This year isn't my year... anyways I am back to finally wrap up this whole club plotline! See you next chapter, hopefully this time it won't take me this long to get it up (sorry yall! ToT)

Warning:

Underage drinking.

Mentions of Non-consensual drink spicing.

Skip ahead if these subjects trigger you.

The agony settled in before she even opened her eyes.

A throb like an elephant tap dancing inside her skull was enough for her to swear 'Never again' but such empty promises wouldn't keep her safe from the dreaded backlash of her poor life choices.

Temptatively she cracked one eye open and sighed in relief when the soothing gloominess of her room greeted her with familiarity.

At least she wasn't waking up somewhere unknown, or worse, in another hospital.

Morning. She mentally called out to the hound as she began to sit up.

We may want to take it slow- "Augh!"

The both of them groaned as a new wave of pain assaulted her brain, like a hornet's nest being shaken inside.

"Sorry, sorry." She apologized to herself, to the hound and who knew who else. She didn't know anymore, her thoughts weren't easy to follow over the relentless buzz.

Trying again slowly this time she finally sat up and began to assess the situation, one sluggish discovery after the other.

She was home and nothing really seemed out of the ordinary there.

That was good.

Looking down she noticed that she was still wearing the same clothes from before but someone had taken the time to remove her jewelry and placed it on her night stand.

She flinched at the realization that it must have been Arthur who did that, the hope that he was happy after having to deal with her in such a state too outlandish to take root. She would have to apologize as soon as possible.

Lifting her hand she rubbed at her eyelids and watched her fingers come away with the black and gold remnants of eyeshadow and liner.

"So far gone I didn't even wash my face". The most sacred part of her night routine. The idea was disturbing as the magnitude of the night's events started to dawn upon her.

Deciding to deny herself the chance to bask in her own misery she flung the sheets to the side and forced herself to stand up in unsteady feet.

Dizziness, nausea and a killer headache, yes she was definitively hungover.

She needed water and something for her empty stomach but not before a shower. She barely felt human with sweat and filth still clinging to her skin.

Tesem undressed inside the bathroom and took a moment to freshen up her breath with toothpaste and brush, facing her reflection in the mirror while she did so.

Besides the mess that was her hair and the reddish hue of her eyes she didn't look that bad. Her eyeliner was slightly smudged and her lipstick was entirely gone but the remnants of makeup weren't entirely unbecoming.

She grinned at herself with sardonic humor. I may be a mess but at least I am a hot mess. It would have crushed her to realize that she had spent a good chunk of the night with a giant smear across her face or anything else that could potentially hurt her vanity.

She spat, washed off the minty remnants inside her mouth and entered the glass cage that was her shower before cranking up the cold water without a smidge of mercy for herself

A shock to the senses was exactly what she needed. Even if it worsened her headache at first the low temperature got the blood flowing and her mind slowly catching up to normal speed.

Finally it hit her. "What the fuck happened last night?"

.oOoOoOo.

The game she could remember best.

From the start Mai, Yami and herself had taken the lead with the spirit's impenetrable poker face, the blonde duellist's uncanny perceptivity and her own impeccable bluffs being equally matched for a while.

Eventually Jonouchi, Ryota and Mai were pushed to the losing end by the intensity of Yami and Tesem's intense competitiveness.

Someone should have told them that taking a silly game of drink poker so seriously was ridiculous, someone probably did and she couldn't quite recall, but even as the two of them waged war for a simple bet and the other competitors left the fray to watch instead everyone continued to have a fun time.

In the end it came to a mutually agreed upon tie breaking match. Tesem could still remember her game as if she still held the cards in her hand. Two high pairs, tens and Queens. A winner draw if she ever saw one, the board had just turned a trashy hand into gold and she couldn't help but smile, savoring her victory in advance.

As always, Yami's expression remained unreadable.

"Are you ready to polish those soles on the floor?"

"Hmm, and people say I am a cocky adversary."

"Can't blame me, going against you makes winning properly delightful."

He humored her with a snorty laugh before he took a sip from his drink.

"All right, both of you. Show your hands already" Mai said and thus both players laid their cards on the table.

Even in the shower several hours later she found herself once more gritting her teeth in annoyance at his unbelievable luck.

He had managed a flush. She lost by a landslide.

"Well damn." Disbelief came and went without a chance to turn into resentment. She should have expected it, he wasn't titled the King of Games for nothing. Even in a game highly influenced by sheer luck he had an edge.

"Good match." He said with a smile so damn charming and honest she couldn't help but respond in kind, even if the realization of just what she had bet in the heat of the moment started to dawn upon her.

"You tried your best girl. I guess Yugi here hasn't drunk nearly enough to throw him off his game." Mai offered kindly.

"Yeah, well, I better hit the dance floor again to enjoy my freedom while it lasts." Having lost shouldn't be that bad… although he was a man with a past mostly shrouded in mystery and not that long ago he had displayed certain psychotic tendencies toward those who wronged him, and now he owned her sorry self for a day… Yeah she was dead meat. All the more reason to enjoy the rest of the night to the fullest. "Are you coming guys?"

Mai said yes while Ryota and Jonouchi stayed to play another match against each other. Yami — well, she wouldn't insist now that he had won fair and square, so he was free to do whatever he pleased.

Surprisingly Anzu also declined, wanting to take something without booze and catch her breath for a little while.

Tesem had gotten the impression that the girl had more in mind than just resting her feet as she once more found her way to the object of her attraction's side.

Fair play. Tesem had her own moment alone with the spirit during which she had experienced more than just a chance to bond, she had actually found out something rather interesting about the puzzling man which gave her enough thought fodder to be satisfied for the rest of the night.

Within the wet and cold sanctuary of her shower she let out a laugh, private and incredulous upon recalling their interrupted conversation.

.

Who would have thought that Yami would go full circle from rival, to friend then back to rival but of a different kind?

Was it even fair to consider him an opponent in matters of the heart if her only advances with Yugi were a confession of attraction and a few counted occasions of holding hands? That didn't give her a claim over the boy… To be fair, neither did sharing a mindspace with Yugi give the spirit priority or anything really if he hadn't had the guts to make a move yet.

Then there was what happened after the game- Gods, she couldn't help but blush while rinsing the soap off her head. Why must Yami continue to make things more and more complicated?

She had hit the dance floor with Mai-san harder than before, perhaps emboldened by the substances in her system or simply by the need to get over such an abysmal defeat.

It didn't matter, her elder was game as expected when they mutually agreed to get every man and woman within view range riled up.

The DJ aided things greatly as the music progressed from rave techno and pop to more sensual vibes, slower with crying guitars and lyrics in japanese and english meant to give the listeners very bad ideas.

It worked a charm for the atmosphere of the place.

Pairs and solo hunters joined the fray, grinding it out as a recorded voice echoed "Dim the lights, dim the lights, dim the lights!"

In cue the overhead spotlights and lasers were turned down and rows of white lights coming from the bottom of the DJ's station came alive transforming the dancing crowd into featureless silhouettes.

The gift of anonymity emboldened those who found themselves still without a partner and Tesem was once more subjected to the attention of strangers who came into her space to try and coax her into their embrace, sometimes with timid moves that failed to capture her attention for long and in other instances with bolder attempts at physical contact that didn't quite stir her enough to settle.

After just a little while a warm hand found her shoulder, a bold but brief touch that had her turning around to see who had been gutsy enough to approach her this time.

The piercing vermillion shade of Yami's eyes surprised her enough to halt her motions, the disruption of the flow of swaying bodies earning her a shove from a careless partygoer.

She stumbled but was caught before losing her balance completely, pulled into a swift turn that carried her away from other impending collisions between strong arms.

"Easy there. Maybe that was one too many beers for you."

She couldn't quite recall her answer, she had been flustered and slow in her comeback and he had seemed quite pleased with himself for being able to ruffle her feathers.

"What are you doing over here? Did something happen?" She pushed up on the tip of her toes to try and look over his shoulder but he shook his head and settled her down with firm but gentle hands that didn't linger.

"All is well, Mai went back to drag Jonouchi out here again and she was pretty vocal about her concerns for leaving you alone."

"Did she now?"

She didn't doubt that her friend would do something like that, it was quite heartwarming in fact to know that even during her own pursuit for fun Mai had the time to lend her a hand.

No, what had her twisting her lips and looking incredulous back then was the idea that so little was enough to sway Yami into doing something he was so adamant in avoiding before.

Tesem didn't buy it, not for a second. He may have a chivalrous streak a mile long but only a fool would believe she actually required chaperoning. Was it curiosity what brought him there? Whatever it was, his expression gave nothing away.

"Alright, let's have some fun then." She would prod him about it some other time, the chance she was given mustn't be wasted for the sake of teasing him.

She started as his guide, showing a rhythm for him to follow with simple footwork and the rocking of shoulders.

Within minutes the music got to him and the annoyingly smug bastard once more proved that there are beings in the world who can in fact be naturally good at everything.

The way he danced… it was hard to explain.

His movements like almost every aspect of his being felt measured to perfection, achieving a lot with very little. Subtle and elegant until he built the courage to start rolling his body, then she was done for.

The feeling that invaded her had to be the same she had spent a good portion of the night causing in others. Karma was in fact a bitch.

Muscles that were already a sight to behold in stillness undulated and rippled beneath tight fabrics so sensually it invited the imagination to visit a universe of indecent possibilities and mighty Gods above she had been too far gone to resist.

It didn't help the least bit that he seemed intent on maintaining eye contact once he noticed how it affected her.

In her inebriated state the mask she fashioned to conceal a good portion of her feeling became faulty. Someone as keen as him should have been able to read her like a book and well, she was a very flustered and titillated piece of literature at the moment.

Oh how she hoped that he had been more inebriated than he showed or that the dimness of the lights was enough to conceal what her wits couldn't but those eyes were too discerning as they studied her face and when he smirked it was like a proclamation of victory.

In hindsight she should have surrendered such an inconsequential victory to him, let him have his payback for her earlier prodding of his secrets and just call it even. But no, he was trying to embarass her and there was no way in hell she would let him come out unscathed.

The distance between them closed and although not quite touching the warmth of their bodily proximity had her building up a sweat.

He stood his ground even as her moves grew bolder and the sway of her hips synchronized with his own.

His smile faltered but his focus remained unwavering as they partook in yet another game.

The next twenty or so minutes felt like a fever dream, the music, the shaking lights and the grinding…

A dream that brought her breath to a brusque halt even hours after the fact.

She could still taste the salt on her lips and the spice from his breath as it hovered just beyond reach.

She dressed in a hurry, gritting her teeth through the throb that returned with vengeful intensity from the careless motions.

A wayward thought had spooked her into action, making her think of her lonely nakedness as a dangerous thing.

She had dirty danced with none other than the millenium puzzle's spirit and only the Gods knew what else, she wasn't ready to deal with that fact yet.

Sporting an unimpressive combination of gray sweatpants and a white loose top she fled the sanctuary of her room hoping that braving the consequences of her actions with her legal guardian would prove easier.

No such luck.

From the second she laid eyes on Arthur his disappointment became evident.

"I thought you would know better."

Those words stung more than she had expected, perhaps because it was true, she should have known better.

The goal of the night had never been to get completely wasted but at some point she had let things get out of hand, perhaps it had been her ego for trying to prove she could outdrink her peers or maybe attempting to drink as a way to escape her inner turmoils had been a bad idea from the start.

Whatever the case, regret settled in her chest far more grievous than the physical backlash of her intoxication.

Arthur didn't say much more before leaving for work. Although it wasn't rare for him to be called to work on Sundays she didn't recall hearing the phone ring earlier.

The idea that he had rushed off to not have to deal with her was appalling but at least he still cared about her enough to leave a warm breakfast ready for her to aid in settling down her belly.

She ate mindlessly, rushed to the bathroom twice and then settled on the couch to hopefully rot away until nothing hurt anymore.

About an hour and a half of unintentional napping later the sound of someone brusquely knocking at the door woke her right up with a start that did her the disservice of triggering her headache once more.

"Goddammit." Tesem hissed under her breath as she reached for the door with a hand clutching the side of her head and the other stretched wide to aid in keeping her balance.

"Who- Oh, Jonouchi?"

She recognized the silhouette on the door's opaque crystal window before fully opening the door to reveal the tall and blonde teen.

"Hey girl, I came to check on you." For a split second the one who was usually the most carefree (and airheaded) member of their friend group looked serious, eyeing her up as if he expected her to drop unconscious at any moment. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly? like garbage. Come on in, Arthur isn't home."

She shrunk back into the darker interior of the house and left the door open for him.

"Are you guys doing okay? I am really sorry for getting out of hand yesterday, I guess I just can't handle my alcohol as well as I believed." She said as she eased herself back onto the couch, eyes averted as shame and then relief washed over her. It pained her to admit it but apologizing still felt quite good.

"You don't know?"

Those words halted her moment of mental peace and she shot a worried look his way.

"Tesem, do you remember how you got home?"

"I wasn't with you." It wasn't a question, the surprised tilt of his eyebrows was telling enough. Neither Katsuya, Yugi or Mai-san were the ones who brought her home. Then who- what had she done? "How could i be so-"

He halted her with a firm shake to her shoulders, stealing her attention before her mind could race down the road of self-loathing. "Easy girl, this wasn't your fault." When she didn't seem convinced he added with restrained words, his frame tensing with barely contained anger. "You were given something nasty yesterday, someone drugged you."

"What?" It all started to make sense, why she felt ill beyond a mere hangover, how her remembrance was plagued by holes and static. "Do you know who did it? Please Katsuya just catch me up on what happened."

The dark eyed blonde shook his head lightly. "No, but Yugi thinks it was the drink Ryuzaki and Haga gave you."

"They said they got them from someone who was giving away drinks for free to duellists..."

"Yes, apparently they were targeting the participants of the tournament. Kaiba's people showed up right after we lost you. They took care of those affected and made a couple arrests but they didn't tell us anything and just sent everyone home."

"I can kind of remember being escorted somewhere by dumbasses wearing sunglasses at night, it had to be them." Saying it aloud evoked more fragmented images, of said men spilling unintelligible words being spoken into radios as she was carried in a strong embrace. Someone had demanded the intervention of a medic with a voice that although familiar she couldn't quite pinpoint.

They must have been the ones who took her home.

"Is that all that you remember? What about what happened before?"

"I was dancing with Yami when I started feeling ill I think, I told him I'd meet you guys at the table and then…" She trailed off, eyes widening a fraction as she once more recalled herself tangled in a too intimate embrace with the red-eyed spirit. Not just the heat and the exhilaration but also that fear of losing control which had grown and spread in a brief moment of lucidity when she had caught herself thinking about exploring the gap between his lips with her tongue.

It was mortifying to think how close she had come to doing something so unthinkable even if it had been under the influence of a narcotic. Panic had been responsible for her salvation as she fled the scene with a quick excuse to try and find refuge from such overwhelming sensations.

"Then?" He prodded gently, believing distress to be the reason for her reddened cheeks. He was half-right at least.

"I went to the bathroom but I am not sure how long I was in there." She had stared at the mirror for a long while, trying to recognize the wild eyes that gazed back at her.

You. Were you trying to take over? She inwardly bristled at the idea, for a moment forgetting the camaraderie she had slowly started to build between the hound and herself.

No, we… we can't do that. Our mind was confused, that brought us very close to the surface.

"It was pretty long."Jonouchi explained, unaware of the mental discussion her friend was carrying out. "After around 15 minutes we went looking for you but Anzu and Mai couldn't find you in the bathroom."

"I tried going back to the table and got lost. Kaiba's people must have found me first."

That was that, a rather unfortunate evening but not nearly as disastrous as it could have been.

Tesem finally breathed in with ease. Despite the many holes in her narrative of the night before at least she had a pretty good certainty of not having committed any irreversible mistakes.

Falling for the temptation of direct skin to skin contact with an enemy turned ally would have been one, leaving the place in the company of undesirables like Ryuzaki and Haga would have been another.

"Did you know that Seto Kaiba himself was at the club last night?"

Deep blue eyes, white coat and a face cut from pure ice peering down from a height a head higher than herself.

"Yes I- I think I saw him." Uncertainty trickled into her mind as further details evaded her. Had she encountered the man or just seen him in passing? Gods forbid she made a fool of herself in front of the richest motherfucker in the city.

"Do you think he came down to frolic with us peasants out of boredom?" Jonouchi said with his best impression of the man's haughty demeanor plus a healthy peppering of exaggeration.

She couldn't help but laugh even though it hurt like hell. "Perhaps the man lost a bet with one of his rich friends."

"I'd first wager my left arm on him having crashed his helicopter on the roof of that club before I believe he got friends to be making dares with."

"That's actually kind of sad."

"He only has himself to blame. The man tried to steal a card when he couldn't convince Yugi's grandpa to trade it and then put Yugi's and our life at risk because of his obsession to defeat him."

Death T, the infamous incident the boys, especially Katsuya and Honda brought up whenever they were pissed at Seto. She didn't know much besides what she had gathered from angry mumbles and a very brief and incomplete retelling of the event by Sugoroku who unlike his grandson hadn't been able to forgive the guy after what he had done.

Tesem couldn't really blame the eldest Mutou for his resentment but even then a spark of sympathy burned in her chest for the young CEO. She couldn't really pinpoint a reason, perhaps there wasn't one, maybe she just felt for the man because deep down she too wished redemption to be attainable no matter how low one fell.

Broken souls have a tendency to come together…

"How are the others?" It was an easy change of subject, worry for their well being had started to slip in with her wits earlier.

Well to be truly honest she had been wondering about Yami in particular. Not to be disregarding her other friends or anything but she had an entire world of concerns involving the dark spirit.

"All good except for the hangovers. It seems neither Yugi nor Anzu were feeling too fresh this morning but do not worry, neither was given the same thing you drank."

"That is a relief."

There was more she wished to know but her curiosity wouldn't be sated from things Katsuya could tell her so she settled for a more trivial talk about the oncoming tournament. Inconsequential to her anyways as she had no intention of participating while Jonouchi appeared almost unable to contain his excitement.

It was easy to relax in the presence of such pleasant company, to laugh in spite of everything and ignore the raging migraine that came and went in waves.

Eventually exhaustion tightened its grip over her so she warned him that she might doze off at any moment.

"It's ok, I should probably get going anyways, Honda and I are on cleaning duty at the school's gym."

She lifted an eyebrow at him. "Seriously? you guys got detention again? It must have been pretty bad if they made you go to school on Sunday."

He gave out a hearty laugh as he lifted himself from the couch and shook his shaggy mane of hair. "Not this time, this is part of our duties as members of the school's mixed martial arts club. We joined last year and have been doing this every two months or so."

"How have I just found out now?" She huffed and puffed as if the fact actually annoyed her.

"Perhaps your attention was stolen by someone else." He winked suggestively and she actually blushed. Her blasted hangover had left her wits slow and her reactions raw.

He got us there. A rumble like a purr echoed in her mindspace making her cheeks deepen up a shade. Shut up.

"Anyways, this reminds me. You haven't signed to any clubs yet right?" When she shook her head he continued, his smile stretching a fraction as a small scheme of his finally came into motion. "Well I have noticed that you have an aptitude for sports so why not join ours?"

"That sounds great actually…" As she said this she felt the entity inside her head stand to attention, its excitement bringing goosebumps to her own skin. An outlet for controlled violence seemed to interest the hound as much as the sport interested Tesem. She was far too exhausted to question or worry about it.

"Perfect! I'll see you tomorrow, we can get you signed up then."

"Looking forward to it."