Yuugi swung slowly on the swing as he watched the playground before him sadly. It had been a week since he had visited the mall with Melvin, and his thoughts would often drift back to that day. It wasn't like Yuugi didn't have anything else to think about, but for some strange reason, the memory fought away his loneliness like the sun fought away the shadows. Melvin's words echoed in his head whenever is was quiet which was too often for Yuugi's liking.
"Call me whenever you're bored. I'm never doing anything really important anyway."
Yuugi glanced at his cell phone that stuck out of the front pocket of his jeans. He had been pushing away the thought of bothering Melvin for a couple days now. Even with the blond's go ahead, he felt as if it was wrong somehow. Shouldn't his thoughts be centered around Atem, his boyfriend and the one he loved? A sigh left his lips at the thought.
The answer was yes, of course, but the memory of Melvin dropping him and the car off at Atem's house and exchanging numbers after their visit to the mall was still at the forefront of his mind. He remembered the powerful rev and roar of Melvin's black motorcycle as it sped down the street, the gold trim flashing under the street lights.
I wish Atem was around more, Yuugi thought dejectedly. The swing stopped as he stilled his legs. He really would like nothing better than some company, but Atem was at work with Seto, Téa was in America for dancing school, Joey's duel tournaments took up all his time, Duke had his own company to take care of, Tristan was helping Duke with his company overseas in Europe, Ryou could never get away from his boyfriend, Bakura, and Mokuba was going to start high school pretty soon. Yuugi would visit his Grandpa at the Kame Game Shop, but he didn't want the old man to find out just how lonely he was. He didn't want to have the aging man worry over him when he had his own health to look after.
Another sigh left him. The thought of calling Melvin came to mind again, but he brushed it aside just as quickly as it had come. He was determined to get through this himself. He couldn't worry his friends just because he was lonely. Albeit, very lonely.
Dark laughter from the other side of the park made Yuugi look up in interest. It was such an obvious change from the light giggling of the playful children that it caught his attention immediately. His eyes widened when he saw the group the just entered through the low chain-link fence gate. Melvin, Bakura, Marik, and a few other people Yuugi didn't recognize strode towards the playground as if they were stalking their prey.
Lavender eyes met his light violet ones as Melvin caught sight of him. There was no doubt a curious expression on Yuugi's face, and the blond halted momentarily. Melvin turned to his friends that were probably asking why he had stopped before telling them something. Yuugi would've liked to know what was being said, but he was too far away to hear.
Whatever Melvin had said was obviously disliked by many other members of the group if Bakura's snarl and Marik's eye roll were anything to go by. Melvin retaliated with a nod towards the entrance of the park and a heated glare that could have melted tempered steel. The group was unhappy with the order to leave, or at least that's what Yuugi assumed it was from the gestures, but did so reluctantly. Melvin stood there watching them until they had walked through the gate and turned the street corner out of sight before turning towards where Yuugi sat on the swing.
The predatory look in Melvin's eyes vanished upon approaching him and his neutral look of 'I don't give two fucks' replaced it. He came to a stop in front of Yuugi and they both were quiet for a while. It was Yuugi who broke the silence first.
"Hey, Melvin," he said with a smile that he hoped didn't look as fake as it felt. "What brings you here?"
"I could ask you the same, kid," Melvin replied. "Atem at work again?"
Yuugi's smile dropped when Melvin said those words. He had hit the nail right on the head. "Yeah," he mumbled softly and lowered his head. He heard Melvin snort disdainfully but was quiet after that. A few minutes passed and Yuugi was seriously thinking about just returning home to cry out his sorrows under his pillow when Melvin spoke.
"Do you... wanna go to the mall or something?"
Once again, Yuugi was surprised by the words. Melvin, who he was sure wanted nothing to do with him, just offered to do something with him. His eyes went wide as he lifted his head to look at Melvin. "Y-You don't have to do that," Yuugi said. He definitely didn't want pity but something told him that Melvin wasn't the kind of person to have such an emotion.
"You're just going to mope around here all day then?" Melvin shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants and snorted again. "That doesn't seem very entertaining." His eyes watched Yuugi carefully. It was as if he were trying to figure out the workings of Yuugi's mind.
"It's really not," Yuugi said with a sigh. "But, I don't want to be a bother to you. Your friends didn't look very pleased when you told them to leave." He nodded in the direction of the gate to emphasize his words. "They're probably better company anyway." The words were out of his mouth before he had realized what he had even said.
"Stop being so depressed dammit!" Melvin snarled as his unsteady temper flared. His language caused a few hovering mothers to turn their way and give them their best glares, but either Melvin didn't care or he didn't notice. Yuugi was startled by the sudden outburst. "Where's the kid who dragged me around the fuckin' mall and wouldn't shut up or stop smiling? Where's the kid that bought a box of damn pocky and shared it with me and got me a fuckin' energy drink when he realized I was tired as shit? Where's the kid who told me that he tried to be so damn happy so he wouldn't have to worry those he cared for?"
Yuugi was silent for a time as he thought of an answer, but he couldn't find one. He couldn't muster up the strength to put on a smile right then and if he were speaking honestly to himself, he doubted he'd be able to do so again in the near future. He figured Melvin wouldn't like his answer, but he felt obligated to give him one. "I don't know, Melvin," he said quietly. "I don't know."
Melvin sighed in an attempt to dispel his sudden anger. He wasn't really sure why he gave a damn about the Pharaoh's toy. Maybe it was because he had found out why Atem wasn't around much and why work was always the excuse. Maybe it was because he actually felt bad about keeping it a secret from Yuugi. He knew that telling Yuugi what Atem was doing when at 'work' was going to crush the poor boy, and he definitely wanted to see that happy smile on Yuugi's lips again. A fleeting thought crossed his mind as to why he gave a damn, but it was quickly replaced by the unfamiliar urge to make Yuugi happy. The urge to be able to have the boy smile so broadly up at him as he did that day at the mall.
"Well, I still think he's in there somewhere," Melvin said in a gruff voice. "He just needs a good kick in the ass before he can come out again." Melvin then moved to stand behind Yuugi who was still sitting on the swing. Yuugi turned his head to keep the blond in his sights. The last thing Melvin had said made him a little uneasy.
"Not a literal kick in the ass, right, Melvin?" Yuugi asked cautiously. The boots Melvin wore looked like they'd hurt more than he'd like. Melvin smirked.
"Pharaoh would have my head if I hurt you," Melvin replied offhandedly. He grasped the chains that attached the swing to the metal bars holding it up and took a few steps back. Yuugi was as light as he looked. His small frame allowed little weight to settle, and Melvin had no problem pulling the swing Yuugi sat on as far back and up as he could. "I meant to say that you just need a big ass push." With that, he let go of the chains with added force.
Yuugi yelped when the swing swung forward, and he was parallel with the supporting bar within a second. His eyes widened as he realized that he had never been this high before, and the feeling of weightlessness that accompanied it was quickly replaced by his stomach dropping as the swing swung backward. He went to call out to Melvin and tell him to get out of the way, but it was too late. Yuugi advanced downward and back, and he closed his eyes as he waited for the hard impact that undoubtedly awaited him.
He was quite surprised when it never came and a light pressure on his lower back gently pushed him forward instead. The air whipped against him as he was moving forward again, and he opened his eyes in confusion. Did he just… Yuugi thought in disbelief. The swing swung back towards Melvin again, and Yuugi saw him raise his hands. He felt the same light pressure on his lower back again. He did! Melvin's pushing me on a swing! Yuugi's thoughts came to an abrupt halt after that and an unbidden laugh escaped his throat as he swung forward.
This went on for a while. Yuugi would laugh and giggle happily as the swing moved back and forth. Melvin would push Yuugi forward to keep the boy swinging and laughing freely. One wore the brightest smile that could even rival Ra's brilliance, and the other had a small smirk and a pleased expression on his face.
Those who passed by looked at the odd duo with looks of curiosity, wonder, and the occasional hard judging glare. However, Yuugi didn't notice any of it as he laughed and smiled. Melvin simply ignored it and focused on the happy jingle of Yuugi's giggles. He focused on how the air whipped at his clothes and hair and how it revealed the lithe body hidden beneath them. He focused on how the evening sun's colors of pink and orange made Yuugi's eyes gleam softly.
He realized then that while he had been with Yuugi, he hadn't thought of anything other than him. No thoughts of drinking or hookers or damning the Pharaoh to the Shadow Realm had even crossed his mind. Melvin wondered at that for a moment. He certainly didn't think he cared that much about Atem's boyfriend, and he certainly didn't know what this new feeling of fondness was supposed to mean. His annoyance with the boy seemed to be situated to that day at the mall and to that day alone. Not once over the time they hadn't seen each other had Melvin thought he'd never see Yuugi as something that belonged to him much less someone he would enjoy spending time with.
Bakura's fuckin' rubbing off on me, Melvin mused silently as he now absentmindedly pushed Yuugi. Damned thief, making me feel as if I need to protect the thing I stole. Wait… when did I steal Yuugi? That thought brought him out of his own mind and back to the present.
Yuugi's laughter had died down, and he was just enjoying the quiet atmosphere of the dark landscape around them. A few streetlights illuminated patches of sidewalk but it was the city lights around them that provided the most light. His ribcage hurt a bit from all his laughter, and he realized that it had been a long time since anyone had made him laugh like that. He glanced back at Melvin to see the tall, intimidating blond was in his own thoughts and was unconsciously pushing the swing. Yuugi sighed softly.
His own thoughts were turbulent as he thought back on what joy he felt when hanging out with Melvin. That day at the mall had been the most fun he had in a long time. Atem was always working and otherwise absent from Yuugi's life outside of a few phone calls and texts. So, having someone to actually hang out and talk with was a blessing in Yuugi's opinion, even if Melvin had only taken him to the mall under Atem's orders. Now that they had spent the better half of the afternoon together, Yuugi noticed that he hadn't really thought of Atem much at all during their time together. The loneliness that accompanied him constantly had been blown away by the gale force wind called friend. A friend named Melvin. He wished to continue seeing Melvin until Atem's work died down, and an old, diminished feeling that he had nearly forgotten about flickered back to life within his chest.
"We should hang out again sometime, Melvin," Yuugi said suddenly, much to his own surprise. What surprised him, even more, was Melvin's approving grunt. He certainly hadn't expected that.
So, more than likely a third part will be coming out. Yeah, I'm kind of getting myself hooked on this pairing lol. Please REVIEW~ and tell me what you think of my characterization of these two so far! Till next time, my beautiful readers! :)