for it," the silverette teased in such a sadistic yet amative voice.
"Please! St-sto-stop, Kiryu!"
Crawling next to Crow, Kiryu stopped and snuggled closer to the half-dead teen.
Finding this all too cute, a smile escaped on Yusei's lips. Maybe I'll find someone to call as my own. He allowed his mind to wonder to think of anyone. In his imagination, he imagined a dark shadow stand against the sunlight in a field of grass. As Yusei approached the figured, he could make out the man's face and much to his delight, it was Jack's. The imaginary Jack pulled Yusei into his arms, whispering sweet nothings into Yusei's ear. Daydreaming, the raven was too engrossed in his thought that he couldn't hear Crow's chatter.
"Hello? Yusei? Earth to Yusei?" Crow waved his hand in front of a dreamy Yusei. "What's with you?"
Kiryu crossed his arms and blew strands of hair out of his face. "Maybe he's in love, Crow."
A cheesy grin sprouted onto the shorter teen's face. Wanting to confirm Kiryu's suggestion, Crow shook Yusei's shoulders, asking away, "Yusei! Do you like someone? Do you finally actually like someone?"
Yusei snapped out of his daydreams. Not aware of how red his face was, Yusei blurted out, "What? No!" I need to let Jack go, he thought as he hid his flustered face behind a couch cushion.
"So you do like someone!" Crow screeched in joy, pushing his childhood friend lightly, "Man, I thought this day would never come!"
"No! You got it all wrong!" Yusei protested. I can't! Not with Jack!
Kiryu smirked as he watched Yusei panic before them. "So, is it anyone we know?" he asked.
Yusei opened his mouth to dismiss all of the questions, but Crow in excitement chirped, "Don't tell me! It's Bruno, isn't it?"
"Bruno?" Yusei in confusion tried to make up images of him and the technical friend as lovers but rejected them as he found no interest in them. Although he did appreciate Bruno's everyday lively personality and lovable enthusiasm, Yusei couldn't imagine anything looking past the friendship between them. "I don't like Bruno..."
Crow frowned, "No? Oh. Well if you did, you could've asked him out for prom. It's coming up in a month, you know."
"I probably won't go," Yusei revealed, "I really don't see the point in going."
"We could always throw an anti-prom!"
"Do those actually exist?"
"We'll never know until we try it!"
Kiryu, who had been sitting there in silence, finally spoke, "Yusei, do you like him again?" I have to be sure if things are going as planned.
Face flushing, the raven stared at Kiryu. "What?"
With a mischievous smile le, he continued, "I mean, do you like Jack again?"
"WHAT? AGAIN? Yusei, how come you never told me you liked him in the first place? And why Jack? He's a bit of a jerk to be considered to have a crush on..." Crow bothered the raven with his sudden questions.
Yusei glanced at Kiryu as if to say "why did you say that out loud?", and he saw Kiryu shrug and wait for Yusei's response.
"I... I don't know if I like him as I did years ago," he replied while staring down at the floor to hide his red face.
"You don't know?" Crow asked in concern.
"No. I don't," Yusei honestly answered as he tried to think about his emotions for the blonde. As much as he was falling back in love with Jack, Yusei didn't want to interfere with his relationship with Carly even if he wished Jack would just leave her and open his eyes to see Yusei had loved him. "I don't know if I want to go through the pain again."
Assuming that the "pain" Yusei mentioned was over crushing on a straight guy, Crow placed a hand onto his shoulder and assured, "Then don't if he's going to bring pain. You need someone who loves you, but I guess Bruno's out." Even though he sure does like you a lot, Yusei. You should always see how happy he is whenever you're around him.
"Yusei," Kiryu began, "Even if you don't want to go through hell again, I'm sure Jack wants to go through it for you."
Yusei looked up from the ground and stared at the silverette. "What do you mean, Kiryu?"
Pulling out a sketchpad, Kiryu explained, "I'm sure you know about Jack. He probably told you, hasn't he?" Yusei nodded, knowing what Kiryu was implying. Crow sat between them but had no clue what his love was talking about. "I believe he wants you, Yusei. If you notice, he's been acting strange around you."
"Strange? How so?" Yusei couldn't believe what he was saying. Jack wants me? "But he's with Carly."
"Wait- Jack's gay?" Crow screeched.
"Not quite," Kiryu denied since Jack wasn't gay but bi, yet it was still improper to reveal his orientation without his consent, "Have you noticed how he acts around you now comparing when you two made up?"
Yusei blinked twice, trying to see his evidence of Jack being out of character. He failed to gather any solid proofs, so he answered, "Kiryu, he's been the same as before we even started talking again."
Releasing a stretched sigh, Kiryu insisted, "No, I'm sure he's been acting strange. Before he was his old self, but now he should be more careful with you. Come on, Yusei. Think!"
"I don't know what to think, okay? I don't see it at all!"
"Maybe you don't see it since you're his best friend, but I goddamn know Jack's been less interested with Carly and wants to be with you more!" Kiryu urged Yusei to open his eyes and see what he should be seeing. "Jack fantasizes about you. He wants to be with you, but he needs to figure out how exactly he can be with you. He may be with Carly, but he does see a chance on you."
Dumbstruck, Yusei remained silent as he watched Kiryu draw images of Jack on his sketchpad. After drawing at least five thumbnails, Kiryu turned his pad over to the raven. "You must have seen him like this, haven't you?"
Examining the sketches of Jack with different styles of star struck. Yusei gave another try to remember any memory of Jack's uncharacteristics. The rough sketch of a flustered Jack made Yusei smile gently. This reminds me when he called me that name "koi". I didn't have a clue why he called me that though. Could he have really like me in some sort of way back then? Another image of an unsure Jack caught his attention. I believe this was him when he told me about his bisexuality... or was that all a dream? He could feel himself start to doubt the past week.
"Does he really...?" Yusei attempted to ask but couldn't finish his question.
"If you don't believe me, ask him himself," Kiryu answered.
"But... I don't know if I want him too," Yusei faltered.
Meanwhile the two conversed, Crow continued to play on the PlayStation but still listened to the both. He really hate it how Yusei had told Kiryu about his old feelings for Jack while he never heard his friend tell him that even if they had known each other from the beginning. It was unfair really to see his boyfriend shake Yusei's core, and Crow not be able to help Yusei. I can't wait for the kids to come back home, he thought as he ventured off in Midgar in the video game.
Yusei sighed, "I just don't want to cause trouble. Like you said how he's less interested in her, Jack still likes her." It pained him to talk about Carly with Jack since the honest truth; Yusei still harbored his feelings for his best friend after all those years. I couldn't destroy them. Not even if you were a bit of a jerk back in middle school. I just couldn't, but if Carly's there, I don't want to interfere.
"Then go after him when she's gone." Kiryu and Yusei glanced at Crow who was catching a wild chocobo in the game. Apparently Crow did wanted to input his opinion in the situation. "I have no idea why you would ever like him, but if you do, then wait for them to end. Eventually he would fall out, right? So let him take a chance on you."
Kiryu brought himself closer to Crow, resting his hand onto his hair. "Isn't that a song?" he asked, slightly amused. Yusei nodded.
Pausing the game so Midgar Zorom wouldn't attack him out of random, Crow turned to face Yusei. "Why not? Just follow that song:
If you change your mind, I'm the first in line
Honey I'm still free
Take a chance on me"
"Oddly enough, I know that song," Kiryu laughed,
"If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you've got no place to go, if you're feeling down"
As much as Yusei loved ABBA, the fact that they were singing a song to prove their point left him embarrassed if not dumbfounded. The others continued to sing:
"If you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown
Honey I'm still free take a chance on me
Gonna do my very best and it ain't no lie
If you put me to the test, if you let me try"
Yusei shrugged his shoulder and sang with the two:
"Take a chance on me
That's all I ask of you honey
Take a chance on me
We can go dancing, we can go walking
As long as we're together
Listen to some music, maybe just talking
Get to know you better
'Cause you know I've got so much that I wanna do
When I dream I'm alone with you it's magic
You want me to leave it there afraid of a love affair
But I think you know that I can't let go"
It was true what the lyrics were saying. Each time Yusei was with Jack, there was some sort of magic between them. It felt different recently, and it couldn't have been the feeling of friendship the magic was. As for the "afraid of a love affair", maybe Jack had pride to not give into Yusei because of Carly, but there was no in denying it: Yusei liked him and probably won't let go at all despite of everything.
"If you change your mind, I'm the first in line
Honey I'm still free take a chance on me
If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you've got no place to go, if you're feeling down
If you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown
Honey I'm still free take a chance on me
Gonna do my very best and it ain't no lie
If you put me to the test, if you let me try
Take a chance on me
Come on, give me a break, will you?
Take a chance on me
Oh you can take your time baby, I'm in no hurry
Know I'm gonna get you
You don't wanna hurt me, baby don't worry
I ain't gonna let you let me tell you now
My love is strong enough
To last when things are rough it's magic
You say that I waste my time but I can't get you off my mind
No I can't let go"
How did I managed to hold onto him though? Maybe-
"'Cos I love you so..." Yusei sang softly under his breath almost a near whisper. Much to his surprise, no one was singing the rest of the lyrics, thus causing Yusei to look at both of his friends' warm, loving smiles.
"He has his answer," Kiryu breathed, "His answer to what Jack is to him."
Still on Kiryu's lap, Crow advised, "When Carly's out of the picture, I say you go for him!"
"I'm sure Jack will gladly accept you."
Listening to his friends' words of choice, Yusei thank them from the bottom of his fluttering heart, "Thank you guys so much... I'll... I'll tell him how I feel!"
"Crow, you shouldn't be sitting on Kiryu's lap," Martha, who had returned with the children, scolded when she caught the sight, "You could get pregnant at a young age, and don't think it'll be easy to be a teen parent."
Crow gaped at her as Kiryu and Yusei burst into a fit of laughter. "Martha, I'm a BOY! Boys can't get pregnant!"
"Or can they?" Yusei teased, watching the red creep upon Crow's face.
Kiryu giggle as he pulled Crow tightly into his arms, "Just think what our kid would look like!"
Tearing himself out of Kiryu's grasp, Crow marched out of the living room, "I'm gonna go play with the kids outside!"
"It's going to rain, Crow. Make sure you all come in before it gets bad!" She warned.
"We'll try!" his answer was faintly heard.
The dark woman faced Kiryu, apologizing, "Do forgive me for implying such a thing."
Slouching into a comfortable position, Kiryu flashed a grin, "No, it's fine. I enjoy each moment he's flustered."
"As for you, Yusei," the call of his name caught Yusei's attention to Martha, "You look like you're in love."
Yusei smiled softly. "Maybe I am..."
Sloth: Random fun fact to the audience- Singing this song to family and friends repeatedly can cause some uproar. I remember when I kept singing it to my girlfriend who at the time was my friend... She eventually told me to stop... But hey, I got the whole Latin class to sing with me! Anyways, I find this song lovely if not addicting.
It was interesting not having Jack in the chapter, but I wanted to show more on Yusei's part and coming to his own conclusion on what Jack is to him. Ugh, I can't wait for Jack to man up. Oh, for those who actually care, Crow was playing Final Fantasy VII. He caught a chocobo so Midgar Zorom (the giant snake Sephiroth killed) wouldn't kill him since Zorom slithers too quick.
It's always these kind of author's notes I feel like I have to explain more, but I'm not sure what to say... Oh well.
Oh yay... another angsty chapter I have to write. I'll see you guys later.
I'm not even sure if I should get reviews...
-Sloth