Part 2 of the date!

Usual reminders:

Italics are thoughts or emphasis. Bold is Malekos' speech or emphasis in thoughts.

I do not claim to own Yu-Gi-Oh or its characters. I only own Jessica and Malekos.

As she listened to the starting beat of the song Johnny Steps chose, she found herself silently pleading to Malekos. Please don't surface. Not here, there's too many people!

I'm not stupid. He shot back before retreating again.

She gave a mental sigh of relief and focused on the song. She saw the arrows start to fall towards the bottom of the screen where hollowed-out arrows were. It was similar to the rhythm games she played earlier with Yami, except she had to use her feet to hit the notes instead. She started out a bit clumsily as she could feel the stares of the people around her, hearing their whispers echoing in her ears. She took some slow breaths and just focused on the arrows on the screen.

That's when she started to get better. No longer paying attention to what was around her, she found herself hitting more 'good's and 'perfect's as time went on. She felt herself smirk as she felt her heart beat along with the rhythm of the song. She was starting to relax and have fun, swaying her hips and sweeping her arms and legs as she lost herself in the song. She couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun doing something.

But all good things must come to an end at some point. The presence in her mind surfaced and she barely had enough time to dodge Johnny's leg as he swept it onto her side of the platform in an attempt to knock her off balance. Her nerves spiked again and she could hear the whispers around her. Nobody had lasted this long against Johnny Steps, so he was resorting to using dirty tricks in order to keep her from beating him. She tried to focus on the arrows again, hoping that his leg was the only thing she had to worry about.

Then she saw it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his elbow coming towards her face. Caught off guard, she bristled and her survival instincts kicked in. Time seemed to slow down as she forgot about the game. She allowed his elbow to pass above her shoulder and she reached up to grasp his arm with both hands. Using the momentum of his weight leaning towards her, she turned on her heel, yanked on his arm with all her might, and flipped him over her shoulder into the crowd.

Her eyes flashed red as she panted, the shocked outcries of the crowd filling her ears. She suddenly gasped as she realized what she had done, her eyes returning to their normal green color, and she swung her body over the railing. Then she bolted out of the building before anyone could stop her. She could hear Yami calling out to her from behind, but she didn't care. She just kept running.

When she reached a seaside railing, she slowed to a stop and bent over with her hands on her knees, gasping for breath. A stabbing pain shot through her head and she cried out, crouching down as she squeezed her eyes shut and clutched the sides of her head with her hands.

You couldn't even handle five minutes back there! You're pathetic! Malekos snarled at the forefront of her mind, sending another wave of pain through her head.

"Shut up..! Leave me alone!" She gasped as she rode out another wave of pain that shot down her spine this time. "Hng!"

"Jessica!" She flinched at the sound of Yami's panting breaths a few feet behind her. She heard his footsteps come closer and she jolted to the side to get away from him, stumbling until her back hit the railing. Hands grasped her wrists firmly and she struggled to get out of his hold, but it was a feeble attempt. Her eyes shot open to give him a look of worried fear, flashing red as her eyes locked onto his crimson gaze. "Jessica, calm down!"

Your pathetic boyfriend's knight even came to save you!

"Take deep breaths!" Yami's deep voice vibrated through her and mixed in with the waves of pain that still pulsed through her body.

She trembled and squeezed her eyes shut again, focusing on her breathing. It took her a good long while to go from ragged gasps to soft whimpers. She felt her knees grow weak and she slid down until they bumped the pavement below. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her close, holding her the same way he had the first time she talked with him back at the game shop. His warmth spread through her and she let out a sigh, slowly relaxing into his embrace. She was thankful that Malekos had decided to leave her alone.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, not daring to open her eyes. "I really thought I could handle it…"

"It's not your fault he was cheating. You were only protecting yourself," he said quietly, his voice vibrated in his chest against hers.

"Yeah, but I could have handled it better." She scoffed at herself and turned her head, opening her eyes. Her green eyes widened as she saw the beautiful display of colors on the water as the sun set, ranging from purples and pinks to oranges and yellows. "Pretty," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

His hum vibrated through her as he turned his head to look at what she was seeing. "Yes, the sunset is beautiful today," he agreed.

They sat there like that for a while until Jessica finally pulled out of his arms. "Thank you for helping me." He extended her hoodie to her and she took it, already moving to pull it over her head.

"Of course. It's what friends are for." He offered her a warm smile to which she returned. He helped her stand up and she brushed the dust off her pants.

"Well, that was an adventure." She glanced at the sky and saw that it had grown dark in just a matter of minutes. "You think it's time for that exhibit?"

He nodded. "Let's go find out what clues are hidden at the museum."

With that, they headed off back into the city towards the museum. Jessica had pulled her hood back over her head to shield her face from anyone on the streets, for fear of anyone recognizing her from the arcade. She didn't want any more trouble after what had happened. They reached the steps of the museum and they took a moment to glance up at the tall structure.

"It's time I faced my fears and found the answers to my questions." With a determined gaze, he walked up the stairs towards the doors.

She followed him until the last step when Malekos jolted to the forefront of her mind, making her freeze mid-step and wince.

Don't go in there!

She clutched the side of her head, barely noticing that Yami had paused ahead of her and asked if she was alright. Why not?

There's something in there repelling me, casting a barrier at the doors. If you go in there, there could end up being another scene.

The warning tone Malekos spoke with sent goosebumps along her arms and she looked up to find Yami standing in front of her with worried crimson eyes. She shook her head. "I… I can't go in with you. As much as I want to, I think I should stay out here and rest," she said, hoping her half-truth would satisfy his worries. "I'll be waiting out here for you. So go find those clues."

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if he didn't believe her or he didn't want to leave her by herself. But at her persistence, he seemed to give in. "Alright, I'll be back soon." When she gave him an encouraging nod, he turned and went through the doors and disappeared as they shut behind him.

She sighed and hung her head, lifting her arms to hug herself in an attempt to get rid of the chill that crept up her spine. She turned and walked back down to the bottom step, sitting down and burying her face in her knees. You can't figure out what it is? She tried asking, though she was sure she already knew the answer.

If I knew that we wouldn't be sitting out here like idiots, would we?

His frustrated growl made her flinch and she said nothing, allowing him to retreat to the back of her mind. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. She focused on her breathing as she waited, taking slow breaths in and letting them out just as slow. She listened to cars drive by and the sound of her heart beating in her ears. She tried to forget about all the worries of the day.

Yugi better keep his end of the promise after this. She wasn't sure exactly what she was going to have him do, so she was going to need time to think about it. She had all night to come up with something decent. She thought about his adorable face and that bright smile of his. It made her heart flutter and she wrapped her arms around her legs to hug them closer to her, keeping her blushing face hidden in the darkness of her own shadow. Even though there was a mishap earlier, she still had fun today and she hoped Yami at least enjoyed himself too. Hopefully he was able to find some clues about his past in the museum.

As she waited, she decided to sing a song she had heard when she was growing up. During the time when Malekos had freshly been given to her and she was charged with the duty to keep him at bay. It was a song she often sang to herself after something happened. It was depressing yet comforting at the same time, and it fit her situation perfectly. She recalled the melody in her head and sucked in a breath before singing softly, even though she knew no one was out walking around this area of town this late in the evening to hear her.

"I'm the one with the ghosts in my bed

But they only come alive at night

Stuck in my sheets, an accustomed coffin

I swear that I'll be fine

I'll be fine in the daylight

If I change and I start to fade

And all the green in my eyes desaturate

It's my head not my heart that's strayed

I'm sorry I keep pushing you away."

Memories invaded her mind as she sang, of a time long ago when she was little. The times before Malekos was forced upon her, and even after. The times before the accident when she was left alone. Faces she didn't want to remember flashed in her mind and tears pricked her eyes.

"You're the one at the foot of my bed, trying to keep me alive at night

Using words as a comforter you said, "I don't wanna fight, I don't wanna fight"

But they, they sink into my skin

Pushing you out just to make their way in

I've grown sick of this fight so frequent

If you can't help it then I'll push you away."

She stopped singing as silent tears streamed down her face. She shivered and hugged her knees tighter. She didn't want to think about those times. Yet somehow they always slithered their way back into her mind like worms on a rainy day. She sniffled quietly and then froze, hearing a door behind her close and slow footsteps descended down the stairs towards her. She quickly wiped her face dry with her sleeve, hoping the darkness of the night would hide the fact that she had been crying.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Yami lost in thought as he took the last few steps toward her. She stood up and inclined her head. "Did you find any clues?" She asked curiously, grateful that her voice didn't betray her.

"Just when I thought I'd found the answers, more questions arise," he told her. When she blinked in confusion, he gestured for them to start walking. As they headed back to the game shop, he explained what had happened inside the museum. How Duel Monsters was something ancient and that he had been a pharaoh of that time, how Seto Kaiba's ancestor was his opponent back then and that his destiny was to battle him again in the upcoming tournament to win three Egyptian God cards. She listened quietly to it all and gave nods or hums to show that she was truly listening. Not that it would have mattered, he seemed to grow distant again as he thought about what he learned about his past, or at least what little he learned about it.

When they reached the game shop and Yami had found the anonymous invitation sent to him under Yugi's name, she told him that she was going to turn in for the night. The day had drained her and she wanted to get an early start on sleep. He agreed, bid her a good night, and headed off to catch the announcement for the tournament.

Finally able to relax now that she was home and alone once more, she went to the bathroom to wash her face before retreating to her room. With the door closed, she changed into some baggy pajamas that Yugi let her have and then plopped onto her bed. She didn't even bother to get under the blanket before she felt sleep take hold of her, and she readily accepted it.

And here is where I leave you for the day!

I didn't have Jessica go into the museum because she's not part of Yami's past and I have other plans for her and Malekos. You'll find out much later why she wasn't allowed into the museum.

As always, leave a review about what you thought!