Immatureshipping (Jonouchi Katsuya/Kaiba Noa)
. . .
I could have sworn this only happened in comic books.
Noa's automatic internal sarcasm was not particularly helpful as he stumbled back against the wall, sending a jolt of pain through his shoulder that pretty much immediately incapacitated him as he remembered ahhhh yes that is what pain feels like and I do not like it no sir not good at all.
"Goddamn, you little brat, just pay us," the burly kid that looked much too big to be a middle schooler said. "Or we're gonna have to rough up a rich spoiled brat today."
Noa just pressed himself against the wall, his mind briefly short-circuiting at the solid feeling of brick against his back. Everything just—everything was a little much today. He had been getting better, but some days outside of the virtual world, everything just got too muchagain, and right now was not the best time for him to be having a sensory overload. He supposed it was partially his own fault for deciding to brave downtown by himself after school today. He had wanted to try and find something for Mokuba's birthday, and Mokuba was the only one that he ever went out with—Seto certainly wasn't approachable enough yet to ask him for an escort—and he couldn't very well buy a gift with Mokuba in front of him.
But there were so many peopleand soundsand even the faint touch of the breeze on his skin was making him start to shut down (he hadn't realized before how stagnant the air had been in the virtual world) and oh right he was being threatened he should probably be paying more attention to that instead of rubbing his hand against the wall behind him over and over again just to feel how cool it was against his skin.
There were three of them, all taller than him, and significantly broader. Noa thought to himself that they had probably been held back a year to still be wearing that middle school uniform, but he had the presence of mind enough to realize that now was notthe time to say that out loud, even if he had been present of mind enough to find his words. He had probably caused this situation by doing that in the first place; he had trouble holding his tongue in class, and that was probably why these classmates of him were so, well, to use a crude word, pissed.
"Did you hear me?" the tallest of the group snarled, advancing on Noa. "I'm sick and tired of you acting all high and mighty, Kaiba. So you have to pay up—whether you wanna do that with your money or some pain's up to you, but I don't got patience forever ya know."
Noa felt like he should try to come up with some kind of witty quip. It was what the old him would have done without even a blink. But the new him was still kind of figuring out the whole oh look I'm alive and things are real nowthing, and his brain was still trying to figure out the brick wall.
The boy pushed him again and Noa just about screamedbecause the contact was not pleasant.
"Are you dumb or something? At least say something, rich boy? Or are you wetting your pants? Start crying for mommy and daddy to come and save you!"
Thatsnapped Noa back to himself. A brief vision of his parents flashed over the back of his head, and he felt something in his chest clench up, felt his brain go white for a moment as though in a desperate attempt to wipe them from his memory.
Before he knew what he was doing, his arm was cranking back and he was swinging his fist at the boy's face.
He wasn't fast enough, though, and the boy just laughed as he sidestepped, grabbing Noa by the arm and twisting it behind his back. Noa actually did scream this time—the pain was so intense, so much worse after having not felt a hint of pain in almost six years oh god he was going to pass out—
And then the pressure was gone and there was a yelp, no, several yelps and someone actually started crying
"Pick on someone your own fucking size, you fucking brats! Yeah, that's right, get out of here, turn your tail and run if you know what's good for you!"
And then Noa was stumbling forward and there was a hand wrapping lightly around his arm to steady him.
"Hey, there, long time no see, kid. You okay?"
Noa blinked through his sensory overload, trying to focus only on his breathing. Mindfulness was the key, he told himself. Focus on one thing at a time.
His vision finally cleared, and he recognized the young man that was holding him steady as none other than...
"J-Jonouchi?" Noa said. "J-Jonouchi-san," he added quickly, blushing.
The blonde boy sent Noa the flash of a grin, squeezing his elbow lightly as though to ask if he was able to stand up on his own. Noa licked his dry lips and stepped quickly back. Jonouchi released him immediately, and Noa absently rubbed his arm where the touch had been. God, but he was having a bad day for sensory overload today...
"You okay?" Jonouchi asked. "Looked like you were having a rough time."
"F-fine," Noa said, and cursed himself for stuttering. "I was merely having a case of overload, and they were not helping matters. I...thank you for your help."
He ducked his eyes quickly away, finding himself unable to look Jonouchi in the eyes all of a sudden. How was he even supposed to talk to him? It had been several months since Noa had been revived, and although he had seen the group of his former antagonists once before, he hadn't actually had a chance to speak to them. Seto had still been figuring out how to integrate Noa back into society and hadn't wanted him leaving too often, except for school.
And what was Noa supposed to say, or do? He had almost killed this boy and his friends. Just thinking about it made him want to melt into the sidewalk right here and now.
"Overload, huh? Kind of a shock being back in the real world, I guess."
"Very," Noa said. "It...makes focusing a bit difficult."
Noa could feel Jonouchi's eyes on him, but was too ashamed of himself to even look up. He could still remember his frozen face, when Noa had turned him into stone...could still remember his foolhardy, reckless behavior for the sake of his friends, the intensity of his loyalty during Noa's twisted games. And now, here he was, acting like none of that had ever happened. As though Noa were simply an old friend that he had met out on the street.
"Those kids bother you a lot, or something?"
"Huh?"
Noa was startled enough by the question to glance up, blinking at Jonouchi. The blonde boy was looking him over, eyes half closed and lips pursed, as though sizing him up for...something.
"Well...this was the first actual confrontation, but I would hazard a guess to say that I brought it upon myself," Noa said dryly. "I don't think they appreciate my mouth."
Jonouchi actually laughed. It was a pleasant sort of sound, the kind that made one want to smile along with it, which Noa found himself doing.
"Man, well, kids like that, they'll find a reason to dislike kids like you no matter what," Jonouchi said. "And if that's only the first confrontation, lemme tell ya, it's not going to be the last."
Noa sighed, feeling his heart sink. He had expected as much himself. So much for being able to go out on his own. Jonouchi was still looking him over, making a soft humming sound as he tapped his chin.
"Hey, tell ya what," he said. "You're scrawny, but you've got the build for it—how about I teach you a few moves? Just stuff to get them off your back."
"What? Really?" Noa said, taken aback. "You'd...do that?"
"Yeah, course. I hate seeing people think they can get away with picking on others."
He winked at Noa.
"When I'm done with ya, they won't know what hit 'em. Sound good?"
Noa blinked up at Jonouchi, at the wide, open face, without the barest hint of malice or ulterior motives. For a moment, though, Noa felt himself draw back. What did Jonouchi have to gain from this? Why would he help Noa? After everything that Noa had done? There had to be something behind it.
There wasn't, though.
And Noa knew that better than anyone, just how forgiving, just how open, just how ridiculously friendly Yugi's friends could be.
He actually half smiled.
"That...I'd like that, if you have the time one day," Noa said. "It would certainly be a help."
"Great!" Jonouchi said, clapping him on the shoulder. "We can—oh, ooops, sorry, I totally forgot about—sensory thing—"
Noa tried to smile as he readjusted to the ringing through his body from the sudden touch.
"It's...you're fine," he said.
But despite that, Noa found himself thinking, this could actually...be fun...
. . .
A/N: Idk I just imagine Noa would have sensory overload issues when he's finally in the real world, and Jonouchi's gonna be a good big bro towards him :) Next is Illusionshipping (Yami no Marik x Mai).
