Title: Always Running
Rating: T
Word Count: 3,521
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or anything really.
Summary: Running the marathon taught Mai more about love than real life ever did. Polarshipping fluff. oneshot.
"There is magic in misery. Just ask any runner." - Dean Karnazes
Note: I honestly stopped watching after Battle City, but polarshipping still gets my heart so here we are.
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Mile one.
Never trust the first mile – that's what the training guides told her. Distrust she could handle. Much like the first mile, she never trusted first meetings either. The first mile is both the hardest and easiest to run. Their first meeting was the most painful encounter, but also the most genuine flattery she'd ever received. Her face tinged red at the thought of Joey blundering and bragging when he had no reason to have even had the confidence to talk to her on the boat to Duelist Kingdom. It was brash, and yet somehow always a bit charming. But then again, that was him. How many first meetings had she had with people? How many first miles had she run? But none mattered more than that historic meeting and today's first mile.
'Another first meeting' Mai thought rolling her eyes as a runner approached her and started with pleasantries.
"Nice to meet you, but I don't really talk when I run." Mai waved the man off nonchalantly displaying the silicon ring she'd deliberately placed on her left ring finger. The man moved away without another word.
She smiled a bit as she thought back to the origin of the silicon ring. No, she wasn't actually married, but the idea of fake rings had been put into her head by none other than Joey Wheeler. It happened while they grocery shopped one night during Battle City when they'd stayed out too late talking to grab anything other than fast food or groceries, and Mai Valentine didn't eat fast food. The man at the checkout had hit on her and had made comments that were more uncomfortable than most encounters she had, and Joey as witness had not taken lightly to that. He hadn't butted in and tried to save her right off the bat, letting her handle things herself, but as the man continued to press he'd eventually very deliberately snaked an arm around her waist and grumbled at the man that it was rude to not respect a ladies disinterest.
"This happen a lot?" He'd asked though gritted teeth as they exited the store, his arm still protectively around her waist.
She'd shrugged in response shaking his arm off as she did.
His brown eyes had flared indignantly. "It's not right; you shouldn't have to deal with these creeps." He'd grumbled.
"You were a creep when I met you." Mai had teasingly retorted.
"But I backed off when you were disinterested." He'd defended.
"Who says I was disinterested?" She had needled. In Battle City days she'd thrown down the line on more than one occasion to see if he would cross it; a play of relationship chicken that never led anywhere.
"You. And I listened."
She'd rolled her eyes at him.
"But hey, you run into issues…" Joey dug through the grocery bags until he found what he was looking for. "you can always pretend you're married."
He had taken the twisty tie off the bell pepper bag and wrapped it around her finger.
"You think someone will believe this?" She'd mocked waving her twisty tied ring finger in front of him as they got to her convertible.
"Just tell them I'm cheap." Joey had shrugged.
"So now I'm married to you?" Mai raised an eyebrow inquisitively.
"No, but if you needed someone to have your back no questions asked, I'd be your husband for show." Joey blushed.
"You wish Wheeler," She'd teasingly nudged him, earning a deepening to the red of his face.
She'd bought the silicon ring when she'd started running. She liked being able to run the ocean front in a sports bra and shorts however it proved difficult to circumvent men's interest unless she had the tiny band of purple silicon wrapped around her ring finger. When they'd ask about her husband she always referred to him.
Still the first mile could be a liar – sometimes it feels difficult and leads to a wonderful run, and sometimes it starts easy and leads to one of the toughest runs you'll face. The latter was the case for the marathon today. Mai had no idea why she had decided to tackle the marathon distance. Maybe it was the pesky comment some snide girl made about her on the elevator to her flat in Domino, "Sure she's skinny, but she's not exactly fit." Or maybe it was because once she started running she never wanted to stop. She'd been metaphorically running all her life; from responsibilities, friendships, and him...It felt nice to put feet to pavement and relish in the gasping-for-breath, exhaustive feeling of finishing a tough run. Through training she'd finally started to come to grips with her strength instead of seeing herself as the weak failure she'd felt like after the Orichalcos events. Either way she'd laced up her shoes, nervously toed the line, and took off with 38,000 other runners at today's Tokyo Marathon to see if she had the guts to cross 26.2 miles on her own two feet.
Everything had to start somewhere.
Miles 2 through 13.
These were the easy miles. They breeze by before you even know how good you have it. You've trained, you're ready, and you go.
It felt much like their Battle City days. She was confident in her dueling skills; he was confident in their friendship. Late night drives and conversations sprinkled in with a bit of flirting where her biggest concern was potentially crossing a line and losing her only group of real friends...and him. It held her back. If things went horribly she would have no one. Joke was on her, she was a self fulfilling prophecy and ended up alone anyway, but those were later problems for later miles. Sure there were always phantom pains of rejection or failure even early on, but when it came down to action, Joey stood fearlessly for her. He'd put his life on the line so many times for her that tournament – breaking her fall after she was kidnapped by a B-rate movie star, his willingness to attempt to block Ra's attack (and brazen disregard for potentially forfeiting his own spot in the finals to save her mere hours after he'd suffered a traumatic ordeal of his own), and seeking out the one who'd trapped her mind in attempts to save her. While there were tough moments, their friendship had never felt more cemented. And at the same time she'd subtly laid out the signals that she was open to something more with him and he was either too dense or disinterested to take the bait. So things remained as they were, easy and in motion at a comfortable and consistent stride.
Her ponytail bobbed along behind her as she ran, locked into a pace she hoped she could upkeep for the remainder of the race. Little moments brought her joy as she ticked down the miles.
Mile 14.
She was over the halfway point, but it suddenly felt so far from the finish. Could she do this?
Her mind flashed back to the fight with Marik, and her trapped mind. Then the finish line felt ever moving, chasing targets she knew she'd never reach and it drummed up all the broken bits inside. The Shadow Realm had fragmented the mind that had been held together by ego and pride when she'd failed to call on her own strength, feeling desolate and lonely, but she would not lose sight of her strength today.
Today she was alone, but intentionally so, and she had run further than 14 miles in training so she'd cross that 15th mile just the same. Her eyes narrowed at the thinning crowds of runners – pace and time take their toll. Her purple shorts had her race bib proudly pinned to one of the legs. She'd scrawled her name across the top so bystanders could cheer her by name, not that they'd recognize her as the semi-pro duelist with her minimal makeup and an outfit indistinguishable from her running companions. One in a crowd. A virtually faceless figure, but today it was what she needed to be; her strength could not come from her ego or pride.
Miles 15 through 19.
A second wind washed over her. Newfound determination to fight to hold pace and stay in the race.
This was like the power she felt first joining the Orichalcos; dizzying confidence, but in reality it was a buildup to pain. Endorphins that would flood binding sites and then leave her hollow in the later miles. Battles she'd fight with a sense of belonging for the moment that would leave her empty when she closed her eyes. But she was not fighting for the side of darkness today, she was running her way into self-empowerment. While she knew the wall would come, she would be prepared for the hollow moment and she would find strength once again...she hoped. She'd never run more than 20 miles in training so the wall was the new challenge. The end wouldn't be in sight, there would still be 6.2 more miles to fight through after getting there. But she had trained and she was stubborn so she wouldn't back down. Hands reflexively clenched at her side in determination and she had to remind herself to ease the tension.
Mile 20.
Mile 20 hit her like a fucking train.
It was like holding Joey's soulless body in the pouring rain and wondering what she'd done to get herself to that point. But mile 20 was also why she was there – a glutton for punishment, she'd atone her wrongdoings by awarding herself misery. In mile 20 was all the guilt she'd felt at abandoning him – the friendship, the potential relationship, the feelings she'd long denied...and today she'd figure out how to move past it. One foot in front of the other, a slowed pace that felt like a death march, but even a small step forward was progress.
She missed him terribly and she missed the rest of the gang too, but she couldn't face them. She didn't feel strong enough...but she also knew he might be waiting for her at the finish line. He was the one soul she'd told about this race, in a voicemail anxiously left after months of no contact, and she'd swallowed her pride and asked him to be there for her. She'd left that voicemail while riding as much of a runner's high as one could muster after a 20 mile training run and the several weeks that followed without him reaching out had only proved to heighten her nerves. In the endorphin rush and anxiety she couldn't remember if she'd actually left a return number for him to call. So there still was a chance he would show up, and seeing if he was there was worth getting to the finish line Mai decided, pace and mood improving.
Miles 21 through 22.
Pace be damned. She felt like her legs were made of lead. She couldn't remember if any of the training material she'd poured over had mentioned that it feels like you gain weight during the marathon. If Joey had been waiting this long, he'd wait longer Mai reasoned.
If he was there.
Her mind had a hard time with the concept of him not showing up. He'd always showed up for her whether she'd asked or not, but this time was different. She couldn't blame him if he didn't show. And before she knew it, hot tears were streaming down her face. A course medic stopped her to ask if she was in pain and her snappy "who isn't at this point in the race?" almost got her committed to the medical tent, but she pulled it together and continued on her way. She didn't make it this far for a DNF.
Quiet tears continued to roll down her cheeks as she made a point to not make eye contact with any of the surrounding runners. Mai Valentine didn't cry, but apparently mile 22 Mai did...who knew running could be so goddamn emotional? Her feet slogged along through the paved streets, each heavy step made her heart simultaneously more hopeful and anxious.
Mile 23.
She had to be hearing things. Her exhausted mind was playing cruel tricks on her to keep her body going despite the pain.
But then she saw him, arms waving frantically, calling her name, cheering her on as he always did despite how much she'd hurt him. He pushed to the front of the throng of bystanders and she felt herself drawn to where he was, magnetism or unnamed force, she ran into his arms not caring that she was sweaty, salty, and still not done with the race.
He hugged her for a moment before placing a small packet into her hand.
"What's this?" she asked curiously.
"Pickle juice." Joey responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Just take it, it'll revive you a bit, and I'll be waiting at the finish line." He grinned giving her back a small push sending her off running once more.
She had no mental capacity to fight him at the moment; he'd be at the finish line and that would be motivation enough to continue the race. A little over 5k left and her mind warned 'nothing new on race day,' but she'd come to realize Joey was often right so she threw back the vinegary substance and picked up her pace once more.
Miles 24 through 26.
Mai smiled to herself as she shook her head. He had been right. The cramping in her legs seemed to subtly alleviate once the pickle juice digested. It improved her mood and kept her going despite not solving the problem entirely. Newfound resolve paired with the fact that their first real interaction post soul-stealing incident was not the disaster she'd been imagining and she felt the worry leave her heart. He'd be waiting at the finish line because he was always there for her, it just took her long enough to find the start.
Mile 26.2.
The feeling of crossing the finish line was one Mai would call upon any time she felt less than in the future. The pure power and pride after months of hard work paired with the fact that you're once again hopped up on all the fuzzy feeling neurotransmitters is a cocktail of insane confidence.
She was subtly aware of the race volunteers that wrapped a foil blanket around her shoulders and another that draped a finishers medal around her neck. For once the feeling of competing just to see how far one could go instead of focusing on a win was enough. Instead of being upset at her time or placement, she focused on what she had accomplished. And then her mind darted back to him.
She felt the urge in her mind to keep running to find Joey faster, collapse into his arms in this loopy, joyful state, but her legs protested. So slowly she made her way the friends and family meetup area passing runners who's legs had decided this extra mile walk was just too much.
All the pain she could feel in her legs was fought down by the desire to find Joey. After all she'd done it: run a marathon and found her way back into Joey's life. What pain she'd have today would heal over the next several days and her heart was already on the mend from their simple interaction earlier.
The "Unofficial" 27th Mile:
Post finish line, the extra mile, things Mai had never before done for another person, but for him she would from this day forward she decided. And then she thought perhaps she'd actually died at mile 20 and this was some sort of limbo world where she was in pain like hell, but getting what she wanted. Her exhausted mind snapped out of it when she spotted Joey, standing under the banner for the letter W (though she'd distinctly told him to meet her under the banner for her own last name's first letter 'V,' typical), but her eye roll only lasted so long as her eyes fell upon the small bouquet of daisies in his hands.
She did not deserve this man's kindness, and if she hadn't just finished a race, Mai was sure her mind would send her into flight mode to keep her from putting her heart on the line. When he spotted her he bounded up and pulled her into a bear hug.
"You did it!" He exclaimed.
"I had my doubts. That pickle juice really helped though...I don't know how I'm supposed to every repay you if you keep coming in to save my ass" Mai snorted.
"It's never been about keeping score. I'm there for you because I want to be." Joey shrugged.
"Why?"
Her voice sounded small even to herself and it was a question she always wanted to ask but never found the courage to.
"Because you're my friend," He sheepishly spoke scratching the back of his neck.
"Some friend I am. I'm sorry...for everything…"
Two surprisingly gentle hands cupped her chin and tilted her face so she locked eyes with him.
"I know. I'm here because I choose to be. Because despite everything that's happened I still care about you."
The intensity of his brown eyed gaze was a bit like staring into the sun. Mai felt a bit dizzy at the conviction in his tone. Or maybe that was just her legs finally giving up on her. She reached a hand out to steady herself on his shoulder.
"Whoah!" Joey exclaimed suddenly moving to grab her hand. "When did this happen?"
Noticing his attention had shifted to the silicon ring on her finger she shrugged at him willing to play out the bit. 'Typical Jou,' she thought with a small smile, he could go from extreme intensity to entirely distracted in a matter of seconds.
"So you're married now? Anyone I know?" Joey frantically asked.
"Oh, you know him. He's got quite the ego, so I can never tell him that I find him attractive, though he admittedly is good looking. He can be a bit rough around the edges, and he is definitely pretty dense at times, but he always manages to show up when I need him." Mai teased with a twinkle in her eye.
"Why wasn't I invited to the wedding? Also please tell me it's not Kaiba or that loser Valon dude."
Joey seemed a bit disheartened as he looked around expecting to see some other man waiting for Mai. Surely whoever she wound up with would show up her her today, Joey reasoned.
"I'm not really married, you dolt." Mai laughed with a wink, "it shouldn't have to be this way, but it's a lot easier to ward off unwanted attention if I have this on. And if you'll recall, this was your idea."
"So you find me attractive, huh?" Joey teased.
"Who said I was describing you." Mai retorted.
"You...a long time ago, and, I mean, if the shoe fits…" Joey shrugged with a mischievous grin.
"Well this can't be good for your ego." Mai rolled her violet eyes at him. "Keep in mind most of that wasn't super positive."
"You think I'm good-looking." Joey pestered.
Two steps. Two steps was all it took to close the distance between them and despite the protests from her legs, Mai took those steps and kissed him. Joey's initial surprise at her actions turned quickly into a returned kiss.
She felt a blush creep up on her face as they broke apart.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." Mai admitted sheepishly.
"I had no idea…" A still stunned Joey replied. "I thought I was the only one."
"I mean...I did also describe you as dense." Mai laughed for once feeling free. She had time to own up to feelings, and figure out what this meant for them. For right now she could just enjoy the moment and steal another kiss. Of all the miles she'd traveled today those last two steps proved to be the most important.
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Wanted to write a story involving the marathon distance and I'm actually super happy with how this came out. Also sorry to my outside of the US readers. The USA is still in miles for our distance unit of measure – though I'm personally pro-metric system – and running was what taught me the miles to km conversion. Admittedly I do still think of my own runs in miles so that's why this is mostly in miles for the story.
Review if you'd like.
-FWFT