A/N: This chapter is kind of random with little bits of everyone in it, but it was fun to write! Rebecca makes her first official appearance...please don't shoot me on my birthday...that would be a bad way to go especially after only 16 years of life...
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW: In Season 0, Yu-Gi-Oh did not completely revolve around children's card games believe it or not! In reality, it revolved around Yami's 'Yami no games' (Shadow/Darkness Games) which could be any sort of game, ranging from strategy to luck, and the penalty games that followed. He faced Kaiba in duel monsters a couple times though they were 'Yami no games' and resulted in penalty games for Kaiba afterwards (cue first episode of the more popular Yu-Gi-Oh anime where Kaiba gets beaten and mind crushed in the first episode. That's the soft version kiddies!) Also, Yuugi was a complete wimp in Season 0, so everyone noticed when he became Yami (except for the physical change...never got why no one notices that!) because he was all confident. He WAS good at games before the puzzle came along; however, much like in the more popular anime series it's Yami who is the duel monster champion. I always thought Yuugi would suck at the game without him.
Disclaimer: Not Mine!
She climbed out of the car, stretching her limbs as she looked around at the beach with sparkling eyes.
"The weather is great!" She exclaimed excitedly and a voice behind her chuckled, a subtle hand touching her waist.
"So you've said," He commented in a low voice before kissing her cheek slyly.
"Yami," She admonished with a small blush for his behaviour.
"Fine, fine," Was all he said with a small eye roll though he released her against his wishes anyways. This woman would be the death of him, he was certain. At least he'd die happy.
"Dude do you have the cooler? We're gonna get so smashed!" Jounouchi's loud voice gloating as he hunted around in the trunk of Jii-chan's van.
"How could I forget it?" The other replied, struggling under the weight of a large cooler evidently full of beer.
"Enough alcohol for two days, boys?" Anzu questioned with a raised eyebrow. Honda looked up and saw her disbelieving expression then glanced to her right where Yami stood impassively by. The cooler dropped with a thunk along with his jaw as he caught sight of the teacher assistant.
"Wha –what the hell is he...I mean...um..." Hearing the spluttering of the brunet Jounouchi also poked his head around the side of the car.
"Really Honda, I know talking to girls isn't your speciality but" –he also cut off mid sentence seeing Anzu's 'guest'. "Mutou-san!" He yelped, covering his head and ducking back behind the car like it was a bomb shelter. Honda looked paralyzed now, turning slowly but surely red.
Mutou-san just raised an eyebrow, glancing once at Anzu, then at the boys. She giggled slightly, knowing how incredulous he must be of her friends but he just walked over to where Honda stood, looking totally casual.
"It's Yami," He said simply, then picked up the cooler off of Honda's foot where it rested and walked away, too proud to say anything else.
"Huh?" The boy asked dumbly and Anzu couldn't help another small giggle as she crossed over to where they stood as well.
"That's his first name, Yami," She explained while Jounouchi slowly crept back around to watch the retreating teacher figure.
"He has a first name?" He asked in awe while Anzu rolled her eyes.
"Of course he does, he's human you know," She snapped and he looked up guiltily.
"Well any teacher who doesn't freak out over that must be," Honda commented with a small shrug and Jounouchi grinned a bit as well before returning to unpacking the van of its 'valuables'. She gave a small sigh of relief.
No matter what he might say, she knew Yami was nervous about actually spending time with 'her' friends, just as much as she was certain Marik was. Still, this was a better start then she had expected.
"Hey guys! Come on!" Yuugi shouted, from the beach where he was waving his hand enthusiastically. Yami had already almost reached him and she quickly hurried over, Honda and Jounouchi behind her. It looked like Miho had already arrived, enticing Honda to hurry as he saw her bikini body.
"Don't drool," Jounouchi mumbled with a snicker as he shot by.
"Who's that?" He added with a frown when a blond girl popped up by Yuugi's side from the changing tent, throwing her arms around his waist tightly.
"That must be the girl we heard so much about," She said with a small grin, picking up her pace so that they caught up to Yami as he set down the cooler by the beach table with chairs scattered around near the fire pit.
"Is that her?" She questioned and he straightened up now free of his load to look where she was pointing. He grinned slightly, a vengeful gleam in his eyes.
"That would be Rebecca," He said with a small chuckle. Jounouchi looked unnerved by the expression.
"So you're sayin' that chick is Yuugi's crush?" He asked hesitantly and Yami shot him a curious side glance, tilting his head thoughtfully. Anzu was tempted to run her hands through his wild hair as it waved in the breeze playfully.
"She certainly has a crush on him, but I'm not sure about his feelings," He said doubtfully, turning back to watch as Yuugi quickly turned bright red while Miho giggled down at the 'adorable couple'.
"B-Becky, can you let go?" He asked gently, tapping her arm that was wrapped around his stomach and she pouted.
"But Yuugi she'll try and take advantage of you," She insisted, slowly retracting her arms as she glared first at Miho then at Anzu.
"Quite the protective fourteen year old, isn't she?" Anzu commented dryly.
"No she won't!" Both Honda and Yuugi shouted in synch. Jounouchi cracked up at the comical sight of Honda trying to block Rebecca from glaring daggers at Miho who wasn't helping the situation as she asked if someone could put sunscreen on her back.
Rebecca's hands went to her hips and Honda gulped. Jounouchi cursed and she looked at him as Yuugi backed up as well from the fair haired girl whose blue eyes flashed under the sun.
"What?" Anzu questioned Jounouchi who looked nervous.
"That's like, the girl code for I'm-going-to-kick-your-ass," He whispered fearfully and she stared at him disbelievingly.
"Are you serious?" She demanded, hands also going to her hips causing him to stumble away from her, a cheesy grin on his face. Yami appeared to be the only one impervious to this 'girl code' as he rolled his crimson eyes, walking the short distance between him and the younger girl boldly.
"Rebecca," He said monotonously, gaze flickering between her and his cousin.
"Yami, does she like Yuugi?" She demanded, obviously referring to purple haired girl who was looking with innocent confusion at her. Yuugi looked like he wanted to sink through a hole in the ground.
"Even if she did, it wouldn't matter, Honda-san is very protective," He told her flippantly, gesturing to the brown haired boy who looked ready to complain at the injustice but Yuugi's warning glance stopped him.
Long ago Yuugi had discovered that Rebecca wouldn't trust a single soul to tell the truth about girls having crushes on him except for Yami.
"And what about her?" Rebecca continued accusing, lifting one hand to stab her finger in Anzu's direction. Yami caught her eye out of the corner of his and chuckled dryly.
"You don't have to be worried about her either," He assured her and she narrowed her eyes at the unusually playful glint in his eyes along with the rueful smile twisting his mouth.
"Why not?" She asked slowly. Glancing Anzu's way once more he smirked slightly and beckoned her closer to whisper in her ear.
"..." When she backed away again her eyes were wide but he held a finger to his lips in silent reminder.
"Alright, I'll keep your secret if you can beat me in a duel!" She challenged, striking a pose and Yuugi groaned quietly behind her as a challenging look came over Yami's face.
"Becky, please don't be difficult," Yuugi begged quietly, touching her arm gently but she ignored him this one time.
"No, he owes me a rematch! This time I'm definitely gonna win!"
"Bring it on," Yami replied in his toughest voice.
"You brought your cards with you?"
"Of course."
"Then wait here, I'll get mine," She replied, racing off towards the house uphill from the beach.
There was a silence that was only broken when a new aloof voice finally asked, "What's a duel?" Everyone turned to face either Yami or the person who had spoken.
Looking bored as ever, Marik's flaxen hair shone in the sunlight in stark contrast to Bakura who stood next to him looking paler than usual with his white hair and blanched skin compared to the tan tone of his partners.
Anzu noted that they weren't holding hands and wondered if they were trying to downplay the whole dating thing.
"It's a card game we used to play a lot about two years back," Jounouchi responded eagerly. "I don't think Bakura was ever big on it but Kaiba was always challengin' Yuugi to a game. Only weird shit happened when they played," He added on the end, scratching his head slightly.
"Like what?" Marik asked as everyone looked slightly nervous at the mention.
"The 'weird shit' Jounouchi is referring to is like the Egyptian legends you told me about, the games the pharaoh used to play," Anzu piped up in response and he nodded, understanding flashing across his face.
"Well that would be unsettling," He murmured, and she wondered what exactly he was thinking about. Yami hadn't said a word, staring at the path Rebecca had disappeared up with measuring eyes. Not for the first time curiosity stirred within her.
On occasion those card games had turned into shadow games where the 'other Yuugi' she now knew as Yami took over. She wondered why he still played if he didn't like talking about the past or indeed even associated himself with it.
"Anzu," He suddenly said and she glanced up, stepping closer automatically. He raised an eyebrow at the concerned expression on her face.
"Could you go grab my belt from the car?" He requested smoothly.
"The studded one with the pocket?" She asked with slight hesitation and he nodded, pulling out his keys which jangled pleasantly. Clapping her hands once he tossed them to her and she caught them flawlessly before making her way back up the grassy path to where the cars were parked.
"Hey, why does she get the teacher's keys?" Honda complained and Miho giggled, distracting him.
"Cause he's her tutor silly," She said like it should be obvious. He nodded dumbly, transfixed by her beauty.
"So you been spendin' time with Anzu after school, huh?" Jounouchi commented suspicious.
"Jou," Yuugi muttered in warning.
"All I'm sayin' is he's seen more of her this semester than anyone else except twinkle toes," He said, gesturing rudely to Marik who seemed unperturbed.
"His name is Marik, not twinkle toes," Bakura spoke up defensively and Jounouchi looked surprised to hear even close to an aggressive tone from the normally passive boy.
Jounouchi looked like he was going to argue some more when Yami's head snapped up. Following his gaze Yuugi shrunk back a little as Rebecca charged down from the cottage house, a stack of cards in her hand, blond hair flying out behind her.
"Ready?" She asked once she arrived, barely out of breath.
"Anzu is bringing my deck," He said calmly, gesturing to the slope that Anzu was just coming back down now, a long thin piece of leather in her hands.
"That's yours?" Jounouchi demanded and Yami gave him a strange look.
"Is that a problem?" He replied, not aggressively the way the blond would but more in curious question as though he couldn't possibly see how an almost-teacher owning a leather belt was strange.
"I guess not," The boy in question mumbled as the brunet reached them, handing over the leather studded belt, complete with pouch from which he produced a deck of cards.
"Thanks," He said quietly, expression softening as she handed back the keys a little wistfully.
"Come on Yami!" Rebecca called from the table impatiently. "Or I'll tell everyone your secret!" He rolled his eyes slightly. It was pretty obvious he'd said something about someone else staking a claim in Anzu already, and it was clear Jounouchi at least thought it was him.
"Sorry," Yuugi said in a pained voice from where he stood by helplessly.
"No big deal, I'll beat her," He said flippantly with a shrug, then walked over to the table and sat down. "Ready to duel?" He asked in a serious voice as the younger girl glared fiercely.
"I definitely won't lose," She responded.
"Let's duel!" They announced at the same time as he put down his cards, rapidly drawing five. They were quickly immersed in the game.
"What's the deal with those two?" Jounouchi hissed, edging closer to a distraught Yuugi.
"It's like this every time they're together," He explained with a sigh, "Rebecca is...I mean she has a really big crush on me so she gets really jealous and the only person she'll listen to is Yami. The only reason she respects him so much is because he can beat her every time at Duel Monsters when no one else can. They can both get super competitive; don't be surprised if they play a couple hundred rounds before one gives out."
"I thought you were really good at the game though, Yuugi?" Honda questioned with a small frown, obviously remembering those days two years ago when Yuugi suddenly gained huge amounts of confidence and his appearance seemed to change.
He never lost a game when that happened. Anzu bit her lip, looking worriedly at Yuugi whose face went blank.
"Guess I lost my touch," Was all he said with a sheepish laugh though she was willing to bet it was forced. Yami really must not like having the past brought up if Yuugi was telling half truths.
A/N: So that was an abrupt ending...well, the scene is obviously not finished yet, so the rest is coming soon! This felt kind of mismatched and disjointed but I hope it was alright?
Here's a preview for the next chapter:
Somehow she'd always imagined Yami as a bit of a loner, not moving on after he separated from Yuugi which was ridiculous of course in hindsight.
Surely he'd met and probably dated girls since then, after all he was far more romantically confident then she was, and the mere thought drove her crazy with jealousy! She didn't want to imagine other girls being near him in the way she was now.
Uh-oh Anzu, I sense something green and wicked and vaguely resembling this monster called JEALOUSY coming your way!