Disclaimer: Refer to the past chapters if you're so desperate. I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Authoress' Notes: Major OOCness and a few bad words here and there. There are some flashbacks here... Be attentive.
Chapter Ten:
We were...
She placed the simple, white bed sheets upon the table, taking special care in smoothing out the wrinkles. She stood there for a moment, and eyed the woman dozing on the bed nearby.
She was an extremely pale and gaunt looking creature, and Shizuka shuddered from the many tubes and devices that poked and prodded her skin.
She glanced around the room and saw it as somewhat... empty.
Other rooms, she knew, would have flowers or cards or... something colorful that would add a bit of warmth to the normally cold room...but...
She moved towards the only window in the room, pulling the curtains apart and opening it slightly to let a breeze flow through.
Honestly, she didn't know why she was here...
"...Shizuka?"
She stiffened when she felt a hand land upon her shoulder.
"Shizuka?"
There was a hint of excitement that was noticeably absent there before and she was only slightly aware that his voice had deepened throughout the years.
She unwittingly let him spin her around slowly and carefully, not quite ready to face him, especially at a time like this.
He was handsome, she had to admit. Not that he wasn't before, but his features were more like a boy's back then, rather than a man's. He looked so... unrecognizable. The only thing that remained was that trademark hair of his, and those eyes... And he was staring intently at her now with an indescribable expression.
He smiled so suddenly, and dear Ra, that smile was enough to make her go weak in the knees."Hmmm? Something wrong?"
She shook her head, traces of a small blush fluttering away. "N-No!" Oh Ra, she stuttered, of all things!
"Well..." He hugged her for a moment and grinned sheepishly, "It's nice to know you've come back here... It's Domino, of all places. You hardly visit anymore."
She shrugged and replied rather guiltily, "I've been busing lately... Mother's been sick and..."
He frowned suddenly, understanding dawning upon his features. "...So... Have you seen Jounouchi yet?"
She froze at the statement and asked with vicious earnest, "Is he here as well?"
He nodded, and smiling weakly, replied, "Yeah... Just got here last Thursday... His editor is becoming frantic; he hardly gets any work done, but regardless, he's a great writer..."
She laughed softly, hugging her purse to her chest, "Just think of it... Joey and writing... whomever knew?" Her laugh died down and she tugged on a strand of brown hair with eyes downcast, "Oh Ra... I haven't talked to him in years... I haven't returned his letters or even phoned him..."
He placed a reassuring hand upon her shoulder once more, "I'm sure he'll understand..."
"Hey, Tristen!"
His hand left her shoulder, carrying the warmth along with it. "Just a minute!"
He took a few steps back before addressing her again, "Look... do you want to... maybe... catch up again? You know...umm... later? We could get lunch at Burger World... like old times..."
She smiled and shook her head, "Thank you for the offer... but..."
He grinned sheepishly and laughed, "Nah... I understand..."
She blurted out, "...Maybe...next time?"
His back was faced towards her and for a while, he did nothing, until he tilted his head and waved.
As she watched him walk away from her, she wondered what could have happened if she had said 'yes'.
"Jounouchi..."
He paused in his reading and looked up to see the brunette leaning against the doorway.
He said nothing and continued where he left off.
--pon a time, there was a little girl--
"Big brother..."
That was her old nickname for him, used to display her affection and admiral for him. He looked past the words on the page and not looking up, replied impassively, "It's been five years, Shizuka..."
She smiled and fumbled with the frilly ends of her skirt, "...I know... The door was open, so I let myself in."
--wished and wished and wished...
She moved from her position near the doorway and seated herself on a chair opposite of him. "So..." She let out a weak smile, "...how have things been going?"
--and strove and strove and strove...
He frowned and flipped the page. "Fine."
"I... I met Tristen today--"
"He's better off without you, " he suddenly exclaimed.
"Jounouchi, " she whispered in a strained voice, "You know that I didn't mean to...I didn't love him like I did O-"
"Otogi, right?" He stated in a detached tone, "So you went ahead and slept with the fucker... I suppose it felt very warm in his bed, after all, I doubt you were his first..."
"Don't talk about him like that! You don't know him!" Her fingers clasped the arms of the chair so that her knuckles turned white.
"And you do?" He finally met her eyes, "After all those nights spent in his apartment, I would be very surprised if you didn't..."
He creased a page and closed the book.
She breathed out heavily, "Jounouchi... please..."
Jounouchi closed his eyes and leaned further into the chair, "...Shizuka..."
She started at the sound of her name.
"...Was it a boy or a girl?"
She looked away and bit her lip, "What?"
"Tristen told me... Was it a boy?"
She buried her face into her hands. A girl. She's always wanted a little girl to hold, to care for, to love. She would dress her up and spoil her as much as possible. She'd be the most beautiful thing in the world and Shizuka did get to hold her little baby girl.
"I'm sorry... " They handed her the small bundle wrapped in thin, white blankets, and as she lifted the covers, she let out a deafening shriek.
Shizuka wrapped her arms around her only sibling, dampening his freshly ironed shirt with her tears.
He did not return the embrace but said in a voice filled with the slightest bit of warmth, "Not today, Shizuka..."
Her weeping gradually toned down and she left the room.
Jounouchi closed his eyes and sat down, opening his book to the creased page.
--nd time passed and some wounds would heal, while some would not--
She backed away from the window and turned once more towards to the bedridden patient. She sighed and hugged the dirty sheets to her chest, leaving the room and shutting the door behind her afterwards.
"Welcome home!"
He grinned widely, "Thanks... I'm glad to be home..."
He flung his bags into a corner and slumped into a chair.
"So...How was it? The dig, I mean."
He closed his eyes and sighed loudly, "Fairly successful, grandfather... The weather was excruciatingly hot, but what can you expect from a desert?"
His guardian chuckled and leaned onto the table, "Find anything?"
He yawned and shook his head, "No... but it was a great experience... I wish you could've been there."
The elderly man stretched and began to leave the room, "Nah... I'm just not as young as I used to be..."
He yawned once more and left the chair to follow his grandfather's example.
She passed through the automatic doors and sat down on a nearby bench. She dug onto her purse, finally revealing a make-up compact and a tube of pink lipstick.
"...I know... But I've still got work to do..."
She paused and placed the items down, craning her neck to see beyond the large, white pillar.
"...I'm sorry... Perhaps tomorrow evening?"
He paused, "...I promise to treat you to dinner... It's all on me... Remember that new restaurant that just opened up around that corner? Yeah...the one that you've been always raving about?"
She suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
"...Yeah...that one... Okay... so it's a date? Yeah... I love you too..."
'I love you'? Her heart sped at those three words... Whom exactly was he talking to?
"...I've got to go now... Lunch break is almost over. I know, I know. I love you too... Miho."
He hung up.
He entered the room and sat on a vacant seat beside he bed. He took out a few sheets of paper attached to a clipboard.
"...Overdose..."
He took out a cell phone from his front pocket and began to dial an old acquaintance.
"...Hey... Jounouchi? Could you do me a favor?...I was wondering if you were free? ...Dammit, you retard... I'm not asking you out on a date... I have a patient... What's with the 'what does it have to do with me' bullshit? It has everything to do with you..."
He glanced over momentarily at the woman on the bed, "I want you to supervise her... And it's a command, not a request. Don't start complaining, Jou... I know you won't abandon an old friend in need, huh? ...I'd tell you if you'd just shut up! The patient's name is Anzu Masaki."
There was a pregnant pause before he continued, "Yeah, the girl whom you harassed in high school, you retard. And don't you go hanging up on me! I need you to do this for me... Ryou is out on a business trip and Yugi just returned from the excavation dig... And I promised Miho that we'd spend tomorrow night together... You fucking pervert! Just because you have no social life, doesn't give you affirmation to joke about mine...What? Why in the hell would I ask Kaiba? ...Huh?...Mokuba? Ra, you freaking asshole, just do it! Just for one week, at the most... Please? ...Alright... Then we're set to go..."
End Chapter
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