Author's Notes: After rewriting this two times and going through at least three different songs, I've finally gotten this chapter done. o^.^o It's still shounen-ai, quickly turning into yaoi, and it gets fluffier near the end of the chapter. Beware of upcoming lemons.
American Eagle
Chapter Three: Wasted Time
Well baby, there you stand
With your little head, down in your hand
Oh, my God, you can't believe it's happening again
Your baby's gone, and you're all alone
and it looks like the end.
Keith sighed heavily as he leaned against the back of a chair, absently staring up at the cracked ceiling and running his fingers through his hair. He was back home in New York City after a bunch of...interesting happenings in Duelist Kingdom. He'd been defeated by Jounouchi the day after sleeping with him, tossed into the ocean by one of Pegasus's traps, picked up by some weird kid with creepy lilac eyes, had his mind taken over by said kid and forced into a duel, been caught in a fire and nearly fried to a crisp, and then tried for two weeks to get home.
Now that he was home, he felt like something was missing. It didn't help the fact that Jounouchi's soft smile and bright amber eyes were almost constantly appearing in his mind. Sure, the blonde boy had been good in bed, but there was something about the way he'd touched and kissed and held him that just...stayed. It made Keith's skin tingle to remember.
And you're back out on the street.
And you're tryin' to remember.
How will you start it over?
You don't know what became.
You don't care much for a stranger's touch,
But you can't hold your man.
The entire point of going out to Duelist Kingdom was to start his life over, and here he was, back where he started and now craving something other than revenge. He couldn't quite figure out what it was, but he knew Jounouchi had a lot to do with it. He still couldn't believe he'd just let it become a one night stand.
'Not like I had much choice.' he thought with a grim smirk, remembering well the consequences of pulling a gun on Pegasus.
You never thought you'd be alone this far
down the line
And I know what's been on your mind
You're afraid it's all been wasted time
Jounouchi glanced absently into a shop window as he walked down the street, blinking when he saw a poster for a new Magic and Wizards booster pack, mostly containing machine monsters. It caused a familiar ache to grow within his chest, tears threatening to form at the memory of Keith. He barely knew if he was still alive, much less in good health. He was half afraid he'd wasted his time, and his virginity, sleeping with him in Duelist Kingdom, trying to teach him how to love.
The autumn leaves have got you thinking
about the first time that you fell
You didn't love the boy too much, no, no
you just loved the boy to well,
Well, well, well.
A few quick months later Keith rested on a bench in Central Park, watching the autumn leaves as they fell to the ground. One fell just inches from where he sat and he blinked at it, noting the amber color with a slight sigh. It was the exact color of Jounouchi's eyes.
This was the first time he'd remembered a one night stand for this long, and so consistently at that. The image of the blonde boy simply refused to leave his mind, and the ghosts of his affectionate touches had kept his dreams very interesting for weeks. He hadn't been frequenting the bars at all, and whenever he did go he wasn't interested in drinking or picking someone up for the night. He was just wasting time.
So you live from day to day,
And you dream about tomorrow.
And the hours go by like minutes
and the shadows come to stay
So you take a little something to
make them go away
And I could have done so many things, baby
If I could only stop my mind from wondrin' what
I left behind and from worrying 'bout this wasted time
Jounouchi sighed heavily and slumped beneath a tree in the park, resting his arms on his knees and staring sadly at the ground. He hadn't heard a word or seen a glimpse of Keith since that warehouse fire, and slowly the shadows of depression were beginning to get to him. It was hard to keep a cheerful façade around his friends when inside he felt hollow and lonesome.
Tears formed in his eyes and he didn't bother to stop them as they trailed down his cheeks, hiccupping a little and trying not to just break down into sobs. He was surrounded by his closest friends and still he felt lonely, and no matter what he did the feeling wouldn't go away. Time simply flew past him as he went through each day, wondering what he could have done to make things different.
Ooh, another love has come and gone
Ooh, and the years keep rushing on
I remember what you told me before you went out on your own:
"Sometimes to keep it together, we got to leave it alone."
So you can get on with your search, baby, and I can get on with mine
And maybe someday we will find , that it wasn't really wasted time
Two weeks later, Keith found himself back in Japan in the same city he'd tried to get away from months ago, though it seemed like only the day before. He wandered the streets aimlessly, not noticing anything as he walked, until he nearly crashed into a young blonde boy with sad amber eyes.
Jounouchi blinked a little and looked up at the person who nearly knocked him over, gasping when he saw who it was and fighting back a few tears.
"...K-Keith?"
The taller blonde blinked a little, then smirked.
"That would be my name, yeah."
"Wh-what are you doing here? Are you okay? I haven't seen you since that fire...."
"Pup, you're acting like I'm your long lost pal. Quit."
"Just answer my--hey!! Who the hell are you calling a pup!?"
"You, puppy. Now why the hell do you sound so worried about me? I thought you hated me."
"Whoever said I hated you? Would I have let you sleep with me if I did?"
"Good point. Why was that again?"
"...Um....because....I love you...."
A long, awkward pause followed that.
"...You what?"
"I love you. I let you sleep with me because I wanted you to know what love felt like. And I really hope it worked 'cause I don't want to think my first time was wasted."
"Woah, wait a second, pup....that was your first time? You were a virgin?"
".....Yeah....."
"And you let me take you because you wanted me to 'know what love felt like'?"
"...Yeah."
"...I don't mean to insult you or anything, but that seems like a really dumb reason to let me sleep with you."
"Well...at least it's a reason. I didn't just let you take me for the hell of it. I wanted to help you, and that's the only way I knew how."
"Help me? Pup, I don't need any help with anything."
"You needed help to get pulled out of that hole you were in. I'm not innocent, you know. I know what alcohol smells like."
"....Just leave me alone, okay? I don't need help, I don't need anybody, and I don't need yappy little puppy dogs telling me I need anything like love."
"Don't tell me it didn't help."
"All it did was get me into one hell of a mess and a little whining, lovesick puppy. I don't need you, I don't need anyone, and I don't need something as stupid as love."
Jounouchi rolled his eyes, glared, shoved the other against the wall, and then kissed him as tenderly as he was capable of. Keith blinked in surprised but didn't pull away or struggle, caught up in his shock and the familiar feeling of the smaller blonde's lips against his own. After a few moments he slowly deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around the boy and pulling him closer. Jounouchi eagerly pressed against the American, wrapping his arms loosely around his neck and pouring as much affection as possible into the kiss.
Keith finally forced himself to pull away, panting against the other's lips and holding him tightly, his eyes closed and a slight flush staining his cheeks.
'I think I missed that....' he thought dazedly, then blinked when Jounouchi chuckled.
"You did, did you?"
"...I said that out loud, didn't I." he deadpanned, giving the boy a flat stare.
"Mmhm. And I missed you, too." the younger blonde purred, nuzzling into his neck and smiling softly. 'And I don't think I wasted my time....'
To Be Continued
Next chapter: Love Will Keep Us Alive. Will probably be a lemon.