I know I said I'd update once every week or two weeks but with the quarantine being extended here, I want to believe I'll be able to work faster on my chapters. Also, some friends seemed to enjoy the first chapter so I decided to give them a second taste of this story.
Once again, I want to thank my Bakura, Demon-Lionka, for reading every chapter I complete and writing down all these wonderful little comments that help me improve or make me laugh. Every time I get a chapter back, I am giddy with enthusiasm xD Also, I want to thank Kathy and Julia for reading the first chapter and giving me feedback and on Kathy's case, a drawing of Yuugi!
As always, message me or leave a review about anything you want to discuss concerning this chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 2:
Joey was definitely caught by surprise seeing his best friend and adopted brother in the company of Atem. Yuugi was an outgoing person who loved to make new friends but he had a soft disposition. He wasn't exactly shy, but he didn't enjoy being the center of people's attention either. Therefore, Joey was really curious about how or why he had approached Atem. Of course, Yuugi had his moments. Lately, he had been taking risks that maybe some months ago he wouldn't, but still, Joey knew that the last months had been pretty hard and Yuugi was more self-conscious than he let show. Atem, on the other hand, seemed to be withdrawn, not talking much, but Joey could see he was pretty attentive to what was said. One could mistake the tricolor haired boy for a timid person but the blonde could clearly feel this young man was a force you didn't want to challenge.
This made the blonde cautious enough to offer Atem a ride. He could see the way Yuugi took in his interaction with the other boy, clearly wanting to spend more time with Atem, and if there was a chance those two would meet again, seeing how they were in the same university, Joey wanted to find out more about Atem. His last name sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember when or where he had heard it.
Joey considered Yuugi his brother, his real brother. Joey was only five when his mother gathered some things, picked his sister, Serenity, and left him and his father behind. Alison Anderson, former Alison Wheeler, was the only daughter of an American businessman and used to live in Brooklyn. During her rebellious teenage years, she had met Jason Wheeler, half American half Japanese, who was training to be a policeman. Alison had fallen head over heels in love with Jason and, against her father's wish, had not only married him but also followed him to Japan when his maternal grandfather secured him a good position in one of Kyoto's best police departments. He wouldn't be just a rookie policeman but one of the detectives there.
For the first year, his status, income, and attention were all Alison has ever wanted. When Joey came soon after they arrived in Japan, she was happy, seeing how much he looked like her beloved Jason. But soon, the first clouds appeared. Jason's job was one of long hours, often overtime, and danger. Jason tried hard not to allow his job to become a problem, he even wanted to give up his position and move to a smaller city, but he knew his income and status kept his wife happy. When Serenity was born two years later, Alison had her beloved daughter to play with. Joey was not forgotten, but he was often ignored in favor of his cute sister. However, even with Serenity, Alison wasn't happy. Her paranoia was growing. In her mind, she believed that her husband's job would get her and her daughter killed, but still she couldn't accept moving to a small town. So, she did what was logical to her. She took her daughter and, in the middle of the night, left to America. When Jason came back after a long night of overtime, he found five-year old Joey alone at home, quietly sitting on his bed holding a letter.
Jason, who had spent the last years dealing with difficult situations, seeing death and misery, knew his wife was miserable in their marriage. He knew her mind wasn't quite there, but it didn't stop him from loving her. His first course of action was to console Joey and reassure him of his love. Then he tried to reach Alison. He tried to persuade her to return and bring his daughter back, too. Alison had hid behind her father's power, threatening to get Joey from him, too. Jason knew that going against her would only bring endless fights at different courts in the two continents. So, he cut his losses. He granted Alison the divorce she wanted, got full custody of Joey, made sure they could see Serenity at least twice a year, and tried to rebuild his life making sure his boy was happy and loved. The first thing he did was to move to Domino City, the city his grandparents had lived in. Accepting a position in the police department was perfect for him. He worked less hours and still had a good income.
Still, Joey was really insecure and untrusting for a five years old. He wouldn't let people come close, not trusting anyone but his father closer than he could throw. So, when one day Jason was called to the kindergarten by a concerned headmaster because Joey had pushed one of his classmates down the stairs, he had never imagined his life would change forever. When Jason walked in the nurse's office, he was surprised to find his son hidden in the lap of a beautiful young woman with blond hair. Joey was sobbing his little heart asking for forgiveness while the woman was softly rubbing his back. A small boy with strange tricolored hair quietly laid in one of the beds, holding his injured arm; his eyes full of wonderment and compassion.
That day, Jason Wheeler met the Mutou family. His son had noticed Yuugi Mutou, the only child of the family, on his first day in the kindergarten. Initially, he had been curious about the boy. He had never seen another boy having such a delicate built, such a melodious laughter, or such a bright smile. Yuugi had approached him with curiosity, intrigued by Joey's defensive mechanism of using a mixture of English and Japanese when speaking to himself. The two kids had spent some time playing together. All was well until Yuugi's mother came to pick him up. It was so clear that Yuugi was Chiru Mutou's whole world that Joey wasn't surprised when he felt the ugly head of jealously popping out. In the following days, Yuugi would often talk about his mother, his wonderful mother who was a painter and spent hours upon hours showing Yuugi how to use the watercolors and colored pencils to make beautiful images. Joey soon came to a decision. He hated Yuugi.
Yuugi, who was always so polite and shared his toys with him, was his enemy. Yuugi, who had a loving mother and father, wasn't good enough to be his friend. Yuugi, whose mother hadn't abandoned him, had to stay away from him. Yuugi, who was small and delicate and not as strong and healthy as Joey, had a mother and Joey hated him. So, when one day Yuugi came running down the stairs after lessons were over because his mother would take him to the amusement park, Joey had enough. It wasn't really a decision he made. It was instinct. As Yuugi passed by him, Joey pushed his hands forward and pushed little Yuugi down the stairs. For a moment, he felt victorious. Then, Yuugi started crying.
His big amethyst eyes, full of tears, were so full of confusion and pain, and his cheeks were so pale that Joey instantly felt guilty. He wasn't a bad boy, yet he had hurt little Yuugi. He considered running, claiming he wasn't there when Yuugi fell, but his feet were glued to the ground. He stayed there looking at Yuugi crying for what felt like hours until steps were heard. Yuugi's mother rushed to her son, kneeling down on the floor with not a care for her white dress. That triggered a memory in Joey's mind of his own mother, always dressed in beautiful clothes, always careful not to get them dirty or creased. His hate for Yuugi and his perfect family was rekindled.
"What happened here?" their teacher had asked, concerned. She had come running hearing Yuugi's crying. "Joey?" Her eyes had fallen on him, accusing him.
"I..I fell." Yuugi had sobbed before Joey could say a word. "I'm sorry, ma." His beautiful amethyst eyes were clouded by pain. He kept using his left arm to wipe his tears; his right one hurting too much to use. "It wasn't Joey. He…he found me."
Yuugi had lied for him. Joey had pushed him down the stairs and still Yuugi had covered for him. As they moved to the nurse's office with Joey trailing behind them, the blond boy felt too guilty for words. How could he continue hating Yuugi after that? After all, it wasn't Yuugi's fault he had a loving mother who hadn't abandoned him. Yuugi had been nothing but nice to him for the whole month Joey was in Domino.
"I'm sorry." He whispered to no one in particular. He hadn't dared enter the nurse's office at first but when he heard Yuugi's muffled sobs, he inched closer to the open door.
"It's okay. You can come in. Your friend will be fine soon." The kind nurse had said, seeing the blond child. "He was lucky. His arm isn't broken and his knees are barely scratched."
Joey inched even closer to Yuugi, avoiding looking at his mother. "I'm sorry." He repeated, louder this time.
"I fell." Yuugi said, his voice soft, his eyes full of stubbornness and trust.
"I did it." Joey confessed. He saw Yuugi shaking his head, stubbornly covering for him, but he wanted to come clean even if it meant he would be punished and probably Yuugi's family wouldn't let Yuugi close to him again. Joey thought how ironic that was. He had spent a whole month hating the other boy, and at that moment he realized how much he wanted him as his friend. "I pushed him. I thought I hated Yuugi because…because he has a mom who loves him and will never leave him!" Joey started crying, hard.
Then, the most amazing thing had happened. Chiru Mutou pulled the crying child into her arms and let him spoil her dress with tears as it sobbed his heart out telling her and her son about his mom and how he had felt being left behind. That was the scene Jason Wheeler had walked into.
Chiru Mutou not only hadn't kept Yuugi away from Joey, but she had actually encouraged her son to spend more time with him. Since Yuugi spent the next two days at home, resting, Chiru had invited Joey over to play with him. Soon, Joey became a regular at the Mutou's residence. After a while, Chiru, who mostly worked at home, arranged with Jason for her to pick up Joey from school and have him stay over with them until Jason was out of work. Plenty of nights, the Wheelers would join the Mutous for dinner. Yuugi's father, Haru, worked in the military and would often be away for days, but when he was home, he was always glad for company. He had hit it off with Jason and people often had a hard time believing those two weren't childhood friends.
They were like a family, the Mutous and the Wheelers. Joey couldn't have been happier. That was the happiest year of his life, full of picnics and games. He had his father, his best friend, and Yuugi's parents. Occasionally, Yuugi's paternal grandfather, Solomon Mutou, would visit, too. He was an archaeologist so he was often travelling to Egypt for excavations or around Japan to give lectures. Joey quite liked the old man. He told the best stories and always brought the strangest and most interesting games to both boys which made Joey feel even more included in the Mutou family.
It was great until it wasn't. The Wheelers had been in Domino for fourteen months when Jason found out he had cancer. He fought hard, he even managed to beat it the first time. He had a great support system and he knew Joey was in good hands so he went through the treatments and did everything the doctors told him. Joey knew his father was a fighter, he knew he fought an invisible enemy, but when he beat it the first time, Joey was sure his dad would stay with him forever. Unfortunately, the cancer came back with a vengeance two years later. Joey was nine by then.
Jason Wheeler knew he couldn't cheat death a second time. So he tried to prepare his son for what would come and do what was best for the nine years old boy, who was his whole life. He discussed things with his lawyer and the Mutou family and made his will. Jason was indeed a fighter but cancer eventually won. Three months after Joey's tenth birthday, his father passed away in his sleep. It was a small comfort for Joey that his father didn't suffer any longer.
The following months had been a blur for Joey. He knew he wouldn't have survived them without his new family, but still he couldn't remember much about that time. All he could remember was Yuugi being by his side, day and night. Jason's last wish was for the Mutou's to adopt his son. The young boy was left in their care and just like that Joey was officially Yuugi's brother. Chiru and Haru treated him exactly like their own son and even though Joey would never forget his father, he grew up feeling loved and wanted.
So when death hit again, it was even harder for Joey to deal with it and the fact he shared the burden with Yuugi was no consolation at all. He actually felt even worse thinking it was his fault. When, three years after Jason's death, Yuugi's cousin Mai, only three years older than the boys, got the call that Chiru and Haru passed away in a car accident, Joey freaked out. Yuugi had sat on the stairs, just outside their room, as if to wait for his parents to come back. Mai, who had stayed the night with them while the parents were at a work related party, was talking to their grandpa through the phone. Her expression while talking to him had made it clear that their parents wouldn't come back. Yuugi was paler than the moonlight, sitting there quiet as a ghost while Joey was pacing up and down the corridor frantically pulling his hair and muttering it was his fault.
"Brother," Yuugi had whispered, standing up all of the sudden, "I'm here." He had walked to Joey and had placed his arms around the other boy, who was already so much taller than him. "I'm here."
Yuugi had never called Joey his brother before because there was no reason to use the word. Joey was his brother, not because of a legal document, but because his family and him had chosen him as one of their own. The young boy was heartbroken. In mere seconds his whole world had crumbled. His parents were gone. He would never see them again. Still, he couldn't shut down and hide in himself. He had to take care of his brother.
"They died because of me, Yuugi. Your parents died because of me." Joey had sobbed, desperately holding on the younger boy.
"Our parents." Yuugi had corrected him, his voice breaking. He tried to calm down his nerves and stop shaking. "It's not your fault, Joey. It's not."
Joey couldn't believe it. All his life, people left him behind. His mother and sister had walked out on him. His father had died. His adopted parents had died. He was the one at fault. There was something wrong with him. He tried to escape Yuugi's arms, suddenly wondering if his proximity to the boy would cause his death too, but Yuugi held him even tighter.
"I'll never leave you. You're my family. We're together." Yuugi had sobbed, each word being delivered by tightening his hold on the other boy.
The two boys had cried and cried and cried until they were spent. They had slept, curled together on the floor, with Mai sitting by their side waiting for their grandfather to come home from Tokyo. Solomon Mutou arranged everything about the funeral and worked on the legal documents that would give him custody of both Yuugi and Joey. The following weeks were extremely hard for the whole family, but Solomon raised to the occasion. The Mutou household was above a small shop that have been dedicated to Chiru's paintings. Solomon turned it into a game shop full of games from all over the world. He had Joey and Yuugi help him with the shop when they weren't at school or had too much homework. That way not only he spent time with his grandchildren and taught them the job, but he also made them feel included and kept their mind busy. They were a family and they had to stick together in order to survive the blows life had delivered.
Coming back to the present, Joey turned his eyes towards the interior rearview mirror and, through it, Atem.
"So, how did you two meet?" he asked. He needed more information on Atem and getting to know how he came close to Yuugi was a good start. "I don't believe Yuugi has mentioned you before. No offense."
"None taken." Atem answered. "He couldn't have. We met only a couple of hours ago."
The car behind them almost bumped on them as Joey hit the break all of the sudden. Atem held on the door of the car, suddenly afraid of his life. The blonde's driving had definitely been hazardous to one's health up until that moment but nothing too dangerous to get them killed. The taller boy seemed content enough behind the wheel even though Atem had a feeling his mind wasn't really focused on driving. He wouldn't say Joey wanted to kill him, especially with Yuugi on the back seat, but his mind was definitely elsewhere.
"I'm sorry. There was something on the road. Probably a cat." Joey said too quickly, and Atem wondered if it was true. The timing was too coincidental but he let it slide. "I promise I'll be more careful from now on." Joey added, seeing both Atem and Yuugi's alarmed faces, and indeed he was planning to be more careful from that moment on. His eyes would be both on the road and the crimson eyed boy that his brother had suddenly befriended.
So, this is it. You got how Yuugi and Joey met and their tragic past. Quite honestly, writing this chapter broke my heart. What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts with me.