Pikazoom: Whassup? I'm back again!
Yami/Yugi: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Pikazoom: Disclaim, my muses!
Yami/Yugi: She owns Yu-gi-oh! ^_^
Pikazoom: Are you trying to get me sued?!
Yami: Yup!
Pikazoom: Grrrrrrrrr.do it right! *whacks them*
Yami/Yugi: She doesn't own Yu-gi-oh
To my reviewers:
Kat: ^_^ Your welcome! I'm enjoying writng this. *hands her an inflatable Seto floaty thing*
Amethyst Sin and Yami Phiona: What an...interesting plot idea... *speechlessly hands them two inflatable Seto floaty thingies*
Yami Tenchi: Oh sorry *sweatdrops* I guess I just took it the wrong way! I'm so sorry. ; . ; *gives them an inflatable Seto floaty thingy*
Yami27: Hmmm...yes, there will be angst and depression. ^.^ (Yami: O_O) *hands them an inflatable Seto floaty thingy*
Beverly: You'd kill me? *runs, but throws her an inflatable Seto floaty thingy*
Animefan: *is glomped and falls over* Thanks, but Yami is a bit upset cause his hair was messed up O_o *gives her an inflatable Seto floaty thingy.
Kaiba-fan: Yay! I'm glad you like my story! *gives them an inflatable Seto floaty thingy*
Take the floaty thingy to the beach, and glomp them as the tide carries you helplessly away.
Crippled Chapter 5: History
"No."
Yami said nothing as Seto wheeled him away from the stunned girl.
"Why did yo-"
"I have no desire to by one of them," Seto interrupted the shorter boy. He'd turned down another stereotypical popular girl's attempt to get him to sit at their table.
It had taken only hours for the news to get around. Ryu the Dragon Master was at their school! Even without his contacts to conceal his true identity, the cold stare and absolutely gorgeous face was hard to miss...as long as those dorky glasses were off. Suddenly, everybody decided that the total bishie was popular! Everyone tried to talk to him, get autographs, and many other things. The girls came up to the handsome brunette, had a one-sided conversation with him, and walked away giggling. It made Yami want to hurl and strangle them at the same time.
It was lunch time now. The bully didn't come around, but the popular girls did. They squealed and begged him to sit at their table. They all gave him false smiles and tried to show off their figure. Seto simply gave them a "no" and wheeled Yami over to their regular seats. Most of them were in shock, but a few sat at his table instead. Ryou was blushing madly. He wasn't used to so many people, much less girls, crowding around the table. Yami was very irritated by the high-pitched giggles, and he was sure Seto had a frustration mark appearing on his head.
A couple of guys appeared at the table as well. Some wanted to look cool, but other guys, as well as a couple girls, asked for help on constructing and improving their decks. Seto was willing to answer those questions. It became apparent to Yami that the brunette encouraged the appearance of good duelists in the arena. The celebrity must not care whether his title was overthrown or not.
Skipping to the end of school, Yami was suprised when a news reporter appeared in front of them. He watched in confusion as the reporter straighened her blouse and commanded the cameraman to start rolling. The lady began to question him, asking about many different topics. Seto said as little as he possibly could. In such a relatively inactive place such as Domino, finding a celebrity was big news! Yami didn't listen to what the lady said, but when she was done, some other people came up to them. He looked down. The interviewers were totally ignoring him anyway.
"So, is this some kind of community service?" one man had the audacity to ask.
"Hn?" Seto and Yami said, throughly confused.
"This disabled boy." the man pointed at Yami. "Are you pushing him around for community service?"
Yami lowered him head and his fists clenched together tightly in his lap. There was nothing he'd rather do more than punch the obnoxious guy...except maybe go home and cry at his public embarassment. Now everyone would know he was a freak...
Seto clenched the handles of the wheelchair. He gave the man a cold gaze and said, "This isn't community service. This is my friend. No more questions please." The brunette shoved passed everyone and went on their usual route.
"Don't listen to him Yami," Seto said simply.
Yami's head spun around, tears flying from his eyes. "Am I really so horrible?! So horrible that everyone seems to force themselves to look at me?!"
"...I'd prefer to look at you than any of my fangirls," Seto replied after a silence, looking away. Yami thought he saw a slight blush through his clouded vision.
"A-a," Yami said, flustered. Did he really mean that, or was he just trying to be nice? Seto didn't seem to be the kind to lie, but he did look away... "Uh...thanks," replying to him with the only thing he could come up with.
"So...uh..." he started, changing the awkward subject. "Can you...help me make a deck? I'll buy my own cards and everything!" he exclaimed. He would feel guilty if Seto gave him anymore gifts...
"Sure," the cobalt-eyed teen said, sounding a bit...relieved? Was he glad that the subject was changed as well? "I'll help you on Saturday, okay?" Yami nodded in response.
"Oh!" The crimson-eyed boy suddenly exclaimed. "But not until after 3. I'm going to the doctor. Is that alright?"
"That's fine. I have to work anyway."
"Eh?! But school forbids jobs! (Schools in Japan normally don't let them have jobs...it supposedly interferes with studies)" Yami shouted.
Seto raised an eyebrow. "I got special permission. I live alone with Mokuba after all."
"Y-you do?" The tri-colored haired teen asked. He didn't know that! Seto simply nodded.
"My parents died a long time ago." Yami winced. He felt like he'd brought up another uncomfortable subject.
"I-I'm sorry," he apologized.
"It's fine. It was...when I was a kid...." he started. Yami listened as Seto began to tell him what happened.
"I was five when my mother died. She had died giving birth to Mokuba. I remember crying in my room for a day or so. I wouldn't eat anything, When I came out, the first thing I saw was Father with Mokuba. And I hated him. I hated my little brother. I blamed him for my mother's death. Every time I saw him, I glared at him, telling how ugly he was and things like that. However, he never understood me. For every insult and harsh glare, he gave me a laugh and smile. I found myself feeling...guilty. He hadn't actually done anything wrong, and I scorned him. I went over to Mokuba, and the first thing he did was smile and reach out for me, like he wanted me to accept him and reality. I took his hand and hugged him for the first time. I remember Father telling me though we had our memories, Mokuba and I were the last physical trace of Mother and that I should cherish him as well as myself. So I cherished him and protected him."
Despite being a guy, Yami felt like crying at that story. It was so...heartfelt. He could hear Seto's emotions in his voice, proving his sincerity. It must've been hard to experience it...but even harder to talk about it.
"When I was about 8, my father was hit by a drunken driver. Dead at the scene from head trauma, that's what the police told me. I was shipped off with Mokuba to live with relatives. They took our inheritance and left us at an orphanage. It was there I promised Mokuba that I'd let him live a good life so that one day he wouldn't have to move around anymore. We were eventually adopted by Gozaburo Kaiba. At first we thought he was alright and we would happy again, but as soon as the social service was gone, he would come home drunk. He beat me all the time, but I always hid it from innocent Mokuba. He even tried to rape me once, but he passed out before he could catch me. When I was thirteen, a police officer said that our foster father had died from drinking too much alcohol at once. Afterward, I took custody of Mokuba and got a job to support us. I go to the Duel Monster tournaments to win additional money."
Yami felt his eyes water. The crimson-eyed teen rubbed at his eyes. How could someone so kind go through such trauma? He felt so sorry for Seto. He'd been forced to act as an adult as well as a parent at such a young age. The only good part about his story was that things seemed to have mellowed out around Seto's life.
"Don't cry," Seto told him, handing him a hankerchief from behind Yami. "If I hadn't gone through that, then maybe I would've been some arrogant, rich kid. (If you only knew, my OOC/AU Seto...)" Yami was surprised at his optimism but said nothing. They picked up Mokuba and nothing more was said about the topic.
~~~
"Really?!" Yami said very excitedly.
"Yup. You can get your casts all off in a month," the doctor replied. Yami gave a huge grin. He could have his casts off in time for the tournament! Speaking of which...
Sugoroku Mutou was pushing his eldest grandson out of the hospital in his wheelchair when the teenager spoke.
"Oi...Jiichan?" Yami asked timidly.
"Yes? What is it?" The grandfather asked.
"Well, is it okay if I go to that upcoming Duel Monsters tournament?" he asked hopefully.
Sugoroku gave it some thought. His casts would be off in time...but he would miss a week of school. But then again, he knew his grandson had been going through a hard time at school. The tournament might make him feel more like a normal teenager again.
"Seto's going! PLEEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSEEEEEEEEEEEE?!" Yami pratically whined, sensing his grandfather was torn.
Sugoroku sighed. "Sure you can go. But wait, you don't have a deck!"
"I knew I forgot something..." Yami sweatdropped. "I'll pay for my cards though!" he insisted. He had lots of money at home! He'd been planning to buy a new pair of leather pants-the washer had kind of pummeled his last one-but oh well. That can wait.
"Of course. But my grandkids get a discount!" the grandfather exclaimed.
"Great!" Yami grinned ear to ear.
When they got home, Yami shelled out enough money for 15 packs...that was 75 cards. After being rolled to his room, he vigorously pulled at the wrapper, trying to get it to open.
"Need help?" a voice laughed as the owner snatched the pack Yami was holding out of his hands.
"Yeah...a little," Yami told Seto sheepishly. The taller teenager sat down on the bed and opened the card pack Yami had been holding.
"Black Magician...Rage of the Sea King..." Seto continued to read off all the cards Yami had recieved. Afterward, he gave some deck construction guidelines, and let Yami contruct the deck on his own.
"Not even just a little help?" Yami asked, just a little unsure of what he was picking.
"Nope. It wouldn't be fair to know what cards were in your deck, ne?" was the reply. Yami pouted but silently agreed.
During construction, they talked about numerous subjects. Tv shows...manga...things like that.
"Oh yeah! I get all my casts off in a month! Isn't that great?!" Yami exclaimed.
"Yeah. And then you can open all your cards yourself," Seto joked. Yami frowned and whacked him with the pillow on his bed playfully. However, Yami lost his balance in the process and fell over...right into Seto's chest.
'He smells good...' Yami thought, getting a small whiff, feeling the soft cotton of the black shirt and the muscles underneath. The brunette smelled like spices in a popourri (Is that how you spell it? Do they even put spices in those?!). Suddenly, he realized what he was doing. His cheeks burning, Yami pushed himself up right with his right arm and backed away a few inches. What was he doing?! Sniffing his best friend like a dog?!
"SORRY!" Yami yelled out, breathing very erratic. What was going on? His heart was pounding at the speed of light!
"It's okay," Seto calmly replied. Yami punched himself a couple times to try to get rid of the red in his cheeks and then turned around. Was Seto...blushing? There was a faint glow of red in his cheeks, and he was scratching his head sheepishly.
"Well," the cobalt-eyed teen started, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "it's getting late. I should go."
"A-a," Yami agreed, but he silently wished that Seto could stay.
"I'd recommend dueling some people tomorrow. Maybe duelists coming by the store. It's good practice," the cobalt-eyed teen said before walking out the door. Yami stared after him, a light blush re-lighting his cheeks. Sighing, he leaned back into his chair and looked at his deck. When he looked at his cards, he thought about Seto. He bit his lip as he felt his cheeks burn.
It was strange really. He thought a lot about Seto...more than anything or anyone else. When Seto was next to him, he wondered about what the handsome teen thought about. When the brunette was gone, he wondered what the blue-eyed duelist was doing. Yami shook off his thoughts and pulled out the Blue Eyes from his dresser drawer. Should he put this in his deck? Shaking his head, he put it back in. It was a symbol of Seto and Yami's friendship. He'd hate to use it against Seto.
'Seto...I wonder what you're doing...' Yami thought.
~~~a month later~~~
"Oi! Seto! What are you doing here?" Yami asked, running up to him (yes, running). Seto placed his hands on Yami's waist and pushed him down onto the ground.
"To see you," he replied, smiling. The cobalt-eyed teen leaned his face closer until.....
Yami shot up out of the bed. Why was he dreaming like this? It wasn't the first time. The first time Seto held his hand. The next, he hugged him. The time after that, he held him close. He'd had dreams like this for the last two weeks.
Yami looked in the mirror on the nightstand next to him. His cheeks were red like tomatoes! And no wonder...he'd woken up blushing after every dream. Oh, and sometimes some other uncomfortable things too...but no one needs to know about that (*cough*).
He looked at the pocket calendar on his nightstand. Tearing off the page from the last day, he smiled excitedly. He was getting his casts off today! He looked at the phrase on the calendar quickly. They were words of wisdom. "If you don't find your soulmate, you'll live alone and unhappy for life. Everyone should be courageous in love." ~Pikazoom (I made this up on the spot. If you'd like to add words of wisdom to his calendar, put it in a review! ^_^) Yami stared at it. Pikazoom...what a weird alias... (*chases her muses for adding in that part*) Shaking his head, he started to lower himself into his wheelchair.
~~~~
"How's it feel to be free of your casts?" Seto asked.
"Great!" Yami smiled, waving his free arm around to prove his joy. Seto had stopped by to visit. While Yami's dreams quickly resurfaced at the sight of the teen, he did a good job of hiding the red in his cheeks.
"Think you can lug that wheelchair around yourself?" Seto asked.
"W-why?" Yami countered. Did Seto not want to be around him?
The brunette shrugged. "You should exercise your arms more. Don't think you can get lazy on me!" he said, smirking at him.
"Lazy?!" Yami pouted. "I'll show you lazy!" The crimson-eyed boy pushed himself around until he made a complete crooked circle around the room...with much difficulty, mind you.
"Yeah, sure. Like you're not sweating right now from your effort," Seto teased.
Yami frowned and lunged himself right out of the chair at Seto. His left leg was out of the cast too, so he could stand on it...if he had the strength, that is. His heavily out-of-practice leg gave out on him, and started to fall.
"Daijoubu ka? (Are you alright?)" Seto asked. This was a...rather strange position they were in. It looked like they were hugging each other. Yami's face burned into Seto's chest.
"I'm fine..." he replied, his voice being muffled by the brunette's shirt.
"Eh...sorry," Seto apologized.
"It's alright," Yami replied, tightening his grip on Seto's blue button-up. "It was...my fault."
"..." Seto said nothing as Yami finally managed to pull himself away. The brunette stood up, holding a blushing Yami, and lowered the crimson-eyed teen back into his wheelchair.
"So..." Seto started, trying to break another awkward moment, "have you dueled anyone yet?"
"A-ah. Yeah," Yami stuttered out.
"That's good. The tournament's only a month away," the brunette commented.
"Yeah. So, what are the chances I'll duel you?" the crimson-eyed teen asked.
"It depends on how many duelists go to the tournament."
"Ah. Do you...really think I have a chance?" Yami questioned, turning to face Seto, even though he was sure it was beet red.
"Of course. Everyone has potential. Even the newbies. Especially the newbies," Seto answered, giving no sign that Yami was still blushing.
"Especially? What makes you say that?"
"Newbies are the ones who perservere the most because they feel they have to prove to the other duelists that they belong in the dueling arena."
"...Was that...how you felt at first?" Yami asked.
"Hn," Seto nodded. "I had been really nervous, but Mokuba said he'd cheer for me the whole time, and I didn't want to let him down."
"Will you cheer for me?" Yami thought out loud. His eyes widened when he'd realized he'd verbalized it. "I mean-I-un-"
"Of course I'll cheer for you," Seto smiled at him. Yami's heart fluttered.
"I-I'll cheer for you too then," the wheelchair-bound teen replied.
"Good. I'd be sad if my best friend didn't root for me."
Yami grinned. It was the first time Seto said they were best friends.
"Well, I should go. My boss is letting me work overtime, so I can get paid more. See you later!" Seto waved before exiting.
"Ja...(see you)" Yami said. "Everyone has potential. Even the newbies. Especially the newbies," the crimson-eyed boy repeated to himself. Between the words of wisdom and his friend's confidence in him, he was sure he'd try his best!
A/N: Yami angst is next.
Yami: WHAT?!
Pikazoom: Yup! Just wait till I write it!
Yami/Yugi: O_O We don't want to know.
Next chapter: Life for Yami turns upside-down. What happened?
Yami/Yugi: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Pikazoom: Disclaim, my muses!
Yami/Yugi: She owns Yu-gi-oh! ^_^
Pikazoom: Are you trying to get me sued?!
Yami: Yup!
Pikazoom: Grrrrrrrrr.do it right! *whacks them*
Yami/Yugi: She doesn't own Yu-gi-oh
To my reviewers:
Kat: ^_^ Your welcome! I'm enjoying writng this. *hands her an inflatable Seto floaty thing*
Amethyst Sin and Yami Phiona: What an...interesting plot idea... *speechlessly hands them two inflatable Seto floaty thingies*
Yami Tenchi: Oh sorry *sweatdrops* I guess I just took it the wrong way! I'm so sorry. ; . ; *gives them an inflatable Seto floaty thingy*
Yami27: Hmmm...yes, there will be angst and depression. ^.^ (Yami: O_O) *hands them an inflatable Seto floaty thingy*
Beverly: You'd kill me? *runs, but throws her an inflatable Seto floaty thingy*
Animefan: *is glomped and falls over* Thanks, but Yami is a bit upset cause his hair was messed up O_o *gives her an inflatable Seto floaty thingy.
Kaiba-fan: Yay! I'm glad you like my story! *gives them an inflatable Seto floaty thingy*
Take the floaty thingy to the beach, and glomp them as the tide carries you helplessly away.
Crippled Chapter 5: History
"No."
Yami said nothing as Seto wheeled him away from the stunned girl.
"Why did yo-"
"I have no desire to by one of them," Seto interrupted the shorter boy. He'd turned down another stereotypical popular girl's attempt to get him to sit at their table.
It had taken only hours for the news to get around. Ryu the Dragon Master was at their school! Even without his contacts to conceal his true identity, the cold stare and absolutely gorgeous face was hard to miss...as long as those dorky glasses were off. Suddenly, everybody decided that the total bishie was popular! Everyone tried to talk to him, get autographs, and many other things. The girls came up to the handsome brunette, had a one-sided conversation with him, and walked away giggling. It made Yami want to hurl and strangle them at the same time.
It was lunch time now. The bully didn't come around, but the popular girls did. They squealed and begged him to sit at their table. They all gave him false smiles and tried to show off their figure. Seto simply gave them a "no" and wheeled Yami over to their regular seats. Most of them were in shock, but a few sat at his table instead. Ryou was blushing madly. He wasn't used to so many people, much less girls, crowding around the table. Yami was very irritated by the high-pitched giggles, and he was sure Seto had a frustration mark appearing on his head.
A couple of guys appeared at the table as well. Some wanted to look cool, but other guys, as well as a couple girls, asked for help on constructing and improving their decks. Seto was willing to answer those questions. It became apparent to Yami that the brunette encouraged the appearance of good duelists in the arena. The celebrity must not care whether his title was overthrown or not.
Skipping to the end of school, Yami was suprised when a news reporter appeared in front of them. He watched in confusion as the reporter straighened her blouse and commanded the cameraman to start rolling. The lady began to question him, asking about many different topics. Seto said as little as he possibly could. In such a relatively inactive place such as Domino, finding a celebrity was big news! Yami didn't listen to what the lady said, but when she was done, some other people came up to them. He looked down. The interviewers were totally ignoring him anyway.
"So, is this some kind of community service?" one man had the audacity to ask.
"Hn?" Seto and Yami said, throughly confused.
"This disabled boy." the man pointed at Yami. "Are you pushing him around for community service?"
Yami lowered him head and his fists clenched together tightly in his lap. There was nothing he'd rather do more than punch the obnoxious guy...except maybe go home and cry at his public embarassment. Now everyone would know he was a freak...
Seto clenched the handles of the wheelchair. He gave the man a cold gaze and said, "This isn't community service. This is my friend. No more questions please." The brunette shoved passed everyone and went on their usual route.
"Don't listen to him Yami," Seto said simply.
Yami's head spun around, tears flying from his eyes. "Am I really so horrible?! So horrible that everyone seems to force themselves to look at me?!"
"...I'd prefer to look at you than any of my fangirls," Seto replied after a silence, looking away. Yami thought he saw a slight blush through his clouded vision.
"A-a," Yami said, flustered. Did he really mean that, or was he just trying to be nice? Seto didn't seem to be the kind to lie, but he did look away... "Uh...thanks," replying to him with the only thing he could come up with.
"So...uh..." he started, changing the awkward subject. "Can you...help me make a deck? I'll buy my own cards and everything!" he exclaimed. He would feel guilty if Seto gave him anymore gifts...
"Sure," the cobalt-eyed teen said, sounding a bit...relieved? Was he glad that the subject was changed as well? "I'll help you on Saturday, okay?" Yami nodded in response.
"Oh!" The crimson-eyed boy suddenly exclaimed. "But not until after 3. I'm going to the doctor. Is that alright?"
"That's fine. I have to work anyway."
"Eh?! But school forbids jobs! (Schools in Japan normally don't let them have jobs...it supposedly interferes with studies)" Yami shouted.
Seto raised an eyebrow. "I got special permission. I live alone with Mokuba after all."
"Y-you do?" The tri-colored haired teen asked. He didn't know that! Seto simply nodded.
"My parents died a long time ago." Yami winced. He felt like he'd brought up another uncomfortable subject.
"I-I'm sorry," he apologized.
"It's fine. It was...when I was a kid...." he started. Yami listened as Seto began to tell him what happened.
"I was five when my mother died. She had died giving birth to Mokuba. I remember crying in my room for a day or so. I wouldn't eat anything, When I came out, the first thing I saw was Father with Mokuba. And I hated him. I hated my little brother. I blamed him for my mother's death. Every time I saw him, I glared at him, telling how ugly he was and things like that. However, he never understood me. For every insult and harsh glare, he gave me a laugh and smile. I found myself feeling...guilty. He hadn't actually done anything wrong, and I scorned him. I went over to Mokuba, and the first thing he did was smile and reach out for me, like he wanted me to accept him and reality. I took his hand and hugged him for the first time. I remember Father telling me though we had our memories, Mokuba and I were the last physical trace of Mother and that I should cherish him as well as myself. So I cherished him and protected him."
Despite being a guy, Yami felt like crying at that story. It was so...heartfelt. He could hear Seto's emotions in his voice, proving his sincerity. It must've been hard to experience it...but even harder to talk about it.
"When I was about 8, my father was hit by a drunken driver. Dead at the scene from head trauma, that's what the police told me. I was shipped off with Mokuba to live with relatives. They took our inheritance and left us at an orphanage. It was there I promised Mokuba that I'd let him live a good life so that one day he wouldn't have to move around anymore. We were eventually adopted by Gozaburo Kaiba. At first we thought he was alright and we would happy again, but as soon as the social service was gone, he would come home drunk. He beat me all the time, but I always hid it from innocent Mokuba. He even tried to rape me once, but he passed out before he could catch me. When I was thirteen, a police officer said that our foster father had died from drinking too much alcohol at once. Afterward, I took custody of Mokuba and got a job to support us. I go to the Duel Monster tournaments to win additional money."
Yami felt his eyes water. The crimson-eyed teen rubbed at his eyes. How could someone so kind go through such trauma? He felt so sorry for Seto. He'd been forced to act as an adult as well as a parent at such a young age. The only good part about his story was that things seemed to have mellowed out around Seto's life.
"Don't cry," Seto told him, handing him a hankerchief from behind Yami. "If I hadn't gone through that, then maybe I would've been some arrogant, rich kid. (If you only knew, my OOC/AU Seto...)" Yami was surprised at his optimism but said nothing. They picked up Mokuba and nothing more was said about the topic.
~~~
"Really?!" Yami said very excitedly.
"Yup. You can get your casts all off in a month," the doctor replied. Yami gave a huge grin. He could have his casts off in time for the tournament! Speaking of which...
Sugoroku Mutou was pushing his eldest grandson out of the hospital in his wheelchair when the teenager spoke.
"Oi...Jiichan?" Yami asked timidly.
"Yes? What is it?" The grandfather asked.
"Well, is it okay if I go to that upcoming Duel Monsters tournament?" he asked hopefully.
Sugoroku gave it some thought. His casts would be off in time...but he would miss a week of school. But then again, he knew his grandson had been going through a hard time at school. The tournament might make him feel more like a normal teenager again.
"Seto's going! PLEEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSEEEEEEEEEEEE?!" Yami pratically whined, sensing his grandfather was torn.
Sugoroku sighed. "Sure you can go. But wait, you don't have a deck!"
"I knew I forgot something..." Yami sweatdropped. "I'll pay for my cards though!" he insisted. He had lots of money at home! He'd been planning to buy a new pair of leather pants-the washer had kind of pummeled his last one-but oh well. That can wait.
"Of course. But my grandkids get a discount!" the grandfather exclaimed.
"Great!" Yami grinned ear to ear.
When they got home, Yami shelled out enough money for 15 packs...that was 75 cards. After being rolled to his room, he vigorously pulled at the wrapper, trying to get it to open.
"Need help?" a voice laughed as the owner snatched the pack Yami was holding out of his hands.
"Yeah...a little," Yami told Seto sheepishly. The taller teenager sat down on the bed and opened the card pack Yami had been holding.
"Black Magician...Rage of the Sea King..." Seto continued to read off all the cards Yami had recieved. Afterward, he gave some deck construction guidelines, and let Yami contruct the deck on his own.
"Not even just a little help?" Yami asked, just a little unsure of what he was picking.
"Nope. It wouldn't be fair to know what cards were in your deck, ne?" was the reply. Yami pouted but silently agreed.
During construction, they talked about numerous subjects. Tv shows...manga...things like that.
"Oh yeah! I get all my casts off in a month! Isn't that great?!" Yami exclaimed.
"Yeah. And then you can open all your cards yourself," Seto joked. Yami frowned and whacked him with the pillow on his bed playfully. However, Yami lost his balance in the process and fell over...right into Seto's chest.
'He smells good...' Yami thought, getting a small whiff, feeling the soft cotton of the black shirt and the muscles underneath. The brunette smelled like spices in a popourri (Is that how you spell it? Do they even put spices in those?!). Suddenly, he realized what he was doing. His cheeks burning, Yami pushed himself up right with his right arm and backed away a few inches. What was he doing?! Sniffing his best friend like a dog?!
"SORRY!" Yami yelled out, breathing very erratic. What was going on? His heart was pounding at the speed of light!
"It's okay," Seto calmly replied. Yami punched himself a couple times to try to get rid of the red in his cheeks and then turned around. Was Seto...blushing? There was a faint glow of red in his cheeks, and he was scratching his head sheepishly.
"Well," the cobalt-eyed teen started, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "it's getting late. I should go."
"A-a," Yami agreed, but he silently wished that Seto could stay.
"I'd recommend dueling some people tomorrow. Maybe duelists coming by the store. It's good practice," the cobalt-eyed teen said before walking out the door. Yami stared after him, a light blush re-lighting his cheeks. Sighing, he leaned back into his chair and looked at his deck. When he looked at his cards, he thought about Seto. He bit his lip as he felt his cheeks burn.
It was strange really. He thought a lot about Seto...more than anything or anyone else. When Seto was next to him, he wondered about what the handsome teen thought about. When the brunette was gone, he wondered what the blue-eyed duelist was doing. Yami shook off his thoughts and pulled out the Blue Eyes from his dresser drawer. Should he put this in his deck? Shaking his head, he put it back in. It was a symbol of Seto and Yami's friendship. He'd hate to use it against Seto.
'Seto...I wonder what you're doing...' Yami thought.
~~~a month later~~~
"Oi! Seto! What are you doing here?" Yami asked, running up to him (yes, running). Seto placed his hands on Yami's waist and pushed him down onto the ground.
"To see you," he replied, smiling. The cobalt-eyed teen leaned his face closer until.....
Yami shot up out of the bed. Why was he dreaming like this? It wasn't the first time. The first time Seto held his hand. The next, he hugged him. The time after that, he held him close. He'd had dreams like this for the last two weeks.
Yami looked in the mirror on the nightstand next to him. His cheeks were red like tomatoes! And no wonder...he'd woken up blushing after every dream. Oh, and sometimes some other uncomfortable things too...but no one needs to know about that (*cough*).
He looked at the pocket calendar on his nightstand. Tearing off the page from the last day, he smiled excitedly. He was getting his casts off today! He looked at the phrase on the calendar quickly. They were words of wisdom. "If you don't find your soulmate, you'll live alone and unhappy for life. Everyone should be courageous in love." ~Pikazoom (I made this up on the spot. If you'd like to add words of wisdom to his calendar, put it in a review! ^_^) Yami stared at it. Pikazoom...what a weird alias... (*chases her muses for adding in that part*) Shaking his head, he started to lower himself into his wheelchair.
~~~~
"How's it feel to be free of your casts?" Seto asked.
"Great!" Yami smiled, waving his free arm around to prove his joy. Seto had stopped by to visit. While Yami's dreams quickly resurfaced at the sight of the teen, he did a good job of hiding the red in his cheeks.
"Think you can lug that wheelchair around yourself?" Seto asked.
"W-why?" Yami countered. Did Seto not want to be around him?
The brunette shrugged. "You should exercise your arms more. Don't think you can get lazy on me!" he said, smirking at him.
"Lazy?!" Yami pouted. "I'll show you lazy!" The crimson-eyed boy pushed himself around until he made a complete crooked circle around the room...with much difficulty, mind you.
"Yeah, sure. Like you're not sweating right now from your effort," Seto teased.
Yami frowned and lunged himself right out of the chair at Seto. His left leg was out of the cast too, so he could stand on it...if he had the strength, that is. His heavily out-of-practice leg gave out on him, and started to fall.
"Daijoubu ka? (Are you alright?)" Seto asked. This was a...rather strange position they were in. It looked like they were hugging each other. Yami's face burned into Seto's chest.
"I'm fine..." he replied, his voice being muffled by the brunette's shirt.
"Eh...sorry," Seto apologized.
"It's alright," Yami replied, tightening his grip on Seto's blue button-up. "It was...my fault."
"..." Seto said nothing as Yami finally managed to pull himself away. The brunette stood up, holding a blushing Yami, and lowered the crimson-eyed teen back into his wheelchair.
"So..." Seto started, trying to break another awkward moment, "have you dueled anyone yet?"
"A-ah. Yeah," Yami stuttered out.
"That's good. The tournament's only a month away," the brunette commented.
"Yeah. So, what are the chances I'll duel you?" the crimson-eyed teen asked.
"It depends on how many duelists go to the tournament."
"Ah. Do you...really think I have a chance?" Yami questioned, turning to face Seto, even though he was sure it was beet red.
"Of course. Everyone has potential. Even the newbies. Especially the newbies," Seto answered, giving no sign that Yami was still blushing.
"Especially? What makes you say that?"
"Newbies are the ones who perservere the most because they feel they have to prove to the other duelists that they belong in the dueling arena."
"...Was that...how you felt at first?" Yami asked.
"Hn," Seto nodded. "I had been really nervous, but Mokuba said he'd cheer for me the whole time, and I didn't want to let him down."
"Will you cheer for me?" Yami thought out loud. His eyes widened when he'd realized he'd verbalized it. "I mean-I-un-"
"Of course I'll cheer for you," Seto smiled at him. Yami's heart fluttered.
"I-I'll cheer for you too then," the wheelchair-bound teen replied.
"Good. I'd be sad if my best friend didn't root for me."
Yami grinned. It was the first time Seto said they were best friends.
"Well, I should go. My boss is letting me work overtime, so I can get paid more. See you later!" Seto waved before exiting.
"Ja...(see you)" Yami said. "Everyone has potential. Even the newbies. Especially the newbies," the crimson-eyed boy repeated to himself. Between the words of wisdom and his friend's confidence in him, he was sure he'd try his best!
A/N: Yami angst is next.
Yami: WHAT?!
Pikazoom: Yup! Just wait till I write it!
Yami/Yugi: O_O We don't want to know.
Next chapter: Life for Yami turns upside-down. What happened?