Thank you for reading so far and for the amount of response this got last chapter, thank you all :-) Do you think we can try for the same this chapter? Would that be okay? We're more than halfway done now, folks :-)
Chapter 6:
Learning the Language
The next day, Yami had gotten up early and marched into the language department, asking for an appointment as soon as possible. The woman behind the desk had immediately called back and requested that the speech therapist make an exception to see Yami without a scheduled appointment (because they had been waiting for him to finally cave). As soon as she received confirmation, she stood up and escorted him back to the speech room, leaving him waiting outside the large wooden door.
Yami looked up at it, slightly overwhelmed and a little edgy. It was large and ornately carved, gleaming in the low light. It almost felt like it was built specifically to intimidate those waiting outside it. He felt like he was in a courthouse rather than a hospital.
Slowly, it began to creak open, gleaming in the pale light as it hit the adjacent wall. On the other side was a man who was dressed in a red velvet suit from head to toe, grey hair hanging loosely around his shoulders. His right eye gleamed with a golden replacement, the shape of an eye carved onto it. In his left hand he loosely held a wine glass that Yami knew couldn't be filled with actual wine. He stood up straight, his stature intimidating as Yami was short himself. He gave a shaky intake of breath before sticking out his hand for the man to shake.
"Ahh, Yami-boy!" The other signed, before grabbing his hand and shaking it fondly. "My wife has told me so many things about you! Come in, come in!" He announced extravagantly, flipping his hair. Yami gulped.
"Your wife?" Yami signed, tilting his head to the side. The man reached up for his name tag and grabbed it, tilting it downwards for Yami to read. Printed across it in elegant handwriting was the name 'Pegasus J. Crawford', and something tugged at the back of Yami's mind. "You're Cecilia's husband?"
He smiled, placing his hands together fondly as he nodded his head. He lifted them again as soon as he was done, and his intention to say something was clear as day. "My darling Cecilia has told me so many good things about you! You're one of her favourite students! I've been waiting for the day I'd get to take you under my wing for ages now!" He said. Once he had finished his speech, he immediately stepped to the side and gestured for Yami to come in.
Yami tentatively walked into the room, seeing a couple of mirrors along a side wall and a television in the far right corner. In the very centre of the room sat a large, wooden desk with a pitcher of whatever Pegasus was drinking on it, and a second cup in front of a large pile of files and paperwork. Yami felt himself drawn to it as he took a couple more clumsy steps forward, eventually coming to stand in front of the chair. He ran a hand along the top before Pegasus came around the desk and sat in his own chair, gesturing for Yami to do the same.
Yami sat in the chair, bouncing lightly as he sunk into the red velvet cushion. He put his hands on the sides of the chair, the wood scraped from years of fingernails biting into it. The room no longer reminded him of a courthouse, but of an old fashioned principle's office. At least Pegasus had the decency to smile and lighten the atmosphere. Yami thought that if he didn't, he would have gone mad.
"So, you want to learn how to speak, is that correct?" Pegasus asked. Yami tore his eyes from where they were wandering the room, (he had currently been looking at the thin woodworking on the ceiling, the repetitive knots and swirls capturing his interest) looking back to Pegasus and nodding his head yes enthusiastically. He gave a small huff and straightened up a little, repeating his answer firmly. Pegasus nodded his head, his smile growing wider.
"I assume your translator has been saying what she signs as she signs it, yes?" Pegasus asked. Yami hesitated before shaking his head no.
"Sort of, but not really. We haven't been spending much time together because I've been talking to a friend of mine for the most part, and she hasn't been doing that. Even when Rebecca did talk like that I never paid attention to her lips. I didn't actually want to learn until now." Yami admitted. Pegasus's eyebrows rose, his face having slowly lost its smile and turning to a more businesslike state as Yami elaborated.
"What made you change your mind, if I may ask?" Pegasus questioned. Yami hesitated, unsure of what to tell him. On one hand, he wouldn't know who Yami was talking about if he admitted that it was because of someone else's influence. On the other hand, with the rumours he heard were going around the hospital, Pegasus just mentioning something to the wrong person could mean it got around to everyone. Yami wanted the whole thing to be a surprise to Yuugi, and somebody could blow the secret.
"I just felt like it was time." He said, clearing his throat uncomfortably. Pegasus didn't look like he bought it, and he looked Yami up and down for a good thirty more seconds before he finally decided not to push and leaned back, taking out a pen and a piece of paper. Before he started writing, though, he glanced back up and set the pen down.
"Do you think your friend could start talking to you out loud as she's signing?" Pegasus asked, raising his eyebrow again. Yami nodded his head, confident that Mai would be able to help him out if he asked her to. He knew that Mai would keep it a secret, too. "Good."
Pegasus picked up the pen again, lifting it to his lips and setting it against them for a moment, as if contemplating what words to use. Finally, he put the pen back onto the paper and began to write. Yami leaned forward eagerly, slightly impatient to see what Pegasus was writing and curious beyond belief. He couldn't make anything out, so he slumped back down in his chair and blew away a stray piece of his bangs, trying to keep himself occupied until he would be rewarded with the knowledge of what he was to do.
Finally, Pegasus scooted the note across the table, gesturing towards the door. "I have other patients who actually had appointments that I need to see now, you're going to make the whole day run behind if you stay any longer."
Yami nodded and grabbed the paper, not yet glancing at the scrawly writing. He nodded his head mutely as he left, and the door let out a large woosh of air as it shut on it's own behind him. He looked both ways to make sure nobody was watching before he walked out to the waiting room, passing a couple of young children presumably on their way to see Pegasus on his journey.
When he was finally outside of the language centre, he stopped, lifting the hand that held the paper up and squinting at the faded lines. Pegasus looked like the kind of person who would enjoy vintage, and his old wrinkly paper only proved that theory. Yami wanted to grumble about old people and never getting anything new, and he was delighted by the knowledge that soon, he would be able to.
The note's instructions were clear and simple. 'Talk to your friend more. Please do watch her lips and her hands at the same time, try more and more to look exclusively at her lips while she speaks. The same can go for television if you're up for it; turn on the subtitles, and try to watch their lips. Report back to me in a week with what progress you've made.'
Yami stared at the note, nodding his head as a smile stretched across his face. He could do this. He just needed some time and effort, and he'd be speaking like a hearing person.
At least, he hoped it would be that easy.
Later that day, he was standing by the break room, waiting for Mai to go on her break. He fiddled with his bracelet nervously, unsnapping and re-snapping the silver buttons absent mindedly. He glanced up from his wrist, looking around the hallways again in search of his friend. He tapped his foot impatiently.
Around the corner came Mai, carrying a stack of paperwork and smiling from ear to ear. She looked off into the distance as if she was daydreaming, and walked forward without really paying attention to where she was going. She almost bumped into Yami, and he snapped his fingers, forcing her out of the trance-like state. She snapped out of it in a hurry, looking around before her eyes met Yami's and she blushed, pushing some of her hair behind her ear as she cleared her throat.
"Somebody's distracted." Yami commented. Mai shook her head and opened the door to the break room, going in. Yami chuckled before he followed behind her, happy to find that they were the only two currently using the room. She set her things down on the table before she turned back to him, smiling smally as she pretended to be annoyed.
"What is it you want now?" She asked, not waiting for the answer before she pulled out her lipstick and put on a fresh layer, popping her lips together and looking back to Yami. He waited patiently for her routine to be over before he talked, using the time to work up the nerve to ask her what he wanted to ask.
"I... I'm learning how to speak." He announced awkwardly. Mai's eyes widened as she heard the news, both of her eyebrows raising. She knew what this was about, Yami was sure.
"I'm glad you're finally taking the initiative. What's the catch? You wouldn't have mentioned it right now unless you needed something." She said wisely. Yami scratched his head, smiling a bit. Mai was right, he probably would have waited until he knew more to tell her, even if Yuugi wasn't here. He would worry that he would give up, and it would be embarrassing having to admit that to somebody else. Of course, with Yuugi here, he knew that he wasn't. He had a reason to keep pushing forward, a motivation. Yuugi was proving to be one of the best things that ever happened to Yami, and they had barely talked.
"Well, I'm supposed to learn how to read lips first. To do that, I wanted to ask... Well, it would help me a lot if you would talk while you sign from now on, so I can see the way your lips move when you form words. Do you think you could do that?" He asked. Mai laughed, her eyes sparkling.
"Of course I can do that. Yami, you're my friend. You hardly even needed to ask." She gushed. Yami felt warmth zing through his body; Mai was amazing.
"Thank you, so much. You know I'm grateful." He informed her, resisting the urge to smile like an idiot. Mai gave a sigh and nodded.
"So, I'm right in assuming this is about Yuugi, right?" She asked, speaking while she signed. Yami tried to focus on both her lips and her hands at the same time, and he had to replay the scene in his mind once to actually make himself comprehend what she was saying. When he did, he blushed, looking down at the ground guiltily and nodding his head yes.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. Mai might not participate in the gossip, but being a nurse, she certainly heard enough of it. He wondered if she had known about the other nurses thinking he and Yuugi were going to be together? If so, why hadn't she told him sooner?
"Hey Mai, did you know about the nurses making bets on how long it would be until Yuugi and I kissed?" Yami asked, narrowing his eyes. Mai cleared his throat and looked down, placing a finger to her lip and flashing her eyes up, trying to look innocent. Yami thought it was the most sorry excuse he'd ever seen, if innocence was her goal.
"Maybe." She admitted, removing the hand from her mouth so she could "speak". Yami tried to focus on the way her mouth moved when she pronounced the word- but not for long. He felt embarrassment bloom up inside him like a flower.
"Did you make a bet?" He asked, deciding not to get angry at her. She paused, her mouth pursing as she did. She cleared her throat a bit, and Yami could see her chest move up and down as she did. She looked back down again, and he knew he wouldn't like the answer he got.
"I bet on two months. From now." She admitted sheepishly. Yami's let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "The other nurses all bet on sooner than that, but I know you're too much of a wimp to get up the courage any sooner." She said, returning to her usual pompous air. Yami tried again to focus on both the shape her mouth made and her actual answer, and for a moment, he found it to be disorienting. He steeled himself, forcing his mind to process what she said, before he realized that he should probably be offended. He glared at her.
"I am not a wimp, I'm strategic. I just wait until the time is right to make my move." Yami announced, puffing out his chest and smirking. He had to regain some of his manliness; Yuugi had been making him blush an awful lot lately. "That's what makes me King of Games."
"All right then. But just so you know, being 'strategic' didn't help Joey when he asked me out." She said. Yami, had he been holding something, probably would have dropped it when that sunk in. He felt his eyes widen and his own brows raise. He knew that Joey had liked Mai when they were hanging out last year- he would never shut up about her. As soon as it was just them and Rebecca, Joey had nothing to talk about except how angry she made him or how pretty she looked that day, (of course, Joey was a teenage boy, so some of his comments were a little on the crude side) so it wasn't that hard to figure out. Yami was just curious now, as to if Mai felt the same way.
Back when they were all younger, she had constantly made jokes about Joey being a minor and too young for her. He pretended to be offended at times or pretended to not care others, but it really was something Mai took into consideration. Yami didn't know if she was now willing to get over the fact that Joey was so much younger than her, or if she had turned him down. But when she was walking here earlier, she had affection written all over her eyes.
She had liked Joey, too, Yami was sure. She was constantly teasing him and flirting- Joey hadn't developed his crush off of nothing. She laughed with him and teased him endlessly and spent an outrageous amount of time with him. There was no way that she didn't like him back, at least to an extent. So, really, Yami should have expected this. What he wasn't expecting, was for Joey to have the guts to actually ask Mai out.
"What did you say to him?" Yami asked first, not wanting to assume anything he didn't know for sure.
"Well..." Mai began.
Joey had been walking to the vending machines, his shift having just ended. He wasn't all too happy with having the shift right before Mai's- not only was it early in the morning, but he didn't get to spend much time with his friend. Well, at least it was only on Sundays. Tomorrow, he and Mai would have the same shift again, and he'd be able to talk to her and Yami. He had missed them both more than anything.
He punched in the numbers, watching as his pack of Cheetos fell from the shelf. He reached down and grabbed them eagerly, his stomach rumbling in complaint. That was the bad thing about being a nurse; the snack breaks were limited.
He stood back up and turned around, intending to leave the building and get some real food as soon as possible. What he was not expecting, though, was when he came face to face with none other than Mai Valentine.
She looked even more stunning than usual, he thought. Her hair was meticulously curled and her boots hugged her calves. Not many people could make a regular nurse's uniform look good, but somehow, Mai pulled it off. She had broken dress code (not for the first time) and worn a skirt instead of the standard issue nurse's pants, and it showed off her smooth legs. Joey wanted to say something, but all of his words got caught in his throat.
So, instead, he proceeded to lean back, casually putting an arm up. However, in his transfixed state, he had forgotten that where he was leaning didn't have anything to lean on- his arm caught on clean air and he flailed, falling backwards and landing hard on his butt. He felt a blush rise as Mai threw back her head and let out a long laugh, her sweet sound filling the room. He tried to be angry, but she stopped laughing before he could fight off the embarrassment and find it in him to snap at her.
She offered him her hand, her eyes sparkling as he stared at it. Instead of taking the offer, he defiantly stood on his own, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at her.
"If you're going to ogle me enough to fall flat, you should really take me on a date, Wheeler." She teased, giving him a soft shove with her elbow. Joey felt that anger he was looking for rise, and he huffed, his face turning red again.
"You know what?" He said defiantly, letting out a growl, "Maybe I will!" He announced. Mai rose her eyebrows, and suddenly, the reality of what he had just said hit him smack in the face. He stopped talking, stuttering a bit and backing up.
"You mean that, Wheeler?" Mai questioned.
"O-Of course I do!" He announced, standing up straighter. Well, he had already said it, he was going to go through with it now. He wasn't going to go back on what he said and look like an idiot. Even worse, look like an idiot who had no guts.
His determination not to take it back wavered a bit when Mai pursed her lips, thinking. She looked him up and down for a moment and Joey gulped, resisting the urge to bite his lip, or ask her what she was going to say. The anticipation coiled in his stomach as he waited for her reply, and it felt like a million years before she finally answered.
"Okay then. My shift ends at seven tonight." She announced. Joey felt his jaw go slack as she continued, "We'd better go some place decent, but not too nice. I don't want to have to change out of my uniform."
Joey sat there for another moment, unsure of how to respond. He gathered his wits quickly though and laughed a little at his own lack of ease, trying to act cool about it. He had just scored a date with the hottest girl that he knew- not only that, but the girl he had harboured a crush on for practically three years now! He had to resist the urge to do a victory dance.
"All right, see you then." He said, trying to act lax about it. Mai turned around, waving a hand at him as she walked to begin her shift. He waited until she was out of sigh before jumping in the air, pumping his fist up in triumph and excitement.
Yami nodded his head, taking in the story with utmost interest. He laughed when she relayed the little bit about Joey falling, shaking his head back and forth. He was happy for them- really and truly happy. They were both polar opposites, but they would work well together. "That's great. I've been waiting on you two to get your stuff together and finally go out." He announced, smiling a little.
Mai seemed to visibly relax. Yami wasn't sure why she was nervous about telling him; she knew that he would approve all of her choices, or at the very least, support her in whatever she decided to do. Taking a second look to her, though, he saw that she was still a little nervous. Her hands were shaking the slightest bit and her feet wouldn't stop shuffling along the ground. Her eyes stayed glued to the floor instead of vibrantly staring into his. He leaned forward and tapped her shoulder, causing her to start. "Unless, you don't want to?" He asked. Her face fell into conflicted emotions.
"I love Joey to death, I really do. The kid's got spunk, that's for sure." She said, her eyes drifting off a bit as she thought of him. Yami thought he'd never seen a person look more affectionate talking about someone else. "But I'm worried, yeah. He's so much younger than me, and I don't know if I'll end up unable to get past his immaturity. If that happens..." Mai bit her lip, her hands stalling as she carefully chose her words, "I'm worried I might lose him as a friend, too." She announced.
Yami nodded his head. He understood what she was getting at; they had a great friendship. If it got ruined by the two of them trying to push for more, she'd feel terrible. It was a lot of pressure to make things work, and... While pressure changed coal to diamonds, it also mutilated things beyond recognition if they weren't prepared to handle it. He knew that they were, though. He had faith in his two friends.
"Mai, that won't happen." He said confidently, puffing out his chest. "You guys are much too good of friends to let something like a break up shatter that. Friendship is a force beyond compare, and you both have ample to make it through anything this could throw at you. If you end up not liking him as much as you thought you did, Joey would never take it as an attack. You'll make it through." Yami said. Mai gave a small smile, standing up a little straighter as she nodded her head in agreement.
"Thank you, Yami. I don't know what I would do without you." She told him. Yami chuckled deeply and nodded his head, remaining silent. There wasn't much left to say on the topic. "You want to go and see Mokuba?" Mai questioned. Yami nodded his head, a smile stretching across his face. For some reason, things felt like they were falling into place in their little trio. Maybe Mokuba would even get better? Hey, he could dream.
Mai held the door open for him, and he walked out quickly, looking both ways to make sure nobody was running to get an errand done, (if he got run over by a nurse running late to check a patient, it wouldn't be the first time) and stepped into the hallway, holding the door open for Mai to come through after him.
They walked side by side down the hallway, intending to go to Mokuba's room. However, sometimes in life, our intentions are replaced by opportunity.
Yuugi came stumbling around the corner, his hair in a mess and struggling to balance himself. In his right hand was a perfect imitation of the Dark Magician's staff, but smaller, and the point around the gem rounded off. He hit the floor with it haphazardly, his nurse stumbling behind after him, a panicked look on her face.
Yuugi took a couple of steps towards them, both of them frozen in shock. His cane hit an IV pole as he was stepping forward, causing his centre of balance to shift just a little too quickly. Acting entirely on impulse, Yami stepped forward and put his hands firmly on Yuugi's shoulders, stopping his friend from falling face-first to the floor. Yuugi looked confused for a moment, his fall having abruptly stopped, and his face tilted upwards, as it would if he were looking at whoever saved him. His nose crinkled in concentration as he lifted one of his hands and laid it gently on the one currently covering his chest. Yami felt the brush of his fingers like a brand across his skin.
"Yami?" Yuugi questioned. Yami could read that much from his lips. He felt his mouth go dry and all he could do was nod his head, despite knowing that Yuugi couldn't see it. He figured somebody must have told Yuugi that he was right, because right then the boy broke out in the biggest smile- beaming right up at Yami like he was made for it. Yami couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.
A hand on his own shoulder finally broke him out of it- He became conscious of what he was doing and his hands dropped to his sides as if touching Yuugi would burn them. He blushed dark crimson and took a step back, giving Yuugi his personal space again. Well, now he was embarrassed. Of course, he wouldn't have been if there hadn't been anybody else there. He was just afraid of what they would say to Yuugi, especially since he had no way of knowing.
"You know, I could tell Mokuba you took a rain check." Mai offered. Yami thought she was teasing him and almost put his face in his hands, but he realized that her expression was far too serious. He tilted his head to the side a bit. "Yuugi's nurse is always busy, and you clearly did a good job of not letting him fall this time. She could really use your help." Mai said innocently, batting her eyelashes up at Yami. He gave a gulp before shaking his head left and right, to clear his thoughts.
He looked at Yuugi; face scrunched up in concentration as he lightly hit the floor with his cane, pouting as he got just the teeniest bit frustrated with not being able to feel things. He backed up a little and bumped into the wall, his mouth opening the tiniest bit in surprise. He blushed a bit as he stepped forward a little and straightened himself out. The action was just so Yuugi that Yami wanted to laugh.
"Actually, I do think I'll stay." Yami admitted sheepishly, blushing the slightest bit. Mai laughed and shook her head in understanding, telling Yuugi's nurse that she was relieved of duty for the moment. The woman slumped in relief before immediately high tailing it out of there, not willing to push her luck any further.
"Good luck." Mai teased, giving Yami a little wink. He rolled his eyes at her, hands awkwardly hanging at his side as they itched to grab Yuugi's. He smiled at her just a little too largely, teeth gleaming white as he silently asked her to leave. She narrowed her eyes before giving a huffy sigh and walked around Yami, towards the other end of the hallway before finally disappearing around the corner. Yami checked to make sure that nobody was looking before he reached out and gently took Yuugi's hand in his own, rubbing along Yuugi's knuckles softly.
His companion hummed in content and leaned into the touch, his arm brushing up against Yami's. Yami felt Yuugi's head rest on his shoulder for just a few seconds, affection leaking from his very pores as he looked at the younger one, and he leaned his head on top of Yuugi's. They stood there for only a few seconds before Yuugi sighed and pulled away, gently letting Yami's hand go. Yami felt disappointment and confusion go through him for a moment, before he realized that he wasn't actually supposed to be holding Yuugi's hand in the first place; Yuugi was supposed to be using the cane.
Yami broke away and awkwardly scratched his head for a moment. All the other times he'd held Yuugi's hand, it had been for walking purposes, or he'd just held on afterwards because he didn't feel like letting go. He had always assumed that that's why Yuugi allowed it; simply because he had to if he didn't want to fall and break something. However, it would have been easy for him earlier to immediately jerk away, or simply let Yami's hand fall out of his, gesturing towards the cane as his excuse. It would have been perfectly acceptable. Only, he hadn't.
Yami snapped out of the thought, jogging forward a couple of steps to catch back up with Yuugi. He stopped a couple of paces away from his friend and watched as he edged his cane along the wall, confused by the solid structure. Yuugi stood up straighter in triumph as he edged along and finally came to the opening, his goal being achieved. He started down that hallway.
He was probably over thinking the whole thing, to be honest. Hand holding didn't mean much to most people. Yami just hadn't been exposed to affection as much as other people had, so little things seemed like a bigger deal to him. He had been raised in the hospital, whereas Yuugi had been cultured in a private school. Now that he thought about it, that could have some influence on how Yuugi felt about affection, too. If he wasn't out and about to have society tell him that holding hands with someone else was romantic, maybe he didn't even know. Perhaps all the boys at the private school held hands, and it just meant you were really good friends?
No, Joey wasn't like that at all, and he'd been in the school almost as long as Yuugi. Yami shook his head again, giving an exasperated sigh as he did. He needed to stop thinking about this, or it was going to kill him. He just needed to concentrate on keeping Yuugi safe and secure in the hospital. He didn't need to be letting his thoughts run away with him right now.
He stepped forward again, finding Yuugi around the corner. He took a couple of large steps to catch up and then subtly brushed up against Yuugi to let him know that he was there. Yuugi smiled a bit and moved his cane to the left, intentionally poking Yami's shoe before. Yami's head whipped down, but by the time he looked, Yuugi's cane had already returned to the designated path. The grin stretched across his face gave away that he had been the one to do it, though.
Yami knew that his eyes were swimming with affection. It seemed overwhelming, this feeling of friendship. He never wanted Yuugi to go. It wasn't that he was a good conversationalist, it was that he didn't have to be. He made Yami laugh all the time. Yami could tell how he thought or felt by the little twitches of his body, nudges at times of peace, the small adjustments he made to his posture. Yami saw all of this, and he loved all of it. There was nothing more overwhelming than the feeling of knowing that you'd never get sick of a person.
He watched as Yuugi's cane continued to tap the floor, Yuugi looking frustrated as he stumbled along. Yami kept close, trying to make sure that he didn't let Yuugi fall. It was hard to get more than a couple feet away, though, because any time Yami would come too close, he would wind up bumping into Yuugi, or Yuugi would end up bumping into him. So, he tried to stay at the right distance.
Of course, he couldn't always stay a foot away. The hallways were small, and nurses strolled through them with large equipment, sometimes even hospital beds. There were times when Yami would have to pull Yuugi abruptly to the side to keep him from getting run over. On one such occasion, a nurse came walking through in no hurry, pushing some heavy-looking machine on wheels through the hallway. They were towards the end and had nowhere to go, so Yami reached out and wrapped his hand around Yuugi's arm, pulling him aside. There was no time to judge how hard or fast to pull, so Yami just yanked Yuugi against himself, not wanting to let him hit the wall.
He continued to stay in the awkward embrace, Yuugi's hands now pushing up against the wall on either side of him, for a good twenty seconds. Once the machine was finally past, Yami awkwardly put a hand on Yuugi's shoulder and pushed him away, giving it a pat. Yuugi smiled a bit and nudged Yami affectionately before he went back to walking.
The problem was, now that he wasn't paying as much attention to where he was going. An IV pole had been carelessly left in the hallway, and Yuugi's cane went right over it. He took another step and his foot caught on the metal bar, sending his body sprawling forward towards the cold floor.
Yami knew he had to do something, and fast. So, he stepped forward and grabbed Yuugi's arm, his own feet snagging on the metal and making him unable to regain his own balance. In a last ditch effort he reached around and put his hands behind Yuugi's head so it wouldn't hit the floor, and he tightened his arms so he wouldn't fall on top of Yuugi. He took the blow and his knuckles cracked against the floor, his knees landing to either side and keeping his body from hitting Yuugi's. He could feel Yuugi's breath coming in short pants across his face, and he looked in wonder at the small boy beneath him.
Yuugi was slightly out of breath as he propped himself up on his elbows, and Yami moved his hands and sat back some to give him some space. He could read Yuugi's lips as he thanked him, his mouth stretched upwards in a toothy grin.
The mood changed abruptly. Suddenly, Yami got the urge to kiss that grin away. Yuugi's body was warm and soft, his grin fading as his tongue darted out to lick his lips. Yami moved one of his hands forward to rest gently on Yuugi's and leaned forward just the smallest bit, his own lips parted in anticipation. His head tilted, and Yuugi's seemed to tilt the opposite way. It would be so easy to just lean in and kiss him right then, so natural...
A nurse walked around the corner, and Yami suddenly sat up straight, having seen her out of the corner of his eyes. He looked back to Yuugi and cleared his throat awkwardly, smiling a little as he got up and stepped back, waiting until Yuugi put out his own hand to pull his friend up. He saw that Yuugi was giving a small frown, and Yami wondered if it was because he didn't do what Yuugi expected, or if it was because he knew what Yami was going to do and didn't want to. Anxiety twisted in his stomach. They had been close enough... If Yuugi really wanted to kiss him, wouldn't he have just done it?
Yami shook his head, catching up with Yuugi again. He didn't want him to trip again, so he'd have to be more careful. After all, he didn't know whether or not Yuugi would be a fan of a recurrence.
Later on in the day, Mai was preparing for her date with Joey.
She had reapplied lip stick at least five times in the last ten minutes, her hands shaking the slightest bit. She didn't know what was wrong with her; she had been on plenty of dates before, and she'd never behaved this way. She shook her head at her own behaviour, giving a huffy sigh and forcing herself to sit down. She couldn't do this to herself; she was going to go and have a good time, and that was that. She wouldn't let herself be tormented by the possibility of failure.
She stood up, forcing herself to put on a fake smile as she adjusted her top. She had changed out of her nurse's uniform, (she had said she didn't feel like it, but ended up needing something to do while she waited) and into the spare tank top and mini-jacket she kept in her locker. She checked the clock, satisfied as '7:54' beamed up at her from the electric screen. She walked over to the machine they used to keep track of how long they had worked and checked out, figuring that leaving five or six minutes early couldn't hurt anyone.
She walked out in the New York air, clutching her top closer as she shivered. Her eyes scanned the line of cars momentarily before they rested on one in particular; the beat up Chevy that Joey called a vehicle. She walked a couple of steps towards it, reminding herself that this was Joey, and that she had wanted this for a long time. She eventually reached the curb and knocked just the slightest bit on the glass of the car, her eyes peering into the vehicle as she tried to make out Joey.
Joey jumped, his eyes turning eagerly towards the sound that had come from the window. He smiled and sheepishly unlocked the door, his hands returning to the steering wheel as he nervously twidled his thumbs. Mai stepped off of the curb and got in the car, her skirt coming up a couple of inches as she swooped down into the seat. Joey felt tension coil in his stomach as he looked over towards her, laughing nervously a little.
"I thought you weren't going to change?" He asked, eyeing the shirt. Mai shrugged, smiling a bit as she peered out the windshield. Joey reached forward and grabbed hold of the gear shift, shifting out of park and gently nudging the gas to let the car begin to move forward.
"I felt like changing after you left. I have to maintain my pride, you know." Mai said, leaning back. Now that she was in the car, she was starting to get comfortable. Talking to Joey was easy and natural, no longer did she feel awkward and nervous. Joey was starting to visibly relax, too, Mai's easygoing nature becoming his own. They both knew each other; they hung out, they talked, they were easy to be around. Sure they picked on each other and tended to have a competitive streak, but that's part of what made them like each other so much. This date was just going to be fun, just the two of them, without the pressures that something like that normally would imply. Because just because they knew that they liked each other now, didn't have to mean that things changed.
"I think you have plenty of that already." Joey retaliated, smiling. Mai closed her eyes for a second, breathing out a bit in relief as the lights above them reflected on the dashboard. "So, where do you want to go? I'll let you decide." Joey offered.
"How about we just go and get pizza?" Mai offered. Joey smiled and flashed her a thumbs up, already turning down the road to get to their usual hangout. Joey didn't even have to ask to make sure; he knew that this was where Mai would want to go. They had a routine, and he remembered it. Mai liked that about him.
So, they ate, and talked, and laughed, and had fun. Mai was herself and Joey was himself, constantly flirting and competing over stupid little things. Once they were done, they split the tab and got back in Joey's car, him making the short drive back to the parking lot so Mai could get her car. He pulled up to the curb and unlocked the door, awkwardly waiting for her to get out. She stayed, her arms coming to cross over her chest.
"Joey Wheeler," She said, batting her eyelashes, "You're not trying to push me out into the cold without my kiss, are you?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Joey's eyes widened as he remembered that this, was, in fact, a date, and he blushed, stuttering.
"I-uh, I," He said, his hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter than probably necessary. He cleared his throat before finally continuing, "Of course I wasn't."
Mai scooted over towards him, her breath ghosting over his face. "I'm waiting." She purred seductively. She was more than capable of initiating it herself, but she liked watching Joey squirm.
His hands left the steering wheel, one of them coming to rest awkwardly against the console while the other went up to lay gently on Mai's shoulder. He paused for a moment, looking into her eyes and feeling his mind go blank, before he leaned forward slowly and pressed his lips to hers.
She parted her lips a little, feeling his do the same, and she leaned into the kiss. Joey started to pull away but she followed him, making the kiss deeper and longer. She leaned over the console, the plastic digging into her side as she leaned into it, pulling apart momentarily only to press forward again. Joey leaned into it eagerly, his hand moving around to lightly tug her hair as they stayed in a lip-lock. Finally, she pulled away, panting slightly as she sat herself back down in the seat. Her eyes flickered back over to his and she gave a small, almost secretive smile as she opened the door and rose from the car, walking along the pavement towards her own vehicle.
She didn't have to look back to know that his eyes were trained on her the whole way.