Slam dunk
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Warnings/notes : AU, Yami/Yugi, Seto/Joey, Otogi/Honda, possibly slight Bakura/Ryou, oocness.
Disclaimer : I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.
written at 19th June 2004, by Misura
A very, very big 'thank you!' to the people who reviewed the twentieth chapter. There were over 25 of them, which means I won't reply to each of them individually (sorry!), but thank you all very much.
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To call, or not to call. That was the question keeping Anzu Mazaki from finishing checking her book-report one last time before deciding it was ready to be submitted coming Monday.
It was a good five hours after her phone-conversation with Yugi, in which she'd felt obliged to let him know that Yami had asked her for Yugi's address, assumedly so that Yami would be able to drop by for a visit later this weekend. Or not.
Anzu had to admit that she didn't know Yami all that well. His motivations were something of a mystery to her, especially the ones for his cold behavior towards other people, which often bordered on rudeness. She trusted him enough to believe that he didn't intend any harm to Yugi, yet that was about it.
As a reason to tell him where Yugi lived, it had sufficed, but to enable her to guess at his reasons for wanting this information, it wasn't even a start. His reasons for calling -her-, instead of Joey, evaded her as well.
Any other person, Anzu would have asked, expecting a straight answer. And probably getting one too, since she could be quite persistent, if she put her mind to it.
Her gaze wandered to the phone. She told herself she wasn't merely curious; if the tone in which Yugi had spoken about Yami was any indication, she had every cause for some concern as well.
Yami might not -intend- to hurt Yugi, and even go as far as to seek him out, but that didn't mean by far that he answered Yugi's feelings. Or would react positively to them if he'd find out.
Yami was neither diplomatic nor overly mindful of other people's sensitivities. One careless, casual remark from him could mean a world of difference to Yugi. And since Anzu was responsible for Yami's visit, she felt it would also be -her- fault if Yami did anything to upset Yugi. At least partially.
On the other hand, maybe she was thinking too negatively.
Maybe Yami had simply wanted to be able to drop by to invite Yugi for a game of basketball during the weekend.
Better yet, maybe Yami -did- answer Yugi's feelings. Maybe he had planned to come and declare Yugi his undying love and devotion, after which the two of them would seal their newfound affection by a kiss.
It would be positively criminal of her to interrupt such a moment by calling, simply because she was being an over-worried, nosy pessimist. She'd never forgive herself.
Anzu sighed, deciding she needed a distraction from these speculations that would lead to nothing. Tossing her book-report in her schoolbag, she grabbed her jacket.
Joey could usually be found in the arcade around this time. Though Anzu wasn't overly fond of most of the games there (aside from Dance Dance Revolution), Joey's company would probably keep her mind off Yugi. Perhaps she could even get him to stop moping over whatever Kaiba had done to him.
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"And once again, Ryuuji Otogi leaves all competition behind him as he finishes first, setting a new track-record!" Otogi cheered, smugly typing in his name as the new 'world-champion'.
Joey rolled his eyes. "You were simply lucky, that's all. If I hadn't slipped in that last curve ... "
"If you hadn't slipped, you'd have been a much better driver than you are," Otogi declared, waving aside Joey's protests. "I'll admit that picking up that power-up was a stroke of good luck, although ... I do seem to recall a similar power-up showing up in front of -your- car. Only -you- evaded it, since you thought it was one of those trap-things."
"They do look alike," Joey complained.
"At first sight, perhaps. A little," Otogi conceded. "Which goes to prove that not only am I more favored by Lady Luck, I also possess better and faster reflexes."
"Not to mention modesty," Joey muttered.
"Guys ... " Anzu started.
"Modesty is but one of my many virtues," Otogi agreed with Joey, who threw him a dirty look.
"Riiiight." Joey snorted.
"-Guys-!" Anzu repeated, managing to catch both boys' attention this time. For a good two seconds, at least.
"You're right, Anzu; I shouldn't rub in the fact of my superior skills this much," Otogi winked.
"Your ... hah!" Joey crossed his arms over his chest. "Let's see if you still talk that way after a game of - "
"-Guys-!" Anzu stamped her feet, more than a little fed up with the two boys. "Unless I'm hallucinating, I think Kaiba just strolled into the arcade."
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Seto frowned, his gaze wandering around the arcade, searching for any sign of Joey's presence. A small voice in the back of is mind pointed out that he could have simply followed Joey from the cafeteria, but ... that would have made him look like he was stalking Joey or something.
Like he was acting as if he was as foolishly in love with Joey as Joey had been with him.
How the blonde currently felt about him, Seto didn't quite know. That remark about Seto surely not wanting to show up late for their 'date', had definitely sounded like the 'old' Joey.
Except, of course, that Seto'd never gone on any kind of date with Joey. Nor had given Joey any indication that he ever would.
Seto had to admit -grudgingly- that his appearance at Joey's favorite cafeteria might have been constructed as such an indication. Joey might not be too intelligent, yet he was smart enough to figure out that their meeting hadn't been a coincidence.
Though it had certainly been an accident, as far as Seto was concerned. Joey hadn't been supposed to spot him at all.
Which meant ... what?
He had gone to that cafeteria to watch Joey, without wanting to be seen. Granted, that was different from the way Joey had acted around him, since Joey never bothered to try to remain unnoticed (which would have been hard to pull off for the by nature lively and noisy mutt anyway), but still ...
Where -was- Joey anyway? This was the only arcade in town and although it was somewhat crowded, Seto should have been able to locate Joey by now, if he was present at all.
He'd already seen Mazaki and Otogi, who appeared to be in the middle of a game of what had to be the most embarrassing game to play in public, Dance Dance Revolution. They actually managed not to look like complete idiots, to Seto's slight surprise.
Though he vaguely recalled that Mazaki was following dancing lessons of some sort, so he supposed that might work to her advantage.
Hearing a soft sound coming from behind him, which sounded suspiciously much like someone trying to sneak up on him, Seto spun around, only to feel his eyes being covered by two hands.
"Guess who?" a cheerful voice asked.
Well. Apparently he could stop searching for Joey.
tbc
A/N: Reading this back, it feels like filler to me. –looks unhappy- Sorry if it feels that way to anyone else too.