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 26th june 2004, by Misura
Thanks to Snow Angel (we-ell, I think Seto does hate it when people ignore him. Not exactly the silent treatment, perhaps, but he's better at ignoring people himself than in putting up with people ignoring him, I think), Yana5, Kiawna (Yami -is- in this chapter, yes), DarkShadowFlame (Duel Yugi? But I'd lose really bad! It might be fun, but …), tiger witch (yup, who knows? and I hope I did), ChibiSerenity, WolfBane2 (please stop threatening me. Or else …-winks-), Seto-Kaiba's-Fan, Kaira-chan (uhm, oops? And yes, be glad you're not Honda –grins-), Flame Swordswoman, Sei Kou Ki (hehehe), pisces071 (of course they're getting somewhere. –winks-), Star Light Shadow (well, -I- don't have the self-restraint either, so that kind of decided the matter. –smiles guiltily-), Sarasusasamiga (not to spoil you or anything, but no, Honda'll have no more encounters during his trip), FREAK014 (you can cut the 'or something', really), Amonae (lots of Yami and Yugi in this chapter; I hope you'll enjoy), The Chaotic Ones (not in this fic …sorry), KAC (uhm, sorry to say that Bakura and Honda will never meet again in this fic. Sorry.), Anime Crazed (mwah, I'd say the first option sounds slightly more likely), Amarin Rose (-winks and grins-), rhia of the ice (the advantage of an AU, I guess. –grins- Thanks!), VampssAmby10210 (you'll know it all within three chapters), hiei fan girl, Chiqiri, mandapandabug, Ril, Tara-Jamina (-grins- That's quite all right.), radiany (uhm, I'm fine, really. And I didn't know it was –that- bad … or dramatic –looks a little worried-), StrawberryVanilla and Rikainiel (tomorrow was right, yes. At least in my time-zone.).
(!) Warning for silliness in this chapter. (What can I say, I was in the mood. -coughs-)
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The sound of someone ringing his doorbell rather insistently was not ranked in Yami's top-5 ways to be woken up. Especially not at ... half past eight on a Sunday-morning.
Wondering who on earth would be calling upon him at a time like this - and hoping it weren't his parents who'd planned to surprise him by dropping by without calling first -, Yami stumbled down the stairs.
The part of his mind that was slightly more awake than the rest hesitantly offered the suggestion that perhaps he ought to put on some more clothing, but Yami shut it up by reasoning that anyone who showed up at an ungodly hour like this was practically -asking- for it. And he wasn't completely nude anyway.
Bracing himself for exclamations of surprise ('But son, were you still asleep this -late-? You're wasting your life lazing away!') and a check-over ('Mama's little boy has grown again, hasn't he? Though I really wish you'd do something about that hair of yours. It looks like some sort of fern!'), Yami gingerly opened the door.
He was greeted by complete silence, aside from one startled gasp, and a conspicuous lack of check-overs. And, though that registered a bit later than the rest, a pair of wide-open, purple eyes. Their gaze wandered up and down his body before coming to rest on his face.
"Yugi?!"
x
Yugi -knew- that it was kind of early, really, only once he'd been awake, he hadn't been able to go back to sleep again. His homework had been finished yesterday-evening, and his grandfather usually slept until nine on Sundays.
In short, Yugi had been up at seven, without anything to do but wait for a 'reasonable' time to head over to Yami's house. While Yami hadn't exactly mentioned any specific time at which Yugi'd be welcome too.
All of which had led to Yugi deciding that, after an entire hour of watching cartoons, he was sick of cartoons and eager to see Yami. Possibly, Yami had awoken early too, having precisely the same problem as Yugi.
The odds to that were slim at best, Yugi knew, yet ... it was -possible-. The only way to find out if it was true was to go to Yami's house.
Which he'd done.
To be faced with a rather sleepy-looking Yami who wore a pair of boxers with ... little blue and red dragons on them. At least, Yugi -thought- that was what they were. He hadn't felt comfortable enough to let his gaze linger too long, after realizing that he was staring at Yami-in-boxers-and-nothing-else.
"Yugi?!" Well, at least Yami didn't sound too angry. Or embarrassed. In fact, Yugi thought he almost sounded pleasantly surprised. Though that might be wishful thinking.
"Uhm ... good morning. Sorry that I'm early." Yugi ordered the blood that had rushed to his cheeks to go elsewhere.
"That's okay. Come on in," Yami said -that is, Yugi translated the mumblings coming out of his mouth that way- and stepped aside to allow Yugi to enter his house.
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"Ahhh. Coffee. The perfect way to wake up," Yami sighed contentedly sipping from a mug. He'd offered one to Yugi as well, but he'd politely declined. "What's so funny?"
Yugi was smiling, almost laughing, though he quickly got his expression back under control at Yami's question.
"It's just that you look very ... different from the way you are at school right now." Yugi bended his head, blushing again.
"Less intelligent and awake, you mean?" Yami inquired, pouring himself another mug of coffee.
Yugi studied him for a moment before shaking his head. "No, it's not just that. You're much less ... dark. Much more open and nice and -normal-. I like you this way."
Yami chuckled. Had there been a competition for 'looking like a tomato', Yugi'd have been a sure winner.
"I'm glad to hear that. Though I'm afraid the teachers wouldn't quite approve if I came to school dressed in boxers," Yami winked at Yugi.
"I guess it's simply hard to act arrogant, superior and cold when all you're wearing is a pair of boxers with dragons on them," Yugi retorted tartly.
"Perhaps," Yami conceded. "The world will probably never know."
Yugi appeared a little disappointed.
"Oh, and they're not dragons. They're bunnies," Yami added.
Yugi's laugh was worth the humiliation of admitting to wear boxers with bunnies on them.
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Honda's first thought at waking up was 'where the heck -am- I?', followed by the equally easily answered question 'what time is it?'.
Next came 'who's making those sounds as if he's being strangled?', which was a bit harder. Honda finally concluded it had to be Ryou having a bad dream in the room next to his.
On one hand, he wanted to rush in there to wake the boy, but on the other ... well, if Ryou'd been a -girl-, Honda probably wouldn't have entered his bedroom. They didn't know each other that well. And since Honda was gay, storming into Ryou's bedroom -would- be kind of like walking in on a sleeping girl, wouldn't it? Not that Honda's sexual preferences had come up in their conversations ...
Ryou seemed to be calling someone's name - Sakura? his faraway girlfriend, maybe?- and Honda finally decided that it was way too early to think. It was a fact that Ryou didn't sound like he was enjoying his dreams, so Honda, as his friend and housemate, should go in and wake him.
It was as simple as that.
Nonetheless, as he slammed open the door, Honda was quite grateful to find Ryou dressed in pajamas and sitting up in his bed, apparently having awoken on his own. Lifting his head and noticing Honda, he smiled.
"You sounded like you were having a pretty bad nightmare, so I thought I'd better check on you to see if I could help," Honda offered by way of explanation for his presence.
"Thank you, I'm all right now. My apologies for waking you," Ryou replied, looking a bit sheepish.
"Hey, it was time for me to get out of bed anyway. Any special wishes for breakfast? Or would you rather get some more sleep?" Honda asked.
"I ... think I'd rather not." Ryou shivered. "Breakfast sounds quite good."
"Breakfast it is then. Are you sure you're okay?" Honda inquired worriedly. Ryou was rather pale. It might just be a lingering effect of his nightmare, of course.
Ryou nodded determinedly. "I'm perfectly fine."
tbc