Cursive

by Lethe Seraph

Ten: Friends

It was short, and I didn't know what to do, so … here we go! XD Sorry if this one's confusing. Just go with the flow?

Uguu. I don't know what I did to Anzu. I promise she's deeper than that, really! She's just so handy to use like that, you know? …No, you probably don't. But I promise I love the girl. She'll definitely have a super-awesome role in an upcoming chapter. You know, one that doesn't involve … that.

Hehehe.

Slow down. I can't understand you. He what?

Oh my God. Honda. I… I have to do something.

Dude. About what?

He … he … I was so wrong. I don't know what to do now.

Jou, I'm not psychic, all right? You'll have to start from the beginning.

I haven't talked to him at all, you know that, until yesterday.

Yeah. I know. Yuug's a bit worried about you guys, by the way.

Well, anyway, I mean, I just told him I was sorry, we were stuck in the room together and it felt really awkward and I didn't know what to say, but I had to-

I said calm down. You're going to have a heart attack. So you said sorry for being a jerk.

What could I do? It was so weird, I really didn't mean to avoid him… well, I did-

So what's wrong?

Okay, so I said sorry, that was two days ago, and then I got this … I got this in the mail.

Jou couldn't stop thinking about it. He knew, rationally, that the kiss hadn't been initiated by Seto alone. There had been some kind of … signal there, like in the movies when you saw them lean forward just a little bit, tilt their heads, and you knew that they were about to kiss even though they had barely moved. Of course, the camera zooming in didn't hurt any either.

Anyway, he hadn't been able to. It grabbed at the coattails of his mind – first kiss, Seto Kaiba. Seto Kaiba, the most eligible bachelor in Domino, male. At night, the dream didn't even bother with the coattails – it just ripped the whole damn coat off, and God was he beautiful.

But he had been able to get a bit of his focus back, after a while. Not much, but enough that he didn't immediately glance out of the corner of his eye at Kaiba's desk, be it empty or not, when he walked in every morning. Enough that he stopped looking over his shoulder when he opened his locker.

Enough that he didn't feel quite as lonely.

For some reason, at some point, Yugi and Honda had stopped being Jou's be-all and end-all. He was kind of freaked out.

You don't know until you lose it or whatever. He actually missed talking to the guy. It wasn't like he had wanted to befriend Kaiba in the first place, either – he'd been tricked into it. It was typical of him. The kiss was nothing, another incomprehensible Kaiba plot.

He had almost wound his mind around the idea.

Then he checked the mail slot.

"Jou, I'm sorry." Well, that's nice. I didn't think he had that one in his vocabulary.

Neither did I. Keep reading.

"While I do not regret the events that transpired that night, I do apologize…"

"Jou, I'm sorry…" mumbled Jou aloud, holding the note – official-looking letterhead and all – aloft as he lay on his bed. "I can't believe he said that. Maybe I should keep it as evidence…" Despite the position, his heart was racing. He forced himself to read on, slowly.

Jou:

I'm sorry. While I do not regret the events that transpired that night, I do apologize. I would like to remind you that I still hold your offer of friendship, and would also like to keep you to it.

I won't force you. If you please, you may join my younger brother and me for dinner. My personal phone number follows.

Happy birthday.

It was all in delicate, deliberate cursive.

Jou breathed out. What should he do?

What would Yugi do?

Hey… uh … Yuug?

Jou! Hi! What's up?

Not much. Ah, Honda and I were just hanging out and talking, and we wanted your opinion on … something.

All right, I'm listening.

So, um, say there's this person.

Like Kaiba?

Ack! Yuug!

Hehe, sorry. Go on, please.

So, um, a few months ago we kind of started being friendly and stuff, right? And then, um, he…

Yeah?

He…

He kissed him.

Oh! Hey, Honda!

Thanks. Jerk.

Gosh. Um, well. So that's why you guys kind of stopped talking to each other?

Yeah, and I've had to put up with his whining.

I wouldn't have minded, Jou! Why didn't you…

Um … I didn't want you to worry?

Hehe. So what's important enough that you'll risk worrying me?

Uh, he sent me a letter. And he wants to know if I'll have dinner with him and Mokuba.

Wow, like an apology?

Yeah, he even said sorry. Should I go?

Well, I don't see why not. But let's call up Anzu just in case.

Oh, no.

"Mazaki speaking," came a cheerful, tinny voice. Jou winced. He didn't want to go shopping again, dammit!

"Yeah, Anzu, hey. It's me."

"And me!" rang Yugi.

"Ooh, a three-way! This must be important. What's going on?"

"Well, I finally found out what was going on with Jou and Seto!" said Yugi brightly. "They were friends, except then they kissed and started avoiding each other for some reason."

There was a clank from the other end of the line. "What? You what? Jou, why didn't you tell us before! I would have kicked his scrawny-"

"No, no, it was … kind of … mutual. I think," mumbled Jou. "At the time."

"Caught up in the moment!" Anzu said. "I didn't peg you as being into guys…"

"I never really thought about it," commented Yugi.

"You also haven't hit puberty yet," joked Honda. Jou whipped his head around; Honda had snuck out of the room and picked up an extension.

"Who hasn't hit puberty?" came a deeper voice.

"Oh, snap, the Pharaoh's gonna getcha," Jou laughed. "Better watch your back, Honda."

"Let's get to business," said Yami sternly.

"Yeah," said Anzu. "So he kissed you a few weeks ago. What's up now?"

"Um, he invited me out to dinner. For my birthday. Yugi said we should call you."

"It sounds fine to me," added Yami, "but Yugi and I thought that a second opinion might help. For all we know, this is some bizarre setup to promote Kaiba's company."

"Mm," said Anzu. There was a tapping noise, like a pencil, against the receiver.

Honda added his two cents. "I think it's worth going to. So Jou can figure out whether he really likes the guy or whatever."

"I do not!" protested Jou.

"Yuh-huh."

"So can we all go to the mall and get him something nice to wear?" said Anzu.

"Oh, God, no!"

"That sounds like fun!" said Yugi mischievously.

"Yugi, I'll be at your place in five minutes. Jou and Honda, ten. All of you be ready, because we've got some shopping to do!"

Jou stared at the full-length mirror. Disdain and despair mingled in his expression, which was now perfectly visible due to the distinctly noticeable lack of an inch and a half of unruly hair. "What the hell is this?"

"It's a fashion trend," said Anzu brightly, referring to Jou's mismatched – and somewhat girly, in his opinion – outfit. "Are you guys going out to eat?"

"Um, I dunno," said Jou.

"Let me see the note again," she commanded.

"Where is it?" said Honda. He was waiting outside the dressing room with Yugi.

"In the blue bag," said Jou. "Right in the front."

"Oh, okay, there we go." A sheet of paper slipped under the door. Anzu whipped it up.

She glanced over it. "Nope, doesn't say. Maybe he'll let you choose."

"You could always call him," volunteered Yugi.

"Do you have a cell phone?"

"Yup! You'll have to open the door, though."

Jou sighed. "Fine." He did.

Yugi and Honda stared.

Honda let out one small snicker.

And Yugi's cheeks flushed pink.

"What do you think, guys?" said Anzu. "Cute, right?"

"V-very cute," agreed Yugi.

"Kinda girly, if you ask me," said Honda. "But yeah. It's cute."

Anzu smirked. "Good. Where's that phone?"

So he wants to have dinner at his place.

That's sweet. I wonder if he's cooking.

What if he puts the moves on me or something?

Hey, he pretty much said he'd respect you. And Mokuba will be there.

Mokuba was there last time!

Are you nervous, Jou?

…Kind of. I haven't really talked to him for a long time.

Don't worry, bud. Call one of us and we'll have you out of there like lightning.

Thanks, guys.

Kaiba adjusted his shirt again, uncomfortably. "Are you sure?"

Mokuba smiled. "Trust me."