Yu-Gi-Oh!
Than Anyone Else
By Lucky_Ladybug
Notes: The characters aren't mine and the story is! This is a birthday gift for Azalea542. It's post-series, written with the Comfortember prompt Afraid to Ask for Help.
Mai still loved riding her motorcycle. She had never thought that would be her vehicle of choice, but it had given her a sense of freedom and joy that even her convertible hadn't. She just wished she had discovered it at some other point in her life. The downside of riding her motorcycle was that she could never do so without thinking about Dartz and the Orichalcos, and what she had done to Joey.
How had it all gone so wrong? She still didn't have the answers. All she had really wanted was to catch up to Joey, to be on his level, and the Orichalcos had twisted it into something ugly, making her willing to do anything to be as good at Duel Monsters as Joey, even if that meant stealing his soul when she won.
She still wasn't on his level. Far from it. As far as she was concerned, Joey had been the true winner in their fateful duel.
For so long she had wandered, seeking some meaning in her life and a way to redeem herself for all she had done and caused. Finally she had realized that no amount of victories in the duel ring would ever take away the emptiness in her heart and soul. She had returned to Domino and had made her peace with Joey. Only then had she started to feel whole again at last. She lived in town now, and was currently riding her motorcycle up and down the various streets.
True freedom at last.
The sudden, grinding pop was an unpleasant surprise. Immediately she threw on the brakes before the bike could throw her. She still fell over in the grass when it stopped and tipped over with her. A cry of frustration tore from her lips.
She was up again right away, examining the damage and cursing her bad luck. It didn't look like something that could be repaired here. She would either have to call a tow truck or wheel it back home.
. . . Or call someone with a truck.
Yugi's grandfather had one. Joey sometimes drove it to run errands. That would be the most logical solution. Cheaper too. But . . . after all she had done, she hated to bother Joey about something like this.
Maybe it was pride too. She liked to get things done herself, without relying on others. It was hard to break old habits like that. She still wasn't used to the fact that if she needed help, she just had to call and one to six or more people would show up to aid her. It felt so unnatural.
She frowned. She really wasn't that close to home by now. It would be a long walk. And tow trucks usually took forever in a day to actually show up. Just thinking of those problems, calling a friend was still the most logical solution.
Sighing, she took out her phone and dialed Joey's number.
It wasn't long and he answered. "Hello?"
Mai put on her best smile. Smiles actually could be heard over the phone, after all. "Hi, Joey," she said, sounding as casual as possible.
Joey promptly perked up. "Mai!" He beamed. "What's up?"
"Well . . . do you possibly have Mr. Muto's truck today?" Mai asked.
"No, but I can get it!" Joey chirped. "You need it?"
"I was out riding and my motorcycle had a heart attack," Mai admitted. "I need to get it home so I can fix it."
"Oh man, that's not cool," Joey said. "Sure, just tell me where you are and I'll be right out! I'm at the Game Shop anyway, so it should only be a few minutes!"
Mai had to smile. Of course Joey was at the Game Shop. He and Yugi were thicker than thieves. She gave him the street name and the address of the nearest house and she could hear him calling to Yugi and Solomon in the background. "Hey, Gramps! I've gotta have the truck for a few minutes. Mai needs help with her motorcycle!"
Solomon called back in the affirmative and told him where the keys were.
"Okay, Mai, I'm on my way!" Joey told her.
"Thanks, Joey," Mai said. She hung up and continued to inspect the damage while she waited. By the time she heard the truck coming up the street, she was pretty sure what needed to be done. She looked up, smiling as Joey parked and hurried out. "That was quick."
"I told you it would be!" Joey grinned. He lowered the ramp in the back while Mai got the motorcycle upright and wheeled it towards the truck. Getting it onboard was easy enough, and the safety straps were soon holding it in place. Mai went around to get in the cab.
Joey leaped in on the driver's side and started the engine. "So, you said you were gonna fix it when we get it home?" he said in some surprise.
"That's right," Mai said. She smirked a bit. "You didn't think I knew how? Pretty much if you own one of these things, you have to know how to fix it yourself."
"I guess," Joey said. He hesitated. "Did Valon teach you?"
That sobered her a bit. "Some," she admitted. "But I insisted on figuring most of it out myself."
"That sounds like you," Joey said. "The Mai I met in Duelist Kingdom would've hated getting her hands dirty. You've changed a lot since then."
"Not always in good ways," Mai remarked.
Joey sobered too. "Hey, no one changes in good ways all the time," he said. "Overall, though, yeah, you've changed good. You've been even better since you came back here."
Mai smiled a bit. "Really, Joey?"
"Really," Joey insisted. "Sure, you made mistakes, but you decided to own up to them and try to move past them. Coming back here was the way to do that, not goin' all around out there hanging with people like Vivian Wong."
That brought a smirk. "Vivian was . . . a case."
"I can think of a whole lot more words for her, most of them a lot less flattering," Joey said. "You're in a totally different class from her."
Mai smiled more. She had definitely decided that being with Vivian was not improving her situation, even though at least Vivian was a talented Duelist.
Joey pulled into her driveway. "Here we are! So, uh . . . you want any help fixing this thing or have you got it covered?"
"I can manage," Mai said. But as she started to get out, she paused. "Would you like to learn what to do, Joey?"
"Me?" Joey blinked. "You mean you'd teach me?"
"Sure, why not," Mai said. "One good turn deserves another." That, plus she found the idea of being here alone to work on the problem was scarcely appealing after having had some very welcome company for the last few minutes.
Joey grinned. "I'm up for that! Let's get 'er down and we can get started!"
Mai wasn't sure Joey was really that interested in motorcycles. But he did genuinely want to stay, so she smiled and went around to unhook the bike and roll it down the ramp.
The next hours were interesting. Mai tied her hair back and worked on the problem, with Joey handing her tools as she explained each step. She once wouldn't have had the patience for that any more than Joey would have had the patience to listen. But being there together sharing their time felt so . . . good somehow. It was nice not being alone, and Joey was helpful as well as enjoyable company. By the time she leaned back after tightening the final bolt, she felt fulfilled and uplifted. It was an amazing feeling.
"Is it done?" Joey asked.
"All done," Mai said. "Now, I'd like to go inside and get cleaned up." She paused. "How would you feel about going out for something to eat afterwards?"
"Sounds great to me!" Joey said. "You know I'm always up for food!"
"That's what I thought," Mai smirked. "Okay, you can either wait or come back in thirty minutes or so."
". . . I should probably come back," Joey realized. "I mean, I should probably get into somethin' a little fancier if we're going out to dinner."
Mai smiled a bit. "I wasn't thinking of anywhere with a dress code. You're fine the way you are."
"Really?" Joey grinned, pleased at that. ". . . I think I'll change anyway, though. I'm probably dusty and greasy from handing you things, even though you did all the real work."
"Okay, Joey. I'll see you in a bit." Mai paused. "Thanks again."
"Nah, thank you, Mai," Joey said. "I wasn't sure what to think about learning about motorcycles, but I've really enjoyed it. It was more fun with you than it would've been with anyone else." He gave her a thumbs-up. "I'll see you soon!"
He headed back to the truck.
Mai paused, watching him drive off before heading for the house. His words echoed around her.
More fun with you than anyoneelse.
She smiled again. Yeah . . . that was how she felt too.