Author's Notes: Story notes at the end. Featuring "Bigger Than My Body" by John Mayer, song lyrics in bold.
This is a call to the colorblind
This is an IOU
I'm stranded behind this horizon line
Tied up in something true
Yugi Motou was spinning the dial on his combination lock when a familiar and very irritating voice called out to him from behind him.
"Hey! You! Kid!"
It was Joey Wheeler. Yugi sighed in irritation. They repeated this process almost every day. Yugi would be minding his own business at his own locker, and Joey would storm up to him, accuse him of some random deed that he hadn't done, and scream at him. And insult him. Sometimes he'd threaten him. Sometimes he beat him up. But that was the general idea- and Yugi was getting sick of it.
He had to take a stand. Or it would never end.
"I saw you diss my buddy Tristan back there. I don't like it. Better not happen again, kid, or when I'm through with you, no one will recognize you. Got it?"
Yugi drew him up to his fullest height, which wasn't much, but he didn't do it very often, so it actually was somewhat impressive. "Listen up, Joey, 'cause I'm only saying this once. We do this every day. You know as well as I do that I don't do the things you're accusing me of. You know as well as I do that the only reason you pick on me is because I'm short and it's known through the school that I don't ever do anything back. Well, I've got a news flash for you. I don't care anymore. Taunt me, tease me, insult me, do anything you'd like to me, but you look here-" He noticed the amused look on Joey's face. "Don't look at me like that," he snarled. Joey held up his hands.
"Well, I hafta admit, you've got a lotta spunk, kid," Joey informed him, looking down at him. "So you're not just that weak little kid who just stands there and takes it all without a second thought. But whaddya think a little runt like you could become in the world?"
Yes I'm grounded
Got my wings clipped
I'm surrounded by all this pavement
Guess I'll circle
While I'm waiting for my fuse to dry
Yugi saw red.
He hated it when people said that. Did you have to be tall to be successful? So what if he was referred to as the shortest little kid in the whole school? If people looked at him and asked him if he was in fifth grade? So what if probably no one would give a damn about him? You didn't have to be tall to become something in the world. No one needed to know your name by the time you were out of high school. Size isn't everything. Everyone had a fair chance. But when people called him short, it was obvious they weren't expecting anything good to come out of him. Ever. They probably called him a waste of good oxygen behind his back, too. But at the moment, he didn't really care.
Someday I'll fly
Someday I'll soar
Someday I'll be so damn much more
'Cause I'm bigger than my body gives me credit for
"Would you like it if you were short? If everyone picked on you and set your own expectation level for you when you and you alone knew what you were capable of? Oh, but you're Joey Wheeler, aren't you? You're so important. So what if I'm always the last one picked for basketball in gym, or I'm always the first one out in dodgeball? Why don't you ever get to know someone before you pick on them? Did you know that I could probably cream you in Duel Monsters without even trying? Size and physical might aren't everything. Contrary to popular belief." Yugi glared furiously at Joey. "Is any of this getting through that thick skull of yours? Or do I have to hammer it in?"
Why is it not my time?
What is there more to learn?
Shed this skin I've been tripping in
Never to quite return
Joey yawned. "Yeah, yeah, size isn't everything."
Yugi glowered. "You always make me stand here and listen to your crap and look interested and pretend that I did something I didn't. Now is your turn."
"What kind of an important person would want a short, idiotic runt working for them?"
"Short, yes. Runt, maybe. But people grow, and there aren't any exceptions to that. I may be short now. But wait till I hit my growth spurt. I'll show the whole school then. But that's not the point. How do you know I'm idiotic? Have you seen my grades lately? Or do you just skip right over my name on the honor roll and pretend it doesn't exist? I bet you do. Deny it all you want, the facts are all there and lined up, just waiting for you to acknowledge them."
Joey just raised an eyebrow. "Whatever you say." He started to walk away.
"I'm not done!" Yugi called after him.
"Yeah, well, I'm done listening to all your insane babbling, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."
"In denial?" Yugi shot back. Right now he didn't care about the consequences. He didn't care if he got beaten up worse than he'd ever been in his whole life. He didn't care if he got suspended. He didn't care if they made a scene. He'd rather the whole school know anyway. He was going to drive the point home, no matter what the cost. Because this had to end. "Maybe because you've finally seen reason and are just walking off because you have nothing else to argue with. Maybe you've finally accepted the truth, hmm?"
"I don't have to stand here and take this crap from a pathetic shrimp like you," Joey said sharply, turning around, appearing as intimidating as he could. This usually drove all the annoyances away.
But Yugi was different.
Yugi stood his ground.
Yes I'm grounded
Got my wings clipped
I'm surrounded by all this pavement
Guess I'll circle
While I'm waiting for my fuse to dry
"Look, right now I don't care about you anymore," Yugi said. "You can try to intimidate me. But I assure you, it'll be a pathetic way to waste your time."
"You don't even have any friends to back you up," Joey snarled. "Who the hell will actually take time out of their schedule to listen to your rambling?"
"What are you doing now?" Yugi smirked. "But back to the point. You think I'm a good-for-nothing little kid, don't you?"
"Pretty much, yes," Joey said casually.
"Do you think there's anything I can do right?"
"Other than get knocked out in gym, no," Joey said.
Yugi glowered, but fought to regain control. "All right, I'm challenging you to a duel, Joey Wheeler. I'll prove that I can do something right."
Joey's jaw dropped. "What? You? Challenge me?" Among the school, he was actually considered a pretty good duelist. [1] No one usually went out of their way to challenge him. "Sure. Waste of my time, but okay."
"I was thinking more of the other way around," Yugi said. "Get your deck, Joey. We'll duel at lunch, so everyone can watch."
"Right, watch you lose," Joey said, and walked off. Yugi stared after him, at his retreating back.
Someday I'll fly
Someday I'll soar
Someday I'll be so damn much more
'Cause I'm bigger than my body gives me credit for
Lunch came. Yugi and Joey readied their dueling mats. Everyone crowded around them, chattering excitedly. Most were placing bets on Joey winning. [3]
Joey looked at his hand and smirked. Boy, Yugi's asking for it. "I play Flame Swordsman in attack mode and that'll be it."
"Dark Magician, attack mode!"
Joey stared. "Now, I attack, bringing your life points down to 1300. Then I'll place two cards face down and end my turn."
Yugi looked pretty confident. And he had good reason. He already had a 700 point lead, and it was only the first round.
"Battle Ox, defense mode!" Joey called, setting down the card. Too bad I don't have any trap or magic cards, he realized.
"I summon Curse of Dragon," Yugi announced. "Attack the Battle Ox!"
Joey could tell this was not his day.
Five short rounds later, he had been defeated by a combination of Yugi's Spell-Binding Circle, Magical Hats, and Dark Magician. Everybody stared. How the hell had this little runt, probably the least popular in the whole school, come out of nowhere and beat Joey?
Yugi stood up, slamming his fists down on the table where they had been dueling. Cards scattered everywhere. "I told you. You wouldn't listen. I beat you, didn't I? I beat you without losing a single life point. You still think I'm a worthless shrimp?"
Joey stared at his cards. Then he turned a ferocious glare on Yugi. "You'll do anything to attract attention, won't you?" he hissed through gritted teeth.
Maybe I'll tangle in the power lines
And it might be over in a second's time
But I'll gladly go down in a flame
If a flame's what it takes to remember my name
Yugi looked genuinely shocked. "What?! You agreed to-"
"And what was the point of this whole duel? To prove you're talented at something? Well, big deal. You haven't proved anything, not to me at least. For all I know, you could have cheated. You could've rigged your whole deck in the time between third period and lunch."
Yugi looked like a fish out of water. He was furious. His whole face was turning red. He grabbed his cards and stalked out of the room. Joey stared after him before gathering his cards and following him out. As he exited, the noise in the cafeteria revved up like a car engine until the people inside it were screaming to be heard.
Joey watched from a distance as Yugi viciously twisted his at his lock, yanking it open with such force the door nearly came out of its hinges. His deck was thrown inside with a scattering noise and the door was slammed so loud the sound echoed through the hallways and into the cafeteria. Joey approached him tentatively.
"Yugi, I-"
"I'm going to try one more time, Joey. Please don't interrupt. After this, I don't really care anymore. Believe what you want."
Joey nodded slightly, urging him to go on.
Yugi took a deep breath. "It's not the physical strength you have, or your stamina, or your endurance. It's about your personality, how big your heart is, your emotions, your talents, your skill, your abilities. It's not about how you look. If you had been born with a disfigured face or something, yet you got along with everyone and stuck up for yourself, you think people would actually give a damn about how you looked?"
Joey blinked. "Well…"
"Answer me this question, Joey. If I had been taller, more confident, more popular, you think we might have been friends?"
He didn't have to think twice. "Yes."
This seemed to tick Yugi off more.
"See? You're judging on looks again! All people like you ever look at are the shortcomings of people they don't like. They never look at their strong points, only their weaknesses. I've heard all that I need to know, Joey."
"Huh…?" Joey asked, confused. "What did I say?"
Yugi just rolled his eyes and took a step back, turning around.
Yes I'm grounded
Got my wings clipped
I'm surrounded by all this pavement
Guess I'll circle
While I'm waiting for my fuse to dry
Wait for my fuse to dry
"It means I'm not wasting any more of my time with you," Yugi said flippantly. "Only time can tell now. Come and check back with me in about two years. See if I'm somewhere yet."
He stormed off. And Joey just stood there.
Someday I'll fly
Someday I'll soar
Someday I'll be so damn much more
Joey stood outside Pegasus's castle next to Yugi, as a friend and ally, teaming up together to take down Pegasus, and remembering this certain talk they'd had before this had all happened. Before Pegasus, before the Millennium Items, before the Shadow Realm, before Duelist Kingdom.
Well, it's been two years.
You were right, and I was wrong. You did become something. Something more important than anyone could have ever thought.
And right now, I don't see how I could have ever doubted you.
'Cause I'm bigger than my body gives me credit for
'Cause I'm bigger than my body
I'm bigger than my body
I'm bigger than my body now.
~*~End~*~
End Notes: Anyone think it was sad? *shrug* Poor Yugi though. I do know a few people who always get picked on because of height, weight, etc. and I'd like it to stop. Anyone think it was a bit repetitive? x.X I sure did. I also don't have a beta, so…most of this stuff isn't edited. I do revise some parts if I think they're awkward, but….the whole story in general usually isn't done as well as it might have been if I had a beta. Now, I'm not begging for one, but I'd like it if someone beta-ed my character pieces. ^^;; If it isn't such a big problem for most of you.
Also, keep in mind that I wrote this in one sitting, at 9:30 at night till about 11:00, and only revised it about three times. No flames.
[1] – There are plenty of references against this, like in the epi "The Scars of Defeat" (I think) where Joey challenges Kaiba and loses pitifully, etc. But he could probably still beat a lot of people in Domino High.
[2] – This never showed up anywhere in the story…^^;; but there's no Tea. Not because I can't stand her, but because her friendship speeches and whatever would just screw up the whole plotline…. So yeah. No Tea.
[3] – Some moves taken from Duelist Kingdom duels (like Yugi vs. Fake Kaiba). I'm not the best at writing duel scenes, so they usually don't last very long. Besides, I don't think the point of fanfiction is to write big long duel scenes. There's enough of that in the episodes.
My View on the Yugi/Joey Relationship: People write them in yaoi and shounen-ai fics all the time. But I believe they're just very close friends. I have nothing against the pairings, but it just doesn't seem right. Most of the time I just can't imagine them being any closer than just best friends.
Please leave a review! No flames!