Rowan: Oh, dear, nine days since the last update! Sorry!

Siran: Yeah…okay…

Rowan: Well, I'm too lazy to reply to the reviewers, so I'll just say 'Thanks for reviewing!' Now, on with the story!

Disclaimer: Once upon a time, a brilliant person created an amazing anime/manga called YuGiOh! It went on to become extremely successful and made this person very rich. Unfortunately, that person is not me.

Not me: That's right! I created it! I'm a genius!

Rowan: I meant that I, Rowan, did not create it!

Warning: Um, some shonoun-ai, which is boy/boy fluff and such. If you don't like, I suggest you leave now. And if you don't (leave even though you don't like), well, don't say I didn't warn you. Also, there may be some OOCness in the story.

AN: In this story, Jou is a reporter for the school newspaper, and Mai is in Domino High School. Also, everyone is fifteen, Shizuka's fourteen, and Mokuba's nine.

A Love Denied

Chapter 4: Dreadful Dance

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"Jou! Jou, Mai's here!" Shizuka called up the stairs. She smiled apologetically at the blonde. "Sorry about Jou, he's been acting really weird lately."

Mai smirked. "Well, I'm sure whatever it is, I'll be able to drag it out of him."

Shizuka sighed. "I hope so Mai. I'm really worried about him. He's been moping about all week! I hope this dance does him some good."

Jou came blundering down the stairs. "Sorry I'm late! Ready to go Mai?"

"I thought we were waiting for Yuugi and the others?"

"Oh, right!" The doorbell rang then and Shizuka dashed over to answer it. The door opened to reveal Honda and his date, Miho. Shizuka disappointedly let them in, glancing over at the clock.

"Shizuka, it's only six fifty! Yuugi has ten minutes left!" Jou remarked.

"Hehe, right. Just nerves."

The bell rang again and Shizuka whipped the door open. "Yuugi! Hi! Come on in!" Shizuka said brightly.

"Uh, thanks Shizuka!" Yuugi stepped over the threshold, Yami and Anzu behind him.

"Well," Jou said, clapping his hands together, "we're all here, so let's get going!"

"Oh, wait!" Yuugi exclaimed as Jou started to lead Mai out of the house, "I forget to tell you! Kaiba offered to drive all of us over in his limo! He also went to pick Ryou and Ryuuji up as well."

Jou had stopped listening the moment he heard Kaiba's name fall from Yuugi's mouth. 'Kaiba? Being nice? To us? This must be a ploy to one up me! To lord over the fact that he is the only one who knows my secret crush! That…that stuck up pig!'

"Jou? Jou, did you hear a word I said?" Yuugi asked, concerned.

"Uh…sorry Yuug. Kinda blanked out there on ya, huh? I was just thinking."

Yuugi shook his head and shrugged. "Well, what I was saying was that because there are eleven of us total, not counting Kaiba and his date, we're going to have to split up. So, I figured that you, Mai, Yami, and Anzu could go in Kaiba's limo, and the rest of us will go in Ryuuji's. Okay? Got that?"

Jou nodded. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say Yuugi."

There was a honking noise outside and Miho, who had been looking out the window, exclaimed, "Kaiba's here!"

~*~~*~

Jou fidgeted uncomfortably, squashed between Mai and Yami, with Kaiba sitting directly across from him, his long arm draped loosely over his date Isis's shoulders. On Isis's other side sat Malik, who was talking amiably with Anzu. Mai was leaning in front of Jou and having a heated discussion with Yami about, well, I won't tell you…:

"Sure, sure, Dark Magician Girl's a powerful enough card I guess, but if you want a kick butt female monster, Harpy Lady's the thing."

Yami shook his head. "I wasn't saying Harpy Lady wasn't a powerful monster, I'm just saying that if you pitted my Dark Magician Girl against your monster, no Magic or Trap cards involved, my Magician Girl would destroy your harpy."

"Who said I'd use my Harpy Lady? Who said I wouldn't use my Cyber Harpy Lady?" Mai asked, rather indignant.

"It was just hypothetical!" Yami retorted defensively.

Isis was watching this debate with interest. She found it fascinating how two people could appear to be having a very big argument and really not be saying anything much at all.

That left Seto staring haughtily across the vehicle at Jou. There was a look in his eye that said, 'I know your secret and I could tell it anytime I want. You're feelings and reputation don't matter to me.' Jou gulped nervously and turned back to Yami and Mai, who, it seemed, had stopped talking about, well, whatever it was they were talking about.

"It's been, like, what? A month since they've been going out? And still rated the cutest couple in school?" Mai asked.

"Yeah, it's amazing! You'd think they'd have had an argument by now!" Yami acquiesced.

"But they're both too, I dunno, innocent to fight! I mean, he's so friggin' polite sometimes it gets on my nerves!"

"Well, that's Yuugi for you. And Shizuka is just a really sweet kid, y'know?"

Jou blinked. 'Hold it a second! Yuugi's been secretly dating Shizuka for a month? Oh, Yuugi's soo dead!'

"Yeah, she is sweet. Such a pity she couldn't publicly show Yuugi affection. A certain brother of hers would probably have murdered his best friend recklessly," Mai said, glancing pointedly at Jou. Yami nodded sympathetically. "Poor, poor Shizuka."

Jou blushed, embarrassed that they had both known what he had been thinking. Mai smiled and returned to her conversation with Yami. "Well, our school's due for a new cutest couple. Are you and Anzu an item?"

Jou looked up, interested. He slightly noticed Kaiba glance in his direction, but paid him no attention. His focus was all on the drop dead gorgeous Pharaoh sitting next to him.

Yami turned to Anzu. "What do you think?"

Anzu slipped her hand into Yami's and squeezed it gently, before kissing him chastely on the lips. "Yeah."

Jou's eyes flashed green with envy.

~*~~*~
Mai Kujaku sighed in frustration. That had been the millionth time Jou had stepped on her toes and it was getting annoying. "Yowch!"

Jou blinked. "Eh? You okay Mai?"

Mai glared angrily at Jou. "Well, let's see: I'm at the biggest dance of our sophomore year as of yet, with my crush, who is crushing my toes! How would you be?"

"Sorry Mai. You want to sit down?" Jou asked, concerned.

"Yes, and get me some punch too, please!" Jou escorted Mai over to the side of the gym-turned-dance-floor and led her to the bleachers to sit. Then he walked over to the refreshment table, where Jou (literally) bumped into Yami, spilling punch on his shirt. "S-sorry Yami!" he cried, noticing a fruit punch stain on his tight black tee. "D-did I do that?" he stuttered.

Yami laughed. "That's okay Jou! I don't mind. It's not like it's dry cleaned or anything."

Jou smiled shakily as Yami placed his hand on Jou's arm reassuringly. "Don't sweat it pal."

Jou's heart skipped a beat when he felt Yami's hand on his arm, but it sunk back down when he heard Yami call him 'pal'. 'That's all I'll ever be to him, eh? Just a friend. A buddy, a pal. Nothing like a lover.'

Jou returned to Mai down spirited. "Here's your juice Mai," he said, handing the cup to her. Then the blonde took a seat beside her and watched everyone dancing with boredom.. Mai watched Jou and noticed how his eyes narrowed ever so slightly every time they swept over a certain couple: Anzu and Yami. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Look, Jou, if you'd rather be dancing with Anzu then sitting here with me, then why don't you?"

Jou looked over at Mai, startled. "A-Anzu? I don't want to dance with her!"

"Well then why do you glare at her and Yami so much? Are you jealous of Yami?"

"Jealous of Yami? No, I'm jealous of Anzu! I mean, she's got the h-mmph!" Jou covered his mouth quickly, eyes wide. 'I can't believe I almost told Mai what I think of Yami!'

Mai furrowed her brow as she tried to piece together what Jou had sputtered out. Finally, she began to understand. "You mean…you like…him?" Jou nodded his head slightly. "Oh…"

Jou lowered his head sadly. "Let me guess, you don't want to be my friend anymore."

Mai blinked. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, now that you know who I like, why would you?"

Mai shook her head. "Jou, I'll still be your friend no matter who you like! Hell, if you fell in love with an alien from Mars, I wouldn't care!"

Jou glanced up. "Really?"

"Yes really!"

"Thanks Mai." Jou grinned. "Promise not to tell?"

Mai nodded. "I promise."

~*~~*~ First person POV (not telling from who's viewpoint it is though! You'll just have to guess!)

I was walking over to the punch table when I slipped on some juice on the floor. "Oh, watch it there!" he said, wrapping his strong arms around my waist and halting my trip to the ground. I looked up into his breathtaking brown eyes.

"Thanks for catching me," I said.

He grinned a fabulous grin and replied, "Just watch your step."

Well, it's too late now, because I'm already falling, faster and faster, and I never want to reach the bottom. Because I'm afraid that when I do, I'll wake up from the best dream ever. The dream that he could have fallen in love with me too.

~*~~*~~*~

Rowan: So, how do you like? I've added another, side love story to the main one. Wasn't that sweet of me?

Siran: Suure…So, who is it?

Rowan: Who is what?

Siran: The peeps!

Rowan: Guess.

Siran: Nah. I'll just let the reviewers guess instead.

Rowan: Okay then!