Chapter Six – Mean Girls

Life moved slowly for the next couple of days. It took Honda until the end of the week to find a job stocking trucks by the docks. It was hard labor and Honda didn't really have the strength for it, but he enjoyed working with his hands. It was mind numbing and hardly anybody bothered him. The more exhausted he was when he returned to Ryou's the better. He never had to be alone with his thoughts for long for sleep quickly followed after dinner.

For the most part, his friends supported the profession. They were happy to see him not sulk around all day. However, Otogi moving back to Domino meant having more time at home and he had been hoping to spend it with Honda. Instead, they'd lay in bed and while attempted to make small talk, Honda was usually already dreaming.

Then, once the weekend had arrived, Honda found himself changing bedsheets with Otogi. There was something in the air that didn't sit right with Honda. So, naturally, he asked, "What's up?"

Otogi tucked in the corner with a sigh. He straightened his stance and faced Honda, "I've started seeing someone."

Honda's mind immediately flashed to the past few nights where the two had spent tangled up in each others limbs and stealing kisses. How Otogi had been hiding this from him with little change in behavior was horrifying. What else was he hiding?

Otogi sensed the confusion and continued, "No. Not like that. I'm seeing a therapist." his eyes darted away for a moment, "He specializes in grieving."

Honda surprised himself as he let out a sigh of relief. After all, had Otogi really been dating someone, it was none of his business. He shrugged and shimmied a pillow into a fresh case, "Good for you." he said sincerely.

"Yeah. Well, I was thinking..." Otogi paused, gripping one of his own arms as if he were squeezing the courage out of himself, "that you should come with me."

Honda threw the pillow onto the bed with more force than he meant, "No thanks."

Otogi protested, "Hear me out! He's really great and I've made a lot of progress already! You should come and see what it's like."

"I don't need some random guy telling me how I should or shouldn't feel." Honda retaliated, "If he's working out for you, that's fine but it's not for me. I'm sorry."

"But-"

"Save it." and he left Otogi. He stomped down the stairs and into the back yard where he parked his rear on the steps, his scowl prominent on his face. "I know you're out here." Honda stated flatly.

Bakura seemed to have appeared from the shadows. He took a seat beside Honda and offered him a cigarette, "I'm going to start asking for payments if you keep using me for therapy."

Honda waved a hand in refusal to the cigarette. He groaned and hung his head, "You're right. You really are my therapist." he ran his fingers though his hair, "Damnit." he muttered under his breath. He looked out into the yard, "Otogi asked me to go meet his. Something about grieving."

Bakura nodded thoughtfully, "Good."

"Huh?"

"You should go."

"Screw that!" Honda hollered, "What do I need that for? Some random stranger strutting in with his psychoanalyzing bullshit. Telling me he knows exactly what I'm going through and how it's okay to be upset. OF COURSE IT'S OKAY TO BE FUCKING UPSET! MY BEST FRIEND DI-" Honda crumbled and began to shake again, holding his face in his fists. He could never admit it to himself. He had heard Kaiba say it so plainly and yet he could not. He couldn't even utter his name.

"Pull yourself together." Baker advised, "I will not talk to you when you're like this." he scowled like there was a stench in the air. He clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, beckoning for Ruby to emerge from her hiding spot under the bushes. She bounded with elegance into Bakura's awaiting lap, where she immediately began to clean her paws.

Honda sat up straight though his fists were still shaking on his thighs. He cleared his throat, "I'm sorry."

"You should be." Bakura admitted, "Your selfishness is getting the best of you."

"I am not selfish." Honda bared his teeth. He knew that to be true now. Ryou's had said so himself.

"Oh like hell you aren't!" Bakura roared back, "You let your pride get in the way of everything around you. You can't even let the small stuff go because it's out of your control or it's not what you want. You're a stubborn ass. Trust me. Takes one to know one." he caught his breath and repeated, "You should go. You owe it to Otogi. Fuck, you owe it to all of us." he picked up Ruby and stormed into the house. As he left, he was ranting quietly. "...Bastard thinks living with him is a bloody picnic. I'd rather be skinned alive by a dulled blade..."

Honda smacked his forehead with his hands repetitively. He was completely unable to control his movements. It wasn't until Otogi had grabbed at his wrists and pulled them down that he was able to stop.

Otogi's eyes were overflowing with concern, "Are you alright?" he was knelt in front of Honda, stroking one of his hands with his own thumb.

Honda started shivering, "I-I'm sorry. I don't know what's going on anymore."

Otogi pulled Honda close so that his forehead rested onto his shoulder, "Shh." he cooed, "It'll be alright."

Honda kissed Otogi. He kissed him again. Then, before he knew it, he had pushed Otogi down into the grass, exploring the inside of his mouth with his tongue. He heard Otogi moan and took it as a sign to press on. He dug one hand into his ebony ponytail while the other crept under his shirt.

Otogi pulled away just as Honda had found a nipple. He gasped, "Honda! Honda, stop!" he crab walked away with wide eyes. His shoulders rose and fell while he tried to catch his breath.

Ashamed, Honda looked away, "I-"

"Don't." Otogi said flatly, "I don't want to hear it. You can apologize by coming to therapy with me tomorrow."

Honda nodded, not having much else to say. He closed his eyes as he felt Otogi breeze by him and back into the house. He winced as the door slammed. He rolled over onto his back on the porch, resting his head on his arms. He regretted putting the moves on Otogi. It wasn't that he didn't know about and he was certain he had feelings for him. Though, they felt different somehow. They weren't nearly as strong as how he felt about... about...

He sighed, watching the clouds float across the sky. He allowed his mind to drift. He thought of Shizuka. Her warm smile was always on her face. Honda wondered if she was smiling where she was. He hoped wherever she was, she was at least happy.

Honda heard the door open again. He glanced over to find Ryou's sitting beside him, enjoying the wind on his cheeks, "It is a little chilly today. You should be wearing something warmer."

Honda snorted at Ryou's attempt at making small talk. He sat up and rubbed his nose, "What's up?"

"Oh. Nothing." Ryou's answered, "I feel as if you and I have not spent much time together since you started your job." he smiled, "I suppose I am a little jealous that you talk more with my yami than me."

"Oh..." Honda felt another stab in his chest. He briefly wondered how many more he could take before his heart resembled a pin cushion. He placed a reassuring hand on Ryou. "I'm sorry you feel ignored. I don't mean nothing by it."

"Thank you." Ryou placed his hand over Honda's and gave it a squeeze, "You know how much I worry about you. I wanted to make sure you feel comfortable here."

"Yeah!" Honda blurted out, "O-of course I do! Staying here has been amazing! I can't thank you enough."

Ryou laughed, "Okay! Okay! I believe you. Calm down." he closed his eyes as another gust blew by.

They sat on the porch for the rest of the day. Ryou listened to Honda talk of his life in Tokyo. He spoke fondly of the flower shop. He found himself missing the old man and Midori. She had reminded him so much of Ryou. He wondered if he should call them, to let them know how he was doing.

"They sound lovely. I think calling them would be a polite gesture seeing as how they took such great care of you." Ryou commented. He stood, brushing the dirt off of his backside with his hands, "Well, I suppose it is time to get started on dinner."

Honda followed suit, raising his arms up to stretch his long torso, "Need a hand?"

Ryou beamed, "Sure! That sounds like a lot of fun."

They both traveled through the house laughing at silly jokes along the way. Though, as they came in view of the front door, their smiles had vanished. There was a man standing in the foyer among the unkempt pile of shoes. He wasn't very tall, standing with his hips to one side. Honda noticed that he had a fiery glare in his crimson eyes. Honda glanced over at Ryou and was surprised to see how uncomfortable he was. He broke the tension with a friendly, "Hey there, Yami." Ryou squeaked and lowered his head in the form of a greeting.

The pharaoh seemed to have no heard. Instead he nodded back at Ryou, "I apologize for letting myself in, Ryou. No one answered my knocking."

The pale boy gathered his wits enough to form words again. "That is quite alright." he mumbled, "Will you be staying for dinner?"

"No." Yami declined firmly, "Thank you." his gaze was back on Honda. The intensity made Honda squirm where he stood. He felt as if Death himself stood before him, but why? He had been in Domino for several days by now. Surely, if Yami had words, he would have come to see him sooner. Yami cleared his throat, refocusing Honda's mind. He commanded, "Please leave us, Ryou."

"Well that's nothing short of pretentious. Barking orders in someone else's home, eh Pharaoh?" Bakura has emerged from the stairs. Honda could see Otogi trailing only a step behind.

Yami Yugi scowled, "This has nothing to do with you, Thief. My business is with Honda alone."

Hearing his name made Honda even more confused. His eyes were spinning around the room, frantically searching for answers on anybody's faces. He threw his arms up in the air, crying out, "Will somebody tell me what the hell is going on around here?"

"Very well." Yami said, his tongue in his cheek and looking sour, "An audience does not discourage me." he finally took a step from the foyer. He stood before Honda, whom had never felt so intimidated by a man so much smaller than him. His head was still swimming, trying to piece together why on earth this was happening.

Then, Yami spoke. His voice was harsh and low, "Stay away from Kaiba. He is not yours to play with anymore."

"I have my company, my family, my lover..."

It clicked.

Honda felt his chest get tight. He wasn't aware that he had his teeth bared, didn't feel his finger nails digging into his palms. He choked out his words, "I-I want nothing to do with him. H-he's all yours."

"Don't take me for a fool." Yami looked ready for a fight. "You've done enough. Things have been just fine since you've left. I daresay it was better that way." he turned to leave, "Heed my warning, Honda. Next time, I won't be so kind." he nodded at the others in the room, who were frozen in disbelief. Yami had a smirk on his lips, "Good evening, my friends. Thank you for your time." and he departed into the young night.

When the front door clicked shut, Honda's limit hit the breaking point. His ears were pulsing, filled with a white noise that blocked out his friends' concerned voices. His mind went to that one night with Kaiba. He was laying in that fluffy king sized bed with the moonlight tickling his skin. Only now, it was Yami arching his back in pleasure where he once slept. Kaiba's body was on top of him...

Honda vomited onto the hard wood. Everyone else immediately sprung into action. Ryou raced into the kitchen for cleaning supplies. Bakura locked the front door, growling something under his breath, before helping Otogi relocate Honda to the living room couch.

Otogi's voice trembled, "H-Honda? Honda? Can you hear us?" His lip quivered as he waved a hand in front of Honda's almond eyes.

Bakura sneered, "That fucking pharaoh. Who the hell does he think he is?"

"A jealous new girlfriend." Ryou answered plainly. He handed Bakura bucket, "Did something happen that we are not aware of?"

Otogi and Bakura exchanged looks. Otogi shrugged, gently petting Honda's head. Bakura, however, sighed heavily. "He's catatonic." he nodded at Honda, "So, I suppose I should explain." he placed the bucket beside Honda and shoved his hands in his pocket, "Kaiba and Honda ran into each other a few nights ago."

Ryou and Otogi gasped, "No way!"

"Yes." Bakura confirmed. He said, "He told me about it, but I didn't know what the say. The meeting didn't go favorably for him."

Otogi put his hands on his hips, "It doesn't matter if anything happened or not. What matters is Honda's back in town and Yami feels threatened." he scoffed, "What a possessive bitch."

"That's the pharaoh." Bakura smirked.

Ryou shook his head, retreating to the hallway to clean the mess. His small voice carried well, "This is all so ridiculous. I cannot fathom any reason for such high school melodrama." Bakura and Otogi poked their heads around the corner, watching Ryou scrub the floor with a vigor they had never seen before. His knuckles were white as he gripped the sponge and even though the vomit was long taken off of the wood surface, he kept scrubbing. Bakura knelt down beside his other half and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Ryou..." he saw the smaller boy start to shudder in tears, "Crying will not solve anything. You must be strong for Honda. He needs you more than ever."

"You mean he needs us." Otogi crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. He would occasionally glance back to check on Honda, who had passed out in either exhaustion or shock. He twirled his bangs out of nerves. "Bakura, he tells you more than either of us. Why do you think that is?"

Bakura stood, "What are you playing at?"

"Nothing!" Otogi held his hands up, "I'm just wondering." his tone got quiet as he looked at the ground. "Honda and I used to take on the world together. We were all each other had for so long, but, ever since he moved back..." he hugged himself tightly, "it's like I'm not even here."

Bakura rolled his eyes, "This is pathetic! I've had enough of this." he stomped past Otogi, into the living room and over to Honda. Ryou and Otogi quickly followed, afraid of what Bakura would do next.

He straddled Honda on the couch, yanked him up by the collar of his shirt, and back handed him across the face. The shock caused Honda to cough, flailing his arms and gasping for air as if he had been underwater. He glared at Bakura, "What the-"

"Now you listen here!" Bakura roared, holding Honda up with both of his hands gripping the shirt, "You're going to stop whining and be a man! I am done with all of the pansy ass, pseudo-crisis bullshit!" Ryou whimpered at the volume of Bakura's voice but he dare not interrupt.

He continued, "The pharaoh is angry because he finds you to be a threat! It means Kaiba probably still has feelings for you!" Honda's eyes went wide at the realization. He looked over at Ryou to Otogi, whose expressions seemed to match his. Bakura smacked him again, "LOOK. AT. ME!" Honda immediately regretted following orders. Bakura was scarlet in the face. His mouth was frothy and his eyes were stabbing him deep inside of Honda.

The yami exclaimed, "I am not the kind of person to tell anybody what to do. Somehow, someway, you've made me give a damn so don't fuck this up." he shoved Honda onto the couch and stood up, "If you want him, go get him! You know where the hell to find him!" he paused to catch his breath. The room was filled with thick silence. Bakura sighed hard through his nose, "Honestly? The man is irrelevant. You have one standing right here who would treat you better. You're an idiot and I cannot hold your hand like a little girl anymore." and he stormed out, making sure not to look anybody else in the face.

Honda laid on the couch, stunned. His hands were held up in frozen defense, as if he were expecting Bakura to come and pound him into a pulp. He's right. He thought. I am a little girl. What is wrong with me? He placed his hands over his face and screamed until he felt his throat was going to bleed. Ryou and Otogi stood together, closing their eyes as Honda's screams echoed through the room.

Then, the room stood very still. The only sounds were of Honda's panting, trying his best to catch his breath. It was after that, that Otogi and Ryou departed the room. Neither had anything to say for the time being. They left Honda with his endless thoughts, letting him get lost in the labyrinth that he had been spending months trying to escape.

Ruby strutted her way into the living room. Her ears perked at the presence of Honda in her spot. With one regal bound, she was up on Honda's lap. She circled his stomach several times before planting herself on top of him. He subconsciously began to pet her and stayed that way until he fell into a restless sleep.