Chapter Twenty-Four
"We're here!" Joey exclaimed, jolting Akeno from her slumber.
"I'm so excited!" Serenity grinned, looking out the window.
Joey pulled up to the front of a huge hotel. A valet stepped up to the driver's window and Joey handed him the keys. Everyone stepped out and started pulling luggage from the back, except for Bakura who managed to stand off to the side unnoticed.
"Pretty sweet, Tea," Tristan said. "You said your uncle owns this place?"
Tea smiled and nodded. "Mhm."
Their suitcases were loaded onto a cart and an attendant rolled it into the lobby. "Hold on guys, I'll go check us in," Tea said, walking up to the front desk. "Reservation for Tea Gardner."
The woman punched in a few keys and smiled up at her. "Ah, Ms. Gardner," she said. "You have the deluxe suite. Your uncle isn't here but he said to tell you that everything is on the house, room service included." Tea smiled and grabbed the card keys. "Thank you."
"We're on the top floor," Tea announced as she neared the group.
"Hot dog!" Joey exclaimed then heard his stomach rumble. "Speaking of hot dogs… I'm starved!"
"Geez, Joey, what do you have a stomach or a black hole?" muttered Tristan.
Joey huffed, "I can't help it if I have a healthy appetite."
"The appetite of a cow, maybe," Tea teased, earning glare from the blonde.
Bakura managed to snag Akeno's hand, making her squirm. As they stepped into the elevator, his grip tightened. She looked at him but his eyes were on the glass wall behind them. The lift started moving upwards; once it cleared the ground floor, they could see the outside.
"Oh, look!" cried Serenity, pointing down, "I can see the beach from here! It's beautiful!"
"Yeah," muttered Duke, staring at the brunette, "Beautiful…"
Tristan saw this and glared, draping an arm around her shoulders. "Look over there, Serenity. It's a sailboat."
"Oh, wow!"
Akeno's hand was starting to go numb. She looked at Bakura pleadingly but he wasn't paying attention to her. He was staring out the window, looking sick. Akeno raised her eyebrows. Is he afraid of heights?
The elevator dinged open and they stepped out. Their luggage cart was waiting by their door. Tea slid the card through the slot and it opened.
"Dibs on the food!" Joey cried running up to a small fridge against the wall.
"Okay, hold on!" Tea said as everyone filed in. "Now these are connecting rooms," she said pointing to two doors on either side of the main room, "Girls in one and boys in the other."
Duke opened one of the doors and frowned. "But there's only two beds in here and there's five of us guys."
Tea shrugged, "You'll have to work it out."
"Dibs on the bed!" Joey cried, jumping onto a mattress.
Bakura quickly claimed the other bed.
"Well I could sleep on the couch," Yugi offered.
"There's a recliner in the room," Duke said, "I guess I'll take that."
Tristan sighed. "Well, who should I bunk with?"
Bakura shot him a look that stopped him from asking.
"I guess ya can share with me," Joey suggested, "I mean we did at on Kaiba's blimp."
"Don't remind me, "Tristan sighed, rubbing his head. "I still have the bruise to prove it."
Tea clapped her hands and smiled. "Well that's settled," she turned to the other girls. "I tend to kick when I sleep so maybe you two should share."
Oh, how nice of you to decide for us…
"Okay, I don't mind," smiled Serenity.
They looked at Akeno. "That's fine."
"Maybe we should unpack," Yugi said thoughtfully.
"Forget dat!" Joey grinned, "Let's hit da beach!"
Akeno stared at herself in the mirror nervously. She seriously hoped no one would discover any of her cuts and bruises. Her teal color one-piece covered the ones on her torso but the open back design made her worried. If I keep my hair down, it should hide any ones on my back.
She reapplied cover-up to the wounds around her neck and face, which were still tender from her previous lesson. She shivered. Akeno shook her head and tied a lightweight purple sarong around her waist.
"Well, this is it," she said to herself in the mirror.
Everyone else was in their swimwear, waiting in the main room. Both Serenity and Tea were wearing cute bikinis which made her feel a little self-conscious. The guys were in their swim trunks, save for Joey for was proudly wearing a speedo. Akeno blushed and made a note not to look down.
"Okay, we're all set to go!" Tea grinned.
"Yeah!" Joey exclaimed. "Let's get a good spot!"
"Don't get your hopes up, Joey," Tristan warned. "It looked pretty crowded from the elevator."
The gang headed down and exited the hotel. They stepped out onto the boardwalk and into the bright sun. "Ah! Smell that ocean air!" Joey grinned.
"C'mon guys! Those people are leaving! Let's get their spot before someone else does!" Duke said, pointing to a group of people leaving.
Akeno and Bakura followed but didn't run like the others. Bakura crossed his arms. "I hate you for this," he told her. Akeno sighed, "I'm sorry for the hundredth time. I won't make plans again without your permission."
He merely grunted in response and kept walking.
"Hm? Hey!" Akeno exclaimed suddenly. "Is that… Seto Kaiba?"
Bakura didn't bother looking. "I don't care."
Akeno ignored his apathetic response and squinted at the figure. "It totally is."
"I still don't care."
She could see Kaiba sitting in a lounge chair under an umbrella in a white button up shirt and black pants. He had a laptop propped up on his lap and was typing away. She could see his little brother building a sandcastle next to him. The boy said something to Kaiba who stopped typing and nodded at him. She didn't notice Kaiba glance at her the moment she looked away.
I guess they had the same idea… or more likely, his little brother did.
"Over here guys!" Yugi waved to them.
Bakura snorted. "As if his hair wasn't a giveaway."
Akeno spread out their towels under one of the umbrellas and settled down. She dug through her bag, pulled out a bottle of sun block and started applying it on her legs and arms. Making sure that the rest of the gang wasn't looking, she swung her hair over her shoulder, exposing her back. She clumsily tried reaching then looked sheepishly at Bakura who was glaring at someone. He felt her eyes on him and glanced at her.
He narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"Do you think you could…" she began, holding up the bottle.
He looked at the bottle then back at her shy expression and scowled. He refused to answer her.
Akeno sighed. "Please? I can't reach."
Bakura shut his eyes in annoyance and crossed his arms. "That's not my problem."
She glared for a moment then got an idea. "Well, if you won't help, I'll have to ask someone else, maybe Yugi."
His eyes snapped open and he seemed ready to attack her. "No one else is to touch you!" he growled, "You're my property!"
Akeno stared at him for a moment, unprepared for such a heated response. Slowly, she held out the bottle. He glared at her a moment longer than snatched it from her hands. "Turn around!" he ordered and she complied. Woah, I can't believe a little reverse psychology actually-
"Ow! Can you not use your nails?"
"You'll be grateful that I'm even doing this!"
Akeno sighed when he tossed the bottle back at her. He made no move to remove his T-shirt. Does he not intend to use sunblock? Something tells me that sunburn would make him more homicidal than usual… better prevent it.
She grabbed the bottle. "Alright, your turn," she said casually.
Bakura scowled at her. She hesitated. "Um, can you take off your shirt?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I don't owe you an explanation."
He's so difficult! "Please?"
"You're not slathering that crap on me. It smells horrid."
She rolled her eyes. "All sunblock smells like that. Just put some on or you'll get sunburn."
He snorted. "The sun has never bothered me."
"Maybe you haven't noticed but you're in the body of a Japanese boy- news flash, we burn easily! Do the words 'skin cancer' mean anything to you?"
"If you don't leave me alone, the sun will be the least of your worries," he growled.
She sighed, "Listen, I'm just trying to help."
"I don't need your help!"
"Will you just take off your shirt!" she exclaimed, grabbing his sleeve.
There was a catcall behind them. "Yeeeah," Joey called. "Take it off!"
Tea grabbed his ear. "Will you give them some privacy!?"
Bakura glared at Akeno who was still holding onto his shirt. He let out a low growl and smacked her hand away.
"Look," Akeno said softly. "If not for safety's sake, can you at least do it to look normal?"
He continued to glare at her and gritted his teeth. Akeno's pleading stare didn't waver though, causing him to growl in annoyance and quickly pull his shirt off. Akeno grinned and squirted a glop of sunblock in her palm.
"Thank you!"
Akeno gingerly grabbed his arm and started rubbing him down. The Millennium Ring was nowhere in sight. I don't think he'd take it off so maybe it's invisible. She didn't bother to ask. He was extremely tense, she noticed, and looked ready to lash out. On her knees, she walked around to his back.
"Hold still," she told him as she moved his hair out of the way.
"Just hurry up," he hissed through his teeth.
As she finished, she leaned over his shoulder. "You're not ticklish, are you?"
He glared at her and she dropped the subject. Akeno looked out at the gang and smiled. Serenity, Tristan and Duke were burying a sleeping Joey in the sand. Yugi appeared to be drowning in the ocean and Tea was laughing at him.
"What do you want to do?" she asked.
"Kill."
"Do you want to go in the ocean?"
"No."
"You're from Egypt, right?"
He didn't answer.
"Have you ever seen the ocean before?"
"Have you ever seen your intestines before?"
Akeno paused, trying to gauge how likely he was to act on his anger in public. She decided not to bother him too much at one time.
"Hey, you two! Get ovah here!" Joey called.
Akeno raised her brows as he approached with Yugi and Serenity. "What's up, guys?" she asked them.
"We're going to play a game of volleyball," Yugi explained. "We thought you'd like to join us."
"I'm not very good at sports," Bakura said in his best Ryou voice. "I'll sit this one out."
"Nah, c'mon, Ryou," Joey insisted. "You guys have been sittin' here in da shade like a couple of vampires!"
"Joey!" Yugi frowned at his friend's comment.
"It'll be fun!" Serenity smiled.
Akeno returned the smile with uncertainty. "I don't know…" she said, looking over at Bakura.
"I ain't taking 'no' for an answer!" Joey grinned, lunging at Akeno.
She let out a yelp as Joey slung her over his shoulder. Joey stuck his tongue out at Bakura. "C'mon, Ryou! If ya want her back ya gotta play!"
Akeno grimaced. "What am I a piece of meat…?"
Bakura looked at Akeno's uncomfortable expression. Wheeler's shoulder was no doubt digging into her bruised ribs. She was obviously in pain but trying to hide it. He frowned, feeling a familiar pain in his own chest. The girl was merely a few feet away and the soul bond was taking a toll on him. He stood but didn't advance.
"I'll play your game," he started. "But why don't we raise the stakes?"
"How?" Yugi asked.
Bakura was about to open his mouth when Akeno cut him off.
"Losers pay for dinner!"
"Yeah! Dats whad I'm talkin' about!" Joey exclaimed, running over to the net with Akeno.
Yugi looked up at Bakura. "You ready?"
Bakura ground his teeth but hid it with a smile. "Ready to win," he replied coolly.
Yugi just laughed.
"Okay, there's eight of us so four to a team," Tea said.
"How about guys against girls?" Joey suggested.
"There's only three girls, Joey!" Tea scowled.
"Well, Duke's gotta ponytail so he's da most girly…" Joey started.
"I am not girly!" Duke yelled angrily then relaxed.
"I volunteer," Bakura said plainly.
"You will?" asked Tea, "Thanks!"
Joey shrugged, "Well, he's da second most girly so I guess it works out."
"Quit being mean, Joey!" Serenity said, looking at her brother.
"Aw, c'mon, sis. I'm just kiddin'."
"So the point of the game is not to let the ball hit the ground?" Akeno asked Serenity.
She nodded, "Yup. Every time the ball hits the ground on their side, we get a point."
Bakura scowled at the other side of the net. This wasn't exactly his idea of a game but he wouldn't pass up a chance to defeat the pharaoh… in something.
"Awright, first serve! Ladies first," Joey called, tossing the ball to Bakura.
He caught it and just barely held back a growl. Bakura turned to his so called team. Pathetic. "We're going to crush them," he said smugly.
"Darn right we are!" Tea grinned.
Bakura reminded himself not to kill her, not now anyway.
Wheeler's sister was the weakest link and the shortest. He pointed to her. "Your position is up front."
He then pointed to Akeno. "You're next to her."
As much as he hated to admit it, the pharaoh's whore was the most promising of the three. Her dancing abilities as well as her aggressive nature would be useful. He despised having to talk to her though. "We're in the back."
"Aye, aye, captain," she smiled.
Again, he resisted the urge to kill her. They broke their huddle and Bakura scanned the other team. Yugi was their obvious weak point. The rest were well matched. Bakura served the ball with an intended ferocity towards Yugi. By his expression, Yugi wasn't prepared for the attack but still managed to knock the ball into the air. Bakura scowled as it was then passed to Duke who hit it over the net.
Tea ran forward and saved it just before it hit the ground. Serenity hit the ball without giving much thought to the direction. It veered to the right near Bakura. He watched as Duke said something to Serenity through the net and hit it towards him at full speed. Without any time to react, Duke watched as the ball landed by his feet.
"One point to us!" Tea cheered.
"Stop flirting and pay attention!" Tristan yelled at Duke who flipped his bangs out of his face and pouted.
"Your serve, guys," Serenity said.
Joey picked up the ball and grinned. "Now I ain't gonna go easy on ya jus' because you're girls."
"Just serve!" Tea said impatiently.
"Awright… Here we go!" he shouted, serving the ball towards Akeno.
She gasped, completely unprepared to block it. Akeno expected to get hit in the face and shut her eyes. Surprisingly, she heard the ball get knocked back. She opened her eyes to find Bakura scowling at her.
"Tell me," he said in a low tone, "Do you have to try to be this pathetic or does it come naturally to you?"
Akeno blushed as he left her side. It's not my fault I suck at sports…
The game went on for about forty minutes with both sides giving it their best shot. Akeno of course, didn't actually attempt to score although she did make a good save once. Both sides were tied with nine points to each. It was the other team's turn to serve.
Bakura inconspicuously took Akeno aside.
"I will not lose to those imbeciles," he hissed. "No one expects anything impressive from you so they're defenses will be down. I will pass the ball to you and you will aim towards the Devlin boy. Do not fail me."
Akeno blinked and grabbed his arm as he started walking away. "Wait! But I can't do it! I'm no good at-"
"You will obey me and succeed," he told her, "Or face the consequences."
She gulped. No pressure, right?
Nervous, she watched as Tristan served the ball. She saw Bakura lunge forward and tensed up. Here it comes! He glanced at her briefly, making sure she was paying attention. He whacked the ball in her direction and she took a breath. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. She saw the ball coming towards her, high above her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tea moving towards it. Akeno blocked her path and went for it. She found herself jumping up and spiked the ball with all her might.
Her eyes widened as the ball veered from her target. Duke had shifted positions without her noticing. It was actually headed straight for Yugi. There was a sick thud as the ball made contact with his face and he fell backwards. Akeno fell back as well, her landing mussed by her concern.
"Yug, are ya okay?"
"Hey Yugi! Can you hear me?"
Everyone crowded him as Akeno chewed her nails. There was a suppressed laugh behind her. "Very good, pet," Bakura smirked. "That was better than I imagined."
She ducked her head as she saw Yugi stand up. He was smiling weakly but there was a red mark on his forehead.
"Sorry!" she called, ignoring Bakura's growl.
"I-it's okay," he said, smiling weakly.
"Dat's some arm ya got there, Akeno," Joey said to her, eyes wide.
She laughed nervously. "I don't know what got into me."
"It's looks like dinner's on you guys!" Tea grinned.
"What?" Joey exclaimed, "You're serious?"
"It's only fair, Joey!" Serenity teased. "You guys did lose!"
Joey groaned. "Whatever but you guys are helping too!" he yelled to his teammates.
"Yeah, yeah," dismissed Tristan, eying Duke and Serenity.
Yugi smiled at Joey, "Of course, we'll help. We're a team."
Bakura leaned down to whisper to Akeno. "If the pharaoh's host is paying, I want you to order the most expensive thing on the menu, got it?"
Akeno sighed. There was no point arguing with him. Besides, he at least seems to be in a good mood… well, spiteful and vindictive is as close to a good mood as he can get. Better keep it up.
"Got it…"
AN: Again, I have to split up the beach trip but oh well. The next chapter is their last day at the shore.
Could you tell I don't play volleyball? I totally made it up, probably broke a load of rules. Penalty game! It reminded me of the episode "The Beach" in Avatar where the Fire Nation gang was playing. I could imagine Bakura pulling an Azula; setting the net on fire then exclaiming 'We have defeated you for all time! You will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation!"
Ohh, crazy people… Hope you liked it!