DISCLAIMER: God, why do I have to always start with these damn things…* curses * Anyway, Yugi-oh and all its characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. If us yaoi fangirls actually owned the thing, well…* smirks * ^__^
NOTE/S: I am so pleasantly shocked to find out that this story has gotten so much positive reviews over the last few days. Thank you so much! You guys rock! Also, special mention goes out to corn3ts for being my inspiration, and to DreamingChild for being such a faithful reviewer. * glomps * Well, this story is gonna get pretty complicated soon, so you all better watch out for that. Enjoy!
COME UNDONE: And unknowingly got themselves
"Eugh. I so hate this crappy uniform." Malik grumbled loudly, fingering the black tie around his pristine white uniform's collar. Next, he pretended to dust off some imaginary dirt on his black slacks. Ryou, who was walking beside him, sighed wearily.
"Malik, there is absolutely no reason to hate our uniform. It's better than some of those blazers that the other schools make their students wear."
"Who asked for your opinion?" Malik bit back quite nastily. "And besides, it makes me look fat and unattractive." His voice became vaguely pained as his free hand tried to smoothen out the creases of the uniform, to no avail.
Realizing that he was never in a million years going to win in this kind of argument with his figure and fashion-conscious best friend, Ryou walked a few steps faster and reached the classroom door earlier than the other boy. Looking around, he wasn't surprised to find out that only three people were currently in the room, namely Yugi Mutou, Seto Kaiba and Katsuya Jounouchi. It was, after all, still ten minutes until the first bell would ring. He smiled slightly, waving at the three.
"Good morning, Yugi-kun, Kaiba-san, Jou-kun."
Yugi, a rather petite boy with the strangest tri-colored hair and the cutest indigo eyes, waved back at him cheerily, saying "Good morning, Ryou-kun!". Jou, a sort of foreign-mixed Japanese beauty, with his sunshine blond tresses and dark eyes, smiled at him and copied Yugi's actions. Seto, a handsome brunette billionaire ( why he chose to study at a middle-class private school, he had no idea ) acknowledged him with a single nod.
Out of the three of them, Ryou had always been most fond of Yugi. His smiles ( and hair ) always managed to cheer the silver-haired boy up. Lately though, Yugi seemed to be getting these weird black marks under his eyes, and red spots on various sides of his neck. Malik, ever the malicious one, suspected those to be eyebugs from lack of sleep ( read: too much dancing of the horizontal mambo ) and the red marks to be love bites from a certain special someone. But Ryou was quick to disprove that theory, since it didn't seem that Yugi was currently seeing someone.
Or maybe he was…
But the idea of Yugi dating anyone was absurd. Yugi was so little, and looked so innocent…
"Oi, Ryou, you spaced out or something?" The rambunctious bass that was Jou's voice reached his ears. Said boy blinked, suddenly feeling a bit disoriented, and slowly shook his head.
"Sorry. I was just… thinking."
"Is the blond slut going to be absent today?" Seto's calm tenor pushed into his mind, grinding his thoughts to a sudden halt.
"Hey, I'm right here, you dolt!" Jou screamed indignantly.
"I was talking about the other blond slut, koinu." Seto narrowed his eyes at Jou, obviously not pleased with being called a dolt.
Jou's cheeks turned red still. "I'm not your damn dog, so stop calling me that… Wait, are you implying that I'm a slut, Seto?" He ground out, a fist clenching at his side.
Seto smirked. "Only for me you are."
Jou rolled his eyes. "Whatever, genius."
"Malik? Absent? What're you talking about? Isn't he… here?" Ryou interrupted, understanding that Seto was talking about Malik. He trailed off, looking around the room and realizing for the first time that Malik wasn't there with them. "Where could he possibly run off to? We were walking together, for God's sake!" He said, throwing both arms into the air and looking exasperatedly at the ceiling wall as if to ask "Why me?"
As if on cue, Malik came rushing into the room, muttering profuse apologies under his breath. He looked up, then blinked as he saw the four people currently inside the room. "Uhh… Kaitou-sensei not here yet?"
" 'Fraid so, Ishtar." Jou said, smiling amusedly.
"Damnit! I said sorry for nothing!" Yugi and Jou laughed, Seto shook his head and Ryou frowned disapprovingly.
"Malik, what took you so long?"
The lavender-eyed boy wrinkled his nose, running a hand through his silky, pale blond hair. "Ah, I ran into Kenji-kun. He wanted to sleep with me again, I think." At this, he flipped his hair back, snorting. "Like I'd ever let him do me again. I can find other guys who can do better blowjobs than him. Like the one I met—"
Yugi blushed, as did Jou. Seto looked for all the world like an alien who just landed on Earth. Ryou felt his cheeks turning into a fine shade of cherry red that matched Yugi and Jou's own.
"What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?"
"We don't need information about your supposedly exciting sex life, slut." Seto threw back at him teasingly.
"Oh, yes, I suppose an asshole such as yourself wouldn't find the need to."
"Okay, break it up, you guys." Yugi interjected. "Any minute now, the bell's gonna ring, and our classmates are going to come swarming in here." True to his words, the bell did ring after just a few seconds, and their classmates did come in hurriedly in disheveled lines.
They all settled themselves into their designated seats, taking out their Geometry books. Any minute now, their teacher was going to come in, and they all straightened their backs, preparing.
Any minute now…
"What the hell is taking the old man so long?" Malik whispered to Ryou, who was sitting beside him.
"Shut up and wait." Seto, who was unfortunately on Malik's other side, snapped.
Ten minutes passed. They still didn't have any teacher. Some of their classmates had already been goofing around, flying paper airplanes and throwing some spitballs at each other's backs. In the middle of all the action though, they all heard heavy footsteps that could only belong to the principal. In the blink of an eye, all traces of play were hidden, and only work was left.
The principal entered the room stiffly, his glass-hidden eyes flitting around the room in observation. He turned his head towards the door and gestured for another one to come inside. Needless to say, everyone was more than surprised that it wasn't their middle-aged teacher Kaitou-sensei, but an extremely drop-dead gorgeous young man who was possibly only a few years older than them.
No one noticed Yugi drop his pen or his jaw work downwards. No one noticed it since they were too busy gaping at the newcomer.
"He looks a lot like Yugi-kun…" Ryou murmured, taking note of the spiky, golden blond bangs framing a raven black mane tipped with specks of dark red. The eyes though were more well-defined and piercing with its dark ruby color and slanted shape. And his body was, to say the least, a lot more well-developed than Yugi's. Let's just say that everyone was staring and… yeah. You get the idea.
"He does not look like Yugi! Yugi is a little pipsqueak! Do you think that this gorgeous specimen of manhood is a pipsqueak? I don't think so!" Malik hissed back.
Ryou frowned, giving Malik an 'are-you-blind-or-just-stupid' look. "You can't deny the resemblance, though."
"It's only the hair! And a little bit of the face and eyes, but other than that, they're as different as night and day! Good and Evil! Batman and Robin!"
Ryou rolled his eyes, giving up. Malik's logic was just too perfect to argue with.
To top it off, they all noticed that the teacher was wearing tight, black tank top under his leather jacket. Almost more than half of the class suddenly squirmed in their seats, including Malik and Ryou.
The principal cleared his throat. "I'm afraid that your teacher, Makoto Kaitou, has transferred year levels due to the sudden absence of the sophomore Algebra teacher. So, we have here a new student-teacher from the prestigious Tokyo University to take over." The class suddenly murmured amongst themselves. Everyone knew that Tokyo University only handled the best of the best, and a student-teacher this young was almost unusual.
"He to be some sorta genius or something. Like you, Seto." Jou remarked, glancing sharply at the brunette beside him.
"Hn."
"Introduce yourself please." The principal said to the new teacher, who nodded.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Yami Nahoshi, and I'll be your teacher until Kaitou-san comes back." He greeted them in a deep, sexy baritone, smiling widely. "I hope we'll all get along well." After that, the principal said something to Yami, and left. After that, he turned back to them.
Ryou noticed that Yami-sensei glanced pointedly at Yugi's direction, who was just beside Jou. He also noted the pale shade of Yugi's face, and the eyes that were widened into indefinite proportions. Ryou glanced back at Yami-sensei, and was a bit surprised to see the obvious worry in his dark ruby eyes. Did Yami-sensei and Yugi know each other?…
^^^^^^^^^^
"Okay, that's it for distinguishing and measuring planes. Tomorrow, we'll have a quiz, and on Wednesday we'll have a new lesson on triangles. Is everyone clear on that?"
"Crystal." The class responded unanimously, except for Yugi. Yami chuckled and waved good bye to all of them as they exited. Yugi was the last one in line, but before he could follow after Ryou and the others…
"Mutou-san. Could I see you for a moment?"
Jou looked back at Yugi with sympathy all over his face. "Looks like you've got a case with sensei. You want us to wait for you here?"
Yugi shook his head. "No, go on ahead. I'll catch up with you guys later." Everyone nodded in reply and took off to the cafeteria. Yugi sighed and closed the door to the class room, looking back at Yami who was sitting comfortably on top of the table.
"Yami."
"Yugi."
A sigh escaped from the smaller boy's lips. "What are you doing here?"
Yami shrugged carelessly. "I… just wanted to see you."
Yugi looked at him for a long moment. "That's not it, Yami. You want to stand guard, incase someone tries to shove drugs down my throat yet again."
Yami stared back at him, then nodded in reply. "I have people telling me that some of the notorious drug-pushers are actually in this school."
Yugi paled. "W-what? Some of them are actually in here?" Yami nodded grimly. "Are they the ones who're after you and Bakura-kun?"
"Probably. And since some of them know who you are, too, you're possibly in danger as well."
Yugi was somewhat annoyed at Yami's casual manner of speaking, like the matter at hand wasn't that serious at all. He narrowed his eyes at the older boy. "Then why exactly are you here? And don't give me that 'I want to protect you' crap. You know I can take care of myself!" Yugi half-shrieked, his voice raising a to a pitch.
Yami came down from his seat on the table and went to Yugi, who stared up at him with probing eyes. "I know you can take care of yourself, but then if you don't want me to give you my 'I want to protect you' crap, what else can I say?" Yami then put both of his lean, wiry arms around Yugi's backside and rested his forehead against Yugi's own. "I don't want to risk losing you…"
Yugi hesitated a bit before encasing his arms around Yami's neck as well. "I remember what they almost did to me, Yami. If you hadn't been there, if you hadn't saved me…" Yugi's words halted, as his voice cracked. He suddenly couldn't control the tears that came out from his eyelids, travelling a slow, tortuous path down to his cheeks. Yami pulled back a bit from their embrace and looked down at Yugi. His sweet, loving Yugi, who was in agony at that very moment.
Yami raised a hand and slowly wiped away Yugi's tears.
"Don't cry, airen, love…"
"I'm sorry for being such a coward, Yami…"
"You are not a coward, Yugi. You're the bravest person I have ever had the privilege of knowing." Yami smiled at him, cupping the other's cheek. "You saved me, too. Didn't you know?"
"Saved you? When have I ever saved you? You're always the one saving me."
Yami shook his head. "You saved me from death a lot of times by simply being there. If it hadn't been for you, I'd have to be in hell right now, atoning for my numerous sins."
"I'm… your reason for living?"
"Yes. And nothing or no one else could ever match your worth." Before Yugi could say something in return, Yami brought himself down, and kissed Yugi long and hard, almost desperately.
They didn't need any more words after that.
^^^^^^^^^^
"Finally, this day has come to an end!" Malik whooped in triumph, throwing himself headfirst onto the lower side of the bunk bed, which happened to be Ryou's. The bed squeaked as Malik bounced. One would think that he did this very often with a different kind of bouncing, if you get my drift.
"Go and destroy your own bed, Ishtar." Ryou said, putting the student's briefcase down on his desk.
Before the blond could reply with a snarky comment of his own, someone knocked on the door. "Coming, coming…" Ryou called out. He opened the door and was surprised to see the Coordinator for Student Affairs standing outside.
"Mizuki-sensei?…" He murmured, confused.
"Takahashi-san." The old woman replied in kind, smiling at him. Suddenly, she held out an envelope and gently thrust it towards Ryou. "I have here a letter that came earlier today, and it has your name on it."
Ryou blinked, then took the letter from her. "Thank you, sensei." The woman nodded before Ryou closed the door. He stared at the letter in his hand, flipping it so he could see who sent it.
"Who's it from, Ryou?" Malik asked, getting up from the bed and walking towards the other boy.
Ryou sat down on his swivel chair, and Malik leaned over his shoulder. "It's from tousan…" He mumbled absently, carefully tearing out the envelope to take out the letter inside. He unfolded it, and began to read.
He meticulously scanned the letter, noting that his father talked about almost everything. His continuous research in Egypt, his sister Amane's condition in that all-girls boarding school she went to, how his uncles, aunts and cousins were… then he reached the last part of the letter, which held a rather depressing subject. It said that the company sponsoring their archaeological dig recently underwent a bankrupt, and his father's money was growing scarce by the day. His allowance would be lessened by more than half…
And he had to work for his tuition fee or else drop-out of school.
Ryou set down the letter, staring blankly at the wall in front. He suddenly felt scared. "I've never worked before… what if I mess up?" He thought to himself. Then he turned to face Malik, who was sporting a genuine look of sympathy for him.
"I guess this means you have to find some sort of part-time job, then…" Malik said softly, putting both of his arms around Ryou's shoulders, embracing him.
"I guess so…" Ryou murmured back, leaning against Malik. "Thanks for being there for me, Malik."
"Always." Malik replied, tightening his hold.
They stayed that way for a few moments longer, until Malik suddenly blurted out an "I know where you could find a job, Ryou!"
Hope inevitably danced in Ryou's heart. "Really? Where?"
"Remember that club we went to yesterday?"
"… You've gotta be kidding me."
^^^^^^^^^^
To be continued…
This chapter had a huge Yami/Yugi fluff moment. But don't be fooled, my dears. They have a more complex relationship to be unfolded as the story goes along. This couple is more involved in this story than you may think, although they seem to be a minor one right now.
And now, a shout-out to the reviewers, just like I promised!
Reviewers for Chapter 1:
Hitokiri Chiburi: Thanks! I'm glad you liked the first chapter! ^__^
Haru-chan: I can't thank you enough for giving me your honest, thoughtful criticism. * tips hat and bows * I was innocent about the 'coke' thing until you mentioned it to me. ^^ As for Malik in hotpants…guess what? We share the same opinion. I guess Malik is a bit eccentric in this fic, and as much as I'd wanted him to be in leather pants, I thought it was a lot more common than the other option. As for the space, hmm… better check on that. The Stupid Microsoft Word sometimes plays with my mind…^___^
Celeste Rose: Thanks! I'm pleased to know that you found the first chapter to be funny ( Let me tell you the truth. That chapter was supposed to be all angsty and everything, but the more humorous side won. ) ^^
little-kat-girl: Your wish is my command! ( since you did command for me to continue ^^ ) * bows *
akuryounoseiki: * blushes * Thank you for your praise. * glomps * Yeah, I am going to put little implications of Ryou and Malik being more-than-friends-but-not-really, but it's up to the readers if they want to interpret it as strong, affectionate friendship or something more. It goes both ways, really. =)
Icy Wind: Well, I think cliffhangers are evil, too, but sometimes it adds spice to the story. ( of course, if it's overdone, everyone can just wring the writer's neck ) Thanks! ^__^
SoulDreamer: Thank you! Hope you'll keep reading! ^^
Tri: Thanks! Everyone tells me that the first one was well-written and catchy, and I hope you'll find Chapter 2 to be good as well. =3
DreamingChild: Thank you! ^__^ You're such a faithful reviewer of mine, and no words could express the happiness I feel. Many, many thanks. ^^
a-yolanda13: Ryou and Malik's relationship was a bit strange, if you ask me. But I'm glad you liked the way I portrayed it. Thanks!
AngelStarFire Hikarist: * giggles * I hope so, too. Thanks! ^^
Reviewers for Chapter 2:
little-kat-girl: You're on a sugar-high? Gah! * hides away in mom's closet * Anyway, thanks for the encouragement! ^__^ Don't get too much of Yugi's sugar stack, you never know when Yami might come after you. ( God forbid ) ^^
DreamingChild: Yes, I'm definitely going to finish this. In fact, it's all planned out already. ^^ I know poor Ryou's probably suffering some sort of mild separation anxiety from not being able to see Bakura again ( or so he thinks ). He will get his revenge, I assure you. * cue evil laughter * ^^
a-yolanda13: Yup, things really are taking shape, so you better watch out for the next one! ^__^ Thanks!
jeti-n-San: Thank you! ^^ I'm a huge fan of B/R, too, so this story would really focus on
the two of them a lot. The space at the bottom? * sigh * I really have to fix that…* sheepish grin *
Maruken: Kinky? O__o * excuse Scarlet for she is currently thinking about thoughts not suitable to children under 12 *… Anyways, thanks! ^^
AngelStarFire Hikarist: I personally think Mariku is hotter than hell, and I'm glad we share the same opinion! ^^ Wait… * wipes drool from Hikarist's computer screen * You better take good care of the screen if you want to see what's going to happen next. Thanks so much! ^__^
In the next chapter: Malik drags a very much reluctant Ryou back to the "Psychedelic Monkey" to try to apply for a job. Ryou sees Bakura again, and the real conflict of this story arises ( finally! ). Malik gets drunk, and something happens to him, or at least, almost happens…Stay tuned for the next chapter of Come Undone! ^__^