Disclaimer: Yuugiou and all related materials are property of Kazuki Takahashi. The song Love My Way belongs to The Psychedelic Furs.
Love My Way
By: Nanaki BH
Late one night, whilst studying my homework, my mom called me down into our living room. She had that tone that she usually gets when she wants to have a "serious" talk with me. I considered not leaving my room at all. I'd heard it all before and I knew there was nothing she could say that I hadn't heard before. It was always "how is school" or "you forgot your lunch, are you eating right" or "how are the other kids treating you". I still curse the day my teacher called our house and had a talk with my mom about the way I was getting treated in class. She started considering moving me to another school and since then I haven't wanted to come down into the living room when she calls me.
That night was a little different though. For some reason, it felt like something was different from the way things usually were. Her voice sounded just as typically concerned as it always did but something forced me to stand. I made my way down the stairs and there, standing before the front door was my mother and beside her, Jonouchi.
My mind still recognized him as the bully from school, but my eyes welcomed him as a familiar sight. I wasn't quite sure what it was, but something about him seemed calmer and kinder and nothing like the boy who enjoyed picking on me with Honda. Lately, I realized, my sixth sense had gone into overtime and it was making me notice even the most minor of differences. But minor was hardly the word to describe how he looked to me; he seemed completely different. I looked from Jonouchi's embarrassed face to my mother and noticed that she held her usual concerned visage; brows upturned and expectant. I nodded, giving my mother some reassurance and letting Jou finally let go of the breath he'd been holding in.
"He came over to go over the homework," she explained, but I knew he would never come over to do homework; let alone, so late at night when I was already in my pajamas. Before I had the chance to run off with him, she took me aside just to make sure it was alright for him to come over. I told her it was okay. I had to. I had to if I ever wanted to find out what was going on with him or why he even came over.
And it was Friday. Jonouchi would never even consider doing homework ahead of time. I found myself already making up possibilities in my mind before I even climbed the stairs. I ran quickly up the steps, almost falling halfway and opened the door to my room to find him pacing back and forth, backpack lying forgotten on my bed. I muttered a nervous greeting to him and closed the door behind me.
"So I take it you got your puzzle piece back, right?" I could tell he was just trying to make conversation, but I nodded anyway. "Sorry," he said, finding himself a place on my bed, "'cause, ya know, I'm the one that took it and all." He looked up at me sheepishly and I blushed, realizing how protectively I was clutching the puzzle that hung from around my neck.
He looked away and for a while, we shared some awkward silence. "So what'd you come here for?" I asked him, releasing the small pyramid.
"I just wanted to be sure that you were okay." I raised an eyebrow and he continued for me. "Well, after all the stuff Honda and I've put you through. It's like I all of a sudden realized what a nice person you are and I realized that you didn't deserve any of the stuff we've done to you. I've never had any real friends so I was just wondering if…"
Jonouchi backed away slightly; face turning an adorable shade of pink. My heart reminded me of its existence with an excited thump and I edged a little closer to him until he had nowhere to hide. I wasn't entirely opposed to the thought of dating and there he was, a boy who had intrigued me already, telling me he wasn't my enemy any longer. It was truly exciting news to hear. I surely thought he was handsome and even if he didn't find me equally attractive, at least there was still a possible friendship.
He let out a shaky breath and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess bein' friends wouldn't be too bad," he said. Inside, my heart rejoiced. There was still something distinctly awkward about the way he was acting.
Gently, I put a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?" I asked, bringing my head down a little so I could look him clear in the face. He flinched and pulled away again, facing away from me with his chin propped up on his palm. The blush from earlier seemed to have spread from his cheeks to the rest of his face, making him appear even more endearing to me, which was odd, considering that he was once one of the people who had made me afraid to go to school. If I had a person like him as my friend though, that would give me hope and I would be braver. No one would ever pick on me if I was the one holding onto Jonouchi's arm.
After another moment's silence, he shook his head. "It's nothing," he said softly, eyes staring blankly at the floor. His mind was somewhere else, thinking about something I would never be able to guess from the expression he wore. "It's just that I've never had any real friends or anybody," he said, chancing a tentative glance in my direction.
"What about Honda?" I asked. Honestly, I didn't really like Honda very much. He was creepy, lecherous, and kind of annoying. Like anybody else though, if Jou liked him and Jou was my friend, then I would learn to like him just the same.
"Well," he said with a light chuckle, "it's an odd story behind the two of us, really. I'm sure you know that I've been in a gang. Honda's the one that's been there to help me when I'm in deep trouble. Even if ya get out of a gang, it doesn't mean you're rid of them for good. They won't let you just walk away; especially if you're one of their best guys. I mean, I know Honda seems like an odd guy sometimes and he may seem sort of mean, but you have to be like that if you're going to defend your friends."
He leaned back on the bed, resting his weight on his palms. He started to look more comfortable the more he talked to me. "And you know, you're a different kind of friend, Yugi. I mean, still just as much of a friend as Honda, but you're different, you know? You're small and you can't defend yourself like he can. And you're cute." He paused. "And nice."
"So you didn't really come over here to study, did you?" I asked, a hint of my amusement in my voice.
"Then why do you think I brought that thing with me?" A thumb was jerked in the direction of his poor, abandoned book bag. "I wanted to know a little more about what we're doing in chemistry. I heard you've got a pretty good handle on it." He'd heard wrong. "That's not all I want to know more about though. I thought I could find out a little more about you."
"More about me?" I thought. I was sure a blush must have spread on my cheeks. It was a perplexing statement. The more I thought about it, the more it confused me. There wasn't anything particularly interesting about me… at all, actually. What in the world would anyone want to know about me, Yugi Mutou? I'm plain and boring and a little big geeky. Wasn't that what made him not like me in the first place? That's why my puzzle piece went missing, after all.
I began to worry then that if he started learning more about me, he would come to realize I was no different than the Yugi he'd convinced himself he hated.
"Well," I mumbled, wringing my hands together in my lap. "What sort of things do you want to know?"
"I guess that would all depend on what you're willing to volunteer. For instance… do you like me?"
I could say that "my heart stopped", but what I would really mean by that is that my heart sped up until it felt like it would jump right out of my chest; in embarrassment, perhaps. Even thought I had wanted to hear him say something like that anyway, I felt like burying my face in my pillows. Maybe it was because I knew my face had changed a million shades of red before definitely stopping on a specific shade that one could call "tomato red". When I looked up again, I realized that I had no reason to be ashamed or embarrassed. Jonouchi seemed just as timid and coy as he had before. I decided that if we were to ever get anywhere, then I would have to make the first move.
Unfortunately, he had the same thought. Without a moment's delay, barely giving my weary mind the opportunity to catch up, his lips were pressed firmly against mine.
It wasn't much of a kiss though, to be quite honest. It was there and gone so fast it might as well have not happened at all. But it did happen. My mind, which was still running in slow motion, recognized that fact. I brushed my fingers over my lips, relishing the warmth his lips had left in their wake. I wanted to kiss him back suddenly, even knowing how odd it seemed or sounded.
When I attempted to return it, he was already mumbling an apology. As he made to stand, I grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down, our lips colliding haphazardly. Instinctively, his arms wrapped around my thin waist, holding me closely. He gently lowered me back onto the bed and for a second, I panicked. I cracked open an eye and took a quick look at my door, which, to my relief, was definitely shut and locked. My heart was beating faster and faster and my mind was racing just as quick to match its pace. My innocent, young mind delighted itself with the thoughts of all the not-so-innocent things I could've done with Jonouchi in a locked room. Not so fast, I thought to myself. I should be thinking like this. I barely know him!
We parted, both of us gasping for the air we had been denying our lungs for (what felt like) five minutes. We were equally flushed, hot, and embarrassed. It was a good kind of embarrassed though. After all, it was my first real kiss.
"So you still want to know more about me?" I asked.
"All about you," he replied.
Author's Notes: I'm rather proud of how quickly I got this done. It was written entirely in a notebook, which is odd considering that I almost never finish the things I start in notebooks. As the summary stated, it was set around the beginning of the (Japanese) first season. If you've never read/seen it, go check it out. It'll be worth your while! And, as always, feedback is appreciated!