Smile

Part Two

by Lethe

Chapter Eighteen: We Shall Not Be Separated

         Day three, and Seto and Yami were burned out.

         "Rest!" was the exclamation of Honda, Jou, Mokuba, Shizuka, and Anzu.

         "Must… win…" gasped Yami.  His fingers twitched as he tried to get up. 

         "No," said Anzu forcefully.  She sat on his back and forced his arms down.  "You will stay right here and not get up."

         Mokuba and Shizuka grinned and looked over at Jou, as though they expected him to do the same to Seto.  He shook his head, with a silent, He'd kill me!  They giggled.

         Seto's eyes closed tightly as he concentrated all of his energy on moving his hand.  "Just… a few inches more…" he whispered, reaching out.  His index finger brushed the die, and he finally managed to extend his arm far enough to grab it.  He then dropped it.

         Honda looked at the die.  "Three," he said.

         "Move… my piece…" said Seto to Jou pleadingly. 

         "Jeez," said Jou.  "This isn't a life or death thing, you know."  He picked up Seto's piece and moved it forward three spaces.  "One more point and you win, Seto.  Here's the question…" Jou plucked a trivia card from the box.  He read the card silently and began laughing.

         "With three thousand Attack and twenty-five hundred Defense, this Duel Monster is virtually invincible."

         "No fair!" cried Yami, as Seto shouted the answer.  

         "The Blue-Eyes White Dragon!  I win!"  He leapt to his feet and began performing his own peculiar brand of the Victory Dance.  "In your face, kid!  Who's the King of Games now?!"

         "What did you say to me?!" said Yami, bounding up – much to Anzu's dismay – and prodding Seto's chest.  "Who exactly beat you a million times over in Twister?"

         "I don't know, but it certainly wasn't you!" laughed Seto exuberantly.

         "How'd they get so hyper all of a sudden?" whispered Honda to Jou.  Jonouchi shrugged and grinned at Honda.  Then his smile faded.

         "Honda… follow me outside for a moment." 

         "All right," complied Honda.  The rest of the group was so involved in Seto and Yami's argument that they didn't even notice.

         "Look," said Honda once they were on the front porch.  "I'm sorry, okay?  It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, and… well… it won't happen again."

         "It had better not," said Jonouchi lightly.  "You're my best friend, you know."  The words behind his words, that Honda heard without hearing – I'm sorry too.  I really do like Seto.  Please don't be upset.

         "Yeah." I know.  Don't worry about it, I'm fine.

         "Why didn't you ever tell me… before?"

         "I dunno.  I guess I figured you liked Mai or something," Honda said with a sigh.

         Jou choked.  "Mai?!  What gave you that impression?"

         "Well, I know she liked you," said Honda brightly. 

         Jou was tempted to start hitting his head on the door.  "And you didn't tell me because…?!"

         "Er, I thought you knew?"

         "She told me… after Yugi's party," said Jou.  "Damn it."

         "…I see.  You're quite the ladies' man, aren't you?" said Honda.  

         Jou raised an eyebrow.  "Only if you and Kaiba consider yourselves ladies."

         Honda laughed at that, and then looked at Jou.  "What are you going to do after this, anyway?"

         "Hm?"

         "I mean… are you going to college?"

         "Hm," repeated Jonouchi thoughtfully.  "Seto asked me too, but I'm still not sure.   What about you?"

         Honda smiled.  "I'm going to become a psychiatrist so I can help the lot of you."

         "You sound like Bakura," laughed Jou.

         "Well, it's what I want to do."

         "That's cool…" said Jou.  "At least you have a dream.  Me?  Mine pretty much ended after I didn't need to protect Shizuka any more, I think…  I don't know what I want."

         "You'll figure it out," said Honda.

         "Yeah, that's what Seto said."

         "And he's right."  Honda patted Jonouchi's shoulder.  "You will.  What do you say we go inside before your boyfriend gets suspicious, huh?"

         "Thanks, Honda."

         "Any time, bud."

         Then Jonouchi paused.  "Hey, Honda?"

         "Yeah?"

         "What do you think of Otogi?"

         Honda stopped in his tracks and blinked at Jonouchi. 

He then shook his head and grinned.  "I know!  Let's see if we can get everybody to go to the pool!"

         An all-too-detailed image of Seto in a swimsuit traced along Jonouchi's eyelids.  "What are we waiting for?!"

         "Last one there's a-"

         And Jou was through the door before Honda could finish.