Just a few reminders:
Italics are thoughts and bold is Malekos speaking.
I do not claim Yu-Gi-Oh as my own. I only own Jessica and Malekos.
She didn't know what they had talked about, but Solomon had agreed to let Jessica live with them as long as she helped out with chores and the shop whenever she could. She slept on the couch until they had cleaned out the spare room across from Yugi's room, and that was to be her room from then on. It had a simple bed, dresser, and desk and that was all she could ask for. Anything more and she felt she would've been imposing.
Yugi quickly grew to understand that Jessica liked to keep to herself, having not been used to having any friends until she met him. But he could tell she was putting in the effort to get used to the idea. He had wanted to introduce his friends to her, but she wanted to take it slow and he respected that. He also found out that she could sometimes see the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, which shocked them both, but they figured it might have to do with the powers that the demon inside her has. They weren't sure what powers he had, but Jessica was intent on keeping them from finding out. Because finding out, she had told them, would mean they were in danger from Malekos.
Jessica let out a sigh as she lay on her bed, her arm over her forehead while the other rested over her stomach. She had spent the day helping Solomon out in the shop while Yugi was at school, moving boxes around and aiding any customers that had walked in. She was drained but she didn't feel like sleeping yet, even though the only light illuminating her room was the small desk light. It was dark outside already.
She could hear Yugi's muffled voice across the hall even through both their closed doors. He was most likely talking to the spirit of his puzzle. She pursed her lips. That guy needed a name badly. She was getting increasingly irritated just referring to him as 'spirit' every day. She would have to think of a name and see if he liked it.
You've gone soft. The dark voice interrupted her thoughts and she gasped as pain shot through her head.
She rolled onto her side and curled up, clutching her head. "Sh-shut up," she groaned.
The voice in her mind chuckled at her weak attempt to ward him off. Friends are worthless. Don't you remember how quickly they left?
"Leave me alone…!" She hissed through her teeth as she squeezed her eyes shut. She faintly heard the sound of a knock at her bedroom door but she was too focused on riding out the pain. Too focused on silencing the voice in her head.
The voice let out a sinister laugh, making her ears ring. Oh, that's right. They were squashed easily in my hands!
"Stop it!" She growled, digging her nails into her head as she shivered from the pain that rampaged throughout her head and body. She gasped when she felt gentle hands grasp her wrists firmly, warmth flooding her senses immediately.
"Fight him, Jessica!" It was Yugi, and she could hear the concern in his voice. "I know you can do it!"
Foolish boy! The voice sneered at Yugi's presence and she groaned, feeling another wave of pain shoot through her.
"We're right here with you," Yugi told her, and she felt another warm presence at her side. The spirit, she assumed.
With both of them at her bedside rooting for her, she felt a surge of strength flow through her. Gritting her teeth, she focused on pushing the dark presence to the back of her mind where she usually kept it caged. It growled at her but after a few long minutes she was finally able to do it. What little strength she had left was gone and she allowed her hands to fall limp against the bed as she panted, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She could feel warm hands rub soothing circles on her back and it was all it took for her to doze off into a dreamless unconsciousness.
When she woke up again, it was the middle of the night. She was tucked underneath the blanket and she was sure she was still on top of them before she fell asleep. There was still a faint throb in the back of her head so she slid out of her bed and headed for the door. She went to the kitchen, stumbling around in the darkness until she reached the sink. She grabbed a clean cup and filled it with water, chugging it almost instantly. She set the cup aside and glanced over her shoulder. The house was dark. Everyone had gone to bed so she was the only one awake. Heaving a sigh, she headed back down the hallway and stopped in front of Yugi's door.
No sounds came from the other side except an occasional soft snore, and it made her smile slightly. She hugged herself and shivered. Not from the cold, but from what had happened earlier. Malekos had been mocking her. She grit her teeth and closed her eyes, focusing on the warmth she had felt before she passed out. She wanted to feel it again. She grabbed the door handle and turned it before she could stop herself, quietly opening the door to the room.
Moonlight illuminated the room from his window, allowing her to see the room better than if she were relying simply on night vision. Yugi was sprawled out on his bed on the far wall, the blanket crumpled around him and falling off slightly due to tossing and turning beforehand. She noticed his Millennium Puzzle was sitting on his desk beside his bed, glistening in the moonlight. A nagging itch in the back of her mind wanted her to take the puzzle and she walked over to it. She lifted a finger and lightly traced one of the edges, staring at the eye as it seemed to stare back at her. She shivered again and ignored that nagging feeling. It was probably just Malekos trying to encourage her to steal the puzzle for himself.
Instead, she turned towards Yugi and sat down beside his bed on the floor, resting her arms on the sheets and setting her chin on her arm. She gazed at his peaceful face, seeing his mouth slightly open as he breathed. She wondered if he was a light or heavy sleeper. Would he wake up soon? She reached to grab his hand and gently held it in her own, already feeling the warmth enveloping her body. She hummed quietly in content and closed her eyes, just allowing his warmth to soothe her mind. Absentmindedly, she laced her fingers together with his and just listened to his breathing. She soon found herself drifting off to sleep again.
The sound of an alarm woke her from her peaceful sleep and she groaned, irritated that it had interrupted her slumber. She lifted her head to glare at the alarm clock behind the puzzle that beeped loudly, making her ears ring. She slapped her hand down on the 'off' button and she was satisfied when the room became silent once more. Smirking at her victory, she let her head drop to the bed again and closed her eyes.
Something squeezed her hand lightly and she opened her eyes. They quickly widened as she saw Yugi groggily propped up on his elbow, that hand still clutching hers, while his free hand rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"Jessica..?" He mumbled quietly in confusion, his eyes half-lidded due to still trying to wake up.
She flushed red as she realized she was still holding his hand and that she had snuck into his room last night. Sputtering out an apology and a 'good morning', she darted away from his bed and out the door before he could register what was going on. Going back to her room, she closed it not so quietly and leaned against it, sliding down until she could bury her face in her knees. How embarrassing!
You're pathetic.
She winced at the voice in her mind. Nobody asked you, she shot back at it. When silence responded back to her, she gave a mental sigh of relief. She stayed on the floor like that until she heard the signs of Yugi leaving for school, and only got up when she heard the distant jingle of the store bells. She changed her clothes and drank another glass of water before going downstairs.
"Good morning," she greeted Solomon as she reached the last step.
He smiled from behind the counter. "Good morning, Jessica! Someone looks eager to start the day, unlike Yugi."
She smiled softly, a faint blush dusting her cheeks from remembering what happened earlier. Yugi must have still looked drowsy when he left. She wondered if he wasn't an early riser. Shaking her head slightly, she leaned against the counter with her arms crossed across the glass. "Any new shipments coming in today?"
"Actually, there is." Solomon lifted a clipboard from somewhere behind the counter and lifted one of the papers on it, glancing over it. "It'll be here around noon so you won't have to do any heavy lifting until then."
She nodded and started to walk towards the back room where he stored overstock and other supplies. "I'm going to sweep out front!"
"Thank you, my dear. You've been a big help since you got here."
She smiled at him when she exited the room with the broom and headed out the door. Letting the door swing closed with its usual jingle, she started sweeping the ground to move away any dust, leaves, or trash that had found its way there overnight. She would greet any person that came by the shop as she swept.
Time passed quickly as she kept herself busy by sweeping and wiping down the glass counters inside the shop. When noon came around, she helped Solomon by doing the heavy lifting when the shipment came. It wasn't a lot of boxes nor were they very heavy. She took them to the back room to be sorted out and went through them together with him.
"Do you like games?" Solomon had asked her randomly as he was putting some board games on a shelf.
She furrowed her brows as she picked up a packaged deck of playing cards. The Two of Hearts was the bottom card. She absentmindedly rubbed her thumb across the packaging and it crinkled under her touch. "I haven't touched a game in years," she admitted as she reached into the box to pick up the other decks of cards. "I used to like them though."
"Are there any that interest you now?"
Raising an eyebrow at his question, she glanced at him. He was still busying himself with putting board games on the shelves. "I never really thought about it before." She got up and put the cards on a different shelf with some others they already had. "What does Yugi like?"
Her back was turned to him so she didn't see the suggestive smirk that he sent her way. "Yugi, huh?" She felt her ears burn at his tone but she didn't face him. "He likes all kinds of games and puzzles, but he's really into Duel Monsters right now."
"Ah.." Her gaze shifted to their stock of Duel Monsters foil packets on a lower shelf. She knelt down and brushed her fingers across one, picking it up to examine it. Up to five mystery cards were inside and they would be from three categories: monster, spell, or trap. She hummed quietly to herself as she looked at the ferocious monster roaring at her on the front of the foil pack.
"Why don't you take one for yourself? I'm sure Yugi wouldn't mind showing you how it works."
She glanced over her shoulder and saw Solomon standing beside her with a closed-eyed smile, his hands clasped behind his back.
She started to protest. "Oh, I-"
"I insist. You deserve it after all the help you've been." He was still smiling as he started to walk out the room towards the front.
She gaped and barely managed a 'thank you' before he disappeared. She glanced at the foil pack in her hands again and then carefully stuffed it in her pocket. She returned to work by going through the last box and putting its contents away where they belonged. Collapsing the box, she set it near the back wall and then headed towards the storefront.
Decided to update every day instead lol. Please leave a review and tell me what you think so far~