Disclaimer: Not likely.
Fairydust
PM: Yeah, I know I've really set them up for a sweet relationship with the last couple chapters… but as I told Ruri-chan, haven't you guys heard of the 'calm before the storm'? Well, that's kinda what that stuff was… in this chapter, it starts to pick up a bit more. ^_~ (Course, it's nowhere as near as evil as chapter 15 is!) Anywho, this chap takes place on Thursday… specifically the morning and afternoon. I'm afraid this chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but there's a lot of things going on and there's a reason why I cut it off where I did… Hopefully, the next couple parts will make up for my shortness, although I'm kinda suffering from a bit of writer's block… and I might be slowing down now that SATs and midterms are fast approaching (yes, I do go to school… -_-;;; Unfortunately).
Ryou: You better be nice to us SOMETIME in the story too. *insert cute pout*
PM *crosses finger behind back*: Oh, I will… *cuts off Ryou's protests by shoving him into a closet with Seto* (that's nice, isn't it?) So let's just get things rolling. :P Enjoy!
^_^ Thanks to my wonderful past reviewers: Wildwolf (still in awe of concept of having non-Internet capable fans… please give them my utmost thanks… and the thought of being enlightened by Jyounouchi-kun is quite disturbing), Nalan Li (Thanks for the great big jackhammer… now I can use one for writing position papers for English class! *sheepish grin*), juvi (not as much writer's block now as too much homework and stress… ick), Mayhem's BrainChylde (Don't die on me! I'll feel very guilty ;_;), Angel-Belle (*giggles* Try out Terry Brooks or Terry Goodkind if you're ever in the hankering for a good fantasy book. They're fabulous writers. I personally love reading, which is why fanfiction is so wonderful especially with the utmost state of crappiness our library seems to exhibit), Mejika (sleep is good. Now if only my friends can get that information into their thick skulls), Shan (Originally, I had Jyounouchi being so protective because first of all, I'm a fan of Jyounouchi*Ryou and see evidence of a protectiveness in the manga, and secondly, because Jyounouchi simply seems to be that type of person. Now I realize the most likely reason is probably because he doesn't trust Seto), dilanda (will they get to level 3? That seems to be the question of the update… but I'm not going to answer it!), rayemars (^_~ Wah, this story has got some of the best compliments that I have ever received in the past two years! I'm glad this coupling is actually working… I had my doubts at the beginning, to be truthful… *ducks mallet from Wildwolf* j/k!), *i n c o h e r e n t* (Heehee… Ryou's going to get a lot of his first whatever's in this fic…), Vampire Huntress D (My English teacher loves freaky stories… she more or less started cackling when we all started to freak out about the story. And she wonders why we're so morbid when we're reading stories?), Crystalline Maxwell (If you do draw that scene, let me see! Please let me see! Onegai? *insert a very pathetic bout of begging*), Katu (Heehee… I finally get over writer's block only to get bombarded by homework! Somebody's got it in for me), tuulikki (^_^ I'm just glad this story has survived my evil tendencies of dropping off), Shamanic Guardian Lena (your lazy streak is nothing compared to mine… Just ask Kei-kun!), and Yuki-chan (I never thought I would be able to write a successful fic without any blood or angst! But I'm proven wrong over and over again… something that drives me insane. BTW, my adorable little Yuki says hi too! *stuffed seal waves hi*). ^_^ Thanks all (I hope this long paragraph thing isn't too bad… I just don't want to take up a lot of room by doing this in individual paragraphs, so I hope you don't mind).
And of course, many thanks to Mariel, my wonderful beta-reader.
Also, for those of you interested in the DVDs, here is the link:
http://www.animeniacs.org/anime.html
This is, at least, where I got my DVDs. It's $7 shipping and handling (I think $14 if you go higher than 100?), and it took about a week and a half to arrive. And now I watch my DVDs almost every day… when I can, at least? *falls into squealing stage and hugs Ryuuji*
~ An Unexpected Twist ~
"Seto, I can't. I already told you I can't make it. I have class. You know that." My voice has a stubborn edge that I've never heard before, but Kaiba-kun refuses to give in. I'm at the point where I want to bash his head in and single-handedly extract the part of his brain that is being so pig-headed.
"Yes, I realize that. But this is really important, Ryou."
I sigh and shake my head. In my mind, none of this has been important. I still don't understand why he didn't just tell Emi-san that he was gay. Why this big ploy? It's a question that's driving me insane, and I'm in no mood to get philosophical and say that he must have some type of reason.
And now asking me to miss class? I'm already behind in my studies, I don't need to fall back anymore. Even if this is more important than all the other events combined, I can't just skip class for that.
Perhaps in a way, it goes a bit deeper than that. I've spent the last couple days being harried by reporters, chaperoned by a hysterical Jyounouchi-kun, eyed by a vast female population (whether for better or for worst), and the subject of enough gossip to fill a convoy of garbage trucks stretching to the moon. And I don't want any of it. I think the real issue in this mess is the simple question of when does it end? When do I need to draw the line?
I think that now is that point. I'm drawing the line. I can't give up everything I've done and go tag along him to a place where the patrons think I'm badly dressed and illiterate just because I'm not making a million dollars for writing something down on a piece of paper.
I don't know how Kaiba-kun deals with his life being brought into the open whenever he does something. But I've already devoted enough of my life to helping his. Maybe it sounds selfish and egotistical, but I have had quite enough of all this, and I would just like to go to class and pretend to be the person I was before.
"I can't go, Seto."
"What about our deal?"
My temper flares at that.
"It wasn't a deal," I reply flatly, resisting the urge to stab him with my fork (stupid café only has American silverware… couldn't afford a pair of chopsticks apparently…), "It was a favor. I was trying to do you a favor, not get anything. You can't expect me to be at your beck and call every second of this week!"
"You agreed…"
"I agreed to help you, Seto," I cut him off, "I did not agree to be your mindless lapdog intent on following you around wherever you go. You have to understand that there are limitations! I am not going to be some robot who jumps when he's told to jump and does what he's told to do! I have my own life too, and it's about time you realize that!"
Every single person in the small café is openly staring at us… I might care if I wasn't so angry. And Kaiba-kun isn't exactly helping things.
"It's only once," Kaiba-kun snaps, "You won't die if you miss class once. And it's not like Otogi isn't still going. You can get notes from him."
Does he hear what he's saying?! Tell me that he's joking… sometimes, I think that Kaiba-kun and I live on two totally separate planets whose paths will never intersect.
"So if I have a test, should I just ask him to take that for me too?!"
"You don't have a test," he replies, completely missing the point. And yes, there was one.
"What if I did? Would you go and bribe the professor and ask her if I can just take it later?" I shoot back, "I'm going to class, Seto. I'm not giving up my life because you're asking me to! Why don't you listen?! The words are coming out of my mouth but you don't seem to be hearing any of them! It's like they're going through one ear and out the other! I already told you, this is more than just class. Are you just going to pull me away from all the things I need to do just because you need a little wallflower to stand there and look pretty?! I was not needed all those last times, I don't know why it's suddenly changed! I can't spend the rest of my life following you around and hope for the best. Do you understand that? Do you understand the words that are coming from my mouth?!"
"It's only class, Ryou! Why do you have to be so selfish?"
He doesn't understand. He hears the words but doesn't respond. I feel my face flush at his accusation, and I'm starting to get a splitting headache that has been threatening to strike for the past couple days. I can't think of any other way to get him to understand… god, why doesn't he hear me?! Could it be that I am really so pathetic that he doesn't even want to listen to me? I had been hoping that he would be more open-minded, but he's still a stubborn prick that refuses to comprehend the words I am fair close to screaming at him.
Such knowledge does it for my already very strained patience, and I end up doing something that I have never done before… never even considered doing.
I slap him.
The contact of my hand on his face seems to slow down time almost to the point of standing still.
He looks stunned for a moment, the mark on his cheek reddening. The whispers and murmurs grow more rapid and louder, almost to a maddening level. But the two of us might as well be deaf for all that it matters.
Part of me wants to apologize.
The rest really couldn't care less.
"If you wanted to see the personification of selfish, Kaiba-kun, you should be looking at a mirror, not at me," I finally say acidly, grabbing my books and walking out with every eye in the café on me except his.
You knew it wouldn't last, my mind chides me as my eyes water and I feel like crying. I feel like such an idiot… how could I have allowed myself to get so deluded?
Amazing what a little hope could do to you. Perhaps this will teach you the fabled lesson. Leave your emotions at the door, yadonushi. It might hurt less that way.
I would tell him to shut up if he didn't have the capability to make me wish I was dead. Not that I need much help in that department anyway.
I really hate my life sometimes.
~ * ~
"I'm an idiot."
"Join the club," Otogi-kun grumbles back before running a hand through his messy black hair, "A moonlight serenade? Have you ever heard that guy sing in the shower?"
"Are you implying that you have?"
"Well, yeah… wait… no!"
I can't help but grin impishly at Otogi-kun, his misery making mine a little better (you know what they say! Misery loves company, and I've seen the truth in that statement over and over again). At least his isn't the result of a stupid idea of helping a friend who really isn't a friend but somebody who probably had to quickly go look up your name for the occasion. No, you see, it's so much easier to forget about my petty love problems when I think about his petty love problems, seeing that his are so much more exasperating and problematic than mine will ever be (hopefully).
"And you called me a cheater."
"Sorry," I reply unsympathetically, "Remember Otogi-kun, it was the thought that counts. He obviously is still madly in love with you. Why didn't you just tell him?" After all, who was the one that was recently telling me not to pass up the opportunity or I would spend the rest of my life regretting it? I wish I could make him eat his own words, except I'm too miserable to do it very effectively right now.
"Why… why… you guys were there!" he glares at me as if it was our collective faults (which I suppose it was, but I have a feeling he wouldn't have said anything even without our presence to confound and bewilder him).
"Oh. Was that a problem?"
"You know, you're more sadistic than you let on," he huffs, his green eyes dropping back to the little doodle he's making (which looks conspicuously like a certain brunette singing a moonlight serenade), "So what happened?"
Damn. He noticed. Otogi-kun is the only member of our little group of which I have a class with, and I've noticed that when he's ignoring the teacher (which is quite a vast majority of the time, so it seems), he's observing the rest of our class. Something I find particularly odd, especially since he's a pretty good student (okay, so he's a really good student, and I suppose he must have quite a fair share of brains seeing that he did make a successful and wildly popular game…).
Maybe if I play it innocent?
Yeah. And maybe if elephants flew, he might actually believe me!
"Kaiba-kun and I got into a fight." And by tomorrow, if not already there today, it'll be on the front page of every gossip magazine in the country. And perhaps on some of the major ones. As if I didn't need any more problems. Oh Kami-sama, otousan is going to be unhappy… I seriously, seriously hope that okaasan and oniisan never find out about this. I certainly am in no need of anything else for oniisan to torment me with.
"I take it from the tone of your voice that it didn't go too well."
"Oh no, it went just fine. Peachy. We'll probably just avoid each other for the rest of our miserable lives, that's all," I reply caustically.
"Didn't go well at all," Otogi-kun nods, his turn to smile at my misery.
"Oh shut up," I grumble, stabbing at a spot on the table with my pencil, "Like you can do any better."
I regret the words as soon as they come out of my mouth, but he just ignores it.
"You're right. We're both completely clueless when it comes to love. Why, we can't even reply when the person we love confesses to us."
A pause.
Excuse me, what on earth does he think he's talking about? Did his brain just get fried or something?!
"I'm not in love with him," I nearly scream (softly enough so only the two of us heard).
"Excuse me…" a timid voice interrupts, causing the two of us to nearly jump out of our seats to stare at a girl who looks maybe a year or two older than us, large brown eyes blinking innocently, "Are you cheating on Kaiba-sama?"
Otogi-kun chokes on his soft drink mainly due to the phenomenon known scientifically as 'swallowing-while-bursting-into-hysterical-laughter-at-my-problem-good-I-hope-he-dies-cause-it-will-serve-him-right' as I give them both my most menacing glare, which causes the girl to shrink back from my glare (more out of fear of my decreasing sanity rather than any menace on my behalf, I am sure), whiles Otogi-kun just continues to laugh, "Am I not allowed to have any friends without the whole world thinking that we're dating behind Kaiba-kun's back?"
The question is half to myself half to Otogi-kun, who is still coughing as he tries to get a decent breath of air (and I'm not going to help him), but he's too busy trying to breath while laughing hysterically that he doesn't hear it.
"You know," I say after the girl has left (staring at me as if I was insane and needed to be locked up, not that I can blame her) and Otogi-kun has regained his composure, "Nobody would have known me if I hadn't agreed to do this. I would still be nameless and much happier."
"And exactly how long did it take for you to come up with this startling revelation?"
"I will kill you one day, Otogi-kun."
"Sure," he replies, not looking at all disturbed my threat. Which is about as threatening as a marshmellow penguin, so I guess he doesn't really have reason to be troubled.
"I'm not in love with him, Otogi-kun. And I can assure you that after this morning, he is very much not in love with me either," I finally say seriously, leaning back in the uncomfortable chair and wishing I could just die, "I don't know why it hurts so much though…"
Otogi-kun tugs on his dice earring a bit nervously (I don't know why he does it… it can't be because he's worried it's gone, seeing that I'm pretty sure he would notice if a small weight dangling from his left ear was suddenly missing), eyes looking at quite honestly nothing at all, "I wonder what he is thinking right now."
"He's probably forgotten about me already. Probably thinks that he can call me up tomorrow with a new set of demands and pretend that nothing ever happened," I reply glumly, "It was just acting, Otogi-kun. But every time I tell myself that, it doesn't seem to be 'just' that. I sometimes wish it was more."
"I think he likes you."
"And I think you're hallucinating and delusional, but I haven't said that until now, have I?" Pause. "He still thinks this is some type of deal. That I'm going to want something after this is all over. I don't blame him… I wouldn't want something like this dangling over me if it was the roles switched."
"If the roles were switched, you could just tell him how you feel and skip the whole ploy. Why didn't he just tell Emi-chan that he was gay if it was as simple as that?"
"You're reading far too much into this, Otogi-kun."
"Not as much as you think, Bakura-kun."
I'm starting to get a headache again. How does Otogi-kun do this? How can anybody manage to make somebody else feel simpleminded, idiotic, pathetic, and completely renewed with hope all at the same time? The only person who managed to make me feel so many contradicting emotions at once was Kaiba-kun…
What am I saying? I am not in love with him. And I do not want to think about him.
"Otogi-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"If you keep lying to yourself, will you start to believe it?"
He gives me a look, his green eyes cold and calculating. Almost like Kaiba-kun's… oh Kami-sama, I am so pathetic. Everything reminds me of Kaiba-kun right now, down to that umbrella with rubber duckies in the window over there and the giant stuffed Pikachu sitting on a chair with a tea cup in its furry paw. Somebody hates me, somebody seriously, seriously hates me. What is worst about all of this is that I'm having trouble keeping myself from running into the shops and buying all of it…
"No," Otogi-kun finally decides, "No. Or maybe several months is just not long enough."
There's an awkward pause as we both think about his answer (well, at least I am. Otogi-kun could be thinking about the many ways to slaughter and barbecue a squirrel for all I know).
I finally decide to pathetically attempt to lighten the mood.
"Hey Otogi-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever read Saint Tail?"
~ * ~
We finally decided to stop studying (AKA we decided that we had enough moping about our love lives in the fast food restaurant and besides, we were starting to get weird looks from sitting there for several hours and the person cleaning out the bathroom was starting to get extremely friendly to the point where he was hitting on a very creeped out Otogi-kun… a very scary situation, if I may say so) after we had run out of things to talk about, and lo and behold, we did manage to get some work done, thank you very much. The only problem is that I don't remember a single thing we were supposed to be studying, and I have a paper due on Saturday.
Can I be anymore miserable?
"Are you hungry, Bakura-kun?"
"Not really. Griping doesn't build much of an appetite," I answer. In no way is my answer influenced by the fact that we were smelling grease and oil for the past several hours, and now I have this urge to start retching into the toilet as soon as we get back to the dorm.
"It could be worse," he suddenly interjects brightly. I roll my eyes and give him a scathing look that is loudly demanding to know exactly how it could have been worse.
If Otogi-kun had an answer or not I am not exactly sure, but we were both distracted when a car drove up besides us, the window rolling down.
"Bakura-kun! Do you need a lift?"
I just stare at the guy, who, may I add, I have never seen in my life. And it can't be one of otousan's friends because they always call me Ryou-kun or just plain Ryou, as Koushiro-san and Taichi-san do.
"I… I…"
Luckily, Otogi-kun is a bit more quick-thinking than I, and he smiles jauntingly at the man, "Sorry, we need the exercise. Maybe some other time."
Before I can input any of my comments, he pulls me into a small building, slamming the door behind us.
"Hey cuties. Are you looking for a date?" a woman with too big chest in too small dress leers at us, her long vampire-like nails raking across the counter to make a horrid sound, "Or are you looking for a quick buck? I'm sure I can certainly find somebody for both of you, especially with your looks…"
"Otogi-kun!" My voice comes out at a high-pitched squeak as I grab him by his shirt before fair screeching, "Where on earth did you drag us into?!"
"Well, we had to get off the streets somehow, didn't we?"
"But… HERE?!"
"Oh… where are we exactly?" he scratches his head, looking around with a surprised expression on his face.
"OTOGI-KUN!" I scream.
"Use some of your common sense, Bakura-kun," he raps his knuckles against my head, causing me to glare at him, "You think that he was offering you a ride from the goodness of your heart? He wants something."
"Are you saying what I thiink you're saying?!" My voice is getting very high again. Oh, this day has just been getting better and better, hasn't it?! First I get into an argument with Kaiba-kun, who probably never wants to see me again for the rest of my life, and then I find out that I have a stalker of some sort. Brilliant!
"Hmm, I'm not quite sure what you're thinking, but I suppose it's on the right track…"
Oh, this is just lovely. Just lovely. "So what are we going to do now?" Besides asking Yami Bakura if he would be willing to go out there and scare the crap out of that guy, I don't think we have much else to do.
"We could stay here for the rest of our lives. That would be the solution to three of our problems."
"Really helpful, Otogi-kun."
"Look, I don't know if you understand this concept, but even if you're just pretending to going at it with Kaiba, that doesn't automatically mean everybody knows that."
"I know that," I snap, quite unsure of exactly where he is trying to go with this revelation. He sighs impatiently, reminding me of Kaiba-kun (argh, not this again), "But I don't understand what you are trying to say."
Otogi-kun gives me a look that makes me feel like a naïve little child.
"Bakura-kun, if somebody dislikes Kaiba, this is a perfect opportunity to get revenge. Pegasus went after Mokuba, and now somebody can go after you. Do you understand what I'm saying?!"
"You think somebody wants to use me to get to Kaiba-kun?" I stare at him.
"Well, I don't think they want your autograph."
"So now what?!" I practically scream. Honestly, can this day get any worse?! Not only is he psychotic stalker, but he might be a psychotic revenge-driven stalker who wants to use me as a tool for vengeance on a guy who I am supposedly dating. Yes, this is definitely going on my list top ten days. Top ten rotten days.
"Um…" Before I can open my mouth to wail pathetically, he taps a random woman's shoulder, "Excuse me Miss, do you have a back door around here?"
"Which one?"
"One that leads to the back?" Otogi-kun blinks a bit cluelessly, looking charmingly innocent with that gesture. Is this what Honda-kun sees in him or something?
The woman sighs and gestures for us to follow her. After traveling through some decidedly odd smelling rooms, we end up at a door that leads to a back alleyway. Otogi-kun makes sure to be very generous in tipping her, somehow convinces her that she does not need his phone number, hurriedly assures her that neither of us is not interested in women, tells her once again that I am not a female and we are not seeing each other (that really ticked me off), and we make our escape through the door (with several eyes watching us in the meanwhile).
~ * ~
"Okay, I am definitely never entering another building without looking at the signs," Otogi-kun announces as soon as the door slams shut.
I can only shake my head before running into something that is cold and metallic.
Oh. Crap.
"You really should have taken my offer," the black-haired man says, smile crooked and extremely annoying, "It would have been a lot easier that way."
It's like something out of the movies… except for the teensy weensy detail that it's happening right now!
I don't know about you, but if I was face to face with a gun pointed at a certain vital organ (such as the one that pumps blood to the rest of my body and can cause quite a bit of trouble if stopped), I would shut up, do what the man wants me to do, and then panic hysterically about such a decision.
People might think I'm being cowardly with such an action. They might want to entertain fantasies that they would do something heroic, like grab the gun and duck out of the way before that before-said vital organ was unreversibly stopped (I've heard that a metal slug in it can cause some rather detrimental damage). But when one is face to face with death itself, I think that bravery ceases to have a meaning and a feeling of pragmatism quickly takes over.
Fortunately, we both had completely forgot about Otogi-kun and probably wouldn't remember him unless he does something outrageous and rather foolish… like, say, if he decides to do something like… oh, I don't know… slam his briefcase into the man's head?
Which he quickly proceeds to do.
"He could have shot me," I say numbly as I look at Otogi-kun, who's standing over the downed man, who is groaning from what must be a splitting headache (considering how many books were in that thing, I'm not very surprised… but at least it wasn't Kaiba-kun's metal briefcase… STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM!!).
"He didn't," Otogi-kun replies lightly, "Besides, I doubt he'd would have wanted to add murder to his kidnapping record."
Well, that's really reassuring, I want to grumble back darkly.
"Otogi-kun, behind you!"
He turns around but it's too late; the second assailant slams the butt of his gun on Otogi-kun's head with a sickening crack, causing him to drop to the ground, unconscious.
"Otogi-kun!" I yell his name again, running over to his comatose body (or at least trying to) when I end up tripping and falling, sprawling onto the ground in a rather ungainly heap. Well, to be precise, I didn't simply trip and fall (even I'm not that clumsy, thank you very much), as demonstrated by the first guy's grip on my ankle. He had somehow managed to get over the nausea caused by Otogi-kun's blow to perform any action whatsoever. Before I can even try to shake him off, the brunette who knocked out Otogi-kun comes up, restraining my arms in a grip like iron and pulling me up to a standing position.
My struggles are next to useless, and next thing I know, a cloth with a sickly sweet smell is being pressed against my face and the only thing I can breath is the strange smell.
Instantly, I start to feel dizzy, and my limbs start to feel numb. Somewhere in my mind which is quickly fogging up comes the realization that the cloth must have been drenched in chloroform, which would nicely explain this weakening sensation I'm experiencing…
I continue to struggle weakly, but I might as well be trying to keep the sun from rising. In the foggy haze, I see one of the men picking up Otogi-kun's unconscious body before my vision starts to blacken. No longer able to stand on my own, I would fall if it wasn't for somebody keeping me from ending up on the ground.
My mind reaches for the first thing that comes to mind, a life saver to keep myself from drowning, from blacking out.
… Seto…
Translations and Notes:
THERE ARE NONE! MWAHA!
PM: Will you believe this chapter was written in about a day?
Jyou: I'll believe it. That was a crappy chapter.
PM *twitches*: I thought muses were supposed to inspire…
Jyou: Then go place an ad in the newspaper. We're not your muses!
PM: Whatever… *glares at Seto* This is all your fault, you know.
Seto *exasperated*: How is it my fault?!
PM: Well, if you weren't so stubborn, then Ryou and Ryuuji wouldn't have gotten kidnapped! So it's all your fault!
Seto: Even if we hadn't gotten into a fight, he still would have been kidnapped.
PM: That is so not true. You could have picked him up in your shiny car and then everything would be okay! So it's still your fault!
Seto: Even if I had picked up Ryou in my, quote on quote, 'shiny car', Ryuuji still would have been kidnapped.
PM: Um… *decides to think about that for a moment*
Seto *muttering to himself*: Never mind that Ryuuji wouldn't have been targeted for anything anyway.
PM: I HEARD THAT! SO IT'S STILL YOUR FAULT!
Ryou: Hello? Hello PM, how about you come and save us? Yeah? Good idea? Maybe right now? Yes?
PM: You'll have to wait for the next chapter, Ryou-kun… ^_^ Just like the rest of you! (Course, I know what happens! MWAHA!) See you all next week (unless I'm feeling benevolent… doubtful cause… I'M HAVING PROBLEMS WITH CHAPTER 10!!)! ^^;;; Why do I have a feeling you'll all be breathing down my neck for the next week? *grins*
Pikachumaniac