You Feel The Same

# CW: Ooh! Gettin' kinda excited meself! Sorry, DayDreamerz, can't tell! Yeah, I always wonder about the blonde thing. I hate him too, Flame Swordswoman. Tristan: 6, Duke:1. #

'What's he doing here?'

'Whatcha doin' here, Keith?'

'Is he hurt?'

'Keith, are you hurt?'

'Is he breathing?'

'Keith, are you breathing?'

'Now that's just stupid.'

'Keith, now that's just – oh, sorry.'

Keith groaned and stiffly propped himself up on his elbows.

He looked mildly surprised to be lying on a couch. At least, as surprised as you can look with shades on.

'Hi.' He grinned. 'Hey, sorry about bursting in on you like that.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' asked Mai.

'Hey, I got a bone to pick witcha. A couple in fact.' Mai looked down at him. 'One – what are you doin' here? Two – how did you know I live here? Three – what's that supposed to mean?'

'That's not a couple, blondie. Anyway, I meant I'm sorry for coming uninvited. What you two happened to be doing in here, I don't know and I don't care.'

'And what are you doing here?' asked Mai.

'I'll tell you if you don't tell the cops.'

'We'll tell the cops if you don't tell us.'

'Fine.' Keith's voice dropped to a whisper. 'Ok, I have a – ahem – friend, to whom I owe money. This is perfectly legal and I can accept that it's me who's in the wrong, but you know, I just can't pay up. I can't just give him all that money!'

'And this is to do with you turning up at my house because – '

'Because, see, the guy took a nasty turn on me. I can't go to the cops 'cos it's my fault. I gotta stay somewhere he'd least expect, else he'll do me.'

'So basically, you're a coward.'

Keith chuckled. 'Yeah.'

'Why can't you go to someone else's house?'

'Because – ' began Keith. 'I know something you don't know.'

He put a hand in his pocket and pulled out a shining star chip.

'You know who set fire to my house and threatened me!' gasped Mai.

'Yeah.'

'Tell us or we tell the cops.'

'No. Tell the cops and I'll 'forget'.'

'Fine.'

'Wait – how do we know you know?'

'I'll tell you after three days. I swear. Tell you what, I'll give you my wallet. If I don't tell the truth, keep it.'

'Fine with me!' Joey grabbed the leather pouch from Keith and pocketed it. (A/N Yes, I know how gullible these guys are, but there wouldn't be a story if they weren't, huh?) 'Ok. You take the spare room. Mai, you can sleep in my bed.'

Mai gave a start and Keith burst out laughing.

'No, I mean I'll be sleeping on the couch and you can have the bed I usually sleep in.' muttered Joey, blushing.

'You hurt bad, Keith?' asked Mai.

'Nah.' Said Keith. 'Just a few bruises and a bump to the head. Looks worse than it is.'
'Hey, Yugi.'

'Hi Joey. I got your call. Can I come in?'

'Sure.'

Yugi toddled into the house, followed by Téa and Tristan.

'We're not all here, I'm afraid.' Said Yugi. 'Duke's off doing one of his 'Dungeon Dice Demos' and Ryou's collecting the prize he won from the Domino poetry comp.'

'Whatever.' Shrugged Joey. 'Anyway, I take it you wanna see our newest instalment.'

'Sure do.'

Keith was up and about by now. They had spent most of the day talking about, as Joey would put it, a whole lot o' stuff. It was now five pm.

'Hey, Keith! Long time no see!' Little Yugi stuck out his hand to the guy as if he were a long-lost friend, not the guy who'd nearly cost Joey's sister her eyes because of unfair play or the guy who'd tried to do Pegasus in when he realised he would never get to duel him.

'Little Yugi.' Keith gave a smile, tainted ever so slightly with sarcasm. He didn't take his hand.

Yugi withdrew it, unsure of what to do next.

'So, uh, how you been?'

'I trust Joseph here's told you about my little mishap?'

'Yeah.'

'Well besides that, I've been fine.'

'Good.'

Silence.

'Hey, uh, anyone for pizza?' Tristan leapt from his seat.

'Sure.' Came the agreeable murmur from the others.

'Can I use your phone, Joey?'

'Okie dokie.'
All in all, it was a kind of Ok evening.

They ate pizza, apart from Téa who was on a diet (A/N Can't the skinny bitch just go on a friendship diet? Like, not talk about friendship for, like, a month? Sorry all Téa fans!), they watched movies, they prank-called Duke and Ryou ('Hey, this is the hottie hotline and you've won our annual prize!' for Duke, and 'Seven days!' for Ryou), and they all played dares apart from Keith, who said he was too old and went and lit a cigarette outside.

By one am, they were all exhausted.

'I'm bushed.' Groaned Joey, leaning back on the couch.

'Yeah. Guess we better go, huh?' said Téa.

'Grandpa will be worried sick.' Agreed Yugi.

'Hey, you guys want a drink before you go?' asked Joey.

There was a chorus of 'Ok's and 'Sure's.

'I'll get 'em.' Said Keith suddenly. 'I oughta do my share of the work, since I'm counting on you to keep a roof over my head.'

'Alright then.' Said Joey. 'What do you guys want?'

'Could I have fruit juice? Any kind, I'm not fussy.'

'Mine's a beer!'

'Just plain water, please. Flushes out all the toxins.'

'Could I have a black coffee?'

'Nuttin fer me!'

'Coming right up!' Keith wandered through to the kitchen and stared opening drawers to look for stuff.

Keith brought three drinks through. Yugi, Téa and Tristan drank them and said thanks and goodbye.

'Yours will be coming in a moment.' Said Keith to Mai as the other guys were walking out the door. 'Coffee, wasn't it?'

'Black coffee, yeah.'

'Ok.' Keith wandered back into the kitchen.

'I don't trust him, Joey.' Said Mai.

'Me neither.' Replied Joey. 'But I guess we have no choice if we want to get a tip off about the arsonist.'

'Joey, what if he IS the arsonist!' hissed Mai.

Keith came back through with the coffee.

'Are you sure you don't want anything, blondie?' he asked with a slight sneer.

'Positive.' Joey matched his gaze.

'Fine.'

Keith strode back into the kitchen and re-emerged minutes later with a cup of black coffee in his hands. He handed it to Mai who sat back and took a sip.

She spat it out.

'Hey! What's wrong with the coffee?' Keith folded his arms.

'Keith, what the fuck are you trying to do, poison me?' exclaimed Mai.

'What's up, Mai?' Joey sat down next to her.

'I dunno, it taste like chemicals or something. Like - like disinfectant or bleach or something like that.'

They both looked round at Keith.

'What?' he put his hands on his hips.

'I'm calling the cops.' Said Joey.

Joey hurried over to the phone on the sideboard.

'No, please!' cried Keith.

'Tough, Keith. That's what you get for a poorly planned murder attempt.'

'Look, it was just nasty coffee - '

Joey punched in the police station's number.

'Hello. I think we've got our arsonist.'

# CW: Hey! This is getting pretty damn intense, huh? Well, hopefully. It's weird. If I called the cops every time someone made me nasty coffee, half my friends and relatives would be in custody (but then, I don't like coffee)! #