In this chapter, friends and family are starting to grow suspicious that Yugi and Anzu might be more than just friends. But who will be the first to find out?!
Warnings: Mentions of sexual activity, but nothing juicy actually happens in this chapter.
Chapter 5.
Mum's The Word.
Opening the bedroom door, Mrs Mazaki started telling Anzu there was some takeaway chicken Katsu curry for her downstairs, but stopped mid sentence to do a double take when she saw Yugi sitting at the small desk with her daughter. "Oh! Hello Yugi. I didn't know you were here!" Maybe it was because the desk was small, but it looked like the pair were sitting very close together.
Giving her one of his innocent, disarming smiles, Yugi replied, "Hello Mrs Mazaki."
Noting her mother's suspicious expression, Anzu was quick to explain, "Yugi came back with me to do some revision for tomorrow."
Having no reason to believe they were doing anything other than revision, her mother's face relaxed, and she smiled. "I would offer Yugi dinner, but I'm not sure we bought enough food!" It was a well known fact that growing teenage boys could eat a lot, and Yugi looked liked he was doing a lot of growing lately.
Anzu was about to say, 'Yugi can share mine,' but Yugi spoke first.
"That's okay, Mrs Mazaki. I should probably go home anyway. I didn't tell my mum I wouldn't be home for dinner and she'll be expecting me."
"I'll er.. see you out, Yugi," said Anzu, a little disappointed he was going so soon.
Yugi started gathering up his books.
Mrs Mazaki cleared her throat. "I'll go and tell your father to start dishing up," she said, leaving them to it.
As soon as her mother had gone, Anzu rushed over to the door and closed it quietly, before going back to Yugi and draping her arms around his shoulders. "I think she suspects," she said, kissing him.
Yugi tentatively put his hands on her waist. "Are you sure?! We weren't doing anything suspicious!"
Nodding, Anzu rested her forehead against his. "Yes. I'm sure. I think she has a sixth sense –call it Mother's instinct."
Yugi sucked nervously on his bottom lip. "What if she tells your father?" He sagged. "I'm dead if she does."
Anzu laughed. "Don't be so dramatic Yugi! My dad isn't that bad!"
Yugi frowned. "He doesn't like me," he said bitterly. Anzu gave him a sympathetic smile and tried to reassure him.
"It's not personal; he hates the thought of me dating anyone! But I'm a grown woman and I can date who I want, so he'll have to get used to it."
A little less confident about it than Anzu, Yugi rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, as long as you're sure?" he said.
"Of course I'm sure. And stop worrying Yugi! I'll deal with my dad, if and when the time comes. In the meantime…" She kissed him lovingly.
After a few moments they pulled apart. "I had better go," he said. "Before your parents wonder why we're taking so long."
Nodding, Anzu hurried downstairs and Yugi followed.
Anzu waited while he put his shoes on and then opened the door for him. "See you at eight thirty in the morning," she said. "Our usual spot." He nodded.
"Sure!" Looking around her shoulder to make sure they were not visible to her parents, he chanced another quick kiss, before waving goodbye and heading home.
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Sighing, Anzu made her way to the kitchen. "That smells delicious," she said, trying to make casual conversation.
"It does," her mother agreed, smiling.
"Tuck in," her father told her. "Before it gets cold."
"Sorry I took so long," Anzu said casually, as she went over to the sink to get a drink of water. "Yugi and I were having a last minute discussion about our exam."
"I trust you managed to get plenty of revision done?" her father asked. Anzu almost choked on her water, but managed not to spit any out. Swallowing it down, she nodded.
"I think we've done enough. We're both quietly confident that we'll do well."
Her father grunted. "That's good to hear." He winked at her. "I expect you to pass with top grades then?"
Anzu blushed. "Dad! Don't pressure me like that that! I'll do my very best though."
Her mother smiled across the table at her. "I know you will sweetheart. We're both very proud of you."
Anzu could not help but blush.
After they had finished eating, Anzu helped her mother clear away, while her father took the empty cartons out to the wheelie bin. Anzu put the plates in the dishwasher and was about to start it going.
"Don't run the dishwasher yet," her mother told her. "I'll make a pot of green tea and we can run it after we put the cups in."
"Okay," said Anzu, putting the box of dishwasher tablets back in the cupboard and standing up.
That was when her Mrs Mazaki noticed the small, reddish coloured bruise just above the juncture of Anzu's neck and collarbone. She thought she had noticed something there earlier, but was now certain about what it was. She cleared her throat. "You should probably do up your buttons properly," she said. Anzu had left the top two buttons undone.
Anzu gave her mother a puzzled look. "Why?" she asked cautiously.
Her mother tapped her own neck in the spot where she had seen the love bite on the left hand side of Anzu's neck. "You don't want your father to see the mark on your neck," she explained quietly.
Eyes widening, Anzu hurriedly did up the buttons, thankful that her father had been sat to her left where her collar concealed it from his view. "It's not what you think!" she said, blushing and trying to come up with an excuse.
Her mother gave her a sympathetic, but stern smile. "Shall we have a chat, when your father's not around?" Smiling nervously, Anzu nodded.
They heard the back door close as her father came inside. "What are you two whispering about?"
"We weren't whispering," said her mother. "We're making tea. Would you like some?"
Her father nodded. "That would be nice. Thank you."
Feeling too embarrassed to stay downstairs, Anzu took her tea up to her room and put on some music by one of her favourite bands, Arashi.
She went over to the mirror and undid the buttons to look at her neck, and there it was, at the base of her neck just above her collar bone. She did not know if she should laugh, cry, or be cross with Yugi for sucking on her skin like that.
But, anyway, her mother now knew about her relationship with him.
But how much should she confess? Would her mother be angry with her? Maybe not – she had not seemed angry. But her father would be, for certain. He disapproved of students dating seriously when they should be concentrating on their studies. He especially frowned upon his own daughter dating a boy who fell below his own high and mighty standards –if only he knew that Yugi had shared his soul with a King of Egypt, and that he had already achieved far greater things (saving the world for one) than any other boy she might meet.
The thought made her smile, despite her anxiety. To some, the diminutive duelist might seem like an unlikely candidate, but Yugi was the superhero she had always yearned for.
There was a gentle knock on her door. "Anzu! Can I come in sweetie?" her mother asked softly, tentatively -this was going to be as awkward for her as it would be for her daughter.
Cringing, Anzu knew what was coming. "Yes, Mum!"
Her mother looked embarrassed as she entered, and asked, "Is this Arashi? It's quite catchy."
Anzu almost rolled her eyes at the way her mother was apparently skirting around the subject. Instead she nodded, forced a smile and replied, "Yeah. I think this is their best album." Her mother nodded her agreement, but Anzu could see her wringing her hands as she tried to broach the subject.
"About Yugi," she eventually said, before faltering again.
"I know what you're thinking Mum. Just say it!" Anzu said irritably, but also sounding weary. Why were they both handling this so badly.
"Have you….?" her mother began, but Anzu interrupted abruptly.
"Mum! Do you have to ask me that?!" she said, trying not to squirm. "Of course we haven't!" But her rapidly heating face gave her away.
Her mother cleared her throat. "I was going to ask how long you've been dating him?" Mrs Mazaki said as calmly as she could.
"Oh!" Anzu could slap herself. She had more or less just admitted to having sex with Yugi.
Mrs Mazaki sat down on the bed. "It's okay Anzu. I'm not going to tell you off." She fidgeted with her hands. "You are being careful though, I hope. You do know, that if you get pregnant, you won't be able to go to New York!"
Anzu's face was now beetroot red. "Mum! We're not stupid. Of course we were careful!" This was so embarrassing.
Her mother smiled awkwardly. "Your father and I were once young and in love too, you know?"
Anzu pulled a yuk face. "Ugh! T.M.I, Mum!" They both started laughing and it helped to break the ice.
Mrs Mazaki tried again, "The reason I wanted to talk to you, was let you know your dad isn't going to approve."
"Then don't tell him!"
"He will find out eventually."
Anzu huffed. "I can't understand why he doesn't like Yugi. Yugi's one of the nicest boys I know."
Her mother gave a gentle smile. "He doesn't have a problem with Yugi as such –we know he's a well mannered boy, from a nice family- he just doesn't want you to throw your studies, or your dreams of a career as a dancer, away for a boy."
"Yugi's not just any boy Mum! I've known him for years, and he supports my dreams, and I support his."
"And he's prepared to wait while you go and study abroad?"
"We love each other! We'll never split up, if that's what you're implying?"
Her mother smiled sympathetically. Her daughter was still so young, and perhaps nieve when it came to love. "You love him now. But you will be away for at least three years, and a lot can change in that time. I just don't want either of you to end up with a broken heart."
Anzu gave her mother a quizzical look. "Why do you say that?! It's not like I'm going to another planet! And I'll be home for the holidays. Yugi's also promised to visit me."
Deciding against expressing her concerns further, her mother conceded. Anzu had good common sense, most of the time, and was most likely well aware of the difficulties she and Yugi might face in the future.
As a parent, all she could do was leave them to it, let things run their course, and be there for her daughter if it all went wrong.
"Look, Mum," said Anzu, sitting down next to her mother and trying to explain. "Stop worrying about me. I'm not twelve, I know what I'm doing. The reason Yugi and I are keeping it quiet is because Dad thinks students should study, not date, and we've got teachers who think that too!" She sighed. "After graduation, I'll tell Dad. But, please, don't say anything to him in the meantime."
Mrs Mazaki took her daughter's hand and squeezed it gently. "Don't worry. I won't." She gave her daughter a loving smile, as she remembered her little four year old girl, dressed in a pretty pink leotard, bouncing about on her feet, excited to be attending her first ever dancing lesson. "We tend to forget –your father especially– that you're not our little girl any more."
Anzu reached over and hugged her mother. "Thanks, Mum. I love you. I promise I won't let you, or dad, or Yugi, or… my dance instructors, or anyone else I've forgotten, down."
Her mother hugged her and laughed softly. "I know you won't sweetie. Not intentionally, at least. I just hope that no one lets you down."
It upset Anzu to think that her mother might be implying that she or Yugi would let each other down, but, for the sake of keeping the peace, let it slide. Yugi would never let her down, nor she him.
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A bright spring morning greeted Yugi as stepped outside onto the forecourt of the store. "Bye! See ya later, Grandpa!" he called out cheerily, waving as he ran off down the road to meet his girlfriend.
Sugoroku looked up from sweeping the forecourt and leant on his broom with a wry smile. "Bye Yugi!" he called back, but doubted his grandson had heard him, since the young man was already across the road and halfway down the street on the other side.
He shook his head and returned to the sweeping, before folding out a board advertising a buy one get one half price offer on all booster packs.
When Yugi arrived at their meeting place, he saw that Anzu was already there waiting at the bottom of the steps for him. As he hurried up to greet her, he smiled and said hello the cat. It was there every morning, and it always meowed at him with an arrogant disinterest, even though it chose to hop off the wall and come closer, as if wanting to greet him.
He was laughing when he reached Anzu. "I see that cat every morning."
"I think it likes you," she said, smiling.
"Yeah.. I wonder where it lives." As they started walking, he looked over at the row of houses. It probably came from one of those.
"My mum knows," Anzu suddenly said, breaking him from his thoughts.
"Huh?!" He stopped walking and looked at her.
Anzu continued, "About us." She pulled her cravat aside to show him the mark on her neck. "My mum saw it." Yugi's mouth fell open and a silent 'O' fell out. "Don't worry," said Anzu, "she wasn't angry."
Yugi finally managed to speak. "Shit! Does your dad know?" He was sure that if her father found out he would stop Yugi from seeing her.
"Relax, Yugi. It's okay. She won't tell my dad."
"You sure?!"
Anzu nodded. "Yes. I'm sure."
"And she doesn't mind us dating?"
"Well…" Anzu shrugged thoughtfully. "I think she's more worried about me getting pregnant and not being able to go to New York."
Yugi squirmed. "What? You didn't tell her we had sex, did you?!" he said, the pitch of his voice going up as he became stressed. Anzu shook her head in horror.
"Oh, God, No!" She grimaced apologetically. "I didn't mean to. It just… She guessed." Better than admitting to her accidental admission. "But she didn't tell me we shouldn't." Anzu giggled. "She actually said that she and Dad were young once."
"So…. Does that mean I'm allowed to spend more time in your room with you?" he asked, hesitantly but inquisitively.
Anzu rolled her eyes. "Yugi! Boys and their one track minds!" She tutted. "No. It's too risky. We'll either have to wait until they're both out at work, or… we could find somewhere else to go?"
They both jumped out of their skins when a pair of gangly, muscular arms threw themselves around their shoulders, and a familiar voice said, "Find somewhere else for what?"
Anzu shoved Jonouchi away from herself. "None of your business!" she snapped.
Jonouchi might have lost his grip on Anzu, but he still had Yugi in his grasp. "C'mon Yug! You can trust me not to tell!" he demanded, tightening his hold.
"Erm… I." Wheezing, Yugi strained, to turn his head towards Anzu, to give her a desperate, pleading look for help.
"Let him go, Jonouchi!" Anzu ordered threateningly.
"Sheesh!" Scowling, Jonouchi released Yugi from his headlock. "I was only teasing. No need to get shitty about it."
Rubbing his painful neck, Yugi straightened out his rumpled blazer and shirt collar. "If you want to ask me something Jonouchi, try doing it without strangling me next time."
Jonouchi suddenly felt ashamed for hurting his best friend. "Sorry Yugi." He chuckled. "I forget my own strength sometimes."
Seeing the funny side, Yugi laughed. "I forgive you Jonouchi. C'mon, we should get to class. We don't wanna be late," he said, checking his watch.
Relived that Jonouchi seemed to have forgotten his inquisition, for the moment, Anzu and Yugi glanced at each other, and the trio walked in through the school gates together.
That's it for this chapter.
As I said previously, I'm making this up as I go along, so we will see where it ends up.
