Title: Legally Blond
Pairings: Eventual Puppyshipping, past Snareshipping. Sideships: Persevereshipping, Ardentshipping, Puzzleshipping
Rating: T
Words (Chapter 18): 1,589
Author's Notes: Thank you guys for sticking with this fic and thank you for the patience! It means a lot and I'm so glad you guys seem to be enjoying it still. The holidays had me really busy and I'll be going on vacation soon so please keep being patient and thank you again.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think 'I've got good gaydar' is a true defense, either, Joey."
I looked at Téa across the booth, wanting to bang my head into the table. "You really need to sound so much like Kaiba?"
She shrugged, picking off the pickle that was halfway out of her burger before popping it into her mouth. "I'm not saying I think you're wrong. I'm saying we need more proof. Not that I feel all that good about possibly outing a guy on the stand…"
"Under most circumstances, neither would I, but something's gotta give here."
These private lunches had gotten more frequent lately. While we always invited the other interns, none of them ever came, and we always ended up discussing either the case or trying to study despite our plan being to actually relax during lunch.
"From what you're telling me, Kaiba had a point. He could be bisexual, you know. It's not like we don't know anyone who is." I made a face and I guess my thoughts were readable on my face because Téa gave me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry. That was a bad comparison."
"No, it wasn't, it was a very relevant comparison and the exact reason I tried reaching out to his boyfriend. I know that feeling and I sure as shit wouldn't stick around given that feeling, and add in a messed up murder trial on all of it… I don't know what's up with that guy, but anyone deserves better than the deal he's getting." I ate a couple of fries before realizing Téa didn't seem to be paying attention anymore. "Uh, Téa? You okay?" I waved my hand in front of her face and she blinked a couple of times.
"Sorry. I was just thinking about something…In hindsight, did he give off any clues that he was cheating?"
I cocked my head. "Heh? I don't really know, why are you asking?" Téa sighed but before she could form a response, my eyes widened. "Shit. You think? With who?"
Yugi came over at that moment, giving a confused look at our facial expressions. "You guys okay?" he asked softly.
Téa shrugged, shaking her head. "Yeah, I'm probably just being paranoid. I'm sorry to involve you, Joey, I know that's probably weird." She took a bite from her burger and I stayed quiet. I really didn't know what to say.
The door opened and Yugi let out a little squeak. "Speaking of weird," I joked, and Téa laughed a little. I didn't have to look to know Atem had walked in, and chances are, she didn't either.
He came over, giving us all a greeting before starting an awkward conversation with Yugi. Téa and I pretended not to be eavesdropping but I don't know if we succeeded. The good news was that they were both too wrapped up to notice us anymore.
"So, are you working Friday?" Atem asked.
"No, I'm not, sorry. I guess that's the next delivery?"
"Uh, actually, no. I'm not working, either."
"Oh, okay. That's cool then, that you get the day off…"
There was some awkward silence and Téa looked as visibly uncomfortable as I did. I was sure one of us was about to jump up and yell, "Yugi, he's asking you out!" but we both held our tongue. The secondhand embarrassment was real.
"Okay, so, I guess I'll go then."
"Right, sorry, no need to hold up your other deliveries." Yugi nodded, and Atem said goodbye to everyone, waving as he passed Marik who'd just entered the diner on his way to his own shift
"Yugi, you're a little oblivious," I stated.
"What?"
"He was asking you out. Or very awkwardly trying to, anyway," Téa explained.
"What? No, he wasn't."
"He asked if you were free the same day he was. That's a pretty good opener to 'How about we do something?'"
"Then why didn't he go with that?"
"Because the two of you are like kings of the awkward Olympics?" I suggested.
"What do I do?" he whined, falling into the seat next to Téa. "How do you two get guys?"
"You really want to take advice from me? I can't hold onto a guy for shit," I said with a shrug, taking a few fries into my hand and biting them all at once.
"Right, and we're just going to pretend Kaiba isn't into you, right?" Téa said and I choked.
"What? Oh, not you, too!"
"Other people have said it?" She looked like she won the lottery at that. "I knew it!"
I rolled my eyes. "Alister assumed. Someone who clearly doesn't know us, unlike you. And his brothers kind of implied, too."
"Alister's brothers?" Téa asked.
"No, Kaiba's."
"You met Kaiba's brothers?" Yugi asked. "Damn, maybe he does have a thing for you," he giggled.
"Hey, you don't get to talk until you and Atem actually have a real conversation, alright?"
"Well, we did say that if Atem and I ever went out, you'd end up straddling Kaiba." Téa chuckled in disbelief and I threw fries at Yugi.
"You said that because you thought they were just as likely, but Atem and you going out actually is likely."
"Maybe you straddling Kaiba isn't as unlikely as you think, then," Yugi countered.
"I don't know, he seems like a control freak. Probably is in bed, too," Téa said, still giggling.
"I hate you two. We're not friends anymore."
"Bull," Téa said, checking her phone that started buzzing. "Rebecca's calling for an emergency study session."
"Wait! Neither of you actually helped me," Yugi said with a pout.
I racked my brain and sighed. "There's one thing I know of, but you might not want to do it."
"What is it?"
"It's this little gimmick I learned from Mai a while back. It's called the Bend and Snap."
"The what?"
"Oh! One of my sorority sisters taught me that!" Téa said with a nod.
"You were in a sorority?" I asked.
"Story for another day."
I shrugged and looked back at Yugi. "It's a little embarrassing if you don't do it right, so just…do it right. What you do is, you drop something and then you pick it up. Seductively."
"…How the heck does one pick something up seductively?" Yugi asked and Téa gently nudged him out of the booth.
"Like this," she said, taking the pen off his apron and dropping it on the floor. "You bend," she said, bending in a way that put her butt on display, "and snap," she continued, snapping herself up to put out her chest, fluttering her eyelashes at the invisible man she seemed to be seducing.
"Really?" Yugi asked with a raised eyebrow.
"What? It works," Téa answered, sitting down.
"Yeah, maybe when a girl does it," Yugi tried, looking over at Joey.
"Nah, it's helped me a couple times. Back in my youth, I never really paid for drinks."
"You say that like we're old," Téa said with a giggle, going back to her fries.
"The way we're worked to the bone, we might as well be."
"Focus. How does a man ever do that without looking ridiculous?"
I rolled my eyes and took the pen from Téa. I repeated the bend and snap, with a little more subtlety than she did. "It's not that hard, Yug," I insisted.
"Ooh, nice bend, Joey," Téa said with a little clap as I sat back down and winked at her.
Yugi was silent for a minute, sighing. "You're sure this works?"
"Absolutely."
"Of course."
"Try it out, Yugi. See if you get the hang of it." Téa pulled the pen from his apron and handed it to him.
He sighed softly and dropped it. He did his bend and snap, arching his back a little too much at the end.
"A little more bend, a little less snap."
"It's hopeless," he groaned.
"It's not hopeless," Téa insisted. "Try again."
Yugi took a deep breath before nodding to himself. He did a bend and snap, almost perfectly, and Téa and I looked at each other, smiling.
"What? Was that good?" Yugi asked, biting his lip.
"Oh my god, the Bend and Snap!" Marik called, finally noticing us from the counter. "Works every time." He sent us a wink and then went back to refilling the cup in his hand.
"So, I did good?" Yugi asked again and we nodded.
"Yes, you did very good," I replied.
"Now, just do that next time Atem comes by and you'll be set." Téa put her share of the food bill on the table with mine and nodded. "Trial's going to start soon, so if we don't come eat here for a bit, that's why. Text us anytime."
"Bye, Yug' and good luck," I added, waving goodbye to Marik on the way out.
I glanced over at Téa as we got to her car and wondered if I should bring up the conversation from before or not. After we got in and she started up the car, she was silent for a minute before entering some rant about the workload in Hawkins' class and how she couldn't even complain because she didn't want Rebecca getting mad at her about it.
When she finished, I reached over and squeezed her shoulder, hoping she got my silent message. 'I love you. I'm here for you. No matter what.'
She looked over at me and gave me a warm smile, her blue eyes shining with gratitude, so I think she might have.
Author's Notes: Here was the Bend & Snap, including some serious bonding with my little trio. Soon, I'll have Serenity, Tristan, and Ryou come visit but I was hoping to finish the proposal one shot before doing that. Hopefully that'll be done soon, too. This month had me so scatterbrained so I'm going to do my best to get back on track on the days I still have free.