Chapter 4: The Terribly Twisted Tale
"Where do I start?" whispered Yugi, his magenta eyes gazing mournfully at Joey.
"Anywhere ya want." said Jounouchi, offering his friend a small smile. "We'll take it nice and slow for ya."
Those words, even though they were stated to put the petite adolescent's fears at ease, caused him to blanch. Shuddering involuntarily, the shorter teen closed his eyes as a horrific memory flashed in his mind.
/Me being shoved face-down on the ground, cold pavement irritating me skin. Someone above me sneering in arrogance, "We'll take it nice and slow for you, child," before they viciously tore my clothes off. Tender flesh tormented by unkind fingertips, nails cutting into my once flawless complexion. My tongue, disgusted by bitter blood and tears entering my mouth , was unable to avoid the nasty taste of my own fluids. Then the unwanted touching, an assault waged on my body that crushed my heart. Ruthless laughter entered my ears as I fought to free myself from my attacker, but to no avail. All efforts of mine were in vain, for I ended up lying helplessly on my back, awaiting my final breaking point. Ultimately, he--he--/
"H-He got what h-he wanted." the devastated youth said, his breathing becoming shallow.
"Wha? Who did?"
Re-opening his eyes, the magenta-eyed teen felt a fresh batch of tears forming underneath his lids.
"H-He took m-me and made m-me his. Placed me in b-bondage, cut me up-"
"You mean you've got an array of gashes underneath your shirt?" interrupted Joey, eyeing the sporadic pattern of white and crimson on his ally's top.
Instead of confirming the taller teenager's suspicions, Yugi grew silent and turned his face towards the shadows.
Cupping the formerly innocent duelist's visage, the blond asked, "May I?"
"You don't want to see what's there." said the boy, ashamed at what he had hidden.
"Can't be worse than the scrapes and bruises ya got from that bully that one time."
"I guess you're right about that." agreed Yugi, glancing down at his previously clean school uniform.
"See?" smiled Joey, patting the smaller adolescent's cheek. "All's you need is a little peroxide, some bandages, maybe a little rest and you'll be-"
Halting in mid-sentence, the taller teen gaped at the brutal wounds his comrade showed him. Raising the youth's shirt for a better look, the blond felt a sickening knot gather in the base of his stomach. Yugi's chest, once soft and curvy, had been turned into a haphazard road map of maniacal slashes. One particularly nasty gash began a couple of inches underneath his collar bone and veered off to the top part of his waist. Another cut ran deeply down his side, an injury that would follow him into his adult years. Only a thin layer of discolored flesh covered the soon-to-be scar, the skin appearing to be so fragile that a brush of one's fingertips would probably tear it. Bruises were few and far between, most of them gathering around the various cuts. Joey, as appalled as he was by the level of rough treatment on the duelist's exterior, understood the meaning behind the lengthy gashes. He knew the sick rationale for the lacerations, for he had witnessed similar actions exercised by street thugs in New York City.
"Worse than you expected." finished the magenta-eyed boy, pulling his attire over his sliced up frame.
"It's not your fault, don't you think for a second that any of this is." soothed Jounouchi, removing a tear from Yugi's features with great care.
"But I let it happen." objected the shiny-eyed adolescent, hating to admit the awful truth to the blond. "I watched as everything took place-"
"Could you stop him if you wanted to?" questioned the taller teen, cutting his ally's words short. "Was it within your power to get whoever it was off of you?"
"No, I couldn't-"
"Then why are you blaming yourself?"
"Because I'm so…weak." confessed Yugi, picking at a piece of torn flesh. "I can barely sit in class without some over-sized guy threatening to make my life miserable after school. Gods, they even taunt me as I walk down the halls, saying that I like to have intercourse doggie-style."
"That's not so bad, Yug." comforted Joey, draping his arm around his friend's shoulders. "Things could always be worse."
"For instance?" questioned the petite adolescent, pondering what Jounouchi would come up with.
"Well, um, they could, uh…" stuttered the blond, searching for just the right terminology to verbalize. Suddenly, his dark umber eyes glittered with an idea. "They could be sayin' that you like doin' that kinda stuff with guys."
Heaving a sad sigh, the duelist replied, "They already do."
Joey's eyebrows rose. "Oh. I see."
"Matter of fact, everyone's pretty much convinced that I only like guys."
Swallowing hard, the taller teenager asked, "Is it true?"
One of the youth's slender shoulders rose then fell in an indefinite response. That vague answer by itself made the blonde's heart freeze in mid pace.
/Oh, man! I can hardly believe it! / thought Jounouchi in amazement, his brain giddy with delight. /Yug could be like me! If he turns out to be that way, then maybe…no. I'm just dreamin' here, cuz' he'll never be with me. Never in a million years will such a smart guy ever want to be seen with a barkin' pup who doesn't know how to shut up. Besides, I shouldn't be hittin' on him right now! He needs a friend, not some sorta perv who's tryin' to hustle him! From the looks of things, he may never want a relationship with anyone anymore…and that's assuming that he's actually ever given thought to the matter. I gotta postpone asking him out until I know for sure that he's into that. I can start makin' a good impression by resolving the present problem. If all goes well, then maybe--just maybe--I'll have some sort of shot at him./
Putting his plan to work, the dark-eyed teen switched to their former topic of conversation.
"Yug, it doesn't matter to me who says what about you at school, or anywhere else, for that matter. You're naturally a good person with a strong will capable of doing anything. You even taught me the value of putting my own heart into anything that I do, and that means far more than just placing my faith in a dueling deck. Am I getting' through to ya yet?" Watching the master duelist's head bob up and down gave Joey enough incentive to go on. "Anyhoo, I don't think you realize just how much you mean to everyone here. Boy, if it wouldn't have been for you, I don't think any of us would be together to this day."
Gazing at the taller teen with a spark of hope in his eyes, Yugi asked, "Am I really that important?"
"Of course you are! Y'know everyone adores ya!" chuckled the blond, vanquishing all of the petite adolescent's fears about being useless. "Why would you think any less-"
"I meant to you." said Yugi, emphasizing the word "you" by gazing intensely into Jounouchi's murky orbs.
Tipping the youth's small face up to be at the same level as his, the blonde's features softened. "You'll always be my number one priority, Yug. I want ya to realize how much you've changed my life since the day I've met you. Man, I'd still be terrorizing people on the street corner if it weren't for you showing me a better way to be." Sighing noiselessly, Joey added, "I just wish everyone would see there's more to me than the image of bein' a city tough kid."
"What part of you do you want to display?" asked the young duelist, his attention fixed on his comrade.
Glancing at the petite youth, the taller teen let loose his innermost desire. "To be seen as more than friends, Yug. I wanna have an identity that intertwines with your thoughts and feelings, your soul and spirit. I guess I just wanna break outta my stereotyped image of bein' thought of as your big brother and be…" waving his statement off with a flick of his hand, the dark-eyed male said, "Never mind. It's stupid to be thinking of stuff like that, wanting something that just won't happen. I don't know why I even brought it up, at a bad time like this--"
Setting an index finger over Joey's lips, the small adolescent murmured, "Don't be so hard on yourself, Jou-chan. The timing for such a powerful statement couldn't have been more perfect." Enjoying the rosy color spreading over the dark-eyed teen's cheeks, Yugi felt a little smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
/Dear spirits, he has to have the sweetest combination of features I have ever laid eyes upon! The way he expresses himself with such innocent emotion, blushing at my list of praises…I can't bring myself to believe that such a person was responsible for taking a piece of my millennium puzzle and throwing it out of a window. He really has come a long way…from someone who lived life so recklessly, evolving into a guy with incredible courage and strength. After listening to him admit that he has more feelings for me than I ever expected him to develop, I have to make sure that I nurture such a response with enormous caution. I can't risk this moment being for nothing, so I've got to take this chance and run with it…/
Clearing his throat, the blond inquired, "What do ya mean by that?"
"What I mean," confessed the small adolescent, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper, "is that I'd like nothing more than to demonstrate how much I care about you."
After the sentence registered in the dark-eyed male's mind, he felt a burning sensation in his chest. He never would have dared to dream that such an arduous sentence would come from the mouth of his best friend. Apparently Yugi didn't know he had such passion residing in himself either, but the look of surprise lasted only a few fleeting moments on his face. Before Jounouchi could even draw his next breath, the petite adolescent's body language began to accentuate his hidden needs. The child-like duelist stared up at Joey with passion heavy lids, his eyes reflecting a type of longing that he had never shown anyone before. His little cherry colored lips brought themselves together then parted again, hinting at the act he wished to engage in. Joey, weak with his own severe feelings of desire, felt the temperature within his body rise to an abominable amount. Everything he had ever dreamed and fantasized about was being exhibited right in front of him. He mimicked Yugi's mouth motions, not conscious of the powerful message he was conveying. Tapered fingers stroked the fine tri-colored tresses, relishing the silky texture.
"So wonderfully soft." observed the taller teen, toying with some stray red strands.
"I always thought you might be." complimented the young duelist, a smirk playing with the sides of his mouth.
Grinning widely, Joey asked, "Would you like to find out first-hand how smooth I am?"
Instead of vocalizing his tantalizing requests, Yugi let his eyes fall shut. He allowed his ally a full-length view of his long lashes twirling out onto his skin, his tiny lips puckered, and his back slightly arched, a famous position that all lovers had assumed during their romantic rendezvous. Seeking to quench his fervent need for the boy he held, Jounouchi felt himself fall into a pose similar to that of the waiting adolescent's. The gap between their mouths was only inches apart, but the two teenagers felt as if the space was miles in distance. They could feel the tension around themselves growing, their steamy breath caressing each other's visages.
Just as the blond was about to fill in the empty space with his lips, Yugi whispered, "Jou-chan, I--I love--"
Prior to finishing his ultimate vow of adoration, the petite adolescent fell slack in his friend's arms. He had used up so much energy trying to utter his last phrase that his tiny structure just gave out. As his eyes snapped open, the taller teen was presented with the sight of his beloved one lying across his lap. Yugi's magenta orbs stared emptily up at the ceiling, his slender hands gripping the open wounds over his flesh. He tried moving his lips, but hardly any word he spoke was above a whisper. Seeing the scared expression on his comrade's face, the shorter adolescent made a feeble attempt at making Joey calm down by holding his hand. In the process of raising the available limb, a searing pain shot up the boy's body, causing him to grimace. Feeling totally helpless and afraid, the young child disappeared into his own thoughts.
/I almost did it…I was almost able to tell him how I felt about him. I was only seconds away from getting my first meaningful and untainted kiss, when my body decided to give out. Why does this always happen to me? Every time I try to tell him how I feel about him, something bad happens! Maybe I'm just not meant for redemption…maybe I really am too weak. I mean, if I can't take care of myself, why should I be given the privilege of doing that for someone else?/
Using the last of his strength, Yugi mouthed the words he wished he could have told Joey. With a last twitch of mesmerizing pain, the shorter duelist watched weakly as a wave of darkness washed over his line of sight.