Author's Note: Hello! Yes, I have returned from my adventure in the rainforest, and now I bring a new chapter. I can't express enoughgratitude to those who have read my story and enjoyed it. Thank you all so much for your feedback and help (especially on my sad attempt at Japanese). Here is the next chapter, and I am working on Testify as we speak...or write...or whatever. >>
Enjoy!
Chapter 3
The truck pulled into the driveway of a beautiful two-story ranch house. The red siding matched perfectly with the white shutters and front deck. A large, shady tree stood in the front yard on the left side of the house, while in the middle near the mail box stood a sign with the silhouette of a rearing horse in front of a setting sun. The sign read "Sunset Hill Ranch." To the right and in the back of the house, beyond the garage, a cattle barn sat in the midst of a wide, fenced pasture that was divided into two halves. Across the pasture on the other side was another barn and a corral. Further in the back, a large tree sat at the top of a hill, overlooking the plains on the other side.
"Welcome to Sunset Hill Ranch, Yugi," Ryou said. Yugi tore his eyes reluctantly away from the view before him. His eyes locked on Ryou's and something happened to him that had not occurred for a very long time…
He smiled. A true, full-blown, happy smile. Ryou smiled back and hopped out of the truck. Yugi followed and went around back to get his bag. He looked up at the house and saw a woman dressed in jeans and a pastel pink blouse step onto the porch, drying a dish in her hands. The woman was very pretty; strawberry blonde hair was pulled back into a bun and a bright smile shone on her face.
"Hi Ryou!" she greeted in an accented voice.
"Hi Aunt Kiya," Ryou replied, leading Yugi up the steps and dropping his bags to give his aunt a hug. "This is Yugi," he introduced once he stepped back. "He's the one I told you about."
"And right you were," Kiya replied, looking Yugi over. "He's the spitting image of Atemu." She smiled and gave Yugi a hug. "Hello Yugi, dear. I'm Aunt Kiya, and you can make yourself at home. When you're here, you're family."
"Nice to meet you," Yugi answered, a little surprised by Kiya's warm welcome. "Thank you so much for having me here. I…really can't explain how much this means to me." Yugi looked down at his feet. "No one's ever done anything like this for me before."
Aunt Kiya smiled. "It's no trouble at all, Yugi. Why don't you and Ryou go up to the cattle pen? Atemu and Joey should be there, and I'm sure they're both eager to meet you."
"I'll take care of your things so you guys can go on up," Al assured.
"Okay," Ryou agreed. "Come on, Yugi."
Yugi followed behind Ryou, both of them making their way around the back of the house and toward the cattle barn in the back. Ryou walked around the side of the barn and hopped the fence, walking along the side of the barn. Yugi noticed another corral on the back side of the barn, hidden from the front of the house. While the pasture they were walking on was thickly grassed, the inside of this corral was merely covered in dirt. Ryou grinned at him and leaned against the corral fence.
Yugi did the same and looked at the figures inside the corral. Clouds of dust flew everywhere as cattle ran this way and that, and Yugi could see a white and red border collie weaving between them trying to assert some sort of control over the situation. There were two people inside. The blonde stood by the barn door, poking a metal rod into a barrel of hot coals. It was, however, the figure on horseback that caught his attention.
He was tall, lean and muscled, possessing deep dark hair, blonde bangs and red highlights. If Yugi hadn't known better, he could have sworn he was looking into a mirror. Upon closer inspection, however, Yugi noted that this person was a bit older, and had shorter hair than himself. Still, dressed in his black jeans and boots, a red tank top and a black cowboy hat docked on his head made him very dashing. He rode an energetic young stallion; black, with splashes of white spots scattered over its hindquarters like soap suds. Yugi had never seen a horse like it. Suddenly, his ebony horse changed direction and took off at a run. The handsome stranger swung a lasso above his head and threw it forward, successfully roping a calf around the neck. He jumped off his horse in mid-gallop and the horse slowed to a stop. Moving quickly, the stranger gripped the calf roughly and flopped it onto its side, wrapping a piece of rope around three of its legs and hog-tying it.
The other teen, a bit more lanky in build and his blonde hair a bit more shaggy, ran over with the hot iron. Helping his partner to hold the calf still, he pressed the iron to the calf's hindquarters, branding its thick hide. The calf squealed, and both jumped away--the tri-haired boy taking a few extra seconds to untie the calf. It sprung up and ran to rejoin its mother in the herd.
"Is that the last one?" the blonde asked.
"I think so," the other replied, removing his hat to wipe sweat from his brow.
Yugi shivered slightly at the sound of the young man's deep, charismatic voice. The stranger placed his had back on his head and whistled sharply, calling the dog to him and taking hold of his horse's bridle. Yugi saw Ryou grinning out of the corner of his eye and was taken back slightly as the teen hopped the fence and entered the corral.
"Nice form, cowboy," he called in a jesting tone. "Although I must say your outfit's a little out of date." Ryou began to walk over to the two teens. Yugi scrambled over the fence and followed.
The dark-haired teen turned and looked at Ryou with a straight face. "You're just jealous that these threads don't look half as good on you as they do on me, city-slicker." The two shared a look before the stranger broke into a smirk and wrapped his arm around Ryou's neck, locking him in an ultimate noogie. Ryou struggled against his cousin's strength, laughing happily.
"Good to see you again, Yami," he said once the aforementioned boy let him go. "You too, Joey, it's been a while."
"Hey pal," the blonde greeted in an Brooklyn accent, "good to have you back." Joey gave Ryou a pat on the shoulder and a smile. Ryou turned, grabbing Yugi by the arm and pulling him forward.
"This is Yugi," Ryou introduced. "He's a friend from school. I figured he could use a little time out of the city." Yugi smiled sheepishly.
"Hey there, Yugi," Yami greeted, holding out a friendly hand. "I'm Yami. Welcome to Texas."
"Thanks…er…Yami?" Yugi said. The taller boy chuckled.
"Atemu," he admitted, "but I prefer Yami."
"Oh," Yugi replied. "Okay, nice to meet you, Yami." Yugi returned the handshake, blushing when Yami flashed him a smile.
"And I'm Joey," the blonde introduced himself once Yami released his hand. "I think you'll come to like it here with these guys. It's a lot of work, but you'll have a good time."
"Thanks," Yugi answered. "I'm glad to meet you, Joey."
"Likewise," the blonde replied with a wink. "Listen, I'm starving. I'm going to head back to the house and see if Aunt Kiya has dinner ready yet."
"All right, we'll meet you down there, then," Ryou said. Joey tossed them a small wave and bolted for the kitchen. Ryou chuckled. "I see Joey hasn't changed."
"I think it's safe to say that as long as the kitchen remains the source of daily meals, Joey will never change," Yami replied. He began leading the horse by the bridle out of the corral and into the pasture. "Is this your first time to the States, Yugi?"
"Y-yeah," Yugi answered, a bit surprised Yami was actually making conversation with him. "I've lived in Domino City almost my entire life."
"We'll just have to work him extra hard, Yami," Ryou chided, patting Yugi on the shoulder. "Maybe we can even get him to do our chores for us."
Yugi's insides went cold. He halted his step and looked disbelievingly at Ryou. There was no way…Ryou wouldn't double-cross him like that…would he? Yami glanced back and noticed Yugi's hurt look. He blinked once in surprise, then chuckled.
"He's just kidding, Yugi," Yami assured. "First we have to get you on a horse. We won't get to that until tomorrow."
Yugi blinked. Suddenly, he felt embarrassed. It was pretty pathetic that he couldn't tell a serious conversation from a mere jest. He kept his head low, trying to hide his blush and followed the two cousins into the stables.
It was pretty standard. Equipment stood in the corner by the door, along with pegs and racks for saddles and riding gear. A dozen stalls lined each side of the barn, all currently empty. The door at the other end was wide open, revealing the corral on the other side.
"Go ahead and have a look around," Yami insisted. "I have to put Shadow away anyhow."
"Come on, Yugi," Ryou said. "I want to show you something."
Curiosity beat down Yugi's insecurity and he followed Ryou to the other end of the barn. He looked at Ryou inquiringly when the boy paused at the door, grinning out at the sight before him. Ryou tossed a wink in his direction and nodded towards the corral. Yugi followed his gaze…
…And promptly felt his jaw drop. Wandering peacefully around the fenced paddock were the most beautiful horses Yugi had ever seen. Some were one solid color, others two-tone. The ones that caught Yugi's eye the most, however, were those with colored spots splashed over their bodies. Never before had he seen horses so unique. Yugi spotted five animals that, like Yami's stallion Shadow, were dark with white markings. Others were brown, white, or even tri-colored. Some had spots covering their entire body, while others were more solid and had fewer spots.
"Wow," Yugi breathed. Ryou stood beside him, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"'Wow' is right," came Yami's voice as he approached them. Shadow had been placed in his stall to rest. "We produce the finest thoroughbred appaloosas in the state."
"Appaloosas?" Yugi repeated.
"Yeah, they're all-purpose horses. The spots are a trademark characteristic," Ryou explained.
"Are all these yours, Yami?" Yugi asked, still gawking at the animals.
Yami chuckled. "Not all of them. We have eighteen all together, but only six of them are mine. You'll get to see them all up close tomorrow, and you can pick which one you want."
"Amber was mine when I was last here," Ryou said. He pointed to a two-tone white and chestnut mare across the corral. White spots sprayed across a red-gold base color all the way up to the mare's shoulders. "That's her over there."
Yugi stared. Until he'd come to the ranch, Yugi's closest encounters with nature consisted of shooing pigeons off his window sill at home. Now, he was surrounded by it. No more forests of brick and steel, just rolling grassy hills and the beauty of the American West.
"You'll get better acquainted with being around horses tomorrow," Yami said again. "Right now, it's getting late."
"Yeah, we should probably head back to the house, if we want to eat at all," Ryou commented. "Otherwise Joey will devour everything."
Yugi allowed himself a small smile at that, and followed the two back to the house. Yami went inside first and held the door for Ryou and Yugi. He winked at the purple-eyed teen, causing Yugi to blush. Yugi gave a weak smile in return and stepped inside. A chorus of greetings came from various locations in the house at their entry. Yami removed his hat and set it on the hook by the door. He smiled at Yugi and beckoned him to make himself comfortable.
Violet eyes wandered about their surroundings. Yugi had never seen a house quite like this one. The kitchen was decorated with cheerful, yellow patterned wallpaper that amplified the sunshine that gleamed through the lacy curtains of the many windows. Rich oak cabinets sat on the far wall, along with a tap and an old-fashioned gas stove. Aunt Kiya was bustling about preparing dinner and judging from the smell wafting from the steaming pots and pans on the stove, it was going to be quite a meal. A simple yet elegant dinette set sat in the middle of the room, set with six plates and cushioned chairs.
Off of the kitchen to Yugi's left was the family room. The walls were paneled to look like the inside of a log cabin, with a soft creamy carpet. A set of plush, green couches sat around an old brick fireplace with an old television in the corner. In short, the house was the embodiment of a typical country-style home. Yugi's attention was diverted to the wooden staircase between the two rooms as Joey descended the stairs and entered the room.
"Well, there's still food on the stove, I guess we made it on time," Yami teased, smirking at Joey.
"Yeah, yeah, hardy-har-har," Joey shot back, rolling his eyes.
"All right, you two," Aunt Kiya warned playfully. "Yami, I need you to go and get some wood from the woodpile. Joey, go and get Al, he should be out in the garage. Ryou, can you give me a hand?"
Yami and Joey both left out the front door, calling out a "Yes ma'am," on their way out. Ryou washed his hands and started to help his aunt chop vegetables for a salad. Yugi stood awkwardly in one place, not knowing what it was he should do now. Should he ask if he could help? What if he messed up and caused another disaster like the food fight at school? But…it would be rude not to help out. He gathered his courage and approached Aunt Kiya hesitantly.
"I-is there anything I can do to help?" he asked in a small voice.
Aunt Kiya looked up from mashing potatoes and smiled warmly at him. "Sure, sweetie. If you can peel that bundle of corn on the counter over there and put it in that pot that would be great, okay?"
Yugi's eyes brightened and he smiled. He lifted the basket of corn from the counter and grabbed the big pot Aunt Kiya mentioned and went out onto the porch. Pulling up a wastebasket, Yugi sat on the bench and began shucking the husks from the corn. He sighed happily; this was the first time he had ever been accepted so easily. Ryou's family treated him like he was one of their own, a concept that was foreign to Yugi and amazed him to no end.
The footsteps of someone walking up the porch steps drew Yugi's attention. He lifted his head and saw Yami on his way in the house with an armful of logs. Yami flashed him a dashing smile.
"Mom have you working already?" he asked. Yugi blinked.
"No," he replied. "I offered."
Yami winced theatrically. "Well, you'll know better next time," he assured. Yugi stared at him. "I'll come back out and give you a hand."
True to his word, Yami emerged from the house mere moments later and sat down beside Yugi. They sat in a comfortable silence, working beneath the honey-golden rays of the setting sun. Something about Yami's presence was soothing. Yugi felt like he was starting with a clean slate. Yami and Joey had quickly welcomed him into their lives and were eager to know him better. Yugi had truly never experienced anything like it.
It didn't take long for the duo to shed the entire basket of corn of its leafy husks. Yugi reached down to grab the last ear when a larger and much darker hand covered his own. He jumped, snapping his head up and meeting Yami's garnet gaze bashfully. Yami chuckled at the blush that spread over Yugi's pale skin.
"It's okay, Yugi," Yami said. "I'll get this last one." Yami shot Yugi a wink. The other nodded, trying to hide his blush by running his hands over his cheeks. Yami shed the husks quickly and placed the golden ear of corn in the pot. He picked it up and stood, Yugi following suit and opening the front door for him. Yami smiled in thanks and they both stepped inside.
Aunt Kiya looked up from mashing potatoes to see the two boys walk in. "Just put that on the stove to boil, Yami," she said. "You boys can take a seat afterward. Dinner's just about finished."
Yugi seated himself at the table next Ryou, who gave him a friendly smile. Uncle Al was seated next to Joey on the opposite side chatting amiably. Aunt Kiya began to set bowls of steaming mashed potatoes, gravy, and garden-fresh green beans around the table, tall glasses of chilled lemonade had already been placed at each seat. After another quick trip to the stove, she placed a basket of buttermilk biscuits and a tray of country-fried chicken in the center of the table. Yami then joined them after filling the pot of corn with water and sat down beside Yugi at the end of the table.
"Dig in everyone," Aunt Kiya encouraged. People began filling their plates with piping hot food. Yugi found himself thoroughly enjoying Aunt Kiya's cooking. The chicken was battered in buttermilk and seasoned flour, fried to perfection, and the biscuits were warm and moist, creating the perfect companion for gravy or honey.
"What kind of work do you do here on the ranch, Yami?" Yugi asked.
Yami placed his glass down and picked up his fork again. "We raise cattle mostly, though over the years we've added appaloosas to our sales. We've been breeding them for about five years."
"It's a lot of work," Joey piped in around a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "But it leaves you with a good feeling at the end of the day."
Yami snorted. "That's funny, coming from you," he said. "You may live here Joey, but I would question the amount of work you do." This comment was awarded by a flying roll launched in Yami's direction. The target caught it easily and began to butter it.
"There's also a corn field on the other side of the hill in the back. We use that to supply some of the grain for the livestock. That way we don't have to spend a lot of money on feed," Uncle Al added.
"Speaking of," Aunt Kiya commented, "have you heard anything about cattle prices this year?"
"The market manager in town says that, if anything, prices will keep dropping," he replied, shaking his head. "We're going to be in for a rough ride if that happens. But we'll make it."
"The mares should be foaling soon," Yami said. "We already have buyers on a waiting list. We should be okay."
"What kinds of things do you like to do, Yugi?" Joey asked.
Yugi blinked. "Um…well…" he glanced uneasily at Ryou, who merely nodded for him to continue. "I-I like to play games. I help my grandfather run a game shop at home."
"Your grandfather owns a game shop?" Yami inquired.
"It's nothing special," Yugi explained. "It's just a little store that sells popular games. We've been thinking of putting an addition on to expand the store."
As the conversation went from hobbies to school to telling funny and embarrassing stories, Yugi found himself becoming more and more comfortable around these people. He couldn't remember a time when he smiled so much. All the depressing thoughts that continued to linger were violently shoved to the back of his mind. For the first time, they weren't the dominant force controlling his actions, but a mere echo of the past.
The dishes were eventually cleared from the table and any leftovers wrapped up in foil and put into the refrigerator. Uncle Al had gone out to put the horses back into their stalls for the night. Violet eyes widened in delight when Aunt Kiya brought out a bowl of strawberry shortcake for each of them. Yami went to the refrigerator and grabbed a can of whipped cream, grinning mischievously.
"Whipped cream, Joey?" he asked in the most innocent voice the red-eyed teen could muster.
Joey looked suspicious for a minute, but the idea of an extra-sweet dessert finally won over. "You bet!" Smirking, Yami reached over to Joey's bowl. The honey-eyed boy was gazing at his shortcake in excitement and practically drooling all over his hands in anticipation of the fluffy cream goodness that would spray from the nozzle of the can. Yami smirked and diverted his hand at the last second, fully smothering Joey's face with a resounding 'squiiiirrch!'
Ryou was practically in stitches. Yugi stared in disbelief, finally starting to laugh along with his white-haired companion. Joey blinked rapidly for ten seconds before glaring at Yami, who merely stared back smugly.
"What?" he asked with a shrug, feigning innocence. "You never specified where you wanted whipped cream."
"On my shortcake, ya moron!" Joey shouted, attempting to smear a handful of sugary cream on Yami's shirt. Yami dodged, causing Joey's hand to come in contact with Yugi's face. All laughing stopped and everyone froze. After three seconds of dead silence and much blinking on Yugi's part, they broke out into fits once again. Yugi turned and looked up at Yami, who's garnet eyes danced with amusement. The boy grinned and handed him the can.
"Go for it," was all he said. Hesitantly, Yugi took the can in his hands. He slowly, unsurely, turned to Ryou, who was still laughing his head off. Yugi reached over and promptly covered Ryou's face and chin with sticky white cream. Everyone--save for Yami--froze once again, this time in shock that shy little Yugi would actually spray whipped cream all over someone's face. Ryou looked at him in disbelief. Yugi blinked rapidly, staring at the can in his hands. Had he really just done that?
"Look!" Yami suddenly exclaimed, still laughing. "It's Santa Claus!" Indeed, with both white hair and a now white creamy beard, Ryou did in fact look like Saint Nick himself. Yami didn't have much time to laugh as Yugi turned on him suddenly. Rich laughter suddenly stopped. Tri-colored hair suddenly became quad-colored hair, ruby-red eyes locking on Yugi. The smaller teen tried to look as innocent as possible, but the idea that he was having more fun than he had ever had in his life couldn't stop the smile that crept onto Yugi's face. War broke out. All four boys began smearing cream over one another until Aunt Kiya managed to stop laughing long enough to make them call a truce. They sat and ate their shortcake peacefully, having removed most of the sticky substance from their faces and clothing with a wet washcloth (though Yami had been unable to remove the cream in his hair). The can of whipped cream had been capped and returned to the fridge where Aunt Kiya claimed to have locked it in the crisper. By the time they finished, it was nearly nine o'clock.
"We should get cleaned up and get ready for bed," Ryou said.
"I agree," Yami replied. "We're going to have a long day tomorrow."
"Yugi's things have already been brought to your room, Yami. Ryou, your bags are on the cot in Joey's room." Aunt Kiya informed them.
"You don't mind bunking with me, do you Yugi?" Yami asked.
"No, not at all," Yugi replied hastily. "Thanks."
Yami winked. "No problem."
Yugi followed the others upstairs. Ryou and Joey parted briefly as Joey entered his room to get changed and Ryou went to wash off his face in the bathroom. Yami lead the teen down the hall to the room at the very end, bypassing the master bedroom on the left and opening the door at the end of the hall.
"I asked my mom to put your stuff in my room, Yugi," Yami said suddenly. "Joey's snoring is legendary, and I didn't want you to have to put up with it. Ryou sleeps like a rock, so I'm sure he'll be fine. This is my room, so make yourself at home. Right now I need to go and take a shower to get this whipped cream out of my hair, courtesy of a certain somebody." Yami smirked. Yugi blushed.
"I don't know what came over me," Yugi admitted. "I've never done anything like that before."
Yami waved his hand and chuckled. "Don't worry about it, it was all in good fun," he assured. "Make yourself comfortable." The teen dragged a pair of boxers and a T-shirt from the top drawer of his dresser and headed to the bathroom.
Yugi watched him leave, then turned his eyes to the room around him. The room itself was simple. A desk sat on the far wall under the window, Yami's dresser was just inside the door, and a closet sat in the back corner. It was neat, for the most part. There were a few books and articles of clothing out of place, but Yugi was surprised at the simplicity of it all. Yugi glanced at the bunk beds set up to his left where his bags had been placed on the bottom bunk. He took a seat on the bed and unzipped his bags, removing a set of pajamas for him to change into after a shower. Yugi sat looking around the room with interest. There were some plaques hanging on the far wall above the desk, as well as a trophy shelf. Curious, he got up to take a look.
There must have been a dozen or more wooden plaques covering the wall, all of them made of a deep, rich cherry wood and plated with gold. Yugi started from the far left and began to read:
First Place: Atemu "Yami" Odahama
Texas State Bull-riding Champion
1998
First Place: Atemu "Yami" Odahama
Texas State Bull-riding Champion
1999
First Place: Atemu "Yami" Odahama
Five-time Texas State Bull-riding Champion
Undefeated 1999-2003
First Place: Yami Odahama
Tri-county Calf Wrestling
2000
First Place: Yami Odahama
Three-time Calf Wrestling
2001-2003
Yugi's eyes widened as the list went on and on. Yami had won all these? It was obvious Yami was quite the cowboy, but Yugi hadn't realized he was a rodeo champion too. Yugi started lightly as the bedroom door opened and Yami entered the room. Yugi gaped at him with arched eyebrows. Yami looked puzzled for a second before he realized what Yugi had been examining. He grinned.
"You like those, do you?" he asked. Yugi nodded dumbly, not really knowing how to voice his thoughts. Yami came and stood next to him. "I stared competing in rodeos when I was thirteen, and walked away with a championship my first year." Yami ran his fingers over the plaques.
"Wow," Yugi commented. "How did you learn to do all this stuff?" Yami chuckled.
"Calf wrestling is something we do all the time on the ranch," he replied. "That's what we were doing when you got here today. We rope them in so they can be branded. Bull-riding, on the other hand, my dad had to teach me."
Yugi frowned. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"Sure is," Yami answered with a nod. "You have to stay on the bull for eight seconds, tied only by one hand. As long as you know what the risks are and how to handle them, you'll be okay." Yami glanced at the clock on the desk. "You should probably get changed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
Yugi nodded and grabbed his pajamas. He crossed the hall and went into the bathroom, showering quickly and getting ready for bed. Yami was already lying on his back on the top bunk, tossing a tennis ball in the air. He stopped and sat up when he spotted Yugi entering the room.
"Aren't you going to take those wristbands off?" he asked with a puzzled frown.
Yugi's breath hitched as a blade of nervousness arced through him. He shook it off, trying to act casual. "N-no, I keep them on all the time." Yami looked puzzled for a moment, but merely shrugged.
"You can toss your clothes into that basket in the corner, and my mom will wash them for you," Yami offered. Yugi smiled lightly and nodded in thanks, relieved that Yami had dropped the subject. His clothes put away and his bags tucked under the bed, Yugi climbed into the bottom bunk as Yami hit the lights.
The boy lay there in the darkness, listening as Yami climbed back up to his bed and settled down. Crickets chirped quietly outside, and a warm breeze fluttered through the open window. Yugi closed his eyes, and allowed himself to be lulled asleep by the night song.
To be continued...